This is me- the writing goddess Melanie
The writing goddess at leisure
Thursday, January 17, 2019
Wednesday, January 16, 2019
Saturday, January 12, 2019
Saturday, December 22, 2018
Happy Holidays from The Writing Goddess Melanie
It's that time of the year. The hustle and bustle of getting gifts for your loved ones. With the kids home for the holidays, it makes time to write even more of a challenge. We are reminded that as writers, we need to write, but fitting it into our busy schedules can take creativity.
Keeping a small notebook in your pocket can help collect the ideas you have for a later time when you can come home and elaborate on them. Standing in line at the register, inspiration sometimes hits. With the small notepad and pen in my pocket, I capture them on paper.
Words become sentences. Sentences become paragraphs. Paragraphs become pages. Keeping pace will win the race. I participated in Nanowrimo this year and earned my completion badge. How many of you also participated? Did you find it hard to find the time to get the words in? One thing I learned from Nanowrimo was how much time is really free in my day. While it might not be huge chunks of time, however fifteen minutes here and thirty minutes there start to add up.
Another handy tip is word sprints. To do this you set a timer for twenty minutes. You devote the time before the ding to writing as much as you can on topic. Edit later! Facebook can be a distraction in your writing. Checking emails can take up valuable time and rob you of your progress. Use these activities sparingly. Pay attention to the time afforded to these activities. Pinterest can suck me in for hours. If you are anything like me, you will pour though pages of beautiful quotes and writing inspiration. At some point though, you have to bite the bullet and use the writing inspiration to write.
I challenge you to find the time within your holiday season to return to your first love- writing!
Happy Holidays to You and Yours from The Writing Goddess Melanie
Friday, July 8, 2016
Ten rules for writing fiction | Books | The Guardian
Ten rules for writing fiction | Books | The Guardian: "Ten rules for writing fiction
Get an accountant, abstain from sex and similes, cut, rewrite, then cut and rewrite again – if all else fails, pray 6
Save for later
Elmore Leonard: Using adverbs is a mortal sin
1 Never open a book with weather. If it's only to create atmosphere, and not a character's reaction to the weather, you don't want to go on too long. The reader is apt to leaf ahead looking for people. There are exceptions. If you happen to be Barry Lopez, who has more ways than an Eskimo to describe ice and snow in his book Arctic Dreams, you can do all the weather reporting you want.
2 Avoid prologues: they can be annoying, especially a prologue following an introduction that comes after a foreword. But these are ordinarily found in non-fiction. A prologue in a novel is backstory, and you can drop it in anywhere you want. There is a prologue in John Steinbeck's Sweet Thursday, but it's OK because a character in the book makes the point of what my rules are all about. He says: "I like a lot of talk in a book and I don't like to have nobody tell me what the guy that's talking looks like. I want to figure out what he looks like from the way he talks."
3 Never use a verb other than "said" to carry dialogue. The line of dialogue belongs to the character; the verb is the writer sticking his nose in. But "said" is far less intrusive than "grumbled", "gasped", "cautioned", "lied". I once noticed Mary McCarthy ending a line of dialogue with "she asseverated" and had to stop reading and go to the dictionary.
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Read more
4 Never use an adverb to modify the verb "said" ... he admonished gravely. To use an adverb this way (or almost any way) is a mortal sin. The writer is now exposing himself in earnest, using a word that distracts and can interrupt the rhythm of the exchange. I have a character in one of my books tell how she used to write historical romances "full of rape and adverbs".
5 Keep your exclamation points under control. You are allowed no more than two or three per 100,000 words of prose. If you have the knack of playing with exclaimers the way Tom Wolfe does, you can throw them in by the handful.
6 Never use the words "suddenly" or "all hell broke loose". This rule doesn't require an explanation. I have noticed that writers who use "suddenly" tend to exercise less control in the application of exclamation points.
7 Use regional dialect, patois, sparingly. Once you start spelling words in dialogue phonetically and loading the page with apostrophes, you won't be able to stop. Notice the way Annie Proulx captures the flavour of Wyoming voices in her book of short stories Close Range.
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8 Avoid detailed descriptions of characters, which Steinbeck covered. In Ernest Hemingway's "Hills Like White Elephants", what do the "American and the girl with him" look like? "She had taken off her hat and put it on the table." That's the only reference to a physical description in the story.
9 Don't go into great detail describing places and things, unless you're Margaret Atwood and can paint scenes with language. You don't want descriptions that bring the action, the flow of the story, to a standstill.
10 Try to leave out the part that readers tend to skip. Think of what you skip reading a novel: thick paragraphs of prose you can see have too many words in them.
My most important rule is one that sums up the 10: if it sounds like writing, I rewrite it.
Elmore Leonard's 10 Rules of Writing is published next month by Weidenfeld & Nicolson.
Diana Athill
1 Read it aloud to yourself because that's the only way to be sure the rhythms of the sentences are OK (prose rhythms are too complex and subtle to be thought out – they can be got right only by ear).
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2 Cut (perhaps that should be CUT): only by having no inessential words can every essential word be made to count.
3 You don't always have to go so far as to murder your darlings – those turns of phrase or images of which you felt extra proud when they appeared on the page – but go back and look at them with a very beady eye. Almost always it turns out that they'd be better dead. (Not every little twinge of satisfaction is suspect – it's the ones which amount to a sort of smug glee you must watch out for.)"
'via Blog this'
Get an accountant, abstain from sex and similes, cut, rewrite, then cut and rewrite again – if all else fails, pray 6
Save for later
Elmore Leonard: Using adverbs is a mortal sin
1 Never open a book with weather. If it's only to create atmosphere, and not a character's reaction to the weather, you don't want to go on too long. The reader is apt to leaf ahead looking for people. There are exceptions. If you happen to be Barry Lopez, who has more ways than an Eskimo to describe ice and snow in his book Arctic Dreams, you can do all the weather reporting you want.
2 Avoid prologues: they can be annoying, especially a prologue following an introduction that comes after a foreword. But these are ordinarily found in non-fiction. A prologue in a novel is backstory, and you can drop it in anywhere you want. There is a prologue in John Steinbeck's Sweet Thursday, but it's OK because a character in the book makes the point of what my rules are all about. He says: "I like a lot of talk in a book and I don't like to have nobody tell me what the guy that's talking looks like. I want to figure out what he looks like from the way he talks."
3 Never use a verb other than "said" to carry dialogue. The line of dialogue belongs to the character; the verb is the writer sticking his nose in. But "said" is far less intrusive than "grumbled", "gasped", "cautioned", "lied". I once noticed Mary McCarthy ending a line of dialogue with "she asseverated" and had to stop reading and go to the dictionary.
Sign up to our Bookmarks newsletter
Read more
4 Never use an adverb to modify the verb "said" ... he admonished gravely. To use an adverb this way (or almost any way) is a mortal sin. The writer is now exposing himself in earnest, using a word that distracts and can interrupt the rhythm of the exchange. I have a character in one of my books tell how she used to write historical romances "full of rape and adverbs".
5 Keep your exclamation points under control. You are allowed no more than two or three per 100,000 words of prose. If you have the knack of playing with exclaimers the way Tom Wolfe does, you can throw them in by the handful.
6 Never use the words "suddenly" or "all hell broke loose". This rule doesn't require an explanation. I have noticed that writers who use "suddenly" tend to exercise less control in the application of exclamation points.
7 Use regional dialect, patois, sparingly. Once you start spelling words in dialogue phonetically and loading the page with apostrophes, you won't be able to stop. Notice the way Annie Proulx captures the flavour of Wyoming voices in her book of short stories Close Range.
Advertisement
8 Avoid detailed descriptions of characters, which Steinbeck covered. In Ernest Hemingway's "Hills Like White Elephants", what do the "American and the girl with him" look like? "She had taken off her hat and put it on the table." That's the only reference to a physical description in the story.
9 Don't go into great detail describing places and things, unless you're Margaret Atwood and can paint scenes with language. You don't want descriptions that bring the action, the flow of the story, to a standstill.
10 Try to leave out the part that readers tend to skip. Think of what you skip reading a novel: thick paragraphs of prose you can see have too many words in them.
My most important rule is one that sums up the 10: if it sounds like writing, I rewrite it.
Elmore Leonard's 10 Rules of Writing is published next month by Weidenfeld & Nicolson.
Diana Athill
1 Read it aloud to yourself because that's the only way to be sure the rhythms of the sentences are OK (prose rhythms are too complex and subtle to be thought out – they can be got right only by ear).
Advertisement
2 Cut (perhaps that should be CUT): only by having no inessential words can every essential word be made to count.
3 You don't always have to go so far as to murder your darlings – those turns of phrase or images of which you felt extra proud when they appeared on the page – but go back and look at them with a very beady eye. Almost always it turns out that they'd be better dead. (Not every little twinge of satisfaction is suspect – it's the ones which amount to a sort of smug glee you must watch out for.)"
'via Blog this'
First time out: Publishing tips for new authors - The Writer
First time out: Publishing tips for new authors - The Writer: "First time out: Publishing tips for new authors
How much education does a writer need to know before getting that first book published and on the shelves?
By Julie Krug | Published: June 23, 2016
Jennifer Udden
Sifting through books or scanning the internet for information can leave a new writer overwhelmed about the talent and expertise needed for publication.
The more information, the more the publishing lexicon increases. Literary agents, editors, publicists. Publishing houses and imprints. Manuscripts, galleys and edits. Advanced reader copies, contracts, copyrights and dust jacket quotes. Marketing, book tours and royalties.
How much education does a writer need to know before getting that first book published and on the shelves?
Literary agent Jennifer Udden has been helping writers publish their work for the past six years. She works for Larry Goldblatt, LLC in New York City, where she also teaches a publishing course at Gotham Writers Workshop, the bricks-and-mortar establishment that offers both in-house and online writing classes. She advises writers to solicit feedback from “beta readers” and “critique partners” before researching and querying agents.
Author Celeste Ng echoes this sentiment. “It’s important to understand the overall publishing process, to know what each of the major figures – agent, editor, publicist, and so on – can and should do for you,” she says.
Udden also offers up some practical, cautionary advice when you’re researching the internet, noting the differences between traditional publishing versus the DIY, self-publishing route.
“The one lesson to keep in mind is: Money flows to the authors in traditional publishing,” says Udden. “Any press that asks you to shell out money for getting your book on shelves,” she warns, “…that’s probably not a deal that’s going to be the best for your book in the long term.”
Udden instructs students at Gotham to ask questions when researching agents, editors and publishing houses. “What has the agent sold? Is he or she at a reputable company? If the agents haven’t had sales, do they have support and mentoring?” Since most publishing houses don’t take unsolicited material, getting the right agent is crucial.
Udden offered the following instructions for the first-time published:
DO keep an open mind.
DO commit to your writing and your career and continue refining your craft. If the first thing you query doesn’t land, take a look at the feedback you’ve received and apply it to something new.
DO stay positive.
DON’T pay an agent a “reading fee” or any kind of up-front fee.
DON’T sign a contract unagented and without making sure you’re getting industry standard terms, at the least. Understand what you’re signing!
"
'via Blog this'
How much education does a writer need to know before getting that first book published and on the shelves?
By Julie Krug | Published: June 23, 2016
Jennifer Udden
Sifting through books or scanning the internet for information can leave a new writer overwhelmed about the talent and expertise needed for publication.
The more information, the more the publishing lexicon increases. Literary agents, editors, publicists. Publishing houses and imprints. Manuscripts, galleys and edits. Advanced reader copies, contracts, copyrights and dust jacket quotes. Marketing, book tours and royalties.
How much education does a writer need to know before getting that first book published and on the shelves?
Literary agent Jennifer Udden has been helping writers publish their work for the past six years. She works for Larry Goldblatt, LLC in New York City, where she also teaches a publishing course at Gotham Writers Workshop, the bricks-and-mortar establishment that offers both in-house and online writing classes. She advises writers to solicit feedback from “beta readers” and “critique partners” before researching and querying agents.
Author Celeste Ng echoes this sentiment. “It’s important to understand the overall publishing process, to know what each of the major figures – agent, editor, publicist, and so on – can and should do for you,” she says.
Udden also offers up some practical, cautionary advice when you’re researching the internet, noting the differences between traditional publishing versus the DIY, self-publishing route.
“The one lesson to keep in mind is: Money flows to the authors in traditional publishing,” says Udden. “Any press that asks you to shell out money for getting your book on shelves,” she warns, “…that’s probably not a deal that’s going to be the best for your book in the long term.”
Udden instructs students at Gotham to ask questions when researching agents, editors and publishing houses. “What has the agent sold? Is he or she at a reputable company? If the agents haven’t had sales, do they have support and mentoring?” Since most publishing houses don’t take unsolicited material, getting the right agent is crucial.
Udden offered the following instructions for the first-time published:
DO keep an open mind.
DO commit to your writing and your career and continue refining your craft. If the first thing you query doesn’t land, take a look at the feedback you’ve received and apply it to something new.
DO stay positive.
DON’T pay an agent a “reading fee” or any kind of up-front fee.
DON’T sign a contract unagented and without making sure you’re getting industry standard terms, at the least. Understand what you’re signing!
"
'via Blog this'
$2000 Masters Review Summer Short Story Award and Agency Review - The Writer
$2000 Masters Review Summer Short Story Award and Agency Review - The Writer: "$2000 Masters Review Summer Short Story Award and Agency Review
Deadline
Friday, July 15, 2016
Categories
Fantasy, Fiction, General, Nonfiction, Science Fiction
Entry Fees
$20 per entry
Prizes
$2000 and publication to the winner. $200, $100 and publication to second and third place stories, respectively.
Agency review by:
Victoria Marini of GELFMAN SCHNEIDER / ICM PARTNERS
Laura Biagi from Jean V. Naggar Literary Agency, Inc. in New York
Amy Williams of the Amy Williams Agency.
Description
– 6000 word limit
– Fiction only
– No writing preferences. Just your best work
– Emerging Writers Only (have not published a novel at the time of submission. You may have a book under contract. Short story collections are not considered novels and therefore you qualify. We welcome work from self-published writers.)
– Previously unpublished work only
– Multiple and simultaneous submissions are allowed, but please notify us if your story is accepted elsewhere
– International submissions allowed
Contact Information
contact@mastersreview.com
Website
https://mastersreview.com/short-story-award-for-new-writers/"
'via Blog this'
Deadline
Friday, July 15, 2016
Categories
Fantasy, Fiction, General, Nonfiction, Science Fiction
Entry Fees
$20 per entry
Prizes
$2000 and publication to the winner. $200, $100 and publication to second and third place stories, respectively.
Agency review by:
Victoria Marini of GELFMAN SCHNEIDER / ICM PARTNERS
Laura Biagi from Jean V. Naggar Literary Agency, Inc. in New York
Amy Williams of the Amy Williams Agency.
Description
– 6000 word limit
– Fiction only
– No writing preferences. Just your best work
– Emerging Writers Only (have not published a novel at the time of submission. You may have a book under contract. Short story collections are not considered novels and therefore you qualify. We welcome work from self-published writers.)
– Previously unpublished work only
– Multiple and simultaneous submissions are allowed, but please notify us if your story is accepted elsewhere
– International submissions allowed
Contact Information
contact@mastersreview.com
Website
https://mastersreview.com/short-story-award-for-new-writers/"
'via Blog this'
Sunday, June 19, 2016
Finding Ways to Stay Focused on your Writing
There are many distractions that seem to steal us away from our one true love- writing. Life happens when we are trying to get that next sentence down on paper. Day to day mundane tasks such as unloading the dishwasher can steal our attention. Here are some tools to use that is sure to draw you back to your first love.
1. Join writer's groups. They will give you the motivation to keep writing and accountability to make it good. In addition, you can receive priceless pearls of wisdom on a wealth of topics from the writing process to the promotion of the literary art that you have created. Tips and advice from Veterans in the craft can be a helpful tool to keep you right on track. Learn tried and true methods and avoid the pitfalls they have fallen into and have dug themselves out of.
2. Join Critique groups. While similar to writers groups they are different in that they read what you have written and offer suggestions for improvement, Many times a fresh pair of eyes can catch rookie mistakes in your literary piece. Sometimes a fresh perspective can drive your story in a different direction. Perhaps you thought your story was about the baseball player and through feedback realize that your real story is his relationship with his family. Sometimes the back story is really the true story. A critique member's suggestion might send your story in a new direction.
3. Surround yourself with like minded people. It has been said "Show me your friends and I'll show you, you." We are influenced by the people who are around us. It's a proven fact. Do you want to be more involved in your writing? If you answered yes, the answer is simple. Surround yourself with other writers. Find what works for them. Where do they get their ideas? Maybe you have a friend who is having a lot of success with writing articles and getting them published online. Perhaps, they can steer you in the direction to getting your pieces in the right hands.
As writers, there are tools available if we know where to find them. Arm yourself with the right tools. You wouldn't show up to build a house with tools a mechanic would use. You would bring hammers, nails and a saw to the house site. It is the same with writing. Bring the right tools and you are unstoppable. Keep writing, my fellow writers!
Melanie
1. Join writer's groups. They will give you the motivation to keep writing and accountability to make it good. In addition, you can receive priceless pearls of wisdom on a wealth of topics from the writing process to the promotion of the literary art that you have created. Tips and advice from Veterans in the craft can be a helpful tool to keep you right on track. Learn tried and true methods and avoid the pitfalls they have fallen into and have dug themselves out of.
2. Join Critique groups. While similar to writers groups they are different in that they read what you have written and offer suggestions for improvement, Many times a fresh pair of eyes can catch rookie mistakes in your literary piece. Sometimes a fresh perspective can drive your story in a different direction. Perhaps you thought your story was about the baseball player and through feedback realize that your real story is his relationship with his family. Sometimes the back story is really the true story. A critique member's suggestion might send your story in a new direction.
3. Surround yourself with like minded people. It has been said "Show me your friends and I'll show you, you." We are influenced by the people who are around us. It's a proven fact. Do you want to be more involved in your writing? If you answered yes, the answer is simple. Surround yourself with other writers. Find what works for them. Where do they get their ideas? Maybe you have a friend who is having a lot of success with writing articles and getting them published online. Perhaps, they can steer you in the direction to getting your pieces in the right hands.
As writers, there are tools available if we know where to find them. Arm yourself with the right tools. You wouldn't show up to build a house with tools a mechanic would use. You would bring hammers, nails and a saw to the house site. It is the same with writing. Bring the right tools and you are unstoppable. Keep writing, my fellow writers!
Melanie
Tuesday, January 26, 2016
7 Playful Techniques to Shatter Your Writer’s Block
7 Playful Techniques to Shatter Your Writer’s Block: "5. Dive for treasure
Go to a store, any store, that your character feels drawn to, and pick out an object. While pretending to be your character, describe the item with your eyes closed. Feel it all over. Get all the tactile sensations you can. Try rapping it with your fingers or knocking on it to hear the sounds it makes. Lick it if possible. Finally, open your eyes and examine the object. Describe it using all your senses, and then turn it into a story or a poem. Or fit it into a story you’re currently working on. In what way might it play a significant role? If you don’t want to buy anything, go through the stuff in your home, and pick something that appeals to your character.
6. Prognosticate the future
Get out some crayons, colored pencils, markers, or watercolors—whatever you have. Tapping into the visual centers of your brain helps spark your creativity. Draw or paint: stick figures, abstractions, whatever works—to illustrate the kind of life you think your character will be living 10, 20, or 30 years beyond the end of the story you’re writing. Or draw the next scene in your story.
7. Hopscotch through alternate realities
Write out 50 endings or openings for your story. Try radically different plot lines or slight variations. It’ll get you nice and tired. That’s when your brain is most likely to catch fire (figuratively, I hasten to point out). That’s when you’re most likely to let loose with brilliant ideas. So just give yourself a little nudge, and keep going.
Open sesame!
Whenever you feel stale, stagnant, world-weary, and dreary, try one or two of the above techniques, or try them all. Think they’re odd? Skeptical that they’ll work? Consider what Carl Sagan said: “It is the tension between creativity and skepticism that has produced the stunning and unexpected.”
So. Write fast. Write loose. Open your creative floodgates. Go!
Do you have any techniques that help shatter your writer’s block? Let us know in the comments.
PRACTICE
Play with one or more of the seven techniques. Take fifteen minutes, and write down the results. Post your results in the comments, and leave feedback on a few practices by other writers."
'via Blog this'
Go to a store, any store, that your character feels drawn to, and pick out an object. While pretending to be your character, describe the item with your eyes closed. Feel it all over. Get all the tactile sensations you can. Try rapping it with your fingers or knocking on it to hear the sounds it makes. Lick it if possible. Finally, open your eyes and examine the object. Describe it using all your senses, and then turn it into a story or a poem. Or fit it into a story you’re currently working on. In what way might it play a significant role? If you don’t want to buy anything, go through the stuff in your home, and pick something that appeals to your character.
6. Prognosticate the future
Get out some crayons, colored pencils, markers, or watercolors—whatever you have. Tapping into the visual centers of your brain helps spark your creativity. Draw or paint: stick figures, abstractions, whatever works—to illustrate the kind of life you think your character will be living 10, 20, or 30 years beyond the end of the story you’re writing. Or draw the next scene in your story.
7. Hopscotch through alternate realities
Write out 50 endings or openings for your story. Try radically different plot lines or slight variations. It’ll get you nice and tired. That’s when your brain is most likely to catch fire (figuratively, I hasten to point out). That’s when you’re most likely to let loose with brilliant ideas. So just give yourself a little nudge, and keep going.
Open sesame!
Whenever you feel stale, stagnant, world-weary, and dreary, try one or two of the above techniques, or try them all. Think they’re odd? Skeptical that they’ll work? Consider what Carl Sagan said: “It is the tension between creativity and skepticism that has produced the stunning and unexpected.”
So. Write fast. Write loose. Open your creative floodgates. Go!
Do you have any techniques that help shatter your writer’s block? Let us know in the comments.
PRACTICE
Play with one or more of the seven techniques. Take fifteen minutes, and write down the results. Post your results in the comments, and leave feedback on a few practices by other writers."
'via Blog this'
4 Playful Techniques to Shatter Your Writer’s Block
7 Playful Techniques to Shatter Your Writer’s Block: "7 Playful Techniques to Shatter Your Writer’s Block
Without further ado, let’s review seven techniques that will refresh, rejuvenate, and ignite your brain. You’re free to modify, mix, and match to suit your needs. I only ask that you give yourself the freedom to play, no matter where, when, or how the spirit moves you.
1. Get a brain transplant
I don’t mean that literally. Just pretend you’re one of the characters from your short story or novel. Or, pick a character from a movie or a book other than your own. You’re going to see things through that character’s eyes. I put myself in the skin of Torin, a teenage cyborg boy from a dystopian future, to get to know him better.
You can start by scrutinizing everything at home, but I urge you to go out if you have the time. In my case, I try to see, hear, and touch everything from Torin’s point of view.
For variation, you can have your character become your imaginary friend du jour and have a (silent) running conversation as you point things out to your friend.
2. Confess your sins
For this, it’s best if you can go somewhere with trees. A forest would be ideal. When you arrive, smell the air, and feel its essence. In Japan, immersing yourself in woodlands is called forest bathing (Shinrin Yoku). It’s a venerated, self-restorative practice. It’ll clear your mind and open it up to fresh ideas.
Now, let your character lead you to a tree, and place his hands on its trunk. When he feels ready, have him confess his deepest, darkest secret to the tree. Let him throw himself on the knotty mercy of bark. Record the confession, or write it down.
Why talk to a tree? It’s another way to mute that critical voice. Besides, trees don’t judge; and there’s something calming about them.
If this is all too “woo,” just interview your character, no props required. But that’s not nearly as fun or as effective.
3. Become a shameless snoop
Go to a public place where you can eavesdrop on people unobserved. Take notes. Depending on circumstances, you may struggle to listen in on just one conversation. In that case, write down snippets of whatever you hear from different groups of people and stitch them together. Then use what you’ve heard as a springboard to write whatever you fancy. Maybe a love story, an alien abduction, or the next scene in your novel.
4. Take an aural Rorschach
Find a song in a foreign language that you are totally unfamiliar with. Download it, or borrow a CD from the library. Sit somewhere you won’t be disturbed. Scribble down what the words sound like to you. Free-associate. Turn the result into a story or a poem. To illustrate, here’s an excerpt of a poem I came up with:
Plight of the Constant Piglet
Hey, Jimmie! Speak piglet, do you?
No, just a little German, Mein Kampf.
I hate to be gauche but do you realize that your
Companion is a piglet with a papier toupee?
Hey, what do you take me for, an idiot savant?
Utter nonsense, as you can tell. And that’s the beauty of it."
'via Blog this'
Without further ado, let’s review seven techniques that will refresh, rejuvenate, and ignite your brain. You’re free to modify, mix, and match to suit your needs. I only ask that you give yourself the freedom to play, no matter where, when, or how the spirit moves you.
1. Get a brain transplant
I don’t mean that literally. Just pretend you’re one of the characters from your short story or novel. Or, pick a character from a movie or a book other than your own. You’re going to see things through that character’s eyes. I put myself in the skin of Torin, a teenage cyborg boy from a dystopian future, to get to know him better.
You can start by scrutinizing everything at home, but I urge you to go out if you have the time. In my case, I try to see, hear, and touch everything from Torin’s point of view.
For variation, you can have your character become your imaginary friend du jour and have a (silent) running conversation as you point things out to your friend.
2. Confess your sins
For this, it’s best if you can go somewhere with trees. A forest would be ideal. When you arrive, smell the air, and feel its essence. In Japan, immersing yourself in woodlands is called forest bathing (Shinrin Yoku). It’s a venerated, self-restorative practice. It’ll clear your mind and open it up to fresh ideas.
Now, let your character lead you to a tree, and place his hands on its trunk. When he feels ready, have him confess his deepest, darkest secret to the tree. Let him throw himself on the knotty mercy of bark. Record the confession, or write it down.
Why talk to a tree? It’s another way to mute that critical voice. Besides, trees don’t judge; and there’s something calming about them.
If this is all too “woo,” just interview your character, no props required. But that’s not nearly as fun or as effective.
3. Become a shameless snoop
Go to a public place where you can eavesdrop on people unobserved. Take notes. Depending on circumstances, you may struggle to listen in on just one conversation. In that case, write down snippets of whatever you hear from different groups of people and stitch them together. Then use what you’ve heard as a springboard to write whatever you fancy. Maybe a love story, an alien abduction, or the next scene in your novel.
4. Take an aural Rorschach
Find a song in a foreign language that you are totally unfamiliar with. Download it, or borrow a CD from the library. Sit somewhere you won’t be disturbed. Scribble down what the words sound like to you. Free-associate. Turn the result into a story or a poem. To illustrate, here’s an excerpt of a poem I came up with:
Plight of the Constant Piglet
Hey, Jimmie! Speak piglet, do you?
No, just a little German, Mein Kampf.
I hate to be gauche but do you realize that your
Companion is a piglet with a papier toupee?
Hey, what do you take me for, an idiot savant?
Utter nonsense, as you can tell. And that’s the beauty of it."
'via Blog this'
Monday, March 9, 2015
3 Ways to Get Your Next Story Idea
3 Ways to Get Your Next Story Idea: "3 Ways to Get Your Next Story Idea
by Emily Wenstrom | 23 Comments
Story ideas often come to us almost out of thin air—whether from an overheard conversation in a coffee shop, or just a random thought that pops into your head in the shower. But other times, you’re ready to write a new story and all that you’ve got is the blank page in front of you.
Photo by D Sharon Pruitt (Creative Commons) Adapted by The Write Practice.
That’s okay! There are a number of tried and true methods to jumpstart your brain and draw those story ideas out. Here are my three go-tos:
1. Free Write
Grab a pencil and three sheets of paper, and start writing down whatever comes to your mind. Literally.
If your hand is tired from pulling the pencil across the page, write it down. If you think this is stupid and you can’t believe you’re doing it, write it down. Whatever.
But start with your goal in mind, stated as a question: “What can I write a story about?”
One rule: Do your freewriting by hand on real paper, not on a computer. Something about handwriting forces your brain to slow down and quiet a little.
This exercise takes about 15 minutes, and I never come out of a freewriting session empty handed.
2. Wordmapping
Open the dictionary to a random page, point your finger to a random word, and write it down in the middle of a piece of paper. Set a timer for five minutes. Ready? Go!
Using that word as a jumping off point, map out as many different thoughts from that word as you can. Don’t worry if they’re too small, too big, too ridiculous, too dumb, have no way to tie into a story.
The goal here is quantity, not quality, so turn off your inner editor and just keep writing down the thoughts. As you start building up threads around your anchor word, feel free to do the same to one of your spinoff words too, as they inspire you.
When the timer dings, look over the story idea web you’ve created. I promise there are seeds of new stories in there, so find them.
3. Writing prompts
There’s a ton of great writing prompt sources out there, from websites to entire books of them. Use them! They can stretch your thinking in new directions and give you story ideas you might not find on your own.
The Write Practice offers a prompt right here on the blog weekly, or check out our 14 Prompts ebook. Another one of my favorites is DIY MFA’s Writer Igniter (full disclosure, I contribute to DIY MFA).
Whatever You Do, Don’t Let Creative Blocks Slow You Down
Sometimes story ideas come to us on their own, but when they don’t, don’t let it stop you from creating great stories—just find a way to jumpstart the process.
Keep these brain-boosting methods on hand, and you’ll never have to be pushed around by the blank page again.
How do you come up with your story ideas? Let us know in the comments section.
PRACTICE
Pick a tactic from this post and take it for a test run. When you’re done, flesh out your results into a story concept.
Share the method you chose, how you felt about it, and your story idea below in the comments—and be sure to give feedback to others, too!"
'via Blog this'
by Emily Wenstrom | 23 Comments
Story ideas often come to us almost out of thin air—whether from an overheard conversation in a coffee shop, or just a random thought that pops into your head in the shower. But other times, you’re ready to write a new story and all that you’ve got is the blank page in front of you.
Photo by D Sharon Pruitt (Creative Commons) Adapted by The Write Practice.
That’s okay! There are a number of tried and true methods to jumpstart your brain and draw those story ideas out. Here are my three go-tos:
1. Free Write
Grab a pencil and three sheets of paper, and start writing down whatever comes to your mind. Literally.
If your hand is tired from pulling the pencil across the page, write it down. If you think this is stupid and you can’t believe you’re doing it, write it down. Whatever.
But start with your goal in mind, stated as a question: “What can I write a story about?”
One rule: Do your freewriting by hand on real paper, not on a computer. Something about handwriting forces your brain to slow down and quiet a little.
This exercise takes about 15 minutes, and I never come out of a freewriting session empty handed.
2. Wordmapping
Open the dictionary to a random page, point your finger to a random word, and write it down in the middle of a piece of paper. Set a timer for five minutes. Ready? Go!
Using that word as a jumping off point, map out as many different thoughts from that word as you can. Don’t worry if they’re too small, too big, too ridiculous, too dumb, have no way to tie into a story.
The goal here is quantity, not quality, so turn off your inner editor and just keep writing down the thoughts. As you start building up threads around your anchor word, feel free to do the same to one of your spinoff words too, as they inspire you.
When the timer dings, look over the story idea web you’ve created. I promise there are seeds of new stories in there, so find them.
3. Writing prompts
There’s a ton of great writing prompt sources out there, from websites to entire books of them. Use them! They can stretch your thinking in new directions and give you story ideas you might not find on your own.
The Write Practice offers a prompt right here on the blog weekly, or check out our 14 Prompts ebook. Another one of my favorites is DIY MFA’s Writer Igniter (full disclosure, I contribute to DIY MFA).
Whatever You Do, Don’t Let Creative Blocks Slow You Down
Sometimes story ideas come to us on their own, but when they don’t, don’t let it stop you from creating great stories—just find a way to jumpstart the process.
Keep these brain-boosting methods on hand, and you’ll never have to be pushed around by the blank page again.
How do you come up with your story ideas? Let us know in the comments section.
PRACTICE
Pick a tactic from this post and take it for a test run. When you’re done, flesh out your results into a story concept.
Share the method you chose, how you felt about it, and your story idea below in the comments—and be sure to give feedback to others, too!"
'via Blog this'
Sunday, February 15, 2015
Be Clear on What You Want When Asking Partners for Critique
Tell Your Critique Partners Exactly What You Need
Tell Your Critique Partners Exactly What You Need by Marcy McKay | 15 Comments Years ago, I bumped into writer friend outside the library and immediately knew something was wrong. He looked ghostly white and on the verge of tears, though he was usually quite stoic. “What happened?” I asked. He shook his head, looked away, then whispered, “I just asked her—tell me what you think.” That’s when I noticed the pages clutched in his hands. His manuscript. It was just a few pages, but they were clearly bleeding red. After coaxing the story from him, I learned he’d given the first chapter of his first-ever novel to an experienced writer for a critique with no instructions. She gave him back a line-by-line edit, listing everything wrong with his story. He quit writing, which was a shame because he had talent. Although the experienced writer should have had more mercy on this newbie, he should’ve been clearer in his critique needs to avoid miscommunication. Don’t make the same mistake.
Tell Your Critique Partners Exactly What You Want Joe Bunting did an excellent job of showing how to give constructive feedback in How to Stay Popular in Your Writers Group. Here’s the flipside of that scenario—how to give specific instructions to your writers group or beta reader(s), whether you’re reading your work aloud for assessment, or giving them your manuscript to read solo. There are endless flavors of ice cream. The same is true for critiques, but here are three basics to use as guidelines with your writers group: 1. Vanilla Ice Cream This is the early stages of your writing, when there may not be many fixings added to it (don’t worry, all writing starts plain, whether it’s fiction or nonfiction). Don’t misunderstand me, I love vanilla, but it’s the simplicity of it that makes it so special. With a new story, you’re still trying to figure out pretty much everything: the plot, the characters, the direction, the theme. At this point, you want to find out what works best in your work-in-progress. Ask them: What did you like about my writing? Who was your favorite character and why? Was there a particular phrase or paragraph that stood out to you? Did my writing remind you of another author? Who? Benefits to your critique partner or writers group: They understand the parameters. You’re looking to build upon the brightest aspects of your story. 2. Rocky Road This is a very specific flavor. It’s chocolate or vanilla ice cream, with chunks of marshmallows, nuts and sometimes, chocolate chips added to it. This type of critique is later when you feel you have a stronger framework of the story, but you’re asking about certain facets. You may give them a few pages or your entire manuscript. Say: Really focus on the interaction between my characters. Please tell me what works/doesn’t work with my dialogue. Just concentrate on my description. Nothing else. Writing is accomplished through layers—rewriting, revising, then polishing more. I know people who spend the first pass-through laying down the structure, the second strengthening the characters and dialogue, the third layer focusing on description, and so on. Benefit to your critique partner or writers group: Your reader can more narrowly focus on what you want and read your draft faster. It also allows your work to be less-than-perfect. 3. Banana Split with Everything on Top This is whole shebang, when you feel your story is much more polished. You’ve taken your work as far as you can alone and need your reader to check everything: the plot, the pacing, the dialogue, etc. Benefits to your critique partner or writers group: Knows you’re ready to fine tune your work-in-progress and need a complete assessment of the positive and the negative about your writing. Warning! You cannot always bypass receiving negative feedback on your work. As some point, you must hear what’s wrong with your writing in order to strengthen it and there will be areas to improve. You need the negative comments as much as the positive. Communication is key Just as you should write with clarity, so should your instructions to others with your work-in-progress. Good luck!
Saturday, February 14, 2015
Tell Your Critique Partners Exactly What You Need
Tell Your Critique Partners Exactly What You Need: "Tell Your Critique Partners Exactly What You Want
Joe Bunting did an excellent job of showing how to give constructive feedback in How to Stay Popular in Your Writers Group.
Here’s the flipside of that scenario—how to give specific instructions to your writers group or beta reader(s), whether you’re reading your work aloud for assessment, or giving them your manuscript to read solo.
There are endless flavors of ice cream. The same is true for critiques, but here are three basics to use as guidelines with your writers group:
1. Vanilla Ice Cream
This is the early stages of your writing, when there may not be many fixings added to it (don’t worry, all writing starts plain, whether it’s fiction or nonfiction). Don’t misunderstand me, I love vanilla, but it’s the simplicity of it that makes it so special. With a new story, you’re still trying to figure out pretty much everything: the plot, the characters, the direction, the theme.
At this point, you want to find out what works best in your work-in-progress. Ask them:
What did you like about my writing?
Who was your favorite character and why?
Was there a particular phrase or paragraph that stood out to you?
Did my writing remind you of another author? Who?
Benefits to your critique partner or writers group: They understand the parameters. You’re looking to build upon the brightest aspects of your story.
2. Rocky Road
This is a very specific flavor. It’s chocolate or vanilla ice cream, with chunks of marshmallows, nuts and sometimes, chocolate chips added to it. This type of critique is later when you feel you have a stronger framework of the story, but you’re asking about certain facets. You may give them a few pages or your entire manuscript. Say:
Really focus on the interaction between my characters.
Please tell me what works/doesn’t work with my dialogue.
Just concentrate on my description. Nothing else.
Writing is accomplished through layers—rewriting, revising, then polishing more. I know people who spend the first pass-through laying down the structure, the second strengthening the characters and dialogue, the third layer focusing on description, and so on.
Benefit to your critique partner or writers group: Your reader can more narrowly focus on what you want and read your draft faster. It also allows your work to be less-than-perfect.
3. Banana Split with Everything on Top
This is whole shebang, when you feel your story is much more polished. You’ve taken your work as far as you can alone and need your reader to check everything: the plot, the pacing, the dialogue, etc.
Benefits to your critique partner or writers group: Knows you’re ready to fine tune your work-in-progress and need a complete assessment of the positive and the negative about your writing.
Warning!
You cannot always bypass receiving negative feedback on your work. As some point, you must hear what’s wrong with your writing in order to strengthen it and there will be areas to improve. You need the negative comments as much as the positive.
Communication is key
Just as you should write with clarity, so should your instructions to others with your work-in-progress. Good luck!"
'via Blog this'
Joe Bunting did an excellent job of showing how to give constructive feedback in How to Stay Popular in Your Writers Group.
Here’s the flipside of that scenario—how to give specific instructions to your writers group or beta reader(s), whether you’re reading your work aloud for assessment, or giving them your manuscript to read solo.
There are endless flavors of ice cream. The same is true for critiques, but here are three basics to use as guidelines with your writers group:
1. Vanilla Ice Cream
This is the early stages of your writing, when there may not be many fixings added to it (don’t worry, all writing starts plain, whether it’s fiction or nonfiction). Don’t misunderstand me, I love vanilla, but it’s the simplicity of it that makes it so special. With a new story, you’re still trying to figure out pretty much everything: the plot, the characters, the direction, the theme.
At this point, you want to find out what works best in your work-in-progress. Ask them:
What did you like about my writing?
Who was your favorite character and why?
Was there a particular phrase or paragraph that stood out to you?
Did my writing remind you of another author? Who?
Benefits to your critique partner or writers group: They understand the parameters. You’re looking to build upon the brightest aspects of your story.
2. Rocky Road
This is a very specific flavor. It’s chocolate or vanilla ice cream, with chunks of marshmallows, nuts and sometimes, chocolate chips added to it. This type of critique is later when you feel you have a stronger framework of the story, but you’re asking about certain facets. You may give them a few pages or your entire manuscript. Say:
Really focus on the interaction between my characters.
Please tell me what works/doesn’t work with my dialogue.
Just concentrate on my description. Nothing else.
Writing is accomplished through layers—rewriting, revising, then polishing more. I know people who spend the first pass-through laying down the structure, the second strengthening the characters and dialogue, the third layer focusing on description, and so on.
Benefit to your critique partner or writers group: Your reader can more narrowly focus on what you want and read your draft faster. It also allows your work to be less-than-perfect.
3. Banana Split with Everything on Top
This is whole shebang, when you feel your story is much more polished. You’ve taken your work as far as you can alone and need your reader to check everything: the plot, the pacing, the dialogue, etc.
Benefits to your critique partner or writers group: Knows you’re ready to fine tune your work-in-progress and need a complete assessment of the positive and the negative about your writing.
Warning!
You cannot always bypass receiving negative feedback on your work. As some point, you must hear what’s wrong with your writing in order to strengthen it and there will be areas to improve. You need the negative comments as much as the positive.
Communication is key
Just as you should write with clarity, so should your instructions to others with your work-in-progress. Good luck!"
'via Blog this'
Monday, January 19, 2015
Writing Tips: Write What You Know | Writing Forward
Writing Tips: Write What You Know | Writing Forward:
"Writing Tips: Write What You Know
Posted by Melissa Donovan ·
Writing tips: write what you know.
If there’s one piece of writing advice that took me years to truly understand, it’s write what you know.
When I first heard this instruction, I thought it was odd. I don’t remember where I first heard it, but I do remember thinking that as far as writing tips went, it was absurd.
What about writing from your imagination or your feelings? How do genres like science fiction and fantasy fit into the idea that you should only write what you know?
It all seemed rather limiting. Was I supposed to write about American suburbia? That’s what I knew, and it was the last thing I wanted to write about.
One of the reasons memoir doesn’t appeal to me as a writer is because I don’t want to write what I know. I don’t want to relive my life. I want to use writing to live outside of my life, to explore what I don’t know.
I decided to disregard the advice and write whatever I wanted.
What Does It Mean to Write What You Know?
Over the years, I began to understand that write what you know isn’t one of those writing tips that is meant to be taken literally. It’s not a piece of instruction; it’s a guideline.
Think about the world of Harry Potter. J.K. Rowling invented a world of magic, a world that many of us might dream about but none could know in the literal sense. Yet she based that world on our world and on the many fantastical, fictional worlds that already exist in literature. Even if we’re not consciously aware of it, we are constantly influenced by what we’ve read, seen, and experienced. My guess is that in one way or another, the seeds of Harry Potter’s world came from Middle Earth, Narnia, and a galaxy far, far away.
The most fantastical worlds in storytelling are beloved because they are full of truths. They tell us who we are as individuals and as a society. I would guess that Ms. Rowling knows a thing or two about friendship and loyalty because there is truth in the relationships that exist between Harry and his closest friends, Ron and Hermione. These relationships have ups and downs but are constant.
While flipping back and forth between two channels late at night, Suzanne Collins saw kids competing on reality TV and footage of the war in Iraq. The images blurred in her tired mind, and the Hunger Games were born. She didn’t know a world where children are thrust into an arena to fight to the death. But she could take what she knew (or could learn), add a heap of her own imagination and render a believable world.
To write what you know does not mean to only write about experiences you’ve actually had or people you’ve actually met. It means you use what you know about life, nature, and humanity as the foundation for your stories.
Write What You Want
I believe the best writing is a balanced mixture of what the writer knows and what the writer seeks. Maybe the setting is the writer’s home town and the characters are based on her friends and family, but the plot is completely outside her realm of experience. Maybe the plot is taken from history, which the writer has researched (and therefore knows), but the world in which it is set is drawn from her imagination. Creativity and art are all about combining existing elements in innovative ways.
It is true: you should write what you know, but you should also leave room in writing for the unknown, room to explore and discover new truths, ideas, and possibilities:
Write what you feel.
Use your personal, emotional experiences and share them with the reader through characters you’ve invented. Emotional truths make a piece of fiction honest and compelling.
Write what you imagine. Let yourself explore a world of possibilities: fantastical beasts, mythical creatures, aliens, and strange, magical worlds.
Write what you experience. Every experience you’ve had can be translated to fiction. Remember your first day of school? Tweak that experience and give it to one of your characters, even if the character is an elf or an alien.
Write what interests you. You can write what you know after you’ve learned it. Conduct research about things that interest you and then use those things in your stories. Pull facts and ideas from history, current events, and textbooks.
Write what matters to you. It goes without saying that your work must matter to you. Write about what moves you, stirs your passion, fills you with joy or rage. If you’re invested in your project, it will come through in your writing and it will speak to higher truths.
What do you write?
How do you feel about writing tips like write what you know? Do you try to write what you know? How far outside of what you know do you take your writing? Share your thoughts by leaving a comment, and keep writing."
'via Blog this'
"Writing Tips: Write What You Know
Posted by Melissa Donovan ·
Writing tips: write what you know.
If there’s one piece of writing advice that took me years to truly understand, it’s write what you know.
When I first heard this instruction, I thought it was odd. I don’t remember where I first heard it, but I do remember thinking that as far as writing tips went, it was absurd.
What about writing from your imagination or your feelings? How do genres like science fiction and fantasy fit into the idea that you should only write what you know?
It all seemed rather limiting. Was I supposed to write about American suburbia? That’s what I knew, and it was the last thing I wanted to write about.
One of the reasons memoir doesn’t appeal to me as a writer is because I don’t want to write what I know. I don’t want to relive my life. I want to use writing to live outside of my life, to explore what I don’t know.
I decided to disregard the advice and write whatever I wanted.
What Does It Mean to Write What You Know?
Over the years, I began to understand that write what you know isn’t one of those writing tips that is meant to be taken literally. It’s not a piece of instruction; it’s a guideline.
Think about the world of Harry Potter. J.K. Rowling invented a world of magic, a world that many of us might dream about but none could know in the literal sense. Yet she based that world on our world and on the many fantastical, fictional worlds that already exist in literature. Even if we’re not consciously aware of it, we are constantly influenced by what we’ve read, seen, and experienced. My guess is that in one way or another, the seeds of Harry Potter’s world came from Middle Earth, Narnia, and a galaxy far, far away.
The most fantastical worlds in storytelling are beloved because they are full of truths. They tell us who we are as individuals and as a society. I would guess that Ms. Rowling knows a thing or two about friendship and loyalty because there is truth in the relationships that exist between Harry and his closest friends, Ron and Hermione. These relationships have ups and downs but are constant.
While flipping back and forth between two channels late at night, Suzanne Collins saw kids competing on reality TV and footage of the war in Iraq. The images blurred in her tired mind, and the Hunger Games were born. She didn’t know a world where children are thrust into an arena to fight to the death. But she could take what she knew (or could learn), add a heap of her own imagination and render a believable world.
To write what you know does not mean to only write about experiences you’ve actually had or people you’ve actually met. It means you use what you know about life, nature, and humanity as the foundation for your stories.
Write What You Want
I believe the best writing is a balanced mixture of what the writer knows and what the writer seeks. Maybe the setting is the writer’s home town and the characters are based on her friends and family, but the plot is completely outside her realm of experience. Maybe the plot is taken from history, which the writer has researched (and therefore knows), but the world in which it is set is drawn from her imagination. Creativity and art are all about combining existing elements in innovative ways.
It is true: you should write what you know, but you should also leave room in writing for the unknown, room to explore and discover new truths, ideas, and possibilities:
Write what you feel.
Use your personal, emotional experiences and share them with the reader through characters you’ve invented. Emotional truths make a piece of fiction honest and compelling.
Write what you imagine. Let yourself explore a world of possibilities: fantastical beasts, mythical creatures, aliens, and strange, magical worlds.
Write what you experience. Every experience you’ve had can be translated to fiction. Remember your first day of school? Tweak that experience and give it to one of your characters, even if the character is an elf or an alien.
Write what interests you. You can write what you know after you’ve learned it. Conduct research about things that interest you and then use those things in your stories. Pull facts and ideas from history, current events, and textbooks.
Write what matters to you. It goes without saying that your work must matter to you. Write about what moves you, stirs your passion, fills you with joy or rage. If you’re invested in your project, it will come through in your writing and it will speak to higher truths.
What do you write?
How do you feel about writing tips like write what you know? Do you try to write what you know? How far outside of what you know do you take your writing? Share your thoughts by leaving a comment, and keep writing."
'via Blog this'
Thursday, January 15, 2015
Why the Best Characters for Your Story are Weirdos
Why the Best Characters for Your Story are Weirdos:
"Why the Best Characters for Your Story are Weirdos
by Liz Bureman
So much of what most of us consider to be good writing requires the writer to create a believable scene and realistic characters—or if not believable and realistic, close enough so that the reader willingly suspends their disbelief. Today’s article and corresponding writing practice is all about throwing those rules out the window by writing about weirdos.
The general consensus in writing for a modern audience is that subtlety and nuance are key to getting the reader on board with your story. This is true for many slice-of-life type stories, but not every story requires a delicate touch. There are entire genres dedicated to exploring the fantastic and weird, so why stay on the path of realism with your work?
There are many ways to get your freak flag flying on your pages, but we’ll start with how that works in characterization.
Weirdos Are Everywhere
When it comes to characters, writers are most often criticized because of the believeability of their characters. Taken at face value, that seems to mean that your characters should be the kind of people that you would find on the street or the bus or the subway or in your office or at school, and a lot of writers have somehow interpreted that to mean normal or average.
As a frequent public transit rider, I have to say to these writers: buses and subways are full of weirdos. (Share that on Twitter?)
In fact, offices and classrooms are full of weirdos, too. Have you spent any amount of time around children under the age of ten? And everyone has at least one story about a coworker who never wore shoes in the office, or who would inexplicably hoard Earl Grey tea from the break room at their desk, or who never wore deodorant.
How to Write Good Characters: Dig Into the Weirdness
Take this post as an affirmation to write your weird characters, and to really dig into that weirdness.
Make all of them residents of some alternate civilization where the Air Bud DVDs are a form of legal tender and Ashanti is a minor deity in their pantheon.
Give them a dialectal quirk that results in them adding the word “biscuit” to the end of all of their sentences.
Maybe you’ve got a serial killer who makes teapots out of their victims’ skulls.
The point is that reality is pretty rarely realistic, so there’s no reason to try to make your characters the beige version of “realistic”.
Can you think of someone you’ve seen or know personally who is a bona-fide weirdo (besides yourself, that is!)? What makes them so weird/fascinating? Share in the comments.
PRACTICE
Take fifteen minutes and write about a person in a food/beverage establishment. Get weird with the customer and the service staff. Describe appearances, verbal and physical quirks, behavioral tics, and general demeanors as you create the conversation. Post your practice in the comments and be sure to check out the work of your fellow writers."
'via Blog this'
"Why the Best Characters for Your Story are Weirdos
by Liz Bureman
So much of what most of us consider to be good writing requires the writer to create a believable scene and realistic characters—or if not believable and realistic, close enough so that the reader willingly suspends their disbelief. Today’s article and corresponding writing practice is all about throwing those rules out the window by writing about weirdos.
The general consensus in writing for a modern audience is that subtlety and nuance are key to getting the reader on board with your story. This is true for many slice-of-life type stories, but not every story requires a delicate touch. There are entire genres dedicated to exploring the fantastic and weird, so why stay on the path of realism with your work?
There are many ways to get your freak flag flying on your pages, but we’ll start with how that works in characterization.
Weirdos Are Everywhere
When it comes to characters, writers are most often criticized because of the believeability of their characters. Taken at face value, that seems to mean that your characters should be the kind of people that you would find on the street or the bus or the subway or in your office or at school, and a lot of writers have somehow interpreted that to mean normal or average.
As a frequent public transit rider, I have to say to these writers: buses and subways are full of weirdos. (Share that on Twitter?)
In fact, offices and classrooms are full of weirdos, too. Have you spent any amount of time around children under the age of ten? And everyone has at least one story about a coworker who never wore shoes in the office, or who would inexplicably hoard Earl Grey tea from the break room at their desk, or who never wore deodorant.
How to Write Good Characters: Dig Into the Weirdness
Take this post as an affirmation to write your weird characters, and to really dig into that weirdness.
Make all of them residents of some alternate civilization where the Air Bud DVDs are a form of legal tender and Ashanti is a minor deity in their pantheon.
Give them a dialectal quirk that results in them adding the word “biscuit” to the end of all of their sentences.
Maybe you’ve got a serial killer who makes teapots out of their victims’ skulls.
The point is that reality is pretty rarely realistic, so there’s no reason to try to make your characters the beige version of “realistic”.
Can you think of someone you’ve seen or know personally who is a bona-fide weirdo (besides yourself, that is!)? What makes them so weird/fascinating? Share in the comments.
PRACTICE
Take fifteen minutes and write about a person in a food/beverage establishment. Get weird with the customer and the service staff. Describe appearances, verbal and physical quirks, behavioral tics, and general demeanors as you create the conversation. Post your practice in the comments and be sure to check out the work of your fellow writers."
'via Blog this'
Write Books You Love. Think Global. Consider Multiple Streams Of Income | The Creative Penn
Write Books You Love. Think Global. Consider Multiple Streams Of Income | The Creative Penn: "Multimedia courses, merchandise and affiliate income
Many non-fiction authors offer multi-media courses through sites like ClickBank or Udemy. The Self-Publishing Podcast guys are now doing this for Write, Publish, Repeat, as is J Thorn, with his Finishing a manuscript in 60 days course. I have been selling courses for the last 4 years but have recently moved away from them to focus on more evergreen products that don’t need updating. I may revisit that decision at some point.
Some authors are also doing merchandise. My favorite example is comic creator and author, XKCD, since my husband has been a fan for years and has lots of his t-shirts. Hugh McLeod has a similar model at GapingVoid with Motivational Art for Smart People – brilliant branding!
Lawyer and indie commentary blog, The Passive Voice, now has a good selection of pithy t-shirts as well. I’ve had a look at Zazzle before and have thought about a ‘creative’ range – this is something I am certainly considering but the quality needs to be good. [I’d love to hear about other merchandising examples or service providers that you think are good for authors. Please do leave a comment below.]
If you have a content-rich website with decent traffic, you can make an income stream through affiliate links, which is a commission payment on sales. I have a small income stream from this method, but I am scrupulous about only recommending things I both use and am happy to recommend.
Currently, I recommend the Learn Scrivener Fast training, Joel Friedlander’s Book Design Templates, Jim Kukral’s Author Marketing Club and I use Amazon affiliate links for books. If you want to look at the affiliate method in detail, I recommend Pat Flynn’s Smart Passive Income blog.
Professional speaking and audiobook narration
One of my other primary income streams is professional speaking, which also feeds my travel junkie soul. I’ve written extensively about this in my book, Public Speaking for Authors, Creatives and Other Introverts, if you want to look into that as an option.
In 2015, I will be adding another income stream from audiobook narration. I’ve been podcasting for 5 years now and after narrating my own non-fiction books, I’ll be opening up for royalty share deals with other authors with decent platforms. Audiobook income has been a revelation for me in 2014, and I believe this is a growth market so I want to be involved. I also LOVE the royalty split deals as it means ongoing revenue for the long term, which is what we all want.
There is a technical barrier to entry with this, but if you fancy giving it a go, Audiobooks for Indies by Simon Whistler is a must. You can also listen to the interview with him here on this topic, including the moment I decided to become a narrator!
There are many other creative ways to make money from your skills, from your books and your knowledge. But in the end, it all comes down to creativity. I love all these other ways to make a living but I’m an author first, so I want to …
(3) Write something magnificent
This quote from Penelope Trunk caught my eye in a post about workplace revolution.
“I want to be writing the ideas people read late at night, with a glass of wine, to dull the searing impact of the life they’ve already chosen.”
Personally, I write for those people who are still stuck in the cubicle jobs that I once was. For those people who cry with frustration and unhappiness as I used to. For those who spend their commute plotting escape and their lunch hours reading escapist fiction to get out of their heads for an hour or two.
On my wall I have a sign that says, ‘Create a body of work I am proud of.‘
Yes, I want to make a good living but I don’t want to write books that are a waste of my time and yours. I want you to wake up thinking about something I have written.
I want to keep you up all night.
I want you to remember me when I die."
'via Blog this'
Many non-fiction authors offer multi-media courses through sites like ClickBank or Udemy. The Self-Publishing Podcast guys are now doing this for Write, Publish, Repeat, as is J Thorn, with his Finishing a manuscript in 60 days course. I have been selling courses for the last 4 years but have recently moved away from them to focus on more evergreen products that don’t need updating. I may revisit that decision at some point.
Some authors are also doing merchandise. My favorite example is comic creator and author, XKCD, since my husband has been a fan for years and has lots of his t-shirts. Hugh McLeod has a similar model at GapingVoid with Motivational Art for Smart People – brilliant branding!
Lawyer and indie commentary blog, The Passive Voice, now has a good selection of pithy t-shirts as well. I’ve had a look at Zazzle before and have thought about a ‘creative’ range – this is something I am certainly considering but the quality needs to be good. [I’d love to hear about other merchandising examples or service providers that you think are good for authors. Please do leave a comment below.]
If you have a content-rich website with decent traffic, you can make an income stream through affiliate links, which is a commission payment on sales. I have a small income stream from this method, but I am scrupulous about only recommending things I both use and am happy to recommend.
Currently, I recommend the Learn Scrivener Fast training, Joel Friedlander’s Book Design Templates, Jim Kukral’s Author Marketing Club and I use Amazon affiliate links for books. If you want to look at the affiliate method in detail, I recommend Pat Flynn’s Smart Passive Income blog.
Professional speaking and audiobook narration
One of my other primary income streams is professional speaking, which also feeds my travel junkie soul. I’ve written extensively about this in my book, Public Speaking for Authors, Creatives and Other Introverts, if you want to look into that as an option.
In 2015, I will be adding another income stream from audiobook narration. I’ve been podcasting for 5 years now and after narrating my own non-fiction books, I’ll be opening up for royalty share deals with other authors with decent platforms. Audiobook income has been a revelation for me in 2014, and I believe this is a growth market so I want to be involved. I also LOVE the royalty split deals as it means ongoing revenue for the long term, which is what we all want.
There is a technical barrier to entry with this, but if you fancy giving it a go, Audiobooks for Indies by Simon Whistler is a must. You can also listen to the interview with him here on this topic, including the moment I decided to become a narrator!
There are many other creative ways to make money from your skills, from your books and your knowledge. But in the end, it all comes down to creativity. I love all these other ways to make a living but I’m an author first, so I want to …
(3) Write something magnificent
This quote from Penelope Trunk caught my eye in a post about workplace revolution.
“I want to be writing the ideas people read late at night, with a glass of wine, to dull the searing impact of the life they’ve already chosen.”
Personally, I write for those people who are still stuck in the cubicle jobs that I once was. For those people who cry with frustration and unhappiness as I used to. For those who spend their commute plotting escape and their lunch hours reading escapist fiction to get out of their heads for an hour or two.
On my wall I have a sign that says, ‘Create a body of work I am proud of.‘
Yes, I want to make a good living but I don’t want to write books that are a waste of my time and yours. I want you to wake up thinking about something I have written.
I want to keep you up all night.
I want you to remember me when I die."
'via Blog this'
Write Books You Love. Think Global. Consider Multiple Streams Of Income | The Creative Penn
Write Books You Love. Think Global. Consider Multiple Streams Of Income | The Creative Penn:
"Create multiple streams of income from your books
I’ve gone into this model before, but read this post if you need a refresher. Your income streams can be:
Print – print on demand through Createspace or IngramSpark
Ebook – by distributor e.g. Amazon, iBooks, Kobo, NOOK, Google Play, Smashwords/Draft2Digital for subscription models and smaller vendors
Audiobook – ACX.com for US and UK authors. Other options for authors in other countries – see Making Tracks by J Daniel Sawyer and Audiobooks for Indies by Simon Whistler
Multiply these formats by country. So I am selling in 62. How many are you selling in?
Multiple these formats by language if you are getting into translations. I have German, Spanish and Italian and the moment, for print and ebook, with my first German audiobook coming in 2015, along with Portuguese and more in Spanish and Italian. More on translation here.
Think wider. How can you create more income streams from your books?
I’ve recently read and highly recommend Tony Robbins’ new book, Money: Master the Game. In it, Tony discusses the All-Season investing approach which anticipates the various market changes that inevitably occur in economic cycles. The idea to to have your investments in different quadrants so you can weather any type of market. The same approach can apply to our creative businesses.
If you only have one product (or one book) and one market (or one distributor), you won’t be able to weather the changes will HAVE to occur, since status quo is never an option. I’ve always taken this approach to my business and will continue to diversify in 2015.
My business card and email signature say: Author Entrepreneur. I do not make a full-time income from books. It could be a full-time income if I lived somewhere else, but I live in central London! You can see my last income analysis here if you’re interested in the split.
In my experience, unless you are one of the very few making hard core cash from writing alone, you either need a ‘day job,’ or you need to make income from other sources. I love writing books, but I don’t want to lose the love by forcing myself into a crazy production process.
My muse loves research and travel and that adds to my creation time. I’m happy with that, but I don’t want to go back to the day job, so while I write books at a reasonable clip, I also have other streams of income."
'via Blog this'
"Create multiple streams of income from your books
I’ve gone into this model before, but read this post if you need a refresher. Your income streams can be:
Print – print on demand through Createspace or IngramSpark
Ebook – by distributor e.g. Amazon, iBooks, Kobo, NOOK, Google Play, Smashwords/Draft2Digital for subscription models and smaller vendors
Audiobook – ACX.com for US and UK authors. Other options for authors in other countries – see Making Tracks by J Daniel Sawyer and Audiobooks for Indies by Simon Whistler
Multiply these formats by country. So I am selling in 62. How many are you selling in?
Multiple these formats by language if you are getting into translations. I have German, Spanish and Italian and the moment, for print and ebook, with my first German audiobook coming in 2015, along with Portuguese and more in Spanish and Italian. More on translation here.
Think wider. How can you create more income streams from your books?
I’ve recently read and highly recommend Tony Robbins’ new book, Money: Master the Game. In it, Tony discusses the All-Season investing approach which anticipates the various market changes that inevitably occur in economic cycles. The idea to to have your investments in different quadrants so you can weather any type of market. The same approach can apply to our creative businesses.
If you only have one product (or one book) and one market (or one distributor), you won’t be able to weather the changes will HAVE to occur, since status quo is never an option. I’ve always taken this approach to my business and will continue to diversify in 2015.
My business card and email signature say: Author Entrepreneur. I do not make a full-time income from books. It could be a full-time income if I lived somewhere else, but I live in central London! You can see my last income analysis here if you’re interested in the split.
In my experience, unless you are one of the very few making hard core cash from writing alone, you either need a ‘day job,’ or you need to make income from other sources. I love writing books, but I don’t want to lose the love by forcing myself into a crazy production process.
My muse loves research and travel and that adds to my creation time. I’m happy with that, but I don’t want to go back to the day job, so while I write books at a reasonable clip, I also have other streams of income."
'via Blog this'
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