TECH: 101 Tips (15)

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original posting 22 May 2009

Writers' Digest, October 2004, pages 26 to 33, has a collection of short "nuggets of wisdom" related to getting published. Maria Schneider is the author of the compilation. Take a deep breath, and here we go:

"Keep in mind that you can't be writer, editor and critic all at the same time. For your first draft, at least, allow yourself to give in to the muse. Once you look back, you'll see the imagery that's been developed. You might even be surprised by where your characters have taken you." Connie Rose Porter

It's interesting how many writers and artists talk about shifting hats. There's the creative rush, the first draft, the writing-by-the-seat-of-your-pants push where you blindfold the editor and the critic and just let the words roll, listen to the characters chatter and put down whatever they say, sketch the world in broad strokes -- get it all out there. Then there's the editing and critiquing part, cleaning up, connecting continuity, identifying what is going on and making sure that it works. The revision chunk, reordering, adding foreshadowing and gilding here and there, removing that extra proscenium that snuck in when no one was watching. A planning piece, sometimes indulged before the creative rush to lay out the direction of that rush, sometimes done in clear hindsight where the rush has already gone before.

But separating these parts, and being able to set the others aside while focusing on today's direction -- that's a key ability. And learning when to say it's time to party and just let the words roll for a while, or when to say enough, McDuff, it's time to clean up and see what we have to work with -- ah, that's the trick.

Do you like to start with a rush, and then straighten up? Or do you lay out the plans and outlines, then color inside the lines? Or maybe some mixture of the two approaches, a bit of planning, then a bit of wild times, then a check of the stars and the sun before setting the sails for another day? Whichever, the point here is to learn to shift gears, so that sometimes you're running wild in creative push, and other times you are checking the frame and making sure that the tires are up to pressure. You don't do maintenance while you're racing around the track, but you do need to make a pit stop from time to time, too.

EXERCISE: Creativity Supercharged (3)

[mbarker.livejournal.com]

Original posting 23 May 2009

Writers' Digest, August 2006, pages 30, 32 and 33, have an article by Joe Ortiz with some discussion of creativity followed by six -- a half-dozen! -- exercises. The title of the article is, "Supercharge Your Creativity."

From drama: A Sound, a Key, a Knock at the Door

Theater games make actors build stories around arbitrary props and actions. Some seeds, a quick rehearsal, and show us the scene. Improvisation often makes lively scenes. Given this scenario: clashing swords clang off stage, a key slides under the door, and someone knocks at the door -- add gestures and movements and the actor has a lively scene.

Your task: use the same sort of improvisational strategy in a paragraph game to spark writing. Just fill in the blanks connecting these words into a paragraph. You can use your own set of words, although nouns or active verbs are best.

The fireplace [fill in the blanks] flames. [Fill in the blanks] smoke.

Connected words like this may make it too easy. Try again with words you normally wouldn't find in the same paragraph (raked, sauteed, dropkick). This should take two and a half minutes.

You can also pick three words from a dictionary. Just flip the pages and put your finger down. That's a good word! Now do it again. Oh! And once more! There you go, three words, just waiting for you.

Write!