TECH: Techniques of the Selling Writer (part 10)

[mbarker.livejournal.com]

Original Posting Nov. 22, 2014

The final chapter! Swain has talked about writing, production, and even selling your work, what is he going to finish with? Well, the name of the 10th and final chapter is "You and Fiction." It starts with one of those wonderful one-line thinkers, "A story is a larger life, created and shared with others by a writer."

Swain pats us on the back, pointing out that now we have a toolkit of tricks, techniques, devices, and rules-of-thumb to draw on. Of course, there is always more to learn, so keep learning -- oddly enough, Swain admits it isn't all in this one book. But... Given this basis, what's next?

Well, that is really up to you. But Swain suggests that we need to decide. We need to think about why one person writes, while another person doesn't. What's the difference?

Swain says that the writer seeks a larger world, and then shares or shows it to others. The skills of writing can be taught. But the ability to look at the facts and see more than just dry facts, to use them as the springboard for feelings, for empathy... That marks a writer. Someone who is driven to escape the confines of the World That Is. Or, to quote Swain,

"It's in his blood to range farther than life can ever let him go. The impossible intrigues him. So do the unattainable, the forbidden, the disastrous. ... The writer can reach out, through the agency of his imagination."

So the writer is driven by two desires. First, to live life in a larger world, to ... Well, to reach the unreachable stars... You know the rest of the song, right? And second, to share that wonder, to display the larger world for others.

Whoosh! What a challenge! What does Swain suggest we do? "Build larger worlds of your choosing; find the right readers to admire them..."

I keep hearing strains of "... I know if I'll only be true... The world will be better for this..." Which is not a criticism, I need to hear that song sometimes.

Swain ends with a review, basically reminding us of the one-line openers from each chapter. Then he points out that a story is all that, and more. And...

"For a story, in the last analysis, is you, transferred to print and paper. You: unique and individual. You, writer, who through your talent range a larger world than others, and thus give life new meaning to all who choose to read."

So. Explore that strange new world in your imagination, and then guide the rest of us to see it, to experience the new meaning it brings to our lives.

Write!

TECH: Theme, theme, who's got a theme?

[mbarker.livejournal.com]

Original Posting Nov. 23, 2014

Over here

http://madgeniusclub.com/2014/11/19/waiter-theres-a-theme-in-my-novel-novel-workshop-5/

Sarah talks about being stomped (I think she meant stumped, but let's not get bogged down in typos and hobgoblins, okay?). Anyway, THEME! Not the bugs coming over the hill (that was THEM!) but what's your story about.

Which generally is not obvious when you start writing. At the beginning, you may have a situation, a character, something like that. But a theme? Nah.

You may find you have recurring or underlying themes, things that you talk about. How do personal freedom and society interact (with fireworks and...). What does it mean to be human has been a running theme in science fiction, and even fantasy. Or do a closeup, and take a look at what the character learns in your story.

Typically, the theme starts showing up halfway through, or even at the end of the first writing. Then go back and make sure everything works to support it. Dialogue, situations, solutions, it all should reflect that theme. Make it consistent, make it sensible, and make it shine.

Then your book will make your readers sit up and say, "WOW!"

Okay? So the exercise for this week is to take a story you have written and look for the theme. What is this story trying to say? Imagine a roomful of eager readers, happily talking about how this story shows... what? State your theme clearly and succinctly for yourself. NOW, go back through the story and make sure that everything works towards that theme.

Simple, right? Aligning the story to the theme, like magnetic filings when the magnet is underneath. You may not be able to see the magnet, but you know it is there because of how all the little filings line up. Do the same with your story.

(note: if you are doing Nanowrimo, keep writing, and come back in December to do this! )

Write! Then revise...

NANO: Only Five More Days!

[mbarker.livejournal.com]

Original Posting Nov. 25, 2014

It's the 25th! Five more days of nanowrimo. Are you in sight of 50,000 words? Or maybe you're over and coasting home? Or, you could be way short, trying to decide whether to try a last-minute push?

My recommendation if you happen to be very short of the goal -- if you want to try a push, sure, go for it. But more than kicking yourself for missing the target, stop and look at what you've learned about your own work habits. What went well that you want to keep doing? What didn't work, what needs fixing?

Think about the various pieces -- characters, plot, events, scenes, settings. What's good, and what's not so good?

You might start thinking about revision. But, first -- finish it! Even if it is a mess, with pieces and bits all over, notes to yourself in the middle, and other problems, go ahead and chunk out whatever you think it still needs. Go ahead and make it as complete as you can.

Then think through the revision. Tackle the structure first. What needs to be rearranged? What needs to be cut, what new additions need to be tacked on, what needs to be strengthened or expanded, what needs to be cleaned up and tightened? Incidentally, do save old versions, put the stuff you cut into a file for later use, and so on. You never know which piece that doesn't fit here might be just perfect later in something else. And yes, you can rebuild it, but having it in a cut pile makes it easier. After you have that structure solid, then you can look at polishing.

But for right now -- five more days! Words and more words, around the Thanksgiving turkey, under the pie, even in the middle of football.

Write around the clock!

NANO: Tamora Pierce suggests...

[mbarker.livejournal.com]

Original Posting Nov. 26, 2014

I know, I know, reading instead of writing? Still, over here...

http://nanowrimo.org/pep-talks/tamora-pierce-2014

Tamora Pierce has a short peptalk, aimed right at that point where you just don't quite know what to do next (aka the WALL!) You've been writing and writing, and... the white hot inspiration has died, it's the middle of the night and you can't see what to do next, where do you turn?

Tamora has three suggestions. First, try adding a short bit. Have the character doing something, and... they fall, they trip, or something else unexpected. You know, sometimes you are purring along, not really thinking about what to do next, and... you trip over that step that isn't there, or the stone turns under your foot, and KABOOM!

Second, try surprise, pain, fright that pushes your character into a violent reaction. Pushed to the edge of their endurance, and then one step beyond that... what happens? Who do they ask for help?

Third, try something small. They discover a box, a message, a book, a picture, something that they find interesting, and go to dig out the history behind it. And in the process...

A short trip, a tired surprise, or a little extra mystery. Go ahead, add something to your story, and watch that wall tumble down, down, down...

WRITE!

NANO: How about a picture to shake things up?

[mbarker.livejournal.com]

Original Posting Nov. 28, 2014

Let's see. Over here http://www.reuters.com/news/pictures there are always a bunch of pictures from recent news. Ignore the headings and the topics, and see what you can find of interest there.

Or maybe one of these collections would be more up your alley? http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/picturegalleries/ has the week's best photos, and a medley of others. http://www.nbcnews.com/news/week-in-pictures shows the week in pictures. And there are plenty more out there, of course. Google around and you can find all kinds of collections.

But find some kind of pictures, and take a look. Pick one that catches your attention, and see what you can come up with.

See, a picture is a little frozen slice of time, often with characters, action, and so forth. But especially taken out of context, we can interpret them anyway we like. Backtrack, and think about what happened leading up to this scene. Roll it forward, and imagine what might happen next, and then... Put together that series of events, from the kickoff that started these characters moving towards this picture, to the consequences that follow. And tell us the story you found in the picture.

Given that we're getting near the end of Nanowrimo, you may want to tie the picture to the story you have been working on. Imagine your characters looking at this picture, perhaps. Or have them actually stepping into the scene? Feel free to use the picture as a thought provoker, feeding your writing. And providing a little concrete setting and scenery for you to expand upon.

A picture is worth a thousand words? Well, at least a few hundred, right? Heck, tell us what is in the picture, then what led up to that, and what happens next, and... You might very well find a thousand words or more in that picture.

So, write!

NANO: Ending? No, Beginning!

[mbarker.livejournal.com]

Original Posting Nov. 30, 2014

At this time, we're running into the end game for nanowrimo. November 30, Sunday, is the very last day! So we're looking at finishing things off.

Endings. It's hard to let go. And of course for nanowrimo, I really need to take the time to finish things. Go ahead and add whatever to that mess I've been putting together for nanowrimo...

Beyond that, I like to take time to do some reflection. What worked, what didn't work? What would I like to change or do differently next time or in similar situations? Are there checklists, models, preparation, or whatever else that I'd like to pull out and spend some time getting ready for the next go around?

Ending, but that also means it's time for the sequel – reaction, planning, and a new decision? Which of course means there are new beginnings just around the corner. What am I going to do next? Take that long list of odds and ends that you've been postponing and take a look at it – do you want to pick up one of those? Or do you want to do a little brainstorming and try something new?

Make sure you finish up nanowrimo or whatever else you may have been working on, but...

The sun will come up tomorrow! What are you gonna do? Get ready!

Keep writing!

Techniques of the Selling Writer

[mbarker.livejournal.com]

Techniques of the Selling Writer by Dwight V. Swain

A series of postings...

1. Part 1
2. Part 2
3. Part 3
4. Part 4
5. Part 5
6. Part 6
6.5 Part 6.5
7. Part 7
8. Part 8
9. Part 9
10. Part 10