EXERCISE: Which would you choose?

[mbarker]

Original Posting Aug. 1, 2017

Recently on Facebook, someone asked which would you choose?

1. You get 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep every night.
2. Your house cleans itself.
3. Your kids eat everything you serve them without complaining.
4. Someone runs all of your errands.

When I saw it, everyone seemed to be saying they wanted 2, a house that cleans itself. But I have to admit, I looked at the list and thought...

What could go wrong? How could I turn each of these into at least a short story of some kind? While I'm sleeping without interruptions, what happens? When the house cleans itself, who disappears (no, no, don't kill the pets. But how about that uncle that nobody likes?)? Chomp, chomp, wait, stop eating. No, really, quit eating. Or, of course, there's the errand runner who doesn't quite do them the way you expect?

Anyway, pick a wonderful thing. Then think about what might go wrong. And...

Write!
tink

WOW: Podcasts to kick your writing into gear?

[mbarker]

Original posting Aug. 2, 2017

Oho! Over here

https://www.bustle.com/p/20-podcasts-about-writing-that-will-have-you-penning-a-bestselling-novel-in-no-time-73325

E. Ce Miller has collected a list of podcasts you might want to listen to, all about writing!

[In case anyone doesn't know, a podcast is an audio recording, kind of like the old time radio broadcasts. Most of them appear on websites, although quite a few also get listened to via a podcast app. So... visit the website and check them out. Then tune up your ears and listen!]

Okay, so here's the list. For more details, take a look either at the original article or the podcast website.

1. Magic Lessons with Elizabeth Gilbert

https://www.elizabethgilbert.com/magic-lessons/

Advice, to do lists, motivation!

2. Helping Writers Become Authors

https://www.helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com/

K.M. Weiland talks about the writing process, ideas, characters, plots, polishing, writers block, keeping your story going across a novel…

3. So You Want to Be a Writer

http://valeriekhoo.com/want-writer/

Valerie Khoo and Allison Tait talk about publishing news, and writing tips.

4. The Narrative Breakdown

http://www.thenarrativebreakdown.com/

Cheryl Klein and James Monohan discuss the craft of writing.

5. I Should Be Writing

http://murverse.com/subscribe-to-podcasts/podcasts/

Mur Lafferty covers the craft, business, and career writing, along with interviews with authors.

6. The Dead Robots' Society Podcast

http://deadrobotssociety.com/

Aspiring writers podcasting to other aspiring writers.

7. Writing Excuses

http://www.writingexcuses.com/

Brandon Sanderson, Mary Robinette Kowal, Howard Tayler, and Dan Wells, 15 minutes a week... writing and more writing. Now in Season 12!

8. The Writing University

https://www.writinguniversity.org/podcast

The Iowa Writers Workshop? Well, recordings from that.

9. Ann Kroeker, Writing Coach

http://annkroeker.com/

Ann Kroeker boosts creativity, productivity, and confidence!

10. Writing Unblocked with Britney M. Mills

http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/britney-mills/writing-unblocked

You think you've got a writer's block? Let Britney help! Interviews, insights, advice...

11. Longform

https://longform.org/podcast

Interviews, with lots of attention for non-fiction!

12. First Draft: A Dialogue on Writing

http://firstdraftwriters.libsyn.com/

Mitzi Rapkin interviews a different author each episode, focusing on the excitement, creativity, energy, and pitfalls of the first draft.

13. Write Now with Sarah Werner

http://www.sarahwerner.com/write-now-podcast/

Encouragement, advice, and inspiration on balancing work, life, and writing!

14. Creative Writing Career Podcast

http://creativewritingcareer.com/

Stephan Bugaj, Justin Sloan, and Kevin Tumlinson talk about writing.

15. Grammar Girl: Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing

https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/quick-dirty-tips/grammar-girl-quick-and-dirty-tips-for-better-writing

Nuts and bolts, grammar, punctuation, writing style. Along with tips about great storytelling, structure, voice, and so forth!

16. A Way with Words

https://www.waywordradio.org/

National Public Radio? That's right, Martha Barnette and Grant Barrett talk about language with folks from around the world.

17. The Beautiful Writers Podcast with Linda Silvertsen & Friends

http://beautifulwriterspodcast.com/

Writing, publishing, and creativity, with tons of guest writers.

18. The 10 Minute Writer's Workshop

http://nhpr.org/topic/10-minute-writers-workshop#stream/0

How do great writers get ideas out of their heads and onto the page? In 10 minutes!

19. The Creative Penn Podcast

https://www.thecreativepenn.com/podcasts/

Joanna Penn, hour-long episodes on writing. Finding and maintaining your inspiration, developing your craft, publishing and marketing, with plenty of guest interviews.

20. The Newbie Writers' Podcast

http://www.newbiewriters.com/

Damien Boath and Catharine Bramkamp help you figure out what to do with your book idea. Author interviews.

Wow! Lots of podcasts! Something to fill your ears.

Just don't forget -- after the podcast, WRITE!

tink

WOW: Romance Structure?

[mbarker]

Original Posting Aug. 3, 2017

Over here

https://madgeniusclub.com/2017/08/02/romance-structure-and-genre-expectations/

Sarah Hoyt talks about just what makes a romance. What does a reader expect when they see that genre label? Well, there's several parts. Structure is one, there's also shortcuts that writers and readers use.

Sarah starts out with the well-known plot, Boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy finds girl. But there's more there than meets the eye. See, it's more like...

Girl meets boy and there's a special attraction! Then, for various reasons, girl and boy both have problems with that. Plenty of meetings, maybe sex gets into the act, but... they're still not quite sure.

And the secondary plot gets into the act! Any and every other genre, often pushing against and mixing up the primary plot. Mystery, fantasy, romance (usually other characters), and so forth.

Eventually, the Happily Ever After (HEA!) hits. This can be a wedding, a child, or something else that proves they are really going to get together and stay there.

Oddities? Romance often uses two points of view, switching rapidly. She thought... He wondered... The point is that readers want to know what both partners are thinking, so... two points of view, mixed.

Shortcuts? Eyes lock. That feeling that there's something special about this. A touch that sets of physical reactions. The mental focus on the other person.

End the subplot before you end the romance! Then kick that HEA into the reader's happy eyes, and let them enjoy the romantic ending.

There you go. Romance, ain't it grand!

tink

TECH: Fantasy: Once Upon a Character… (Moldy oldie)

[mbarker]

Original Posting Aug. 4, 2017

Writer's Digest, March 1999, on pages 26-29 and page 51, has an article by J. V. Jones with the title "Once Upon a Character." The subheading points out "If you can master the magic of making sorcerers, giants and elves seem real to readers, no genre-fiction characters will be beyond you." Now there's a challenge!

Jones starts out by suggesting that you've done your background – research, a map, trying out swords, and you're ready to write… So your protagonist runs into a band of evil dwarves! And the start of that wonderful process of bringing together the companions is on. But… All too often, that mixed bag of companions is more like a bunch of carbon copies of every fantasy trope. So how do you make them complex, surprising, unforgettable characters?

Genre fiction often is full of stereotypes. But how can you do better?

1. Names!

Jones recommends getting a name that really fits. Not something unpronounceable. Something that throws light on the character. "A well-chosen name can evoke images and feelings in readers minds before the character even walks on stage."

Also, help the readers keep your characters straight. Large casts? Well, you can use their appearance to some extent, but let's face it, that's not that easy to remember. Memorable physical traits and appearances? Pick out one thing and make it memorable!

2. The Dwarf Is in the Details

Physical characteristics are useful, but you may need to go beyond that. Enticing, exotic details described in a way that makes them stick in our head. Clothing, weaponry, manners of speaking, dialect… One of the great things about fantasy is you can use all of these details.

3. Play against archetype!

Inside someone's head, using the POV, you get to show us just what makes that character work. But, don't overplay your hand. Make sure that the reader can identify with the character. Even archetypes are humans, too. Faults, foibles, failings. Consider breaking traditions. Oh, and Jones also gives us a sidebar suggesting that you may want to avoid these cliché figures:

– The firebreathing religious leader determined to squelch new ideas.
– The evil corporate chief who cares nothing for the environment slashes employees/inhabitants of the nearest star system.
– The scientist who can't see the danger his project poses.
– The brave but mysterious adventurer who turns out to be a long-lost noble.
– The misunderstood visitor who needs help to return home.
– The bloodthirsty military leader for whom the ends justify the means.
– The especially stupid authority figure who will not listen to reason and will botch every decision, thereby causing all the problems of the story.
– The thoughtless "good" King/leader who listens to stupid authority figures.
– The evil overlord who is pure evil.
– The has-a-good-heart-and-knows-what's-right-but-is-sadly-misunderstood younger sibling.
– Anyone astoundingly beautiful.

4. A good first impression.

With a good name, distinguishing characteristics, enough contradictions in personality to feel real, you come to the first appearance. When your character comes on stage for the first time, make sure that the reader gets a strong impression of the new character. "How can I present him/her in such a way as to make him/her interesting?" Book the readers, leave them wanting to read more about this character. Give them some good lines.

5. And of course, actions speak louder…

Name, faults, irrational fears and idiosyncrasies. Introduced in a memorable way. And action! Give the character something remarkable to do.

"That is the essence of a memorable character: human fears and human longings, and actions that rise above both."

There you go. So make those characters sing! Or swing their swords, or whatever.

Practice? Take something you are working on, and pick out a major character. Make sure you have a great name, distinguishing characteristics, a real personality, that first appearance that makes us want to know more about that person, and, of course, great actions. So make your characters work!

tink

TECH: Four Drafts? (moldy olide!)

[mbarker]

Original Posting Aug. 11, 2017

Writer's Digest, February 2001, page 26 had a sidebar by James Scott Bell with the title "4-Draft Plan." While it's fairly short, it's an interesting suggestion about an approach to writing that doesn't look quite like outlining so much as organized discovery writing. Let's take a look at it.

1. What's Happening Draft

Write your first draft as quickly as you comfortably can. Set your word quota for each day, then just keep writing until you get to the end. Go ahead and push!

"The reason you press on is that your heart will be eager to take your imagination in hand and explore fictional possibilities. If you stop and get too technical, too concerned with getting it exactly right, you may never find the most original parts of your story. A promising road or rivulet may lay forever undiscovered! Be Lewis and Clark on that first draft."

And yes, you may have a chaotic mess! In which case, go to step two.

2. Story Draft

Now, use your head and look over what you've done. Figure out what's good, what's not so good, and what is the story that you really want to tell. Use the what's happening draft as kind of a combination outline and raw materials dump. "Change it, add to it, cut things, reshape characters, see what you need. Distill it all into a two or three page synopsis. You'll know your story now. Write it again."

You can either do a full rewrite, or cut-and-paste. Don't resist rewriting.

3. Refining Draft

Now, put the story draft aside for a couple of weeks. Then read it through again. This time, you want to tighten or cut scenes, deepen characters, work out the subplots. This is refining, making it great!

4. Polish

This is where you go through and double check the dialogue, make sure that every chapter and scene opening grabs the reader, and that chapter endings ensure that the reader wants to keep reading. Polish, until it shines.

There you go. Four drafts. One story. YAY!

Write!
tink

TECH: Finding Your Heart (moldy oldie)

[mbarker]

Original Posting Aug. 23, 2017

Writer's Digest, February 2001, pages 28, 29, and 35, have an article by Joan Mazza with the title Finding Your Heart. The idea is that some of the stock rejections – not enough weight, too slight, lacks power – really mean that it's lacking emotional honesty, strong feelings. "Editors want a manuscript to arrive at a depth of emotional honesty that most beginning writers avoid. Beginners back away from strong feelings of all kinds. They are reluctant to have their characters suffer."

Avoiding pain-and-suffering is completely understandable. It's normal. But… "Facing and exposing these emotional upsets is what is meant by the old writerly adage open a vein." You need strong emotions, powerful feelings, all of that. "Tiptoeing away from the emotional punch of a story makes it bland and superficial."

One reason may be simply maintaining our own self-image. We don't want other people to think we're that kind of a person! "Worrying about what others might think will give you writer's block every time.… The distressing and difficult aspects of being human are exactly the parts of the story that people want to hear."

We read to explore experiences we might never have, to see the entire spectrum of emotions, to live other lives from the inside.

Joan points out that you start whispering, people around you stop talking so that they can hear. "In a way, a whisper is like a narrative hook: it gets the reader's attention." But… If you've promised strong emotions and then you don't deliver, your audience evaporates. Frankly, you have to lay bare the innermost emotions. "A willingness to be publicly honest and vulnerable is also what makes readers love authors enough to call themselves fans."

Take a look at what really is emotionally charged for you. What are the memories that you don't talk about, or the ones that you twist when you let someone know about them? What are your fears and worries? Illness, death, abandonment, failure, ridicule? Make up a short list of the things that really make you jump. Then… Start writing about them. Look at your nightmares, your daydreams, your memories.

"Enter the cavern of your most distressing sentiments on memories, then put them on the page. Your writing will be more compelling, as well as more marketable."

There's a tiny little sidebar in the middle of the second page. "Finding your emotional truth. Ask yourself these questions:
– What terrifies me?
– What disgusts me?
– What news stories make me wince or change the channel?
– What is my biggest secret(s)?
– What would I never do?

In your answers to these questions, you will find the seeds of your most powerful writing in all genres.

If this pushes any of your buttons, good! Go write."

Oho! So, emotional depth. And Joan suggests quite a few questions and probes to help us get started. But... let's see. Practice? Okay, take something you've written recently, and think about the emotions in it. Did you pull back at some point? Did you avoid really putting your character through the wringer, because you didn't want to have to suffer through that experience yourself? Are there emotional depths that you can dredge a little deeper, things that make your nightmares and memories twinge? Go ahead, add that emotional edge and see what the story does with it.

Write?
tink

TECH: Keeping Them in Suspense (moldy oldie)

[mbarker]

Original Posting Aug. 19, 2017

Writer's Digest, March 1999, on pages 30-33 and page 52, have an article by William J. Reynolds with the title Keeping Them in Suspense. All about how to build a page turner.

Reynolds starts out by posing the challenge that you want your readers to say, "I've gotta know." That's the essence of suspense. And to keep them turning pages, you want suspense. Compelling characters, plausible plot, intriguing subplots, richly evoked settings, appealing writing… Yes, you want those too. But suspense is what gives fiction that kick.

Now, he suggests you start by setting up three different sizes of suspense, just like soft drinks: small, medium, and large. Watch out for supersize? Anyway, most stories include all three sizes in different places. Maybe start with some small suspense, I wonder what is really going on. Then add some mortal danger, and get to medium-sized suspense. And build to large-sized suspense, who is this masked man? And, you might have a supersize twist.

Next, Reynolds suggests you plan a roller coaster ride. Waves of suspense! Start slow, build to a peak, drop, build again, drop, and so forth. Give your readers a bit of a breather, some release, interim resolutions.

But where does suspense come from? Well, what is the obvious source? Plot. But sometimes suspense grows out of the characters, too. Their actions and reactions, their motivations. "So suspenseful elements in the plot generate suspenseful episodes that grow out of the characters' personalities." And how the characters respond or react drives forward the plot, generating new suspenseful episodes to which our characters must react." Even the place – setting – may contribute suspense. Earthquakes, bandits, weather, all of these things can add suspense.

And, you need to keep track of your pace. Your style of writing, the viewpoint, the words and the way you use them, all can build suspense. Long, slow passages turn into short, telegraphic bursts.

And the last page – well, the resolution of your story – is a key part of the suspense. Watch out for inadvertently leaving your reader hanging on the edge of a cliff, you do want to resolve events satisfactorily. Not necessarily everything. And you do want the end to come quickly after the climactic shock. A few loose ends is not a problem. Give us a satisfactory conclusion, logical, perfectly in keeping with everything that's gone before. Then don't blunt it.

"Most important, we finally found out what we've gotta know."

Stop.

Practice? Take that work in progress, and go over it, looking at the suspense. Do you have some questions that the reader has just gotta know about right from the start? Do they build, and get resolved, and build again? If you've got some sections where there's no suspense, add a dash. And make sure that when we get that resolution, we don't spend too long hanging around trying to tie up every little loose end. Mostly...

WRITE!
tink

EXERCISE: Guess Who's Riding On the Bus?

[mbarker]

Original Posting Aug. 24, 2017

One of the odd TV shows Japan has right now is called Monitoring. Basically, they set up various situations, with hidden cameras, and show us the results. They often repeat a given situation two or three times with different targets, just for fun. Kind of a variation on the old Candid Camera show.

One of the situations on this evening's show caught my fancy. It's pretty simple, really. One or two people get on a bus, late in the evening. One of the people on the bus remarks that they don't like riding this bus, there are rumors that it is haunted. Then, at the next stop, everyone except the targets gets off. The bus goes on.

As they are rumbling along, a woman's voice can be heard, saying, "Help me." Then it says it again. Finally, it says, "Can you hear me?"

If the target asks the driver if he heard the voice, he says, "What are you talking about?"

Then the buttons flash. The driver says, "You want to get off at the next stop?" If the target says "No," the driver turns off the next stop button.

Next, from one of the empty seats in the back, a woman with long black hair, wearing a simple white shift, and barefoot, appears. She slowly moves up through the seats.

If the target asks the driver about the woman, he shakes his head and says, "You are the only person on the bus."

Now, it depends a little on what the target says, but the ghost (she is a very stereotypical Japanese ghost!) may comment something like "You are the first person who has seen me" and "I've been stuck on this bus since I died." But the highlight is that she asks, "Can I go with you?"

Sooner or later, they stop the bus and the TV people climb on, explaining that this is the Monitoring show. At which point, just like Candid Camera and other similar shows, the targets often are quite chagrined.

Okay? You get the basic picture, right? You climb on a bus, and while it rumbles along, a ghost climbs out of the back, comes forward, and sits down near you. After talking a bit, she asks to go with you.

One of the targets on tonight's show, after finding out that the driver didn't hear or see the ghost, happily agreed that she could come home with him. He did mention that he has two kids and a wife, and it might be noisy. When they asked him, later, why he agreed that the ghost could go with him, he said, "Well, I thought living in the bus must be very lonely, so I wanted to let her have a better life."

So, your exercise. Take that basic framework, with getting on a bus or perhaps some other transportation or place, and having a ghost appear and ask to go with you. Go ahead, make up the setting and character, and have them encounter this situation. What do they think? How do they react to this ghost? And what happens next...

Write?
tink

TECH: Silencing the Inner Critic

[mbarker]

Original Posting Aug. 31, 2017

Over here, Matthey E. May talks about a common problem. Say you're sitting in a brainstorming session, and you have an idea, but... you squelch it, because, well, what if they don't like it? Fear of rejection, right? And there's even a mechanism explained for this! But what can you do?

https://medium.com/@MatthewEMay/3-simple-steps-to-silencing-your-inner-critic-74c9ff7de646

May recommends three steps.

1. Recognize the assumption that something bad will happen! You assume they won't like it, right? Or you assume that the story you're writing won't be good, right?

2. Think about reasons that will not happen! Go ahead, dream a little. Why won't they reject your idea? Why won't this story be bad?

3. Now, think about reasons why even if that bad consequence comes up, good things could result. Suppose they reject your idea, but it prompts someone else to come out with a better idea? Or suppose your story isn't the best in the world, but... it suggests another story that really is good?

So, three steps. Recognize the stumbling block, the cry of the inner critic. Figure out why you don't need to be afraid of that, why it isn't going to be true. And then, look at what happens even if you do stumble, even if that inner critic is right.

Don't just tell the inner critic to take a seat -- give them some good reasons to shut up.

Write!
tink