A Writer’s Thoughts in Solitude
I examine the everyday life and pull in bits and pieces of sparked inspiration. I’m an observer and observing is a task I set out to fuel the missing pieces of my stories — a possible plot line, the details of a character, a more suitable scene, new phrasing for descriptive storytelling.
I watch motions, listen to language and seek unusual details in the mundane.
I think most writers are watchers. Our thought process looks for those small pieces and we can’t help but pull life from our surroundings.
But, I’m left to wonder. Is the creativity of a writer derived from the world around us? Or is it deep within our internal make up? Is our best work created in the mix of urban ambiance or the escape of suburbia to a place of solitude?
Many writers have fled the concrete utopia for a life of seclusion and thought. A decision to give up on the routine of this increasingly fast-paced life. Here, stories have evolved — the kinds of stories that last. Is it a clearing of distractions that allows the deepest of internal search? A place where our truest form of a voice is discovered?
Or, is it those same distractions that add life and personality to your words? The muse of everyday that connects us to readers.
Perhaps it depends on the writer. And maybe we need the struggle and the joys of each to truly find ourselves in our writing. What are your thoughts?
Melissa
1 comment September 1, 2010
My Summer Reading and a Few Thoughts
I do love summer reading. A hammock strung between to slightly shaded trees, letting in just enough sun to send warmth up through your toes. And of course, the book.
I take my summer reading very seriously — browsing and researching for the perfect compilation of stories. For me it’s light reads; feel good books that compliment the season.
And so, as August quickly comes to an end, here are some brief descriptions on the books I’ve read this summer, along with my personal thoughts on recommending them to other readers.
Time of My Life, Allison Winn Scotch
Genre: Women’s Fiction
Description: The perfect life — loving husband, adorable baby girl, beautiful house in the suburbs. And still a feeling of unsettlement. Could it be the job she gave up in the city or a past relationship come back to haunt her? This is the story of one woman’s chance to do things over — relive her life. But will she run from the choices she has already lived or find the consequences more than she can live without.
Verdict: A fun and light story. The author’s humor is engaging and makes for a quick and enjoyable read. (I was, however, left waiting for some revelation, the secret of life, an answer to all “what if” questions.)
The Alchemist, Paulo Coelho
Genre: Literary Fiction
Description: The story of a shepherd boy dreaming to see the world. He sets off on a journey of trials and adventures, leading him to the alchemist whom guides the young boy towards self-understanding and spiritual-enlightenment.
Verdict: A fable that celebrates the richness of the human spirit. I love this book and must admit this is my second read. I would also recommend The Witch of Portobello written by Paulo Coelho.
Eat Pray Love, Elizabeth Gilbert
Genre: Nonfiction, Memoir
Description: One woman’s search for self-discovery that stretches across three countries.
Verdict: An intensely articulate and moving memoir. A breakaway from societal idealisms for the search of one’s self. A perfect read for anyone who has ever felt an unrelenting need for change. I enjoyed this book…and now for the movie.
Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse, Breaking Dawn (Series), Stephanie Meyer
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
Description: (As if you need a description…) A young girl moves to a small north western town and falls in love with a vampire…and a wolf. ‘Nuff said.
Verdict: That’s right, I read ‘em. And I liked them. Once you get passed the teenager lingo and into the underlining story, the descriptive elements make pages fly and connect you to the characters.
What books have you read this summer and what are your thoughts and recommendations on each read?
Melissa
Add comment August 31, 2010
Paint Your Writing
I have a writing/art project for you. A way for you to get your fingers a little messy and your creativity in motion. I want you to paint in the blanks.
Not to worry. Painting is alot like writing. It’s imprecise and will feed your inspirations exactly what is needed to begin a new story or refresh a current project — wild abandon and total immersion.
No previous art skills necessary. Use a brush, your fingers, roll in it if you like. There are no lines to stay in. I gaurantee it will take you back to a time when creativity didn’t have to be summoned.
When you are finished, hang your painting on your wall. Look at it every so often as you write. It will serve as a reminder to stay in a place that is messy until your story emerges and you find the threads of art in chaos.
Add comment August 27, 2010
Simply Begin to Write
It isn’t the blank page or the blinking cursor that terrify me. I’ve never had trouble placing words on a page. It’s the idea of beginning.
The problem is this: once I’ve written those first words, I’ve actually begun. For better or worse, my story has a hold on me. I am promised to the idea that will become my book. And this hold, as you know, takes time, years usually, before it begins to loosen.
As long as I leave that first page blank, I can tell myself that I’m still free. My characters won’t wake me in the middle of the night to tell me their life stories or argue about the details they think I got wrong. As long as I linger on the brink and keep those pages blank, I’m not responsible for anyone but myself. And without deadlines, I can linger for quite some time.
But where is the heart in lingering? Or the excitement in discovering the right path for a character, even if it means a complete shift to the storyline? And the aura of accomplishment through each stage of this ongoing, uphill and backwards journey?
While it’s true, you can’t make a mistake until you begin, the reality is many mistakes will be made before your final draft is complete. But within those mistakes are uncovered back stories to your characters, the progression of your storyline and the development of a writing style.
I promise you will write many pages and throw out even more. Your characters will change as will their dialogue. You will invent new plot points and pause to do more research. Writing a novel is an uncertain and messy process full of false starts, dead ends and wrong turns. But that’s okay, because with hard work it can be turned into art. You just have to begin. There is no right way to be creative, no structure that contains the method. Simply write. Begin.
Melissa
1 comment August 24, 2010
Three and a Half Ways to Organize Your Writing
I am one of those overly organized (pushing pathetic) housekeepers. I have to be. With two little girls running amuck, our living space soon becomes a mix of Barbie palace and playtime kitchen chaos. You’d be surprised what little fingers can do, or undo.
Funny enough, my workspace does not hold the same caliber of cleanliness. Stacks of industry magazines and books are topped with scribbled notes of thought. (Though my mental filing cabinet knows exactly what is there.) I push these piles aside for a little laptop space.
My writing falls somewhere in between these two extremes. I have many aspects of my writing life sorted, tracked and filed, but there are several ways I can improve my current system. Can’t we all?
If your writing organization is slightly disarrayed (like mine), here are some ways we can spruce up our work environment:
- Implement a Note-Taking System. With ideas and important thoughts running through your head all day long, it’s nearly impossible to salvage each one without jotting it down. Carry a journal or notebook with you at all times. Date your idea and try to keep a consistent, clean flow. Eventually, for some, even your journal will become a mix of sideways scribbles. If this is the case, check out Evernote, a free digital note-taking system. Using Evernote, you can take your journal notes and track and organize in different folders within your account.
- Log Your Word Counts. Keep a record of your word counts for larger projects each time you sit down to write. You are able to see how far you’ve come and how long it’s taken. Seeing your numbers grow is a great motivator and helps to keep you accountable for your writing productivity.
- Keep Track of Your Work Hours. How much time do you spend writing, or not writing? Maybe you thought prep work, such as a detail character description, took you about 45 minutes when in reality it took an hour and a half. Or browsing a few helpful writers’ blogs really was 25 minutes, not five. Once you can view how you are spending your time — wisely and unwisely — you can see what changes need to be made to your writing schedule.
3.5. Clean Your Workspace. Creativity and a “creative workspace” usually go hand in hand. However, a messy area is distracting and can block your creative juices. Your writing will benefit and inspiration deepen from a clean, quiet nook.
Good Luck.
Melissa
Add comment August 17, 2010
Writing Open Call
Following up on a previous post, Want a Peer-Critique of Your Writing, I am again asking my fellow writers to share some of your words.
It may be a piece of your novel in progress or a quick something you wrote for fun. We are welcoming samples of Your writing, be it novel, short story, poem and maybe even a guest post with your own writing insight.
Here’s the drill:
The writers would remain anonymous and we, the readers, would offer feedback. The writer would benefit by receiving free peer-critiques and the rest of us would get tips on how to improve our own writing. A process to everyone’s advantage.
Submission Guidelines
- Excerpts should be no more than 500 words
- Specify title and genre
- Submit in a polished manner
- Submissions need to be appropriate for all audiences
- Please feel free to submit various pieces of writing
- E-mail your excerpts to blog@wordclay.com
Peer-Critique Guidelines
- Respect the Writer. The purpose is to offer critique and constructive criticism to aspiring writers. Feedback should be given in the spirit of helping one another. Any rude or disparaging comments will not be approved for posting.
- Understand that the amount/type of feedback can not be guaranteed. Some comments may offer general encouragement while others may give detailed suggestions.
The goal is to have an on-going stream of submissions and every Monday (beginning next week) post a writing piece for critique. It may be an excerpt from your current project, a sample of your creative writing, or even your interpretation from one of our writing or visual prompts. The idea is to evaluate the nature of words and writing and to reflect and learn from the technique of others.
I look forward to any writing you would like to share.
Thank you.
Melissa
Add comment August 16, 2010
6 First Liners That’ll Hook Your Readers
The last thing you want to do as a writer is bore or lose your reader — especially at the start of your story. Instead, try one of these 6 ways to hook your readers right off the bat:
1. Make your readers wonder. Put a question in your readers’ minds. What do those first lines mean? What’s going to happen? Make them wonder, and you’ll keep them reading.
- “A secret’s worth depends on the people from whom it must be kept.” ~Carlos Ruiz Zafon, The Shadow of the Wind
2. Begin with a compelling narrative voice. Open your story with the voice of a narrator we can instantly identify with, or one that relates things in a fresh way.
- “I am ninety. Or ninety-three. One or the other.” ~Sara Gruen, Water for Elephants
3. Introduce an intriguing character. The promise of reading more about a character you find intriguing will, no doubt, draw you into a story’s narrative. Most often, this is one of the main characters in the book.
- “Imagine, if you can, that you are sixteen again. That first kisses are still a possibility, that the giddy anticipation of life’s open roads is still fiery in your belly.” ~Allison Win Scotch, The One That I Want
4. Create an interesting picture. Description is good when it encourages people to paint a picture in their minds. Often, simple is best so it’s the reader who imagines a scene, instead of simply being told by the author.
- “Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again.” ~Daphne DuMaurier, Rebecca
5. Start with an unusual situation. Show us characters in unusual circumstances, and we’ll definitely be sticking around to see what it’s all about.
- “They had flown from England to Minneapolis to look at a toilet.” ~Nick Hornby, Juliet, Naked
6. Begin at a pivotal moment. By starting at an important moment in the story, your reader is more likely to want to continue so he or she can discover what will happen next.
- “I became what I am today at the age of twelve, on a frigid overcast day in the winter of 1975.” ~Khaled Hosseini, The Kite Runner
No matter how you start your book, keep your readers in mind. What will make them want to continue reading? What will potentially make them put down your book?
–Melissa
Add comment August 12, 2010
4 Ways NOT to Begin Your Novel
Although I consider myself an avid reader, I must admit I have a short attention span when it comes to getting into books. If you fail to grab my attention in the first few lines, I start spacing out.
Most readers are like me. Most people don’t want to spend the first 50 pages trying to get into a book. It’s distracting and you’re gambling with whether or not the reader will make it through the story.
Here are a few things that tend to lose my attention in the first lines of a story:
- Dialogue. Nice somewhere on the first or second page, but not in the first line. We won’t know who’s speaking or why we should care.
- Excessive description. Some description is good, but not when it’s long winded. Skip the purple prose and opt for something more powerful.
- Irrelevant information. The first few lines of your story are crucial, so give your reader only important information.
- Introducing too many characters. I don’t like to be bombarded with the names of too many characters at once. How are we supposed to keep them straight when we don’t know who’s who?
The introduction to your story needs to grab and hook the reader. Those first few lines imprint an instant impression of your writing style, the tone of the story, a glimpse into the personality of the character, and ignites imagination into the possible directions the reader is headed.
Not to worry. I’m not going to send you on your way with a list of what not to do. I have a few tips (with examples) of ways to hook readers with your first lines — but you have to check back in tomorrow. Until then…
–Melissa
2 comments August 11, 2010
Is Your Idea Story-Worthy?
Usually writers are bubbling over with ideas and scenarios for a new book. The trouble is when you try and identify which ideas are story-worthy. Many writers struggle with this issue, perhaps even more so than finding inspiration: is my story idea good enough for a novel?
How do you decide which ideas you should pursue, and which you should toss?
How to Focus Your Story Ideas
The process of deciding which ideas are keepers can be challenging. Try some of these strategies to help you narrow down your inspiration:
- Keep a journal. It may sound like cliché advice, but it bears being repeated because journals truly are helpful tools. Carry a pocket-sized notebook around with you and write down ideas immediately. If you find it difficult to turn a particular inspiration into words, that may be your first clue the idea could be more trouble than its worth.
- Play around with ideas. When you get a vague inspiration, use some visual strategies to help you explore the possibilities. Try looking at photographs or magazine pictures, browse Flickr or use a whiteboard to create a visual representation of your inspiration. The more you play around with your ideas, the more you’ll learn what will work and what won’t.
- Focus on conflict. So many times, we find inspiration in a scene or a set of characters, but we give little thought to what conflict will drive our stories. If you identify your conflict before you focus too much on other elements, you’ll be less likely to drift into the land of worthless story ideas.
- Write a logline. A logline (or one-sentence pitch) is a short description of your story around 25 words long. Your logline should include your main character, the conflict, what’s at stake, the action that will help them achieve their goal, and the setting if relevant. Writing a one-sentence summary of your idea can help you decide whether or not you should proceed.
- Pitch a friend. Once you have some loglines written, try them out on your friends to see which ones pique their interest. Often, a fresh pair of eyes can help you see any potential problems you might otherwise miss, and therefore save you hassle in the long run.
- Write an outline. If your idea makes it past the one-sentence pitch, write an outline. Include characters and a brief synopsis, then address the key areas of your story’s structure/storyline. The more in-depth your outline, the better the chances your story idea will succeed.
The prep-work and research you put into the development of your inspirations only helps to nurture the growth of your ideas — while weeding through what will work for your story and what will not.
Do you have a process that helps to distinguish the good ideas from the bad?
–Melissa
Add comment August 10, 2010
