Music Pieces

    My parents are mega fans of Downton Abbey. When new episodes aired, the family would get together and watch, then talk about it later. During those conversations, my father always liked to point out small clever details about the show--like the way colors and light contrast were used. And one of the nice touches he particularly liked to point out how lots of the main characters have their own theme music.
    Which is really an interesting concept. A music piece that perfectly summarizes a character, place, or scene taking place in the story. There are lots of intricate aspects involved.
    Like, for example, the way instruments can reflect special details about a character. NBC's Heroes has a villain who used to work as a watchmaker, and sometimes during his main scenes, you can distinctly hear a ticking noise. Various instruments were being used to imitate the ticking of a watch, hinting at his rare skill and his old occupation. In another show, where the main character is a lady usually tasked with running errands, her music is calm but purposeful, a soft kind of sound with strong undertones. The choice in music not only perfectly characterizes her daily duties, but it also sums up her own personality as well.
    Music pieces can also set the mood for different places and societies. If you've watched The Hobbit movie trilogy, you know that the music sounds different when the plot takes the group to the Woodland Elves' territory than it does at the Shire, or at the Misty Mountains. Because the Hobbits, Elves, and Dwarves are very different peoples, and their music reflects the different values of their cultures. Hobbits are homely and value keeping peace, so their music is pleasant and almost sleepy. The elves value beauty and dignity, so their music is serene and elegant. The dwarves, finally, value strength and glorious building accomplishments, so their music has loud notes and a grandeur tone. The music serves as such a perfect reflection that a person could easily picture these places just by listening to its respective musical piece for just a few moments.
    Sometimes, certain music pieces can also signal a break in the action, the "normalcy status" in a story. They do this quite a bit in Downton Abbey, and also in Sherlock. This is usually snippets or variants of the main theme, played at a break in the action or between scenes, where the characters aren't directly pursuing their goal or working hard. It's kind of relaxing, actually; like taking a nice, deep breath before pushing on with the excitement.
    It's true that all of these things are generally applied to movies and TV, but I think they could also be applicable to a novel. A friend of mine was able to construct a setting, scene, and characters from one good instrumental song she heard, and another writer-friend even wrote a song to characterize her main protagonist. Lots of others like to listen to music while writing because it helps them get in the mood of the scene.
    So what do you think? Do you ever pay close attention to musical pieces in movies or shows? Do you have specific songs that fit characters/settings/scenes in your story perfectly? :)

Greatness

    "Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon 'em."
    This quote (from Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, Act 2, Scene 5), is possibly one of the Bard's most famous--and most inspiring--lines ever written. The words really stir up emotion, so it's no wonder that people often compare famous fictional characters to it.
    It's definitely quite an interesting label. Rather than focusing on what kind of skills and specialties that make them great, it zooms out and draws attention to how the character became awesome and admirable. For example . . .

Some characters are just born to soar.

    Born. The Doctor from BBC's Doctor Who, Charlotte Holmes from Brittany Cavallaro's Charlotte Holmes series, and Anakin Skywalker from Star Wars can all fit into this category. Because from the very beginning, they've either had someone in their life with a reputation they must live up to, or they have a special ability or just a unique kind of personality that practically demands to be used for a huge, awesome cause. Naturally, it's the character's own choice to become heroic, but their origins usually serve as a big factor in the direction they're going in.

Some have to work a bit to get off the ground.

    Achieved. Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow from the Marvel franchise, Mr. Molesly from Downton Abbey, Luke Skywalker from Star Wars, and Tris Prior from Veronica Roth's Divergent series are all nice examples of people who earned their greatness. Because a bright future full of potential wasn't promised to or expected of them in the beginning; they didn't grow up preparing to save the world, didn't inherit millions, and didn't have a famously heroic relative. Some of them had to rise straight from the dust--or, like Natasha Romanoff, from the ashes of a more sinister past--and work very hard over a long period of time to earn every morsel of honor they receive.



And some really need to be . . .
persuaded to start flying.

    Thrust Upon. One could say that Frodo Baggins from Tolkien's Lord of the Rings trilogy had greatness thrust upon him, and Cinder from Marissa Meyer's fantastic Lunar Chronicles series, and Eustace Scrubb from C.S. Lewis's Voyage of the Dawn Treader, and Katniss Everdeen from Suzanne Collins's The Hunger Games. These are the "poor souls" (poor in their own eyes, at least) who get dragged into a conflict and come out with a cape fluttering behind them. The adventure they never wanted to take part in transforms them, makes them stronger, and changes their heart so that by the time it's over, the character is much more heroic.
    Each of these methods of achieving greatness has admirable qualities about them. Because we can all sympathize with someone surrounded by heroes, wanting to earn a name of their own, or at least not disappoint those who expect greatness from them. The diligent, determined characters who achieve their greatness create an awesome underdog story (who doesn't love those?). And while it's kind of funny when characters are reluctantly pulled into adventure (who didn't chuckle when stuffy, cynical Eustace Scrubb freaked out in the movie version of Voyage of the Dawn Treader?), it's also awesome to cheer them on as they become stronger, greater people.
    So what about your own characters? How does your protagonist achieve greatness? Is s/he born with it, did they achieve it, or was it thrust upon them?

Ernest Hemingway: "About what Hurts"

Things that hurt really hurt. So writing about those
things should naturally be accurate, right?

"Write hard and clear about what hurts."

~Ernest Hemingway

    The first thing that comes to my mind when I think of things that hurt is death.
    That's a difficult subject to write about, isn't it? Because it's a touchy, sensitive thing that many people go through; and the last thing we would want to do is misrepresent its effects in our writing--or worse, misuse it just to make the story more dramatic.
    I once read a book that did just that (though I won't name names). Near the end of the story, the main character's best friend dies. And a couple chapters later in the final battle, the best friend's sibling also dies with long-winding last words, which pushes the main character into a very palpable fury/grief that (naturally) gives her the strength to destroy the enemy. Those character deaths were infuriating not just because it came off as cliché, and not just because it seemed awfully convenient, but because it was so unnecessary. Both of those characters didn't have to die--the sibling, at least, could have lived on and overcome his grief--but they were offed as if it was exactly what they were meant for, like the only reason those characters existed was to make the protagonist feel gutted in that one moment. The dramatic air around the losses was also kind of obscuring the fact that death had occurred; it made what happened seem unrealistic, and easily forgettable once the book is closed.
    However, in Kiera Cass's The One, there's a scene that doesn't make that kind of mistake, and lines up perfectly with what Ernest Hemingway is advising in his quote. In one of the last major scenes (SPOILER ALERT!), there's a surprise attack by the vicious rebels, and in the chaos and carnage, a lot of secondary characters are killed. It was a really gut-wrenching plot twist (and personally, I thought a few too many characters we've come to care about were lost), but in the scene's context, a high death toll makes a lot of sense. If the enemy had attacked so directly, and only nameless wallflowers (or nobody at all) had been harmed, the story would have totally lost the realistic element the author had created so artfully in the series. Plus, the shock and sadness that the scene prompts is exactly what a person should feel when they hear about such an event. Kiera Cass didn't gloss over anything; she made the bitterness of death bitter, and gave the topic of death the solemn recognition it deserves.
    Have you ever just stopped because a book is so good (or not good) at portraying the gravity of hard, hurtful things in life? Have you ever gotten really stressed about portraying death in a story as realistically as possible?

 

Writer Things I've Learned from a Computer Dilemma

When your computer dies, what's your Plan B:
another computer, or the good old fashioned pen?

    I've had a writer's crisis recently. The "pinwheel of death" appeared on my computer, followed by a complete freeze, and then everything on screen faded to black. Eventually I learned that the hard drive had basically died, which meant that everything I had on my computer was also essentially dead.
    Fortunately, all of my good manuscripts were safe on a flashdrive, so it wasn't a complete writing tragedy (plus, all the half-baked first drafts I'd be ashamed to reread were gone!). But accounting the time I spent trying to fix the computer myself and the short time the repair place took to resolve the problem, I was without my computer for a little over a week. That's not exactly a long time, but since I'm a student who writes on a blog and has a manuscript to finish before a certain date, sitting back and doing nothing writing-related during that whole week wasn't an option. Doing computer (and writer) related things called for jumping through hoops, which wasn't fun. But the whole experience sure did teach me some important lessons for the next time the pinwheel of death appears.
    Be prepared for the worst before it happens. Since system failures happen without warning, it's good to have a well-thought-out plan set up beforehand. And not just an idea of where to go to get at another computer (like to the library, or to a friend/family member), but it's important to think about when you'd use the computer, and for how long. At first when I was computer-less, I borrowed a family member's laptop. However, I hadn't really thought things through, and I failed to consider how the time I would need to use her laptop would stretch beyond its availability. She needed it too, and using it for uninterrupted hours like I usually do on my own would be selfish. So I had to cut back on how much time I gave each task, and skip working on a few things completely.
    Have a backup computer that will be available. Fortunately though, there was another computer in the house with far more availability. It was a very old one that we used a lot about a decade ago, but nobody was using it when I needed a computer. Now since this thing was so old and worn down from years and years of daily use, it had a couple tiny problems (like a broken A key; that complicated things a bit). And since I was unfamiliar with the laptop, my hands kept brushing the mousepad and moving the cursor to another line (which got annoying very quickly). But considering how it gave me internet access, a word processor, and all the time I needed to work, it was a very good thing to have ready.
    Always have a backup of your files. As I mentioned before, all my precious manuscripts had been saved on a flashdrive before the problems started. But once I actually had to completely start over when I got my computer back (the damage was so severe that they had to wipe it), I realized that there actually were a couple files I hadn't saved but probably should have. Like my study notes from the past three months, my photos, and the sketches I'd done with Paint. It'll definitely take some time to replace the most important things, and some of them can't be replaced at all. And if my computer had crashed while a major essay was due soon, and I lost the essay . . . it would be very, very, very unfortunate. So from now on, all good/important documents will go into a flashdrive ASAP!
    Keep writing; on paper when necessary. When I was still trying to use my family member's computer and not rudely take up too much time, it was very tempting to take a backseat on writing until I had my own computer back. But one or two days with zeroes in my word count log was a guilty reminder that it isn't good to choose not to write when you still can. And even without a computer, there is a way to keep writing; it's with a pencil and paper. Writing something by hand takes longer, and the quality might not be as good for the first draft, but anything is better than nothing. And even a short, lower-quality piece of writing can be useful when one can type again.
    Computer problems really stink. But at least lessons can be learned from them, and those lessons can give us measures to take in order to prevent problems the next time dilemmas like that happen.
    Have you ever had serious computer problems? How did you handle it as a writer?

Second Drafts!

    Ah, the second draft. A milestone in the writing process, a stepping stone to becoming published, and sometimes the equivalent of a sharp rock in a person's shoe. Somewhere out there in the big world, there must be someone who can whip up the second draft of their manuscript with ease. But for the rest of we mortals, it's usually not so easy, right?

    It takes longer (or seems to), because we're rewriting parts and even whole chapters of a story we already know back and forth. It's not like re-reading a story; we're taking each scene apart and trying to figure out how to phrase it best. And since we know what stage of the story we're actually writing, we can easily be aware of just how many more major story events we have to work through before reaching the end.

    And in the second draft, we really have to focus on fixing the small problems. Back in the Draft Number One, we could just throw these over our shoulders trilling "the edits are later!" and write what we want to push the plot forward. But now (unless you save those kind of edits for a later draft, of course), we have to start dealing with the little consistency issues and grammar problems. Now we have to slow down from world-building and make sure John Doe doesn't have blue eyes in Chapter One and green eyes in the epilogue.

    And then there's the word count! Ulgh, when there's over 100, 000 words! We want to keep all the good stuff we've spent time thinking up, right? But of course, 100,000 plus words is a little hard to swallow, so into the "Extra Scenes" file it goes. And then there are the times when the manuscripts are too short; that's not too fun either. Because we want everything to be quality material--no plot clutter, and no scenes that seem to pop out of nowhere--and that can take quite a bit of time to come up with.

    But even with the tricky parts of writing a second draft, there are still a lot of great things about them! They're a stage in the creative process that's full of possibilities, for one. It's the part where we mold with the material of the first draft; organizing the plot structure to the way it needs to be, shaping the characters' personalities, and building up the settings more. We get to develop and focus on more aspects of the story than we probably could have while getting the main plot down in the first draft.

    Plus, now that we're well into the second draft of the story, we probably know the characters a lot better. Having worked with them for hours and seeing where their actions take them in the plot, it's most likely gotten easier to know how they think, what they believe, what they would do, and all the other awesome things that make up a character. They aren't as much of a mystery as they might have been during the first draft.

    And on top of all those things, the very fact that we've gotten so far in writing the story means something good. Because finishing one whole draft and choosing to soldier through another is probably a pretty good sign that this story is something special. It shows that it's worth investing more time and focus on; that it isn't just a slightly interesting tale that we'd like to try out, but that it's a really good story that's worth sharing with the rest of the world.

    So: second drafts. What do you think of them? Do you kind of get hung up on them sometimes? Or do the less-than-awesome portions seem small in comparison to all the other awesome stuff?

Writing Prompts!

    Does anybody here have a particular fondness for writing prompts? You know, the short sentences that give inspiration for a short scene (or even a whole story).
    It's fun to try to come up with some oneself, but if a person wants a new writing prompt they've never thought of before, they can always be found on the internet. Interestingly, there are not only millions of original writing prompts, but there are completely different kinds of prompts, each special in their own way. Like for example . . .
    Specific writing prompts. This would be where you're given a specific character, setting, time, and issue to write about. A basic example of this would be: "A young man wakes up on an island that looks oddly like Hawaii, only there isn't another living soul there." We're given the character (the basic concept of one anyway), we have a very specific location, and we also have a specific problem for the character to face. Some might find it restricting to have to stick to all the given rules provided by such a direct prompt, but the provision of such specifics can really be liberating (especially if you don't feel like coming up with a completely new story out of the blue). These kind of prompts are also really good for dipping into new writing adventures head first, with surprises around every corner.
    Bare bones prompts. These are very different than specific writing prompts. Rather than getting an already outlined story , this kind of prompt provides only a handful of terms. A basic example would be just: "Kenny, Valentine's Day, and cinnamon rolls." It's very vague, but this vagueness leaves a lot of power to imagination, because there's no absolute necessity for these things to have their traditional meaning in the story being written. "Kenny" can be the name of an airship instead of a person, "Valentine's Day" can be the title of a music album playing in the background rather than a holiday, and "Cinnamon Rolls" could even be the name of a town instead of food! Everything about a bare bones prompt is a wild card, an invitation to take concepts and get really creative in using them--or, of course, to write a nice, regular scene in which the terms are used in their traditional sense.
    Visual story prompts. These are basically pictures you look at to build a story from--like a picture of a sunny beach with tall plastic flamingos sticking out of the sand. A great thing about this kind of writing prompt is that it's cool to be able to have an actual picture to connect with the story, like when you find an actor or other kind of celebrity who looks exactly like you've envisioned a character in your story. Plus, with a picture, it's easier to imagine what exactly is happening in the scene while writing it.
    Dialogue prompts. These are the prompts that are just bits of dialogue. Basically something like: "I told you we should have taken the flying horseshoes!" which tasks the writer with coming up with a situation to fit this bit of dialogue into. A lot of these prompts that can be found on the web are really funny, meant to instantly catch attention so that a person will want to invest their time and effort in making a story of it. Personally, I think it kind of seems like a lot of work, but dialogue is a fantastic way to showcase a character's personality, and this type of prompt continues to be really popular.
    Isn't it cool how there are so many ways to get inspired to write? Which kind of writing prompt is your favorite?  Can you think of a type that's not mentioned here? :)

When the Bad Guys Sell their Cause a Little too Well

    I read a novel a little while ago that I was really disappointed in by the end. The premise was fascinating, and the setting and background story were genius, but I felt really let down by the main protagonist, who goes from being a really nice and noble person at the beginning to a coldhearted, corrupted murderer in the end. It wasn't even a tragedy story like Marissa Meyer's Fairest, where the character is expected to turn to the dark side over the course of the story; this was very sudden, and frankly out of character.
    One of the major factors that led up to this character's moral downfall (and another thing about the novel that saddened me as a writer and a person) was the way that the antagonists, the cruel and self-centered villains, presented their cause. There were multiple incidents over the course of the story where the main character was hearing the antagonists' view on a conflict both their sides were in. The antagonists' points were realistic, actually very important things to consider ethically, but when the cruel villains finished talking, everything was just left at that. There was no rebuttal from the main character, or from another one of the good guys; nothing happened in the story that provided a ray of hope, or any kind of proof that showed that the evil deeds of the antagonists were unjustified. By the end of the story (and even well before that), the villains' cause sounded righteous, and the virtuous side from whence the main character came sounded like the wrong one.
    Usually it's a pretty good writing accomplishment when a bad guy can sell their cause really well--it is logical for an antagonist to think they're right, after all; and when their corrupted logic can tempt the character, it's interesting for plot. But in this kind of situation where the bad guys had the final word when they didn't have to, and their claims sounded right when there were plenty of arguments that could have shown that they were wrong, I think the author really crossed a line. Because not only was the main character listening to the villains' argument, and watching their crooked claims go without defiance, but so was the reader.
   And while people don't believe everything they hear, stories still have a special sort of power that can potentially sway a person's views. Characters might not be "real" in the sense that they aren't walking on our streets, and the settings might not actually be established places on earth, but the principles of the story's themes, and the way that a reader can connect with characters is very real. So when a person writes a story with a great (at least, initially great) protagonist/narrator, and makes an un-refuted claim that  willfully evil actions can be justified and accepted, or that genuine goodness doesn't even exist, it's possible that a reader will make some partial connections to the real world and really accept this as truth. And that is a seriously horrible and tragic thing to happen.
    There are a lot of books where the established "heroes" of a society really do turn out to be corrupt, and where the villains do a top-rate job at persuading people to their side, but those stories don't push it too far like this book I read did. They don't absolutely blot out the line between good and evil. They show that the world can be a pretty corrupt place, but they also provide that goodness and truth can still prevail. They show how there is a difference between right and wrong. They let their antagonists make seemingly bulletproof arguments, but then they bring in someone who points out all the cracks and flaws and outright lies in it, who gives an argument of their own (or prompts the narrator to create one) that stands for truth, virtue, and the good things that the world really needs to stick to, not abandon.
    There are ways to apply the skill of persuasion to antagonists without going too far, but it is important to make sure that they don't go too far. Does anyone else agree with me on this?
    Have you read any novels where the antagonists' cause stands unquestioned? Or have you read a book that applies a healthy measure of persuasion, where the antagonists sell their cause really well, but not too well?

 

A Character's Family Members

    Ah, family members; you've gotta love 'em. Every person from the favorite uncle to the distant cousin is so unique and awesome in their own way. It's really cool to see families in fiction, not just because of the awesome beauty of those kind of relationships, but because being part of a family ourselves, we can relate to their family matters.
    Parents seem to be the most prominent family figures in a person's life at any stage, including adult life. In Kathy Reichs' Bones novels, the protagonist has a mother she talks with, and who helps her on at least one occasion with her mad computer skills.  Then of course there are the parents with roles in YA fiction, usually giving guidance or insight to their kids. Very close uncles and aunts can also fill in these parental roles really well too, acting as role models (or just really, really fun figures!). These kind of mentor characters can have so much wisdom and just have an admirable role in a story.
    And then there are siblings. They make great minor characters; in Kiera Cass's Selection series, the protagonist's younger sister gives her encouragement that motivates her to stay in the competition. But even when siblings don't play a major role in the story as characters, having them around can set up for existing conditions--like if a character has a baby sister who takes all the attention of their parents, conveniently giving the protagonist lots of time to themselves and the other characters s/he's with in the story.
    Overall, just like in real life, family members also tend to shape aspects of a character's personality. Lots of fictional villains turned to the dark side partially because of a bad home situation, and many good guys draw inspiration from a noble relative. Some characters end up echoing their own parents or older siblings (which could be considered a flaw they eventually overcome), and some are determined to become the polar opposite of them. There are tons of ways that a character's family influences who they turn out to be, and those little details can add so much depth!
    Not to say that every single character should have a family member popping up in the story, but I think the relevant details of a character's relationship with their family is good for character development. Plus, in writing, it's always pretty good to have some nice backstory information in stock just in case it eventually becomes applicable in the story, right?
    What are your thoughts? Do you have any favorite fictional families?

Alfred Hitchcock: "Only in the Anticipation"

"There is no terror in the bang, only in the anticipation of it."

~Alfred Hitchcock

    This is a pretty good point. Although having unforeseen surprises suddenly happen isn't bad, a lot of scenes are better off with the action being something the reader already knows is coming. It adds extra layers of emotion and suspense to a scene, and it also adds one of the unique things a person can only experience while reading: foresight.
    Lots of Alfred Hitchcock's films apply this method pretty well; one in particular. I don't want to give anything away since the scene is very important for the plot, but there's a part of a story where we see a "bang" coming, and there's a whole countdown scene in which we see a sympathetic minor character (who has absolutely no idea of the imminent disaster) in peril, and we watch him going along his way, taking his sweet time to get in a position where he'd be safe from the danger, and by the time the countdown finally reaches its end, the viewer's heart is pounding (well, mine was, at least).
    Dramatic irony has a lot to do with this kind of thing, with the reader/viewer knowing about the oncoming disaster without the character being aware of it. That makes any hesitation or dawdling on a character's part a cause for anxiety to the reader, and when a character actually comes close to discovering the threat, it's exciting (and sometimes frustrating, when the character almost gets the big picture but then loses it). The dramatic irony is key for prompting these emotions, stirring up anticipation of what's about to happen.
    Personally I think it also helps a lot to make the scene unpredictable, so that the situation could go either way. Because predictability is something we try to avoid at all times in writing, right? And if the main character is being threatened with death in the middle of the story, and it's not a genre where they could be brought back to life or something, it's kind of obvious that the hero is going to get out of their situation. But if it's a minor character being threatened with something that would take them out of the picture, or if the main character just risks losing something important but not absolutely vital, then there's a cause to be concerned because the loss can actually happen. An unpredictable situation like this is something that a reader wouldn't be able to guess on; a scene they would have to keep reading in order to find out if the "bang" really occurs.
    So this concept that Alfred Hitchcock (who's been called "the master of suspense") is talking about is really an interesting one to use in writing. Has anyone here watched any of Hitchcock's films before?

"Micro Managing" While Writing is Like Sculpting

    You know how when a person is writing (usually a first draft or a rewrite) they can stop, go back a couple sentences, edit a paragraph slightly, and then go back to where they paused and start writing again? It's like having little bouts of micro management, making small revisions to the manuscript before it's even completed.
    That kind of resembles the process of sculpting with modeling clay, doesn't it? It could also be likened to sculpting with rock, of course, but personally I think the modeling clay kind of sculpting is more accurate. Because with  something hard like rock, the sculpting involves chipping things away with great care to form an image, and you can't add more rock onto it without some inconvenience, so major changes can't really be done over and over again. However, with something soft like modeling clay, you're using your hands to mold, remold, and sometimes carve in order to create something, and you can make additions and big adjustments without needing a new block.
    Which is more like what micro managing while writing a piece is usually like. Adding more sentences to make the scene more thorough, removing fluff that just clutters up space, replacing words with better-sounding ones, making little improvements. The gradual revisions that happen before the piece is actually done might not be as in-depth and complete as the actual revision stage, but they definitely improve the writing piece, especially over time.
    For one, it makes the manuscript look a little nicer; which is awesome not only because that makes it more fun to reread, but it can also make it less frustrating to edit later. Also, going back to rewrite portions of text also makes things a little more balanced; it keeps the manuscript from being full of paragraphs with identical lengths, and it ensures that an action which should take five sentences isn't condensed into one, or vice versa. The details get smoothed over a bit with this kind of writing, and consistency is kept up. Plus, writing like this is also something of a breather; it gives a short break from planning and jotting down new paragraphs one after another, without stopping up the creative juices.
    So overall, like sculpting, micro managing during the writing process brings small improvements that can do a lot of good in a manuscript.
    Do you agree? Do you micro manage while you write? Or do you wait until a set time to get to adjusting and reshaping the writing?

Anne Lamott: "Until They've Done It"

 

"Very few writers really know what they are doing until they've done it."

~Anne Lamott

    This quote is funny! And also very inspirational; a good phrase to remember when one's feeling doubts about a project. And personally, I think this marvelous quote can be applied to every part of the writing process, not just one.
    During the plotting of a story, a writer thinks up the basic ideas and tries to graph it all out, either in their mind or on paper. During this period, some ideas can sound too crazy or too random to work well, and it can be difficult every now and then to finding ways to connect two events in the story together ("now how does the main character get from their epiphany to the climax scene?"). There could be a whole lot of plot holes and unknown factors in this planning stage, like what a character is actually like when they're written, and this could make the story seem skeletal. But this is okay, because the plotting stage isn't the final result, but the launching pad for the next steps, the time to go crazy with "what ifs."
    Then there's the first draft stage of writing. While writing this draft, it can seem like everything's a mess in comparison to how beautiful it was while imagining it; but fortunately this isn't a disaster because the first draft is supposed to be that way! It's the draft meant for walking the grounds of the story for the first time, getting an insider's view of who the characters actually are, what the scenery is like, and which actions work well in the story. It's the discovery draft, and discovery expeditions can come across a couple unexpected finds before reaching what they were seeking in the first place.
    After the first draft is done, the rewrites (or the editing stage) can happen. And this might be even more difficult than the first draft, because now a writer has the task of bringing change to factors in the story that need improvement without changing things that were actually done well. But throughout this whole stage of the process, the question of "Which changes are the right ones?" is always there, and very pressing because no one wants to accidentally get rid of something good. Making those decisions can seem blind sometimes (a really frightening thought), but the revision stage is more than just taking things out; it's putting more things in, making additions. It's as much as a creative process as plotting the story and writing the first draft was, and this means that new awesome things can be created in the revisions.
    So in every area of writing, this quote by Anne Lamott can be applied and used to give encouragement. Do you agree? :)

John Rogers: "Don't Write Action Scenes"

"Don't write action scenes. Write suspense scenes that require action to resolve."

~John Rogers

    "Don't write action scenes? Uh, no way. You can't not have at least one action scene." Did anyone else think something like that when they first saw this quote? I did. But it makes a lot more sense when one thinks about it.
    I don't think Rogers is saying that writing scenes in which there's action (like a fight or a chase or something like that) is ineffective writing, but he's saying that writing scenes that are completely about the action is ineffective. Maybe it's wrong to make action the only point (or the only important one) of a chapter, because then all the other things in that chapter just exist for that particular action. The setup's purpose would only be to lead up to it, and it would seem that after the action, there'd be very few options for ending the scene aside from a cliffhanger.
    It also risks having faulty reasoning, prompting a reader's questions such as: "Wait, how did that little argument turn into a full-out fight?" or "Why was she even there in the first place?" or "If he has a phone he can call for help with, why is he going after the guy himself?"  Most people would try to avoid conflict until they have no other choice, so when there's a fight (or another action event) there's got to be a very, very good reason for it; there's got be something building up to it, a suspenseful series of events, like John Rogers proposes. This would make the action the natural effect of other events in the scene, instead of making all those other events unnatural effects of the action.
    What's your opinion on the matter? Do agree with John Rogers and think that chapters should be "suspense scenes" with action occurring only as a result of the suspense, or do you think that "action scenes" are "action scenes," and that there's nothing wrong with making the fight (or whatever action it is) the main attraction? Or are you in a gray zone between the two?

Things I've Learnd from Preparing to Rewrite

    I've been working on preparing to rewrite a manuscript lately. Not actually revising it yet, but just preparing to by creating a guideline of notes to follow. I've found that when I just dive into revising a work, making changes one chapter at a time, overall plot problems are overlooked because I can't see the story as a whole. Editing a book involves adjusting the plot and characters and making sure everything's balanced, and it can be pretty hard to do that when one doesn't prepare beforehand.
    I haven't really revised a long writing piece like the one I'm working on now in a very long time, so I've had to play with note-taking strategies for rewriting chapters. This experience has been fun and interesting, and I've learned some very helpful concepts in the process; I hope you don't mind if I share some! :)

There's no "perfect" way to take notes,
but I find typed notes more convenient
and neat, provided that they're
eventually printed.

     Thing Number One that I realized: when one has a computer with which to take notes, they should use it! During my first attempt to take notes on the manuscript, I wrote by hand. I got the basic ideas down, but when I was finished, I noticed that I had notes in later sections that I should be able to see while working on earlier chapters, but I couldn't exactly move them there because it wouldn't all fit in the margin (plus, cluttering up the margin like that makes the paper hard to read). So I ended up copying all my written notes onto a computer document, and not only was it quicker, but I found it easier to add more ideas that came to mind.
    Thing Number Two that I learned while preparing to rewrite: prioritizing is very, very important. The notes that one takes when preparing for a revision is what they'll be paying close attention to when they start rewriting. When I start my revisions, I plan to study each section carefully, taking in everything; too much unnecessary information (like a character's physical description, when the current rewrite is only focusing on plot) will seriously slow down the revision process, and create distractions. I've had to resist the urge to write down every really awesome bit of dialogue or funny moment that I read, and just write down what I'll be needing, but now I see it's been worth it because the concise notes won't have to be sifted through later.

These are my chapter cards.

And this is the calendar; it was great for
solidifying the plot structure.

    Thing Number Three that I've learned: preparing for a rewrite should have multiple mediums. Not just notes that point out problems, but visuals that help one understand the structure of the story. For my own manuscript, I ended up making little "chapter cards," each with one or two sentences summarizing a chapter. Laying them out and using small objects to highlight chapters with certain elements (like putting strands of yarn on chapters where the antagonist appears, or placing pencils between cards that occur on different days), I could see the story as a whole, notice imbalances, and be more able to tell when chapters need to be added or removed. In addition to the cards, I also typed up a calendar, which really helped with making the timeline of the story clear.

It's so satisfying to have a finished set of notes
at the end. :)

    And finally; Thing Number Four that I've learned: keep working. Not for hours on end, attempting to write quality notes and plans for twenty chapters in a single morning, (because when that isn't impossible, it's utterly exhausting),but just making sure to keep working consistently. Like during any other stage of the writing process, when one stops thinking about a story, or takes a long break from working on it, the details and the mindset for the story fades from memory, and one loses the sort of groove they had when they were working on the manuscript every day. So even if it's just one chapter's worth of notes, I think it's worth taking the time to complete it.
    So these are a few things that came to my attention while preparing to work on Draft Number Two. What about you? What kind of things do you do to prepare for a revision?

Beverly Cleary: "Write It"

 

"If you don't see the book you want on the shelf, write it."

~Beverly Cleary

    The fact that we writers can do this is so awesome; it's almost like a superpower! Knowing that one can think of a story that they'd want to read, and being able to produce it--the thought is both mind-bending and exciting, ripe with possibilities.
    Though it takes a while to produce this story (to plan, plot, research, type it all up, then re-write parts or even the whole thing, and then doing more revisions, etc.), even the long process is fun because it builds up one's knowledge of the story and characters. It helps the setting develop in one's mind, and the history of the story can kind of seem longer. Plus, investing so much time and effort into the story makes it even more precious, and that can give a writer pressed for time more determination to finish the work.
    One could imagine that some really great novels have come from moments where a writer suddenly thought, "I want to read a novel with elements of such-and-such," and decided to write that story. Because of moments like that, writers have not only produced a nice story to read themselves, but something that others can enjoy as well.
    Is the story you've written or are writing now one that you wanted to find on a bookshelf? Do you know of anyone who wrote the kind of story they couldn't find anywhere else? :)

The Spectacular Experience of Writing Emotional Scenes

When written really, really well, an emotional scene/moment can
be as beautiful and touching as a sunset (if you love sunsets, that is).

    Stories with emotional moments in them are spectacular! Formed with care and caution, scenes with deep, realistic feeling are beautiful like a vibrant sunset, and powerful like a hurricane. You can see it when people get thrills of exhilaration or start to cry during a movie.
    Writing something with emotional moments like that is awesome for more than one reason. For one, emotions in fiction are good (it's part of what makes the reading experience fun). And secondly, certain parts of the story (like the introduction of a key character, the story's climax, or the epiphany scene) need emotion for them to work. And in addition to those things, writing emotional moments in a story usually means writing from one's own heart, which is a wonderful experience for a writer!
    Starting with the idea. Sifting through the concept of an emotional scene, discerning whether or not it's necessary for the story, or realistic for the characters involved. It's important to have discernment in valuable scenes like this since while they are powerful, an emotional moment set in the wrong time could have no effect, and too many emotional moments would water down the effect of all of them.
    After the idea stage, there's the first draft stage. Pretty much everything in a first draft is a little disheveled, but emotions? Definitely. Because feelings are incredibly difficult to pin down, and the chances that the right words to describe it will be found in the first attempt or two is basically zero. So sometimes (at least, in my experiences) first-draft emotional scenes can seem too short or too fake-sounding or too out-of-character; which can be a little disappointing. But it is important to keep writing because:
    Revisions! Once the whole first draft is done, the reshaping of the story and its chapters and the events of said chapters begins! Looking over the scene as it fits into the whole plot, seeing whether it really does work with the characters' personalities, and whether or not it comes at the right time during the story; deciding once and for all whether it belongs. And then, once the fantastic emotional scene is determined to belong where it is, making the necessary adjustments until it's just right.
    And when it's just right, it's just great to read. The emotional experience is captured perfectly, conveyed successfully and efficiently, prompting readers' feelings, giving them a beautiful and meaningful moment.
    It's good how writing and hard work can make such a thing.
    What do you think of emotional scenes? :) Do you like reading/watching them? Do you write them?

Borrowing!

    Does anyone else read the fine print in the very first pages of a novel? The ones that show the publishing house and the  book's subgenres and the legal stuff? It's pretty interesting; particularly when there's a short, short, short summary of the book (you know, the kind a writer finds impossible to write for their own story!). There's also another interesting few sentences near the bottom. It's a disclaimer of sorts which states that none of the characters, settings, and events in the story are actually real. That they're completely, totally, utterly fictional.
    That kind of makes one wonder about the characters that are based off real people. Not copy-and-pasted, of course, but inspired by persons in the real world. A lot of published authors are said to have written characters slightly based off friends, family members, and other people they knew. Alice Liddell, Tom Sawyer, Sherlock Holmes, and even Iron Man supposedly had real-life counterparts that at least partially inspired them.
    Hearing the stories about these people is cool, and it's also awesome when one considers how their own acquaintances might have been inspirations for their characters. It's not an uncommon practice for any writer to do that. "Borrowing" little things from the real world and putting them into a story. As long as it's not too much, little things taken from real life can make a character more three-dimensional, and bring hilarious and believable incidents into scenes.
    Physical appearances, for example, can be borrowed from real life. Not just hair or eyes or even a sort of smile, but a certain outfit can be too awesome to not give to a character.
    Habits too, like snapping one's fingers to every song they hear, or straightening books in a room (but nothing else). It can add so much flavor to a character.
    And names! Haven't you ever met a person with an incredibly awesome name that you just want to use for a main character? Not their whole name, of course, but a first name, surname, or middle name.
    One of the best parts about borrowing is that when you've experienced/seen/have the characteristics, you can write about them easier and more accurately. Plus, a lot of people would be excited about seeing some of their own words/actions in an awesome story.
    But there is a dark side to this sort of thing. There's a law that allows someone to sue for libel if a fictional character bears a little too much resemblance to them (often in an unflattering way). And then there's the matter of hurting feelings. The teacher who was supposedly the inspiration for Severus Snape in the Harry Potter series was said to have been really dismayed when he found out. Nobody likes to have their negative characteristics and flaws splattered out in print.
    So yeah, borrowing should be done with consideration of others' feelings, and perhaps permission prior to writing. But with that consideration and permission, borrowing is a really cool writing technique!
    Have you ever written a character inspired by someone you know? When you think about the character, do you think about the real life person? Or when you see the person, do you immediately think of the character?

Special Writing Times

 

Do you prefer writing during the morning . . .

    The famous authors Ray Bradbury, Toni Morrison, C.S. Lewis, Danielle Steel, and Jack London all have at least one thing in common: they have (or had) a special writing time. They make a habit of committing certain hours of the day to writing. Some of them make sure to be up and scribbling before the sky is blue, others wait until the sun is far above the horizon, and some even wait until the moon makes an appearance to start working on their stories. During this special set time, they're able to write without interruption, giving all their attention to their craft.
    It sounds so awesome! And very productive in developing both story and skill. Each kind of writing time setting has benefits for creating a good writing environment.

 

the afternoon . . .

    Morning hours are great for writing with a fresh mind, free of distracting thoughts and memories of recent actions. Writing before the sun comes up is also cool in the fact that it's a lot quieter when everyone else is sleeping or just waking up. It's almost like a little pocket of peacefulness in life, a safe couple moments to write without needing to worry about other things.

or at night-time?


    Afternoon hours are very beneficial in how the natural daylight is usually bright. Sitting in front of a window would provide enough lighting to write by without using electricity. Writing during the daytime is also great because during the day, the mind is already pretty awake and active.

    Night hours: it's dark outside at this point, so natural lighting isn't really an option. But there is an opportunity to use candle/lamp light to write by, and I've heard that some people find this kind of lighting very inspirational and even fun. Plus, when one chooses to write at night,  everything else that had to be done is out of the way, completed, and no longer requiring attention, so one can give their absolute attention to the writing.

    Do you have a special writing time? What time of the day is it at? :)

Hesitation

    Wow. Starting a new story is difficult.
    I'm doing that now, preparing to begin a new story before editing my previous one. I've been preparing for a long, long, long . . . long time. And admittedly, lately, I haven't been doing any research--I've just been hesitating.
    I have pretty much all the notes I need for a basic rough draft. My schedule has settled down enough for me to carve out time to write. I even have a little outline for the first few chapters. By all logical reasoning, I should be ready to start writing the story.
    Yet weeks have passed, and I still haven't started.
    Procrastination? Definitely, but I think there's something else to it too. An expectation I've held in my mind as an excuse for not beginning.
    On more than one occasion when I might have had the time to write, I thought: This isn't the right time to do this correctly. No, the ideal hour (two hours, actually, or three) to sit down, open up a new document, and begin the wonderful journey of a new story has to be perfect. The weather has to be exactly right, the mood has to be exactly right, I have to not be hungry at all, I have to have something nice to drink . . . everything must be perfect, because I cannot bear to write something I expect to be great and have it coming out not great. I must do all these things, and then everything I write in that first chapter will come out easily and perfectly.
    Yeah, that'll happen. I really need to get rid of all these excuses and just start writing, even if it doesn't come out as flawlessly as I picture it in my mind. Honestly, I'm pretty sure first drafts are never as good as the story is in one's mind. They only become so eloquent and beautiful after editing, revisions, and lots of time spent in diligent work.
    I'm going to try to be diligent like that and just start writing. No expectations of perfection, no excuses.
    Do you ever have trouble like this when starting a new story? Is the hesitation from procrastination, fear, doubt about whether or not the story is the right one to write? What do you do to overcome it?

Reading Is Great!

    Reading is fantastic! This is an absolute fact. Undeniable. Unarguable. Un-debatable. :) And for many of us who take up the pen or keyboard to write, reading was what got us interested in writing in the first place. And there are so many ways reading helps us grow as writers and improve our craft!
    Reading makes the brain work. Not only do we register words and action as we read, but we use our imagination to get creative and picture things. We recreate scenes second by second, almost like a movie playing in our heads. In a fun and interesting way, reading exercises the right side of the brain.
    It's great for the left side too. A person can learn a lot about a particular subject in a novel. A historical novel provides lots of information about the time period it portrays, and some characters in novels evaluate a lot about specific skills they have. Novels with certain themes can show differing viewpoints on a matter, which can help a person understand (even if they don't agree with) the other side. Reading increases knowledge, which can be useful not only in real life, but perhaps a factoid gained from another novel can be put into use in one's own work in progress.
    Sometimes when I read, I experience a sort of "rinsing" affect. When I've spent some time reading a great novel, I find my own writing coming out better and more clear. Maybe my mind is picking up writing tips and strategies subconsciously as I read, or maybe reading conditions my brain to think more like a novel character. Who knows? But it's great!
    I know there's like a million posts out there about how awesome reading is (particularly for writers) but it's a nice topic to think about, right? Do you often think about ways to grow as a writer as you read, or do you just focus on the awesome experience of reading a story?

Pablo Picasso on Inspiration

"Inspiration exists, but it has to find you working."

~Pablo Picasso

    Inspiration. Wouldn't everyone like to always have it as they start writing? I would. But unfortunately, it isn't always that way. Sad are the days when one has a lot of time to write, but seemingly nothing to write about, and little desire to keep writing a passage that seems bland.
    I think writing is like running. One can start slowly or quickly, but it always takes effort to move from stillness. And if writing is like running, short passages of practice writing are like a warm up lap. Something to get the gears going and the creative juices flowing. Even if it's dry writing, it's still writing, an effort to create, the kind of work that Picasso might be referring to here.
    Does anyone regularly do some practice writing before working on a project?