Today was one of those days where nothing seems to get done. On top of that, I just didn't feel like writing. Have you ever had one of those days? Not a writer's block day, but a day where the thought of putting your words down on paper or on a computer screen just isn't appealing.
I've actually spent a week with this feeling. Autumn is my favorite season, and the outside world is calling.
I'm counting on the fact that many of you know what I'm talking about. So, in the spirit of my mood, I'm going to share some tips on how to write on those days where the world, people, or things are easy distractions.
1. BIC - In case you've never seen this acronym, it stands for Butt in Chair. The best way to handle this mood is to just park it and start working. This is easier said than done. The majority of working people in the world do this every single day ... because there is someone that they must answer to. As writers, we don't have that special someone to track our actions, but we can behave like a boss is watching. Set yourself a regular schedule and follow it every day. Research indicates that it takes an average of 21 days to make something a habit, so if you do this for at least 3 weeks, you should be able to overcome the "I don't feel like it" mood.
2. Review - If you can't bring yourself to write, then print out what you've been working on and read over it. Take your favorite red (or blue, or green, or purple) pen and mark it up.
3. Revise - Look at your last few pages and start revising. Odds are, you will end up writing once you get beyond those pages. The key is to not get stuck in revision mode. Some people start revising and months later haven't written anything new. So exercise this tip with caution.
4. Research - Pick a topic from your manuscript and dig deeper. This will help you give your work flavor. Google it, go to the library or the bookstore, visit a museum, or talk to an expert. New information can inspire you and drive you back to the keyboard.
5. Rejuvenate - Sometimes on days that we don't feel like writing, we need to relax. Go somewhere where you can soak up the environment, people watch, or just be.
6. Read - This is like research, but from a different angle. Read books in your genre focusing on how the author handles issues that you may be dealing with.
Well, there it is. I didn't plan it, but it spells "Brrrrr." I guess that's because if we don't write, then our work will never see the light of day.
What ways do you fight the "I don't wanna" days?
Showing posts with label craft. Show all posts
Showing posts with label craft. Show all posts
Friday, October 9, 2009
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Homophones: Words that Sound the Same But Should Look Different
Our conference chair, Ms. Carrie McCullough, will be blogging next week since I'll be out of pocket, and I'm sure she'll cover a lot of the editor stuff, but I wanted to take a second and go over some BASIC BASICS. There are some mistakes so monumental, so HUGE, that you NEVER, EVER, EVER want an agent, editor or publisher to see them. Remember the Pronoun Monster? He's a joke compared to the Homophone Dragon. And every editor has the innate ability to morph into the aforementioned Homophone Dragon at just the sight of one IMPROPER USAGE of the homophones below.
YOUR and YOU'RE
YOUR is a posessive pronoun. Use it when you're referring to someone's property, feelings, etc. Example: YOUR backpack looks very heavy.
YOU'RE is a contraction. It joins the pronoun YOU with the present tense of "to be"--otherwise known as "are."
Example: You're going to be sorry you were so mean to me!
ITS and IT'S
ITS is a possessive pronoun. Just like 'your', use it to denote possession.
Example: The dog chewed on its bone.
IT'S is a contraction. It joins the pronoun IT with the present tense of "to be"---otherwise known as "is."
Example: It's raining cats and dogs.
THERE, THEIR and THEY'RE
THERE refers to a place. It can be concrete (the building over there) or abstract (you don't want to go there.)
Example: Are the napkins over there by the china cabinet?
THEIR is a possessive adjective. Use it to denote ownership.
Example: The kids overcame their fear of water by learning to swim.
THEY'RE is a contraction using the pronoun they with the present tense of the verb "to be." It can only be used as a subject.
Example: They're going to a party later.
TOO, TO and TWO
TOO is always an adverb meaning "also" or "in addition to."
I'd like to go to the movies, too.
TO is a preposition used when you're talking about direction. It is also used to form the infinitive of a verb.
Example (preposition): I went to the market.
Example (infinitive): I want to play basketball.
TWO is always a number. It can't be used in any other way.
Example: Please send two pair of pants with your child.
WHO'S and WHOSE
WHO'S is a contraction of who and the present tense of the verb "to be."
Who's going to the party with me?
WHOSE is a possessive pronoun.
Whose house is this?
If you've been confusing any of the above words, check your closet. What you thought was the quiet hiss of the A/C might be something more sinister.
YOUR and YOU'RE
YOUR is a posessive pronoun. Use it when you're referring to someone's property, feelings, etc. Example: YOUR backpack looks very heavy.
YOU'RE is a contraction. It joins the pronoun YOU with the present tense of "to be"--otherwise known as "are."
Example: You're going to be sorry you were so mean to me!
ITS and IT'S
ITS is a possessive pronoun. Just like 'your', use it to denote possession.
Example: The dog chewed on its bone.
IT'S is a contraction. It joins the pronoun IT with the present tense of "to be"---otherwise known as "is."
Example: It's raining cats and dogs.
THERE, THEIR and THEY'RE
THERE refers to a place. It can be concrete (the building over there) or abstract (you don't want to go there.)
Example: Are the napkins over there by the china cabinet?
THEIR is a possessive adjective. Use it to denote ownership.
Example: The kids overcame their fear of water by learning to swim.
THEY'RE is a contraction using the pronoun they with the present tense of the verb "to be." It can only be used as a subject.
Example: They're going to a party later.
TOO, TO and TWO
TOO is always an adverb meaning "also" or "in addition to."
I'd like to go to the movies, too.
TO is a preposition used when you're talking about direction. It is also used to form the infinitive of a verb.
Example (preposition): I went to the market.
Example (infinitive): I want to play basketball.
TWO is always a number. It can't be used in any other way.
Example: Please send two pair of pants with your child.
WHO'S and WHOSE
WHO'S is a contraction of who and the present tense of the verb "to be."
Who's going to the party with me?
WHOSE is a possessive pronoun.
Whose house is this?
If you've been confusing any of the above words, check your closet. What you thought was the quiet hiss of the A/C might be something more sinister.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
The Required Craft Blog: Showing versus Telling
I know. I know. I know. You've heard "show don't tell" until you could scream. Every class, every writing coach, agent, editor, publisher says this at every opportunity. But what does it really mean?
Here's an example. (Keep in mind I know NOTHING about street talk. I'm no Elmore Leonard, so I'm not going for edgy authenticity here---just showing versus telling.)
Jim Smith, a forty-two year old drug addict, lives in a nasty shoebox apartment. He's lost everything---his job, his wife, and his dream house. He can't kick the habit. He's tried every rehab east of the Mississippi and nothing works. He wants to quit, but he can't. He does well for a week or two after rehab, but then it's back to the same old routine. He calls the same friends, stands on the same corner trying to score. He knows the drugs are going to kill him, but he's powerless.
The above paragraph is classic TELLING. There's no dialogue, no character description---simply dry narrative. I'm spoon feeding you everything about this dude. It's not active, interesting or engaging.
Jim hung up the phone three times before he let the call go through. His hand was shaking when he dialed the fourth time. He took a deep breath and crossed his fingers when he heard the tinny ring.
"Please answer. Please, please," he said. He hated the desperate whine in his voice.
"Yo," said the familiar voice.
"It's me," he whispered. "I need. . ."
The man on the other end of the line said, "I know what you need, dude. Out of rehab again? You know it's for quitters, right?" There wasn't a trace of humor in the man's gritty laugh. "You know the place." He disconnected.
Jim brushed the fast food wrappers from the coffee table. He scoured its scratched surface for change. Finding only two quarters and a penny, he pushed back the pounding in his head and rose from the tattered sofa. He stumbled down the hall. The pulsing pain in his head was like a living thing. He just needed a little. Just one fix. Then he could think. He could get his thoughts together. And then no more. Ever.
"&*^%," he said to the face in the bathroom mirror. His eyes were bloodshot and rimmed with dark purple circles. "I've got to stop this *&^# I look like I'm sixty years old." He splashed some cold water on his face and dried it with a stained towel. He found the old cigar box under the counter. Instead of the three or four hundred in emergency funds it used to hold, he found only a tattered five some one had taped back together.
He had no choice. He had to call her. There was no one else. If the pain in his head got any worse, it might explode.
"Marcia," he paused, waiting for her to hang up on him. When she didn't, he continued, "I need a little cash to get me to the next paycheck. I hate to ask, but I'm desperate."
"The next paycheck, huh?" The bitterness in her voice made him shiver. "I wasn't aware you were expecting a paycheck," she spat. "I thought you gave those up a long time ago."
"Marcia, please. I did really well in rehab. I'm not starting again. It's just this headache. I can't seem to shake it and I have to get my thoughts together. It's just this once."
"Yeah, Jim. It's always just this once. That's what you told your boss, that's what you told the kids. And even I was stupid enough to believe it the first fifty times I heard it. Sorry, Jim. You wont' be getting a dime out of me."
In the passage above, I tried to use dialogue, character description, and setting to tell you more about what was happening. I wanted you to see the crummy apartment, feel his desperation, connect in someway to him or the wife, even the dealer. I used more several things to move the story along: dialogue, description and backstory hints.
(Keep in mind, this blog was written in less than half an hour, so this I'm not saying this work is ready for an agent, editor, etc. It's not. I'm in no way saying it's great, or even good writing. It's just a brief exercise to try and illustrate the difference between showing and telling.)
Here's an example. (Keep in mind I know NOTHING about street talk. I'm no Elmore Leonard, so I'm not going for edgy authenticity here---just showing versus telling.)
***********************************************
Jim Smith, a forty-two year old drug addict, lives in a nasty shoebox apartment. He's lost everything---his job, his wife, and his dream house. He can't kick the habit. He's tried every rehab east of the Mississippi and nothing works. He wants to quit, but he can't. He does well for a week or two after rehab, but then it's back to the same old routine. He calls the same friends, stands on the same corner trying to score. He knows the drugs are going to kill him, but he's powerless.
The above paragraph is classic TELLING. There's no dialogue, no character description---simply dry narrative. I'm spoon feeding you everything about this dude. It's not active, interesting or engaging.
************************************
Jim hung up the phone three times before he let the call go through. His hand was shaking when he dialed the fourth time. He took a deep breath and crossed his fingers when he heard the tinny ring.
"Please answer. Please, please," he said. He hated the desperate whine in his voice.
"Yo," said the familiar voice.
"It's me," he whispered. "I need. . ."
The man on the other end of the line said, "I know what you need, dude. Out of rehab again? You know it's for quitters, right?" There wasn't a trace of humor in the man's gritty laugh. "You know the place." He disconnected.
Jim brushed the fast food wrappers from the coffee table. He scoured its scratched surface for change. Finding only two quarters and a penny, he pushed back the pounding in his head and rose from the tattered sofa. He stumbled down the hall. The pulsing pain in his head was like a living thing. He just needed a little. Just one fix. Then he could think. He could get his thoughts together. And then no more. Ever.
"&*^%," he said to the face in the bathroom mirror. His eyes were bloodshot and rimmed with dark purple circles. "I've got to stop this *&^# I look like I'm sixty years old." He splashed some cold water on his face and dried it with a stained towel. He found the old cigar box under the counter. Instead of the three or four hundred in emergency funds it used to hold, he found only a tattered five some one had taped back together.
He had no choice. He had to call her. There was no one else. If the pain in his head got any worse, it might explode.
"Marcia," he paused, waiting for her to hang up on him. When she didn't, he continued, "I need a little cash to get me to the next paycheck. I hate to ask, but I'm desperate."
"The next paycheck, huh?" The bitterness in her voice made him shiver. "I wasn't aware you were expecting a paycheck," she spat. "I thought you gave those up a long time ago."
"Marcia, please. I did really well in rehab. I'm not starting again. It's just this headache. I can't seem to shake it and I have to get my thoughts together. It's just this once."
"Yeah, Jim. It's always just this once. That's what you told your boss, that's what you told the kids. And even I was stupid enough to believe it the first fifty times I heard it. Sorry, Jim. You wont' be getting a dime out of me."
In the passage above, I tried to use dialogue, character description, and setting to tell you more about what was happening. I wanted you to see the crummy apartment, feel his desperation, connect in someway to him or the wife, even the dealer. I used more several things to move the story along: dialogue, description and backstory hints.
(Keep in mind, this blog was written in less than half an hour, so this I'm not saying this work is ready for an agent, editor, etc. It's not. I'm in no way saying it's great, or even good writing. It's just a brief exercise to try and illustrate the difference between showing and telling.)
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Non-Fiction: Is it right for you?
Most of us are hard at work on the next great American novel. But don't forget about the non-fiction market. More non-fiction titles are printed every year than fiction---by a long shot. There are some definite upsides to writing within this genre.
1. You aren't required to have a finished book to sell non-fiction. Most non-fiction is sold on proposal. A proposal is a formatted document that basically outlines the book you plan to write, the marketing niche it will fill, and a list of credentials which qualify you to write it. There are some great books and websites that can teach you how to craft a non-fiction proposal.
2. Non-fiction writers often have very long and profitable careers. It's often easier to sell non-fiction. And it's often easier to get an agent.
3. You aren't required to create worlds, characters and conflicts. Your basic storyline is already there. If you get writer's block, non-fiction might be an avenue you should explore.
4. There are more markets for non-fiction, and more ways to break into the business. Most magazines have stopped printing short fiction. However, they're always looking for freelance non-fiction articles. If you get a good publishing history in magazines, it's often easier to sell you non-fiction book because you've already proven several things: you write well, you can meet deadlines, and you are capable of meshing facts with your own style.
If writing a novel is your dream, don't give up. Keep writing. But don't forget about other opportunities that might give you a chance to improve your craft, make a little money and see your name in print. It might be a stepping stone to selling that novel.
1. You aren't required to have a finished book to sell non-fiction. Most non-fiction is sold on proposal. A proposal is a formatted document that basically outlines the book you plan to write, the marketing niche it will fill, and a list of credentials which qualify you to write it. There are some great books and websites that can teach you how to craft a non-fiction proposal.
2. Non-fiction writers often have very long and profitable careers. It's often easier to sell non-fiction. And it's often easier to get an agent.
3. You aren't required to create worlds, characters and conflicts. Your basic storyline is already there. If you get writer's block, non-fiction might be an avenue you should explore.
4. There are more markets for non-fiction, and more ways to break into the business. Most magazines have stopped printing short fiction. However, they're always looking for freelance non-fiction articles. If you get a good publishing history in magazines, it's often easier to sell you non-fiction book because you've already proven several things: you write well, you can meet deadlines, and you are capable of meshing facts with your own style.
If writing a novel is your dream, don't give up. Keep writing. But don't forget about other opportunities that might give you a chance to improve your craft, make a little money and see your name in print. It might be a stepping stone to selling that novel.
Friday, July 10, 2009
Hurricanes and Terrified of Peanut Butter
I've heard a lot lately, from those in the know, about inner conflict versus exterior conflict. A lot of rejection letters are posted every day because writers have a difficult time figuring out the right balance. First let's start with the basics.
An exterior conflict is something your characters have no control over.
Examples: hurricanes, plagues, pestilence of any kind, being hit by a bus, getting mugged.
An internal conflict is more subtle. In this type, it's something your character is trying to overcome that is not readily apparent to everyone else. Or, if the character is not trying to overcome it, it's still a motivating factor for their actions. And you may not catch it immediately.
Examples: can't trust men, paranoid, overachiever, sexist, racist, scared of Peanut Butter.
Carrie, our Conference Chair, and I are HUGE, HUGE Monk fans. Discussion of the show often adds an hour or two to conference "meetings". Tony Shaloub's character is a great example of well-balanced conflict.
The homicides---external. OCD---internal. Blackout due to an earthquake---external. Germophobe---internal.
The writers of the TV series do a great job balancing these. It's a detective show but the internal conflict(s) of Monk keep you tuning into USA Network.
You have to keep these elements in mind when you're writing. It's vital that your characters have enough internal conflict to make them interesting and engaging. If your characters are flat, it may be because they don't have enough internal conflict to keep the reader engaged. You also need external conflict to keep the plot active and well-paced. Every story has to go somewhere. Both elements define character, but in different ways.
Here's an example from a hypothetical romance I just made up---
A hot firefighter (pun totally intended), named ACE, rescues a nurse, BUFFY, who looks like Heidi Klum, from a burning building. They are instantly attracted to each other. But she won't go on a date with him---her father, also a firefighter, was a deadbeat and left her and her mother with only one pack of Ramen noodles and two weeks until her mother's next paycheck. ACE won't take no for an answer. No woman has ever turned him down. When a flaming building collapses on ACE and he ends up in BUFFY'S ER, she sees that not all firefighters are alike. (*CUE HAPPILY EVER AFTER MUSIC*)
External---BUFFY'S apartment fire, building collapse and ACE's injury
Internal--BUFFY: all firefighters are deadbeats ACE: no woman will refuse him
Think about some of your favorite books. How did the author keep you up late? What made the characters so engaging? What percentage is external conflict and what percentage is internal?
A note of caution---Don't confuse internal conflict with baggage. There is an overlap, but I'm not suggesting you take a serviceable character and turn him into a boozing, womanizing fool just for the sake of internal conflict. Some emotional baggage may be okay, but too much may kill your manuscript. Most of us read to escape, remember?
An exterior conflict is something your characters have no control over.
Examples: hurricanes, plagues, pestilence of any kind, being hit by a bus, getting mugged.
An internal conflict is more subtle. In this type, it's something your character is trying to overcome that is not readily apparent to everyone else. Or, if the character is not trying to overcome it, it's still a motivating factor for their actions. And you may not catch it immediately.
Examples: can't trust men, paranoid, overachiever, sexist, racist, scared of Peanut Butter.
Carrie, our Conference Chair, and I are HUGE, HUGE Monk fans. Discussion of the show often adds an hour or two to conference "meetings". Tony Shaloub's character is a great example of well-balanced conflict.
The homicides---external. OCD---internal. Blackout due to an earthquake---external. Germophobe---internal.
The writers of the TV series do a great job balancing these. It's a detective show but the internal conflict(s) of Monk keep you tuning into USA Network.
You have to keep these elements in mind when you're writing. It's vital that your characters have enough internal conflict to make them interesting and engaging. If your characters are flat, it may be because they don't have enough internal conflict to keep the reader engaged. You also need external conflict to keep the plot active and well-paced. Every story has to go somewhere. Both elements define character, but in different ways.
Here's an example from a hypothetical romance I just made up---
A hot firefighter (pun totally intended), named ACE, rescues a nurse, BUFFY, who looks like Heidi Klum, from a burning building. They are instantly attracted to each other. But she won't go on a date with him---her father, also a firefighter, was a deadbeat and left her and her mother with only one pack of Ramen noodles and two weeks until her mother's next paycheck. ACE won't take no for an answer. No woman has ever turned him down. When a flaming building collapses on ACE and he ends up in BUFFY'S ER, she sees that not all firefighters are alike. (*CUE HAPPILY EVER AFTER MUSIC*)
External---BUFFY'S apartment fire, building collapse and ACE's injury
Internal--BUFFY: all firefighters are deadbeats ACE: no woman will refuse him
Think about some of your favorite books. How did the author keep you up late? What made the characters so engaging? What percentage is external conflict and what percentage is internal?
A note of caution---Don't confuse internal conflict with baggage. There is an overlap, but I'm not suggesting you take a serviceable character and turn him into a boozing, womanizing fool just for the sake of internal conflict. Some emotional baggage may be okay, but too much may kill your manuscript. Most of us read to escape, remember?
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
If the Pronoun Monster Calls, I'm Not Here
I know I promised to spend some time on romance subgenres, and I will, but today, I have something more pressing on my mind. Pronouns.
Yesterday, I was working with an editor who wanted some changes to a manuscript. After looking over her comments and then reading through my work, I was HORRIFIED. The Pronoun Monster should have clobbered me on Page 1. Total explosion of pronouns: he, she, it, her, his----all over the page. I'm embarrassed to tell you how many she found in one paragraph. But the number is burned into my brain and I have to tell you---24!
After the inital shock wore off, I tried to figure out why I'd used so many. One simple reason: LAZINESS. In every case of overusage, there was a better, more active, way to write the sentence. Yes, there are instances where pronouns are required, but if you're using them indiscriminately, i.e. every other word, you're not paying attention. In long passages, where I was caught up in writing, I made this mistake time and time again. After I saw the passages with a reader's eye, instead of a writer's eye, it was easy to spot and correct.
Here are some examples:
Before:
Looking in the mirror, she saw the dark, sooty lines of the mascara she’d applied so carefully this morning trailing all the way down her cheeks. (3 Pronouns)
After:
Dark, sooty lines of mascara, applied so carefully this morning, trailed in rivulets down her cheeks. (1 Pronoun)
Before:
Her red dress hugged the curves of her hips like a second skin and did nothing to hide the generous swell of her breasts. And the shiny black heels she wore made her legs look even longer. (5 Pronouns)
After:
The red dress fit like a second skin, accentuating the delicious curves of her breasts and hips. And the shiny black heels made her legs look even longer. (2 Pronouns)
Before:
The feel of her, so close to him, was electric. He wrapped one arm around her shoulder and let himself enjoy the way she fit so perfectly against his body. Her breath tickled the side of his face and it took every ounce of control he possessed not to wrap both his arms aroung her and pull her as tightly as he could against him. (14 Pronouns) (If the Pronoun Monster sees this sentence, I'm dead meat.)
After:
The tantalizing press of her breasts against his thin cotton shirt sent flickering waves of desire through him. Wrapping one arm around her waist, he tightened the embrace. The two bodies fit together perfectly, as if designed for eash other. Warm breath tickled his cheek, and he fought for control. (7 Pronouns--still not ideal, but much better.)
See what I'm getting at here? Too many pronouns slow down the writing and make the brain feel tired. I encourage you to look over some of your own work and see if this is one bad habit you can fix before it's too late. (I hear him breathing. . .He's coming. . .)
Yesterday, I was working with an editor who wanted some changes to a manuscript. After looking over her comments and then reading through my work, I was HORRIFIED. The Pronoun Monster should have clobbered me on Page 1. Total explosion of pronouns: he, she, it, her, his----all over the page. I'm embarrassed to tell you how many she found in one paragraph. But the number is burned into my brain and I have to tell you---24!
After the inital shock wore off, I tried to figure out why I'd used so many. One simple reason: LAZINESS. In every case of overusage, there was a better, more active, way to write the sentence. Yes, there are instances where pronouns are required, but if you're using them indiscriminately, i.e. every other word, you're not paying attention. In long passages, where I was caught up in writing, I made this mistake time and time again. After I saw the passages with a reader's eye, instead of a writer's eye, it was easy to spot and correct.
Here are some examples:
Before:
Looking in the mirror, she saw the dark, sooty lines of the mascara she’d applied so carefully this morning trailing all the way down her cheeks. (3 Pronouns)
After:
Dark, sooty lines of mascara, applied so carefully this morning, trailed in rivulets down her cheeks. (1 Pronoun)
Before:
Her red dress hugged the curves of her hips like a second skin and did nothing to hide the generous swell of her breasts. And the shiny black heels she wore made her legs look even longer. (5 Pronouns)
After:
The red dress fit like a second skin, accentuating the delicious curves of her breasts and hips. And the shiny black heels made her legs look even longer. (2 Pronouns)
Before:
The feel of her, so close to him, was electric. He wrapped one arm around her shoulder and let himself enjoy the way she fit so perfectly against his body. Her breath tickled the side of his face and it took every ounce of control he possessed not to wrap both his arms aroung her and pull her as tightly as he could against him. (14 Pronouns) (If the Pronoun Monster sees this sentence, I'm dead meat.)
After:
The tantalizing press of her breasts against his thin cotton shirt sent flickering waves of desire through him. Wrapping one arm around her waist, he tightened the embrace. The two bodies fit together perfectly, as if designed for eash other. Warm breath tickled his cheek, and he fought for control. (7 Pronouns--still not ideal, but much better.)
See what I'm getting at here? Too many pronouns slow down the writing and make the brain feel tired. I encourage you to look over some of your own work and see if this is one bad habit you can fix before it's too late. (I hear him breathing. . .He's coming. . .)
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