Is that too weird?
That is the question I asked myself while writing my most recent short story. It's a fantasy story, and though I grew up on magic wands and talking animals, I always wonder whether the reader will come along with me on a story where the setting or characters are impossible in our modern world (depending on who you ask, of course). And while you need to make sure your characters are consistent - see this post - and the rules of your world are just as concrete (ex. if dogs can fly in chapter 1, they need to also fly in chapter 12), it's just as important that you're creative. One of the biggest complaints of people who read sci fi and fantasy is that it can easily be cliché, old, or stale. To avoid this, you need to remember to be original.
This advice applies to all genres. Originality is why we read. We want to hear a new point of view, meet a new character, or experience a new world. It helps us grow our own imagination, which, to me, is the mot important part of a human being. Without imagination, we wouldn't come up with creative ways to solve problems. We wouldn't have artists or dancers or writers outside of technical purposes.
Napoleon Bonaparte once said: "the default of our modern institutions is that they do not speak to the imagination".
That's why artists are so important. So if you're asking yourself if the story, character, or setting you're writing is too weird, don't worry. Write it as crazy as you want. You can always go back and tweak, revise, and reimagine if it truly doesn't work. But we all need originality - we need to feed our imagination. Who knows, your story may not only help exercise your imagination but it may help a reader solve a problem in his square cubicle or fix his relationship by seeing things in a new light.
Monday, June 17, 2013
Monday, June 10, 2013
On Outlines
Do you outline before you write? No? Yes? Does it matter? Let's see...
I am not, by nature, an outliner. In fact, in elementary school, when they taught me how to outline, I would actually write the story or essay first, so I knew what would happen, and then I would write my outline. It was easier for me this way because writing made me think. Outlining did not.
I don't usually outline - especially when I write fiction - because I feel that it constrains the flow of the story. I like to let the story evolve organically from the personalities of my characters and the friction from their environment. I find that, even when I do outline (usually when I write nonfiction), that I abandon it pretty quickly. Because that's what always happens: I think I know exactly what's going to happen and exactly how my characters are going to react to the situations I set up for them, but then they choose to do something else. They create a detour in my outline that skips an entire portion of the outline or makes the rest of the outline useless.
So, even if you are a strict outliner or you usually use outlines to guide your writing, remember: Always listen to your characters. If you sensor them, or try to make the story line go in an inorganic route, your readers will sense it. However, outlines can be useful. It helps when you come back to your writing after a break and can then read a quick synopsis of what's happened thus far. Also, if you find yourself stuck, you can consult the outline for guidance.
My take on the outlining debate is, it doesn't matter if you outline or not. You are still going to have to write, revise, and edit, no matter what. There's no way around, just different paths to the same end. So do what makes you happy and do what works for you.
I am not, by nature, an outliner. In fact, in elementary school, when they taught me how to outline, I would actually write the story or essay first, so I knew what would happen, and then I would write my outline. It was easier for me this way because writing made me think. Outlining did not.
I don't usually outline - especially when I write fiction - because I feel that it constrains the flow of the story. I like to let the story evolve organically from the personalities of my characters and the friction from their environment. I find that, even when I do outline (usually when I write nonfiction), that I abandon it pretty quickly. Because that's what always happens: I think I know exactly what's going to happen and exactly how my characters are going to react to the situations I set up for them, but then they choose to do something else. They create a detour in my outline that skips an entire portion of the outline or makes the rest of the outline useless.
So, even if you are a strict outliner or you usually use outlines to guide your writing, remember: Always listen to your characters. If you sensor them, or try to make the story line go in an inorganic route, your readers will sense it. However, outlines can be useful. It helps when you come back to your writing after a break and can then read a quick synopsis of what's happened thus far. Also, if you find yourself stuck, you can consult the outline for guidance.
My take on the outlining debate is, it doesn't matter if you outline or not. You are still going to have to write, revise, and edit, no matter what. There's no way around, just different paths to the same end. So do what makes you happy and do what works for you.
Monday, June 3, 2013
Oh Doctor, is it Writer's Block?
"Writer's Block doesn't exist. Anyone who says they have 'Writer's Block' simply hasn't tried hard enough to write yet."
This is what a professor told my class once. I don't know if you're like me, but I definitely don't think he was on to something here. I don't see Writer's Block as a lack of ambition or dedication. It's not a matter of the writer not exploring every conceivable plot avenue possible. It's also not a matter of too little creativity on behalf of the artist.
For me, Writer's Block is just that, a block. I compare it to the athlete working out. When you use a muscle too much, lactic acid builds up and makes the area around the muscle swell, produces that radiating heat effect, and often causes pain or discomfort. Writer's Block is simply this, but in the creative part of the brain.
I recently struggled with a bought of Writer's Block. For the past few months, I've been working on a nonfiction piece (my first! How exciting!). I'm more than 3/4 of the way through, all the time thinking I knew exactly how the piece would progress and especially how it would end, when I got stuck. I have experienced Writer's Block before when writing my manuscripts, but those were all fiction. I thought, Writer's Block is unheard of in nonfiction since all the events actually occurred. I was wrong. In an unexpected turn, a scene I had been planning to save for later decided it needed to be written RIGHT NOW. It demanded it and I couldn't refuse because it worked so well in the space I was writing it. However, that messed up the next scene. My dilemma was: Should I still write this scene, or has it just become extraneous?
Having written most of this nonfiction piece, I had been working my creative muscle for a while. This seemingly simple decision had caused a major congestion within my creative muscle. I was blocked.
For six days, I stared at the problem. I was trying to find an answer on how to make the important parts of the yet unwritten scene work given my new addition. I reread other sections of the manuscript, revised and edited portions that I thought worked well, and then stared again at my problem section.
And I just couldn't do it anymore.
As much as I wanted to write and finish my nonfiction manuscript, I couldn't sit there for another day, trying to sort out its problems. Instead, I did everything else. I did laundry, I went shopping, but most importantly, I read. And I didn't just read nonfiction books, I read all kinds of books. My Writer's Block reading list consisted of:
Oink: My Life with Minipigs by Matt Whyman (A British authored nonfiction about, you guessed it, minipigs.)
Out of the Easy by Ruta Sepetys (A YA fiction about New Orleans and growing into the person you wish to be.)
and
The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson (A classic British horror novel.)
I recommend them all highly. But more importantly, these three books helped pull the congestion right out of my creative muscle. Perhaps it was the mental break from writing that scene, or maybe it was the act of reading how other writers explored their plots that made me able to write again, and more importantly, helped me to discover what my manuscript needed from me. Whatever the cause, it was not that I hadn't tried hard enough to write that brought on my Writer's Block.
So, if you've been diagnosed with good old Writer's Block, don't fret. It is a real problem. You're not going crazy. And there is a cure. It will be hard to accept and hard to administer, but once it goes down, you'll be in the clear.
This is what a professor told my class once. I don't know if you're like me, but I definitely don't think he was on to something here. I don't see Writer's Block as a lack of ambition or dedication. It's not a matter of the writer not exploring every conceivable plot avenue possible. It's also not a matter of too little creativity on behalf of the artist.
For me, Writer's Block is just that, a block. I compare it to the athlete working out. When you use a muscle too much, lactic acid builds up and makes the area around the muscle swell, produces that radiating heat effect, and often causes pain or discomfort. Writer's Block is simply this, but in the creative part of the brain.
I recently struggled with a bought of Writer's Block. For the past few months, I've been working on a nonfiction piece (my first! How exciting!). I'm more than 3/4 of the way through, all the time thinking I knew exactly how the piece would progress and especially how it would end, when I got stuck. I have experienced Writer's Block before when writing my manuscripts, but those were all fiction. I thought, Writer's Block is unheard of in nonfiction since all the events actually occurred. I was wrong. In an unexpected turn, a scene I had been planning to save for later decided it needed to be written RIGHT NOW. It demanded it and I couldn't refuse because it worked so well in the space I was writing it. However, that messed up the next scene. My dilemma was: Should I still write this scene, or has it just become extraneous?
Having written most of this nonfiction piece, I had been working my creative muscle for a while. This seemingly simple decision had caused a major congestion within my creative muscle. I was blocked.
For six days, I stared at the problem. I was trying to find an answer on how to make the important parts of the yet unwritten scene work given my new addition. I reread other sections of the manuscript, revised and edited portions that I thought worked well, and then stared again at my problem section.
And I just couldn't do it anymore.
As much as I wanted to write and finish my nonfiction manuscript, I couldn't sit there for another day, trying to sort out its problems. Instead, I did everything else. I did laundry, I went shopping, but most importantly, I read. And I didn't just read nonfiction books, I read all kinds of books. My Writer's Block reading list consisted of:
Oink: My Life with Minipigs by Matt Whyman (A British authored nonfiction about, you guessed it, minipigs.)
Out of the Easy by Ruta Sepetys (A YA fiction about New Orleans and growing into the person you wish to be.)
and
The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson (A classic British horror novel.)
I recommend them all highly. But more importantly, these three books helped pull the congestion right out of my creative muscle. Perhaps it was the mental break from writing that scene, or maybe it was the act of reading how other writers explored their plots that made me able to write again, and more importantly, helped me to discover what my manuscript needed from me. Whatever the cause, it was not that I hadn't tried hard enough to write that brought on my Writer's Block.
So, if you've been diagnosed with good old Writer's Block, don't fret. It is a real problem. You're not going crazy. And there is a cure. It will be hard to accept and hard to administer, but once it goes down, you'll be in the clear.
Monday, May 27, 2013
Captain that Hook
You've heard it mentioned in interviews with published authors, during writing workshops, and most importantly in the writing guidelines of possible markets or agents. It's illusive, shiny, and completely necessary:
The Hook
But what the hell is it? In my opinion, the hook is not the first scene, but it also isn't necessarily the first line, either. It definitely incorporates the first line. Usually, I think of the hook as the first two or three sentences, perhaps the first paragraph if you stretch it.
By definition, the hook is the thing that catches the reader's attention. Much like the fishing apparatus, it is the curved, barbed object that latches onto the reader and won't let them go. If the hook is successful, the reader will be intrigued enough to stick with you for another twenty to thirty pages, to see what happens. The hook must not only be a piece of spectacular, concise writing, but it must also reveal something about the character or setting. Preferably, both. Is your character happy, depressed, confused, weary, or adrift? Convey that. Is your setting in line or in contrast with his emotions?
The hook often shocks or interests the reader by using unique language or imagery, but nothing so far out there that she can't relate.
I'm sure, if you're an avid reader, you've come across some great hooks. These are the passages that started the book on the right foot. The ones that pulled you in immediately and forced you to finish them. The best way to learn hooks, as with most writing, is to read the beginning sentences or paragraph of a novel. Did you like it? Are you intrigued? Do you want to read more? If so, why? What did the author do to make you want to read more? Keep a notebook with the best hooks you come across and why you believe they are so spectacular. Make sure you also write down the hooks you think are terrible and why they don't get your attention. This information is just as important because it teaches you what not to do.
You don't have to take an expensive class to learn about hooks and how to use them. But remember, the hook is a tiny object in the middle of a giant ocean. If you don't cast it correctly, you won't catch any fish. A few casts (tries) may be necessary before you get the correct hook for your story.
Also, remember that once you have the reader hooked, you have to follow up with a well-paced well-written story that is just as strong as your opening lines. If you don't do this, the reader will get bored and put your book down - and usually never pick it up again. Just like if you hook a fish but don't reel it in, the fish will figure out how to escape. Your reader will do the same. After the hook, your story needs to be just as powerful or it will all be for naught.
If you find some interesting hooks during your reading, or you remember some that intrigued you in the past, post them in the comments! I'll share my favorites, too.
The Hook
But what the hell is it? In my opinion, the hook is not the first scene, but it also isn't necessarily the first line, either. It definitely incorporates the first line. Usually, I think of the hook as the first two or three sentences, perhaps the first paragraph if you stretch it.
By definition, the hook is the thing that catches the reader's attention. Much like the fishing apparatus, it is the curved, barbed object that latches onto the reader and won't let them go. If the hook is successful, the reader will be intrigued enough to stick with you for another twenty to thirty pages, to see what happens. The hook must not only be a piece of spectacular, concise writing, but it must also reveal something about the character or setting. Preferably, both. Is your character happy, depressed, confused, weary, or adrift? Convey that. Is your setting in line or in contrast with his emotions?
The hook often shocks or interests the reader by using unique language or imagery, but nothing so far out there that she can't relate.
I'm sure, if you're an avid reader, you've come across some great hooks. These are the passages that started the book on the right foot. The ones that pulled you in immediately and forced you to finish them. The best way to learn hooks, as with most writing, is to read the beginning sentences or paragraph of a novel. Did you like it? Are you intrigued? Do you want to read more? If so, why? What did the author do to make you want to read more? Keep a notebook with the best hooks you come across and why you believe they are so spectacular. Make sure you also write down the hooks you think are terrible and why they don't get your attention. This information is just as important because it teaches you what not to do.
You don't have to take an expensive class to learn about hooks and how to use them. But remember, the hook is a tiny object in the middle of a giant ocean. If you don't cast it correctly, you won't catch any fish. A few casts (tries) may be necessary before you get the correct hook for your story.
Also, remember that once you have the reader hooked, you have to follow up with a well-paced well-written story that is just as strong as your opening lines. If you don't do this, the reader will get bored and put your book down - and usually never pick it up again. Just like if you hook a fish but don't reel it in, the fish will figure out how to escape. Your reader will do the same. After the hook, your story needs to be just as powerful or it will all be for naught.
If you find some interesting hooks during your reading, or you remember some that intrigued you in the past, post them in the comments! I'll share my favorites, too.
Monday, May 20, 2013
Lumberjacks are like Writers
My hometown is known for trees and lakes. To this day, trees are more abundant than people. Naturally, with all the nature and waterways, the town was settled by lumberjacks - plaid wearing, bushy-bearded lumberjacks. They could make money by clearing the land for settlement and selling the wood at the same time. For them, it was a win-win.
Today, some lumberjacking (is that a verb?) still happens, but not in my area. However, the city has preserved our lumber culture in a summer Lumberjack Show that is popular with the tourists. To be in the Lumberjack Show, the men must be both actors and know how to deal with wood. There are wood carving contests, log rolling contests, and a lot of yodeling. There are also (of course) a lot of plaid clothes and bushy beards to go around.
The first time I went to this show, I was a young child. I won a yodeling contest with my lung capacity and young age that made the crowd coo. My prize was a chair Lumberjack Mike carved on-spot. The next time I went, I was with friends, we were all bored, and the show was about to start, so that sounded like a good plan. Recently, I went to the Lumberjack Show again. This time, I was showing my city-dwelling cousins of ages 8 and 5 how cool lumberjacks could be. They loved the yodeling, and they adjusted to the sound of chainsaws, but I learned something there, too. I learned it during the tree climb.
In this activity, the two competing lumberjacks had to scale side-by-side logs that were erected vertically. They were dozens of feet tall, and the challenge was to get to the top the fastest.
Like the lumberjacks, writers often feel this pressure to succeed. Our families, our friends, our societies tell us that we cannot call ourselves writers unless we can follow up the question, "What have you published?" with a real answer.
Like lumberjacks, writers have to endure the uphill battle of climbing that massive tree and looking like we're totally okay in the process. And just like the lumberjacks, we don't have wires or a safety net to catch us if we fall. We have to rely solely upon our own effort and our own dedication.
But it's okay if everyday you aren't the one who makes it to the top of the tree. If you write one sentence, if you write nothing but gain an experience, if you write nothing and gain no experiences - it's all okay. Tomorrow you get another chance to be the one to make it. Tomorrow, your writing will be there waiting for you. Tomorrow maybe your sanity will be a little more intact. Just because you fail once, it doesn't mean that will dictate the rest of your career or your life. Take a deep breath, come back tomorrow, and try again. No plaid or bushy beards required.
Today, some lumberjacking (is that a verb?) still happens, but not in my area. However, the city has preserved our lumber culture in a summer Lumberjack Show that is popular with the tourists. To be in the Lumberjack Show, the men must be both actors and know how to deal with wood. There are wood carving contests, log rolling contests, and a lot of yodeling. There are also (of course) a lot of plaid clothes and bushy beards to go around.
The first time I went to this show, I was a young child. I won a yodeling contest with my lung capacity and young age that made the crowd coo. My prize was a chair Lumberjack Mike carved on-spot. The next time I went, I was with friends, we were all bored, and the show was about to start, so that sounded like a good plan. Recently, I went to the Lumberjack Show again. This time, I was showing my city-dwelling cousins of ages 8 and 5 how cool lumberjacks could be. They loved the yodeling, and they adjusted to the sound of chainsaws, but I learned something there, too. I learned it during the tree climb.
In this activity, the two competing lumberjacks had to scale side-by-side logs that were erected vertically. They were dozens of feet tall, and the challenge was to get to the top the fastest.
Like the lumberjacks, writers often feel this pressure to succeed. Our families, our friends, our societies tell us that we cannot call ourselves writers unless we can follow up the question, "What have you published?" with a real answer.
Like lumberjacks, writers have to endure the uphill battle of climbing that massive tree and looking like we're totally okay in the process. And just like the lumberjacks, we don't have wires or a safety net to catch us if we fall. We have to rely solely upon our own effort and our own dedication.
But it's okay if everyday you aren't the one who makes it to the top of the tree. If you write one sentence, if you write nothing but gain an experience, if you write nothing and gain no experiences - it's all okay. Tomorrow you get another chance to be the one to make it. Tomorrow, your writing will be there waiting for you. Tomorrow maybe your sanity will be a little more intact. Just because you fail once, it doesn't mean that will dictate the rest of your career or your life. Take a deep breath, come back tomorrow, and try again. No plaid or bushy beards required.
Monday, May 13, 2013
Monday, May 6, 2013
Story Momentum and Counterbalance
You know when you're reading a good book. The pages fly by. You often don't realize that you've been reading for 10 hours until you look up and see it's dark outside. Even if the book was once daunting, and the size of an encyclopedia, you think it too short.
Many factors play into this phenomena. Characters that are believable and relatable are a large part, but so is story momentum. Story momentum is quite literally, the pace of the story.
People interpret this topic in different ways, so I'll only be presenting my view of story momentum here. I believe that story momentum is made up of two different aspects:
Story Telling is the act of creating and relaying the story itself. This is where the writer's creative hat comes into play. The ability of the writer to be a story teller is perhaps the most noticeable aspect of story momentum. Persons with story telling ability will know how much character description is needed to give a clear picture, but not too much to overwhelm the reader. They will know how to bring a reader through a scene - slowing down important events and aspects, and speeding up around less important events. Basically, people who are story tellers know, like comedians, how to deliver the punchline.
A person with story telling ability is not instantly a writer, or vice versa. In olden days, story tellers were important to orally pass on traditions and legends before writing was invented or prominent amongst the entire society. For another example, think of your extended family. Everyone has an uncle, aunt, or grandparent who is perfect at telling family stories. When he or she speaks, everyone in the room is enthralled. He or she, then, has the ability of story telling. However, they may not also be a writer. These two abilities do not always come hand in hand. However, it takes both Story Telling and Writing to create story momentum.
When it comes to the writing portion of story momentum, I do not mean that the writer must have perfect grammar or punctuation. Though this is needed in a final draft, an editor can help sort out these problems. The writing portion of story momentum comes from sentence structure. This is the ability of the writer to disperse short and long sentences throughout the scene so that the cadence of the piece is pleasing to the human eye and ear. When you are reading a good book, this doesn't even enter your mind. However, when a book is filling with bad writing, you notice. It seems too choppy if the sentences are all short, and it can be confusing if all the sentences run on.
Another aspect of writing for story momentum is the dispersion of scenes. A professor of mine used the term Counterbalance when explaining this concept to me. Counterbalance is used by the writer sometimes unconsciously. You probably have noticed this being utilized by writers if you read a lot. Basically, the story will be plugging along, focused primarily on one subject or person. But then, the writer will deviate and bring in something else to focus on. This gives a counterbalance to the moving story, and allows the reader to digest what just happened.
If you have read Harry Potter, you know that Harry attends Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Most of the story focuses on this. However, the obvious counterbalance to Harry's schooling are the Dursleys, Harry's muggle relatives.
Counterbalance can be employed much more subtly, though. In the same book series, Harry usually has some sort of mission to accomplish or problem to solve wherein he must stop Voldemort. If the entire story focused entirely on this mission, it would move much like a textbook: Complete Step A then complete Step B, followed by Step C. But JK Rowling disperses other scenes throughout, scenes that include the protagonist's relationship with other characters and the wizarding world. This is another, more subtle, instance of counterbalance.
So, if you are going to employ the convention of story momentum into your story, remember the two most important aspects: Story Telling and Writing. Work on setting up and delivering your "punchline" correctly. Also, make sure you alternate your sentences between short and long in a natural way, and remember the term counterbalance.
Many factors play into this phenomena. Characters that are believable and relatable are a large part, but so is story momentum. Story momentum is quite literally, the pace of the story.
People interpret this topic in different ways, so I'll only be presenting my view of story momentum here. I believe that story momentum is made up of two different aspects:
- Story Telling
- Writing
Story Telling is the act of creating and relaying the story itself. This is where the writer's creative hat comes into play. The ability of the writer to be a story teller is perhaps the most noticeable aspect of story momentum. Persons with story telling ability will know how much character description is needed to give a clear picture, but not too much to overwhelm the reader. They will know how to bring a reader through a scene - slowing down important events and aspects, and speeding up around less important events. Basically, people who are story tellers know, like comedians, how to deliver the punchline.
A person with story telling ability is not instantly a writer, or vice versa. In olden days, story tellers were important to orally pass on traditions and legends before writing was invented or prominent amongst the entire society. For another example, think of your extended family. Everyone has an uncle, aunt, or grandparent who is perfect at telling family stories. When he or she speaks, everyone in the room is enthralled. He or she, then, has the ability of story telling. However, they may not also be a writer. These two abilities do not always come hand in hand. However, it takes both Story Telling and Writing to create story momentum.
When it comes to the writing portion of story momentum, I do not mean that the writer must have perfect grammar or punctuation. Though this is needed in a final draft, an editor can help sort out these problems. The writing portion of story momentum comes from sentence structure. This is the ability of the writer to disperse short and long sentences throughout the scene so that the cadence of the piece is pleasing to the human eye and ear. When you are reading a good book, this doesn't even enter your mind. However, when a book is filling with bad writing, you notice. It seems too choppy if the sentences are all short, and it can be confusing if all the sentences run on.
Another aspect of writing for story momentum is the dispersion of scenes. A professor of mine used the term Counterbalance when explaining this concept to me. Counterbalance is used by the writer sometimes unconsciously. You probably have noticed this being utilized by writers if you read a lot. Basically, the story will be plugging along, focused primarily on one subject or person. But then, the writer will deviate and bring in something else to focus on. This gives a counterbalance to the moving story, and allows the reader to digest what just happened.
If you have read Harry Potter, you know that Harry attends Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Most of the story focuses on this. However, the obvious counterbalance to Harry's schooling are the Dursleys, Harry's muggle relatives.
Counterbalance can be employed much more subtly, though. In the same book series, Harry usually has some sort of mission to accomplish or problem to solve wherein he must stop Voldemort. If the entire story focused entirely on this mission, it would move much like a textbook: Complete Step A then complete Step B, followed by Step C. But JK Rowling disperses other scenes throughout, scenes that include the protagonist's relationship with other characters and the wizarding world. This is another, more subtle, instance of counterbalance.
So, if you are going to employ the convention of story momentum into your story, remember the two most important aspects: Story Telling and Writing. Work on setting up and delivering your "punchline" correctly. Also, make sure you alternate your sentences between short and long in a natural way, and remember the term counterbalance.
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