I've noticed in many online profiles where it is asked you identify your gender, that the options are changing. Gone are the "he" and "she" of the past, replaced with more modern and understanding pronouns.
The one I especially want to talk about today is "they".
Much like the use of alright (if you missed it, check out this post to learn about my alright crusade), I've always had trouble attributing gender specific pronouns to anything.
Maybe it's because I was raised post-modernly. Maybe it's because I want to be politically correct. Maybe I want to respect everyone's life choices and lifestyles.
Maybe I was just never taught proper English. Who knows!
What I do know is this emergence of non-gender-specific pronouns has led me to start another crusade against the modern English language.
In my opinion, "they" should not only be allowed to replace a plural noun (like ducks). It should also be appropriate for "they" to replace a singular noun of unknown gender identity (like writer).
Let me throw out some examples:
In the sentence, "The protagonist has a major flaw", we should not have to choose between assigning "the protagonist" a male or female pronoun (He has a major flaw; She has a major flaw), but rather, it should be acceptable for "the protagonist" to be abbreviated as "They have a major flaw."
It's always bothered me having to choose one gender pronoun over the other, and so many times on this blog I've used the he-slash-she (he/she) cop-out or just gone with "they" as my pronoun, ignoring the previous lectures I've had from professors.
But no longer! Today I can say, "The protagonist has a major flaw. If it isn't corrected they will seem flimsy. The reader will see right through them", not because I don't know that "they" is traditionally only used for plural nouns, but because I simply won't prescribe to this notion anymore.
I'm wholeheartedly embracing the modern pronoun.
From now on, I will not be ashamed to use "they" in my blog posts - especially when talking about protagonists, artists, or writers of unknown gender. I'm taking off my tutu, throwing it to the wind, and running naked and wild through these posts. Who's going to join me?
Tuesday, May 12, 2015
Tuesday, May 5, 2015
The Witchdoctor Scenario
Sorry about the late night post this week, fellow scribes. All day, my rabbit was acting strange, then she stopped eating and stopped moving her bowels. As a mother to any type of living creature knows, no poop = a massive problem.
Rabbits especially are prone to something called GI Stasis, where the gut stops moving so food and waste sit inside the stomach/intestines. It's extremely painful and can lead to death in a matter of days or hours if left untreated.
So, most of my day was spent worrying myself to death, sitting quietly and talking sweetly to a grumpy bunny, and trying to coax food and water into her as much as possible.
It took almost all day, but right now she seems to be improving. She is eating voluntarily (mostly junk foods like seeds, alfalfa hay, cardboard, and a wicker basket - but she does sneak in some good baby kale and grass hay to keep mama happy), and she came out from her hiding place to run around (yes, run) and even do some bunny binkies! If you've never seen a bunny binkie, please look it up on YouTube. They are the best display of rabbit happiness ever and so dang cute.
She even produced a few, albeit minuscule, poops that were either rock solid or a little soft, but hey, that's improvement, people!
Today has definitely been a test on my nerves - a test I sincerely hope is over for now. But all this stress got me thinking: I would give anything for my bunny to get better.
Was it going to take all my money for her to not die? Done. All my time suddenly gone - no sleep before my early shift tomorrow morning? No problem. Would I have to drive two hours to the vet? In a heartbeat. Sell one of my own kidneys to a witchdoctor? Where do I sign?
This terrible, gut wrenching, I'll-do-anything-to-just-make-it-all-right-again feeling was what all of the characters in my stories should be feeling. If not, the stakes weren't high enough.
If their hands and feet didn't go numb with panic. If their vision didn't blacken with dread. If they didn't vomit with worry - the stake's simply weren't high enough. I wasn't putting their absolute most precious thing on the line, and of course, they wouldn't truly care (nor would the reader) unless the stakes were so high, they would do anything.
So, the next time you write an outline, revise a scene, or get an idea for a novel, I want you to ask yourself one simple question:
Would my protagonist sell his/her kidney to an evil witchdoctor - no questions asked - if it meant his/her situation improved or reversed?
Because, really, when it comes down to it, if it isn't really that important, then it's not enough to hang an entire story on.
Rabbits especially are prone to something called GI Stasis, where the gut stops moving so food and waste sit inside the stomach/intestines. It's extremely painful and can lead to death in a matter of days or hours if left untreated.
So, most of my day was spent worrying myself to death, sitting quietly and talking sweetly to a grumpy bunny, and trying to coax food and water into her as much as possible.
It took almost all day, but right now she seems to be improving. She is eating voluntarily (mostly junk foods like seeds, alfalfa hay, cardboard, and a wicker basket - but she does sneak in some good baby kale and grass hay to keep mama happy), and she came out from her hiding place to run around (yes, run) and even do some bunny binkies! If you've never seen a bunny binkie, please look it up on YouTube. They are the best display of rabbit happiness ever and so dang cute.
She even produced a few, albeit minuscule, poops that were either rock solid or a little soft, but hey, that's improvement, people!
Today has definitely been a test on my nerves - a test I sincerely hope is over for now. But all this stress got me thinking: I would give anything for my bunny to get better.
Was it going to take all my money for her to not die? Done. All my time suddenly gone - no sleep before my early shift tomorrow morning? No problem. Would I have to drive two hours to the vet? In a heartbeat. Sell one of my own kidneys to a witchdoctor? Where do I sign?
This terrible, gut wrenching, I'll-do-anything-to-just-make-it-all-right-again feeling was what all of the characters in my stories should be feeling. If not, the stakes weren't high enough.
If their hands and feet didn't go numb with panic. If their vision didn't blacken with dread. If they didn't vomit with worry - the stake's simply weren't high enough. I wasn't putting their absolute most precious thing on the line, and of course, they wouldn't truly care (nor would the reader) unless the stakes were so high, they would do anything.
So, the next time you write an outline, revise a scene, or get an idea for a novel, I want you to ask yourself one simple question:
Would my protagonist sell his/her kidney to an evil witchdoctor - no questions asked - if it meant his/her situation improved or reversed?
Because, really, when it comes down to it, if it isn't really that important, then it's not enough to hang an entire story on.
Tuesday, April 28, 2015
Pertinent Details
I once had a professor who, when he critiqued my work, would always want more. More adjectives, more description, more characterization, more detail, etc. I didn't understand why he would do this, especially since my pieces were always the longest in the class. Recently I came across a few old stories he had critiqued while packing up some more of my stuff for the (hopefully soon) upcoming move. Nearly four years later, I finally grasped that what he had been trying to do was exhaust our writing abilities. He wanted us to expand, to pour out everything we had onto the page. He wanted us to give up every word we could think of, detail every event and blade of grass, explain every aspect of our characters' appearance, countenance, and inner thought process.
His class, I understood, was like a giant brainstorming session. Put everything out and don't hold back.
Occasionally, I run into similar situations with beta readers and critique buddies. Someone will latch onto a passing detail and not let go.
"I'm really interested in this coffee machine," they'll say. "When the protagonist sees it, is it something she recognizes? Is it a single cup machine, or is it brewing great quantities at a time? And what about this steam coming from behind the counter? Does she know it's normal for the machine to steam or is she worried that this giant chrome machine is going to explode? Really, if you're not going to focus on the coffee machine, I'd skip it entirely. Otherwise, the reader's mind will be pulled out of the story."
In your mind, the coffee machine was nothing but a grounding detail in the coffee shop. A little sight detail, maybe some smell, sound, and taste. Nothing more.
You never thought it'd be so important to some people.
As the writer it's your job to discern which details require your and the reader's attention. Whether it's a pushy professor or a detail oriented critiquer, ultimately, it's your job to find the pertinent details.
Are those limbo poles going to resurface later in the story in an important way? No? Then cut their half a page description.
Is it going to matter whether the coffee machine can brew one cup or multiple at a time? No? Don't mention it.
Will your protagonist's hair color really make or break this murder investigation? No? Don't sweat plopping it awkwardly into the text.
Toss the things (whether they be details of your own creation or comments from a critiquer) that aren't pertinent details. Only keep what characterizes your characters, advances the plot, or adds tension. Everything else,
yes, everything,
must be deleted.
His class, I understood, was like a giant brainstorming session. Put everything out and don't hold back.
Occasionally, I run into similar situations with beta readers and critique buddies. Someone will latch onto a passing detail and not let go.
"I'm really interested in this coffee machine," they'll say. "When the protagonist sees it, is it something she recognizes? Is it a single cup machine, or is it brewing great quantities at a time? And what about this steam coming from behind the counter? Does she know it's normal for the machine to steam or is she worried that this giant chrome machine is going to explode? Really, if you're not going to focus on the coffee machine, I'd skip it entirely. Otherwise, the reader's mind will be pulled out of the story."
In your mind, the coffee machine was nothing but a grounding detail in the coffee shop. A little sight detail, maybe some smell, sound, and taste. Nothing more.
You never thought it'd be so important to some people.
As the writer it's your job to discern which details require your and the reader's attention. Whether it's a pushy professor or a detail oriented critiquer, ultimately, it's your job to find the pertinent details.
Are those limbo poles going to resurface later in the story in an important way? No? Then cut their half a page description.
Is it going to matter whether the coffee machine can brew one cup or multiple at a time? No? Don't mention it.
Will your protagonist's hair color really make or break this murder investigation? No? Don't sweat plopping it awkwardly into the text.
Toss the things (whether they be details of your own creation or comments from a critiquer) that aren't pertinent details. Only keep what characterizes your characters, advances the plot, or adds tension. Everything else,
yes, everything,
must be deleted.
Tuesday, April 21, 2015
Do You Have The Time?
Whether you're writing a mystery novel, literary, or an adventure story, time matters. The sun rises, the sun sets, and humans for as long as we've known that, have measured the time between.
The same care you give time in your daily life has to be given to the time in your story. Your characters must wake, get to work on time (or not), make their scheduled appointments (or not), and do this for weeks, months, or years.
But, being writers, we can manipulate time.
Go on, you know you've always wanted to....
That murder in your mystery novel? What was the time of death? Where were the suspects during that time?
Your literary story. Is the main event or character constrained to a timeline? How about the project he's managing? Is it still on track? Or perhaps there's too much free time in his life and he gets into trouble before anything productive can be accomplished.
And your fantasy or adventure story? How much time should pass between the inciting incident and charter 3? Is it minutes - expanded with fight scenes and description and exposition - or years due to an incredible foot journey?
Manipulate time to your advantage. Give your protagonists a limited amount of time in which to complete their task. Give them consequences if they're unable to accomplish it. Ratchet up the tension as the minutes slip past.
If you can control every aspect of it, why not play that to your advantage? Why not harness time and make it slave for you?
Go on, you know you've always wanted to...
The same care you give time in your daily life has to be given to the time in your story. Your characters must wake, get to work on time (or not), make their scheduled appointments (or not), and do this for weeks, months, or years.
But, being writers, we can manipulate time.
Go on, you know you've always wanted to....
That murder in your mystery novel? What was the time of death? Where were the suspects during that time?
Your literary story. Is the main event or character constrained to a timeline? How about the project he's managing? Is it still on track? Or perhaps there's too much free time in his life and he gets into trouble before anything productive can be accomplished.
And your fantasy or adventure story? How much time should pass between the inciting incident and charter 3? Is it minutes - expanded with fight scenes and description and exposition - or years due to an incredible foot journey?
Manipulate time to your advantage. Give your protagonists a limited amount of time in which to complete their task. Give them consequences if they're unable to accomplish it. Ratchet up the tension as the minutes slip past.
If you can control every aspect of it, why not play that to your advantage? Why not harness time and make it slave for you?
Go on, you know you've always wanted to...
Tuesday, April 14, 2015
Pins Around!
Have you been following the Writing board on my Pinterest? This one. Have you? No? Really?
Here's what you're missing out on.
1. Reasons why writers are ninjas-
Here's what you're missing out on.
1. Reasons why writers are ninjas-
2. Practical snippets on character development-
3. Amazingly insightful rewriting tips-
4. Analogies, similes, and metaphors-
5. And the all important writer-funnies-
So what are you waiting for? Go check it out!
And if you ever find a great image or pin or quote I need to know about, don't be afraid to share it with me either directly on Pinterest or through the comments of this blog.
Tuesday, April 7, 2015
The Snapshot Vs. The Masterpiece
Every history and art history book I've ever encountered shows images of famous artworks. Perhaps the most populous is the Mona Lisa. But no matter how many times you see the image, and no matter how well you can admire it in print or online, the image pales in comparison to the real masterpiece, right?
Why do I bring this up? Because often on this blog, when we talk about characterization, we talk about creating the masterpiece. I've shared multiple worksheets and exercises to get you thinking about the whole human your protagonist is. Their backstory, religion, food preferences, family, friends, likes and dislikes - these are all big-picture/masterpiece type questions to ponder.
But what happens when we get to actually writing the scene itself?
The scene is a snapshot - an image of the whole, if you will. And within that snapshot, the whole masterpiece can never exist. They're different entities entirely.
So, when you write a scene you must approach it differently than you do the worksheet or characterization exercises. Instead of trying to fit everything you know into one moment, think about who the protagonist is AT THIS VERY MOMENT. What does he/she want? What is most important in his/her belief system right now? What does he/she need to get across to another character?
The backstory - the masterpiece itself - must exists before the snapshot can be taken. But when the snapshot is viewed, it needs to be whole in and of itself. The lighting needs to be right, the angle accurate. Otherwise, not only will your scene not make sense, but the masterpiece will suffer as a whole.
Don't let all your hard work go to waste. Know what to include in your scenes and what is spoken more profoundly by being left out entirely.
Why do I bring this up? Because often on this blog, when we talk about characterization, we talk about creating the masterpiece. I've shared multiple worksheets and exercises to get you thinking about the whole human your protagonist is. Their backstory, religion, food preferences, family, friends, likes and dislikes - these are all big-picture/masterpiece type questions to ponder.
But what happens when we get to actually writing the scene itself?
The scene is a snapshot - an image of the whole, if you will. And within that snapshot, the whole masterpiece can never exist. They're different entities entirely.
So, when you write a scene you must approach it differently than you do the worksheet or characterization exercises. Instead of trying to fit everything you know into one moment, think about who the protagonist is AT THIS VERY MOMENT. What does he/she want? What is most important in his/her belief system right now? What does he/she need to get across to another character?
The backstory - the masterpiece itself - must exists before the snapshot can be taken. But when the snapshot is viewed, it needs to be whole in and of itself. The lighting needs to be right, the angle accurate. Otherwise, not only will your scene not make sense, but the masterpiece will suffer as a whole.
Don't let all your hard work go to waste. Know what to include in your scenes and what is spoken more profoundly by being left out entirely.
Tuesday, March 31, 2015
Is It Possible To Be Too Beautiful?
I'm the queen of bad selfies. Even when I do my makeup and apply a number of filters to my picture, I still manage to look weird. I would enjoy being a beautiful selfie master. Heck, I'd even accept one beautiful pic of me at this point.
But is this the kind of mentality you want to apply to your writing?
Of course, you may be saying, What's better than people thinking my writing is beautiful?
Answer: when it takes the reader out of the story.
You've been there, I'm sure. You're reading a novel, completely invested in the characters and plot, and then suddenly you stumble upon a description so beautiful that you have to stop and reread it. You write it down, take its picture, or find it scrawled on Pinterest.
You may think, wow that passage was great, or that metaphor was superb. But really, what just happened?
Answer: you were pulled out of the story.
Even if it's just for a second, losing the reader is losing the reader. Whether they're confused or too stunned by your writing, it's a bad scenario.
So, make sure you're writing for the characters and plot of the story and kill those darling passages you think too beautiful to leave out. Cut them right out of the page and save them in a separate word document. Who knows, maybe you'll need a beautiful Tweet or social media update that you can use that beautiful passage for. But, as strange as it sounds, your fiction isn't the place to showcase just how wonderfully you can write. Fiction is about the story, the emotions, and the actions of the characters. You are simply the catalyst they're using to come to life.
But is this the kind of mentality you want to apply to your writing?
Of course, you may be saying, What's better than people thinking my writing is beautiful?
Answer: when it takes the reader out of the story.
You've been there, I'm sure. You're reading a novel, completely invested in the characters and plot, and then suddenly you stumble upon a description so beautiful that you have to stop and reread it. You write it down, take its picture, or find it scrawled on Pinterest.
You may think, wow that passage was great, or that metaphor was superb. But really, what just happened?
Answer: you were pulled out of the story.
Even if it's just for a second, losing the reader is losing the reader. Whether they're confused or too stunned by your writing, it's a bad scenario.
So, make sure you're writing for the characters and plot of the story and kill those darling passages you think too beautiful to leave out. Cut them right out of the page and save them in a separate word document. Who knows, maybe you'll need a beautiful Tweet or social media update that you can use that beautiful passage for. But, as strange as it sounds, your fiction isn't the place to showcase just how wonderfully you can write. Fiction is about the story, the emotions, and the actions of the characters. You are simply the catalyst they're using to come to life.
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