Showing posts with label For Fun. Show all posts
Showing posts with label For Fun. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 27, 2016
The Writer's Blessing
I'm not religious, but this seemed so very fitting for this week. I hope you have a wonderful writing week and feel free to spread the Writer's Blessing around!
Photo credit: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/476326098069733776/
Saturday, March 19, 2016
Space, The First Frontier for Writers. (AKA, another super-late post, Sorry!)
Sorry for the radio silence this week, guys. Chalk it up to another super late post tally.
To make it up to you, I can only offer this one simple image that I think we can all relate to. It pretty much sums up this week for me:
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/476326098070182263/
Want more where that came from along with witty motivation and cool idea starters? Check me out on Pinterest!
To make it up to you, I can only offer this one simple image that I think we can all relate to. It pretty much sums up this week for me:
Want more where that came from along with witty motivation and cool idea starters? Check me out on Pinterest!
Thursday, March 10, 2016
Novel Tips: A Blog on Writing
This week I'd like to share with you another resource that you can use to grow your knowledge in the craft and help make your book ready for publication.
When I lived in Wisconsin, I had a writing mentor named Laurel Yourke. That's right, the same Laurel Yourke who wrote the 2000 book on writing: Take Your Characters to Dinner.
If you were to ask her now, as I have, what she thinks of that book, she'll implore that you never read it and don't even look it up. Like what's so true for many of us, she hates the mention of a work she did so long ago that she would do completely differently if she was allowed to rewrite it in the present.
I know I have the same problem. I take a look at the first novel I wrote at age 12 and grimace. How could I think that was good writing? How could people encourage me to keep writing after they read that slop?
The point is, they did encourage me. And I never could have arrived where I am today without them, Laurel included.
In respect for her, I won't tell you to read her 2000 book on writing (which I linked above, by the way), but I will suggest that you take a few moment and peruse her blog. It's main audience is for those who write novels - but there's awesome craft tips on there any writer would be grateful for.
She does a format much like myself - a post each week - so don't be afraid to rustle deep within the archives. It's all golden there.
Here's the link one more time. It's titled Novel Tips. http://noveltips.blogspot.com/
When I lived in Wisconsin, I had a writing mentor named Laurel Yourke. That's right, the same Laurel Yourke who wrote the 2000 book on writing: Take Your Characters to Dinner.
If you were to ask her now, as I have, what she thinks of that book, she'll implore that you never read it and don't even look it up. Like what's so true for many of us, she hates the mention of a work she did so long ago that she would do completely differently if she was allowed to rewrite it in the present.
I know I have the same problem. I take a look at the first novel I wrote at age 12 and grimace. How could I think that was good writing? How could people encourage me to keep writing after they read that slop?
The point is, they did encourage me. And I never could have arrived where I am today without them, Laurel included.
In respect for her, I won't tell you to read her 2000 book on writing (which I linked above, by the way), but I will suggest that you take a few moment and peruse her blog. It's main audience is for those who write novels - but there's awesome craft tips on there any writer would be grateful for.
She does a format much like myself - a post each week - so don't be afraid to rustle deep within the archives. It's all golden there.
Here's the link one more time. It's titled Novel Tips. http://noveltips.blogspot.com/
Wednesday, January 20, 2016
Market: Ekphrastic Challenge - Rattle Magazine
Many of you know I am an artist as well as a writer. In fact, many pieces of writing inspire me to create art and many pieces of art inspire me to write a short story or poem.
If you find yourself in the same boat, may I suggest a relatively new market from Rattle, a poetry magazine.
If you go here you can read the guidelines for their monthly Ekphrastic Challenge.
Basically, each month they post a new image of photography or artwork and ask poets to craft poems that are inspired by them. The artist picks their favorite and it is published, and an editor also picks their favorite and it is published.
It's also a fantastic writing prompt to get your muse going on a sluggish creative day.
So, head over to Rattle poetry and see if this month's image inspires your writer brain. If you happen to get a poem out of it, why not submit?
If you find yourself in the same boat, may I suggest a relatively new market from Rattle, a poetry magazine.
If you go here you can read the guidelines for their monthly Ekphrastic Challenge.
Basically, each month they post a new image of photography or artwork and ask poets to craft poems that are inspired by them. The artist picks their favorite and it is published, and an editor also picks their favorite and it is published.
It's also a fantastic writing prompt to get your muse going on a sluggish creative day.
So, head over to Rattle poetry and see if this month's image inspires your writer brain. If you happen to get a poem out of it, why not submit?
Wednesday, December 23, 2015
Seasons Greetings
The holiday season is fully upon us. The stores are packed and people are either getting a few days off from work or are working longer and harder shifts during this shopper-filled season. No matter which camp you fall in, I'm writing to wish you all light, love, and happiness during the holiday season.
In fact, when the family's around and things are nuts can be the best time to slip away to get a few more pages of your novel written.
Or, like many this year, you can simply sit back with a gingerbread cookie and enjoy the tropical weather most of the USA is experiencing. Here in North Carolina it's going to be 75 degrees on Christmas Day!
Just whatever you do, don't stress. Now's the time for fun and relaxation. Now's the time to recharge so next year we can publish that amazing work we've been plugging away at.
In fact, when the family's around and things are nuts can be the best time to slip away to get a few more pages of your novel written.
Or, like many this year, you can simply sit back with a gingerbread cookie and enjoy the tropical weather most of the USA is experiencing. Here in North Carolina it's going to be 75 degrees on Christmas Day!
Just whatever you do, don't stress. Now's the time for fun and relaxation. Now's the time to recharge so next year we can publish that amazing work we've been plugging away at.
Wednesday, December 2, 2015
An Addition to the Books On Writing Series: BIG MAGIC
As you know from my Books On Writing post series, I read a fair share of books by famous writers talking about writing. So, when I visited my local library last week and saw Elizabeth Gilbert's new book BIG MAGIC: CREATIVE LIVING BEYOND FEAR, I just had to check it out.
Image From Amazon (Book also purchasable there): http://www.amazon.com/Big-Magic-Creative-Living-Beyond/dp/1594634718/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1449074141&sr=8-1&keywords=big+magic
However, this book wasn't the ABC XYZ step by step book on the craft that I was used to. Instead, Ms. Gilbert focuses on the most basic of building blocks upon which writing is founded - creative living. At first I though, well I don't need this, I already write and paint and draw and craft - I'm creative, dang it! I live it! But as I've read through (I'm about halfway now), I've found some helpful insight into the creative life that I've never thought of before or that I simply skipped over with tightly closed eyes.
In the "Permission" section of the book that I read last night, I found a delightfully put phrasing that applies so readily to writing and other writers.
To paraphrase the overall idea: Ms. Gilbert says that we need to defend our creative lifestyles (mostly to ourselves and our own egos) by first defining ourselves. "I'm a writer." Actually say it, out loud, to the universe. It is your proclamation of intent.
She then goes on to say:
"This proclamation of intent...is not something you can do just once and then expect miracles; it's something you must do daily, forever. I've had to keep defining and defending myself as a writer every single day of my adult life - constantly reminding and re-reminding my soul and the cosmos that I'm very serious about the business of creative living, and that I will never stop creating, no matter what the outcome, and no matter how deep my anxieties and insecurities may be." (Gilbert, pg. 95)
This paragraph is so inspiring to me because it reveals that even an extremely well known and successful author across nonfiction and fiction genres still has doubts. She still feels unsure of herself and her work. It's a feeling I'm not unfamiliar with myself.
So, whether you're just starting out as a writer and unsure you have anything new to bring to the table, or whether you're a seasoned pro unsure whether anyone wants what you've brought to the table all this time - know that your belief in yourself is enough. If you write, then you are a writer, and you deserve to be one. Your voice and your viewpoints deserve to be heard.
And just as you must dutifully work on your craft everyday, you must also affirm to yourself that you are enough in your creative life.
Go on, say it with me now:
Believe it.
PS> I highly recommend checking out BIG MAGIC by Elizabeth Gilbert when you have some time. It's definitely going into my Books On Writing category. Both newbies and vets can relate to the primal info contained in this book.
However, this book wasn't the ABC XYZ step by step book on the craft that I was used to. Instead, Ms. Gilbert focuses on the most basic of building blocks upon which writing is founded - creative living. At first I though, well I don't need this, I already write and paint and draw and craft - I'm creative, dang it! I live it! But as I've read through (I'm about halfway now), I've found some helpful insight into the creative life that I've never thought of before or that I simply skipped over with tightly closed eyes.
In the "Permission" section of the book that I read last night, I found a delightfully put phrasing that applies so readily to writing and other writers.
To paraphrase the overall idea: Ms. Gilbert says that we need to defend our creative lifestyles (mostly to ourselves and our own egos) by first defining ourselves. "I'm a writer." Actually say it, out loud, to the universe. It is your proclamation of intent.
She then goes on to say:
"This proclamation of intent...is not something you can do just once and then expect miracles; it's something you must do daily, forever. I've had to keep defining and defending myself as a writer every single day of my adult life - constantly reminding and re-reminding my soul and the cosmos that I'm very serious about the business of creative living, and that I will never stop creating, no matter what the outcome, and no matter how deep my anxieties and insecurities may be." (Gilbert, pg. 95)
This paragraph is so inspiring to me because it reveals that even an extremely well known and successful author across nonfiction and fiction genres still has doubts. She still feels unsure of herself and her work. It's a feeling I'm not unfamiliar with myself.
So, whether you're just starting out as a writer and unsure you have anything new to bring to the table, or whether you're a seasoned pro unsure whether anyone wants what you've brought to the table all this time - know that your belief in yourself is enough. If you write, then you are a writer, and you deserve to be one. Your voice and your viewpoints deserve to be heard.
And just as you must dutifully work on your craft everyday, you must also affirm to yourself that you are enough in your creative life.
Go on, say it with me now:
I AM A WRITER
Believe it.
PS> I highly recommend checking out BIG MAGIC by Elizabeth Gilbert when you have some time. It's definitely going into my Books On Writing category. Both newbies and vets can relate to the primal info contained in this book.
Monday, October 19, 2015
Why It's Important To Ride Out The Storm
I recently wrote a short story with a pretty great plot (as long as my writing group isn't lying to me) that all stemmed from one simple thing: Brainstorming.
Remember in elementary school when your teacher would set aside ten minutes a day for you to brainstorm new ideas for your writing journal or so you could come up with a slightly more creative approach to your essay on the Underground Railroad? I sure do. A good 80% of the time, it worked, too.
And yet, very few writers brainstorm daily or even when they're out of ideas.
Instead, we wait around for inspiration to strike. We do laundry, we go to the store, we sit and stare at a blank screen at the coffee shop. We think, "It'll happen. I'll just ignore it and it'll come forward like a shy deer." When a smidgen of an idea does finally come, we usually stop it before it grows to its full potential. We outline it and worry about the characters to fill the idea, but we never let the idea grow crazy and wild before trimming it back. We wish it to grow inside our defined little box of "my genre" and "things I write".
But if brainstorming proved to be so beneficial as children, why do we so easily turn our backs on it?
The answer is, because it can be difficult.
It's scary to go unbridled into the lightning and thunder. It's dark most of the time. What if we can't come up with any ideas? What if we come up with a ton and they all suck?
These are questions everyone has asked before brainstorming.
And it's true: sometimes, nothing happens.
However, other times bad ideas turn not so bad. They grow and shift and change with each strike of lightning - illuminating themselves a little more to the writer.
I've personally set a goal to brainstorm at least once per week. Rather than getting stuck on my writing and going off to make cookies, grocery shop, or watch Project Runway (admit it, you've been there), I force my creative muscles to flex. I sit down with a timer, gluing my fingers to the keys and my butt to the seat.
And you know what? It works. Pretty soon ideas come and characters show themselves and plots unravel. Pretty soon my brain stops procrastinating and shrieking like a tired two year-old and it starts to have some fun.
That's why we got into this in the first place - it's why we do what we do - because we find writing intoxicatingly fun and we can't stop.
So, next time you're at your rope's end and you want to throw your hands up in frustration, try brainstorming. It may give you a new idea for a poem or novel, or it may help you riddle through the portion of your work-in-progress that has you at a standstill.
Need a new idea? Brainstorm.
Can't think of a title? Brainstorm.
Have an extra ten minutes while the soup boils? Brainstorm.
Incredible things happen when you give your creativity slack like that. You'll bring up things you never thought imaginable. They're all right there in your head, waiting for you to get out of the way so they can be seen.
Remember in elementary school when your teacher would set aside ten minutes a day for you to brainstorm new ideas for your writing journal or so you could come up with a slightly more creative approach to your essay on the Underground Railroad? I sure do. A good 80% of the time, it worked, too.
And yet, very few writers brainstorm daily or even when they're out of ideas.
Instead, we wait around for inspiration to strike. We do laundry, we go to the store, we sit and stare at a blank screen at the coffee shop. We think, "It'll happen. I'll just ignore it and it'll come forward like a shy deer." When a smidgen of an idea does finally come, we usually stop it before it grows to its full potential. We outline it and worry about the characters to fill the idea, but we never let the idea grow crazy and wild before trimming it back. We wish it to grow inside our defined little box of "my genre" and "things I write".
But if brainstorming proved to be so beneficial as children, why do we so easily turn our backs on it?
The answer is, because it can be difficult.
It's scary to go unbridled into the lightning and thunder. It's dark most of the time. What if we can't come up with any ideas? What if we come up with a ton and they all suck?
These are questions everyone has asked before brainstorming.
And it's true: sometimes, nothing happens.
However, other times bad ideas turn not so bad. They grow and shift and change with each strike of lightning - illuminating themselves a little more to the writer.
I've personally set a goal to brainstorm at least once per week. Rather than getting stuck on my writing and going off to make cookies, grocery shop, or watch Project Runway (admit it, you've been there), I force my creative muscles to flex. I sit down with a timer, gluing my fingers to the keys and my butt to the seat.
And you know what? It works. Pretty soon ideas come and characters show themselves and plots unravel. Pretty soon my brain stops procrastinating and shrieking like a tired two year-old and it starts to have some fun.
That's why we got into this in the first place - it's why we do what we do - because we find writing intoxicatingly fun and we can't stop.
So, next time you're at your rope's end and you want to throw your hands up in frustration, try brainstorming. It may give you a new idea for a poem or novel, or it may help you riddle through the portion of your work-in-progress that has you at a standstill.
Need a new idea? Brainstorm.
Can't think of a title? Brainstorm.
Have an extra ten minutes while the soup boils? Brainstorm.
Incredible things happen when you give your creativity slack like that. You'll bring up things you never thought imaginable. They're all right there in your head, waiting for you to get out of the way so they can be seen.
Tuesday, September 29, 2015
What's a MOOC and Why is it Cool?
Many of you know that while I'm no longer actively working towards a degree in Writing, I still love taking online workshops and getaway writing weekends to grow my knowledge in the craft.
The only problem? All those classes cost A LOT of money.
Some I'd pay 80-100 dollars for, others cost over 400!
But it was okay, right? All in the name of writing. This is my passion. This is what I want for my life. I want to get better and be published. I want to be a writer!
However, what if we could learn how to be writers without paying two weeks of disposable salary?
That's where the MOOC comes in.
MOOC stands for Massive Open Online Course. Wikipedia defines it further as, "an online course aimed at unlimited participation and open access via the web. In addition to traditional course materials such as filmed lectures, readings, and problem sets, many MOOCs provide interactive user forums to support community interactions between students, professors, and teaching assistants."
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Massive_open_online_course
So, basically, a MOOC is a high-level class brought to you usually by an accredited facility, literally giving away info for free.
What could be better than that?
MOOCs were birthed into the world in 2008, but didn't become popular until 2012. This means they're still a pretty new concept in the world of learning.
If you're looking to take a writing MOOC (or a MOOC in any subject - because they exist for almost anything), here's a list of Pros and Cons.
PROs: 1. They're free.
2. You choose your level of participation. [Because you're not paying for it, you don't have to worry about making deadlines and submitting assignments or risk failing grades. There are no grades here. Simply self enrichment.]
3. You meet a wide variety of people in fields you're interested in. [Unlike a classroom, students are only limited in attending by whether or not they have internet access. That means you meet writers from all over the world that are interested in the same things you are. Great friendships ensue.]
CONs: 1. You must be at least moderately computer savvy.
2. You only get what you put in. [If you don't think you need to participate because it's free and you're not graded, then you probably won't learn very much. Sure, the instructor videos are helpful, but only by engaging in conversation and critique and submission with your fellow students will your writing truly grow.]
3. It's easy to get overwhelmed if you're not organized. [There's no enrollment cap so thousands of students sign up for MOOCs. That means, if you're not prepared, you can easily be overwhelmed by the 3,000 comments made on day one. Also, since there are so many people, it's likely you won't always be critiqued by the same amount of students for each story you submit. While you do receive variety in opinions with your critiquers, one story may get 700 comments, another may only get 3.]
If you think MOOCs sound intriguing, sign up! There are sites like NovoEd that contain hundreds of MOOCs on different subjects.
In fact, the whole reason I've made this post this week is because I'm enrolled in a MOOC put together by the University of Iowa (you know, the one with the really popular Iowa Writer's Workshop). It's called How Writers Write Fiction 2015 and may still be open for enrollment (?) since they're still in the Welcome Week of the course.
And good news for poets, too! The University of Iowa also puts on a How Writers Write Poetry MOOC occasionally. The 2015 one just ended, but they're looking into doing the next in 2016 or 2017.
The only problem? All those classes cost A LOT of money.
Some I'd pay 80-100 dollars for, others cost over 400!
But it was okay, right? All in the name of writing. This is my passion. This is what I want for my life. I want to get better and be published. I want to be a writer!
However, what if we could learn how to be writers without paying two weeks of disposable salary?
That's where the MOOC comes in.
MOOC stands for Massive Open Online Course. Wikipedia defines it further as, "an online course aimed at unlimited participation and open access via the web. In addition to traditional course materials such as filmed lectures, readings, and problem sets, many MOOCs provide interactive user forums to support community interactions between students, professors, and teaching assistants."
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Massive_open_online_course
So, basically, a MOOC is a high-level class brought to you usually by an accredited facility, literally giving away info for free.
What could be better than that?
MOOCs were birthed into the world in 2008, but didn't become popular until 2012. This means they're still a pretty new concept in the world of learning.
If you're looking to take a writing MOOC (or a MOOC in any subject - because they exist for almost anything), here's a list of Pros and Cons.
PROs: 1. They're free.
2. You choose your level of participation. [Because you're not paying for it, you don't have to worry about making deadlines and submitting assignments or risk failing grades. There are no grades here. Simply self enrichment.]
3. You meet a wide variety of people in fields you're interested in. [Unlike a classroom, students are only limited in attending by whether or not they have internet access. That means you meet writers from all over the world that are interested in the same things you are. Great friendships ensue.]
CONs: 1. You must be at least moderately computer savvy.
2. You only get what you put in. [If you don't think you need to participate because it's free and you're not graded, then you probably won't learn very much. Sure, the instructor videos are helpful, but only by engaging in conversation and critique and submission with your fellow students will your writing truly grow.]
3. It's easy to get overwhelmed if you're not organized. [There's no enrollment cap so thousands of students sign up for MOOCs. That means, if you're not prepared, you can easily be overwhelmed by the 3,000 comments made on day one. Also, since there are so many people, it's likely you won't always be critiqued by the same amount of students for each story you submit. While you do receive variety in opinions with your critiquers, one story may get 700 comments, another may only get 3.]
If you think MOOCs sound intriguing, sign up! There are sites like NovoEd that contain hundreds of MOOCs on different subjects.
In fact, the whole reason I've made this post this week is because I'm enrolled in a MOOC put together by the University of Iowa (you know, the one with the really popular Iowa Writer's Workshop). It's called How Writers Write Fiction 2015 and may still be open for enrollment (?) since they're still in the Welcome Week of the course.
And good news for poets, too! The University of Iowa also puts on a How Writers Write Poetry MOOC occasionally. The 2015 one just ended, but they're looking into doing the next in 2016 or 2017.
Tuesday, September 8, 2015
Authorship
I've always been a big advocate of the fact that being a "writer" and having the ability to classify ourselves with the term "writer" needs only one requirement; That we write.
You needn't be published, or represented by an agent, or have written a piece over 50,000 words. Being a writer simply means that you devote your time and energy to writing.
So, with this logic, I've been a committed writer for quite some time - probably a good eight years. And many of you have, no doubt, been writers just as long or longer than I.
Still, it sure does feel good when someone recognizes you for your achievements, doesn't it? This is exactly the experience I had the other day when I signed up for a Goodreads Author profile. To receive the Goodreads Author stamp on my profile, I had to prove that I'd published a book (or, in my case, a short story which was recognized on their site) in which my work appeared.
I submitted the application and waited two excruciatingly long days until I got the email that I was approved as a Goodreads Author! I logged on and look at what I saw:
Now, I'm a writer, but I've also boarded the coveted ship of "author". Seeing this definitely gave me the boot in the pants that I needed to keep the momentum of my projects at top-speed.
So keep writing, fellow scribes. Keep submitting and crossing your fingers that your story will be accepted. It'll take forever (eight years!) but it'll be worth it in the end.
[In the meantime, feel free to check out my profile on Goodreads. Also, if you're a Goodreads Author yourself (or simply a Goodreads member) hit me up in the comments or follow my profile and I'll come check out your books!]
You needn't be published, or represented by an agent, or have written a piece over 50,000 words. Being a writer simply means that you devote your time and energy to writing.
So, with this logic, I've been a committed writer for quite some time - probably a good eight years. And many of you have, no doubt, been writers just as long or longer than I.
Still, it sure does feel good when someone recognizes you for your achievements, doesn't it? This is exactly the experience I had the other day when I signed up for a Goodreads Author profile. To receive the Goodreads Author stamp on my profile, I had to prove that I'd published a book (or, in my case, a short story which was recognized on their site) in which my work appeared.
I submitted the application and waited two excruciatingly long days until I got the email that I was approved as a Goodreads Author! I logged on and look at what I saw:
Now, I'm a writer, but I've also boarded the coveted ship of "author". Seeing this definitely gave me the boot in the pants that I needed to keep the momentum of my projects at top-speed.
So keep writing, fellow scribes. Keep submitting and crossing your fingers that your story will be accepted. It'll take forever (eight years!) but it'll be worth it in the end.
[In the meantime, feel free to check out my profile on Goodreads. Also, if you're a Goodreads Author yourself (or simply a Goodreads member) hit me up in the comments or follow my profile and I'll come check out your books!]
Tuesday, September 1, 2015
Bonus Post: New Facebook Page!
I just created a Facebook page for my professional author and illustration projects. Feel free to check it out, hit like, or send me a message any time!
Alyssa Nedbal: author
And, as a super bonus, here's a picture of me geeking out with my copy of Parody Poetry Journal's Volume 4, Issue 1, which is for sale on their website now! Also, you can read 'The Fortune Cookie Writer' online, anytime, for free!
Alyssa Nedbal: author
And, as a super bonus, here's a picture of me geeking out with my copy of Parody Poetry Journal's Volume 4, Issue 1, which is for sale on their website now! Also, you can read 'The Fortune Cookie Writer' online, anytime, for free!
What To Do When the Muse Escapes You
It's a very busy time of year for many of us. School is back in session, summer vacations are over and gone, the days are getting shorter - ugh! With all of this and the stress of normal, everyday life, sometimes our writing falls to the back burner.
Even best laid plans often come out misshapen. You want to write over lunch but there's a twenty minute line in the cafeteria, so you only have a few moments to scarf down food. You want to write right away in the morning, but your alarm clock doesn't sound. You want to write before bed, but your kids aren't used to school-time bedtimes and fighting their energy has you up until midnight.
No matter who you are or what your situation is, these kinds of setbacks in our writing life definitely take a toll. After a week of thwarted plans, you're often too exhausted to write while family watches the football game. And when an early bedtime arises, you take sleep over getting another sentence into your novel.
I get it. I've been there too.
If this is sounding a whole lot like your life, I urge you to check out a brand new muse.
This sounds like more work, you say, but no. You needn't create her.
Instead, pop over to Pulp Literature and check out their "A Message From Your Muse" page. Here, you can sign up for a daily message from the muse either emailed to your inbox, or follow her on Twitter to keep excess emails thin.
Her gems of knowledge and encouragement have made me smile and lifted my writing spirits on countless occasions. I hope her musey effects help you as well.
Even best laid plans often come out misshapen. You want to write over lunch but there's a twenty minute line in the cafeteria, so you only have a few moments to scarf down food. You want to write right away in the morning, but your alarm clock doesn't sound. You want to write before bed, but your kids aren't used to school-time bedtimes and fighting their energy has you up until midnight.
No matter who you are or what your situation is, these kinds of setbacks in our writing life definitely take a toll. After a week of thwarted plans, you're often too exhausted to write while family watches the football game. And when an early bedtime arises, you take sleep over getting another sentence into your novel.
I get it. I've been there too.
If this is sounding a whole lot like your life, I urge you to check out a brand new muse.
This sounds like more work, you say, but no. You needn't create her.
Instead, pop over to Pulp Literature and check out their "A Message From Your Muse" page. Here, you can sign up for a daily message from the muse either emailed to your inbox, or follow her on Twitter to keep excess emails thin.
Her gems of knowledge and encouragement have made me smile and lifted my writing spirits on countless occasions. I hope her musey effects help you as well.
Tuesday, August 25, 2015
Literary Goodies (A Gift List for Writers)
It's almost back to school time, and you know what that means? Shopping. And you know what shopping means? Buying ourselves presents, of course!
(Or maybe that's just my logic but, oh well!)
So this week, I'm lightening up on the writing advice and instead bringing you a list of my favorite literary inspired gifts for yourself or the writer you know. Hold on to your wallets, literary scholars, here we go!
1. Let's start with the most expensive and the most epic pick first. It's the Luxury Club Library Bookcase Chair by Alexander Love Designs in Brooklyn, NY. You can find it on ETSY. Wouldn't this be the best chair to sit in, surrounded by your love of books, your literary idols, your favorite tomes? Now picture yourself with a mug of coffee in one hand and your laptop poised on your lap, bursting with perfect prose. It's an ideal world in the Bookcase Chair. I just know it is. However, it will set you back about $2,950.00. So....put it on the list for when you get your first publishing advance :)
2. This next gift is a recent find of mine, but I absolutely LOVE this company and their wit. It's the Soap for Writer's Block by Whiskey River Soap Co. The site's description of the soap is amazing:
" If this soap doesn’t help you churn out regurgitated ideas and probably a vampire, I’ll eat my hat. It’s a fedora, by the way. Cool vampires wear fedoras now. Put that in your crack pipe and smoke it. Or in your book. Either way, you’re gonna need this soap ASAP. Your ideas are terrible."
Another of my favorite, definitely fueled to writers, is the Soap for Introverts. It's "a handcrafted bar dyed with a blend of nonconfrontational ocean blues. And we didn’t bother scenting it. Because seriously, it’s not like you’re going anywhere anyway, right?"
They also churn out soaps to help you get into character like the Soap for Evil Dictators scented with the plight of the people, Soap for Geeks, and Soap for Hipsters.
Feeling a little dry after all this talk of bathing? Whiskey River Soap Co. makes all their scents into candles, because who has the time to stop wallowing in their own writer's block for a shower? Simply light, lean back, and let the ideas flow.
3. We've covered places to sit and things to smell, but every writer needs something to wear (that isn't pajamas). Here enters Appraising Pages and their shop of wonderful book-inspired t-shirts, jewelry, and extras (like this Albus Dumbledore banner). My favorite, and one that I've really been wanting to buy - HINT HINT gift givers in my life - is their Support Authors tee. Nothing says "I'm a starving artist" like daily encouragement of complete strangers to buy our books. Self-aggrandizing? Maybe. A beautiful option to wear to the store other than holey cotton shorts and a plaid shirt? Yes.
4. Need a little motivation? Check out Steal Like and Artist: 10 Things Nobody Told You About Being Creative by Austin Kleon at Amazon. It's a great read for anyone who's looking to navigate creativity and creation in the digital age, anyone who needs to defend "where they got their ideas" to family members, and for those who are plum out of ideas.
5. Finally, the last gift on the list is something useful to eating and drinking the hours away while you rework that plot point in chapter three. I'm talking specifically of the mugs from The Literary Gift Company. Now, The Literary Gift Company isn't limited to mugs. They also sell apparel, jewelry, housewares, stationary, books, cards, and reading accessories. Pretty much a writers dream, right? Well, it gets better. Their mugs include the Penguin classics like Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, Grammar Mugs, and mugs that ask you please Go Away, I'm Writing and come with chocolate, so you won't have to leave your writing spot all day. Best of all, though, they carry Personalized Book Cover Mugs, where you choose the title and the author's name. I'm sure this was created to please those who love Penguin books they don't carry in their other listings, but really, we'd use it for ourselves. "The Great American Novel by Alyssa Nedbal"? I could work with that. So keep writing and keep this mug handy. You thought you wouldn't survive to see your book hit the classics shelf, but now you don't have to wait and hope. You can simply order.
(Or maybe that's just my logic but, oh well!)
So this week, I'm lightening up on the writing advice and instead bringing you a list of my favorite literary inspired gifts for yourself or the writer you know. Hold on to your wallets, literary scholars, here we go!
1. Let's start with the most expensive and the most epic pick first. It's the Luxury Club Library Bookcase Chair by Alexander Love Designs in Brooklyn, NY. You can find it on ETSY. Wouldn't this be the best chair to sit in, surrounded by your love of books, your literary idols, your favorite tomes? Now picture yourself with a mug of coffee in one hand and your laptop poised on your lap, bursting with perfect prose. It's an ideal world in the Bookcase Chair. I just know it is. However, it will set you back about $2,950.00. So....put it on the list for when you get your first publishing advance :)
2. This next gift is a recent find of mine, but I absolutely LOVE this company and their wit. It's the Soap for Writer's Block by Whiskey River Soap Co. The site's description of the soap is amazing:
" If this soap doesn’t help you churn out regurgitated ideas and probably a vampire, I’ll eat my hat. It’s a fedora, by the way. Cool vampires wear fedoras now. Put that in your crack pipe and smoke it. Or in your book. Either way, you’re gonna need this soap ASAP. Your ideas are terrible."
Another of my favorite, definitely fueled to writers, is the Soap for Introverts. It's "a handcrafted bar dyed with a blend of nonconfrontational ocean blues. And we didn’t bother scenting it. Because seriously, it’s not like you’re going anywhere anyway, right?"
They also churn out soaps to help you get into character like the Soap for Evil Dictators scented with the plight of the people, Soap for Geeks, and Soap for Hipsters.
Feeling a little dry after all this talk of bathing? Whiskey River Soap Co. makes all their scents into candles, because who has the time to stop wallowing in their own writer's block for a shower? Simply light, lean back, and let the ideas flow.
3. We've covered places to sit and things to smell, but every writer needs something to wear (that isn't pajamas). Here enters Appraising Pages and their shop of wonderful book-inspired t-shirts, jewelry, and extras (like this Albus Dumbledore banner). My favorite, and one that I've really been wanting to buy - HINT HINT gift givers in my life - is their Support Authors tee. Nothing says "I'm a starving artist" like daily encouragement of complete strangers to buy our books. Self-aggrandizing? Maybe. A beautiful option to wear to the store other than holey cotton shorts and a plaid shirt? Yes.
4. Need a little motivation? Check out Steal Like and Artist: 10 Things Nobody Told You About Being Creative by Austin Kleon at Amazon. It's a great read for anyone who's looking to navigate creativity and creation in the digital age, anyone who needs to defend "where they got their ideas" to family members, and for those who are plum out of ideas.
5. Finally, the last gift on the list is something useful to eating and drinking the hours away while you rework that plot point in chapter three. I'm talking specifically of the mugs from The Literary Gift Company. Now, The Literary Gift Company isn't limited to mugs. They also sell apparel, jewelry, housewares, stationary, books, cards, and reading accessories. Pretty much a writers dream, right? Well, it gets better. Their mugs include the Penguin classics like Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, Grammar Mugs, and mugs that ask you please Go Away, I'm Writing and come with chocolate, so you won't have to leave your writing spot all day. Best of all, though, they carry Personalized Book Cover Mugs, where you choose the title and the author's name. I'm sure this was created to please those who love Penguin books they don't carry in their other listings, but really, we'd use it for ourselves. "The Great American Novel by Alyssa Nedbal"? I could work with that. So keep writing and keep this mug handy. You thought you wouldn't survive to see your book hit the classics shelf, but now you don't have to wait and hope. You can simply order.
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, March 3, 2015
New Writing Inspiration Board
Have you guys been on Pinterest lately? As you know, I'm a self-professed Pinterest junkie. I have the app on my phone which only enables me to use it more often.
Because of this I've started a new Writing Board.
I'll have a plethora of different images and links there. From inspirational quotes, to photos of people writing *in the wild*, to writing prompts, and word charts. If it inspires, motivates, or makes me laugh, and relates to writing, it'll be on there.
So what are you waiting for? Go check it out: https://www.pinterest.com/alyssanedbal/writing/
If you haven't clicked the link above, and still need some convincing, here's a few examples of pins on my Writing Board. I promise there are more where these came from.
Because of this I've started a new Writing Board.
I'll have a plethora of different images and links there. From inspirational quotes, to photos of people writing *in the wild*, to writing prompts, and word charts. If it inspires, motivates, or makes me laugh, and relates to writing, it'll be on there.
So what are you waiting for? Go check it out: https://www.pinterest.com/alyssanedbal/writing/
If you haven't clicked the link above, and still need some convincing, here's a few examples of pins on my Writing Board. I promise there are more where these came from.
Happy Pinning ..... ahem...... I mean, Writing. :)
Tuesday, February 24, 2015
Books That Inspired Me To Write: The Extras
Over the past month I've been sharing the books that inspired me to read and then to write. From the first book that I ever fell in love with, to the books that captured me in the literary life, to the first moment I actively decided to be a writer, and finally to the books that made me fearless with revision.
That seems to cover every base, right? I thought so. But the more I thought about the books that truly inspired different aspects within me, the longer the list grew.
So, to wrap up this post series, I'd like to share a few of the books/series that helped me be confident with other aspects of the craft.
First, there's The Alchemyst: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel (and the rest of the series) by Michael Scott
Scott taught me through the Nicholas Flamel series just how to orchestrate a large cast of characters. He taught me how to make characters' voices distinguishable and how to give everyone their own unique personality. Scott also has an amazing ability (one I truly covet) to write in great detail with the most amazing clarity. His action scenes, especially, and his descriptions of cities I've never been to and magic I've never witnessed are so real, I feel as if they weave themselves into tapestries before my eyes - tapestries I can touch and experience. Scott has the knowledge to craft amazing detail that's just enough for readers to be captivated and yet not too much for readers to be confused or bored.
It's a skill I hope to master myself. It was Michael Scott who taught me how perfect of an art form it really is.
The next set of books come from Nicholas Sparks. The Longest Ride and The Last Song.
Now, I know what you're thinking: Sparks is a commercial romance powerhouse. Every year, another book. Someone always dies. Yadda Yadda.
Well, that's what I thought, too, until my mother convinced me to read first The Last Song, and then The Longest Ride. (Truthfully, most of the great things that happened in my life seem to be roundabout connected to my mother's influence. Strange. She must have some master plan I have yet to unveil.)
Anyway, back to Sparks.
By reading these books I discovered this author's greatest strength - one I hope to employ in my own fiction - and it's the ability to balance romance within a book that has other aspects. Once I gave him a chance, I learned that Sparks is, perhaps, the master of Counterbalance.
(Missed that post on Counterbalance? Go here.)
So, if you need help keeping the tension sizzling within your novel, or you're missing that little extra magic that brings a book to its soul, read Sparks.
The next amazing story is not a book, but a short story by Raymond Carver. Cathedral.
Now, I haven't read the full Cathedral collection Carver published in 1983, but I have read a smattering of Carver short stories, which has led me to believe that Raymond Carver is the best short fiction writer that has yet to publish. Yes, there you have it, he's my favorite.
Mostly it's because his details are so direct and yet stand for so many different things. He's a master of voice, and his characters are at once real and not. There's too many reasons I adore Carver's writing to devote to one post, so I'll leave it at this: Of all the short stories I've read, after reading Cathedral, I wish I had written it.
And there's still more books I could write about. Still more that have taught me what to do or what not to do. What to aspire to be, and how to write as I always imagined I could.
That's the most important aspect I'd like you to take away from this post series. Other than getting to know me better, I hope that you see the power in stories. They're the only catalyst besides art and human beings that can truly impact the trajectory of a person's life. If my mother hadn't started me on Harry Potter, would I have been one of those children who hated reading? If I'd hated reading, would I have never been in AP English and read The Stranger? If I never read The Stranger, I wouldn't have actively decided to be a writer.
And I wouldn't be me.
So, when you write, remember it. Remember that your story or novel could be the next book that causes someone to fall in love with reading. It could be the book that person needed to resume working on their novel in progress. It could be the book that inspires a future writer and ends up posted on her blog.
Photo Credits:
Michael Scott: http://www.amazon.com/Alchemyst-Secrets-Immortal-Nicholas-Flamel/dp/0385736002/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1424794477&sr=8-1&keywords=michael+scott+the+alchemyst
Nicholas Sparks: http://www.amazon.com/LONGEST-Sparks-Nicholas-Author-Hardcover/dp/B00I1D927U/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1424795330&sr=1-4&keywords=the+longest+ride
and: http://www.amazon.com/Nicholas-Central-Publishing-Paperback-Reprint/dp/B00DWYY1ZG/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1424795361&sr=8-2&keywords=the+last+song+book
Raymond Carver: http://www.amazon.com/Cathedral-Raymond-Carver/dp/0679723692/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1424795941&sr=8-1&keywords=cathedral+raymond+carver
That seems to cover every base, right? I thought so. But the more I thought about the books that truly inspired different aspects within me, the longer the list grew.
So, to wrap up this post series, I'd like to share a few of the books/series that helped me be confident with other aspects of the craft.
First, there's The Alchemyst: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel (and the rest of the series) by Michael Scott
Scott taught me through the Nicholas Flamel series just how to orchestrate a large cast of characters. He taught me how to make characters' voices distinguishable and how to give everyone their own unique personality. Scott also has an amazing ability (one I truly covet) to write in great detail with the most amazing clarity. His action scenes, especially, and his descriptions of cities I've never been to and magic I've never witnessed are so real, I feel as if they weave themselves into tapestries before my eyes - tapestries I can touch and experience. Scott has the knowledge to craft amazing detail that's just enough for readers to be captivated and yet not too much for readers to be confused or bored.
It's a skill I hope to master myself. It was Michael Scott who taught me how perfect of an art form it really is.
The next set of books come from Nicholas Sparks. The Longest Ride and The Last Song.
Now, I know what you're thinking: Sparks is a commercial romance powerhouse. Every year, another book. Someone always dies. Yadda Yadda.
Well, that's what I thought, too, until my mother convinced me to read first The Last Song, and then The Longest Ride. (Truthfully, most of the great things that happened in my life seem to be roundabout connected to my mother's influence. Strange. She must have some master plan I have yet to unveil.)
Anyway, back to Sparks.
By reading these books I discovered this author's greatest strength - one I hope to employ in my own fiction - and it's the ability to balance romance within a book that has other aspects. Once I gave him a chance, I learned that Sparks is, perhaps, the master of Counterbalance.
(Missed that post on Counterbalance? Go here.)
So, if you need help keeping the tension sizzling within your novel, or you're missing that little extra magic that brings a book to its soul, read Sparks.
The next amazing story is not a book, but a short story by Raymond Carver. Cathedral.
Now, I haven't read the full Cathedral collection Carver published in 1983, but I have read a smattering of Carver short stories, which has led me to believe that Raymond Carver is the best short fiction writer that has yet to publish. Yes, there you have it, he's my favorite.
Mostly it's because his details are so direct and yet stand for so many different things. He's a master of voice, and his characters are at once real and not. There's too many reasons I adore Carver's writing to devote to one post, so I'll leave it at this: Of all the short stories I've read, after reading Cathedral, I wish I had written it.
And there's still more books I could write about. Still more that have taught me what to do or what not to do. What to aspire to be, and how to write as I always imagined I could.
That's the most important aspect I'd like you to take away from this post series. Other than getting to know me better, I hope that you see the power in stories. They're the only catalyst besides art and human beings that can truly impact the trajectory of a person's life. If my mother hadn't started me on Harry Potter, would I have been one of those children who hated reading? If I'd hated reading, would I have never been in AP English and read The Stranger? If I never read The Stranger, I wouldn't have actively decided to be a writer.
And I wouldn't be me.
So, when you write, remember it. Remember that your story or novel could be the next book that causes someone to fall in love with reading. It could be the book that person needed to resume working on their novel in progress. It could be the book that inspires a future writer and ends up posted on her blog.
Photo Credits:
Michael Scott: http://www.amazon.com/Alchemyst-Secrets-Immortal-Nicholas-Flamel/dp/0385736002/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1424794477&sr=8-1&keywords=michael+scott+the+alchemyst
Nicholas Sparks: http://www.amazon.com/LONGEST-Sparks-Nicholas-Author-Hardcover/dp/B00I1D927U/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1424795330&sr=1-4&keywords=the+longest+ride
and: http://www.amazon.com/Nicholas-Central-Publishing-Paperback-Reprint/dp/B00DWYY1ZG/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1424795361&sr=8-2&keywords=the+last+song+book
Raymond Carver: http://www.amazon.com/Cathedral-Raymond-Carver/dp/0679723692/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1424795941&sr=8-1&keywords=cathedral+raymond+carver
Tuesday, February 17, 2015
Books That Inspired Me To Write: The Amazing, The Terrible, and The Oh Hell No
Throughout the years I've read many books that are amazing and great for countless reasons. Books that I adore. Ones that force me to start devoted Pinterest boards, draw the main characters, or collect their overpriced action figures.
I've also run into a grand number of books that are terrible. These can be just as inspiring as the great books - some even more so. By reading the terrible books - even when I wanted to stop - I learned what NOT to do in my writing. I learned exactly what I didn't want readers to think while they read my stories. I understood how important amazing writing needs to be before a book is published.
For example: passive language needs to be eliminated whenever possible, but when the writer doesn't know this and the editor lets it go, rampant passive language is excruciating to deal with.
Also, description can bring the reader into the story in great depth. The correct type of detail in the correct way can make a story magical and transcend the page. However, overly excessive detail or a lack of description all together both make the reader confused and frustrate that reader to no end.
So, I've found that it's important to read both the good, the bad, and the those books you grip so tightly in your hands, you think you're going to tear the binding because they're so painfully horrible.
This brings me to the next book that inspired me to write. Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf.
I started Mrs. Dalloway with high hopes. I knew that this book was revered amongst the literary community for having some of the best writing and language around. It was known not only as a great book but as a true work of art. These praises got me so excited and ramped up to read that by the time the book arrived in the mail, I had convinced myself I loved it.
Unfortunately, that was not the case.
I found the stream of consciousness narration to be confusing at best. The descriptions were muddled by interjecting thoughts - most of them half unfinished - the punctuation was weird, and the story jumped around between the points of view of Clarissa Dalloway, Peter Walsh, and Septimus Warren Smith. When more than one character was in the same room, it was difficult to decipher who was thinking what.
I ended the novel in a state of slightly angry confusion. How was this book supposed to make any sense at all? If it didn't make sense, why was it called beautiful - a work of art?
I would have dropped the book then, giving it a lower than low score in my mind if not for one roadblock: Mrs. Dalloway was a book assigned by my AP English class. I had a 25% grade weighted essay to write about it. I couldn't give up now or risk something lower than an A in English class.
So I read it again.
And it still didn't make any more sense.
I was nearly in tears over this book because it was so terrible and I needed to understand it so badly.
But then I found another book:
Mrs. Dalloway: Mapping Streams of Consciousness by David Dowling was published in 1991. I found it in 2012, but it had such an impact on me that I can't sing its praises enough. Suddenly, through his even and steady breakdowns and comparisons, I was able to understand the events of Mrs. Dalloway. I was able to literally "map the streams of consciousness" from Woolf's many characters. I understood their motivations and their desires. I understood what made them tick.
I read through Mrs. Dalloway again and saw it for what it truly was: one of the best books I've ever read. A true masterpiece of twentieth century art.
Mrs. Dalloway (accompanied by Dowling's amazing analysis) was the first book I learned to love slowly. It was the first time my opinion on a literary work changed over time. Unlike The Stranger, which I viewed as a favorite from my first read-through, Mrs. Dalloway grew out of an understanding of the author, her art, and her experimentation with form.
Above all, Mrs. Dalloway taught me that literature could be thought-provoking as well as entertaining. It taught me that not all novels are meant to be gobbled down in one bite. It taught me that sometimes I needed to slow my pace and truly savor a great work of art.
Mrs. Dalloway also taught me one of my most important literary lessons: Metaphors.
Prior to reading Woolf, I had mastered the simile and thought that I was pretty great at metaphor too. But after reading, I knew I hadn't even scratched the surface of metaphor's potential.
One of my favorite Mrs. Dalloway metaphors (and one that hit me with so much impact, I'm surprised I missed it the first ten times I read through the novel) comes near the end of the novel.
NOTE****passage below contains plot spoilers****
After Septimus commits suicide, Clarissa Dalloway looks out her window. She has been contemplating death throughout the novel and hearing of Septimus' suicide she thinks, "...the sky. It will be a solemn sky, she had thought, it will be a dusky sky, turning away its cheek in beauty. But there it was - ashen pale, raced over quickly by tapering vast clouds."
In Clarissa's moment of illumination she stops constantly worrying about death. She is able to let go of her fears and live in the present once again.
Then, on the last page, Clarissa's former lover Peter sees her at her party. He thinks, "It is Clarissa, he said. For there she was."
This is the last line of the novel. Until truly understanding Woolf's mastery of metaphor, I thought the piece unfinished. But now, I see it as it truly is, a wonder of craft and emotion. In just four simple words, Woolf conveys to the audience that Clarissa is a changed woman. From her view of the sky to Peter's finally seeing her for the woman she is now, "For there she was" and "But there it was" is so powerful and wonderfully complete, it catapulted Mrs. Dalloway into a spot of love in my heart.
****spoilers over****
After already deciding that I was going to be a writer in every sense of the word and action, it was Mrs. Dalloway that was my first literary breakthrough. I understood the benefits of experimental fiction. I fully grasped the importance of metaphor, and I learned that not everything I saw at first light is going to stay that way.
I guess, in a roundabout way, it was comprehending Mrs. Dalloway that gave me the courage to start major revisions on works that truly needed it. Woolf was the one who showed me my work could and should be better if I only lost my fear of making it worse.
Photo Credits are both from Amazon.com
Mrs. Dalloway: http://www.amazon.com/Mrs-Dalloway-Virginia-Woolf/dp/0156628708/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1424192309&sr=8-1&keywords=mrs+dalloway+virginia+woolf
Mrs. Dalloway: Mapping Streams of Consciousness: http://www.amazon.com/Mrs-Dalloway-Mapping-Streams-Consciousness/dp/080579414X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1424193628&sr=8-1&keywords=mapping+streams+of+consciousness
I've also run into a grand number of books that are terrible. These can be just as inspiring as the great books - some even more so. By reading the terrible books - even when I wanted to stop - I learned what NOT to do in my writing. I learned exactly what I didn't want readers to think while they read my stories. I understood how important amazing writing needs to be before a book is published.
For example: passive language needs to be eliminated whenever possible, but when the writer doesn't know this and the editor lets it go, rampant passive language is excruciating to deal with.
Also, description can bring the reader into the story in great depth. The correct type of detail in the correct way can make a story magical and transcend the page. However, overly excessive detail or a lack of description all together both make the reader confused and frustrate that reader to no end.
So, I've found that it's important to read both the good, the bad, and the those books you grip so tightly in your hands, you think you're going to tear the binding because they're so painfully horrible.
This brings me to the next book that inspired me to write. Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf.
I started Mrs. Dalloway with high hopes. I knew that this book was revered amongst the literary community for having some of the best writing and language around. It was known not only as a great book but as a true work of art. These praises got me so excited and ramped up to read that by the time the book arrived in the mail, I had convinced myself I loved it.
Unfortunately, that was not the case.
I found the stream of consciousness narration to be confusing at best. The descriptions were muddled by interjecting thoughts - most of them half unfinished - the punctuation was weird, and the story jumped around between the points of view of Clarissa Dalloway, Peter Walsh, and Septimus Warren Smith. When more than one character was in the same room, it was difficult to decipher who was thinking what.
I ended the novel in a state of slightly angry confusion. How was this book supposed to make any sense at all? If it didn't make sense, why was it called beautiful - a work of art?
I would have dropped the book then, giving it a lower than low score in my mind if not for one roadblock: Mrs. Dalloway was a book assigned by my AP English class. I had a 25% grade weighted essay to write about it. I couldn't give up now or risk something lower than an A in English class.
So I read it again.
And it still didn't make any more sense.
I was nearly in tears over this book because it was so terrible and I needed to understand it so badly.
But then I found another book:
Mrs. Dalloway: Mapping Streams of Consciousness by David Dowling was published in 1991. I found it in 2012, but it had such an impact on me that I can't sing its praises enough. Suddenly, through his even and steady breakdowns and comparisons, I was able to understand the events of Mrs. Dalloway. I was able to literally "map the streams of consciousness" from Woolf's many characters. I understood their motivations and their desires. I understood what made them tick.
I read through Mrs. Dalloway again and saw it for what it truly was: one of the best books I've ever read. A true masterpiece of twentieth century art.
Mrs. Dalloway (accompanied by Dowling's amazing analysis) was the first book I learned to love slowly. It was the first time my opinion on a literary work changed over time. Unlike The Stranger, which I viewed as a favorite from my first read-through, Mrs. Dalloway grew out of an understanding of the author, her art, and her experimentation with form.
Above all, Mrs. Dalloway taught me that literature could be thought-provoking as well as entertaining. It taught me that not all novels are meant to be gobbled down in one bite. It taught me that sometimes I needed to slow my pace and truly savor a great work of art.
Mrs. Dalloway also taught me one of my most important literary lessons: Metaphors.
Prior to reading Woolf, I had mastered the simile and thought that I was pretty great at metaphor too. But after reading, I knew I hadn't even scratched the surface of metaphor's potential.
One of my favorite Mrs. Dalloway metaphors (and one that hit me with so much impact, I'm surprised I missed it the first ten times I read through the novel) comes near the end of the novel.
NOTE****passage below contains plot spoilers****
After Septimus commits suicide, Clarissa Dalloway looks out her window. She has been contemplating death throughout the novel and hearing of Septimus' suicide she thinks, "...the sky. It will be a solemn sky, she had thought, it will be a dusky sky, turning away its cheek in beauty. But there it was - ashen pale, raced over quickly by tapering vast clouds."
In Clarissa's moment of illumination she stops constantly worrying about death. She is able to let go of her fears and live in the present once again.
Then, on the last page, Clarissa's former lover Peter sees her at her party. He thinks, "It is Clarissa, he said. For there she was."
This is the last line of the novel. Until truly understanding Woolf's mastery of metaphor, I thought the piece unfinished. But now, I see it as it truly is, a wonder of craft and emotion. In just four simple words, Woolf conveys to the audience that Clarissa is a changed woman. From her view of the sky to Peter's finally seeing her for the woman she is now, "For there she was" and "But there it was" is so powerful and wonderfully complete, it catapulted Mrs. Dalloway into a spot of love in my heart.
****spoilers over****
After already deciding that I was going to be a writer in every sense of the word and action, it was Mrs. Dalloway that was my first literary breakthrough. I understood the benefits of experimental fiction. I fully grasped the importance of metaphor, and I learned that not everything I saw at first light is going to stay that way.
I guess, in a roundabout way, it was comprehending Mrs. Dalloway that gave me the courage to start major revisions on works that truly needed it. Woolf was the one who showed me my work could and should be better if I only lost my fear of making it worse.
Photo Credits are both from Amazon.com
Mrs. Dalloway: http://www.amazon.com/Mrs-Dalloway-Virginia-Woolf/dp/0156628708/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1424192309&sr=8-1&keywords=mrs+dalloway+virginia+woolf
Mrs. Dalloway: Mapping Streams of Consciousness: http://www.amazon.com/Mrs-Dalloway-Mapping-Streams-Consciousness/dp/080579414X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1424193628&sr=8-1&keywords=mapping+streams+of+consciousness
Tuesday, February 10, 2015
Books That Inspired Me To Write: The Exact Moment I Became a Writer
Since childhood is so fundamentally important to a person (and a writer's) later life, I'm going to detail one more book series that inspired me during my fundamental years.
Junie B. Jones by Barbara Park were the first books I loved that not only had a female author, but a female protagonist. Junie B. didn't have magic powers, wasn't orphaned, and went to regular 8-3 school. In short, she was a lot like me. Plus, she was hilarious.
Junie B. Jones taught me that my life could be funny and fascinating and captivating too, even without magic wands or monsters. She taught me that I was strong enough to create a story (and a series of them!) using only the tools I had within my grasp. It was the first time I liked to "write what I knew".
She also taught me that my point of view mattered. She was the one who taught me that if I saw the world a little differently, I wasn't weird, I was creative. Being unique was a good thing, no matter what my peers said. Finally, I was confident enough not to react to every situation the way everyone else did. I could have my own opinion and my own way to problem solve, and it was perfectly alright.
So, in a way, Junie B. not only became an inspiration for my writing, but for me as a person.
Wow, this series is getting deep.....
While we're on a roll, let's not stop there. The next book that inspired me to be a writer was one I read, ensue dramatic music, in school.
From the moment I entered high school, I was in the advanced English program. I tested immediately out of all grammar classes and was thrown into class with the sophomores. I only went on from there, taking Advanced English 10, Advanced English 11, and then the final class, AP English 12.
Within those classes, I found some books I was surprised I loved: Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, Catch 22 by Joseph Heller, and The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, and The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare. However, above and beyond them all, my favorite find was The Stranger by Albert Camus.
Camus was my first introduction into true literary fiction. To this day, if you were to ask me, The Stranger would land in my top 3 favorite books of all time. And Camus would be up there with JK in my favorite author category.
Here's why it inspired me so:
First, this was the book that I truly realized the perfect beginning and ending mattered more than perhaps anything else in between. We've talked about how hard it is to begin a story on this blog before. We've talked about the need for perfect beginnings. Ends are just as, if not more, important than that.
But I never truly understood that until I read The Stranger.
The first two sentences of this novel read as follows:
"Mother died today. Or maybe yesterday; I can't be sure."
It's a simple beginning, but one that holds infinite amount of information. In one moment we're aware of just who the protagonist is. We understand what he thinks and feels. The characterization is breathtaking. We also know the setting of the first scene (a funeral). But perhaps the most important piece of information from the beginning is the reader's understanding that the protagonist is going to give what information he likes in the way he sees fit. He's unreliable for a complete, unbiased picture.
The end, I can't possibly do justice with a single quote. You must read it.
Seriously.
Read it.
Find it now.
I'll wait.
Go to the library if you must.
Okay. Back?
The end of The Stranger is so amazingly fitting for the protagonist that it takes my breath away. It was the first time in my life that I read a story and didn't long for less or more. As a reader, I was fulfilled. The catharsis was PERFECT. As a writer, I was inspired to do that much justice to the books I wrote.
Second, The Stranger by Camus was very much in line with what Junie B. and Barbara Park had taught me earlier in life. In The Stranger, the reader literally follows the protagonist around his daily routine for much of the first half of the book before the murder. Like Junie B., I learned that the mundane events of life could be captivating to an audience when written correctly.
But most importantly, these books taught me I could steal.
Yes, steal.
As in theft.
You've heard that all good writers steal, right? It's common knowledge and a famous quote. But I didn't know it until reading The Stranger. Perhaps it was the combination of mundane events with truly superb writing, but The Stranger taught me that I needn't come up with every snippet of dialogue or every metaphor, simile, and descriptive passage on a whim. I could steal the words of my family and friends, or the beautiful things I heard others talking about in coffee shops. My everyday life was lifted and used in my writing.
I started surrounding myself only with those people I truly connected with. My time went into friends who were funny, poignant, or had interesting POV's on the world.
Suddenly, my everyday life wasn't just lived to get me through - you know, eating, reading, sleeping, repeat - but as a true writer. Everything I did could be applied to my writing. Every conversation I had was free game. Every event I went to or new experience I acquired was cataloged for future use. It was after reading The Stranger that I definitively remember deciding my whole life was to be used for writing. Not just scribbling down stories but the true writing process. Every molecule and atom within me was charged.
It was that moment I became and could seriously claim myself a writer.
It wasn't by chance or grace. It was a decision.
And I've never looked back.
Photo credits both come from Amazon.com today. You can buy these books there, too.
Junie B. Jones: http://www.amazon.com/Junie-First-Grader-Last-Jones/dp/0375815163/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1423587946&sr=8-1&keywords=junie+b+jones+first+grader
The Stranger: http://www.amazon.com/Stranger-Albert-Camus/dp/0679720200/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1423588541&sr=8-1&keywords=the+stranger+albert+camus
Junie B. Jones by Barbara Park were the first books I loved that not only had a female author, but a female protagonist. Junie B. didn't have magic powers, wasn't orphaned, and went to regular 8-3 school. In short, she was a lot like me. Plus, she was hilarious.
Junie B. Jones taught me that my life could be funny and fascinating and captivating too, even without magic wands or monsters. She taught me that I was strong enough to create a story (and a series of them!) using only the tools I had within my grasp. It was the first time I liked to "write what I knew".
She also taught me that my point of view mattered. She was the one who taught me that if I saw the world a little differently, I wasn't weird, I was creative. Being unique was a good thing, no matter what my peers said. Finally, I was confident enough not to react to every situation the way everyone else did. I could have my own opinion and my own way to problem solve, and it was perfectly alright.
So, in a way, Junie B. not only became an inspiration for my writing, but for me as a person.
Wow, this series is getting deep.....
While we're on a roll, let's not stop there. The next book that inspired me to be a writer was one I read, ensue dramatic music, in school.
From the moment I entered high school, I was in the advanced English program. I tested immediately out of all grammar classes and was thrown into class with the sophomores. I only went on from there, taking Advanced English 10, Advanced English 11, and then the final class, AP English 12.
Within those classes, I found some books I was surprised I loved: Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, Catch 22 by Joseph Heller, and The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, and The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare. However, above and beyond them all, my favorite find was The Stranger by Albert Camus.
Camus was my first introduction into true literary fiction. To this day, if you were to ask me, The Stranger would land in my top 3 favorite books of all time. And Camus would be up there with JK in my favorite author category.
Here's why it inspired me so:
First, this was the book that I truly realized the perfect beginning and ending mattered more than perhaps anything else in between. We've talked about how hard it is to begin a story on this blog before. We've talked about the need for perfect beginnings. Ends are just as, if not more, important than that.
But I never truly understood that until I read The Stranger.
The first two sentences of this novel read as follows:
"Mother died today. Or maybe yesterday; I can't be sure."
It's a simple beginning, but one that holds infinite amount of information. In one moment we're aware of just who the protagonist is. We understand what he thinks and feels. The characterization is breathtaking. We also know the setting of the first scene (a funeral). But perhaps the most important piece of information from the beginning is the reader's understanding that the protagonist is going to give what information he likes in the way he sees fit. He's unreliable for a complete, unbiased picture.
The end, I can't possibly do justice with a single quote. You must read it.
Seriously.
Read it.
Find it now.
I'll wait.
Go to the library if you must.
Okay. Back?
The end of The Stranger is so amazingly fitting for the protagonist that it takes my breath away. It was the first time in my life that I read a story and didn't long for less or more. As a reader, I was fulfilled. The catharsis was PERFECT. As a writer, I was inspired to do that much justice to the books I wrote.
Second, The Stranger by Camus was very much in line with what Junie B. and Barbara Park had taught me earlier in life. In The Stranger, the reader literally follows the protagonist around his daily routine for much of the first half of the book before the murder. Like Junie B., I learned that the mundane events of life could be captivating to an audience when written correctly.
But most importantly, these books taught me I could steal.
Yes, steal.
As in theft.
You've heard that all good writers steal, right? It's common knowledge and a famous quote. But I didn't know it until reading The Stranger. Perhaps it was the combination of mundane events with truly superb writing, but The Stranger taught me that I needn't come up with every snippet of dialogue or every metaphor, simile, and descriptive passage on a whim. I could steal the words of my family and friends, or the beautiful things I heard others talking about in coffee shops. My everyday life was lifted and used in my writing.
I started surrounding myself only with those people I truly connected with. My time went into friends who were funny, poignant, or had interesting POV's on the world.
Suddenly, my everyday life wasn't just lived to get me through - you know, eating, reading, sleeping, repeat - but as a true writer. Everything I did could be applied to my writing. Every conversation I had was free game. Every event I went to or new experience I acquired was cataloged for future use. It was after reading The Stranger that I definitively remember deciding my whole life was to be used for writing. Not just scribbling down stories but the true writing process. Every molecule and atom within me was charged.
It was that moment I became and could seriously claim myself a writer.
It wasn't by chance or grace. It was a decision.
And I've never looked back.
Photo credits both come from Amazon.com today. You can buy these books there, too.
Junie B. Jones: http://www.amazon.com/Junie-First-Grader-Last-Jones/dp/0375815163/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1423587946&sr=8-1&keywords=junie+b+jones+first+grader
The Stranger: http://www.amazon.com/Stranger-Albert-Camus/dp/0679720200/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1423588541&sr=8-1&keywords=the+stranger+albert+camus
Tuesday, February 3, 2015
Books That Inspired Me To Write: Or, When I Learned About Choices
With my start in reading, I could have easily been one of those kids who reads/falls in love with/rereads the Harry Potter series and never picks up a different book again. I would have been just fine with it. My reading would have stopped with the Boy Who Lived.
But it didn't.
The books that were formative in my early reading life - the ones that kept the spark for reading alive within me - happened simultaneously.
The first was my discovery of the Goosebumps series by R.L. Stine.
Now, I'm not sure how many Goosebumps stories I read, or even if a majority of them were a completely different series all together, but one constant remains; I adored "choose your own adventure/ending" stories.
It was the first time in my life that my decisions as a reader (and probably as a person) mattered to the outcome of the story. Who cared that nine out of ten times I chose the wrong turn and died? I was making the story happen. I was in control.
I think this power was my first taste of what it was like to be a writer. Suddenly, I wasn't just along for the ride, I was orchestrating it.
The second discovery of my young readership happened entirely because of my mother. When I was a child, my mother signed me up for a monthly reader program. Basically, every month a new 60-90 page novel would arrive at my doorstep. They were all related to animals (though I no longer remember the name of the club or even if they still exist. This was the 90s, after all). Rescuing animals, taking care of animals, learning about new animal species.
And I dutifully read every story - cover to cover - before the next one arrived in the mail.
At the time, I was just reading cute animal stories. But now that I'm older, I realize that I was learning how to foster a life-long love for reading. I flew through the books, one month after another, and was always excited to pick up the next one.
My mother was a mastermind. From Potter to the book club, she made sure that I was going to love reading all different kinds of literature.
And it was due to this that I wrote. Because the time between me finishing the last book, and prior to receiving the next in the series, I had to do something to keep myself occupied.
Yep. I wrote.
Photo Credits:
Goosebumps book cover from: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/125592.Tick_Tock_You_re_Dead_
Puppy and duck picture from: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/121597258661438479/
But it didn't.
The books that were formative in my early reading life - the ones that kept the spark for reading alive within me - happened simultaneously.
The first was my discovery of the Goosebumps series by R.L. Stine.
It was the first time in my life that my decisions as a reader (and probably as a person) mattered to the outcome of the story. Who cared that nine out of ten times I chose the wrong turn and died? I was making the story happen. I was in control.
I think this power was my first taste of what it was like to be a writer. Suddenly, I wasn't just along for the ride, I was orchestrating it.
The second discovery of my young readership happened entirely because of my mother. When I was a child, my mother signed me up for a monthly reader program. Basically, every month a new 60-90 page novel would arrive at my doorstep. They were all related to animals (though I no longer remember the name of the club or even if they still exist. This was the 90s, after all). Rescuing animals, taking care of animals, learning about new animal species.
And I dutifully read every story - cover to cover - before the next one arrived in the mail.
At the time, I was just reading cute animal stories. But now that I'm older, I realize that I was learning how to foster a life-long love for reading. I flew through the books, one month after another, and was always excited to pick up the next one.
My mother was a mastermind. From Potter to the book club, she made sure that I was going to love reading all different kinds of literature.
And it was due to this that I wrote. Because the time between me finishing the last book, and prior to receiving the next in the series, I had to do something to keep myself occupied.
Yep. I wrote.
Photo Credits:
Goosebumps book cover from: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/125592.Tick_Tock_You_re_Dead_
Puppy and duck picture from: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/121597258661438479/
Tuesday, January 27, 2015
Books That Inspired Me to Write: I'm Talking to You, Harry Potter Generation
Lately I've felt a little distant from the blog. Perhaps it's because, for the first time in my life, I'm not in a writing class or any schooling of any kind. For a while, I also felt disconnected to writing.
Yay, adulthood, right?
Thankfully, my writing is slowly gaining more inspiration - even if it is mostly made up of rewrites and poems - and I'm working my way back to writing (even if it's nothing but a comma) everyday.
To keep myself motivated, I've decided to start another Post Series. This time, I'd like to detail the books that inspired me to write. I think it will be therapeutic for me. To be a reminder of why I chose this path, this obsession. And also, I think it will help me bond better with you, my blog readers. I hope I don't feel distant at all ever again :)
Now, let's get down to it. If any of you have popped over to check out my Goodreads profile, you know from my about me section that one book in particular sparked the reading (and writing) bug within me. So, this Tuesday afternoon, we'll start from the very beginning:
My mother was working as an assistant school librarian when she first heard of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. Every day she worked, half a dozen fourth graders would bombard the desk, wondering if Harry Potter was in yet, and if it was their turn to receive it. The hold list for our small public school was over 50. Curious as to why this book was so popular, she found a copy and started reading.
It wasn't too long before she realized she had to share the magical Mr. Potter and his wizarding world with her children. At the time, I was six and my brother hovered somewhere around the ages of seven or eight (I can't recall the exact month). Our first reading session happened while we were staying in a Chicago suburb at my aunt and uncle's house. We were sleeping on the floor of their office, side by side, and my mother sat between us and read, "Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much." from Chapter One, The Boy Who Lived.
I can't remember the exact place my mother stopped reading that night. We made it far - far enough to be introduced to Hagrid, the Hogwarts Express, and the Weasleys. She had to go to bed eventually, no matter how much we pleaded for her to keep reading, because she, no doubt, could no longer feel her voice.
I lay awake for a long time. My brother had fallen asleep, his breath coming slowly, turned away from me. I could smell the foreign chemicals my aunt and uncle used to clean their carpet, and from my vantage point on the floor, the almost full moon was visible through their window. Since I was used to sleeping in the darkness and silence of rural Wisconsin, the traffic noise kept me restless. But then something magical happened.
After everyone else had, for sure, gone to sleep, and I alone was awake to hear it, a train whistle blew softly through the noise of the traffic, through the almost full moon, and through the distracting smelly carpet. And I was sure that magic, Harry Potter, Hogwarts, wizards, and friendly giants, were real. And I couldn't get enough.
My obsession with the wizarding world continued through the next six books and eight movies. The final book, The Deathly Hallows, I consumed in a whirlwind, no eating, no bathroom breaks, no sleeping, 34 hour stint.
Harry Potter was the first book I truly fell in love with. It was the book that taught me reading could transport me from my mundane life into something extraordinary.
As I got older, I decided I wanted to create worlds just like it. And for a while, I took that inspiration seriously. I imitated Rowling as best I could, writing many a short story about wizards and witches and magic. Even stories that morphed slightly away from the magic of Hogwarts still had elements of Potter infused in them - the orphaned protagonist, the two best friends, the best boarding school ever...you get the gist.
Then when I found out JK Rowling was a female author, there was no stopping me. I wanted to be just like her someday. I wanted to write a book or series of books that made people fall in love with literature like her stories had captivated me.
So, yes, it was a scrawny boy under the stairs who first captured my heart. He taught me to love reading, and writing. He taught me to want more from life than Wisconsin offered. He taught me that I wanted to be just like JK. I wanted to be a writer.
The story continues next Tuesday...
P.S. the image is from Amazon. Find the book that inspired me first, here: http://www.amazon.com/Harry-Potter-Sorcerers-Stone-Rowling/dp/059035342X/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1422390868&sr=8-2&keywords=harry+potter
Tuesday, January 20, 2015
Deathmatch: Begin!
Do you remember this post from March 2014 about the Indie Writer Deathmatch from Broken Pencil?
Well, it's January, the new year has begun, there's a chill in the air, I'm having trouble getting enough blood flow to my fingers to keep typing - and it's time for the 2015 Deathmatch!
Shake out your witty comments, literary armor, and indie reading goggles and head on over to http://www.brokenpencil.com/deathmatch-2015-quarterfinals-round-1 to check out Round One and the all the subsequent DeathMatch mayhem.
It's going to be a good year for writing, my fellow scribes.
My sword of metaphors can sense it.
Well, it's January, the new year has begun, there's a chill in the air, I'm having trouble getting enough blood flow to my fingers to keep typing - and it's time for the 2015 Deathmatch!
Shake out your witty comments, literary armor, and indie reading goggles and head on over to http://www.brokenpencil.com/deathmatch-2015-quarterfinals-round-1 to check out Round One and the all the subsequent DeathMatch mayhem.
It's going to be a good year for writing, my fellow scribes.
My sword of metaphors can sense it.
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