Stein on Writing
Found a great example of Show not Tell today– ‘an evolution from telling to showing’ as Sol Stein puts it:
He took a walk.
He walked four blocks.
He walked four blocks slowly.
He walked the four blocks as if it were the last mile.
He walked as if against an unseen wind, hoping someone would stop him.
I think I’m going to tape this example to my study wall.
Have you recently found some writing advice, a concrete example, or a writing book that was helpful?
Posted in blog, blogging, books, writing, writing advice, writing practice
Tagged Sol Stein, Stein on Writing, writing, writing advice
Ciara Ballintyne is a Twitter and Blog friend I have known for some time. Not only is she an engaging writer, she is serious about her craft, and willing to share her insights. Today she shares : Lessons Learned from ‘Nascence: 17 Stories That Failed and Why’ by Tobias S Buckell.
It is a long-ish post, but there are lessons for writers all the way to the end. Take it away, Ciara!
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Tobias Buckell
You could look at this book as an attempt by Buckell to make money out of short stories that he failed to sell. However, I find it an interesting look at the early work of a published author that we rarely get. I don’t know that I’d be so inclined to bare to the world how bad I once was if I was a published author!
There are lessons in here for a writer who might be struggling, as well as tips on Buckell’s own writing process that might help you. For example, Buckell says he wrote short stories for a long time because he considered it a faster way to learn how to write a story from start to finish, fail, and try again, than writing novels. He’s probably right. I did it the novel way, not being a short-story writer much, and it’s taken me 20 years to get here! And wherever ‘here’ is, it’s not the same ‘here’ as Buckell.
There is commentary from Buckell on the reasons for each story’s failure, but here is my own analysis as an objective reader and writer.
Posted in write, writer, writing, writing advice, writing ideas
Tagged Book, guest post, short stories, story, Tobias Buckell, writing, writing advice
As part of the continued guest post series, today we have writer Melody Kaufmann, a lovely blog-friend and twitter buddy!
I love the characterizations in her work, and invited her to talk about it in this post. Take it away Melody!
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D&D is a group of friends essentially “acting out” a story, not unlike a movie. In any story, good characterization is essential. Good characterization, in a novel, avoids author intrusion, and provides the reader with what my oldest child calls “movies for the brain”. For this to occur the author needs to “build the characters” which is what each player does at the start of a D&D game. In both there is a challenge and reward to “artistically representing human character and motive” in a believable and engaging manner. The purpose in both cases is to create a story that others will enjoy.
Everything I know about characterization I learned by playing D&D. Ok not everything… but many things I learned while role-playing influence the method I use to create my characters. Webster defines characterization as “the artistic representation (as in fiction or drama) of human character or motives”. Characteristics and motives are what the reader uses to identify each character as an individual. Any writer can become published but real success for a writer comes from being read. Characterization is a part of what determines whether or not a work will be read. Here are a few tips for making your characterization work:
1> Don’t kill everyone – parents, siblings, extended family give a character, particularly a main character, depth. If they have nothing to lose & no one that matters to them then why do we care about them? Relationships forge a character’s personality. Would Dr. Yueh betray Duke Leto if he had no one he loved? The Pet Sematary is only a local legend if Dr. Creed is a single man with no family. The ties that bind sway character actions, change the entire plot, provide a WHY, and make us laugh. Don’t cut them.
2> All good / all evil = boring – Even Voldemort’s back-story is one that evokes a certain amount of pity. Batman is more popular than Superman because he is a less-than-perfect Dark Knight unlike the Man of Steel. Humans are rarely flawlessly good or entirely evil. This is why there are so many different alignments in D&D. A character’s identity is built from education, race, religious beliefs, and cultural background. Who he/she is and how he/she thinks should flow from the logical impact of each of these elements.
3> Individuality is important but so is commonality – Characters with commonalities in same education, race, religious beliefs, and cultural background will share similarities. This doesn’t mean that all characters of a certain race or religion will be identical. It doesn’t happen in life so it doesn’t make sense in writing (unless you are writing about clones). The point is that you must balance logical commonality with character individuality.
4> Give your character a voice – Writers must think carefully about how each character sounds and behaves. Different speech patterns and personalities add flavor to a story but not if it flies in the face of logic. Favored sayings, personality quirks, and speech patterns should make sense as the by-product of the character’s background. A lot of what connects readers to one character over another exists in the form of facial expressions, movement, and personality traits. This is the meat of characterization– getting the reader intimately acquainted with the characters. Here is where the reader decides who they like and who they hope doesn’t make it. Characterization is the writer’s tool for sculpting the reader’s opinion.
5> Make a Question list – I have a list of 20 questions that is indispensable. The idea came from my amazing husband who did much DM’ing (Dungeon Mastering) over the years. Moving from basic things (place of birth, appearance) through personality details (their goal in life, would they sell out) brings each character alive. I have multiple versions for short stories, novels, and series. An abbreviated version is usually enough for supporting characters. The list reminds me what the reader wants to know. It gets me fully acquainted with my characters. Not every bit of it appears in my story but as a writer, intimate knowledge of a character is an utter necessity to maintain consistency.
There are many other things I’ve learned and not all of them from role-playing. Characters can save or ruin a story. Invest in them and your reader will become invested as well.
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Melody-Ann Kaufmann
Melody-Ann Kaufmann is a Systems Developer for University of Florida, wife of a techno genius, a student completing her MS in Information Security, mother of two autistic children, writer, geek, gamer, anime & manga consumer, avid reader of eclectic works, web comic connoisseur, and the owner of a horse-sized dog. She can be found on Twitter @Safireblade & FaceBook here. Her fledgling website can be found at Safireblade.com.
Daily (w)rite went on an involuntary hibernation last week due to a WordPress Technical glitch. But thanks to the awesome staff at WordPress, it is back, and so is the Writers’ Guest Post Schedule for November.
Today we have amazing writer, and lovely blog-friend Corinne O’Flynn. She is here to talk to us about how writers ought to treat their writing, so without further ado, I hand over the post to Corinne:
—–
This might sound strange coming from someone who has yet to have her book published, but bear with me. There are ways to measure the quality of your writing before it is published.
There is so much advice out there about writing and paths to publication, much of it is right on. It runs the gamut from grammar, to character development, world building, and the practice of writing itself. If you’re like me, a lot of this advice speaks to you relative to your own work.
The best advice I’ve ever read comes from Jane Friedman through an article that was printed in Writer’s Digest Magazine last July/August. For the writer who has publishing aspirations, this is important. You ready? Ok, here it is:
“You have to view your work not as something precious to you, but as a product to be positioned and sold.” - Jane Friedman
The Best Writing Advice I've Ever Received
I will remember forever being on a plane and reading those words. I had a gigantic “aha moment” and sadly was stuck in my seat, alone, with no one to share my epiphany. I must have read the article twenty more times while on that flight. Those words resonated with me and as soon as I could get back to my desk and my work, they found their way into my revisions.
The results were interesting. Once I took to revising my own writing with this outward-facing view in mind, I was able to see the things in my writing that were holding my work back—holding me back.
My ability to identify and therefore cut the junk and improve pacing became sharper. I could locate the places in my work where my own writer’s pride kept me from cutting something I thought was especially fabulous, even though it had no place in my work.
Did I instantly start getting nibbles from publishers and sell my books at auction? No, but responses to my work changed overnight. My critique partners didn’t know what I was doing differently, but they felt that something had changed and the quality of my work had improved. My entries into writing contests started getting positive attention. My confidence in my work skyrocketed.
Approaching your work as something you want to sell and not as a slice of your soul changes what you see when you’re reading it. For the better. The results can be the difference between writing that is genuinely good and writing that grabs hold of your reader and takes them for a ride.
Writer Corinne O'Flynn
Bio:
Corinne loves to write about fictional dark and fantastical things. You can find her on her blog and on twitter@CorinneOFlynn
——————
Thanks Corinne, for the wonderful post, and now I open the floor for questions and comments from readers!
Posted in blog, blogging, writer, writing, writing advice, writing ideas
Tagged Corinne O'Flynn, creative writing, write, writer, writing, writing advice, writing attitude, writing tip
As some readers of this blog know, I have a pair of Black Angelfish.
Every two weeks or so, like clockwork, they lay about a 100 eggs, guard them till the babies hatch, hover around the hatchlings still attached to the leaves, try to carry them in their mouths and keep them safe once the babies are free-swimming. Only about 50 babies are left at this stage.
Then for the next three days, they do their best to sustain the babies, which dwindle from 50 to 25 to 10 to 5 to zero. This is because I don’t know what to feed the babies— am both scared of, and don’t know how to, breed mosquito larvae, which is their food.
A day after the last baby has disappeared, the angels are at each other, kissing, fluttering, chasing, back at the mating game. A day later there are eggs again.
I wonder if they remember their babies. I know they are capable of some kind of association/ memory, because they know when I’m around and come begging for food, and dance around like mad puppies when I have the food box in my hand.
I no longer know how to feel about the regular births and deaths.
But I’ve learned the passion of creation by their example: write like mad, polish them like mad, submit like mad, and even if the babies come to nothing, set about making my writing babies again.
And just like with the angelfish babies, rejoice that they lived and swam free, at least for a while.
Who knows, maybe someday, one of the angelfish babies would survive. It would become more than a tiny tadpole, actually grow fins and swim at large.
In the meanwhile, what I and my angelfish can do is create, with passion and commitment. Results be damned.
Posted in FIsh, writer, writing, writing ideas
Tagged angelfish, fish, writing, writing advice
Happy Halloween!
Writing fiction is part art, part craft, part grammar. Today I talk about a drafting technique—Dreamstorming, at Chris Eboch’s blog, and no, this has nothing to do with dreams. Come chat with me there! 
My writing friend Melanie Lee has interviewed me about my love for tea, and how it relates to writing…do any other writers/ readers of this blog love tea?
Happy Halloween, one and all….imagining y’all in your Halloween costumes !!
Posted in writing
Tagged grammar, Halloween, tea, writer, writing, writing a novel, writing advice, writing tips
One of the biggest gifts I’ve received from the A to Z Challenge, and my resultant collection A to Z Stories of Life and Death, has been the kind and gracious author-friends I got to meet in the process. Marian Allen was one of the first of these friends to suggest I put together the A to Z stories, and for that I would be forever grateful.
She has supported me ever since, including this guest post she hosted yesterday. Today, she shares with us some great writing advice in her inimitable style. So take it away, Marian!
—————–
Joe
When my oldest grandson was little, he got a puppy from a box of puppies in the parking lot of Wal-Mart. The puppy grew to be too big for the house, and we took it to live with us in the country.
Now, eleven years later, Joe is still with us. He gives the deliverymen and my mother’s friends merry hell no matter how often he sees them, but let a deer or a rabbit head for the garden and he throws a white cloth over his arm and says, “Where would you like to be seated today?”
We feed him, go for walks, throw sticks, take him to the vet, provide shelter–and, after eleven years, he’s still our oldest grandson’s dog. He loves us, but he’s NUTS about that man.
Things my oldest grandson’s dog has taught me about writing:
I’m running a contest through October 31, 2011 EST for a free eBook, a MomGoth’s Sweet Little Baby Angels pin or your name in a short story. Drop by and enter.
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BIO:
Marian Allen
My writing reflects my love of network. I try to remember, in my books and stories, that no one exists in total isolation, but in a web of connections to family, friends, colleagues, self at former stages of maturity, perceptions and self-images. Most of my work is fantasy, science fiction and/or mystery, though I write horror, humor, romance, mainstream or anything else that suits the story and character.
Please feel free to connect with me on my Twitter feed or my Facebook Author Page.
Posted in blog, guest post, writing
Tagged blogging, guest post, Marian Allen, writing advice
Writing Exercises
While writing on writing the last few weeks, I have been caught with a dilemma: to write everyday or not…
If you listen to writing coaches, writing everyday is elementary, the more you practice, the better your craft will be, you can be your own best teacher, and so on.
To me, I’ve been writing more on the inside, sometimes for days things would float about in my head, connect and disconnect, like atoms hitting against each other, randomly, attracting, repelling. And sometimes, most times, they form something. And then all I have to do is give myself a pen and notebook, and watch myself write.
I know that one part of me suspends itself while the other is writing. This part, that suspends itself, can write everyday, and mostly come out with inane scribbles or articles for my bread and butter.
The other part, which only comes out when the first part is suspended, which makes all those connections in my head, is where the real writing comes from, and I have about as much control over it as I have over my bloodstream. It comes out once in a while, and not daily, like clockwork.
Is the idea for daily writing meant to coax this one out on your bidding? Not sure.
For now, I try to scribble something everyday, not worrying too much about word count, also hoping the part of me that really writes comes out of hiding more often.
Oh, and I’m also hoping I’m a plain old writer, not schizophrenic. Thoughts?
Posted in writing
Tagged daily writing exercise, writing, writing advice, writing daily, writing on writing
Not Tired of Writing
Some days, you just don’t want to get out of bed. Your tiredness is larger than your willpower. I do have the luxury of sleeping in if I want to, but I know I can’t. There’s a lot of writing to be done, stories to be finished, articles to be sent off, maybe even a touch of blogging.
I’ve been nibbling on various books on writing, and here’s a very relevant (to my writing) excerpt I picked up from the Tao of Writing:
Years ago I was talking to a woman I knew who ran each day with remarkable regularity. Being relatively unathletic myself, I asked her if she ran in the rain, feeling an involuntary chill as I imagine cold sheets of water drenching my neck and shoulders, and squishing in my gym shoes.
“Do you think we like to run in the rain?” she asked me. “We run because we need to run, and it happens to be raining, so we run anyway.”
A few years later, I heard essentially the same thing from another runner. I had gone away for the weekend with a group of friends. We were staying in a cabin in beautiful Big Sur, California. One of the women had got up and had run six miles before the rest of our group was even fully awake. I asked her how she could just get up and run like that.
“I don’t know, she said, “I just don’t feel good unless I run.”
Later in the day, overlooking the ocean at Nepenthe, a restaurant famous for its breathtaking ocean view, I said to her, “Hold on, I have to go the car and get my journal. I feel a poem coming on.”
“How can you just write like that?” she asked.
“I don’t know” I said. “I just don’t feel good unless I write.”
I have been wondering whether to join a writer’s group, an online one at the moment, but maybe someday even an off-line one.
I am not convinced either way…yet.
Are any of you part of writer’s groups? If you are, would you like to share your experiences?
Posted in blogging, books, writing, writing buddy
Tagged writing, writing advice, writing group
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