Slice of Life: Day 30: Rules for Writing (and Life): 002

                                             

Anne Helmstadter's, The Story Immersion Project, is one of my many email subscriptions. Her post today mentions writer Malcolm Gladwell.  His name didn't ring a bell – I'm not good with names - but  I read his David and Goliath - a phenomenal book.

Gladwell has a list of 10 writing rules. In her post, Anne said they aren't only about writing but to live by as well.

Here are three more from his list (I'll save the others for future posts) with some of my thoughts:                                   

Learn Storytelling.

It's a no-brainer, but many elements must work together to tell a story properly. I don't know specifically what Gladwell had in mind when he stated this as a rule, but I assume it's character, setting, plot, point-of-view, style, theme and the use of literary devices (figurative language, humor, irony etc.).

I'll talk about one (for now):

Character: While earning my MA, I learned about the Proust Questionnaire. Honestly, I didn't like doing it, but that only reinforced it was a good idea. I didn't like it because it was new and slowed me down when all I wanted to do was jump into the storytelling. Sometimes we need to slow down to speed up. It often produces better results.

These thirty-five questions will help. It's essential to know all your characters inside and out – even if it's irrelevant to the story. It may help you determine how your character will react in situations. For example, one of the questions is What is your most marked characteristic? If your character is an adolescent, and has a big, red zit on their face may mean they stand on the outskirts of the school dance or choose to stay home.

Above all else, if the reader doesn't care about your main character, they won't care about the book, and you will lose a reader and gain negative word-of-mouth advertising.

Evolve with Time.

I'll begin with a quote from the man himself:

"I feel I change my mind all the time. And I sort of feel that's your responsibility as a person, as a human being – to constantly be updating your positions on as many things as possible. And if you don't contradict yourself on a regular basis, then you're not thinking."

That about says it all.

Make sense of criticism.

Dismiss criticism because you don't understand it, or it rubs you the wrong way, doesn't move you forward in your writing journey. I've said it before; you will only become the writer you want to be by accepting criticism. It is as important as building strong, relatable characters. Call it up. Invite it in. Make it dinner. Give it a long, passionate kiss goodnight.

Years ago, before I knew how to format a screenplay, I gave a script to a professor. I was excited to have someone read it and tell me how great it was. The former happened. The latter? Not so much. He completely trashed it and had nothing good to say about it. Truthfully, he was an utter jerk. Also, truthfully, he was right. It wasn't good enough. The story itself was and is very good. But he critiqued it the wrong way. Not because he was honest but because he was mean and unprofessional. There's always something good to say. Start with a positive. After that, your criticism should be fair, honest, transparent, helpful and tactful. I turned my back on screenwriting because of that. Thankfully, I returned to it and absolutely love it.

Avoid mean people - and friends and family. Family typically don't know anything about writing - hence my first firing as a ghostwriter - and will only say it's great because they love you. If we only seek out people that will fluff our ego, we're only hurting ourselves and hindering effective productivity.

Here's a link to the Proust Questionnaire:

https://www.vanityfair.com/magazine/2000/01/proust-questionnaire

Write On,

-rg

P.S. A little ego fluffing is good now and then. :) I'll admit the amazing comments I received this month have given me a boost of confidence. I'm very grateful.

 

Slice of Life: Day 29: Rules for Writing (and Life): 001

Anne Helmstadter's, The Story Immersion Project, is one of my many email subscriptions. Her post today mentions writer Malcolm Gladwell.  His name didn't ring a bell – I'm not good with names - but  I read his David and Goliath - a phenomenal book.

Gladwell has a list of 10 writing rules. In her post, Anne said they aren't only about writing but to live by as well.

Here are three from his list (I'll save the others for future posts) with some of my thoughts:

            Pursue your passion.

Whether your passion is writing, walking or doing yard work (They're mine!), carve time to do them. Spend time with people who encourage you but also keep you accountable. There's a reason you are passionate about certain things. It's a spiritual seed planted in your soul. You are meant to do it!

Understand passions don't always come easy. One of my passions is my family. Nothing is more important to me. It is not easy raising three teenagers, but I'm not giving up.

P.S. And there is nothing easy about writing a novel. I'm giving up on that, either.

Shift your thinking.

Oiy. This could be difficult no matter which side of the line you fall on politically. I will steer clear of that debacle and gear it toward writing.

One thing writers must, must, must do is have humility. I cannot express this enough. If you are unwilling to listen to (and often apply) someone's suggestions (especially if they are an experienced writer), you have already failed. Sorry but it's true. Whether writing or not, your goal should be to submit your best work. This will NOT happen if you aren't willing to heed the advice of others. Will their critiques be difficult to hear? Absolutely. Suck it up, Buttercup. I say that with love.

Focus on quality, not speed.

Speed is okay to stretch your writing muscles or defeat so-called writer's block. Recently I set a timer for three minutes and typed the entire time. Quality work? Nope. But it made me curious if it were a literary world I'd like to explore further. Perfection isn't a priority or the point in an exercise like this. Quality matters when you're writing a novel or short story. It takes time. As much as you love your first draft, it's not good enough. Not even close. Again, with love.

Until Next Time,

rg

 

 

Loglines for "Long Stories, Short Rides"

I accepted the daunting NaNoWriMo 50,000-word challenge. Sort of. Technically, those words are meant for a new novel, but I adjusted the goal along with many others, shaping it to my personal needs. My biggest goal? To write every day - like I did back in March ultimately sending me into an exhaustive dry spell. Whether I like it or not, my competitive spirit lives on.

My goal is to reach or surpass 30,000 words - a plan no writer would claim as anything but arduous. It's the true test of dedication to the craft. Rather than the 1,667 words/day, it's dwindled to (on average) one thousand. Using blog entries, my daily journal and my additions to my brand new novel, Long Stories, Short Rides, I will do my best to obtain. Am I being lazy? No, realistic. After all, the whole point is to write. One thousand words per day are equivalent to an entire rough draft in three months. I'll take it - especially considering my first novel is now in its third decade of development. 

Writers learn quickly explaining their story in one or two sentences is an essential skill. Once people discover you are a writer, they ask, "Have you written anything?" This is followed by, "What's it about?" It presents a pivotal moment to capture a potential reader's interest. If you ramble, they'll be enough glaze hazing over their eyes for a dozen freshly baked donuts. Hence, the elevator pitch, the one to two-sentence description of your screenplay or novel.

You are given a small window to pique interest when talking with industry professionals. If you blow it, you're done. Well, until you fine-tune your approach and hopefully get another opportunity. It's called the elevator pitch for a reason. If you're hypothetically in an elevator with a Hollywood bigwig, you only have a few floors to hook them.

Loglines must include: the protagonist, their goal, inciting incident and conflict. Some have a touch of irony as well.

They say it's good to practice your loglines on random people and use their reactions to gauge whether adjustments need to be made. Loglines aren't easy. Bad ones are bad, but good ones fill theaters and sell books. Don't believe me? Write 100,000 words and explain it in 35. Chances are you lived 100,000 words of a lifetime. Try telling your biography to someone in less than twenty seconds - without sounding like John Moschitta. He's the Micro-machine guy. If people's eyes glaze over, perhaps it's time for some reflection.

Following are a few loglines for Long Stories, Short Rides - a time-traveling, father/son redemption story. Feel free to comment on which one sounds most appealing.

Choice 1:

When realizing he missed out on opportunities with his dad, Phoenix Tide finds his father's old car, sending him back in time with a chance to get to know him.

Choice 2:

When growing up, Phoenix Tide didn't capitalize on opportunities to talk with this dad. After discovering his father's old car, Phoenix is sent back in time for one more chance.

Choice 3:

Phoenix Tide's life choices lack morals and purpose. When he's sent back in time, Phoenix has another chance to get to know the man he wished he had spent more time with. His father.

Choice 4:

Growing up, Phoenix Tide didn't utilize the short time he had with his dad. Upon discovering his dad's old car, Phoenix is sent back in time for one more chance. 

None of these are good enough. I'll keep working on it.

Consider following me.

Dream Out Loud, 

rg

Photography Credit: wallpaperflare.com

A Writer's Smudge

As writers, we know ideas continue to enter our creative corridor even though we may be in the middle of another project demanding our full attention. At least that’s what we hope. I have a mental list of several story ideas, so my well is far from drying up. I can’t imagine, and I hope I never experience, a time where I’m not plotting through a story concept.

Ideas may seem to come out of nowhere, but our surroundings often inspire us, whether a show/movie, a headline, or a writing prompt. Some, however, do come out of nowhere. Either way, it’s exciting to pin down another idea for another day. Yesterday, however, my latest pin had me curious. Attempting to discipline myself and break old habits, I did what I rarely do. I typed out the idea to see if I could convey my thoughts on paper – something I find most challenging as a writer.

 

Even though it’s a rough draft – not even rough, more like an expounded sticky note – my goal was to make a significant revelation forcing an ohhh from the reader. I gave subtle hints that you’d catch the second time – if I were so lucky to write something worth multiple viewings.

 

By posting this “sticky note” of an idea, I am breaking a rule writers shouldn’t break, or at least break with absolute caution. The public shouldn’t see rough drafts, so to speak. If the person reading your initial draft isn’t a writer, they won’t understand. Their mentality is: Oh, you’re a writer! Then what I’m about to read should put me at the edge of my seat and blow me away all at the same time. They, or rather you, are setting them up for utter disappointment with a lackluster plot, flat characters and a setting as boring as a cactus centerpiece.

 

I used to enjoy watching Bob Ross paint. It was amazing watching the blank canvas transform into a beautiful depiction of nature. But every time I watched, I’d see Bob do something, and I couldn’t help to think, Dude, you just messed up your painting. I wasn’t seeing the big picture. I didn’t see what he saw, the smudge becoming a bridge or a tree line. 

 

Rough drafts are no different. Their purpose isn’t to have the bridge or tree line but rather to begin putting paint on the canvas. Writers see the big picture. We know, sometimes, where we want to go. Other times, we dab our brush into different colors as if scraping the white off the canvas in hopes of uncovering an idea.

 

With all that said, here is my smudge:

 

The bench, damp from the mid-morning rain, wobbled when I sat down. I stood and walked over to the walking path and found a thick, flat piece of limestone. After some digging and dirt wedging under my nails, I pulled it from the clutches of soil, leaving a tripping hazard for visitors. I carried it with both hands, the moist soil making the lines on my palms muddy riverbanks and placed it under the leg of the bench correcting its balance.

 

And then I waited. 

 

I didn’t know who would show, but someone always did, putting a pleasant, if not reflective, end to another, otherwise meaningless day. People from town were habitual, always coming to visit loved ones on their way home. Some talked. Some stood still. Some knelt. But those weren’t the ones that shared my bench.

 

The clouds swept by with the late fall breeze at their backs, pushing my thoughts along the majestic sky. Lost in a memory or two, I was startled by her presence. She sat upright like a fence post, hands folded and nestled in her lap. She didn’t seem to mind the wetness.

 

“Were you waiting long?” I asked, looking at a strand of hair touching her shoulder as it caught the sun’s finale.

 

“No,” she answered in a whisper. “Time is irrelevant. There’s just waiting. But many are.”

 

“Are what?”

 

“Waiting.”

 

“Oh, I don’t know how it all works,” I said.

 

“For better, for worse, I suppose.”

 

“Yes, I suppose.” I looked out across the cemetery. More wilted flowers than fresh ones. “Where did you come from?”

 

“Up there,” she pointed, her voice forlorn. “A few graves away from the big oak tree. Next to my husband.”

-rg

 

Writing Tips and Tidbits

Joe Fassler spoke with one-hundred writers asking for advice, tips for writers. Following are the suggestions (in bold) he gathered, along with the tidbits I picked up along my writing journey.

    1) Neglect everything else. We have our jobs and families, but writers need to dedicate themselves to finding time to write every day. If we look hard enough, we’ll be able to locate a pocket, a window of time allowing us to blurt out some thoughts and ideas on the white screen.

2)    Beginnings matter. It’s not only the first chapter that matters but the first sentence. Jump right in with dialogue or a problem. Flow is essential throughout the story, so why not begin the flow on the first page. If agents and publishers aren’t enthralled by page ten, your story hits the bottom of the trash can. Michael Chabon says, “the seed of the novel…was in the first sentence.”

3)    Follow the headlights. One thing I had to learn to do, which goes against the grain, is outlining. I can’t say enough about Blake Snyder’s beat sheets. But even with an outline, you still have freedom. Freedom is important because it starts painting the picture outside the headlights that may not be in your immediate plans for the story. Outside of the lights, in that freedom, theme, setting, character etc., can often be found. Andre Dubus calls this the “architecture” of our story.

4)    Sound it out. I admit I haven’t done this yet, but reading your work aloud to yourself has tremendous benefits – especially when you’re on the third, fourth, eighteenth draft. George Saunders says the “sound shows him where the energy is.” Without energy, flow, rhythm, don’t expect many sales.

5)    It’s supposed to be difficult. What else is there to say, but the magical thing about writing is no matter how difficult it is – because it’s always hard no matter how established you are – it is worth the pain, the struggle, the maddening bursts of anger.

6)    Keep a totem. Dickens, according to Fassler, had figurines spread out over his desk to keep him company while he wrote. Totems can be anything from family pictures or a favorite quote. Apparently, it can be your cat that seems to think half your desk is hers. Currently, I have a picture of my dad and me. When I turned in my last assignment for my MA, I picked it up and held it in front of me. Let’s just say it was emotional.

7)    Find the joy. Amen. If you know you are a writer, and you know you have a story to tell, but you aren’t finding the joy between throwing your laptop out the window and yelling at your tokens, then take a step back. Take time to invest in reading from experts in the field, or take a class. The key is to humble yourself and listen to what they say. And do what they say.

https://lithub.com/i-talked-to-150-writers-and-heres-the-best-advice-they-had/

Above is the link for Joe Fassler’s article, I Talked to 150 Writers and Here’s the Best Advice They Had: Joe Fassler on Seven of the Most Common Writing Tips.