Tag Archives: creativity

Writers: Get Unstuck

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Wow! It’s been awhile since I’ve been here and I do apologize…it seem I’ve been “stuck”. Authors, you know what I’m talking about, or maybe you don’t. If you don’t, you’re the lucky ones. With several projects in the hopper ~ and with most at midpoint, my goal is to finish what I’ve started, which is easier said than done.

As a pantser, I find myself faced with the grueling task of revising and editing the crazy first draft of one of the most complete of the above projects. I’ve got several scenes and now need to weave everything together. The thread I’m looking for is plot. This is a longer piece which I want to grow into a novel as opposed to a short story or novella. The characters and story have been awaiting my return. I really don’t want to disappoint them, but it isn’t fair to let them go without doing their story justice. That involves work, hard work…and so here I am, a pantser who got stuck:-( and has been procrastinating.

Will I ever become a reformed pantser? I doubt it, but I think I’d fare better if I attempted to use an outline and plot a bit more. To that end, I’ve discovered a great website called the Plot Whisperer for Writers and Readers by Martha Alderson. She also hosts a YouTube Plot Series entitled Plot a Novel. The series features 21 steps to plotting a novel, memoir, or screenplay. Each step is approximately four to ten minutes in length. I watched the first in the series and found it to be quite inspirational and most helpful, just what I needed to great those creative juices flowing again.

I was impressed enough to order a copy of her book, Blockbuster Plots – Pure and Simple, and received my copy in the mail today:-). I don’t think this will be a book that sits on my bookshelf…Alderson really knows her stuff ~ she demystifies plot development and includes strategies on how to build a novel. From what I’ve seen so far, it is written with clarity and style. Her words really are pure and simple ~ very zen. I love it.

I’m committed to completing this workbook and promise to keep you updated on my progress…From the back cover:

“If you are having difficulty seeing where your story is headed, or if ideas are rolling around in your head but you are having trouble getting started, or if your book has been rejected time and time again, you most likely need help with plot. This is the workbook for you.”

She also has a website: blockbuster plots for writers (Check out the plot tools!)

Now it’s back to the book for me ~ I’ve got to get unstuck. Wish me luck:-) All the writers out there…How do you get unstuck?

Writing advice from Joyce Carol Oates

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In keeping with my resolution to improve my craft, I’m awaiting my copy of, Telling Stories: An Anthology for Writers, edited and with introductions by Joyce Carol Oates. I’m always on the lookout for books that will inspire and improve my writing. Given that Oates is a master whom I admire, I’m thinking it is a wise investment and would make a fine addition to my library. Here’s the product description from Amazon:

“This exciting anthology by one of America’s finest storytellers provides over ninety works of narrative art. With the reading list for her writing seminar at Princeton University as a model, Joyce Carol Oates chose pieces that will inspire beginning and experienced writers alike. Here are classics and relative unknowns, short vignettes and long genre fiction, tragic tales and humorous character sketches–models for just about any writer. Section introductions and an Afterword on the writing workshop provide a glimpse of Oates’s own understanding of the storyteller’s craft.”

I’ll let you know what I think. For more of my favorite books on writing see one of my earlier posts entitled:  Excellent Books on the Art and Craft of Writing. To all the writers out there, what are your favorite books on the art and craft of writing?

Happy New Year!

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May 2011 see all your dreams come true! I think it’s going to be a good year, I can feel it. For me, I’m not a big New Year’s resolution person, but my goal is to live positively, work hard at my craft, travel as often as I can, and to perform random, and not so random acts of kindness. Basically, to be the best person I can be…What about you? What do you hope for in 2011?

My new iMac

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After faithfully clicking yes and following the advice of that little box that periodically asked if I wanted to install Microsoft updates; after keeping my virus protection up-to-date; after getting what I believe to be the fakenit virus on my computer, (by clicking on a link to a legitimate news article), and afterward running Windows Defender and the various other downloads designed to rid myself of this infuriating pest, the last straw came when these programs told me my computer had nary a virus to be found! I decided that no longer would I put up with annoying questions from IE; no longer would I wait for what seemed like hours for my computer to start up; and no longer would I subject myself to future possible irritation, and so…I promptly headed out to my local Apple store and purchased my brand new and oh so lovely iMac:-).

Yes, there will be a learning curve but I’m on my way over it…My iMac is user-friendly, was as simple to set up as taking it out of the box, (no multiple cords to plug in), and turning it on! It was too simple:-). Yes, I’ll adjust to using Pages in iWork, but if not, I’ll purchase Word for Mac. I’m certain that if I explore all the features the program has to offer I’ll prefer Pages to Word. Most importantly, I can choose to save my documents as Word files or in RTF so there won’t be a problem submitting work to publishers. I’m quite happy with my decision ~ do think that once I have a Mac I won’t be going back…bye bye PC and Microsoft!

Now that I’m online again I’ll be back to let you know what I’m currently reading! Also have some writing to do! I’m working on a new story that’s flowing nicely…

Another great find:-)

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I’ve found the Procrastinating Writers blog quite inspiring. On my blog rounds I happened to pay a visit there today and have returned with a useful tool ~ the Tick Tock Timer! If you’ve been procrastinating about whatever it is you tend to put off doing, why not make the task more manageable by chipping away at it? You decide how long you want to spend, ten minutes, a half-hour, an hour – just set the timer and get to work. I’ve just used it to begin a new writing project and found the tool very helpful. In fact, I went beyond the allotted time I set for myself and am on my way to completing a new story. It’s amazing the results you can obtain by setting a goal for yourself and following through. The key is, again, to make it manageable, to divide it into smaller tasks that don’t seem so overwhelming.  It’s a strategy that works for whatever it is that you’re intent upon accomplishing.

After you’ve tick tocked, click on the link to the site’s blog ~ very uplifting and inspirational advice to be found there…amazing photos as well. I’ll be visiting often!

How to get Unstuck – Rid yourself of writer’s block by silencing your inner critic

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Writer’s block, getting stuck, Muse abandonment, whatever you call it, most writers have experienced it at some point during their writing careers. Those who haven’t are indeed the lucky ones.  For the past few days I’ve found myself in a holding pattern that manifested itself as indecision regarding which project to next pursue. Or perhaps my proclivity toward procrastination was rearing its ugly head again. Either way, it was painful.

The sense of accomplishment I’d felt upon completing and letting go of the final revision of a story I’d been working on had started to fade. I knew it was time to get back to work. I started to explore different projects in various stages of completion. How would I decide which to work on next? The procrastinator in me said to read over the first few pages of each. Maybe I should work on the story with the highest word count? The one I felt needed the least revision? Or maybe I should work on the one that currently interested me? Or maybe I should work on the one I felt was most marketable at this time? The writer in me said, quit playing games, get back to work. You call yourself a writer, so write. Begin with the project that is currently 30,000+ pages. You were excited about it at one time, sure it needs revision, sure it’s a little different from your previous work, parts of it are good—start with that one.

After reading the first couple of pages, not me, but my inner critic went to work. She started to ask if I really wanted to write those words. What if some of the content was “out there”, what if some took offense, what if someone I knew thought they recognized a bit of themselves in one of my characters?  My characters are composed of the personality traits of those I have known and those I have not, some of me and none of me. My writing reflects all of the life experiences that have made me who I am today, and none of my life experiences. That’s just the way it is.

These thoughts and feelings returned me to the stuck place I was before I’d made the decision to proceed and finish said work. What then? Back to Internet surfing for inspiration and guidance. I found myself at the Procrastinating Writers blog which offers guidance for writers who struggle to get started. I immediately clicked on the link to the following post by Jennifer Blanchard entitled, “The Most Important Step You Can Take as a Writer.” I nodded in agreement as I read, yes, I thought, I had been holding back, I had been censoring. This manifested itself as procrastination, as writer’s block, and I knew it had to end.  Once I could identify what was holding me back I knew I could get back on the path. I was almost there…then followed the link to “How to Write Your Ass Off” by Johnny B. Truant at Copyblogger and arrived at where I needed to be. I found myself really relating to what he had to say, and as a result am now “unstuck” and back on track. I thank both bloggers. If you need a big push, check out their words of wisdom…

Rules for Writers

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While roaming the web I came across a great series in the Guardian entitled, Rules for Writers. Sharing their golden rules are a few of my favorite authors. Check out the rules of Rose Tremain, Margaret Atwood, Sarah Waters, and Hilary Mantel. Others contributors include: Elmore Leonard, Joyce Carol Oates, Zadie Smith, Richard Ford, Colm Toibin, Will Self, Neil Gaiman, P.D. James, and many others.

Tremain discourages following the “write what you know” rule, doesn’t believe in planning endings, and advises revisiting your characters 50 pages into your novel. Atwood interjects a little humor into her sage advice, Waters talks about reading, cutting, and the importance of discipline, and Mantel offers thoughts on not writing for the market but instead focusing on what you would enjoy reading, how to handle getting stuck, and mentions one of my favorite books on writing by Dorothea Brande, entitled Becoming a Writer.

Lots of good advice! You can find all of it here.

Raving Reviews!

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Check out this video starring authors Kristen Tsetsi and RJ Keller. It captures the ups and downs of the writing life! Very nicely done…and very amusing!

Word Per Day Writing Goal

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Okay, I think I’ve found a way to deal with my personal problem involving procrastination and/or writer’s block. You know…those days when the Muse abandons you and you’re left staring at a blank page? I’ve decided not to be too harsh or judgmental with myself—all I have to do is write 500 words per day…just like Ernest Hemingway!  That’s 182,500 words per year…I see many short stories and perhaps a couple novels in that number. It’s been working well for me for the past several days!

It doesn’t matter if I feel the sum total of the words I’ve penned amount to anything substantive, or semi-brilliant. Even if I feel they’re just plain ____, at least I’m writing. Not such a lofty goal, right? Five hundred words. That’s it, you ask? I know there are other writers out there who are much more prolific and I envy them. For me now, the point is to write. Once I sit down and actually begin writing, time becomes non-existent. If I’m lucky, I develop a rhythm and the words flow. When I finish, I feel l like I’ve accomplished something for me. When I make it through the first draft of something, I’m relieved. Oftentimes I think, Oh my, what is this I’ve written? Hopefully it comes together during the editing process!

And so, have I written today’s 500 words yet? No, I’m blogging instead! The night is still youngish and I have a few more hours to go before bedtime. A question before I leave for the night…Are you in the mood to read a few witty entries in the Doggerel Sled Racing challenge? What is she talking about, you ask? How does this relate to her post? Well, I was reading this post http://edittorrent.blogspot.com/2010/02/doggerel-sled-racing-contestants.html at edittorrent.  See the connection? Can you guess which my favorite entry is? Why don’t you vote for yours? Also, any writers out there care to share their tips on conquering the dreaded white screen or word per day writing goal?

Happy writing!

Excellent books on the Art and Craft of Writing

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What I desperately need are some words of inspiration, some encouragement on this rainy and snowy day…a way to silence that tiny voice inside my head that is saying, “Why bother?” I don’t want to listen, but maybe it has a point. Why do I feel that I can’t write anything worthwhile, that editing my latest is pointless? (The little voice just whispered that it is because I’m not a writer…oh, and never will be). I suppose we all feel this way at times…And so, it is time for me to pull out some of my favorite books on writing. I’ll share them with you.

The books that have inspired me to get off my ___, er… to relocate to my desk and face that terrible blank page, to type those first words, to tell me that, yes, maybe you can write, or should at least give it a try are, in no particular order:  Becoming a Writer, by Dorothea Brande. Ms. Brande’s book is a classic, written in 1934. She is kind, encouraging, and gentle. This book is not about technique, but if you’re feeling uncertain or suffering from self-doubt, pick up a copy. Writing Down the Bones, by Natalie Goldberg, takes a Zen approach to freeing your creativity. The short essay type chapters cover technique, practice, and inspiration. The subtitle of the book is, Freeing the Writer Within—and that’s exactly what it does. Another book I’ve enjoyed and found helpful is, The Faith of a Writer Life, Craft, Art, by Joyce Carol Oates. Prolific and talented, I greatly admire her. Ms. Oates touches on inspiration, failure, self-criticism, and the writing process. The book is filled with essays in which she shares excerpts and thoughts on the works of those who have inspired her. Many personal insights/influences are also included.

The following titles focus on craft. Writing Tools, 50 Essential Strategies for Every Writer, by Roy Peter Clark, is literally filled with the tools necessary to craft a captivating story, whether it is fiction or nonfiction. His advice is practical and pithy, there are many Aha moments, where you can see exactly how it’s done—and improve your own writing in the process. It is filled with 50 “tools” that can be referred to over and again. You needn’t read it in any particular order, it’s all good. The book is divided into four sections:  Nuts and Bolts, Special Effects, Blueprints, and Useful Habits. I highly recommend it. Immediate Fiction, A Complete Writing Course, by Jerry Cleaver, was also helpful. He has an easy, informative style and also provides you with inspiration and tips on how to deal with doubt, fear, writer’s block, etc. The cover states that it’s about story craft, the creative process, self-editing and self-coaching, time management and getting into print. He does a very nice job covering those topics. I’m currently reading, The Anatomy of Story, 22 Steps to Becoming a Master Storyteller, by John Truby. He promises precise techniques to help you become a successful storyteller. He asks the deep questions that will help you, as a writer, to discover exactly what story you are meant to tell.

Last, but not least, The Writing Life, Writers on How They Think and Work, Edited and with an introduction by Marie Arana. This is a nice collection of essays by contemporary authors talking about “the writing life.”

I guess it’s time to crack open a few of those books—and then get back to writing. I’ll let you know how it goes…