by lcelum@yahoo.com | Aug 15, 2018 | #AuthorToolboxBlogHop, Blog, Creativity and the Writing Process
I love writing. Not only the art of stringing words together to make an argument or to tell a story, but also the actual, physical act of moving a pen across a piece of paper. I delight in the smell of paper and ink, the skritch and shshshhh of pen and hand scooting across a page… I adore it all. So much so that I am known as a compulsive purchaser of spiral-bound notebooks and blue ink, medium point, crystal Bic brand pens, simply because the mere thought of using them together has a soporific effect on me.
For this reason, I always write all of my first drafts and edit my second drafts by hand. Yes, even my novels. It’s not uncommon for me to write out several versions of a particularly tough scene, using each iteration to help me move closer to discovering and repairing whatever it is that’s just. not. working. I feel that the act of writing by hand focuses my thoughts, sparks my state of “flow”.
Apparently, this is true for others, as well. Use the question “How does writing by hand stimulate creativity?” as a Google search term and you will find twenty websites that offer a direct answer. Many of them refer to a 2012 study of pre-literate children “cited in the Wall Street Journal [which] indicated that children who had received handwriting instruction had neural activity that was ‘far more enhanced and “adult-like” than those who had simply looked at the letters’” (1). So those children who drew the letters rather than simply looking at them (as on a keyboard) demonstrated more enhanced neural activity. The reason for this, as per the articles, is because “neuroscientific research has uncovered a distinct neural pathway that is only activated when we physically draw out our letters” (2).
What does this have to do with creativity, inspiration, and/or getting unstuck? To find the connection, consider calligraphy, an art form that is popular because it is deeply meditative as well as visually appealing. Apparently, handwriting is used as a form of meditation by many because, according to a study conducted by Michel L. Slepian and Nalini Ambady “fluid arm movements increased creativity (described as ‘fluid thought’)” and “It’s certainly possible that the fluid movements of handwriting could have a similar effect” (3). While this cannot be scientifically proven because creativity cannot be quantified, the implication is that writing by hand can actually help stimulate creativity.
While this may sound good to some, others argue that the benefit is outweighed by the drawback that writing by hand is so much slower than typing. As it turns out, that’s not necessarily a bad thing. According to studies, “spending more time on each letter and word gives the brain more of a chance to process the ideas that are being recorded. Creative ideas take time to emerge, and giving them those extra few seconds can make a big difference (3). Even the reduced speed of handwriting can be beneficial if the quality of what is produced is greater than the quantity.
Again, none of this is guaranteed. Not only can the connection between creativity and handwriting not be quantified, but there’s also the fact that everyone’s creative process is different. Still, if you’re working at your computer and you find yourself stuck in a scene or wallowing in a creative rut, perhaps stepping away from the keyboard and running a pen across paper may facilitate the spark of an idea.
I’m curious to know: do you create your initial drafts with pen on paper, or do you compose at the keyboard? Please weigh in below, commenting on which method you prefer and why.
To continue hopping through other great blogs in the monthly #AuthorToolboxBlogHop, or to join in, click here.
Sources Cited:
(1) Olson, Nancy. “Three Ways That Handwriting With A Pen Positively Affects Your Brain”. Forbes, 15 May 2016. Forbes.com, 2018.
(2) Aguirre, Claudia. “Does writing by hand sharpen your creativity”. Headspace.com, 23 Sept. 2015, Headspace Inc.
(3) Albright, Dann. “How Handwriting Improves Your Creative Skills”. MakeUseOf.com, 10 Nov. 2016.
by lcelum@yahoo.com | Jul 17, 2018 | #AuthorToolboxBlogHop, Book Reviews
During last month’s blog hop, Adam Gentry’s article “Writing as a Waking Dream” discussed a common battleground for authors: finding the writer’s “flow”. In the comments, TD Storm recommended a book titled From Where You Dream. Like the many other authors who commented, I also have trouble finding and settling into a state of flow, so I decided to check out the recommended book.
From Where You Dream: The Process of Writing Fiction is edited by Janet Burroway and is a compilation of Robert Olen Butler’s workshop lectures and exercises. It is important to realize that the book is Burroway’s translation of the transcripts of Butler’s workshops.
From Where You Dream is divided into three parts: The Lectures; The Workshop; and The Stories, Analyzed. Part I: The Lectures begins with Butler warning authors to avoid “abstraction, generalization, summary, analysis, and interpretation” and to focus, instead, on sense-based emotion. The section chapter talks about accessing the writer’s zone of flow and gives three tips for how to do just that. The following chapters, however, discuss why characters must have desires; the definitions and specifics of shots, scenes, and sequences; and other techniques writers should master. Part II: The Workshop provides a before-and-after look at one of Butler’s own short stories, then walks readers through two of Butler’s workshop exercises and the actual implementation of those exercises in a workshop session. Part III: The Stories, Analyzed contains three stories from Butler’s workshops and their analysis.
Overall, the book was not what I expected. I was looking for a resource to help me learn to tap into my sense of flow at a moment’s notice. I realize that may not be possible, but you can’t blame a girl for trying, and aren’t we all looking for the most efficient way to get more high-quality writing done? That being said, I still think From Where You Dream is an invaluable resource. Even though only two chapters deal specifically with the idea of flow and what Butler calls dreamstorming, the book takes a very comprehensive look at avoiding abstraction, generalization, summary, analysis, and interpretation. This is a crucial skill, as Butler points out, and is one every author should seek to master. Because From Where You Dream goes into detail not only about why to master it, but also about how (including two chapters centered around exercises that help authors understand and implement the concept), this work is a must-have in any author’s toolbox.
To continue hopping through other great blogs in the monthly #AuthorToolboxBlogHop, or to join in, click here.
by lcelum@yahoo.com | Jun 19, 2018 | #AuthorToolboxBlogHop, Creativity and the Writing Process
If there’s one thing I know as a high school English teacher and a novelist, it’s that mistakes in writing not only happen but often make it to the final version of any given work. Students sometimes get flustered when I find different corrections that need to be made in different versions of their “final” drafts for a given essay. I explain that this happens because of how the brain works. Neurological science has taught us that the brain likes to take shortcuts and will fill input gaps with what we expect to be there. This is why a “he” that was supposed to be a “she” or a comma that’s placed where none should be will frequently go unnoticed through multiple readings.
Case in point: A few months ago, each of the alpha readers for my forthcoming novel found entirely unique grammatical errors that did not match those found by others in a manuscript I had proofed several times before sending out. I am an experienced writer and a teacher of writing, yet it still happens. Who was it that said to err is human?
As vexing as this can be for authors, it’s even more frustrating for readers. This irritation is compounded even further when the mistakes occur in areas of continuity rather than grammar. Nothing will yank a reader from a story faster than a character’s eyes described as blue in one chapter and brown in the next, or a location being misnamed, or a scene being written in the wrong season. While these seem like rare mistakes to make, they occur more often than authors like to admit. It is entirely too easy to make this kind of error when creating a world and juggling minutiae within it for an extended period of time, and it dispels the reader’s sense of willing disbelief. For this reason, every author should create an author almanac for every story world.
Every. Single. One.
For those who are unfamiliar or need a refresher (don’t scoff—I had to look it up to make sure I was using the right word), an almanac is an annual publication of reference information. The content varies by need: The Farmer’s Almanac contains details about the dates of the summer solstice, the autumnal equinox, phases of the moon, and other details important to farming while the World Almanac contains details about cultural, economic, and political significance in any given year. Whatever the target audience, the specific information that audience needs is collected in the appropriate almanac.
The writer’s version goes by many names: the novel bible, the fact manual, the world building notebook, the story portfolio. Whatever you call it, you should create one for cataloguing all of the details of each of your stories, even if you write contemporary fiction in well-known settings. Keeping track of minute details is essential to the success of your story and its impact on your reader.
Once authors decide to implement this practice, they often ask how to contain it. Lots of authors use bullet journals, many use spirals, some use notebooks, and a growing number are using computer software designed specifically for this purpose, like Notebook.ai (note: this is NOT an affiliate link). I love the idea of having everything on the computer, but I am a kinesthetic, tactile person. I gush over bullet journaling, but I’m too obsessed about organization—while bullet journaling uses an author-made key to help authors find ideas that span multiple collections of pages within and across journals, I’ve found I need room to expand any given section as much as necessary while keeping all of the information that pertains to the section together. Over the years, I’ve learned the system that works best for me is an old-fashioned three-ring binder with tab dividers, notebook paper, and lots of cheap pens. Throwback, yes, but effective for the way my subconscious works.
The next place where authors often stumble is deciding how to format the almanac. The answer is: whatever works for you. As with any system of organization, there’s no one right way. I recommend assessing what you already have, grouping like things together, and formulating your content divisions from there. For example, in my current series my divisions are:
- Plot (where I put all of my plot brainstorms and outlines, which frequently change as the story grows and takes shape)
- Characters
- Settings (including maps—every location has a map, because I’m that visual)
- World Building
- Scenes
- Misc. Brainstorms and Timed Writings
- Romance (or other specialized) Thread
- Revision Notes
- Current Printed Draft (for marking up and editing)
Notebook.ai, a computer program designed specifically for building and storing author almanacs (including those developed by role-playing game enthusiasts), organizes the free content portion of its services (with further categories available for subscribers) as:
- Universe (subdivided into Name, Description, Genre, Overview, History, Roles, Notes)
- Character (subdivided into Name, Role, Other Names, Gender, Age, Overview, Looks, Nature, Social, History, Family, Inventory)
- Locations (subdivided into Name, Type, Description, Overview, Culture, Cities, Geography, and History)
- Items (subdivided into Name, Type, Description, Overview, Looks, History, and Abilities)
There are lots of articles on line that discuss how to organize an author almanac. If you are stumped in this area, I recommend you look at those articles, find a system that works for you, then tweak that system as needed for your style and the individual story.
Whatever your system looks like, you definitely need a system, if you don’t already have one. Your readers (alpha, beta, and commercial) will thank you for it. If you do have one, how does it work for you? What organizational categories do you use and what tips/tricks do you find helpful?
To continue hopping through other great blogs in the monthly #AuthorToolboxBlogHop, or to join in, click here.
by lcelum@yahoo.com | May 16, 2018 | #AuthorToolboxBlogHop, Creativity and the Writing Process
I am a huge researcher. There’s something soothing to me about the methodical nature of reading for details and pulling out pertinent information. It doesn’t matter that I may only use that information… someday. Or that I’m maybe, just possibly, researching in order to put off facing the blank page…
Okay, the truth is, research is as tedious for me as it is for the next person. To be honest, the only time I love researching is when I’m stuck in my current work in project (WiP). When that’s the case, it is easy and comfortable to research something I think might be wrong with my story and still call it work. *whistles innocently*
So research can be a double-edged sword for me. It can be a convincing procrastination tool or it can be extremely useful in my world building. However, once in a while it turns out to be both.
One of my favorite techniques for getting unstuck is to examine my WiP for flaws in basic structure. As long as I balance research and analysis sessions with sessions where I’m writing new stuff, this technique can be more productive than distracting, which is why I’m offering it here.
The very first element of story that I analyze is my plot’s structure. *pauses to wait for groans to subside*
Yes, structure. Every story has one. Much like the frame of the house, the structure of a story is what gives shape to all of the scenes. So whether you’re a Plotter, a Pantster, or something in between (like me—I’m a self-proclaimed Excavator), structure is the frame of your story. This is why it can make sense to test your work’s structural integrity when you are stuck.
There are many different ways to structure a plot, but the one I favor is often referred to as the Three Act structure. This is because of its origin in theater, where plays were/are often divided into three acts (Except Shakespeare, who seems to have preferred five acts, but he’s, well… Shakespeare). Today, the Three Act structure is prevalent among screenwriters, which is beneficial if you are a budding screenwriter or a novelist who hopes to have your novels made into movies.
My go-to resource for understanding and implementing the Three Act structure is The Weekend Novelist by Robert J. Ray (note: there is a revised edition co-authored by Robert J. Ray and Bret Norris, but I don’t sync with this edition as much as I did with the original edition)(second note: I’ve recently discovered the edition I prefer is out of print, so the previous link takes you to the ebook version of the current edition). In this book, Ray details the Three Act structure and explains how to use it within the 52 – 60 act formula used by many screen writers.
In short, a story’s structural parts consist of three acts and seven major scenes:
Act One, which introduces the Inciting Incident (the scene that introduces the story’s protagonist with a problem to solve and/or a goal to achieve, which is the major goal of the story) and develops some of the Exposition (background information necessary for the reader to understand what’s at stake in your story).
Act Two, which begins with Plot Point One, climbs to the Mid-Point mid-act, and ends with Plot Point Two (each of these three points is a major story event in which the protagonist is somehow prepared to achieve his/her goal in the story’s climax).
Act Three, which builds up to the story’s Climax and includes the Denouement.
To go into any greater detail about this subject is to reinvent the wheel. If you’ve been following this blog for any amount of time, you’re aware that I’m not a fan of reinventing the wheel, so if you would like to know more about the Three Act structure and how to implement it, I recommend beginning with this resource or the one previously mentioned.
And if you are stuck in your WiP—truly stuck, not just disenchanted, bored, or tired—then I recommend going back to the basics, beginning with your story’s structure, and analyzing how the pieces of your story work. If all goes for me as I plan, future posts will touch on other elements of story to analyze and other resources to help you go in-depth in your learning, understanding, and/or utilization of these elements.
I don’t know who said it, (I searched the Internet for it. I did. But I got swamped in quotes about writing and, well, I have deadlines to meet!) and I’m probably going to butcher it, but at least one author is known for having said you never learn how to write a novel. Rather, each particular novel teaches you how to write it as you go. For this reason, no matter how many times you’ve been published, there’s always more to learn.
With that in mind, I’d love to hear your thoughts on story structure, and how analyzing yours it does or doesn’t help you when you get stuck in your current WiP. Please leave those thoughts in the comments section below.
To continue hopping through other great blogs in the monthly #AuthorToolboxBlogHop, or to join in, click here.
by lcelum@yahoo.com | Apr 19, 2018 | #AuthorToolboxBlogHop, Creativity and the Writing Process
A while ago, a friend of mine who is working on her first novel asked me if we could get together and talk about her current work in progress (WiP). She had several scenes written but wasn’t sure how to advance the story further and wanted to get some feedback from me.
Of course I agreed. I teach the occasional creative writing class in the private high school where I work, and I love to help students and friends in this area. So we set a date to meet, and my friend asked if I would like to read what she already had before our conference date. I declined because, this early in her project, I was pretty sure the answers she needed were structural and I want the story to be fresh if I ever have the opportunity to critique it.
Sure enough, the problem was structural, and we were able to diagnose it with two questions. The first one: What plot structure was she using? (Her answer: the three act structure I had previously recommended.) The second question: What were her protagonist’s inner and outer conflicts? My friend was able to detail her character’s inner conflict but said as of yet, there was no outer conflict.
Viola. Problem identified.
Any high school English teacher will tell you (over and over again if you were to attend one of my classes) that without conflict, a story is boring. Any avid reader will agree. Yet, as writers who are reasonably nice people, we often struggle with placing our characters in the path of trouble. We want to live happy, peaceful lives, and we want our characters, whom we grow to love, to enjoy emotional stability, as well. The problem is, stories revolve around conflict. They depend on it.
In a longer work, like a novel, you often need more than one conflict. In his screenwriting craft book, Story: Substance, Structure, Style, and the Principles of Screenwriting, industry veteran Robert McKee states that the Law of Conflict is: “Nothing moves forward in a story except through conflict” (210). He goes on to state that for a story to possess sufficient complexity, it must contain conflict at three levels: inner conflict, personal conflict, and extra-personal conflict. So, for example, if I were to write an epic fantasy novel, it would need to contain a protagonist with some sort of emotional need (inner conflict); someone she is fighting with (personal conflict); and something that has gone terribly wrong in her world (extra-personal conflict). In The Lord of the Rings this trifecta of trouble appears as Frodo’s innate, Hobbit desire to live a sedentary, quiet life (inner conflict); Frodo’s struggle to master the One Ring instead of being mastered by it (personal conflict); and the need to prevent Sauron from world domination (extra-personal conflict).
If you are working on a novel, and you currently feel stuck or are floundering for ideas about how to develop your plot, try analyzing your story’s structure (even if you are a “Pantster,” or are – like me – some sort of hybrid between Plotter and Pantster; every writer has to have some sort of structural frame to hang those scenes on). Take a hard look at your protagonist and his or her levels of conflict, and see if you can’t find some way of getting unstuck there.
As a creative exercise, try brainstorming these three levels of conflict for random characters. I’d love to hear some of your results in the comments below!
To continue hopping through other great blogs in the monthly #AuthorToolboxBlogHop, or to join in, click here.
by lcelum@yahoo.com | Jan 17, 2018 | #AuthorToolboxBlogHop, Book Reviews, Creativity and the Writing Process
Greetings and happy 2018! Welcome to the first post of this year’s Author Toolbox Bloghop. I hope the past few months have been restful and productive in whatever measure you aimed for.
I spent the end of last year chipping away at my current work in progress (WiP). I managed to finish it before Christmas, and I sent it to my agent and alpha readers. While I wait for their feedback, I am stepping away from the work just enough that I will be able to approach it with fresh eyes once the time comes. However, I don’t want to leave the world of the project all together, so I am researching ways to approach the revision process once the time comes. Along that line, I have discovered a resource called The Story Grid: What Good Editors Know, written by Shawn Coyne.
Shawn Coyne has been in publishing for twenty-five years and has worked with an extensive list of industry professionals, including Robert McKee. The Story Grid is a compilation of things he’s learned as a literary agent, an independent publisher, and an editor with major publishing houses, and is designed to inspire original stories, to fix broken projects, and to help writers edit their own manuscripts. It allows authors to break down a project into parts and analyze what works, what doesn’t work, and why.
As a resource that focuses on the craft of writing, The Story Grid contains a lot of familiar content. It spends about half of the time discussing story structure elements of scene, act, conflict, and plot. What the Grid does differently is detail a focused way of mapping a story element-by-element, providing a tool that helps authors evaluate the quality of a scene and assess whether or not the scene works based on the criteria detailed throughout the book.
One of the more unique aspects of this resource is the way Shawn Coyne looks at genre. As a high school English teacher, I refer to genre many times during any given week, but Mr. Coyne expands the concept to a depth of detail even I have never seen before. Understanding this concept is central to working the Story Grid because genres create expectations in readers (yes, that will be on a test), and if a work lacks any element of a genre, it leaves readers feeling unsatisfied. While Mr. Coyne goes into great detail about what the genres are, there is no information about the expectations associated with any genre except the Thriller. This makes since because Thriller is Mr. Coyne’s specialty and because the specific conventions of each genre could fill several books, but it does leave readers wanting. However, Cone does state that authors should be instinctively familiar with the conventions of the genre they want to write in before they actually begin writing in that genre.
One of the things I love about The Story Grid is all of the extra resources that are available. There is a Story Grid podcast that chronicles the experience of Tim Grahl as he applies the Grid to a work in progress and discusses that progress in weekly conference calls with Mr. Coyne (brilliant idea, that). There is also a website where “writers who are eating ramen noodles every night and staying every waking hour at the office” (2) can access all of the Story Grid content archives for free.
While I am days away from applying the Grid to my own work, I have already learned much from this book. For example, I now understand the concepts of beats and story values in a way I never have before. I recommend this resource to anyone who has a story that’s not working but that deserves a chance at publication and/or anyone who is in the process of editing a current project.
What about you? What resources or tips have you found that help with the revision process? Or, what else would you like to know? The #Author Toolbox Bloghop is intended to be a collection of resources and learning for authors no matter where they are in the process, so if there are any topics you would like to read about, please suggest them in the comments below.
To continue hopping through other great blogs in the monthly #AuthorToolboxBlogHop, or to join in, click here.
