Wednesday's Writing Prompt — Late

Your character is running late — extremely late. She needs to get to work for a big meeting, or home in time to pick up her child, or to her starring role in the elementary school play. But regardless of her destination, her heart is beating wildly as she thinks about the consequences of what she is going to miss, and who she just might let down.

Think about the scene. Where is your character going? How is she getting there? Bus, cab, car, train, or is she just flat out sprinting? Is there anyone with her or is she alone? Does something happen along the way that changes the course of your story, or is the plot changing element waiting at the final destination? Decide whether she is ultimately too late to meet the commitment she is speeding to get to, or if she just makes it in the nick of time. How do both options affect a larger conflict, and just what does this scene reveal about your character?

People Who Get You: The Importance of a Writing Community

Yesterday, I gave a presentation on my mentorship from last semester and read a short excerpt from my novel Blinding. As part of my MFA's programs degree requirements, after each mentorship or independent study, students, faculty, and guests gather to hear a collection of presentations on the work us students have been doing over the past several months.

Although I wasn't nervous to give the presentation, it was something I hadn't done before. The presentation went well, and I was lucky enough to have some friends and family in the audience, but publicly standing up and reading from my novel for listening ears is not something super typical of the writing process, at least not for me in this stage. Of course, it's something I hope to do many times in the future, when my novels are hopefully published and people want you to make appearances (oh, how wonderful that sounds!), but when I left it wasn't so much my presentation that I kept thinking about. Rather, it was the presentations of my friends and fellow students that stayed on my mind.

This year, with mentorships as opposed to writing workshops, I have had less contact with my fellow writers than last year, and it's been more of a "one-on-one" intensive revision and writing process. But sitting with my fellow writers and hearing snippets of and reflections on of their projects made me think about just how important it is to have them in my life — to have a writing community, even if it may not be one that you get together with all the time.

Writing communities serve many functions. Primarily, they are thought of as places where you go and workshop your pieces, getting feedback and swapping suggestions on how to make your story better. And that's totally what happens, but there's so much more going on under the surface. Writing communities aren't just about the actual exchange of stories and suggestions — they are about support and encouragement, bouncing ideas off one another, people to listen to you vent about your frustrations with plot and character, and developing friendships with people who truly understand what you're going through as a writer; people who are right there, doing the same things themselves.

At this point, however, most of my writing happens independently. I don't have a weekly group or exclusive writing buddy who reads all my work. Mostly, I write, rewrite, and revise, send to my mentor, receive comments and then do the same thing all over again. But this change in the process, the switch from workshop to one-on-one mentorship, doesn't negate my need and importance for a writing community. Sure, I may not need the workshop right now or want someone to read all my work. But I sure as heck need the support. I need to know there are friends of mine out there doing the same thing. I need that person to call who understands what I mean when I throw around writing terminology or struggles that are just specific to writing a novel, or even writing for children. I need to see the people who have had success and those who are still seeking it to know I should be both hopeful and not in despair. I need those people who get the writing humor and have read all the same books and have grown alongside me throughout this process. This is what community is all about anyway. Not just the act of making things better, but the act of relationship: being a friend.

Although we may not all talk or exchange work all the time, the simple fact of having people that you know and care about, who are also going through what you are going through is undeniably comforting. Yesterday reminded me just how good that is. We may not have to be best friends, but we are a unique type of friends, who share something that so many people just don't relate to. And that's great. There's really no underestimation of how much support gets you through, in this area of life, and in every area of life.

It's exciting to see and hear portion's of my friends' stories at this point in their careers. Knowing that they will most certainly publish and go on to jobs in publishing houses, agencies, and many other institutions, it's awesome to know we have the bonds now, and we will always be rooting for each other along the way. One day, I'll be able to say I knew them way back when, and I still know them then. So thanks guys, for being your awesome selves and loving children's books like I do.

Wednesday's Writing Prompt — Home Alone

Your character is home alone, and he hasn't been left home alone in quite some time. What does he feel the moment the door closes behind his family (or roommates)? What is his first impulse? Will he dance like crazy? Eat what he wants? Sneak out of the house, or perhaps sneak someone in?

Now think about this as an opportunity for your character —a chance to do something he has been waiting to do. Is he trying to plan a surprise? Does he have a secret part of his life that he doesn't want anyone to know about? Is there a fantasy element where he can become something or go somewhere, but only when he is sure he won't get caught? What does being home alone enable him to do? What secrets can you reveal to your reader?

The End Is In Sight — Thoughts About Finding Balance and Making It Through My Final Semester

The semester has begun! And now, in the midst of readings and assignments, projects, deadlines, essays, my manuscript, and working full-time, I am feeling a little overwhelmed.

The beginning of every semester can always feel a little bit chaotic since you haven't yet fallen into the rhythm of schoolwork or know how to balance the assignments based on how long they'll take you or when they are do. But for me, this semester seems harder than others. It's the final push toward graduation and while I've done this whole school for a while, I still feel worried. I know, I know, I've made it through the craziness before some of you might say. But still. The truth is simply that I am tired. The accumulation of all the past two years is starting to be felt.  And as I look out over the next four months, a part of me worries that it will be more of a struggle than past semesters. 

Thinking about this, and particularly as I've noticed this past week of writing felt extra taxing, I've thought about this upcoming semester and what I can do to help my writing. One thing I definitely don't want to let slip is my writing itself. That's why I'm in school, right? And beyond school, I also know that these feelings of being pulled in many directions and of fatigue are not going to be limited to the time that I am in school, but extend to life in general. There is no doubt other seasons will present the same problems. So, I think it is particularly important for me, and all of us writers, to find a way to really carve out the time and space, and create a protection of sorts — to ensure that we stay both committed and productive.

So, as I've already begun to feel the pull towards sleep some nights and the stress of other projects that need to be completed, I thought of afew things I am going to have to do over the next few months to keep my writing strong, and myself sane.

1. Sometimes saying no to things and accepting that everything I do might not always be done to the utmost of my abilities. I don't know if you're like me, but when I commit to something, I tend to throw myself in entirely. I want to do everything to the very best of my ability; to make it as good as it can be. But...this is just not always feasible. Especially when we want to commit to such a time consuming project as writing a novel.

2. Scheduling my writing time in advance will be something I think will benefit me novel on the whole. I am someone who likes to know the schedule in advance so I can plan and figure out how to get all the things I need to do done within the time frame. So planning out my week in terms of upcoming schoolwork and writing will be helpful. Even just seeing it on paper benefits me I think.

3. Sleeping when I need to. A tired writer is not necessarily a good writer. Sometimes I make it work for sure, but when I am really, really tired, I think it's best to let myself get caught up and feel refreshed. Besides, when I'm really awake I can probably write the same number of pages in half the time.

4. Make sure I do other things besides just work. This will help prevent burn-out. And give my mind a rest.

5. Know it's not always going to be perfect, and I don't always have to get it done now. This one I struggle with for sure — particularly the second part. I am kind of a work-hard, why wait, just get it done type of person. But this can produce undue stress, though it can also lead to always getting things done early :)

6. Always keep my ideas flowing in the back of my mind. This might sound confusing, but even though I might not be sitting at the computer and actively writing doesn't mean I can't be thinking about my story at other times. Some of the best creativity comes at random moments. So keep your mind open at all times. 

In quantity or in quality, I want to make sure that my writing stays on the top of my priority list, so hopefully these things will help me get through the semester — in tact and with some good work to show for it. This is not to say, however, that I don't sometimes have to adapt or sacrifice a little bit of my writing time, or that I don't still need to work as hard as I can while I have these opportunities. But overall, it's about finding a balance: a balance that leads to good writing output and feeling good in your overall life.

I'll be sure to keep you posted as the semester unfolds! Please send your good thoughts my way, as I can use all the encouragement I can get. And of course, I'll be sending them right back at you! Good luck writing friends! 

Wednesday's Writing Prompt — Doctor

Imagine your character is terrified of the doctor, but for some reason — whether an injury or routine check up — she must go to see one. Finding herself in the waiting room, your character's name is called. The time has come.

Decide to make the scene either humorous or truly frightening. Which emotion do you want to evoke in your reader? How might this episode set the stage for future things to come within your story? Think about the sounds, smells, terminology, and sights that your character notices. Really try to visualize the scene around her and then do your best to use these sensory details to support the mood you are trying to convey. Focus on putting your reader into the room with your character, making the scene rich with emotion as conveyed through your characters perception of the room.

Loving Your Characters: Writerly Love vs. Emotional Love

Working on my manuscript this week, I've found that I really enjoy my time with the story. Of course, I'm not exactly just hanging out with it, and there are plenty of moments of frustration with sentences or uncertainty about how a scene should go, but I just have truly enjoyed both how the story is turning out and the actual process of writing itself. So this got me thinking why? Why is this project seeming so fun (at least for now!)? What exactly is so different about it?

Well, I think a large part of the answer could be that after coming off of 3+ months of intensive revising, it feels nice to be writing again. Creating, exploring, describing, experimenting — that's sometimes a lot more fun than cutting and rewording and staring at the same sentence that you could rewriting five different ways but still you don't know which one is best. So there's that reason!

But I think the truth is also that sometimes, some characters are just more fun to work with than others, and in this project, I find my character to be really likable and fun to write. I like spending time discovery her more. I like the ways she responds to life around her and the things she seeks. Maybe I find more of myself in her, or perhaps even the person I want to be. But after realizing just how much I enjoy my current protagonist, I started worrying about my past projects. Is it bad that I didn't enjoy my previous book's protagonist quite as much, or in quite the same way? And does that say anything about the quality of my story or my characters themselves?

I think the answer to both questions is 'no'. Writing a good character is not dictated by your feeling toward that character. You don't need to love them all the same way. And perhaps with villains, you might not even need to love them at all. But when I say "love", I am talking more about how you, the person, feel about your characters rather than the way that you, the writer, acts toward them. Perhaps your feeling toward a characters depends on your stage in life, how you feel one day, or the fact that their story is so much different than yours. I mean, it's no secret that I am not a boy, or never was one. So maybe I do not feel as much connection to my last protagonist Carter as I do with my current one, simply because she's a girl. But, at the same time, I could tell you that I do love another boy character I've written, so really, it could all just be about who the character is and how you connect with them from the standpoint of a person rather than a writer.

So, all of this to say, it's really not a bad thing to love your characters unequally (*gasp*), because they are not real and they are not your children, even if you might feel like they are most day. However, there is a caveat. It doesn't matter that you love your characters differently in the emotional sense, as long as you give them the same amount of love and concern. Ultimately, as long as you develop them to the best of your ability and work with them until they shine with emotion and can get some, and hopefully most, people to connect with them, then it is totally fine!

Emotions are necessarily a good indicator of how good the story is. Emotions are really just telling you about yourself. And, making a good story isn't all about emotion — not your own at least. Do we have to make the reader feel for your character and enter into their journey? Absolutely. But do we have to be fully in love with that character? Not necessarily. See, I think there is a fine line between loving our character as if they were real and we wanted to be there friend, and loving your character in the way a writer needs to — with concern and careful detail to their needs and actions and thoughts and struggles. Just because I might not want to hang out with one of my characters as much I would like to hang out with another one doesn't mean I do not have a love for him. It might just be less emotional in terms of my personal self, and more objective on the part of my writing self.

Every project will bring a new feeling with it. But a project, just like a character, is not made only by your personal response to it. It's made from hard work and the love a writer brings to their characters. Certainly it can be a plus to want to be best friends with your character, but not a prerequisite to making a great novel. Objectivity can even benefit your characters. So while I am greatly enjoying my character right now, I don't need to have insecurity about my other characters, and neither do you. As long as you work with your characters equally, you don't need to love them equally. But of course we hope our readers will love them all!

Wednesday's Writing Prompt — Dinner

You're character is invited to dinner at someone's house. But when he arrives, he realizes he hates half the food and has no idea what the other half  is. He's afraid to even put it in his mouth. What does your character do? What are the circumstances surrounding this dinner? Who's house is it? How good of friends is your character with this person? Or is it a family member? A grandmother? His significant other's parents? A potential step-parents perhaps?

There are many ways this situations could play out, but first determine if it will end well, or end in disaster. Can he spin the situation into a joke, or must he force himself to eat despite his fear? Will his companions understand, or will he be looked down upon for not eating their meal? Does he pretend to get sick or be called away for some desperate emergency? What are the options that are running through his mind? But most importantly, what does your character do in the end?

Be Open to New Ideas — Especially When Inspiration Strikes

This week while riding the T on my morning commute, an idea for a new story came to me. Out of the blue, without much thought — true, simple inspiration just hit me! It was one of those moments when I most understand Emeril's notorious "Bam!" Quite pleased, I hurried to work to write it all down, thinking wouldn't it be wonderful if all ideas could come this easily, because sometimes, when you most want something to work, that's when it becomes the hardest.

This fortuitous and spontaneous story inspiration got me thinking. Although I am in the early-to-middle stages of working on a new manuscript (first draft of course), an entirely new idea that has nothing to do with my current work seemed to mysteriously arise from somewhere in my brain. As people, and maybe perhaps even more so as writers, our minds are always going everywhere and thinking of a thousand things at once.  We are observing, we are thinking, we are reading, we are conversing — the list goes on and on. But in the midst of all this, we need to remember to be attuned to this smaller moments of inspiration. We need to keep an open mind to new ideas and all the places they might come from. Especially because if you don't write them down now, often, you just can't remember them later.

Not only does exploring new ideas for future stories help us in the future, but I also think it helps us in now. Sometimes I feel like my brain needs a rest from my current project. That thinking about it so much can sometimes lead to frustration rather than triumphant creativity. But giving ourselves a break to explore a new world or scenario — one that is even totally absurd and totally fun — can benefit our current projects simply by opening up our minds. Many writers have different processes, and I know some write at the same time every day while others go with more of a "when the mood strikes them" approach. But regardless of your style, it remains important to be ready to seize the moment of inspiration and explore new ideas, even if it's only to be put away for safe keeping.

For me, I keep a list of future projects stuck to the cork board over my bed, and a notebook full of partially developed but promising ideas in a notebook. Sometimes I feel like I have so many ideas that I simply just don't have the time. But finding a balance between what you're working on now and what you hope to work on in the future is important. Because keeping the creative juices flowing is key, and making sure you have something to work on when you finish your current project helps you to keep going, and avoid feeling stuck or without inspiration.

We writers are writing all the time. We are writing the potential situations that might arise in our day; we are writing messages and emails and tweets; we are writing and rewriting dialogue that exists in the real world as well as our fictional worlds. So we want to make sure to be writing our future stories as well. Letting them ruminate in the back of your mind; thinking about one when you are about to fall asleep; and writing down that bit of dialogue or plot detail when it comes.

Knowing exactly what you'll work on in the future isn't a science, and it might change as soon as you finish your current project. But planning ahead can never hurt. And it might just lead you to better stories, and exciting adventures, even now!

Wednesday's Writing Prompt — New Year's Resolution

Imagine your character has to share a new year's resolution with the class, or perhaps his co-workers or other important group if he is an adult. What will his resolution be? Can you think of a resolution that might be embarrassing for him to share, but something that means a lot to him? Why has he chosen this resolution? Will he actually share it with the group, or will he think of something else to say? Now place him in the moment when it is his turn to speak. What happens? Does revealing this hope have any ramifications? Or perhaps keeping it to himself is just as consequential?