On my to do list today, after blogging, of course, is to pack. I am going on a trip to visit my wonderful friend in California, so naturally I have to prepare. Although I have a few days before I will actually be in the airport, waiting with the rest of the anxious travelers for the boarding announcement, seeing as it is the weekend and week days are usually packed with a variety of things, I figured I would get a head start. So with some laundry done and a mental list in my mind, I will begin gathering clothes and other items and stacking them in a neat little pile in my suitcase.
We all have an idea of what our trips will look like when we travel. What we pack reflects what we anticipate our trip to be. The general climate, any potential weather storms, the need for toilettries, outfits for varying occasions, and the itinerary for the week. But trips never exactly going as planned. Something unexpected happens for good or for bad. Someone becomes ill. The scenery isn't quite what we expected. A series of fortuitous events make your trip even better than you had imagined. Regardless of specific occurences, travelling is and always will be unexpected. No matter how much you may try to anticipate the trip, things will happen as they will, and while packing might help you to navigate the twists and turns, packing can't change the inherent uncertainties of travelling.
Such is writing.
Much like traveling, writing is a similar foray into a unknown world. And while we can outline and research, character sketch and plan, the experience is never as we anticipated. Although we might be prepared, we are certainly in the unknown.
This is both a fun, exciting part of writing as well as a bit of a downer. I know I certainly wish that writing could be easier sometimes — that all my preparatory work of brainstorming and outlining and mapping made the words flow beautifully onto the page as the scenes flew by with ease. But while some days prove tremendously fruitful and enjoyable, other days are equally as difficult. Yet, there is something rewarding about the days that are harder. You know, that moment when the scene finally comes out just as you'd planned or the hours of agonizing over the perfect details to solve your mystery and bring your character into their promised land culminate into one brilliant idea. In the unexpected, darker times of writing, where you have your luggage in your hand but just can't seem to figure out what corridor to go down, often that is when the best ideas come. When you are feeling most vulnerable and beat down, that's when you can truly delve into the adventure of the page. That's when some of the best scenes are writting.
You see, writing is like life — fully of uncertainty and never what you expect. We don't know what will come around the next bend. And although we can try to plan the heck out of everything, you know it will never quite turn out that way. There is always a surprise waiting just beyond your line of sight.
To be honest, this is not always something that is easy for me. I'm a planner, for better or for worse. But while I wholeheartedly believe in the importance of packing and preparing to the best of our abilities, I also know that sometimes when you're lost you might just stumble upon what you've been looking for — or even something better.
Showing posts with label Research. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Research. Show all posts
Sunday, March 3, 2013
Sunday, December 16, 2012
Outlining — The Trick to World Building
The start of a new project means a return to the stage of prep work and research, note taking and just general brainstorming. But this time, as I dive into my novel, I've also incorporated extensive outlining in the early stages of my writing. A divergence from my normal practices, I've found outline to be extremely helpful, going far beyond what I expected and opening up lots of new ideas.
Typically, or, for my past three works, I didn't really do any outlining at all — not in the sense of a chronological, written down game plan of all the things that would happen in my novel or the events I wanted to make sure to get to. My "outlining" instead took place mostly in my mind. I thought about concepts and jotted things down, and overall, had a really strong sense of my story's characters and conflicts by the time I actually started writing. I also kept a decently extensive series of lists of characters, soccer diagrams, and a time line of events. I mean, when you have a whole soccer team to keep track of and you want to make sure that one boy is not being mistake for another, or place someone in the wrong position, those types of lists become pretty important. But these came as I was writing the manuscript, rather than before.
For this project, however, as soon as I got the idea, I know it had to be different. I couldn't just think about things and then take off writing. I had to do a thorough preparation; and a preparation that was entirely different than my usual plan of attack. It's funny how projects can mandate such different approaches, as if the idea was demanding to be treated differently and I just had to acquiesce. But that's what happened, and so, I began my outline. And man, has this outline been helpful!
I still did plenty of mental prep work in which I thought about major questions, characters, conflicts, and the story arc. But when I actually began outlining, I realized just how much this project, or really me — the writer of this story — needs an outline. It has helped me to see the greater story while also narrowing in on important little details and weaving them through the narrative. Because I know exactly (or presumably) what will happen in chapter ten, I am able to write a better chapter one, because I know where the story is going, and just what the reader needs to be aware of from the beginning.
To be honest, my new manuscript is a bit of a divergence from my regular ideas. I am entering into a world of fairy tale, and fantasy, and as such, the presence of an outline helps me to feel more comfortable. I think I need to know more about the plot with this novel, because fairy tales have certain conventions, and building a world that is so different from our own requires a new type of work from me. After talking to my new and truly fantastic mentor for the spring semester, Ms. Lauren Wohl, I was affirmed in my outlining process, particularly for this type of novel. Lauren said that with world building, the details and nuances of a society become more complicated, and outlining, as well as listing and diagraming and even drawing maps can help you build a world that is consistent and most importantly understandable for your reader.
She also mentioned that Walter Dean Myers outlines so meticulously, and with such extensive detail that when it comes time to write the manuscript, he is basically just typing, just connecting all the dots, as his outline is truly the draft of his novel. And not to say that we all have to create such a robust outline, but in many ways, outlining creates the foundation for a novel. It is like a map you draw for yourself to work your way through your novel, and ultimately arrive in your destination of choice.
Outlining has helped me have a clearer picture of my story, and where all the pertinent information needs to be inserted, and what that pertinent information even is at all. It's also inspired new creativity, as while I am working on one section, I often get a brilliant idea for a previous one, or one yet to come.
So perhaps I will continue outlining for every story I write. Who knows? But truly, I love it! Outlining has definitely helped me and I've only just begun.
Typically, or, for my past three works, I didn't really do any outlining at all — not in the sense of a chronological, written down game plan of all the things that would happen in my novel or the events I wanted to make sure to get to. My "outlining" instead took place mostly in my mind. I thought about concepts and jotted things down, and overall, had a really strong sense of my story's characters and conflicts by the time I actually started writing. I also kept a decently extensive series of lists of characters, soccer diagrams, and a time line of events. I mean, when you have a whole soccer team to keep track of and you want to make sure that one boy is not being mistake for another, or place someone in the wrong position, those types of lists become pretty important. But these came as I was writing the manuscript, rather than before.
For this project, however, as soon as I got the idea, I know it had to be different. I couldn't just think about things and then take off writing. I had to do a thorough preparation; and a preparation that was entirely different than my usual plan of attack. It's funny how projects can mandate such different approaches, as if the idea was demanding to be treated differently and I just had to acquiesce. But that's what happened, and so, I began my outline. And man, has this outline been helpful!
I still did plenty of mental prep work in which I thought about major questions, characters, conflicts, and the story arc. But when I actually began outlining, I realized just how much this project, or really me — the writer of this story — needs an outline. It has helped me to see the greater story while also narrowing in on important little details and weaving them through the narrative. Because I know exactly (or presumably) what will happen in chapter ten, I am able to write a better chapter one, because I know where the story is going, and just what the reader needs to be aware of from the beginning.
To be honest, my new manuscript is a bit of a divergence from my regular ideas. I am entering into a world of fairy tale, and fantasy, and as such, the presence of an outline helps me to feel more comfortable. I think I need to know more about the plot with this novel, because fairy tales have certain conventions, and building a world that is so different from our own requires a new type of work from me. After talking to my new and truly fantastic mentor for the spring semester, Ms. Lauren Wohl, I was affirmed in my outlining process, particularly for this type of novel. Lauren said that with world building, the details and nuances of a society become more complicated, and outlining, as well as listing and diagraming and even drawing maps can help you build a world that is consistent and most importantly understandable for your reader.
She also mentioned that Walter Dean Myers outlines so meticulously, and with such extensive detail that when it comes time to write the manuscript, he is basically just typing, just connecting all the dots, as his outline is truly the draft of his novel. And not to say that we all have to create such a robust outline, but in many ways, outlining creates the foundation for a novel. It is like a map you draw for yourself to work your way through your novel, and ultimately arrive in your destination of choice.
Outlining has helped me have a clearer picture of my story, and where all the pertinent information needs to be inserted, and what that pertinent information even is at all. It's also inspired new creativity, as while I am working on one section, I often get a brilliant idea for a previous one, or one yet to come.
So perhaps I will continue outlining for every story I write. Who knows? But truly, I love it! Outlining has definitely helped me and I've only just begun.
Sunday, December 9, 2012
All About Agents — Why They're Important and Where to Start Your Search
Hello, friends! I hope you've had a good week with all of the things you're doing and just life in general. It was good for me to officially wrap up my classes, and now begin the transition into the new phase of looking for agents and starting my next book. Many of my friends have asked me questions about just what agents do and how they work for you as a writer. So I thought I'd blog a bit about that this week, while also discussing just where to go about gathering info about agents and trying to find the one that is best for you.
So, to start, here's a brief/simplified summary of what agents do and why they are helpful: Before, a writer used to be able to send their submission materials directly to a publishing house. Then, the editors would look through what was commonly called the "slush pile" and find your work and contact you. Of course, this is a bit of a simplified summary, but basically that's how it worked. Today, while some publishing companies still accept what are called "unsolicited manuscripts" when you just send your material in blindly, most no longer accept these, meaning you can't just send your materials in and hope someone will pick up your work. So this is where agents come into play.
Agents provide the link between authors and publishing houses. So instead of sending your materials to a publisher, now you send them to different agencies, hoping that an agent will like your letter and sample and want to see more of your work. If they then like your manuscript, and you both agree that you would like to work with one another, then your agent will be the one to reach out to the different editors at publishing companies and pitch your work. An agent thus serves as your representative, and in the eyes of the publisher, as someone who has pre-approved your work. Having an agent show your work to an editor may not mean it is right for their house or their current list, but it gives them the opportunity to receive a short pitch of the idea from a trusted colleague, rather than the more intensive process of sorting through the submissions themselves.
That's the short summary of what an agent does, but how do you go about getting an agent in the first place? Well, when you're ready to start the process of searching for an agent, checking to see who represents your favorite authors or books that are like the one you have written can be a great place to start. Thanks to social media and author's websites, a lot of this information is online. Authors tend to list their agent's name in their short bio of their Twitter page, or somewhere on their website or blog. Once you've collected a list of agents who represent your kind of work, it's worth checking into and reading the different agency websites to get a deeper idea of just what these agencies focus on, what they are like in terms of working with their authors, and what types of books they are currently looking for. Query Tracker is also a great resource for you to explore, as it allows you to sort through the lists of agents by genre or target age group, as well as providing a direct link to the agency websites, thus taking out a lot of the searching process.
For most people, finding an agent is an important part of the writing process. Of course, there are situations in which you could submit directly to an editor that you've met or established a relationship with, but with the way the publishing world is today, I would say that agents would benefit the majority of us writers out there. Particularly those who have yet to be published.
Putting your work out there can be a daunting task. You never know how many rejections you might receive, but you also never know just who might love your work and want to represent you. I'll be honest and say that while I've been preparing and planning to submit to agents for quite some time, now that I am here and my manuscript is polished and ready to go, I definitely have a fair amount of trepidation going into this. But I think those feelings of fear have more to do with how much I want to get published and less to do with the fear of rejection. Like many others, I know that I have worked so hard and poured myself into these pages, so the hope of them getting published and being read by others is so real that it can get a bit scary.
I personally believe that the best things in life, and the things you want the most, often are quite frightening when they finally appear in front of you. But that doesn't mean that you shouldn't go for them, or that they aren't as good as you thought they were. I think this falls somewhere in that category. Searching for an agent could be the beginning of a wonderful journey that leads me to some of my dreams. And it could also be hard and not quite what I would have imagined. But that doesn't mean that I shouldn't try and try hard. You have to work for what you want, and you have to stay true to what you love. So hopefully, one day, I'll be able to tell you all about how wonderful it feels when someone decides they want to publish my book. But for right now, the important part is just taking the first step and putting my work out there. So that's what I'm doing. And I hope you'll do the same thing, too.
So, to start, here's a brief/simplified summary of what agents do and why they are helpful: Before, a writer used to be able to send their submission materials directly to a publishing house. Then, the editors would look through what was commonly called the "slush pile" and find your work and contact you. Of course, this is a bit of a simplified summary, but basically that's how it worked. Today, while some publishing companies still accept what are called "unsolicited manuscripts" when you just send your material in blindly, most no longer accept these, meaning you can't just send your materials in and hope someone will pick up your work. So this is where agents come into play.
Agents provide the link between authors and publishing houses. So instead of sending your materials to a publisher, now you send them to different agencies, hoping that an agent will like your letter and sample and want to see more of your work. If they then like your manuscript, and you both agree that you would like to work with one another, then your agent will be the one to reach out to the different editors at publishing companies and pitch your work. An agent thus serves as your representative, and in the eyes of the publisher, as someone who has pre-approved your work. Having an agent show your work to an editor may not mean it is right for their house or their current list, but it gives them the opportunity to receive a short pitch of the idea from a trusted colleague, rather than the more intensive process of sorting through the submissions themselves.
That's the short summary of what an agent does, but how do you go about getting an agent in the first place? Well, when you're ready to start the process of searching for an agent, checking to see who represents your favorite authors or books that are like the one you have written can be a great place to start. Thanks to social media and author's websites, a lot of this information is online. Authors tend to list their agent's name in their short bio of their Twitter page, or somewhere on their website or blog. Once you've collected a list of agents who represent your kind of work, it's worth checking into and reading the different agency websites to get a deeper idea of just what these agencies focus on, what they are like in terms of working with their authors, and what types of books they are currently looking for. Query Tracker is also a great resource for you to explore, as it allows you to sort through the lists of agents by genre or target age group, as well as providing a direct link to the agency websites, thus taking out a lot of the searching process.
For most people, finding an agent is an important part of the writing process. Of course, there are situations in which you could submit directly to an editor that you've met or established a relationship with, but with the way the publishing world is today, I would say that agents would benefit the majority of us writers out there. Particularly those who have yet to be published.
Putting your work out there can be a daunting task. You never know how many rejections you might receive, but you also never know just who might love your work and want to represent you. I'll be honest and say that while I've been preparing and planning to submit to agents for quite some time, now that I am here and my manuscript is polished and ready to go, I definitely have a fair amount of trepidation going into this. But I think those feelings of fear have more to do with how much I want to get published and less to do with the fear of rejection. Like many others, I know that I have worked so hard and poured myself into these pages, so the hope of them getting published and being read by others is so real that it can get a bit scary.
I personally believe that the best things in life, and the things you want the most, often are quite frightening when they finally appear in front of you. But that doesn't mean that you shouldn't go for them, or that they aren't as good as you thought they were. I think this falls somewhere in that category. Searching for an agent could be the beginning of a wonderful journey that leads me to some of my dreams. And it could also be hard and not quite what I would have imagined. But that doesn't mean that I shouldn't try and try hard. You have to work for what you want, and you have to stay true to what you love. So hopefully, one day, I'll be able to tell you all about how wonderful it feels when someone decides they want to publish my book. But for right now, the important part is just taking the first step and putting my work out there. So that's what I'm doing. And I hope you'll do the same thing, too.
Sunday, September 30, 2012
As Good As It Can Be — Seeing Your Novel All the Way Through
This week in my publishing class, when talking about the relationship between editors and authors, my professor said, "A good editor will push an author do another rewrite when the author thinks they just don't have another rewrite in them." Spoken by a venerable veteran of the publishing industry, who also happens to be a well respected author, I instantly related this to my revision process with my current novel.
I am currently in my second round of revision with my mentor, and as I think about the remaining three revisions I will have to do, I know that part of me worries whether I will have it in me to get them all done in the next two months, and if I will do them well. The vast amount of revision needed to take a manuscript from a first draft to the final draft can be quite large. And while I can't say that I know just how much time my manuscript will need, my professor's statement really made me think about the hard work it takes to make your book the best book it can be.
I think in the midst of revision, or writing, or just working hard, it can be easy to lose sight of the idea that we want to make our novels the very best novels they can be — and here's the key part — no matter how what it takes. At moments, it can be easier to settle for the feelings of "right now". Right now, I wonder why my novel can't just be good enough as it is? And right now, I don't really want to cut this portion or reconceptualize that section. And right now, I just don't know how much longer I can take writing and rewriting and revising the same piece of work. But despite these feelings, the truth is that you don't really want to put out a novel that is just "okay". You want to put out a novel that you are proud of, and a novel that tells your story in the very best way possible.
It's pretty great to see that one of my favorite novels had to go through several rounds of revision. And that she mapped out her chronology, and changed her characters name more than once, and wrote ideas in the margins, and crossed things out, and all of the other things that I, and the rest of us writers, do on a daily basis. We're all going through the same frustrating process filled with hard work, anxiety, perhaps some tears, and definitely a whole lot of time. But at least I'm not the only one who feels that it's tough sometimes, and I'm not the only one who struggles to think that I have more in me for this rewrite or the next.
Writing is not always a glamorous art. Maybe the actual process might never seem glamorous to some. But we're all going through the same thing. And hearing my professor talk about her struggles, and seeing Natalie's right there on the page in front of me, it reminds me that hopefully, in the end, I might just come out with something beautiful.
I am currently in my second round of revision with my mentor, and as I think about the remaining three revisions I will have to do, I know that part of me worries whether I will have it in me to get them all done in the next two months, and if I will do them well. The vast amount of revision needed to take a manuscript from a first draft to the final draft can be quite large. And while I can't say that I know just how much time my manuscript will need, my professor's statement really made me think about the hard work it takes to make your book the best book it can be.
On Friday of this week, I also took a research trip to down Connecticut to visit the children's literature archive where all of the original materials for the book Tuck Everlasting are held. There, I got to go through the original, early manuscripts of Natalie Babbitt's work, correspondence between her and a myriad of people, as well as all of the publicity, reviews, and other materials for her various books. One document I read that really stood out to my writerly self was a note from her editor that said something to the effect of, "and you thought this day would never come." Thinking about the implications of this statement, I realized that it's good to know that Natalie Babbitt struggled with waiting, or the long process of revising, or just the vulnerability that comes with trying to put your work out there. And this author, whose work I really admire, and whose work was sitting right in front of me, perhaps wasn't too different from me.
I think in the midst of revision, or writing, or just working hard, it can be easy to lose sight of the idea that we want to make our novels the very best novels they can be — and here's the key part — no matter how what it takes. At moments, it can be easier to settle for the feelings of "right now". Right now, I wonder why my novel can't just be good enough as it is? And right now, I don't really want to cut this portion or reconceptualize that section. And right now, I just don't know how much longer I can take writing and rewriting and revising the same piece of work. But despite these feelings, the truth is that you don't really want to put out a novel that is just "okay". You want to put out a novel that you are proud of, and a novel that tells your story in the very best way possible.
It's pretty great to see that one of my favorite novels had to go through several rounds of revision. And that she mapped out her chronology, and changed her characters name more than once, and wrote ideas in the margins, and crossed things out, and all of the other things that I, and the rest of us writers, do on a daily basis. We're all going through the same frustrating process filled with hard work, anxiety, perhaps some tears, and definitely a whole lot of time. But at least I'm not the only one who feels that it's tough sometimes, and I'm not the only one who struggles to think that I have more in me for this rewrite or the next.
Writing is not always a glamorous art. Maybe the actual process might never seem glamorous to some. But we're all going through the same thing. And hearing my professor talk about her struggles, and seeing Natalie's right there on the page in front of me, it reminds me that hopefully, in the end, I might just come out with something beautiful.
Sunday, August 12, 2012
Inviting People Into Your Process
People often think that writing is a solitary experience. And in many ways, this is absolutely true.
You think by yourself. You sit by yourself. You type by yourself. Most people
want to work in a quiet, isolated environment. But yet, as I have been finding with my writing lately, inviting people into your process, and allowing others to share in and enrich your writing, yields a far better product than you could create on your own.
These past few weeks, I've done a lot of writing. It feels like my life revolves around it, in fact. And in being so submerged in my projects, doing research and constantly jotting down ideas and working out story lines, I found myself developing questions that I wanted to bounce off others. For example, with the novel I am working on (the one with the deadline), soccer has become a large part of the storyline. Because of this, I did a lot of research — not being a soccer expert myself — making diagrams, listing soccer formations, studying different types of skills. And while I felt very comfortable with the knowledge I had amassed, there were certain moments when my wording didn't seem just right. Or when I wasn't actually sure if this thing would happen in a middle-school soccer game. So instead of moving forward and just hoping I was correct, I reached out to my friend Sean who knows almost everything about the game of soccer. And not only did he help me verify and correct what I already knew, but he gave me great new facts and ideas that will greatly improve my book.
Similarly, a few weeks ago, I went to hang out with a friend of mine from work, Richard, and his good friend Justin, to talk about a future project. This novel idea arose from Richard one day talking about what Justin does. It is a job I had never given any thought to in a setting that was just perfect for a story. Something I never would have thought to explore on my own, up until that point, I didn't even really know it existed. So when interviewed, the details, description, and intricate knowledge given to me by Justin provided a richness to the setting I would never be able to achieve on my own. And while I went in with a few ideas of my storyline, by sharing my vision and asking him to share of his knowledge, I came out just bursting with possibilities of a story I would never have pursued on my own.
I think there is definitely a fear of sharing your ideas with others. And certainly there is a time and place to do so. I wouldn't advocate going around and telling everyone everything you're working on. Sometimes ideas need to be protected — from other's opinions or rejections, or simply so that your idea doesn't get around or taken by someone else. But at the same time, hiding your ideas could mean closing yourself off to the enriching stories of others. It could mean closing yourself off to different possibilities that might not come from your mind alone, but will only come through a collaboration with another.
People have infinite amounts of knowledge to share. They also have infinite ideas. Each person has a unique set of expertise; a unique imagination; unique life experiences. My life will never be the same as yours, just as my imagination won't take me to the places yours does. I think it is important to develop your own ideas and to be the sole writer of your work. But at the same time, asking for help, talking about ideas, and being open to different opinions can enhance your work in a way nothing else can.
Other peoples stories enrich mine. This is something I'm learning, and something I want to embrace. And as I share my process with others, as I invite them to partake in even the smallest bit of the experience, I am finding that not only are people interested, but they are enthusiastic. They are excited. They encourage me and help me find the drive to continue even on the days that might be the hardest.
So thank you to those of you who help me. I am better for it, and so is my story.
Sunday, July 29, 2012
Being A Good Listener...or Eavesdropper
While making time to shut the door and isolate yourself in order to get your best writing done is extremely important (and something I think really can't be overestimated), so, too, is putting yourself in situations that allow you to listen to the world, or perhaps more honestly, that allow you to eavesdrop. This is something I've heard said for years now, particularly in my writing classes: that to be a good writer you must pay attention. You must be a good listener and observe the world around you. You must carry around a notebook and jot things down all the time. And of course, I nodded and wrote down the advise, and do carry a notebook in my purse or backpack. But this week, this idea really came alive for me. And I found that listening helped me not only with my current project, but with the projects I am currently developing. Listening became free inspiration. And new ideas seemed to be popping up all over.
Instead of cooking dinner one night, I decided to go out and grab some food. As I waited for my order, I took out my notebook and began doing some writing, kind of paying attention to the people moving around me and the TV on mute in the background. Then, the interplay between several waiters caught my attention. Teasing and joking one another, they began to make up these ridiculous names and guess at their potential origins. Some of them were so good, that I began jotting them down, knowing that I was totally stealing these — one in particular which will be perfect for my spring novel! They even caught me laughing, it was so funny! But they didn't seem to mind at all.
Similarly, while taking a break to watch some of the olympics, I found myself enthralled by the sports commentary. So helpful to my current novel, I listened to the phrases and flow of the words — things you can't just look up on the internet. Sure, you can find a list of the phrases, but to hear them used, to hear them woven together and spoken so effortlessly gave me a whole new insight into how to use the terms.
Then yesterday, as a girl of seven or eight walked down the sidewalk of an apartment complex under a shared umbrella with a boy of the same age, she said, "I ain't running in no rain." The sass that came from that little girl in white ballet flats and a pink Sunday dress reminded me just how opinionated kids can be. And the subsequent acceptance of the boy, who didn't dare utter one word of protest, revealed just how early the boy to girl dynamics begin. Listening to children's conversations is one of the funnest things to do, but also so important to my work. Understanding and recreating the speech patterns of a child allows me, as a children's writer, to gain an authenticity that I may otherwise be lacking, and similarly reminds me that children are just as complex as adults, even though people seem to forget this at times. But in order to get it right, I need to listen to it unfold.
Being in the world, and being present, provides so many ideas that are just there for the taking. Each of the examples above helped me gather an idea, or think about a character differently, or improve the texture of my language. And all of them just happened. I just was in the right place at the right time. But really, it was the right time because I was listening — listening with that writerly ear — and recognizing them as related to my stories almost as soon as I heard them.
Coupled with this idea of listening to other's conversations, is also the idea that you should create your own. Ask questions. Be friendly. Offer to buy someone a coffee, and interview them about their knowledge and skill sets. Most people want to talk — about themselves and their own stories, or something that just happens to be on their heart. So listening, and asking might just be the best way to find ideas, and enrich the ones you already have. Inspiration comes from all over. And sometimes the most unlikely of places. So make sure to keep your ears open. And stick by those friends who are really great storytellers.
Instead of cooking dinner one night, I decided to go out and grab some food. As I waited for my order, I took out my notebook and began doing some writing, kind of paying attention to the people moving around me and the TV on mute in the background. Then, the interplay between several waiters caught my attention. Teasing and joking one another, they began to make up these ridiculous names and guess at their potential origins. Some of them were so good, that I began jotting them down, knowing that I was totally stealing these — one in particular which will be perfect for my spring novel! They even caught me laughing, it was so funny! But they didn't seem to mind at all.
Similarly, while taking a break to watch some of the olympics, I found myself enthralled by the sports commentary. So helpful to my current novel, I listened to the phrases and flow of the words — things you can't just look up on the internet. Sure, you can find a list of the phrases, but to hear them used, to hear them woven together and spoken so effortlessly gave me a whole new insight into how to use the terms.
Then yesterday, as a girl of seven or eight walked down the sidewalk of an apartment complex under a shared umbrella with a boy of the same age, she said, "I ain't running in no rain." The sass that came from that little girl in white ballet flats and a pink Sunday dress reminded me just how opinionated kids can be. And the subsequent acceptance of the boy, who didn't dare utter one word of protest, revealed just how early the boy to girl dynamics begin. Listening to children's conversations is one of the funnest things to do, but also so important to my work. Understanding and recreating the speech patterns of a child allows me, as a children's writer, to gain an authenticity that I may otherwise be lacking, and similarly reminds me that children are just as complex as adults, even though people seem to forget this at times. But in order to get it right, I need to listen to it unfold.
Being in the world, and being present, provides so many ideas that are just there for the taking. Each of the examples above helped me gather an idea, or think about a character differently, or improve the texture of my language. And all of them just happened. I just was in the right place at the right time. But really, it was the right time because I was listening — listening with that writerly ear — and recognizing them as related to my stories almost as soon as I heard them.
Coupled with this idea of listening to other's conversations, is also the idea that you should create your own. Ask questions. Be friendly. Offer to buy someone a coffee, and interview them about their knowledge and skill sets. Most people want to talk — about themselves and their own stories, or something that just happens to be on their heart. So listening, and asking might just be the best way to find ideas, and enrich the ones you already have. Inspiration comes from all over. And sometimes the most unlikely of places. So make sure to keep your ears open. And stick by those friends who are really great storytellers.
Sunday, July 15, 2012
Keeping It Real — The Importance of Authenticity
This past week, much of my writing time has been devoted to research — researching soccer positions, defensive and offensive formations, drills, terms, and the important skill sets for each position. I've taken notes and watched youtube videos. I've made lists and diagrams of a soccer field. I've even asked a few soccer players I know for advice. It's been interesting, but doesn't fully fit into my typical idea of writing productivity. If the page numbers aren't increasing, it just doesn't feel as fruitful, right? But knowing your subject goes well beyond the importance of page numbers. It creates a sense of authenticity that ultimately affects both the voice of the novel and the reading experience of your future reader.
Going into my novel, I didn't anticipate that the game of soccer would be such a big part of my plot. I'd done plenty of research for other important topics in my novel, but didn't realize just how heavily soccer would play into the life of my character. Thus, I needed to understand it better — to really delve into the subject matter in order to write (or seem to write) with authority.
Providing an authenticity to whatever topic you are exploring is like creating a backbone to your work. It is something to lean on. Something that makes your work seem to stand a little straighter, and will make your work stronger. Authenticity is one of those tricky things that takes a whole lot of effort but doesn't always get a whole lot of recognition. Often, when you, the writer, seem to know what your talking about, then readers will simply accept your presentation and move forward, never questioning or really admiring your knowledge, unless it's something really rare. But, even if no one knows just how hard you worked or how many hours of research you had to put in, they will definitely know if you didn't put enough time into given subject matter.
Authenticity is literary quality that often doesn't get highlighted, but is always noticed when it isn't there. Whether it's details about a specific geographic region, the intricacies of a hobby like fishing, the rules for baking a delicacy, or a sport such as soccer, the reader needs to feel convinced that you know what your talking about. You never know when that fishing expert is going to pick up your book and read about a process they know by heart. You don't want to alienate them by getting it wrong. And similarly, for the reader who knows nothing about fishing or baking, you want to provide them with valid information so they can learn and expand their knowledge of the topic.
Of course, soccer is not the primary focus of my novel, just as your subject may not be yours. But the value of authenticity can't be underestimated. As writers we need to know what we are talking about. Yes, our stories are fiction, and perhaps even set in another world, but you want to build a trust with your reader through the presentation of real facts — a trust that allows them to not have to question your details; a trust that allows them to fall deeper into the story because you have done all the leg work for them.
Authenticity goes along way in strengthening a story, and a long way in creating a relationship with your reader. So even if you might not like doing all the research, keep going. In the end, when a reader can benefit from all your behind-the-scenes work, the research will pay off, your story will be stronger, and it will all be worth it.
Going into my novel, I didn't anticipate that the game of soccer would be such a big part of my plot. I'd done plenty of research for other important topics in my novel, but didn't realize just how heavily soccer would play into the life of my character. Thus, I needed to understand it better — to really delve into the subject matter in order to write (or seem to write) with authority.
Providing an authenticity to whatever topic you are exploring is like creating a backbone to your work. It is something to lean on. Something that makes your work seem to stand a little straighter, and will make your work stronger. Authenticity is one of those tricky things that takes a whole lot of effort but doesn't always get a whole lot of recognition. Often, when you, the writer, seem to know what your talking about, then readers will simply accept your presentation and move forward, never questioning or really admiring your knowledge, unless it's something really rare. But, even if no one knows just how hard you worked or how many hours of research you had to put in, they will definitely know if you didn't put enough time into given subject matter.
Authenticity is literary quality that often doesn't get highlighted, but is always noticed when it isn't there. Whether it's details about a specific geographic region, the intricacies of a hobby like fishing, the rules for baking a delicacy, or a sport such as soccer, the reader needs to feel convinced that you know what your talking about. You never know when that fishing expert is going to pick up your book and read about a process they know by heart. You don't want to alienate them by getting it wrong. And similarly, for the reader who knows nothing about fishing or baking, you want to provide them with valid information so they can learn and expand their knowledge of the topic.
Of course, soccer is not the primary focus of my novel, just as your subject may not be yours. But the value of authenticity can't be underestimated. As writers we need to know what we are talking about. Yes, our stories are fiction, and perhaps even set in another world, but you want to build a trust with your reader through the presentation of real facts — a trust that allows them to not have to question your details; a trust that allows them to fall deeper into the story because you have done all the leg work for them.
Authenticity goes along way in strengthening a story, and a long way in creating a relationship with your reader. So even if you might not like doing all the research, keep going. In the end, when a reader can benefit from all your behind-the-scenes work, the research will pay off, your story will be stronger, and it will all be worth it.
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