You know the nerves you feel when starting something new? Or just before a test, when you're supposed to prove just how much you already know — just how good you are? That's kind of how I feel right now. Just before I'm going to start revising. Thinking about how I want to make my book great and worrying that for some reason it won't live up to the potential that it could be.
Maybe you're not supposed to talk about the fact that you're nervous, or that for some reason there's this feeling of pressure around this revision process. But I can't be the only one, right? All writers have moments of anxiety and uncertainty. All writers just want their efforts to pay off and their books to be worthy of satisfaction on our parts as well as on the part of a reader. But still, I don't like this feeling. But it is what I'm feeling. So therefore I write about it.
I've taken a few weeks off to 'relax' and give myself some distance from my novel. I was going to start revising a week or two ago, but when the moment came, I just knew it wasn't time. So I pushed back the deadline and rested some more. But now as my new deadline approaches, I'm not hit with the feeling of not being ready. I think it's time. I think for my own sake I need to get back into some work. But as I start thinking about revising, I can't lie, I have butterflies in my stomach and feeling of slight dread hanging over my head. I don't think this dread is at all do to the novel, because I loved it when I finished and I still do. I think the dread has much more to do with expectations. My expectations.
I want to make this novel great. Really polished and tight and captivating, you know? And on some level I think I have part of the latter one down. But I know there's a lot of work ahead of me. And with so much hope for what this book could be, and so much love for my characters and my plot, I really, really, really want my revising to pay off.
But revising is hard. Revising is daunting. Perhaps when I dive into the work and I am so entrenched in it that I'm no longer thinking about revising but actually revising I will feel better. I will be too busy working to be worrying as much. And I will be so involved with the story that my intuition will know just what to do and just how to do it.
I am tremendously thankful that I've been able to work with my mentor this semester and for all her guidance along the way. And I am also tremendously thankful that the previous semester I have the experience of working with a fantastic editor who truly taught me what it means to revise — the rigorous, take no prisoners, cutting kind of revision that is necessary to really make a book shine. So maybe I just have to put my worries aside and jump right into the work, attacking the revision like I had so many months ago.
I think I just need to trust that I will do my best and my best will be enough. But of course that is never easy, especially when it comes to writing and the hope of publication. Regardless, I think that's the only course of action:
Work hard. Trust your abilities. Seek guidance from those you trust. And then work harder.
So wish me luck. I'm not starting today, but the time is coming soon. Any positive thoughts you'd like to send my way, I'd be happy to take! I'll be hoping your revisions go well, too, and praying that none of us let our insecurities or fears stop us.
The life of a writer is plagued with many emotions. But it's the life we choose and I know, it's what we love. So here's to taking the journey, separately, but also together!
Sunday, May 26, 2013
Sunday, May 19, 2013
Deciding It's Okay, And Choosing Yourself — How to Avoid Burn Out
Sometimes you can only focus on one thing at a time. And sometimes that thing isn't what you may deem "productive". But it is. It is productive to rest. It is productive to spend time pursuing other interests, or laughing with friends, or sitting outside in the sun. So I'm going to keep this blog post short. Because this week, I have not been focusing as much on writing. Instead, I've been focusing on rest.
I thought I'd start to revise this week. But when Monday rolled around, I just knew I didn't have it in me. Now, as someone who likes to work hard, create and stick to schedules, and produce a lot of material, it was hard for me to honor how I truly felt. Maybe I should just push through, I thought. Tiredness doesn't matter, I told myself, the work matters. And sometimes this is true. But not all the time. And not this week.
See, between grad school and my job, it's been a long two years. So the simple truth is I am tired. And that's okay, right? It's okay to recognize that you need a break. And it's okay to slow down a bit. And it's okay to take a step back and shift your focus. But this can be hard. Especially for pretty regimented people like me, but also just for people with goals or want to create. Writers, that is. But for writers, part of the writing process is rest, and self-care, and being honest with yourself. Because if we seek to be honest with our books, don't we need to be honest in our own lives? I read a commencement speech by John Green this week, and one quote I remember is this:
"Also, you may have heard that it is better to burn out than fade away. This is ridiculous. It is much better to fade away. Always. Fade. Away."
Burning out is not the way to go. And clearly, I have no desire to fade away either, in my work, in my life, or in myself. But what Green is getting at is true. We live in a culture that tells us to go, go, go, and to reach for the stars and work til we make it and achieve while we're young and be the standout and push the limits and distinguish ourselves. But even reading that sentence is tiring. And the truth is we all need a break sometimes. So instead of telling myself I'd start on this upcoming Monday, I'm giving myself a whole extra week off. Because I'm not ready to get back in the swing of things. And that is okay. Because I choose to make it okay, and because I know it's best for myself and ultimately my writing.
We want to be hard working people, I know. We want to make an impact and share our work. But we can't let the work take over without taking care of ourselves first. So take a break this week. Go laugh or nap or frolick and hang out. Choose yourself, and know that you'll get there. And you, and I — we'll all be okay.
I thought I'd start to revise this week. But when Monday rolled around, I just knew I didn't have it in me. Now, as someone who likes to work hard, create and stick to schedules, and produce a lot of material, it was hard for me to honor how I truly felt. Maybe I should just push through, I thought. Tiredness doesn't matter, I told myself, the work matters. And sometimes this is true. But not all the time. And not this week.
See, between grad school and my job, it's been a long two years. So the simple truth is I am tired. And that's okay, right? It's okay to recognize that you need a break. And it's okay to slow down a bit. And it's okay to take a step back and shift your focus. But this can be hard. Especially for pretty regimented people like me, but also just for people with goals or want to create. Writers, that is. But for writers, part of the writing process is rest, and self-care, and being honest with yourself. Because if we seek to be honest with our books, don't we need to be honest in our own lives? I read a commencement speech by John Green this week, and one quote I remember is this:
"Also, you may have heard that it is better to burn out than fade away. This is ridiculous. It is much better to fade away. Always. Fade. Away."
Burning out is not the way to go. And clearly, I have no desire to fade away either, in my work, in my life, or in myself. But what Green is getting at is true. We live in a culture that tells us to go, go, go, and to reach for the stars and work til we make it and achieve while we're young and be the standout and push the limits and distinguish ourselves. But even reading that sentence is tiring. And the truth is we all need a break sometimes. So instead of telling myself I'd start on this upcoming Monday, I'm giving myself a whole extra week off. Because I'm not ready to get back in the swing of things. And that is okay. Because I choose to make it okay, and because I know it's best for myself and ultimately my writing.
We want to be hard working people, I know. We want to make an impact and share our work. But we can't let the work take over without taking care of ourselves first. So take a break this week. Go laugh or nap or frolick and hang out. Choose yourself, and know that you'll get there. And you, and I — we'll all be okay.
Sunday, May 12, 2013
This Is the Stuff Books Are Made Of
Call me sentimental because it's graduation weekend, and mother's day (hi, Mom!), but the only thing I could think to blog about this week is this — life is full of good things that need to be appreciated, even amidst all the struggles.
That's quite a topic, you're thinking. And yes, it is! But the end of things often bring a time of reflection, and often a little bit of nostalgia and sadness. Yet endings also let you realize just how great things have been; and how great they are.
This week, I have just been so overwhelmed by the outpouring of support, encouragement, and celebration I've received. But as I thought about it, that support is not limited to this week. It is not limited to graduation celebrations or words of congratulations. In fact, I've received support throughout my two years in grad school, and in many other times in my life (but for the sake of this post I'm going to focus on grad school). A multitude of people have helped me get through grad school, and though they may not realize it, their contributions were essential, however small they might seem to them. An email, a word of encouragement, a cheer when another assignment was completed, a "you can do it" when I felt like a I couldn't anymore — they were all important, and they were all greatly appreciated.
This week is an easy week to be appreciative. Times of celebration can make everything look good. But really, sometimes the truth is I simply do not stop to appreciate the network of encouragers I do have. In the busyness of life, I forgot that this shouldn't be taken for granted. I miss the love that's happening all around me because I'm too focused on getting myself to the goal.
But with school now over, as I bask in the tremendous amount of support I've recently received, I realize that this is the stuff I need to be cherishing. I need to soak it in. We all do. We need to relish the friendships and the laughter, this time in our lives that will never come again, and the people who are there with us as well as the people who helped get us to where we are.
All this might sound sappy, and I'm not going to lie. I can be a pretty sappy person. But for writers, this goes way beyond sentimentality. Beause this is the stuff that life is made of. And, therefore, this is the stuff that books are made of. Real relationships. Real feelings, good and bad. Complicated, co-existing emotions. Struggles. Wants. Hard work. Tears. Moments of joy followed by feelings of 'now what?' Celebrations. Encouragements. Long days. Life questions. Chasing dreams and holding loved one close. Telling people 'thank you'. Letting yourself cry in front of someone else. Trying your best when you might feel you have no idea what you're doing. And rejoicing in the love that exists all around you.
See, I may be writing this as a currently deeply grateful and hapy graduate, but I am also trying to keep my eyes wide open — to see this moment and chisel it into my mind; to lock this unique moment away in my mind to use for later. Writers not only need to observe, but writers need to live. We need to live in our moments and learn from our experience and hone all of our feelings and observations and truths and questions into our craft so that our characters are alive and our emotions are tangible.
So whoever, and wherever you are, look around. Take inventory of your life. Feel this moment. And then use it. Writing is important, but life should come first. For without it, there's really nothing to write about anyway.
That's quite a topic, you're thinking. And yes, it is! But the end of things often bring a time of reflection, and often a little bit of nostalgia and sadness. Yet endings also let you realize just how great things have been; and how great they are.
This week, I have just been so overwhelmed by the outpouring of support, encouragement, and celebration I've received. But as I thought about it, that support is not limited to this week. It is not limited to graduation celebrations or words of congratulations. In fact, I've received support throughout my two years in grad school, and in many other times in my life (but for the sake of this post I'm going to focus on grad school). A multitude of people have helped me get through grad school, and though they may not realize it, their contributions were essential, however small they might seem to them. An email, a word of encouragement, a cheer when another assignment was completed, a "you can do it" when I felt like a I couldn't anymore — they were all important, and they were all greatly appreciated.
This week is an easy week to be appreciative. Times of celebration can make everything look good. But really, sometimes the truth is I simply do not stop to appreciate the network of encouragers I do have. In the busyness of life, I forgot that this shouldn't be taken for granted. I miss the love that's happening all around me because I'm too focused on getting myself to the goal.
But with school now over, as I bask in the tremendous amount of support I've recently received, I realize that this is the stuff I need to be cherishing. I need to soak it in. We all do. We need to relish the friendships and the laughter, this time in our lives that will never come again, and the people who are there with us as well as the people who helped get us to where we are.
All this might sound sappy, and I'm not going to lie. I can be a pretty sappy person. But for writers, this goes way beyond sentimentality. Beause this is the stuff that life is made of. And, therefore, this is the stuff that books are made of. Real relationships. Real feelings, good and bad. Complicated, co-existing emotions. Struggles. Wants. Hard work. Tears. Moments of joy followed by feelings of 'now what?' Celebrations. Encouragements. Long days. Life questions. Chasing dreams and holding loved one close. Telling people 'thank you'. Letting yourself cry in front of someone else. Trying your best when you might feel you have no idea what you're doing. And rejoicing in the love that exists all around you.
See, I may be writing this as a currently deeply grateful and hapy graduate, but I am also trying to keep my eyes wide open — to see this moment and chisel it into my mind; to lock this unique moment away in my mind to use for later. Writers not only need to observe, but writers need to live. We need to live in our moments and learn from our experience and hone all of our feelings and observations and truths and questions into our craft so that our characters are alive and our emotions are tangible.
So whoever, and wherever you are, look around. Take inventory of your life. Feel this moment. And then use it. Writing is important, but life should come first. For without it, there's really nothing to write about anyway.
Sunday, May 5, 2013
A Love Letter to My Graduate Degree
So this isn't actually a letter, but more of a reflection. A reflection on just how wonderful grad school has been, and just how much I have loved it.
You know, grad school is no joke. Sometimes reading up to six or seven books a week, writing weekly papers, working on a single project for more than half a semester, reading twenty-seven books over winter break, finishing a manuscript I had begun one semester during the summer between classes, writing and revising a complete manuscript under the guidance of a mentor, and completing another manuscript with a different mentor, the phrase "hard work" seems like an understatement. Grad school was harder than I thought it would be. And while the concepts and learning were definitely challenging, it was the sheer volume of the workload that created the highest demands .
I remember days going to work and feeling so overwhelmed with the amount I had to do and the little time I seemed to do it. Speeding through novels during my lunch hours and commute to work, saying no to plans and holing up in my room to finish all my assignments, outling, brainstorming, drafting, and creating — looking back it's kind of amazing how much I really got done. No wonder I am tired now. But in the midst of all this, during what perhaps seems unappealing and rather crazy to some, I have loved grad school. I have loved my program. And I have loved the people I've found within it.
Talking to my friend Allison last night, after she had turned in her last paper and was feeling slightly sad that school was now officially over, she said something to the effect of, "You know it's funny because I've never felt as much for a place as I do about Simmons." And the truth is I totally feel the same!
Coming to Simmons, I have found a community of people who are kind and interesting and passionate about the same things I am. I have found classes that challenge and expand my mind. I have found instructors who push and support and taught with enthusiasm. I have learned more about books I love and books I had never even heard of than I had ever imagined I would. I have been inspired. I have sharpened my writing skills. I have chased after my dreams. I have worked so incredibly hard. And I have tried to soak up every minute of it, getting the most out of this experience while it is here and in front of me. And now as it is ending, I reflect on just how good it has been, and what a blessing grad school has been to my life.
To be frank, coming to Simmons had been better than I had ever imagined. I almost attended a different school, but with a series of events pointing me to Simmons, I realize this was where I was supposed to be all along. I am so thankful for the learning I have done. I am so grateful for the support I have received. I am honored by my mentors who have given so much of their time and expertise to me. I am overjoyed with the friends I have made. This journey has been extraordinary.
Less than a week shy of graduation, I am looking forward to the celebration of hard work and good friendship. This season of life has really been a blessing — a journey I am so happy to have gone on no matter how hard it was at times. It's been a privilege, grad school. And an honor to walk alongside all of my friends and classmates.
So thank you to everyone who made these two years great. In school and out of school, I couldn't have done it without the support. I look forward to the many things just over the horizon, but cherish this part of the journey, and all the people who have walked along with me. Love to you all :)
You know, grad school is no joke. Sometimes reading up to six or seven books a week, writing weekly papers, working on a single project for more than half a semester, reading twenty-seven books over winter break, finishing a manuscript I had begun one semester during the summer between classes, writing and revising a complete manuscript under the guidance of a mentor, and completing another manuscript with a different mentor, the phrase "hard work" seems like an understatement. Grad school was harder than I thought it would be. And while the concepts and learning were definitely challenging, it was the sheer volume of the workload that created the highest demands .
I remember days going to work and feeling so overwhelmed with the amount I had to do and the little time I seemed to do it. Speeding through novels during my lunch hours and commute to work, saying no to plans and holing up in my room to finish all my assignments, outling, brainstorming, drafting, and creating — looking back it's kind of amazing how much I really got done. No wonder I am tired now. But in the midst of all this, during what perhaps seems unappealing and rather crazy to some, I have loved grad school. I have loved my program. And I have loved the people I've found within it.
Talking to my friend Allison last night, after she had turned in her last paper and was feeling slightly sad that school was now officially over, she said something to the effect of, "You know it's funny because I've never felt as much for a place as I do about Simmons." And the truth is I totally feel the same!
Coming to Simmons, I have found a community of people who are kind and interesting and passionate about the same things I am. I have found classes that challenge and expand my mind. I have found instructors who push and support and taught with enthusiasm. I have learned more about books I love and books I had never even heard of than I had ever imagined I would. I have been inspired. I have sharpened my writing skills. I have chased after my dreams. I have worked so incredibly hard. And I have tried to soak up every minute of it, getting the most out of this experience while it is here and in front of me. And now as it is ending, I reflect on just how good it has been, and what a blessing grad school has been to my life.
To be frank, coming to Simmons had been better than I had ever imagined. I almost attended a different school, but with a series of events pointing me to Simmons, I realize this was where I was supposed to be all along. I am so thankful for the learning I have done. I am so grateful for the support I have received. I am honored by my mentors who have given so much of their time and expertise to me. I am overjoyed with the friends I have made. This journey has been extraordinary.
Less than a week shy of graduation, I am looking forward to the celebration of hard work and good friendship. This season of life has really been a blessing — a journey I am so happy to have gone on no matter how hard it was at times. It's been a privilege, grad school. And an honor to walk alongside all of my friends and classmates.
So thank you to everyone who made these two years great. In school and out of school, I couldn't have done it without the support. I look forward to the many things just over the horizon, but cherish this part of the journey, and all the people who have walked along with me. Love to you all :)
Sunday, April 28, 2013
The Week I Didn't Write — Or Thought I Wasn't Going To
With only a conclusion, a final proofread, and one final class to attend, I am just hours short of completing my degree. Wow. How the time flies.
This week has been a relatively easy week for me. With only one paper left to worry about, it was a low pressure week as I allowed myself ample time to outline, write here and there, and just feel the unique sense of "yes, I have to do this paper, but no, I don't actually have to freak out about it because I have time to spare and everything is totally under control."
So I also decided that I wasn't going to worry about novel either. I would take a week off from writing. I need to start my revision soon, but I also needed to give my mind some time to rest, I figured. Time would allow me perspective on my work and also the mental recouping I absolutely am in need of. But as the week went on, a funny thing began to happen. Ideas started popping up everywhere, and once they did, it was like my brain just wouldn't stop.
I read a newspaper article — therein waited a great new topic for a book. I read a blog post — it sparked the idea for a great new setting perfect for an ensemble cast of characters. I thought about my novel — and an idea here, and a line of dialogue there. I looked back at some of my other story ideas as I contemplate what will be next project later in the summer/fall, and with each section of my notebook I read, ideas just started flowing until I had no idea which I'll choose because they all seem so appealing right now!
I was amazed. I still am, hence why I'm blogging about it. Why, on the week that I decided to really take a break, did my mind suddenly kick into wonderful, creative overdrive? Why was I constantly scrambling to get down that idea before I left for a meeting, in the midst of conversation, and right before I was about to fall asleep? Don't get me wrong. It's a welcomed experience, and certainly good for my current and future projects! But it got me thinking about why this happened. And these are the things I came up with:
First, I definitely think this is an outgrowth of the discipline of writing. For a whole year now, I've been very dedicated to two different projects. Not to say I didn't practice the discipline of writing before, but this year was different. The year might have even been one spent on overdrive in terms of my writing, but that's okay, because I truly learned just how far discipline and ambition can take me. So now, I'm used to writing rigorously. I am used to holding myself to a demanding schedule. And while I think I can afford to tone it down at times, discipline creates better writing. And it keeps my brain thinking and exploring and creating. Certainly a plus!
I also think that with the end of school comes the advent of new things. New projects, new freedom, more time to write what I want and not work on papers that might be stimulating but are not actually helping me with my novel. I've known school was coming to a close for a long time now, and that freedom was just around the corner. But now I can feel it. And I'm excited. So I guess all these ideas are bubbling to the surface because I can now actually pursue them. I can write one project while planning the next. Maybe I'll even try writing two at once (but only if I am really having an overflow of ideas happening — or on second thought, maybe not!). Regardless, I think my subconscious is responding to the imminent freedom. And again, I'll take it. It's always been to have too many ideas than too few.
Finally, as I begin to revise my most recent novel, which I love a lot, I am also looking forward to writing new things. Throughout this year in particular, I have truly discovered the benefits, and the enjoyment within revising. But for me, I think the thrill of the new idea and the writing of that project that has long awaited me still outweighs the excitement of revising. Hence my brain constantly looking forward to the next first draft somewhere down the line.
So whatever the reasons, I'll certainly take it. It feels good to know that as I finish school, I am still ready to work. I am ready to pursue my writing with just as much gusto as I had during the school year, when deadlines and requirements spurred me forward. Only now, my love of story telling can be sole my motivating factor, and I can work in my own way, on whatever I want, whenever I want! It's quite liberating, I must say. But I am certainly indebted to the schooling that has helped me to get here. And I'm really looking forward to the future :)
This week has been a relatively easy week for me. With only one paper left to worry about, it was a low pressure week as I allowed myself ample time to outline, write here and there, and just feel the unique sense of "yes, I have to do this paper, but no, I don't actually have to freak out about it because I have time to spare and everything is totally under control."
So I also decided that I wasn't going to worry about novel either. I would take a week off from writing. I need to start my revision soon, but I also needed to give my mind some time to rest, I figured. Time would allow me perspective on my work and also the mental recouping I absolutely am in need of. But as the week went on, a funny thing began to happen. Ideas started popping up everywhere, and once they did, it was like my brain just wouldn't stop.
I read a newspaper article — therein waited a great new topic for a book. I read a blog post — it sparked the idea for a great new setting perfect for an ensemble cast of characters. I thought about my novel — and an idea here, and a line of dialogue there. I looked back at some of my other story ideas as I contemplate what will be next project later in the summer/fall, and with each section of my notebook I read, ideas just started flowing until I had no idea which I'll choose because they all seem so appealing right now!
I was amazed. I still am, hence why I'm blogging about it. Why, on the week that I decided to really take a break, did my mind suddenly kick into wonderful, creative overdrive? Why was I constantly scrambling to get down that idea before I left for a meeting, in the midst of conversation, and right before I was about to fall asleep? Don't get me wrong. It's a welcomed experience, and certainly good for my current and future projects! But it got me thinking about why this happened. And these are the things I came up with:
First, I definitely think this is an outgrowth of the discipline of writing. For a whole year now, I've been very dedicated to two different projects. Not to say I didn't practice the discipline of writing before, but this year was different. The year might have even been one spent on overdrive in terms of my writing, but that's okay, because I truly learned just how far discipline and ambition can take me. So now, I'm used to writing rigorously. I am used to holding myself to a demanding schedule. And while I think I can afford to tone it down at times, discipline creates better writing. And it keeps my brain thinking and exploring and creating. Certainly a plus!
I also think that with the end of school comes the advent of new things. New projects, new freedom, more time to write what I want and not work on papers that might be stimulating but are not actually helping me with my novel. I've known school was coming to a close for a long time now, and that freedom was just around the corner. But now I can feel it. And I'm excited. So I guess all these ideas are bubbling to the surface because I can now actually pursue them. I can write one project while planning the next. Maybe I'll even try writing two at once (but only if I am really having an overflow of ideas happening — or on second thought, maybe not!). Regardless, I think my subconscious is responding to the imminent freedom. And again, I'll take it. It's always been to have too many ideas than too few.
Finally, as I begin to revise my most recent novel, which I love a lot, I am also looking forward to writing new things. Throughout this year in particular, I have truly discovered the benefits, and the enjoyment within revising. But for me, I think the thrill of the new idea and the writing of that project that has long awaited me still outweighs the excitement of revising. Hence my brain constantly looking forward to the next first draft somewhere down the line.
So whatever the reasons, I'll certainly take it. It feels good to know that as I finish school, I am still ready to work. I am ready to pursue my writing with just as much gusto as I had during the school year, when deadlines and requirements spurred me forward. Only now, my love of story telling can be sole my motivating factor, and I can work in my own way, on whatever I want, whenever I want! It's quite liberating, I must say. But I am certainly indebted to the schooling that has helped me to get here. And I'm really looking forward to the future :)
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
Wednesday's Writing Prompt — Support
Write a conversation between your protagonist and her friend. Work on revealing their relationship through the ways they interact. Ask yourself what they are not saying to each other, and what this reveals. How does this related to the large conflict of your story? And how can you use the relationship as both a positive support for your character and a relationship that propels the greater story forward?
Sunday, April 21, 2013
Why We Need Books, Even Our Own
This week has been a tough week up here in Boston,
Massachusetts. Working just blocks from the bomb site, watching the tragedies
unfold on the news, and then being told to stay in our homes, this week has
been like no other. And many of us will continue to feel the effects of the
People say times like these remind you of what is important.
I would definitely agree that this week has reminded me. But in addition to the
importance of relationships and living our life fully, this week has also reminded
me just how important books are. Just how much I need them, and how much we all
need them.
Because our world so often leads us into hard, scary, trying
situations, I know that for many people books provide a place of shelter. A
refuge from daily life, even when life is going so tremendously well. Not all
books are happy or easy to read, and they are not meant to be. But books
provide the reader with a new experience of the world. They let you slip into
another skin, leaving the constraints of your own life behind. They stretch the
limits of the self as you experience life through another’s eyes — in another
time, another world, another perspective, another worldview. They comfort you.
They teach you about others. They teach you about you. They give you a quiet,
intimate, connect experience in a way that other mediums cannot. They let you be
whoever you want to be. And they embrace you, as a participant, important to
the shared transaction between reader and text.
I’m not saying that books will heal all wounds. And I don’t
think that books are the only things that matter. Because, honestly, I believe
in people, and the need for relationships. I believe that conversations and
interactions often do more than anything else can. But I also believe that
quiet time, reflection, and new experiences add to the quality of our lives. And
books provide all of these. They shelter us in their pages, and they challenge
us, each and every time. They help us in hard times, and make good times even
better.
So as writers, I think this week provides an important take
away. It reminds us of something we’ve known all along but sometimes forget in
the busyness of life, and even in the hope of writing a good book. And that is
this:
Write what you want to put out into the world. Write what
you want to the world to know, what you want the world to feel. Write what you need to write, for the good of your own soul.
By this, I don’t mean writing didactic books that instruct and
scold, or even creating emotional elegies of what is or what was or what you’d
like the future to hold. But writing something that you want to put out into
this world. Something that can potentially last beyond you. A text that conveys
your bit of hope for yourself, and for others. The life lesson that you want to
offer, or the emotion you want to share, or that tidbit of wisdom that you’ve gained from your experiences.
We never quite know what tomorrow holds. But one thing I know is I want
to put something good into this world. Something that will help others to cope
or escape or laugh or feel. Something that I might need myself.
Sunday, April 7, 2013
Visualizing — Seeing and Creating A World, And the Fun You Can Have Doing That
Last week, my friend Richard asked me a really good question. He said, " When you're writing, how much do you visualize? Do you see the things happening in your mind, and how much do you know about what your characters look like?" This was a really great question, because even though I definitely do this, I hadn't really spent to much time contemplating how or why I visualize. So I started thinking about this, and of course, here's my blog post about it!
My answer to Richard was the I visualize differently for different things. For example, I know I pay a lot of attention to the way characters move and what they express in their body language. So I often find myself acting out hand movements or different expressions in my room, trying to break down just how to catpure that head tilt or hand gesture or facial expression in my text. But when it comes to the faces of the characters themselves, meaning what they look like exactly, it isn't quite the same for me.
Explaining this to Richard, I realized that while of course I know what my characters look like in terms of basic characteristics, general size, key descriptive markers, and all of their mannerisms, I don't have a crystal clear image of their face in my head. Mostly I know how they move. I see them acting out these situations, and in my mind I am often even looking at them head on, rather than just through their eyes. But still, the face isn't perfectly clear. Funny, right? I'm not sure. My characters aren't modeled after someone I know, and I don't work from a picture or prototype of sorts. So if I had to cast a person to play my character in a movie, I think I'd know when I found her. But right now, I am not quite positive exactly what she looks like.
Another thing I spend a lot of time visualizing is the surroundings. Not every detail of every part of the world, but all the immediate places that my character resides. For my current project, I have put a lot of time and description into making the library a real, tangible place for the reader, because as my characters go there again and again, I want the reader to feel as if he is right there with them — sitting on the seat cushion, climbing the stairs, admiring the enormous bookshelves with heavy, fancy books on them. Similarly, the city square becomes an important locale in my novel. So of course, I spent a lot of time visualizing just what it would look like, but beyond that also what it felt like. The smells, the sounds, how fast people walk, the feel of the cobblestones, the layout of the plaza. I guess I spend the most time visualizing place (in addition to body language), because to me, as a reader walks beside my character, I want him to feel as though he is actually beside her, understanding and taking in each new detail as she does.
Currently, as I am in the last stretch of writing my novel, my character has finally embarked on the journey the whole narrative has been leading up to (Yay!). As of last night, she's in the woods. Literally. So again, to evoke feeling, I want to spend a lot of time visualizing just what the woods looks like. Not necessarily every aspect of the woods, but the immediate details of how she visualizes
It's funny. Much like I don't exactly know what my character's faces look like, I don't fully know
It's like I'm in a tunnel, and all I can see is what is immediately around me. But that's okay. Those are the things I need. The sensory description that will put you right there with her.
Of course, I can jump out of said tunnel to look down over the landscape and know where everything is in relation to each other and how large the wood is (which I have done because I made extensive maps for this project before I started), but what I visualize, what I see when I am writing are only the details of the present moment.
And this can be fun. It's engrossing. The way my reader would be feeling present in the moment, so am I. Though I often change my mind and swap details that can perhaps change the setting substantially, I am still right there in it. Only now, instead of tall, looming trees, I am seeing shorter ones, with branches that stick out and pull your hair. Or, in the new town she's about to arrive in, the houses are clustered in a flat open area. They're actually situated right among the trees.
But that's okay. Because visualizing helped me realize what the most interesting setting looks like and the problems inherent in movement and place that I might not otherwise realize. Visualization is a key tool for novel writing, or any writing really. It may look different for you and me, or it may look different even within my own process. But it is important, and beyond that, it allows you the experience of being a reader to your own writing — throwing yourself so deeply into the world that it is almost as if you are just a traveller, there to take some pictures, and record your findings.
My answer to Richard was the I visualize differently for different things. For example, I know I pay a lot of attention to the way characters move and what they express in their body language. So I often find myself acting out hand movements or different expressions in my room, trying to break down just how to catpure that head tilt or hand gesture or facial expression in my text. But when it comes to the faces of the characters themselves, meaning what they look like exactly, it isn't quite the same for me.
Explaining this to Richard, I realized that while of course I know what my characters look like in terms of basic characteristics, general size, key descriptive markers, and all of their mannerisms, I don't have a crystal clear image of their face in my head. Mostly I know how they move. I see them acting out these situations, and in my mind I am often even looking at them head on, rather than just through their eyes. But still, the face isn't perfectly clear. Funny, right? I'm not sure. My characters aren't modeled after someone I know, and I don't work from a picture or prototype of sorts. So if I had to cast a person to play my character in a movie, I think I'd know when I found her. But right now, I am not quite positive exactly what she looks like.
Another thing I spend a lot of time visualizing is the surroundings. Not every detail of every part of the world, but all the immediate places that my character resides. For my current project, I have put a lot of time and description into making the library a real, tangible place for the reader, because as my characters go there again and again, I want the reader to feel as if he is right there with them — sitting on the seat cushion, climbing the stairs, admiring the enormous bookshelves with heavy, fancy books on them. Similarly, the city square becomes an important locale in my novel. So of course, I spent a lot of time visualizing just what it would look like, but beyond that also what it felt like. The smells, the sounds, how fast people walk, the feel of the cobblestones, the layout of the plaza. I guess I spend the most time visualizing place (in addition to body language), because to me, as a reader walks beside my character, I want him to feel as though he is actually beside her, understanding and taking in each new detail as she does.
Currently, as I am in the last stretch of writing my novel, my character has finally embarked on the journey the whole narrative has been leading up to (Yay!). As of last night, she's in the woods. Literally. So again, to evoke feeling, I want to spend a lot of time visualizing just what the woods looks like. Not necessarily every aspect of the woods, but the immediate details of how she visualizes
It's funny. Much like I don't exactly know what my character's faces look like, I don't fully know
It's like I'm in a tunnel, and all I can see is what is immediately around me. But that's okay. Those are the things I need. The sensory description that will put you right there with her.
Of course, I can jump out of said tunnel to look down over the landscape and know where everything is in relation to each other and how large the wood is (which I have done because I made extensive maps for this project before I started), but what I visualize, what I see when I am writing are only the details of the present moment.
And this can be fun. It's engrossing. The way my reader would be feeling present in the moment, so am I. Though I often change my mind and swap details that can perhaps change the setting substantially, I am still right there in it. Only now, instead of tall, looming trees, I am seeing shorter ones, with branches that stick out and pull your hair. Or, in the new town she's about to arrive in, the houses are clustered in a flat open area. They're actually situated right among the trees.
But that's okay. Because visualizing helped me realize what the most interesting setting looks like and the problems inherent in movement and place that I might not otherwise realize. Visualization is a key tool for novel writing, or any writing really. It may look different for you and me, or it may look different even within my own process. But it is important, and beyond that, it allows you the experience of being a reader to your own writing — throwing yourself so deeply into the world that it is almost as if you are just a traveller, there to take some pictures, and record your findings.
Sunday, March 31, 2013
Finding the Belief Systems Within Your Fiction World
Today is Easter, and for those who celebrate it, I wish you the most joyful of days. This has been a big week for two of the major world religions. For the Jewish community, Passover was commemorated, and for the Christian community, Holy Week culminates in the celebration of Easter today. Each of these religious holidays have a large impact on our society at large. With school often canceled for Good Friday, and various rituals and traditons practiced by families and friends across the nation, this week served as a reminder for such how deeply these holidays are woven into the fabric of our society; of just how greatly these ideologies shape our lives.
Likewise, our fictional worlds must have these ideologies as well. While such traditions don't always have to be overt or a tremendously large part of our stories, it is undeniably important to understand just what beliefs lie behind the everyday life of our characters' worlds.
Ideologies, religious beliefs, superstitions, or whatever else you'd like to call them all inform the way our characters act. Although we may not spend virtually any of our story's real estate discussing the long standing history behind these beliefs, or even include a direct practice of a belief itself, the ideas that govern the greater society matter to the quality of your narrative. Your readers may not notice, particularly within contemporary, realistic stories in which the world you explain closely matches the culture of your reader's world, but regardless, you do have to have some kind of ideology within the story itself.
Beliefs are the back drop of every society. They dictate what characters do — and what they don't do. For example, religious traditions or areligious superstition might inform the gender norms of your story. Practices surrounding food might play a significant role, and even contribute to the conflict of your plot. Your character might meet a friend whose beliefs are different than there own. She might even explore a new system of beliefs herself. Even for contemporary worlds like our own, communicating the tradtions remains important, because all of these things can be both character building and contribute to your plot.
Here are some questions to consider about when thinking about the beliefs of your fictional world:
• What holidays does the society celebrate? Do any of these holidays come into play within the narrative?
• Do superstitions play any role in the lives of your characters?
• Regardless of whether your character personally believes or not, are their religious beliefs held within the society that mandate certain behaviors, practices, or traditions in your character's society?
• How do your characters view nature? Are there any spiritual associations with the natural world?
• Are there various ideologies within the culture? Are they at odds or do they coexist peacefully?
• What does your protagonist personally believe? What do the characters around her belief?
Examine these questions within your current project. Perhaps contemplating belifs may open up a way to deepen characterization and complicate your plot. Also, think about these questions for a potential new project. Maybe you can even develop a whole new story idea from these questions!
Likewise, our fictional worlds must have these ideologies as well. While such traditions don't always have to be overt or a tremendously large part of our stories, it is undeniably important to understand just what beliefs lie behind the everyday life of our characters' worlds.
Ideologies, religious beliefs, superstitions, or whatever else you'd like to call them all inform the way our characters act. Although we may not spend virtually any of our story's real estate discussing the long standing history behind these beliefs, or even include a direct practice of a belief itself, the ideas that govern the greater society matter to the quality of your narrative. Your readers may not notice, particularly within contemporary, realistic stories in which the world you explain closely matches the culture of your reader's world, but regardless, you do have to have some kind of ideology within the story itself.
Beliefs are the back drop of every society. They dictate what characters do — and what they don't do. For example, religious traditions or areligious superstition might inform the gender norms of your story. Practices surrounding food might play a significant role, and even contribute to the conflict of your plot. Your character might meet a friend whose beliefs are different than there own. She might even explore a new system of beliefs herself. Even for contemporary worlds like our own, communicating the tradtions remains important, because all of these things can be both character building and contribute to your plot.
Here are some questions to consider about when thinking about the beliefs of your fictional world:
• What holidays does the society celebrate? Do any of these holidays come into play within the narrative?
• Do superstitions play any role in the lives of your characters?
• Regardless of whether your character personally believes or not, are their religious beliefs held within the society that mandate certain behaviors, practices, or traditions in your character's society?
• How do your characters view nature? Are there any spiritual associations with the natural world?
• Are there various ideologies within the culture? Are they at odds or do they coexist peacefully?
• What does your protagonist personally believe? What do the characters around her belief?
Examine these questions within your current project. Perhaps contemplating belifs may open up a way to deepen characterization and complicate your plot. Also, think about these questions for a potential new project. Maybe you can even develop a whole new story idea from these questions!
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Wednesday's Writing Prompt — Sunshine
Perhaps it is a memory of a past event or a reminder of a tragedy. Maybe it is the suggestion that something new is coming, that a new chapter of his life has begun. Pick a scenario and assign emotion and meaning to the change of seasons. What is going to happen with the oncoming of Spring? What is your character now responsible for?
Or, perhaps your story isn't set in a contemporary or historical setting. Perhaps it takes place in a secondary world where the sun does not always bring joy and the seasons are not quite as friendly. Think about the ways the season can have a direct effect on your character's life. What does all this mean to him, and what must he do in response?
Sunday, March 24, 2013
Fights and Explosion! What to Look Out for When Writing the Exciting Scenes
You know that moment when you've reached the moment you've been waiting for? When you've been writing toward this big scene all along and now you are there? When you know the next pages will just fly out of you because you've been thinking about them so long? When the scene is so filled with emotion that you have to chase down your words because you brain is thinking faster and jumping around quicker than your fingers can type? That's where I was this weekend. One of the few and far between times when writing isn't just amazingly easy but it's also truly exhilerating. And now we can all collectively sigh, as we all think if only it could be like that all the time.
The reality is that exciting writing moments such is this don't occur often even though, man, they feel good. As I saw on my friend Peter's facebook post this week, most of the time we all just need to keep our butts in the chair until we produce that pages we need. But occasionally we hit the lucky moment of one of those rapid scenes where somewhere you magically just know what the characters say and think and move and do.
So what do we do when we reach these moments? I mean, obvious answer is we go with them, and enjoy them greatly. But what do we have to make sure not to miss? And in what ways can we elevate the scene to an even greater level?
Here are some things I think we should look out for. These are important all the time really, but especially in the most exciting scenes, and particularly those that are pivotal to the plot.
• Consistency of character. In our excitement, sometimes we come up with that great line and think of our future reader just being so in awesome of that witty line or poignant sentence. But the truth is if it doesn't work within who you are character is and what he consistently says or does, unforunately, it's got to go.
• Including important details. Sometimes in the heat of the moment, we forget to mention the little ticks and details that make the scene so tangible. Adding just one small fact such as the color of a shirt or a reference to a character's unique mannerism, or even inserting a subtle clue into the dialogue can make all the difference. Not only does it make the scene exciting, but it keeps it memorable. It makes it matter more.
• Watch your pacing. Pacing is a huge part of story writing, and often something that can be hard to figure out. When the pacing picks up in the exciting scenes, one thing to be careful of is that while you want it to be an accelerated pace in comparison take the time to help your reader understand exactly what is going on here — how the characters are feeling. Conversely, you want to make sure your scene isn't too slow. It still needs a decent clip to it. Rereading your scene with fresh eyes after a day or two can often help you evaluate this more clearly.
• Pay attention to what isn't be said (or isn't being done). So often, we focus on what characters say and the movements a character does. I think part of that comes from the fear that we want our readers to understand our message. We don't want to make it too subtle that they miss something. But what a character refuses to say or do speaks volumes. The secrets they keep are just as important as the words they reveal. Such secrets don't always have to be implicit either. You can call attention to the fact that a character started to say something and stopped. Or that in the chaos of a situation, she didn't choose the hallway everyone else did. Things don't always have to be verbalized to make an impact. But you want to make sure they are noticed. Because even if it does take a more sophisticated reader to pick up on the nuance of a moment, that moment can inform your character, or your situation, in ways perhaps no words can.
And, more for the sake of the writer than the writing,
• Remember this feeling to help you through the more difficult writing days. Because even though it might take a while, it is sure to come again.
I hope your exciting scene comes soon! Enjoy the writing, and know we're all struggling through the same things :)
The reality is that exciting writing moments such is this don't occur often even though, man, they feel good. As I saw on my friend Peter's facebook post this week, most of the time we all just need to keep our butts in the chair until we produce that pages we need. But occasionally we hit the lucky moment of one of those rapid scenes where somewhere you magically just know what the characters say and think and move and do.
So what do we do when we reach these moments? I mean, obvious answer is we go with them, and enjoy them greatly. But what do we have to make sure not to miss? And in what ways can we elevate the scene to an even greater level?
Here are some things I think we should look out for. These are important all the time really, but especially in the most exciting scenes, and particularly those that are pivotal to the plot.
• Consistency of character. In our excitement, sometimes we come up with that great line and think of our future reader just being so in awesome of that witty line or poignant sentence. But the truth is if it doesn't work within who you are character is and what he consistently says or does, unforunately, it's got to go.
• Including important details. Sometimes in the heat of the moment, we forget to mention the little ticks and details that make the scene so tangible. Adding just one small fact such as the color of a shirt or a reference to a character's unique mannerism, or even inserting a subtle clue into the dialogue can make all the difference. Not only does it make the scene exciting, but it keeps it memorable. It makes it matter more.
• Watch your pacing. Pacing is a huge part of story writing, and often something that can be hard to figure out. When the pacing picks up in the exciting scenes, one thing to be careful of is that while you want it to be an accelerated pace in comparison take the time to help your reader understand exactly what is going on here — how the characters are feeling. Conversely, you want to make sure your scene isn't too slow. It still needs a decent clip to it. Rereading your scene with fresh eyes after a day or two can often help you evaluate this more clearly.
• Pay attention to what isn't be said (or isn't being done). So often, we focus on what characters say and the movements a character does. I think part of that comes from the fear that we want our readers to understand our message. We don't want to make it too subtle that they miss something. But what a character refuses to say or do speaks volumes. The secrets they keep are just as important as the words they reveal. Such secrets don't always have to be implicit either. You can call attention to the fact that a character started to say something and stopped. Or that in the chaos of a situation, she didn't choose the hallway everyone else did. Things don't always have to be verbalized to make an impact. But you want to make sure they are noticed. Because even if it does take a more sophisticated reader to pick up on the nuance of a moment, that moment can inform your character, or your situation, in ways perhaps no words can.
And, more for the sake of the writer than the writing,
• Remember this feeling to help you through the more difficult writing days. Because even though it might take a while, it is sure to come again.
I hope your exciting scene comes soon! Enjoy the writing, and know we're all struggling through the same things :)
Sunday, March 17, 2013
Go Explore! Ideas Come from Everywhere
This past week I went on vacation, and had the chance to take a small break from my writing and go see some sights I had never seen before. Strolling the streets of San Francisco, seeing the flashy lights of Vegas, taking a tour through wine country, walking through the redwoods, and just driving new city streets provided great memories. But my trip also provided a wonderful chance to encounter many new sights, people, and cultures that all serve as the basis for great new ideas.
I think there is something to be said about the way we see things when we are encountering them for the first time. Fresh eyes, a bit of wonder, and keen observation allow for a viewing experience we don't often get from the things we see every day. How easy it is for something to be overlooked when it becomes repetitive or familiar. But when vacationing, or visiting a new museum or landscape, we have a new perspective that interests the mind and sparks a thread of creativity is a new way.
One of most common things you hear in writing is to write what you know. Of course, there is ample room for imagination and fantasy, but I do think there is lots of value to this statement. When you know something, when you can deeply understand a place or a concept or a feeling, it comes across in your writing. Paired with this idea of exploration and new experiences, I think great things can happen in your writing. Not only are we increasing what we know by seeing and experiencing anew, but combining the exciting, inspired creativity of a new place with the more concrete, though perhaps intangible reality of what we know in our hearts and minds can provide the basis for a truly fabulous story. We need the newness as well as the old. We need to blend the architecture and dialect and unique aspects of a new city with the familiar characteristics and emotions and regions we know to make a story that is both alive and moving but also fully believable and grounded.
My trip reminded me of the value of simple observation. It reminded me that I need to get out and experience the greater life beyond my small niche. The world is happening all around us. There are millions of conversations and sights and ideas to be taken in. And the details you pick up from all different sections of the world will combine beautifully with the unique, important truths you already know.
So explore. Go for a long walk. Venture into a new neighborhood. Take the bus in a different direction and see what's out there. Seeing new sights doesn't have to mean traveling across time zones and state lines. It can simply mean opening up your eyes to the little, unfamiliar things that exist all around us. It will improve your stories, I know it will! And it might just give you a great new idea or two.
I think there is something to be said about the way we see things when we are encountering them for the first time. Fresh eyes, a bit of wonder, and keen observation allow for a viewing experience we don't often get from the things we see every day. How easy it is for something to be overlooked when it becomes repetitive or familiar. But when vacationing, or visiting a new museum or landscape, we have a new perspective that interests the mind and sparks a thread of creativity is a new way.
One of most common things you hear in writing is to write what you know. Of course, there is ample room for imagination and fantasy, but I do think there is lots of value to this statement. When you know something, when you can deeply understand a place or a concept or a feeling, it comes across in your writing. Paired with this idea of exploration and new experiences, I think great things can happen in your writing. Not only are we increasing what we know by seeing and experiencing anew, but combining the exciting, inspired creativity of a new place with the more concrete, though perhaps intangible reality of what we know in our hearts and minds can provide the basis for a truly fabulous story. We need the newness as well as the old. We need to blend the architecture and dialect and unique aspects of a new city with the familiar characteristics and emotions and regions we know to make a story that is both alive and moving but also fully believable and grounded.
My trip reminded me of the value of simple observation. It reminded me that I need to get out and experience the greater life beyond my small niche. The world is happening all around us. There are millions of conversations and sights and ideas to be taken in. And the details you pick up from all different sections of the world will combine beautifully with the unique, important truths you already know.
So explore. Go for a long walk. Venture into a new neighborhood. Take the bus in a different direction and see what's out there. Seeing new sights doesn't have to mean traveling across time zones and state lines. It can simply mean opening up your eyes to the little, unfamiliar things that exist all around us. It will improve your stories, I know it will! And it might just give you a great new idea or two.
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