Five days to go for 2015’s National Novel Writing Month! I was conversing with a writer today about what it means to finish a first draft. We went over the nuts and bolts of what happens after you write the last line of the first draft of your story. I told him I always put aside my manuscript for several weeks or more. When I am ready to pick up my manuscript and read from cover to cover over the course of a day or two or three, I know that my goal is to read like a reader. I …
Sarah’s & Cynde’s Blog
#NaNoWriMo2015–Get to the Heart of Your Story (writing tip #23)
If you are a fan of the classic 1983 coming of age/holiday film, A CHRISTMAS STORY, scenes come vividly to mind when I cue you: pink bunny suit; Scut Farkus; Santa and his elves; soap bar; leg lamp; Red Ryder; the dogs and the turkey. Today’s post is a day late and my only excuse is that a version of the ‘dogs and turkey’ scene unfolded in my home yesterday. This morning, I am still carrying around three different brands of carpet cleaner, still sweeping up broken glass and scrubbing butter from the oddest places, still highly miffed at certain …
#NaNoWriMo2015-Get to the Heart of Your Story (writing tip #22)
If you started writing your novel on November 1st, you are fast approaching your final week! Kudos for those of you who pushed the edge of the envelope (and filled the pages) this month. If fear kept you from beginning, continuing, completing your first draft, acknowledge your fear and sit with the feelings. Take a few minutes to free write to see if you can focus in on the nature of your fears: Are you afraid of failure? Afraid of writing total crap? Afraid of actually finishing? Afraid of success? Afraid of attention? Afraid of being seen? Afraid of not …
Character Arc Transformation-Get to the Heart of Your Story
Get to the heart of your story: character arc transformation This simple exercise provides you with a powerful tool whether you are just beginning to understand your story, you’ve written a full draft, or you are somewhere in between. Take a picture Imagine your protagonist at the beginning of the story, just as it opens. Take a virtual photo of her/him–and carefully observe and study the details: expression, posture, clothing, surroundings. Is she alone? Is she surrounded by others? Is she smiling? Is she looking away from the camera? If so, what is she seeing? What is she hearing? Is she holding something in …
#NaNoWriMo2015–Get to the Heart of Your Story (writing tip #20)
I spoke with a client today who is moving from first to second draft on her historical fiction. She is reading one of my novels and she commented on the quick pace and the fact she enjoys reading my scenes. Her question of the day: How do I make my scenes sharp, whole, and compelling. Here are a few quick tips: 1) When possible keep the scenes to 2 or 3 primary characters. 2) Know what each character wants going into the scene. If you’ve ever taken an acting class, you know that each actor has a scene goal — …
#NaNoWriMo2015–Get to the Heart of Your Story (writing tip #19)
Okay, for today’s tip, here I go again, talking about staying curious about what your protagonist wants. And, remember, our fictional heroes are extreme–they go after what they want with an intensity that can be frightening and invigorating and freeing. They are bigger than life and we can watch them slip and slide and struggle and push and yearn and obsess to the extreme, whether their story is a tragedy or a comedy. So back to the want. I wrote a very personal blog post a few years ago about going through the death of my marriage and how the …
#NaNoWriMo2015–Get to the Heart of Your Story (writing tip #18)
Seven inspiring quotes from the masters: #1) “Writing is easy. All you have to do is cross out the wrong words.” Mark Twain#2) “The first draft of anything is shit.” Earnest Hemingway#3) “Literature–creative literature–unconcerned with sex, is inconceivable.” Gertrude Stein#4) “James Joyce was a synthesizer, trying to bring in as much as he could. I am an analyzer, trying to leave out as much as I can.” Samuel Beckett#5) “Do you realize that all great literature is all about what a bummer it is to be a human being? Isn’t it such a relief to have somebody say that?” Kurt …
#NaNoWriMo2015–Get to the Heart of Your Story (writing tip #17)
I listened to a lecture last night by one of my favorite writing teachers, Al Watt. One of his exercises is for each writer to free write about his/her fears when it comes to writing a particular novel or screenplay. Common fears include fear of failing, fear of writing dreck, fear of forcing the story instead of letting the characters guide the writing, fear of dying, fear of hurting others. Then Al asks writers to think about the protagonist of the story and to connect the primal essence of the writer’s fears to the character’s fears. At deep core, they …
#NaNoWriMo2015–Get to the Heart of Your Story (writing tip #16)
My daughter and I are fans of Cressida Cowell, the author and illustrator of the fantastic HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON series. We are currently reading the 12th and final book. (Oh, how it hurts to write final!) Quoting from HOW TO FIGHT A DRAGON’S FURY: “THE STORY SO FAR.‘There were dragons when I was a boy.” Those were the first words of the beginning of this story. Once there was a boy named Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third, who lived on the little isle of Berk with a hunting-dragon called Toothless, and a riding-dragon called the Windwalker, wild and …
#NaNoWriMo2015–Get to the Heart of Your Story (writing tip #15)
If you are participating in NaNoWriMo, you are halfway through your month and you might be wondering if you’re going to make it all the way through your draft by November 30th. If you’re flagging, take a deep breath (and perhaps a nap) and give yourself the credit you deserve: you’ve taken on a big challenge and that’s a victory all its own! Did you take a selfie on Day #1? If yes, look it over, put it away, and take another selfie now, on Day #15. If you didn’t take an actual photo, picture what you looked like two …