Post-From-the-Past, January Archives

"There are thousands of thoughts lying within a man that he does not know till he takes up the pen and writes." --William Makepeace Thackeray

Thackeray's quote resonates with me as I enter my tenth year of blogging. Ten years! And over the years, the number of blog posts--and thousands of thoughts I didn't even know I had--has grown, now numbering 440. So in this, my tenth year, I thought I'd go back in the archives and highlight a post-from-the-past each month. A re-post, yes, a revisit, a re-encounter...

Traveling then back to the records of January 2012:
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Sunday, January 1, 2012

Aim, Shoot, Bull's Eye: Targets for a New Year

 "It's the sheer act of writing, more than anything else, that makes a writer." --John Gardner

Call it semantics, but I've decided to set writing "targets" rather than resolutions for the new year. The "dart board"--what I'm aiming for--is to write every day. No matter how much, how little--my goal is to hit at least one of four targets every day. Each is represented by the graduated concentric circles of a dart board. (I wish I could diagram this, but such design skills aren't in my repertoire yet!) 

The four targets include:

1. The Bull's Eye: Write 1000 words. I hope to hit this mark more often than not in this new year. But that is the real prize, and often hard to attain. So if circumstances--like life's challenges away from the computer--preclude this then I'll aim for...

2. The Inside Ring: Write two pages. Linda Sue Park, author of the 2002 Newbery Medal Winner A Single Shard, in an interview over at Cuppa Jolie, said: "My most valuable tip came from Katherine Paterson, who wrote in an essay about how she tries to finish 2 pages a day. I read that when I was starting work on my first novel, and it was a huge light-bulb moment. I thought, I can do that! I don't know if I can ever write a whole novel, but I sure as heck can write 2 pages a day. I've written every single one of my novels that way, and I'm positive I never would have written even one if I hadn't read that tip." Still and all, though, if time is at a premium on a busy day, I will at least shoot for...

3. The Middle Ring: Write for 15 minutes. Dan Goodwin, at Coach Creative, says: "Create every day and you get used to starting creative sessions quickly and easily. They become a routine, a habit, and you begin before you've had a chance to procrastinate. The less often you create, the harder it becomes to get started, and the more excuses and 'urgent' tasks that have to be done before you create begin to stack up...(so) start today, set aside 15 minutes, make an appointment with your creativity, and write it down. Do the same tomorrow." Yet, being realistic, on days I can't even do that I will at least...

4. The Outer Ring: Write ten words. This from Mary E. Pearson, on a guest post at Dear Editor: "When I feel like I can't move forward, I will do all kinds of things to help me keep going, like...Trick myself. I sit down to write and tell myself I only have to write ten words and then I can get up and do whatever I want guilt-free. TEN. That's all. But I have to do it every day." She says it's amazing how allowing yourself ten simple words more often than not jumpstarts the writing process and you end up writing more than you thought you would.

So there you have it, my targets for 2012. Every day, hit at least one. Now my aim might be poor at the beginning. After all, I haven't been all that consistent in the past. But with practice, who knows what will come. I'm looking forward to finding out.

What are your writing targets for the new year?

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And returning to the present, I recommend an article posted by Mary Carroll Moore: Your Writing Life: The Benefits of an End-of-Year Review. Ms. Moore, whose tag line to her blog is "How to Plan, Write, and Develop a Book," poses questions to ask ourselves in review, questions such as what did I want to have happen with my writing life this past year? what steps did I take to bring that about? what was my biggest ah-ha moment? my actual accomplishments? where did I find the most satisfaction or joy? Good reading here, with a proposed review process that I'm now in the middle of. You might want to check it out. 

Happy reviewing, goal-setting, and target shooting in 2019!

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Revisiting the Basics: Antagonist

photo courtesy pixabay

"Protagonist drives the plot forward. Antagonist tries to stop him." --Melanie Anne Phillips

I've been crafting character sketches lately as I draft my WIP and am finding it helpful to continue a review of story-writing basics (my previous revisit was on scene, here). This time? The antagonist! My first stop was to tap into Laura DiSilverio's article, "6 Ways to Write Better Bad Guys." Ms. DiSilverio introduces her topic with a tongue-in-cheek take from the antagonist's point-of-view: "Dear Author, we antagonists, villains, bad guys, femme fatales--call us what you will--don't get no respect. We're overlooked, underdeveloped and squeezed into a space that would cramp your average gerbil. When we get short shrift, your books aren't nearly as good as they could be. They lack tension and depth. They're forgettable. Not that I'm one for pointing fingers, but I've got to tell you, it's your fault...Sincerely, Eva N. Carnate"

*Smile* This fun intro sent me on a quest to return to, re-evaluate, and re-establish the roots of my story's antagonist. Some points I've gathered along the way:

1. First, Just Who is the Antagonist? From Literary Devices: "In literature, an antagonist is a character or a group of characters which stand in opposition to the protagonist or the main character. The term antagonist comes from the Greek word 'antagonistes' that means opponent, competitor or rival. It is common to refer to an antagonist as a villain (the bad guy) against whom a hero (the good guy) fights in order to relieve himself or others...The antagonist opposes the protagonist in his endeavors and thus the conflict ensues."

2. How Important is the Antagonist? In Ms. DiSilverio's article (above), she follows up on her fictional correspondence with her antagonist by saying, "I don't know how the above email got into my inbox, but it caught my attention immediately. Did Eva have a point? It didn't take me long to review my work-in-progress, analyze some novels I'd read recently and realize that she did. Many authors are guilty of discriminating against their antagonists. Yet, they're just as important to good stories as the protagonists are. If your antagonist is not fully realized, lacks depth or is a caricature of evil, your story will suffer." She follows up with six great points toward making your antagonist more compelling--helpful reading for sure.

3. Understanding the Role of the Antagonist. The antagonist not only sets the tone, but also sets the stakes and defines the hero, this according to Danyelle Leafty in her article A Case for Villains. It's a tall order, but Ms. Leafty gets to the essence of the subject with this story-equation: "no villain=no conflict=no plot=no point."

4. What Should We Know About Antagonists? This from Chuck Wendig's article 25 Things You Should Know About Antagonists: Opposition is key. "Character is the driver. Plot is the getaway car. Character drives plot; plot does not drive character. The antagonist isn't just here as a rock in the stream diverting the plot-churned waters--he does not exist in service to a sequence of events, but rather, he exists to change them, sway them, turn them to a sequence he wants--a sequence that stands in opposition to the protagonist. For opposition is key."

5. What Makes a Strong Antagonist? Janice Hardy spells out ten traits in her article, 10 Traits of a Strong Antagonist. Highlights include "...a strong antagonist is trying to accomplish something"..."is hiding things"..."is in the path of the protagonist's goal." She concludes, "An antagonist who never crosses path with the protagonist isn't much of an obstacle. She needs to cause the protagonist hardship and trouble over the course of the novel, even if she's not doing it deliberately. Her plan and actions can cause trouble even if she's not yet aware the protagonist is fighting her. But at some point, these two will come face to face and only one will win."

6. The Antagonist's Position. Melanie Anne Phillips writes about this in her article, The Archetypal Characters: Protagonist and Antagonist: "The Protagonist represents our Initiative, the motivation to change the status quo. The Antagonist embodies our Reticence to change the status quo. These are perhaps our two most obvious human traits--the drive to alter our environment and the drive to keep things the way they are...The important thing is that the Antagonist must be in a position in the plot to place obstacles in the path of the Protagonist. Since the drive of the Protagonist is measured by the size of the obstacle he or she must overcome, it is usually a good idea to pick the character who can bring to bear the greatest obstacles."

Every hero, as they say, needs a challenge. The antagonist provides that challenge by way of opposition, conflict, obstacles, hardship and trouble. He or she is a competitor, a rival, the antagonistes. The one who creates the tension that keeps a reader reading.

How do you define antagonist? How does a compelling antagonist hold your attention and keep you reading? What tips do you have for creating such an antagonist--and for keeping Eva N. Carnate from writing to us?!

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9 Links: This Week's Super Finds

discovery: woodland flower 2014

"A discovery is said to be an accident meeting a prepared mind." --Albert Szent-Gyorgyi

The summer marches on and with it comes some pretty helpful information and a few laughs. Thought I'd share some of the latest discoveries I've stumbled across in the hopes that they benefit you as much as they have me.

1. Need help in managing your writing time? Check out How to Keep Your Writing in Your Over-the-Top Busy Life: Helpful Techniques from the Experts, by Mary Carroll Moore at How to Plan, Write, and Develop a Book.

2. Along the same lines, did you ever wonder how Jerry Seinfeld motivates himself to be a productive writer (his specialty of course is jokes, but his technique could apply to any field)? Can you say calendar? You'll find Jerry's Productivity Secret at Life Hacker.

3. Stumped for ideas? Melissa Donovan shares thoughts on Questions, Curiosity, and Writing Ideas at Writing Forward.

4. When you are struck with that fantastic idea that lights up your life but you don't know how to go about developing it, why not start with an outline? 7 Steps to Creating a Flexible Outline for Any Story, by K.M. Weiland at Writer's Digest.com might be just what you need.

5. Along the same lines, Alan Gratz reinforces the idea on the Highlights Foundation blog with Why You Should Be Outlining .

6. While you're writing that next best-seller, you might begin thinking about your author bio. Do you have one yet? Ann Allen at anneallen.blogspot.com gives great tips with her post How to Write an Author Bio When You Don't Feel Like an Author...Yet.

7. Next to finishing the next great work and dashing off the best author bio imaginable, you might want some insight into industry news for the writer. If so you don't want to miss Elizabeth Spann Craig's Resources for Writers--Industry News.

8. Want a quick review of history--in 17 syllables and 140 characters? Featured on pbs.org we have a unique approach: History in Haiku, by historian H. W. Brands.

9. And finally, on a frivolous note but evidence of the power of social media? A lost sock was found at the Oklahoma City Airport and the word is out. Sound trivial? Why does it matter? Well, you see it was found by an avid knitter who recognized its value, a hand-knitted sock made with love and quality wool. Who was the knitter? Where was the sock's match? And could they be lovingly reunited? The plea has gone out on every social media site from the US to Canada to Europe (according to Andrea Vlahakis, here). Check out the whole story at Stephanie Pearl-McPhee's The Knit Signal. And be sure to read the resulting comment thread, especially the part about the banana. If you're like me, you'll get your laugh for the day over that one!

Ah, only on this thing called the internet. Entertainment abounds.

Any great web-surfing discoveries you've came across lately? And what about you, are you missing a sock?

Happy weekend, all.

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Writing Tip: Clustering

search.creativecommons.org, Bob Nicols

"Just as many natural forms come in clusters--grapes, lilacs, spider eggs, cherries--so thoughts and images, when given free rein, seem to come in clusters of associations."--Gabriele Lusser Rico

I'm a believer in clustering--the writing kind that is, though I do like grapes, lilacs and cherries, too (spider eggs, not so much).  Surprising insights have popped for me when I've played around with the technique.

Gabriele Lussen Rico describes clustering in Writing the Natural Way, Using Right-Brain Techniques to Release Your Expressive Powers. "Nature," she writes, "operates by profusion. Think of the nearly infinite numbers of seeds that fall to earth, only a fraction of which take root to become trees; of those five thousand or so drones that exist solely to ensure the fertilization of one queen bee...Similarly, human beings engaged in the creative process explore an astronomical number of possible patterns before settling on an idea.

"Clustering is the master key to natural writing. It is the crucial first step for bypassing our logical, orderly Sign-mind (Rico uses this term for left brain thinking, Design-mind for right) consciousness to touch the mental life of daydream, random thought, remembered incident, image, or sensation."

In clustering, "a nucleus word or short phrase acts as the stimulus for recording all the associations that spring to mind in a very brief period of time." After setting forth that nucleus word, the writer is encouraged to "simply let go and begin to flow with any current of connections" that come to mind, writing them down rapidly, "each in its own circle radiating outward from the center in any direction." Connect each new word with a line to the preceding circle. When something new and different strikes you, begin again at the central nucleus.

Exploration. Patterns. Associations. Connections. The stuff that writers are made of!

In my case, I needed to play this past week after feeling ideas were stalling and drying up. I turned back to clustering to see if I could prove Rico right when she states, "the initial anxiety will soon disappear, and in its place will be a certain playfulness."

The results? Insights into a blocked character sketch. Better visualization of a picture book idea. Playtime to see where an idea for a short inspirational piece might go. I was so excited at the results that I shared the developments with my writer's group when we met the other day.

Yep, I'm a believer in clustering. Are you? What techniques do you use to replace writing anxiety with a sense of play?

In case you'd care to read more on the subject of clustering, you might want to check out:
Gabriele Rico
Writer's Web
Meade Communications
About.com: Clustering

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Here's to Ice Cream, Historical Fiction and Hope

"Hope is the other side of history." --Marcia Cavell

A couple of good things happened this week. The Li'l Goodie Shoppe opened for one. What, you might ask, is the Li'l Goodie Shoppe? Well, it's the local ice cream stand we have nearby. Close enough for us to walk to in fact. Which is either good or bad depending on a person's will power and committment to work off the extra calories that go with it.

The other good thing? My current issue of Children's Writer, April 2012, arrived in the mail. Don't know if you're familiar with this little newsletter (which can also be found online here), but each month it carries a wealth of information on writing tips and markets for children's writers. This month's headline immediately caught my eye: "Remarkable Historical Fiction for the 21st Century," by Patricia Curtis Pfitsch. I was hungry for good news about the historical fiction market for those of us who write in this genre.

Encouragement came, tempered with caution and good advice. While Pfitsch makes the point that historical fiction markets continue to shrink, "historical fiction has a sure footing on many publishers' lists." But, as she quotes Greg Ferguson, Editor at Egmont USA, "The real issue is finding the historical fiction manuscript that is remarkable."

The article goes on to give tips on how to approach historical fiction with an eye toward writing that remarkable book. Included among the tips are: think how the story will be different, be aware of what's already published, find the time period and story that speaks especially to you, and find a balance between story and history.


Pfitsch concludes by saying "Whether you write for older readers or younger ones, the truth is clear. Historical fiction is alive and well. There is still a place for writers who do the work to make their stories stand out."

Good advice for writers of all genres actually. We've got our work cut out for us, yes, but with the hope that something good is up ahead.

Sort of like a trip to the Goodie Shoppe...

Wish you could join me!

What good things opened up for you this week?

Aim, Shoot, Bull's Eye: Targets for a New Year

 "It's the sheer act of writing, more than anything else, that makes a writer." --John Gardner



Call it semantics, but I've decided to set writing "targets" rather than resolutions for the new year. The "dart board"--what I'm aiming for--is to write every day. No matter how much, how little--my goal is to hit at least one of four targets every day. Each is represented by the graduated concentric circles of a dart board. (I wish I could diagram this, but such design skills aren't in my repertoire yet!)

The four targets include:
1. The Bull's Eye: Write 1000 words. I hope to hit this mark more often than not in this new year. But that is the real prize, and often hard to attain. So if circumstances--like life's challenges away from the computer--preclude this then I'll aim for...

2. The Inside Ring: Write two pages. Linda Sue Park, author of the 2002 Newbery Medal Winner A Single Shard, in an interview over at Cuppa Jolie, said: "My most valuable tip came from Katherine Paterson, who wrote in an essay about how she tries to finish 2 pages a day. I read that when I was starting work on my first novel, and it was a huge light-bulb moment. I thought, I can do that! I don't know if I can ever write a whole novel, but I sure as heck can write 2 pages a day. I've written every single one of my novels that way, and I'm positive I never would have written even one if I hadn't read that tip." Still and all, though, if time is at a premium on a busy day, I will at least shoot for...

3. The Middle Ring: Write for 15 minutes. Dan Goodwin, at Coach Creative, says: "Create every day and you get used to starting creative sessions quickly and easily. They become a routine, a habit, and you begin before you've had a chance to procrastinate. The less often you create, the harder it becomes to get started, and the more excuses and 'urgent' tasks that have to be done before you create begin to stack up...(so) start today, set aside 15 minutes, make an appointment with your creativity, and write it down. Do the same tomorrow." Yet, being realistic, on days I can't even do that I will at least...

4. The Outer Ring: Write ten words. This from Mary E. Pearson, on a guest post at Dear Editor: "When I feel like I can't move forward, I will do all kinds of things to help me keep going, like...Trick myself. I sit down to write and tell myself I only have to write ten words and then I can get up and do whatever I want guilt-free. TEN. That's all. But I have to do it every day." She says it's amazing how allowing yourself ten simple words more often than not jumpstarts the writing process and you end up writing more than you thought you would.

So there you have it, my targets for 2012. Every day, hit at least one. Now my aim might be poor at the beginning. After all, I haven't been all that consistent in the past. But with practice, who knows what will come. I'm looking forward to finding out.

What are your writing targets for the new year?

*Note: This is a repost from last year--it first ran  here--and since it generated alot of discussion back then, I thought I'd share again. Hopefully others will find it helpful now, too. Does the idea of setting writing targets help? It has for me. I'm happy to report that, although I did not hit as many bull's eyes as I had hoped to in 2011, I did hit one or another target over 250 days out of 365--which equates to about 70% of the time. My aim's getting better. How about yours?

photo: sxc.hu

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5 Insights on Dialogue, From a Bird's-Eye View

"The best dialogue counters our expectations and surprises us." --Nathan Bransford

Man, the birds were noisy on my walk the other day. A flock soared overhead, fluttered, and en masse swooped onto one lone tree already bare of leaves--squawking, chattering, talking all at once. I found myself imagining one tiny little guy on an outermost twig, notebook and pen in hand, taking notes. If my imaginary writer-bird were to try to pull good dialogue out of all the confusion, what guidelines would he seek?

Consider the following:

1. The Purpose of Dialogue. Dialogue's purpose is twofold. It: a) reveals character and motivation, and b) moves the plot forward. No aimless chatter here, unless it serves to further the story. Dialogue also helps to establish tone or mood, creates/adds to conflict, and helps control pace. "Dialogue," it's been said, "is all about action and reaction."

2. The Effectiveness of Dialogue. Effective dialogue seeks to achieve a number of goals. It should drive the story forward, add to the reader's understanding of characters, and/or demonstrate the relationship between different characters. According to The Writer's Book of Wisdom, 101 Rules for Mastering Your Craft (Steven Taylor Goldsberry), dialogue should heighten drama, speed the process of discovery, and create tension. Filter out aimless squawking. Zero in on characters and plot, story and conflict--and dialogue will improve.

3. On Writing Good Dialogue. Struggling to make dialogue believable? Feel like you're out on a limb and nothing works? Try this: Listen to how people speak. Keep a journal of overheard dialogue. Read with an ear to how other authors handle dialogue. Also remind yourself to show, not tell...keep dialogue concise... make it flow...use slang sparingly...be true to the era but not stilted. Oh, and a biggie--avoid information dump!

4. On the Formating of Dialogue. Break up dialogue--through action, description, and other story elements. Use tags ("he said") correctly. Punctuate correctly. Keep those little birdies in line.

5. Test Your Dialogue. Read your work out loud. Have someone else read your work out loud. This way you'll tune in to any breakdowns in rhythm, authenticity, and characterization. What you want is for your work to sing. And surprise.

My imaginary writer-bird is sitting on my shoulder this week, reminding me of these things. In gathering the tips, I turned to the following sources and are grateful for the help:

Learn the Elements of a Novel
Novel-Writing-Help
About.com Fiction Writing
Nathan Bransford, Author
BubbleCow Copy Editing
Change the World with Words

What are some of  your tips for writing good dialogue?

p.s. My Hundred-Up Signed Books Give-Away is still open. Check it out here, and join in the fun as I inch my way to 100 followers!

*photo courtesy of sxc.hu

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6 Keys to Opening Up New Possibilities in Your Story

"What makes familiar things worth writing about is that we are able to find a way to see them new, both for us and the people we write for." --Bruce Ballenger

Some years ago we had a mail-delivery problem when a bird built its nest in our mailbox. A problem with a simple solution, it would seem. Just pull the nest out and discard. But when, the next day, we observed how the bird flew down, perched on the box, opened the lid with its beak and subsequently made several trips to deposit more nest-building straw inside, we knew we had to do something. After all, how many times could we pull out the bird's work only to see it come back and start all over? We didn't have the heart for that.

Thankfully, at about the same time, we happened to hear a park naturalist speak at the local library. During the Q&A session, I asked for advice.

"The key," the naturalist said, "is to put a brick in the mailbox. It will change the space so that the bird will want to look for a new home. Hopefully a place that's a better fit for him--and you."

A brick? It was worth a try. And, happy ending, the bird soon disappeared, never again to take up residence in our box.

Remembering the incident prompted me to wonder what keys we writers might use in dealing with some of our writing problems--problems like bogging middles, lackluster writing, stories that seem to go nowhere--or that elusive, "something just ain't working" feeling. How can we change the "space" of the piece so that we look at it differently, see new possibilities? Some ideas:

1. Experiment with point of view.  This is a suggestion made by Ann Whitford Paul in Writing Picture Books. "Rewrite the opening paragraph in your story," she says, "in different forms." In other words, switch things around. If you're writing in first person, change to third--or even second. Single POV? Try multiple. Change your POV character. "While you’re writing these different opening paragraphs," she adds, "be playful. Let your imagination run wild. See how your experiments will take your story in new and surprising directions."

2. "Go Topsy-Turvey." This is how Jane Yolen puts it in Take Joy, A Writer’s Guide to Loving the Craft. “Writers know that if they turn a picture upside down, the central shapes are better exposed. No longer concerned with the drawing...what comes through is the composition itself." She acknowledges that you cannot very well read a book upside down, but you can look at its composition differently. For example, "Take one of your chapters, and reread what you've written with all the modifiers blocked out. Declare war on adverbs. Change your main character's gender. Turn a prose paragraph into lines of poetry to see how you've overwritten it...When we force ourselves to go topsy-turvy, we can see anew what is on the page."

3. Play "How Many Endings?". This is a personal favorite--an exercise I did that opened up a whole new realm of possibilities in my writing. In How to Write with the Skill of a Master and the Genius of a Child, Marshall J. Cook says this: "Select a finished story—your own or somebody else’s—and play the ‘How Many Endings?’ game. How many different ways could you end that story? Don’t judge, analyze, or otherwise evaluate your endings as you jot them down. And don’t bother polishing the prose. Just capture the idea. When you think you can’t think of any more endings, think of one more." At this point I was sweating, but I did it--one more idea--and it was by far the best.

4. Vary your writing tools. This idea came from the March/April 2011 SCBWI Bulletin, in an  article titled, "Rhythm and Flow in a Writer’s Life" by Pedro De Alcantara: “Writing by hand has a different rhythm and feel from typing at a manual typewriter or at a computer. And writing by hand on unlined pages is different from writing by hand on lined paper. Alternate using pens, pencils, various notebooks, computers, Post-its, and other media. Each writing tool triggers your creativity in distinctive ways."

5. Grab your camera. Bruce Ballenger, in Discovering the Writer Within, proposes taking a series of pictures of an object of choice--making each shot different by varying the angle, distance, lighting. Print the pictures, spread them out, and ask yourself, "Do any of the images help me to see my familiar object in a new way?"

6. Change your space. Again, from Ballenger: "Go for walks, swim, run, go to a movie, read. Do anything but write for a day or so...(and) don't allow yourself to indulge in negativity."

Experiment. Turn things topsy-turvey. Go a step deeper when you think you've given it all you've got. Vary your approach. Play with images. Change your own space to make room in your head for solutions. Just a handful of ideas. When troublesome birds build nests in your head and hamper your writerly deliveries, what are some of the keys you turn to?

8 Ideas for Getting to Know Your Character

"My characters write my stories for me. They tell me what they want, then I tell them to get to it, and I follow as they run. Working at my typing as they rush to their destiny." --Ray Bradbury

 I know this girl. Her name is Blanche. But I wouldn't come to know her until she was all grown up and much older.

We recently came across this picture when an aunt deposited a bag of old photos and letters with my dad and told him he could do what he wanted with them. In the stack was this picture of the little girl who would later become my step-grandmother.

And I love this picture.

Of course, I loved my grandmother first. But, growing up, I knew her at a different age, in a different stage. I'm not sure, had I thought about it, that I'd have been able to imagine her as a little girl. No, she was Grandma, busy taking care of my grandfather, the stout woman in the kitchen canning beans or freezing corn. She could drive a tractor, slop hogs, clean out barns.

But who was she as a little girl?

Another photo shows Blanche with her parents and six siblings. She's a young adult, and I get a glimpse of the woman she would become. Here I'm better able to travel along in her journey because I know my dad's story and the circumstances under which she became his stepmother. But the child? I still want to know who she was. What did she like--food, friends, books? What were her hopes and dreams? Disappointments, challenges? What's her childhood story?

If she were the protagonist in my next book, how would I find out these things about her?

Ah, suggestions abound. For example, in an article titled Changing Character in a past SCBWI Bulletin (March/April 2008), Kathryn Lay suggests (1) writing your character's biography, starting with the week before your story begins. She also suggests (2) writing a newpaper article about your character, reporting how she accomplished your story's resolution. Or (3) have your main character write you a letter. What news is she anxious to share?

(4) Interview your character. For a great list of interview questions, check out this article at Gotham Writer's Workshop. A sample question I would never have thought of: "Where does your character go when he is angry?"

(5) Go Deeper. Additional sources for finding out more about your character include the questionaires at the Character Building Workshop, character worksheets at Adventures in Children's Publishing (links in the left sidebar), and Catherine Ensley's series on the Enneagram, a personality typing system that can help in creating characters. You'll find this over at Words, World and Wings.

(6) Keep a voice journal. This suggestion comes from James Scott Bell, author of The Art of War for Writers. "A voice journal is simply a character speaking in stream-of-consciousness mode. You prompt the character by asking the occasional question, and then just let your fingers record the words in the page."

(7) Dip into your character's diary. You say she didn't keep one? Well, let's pretend she did. What secrets might she have recorded there?

(8) Write "a-day-in-the-life-of..." From Creating the Story, Guides for Writers (Rule and Wheeler): "What time does she get up? What does she eat for breakfast? How does she take her coffee? By writing a detailed account, you may discover a story."

Blanche as a child is not my MG protagonist, but she is my inspiration. As I look at her picture, I imagine the questions I'd want to ask, contents of letters she might have written me, revelations in the pages of her diary. And so I want to play with these prompts, run with them, explore--and discover--all I can about my character as we start out on this adventure together.

What techniques, tools, approaches do you use to get to know your character?

Where Writing Begins

"I always tell my writing students

that every good piece of writing

begins with both a mystery

and a love story.

And that every single sentence

must be a poem.

And that economy

is the key to all good writing.

And that every character

has to have a secret."

                                                                       --Silas House

A new week beckons in which I hope to uncover secrets. What about you?

*photo courtesy of  sxc.hu/

Time and Summer Writing: Pickle It

"Time is but the stream I go a-fishing in." --Henry David Thoreau

Maybe summer isn't really any busier than any other time of year, but it can seem that way. Vacations, visitors, needs of children off school for the summer, do-it-yourself projects around the house, gardening. Some people still can, pickle and otherwise preserve garden produce, too (something I used to do in another life). Pack one, two, or all of the above together--and where's the time for writing. How do we fit that into the schedule? Do we even try?

My answer? I say, pickle it.

Writing, not unlike the process of pickling which involves a cucumber becoming a pickle, is a process of "becoming." We don't arrive complete. Cucumber vines, after all, don't grow pickles.

Yet writing takes time--becoming a writer takes time--while time is often at a premium. So many other things to do. Therefore, I propose we protect our writing time by...pickling it.

So, without further ado (and while eating a pickle...Well, not really. I'm actually eating watermelon while I write this, but some people do pickle watermelon rinds), here we go:

P--Preserve patterns of writing, protect them, persevere in them. Give yourself permission to write, first of all, then set aside pockets of time in which to do so--whether it be short-term goals, targets, journaling, writing exercises, a half-hour here/half-hour there. Whatever propels you as a writer and puts words on paper.

I--Inhale as you go, and don't feel guilty if you miss the mark occasionally. The joy is in the becoming, not in checking off a to-do list. Breathe in the beauty around you--in your adventures, relationships, opportunities. Take time to enjoy--and appreciate. A writer is far more than that of the solitary figure up in her writing tower, laboring away and never enjoying life.

C--Choose goals wisely. Margie Lawson, in a post titled, 'Duh' Your Way to Success, says research indicates that Americans expect to complete 42% more than they can possibly do in any given time frame. "No wonder people are stressed and depressed," she says. "They continually push themselves to fail." Don't overschedule--but don't cancel out completely, either.

K--Know your personal rhythms and best times of the day in which you can squirrel away a little writing time. Anticipate the ups and downs of those cycles--and keep on keeping on. Be kind to yourself. Award kudos when you do make progress. And keep notebooks and pens everywhere to catch those elusive inspirations that will wing themselves your way.

L--Listen, look, awaken all the senses, wherever you go, whatever you do. But also linger--at the table, in gatherings, in the moment. Learn to say no, but also agree at times to say yes! Lighten up. In the long run, it's all part of the becoming.

E--Exhale. Relax. Release. Ann Roecker, in A Workshop on Time Management (Zondervan 1988), wrote: "Time...is easily mismanaged. If we want to manage our time effectively, we must also learn to manage it realistically." In her opinion, important skills to cultivate include the ability to change course, the ability to recover quickly, and the ability to forgive oneself and others repeatedly.

Certainly we all must find what works for us. Not every pickle tastes the same. But there's one thing we do have in common, and that is the challenge of making time enough to write. That's where PICKLE comes in.

How do you preserve and protect your writing time in the summer? Or do you adjust your writing cycles to seasons, and change things around?

Other quotes on time:
---"You can't turn back the clock but you can wind it up again." --Bonnie Prudden
---"Most worthwhile achievements are the result of many little things done in a single direction."--Nido Qubein
---"Procrastination is the thief of time." --Joseph Heller
---"Time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like a banana." --Groucho Marx (ha!)

Does Your Title Raise Expectations?

"Ask your friends what they think (about your title), and then watch their eyes. If their eyes fill with light, it means you've raised their expectations, and they're returning this joy with a tough assignment for you: Write a book as good as that title." --Steven Taylor Goldsberry

I'm excited about being in the querying stage of my middle-grade children's book. I'm excited for the character sketches, journaling, and--yes--daydreaming that I'm entering into for the second book. But I have a nagging question that keeps tugging at the back of my mind. Have I done the best I can on the title of the book now making the rounds?

Does my title convey the essence of the book? Will it help catch an agent's attention, stand out? Is it unique enough? Will it raise expectations for what's between the book's cover?

Knowing that any title goes through many revisions, and most likely will change once it's in a publisher's hands, still--can I make it better now? And if so, how?

From notes I took this week:

Steven Taylor Goldsberry, author of The Writer's Book of Wisdom: "Collect good titles (like good first lines, collecting good titles helps us better recognize what we're aiming for). Practice (writing your own). Stay away from abstractions."
        
Emma Walton Hamilton, in the blog post, What's in a Title?: "Titles should be catchy, short, appropriate to the material, imply what the story's about, be specific to your book, and be memorable." Some of her ideas include--
           Hidden meaning (revealed in the story).
           Character names.
           Places.
           Possessive (e.g. Charlotte's Web).
           Memorable line from story itself.
           Something intriguing (e.g. A Wrinkle in Time).

Writers Digest's Jacob Appel's Tips to Land the Perfect Title for your Novel: "Maximize your choices by making a list of at least five different titles before deciding upon one." Also, "don't forget voice and point of view."

Carol Benedict at the Writing Place, How to Choose a Good Title for your Story: "Brainstorm using a key word or phrase that runs through your story...a popular expression related to your subject...a play on words." She also notes, "An effective title should be interesting, convey the tone or central idea of the story, and be easy to remember."

I'm going to take some time here in the next few days to re-evaluate my title along these lines. How about you--any tips for choosing a good title?

p.s. for fun, you might want to put your title to the test. Lulu Titlescorer will analyze it, and rate its chances at becoming a bestselling title. You might be surprised at the results!

Think Small: An Exercise to Help Grow Your Writing

"Writing energy is like anything else: The more you put in, the more you get out." --Richard Reeves

I managed to get a walk in this morning before the rains came, and was rewarded with my first sighting of the lovely violet.

I heart this little flower. It brings back memories of childhood and fistfuls of the purple joy often gathered in the field back by the creek and in turn offered to my mother, who would treat the dainty blossoms like a treasure and immediately put them in a small vase of water. The bouquet always took center stage on the dining room table. Nevermind that the violet is not a hardy flower, and that the whole bunch will wilt in a matter of hours. They're here for a short spell, then gone--but their beauty lingers because they existed.

Sometimes a writer's progress is short-lived, too. We sit down at the desk only to find that plucking the words out of thin air comes hard, the muse has wilted, the ideas that sounded so beautiful in the mind shrivel up once confined to black and white. How can we get started, foster creativity, and/or frame a bit of beauty through something as common and small as, well, words?

Sometimes simple writing exercises capture a bit of the elusive.

I recently came across an old issue of The Writer magazine (October 2002). In it, Diane Mayr wrote an aticle entitled, "Too Busy to Write? Keep in Writing Shape with Rhymes, Limericks and Haiku." Now, I'm not a poet, although in my secret life I'd like to be, but this caught my eye. Mayr says, "It could be your job, your family, your health, but whatever the stress, it's preventing you from working on that writing project you've been thinking about. When life interferes, the time has come to think small. I'm not talking about breaking down a book into segments that may be written a weekend at a time--stress doesn't usually take the weekend off. I'm talking about writing really small, five lines or less, and doing it whenever you can squeeze in a few minutes of writing time."  

She continued, "You must keep working through the stressful times, so you don't lose your writer's edge. One way to keep it sharp is by writing terse verse, limericks and haiku."

Terse verse? "Simply put, terse verse is an idea expressed solely through rhyming words." Her example: "Green/wood/scene/good."

"Can you see the forested landscape?" she asks. "Does it make you think of the good times you spent at camp, or a special spot? Those four words have done a lot of work!"

"Coming up with rhyming words," she continues, "is something that can be done anytime, anywhere. Use your commuting time to write terse verse. Experiment with different rhyme patterns...If you have a few extra minutes, flip through a rhyming dictionary...and be inspired. Keep those words working."

I returned to my memories of the violet, and picked up a pen. I scribbled...and ended up with: Violet/peeks/kisses the air/then once again sleeps.

Although the results won't win any prizes (I've already admitted I'm not a poet), the exercise got me started, and before I was done I had extra pages toward my day's writing goals to account for. I don't know if those few terse words can take all the credit, but I'd like to think they loosened the writer's dried-up soil a bit with their roots and fostered extra growth.

Still and all, don't ask me to do limericks or haiku. I haven't advanced that far yet!

Do you have any special exercises that help grow your writing sessions or you do on the run during stressful times? Want to try your hand at "terse verse," and share your poem here? Would love to read it!

"Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going." --Jim Ryun

A is for Amateur, B for Bathtub

"Most of the basic material a writer works with is acquired before the age of 15." --Willa Cather

I feel like I'm learning more and more about writing every day. Even, I have to admit, all the way back to the basics, like in a child's ABC's. This week I learned the letters A and B...

A is for As and Amateur. Rule #37 In The Writer's Book of Wisdom, 101 Rules for Mastering Your Craft, by Steven Taylor Goldsberry, states: "The 'As' Clause is for Amateurs." Goldsberry explains, "When 'as' works as a conjunction, meaning 'happening at the same time,' it tends to weaken the power of the two clauses it conjoins. In other words, when 'as' begins a sentence, it accelerates the reader past the information he just read and hurtles him toward what's to come, all without allowing him to savor the first...(and vice versa)...Either way, the power of the two bits of information deflates. E.g. As the monkey jumped from the ceiling, the rat scampered away.

He suggests we search our manuscripts for the use of the word 'as' then revise those clauses into their own independent sentences. Or use the coordinating conjunction 'and.' The above sentence would then read: The monkey jumped from the ceiling. The rat scampered away.

"Think about it," Goldsberry writes. "How often do you use 'as' clauses in conversation? As we walked into the store, we saw the book. Would you talk like this? It sounds affected. No, you'd say, We walked into the store, and we saw the book."

B is for Bathtub. In The Pocket Muse, Ideas and Inspiration for Writing, author Monica Wood shares a story from Jerome Stern's Making Shapely Fiction, where he cautions against writing the 'bathtub story.' "A bathtub story opens with the protagonist taking a bath (or occupying a similar confined space). During this bath, the protagonist thinks of, ruminates upon, wonders about, and analyzes the past, present, and future, but he never gets out of the bathtub."

What's the memory trick that's supposed to help you remember people's names? Well, to help me remember writing rules, I think I'll hang them on alphabet letters. A is for the amateur use of 'as,' and B is for bathtub, as in get your character out there doing something! If two alphabet letters can do this for me, think what will come with the other 24!

What great writing tip did you come across this week that you want to remember?

On What I Learned About Writing from Winnie-the-Pooh

"Ideas may drift into other minds, but they do not drift my way. I have to go and fetch them. I know no work manual or mental to equal the appalling heart-breaking anguish of fetching an idea from nowhere." --A.A. Milne

The Outdoor Song for Snowy Weather

The more it snows (Tiddely pom),

The more it goes (Tiddely pom),

The more it goes (Tiddley pom),

On snowing.

And nobody knows (Tiddely pom),

How cold my toes (Tiddely pom),

How cold my toes (Tiddely pom),

Are growing.

--from The House at Pooh Corner, Chapter I

"In Which A House Is Built at Pooh Corner for Eeyore"

It's been snowy and blustery around here again. How Pooh would love it!

Winnie-the-Pooh and friends at Pooh Corner are dear to my heart. In college, a group of us read from A.A. Milne's The House at Pooh Corner on numerous occasions one particular semester. Sort of like a reader's theater except that the stage was an old ratty couch on which we gathered, and there was no audience. How this got started, I don't remember, but the idea caught on, and it was a fun--albeit strange--activity for a group of college kids. Jeannie was Pooh, Linda was Piglet, Debbie was Christopher Robin, and Seth...well, let's just say Seth had the part of Eeyore down pat. I was narrator and read all the "he saids" and story descriptions. Others filled in as needed for Kanga, Roo, and Owl.

Fast forward a few years and the book (which somehow ended up in my possession) provided opportunities for me to not only read it to my kids, but to incorporate some of the fantasy into real life, like playing our own version of Pooh Sticks down at the creek. But that's another story.

Whimisical Pooh, the Bear of Little Brain, has touched children's lives--starting with Milne's own son Christopher Robin--since 1924. His story's been printed and reprinted, translated, movie-ized, and theme-parked until he must be one of the most recognized characters on the face of the earth. If he were to give writing lessons, what do you think he would say? Let's take a guess.

Winnie-the-Pooh On Writing

On the Outdoor Song for Snowy Weather. "...he jumped up and down to keep warm, and a hum came suddenly into his head, which seemed to him a Good Hum, such as is Hummed Hopefully to Others."

Lesson #1: Writing Ideas Are Everywhere If We Listen to Our Inner Hum.

As Pooh and Piglet set out to find Eeyore. "In a little while Piglet was wearing a white muffler (of snow)around his neck... 'Pooh,' he said at last, and a little timidly, because he didn't want Pooh to think he was Giving In, 'I was just wondering. How would it be if we went home now and practised your song...?'"

Lesson #2: Writing Needs Practice--and Perseverance

In which Pooh worries about Eeyore. "'You have a house, Piglet, and I have a house, and they are very good houses. And Christopher Robin has a house, and Owl and Kanga and Rabbit have houses...but poor Eeyore has nothing. So what I've been thinking is: Let's build him a house.'"

Lesson #3: Writing is Built on Craft--and Heart

In which Eeyore finds his house missing. "'Hallo, Eeyore,' said Christopher Robin, as he opened the door and came out. 'How are you?' 'It's snowing still,' said Eeyore gloomily. 'So it is.' 'And freezing.' 'Is it?' 'Yes,' said Eeyore. 'However,' he said, brightening up a little, 'we haven't had an earthquake yet.'"

Lesson #4: A Writer Always Has Hope

In which Pooh and Piglet realize they've built Eeyore a house out of...um, out of Eeyore's house. "'Well,' said Pooh...'the fact is,' said Pooh...You see,' said Pooh...and something seemed to tell him that he wasn't explaining very well, and he nudged Piglet again. 'It's like this,' said Piglet quickly."

Lesson #5--A Writer Needs a Critique Group to Help Along the Way 

Eeyore concludes that his house really is in a better place. "'It is a remarkable thing,' he said. 'It is my house, and I built it where I said I did, so the wind must have blown it here...It just shows what can be done by taking a little trouble...Do you see, Pooh? Do you see, Piglet? Brains first and then Hard Work.'"

Lesson #6: Writers Accept that Writing is Hard Work--and They Do It Anyway

And, finally, on Voice. "So...Christopher Robin went back with his friends Pooh and Piglet...they told him of the Awful Mistake they had made. And when he had finished laughing, they all sang the Outdoor Song for Snowy Weather...Piglet, who was still not quite sure of his voice, putting in the tiddely poms again. 'I know it seems easy,' said Piglet to himself, 'but it isn't every one who could do it.'"

Lesson #7--Voice May Not Come Easy, But It Comes to The Writer Who Doesn't Quit

Happy Snow Day, tiddley-pom!

What have you learned from one of your favorite children's characters?

(photo courtesy of photobucket.com)

Aim, Shoot, Bull's-Eye: Writing Targets for The New Year

"It's the sheer act of writing, more than anything else, that makes a writer." --John Gardner

photo courtesy of photobucket.com

I know it's just semantics, but I've decided to set writing "targets" rather than resolutions for the new year. The "dart board"--what I'm aiming for--is to write every day. No matter how much,  how little--my goal is to at least hit one of four targets every day. Each is represented by the graduated concentric circles of a dart board. (I wish I could diagram this, but such design skills aren't in my repertoire yet!)

The four targets include:

1. The Bull's Eye: Write 1000 words. I hope to hit this mark more often than not in the upcoming year. But that is the real prize, and often hard to attain. So if circumstances--like life's challenges away from the computer--preclude this then I'll aim for...

2. The Inside Ring: Write two pages. Linda Sue Park, author of the 2002 Newbery Medal Winner A Single Shard, in an interview over at Cuppa Jolie, said: "My most valuable tip came from Katherine Paterson, who wrote in an essay about how she tries to finish 2 pages a day. I read that when I was starting work on my first novel, and it was a huge light-bulb moment. I thought, I can do that! I don't know if I can ever write a whole novel, but I sure as heck can write 2 pages a day. I've written every single one of my novels that way, and I'm positive I never would have written even one if I hadn't read that tip." Still and all, though, if time is at a premium on a busy day, I will at least shoot for...

3. The Middle Ring: Write for 15 minutes. Dan Goodwin, at Coach Creative, says: "Create every day and you get used to starting creative sessions quickly and easily. They become a routine, a habit, and you begin before you've had a chance to procrastinate. The less often you create, the harder it becomes to get started, and the more excuses and 'urgent' tasks that have to be done before you create begin to stack up...(so) start today, set aside 15 minutes, make an appointment with your creativity, and write it down. Do the same tomorrow." Yet, being realistic, on days I can't even do that I will at least...

4. The Outer Ring: Write ten words. This from Mary E. Pearson, on a  guest post at Dear Editor: "When I feel like I can't move forward, I will do all kinds of things to help me keep going, like...Trick myself. I sit down to write and tell myself I only have to write ten words and then I can get up and do whatever I want guilt free. TEN. That's all. But I have to do it every day." She says it's amazing how allowing yourself ten simple words more often than not jump starts the writing process and you end up writing more than you thought you would.

So there you have it, my targets for 2011. Every day, hit at least one. Now my aim might be poor at the beginning. After all, I haven't been all that consistent in the past. But with practice, who knows what  will come. I'm looking forward to finding out!

What are your writing targets for the upcoming new year?

It is necessary to write, if the days are not to slip emptily by. How else, indeed, to clap the net over the butterfly of the moment? For the moment passes, it is forgotten; the mood is gone; life itself is gone. That is where the writer scores over his fellows: he catches the changes of his mind on the hop. --Vita Sackville-West