Writer First--or Storyteller?

clipart courtesy of pixabay.com

"You can't visit readers where you think they are. You have to invite them home to where you are and try to lure them into your universe. That's the art of storytelling." --Jo Nesbo

We were on a walk together this morning, hubby and I, when we met a neighbor heading home from her walk. We greeted each other then stopped and chatted, spending a few minutes to catch up on life, mutual friends, and--as is often the proclivity of the grandparenting stage--updates on children and grandchildren. Oh, the stories we had to tell! Storytelling was in rare form out there under the August morning sun.  

I came home thinking about how we tell stories. We craft our tales in ways to get--and keep--someone's attention. We get animated. We are expressive. We are engaged. We have fun.

It should be that way with writing, too, shouldn't it? Hmmm. That got me thinking, too. Writing is fun or else we wouldn't stick with it. But can we admit that there are times when it isn't so much so? The times we get bogged down with form, structure, getting that beginning just right, stressing out over grammar, or any number of elements of crafting our stories. What happened to the initial glow of the idea? When did the light grow dim?

I contend that it's because we've lost sight of one of the fundamentals of being a writer: writers are storytellers. Later we we can stress out over...I mean...revise and apply all the craft techniques we've learned. But first immerse yourself in the fun of simply telling a story! Send that internal editor off on vacation for a while.

I stumbled across a great quote by Donald Maass, author of The Fire in Fiction and other great books on the craft of writing. It was actually in a comment thread over at Writer Unboxed where Liz Micalski wrote a post titled Writer, Author, or Storyteller? Mr. Maass commented, "There's nothing wrong with learning the business and working hard at it. However, what makes that possible in the first place is storytelling. First you write. Then you learn. then you relax. Then you tell stories."

Thanks much, Mr. Maass! 

Rachel, a guest blogger featured recently over at Story Addict, was asked the question,  "Writing vs. Storytelling--What's the Difference?" Her answer? "Writing is the technical aspect of conveying a story, whereas storytelling is the side of pure enjoyment and fun."

Others voice similar themes:

"I think storytelling is all about children. We human beings love to hear stories being told--and it first happens when you're a kid." --David Chase

"I've always been sort of drawn to storytelling, and I was always very playful growing up." --Megan Boone

"No, the thing is, we all love storytelling, and as a writer you get to tell stories all the time." --Joyce Carol Oates

"Storytelling is what lights my fire." --Hope Davis

Do we see a theme here? Are you having fun yet?

Kristine Kathryn Rusch at kriswrites.com stated this: "We read Jane Austen and Edgar Allen Poe and Nathaniel Hawthorne, even though their work is also stylistically dated, because all three told great stories. We're reading for the story, not for the sentences or the beautifully constructed metaphor." She concludes with an interesting challenge: "Stop calling yourself a writer. The label is a misnomer. Call yourself a storyteller. And then prove it--over and over again."

Food for thought: are you a writer first--or a storyteller? Do you see the distinction? How do you approach the art of storytelling?  

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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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How Things Change

"Grandma! I backspaced but it didn't erase!" --Angelica, 6 years old

Pulled out the old Royal manual typewriter the other day for the kids to play on. Remember when that's all we had to type our manuscripts on? Or are you too young to remember, too?

How things change! And, when it comes to typewriters vs. computers, it's a good thing for a writer, that's for sure.

Just thought I'd share. Hope you're having a great summer. What changes have you seen as a writer that you celebrate?

p.s. if you could peek at that piece of typewriter paper she's working on you'd see: my desk, magazines, hair salon (it's a game we play), Kristoff, Sven, Anna, Elsa...any idea what her favorite movie is?

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28 Things to Do in the Meantime

evening sky, July 2014

"Meantime is middle time. It is an intervening or intermediate period. We associate meantime with a pause, a hiatus, an interlude, a recess from strictly specified action." --Elizabeth Harper Neeld, A Sacred Primer

July is meantime month. With all the summer activities, family time, the great outdoors--where does writing fit in? Sometimes it doesn't! But that's okay. For, in the meantime...

So far in our neck of the woods, July's meantime for us has meant the Ft. Thomas, KY, Fourth of July 5K Firecracker Race/Walk. Hubby ran; I walked. He placed 2nd for males in his age group; I placed 3rd for females in mine. But don't give us too much credit--there were only six people in his age group, seven in mine! The highlight of the day was when our six-year old granddaughter, who was helping at the water station, handed cups of refreshing water to, among others, her grandpa and grandma. (btw, Ft. Thomas has lots of history, especially Civil War era. It's also home to the Blue Marble, a darling children's bookstore that has even replicated the great green room of Margaret Wise Brown's classic, Goodnight Moon. Want to experience a delightful youtube reading of the book? You'll find it here.)

July to this point has also meant a family road trip one state over to a quaint little pre-Civil War canal town, Metamora, Indiana. There we experienced a train ride, canal lore, antique stores, and a number of farm animals in the fields of a nearby farm. We also stopped in a used-book store where I found a treasure: Hospital Sketches, An Army Nurse's True Account of her Experiences during the Civil War, by Louisa May Alcott. This particular volume is a 1993 reprint of work originally published in 1863. I have a number of books on my shelf pertaining to the Civil War, but not one like this. I'm looking forward to a great read.

Ahead, July also means birthday celebrations, movie nights, family needs, and simple stop-and-take-stock moments. After all, we're right smack in the middle of the year. Half the days behind us, half ahead.  What goals have we made progress on? What might we re-evaluate? Maybe our writing has by necessity slowed down. Maybe the itch is there but not the time. Maybe...well, maybe we should just say in the meantime.

"In the meantime" (phrase): during the intervening time; until a later time."

What are some things we can do "in the meantime"? Consider the following 28 possibilities:

1. anticipate

2. abbreviate

3. accomodate

4. aerate

How about:

5. allocate

6. annotate

7. appreciate

8. approximate

Maybe:

9. calculate

10. celebrate

11. contemplate

12. cooperate

Don't forget:

13. decorate

14. delegate

15. deliberate

16. demonstrate

We could say more:

17. generate

18. illuminate

19. incubate

20. initiate

And:

21. liberate

22. lubricate

23. marinate

24. meditate

Finally:

25. percolate

26. punctuate

27. recreate

28. resuscitate!

But please don't exaggerate, frustrate, hesitate, infuriate, procrastinate, vacillate, or vegetate!

(see what a good rhyming dictionary can do for you?)

I dabbled in some wordplay in my meantime. What are some things you do in yours?

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Off on Another Tangent

summer raindrops 2014

"Today's tangents will become tomorrow's arcs, and unforeseen connections will tie up your loose ends in a way that will make you want to slap your head and holler at your accidental brilliance." --Chris Baty

I started out on a morning walk recently under cloudy skies without a thought that it might really start raining. Before long, it started sprinkling. A light drizzle followed. Should I turn around for home? Hubby soon came along--a knight in shining armor not on a trusty steed but in the car--and offered to rescue me. But by then I had discovered something: I was enjoying walking in the rain! I turned down his offer and carried on (after all, it wasn't lightning or anything).

Well, of course I came home a bit wet, but for some reason I also returned with scenes from the classic movie My Fair Lady playing around in my head, especially the opening clip in which a sudden downpour brings together a wide variety of people and dialects: the theater-going crowd, 

the linguistic/phonetic expert Henry Higgins, and a lowly flower girl with a distinctive accent, Eliza Doolittle. Why do such things come to mind at unexplained times? I haven't seen that movie (based on George Bernard Shaw's play Pygmalion and filmed in 1964) for, um...50 years!

One thing led to another. First I found myself googling My Fair Lady to refresh my memory of the story. That led to a youtube link of the movie's opening which in turn led to an article on phonetics and dialects, things that played a big part in the story. From there I visited a Pinterest board that features Audrey Hepburn, the actress who played the fiesty and endearing Eliza. And THAT led me to learning more about the lovely Ms. Hepburn who exuded style, class, grace and warmth. In later life she dedicated herself to raising awareness about children in need as ambassador to Unicef. "People," she is quoted as saying, "even more than things, have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed, and redeemed; never throw out anyone." She also said, "Nothing is impossible, the word itself says 'I'm possible!'" Just look at Eliza as an example of that.

Can you say tangent [tangent (idiom): "digressing suddenly from one course of action or thought and turning to another" --Dictionary.com]? I certainly went off on a number of those in this case. Was there any value in the scurrying down such a rabbit hole? Can I glean any arcs, pull together any unforeseen connections, tie up any loose ends from it all? Will I marvel at my accidental brilliance?

Maybe not. But I did enjoy my walk in the rain :-)

Any tangents you've gone off on lately? What movie classic would you choose to watch again?

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On Writers' Notebooks and Maple Syrup

photo courtesy sxc.hu

"It takes forty gallons of maple sap to make one gallon of maple syrup. Maple sap is mostly water. To make syrup you've got to boil off that water. Much of your writer's notebook is like that watery sap. You have to boil off lots of water in order to make the syrup of your writing dark, thick, and sweet." --Donald Murray

Following this analogy, does it take forty notebooks to distill down to one successful book? Oh, my, I hope not. I'm certainly on my way, but no where close to that! Let's see. A notebook for my WIP, one for character sketches, those for ideas to develop, descriptions, fun word combinations, poetry, inspirational thoughts, tidbits I don't want to lose track of but don't know what to do with, various journals. Some I work out of regularly, others I haven't made an entry in for a long time.

Question of the week: do you keep a writer's notebook? What does it look like? Do you maintain more than one? Do you have one that's sticky with maple syrup?

Want to see what others say about the writer's notebook? You might check out:
Writer's Notebook, on Pinterest
Keeping a Writer's Notebook
Never Be Blocked
Enjoy!

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Symbolism and the Scottish Thistle

on walk, June 2014

"All my life I have tried to pluck a thistle and plant a flower 

wherever the flower would grow in thought and mind." --Abraham Lincoln

And I thought it was just another weed...

My walk the other day was just what I needed. Warm, but not too warm. Light breezes...

...blue jays...

...daisies...

...sunshine on pastures...

But it was the regal crown of a flower atop a spiky thistle stem that caught my eye.

As is often the case, something of interest sends me off on a journey of discovery (hmmmm, shouldn't I be writing?) and I wanted to see what I could learn about this plant.

Turns out "regal" is an apt choice of words. Many might already know this, but the thistle is the national flower and symbol of the country of Scotland. The Order of the Thistle is Scotland's highest chivalric order ["chivalric" (adj): pertaining to chivalry; "chivalry" (n): the combination of qualities expected of an ideal knight, especially courage, honor, justice and a readiness to help the weak" from dictionary.com]. Prince William as well the Queen of England and Prince Philip are knights in the order. The thistle appears on silver coins and other numerous objects including jewelry, soaps, and tea-towels.

Legend has it that the thistle was named the symbol of Scotland way back in the mid-13th century when soldiers from Norway tried to spring a surprise invasion on the people of Scotland. According to lore, the Norsemen came ashore at night, shed their boots, and advanced barefoot so the noise of their movement would not be detected. The plan backfired when those bare feet came down on the Scottish thistle--and they howled in pain waking the sleeping Scots who then subdued them. Whether or not the story is true, the symbolism of the thistle (ahem, sorry for the pun) took root and is honored to this day. 

Other facts about the thistle include that it is a biennial plant, meaning it takes two years to complete its life cycle. It reseeds easily. It's a combination of beauty and ruggedness. It has a spreading, invasive root system, hence its classification as weed.

It also attracts the cheery goldfinch and fritillary butterflies. Oh, and was a favorite food of Eeyore in A.A. Milne's The House at Pooh Corner--although Tigger found out it was his least favorite!

I'm feeling an affinity to the thistle. Maybe because my great-great-(how many greats back?) grandfather, John Young (1764-1854) came from Path Head, Scotland. And because I think it's a fitting symbol for a writer. After all, it's beautiful but tough, stubborn yet resilient. It flourishes despite all obstacles in the way. Its seeds (words?) sustain others.

Yep, I have more respect for the thistle. I might even adopt it as my signature writing flower. 

If you were to choose a plant that represents writing to you, what might it be? I'd love to hear your choices.

sources: 

Scottish At Heart

Scot History OnLine

(and for a real treat) Explore Thistles on Pinterest

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