Bull$hit Advice from “Would-Be Writers”
A recent conversation I had with an old coworker of mine left me feeling uneasy. Tim has always wanted to start a creative writing project and last week he finally decided to commit to writing something. Unfortunately Tim didn’t know where to begin, so he did some online research. He asked me, “Have you ever heard of the snowflake method?”
… My response was simply, “Snowflake method? WTF is that?”
If you perform a google search for the ‘snowflake method’ you’re directed to a ‘surface credible’ website running a legitimate business. They claim to have invented a scientific method that will solve all your motivational and creative writing problems.
I say, codswallop!
As a semi-novice writer, I know the dangers associated with cash-grab scams as I’ve nearly been suckered into them myself. If you type into google ‘how to write a novel’ the further down you search, the more sure-fire methods, systems, paradigms, programmes, classes, books and lessons you’ll find. It’s easy to want to buy them as well, because they often feel like the CURE to your writer’s block. Anyone seeking a magic spell to fix their craft will be drawn to these sleazy salespeople. Surely they cannot ALL be the best writing methods?
No.
The only writing advice you need, is to pick up a goddamned pen!
Take it from someone who has read well over 12 dozen books on the topic. Unless you’re grammatically inept, any fool can learn to write if he tries. I’d also like to point out as I have in the past, that buying books about writing does not = writing. Some things that are useful are a dictionary, thesaurus, grammar guide, or a tutor who has several years experience with the craft. Having professionals edit your work is an invaluable experience. I’d also listen to Stephen King’s recommendation and pick up a copy of Strunk and White’s The Elements of Style. I picked up this book again after watching it collect dust on my shelf and it’s startling how many grammar rules I’ve forgotten or neglected.
I’m not here to tell you that these so-called ‘magic methods’ won’t help you. They may bring some writers out of the slum they’re in. If it works for you and you’re a better writer because of it, who am I to judge? I will say that you need to be wary of them. Check out their credentials. Do your research before you plug in a credit card number. Most of these website authors have books on the market that I’ve never even heard of. Even more unsettling is how poorly their novels sold on the market. Why then, should I pay $59.99 for your writer’s seminar?
In an effort to not sound hypocritical, the reason I started this website was for people to learn from my mistakes. I haven’t had my “big success story” but that won’t stop me from writing about the craft. I’d be a real asshole though if I charged you all for what little experience I do have. Unless I became a bestselling author, (LOL) I’ll never be so arrogant as to claim I’ve invented the ‘perfect method’ for budding authors, then have the cojones to make them pay for it.
Please… if anything, pick up a book on the writers craft by CREDIBLE and SEASONED authors. Both Tori and I have professed our love of Stephen King’s On Writing. Other useful books are biographies of famous authors, or books that interview/outline their success stories.
The greatest thing Tim or anyone else could do, is to read a lot and write a lot. It starts by picking up a pen and just doing the work. The only method you’ll find that works for you, is one you’ve invented for yourself through experience.
Patience is a virtue
I can name a few occasions where people have thought less of themselves because of the success of others, more specifically “I should’ve done this much by now!”
Fellow artists… success does not come overnight.
Steven Spielberg didn’t make Jaws until 1975 … he was 29.
J.R.R. Tolkien didn’t publish The Hobbit until 1937, and then only by convenient circumstances and decades of effort … he was 45.
If you’re stopping to think that you’ve got a few years to catch up with these guys, how about this one?
The Beatles. Shea Stadium. 1965. Not far out of their teens and with years of preceding success to boot.
We all have potential to be successful in our chosen art, but it always has and always will be a gamble. What matters is to keep your expectations low and your esteem high. Don’t degrade yourself because others aren’t noticing your work, simply rejoice that you’re doing what you love.
Will you draw a profit someday? Maybe. Should it matter? Not in the slightest. Work at your own pace, and be happy you’re around to do it.
-Tori Domay
Where to begin?
A while back a friend of mine had asked me for some advice on beginning a story.
I’ll say this right now: I’m not one for treatments and outlines. I tend to utilize them in the middle of a project, but even then only briefly (just to remind myself what it is I’m writing about). Outside of writing the actual story, I only jot down important ideas for later that I don’t want to forget.
In terms of beginning a new story, this is what I told my friend:
“I figure out what story I want to tell and who I want it to be about. Then I go on the adventure with that person, discovering everything as they do.”
I tend to be spontaneous when I write. It’s always been certain of making it interesting for me; not knowing what to expect next. Granted, I do like to know the ending, and I especially know specific events that I want to detail, so my stories do bend to some sort of code, but in the end I prefer freedom with the page.
I’m still a young writer, and I may yet come to discover the perks of writing up treatments, but the way I see it, if you think too much about something, you end up getting bored of it, or maybe begin to doubt it. Like life, you won’t make a whole lot of progress sitting around thinking about what you’re going to do with yourself rather than actually doing it.
So if you’re someone who has trouble starting a story, understand these basics: What you want to tell, and who you want it to be about.
Going from there, I’m sure you might find yourself being just about as surprised as the reader.
-Tori Domay
My Top 5 Worst Writing Habits
In hopes to prevent others from making the same mistakes, I’ve decided to write a post today about some of my worst writing habits and how to avoid them.
Bad Habit 5: Drinking Too Much Coffee
Coffee, oh delicious elixir, how you complete me! You are my jump-starter and bittersweet lover! You mean the world to me. I don’t know what I’d do without you! Alright, enough of that.
Drinking too much coffee is always one of those things that tends to sneak up on me, especially if I’m out at a coffee shop writing. When I sit down to start a rewrite, it isn’t until my heart starts throbbing out of my chest that I notice the 5 empty coffee cups at my side. This is also a very bad habit for me considering I have poor heart health. Famed author Balzac literally died of caffeine poisoning. Although I don’t think I drink THAT much, it’s my hope to kick this habit eventually.
What really helps me is keeping a mental note of how many coffees I’ve had in a single day. When I get my first cup, I’ll say in my mind “number 1″. This way when my craving kicks in, I know how many I’ve had that day. Right now my limit is 3 *gulp* but it should be one, or none at all. Ah well, Rome wasn’t built in a day.
Bad Habit 4: Biting My Nails
When I’m in the middle of an intense writing session and I stop to think of what to write next, without fail my digits find their way into my mouth. It’s not just nails either. It’s cuticles, knuckles, you name it. Considering that my nails are always in a state of serrated decrepitude, I’ve made a decision to try to nix this habit once and for all. Generally this is a bad habit that doesn’t have any correlation with writing, but for me this happens primarily when I write.
To stop myself from doing this, I’ve found that using surges of hand sanitizer or moisturizer on my fingers not only helps to sooth the dry flaking I’ve inflicted, but also acts as a taste-bud attacker. Believe me, this works. The second I get a taste of that sterile residue I stop biting and don’t think twice about it. I can type a lot faster, I spend less time thinking, and I spend more time writing. Trust me, your fingers will thank you.
Bad Habit 3: Driving Around
It’s unfortunate that I get a great deal of my best ideas while I’m out driving. Sometimes I’ll even get the urge to drive for several hours. I live in a very rural/boring area of Canada which provides excellent zoning out periods. It wasn’t until I started writing in public places where I noticed my ideas would flow best on the drive into town.
I don’t condone this kind of behaviour at all. Not only is it occasionally dangerous, it’s extraordinarily expensive as well. Gas prices have never been higher and a driving habit is probably one of the worst things to have right now. (Well, at least I’m not just burning or sniffing the gas, but I digress.)
To combat this habit, I’ve taken to walking instead. I’ll drive to a wooded conservation area or a nice neighbourhood, park the car and walk until the juices start flowing.
It’s also a lot better for my FAT ASS.
Bad Habit 2: Distracting Technology
Where do I even begin? Cellphones, the internet, video games, netflix, social media – they’re all so toxic for me right now. I can’t write unless I rid myself of all these things. My nostalgia for the past keeps me locked in cheasy MS:DOS games (now available on iPhone!), as well as old TV shows on Netflix that I can’t stop watching. They are all so distracting and it’s gotten to the point when I’m going nuts. Even twitter, which was once a great networking platform for me, has recently become a venomous time eater. Fear not fellow distracted writers, for there is a cure!
SHUT EVERYTHING OFF!!! (except your computer, if you need it.) As a result of my addictive tech personality, I’ve resorted to leaving my phone in the car, turning off my wifi connection and deleting addictive apps from my devices. It has helped my productivity soar in the last month. Some of you might remember my post about the gadget free day. I now stand resolute behind that statement. They are evil enemies of your craft and should be avoided at all costs.
Bad Habit 1: Feeling Sorry For Myself
I’m afraid this last habit has been the most difficult to kick. I struggle with it every day. (Hear that? That’s me feeling sorry for myself.) GUH, If I had a quarter for every time I stopped what I was doing and started feeling sorry for myself, I’d be a BAZILLIONTRILLIONQUADRILLIONAIRE. Even now, it’s not easy for me to write this because I feel like I’d be lying to myself.
When these pity parties usually start, it’s always when I’m facing a challenging rewrite. When I see the edit ahead of me, I take one look at the path ahead and turn around. Trek up a mountain just for a successful plot point? Kiss my ass! I’d rather sit on the beaches of my own lake of tears. Seriously, when will I get it into my thick skull that creative power is a result of positive personal affirmation? (Ah, there I go again. Being hard on myself.)
-No one is perfect.
-Everyone started somewhere.
-Don’t let others define your work.
-Small doable actions will take you further than big exhausting leaps.
These are all topics I’ve written about time and time again on this blog, yet I can’t seem to follow my own advice at times. I suppose that’s the nature of the beast being an artistic person. I have found however, that breaking this habit on occasion isn’t as hard as one may think. The key is to – WRITE ABOUT IT – I know that sounds silly, but writing about my problems in life both personally and creatively has always proven fruitful.
When I read through my journals, I can see my progress as a human being. I also find that I never run out of source material. There will always be challenges you’ll face as a writer. It’s best that you find a way to channel these problems creatively.
Hell, I even started a blog about it!
The point is that you DO something. Don’t just sit there and let it eat you up inside. Find like minded writers and TALK about it. The bottom line is that you must do something that is productive. Writing THROUGH these creative breakdowns is really the best thing you can do. Even if you only write a paragraph a day, what matters is that you WRITE.
I hope these crappy habits of mine have proven insightful. I realize things could be a lot worse. (I could be a coke sniffer or something!)
Sometimes, the best medicine is practicing that cliché of “getting back on the horse.”
Happy Writing~
– Daniel J. Pike
Writer’s Tool #11: Using a Timer
Lately, my motivation level has been comparable to that of an overworked donkey. Between working at the bookstore, working on a short film, preparing my house for retail showings, spending time with family, and the overall cluster-fuck known as Easter, the “I’ll write when I feel like it” mentality is all but a luxury for me right now.
When “life” starts to get in the way of my craft, I like to turn to my old friend Mr. Egg Timer. You can use any timer really, whether it be a timer on your phone, digital watch or bedside alarm. The point of using a timer is to keep yourself focused for short bursts of time.
When I set my timer for… oh, let’s say 60 minutes, I make a personal vow to myself that I’m not allowed to check my inbox, my cellphone, or any other distracting tech at my side. It’s 60 minutes focused for writing only, and the payoff is always fruitful.
It’s important to know that one hour of writing time every day (or every other day), is better than NO writing time at all. An important lesson of my young adulthood has been in learning to take responsibility for my own actions. No amount of excuse making will genuinely excuse the fact that I’m not writing. Using a timer is just one of those little things that helps keep me focused when life starts to get punishing.
“Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out.” – Robert Collier
You can find other tools like this in the Writer’s Toolbox link, at the top of the page.
Writer’s – Don’t let other people define your work.
You can’t let other people’s opinions of your work affect your identity as an artist.
A big thing many writers struggle with is embarrassment for something that they’ve created. Why is that?
I have a writer friend (let’s call him Shmaniel Shmames Shmike), who easily lets other people’s opinions affect the outcome of his story. It took me a long time to understand why I was doing this. Finally, the answer came to me one evening when I was playing the piano for a friend. I tried to hammer out a piece of music that exceeded my knowledge of the craft. I apologized for the mistakes and condemned myself as a pianist.
My friend who knew me quite well, told me not to be embarrassed. He’s heard me play marvellously, and although I didn’t have a lot of knowledge about the notes, with practice he knew I would get it. I suddenly didn’t feel so incompetent and you know what? He was right. Had I viewed myself in a positive light, I could have seen the positive future for my craft.
There are any number of reasons why the things
people say may derail us as creators.
If something isn’t written well, or has problems, it’s better for you as an artist if you accept it for what it is before letting other eyes look at it. I understand the pains of seeing room for improvement in my work, but this is not a bad thing, for now I can see the problem, and I understand the solution. Every person can nit-pick and rip something apart if they wanted to. Hell, I have plenty of colleagues who think Jurassic Park is a shitty movie! These people are also idiots, but I digress.
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: Having bad grammar or being a bad speller does not make you a bad artist. You don’t have to a degree in creative writing to be a writer. All that is required of you, is that you write. Sometimes you just need to sit down, and quiet the thoughts in your head. Get rid of all the negative things people have said to you and start clean.
A constructive critic knows when your grammar isn’t working. They do not however, condemn you as an artist. Great artists defend the choices of other writers. It is important to learn how to defend your own work, and if you are happy with what you’ve made, you shouldn’t let other people change how you feel about it. After all, the more you write the better you get! Sometimes it’s easy letting other people’s opinions change how we think about our ourselves, and our craft. Especially if we respect the person who is giving us their thoughts.
I’ll end this post with one last story, and a few choice words:
A few months ago I had a friend who I let control my life. This in turn affected my creative life. One night we were driving home after seeing Tim Burton’s Frankenweenie, and (movie aside) this friend proceeded to lecture to me why Mary Shelley’s FRANKENSTEIN was a terrible story. I asked him in bewilderment, “you think one of the greatest novels ever written (one that has withstood the test of time) is a bad story?”
Confused, I suddenly had a moment of lightning clarity as to why I had been feeling creatively suffocated for months. Talk about one hell of a creative “red flag”.
I know everyone is entitled to their opinions, but his argument was incredibly biased:
1) He doesn’t enjoy reading.
2) He doesn’t understand the concepts outlined by Shelley.
3) He didn’t understand the story. He said to me that I was stupid if I thought that Frankenstein was a well told story.
4) His final argument was: “It isn’t finished! You don’t know what happens to the monster at the end! Who writes something and doesn’t finish it!?” … Then I understood. He had mistaken what it means to have an ‘ending’ with his own personal lack of closure.
What a fool I had been! I had let a man who was blind to art dictate to me how I should feel about many things in my life, and I let him dictate how my stories were to be written. This was a relationship that had gone on for over 6 years! Writers – Don’t let people dictate how you work: You’re always going to get criticism, negative and positive. The trick is filtering through all of the “creativity nazis” out there and finding the people who know what they’re talking about.
The artists who succeed are the ones who have a firm foundation of personal values. The artists that succeed do not take their own mistakes and lock themselves away for it. Instead we should learn and grow from them.
Maybe you should ask yourself today what it is you value as an artist? What principles will you practice to give yourself a jumping platform for your work? If you’re trying your best and working hard, there is nothing to be embarrassed about.
No amount of red pen marks, stupid idiots, or stuffy academic professors are going to stop me from writing. If anything, they’re going to make me work harder.
Best Wishes~
- Daniel J. Pike
Writing Advice from Margaret Atwood
Sometimes, I really need to take my own damn advice and just write. It’s funny how a simple task can become so difficult. Often, I forget the things I preach and I find that consulting others gives me the perspective I can’t drum up for myself.
This week I thought “ah, what the hell!” and asked bestselling author Margaret Atwood a question through the miracle social media platform of twitter.
Here was my brief but poignant answer:
Sometimes you just need to hear things from someone who is the ‘living embodiment’ of that which you strive to become. My hope is that the advice I was given is somewhat useful to you. If you’re unconvinced, try reading a biography of someone in a similar profession. Many writers also use social networking sites to keep us common people updated on their craft. If you follow or research the lives of your favourite artists, you’ll soon find that many of them suffer the same struggles as you and I.
What Ms. Atwood suggests is a great remedy for doubt, I think. This week I’m going to take my own advice, Tori’s advice, and the advice of Margaret Atwood. I’m going to concentrate on the quality of my work itself.
The second I stop to compare myself to others, or doubt that I have the ability to succeed, is the second I stop writing.
Walk the Block
The best cure for writer’s block? Stop thinking of it as a barricade, and think of it more as a path. I find that most people who deal with writer’s block think of it as a physical block that has to be broken down or overcome when it’s better to approach it as a figurative block.
Imagine your creative flow as a road. Perhaps it’s pretty steady at the moment and everything’s going great. You’re writing up a storm and the printer is spitting out pages, but suddenly you reach a brick wall. You’ve lost your momentum and you’re perplexed or perturbed. Now most writers will just stare at that wall and bash their heads against it until it gives way, but perhaps choosing to turn left or right would be more beneficial.
This is where the figurative block comes in. Perhaps you walk down a block or two, and you find a road that leads you back on track beyond the dead end, or maybe it takes a few or a multitude; regardless, at some point you should find your way, even if it means going all the way back and starting over.
What is it that you’re exactly doing walking up these blocks? You’re having an experience. It could be taken quite literally that you’re going for a walk through town (perhaps to get groceries or just have a breath of fresh air). Maybe you’re watching a movie, reading a book, or listening to music. Or perhaps you’re taking big steps and going on a vacation or extensive adventure. Walking down these roads could be anything (heck, even eating can count), but what matters is that you’re broadening your creative horizons by having experiences to draw from. At some point you’re going to find the right road that leads you back on the right track, or sometimes on a new, more inspired path altogether.
To put it plainly, writer’s block comes about from a lack of inspiration. Rather than sit at your keyboard and question your talent, why not take writer’s block as an opportunity to indulge yourself in leisureness or activity? Why not let your mind rest up as well as absorb more ideas? There’s no need to fret, because the fact is inspiration doesn’t magically come about by staring at a blank page; it comes from living and being active. See the world, find a story, and make yourself hunger to fill that page, because you just can’t force-feed inspiration.
-Tori Domay
Don’t Break the Dam – A Guide to Creative Self-Discipline
A lot of artists I’ve known throughout the years suffer from the same form of creative guilt as I do. This guilt is that little voice inside of you that says:
“Daniel, you haven’t done any writing today or yesterday! You’ve been working on the same story for a month now! You gotta do something big and monumentous! You have to prove to everyone that you can do it! You gotta drop everything and write for 4 weeks straight, never stopping and not talking to anybody! Everyone is going to think you’re some sort of hack if you don’t deliver some sort of product, and FAST!”
As great as these intentions are, this usually leads to something I like to call “breaking the dam.” It’s a creative act that seeks to do something REALLY BIG, and ALL AT ONCE, like some sort of creative hiroshima massacre.
Sure you got everyone’s attention with your huge explosion of creativity, but this doesn’t give you a good foundation to build on. Instead it gives all artists a false sense of accomplishment.
Please learn from my mistakes, and know that leaps of absurd ambition do not equal productivity… or product. Haven’t you ever heard anybody say, “quality, not quantity?”
I know there is a lot to be said about setting high goals for yourself, and I’m all-for people trying to pursue their dreams. I also understand that there are some artists who can’t help but get a flush of inspiration. This is an enviable aspect of the craft. Yet it is an aspect that is strengthened by a routine, rather than a stand alone occurrence. But if you ‘break the dam’ on your craft… yes you will be doing something big with your life, but at the end of the day you’re left with a broken dam. You’ll be drowning in your own flood waters, and you won’t have any energy left to pick up the pieces.
Try to build a foundation for yourself – brick by brick; a great cement dam that holds back the demons of guilt and doubt. You need to be prepared for failures. I’m sure everyone has heard the bedtime story of the Tortoise and the Hare. Slow and steady wins this race. Don’t tucker yourself out and feel depleted every year. If you do that you won’t get anything done.
Famed director Stephen Spielberg made several made-for-TV movies, and TV-Specials before he even attempted an ambitious project like JAWS. Learn from my mistakes. Please. Small ‘doable’ actions have gotten me further than I ever thought possible.
Practice some self discipline, and map out a plan of action for yourself before making any drastic decisions. Then put your plan into action, and by all means PACE yourself.
Just try to be a doer, and NOT a doer-all-at-once.
- Daniel J. Pike
Immaterial – A Path to Creative Writing
Let’s be materialistic for one moment and get out of the way the fact that we live in an overly-materialistic world. People are stricken blind by science and technology so much that there is little room for faith for the sake of faith anymore. Now that’s not to say that there isn’t good in the sciences and that much of what it offers us isn’t fact (apparently), but I mean to point out that most people out there are too dictated by truths than they are by their dreams.
On earth we have north, east, south and west; up, down, left and right; yes, no, maybe so; life, death, and somewhere in between. But I can honestly say that the endless space that surrounds us could care less when someone says something like “Superman is impossible.” – Improbable - maybe, but never impossible. In my opinion, to be successful in creative writing is to disregard the norm and put faith into what can and might be (or perhaps already is).
A recent example of a material-driven opinion is a friend of mine commenting on The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, remarking that Radagast the Brown’s giant rabbits (ala Santa’s reindeer) were out of place in the context of the movie. I suppose he’s right. Dragons, dwarves, goblins, wizards and hobbits make enough sense, but God forbid if there’s such a thing as giant rabbits in a fantasy world. It’s this sort of attitude that threatens the creative mind. If we can allow ourselves to be immersed into characters of fantastical origin, there’s no reason we should question anything that follows.
Why should we be leashed by such statements as “man can’t fly?” For one thing, we can (albeit by means of machine), but going back to the idea of Superman, why can’t such a thing be plausible? There might be no means on earth where we can actually levitate ourselves by flexing a muscle per se, but what’s to say we can’t be like Superman, land on an alien planet, and be physically advantaged?
Writers might feel lack of faith in themselves just because there’s no reason behind the nonsensical nature of our dreams, but why should there be? When in dreams we’re able to do things out of the ordinary to our everyday lives, and rarely do any of us question it when in the process of dreaming. If you maintain this mentality in writing, you’ll find yourself producing the most imaginative and inspired work you can. Granted, there’s a time and place for proper polishing and structure, but to make a fantasy (or any sort of fiction) doesn’t require background and history.
Look at Louis Carrol’s Alice books. We don’t know the origins of the white rabbit, or Tweedle-Dum and Tweedle-Dee, yet we don’t question it whatsoever on account of our immersion with the fantasy. You’re more than free to be as detailed as Tolkien, but there is never any harm in just free-writing and going without a plan of attack. To be most creative is to be immaterial, and to be immaterial is to act without rule. And if there’s one thing I’ve learned from fiction and fantasy, it’s that there are no rules.
A line worth mentioning that plays into what I’m trying to convey can be found in the film Wanted in context with ‘curving a bullet’ around an object:
“It’s not a question of how. It’s a question of what. If no one told you that bullets flew straight, and I gave you a gun and told you to hit the target, what would you do? Let your instincts guide you.”
In short, if you want to fire up your creative engines and unleash your full capacity on the blank page, you first have to train yourself to think outside the box, quite literally, and make everything your own. If materialistic ideals stand in the way of your target, curve the bullet.
-Tori Domay
As a little extra support for these notions, here is a video that I watch on occassion to keep my imagination in check:
Stop and Read this Writing Advice
Stop.
Stop what you’re doing and read this.
Open the cage of doubt you’ve put yourself in, and free yourself.
I’m no famous author. I’m no grand orator. I’m just someone passionate about the craft of writing. This advice is the best writing advice I can give. Given everything that’s happened in my life lately, and my last few blog posts, I hope to live by these rules from now on. I hope they help you too:
- If you don’t have enough time to write – then make it.
- If you don’t know what to write, write nonsense.
- If you’ve fallen, get back up.
- If you’re rejected, write until you’re accepted.
- If you don’t think you’re good enough, forget whatever negativity anyone has ever shown you, and write anyway. Do it for the fun of it, not for success.
- If you think about writing every day, even if you aren’t writing anything, you’re still a writer.
- Don’t say “I can’t.” Instead, say “I will, no matter what.”
- The future is an endless blank canvas, waiting for you to paint it. Will you choose to act, or will you choose to do nothing? Apathy and laziness are regrettable, and unfortunately addictive. Fight it.
- Don’t do what I’ve done in the past, and concentrate on the fact that you haven’t written anything. Instead, concentrate on what you COULD write.
- Everyone started somewhere.
- Everyone has had to pick up the pieces.
- Don’t give in to sadness and regret. Overcome it, and do it for a cause. Find a purpose, and cling to it like it was your own child.
Stop.
Take a deep breath.
Pick up your pen.
Now write.
View Challenges As Opportunities
First, I’d like to make an apology for my absence from this blog, but I have been a very busy bee finishing up my graphic design work for a local theatre company. Secondly, I’ve also started work on some new material of my own that needed my attention. There’s also a third thing, but I’ll get to that in a minute.
Some of you might remember that a month ago, I achieved a personal life success in the Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting competition. Since then, my quarterfinal placement garnered me several emails from reputable production companies! Yippee! I can’t tell you how exciting that has been, once it registered to me what was happening.
I must however, confess something that leads into what this blog post is about. That third thing I mentioned, is my cowardice in the face of a challenge.
Most people dream about getting emails from big name producers. In particular, I received an email from the office of two producers that worked on a certain movie about a certain ring.
(Not the producer who looks like a hobbit though…)
I thought I was prepared for something like this. It’s funny how you might believe that interest from big name companies is the answer to your troubles, but I have learned that this is not the case.
When the spotlight was turned on, I choked.
I did the best I could with a reply, but what did I do in the interim? Nothing. I couldn’t face the blank page. I couldn’t even look at my notes. I felt like I entered an arena, where I’m suddenly surrounded by seasoned gladiators, and I’m the fat ass n00b in the corner with a blunt sword.
No university course or ‘how to’ writing manual could have prepared me for that. I had a hard time confessing this to my friends and family. How do you tell people that believe you’re a good writer or a hard worker that you suddenly feel unequipped to write anything of quality? Furthermore, how do you write a blog post about your knowledge on the craft, if you can’t even follow through with your own advice?
I spent weeks worrying myself to sobs. I told myself negative things like “oh, they probably send out hundreds of these emails to people do who well in the competition, what makes you so special?” … and “The fact that you did so well is a fluke. You can’t repeat that success” … and “you didn’t even win, why are you getting so excited?” …
Then I remembered why I had started this blog.
I wanted to write about how others could learn from my mistakes. I also realized that my low self esteem was the culprit to all my troubles. Suddenly, I started seeing how things weren’t so bad. I was just being an idiot.
So here is the next lesson kids: Don’t see challenges as a wall you need to mount.
See challenges as opportunities.
This lesson doesn’t just apply to writing. This is a life’s goal that can help you in your craft. You don’t have access to a computer? How can you turn that into an opportunity?
You have a great book but you don’t know anyone in the publishing business? How can you turn that into an opportunity?
I had to take the muddy negativity away from my eyes, and see what an immense opportunity was in store for me. If nothing comes from these emails, and it all amounts to a hill-o-beans, so what? The fact that I’m getting these emails is extraordinarily life affirming. What a validation for my craft!
If you get the opportunity of the spotlight, don’t step into darkness out of fear. Instead, see this as a chance to shine.
I challenge you… no… I ‘opportunity’ you to see how you can turn the struggles in your lives into possibilities.
It’s never too late to start.
Nothing is impossible.
There are no coincidences.
Plagiarisation VS Appropriation
Warning: The following blogpost is highly controversial. Some might argue that what I’m proposing may be unethical. It is recommended that all writers follow the copyright rules of their respective countries.
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plagiarism|ˈplājəˌrizəm| appropriation |əˌprōprēˈā sh ən| |
First, let me make one thing very clear: plagiarism is never, ever acceptable.
Trying to pass off someone else’s hard work as your own is lazy, selfish, arrogant, and illegal. If you must reference someone in your writing, you have to give them credit. How would you feel if someone stole your hard work?
There are however, times when a book or movie may lend inspiration to your story. Although every writer should be encouraged to be creative and original, very rarely can you write something without it having some hint of a reference to pre-existing material. Joseph Campbell’s A Hero With A Thousand Faces is a fantastic literary venture into the world of archetypes, which advocates that these themes can be found in all stories, and that we can learn a great deal about our culture from reoccurring motifs.
That said, when is it appropriate to ‘appropriate’ someone else’s work? Well, take famous author J.R.R. Tolkien as an example. Some people might regard Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings trilogy, as the bible of fantasy; but Tolkien himself admitted that the ancient poetry of finland (in particular, the Kalevala), was a large influence on his work. If you dig a little deeper, you’ll realize that Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings bares many similarities to pre-existing myths/legends of eastern europe decent. One could make a strong arguement that Tolkien appropriated some of these elements into his story.
The literary works of author Gregory Maguire are another great example of appropriation at it’s best. With the initial success of his bestselling novelWicked, which spawned a tony award winning musical, Maguire has made a living by spinning a web of new tales based on Frank Baum’s original ‘Oz’ books. How is this possible? Frank Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is a published work that resides in public domain. A great article on the use of this book can be found on the website New Media Rights.
Public Domain is the arena where the copyrights of many works of art have expired, and are free for people to use. There are thousands of stories, tales, legends, histories, myths, and fables that are currently free to use. However, I HIGHLY recommend doing a lot of research into the expansive world of copyright beforehand. Every writer should have a working knowledge on what they can and cannot do. Technically, you can rewrite anything by Shakespeare until thine cattle returnith home; but I digress!
Is it immoral to copy one of these works, and piggyback one’s success off of these materials? Not really. Any good writer should take notes on things that did well in the past. In fact, archetypes, tropes, and source materials, are all literary devices that should be in every writer’s toolbox. J.K.Rowling isn’t exactly the inventor of ‘magic wands’, but no one argues that Harry Potter is ‘unoriginal’.
Well some people might… but they’re probably idiots.
Anyway, let’s say you just watched Star Wars, and you feel the need to write a grand space opera. That’s fine! If you have an original idea, go for it! Don’t be afraid to pursue something, just because a famous book or movie inspired you!
It should be noted that anyone can use words like laser beams, lightspeed, starship, spaceship, sheilds, torpedoes/missiles, teleporters, cloaking device, or translators. Yet, it may be prudent to avoid such terms such as warp speed, lightsabre, transporter pad, phasers, enterprise, death star, or storm troopers, if only to avoid legal trouble. There are certain things you can get away with. Referencing other movies or characters in your scripts is fine, so long as you’re careful.
What can we take away from all of this? It’s no heinous crime if something of yours bears some likeness to pre-existing material. Many writers will admit that they were inspired by other literary works. This does not mean they are unoriginal. On the contrary, creating something new out of something old is a very unique skill. Does this open a doorway for you to steal or plagiarize stories others have written? Absolutely not. Is ‘appropriation’ of other people’s material a crime? No way José.
Follow your gut. If what you’re writing feels wrong, it’s probably wrong. If you’re just trying to rewrite Star Wars, then you should stop what you’re doing. Instead, do a little research and find ways to creatively tell the story that comes from YOUR heart.
Top 5 Screenwriting Mistakes
If you’re interested in pursuing a career in screenwriting, I’ve compiled a short list of the most common mistakes I’ve observed in my years of editing people’s screenplays:
5) BAD SLUG LINES
You’d be surprised to know how many people make this mistake.
Slug-Lines are supposed to be read as a short transition into your action. You don’t have to describe the location in the slug-line. You should be as concise as possible, eliminating anything that isn’t necessary. Some screenwriters might tell you it’s alright to get creative with times of of the day, but I say: NOOOO!
Unless you’re writing a scene where Luke Skywalker looks off to a binary sunset, or Jordi LaForge is gazing upon a sunrise with his real eyes for the first time, very seldom are DUSK and DAWN acceptable. Use INT and EXT, instead of INTERIOR, EXTERIOR, INSIDE, or OUTSIDE. Stick to DAY or NIGHT shots. AFTERNOONS, MORNINGS, EVENINGS, and LATE EVENINGS are all unnecessary. Your transition of time should be evident in the way you tell your story. There is no physical way of showing how ‘night time’ can be ‘midnight’ on screen. The sky is dark. The shot requires that you shoot at night time. Therefore, you should just use “NIGHT”.
BAD:
INTERIOR - DOWN THE UPSTAIRS HALLWAY NEAR THE BATHROOM - MIDNIGHT
GOOD:
INT. UPSTAIRS HALLWAY - NIGHT
4) LENGTHY SETTING/SCENE/CHARACTER DESCRIPTION
This one isn’t as easy. A lot of the time, I find myself cutting out entire pages of action. If your description does nothing to reveal something about the character, or advance the plot, it isn’t necessary.
Think about it.
You only have 120 pages (on average) to work with. Why would you put in anything that isn’t important? Ever notice when books are made into movies, sometimes fans get upset that things are cut from the book? Well obviously! Otherwise a movie would be way too long, and as much as I loved Harry Potter, I don’t feel like sitting through a 22 hour movie.
(However I have a “19 hour+ Harry Potter Movie Marathon” coming up that I am GREATLY looking forward too…).
Here is an example of how you can clean up a scene of description:
BAD:
DALE, a man aged 33, sits on a plush leather couch in the middle of a fancily decorated living room, wearing dark khaki pants, a dress shirt, and a tie. He fidgets on the leather couch. Across the room, an ornately carved red door, made of mahogany opens. GEEVES the butler, dressed in a full tuxedo with a tailed suit jacket, walks toward Dale across the red and black pattered carpet. Dale looks up at Geeves and bits his lip. Geeves motions with his gloved hand toward the door. Dale gulps, stands up, and walks toward the open mahogany door.
GOOD:
DALE, a man in his early 30s, sits on a leather couch in a fancy living room. He adjusts his necktie. Across the room, a large mahogany door opens. GEEVES the old butler, enters the room and approaches Dale.Dale bites his lip.
Geeves stands up straight and motions his hand toward the open door.
Dale gulps and stands.
The two of them exit the room.
Notice how I edited the piece so that Dale’s nervous actions are on their own lines? I did this to give the scene a bit more tension. I also broke up the paragraph to make it easier to read. I also eliminated almost every piece of description. Your job isn’t to furnish rooms, dress actors, or decide what brand of eyeliner Norma Desmond wears.
In novel writing, it might be argued that can you use description until the cows come home, (Just ask J.R.R. Tolkien) but in the cutthroat business of screenwriting, you are to give just enough description to give the reader a visual. Use your best judgement. I usually like to give a bit of detail to help set the scene, but anything else is just fluff around the edges.
It should be noted that integral props, or complicated settings can use a bit more description. If it is going to play a crucial role in your story, you want your reader to be able to visualize it immediately.
3) DON’T DO THE WORK OF THE FILM CREW
If your screenplay is littered with PAN UPS, TILT DOWNS, dramatic musical cues, or excessive descriptions, you should pursue a considerable rewrite. If you believe what you’ve written will be dictating the work of the cameraman, the actor, or the film crew in anyway, you need to eliminate it. As I said before, your job isn’t to dress your actors, act for them, or decide what kind of lighting is appropriate for a scene. Film is a COLLABORATIVE MEDIUM.
Here are some common mistakes:
BAD:SARAH
(shouting)
STOP IT!BRENT
(frowning)
No! YOU stop it!
Using (whispering) is acceptable if required, as is (out of breath) or (laughing), but they really aren’t necessary. The actors job is to interpret the dialogue as it is needed for the scene. Don’t do their job for them.
GOOD:SARAH
STOP IT!BRENT
No! You stop it!
See how much simpler and to the point this is? If the actors don’t know there is anger, or maybe some shouting in this scene, then they are stupid and shouldn’t be acting anyway.
Here is another mistake:
BAD:
INTERIOR - INSIDE UPSTAIRS HALLWAY NEAR THE BATHROOM - MIDNIGHTTILT UP to Sarah standing at the end of the hallway. PAN OVER to Brent holding a knife. Dramatic music is playing, as Brent rushes over to Sarah.
GOOD:
INT. UPSTAIRS HALLWAY -- NIGHTSarah stands at the end of the hallway. Brent is across from her, clutching a KNIFE. Brent lunges toward her.
See how much cleaner this action is without the camera angels and shot descriptions? The way a film is shot is for the director and the cinematographer to decide in their production script. If you’re an independent filmmaker who will be writing AND directing, for the benefit of your actors and crew, just write a regular screenplay. When you litter your story with PAN-UPs, CLOSE-UPs, and what-have-yous, it takes the reader out of the story. You want your reader to get sucked into the world of your script, and never put it down until it’s finished.
2) WRITING IN THE PRESENT TENSE
Very few realize the importance of screenwriting in the present tense. It should be how every screenplay it written. Writing in past tense is wonderful for fiction, or other literary forms, but if you want your reader to follow through your script as if it is happening precisely in that moment, you gotta write in present tense. Here are some examples:
BAD:
EXTERIOR - PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOL - AFTERNOONBilly was standing on a large rock in the middle of the courtyard at the back of the school. Students walked towards him. Billy looked at them, and grinned. He grabbed the toilet paper from his side, and began wrapping himself with it.
The students laughed at this.
GOOD:
EXT. - PUBLIC HIGHSCHOOL - DAYBilly stands on a large rock in the middle of the courtyard at the back of the school. Students strut toward him. Billy looks at them and grins. He grabs the toilet paper from his side, and wraps himself with it.
The students giggle.
I contest that there are no right or wrong answers at times, and one can argue that it’s not a big deal if you submit a screenplay written in the past tense. However, it is the general consensus of Hollywood producers and working screenwriters, that the present tense is not only important, but a requirement.
1) DISREGARDING YOUR AUDIENCE’S NEEDS
I can’t express the utmost importance in writing for your audience. If you aren’t writing to tell a good story, then why the hell are you writing? Let me remind you, that I’ve read many screenplays where the author feels the need to use the craft as a means of personal flattery or self therapy. This is not to be confused with self-expression.
Self-expression is important in ANY art form. You need to draw on things in your life so that you can create an original story. As far as I know, no one else is me. Therefore, I have something original to tell. However, if you feel the need to symbolize your life and use sub-par metaphors for your first world problems, you should reconsider your intentions. Why are you telling this story?
The difference, is that you should not be writing so your friends and family can see how you struggled with a relationship, but to write a story that anyone can relate to.
Do you think audiences pack into theatres so they can see how you broke up with your partner in a coffee shop?
NO!
Audiences pack into theatres, because they want to be entertained! They want to laugh and cry! They want to be scared! They want to live vicariously through characters that perservereer, or witness the horrible downfalls of a tragic lifestyle!
Your first thought should be: “How is my story going to affect my audience?” If your first thought is how you can ‘cleverly symbolize’ how you deal with things, you’re not thinking about your audience. Unless you want to pay for your own movie tickets, and see your problems on the big screen, get over yourself. Stop being so egotistical, and start TRYING TO TELL A GOOD STORY.
…………………
Finally, it should be noted that you cannot as a screenwriter show anything that you cannot see on screen. Internal thoughts or feelings should be left for the novel. You cannot say “Jake is happy when he see’s Betty.” You can however, say “Jake smiles at Betty” or “Jake spots Betty and smiles.” Just be mindful of what you’re writing. As always, writing is rewriting, so if you make mistakes, don’t worry. Keep plugging away at your craft and soon these rules will seem like nothing.
EXERCISE:
Take 15-30 minutes today to write yourself a letter. Ask yourself these 5 questions:
1) Do I need to work on my screenplay format?
2) Can I eliminate unnecessary elements that aren't important to my characters or story?
3) Am I writing for myself, or for my audience?
4) What do I want to say with this story?
5) How do I want my audience to feel at the end of my story?
Top 10 Reasons you should STOP writing:
I’ve compiled a list of 10 reasons why many writers should stop writing.
(9) – If you haven’t gone to school to obtain a degree in creative writing or english, you can kiss your chances of success goodbye. (8) – Writing takes way too much time and effort, and will leave you feeling empty inside. (7) – When you finish a novel, or kill off important characters you’ve created, it’s the equivalent of an emotional loss if someone you loved actually died. Save yourself the grieving. (6) – Writing may lead to suicide. Remember Sylvia Plath or Virginia Woolf? These are two literary figures who had a lot of success, but couldn’t handle the rigours of their craft. (5) – Writing causes stress. Stress is a very big factor in shorting your life expectancy, and may lead to coronary heart disease, or cancer. (4) – Writing is expensive. Many beginning writers spend thousands of dollars, often going into large amounts of debt when self-publishing or marketing themselves to the public. (3) – You run the tremendous risk of spending a mountain of time and money, only to have your novel or screenplay be a complete flop. (2) – Even the most successful writers receive hundreds of rejection letters before getting published. (1) – Most writers spend their whole lives and never amount to anything. Their friends and family may never understand why you pursue something you’ll never be successful at. You may find out later in life, that you actually have no talent, and you’ve wasted years away when you could have been doing something else productive. Maybe you should quit while you’re ahead, before you waste your life? |
Now that you’ve read this list, do you still want to write?
You do?
EXCELLENT!
You’ve past the test! Real writers wouldn’t pay attention to negative things like this. You cannot be afraid of rejection. You cannot be afraid of failure. Writers write, because they have to. If you wake up every day and you think about your craft, you’re a writer. If you only write once a week, you’re a writer. You cannot be afraid of writing 100 terrible pages before getting 1 really good page.
Take a moment today to reflect on all the GOOD things you have going on in your life. Measure your success by setting personal goals for yourself. Don’t compare yourself to other writers, who have achieved many best sellers or optioned screenplays.
I leave you now with some quotes that help inspire me when I’m feeling blue about my craft. These quotes are a reminder that anything is possible.
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“Try not to become a man of success, but rather try to become a man of value.” - Albert Einstein “I would like to be remembered as someone who did the best she could with the talent she had.” – JK Rowling. “Serious writers write, inspired or not. Over time they discover that routine is a better friend to them than inspiration.” - Ralph Keyes “The biggest thing separating people from their artistic ambitions is not a lack of talent. It’s the lack of a deadline.” – Chris Baty “It’s not the college degree that makes a writer. The great thing is to have a story to tell.” - Polly Adler “Find a good story and don’t be surprised if it takes you five years to get it off the ground.” –Brad Anderson “God doesn’t require us to succeed; he only requires that you try.” - Mother Teresa “Talent in cheaper than table salt. What separates the talented individual from the successful one is a lot of hard work.” - Stephen King |
For all these quotes and MORE, please visit the INSPIRATIONAL QUOTES page at the top of this blog!
~ HAPPY WRITING
Know Your Ending – A Writer’s Travel Guide
Warning: The following blogpost is jammed with travelling metaphors. |
Some abstract free-spirit hippie writers might tell you to just ‘free-ball’ your story until it naturally ends. I say, “No way, jose!”
Having an ending in mind gives you a goal and a destination to work towards. When I write the first draft, I want the quickest route possible to get me to that all important finish line. Some people might have the luxury of taking the long scenic route to their first draft, but like HELL if i do. I tried that once, and let me tell you, after being on the ‘scenic route’ for several years, I eventually got lost. Afterwards, I couldn’t even remember where it was that I wanted my story to go.
Our goal as writers is to find a happy medium. Worry about sight seeing later. You need to make the most of your time. Otherwise, it will be a waste of a trip.
Imagine for a moment that writing your story is like going on a far off vacation. Your first goal should be getting to your destination. No one really enjoys long flights or drives, but once you get there, you get to have fun and relax!
This is very similar to finishing your first draft. You must know where it is you want your story to go. Once you’ve plotted a successful ending, you can have fun filling in the details and design.
One thing that may help you, is something famed screenwriting author Robert McKee presents in his book Story. This is what McKee calls the “obligatory scene”. This is that climatic moment that happens as a direct result of your inciting incident.
If your inciting incident involves a group of boys discovering a treasure map, your “obligatory scene” is that they find the treasure.
Here is a list of examples so you can get the idea:
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It seems juvenile to think about, and appears to be so simple, but a lot of amateur authors seem to miss this all important step. If you skip out on this, you’re depriving your audience of a satisfactory ending. Don’t be an irresponsible first time traveller, and jump into the van to see where it leads. Sure it’s quite the adventure, but it usually leads to financial loss, or wasted time. Whether your story debunks the audiences’ expectations or fulfils them, you need to know where your taking your story.
What’s the moral of the story kids? Know your ending. This will help you finish your first draft, and then you can worry about refining your story. If you don’t know your ending, your story will never really get anywhere, and you’ll soon find that your plot comes to a screeching halt.
Top 10 signs you AREN’T actually writing:
If you answer ‘yes’ to anything on this list, you might want to reconsider your priorities:
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10) If someone asks you ‘when is the last time you wrote anything’ and your answer is ‘a few months ago’. 9) One moleskin notebook has lasted you a year or more. 8) If you’re stopping to answer text messages. 7) If you’re watching television while writing. 6) If you think complaining into your diary is considered writing. 5) If you enjoy telling everybody you know about your unfinished work. 4) If you carry writing materials around with you wherever you go, but never take them out of the bag. 3) If you’re reading a ‘how to’ book on writing, and not doing the exercises. 2) If you write less then one hour a week. 1) If you write one draft and think you’re done.
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Don’t be a talker – be a doer. Stop what you’re doing, and go write something already. Writing is rewriting. If you’ve never completed anything before, that might also be a sign you’re not actually writing. Don’t be one of those people that goes their whole lives talking about how they have a great idea for a book or a movie. Just write it.
Writer’s Tool #9: Cellphones, iPods, Etc!
If you remember the last writer’s tool about the “Gadget Free Day”, equally can be said for having a gadget on you at all times.
Some writers may tell you that getting a portable recording device is an integral tool to the craft. I say bull$*&%. If you have a cellphone, chances are you have two functions: Voice Recorder, and a Notepad.
I tend to use my notepad more often, but there are times when I’m out and I don’t have time to write anything quickly. I’ll just excuse myself into the bathroom or someplace private, record a few choice words into the recorder app, and BOOM. Instant notes.
I’ve outlined many plots this way. Most people have either a cellphone or ipod nowadays. Whether you have a Blackberry Playbook or iPad – or just a plain cellphone, why not utilize your morning commute to the fullest extent? Hell, I’ve even used my phone while sitting on the … well, I won’t go into details, but basically you can take notes virtually anywhere.
A lot of writers I know tend to forget, or under-utilize these functions. Sometimes it’s easy to remember to keep a grocery list, but forget notes about your characters. What I love most about my phone is that I have the option of just e-mailing lists or voicenotes to myself for later use.
Do I recommend texting your entire novel to someone? No.
Do I recommend tweeting your entire novel, or posting everything on facebook using your phone?- absolutely not. That’s annoying to everyone in social media platforms, and a great way to lose followers. Not to mention you’re inviting someone to steal everything you’re doing.
Do I recommend you use mobile technology to write down notes, and possibly write pages for yourself while you have a spare moment in your busy day? Abso-freakin-lutely.
If you’re always thinking about writing while on the go, this tool will help you start putting those instantaneous creative thoughts into practical application.
You can find other tools like this in the Writer’s Toolbox link, at the top of the page.
FACELIFT!
I’ve decided to give this blog a much needed facelift. Apologies if you witnessed any of the awkward changes being made before things were complete. I still have a few more things to fix, but for now, I’m satisfied.
If you have a chance today, remember that this blog isn’t anything without readers! Please share and
Like us on Facebook!
Cheers~
The Moral of the Story
Recently, I got into a fairly substantial argument with a friend of mine about writing a story with an important life lesson in the end. He believed that it wasn’t necessary at all, and that writers are stupid for “preaching to their audiences with their biased point of view.” Although I can understand his viewpoint, some of the best stories are told when the writer is presenting a moral lesson to be learned.
It is my belief as writers, we are obligated to give our audiences something to think about.
Effective stories are ones that give the audience feeling. We all can relate to Alan Parrish in the 1995 film Jumanji.
This is a morality tale about facing your biggest fears in life. A true coming of age story, Alan must learn what it takes to be a man, and stand up for what is right. Despite how it fills him with fear, he knows he has to face this challenge head on. Who can’t relate to that?
This entire movie is one driven by characters who are afraid to face their greatest fears. There is a lesson to be learned in that, we must do what is asked of us. It may cost us our lives. It may mean finishing a task we never accomplished. Whatever the case may be, we as writers can educate the audience on how to be better people.
There are reasons why parables like The Boy Who Cried Wolf stick around in everyone’s minds. We strive to be better than characters we see. Reading books, seeing plays, or watching movies is therapeutic. We are reminded of our follies, and are given the remedies we seek.
We shouldn’t be afraid to give our audiences advice on how to live. Take another film and musical classic, The Sound of Music. Fräulein Maria is set out to do a task she doesn’t feel is right for her. After watching over the Von Trapp family, she falls in love with Captain Von Trapp. This fills her with fear, and she runs away, back to the abbey.
This film classic burns itself into the hearts of everyone, and has withstood the test of time through it’s important moral lesson. We must have confidence. When we are frightened, we need to think of brown paper packages tied up with strings. Above all, we must “climb every mountain. Ford every stream. Follow every rainbow, ’till we find our dream.”
Self help books are best sellers, for people long for direction. My friend may think that writing morality tales isn’t necessary, and maybe so. I however, believe it’s an integral, almost primal force in our culture. Fairy tales have withstood the test of time, as they are deep rooted in important life lessons. Despite your beliefs, the parables in the bible reflect important moral lessons we all must strive for. Jesus told these stories to people who flocked to him in the thousands, just to hear a tale of morality.
A moral lesson can be the focal point that ties your entire story together. It helps eliminate everything that isn’t necessary. If your scene, character, or plot point doesn’t do anything to string together your premise, then eliminate it from your story.
All in all, give people a reason to pick up your book. Give your audiences a reason to see your movie. Writers can help make the world a better place through the art of story. The moral of my story, is that writing for social change has always been a focal point in my life. What’s the moral of your story?
What are you writing for?
Writer’s Tool #8: The Weekend Card Trick
This is something I recently thought of, and have put into practice. At first I was very skeptical, but was shocked to see how well this is motivating me to write.
Some of you may remember the Dice Trick. This is very similar, but this requires a little more time and effort. If you’ve successfully managed to bring yourself into a writing routine but want to step up your game, this is a great way to do that.
Take any deck of cards. Set aside an entire weekend without responsibility, social interaction, or work. This may take some time to do, but I’ve managed to steal at least one weekend a month now, just to concentrate on my writing.
Once you have your weekend booked, find a loved one or a trusted friend and have them ‘deal’ you out 3 cards. I think you get the picture of where this is going. When you are dealt your cards, the number on the top corner is the number of pages you are required to write.
I ask you to get a loved one to deal them out for you, as they will do a good job at holding you accountable to see that you actually write them. If you get an “ACE” that counts as only one page. Jacks are 11, Queens are 12, and Kings are 13. Now, I’m not a heartless bastard, so if you get 3 Kings, my suggestion is to possibly add a rule that no 3 cards can be the same. If you want the challenge, then by all means, go for the gold! You could even vary it up, and use the symbols on each card to represent a certain scene or genre to write. Hearts could be romance or comedy. Spades could be labour or war orientated.
I find this an excellent challenge, and the point of all of this is to just get you writing. At the end of the day, make this your own. Draw one card a day if you wish. Just find the time to write.
Writing A Good Prologue
I’ve been told by several writers that prologues are completely unnecessary in any piece of storytelling. I however, believe they are a very effective way of illuminating integral aspects of backstory.
Prologues can be used to give the story you are telling, some very valuable context.
Prologues are very popularly used in Fantasy or Science Fiction genres, but can also be used in horror, thrillers, or any story which requires a set up of a previous crime or event. Screenwriters use them often, as complicated worlds or scenarios are difficult to squeeze into your story when you have a 120 page limit.
The Lord of the Rings, Lady in the Water, The Dark Crystal, and Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, are all examples of prologues that utilize narration to explain backstory, leading into your central tale. Although you may not need narration, it can be an effective and interesting tool to use. Another famous example is the yellow scrolling ‘text’ from Star Wars which sets up the story of a long time ago, in a galaxy far far away.
Dictionary.com describes the word ‘prologue’ as a separate introductory section of a literary or musical work, and an event or action that leads to another event or situation. Your prologue should be a self contained story that presents an unanswered question near the end. This question will lead into your central plot, and keeps your audience/readers hooked.
Disney’s Beauty and the Beast does this by introducing us to the world of the prince, his primary flaw, and the unanswered question “who could ever learn to love a beast?”. This transitions immediately into Belle’s introduction -> “hint hint, wink wink.”. What makes this prologue effective, is that it is poignant, elegant, and simple. Complex prologues may leave your audience/readers feeling alienated, and wondering “what the heck is going on?”.
However, don’t be quick to explain everything either, as you can run into danger telling your entire story. When I first wrote a prologue for one of my scripts, my then ignorant self thought I had written a masterpiece. Pfffft. What I didn’t know, was that I was so ‘on the nose’ about the questions leading into my story, my readers immediately were able to predict everything that happened.
You don’t want people to get everything out of the prologue. If you do, then just write a short story or film. Your prologue should have the ability to feel like a separate entity, but an incomplete one. Here’s another example of a good prologue from Jim Henson’s The Dark Crystal:
This prologue is effective as it introduces us to the world of the crystal, sets up the audience’s expectations, and outlines the grim situation the characters are living in. It doesn’t give the plot away, and you’re left guessing what will happen next.
I know what I’m speaking about may be a tad ‘obvious’ for some, but speaking from experience it’s actually quite a difficult thing to write. Every writer’s first priority should be to drum up an effective backstory. By all means, if you do this without requiring a prologue, then give yourself a big pat on the back. However, if your story is about wizards, rings of power, worlds of fairies, a boy who lived, or a magic rose, you may just need to give your audience/readers a little more with a good prologue.
Writer’s Tool #7: The Gadget-Free Day
You’d never believe it, but in a timespan of just four months…
…I’ve locked my keys in my car a total of 7 times.
Oh yes, I’m an idiot.
Thankfully, I’m not capable of misplacing my brain (at least, I hope not), and there is usually always access to paper and pens. You’d be shocked how many coffee stores, or restaurants are willing to part with a few pieces of paper and a pen if you ask nicely.
Now, if you’re a dunce like me, and you need to wait around for people to bring you a spare set of keys, or for a mobile car service to arrive, you can get pretty creative in passing the time. I’ve learned the benefits of using this time to concentrate on my writing.
I get a good chuckle out of picturing the first few times I’ve done this, and literally thinking to myself “Oh no! My cellphone, laptop, and journal are locked in my car! HOW AM I GOING TO WRITE?” … then it dawned on me one day, while waiting for my parents to bring me my spare set of keys, that I could simply ask a local Starbucks for a few pieces of paper and a pen.
Not only did they provide the materials I needed, in feeling sorry for my predicament, they gave me a free latte! Score!
It’s funny how many businesses are so eager to help you when you do something stupid. It’s almost as if the break in routine gives them an excuse to leave their all important burger flipping, in pursuit of some scrap paper… or some band-aids (don’t ask.)
At any rate, the lesson I’ve learned in all of this, was how much ACTUAL writing I completed, not having my cellphone, or an internet connection to actively distract me from doing everything. It’s astonishing how your brain is FORCED to think, when you have nothing to do.
This is also a fantastic way to iron out writer’s block. I’ve climbed out of many plot holes, and character problems this way. It amazes me how much of a creative recovery it can be, not having a gadget at your side. Unless you’re some sort of business tycoon, and your crackberry or i-arm is some sort of appendage, then I highly recommend trying this out. Before the advent of technology, many writers got along just fine without a cellphone, laptop, or what-have-you. “Just turn it off” some might say …
… sorry, I don’t have that kind of willpower. Perhaps that’s also a reason why I’m tubby. Just leave your devices at home, and thank me when you get a crap-load of writing done.
TASK: Set aside a large chunk of time, and leave every precious electronic thing you own that may distract you at home. Bring nothing but some paper, and a pen. (perhaps an extra pen, just in case.)
This writing tip is brought to you by a forgetful idiot.
You can find other tools like this in the Writer’s Toolbox link, at the top of the page.
