Tag: Not Fiction

Creative Slump

It has been a week, let me tell you. I was sick on Monday and couldn’t get as much done as I’d like, followed by the usual stress at the office job. On top of all of that, I’ve been hitting a creative slump more than usual.

I’ve still been able to keep my 365 words a day (61/365 as of today). Don’t know how much of those words I’ll end up keeping, but I’m proud that I’ve been able to use those muscles every day (yes, even on sick days). There are some days, however, where I worry that I’m writing isn’t very good or creative. So, I’m trying to pull myself out of a creative slump.

Rather than trying to force new ideas, I try to let my brain work through the problems on their own. I’ll take some time to identify what needs work and then leave it to stew. I try to get as far from my work as possible, rather than forcing it. The office job sometimes helps with this division, letting my creative brain work while my rational brain is distracted. But sometimes, even a desk job doesn’t let my brain work through the problem properly.

When that happens, I’ll do one of two things.

First thing is I’ll go out and do something. It might be a walk in the woods, a trip to the zoo, or just a walk to get groceries. I need to get out of my head and let the ideas work themselves out. It’s important to let the brain go through the motions without forcing things onto paper. I usually take my camera, so I’m focused on the area around me rather than my brain still focusing on the problems in my creative slump. Sometimes the act of looking at things more carefully gives me a better creative jumping point for when I get back to the keyboard.

Alternatively (or additionally), I’ll bake. My coworkers call it ‘Rage Baking’. During a particularly bad snowstorm, I brought cookies for everyone at the office who braved the weather (snickerdoodles, by the way). When they asked about why I bake, I said it helps relieve stress. I find baking (and cooking) to be systematic and methodical. You have to follow the instructions of the recipe: measure things out, mix them correctly, and cook them at the right temperature. It’s simple and allows my creative brain to do its own thing.

What are some of the ways that you get creativity flowing again?

The Silver Screen

In early January, I started taking a screenwriting class. It’s very different from the writing I’m used to (mainly short fiction and novels). It requires more focus on dialogues and visuals than the normal tools of prose writing. It’s made me think a lot about movies and the differences, but I think it’s still storytelling at the core. It got me thinking about some of my favorite movies, a surprising amount of them are based on books. So, here’s an attempt at listing some of my favorite movies that don’t have book or tv show equivalents (which turned out to be harder than I thought).

  1. Mad Max: Fury Road- Admittedly, I haven’t seen any of the other movies in the Mad Max franchise, but I thought this movie was fun and had really good worldbuilding in a very short amount of time. For a two-hour car chase, it has a lot of material worth dissecting for the minor details that make it interesting.
  2. The Rock- Sean Connery and Nicholas Cage in a reverse heist? What’s not to love? It’s a simple prospect, but the adventure is still a lot of fun and it’s a movie that has a lot of rewatch value.
  3. Alien- This is a classic of science fiction movies. Frankly, I think it’s one that everyone should watch. It’s one of the few cross-genre movies that really works out. It’s a haunted house thriller with a science fiction twist. And the dinner scene is a classic of film making.
  4. The Incredibles- For what it’s worth, this is probably my favorite Pixar movies. I’m a sucker for a good superhero flick, but the idea of a retired superhero coping was great. It was quick-witted without being overly comedic and had a lot of heart without being too sappy.
  5. Young Frankenstein- This one is just pure humor. It’s so abundantly fun and occasionally absurd, but the dialogue is so well done and has one-liners that I used to run through with coworkers when I worked at the library. It’s also, to be honest, the best sick day movie that a person can have in their collection.

What are some of your favorite movies? Were they a book or a movie first?

New Year, New Goals

It’s that time of year again! Gyms are bustling with newcomers (welcome!), people are finding lost treasures in an attempt to get organized, and we’re all writing the wrong year on tests, checks, and calendars. It’s January and that means preparing the year with new goals! I always try to do some writing specific goals for every year. Here are some of mine:

  • 365 for 365: This one is an exercise I started working on recently. The idea is to write at least 365 words every day for 365 days (hence the name). Nanowrimo is wonderful for building writing endurance and getting things down on paper. 365 for 365 has habit and stamina in mind. So far, I’ve been doing pretty well by working on the same project every day. I do my 365 in the morning and can manage to squeeze out a little more over my lunch break, which brings me to…
  • Use Free Time for Writing: Since I work at an office job, I don’t have the luxury of being able to have a set, firm writing schedule. I usually will write for 45 minutes before I leave for the day, but what I do afterward depends a lot on how bad the day was. I started bringing my laptop with me to work, working on my projects over lunch or going to the downtown library branch to write after the day is over. Frankly, some of my best writing is done away from home so I want to start taking time on weekends to go work at the local library branch or coffee shop, etc.
  • Submit More for Publication: “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” -Wayne Gretzky.  Admittedly, I’m a yellow-bellied coward when it comes to submitting. This year, I want to submit more to magazines, agents, publishers. It’s hard, but I have to put myself out there a little more. I don’t always believe in luck, but I do believe in opportunity. I need to work harder to make more opportunities for myself to improve my chances.
  • Focus on Craft: Writing is fun. Studying? Not so much. However, I do want to take more time to work on some of my weaker points. I want to particularly focus on self-editing and being more aware of shifting from present to past tense. Lots of other things to work on, either through personal study or classes and workshops. I am taking a screenwriting class later this month and I’m pretty excited to give that a try since my dad has told me that my strongest writing comes from my dialogue (why not try a writing format that’s mostly dialogue?).

I have other personal goals for the year, but these ones are more writing specific than a lot of the others. What are some of your writing goals for the new year? Any hopes, dreams or aspirations that you can focus on?

Finding Family

One of my favorite group dynamics–whether it’s a movie, TV show or a book–is the Found Family dynamic. When a group of friends, and sometimes strangers, come together and form something stronger. It’s one of the few tropes that I actively strive for when I create a group of protagonists because there’s something very comforting about making and finding your own family. I think it stems from a few of my favorites.

  1. Firefly- This is one of the first encounters where I started to get a sense of what a Found Family entailed. Despite the (very) short run of the TV series, it was clear that this was a group of strangers who came together with a common goal. Anytime the crew was together, whether it was a one-on-one interaction or all of the crew gathered in the cargo hold, there was a lot of subtext to their interactions. It was a family, from annoying little sisters to overbearing father figures.
  2. Buffy the Vampire Slayer- Another great TV show with a found family. You had Giles metaphorically adopting about half a dozen young adults by the end of the show. And there were really strong family dynamics within the show. Despite the constant forming and breaking of love triangles and relationships, there was always a familial love underlining everything. The heart of the show was a group of strangers who were working toward a common goal and finding love in that goal.
  3. Lord of the Rings- Both the books and the movies give an example of an odd, estranged found family. From the moment the Fellowship was formed, they treat each other like brothers, willing to lay down their lives for the others in the Fellowship. Despite overwhelming odds, dangerous adventures, and leagues between them, the Fellowship all work together for each other and the fate of the world.
  4. Critical Role- I’m a long time fan of this D&D show and I’ve seen the players form a family from strangers twice. The beautiful thing about the show is that we can see so much of the love the cast has for each other come about in their character interactions (even if they’re only joking around half the time). The cast does a wonderful job of blending story with character development and the core of that is in their interactions with one another. And over time that develops into a family unit, whether they want to or not.
  5. The Muppets- OK, hear me out on this one. The Muppets are this strange collection of birds, mammals, amphibians and felt humanoids that seem to have no real connection (aside from their dream of stardom and some apparent relationship in college). I feel like this was my first exposure to what a found family was, even if I didn’t realize it. They certainly weren’t related, but there was more love there than expected!

I’ve always loved the idea of finding a family in friends. You fight and argue, but only because you know you love each other at the end of the day. What are some of your favorite Found Family dynamics?

Strength in Numbers

A few weeks ago a friend asked me if I was interested in joining their writing group. Well, that’s not entirely true. We met up to talk about their writing once and we decided to forge a writing group. She brought one of her friends, I brought a couple of mine, and after two meetings, things are going pretty well. Unlike a lot of writing workshops I’ve been in, we decided this would be a working workshop. Most of us are doing some variation of Nanowrimo or just working on our own projects. The point is we’re doing it together.

Writing is a solitary act. Unlike sports, music or theatre, writing is something that is done solo. In some ways, it’s very freeing, but it’s also very lonely. It’s important to find people who we can talk with about our projects with or even just help us remember a word. I have a number of people who I talk to online about my work, but it’s nice to be able to directly talk with people the minute I have an idea (no matter how stupid it is).

My writing group helps each other, but we also motivate and push each other. We’ve started doing word wars, the prize being bragging rights and permission to use a bad pun nickname. It adds an extra element of fun to our word sprints (not to mention I’ve won twice). Will we use all the words? No. But my philosophy is if I use ten out of a thousand, that’s ten words I didn’t have before.

Having a writing clan is important. Having any kind of support network in a very lonely art gives an author a place to work through problems with simple (and sometimes silly) questions. Working in public makes the devastating distractions of the Internet or household chores (which seem so much more important when we sit down to write).

Do you have a writing clan? Where do you go when you’ve hit a creative wall?

And, hey, if you’re doing Nanowrimo? Good luck and have fun!

Trunks

So recently, I’ve been thinking a lot about trunks. Not elephants or swim trunks, but storage trunks. I’ve heard the phrase ‘Trunk Book’ tossed around a lot and have been thinking about the purpose of a trunk.

A Trunk Book, by my understanding, is a book or story that’s written and tossed into a trunk. It could be poorly written or needs more research or was just an idea that needed to be written down so you can focus on the current story. Trunk Books are, more often than not, tucked away and forgotten.

So, why keep them? If the book or story is no good, why write it in the first place?

Honestly? I feel like there are no bad ideas, just undeveloped ideas. Tucking a book away for later because it needs time to cultivate is a totally valid method. For me, the hardest part of writing is just getting the words on a document. Getting that initial pressure off my chest? Feeling like the book just needs to be edited? It makes the second draft process that much easier.

Having the first draft finished, even if it’s something I can lock away and forget about until later, is a huge relief until I’m ready to tackle the project more thoroughly.

Granted, we don’t all have room for a trunk or briefcase, so I just have a folder on my computer for such projects. Just cause a project isn’t working or well-written doesn’t mean it’s hopeless. Sometimes backing away from a story (locking it away) gives a fresh perspective when it’s ready to be tackled again.

Feeding the Muse

When I tell people that I write, one of their first questions is where I get my ideas and how I keep my creative spark active. Anyone who creates art knows how hard it can be to keep the creative juices flowing, whether that’s drawing, writing, creating music or cooking. So how does one keep the creative spark active? In a world that is constantly demanding attention and brainpower to just function in the day-to-day activities, keeping creative is a challenge for anyone with a creative side hustle.

Repetition helps, doing the thing until it becomes muscle memory. The random word doodles that I do (and sometimes post) for this blog can often lead me to “What if…?” or “Imagine this character in…” trains of thought. The creative part of the brain is a muscle and muscles only ever get stronger through work (and often resistance). Even if one out of every one hundred things you write is tolerable, you increase your odds of creating something you like.

I found that letting the mind wander is as important as having intense focus on a creative endeavor. Sometimes, doing menial chores or just walking around the city, I’ll have ideas for stories, characters, settings, and even plots. I have a special note on my phone for ideas I have while out walking about.

Paintings, music, and physical movement also keep the creative juices flowing. Other art can sometimes be the best inspiration. I have images of old maps and paintings saved on my laptop that I look at when things feel a little stale, trying to reinvigorate the mood of whatever I’m working on.

And, of course, a good cup of tea is a good energizer at the end of the day.

How do you feed your muse? Music? Art? Power nap? Tea? Let me know!

Making the count…

So, almost every day since early January, I’ve been posting Facebook status first thing in the morning. Since getting my new office job, I’ve been waking up first thing in the morning, writing and posting my word count.

Usually, I shoot for around 400 words or so. I do my best to stay positive about it, even on days when I don’t make my goal. I do my best to try and write a coherent story, working on one project. Some days I can only manage an out of place scene or a character sketch. More often, I make a continuation of the same story from the day before. Either way, I feel that having that time first thing in the morning is important for my mental health and my creativity.

But why post it on Facebook? What does a daily number mean in an endless stream of updates, photos, links and humble bragging (myself included)? I don’t use it to track my total word count or judge the quality of my work. So why do it?

One of the most important things when writing is accountability. It’s easy for me to say I’m gonna sleep in for the morning and skip my day, but people notice now. I once had my mother text me when I didn’t post a word count to make sure I was still alive (her words).

As I’ve been doing this, I’ve been seeing the same likes and comments and realized that I have a personal community that is supportive and encouraging. And, in an endeavor that’s primarily done in solitude, it’s a good feeling to have visual confirmation that friends and family are supporting you.

So, whether you have a Facebook or Twitter, I encourage you to celebrate your small victories. Cause working alone is hard, but the beauty of social media is having people to celebrate small victories with you. And those build up pretty quick into bigger victories!

Terry Pratchett, An Author’s Legacy and The Steamroller

Recently, fantasy fans around the world cried out in agony as Terry Pratchett’s hard drive (containing 10 unfinished novels) was destroyed as per his will. As was his wish, the hard drive was crushed by a steamroller and, honestly, I can think of no better send off. But reading the news got me thinking about other authors and what it means for a work in progress when it’s creator, for whatever reason, ceases to be able to work on it. Is death really the end for an author?

Despite his death in 1973, J.R.R. Tolkien’s works are still published regularly with revivals of legends of Middle Earth or companion guides to his world. Easily the most recognizable name in fantasy today, Tolkien’s impact on the realm of fantasy cannot go unnoticed, his stories still fresh and new 44 years after he died. His world and words live on by those who tell his stories and build upon them either on the page or the big screen. The Children of Hurin or The Legend of Sigurd and Gudrun, for example, were both published within the last ten years, drawing on the influences from the legends in Tolkien’s The Silmarillion.

Douglas Adams, on the other hand, was continued with the best intentions. However, And Another Thing… didn’t quite have the same feel as the previous iterations as the rest of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy series did. It was written with the best intentions to honor Adams and his legacy, but it fell flat, in my opinion. It’s a nice, neat continuation of the world of Douglas Adams, but it failed to have that same charm that I had grown to love while reading the books.

I feel that an author’s world doesn’t have to continue after their death. But the unfinished worlds, defined only by the author’s own imagination and intent, should be left. I respect and agree with Mr. Pratchett’s final wish, though I am sad to know we will never read them. But if that’s the end of his unfinished novels, I can think of no end more fitting than what he asked.

The Art of the Start

One of the parts I struggle with when writing is how to begin. Whether it’s the first line of a book, a chapter or a paragraph, it’s your first opportunity to reel in the reader and it doesn’t last long. Some writers are very specific about the details and ideas in their work before they ever sit to set pen to paper. I am much more of an organic writer, or a Gardening Writer accord to George R.R. Martin (though, in fairness, I’m also a writer who enjoys a bit of gardening). The problem with this is sometimes in the beginning. Personally, I have a few methods of going about my writing process in terms of where I want to story to begin. So, here are a few suggestions for those of you who don’t know where to begin your story.

  1. An Event- “It was autumn when the murders started.”
    Kicking right off into the action is especially helpful if you have a high octane thriller or a mystery on your hands! Why wait to jump right into the action if that’s what you know is going to be your point of focus? It doesn’t have to be something driven by action either. A festival at an old market, a coronation of the new king, the launch of a space ship or the grand opening of a new power plant. Events can be a good opportunity to show the setting in action. Not just as a backdrop, but as a living thing.
  2. A Character- “Agatha was the last witch that Jennifer wanted as her tutor.”
    Let’s be honest, characters are the heart of the story. Whether your character is smart, sassy, sarcastic or solemn, you enjoy writing their dialogue, asking yourself what they would do next as their character. Even starting with some snappy dialogue between two characters is a good way to establish a quick report with the reader before they even know these characters very well. Let your characters do the work for you.
  3. A Description- “The torchlight burned slowly, casting elongated shadows against the walls.”
    Not always my favorite (and probably not a whole chapter’s worth of material), but sometimes the situation calls for it. If you want your plot to be gradually increased over time, a description as your start can be helpful to set the scene. If your world is complex and unfamiliar to most readers, having this can be a good moment to establish a few “ground rules” for a fantasy or alien world. Use this sparingly though and try to combine it with introducing a character. Readers want action, even if that action is something as simple as a man preparing a cup of coffee. Or a murder. Whichever fits your story best.

What’s your favorite opening line? Dickens? Melville? Rowling? Leave your favorite one below!

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