Even if you’re not headed back to school in the next couple of weeks, this is a great time of year to get back in that productive groove. This list by Sister Corita Kent and popularized by John Cage provides great inspiration for artists of all kinds:
Another good one to post above the writing desk.
(image: Brain Pickings)(via swissmiss)
Margaret Atwood knows how to write. She’s tackled literary criticism, poetry, dystopian novels before they were trendy, and more. So of course I take note of her 10 rules for writing. One I like in particular:
“Don’t sit down in the middle of the woods. If you’re lost in the plot or blocked, retrace your steps to where you went wrong. Then take the other road. And/or change the person. Change the tense. Change the opening page.”
I had this problem a lot when starting on one of my current projects. I kept circling back and trying different things. For a while it felt like I was going in circles, but I eventually found my footing and have kept moving forward in the draft since.
Make sure to check out Atwood’s other tips. And for more on getting stuck in the writing process, Laurie Halse Anderson has a post up today about conquering various forms of writer’s block. That means no writing excuses over the weekend, guys!
Love Julie True Kingsley’s post about her writing process is like her battle against the corn meal moths. She describes her writing process as having a lot of intensity and fervor, but can be frenzied. She also looks at more meticulous and steady approaches, like how Jo Knowles described how her writing process is like running.
That, of course, got me thinking about my own writing style. I don’t think I’m as enthusiastic as Julie and I’m not as focused as Jo. Probably not surprisingly, I turned to adorable animal videos for my answer. Then it hit me.
I’m like Maru.
In particular, this video of Maru:
Maru circles the box. He’s uncertain about this box at first. Then Maru can’t get enough.
Like Maru, sometimes I need to circle an idea for a while. I don’t tend to talk about my works-in-progress a lot. Sometimes I get nervous about starting to write and actually sitting at the desk, and will avoid it. But once I’m there I love it. I end up wishing I could do it all day. I am totally Maru jumping into the box.
What’s your writing style like?
Also, if you haven’t seen any of Maru’s videos, check them out. Maru’s hilarious.
I don’t tend to take part in a lot of weekly activities, but this week’s Road Trip Wednesday on YA Highway is too awesome to pass up.
Inspired by Stephanie Perkins’ post on Natalie Whipple’s blog, what is your novel’s “Love List”?
From Stephanie Perkin’s original post about Love Lists:
“Whenever I begin a new project, I also begin a list called “What I Love About This Story.” I start by writing down those first ideas that sparked the fires of my mind, and then I add more ideas to it as I discover them during my push through early drafts….I use this love-list as a touchstone to remind myself during the hard times why my story is worthwhile. It’s easy to forget the GOOD STUFF when I’m wading through the muck, and the end is still months away, and it feels pointless and hopeless to continue. This list becomes a crucial reminder: Yes! This is a story worth telling! If I saw this sitting on a shelf, I would want to read it!”
Such a great idea! What a great way to keep yourself going, and to have a point of reference for all the stuff in your story you’re working toward or focusing on. My current project’s love list so far:
Make sure to check out the comments in YA Highway’s post, because people link to their own love lists. Share yours, too!
Wahoowa!
Apparently it’s “YA Authors Talk About Higher Education and How It Affects Your Finances” week. First up, John Green looks at whether college is worth it or not.
On the graduate degree side, Laurie Halse Anderson looks at the MFA and if that’s worth it.
As someone who attended both, I had a great academic experience, and I can certainly say that my career was furthered because of my education. But I’d also say that this isn’t the right path for everyone, or the only path available. College and grad school can be absurdly expensive and there are major problems in academia. Still, like John says, the opportunity to learn lots of things is awesome. It really comes down to who you are and what you want out of your education.
(image: Rex Hammock)
Cheryl Klein has a great post about the first chapter in YA novels, including some annoying tropes and thoughts about pacing. One part I found particularly interesting:
“But I believe that the number-one thing that hooks readers is authority, by which I mean a sense that this writer is in control of the story and how it’s being told. An author with authority isn’t in a rush to give away the central plotline of the book, because s/he knows that plot is going to be good, and so s/he can afford to take her time getting there, and to do it right….The author can take that time because s/he still makes all of this backstory build up steadily to the Inciting Incident, which happens by the end of the first chapter if not earlier.”
I don’t think Klein is necessarily saying that we all need to have leisurely openings about the scenery or the weather. But I think it’s so common to hear that you need to hook the reader with the first paragraph, and I’m glad that Klein suggests focusing on character and emotional core at that point. A lot of books start on a day that something changes; it’s good to have a moment of time in which we see the characters in their status quo. Then we can appreciate how things will change. (Klein has a few great examples, like The Hunger Games and The Fault in Our Stars.)
Still, it’s important to note that Klein also says you need an inciting incident pretty quickly. If there’s no momentum by the end of the first chapter, a reader can feel like there’s not enough reason to keep reading.
This has definitely given me something to think about for my latest projects. Make sure to check out the full post, and share your own first chapter tips/pet peeves in the comments.
(image: J. Paxon Reyes)
“Storytelling makes us more alive, more human, more courageous, more loving. Why does anybody tell a story? It does indeed have something to do with faith, faith that the universe has meaning, that our little human lives are not irrelevant, that what we choose or say or do matters, matters cosmically. It is we humans who either help bring about, or hinder the coming of the kingdom. We look around us, and it is a complex world, full of incomprehensible greed…irrationality, brutality, war, terrorism–but also self-sacrifice, honor, dignity–and in all of this we look for, and usually find, pattern, structure, meaning. Our truest response to the irrationality of the world is to paint or sing or write, for only in such response do we find truth.”–Madeleine L’Engle
From Madeleine L’Engle Herself: Reflections on a Writing Life. This idea of writing as a way of expressing hope for humanity and finding meaning in the chaos reminds me of Faulkner’s Nobel Prize acceptance speech.
At Writer’s Digest, Erik Larson shares his top 10 essentials to a writer’s life. When your first and second items are coffee, you have my full agreement.
This got me thinking about my own top 10 essentials. In no real particular order:
Hydration nation.
1. Water
Although I sing songs about the awesomeness of coffee, I tend to have a glass of water by my side when I’m writing. Usually it’s because I write at night and caffeine after 7pm isn’t so great. Plus water is refreshing. Don’t worry, coffee, I still love you!
2. iTunes
As I’ve mentioned before, pretty much all of my projects have a corresponding playlist. Nothing gets me quite in the writing mood like a good story soundtrack.
3. Blocks of Undisturbed Time
Stealing from Larson on this one. I think most writers wish they had time to sit down and write without distractions. Walt and I like to schedule writing time in the evenings so we both know that’s all we have to do.
4. Dropbox
No matter where I am, I can access my files via this file-hosting program and write in any spare time. Way better than my old method of emailing myself drafts and trying to remember which was the most current.
Not me running, because apparently I look heinous when I run. Thanks, race photos.
5. Running
Okay, I feel like a lot of writers talk about how they feel about running and how it connects them to their work. But it’s true. I’m not even that great a runner–so far the biggest race I’ve done is a 10k. But I try to work out in the mornings, and a lot of times I end up thinking about whatever I’m writing. I also don’t run without music (mostly because I’m scared I’ll get hit by a car because I’m too distracted) so it’s the perfect time for writerly brainstorming.
6. Friends Who Like Books
I’m fortunate to know a lot of people who not only like reading and writing, but also like YA and children’s lit. When you’re feeling down about your writing and your general life choices, having a support system that encourages your life choices is amazing. And friends can share book recommendations/read your drafts/commiserate about the craziness of the writing life. Extra points if your partner/family is supportive as well.
7. Chocolate
Essential to life, not just the writing process. It helps if you can hold off on the chocolate until you’ve finished that chapter.
8. Literary Community
YA author reading at a local bookstore? I’m there. SCBWI event? Love to! Formal events outside of your own writing/reading circle are a great reminder that this is a valid life choice. Writing is awesome. Reading is awesome. And there are a lot of people out there who like both. Plus, it’s so helpful to get information about writing as a career.
Bear, you will never get work done in a non-dedicated writing space!
9. Dedicated Writing Space
If I try to write in the same place on the couch I curl up in to watch TV, I’m guaranteed not to get work done. If I sit down at my desk and say “just half an hour,” I’ll usually go longer. Whether it’s a desk in your bedroom, a coffee shop, or a nook next too the washing machine (whatever works), it helps to have a place you know is for business.
10. Stories
Whether it’s a new book by an author you love or a news article or your friend telling you about that time he saw Santa Claus in May, the world is full of stories. Maybe part of it is just how my brain works, but I’m constantly inspired by stories that have been told and all the potential stories hanging around us. And honestly, all of the above don’t matter at all without stories.
What are your writerly must-haves?
(image 1: RL Hyde)(image 2: Thomas Hawk)(image 3: selva)
Writer’s Digest has a great post up about strengthening your minor characters–what are their motivations? What traits can you round out?
This got me thinking about the best friend characters in YA. They pop up in lots of novels, especially contemporary YA, and sometimes I feel the best friend characters are a little lacking. They can feel like they only exist to be the main character’s best friend–pushing them into conversations with the romantic lead, fuming at appropriate times, or acting like a lovable oddball. All of that is fine, but it’s good to remember that these characters should also be complete people. In real life, your best friends aren’t just your cheering section–they go home and talk to their pets and take salsa lessons.
When I feel like my minor characters aren’t full people, thinking about big things like motivation and character traits can be hard. But it’s not as hard to imagine those little, normal life things. What does minor character X do when she’s at home on a Saturday morning? What’s minor character Y’s after-school activity? Where does minor character Z’s family go on vacation? These might not be huge, defining qualities, but it helps you start imagining a life for your character outside of your protagonist’s journey.
How do you flesh out your minor characters?
“Life is a luminous halo, a semitransparent envelope surrounding us from the beginning of consciousness to the end. Is it not the task of the novelist to convey this varying, this unknown and uncircumscribed spirit, whatever aberration or complexity it may convey?”–Virginia Woolf
(image: Wikimedia Commons)