"More on 'Said'," he said.

I was doing some more thinking about the use of 'said' and quotations in general, and thought I'd share a few topics that I think are useful.


When to use 'said'. 
There are many times when said is used and should be used, or else its overuse wouldn't be a problem.  

One major use of 'said' is when the quotation is an isolated instance, and done very quickly.  For example, during a fight scene, one knight might say to another, "here, take this."  This is certainly a fine time to use 'said'.  Why?  Because 1.) 'said' is one of those words that readers tend to subconsciously 'skip over', so to speak, because it's such a common word.  When 'said' is used, we have the inclination at times to recognize it by its look and search rather for the pronoun or name of who actually said the quotation.  That is, we skip the garnish and go for the meat.  Have you ever heard that we don't read every single letter, but the word as a whole, and taht as lnog as the frsit and lsat ltetres are the smae, it's slitl radealbe?  Well, it's the same concept with some words that are common.  As long as the eye quickly recognizes the word 'said', the eye dismisses it and looks for the who.  2.) The author, in such a scene as this, doesn't want the momentum of the action to stop by a simple quote such as "here, take this."  Use of the word 'said' swiftly allows the reader to move on to the rest of the action, while still remaining grammatically proper.  The use of another, perhaps more creative but probably more complex word will distract the reader, making him think about the meaning of such a word more than the quick hop-scotch move into dialogue and out again. 



This is just one example of an actual desired use of 'said', though there are probably more.  Food for thought, mostly.


When not to use ANY word.  
There are times when using any word after a quote might not be very effective.  This is especially true of an ongoing conversation between two people.  After an initial use, its easy to tell who's talking, since they take turns.


"Hello," said Kate.
"Hey," Jon replied.
"You going to that dance tomorrow night?"
"I don't think so."
"Aw, c'mon, why not?"
"I don't think any girls will want to dance with me."
"...I...I'll dance with you, Jon."
"Are you okay?"
"I...I always wanted to tell you..."
"Um...what?"
"I..." Her cheeks turned a hot pink, eyes widening in frozen embarrassment.
After an incredibly uneasy silence, Jon turned to the blog writer with eyes that said, What in the world kind of awkward situation did you just drop me in?! 

You can see that it was pretty clear who was speaking, and the convo was able to move at a nice, natural pace because there weren't any words like 'said' to break up the rhythm...at least until that epic ending...

This, of course, changes when a third speaker arrives, and then it's necessary to include some indicator of who's talking so that the reader doesn't get confused.  It's necessary at times to really make sure that these kinds of instances don't get muddied up with 'un'-smooth 'said' remarks.  Make sure that such conversations have their own flow as they're being read.  I say 'their own' because sometimes, depending on what kind of vibe you want to come out of a certain convo, you may not want it to flow smoothly.  That's really up to you as the author.  Keep in mind that simply the way a passage is structured  affects how the reader's mind is affected.  If a passage is written in short, choppy statements, it can lend well to a mindset of a chase, a frightening scene or something chaotic.  Such things affect the reader.  

..::WORD OF THE DAY::..  

Agrestic - [uh-GRES-tik]

- adjective

1.) rural; rustic

2.) unpolished; awkward

Example: Jon's agrestic behavior toward Kate lost him his chance to dance with ANYONE EVER AGAIN.

:D  

May your quills always be inspired,

J Cole

Things to Watch Out for pt. 1

I decided to write about some things to watch out for during the process of scribing a story.  


There's quite a few, I would think, so consider this part one of an indefinitely continuing series.  


Number One: Repetition of the word 'Said'

This is a biggie.  Most stories have dialogue.  It's certainly a very important factor in life, as we cannot communicate without dialogue with each other in some fashion.  It's also important in fiction, because worlds must relate to each other (that is, our world and the "world" of the story) and dialogue is a very easily thing to relate.  It's how we see into characters' minds; how they behave toward others; how they interact; how they express; how they live!  


As dialogue is so important to us, it makes sense that it becomes a pivotal part of any story, and, consequently, how it is easy to notice minutiae in its use (good or bad).  


When you tell a story--say, something that happened at the store earlier--to someone else, you speak in the past tense.  Hence, when you compose a story, you write in the past tense.  Makes sense.  Now, when you describe dialogue from your happening at the store, you use the word 'said' to denote who was speaking.  This is okay when you're speaking because you can put different emphasis on the word, change your volume or facial expression to get different meaning or emotion out of that single word 'said'.  


However, in writing, it's not so okay.  Here's why: it's probably one of the most emotionless words to read to oneself.  Now, talking to someone and using it over and over--not really a problem.  But when you're reading a book, and the word 'said' keeps popping up after every quotation, you notice.  What's worse, when you do it in your own story--other people notice.


None of us want that, do we?  No.

This is where the thesaurus really comes in handy.  Just look for 'said' or rather, 'say', and look at whatever else it suggests.  Of course, since you're a creative writer, other words for 'audibly speaking' that the thesaurus gives you may not quite cut it either.  


What do I mean?  Take a look below:


"Get away from me!" she said.
"Get away from me!" she shouted.
"Get away from me!" she retched.    


'Said' is nothing special.  In fact, it seems much too soft for the sentence it's describing.  'Shouted' is a little better, getting louder, more excited...  But 'retched'!?  Whoa!  What have we here?  'Retch' doesn't have anything to do with talking!  What does vomiting have to do with talking, or even shouting for that matter?  


Normally, nothing.  


But attaching it to the end of a quotation like that provides a whole new vision to a woman saying "Get away from me!" doesn't it?  Indeed, it changes the whole mind-picture of who is talking!  It certainly narrows the field of what could be going on behind such a quote.  Why is this so important?


'Said' is pretty unimaginative.  I'm not saying that there will be times to use it, because there definitely will!  Sometimes, 'said' is necessary.  But when it's not, it's time to be creative!  Pick words that give more emotion, that specifically describe the character's expression, tone of voice, etc.  The reader wants not only to know that there is in fact talking going on, but he wants to be able to hear it himself.  The closer you can get to vividly describing what comes out of a character's mouth with a word, the better. 



Keep that in mind as you write, and watch out for repetitiveness behind your quotations.

..::WORD OF THE DAY::.. 

Aplomb - [uh-PLOM] 

- noun

1.) imperturbable self-possession, poise or assurance

2.) the perpendicular, or vertical, position

Example: The noblewoman composed herself with such self-confident aplomb that she was perfectly content in congregating with her own sense of royalty.  

May your quills always be inspired,

J Cole

Music, Creativity and Coffee...

I've been doing some thinking...

...yes, and writing too.

But seriously, I wanted to talk a little about music and creativity.   


I've gotten to the point where I nearly can't write without some music playing in the background.  Of course, I only assume this because every time I do write, I'm playing music in the background.  


I'm big on music.  Especially classical music.  Anyone who knows me well will inexorably discover that I have an extensive classical music collection stored on my laptop.  Altogether, we're talking about 72 hours of music on my computer, with probably 9 out of 10 songs being classical pieces (I kid you not).  

See?  You know me, now.  :D


I listen mainly to these classical selections while I write, mainly because they're so evocative!  Even when they're playing rather quietly in the background, they still cause my mind to become driven and guided by their own unique moods and expressions.


The study of music's effects on the mind and the human body is a most interesting one.  If you have an extra few minutes, check out this paper, which explains some of music's abilities to affect the brain.  


I believe that music can either aid or diminish creativity.  I've experienced both instances, and I think that whether it helps or simply annoys is dependent on the person.  Some people prefer classical, rock, alternative, trance...take your pick, and someone will like to listen to it for their given art.  


I generally prefer classical music, because 1.) lyrics tend to distract, 2.) the variety within classical pieces as opposed to the repetition of modern music stimulates my mind and 3.) I...just love classical music.  


Though these aren't hard and fast, here are some of the selections I listen to in order to achieve a certain mood or mindset while writing a given section of a story.  Give them a try and see if they affect you.



When I need to think...

• Epicly - Beethoven: Symphony Nos. 5 or 9, Piano Sonata No. 13, 2nd movement; Saint-Saëns: Organ Symphony; Liszt: Totentanz; Dvorák: "New World" Symphony (no. 9); Brahms: Piano Rhapsody Nos. 1 and 2; Vivaldi: 1st movement to "La Tempesta di Mare" concerto; Chopin: Prelude Nos. 12 and 24
  
• Happily - Debussy: Suite Bergamasque, Deux Arabesques; J.S. Bach: Cello Suite No. 1; Vivaldi: Concerto for two mandolins; Ravel: String quartet in F major, 2nd movement; Enescu: Romanian Rhapsody No. 1
• Sadly - Barber: Adagio for Strings/Agnus Dei (choir arrangement, saddest piece you'll ever hear); Vaughan-Williams: Fantasia on a theme by Tallis; Beethoven: 2nd movement of 7th Symphony; Debussy: 2nd movement of En Blanc et Noir; Satie: Trois Gymnopédies
• Angrily - Beethoven: 3rd movement to Moonlight Sonata; Bartók: Piano Concerto No. 2; Prokofiev: Toccata for piano in C major; Rachmaninoff: Étude-Tableaux Op. 33 No. 8, Op. 39 Nos. 1 and 6
• Romantically - Chopin: Almost any of his Nocturnes, but Op. 9 No. 1 is the most romantic, in my opinion; Granados: Estudio "Andantino espressivo"; Rachmaninoff: 2nd movement of the 2nd Piano Concerto (what the song "All by Myself" is based on)

 You could find all of these in one form or another on Youtube, but there's a site called Classical Cat where you can find a TON of classical music in public domain mp3 form.  Here's the site for your ease.


That's all I have to say on that topic, really.



Oh, and coffee is awesome.  That's why it's in the title.  :D

..::WORD OF THE DAY::..

Avarice - [AV-er-is]

[noun] insatiable greed for riches; inordinate, miserly desire to gain and hoard wealth

Example: He was a twisted man fixated on possessions, a malcontent full of covetousness and avarice.

May your quills always be inspired,

J Cole

Making Progress

Sometimes you just have to hunker down and DO IT.

Do what?

Write!

Oh yeah.  Write...


...


Every day.  You should write every day.  It doesn't really matter if it's only a sentence or if you have an epiphany and write an entire chapter in one sitting.  Writing regularly assures that you don't lose your touch.


What do I mean by 'losing your touch'?  


If you've ever played a musical instrument, painted pictures, ridden a bike...really any acquired faculty, you know that you may never forget how to do it, but if you go a long time without practicing, you get rusty.  


It's a fact of nature.  Metal rusts.  So does brain tissue, apparently. 


But sometimes it's tough to find time to write!  This, of course, is a given.  If you're a human being living in the world, you have a lot of demands on your time.  This also seems to be a fact of nature.  Bees are busy.  So are people.  

I'm afraid I don't have any tips on finding time to write.  Even I go a day or two without writing sometimes (shame on me!).  But I would strongly encourage, if there is any seriousness in your desire to write and create, to write some every day.  I find that I'm able to sneak in some before I go to bed at night.


But now I'm thinking...if I have time to write this blog, surely I have time to write in my story!  


...


Oh yeah...


Well then, with that, I'll quickly sum up.  What I'm trying to say is that it's important to make progress on your story on a regular basis.  This helps keep the juices flowing in your noggin, and it's easier to remember details of your story that you might forget otherwise (on that note, I try to keep a notebook filled with those kinds of minutiae that I might forget in case of emergency).  

..::WORD of the DAY::..

Torpor - [tawr per] [noun]

1.) lacking in vitality or interest

2.) a state of mental or physical inactivity or insensibility

3.) lethargy; apathy

Example: Hardly awake, the waitress drifted idly from table to table, trying to suppress her obvious torpor.   

May your quills always be inspired,

J Cole 

Musings about Plot

Plot can be annoying, sometimes.  

I think it's because it's so important.  What's more, it has to be creative.  

Really?  Does it really?  Can't I just write some cliche and be done with it?  

"NO!" I tell myself.  

I've just reached a point in my own story that has me in the clutches of a quandary.  I should've known.  This kind of moment is certainly due, since it hasn't happened in, say, the last couple of chapters.  

Perhaps I only have myself to blame.  Perhaps I should've actually updated my outline with the last couple of plot changes I made... 

Nah.  

You see, when it comes to plot, I more or less play things by ear.  I think that's just the artist screaming out in me.  I'm usually a pretty methodical person.  At least, I'd like to think so.  But when it comes to writing, I like to wing it.  Probably not the best decision.  But then, I love the spontaneity of coming up with a new plot direction after only an hour's worth (if that) of fragmented (yet somehow thorough) musing.  

You see, I've come up to a point where the first major arc of the novel, the hero kinda "finding himself" and subsequently admitting his love for the heroine, has come to an end.  Now, it's time for the hero to be given the "big quest"--you know, now that things are kinda nailed down for the hero, he can focus on saving the world.  Right?  

Well, how do I introduce something like that and make it original?  The whole "saving the day" shtick has been used by...I dunno...every single fantasy author in known history...

Looking back, I probably should've given this part of the story more thought.  

Oh yeah, I did.  

But then I changed a few things.  And then I changed a few more things.  And I didn't really change the outline.  So now I have the first idea I had for this part, but of course it's totally obsolete because of my other ideas.

Don't worry.  I'm certainly not worried.  Because, as I said, I like to wing it.  

So.  Lesson of the day?  Update your outline whenever you make a plot change!  And know how the story ends.  When you read a book, you don't want to skip to the end before you naturally read every page before.  But when you're writing, it's really important to know the ending.  And if something changes, keep that outline updated!  

..::|WORD OF THE DAY|::..

Stygian - [stij-ee-uhn]

1.) [adj.] of or pertaining to the River Styx or Hades (Gr. mythology)

2.) [adj.] dark or gloomy

3.) [adj.] infernal or hellish

Example: As he descended, the stygian cave seemed to swallow the man in its ethereal maw.

May your quills always be inspired,

J Cole

Getting into Character

Today's topic is Writing Through the Eyes and Mind of a Character.

This is certainly no easy task, and there's no telling how many ways this is done by countless authors.  This topic begins to creep into the area of style, which only comes from practice, experimentation and experience.  However, I can share a few concepts.

The foundation for this topic is knowing your characters.  You must know about their personality, biography and physiology, along with any other specific details (depending on the character).  Why are these things so important, you ask?  Well, imagine you had a character who had a slight limp in her left leg from some childhood accident.  She finds herself being chased by a pack of wolves for some strange reason, and the only way to escape is up a tree.  Do you think her limp will affect the way that passage is written?

You bet.

Personality and history are important also.  Let's say this same character was given her limp by a fall.  Let's also say that this fall was caused by her brother: a rotten, villainous older brother.  Let's say further that our heroine, because of the accident and the aggression from her brother as a child, has become someone who is easily afraid, perhaps even paranoid, and very wary of boys who are older than her.

Let's say she finally escapes from the pack of wolves, through badly hurt, and finds a solitary cottage at the edge of the woods.  With no other help in sight, she bangs on the door, and is met by a young man.  Do you think that her personality and history will affect how the next passage is written?

You bet it does!

If you're writing this passage, you'd most likely include some thoughts about her fear at seeing her host, worry and alarm at his every move as she sits on a table waiting for her wounds to be treated.  Perhaps you'd write that she notices a strange curiosity in his eyes, that she becomes more and more surprised at his gentleness rather than the aggression she was expecting.

You can see how these little details will affect how a story is written.

It's necessary to keep track of whose perspective you're writing in.  I like to keep each section (between breaks, that is) of the story confined to the point-of-view of a single character.  There may be interactions between other characters, and the one through whose eyes I look may notice expressions and reactions of others, but thoughts and asides are only given by the one in focus.

This is one way of doing it, but it's up to each author to figure out how to best write perspectives in order to fit with a given plot.  For example, Frank Herbert and Jane Austen both decided to change perspectives between characters pretty often, with no break in between.  Ray Bradbury, in his book Fahrenheit 451, sticks with the perspective of only one character throughout the entire story.  Others, such as Timothy Zahn in his work The Icarus Hunt, write not only from the point-of-view of a single character, but also in the first-person.  This was their prerogative, as it is yours.

The thing to realize is this: creative writing is just that--meant to be creative.  It's an art, just like painting, drawing, sculpting or composing music.  And what do artists do?  They bend, change and break the rules.  Now, I'm not recommending throwing away all the rules of grammar and language to be creative.  But it has been done.  For example, in the book No Country for Old Men (written by Cormac McCarthy; I've never read it personally, but I've thumbed through the pages), no quotation marks are used and in many cases, no apostrophes.  I don't know if that adds or takes away anything from the story, but it's an example of how writing, as an art, can bend the rules.

As an exercise, put your characters through their paces to get a feel for writing from their perspective.  Create a situation that your character stumbles into and write a short vignette about how he/she handles it.  Try writing it from different perspectives (i.e. passersby, other characters in the situation, etc.).  Try changing a certain detail, like making the young man from our above scenario into an old crone, and see how she deals with things then.  This is a great way to...get to know...your characters.

Time for WORD OF THE DAY!!!

Traipse - [treyps]

1.) [verb without obj.] to walk or go aimlessly or idly or without finding or reaching one's goal

2.) [verb with obj.] to walk over, tramp

3.) [noun] a tiring walk

Examples: 1.) The vagabonds traipsed through the countryside for days.  2.) In his rage, he traipsed the flowerbed until the tulips lay dead and dying.  3.) We were thoroughly exhausted after our traipse across the wilderness.

May your quills always be inspired,

J Cole

Image: Tom Curtis / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Not to be Wordy, but...

So yesterday was all about writer's block.  So...

• How do you plan out a story?
• How do you (personally) overcome writer's block/get inspired?
• How do you pick the perfect word?
• How do you see into a character's mind and write from that point-of-view?

So let's talk about WORDS.  


When I open up a book, say Dune (one of my favorites, by Frank Herbert), and scan its pages with bright, excited eyes, what do I see?  Words.  But do I really?  When I read a book, do I really think "wow, these are some really well written words"?


No.  


Let's look at a quick excerpt:  "By the half-light of a suspensor lamp, dimmed and hanging near the floor, the awakened boy could see a bulky female shape at his door, standing one step ahead of his mother.  The old woman was a witch shadow--hair like matted spiderwebs, hooded 'round darkness of features, eyes like glittering jewels.
     'Is he not small for his age, Jessica?' the old woman asked.  Her voice wheezed and twanged like an untuned baliset."

These are not mere words.  These are brush-strokes upon the canvas of the mind.  These words paint pictures to our eyes, play music for our ears, waft aromas into our nostrils, feed food to our mouths and brush our skin with their textures!  


But you know this already!  You're an author, artist, but most importantly...a reader.  You know what makes your mind explode with imagery and sensation when you sit down to a good story.



So why, when I'm sitting at my own, is it so hard to write?!

Well, I have yet to meet anyone in daily life who has ever described someone's voice as "wheezing and twanged like an untuned baliset"....  The simple fact is that no one talks this way, and neither do we, as authors.  So it's like a different language, in a way.  And like any foreign language, you must learn it and practice.


Anyone worth their weight in beans will tell you that to learn to write with better vocabulary, you must read.  This is essential.  Exposing yourself to different authors, subjects and styles of writing will only increase your vocabulary and your "sense" of writing.  You know, the mindset. 



Here's a practice you can try: take a simple sentence or phrase, and figure out a more expressive way to say it without adding words (only replacing them).  For example...


The boy took a walk along the sidewalk.  


Pretty simple.  It gets the message across, but with little feeling or sense of surrounding.  How can we make it different?  

Happy: The boy skipped along the path.
Sad: The vagrant shuffled along the road.
Angry: The boy fumed down the pavement.

See what happened?  Without even adding extra words, we have changed the emotion and atmosphere behind a seemingly simple statement.  You can see that even changing the word along into down created a more negative context for the phrase.  Same thing with pavement, which gives more of an 'unfeeling' , 'uncaring' connotation than path or sidewalk.  


This is pretty easy to do with a thesaurus, which is what I was really getting at.  I use the thesaurus website ALL THE TIME to try to keep my vocabulary from getting repetitive and stale.  Here's the official Thesaurus website, for your convenience.  


Of course, livening up a sentence is almost never limited to only replacing words.  It's even more effective sometimes to add phrases to enhance or clarify what you're trying to say, but that pretty much goes without saying.


So, what about the perfect word?  Well, that's a tall order.  I think that's up to the author, and what he/she is trying to say with a given sentence.  I've had an experience with my own story not terribly long ago, when I wrote something like this: "...emerging from behind one of the cordons, arrayed in his usual black attire..."  My best friend, after reading it, suggested the word sable instead of black to describe the character's clothes.  It was a word I had never thought of before, but fit perfectly with what I was trying to say!  It so happened that she liked the word a lot for its own merit, which has made me think.  

We all have favorite words, especially when we write, that we like to use pretty often.  Sometimes too often.  That's why the thesaurus is so useful!  A word can be awesome (like vermilion, one of my faves), but if it's overused, the reader notices.   So, when you're writing and you find yourself putting in a word that you're not entirely sure about, or one that seems to keep popping up in your head, look it up in the thesaurus and see if there's a perfect substitute waiting in the wings...

Alright, time for WORD OF THE DAY!!!

Arcuate - [ahr-kyoo-it, -eyt] 

1.) [adj.] bent or curved like a bow; also, arcuated; [adv.] arcuately

Origin:
1620–30; < L arcuātus bent like a bow, curved (ptp. of arcuāre), equiv. to arcu-, s. of arcus bow + -ātus 

Example: The tower that reared itself high above the citadel stood impossibly arcuate, built as an eye-catching monument in its foreign architecture.  

That's all for today's ramblings on words and perfection...  Next post will be seeing through the eyes of a character.

May your quills always be inspired,

J Cole

Image: Simon Howden / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Our Archnemesis...Writer's Block

Okay, so Friday I talked about planning a story, so let's see how we stand...

• How do you plan out a story?
• How do you (personally) overcome writer's block/get inspired?
• How do you pick the perfect word?
• How do you see into a character's mind and write from that point-of-view?

Alright, today's topic will be: OVERCOMING WRITER'S BLOCK and FINDING INSPIRATION!

This is something all of us writers face every now and then (sometimes more than every now and then!), and can be SO annoying!  You finally get the time to sit down and devote an hour or two to your story, but to your deep, monstrous chagrin...

 ...nothing comes out.

So, what do you do?  


Let's look first at a few causes of writer's block.  1.) Fear!  Yes, deep down, it's easy to be afraid to put pen to paper/finger to keyboard because you might mess up, botch a passage, fall short of your mark, etc.  You may not even realize this!  The same thing happens to ALL artists (because writing is an art, right?).  You have to face that blank canvas without fear of messing up.  2.) Kinda tied to the first one is trying to create a finished product with the first draft.  You have to realize that the first draft is called "rough" for a reason!  It may not have all your best descriptive phrases and polish that you see in the finished novels of others, and it's okay.  That comes later.  3.) You're body's not ready to write!  There are many many factors that contribute to your creative juices either flowing or freezing, and some of them are from your body and how you treat it.  If you're tired, stressed or otherwise fatigued, your brain may be saying "no way, I don't feel like writing right now." A good way to remedy this (though it doesn't replace taking an occasional nap!) is music.  I've never met an artist who said that music doesn't affect them and their art in some way.  Music can relax you, put you in a mood, and inspire you!  I almost always put on some music while I write (in fact, I'm listening to some right now).

So, now that we've established some causes to writer's block, how do we get rid of it?  I mentioned putting on some music above, and that's certainly an excellent way to get the juices flowing.  Different types of music affect people in different ways (this is actually a really interesting study if you ever get the chance), and you're the only one who can decide what kind gets you out of your ditch.  For me, music without words is best, since singing distracts me instead of helping me focus.  I listen to a lot of classical music, usually, or orchestral soundtracks (I actually have a youtube playlist of my faves in that area, which I can just let play in the background).  The sweeping, epic themes help me to think in sweeping, epic ways!  


Do some reading.  Always try to be reading a novel, play or story of some kind, even if you're not intently reading it every day.  When I get uninspired and mentally paralyzed, reading something from someone else can help my brain start to think creatively.  Sometimes I come to the computer after just doing something very demanding (say...exercise or cleaning the house), and my mind is still in that mode (aka, not writing mode!).  It's like jumping out of a hot shower into the throes of winter!  Your body's not going to adapt very quickly or painlessly, and neither is your mind.  Reading for a little bit can get your mind off of whatever you were doing, and more on writing and thinking creatively.  

 Having an outline, like we talked about last post, will help too.  Having an overall plan can get you focused on what you need to write.  Another factor that can help is location.  Make sure that wherever you're writing, you feel comfortable with your surroundings.


With attention to the aspect of drafts (no. 2 among the causes), keep this in mind: when you're writing a story, don't let yourself get bogged down in lengthy descriptions, final composing, details and the like if it's keeping the plot from moving forward.  When you're working on your first draft, you've got to keep the story moving.  There will be plenty of time to work on details later, after you're done with the chapter/arc/whole thing.  Being too detailed through the first pass can bog you down.  Now, it doesn't always.  In my case, I include a lot of details and descriptions in my first drafts, but I have to stay aware that if I begin to get stuck on something, I need to move on and keep the plot moving.  

I briefly mentioned writing down ideas as they come in the last post.  I'll say again: when you get an idea, no matter when...WRITE IT DOWN!!!  Keep a little notepad in your pocket, and when you're buying groceries, taking a walk, eating breakfast, feeding your pet snow leopard, planting magic beans, and you get an idea...you'll be able to jot it down real quick and save it for later.  Then, when you get stuck in a creative hole, pull out your little notebook and look at what you have!  You never know what might spark an idea.  


I think that about covers it!  Hope that helps you get out of the accursed rut that is: writer's block.


You know what that means?  It's time for...

WORD OF THE DAY!!!

Aegis - [ee-jis]; also spelled Egis

1.) n. Classical Mythology. the shield or breastplate of Zeus or Athena, bearing at its center the head of the Gorgon.  2.) n. protection; support

Origin:
1695–1705; < L < Gk aigís shield of Zeus or Athena, prob. from aig- (s. of aíx goat) + -is n. suffix, from a type of shield made of goatskin

Example: Leaving with a pitiless frown, the cloaked man abandoned the ragged girl to my aegis without explanation.

 Well that's all for now!  Next time we'll cover finding the perfect word, the golden fleece of all writers!  Or something similar, in any case...

May your quills always be inspired,

J Cole 

 

Image: m_bartosch / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Sowing the Seeds - Planning a Story

Alright, now we're in business!  

So, I received a very kind comment to my last (and first) post, asking if I could cover a few specific topics.  They were:

• How do you plan out a story?
• How do you (personally) overcome writer's block/get inspired?
• How do you pick the perfect word?
• How do you see into a character's mind and write from that point-of-view?

I thank, from the bottom of my heart, whoever posted that comment!  Now I don't have to worry about topics for a few days!

So, today's topic will be: How to PLAN OUT a STORY!

Certainly no small problem, eh?  This is pretty much the first biggie you'll face as a writer.  You may be stuck in one of these ruts: 1.) You have a great idea for a character, and there's this really neat world that he lives in, and then there's this awesome race of creatures that he's friends with!  2.) You have two people in your mind's eye.  They are always at odds with each other but through several life problems that come up, they learn to trust in each other.  This allows them to rise up against the tyranny of their community's punitive master through an elaborate battle of wits!


Wait a sec, those aren't problems!  Ah, but they are.  If you look closely, one has no plot, and the other has no setting.  The key is that you need both in order to write a story.  


Look at it like postage.  Do you mail a letter without putting it in an envelope?  Of course not!  The letter represents the characters, the envelope is the setting in which they live and breathe, and then the mailman picks it up and sends it on its way down the chute that could only be--plot.  So you basically have 3 elements: character, setting and plot.



I was about to ponder how all these intertwine and the intricacies of each...but I digress.  :)


ahem...


So, considering you have some plot, characters and a setting to put them in, you're ready to get started.  Personally, I never have much of either three when I commence to put together a story, but once you have a small amount of each, you can always build upon them.  I usually go with what I have and play out several scenarios in my mind.  I may or may not put it on paper, but that's just me.  At this point, I imagine that each author will have his/her own ways of proceeding.  I can't speak for others' processes, but for me--I play around with these ideas in my head, rolling them around as a connoisseur spins food upon his palate.  Slowly, surely, things begin to click, and it's when this happens that I begin to put pencil to paper for an outline.  


I'll cover this point a little more in the next post, but I'll go ahead and say it now: when you get an idea, WRITE IT DOWN!!!  I can't emphasize that enough.  I can't tell you how many good ideas have passed through one side of my head and out the other before I could memorize them.  


I think the essence of what I'm trying to say is that 1.) you should have at least a basic grasp on the main character(s), the setting and the plot of your story (i.e. the Who, the Where and the What [are they doing]/How [are they doing it]).  These are essential, and you should try to figure these out simultaneously, because they all affect each other.   2.) The outline/plan/grand idea of a story can and WILL change as time goes on and new ideas come to you.  As inconsistencies begin to show in your characters and the plot, as details of the setting get augmented and detracted, as you realize, "hey, wait a sec, that doesn't work (with a groan)," your plan will change.  And it should!  This is only natural, and it's usually for the better.  Embrace change and flux, hold them close to your bosom in a bond of the closest friendship!

Here's a basic list of my process:

1. Get an idea (bam!  little control over this one)
2. Figure out the WHO, WHERE and WHAT/HOW (at least in a general sense)
3. Write down a very general outline (going all the way to the end if you can, leaving areas blank/vague if you have to)
4. Begin writing the story (amending the outline as you go depending on how things progress)!

Did you notice anything special about no. 3?  I said to write the outline all the way to the end.  This is important, because I have seen instances where a writer simply writes and writes and writes with no end in sight, which is...okay if you're simply writing for pleasure, or for the sake of writing...but all stories (technically) should be like walking up and down a hill, having an initiation, build-up, climax, wind-down and denouement--THA END!  


Okay, time for WORD OF THE DAY!!!

Sibilant - [sib-uh-luhnt] - 1.) [adj.] hissing;  
Origin:
1660–70; < L sībilant- (s. of sībilāns), prp. of sībilāre to hiss), equiv. to sībil(us) a hissing, whistling (of imit. orig.)
Example: Whispers echoed through the catacomb, sibilant shrieks that raised the hairs on my nape.



That's all for today--hope that helps clear up that question, though feel free to ask me anything that you'd like!  :)  Sunday, I'll cover writer's block/getting inspiration!  

May your quills always be inspired,

-J. Cole

Image: Ian Kahn / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

A Prologue, of sorts

Hello,

This first post has no real literary value per sé, but I wanted to introduce myself as well as the purpose of my...

FIRST. BLOG. EVER!

My name is Jedd, and I'd like to think myself a creative person. I've written fiction for about as long as I can remember, and I've read fiction for even longer (hey, even children's books are fictitious, right?). It's been a long, enlightening journey through the English language to get to the point where I am now: able to express words in an imaginative, artistic way to create images and emotions in the mind of the reader, as well as to use these words to drive a given plot forward.

This, at least, is my goal, as well as the goal (I would presume) of all creative writers.

I am currently writing a fantasy novel that's been in the works for far longer than I care to admit, and through its several editions of rewriting, revising, revising the rewrites and rewriting the revisions of the rewrites...I've come to a point where I am confident in my abilities to effectively write this story! Time will tell, right? I've also completed a short-story which I'm trying to publish, as well as a sketch or two on the side. Coming out of High School, I'm finally realizing that I can try and pursue this! A gift left unused is hardly a gift at all, correct?

So, what's this blog all about? Well, I'm glad you asked!

It's about creative writing. It's about using the English language to effectively write a thought, paint a picture, create a world, a character, a plot, a story! It's about my own efforts to do so, though mainly from the perspective of sharing lessons I've learned and challenges I've faced with you, the reader. Why? Because it's not easy to write creatively, but with a little help (which hopefully I can give), it can be made a touch less daunting.

So, without further ado, I bid this prologue be done with its ceaseless rambling! And you, the reader, the writer, the thinker, may this blog fuel your mind with ideas and helpful tidbits to aid you in your literary journey!

May your quills always be inspired,
-J. Cole