Let's Have Some Fun

It's chapter 7 of your novel. You have one task. Connect the dots.

Your protagonist is trapped in an elevator, with a stranger, after the building just got hit by an earthquake (Point C). You know that the next major plot point in the story will be when they are broken out by a mysterious hero (Point D), but you can't simply jump right to that point. You need at least a few more pages between.

Assuming this is where you are in your story, what would you prefer to use to "fill the space" between Point C and Point D?

A. Action: Something suddenly happens, and then the characters are forced to...
B. Dialogue: Little chit chat or back and forth while the characters wait to be rescued...
C. Description: An elevator is such a unique place and you will share with us why...

IF you could only stick to one of the above (no mixing and matching) what would you choose and why?

Let's Talk About Sex

We've all heard the classic advice for writers, "Show don't tell." When describing a scene, character or situation it can be challenging, but well worth the effort to truly show the reader. When it comes to sex though, there's a fine line between suggestive literature and just plain old smut.

Where does one draw the line? If so, how much can be shared with the reader before it crosses that line?" These are some of the difficult questions that authors must battle through as they deal with (or avoid) the biggest issue to face your typical red-blooded human being... SEX.

I don't pretend to have the answer for when it is, or is not, appropriate for an author to include a sex scene (romance novels and erotica aside). I know in my own reading adventures, I've discovered a lot can be implied with little said and that sometimes the best place to take the readers is into the darker recesses of their own minds via the "..."

In a good book (Romance and Erotica aside) do you prefer a sex scene or two? How much it too much?

Tell Me a Story

So my 3 year old step daughter and I have begun something of a nightly routine. Upon telling the kiddos that it's time for bed, she promptly runs up to me and begs "Daddy!? You read me a story?"

What daddy could say no to a request like that? Honestly though what she really means is, "will you tell me a story."

So, I take her to her bed and make up something cheesy along the lines of a "once upon a time...something about a princess...gets married to her prince after... and lives happily ever after."

The wonderful part is, no matter how terrible those "..." details are, she always loves the story. Unfortunately our writing critiques don't hold that same mentality when they read our manuscripts. For us, the details are what it's all about. Anyone can make up a character and a scene (yes, some are more dimensional than others) but it takes a lot of skill and effort to pull those characters together and fluidly detail a believable, if not lovable, story.

Question: Does your plot command the details, or do the details determine your plot?

Scrambling the Pot

Today I'd like to propose a little creative writing exercise for you writers out there. It's no secret that with so much of our effort and energy poured into our WIPs that we can sometimes drive straight into a roadblock of ideas. At the very least, we can become so immersed into our current WIP that we develop a sort of tunnel vision that stifles our creativity. With this in mind, I present to you my creative writing exercise, which I'll call:

"Scrambling the Pot"

First of all, in order to participate in this exercise, you need to have at least 2 WIPs (even if one of them is on hold)

The object of this exercise is to write a short story using protagonists from your WIPs. You may only use Protagonists in this short story and may use as many as you like from any work in progress you currently have. This short story should be general style of beginning, middle and end, as well as contain some kind of conflict/solution scenario.

The idea behind this is to help you see how dimensional your MC's are. It will help you to understand their similarities as well as contrasts, giving you room to expand on their development.

Math Attack

I've never been a big math fan myself. I always did better in English and Science as they are more interesting subjects to me, but strangely enough I never realized how closely related some math questions were to those subjects. For instance:

"If one typist can type 1 page in 3 minutes, how many typists would it take to type 36 pages in 5 minutes?"

Of this question I remember thinking to myself... 'who the hell cares?'

Now that I'm "all grown up" I find myself in a funny situation to actually caring. I'm in the process of putting together a business proposal/plan to submit to an investor so I can possibly start a new small business in the writing industry. Ultimately, I've actually had to do the math in that above, dreaded, question since it does apply to my business proposition.

Question: How does your K-12 education affect your writing today, be it career or hobby writing?

Back to Business

Ok, I'm back for some more from the literary community. Finished my degree, had my eyes fixed up nice so I can shoot lasers out of them (well maybe not lasers, but I can see again!) and I've settled into my new house!

The stars have aligned and my literary side is begging to break free and be all it can be. So, I post these questions:

How've you been and what have you accomplished over the last year?

Is it where you expected you'd be?

Pompeii Lovers

If you aren't familiar with the story of Pompeii, go check it out on the Wikipedia. I wrote this love poem as if we were lovers in the time and location of the great Vesuvias eruption of Pompeii.

A faerie wing of burning light,
In sunless day like starry night.
We dance on dusk as daytime dies,
Embrace each other with our eyes.

The lupine children call our name
The lords of air they do the same.
We dance on dusk as daytime dies.
Embrace each other with our eyes.

Leafless root-worn grassless field,
Burning wind's touch does not yield.
We dance on dusk as daytime dies.
Embrace each other with our eyes.

Storybook love not false but true,
History will speak of me and you.
Of how we danced,
While others cried.

Locked in embrace,
Until we died.

Fantasy Friday

Ok, my earlier post stunk. It bored me to tears... Let's have a little more end-of-the-week fun.

Here's the scenario:

You've been shipped out to an exotic island, one where you'll have access to everything you need to write a novel. You have a deadline of 2 calendar years to complete it. Beyond the bare essentials, you are allowed to bring one person and one object. Here's the catch though, you and your mystery guest can talk ONLY about your novel. Nothing else! They are to be your idea sparker, your muse, your... you get the idea. As for the object, it can be anything, so long as it will help you write your novel successfully.

Who is the 1 person you bring?

What is the 1 object you bring and the reason it will help?

Eagle Eye

When I look at my art, whether sketches or paintings, I have something of an eagle eye. I can see the most minute problems from any distance. They stand out, they scream, "FIX ME! I'M RIGHT HERE!" Sometimes, they add character to the art, other times it really is an issue that needs to be fixed.

Writing is no different. Last night I had the opportunity to scan through a rough draft of a short story, that I needed to submit, and I saw the glaring issues. My eagle eye shot through all the bull and went straight for the kill.

Question: Is it easy or difficult to spot the trouble in your WIP? I'm not talking about grammar or spelling. I'm not even talking about formatting in any way. I'm talking about the story trouble. Those loop holes or issues that take a story from being sub-par to great.

Sheesh...Cut it out!

We spent a bit of time last week, in creative writing class, doing some edits to editing our short stories. It's often been said that "sometimes less is more," and this is certainly the case in writing. You can read a myriad of 'how-to' books on writing and find suggestions for keeping it straight forward and to the point, but nothing quite impacts you like reading a book and saying out loud, "c'mon c'mon, get to the point already."

If you've found yourself saying that, it's likely that the writer could have cut out some unnecessary words, sentences or even whole paragraphs.

So, what's the point!?

The point is pretty much summed up in that phrase. "Sometimes less IS more." Give it a try. Take a look at your WIP and see if there's anything you could reasonably cut out. You may be sharpening your story!