April 20, 2011 · 6:00 AM

Does Your Point of View Matter?

Of course point of view matters. I think in many cases it is the most important tool a writer has because it has the potential to completely change a story. Consider a book like The Great Gatsby. Not only is it told in first person (limited, as the English majors say), but from Nick Carraway’s point of view. He is a relatively neutral character and crosses both social circles – Gatsby’s and Daisy’s – so you get to see everything and everyone, but you also have to infer a lot about what happens behind closed doors. Imagine the same story told from either Gatsby or Daisy. It would be completely different and you would miss a lot of the nuance.

Maybe because I put so much weight on point of view as a technique, it scares me as a writer. First person narratives, especially, are scary to me. The whole story needs to be in the voice of that character!

At present I’m working on a young adult story, and some conventional wisdom for that genre is to use first person limited because it helps younger readers relate to the character and be drawn more quickly into the story. There are exceptions to every rule, of course. As a reader, first person stories feel more intimate to me, maybe because it’s like you’re reading a letter or invading someone’s private thoughts. In some of the young adult books I’ve read I think it is too intimate and you know way too much about that person. I don’t know about you, but there’s a lot of things I don’t know about myself and I would not be the most reliable source in a story of my life. Read Presumed Innocent (I said read it, not watch the movie) for a fantastic example of an unreliable narrator.

The story I abandoned was also told from the first person perspective of a major character and I had a very hard time with it. I’m now thinking that was because I did not have a clear enough understanding of that character’s “voice” and individual personality. I base that on how fast and clearly the current story is progressing. It is the first thing I’ve written where I feel there is a definitive “voice” that I can identify. Yet some part of my brian is apparently still working on the abandoned story because it keeps returning in my thoughts. Maybe it is the restless part of me that always wants to be doing something else, moving onward and upward when the work gets tough. Or maybe that’s how our brains (or at least mine) work and I need to allow my subconscious to do some heavy lifting.

Image: Escaping Criticism, 1874, by Pere Borrell del Caso (public domain)

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April 19, 2011 · 6:00 AM

How to Make Yourself Do Anything

It’s time to talk about motivation. Basically, I respond to both positive and negative motivation. Depending on the situation one works better than the other. For instance, I manage to get to work on time every day for the positive reason that I get paid to work and the negative reason that I don’t want to get in trouble. It’s a lot more complicated than that, but those are the core reasons.

When it comes to personal issues it is a different matter. Here’s some of the motivation techniques I’ve used to encourage myself to write over the years:

  • Follow contest deadlines. This gives me a set deadline to work toward and, in theory, something concrete.
  • Pay myself. I set up a payment plan where I gave myself a cash reward every 1,000 words with the total going toward tuition at a writing conference I wanted to attend. This worked great until I outsmarted myself and wrote words just to get the reward.
  • Same as above, except with time instead of number of words
  • Be accountable to another person, an informal “editor”. This worked too except it is an incredible drain on the other person and I can’t expect even the best of friends to do that long term.

All of these things work for a time, and then I run out of steam. So how do you make yourself do something consistently and over a long period of time? As an adult I make myself do things every day. I obviously have the ability, so why is it so hard to make myself do some of the things that are very important to me?

Time is part of the issue. I think that is a legitimate excuse in many cases. While I’m trying to write an hour every day, I’ve decided it would be far better to squeeze in what I can – even 15 minutes – than not to write at all. But I really feel I have that hour a day, somewhere within my day, to write.

How can I motivate myself? By remembering why I want to do this. I don’t want to be that person I hear in the lunchroom who talks about all the things they want to do, but never does them. I want to know I tried my best, and if nothing comes of it at least I did that much. I want to learn and grow and that only comes from doing – not from thinking about it. I can do this!

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April 18, 2011 · 6:00 AM

Discussing Plot

I was describing my new story to a good friend last night. I am not good at condensing things down to a short statement, and this friend wanted to know the backstory and other things that if she were reading would not be apparent until later in the story. Now I have two questions about having this kind of conversation.

  1. Does discussing plot with someone who will have questions/comments (but who hasn’t read the story) influence my future decisions too much?
  2. Am I ruining a potential reader?

Or is it all part of keeping me motivated and focused? People are bound to ask about it, especially when writing this blog. I’m beginning to think I should come up with my “elevator pitch” or short statement to tell people and be done with it.

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April 17, 2011 · 6:00 AM

What Does Your Name Mean?

Names are important. I always felt that my name was a big part of my identity, maybe because I was 12 before I personally knew anyone else named Morgan. That name is much more common now, and I often hear mother’s calling their little girls named Morgan.

I take the naming of characters seriously. It really bugs me when a character in a book has a frivolous name – or at least appears frivolous to me. On the other hand, it annoys me when names are so similar that I have to think about it to keep people straight. For instance, in Lord of the Rings there are two main bad guys – Saruman and Sauron. So similar! Now Tolkien knew very well what he was doing. Apparently, Saruman means “man of skill” and Sauron means “foul or putrid” in Tolkien’s made-up language (according to Wikipedia, which of course is always correct, ha ha). Those are meaningful names for those characters, but while reading or hearing the names it is easy to confuse the two if you are not familiar with the story.

Tolkien was a linguist, and I am not. Even so I find it fun to have some meaning behind names. I would hope the parents of those characters would give some thought to their child’s names, so I should too. Putting some effort into finding a character name also helps each charcater to have their own identity and not be “thrown in” for some effect. That doesn’t mean this is an easy task. I find myself picking names I like for one reason or another, especially for my protagonist, which helps me to have affinity for that character. Here’s some of my tips for thinking of names:

  • Derivatives of words in another language – this results in made-up names, but sometimes that’s good, especially for last names.
  • Direct translations of words in another language. Some of our common names already fit this and it allows you to put the spirit of a character into their name. The best example of this I can think of is the character Remus Lupin in Harry Potter (lupin means wolf in latin and the character is a werewolf – the moment the character was introduced I knew he was a werewolf).
  • Flip through a baby name book.
  • Look up the top names according to the census – common names are good because you’re less tempted to use names of friends or family who might not like their portrayal in your story.
  • Flip through a yearbook.
  • Do a Facebook search for the area you’re writing about and see what names pop up. For me this is good for places I’ve never visited.

Or, we could all make up our own language, like Tolkien.

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April 16, 2011 · 6:00 AM

Need Help with Research?

This may seem like a no-brainer, but research is hard! There’s an old adage that you should write what you know. I think that’s just because you should be most familiar with the things in your own life. I always thought it would be difficult to create a world, as many authors do for fantasy books, where you have to keep track of your own rules and details. I’m not belittling that exercise, but it is much harder to set a story in a real-life time or place that you are unfamiliar with because if you break the rules someone will know.

I think that’s what was hurting my motivation for the story I have abandoned yet again. It is set on the Amazon River, a place I have never been. I have watched numerous documentaries, read several books, even read several books on the job of one of my main characters. I feel like I know a lot, but when I would start writing I would get stuck. Then I decided, this is a draft, who cares! I’m just going to write it and fix the details later. That is an excellent plan in theory, but I can’t seem to do it. I get bogged down in the details.

So I switched to the new story, which is flowing better and does not require that level of research. But I feel guilty. It’s like I’ve abandoned some little puppy that just needs help to grow. At the same time I don’t want to write something that isn’t worthwhile. Somehow I need to let it go and at least finish the current project. Then I will have some sense of completion and can go back to the research with fresh eyes.

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April 15, 2011 · 6:00 AM

How to Increase Energy and Motivation

It’s funny that it only takes one thing out of the ordinary to completely throw off your schedule and motivation. I’m having a hard time focusing the last 2 weeks. Recently I made one minor change that has increased my energy in a way I wouldn’t believe. I’ve never been much of a breakfast person, but I’ve started eating 20-30g of protein for breakfast. At first that sounded like a lot, but one serving of cottage cheese has half that.

What does this have to do with writing? In just 4 days I can’t believe how much more energy I have, which helps me do the extra things in my day, including writing. Just that one change to my routine – I’ve only been doing it 4 days – and I feel more in control of my schedule and have better focus.

What has become obvious is that motivation has nothing to do with my energy level. In fact, often I am less motivated to write when I have more energy because I feel like doing other things. So I’m forced again to come up with a balance between how I feel in the moment and how I feel overall with my life. Of course overall I want to do all these things, but in the moment I want to goof around! However, I’ve had a restless feeling recently in that time after the kids go to bed but before I am tired (not a long time period). I don’t watch a lot of TV, so I’m not prone to veg out that way, but I’ve found myself feeling like I want to do something. I think I’m missing the writing time!  Could it be possible I could enjoy writing, and not just enjoy having written?

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April 14, 2011 · 6:00 AM

Top 5 Tech for Writers

I’m sure there is still someone out there still writing by hand, but for the most part technology has replaced pen and paper for writers. In addition to my writing hobby I’ve worked professionally as a technical editor/writer and freelance writer. These are the top items I believe every writer, regardless of genre, needs. The may seem common sense, but I think it’s important to think professionally.

  1. A computer. Duh. It can be any brand, but every writer should have a way of doing research on the internet, reading and responding to e-mail, and a way to produce text in a word processing program.
  2. Access to podcasts. Podcasts are the radio shows of the future, except they are cheaper and easier to produce. The result is a glut of podcasts, but also a talk show for every hobby, profession, and interest you can think of. Authors are producing their unpublished works as audio files, allowing writers access to unlimited content (and competition).
  3. An e-book reader. You don’t need to go out and buy a Kindle, though it can’t hurt. Just download the Kindle application, or other e-book app, to your computer, iPod, or smart phone and you can read an e-book. I don’t believe paper books will ever completely disappear, but this is definitely the way many publications are going. Modern writers should be aware of how the format is used and changes parts of the reading experience.
  4. Electronic calendar. This can be Outlook or even just a function on your phone. Schedule your writing life the way you would any job. Deadlines should be added to your calendar so you are reminded before you miss something.
  5. Digital camera. If your phone takes excellent pictures then that’s good enough too. Unless you are strictly a fiction writer, every working writing needs to create images as well as text. It is a visual world.

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April 13, 2011 · 6:00 AM

Write a Novel in a Month

It’s not November, but I’m already thinking about National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) in November. I halfheartedly participated in this one year, and have been meaning to do it right ever since. Can you write a novel in a month? Of course you can. People can do anything if they put their mind to it. Will it be any good? That’s a matter of taste, and I suppose, innate talent.

My goal isn’t to write fast, but to write consistently. NaNoWriMo appeals to me in a couple different ways. There is an online community to support you during the month, and it has the feel of a contest, which always spurs me to get moving. In theory, by writing an hour a day I should be having my own little NaNoWriMo each month. I’m trying hard not to think of it this way. My Aunt Janis reminded me recently to slow down and not be on a race. I naturally view many things as competitions, though, even within my own mind and it’s hard to break out of that thought process.

Slow and steady win the race, as it is said. It would be better to eek out a couple hundred words every day between now and November than to wait until November 1 and punch out as much as I can in 30 days.

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April 12, 2011 · 6:00 AM

My Desk is Messy

Image: Wikimedia commons, public domain

I’ve heard this saying both ways: A cluttered desk means a cluttered mind. Or a cluttered desk means a creative mind. The truth may have more to do with the person uttering the quote.

Here’s what I know. My desk at work is clean, and my desk at home is a mess. It could be that I’m just more aware of cleaning my desk at work because people come in and out, but I think it boils down to that I’m doing my creative work at home. Check any home organization website and they’ll tell you this is not how things should be. Your desk should be clean, they shout! You’ll be happier! Get organized and you won’t feel so stressed!

What’s wrong with a little stress? I know exactly what is in the piles on my desk and I like to look at them. At some point I may need something and there it is. Yes, I could file my notes and there is probably some trash that could be tossed, but couldn’t I also be spending that time writing?

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April 11, 2011 · 6:00 AM

The Difference Between Me (and You) and Fictional Heroes

As a reader I get frustrated when a character does something that makes her life harder. Why can’t she just tell him how she feels? Why didn’t he feel the door for heat before opening it to a ball of flame? As a writer I know the answer is to create the tension that make a story interesting to read.

Whether I like it or not there is a big part of me in every character I write, especially the protagonists. I have a continual battle with myself to make those people focus more on their tasks than on the practical concerns that make up most of our lives. One of the gripes I read about the Harry Potter books was the lack of personal hygiene. For instance, did Hagrid have a bathroom attached to his hut? It is portrayed as one room only. Did he use a chamber pot or walk all the way up to the castle when the need struck? Where do the students bathe? There are scenes in bathrooms, but we never see Harry and Ron brushing their teeth. To diehard fans these are real issues, but most of us forgive the omission of daily tasks in lieu of a fast-paced story.

Image from Amazon.com

The best series I’ve read that manages to do both are the Kinsey Millhone books by Sue Grafton (A is for Alibi, etc.). As a female private detective, Kinsey runs her own business, including paying bills and writing reports for clients, grocery shops, cleans house, and even brushes her teeth during the course of her investigations. At first I thought this was frivolous exposition, but as I read and got to know the character I realized how important those little things are to understanding her world. This character cleans when she is stressed, as many people do. She exercises every morning, and for her job that is very important. It’s all bits and pieces of what makes the stories believable.

Do I need to see every character brushing their teeth, though? As much as some people would love to see Mr. Darcy in the shower, I certainly don’t need to see him clipping his toenails. And for him to keep his mystique it is much better to know very little about his personal habits. So it’s a balancing act where you need to give enough detail to draw the reader in, but not so much that you push them away. And to bring it back to where I started, there has to be tension. Unless there’s a murderer hiding under your sink or you have severe gingivitis, brushing teeth is not a stressful activity.

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