Category: Thoughts and Ramblings

A Brief Announcement

Apologies for the past few posts for those who felt spammed. Technology, for all its delights and advantages, doesn’t always cooperate. That being said, this will be a brief announcement for today’s post.

I’ve decided, after some consideration and thought, that I’m going to be doing fewer blog posts on here. While I enjoy the act of posting and keeping my blog active, my current situation makes the blog a little overwhelming. So, starting this month, we’ll be on a new schedule to make things a little easier for me and a little more predictable for you.

The First Sunday of every month will be a general blog post about my writing life and all the Behind The Scenes stuff that people are curious about. I still enjoy those posts and feel like I’m connecting with people and letting them see the side of the writing life that is normally kept very private and unspoken. The Third Sunday will include a new piece of fiction for you to enjoy. I feel like my “One Fiction Piece A Month” pattern is good, but it’s getting lost in between all the other posts (ideally, this will also keep me posting lots of new things on a regular basis). I like posting on this blog, but I also feel like it should be a vessel for my writing, not just ramblings.

This schedule may change as my situation changes, but I feel for my health and this blog, that I need to slow down a little. I have no intention of stopping, just cutting myself some slack. My Twitter will still be very active and I’ll try and keep my Facebook more active. But coming up with totally new content every week is just a drain on resources I don’t have. So, I’m gonna try and step away from the keyboard once in a while.

So, this will be the Behind the Scenes post for the month. Stay tuned for the fiction piece!

Writing, Twitter and the Intersections

There’s arguing that social media is a very powerful tool, whether it’s individuals communicating to one another or a business trying to stand out through the digital marshes, social media like Facebook and Twitter have become cornerstones for our increasingly digital world. And there are so many ways to use it as a writer.

“But, Nick!” You say, “I heard social media was making us more distant. No one talks to each other anymore!”

This is only as true as the idea that newspapers no longer make us social. For anyone who is trying to make a name for themselves, especially as a small business, social media could make a huge difference! And what business is smaller than trying to make a career writing? So in the spirit of that, here are a few of the most popular ways I’ve seen writers use their 140 Characters on Twitter.

Updates: Whether it’s a tour, a new book or a word count, I always like seeing progress being made by my fellow wordsmiths. Hearing an author is going to be in town always gets me to check my schedule really quick, just to see if I can make their event. It’s also fun hearing about new projects or even chatting with other writers about their current progress. It’s important to celebrate little victories!

Give Aways: Everyone loves these. Well-established authors have the opportunity to do promotions, giveaways, and other prize opportunities! Usually, they ask for likes/retweets or something along those lines so that people can very easily enter drawings for special prizes!

Interacting: At the end of the day, this is what social media is all about. Tweeting other writers about projects, answering questions, replying to responses, these are all crucial elements to building a name. An author with fifty thousand followers doesn’t have any advantage over an author with fifty if they don’t interact with their followers in any way. Writing can be isolating and lonely, even if you love it. That’s why it’s important to interact (when you’re not writing) and build a respectful relationship with followers, friends, and fans! I always try and answer questions in the #WritersTellMe and #authorconfessions tags to get conversations going there.

Those are my three most regular uses for twitter as a writer. You can always follow me on twitter @NickWWriting if you aren’t already for regular blog updates (and occasional surprise interactions). If you’re a writer or some other self-promoting artist, how do you use your social media to boost yourself?

 

Burnout Recovery

Man this month, I tell ya.

After a thorough (counts on hands) three weeks of being understaffed and overworked, the day job really starts getting to you. When I’m not on my feet, most of my time is going to writing or errands (with the occasional bout of D&D mixed in for flavor). I’ll be very glad when this month is over and things make sense again. But I’m still trying to keep dedicated to my writing work.

Writing while combatting burnout is, to say the least, stressful. But I find myself doing a lot of plotting/planning while riding the bus or during my almost daily run. Sometimes though, I need to step away from the keyboard and lay on my couch, letting my mind wander.

Tea helps a lot. I find a great deal of relaxation in the actual tea making process. It’s a very sensory process: the smell of tea, the milk spiraling in as it mixes or honey dripping down into the mug, the sound of the boiling water, the warmth that fills the cup and (of course) the taste. It gives me a break to stop focusing on what I’m working on a difficult scene because I focus on the process. And then, once it’s finished, I have a nice cup of something hot to regain my focus.

Burnout happens. A lot. Writing is a very solitary profession and it’s not like you can pass it off to someone else and take a break. So, it’s important to say “Five Minute Break” when you’re fighting a scene. But it’s even more important to come back recharged for round two when you’ve finished making your tea. Just don’t forget it’s there. Nothing worse than cold tea.

Getting Motivated!

I hate alarm clocks. I hate the sounds they make. I hate the “Is it snoozed or is it off?” uncertainty. I hate how they always seem to go off right as you’re getting to a good part in your dream. But, I’ve recently decided to embrace my alarm clock and let it be my ally in my writing (so far, it’s an uneasy alliance but has promise for strong relations).

These last few days/weeks have been kind of rough. Work has been extra stressful and things have been kind of tricky to work out in other areas. My writing, sadly, has suffered because of this. So, I’ve decided to try a new approach. Screw inspiration, embrace the motivation and dedication. There are a few things that I’ve done in the past and will continue to do to make this a reality.

Firstly, I need a schedule again. This has been an issue for me in the past. I get flustered through out the week with a sporadic work schedule and weird morning shifts. So, I’m going to start using my time more efficiently. The blue is the time that I set aside for writing task: Querying Agents, working on a new project and writing blog posts (like this one here). It’s mostly and an attempt to stay in the mode of writing. Doing it first thing in the morning means I won’t be out of energy to do it when I come home at 6:30 or 8:00 at night. By making this schedule and keeping it, I’ll be able to establish a better sense of dedication to my work by sectioning off time at the beginning of the day to write something. I’m using iCal, but Google Calendars and other free apps are also good options.

The next big struggle is motivation. I find that seeing my progress is really helpful. Part of what makes Nanowrimo work really well for me is the accountability and daily goals that make is so much easier. A friend recently recommended the site Pacemaker (pacemaker.press) for developing and keeping a Writing Plan. You put in your goal, your timeframe, your pace preferences and it helps develop daily goals for you to aim for with writing (or any other goal). You can upload these goals directly into your calendar and update the site as you go along. As you can see, it’s pretty hit and miss for me (last month in particular, but yesterday was a great day).

Any art is a matter of habit. The more you do it, the better you get, the easier it is. The problem is waiting for inspiration, for those beautiful moments when the words come pouring out in a string of eloquence and elegance. But that only happens about 10% of the time you sit down to write. If you’re lucky. So, screw inspiration. If it comes it comes, but it’s up to the artist to be waiting for it when it arrives.

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!

A More Mindful TBR

So…my To-Be-Read pile is out of control.

I’m not the fastest reader. I’d say I’ve read maybe…25% of the books I own (and I moved to a smaller place, so most of my books are in storage across the country for now). And between work, my writing, and this blog, it’s easy to forget I have a stack of books waiting on my nightstand. I need to be a better reader (surprising, I know), but I feel like I also need to read better. I don’t always pay attention to authors as I read, but occasionally an author sticks out for me more than most. Yet, when it comes time to pick up a new book to read, I never think of them.

So, here is a list of authors I’ve read and why I want to read more books by them:

  • Naomi Novik- This is an author that I really like, both Uprooted and the Temeraire series (which I can never spell correctly on the first turn). I’ve read a good chunk of the Temeraire series, but it’s one that I don’t normally think of when I’m looking through my TBR pile. So I’d like to finish her series because I love her style and her work is very unique, with rules governing her fantasy worlds and the mythical creatures that populate her worlds.
  • V.E. Schwab- I loved A Darker Shade of Magic. Admittedly, I don’t think I own any of her other books. However, I had the pleasure of hearing her speak when she visited the bookstore (I lurked in the back, hiding my nametag) and she was funny and genuine, like her writing. I’d like to read the rest of that series, but also want to branch out to more authors.
  • Ursula K. Le Guin- I know, I know. I am way behind on this one. Le Guin is one of the best known and most renowned writers of fantasy and science fiction. But hear me out. I’m currently reading The Left Hand of Darkness and I’m loving it. So I plan on reading a lot more Le Guin in the very near future.
  • Malcolm Gladwell- My first experience with Gladwell was in college, reading Outliers for an intro psychology class. It was probably one of the coolest nonfiction books I had the chance to read in college. He takes on a unique view of the world, our minds, and the questions that you might not think about.
  • Brandon Sanderson- Again, I know, I know. Sanderson is another huge name in the realm of fantasy. The books and stories by him that I have read have always been very entertaining, but I have trouble keeping up with buying his books when I do finally get a chance. But I intend to seek him out and find more of his books in the future.

I’m sure there are names that I’m missing and names that I should add, but there’s only so much reading a person can do at a time!

What are some writers that you’ve read, but haven’t gotten the opportunity to add? Do you sometimes forget writers you really like or do you only read one writer at a time? Leave it in the comments below.

You can follow my reading habits and more by following me on Twitter using the links to the right!

The Naming of Things

(No, this is not a Patrick Rothfuss post)

Names are one of the most interesting tools at a writer’s disposal. Whether it’s a character, a place or an all-powerful item, Names are the first impressions that we give readers, whether we mean to or not. Sometimes, a name carries a certain weight to it for one person that it might not have as much effect on another.

Characters:
There are two people who own more than one baby name book: Expectant Couples and Writers. And even then, the writers probably have more.
I have four baby name books in my collection that I refer to when I need a new name. I find they often have good descriptions to give it context. I always try to think about my characters: who they are, their heritage, what their nickname preferences would be. I also think about the connotation that may come with the name (usually a quick google search will list any problems at first glance).
Another interesting thing I’ve seen done is using nouns as names. A perfect example would be Sodapop from The Outsiders. In my opinion, it’s unexpected and gives the character some personality (in this case bubbly) before we really get to know them. It’s tough to pull off, but with the right context, it can prove very interesting.
When it comes to fantasy names, it gets even trickier. I like playing with vowel sounds of fantasy sounding names, usually just sitting in my apartment playing with the phonetic sounds until I get it just right. Transcribing these sounds is a little trickier, but one thing I suggest? Avoid apostrophes. They make the reader stumble, so keep it simple. If your being is magnificent and interesting enough, ‘Carl’ can be a name that inspires fear in your readers when done properly.

Places:
A map is only as good as the cities you’ve named on it. The way we name towns occurs in a couple different ways, from what I’ve noticed. Usually, they’re geographic or honoring a former resident. A town named East Brook, for example, obviously would have been settled east of (you guessed it) a brook. Obviously, all names won’t be that simple. Or a place like Washington, District or State, is named after a figure that requires historical context to understand.
For fantasy towns, I like incorporating whatever geographic landmarks are nearby. A River or Mountain is easy to identify on the map, so I might call a fortress town River Hold or a town in between mountain peaks The Crease. In worlds without helpful street signs, large geographic markers make for the best kind of directions.
(Side Note: Always name your cities, or at least the ones you’ll be visiting. Nothing bugs me more than hearing about ‘The Captial’ unless there’s a good reason for it. Even if it is only referred to as ‘The Captial’ give it the honor of a name.)

Things:
Who wouldn’t love a Poison, Flaming Sword of Doom in their collection? But let’s be honest, that’s a bit of a mouthful. When I name items, I either make it obvious what it’s meant to do or I make it more obscure. When I talk about Eryn’s Razor Bow, it’s clear what the intent is before I even describe it. If I talk about The Orion’s Blade, we know it’s some type of blade, but the exact context is a little difficult. Is it a sword that gives strength? Is it a sword of space rock that has mystical powers? Tough to say for sure. It’s more fun.
Furthermore, giving weapons titles is a fun way to add backstory to your character’s tools, and often your characters. Orcrist from The Hobbit translates to The Goblin Cleaver. So it comes as no surprise that this sword has a less than amicable history with goblins.

The Power of Language:
One other thing to consider, when naming anything is the languages at your disposal. Tolkien’s Elvish Langauge was undeniably a cornerstone for his trilogy, especially when naming people, places, and things. Do your dwarves have a language you’ve developed? It would be an amazing opportunity to incorporate some of the languages into your story. Shifting from the “common speech” when naming things in your world gives the world more depth and makes it more interesting.

What are some of the best names you’ve heard of in a story? What really sticks out when you see certain names on the page?

Some Free Advice

“You need to know the rules well enough to break them.”

I was talking with some writing friends recently about the same things we hear in every course or workshop that we’ve done. There are a variety of “laws” to writing that every professor, every instructor and every person who writes will tell you. Some of them are obvious and some are decent pieces of advice. But a lot of times, we shorten them to one sentence and the free advice becomes exactly what you pay for. So, as someone who has been writing for a bit and knows several other writers, I wanted to kind of give you my take on some rather useless free advice.

Said Is Dead
(Even I’m guilty of this one, I’ll admit) This advice comes from the advice for varying your word choice. While I think that varying your words and sentence structure is important, you don’t have to become a human thesaurus. “Said” is one of the words that I’ve heard some people say to just delete from your vocabulary. But in my mind, that’s ridiculous. You can, and should, use “said” when writing dialogue. If you feel that you’re overusing it in an exchange, feel free to leave them out, just having a line of dialogue standing on its own. There are alternatives, but you don’t want your dialogue to become a collection of sighing, calling, yelling, wheezing, whispering, gasping, groaning and exclaiming. Use alternatives sparingly. It makes the times you do use it more exciting.

Show Don’t Tell
This advice starts with good intentions. 95 times out of 100, I totally agree with it. But there are instances when you can just state something. There are easy ways to show information. Shaking hands, watery eyes, and a cracking voice all lead us to think sad. But when you need to quickly convey information (Julia had a rough childhood in Scoot, Wisconsin) you are allowed to tell if it’s not very crucial to the current plot. You don’t have to go back and go through all of Julia’s childhood. You’re welcome to allude to a few examples to back up the statement, but I would recommend one or two instances of showing and telling the rest.

Write What You Know
This one makes me scoff. I once heard a joke that “If every writer wrote only what they knew, we’d have too many books about English professors having affairs with young coeds.” And there is some truth to that. “Write what you know” has been misinterpreted as “Write only about your experiences.” I believe that it should read “Write what you have thoroughly researched”. I think that an author has a responsibility to research their subject matter and their characters. Obviously, it’s easiest to write from our own perspectives, but don’t be afraid to research your subject matter and explore new material. Contact experts, explore your subject and research your topic!

Write For The Market
This piece always makes my heart drop a bit. One thing I hear a lot of is “You should write a book about blah blah blah. That would sell well!” And yes, it is true. If you want to make a career of writing, you should be thinking about sales. But I wouldn’t really want to write the stories or tales of someone else. I don’t want to write what’s popular or in the market. I want to write what makes me happy and that I want to read and get excited about. So, don’t write for a market. Find your market. That’s the only way you’ll be happy with your work.

Do you agree? Disagree? What’s the best writing advice you’ve gotten? Comment down below!

Man’s Best Friend(s)

When I was about…let’s say 5 or 6, we got a dog. It was the first dog I’d ever had of my own. We got Rex as a puppy from my Dad’s Friend. His introduction to the family was oddly timed, as we moved and changed towns/schools shortly after getting him. Through that transition, Rex was a big help when it came to friends (like many introverts, I was a shy child) and probably my best friend for most of my elementary school days (or primary school or grade school or whatever makes you most comfortable). Since that point, I guess I’ve always been interested in the relationships between humans and animals. It comes up a lot in real life and also plays a part in my writing.

And I’m talking about the non-mystical relationships that people form with animals. The kind of relationship formed when two individuals share a strong and powerful bond. Like Chito and Pocho, from Costa Rica, a man who swims with his seventeen-foot crocodile and plays with him like a dog. Or in 1969, the story of Christian the lion, raised by humans and still recognized them after he had been introduced to a new pride. Kevin Richardson, an animal behaviorist, was able to integrate himself into a pack of hyenas. Seriously, go Google any of those and you’ll be aching for an African big cat of your very own (But please don’t, they’re wild animals).

Through all these examples, we see a few commonalities: Trust, Respect, and Patience. I think that’s partly why I like these relationships so much and feel the need to include them in my writing. As human as we can be sometimes, it takes an animal for us to really see what we’re like when faced with a challenge. Rex was my dog and my best pal for years (he was thirteen when he finally passed) and he made me a better person for it.