Jan 31, 2006 | Uncategorized |
There are tons of books for writers on the shelves today. You walk into B&N or Borders, and you're inundated with how-tos. You want to write a fantasy novel, they got a book to tell you how. Mysteries? Yep. Romance–oh yeah. There are creative writing kits in a box, books of writing exercises, prompts, inspiration, etc. You can find out how to write poetry or how to write articles. There's even a book on how to write in Paris.
The variety's amazing, really, and I always get stuck browsing those shelves and deciding if there are any books I'd like to take home. Many of them are duplicating the same information, quite honestly. Some are a waste of money. I leave it to you to make up your own mind.
Here is a book I didn't take seriously at first:
Why not? Well, you open it up and it's full of graphics. In one case, there's only one word on that fancy page. It's silly almost. And yet, this book is fabulous! It took me a while to realize that, I admit. It also didn't hurt that Professor Goldsberry is a local author and that he came to speak to our RWA chapter. He is a literary author and a University of Hawaii creative writing instructor and he did not, for even a second, look down his nose at the romance writers. I was impressed, not only with his attitude, but also with his no nonsense approach to teaching (and he didn't like all those graphics either, but it wasn't his decision).
The 101 rules are golden. It's a fun book and it's full of good advice. In light of the debate on suspense raging elsewhere (here and here), here's a rule I stumbled across while rereading just today that made a lot of sense to me:
Rule #53: The first duty of the writer is to entertain.
An excerpt from the rule: “Readers lose interest with exposition and abstract philosophy. They're here because they want stories. They want to see things. Be entertained. But they will feel cheated if, in the course of entertaining, you haven't taught them something. Remember the great dictum of Horace, who said writing must ‘delight and instruct.' But delight first.”
This is one book I keep close, if only for the inspiration that reading the rules provides. Check it out for yourself.
Jan 31, 2006 | Uncategorized |
I'd rather be the windshield, but today has been a bug day. And it started out so good too! I was at my computer at 6:30AM, coffee in hand, ready to check out the news and some blogs, tidy up my inbox and answer some email, and then I was going to dive into my WIP.
It's nearly 5PM and I haven't even looked at the WIP. What the hell happened?
Other things, that's what. First, I got sucked into the comments trail on a couple of blogs. I really should know better, but hey, sometimes you just feel like you have to say something. Then there was a question of grammar in the newsletter I edit, which entailed an email conversation discussing the finer points of forms of address.
Oh, and let's not forget the rude moron with a complaint about the newsletter. Nothing to do with me or the content, but irritating enough to tick me off for a couple of hours.
Then there were the emails I had to answer, the ones I should have written and didn't, and my column for the Aloha Chapter's Words of Paradise. The column is due in a few hours. I finished, but it took longer than I thought because of the aforementioned distractions.
Best part of the day so far: when Mike walked in the door and hugged me. Think I'll go read a book for a while. Maybe I'll have a few minutes to get to the WIP later, but right now I'm just not in the right frame of mind.
Jan 27, 2006 | Uncategorized |
Alison Kent has a great post today. What are you willing to sacrifice to write? Can you put in the 18 hour days that are often required, or would you feel deprived because you had to give up television or going out to dinner and a movie? Are you willing to devote your life to the dream, or would you regret the lost time?
It's an interesting thing to think about. When I'm into a story, I can hole up like a hermit in a cave and be perfectly happy. I detest distraction. I don't want to leave the house. I shower because my husband would protest if I didn't. I get dressed, even though I could stay in my jammies all day. I get lost in the fictional world I'm creating.
One thing I absolutely stop for, even though I don't want to: exercise. I am committed to jogging and lifting weights to stay in shape. It takes time out of my day, up to 2 hours when you consider warm up, cool down, and shower. But I keep doing it, knowing it's good for me.
What have you given up to write? What do you refuse to give up? Think about it. The answers might surprise you.
[Forgot to say that R.J. Baker has been talking about the same thing over on his blog. The man just turned down a 6 figure day job offer to keep writing full time. Now that's dedication.]
Jan 27, 2006 | Uncategorized |
North Shore waves. Tiny ones compared to what they can be in winter.
Jan 26, 2006 | Uncategorized |
I used to have a lot of respect for Oprah. I used to think she was this extraordinary person with lofty ideals. Today, her image is a bit tarnished. Now I know she's as motivated by the almighty dollar as much as the next person. It's disappointing.
In an extraordinary reversal of her strident defense of the author whose book she catapulted to the top of the best-seller list, Oprah Winfrey said today she believed that the author James Frey “betrayed millions of readers” by making up elements of his life in his best-selling memoir, “A Million Little Pieces.”
She added that she believed “I made a mistake” when she said that the truth of the book mattered less than its story of redemption.
[…]
“I gave the impression that the truth does not matter,” Ms. Winfrey said. “I made a mistake.” To all of the viewers who called and wrote to her telling her she was wrong to allow Mr. Frey to maintain that his book reflected the “essential truth” of his life even though substantial details were falsified, Ms. Winfrey said, “You are absolutely right.”
Well, yeah, people complained. They emailed her, they wrote articles about her, they objected to being lied to. They objected to her defense of the liar. So now she has to reverse course. Her empire won't collapse because of this. Hell, it wouldn't have collapsed even if she'd continued to defend him.
I'd have been more impressed if she'd have confronted him on Larry King. Now, it smacks of backpeddaling. Damn, another icon ruined. I'll just file her away with Santa and the Easter Bunny….. (And yes, I know I should have known better.)
Jan 25, 2006 | Uncategorized
These tips come from a book called The Pocket Muse by Monica Wood.
1. Don't wait for inspiration; establish a writing habit.
2. Take time off.
3. Read voraciously.
4. Shut out the inner critic
5. Claim a space.
6. Claim some time.
7. Accept rejection.
8. Expect success.
9. Live fully.
10. Wish others well.
Which of these do you have the most trouble with? I'm working on incorporating them all, but I think I have more trouble with getting over rejection than with accepting the idea I got rejected. When writing, I probably don't read as voraciously as I should. This is because I'm staring at the screen and trying to figure out what comes next. I'll start reading many books, and won't finish half of them.
And, oh my, number 9. I forget which day of the week it is when I'm into a manuscript. I've been known to lose an entire week (just ask my friend, who I briefly had convinced that he'd rushed a week when in fact I'd lost one). I've also been known to shed dress sizes during the manic phase of writing (I don't mind that one).
Any other commandments you'd add?
