Showing posts with label Writing in 140. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Writing in 140. Show all posts
Monday, April 9, 2012
Latest Writing in 140 at Blood-Red Pencil: Situating Oneself in the Publishdom
Monday, January 9, 2012
Writing in 140: Seeing Down Writing Journey's Road - Latest BRP Commentary
Where do you see your writing self in 5 years? 10? Check out my latest post on BLOOD-RED PENCIL "Seeing Down Writing Journey's Road" and answer this question and more for yourself!
Check it out here, and leave comments!
The Blood-Red Pencil
Sharp and pointed observations about good writing
[http://bloodredpencil.blogspot.com]
Monday, October 10, 2011
"Writing in 140: Writers Read" - Latest The Blood-Red Pencil Commentary
Most people know how I feel about writers needing to read--today at The Blood-Red Pencil, in another Writing in 140 commentary "Writers Read," I offer a few quick reasons why we need to be flipping pages and reading books (that aren't our own).
Check it out here, and leave comments!
The Blood-Red Pencil
Sharp and pointed observations about good writing
[http://bloodredpencil.blogspot.com]
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
What Makes Your Writing So Special?
In my latest Writing in 140 for The Blood-Red Pencil, I ask (and talk about), "What Make Your Writing So Special?" ~ [link]
Come read the post and leave comments!
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Organic Description - Latest Blood-Red Pencil Post
Description in storytelling is one of those things that can make a story sing or make a story sink. In my latest Blood-Red Pencil post, "Writing in 140: Organic Description," I talk about the importance of weaving description into your story instead of clumping long passages of description into a work, thus slowing the pace of reading for the reader. Check it out here, [LINK], and leave comments!
The Blood-Red Pencil
Sharp and pointed observations about good writing
Monday, May 9, 2011
Latest Blood-Red Pencil Piece - The Beginning and the End
Not too long ago, I started writing short thoughts on writing in 140 words or less and sharing them at the popular blog, The Blood-Red Pencil. Come read my latest WRITING IN 140 for BRP ~ "The Beginning and the End" and lend your thoughts! http://goo.gl/6iS9U
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Finding Time to Write
During the month of April, “busy” was the operative term to describe my life. In fact, “busy” is not a strong enough word to define me.
In April, I:
- edited 4 novel manuscripts and a collection of poetry
- wrote several articles for various columns
- read over 30 articles and sections of books for various academic projects
- hit crunch time for end-of-semester, where I had to produce drafts of non-profit grant proposals, business proposals, pilot studies, etc.
- racked up many hours of “bonding time” with my Usability team as we went through testing for a project that’s due soon
Needless to say, there wasn’t a lot of time to sleep.
But there is one other thing I did in April that was probably the most rewarding: I started and completed Script Frenzy [http://scriptfrenzy.org/]. Created by the founder of NaNoWriMo, Script Frenzy gathers screenwriters from around the world during the month of April with the goal being to write 100 pages toward a screenplay.
All I wanted to do during the month was get some writing done. Even if it were only five pages, I would have been ecstatic, but I finished having written 110 pages.
How did I do that when it seems as if there was no time for it?
Three things helped me find the time to write.
- I TREATED WRITING AS A TASK. Many of us put writing down on our to-do list, but it becomes an expendable task, meaning if something more important comes along, then writing goes further down the list until it disappears. During the month of April (much like I treat NaNoWriMo’s November), writing became a task, just like putting gas in the car, finishing a project for class, or paying my rent. And because I treated it as such, I felt a responsibility to COMPLETE the task.
- I TREATED WRITING AS MY ESCAPE. I haven’t written much during my first year of doctoral work, and it has been very unsettling for me. Before April hit, I told myself that writing would be my refuge during this hectic academic month. Whenever I got stressed, whenever I needed to “get away” from academics, I opened up my script outline, opened up Final Draft and wrote bad pages to my screenplay. When I was done taking my mini “vacation,” I was ready to get back to the school work at hand.
- I TREATED WRITING AS MY ENTERTAINMENT. There are a lot of things I do to keep from doing work…to entertain myself. I get on Second Life and play with my alter ego. I watch TV. I play games on my phone. I play music and dance around until I’m too tired to do any work, LOL. I read. For the month of April, writing became my entertainment. Instead of turning on the TV, I wrote. When I felt the itch to play on Second Life, I wrote. When I had the urge to play music and dance, I played music, chair-danced, and wrote.
What do you do to keep yourself writing?
Writing in 140: Finding Desire to Write
What do you do when it seems as if you've lost the desire to write?
Every writer, at some point of the writing journey, will ask this question. The writing seems to flow like water from a faucet and then one day, it doesn't. Then days later, there's still no mojo.
What to do?
- Read. A really good book makes me remember why I love to write and often makes me want to write.
- Live life. You have to spend time living life in order to write about lives.
- Study self. Go back and read some of your writing. Perhaps doing so will ignite the urge to write.
- Don't worry. This is normal. Use the time to recharge yourself in other ways.
What do YOU do?
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Writing in 140 is my attempt to say something somewhat relevant about writing in 140 words or less.
Writing in 140: Up Close & Personal with POV
Many of my clients use first-person POV. When asked why they decide to use it, most claim the POV makes them feel closer to the main character, like they are inside of the MC's head. I often counter that a close third-person POV can be just as intimate as first person. The problem that often arises in many of these first-person stories is writers want to write in first person, but they want a story told in third-person omniscient, meaning they still want to tell what all the other characters are thinking and doing when that's pretty hard to do when stuck in one person’s mind—unless MC is clairvoyant. If you're going to use first-person POV, be mindful of the limitations that can arise in writing the story.
What say you?
Writing in 140 is my attempt to say something somewhat relevant about writing in 140 words or less.
Writing in 140: Connecting with Characters
Featuring guest star, author Miki Starr Martin [website].
Shon: How do you connect with your characters?
Miki: I become the characters. They’re not external beings for me. I’m not an observer writing things that I see. It’s like acting. An actor/actress becomes the part they are playing and so it becomes real for them, the emotions, reactions, gestures. In the moment of telling the story, it IS my reality. How do you connect?
Shon: I work on character dossiers. A dossier may have images of what the character looks like, the car she drives, the house she lives in, siblings, parents, etc. I write about where the character was just before a story begins, her fears, joys, memorable moments, morals, etc. Sometimes, I jump into a story without these things, but I always find myself coming back to develop dossiers.
How do you connect with your characters?
-----Writing in 140 is my attempt to say something somewhat relevant about writing in 140 words or less.
Writing in 140: What Makes a Book "Good"?
Featuring guest star, author Miki Starr Martin [website].
What makes a book "good"?
Shon: A “good book” is pretty subjective. There’s no one type of good book, but I believe there are “objective” components that are necessary to make a good book like strong characters, great action and dialogue, heightened conflict, etc.
Miki: Not only that but a clear understanding on the part of the author is just as important to constructing a good book. An author with no true connection to the characters and the world which the author has created will read like formula fiction. Being that what makes a book “good” is indeed subjective, it’s that connection and commitment that makes a good story great.
What makes a book good to you?
-----Writing in 140 is my attempt to say something somewhat relevant about writing in 140 words or less.
Writing in 140: Advice for Writers from Writers
Since 1999, I've interviewed nearly 300 authors, from Carly Phillips to Daniel Black, from Bernice McFadden to M.J. Rose, and I always ask, "What advice would you give to writers looking to be published?"
In all the interviews, six pieces of advice seem to resonate:
1- Write from the heart
2- Support and inspire new authors
3- Don't follow trends
4- Don't write for riches
5- Promote. Promote. Promote.
6- Never give up
In other words, writers should be connected to their writing (1, 3, 4), pay it forward (2), know their work and find avenues to sell that work (1, 5), and remember the road is hard but there is light at the end of the writing journey (6).
What quickie advice would you offer to writers looking to be published?
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Writing in 140 is my attempt to say something somewhat relevant about writing in 140 words or less.
Writing in 140: Writing is...
“Writing is turning one’s worst moments into money.” ~ J. P. Donleavy
Perhaps, but writing is also turning one’s worst moments into great reads for readers and personal understanding for the writer. I’ve written many stories that began from a “worst moment” in my life. Because writing has always been so cathartic to me, it seemed natural that I would weave my real-life angst into creative fodder. In writing stories, I can explore the whys and hows of my situation through characters, allowing me to take a step back from the situation and see things from another perspective. Every good story starts with a conflict, and if I can develop a story that satisfies readers while working through my “worst moments,” then to me that’s a win-win situation.
What is writing to you?
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Writing in 140 is my attempt to say something somewhat relevant about writing in 140 words or less.
Writing in 140: Picture Is Worth a Thousand Words (or More)
I spend a great deal of time going around the town, taking pictures of things that fascinate me. I also like using pictures to jumpstart my writing, especially when a lull finds me. When a lull finds you, you can go take your own pictures, or you can scour the Internet, newspapers, magazines, etc. and find pictures that strike you—whether for their setting, for the people in the picture, for the colors, etc. Ask yourself, "How can this picture spark a story?" Think about character, setting, detail, description, conflict, etc., and how these storytelling components can resonate from one single image. It can help jog your mind back to writing as an exercise, or it can help you flow right into a new story.
Have you used photographs to help you generate story ideas?
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Writing in 140 is my attempt to say something somewhat relevant about writing in 140 words or less.
Writing in 140: Making Friends with Your Internal Editor
I used to advocate killing the internal editor, but I now see the importance of making friends with her. The IE often whispers things like, "Scene needs development," "Show more," or "That’s flat dialogue." Instead of halting your writing flow, make friends with your IE and take notes of what she says. I'm currently working on a novel that’s filled with IE notes I will handle in REVISIONS, not in the writing stage. I like having a book DONE, not perfecting a chapter for weeks. We need to learn how to listen to our IE, see how she just might be right, make note of what she says, and MOVE on in the story. Doing so will enable us to get a book DONE and have great notes for revision.
How do you "make friends" with YOUR internal editor?
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Writing in 140 is my attempt to say something somewhat relevant about writing in 140 words or less.
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