Honing your craft

 

I'm think I am getting to be a decent writer. At least people tell me that.

Unless you are a total natural, there is really one thing that's going to help your writing. That's writing. Okay two things, reading to others you respect, getting their feedback and listening to their suggestions. Maybe that's five things. You can decide which ones you need to follow.

I wrote some short stories when I was younger, and looking back on them makes me cringe. I think I was trying too hard.

Then came an unfortunate illness which put me in hospital for a few weeks in England. When boredom began to overtake me, I started an old school, pen and paper, journal.

When I finally got back home, I picked up those notes and started to write them into a diary.

I have to admit I thought they weren't half bad.

A short while later I was talking to customer at the bar we ran, and told them about my writer's aspirations.

She invited me to come to the Parliament Street Writer's, a group which met every Monday to read and critique.

I soon became a regular and began to look forward to reading my works, and also receiving hints. Some I totally accepted, while others didn't always quite fit.

But I was now in writing mode. I began to take the little ideas I had all day and put them into story form.

The more I did, the more the ideas flowed. The more I read them to the group, I realized I did have a knack for story telling. 

The constructive criticism they gave me was invaluable. 

I was starting to love writing, and giving my own takes on the other's works.

This isn't a biography so I will fast forward many years. I am a member of a few writer's groups. In some of them we meet, mostly via zoom and offer our readings and critiques.

Others are more like a social media thing, where we post questions and problems about our writing and offer suggestions to one another.

I have since published two books, which would have been unthinkable back in those early days.

Writing is now a huge part of my life, and although I hope to get better, I am more confident that many people enjoy my stories now.

I am sure even a five-star chef had trouble making a grilled cheese at some point. 

It's all about doing what you love, and accepting constructive criticism and advice. 

It's called honing your craft. Most of us have been doing it all our lives in our chosen profession. In time, you are able to stand back and say, "Yup, I am pretty good at what I do."

Just for Fun

Had a bit of trouble choosing a topic, so i reckoned i'd get some other folks to do it for me. Enjoy.                                                                                         

                                                                                                                                                                                                       

                    

     

Don't Let Genre Trap You

 

Having written about writer's block last post, I found myself in the frustrating position of wanting to start a new project, but every time I tried, tried being the operative word, there was nothing, nada. I was drawing a blank. Not that I didn't have ideas, I had some ideas about aliens, alternate realities, a Zoom meeting where people kept disappearing. I got a good feeling about a ghost living in an old mansion dealing with the visitors who came looking for a good haunting. 

There are times when these flashes would send me to my keyboard until I was well on my way to writing a ripping good yarn. But instead the sticky note where I had written my notion, sat there mocking me, daring me to come up with a tale. 

Then the little voice, which I try to ignore most of the time, gently nudged me and asked, "What are you doing? Are those the only kinds of stories you can write? Are you type casting yourself already?

Of course, I've written other stuff before. Why am I limiting my self. It sure isn't working out too well.

After our little chat, I simply went on with my day, and lo and behold not one hour later, I had an idea, a great idea. And there were no spaceships, supernovas, hostile aliens or evil entities. It was something else entirely. No I am not going to say what it was because it's only in the infant stages. But it was off on another track entirely.

I sat down and dashed off the first 500 words in no time. And I had enough notes on my sticky papers to see this baby get fully grown.

So my point is? No matter what you enjoy most, or what you are best at, or most knowledgeable with, don't get stuck in a genre rut. A good Italian chef can make a delicious French dinner. A good sci-fi writer can write a western. Your favourite genre is not your only path to writing. So if you are stuck for an idea in the vein you are used to, step back, open up to all the ideas around you and if it isn't a part your repertoire, then make it so. You might be happily surprised. 

 

The Well Never Really Runs Dry.

 

These two words are the scourge of any committed writer. 

Writer's block.

It might start like this.

You have a vague idea for a story.

So you grab your cup of coffee, sit down and open a word document.

Half an hour later, the cup is empty and you are staring at a blank screen.

A flash of fear crosses your mind.

I have no ideas, I've got writers block.

What if I can't write anymore?

Or maybe it comes down this way.

You finish a story, and you're quite pleased and you can't wait until the next plot line comes to you so you can start your next project.

A few days later you are still waiting. You are looking around for inspiration. But there is nothing. Show me the inspiration. Nada.

There's nothing there. A few days more of this and the panic creeps in. 

What if that's it? What if I never come up with another idea?

Is this the end of my writing career?

 

Here's the good news. Writer's block is not terminal. I don't know a single writer who experienced this dreaded moment, and went on to never write another word.

This too shall pass.

The fact is, you will get over it. You will write again, and unless you have a deadline from a publisher, this is really a non issue.

Ideas are out there all along the road: you just may have taken an unplanned detour.

Maybe you are just tired.

Perhaps you have other things preying on you.

Possibly you just need a break from it all.

So what to do? As the Tao says. Do nothing.

Go for a walk. Take a road trip. Meet up with friends. Read a good book. Seriously!

Above all don't fight it. 

I'll repeat it,

"This too shall pass."

To Write or Not to Write

 

First of all I will begin with disclaimer.

You DO NOT need to be a writer. It's not in the contract you signed at birth. You mean you don't remember doing that?

Well along with that were the other clauses that said you had no obligation to be an actor, or a singer, artist or a dancer or any other creative endeavour has to offer.

But that doesn't mean you can't sing, dance, chant, draw, sketch, yodel, whatever makes you feel good.

So it is with writing. You don't have to have any particular skill, or have taken writing as a major at Carnegie Mellon University.

All that's required is that you have something to say.

One quick look at social media is proof enough that a lot of people, for better or worse, want to be heard.

That means pretty much everyone can write.

Is it good, is it rubbish? Well that's pretty subjective, but you'll never know until you try.

My first real writing stemmed from a diary I kept while in hospital in England, suffering from a viral pneumonia.

When I got home I decided to put it all together and see what i had. Turned out I had something, humour, pathos, drama, it was all there. To my surprise, it was met with some pretty good reviews.

You might dabble with some poetry. Maybe express your feelings. Possibly talk about a dream you had. 

Whatever it is, it is writing. May not be Pulitzer prize material, but it is still valid.

Writing is in our blood. It's as natural as singing in the shower, or doodling on a napkin.

We all have a creative side, and many of us want to express it in some form or other.

SO this post is merely a bit of a pep talk for all of you who have ideas but never put them down. Forget about how you perceive your level of talent, your fear of criticism, or whether anything will come of it. Just write it down.

If that's where is stays, so be it. But if somewhere down the line it becomes more, then all the better.

It might be a few lines you read twenty years from now which rekindles an old memory, maybe it will be a short story you tell you grandkids one day. and yes perhaps it will become something that you work on and nurture which leads to something much more.

In the meantime, if something in you has the urge to write something. Then succumb to it and just write. Good, bad, ugly, poignant, touching, even magnificent, it doesn't matter. 

Hey, you didn't think you were a writer, but you are writing, and guess what that makes you?

Getting a Makeover

 

This is more of an announcement than a blog post. Although it applies to all your writing.

You will notice the theme and background of "Stephen's Scribblings and Scrawls" has changed.

There a couple of reasons for this. When I first selected the theme it seemed to fit in with my writing style, a bit dark and moody. However, this theme also meant that the posts were sometimes difficult to read, what with the murky background.

After hearing from a few readers (thank you for your comments) I decided to give the blog a makeover, give it a brighter more accessible look.

This is the result, at least for now. 

The other reason for change is simple, things get old and sometimes a new look, like a new shirt brightens things up.

Where does this relate to writing? I'll give you a moment to ponder this. Okay,  if you said that you don't need to be stuck in any genre and can explore new avenues any time it feels right, then you earn a point.

If you suggested that perhaps an old story you abandoned long ago could be reincarnated in a new version, you get another point.

Even a published work can be revisited and give the makeover, as many renowned author's have done with their old works.

So, I guess this makeover can serve as one big metaphor for writing.

QED

( quod erat demonstrandum )

Not being a smart ass, just always wanted to put that into my writing. This seemed as appropriate a place as any.

Picking Your Crew

 

You have that great idea for your story. Your plot is masterpiece. There are intimate slices of life, twists and turns, drama, suprises, insight, imagination: everything needed to make a best seller. You've got a pretty good idea of who you want populating this world you have created. 

It's all looking pretty promising. But here's the thing. And you know there's always a thing. 

In order to make your story shine above others, you need these characters to be memorable, unique, witty.

Wait , I hear you say. Do they all need to be positive?

The answer is, not at all.

These beloved characters can be miserly, grumpy, pesty, contrary, and not the kind of person you might choose to be  your BFF.

But what you do next will make them memorable. You will make us care about them. Your readers will turn the pages eagerly to see what happens to these people.

What makes for a good read is not so much the storyline, but the characters who walk that line. From the lead role, down to the cameos, your readers will stick around if they can relate, empathize and feel a connection. 

How do you do that? First, you will give them some redeeming qualities no matter how dastardly they may be. They will be the kind of person you would want to sit down with and see what makes them tick, even if you wouldn't trust them to babysit your cat. 

You've heard the old adage, show don't tell. That's elemental. Don't introduce your character by telling us everything about them in the first meeting. This is not a police line up. 

Sneak the information in as you go. 

Replace descriptions with happenings. He wasn't fat. Instead, he flopped his massive frame onto the couch. He didn't wear a flashy shirt. Rather, when he met his friend, the friend said, "Dude can you turn the colour down?"

His superior attitude towards the waiter in the cafe, shows he is a snob. Her refusal to listen to the good advice of her friends are testimony to her stubborness.

You get the idea. Too much description can be over bearing. Let your character develop over the pages, rather than come completely assembled. That gives the reader more leeway in deciding how they feel about them.

And whether they hate the persona, or love them, the one thing you want them to come away with is that they care and want to see how things pan out.

 

A Word About Words

 

Writing is about words. Anyone have an issue with that? Eating is about food. Agreed? What happens when we eat too much? Our tummies hurt and we have to stop eating. When we try to read overly verbose writing our brains hurt, and we will likely jump ship.

Words are wonderful and they can convey emotion, action, colour, quirks, drama, on so on. But remember they are still just words, they aren't real life. Your job as a writer is to make the two as close as possible, so the reader feels he is living the experience.

Once you start to throw words around like confetti, you cloud the story, you distract from your intent, and you likely lose your audience.

It's very easy to become self indulgent, look at something you wrote and think, "Isn't that clever, let's see if I can do it again." Before you know it ,your story is lost in a forest of verbose, rambling distraction.

By all means use creative and colourful language, but don't use  it just because you can. Be economic; if something is a simple act, it doesn't need a four line description. Save that for the things that can really use some colour. 

Some writing coaches are down on adjectives and adverbs. By all means use them, but only when needed. Why say talked loudly when you can say shouted? Was the sky swirling with dark, black clouds or was it angry? 

When you go to edit, read it as if you are seeing it for the first time. Does what you read take you right into the story, or do you feel like an outsider watching someone show off?

You're a writer, you have a gift. Share your magic with the world. You have one chance to grab a reader with your words, or to send them running to another author. Use you words wisely.

Inspirations and other short stories

Instead of writing a long laborious essay on where inspiration comes from, I'll keep it simple. Truth is it comes from everywhere, full stop. But if you are having some issues with ideas and sources, maybe this will help. 

Hope you find something you can work with here.

BTW it took me longer to make this than it did any of my other posts.

Hello World It's Me

 

I'm going to make some assumptions here. One is that everything has gone successfully with your publication. I assume you are sitting with a few hard copies in a box just waiting for someone to read. Also, I assume you are hoping for you and your book to become household names, or at least to be in a few households.

So now it's time for you to to introduce yourself to all those readers out there, looking for something new.

I'm now going to dash one of your own assumptions. That is the presumption that everyone you know, your friends and family are going to queue up at your door begging for copies of your book.

Sadly that isn't always the case. A few family and close friends will buy your book in the first few days of publication, and it feels pretty good. But after a short time you realize that in order to get this thing moving, you are going to have to get out of your comfort zone and slog it out in the trenches. (Excuse the cliche). By that, I mean do everything you can to get out there and make yourself known. 

I'm still a bit of a noob, but here are some of the suggestions I have picked up along the way.

Join writer's groups. There are lots out there (several on Facebook). Some are just online connections, and some have regular sessions to support each other and critique each others work. The more input you have the better.

Start your own website or create a blog. Make sure you post regularly.

Even if you aren't a fan of social media, bite the bullet and go on as many as possible. Push your book in your posts. It's not boasting, it's called promoting.

If you have an Amazon's Authors Page, use it, fill it up. Update it as much as possible.

If your area has book festivals, go. Pay the fee to set up a booth, and let people see you and your book in person.

Try to get interviewed. There's a UK internet radio station that will interview you. Contact chatandspin radio.com. Very nice people.

Contact any talk radio or cable televisions in your area and ask to be interviewed. Send them a copy of your baby.

When I worked in talk radio I received dozens of author interview requests every year. Needless to say we didn't do them all, but if something looked interesting, we had the author in for an interview.

The possibilities are only limited by your imagination. Again, when you connect with other authors, they will suggest things you haven't thought of. It is a lot of work, but you didn't come this far to let your book be lost in the forest of books that are released every day. Your readers are out there. They just haven't found you yet. That's your job.

And one more thing:

Once you start posting you are going to find offers from everywhere from people who say they will promote your book for a fee. Some are good, some maybe not so. If you choose to go that route, just be sure to do your homework before you sign up. Hint: if there are four spelling errors in their first message, you might want to give them a pass.

And yet another thing:

Have fun with it, It's kind of fun.

Let's Wrap This Baby Up

                                                                 

I don't want to see you get too cocky, but you can surely enjoy this moment. Your MS is complete. To be clear that means you've edited it until you are sick and tired of looking at the thing. 

You've found someone to format your work and get it ready to publish.

You've found a reputable publisher who will put your book out there.

For the eBooks, you'll likely go with Amazon, but there are others out there. Again, your formatter will help you with that.

Yup, it's a pretty good view from up here.

Before you submit for publication you will need an ISBN number. That's non negotiable. It's also easy. Just go into the government site and follow the instructions.

DON'T FALL FOR THOSE SITES THAT SAY THEY WILL GET YOU AN ISBN NUMBER FOR A SMALL CHARGE!!!!!

There is no fee for getting an ISBN number if you get it from the government site:

https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/services/isbn-canada/Pages/isbn-canada.aspx/

You'll need to pass the ISBN number on to your formatter. It'll give you that cool looking barcode which makes you know you are a legit author.

Once you get your copies of the book and the covers, and are pretty comfortable sending it off for publication, then you're ready for the big step. 

Most publishers have a simple process of guiding you through the submission. They will walk you through it. As each one is slightly different, I won't go into that. 

Make sure you order an author's copy first, so you can check out everything before you order more copies. Yes this is important, on my second book they somehow failed to put in the table of contents on the first run. Thankfully I caught it before I ordered more.

Now as I said, stand back and savour the view. You are about to dive into the ocean of promotions.