You Said It: Advice I'm Following

I have reached the point of turning in my first draft of my writing project for feedback from my supervisor. This draft consists of the story I've written thus far along with a dot-point outline for continuing as well as any issues I plan to address while writing the next draft. I have not allowed anyone besides my supervisor to actually read my story so far because I fear having too many opinions at the start. I know what I want my character to do and say, so I don't want anyone other than my professional supervisor to give me advice at this point. I think Stephen King said something along the lines of "Write with the door closed. Edit with the door open."

I have been following a few other key pieces of advice while writing and establishing my own style and writing habits. Here are just a few:

• Do not use adverbs to modify when someone is speaking. This advice comes from Elmore Leonard's 10 rules of writing. He says never use anything other than "said" to carry dialogue. I have found this to be an effective piece of advice. It leaves the dialogue free to sound like it should. Saying things like "Sally mused quietly" just doesn't work because it seems to force the reader to see that this is the way Sally said something. Well, when I read something, I want to imagine how the speaker says something. Don't tell me what to imagine. Simplicity can be golden. I also sometimes leave out the "saids" completely when I can. The flow is much nicer when reading, and the words do not distract from the dialogue. You can read the full 10 rules of writing by Elmore Leonard here.
• Keep a regular writing routine. I know this advice is said over and over, but it is no joke. If I miss a day of writing, it can be difficult for me to trudge back into it regularly. Even if you just jot a few words down in a notebook; on a napkin; or on the back of your hand, write something every day. 
• Try hand writing your story. This advice might not work for everyone, but I find writing by hand to be freeing. If I make a mistake, I scribble and move on. If I am typing on the computer and make a mistake, I will backspace until I get the word just right. That action is distracting and takes up valuable time. Hand writing creates a natural first draft situation that can be tweaked as it is typed. Here is an article by a writer who says writing by hand actually helps her write faster to meet deadlines.
• Only show your draft to a select few trusted readers. I have read in several advice columns that authors sometimes make the mistake of showing their unfinished and unedited work to too many people. Readers are different. Every person is going to visualize your main character in a different way. That is the point isn't it? Imagination carries you through the narrative. Well, what if you have conflicting imaginations giving you advice? It can blur the idea you have for your story. There should be more than one reader for your story, but perhaps limiting the number of readers can actually be beneficial at first. 

I am just growing into my writing style and chosen genre, so hopefully I can continue this growth as my project progresses by continuing to follow the advice of my supervisor and other successful writers.

Cheers!



Copyright (c) Emily D. Wood
Photo via Favim

Writing Community and Advice

Since I have been working on my Master of Arts in Writing, I have been introduced to a world that I only hoped existed. Well, this world does exist. I have been given a chance to get involved in a writing community in Townsville, Queensland (Australia). I am loving the idea of hanging out with people who just get it. I have received a lot of excellent advice, attended workshops, attended public readings and met published authors. I have been able to become a member of the local writing center here The Townsville Writers and Publishers Centre. This organization puts together various writing workshops, performances, etc. and offer services to local writers. Here is the best advice I've gotten: join your local writers groups. Get involved in writing communities. 

I have received a lot of awesome advice since beginning my Post-graduate degree. I have been meeting each week with a group of writers at a coffee shop to do writing sessions. We do 25 minute sessions of no talking just writing with 5 to 10 minute breaks between. I find that sometimes the 25 minutes go by quickly and the time is focused so I often get more done in those 25 minutes of writing than I would in an hour. This video from Lyra Communications via YouTube is a short concise version of some of the best writing advice.

The most important piece of advice I've been given over and over again is this: READ LIKE A WRITER. I had a professor begin a lecture on the first day of class with "I hope everyone here is a reader. I will have to ask you if you are not a reader, what are you doing here?" This professor went on to say that she would not have been so harsh with her undergrad students, but at the graduate level, we need to know better. I agree. Reading is so important to writing. As a writer, I'm studying what others have done well and what they haven't done so well and why. I am then able to focus on what I can do that will be good but will set me apart in a different way. How can I manage a certain theme the way so-and-so author did while making it unique? This is what reading like a writer is all about.

Happy reading and happy writing!

(C) Emily D. Wood

Photo via Favim

New Adventures

I have been absent from my blog for a good while now. I hope to get back on top of things. I am really excited because I have been accepted to James Cook University in Australia. I will be getting an MA in Writing. I can hardly believe that I am actually going to get my Masters in a writing program. My significant other and I will both be able to study at the same school, so we will get to enjoy the adventure together.

I have spent the past two and a half years at Troy University's Dothan Campus and have become quite comfortable there. It is now time for me to break out of my comfort zone and really start chasing my dreams.

I am anxious to meet new professors and learn more in depth information about writing in general. I am hopeful that I will be able to share more information and better information on writing with every new thing I will learn.

I cannot wait to get new perspective and get to live in a whole new place.

Here's to chasing dreams and making them happen!





Photo Logo via James Cook University
Copyright (c) Emily D. Wood

Publishing an Academic Paper

I have finally officially decided to get off of my rear and get busy submitting some academic papers to a few journals. The whole idea is terribly frightening, but I am going to push through it. I have one particular paper already picked out that I have also presented at an Undergraduate Research Forum. As with anything I do, I have put my heart, soul, blood, sweat, and tears into my work. When I find an idea that I am completely interested in, I enjoy writing academically almost as much as creatively. I am now perusing through the mountains of journals out there that accept material on Contemporary Fiction. At least this is a start...I have a long way to go. I have to be mindful of submission guidelines, the length the submission needs to be, and I have to be willing to adjust accordingly. Hopefully I will find a good fit for my paper.

Any thoughts, ideas, or suggestions on this topic would be greatly appreciated!

Cheers!


Copyright (c) Emily D. Wood
Photo by Photl

Dialogue and Gilmore Girls

I can only hope to ever write dialogue as compelling as that of the television show Gilmore Girls. I never grow tired of watching the episodes over and over. It's like studying an art. This show has little action really. How many scenes involve characters talking on the phone or just standing and conversing? The dialogue is what drives the show forward. The script is masterfully written, especially where the dialogue is concerned. The characters talking to each other does not just create a crutch for the plot. There are some shows and movies that could function just fine as silent films. Gilmore Girls could not. This concept is not negative. When the main characters, Lorelai and Rory, have a conversation, it is like a dance. The choreography is nearly flawless.

I really miss new episodes of Gilmore Girls, but all things have to end at some point. I am still holding out hope for a Gilmore Girls movie. I have read that the script for this show was usually about 15-20 pages longer than the typical script with the extra pages being made up of all the dialogue that made this show such an amazing work of art.

As a writer, dialogue can be difficult for me. Writing dialogue that does not feel forced is a chore sometimes. I have started revisiting Gilmore Girls starting with the first season. Studying the dialogue is extremely rewarding. Even the characters who only have a few lines fit into the puzzle like interlocking pieces. I feel fortunate to have found this work of art disguised as dialoge that I can study.

Happy writing!


Copyright (c) Emily D. Wood
Photo via The WB

Writing Frustrations

It has been far too long between posts here. Upon graduating with my Bachelor's Degree, I was supposed to have tons more time to write. (Yeah, right!) I have found myself spending all of my spare time catching up on all of the things I neglected while I was in school. "What needs to be fixed? The screen door? Oh, well, I have homework. I'll do it after the semester is over." I have a to-do list twelve miles long thanks to "I'll do it after the semester is over."

My to-do list also seems to be infringing upon my creativity. I sit down to write something, and I get...nothing. I stare at the page just waiting for something to happen. I have not been able to get out and people-watch for ideas. Nor have I been able to go somewhere that will inspire. The stress of playing catch-up is severely hindering my creative process. I find myself feeling as though a pillow is covering and smothering my creativity.

So, what am I to do about this? The first thing I MUST do is get a handle on my to-do list. Sometimes stress seems to create a cloud that blocks out the creativity. I have to force myself to take a step back and relax. I need some "me time" that I can devote to inspiration. The life changes I am facing now are taking a toll on me as well, but "this too shall pass." I do often talk to God, and this does help. (No judgement here if you believe differently than I do of course.) As a writer, one of the worst challenges (for me) is writer's block. I am used to inspiration striking me and the words flowing out onto the page in a frenzy. Well the flow of words has hit a dam. I am trying to work through this so that I may get back on track.

What do you guys do when writer's block hits? What do you do to gain new inspiration?



Copyright (c) Emily D. Wood
Photo Credit: Photl

Writing from Pictures

Sometimes I find myself in situations where I am at a loss for inspiration. Luckily, there are tons of writing prompts out there to peruse through. I am finding the photo prompts to be incredibly interesting. Using pictures in order to create a story can open up so many ideas. I have noticed that a few of my blog friends have also used this exercise, and some have shared their stories. I have read suggestions about using this type of prompt ranging from flipping a magazine open to a random page, picking a picture, and writing about it to getting a random picture from a friend.

I am currently reading a book by Ransom Riggs called Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children in which he has taken collections of old photographs and created an entire story using them. The pictures are including within the story and incorporated in a unique way. The novel almost makes me want to go out and start hunting down old black and white pictures! The story is not what you expect it to be (in a good way), but Riggs has taken the pictures and used them in a way that makes the story seem real.

Writing from pictures gave me another idea as well. I love to "people watch." I find the adversity in the human race to be fascinating. I cannot always capture unique moments in photos, but I can capture them in my mind. If I can write from a picture, I can write from a memory. I suppose you could try to sneak pictures of people and situations, but getting caught could have soem adverse effects I'm sure. I try to carry a small notebook around with me to record my observations. I also take notes on my phone.

I think some really interesting stories can come from looking at pictures and real life observances. I am going to start seeing what kind of pictures and situations from which I can gain inspiration. I would also like to see what would happen if several people take the exact same picture and write a short story about it. I bet if you took five people, you would get five uniquely fun stories.

Have you ever used pictures as inspiration? What kind of stories have you been able to write from them?

Happy writing!

Copyright (c) Emily D. Wood
Photo Credit: Photl

Find the Write Time

I have found myself caught up in one of the most common issues for writers. When in the world am I going to find time to write? I have a full-time-40-hour-per-week job (because writing does not pay the bills just yet), and I am a full-time student who attends class in a face-to-face fashion. Between homework, jobwork, research papers, reading assignments, and exams there just isn't a lot of time left to devote to writing. Or is there? I stumbled across a blog article by Jessica Strawser, editor for Writer's Digest, commenting on this very subject entitled How to find, Rather Than Make, Writing Time. She points out that even writers need some time to just sit and do something that has nothing to do with being productive at all. Sometimes we just need to take 30 minutes and watch a tv show or take a hot, relaxing bath. (Actually, the bath could qualify as a productive activity in my opinion since you can take a book in there with you, and books are tools for writers.) We shouldn't have to completely give up the things we enjoy doing. Perhaps we should just reduce the amount of time we spend on nonproductive activities rather than cutting them out altogether. I always feel guilty when I do something else when I need to get some writing done. I constantly think, "I need to be writing!" Sometimes these thoughts infringe on my "me" time or family time. Honestly, there is no need to feel guilty about enjoying life. Life is too short to let great moments pass us by.

So, what does this mean? How do I find the time to write? We are told over and over by other people (experts and non-experts) to make time to write. Well, why not figure out what time we aren't using? There are no rules for this kind of thing. No one says you have to sit down and keep your rear in the seat for no less than an hour. Some writers do set goals of so many words in one sitting or so many words per day. These goals are great for those writers who have that set amount of time to sit and write. As I said, there are no rules. We really need to do whatever works best for us. When I am at work, I have about an hour for my lunch break. I will often bring my lunch to work so that I can 1.) save money and 2.) get some writing/reading done. I can hide out in the break room or even stay at my desk and just close the door and work away while I eat. I also think that this method is good for those of us under a time crunch becuase it helps keep us from force writing. The last thing I want is for someone to read my work and be able to feel how much I struggled to write it. Breaking up the process can often lead to new ideas as well as give time to reflect on what you have written.

So, maybe we can all take notice of free time for writing that we didn't realize we had before. I do most of my writing on weekends and on my lunch breaks, and I always carry a small notebook around with me in case I find myself in a situation where I can jot down a few lines (waiting room, standing in line, etc.). When do you find your time to write?



Photo by Photl
Copyright (c) Emily D. Wood

Read Like a Writer

I have heard the advice in the past “read to write.” I had absolutely no idea what this meant until I found myself reading like a writer, and I didn’t even know it. I try to read many articles on what makes a writer’s work good and what a writer can do to improve this or that. Recently, I have begun to notice a great pattern. Almost every writer’s advice article that I have read in the past month has mentioned this in some way. Read like a writer. Read in order to be a better writer. Read in order to learn. Pulitzer Prize winner Junot Diaz was interviewed in this month’s Writer’s Digest. One of the bits of advice asked of each author featured in the article Eye on the Prize was “No. 1 Craft Tip.” Diaz stated very simply: Read. A fellow blogger posted an author interview with Sarah Allen at The Writer's Block where she asked the question “If you could give any advice to other writers, what would it be?” The first answer again: Read.

This got me thinking. If I could write like any author who would it be? I am not saying everyone should imitate another author. That would be missing the point entirely. So much can be gained by reading a great and successful work. Read someone’s work that pulled you in so fully you couldn’t wait to read what would happen next. Suzanne Collins, for instance, with her Hunger Games Trilogy had me turning pages as fast as I could until I could finally reach the end of the story. I feel that Ms. Collins has a masterful way of creating characters that we, as readers, become emotionally attached to. I want to write characters this way!

All of these things have made me realize that every book I am reading is more than just good entertainment. Every book can be a learning tool. When I am stumped over certain issues, I have begun asking myself “How does (insert author’s name here) do this?” How does Suzanne Collins introduce each character? How does J.K. Rowling make me care for Harry Potter? How does Stephen King create his plot? What can I learn from best-selling authors about telling stories? What can I learn from them about…well, everything?

I am going to keep asking myself these questions. I am also going to keep reading and rereading and learning. Reading like a writer is no chore. You just pick up a book and go for it. All of these authors simply can’t be wrong about this.

Keep reading like a writer, and keep writing your heart out!


Photo by: Emily D. Wood
Copyright (c) Emily D. Wood

Writing Decisions

I have finally made the decision to push myself forward and become a more dedicated writer. I find that nearing the end of my "career" as an undergraduate student has ignited some type of flame within me. I know that every person who feels that they were born to write has the similar dream of becoming a famous author. I would love to see my name etched across a book cover along with a title of a best-selling novel that I wrote. I know that if I ever want to even get near even publication consideration that I must never give up. Life can be incredibly distracting and difficult. I have a full-time 40-hour-a-week job, 5 undergraduate classes, and basically zero free time for myself right now. The time I can devote to just me, I have decided to give to my writing. I feel that if I can write just one page per day or just a few lines of poetry, I have succeeded in some small way. I know that if I push myself forward I can gain so much more than simply becoming a famous author can give me. Writing seems to teach me things about myself that I am not even aware of until they come out on the page. It is as though I am introducing each side of me to another side of me. I find that being able to paint colorful pictures on a page with words alone is more freeing than anything else I have ever done.

With that said, I leave this page with a couple of awesome quotes:

"The role of a writer is not to say what we all can say, but what we are unable to say."   ~Anaïs Nin

"You must stay drunk on writing so reality cannot destroy you." ~Ray Bradbury

Write your heart out!


Copyright (c) Emily D. Wood

Photo by: Photl
Quotes compliments of Quotegarden

Positive Words

As a writer, sometimes finding words with positive connotations can be a bit difficult. I am not a negative person, but there are times when I feel as though all of the words I am getting down on paper practically bleed impending doom. I have been attempting to encorporate a few positive words in conjunction with my fire-and-brimstone ones in order to add a bit of balance to my poetry while still maintaining my personal style. I found a link to a site that provides an entire list of positive words.

I also find that just reading some of these positive words do create positive thoughts. Sometimes writing can be difficult and discouraging. I feel that we all need a bit of positive thinking in our lives from time to time. I find that it helps me pull myself back up and realize that the struggle is worth it.

Happy writing, everyone!



Perhaps this list can be of some use in the future.



Photo: Photl

Poem: The Master of Storytime

I am currently enrolled in a creative writing class. Our first assignment was to write a piece inspired by a song. Here is what I came up with:

The Master of Storytime

The Master sits alone engulfed in his dark thoughts.

The red and golden fire blazes and warms him pulling him back from his abyss.

Thoughts contrast dark and bright birthing both enemies and heroes.

Gaia: she could be the mother of it all if he succeeds.

Breath-pace quickening, heartbeat following, the journey begins.
Once a child with many dreams,
he reaches deep into that child-man’s heart.
Painting the shore with mere words
powerful black and white explodes color and sound.
Imagining worlds into existence
holding them in the palm of his hand open wide.
Words cannot fence this canvas once blank
now beautiful magic pouring forth.
Like the stars swallowing the universe whole.
He is the voice and dream of every man;
He commands Never-Never-Land and secretly he is father to Peter Pan.
He reads the sky into existence; He writes the kites flying above so high.
Memories are gifts from the Master who reads them real.
The journey is his game; he is the destination as well as your home.
The Master tastes the night and feels that high that madness can be.
The Imaginarium encompasses the one creating tales he dreams until they exist.
What is life if not a tale of adventure, love, pain, and woe
Where happiness is locked away hidden yet to be revealed?

 Copyright (c)  Emily Wood (Inspired by“Storytime” by Nightwish)
Photo by Photl

You Just Never Know

This little flower surprised me one day as I was heading into the building at work. I was not having the most particularly fabulous day. You just never know what you are going to come across that will instantly cheer you up. This brick is a porch wall outside the building. I just could not resist capturing this moment. Inspiration can come from anywhere. Maybe I will even write a poem about this.

Photo: Copyright (c) Emily Wood