Conquer Your Rain With A Clear Umbrella #IWSG #WednesdayMotivation #Amwriting
[I wrote this post as a member of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group where we share our worries and also offer support and encouragement to each other on the first Wednesday of every month. If you’re a writer like me and you’re looking for a bit of support, you can click the link and sign up here]
This month’s awesome hosts are: Olga Godim, Chemist Ken,Renee Scattergood, and Tamara Narayan!
And thank you to founder Alex J. Cavaugh 🙂
***
I think it’s fair to say, most of us have lost that shiny feeling about where we are or what we are doing at some point in our lives. Whether it’s personal, professional, or just a block we can’t seem to see through, life, writing, anything might very well seem too large to conquer.
I recently finished something new I didn’t think I’d like doing at all. But my writing friend challenged me to try it. Excited along the process, I’d send her snip-its and she’d text me, “I can’t wait to read this book!” Her excitement was one of the pivotal points I found in an article on how to motivate yourself from time.com :
- “Get Positive”
- “Get Rewarded”
- ”Get Peer Pressure.”
I finished my new manuscript in the middle of February and since then I read a fantastic new book as a reward and now I’m getting back on an old horse, an old manuscript I’ve fought with for years.
So this month’s IWSG question asks:
“When your writing life is a bit cloudy or filled with rain, what do you do to dig down and keep on writing?”
My answer:
- Work hard.
- Try until it hurts then keep trying.
- Giving up doesn’t exist.
Sure, I hurt. Sure, emotion sucks me dry some days, but with the force of optimism there’s no chance I’ll stay in the clouds and the rain for long.
I found this one on Totes.com 🙂
By the way, did you ever have one of those clear plastic umbrellas as a kid? It was the best tool in the whole wide world to me. I could look up through the rain and watch it pelt the top of the plastic umbrella and my hair and face were both still dry. That’s what it takes. See through the rain. It still may pour, but with shiny bright eyes, and a dry head of hair, you might surprise yourself with what you can do. 🙂
And while I’m talking about optimism, I’m really excited about Tick-Tock coming up!
Have you heard about the new anthology? If not, be sure to check it out when it hits Amazon and the book shelves in May because …
The clock is ticking…
Can a dead child’s cross-stitch pendant find a missing nun? Is revenge possible in just 48 minutes? Can a killer be stopped before the rescuers are engulfed by a city ablaze? Who killed what the tide brought in? Can a soliloquizing gumshoe stay out of jail?
Exploring the facets of time, eleven authors delve into mysteries and crimes that linger in both dark corners and plain sight. Featuring the talents of Gwen Gardner, Rebecca M. Douglass, Tara Tyler, S. R. Betler, C.D. Gallant-King, Jemi Fraser, J. R. Ferguson, Yolanda Renée, C. Lee McKenzie, Christine Clemetson, and Mary Aalgaard.
Hand-picked by a panel of agents and authors, these eleven tales will take you on a thrilling ride into jeopardy and secrecy. Trail along, find the clues, and stay out of danger. Time is wasting…
Tick Tock: A Stitch in Crime
Anthology
Mystery/Crime/Thriller
Print ISBN 9781939844545
EBook ISBN 9781939844552
Release date: May 1, 2018
Last note of the day:
The Fascinating Human Character Arc #AuthorToolboxBlogHop
The Author Toolbox Blog Hop is “a monthly blog hop on the theme of resources/learning for authors: posts related to the craft of writing, editing, querying, marketing, publishing, blogging tips for authors, reviews of author-related products, anything that an author would find helpful.” Want to jump into the writing tool box? Search #AuthorToolboxBlogHop or to join via blog, click here.
Thank you Raimey!
***
Would you agree, human nature is an evolving process based on experiences and decisions made in the course of one’s life?
I certainly believe it to be true, though I must admit I’m not in love with all human events that have transpired to me or around me.
In writing, every character should experience an arc, a change in the fundamental core of what drives our actions and goals. Shifts may happen to our character in any number of ways: mentally, physically, spiritually or emotionally. The key is to show these shifts to the reader based on challenges in the plot.
While researching character arc, I came across a couple of great articles. The first article by K.M. Weiland defines three arcs our main characters may experience:
“The Change Arc.”
The most popular choice where the main character is unfulfilled by life and personal choices and jumps through a series of hoops which constantly challenge these beliefs and the world he or she lives in. The result is change, usually for the better.
“The Flat Arc.”
The main character is already sound and strong. They still go through a series of events with the implication that other characters around them need them in order to change. These minor characters change.
“The Negative Arc.”
This character transformation is not positive, but leads the character into a downward spiral.
The Second Exceptional Article
Melissa Donovan wrote a phenomenal article on character arc and gave me some great writing exercises. I’m sharing her first one below:
“Choose a character from a story you know well and plot the character’s arc, noting the gains, losses, and transformations that the character experiences as the story progresses. Make sure you note the corresponding story event with the change that it effects in the character.”
I’ll use a recent book I am absolutely in love with, Panic, by Lauren Oliver.
In Panic, we see two characters in a split POV format, Heather and Dodge. For the interest of time I’ll look at Heather.
- Arc
- Gains and Losses
- Transformations
The Arc.
Heather, an 18-year old going nowhere senior in high school, wears her insecurities whether or not she articulates them. The oldest of two girls with a bum mother, she is desperate for a life other than repeating the patterns of her going nowhere but prison, mom. She enters Panic, a secretive adrenaline-drunk game, the police and parents in the community try to track and shut down. She’s not scared of survival for her life, but she is scared of survival for her younger sister and establishing a better life for the both of them. With the $67,000 reward this year, she could secure a place for her and her young sister to stay. She could maybe start school post high school graduation. She’d give her and her sister a real chance to survive the life her mother lives. The problem? She’s aware of how tall and awkward she is. She believes tiny girls get all the breaks. She’s been dumped. She has to face people who live life much larger than she does, and who have real places to go. These peers are also at this game either as spectators or participants. The idea of a public display in front of everyone haunts her at each elimination battle, until she finds out those friends she doesn’t think she can live without, push her away, humiliate her, and make her question if she can truly rely on anyone but herself to win. Heather is left with nothing but the hope of winning Panic to save her sister from her mother.
Gains and Losses.
Gains
- $67,000
- Respect from her peers
- A safer better life for not herself but also for her little sister.
Losses
Through lies to keep the game a secret, she loses her two childhood friends who are also trying to live their dreams and find the money to define themselves away from their parents and the stereotypes the town and their peers believe them to be.
Transformations.
When her sister’s safety is threatened under Heather’s mothers roof, Heather sets aside all human feelings for anyone but herself and her sister. Heather shows her character arc in physical, mental and emotion manifestations. She slims down. She walks with a different gate. Her kid humor and innocence shifts with the constant adrenaline challenges in the game and in her own personal quiet life. It shows in dialogue, her ability to face any form of humiliation and survive it. She has no choice but to the win the game.
The last point on character I’d like to note came from an amazingly brilliant tweet on Monday by V.E. Schwab.
The success in writing character stems from three things:
-
“What do they fear,
-
what do they want,
-
and what are they willing to do to get it.”
Coupled with a phenomenal character arc, how can you go wrong?
Why You Should Celebrate You #IWSG #WednesdayMotivation
[I wrote this post as a member of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group where we share our worries and also offer support and encouragement to each other on the first Wednesday of every month. If you’re a writer like me and you’re looking for a bit of support, you can click the link and sign up here]
This month’s awesome hosts are: Mary Aalgaard,Bish Denham,Jennifer Hawes,Diane Burton, and Gwen Gardner!
And thank you to founder Alex J. Cavaugh 🙂
***
Years ago, I met someone at work who wasn’t excited about anything.
I sat with her in a conference room, trying to help her imagine what life might be like at work if she could just plan out all the ways she could take control of her tasks, her work life.
Then the tears came. She grabbed a box of kleenex and meekly said, “I can’t. I don’t want to be here. ”
She went on to say she wasn’t living her dreams or the life she really wanted. She felt out of control.
I was much younger then. I didn’t understand at first. But now I do.
Almost twelve years ago, I set a very big goal for myself. I decided I wanted to finally address the passion I’d harbored all my life and had ignored. Writing.
I didn’t know how to get started or what the steps to achieve my dream might look like. I had no formal training, and barely a friend who loved creative writing and would commit to the process the way I tend to commit to things. What I did have though, was a very big idea, and I knew the best place to get started was to first get up. Every day. And think or write or read for at least an hour. I wrote and planned with a fiery fury.
I finished that first book. I also learned that the first book isn’t always as great as we think it will be and I cried. And then I realized something, after the gentle coaxing of my mother and my devoted friends. I’d finished something huge. I started somewhere, and I used everything in my power in each moment to finish that first huge task. They were right. I needed to celebrate that, and bought myself a new book, and let myself disappear into the story for several days, letting go of my own goals for a brief period of time. I found my smile again, and the will to keep trying.
Today, I’m still not where I want to be. But I celebrate. Then I work. Then I celebrate some more.
This month’s IWSG question asked: “How do you celebrate when you achiever a writing goal / finish a story?”
I may have taken a different route to answer the question, but I think the important thing we all should do when we celebrate is to do whatever makes our hearts feel good. We walk taller, smile brighter and find that joy or light again within ourselves. It’s the best way I know how to make it through the tough days. And that’s exactly what I showed the lady I worked with back then. We may not be able to influence where we are in a present moment, but every moment has potential and we can influence how we feel about it and work to change it. Don’t forget to celebrate that.
Is it Writing or Speaking to Your Reader? #AuthorToolboxBlogHop
The Author Toolbox Blog Hop is “a monthly blog hop on the theme of resources/learning for authors: posts related to the craft of writing, editing, querying, marketing, publishing, blogging tips for authors, reviews of author-related products, anything that an author would find helpful.” Want to jump into the writing tool box? Search #AuthorToolboxBlogHop or to join via blog, click here.
Thank you Raimey!
***
On February 15, I finished a first draft of a manuscript. Since then I have been combing through some of my earlier scenes and making initial edits before I hand it over to my editor. I remember something important she told me several years ago.
Make the scene and the dialogue reflect who your character is, and what they are honestly feeling.
I remember back then thinking sometimes what we say and do doesn’t translate to proper English, or make complete sentences. And then I thought about English class. Who likes getting red pen marks all across their sentences in an essay that took hours to write? Weeks?
Not me.
But after I saw her changes to my scene, the light bulb brightened and I think it might have busted from the brightness. She was right. Her edits were exactly what my gritty abused teen character would really say and do.
Today, I’m thinking about the craft in our stories. Most importantly, the ability to write like we speak, like we really react when facing conflict.
So how do you do that? After reviewing a handful of writing articles, I’ve listed my 5 top tips in no order of preference.
- Know your character’s reactions in different emotional settings and to different emotions.
In Sara Domet’s 90 days to Your Novel, she created several exercises to explore a character in different internal and external scenes. These scenes weren’t necessarily scenes in the book outline, but scenes to help a writer explore what you know about your main character. What does he/she look like enraged? Sad? Terrified? Is it different when they’re safe inside closed doors? What does it look like in public, or with his or her most trusted peers?
- Let yourself write first, then go back and ask the questions you need to perfect the action and emotion for your character.
In my first draft, I enjoy writing freely while the images and the emotions are fresh in my head. I don’t stop unless I’m forced to. I try not to overthink until the scene is done. If I did? I’m afraid I wouldn’t enjoy the art of writing so much. But now that the draft is over, and time has set between certain scenes, I am able to go back and ask the questions I need to ask: Would my character really think and do this? How is she showing it? How is she growing or not growing in the moment?
- Choose dialogue words carefully. Evaluate whether or not certain words are true to your character and fit. I tend to steer away from cuss words. But if I have a character who’s young and gritty and grew up with no boundaries, then of course they would push certain cuss words that make me uncomfortable. Or vice versa.
- Read your work out loud. Maybe read it to someone else you trust. Does it sound real to you? Does the motive or action feel real?
- Write to your reader as if you’re talking about the story and not writing it. This is an interesting point I stumbled across in my research. But it’s true. I want to feel my character like I’m watching them and talking to them. Why not write that way?
I hope my thoughts on writing to write or writing to speak helped.
Have a lovely rest of your day.
Cloud Nine Girl 