tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5661528703268231682024-03-05T13:21:27.878-08:00Detention Block AA-23"You have not yet written your best work." -Tracy HickmanAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07554437528656081132noreply@blogger.comBlogger23125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-566152870326823168.post-10547613081945830842015-06-13T14:53:00.000-07:002015-06-13T14:53:40.649-07:00Nuke The Site From Orbit<div class="MsoNormal">
The topic for this month’s Ramble is Best Revision
Techniques. What are the most effective ways to revise your writing in order to
make it stronger, clearer, more concise, or more engaging? Honestly, this is
something I’m still learning about. And while most of my colleagues will be
focusing on specific edits, such as noun or verb changes, I’m going to take a
broader approach, looking at the overall picture of your story.<o:p></o:p></div>
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So you write a story, or a chapter, or whatever your little
heart desires, and you send it to friends, colleagues, coworkers, neighbors,
and everyone under the sun who is willing to look at it. They read it, mark it
up, and send it back. A lot of those revisions will be line edits; typos,
pronoun confusion, misused words, etc. But, if your readers are really paying
attention, they’ll have other comments about your characters, plot, motivations,
or settings. They’ll tell you what didn’t work for them, and why. Maybe they’ll
give suggestions on how to fix, or maybe you come up with the solution
yourself. Either way, you then go back into your story or chapter, cut out the
junk, and insert your fresh new ideas.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkaWpjHNz3im-RIckivaZtFTimOkd_6C8vKP4dcS5c4Xn9sgFJlfEuk8k_48-qrTADWeRhPeaFH8K8Z6YKtBuUJzBU7Rt_pZG4QLpz_mCt-sBEQDAwZHpOEIMhyphenhyphenRONvTPtMvko8lt7h4Q/s1600/Frankenstien+Parts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkaWpjHNz3im-RIckivaZtFTimOkd_6C8vKP4dcS5c4Xn9sgFJlfEuk8k_48-qrTADWeRhPeaFH8K8Z6YKtBuUJzBU7Rt_pZG4QLpz_mCt-sBEQDAwZHpOEIMhyphenhyphenRONvTPtMvko8lt7h4Q/s200/Frankenstien+Parts.jpg" width="200" /></a>This is where the problems begin. Because as it was, the
chapter had a certain flow to it, a feeling of cohesion and order. As you go
back, cutting stuff out and shoehorning new ideas in there, the chapter starts
to take on more of a Frankenstein’s Monster feel. In the same way that the monster’s shoulder may not match the arm that’s attached to it, your story may suddenly has these jarring changes of flow or voice. Maybe when you wrote the first draft you were in a poetic mood, so the writing was more flowery, whereas now you’re adding more functional components that just don’t jive with the current language. Even though you’ve made the correct changes to improve the story, now the writing itself feels clunky and mismanaged.</div>
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So what to do? Like adding a clump of clay to a sculpture,
you can go back over it repeatedly, smoothing out the seams and trying to force
it all to blend together, or, as the title of this post suggests, you can start
over.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>"I say we take off and nuke the entire site from orbit. It’s
the only way to be sure.” –Ellen Ripley</b></span></span></div>
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Sometimes, and I would even go as far as to say, most times,
if there are major structural changes that need to be made to your story, the
best approach is to start over. Which sucks, obviously, and this is not advice
that I, myself, follow often. I’ve already put so much time and effort into
what I currently have, why would I want to go back and do it all again?</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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Writing is like making cookies. Maybe you accidentally use
baking soda instead of baking powder, (because who can ever tell those two
apart, right?). Obviously, this is going drastically affect the flavor of your
cookies. So, you have two choices. Try to pick out all the baking soda, which
won’t be easy if you’ve already added flower, or eggs, or anything else that
the soda will mix easily with. Or, scrap the batch and start over, making sure
to use the correct ingredients on the second go.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMZ5VbFKKWPNc0hGSCFP5gEqOUGD2iZx32CI7VrHM3xcimpvgZS-sw8-myk_czLY3-kyDI9-Gnz8ZhBwG73y0EolxH9HrsmY3ECATeSG7fxShAZG2ZFEhTiKRY0QzMdkdAoo5Mk3_yVC4/s1600/MolassesCrinkles.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="182" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMZ5VbFKKWPNc0hGSCFP5gEqOUGD2iZx32CI7VrHM3xcimpvgZS-sw8-myk_czLY3-kyDI9-Gnz8ZhBwG73y0EolxH9HrsmY3ECATeSG7fxShAZG2ZFEhTiKRY0QzMdkdAoo5Mk3_yVC4/s200/MolassesCrinkles.jpg" width="200" /></a>It’s the same as your writing. If something doesn’t work for
your readers, you can go back and try to pick out the offending parts, hoping
to get out every grain so it doesn’t spoil the taste, or you can start over
with a new recipe that includes the right ingredients. You already know what
worked in your first draft, so you know what to write again, and now you know
what needs to be included to make it a better story. Starting fresh with both
of these in mind means you’ll get your chapter or story right, and it will all
flow smoothly and naturally.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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It may be extreme, and like I said, I rarely do this myself,
but if you want your writing to flow like the lazy river at a water park,
smooth and seamless, trust me, this is the way to do it. </div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07554437528656081132noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-566152870326823168.post-42963703114636124952015-01-26T13:02:00.002-08:002015-01-26T13:02:42.101-08:00I'm thrilled to report that I was invited to give another guest blog post over at the writing blog, Fictorians.com, this time about character development.<br />
<br />
This is a great blog by writers, for writers, with guest posts by some of the biggest names in the industry, such as Dave Wovlerton, Brandon Sanderson, and Kevin J Anderson. I'm honored to be invited to participate.<br />
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You can find the article here:<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.fictorians.com/2015/01/26/6427/" target="_blank">The Fictorians, Character</a></span><br />
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You can also read the first article I wrote for The Fictorians here:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.fictorians.com/2014/10/23/when-to-walk/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">The Fictorians, Fear and Loathing in Writing Life</span></a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07554437528656081132noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-566152870326823168.post-87929465711659723872014-10-27T12:00:00.001-07:002014-10-28T10:00:54.824-07:00Lightning Flashes<div class="tr_bq">
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<img src="http://images.sodahead.com/polls/002247601/493164554_Scary_Stories1_xlarge.gif" /></div>
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It's October. And one of the greatest things about October is Halloween. And I'm not just talking candy and costumes. October is a time for tricks and treats, but also for frights, thrills, bad movies, and scary stories. The theme for the Writers Ramble this month is Scary Stories, specifically flash fiction. Each member of the Writers Ramble has written a spooky piece of flash fiction specifically for this month's post. Unfortunately, I got a little side tracked working on a guest blog post over at <a href="http://www.fictorians.com/2014/10/23/when-to-walk/#comments" target="_blank">The Fictorians</a>, and so I failed to write a complete flash story. Instead, I decided to try my had at micro-fiction, which, if you can believe it, is even shorter than flash fiction. </div>
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Recently I read a collection of two sentence horror stories. Some were fun, some were kind of lame, some were actually pretty chilling despite the fact that they're shorter than the Trick or Treat rhyme your kids say at the door. So, working under a time constraint, here's what I came up with:<br />
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When I was a child, hearing my mother’s footsteps on the stairs down to my room always panicked me, because she might catch me in mischief. These days, those same footsteps terrify me…because she’s been dead for ten years. </blockquote>
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Now, it's not a great story. The idea, I think, has been done before. But it was fun to write. The feedback from our writing group was almost universally the same: "This is a great hook for a longer story." And they're right. Once I saw that, my mind started spinning, weaving a story out of these opening lines. I haven't put anything to paper yet, but who knows? Maybe something great will still come of this idea.<br />
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Since I failed to complete the actual task of writing a spooky flash fiction story for this month, I decided, along with my micro-horror story, to include a few flash horror stories that I wrote a few years ago. (That way this post is more than a half page long.)<br />
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So first up is a story I wrote in 2013 for an online horror flash fiction contest over at the <a href="http://forum.escapeartists.net/index.php?topic=6891.0" target="_blank">Escape Artists</a> forums.<br />
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<u><span style="font-size: large;">UMBRA</span></u></div>
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUG-ZooC7rrsE6vfkdFTXT6qlhSiQEOsEWyAnhO5TK_1X0mb3tUb69C6nTcahT8_5dNRJqHeln79nTcQpsEwDtDPkDvSsvv_KEMArZrEgdFH72kD32LqEIUL_xOHv0_XEUwOxDNMUzp3k/s640/creepy+hands+silhouette+shadows+creep+monochrome+1920x1080+wallpaper_www.wallpapermi.com_89.jpg" /></div>
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Janette stifled a yawn and glanced at the clock. 1:05am, far later than she’d intended. She dog-eared the page and closed her book. A quick check of the house, turning off lights as she went, and— </blockquote>
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Janette stopped dead in her tracks. Outside the large front window stood a dark silhouette—a man, watching her. Janette’s breath caught. The figure, tall and broad shouldered, made no move, its features completely shrouded in the darkness.</blockquote>
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<i>The baby!</i> Janette’s first thought. She raced to his room, wishing Tom wasn’t away on business. She pulled the baby from the crib ignoring his cries of protest.<br />
The figure stood outside the baby’s window.</blockquote>
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Janette ran from the room. He was still outside, but what if he tried to break in? She had to call for help.</blockquote>
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She reached the stairs and skidded to a stop. The figure—still cloaked in shadow—stood at the top, silent, unmoving.</blockquote>
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Janette screamed and ran. How did he get in? She raced for the cellar. The baby wailed as she clambered down the stairs slapping at the light switch as she went.</blockquote>
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Reaching the dank cement room below, Janette slammed the door shut. There was no lock. She had to block it—</blockquote>
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The figure hovered in the back corner of the cellar. Janette froze. He slid towards her. Terror overwhelming her, Janette backed away until she pressed against the closed cellar door. The baby choked on its screams.</blockquote>
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The figure stopped inches from her face, its features blank; a solid form of black.</blockquote>
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<i>Run</i>, it hissed. <i>Get out...</i></blockquote>
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The figure moved back and Janette flung the door open and dashed upstairs. This time she headed for the front door, bursting out into the cold night beyond.</blockquote>
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She was met by a circus of emergency vehicles rolling to a stop on the street in front of her. Responders piled out, making for her house. Someone stopped to ask if she was all right. Confused, Janette turned to find the attic of her house consumed in flames.</blockquote>
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How hadn’t she noticed the fire? It was the upper floor only that burned. She’d been downstairs the whole time.</blockquote>
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The roof collapsed, imploding into the rest of the house. Janette gasped. If she hadn’t been running from the shadowy figure…</blockquote>
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“Mrs. Buxton?” A voice said from behind.</blockquote>
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Janette turned to find a man in a suit who introduced himself as the Chief of Police.</blockquote>
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“It’s about your husband, ma’am,” he said. “I’m sorry to bring this to you, especially at a time like this, but there’s been an accident. I’m afraid he’s been killed.”</blockquote>
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The Chief’s voice faded in Janette’s ears as the news washed over her. Tom was dead. And she’d nearly just died herself</blockquote>
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She searched and found the shadowy figure standing under a tree not far off. He was still hidden in blackness, but his stance now seemed familiar.</blockquote>
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Then he was gone.</blockquote>
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Again, not a great story, but it did make it to the semi-finals of
the contest. When I sat down to write this story, I thought about what the
scariest thing in the world to me is. The answer is a black silhouette watching
me through a window. That image in any movie or book has me crawling out of my
skin. So that was the starting point for this tale. There are a few
plausibility issues, and some severe coincidences to make this story work, but
even with those faults, I was pleased with the semi-finalist outcome.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The other story I wanted to share comes
from the <a href="http://forum.escapeartists.net/index.php?topic=6821.0" target="_blank">same contest.</a> <br />
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<u><span style="font-size: large;">HAPPINESS IS...</span></u></div>
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<img 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" /></div>
<blockquote>
Abby Carter slurped the last of her daiquiri through the straw and rested the wavy glass on the table beside her beach chair. The taste of strawberries lingered on her tongue while foamy waves lapped at the sand before her. A seagull’s screech split the air, the only creature in sight.<br />
Abby nestled into the wooden chair and pulled her sunhat low. Her bronze skin soaked up the rays of the sun overhead and she reveled in the warmth.</blockquote>
<blockquote>
Her stomach growled. She took another sip of daiquiri. She didn’t know who had refilled it. It didn’t matter.</blockquote>
<blockquote>
In this moment, she was happy…</blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote>
Cory Steel’s knuckles glowed white as he clung to the cliff face. The midday sun baked his bare back, sweat trickling from his shoulders. He glanced up, the apex of the rock mere feet away. Cory dug the tip of his climbing shoe into a chip in the smooth stone and lunged, groping with his free hand. He found purchase and pulled himself atop the sandstone monument.</blockquote>
<blockquote>
He reached for a granola bar, but found his fanny pack was empty. Though the view was glorious, the beauty to Cory was the climb itself. He longed to do it again.</blockquote>
<blockquote>
A new stone monolith towered over him. He glanced up with a grin and began to climb. He didn’t know how he’d gotten there, but it didn’t matter.</blockquote>
<blockquote>
In this moment, he was happy…</blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote>
Michelle Davis whooped as Jimmy scored the final goal. Whistles sounded and Michelle clambered from the stands to congratulate her son. The throng of other parents parted for her. The community soccer team had no bigger fan than Michelle.</blockquote>
<blockquote>
She high-fived the other children as she made her way to Jimmy, who wore a wide, gap-toothed grin. They talked about the game and Jimmy’s numerous goals. Michelle reveled in her son’s victory and the joys it brought. She wanted nothing but to cheer him on in every game possible.</blockquote>
<blockquote>
A whistle blew and Michelle wished Jimmy luck before sitting back in the stands, scanning the crowd for the hotdog vendor. She didn’t know how another game could be starting so soon, but it didn’t matter.</blockquote>
<blockquote>
In this moment, she was happy…</blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote>
Zeniph Gunther looked out across his collection of people. A few he knew—Abby Carter, a co-worker; Cory Steel, the pizza boy; Michelle Davis, his neighbor. The rest were strangers, taken from the park, a darkened ally, or public campsites. They looked so peaceful lying on their gurneys, the neural transmitters attached to their shorn scalps with a thousand tiny fingers massaging their slumbering heads.</blockquote>
<blockquote>
Zeniph sat back, replacing the receiver cap on his head. Emotions washed over him, a flood of stolen euphoria, and he relaxed.</blockquote>
<blockquote>
He knew at some point the authorities would catch him. Maybe not before these people died of starvation, but eventually. The more victims he took, the longer the trail he left. But it didn’t matter.</blockquote>
<blockquote>
In this moment, he was happy…</blockquote>
<br />
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
This was a lot more fun to me, because I tried to break
out of the typical horror style and do something a little different. In fact,
one of the comments the story received during the contest was that they thought
someone had gotten mixed up and submitted a non-horror story to the contest.
That's what I love about this piece. You have four seemingly unrelated stories
that don't tie together until the last few paragraphs. If I did it right, the
reveal at the end should have given you chills. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
Unfortunately, I don't think it's quite
right, although this story did make the finals in the contest. It didn't win,
because there are a few plausibility issues here. But again, that's ok. I have
fun writing it, and to me, that's all that matters.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
I hope you've enjoyed story time this
month. If you have time, head on back over to the<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://writersramble.com/" target="_blank">Writers Ramble</a><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>to
check out the other flash stories our members have shared this month.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07554437528656081132noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-566152870326823168.post-84418354756344743512014-06-23T21:55:00.001-07:002014-06-29T07:50:24.979-07:00Do You Sabotage Your Writing Time?So this month's topic for the Writers' Ramble is Finding Time to Write. Which we all know really translates to <u>Making </u>Time to Write. Which is really just making writing a higher priority than many other aspects of your life. So my question is not how do you find time to write, but what do you let keep you from your writing?<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I follow <a href="http://www.theferrett.com/ferrettworks/" target="_blank">Ferrett Steinmetz</a> on Twitter. Ferrett is a fairly new author with a few dozen short stories published and his first novel coming out this fall. In following his escapades online, I've learned that he writes every single day, no matter what. Sometimes he'll send out a Tweet that says something to the effect of: I only wrote for twenty minutes today. But it was something. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
This has been a huge testament to me on the importance of writing daily. In his book, <i><a href="http://gladwell.com/outliers/" target="_blank">Outliers</a></i>, Malcolm Gladwell talks about the 10,000 Hour Rule. This states that you must first put 10,000 hours of work into a single task or talent to become a master or an expert at it. Then there's the saying that your first million words are basically crap. You have to write a million words before you will become an expert at writing.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Either way, there is a lot of writing to do in order to become a publishable writer. So how far are you in these long term goals? Last I checked, I had written somewhere around 400,000 words across my many, many short stories and few unfinished novels. I don't know how many hours that has taken. But needless to say, I still have a long way to go.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
So how do I find (make) time to write? Honestly, I don't do it enough. Unlike Ferrett, I don't write every day. Currently I have a job with a lot of down time, which allows me to do my writing while at work on most days. Of course, I only work four days a week, and on my three days off I tend to let life get in the way and don't do any writing. Then there are all the distractions at work that keep me from writing. Besides the actual <i>work</i> I have to do, I let myself get caught up in Twitter, writing forums, games on my Kindle, daily crosswords, and other meaningless junk and suddenly it's time to go home and I haven't done any writing. Sure, some of those things, Twitter/writer forums/writing group submissions, are writing related and make me feel like I am still working on my craft, but that's bogus. The best way to hone my writing is to write. And I don't do it enough.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
What keeps me from writing at home? My wife and kids for one, but that's not something I'm willing to sacrifice. Then there's yard and housework, church duties, extended-family functions, and such. Things that I <i>could </i>cut out, but really shouldn't. So then there's the very small amount of free time I have to myself on any given day. And what do I do with that? Video games and/or TV shows. Mind you, this amounts to only a few hours a week, but still, it's something that I could and <b>should</b> be willing to give up if I ever want to reach my goal of being published. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I know a lot of writers who set daily goals and schedule their writing time at certain hours of the day. Some people get up early to write, some stay up late. Some use their allotted lunch break or kids' nap time to get a few words on the page. This is a great way to do it, and one that I highly recommend, even if I don't follow the advice myself. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The bottom line is that you will not be successful if you're not willing to put in the time. If you want to be published, if you want to be able to call yourself an Author, you have to put aside the distractions, schedule the time, and put pen to paper (figuratively). </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Don't let your life sabotage your dreams.<br />
<br />
<br />
For more thoughts and suggestions on this topic, visit the <a href="http://writersramble.com/" target="_blank">Writers' Ramble</a>. </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07554437528656081132noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-566152870326823168.post-68306111319200461802014-05-12T10:30:00.000-07:002014-05-12T10:35:13.872-07:00Deus ex Offensus<i>"How are we ever going to get out of this?" Jan shouted, pressing her back to Nicholai's. Before her, Maalic's army of undead villagers stumbled ever closer, closing to just within bow shot. Jan nocked an arrow and took aim, but which to shoot first? There were hundreds of the rotting corpses and only twelve arrows left in her quiver. </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Behind her, Nicholai roared in pain. She half-turned to see him frantically brushing a glowing glob of lava from his armor. The hunk of molten rock was little bigger than a child's fist, but it had seared clean through the hardened leather to scorch Nicholai's exposed skin beneath. </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Jan hazarded a glance at the lava pit beyond Nicholai. The magma stalkers had amassed at the shore of the pool, and were now flinging large clumps of lava in their direction. Their aim was pathetic, but all it would take was one lucky shot to end it all for her and Nicholai.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Jan's mind raced. There had to be a way out. The tunnel that led them into the dormant volcano had collapsed. The open peak of the mountain loomed above them several hundred spans, too far too climb out. With hundreds of enemies, little ammunition, and no more magic, it seemed this would be the end. Her adventuring days with her brother were over, and the King would never get the Seer Stone tucked away in Nicholai's satchel. </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Well, she wasn't going down without a fight. Jan took aim at the closest zombie, drawing a deep breath to steady her shot. </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Suddenly a massive bolt of lightning shot down through the opening of the volcano, striking amid the sauntering villagers. Bodies flew in every direction, their tattered clothing catching fire. The undead villagers stopped, sagging eye sweeping for the origin of the attack. More lightning struck, quickly decimating the zombie army. Those corpses that weren't destroyed in the blasts were consumed in the quickly spreading fire. </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Jan groped for Nicholai, to ask if he was seeing this. At the same time, he pulled her attention his direction. On the far side of the lava pool. the side of the mountain had cracked. Through the massive fissure, a torrent of water gushed into the volcano, sweeping across the molten lake. Within minutes, the lava, and the the magma stalkers, had cooled and hardened to solid rock. </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Jan glanced around. They were saved, but how? She looked up into the night sky above the mouth of the volcano. Among the stars a face appeared. It smiled and winked at her, then vanished. Jan looked at Nicholai, speechless. </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Nicholai shook his head. "Saved by the gods. Who would have thought."</i><br />
<br />
THE END.<br />
<br />
<br />
Wow, wasn't that a great story? Did the ending leave you satisfied? In this small example, maybe, but only because this isn't a story, but a scene. Imagine if this was the end of the novel you just read. You've invested hours and several hundred pages in these two characters, getting to know their personalities, dreams, and weaknesses. You know what they're capable of and what they're not. If this is the end of that novel, and you can see no way for them to escape, would the sudden and unexplained appearance of a god please you, or enrage you? For most people, it's the latter. It's known as "deus ex machina" and essentially means that when all hope is lost, god comes down out of the blue to save the day. In most cases, this type of ending is highly unsatisfying.<br />
<br />
Endings are the most important part of a story. Yes, you can argue for any other aspect, plot, characters, setting, etc. But without a satisfying ending, none of the rest of those things matter. Imagine if, in Lord of the Rings, Frodo had failed at Mt. Doom. Or if the Deathstar had been destroyed by a clumsy stormtrooper accidentally pressing the wrong button. The characters, plot, and setting of those stories are incredible. But if the ending doesn't fulfill our expectations, they all may as well have been crap.<br />
<br />
So how do you write a satisfying ending. Honestly, I'm not the person to ask. I struggle with this in my own writing. I can come with some pretty cool setups, have engaging characters and powerful questions, but inevitably, my answers tend to fizzle out.<br />
<br />
So why write a blog post about how to write a satisfying ending? To teach myself, and hopefully you in the process, how to get better. How to do this right.<br />
<br />
Writing a satisfying ending depends largely on the type of story you're telling. Orson Scott Card's MICE quotient tells us that there are four basic types of stories. Millieu (setting), Idea, Character, and Event. And each of these story types will have a different type of ending. But they can tell you where your story should begin and when it should end. For example:<br />
<br />
Millieu - The millieu story is all about the setting. The story starts when the character(s) are taken out of their own familiar setting and dropped into someplace strange and unfamiliar. The story ends when the character(s) find their way home. Alice in Wonderland, Gulliver's Travels.<br />
<br />
Idea - The idea story is about a question or problem. It starts when the question is asked or the problem starts, and it ends when the question is answered or the problem solved. Most mysteries are idea stories. The question is, "Who dunnit?" and it ends when the killer is revealed.<br />
<br />
Character - Character stories are about a character trying to change his/her life. The beginning starts one of two ways: either the character is dissatisfied with life and sets out to change; or the character's life is changed for them and they set out to return it to the way it was. Either way, the story ends when either they succeed in making the change, or they give up and accept the new situation.<br />
<br />
Event - All stories have events. But event stories are focused on that event, something that has thrown the world, or at least the characters' world, out of balance. The story starts when the character(s) decide to get involved, and it ends when they either accomplish their goals and stop the event, or when they utterly fail to do so. Most natural disaster stories are event stories. Dante's Peak, Gravity, Twister.<br />
<br />
So, looking at your story and categorizing it can help you determine where/when your story needs to end. In it's simplest form, the idea is that your story ends when the problem is solved. Every story has a problem, conflict, whether it's external to your characters or internal. Once that problem is solved, the story is over.<br />
<br />
Does that mean we end the story immediately following the climax, as in my example above? In most cases, no. Because your reader is (hopefully) emotionally invested in your characters, it's not enough to merely see them succeed at their task. We want to know what happens next. Do they live happily ever after? This is often called the <a href="http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/denouement" target="_blank">dénouement</a>. It's the conclusion that tells us where everyone ended up in the end and if they're happy. We get this in a lot of movies where, either before or during the credits, we get screenshots of each character and a paragraph telling us what they did after the movie ended.<br />
<br />
One thing to be careful of in writing your dénouement is to not overdo it. The conclusion should be short and sweet and just give us a summary of how everyone is doing at the end. An example of overdoing it, in my opinion, is at the end of Lord of the Rings. If you haven't read the books, after Frodo destroys the ring and saves Middle Earth, then they all go back to the Shire only to find it overrun by bandits led by Saruman and Wormtoungue. This is known as the Scouring of the Shire and in the end the Hobbits have to defeat them, too. I know some fans see this as the ultimate end to the trilogy because it brings it all back home, where Frodo left to begin with. But in reality, the plot of the story begins when Frodo gets the ring, and it ends when Frodo destroys it. The Scouring of the Shire is really just an unnecessarily long dénouement.<br />
<br />
Does your conclusion have to be happy? Not necessarily, it depends on your story. But for the most part, even in a tragedy, people are looking for some hope, so if you have a really downer climax, and then add a downer conclusion to the end, chances are pretty good you're going to leave your readers dissatisfied, and possibly even mad at you.<br />
<br />
But in the end (see what I did there?) write the ending you want to write. Just be aware of the effect it may have or may NOT have on your readers. Make sure your ending fits the situation, resolves the conflict, and doesn't drag on after the fact.<br />
_________________________________________________________________________________<br />
<b>Challenge Accepted</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Your challenge for this post is to take story of yours and write four different endings. Vary them up, maybe end one right at the climax, and drag out the conclusion of another. Write a happy ending and a sad ending. Try different combinations and see how it affects the overall feel of your story.<br />
<br />
Good luck, and write something.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07554437528656081132noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-566152870326823168.post-13807365863348487392014-02-13T17:27:00.000-08:002014-02-13T17:28:26.229-08:00Hunting Treasure<br />
<i>As the last of the cannibals collapsed to the ground amid the blood spattered weeds and coconuts, his tattooed head bounding away down the hill as if fleeing for its life, Captain William "Cutlass" James roared in victory. All around him the bodies of both friend and foe lay mangled and lifeless. As the old crone had said, to fight the cannibals would cost a terrible price, that of all of Cutlass's men, but in the end the battle would be his.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Cutlass jabbed his sword into the dirt, leaving it standing tall like the palm trees scattered across this tiny island, and withdrew the torn and faded map from his pocket. The symbols, drawn in dried blood, had led him to this isle and now directed him to the trio of drooping palms at the crest of the small hill atop which he and his ten best men had faced the cannibal tribe. </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Snatching up the shovel lying beside his first mate's dead body, Cutlass made his way to the three trees, seeking the "King Paw" as the map named it. The old crone back at Beggar's Port had deciphered that clue for Cutlass, pointing out that </i><i>that "Paw" could also refer to "Palm", meaning a tree, and</i><i>"King" would mean the "top" tree, or the northernmost tree on a standard map. So now Captain Cutlass stood before the Top Tree, shovel in hand. Normally Cutlass would make his men do the manual labor of digging up the chest, but as he'd sacrificed them all on the word of an old witch, it was left to him.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Thirty minutes of digging resulted in the uncovering of a moderate wooden chest clasped shut with a rusty old padlock. Cutlass's dagger snapped the old device off in a heartbeat. Taking a deep breath, Cutlass reverently opened the lid...</i><br />
<br />
<br />
Why do I write? The million dollar question. Also the topic for this month's Writers Ramble. In short it's for the hunt, like a buried treasure. But in order to truly answer this question I have to start from the beginning.<br />
<br />
I was born on November 16, 1978...<br />
<br />
OK, not that far back. Maybe high school... See back then I did a lot of drawing. I <i>loved </i>to draw. Specifically I loved to draw comic book characters. I didn't draw comic books--although I did dabble a few times--I just drew the characters. And not just comic book characters. Anything Marvel, Star Wars, GI Joe, various TV shows, all went down on paper. Later, when I started playing RPGs with my friends, those characters went down on paper, too. And I was always making up my own superheros as well.<br />
<br />
During my senior year I got into computer art and 3D modeling. Again my focus was on fantasy characters and sci-fi ships and weapons. This led to a brief attempt to break into video game design without any formal schooling. It only lasted a few years.<br />
<br />
Then I was in a band. I play the guitar and some friends and I started writing music together. I can't sing to save my life, but I loved writing song lyrics for Mike to sing. I would write all sorts of crazy songs like one entitled "Cereal Killer" which focused on Wendell of the three Cinnamon Toast Crunch chefs and how he murdered his two partners in order to be the sole CTC chef and hoard all the money.<br />
<br />
In college I started out as a psychology major, but ended up in a science fiction literature class for an elective credit. It was there that I finally realized what I'd been looking for all those years. From drawing to modeling to music writing, the one thing that they all had in common was this: The telling of a good story.<br />
<br />
That's what I'd been looking for in each of these pursuits; the story. All the characters I drew, all the ships I modeled, had stories behind them, either someone else's or my own. The music I wrote all told tales, usually twisted or deranged, but always complete.<br />
<br />
That's when I decided if I wanted to tell stories, I needed to quite hiding them in other mediums and just focus on the source. I changed my major then from psychology to English studies and started putting my stories down on paper. And the first short story I completed as a final project for my last class in college was awarded Honorable Mention in the L. Ron Hubbard Writers of the Future contest. At that point I was hooked.<br />
<br />
So when asked the question of why I write, what I love about writing, I always say the same thing: It's the quest for a good story. I live for this quest and it will likely spend the rest of my life in pursuit. Because even when one good story is found, like my HM story, there's always another, better, story waiting to be found.<br />
<br />
And I will find it.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07554437528656081132noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-566152870326823168.post-20812808828194045662014-01-07T19:18:00.001-08:002014-01-07T19:20:01.669-08:00Resolve or Resign?<div class="MsoNormal">
So our Writer’s Ramble this month is supposed to be about
our writing goals and resolutions for 2014. Before I can get to that, I have to
address a challenge that I’m currently faced with. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
See, I’ve been writing pretty consistently since 2006.
Almost eight years. I've written dozens of stories. And in all that time, I have exactly one publication to
show for it. A publication that only came late this last year, in September
2013. And even then, it was a “paid by exposure” publication, for which I earned
no money, and have seen no “exposure” benefits from. No one has contacted me to
tell me they liked the story, my blog traffic remained as pitiful as it has
ever been. <i>Nothing </i>has come from this, my first publication. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Except: Proof that I <i>can</i>
do this. <i>Someone</i> out there enjoyed my
writing enough to include it in their magazine. So I have hope, and believe me,
I’m eternally grateful to <a href="http://promptandcircumstance.com/promptly/current-issue/" target="_blank">Promptly</a> for giving me my first boost. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Unfortunately, that boost hasn’t been enough. The end of
2013 saw my biggest writing slump to date. In the last three months, the most I’ve
written are a few Drabbles (100 word stories) and Twabbles (100 character
stories excluding spaces) on the Drabblecast forums. Don’t get me wrong,
writing these ridiculously short stories is highly entertaining and extremely
challenging, but they’re not really publication material. They’re just for fun.
I haven’t written a serious story in months. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I started a new job recently, which I would <i>love</i> to blame for my current slump, “It’s
not my fault, this new job is so demanding, I just don’t have the time or
energy to write…” But it would be a lie. In reality, this new job gives me
ridiculous amounts of free time with nothing to do but sit in front of the
computer. <b>ALL THE TIME IN THE WORLD TO WRITE</b>. And what do I do? Watch Netflix
and play browser RPGs. (Card Hunter is a great one for anyone interested.;)) <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I try to write, really I do. But every time I start, I very
quickly find some excuse to do something else. Why am I having such a hard
time? Who knows? Maybe eight years of rejection is getting to me. Maybe the
freedom at work is more than my willpower is able to withstand. Maybe there’s
something in the air here that just sucks all my creative juices right out through
my ears. I don’t know. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But I do know one thing: I’m not going to quit. I’m <b>never </b>going to quit. I love writing.
Maybe not as much as I should. Not enough at this point to convince me to
choose writing over playing the Xbox when such free time at home allows. But I
still love it. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So here are my goals for 2014: <b>Quit being lazy. Quit coming
up with excuses. Quit not being paid for my stories. Quit sucking. </b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
More specifically, I have some exact goals I want to
accomplish as well. Penumbra Ezine is running a Superhero issue in May. I want
my Superhero story, Lullaby (the name will be changed before submission) to be
in that magazine. If/when EscapePod runs their next flash fiction contest, I
want to win. I want to have both a Drabble and a Twabble accepted and read on episodes of the Drabblecast. And, as always, I want to win the Writers of the
Future contest. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Now, I may not accomplish all of these in 2014, but I’m sure
gonna try. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
On the Escape Artists forums, someone recently started a
topic entitled “6-Word Memoirs” challenging everyone to write a summation of
2013 in six words. Mine was this: <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>“Too much Xbox, not enough writing.”</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I followed that up with a 6-word Resolution:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>“Write more, game less, be successful.”</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And that’s exactly what I intend to do. Even if it takes me
all year; all decade; all of my life. <o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07554437528656081132noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-566152870326823168.post-31515249904786662072013-11-14T23:18:00.000-08:002013-11-14T23:18:32.412-08:00Are you a Pantser?<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">If your response to this question is, "What in the world
is a Pantser?" you're probably not a writer. You're also probably
normal. </span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-size: 13.5pt;">This month's Writers Ramble topic is
Outlining vs. Freewriting. What works for you and why? </span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-size: 13.5pt;">When it comes to writing fiction
there are essentially two ways to do it, plan everything out before you ever
type the first word, or sit down and make it all up as you go along. The former
is known as "outlining" the latter "freewriting" or
"discovery writing" also known as writing by the seat of your pants.
Hence the term, "Pantser". </span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-size: 13.5pt;">Are these two schools of thought all
inclusive, you're either one or the other? Not at all. In fact, most authors I
know are a combination of the two, with some planning before hand, maybe a few
notes about what scenes will go where, then the rest freewritten as they go
along. </span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-size: 13.5pt;">Think
of it as more of a spectrum. At the one end, you have absolute outliners like
Brandon Sanderson, (though even he'll say he discovery writes when under odd
sorts of pressures). On the other end you have Stephen King who said,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>“Outlines are the last resource of bad
fiction writers who wish to God they were writing masters' theses.” </span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-size: 13.5pt;">What's
the difference? Well, discovery writing is all about letting the story go
wherever it wants. It seems silly, speaking about the story like it's a living
entity, but to many writers their stories are just that. The story is a living,
breathing creation that goes where it wants and does what it wants. Discovery
writing is all about creating the setting, characters, or situation, then just
exploring a train of thought along those lines, letting your imagination run
wild with the possibilities. You have no idea where the story is going to end,
but you can't wait to get there.</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-size: 13.5pt;">Outlining is a lot more structured.
It's taking the idea, setting, characters, and writing down everything they are
going to do so you know exactly what's going to happen in your story. This
still is, in a sense, discovery writing, because you have to explore the ideas
and see where they take you, but in this case the discoveries occur mostly in
the author's mind, explored, rejected, accepted, until they know where they're
going. Now, there can be different levels of outlining. Some authors, like Dan
Wells, outline a basic plot structure, and have an ending in mind, then free
write all the stuff in between keeping in mind where it all has to end up.
Others will outline down to every scene of every chapter. Then the writing just
becomes filling in the details. </span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-size: 13.5pt;">What do I do?
A little of both, actually. I never write an outline down, but instead I mull
an idea over in my head, thinking up more and more details, and even plan the
ending until I have a pretty solid mental outline. Once it's basically complete
in my head, I sit down and try to transfer all those thoughts into a coherent
manuscript. That's where the discovery writing comes in, because I know<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>what<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></i>I want my characters to do, but
most of the time I don't know<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>how<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></i>they're going to do that. </span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-size: 13.5pt;">Of course, once you start freewriting
all of your plans and outlines are subject to change without notice. </span><span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-size: 13.5pt;">I
recall a story I wrote once where at the end the hero, heroine, and heroine's
father were facing of with the villain, who had a gun on them. I knew that by
the end of the scene the villain would enact a terrible event and the hero
wouldn't be able to stop him. But they couldn't just sit by and let it happen
either, someone had to try to stop him. At first I started to write it that the
hero would lunge at the villain, but the hero was injured. The heroine couldn't
do it either because she was holding the hero in her lap. That left the father,
who was most affected by the tragic event anyway, so of course he would react.
But the villain had a gun, so of course he would shoot... and then the father
would die. Until that moment there'd been no plan to kill the father character.
But as it played out on the page it completely fit and was so emotionally
charged due to the situation that even I got a little choked up as I was
writing it. I was sad that this character was suddenly dead because that was
not supposed to happen. And in the end I had several readers tell me that was
the best part of the story. </span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-size: 13.5pt;">So
there's merit to both outlining and discovery writing. Take the best of both
practices, find your point along the spectrum, and make them work to your
advantage. You never know where a story will take you.</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07554437528656081132noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-566152870326823168.post-1099889032766201422013-10-10T16:17:00.000-07:002013-10-10T16:17:08.709-07:00PodCastle Flash Fiction ContestI currently have a Flash Fiction story (500 words or less) in a contest over at the Escape Artists forums. This time it the PodCastle contest which means the theme is "Fantasy". My story has already survived the first round of voting and is now in the semi finals. The field has been narrowed from 121 stories down to 30. There are some great stories in this contest, and all are well worth reading.<br />
<br />
The rules of the contest forbid me from revealing which story is
mine, but I am allowed to point people who are interested in supporting
either me, or the contest, to the forums with instructions on how to
participate. From there I can only hope that my stories are the ones you
end up voting for.<br />
<br />
So, for those who like fantasy stories, and want to (hopefully) support my writing, here are some basic instructions:<br />
<br />
First, go to <a href="http://forum.escapeartists.net/" target="_blank">forum.escapeartists.net</a>.
From there you will see a place to login or register for the forums.
You'll have to register in order to access the contest, but it's a
simple registration, all they want is a username, email, and password.
Once you've submitted your info, you'll receive a verification email.
Follow the link in the email to complete your registration.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAj1Yy7MOJJo0rVqVCiOS-zu5emLsQmmbikHdGBEU6lXuezFvb7h_uh_aD8rm7GmgnPeDoLxticVEp15V8RBjQqwqZ4EYuhYpukuB0ymNeaU4853NVGTFWMMVyPDP2c4MoatdnUaMyIwg/s1600/Register.bmp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAj1Yy7MOJJo0rVqVCiOS-zu5emLsQmmbikHdGBEU6lXuezFvb7h_uh_aD8rm7GmgnPeDoLxticVEp15V8RBjQqwqZ4EYuhYpukuB0ymNeaU4853NVGTFWMMVyPDP2c4MoatdnUaMyIwg/s1600/Register.bmp" height="324" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Once
you're logged in, scroll down until you find the category "The Arcade".
Beneath this category is a subcategory entitled, "Contests" with a
child forum called, "Flash Contest III - PodCastle". Click on this link.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5k_KRck4fuJAykngxZMzcZ36V-4jUpclzR844vvZu8P9xZnBPOLJwSUOUbFfkHsSTXqgVIf1XK7nmdgMjp7wpOB4knCzKo9pafjYXbHCcnbQPOGLKKTLGa4rCF1Lz8_MIWy3WxAgKMew/s1600/Contest.bmp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5k_KRck4fuJAykngxZMzcZ36V-4jUpclzR844vvZu8P9xZnBPOLJwSUOUbFfkHsSTXqgVIf1XK7nmdgMjp7wpOB4knCzKo9pafjYXbHCcnbQPOGLKKTLGa4rCF1Lz8_MIWy3WxAgKMew/s1600/Contest.bmp" height="300" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Before
you can actually view the entries, you have to quickly prove that you
are not a spambot, so click on the forum called, "New Members: Please post if you want to vote in the contest" and on the right hand side, click "Reply" and add a simple
comment such as, "Hello"; anything just to enter a post. Once that's
done you'll automatically be granted access to the contest groups, which
will appear above the Contest Rules group.<br />
<br />
From
there, read the entries and vote for your top three in each group.
You're welcome to read all of the entries through the first ten
groups, but the voting is already concluded on those. At the bottom of the list you'll find the "Semi-Final" rounds. My story is currently in one of those<br />
<br />Voting for the Semi-Final Rounds will probably close around October 21st, so if your going to participate, get going.<br />
<br />
Thank
you to everyone who chooses to participate in the contest and for your
willingness to support me and my writing. I hope you enjoy reading these
stories as much as I have. Have fun!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07554437528656081132noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-566152870326823168.post-71144929860824587232013-10-10T15:44:00.000-07:002013-10-10T15:45:54.552-07:00This is a Call<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<![endif]-->Of course I have to name this post after one of my favorite
Foo Fighters songs. Our Ramble topic for this month is the Hero’s Journey;
specifically, the first stage of the Hero’s Journey, "Departure", which is comprised of five steps;<br />
<br />
1. The Call to Adventure<br />
2. Refusal of the Call<br />
3. Supernatural Aid<br />
4. The Crossing of the First Threshold<br />
5. The Belly of the Whale<br />
<br />
For my part I will be discussing The Call to Adventure. To read more about the other four steps of this stage, see the other entries over at <a href="http://www.writersramble.com/" target="_blank">The Writers Ramble</a>. <br />
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So, how exactly is one “called” to adventure? Is it a physical
summoning that lures us out, such as a siren’s song, or perhaps the call of
nature? Or is it more metaphysical, like a spiritual prompting or emotional
drive? </div>
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Honestly, it can be any or all of these. The call to
adventure is whatever draws us from our comfort zone and drives us to make a
difference either in our own life or in the lives of those around us. In real
life, it can be the desire to join the military and embark on worldwide
experiences, or it can be a prompting from God to undertake a mission to spread
His word. Perhaps it’s merely the desire to find love and hold on to it with
both hands.</div>
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In fiction, it can be all of these and so much more. Like
Wendy, following Peter Pan to Neverland in search of a “grand adventure”. Or Indiana
Jones deciphering the clues that lead him to the Ark of the Covenant. Even Ray
Kinsella’s urge to build a ballpark in the middle of a cornfield. These
characters felt the call, and answered it willingly, even eagerly.</div>
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But sometimes our hero may be a little—or a lot—more
resistant to the call. Luke Skywalker, Bilbo Baggins, Mrs. Frisby. These are
the characters who find themselves drawn into the adventure whether they want
to go or not. And oftentimes these are the heroes we relate to the most. Why?
Because, like them, we are reluctant to seek adventure. </div>
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Think about it, if we truly sought to answer our own Call to
Adventure, we would. We would join the military, backpack across Europe, rob a
liquor store, or climb Mt. Everest. Yes, there are a lot of people who do these
things, but there are even more of us who don’t. We’re content to sit at home
and experience adventure vicariously through the lives of the characters we
read about or watch on the screen. Yet we still <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">dream</i> about these things, these adventures. And we imagine that, if
someone or something <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">forced</i> us into
action, then we could be the hero. </div>
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So when Jack Ryan is sent out to help hunt the Red October,
even though he’s just an analyst; or when Jen embarks to find the shard of the
Dark Crystal even though he knows the Skeksis will try to kill him; or when
Dotty joins the Rockford Peaches so that her kid sister will be allowed to play;
we cheer them on. We understand their reluctance, we don’t want to leave the
comfort of our homes either, but we also know, as they do, that they <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">must</i> go. And we love them for it. Why?
Because they don’t answer the call for greed, or power, or excitement. They do
it because it’s the right thing to do. It’s that quiet nobility, and humility,
that endears them so strongly to our hearts. </div>
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So the next time you put pen to paper, or fingers to
keyboard, take a long look at your characters. Find that nobility within them,
and then send them out to save the world. Not because they want to; but because
they <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">have</i> to.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07554437528656081132noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-566152870326823168.post-24246173982993760612013-07-31T21:51:00.001-07:002013-08-26T22:00:18.336-07:00It was a dark and stormy night...The cheesiest and worst opening ever, I know. Yet it does serve its purpose, which is to create the setting. What <i>is</i> setting? The question seems easy doesn't it? It's the location of your story. Duh. But is it really that simple? In a word: No.<br />
<br />
Setting, or milieu, is one of the four basic factors that make up every story. When creating a scene, the setting is everything that surrounds the characters; and I mean everything. Here's a list of various aspects of the setting that need to be taken into account in order to create a believable setting:<br />
<ul>
<li><b>Location</b>: This can be anything from the room your characters are in to the planet they're on. It includes the physical objects nearby as well as the scenic skyline afar off. It is everything the characters will interact with during the scene. If your character is going to get in a bar brawl, the bottle he grabs is a piece of the setting right up until he shatters it on the edge of the bar and points it at his opponent. <br /><br />Location is the most common aspect of a story and the one that most people get right... for the most part. It's easy to describe a room your character is in, as well as the objects he or she will need throughout the scene. But what about the scenery? Make sure to include descriptions of items that will set the mood of the scene. This could be the dying embers of the campfire, the meaty scent of the roast in the oven, or the vast collection of family portraits hanging on the walls. These "background" objects go a long way to showing your reader how the setting feels to your characters.</li>
<li><b>Culture</b>: This includes the laws of the land, village customs, city attitudes, the social roles of your character and so on. You can describe a city all the way down to the shape of the cobblestones in the streets, but without some culture your city will be just a flat collection of buildings. If your character is walking down the street, describe the way the citizens around him act. Maybe a couple is arguing loudly outside their home, or a patrol of foot soldiers is making the rounds, eying everyone they pass. The point is, give your locations some personality, some quirks, and some vices. This will bring them more to life than simply describing the buildings reaching for the sky.</li>
<li><b>Environment</b>: Weather can have a strong affect on the scene you set. Is it raining? Sunny? Does the wind nearly blow your characters off their feet, or does the heavy fog obscure everything outside arms length? Weather is a great way to set the mood of your scene. Sunny days will typically portray hope or joy while rain can be depressing or even romantic. Fog is a common way to create an eerie feeling. <br /><br />This applies even if you are writing an indoor scene. What's the weather like outside. Does the soft pitter-patter of rain on the tin roof of the shed drive your hiding protagonist insane? Or does the bright rays of sunlight streaming through an open window fill her with hope for the first time in ages? <br /><br />But weather is not the only environmental effect to take into consideration. How about day or night? Which season is it? It doesn't even have to be of this planet. The vacuum of space can be a terrifying prospect for your character. Space is cold, lonely, and deadly. If you're a sci-fi author creating a new planet, design some crazy weather or other environmental effects that will fill your readers with wonder and your characters with dread. Have fun with it.</li>
</ul>
In the end, setting is just as important as your plot, your characters, and your ideas. Take the time to flesh out your world and make it really come to life on the page. Your readers will thank you for it. <br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><u><b><br /></b></u></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><u><b>Challenge Accepted</b></u></span><br />
I haven't given a writing prompt at the end of a post in a long time, but this seems like an appropriate post to pick up with again. So, here's the challenge: Take a scene and rewrite it three times, with all the same characters and plot points, but in each scene, change the weather, whether it's indoors or out, and see how rain, wind, and sunshine change the way characters think, act, and feel. As always, I did the same and you can read my Challenge <a href="http://joshmorreywriting.blogspot.com/p/challenge-accepted.html" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
<br />
Until then, have fun, and write something.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07554437528656081132noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-566152870326823168.post-63927266353968895442013-07-01T10:17:00.001-07:002013-07-01T10:19:03.764-07:00WIP it Good!"When a problem comes along... you must WIP it." -Devo<br />
<br />
Ok, so that's not quite what we mean by WIP in the writing world. This month's Writer's Ramble is about the current Work In Progress of each of our members. Many of you know that my current goal is to win the Writers of the Future contest. If you don't know about that, I have a separate page all about my journey <a href="http://joshmorreywriting.blogspot.com/p/blog-page.html" target="_blank">here</a>. But, to be more specific, I can't really talk about my actual current WIPs without risking disqualification from the contest. So instead I'll break down one of my recent stories that didn't win.<br />
<br />
<u>Herald of Salvation</u> (Disappointing Title)<br />
This is the story I submitted last quarter for the contest. It's about the crew of a messenger ship in the distant future where mankind has ventured out among the stars and settled many planets. However, though they can travel faster than light, communication is not so fast, hence the use of messenger ships that travel the expanse of human space delivering needed information. Mankind then encountered an alien race of superior strength and technological advancement. This alien race, know as the Hostis, seem to be interested in only one thing: the annihilation of the Human Race. Every attempt to communicate with these warrior beings has fallen on deaf ears, and any attempt to decipher their language has failed.<br />
<br />
The story focuses on the crew of the Herald, a small messenger ship assigned to wait silently on the edge of a solar system where a cloaked human spy ship, the Scarcity, has inserted ground operatives on a Hostis settled planet. When the spies come up with useful intel, the information is sent from the Scarcity to the Herald, which then jumps out of the system to deliver the information to human military leaders. The Herald has just received a packet of information from the Scarcity that could very well turn the tide of the war, but before they can leave the system, there is a malfunction with the engine core and the Herald is left sitting dead in space. At the same time, the planetside spies are discovered and a Hostis warship has tracked the information transmission and is bearing down on the Herald at top speed.<br />
<br />
Can the crew get the engines repaired in time? Can they decode the data packet and use this new information against the Hostis? Time is running out.<br />
<br />
Hehe, that turned into a movie trailer, which was not the plan. I had a lot of fun writing this story. The original idea was based upon the thought of a ship waiting on the edge of space for a spy transmission. Of course, the ship has to break down just after they're discovered, it needs some tension. But the real intrigue of this story to me is what information is contained in the data packet that could turn the war around for the humans. I won't give any spoilers here, but let's just say those who've read it are polarized between loving the idea and hating it. I've taken kind of a risk including this aspect of the story because it's a heated argument in the science fiction community.<br />
<br />
Unfortunately, I don't think I got this controversial reveal quite right because the story didn't even make honorable mention in the contest. Which is ok. I rushed my edits of the story to get in into the contest on before the deadline and I think that's what hurt it most of all. There's a great story here told poorly and I think I just need to break it down, see what's working and what isn't, and figure out how to make my reveal work within the context of the story. <br />
<br />
I could use some fresh opinions on this story. If any of you would be interested in read the Herald of Salvation and giving me some feedback and suggestions (especially for a better title), I'd be willing to send it to you. Just comment on this post with your email address and I'll send it right over.<br />
<br />
In regards to the contest, I just yesterday sent off another story for 3rd Quarter, a light-hearted ghost story that I wrote based on a writing prompt from the website <a href="http://promptandcircumstance.com/" target="_blank">Prompt and Circumstance</a>. It was fun to write and includes some humor, which I don't do a lot of. I'm also currently working on a story set within a community on the moon which discovers that nuclear war has just destroyed the entire planet Earth and they may very well be the last human beings alive. Dun-dun-dun!<br />
<br />
For those who are interested, feel free to follow my progress toward winning Writers of the Future on my <a href="http://joshmorreywriting.blogspot.com/p/blog-page.html" target="_blank">Journey page</a>. <br />
<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07554437528656081132noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-566152870326823168.post-47714894262439848532013-05-31T06:20:00.000-07:002013-05-31T06:20:35.156-07:00Wait, you did what? With who? WHERE??This month's Ramble topic is about Getting to Know Your Hero/Heroine, (not heroin, that's a whole different subject...)<br />
<br />
If you're writing a story, there's a pretty good chance you have characters in it. Even if your tale is composed entirely of inanimate objects, there's going to be some personality, some history, some purpose to those objects. So how do you make them believable people? How do you portray them in a way that will make your readers not only understand them, but <i>care </i>about them?<br />
<br />
<b><u><span style="font-size: large;">Starring:</span></u></b><br />
There are several ways I go about this in my own writing. One way I find effective is to picture my story as a movie that I'm watching in my head, and then try to decide which actor/actress would play the role of that character. Then I develop my own character as played by... Robert Duvall, or Al Pacino, or whoever fits what I'm writing. Now, typically I don't base my characters after the Hollywood stars themselves, (unless I'm writing a contemporary story about drug addicts and alcoholics.) Instead, I pick a role they have played in a movie I've seen and loosely base my character on the character from that film. I say loosely because I don't want to straight up steal someone else's character... more like I just suck the soul of them and create my own monster.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>Thanks for Taking the Time:</u></b></span><br />
Another great way to create and get to know your characters is to interview them. As the creator of their world, you're already imagining your characters in all sorts of situations, scenes, and relationships. It shouldn't be too much harder to imagine them sitting in a chair across from you answering a list of interview questions such as:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>What's your name? Do you have a middle name? A nickname? Where did your nickname come from?</li>
<li>Where are you from? What was it like growing up there? Do you have any favorite stories from your childhood?</li>
<li>Do you have any secrets? Any that you're willing to share?</li>
<li>How did you end up where you are today? Do you like your life, are you satisfied? What would you change, given the chance?</li>
<li>What are you looking for in life, in relationships, in employment? What are your inner dreams and deepest fears?</li>
</ul>
<br />
You get the idea. Now, chances are, 90% of the answers you get from your characters will not end up in the story. At least, not directly. But now you have more than just the cardboard cutout of a person. You have a fully fleshed-out, living, breathing human being with fears, hopes, a past, a future, etc. (Side Note; I recently learned that "etc" really stands for: End of Thinking Capacity, hehe) So even if you don't use most of the answers from you interview, you've created the information so that, as you're chugging along in your tale, if a detail suddenly pops up about your character, say someone wants to know his/her middle name, you've already learned that fact in your interview and can more readily plug it into the story and move on.<br />
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<b><u><span style="font-size: large;">That Was Supposed to be Me?</span></u></b><br />
Another way you can create believable characters is to base them--again, <i>loosely</i>--on people you know. This is the easiest, and I think most common, way for new writers. After all, they say, "Write what you know" and who do you know better than your friends and family?<br />
<br />
However, this is dangerous ground to trod. You may think you're portraying someone you love in the best light possible, but the fact is, you can never truly know someone else's inner thoughts, feelings, motivations. You may think you got the details right, only to find that your loved one doesn't see themselves that way and is offended at their portrayal.<br />
<br />
So, two suggestions if you're going to model characters after people you know: Don't tell them, and don't ask permission. If you tell them, they may be offended at what you wrote. If you ask them first, they may then try to take over your writing and say things like, "I wouldn't react that way" or "Man, it would be so much cooler if I..." The bottom line is, this is your story, and these are your characters. Don't let someone else try to control what <i>your </i>characters are doing. Your plot will suffer for it every time.<br />
<br />
So what if someone recognizes himself in your story? Simply say, "Wow, I'm glad you found that character so believable that you could relate to them."<br />
<br />
In his book, "Character and Viewpoint", Orson Scott Card warns against using loved ones as character models and talks about how to create characters who've done things that you don't know anything about, such as murdering someone. He says:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"There is one person you can always interview, however, who will tell you much more of the truth than others ever will--yourself. You can <i>imagine </i>what it would take to get you to behave in a certain way. </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
So what if you've never murdered somebody? Haven't you ever been blindingly angry? Haven't you ever longed for cold revenge? You've felt all the emotions, all the motives. All you have to do is imagine those feelings and needs being even stronger, or imagine you inhibition against violence being even weaker."</blockquote>
As the author, you need to know your characters. Be they people, animals, spirits, rocks, or whatever your story needs, there should not be a single person in existence who knows more about them than you . After all, they're going to change the very world you've created for them. Take the time to get to know them.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07554437528656081132noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-566152870326823168.post-6786341333978519952013-04-30T22:18:00.000-07:002013-04-30T22:18:18.581-07:00Finding Your MuseThe Ramble Topic for this month is Finding Your Muse. That's easy, I got mine right here:<br />
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Ok, I don't think that's the Muse we're supposed to be talking about. (Though, for the record, I <i>am </i>going to this concert)<br />
<br />
I've heard many professional writers say the most annoying question they get asked is "Where do you get your ideas?". Now, I'm no professional, not yet, but even I've been asked this question more than once. So, where do I get my ideas? The simple answer is: Anywhere and everywhere.<br />
<br />
Now, I know that doesn't really narrow it down, so I'll explain. The ideas for my stories most often start with the question, "What if...?" It can strike any time of day, during any activity, in any place. No matter what I'm doing, something will catch my attention, and my mind will ask, "Well, what if...". And suddenly I have a seed for a new story. I'd say upwards of 90% of these What If's go unanswered. There are just too many for me to fully flesh out into solid story ideas. Besides, not all of them are worth exploring. But every now and then, a spark of an idea will ignite in my tiny, chaotic mind and will begin to spread like a wildfire. At some point, the fire will become large enough that my conscious brain will take note and start exploring the possibilities; creating characters, developing plot, assigning setting, etc. That's when the real fun begins.<br />
<br />
For example, I was playing Halo 3 ODST a few years back (great game, my favorite campaign story of the entire series, for anyone who's interested). I was trying to complete the level very quickly, and at one point, I climbed into a 4-wheel drive vehicle (known as a warthog) and drove as fast as I could through a narrow canyon <i>past </i>all of the enemies without bothering to fight them. As I swung wide around an approaching enemy tank, with several infantry units shooting at my passing vehicle, I thought to myself, this is kind of cool, traveling as fast as I can and hoping that I don't get blown up before I make it out. Then the question popped into my mind, <i><b>What if </b>there was a high speed train on an alien planet that ran between two settlements through a canyon infested with deadly creatures, and the train had to keep up its top speed or the creatures could land on it and tear it apart?</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
Thus my short story, "Riding the Titanium Bullet" was born.<br />
<br />
Another time I proofread a story for a friend. It was a good idea fairly well written, but the ending fell flat. In trying to help my friend I suggested an alternate ending that I thought would be much cooler and would fit the story better. Unfortunately, though he liked the idea, my friend said that was not the type of story he was trying to tell and dismissed the suggestion. No big deal. However, I couldn't get that ending out of my head. The idea pestered me to the point that I actually asked my friend if he would mind if I wrote a story similar to his but with <i>my </i>ending. He had no problem with that, however, before I started writing, my subconscious mind struck again(!) and asked the question, <i><b>What if</b>, rather than the ending, my idea was actually the </i>beginning <i>of the story?</i> The more I thought that through, the more I liked it. So in the end, I wrote a story that takes place a thousand years after the original ending I came up with, but was directly influenced by the events of that ending.<br />
<br />
And my story, "Adam" was created.<br />
<br />
Sadly, neither of these have been published, but they do serve a point here. Ideas can come from anywhere. The next time you're struggling to find the kernel of a story, or you're just struck by something interesting, an idea or an image, stop and ask yourself "What if...?".<br />
<br />
Just be sure to have a notebook handy.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07554437528656081132noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-566152870326823168.post-50174351411959769952013-04-19T05:07:00.000-07:002013-04-29T15:11:10.197-07:00PseudoPod Flash Horror FinalsI'm updating this post to reflect the current status of the contest. As the previous post said, I entered two stories into PsuedoPod's Flash contest. Horror stories, 500 words or less. I don't typically write horror, and telling a story in 500 words, a <i>complete</i> story, is very difficult. So I decided to accept the challenge.<br />
<br />
The contest started out with 153 entries, broken up into fourteen groups of eleven stories each. Over the last two months, the groups were released on the Escape Artists forums one at a time, and the participants were given a few weeks to vote for their three favorite stories in each group. The top stories were moved on to the semi-finals round, where there were six groups of seven. The entries were then whittled down to the final eighteen stories, all in one final round of voting. The top three will be published in audio format on PsuedoPod in the near future.<br />
<br />
Both of my stories made it to the semi-finals. Sadly, one of them, "Umbra" came in last in its semi-final group and is now out of the contest. However, I am thrilled to be able to say that my second story has made it into the finals!<br />
<br />
The rules of the contest forbid me from revealing which story is mine, but I am allowed to point people who are interested in supporting either me, or the contest, to the forums with instructions on how to participate. From there I can only hope that my stories are the ones you end up voting for.<br />
<br />
So, for those who like horror stories, and want to (hopefully) support my writing, here are some basic instructions:<br />
<br />
First, go to <a href="http://forum.escapeartists.net/" target="_blank">forum.escapeartists.net</a>. From there you will see a place to login or register for the forums. You'll have to register in order to access the contest, but it's a simple registration, all they want is a username, email, and password. Once you've submitted your info, you'll receive a verification email. Follow the link in the email to complete your registration.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAj1Yy7MOJJo0rVqVCiOS-zu5emLsQmmbikHdGBEU6lXuezFvb7h_uh_aD8rm7GmgnPeDoLxticVEp15V8RBjQqwqZ4EYuhYpukuB0ymNeaU4853NVGTFWMMVyPDP2c4MoatdnUaMyIwg/s1600/Register.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAj1Yy7MOJJo0rVqVCiOS-zu5emLsQmmbikHdGBEU6lXuezFvb7h_uh_aD8rm7GmgnPeDoLxticVEp15V8RBjQqwqZ4EYuhYpukuB0ymNeaU4853NVGTFWMMVyPDP2c4MoatdnUaMyIwg/s1600/Register.bmp" height="324" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Once you're logged in, scroll down until you find the category "The Arcade". Beneath this category is a subcategory entitled, "Contests" with a child forum called, "Flash Contest III - PseudoPod". Click on this link.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5k_KRck4fuJAykngxZMzcZ36V-4jUpclzR844vvZu8P9xZnBPOLJwSUOUbFfkHsSTXqgVIf1XK7nmdgMjp7wpOB4knCzKo9pafjYXbHCcnbQPOGLKKTLGa4rCF1Lz8_MIWy3WxAgKMew/s1600/Contest.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5k_KRck4fuJAykngxZMzcZ36V-4jUpclzR844vvZu8P9xZnBPOLJwSUOUbFfkHsSTXqgVIf1XK7nmdgMjp7wpOB4knCzKo9pafjYXbHCcnbQPOGLKKTLGa4rCF1Lz8_MIWy3WxAgKMew/s1600/Contest.bmp" height="300" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Before you can actually view the entries, you have to quickly prove that you are not a spambot, so click on the forum called, "Questions, Comments, Concerns?" and on the right hand side, click "Reply" and add a simple comment such as, "Hello"; anything just to enter a post. Once that's done you'll automatically be granted access to the contest groups, which will appear above the Contest Rules group.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJtIsqAJhRpiQZbV3Cz6by1_FREa0KjmdfNl065YsTNl_yv5U5uMHn5F6oRlimksj8QvihqRETVGP9kMQjxVHlkVBAxc9Y6Fewk4ykh02gqvv6asJE32uCbiK-szCxzvQOFTc3OOl7FlE/s1600/Reply.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJtIsqAJhRpiQZbV3Cz6by1_FREa0KjmdfNl065YsTNl_yv5U5uMHn5F6oRlimksj8QvihqRETVGP9kMQjxVHlkVBAxc9Y6Fewk4ykh02gqvv6asJE32uCbiK-szCxzvQOFTc3OOl7FlE/s1600/Reply.bmp" height="356" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
From there, read the entries and vote for your top three in each group. You're welcome to read all of the entries through the first fourteen groups, but the voting is already concluded on those as are the semi-finals. At the bottom of the list you'll find the "Final Round" post. My story is in there, along with the other seventeen finalists. Keep in mind, this is a horror contest, so some of the stories might make some people a bit squeamish, but honestly, most of the stories are not too graphic or terribly disturbing.<br />
<br />
Voting for the Final Round closes the morning of May 9, 2013.<br />
<br />
Thank you to everyone who chooses to participate in the contest and for your willingness to support me and my writing. I hope you enjoy reading these stories as much as I have. Have fun!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07554437528656081132noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-566152870326823168.post-88442154773230097322013-02-28T19:31:00.002-08:002013-02-28T20:01:21.481-08:00What I Learned at LTUE 31<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">If your first question is, "What the heck is
LTUE?", then maybe you need to start out at our group blog:
<a href="http://www.writersramble.com/">www.writersramble.com</a>. That saves me from the redundancy of explaining it
twice.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">LTUE this year was fantastic. Even after four years of
attending this conference, I'm still learning new things about writing,
publishing, storytelling, sci-fi and fantasy in general, and networking. I got
to chat with and learn from several of my writing mentors such as <a href="http://www.trhickman.com/" target="_blank">Tracy
Hickman</a>, <a href="http://www.davidfarland.net/" target="_blank">David Wolverton/Farland</a>, <a href="http://www.ericjamesstone.com/blog/home/" target="_blank">Eric James Stone</a>, and <a href="http://bradrtorgersen.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Brad R. Torgersen.</a> I met several new authors like,
<a href="http://www.dansrealm.com/Home/Home.html" target="_blank">Dan Willis</a> and <a href="http://faculty.weber.edu/eswedin/index.html" target="_blank">Eric Swedin</a>. And I got to hang out with my
writing group friends and make new friends as well. <br />
<br />
I attended some very interesting panels on things such as What You Need to Know
About Writing Sci-Fi and Fantasy, Space Travel without Warp Drive, and How to
Write Humor without Slapstick. I intend to post articles in the coming weeks
and months about each of the subjects I learned from at LTUE, but decided to
start off by sharing what I learned from a panel called: <i>Everything I Need
to Know About Writing I Learned From The Matrix</i>, by <a href="http://jscottsavage.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">J. Scott Savage</a>. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIuMcFvPNiHZCBEYGaVJ2mVM8Jo6OYvlYm0MB1zZqafgSxlutS0mQjT2HYZaA6mOhmwSUXgJaSY7NHj-YHxNQGoyB5-SJMlIIOMum-nksZ2uxU2vGBKg7zyBltHsHHy0aTgv8xJ27k68s/s1600/Matrix.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIuMcFvPNiHZCBEYGaVJ2mVM8Jo6OYvlYm0MB1zZqafgSxlutS0mQjT2HYZaA6mOhmwSUXgJaSY7NHj-YHxNQGoyB5-SJMlIIOMum-nksZ2uxU2vGBKg7zyBltHsHHy0aTgv8xJ27k68s/s1600/Matrix.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I love the Matrix. It's arguably one of the best science
fiction stories of all time. Just the original, mind you. The sequels are
arguably some of the <i>worst </i>sequels of all time. But the original story
is brilliant. On this panel, Scott Savage broke down what makes this story so
great, not by breaking down each scene or beat, but by looking at the structure
of the tale and how it captures our hearts and minds.</span><br />
<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The first thing that Scott talked about was starting your
story with a conflict. Most new writers today don't follow this concept. They
want to show their protagonist in everyday life to give us a sense of what's
normal before the conflict arises, or they want to build up the world before
they introduce their characters, or they want to give us a history lesson to
"properly" frame the tale. This is inevitably boring for the reader.
The author may find it fascinating because they spent so much time creating
this world, but we, the readers, just don't care<i>.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><i> </i></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP3elH27VzhdHyTJTMmW_Q68ClKZpv40DL9T3-DdRQbYepvdPAvk80-6RJTWvtrbVk5CJKakGnD7UnSv5c9RGIa5CrV-4O1yTnu7EixgALzbfGOkJedKNqSoqAzHFtHGUoj1Q-ObBTryw/s1600/trinity-matrix-opening.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
You start with conflict to draw the reader in. If your story isn't built to
begin with your protagonist in conflict, then put someone else in conflict
first. The Matrix starts with Trinity getting cornered by the police. There is
a quick fight scene, a chase between Trinity and the Agents, and it ends with
Agent Smith smashing the phone booth Trinity was just in with a dump truck,
though she mysteriously escapes. This creates intrigue. This hooks the reader.
And this all takes place before we ever meet Neo.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP3elH27VzhdHyTJTMmW_Q68ClKZpv40DL9T3-DdRQbYepvdPAvk80-6RJTWvtrbVk5CJKakGnD7UnSv5c9RGIa5CrV-4O1yTnu7EixgALzbfGOkJedKNqSoqAzHFtHGUoj1Q-ObBTryw/s1600/trinity-matrix-opening.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP3elH27VzhdHyTJTMmW_Q68ClKZpv40DL9T3-DdRQbYepvdPAvk80-6RJTWvtrbVk5CJKakGnD7UnSv5c9RGIa5CrV-4O1yTnu7EixgALzbfGOkJedKNqSoqAzHFtHGUoj1Q-ObBTryw/s1600/trinity-matrix-opening.jpg" height="163" width="200" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">As mentioned above, you may have an encyclopedia of backstory
and world history that you've developed for your story. <u>Don't tell it all
right up front.</u> I know you may be anxious to get it out, but the more you
can hold back from the reader, the more intrigue you will create. The best way
to withhold this information is to keep your characters busy, keep them
constantly moving forward so there is no time for them to sit back and study
the situation. They have to learn on the fly and thus so will your readers.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Success and Failure cycles are very important to a story.
The best way to make your protagonist's successes emotionally powerful, and
therefore the story emotionally powerful, is to first make them fail. A lot.
Over and over. The more they fail, the more we root for them. And it creates
believability. Most people don't succeed the first time. If you're a writer,
you already know what I'm talking about. And some people <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">never</i> succeed. Make the reader accept the possibility that the hero
might fail. It keeps the reader on guard and makes your story
unpredictable. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Take every opportunity to increase the tension in your
story. The more tense it can be, the better. Scott gave a list of six ways to
ratchet up your tension:</span></div>
<ol start="1" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Isolation:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Isolate your character physically, emotionally, or
psychologically, so they feel alone in some way. At the end of The Matrix
Neo gets cut off from everyone else when Agent Smith shoots the phone line
just after Trinity escapes.</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Disorientation:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Put your character in a situation they are not
familiar with. Your character needs to discover the world around them. No
one in the story is less familiar with the Matrix than Neo, even the
little kids at the Oracle's place.</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Misdirection:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Get the character to focus on something other than
what is really going to happen. Ask yourself, What do I want the reader to
see, and what do I want them to miss? The Oracle tells Neo he's not The
One, so he (and we) don't think he is until Morpheus tells him the Oracle
was telling him, "...exactly what [he] needed to hear." </span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Bigger
Obstacles: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Give the character an
impossible obstacle, then make it stronger, or increased in numbers. Neo
is told that fighting one Agent is akin to suicide. Then at the end, he
faces three.</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Time
Limits: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">An artificial time limit can
increase the tension greatly. This doesn't necessarily mean a ticking
bomb. Neo has to get back to the Nebuchadnezzar before the Sentries tear
it apart.</span></li>
</ol>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Finally, Scott pointed out something that in all my years of
attending writing conferences, workshops, lectures, and writing groups, I’d
never heard. And that is the idea of <u>Tracking Your Characters’ Decisions</u>.
The best way to show what type of people your characters are is through the
decisions they make. You can spend an entire story telling your readers that
someone is good, or bad. But until they see that character <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">decide</i> to do something good, or something bad, it’s just words. </span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Cora
was a good person, in every way possible. She stood for justice and fought
corruption wherever she found it. Thinking about this, she smiled as she cut
the rope from which dangled the whimpering Senator Daye. As the senator plunged
to his death, she knew she was doing the tax payers, even the world, a great
favor. </span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">See? I can tell you all I want that Cora is a good
character. But her actions speak for her as she murders the good senator. Now
this is a pretty simple example, but it also speaks to another point. Both your
hero and your villain need to be anxiously engaged in a noble goal. Yes, even
the villain, though what may seem like a noble goal to her, such as killing a
corrupt politician, may still be viewed as evil by the hero and/or the reader.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">If you haven’t seen The Matrix, and even if you have, go watch
it. Watch for these elements throughout. Then watch some of your other favorite
Hero’s Journey style stories such as Lord of the Rings or Star Wars and see if
you can pick out these same elements. I guarantee you they’re there.</span><br />
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<![endif]-->Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07554437528656081132noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-566152870326823168.post-68705479042820486882013-01-31T19:36:00.000-08:002013-02-28T20:02:21.829-08:00Writing Groups; The Good, The Bad, and the Wary<br />
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One year ago this month I was at the writers’ conference,
Life, The Universe, and Everything down in Orem, Utah, sitting in the main
conference room awaiting the start of the next panel discussion, when author
Dan Wells stood up and loudly asked everyone in the room who was interested in
joining a writing group to raise their hand. Many of us responded, to which Dan
replied, “After this panel, all of you go into the next room, meet each other,
and form your writing groups.” I met most of the members of my writing group
that day. A few have dropped off, and a few more have joined, but overall, the
core of our group came from that meeting. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Since the idea for our group blog, The Writers Ramble, came from
our writers group, we decided it would be appropriate for our first discussion
to be about writing groups; what they are, how they work, what purpose they
serve, and what you should be wary of.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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So, why join a writing group? I heard it said once that the
first draft of a story is for you, the second draft is for your readers. If
you’re someone who writes simply for the enjoyment that you get out of writing,
and you have no intention of ever publishing your work, then a writing group
may not be necessary for you. However, if you have aspirations of publication,
it’s imperative to learn how to write for others. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Now, that doesn't mean that you have to sacrifice your style
or taste to please the general masses. That’s selling out. Write what you want
to write. However, if you want your tale to reach a vast array of people, then you need to
learn how to craft a story that will move someone’s heart, stimulate their
mind, or some combination thereof. For that, it’s best to have a group of people who can read your work and
give you feedback on what touched them, what bored them, what made them laugh,
and what offended them.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
How does it work? Our group, affectionately nicknamed the
Word Vomit Writers’ Group, meets once a week to discuss stories or chapters
submitted the week before by our members. These meetings can be done in many
different ways. Some groups like to meet physically, others submit works to
each other via email or other means. They then critique the work and send it
back. Our group meets online in a Google Hangout. This works for
us because we get that face-to-face time, but in the convenience of our own
homes.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So what are the pros and cons of a writing group? I've put
together a list of five reasons to join a writing group and three warnings.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><u>The Good.</u></span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->1.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]--><b>Feedback</b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
The best way to improve your
writing is to share it with others and gather their opinions. Based on the
feedback you get, you can add or remove aspects of the story to make it a
stronger piece. This doesn't mean you must change everything that someone
suggests. It's your story. But if several people comment on the same issue, it would be wise for
you to consider revising it.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->2.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]--><b>Knowledge</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
You can learn a lot about writing from
books, blogs, school, or just practicing your writing in general. However,
there is not enough time in the day for you to read every book, blog, and
lecture out there on writing. By meeting regularly with a group of people also
focused on learning the craft of writing, you can tap into their knowledge and
learn from the books and lectures they've learned from, thus increasing your
own knowledge.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->3.<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> <b>
</b></span><!--[endif]--><b>Networking</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
A good friend of mine, and a member of my
writing group, Jayrod Garrett, once pointed out that, though we can attend
different writing conferences and workshop to meet successful authors and
network with them, it is the other aspiring authors around us who will be our
peers in the future as we all grow and become published. Spending our time
together, helping each other to improve our craft, will help lift us all up together.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->4.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]--><b>Friendship</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
This last year, as a member of our group, I
have formed some wonderful friendships that I believe will last for years to
come. I've met new people through these friends, thus making more friends. And if there's one thing we can all use a little more of, no matter who we are, it's friendship.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->5.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]--><b>Fun</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast">
We have a blast at our meetings each week.
Typically we spend the first hour—when we are supposed to be having some sort
of writing activity—chatting and goofing off, sharing things we've read or
seen, and just having a good time. I look forward to our meetings every week,
and only some of that excitement has to do with the writing.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><u>The Bad.</u></span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->1.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]--><b>Un-productivity</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
As I said, one reason to join a group is to
learn from the other members. And if you are still a fledgling writer, with a
lot to learn, it’s to your advantage to join a group of people whose skill is
greater than your own. However, as you grow and learn and improve in your
writing, you have to avoid groups where the other members have nothing to teach
you. If you are the most skilled writer in your group by a long shot, then all
you’re doing is teaching writing, not learning about it. And that’s very noble
of you, but you may not be growing from it. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
Currently, our group is all about the same
skill level. We are learning a great deal and sharing that information, so our
meetings are very productive. If this ever ceases to be the case, it will be
time to consider leaving the group.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->2.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]--><b>Mismatched Members</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
When I first began searching for a writing
group I was invited by someone I met at the meeting of a local chapter of a
writing club to join her group. I was honored and pleased to be allowed in. The
first week I was a member, I received the submissions of a few other members
for review. I’m almost ashamed to say it, but I hated every piece. It’s not
that the writing was bad (though few were gems), but the
subject matter was so far outside of my own interests that I couldn't begin to
allow myself any emotional involvement in the tales. I realized that I would
not be a productive member of that group because I couldn't advise them in ways
to improve a story that I held no interest in. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
You need to seek out people who share
common interests and probably write or read in the same genre as you. However,
you should also have some variety in your group. If you all write the same
stuff, you will limit yourselves on what you can learn. Our group has writers
of sci-fi, high fantasy, urban fantasy, contemporary fiction, horror, and even
some historical fiction. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->3.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]--><b>Stagnation</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast">
As I keep saying, the great thing about writing groups is being
able to learn from its members. Eventually, however, you will all have learned
what each other likes, thinks, expects, etc. You will run out of ways to
productively help each other. This stagnation will only hurt your writing.
Either you will cease to improve in your writing, or you will begin to write
specifically for the members of your group, for which your writing will suffer.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The bottom line is that a writing group can be a wonderful
thing if you find the right group of people. Look for people with interests and
skill levels similar to, if not greater than your own. Try to offer
constructive advice on the other members’ works and be gracious in accepting
criticism of your own writing. Be a productive and contributing member. And
if/when you feel you are no longer gaining anything from your group, politely
thank them for the time you've had together and begin the process of searching
for a new group that will suit your new needs.<o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07554437528656081132noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-566152870326823168.post-83503463362708948532012-05-19T14:53:00.000-07:002012-05-22T13:34:22.458-07:00Passive Voice Was Used to Write This Post<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 1pt;"></span>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">O</span>ne of the biggest challenges I’ve faced in my own writing,
something that I struggle with in every manuscript, has been writing in the
passive voice. Passive voice is often seen as lazy and amateur writing. So I
decided to focus this particular post on passive voice; what it is, how it
works, how to avoid it, and when it is appropriate.<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
To begin with, let’s talk about what passive voice is.
According to the Writing Center at the University of North Carolina: “A passive
construction occurs when you make the object of an action into the subject of a
sentence.” If you remember your basic sentence structure lessons from
elementary school, you know a sentence is typically composed of a SUBJECT
(actor/doer), a VERB (or predicate) and often times an OBJECT. Allow me to
illustrate using ninjas, pirates, and zombies.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.deviantart.com/download/94905240/Ninja_Zombie_Pirate__Circle_of_by_Rzeznik91.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="157" id="il_fi" src="http://www.deviantart.com/download/94905240/Ninja_Zombie_Pirate__Circle_of_by_Rzeznik91.jpg" style="padding-bottom: 8px; padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px;" width="200" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Izumi’s blade sliced
clean through Mitsuko.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In this sentence, Izumi’s blade is the SUBJECT, sliced is
the VERB or action, and Mitsuko is the OBJECT. If this sentence was to be
written using passive voice, we would take the OBJECT, Mitsuko, and place him
in the position of the SUBJECT at the beginning of the sentence, like so:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Mitsuko was sliced
clean through by Izumi’s blade.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This sentence says the exact same thing and yet is less
direct, less interesting, and longer. Here’s another example:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii3h3H3NzbitQkGyo3WXQr2777ER9MsSfO7wSk3-DNSFoDYylZwThfMTA5zwp_HQLSo-CpEgPoXApCwUrGX1TV2h8RLEkV2q0yRpCDKLxgrtO6m5-IJ4ivKuSZGWVA4EfIknvTAVKuJb0/s1600/pirate.storm.ship.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" id="il_fi" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii3h3H3NzbitQkGyo3WXQr2777ER9MsSfO7wSk3-DNSFoDYylZwThfMTA5zwp_HQLSo-CpEgPoXApCwUrGX1TV2h8RLEkV2q0yRpCDKLxgrtO6m5-IJ4ivKuSZGWVA4EfIknvTAVKuJb0/s200/pirate.storm.ship.jpg" style="padding-bottom: 8px; padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px;" width="157" /></a> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Passive: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Cutter
was knocked off course by the blusterous storm.</i><br />
Active: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The blusterous storm knocked the
Cutter off course. </i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i> </i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You may think that the ship would be the subject of this
sentence, and in its current position in the passive sentence it is. But
who/what is the actor/doer? The storm. The storm is performing the action—knocking—
against the ship, therefore <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">it</i> is the
subject of the sentence and the ship is the object. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
One reason to use Active rather than Passive Voice in your
writing is to add strength and credulity to your words. Passive Voice is seen
as soft, or weak. It is less direct and thereby less interesting. Consider:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The zombie was blasted
in the face by Jackson’s shotgun.</i><br />
vs.<br />
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Jackson blasted the zombie in the face
with his shotgun.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Isn’t the active sentence much more direct and action
oriented? In the first sentence, the zombie was acted on by Jackson. In the
second, Jackson acted upon the zombie. Yes, it means the same thing, but it
makes Jackson rather than the zombie the doer/actor and adds immediacy to the
action that the first sentence lacks. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The active voice is also the natural voice. We as human
beings tend to think, see, and speak in active voice. When we watch something happen,
we see the subject acting on the object. Rarely do we view it from the object’s
point of view. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Another reason to avoid using Passive Voice is that it tends
to create ambiguity and thereby confusion. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The mindless brute was
knocked suddenly from Susan before it could sink its teeth into her flesh.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
See the problem here? <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Who/what</i>
knocked the zombie from the woman? If you were to change this into active voice,
you would be forced to add a subject (actor/doer) or end up with an incomplete
sentence.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://www.deviantart.com/download/160115661/Zombie_Attack_by_namesjames.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" id="il_fi" src="http://www.deviantart.com/download/160115661/Zombie_Attack_by_namesjames.jpg" style="padding-bottom: 8px; padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px;" width="320" /></a> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Jackson knocked the
mindless brute from Susan before it could sink its teeth into her flesh.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
No more confusion. We knew who did what. Passive voice is
often used this way purposely by politicians to avoid admitting to mistakes or
accepting blame.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">According to government
sources, the virus had been created in a laboratory.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Created by whom? The government? Terrorists? High School
kids? The sentence leaves the subject undefined. This is a good example of when
passive voice would be used on purpose to create ambiguity and shuck blame. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The</i> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Elements of Style</i>, William Strunk and EB
White state that, “The habitual use of the active voice… makes for forcible
writing. This is true not only in narrative concerned principally with action
but in writing of any kind. Many a tame sentence of description or exposition
can be made lively and emphatic by substituting a transitive in the active
voice for some such perfunctory expression as <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">there is</i> or <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">could be heard</i>.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So how do you spot passive voice in your writing? For the
most part, it’s a simple matter of looking for a form of “to be” such as <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">is, was, were, are, am, have been, has been,
will be, will have been, etc.</i> followed by a past participle, (a verb
typically ending in –ed). <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The palace has
been breached by members of the Black Claw.</i> In this example we have a form
of “to be” in “has been” and the past participle “breached”. The active version
of this sentence would read: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Members of
the Black Claw breached the palace.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRCza65xw9Mbs76xj-WVeYAAhSvOLVMlJjWcaZ7ngUOiys75ApZc2p4kQ" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img height="32" id="il_fi" src="http://precisionracingleague.freeforums.org/images/Treasure-chest-closed-icon.gif" style="padding-bottom: 8px; padding-right: 30px; padding-top: 8px;" width="32" /></a><a href="http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRCza65xw9Mbs76xj-WVeYAAhSvOLVMlJjWcaZ7ngUOiys75ApZc2p4kQ" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a>Now, this doesn’t mean that every sentence with a form of “have”
or “be” in it is passive. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The crew has to
bury the treasure</i>. Since the form of “to be”, which is “has” in this
sentence, is not attached to a past-tense verb, it is not a passive sentence. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The best way to tell is to ask questions. Is there action in this sentence? <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Patient Zero’s cells were invaded and
quickly overrun by the virus.</i> Yes, the action is the invasion of the cells.
So what’s at the front of the sentence, the subject or the object? Who is doing
the invading? The virus. Whose cells are being invaded? Patient Zero’s. So
Patient Zero is the object and the virus is the subject. The sentence should
read: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The virus invaded and quickly
overran Patient Zero’s cells.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Another way to spot passive voice is to look for the word
“by”. It won’t always be there in a passive sentence, but it is a good
indicator that you should take a second look at a sentence. Anytime you say
something was done <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">by</i> someone, that
someone is obviously the actor/doer, or <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">subject</i>
and should be at the beginning of the sentence. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://findmeaninja.com/pages/sho%20kosugi/Images/sho%20kosugi%20enter%20the%20ninja.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="186" id="il_fi" src="http://findmeaninja.com/pages/sho%20kosugi/Images/sho%20kosugi%20enter%20the%20ninja.jpg" style="padding-bottom: 8px; padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px;" width="250" /></a> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Passive: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The ship was
taken over by the crew.</i><br />
Active: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The crew took over the ship.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Passive: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Emperor
was assassinated by the legendary, Black Panther. </i><br />
Active: <i>The legendary Black Panther
assassinated the Emperor. </i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So, is passive voice <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">always</i>
wrong? No. There are a few instances where using the passive voice is
acceptable, even preferable. Scientific writing is one example. By removing the
scientist from the report, the reader can focus on what is being taught. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Then the human genome was sequenced…</i> Doesn’t
matter who did the sequencing, just that it was done. But, even in these
circumstances, active voice can help avoid any ambiguity. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">We then sequenced the human genome…</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
That being said, we’re here to talk about passive voice in
fictional writing. However, before we discuss these options, note that these
are rare cases. Even in the examples I give, most of them could potentially be
made stronger by restructuring them in active voice. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>To emphasize the
object</u></b><u>.</u><br />
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Isaac was killed by the zombies last
night.</i><br />
The important part of this sentence is that Isaac, presumably a known
character, was killed. By placing him in the SUBJECT slot of the sentence, we
show him as being more important than the mass of faceless zombies that ate his
brains. However, as I mentioned, this may be effective, but is still seen as a
weaker sentence and would probably be made more forceful in active structure; <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The zombies ate Isaac’s brains last night. </i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>To de-emphasize
the subject.</u><br />
</b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The captain’s head had been stuck
upon a pike and left on deck.</i><br />
If you don’t know who the actor/subject is, OR if you want to keep this
information from the reader, you emphasize the object, in this case the
captain’s head, and de-emphasize the unknown subject. Just remember that if
it’s important that the reader know who the subject is, use an active form of the
sentence to inform them. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Old Seadog, the
cook, stuck the captain’s head on a pike and left it on the deck.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://narwhaler.com/img/tp/h/meanwhile-in-france-white-flag-TPhyDx.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="157" id="il_fi" src="http://narwhaler.com/img/tp/h/meanwhile-in-france-white-flag-TPhyDx.jpg" style="padding-bottom: 8px; padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px;" width="200" /></a><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>If it’s irrelevant
who the subject is.</u></b><br />
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The white flag was raised just after dawn
on the fourth day.</i><br />
We don’t know who the subject here is and we don’t need to know. Be it some
peasant or the Emperor himself, the important aspect of this sentence is that
the fortress surrendered. Once again, though, if it’s important that your
readers know who did it, then use an active structure to tell them. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Emperor himself raised the white flag
just after dawn…</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Always keep in mind that these exceptions are rare. Many
people can, and do argue that passive voice should never be used, ever. In
reality, the use of passive voice is subjective. It’s your writing. If you
think the sentence is better or more effective in passive voice, then use it.
BUT, if it’s possible to restructure your sentence in active voice, 99% of the
time you probably should. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So, now it’s time to check your knowledge. I found a few
online quizzes based on the passive voice. The first one is a simple yes/no
style quiz in which you select whether the provided sentence is active or
passive. I scored 18 out of 20 on this one, so I guess I’m learning. The second
quiz is a little more difficult as it forces you to reconstruct the sentence
yourself. NOTE: Not all of the sentences in his quiz are passive or need
revision, so pay attention. I scored 9 out of 10 on this one.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Rather than providing a writing prompt for this post, I want
to challenge you to take these quizzes and post your scores in the comments.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://www.umsl.edu/%7Ephillipsm/oldrills/ch30b.html">http://www.umsl.edu/~phillipsm/oldrills/ch30b.html</a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/quizzes/passive_quiz.htm">http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/quizzes/passive_quiz.htm</a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For additional information on Passive Voice see:<br />
<a href="http://writingcenter.unc.edu/resources/handouts-demos/citation/passive-voice">http://writingcenter.unc.edu/resources/handouts-demos/citation/passive-voice</a><br />
<a href="http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/passive.htm">http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/passive.htm</a><br />
<a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/elements-of-style-william-strunk-jr/1100084919">http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/elements-of-style-william-strunk-jr/1100084919</a><br />
<a href="http://www.englishclub.com/grammar/verbs-voice.htm">http://www.englishclub.com/grammar/verbs-voice.htm</a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07554437528656081132noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-566152870326823168.post-28998272540144778922012-04-24T18:05:00.000-07:002012-04-25T14:50:42.176-07:00Destination: Philadelphia<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Travelogue</b></span><br />
<br />
Many of you may know that I've been traveling for work a lot lately, almost weekly. I've been to several places now all across the country. It's been a unique, neat, and eye opening experience thus far. Well, prompted by the suggestion of a friend and fellow writer, <a href="http://writtenbymikey.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Mikey Stephenson</a>, I've decided to keep a sort of travelogue of all of my destinations, a journal of sorts of each city; the feel, look, and a few detailed places that I can refer back to in my writing for stories that may be set within these cities or just to give my fabricated cities a little more life and realism. I will post these travelogues here for any of you to read, learn from, and perhaps refer to in your own writing and I hope that you will use them.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><u><b>Philadelphia.</b></u></span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPwzDYWvX_93Ea6iig05RNylLgxue2KL48zQ5e2Pqqf0EUB1IHki4DCoxVdy1_OjkgJncLi9rjqU6qKU2BuDn2fDWSr7pHfcxSiaRvH9HpHx1xjRHGBWf2UTvtUWDupnnVPoSoji7iw6s/s1600/Philadelphia+2012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPwzDYWvX_93Ea6iig05RNylLgxue2KL48zQ5e2Pqqf0EUB1IHki4DCoxVdy1_OjkgJncLi9rjqU6qKU2BuDn2fDWSr7pHfcxSiaRvH9HpHx1xjRHGBWf2UTvtUWDupnnVPoSoji7iw6s/s320/Philadelphia+2012.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The City of Brotherly Love</td></tr>
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Philly is the most recent city visited in my professional travel. I will start here as it is most fresh in my memory. I will add posts later for cities past such as Boston, San Francisco, and Kiawah Island, South Carolina.<br />
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Philadelphia is known as the "City of Brotherly Love." I used to view that statement with no small amount of cynicism. I have visited Philly once before in my life when I was about 16. I don't remember much from that trip other than a few tourist spots and the prevailing feeling that everyone wanted to kill me. I'm believe now that there may have been a bit of youthful naivety influencing my judgment at the time as I was just a kid fresh out of my Utah suburb and wandering in a city the likes of which I had never before experienced.<br />
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This trip changed that view almost entirely. My hotel was about a twenty minute walk from the convention center where the event I was teleprompting for was being held. I spent six days there and walked to and from the convention center twice daily, to and from, plus the occasional tourist wanderings in my free time. I found the city itself, the overall atmosphere, to be, not exactly friendly, but welcoming; comfortable. The people on the streets didn't quite stop and engage in conversation, or even so much as look up and smile, but they didn't seem uninviting, annoyed, or mistrusting of the outsider either. It was simply a matter of having better things to do. But I did feel a sense of acceptance among the mass denizens of the city. It truly felt like a brotherhood, everyone accepting of everyone else.<br />
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There was the usual compliment of homeless people, beggars sitting on the sidewalk with cardboard signs and cups asking for handouts, but they weren't pushy. They carried more of a humble air to them, a sadness even. Alas, my own personal disdain for beggars kept me from offering them any aid, financially or otherwise. Part of that may have stemmed from the abundant collection of street performers that also lined the sidewalks. Here, people still asked for handouts of change, but they worked for it to some degree by sharing with everyone around some musical talent. Be it singing, guitar, accordion, drums, or even flute, each of these performers filled their little niche of street corner with melodic songs, most of which were very well played. These people have real talent in their instruments. I found myself enjoying their music as I walked along, and even stopped to listen to a few. Unlike the standard beggar, here I can appreciate the work that these people put into learning their craft and sharing it.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One Penn Plaza </td></tr>
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The streets of Philadelphia are narrow. Most of them are one-way streets just wide enough for a bank of parked cars on each side of the street and a single lane down the center for one-way traffic. My hotel was in the heart of downtown Philly and the streets tended to feel a bit claustrophobic. With such narrow travel ways, banked by lines of parked cars, and towered over by skyscrapers of fifty stories or more, you can't help but feel a little boxed in. Here and there the walls open up for a park or historical location. I visited a few of these parks, including Rittenhouse Square, Washington Square (which houses the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier of Washington's revolutionary war army), and of course Independence National Historic Park. Almost every park hosts at least one bronze statue of some historical figure or another from our nation's history. Every park is filled with people sitting on benches, sitting on fountains, laying on the grass, talking, laughing, eating lunch, taking pictures, many of them reading or napping in the sunlight. The parks were never at a loss for population. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">George Washington's Tomb of the Unknown Soldier</td></tr>
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The Liberty Bell is housed in its own museum across the street from Independence Hall within Independence National Historic Park. It is a long museum in which you walk from one end to the other reading about the history and significance of the bell as a symbol of freedom and liberty. There are banks of photos and historical memorabilia about the bell all leading up to the Liberty Bell itself at the far end of the museum. The bell sits on a two-pronged pedestal in an open room large enough for several people to be able to walk entirely around it. It rests before a large glass wall looking across the street to Independence Hall where the bell was originally designed to hang and ring. Alas, I did not get a chance to tour Independence Hall, but did take a few photos for reference.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Independence Hall as seen from the Liberty Bell Center</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Liberty Bell</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Philadelphia City Hall</td></tr>
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Taxis are abundant in Philly, but the sidewalks are never at a loss for people either. Many of the cities denizens walk about the city during their daily business. Due to the lack of space, there are many car park garages where people leave their car in the morning and it is crammed into a garage so tightly that you can only get them out again one at a time in reverse order. Cars are parked in the morning, then the people walk everywhere else for the day, and pick up the car at night.<br />
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The last place I want to talk about as part of my Philadelphia travelogue is the Reading Terminal Market. Situated next to the Pennsylvania Convention Center, where I was working, the Reading Terminal Market is an enclosed "open air" market of sorts. Once a train shed for the Reading Railroad, (Yes, the same one as in Monopoly), the terminal was converted to a market sometime in he 1890's. The market is filled with grid-layout rows of restaurants and a variety of meat, produce, and bakery markets. I ate here for lunch almost every day of the convention. There is a huge variety of restaurants to choose from, from delis boasting famous Philly Cheesesteaks to Italian bistros and Dutch markets, a salad buffet, and even a sushi bar. The food was fantastic, and I can now attest that even an original cheesesteak, straight from the heart of Philly, is made better with bacon.<br />
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The thing I loved about the Reading Terminal Market was the throng of people. From open to close every moment of the day the aisles were packed with people shopping, out to lunch, or just sight seeing. In the center of the market is a wide section of tables like a food court, but crammed together to accommodate as many as possible; and it was never enough. People stalk the tables the same way they stall stalk people at the supermarket, watching, waiting, following anyone who even looks like they are walking toward a car to leave. In the Terminal Market, the moment you stand up from your table, taking care not to jostle the people at the table immediately next to you, someone is already moving to take your seat while motioning to the other members of their party that they have a place.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Food Court at Reader Terminal Market</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUUuJrMnNUsSmgQ-uuOZU0y4JeMg6dlMm-M12JLEiQh5lcKemBSo4j2MNVJNkzCR4t3RyJ9MGJtq1NCO_PfNVfAIGGGnSlgWS_Wx2VedAb9Jt3-oXBObcl3k066O5BPonKSeP_YZ34vgI/s1600/220px-Reading_Terminal_Market.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUUuJrMnNUsSmgQ-uuOZU0y4JeMg6dlMm-M12JLEiQh5lcKemBSo4j2MNVJNkzCR4t3RyJ9MGJtq1NCO_PfNVfAIGGGnSlgWS_Wx2VedAb9Jt3-oXBObcl3k066O5BPonKSeP_YZ34vgI/s1600/220px-Reading_Terminal_Market.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Reading Terminal Market</td></tr>
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I loved the market for its atmosphere and think it would be a great setting for a chase, a clandestine meeting, or even a comedic scene of chaos. The variety of ethnic markets and restaurants makes for a vast array of culture that can be mixed into any story for color and realism. Details such as open fruit stands and raw meat markets can add elements of everyday life into your scenes.<br />
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In all, Philadelphia was a wonderful experience rich with history, cultural variety, and everyday human life. If you get a chance to visit, take it. If you plan to set a story in Philly, or a similarly large city, take these few details and mix them in to add some spice and believability to your tale.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Philadelphia; The City of Brotherly Love.</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07554437528656081132noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-566152870326823168.post-17832733777406275902012-03-01T14:23:00.000-08:002012-03-03T12:53:55.303-08:00Writing Action and the Betrothed Daughter of a King<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">This week's discussion on writing is going to be about how to write action. I'm taking the main points of this post from the LTUE2012 panel on Writing Action by action master and self-proclaimed gun-nut , <a href="http://larrycorreia.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Larry Corriea</a>. Larry is the author of several action packed series of novels, from the Monster Hunter International series to the Grimnoir Chronicles. Check him out of you haven't already.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">So, why do we put action in our stories? Is it not enough to say, Boy meets Girl, Girl plays hard to get, Boy persists and eventually wins Girl's heart, Boy and Girl live happily ever after? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Instead we say, Boy meets Girl, Girl plays hard to get, Boy wins Girl's heart, but leaves to seek his fortune to support her, Boy gets killed by Dread Pirate, Girl is agrees to marry Prince, Girl is kidnapped by Thugs and subsequently rescued by Dread Pirate who she later discovers is actually Boy, Prince-who plans to murder Girl to start war-pursues Boy and Girl, Boy and Girl get lost in Fire Swamp and must fight quicksand, fire bursts, and ROUS's to survive, Prince captures Girl, sends Boy to Pit of Despair, Boy is rescued by Thugs and revived, Boy and Thugs storm palace, kill Prince, and rescue Girl, Boy and Girl live happily ever after.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Ok, so I didn't exactly make that up on the spot, but did you see the difference? Even though the second plot summary was much longer, it was also tons more interesting. We write action into our stories to build suspense, to keep things interesting, and just because it's downright fun.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">So how do we do it right? Well, according to Larry Corriea, the first rule of writing action is: If it sucks, don't do it; if it's awesome, do it. If you don't enjoy it, your readers won't either. You can get away with almost any action scene you want in a novel, no matter how ridiculous, provided you set it up right and make it as plausible as possible. In the first book of Larry Corriea's, Grimnoir Chronicles, Hard Magic, the finale of the tale as Larry puts it is, "...a teleporting magic ninja fight on top of a flaming pirate dirigible." It sounds ridiculous, but since Larry took the time to set it up right in the novel, it not only works, but is dang awesome.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Another tip Larry gives is to do your research. If you're going to have a gun fight, make sure you know how guns work, how people react around guns, how bullet wounds affect people, and what residual consequences there may be from your shootout. For example, if your characters are fighting indoors with black powder rifles, make sure to take into account the vast amount of smoke put off by a single muzzle blast. Take recoil into account; and ammunition. Unless you are writing and Arnold Schwarzenegger action film, don't give your characters bottomless magazines. People will notice.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">If you don't know anything about guns, talk to someone who does. Visit a shooting range. You'll find many people more than willing to share with you their immense knowledge of firearms. The same goes for any action skills; martial arts, para-trooping, scuba diving, midget wrestling, sword fighting, car chases, or curling. Chances are, whatever you are writing about, someone in the world is an expert at it. Google them.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Another tip is to not just write action. You have to break up your story into high points and low points, the high points being action, suspense, etc., the low points being your plot and character development. Now that's not to say you can't develop both plot and characters <u>within</u> and action scene, you very much can and should. But if your entire story is high points, all action all the time, then the suspense level ten you've built up will begin to feel like a suspense level three. If it's all action, then it gets boring, you'll lose your readers. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Along those same lines, you have to vary your action scenes in order to avoid monotony. If every action scene is a gun fight, then your reader will begin to expect and even predict the outcome of your action scenes. It will become dull. Break it up. Start with a shoot out, then have a car chase, then a sword fight atop a tank, then an all out assault on an ice-fortress. Whatever your story is, make sure to vary your action.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Avoid writing a checklist in your action. "I (or he/she) did this, then I did this, the I turned and did this, then I did this..." Again, variety. "He did this, then this happened. Moving over he saw this. This happened, then this. This happened suddenly and it forced him to do this..." As Larry said, "We're not choreographers, we're writers." </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">And don't worry too much about avoiding cliches</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">. If it's cool, it's probably been done. That's ok. Remember Rule #1: If it sucks, don't do it, it's it's awesome, do it. If it's a cliche action, twist it a bit to make it your own, but as long as you set it up right and write it well, no one will care. However, if your reader <u>expects</u> something to happen, that might be a good time to subvert the narrative and pull the rug out from underneath them.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Finally, to use a Star Trek reference, don't be afraid to kill bridge crew. If you kill a main character early on, then it shows the reader that you're not afraid to kill anyone in the story, and that helps immensely in keeping up your tension.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><u>Challenge Accepted:</u></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">No one responded to the writing prompt last time, but it's ok. It was kind of vague anyway. And technically I cheated. So here's a simpler one for us all to try, relating to this post: </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b>Write an action scene that makes curling interesting.</b> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Challenging, I know. Don't forget to do your research, you can't write about curling if you don't understand it.</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07554437528656081132noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-566152870326823168.post-32166796602233418532012-02-24T15:00:00.001-08:002012-02-24T15:09:57.478-08:00Dual Shower Heads and a Rotten Tomato.As I said in the last post, for the writing prompt I'm going to share an old story of mine that is an example of a bad Tomato Surprise. But first...<br />
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For those who don't follow me on Twitter--for some reason--I just spent a few days in Dallas for work. The hotel was pretty nice, but the most amazing part about it, and the whole trip really, was this:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipgR6YT8VXH6vXb99kxdicu3umIn5EMobNo6W_bqQqNkh3NnwckoaNLbLAkLt-Fdic9R8hYUaLK6yfg2iL6QAjakDw2w6Y0_0I5JfaVXNiqmcreHH54B1lCyGjzWBnKtCoS7xpWVcC-s4/s1600/Photo0191.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipgR6YT8VXH6vXb99kxdicu3umIn5EMobNo6W_bqQqNkh3NnwckoaNLbLAkLt-Fdic9R8hYUaLK6yfg2iL6QAjakDw2w6Y0_0I5JfaVXNiqmcreHH54B1lCyGjzWBnKtCoS7xpWVcC-s4/s320/Photo0191.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br />
Yup, dual shower heads. The hotel called it their "Heavenly Showers" and they are right. The ability to have the top nozzle blasting you with the tight massage spray while the bottom nozzle sprays wide to cover the rest of you is indescribable. Now, perhaps I'm just unrefined, or unsophisticated, and the rest of the world has partaken and moved on to bigger and better things, but to this simple suburbian, this is indeed, "heavenly".<br />
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About the only thing that could be better would be this full wall shower from the movie, Imposter.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrZf37z4ER_FQ47AokzfQdsoScXCfxJDw1YBQ4HiE6gXYTb0uvy9zbveLOmvvBVbqC-AWC2fXnAQP1pIhJshCATDLIOxfmfLj16FEFRoaOLfmQCNJLcFSUWO2lp2Hz2mL1-kt4gIJnqXo/s1600/Impostershortshower2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrZf37z4ER_FQ47AokzfQdsoScXCfxJDw1YBQ4HiE6gXYTb0uvy9zbveLOmvvBVbqC-AWC2fXnAQP1pIhJshCATDLIOxfmfLj16FEFRoaOLfmQCNJLcFSUWO2lp2Hz2mL1-kt4gIJnqXo/s320/Impostershortshower2.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
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And now, on with the story...<br />
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I want to preface this story by saying that I am only using this as an example of what NOT to do. I wrote this story almost seven years ago, in college, and haven't made any changes since. So don't take this as an example of my writing style, I'd like to believe I've improved since then. The story is called, "Angel". It was written for a college project where we were supposed to take three unrelated items we had on us at that moment and combine them into a story. Two of my three items were a deck of cards and a ticket stub from a Metallica concert. I can't for the life of me recall the third item. Maybe you can find it in the story. Anyway, enjoy...<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq"><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal">“Full house, suckers!” Johnny slammed the playing cards face up on the blue milk crate they were using as an ersatz table. The other three guys sitting around the crate groaned and threw in their hands. Johnny laughed wickedly and scooped up the pile of dirty and crinkled bills and coins underneath the cards. “Don’t mess…with the king,” he said adding his winnings to his already impressive pile.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"> The sun was shining through a cloudless sky in mid July in Denver and the boys were all gathered outside Mile High Stadium waiting for the start of a Metallica concert. The parking lot was crammed full of cars and trucks of various sizes, stereos pounding and hibachi grills smoking away. Already outside the gates entering the stadium the line was starting to build up, even though the concert was still over five hours away. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"> Johnny, a short kid of seventeen with dusty blonde hair and the scruffy hint of a mustache, didn’t have a ticket for the show, yet, but he was hoping to acquire one shortly. He was dressed in old jeans and a sleeveless Metallica T-shirt. The three guys around the table were other concert-goers who Johnny had coerced into joining him in a friendly game of Texas Hold ‘em. Now, forty-five minutes later, he had already taken almost everything these guys had. Everything, except a ticket, that is. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"> “One more round guys?” he asked, looking around at each of them. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"> “I don’t know man,” Tilley, the guy in the red flannel shirt said, “You’ve already taken all my money, and my watch. I don’t have anything left.”<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"> “Sure you do,” Johnny countered eyeing the ticket stub poking out of Tilley’s shirt pocket.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"> “You want us to bet out tickets?” Tilley’s brother Squirt, asked, surprised. “No way, dude. Not worth it.”<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"> Johnny turned to the last guy, Buck, a rough looking kid of maybe twenty. He wore a black hoodie and ripped jeans along with a spiked bracelet and several rings of various skull shapes and sizes on both hands. His wallet was attached to his pant loop by a thick silver chain. “What do you think, Buck,” Johnny asked, “Double or nothin’?” Buck still didn’t seem convinced.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"> “Tell you what,” Johnny said, itching to go to the concert, “I’ll put up everything I’ve won here, against your one ticket, all or nothing.”<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"> Buck looked from Johnny’s eyes to the pile of cash in front of him and back again. “All right, if you’re that desperate to lose everything you’ve worked for, you’ve got yourself one last game. Squirt, deal ‘em out.” <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"> Squirt shuffled the deck of cards a few times and had Johnny cut it. He then dealt two cards to Buck and Johnny each. Both boys glanced quickly and secretively at their cards and then waited for Squirt to deal the first of three cards, or the Flop. The first card was the ace of diamonds; the second, the eight of clubs; and the third was the king of hearts. Neither boy gave any indications of folding; this was all or nothing.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"> “How about it, Johnny,” Buck asked with a grin on his face. “You wanna back out?”<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"> Johnny grunted and scratched his lower thigh. “Just deal the Turn, Squirt.”<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"> Squirt flipped the fourth card over, and the fifth; the eight of diamonds and the ace of spades.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"> Johnny held gaze with Buck for several moments, not even looking at his cards.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"> “Let’s see what you’ve got,” Buck said.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"> “You first.”<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"> “All right…full house, eights and kings.” Buck dropped his cards on the table; the eight of spades and the king of clubs. “Looks like you’re going home just like you came: empty handed.”<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"> “I wouldn’t count on it,” Johnny replied softly. He set his cards down in front of Buck; the ace of hearts and the ace of clubs. “Four aces. You lose.”<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"> Buck’s jaw dropped open and stayed that way for several moments. “How…what…?” <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"> “I’ll tell James Hetfield hello for you,” Johnny taunted, and he reached across the table to retrieve his winnings, Buck’s concert ticket. As he leaned forward, something slipped from under his right thigh and fell to the asphalt below. Two cards: the two of spades and the five of hearts. All four boys looked at the cards. Johnny, knowing what they were, quickly looked up to see if the others realized it also. They did. Johnny had cheated.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"> He’d learned how to cheat from his old man; one of the very few things the man had taught him in his life. That was before the he’d been hauled away to prison. Johnny had used the trick before to win lunch money at school, but it had never back fired like this.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"> Time stood still as the other three boys looked up at Johnny. Ever-so-slowly their expressions turned from confusion to outrage. Knowing his time was up, Johnny grabbed the ticket from the table in front of Buck with his right hand; with his left he grabbed as much cash from his winnings pile as his first would hold. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"> Then he ran.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"> He ran as fast as his short legs would carry him, weaving in and out of various crowds of people ducking behind cars and jumping over hibachis. The three boys stayed right on his tail. He wanted to get to the front gate and use the ticket so that Buck couldn’t follow him in. Once inside he could lose the other boys or pay them off. But the line was huge and moving about as fast as an old woman racing a puddle of molasses. Seeing that that was no good, Johnny headed out of the parking lot, leading his pursuers into the alleyways of downtown Denver. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"> Street after street, alley after alley he ran, dumping trash cans in his wake, hopping fences in vain. The boys stayed right with him. Finally, after fifteen minutes of running, his adrenaline gave out. He slowed just enough so that Squirt managed to grab him by the shoulder and pull him to the ground in an alley behind an Italian restaurant. They both landed with a grunt and skidded several feet. By the time Johnny got up, the other two were on him and took him down again.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"> This is how I met Johnny. I was sitting farther back in that alley, minding my own business—and I would have remained minding my own business—but when I saw those three boys begin to beat the life out of poor Johnny I just couldn’t sit back and watch. I waited until all three boys were distracted by the pounding of their fists into Johnny’s crumpled form; then I jumped them. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"> I’m not much of a fighter, never have been, so I fought the only way I knew how: I scratched and bit and screamed and howled like any good girl would. I must have really startled them because they all turned tail and ran. I howled at them again, but let them go.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"> Walking back over to Johnny, I found him still crumpled up in the fetal position. He had a gash on his forehead that was bleeding pretty badly and I cleaned him up as best I could. After a minute he uncurled, sat up, and looked at me. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"> “Thank you,” he said softly. “I don’t know why you would help me; you don’t even know me. But thank you.”<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"> I didn’t reply; no words were necessary. I looked at him caringly, wondering if he needed anything else. He seemed to read my mind because he said, “I could sure use something to eat.” <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"> I didn’t have any money, and the boys had taken all of Johnny’s, including Buck’s ticket. I didn’t even have a home at the time, hadn’t for several months. I had been living on the street. But, knowing that Johnny needed something to eat, I went over to the trash can by the back door of the restaurant and tipped it on its side. It’s kind of gross, but when you live on the street, you take whatever you can get.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"> I sifted through the garbage hoping to find something still in a carryout box. Suddenly, the back door of the restaurant was flung open and out stepped a massive man with dark skin, a black mustache and a gut the size of a wrecking ball. He wore a stained white apron and one of those silly floppy chef’s hats. He took one look at me and started yelling.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"> “You again!? I told you to stay away from here, you tramp!” Before I could react, he had come forward and grabbed me by the neck. His fingers dug into my skin and I whimpered in pain. “Now I’m gonna have to teach you a lesson,” the chef said pulling my face close to his. Then he hit me; hard. He lifted me almost into the air and hit me again. Weak from lack of food, I landed on all fours and tried to scramble away, but the chef wasted no time in kicking me in the ribcage. I yelped out in pain and landed on my side. He was about to kick me again, but Johnny was up from his place on the ground in a flash. I had saved his life, now he was returning the favor. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"> “You leave her alone!” he screamed charging the chef. Before the chef knew what was happening, Johnny cold-clocked him right across the chin. The chef spun around backwards and collapsed like a sack of potatoes into the pile of spilt trash. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"> Then Johnny and I ran.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"> We ran as far away as we could, not stopping for anything. After a good solid fifteen minutes, we finally collapsed in a park. It was dusk by then and the park was mostly empty. For a long time neither of us said anything, we just lay there gasping for breath. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">Then, between breaths, Johnny said, “We make…a pretty good…team…you and me. We…should be…friends.” Then he seemed to notice me for the first time. Thin, scrawny, my ribs were poking out and my hair hadn’t been combed in months. I was a sad sight.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"> “Ain’t you got any home?” he asked sitting up. I didn’t respond, I was still panting for breath. I just glared at him. I would think the answer to that was obvious.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"> “Well, maybe you could come stay with me? Mom would be cool with it, I’m sure.” Then he stopped as if something had just occurred to him. He laughed softly and said, “Listen to me, I don’t even know your name…And yet, you’re like…you’re like my guardian angel. Angel, yeah, that’s a good name. I’ll call you Angel.”<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"> I gazed at him lovingly. We had saved each other that night, two wretches from the inner city, and a bond had formed. I don’t know, maybe it <i>was</i> fate. Maybe I <i>am</i> his guardian angel. I just stared at him.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"> “I love you, Angel,” he said. Then he reached out and scratched me behind the ear. “You’re a good dog.”</div></blockquote><br />
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Ok, ignoring the fact that, because of the narrator, the story suddenly switches from third person to first person narrative, and that there is no real way the narrator could have known so much about the poker game if she'd been in the alley whole time--the Tomato Surprise comes in the very last line of dialogue, when the big reveal is that our narrator, Angel, is actually a dog.<br />
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When I wrote this, I thought I was quite clever. If you reread the second half of the story, once we get that Angel is telling the story, you'll see that I purposely included many hints that Angel was a dog. The way she scratched, bit, and howled like "any good girl would". I wanted the reader to reach the reveal and go, "Whoa", and then look back at the story and see that it was obvious from the start.<br />
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Sadly, but understandably, my instructor hated it. In her review she basically stated that she'd been very intrigued by the little street urchin who would fight to help this stranger, and felt cheated when the last line of the story turned it from a touching tale to a "one line joke".<br />
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When I read the review, I was confused because I hadn't intended the story as a joke, only as a play on reader expectation. But, looking back at it now, I can easily see how jarring it is to become enamored with the characters in this story, only to have the rug pulled out from you at the very end.<br />
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The bottom line is, if you're going to have a twist, or unexpected reveal at the end of your story, be certain it is something that will enhance the story not cheapen it, and is something your reader will appreciate rather than disdain.<br />
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Your comments are welcome. About the story, not the writing, ;P<br />
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</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07554437528656081132noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-566152870326823168.post-83837024365198495482012-02-20T21:49:00.000-08:002012-02-20T21:49:26.019-08:00Short Stories and Tomato SurprisesWell, I've decided that since my work is currently focused on short stories in my continuing effort to win a place in the coveted Writers of the Future contest, short stories would be a good place to start my blog on writing. Not to mention the fact that I have yet to actually finish a novel...<br />
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The notes for this entry come from the panel "How to Write a Good Short Story", from LTUE 2012. The panelists for this panel were, <a href="http://www.ericjamesstone.com/blog/home/" target="_blank">Eric James Stone</a>, <a href="http://www.sff.net/people/dalton-woodbury/" target="_blank">Kathleen Dalton-Woodbury</a>, <a href="http://heatherfrost.com/author.html" target="_blank">Heather Frost</a>, <a href="http://nightingalescage.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Suzanne Vincent</a>, and <a href="http://www.dansrealm.com/Dans_Realm/Home/Home.html" target="_blank">Dan Willis</a>. Please visit their sites if you haven't already as they are each a vault of knowledge and wisdom.<br />
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Ok, so how do you write a good short story? Let's first look at what makes a short story good, or interesting. Why do we read short fiction? Is it simply that in our ever-increasingly hectic lives fiction that can be read in one sitting is all we have time for? Or is short fiction all that our shortened attention spans are interested in? Although I do think there's some truth to these ideas, they're not the whole truth.<br />
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One thing I personally love about short fiction is the immediate setup and payoff. A novel is a serious investment of time and energy. Most people don't read a novel in a day or even a week. It takes time to introduce the characters, to develop a relationship between them and the reader, to develop the setting and plot surrounding the characters, and to show those characters' emotional and sometimes physical growth throughout the story. And, after all this, the reader expects the story to have a satisfying conclusion.<br />
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In short fiction, the author can sort of cheat. There are many short cuts that can be taken to skip some of the time consuming events I just listed. One of the ideas presented by the panel was the idea of Unity. Unity in a short story is the concept of One; one character, one problem, one setting, and perhaps even one effort. To expound on these:<br />
<ul><li> One Character doesn't necessarily mean only one character in the story, but only one Point of View. In short fiction you barely have enough time to get to know one character, let alone several. It's best to stay focused on one person's thoughts and actions. If you split story time between characters it can get confusing and also make your characters shallow.</li>
<li>One Problem could also be listed as One Plot. If you have your character(s) facing too many problems or subplots, it will not only make your story too long, but also will make it more challenging to reach a complete and satisfying conclusion.</li>
<li>One Setting, like Character, doesn't mean only having the story in one room of a house, or even one town or city. You can visit different places in your story, but remember that the more complex you make your setting, or any of these points, the longer your story will be and the harder it becomes to close it all up satisfactorily. Typically my short stories have been focused within the personal bubble, as it were, of the main character. (I couldn't find an appropriate term for "personal bubble", but it is essentially the idea that everyone lives and works within so many miles of their home and rarely venture out from it. If anyone knows a term for that area, please let me know.) In most of my short fiction, the setting is within the characters' job, home city, or family. But that doesn't necessarily limit the locations. In one story, the setting is a college campus, with a few different dorms and offices used. In another, centered around a space race, the setting is within the protagonist's space ship. The setting may cover lightyears of travel, but still only takes place within one setting, the ship.</li>
<li>One Effort for the most part means forgoing try/fail cycles. If you're unsure of what this is, it's the idea that, in order to build tension in the story, your protagonist(s) must try to solve the problem and fail at least a few times. Only when it seems like there is no other way for them to accomplish their goals, and then they do, is the ending as powerful as you want. In short fiction there often is not time for try/fail cycles, or perhaps only one. Unlike in a novel, a short story protagonist can solve the problem on the first try, provided the story is setup properly and maintains its interest.</li>
</ul><div>In short fiction you can often skip essential elements of a novel such as backstory. (This can be done in long form as well, but is more difficult and more suited to short works.) In short form you can simply start at the climax of your story and leave the backstory to the imagination of the reader. In fact, this is one of the more provocative ways to tell a short story. Don't get caught up trying to fill the reader in on everything that has happened to lead the protagonist to this point. Simply provide the essential details, and leave the rest for the reader to dream up on their own. This creates a certain collaboration between author and reader and can make your story more powerful.</div><div><br />
</div><div>Some tips on writing short stories well:</div><div><ul><li>Enter scenes late and leave early. This means to start the scene at the exact moment of decisive action for the protagonist, and end the scene before the calm settles in.</li>
<li>Trust your reader to fill in details you don't supply. We read to feed our imaginations, set the reader free as often as you can.</li>
<li>Cut down on the number of scenes, characters, and subplots.</li>
<li>Reduce the complexity of the main plot.</li>
<li>Tell, don't Show, SOME of the story. This goes against everything we are taught as writers to Show, don't Tell the story. But in short fiction sometimes you have to just info dump the important parts so you can get on with the current scene. But, be as concise as possible in this. Remember, in a short story every word has to count. As Orson Scott Card said, everything in a story has to fight for the right to be there. If it doesn't have the right, it is unimportant and uninteresting, cut it.</li>
<li>Finally, start the story closer to the end and just fill in backstory. Or, as we have already discussed, leave the backstory to the reader unless it plays an important role in the plot.</li>
</ul><div>During the panel the question was asked, How do you know when to begin and end your story?</div></div><div>Kathleen Dalton-Woodbury explained one way to know is to use Orson Scott Card's M.I.C.E. Quotient. This is a list of four categories that are present in every story. Most of the time, one of the four dominates the story, but all four are always present. They are:</div><div><ul><li><b><span style="font-size: large;">M</span></b>ilieu - This is the setting of the story; location, family, the world, weather, etc. A Milieu driven story is one where the setting is the main problem or antagonist to the characters. An example of this is Pocahontas/Dances with Wolves/Fern Gully/Avatar. Yes, these are all essentially the same story. A Milieu driven story begins when the protagonist becomes involved in the setting and ends when they either find a way home or choose to stay and join the setting.</li>
<li><b><span style="font-size: large;">I</span></b>dea - This is the idea of the story. An Idea driven story is one where a question is presented and the characters must figure out the answer or solution to that idea. Most mystery stories are Idea stories. An example of an Idea driven story would be The Game. What is the Game? Is it really a game, or a life and death con? The Idea story begins when the question or idea is presented and ends when it is answered or solved.</li>
<li><b><span style="font-size: large;">C</span></b>haracter - This is the character(s) of the story. A Character driven story is one where the protagonist is challenged in some way and must find a way to grow and overcome his/her personal challenges. Rudy is a good example of a character story as is the Lion King. The Character story begins when the character either decides he/she wants to change, or is changed by their circumstances and ends when they either make the change or accept it.</li>
<li><b><span style="font-size: large;">E</span></b>vent - This is a change in the status quo of either the world or the character's life and must be righted. Most disaster stories such as 2012 or Armageddon are Event stories, as are epic adventures like Star Wars and Lord of the Rings. The Event story begins when there is a change in the status quo and the main character decides to get involved and ends when either the status quo is returned, or a new status quo is established, or in some cases, when the characters fail.</li>
</ul><div>As I said, all of these things are found in every story to some extent. But most stories carry one in the forefront that drives the plot, while the others are simply there to flesh out the story. Especially in short fiction you will have one of these four things driving the story while the others may barely be touched upon. This a good way to keep your story focused. Decide what kind of story you are telling and make sure to keep the story centered on that.</div></div><div><br />
</div><div>The last thing I want to discuss about is what to avoid when writing short stories. I've already discussed things like keep it short and simple. Don't let your plot get too complex, don't let your characters run away with (or from) the story. Keep it focused on the type of story you want to tell. Also, avoid what is known as Tomato Surprises. No, this is not a recipe with eggs, milk, and breadcrumbs (though if you Google it that is mostly what you will get). A Tomato Surprise is withholding some vital detail from the reader that, if it had been revealed at the beginning of the story, would take most, if not all, of the tension out of the story. It is used often to pull the rug out from under the reader and turn the entire story into a one-line joke. </div><div><br />
</div><div>Not to say that the Tomato Surprise can't be done well; it's just very difficult. Two movies that come to mind where this is used effectively are The Book of Eli and The Sixth Sense. Both stories have a reveal at the very end that completely changes the meaning of the story. Unfortunately, most of the time when authors try this trick it does little more than confuse, disappoint, and upset the reader who feels deceived rather than satisfied by the twist. </div><div><br />
</div><div>That's about all I have to say on the subject of short stories at this point. I think the most important thing I've learned about writing short fiction is that you <i>have</i> to start with the interesting stuff. With novels, you typically have one to two chapters to engage the reader. In short fiction you only get one to two paragraphs. A short story <i>has</i> to have a hook. Even if it means starting in the action and flashing back occasionally to set it up, start with the hook and work your way from there. </div><div><br />
</div><div>I'm still toying with the idea of including a writing prompt at the end of each post, and then following it up with my own works based on that writing prompt, but with this subject, the writing prompt seems pretty straight forward: Write a Good Short Story. And since that is vague and well, stupid, I think instead I'm going to post an old story of mine written in college as a bad example of a Tomato Surprise. I guess if you want, your writing prompt could be: Write a Good Tomato Surprise Story. </div><div><br />
</div><div>Feel free to share your writing prompt results with me, either by emailing it to me at joshmorreywriting@gmail.com, or you can post it in the comments on this blog. I look forward to whatever you come up with. Also, as this is my first blog ever, feel free to bombard me with ideas and suggestions on how to improve this blog or my posts.</div><div><br />
</div><div>That's the end of my first blog. Until next time, write something.</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07554437528656081132noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-566152870326823168.post-15766350889330616382012-02-20T12:53:00.000-08:002012-02-20T12:53:04.667-08:00Thus it begins...Here begins my first foray into the blogosphere...<br />
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As an aspiring author, I have decided the best way to get into the blogging scene is to write about what I am striving to learn the most of right now, which is writing. I have been writing semi-seriously to seriously for about six years now, since I graduated college. At first it was a slow process as I didn't devote myself enough to the art and really didn't try to learn about the craft anymore than I had learned in school . I was writing stories sure, and unlike many early aspiring writers, I was submitting my work, mostly to the Writers of the Future Contest. Sadly the results were no good, and understandably so as I was making many mistakes in my stories that young writers tend toward. <br />
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In 2009--after failing to win WotF for the eighth or tenth time--I realized that in order to improve my writing I needed to get more active in the writing community. I began attending the two major writing conferences in Utah; Life, The Universe, and Everything, hosted yearly by Brigham Young University, and CONduit, held locally in downtown Salt Lake City.<br />
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From both of these sources, after three years of attendance, I have gathered a wealth of knowledge on everything writing related. From story structure, to character development, to plots and subplots, to ePublishing and traditional publishing, to agents and editors, I have learned a great deal about the craft. And it is that knowledge that I intend to share through this blog. I have notebooks full of notes and handouts taken from these events that have helped me in my own writing and I hope to be able to pass on what I have learned and, hopefully, we can all learn more in the process.<br />
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At this point I intend to share thoughts and notes on a different topic for writing each week. I'm toying with the idea of ending each post with a writing prompt and following up the next post with my own results of the writing prompt, so readers can see the ideas in action. We'll see how things progress.<br />
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I want to thank everyone for taking the time to read this blog and hope that we can all learn something from the pages and pages of frantically scribbled notes I have stored away.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07554437528656081132noreply@blogger.com0