There's a saying out in writer land that Writer's Write. It's what we do.
I'll agree with this . . . up to a point.
But before writers write, we observe. Some people would call it daydreaming, but we call it world building or plotting.
We people watch. We watch interactions between our friends, with our family members, or simply sit on a bench at the mall and watch the world walk by.
Do you think all those writers who are at Starbucks are actually writing? Well, they are, but they are also sipping their beverage of choice and look around at the people coming and going.
And then they proceed to make up stories and back stories about those characters.
Writers study human nature. The ability of an action inspiring a reaction depending on the personalities of the involved parties. We can psychoanalyzing various personality types, but we don't have to write a paper or explain to other family members how to deal with it.
We just lie about it on paper.
It's called fiction.
So many people will ask writers where they get their ideas. It's not hard to figure out, all you have to do is look around and observe--just be sure to change the names . . .
If you want to be a writer start your journey simply by observing. Yes, you will eventually have to learn to put your world onto paper, but you will be learning a lot about human nature, motivation and characterization.
Later, Peeps!
Showing posts with label motivation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label motivation. Show all posts
1/12/12
Channeling Emotion into Characters
It's been a very, very long time since I truly visited my characters in the Goblin's Apprentice.
Oh, I edited and published five stories with these characters in 2011, but I didn't immerse myself into their world. It's been almost two years since I wrote anything new and now I'm faced with the reality that I can't simply edit TROLL, but I have to rewrite it . . . from scratch.
And I'm scared.
TROLL was written in May 2010, but every single time I tried to edit it, I knew something was wrong and I put it down. It took me over a year to figure it out. At first, I thought it was Kyte's voice, which was part of the reason, but not all of it. Then I thought it was simply the overwhelming edits that I needed to do to rid the story of the excessive repetition. Well, it is that, but that wasn't the core problem.
The problem turned out to be motivation--mine and Kyte's. She wasn't motivated to move through the story. Oh, she played along and did what I told her to do, but her heart wasn't in it . . . and neither was mine.
Last week, while on my morning walkies, I figured it out . . . I think.
Every writer has strengths and weaknesses in their writing. Mine is emotion. I have a difficult time channeling emotion into my characters because I tend to avoid any sort of emotional outburst in my own life. You know how you trundle on in your life, but your good friend has constant drama in her life? And you think to yourself that no one would believe her story if it was ever written, because it was simply too unrealistic?
Well, writing is about the drama. Every action must inspire a reaction. Every character must have sufficient motivation to take a chance, risk their lives, or simply be there emotionally for another character.
What was missing from Kyte's motivation was anger. TROLL takes place after Halloween and before Christmas, and it's been almost a year since her dad died. Her mom moved them back to her hometown where Kyte didn't know anyone. She discovers she's adopted, can see and talk to mythicals and nearly gets killed a few times, and a goblin decides to take her under his tutelage. Her life is not her own. Now, she's forced to do her schoolwork AND learn tons of stuff about Celestia and mythicals, PLUS combat train under a goblin?
She misses her dad. Her mom is becoming distant. Her best friend is fighting in Celestia, but might be missing, AND a goblin is pushing her around on a daily basis. She doesn't have time to watch TV, paint her nails, much less hang with kids her own age.
And she has reached the final straw when Rhan smacks her practice sword out of her hand, telling her that she's a waste of his time and effort.
This is where FOR WHOM THE BELL TROLLS starts.
What do you all think? Have I finally zeroed in on sufficient motivation?
I'm serious here. I need to know. Talk to me. . .
Oh, I edited and published five stories with these characters in 2011, but I didn't immerse myself into their world. It's been almost two years since I wrote anything new and now I'm faced with the reality that I can't simply edit TROLL, but I have to rewrite it . . . from scratch.
And I'm scared.
TROLL was written in May 2010, but every single time I tried to edit it, I knew something was wrong and I put it down. It took me over a year to figure it out. At first, I thought it was Kyte's voice, which was part of the reason, but not all of it. Then I thought it was simply the overwhelming edits that I needed to do to rid the story of the excessive repetition. Well, it is that, but that wasn't the core problem.
The problem turned out to be motivation--mine and Kyte's. She wasn't motivated to move through the story. Oh, she played along and did what I told her to do, but her heart wasn't in it . . . and neither was mine.
Last week, while on my morning walkies, I figured it out . . . I think.
Every writer has strengths and weaknesses in their writing. Mine is emotion. I have a difficult time channeling emotion into my characters because I tend to avoid any sort of emotional outburst in my own life. You know how you trundle on in your life, but your good friend has constant drama in her life? And you think to yourself that no one would believe her story if it was ever written, because it was simply too unrealistic?
Well, writing is about the drama. Every action must inspire a reaction. Every character must have sufficient motivation to take a chance, risk their lives, or simply be there emotionally for another character.
What was missing from Kyte's motivation was anger. TROLL takes place after Halloween and before Christmas, and it's been almost a year since her dad died. Her mom moved them back to her hometown where Kyte didn't know anyone. She discovers she's adopted, can see and talk to mythicals and nearly gets killed a few times, and a goblin decides to take her under his tutelage. Her life is not her own. Now, she's forced to do her schoolwork AND learn tons of stuff about Celestia and mythicals, PLUS combat train under a goblin?
She misses her dad. Her mom is becoming distant. Her best friend is fighting in Celestia, but might be missing, AND a goblin is pushing her around on a daily basis. She doesn't have time to watch TV, paint her nails, much less hang with kids her own age.
And she has reached the final straw when Rhan smacks her practice sword out of her hand, telling her that she's a waste of his time and effort.
This is where FOR WHOM THE BELL TROLLS starts.
What do you all think? Have I finally zeroed in on sufficient motivation?
I'm serious here. I need to know. Talk to me. . .
9/14/09
Rough Drafts Should Remain. . . .
PRIVATE.
Yes, people. Rough drafts are just that--rough. To get, or request, feedback on something that is not fully formed is just asking for trouble. The only time to allow someone to read a rough draft is when you have a specific reason for someone to read it. Then you need to make it clear what you expect from their read (notice I didn't say crit?? This isn't a crit. It is a reading.) of your work.
Beginning writers ache over every single word they place on the page. They tweak and rearrange and nitpick and rewrite each word, sentence and paragraph. They think their work is the next Great American Novel--I know I did--BUT just because you agonized over each and every word doesn't mean your novel is ready to be viewed. Numerous times craft elements are missing.
Writers who do this tend to be focused on one element and not the ENTIRE body of work. The bones are there, but what happened to the muscles, sinews, fat and flesh?
For other writers a first draft is a puked out thing. Sometimes it turns out well, but other times it is a mess that an author has to fix. TRUST ME, PEOPLE, NO ONE WANTS TO READ YOUR VOMIT!
I used to be in the first category, but now I'm in the second category. Depending on the situation, I will make one exception to my DO NOT LET ANYONE READ rule and that is when I specifically request DO NOT CRIT. I want a gut reaction whether or not I hit the mark with a specific problem and need to move on.
I requested this of two different people recently on two different stories. One, I already wrote a blog about here. But the other was a romantic suspense I asked a friend to read the first twenty-five pages. I specifically requested a DO NOT CRIT. Let me emphasis, DO NOT CRIT! just give your gut reaction to the pages.
For her the story didn't begin until page 19. Okay, this didn't surprise me considering my original draft started at about that point. Two, my friend didn't understand this character's trust for a group of truckers when this character is freaked out, exhausted and on the run. Good Point! I didn't have sufficient motivation for her to do this. Oh, I have a reason for her to do this, but a reason isn't good enough--the character must be motivated for the reader to believe this. This series of scenes neatly ties a subplot to the main plot of the story AT the end of the story, but WHY would this character trust them at the beginning of the story?
I made a bullet point note about motivation at the beginning of my manuscript and I'll deal with it later, depending on how the story unfolds. If I need to delete it, then I'll delete it.
Do I think it was easy for both of these writers NOT to critique my work? No, it wasn't easy for either of them. They both wanted to comment, but they respected my request and gave me the feedback I needed to move forward on both stories.
And I will say that I appreciate the restraint it took for them to respect my request. :-) Thanks, ladies!
Now, if I can find some time this week with family invading my home and wedding stuff to attend, I'll . . .
Write on!
Yes, people. Rough drafts are just that--rough. To get, or request, feedback on something that is not fully formed is just asking for trouble. The only time to allow someone to read a rough draft is when you have a specific reason for someone to read it. Then you need to make it clear what you expect from their read (notice I didn't say crit?? This isn't a crit. It is a reading.) of your work.
Beginning writers ache over every single word they place on the page. They tweak and rearrange and nitpick and rewrite each word, sentence and paragraph. They think their work is the next Great American Novel--I know I did--BUT just because you agonized over each and every word doesn't mean your novel is ready to be viewed. Numerous times craft elements are missing.
Writers who do this tend to be focused on one element and not the ENTIRE body of work. The bones are there, but what happened to the muscles, sinews, fat and flesh?
For other writers a first draft is a puked out thing. Sometimes it turns out well, but other times it is a mess that an author has to fix. TRUST ME, PEOPLE, NO ONE WANTS TO READ YOUR VOMIT!
I used to be in the first category, but now I'm in the second category. Depending on the situation, I will make one exception to my DO NOT LET ANYONE READ rule and that is when I specifically request DO NOT CRIT. I want a gut reaction whether or not I hit the mark with a specific problem and need to move on.
I requested this of two different people recently on two different stories. One, I already wrote a blog about here. But the other was a romantic suspense I asked a friend to read the first twenty-five pages. I specifically requested a DO NOT CRIT. Let me emphasis, DO NOT CRIT! just give your gut reaction to the pages.
For her the story didn't begin until page 19. Okay, this didn't surprise me considering my original draft started at about that point. Two, my friend didn't understand this character's trust for a group of truckers when this character is freaked out, exhausted and on the run. Good Point! I didn't have sufficient motivation for her to do this. Oh, I have a reason for her to do this, but a reason isn't good enough--the character must be motivated for the reader to believe this. This series of scenes neatly ties a subplot to the main plot of the story AT the end of the story, but WHY would this character trust them at the beginning of the story?
I made a bullet point note about motivation at the beginning of my manuscript and I'll deal with it later, depending on how the story unfolds. If I need to delete it, then I'll delete it.
Do I think it was easy for both of these writers NOT to critique my work? No, it wasn't easy for either of them. They both wanted to comment, but they respected my request and gave me the feedback I needed to move forward on both stories.
And I will say that I appreciate the restraint it took for them to respect my request. :-) Thanks, ladies!
Now, if I can find some time this week with family invading my home and wedding stuff to attend, I'll . . .
Write on!
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