Category: Writing Tips

Good morning all :)

I’m thrilled to see more followers on the blog – welcome and thanks for visiting!

Today’s post will be brief. On one of the blogs I follow (Bookends, you can see it in the list on my main blog page) there’s a blog post up today written by Bookends client Christie Craig.

View the post here.

I had the pleasure of hearing Christie Craig give a presentation at my writer’s conference last fall. She came into the room carrying what appeared to be a doctor’s bag or medium sized carry-on piece of luggage. All of us kind of wondered what it was for, and we sat back to enjoy her presentation on persistence and staying in the game, no matter what.

While her information was geared to writers, it could apply to anything. Stick to your goal and don’t give up.

THEN she did something I won’t ever forget. She asked the room how many rejections would it take for us to give up on our dream. Then she pulled about 200 rejection slips out of her bag, and tossed them on the floor.

We sat there, astounded. Then she reached into the bag again. “How many times will you read a rejection and keep going?” And she took ANOTHER 200-300 sheets of paper out of her bag and tossed them to her feet.

This routine continued for several more rounds–until the floor was covered with the rejection slips – she must have had 2000 or more stuffed into that bag of hers. And now she’s a bestselling author.

Never give up on your dream, no matter what. Keep moving toward your goal. You’ll get there.

Elaine

Hey all,

Happy Memorial Day!!! Hope everyone is enjoying a great holiday weekend. It’s a great chance to remember what service men and women have done for our country as we spend time relaxing, grilling out with family and friends, or just taking a breather away from the normal routine. Whatever your plans may be, I wish you a happy Memorial Day.

On to today’s topic…perseverence. There are many ways to define it, give examples of it, talk about it, blog about it, think about it, and well…the list goes on and on. But there’s a wonderful little film out in theatres now that SHOWS what perseverence is. That film is called, “Anvil, The Story of Anvil.” Click here for the movie website.

Now, let me admit a few things here. One, I love independent films. Anything out of Sundance or Cannes is something on my list to see. But I also know that independent film isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. However, there are some Indies which fit into both the ‘art house’ audience and the general audience. This is one of them. Go see it!

Two, I (like many) had never heard of this Canadian band who were playing gigs the same time as Metallica, Whitesnake, Slayer, Twisted Sister, Judas Priest and all those other heavy metal bands that I vaguely heard of but never really listened to.

Three, I don’t like heavy metal. Never did. I heard of those other bands above either because friends listened to the music or because their ballads were played at every high school dance. But I’d never heard of Anvil.

What a story. These guys should have their picture next to ‘perseverence’ in the dictionary. They began playing when they were 16. Despite never hitting the big success that their aforementioned peers did, they continued to play gigs, using their vacation time to go on tours which were often filled with various complications and disappointments.

You know what? They kept going.

This isn’t a pollyanna story; things were far from perfect. Their families began to question how things would work, the band members began to question themselves, and sometimes that doubt crept in so strong that it ripped the members apart.

But you know what? They kept going.

Now there’s a film about their journey, and it’s wonderful. Even if you don’t like Indie film, even if you hate heavy metal music – – this is a wonderful documentary about 2 guys who just wouldn’t quit.

Inspiring, I’d say. Now, off to write and chase that dream…

Happy Friday, all! Yes, I do keep meaning to blog more often (and will acheive that goal one day!) but for now, it’s doing good at 2x/week. And the sun is shining, the birds are chirping, it’s beautiful outdoors and I’m like a cat scrambling to get out there myself.

Today’s topic…artistic life in the trenches. Whether you’re a writer, painter, photographer, filmmaker, musician, etc. – – it helps to have a support system. I’ve been fortunate to be part of several writers groups in my area, but I think it helps to go beyond our comfort zone. If you’re a writer, try to meet some photographers, painters, musicians, filmmakers.

Artists are everywhere. We just have to look for them. Several times per week, I go to a nearby cafe for lunch to write. It’s about 5 minutes from work and the tables/lighting/setup are conducive to writing away without too much hubbub all around. Since my face has become familiar, the staff asks me what I’m writing on, what I write, etc. (I use an Alphasmart Dana – best thing in the world!) One waiter there is a musician and it’s wonderful to hear how his music is coming along when I see him. He keeps me in good Diet Coke supply and wishes me luck on my writing. These are more than simple exchanges; they keep us going and let us know that we’re not alone.

This helps when the bullets start whizzing over our heads or crises occur. Knowing there are other artists in the trenches too is not only comforting; it’s one of the best gifts I can imagine.

I’ve been incredibly fortunate to have encountered artists in a variety of fields. A filmmaker is able to help me see things in a visual way, how certain ways of editing a film can quicken the pace or heighten the tension in scenes. My current manuscript has some filmic pieces, and having another type of artist’s feedback besides a writer is helpful. Same thing goes for painting. Knowing someone who paints on a regular basis helps me understand how they approach their art. I find value in this as a human being and as a writer.

Artistic life in the trenches gets to the best of us, but remember–we’re not alone.

Now, go write your little hearts out!

Elaine

Oh, c’mon. Don’t frown and groan yet. Granted, this topic is overdone in the writing world, but occasionally I stumble across examples which revitalize my faith in its truth. Magic happens when writers follow this simple (and yet elusive) advice.

Key Point: Your audience doesn’t want information; they want experiences. It’s our job as writers to offer that to the best of our ability.

How can we do this? By using what we have in our toolbox. Words, description, sentence structure, our own experiences and knowledge of the human condition, etc. For you blogaholics out there like me, Margie Lawson is guest blogging today at Petit Fours and Hot Tamales. I attended a few of her brief presentations in Atlanta last year; she’s one of the best teachers on character emotion that I’ve encountered.

Keep in mind that for any technique, like flavorful seasonings, use in moderation. Description can be a wonderful tool, but it can also be like letting a full saltshaker loose on that prized soufflé. One author I was required to read in high school described a leaf for 5 pages. FIVE PAGES. A LEAF. It wasn’t even important to the story. All of us have things which we avoid. Stephen King hates the word “zestful” and has vowed to never use it in his books. I’m with him; my vow is to never describe a leaf. Ever.

Point being? A few well-placed words can go a long way. Below are some examples I’ve read recently. They restore my faith, because writers like the below not only offer a glimpse into whatever it is they are trying to communicate, but they let us share in those experiences with them. That takes talent, folks, and it’s something I am more determined than ever to remember as I continue writing.

My thanks, kudos, and deepest respect for all the artists below who were brave enough to share their talent with the world. All of you are my heroes and heroines, my inspiration.

The street door was still open, just a little, where the knife and the man who held it had slipped in, and wisps of nighttime mist slithered and twined into the house through the open door. His shoes were black leather, and they were polished to such a shine that they looked like dark mirrors: you could see the moon reflected in them, tiny and half full.
— Neil Gaiman, The Graveyard Book

It’s 5 degrees. The street is dark and absolutely still. The cold has already made it through all three of my coats. Above me the obsidian sky is glittering with millions of stars. I take a breath. The whole night sky rushes into my throat, the stars tickling into my lungs like tiny fragments of ice.
—Tom DiCillo, filmmaker, on the atmosphere at the Sundance Film Festival 09

Now imagine being frozen from the waist down in a lake of ice for eternity. Imagine that the slightest movement would freeze the tears on your face and the water surrounding you. God, according to Dante, was all about motion and energy, so the ultimate punishment for Lucifer is to not be able to move at all. At the very bottom of hell, there’s no fire, no brimstone, just the utter inability to take action.”
—Jodi Picoult, The Tenth Circle

The following 2 examples are the first sentences of 2 Dennis Lehane books. His tone, his words automatically bring you into the story.

The first time I met Karen Nichols, she struck me as the kind of woman who ironed her socks.
—Dennis Lehane, Prayers for Rain

A piece of advice: If you ever follow someone in my neighborhood, don’t wear pink.
—Dennis Lehane, Sacred