E.J. Wesley, Author: April 2011

A-Z Writer's Toolbox: Yoga & Zen

GOING ON BLOGCATION:

A-Z is finished! Thank you all so much for sticking with me this month (and thanks to all of the new followers as well)! This was truly a challenge, and I really feel a sense of accomplishment having pulled it off. I'll confess that when I started I never thought I would be able to keep up with posting daily for an entire month. I guess you never know what you can do until you try? I hope I've provided you with at least a few helpful bits of information, inspiration or entertainment in the process.

Taking part in the challenge has put me way behind in keeping up with all of the wonderful blogs I follow (you all), responding to all of the people who've taken the time to follow and comment on my A-Z posts, and various other blog community tasks. I greatly apologize for that. Consequently, I'm going to be taking a blog vacation for the next few weeks in an attempt to read all of the great stuff I've undoubtedly missed. I'm also going to work on finishing a couple of writing projects that have taken a backseat. I'll apologize in advance for the silence, but I hope to come back energized with loads of great stuff to talk about. Until then, take care and keep writing.

~EJW~

Y and Z are for yoga and zen

Let me put this out there right from the start: I'm not suggesting writers need to take up yoga. Undoubtedly, we'd all be a little more healthy for it, but I'm not sure it's in the cards for everyone. Personally, I'm about as flexible as petrified tree dowsed in cement, and spandex and I have never been the best of friends. I digress ...

As a discipline there is a ton that writers can learn from yoga. There's a saying that yoga is 99% practice and 1% theory, and I think that applies to writing as well. Although some may have a natural ability, most of the folks who truly excel at writing had to learn how. They learned how through repetition.

In yoga, concentration is king. To hold an excruciating pose you must block out your discomfort, you must block out distractions, and you must above all focus on the act itself.

Writing is no different. It's often intensely uncomfortable and infinitely difficult to sustain. Much like yoga, writing takes an incredible amount of discipline and patience. Very little in writing can be learned quickly, and mastery can take a lifetime--if it comes at all. It is a daily grind that requires strength and endurance.

Like yoga, progress in writing is often hard to measure, and almost solely gauged on an individual basis. Forget comparing yourself to others in yoga, it's an internal and subjective act. You're only going to best yourself. I think the same SHOULD apply to writing. Forget comparisons, just try to be better than you were the day before.

Yoga and the Zen philosophy go hand in hand, as do writing and Zen. Zen is all about attaining wisdom and enlightenment through study and self-reflection. Yoga teaches Zen by forcing you to explore your limits (both physical and mental). If you attempt to write your flaws and limits will flash like a neon sign from day one. Zen emphasizes slowing down mentally, as does yoga. Writing a novel forces you to slow down and examine the parts of a whole.

There are so many other commonalities we could discuss, but I think I'll leave you with a few Zen quotes and sayings to let you ponder how it might apply to your writing life.

Lao Tzu ~
"The journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step."

Do not speak - unless it improves on silence.

The path of the enlightened one leaves no track- it is like the path of birds in the sky.

All that we are is the result of what we have thought. The mind is everything. What we think we become.

We cannot see our reflection in running water. It is only in still water that we can see.
Student says " I am very discouraged. What should I do?" Master says, "encourage others."

To know the road ahead, ask those coming back.

A jug fills drop by drop.

A-Z Writer's Toolbox: X-Ray Vision

A to Z Disclaimer:

Like all craftspeople, writers need to keep a bag of tricks handy. A set of tools for the job (writing), if you will. Some of these traits or tools are obvious--like the need to have a hide as thick as a brick, for instance. Some are not. This month, I've been challenged to do a post every day of the week (excluding Sunday) that begins with a letter of the alphabet. I'm going to use this challenge to examine some of those necessary writing tools, both conventional and not. Hold on to your #2 pencil, here we go!

NOTE: I've added a page dedicated to my A to Z Writer's Toolbox posts. I figured I'd soon have a bunch of these things and it'll make it easier for you to browse any of the letters you might have missed. You can find a link to the page under the, "MORE STUFF" heading at the top of the right-hand column of this page.

X is for x-ray vision

Creative writing isn't about re-telling life as it happens on the surface. That's the stuff that anyone can see. Creative writing is about digging deeper, and examining the internal conflicts and circumstances that truly define humanity.

We don't tell the reader 'this is the bad guy', but rather show them why that's the bad guy. We let their intent speak through their actions. To do that we have to understand what is going on beneath the surface. What life circumstances drove the person to the brink of destroying the world? What's his biggest fear? His grandest hope? We have to know all of those things in order to write convincing and compelling stories, and we have to know them for every character.

The best way to learn to convey those layers of complexity in writing is to learn to see them in the everyday life around you. We need to develop an acute form of x-ray vision that allows us to see the story within a story, so to speak.

For example: You overhear a couple arguing at the store. From their words, it appears to be a simple argument over the husband picking out the wrong kind of cheese. Now put on your writerly x-ray glasses. Maybe the wife views this as yet another sign of the husband's disinterest in the day-to-day life of the family, or perhaps the husband purposefully defied her because he found out she has been cheating and doesn't have the courage to confront her with words yet. Either way, there's clearly much more going on than a debate over cheese.

That's the kind of examination we need to use in our writing. The ability to see beyond the surface will take an ordinary story and change it into something compelling.

~EJW~

A-Z Writer's Toolbox: Verve & Wile

A to Z Disclaimer:

V is for verve

Do your characters share the very air you breathe? When they whisper, does it tickle your ear? Are readers thrust into the air with every upswing in your story, or crushed beneath the weight of the mighty circumstances you've set forth?

What I'm really asking is does your writing have verve--a life or spirit that makes it more than words on paper or screen?

We've all read a story that so completely comes alive in our minds that we can scarcely distinguish between reality and fiction when we are trapped inside its pages. In our minds the hero becomes our friend, the villain our worst enemy and the quest our own soul-churning journey. We cry with the losses and cheer the victories as if we were watching it all unfold live in some gigantic sports arena.

Anyone who has ever attempted to write a fictitious paragraph, much less a novel, can tell you that the 'verve factor' is nothing short of magic. Some writers seem to be born with the ability to infuse their prose with a sort of crackling energy that leaps from the pages and grabs hold of anyone who strays to close. Their words are like the literary equivalent of potato chips or chocolate; you'll devour them even when you're too full to sensibly want more. It seems the rest of us can only marvel at the show and hope that some of the magic rubs off on our own writing.

However, after considering some of my favorite crack reads (the ones I can't give up or put down), I think that maybe we can (to an extent) manufacture verve. I believe that there are some common traits shared among the most lively story tellers that we can put in our toolboxes. Here are four ways to bring spirit to your story:

1) Real Characters: Great characters suck me into a story quicker than anything, but it isn't the "greatness" of a character that really makes the story come alive. More often than not it's the normal aspects of a character, or the parts I can directly identify with, that keep me turning the pages. Moreover, it's when those characters act in ways that I could see myself acting that things really get interesting. Whether it's a hero who gets frustrated with his best friend and says something awful, or a villain who loves his mother yet plans to destroy the world with a zombie virus--keep it real. (Not that I plan on destroying the world with a zombie virus, but I do love my mom!)

2) A+ Dialogue: Nothing puts my mind into a scene like a great conversation between characters. Humans are highly social creatures, and unique for our ability to communicate with words. Lively stories have vivacious characters, and those characters have meaningful and engaging conversations.

3) Exceptional Settings: We're all familiar with the concept of making a setting so detailed and full of life that it becomes a character in our stories. While I'm not certain that the setting needs to be a star, I've found that the most gripping stories have fantastic settings and description. For a story to truly come to life, the setting needs to have an impact on the characters and the reader. If the damp night air of an enchanted forest sends a shiver down the spine of our hero, it'll most likely do the same to our readers.

4) Conflict: When things get messy our minds tend to shift into overdrive. If there's a problem, we immediately jump to possible solutions. It's human nature, and it's something we can use in our writing. Every scene should have a conflict. Every. Scene. That doesn't mean we have to have a gun fight on every page, but it does mean we should be actively engaging our readers by having our characters face frequent mental and/or physical obstacles.

W is for wile

Are you a trickster in your writing? Like the Coyote in the cartoon above, do you set traps for the reader, hoping that this is the time you snare them? Here's why you should ...

I read for the unexpected, not the expected. I WANT to be baited and switched. In fact, I get a little upset when an author gets predictable. How entertaining would it be if your friend told you a story about their trip to the grocery store and all that happened was a trip to the grocery store? Not very. Throw in a purse snatching and a car chase, however, and now you've got a story!

My point is that readers are smart, and they're always on to our schemes. We have to be tireless in our efforts to pull the rug out from under them. To do that we have to utilize all of our wile and wit. Every character should have layers of complexity, and every plot a potential twist.

~EJW~

A-Z Writer's Toolbox: Theme & Ubiquity

A to Z Disclaimer:

Like all craftspeople, writers need to keep a bag of tricks handy. A set of tools for the job (writing), if you will. Some of these traits or tools are obvious--like the need to have a hide as thick as a brick, for instance. Some are not. This month, I've been challenged to do a post every day of the week (excluding Sunday) that begins with a letter of the alphabet. I'm going to use this challenge to examine some of those necessary writing tools, both conventional and not. Hold on to your #2 pencil, here we go!

NOTE: I've added a page dedicated to my A to Z Writer's Toolbox posts. I figured I'd soon have a bunch of these things and it'll make it easier for you to browse any of the letters you might have missed. You can find a link to the page under the, "MORE STUFF" heading at the top of the right-hand column of this page.

T is for theme

Do you ever finish a great novel and wonder what made it so great? Most of the time I can quickly identify the source of my love for a particular book. Maybe it's the story. Like when an improbable hero wins the day against impossible odds (i.e. Frodo/Lord of the Rings). Or when the unyielding love of two people manages to endure inconceivable threats, only to end in tragedy (Romeo and Juliet). Other times it's a cast of extraordinarily diverse characters (The Great Gatsby), or a plot with such unexpected twists that you can scarcely catch a full breath in between paragraphs (Ender's Game).

Still, I occasionally finish a book that I've thoroughly enjoyed and struggle to understand what exactly it was that had me flying through the pages. After some consideration, I usually find my answer hidden in the themes of the book.

Themes are those underlying--often unspoken--elements to a story that resonate across the varied experiences and backgrounds of the readers. Like Good Vs Evil, love and loss, or death and life. Theme is an emotion or experience that is so simplistic that anyone can relate to it, yet so complex that it can only be defined in the abstract.

Theme is a persistent story element, like a river flowing throughout the chapters. Occasionally a theme is a loud and churning force in a story that forces the reader or characters to heed and cross it. More often, the theme is only a subtle bubbling spring under the surface, quietly pushing the story and reader along a path of self-examination.

Surprisingly, theme is often as indescribable and elusive a concept for me as a writer as it is for me as a reader. I tend to write scenes and characters first. It's only after I've finished roughing out a story that I become conscious of possible themes.

I tend to look at theme as a sort of story 'natural resource', or something that can be used and manipulated, but not artificially created. I think that's the way it ought to be, because a theme risks becoming a moral--or something preached and forced--if it is built into a story as opposed to something that grows out of the story in an organic fashion.

One thing is certain: themes are an essential aspect of great story telling. Are you aware of themes as you write and read? Do you try to accentuate them in your writing, or do you let them surface on their own in hopes that the reader will pick up on them?

U is for ubiquity

The idea of being ubiquitous, or everywhere and all-things at once, is a pretty unappealing concept for most writers. Most of us only want to be left alone with our thoughts and keyboard, and the less we are asked to partake in the various distractions of the world, the better. However, in the strata of modern publishing it seems authors are constantly being asked to be more than writers.

How are your PR skills? Do you know how to promote yourself and your writing? What about editing? I'm not talking about the grammar, either. Can you arrange a story? Do you have a good understanding of what readers want? Are you coldblooded enough to cut out your favorite parts for the sake of making a story better?

With the writing world quickly turning over to ePublishing, authors are being asked to become small business professionals as well. In the Indie model, you're your own accountant, publisher, distributor and press secretary. Did I mention you still have to write as well?

Truthfully, I'm not wild about all of that either, but I do think all of those things can be learned. We don't have to master PR, but we need to be proficient. I look at Twitter and Facebook like math in school; I was never fond of the subject, but I learned enough to get a few diplomas. My point is that authors need to know more than writing, and even if we don't enjoy that other stuff, we can learn enough to get by.

~EJW~

A-Z Writer's Toolbox: Sacrifice

"Football is like life - it requires perseverance, self-denial, hard work, sacrifice, dedication and respect for authority." ~ Vince Lombardi

"I think that the good and the great are only separated by the willingness to sacrifice." ~ Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
"It is not sacrifice if you love what you're doing." ~Mia Ham

"The time I burned my guitar it was like a sacrifice. You sacrifice the things you love. I love my guitar." ~ Jimi Hendrix

"The important thing is this: To be able at any moment to sacrifice what we are for what we could become." ~ Charles DuBois

"In this world it is not what we take up, but what we give up, that makes us rich." ~ Henry Ward Beecher

"One-half of knowing what you want is knowing what you must give up before you get it." ~ Sidney Howard

"To gain that which is worth having, it may be necessary to lose everything else." ~ Bernadette Devlin

~EJW~

A-Z Writer's Toolbox: Quiet Resolve

A to Z Disclaimer:

Like all craftspeople, writers need to keep a bag of tricks handy. A set of tools for the job (writing), if you will. Some of these traits or tools are obvious--like the need to have a hide as thick as a brick, for instance. Some are not. This month, I've been challenged to do a post every day of the week (excluding Sunday) that begins with a letter of the alphabet. I'm going to use this challenge to examine some of those necessary writing tools, both conventional and not. Hold on to your #2 pencil, here we go!

NOTE: I've added a page dedicated to my A to Z Writer's Toolbox posts. I figured I'd soon have a bunch of these things and it'll make it easier for you to browse any of the letters you might have missed. You can find a link to the page under the, "MORE STUFF" heading at the top of the right-hand column of this page.

Q & R are for quiet resolve

Thanks for the birthday wishes, gang! I've had a blast the last the couple of days, and eaten WAY too much. (I've noticed that fun and food are directly correlated in my world, btw. @ BECK: no Papasitos this year, but it's one of my favorites!) It was really cool to see so many of you drop me a line. I truly appreciate it. Now back to your regularly scheduled A-Z post ... (yes, it's still going)

To resolve to do something means that you've come to a definite--permanent--and earnest decision about something. When I think of words like resolve, I often think about heros or heroic acts. I also think of unyielding stubbornness in the face of impossible odds.

Superman regularly faces unimaginable threats to truth and justice because he resolved to use his considerable power to protect them. By never giving up when all others seemed ready to, historical legends like George Washington were able to overcome great adversity to attain victories that they'd resolved to achieve at all cost.

But resolve doesn't always have be the stuff of legend. Quiet resolve means you've decided to do something without declaration or preamble. You don't qualify your actions, you just do it, and many times with zero recognition. When I think of the phrase 'quiet resolve' I'm most likely to think of my father.

Unlike Superman or George Washington, my dad didn't do anything worthy of books or stories. He didn't have a super-villain threatening to destroy our little town, nor did he have a cause so important that scores of people supported him. He simply went about his business every day with a singleminded purpose, and his business was taking care of his family.

While he's never once said so, I have no doubt that my dad made a permanent, life-altering decision when he married my mother and had his first child. Part of that decision meant that he'd get up every day (except for Sunday) and work for as long as there was sunlight, and sometimes when there wasn't. It meant he'd do the work he was able to do, which required back-breaking labor and a lot of dirty clothes. It wasn't glorious, and it didn't earn him much renown. (Unless you had an engine acting up, or a carburetor that needed cleaning, in which case you might think that he was a Superman of sorts.)

We writers need that kind of quiet resolve. We need the attitude of: I'm getting up and writing today even if not-a-soul knows (or cares) about it when I'm finished.

Too often I get caught up in the big rewards, or the big payoff, when it comes to the hoped-for fruits of my writing resolutions. I want to be known. I want to make some money off of my writing, if not a living. I can get distracted at times simply by hoping someone is going to someday read what I'm working on and love it. Occasionally I get frustrated that I'm not to that point yet.

That's when I need to reach into my writer's toolbox and find my quiet resolve. I need to remind myself that I'd be doing this everyday without a hint of notoriety, because I made that promise to myself a few years back. I resolved to give the development of my writing abilities my full effort for as long as it took, regardless of the obstacles and frustrations.

So tomorrow I'm going to get up, put on the coffee and hammer on the keyboard. I'm going to do the same thing the next day, and then the next. That's what it's going to take, and I'm the only one who can make that happen.

~EJW~

A-Z Writer's Toolbox: Perspective

P is for perspective

Hello Amigos and Amigas! Today is my birthday, and as such I felt that there is perhaps no more relevant writing tool for me to feature than perspective. Not POV perspective, but life perspective.

You see, I love writing, and that includes this blog. I'm also very fond of the people who keep up with it as well. Consequently, I sometimes feel guilty if I don't update as often as I should or if neglect my daily writing routine/goals.

However, the writing life is a marathon, not a sprint. It's about paying your daily dues and slowly cultivating ideas into creations. It isn't going to be conquered in a day or even a month. Furthermore, as seriously as I take my aspirations, I take my personal happiness (and that of my loved ones) that much more seriously.

So today I'm keeping that perspective in mind and taking my birthday off.

Hope you're all well and making good progress in writing and in life. I'll join you tomorrow! :-)

~EJW~

A-Z Writer's Toolbox: NO

N and O are for NO

There are few more versatile words in language than the simple two-letter juggernaut known as 'NO'. With that one word we can deny or affirm the mightiest of emotions, make menial or life-altering choices, or simply abstain from any kind of complex thought that a wordier answer would require. Don't believe me? Think about the range of complexity involved in the following question/response examples:

You want cheese on your hamburger? No.

Do you love me? No.

Have you every tried to Polka? No.

Do you believe in God? No.

No is a word that can have as little presence as that of a fly on the backside of a hippo, or bare the conceptual weight and enormity of a mountain. In fact, I'd wager that this tiny word (or some variation) has started more wars and broken more hearts than any other word ever uttered. It's also probably one of the most commonly used words people use throughout a given day. (Ever tried counting? Don't, it'll make you crazy.)

Writers are in the business of using powerful words. They are also in the business of using only one word when one word will do. Consequently, NO should be an especially loved word for wordsmiths. But this Toolbox entry isn't about applying the word NO in our writing, it's about applying the word to our writing identities. It's about using NO as a governing principal in our writing life like a mantra of self-preservation and guidance.

I'm going to list several ways we can/should reply NO in our writing lives. Feel free to add some more in the comments!

Writers should say--

NO to that nagging thought that we aren't good enough.

NO to being afraid of sharing our work with others.

NO to people who don't believe in us.

NO to checking our e-mail, Facebook and/or Twitter more than twice a day.

NO to taking the easy way out. In good writing, there isn't one.

NO to that new idea when we haven't finished our first one yet.

NO to addictions other than writing.

NO to the friend who wants us to go to the movies when we should be writing.

NO to junk food when we're chained to our desks.

NO to the jealousy monster that wants us to resent our cohorts for their success.

NO to 'wanting' more than 'doing'.

NO to thinking we're ever 'good enough'.

NO to accepting NO as the final assessment of our writing abilities.

NO to the idea that there's only one type of success.

NO to EXPECTING people to love our writing when we should be MAKING them love it.

NO to neglecting our sanity for the sake of our writing.

NO to bad writing habits. (Adverbs, passive voice, clause boo-boos, etc., etc., etc.)

NO to thinking we don't need the opinions of other writers to get better.

NO to comparing our writing to other writers. We should focus instead on beating our OWN best efforts.

NO to giving up.

~EJW~

A-Z Writer's Toolbox: Music

M is for music

Those of you who have been with me for a while probably know how much I adore music. Especially when it comes to my writing. I'm always on the lookout for new 'writing' music, and my personal taste dictates that it should be mostly instrumental. (Too many words bumping around in my brain can distract me from the writing.) That's probably why I'm so fond of movie scores as writing music.

My musical choices don't always have to coincide with the type of scene I'm writing (action, drama, etc.) but it sometimes helps if I'm stuck. In fact, that's the reason I'm recommended that you put a few tunes in your writing toolbox. Perhaps the largest obstacle to becoming a career writer is the need to write every day, even when you don't feel like it. That's what it takes to move your writing from 'Serious Hobby' territory into the land of "I Bleed Words for a Living."

For me, it's hard to flip a switch when I'm not feeling inspired so I've developed a few artificial ways of getting in the mood. Ways to romance my soul, if you will. Music is the chief way I do this, but sometimes I'll take a movie break or go for a run or walk. I know some writers who light scented candles or do writing exercises. Regardless of how you do it, you need to develop ways to stimulate your muse even when she'd rather be sleeping.

I'll leave you with some of my current favorite writing tunes, and welcome any suggestions from the audience. Hope you enjoy and have a wonderful weekend!

~EJW~

A-Z Writer's Toolbox: Laser Cats

L is for Laser Cats (You should probably watch this to get the post.)

Ever have a BIG idea that fizzled upon execution? Who am I kidding? You're a writer, of course you have! :-) You spend hours working on a story or poem, then you spend more hours tweaking it, and then you give it to someone to read. You wait, your stomach twitching with excitement, as your reader inspects your child like some kind of evil step-parent.

"This is it," you think. This is the one that blows them away! This is the story that convinces someone other than myself that I'm fit to be called a writer. The awards will surely roll in and Stephen King will be on my doorstep ready to induct me into The League of Legendary Authors.

Then the reader puts your story down and says something along the lines of, "It was cute." Or they immediately point out the typo on page 57. Or they don't even smile when it was supposed to be a comedy. Or they tell you about how much they love this 'other' story by that 'other' writer. It happens. A lot.

I do it on this blog all of the time. (Today might be just such a day.) I get this cool concept for a post bouncing around in my mind. It's a little risky, and people might not get it. Still, I eventually grab ahold of it and type it up.

I read it back aloud. Sounds like awesome!
I hit the preview button. Looks like awesome!
I hit the publish button and wait for the first 400 comments and InterWeb infamy to pour in.

Three hours later and I've gotten one comment from a regular, one from a guy wanting to sell me Nike shoes directly from the warehouse--CHEAP!--and I've lost 4 followers. Like the guys who pitched the "Laser Cats" movie above, the reaction was not the one I was hoping for.

In my mind, this isn't necessarily a bad thing. Deflating, maybe, but bad? Nope. Here's the thing, unless I explore a few things and take a few risks, I'll never figure out what I'm truly capable of. Blogging has taught me that it's OK to take a risk. Sometimes my posts go over like a lead balloon. Sometimes the ones that I'm sure no one is going to 'get' end up being the most popular. Plus, with every failed attempt I learn something new about blogging. Like how it's not always best to sacrifice clarity for sensationalism, or how it's OK to not love everything that every other blogger is doing and occasionally express that.

My 'serious' writing is the same for me. It seems like the more chances I take, the more I succeed. For every 1 "Laser Cats" (see also - really bad idea) I churn out, I produce 2 or 3 really good things.

So I'm starting to think we really need those Laser Cats. In essence, I suppose that's what drafting is all about. We flesh things out, make a few mistakes, and then hopefully build it all into something awesome. Then again, it could just end up being awful, but I think that's OK too.

So what about you? Do you ever have Laser Cat blog posts or stories? Have you ever created something that you were sure was going to be great only to have it be misunderstood or not met with the same enthusiasm with which it was created? Did it help or hurt you?

I leave you with MORE Laser Cats! (These are even funnier than the first, BTW. Did I mention there's a Christopher Walken cameo and a cute puppy?)

~EJW~

A-Z Writer's Toolbox: J. K. Rowling

J & K are for J. K. Rowling

Not even going to lie, I've been waiting for these two letters just so I could (once again) express my diehard fanboy love for the lady that inspired me to write. I know I'm not alone, as Harry Potter is perhaps the most successful series of books ever published. They define the modern 'crossover' phenomenon of books written for kids, read by adults and loved by both.

I believe that every current YA and Middle Grade series author (aspiring or otherwise) owes a tremendous debt of gratitude to JK. If not for the success of her books, the publishing industry might still regard kid-fiction as the lesser cousin to "serious literature". Instead, Harry waved his wand and opened doors (and eyes) to the money making juggernaut that is the teen consumer--and their parents. YA is now one of the top grossing and growing categories in all of bookdom and, as Twilight and so many other blockbusters have proven, there doesn't seem to be an end to that trend as some predicted. Alohomora, indeed.

Not only did Harry and Co. perk up the financial prospects of a dreary book industry, but they rekindled a love affair with reading for an entire generation of people. Kids put down there Playstation and Nintendo 64 controllers, if only for the few hours it took most to devour each book, to read. I've worked with teens for the last 10 years, and I can't tell you how many avid kid readers have told me that Harry Potter was the first book they ever read. Even more astounding is that I know loads of adults who had all but quit reading fiction until they stole their kid's copy of Potter. Now they read every Twilight, etc. that comes down the pipe just to keep the magical feeling that only a good book can give fluttering in their hearts and imaginations.

I'm not writing this as a 'Writing Toolbox' entry to tell you that we need to do all of those things to be considered successful authors. No, there will only ever be one Harry Potter and I'm convinced trying to emulate that in our own writing is more likely to give us ulcers than success. What I am suggesting is that we heed the example set by the woman who wrote the stories.

Jo Rowling didn't go to college to learn how to write a story about wizards and hippogryphs. As the daughter of two working-class folks, she went to school to attain a degree in something that might make her a living. Or so her parents thought. Perhaps she had even thought that herself at the time. Thankfully, she gave in to the weakness of every would-be writer, her imagination. She studied French and Classics, and admits that many of the themes and characters in Harry Potter owe their roots to the myths and philosophers she studied in school.

Upon graduation, she took a job working for Amnesty International. (Note that she wasn't writing full-time, nor was she using her education to any strict degree.) She credits that job with fueling much of the imaginary world (the darker parts) she created for the books. That job would seemingly be a highpoint as in the next 7 years after graduating college, she would get married, get divorced and find herself unemployed. She considered herself to be, "The biggest failure she knew." One thing she didn't do, however, was quit writing.

She eventually finished what would become Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. At this point, she had very little else in the world left to her but her family and her story. She managed to snag the attention of a literary agent, but the book was summarily rejected by 12 different publishers. Bloomsbury eventually agreed to publish the book, but they advised Rowling to get a day job. A few awards, several millions of copies sold and a mega-movie franchise later history was made.

The message for writers is clear: We can never, ever, give up. We must believe in our stories, and above all else ourselves. The writing must be our companion, because we may face a time when we're not left with much else, and at that time the writing has to be enough. Not the success that we may or may not have. Not the dreams that made us start in the first place. Just the words in our heads that flow to the paper/screen.

Furthermore, we must learn to use our experiences as writing fodder, regardless of how mundane and unrelated they may seem. Writers have to eat, we have to pay bills, and we have to make sure our families have a roof to sleep under. That might require us to do some seriously non-writing related tasks. We cannot let that stop us from striving ahead. We cannot let that keep us from the writing.

That's why J.K. Rowling needs to be in your toolbox.

Here's a video of J.K.'s commencement speech to Harvard grads. I've seen it a dozen times, and if you're a fan you probably have as well. If you haven't seen it, or if you've been feeling a little off your writing game of late, you owe it to yourself to give it a watch. It's long-ish, but it'll be the best 20 minutes you'll spend today.

J.K. Rowling Speaks at Harvard Commencement from Harvard Magazine on Vimeo.

~EJW~

A-Z Writer's Toolbox: Integrity

A to Z Disclaimer:

I is for integrity

The word integrity gets its roots from the Latin word for 'whole' or 'complete'. The English definition of the word essentially means to adhere to a set of rules or principals. Combine the two, and you come up with something along the lines of: to be completely devoted to a core group of ideals. It's the direct application of ethics.

There are different types of integrity, from artistic to professional. Authors, interestingly enough, are subject to most all of them. Professional integrity as a writer means you're not going claim the work of someone else as your own. (Plagiarism is bad, m'kay?) That means you're going to site references and credit others for their ideas, even when you embellish them. It also means that if you write about 'real' life and 'real' people, you're going to tell the truth. You can't alter the words or doings of someone else to fit your story or concept. Pretty straightforward, I think.

Artistic integrity is a slightly more nebulous concept. In basic theory, it means that you won't compromise or alter your vision, or the product thereof (writing), for the sake of profit or fame. I'd also include that it means you won't pull punches on the reader by committing any manner of writing skullduggery that includes: 1) Treating the reader like an idiot, or 2) The blatant use of gimmicks--shock and awe tactics--to draw attention to your story.

For a wonderful list of 7 Deadly Writing Sins (and a great blog) that if I found, you can go here.

The second aspect of artistic integrity I mentioned is probably the easiest to understand and follow. The first, however, can get a little tricky. Authors need to eat and buy iPads too, right? Furthermore, didn't I just post something about being an entertainer first? So how do we find a balance between being commercially viable and keeping it real?

I think it all starts with the original concept or idea. Are you writing a story because it's a story you want (or need) to tell, and one that you'd write if no one paid you a dime? If so, that's probably a good start. Then, once you've drafted that story, to what extent are you willing to alter the original concept in order to put a price tag on it?

My point is that I believe very few stories are truly ready for public consumption on the first few go-rounds. To be clear, I'm not talking strictly about grammar and poor writing mechanics. From a conceptual standpoint, stories need to be made reader friendly, so to speak. Plots shouldn't meander, loads of author embellishment probably needs to be cropped, the cast of characters might need to be shortened, etc. There is most definitely a level of consumer expectation inherent in all things that cost money, and even the best authors have hit on a few of them to be successful in the public arena.

Would you change anything and everything to see your story in print? If so, that might be a warning sign that you're on the wrong track. That being said, in my mind there's nothing wrong with wanting to be published, nor is there a problem with making a little coin in the process. I don't believe there's some magical sales threshold that turns you into a sellout.

Ultimately I'm not sure there is one concrete answer to how we can maintain artistic integrity, but I do think it's an important consideration. One that should be made early on in the writing process. In the end, perhaps it's a distinction between writing FOR an audience as opposed to writing BECAUSE of an audience?

I leave you with questions:

What do you think? Are all of the post-Twilight vampire books cashing in? Are you aware of a writer's intentions and audience when reading? Have you ever caught an author pandering to an audience? Do you even consider it a 'no no', or do you think the readers/consumers speak the truest voice?

~EJW~

A-Z Writer's Toolbox: Hacksaw

A to Z Disclaimer:

H is for hacksaw

I'm convinced that every writer who has ever attempted a novel has experienced some version of the following:

The first draft is finished! Victory horns sound in the distance, confetti falls and unicorns do a merry prance about your living room. Then you re-read it cover-to-cover for the first time and realize all you've really accomplished is that you've somehow compiled every writing mistake possible into a 350 page magnum opus of disjointed plots and bland characters. Plus, you've got a splitting headache (did they have to blow those damned horns so loudly?), confetti sticking to you in unmentionable places and unicorn poo on the good rug. Great ...

Thankfully, those drafts are usually never as bad as they seem. (Sadly, neither are they as good as they felt during the writing.) We're left with something that, if it were a house, would be considered a fixer-upper. It has good bones, and a nice floor-plan. However, if we're going to make it livable it's going to need some creativity and truckloads of polish. Heck, we may even need to take down a wall or three or add an addition.

That's why the hacksaw is such an important tool for writers. When it comes to editing and rewrites, we often need to dissect the novel piece by piece and place it under a microscope for critical examination. If something doesn't work, we cut it out. We might need to do some rearranging; after all, chapter 1 sometimes makes a better chapter 4, or maybe no chapter at all. You wouldn't try to fix a rundown home all at once. You'd take it room-by-room or project-by-project. Nor should you try to tackle a novel as whole.

It's going to take some elbow grease and you're going to get dirty, but when it comes to editing, the ability to hack your work into more manageable pieces is vital.

So the next time you're staring down a completed, if slightly shabby, manuscript reach for your trusty saw. It'll make editing easier, and we all know how much fun playing with tools can be!

~EJW~

A-Z Writer's Toolbox: Finish & Gamble

Today is a double-toolbox day as I missed yesterday (the letter F). I'm going to talk about Finish and Gamble (which kind of sounds like a law firm) and why they're essential aspects of every writer's skill set. I'll also be getting around to read more of my fellow A-Z peeps over the weekend, so don't be shy about leaving your link in the comments!

F is for finish

Be honest, how many dead projects do you have stashed in a drawer or tucked away in a folder on your computer? Two? Four? Ten? Are you and your never published and/or half-finished manuscripts responsible for the destruction of our rainforests? I'm not judging you, honest. In fact, the "project that never was" is kind of like a writer's battle scar. They serve as badges of honor--as testaments--to our tireless quest to perfect the craft.

How many interviews with famous authors have you read where they confess to having several failed projects collecting dust?

Just how many battle wounds you've collected probably depends on how long you've been writing, but I'd wager if you've been at it any amount of time at all you've had at least a couple of false starts. The point is, having a project fizzle or die on the vine is part of the process. It's normal and accepted.

That's most likely why actually finishing something is usually the final--and highest--hurdle for an aspiring author to overcome on their path to print.

So here's the challenge: can you finish? Can you not only draft a story, but also spend the time and misery of having it raked over the coals by countless critique partners? Can you then re-write it and edit it still again after that? Can you query agents, get rejected, revise and then query again? Can you make the changes recommended by an editor even after you've already changed every character's name in the story twice? Can you be gracious in the face of bad reviews? Can you start the process all over again?

The answer to all is yes. How do I know? Because thousands of authors before us have done all of those things and more. The good news is that it seems that the 'FINISH' tool is one that we can learn to master over time and trial. The bad news is that until we learn to use it, our dreams may have to wait a bit. So why not dig out that old project and start practicing?

G is gamble

Vegas baby! City of Sin, a playground for adults, what happens there may take months to cure, etc., etc. We've heard all of the lines before, but what can writers learn from the gambling Mecca of the U.S.? (Other than "you never walk away from the table when you're on a heater"...)

Risk taking behavior, in writing at least, is a must. You can't simply write what you're comfortable with. That's a formula for snooze-worthy prose. If characters are going to surprise the reader, they must first surprise you. If you aren't shocked by a plot-turn, neither will your readers be. Great stories are usually the result of great risks taken by an author.

Orson Scott Card's classic, Ender's Game, is full of shocking moments. Children literally kill each other. Do you think O.S.C. lost a few nights of sleep wondering if it was too much? I do! I'm sure J.K. Rowling had to think twice before killing off any of the beloved characters that met a sad end in her stories. I can't imagine the hate mail she garnered for snuffing some of them, but her stories were better for it.

So if you've been toying with including a drastic POV shift, an iffy character choice or maybe something socially risky in your stories, I say let it ride. Unlike Vegas, if you lose the gamble, you can always fix it later and it won't cost you your home or your marriage. And who knows, it might just be the gamble that pays off.

~EJW~

A - Z Writer's Toolbox: Entertainment

A to Z Disclaimer:

Like all craftspeople, writers need to keep a bag of tricks handy. A set of tools for the job m (writing), if you will. Some of these traits or tools are obvious--like the need to have a hide as thick as a brick, for instance. Some are not. This month, I've been challenged to do a post every day of the week (excluding Sunday) that begins with a letter of the alphabet. I'm going to use this challenge to examine some of those necessary writing tools, both conventional and not. Hold on to your #2 pencil, here we go!

NOTE: I've added a page dedicated to my A to Z Writer's Toolbox posts. I figured I'd soon have a bunch of these things and it'll make it easier for you to browse any of the letters you might have missed. You can find a link to the page under the, "MORE STUFF" heading at the top of the right-hand column of this page.

E is for entertainment

Sometimes when I'm writing I forget all about the audience. There, I said it. Chastise away. *holds out wrist for slapping*

I know, I know. In the Writing Bible commandment # 8 very clearly states, "Thou shalt always know thine audience and never forsake them." (Or something like that ...) Still, sometimes I get so swept up in telling myself the story that I completely forget that I'm writing (at least partially) for the sake of sharing. Sometimes I forget that what makes me giggle--yes, I giggle--, grit my teeth in anger or shed a tear doesn't always resonate with other folks. In short, I forget that I'm an entertainer.

Now I know that there are literary purist (I'll refrain from calling it snobbery) that could care less about the reader's enjoyment. However, I'd argue that unless you're writing a journal or some other type of writing that is "for your eyes only", the audience needs to be considered. This is particularly true for writing that comes with a price tag. The way I see it, if you're charging it becomes a show, and you'd better entertain the folks who bought a ticket.

In a strange way, I think it's kind of liberating to think of myself as an entertainer. It makes me take chances with my writing. It pushes me to try to conjure the word that will make the reader gasp, or to compose the sentence that will make the reader push to the next chapter even though it's two hours past their bedtime.

So today I'm telling you to roll out the red carpet, flip on the spotlights and crank up the spectacle. Give your readers something they'll never forget, and make your story the ride of a lifetime!

~EJW~

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