Thinkin’ on Thursday: Picture This!

Easy as A, B, C . . . from BB

At times in the past, I have modeled characters’ looks, fashion sense, even personality on unknown models in magazines. I’ve even cut them out and then built characteristics for that person on the same page or on a 4×6 card. Or I’ve envisioned an old time actor (or a current one, for that matter) as my “hero,” “villain,” “sidekick,” or whomever.

I’m going to suggest another way to utilize pictures of unknowns from magazines or books to help your writing (and the above paragraph has some good ideas too: if you’ve never tried it, give it a go and see what you think). Look through a magazine or illustrated book, preferably one you haven’t read already, or an old one you’ve forgotten all about. Find a picture with at least two main “characters” on it. THINK of these two as major characters in a story you haven’t yet thought through.

Just allow them to begin interacting with each other. Don’t “plan” ahead (this will be a good one for all of us ‘pantsers’), because this is designed to give us practice in a more “organic” method of plot construction. Just start “recording” the story’s events and let them spin out in front of you. Pay attention to other props or objects that appear in the ad or picture. If there are other people in the picture, ignore them for the moment. See how or why the two might interact with the props, objects, bits of scenery, in the picture with them. Record items and events as faithfully as possible without thinking about the “rules” of story plot structure.

Once you’ve recorded the scene, note whether your characters interacted with or used any of the props, etc., given them by the picture. What did they do with items there? Twiddle nervously with papers on a desk? Pick up a coffee cup and look for a refill? Grab a hammer or bucket of paint, intending to use it as a weapon?

How did your characters interact with each other? Were they friends or strangers at the start? What relationship was forged during the scene: adversarial? Conciliatory? Pleading? Helpful? and so on.

Go ahead. This is just a writer’s PLAY ground. Have FUN in it ! ! !

(And, at the end, is there anything salvageable there? Can it be incorporated in your current WIP? Is it the beginning of a short story? An article? An editorial? A children’s book? Even a brand‑new novel?)

See you next for Saturday’s Spellbinder!

Thinkin’ on Thursday: Taxes and Other Tsunamis

Easy as A, B, C . . . from BB

Taxes are coming up, all too soon.  And I’m starting to look at old, filed papers.  Speaking of which, I have plenty of old copies of critiques from various classes or workshops.  Critiques I paid close attention to, made voluminous notes on, etc.

But, did I put them to actual use?  It seems, I’ve been far too lazy in that regard.  Let’s take an old story I worked on one year for NaNoWriMo but never got back to.  Or, at least didn’t get “back to” enough:  I have notes from a workshop I went to, with multiple copies of that particular chapter or two.  Then I filed them: you know, so they wouldn’t get lost.  I needed an example of critiques for a class I was teaching, so I ran a few more copies of a chapter or two.  And let them have it to “practice” critiquing.  At some point I took some of it to my usual critique group.  They gave me even more notes.  Later, I started a small, new critique group and — you’ve got it: gave them some pages.

Some of those times, I made some changes.  So page 4 for one group of critiques may or may not match up with page 4 of any other critiques.  And I personally wrote down notes from each of the sources. In different places.

Now I’m stuck with pages, and Pages, and PAGES of critiques, pages which don’t match, different versions of the same scene — and it’s mostly a frustrating mess!

The thing is, I believe in the story. Over time, I’ve put a lot of thought and effort into it. But not enough.

So here’s what I’m thinkin’:  IF you submit pages to any kind of critique — classmates, a teacher, a formal critique group, a workshop bunch, etc. — make one coherent copy of all your notes as soon as possible after receiving them. While it’s all still fresh on your mind, decide which comments and/or corrections need to be given credence, and which do not fit what you wanted for your story. Make the changes.

The final step is up to you: Do you want to keep those critiques and notes for posterity? If so, file them along with the current copy of you mss. (You may have older versions on file as well, but keep ONE copy of the ultimate version of your best work. Don’t let it get mixed up with all the other versions.

The other choice would be shredding all the old critiques and notes once you’ve put the useful ones into practice. You may want to wait on that just long enough to have it in the hands of your editor and/or agent.

In any case, why keep all copies of every comment if you made a carefully analyzed list of all the changes you agreed with, and then put them into practice?

OK. Back to “my” problem, now that I’ve given you methods to avoid doing the same: how would you deal with a pile of notes, critiques, various versions, etc., that might take up half a file drawer all by itself? Please suggest your ideas in the comments below . . . I’m drowning here in a paper tsunami!

See you next for Spellbinder Saturday!

Tuesday’s Tip: Fast is Fun, but Slow is Steady

Easy as A, B, C . . . from BB

I finally got around to reading an article called “Fast Times” by Kristen Andresen in last August’s The Writer. ( Guess I’m just slow . . . no, wait! It got stuck in a 2‑foot‑ high pile of papers, newspapers, magazines and . . . maybe I’m just messy!)

Kristen talked about making a little extra $$$ on the side by “editing” (but actually re‑writing) her sorority sister’s papers before they were due. Her friend was amazed by how fast Kristen was, but she says “fast” was the thing that got her through college, majoring in journalism and both writing and editing for the school paper ‑ often until the very early hours of morning.

“Fast” also stood her in good stead when she transitioned into writing features and columns. Later she was able to handle several freelance gigs” to supplement her low‑paying day job, then astonished her bosses with speed when she went into PR and marketing. Much of this while blogging every morning before work, writing front‑of‑book columns for a magazine clients in the evenings.

She came to a screeching, nine‑month‑long halt — baby time! — and gave it up for a three year hiatus.

For the first time, when she returned to write, she was faced with the dreaded blank screen. And realized she was at a complete loss for words. She wrote three sentences over and over, catalogued all the ways in which she could fail, lost her edge, became acquainted with paralysis‑by‑fear, had re‑invented her rituals — and not in a good way.

Her new rituals needed to become fearlessness in front of the screen, adapting to feeling good about turning out 250 words at a time, writing whenever she had the time — if only for 5 minutes. Now it is sometimes painfully slow. But worth it: worth the beautifully rewritten sentence, the five‑minute brain dump, the partial paragraphs waiting for a finish.

I need to stop panicking too: I used to work fast, and it was with more than my writing: I finished my four‑year Bachelor’s Degree in three years; my two‑year M.A. in a year‑and‑half; the equivalent of a second degree in nine months, while teaching full time; and two certifications (in math, then ESL ‑ like picking up extra minors), each in eight weeks.

I’m slower now. I’m taking time to make my story right. My BOOK right. I only used to write short stuff: short stories, poems, plays. Now I’m writing books.

My books, YOUR books, deserve to be done by the tortoise, not the hare!

P.S. I loved the quote from Dave Barry, humor columnist, in the same page: “Panicky despair is un underrated element of writing.” And that can happen whether you’re fast or slow!

See you next for Thinkin’ on Thursday!