The writing life - Steven R. Southard (Poseidon's Scribe)

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Is ‘Write a Novel’ on Your Bucket List?

Have you created a bucket list, and decided you’d like to write a novel before you kick the bucket? Before you commit to that, we need to talk.

First, although I don’t have a bucket list myself, I like the concept. What a great way to take charge of the rest of your life, to seize the remaining days and bend them to your will, to enjoy the wonders of being alive in this world at this time.

I think your attitude toward your list is important, though. You shouldn’t consider your life a failure if you don’t cross off every item. As Robert Browning said, your reach should exceed your grasp.

Most bucket lists contain items that can be thought of as events, or one-time experiences. In the 2007 movie, “The Bucket List,” the characters’ list items included going skydiving, flying over the North Pole, visiting the Taj Mahal, going on an African safari, and visiting Mount Everest. Those types of list items are fine; it’s a good idea to experience what our world has to offer.

However, writing a novel isn’t like that at all. It’s been said that writing a novel is a one-day event. As in, “one day, I’ll write a novel.” Unless you sign up for something like Nanowrimo or the 3-day novel contest, writing a novel normally takes many months.

Further, there’s a significant difference between listing ‘write a novel’ and ‘get a novel published.’ Attaining publication is much harder than just writing a novel for your own enjoyment.

True, there’s a great feeling of accomplishment in writing “The End” after your novel’s first draft, and I imagine an ecstatic feeling at seeing your own novel in print, but both of those feelings are preceded by many long, solitary hours/days/weeks/months of writing. Just in case you didn’t know that.

In short, writing a novel is probably unlike other items on your bucket list. It’s less like ‘visit the Grand Canyon’ or ‘see a show on Broadway’ and more like ‘learn dentistry’ or ‘become a rock star.’ In other words, be prepared for a major time-suck.

So, you understand all that but have decided to keep ‘write a novel’ on your bucket list anyway? You’re that determined? Great! I say, go for it. I wish you luck. Remember, if you are able to get your novel published, that work of creativity will survive your own death. If it’s good enough, it could even become a classic and live on forever. Even the work of a sculptor doesn’t survive as long, for stone eventually wears away, but the words of a book can be reprinted endlessly.

If you’ve made a bucket list, I’d love to hear about it, whether or not writing a novel made your list. Let me know by leaving a comment. Be assured that ‘one day,’ a novel will be written by—

Poseidon’s Scribe

June 23, 2013Poseidon's ScribePermalink

Ordering a (Writer’s) Retreat

Planning a writer’s retreat, are you? Already looking forward to that free weekend, or even a full week, away from the stress of work, away from the chores of home? A few days away from everything, with time to devote purely to writing.

So much time! Why, you’ll be able to finish up that novel. You might even knock off a short story or three. Do some new characters sketches for the novel’s sequel, and lay out the plot line. Polish up some query letters.

By now you’ve spotted the signs of a ‘lower your expectations’ lecture. But it’s easy, when you only have spare minutes or a rare uninterrupted hour during your normal life, to imagine how much more you could get done with a whole day or more at your disposal.

Did you ever stop and think that those odd spare minutes are the right amount of writing time for you? Is it possible that more time would not result in more writing? Parkinson’s Law states that “work expands to fill the time allotted to it.” One corollary of that law is, “The amount of time available to perform a task is the amount of time it will take to complete the task.” Or, as a coworker of mine phrases it, “If you put off a task until the last minute, it will only take a minute.”

In theory, it’s true that you should get more writing done if you have more time, such as during your upcoming retreat. Understand, I’m not opposed to writer’s retreats, just unrealistic expectations for them. Definitely go on the retreat. Before you do, compile a list of things to get done, a long list. Go ahead and make big plans, set stretch goals. But don’t kick yourself too hard if you fall short.

After all, you’ve trained yourself (in effect) to write in short bursts, and you’ve acclimated to that mode now. During your retreat, you may find yourself needing a break after just an hour of writing. Your mind will wander. You’ll find excuses to do other things. That is the pattern you’ve set, the habit you’ve made.

I suggest you make use of that habit. Here’s a way to use it to your advantage during your retreat. Consider making a list of many different writing tasks you want to do. The more different from each other, the better. Then, while you’re at your retreat site, spend a half hour on the first task. Bring a timer or alarm to inform you when the time’s up. After that half hour, take a five minute break, during which you stand up, walk around, stretch, etc. Then tackle the second task on your list for a half hour and so on.

Since you’ve accustomed yourself to working in short bursts, make the retreat a long, repeating series of short bursts. You may find that method works for you.

One more thing about retreats. In the weeks leading up to the planned date of the retreat, I urge you not to put off things. Don’t say, “I’ll do that writing task during my retreat.” If you find yourself doing that, you might follow it up by asking why you’re putting off the task. Why not do it now?

In fact, what’s so special about a retreat anyway? Why not consider every minute spent writing as a sort of mini-retreat right in your own home?

You might feel differently about writer’s retreats. If so, please leave a comment and let me have it, metaphorically. In the meantime, off to a mini-retreat in his own home goes—

Poseidon’s Scribe

June 16, 2013Poseidon's ScribePermalink

Does Blogging Help Your Writing?

If you’re thinking of starting up a blog as a way to improve the quality of your fiction writing, I’m here to tell you—blogging will have just as much effect on your golf swing.

My answer is different if you write non-fiction. Well-written blogs are like essays, with the same structure and purpose. The skills needed are the same.

For fiction writers, there’s very little in common between your stories and your blog posts. The talents you develop doing one won’t translate well to the other.

It’s even possible for blogging to worsen your fiction writing. Certainly it’s cutting into your productivity, at least. Each precious minute spent blogging is sixty seconds lost and unavailable for writing fiction.

Also, let’s say you become an expert in all the aspects of blogging, able to craft persuasive, short essays with well-researched facts, finely structured arguments, and logical conclusions. It’s possible for that ‘lecturing voice’ to worm its way into your fiction, and you don’t want that.

Am I telling you, the beginning fiction writer, not to blog? No, I’m just helping you set expectations; blogging won’t make your fiction better. But there are several valid reasons for fiction authors to blog:

It helps enforce schedule discipline, and to associate deadlines with writing. This is only true if you post to your blog on a regular basis. Whether you write fiction or non-fiction, getting to ‘The End’ is important.
It’s a form of self-education. When I come across an idea for a future blog entry, I add it to my list, (which is quite long now). When I look to see what topic is scheduled for any particular week, I find it generally involves a bit of research. So while blogging about the craft of writing, I’m coming across knowledge I can use.
The best reason for a fiction writer like you to blog, though, is to build your platform, increase your web presence, and connect with readers.

Blog if you want to, but don’t go into it thinking it’ll make your fiction better. For those of you who disagree, that’s what the comment feature is for. Please comment and let your views be known to the world and to—

Poseidon’s Scribe

June 2, 2013Poseidon's ScribePermalink

Pantzers vs. Plotters

One of the ways writers differ is in the type of preparation work they do before the first draft. Some, called pantzers, write that draft “from the seat of their pants.” Plotters, by contrast, organize and lay out their story’s plot and characters within some sort of outline before writing one word of the story.

These two approaches might be epitomized by two zodiac signs, and the personality traits attributed to each. Aries is characterized by impulsiveness and rushing right ahead—a pantzer. Virgo is characterized by analysis and careful prior thought—a plotter. Astrology is bunk, of course, but that comparison gave me an image for this blog entry.

Which type are you? Is one approach better than the other?

Here are some advantages the pantzers claim:

I write stories faster, without having to do all that preparatory work first. While the plotter is still doing her careful outline, I’m a quarter done with my first draft.
My writing has a sense of spontaneity, of natural flow; since I don’t know what is going to happen next, neither do my readers.
I’ve learned to trust my instincts. I’ll figure out which way to go when I get there. The story has its own direction, and I’ll figure it out.
I write with a feeling of freedom, without having added a constricting, constraining outline. If I used an outline, I’d feel like I shackled myself.

But the plotters counter with the benefits of their method:

I dispute the pantzers claim of writing faster. I think plotting helps me avoid getting stuck.
Good prior planning helps me avoid the kind of re-writing pantzers do to add in earlier parts so the later parts make sense.
Without a plot outline and some character sketches, I’d lose focus, forget where I’m going, and write aimlessly.
I write with a sense of comfort knowing I’ve got things all planned out.

I suspect this is really a sort of spectrum, a continuum of ways to write, and that very few people are really located at the extreme ends. That is, I suspect pantzers do a little bit more pre-plotting than they’re willing to admit, even if the organization is not written down. For their part, plotters aren’t always so wedded to their outlines as they think; they’ll deviate if the story takes off in a different direction as they write.

Further, authors may well move back and forth along that spectrum as their career progresses. They may even find some stories require more pre-planning than others, so they become adept at both methods. My guess—and it’s only a guess—is that among the more accomplished and prolific authors there are more pantzers than plotters. I think they’ve developed sufficient writing skills so they no longer need a written outline and have come to trust their abilities in avoiding, or writing their way out of, plot problems.

As for me, I’m further over toward the plotter side, though I’ve been exhibiting pantzer tendencies lately. Those who adhere to the snowflake method of writing are definite plotters. Most of the writing software packages out there are dedicated to plotters. Pantzers would find the snowflake and such writing software quite frustrating.

So, in this battle of pantzers vs. plotters, who wins? Naturally, you do! You can choose how to write your stories in the manner that suits you best. You can change that method later if you want, depending on what ends up working for you. Please leave me a comment letting me know whether you’re a pantzer or a plotter, and why. It’s okay to share your secret with the Internet, and with—

Poseidon’s Scribe

May 21, 2013Poseidon's ScribePermalink

Motivational Objects

Often just the sight of some object can motivate writers to put butt to chair and fingers to keyboard, even when they feel like doing something else. Do you have such an object?

I do. A couple of decades ago, I put this framed picture of Jules Verne directly above the computer in my den. The text states, “Keep writing, Steve!” – Jules Verne. I’m not sure what prompted me to do that, and the whole thing may seem silly, but there’s just something about it…

After all, musicians have long placed a bust of Beethoven atop their piano, and from that perch he gazes sternly as if passing judgment on the pianist’s skill. I have suggested that some enterprising person could make and sell small figurines of some of the muses as inspiration for their various creative talents. If offered inexpensively, such figurines might sell well.

But let me get back to my picture of Jules. It seems ridiculous, but the notion that my literary idol might communicate to me from the grave, urging me to keep writing, is something I find encouraging. It’s as if he’s allowing me to tap into his dedication and maybe a sliver of his talent. JV is assuring me that if I keep at it, I’ll improve. Moreover, when I’m not writing, I feel guilty for letting him down.

Half of you are now wondering if you’re reading the blog entry of a lunatic. The other half is questioning whether this really worked for me, and I’ll respond to that second half. When I first hung the picture on the wall many years ago, I think it worked well to instill the daily habit of writing. I’d be playing some computer game, would glance up and realize Jules Verne himself had commanded me to write. So I’d click out of the game and write.

In other words, yes, that very personalized object did serve to motivate me. These days, with the daily habit of writing well formed, and with several of my stories published, I’m not sure I need the framed picture any more. But Verne still stares from my wall, and will do so until I can write no more; I can’t imagine taking it down.

I’d welcome your comments on this idea. Would a motivational object work for you? Do you already have one? I suppose I’d even take comments about my sanity from the half of you with strong feelings on that subject. In the meantime, I’ll resume work on my next story; after all, Jules Verne himself has given an order to—

Poseidon’s Scribe

April 28, 2013Poseidon's ScribePermalink

Your Author Platform

Several years ago, the writing world buzzed about the concept of “author platform.” Here I’ll briefly define the term, state the purposes of these platforms, describe mine, and offer thoughts on yours.

There are many sites where you can get a good definition of author platforms, notably here, here, and here. Basically your platform consists of the ways you use to stand out in the crowd, the methods you use to attract a fan base of readers.

An author platform starts with your stories, your books. From a platform point of view, it’s best if they have something in common—genre, theme, style, etc. But the other aspect of the term platform is how you connect with readers. Not just how you connect books with readers, but how you connect you with readers.

There are many ways to do that, including appearances at conferences and other venues, interviews, and your web presence. Web presence includes blogs, social media, e-mailed newsletters, etc.

What’s the purpose of this platform? In the ‘old days’ publishers would build a platform for the author. No more. Now it’s expected the author will take out saw and hammer and construct it herself. If a publisher or agent sees that a writer has an existing platform, that represents a low business risk, an established product that’s ready to sell to already-waiting customers.

Readers don’t need to know about platforms, but they do enjoy connecting with authors they like. When they take delight in a book and do a web search for the author and find a rich and varied web presence, they feel they can join the author’s circle. When they find the author has other books just as good and similar in some way, they feel comfortable shelling out money for them because there’s a familiar consistency there, a set of established expectations.

For authors, the platform serves the purposes of connecting to both readers and publishers in the modern, web-based world.

As for me, my platform is still under construction. I’ve mainly been working on writing stories, as many as I can. Although I’ve dabbled in different genres, I’ve found I enjoy writing about the problems of people dealing with new technology, especially in historical and foreign settings. The stories in the series What Man Hath Wrought, put out by Gypsy Shadow Publishing, are the best examples.

My web presence is slowly increasing, by means of this blog, Twitter, and my author page on Amazon. I’m still working on Facebook and other venues.

What about your platform? My advice is to do what works for you. Start with writing stories; hone your writing skills. If you can get some of them published, even at non-paying markets, that at least gets your name out there. Then work on the various marketing methods. As you try things, pay attention to sales and spend more time on things that increase sales and less time on things that don’t.

As with any trend or movement, a backlash is forming with respect to platforms. See section 3 of this entry. I think Jane Friedman’s advice to new fiction writers (for whom I write my blog) is sound. Just write. Think about writing, focus on writing, enjoy writing, and let the marketing develop later.

What are your thoughts on author platforms? Feel free to leave a comment and let me know. In the meantime, see that guy trying to erect some sort of raised dais there in the middle of the internet, using two-by-fours and bailing wire? Don’t laugh, that’s—

Poseidon’s Scribe

April 14, 2013Poseidon's ScribePermalink

Leave Yourself Wanting More

You’ve heard the show business adage, “Always leave them wanting more,” meaning an entertainer should exit the stage before the audience gets bored. By the same principle, novelist and poet Helen Dunmore said you should “finish the day’s writing when you still want to continue.”

Why is that? There seems to be some important facet of human nature at work here. To cite another example of this phenomenon, I used to read to my children when they were quite young, but I tried to observe them as I read to look for the early signs of boredom. In time I found I could stop reading, even in the middle of a book, and tell them that was it for the night. They’d beg me to go on, but I wouldn’t, because I knew I’d timed it right.

The human brain seems unusually good at pattern recognition and associating things together. If your brain associates a given entertainer with a feeling of boredom, you’ll be less likely to pay for a ticket next time. Similarly, if a child associates books with a feeling of interest and yearning for more, the child will likely develop a love of reading.

Let’s say it’s late at night and you’ve been writing for a while. You are at the point when you usually go to bed. You know you should call it quits, but you’re so near the end of a section, or chapter, or the whole book. Moreover, you’re in the flow, and the words are coming out well, better than usual. If you can just push it a little longer, you’ll achieve the satisfaction of completing something good.

This is the moment of decision, and you’re tempted to push on. If you do, and your fatigue causes you to get stuck for words, your brain can start associating writing with being stuck and tired. That leads to writer’s block.

However, if you save your work and turn off the computer now, your brain will associate writing with being in the flow, with feelings of interest and enthusiasm. Moreover, you’ll get the sleep you need.

It’s a funny thing, but you needn’t worry about forgetting overnight what you were going to write next. When you come back to your manuscript the next day all the memories flood back in, along with the confidence and fervor of the previous night, and pretty soon you’re in the zone again.

If you wish, before you finish for the night (even in the middle of a sentence!) you could jot down some quick notes of where the prose was headed. By some mysterious mental mechanism, your brain will be thinking subconsciously during your non-writing interval, working out better phrasing, solving plot problems, etc. The next day when you resume, you may find you have better ideas than you ended up with the night before.

Has this been your experience? Do you agree with Helen Dunmore and me, or do you adhere to a different school of thought? Leave a comment and let me know. There’s much more I want to say, but I’ll stop here, so you’ll associate feelings of fascination with—

Poseidon’s Scribe

March 31, 2013Poseidon's ScribePermalink

Drunk and in Charge of a Bicycle

Years ago, while reading Zen in the Art of Writing by Ray Bradbury, I was struck by a memorable passage. He’d titled the fourth chapter “Drunk and in Charge of a Bicycle.”

After stating that he’d read how other authors found writing a difficult chore, Mr. Bradbury wrote:

But, you see, my stories have led me through my life. They shout, I follow. They run up and bite me on the leg—I respond by writing down everything that goes on during the bite. When I finish, the idea lets go, and runs off.

That is the kind of life I’ve had. Drunk, and in charge of a bicycle, as an Irish police report once put it. Drunk with life, that is, and not knowing where off to next. But you’re on your way before dawn. And the trip? Exactly one half terror, exactly one half exhilaration.

Always fun to read Bradbury; even his nonfiction hums with an electric rhythm. But today I thought I’d examine his metaphor a bit, since it has stayed in my mind for at least a decade.

I understand why it appealed to Bradbury. First, the phrasing is a bit odd to American ears, and he often sought interesting new ways to express ideas. Second, I’m sure he had a distinct mental image of what it would be like to be drunk and in charge of a bicycle. That idea of going somewhere but not knowing where; the wobbly, weaving way you’d be ever on the edge of falling. Bradbury saw that as being akin to his writing experiences.

Third, I’m sure he enjoyed the concealed contradiction, the playful paradox, inherent in the words “drunk, and in charge.” There’s no doubt the bicycle rider is going where the bike goes. If arrested, there’s no doubt whom the police would hold responsible. But who, after all, is really in charge? If you’re drunk, as Bradbury says, with life, then you’re in the grip of events beyond your “charge” and it’s your stories that are leading you.

That muse of yours, then, is the one in charge. You follow where she beckons even when that way seems outlandish or bizarre, because she’s never steered you wrong before. You’ve no idea where you’ll end up, and the notion of ceding control leaves you with that mix of half terror, half exhilaration.

But when you submit your story before the squinty eyes of the editor, when it’s picked over by readers and critics, where is the responsibility then? It’s only your name on the story; the muse has vanished, gone on to her other affairs. Like the drunk bicyclist trying to explain himself to the constable, you can’t point the finger elsewhere.

When I set out to write about this topic today, my aim was to poke holes in the Bradbury’s metaphor, to state that my writing experiences weren’t like that at all. Especially the half terror part. I was going to create my own metaphor for my writing life. I wanted to capture the godlike act of creating a world, of designing the initial conditions, then winding up the characters and letting them go, interacting and confronting their problems. All the while, that godlike me would be taking notes, watching these wind-up characters’ every move. If I did my creative job well, readers would enjoy the result. If not, well, back to the drawing board to create another world peopled with other wind-up dolls.

But instead of condemning Bradbury’s metaphor, I’ve praised it. From his grave, he laughs at the irony of it. I thought I was in charge of this blog, thought I had it all planned out. Now I see I’ve been drunk and in charge of a bicycle, in the grip of other forces. Yet the one person responsible, the name at the end is—

Poseidon’s Scribe

March 10, 2013Poseidon's ScribePermalink

You Might Be a Writer If…

Do you have what it takes to be a writer? If you did, would you know you did? Sometimes it’s difficult to tell. To make it easy for you, I’ve developed a handy test along the lines of Jeff Foxworthy’s ‘Redneck Test.’ See how many of these apply to you.

You might be a writer if:

You’ve ever jotted down a plot idea by interrupting a shower.
You celebrate the birthdays of William Strunk and E.B. White.
You’ve day-dreamed an entire talk-show interview about your best-selling novel.
You have a favorite intransitive verb.
You’ve cried over the loss of your favorite pen.
You’ve ever invoked Hemingway to defend a drunken binge.
Your muse is as real to you as your spouse, and that seems to bother your spouse.
You have checked the Thesaurus…for mistakes.
You’ve ever sneaked in extra writing time while at your day job, in the bathroom.
Your computer keyboard cringes when you come in the room.
You’ve ever said, “Honest, Officer, I was doing research.”
Your few remaining friends groan when they hear you say, “Want to hear about my latest story?”
You’ve called a company to rant about grammatical mistakes in their advertisements.
You read the dictionary for pleasure, and then re-read it.
The last three months of your wall calendar read October, Nanowrimo, December.
Your study is wallpapered with rejection letters.
Microsoft Word software development engineers call you for ideas.
Your three children have told you they hate their names. All three of them, Shakespeare, Dickens, and Dostoevsky.

Lastly, you might be a writer if:

19. Your spouse has asked when you’re coming to bed, and you’ve replied “as soon as I finish writing this intimate bedroom scene.” An hour later, your characters collapse in satisfied weariness, but your spouse is no longer in the mood.

For those of you out there who are already authors, feel free to comment and add any other items to my test. If you weren’t sure if you’re a writer, let me know if you found the test useful, or at least interesting. As always I strive to be of help to beginning, struggling writers. It’s all part of the free service provided by—

Poseidon’s Scribe

January 13, 2013Poseidon's ScribePermalink

Better Writing through Chemistry?

If you consume alcohol or mind-altering drugs, will that improve your writing? Many people think so. Supposing it’s true, it’s nice to have that short-cut to greatness available, isn’t it? Why struggle to choose the right words while sober or clean when you can snort, inject, or imbibe your way to literary greatness?

The connection persists because so many of the top writers, it seems, had a reputation for using drugs or alcohol. The two that spring to my mind are Edgar Allan Poe’s use of opium and absinthe, and Ernest Hemingway’s consumption of wine, mojitos, and daiquiris. The list of famous authors who wrote under the influence also includes Anthony Burgess, William S. Burroughs, Raymond Chandler, Jean Cocteau, Phillip K. Dick, William Faulkner, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Aldous Huxley, Jack Kerouac, Ken Kesey, Stephen King, Carson McCullers, Dorothy Parker, Robert Louis Stevenson, Oscar Wilde, and Tennessee Williams.

The effects of alcohol that might benefit a writer include a loss of inhibitions, which might stimulate creativity. However, other effects would be less helpful: blurred vision, slurred speech, slowed reaction times, impaired memory, blackouts, shaking, lack of muscle coordination and balance.

Drugs vary in their effects, but some of the reactions that might aid an author include euphoric pleasure, confidence, and extended wakefulness. I suppose hallucinations could be of use to a writer, so let’s include those. However, the known downsides of drugs can include delusions, aggression, paranoia, drowsiness, respiratory depression, nausea, blurred vision, headaches, disorientation, impaired memory, slowed reaction time, diminished judgment, mood swings, and addiction.

On balance, it seems to me there would be more harm than good in drinking or using drugs to improve your writing. Some of the things said about the writers I listed above may not even be true. The Edgar Allan Poe Society has debunked the myths about the writer of “Annabel Lee” and “The Bells.” It’s not entirely clear if some of the other writers took drugs or alcohol to improve their writing or to cope with their troubled lives.

I remain skeptical about using drugs or alcohol as a path to quality writing. Joanna Penn, whose blog I follow, has written a very thoughtful piece on the subject. I have to commend author Eric Kuentz for actually conducting an experiment and being willing to share his experience. His results seem rather mixed and it appears he’s disinclined to recommend the practice to others.

I’d like to hear your thoughts on, or experiences with, this subject. Please leave a comment. As for my own experiences, well, my scribing job occasionally takes me to Olympus where I’m sometimes allowed to partake of ambrosia and nectar. Those are the substances most recommended by—

Poseidon’s Scribe

November 4, 2012Poseidon's ScribePermalink