Ian Dawson's Blog, page 26
December 30, 2020
Wings Wednesday: Television Academy Interview with Wings Co-Creator, David Lee
Whether writing a novel or a TV series, the creative process can involve a multitude of ideas and concepts that evolve over time. What we see on the page or on the screen often differs a lot from what the creator initially had in mind when they set out to create their story.
Below is a clip from a Television Academy interview with writer David Lee who co-created Wings and Frasier with David Angell and Peter Casey. Listen to how the concept of Wings and its characters evolved from an idea to pilot, and know that it’s 100% okay to not stay locked-in to one idea.
Watch the Clip Here!
Do you have story ideas that you feel need to evolve and change to make your writing stronger and more compelling? Don’t be afraid to take risks and make the necessary changes to get your story to work!
Below is a clip from a Television Academy interview with writer David Lee who co-created Wings and Frasier with David Angell and Peter Casey. Listen to how the concept of Wings and its characters evolved from an idea to pilot, and know that it’s 100% okay to not stay locked-in to one idea.
Watch the Clip Here!
Do you have story ideas that you feel need to evolve and change to make your writing stronger and more compelling? Don’t be afraid to take risks and make the necessary changes to get your story to work!
December 27, 2020
Are You a Writer Who Reads?
I love to read. If I see a book I think I would enjoy, I either buy it or add it to my wish list. My coworker buys me books for my birthday and Christmas. If there’s a topic I want to learn more about, I don’t Google it; I try and find a book about the topic instead. Reading has always played a significant role in my life and my education post-school, and it’s an activity that I enjoy.
One of my favorite authors, Stephen King, has said: “If you don’t have time to read, you don’t have the time (or the tools) to write. Simple as that.” I have a feeling King knows what he’s talking about.
If you’re a writer, I encourage you to take the time to read. Not books about writing, which I'll talk about next week, but a wide variety of fiction and non-fiction books.
Read Outside Your Genre
If you are an author who writes primarily in a specific genre – Young Adult, Romance, Thriller, Mystery, etc. – I encourage you to read novels that aren’t from your chosen realm. While it’s essential to know and understand your genre’s tropes, themes, and other elements, it’s equally important to see how different genres work within their various story conventions to see what you can learn. You can often glean some new bit of story structure or character development idea from a novel outside your chosen area of expertise.
Read Different Authors
We often get comfy with a couple authors we enjoy and stick with them. Dare to pick authors you may not be familiar with and read their works as well. Your favorite author isn’t going anywhere.
Read Books from Other Decades
We are creatures of habit. Most of the time, if it’s a book that’s a current best-seller, or one on display at Target, it’s the book we grab to read. However, it’s also important to delve into the past and read authors whose work lives long after their passing. The classics have inspired authors for generations, and by looking at these works, you can learn new aspects of storytelling that you can possibly apply to your work.
Read History, Autobiographies, and Biographies
The real world can offer up some great story ideas, and you can learn a thing or two along the way. Real human beings, human behavior, and human drama can sometimes be more engaging and fascinating than fiction, and these types of books can give you a fresh perspective on topics you think you know about.
Read to Learn
As you read, observe how the author crafts their chapters, characters, and story arcs. Look at how they format certain things. For example, I’ve seen text messaging and phone calls formatted in many different ways in novels, depending on the author.
If you found yourself up until 3 in the morning not wanting to put the books down, ask yourself why? What was it about the story, the characters, or the pacing that made you have to keep reading? These are elements you can analyze and apply to your work as well.
Always Go with Variety
If you’ve plotted out your 2021 reading list, consider adding books and authors you usually wouldn’t read. Maybe an author whose work you don’t enjoy, or one whose opinions bother you. Look at them less as annoying reading assignments and more like learning opportunities. Each book you open can inform your own writing methodology and how you create your worlds and story.
And all you need to do is turn to Chapter One and start reading.
As a writer, how do you decide what books to read? Leave a comment and let me know!
One of my favorite authors, Stephen King, has said: “If you don’t have time to read, you don’t have the time (or the tools) to write. Simple as that.” I have a feeling King knows what he’s talking about.
If you’re a writer, I encourage you to take the time to read. Not books about writing, which I'll talk about next week, but a wide variety of fiction and non-fiction books.
Read Outside Your Genre
If you are an author who writes primarily in a specific genre – Young Adult, Romance, Thriller, Mystery, etc. – I encourage you to read novels that aren’t from your chosen realm. While it’s essential to know and understand your genre’s tropes, themes, and other elements, it’s equally important to see how different genres work within their various story conventions to see what you can learn. You can often glean some new bit of story structure or character development idea from a novel outside your chosen area of expertise.
Read Different Authors
We often get comfy with a couple authors we enjoy and stick with them. Dare to pick authors you may not be familiar with and read their works as well. Your favorite author isn’t going anywhere.
Read Books from Other Decades
We are creatures of habit. Most of the time, if it’s a book that’s a current best-seller, or one on display at Target, it’s the book we grab to read. However, it’s also important to delve into the past and read authors whose work lives long after their passing. The classics have inspired authors for generations, and by looking at these works, you can learn new aspects of storytelling that you can possibly apply to your work.
Read History, Autobiographies, and Biographies
The real world can offer up some great story ideas, and you can learn a thing or two along the way. Real human beings, human behavior, and human drama can sometimes be more engaging and fascinating than fiction, and these types of books can give you a fresh perspective on topics you think you know about.
Read to Learn
As you read, observe how the author crafts their chapters, characters, and story arcs. Look at how they format certain things. For example, I’ve seen text messaging and phone calls formatted in many different ways in novels, depending on the author.
If you found yourself up until 3 in the morning not wanting to put the books down, ask yourself why? What was it about the story, the characters, or the pacing that made you have to keep reading? These are elements you can analyze and apply to your work as well.
Always Go with Variety
If you’ve plotted out your 2021 reading list, consider adding books and authors you usually wouldn’t read. Maybe an author whose work you don’t enjoy, or one whose opinions bother you. Look at them less as annoying reading assignments and more like learning opportunities. Each book you open can inform your own writing methodology and how you create your worlds and story.
And all you need to do is turn to Chapter One and start reading.
As a writer, how do you decide what books to read? Leave a comment and let me know!
December 23, 2020
Wings Wednesday: Interview with Television Writer Dave Hackel – Part Two
In Part One, television writer Dave Hackel talked about his career and his time working on Wings. In this post, I’m excited to bring you the second part of the interview, where he talks about writing one of my favorite Wings episodes, “Murder She Roast,” which is Episode 21 or Season Two.
The Story:
When Joe’s (Tim Daly) house has to be fumigated, Brian (Steven Weber) gets an offer to stay with Fay (Rebecca Schull). While at her home, Brian watches his favorite show, Fugitives from Justice, and the subject of the episode – a woman who has left a trail of dead men in her wake - has many similarities to Fay.
Freaked out, Brian shares his newfound info about Fay with Joe and Helen (Crystal Bernard), which they quickly dismiss. But as Brian’s paranoia about Fay’s possible true identity mounts, are his suspicions about her crazy, or is he really staying with a serial killer?
Meanwhile, Lowell (Thomas Haden Church) begins selling a gadget called the Car-B-Que. Will Roy (David Schramm) take the bait and buy one, or is this just another idiotic thing Lowell has ventured into?
My Take:
I love this episode. It’s interesting to watch it now in the context of our cultural obsession with true-crime series and podcasts, and the idea that you could see or hear about someone you might know on one of those shows seems more possible than ever.
The cast takes the solid material and runs with it, and the entire set-up and pay-off of the main storyline is exceptionally well-crafted and delivers solid laughs throughout.
And I’d really like to know a little more about the culinary science behind the Car-B-Que, especially how it cooks chicken so fast.
“Murder She Roast” never fails to make me laugh. Wings is reliably funny and always can get a smile or a laugh no matter the episode. Whether it’s a line of dialogue or the line’s delivery, “Murder She Roast” is great stuff.
The Interview:
I was honored to be able to ask Dave Hackel about the inception and writing of the episode in question. His answers are below:
Ian Dawson: How was the initial story pitched?
Dave Hackel: As conceived, “Wings” was a show about two brothers. Obviously, other great characters made up the initial ensemble and others were added along the way. The production staff had to service all the actors/characters and some were easier to come up with stories for than others. Rebecca Schull was and is a marvelous actor, but Fay was often difficult to create shows around...especially in the early years of the show. The network wanted stories about Joe and Brian so when trying for a Fay episode, we had to find ones in which the boys were prominent, as well.
So, our job was to come up with a story in which Rebecca could shine and still give Tim and Steven good parts to play. “Murder She Roast” was clearly inspired...if not liberally borrowed...from the classic Alfred Hitchcock story about the woman who killed a man with a frozen leg of lamb, then cooked it and served it to the investigating detectives. I suggested that we might be able to come up with a story that cast doubt on Fay’s character in a similar way. Of course, we ended up with — certainly in that last block comedy scene in Fay’s kitchen — an homage to Hitchcock’s story.
ID: Were you assigned to write the episode, or did you pitch the episode and then were sent off to write it?
DH: All of the above. I came up with the basic idea then, as will most of the episodes, the entire staff worked out the story and I was sent off to write it.
ID: How long did you have to write an episode? Did you craft an outline or beat sheet first that was then hashed out in the room, or did you jump into a first draft with an outline?
DH: As with all of the episodes, first you work out the story in the room, then the writer — in this case me — was sent off to write the outline — usually around ten pages of prose that broke out the story beats into scenes and included many of the jokes that were pitched in the room. Then, after a week, I turned it in, met with the staff, went over the story, made changes and then I went off to write the first draft of the script. That usually took about two weeks.
ID: How did the storyline/episode evolve from pitch to shooting script? Did the B-story with Lowell and Roy change at all, or were the A and B stories pretty much set from the start?
DH: All the beats, A & B stories, were worked out before I started to write the script. As was the case with all of the episodes, stories were adjusted, edited and hopefully improved throughout the week with the help of the writing staff and, of course, the actors and the director of that episode, Noam Pitlik.
ID: Do you recall what the initial reaction to the episode was at the table read?
DH: I believe the script went over quite well at the table read. Those initial readings were usually a great deal of fun for all of the “Wings” episodes.
ID: As the credited writer on this or any episode, do you get final say on any changes that are suggested by the actors, director, or other writers? Do remember if there were any network notes that you had to deal with on this episode?
DH: The initial writer doesn’t get the final say on an episode. Once it’s turned in, the script becomes fair game for everyone to work on and improve. That includes the actors, director, writing staff, as well as anyone in the crew who comes up with a good idea. It’s an incredible amount of work to produce a new episode every week, so any input that makes it better is appreciated.
ID: What was the biggest challenge you faced in writing or during the taping of the episode?
DH: Time is always the enemy on a television show. How to get it done in five days while, at the same time, working on editing last week’s episode and coming up with new ones to round out the season. “Murder She Roast” was no exception except for the fact that we also had to find time to shoot the footage on the “news” program that Brian initially watched. We went onto Paramount’s back lot and did those sequences as well as filming Maury Povich playing the part of the newscaster.
ID: Looking back at the episode now, is there anything you would change.
DH: Oh, I’m sure if I viewed the episode carefully, I could find jokes that could be better — sharper, funnier — and perhaps a shot here or there to improve. That’s the case with every show. But I remember being quite happy with the finished product have always appreciated that, when people are asked about their favorite episodes of “Wings”, “Murder She Roast” is often mentioned.
I appreciate Dave Hackel taking the time to talk about the writing of “Murder She Roast.” You can find this episode and other episodes of Wings on Hulu, buy the complete series on Amazon (or watch on Amazon Prime), and watch via the PlutoTV app on the 24/7 Wings channel (channel 456).
The Story:
When Joe’s (Tim Daly) house has to be fumigated, Brian (Steven Weber) gets an offer to stay with Fay (Rebecca Schull). While at her home, Brian watches his favorite show, Fugitives from Justice, and the subject of the episode – a woman who has left a trail of dead men in her wake - has many similarities to Fay.
Freaked out, Brian shares his newfound info about Fay with Joe and Helen (Crystal Bernard), which they quickly dismiss. But as Brian’s paranoia about Fay’s possible true identity mounts, are his suspicions about her crazy, or is he really staying with a serial killer?
Meanwhile, Lowell (Thomas Haden Church) begins selling a gadget called the Car-B-Que. Will Roy (David Schramm) take the bait and buy one, or is this just another idiotic thing Lowell has ventured into?
My Take:
I love this episode. It’s interesting to watch it now in the context of our cultural obsession with true-crime series and podcasts, and the idea that you could see or hear about someone you might know on one of those shows seems more possible than ever.
The cast takes the solid material and runs with it, and the entire set-up and pay-off of the main storyline is exceptionally well-crafted and delivers solid laughs throughout.
And I’d really like to know a little more about the culinary science behind the Car-B-Que, especially how it cooks chicken so fast.
“Murder She Roast” never fails to make me laugh. Wings is reliably funny and always can get a smile or a laugh no matter the episode. Whether it’s a line of dialogue or the line’s delivery, “Murder She Roast” is great stuff.
The Interview:
I was honored to be able to ask Dave Hackel about the inception and writing of the episode in question. His answers are below:
Ian Dawson: How was the initial story pitched?
Dave Hackel: As conceived, “Wings” was a show about two brothers. Obviously, other great characters made up the initial ensemble and others were added along the way. The production staff had to service all the actors/characters and some were easier to come up with stories for than others. Rebecca Schull was and is a marvelous actor, but Fay was often difficult to create shows around...especially in the early years of the show. The network wanted stories about Joe and Brian so when trying for a Fay episode, we had to find ones in which the boys were prominent, as well.
So, our job was to come up with a story in which Rebecca could shine and still give Tim and Steven good parts to play. “Murder She Roast” was clearly inspired...if not liberally borrowed...from the classic Alfred Hitchcock story about the woman who killed a man with a frozen leg of lamb, then cooked it and served it to the investigating detectives. I suggested that we might be able to come up with a story that cast doubt on Fay’s character in a similar way. Of course, we ended up with — certainly in that last block comedy scene in Fay’s kitchen — an homage to Hitchcock’s story.
ID: Were you assigned to write the episode, or did you pitch the episode and then were sent off to write it?
DH: All of the above. I came up with the basic idea then, as will most of the episodes, the entire staff worked out the story and I was sent off to write it.
ID: How long did you have to write an episode? Did you craft an outline or beat sheet first that was then hashed out in the room, or did you jump into a first draft with an outline?
DH: As with all of the episodes, first you work out the story in the room, then the writer — in this case me — was sent off to write the outline — usually around ten pages of prose that broke out the story beats into scenes and included many of the jokes that were pitched in the room. Then, after a week, I turned it in, met with the staff, went over the story, made changes and then I went off to write the first draft of the script. That usually took about two weeks.
ID: How did the storyline/episode evolve from pitch to shooting script? Did the B-story with Lowell and Roy change at all, or were the A and B stories pretty much set from the start?
DH: All the beats, A & B stories, were worked out before I started to write the script. As was the case with all of the episodes, stories were adjusted, edited and hopefully improved throughout the week with the help of the writing staff and, of course, the actors and the director of that episode, Noam Pitlik.
ID: Do you recall what the initial reaction to the episode was at the table read?
DH: I believe the script went over quite well at the table read. Those initial readings were usually a great deal of fun for all of the “Wings” episodes.
ID: As the credited writer on this or any episode, do you get final say on any changes that are suggested by the actors, director, or other writers? Do remember if there were any network notes that you had to deal with on this episode?
DH: The initial writer doesn’t get the final say on an episode. Once it’s turned in, the script becomes fair game for everyone to work on and improve. That includes the actors, director, writing staff, as well as anyone in the crew who comes up with a good idea. It’s an incredible amount of work to produce a new episode every week, so any input that makes it better is appreciated.
ID: What was the biggest challenge you faced in writing or during the taping of the episode?
DH: Time is always the enemy on a television show. How to get it done in five days while, at the same time, working on editing last week’s episode and coming up with new ones to round out the season. “Murder She Roast” was no exception except for the fact that we also had to find time to shoot the footage on the “news” program that Brian initially watched. We went onto Paramount’s back lot and did those sequences as well as filming Maury Povich playing the part of the newscaster.
ID: Looking back at the episode now, is there anything you would change.
DH: Oh, I’m sure if I viewed the episode carefully, I could find jokes that could be better — sharper, funnier — and perhaps a shot here or there to improve. That’s the case with every show. But I remember being quite happy with the finished product have always appreciated that, when people are asked about their favorite episodes of “Wings”, “Murder She Roast” is often mentioned.
I appreciate Dave Hackel taking the time to talk about the writing of “Murder She Roast.” You can find this episode and other episodes of Wings on Hulu, buy the complete series on Amazon (or watch on Amazon Prime), and watch via the PlutoTV app on the 24/7 Wings channel (channel 456).
December 20, 2020
You Finished Your Manuscript! Now What?: Part Three – Feedback & The Final Edit
Welcome back. Now your manuscript is looking good. You’re happy with what you have; you’ve worked out all the problems, did an exhaustive grammar and spelling check, and made sure that continuity is solid throughout the story.
Now, it’s time to let someone else read your work. I know, I know. This can cause a lot of anxiety for many writers. How will my work be perceived by outside eyes? Can I trust their opinions? Can I trust their judgment? Who do I ask?
Let’s talk about it.
7a. Finding the Right Feedback Partner
I believe a feedback partner is an essential part of the writing process. If you’re in a writing class, it can be easier to find someone willing to read your work in exchange for reading theirs. But if you’re flying solo, it’s time to look at your circle of friends and see if any of them might be willing to read your work.
I highly recommend not using family members for this process. With family, it can go one of two ways: heaps of praise that don’t help you strengthen the work; or criticism that leads to a rift in the relationship. Best to avoid both scenarios and let them read the work once it’s 100% complete.
Do you have a friend who has taken an interest in your writing? Is there someone you know who has asked about what you’re working on? Maybe you know someone who has read something you’ve written in the past, and their feedback helped improve the work? This is definitely a person to ask.
If they say yes, pay them for their time. Trust me, it’s worth it. Now, they have a reason to sit down and read the manuscript: money is coming! How much? It depends on your budget, but start low and then if you like their feedback, pay them more the next time they read it.
7b. Tell Them Exactly What You’re Looking For
Once you find your feedback partner and offer them payment, tell them what you want them to do. Be specific. “Here, read this” won’t be helpful to you, and it won’t help them focus on what you are looking for.
You can be general – “Does the story work from start to finish?” or “Did the story hook you and keep you reading?” – or, you can be specific – “When you’re reading, can you see if my main character’s arc is strong enough?” or “Can you tell me if there are any moments that don’t work, and explain why you think they don’t?” By giving your feedback partner goals, they now have things to look for and can provide direct answers to items you may have questions about.
Once you’ve set the parameters, give them a reasonable deadline (2 to 4 weeks), then leave them alone. This can be tough. You want to know where they are, what they’re thinking, and what they think, but butting in can ruin their reading flow and also break their concentration if they are reading when you contact them. If they contact you and give you a general comment (I really like the opening chapters), don’t interrogate them. A brief response is fine, but that’s it.
Your goal once they have the manuscript is to keep them reading.
7c. They’re Done and Ready to Give Feedback. Now What?
I FaceTime with my feedback partner, but you can do a Zoom call, Skype, or a regular phone call. I prefer this to receiving pages of notes from them (unless you specifically ask for that). Schedule 30 minutes for a meeting, and then let them talk first. They will likely give their overall impressions of the work and deliver positive feedback at the outset.
All good things.
Now, you can dig deeper. Have the initial questions you wanted them to answer ready, and have them delve into those. I like the phone/video chat discussions because you can discuss any issues or problems they had with the story. Staring it pages of notes is impersonal and one-sided. Take the time to have the dialogue.
This is also the time to take off your creative hat and put on your editor hat. You need to listen to what they have to say, answer their questions, and not get upset or offended if they didn’t like some aspect of the story or didn’t understand something. This is your opportunity to ask them for specifics about why they didn’t like something, why they feel they didn’t understand something, or why it didn’t work for them.
Listen. Clarify. Move on.
If you agree with their view on the specific item, change it. If you don’t, keep it the way it is. But I’ve learned that if you allow your feedback partner to be honest, so they don’t just tell you what you want to hear, they are pretty spot-on with finding issues that need fixing, clarity, or plot holes.
And that only helps strengthen your story even more.
Answer all their questions. If they wonder about something, or a character, or a moment that isn’t clear, write it down to look at later.
Once the session is over, pay them immediately if you are using PayPal, Venmo, or another payment app, process what you’ve heard, then get back to your manuscript the next day.
7d. Putting the Feedback to Good Use
If you liked their feedback, ask them if they want to be your feedback partner. If they yes, that’s great. If not, you have their feedback and can use that to make the next draft stronger. Take the time to go through their comments and see where they can be applied to make the story, characters, other aspects better.
I suggest giving all their feedback strong consideration. Sometimes there’s something in the story we’re holding onto that we really think works, but it falls flat to a reader or takes them out of the story. Be mindful of these comments. If your feedback partner makes it a point to say that something in the story took them out of the story, definitely consider cutting it. It could save your story in the long run.
7e. Back for Round Two, Three, Four…
Once you have made the changes – and probably made more on your own as you went through – send it back to your feedback partner with new questions for them to answer. Repeat the process as many times as you, your feedback partner, and your budget allows.
BLOGGER’S NOTE: There are editing/feedback services available online that you are free to use if you don’t want to ask a friend. As a self-publishing author with a tight budget, these services can often get a bit pricey, so doing a little DIY for your first few books can be a less expensive way to get the job done. But, if you want to use these services, I encourage you to do so.
8. The Final Edit/Polish
At some point, your manuscript will be done…or done enough. It’s tempting to always want to tinker with a line of dialogue, a description, or other minutiae, but you have to tell yourself that it’s ready to publish at some point.
The way I know is when I stop thinking/obsessing over the story. My mind moves on to other projects, and this manuscript is no longer at the forefront. That’s when I’m pretty sure I’ve done all I can to make this story the best it can be at this time.
It’s time to let go and let others enjoy what you’ve created.
I hope you found these posts helpful. If you are a writer who has any advice to add, please leave a comment.
You can read about my self-publishing experience with The Field by clicking here
See you next week!
Now, it’s time to let someone else read your work. I know, I know. This can cause a lot of anxiety for many writers. How will my work be perceived by outside eyes? Can I trust their opinions? Can I trust their judgment? Who do I ask?
Let’s talk about it.
7a. Finding the Right Feedback Partner
I believe a feedback partner is an essential part of the writing process. If you’re in a writing class, it can be easier to find someone willing to read your work in exchange for reading theirs. But if you’re flying solo, it’s time to look at your circle of friends and see if any of them might be willing to read your work.
I highly recommend not using family members for this process. With family, it can go one of two ways: heaps of praise that don’t help you strengthen the work; or criticism that leads to a rift in the relationship. Best to avoid both scenarios and let them read the work once it’s 100% complete.
Do you have a friend who has taken an interest in your writing? Is there someone you know who has asked about what you’re working on? Maybe you know someone who has read something you’ve written in the past, and their feedback helped improve the work? This is definitely a person to ask.
If they say yes, pay them for their time. Trust me, it’s worth it. Now, they have a reason to sit down and read the manuscript: money is coming! How much? It depends on your budget, but start low and then if you like their feedback, pay them more the next time they read it.
7b. Tell Them Exactly What You’re Looking For
Once you find your feedback partner and offer them payment, tell them what you want them to do. Be specific. “Here, read this” won’t be helpful to you, and it won’t help them focus on what you are looking for.
You can be general – “Does the story work from start to finish?” or “Did the story hook you and keep you reading?” – or, you can be specific – “When you’re reading, can you see if my main character’s arc is strong enough?” or “Can you tell me if there are any moments that don’t work, and explain why you think they don’t?” By giving your feedback partner goals, they now have things to look for and can provide direct answers to items you may have questions about.
Once you’ve set the parameters, give them a reasonable deadline (2 to 4 weeks), then leave them alone. This can be tough. You want to know where they are, what they’re thinking, and what they think, but butting in can ruin their reading flow and also break their concentration if they are reading when you contact them. If they contact you and give you a general comment (I really like the opening chapters), don’t interrogate them. A brief response is fine, but that’s it.
Your goal once they have the manuscript is to keep them reading.
7c. They’re Done and Ready to Give Feedback. Now What?
I FaceTime with my feedback partner, but you can do a Zoom call, Skype, or a regular phone call. I prefer this to receiving pages of notes from them (unless you specifically ask for that). Schedule 30 minutes for a meeting, and then let them talk first. They will likely give their overall impressions of the work and deliver positive feedback at the outset.
All good things.
Now, you can dig deeper. Have the initial questions you wanted them to answer ready, and have them delve into those. I like the phone/video chat discussions because you can discuss any issues or problems they had with the story. Staring it pages of notes is impersonal and one-sided. Take the time to have the dialogue.
This is also the time to take off your creative hat and put on your editor hat. You need to listen to what they have to say, answer their questions, and not get upset or offended if they didn’t like some aspect of the story or didn’t understand something. This is your opportunity to ask them for specifics about why they didn’t like something, why they feel they didn’t understand something, or why it didn’t work for them.
Listen. Clarify. Move on.
If you agree with their view on the specific item, change it. If you don’t, keep it the way it is. But I’ve learned that if you allow your feedback partner to be honest, so they don’t just tell you what you want to hear, they are pretty spot-on with finding issues that need fixing, clarity, or plot holes.
And that only helps strengthen your story even more.
Answer all their questions. If they wonder about something, or a character, or a moment that isn’t clear, write it down to look at later.
Once the session is over, pay them immediately if you are using PayPal, Venmo, or another payment app, process what you’ve heard, then get back to your manuscript the next day.
7d. Putting the Feedback to Good Use
If you liked their feedback, ask them if they want to be your feedback partner. If they yes, that’s great. If not, you have their feedback and can use that to make the next draft stronger. Take the time to go through their comments and see where they can be applied to make the story, characters, other aspects better.
I suggest giving all their feedback strong consideration. Sometimes there’s something in the story we’re holding onto that we really think works, but it falls flat to a reader or takes them out of the story. Be mindful of these comments. If your feedback partner makes it a point to say that something in the story took them out of the story, definitely consider cutting it. It could save your story in the long run.
7e. Back for Round Two, Three, Four…
Once you have made the changes – and probably made more on your own as you went through – send it back to your feedback partner with new questions for them to answer. Repeat the process as many times as you, your feedback partner, and your budget allows.
BLOGGER’S NOTE: There are editing/feedback services available online that you are free to use if you don’t want to ask a friend. As a self-publishing author with a tight budget, these services can often get a bit pricey, so doing a little DIY for your first few books can be a less expensive way to get the job done. But, if you want to use these services, I encourage you to do so.
8. The Final Edit/Polish
At some point, your manuscript will be done…or done enough. It’s tempting to always want to tinker with a line of dialogue, a description, or other minutiae, but you have to tell yourself that it’s ready to publish at some point.
The way I know is when I stop thinking/obsessing over the story. My mind moves on to other projects, and this manuscript is no longer at the forefront. That’s when I’m pretty sure I’ve done all I can to make this story the best it can be at this time.
It’s time to let go and let others enjoy what you’ve created.
I hope you found these posts helpful. If you are a writer who has any advice to add, please leave a comment.
You can read about my self-publishing experience with The Field by clicking here
See you next week!
December 16, 2020
Wings Wednesday – Interview with Writer Dave Hackel – Part One
I love sitcoms. I Love Lucy and Fraiser. The Mary Tyler Moore Show and Becker. Green Acres and Wings. All in the Family and Married…with Children. These shows, along with hundreds more, have given millions of people laughter, comfort, enjoyment, and quotable lines for generations. They have ranged from multi-camera series like Lucy, to single-camera series like The Andy Griffith Show. The situation comedy has had its ups and downs, but one thing is for sure…it’s here to stay.
Long before the advent of television, radio was where situation comedies began their evolution. Radio comedies like My Favorite Husband, The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, Fibber McGee and Molly, and Father Knows Best were pioneers in the sitcom format. Many of the ones mentioned here would be adapted to television. What had worked in one medium would translate seamlessly into another: the situations and the comedy.
These shows work and deliver continuous laughs thanks to the hard work and dedication of those who write them. They understand how to craft an effective joke and understand the value of a strong story and dimensional characters that can help elevate the comedy.
One of my favorite series is Wings, which celebrates its 30th anniversary this year. I had the honor of interviewing television writer Dave Hackel, who wrote many of my favorite episodes of Wings, and also worked on Fraiser (another favorite of mine), and created Becker (another favorite of mine, too).
In Part One, Hackel talks about his time working on Wings. In Part Two (posting next Wednesday), he talks about the writing process for one of my favorite episodes of Wings, “Murder She Roast.”
Enjoy!
Talk a little about your writing career before Wings.
My television writing career began a little over ten years before “Wings.” I’d worked on comedies, dramas and variety shows. After having the opportunity to try my hand at those different formats, I found I was most drawn to writing comedy and put all of my efforts toward finding work in half-hour sitcoms. Little by little, a was able to gain a foothold in that area, writing a number of single episodes for different shows and going on staff for a few others.
How did you get the opportunity to write for Wings?
I’d done the first year of “Dear John” at Paramount Studios before meeting Casey, Angell and Lee. They’d sold the pilot of “Wings” to NBC and were putting together their staff for the first season. I was looking to make a change and submitted a few scripts as writing samples. They liked what they read, we all seemed to like each other and they asked me to come on board.
What was a typical writers room week like on the series?
We filmed on Tuesday nights, so production weeks began on Wednesday morning. The new script was read around the table with the cast, the director, the entire staff as well as representatives from both the studio and network. After the reading, the cast and director would go to the stage to begin rehearsing and the rest of us would discuss the script and decide what worked well and what needed to be rewritten. We’d see a run-thru of the show at the end of each day, learn what we’d fixed and what still needed work. The staff would then begin that day’s new version of the script. Sometimes there’d be just a little work to do - writing new jokes, smoothing dialogue and responding to specific problems that the actors and director had pointed out. On other days, whole scenes would be thrown out and redone. Each day’s rehearsal was a learning process and hopefully each day’s work would improve the script so that the best possible version would be ready to put before an audience by the following Tuesday evening.
During the day, before rehearsal, the staff would be working on upcoming scripts. Finding new stories, working as a group to rewrite others that were in the pipeline and making sure we had a new script in shape for the following Wednesday morning.
How were ideas pitched?
At the beginning of each season, we’d throw out many ideas for shows. Everyone would participate. Sometimes we knew of a overreaching theme for the season and pitch to that, sometimes a story would emerge as we wrote to various actors and their characters strengths. When trying to fill a season, literally everything is possible fodder for an episode. We writers would mine our lives for stories — little things that had happened to us, memories from our childhoods, something funny our friends did or that we’d overheard a stranger say — everything was fair game to be expanded upon to make an episode. We had good characters to write for and also the airport setting allowed for interesting characters and their stories to walk into the terminal or off an incoming flight.
How were episodes assigned to be written?
Sometimes a writer would come in with an idea they especially liked and wanted to write. Other times the tone of a story might be better for one writer to tackle than another. Other times it was as simple as “Who’s next?” With an entire season of episodes to complete, all the writers were usually busy on a script.
What were the table reads like?
Usually, the table reads were a lot of fun. Lots of laughs. But the staff was working during the reading. We all knew that the rest of our day would be devoted to fixing any problems the became evident during the reading so we were all taking notes about what worked and what didn’t, what attitudes might need adjusting, what scenes might need to be reordered or, in some cases, eliminated.
How much input did the actors have in crafting and defining their characters?
The actors had a lot of input. They were welcome to bring up problems and ideas to the staff, but mostly their input was realized by their performances. Slowly but surely as a series grows, the characters evolve. Ideally, a level of trust gets established between the actors and the staff as we write to the actors’ strengths. Subtle changes get made from all departments. For instance, an actor might respond to or request a certain type of wardrobe that helps establish the type of person their character is. Notice Joe Hackett’s button down, put together look vs. Brian Hackett’s which was crazier, more colorful and casual. Tim Daly’s performance helped define Joe and we all wrote to it. Steven Weber’s performance helped define Brian and we wrote to that, too. So, working together the characters grew, as did the stories about them.
What was one of the challenges you faced as a writer on Wings?
One of the biggest challenges was that we had so many characters to service in each script. Six to begin with. Then seven, when Tony Shalhoub joined the cast. And another when Farrah Forke came aboard for a couple of seasons. Then Amy Yasbeck later. If one character was heavy in one show that naturally meant someone else’s would have less to do and being fair to both the actors and the show overall was always a concern.
What was your favorite part of being a writer on Wings?
Wings was a very “joke heavy” show. And, luckily, we had actors who could deliver. So it was especially gratifying to write funny lines and hear the immediate response from the three hundred people in the audience.
What is your favorite episode of the series?
That’s a difficult question. I like some more than others, of course, but a favorite? Of the ones I wrote, I liked “Four Dates That Will Live In Infamy” and “Murder She Roast” the best. Another I really enjoyed was “Das Plane” with William Hickey as the guest star. Another was “Joe Blows - Part One.” Thankfully, there are really too many good episodes to choose from.
What was tape night like on the set as a writer on the series?
Rewriting on a sitcom never ends. On shoot night we all followed along carefully and constantly threw in new and improved jokes for additional takes. Anything that could improve a moment — a line, a word, a pause — we’d try anything and everything to get the best possible show.
Did you have a favorite character you liked writing lines for?
Enjoyed them all for different reasons. Brian, Lowell and Antonio were the most fun to write for — each had a very unique voice and approach to comedy.
How long were you a writer on the series? When did you exit the series? After your exit, did you then move on to work on Frasier?
I was with the show for, I believe, 95 shows. When I left, I created a short-lived series with Grub Street called “The Pursuit Of Happiness.” After it was cancelled, I consulted on “Frasier” one day per week for a time before creating “Becker.”
How did being a writer on Wings prepare you to create your own series, Becker?
It was invaluable training. Casey, Angell and Lee brought the “Cheers” way of doing things with them and adapted it to their shows. I liked the way they laid out the season and the individual shows and tried to emulate that production method with “Becker.” Obviously, each show takes on it’s on a style of its own, but the basic “bones” of how to organize a season, I learned on “Wings.”
I really appreciate Dave Hackel taking the time to answer my questions, and I hope you enjoyed his insight into the inner-workings of this great series.
Check back next week to see Part Two of his interview about writing the Wings episode, “Murder She Roast.”
Long before the advent of television, radio was where situation comedies began their evolution. Radio comedies like My Favorite Husband, The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, Fibber McGee and Molly, and Father Knows Best were pioneers in the sitcom format. Many of the ones mentioned here would be adapted to television. What had worked in one medium would translate seamlessly into another: the situations and the comedy.
These shows work and deliver continuous laughs thanks to the hard work and dedication of those who write them. They understand how to craft an effective joke and understand the value of a strong story and dimensional characters that can help elevate the comedy.
One of my favorite series is Wings, which celebrates its 30th anniversary this year. I had the honor of interviewing television writer Dave Hackel, who wrote many of my favorite episodes of Wings, and also worked on Fraiser (another favorite of mine), and created Becker (another favorite of mine, too).
In Part One, Hackel talks about his time working on Wings. In Part Two (posting next Wednesday), he talks about the writing process for one of my favorite episodes of Wings, “Murder She Roast.”
Enjoy!
Talk a little about your writing career before Wings.
My television writing career began a little over ten years before “Wings.” I’d worked on comedies, dramas and variety shows. After having the opportunity to try my hand at those different formats, I found I was most drawn to writing comedy and put all of my efforts toward finding work in half-hour sitcoms. Little by little, a was able to gain a foothold in that area, writing a number of single episodes for different shows and going on staff for a few others.
How did you get the opportunity to write for Wings?
I’d done the first year of “Dear John” at Paramount Studios before meeting Casey, Angell and Lee. They’d sold the pilot of “Wings” to NBC and were putting together their staff for the first season. I was looking to make a change and submitted a few scripts as writing samples. They liked what they read, we all seemed to like each other and they asked me to come on board.
What was a typical writers room week like on the series?
We filmed on Tuesday nights, so production weeks began on Wednesday morning. The new script was read around the table with the cast, the director, the entire staff as well as representatives from both the studio and network. After the reading, the cast and director would go to the stage to begin rehearsing and the rest of us would discuss the script and decide what worked well and what needed to be rewritten. We’d see a run-thru of the show at the end of each day, learn what we’d fixed and what still needed work. The staff would then begin that day’s new version of the script. Sometimes there’d be just a little work to do - writing new jokes, smoothing dialogue and responding to specific problems that the actors and director had pointed out. On other days, whole scenes would be thrown out and redone. Each day’s rehearsal was a learning process and hopefully each day’s work would improve the script so that the best possible version would be ready to put before an audience by the following Tuesday evening.
During the day, before rehearsal, the staff would be working on upcoming scripts. Finding new stories, working as a group to rewrite others that were in the pipeline and making sure we had a new script in shape for the following Wednesday morning.
How were ideas pitched?
At the beginning of each season, we’d throw out many ideas for shows. Everyone would participate. Sometimes we knew of a overreaching theme for the season and pitch to that, sometimes a story would emerge as we wrote to various actors and their characters strengths. When trying to fill a season, literally everything is possible fodder for an episode. We writers would mine our lives for stories — little things that had happened to us, memories from our childhoods, something funny our friends did or that we’d overheard a stranger say — everything was fair game to be expanded upon to make an episode. We had good characters to write for and also the airport setting allowed for interesting characters and their stories to walk into the terminal or off an incoming flight.
How were episodes assigned to be written?
Sometimes a writer would come in with an idea they especially liked and wanted to write. Other times the tone of a story might be better for one writer to tackle than another. Other times it was as simple as “Who’s next?” With an entire season of episodes to complete, all the writers were usually busy on a script.
What were the table reads like?
Usually, the table reads were a lot of fun. Lots of laughs. But the staff was working during the reading. We all knew that the rest of our day would be devoted to fixing any problems the became evident during the reading so we were all taking notes about what worked and what didn’t, what attitudes might need adjusting, what scenes might need to be reordered or, in some cases, eliminated.
How much input did the actors have in crafting and defining their characters?
The actors had a lot of input. They were welcome to bring up problems and ideas to the staff, but mostly their input was realized by their performances. Slowly but surely as a series grows, the characters evolve. Ideally, a level of trust gets established between the actors and the staff as we write to the actors’ strengths. Subtle changes get made from all departments. For instance, an actor might respond to or request a certain type of wardrobe that helps establish the type of person their character is. Notice Joe Hackett’s button down, put together look vs. Brian Hackett’s which was crazier, more colorful and casual. Tim Daly’s performance helped define Joe and we all wrote to it. Steven Weber’s performance helped define Brian and we wrote to that, too. So, working together the characters grew, as did the stories about them.
What was one of the challenges you faced as a writer on Wings?
One of the biggest challenges was that we had so many characters to service in each script. Six to begin with. Then seven, when Tony Shalhoub joined the cast. And another when Farrah Forke came aboard for a couple of seasons. Then Amy Yasbeck later. If one character was heavy in one show that naturally meant someone else’s would have less to do and being fair to both the actors and the show overall was always a concern.
What was your favorite part of being a writer on Wings?
Wings was a very “joke heavy” show. And, luckily, we had actors who could deliver. So it was especially gratifying to write funny lines and hear the immediate response from the three hundred people in the audience.
What is your favorite episode of the series?
That’s a difficult question. I like some more than others, of course, but a favorite? Of the ones I wrote, I liked “Four Dates That Will Live In Infamy” and “Murder She Roast” the best. Another I really enjoyed was “Das Plane” with William Hickey as the guest star. Another was “Joe Blows - Part One.” Thankfully, there are really too many good episodes to choose from.
What was tape night like on the set as a writer on the series?
Rewriting on a sitcom never ends. On shoot night we all followed along carefully and constantly threw in new and improved jokes for additional takes. Anything that could improve a moment — a line, a word, a pause — we’d try anything and everything to get the best possible show.
Did you have a favorite character you liked writing lines for?
Enjoyed them all for different reasons. Brian, Lowell and Antonio were the most fun to write for — each had a very unique voice and approach to comedy.
How long were you a writer on the series? When did you exit the series? After your exit, did you then move on to work on Frasier?
I was with the show for, I believe, 95 shows. When I left, I created a short-lived series with Grub Street called “The Pursuit Of Happiness.” After it was cancelled, I consulted on “Frasier” one day per week for a time before creating “Becker.”
How did being a writer on Wings prepare you to create your own series, Becker?
It was invaluable training. Casey, Angell and Lee brought the “Cheers” way of doing things with them and adapted it to their shows. I liked the way they laid out the season and the individual shows and tried to emulate that production method with “Becker.” Obviously, each show takes on it’s on a style of its own, but the basic “bones” of how to organize a season, I learned on “Wings.”
I really appreciate Dave Hackel taking the time to answer my questions, and I hope you enjoyed his insight into the inner-workings of this great series.
Check back next week to see Part Two of his interview about writing the Wings episode, “Murder She Roast.”
December 13, 2020
You Finished Your Manuscript! Now What? – Part Two: Continuity
6a. Checking for Continuity
Have you ever watched a movie or TV show and noticed the drinks levels on the table change between shots? Or maybe in one shot, a character is wearing a jacket, but in the next – in the same scene – the jacket vanishes? Or even a cup magically changes colors in a scene? Or a character’s name changes between seasons?
All of these are issues with CONTINUITY, “the maintenance of continuous action and self-consistent detail in the various scenes of a movie or broadcast.” The Script Supervisor’s role in film and TV is to catch these issues before filming is complete and editing begins. But, as I’m sure you’ve seen on your own, this doesn’t always happen.
Of course, in Hollywood, finger-pointing can take place to explain away these issues. But when you’re the lone author of a novel, a short story, or other work, the responsibility for continuity within your story lies on you, and even though the above definition cites “movie or broadcast,” this area is equally essential when editing your novel.
6b. Why Continuity Matters
As a writer, your job is to keep the reader focused on the story and keep them turning the page. This means the story needs to flow, allowing the reader to effortlessly move through the story and not get pulled out because of something that should have been fixed during the editing process.
As I mentioned in Part One, read and reread your manuscript, strengthening the story, characters, and dialogue and checking for spelling and grammar errors. On top of that, it’s important to make sure that character names, descriptions, settings, and other permanent aspects within the story are consistent from start to finish.
I like to write varying drafts of different chapters, and sometimes I combine different versions to create a more exciting version of the sequence I’m writing. In doing so, this can cause continuity issues to crop up that need to be addressed to avoid confusion for the reader.
For example, if I write a version where the detectives show up in a black sedan but leave – thanks to a later version of the same chapter – in a green Prius, the change is jarring and pull the reader out of the story.
The same is true with clothing. If you write a version where a character enters the room and takes off their coat, and then later in the chapter they take a pack of gum from their coat pocket in another part of the house, they either can transport locations, or there’s an issue that needs to be resolved.
Once you make a choice, stick with it.
6c. Tips to Monitor Continuity
One of the easiest ways to keep basic continuity within the story is to have a basic spreadsheet or written list of all the named characters (first, middle, and last), their ages, and a basic description. If the characters drive, add the make, model, and color of their vehicles. If there are homes, workplaces, or major locations in the story, give brief details on the sheet to ensure paint colors and basics are consistent.
Also, be conscious of all characters’ actions during a chapter. What did they do? Did you have them put something down or pick something up? Did someone exit the room? Did they suddenly reappear, or just vanish from the chapter altogether?
If you’re like me and love to do multiple drafts of chapters and sequences, be aware of these changes, and make sure that what has already been established earlier is crafted into the newer version of the chapter or sequence.
So, now you’ve edited, you’ve polished, and you’ve checked your manuscript for continuity. You’re confident in your story, the characters, and the manuscript as a whole. It’s time to release your child to someone else to read and get feedback from. But who? Who is this person, and why should you entrust them with your creative work?
We’ll explore these topics and more next week!
Have you ever watched a movie or TV show and noticed the drinks levels on the table change between shots? Or maybe in one shot, a character is wearing a jacket, but in the next – in the same scene – the jacket vanishes? Or even a cup magically changes colors in a scene? Or a character’s name changes between seasons?
All of these are issues with CONTINUITY, “the maintenance of continuous action and self-consistent detail in the various scenes of a movie or broadcast.” The Script Supervisor’s role in film and TV is to catch these issues before filming is complete and editing begins. But, as I’m sure you’ve seen on your own, this doesn’t always happen.
Of course, in Hollywood, finger-pointing can take place to explain away these issues. But when you’re the lone author of a novel, a short story, or other work, the responsibility for continuity within your story lies on you, and even though the above definition cites “movie or broadcast,” this area is equally essential when editing your novel.
6b. Why Continuity Matters
As a writer, your job is to keep the reader focused on the story and keep them turning the page. This means the story needs to flow, allowing the reader to effortlessly move through the story and not get pulled out because of something that should have been fixed during the editing process.
As I mentioned in Part One, read and reread your manuscript, strengthening the story, characters, and dialogue and checking for spelling and grammar errors. On top of that, it’s important to make sure that character names, descriptions, settings, and other permanent aspects within the story are consistent from start to finish.
I like to write varying drafts of different chapters, and sometimes I combine different versions to create a more exciting version of the sequence I’m writing. In doing so, this can cause continuity issues to crop up that need to be addressed to avoid confusion for the reader.
For example, if I write a version where the detectives show up in a black sedan but leave – thanks to a later version of the same chapter – in a green Prius, the change is jarring and pull the reader out of the story.
The same is true with clothing. If you write a version where a character enters the room and takes off their coat, and then later in the chapter they take a pack of gum from their coat pocket in another part of the house, they either can transport locations, or there’s an issue that needs to be resolved.
Once you make a choice, stick with it.
6c. Tips to Monitor Continuity
One of the easiest ways to keep basic continuity within the story is to have a basic spreadsheet or written list of all the named characters (first, middle, and last), their ages, and a basic description. If the characters drive, add the make, model, and color of their vehicles. If there are homes, workplaces, or major locations in the story, give brief details on the sheet to ensure paint colors and basics are consistent.
Also, be conscious of all characters’ actions during a chapter. What did they do? Did you have them put something down or pick something up? Did someone exit the room? Did they suddenly reappear, or just vanish from the chapter altogether?
If you’re like me and love to do multiple drafts of chapters and sequences, be aware of these changes, and make sure that what has already been established earlier is crafted into the newer version of the chapter or sequence.
So, now you’ve edited, you’ve polished, and you’ve checked your manuscript for continuity. You’re confident in your story, the characters, and the manuscript as a whole. It’s time to release your child to someone else to read and get feedback from. But who? Who is this person, and why should you entrust them with your creative work?
We’ll explore these topics and more next week!
You Finished Your Manuscript! Now What? – Part Two: Continuity
6a. Checking for Continuity
Have you ever watched a movie or TV show and noticed the drinks levels on the table change between shots? Or maybe in one shot, a character is wearing a jacket, but in the next – in the same scene – the jacket vanishes? Or even a cup magically changes colors in a scene? Or a character’s name changes between seasons?
All of these are issues with CONTINUITY, “the maintenance of continuous action and self-consistent detail in the various scenes of a movie or broadcast.” The Script Supervisor’s role in film and TV is to catch these issues before filming is complete and editing begins. But, as I’m sure you’ve seen on your own, this doesn’t always happen.
Of course, in Hollywood, finger-pointing can take place to explain away these issues. But when you’re the lone author of a novel, a short story, or other work, the responsibility for continuity within your story lies on you, and even though the above definition cites “movie or broadcast,” this area is equally essential when editing your novel.
6b. Why Continuity Matters
As a writer, your job is to keep the reader focused on the story and keep them turning the page. This means the story needs to flow, allowing the reader to effortlessly move through the story and not get pulled out because of something that should have been fixed during the editing process.
As I mentioned in Part One, read and reread your manuscript, strengthening the story, characters, and dialogue and checking for spelling and grammar errors. On top of that, it’s important to make sure that character names, descriptions, settings, and other permanent aspects within the story are consistent from start to finish.
I like to write varying drafts of different chapters, and sometimes I combine different versions to create a more exciting version of the sequence I’m writing. In doing so, this can cause continuity issues to crop up that need to be addressed to avoid confusion for the reader.
For example, if I write a version where the detectives show up in a black sedan but leave – thanks to a later version of the same chapter – in a green Prius, the change is jarring and pull the reader out of the story.
The same is true with clothing. If you write a version where a character enters the room and takes off their coat, and then later in the chapter they take a pack of gum from their coat pocket in another part of the house, they either can transport locations, or there’s an issue that needs to be resolved.
Once you make a choice, stick with it.
6c. Tips to Monitor Continuity
One of the easiest ways to keep basic continuity within the story is to have a basic spreadsheet or written list of all the named characters (first, middle, and last), their ages, and a basic description. If the characters drive, add the make, model, and color of their vehicles. If there are homes, workplaces, or major locations in the story, give brief details on the sheet to ensure paint colors and basics are consistent.
Also, be conscious of all characters’ actions during a chapter. What did they do? Did you have them put something down or pick something up? Did someone exit the room? Did they suddenly reappear, or just vanish from the chapter altogether?
If you’re like me and love to do multiple drafts of chapters and sequences, be aware of these changes, and make sure that what has already been established earlier is crafted into the newer version of the chapter or sequence.
So, now you’ve edited, you’ve polished, and you’ve checked your manuscript for continuity. You’re confident in your story, the characters, and the manuscript as a whole. It’s time to release your child to someone else to read and get feedback from. But who? Who is this person, and why should you entrust them with your creative work?
We’ll explore these topics and more next week!
Have you ever watched a movie or TV show and noticed the drinks levels on the table change between shots? Or maybe in one shot, a character is wearing a jacket, but in the next – in the same scene – the jacket vanishes? Or even a cup magically changes colors in a scene? Or a character’s name changes between seasons?
All of these are issues with CONTINUITY, “the maintenance of continuous action and self-consistent detail in the various scenes of a movie or broadcast.” The Script Supervisor’s role in film and TV is to catch these issues before filming is complete and editing begins. But, as I’m sure you’ve seen on your own, this doesn’t always happen.
Of course, in Hollywood, finger-pointing can take place to explain away these issues. But when you’re the lone author of a novel, a short story, or other work, the responsibility for continuity within your story lies on you, and even though the above definition cites “movie or broadcast,” this area is equally essential when editing your novel.
6b. Why Continuity Matters
As a writer, your job is to keep the reader focused on the story and keep them turning the page. This means the story needs to flow, allowing the reader to effortlessly move through the story and not get pulled out because of something that should have been fixed during the editing process.
As I mentioned in Part One, read and reread your manuscript, strengthening the story, characters, and dialogue and checking for spelling and grammar errors. On top of that, it’s important to make sure that character names, descriptions, settings, and other permanent aspects within the story are consistent from start to finish.
I like to write varying drafts of different chapters, and sometimes I combine different versions to create a more exciting version of the sequence I’m writing. In doing so, this can cause continuity issues to crop up that need to be addressed to avoid confusion for the reader.
For example, if I write a version where the detectives show up in a black sedan but leave – thanks to a later version of the same chapter – in a green Prius, the change is jarring and pull the reader out of the story.
The same is true with clothing. If you write a version where a character enters the room and takes off their coat, and then later in the chapter they take a pack of gum from their coat pocket in another part of the house, they either can transport locations, or there’s an issue that needs to be resolved.
Once you make a choice, stick with it.
6c. Tips to Monitor Continuity
One of the easiest ways to keep basic continuity within the story is to have a basic spreadsheet or written list of all the named characters (first, middle, and last), their ages, and a basic description. If the characters drive, add the make, model, and color of their vehicles. If there are homes, workplaces, or major locations in the story, give brief details on the sheet to ensure paint colors and basics are consistent.
Also, be conscious of all characters’ actions during a chapter. What did they do? Did you have them put something down or pick something up? Did someone exit the room? Did they suddenly reappear, or just vanish from the chapter altogether?
If you’re like me and love to do multiple drafts of chapters and sequences, be aware of these changes, and make sure that what has already been established earlier is crafted into the newer version of the chapter or sequence.
So, now you’ve edited, you’ve polished, and you’ve checked your manuscript for continuity. You’re confident in your story, the characters, and the manuscript as a whole. It’s time to release your child to someone else to read and get feedback from. But who? Who is this person, and why should you entrust them with your creative work?
We’ll explore these topics and more next week!
December 7, 2020
You Finished Your Manuscript! Now What? – Part One
You did it! You stayed focused, sat down at your laptop or computer, and finished the manuscript of your novel. This is an exhilarating moment. From Chapter One to The End, you have written a complete story that you’re proud of, and you know readers will love.
I know from experience that once you get to the end of the manuscript, you can feel a sense of relief. You’re done. It’s over. Now you can go and binge-watch Pawn Stars. But, this is not the end of your manuscript’s journey. Far from it. So, let’s explore how best to proceed when getting ready for your manuscript’s adventure.
[Writer’s Note: When saving your manuscript files, always put the title and the revision date as the filename (Example: TheField_06102018). This will help when you start rewrites, and you can keep track of various drafts.]
1. Take a Month Off!
Now, you can binge-watch those shows you’ve been putting off. You’ve earned it for all your hard work. But there’s a reason behind this month: to give you distance from your material. It’s hard to be objective right out of the gate when you’ve worked so hard and for so long on something as massive as a novel manuscript. During this time, don’t open the file, and don’t retrieve it from a drawer if you’ve printed it out.
Leave. It. Alone.
This doesn’t mean you can’t THINK about the novel, and this is when your brain will start to work in mysterious ways. You’ll be on a walk, or watching TV, or reading, or in bed at 3AM, and all of a sudden, a new section of dialogue that links two sequences will pop into your head. A better sequencing of events, a better description of a character or location, even the idea that a chapter can be cut will all flow through your mind.
If you think of something during the time away, write it down. Have a legal pad, the notepad app on your phone, or a separate file on your computer available to write down any and all ideas, edits, additions, etc. that come to mind during this month away. You’re still creating, still working on the manuscript, but in a periphery way that allows you to think clearly about changes you might consider once you return to the manuscript.
Like it or not, that great draft you just wrote has a lot of problems, and your brain knows it and during this time will slowly begin to tell you what the issues are and ways to fix the problems. I know this from experience, and it’s 100% true that this phenomenon happens. “What if…” “Maybe I should…” “If I have them go right instead of left…”
If you think of it, write it down. Even if you look back at it later and go, “That was a dumb idea!” at least you won’t be mad at yourself for not writing it down.
Now that it’s been about a month…
2. Welcome Back!
You have your new set of ideas and notes. You have written down notes on revised chapters, character moments, and description. Now is the time to start fleshing those out – again separately from the manuscript – indicating at the top of each new section where it goes in the story (Example: [Dialogue right before the campfire scene]).
Write it all out in any way you feel is best. Then, once you have all the new content written, rearrange the sections in the order they will be added to the manuscript. Take a day or two away from these, see if anything else pops into your head (inevitably, it will), and then make any revisions you need to these new sections.
3. Time to Return to Your Manuscript
It’s been a while. You haven’t seen each other for a long time, but the feelings are still there. You’re a bit nervous - butterflies are fluttering in your stomach – as you begin to read the first chapter…and it’s not as good as you remember.
Don’t panic.
The good news is that you A) recognize that there’s an issue, and B) you can resolve the problem at this early stage of the editing/rewriting.
As you read, if you find section you don’t like and want to rewrite them, highlight them in BOLD, and keep reading. That way, when you come back to start the rewrite process, you know what areas to focus on.
I recommend doing this initial read over a series of days. If your manuscript is 300 pages, read through 30 to 40 pages a day. This is your opportunity to dig deeper into your story and see opportunities to fix issues. Read too much in one sitting, and you begin to gloss over things, and this exercise requires your full attention.
While you’re reading, you can now drop the new material into the areas of the story where it belongs, or you can indicate with brackets, ALL CAPS, and in bold where these new sections will go: [ADD NEW CAR CHASE ENDING HERE]. Sometimes, when I’ve noticed a chapter hits a dead end, I’ve added [MORE HERE] to indicate there’s an issue.
Now, you’ve read the whole manuscript. Let it sit for a week, then come back to it again.
4. Time for a Deep Dive
Only you know your story. What you want to say. How you want to tell the story. Who your characters are. It’s all in your head. And now is the time to really start focusing on these things and making sure the story you want to tell ends up on the page.
This can be a lengthy process but a rewarding one. As you begin the rewriting process, you are wearing two hats: WRITER and READER. Your story should be something you enjoy reading as much as you enjoyed writing it.
During this phase, take your time. Read each chapter closely. Does it convey information about the characters and story? Does the chapter move the story forward? At the end of the chapter, do I feel the need to keep reading? These are good indicators that your story is working, and it’s essential to take the time to make sure that every piece of the puzzle fits how you want it to.
Make sure to add in the new stuff you wrote during your month off if you still like it. Some you may decide you don’t need, or what you wrote doesn’t work with the new direction you’re taking the chapter. That’s fine. Your goal here is to do what’s best for the story.
As you rewrite, you will feel compelled to rewrite entire sections, revise dialogue, and maybe even cut sections or chapters entirely. Maybe there’s a character who’s just there with no purpose. Time for them to go.
These are all positive things for your story and your manuscript. You are taking steps to make your story better, have more clarity, and flow smoother. All good things.
Again, take the time to work things through. This could take a month, three months, six months. Whatever is needed to get the story to be exactly how you want it to be.
If you finish and want to take another pass, take a week off and start again.
5. Remember, Writing a Novel is a Marathon, Editing is Exploratory Nature Hike
Outlines. First Drafts. Second through Sixth Drafts. You’re confident that you’ve got a solid story. That’s great. Now, the real fun begins.
Editing!
This is the technical part of the process. Yes, you would think that your writing software catches grammar and spelling mistakes 100% of the time, but it doesn’t. It also doesn’t catch when you’ve used the wrong word, put the wrong character name, or left a line in from one draft that now makes no sense in the context of the latest one.
I have two pieces of advice as you begin this process: Pace Yourself, and Avoid Skimming.
Pace Yourself
Take your time to explore and read each chapter thoroughly to catch as many errors as possible. Break the novel down into manageable chunks so you can go into each section with a clear head and focused mind. Find it and fix it. And, trust me, you’ll find stuff.
Avoid Skimming
An easy thing to do, especially if you know your story and novel, but skimming could mean a missed extra word, the wrong tense, incorrect word usage, or other issue goes unfixed. Read. Every. Word.
During this process, if you do feel something is missing and should be added, do so. Since you are reading the story so closely now, you may find that there’s a story problem or a set-up missing a pay-off that you missed. Fix it now.
I have also started to use the program Grammarly to assist with editing my manuscripts and writing. It’s been a great resource and help, but even it has missed one or two things. The trick is to implement as many tools as possible to weed out as many errors as possible.
Next week, we’ll delve into the world of Continuity. See you then!
I know from experience that once you get to the end of the manuscript, you can feel a sense of relief. You’re done. It’s over. Now you can go and binge-watch Pawn Stars. But, this is not the end of your manuscript’s journey. Far from it. So, let’s explore how best to proceed when getting ready for your manuscript’s adventure.
[Writer’s Note: When saving your manuscript files, always put the title and the revision date as the filename (Example: TheField_06102018). This will help when you start rewrites, and you can keep track of various drafts.]
1. Take a Month Off!
Now, you can binge-watch those shows you’ve been putting off. You’ve earned it for all your hard work. But there’s a reason behind this month: to give you distance from your material. It’s hard to be objective right out of the gate when you’ve worked so hard and for so long on something as massive as a novel manuscript. During this time, don’t open the file, and don’t retrieve it from a drawer if you’ve printed it out.
Leave. It. Alone.
This doesn’t mean you can’t THINK about the novel, and this is when your brain will start to work in mysterious ways. You’ll be on a walk, or watching TV, or reading, or in bed at 3AM, and all of a sudden, a new section of dialogue that links two sequences will pop into your head. A better sequencing of events, a better description of a character or location, even the idea that a chapter can be cut will all flow through your mind.
If you think of something during the time away, write it down. Have a legal pad, the notepad app on your phone, or a separate file on your computer available to write down any and all ideas, edits, additions, etc. that come to mind during this month away. You’re still creating, still working on the manuscript, but in a periphery way that allows you to think clearly about changes you might consider once you return to the manuscript.
Like it or not, that great draft you just wrote has a lot of problems, and your brain knows it and during this time will slowly begin to tell you what the issues are and ways to fix the problems. I know this from experience, and it’s 100% true that this phenomenon happens. “What if…” “Maybe I should…” “If I have them go right instead of left…”
If you think of it, write it down. Even if you look back at it later and go, “That was a dumb idea!” at least you won’t be mad at yourself for not writing it down.
Now that it’s been about a month…
2. Welcome Back!
You have your new set of ideas and notes. You have written down notes on revised chapters, character moments, and description. Now is the time to start fleshing those out – again separately from the manuscript – indicating at the top of each new section where it goes in the story (Example: [Dialogue right before the campfire scene]).
Write it all out in any way you feel is best. Then, once you have all the new content written, rearrange the sections in the order they will be added to the manuscript. Take a day or two away from these, see if anything else pops into your head (inevitably, it will), and then make any revisions you need to these new sections.
3. Time to Return to Your Manuscript
It’s been a while. You haven’t seen each other for a long time, but the feelings are still there. You’re a bit nervous - butterflies are fluttering in your stomach – as you begin to read the first chapter…and it’s not as good as you remember.
Don’t panic.
The good news is that you A) recognize that there’s an issue, and B) you can resolve the problem at this early stage of the editing/rewriting.
As you read, if you find section you don’t like and want to rewrite them, highlight them in BOLD, and keep reading. That way, when you come back to start the rewrite process, you know what areas to focus on.
I recommend doing this initial read over a series of days. If your manuscript is 300 pages, read through 30 to 40 pages a day. This is your opportunity to dig deeper into your story and see opportunities to fix issues. Read too much in one sitting, and you begin to gloss over things, and this exercise requires your full attention.
While you’re reading, you can now drop the new material into the areas of the story where it belongs, or you can indicate with brackets, ALL CAPS, and in bold where these new sections will go: [ADD NEW CAR CHASE ENDING HERE]. Sometimes, when I’ve noticed a chapter hits a dead end, I’ve added [MORE HERE] to indicate there’s an issue.
Now, you’ve read the whole manuscript. Let it sit for a week, then come back to it again.
4. Time for a Deep Dive
Only you know your story. What you want to say. How you want to tell the story. Who your characters are. It’s all in your head. And now is the time to really start focusing on these things and making sure the story you want to tell ends up on the page.
This can be a lengthy process but a rewarding one. As you begin the rewriting process, you are wearing two hats: WRITER and READER. Your story should be something you enjoy reading as much as you enjoyed writing it.
During this phase, take your time. Read each chapter closely. Does it convey information about the characters and story? Does the chapter move the story forward? At the end of the chapter, do I feel the need to keep reading? These are good indicators that your story is working, and it’s essential to take the time to make sure that every piece of the puzzle fits how you want it to.
Make sure to add in the new stuff you wrote during your month off if you still like it. Some you may decide you don’t need, or what you wrote doesn’t work with the new direction you’re taking the chapter. That’s fine. Your goal here is to do what’s best for the story.
As you rewrite, you will feel compelled to rewrite entire sections, revise dialogue, and maybe even cut sections or chapters entirely. Maybe there’s a character who’s just there with no purpose. Time for them to go.
These are all positive things for your story and your manuscript. You are taking steps to make your story better, have more clarity, and flow smoother. All good things.
Again, take the time to work things through. This could take a month, three months, six months. Whatever is needed to get the story to be exactly how you want it to be.
If you finish and want to take another pass, take a week off and start again.
5. Remember, Writing a Novel is a Marathon, Editing is Exploratory Nature Hike
Outlines. First Drafts. Second through Sixth Drafts. You’re confident that you’ve got a solid story. That’s great. Now, the real fun begins.
Editing!
This is the technical part of the process. Yes, you would think that your writing software catches grammar and spelling mistakes 100% of the time, but it doesn’t. It also doesn’t catch when you’ve used the wrong word, put the wrong character name, or left a line in from one draft that now makes no sense in the context of the latest one.
I have two pieces of advice as you begin this process: Pace Yourself, and Avoid Skimming.
Pace Yourself
Take your time to explore and read each chapter thoroughly to catch as many errors as possible. Break the novel down into manageable chunks so you can go into each section with a clear head and focused mind. Find it and fix it. And, trust me, you’ll find stuff.
Avoid Skimming
An easy thing to do, especially if you know your story and novel, but skimming could mean a missed extra word, the wrong tense, incorrect word usage, or other issue goes unfixed. Read. Every. Word.
During this process, if you do feel something is missing and should be added, do so. Since you are reading the story so closely now, you may find that there’s a story problem or a set-up missing a pay-off that you missed. Fix it now.
I have also started to use the program Grammarly to assist with editing my manuscripts and writing. It’s been a great resource and help, but even it has missed one or two things. The trick is to implement as many tools as possible to weed out as many errors as possible.
Next week, we’ll delve into the world of Continuity. See you then!
Staying Creative and Focused When Everything Seems Crazy
It’s been over eight months since the Coronavirus pandemic shut down businesses and schools, locked down communities, and created a culture of wearing masks, caused us to use hand sanitizer everywhere, and made us wary of being close to anyone we don’t know. Add to that protests for social change, a crazy political climate, and financial uncertainty for millions, and the very thought of sitting down to write and be creative can be off-putting to some.
While I understand that the world has its ebbs and flows of chaotic news and events, as writers, artists, musicians, and other creatives, we have an obligation to ourselves and our own mental health to continue to indulge in the creative process. Through our art, we can help ourselves and others make sense of the world, understand our emotions and feelings, and get our thoughts out in a tangible form.
It can also allow you the opportunity to escape the negativity of the world for an hour or two, to embrace an activity that provides a sense of normalcy in a world that keeps throwing pessimism at you 24/7. Like you, I get overwhelmed with the news, the images, the statistics, and the political noise, which is why I’m happy to share some of what I do to keep the world out and keep my sanity and creativity in play.
Unplug
This has become a ritual for me on Saturdays. I turn off my phone, put it out of view, and either read, write, or do something that doesn’t involve continually scrolling my newsfeed or social media. It seems like a crazy idea at first since we all seem to be glued to our devices, but it can be mentally refreshing to distance yourself from your phone and not have the constant beeps and chimes of alerts attacking your brain every few seconds.
Even if you can only sit down and write, read a book, or even binge-watch a couple of episodes of something uninterrupted for an hour (not the news) or two, you will find that a lot of the noise in your mind will dissipate. You quite possibly will feel a bit calmer thanks to your phone being off and away.
Remember, even if you turn off your phone for a few hours to write or do something else, it’s not like the chaos will go anywhere.
If you have a family and they all have phones, plan a few hours each weekend to do things without phones and other devices. Connecting with people and not screens is a challenge these days for sure, but it’s a welcome respite from the constant barrage of news, politics, and pandemics.
Create a Creative Space
Maybe you’re not ready to sit down and write or create at the moment. That’s fine. Unplugging can benefit you no matter what you do with the time away from your phone. However, if you are looking for an escape to a creative place, I recommend creating a space for you to work and be creative in your home or apartment.
It doesn’t have to be big, just a place where you can go and sit with a laptop, a pad and paper – or, if you’re really old school, a typewriter – and write for an hour or two. This should be a space void of your phone, social media, and the internet (yes, you can turn it off on your laptop or desktop), especially the news.
In this space, you are the boss. You make the rules. And you are there for one job: to create.
So, I have a studio apartment, but I have a space where I keep my laptop and a VARIDESK to stand if I feel like it. I have a comfy chair, as well. I have a legal pad and pen to jot down questions to look up later online, and a bottle of water. That’s it. Everything in the space is geared toward writing and creating with as few distractions as possible.
Now, once you’ve created your space, choose a time that best suits your schedule. If you have young kids, this might be in the evening once they’ve gone to bed, but the key is to enter the creative space and make the time to create. I write best at night, so I usually work for a couple of hours in the evening as often as possible.
Use Music/White Noise to Stay Focused
I just started doing this this past year and have found that it really helps me stay focused when I’m reading or writing. There are many, many ambient noise choices available on YouTube, but devices like Alexa also provide a library of ambient noises as well (and yes, if you want to use the ambient noises found on YouTube, you can leave the Wi-Fi on on your computer, but do your best not to go down the dreaded YouTube rabbit hole and become distracted).
Personally, I prefer listening to a thunderstorm or snowstorm, but there are hundreds of these ambient noise videos to choose from that you can have on in the background as you write. Most of these videos range from one hour in length to ten hours, and the ones I have used don’t have ads that blare to life in the middle of the video. I highly recommend headphones or earbuds to help immerse yourself and block out any external noises.
Music is also a great choice, but make sure what you choose isn’t distracting. It should be music that helps you focus on your creativity and not pull you out of it. Music can also be a great way to set the tone or mood for what you will be writing.
Consider Your Time Writing as an Escape for Your Own Mental Health
Being creative is not a selfish act. It is a way to refresh yourself and your mind. We use films, TV, and books to escape reality, so being creative should be seen as another form of healthy escapism.
As a writer and artist, you form new worlds, new characters, new stories, and new relationships. You can’t control the world around you, but you can – even for an hour – be the creator of your own worlds and give the real world a timeout.
Stay Positive. Enjoy the Time Creating
Even though 2020 hasn’t been a great year for most of us, we have to remember to stay positive. It is the arts that have sustained societies for generations through song, dance, painting, sculpting, the written word, theater, film, and TV. Humans who love to create and have a passion for creating must take the time to create.
You must give yourself permission to enjoy the time when you are writing and creating. It’s a welcome respite from the chaos that has enveloped us this year. You can’t let doom and gloom consume you. It’s no way to live, it’s not a healthy way to think, and it can be detrimental to the creative process.
There’s an exercise I once read about for people who overthink when they are trying to sleep. They are to keep and pad and pen by their bed, then write down what is keeping them up, and that is supposed to help them sleep better, knowing they can now save that worry for the next day. In the spirit of that exercise, if you feel the world creeping into your creative space, keep a pad and pen handy and jot that item down. Then if you want to think about it later, it’s written down for you to think about once you’re down writing or creating.
Finally, If You Still Have Anxiety or Anger About What’s Going on In the World…
Write about it. Get your thoughts, your emotions, your solutions down on paper or on your computer screen. Venting about the world is okay. It’s a healthy way to process what you are feeling, and you should take the time (maybe the first ten minutes of your creative time, if needed) to get these thoughts out.
You could also practice journaling as a way to express these thoughts and ideas.
I’m human, just like you. I see things on the news or read about events in the U.S. or around that world that upset me, anger me, and sadden me. But as I said before, you can’t allow those negative emotions to consume you, especially if you need to write and create. If you can channel those feelings into what you’re writing, do it. Just don’t let the world creep in and prevent you from being creative.
I hope you found these tips insightful and helpful. If you have other tips about how you have stayed positive and focused on creativity during 2020, please leave a comment.
While I understand that the world has its ebbs and flows of chaotic news and events, as writers, artists, musicians, and other creatives, we have an obligation to ourselves and our own mental health to continue to indulge in the creative process. Through our art, we can help ourselves and others make sense of the world, understand our emotions and feelings, and get our thoughts out in a tangible form.
It can also allow you the opportunity to escape the negativity of the world for an hour or two, to embrace an activity that provides a sense of normalcy in a world that keeps throwing pessimism at you 24/7. Like you, I get overwhelmed with the news, the images, the statistics, and the political noise, which is why I’m happy to share some of what I do to keep the world out and keep my sanity and creativity in play.
Unplug
This has become a ritual for me on Saturdays. I turn off my phone, put it out of view, and either read, write, or do something that doesn’t involve continually scrolling my newsfeed or social media. It seems like a crazy idea at first since we all seem to be glued to our devices, but it can be mentally refreshing to distance yourself from your phone and not have the constant beeps and chimes of alerts attacking your brain every few seconds.
Even if you can only sit down and write, read a book, or even binge-watch a couple of episodes of something uninterrupted for an hour (not the news) or two, you will find that a lot of the noise in your mind will dissipate. You quite possibly will feel a bit calmer thanks to your phone being off and away.
Remember, even if you turn off your phone for a few hours to write or do something else, it’s not like the chaos will go anywhere.
If you have a family and they all have phones, plan a few hours each weekend to do things without phones and other devices. Connecting with people and not screens is a challenge these days for sure, but it’s a welcome respite from the constant barrage of news, politics, and pandemics.
Create a Creative Space
Maybe you’re not ready to sit down and write or create at the moment. That’s fine. Unplugging can benefit you no matter what you do with the time away from your phone. However, if you are looking for an escape to a creative place, I recommend creating a space for you to work and be creative in your home or apartment.
It doesn’t have to be big, just a place where you can go and sit with a laptop, a pad and paper – or, if you’re really old school, a typewriter – and write for an hour or two. This should be a space void of your phone, social media, and the internet (yes, you can turn it off on your laptop or desktop), especially the news.
In this space, you are the boss. You make the rules. And you are there for one job: to create.
So, I have a studio apartment, but I have a space where I keep my laptop and a VARIDESK to stand if I feel like it. I have a comfy chair, as well. I have a legal pad and pen to jot down questions to look up later online, and a bottle of water. That’s it. Everything in the space is geared toward writing and creating with as few distractions as possible.
Now, once you’ve created your space, choose a time that best suits your schedule. If you have young kids, this might be in the evening once they’ve gone to bed, but the key is to enter the creative space and make the time to create. I write best at night, so I usually work for a couple of hours in the evening as often as possible.
Use Music/White Noise to Stay Focused
I just started doing this this past year and have found that it really helps me stay focused when I’m reading or writing. There are many, many ambient noise choices available on YouTube, but devices like Alexa also provide a library of ambient noises as well (and yes, if you want to use the ambient noises found on YouTube, you can leave the Wi-Fi on on your computer, but do your best not to go down the dreaded YouTube rabbit hole and become distracted).
Personally, I prefer listening to a thunderstorm or snowstorm, but there are hundreds of these ambient noise videos to choose from that you can have on in the background as you write. Most of these videos range from one hour in length to ten hours, and the ones I have used don’t have ads that blare to life in the middle of the video. I highly recommend headphones or earbuds to help immerse yourself and block out any external noises.
Music is also a great choice, but make sure what you choose isn’t distracting. It should be music that helps you focus on your creativity and not pull you out of it. Music can also be a great way to set the tone or mood for what you will be writing.
Consider Your Time Writing as an Escape for Your Own Mental Health
Being creative is not a selfish act. It is a way to refresh yourself and your mind. We use films, TV, and books to escape reality, so being creative should be seen as another form of healthy escapism.
As a writer and artist, you form new worlds, new characters, new stories, and new relationships. You can’t control the world around you, but you can – even for an hour – be the creator of your own worlds and give the real world a timeout.
Stay Positive. Enjoy the Time Creating
Even though 2020 hasn’t been a great year for most of us, we have to remember to stay positive. It is the arts that have sustained societies for generations through song, dance, painting, sculpting, the written word, theater, film, and TV. Humans who love to create and have a passion for creating must take the time to create.
You must give yourself permission to enjoy the time when you are writing and creating. It’s a welcome respite from the chaos that has enveloped us this year. You can’t let doom and gloom consume you. It’s no way to live, it’s not a healthy way to think, and it can be detrimental to the creative process.
There’s an exercise I once read about for people who overthink when they are trying to sleep. They are to keep and pad and pen by their bed, then write down what is keeping them up, and that is supposed to help them sleep better, knowing they can now save that worry for the next day. In the spirit of that exercise, if you feel the world creeping into your creative space, keep a pad and pen handy and jot that item down. Then if you want to think about it later, it’s written down for you to think about once you’re down writing or creating.
Finally, If You Still Have Anxiety or Anger About What’s Going on In the World…
Write about it. Get your thoughts, your emotions, your solutions down on paper or on your computer screen. Venting about the world is okay. It’s a healthy way to process what you are feeling, and you should take the time (maybe the first ten minutes of your creative time, if needed) to get these thoughts out.
You could also practice journaling as a way to express these thoughts and ideas.
I’m human, just like you. I see things on the news or read about events in the U.S. or around that world that upset me, anger me, and sadden me. But as I said before, you can’t allow those negative emotions to consume you, especially if you need to write and create. If you can channel those feelings into what you’re writing, do it. Just don’t let the world creep in and prevent you from being creative.
I hope you found these tips insightful and helpful. If you have other tips about how you have stayed positive and focused on creativity during 2020, please leave a comment.
April 16, 2020
Last Day to Vote for The Field in the TaleFlick Discovery Contest!
One day left! VOTE NOW for The Field by Ian Dawson on http://taleflick.com/pages/discovery
