Arthur Gibson's Blog: A Journey In Mind, page 8
February 26, 2011
Book Trailer
Not a lot to blog about today as my mind is full of technical woes. Attempting to craft a book trailer. Having no luck. No program I have works really well. Everything looks like a 2yr old did it, lol. I thought it would be fairly easy, but it is not. Bah.
February 25, 2011
Format Bending
Rules are around for a reason. So are traditions. Traditional formatting, accepted punctuation, these are good things. They help to create a standard by which we can communicate and present our ideas. But sometimes rules are broken. Sometimes traditions just don't make it. Sometimes we need to paint outside the lines.
When the standards are altered it usually makes a good impact. Because it is different it is noticed. Unfortunately, editing programs and word processing tools are built around rules and standards. Whenever we choose to do something unusual or out of the ordinary these programs and tools become useless.
While I approve of being different, especially to achieve an effect, it is noteable that when we do this we are almost entirely on our own. Persevere. Be an individual. It is worth it in the end.
When the standards are altered it usually makes a good impact. Because it is different it is noticed. Unfortunately, editing programs and word processing tools are built around rules and standards. Whenever we choose to do something unusual or out of the ordinary these programs and tools become useless.
While I approve of being different, especially to achieve an effect, it is noteable that when we do this we are almost entirely on our own. Persevere. Be an individual. It is worth it in the end.
February 24, 2011
What Made You Start?
A lot of people talk about the romance of the idea of being a writer. A very Hemmingwayish world traveller who writes their stories and wows the world. Or someone who sits alone and writes their tales in annonymity. Or to take the world by storm and become an overnight sensation. But what started the dream? What began the journey for you?
For myself, it was a teacher who read to us in grade 6. it wasn't the reading itself. But one day she was reading a short story about someone who was hiking up a mountain. At the halfway point this hiker stopped. They sat on a rock for a breather. And they pulled out their canteen. The author then went into a lot of description about the orange juice and the canteen. The beads of moisture. The taste. The refreshment. The savoring of it.
I was thirsty immediately. I wanted orange juice. Not just any orange juice. THAT orange juice. The kind that tasted that good and refreshed that much. It was a need. Of course, I did not have it. I was in the middle of class. But it was a powerful desire. If words, just words, could do that to people I wanted in. I wanted my words to affect people. I wanted to make them desire things and feel things.
I still search for that orange juice. With every new brand I see and every hot day I encounter I hope that the next time I take a sip it will be that good. I have no idea if I will ever reach the goal, but I love that words are what started it. I write and will continue to write with the hope that I can make my readers feel something with my own. (I am trying not to start any quests for food, however)
For myself, it was a teacher who read to us in grade 6. it wasn't the reading itself. But one day she was reading a short story about someone who was hiking up a mountain. At the halfway point this hiker stopped. They sat on a rock for a breather. And they pulled out their canteen. The author then went into a lot of description about the orange juice and the canteen. The beads of moisture. The taste. The refreshment. The savoring of it.
I was thirsty immediately. I wanted orange juice. Not just any orange juice. THAT orange juice. The kind that tasted that good and refreshed that much. It was a need. Of course, I did not have it. I was in the middle of class. But it was a powerful desire. If words, just words, could do that to people I wanted in. I wanted my words to affect people. I wanted to make them desire things and feel things.
I still search for that orange juice. With every new brand I see and every hot day I encounter I hope that the next time I take a sip it will be that good. I have no idea if I will ever reach the goal, but I love that words are what started it. I write and will continue to write with the hope that I can make my readers feel something with my own. (I am trying not to start any quests for food, however)
February 22, 2011
Trust In You
You had an idea. You knew it needed to be made into a story. You are making it or have made it and are editing it. Along the way a lot of decisions need to be made about style, character, length, etc. Some scenes might get eliminated. Some might need to be added. It is a journey. Throughout this journey you need to trust in yourself.
You had a vision. An idea. Something that you wanted to make. This is the blueprint that you need to refer to throughout this process. Every decision you make needs to make this vision better. The people that work with you (editors, etc) also need to keep this vision in mind-and the best ones do. Everything is about making your story the best it can be.
Sometimes when we live with a story for a long time we can lose sight of that. We start seeing all the errors and issues instead of the good things. We see the individual trees but we no longer view them as a forest. It is a hard thing to do, but take a step back and breathe. Look at it with new eyes. You had an idea. It was worth a story. Don't lose sight of that. Trust in your idea. Make it as good as it can be. Remember, you did think it was a good idea. Write it well and others will think so too.
You had a vision. An idea. Something that you wanted to make. This is the blueprint that you need to refer to throughout this process. Every decision you make needs to make this vision better. The people that work with you (editors, etc) also need to keep this vision in mind-and the best ones do. Everything is about making your story the best it can be.
Sometimes when we live with a story for a long time we can lose sight of that. We start seeing all the errors and issues instead of the good things. We see the individual trees but we no longer view them as a forest. It is a hard thing to do, but take a step back and breathe. Look at it with new eyes. You had an idea. It was worth a story. Don't lose sight of that. Trust in your idea. Make it as good as it can be. Remember, you did think it was a good idea. Write it well and others will think so too.
February 17, 2011
Fads
Do not write to fads. Write what you write. Do it well. Writing to fads produces poor product.
We read a series that we like. We think it is great. We think we can do that. We love the genre. We write a story. That can produce good writing. But if we sit down and think what will be published or what will sell, then we are on the wrong track.
Every writer wants to be published. They want to sell their books. They want people to read them. But good stories come from good ideas. Good stories do not come from the knowledge that spy novels are selling right now or that paranormal detectives are a hot market trend. That leads to cobbled together crap.
Write that idea that has been simmering inside you. Write that story that you want to read. It will find its niche. You will be able to build an audience that likes your writing. That will buy your next story because they like your writing. You do not want to build an audience that will not buy your work the first time you try something different.
We read a series that we like. We think it is great. We think we can do that. We love the genre. We write a story. That can produce good writing. But if we sit down and think what will be published or what will sell, then we are on the wrong track.
Every writer wants to be published. They want to sell their books. They want people to read them. But good stories come from good ideas. Good stories do not come from the knowledge that spy novels are selling right now or that paranormal detectives are a hot market trend. That leads to cobbled together crap.
Write that idea that has been simmering inside you. Write that story that you want to read. It will find its niche. You will be able to build an audience that likes your writing. That will buy your next story because they like your writing. You do not want to build an audience that will not buy your work the first time you try something different.
February 16, 2011
Damn Keyboard
I apologize. No full blog today. I have just written one, but was getting over excited I guess. Some weird key stroke combo closed my window and I have lost the post. Totally. Not even a backup. Bah. I am in need of heading off now and cannot duplicate it. I will do so tonight and post it asap. Sorry.
February 15, 2011
I Wish I Had Written That
What is the worst thing any author can do? Sit down to write a book someone else has already written. Seem silly? So many writers do this.
You have spent several evenings reading your new book purchase. It was gripping, exciting, and hard to put down. Maybe you devoured it in 6 hours. Maybe it took weeks. Regardless of time you loved it. You write. Why didn't you write it? Why didn't you think of that idea? It is so simple. You know, you could write that. In fact you will. And you go to your desk and write a copy of what you have already read. The characters, setting, and plot are all slightly different, but it is essentially the same story. And anyone who reads the two of them will know it.
Common mistake. It is chasing after ghosts. I spend my life reading great books and seeing great films and thinking to myself "I wish I could write like that". But it is death to copy. Do not do it. Imitation in that way is not the sincerest form of flattery. It is more like intellectual plagiarism. Granting that there is nothing new under the sun and that everything we see/read/watch becomes a part of our psyche to flow out from our pens, individualism is a great thing to strive for.
What is it that attracted you to that story? The great characters? The rich setting? The action? The romance? Look at the story's elements. The different ingredients that made it great. What do you write well from that pool? Work on your strengths and write them and you will have a story with the same feel but totally different from the original.
The Hobbit is a classic. At it's core it is a quest, a series of misadventures interrupting that quest, human nature (greed) showing its dark side and almost spoiling the point of the quest, and finally good triumphing over evil restoring peace. I can think of a dozen novels that share those themes. And each one is different. But they are all in the same group of feeling even when they are in totally opposite genres.
We love to experience certain types of stories. Figure out why and write to your strengths within those whys and you will have done it. Created a unique story with the same feeling. You'll be able to say I DID write that.
You have spent several evenings reading your new book purchase. It was gripping, exciting, and hard to put down. Maybe you devoured it in 6 hours. Maybe it took weeks. Regardless of time you loved it. You write. Why didn't you write it? Why didn't you think of that idea? It is so simple. You know, you could write that. In fact you will. And you go to your desk and write a copy of what you have already read. The characters, setting, and plot are all slightly different, but it is essentially the same story. And anyone who reads the two of them will know it.
Common mistake. It is chasing after ghosts. I spend my life reading great books and seeing great films and thinking to myself "I wish I could write like that". But it is death to copy. Do not do it. Imitation in that way is not the sincerest form of flattery. It is more like intellectual plagiarism. Granting that there is nothing new under the sun and that everything we see/read/watch becomes a part of our psyche to flow out from our pens, individualism is a great thing to strive for.
What is it that attracted you to that story? The great characters? The rich setting? The action? The romance? Look at the story's elements. The different ingredients that made it great. What do you write well from that pool? Work on your strengths and write them and you will have a story with the same feel but totally different from the original.
The Hobbit is a classic. At it's core it is a quest, a series of misadventures interrupting that quest, human nature (greed) showing its dark side and almost spoiling the point of the quest, and finally good triumphing over evil restoring peace. I can think of a dozen novels that share those themes. And each one is different. But they are all in the same group of feeling even when they are in totally opposite genres.
We love to experience certain types of stories. Figure out why and write to your strengths within those whys and you will have done it. Created a unique story with the same feeling. You'll be able to say I DID write that.
February 14, 2011
Corrections
Corrections happen. There are times that we make changes. Sometimes these are small changes. Other times, these changes affect us dramatically. There are times that corrections alter things throughout the story.
From name changes to personality changes to alterations in locations can lead to revisions of a manuscript. Of course it is easier to make these decisions at the beginning. But there are times that things do not work as you are writing them. There are times that changes need to be made so that the story `works`.
In film there is a person on staff whose only job is to maintain consistency. If a glass is half-empty in scene 7, it needs to be half-empty at the beginning of scene 8. There are enourmous amounts of errors that are caught with all the cuts and changes in the shooting of a film. With hard work, there have been some amazing things done with consistency.
In the film The Guns of Navarone, actor Anthony Quinn wanted to do something different. He wanted to illustrate the hardships of his character by having a costume breakdown. He wore a bright red undershirt. From the beginning of the film to the end more and more of the undershirt gets revealed as the outerwear endures the action of the film. In the end it is fully revealed. This might not seem like much. But consider that films are not shot in sequence. Mr Quinn had to figure out where in the context of the film the scene being filmed would end up and show the appropriate amount of shirt. It must have been hard, but he succeeds spectacularly.
In writing, there are two people whose job it is to maintain consistency. The author is first. Every effort needs to be made to frame your writing within the big picture so that you can be consistent. Not hard. But when corrections and changes get made, this can alter things previously written. That is when it can get interesting. Thank heaven there is also the editor. A person unbiased by not being involved in the writing process. A person who will point out all sorts of things that are different. It makes for work, but it is so worth it.
Remember when you decide your femme fatale is a blonde she was brunette in Chapter 3. Remember when you decide your hero is a clutz he was dancing with flair in Chapter 9. Make a note of your changes and re-read your work so you can correct for the new detail you have added. Making changes and corrections is part of the creative process. Make notes as you do it and you will save work later.
And buy your editor flowers as a thank you. They deserve it.
From name changes to personality changes to alterations in locations can lead to revisions of a manuscript. Of course it is easier to make these decisions at the beginning. But there are times that things do not work as you are writing them. There are times that changes need to be made so that the story `works`.
In film there is a person on staff whose only job is to maintain consistency. If a glass is half-empty in scene 7, it needs to be half-empty at the beginning of scene 8. There are enourmous amounts of errors that are caught with all the cuts and changes in the shooting of a film. With hard work, there have been some amazing things done with consistency.
In the film The Guns of Navarone, actor Anthony Quinn wanted to do something different. He wanted to illustrate the hardships of his character by having a costume breakdown. He wore a bright red undershirt. From the beginning of the film to the end more and more of the undershirt gets revealed as the outerwear endures the action of the film. In the end it is fully revealed. This might not seem like much. But consider that films are not shot in sequence. Mr Quinn had to figure out where in the context of the film the scene being filmed would end up and show the appropriate amount of shirt. It must have been hard, but he succeeds spectacularly.
In writing, there are two people whose job it is to maintain consistency. The author is first. Every effort needs to be made to frame your writing within the big picture so that you can be consistent. Not hard. But when corrections and changes get made, this can alter things previously written. That is when it can get interesting. Thank heaven there is also the editor. A person unbiased by not being involved in the writing process. A person who will point out all sorts of things that are different. It makes for work, but it is so worth it.
Remember when you decide your femme fatale is a blonde she was brunette in Chapter 3. Remember when you decide your hero is a clutz he was dancing with flair in Chapter 9. Make a note of your changes and re-read your work so you can correct for the new detail you have added. Making changes and corrections is part of the creative process. Make notes as you do it and you will save work later.
And buy your editor flowers as a thank you. They deserve it.
February 13, 2011
Foreshadowing
An author once said that if you describe the rifle above the mantle in great detail you had better use it before the end of the story. Foreshadowing can be a great tool. It can also be a great source of disappointment to your readers.
Readers expect things that are described in great detail to be relevant. They are easily left feeling cheated if you describe something in detail and never make use of it. It is like a teacher taking three classes to discuss the depression and then quizzing you on the civil war. If you make it a focus, you should use it.
The point of foreshadowing is to create a theme. You focus and describe things that compliment the book, that build suspense, and that lead your reader to the climax. Done well, they will not always guess what is occurring. But afterward they will be able to see it. The best literature is more interesting the second time you read it. For a more visual idea watch the film The Usual Suspects. Several scenes take on a completely different feel when you watch it the second time.
Misdirection. I love that word. It is a tool of mystery writers everywhere. Without it, the question of "who done it" would never need to be asked. Misdirection is using foreshadowing with a delicate touch. Basically, you need to draw attention to things that will spark the readers imagination. Things that will make them think that "A" is happening when really "B" is taking place. It is a fine line to walk. It is a hard tool to master. But all the best mystery authors have the knack.
Describe your world in detail and make them alive. Describe your plot points. Misdirect. Explain. Make things interesting. As you go, foreshadow events and create a theme for your story. Make it come alive.
Readers expect things that are described in great detail to be relevant. They are easily left feeling cheated if you describe something in detail and never make use of it. It is like a teacher taking three classes to discuss the depression and then quizzing you on the civil war. If you make it a focus, you should use it.
The point of foreshadowing is to create a theme. You focus and describe things that compliment the book, that build suspense, and that lead your reader to the climax. Done well, they will not always guess what is occurring. But afterward they will be able to see it. The best literature is more interesting the second time you read it. For a more visual idea watch the film The Usual Suspects. Several scenes take on a completely different feel when you watch it the second time.
Misdirection. I love that word. It is a tool of mystery writers everywhere. Without it, the question of "who done it" would never need to be asked. Misdirection is using foreshadowing with a delicate touch. Basically, you need to draw attention to things that will spark the readers imagination. Things that will make them think that "A" is happening when really "B" is taking place. It is a fine line to walk. It is a hard tool to master. But all the best mystery authors have the knack.
Describe your world in detail and make them alive. Describe your plot points. Misdirect. Explain. Make things interesting. As you go, foreshadow events and create a theme for your story. Make it come alive.
February 12, 2011
Plurals
I do not understand why so many people add "s" to words to pluralize them. Especially when dealing with products. Much like the word "moose" many products do not have a plural. For example "Lego" is a word for a product. It is valid for any amount of that product that is being dealt with. A Lego set is the same as playing with Lego or sorting your Lego. You do not need to add an "s". Don't ask me why it bugs me, it just does.
A Journey In Mind
Thoughts, feelings, and discussions on writing, publishing, creative solutions to issues, and generally anything else that might come up along the way.
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