Gabe Redel's Blog: FRYING POTATOES BLOG, page 10
October 25, 2012
Beautiful Stories, Practice!
One of my favorite writing exercises is something I like to call "discovery writing." If I hadn't sat down one day and decided to write those discovery pieces, I definitely wouldn't be the writer that I am today.
What I did was decide that I needed to practice writing. And to practice, I didn't want to set out to write a formal piece of writing, such as a short story, a poem, or biography or anything like that, because that would make me think too hard. My goal was to get my brain kick-started like a mini-bike. My goal was to develop my instinctual skills as an artist. In other words, athletes don't get better at playing a sport by playing only the games. They accomplish the most growth during the long hours of practice they do each week.
Not only that, but practice gives us the opportunity to work on things that we are bad at. Taking a look at the areas that we need to improve the most is one of the most valuable things we can do as skilled writers. Because, when we know our own weaknesses, we then have the information we need to turn those weaknesses into strengths.
All I did to do my own practicing was sit down in front of a blank page and begin to write about the first thing that came to my mind. You see, I needed to get better at turning my thoughts into clear language.
Often, my discovery pieces would begin looking like a journal entry. I would simply tell myself about all the things that I cared about within the last few days.
The first few discovery pieces I wrote were rather pitiful. They didn't read well and they weren't interesting. Because, again, my goal was to practice at what I was not good at. I wanted to strengthen my mind to develop a flow or a stream of conscious to my words in a way that was natural, in a way that was trained and would, in all hopes, become second nature to me.
As I got into later discoveries, they began to get really good. I was taking the real stories of my life and adding attitude, conclusions, and greater meaning to the story at large. I was beginning to not only train my mind to continue a thought and turn it into clear language, but I was also training it to put the puzzle pieces of life together for me. I began to learn about myself. I began to learn about the people around me, learn about what made them tick, why they did or said certain things, why, in the greater scheme of life, I could use their experiences to learn and grow from in my own personal way.
And as a result, my writing got better and better. And by writing, I mean my "real" work where I set out to get something sold.
The more interesting my practice writing became, the more interesting my real writing became. And here's why: Not only did I learn how to use the English language better, but I also learned how to take my real life situations and draw out of them what mattered most. I learned how to take my own thoughts and feelings and make sense out of them in a way that I could put on paper.
So, I applied that to my real writing. I was able to take my fiction, develop a beautiful flow to my prose, and draw out of each thought in mind what mattered most in a way that was completely natural, trained, and instinctual.
And because my prose became instinctual, I no longer had to stop and think about where to take a thought or how to put a thought into words. It freed my mind up to explore my own imagination as I wrote in a completely unhindered way.
What I did was decide that I needed to practice writing. And to practice, I didn't want to set out to write a formal piece of writing, such as a short story, a poem, or biography or anything like that, because that would make me think too hard. My goal was to get my brain kick-started like a mini-bike. My goal was to develop my instinctual skills as an artist. In other words, athletes don't get better at playing a sport by playing only the games. They accomplish the most growth during the long hours of practice they do each week.
Not only that, but practice gives us the opportunity to work on things that we are bad at. Taking a look at the areas that we need to improve the most is one of the most valuable things we can do as skilled writers. Because, when we know our own weaknesses, we then have the information we need to turn those weaknesses into strengths.
All I did to do my own practicing was sit down in front of a blank page and begin to write about the first thing that came to my mind. You see, I needed to get better at turning my thoughts into clear language.
Often, my discovery pieces would begin looking like a journal entry. I would simply tell myself about all the things that I cared about within the last few days.
The first few discovery pieces I wrote were rather pitiful. They didn't read well and they weren't interesting. Because, again, my goal was to practice at what I was not good at. I wanted to strengthen my mind to develop a flow or a stream of conscious to my words in a way that was natural, in a way that was trained and would, in all hopes, become second nature to me.
As I got into later discoveries, they began to get really good. I was taking the real stories of my life and adding attitude, conclusions, and greater meaning to the story at large. I was beginning to not only train my mind to continue a thought and turn it into clear language, but I was also training it to put the puzzle pieces of life together for me. I began to learn about myself. I began to learn about the people around me, learn about what made them tick, why they did or said certain things, why, in the greater scheme of life, I could use their experiences to learn and grow from in my own personal way.
And as a result, my writing got better and better. And by writing, I mean my "real" work where I set out to get something sold.
The more interesting my practice writing became, the more interesting my real writing became. And here's why: Not only did I learn how to use the English language better, but I also learned how to take my real life situations and draw out of them what mattered most. I learned how to take my own thoughts and feelings and make sense out of them in a way that I could put on paper.
So, I applied that to my real writing. I was able to take my fiction, develop a beautiful flow to my prose, and draw out of each thought in mind what mattered most in a way that was completely natural, trained, and instinctual.
And because my prose became instinctual, I no longer had to stop and think about where to take a thought or how to put a thought into words. It freed my mind up to explore my own imagination as I wrote in a completely unhindered way.
September 26, 2012
Haunted House or Doll House: How Setting Defines a Story
It's good to know what's in your setting. And, then again, sometimes it isn't good to know what's in your setting.
In a story that is driven mainly by the plot, the setting could be the most important part of the story.
Think about this: In a mystery, a detective is trying to find the murder weapon. He knows that the murder took place in the bedroom, but he doesn't know how. Was it the broken mirror? Was it the pillows by suffocation? Was it the candlestick? The only thing the detective knows for sure is that it wasn't the kitchen chair.
Think about this: In an action adventure story, the explorer needs to find a way to get to the middle of the Amazon Forest. If he or she starts out in New York City, then it probably wouldn't be much for him to get on a plane from JFK and fly down to Brazil. But if he is on a ship in the middle of the ocean---one that's about to be attacked by warbirds---then that might make it a little more difficult, perhaps a little more interesting as well.
Think about this: In a sci-fi/fantasy story, the hero needs to find a way off of the alien planet that he or she is on. So, what kind of planet should we put her on? If the planet is well inhibited, then she could probably get on a spaceship at the nearest airport and fly away. If the planet is barren, then she may need to look for help by sending out a distress signal. If the planet has low gravity and strange erupting geysers, then she may want to build a raft and let one of the geysers shoot her off the planet.
Depending upon what you---the writer---puts in the setting will determine what type of story you will write. A character trying to get off a barren planet will be a story of struggle and isolation. A character trying to get off a modern, well advanced planet could take on a variety of shapes. A character trying to get off a planet with strange environmental phenomenons could be a story about discovery and science.
I started out this blog saying that either knowing or not knowing what is in your story's environment could either be helpful or hurtful. Sometimes it is good to keep the setting vague at first. That way, when an idea strikes you in the middle of your writing, you can add an item into your setting that will help propel the story forward. But if you define your setting immediately, then there will be no room for creativity later down the road. However, it is important that the setting is complete. So, a good strategy for creating a setting is to give it general guidelines to start. Say that it is a forest or a big ship or a barren planet, but don't give exact details until you know for sure what you want to put in it.
In a story that is driven mainly by the plot, the setting could be the most important part of the story.
Think about this: In a mystery, a detective is trying to find the murder weapon. He knows that the murder took place in the bedroom, but he doesn't know how. Was it the broken mirror? Was it the pillows by suffocation? Was it the candlestick? The only thing the detective knows for sure is that it wasn't the kitchen chair.
Think about this: In an action adventure story, the explorer needs to find a way to get to the middle of the Amazon Forest. If he or she starts out in New York City, then it probably wouldn't be much for him to get on a plane from JFK and fly down to Brazil. But if he is on a ship in the middle of the ocean---one that's about to be attacked by warbirds---then that might make it a little more difficult, perhaps a little more interesting as well.
Think about this: In a sci-fi/fantasy story, the hero needs to find a way off of the alien planet that he or she is on. So, what kind of planet should we put her on? If the planet is well inhibited, then she could probably get on a spaceship at the nearest airport and fly away. If the planet is barren, then she may need to look for help by sending out a distress signal. If the planet has low gravity and strange erupting geysers, then she may want to build a raft and let one of the geysers shoot her off the planet.
Depending upon what you---the writer---puts in the setting will determine what type of story you will write. A character trying to get off a barren planet will be a story of struggle and isolation. A character trying to get off a modern, well advanced planet could take on a variety of shapes. A character trying to get off a planet with strange environmental phenomenons could be a story about discovery and science.
I started out this blog saying that either knowing or not knowing what is in your story's environment could either be helpful or hurtful. Sometimes it is good to keep the setting vague at first. That way, when an idea strikes you in the middle of your writing, you can add an item into your setting that will help propel the story forward. But if you define your setting immediately, then there will be no room for creativity later down the road. However, it is important that the setting is complete. So, a good strategy for creating a setting is to give it general guidelines to start. Say that it is a forest or a big ship or a barren planet, but don't give exact details until you know for sure what you want to put in it.
September 21, 2012
Hooking Your Reader
When I was a child, some books just pulled me in until I had no idea that I was still reading. I remember reading "Where the Red Fern Grows" by Wilson Rawls and completely losing all composure at the end, sobbing and sniffing like I had lost my best friend.
The truth is that it is rare to find a book that does that to me. Perhaps you feel the same way.
What is it about some books that can make a reader forget they are reading for hours at a time?
Is it the author? I would say that it isn't. I've read multiple books by the same author, and sometimes I like the book and sometimes I don't.
Is it the genre? Well, who can say that they've loved every sci-fi/fantasy novel they've ever read?
So what is it that makes a book great?
For me, with "Where the Red Fern Grows," it had to do with the companionship that was shared between the boy and his dogs. Those dogs truly were his best friends, and they were pretty cool best friends at that. Those dogs could do more than most humans could do. And that's why the story made me feel so good. I believed I was the boy in the story. I believed that because of those dogs, I had two of the coolest best friends in the world, and nobody could take that away from me.
For a child who doesn't feel left out or inadequate while growing up, perhaps "Where the Red Fern Grows" wouldn't appeal to him or her as much as it did me. But because I read it at a time that I felt like I really could use two of the coolest best friends in the world, I was hooked.
The trick to hooking a reader is to find an element of their lives that they really wished were different, which is called relating to your reader. If you can write a story that makes a reader feel like he or she is writing it themselves, then you know for sure that you have written something great.
The truth is that it is rare to find a book that does that to me. Perhaps you feel the same way.
What is it about some books that can make a reader forget they are reading for hours at a time?
Is it the author? I would say that it isn't. I've read multiple books by the same author, and sometimes I like the book and sometimes I don't.
Is it the genre? Well, who can say that they've loved every sci-fi/fantasy novel they've ever read?
So what is it that makes a book great?
For me, with "Where the Red Fern Grows," it had to do with the companionship that was shared between the boy and his dogs. Those dogs truly were his best friends, and they were pretty cool best friends at that. Those dogs could do more than most humans could do. And that's why the story made me feel so good. I believed I was the boy in the story. I believed that because of those dogs, I had two of the coolest best friends in the world, and nobody could take that away from me.
For a child who doesn't feel left out or inadequate while growing up, perhaps "Where the Red Fern Grows" wouldn't appeal to him or her as much as it did me. But because I read it at a time that I felt like I really could use two of the coolest best friends in the world, I was hooked.
The trick to hooking a reader is to find an element of their lives that they really wished were different, which is called relating to your reader. If you can write a story that makes a reader feel like he or she is writing it themselves, then you know for sure that you have written something great.
September 17, 2012
Creating Characters: Consistency
There are multiple ways of creating an interesting character, but there is one principle that all writers need to follow. And that principle is to make your character consistent.
The way to make a character consistent is to give them a character trait that does not change.
I have a character in my novel, "The Amazing Pitsville and The Beggar's Invisible Railways," that is always crying. Her name is Jessica, and the narrator of the story continually describes her as the "weeping butterfly." She is the "weeping butterfly" because she is lonely and wants a husband, but where she lives, Pitsville, there isn't one other butterfly for her to date. So, that's why she is always weeping.
Why is it important to give a character a single trait that the reader can identify the character with? Because in most stories, excluding slice-of-life works, the main character and even some of the supporting cast are suppose to undergo a major change.
What that change is depends upon what type of story you are writing. But no matter what type of story it is, the change needs to be consistent with the character and obvious to the reader. In the "weeping butterfly's" case, the day that she finds her lover and stops weeping does just that.
In Daniel Abraham's "A Shadow In Summer" the main character, Otah, starts out as a humble boy who doesn't like confrontation---he is kind of a goody-goody. But by the end of the book his character is completely changed. I won't tell you how or in what way in case you ever want to pick up the book. But Abraham does a great job of giving his character that "goody-goody" character trait all throughout the first half of the story so that by the end Otah's change is obvious and consistent.
The way in which we show our character's single trait depends upon the character's major or minor role in the story. With a minor character, we don't have many pages to spend on them, so using something simple and direct is best. With a major character, most of the book is devoted to them, so we can show our character's single trait in many different ways.
Otah is the main character of Abraham's book, so instead of simply giving Otah a single, reoccurring action (such as weeping), Abraham is able to use multiple vices to show Otah's good-goody tendencies. He uses Otah's position of power to show it. He used Otah's reaction to conflict to show it. And he used Otah's relationship with his girlfriend to show it.
In my novel, I made my character Jessica always want to weep because she was not the main character. Describing her as the "weeping butterfly" gave her immediate consistency so that I didn't have to spend as much time developing her character as the story moved forward.
So, as we write, we need to keep our characters consistent. And, depending upon how much time we want to spend on each character, we need to decide how we are going to show their consistency.
For minor supporting characters, giving them physical traits to describe their single character trait works perfectly. We can give our characters scars to show that they are tough guys. We can give them goopy eyeliner to show that they are slobs. We can give them clean cowboy boots to show that they are only posers. . .
The way to make a character consistent is to give them a character trait that does not change.
I have a character in my novel, "The Amazing Pitsville and The Beggar's Invisible Railways," that is always crying. Her name is Jessica, and the narrator of the story continually describes her as the "weeping butterfly." She is the "weeping butterfly" because she is lonely and wants a husband, but where she lives, Pitsville, there isn't one other butterfly for her to date. So, that's why she is always weeping.
Why is it important to give a character a single trait that the reader can identify the character with? Because in most stories, excluding slice-of-life works, the main character and even some of the supporting cast are suppose to undergo a major change.
What that change is depends upon what type of story you are writing. But no matter what type of story it is, the change needs to be consistent with the character and obvious to the reader. In the "weeping butterfly's" case, the day that she finds her lover and stops weeping does just that.
In Daniel Abraham's "A Shadow In Summer" the main character, Otah, starts out as a humble boy who doesn't like confrontation---he is kind of a goody-goody. But by the end of the book his character is completely changed. I won't tell you how or in what way in case you ever want to pick up the book. But Abraham does a great job of giving his character that "goody-goody" character trait all throughout the first half of the story so that by the end Otah's change is obvious and consistent.
The way in which we show our character's single trait depends upon the character's major or minor role in the story. With a minor character, we don't have many pages to spend on them, so using something simple and direct is best. With a major character, most of the book is devoted to them, so we can show our character's single trait in many different ways.
Otah is the main character of Abraham's book, so instead of simply giving Otah a single, reoccurring action (such as weeping), Abraham is able to use multiple vices to show Otah's good-goody tendencies. He uses Otah's position of power to show it. He used Otah's reaction to conflict to show it. And he used Otah's relationship with his girlfriend to show it.
In my novel, I made my character Jessica always want to weep because she was not the main character. Describing her as the "weeping butterfly" gave her immediate consistency so that I didn't have to spend as much time developing her character as the story moved forward.
So, as we write, we need to keep our characters consistent. And, depending upon how much time we want to spend on each character, we need to decide how we are going to show their consistency.
For minor supporting characters, giving them physical traits to describe their single character trait works perfectly. We can give our characters scars to show that they are tough guys. We can give them goopy eyeliner to show that they are slobs. We can give them clean cowboy boots to show that they are only posers. . .
September 10, 2012
From a Bird's View: Publishing Overview
I get a lot of beginner writers asking me for help. Two of the biggest things they want to know is one: how do I edit my manuscript? And two: how do I get my manuscript published?
Don't we all wish there was a magical formula to help us with those things? Well, there isn't a magical formula that will automatically get our book published if we follow it, but there is a formula that will, at least, make us competitive. And that formula can be found through research.
How do I edit my manuscript? The best thing we can do to learn how to make our manuscript competitive is pick up a book on how to write what we are looking to write. If we want to write a novel, pick up a book on how to write novels. If we just want to know how to simply write clean, interesting sentences, pick up a copy of Simon and Schuster's Handbook for Writers.
There are many books on how to write novels, essays, and short stories out there, so pick up the one that looks like it will help you best. But don't stop there. Go to writing seminars, go to writing workshops, read blogs like this one, search the web for tips on writing, and read what other authors have written.
Writing a clean manuscript that is, at least, competitive is far too complicated for me to explain in one blog. But know that editors of Literary Journals are looking for specific guidelines that each story needs to meet. If the story doesn't meet their guidelines, there is a good chance that the manuscript editor won't get past the first page before they throw your story into the garbage. You have to remember that publishers read hundreds of manuscripts a week, so they have to be very selective.
I'll write later blog posts to answer more specific manuscript questions. For now, however, I'll just stick with the overview. And, at a glance, the number one thing we need to do is submit a manuscript that has the least amount of grammar, punctuation, and spelling mistakes possible.
And now I can get to the second biggest question that people want to know. How do I get my story published?!?! Well, after we have written a competitive manuscript, the next step is to find a publisher who publishes the type of story we have written. To find a publisher, the two best resources out there are Poets and Writers Magazine and The Writer's Market book.
The Writer's Market is a big 'ole book that is basically a phone directory for book publishers, literary agents, magazines, and trade journals. It lists out most of the publishers here in the United States and even gives information on how to submit to them, what they are looking to publish, and, sometimes, how much they pay.
Any writer serious about getting his or her manuscript published needs to pick up a copy of The Writer's Market. Not only is it a directory filled with gold coins, otherwise known as contact information, but it is also a guide on how to navigate the world of publishing. In the beginning pages, it will show you how to format a query, how to pitch your manuscript in the query, and what to expect from many of the nation's leading publishers.
I mentioned Poets and Writers Magazine because it has a classified section in the back. In the classified section, hundreds of publishers are listed, and many of them are publishers who are currently seeking fresh talent. Not only that, but Poets and Writers Magazine is an excellent source of writing and publishing tips.
Don't we all wish there was a magical formula to help us with those things? Well, there isn't a magical formula that will automatically get our book published if we follow it, but there is a formula that will, at least, make us competitive. And that formula can be found through research.
How do I edit my manuscript? The best thing we can do to learn how to make our manuscript competitive is pick up a book on how to write what we are looking to write. If we want to write a novel, pick up a book on how to write novels. If we just want to know how to simply write clean, interesting sentences, pick up a copy of Simon and Schuster's Handbook for Writers.
There are many books on how to write novels, essays, and short stories out there, so pick up the one that looks like it will help you best. But don't stop there. Go to writing seminars, go to writing workshops, read blogs like this one, search the web for tips on writing, and read what other authors have written.
Writing a clean manuscript that is, at least, competitive is far too complicated for me to explain in one blog. But know that editors of Literary Journals are looking for specific guidelines that each story needs to meet. If the story doesn't meet their guidelines, there is a good chance that the manuscript editor won't get past the first page before they throw your story into the garbage. You have to remember that publishers read hundreds of manuscripts a week, so they have to be very selective.
I'll write later blog posts to answer more specific manuscript questions. For now, however, I'll just stick with the overview. And, at a glance, the number one thing we need to do is submit a manuscript that has the least amount of grammar, punctuation, and spelling mistakes possible.
And now I can get to the second biggest question that people want to know. How do I get my story published?!?! Well, after we have written a competitive manuscript, the next step is to find a publisher who publishes the type of story we have written. To find a publisher, the two best resources out there are Poets and Writers Magazine and The Writer's Market book.
The Writer's Market is a big 'ole book that is basically a phone directory for book publishers, literary agents, magazines, and trade journals. It lists out most of the publishers here in the United States and even gives information on how to submit to them, what they are looking to publish, and, sometimes, how much they pay.
Any writer serious about getting his or her manuscript published needs to pick up a copy of The Writer's Market. Not only is it a directory filled with gold coins, otherwise known as contact information, but it is also a guide on how to navigate the world of publishing. In the beginning pages, it will show you how to format a query, how to pitch your manuscript in the query, and what to expect from many of the nation's leading publishers.
I mentioned Poets and Writers Magazine because it has a classified section in the back. In the classified section, hundreds of publishers are listed, and many of them are publishers who are currently seeking fresh talent. Not only that, but Poets and Writers Magazine is an excellent source of writing and publishing tips.
September 5, 2012
Embrace your Mistakes
"What doesn't kill us, you aint dead yet." That slogan is written on my gym's wall. And I couldn't have put it more articulate. It doesn't matter how many times you fall down, if your opposition hasn't killed you yet, then they still got something to worry about. Get up, get out there, and fight. A warriors mentality goes a long ways in this world.
I'm not encouraging anybody to start slandering, insulting, and stabbing others in the back to get ahead in life. That type of behavior isn't condoned by this author. What I'm saying is, number one, it takes more guts to keep good morals in the face of intense struggle than it does to succumb to ill-willed behavior. I'm saying, a lump of coal starts off pretty ugly, but under intense pressure, if the coal can handle the stress like a champ, it will soon become a diamond.
Again, don't give up. Kill 'em with hard work. If they didn't like that piece, write a different one that's so awesome they won't be able to turn it down. And if they turn that one down too, swallow that pride, grit those teeth, and jump back onto that gritty keyboard. Years, my friends. Never quit.
If your wheel never stops spinning, eventually, you will get somewhere. Champions don't become champions over night. Everyday they sweat, they hurt, and they keep as many good friends as possible by staying cordial, staying honest, and staying in the game.
I'm not encouraging anybody to start slandering, insulting, and stabbing others in the back to get ahead in life. That type of behavior isn't condoned by this author. What I'm saying is, number one, it takes more guts to keep good morals in the face of intense struggle than it does to succumb to ill-willed behavior. I'm saying, a lump of coal starts off pretty ugly, but under intense pressure, if the coal can handle the stress like a champ, it will soon become a diamond.
Again, don't give up. Kill 'em with hard work. If they didn't like that piece, write a different one that's so awesome they won't be able to turn it down. And if they turn that one down too, swallow that pride, grit those teeth, and jump back onto that gritty keyboard. Years, my friends. Never quit.
If your wheel never stops spinning, eventually, you will get somewhere. Champions don't become champions over night. Everyday they sweat, they hurt, and they keep as many good friends as possible by staying cordial, staying honest, and staying in the game.
