Chris Baty's Blog, page 164

You Inspire Me: To Writing Buddies Who Jump

Writing isn’t as solitary a pursuit as many think. Inspiration comes in many forms, but most often, it comes in the shape of people. All month long, we’re asking writers to write a Not-So-Secret-Admirer’s Note to the people who’ve inspired them to take up the pen. Today, participant Esme Symes-Smith tells us why a writing partner who jumps in feet-first is invaluable:

Dear Sarah,

For the longest time, they told me that writing is a lonely life, that it has to be if you want any chance of getting anywhere. Writing is a sacrifice, they said. Inspiration in exchange for interaction. And for the longest time, I believed them. 

I was the Writer, and infinite miles away were the Readers. Occasionally, the gap would be bridged by a review or a distant thumbs-up. I hungered after those little glimpses of interaction—they drove me on—but I never let myself believe there could be more. After all, writing buddies and critique partners were made of the same stuff as editors and agents—mythological to all but the rarest of writers. Certainly not within my own realms of possibility. How could I expect anyone but myself to be interested in this funny little world that had grown in my head? I couldn’t.

But you were.

You jumped, feet first, right into this muddle of words and ideas and nonsense; you looked around at the chaos and stayed. You listened patiently to my cast of crazies, gained their trust (and mine) then sat down to help me unpick this tangled ball of wool. 

Sometimes you compliment the colours, oftentimes you hand me scissors to kill the darlings that needn’t be there. Sometimes the knots are unfathomable and I feel like I want to toss the whole lot into the fire. You listen to me rant and rave like a frustrated child, then tell me it’s okay to feel like that, it’ll pass soon and everything will make sense again. And you’re right, it does, and we keep going.

We.

This has become almost as much yours as it is mine, and it’s so much nicer to share.

So, thank you for making all this worthwhile, for babysitting this story so I can have space to see it outside my head, for understanding this nonsense in a way no one else can, and thank you for proving them wrong.

It’s a real pleasure to be your writing buddy.

Esme

Esme Symes-Smith is a English-born, Welsh-educated tea drinker currently living in Missouri with her American wife whilst she navigates the whole immigration nonsense and bashes together her first novel in a Target Starbucks.

Top photo by Flickr user benefit of hindsight.

You Inspire Me: To Creators Who Pave New Paths

Writing isn’t as solitary a pursuit as many think. Inspiration comes in many forms, but most often, it comes in the shape of people. All month long, we’re asking writers to write a Not-So-Secret-Admirer’s Note to the people who’ve inspired them to take up the pen. Today, cartoonist Khalid Birdsong shares how creator Jeff Smith taught him to take risks.

Khalid Birdsong lived in Japan for two years working as an assistant English teacher on the JET Program, much like the main character in his comic, Fried Chicken and Sushi.  He decided to create a comic loosely based on his time in Japan. Khalid is now living in California in the San Francisco Bay Area teaching art in elementary school. He’s married to a Japanese woman and has one daughter.

You Inspire Me: To Partners Who Check the Physics of Fight Scenes

Writing isn’t as solitary a pursuit as many think. Inspiration comes in many forms, but most often, it comes in the shape of people. All month long, we’re asking writers to write a Not-So-Secret-Admirer’s Note to the people who’ve inspired them to take up the pen. Today, participant Julia Peterson shares how her partner inspires her:

Dear Oscar,

As I write this letter, I have just finished a scene where my main character murders a character that I based off of you. Sorry about that; it’s nothing personal. I don’t know how many boyfriends would be all right with me doing things like that (…multiple times) or taking the words out of their mouth and giving them to evil characters, and I am so grateful that you are. I promise that the only time I truly think you’re slightly evil is when you’re trying to make me do calculus.

Thank you for understanding that I’m not insane when I talk about my characters as if they were their own people (and it does feel that way sometimes, especially when they do things like falling in love when that was not in the plan, damn it!).

Thank you also for being there for me when I am insane, like when, midway through last November, I decided to double my word count.

Even though I hissed at you at the time, I do appreciate that you checked the physics of my harpy fight scene to make sure that I wasn’t accidentally killing my hero. Who else would think to make sure that the physics of harpy fights check out? Also, good catch on the time travel paradox in my NaNo ’14 project.

In the end, there is so much that I have to thank you for, in terms of writing and everything else. For the last three years, you have inspired me to be better every day. I suppose, if I had to choose, the biggest impact that you have had on my stories is that you are a constant reminder to write with compassion, honesty (when convenient), and always with love.

Julia Peterson lives in Montreal, Canada (for 84 more days), but will soon be studying in Oberlin, Ohio! Counting Camp NaNoWriMo, next month is Julia’s one year NaNo-versary, and she plans to write many more stories that play with high fantasy, psychology, and genetics (sometimes, all at once). She loves Doctor Who (don’t blink!) and has been inspired by the writing of Tamora Pierce.

Top photo by Flickr user mikeyp2000.

You Inspire Me: To Writing Groups Who Become True Friends

Writing isn’t as solitary a pursuit as many think. Inspiration comes in many forms, but most often, it comes in the shape of people. All month long, we’re asking writers to write a Not-So-Secret-Admirer’s Note to the people who’ve inspired them to take up the pen. Today, participant Suzanne Shaw celebrates her writing group:

Dear Colleen, Kay, Niki, Teresa, and Traci,

Yes, my wild, inspired sisters—you are the reason I am able to write, not just reclusively as writers must, but also as part of a small but vibrant writing community. Aren’t I lucky to have this opportunity to write out loud about what a difference you have made in my life! 

How could we have imagined when we first met at Hedgebrook, a retreat for women writers in Washington state, that we would still be in almost daily contact over a year later? We were together in a historical fiction master class for only a week, learning from the phenomenal Deborah Harkness and reveling in Whidbey Island’s magic. Although Hedgebrook and its dedicated staff remain close to my heart, you are the gift that keeps on giving. Even now that we are scattered from the West Coast of the US to Germany, thanks to technology we are there for each other almost every day, and sometimes even in the middle of the night.

What we have in common connects us — our obsession with historical fiction, alternating fascination and frustration with the writing process, and a passion for red wine with salt and pepper potato chips. I have seen most of you at least once in the intervening year and I cherish those times, too. Only with true friends can you meet and take up the conversation again without missing a beat. And what conversations! Encouragement, sympathy, understanding, humor — each of you has these things in abundance and shares them unquestioningly.

Thanks for always being there, convincing me I can succeed, and cheering me over all the hurdles. Maybe I could do it alone, but I’m glad I don’t have to try.

Love,

Suzanne

Suzanne Shaw is a writer, photographer, traveler, and recovering lawyer with a historical novel in progress and a mystery waiting in the wings. She blogs about books, writing, travel, and the Pacific Northwest at The Blue Chair Blog. Follow her on Twitter @suzannejshaw.

You Inspire Me: To Authors Who Build Fantastic Worlds

Writing isn’t as solitary a pursuit as many think. Inspiration comes in many forms, but most often, it comes in the shape of people. All month long, we’re asking writers to write a Not-So-Secret-Admirer’s Note to the people who’ve inspired them to take up the pen. Today, participant Frederika Hellgren thanks an author who shaped her creative life:

Dear Cornelia Funke,

Thank you so much for writing the Inkheart trilogy. When I first read it, I was eleven years old, and I remember the characters and settings feeling incredibly real to me. While I was reading Inkspell, Inkworld and its many inhabitants would often crop up in my dreams at night. 

I am currently attempting to write a fantasy novel of my own, and have been looking to my old copy of Inkdeath to find inspiration. I now realise exactly what it is about the Inkheart series that made it so compelling to eleven-year-old me. You are masterful in the way you combine vivid description with an action-packed plot. This delicate balance is something I struggle with in my own writing. 

I am also finding the process of building a believable fictional universe to be quite challenging, and for this I also look to you for inspiration. You weave a whole world out of words, which the reader can almost reach out and step into. 

Your stories remind me of the importance of creating flawed, complex characters that readers can connect with, and who evolve as the story progresses. 

Finally, your books showcase the importance of having a strong central idea or concept, such as the ability to enter a fictional world (every young bookworm’s dream!)

Basically, what I’d like to say is: Thank you for being one of my role models in the art of writing fantasy for young readers. Your books are wonderful and inspirational.

Much love and admiration from a reader,

Fredrika

Frederika Hellgren is a student in her late teens, hailing from the cooler climates of Sweden. She has been dabbling in creative writing ever since she was eight years old. Among other projects, she is currently planning and plotting out the basis for a fantasy novel. She enjoys hiking, swimming, and hanging out with awesome people. She also likes to curl up somewhere outside with a good book – she’s currently reading A Game of Thrones and loving it.

Top photo by Flickr user ashley rose,.

You Inspire Me: To an Educator Who Taught Students to Find the Excitement In Writing

Writing isn’t as solitary a pursuit as many think. Inspiration comes in many forms, but most often, it comes in the shape of people. All month long, we’re asking writers to write a Not-So-Secret-Admirer’s Note to the people who’ve inspired them to take up the pen. Got someone you’d like to write a “You Inspire Me” note to? Write one and tag it “Writer Mash Note”, and we’d love to reblog it! Today, participant Jesse Booth thanks a life-changing teacher:

Dear Mary Louise Bean,

Thank you for the inspiration you have been to me since I took your creative writing classes in 2001, 2002, and 2003 at Viewmont High School. You taught me to see words as more than just a bunch of packed letters and structured language. You taught me that they are paint needing a canvas to display their beauty. The foundation you gave me all those years ago has inspired me over the years, and I’ve been able to harness my creativity through writing short stories and novels. I couldn’t have gotten where I am today without your loving and thorough guidance!

After I graduated high school, I had a rough time getting used to the demands of academic writing in college. I was so used to the freedom creative writing provides. I remember I even came to you during one of your lunch breaks to complain about it. You told me to man up and learn from my teachers and to not resist them. You were right! By the end of my college career, I was able to learn to be extremely efficient at academic writing, and a lot of that stems from the vocabulary I picked up through your creative writing classes. People still come to me to help them with their academic writing. I’m now focusing on writing my third novel, and it’s the biggest project I’ve ever set out to do.

One of the biggest things you helped me with was learning not to be nervous or afraid of writing projects. You taught me to be excited about writing, and to see where that excitement could take me. I hope through this letter I’ve been able to convey my gratitude for all you’ve done for me.

Sincerely,

Jesse Booth

Jesse Booth is a Systems Analyst for the University of Utah, his alma mater. Jesse lives with his wife and two children along the Wasatch Mountains. He has participated in NaNoWriMo every year since 2009, and has won in 2009, 2010, 2012, and 2013. Jesse has 2 published novels, thanks to the 2009 and 2010 NaNoWriMo contests. His favorite authors include JRR Tolkien, Brandon Sanderson, and CS Lewis. Also a musician, Jesse enjoys playing the guitar, piano, and alto saxophone.

Top photo by Flickr user Sarah Parrott.

How Music Can Set Your Writing’s Tone

Inspiration can be everywhere: in music, in movies, in books… This month, we’re spotlighting inspiration in its many forms. Today, Wrimo Michael Roberts , talks about how music can define your writing’s tone:

Like a lot of writers, when I’m writing I need music that is inspiring and uplifting enough to get me out of the world and into “the zone” but also something that I can just have on in the background. 

While writing my NaNoWriMo novel, I listened to a lot of deep house after discovering Trevor Nygaard’s videos. They have the right rhythm and, at about an hour long each, are the perfect length for a writing session. 

When I need to visualise what I’m writing, I listen to movie soundtracks or playlists from the era I’m writing about. I find that you tend to mimic the tone of what you are hearing in your writing. So, if I’m going for the big action scenes, I’ll find John Williams to play. Recently I was writing a section of my novel that flashes back to the early ‘80s and found myself digging through playlists from that time. It was very useful in finding the voice inside me from that decade. Sometimes finding the right soundtrack to your novel can be the thing that makes it work.

Michael Roberts has a B.A. and B. Ed. from Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario. An occasional teacher and stay-at-home dad, his November 2014 NaNoWriMo novel, The Ghost, is making its way through the editing/beta-reader cycle as we speak. He is also writing the mystery-thriller Descending Angel, a multi-generational story of religion and deceit set in the mountains of Colorado and Washington State. He lives in Frontenac County, with his wife, two kids, and three cats.

Top photo by Flickr user AKZOphoto.

2 Movies that Can Map Your Writer’s Journey

Inspiration can be everywhere: in music, in movies, in books… This month, we’re spotlighting inspiration in its many forms. Today, Wrimo Michael Roberts , talks about two movies that mirror his writer’s journey:

I’m sure every writer starting out would love to see themselves as Rocky, the lovable mook who goes from rags to riches, and be that writer who ends up at the top of those metaphorical stairs jumping up and down while holding a copy of their novel that just got published. 

Realistically, though, I’d have to say Almost Famous really describes my own journey best. That movie resonated with me as a child of the ‘70s, and echoed how I started to write as a teen. I still struggle to find a voice in my writing, like many beginning writers. I think that a lot of what William, Almost Famous’ protagonist, struggles with is the same sort of thing all writers struggle with: how to tell the story that deserves to be told while balancing the desire to not seem predatory in how we get the material for that story.

Michael Roberts has a B.A. and B. Ed. from Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario. An occasional teacher and stay-at-home dad, his November 2014 NaNoWriMo novel, The Ghost, is making its way through the editing/beta-reader cycle as we speak. He is also writing the mystery-thriller Descending Angel, a multi-generational story of religion and deceit set in the mountains of Colorado and Washington State. He lives in Frontenac County, with his wife, two kids, and three cats.

2 Novels that Taught Me How to Make a Story Hum

Inspiration can be everywhere: in music, in movies, in books… This month, we’re spotlighting inspiration in its many forms. Today, Wrimo Michael Roberts , shares where he learned the importance of elegant story construction:

As a kid, I really loved Farley Mowat books, especially Lost in the Barrens. Reading it as a ten-year-old, I was entranced by the story and the characters and the “exotic” Canadian wilderness setting. Now, as a writer, I can appreciate the pacing and narrative tricks that Mowat used to tighten the story and make it hum.

 When I was an adult, I found Altered States, screenwriter/playwright Paddy Chayefsky’s only novel, and a densely packed thriller set in the world of scientific research. I was surprised to learn later that Chayefsky had no background in science but had researched everything in that book over two years and incorporated it seamlessly into the story. From that I learned the importance of research disappearing into good storytelling.

As a reader, I love the stories; as a writer I admire the technical skills of the writers and how they hide all the hard work they put into the writing. Now, when I send my work out to beta readers, one of things I ask for is feedback on how well I construct the story and then how successful I am at hiding that construction in the story.

Michael Roberts has a B.A. and B. Ed. from Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario. An occasional teacher and stay-at-home dad, his November 2014 NaNoWriMo novel, The Ghost, is making its way through the editing/beta-reader cycle as we speak. He is also writing the mystery-thriller Descending Angel, a multi-generational story of religion and deceit set in the mountains of Colorado and Washington State. He lives in Frontenac County, with his wife, two kids, and three cats.

How Music Can Flesh Out Your Characters

Inspiration can be everywhere: in music, in movies, in books… This month, we’re spotlighting inspiration in its many forms. Today, Leah Ferguson, author of the forthcoming All the Difference (Berkley/Penguin) , shares how music from her childhood has influenced her writing.

In the seventh grade, a friend named Mariah gave me a tape of Depeche Mode’s Violator and solidified the angsty foundation of my current “grown-up” taste in music. The longing in “Somebody” and shock of “Blasphemous Rumours” hit a place inside my insecure, dreamy, twelve-year-old self that never left. The Cure followed in the eighth grade, and Violent Femmes after that (my first concert!). R.E.M. and U2 led the way for Tori Amos, The Smiths, and Jane’s Addiction, and then an embarrassingly long flirtation with punk-ska.

I was a stick-to-the-rules kind of kid, who rarely gave her protective parents a chance to doubt her, so off-the-mainstream, “progressive” music was my safe rebellion. This paradox carries over to my writing, where I weave music into my scenes to help portray it: Florence and the Machine and Fleetwood Mac pop up throughout my debut novel All the Difference to describe my favorite characters: relatively “good” people with a side of sass. Not only is it fun for me as a writer, but I love the way certain songs help flesh out a character’s personality or struggle. After all, music developed mine.

Leah Ferguson holds a B.A. from West Chester University, where she studied English Literature and Russian, and an M.A. in teaching from Notre Dame of Maryland University. A former editor and teacher, Leah now writes from her home in Pennsylvania with her husband, three young children, dog and tailless cat. Her debut novel, All the Difference , is coming September 1, 2015, from Berkley/Penguin and is available now for pre-order. Please connect with her on her blog, Tumblr, or through Facebook and Twitter.