Kate Larking's Blog: Anxiety Ink, page 23

Ink Links – Sexist Stories, Writing Hacks, and Storytelling Lessons

First up, a link “Five signs your story is sexist” from Melissa. She says:

I see sexist stories all the time, but I don’t always catch that they’re sexist. 99% of the time, I’m sure the writers didn’t realize it, either. There’s just so much ingrained in culture and society that prioritizes male over female. This article is excellent at pulling often favorite stories apart and analyzing what precisely is problematic.

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Elisa loves the writing hacks in this guest post by Merrie Destefano on Teenreads. Read. Edit. Read some more. Figure out your deeper levels later. Read even more.

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The political climate is depressing. Beyond that, it’s sickening. It’s so easy to get bogged down and burned out by the news. This article by Kameron Hurley on Chuck Wendig’s Terrible Minds blog could not have come across at a better time for Melissa.

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Khan Academy and Pixar have teamed up on a series of lessons on storytelling. Kate’s been checking them out and they’re here if you want to as well.

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Prescriptive Feedback: A Critiquing Don’t

Giving critique can be tricky. Feedback comes in many forms, largely depending on what the author wants. But giving critique can offer many pitfalls and problems.

Sometimes, the writer doesn’t know what they want, or maybe think they know but really don’t. I had a very new writer ask me for critique and I drove her crazy asking her what she wanted, precisely. So I gave her the critique she said she wanted, and I don’t think she has touched the story since.

I took her too much at her word, though I softened the critique quite a bit, knowing how new she was and how fragile that newness can make a writer.

At least she still writes.

So if you’re a writer asking for critique, try to know what you want and what you can handle. And be careful whom you trust with it.

Prescriptive feedback is never good. Newer writers might have a harder time spotting it – or realizing they’ve given it. If anyone tells you what you should do, how the story should go, that’s prescriptive. Ignore them because they’re trying to impose their vision on your story.

In fact, I prefer to avoid “you” or any reference to the writer when I give critique. I focus on the story, not the person, after all. If something doesn’t make sense or I can’t understand the logic in a character’s choice, I say so. And by all means, if something is well done, I give credit where it’s due.

But I’ve found it much more difficult to avoid imposing my will on someone else’s story than I once thought. Sometimes I see something that would make a good solution to a story problem, or I can see something isn’t working but can’t put my finger on specifics. When I can’t keep my mouth shut, I try to phrase it as, “This is what I would do, if this were my story.” I try to make it clear that the story belongs to the writer, not me; I just want to point out an option the writer may not have thought of.

It toes the line of prescriptive advice. I’m sure it crosses that line occasionally.

Now that I’ve sent my novel out to beta readers, I’ve had some of those prescriptive comments trickle in. To the reader’s credit, they tried to avoid it. “I wanted this thing to happen (that didn’t)” is a whole lot like “this is what I would do.”

And I would have taken it seriously if it had been, “The story made me think this would happen.” That’s constructive; it tells me I have something to fix.

Seriously, if the story doesn’t support an outcome you’d prefer, you won’t help it by giving your personal preferences. I’d have to rewrite it – again – to make this particular preferred outcome work, and that’s not the story I want to tell. Keep that type of feedback to yourself.

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Comparing, an Evil State of Mind

Kate wrote about her own issues with comparisonitis a little while ago. I absolutely identify with what she wrote; it’s pretty difficult to get words down when you constantly feel inadequate compared to all the other people trying to get words down. Knowing other writers likely feel the exact same way doesn’t always help either.

For me, the evil state of mind known as comparing doesn’t always end with writing and present itself as writers block. My comparisonitis spreads to my entire state of being, every aspect of my life, and leads to major emotional paralysis.

I’m 25 years old. For someone past the age, that’s nothing. For someone who is there, it feels really old. As ludicrous as it sounds, 25 years is a long time and I feel grossly unaccomplished in all aspects of my life at this age.

I know this is a stupid way to feel, but it is what it is. I graduated almost four years ago. That’s not a long time, so why I think I need to have my life together right now makes no sense. But all these little points of comparison keep coming up as those around me shift into different life phases…

I don’t have any urge to settle down with a long term partner right now, but others my age are starting to, so I find myself looking around wondering why I don’t want to. The idea of breeding little me’s at this point in time nauseates me, so why on earth am I comparing myself with others doing so?

I have no clear career trajectory at the moment. I’m working on writing and I’m getting through the day job. I have friends who are entering the work force and finding their ideal careers…should I be trying harder to do the same? Writing is a long haul thing. I take it seriously. But things aren’t happening quickly for me like they seem to be for others. Sometimes I worry about that.

In the past 5 years I have started to take my health and fitness quite seriously. I have made enormous strides. Close friends have done likewise and their results are visually obvious. I find myself looking in the mirror wondering if I’m not working as hard as them.

The writing is always a struggle. Our blog touches on it constantly, so I really don’t need to get into minute detail here. As much as I love it, it is not always an easy love.

The list goes on. And on. And on.

A lot of my comparison issues stem from my anxiety and perfectionist tendencies. Logically, I know it’s idiotic to compare my life to others lives even if we’re running along similar trajectories. I am my own person who moves at my own pace.

In my bad moments, it’s hard to listen to that logic. Even as I write this post, acknowledging these little worries, I feel them pulling at me and getting my heart going.

I recently read Jane Goodall’s In the Shadow of Man, her memoir describing her first 10 years at Gombe. She met Louis Leakey at 25 and started her amazing career. At my age, the mighty Jane Goodall, who I obviously idolize, had graduated high school and had taken a secretarial course. She had no idea yet where she was going in life.

I need to remember that I am still fairly young and it’s ok for me not to know what I’m doing in the immediate future because it is pretty wide open.

As Kate said, the only thing you can do to combat the comparison bug is to take small steps in the direction you want to go. That’s my focus this year, small steps towards attainable goals focused on me. The only person I want to compare myself to is me at the start of January, because me at the end of December is going to have all these goals conquered.

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February Freewriting Challenge Update #2

We are halfway through the challenge! Woot woot!

And I have managed to keep up with my commitment of 7 freewriting sessions per week. As of now, they are still evenly spaced, one per day. It has been difficult to move away from my evening cram sessions because my notebook for freewriting is kept on my bedside table.

One session was moved away from the right-before-sleep strategy I’ve been employing. This one, I had fifteen minutes between the end of work and the beginning of a lecture I was attending. As a result, I opened up my computer, made a folder on GoogleDocs, and got to work.

The results? A whole new story that is now chasing after my brainstem, trying to take the reins to my brain.

I guess depending on the time of day, you can call upon different muses.

Learning Through Writing

The main thing I’ve learned through this process that ten minutes is a long time. A really long time if you don’t have an idea of where you are going.

At times, I will repeat a mantra, writing the sames words over and over again if I am waiting for the next idea to snag on the tip of my pen.

The ten minutes is, at once, challenging as it is humbling. It can be hard to fill up that time. But when you are able to keep the pen moving the entire time, you understand how much of an idea you can snag in just a few minutes, leaving it on the page for future use.

I’ve also learned that my handwriting is messy

Ink Links Roundup – Reviews, Feminism in YA, and Writing what you want to Read

We’ve all heard before that bad reviews are par for the course when it comes to writing. Still, Elisa thinks there’s great food for thought in this particular article that explains your brain’s neuropsychological response to negative reviews AND ways to quell the panic.

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Kate had a lot to think about with this article on feminism in YA publishing.

“I think sometimes what we’re often doing in YA sci-fi/fantasy is similar to what women are doing to themselves in real life. I feel this so much more now that I’m a mom and I expect myself to be in a million places at once. We’re saying: “You can be everything” which translates to “You should do it all.” You should be able to wield a sword and act the hero and maintain your hair,” [Lexa] Hillyer says. “I think we’re sometimes producing these unrealistic characters and unrealistic expectations for girls and women. Perhaps it’s time to show that heroism and strength can come at a cost, regardless of your gender. If a female character must choose between heroism and love, how many in YA are choosing the former? How many are choosing the latter? Neither choice is more feminist, per se, but I believe that making the choice is feminist.”

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Why not gander at this article by Jacqueline Carey about writing the books you want to read. Kate thinks it is one of the main reasons writers write, isn’t it?

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Making Plans: How Not to Fall Behind

I still struggle at making plans. I’ve become better over time because of my husband; he can be very German and needs plans. My family, on the other hand, prefers to play things by ear, which can lead to no end of frustration for my husband.

But plans are useful creatures. Plans help me keep track of which week it is, which day of the week. They help me find balance with all the many projects and life-things.

I did not make a plan for Kate’s freewriting challenge. I focused so much on finishing the novel revision, on typing the revisions and getting it out to readers, that I mostly forgot about it. Focusing on the novel, I forgot that yesterday was Sunday: the day I normally type these posts, because I procrastinate.

I haven’t posted to my personal blog, or played with a story prompt, or started a blog series here on theatre wisdom for writers that I’ve been planning on for weeks now.

Because I haven’t planned for those things.

See? Balance is important.

On the bright side, the blizzard howling outside prevented my office from opening – a minor miracle. But I couldn’t have made it out of my driveway, anyway. I already know my next writing project: picking up the novel rough draft I put on hold a year ago. This means reviewing what I wrote up to that point, which I actually enjoy.

And with two weeks left in February, I can still meet my freewriting challenge goal if I double up. So four freewrites per week. I have a feeling I’ll need them to work out novel kinks and remember where I wanted this story to go.

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Dealing (Poorly) With the Current Societal Energy Drain

I have to admit something today: I am really struggling. I feel totally depleted of energy. I have no creative will. I’m sad and anxious. Why? The answers lie mostly outward from myself.

I am sick over the current state of societal affairs I find myself mired in. While the election of Trump does not affect me directly to a large degree, the ripples from the decision are being felt on my side of the border. The alt-right has gained newfound confidence in Canada and the idea that Kevin O’Leary’s bid for Conservative leader is plausible makes my gut roil.

A damn was broken in Canada the night we learned Trump was president-elect of the United States –our closest neighbour and ally, one of our bigger cultural influences. I held my breath, waiting for the fallout. It’s only just starting to grow apparent, and if the current state of things is any indication, things are going to get uglier.

I live in a small town north of Calgary. To say it has conservative leanings is a gross understatement. For the most part people are pleasant and kind to others. And then there are the few who I’d very much like to lock in a dark room and throw away the key.

When I said a damn broke in Canada, I mean that for some reason people now think it’s ok to spew whatever bigotry they have held in. I haven’t witnessed firsthand things as awful as the shooting in Montréal at the Centre Culturel Islamique Québec, and for that I am grateful. But I’ve seen and heard little things that feed into the hatred that erupts in shootings, physical attacks of POC, vandalism of cultural centres, and the like.

In this small town, I work as a customer service rep, dealing with people on the front line for 30 hours a week. Since it became obvious Trump was a front-runner, those 30 hours have grown much more difficult to endure.

Because I’m blonde, white, able-bodied and live in our rural town, people think I’m like them and that I share their values. I have to be polite to every person who spews their offensive beliefs at me or risk losing my job. I hate it.

Keeping my mouth shut, swallowing my outrage, and knowing I’m going to have to listen to more of the same every day is sucking so much of my energy that I don’t even know what to do with myself. I do not want to start a political debate at my place of business, not only because I am outnumbered in my beliefs, but because I have to see the same people day in and day out. But I’m so tired of listening to garbage.

How have we come to this as a society? How have we let so much intolerance and fear grow? Where the hell has all this hate come from?

Those are naïve questions, I know, but I’m dumbfounded by how history is repeating itself right now. I grew up learning about a multi-cultural society that celebrates differences. As I’ve grown older I’ve learned much more about my country’s darker days, but I sincerely believe in Canada’s multicultural spirit. Those weren’t –aren’t– just words to me. Those notions are my patriotic foundation. I thought we had learned the error of our early ways. I thought we were moving forward with a greater respect for our differences. Perhaps that’s what has me so sad, knowing that so many people were simply paying lip service to these ideas I hold dear.

Many of my writer friends keep sharing posts on social media about how important it is to write, especially now. To use our words and voices to combat all these things I’m lamenting. To drown out the hate. But it’s hard.

I think I need to shift from sad to mad and let that angry energy spur me into creativity, but I’m not there yet. I just feel tired.

How are you dealing with this current state of affairs?

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February Freewriting Challenge Update #1!

Welcome to the first freewriting challenge update!

So far, I have been keeping up with my one freewriting sprint per day.

The thing that has surprised me the most is that I am doing them at night. Even though I get the itch to do them right when I wake up or while I’m on break at work, I haven’t been doing them. But just as I am trying to fall asleep, the guilt nags me to get my notebook and pen and just write for the ten minutes before I dream.

The first two days were sprints on writing. It was mostly me talking myself through the fear and anxiety of empty pages in new notebooks, self-worth, and confidence. But those feelings are the reason I wanted to make this challenge in the first place.

Then I shifted to the story ideas. And they are whatever tidbits I make out. Some are heavily entrenched scenes. Others are point form outlines, just grazing the surface of a story.

But the words are flowing. I keep the pen moving. I don’t care about the how legible my writing is after. I just keep moving my pen.

Upgrading the Challenge

So I want to move the challenge forward this next week. I want to move my freewriting away from the last thing I do in the day. After that, I want to move it to the computer. I want to translate my focus from pen to keyboard.

Checking in!

I know a few of you have joined me in this challenge. How has it gone? Let me know below.

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Ink Links Roundup: Silkpunk, Writing Tools, Poetry

If you need to feel better about struggling through your manuscript, Kate loved this article featuring Rory Gleeson: ‘Writing wrecks your head’

Writing can’t be that bad, cant it? He looks incredulous. “Oh yes it can. You’re wrecked and you hate it and you hate yourself. And then you think you’re brilliant and then people try to help you with it and the ones that are truthful are the worst because then you hate them as well.”

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Kate also came across a new genre this week and fell in love with the covers for some new books.

Silkpunk, as described by Ken Liu, is “draws inspiration from classical East Asian antiquity.”

Kate discovered this through an article featuring the covers of these upcoming novellas from fantasy writer J. Y. Yang:

Affiliate link
Affiliate link

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In her quest to increase productivity this year, Elisa found this list of writing tools that she intends to try out. What are your favourite means of increasing and tracking your productivity?

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“Every writer creates stories differently, and finding a method that works best for you is an essential part of being a writer.” This is an ongoing and ever-evolving process, and this article has made Melissa add new books to her to-read pile.

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Melissa has been trying to develop a greater appreciation for poetry, and this is a fantastic project with some breathtaking poetry. She also adores seeing translated work, because it provides a larger platform from which to hear these voices.

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My Struggle With Beta Readers

One week ago, I put out a call for beta readers. And I received an overwhelming response. You see, I’ve put out calls and requests before, but rarely do I get more than a few positive replies.

Once upon a time, the topic of beta readers confused me. The people who used the term seemed to make it synonymous with editors or critique partners. This confused me for years, until I figured out my own definition. To me, they are the test audience.

If I want in-dept critique, I’ll send it off to my critique group or writer friends I trust and respect. If I just want reactions, I’ll ask for readers.

I want broad feedback because I’m looking for what works and what doesn’t. I don’t need to know why that doesn’t work for someone, unless of course they want to tell me. If someone has questions or confusion, I want to know that. Even if they just tell me they liked it, or they couldn’t finish it, I need to know.

It always amazes me how much I can figure out about the story from general feedback like that.

Though if anyone opts to give it a more in-depth critique, I will happily take it. And I might even get that from a few of those who volunteered (I hope I will). But getting the story in front of people, getting their gut reactions, is my priority with this draft.

One more week of typing to go. Wish me luck!

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