Writing Rituals by David Trottier

David Trottier is a well known fulltime freelance writer with many articles and books to his credit. He states the case for writing rituals so well that the following quote has been taken from his book, The Freelance Writer's Bible.

"Create rituals. Begin each writing session in the same manner. Acquire a ball cap and imprint or embroider the word 'writer' on it. Whenever it is time to write, you can tell your loved ones, 'I'm wearing my writer's cap, tonight.' Create opening and closing ceremonies for the Writer's Olmpics, starring you! Writing should be fun, so have a good time.

Here is how my student Hanna begins every writing session. First, she removes all distractions (unplugs the telephone, shuts doors and windows). Second, she prepares a cup of herb tea. Third, as she savors the tea, she becomes aware of her senses. Fourth, she enters her safe harbor and says, 'Analytical Brain, go to sleep so my Creative Brain can bring forth a masterpiece. A masterpiece needs to come forth.' Afterward, Hanna goes to her work area.

For you, that work area will probably be your desk with a computer and a keyboard. But it doesn't have to be. Mark Twain wrote in bed. Hemingway stood at a tall desk. And, Dalton Trumbo, who won the Oscar for a movie script, sat in a bathtub with a plank across his lap to hold his typewriter...

Other practical counsel includes, steal. Shakespeare did. He borrowed most of his plots from other sources, including history. Ask 'What if...' and don't be afraid to make a radical plot change. Confront blocks and fears to release a goldmine of ideas."

Then, just write! Your rituals, both of place and of thought, will empower the realization of dreams and release the masterpiece growing within.

Write your Life!

            Writing your autobiography is easier and less time consuming than it sounds. If you have a great story to tell, here are a few suggestions that may help. The best selling autobiography of all time was The Diary of Anne Frank. This book is a fascinating read because of: 1) A series of events in which the author was passionately involved; 2) Suspense that builds climactically, from beginning to end; 3) The genuine voice of the writer. Read autobiographies with similar characteristics and you can work out your own writerly style. 

Next, brainstorm about important events with family and friends. This will help you remember things of significance, as well as to see these events from the viewpoints of others. Your autobiography should grow into an intimate portrait, highlighting the peaks and valleys of your personal and professional journeys. 

Finally, keep in mind that, as a future author, you must bring two important things to the table: First, a list of life experiences that are most moving to you. These should focus on what made you feel pain, love or enlightenment most deeply, listed in chronological order. (As far as time, this task should not take more than one pleasant afternoon to complete. Over-thinking can compromise spontaneity so keep it simple). Second, a brief collection of writing samples. These samples should represent your natural style of writing, and embody the “voice” in which you want your autobiography written. They can include journal entries, notes and poems.

There you go! Follow these steps and the autobiography you dreamed about will flow, spontaneously, onto the page, mirroring your life in ways that complement your experience and emphasize your wisdom.

Our Fairytale Heritage

Fairytales are dreams made real. Stories of dragons, princesses and mystic enchantments mix with culture, to affect children and adults in ways that are powerful yet unseen. Some experts believe that fairytales reflect dreams and aspirations, often too tender to expose. But, when shared in a fairytale, such ambitions feel real, seem real, without the harsh backlash of literal events.

What is your favorite fairytale? Why does it appeal? Some may choose classic tales, like Sleeping Beauty. I loved this story best before I started dating. In the Disney movie, the princess is dancing alone in the forest, until the prince steps into place, dances his way into her heart then walks her to the edge of a cliff as the sun is setting.

Taking her in his arms, he says, “I love you! What’s your name?”

For a poetic young girl, reality was a harsh awakening when compared with such blatant romance. I still adore Sleeping Beauty, but get a bigger kick out of The Paper Bag Princess. In this charming modern fairytale, a princess falls in love with a handsome prince, but a dragon comes and burns up her castle and carries him away. There is nothing left for the poor princess to wear except an old, ashy paper bag. But, she dons this unusual garment and hunts down the dragon, freeing the prince from his deadly prison. “What are you doing dressed in an old ugly paper bag?” the prince asks, imperiously. Immediately, the scales fall from the princess’s eyes. She no longer wants to marry the prince and chooses to do something more fulfilling, instead.

Your emotional reaction to these two fairytales reveals a lot about you…and what you feel most attracted to write about. Gently, tenderly, review your favorite fairytales. Think about what you love most about the stories you cherish. Then, add such elements to your next manuscript.

Do so, and your story with be gilded with an enchantment that is uniquely your own. 

Freelance Writer Success

Succeeding as a freelance writer isn’t easy. But, it’s not that hard, either. If you passionately desire to make a decent living by writing, here are a few ideas to help you along.

1. Make a list of your assets: Assets include education, hobbies, business or family contacts. Once you’ve listed your assets succeeding as a writer may seem more within your reach.
2. Create a timeline: Determine how much time you have each week to donate toward developing your writing business. Usually, this breaks out into two sections, writing/pitching to clients and self-education.
3. Develop a cost/return structure: Many writers bid on a per word basis. I never do. My bids are always either by the hour or by the project, which means I must be good at estimating how much time and effort a project will require. This gives the writer more control over time and, therefore, income.
4. Leverage your research: Although most projects require an agreement for first publication rights, that doesn’t mean your research and editorial connections are also locked into that project. Whatever you learned and whatever connections you made while researching always remain your own. Use them in other ways and you will multiply your income.
5. Know your client’s style: Every creative director and editor has a preferred style. Part of that style is how they use freelancers. Do they use the same folks over and over, or a changeable roster of writers? Check this out. You want to groom clients that will use your services again and again.

Freelance writing is both fun and profitable. Jump into the business and start writing. It is both fun and profitable.

Heartfelt Ideas

Many of us wonder how to find the right idea to write about. Do we mine our youthful memories? How about reviewing the works of great writers for inspiration? World-renowned authors have used both of these techniques. Ray Bradbury consistently wrote stories rooted in his youthful experiences, Dandelion Wine for example. Shakespeare copied storylines from myths and folktales upon which he built many of his greatest plays, including Romeo and Juliet. Do we craft from memories or myths?

First, try writing from your heart…

When we write from the heart, what appears on the page is genuine, touching, real. These words move others to think, to change, to live better lives. Mitch Albom’s book Have a Little Faith is one such tale. It comes from the heart so it touches the heart. And, because it is genuine, it will last on library bookshelves for a long time.

Sometimes looking into our hearts can be painful. There may be unresolved burdens or abusive scars that we have not yet forgiven. No matter what we suffer, looking into our hearts is our best option. When we sit still and listen to heart-speak, magnificent ideas come to mind.

Look to your heart. Listen to your heart. Write from your heart, and your stories will have meaning that lasts.

Quotable Quotes

On one of the quote sites for famous authors, I discovered a series of wise and inspiring statements. Here are a few of them...

"If my doctor told me I had only six months to live, I wouldn't brood. I'd type a little faster."

Isaac Asimov

"When we come to the edge of all the light we have and we must take a step into the darkness of the unknown, we must believe one of two things: Either we will find something to stand on or we will be taught to fly."
Anonymous

"The best kind of writing, and the biggest thrill in writing, is to suddenly read a line from your typewriter that you didn't know was in you."

Larry L. King

“The poorest of us shed our blood over every chapter. The best of us start from scratch with every new book."

Raymond Chandler

"Only a mediocre writer is always at his best."
W. Somerset Maugham

"Making a book is a craft; it takes more than wit to become an author."

Jean de la Bruyere

"A book is like a man - clever and dull, brave and cowardly, beautiful and ugly. For every flowering thought there will be a page like a wet and mangy mongrel, and for every looping flight a tap on the wing and a reminder that wax cannot hold the feathers firm too near the sun."

John Steinbeck

"In the tale, in the telling, we are all one blood. Take the tale in your teeth, then, and bite till the blood runs, hoping it's not poison; and we will all come to the end together, and even to the beginning: living, as we do, in the middle." 

Ursula K. Le Guin

So, take your writerly flight. Leap off into the airy creative space within, knowing that, before you strike the ground, you will spread wings!

La Jolla Writers Conference 2011

Every year I attend one of the greatest writers conferences on the West Coast, the La Jolla Writers Conference. Here elite authors, often regulars on the New York Times Best Sellers List, speak and teach. Below, you will find highlights from this year’s conference.

Writers don’t need ideas. They daydream and the ideas come. There is a difference between a plot and a story. For example: King dies and queen dies is a plot. King dies and queen dies of a broken heart is a story.

Raymond Fiest

Art cannot be taught. Craft can. Technique inspires thoughts like, “Why did the character show me that?” Chandler wrote, “A slice of spumoni wouldn’t have melted on her now.” And, “Her look would have stuck out his back by at least four inches.” These are definitions of character that rise above mere exposition.

Steven Boyett

The art of pacing is like an umpire making calls at a game. You don’t notice him but he keeps the game fair and the ball in play. Nitpicking details sacrifice pace. Don’t drag your reader through extraneous details just because you spent time researching them. Instead, distill words down to the dramatic core.

Andy Gross

Writers have a plethora of imagination that we must free up. Let go of thoughts like, “What if my mother reads this?” Just write the book. No writer ever wastes time writing. Even if what you produce is fertilizer, keep putting it out there. Stuff grows in fertilizer. You may be nourishing flowers along your writing path.

Jan Burke

 All of the authors quoted above have had multiple award-winning books. Follow their counsel and your writing will reach new heights!

Mastering the Rules

Although no one can teach you to write, you can learn to write with eloquence and power by mastering the rules. That sounds like plodding advice, as if I’m counseling you to spend your life between the musty shelves of a library reading grammar books. That’s not it. But, basic grammatical and structural skills are essential to creating script that is persuasive and intriguing. The purpose of this knowledge is to empower writers to write at their highest peak of skill, to communicate clearly through moving language.

What writers enjoy most is submersion in the intuitive process of creation. Like watching a movie that no one else can see, writing is a process of discovery. Very good writers read a lot and write a lot. To write well we must practice the rules we know.

Good amateur writers write when they can fit it into their schedule. Good professional writers write the way others breathe…all the time. But, all this practice means nothing without knowing how to construct a sentence correctly. It’s bewitching to want to break the rules, to rebel against their conformity. But, without a mastery of basic writing concepts, we can’t break rules in ways that attract and enthrall our readership.

So, trust your instinct but teach yourself the rules, before you break them. Remember, everyone can write. Everyone should write. But, writing with power and poignancy is the result of both using the rules and honoring our intuition.  

Dream your Dream

Writers are dreamers. They dream of mysteries, of fantasies, of romances; they create imaginary worlds that make ordinary things fantastical. Their dreams open doors to the extraordinary and increase our appreciation of what we encounter each day.

Sometimes their dreams are simple. The scent of plum cake, the stitching on grandma’s quilt, the touch of a baby’s hand fills pages with emotion or nostalgia. Sometimes their dreams are wild. Glaring dragons, miraculous technologies, or the discovery of brave new worlds, spill off the page, coloring our reality.

Whatever your dreams, whatever your aspirations, pursue them with full purpose of heart. Nothing in this world is achieved without a dream. Make your dream a reality for all to share.

Feed your Inner Poet

Poetry is the muse of the soul. Yet, in our Western World, it holds less attraction for writers than genres that draw more income. Still, nourishing your inner poet can act as a wellspring to infuse your script with power and appeal. For example, read the following verses and feel their impact, then write whatever comes to mind as a test of their stimulation.

My life running to the seas

through heather, bracken and bad grass,

on its fanked eerie course,

like the mean and shallow stream

that was taking its meager way through a green patch

to the sea in the Kyle.

But again and again a spring tide came

to put beauty on the river foot,

to fill its destination with richness,

and sea-trout and white-bellied salmon came

to taste the water of the high hills

with flood-tide in Inver Eyre.

Sorley MacLean

Look on me! There is an order

Of mortals on the earth, who do become

Old in their youth, and die ere middle age,

Without the violence of warlike death;

Some perishing of pleasure – some of study –

Some worn with toil – some of mere weariness –

Some of disease – and some insanity –

And some of withered, or of broken hearts.

Lord Byron

These images stir the heart, causing thoughts to rise to the surface that may have remained comfortably settled in the dark. Explore your artistic side through poetry. You may harvest a plethora of inspiration.

David Farland - What Kind of Author do you Want to Be?

To introduce you to his thoughtful style, I am posting quotes from his newsletter below:

 

In my last article, I spoke about the different things that writers can do. I’m often surprised by how few authors have really thought about what it is that they’re trying to accomplish. Do you want to be considered an entertainer? A prophet who forewarns of political doom? A writer whose work electrifies and binds people together?

I love it when an author figures that out early. Personally, I didn’t have much of a vision for what I wanted to become. I figured it out over a few years.

About twenty years ago, L. Ron Hubbard re-released the novel Buckskin Brigades. A businessman in an airport bought a copy, sat down to read, and became so engrossed in the novel, he discovered that his plane had taken off without him—more than an hour earlier! So he hopped on the next plane home. When he got there, he saw police cars in his driveway, along with his brother’s car. He became alarmed and rushed into the house to find his brother comforting his wife. It turned out that the plane he was to have taken crashed, and everyone on it had died. That book had saved his life!

I read about it on the cover of a major newspaper, and I decided, “That’s the kind of writer I want to be—the kind who saves lives by entertaining people well!” So I went to work.

I wrote The Runelords and sent it in to my agent. She passed it off to her assistant, who began to read. She had planned to read a chapter before bed, but became so engrossed that she kept reading. At two she still couldn’t find a place to stop.

At five in the morning, she realized that she was in trouble and drove to an all-night clinic.

At nine in the morning she finished the novel in the hospital and called the agent to let her know that she was stuck there with a urinary-tract infection.

Another reader began reading one morning before work and kept on for hours, even though his boss kept calling with threats. He got fired, but said, “I realized that there are a lot of crummy jobs in the world, but not a lot of good books.”

So I’ve never managed to save anyone’s life, but I have managed to get them fired from their day jobs and put them in the hospital!

Entertaining is important to me. In fact, I believe that whatever else you want to do as an author, you must first entertain. No one cares if you’re a political thinker or a great self-help guru, unless you can capture their interest and entertain at the same time.

I also believe that entertainers are far more valuable than the average critic understands.

But your story can do more than just entertain. I mentioned being a teacher. Some tales are admittedly more about teaching than mere storytelling. If you watch Shakespeare’s “Othello,” for example, it’s a masterful argument about the evils of dishonesty, about the power of lies to destroy others, and the viewpoint character in the tale is the monstrous liar himself. Other Shakespeare plays tackle issues such as jealousy, the dangers of the occult, and so on. Each has a strong moral theme, but the morals aren’t particularly revelatory in nature. One professor summed up the moral of one of Shakespeare’s plays thusly, “We should be nice to each other.” True? Yes. Profound? No.

In other words, though our works might teach, they don’t have to be profound. Each generation must learn the same truths about life over and over again. So stories that teach need only to deliver the tale effectively—with enough intellectual clarity and emotional power so that the message stays with the audience.

Let me give you an example. When I was a young teen, I had a political science teacher who was a communist. I lived in a neighborhood where we had dozens of communes nearby. I was attracted to the idealism that some of my communist friends exuded. I felt that any society that doesn’t take care of those who are in great need—the physically and mentally ill, the disabled—was a failure, an embarrassment.

One day I was speaking to a very intelligent young woman, and she recommended one of her favorite books—Ayn Rand’s The Fountainhead.

Rand’s works are so pro-capitalist that they read almost like tracts, but I found her arguments to be thought-provoking and convincing. Indeed, the arguments entertained me on an intellectual level, even though the story did not hold my interest. Forty years later, I don’t recall the plot at all, only the substance of the author’s argument. Ayn Rand turned me from a communist into a capitalist.

In order to be that kind of “teacher,” it seems to me that one needs to sound a clear warning. You must strive to be unambiguous. What if Ayn Rand had a second novel, one that promotes the ideals of communism? Would her novels have galvanized any readers to choose one side of the topic or another? I think not.

Many literary writers believe that it’s a virtue to examine both sides of an issue and let the reader decide what’s right and what’s wrong. They don’t want to be didactic. As a result, they waffle on every topic and never sound a clear call on anything. That’s a huge mistake. It’s a sign of intellectual weakness and moral cowardice.

Some people believe that in order to be a great writer, you must entertain and also be a great teacher. That seems reasonable. Given two books of equal merit as entertainment, the one that also gives us some profound insights will feel “stronger,” of greater value.

 So, find out what kind of author you want to be before you write. It will bring meaning and power to your work.

Conference Notes 2011

For the past few days, I’ve been indulging in one of my favorite pastimes, attending the La Jolla Writers Conference. At this yearly event, masters of suspense, fantasy and mystery teach rising writers how to become best selling authors. Below are a few of the many notes taken at this world-class event.

• Art cannot be taught. Craft can. Embed details in your narrative, details that hook the reader and move the plot forward.
• Make your “voice” consistent. Carry it through from start to finish.
• Metaphors do not always have to be violent to be effective. “A slice of spumoni wouldn’t have melted on her, now” is one example.
• Support one character as the devil’s advocate. That is the one that may express the reader’s disbelief without breaking connection with the story.
• For good action, combine verb packing with a sense of place.
• Writing that involves all the senses increases tension. (Read Misery).
• Everything that happens should come as a surprise to the reader, yet, in retrospect, be inevitable.
• Keep the pace fast to keep the story moving.
• Regardless of how much research you’ve done, only include the vital detail. Don’t flood your book with facts that bog the storyline down.
• If you think your writing is good enough, you’re probably wrong. Revision and editing is where your work becomes great instead of merely good.
• The lies we tell in our stories must be matched by truths. If we tell a huge lie, it must be balanced by a massive truth!
• Each chapter is a carrier of information. Don’t weigh scenes down with too much information. Keep them bare bones and the pace with stay fast and fascinating.
• No writer ever ever wastes time writing. If what you’re producing is fertilizer, it will make things grow better in the future!

Apply these notes to your writing life and spectacular things will inevitably follow.

Touched with Fire

The book Touched with Fire by Kay R. Jameson, deals with manic-depressive illness and the artistic temperament. Many artists condemn themselves for what modern society considers weaknesses, including moodiness, short attention spans, inability to relate socially and psychotic episodes. What is rarely if ever mentioned is that these symptoms often accompany that rare genius that spawns rich imaginative literary creations.

“Poetic or artistic genius, when infused with these fitful and inconstant moods,” Jameson says, “can become a powerful crucible for imagination and experience…(And) impassioned moods…and the artistic temperament can be welded into a ‘fine madness’…”

The pragmatic modern mind immediately assumes that such moody inconstancy is a “problem,” a negative related to ego that should be crushed instead of appreciated. In Touched with Fire, Jameson makes it clear that, during times of greatest poetic expression in society, possession of a fine madness was considered a gift to be identified, understood and used, not a fault of nature to be condemned and eradicated.

I’m not suggesting that we indulge our tempers due to ego or trample upon others in the name of creativity. However, I do promote gentle assessments of our personal characteristics, with the knowledge that many such idiosyncrasies, while they may complicate lifestyle, are evidences of abilities that can be cultivated into rich creative contributions.

I encourage everyone with a creative inclination to read this book. At the worst it will educate writers in the symptoms of a mental illness that has caused deep sorrow among the artistic population. At the best it will open doors to, “…understanding the relationship between moods and imagination…and the importance of moods in igniting thought, changing perceptions, creating chaos, forcing order upon that chaos, and enabling transformation.”

The Advantages of Suffering

There are some writers who go to the best schools, come from the richest families, learn from the most renowned teachers and step into the limelight with a swagger. Their writing may be deep, insightful and widely published, but, unless they have experienced one vital part of life, their works are just pleasantly written passages.

That part of life is suffering.

Too often writers believe that their writing isn’t good enough because they haven’t attended the most expensive schools, they don’t come from families filled with literary luminaries, or learned at the feet of the most famous authors.

They don’t understand the advantages of suffering.

Real struggle, deep pain, true tragedy teach principles of wisdom. Without such wisdom writing is vain and superficial. With such wisdom writing grows from grace to grace, opening the hearts of readers to new understandings that change them, forever.

This doesn’t mean that budding writers should leap out into the world and do bad things so they can suffer. Most of us suffer enough, just by living. But, each writer should look back at every event that caused them pain, spend time empathizing with family members and friends about their struggles, seek to learn what suffering has to teach.

This kind of insight moves writing beyond superficialities of style. It grows into a wellspring of wisdom that can infuse our work with depth.

Remember the value of suffering. Always see it as an advantage, not a burden. Thus, your writing can become powerful and poignant, while suffering, in all its pain and anguish, can grow into a mighty teacher that transforms mediocre writing into great art. 

Tune In by Tuning Out

 Our writing becomes richer when we tune in the world around us. To do this, we must tune out those ordinary noises, sounds, scents and anxieties that act like static to the creative mind.

Imagine a safe place, a secure place (either wild or peaceful), where you are surrounded by beauty. For some this may be a quiet nook in a library or a waterfall in a park or a bridge crossing a roaring river. Wherever you find harmony, imagine yourself there.

Then, tune out the physical world around you and tune in the imaginary one. Tune it in completely. Taste the air, smell the leaves, feel the grasses blowing in the breeze. There is fire in the atmosphere of such imaginings, coals of creative genius too often buried beneath the ash of daily business. These coals burst into conflagration when we give them attention.

Always include something you love in the tuning in process. Always be specific.

If you have a passion for food, be specific about which kind of food you want to dream about. Maybe fruit? Which fruit? Gale Brandeis said, in her book, Fruitflesh, “We are fruit with breath inside…Breath invigorates us, fills our blood with oxygen, fills our bodies with vitality, fills our language with possibility. Breath, literally, inspires us.”

We must know the wilderness within, the peaceful meadows of the heart or flaming atmosphere of the spirit, before we can craft eloquent phrases that not only touch but move the hearts of our readers. It’s not hard. All we must do is tune out daily care and tune in creative genius. 

Everyone Can Write

From our youth, many of us have been taught that only special people can write. You must be a genius, an artist, someone with a unique gift, before you can put pen effectively to paper.

Nonsense! That’s the kind of twaddle that egotistical pseudo-intellectuals tout to trembling students. It’s ugly and elitist and just plain wrong.

Remember, when you were a child? How everything from words to works of art poured easily onto the page? Without pretentiousness or snobbery, children create beauty. Once we become educated, however, once we become morbidly conscious of critics and audience and the how-to’s of this and that, then our writing fails.

Brenda Ueland puts it simply yet eloquently. “Since art must truly be felt and cannot be willed, since it has to generate spontaneously in the artist’s inner self, there comes into existence willed, brain-spun, pseudo-art. And, one common kind of pseudo-art is that which pretends to be very hard to understand, subtle and abstruse, so that only a very exclusive few, a few extremely cultured people, can understand it.”

Children, moved by spontaneous emotion, rashly express with genuine abandon. As adults, we must revive such authentic creativity, often with a blinding flash of discovery that changes our viewpoints, forever.

The truth is that everyone is born with an innate ability to write. Whether we write with crayons or poetical feather pens, each of us has an inborn gift that can be cultivated, until it becomes as easy as breathing.

Have faith that you can write. Believe that you, too, are a genius. As you do, you will discover the precious artist within and a multitude of stories already created and ready to spill onto the page.

Tips on World Building

When it comes to building your imaginary world, remember the following keys:

1)     Every world is run by laws. Your hero and heroine must abide by those laws, as well as events that occur in your plotline.
2)     Fill out description with the senses. Using the senses brings readers into the story.
3)     Make sure your world is filled with ideas that readers can relate to. If it's a little familiar, they find enough stability to accept what is new or strange.
4)      Show don't tell. Sometimes this is tricky, but showing is far more compelling than telling.
5)     Create a culture. This includes religious themes, dress, hairstyles, politics, food and anything else that affects how characters relate to each other or the plot.

There are many more keys to world building. Review your favorite books and watch how those authors do it. Build your world with passion and love and it will fascinate readers, everywhere.

Dream your Dream of Authorship

Many of us push aside dreams of actually authoring that novel, autobiography, article or poem, because we believe we're not worthy. After all, when we look in the mirror each morning, we see someone that has made mistakes, hurt themselves and others, or failed to achieve an important goal. If we buy into the comparison mentality, we may actually think that we are less valuable because of the errors in our history, because of the lack of dollars in our bank account, because we are not famous or fabulously talented.
NONSENSE! You are worthy of your dreams of authorship.
Mistakes are great learning tools. Being an ordinary Joe grants freedom from the Paparazzi. A low bank account can motivate creative thinking. Pain is the precursor to wisdom.
You are worthy of your dreams. The first thing you need to do is dream about those dreams. Imagining how you would feel if you had written that novel, autobiography, article or poem is the first step to actually accomplishing it.
No one sees like you do. No one feels like you do. No one writes like you do.

Dream your dream. Then, make that dream real. It's a gift that only you can give the world.

Feeding your Muse

The creative mind hungers for inspiration. Writers and artists often refer to their source of imagination as their Muse. A Muse was a Greek goddess, the source of creativity for art and literature. Too often, the voice of our Muse may be smothered by daily cares and the hustle and bustle of life.

Here are a few ideas for feeding your Muse:

• An hour at the library. With your cell phone off, this can be a time of quiet reflection and study.
• An afternoon in the park. Immersing oneself in nature refreshes and inspires the Muse.
• Writing poetry. Most of us don’t sell poetry; such a creative journey is taken for the love of the journey, itself, a way to renew the Muse.
• Fifteen minutes with Shakespeare. Reading anything written by the immortal bard is a wonderful way to tap into the power of your Muse.
• Play musical pillows. Stretch out and listen to your favorite kind of slow music; this means mellow not manic. Classic blues or Beethoven may nourish your inner Muse.

 Other suggestions include outdoor concerts, fun or fine dining, even doing a kindness for someone else. Find what puts you in touch with your quiet center, then invest a few moments in that activity. Your Muse will thank you for it!

Write for your Life

Writing is more than a mere passing pleasure. It is a power that can change minds, societies and worlds. During revolutionary times, writers have been proscribed, jailed and killed. Why? Because writing affects society.

Writing changes how people think, which also changes how they see, feel and act. The tone of every human group can be swayed by the simple act of writing.  Knowing this should affect why and how you write.

With great power comes great responsibility. Every writer has power not only to entertain but to influence. We redefine the roles of heroes, heroines and villains. Those goals to which others aspire are either supported or decried by our writing.

Think deeply about this truth. Your written words can cause real and permanent change. Do you seek to inform, educate, proselytize or spread propaganda? Whichever you choose, your writing can transform your world.

You will have to live with whatever changes your words inspire. So, write the truth. Write for truth. And, write for your life.

Every word counts…  

Quotes from Great Writers

Great writers struggle with their writing, just like regular people do. Sometimes they cope with humor, sometimes with wit. Whatever avenue they choose to express themselves, their thoughts on writing are memorable.

If my doctor told me I had only six months to live, I wouldn't brood. I'd type a little faster.                                                                                     Isaac Asimov

Contests are wonderful whetstones for sharpening a manuscript.

Elizabeth Lyon

Sir, I admit your gen'ral rule
That every poet is a fool;
But you yourself may serve to show it,
That every fool is not a poet.

Alexander Pope

The poorest of us shed our blood over every chapter. The best of us start from scratch with every new book.                                                      Raymond Chandler

Every reader finds himself. The writer's work is merely a kind of optical instrument that makes it possible for the reader to discern what, without this book, he would perhaps never have seen in himself.                                             Marcel Proust

It's easy to get an agent. What's hard is writing a salable book.

                                                          Michael Larsen
  A good book has no ending.

                                                                               R.D. Cumming

McKee on Story

     In Robert McKee’s brilliant book on screenwriting entitled, Story, he outlines powerful proven writing principles and why they work in all genres. At the beginning of this fine work, McKee quotes Kenneth Burke as saying, “Stories are equipment for living.” This truth provides an unerring direction for how to apply the principles taught in Story.

     “A rule says, 'You must do it this way.' A principle says, 'This works…and has through all remembered time.' These opening sentences pave the way for other even more enlightening truths. “Your work,” McKee continues, “needn’t be modeled after the ‘well-made’ play; rather, it must be well made within the principles that shape our art. Anxious, inexperienced writers obey rules. Rebellious unschooled writers break rules. Artists master the form...

     “The archetypal story unearths a universally human experience…an archetypal story creates settings and characters so rare that our eyes feast on every detail, while its telling illuminates conflicts so true to humankind that it journeys from culture to culture…Stereotypical stories stay at home, archetypal stories travel…

     “Once inside this alien world, we find ourselves…we discover our own humanity…We do not wish to escape life but to find life…Screen and prose writers create the same density of world, character and story…Story is about the realities, not the mysteries, of writing.”

     If these wise sayings fascinate you, buy the book. There are many marvelous tomes delineating how to write a book, short story or screenplay. This is one of the most detailed and eloquent.

     “On the screen there’s no place to hide,” McKee continues. “Story is about mastering the art, not second-guessing the marketplace…Rather than agonizing over the odds, put your energies into achieving excellence.”

     Each writer has his or her own calling to fulfill. Knowing the principles of writing can help realize such fulfillment more quickly. Make your story brilliant by applying writing principles proven over time.

The Truth Behind Great Writing

Writing that touches home, that stirs the heart and creates memorable, clearly experienced moments, is writing based on truth. This doesn’t mean that one must live a bohemian lifestyle, break the law or rebel against cultural mores in a quest for truth. People that rebel, especially famous accomplished people, are often merely self-indulgent rather than truthful, growing selfish, hard and mean instead of enlightened. (And, isn’t personal growth our most important truth?) Writing from truth means that you must be in tune with what you believe, that your heart and the ideas that live there must be known to you, intimately.

This is the character behind your writing, the very real spiritual blood with which you mark the page. If your stories are rooted in a desire for money, fame, popularity or sophistication, they won’t ring true. Only when you know your truth, in all its tarnished beauty, can you write the truth.

Children speak truth with an ease that adults often find embarrassing. That's because they are genuine, with no hidden agendas. Basing your stories on truth can inspire great writing. Your personal connection with truth may take time to develop and a willingness to examine not only what others expect of you, but your own hidden motives. Once you touch base with these truths, your stories will sound intuitive, sympathetic and real. In other words, they will attain greatness.

One Irish proverb says, “Seeing is believing, but feeling is God’s own truth.” Write from divine truth and your readers will feel deeply and remember the truth you portrayed for a lifetime.

New York Times Best Sellers

Reading great books not only entertains but trains our writing skills. When we hone eye and heart with fine literature, we become better at concepting, developing story structure and crafting script. All of the following are current best sellers. Compare them to books in your personal library. 

1. THE HELP, by Kathryn Stockett
2. LETHAL, by Sandra Brown
3. THE MILL RIVER RECLUSE, by Darcie Chan
4. HEAT RISES, by Richard Castle
5. SON OF STONE, by Stuart Woods
6. HEAVEN IS FOR REAL, by Todd Burpo with Lynn Vincent
7. CONFIDENCE MEN, by Ron Suskind
8. UNBROKEN, by Laura Hillenbrand
9. MONEYBALL, by Michael Lewis
10. THE NIGHT CIRCUS, by Erin Morgenstern
11. REAMDE, by Neal Stephenson
12. IN MY TIME, by Dick Cheney with Liz Cheney
13. EVERY THING ON IT, by Shel Silverstein
14. WONDERSTRUCK, by Brian Selznick
15. MISS PEREGRINE'S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN, by Ransom Riggs
16. THE POWER OF SIX, by Pittacus Lore
17. THE BOOK THIEF, by Markus Zusak
18. THE RED PYRAMID, by Rick Riordan
19. THE ABSOLUTELY TRUE DIARY OF A PART-TIME INDIAN, by Sherman Alexie
20. OUTLIERS, by Malcolm Gladwell
21. CLARK HOWARD'S LIVING LARGE IN LEAN TIMES, by Clark Howard
22. TIPPING POINT, by Malcolm Gladwell
23. THAT USED TO BE US, by Thomas L. Friedman and Michael Mandelbaum
24. IN THE GARDEN OF BEASTS, by Erik Larson
25. THE FIVE LOVE LANGUAGES, by Gary Chapman
26. CRAZY LOVE, by Francis Chan with Danae Yankoski
27. EAT TO LIVE, by Joel Fuhrman
28. FORKS OVER KNIVES, edited by Gene Stone
29. SILENT RUN, by Barbara Freethy (Barbara Freethy)
30. A DANCE WITH DRAGONS, by George R. R. Martin (Random House)
31. A KILLING TIDE, by P. J. Alderman (P. J. Alderman)
32. MILE 81, by Stephen King (Scribner)
33. A GAME OF THRONES, by George R. R. Martin (Random House)
34. THE PARIS WIFE, by Paula McLain (Random House)
35. THE RACE, by Clive Cussler and Justin Scott (Penguin Group)
36. THE ART OF FIELDING, by Chad Harbach (Little, Brown)
37. THE CONFESSION, by John Grisham (Knopf Doubleday)
38. THE REVERSAL, by Michael Connelly (Grand Central)
39. A STORM OF SWORDS, by George R. R. Martin (Random House)
40. SECOND SON, by Lee Child (Random House)
41. AMERICAN ASSASSIN, by Vince Flynn (Simon & Schuster)
42. THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO, by Stieg Larsson (Knopf Doubleday)
43. UNFINISHED BUSINESS, by Nora Roberts (Harlequin)
44. A FEAST FOR CROWS, by George R. R. Martin (Random House

The previous list includes books that currently top the New York Times Best Sellers List. It covers suspense, crime, fantasy, non-fiction and many other genres. Read, learn and, most of all, enjoy!

How to Choose a Ghostwriter

           Many people need help when writing books, speeches, ads, and autobiographies or other professional written works. Using a ghostwriter is a timesaving way to get the job done, while supervising script development. Here are a few keys to choosing a ghostwriter that is a positive fit.

1)                 Love the Project –

Writers always write better about topics they really care about. Pre-screen prospective ghostwriters. Make sure you’re on the same page with topic fascination.

2)                Experience Counts –

Make sure your ghostwriter is a true professional. Review past projects and past clients. Only then sit down and talk money.

3)                Stick to your Budget –

Ghostwriters are available with a broad pallet of skills and expertise. And, you really do get what you pay for! Make sure you know exactly what you can afford and stay under that financial bar.  

            In the last few minutes of the movie “Field of Dreams,” Kevin Costner, frustrated and unfulfilled, said, “I’ve done everything you wanted and I never asked, ‘What’s in it for me?’  Well, ‘What’s in it for me?’” Most ghostwriters come from the same place.

They want money. Plain and simple.

Most ghosted books are assigned as Work-for-Hire for between $15,000 and $40,000, by average industry standards.

The good news is that, once your ghostwriter is finished, you own the results. And, believe me, it is your work. No ghostwriter came up with the concept. No ghostwriter spent hours hammering out storyline details. No ghostwriter paid for the labor. This is your baby and you deserve the credit.

So, get a good ghostwriter, make sure that your minds are in harmony, and provide the leadership to see your project through.

           Ghostwriters are great resources to help you achieve your dreams!

Life Lessons from Steven R. Boyett

Steven Boyett, internationally famous author of the novels Ariel, Elegy Beach and Mortality Bridge, gave a keynote speech at the La Jolla Writers Conference in which he delineated life lessons learned during his years as a writer. A renowned writer/teacher of fiction, screenplays, collegiate writing courses, seminars, and workshops, Boyett has published stories in literary, science fiction, fantasy, and horror anthologies and magazines. It’s interesting, therefore, to learn that the greatest lessons acquired by this exquisite writer and fascinating instructor came when he chose to distance himself from writing, and plunge into hobbies that brought enrichment and delight.

Many rising lights in literature, like Blake Hutchins, Patrick O’Sullivan and Laurie Tom, have written award-winning stories that I recommend beginning writers to read. They are fine examples of high concept development and story structure, as well as eloquence of execution. Yet, feeding the soul is also a real way to make our writing better.

The keynote speech delivered by Steven Boyett, a life changing talk for all writers, is easy to access at the Internet address listed below, although you may have to cut and paste it into your browser window. Thank you, Steven, for making this presentation available for all.
 http://www.steveboy.com/blog/?p=1666 

Write your Screenplay!

It’s been said that everyone has a screenplay in them. In Southern California it’s standard procedure to have a literary agent pitching a screenplay in Hollywood, at all times. But, just writing a screenplay isn’t enough. You must write it right. Film audiences are much more sophisticated, today, than they were in years past. Exposure to a broad venue of brilliantly written features has polished their observational skills, honing their perception of “story” to a place of refinement. Even kids can give a concise, point-by-point definition of why a movie is great or why it “stinks.”

What is that magic formula for success in film? It’s as close as your library or bookstore. The Writers Journey, Mythic Structure for Writers by Christopher Vogler is one brilliant resource. It takes you through the Hero’s Journey, step-by-step, while describing how and when to introduce a host of support characters and villains. Story by Robert McKee, not only defines story structure but gives examples of screenplays that worked and didn’t work, so you can review them as part of your read. Write Screenplays that Sell, by Hal Ackerman, takes you from plot-point to plot-point, from inception through the inciting event, sharing professional secrets not taught in film schools. And, Lew Hunter’s Screenwriting 434 is a brilliant synopsis of his internationally famous film class at UCLA. (He also hosts a screenwriting colony several times a year. Get info. by email at lew1@windstream.net) Hunter helped found the American Screenwriters Association and has been inducted into its Hall of Fame.

There you go. All the information you need to craft a brilliant screenplay is in these books. Read them and use their tips to fashion a screenplay that will “pop” on the silver screen!

Why Write?

For millennia people have written their thoughts, their hopes, their dreams onto parchment, paper and stone. From cave drawings to pictographs to encyclopedias, writing has chronicled both the hubris and the heart of mankind.

Why do you write? Have you thought about your motivation? Take a moment and put down the top seven reasons why you write at all. Is it to chronicle dreams, to promote business, to communicate feelings, to evaluate thoughts? Writing is an intimate act. When you write the invisible thoughts within become concrete and viewable.

What do you learn when reading the writings of others? What goals, truths or facts can be gleaned? Are you nourished by language? Does your mind broaden when exposed to fresh ideas?

Think about it.

Writing can remain a mundane daily task. Or, it can morph into a luminous act of brilliance and growth.

Why write?

The answer is as close as your pencil…

The Inner Game of Tennis (Writing)

Writing, like any other task, requires focus. Complete immersion in topic and storyline is essential to enable a writer to craft with skill and power. The book The Inner Game of Tennis by Gallwey, acts as a step-by-step guide in how to quiet your mind, let creativity flow and increase concentration. Using tennis as a format, Gallwey reviews the basics of controlling and guiding your mind.

“This is the game that takes place in the mind of the (writer). It is played against such obstacles as lapses in concentration, nervousness, self-doubt and self-condemnation. In short, it is played to overcome all habits of mind which inhibit excellence in performance.”

Have you wondered why your writing sometimes flows easily, but is wretchedly difficult the very next day? Do you experience external stress as an inhibiting factor, leaching creativity and craftsmanship from your work? Think of your mind as the steering wheel that controls the direction of your writing. Controlling your mind is an “inner game” that can make the difference between mediocrity and excellence. Tolerance rather than judgment is one important element that leads to such excellence.

“When we plant a rose seed in the earth, we notice that it is small, but we do not criticize it as ‘rootless and stem-less.’ We treat it as a seed, giving it the water and nourishment required of a seed. When it first shoots up out of the earth, we don’t condemn it as immature or underdeveloped; nor do we criticize the buds for not being open when they appear. We stand in wonder at the process taking place and give the plant the care it needs at each stage of its development.”

This is good common sense. Unfortunately, such nurturing does not happen often in the experience of the writer. Insecure, competitive, jealous instructors, classmates and peers trample the tender shoots of our creativity almost before they breach our spiritual topsoil. Harsh or abusive feedback may be insisted upon at critique groups, during classes and by family members. One of my relatives, when reading something I composed in my teenage years, told me that it was “…much too gingerbready for adults. But, maybe you could write for children.”

Hmmm!

After hoisting my courage back up from the depths, I wrote a short story and submitted it to a tri-state competition, slated to be judged by the professor of an elite college on the east coast. In red ink, the judge wrote the following on my entry. “You should read lots and lots of books and magazines before ever attempting to write, again!” Afterward, I was told that this professor sat down with several bottles of wine in front of his fireplace and took great joy, while judging, in “putting blood in the envelopes” of each entrant.

This kind of vicious attack is not uncommon in other professions, but seems particularly rampant in the writing community. The Inner Game of Tennis teaches us how to “explore the limitless potential” within ourselves, how to allow the gracious flowering of talent without setbacks caused by the acidic pruning of the critic. “The unconscious mind hears everything and never forgets…” Review this wonderful book and the act of writing may rise more smoothly and more easily to mind and heart.

(Currently out-of-print but may be ordered in paperback or found at old bookstores).