Prepping for Marathon!

It's that time of year again when my thoughts turn to critiquing because my online writing group, The Speculative Fiction Group on Agent Query Connect, is getting ready to participate in another summer marathon. I've had to duck out of critiquing for the last two or three years in order to publish my book and because of personal events, so I'm excited to jump back into the arena and take the opportunity to enjoy other people's stories and learn a thing or two to improve my own writing.

I'm hoping for great new stories to read and to be able to see how other members of my group have grown and improved with their craft. I'm always amazed at the range of critiques and styles. It's actually a humbling experience because it reminds me that I have room for improvement.

To help myself and other prepare for the Marathon I'm posting links to previous blogposts dealing with past marathons and writing craft. Even if you're not a member of my writing group, I hope you can find these posts helpful. New comments are welcome.

Wondering what our marathons are like or how to hold a critiquing marathon? We take 12 weeks, Mondays through Saturdays. Mondays, people post a chapter or two (if chapters are very small) and Tuesday though Saturday, other people read and critique. We vote on whether or not the chapters are polished in order for the submitter to post new material the next week. If their chapter isn't quite there yet, we vote no, so they can go back and edit and fix the problem, re-post the fixed chapter the following week, and have a chance to move forward. It's amazing to see the growth, the insight, and to watch people rise to the challenge. You can't have a thin skin, and yes, we've had people get upset or think everyone else is bonkers and fall out. It happens. Overall, after doing this for five years, now in our sixth, I think it's our group's crowning purpose. Many people have gone on to do well with agents and publishing, or at the very least, have grown substantially as both a critic and a writer.

As a last parting thought, if this sounds like something you'd like to be involved in and you write speculative fiction, think about applying to join our group. We're always open to new members.

On Characterization:
We Are Onions Not Turnips
A Little Personality
Guest Post: E.M. LaBonte on What Makes a Protagonist Likeable?

On World Building:
Falling in Love with Your World
How Much World Building Do You Need?
World Building: Think Big, Be Creative, Have Fun!

On Critiquing and Taking a Critique:
Get Me My Sword, The Fight Is On!
Over-Editing and Self-Esteem
Receiving Manuscript Feedback
The Critiquing Dilemma
The Courage To Be You

On Writing:
Disappearing Language
The Posting/Critiquing Marathon Part 1: What I've Learned So Far
The Posting/Critiquing Marathon Part 2: In Conclusion, What I've Learned
Manuscript Disease Top 10 Symptoms
A Public Service Message Regarding Unpolished Manuscripts
Because: One of the Most Important Words a Writer Can Use ...
Fun Ideas and Tips #9: Using the Ending to Create the Beginning
Opposition is a Good Thing
Don't Buy That Method!
Your Story, Your Spin
What is Talent?
Enticing Your Readers
Fulfilling Your Promises to the Reader

On Editing:
Guest Post: Five Tips for Editing & a Few Resources
Trimming the Manuscript Part 1: The Nitpicks Revision
Trimming the Manuscript Part 2: Too Much Plot?--It Happens
Because You Love It--Great! Now Rewrite It.
Cutting Down Character Count or How to Amputate 101
Don't Spend So Much Time Polishing Your Beginning ...
Adjectives, Adverbs, and Sneaky Profanity
 

Don't Buy That Method!

Oh, there are so many great sources for writing instruction out there! Authors, editors, publishers, universities, writing forums, books, YouTube clips ... For a beginning writer or even someone who is checking out the professional side of things, the plethora of resources can be daunting and confusing. Should you get a MFA? Which conventions and conferences should you attend? Which workshops should you take? One group of people swears by this method, others swear by another. Bloggers try to help by sharing their favorite methods and it adds to the confusion.

First off, take a big breath and relax.

Secondly, congratulations for recognizing that any good writer needs to work on their craft. Anyone who assumes otherwise is in for a long, hard ride.

But here's the bit of truth you seldom run into when trying to find the one-true method: There isn't one ultimate method to writing or your writing journey.

I'm sorry if that's a disappointment for some, that there isn't a fast-track to writing bliss and success. On the other hand, if you're like me, knowing that fact is a huge relief. It's easy to think you're doing everything wrong because your writing journey isn't the same as someone else. Online, everything seems so competitive. We are exposed to more success stories than we would in our real lives. Those that make it big become instant rock stars (never mind if it took them years to get there, we only see the here and now) and the rest of us are poor, deluded drudges. It gets depressing if you let it. Sometimes we're tempted to pay someone to teach us the mystic secrets of writing and publishing, and granted, some resources are worth the price. However, most of what you need to know, the basics, you can find out for free if you take the time to do some research.

Ask any writer and they'll share the resources they found helpful. It's a place to start. The next step is trying out different methods and see what works best for you. Chances are you will spend several years developing your method. That's good, and healthy.

But wait, there's more.

While it's not good to only buy into the method someone's trying to cram down your throat, did you know it's equally detrimental to only create one method for yourself? Once we get into a pattern that works for us, it's tempting to stay there, and it's possible to churn out many adequate or good books that way. So why bother rocking the boat once we get in?

Our brains are amazing, and there's this wonderful technique called interleaving that helps stimulate creativity, memory, and creating connections between facets that normally wouldn't come together. In other words, you can write better than your one-true method will allow you to.

When we're in those early experimental stages, we're actually at our creative best. We haven't locked onto one method; we're trying lots of methods. We're interleaving. Let's look at some examples:

1. You've been stuck on a particular chapter, having difficulty creating the right dialogue and exposition between two characters. You know what's going on, what needs to be discussed, even know how your characters feel about it, but things aren't working out right. Say your one-true method is to pound out the scene then go back and edit it like crazy until it shines. Not bad, and yes, you'll probably think of snappier dialogue with each pass. But, what if you tried a different method, a POV reversal. You've had the scene written out in character A's POV, now rewrite it from character B's POV. Wow, you think afterwards, I thought I knew both characters sides, but look what else came out. Switch the POVs back adding in the new angles, or maybe you'll decide that character B was the right way to go all along.

2. You're an outliner. It keeps you on track and you can check things off your outline as you do them; it gives you a sense of accomplishment and productivity. You wake up in the middle of the night with your story on your brain. An unplanned setting, an event not on the outline, and interaction between two characters you never intended to meet up suddenly makes several plotlines make more sense. Grab a sheet of paper or a notebook and write like a pantser. Don't outline the scene, write it. Don't worry about your outline, after all, outlines aren't carved in stone and you can always change the whole thing tomorrow when you add this new scene into the story. The point is, you're brain has made new connections unfettered by a strict outline which can change the success of your story.

3. You've always written chronologically; it helps you keep your facts straight; but now your stuck and having a hard time moving forward. In the back of your mind is the next key scene, the problem is you have to get your characters to that point before you can write it. Rip out that mental stop sign and go ahead and write the next key scene. By writing it, you may come up with the pathway those characters have to take in order to feel, do, and say the things that this scene demands.

4. You write your stories in first person, present tense. That's what's been popular for the past few years and you've become accustomed to it, even love it. But it's not working for your current WIP. First person's leaving out too many important details and events that would enrich the novel for your readers. The situation, at times, when written in present tense makes you sound like you're hyping up the slow parts of your novel to a ridiculous level. Try writing in close third, or even the frowned upon 3rd omniscient. Does it make the story flow better? You may find you even like it. Or, it will help you weed out what isn't working well in your pet style.

5. You've got a big, complex story with lots of character POVs. Making each of those POVs different is a Herculean task. You've been editing and editing to try to make a difference but your beta readers are struggling to know whose POV they're in. Time to pull the novel apart and work on one storyline at a time, rather than as a cohesive whole. This way you get into one character's head and stay there for the duration of their story, allowing you the time needed to develop that character's particular syntax, perspective, and style, making their voice strong.

Get the picture? Don't be afraid to stop your usual writing routine to try out something new, something different. Our brains like this kind of stimulation. We have to look at our writing from new angles in order to keep it fresh. Study the methods of others, lots of others, decide which ones work best for you, but don't stop interleaving methods. Never put yourself in a rut because it is safe.

From my own experience, I never realized I was a natural interleaver until I learned about it. I seldom get writer's block because of it, and I'm bombarded by new ideas and new connections all the time. No two novels are written the same way. If anyone were to ask me for my method I'd have to smile; I have no method. I use many and I like to discover new ones to try out. Perhaps after reading this post you've discovered you're a natural interleaver too. If so, keep it up, and don't let anyone else tell you to box yourself in. Embrace the creative freedom.

Question for you:
What are some of the methods or resources you've found helpful when writing? Please share them so everyone can learn something new.

Guest Post: How Science Fiction and Fantasy Have Changed Over the Years

I'd like to welcome author Scott Seldon to the blog today to share his thoughts about a topic I've begun to investigate. It's good to share ideas and the thoughts of others and I hope to be able to add to them when I relay my own findings in the future. This is a starting point and I'm grateful to Scott for kicking it off. Please share your own thoughts in the comments.
 
What we think of as genre fiction didn't really exist a century ago. Jules Verne did not write science fiction, he wrote fantastical adventures based on his knowledge of science and where it could lead. H.G. Wells projected his hopes and fears of the future, again based on science. Edgar Rice Burroughs wrote romances (then the term did not mean what it means today; it referred to stories like Le Morte D'Arthur and Ivanhoe) set on other worlds. Today we consider all three and their works to be the foundations of science fiction. Their stories stand the test of time, but they are nothing like what we see modern writers producing.

You just have to look at the changes in our world to understand some of the changes to science fiction. In 1915, WWI raged in Europe. Einstein was a German. His Theory of Relativity had yet to be proven and was only ten years old. Atomic energy and weapons had not been dreamed of yet. Airplanes and automobiles existed, but were not much more than toys of the rich, though there already was an electric car. Spaceflight was a dream and Goddard hadn't even conducted his experiments yet.

Language has also changed, as has education. Latin was nearly always included as were the classics. It was to this world that science fiction and fantasy were born. Science fiction pushed into the future and to the other planets then known. They were swashbuckling adventures and their science was questionable by today's standards, but they let their imagination fly. Isaac Asimov was born in 1920 and grew up on the short stories produced in that period. C. L. Moore set out to write westerns, but ended up writing science fiction and fantasy. The stories for both genres bore some similarities because they still relied on the romance model. The difference was they were stories set in the future in space or in the past. Nearly all of the authors that would become well-known icons of science fiction and fantasy were growing up or starting their first works. J. R. R. Tolkien was about to begin his construction of Middle Earth as he manned the trenches.

But a century ago, none of this had happened yet and what we think of as a complex genre had yet to really be born. People did write what we today consider to be genre works, but the genre had yet to even be born. Typically the founding of science fiction as a genre dates to 1926 with the publishing of Amazing Stories.

Let's jump forward 50 years to 1965. Science fiction was in what I think of as a golden age. The greats were publishing stories and new writers constantly sprang up. Isaac Asimov had retired from fiction while Arthur C. Clarke and Robert Heinlein were going strong. The Lord of the Rings was complete and the seminal work of fantasy. The space age was on. Satellites orbited our planet and astronauts and cosmonauts had been in space. Science fiction graced our TV and movie screens. In fact, 50 years ago as I write this, both Lost In Space and Star Trek were in the works and Doctor Who had been on the air for well over a year. 2001 was still a few years away as was the Apollo program.

Gone were the Romances in space that filled the early years. Monsters, aliens, strange worlds, amazing sights, and incredible encounters filled the pages (and screens). Writers looked to the future, hopeful that we would soon be doing these things. Stories were set 20-40 years in the future with incredible ideas of where we could be. Some dreamed further and created the civilization they hoped we would develop into. Science fiction roamed the universe, peeing into every corner and finding amazing things. I would use one word to describe the tone of most fiction from this period - hope.

Language has changed. Latin was not yet gone but the classics were being studied less and less. Instead there were new topics to cover in schools. Science abounded with new discoveries. Medical, chemistry, and physics textbooks were filled with new things that previous generations had been forced to learn the hard way. We spoke in a more direct manner and the writing reflects that. Asimov, Clarke, Heinlein and the others used simple and clear language.

Some things in life had just begun to change. The Civil Rights Act had only been passed the previous year. No one had heard of LGBT and marriage equality referred to interracial marriage. Gene Roddenberry was forced to cede his female second in command and had to fight to keep the alien character. Uhura had yet to be cast and he had to fight for that. What we see today as a token African American and Asian American on the Enterprise bridge were hard won fights for diversity.

Which brings me to today. I feel that science fiction has lost that hope. 50 years on and the space program is routine. We have not even started a lunar colony or sent a manned mission to Mars. We are 15 years past 2001 and we have done none of these things that movies and novels projected. Science has come down hard on some of the old tropes such as FTL, time travel, anti-gravity, teleporters, and the like. Consequently, you don't see these those things as much any more, though Star Trek and Doctor Who refuse to give them up. Instead of professional scientists churning out the likes of Foundation, Caves of Steel, 2001, and many others, they stick to the facts, what could be real. Hard science fiction is no longer just for scientists, but it is braked by what the scientists deem possible. Our dreams of the future have gotten closer to home and are less fantastic.

Fantasy, on the other hand, is having its own golden age. The publication of some very epic tales by Robert Jordan and George R. R. Martin are truly incredible in scope. Terry Brooks and Stephen R. Donaldson have given us some great dark evil in their stories and given their heroes the talents to overcome. The likes of Sam Sykes and Mark Lawrence are currently showing us how dark the world can be. The adventure continues in the pages of the many fantasy writers out there as they explore ever more interesting worlds.

Tolkien still inspires. His language, as fitting a professor of linguistics, is an art of its own and that pushes fantasy writers to make good use of language. His world building set the bar high and few truly come up to his level, but not for want of trying. That isn't to say that it is in any way out of reach of readers, but I have noticed writers spend a few more words to help paint the picture.

Science fiction is producing some truly great works as well, but the tone is different. The sense of the incredible that was there a century ago and the sense of hope from 50 years ago has been replaced with exploring society. Science has cut off many from exploring the limits of theory, but they make good use of practical science and weave incredible tales. There is no lack of story telling skills.


Scott writes science fiction and prefers that idea of hope found in mid-20th century science fiction. He is currently writing about a space trader in the far future and looking for interesting ideas for his next novel. He is a big fan of Isaac Asimov, Robert Heinlein, and Jack McDevitt.

You can find him at his blog and on Smashwords.

Writing for Hours Uninterrupted? Not a Good Idea.

Conventional wisdom says to try to write every day. Most of us don't have an entire day before us, like a blank sheet of paper, but when we are able to snatch a block of time to write we use it. And when we do get an entire day, perhaps even an entire week to write, the temptation is to utilize all our time for writing. That's where we blow it.

To start with, sitting for great periods of time is bad for your body and your brain. Here's a great little video that explains why sitting is detrimental to your health:

Plus going nonstop on one thing can cause burn-out of the mind. After awhile you get tired, blocked, you've lost your writing mojo. But ... but, you have a precious block of time for writing! How can you not keep glued in that seat working away?

First off, writing just for the sake of writing doesn't equate to quality writing. The same goes for reaching a word count goal for its own sake. Contrary to popular belief, amassing words can give only a momentary sense of satisfaction. In the long run, you've created a larger pile of editing for yourself.

So how in the world can you maximize your time, try to reach your writing goals, and give yourself less editing to do?

1. Take breaks. Get out of that chair and move around. Get your blood flowing and give your muscles some relief.

2. Drink water. Our bodies are mostly made of water, including our brains. Keep hydrated.

For further reading:
Top 7 Brain Benefits of Drinking Water
Why Your Brain Needs Water

3. In a rut? Blocked? Ready to wring your hands or pull out your hair because the clock is ticking and you can't move forward? Exercise. Research has proven that the brain is stimulated through exercise.

Take a moment to think about this ...

We have two modes of thinking, called the focused (task positive network) and the diffuse (task-negative network) modes. Focused mode is concentrated, on-task thinking. It's what you've been in since you sat down to write. The problem is we can't keep up focused mode indefinitely. We run into a problem or get blocked. Our brain needs a break.

Diffuse mode is the thinking that goes on when we are relaxing, when we aren't focused directly on the task we want to accomplish, but actually our brain is still at work--in another area. The back of our mind is still processing the problem and when we are doing something else like exercise, changing tasks, or even sleeping, that diffuse mode of thinking is busy coming up with the solution to our problem.

4. Daydream and brainstorm while doing other things. Go ahead and change your laundry, run an errand, play a game of solitaire (just don't get snared into playing too much) doodle or draw; it's good for your mind and creative flow.

5. Get rid of distractions when you are ready to concentrate on writing.
a) Turn off your phone, disable the internet or pop-up alerts.
b) Tell your family that you need uninterrupted time and make sure they understand and their needs are met so they don't bother you. Give them a time frame to go by.
c) Make sure you are in a place that is not only comfortable but that will encourage you to work. That may be the library, outside under a tree, in an office (clear the clutter from your desk), anywhere that is your place for writing.
d) Don't even think about checking your calendar for deadlines. Sometimes those are more distracting than anything else. You need to relax in order to think clearly. Say to yourself that you have (insert time period) and what you manage to get done in that time is enough. Shrug off the pressure.

6. Sleep. Whether it's a half-hour power nap or making sure you get to bed on time and get your eight hours in, sleep is what clears the toxins from your brain so that you can think straight. Toxins? Yes. When we are awake we are collecting toxins in our brains. The cells in our brain expand and the flow of liquid necessary to flushing out toxins is reduced. When we sleep the cells shrink and the liquid is able to get rid of the daily build-up. Ever wonder why you never do better on less sleep? Now you know.

Want to learn more about the wonderful human brain? Check out BrainFacts.org.

Basically, when we are stubborn about staying glued to our seats in order to pound out the words, we are being counter-productive. The very things we don't want to take time to do may actually help us write better and more efficiently. We are not machines, we are not automatic prodigies, we are not built to work nonstop.

And now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to get up from the computer and go do something else for awhile.

Break, Reason, and Spreading My Wings

I know the blog has been silent for awhile. I apologize. I've been wrapped up in helping my mom buy a house, go through renovations, and then the actual moving. We're nearly done. Sometimes life calls and you're happy to answer, even if it means dropping other obligations.

Which brings me to announce that I will be taking a few months sabbatical from writing. Blog posting will be sporadic, but the posts I mean to write will hopefully be very useful for my readers. I am engrossed in learning right now and am excited to share some of the concepts I've picked up. I am also taking time to work on other talents, which for me, means a more enriching environment and set of experiences to draw upon when I pick up my writing again. Since I have the freedom of not being under a publisher's contract, I can take the time to rejuvenate and then finish writing the best book I can, based on my ever growing capabilities. I know this announcement will be disappointing to some, but please know, I won't be able to write well unless I take this break. Writing has been a primary focus for the past decade, often getting in the way of other pursuits and obligations. Now that book one is done and out, it's time to get realigned and in better balance.

I personally believe the usual publishing model is skewed wrong, based entirely upon the impatience of the consumer, rather than for the benefit of the writer. Writer's aren't given time to rejuvenate. If they try to they are dropped or forgotten. I suppose I'll be dropped and forgotten in the next few months. I'm okay with that. Better to be left behind by the crowd in order to do something better than continue along with the crowd and suffer constant fatigue.

In my long journey as I've studied and sought publication, I've come to learn that my initial instincts were correct, and while I don't regret having diverted so much energy into pursuing the norm because it taught me a lot, I probably would have published sooner and with less stress if I'd listened to that instinct. No one should assume that my decision to self-publish is a sign of failure or second choice, I voluntarily quit the process. I am very happy with where I ended up. I have never wanted many of the things that come with a traditional contract, even when I tried to convince myself that I did, because that's what the industry was saying I had to want. I was a sheep, and I apologize if I ever made any of you feel like you had to be a sheep as well. Choosing which side of the publishing spectrum you want to be on is an individual thing. What is right for one person is completely wrong for another. I've learned that now. It took ten years of butting my head against a figurative concrete wall to realize what an idiot I had been.

So the break begins now. You can still contact me via email or in my writing group. I won't be on Facebook or Twitter as much. I wish you all the best in your writing and publishing endeavors. Thank you for the companionship on the last ten years of the road.