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Category: Writing

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What it is:

At its heart, writing practice (also called freewriting), is writing for a length of time without stopping or censoring yourself. It’s most famously taught by Natalie Goldberg (and Julia Cameron in her morning pages practice), but it’s used in writing classes, programs, and workshops everywhere. It’s a way to strengthen your writing skills, but it’s also a way to clear your mind, dig deep into yourself and find out what you think about things, and a way to stir your creativity.

How you do it:

You pick a goal for your writing session--an amount of time, number of pages, or number of words--and you keep writing until you hit that goal. Don’t stop--keep the pen moving across the page or your hands moving on the keyboard. If you get stuck, write “I don’t know what to write” over and over until the words get moving again (you can also rewrite your prompt if you’re using one or rewrite your last phrase or sentence--anything that keeps the words coming).

Where to write:

Your preference. A good old fashioned notebook or notepad is great and gives a different experience than writing on a computer. If you’re looking for something new to try check out 750Words.com or Penzu.com. You get one free journal with a basic Penzu account, and I really like it for ease of searching if you want to go back to any entries. Google Docs is also a really nice option, but you do have to remember to organize it into a folder or things get really hard to find later.

Physically, find someplace comfortable where you won’t be interrupted during your writing session. If you can, try out different locations. Write inside your home, out in the yard, in a coffee shop, in a park, at the beach.

When to write:

Pick a time that works for you. It might be different every day. It doesn’t have to be first thing in the morning a la morning pages unless that really works for you. When you can, though, decide ahead of time when you will do your writing each day--write it down or put it in your calendar if you like--so that you have a solid plan for writing instead of just a wish for writing.

Ways to use writing practice:

Writing practice is complete as it is. It’s a way to play and practice with words and language. It’s a way to capture your thoughts, capture descriptions of the world around you, visit moments from your past. If you want a little more, you can use lines from an entry as a prompt for more writing practice. You can use your writing practice session to explore characters or settings or other aspects of fiction stories you’re working on.

And of course, if you have other ideas about what you want to write or any of this, go with what is right for you! You know you best--take your own advice.

If you'd like to do some writing in community, I'm hosting a free 30 day writing practice group in September. Come write with us! MuseCraft September 2020 Writing Practice.

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Do you keep a writer’s notebook?  How about a novel notebook?  And what’s the difference anyhow?

A writer’s notebook is where you keep story ideas, bits of overheard or thought-up dialogue, character sketches, short bits of writing from prompts and exercises, etc.  It’s where you gather all of the fodder for all of your stories, poems, essays—all of your writing.

A novel notebook is where you plan your novel (you could also do something similar for short stories).  It’s where you create the blueprint for your story.   While the writer’s notebook is for bits and pieces of writing and ideas for all of your stories, the novel notebook is specific to just one story.

This is the cover of my current novel in progress
This is the cover of my current novel in progress

In this digital age where we have software, apps, and websites for writing, note taking, mind mapping, image capturing, and just about every other thing a writer needs to get a novel written it might seem strange to talk about keeping an analog notebook.  But I think that you develop a different relationship with your novel when you have something tactile to interact with, something to hold in your hand, something physical that represents your story.

Don't get me wrong; I still love my digital apps and widgets and whatnots.  I use Evernote and Pinterest alongside my novel notebook to capture things I want to include in my story.  Still, I believe that sometimes when you’re stuck or your story is sluggish, physically flipping through pages, pasting in sticky notes, touching your story can help the words flow again.  You see things differently and process them differently when you’re looking through a notebook rather than clicking through digital documents.

So what goes in a novel notebook?  Anything at all to do with your novel.  Character sheets, lines of dialogue, ideas for scenes, descriptions of places, poems that remind you of your story, song lyrics (for Ordinary Girl two songs—“Jackie Blue” by the Ozark Mountain Daredevils and “Magic Man” by Heart remind me of two of my characters so those lyrics are in my notebook.).  But it doesn't need to be just words.  In fact, I think if you add in images you are giving yourself a much greater depth of fodder to draw from.

 

Here is one of my character pages with a few notes started. The face is blurred out because it’s an image I printed out from online. I will be adding more photos of the actress in different outfits and will probably clip or paste in images of clothes I imagine her wearing, furniture in her apartment, etc. And then I will use the images to help me with my written descriptions when I need them.
Here is one of my character pages with a few notes started. The face is blurred out because it’s an image I printed out from online. I will be adding more photos of the actress in different outfits and will probably clip or paste in images of clothes I imagine her wearing, furniture in her apartment, etc. And then I will use the images to help me with my written descriptions when I need them.

 

What else goes in a novel notebook?

  • Maps—real or ones you create for your fictional places
  • Lists—street and place names, character names, anything you might need several of throughout your novel
  • Snippets of dialogue, action, or description that you might want to use later in the story
  • Outlines and planning notes
  • Short journal entries on what you want to write next (I got this idea from Sue Grafton in her essay “The Use of the Journal in Writing a Novel” in The Complete Handbook of Novel Writing. )
  • Freewrites for figuring out what needs to happen next (for example, if you know Sue is at the docks and needs to get to the art museum to confront Adam but you don't know how this happens, set a timer for ten minutes and write anything that comes into your head)
  • Story questions (another favorite tool to help you figure things out—my favorite is “why is Character X doing that?” You don't need to come up with an answer right away, either. Just write the question down and let it simmer.)
  • Collages—I like to make overall collages that evoke the mood I want in my story (see the photo below).  You can make collages for your characters' homes and wardrobes, collages of buildings you imagine your story happening in, etc.

 

I use collages like this to capture the feelings and moods I want in my story.

I use collages like this to capture the feelings and moods I want in my story.

And, of course, anything else you think of that has to do with your novel will fit in your novel notebook, too.  I hope you'll give a novel notebook a try.  It's a great way to connect with your story and to loosen up your creativity to let your words flow.Facebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedintumblrmail

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Entry Door

I've been thrown off my writing game in the past six weeks.  I'm off track, rusty and stiff.  I've been renovating a house, packing up the house we lived in for twelve years, and moving to the new place.  Writing didn't just take a back seat--it wasn't even in the car with me for a while there.

Now, although I'm still living mostly out of boxes, I'm feeling my writing calling to me again.  Blogging, newsletters, journals, stories.  I need to restart.  It's feeling like a bit much right now, though.  I'm still trying to sort things out after the move, so I hit overwhelm very easily.

So I did what I usually do when I'm overwhelmed.  I made a list.  Here, for anyone else needing to re-enter their writing life, is my list of small steps to help you get going again.

  • Write for two minutes.  Alternately, write two sentences.
  • Read through your current project. Don't make notes, do revisions, anything except read.
  • Make a list of the things you want to work on; pick one to start with then work on it for five minutes.
  • Write a backstory scene for your MC--a dream scene, daydream scene, the MC having dinner alone or with family or friends, anything that is interesting and lets you know your character better.
  • Get all of your stuff together. All of your notes and files and notebooks. All of your files and documents on your computer.  Sort and arrange them and get reacquainted.
  • Start something new.  Sometimes a fresh project with no time invested, no weight behind it yet, can help rev your writing engines.
  • Try an online writing site. My faves: One Minute Writer, Daily Page, 750words.com, Oneword.
  • Meet with a writer friend or friends.  Talk about books and movies. Talk about your writing and what you want to do with it.  Be writers together and inspire each other.

Anything to add to the list?  What do you like to do when your writing needs a reboot?  I'd love to hear your ideas.  Let's add to the list!Facebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedintumblrmail

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NaNo2015

Are you participating in National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) this November?

It's a fun time full of writerly companionship, and if you're on the fence I hope I can convince you to jump on in.  I thought I'd share part of a post (with a link to the rest) I wrote for Willamette Writers this summer to help persuade you.

Have you tried NaNoWriMo? You should—it’s a great way to get your words flowing and get your stories out on the page.

Admittedly I’m biased in favor of NaNo. I’ve been signing up for it since 2003 and actively participating since 2006 (turns out you actually have to write something to get to 50K). I’ve taken part as a writer (and a winner seven times). I’ve been the Portland, OR municipal liaison. I’ve attended and hosted local write-ins and events and participated in the online forums. But most importantly, I have written. I have written in November even in years when writing was a struggle. NaNo did that for me.

(Read the rest of the post here.)

I really do love NaNo.  I'm hoping to participate this year even in the middle of a house renovation and move (which may be completely crazy, but I'm still thinking about it).  I hope you'll give it a try and give your writing a jolt of NaNo energy.

Drop me a line, let me know if you're jumping in, let me know how it's going.  I'll cheer you on and see you at the finish!

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Ladder

That subject line is a lie.  There *is* no hierarchy.  No genre is better than any other.  Literary fiction isn't better than genre fiction.

I am so fed up with writers feeling like they're second class citizens because they write genre fiction. I'm even MORE fed up with literary fiction writers, along with critics and so many people in the publishing industry, treating genre writes as if they actually are lesser than in some way.  As if writing genre is some sort of flaw. It's not!

Even Stephen King said that he spent years and years feeling ashamed about what he wrote, as if it wasn't quite good enough. Stephen King, for Pete's sake!

Recently I was listening to a writing podcast I normally enjoy.  The host used the phrase "just writing genre fiction." I was angry and appalled, and honestly I lost respect for her.  If she is brushing off large bodies of work because they aren't literary or mainstream fiction I find her less trustworthy.

Let me just state up front that literary fiction is not better than genre fiction or mainstream fiction.  And it has a much higher chance of getting dry and pretentious because the first aim of literary fiction is to do art and make some sort of deliberate statement about society, politics, etc.  When you let yourself wander away from good storytelling, your book will probably suffer.

Does this mean you shouldn't try to write literary fiction? Of course not!  But if you are pulled to write literary fiction, don't do it at the expense of your story. Fiction writers are storytellers first. And that means the story is more important than any moral message you want to get across.

And if you find yourself thinking genre fiction is lower class than mainstream or literary, think again. It's about the storytelling. Every category of fiction has good stories and bad stories.  That's not about the genre, that's about the writing.  Focus on the writing, on the story, on building a world and drawing your readers into it.  Don't get hung up on labels.

There are no categories of writing that are superior simply because of their subject matter.  It's about the story.  Dismissing entire genres as less-than is lazy thinking.  It keeps you from having to judge each story on its own merit.  Don't get hung up in that trap. And most importantly don't put yourself down if you love to read and write genre fiction.  You are just as good as any other writer, and don't let the snobbery convince you otherwise.

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ListenHere's a great The Journeyman Writer podcast from  StoryWonk about what to write when you don't have an idea. It also touches on what to do when you feel your story idea has been done before (hint: write it anyhow!). It's a perfect subject right before NaNoWriMo.

I think we get hung up sometimes on wanting to write something that's never been done before (that will happen because you have never told this story before, so stop worrying about it!)  And we get hung up sometimes on thinking we should do something different.  "I love ghost stories, but my last three stories were about ghosts so I should do something different." Write your story. Write what you want.  Get a little inspiration from this podcast then go get some words down.

The Journeyman Writer: The First StepFacebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedintumblrmail

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Stories to tell 3

I'm not a writer because I love to write.  I don't always love writing. I avoid it sometimes.  I even wash the dishes sometimes instead of writing.  Some days it not only doesn't come easy, it doesn't come at all, and I have to write "I don't know what to write" over and over in my notebook just to get a few hundred words to finally trickle out.

Some days the writing does come easy.  The words fly onto the page, and I look back and really like what I wrote.  I love the feeling of satisfaction and accomplishment I get from a good writing session. That's still not why I'm a writer.

I am a writer because I have stories to tell.  There are stories inside me all the time, some half-formed, some less clear than that.  But it's constant.  I am flooded with story ideas and fragments and whole stories, all the time.  I need to tell them.

I think this is why most writers write, but I think it can be hard to let this be our reason. There's a lot of talk out there about your passion--living your passion, finding joy in your work (I'm sure there are hundreds of other phrases like this, but you get the idea).  We think we have to be constantly on fire about our writing, in love with it, living for it.

I bought into all these ideas about finding my passion, and when I didn't love writing I thought I was wrong about being a writer.  I thought I had to love writing or else I wasn't really a writer and was doing the wrong thing.

That is not true.  I am a writer.  You are a writer.  We might love writing, we might not; that might change every day.  We are not writers because we love writing. We are writers because we have stories to tell.

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Reading

If you've been doing regular writing practice for a while (see Top 6 Reasons To Do Writing Practice) you will probably start wanting to spend time working on specific craft skills like descriptions, dialogue, action scenes, etc.  Good idea! Improving those skills makes your stories better.

So where do you start? There are lots of ways to work on your writing skills.  Do a search for "writing exercises about XYZ" and you will find tons of ideas to get and keep you going.  I thought I would share one of my favorite ways to decide what skill to focus on. Bonus--it involves reading!

First, pick out a favorite book or short story to re-read. If you choose a novel, you might want to go with a shorter one since it will be easier to analyze.

Next, write a few notes about what you remember about the book. Especially make notes about the parts you really loved (and the parts you weren't so thrilled with if there are any).  If you have thoughts about why you loved or hated different parts, note that too.

Now sit down to read, but keep your notebook and pen handy. When you come across something that is really wonderful write it down.  (If it's long, paraphrase if you like). Make a note of what category of writing it is (description, line of dialogue, etc.) and why you like it. Don't forget to write down the page number so you can go back to it later.

Once you've gone through the story making notes about your favorite bits, write up your overall impressions of the book. Give extra attention to what you liked the most about it and why.  Then go through your notes to see if there's one writing area that shows up most frequently.  Maybe you love the dialogue in this story, or maybe the descriptions thrill you to your toes.  

Whatever area really stood out for you in this book, pick that as your craft skill to work on.  Find some exercises that appeal to you, and make a plan to work on them for a few weeks until you're feeling happy with your skills in that area.  Don't try to emulate the author in your writing, but do think about how that author might write the exercise and what parts of that you would like to incorporate.  

You can also do this by picking an area to work on first and then examining a favorite story for great examples of that skill.  For example, if you know you want to hone your dialogue skills, seek out a book that you remember having great dialogue and read through it to find your favorite examples.  Analyze what makes you like them, then go to your writing exercises and work on putting those qualities into your own writing.

Of course you can pick an area to work on and do exercises without doing the analysis beforehand, but I find that doing this helps me focus on things I especially want to try to bring into my own writing.  I hope it helps your writing, too.

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Listen

This is a fantastic episode of Writing Excuses with Peter Beagle about ditching the "aspiring" when talking about being a writer and getting into the mindset of a professional writer.  So much good advice and charming anecdotes--I love this episode.

This is important for all of us, especially if we're in the early stages of our writing careers and aren't published yet.  How you look at your writing, how you think about it, has a great effect on your success and your feelings about your writing life.

Writing Excuses 9.44: Getting in the Writer’s Mindset with Peter BeagleFacebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedintumblrmail

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Clockwriter

I don't think I've talked to one writer who hasn't said some form of "I don't have enough time for my writing." It's our favorite lament!  It's also the thing we let trip us up and keep us trapped more than anything else.

Why does this happen?  Some of it is a real shortage of time.  You're busy, right? Probably very busy.  Right now in our world "busy" is the new default mode. People used to ask, "How are you?" and the answer would be something like "fine" or "good" or something of that sort.  Now at least half the time I ask the question the answer I get is "busy."

Okay.  Everyone's busy.  Does that mean you can't get your writing done?  Maybe. (Ooh, you thought I was going to say "no" didn't you?)

There are times in life when there really isn't enough time to get everything done. There are times--moving, planning your wedding, having a baby, changing jobs, etc.--when you have to give more attention to one thing while letting other things take a back seat.

If you're in one of those phases then you might not have time for writing just now. And that's okay.  There will be more time for it later. For now, do things to stay connected to your writing life so your well doesn't run dry (I'll write more about that another time) and get back to writing when the balance shifts again.

If you're not in one of these times of life?  You have time to write.  You just think you don't, possibly because you don't know where to look for it or what it looks like.

Mostly what keeps us thinking we don't have enough time to write is a combination of these things:

  • Thinking we have to write for hours a day all in one chunk
  • Thinking we have to write every day
  • Thinking we have to write at the same time every day
  • Thinking writing is hard and time consuming so we couldn't possibly have time for it if we don't rearrange our whole lives for it

None of these is true.  You have time.  You don't need to have big chunks of time, either.  You would be amazed at how much you can write in 15 minutes (go to 750words.com and see how fast you can actually write). And the more you practice writing in smaller chunks and writing fast, the more words you'll be able to get down in a short time.

One other thing that can really make time into a stumbling block--not being ready with something to write.

Do not sit down to write with no idea what you want to write!  The one exception to this is if you're doing a free form writing practice session.  Then it's okay to sit down and just pour out whatever is in your head.  Other than that, have a plan for what your'e going to write.  Then sit down and do it.

Most importantly, just sit down and do it.  For five minutes.  Can you give me five minutes?  Try it.  And then let yourself be proud. Because five minutes of writing is writing.  It counts.  And it adds up.  It makes you a writer.Facebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedintumblrmail