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Thursday, October 23, 2008
The Secret of Writing
I think that the Secret of Life is the Wizard of Oz.
Yes, I’m serious. The Wizard of Oz, man. It can apply to any aspect of your life. Take writing even.
You’re Dorothy. You’re out in Unfinished Manuscript Hell (read: Oz) and all you want to do is get home (read: finish the damned book already); but you’re hounded by this Wicked Witch (read: Inner and Outer Critics who tell you you’ll never get published, be good enough, make a living at it) and flying monkeys (read: every day wear and tear of life, like family, job, school, time-management issues)—and it just seems to be impossible you’re ever going to get back to Kansas.
You’re going to do it—and you’ll do it just like Dorothy with the help of your friends, the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and the Cowardly Lion, and by the fact you already have seen the movie and know that getting home lies within you if you believe hard enough. See, you’re already ahead. You know the answer.
The Scarecrow=brains. The brains refers to a lot of things. It’s organization, knowledge, and resources.
Time management is key. Organize your calendar and try to scrape out at least twenty minutes a day to write something—because the book isn’t going to manifest itself without you near a keyboard. (I know, I’ve tried.) Like the gym, once you make it a habit, you’ll keep going, but if you stop, it’s hard to go back. Writing is exercise and the more you do it, the better you’ll get.
Read up on plot and structure and character development, and all those things you constantly worry about within your manuscript. Knowledge is Power, baby. One of two things will happen, I assure you: A) You’ll get inspired by something you just discovered and start implementing it immediately; or B) You’ll get so depressed or angry, you’ll stop reading it and start writing. (read: “Fuck it! I’m just going to write the scene how I like!”) Either way, you’re writing, so it’s a win-win.
Draw on your resources. Talk to your writing buddies; form a clan—pass around ideas. Maybe even start a support group to make each other accountable when it comes to writing. Pool your resources with other people; drawing on others; and everyone comes away winning.
Work smarter, not harder. Writing is hard enough as it is.
The Tin Man=heart. Love yourself. If your friend came up with her WIP and showed you the first couple chapters, you would not deride every nit-picky thing wrong with it, nor would you tell her that she has no business writing. Ever. You’d find something positive to say; you’d objectively pick out the things that need to be fixed; then you’d encourage her to keep going because you know it’ll get better. You know this. You do this.
So why let your Inner Critic (read: Wicked Witch) emotionally hijack you because she doesn’t think your love scene was steamy enough—and on top of it, it was utterly cliché? For one, the Wicked Witch has never gotten laid, so what does she know? Nothing. Secondly, she has no business talking to you that way, period. There have been worst things written than what you have down on the page. Some of them have been published. Hell, some of them are being taught in English Lit class. You are not the worst thing to have happened to writing. Don’t let the bastards (especially the fictional ones) grind you down.
But my mother doesn’t support me—and she’s my mother! Uh-huh, well, does she read romances? No. Is she a writer? No? Then really, don’t worry about it. If your mother is not in publishing, her opinion is not the one that matters in the end. And by the time an editor reads it, it’s going to be polished, wonderful, and full of promise.
Also, love what you write. Don’t try to write to some genre or sub-genre because “it’s really hot right now” and it’ll get picked up by a publisher right away. If you don’t like paranormals, don’t read paranormals, could care less about paranormals—then write something else. Paranormals aren’t the only thing being published. Or worse, don’t try to write something because “it’ll be easy.” None of it is “easy.” But it’s all doable. Have heart if you’re writing something that’s not popular right this minute. There are writers who wrote stories that weren’t picked up for years before they finally found a home. Sherrilyn Kenyon, anyone? Believe me, her stories found a home.
Also with love, comes forgiveness. Forgive yourself that your plots are the hokiest things the planet; that your hero is so perfect he must have come out of a factory; and your heroine has no life goals beyond capturing a husband. Whatever. Forgiveness always comes before making the step to fix the problem.
The Cowardly Lion=courage. Courage to begin. Courage to stick with it. Courage to ask for help from friends and family. Courage to show it to other writers—or eek! An editor! Courage to write even if you know in your heart of hearts it will be a shitty draft. (Of course it’s going to be a shitty draft!) Courage to believe you will succeed. If you have courage, if you believe, it will happen. (Self-fulfilling prophesies. If you believe it will happen, good or bad, it will. But that’s another blog.)
If you put these three friends to good use, you’ll find outwitting the Wicked Witch and flying monkeys gets easier—even if it never lets up. And eventually you’ll get out of Oz and back home.
Yep. I know I cheated and posted a blog from my Tavern postings, but I thought a REPLAY might be fitting since we seem to be traveling the same FUD circles and going nowhere fast. So here's your challenge: think of a movie (or book or song) and tell me how the theme/moral/whatever is the Secret of Writing and how it will improve our writing. Let us in on The Secret.
Yes, I’m serious. The Wizard of Oz, man. It can apply to any aspect of your life. Take writing even.
You’re Dorothy. You’re out in Unfinished Manuscript Hell (read: Oz) and all you want to do is get home (read: finish the damned book already); but you’re hounded by this Wicked Witch (read: Inner and Outer Critics who tell you you’ll never get published, be good enough, make a living at it) and flying monkeys (read: every day wear and tear of life, like family, job, school, time-management issues)—and it just seems to be impossible you’re ever going to get back to Kansas.
You’re going to do it—and you’ll do it just like Dorothy with the help of your friends, the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and the Cowardly Lion, and by the fact you already have seen the movie and know that getting home lies within you if you believe hard enough. See, you’re already ahead. You know the answer.
The Scarecrow=brains. The brains refers to a lot of things. It’s organization, knowledge, and resources.
Time management is key. Organize your calendar and try to scrape out at least twenty minutes a day to write something—because the book isn’t going to manifest itself without you near a keyboard. (I know, I’ve tried.) Like the gym, once you make it a habit, you’ll keep going, but if you stop, it’s hard to go back. Writing is exercise and the more you do it, the better you’ll get.
Read up on plot and structure and character development, and all those things you constantly worry about within your manuscript. Knowledge is Power, baby. One of two things will happen, I assure you: A) You’ll get inspired by something you just discovered and start implementing it immediately; or B) You’ll get so depressed or angry, you’ll stop reading it and start writing. (read: “Fuck it! I’m just going to write the scene how I like!”) Either way, you’re writing, so it’s a win-win.
Draw on your resources. Talk to your writing buddies; form a clan—pass around ideas. Maybe even start a support group to make each other accountable when it comes to writing. Pool your resources with other people; drawing on others; and everyone comes away winning.
Work smarter, not harder. Writing is hard enough as it is.
The Tin Man=heart. Love yourself. If your friend came up with her WIP and showed you the first couple chapters, you would not deride every nit-picky thing wrong with it, nor would you tell her that she has no business writing. Ever. You’d find something positive to say; you’d objectively pick out the things that need to be fixed; then you’d encourage her to keep going because you know it’ll get better. You know this. You do this.
So why let your Inner Critic (read: Wicked Witch) emotionally hijack you because she doesn’t think your love scene was steamy enough—and on top of it, it was utterly cliché? For one, the Wicked Witch has never gotten laid, so what does she know? Nothing. Secondly, she has no business talking to you that way, period. There have been worst things written than what you have down on the page. Some of them have been published. Hell, some of them are being taught in English Lit class. You are not the worst thing to have happened to writing. Don’t let the bastards (especially the fictional ones) grind you down.
But my mother doesn’t support me—and she’s my mother! Uh-huh, well, does she read romances? No. Is she a writer? No? Then really, don’t worry about it. If your mother is not in publishing, her opinion is not the one that matters in the end. And by the time an editor reads it, it’s going to be polished, wonderful, and full of promise.
Also, love what you write. Don’t try to write to some genre or sub-genre because “it’s really hot right now” and it’ll get picked up by a publisher right away. If you don’t like paranormals, don’t read paranormals, could care less about paranormals—then write something else. Paranormals aren’t the only thing being published. Or worse, don’t try to write something because “it’ll be easy.” None of it is “easy.” But it’s all doable. Have heart if you’re writing something that’s not popular right this minute. There are writers who wrote stories that weren’t picked up for years before they finally found a home. Sherrilyn Kenyon, anyone? Believe me, her stories found a home.
Also with love, comes forgiveness. Forgive yourself that your plots are the hokiest things the planet; that your hero is so perfect he must have come out of a factory; and your heroine has no life goals beyond capturing a husband. Whatever. Forgiveness always comes before making the step to fix the problem.
The Cowardly Lion=courage. Courage to begin. Courage to stick with it. Courage to ask for help from friends and family. Courage to show it to other writers—or eek! An editor! Courage to write even if you know in your heart of hearts it will be a shitty draft. (Of course it’s going to be a shitty draft!) Courage to believe you will succeed. If you have courage, if you believe, it will happen. (Self-fulfilling prophesies. If you believe it will happen, good or bad, it will. But that’s another blog.)
If you put these three friends to good use, you’ll find outwitting the Wicked Witch and flying monkeys gets easier—even if it never lets up. And eventually you’ll get out of Oz and back home.
Yep. I know I cheated and posted a blog from my Tavern postings, but I thought a REPLAY might be fitting since we seem to be traveling the same FUD circles and going nowhere fast. So here's your challenge: think of a movie (or book or song) and tell me how the theme/moral/whatever is the Secret of Writing and how it will improve our writing. Let us in on The Secret.
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34 comments:
Ah! Another late night slipping in first!
What an awesome challenge. I’m going with one of my favorites movies…Practical Magic. For one thing, the title says it all. Writing is practical magic!
It works best with sisters/family to help you out (all of us aspiring authors.)
Pay attention to the crazy aunts and hope you’ll be just like them one day(our teachers, the already successfully published.) There will always be those who don’t undertand (the ’normal’ folks.) The bad influences (sis’s dead lover)are there and they are distracting! If you don't pay attention to them, they linger and pester you.
Biggest lesson? Believe in the spell, that you let the universe know what you need and it will deliver. Do the hard work, the gardening, the harvest, the mixing of ingredients - write! All curses are breakable…and in the end, you will fly!
I got to watch that tomorrow…
And let us not forget the power of the midnight margharita!
I once posted a blog linking writers to being Snow White and all the dwarfs combined. (October 17,2007---I'd link to it but I'm too lazy) :)
*looks up Maggie's blog* OMG, that's hilarious!!
http://maggierobinsonmeansromance.blogspot.com/2007/10/dwarf-tossing.html
And since I didn't get to answer the blog then: I want to toss Grumpy the furthest.
Great challenge for a Friday. And great blog. (Good to know that deja vu experience while reading was perfectly normal.)
I'm going to have to think about this. It should be easy, but my tea hasn't kicked in or something.
Cap'n, this is awesome stuff. Sooo true!! I like the flying monkesy. Damn things swoop low sometimes....
Wow, I can't think of a movie right now but if I come up with anything between now and noon when I have to leave, I'll clue you in.
Maggie, that is awesome! I think Dopey is the one I wanna chuck. I feel inadequate and stupid most of the time when it comes to writing.
Awesome, awesome blog.
Now, my writing theories always equate out to a football game. There's a whole lot of action and scoring and there's always an ending but no one knows what's going to happen throughout the course of the game. That's up to God and fate to get me through and in one piece. I'm like Peyton Manning who calls the plays on the line of scrimmage. I gotta see the defense first before I know what to do to get the touchdown.
I don't watch enough movies. I listen to all kinds of music, but music to me is emotion and not plot. I have theme songs that are on repeat when I work on something specific but otherwise, there is no song to spell out my writing.
Great blog and analogy Hellion. Halfway through reading it, I scrolled down to see who wrote it, but I don't know why - I should have known it was you!
And like Marn, I love the flying monkey analogy. Damn things are everywhere, screeching and pooping and generally mucking my up writing time :)
Let's see.....my favorite movie of all time is American Beauty, and trying to pull a full analogy from that might be, uh, awkward. But the moral of the story works - you gotta do what you love and be yourself (i.e., keep writing!) or you'll end up buying pot from the neighbor kids and shooting yourself in the head.
You can't forget the plastic bag floating in the wind, Hal.
oh how could I forget? The most beautiful thing in the world!
But I thought the neighbor dude killed him? Man, my memories isn't worth shit!
In my dreams, rose petals fall on my beautiful finished MS. But only in my dreams.....
The plastic bag is me, floating around in the wind without direction. LOL
Ah, Sin, love the football. You couldn't be more right on.
Hellion, I'm going to cheat, I wrote a blog a while back, and yeah, I've been hanging in FUD, but as I went back and read over the piece, it reminded me of who and what I am-a writer. So, my movie, Field of Dreams. Here's the link http://www.romanceroundtable.com/?p=419
Renee
On my way to read Maggie's and the seven dwarfs.
oh my god the neighbor shot him - you're right. I started typing *way* too early this morning. I'm sure there's a lesson in there somewhere that pertains to writing.....but it's not coming to me *g*
I haven't seen American Beauty. It sounds interesting.
Renee
Ha, there's no way I will come up with this! I'm horrible at these types of things, but this is one of those motivational type things for me especially as I prepare for NaNo. Lots of similarties!
This reminds me of how Mary and I sat around taking our favorite movies and applying GMC to the different characters and situations.
No way! I got it right? Miracles never cease. LOL!
I've been pondering this for hours - literally. I think I've got one. Forces of Nature.
You're engaged and know this is THE one forever - You love writing and know it's what you'll do forever.
You can't make the words come to write the vows - You can't make the words come to write the book!
You go on a crazy mis-adventure and Mother Nature throws everything at you but the kitchen sink - You're life goes crazy and there's no time for writing no matter how hard you try.
You meet someone new and she drives you crazy but you can't help but be attracted to her - You come up with a new story idea and though you know you should stay true to the one you're working on, this one seems fun and crazy and draws you in.
You strip for money. Okay, this one I hope doesn't have a tie in.
You finally make a decision to tell the fiance that you've met someone else and you don't want to get married after all - You finally decide you can't write two stories at once so you're leaving behind the original WIP because the story just isn't coming.
At the pivotal moment, you realize the one who was there for you in the beginning is really THE one - At the pivotal moment you have to choose the file to open, you realize the original WIP is the book of your heart and the one you should finish.
The moral is - don't let the distractions and the fears get the better of you. Stick with it and remember to love the MS your with.
I realize I had to go out on a limb for most of this, but there's my analogy. Please do not hold against me the fact this analogy put the image of Ben Affleck into your mind. :)
Dude. I could've totally went all day without an image of Ben in my head. It's all Gigli or whatever, the grease ball image. Ugh. But awesome analogy!
Great analogy Ter! But you know, the whole time I was reading, I only had the image of Sandra Bullock and Maura Teireny (sp? - the fiance or MS #1) in my head. If you hadn't mentioned Ben Affleck, I could have gone all day without ever remembering he was the main character *g*
Sin - Think Edward Cullen. Think Twilight in less than four weeks!
Hal - That'll teach me to quit while I'm ahead. LOL!
Not to mention all over me.
Don't worry. I've got Edward Cullen on the brain. LOL
*clapping* Excellent job, Terri...and better because I really loved that movie. Strangely enough. I'm probably the only person who enjoyed that movie.
I have been out doing reports this morning. I've still got to go eat lunch! I'll try to catch up on comments later. You guys have been awesome!!
Thanks for the linkage, Hellion! I had to go in to work early this morning and did not have my usual playing around time. TGIF. Seriously thinking of getting into my nightgown and it's only 3 PM.
Hellion, you're brilliant. Your writing parodie and analogies deserve a wider audience.
I remember Maggie's Snow White blog. The depressing thing is in rereading it, I realized that a year later Bashful is still tenacious, Grumpy is still a faithful foe, and Sleepy remains my greatest fear.
I'm fuzzy-brained today from pain med, so I can't think clearly enough to come up with an extended analogy. Maybe I'll try later. For now, I'll just offer the lyrics of an ELO song:
Hold on tight to your dream.
Hold on tight to your dream.
When you see your ship go sailing,
When you feel your heart is breaking,
Hold tight to your dream.
Its a long time to be gone.
Time just rolls on and on.
When you need a shoulder to cry on,
When you get so sick of trying,
Just hold tight to your dream.
Chorus:
When you get so down that you can't get up,
And you want so much but you're all out of luck,
When youre so downhearted and misunderstood,
Just over & over & over you could
Accroches-toi a ton reve.
Accroches-toi a ton reve.
Quand tu vois ton bateau partir,
Quand tu sents -- ton coeur se briser,
Accroches-toi a ton reve.
Hold on tight to your dream.
Hold on tight to your dream.
When you see the shadows falling,
When you hear that cold wind calling,
Hold on tight to your dream.
Oh, yeah,
Hold on tight to your dream.
2nd Chance: I think Practical Magic might be my favorite Sandra Bullock film. That scene where her younger self creates that spell to prevent true love so she never gets hurt just breaks my heart! I agree: believing in your own brand of magic is the key!
Marnee: I know you've gone to the conference now and are kicking butt at pitching and making friends--but I had to agree about the flying monkeys. Those little bastards do fly awful low into the fly zone!
Sin: I tried to read your comment, but upon seeing the word football, my brain acted like a computer encountering a Trojan horse and just shut down completely. I can't process football analogies. Fortunately everyone else can...and loves it when you guys do blogs about it. *LOL*
Hal: I do love American Beauty as well. What a freaky film. But I think Kevin Spacey is a genius in anything he does.
Maggie, I wish I were in my pjs now too. I need a nap!
Stephanie: Are you one of the brave hoards doing NaNo? Eek!!! Don't worry. If I hadn't written this blog and had been asked to do this assignment, I'd have had nothing...
Honestly I stole the Wizard of Oz concept from Weight Watchers, then applied it to writing. I swear if I didn't go to the gym or weight watchers, I'd have no blogs.
Janga, I love that song! In fact, your posting of it prompted me to pull up my computer play list just so I can listen to it again!
And yeah, I try not to think about when I blogged about something or someone else blogged about something...the realization that Time is wearing Nikes and running like the fires of hell nips at his heels is of no comfort to me. Esp when I realize I still haven't got crap done.
I love how you used a computer reference to keep me from being upset about you not reading my comment because you know my brain computes two ways, football referenecs and computer jargon. LOL
*LOL* I wish I could take credit for being brilliant enough to use computer jargon because it also reminded me of you...but that's like me taking credit for the "twist ending" of GOGU, which we know was actually Dee's twist ending.
Actually it reminds me of the time Dee and Pat were reading my chapter of GOGU of Ben & Livie talking after sex. He calls her Wart. He means "worry wart"--Pat got it. Dee said, "That's brilliant! I love the reference to Once and Future King!" I blinked at her. "What?" "That's what Merlin calls Arthur in OFK. He calls him wart, like a protogee. That's what you meant right?"
My brilliance is usually overestimated.
Renee: I dallied on you because I needed time to sit and read your blog! It's wonderful! I think Field of Dreams is a perfect writer's analogy. If you write it, publishing will come is awesome! I'm glad you wrote a blog to it--Field of Dreams definitely deserves its own blog!
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