Writing Through the Year

"Submit" Buttons

2011-06-15T13:15:00.004-06:00

It's a scary thing, pressing that "submit" button. When do you do it? When is the writing ready to go? Is it ever really ready to go? How can one possibly answer these questions, especially when there's still that one paragraph (or stanza, or word, or scene, or whatever) that you, the writer, just know really could be better, and will clear up the writing and all of it's faults.

Eventually though, that submit button must be clicked. It is the only way to ever be published - to send your work out to someone else and say "this is good enough for you to publish."

But, before you can ever click on that "submit" button, a long road must first be travelled. Okay, two roads: the work must first be written, edited, polished, etc. Just for fun today, I'm assuming all that work is done, and you, like me, have an itchy finger looking for a "submit" button.

Where is the elusive submit button found? Googling "submit writing for publication" brings up enough results to make a girl's head spin, not to mention the many results on that search that are irrelevant, unhelpful, or just plain scandalous (that is an incredibly helpful blog right there, FYI). So, where to start?

Start with your writing. What are you writing? Is it fiction? Poetry? A new and exciting genre no one's heard about yet? How long is it? Is it a novel? A short story? A collection? Each of these are treated differently, not to mention publishers tend to prefer if you've published in one before another. (I feel a series coming on here). Send your work to the right place. You really don't want to send the editor of a literary journal your 200,000 word epic fantasy. They just won't publish it. But your 2,500 word short story about ice-cream eating, motor-cycle riding monkeys? Could be the perfect fit, depending on the journal.

Think about yourself. Do you have any publishing credits? While your story or novel could be the next great American classic, it's not likely that the Atlantic Monthly or Knopf will come knocking on your door without previous credits. That doesn't mean you can't get in, just a warning to be realistic about where you're at, and who will be more or less likely to publish your work.

And, of course, don't forget to think about the publisher itself. Is it a place you would be proud to have your name alongside? Are you okay with online-only publication? Do you think your work should be in print?

There are so very many options out there for you to click a "submit" button, and so many more questions to ask yourself before clicking that button and sending your writing out into the world. I'll continue to go over this for my next few posts, and follow that path to clicking "submit" for shorter and longer works, different, publishing mediums, and whatever else comes up as relevant.

Reading

2011-06-09T11:49:00.003-06:00

I know this blog is about writing, but I am much more of an active reader! So my posts will be geared more towards reading. I just finished the The Host by Stephanie Meyer and I have to say I was not impressed with this book. I read the Twilight Series and I enjoyed those as a light easy read. But I have found this book was thrown together really quick to get in on all the Twilight frenzy and was not well written and really not that enjoyable!

(Niki, your Scribe & Jester, wrote this last week. We had some technical difficulties, for which we apologize. Regardless, here you go!)

New Beginnings

2011-06-01T20:45:00.001-06:00

We're back Boise!

Your Novel Orchard is back and alive again on the web, with new and exciting plans for the near and distant future.

What are these changes? You're reading one of them right here (twice weekly blog posts from a different board member). You want more changes? Stick around, and we'll tell you as they're implemented. Keep an eye out, you'll be able to spot some of them very quickly.

Now, writers, why don't you tell us what you're beginning is? Have a new story, or an old one with a new start? Or just something about your writing you want to share? Take the opportunity, and tell us and your fellow writers!

Editing Fast & Dirty

2010-11-28T14:32:00.000-07:00

The blog returns! Wednesday was a bit of a different critique night - instead of critiquing a page of writing, we talked about the editing process. Though editing can be a long and arduous process, it doesn't have to be painful. The following can be used to edit something that needs a hurried edit. I like to use this process as a starting point to anything I edit.

I look at this initial (or fast) edit in the following four steps:
1. Removal of Extraneous Words
2. Restructuring of Verbs
3. Story & Plot
4. Character

1. Removal of Extraneous Words
This sounds much more complicated than it really is. There are many words that generally speaking are just unnecessary (that, those, this, these, etc). Watch out for adverbs, adjectives, and time constrains as well, such as "as" and "while." Re-read the words, make sure the words are doing what you want them to do. This is a little bit backwards from what you might normally hear: that grammar is the last thing to fix. However, by tightening up your prose just a little bit, finding the bigger problems because easier, as the prose becomes easier to read.

2. Restructuring of Verbs
Verbs are one of the two strongest words we have available. (Nouns are the other). When restructuring verbs, don't get too lost. Stay simple. Remove the passive voice (the verb "to be" - "is, are, were, was, etc."). Instead of forcing your objects to carry action, let your subject do the work. Subjects want to carry the action in English. Let them do their job. In addition, remove the subjunctive (would, could, etc.), except where necessary to indicate the uncertainty that is inherent in the subjunctive. Again, fixing this amount of grammar will help make the prose that much more read-able, which makes the entire editing process simpler, more possible.

3. Story & Plot
Now that you've tighten up the prose, it's time to get into the nitty gritty: story and plot. Find your major plot holes - continuity issues - etc., and get rid of them. Make sure your character always drives the same car (unless, of course, the character sold the car at some point), and that the grief stricken queen dies of grief and not of poisoned soup.

When it comes to story, be sure your reader as all the points to get to the end. Think of the story as the alphabet: a, b, c, d, etc. all the way to z. Not every letter has to be in order, but they all have to be there for the reader to make sense of the story. Does a character suddenly appear in a desert, when just a paragraph earlier they were in the forest? An explanation is needed!

4. Character
When going for a fast and dirty edit, character is hard to attack. Look for consistent names and character traits (spelling of names, red hair versus black, etc.). When completing a speedy edit, the necessary time to spend on editing for character isn't available.

Going through these four steps is just a beginning. Going through them a second time will yield even stronger prose, and allow you to focus more on plot and story. A third time through is more superficial grammar. On a fourth pass, the character starts to come out more, and spending time on character becomes more and more possible.

In December, we'll spend more time with editing character.

2010-07-21T15:02:00.000-06:00

I would just like to take a moment to apologize for the lack of regular substantial updates to this blog over the past few weeks. Suffice to say that summer break from the blog is over now, and we will resume our regular schedule.

I would also like to remind everyone out there that Rediscovered Bookshop has moved downtown! We are still meeting at Rediscovered but at their new location.

And now, our guest blogger of the month, Noelle Veldhouse.

Guest Blog:

My mind is completely directed by my stomach, right now. I should NOT go grocery shopping; but, I will. I should stick to the list and ONLY buy exactly what is on my list; but, I won’t.

Writing, is directed by my mood, or is it? Like many, I come up with fun ideas to write about at the most random times, like when I am driving by myself, tucking my daughters in bed, chopping cucumbers, taking a walk or even shovelling down food during a lunch break. Inspiration, I think it is called. However, to be honest, the times I have been beamed with my favorite inspirations are usually when my head is on my cozy pillow and I am either waking up or about to fall asleep.

A lot of ideas or even rhymes will just come and I have to repeat them over and over or write them down quickly to remember them. Moving forward from this one line or one idea is where the challenge or the work comes in! Sometimes it just flows, but then you have to edit and reedit and sometimes it’s just an idea that needs substance. I have heard so many people say, “Oh, I have a great idea for a book/children’s book/way to make a million dollars!” Hey, I’ve been in that boat for the past 20 years! It wasn’t until last year when I decided to actually pick up a pencil and my sketch book and start writing and writing and writing. I could now quote many famous people from Henry Ford to Arnold Schwarzenegger about making ideas become reality, believing in your self, and persistence. The point is, “just do it.”

Making dinner from only what you have in the freezer or the pantry reminds me a lot of writing when you don’t feel inspired or are in the mood for it. I find if I just get started and go, I get warmed up and then all of a sudden, I’ve created a yummy masterpiece, a questionable looking yet delicious whatchamacallit or a pile of “no thanks.” Yet, I am proud of myself because I ventured out and achieved something, or at least I tried and practice makes perfect, right? Or practice at least helps you know what combinations do or do not work.

Once again, I am teetering on the boarder of writing about food while trying to write about writing. Nice, I am such a professional. I think instead of fighting it, I’m going to go with it and do a little children’s rhyme about a trip to the beach…. Here goes:

Eating Sand

I want to eat sand,
I know it just ain’t right.
I think about it all day,
And sometimes late at night.

I want to build a sandcastle,
And take a big ‘ol bite,
I want to throw it at my sis,
And have a sand fight.

I want to shake and play,
I want to stomp and roll,
I want to be a sand crab,
And take a little stroll.

And maybe make a kite,
Or a dolphin or snail,
Or maybe a dreaded pirate,
Out for a booty sail.

I think I like sand,
Or maybe love is the word,
I’m sorry if my obsession,
Leaves you a bit disturbed.

Written in less than 10 minutes, I just wrote and it flowed… NOW, I’m sure it needs some help. A rhythm expert, perhaps? Well, that’s what you get when you get a female author who happens to be hungry and pregnant. Now, that being said, you must assume my current temperament and will probably be very kind in passing judgement.

Cheese tortellini covered in alfredo sauce and bacon anyone?
Lovely day!

~Noelle Veldhouse

Interview with Noelle Veldhouse

2010-07-06T14:53:00.000-06:00

When and why did you begin writing? What genre/style do you generally write (fiction, poetry, non-fiction, mystery, literary, etc)?

I have been writing for as long as I can remember. Recently, I decided to follow a dream and started writing & illustrating children's literature.

Do you ever write in multiple genres?

Yes, no, maybe so.
Where might we be able to find your work?I started doing my own blog on my website, but have been so busy with work, kids, house stuff, and being pregnant that I have really haven't blogged in a while. I need to get back to it! However, I do have a poem published with Boise Novel Orchard's first publication Bites From the Orchard. It is called Piggtoot the Forgotten.

What is success for a writer? What do you do to get yourself there?
Success is defined differently for everyone. To me, as long as you are still having fun, writing and enjoying it, you are a success! Also, deep breathing helps.

Do you have a writing schedule? What works for you? How do you keep up the discipline to stick to that schedule?

I LOVE to write first thing in the morning, before anyone else is up and it is just me and the computer. But, I really also enjoy writing during nap time when I get to sit and relax in peace. My goal is to work on my book several times a week and do something every day, even if it is a sketch or a rewrite on a certain line.

You're walking on a straight line. There's trees and grass and bunny rabbits. The road turns a bit, and reveals a fork. Do you go right or left?

I'm sorry, what? I got distracted. I was supposed to be following a line? I was over on the hill chasing a butterfly.

What do you like to read?

Stuff that makes me think, smile and/or laugh.

Who's your favorite author?

I enjoy children's authors, Ted Arnold, Shel Silverstein, Dr. Seuss. I do read books written for my own age. My favorite book tends to be the one that I'm currently reading.

Has this writer influenced you and your work?

They all have. Love them all & their creativity!

What about a writer you despise?

I think every writer does the best they can with the knowledge they have at the time. I'm not a fan of certain authors, but I don't despise them. I can say that I have no desire to ever read anything that else that John Steinbeck has written after I read Grapes of Wrath.
Has this person affected your writing at all? no

Where would you take your favorite author to dinner?

I would love to have dinner with Dr. Seuss but since that is not possible, Ted Arnold.

What's on your reading list right now?

I just finished reading Born To Run (LOVED IT!) and up next is The Princess Bride.

Do you have any projects on your table right now? What are they?

Yes.
Pants on Head and
Princess Piper Pillowey

At what stage are they?
I am sketching my 1st dummy for Pants on Head & am working with an editor on it. PPP is on hold for a bit.

Are you satisfied with it?

It is fun & I love it! It is an ongoing process but yeah, I'm more than satisfied with it.

Have you learned anything from writing that applies to other parts of life?

I know that writing has HELPED my other parts of life.

Do you have any personal advice that you would like to share?

Yes, but one valuable lesson that my husband has taught me is that sometimes it is better just to be quiet and listen. I love listening to what others have to say about writing.

Look out! It's the Zombie Apocalypse, and the only inhabitable place on earth is an island. What do you do? Do what Bill Murray did in Zombieland. But if that doesn't work, I'm off to the island.
What do you take with you?My family, my dog, the Swiss family Robinson boat & all their supplies, and LOTS of guns (to kill the zombies, of course.)

Your computer just died, does this ruin your writing day, or can you cope?

I see it as a sign, I need to get outside and breath fresh air, go play or go to bed... depending on what time of day it happens.

Why isn't the sky red?
One sky,Two sky. Red sky, Blue sky.

Noelle Veldhouse is a children’s author and illustrator who is exploding into the children’s writing/illustrating market with passion. She teaches elementary school in Meridian She is the mother of 2 ½ children, a dog, a cat and a fish named Buster. Her poem "Pigtoot the Forgotten" can be found in Bites from the Orchard: Bridges.

Details

2010-06-24T00:35:00.000-06:00

Writer's block is horrible. trying to think of something to write for the blog today, I couldn't decide if I wanted to approach it from the perspective of the writing process, or maybe I wanted to talk about crafting language? Or, maybe I wanted to talk about crafting of story? All, of course, are very important to the creating of any fiction, or even non-fiction, piece of writing. So, I decided on one, and started trying to think of what topic under that to actually tackle. I failed. So I watched Mythbusters.

I saw something that is typical of Mythbusters--and entirely awesome, but that is beside the point--and rather unbelievable. I find it a bit hard to believe even though I just saw it happen. Cheese, shoved into a cannon, and used in place of a cannon ball. And working. Really, cheese!

Then I got to thinking. I mostly read sci-fi and fantasy, and come across things like this all the time. Unbelievable things. Sometimes I notice them, and having noticed it, I get pulled out of the story and feel disgusted with the book for breaking my suspension of disbelief. Other times I run right over them and never notice them until long after I've accepted it as reality of the book.

How, then, do you keep the reader to swallow your unbelievable events like a pill wrapped in peanut butter? Details. If you get your details right--which is to say, if you have details and they're consistent--they wont question what would otherwise be unbelievable.

The Serial, or Oxford, Comma

2010-06-21T09:00:00.000-06:00

In the last week, I've run into no less than three separate conversations regarding the Oxford comma, which is almost as heated a debate as the use of "said" versus "murmured," or "whispered," or any other verb that gets a character talking for attribution.

I suppose I should start off with what an Oxford comma is. The Oxford comma, also known as the serial comma, is the final comma in a list. It separates the penultimate from the ultimate word. Example time:

Last night, I had chicken, chocolate cake, and noodles for dinner.

The comma between "chocolate cake," and "and" is an Oxford comma.

What does this little mark do? This is where the debate comes in. Those who don't like this form of punctuation claim that it's unnecessary; that the "and" signifies the last word in the list. Those who prefer it say the comma removes ambiguity, and keeps true to the actual function of a comma: to hold the place of a breath in speech.

Personally, I love the Oxford comma. I'm a huge fan. I notice it every time it's missing. I know there's other people out there who couldn't disagree with me more.

How do you feel about this fussy piece of punctuation?

Exposition: Experts do it without getting caught

2010-06-09T22:27:00.000-06:00

When it is done wrong exposition is called ‘info dump,’ boring, slow. Yet exposition is a must have for writers. So what is it and how can we do it without getting caught? Exposition is how information is given to the reader. That information can include description, back story and clues. Since movies and television start out as writing, you can easily switch reader for audience. Exposition is a movie/show giving the audience needed information. Many of the following examples are video clips because they are immediate but I have a few book references as well. In Carolyn Wheat’s How To Write Killer Fiction, she describes poorly written exposition this way,

“It’s the scene where our detective sits over coffee with her best friend and bounces ideas about the murder around, only they both agree on absolutely everything and are really just committing exposition on one another. It’s the scene where the spy gets his orders from MI5 and just stands there as we readers try to absorb a huge chunk of geopolitical backstory that is essential for our understanding of later events but bores us silly.”

If your characters are sitting and talking then you are info dumping. But here is an example that works.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCDm14AHe6g
In the clip from The Sentinel a police detective and his partner are discussing a case (exposition) but there is movement, Jim is cleaning his gun, and they keep it brief. It also works because Blair (the partner) is the NEWBIE (more on that in a minute) and it is natural that they would share this information.
At the end of all Harry Potter novels, Dumbledore acts as a fountain of information and tells us all the answers (exposition). Why do we still read it even though it is several pages of talking and not action? It explains what happens, proving us right or wrong and it has little bits of quirky humor or emotional impact.
So all exposition (to be successful) should do three things: Tell us important stuff, reveal character, and entertain.

How?
Couple of useful techniques.
Use an exposition character.
The most popular exposition character is the GEEK. Examples include Hermione Granger from Harry Potter, Erckel from Family Matters, Cliff Claven from Cheers, Spock from Star Trek. These characters are over the top and the information they give, though purposely not always essential, reveal how other characters respond to the subject or to other characters. Of course Spock will give statistical data on the likelihood of success. It’s Spock.
Another exposition character is the NEWBIE. Examples include Daryl Hannah’s character in Steel Magnolias, Harry in the Harry Potter books (new to Hogwarts), Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s character in 10 Things I Hate About You. Lots of stories start with a change. New kid in school or town. A new job. This gives the opportunity to reveal information in a ‘tour guide mode’.
In the following Die Hard 2 clip, Bruce Willis is giving the cop who is about to tow his car information, aka exposition for the audience. It very quickly tells us where he is and why.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MjRsuSss5_k

Eavesdropping.
Either a character, and thus the reader, is witness to other people talking or reads information that is given to the reader. The trap here is that it shouldn’t be coincidental. Make the eavesdropper struggle, plot, and swindle to get the eavesdropping chance. Then make the information misleading or hurtful to the character. Let there be a consequence. My favorite example is Pride and Prejudice when Elizabeth overhears Mr. Darcy cut her at the dance.

Introducing Characters and All Their Luggage

When working with character description it is tempting to give the reader too much information. Less is more. Allow the reader to see what they want, to use their imagination. Use pre built stereotypes to build characters. If you know a character is a FBI agent you immediately think that he wears a non-descript suit, has short hair and is fairly smart. The reader doesn’t need to be told these things.
Examples: Twelve Sharp by Janet Evanovich
Character description for Ranger – “Sometimes I moonlight for a guy named Ranger who’s extremely bad in an incredibly good way. He’s a security expert, and a bounty hunter, and he moves like smoke. Ranger is milk chocolate on the outside…a delicious, tempting, forbidden pleasure. And no one knows what’s on the inside. Ranger keeps his own counsel…Ranger doesn’t often smile. Mostly he thinks about smiling, and this was one of those thinking-smile times.” Without them being described we know that Ranger is muscular, has had a tough life and has a secret.
FBI Agent Jules Cassidy in Suzanne Brockmann’s Troubleshooter’s Series. “On a scale of one to ten in cuteness, Jules was a four million. He could have gone on an audition for a boy band and been signed without even singing a note.”
We also learn about the person who is providing the description. In Jules’ case it is his partner Alyssa Locke who loves him like a brother. The description should and does sound totally different in other books when Jules’ boss Max is describing him. Ranger’s description tells us about Stephanie Plum. It tells us that she is intrigued and attracted to Ranger. That she has a thing for chocolate and maybe even envies his grace.
Writers should use visual clues to inner assumptions. As the writer we chose what the reader sees. Jeans and a leather bomber jacket and the reader thinks bad ass. Glasses and enduring dimple and the reader thinks cute geek, extra smart. Blonde and trashy and the reader thinks dumb as dirt.
The following is a clip from Joss Whedon’s Firefly. It introduces all characters by name, their position on the ship and their relationships with each other. It is also very cool because it is a single camera shot.

Exercise:
Step 1. Describe a person while people-watching. Take five minutes and don't worry about grammar, only you will see your work. Work on using both physical attributes as well as things you ‘assume’ based on what they are doing or wearing.
Step 2. Now write a scene where you introduce a character that was abused as a child and is now a spy for the government or has a grave secret. Stick to one page. Use the description you wrote earlier as the model. Try it in first person as well as in omnipotent narrator. How does the point of view change the description?

From the Beginning

2010-06-05T07:30:00.000-06:00

I had the unfortunate experience of witnessing an accident today. Fortunately, no one was hurt, though I did have to wait around for the better part of an hour to give a statement to the police, and then write it.

I was excited. I did my civil duty, and I got to write. Life doesn't get much better than that. Or so I thought, until I started writing the statement, and I hit a point of doom: beginning from the beginning.

So often I find myself beginning a story somewhere other than the beginning, and filling in the beginning as I go. But, that doesn't always work. Or, information is just left out, leaving the story not only unfinished but also incomprehensible. Sometimes the beginning really is the beginning, and every single step has to be explained, one at a time.

Do you ever leave out vital information to a story?

Nancy Pearl

2010-06-03T18:14:00.000-06:00

Have you ever met a librarian with her own action figure? If not, you should. I had the pleasure this afternoon to meet Nancy Pearl. She's a librarian, author, and general bibliophile of the highest calibre. She is the Linus Torvalds of librarians. Want to meet her? Well, there's still time. She will be at the downtown Boise Public Library! tonight at 7:00pm (yes I know, way short notice, I apologize, mea culpa).

- Sam

2010-05-31T13:45:00.000-06:00

I've been reading my own list of blogs, and hoping that some sort of inspiration would strike me for today's post. And, there's been nothing from me today.

However, the folks over at Easystreet Prompts have put up a rather fantastic prompt for today. As their prompts always are, this one is simple, thought-provoking, and has a high potential to be the launching point of some words.

What is it that you're remembering today?

Chad Smith: Flow

2010-05-26T23:34:00.000-06:00

I recently just finished up a rough draft of a long poem I had been working on with the title “Bébé qui lutte avec des diables”. I would have actually had this post done sooner if I hadn’t been so obsessed with making the poem work right (oh and the LOST series finale also took the wind out of my writing sails). I’m not sure if it’s perfect yet but I’m setting it down for a few days and will pick it up later and hopefully have a fresh perspective.

According to my computer’s translator, Bébé qui lutte avec des diables is French for “Baby who battles with devils”. I don’t know French so I guess that’s right. I don’t know how to pronounce it either. I just know it by seeing it and haven’t tried to say the poem’s title out loud very often yet.

Another name I don’t know how to pronounce and mostly just see in writing is Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. I don’t have to spell much of it either now that search engines fill in what you’re looking for once you start typing Mihaly. I first heard of Csikszentmihalyi’s work in a great class I took in college called the Psychology of Creativity. It was a class on how to beef up one’s creativity. I bought his book, “Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience” a few years ago and hope to finish reading it some day.

Csikszentmihalyi is a psychology professor who coined the phrase “flow” to label that moment of being in the zone, bliss, or ecstasy when one is fully immersed in what he or she is doing. That state where you are concentrating entirely on what you are doing and time seems to fly by. Inspiration hits and you are feeling totally on fire and creative. Csikszentmihalyi believes that experiencing this optimal experience brings people true happiness and enhances quality of life.

I am a flow junkie. If I can get to that state while doing something creative then I am totally in heaven. It keeps me coming back to the creative process again and again. After that class on creativity and learning that getting lost in creating ones art was called flow, I started to notice when my own moments occurred.

The first time I really said, “Hey I was just experiencing flow” was when I was doing some digital video editing using the program Final Cut Pro on the computer for an editing class I was taking. I was so engrossed with putting my video project together that I didn’t notice 10 hours had just vanished and the school’s computer lab was closing for the night. Flow has hit me quite a bit while working on video projects. So much so that I had thought that I was going to change my major to video production (I didn’t).

I have experienced flow while drawing and working on art projects. I often get lost in my work when doing illustration or graphics on the computer as well. I hate to admit this of course but even during my day job I have experienced moments of total focus and creative bliss.

Gosh, this is starting to sound a tad naughty.

Until about a month ago I hadn’t really had a flow experience while writing. I was working on a poem, everything was coming together, I was in the zone, focused and it hit me, “Oh my gosh! People experience flow while writing poetry?” I am even more hooked now on writing poetry!

The question then is how in the world do we get into the flow and how do we stay there?

Unfortunately it seems like with what I have read (haven’t finished the book like I said) and studied so far, Csikszentmihalyi takes a Yoda sort of Zen stance when asked how one achieves flow. You won’t know how to get there but you’ll know when you have arrived. I guess that keeps the magic of a muse intact. He suggests paying attention and take note of your surroundings when you discover you have been in the flow. What were you doing to get there? Csikszentmihalyi says that the task that you are taking on has to be challenging, but not too challenging and you have to have the proper amount of skill to complete the task.

It goes back to the old standbys: What time of day do you do your best writing? Do you have a quiet place where you can go and be free from distractions? Are you well rested? Many writers have all kinds of rituals that they perform or things the put in place to get the writing flowing.

I have noticed a lot of creative ideas come to me while washing the dishes or mowing the lawn. I think Csikszentmihalyi was talking about this being a form of flow but I can’t find the exact passage for it now that I want to write about it (of course). Something about the repetition of mundane tasks, getting the brain and body into a rhythm that it can do automatically and not think about while your mind is freed up to wander to and think about creative things. My wife sometimes gets annoyed with how long washing the dishes takes me. Lots of ideas come to me and I have to stop and write them down. Once again my day job’s repetition is great for getting out of my head and thinking of more important things.

Music also helps me get my flow on. I listen to head phones all day at work and I find instrumental music, jazz and lately electronic dance music has been getting me into a trance like creative state. I think there is something to the repetition and the beats.

So had you heard of flow? Maybe you have experienced it but hadn’t heard of Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi? I was hoping to give you a bit of an introduction and give you a springboard to do your own investigating. What methods do you use to get into the flow and bring the muse forth?

While looking up info on the nets to help with writing this post, I found quite a few blog posts that covered this subject much better than I. There is a ton of stuff out there if you are interested in investigating flow and creativity further. Here are a few good links that I looked at:

There are lots of videos of Csikszentmihalyi speaking. This TED talk was pretty good:
http://www.ted.com/talks/mihaly_csikszentmihalyi_on_flow.html

An article by Csikszentmihalyi in Psychology Today on finding flow:
http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/199707/finding-flow

An article on the benefits of boredom:
http://www.naturallifemagazine.com/lifelearning/boredom.htm

Especially interesting to me are these links on poetry and flow:
http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/5907

http://magmapoetry.com/archive/magma-34/articles/poetry-in-practice-creative-flow/

These last two links are on creativity:
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/being-creative-the-right-brainleft-brain-myth-and-flow.html

http://blog.iso50.com/2010/02/10/overcoming-creative-block/

A case for adverbs

2010-05-23T20:19:00.000-06:00

A couple of weeks ago, on Wed May 12 (okay, not quite a couple of weeks ago, but close enough) we talked about adverbs, those obnoxious words that tie-up language.

Generally (hey look, there's one!) adverbs clog up speech and don't allow for high-quality communication. But adverbs exist in the language, so surely there must be a case for them, right?

Just like any other writing axiom, the "rule" to never use adverbs is more of a suggestion. Sure, adverbs clog up language. And, yes, the English language demands the use of strong nouns and verbs. What if I had used "strongly requests" or "expertly asks for" instead of "demands" in that last sentence? There's something missing in the meaning of what's said.

But, what about verbs that don't have a replacement? "Swim," for example, doesn't have any replacements. When there's someone walking, I can decide to have the skulk, or wander, or stroll, or even run or job instead of walk. All of these verbs illicit a different sort of "walk," a different action unique and separate from walking.

I can't use the same bit of dictionary magic on the verb "swim." I have to use a modifier instead. I could have someone swim quick, or slow, or stealthily, or any number of ways.

What other words out there might not have a replacement with a better inherent definition; one that doesn't need a modifier?

Floating

2010-05-16T22:39:00.000-06:00

It's May 16th (though you're probably reading this on the 17th), which means we're just a month away from the deadline for submissions for Bites from the Orchard: Floats. This got me thinking about floats, and what they might be. I know I always think of a cool root beer float in a plastic Tupperware cup on my grandma's patio in the middle of the summer (even though I don't really like root beer).

Or, sometimes a cloud comes to mind. Floating from work to school to home to evening writerly activities. My horse's teeth that need floated.

Though, that's all just me. And I want to hear about you.

What gets you floating? What do you think of when you hear the word "float." We want to hear from you!

Think about a float, and everything that a float can be. Write us something about it. Send us an essay or a story or a poem or whatever it is that you think fits Bites from the Orchard. Check out the submission guidelines (we accept and consider all genres), and send it to us. We'll read it. And, if we like it, we'll print it, and your work will be available to read in a literary journal.

An extra hint: be sure to read all the submission guidelines. Make sure you save in the proper file format. And, if you have any questions, please ask. We like answering questions.

Can't wait to read all your submissions!

Books, the Making Of: Part Three

2010-05-15T13:47:00.000-06:00

I promise, after this one, I'll stop yammering on about making books. When I left off, though, we had a stack of bound signatures, and a stack of casings, and if I recall, we hadn't quite finished up those casings, had we? The spine needs to be rounded on hard bound books, and I've already pointed out the how of it. Let us take a moment on the why.

A hard bound book is an object that is intended to last. In fact, that's the real reason behind binding manuscripts in the first place. A bound manuscript of any sort lasts longer and is more durable than a stack of loose papers. If you'll look carefully at a hard bound book, you might notice that the pages extend behind the boards as they get to the spine of the book, leaving a small soft area between the boards and the spine, this is what allows the book to actually open.

Now, you'll notice, hopefully, a curve in the spine and the pages. When you open it, it will start to to flatten out. Here is the the reason for the spine bending. If you have the spine bent too little, the pages will flatten out with use, which can lead to the whole thing falling apart. If you didn't start with any curve then, the book would fall apart in fairly short order.

Okay, enough prattling on about that, I just needed to waste some time because there's really not that much more to go. In order to glue the signatures into the casing, you use a bit of cloth called mulling. It's rather like cheese cloth, but a bit of a heavier weave (hard not to be). This is usually glued onto the signatures around the spine and, about half an inch onto what is currently the front "page", but as we'll see, that'll never be noticed.

Now, if you're looking at an older book, this next one will be highly noticeable, but if not, you may just have to take my word for it. You open the cover, and you'll notice a paper that looks something like this. Sadly, newer books just use normal, boring paper, as marbled paper like this can be a bit expensive. Anyway, these are called end sheets, and are glued both to the signature, and the casing, to hide the ugly work of the binding behind it (the gluing of the cover to the boards, and the mulling on the signatures).

One last bit. Look at the top of the spine, and you'll notice a bit of fabric sticking up behind the pages, hugging the spine. That's ribbon. It's purely decorative, and glued, or stitched, onto the signatures.

Guess what? We've done all the interesting stuff now. Actually gluing the signatures into the casing? Yeah, it's just that. So that's all.

- Sam

Adverbs

2010-05-13T00:00:00.000-06:00

Adverbs. What are they?

Strictly speaking, adverbs are words that modify verbs and adjectives. Verbs are action words – words like run, walk, pounce, shift, and hyperventilate. Adjectives are words that modify nouns. Nouns are things – you, me, Heather, the hole in the ground downtown. Adjectives describe these words – short, tall, angry, green, ugly. Adverbs modify everything that an adjective can't (verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs). They answer the question how. How big? How ugly?

Generally speaking, adverbs will clog up speech. “He ran quickly” can be shortened to “he skittered.” Incidentally, skittered almost certainly creates a better picture in your mind of what's actually happening. Think about the difference between “ran” and “skittered”. Define the two verbs in your mind. Let a picture form. Which one is stronger?

This is exactly why adverbs are almost always unnecessary and even confusing.

Look at the above paragraphs. I've used some adverbs up there that are completely unnecessary. Find them, and let's talk about why they make the writing weaker.

Cleaning up the mess

Adverbs are used for many reasons. Sometimes it's a form of laziness: the writer can't come up with a stronger verb or noun, or doesn't want to pull out a thesaurus or dictionary. Sometimes the writer thinks the word is strong; almost, very, and other such words seem like they ought to be strong, and that they make the sentence more specific. They don't. Here's a comparison, using the first sentence of this paragraph (what I tried to write when I started writing this paragraph):

Often, adverbs are used for many reasons; the word almost fits, so the writer chooses to use it. (compare this to the beginning of the above paragraph. Which is stronger?)

How about this: What I almost wrote when I first started writing this paragraph. (Again, compare. Which is stronger and why).

Books, the Making Of: Part Two

2010-05-09T23:00:00.000-06:00

Did you know we have a book out? We do. You can find it at Rediscovered Bookshop and A Novel Adventure (not yet available online, we're working on it, promise.) Part two on the adventures of book binding. Last time I talked about how the casing is made. The other really major part of a book, and more important, is the signature. Which isn't quite right either.

Bites From The Orchard: Bridges is what would be called a single signature book. Which is a nice way of saying that it only has one block of pages. What are you talking about? I hear someone saying?

Okay, let's go back and revisit Ulysses S. Grant (and I'll point out that some of these steps do not apply, as Bites From The Orchard is a single signature). It is approximately 300 pages long, and looking at it, has twenty different signatures. Each signature is a pile of pages folded in half. So, Ulysses has twenty of these. Each signature then only consists of four sheets of paper, and each sheet of paper actually holds four pages (incidentally, this is why if you tear out one page, you'll almost always have another page wanting to fall out).

Before I go on, I'm going to jump to a composition book, which happens to be a single signature book, and they lie to you! (at least the Top Flight I have on my desk does.) They say 100 sheets, but if you open it up, exactly in half, you'll notice some thread holding the whole thing together, and that it's actually 50 sheets, for those 200 pages. Anyway, give one of the pages a tear, the first page works really well for this. You'll then find that the back page also wants to fall out!

Enough of that though, we have a pile of twenty signatures now, and that can't be called a book, they're all loose and falling all over the place. Here's where we actually get into binding. Each one of those signatures needs holes in it. A lot of them. Remember in Part One when I mentioned that Ulysses has six lengths of cord stiffening the spine? Here's how that comes into play.

For each and every signature, in the fold, we punch holes, all in the exact same spot for each signature. If Ulysses was using the cord for the signatures (I'll explain that next, I promise!), and let us assume that it does, it would need at least twelve holes in each signature.

So, through those holes, we now take a length of (no, not the cord) thread! Linen by preference. We stack all of our recently holey signatures in a device called a sewing frame. The sewing frame holds the six cords we mentioned earlier nice and tight, and in proper alignment--the signatures holes lining up one on either side of each cord. Then? We stitch each of the cords onto the bottom signature, carry over the stitch into the second signature, and so on and so fourth up all twenty of them. You see, the stitching holds each separate signature together, while the cord holes all the signatures to each other. And no, I will not describe the stitches, if you are that curious, there are books for that sort of thing (and I'm not good enough at writing to accurately give you a picture of what is going on, but let's not tell anyone that).

I did say it wasn't very likely these were part of the signatures though, didn't I? Well, almost certainly they're not. At some point (I don't know an actual date) using cord to bind books fell out of style in favor of ribbon. People still expected those ridges on the spine though. They were attractive. If they weren't there, people would have thought the product was of an inferior quality, and what publishing house wants that? None! So, instead they glued the cord to the inside of the casing, and then pressed the leather around them to give them shape.

We now have a stack of twenty signatures, stitched and bound by cord. We have a beautiful casing, carefully made so every corner and edge is perfect. How do they come together? You see parts I haven't mentioned yet? You promised us a part 3? All are true! And all our next week.

- Sam

Comment-Spam

2010-05-09T00:11:00.000-06:00

If you've read the comments here recently, we've been the unfortunate victims of comment-spam. Just thought I'd make a post here that we do delete comment-spam. Comments that repeat themselves on multiple posts, especially when they have a link to an spammish advertisement, will be deleted.

We love your comments. Please don't leave us spam though :)

Spellchecker says "spammish" is not a word. I say it is! Use it in some writing. Spammish eggs anyone?

Why Blog?

2010-05-05T22:44:00.000-06:00

The first blog from May's guest blogger, Chad Smith. Chad won the Bridges contest. His poem, "No Rocks on This End," can be found in Bites from the Orchard: Bridges. Happy reading!
Megan

First off let me say thanks to Megan and everyone in the writer's group for letting me hang out in the Novel Orchard. I am truly honored to have my poem in your book. Sorry I couldn't make it to the book's opening night, but alas I am in Portland and my private jet has been in the shop all week.

When Megan asked me to be a guest blogger here on Writing Through the Year I was frightened at first. Sure I would do it I guessed, but what in the world did I know about writing? Then I thought about some subjects to write about and calmed down a bit:

I was asked to write a blog post. I can totally do that.

I will have been writing blog posts for 9 years this August. My first post is dated August 18th 2001. Before that I had been keeping a creative journal in a spiral notebook for several years. I don't think everyone was calling it blogging yet back in 2001 (I'm definitely not the first person to have started a blog). I think of myself as a journal keeper. No, not a diary. A journal.

I started keeping a creative journal right after I graduated from high school when an instructor at Portland Community College suggested that everyone should keep one. A place to store all of your creative thoughts. Story ideas, plot lines, dialog. Ideas for drawings and graphics. Notes for your Great American Novel. As I started to get into it and get some words down on paper I found that my creative journal, along with the notes and ideas was turning into a diary. Keeping track of my daily activities was keeping more entertained than scribbling notes for graphic designs or movie scripts.

Around 1996 I came up with the name Jack Noodle. I was subscribed to AOL back then and I wanted a name for my AOL email that didn't have to have a number in it. Chad Smith was already taken (believe it or not). Jack Noodle was born. I was going to use the name Jack Noodle everywhere I went in cyberspace and all of my artworks and writings would be signed by Jack Noodle. Now days I don't try to push the pseudonym as much. Everyone knows that Jack Noodle is really Chad Smith. No mystery.

That takes us to right around 1999 - 2000. I had been reading and enjoying the musician Moby's daily journal that he had up on his website and was also reading a journal by a multimedia artist named Mumbleboy. I was constructing my jacknoodle.com website and graphic design portfolio around that time and thought it would be cool to have my creative journal, a daily posting area on the site as well. I didn't have Wordpress back then so my posts were entered using raw html. I switched over to Wordpress around 2003 - 2004 and slowly reloaded all of my old posts into the Wordpress database then.

So where is this rambling history taking us you ask?

Well for my guest blog post I am going to agree with your previous guest blogger, Margaret Ellsworth's post last month on Practice and maybe expand a bit on the idea that blogging and keeping a journal is a very important activity for writers to take part in these days.

I think that anyone who is an aspiring writer should get a blog going. It's a great tool in helping build your writing muscles. I liked what Margaret said about getting the sensations of writing imprinted into your muscle memory. Maintaining a blog helps you practice the writing you will do on other projects.

Writing the Jack Noodle Journal is something I do for myself. There are other bloggers out there in the blogosphere that really worry about their numbers and try to get as many page hits as possible using all kinds of tricks. It's really easy to get caught up in the schemes and wizardry of page hits and reader numbers. For me it's about the act of writing and I'm not so concerned about who is reading it. Sure it would be fun to be popular and have a million readers but I like to think that have an audience of twelve.

Well if I'm not concerned with generating an audience with my blog then why put it up on the internet at all? Why not just keep my writing in my spiral notebook?

Despite saying I'm not concerned with how many people read my posts there is a certain level of attention set to the writing style knowing even subconsciously that someone might read what one is writing. That is good to cultivate and is really is a better writing than something one would hide away in a closet and never show anyone. If you are going to be a professional writer you are going to have to show your wares to the public eventually right? Why not start now with your blog?

Another benefit of having a blog is that I have a nice history and artifact of the history of the last 9 years of my life. Oh yeah, and with a search function even! It has been fun going back and refreshing my memory concerning the big events that have taken place. Along with family stuff I have interesting (to me) posts on how I felt on 9-11, a couple of presidential elections and other World events. Oh yes and I do still have some notes on creative thoughts and the start of some ideas I wanted to do for a television show until I saw that LOST was covering all of the topics I had thought of.

I have been surprised a time or two by who has been reading my blog when I get comments or emails. The most resent surprise was when a reporter from the Oregonian contacted me and said she had been reading about the details of my wife's pregnancy and the birth of our son on my blog and wanted to interview me for a story on paternity leave. That was pretty fun. You never know who's tuning in and what kind of opportunities could arise from someone enjoying your writing.

So that's my advice to you fellow writers. If you don't have a blog now then add more time to your already hard to find time for writing schedule and write a blog!

Also Facebook and Twitter are pretty cool too. Probably stay away from Facebook though, as it is a massive, distracting time suck. My Twitter feed is filled with people who continually give excellent links to interesting items. I've found a lot of writers and poets on Twitter as well....

But Facebook and Twitter belong in a different post.

May Guest Blogger: Chad Smith

2010-05-03T02:44:00.000-06:00

May's Guest Blogger is Chad Smith, winner of the Bridges contest. His poem, "No Rocks on this End," can be found in Bites from the Orchard: Bridges.

[Edit: Never post things half-asleep, especially when copy pasting. The formatting will always get funky]

When and why did you begin writing? What genre/style do you generally write (fiction, poetry, non- fiction, mystery, literary, etc)? Do you ever write in multiple genres?
I started writing and illustrating stories way back in grade school. I took a creative writing class or two while in college. I enjoy being creative and making art stuffs. Most of what I've done in the past has been in the visual arts realm. I'm a graphic design multimedia guy. This year as a New Year's resolution I decided I was going to become a poet and I am starting to get serious about writing.

Where might we be able to find your work?
My poem "No Rocks on this End" in the Bites From the Orchard book was the first landing spot (of hopefully many) out of the gate. I have been posting my poems on my blog at JackNoodle.com

Do you have a writing schedule? What works for you? How do you keep up the discipline to stick to that schedule?
Oh! I really should stick to a schedule. I find that my best writing and ideas come to me first thing in the orning. I'm a firm believer in documenting anything that comes to you in your dreams right when you wake up. If you say you'll be able to write it down later in the day you won't and the freshness will have worn off. I had a whole poem figured out in a dream, still had it when I woke up and then totally forgot it later in the day. Many writing and artistic solutions have come to me while sleeping. That's quite handy when one can catch it.
If I could get more nuts and bolts, nose to the grind stone writing done in the night before sleeping that would be awesome. I'm usually too sleepy then.

You're walking on a straight line. There's trees and grass and bunnyrabbits. The road turns a bit, and reveals a fork. Do you go right or left?
Left of course.

What do you like to read? Who's your favorite author? Has this writer influenced you and your work? that about a writer you despise? Has this person affected your writing at all? Where would you take your favorite author to dinner?
I'm an excellent starter of books but a horrible finisher. I wish I was more of a reader. I'm in love with the idea of being an avid reader and consumer of books. I think one of my problems is I read too slow and then my mind wanders off when an interesting idea pops up in the book. I'm an excellent retainer of the words that do make it into my noggin though.

What's on your reading list right now?
Right now I am reading all poetry. I've been checking out lots of how to write poetry books from the library and reading as many poets as I can. I'm digging Walt Whitman and Allen Ginsberg. I discovered Kim Addonizio a couple of days ago and can't wait to check out more of her stuff. I'm going to investigate Gertrude Stein in the near future. Oh yes, and Arthur Rimbaud's "A Season in Hell" is magnificent. I'm still a toddler in the poetry world and I've been quite excited with where my self educating journey has taken me so far. I'm still figuring this stuff out.

Do you have any projects on your table right now? What are they? At what stage are they? Are you satisfied with it?
Right now I am working on a one hundred line poem about a baby who fights demons. I'm also trying to finish up some poems that I'm not posting to the website in hopes of submitting them to some poetry magazines. There's that whole, "Is posting your poem to your blog count as previously published?" question that I haven't got a solid answer on yet. I'm trying to write one hundred poems in 2010. I'm not sure if I'll make it. I have a thing for the number one hundred and I'm trying to slip it in every chance I get. Not sure why.

Look out! It's the Zombie Apocalypse, and the only inhabitable place on earth is an island. What do you do? What do you take with you?
I don't care for the zombie genre so much. I think somebody should totally write a zombie teen romance series in the vein of Twilight though.
My favorite horror movie is "Devil's Rejects" by Rob Zombie. Devil's Rejects is the sequel to "House of a Thousand Corpses" and they should both be viewed in the same sitting. House of a Thousand Corpses isn't as good as Rejects but you must see it to appreciate how horrible and terrifying the characters in Devil's Rejects are. Despicably not for anyone the slightest bit squeamish. Very scary.
Wow look at that tangent.

Your computer just died, does this ruin your writing day, or can you cope?
I'm a computer guy. I have to sit in front of a computer everyday for my day job and I enjoy it. I am getting to the point in my old age though that I probably wouldn't mind if my computers died. Pen and paper is nice for writing. I would miss the spell checker!
That is an excellent reminder to save and backup your files.

Book Review: A Kick in the Head

2010-05-02T00:35:00.000-06:00

April is (was?) National Poetry Month. I know I've said it several times now. And, I know it's not April any more. Never-the-less, I had planned a book review of a poetry book all month. It just hasn't happened until now. So, for one more day, it's Poetry Month.

For some, poetry comes naturally. The words flow from the tongue in a form that allows much language to be left behind, yet have more meaning for the lack of words. For others (like me), it's a struggle to read and understand poetry, much less write it.

Regardless of where you stand with poetry, it's helpful to understand the many aspects and forms. Some ideas are best portrayed in one type of poem than others. If you don't know those forms, it's hard to know how best to portray the ideas in your head. How can you choose when you simply don't know? And who wants to dig through mountains of theory and explication in some anthology that takes up more space than all of your favorite books combined?

That's where A Kick in the Head comes in. This succinct book is written for kids to explain different poetic forms. Because it's written for kids, it's simple. An an example is given, of say a couplet. It's short, two lines that rhyme. And there's a glossary in the back with a deeper explanation of the poem in the glossary in the back.

This book took me straight back to my childhood. I had forgotten the joy and beauty of a reference book written for the young. The beautiful cut-out illustrations and the glossary anyone can understand aren't an insult to my intelligence, but rather make a complicated subject simple, or at least give it a simple starting point.

I think I've made it quite clear this month that I'm not a fan of poetry. A Kick in the Head could very well change my mind about attempting some of this form.

Regarding email

2010-04-30T14:20:00.001-06:00

If you've tried to send us an email, and you've gotten a return message, not to worry, we almost certainly got it. If you're concerned, please send us a query to ensure we got your email. It can take us some time to look through your email and prepare a proper response, especially if it is lengthy. We are aware of this issue and are working to fix it.

Thanks for your patience!

Megan

Wood for the Table

2010-04-29T15:03:00.001-06:00

Sorry for the delay, here is the second blog from this month's guest blogger, Margaret Ellsworth. - S.

“Ultimately, literature is nothing but carpentry… Both are very hard work. Writing is almost as hard as making a table. With both you are working with reality, a material just as hard as wood.”

Gabriel Garcia Marquez

As writers, we work with the material we have at hand—which is reality, and the words we use to describe that reality. Now, I’m a nonfiction writer, so reality is a bit more of an issue for me, since the reader expects my pieces to be fact-checkably “real.” But fiction and poetry have an equal responsibility to reality. Because unless the writer can create a world in her story that’s as detailed and rich as the world we inhabit, the reader’s not going to stick with it. We’re using reality, but we’re also competing with reality, which is already a sensory overload experience.

Which is why good writing draws from reality. The best dialogue has the same rhythms as conversations we’ve heard before. The best characters, while unique in their own ways, often share characteristics with people we recognize from our own lives. Even sci-fi and fantasy worlds may not correspond to “reality” as we know it, but a good writer can fill these worlds with so much realistic detail that we hardly notice.

It’s these details that can make or break a story. So where do we get these details from? The details that allow people to enter the worlds we create, and be able to see and smell and touch the world around them, clearly? How do we gather the wood for our table? Here are a few suggestions:

Get out in the world, and take notes. This is crucial for nonfiction writers—to get out there and experience the reality we’re trying to convey. We can actually go to the settings of our stories, and get details there. But this can be a useful tool for fiction writers too. If your characters happen to be musicians or doctors, see if you can find some musicians or doctors in the real world to shadow. If you’re writing a bustling town scene for your historical/fantasy book, head down to the farmer’s market and watch how people interact with each other there.

Take a notebook and a camera (or a cell phone camera if you’d rather be more inconspicuous) and watch what’s going on. Write down the little things: colors, sounds, smells. Notice the way people move and talk to each other. You could even try to scribble down snippets of conversation, to get a feel for the rhythms of dialogue. Try not to particularly think about your story at this point: if you focus on what you’re writing, you might miss something that’s happening around you. Afterwards, when you read your notes over, you can work the details into your story.

Follow your obsessions. Tamora Pierce (author of the popular Tortall teen fantasy series) said that she watched “The Three Musketeers” movie 17 times during her years at college. Did it have anything to do with her work at that point? Probably not. But it gave her material later on. This is one of the most fun parts about being a writer—the license to be obsessed with anything and everything. Read books, blogs, websites. Watch and re-watch movies. As Pierce says, “All creative people--not just writers!--expose themselves to as much information, in as many forms, as possible, in the hopes that it will be useful down the road, or even right now. You never know what will spark something new!”

Write what you know. I know, it’s an old cliché, something writing professors like to say… and then they end up with a stack of dorm-drama stories on their desk. You may think that “what you know” is too boring to ever interest anyone else. But I’m willing to bet you know some pretty odd things. Just through 20-odd years of life experience, I’ve become (perhaps too) familiar with church politics, long-distance relationships, and wasp-proofing my house. Just to name a few! Go ahead. Take ten minutes, and write down everything in the world you know about, everything you’re an expert on. Maybe one of your characters will love the same band you do. Maybe your summer job waiting tables at a resort will give you the idea for a story.

How about you? How do you come up with the details that bring your stories to life?

Books, the Making Of: Part One

2010-04-26T02:33:00.000-06:00

As I hope you know, we are putting out a book (you remember that whole contest thing, right?), and are planning another (open submission this time, more information at the website). If you don't know, either we've been remiss in our duty, or, well, probably we've been remiss in our duty. So to fix that: we're putting out a book!

That's only sort of what I want to talk about though. Since we're hand binding these books (they're quite attractive), I thought it might be fun to talk about the process by which a book is built. So many of us who love writing dream of, some day, being in a book. To have our writing transformed in that magical process from manuscript to book. The very idea thrills us. But, do you know how they're made? Did you know there are names for the different parts of the book?

A paperback, of course, is boring; perfect bound (the pages are just glued together at the back) and wrapped in a cover. Yawn. No artistry to it at all. A hard bound book though has more parts and pieces than you can shake a stick at, but there are two main parts to it, the casing, and the signature(s).

Now watch as I try to explain in an entertaining way what a casing is, and how it's made! Actually, it's just that, it's a case that wraps around the signature. What, that didn't make things clear? Okay, let's try this. The part of a hard bound book that's hard? That's the casing. Actually, the hard part are the boards.

Let's try again. The cover? The hard part? The spine? Those are all parts of the casing. Confusing? Alright, let's start from the cover. I'm going to use a copy of Ulysses S. Grant from 1868 that I happen to have in my hands (because it's pretty, closer to my desk, and the process is virtually identical), and explain in detail, very briefly, what goes into the making of the casing.

So, we start with a lovely piece of dark, chocolate brown leather (beautifully debossed in this case), and we lay it out on our workstation. On top of that, we glue the boards (the actual hard part, its sort of a really heavy card stock) There are two of these, well, sometimes there's a third making up the spine, but this book is a bit different.

Have I bored you yet? Thought so. I'll just keep going anyway. In the case of this book, the spine is stiffened not with board, but with six lengths of cord, measured roughly equally distant from each other (actually, these are possibly part of the signature, not taking the book apart, more in part two). We take all this, and fold (and glue) the excess leather over the top of the boards, so that now it's all a nice, neat little package.

We're done now, right? Not yet. Let's pretend we did use board for the spine. There's one more thing we need to do. We have to round the spine! Yup, pretty boring. It's accomplished with, lacking the proper name, a wooden jig with a round wells, and a nicely rounded stick (highly technical terms here) which gently, rounds the board that makes up the spine (more on this in part 3).

Did I forget anything? Probably. But that's all for now.

Transcendence

2010-04-21T22:46:00.000-06:00

Peanut Satay sauce and coconut milk make some sense together. I say only some because Satay Sauce already has a fair bit of coconut milk. But what about adding some egg to the mix, a little bit more ginger, some chili paste, and cubes of bread?

Sounds crazy right? Not really. This is merely a modification of a basic bread pudding recipe. It'll be savory, and a bit spicy, and definitely not reminiscent of the European origins of a bread pudding. And I skipped the raisins. I hate raisins.

Did it come out any good? It's in the oven right now. I don't know if it's any good yet. I'll share if it's tasty though.

Now, why am I writing about my crazy adventures in food land? It's not because I have a masochistic tendency to invite criticism of what I think might taste good (usually though, it does). I'm writing about savory Thai bread pudding because it's relevant to writing.

To make this, I took just a few simple ingredients and combined them in a new and interesting way. I added a few other seasonings to taste, and stuck it in the oven. I don't know if it will be any good. I'm somewhat afraid of the outcome to be honest. But I tried it anyway. And I told someone else (you, you're reading this) about the experiment. And I'll make my husband eat it.

Why not do the same with your writing? Step out of the normal boundaries of what makes you comfortable. Push the envelope. Combine elements that aren't traditionally seen together, and force them to play nice. Hunter S. Thompson did it with creative non-fiction. Patrick Rothfuss did it with The Name of the Wind, combining fantasy with literary fiction (at least, from what I understand. I haven't read it yet.

This trend of combining, transcending, and flat-out ignoring rules of genre isn't one that's going to stop. Why not give it a try today. Something small. Something simple. 500 words?

Perspective, Worldview and Voice

2010-04-19T03:14:00.001-06:00

I was driving home on Friday and I saw a billboard. A big obnoxious number, one that's impossible to miss even if you wanted to (which is more with good placement than with content, but that's beside the point). So, I'm going to describe it to you in as much detail as I can muster, while still being brief; I want to talk about things other than the billboard. Now, imagine with me...

It sits on a corner, lurking just the other side of a stop light, in perfect view while you're staring at the red light, waiting for it to turn green. You've just passed the grocery store, or are returning from it, and you see this billboard, splashed across the top with bright, autumn leaf orange text: “20 VITIMANS AND MINERALS!” Below the text, to the right side of the ad, on a field of perfectly green grass is a smiling boy, kicking a soccer ball, his uniform immaculately clean. Opposite him, like the heart of the sun from which the orange text radiates are two halves of an avocado. In the same orange text, beneath the boy: “Chilean Avocados.”

So, what does this have to do with perspective, worldview or voice? Let us consider each of these things separately.

When we write, we write through a huge number of filters—this is only natural, we perceive the world through those same sorts of filters. Your mood, where you work, what your hobbies are, where you live. What philosophy do you live by? Are you Catholic or maybe Buddhist? All of these effect how you see the world. These, and more, form our personal world view. It's how we see and interpret literally everything around us.

Your characters, too, have their own worldview, and their own perspective on things. If we write with our default worldview, our characters will come off as incomplete, choppy copies of ourselves, and if we try to force other traits on them, those traits will come off as shallow, or just wrong. You, and your character, probably wont agree on some things. Some of them may be little (maybe your character loves spicy food, but you despise it), and some of them will be rather large things (your character is a lawyer that argues for the death sentence, and you've given up chocolate until capital punishment has been outlawed).

The thing with perspective to consider is how close your narrator is to your viewpoint character. In some stories, the viewpoint is very loosely coupled, or entirely separated from the viewpoint character (The Hobbit, by Tolkien). In others, the viewpoint character is your narrator (any Sherlock Holmes story by Doyle—in which your point of view character and your protagonist are different, but that's a different blog). The perspective, naturally, is going to differ based on how tightly coupled your narrator is to the POV character.

Okay, let's tie this together then, shall we? Voice. When you write, you write with a voice. Your voice depends on what worldview you (and hopefully your characters) have. The closer perspective you have to your characters, the more of that characters voice the writing should have.

So, let's go back to that billboard shall we? The night before I drove by that billboard, I had watched an episode of Good Eats (if you like food and like to cook, you should watch it, just saying) about avocados. Fun avocado fact: they never ripen on the tree, and can be stored, unripe, on the tree, for seven months! Which makes them a truly year round food.

So, I had my filters loaded, and when I drove by, multiple things ran through my head in parallel. The important ones that are important, though are as follows: “Why do I want avocados from chili, I can get them grown much closer, they're not seasonal.” “People should eat more local food. Not import it from other hemispheres.” And finally, “Why not? Avocados are avocados.”

That's when my writer brain kicked in, and I saw the filters, the preconceived ideas that I held in my mind. What if I was writing a character, and I loaded onto that character my own world view? Well, maybe that character agrees with me, but what if that agreement doesn't agree with the character? Well, this is how you get discordant characters (I'm sure that you have all read characters that just seemed wrong, or forced).

Or maybe the character is from Chili and, though in general may agree with that particular world view, he may prefer the avocados from his home country on a purely nationalist standpoint. Or maybe the character is a neo-nazi and, when he sees the billboard has violent thoughts towards the foreigners who are taking jobs from American (white! [I'd like to point out that I do not think this way]) workers.

That's just a few examples with a billboard, and every character will have all of these possible branches for, literally everything in the world. If you keep it in mind, you'll have a lot more luck with capturing a convincing voice.

2010-04-15T12:47:00.000-06:00

Practice

I started taking organ lessons in college, for basically one reason: I wanted to play an instrument that was larger than my dorm room. At organ concerts, I’d admired the beautiful pipes and felt the sound rumble and echo through the concert hall. I couldn’t wait to climb up to the organ loft and pull out all the stops, to feel my whole body shake as I made music.

But after signing up, I realized I only got a few hours a week to play the “big organ.” Most of the time, I was relegated to a tiny practice room. This instrument is tiny; you could probably stack ten or twelve of this little organ in the big organ loft. There are only two stops, or varieties of sound (as opposed to the big organ’s 53) and the highest one is tinny and whiny, slightly off-key. But this actually makes the practice room a better place to practice.

When I talk about practice, I mean the slow, painstaking process of learning the notes. Figuring out how to move smoothly from one note to the next. Playing slowly, one note at a time, until it hardly sounds like music anymore. When I practice, I’m teaching my fingers the path between notes, locking down the fingerings into muscle memory, so when the lights are up and the concert hall is full of people, my fingers will know where to go. And I’m also memorizing how the music sounds. Soon I can hear the next note before it’s even played. I’ll know what it sounds like when it sounds right.

So what does this have to do with writing?

Many of us write in search of those “concert hall” moments—flashes of inspiration. Maybe a word or phrase gets stuck in your head, or a character comes to life suddenly in your imagination. Soon the words are pouring effortlessly out onto the page. But what happens when those flashes don’t happen?

What sustains me as a writer, day to day, is not those fickle flashes, but rather approaching writing as practice. Then it becomes less about the sheer power of your words, but about the little things instead. The feel of the keys as they click under your fingers, letter by letter. The smell of the ink from your ballpoint pen. The more you sit down to write, the more these sensations get imprinted into your muscle memory, into your unconscious.

The sounds of sentences are making their way into your memory too, when you practice. You might try a short punchy sentence one day, or a long rhythmic list the next. You’ll experiment with colons and semicolons and commas. And you’ll start to hear your own voice coming out.

That’s why I consider journaling, blog posts, forum posts, to be writing practice as well. You’re still sitting down to the computer, still working on finding the right words to express your ideas. You are teaching your fingers their way. So when you do get a sudden inspiration, and you grab for your notebook or computer, your body knows how it feels to sit down at the desk. Your writer’s “ear” knows the variety of sentences available to you, and can choose the right one. And the writing that comes out of this “performance” is stronger than it would have been without those hours of practice.

Malcolm Gladwell (an amazing nonfiction writer who you should check out, if you haven’t already) recently wrote a book called Outliers about what it takes to be successful. In this book he tells the story of the Beatles (way back before they were, you know, The Beatles) and a series of concerts that they played at Hamburg, Germany. This was a brutal gig—they played at noisy clubs to rowdy patrons, 8 ours nonstop per night, 7 nights a week. By the time they became a US rock and roll sensation, they had performed 1200 times. Twelve hundred. Most bands don’t perform 1200 time in their whole careers! That, according to Gladwell, was one of the things that set them apart from other bands. They had performing in their blood, in their muscle memory. They had put in their practice time.

Gladwell says it takes 10,000 hours of practice to become truly great at what you do. 10,000 hours! If I stuck to the college concert hall schedule, it would take me 39 years to be a great organist. Truth be told, I don’t care about the organ that much…but I do care about telling stories. And so, each morning, I sit down with my notebook, grab my ballpoint pen. I’ve got a lot of practicing to do.

April is Poetry Month

2010-04-12T23:30:00.000-06:00

Let's all celebrate Poetry Month by writing a poem. Just one small little poem. Make it be about something local and fun; something you like about Boise, or an independent Boise store. Then send it over to the folks at Rediscovered Bookshop for their contest. I hear there's prizes.

Or, you could write a poem just because. You would work on it all April. Make it strong. Make it all it can be. You could even use one of the themes for the next two Bites from the Orchard: Floats or Hearth and Heath. You could bring it to the poetry critique group forming at A Novel Adventure (look for more details next week). You could read it at open mic night. Or you could submit it for publication.

Long or short, serious, sweet, sad, or happy, poetry warms the heart and invites the soul to communicate.

Spend some time writing some verse this month.

Contest Winner!

2010-04-11T23:41:00.000-06:00

We have selected a winner and runners up for the Bridges Contest! And that winner is:

Chad Smith for his poem “No Rocks on This End”.

Our runners up, in no particular order, are:

Noelle Veldhouse for her poem “Pigtoot the Forgotten” and,

Phil McClellin for his short story “Where Lurks the Damned”

You can look forward to reading these excellent selections on May 5^th at 6pm when we release Bites from the Orchard: Bridges.

Thank you so much to all of our entrants. We couldn’t do it without you.

Drawing Comparisons

2010-04-08T00:20:00.001-06:00

April is in full swing now, and so is the celebration of National Poetry Month. Why not join in the fun by writing a poem?

For some, writing a poem is easy. They sit down, and write, and out comes something to work with, edit, revise, and shape into a masterpiece. For others (myself included) the word "poetry" brings on shivers of fear and dread.

The fear and loathing, however, does not mean writing a poem is impossible. Start with a simple comparison. What was your morning coffee like? Your breakfast? How much would you like to put sugar in the gasoline tank of the neighbor's monster truck? You see what I'm getting at here: start with something small.

Then let it grow. Compare that thing or desire to something else that's not like it. Is your object of description hard and cool? What else is hard and cool? Plates, DVD cases, and jewellery could stand in for an answer.

Now move on to an emotion. Does your coffee make you angry, happy, or something in between? How much is that emotion evoked? Explore it, and see where it takes you.

Even if poetry isn't your forte, drawing these comparisons is helpful. How else are you going to explain to your reader just how much the character hated sliding into the cool waters of the lake? Or show the reader just how bad that concept you're arguing against really is? It's all in the description. While poetry may be too flowery, too much for your specific situation, hyperbole can teach much about moderation.

-Megan

April's Guest: Margaret Ellsworth

2010-04-05T13:50:00.000-06:00

Our guest blogger this month is Margaret Ellsworth. Though she recently moved to California, she's been instrumental in the formation of Boise's Novel Orchard. Head over to her blog (which she promises she wantes to start updating more frequently) for some more adventures in writing.

- Megan

1.When and why did you begin writing?
The why is easy: I've been a voracious reader as long as I can remember. And when you read enough stories, you start to dream of writing some of your own. The first story I remember writing (I think I was eight or nine) was about a seagull who made friends with a beach frisbee. Their names may or may not have been Sparkle & Whisby.

My writing life really caught fire in January 2006, when I started keeping a devoted "scribble-book" or notebook for stories and ideas. Since then, I've tried to write every day.

2.What sort of genre do you write?
Creative nonfiction of various sorts. Most of it falls under the category of memoir or personal essay. I like to write about big questions--religion, ethics, love-- and bring a personal voice and an image-rich vocabulary to it. I also do a bit of literary journalism-- same kind of deal, but writing about other people, not just myself.

3.Have you been published? If so, what titles? Where can we find your book?
I've had two poems and one essay published in various issues of my college's literary journal, Saxifrage. I also have an article that I'm shopping around to magazines right now.

4.How do you define being a successful writer? What do you do to get there?
A writer is someone who writes. Let's start there. As long as I have a notebook that is filling up with words, I am a writer. Every day that I write new words, I am a success.

Long term, I want to share my stories with people-- maybe even let them change the world a little, as the stories I've read have changed me. And for that to happen, my stories have to be out in the world, not just in my notebook or saved on my hard drive. That means re-writing, re-writing, re-writing... and finally screwing up my courage to submit a story for publication. Scary stuff. But worth it if I want to be a published writer. :)

6.You come to a fork in the road. Which way do you go? Why?
Either way, I'll get lost within five minutes. No internal compass here.

8.What book are you currently reading?
Love in the Time of Cholera, by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, for the second time. Garcia Marquez has possibly the most beautiful writing voice EVER. In my personal opinion.

9.What are your current projects?
I'm working on a couple of essays right now-- one that takes a different angle on the life of Jesus, and an autobiographical essay about growing up female.

12.Do you have any advice that you would like to share?
Natalie Goldberg said it best: Keep your hand moving. When you sit down to write a first draft, Do Not Stop Writing. If you're frustrated or stuck, write a sentence about being frustrated or stuck, and then move on. Some of my best scenes/images have come when I thought I was out of inspiration and kept writing anyway.

Also, one of the things that has helped me the most in my writing life is the support of a writers' group. Writing's a lonely pursuit, and sometimes it helps to break out of that isolation once in a while. A group can keep you accountable to your writing goals and remind you why writing is fun. Not to mention that critiques from fellow writers are worth their weight in gold!

13.You're trapped on an island, what five things do you have with you?
Hmm... probably no wi-fi on the island, eh? OK then. A notebook, a deck of cards, a good long novel to read, a box of peach black tea, and a solar flare to call for help!

14.Quick, it's a Zombie Apocalypse! What do you do?
Grab my notebook & voice recorder and go to interview the zombies!

15.Your computer just died, does this ruin your writing day, or can you cope?
Nope-- that's what my trusty notebook is for. I actually find I'm more creative when I write first drafts by hand and then type them up. It's harder to make a "perfect sentence" without a backspace key, and if I'm not worrying about making perfect sentences, I get more done.

Patience

2010-04-05T08:30:00.000-06:00

Please be patient. Today's blog is coming later today or tomorrow. It'll go up on Facebook and Twitter as soon as it's up.

Thanks for your understanding!

Peeps

2010-04-01T00:53:00.000-06:00

Tasty marshmallow goodness, or crack for sugar addicted children? Or both?

So, Easter is coming, and Peeps have made their way to the store shelves (well, been there, I try to ignore them). It got me thinking about the odd things people eat. The things people secretly enjoy, but refuse to admit. Or the things that they eat, so that they fit in.

It's one of those odd little character traits, what we eat. In our society we have available to us nearly every delicacy that you can imagine, and everyone has things that they favor, that others may find odd, or even disgusting. Some of you no doubt like pocky, others probably have no idea what it is. Or, maybe you have secret stash of Turkish Delight hidden in your office desk.

It's something, however, that I frequently find lacking in writing. I've read novels, in fact, that completely skipped over the fact that people eat! So, I want you to choose a character you're working with, and tell us what his secretly loved food is.

- Sam

Open Season on Submissions

2010-03-29T00:21:00.000-06:00

It's open season for submissions!

The conclusion of the contest for the inaugural publication that BNO will produce brought about a new era: open submissions. Themes and deadlines for the next two chapbooks are available here, as well as submission guidelines.

Thank you so much to those who entered the contest. Keep coming back for more announcements, including winners, publication dates, and information on launch parties.

Capturing the Voice

2010-03-28T02:29:00.000-06:00

Voice is what makes writing sound right. It's the narrator who's unreliable, but steps out of the narrative to give the reader information necessary to the story, but the characters don't know. It's the speaker in the poem who forces a rhythm to drive home an idea. It's an informed speaker in an article that takes command of the situation, and informs the reader of all the information the reader may want to know.

The words have to be just right, and they have to stay that way through the entire work. This is especially the case when the narrator is unusual, or has a very defined voice. In his latest novel Bite Me: A Love Story, Christopher Moore successfully inserts a teenager into the story, using the first person perspective as the girl writes her blog.

The vernacular and syntax is truly unique, fitting to a character who prefers to call herself Abby Normal. Though the enthusiasm is tiring, the perspective is used wisely, with the point of view switching throughout the story to tell all the different parts. And it never steps out of character, regardless of which voice tells the story.

Critiquing

2010-03-25T13:35:00.000-06:00

Critiquing is not an easy process. First the writer must be willing to hand over words written on a page. Then the reader, who will provide a critique, must pick up those words, read them, pass judgement on them, and offer thoughts on the good, the bad, and the ugly.

How exactly is this done? I'll give you the ideal critique process that I go through every time I pick up something to offer my opinion. Though this is my ideal process, it's not always possible to go though it because of whatever reason, and that's okay. I don't beat myself up about it, though I do always try to give my best.

1. I read the words on the page as a reader. I sit down, usually on my couch with a tasty beverage, and I read. I let the words take me where they will. And I put them down and let them mull over in my brain.

2. I pick up the words again, and I read them, this time with a writing utensil. Red pens are popular. I've bee liking my trusty mechanical pencil lately. I make notes about when I'm confused, when I enjoy a turn of phrase, what I like, what I don't like. And, I always try to mention WHY. The why is important, to both parties. The writer needs to know not only that someone liked or didn't like the words, but what made the reader like them. As a reader, the more I can comment on why I do or don't like something, the more I can emulate or avoid that aspect in the own writing. I put the words down.

3. I pick up the words for a third time, and I read them again. By now, I'm quite familiar with the words on the page. I mark them up. I mark grammar and punctuation and I offer ways to re-phrase sentences to tighten them; make them stronger. I comment when a sentence or paragraph isn't doing anything, when it's doing something other than intended, and when something is missing.

And, in a nutshell, that's what I do when I read for critique. Sometimes it's helpful, and sometimes it's not. The most important thing of everything though, is I constantly ask the question: Why? Why is the sentence there? What is it doing? Does it move the story forward? Does it give character or background? Or does it serve no purpose? If it serves no purpose, can it serve a purpose? Did I connect with the story on a deeper level? How did I do it? If not, what do I think can be added, or taken away, from the story so that I will connect on that deeper level?

And with that, I wish you all a happy critique.

A Good Flourish

2010-03-22T03:45:00.000-06:00

A lot of people think that starting a story is the hard part. It's the search for the perfect first sentence. You just need that awesome character that everyone will identify with, or a plot that will wrench the emotion from the reader.

It's hard, yes. Its daunting, certainly. It's down right terrifying. The search for the beginning of a story, to begin filling that blank page can freeze you in your tracks. Starting, however, can be as easy as just doing it. It also has nothing to do with what I want to talk about.

Have you ever read a novel, or a short story, all the way to the end, only to find that it has no ending? Or that the ending makes no sense? It's a problem, bad endings. I've read books, some by my favorite authors, that have endings that, well, don't. Or there are ones that end a different story than the one that they started telling.

I've always hated that, and I'm guessing that you probably do too. What's worse, I have no problem starting a story, but sometimes, when it comes to wrapping a story up, to finishing it, that's when I freeze up. Beginning, middle and, notebook shoved into a box somewhere.

So, this week my devoted Viissada, five hundred words to an ending. Yes, I know five hundred is a very short piece of writing, but an ending is as hard on 100,000 words as it is on five hundred.

The Gauntlet is thrown, do you dare pick it up?

- Sam

Last Minute

2010-03-20T14:27:00.000-06:00

The last minute is never too late.

I don't say this just because this post is going up at 2:30 today, but also because we're less than three hours away from deadline on the contest.

Keep in mind though, that the last minute isn't too late. Keep working at it, and don't forget to hit the send button before 5pm Mountain Time.

Finding My Voice

2010-03-18T01:31:00.000-06:00

And here's Phil, March's guest blogger. He can be found over at Tin Can Goat. Rumor has it he might be at the critique group meeting next week.

Here it is Saint Patty’s Day, the day before the day that fills me with angst; March the 18th.

You see, on the 18th I’ll officially age another year. I’ll tick another mark on the wall of my heart and plod on, chalk in hand, to the next year, ready to mark again.

Now, I’m not trying to bring anyone down. Lord knows I’m not one of those negative people who worry that I look older than I should. Or that my hair is turning gray (it is); that my skin doesn’t pull tight against my body anymore (only in a couple of places, most notably my chin); that I have hair growing where it shouldn’t, or longer than intended (ah, eyebrows, I curse at thee); or that I’m getting crow’s feet near my eyes (though the Carrion Crow are circling). Nope, I don’t worry about any of that, but I do wonder where all my time goes.

It seems the older I get, the more I slow down, but the quicker things need done. I need to finish the patio before it rains, or the days grow too hot. I need to play with the kids before they reach the age in which I embarrass them. I need to…blah, blah, blah. It’s all a foot race to my grave and I feel like I’m losing. Where is the time I need to keep up on my writing?

I’ve researched the writing habits of a few authors in attempt to sharpen my own writing. Most of these authors claim they write in the early morning, taking advantage of a time in which their minds are fresh, active, and alive. That during the early morning the imagination is fostered and the mind expounds creativity. Good for them, seriously, but I find it difficult to roll out of bed before 10 a.m. and stare aimlessly at the boob tube, let alone attempt to write.

The authors go on to suggest I carry a tiny notebook everywhere I go and jot down the surprising or interesting things I experience. Yeah, great in theory, but I’ve noticed as I age, so does my handwriting. I tried the notebook technique and jotted things for a couple of weeks, but I didn’t review the notes until months later and by then my writing looked Cantonese. Then again it’s probably just the floaters in my aging eyes.

I tend to write more effectively at the end of the day; a time when the wife and kids are asleep and their voices aren’t blasting through the vent system like a dusty, screen-covered megaphone. This is the time I find most peaceful and I can focus on the impactful things that happened during the day and I am compelled to write about.

I hold steadfast in my belief that all writers learn from other writers, good and bad. I tend to mimic the style of those writers I respect, as I think we all do. I think mimicking is helpful, as established authors help mold the style we eventually come to embrace as our own.

What I don’t believe is taking suggestions verbatim. Don’t get up at the crack of dawn just because someone else does. Don’t take entire pages out of a story just because one person doesn’t like it, re-write it and try again. Don’t paint a large pig black and white and call it a Holstein.

By the way, don’t worry about getting older, I don’t. Everyone grows old; it’s simply a matter of how we react to change, but change is good. Change helps us experience those things we normally wouldn’t, which helps us find our voice. Then once we have that voice we write and we write and then we write more; much, much more.

Have an idea for a guest blogger? Let us know!

Unplugging

2010-03-15T10:44:00.000-06:00

Have you ever walked away from your computer? I don't mean leaving your computer for a few minutes, or even a few hours, to do something else. I mean turning your computer off and ignoring it for a length of time.

What about your cell phone? Or your land line? Or your fax machine? Your television? What about your favorite mp3 player?

All of these technological advances can help with writing. Eventually, the work needs to go into the computer. It just does. And cell phones are quite handy for creating voice memos or entering in quick notes. There really isn't anything that isn't a source of inspiriation, whether it's the right music to get you in the mood or a pundit that breathes life into a point you'd like to make, or even the crazy antics of your Aunt Lucie (my apologies to anyone with an Aunt Lucie - I mean no attack) that she reports in a fax sent to all the family every week, it's all ideas that encourage you to get it all down

But what about the distractions? The internet is a big one, as is that one last Solitare game; one more episode of Scrubs. So, why not remove it all? Unplug yourself for a period of time. Force yourself to be disconnected. Turn off your cell phone and your fax machine. Disconnect your internet. Better yet, if you're mobile, take your computer somewhere you don't have internet access. Even better: write by hand for a time.

Now's the perfect time to give this a try. The contest deadline is just around the corner on Saturday. Unplugging might give you that extra push to get things done. Just don't let yourself be driven to distraction by a dirty bathroom or a less technological hobby. Unplugging might be limited to technology in practice, but not so in spirit.

How long can you stay unplugged?

Sunday Morning Book Review

2010-03-14T00:54:00.000-07:00

Up today, the 3 AM Epiphany.

This book has been a favorite of mine for years. Even so, I'm not going to say much about it. Why? I hear you ask. Well, there's just not that much to say, and most of that glowing.

The book is absolutely filled with hundreds of exercises that work on nearly every aspect of story telling, from structure (write a story with a figure eight pattern! No really, I mean it!) To narrator's voice. What's more, they're all fun, and fairly unique.

Some of the exercises though, may seem a bit dense, and advanced for some newer writers. Does this mean the book isn't a fit for them? Not at all. If an exercise isn't a challenge, you're not going to get much out of it. What's more, the book provides an explanation of what each exercise is trying to accomplish.

- Sam

Saturday Morning

2010-03-13T10:10:00.001-07:00

It's Saturday morning, and I don't want to write. Yes, you read that right. I want to sit around and drink coffee and watch the terrible TV that's available on Saturday morning. And maybe clean the bathroom. Maybe make a cheesecake.

Really, it's Saturday morning and I don't want to work. I've spent the week working, running around, responding, reading, and writing. Come Saturday morning, I don't want to write. I want to enjoy my weekend. Writing is work. I may not get paid for it, but it's one of my jobs none the less. I have to write for free before I can write for pay.

Which means I need to write every day. Even on Saturday morning, when I'd rather just enjoy my coffee.

So, how do you write when you don't want to do it? I force myself. I sit down at my computer and I say "write Megan!" and I write. Sometimes I go back to an old project, but, especially when I don't want to work, I find that I just scroll around through the words and tell myself that I'm revising.

More often though, I'll start something new. I'll find a bit on inspiration somewhere (often a prompt) and go. I'll even give you a little bit of a head start with a quick, short prompt: Why is the French press on the coffee table nearly empty? Use this question as a jumping point, regardless of your genre.

What do you do to get yourself writing on the weekend?

Dialogue in Action

2010-03-11T12:30:00.000-07:00

Dialogue is among the most difficult aspects of writing. Last night we talked about, and wrote some dialogue.

Dialogue is conversation in action. The characters speak to each other to convey information, but, more importantly, to move the story forward. Good dialogue is rarely anything that would be said in a real conversation, and drops the "ums" and "ahs." Characters each gain their own way of speaking, and have their own voices. They interact differently with different characters. Simple punctuation and vernacular aid the writer in creating these different voices. Dialogue does all this and more.

Though speech is also people talking, it is different from dialogue. There's no narrator to interfere with attribution and description of action. Especially in large groups, often holes in conversation will be filled by other conversations happening around the primary conversation. Though real, speech generally cannot be used directly for dialogue, because it doesn't sound real to a reader.

Last night we worked together to help create dialogue by mixing up conversations, and having multiple writers touch the dialogue. Head over to the website tomorrow for a re-telling of the exercise we did as a group for you to do at home without a table full of writers.

What do you think about writing dialogue? Is "said" over used? Do you rely on a dialogue tag or the dialogue itself to convey emotion?

Playing with Words: Dialogue

2010-03-08T01:47:00.000-07:00

I've always been a description sort of guy. It's something incredibly important to writing--every story needs it. I love to write description and scenery. It's something that I've always found to be easy, that a lot of people find to be hard.

Dialogue, however, is an entirely different story. Like description, there are very few stories out there that have no dialogue (there are some, yes, but they are few and far between). Without dialogue, you're stuck with one character doing and observing things, and that's not very interesting.

I was going to write a dialogue exercise today. I really was. But, the more I thought about it, the more I realized that I don't actually have a good one to improve dialogue. So, instead, I'm calling upon you: What is your favorite dialogue exercise?

Playing with Words

2010-03-06T11:17:00.001-07:00

Tell me if you've heard this one: What animal can jump higher than a house?

Or the very classic: What goes on four legs in the morning, two legs in the afternoon, and on three legs in the evening?

So, what do silly riddles have to do with writing? Pretty much everything. Go ahead, try to write one, I'll wait.

Done? How did it go? It's not very easy is it? Riddles, and other word games, have a lot to teach those willing to learn. They use the rules of language, and they twist the rules all around. They are a way of saying something without saying it. Hinting around the edges of what's really being asked, or said.

There are other games that can be played with words. Try this one on. You have a flock of geese, a herd of cows...
A **** of students.
A **** of parasites.
A ***** of ovens.
A **** of dragons.

The point of all this: playing with your language leads to a better understanding the nature of the beast you work with. I'm sure I'm not the only one that aspires to actual mastery of usage. Yes, my genre does not require it, but the better I am, the better my writing will be.

So I have homework for all of you. If you didn't already, go make a riddle. A real riddle, that contains all of the necessary information to be solved, and twisted to say something else. You're all familiar with the riddle. They're the bread and butter of every trivia show you've ever watched. So go write your own, and bring them back to us.

Just to get you started, I'll leave you with one that I wont answer, before I tell you the answers to the easy ones I've already asked.

You're stranded on a jungle island. On this island, there are two tribes of people. One tribe always tells the truth, and the other always lies, and are also cannibals. You are walking on a path through the jungle, and you come to a fork in the road. Standing at the fork is a tribesman, though you do not know of what tribe. The paths lead to each of the tribes. You can ask the tribesman one question, what do you ask?

So, what animal can jump higher than a house? Any animal; a house can't jump.
Man walks on all fours at birth, on two legs as an adult, and with a cane as an old man.
Its a riot of students, a host of parasites (nyuk nyuk), a range of ovens (do the puns burn?), and a slew of dragons.

The Death of Fini

2010-03-05T00:03:00.001-07:00

Our guest blogger this month is Phil. He's joined The 500 challenge, and regularly posts his pursuit of the challenge over at Tin Can Goat. Keeping himself honest to the task, he always posts his word count at the end of his blogs (and, it's always at least 500 words).

It amazes me what memories or specific instances stay with a person throughout their life; for me it was receiving a failing grade on a ninth-grade creative writing project.

I don’t believe my English teacher should have written me a failing grade and I’ve spent a whole lot of time these past years crushing on it. It was over one hundred pages long. It was my pride and joy. It was a creative writing project. Yeah, that’s right, a creative writing project. For crap’s sake, how does one fail a fourteen year-old kid on a creative writing project and still sleep at night?

I don’t know the answer to that question, but I do know I spent a lot of time imagining and typing that story. Yep, typing. I typed it all; cover, content, and credits. Although the word processor existed in some form or another at the time, I didn’t own one due to a lack of parental sponsorship and financing. My mother insisted that I craft my story the way God and Hemingway intended; on that mechanical claptrap the typewriter. What a disservice to writers everywhere that machine was. If you’ve never written anything on a typewriter you’re missing out. It’s an experience like no other.

The whole process of typewriting is contrived. It starts with inspiration and ends in pain—bruised finger pads, sore knuckles, and bloody nicks and cuts. Typing with the keys is tough, like pressing your fingers into sun-baked Play-Doh. The type bars often stick to each other, or against the type guide and ribbon vibrator, and the feed roller is a vile piece of engineering with the sole purpose of catching long sleeves and fingertips.

The machine never had a delete key, only a backspace, which, when pressed, slowly reversed the carriage across the body of the typewriter. Another classic and overused feature of the backspace key allowed the ability to repeatedly darken letters or words—the vintage method of accentuating text in bold. Overall, my favorite function of the backspace key was its support in corrections and rewrites.

Corrections and rewrites followed the exact process of the bold function, but expanded the process by requiring that I hold a—shiny on one side, rough on the other—white tape against the incorrect word or phrase on the paper and with my other hand, hunt-and-peck the same sequence of incorrect letters across the keytop. The corrective process was never pretty when complete; the paper dotted with flakey white letters, marking the pages in dirty, white cirrus clouds against a darkening sky.

In the ninth grade I started thinking I was classically cool. I was classically cool and I wanted to share my classic cool with the world. So after I typed the final sentence of my manuscript, I pulled the carriage return lever twice more across my chest, tapped the space bar twenty-four times to center the type guide on the platen and typed “++ FINI ++”. Oh yeah, classically cool; just like they do it in those fancy Penguin paperbacks.

I ripped the paper from the machine and like Stephen J. Cannell, tossed the page in the air so that it would rock itself—as a floating feather—onto the manuscript pile; unfortunately I missed.

I straightened the pages, stapled it three times along the spine, and sealed it with a kiss.

I couldn’t wait to turn this masterpiece in. I was going to be the teacher’s hero, her Hercules sent to save the literary world. She’d fall in love with my manuscript and I’d be published within months.

I was wrong.

I read her note more than a few times, still shaking my head at the red letters across the page, and wondering how she failed to see my genius. “You can’t write a story in which the main character is the narrator and have that character die at the end,” her note on the paper read.

I’ve beaten myself up a lot over the years thinking of how I am right and she is wrong. I have driven myself to tears over it.

I’ve fabricated paths to fame and how I’d push it right back in her face. I’ve thought about how I’d take my fame and write a story in which the main narrator did indeed die at the end of the story and the book would sell millions. There is no way she was going to have the last word on that. I might even make the narrator die twice so she’d really get the point.

So far it hasn’t happened.

I think every writer experience instances such as this and I believe we all react in the same loathing attitude when it happens—some of us more than others. We may blame the person we feel wronged us, we may hate them for mauling our baby, but it’s not worth it.

We need to step back from our writing and view it objectively like others do. Sure it’s precious infant and needs protected, but often we’re overprotective and blinded by our internal visions of glory and grandeur.

When it comes to my own writing, it lightens my heart to say that those who criticize don’t know what they’re talking about, but I know I’m just being overprotective. I’ve found that if I keep and re-read critiques weeks, months, or years later, that I do gain insight from the reviewer’s comments. More often than I want to admit, even the harshest critics have helped me grow as a writer.

I’d like to end with words of advice that will reverberate in the reader’s minds; such as, the teacher was vehemently wrong—and she is—but nothing is coming to mind. Instead I will leave you with a phrase my mom was quite fond of and has contributed to the person I am today: “I didn’t gain weight until you were born.”

Yeah, I don’t get it either.

[994]

Want to be a guest blogger? Contact us and let us know.

Thursday Post

2010-03-04T12:40:00.000-07:00

Your regular Thursday Post has been interrupted. Please stand by for your regular post to appear at a later time.

Thank you for your patience.

March Guest Blogger: Phil

2010-02-28T23:24:00.000-07:00

It's a new month, and that means a new guest blogger. Meet Phil. He writes over at Tin Can Goat, often posting his 500 projects complete with word count at the end. He'll impart some of his wisdom this Thursday, and again on the 18th. Today is interview day!

1. When and why did you begin writing?
--I began writing after the truancy officer showed up on the doorstep and
informed my parents I had to start attending school. My mom figured it was
better for me to suffer, than her go to jail so she forced me onto the
school bus and my life since, has been one writing challenge after another.

2. What sort of genre do you write?
--I write whatever occupies my mind the moment I sit in front of a computer;
typically horror, suspense, and humor, though a few friends insist I'm not
funny and beg me to stop. I read quite a bit of fantasy, so one would think
I’d write it, but I suck.

3. Have you been published? If so, what titles? Where can we find your book?
--My published history is not glamorous, though I've been published a couple
of times, but I don't consider them as great accomplishments.

In high school, I masqueraded as a Meet the Merchants reporter for the
Owyhee Avalanche, a now defunct newspaper in Marsing, ID. My column
consisted of me walking the dusty street, dodging tumbleweeds and
rattlesnakes, and interview local business owners.

I’ve also managed to get my name published in a couple of comic books. One
was for a contest (published in *Star Brand: Annual #1)*; the other was a
letter to a Batman writer expressing my apology and embarrassment of
confusing him with a more famous writer. He liked my apology and not only
published my long letter (in *Batman: Shadow of the Bat #72*) but he sent me
the original script and autographed it. This is my favorite thing I own.

4. How do you define being a successful writer? What do you do to get there?
--I could drive down the road of clichés and point out road signs that
success is merely putting words to paper, but I think that’s a load of crap.
To me, success is posting your writing out for the world to read and having
someone you didn’t know was a follower tells you that not only do they like
your writing, but they can’t wait to read more.

For years I’ve balked at writing; giving in to vices rather than commitment.
I’ve ignored the successful writers who harp "just write". It’s a lot harder
than it sounds and the time commitment is incredible. I walk away from
4-hours of writing and I am physically exhausted, but the next day I read
what I wrote and just knowing I persevered the night before, motivates me to
make another go at it.

5. What is your writing schedule?
--I’ve tried doing what Stephen King, George R. R. Martin, and others have
said; write early when the mind is fresh and alert, but I’m a night owl. My
early morning starts at midnight and I write until I’m asleep. I edit when
I’m wide awake and fresh. I’m starting to develop a niche in hanging out at
Starbucks with my netbook, drinking Black-tea Latte’s and enjoying the
constant white noise.

6. You come to a fork in the road. Which way do you go? Why?
--The fork littered with corpses. There my stories lurk around blind curves, drop off low branches, and whisper from thick brambles and dark hollows.

7. What books have most influenced your life?
--*The Holy Bible*. It contains great stories I use as the basis for what I
write. Others are Tom Sawyer (The image of Tom flicking a spider in a
candle flame has stuck with me for years); Poe’s, *The Cask of Amontillado*;
Dostoevsky’s, *Crime and Punishment*, Dante’s *Inferno*, and *Spider-Man*.

8. What book are you currently reading?
--Here's the thing, I can't read just one book at a time. I read about 100
pages and then pick up another. The rotation tends to be three books and a
slew of weekly comic books.

My current cycle is Matthew Pearl’s, The Dante Club (I’ve been struggling
through this book reading it for six years, but I vow I will complete
it...gah!); Brad Metzler’s, *The Book of Lies*; and Raymond E. Feist’s, *Jimmy
the Hand* (My mom picked this up in Britain in 2004, and it too has been in
my rotation for six years); and of course, my weekly slew of comics.

9. What are your current projects?
--The 500 challenge, which is kicking my ass. I'm trying to make every day’s
post a unique work and it's difficult enough that many days I just want to
quit.

I'm working on a young adult series and my submission for the
*Bridges*contest in March, 2010.

10. Who is your favorite author and what is it that really strikes you about
their work?
--I hate this question because I really can’t decide; King, Martin,
Flanagan, Brubaker, and others, but I guess the writer to whom I have the
closest connection is John Steinbeck. Mostly because my grandfather—an Okie
who moved his family to California in ’37; the year my father was born—swore
if he ever ran into Steinbeck that he'd kick his ass. Grandpa said he didn’t
like Steinbeck getting famous off of people’s misfortunes and that *The
Grapes of Wrath* was nothing but slanderous trash.

11. Have you learned anything from writing that applies to other parts of
life?
--Yep. Nothing is an easy. Writing takes discipline. Losing weight takes
discipline. Marriage takes discipline. The only things in life that are easy
are those that are bad for you and should be avoided at all costs.

12. Do you have any advice that you would like to share?
--Three things:

· One, have a thick skin regarding your writing and learn to
distance yourself. I know people who get so upset over someone commenting on
their work that they quit writing or lose sleep or drop into depression;
none of which are healthy.

· Two, use find function in your word processor and get rid of all
the *-ly* words. A friend of mine calls them "purply prose" and loves making
me feel like crap as he marks them from my manuscripts, but his advice has
matured my writing.

· Three, the first draft is always crap, but not all crap is bad.
Crap is fertilizer that feeds the growth of a plant; you’ve just got to till
the ground until you get a good mixture. Rewrite, rewrite, rewrite.

13. You're trapped on an island, what five things do you have with you?
--My family, because life is beautiful when your kids are constantly at each
other's throats. Food. Water. Air conditioning, if the island is tropical; a
heater if it’s not (Please have power.) Basketball equipment (Does this
count as one?)

14. Quick, it's a Zombie Apocalypse! What do you do?
--I mimic the zombies as did the survivors in Shawn of the Dead and head
for the local pub.

15. Your computer just died, does this ruin your writing day, or can you
cope?
--I'd go out back and finish the fire pit patio I’ve been working on the
past year.

16. Where would you take your favorite author to dinner?
--Phuket (The ‘H’ is silent) in Seattle. Best Thai Food in the Northwest.

17. Why isn't the sky red?
--I don't know, but 6 is afraid of 7, because 7 8 9.

It's Book Review Time

2010-02-28T00:13:00.000-07:00

Megan and I have a substantial collection of books on writing. While we love most of them, some, are rare gems, shiny that we refuse to let them stray far from our desks. We thought we'd share some of these with you. Every Sunday you can look forward to a book review. We'll cover writing books we love, like, and hate. We'll also sneak in books and stories that have helped us in our writing somehow.

First up is a book we just picked up: The Writer's Little Helper written by James V. Smith, Jr.

The book is a jewel, containing over two hundred forty pages of Q&A, Tools, and checklists. In fact, that's partially how the book is organized. Amid the greater organization found in the table of contents, you'll find advice distilled down into these three categories.

An example: mine and Megan's favorite out of the book is a tool: "The Scene Card." It's small, designed to be taped to the manuscript, or the notebook, or the folder. The idea is to fill one card out for each scene in your story. It helps you figure out how the scene fits into the structure of the story.

What's on the card? Here's one of the elements. The purpose of the scene: Move the story, develop characters, introduce/worsen a problem? There are others, but, the list is general and comprehensive on what a scene should do. If it doesn't fit one of these? You should probably not have it in the story. Really, I mean it.

So, would I recommend buying it? Yes, to everyone! I intend to buy another one, so Megan will stop stealing this one from me.

- Sam

A Prompt for Saturday

2010-02-27T01:43:00.000-07:00

Because koalas are always relevant, here's a site full of cute things.

Enjoy it. Or, use it to inspire you. Take the opportunity to describe a koala to an alien from another planet. Or to a blind person. Or to someone who's lost their sense of touch.

I think I'll take the opportunity to send someone to the zoo. Anything can happen at the zoo.

What do you think about koalas?

Reading

2010-02-24T23:24:00.000-07:00

How do you read?

I don't mean "by picking up a book and looking at the marks and deciphering them into words and thoughts and ideas." I mean: "what do you do when you read?" Do you read the words on the page, and allow yourself to be transferred to another world? Do you look for and find hidden meanings and messages within the text? Do you question how the writer shaped the words into what you're seeing on the page?

Personally, I do all three. Though, more and more, I critique the writing that I see. I can't help it. I want to know how the writer made me laugh or smile; what made me have the reaction to the book that I had. How else can I do this if I don't look for it in the writing?

More importantly, how can I know what I'm doing right and wrong if I can't see it in someone else's writing? What better way to learn than from other writers?

There's a writing adage that you can't learn how to write, and you can't teach how to do it. I happen to disagree. Writing can be taught. The teaching just happens in somewhat less-than-traditional forms. The learning happens by the student, by reading, by asking questions, and by seeking answers.

So, I'll ask again: what do you do when you read? What do you do to better your own writing?

Social Writing

2010-02-22T00:43:00.000-07:00

A short blog today. Two items on the agenda.

First, I want to remind everyone that the contest is still running, the deadline is the 20th, so get your entries in. You can get more information at the website.

Next, we've been thinking it would be nice to add a monthly social event. The idea is to get together on a Friday or Saturday evening, enjoy some company, some appetizers, and maybe a pint, and share observations on people watching, characters and other such sundry items.

So, Boise people, thoughts? Opinions? Bonus points if you can name the gods Friday and Saturday are named after.

- Sam

What Do You Need?

2010-02-19T22:53:00.000-07:00

What do you need to write?

I know, there's the obvious. We need something to write with: pen, paper, pencil, computer, some even prefer a voice recorder to transcribe later.

But, what else do you need? For example, I just need my laptop and an open document. I'm really not even picky about what sort of document is open (though I do prefer software that features word-wrapping). I can be anywhere, there can be anything going on around me. It really doesn't matter. Just a keyboard and an idea, and I'm typing away.

Some people have to be in their writing corner. They go there, shut out the rest of the world, and write away. Some have an entire ritual that must happen before they can write a word. Some have special tools they need, some a tasty snack.

So, tell us. What allows you to be successful? What do you need to write?

What Do You Do When You Fail?

2010-02-18T01:18:00.000-07:00

Here she is again, our guest blogger Miriam S. Forster.

I have a confession to make. We're now almost two months into the 500 challenge and my average... is not so good. About 50 percent follow-through, in fact.

I'm still making it a goal, but it's a goal I don't always reach and that got me thinking.

What do you do when you fail?

I'm not talking about rejections from agents or editors or bad reviews/critiques. Those are things you don't have much control over. But what do you do when you set a goal for yourself and don't make it?

It happens all the time with me. Exercise and diet are the two biggest offenders, but writing is up there. I make a goal, I set out to do it....

And I mess up. Forget. Get distracted. Get stressed. Get too tired. Watch TV.

So what do you do?

I think the biggest key is to focus on the present.

If you aren't making your goals, don't dwell on your past failures. That leads to making excuses, or if you're a self-flagellating type, getting discouraged.

And don't worry about the future. "How will I ever learn to do this?" "What if I suck for the rest of the year?" "What if I NEVER make my goals?" These are not profitable questions, and won't help you.

Focus on the present. It's about you, today, doing today's work. It doesn't matter if you didn't do it yesterday, or the day before, or for the last six months. You can do today's work today.

Maria Killilea in her book "With Love from Karen" says: "Now is all that can be presently profitable."

So that's what I do when I fail. I start over, every day, and do it again. And I try to be patient with myself. I missed many blog posts when I first started trying to blog on a regular basis. I fell down a lot when I learned to ride a bike.

Failure is part of the learning process, and as of this minute, all your failures are in the past.

Focus on the now.

And go write 500 words, too. :)

Have an idea for a guest blogger? Let us know in the comments below.

Alien Thoughts

2010-02-15T12:00:00.000-07:00

How many characters do you write that think the same as you? Or, if not the same, very close to it? I know I do it; it's easier. If your character thinks like you do, you don't need to work very hard to make the character act in a real, believable way. I've even been guilty of doing it with different characters in the same story.

Now, how many novels have you read where the different characters are nothing like each other? A lot, I'd wager. I know I've picked up books by the same author where different characters are nearly identical to each other. That, however, isn't a very interesting book when that happens.

So, today, and the rest of this week, I challenge you. Pick the most alien, bizarre, screwed up personality that you can, and write that. Try a new one each day. It's the perfect excuse to pull out the futuristic AI robot, or an alien king on a far away world.

Liar liar pants on fire

2010-02-13T14:46:00.000-07:00

Who reading this blog tells lies? Show of hands now.

It's okay, you can admit it. And, if you write fiction, you have to fess up to lying. Writing fiction, and even some types of non-fiction, requires an act of lying: telling a story that isn't true.

Thinking about writing in this particular context puts a bit of a bad light on the act. We shouldn't tell lies. It's morally reprehensible to tell a non-truth.

How do you reconcile this? Why is it okay for us to tell lies in stories, in writing, but not in real life? Do you ever practice telling lies in real life as an exercise to further your craft?

Fixed Form in Poetry and Prose

2010-02-11T10:20:00.000-07:00

Today is the second Thursday of the month, which means yesterday was the second Wednesday. We had several writers gather together at Rediscovered Bookshop last night to discuss writing.

We had a writing exercise based on the Fibonacci Sequence. The exercise we did last night can be found on our website.

I wanted to use this blog to relay some of the discussion we had last night, and open up the discussion to a broader range of people.

One of the highlights of last night was a discussion of fixed form, what it means, and how it affects poetry and prose alike. Fixed form is generally found in poetry; the most famous of which is probably the Sonnet, through there are many other forms, such as the Limerick or the Haiku. Each of these forms lends itself to different types of poetry. Most poets would not choose the Limerick form to write about serious questions of human desire and faith. Likewise, men from the Eastern portion of the United States would not likely use a Sonnet form to throw innuendo back and forth at each other, rapid-fire.

Thus, we have the idea that form follows function. Rhyme and meter, or the lack there of, create tension and drama themselves. Add the meaning of the words that hold the rhyme and meter, and the poem really starts to mean something.

But what does all this have to do with prose? Prose doesn't use fixed form. There's one paragraph right after another, each flowing into the next. Characters speak and narrators explain. The story moves forward organically, with no rules.

Though, there are some rules involved. For example, a character that has a deadline to meet, and is running behind, probably won't meander from his car to his office. And a narrator telling a story full of suspense probably won't stop to tell you, the reader, about the scent of the flowers. Short, tight sentences create suspense, and hurry the story along. Long, lingering sentences invite a reader to stick around a while, grab a cup of tea, and relax with the story, rather than rushing through to the end.

What's your favorite fixed form? Why do you like it so well? Do you despise fixed form? Are you vehemently against the idea of the form of words affecting prose? Are you for it? Why? We want to hear from you!

How about something a little different?

2010-02-07T23:28:00.000-07:00

So, yesterday was Superbowl Sunday. My landlord likes to comment that of all the activities in which my husband and I participate, watching football is the only mainstream thing we do.

Let me just add, we really only watch BSU, the Rams when they're on network TV, and the Superbowl. And, mostly, we watch the Superbowl for the commercials.

I'm sure this is entirely too much personal information for a non-personal blog. But, it's a story, that leads me to what this blog is really about: telling a story. How do you tell a story? What tools do you use? What tools are available?

There's quite a bit of experimental story telling out there in the world today. I won't get into it much; Google does a much better job of it. But, I will give you this. It's Google's Superbowl advertisement. And, it's a rather interesting, different way of telling a story. If you already saw it, watch it again with a writer's eye. If you haven't watched it, well, now's your chance.

And you thought your search history couldn't possibly tell a story.

What's so great about the way Google told the story? For me, it was what they left out - the holes the viewer had to fill to understand the story. And yet, even though I had to use my imagination, it worked for me. I liked getting to fill the holes.

What did you like best about this form of story telling?

What's your excuse?

2010-02-06T00:44:00.000-07:00

Writing requires writing.

It seems obvious. That in order to write one must sit down and write. But, how often do you have a story in your head that you circulate, and mull over, and go round and round in circles, but never actually write down? I know I do it. And, I know at least a couple more who do too.

So, how about a challenge for that story that's not written. You know, the one that's stuck in your head, that you've known about since the dawn of time, but that you haven't written down yet. Why haven't you written it? Are you afraid of the first line? The first page? That the scene won't match up to your expectations? That you'll write it, and find you no longer care about the characters?

I say, write it anyway. Get it out of your system. Stop reading this blog, and go write it. Write just 500 words of it (more, of course, is always acceptable). Right now. I'm serious. Then you may come back and keep reading.

Stop. Put the blog away. It'll be okay. The blog will still be here when you get back, I promise.

Feel better? Yes? No? Why? Did you capture the moment? Do you feel accomplished for having started? Do you feel that you sucked? Cause really, it's okay if you did. Don't delete what you wrote. Put it away for a bit, then go back and write more.

I promise you, that story won't write itself. So, be fearless and write it. Put those words on paper. You don't have to release them just yet; just write them down.

What did you write today?

Three Things No One Ever Told Me About Success

2010-02-04T01:32:00.000-07:00

Here it is, a guest blog, brought to you by author, blogger, and 500-er (is that a word? it is now!) Miriam S. Forster.

Like a lot of you, when I decided to get serious about writing, I started dreaming. Publication, awards, recognition, success.

But success is a tricky beast, as difficult to catch and hold as vapor. And there are three things about it that I didn’t know.

1. Success takes time

Writing is such a personal thing. Especially when you’re first starting out, everything you write feels so true and deep and precious. You want to argue when people point out weak points, want to believe that this thing you’ve poured your soul into is wonderful.

But the fact is, writing, like any other art, requires practice. You probably won’t play a concerto your first month of piano lessons, and most people can’t draw a portrait the first time they pick up a pen. It takes time. In fact, studies show that you have to put 10,000 hours of work into an art or discipline before you achieve mastery.

But patience and time are not the only things that success requires.

2. Success requires a day-by-day commitment

By time and practice I don’t mean rewriting your first book over and over and over. You have to write something new. New words on a regular basis are the best way of improving as a writer. You can always take what you learn and apply it to your older work.

One thing I learned when I started blogging was the importance of consistency. You can’t build a good blog without posting regularly. Exercise is the same way; a long exercise session once a week is not as effective as smaller ones throughout the week.

Perhaps you work better in long stretches. That’s okay, everyone is different. But whatever you do, keep it consistent.

It’s hard to be persistent though, when you feel you aren’t getting anywhere. And that’s where my biggest lesson came in.

3. Success is something only you can define

Here’s the thing about success. It’s always the place you want to get to next, always the step right past where you are. The unpublished writer wants to be published. The small-press author wants to be published by a bigger house. The unagented writer wants an agent, the agented writer wants a book deal. Most writers would love to write full-time and still be able to pay bills. There’s always something more to want.

What does that mean? It means that if you measure your success as a writer by those things, you will always fall short. Goals are good, don’t get me wrong. But you have to be able to appreciate your achievements for what they are without getting discouraged.

This is the most important thing I’ve learned about success. To quote the immortal John Candy in Cool Runnings, “A gold medal is a wonderful thing. But if you're not enough without it, you'll never be enough with it.”

Have you learned anything lately about writing and success?

Oops!

2010-02-02T17:30:00.000-07:00

Oops! I was pushing buttons again. Shouldn't do that. Come back on Thursday, when I've pushed buttons at the proper time.

Megan

Febuary Guest: Miriam S. Forster

2010-02-01T00:16:00.000-07:00

We're starting off the guest blogging with an interview with an Idaho author, Miriam S. Forster. Her book, The Flute and the Dagger, is due out this year. Keep reading for insights from a budding new author. Then, head over to her blog for some more reading, and updates on her book. Miriam can also be found on Facebook and Twitter. We'll hear more from Miriam later this week, and again later in the month.

1. When and why did you begin writing?
According to my mother, the first book I wrote, I wrote at the age of seven as a birthday present for my younger sister. And writing poems and stories in English class was always my favorite. But I didn’t start to love writing for its own sake until high school. I’d made up a this world on a computer game I had and I wanted to tell the story of it

2. What sort of genre do you write?
Mostly young adult, and mostly fantasy. I like how tight the writing is for that age. And I love the possibilities and wonder of fantasy lit.

3. Have you been published? If so, what titles? Where can we find your book?
I am in the process of being published. Unfortunately the small press I’m publishing with had a huge name change last year that pushed everything waay back. I have heard from my publisher though, and things should get rolling this spring.
The best way to keep informed about when the book comes out is to follow my blog, or join my Facebook Page.

4. How do you define being a successful writer? What do you do to get there?
I think success is a hard thing to define, because no one ever feels like they’ve reached it. Success is always just one more achievement away. And in publishing, a LOT of things are out of your control. So I try to focus on what I can do. Am I writing consistently? Am I improving my knowledge of how publishing works? Am I connecting with readers and networking to the best of my ability? If I can say yes to those things, then I consider myself a success.

5. What is your writing schedule?
500 words a day, of course! I usually try to write after work, before I go home and other things get in the way. If I don’t do that, then later at night generally works best.

6. You come to a fork in the road. Which way do you go? Why?
Probably the road less traveled, or the one that looks like it might go somewhere interesting.

7. What books have most influenced your life?
I can’t think of any specific ones that had a huge impact. I think the thing that really influenced me was that I was allowed to read widely when I was a kid. My dad shares my love of books, and most of his library was open to me. That really encouraged my love of books and storytelling and gave me an open mind.

8. What book are you currently reading?
I got The War of Art by Steven Pressfield for Christmas, and I’ve already read it three times. It’s a simple book, but it shoots straight about a lot of things, including the fight against Resistance and the way we self-sabotage.

9. What are your current projects?
I’m currently rewriting the book I finished in November, a novel about a high-school girl who dies and ends up into the body of a kitten. I’m also doing a lot of research about the Nome Alaskan gold rush for my next book, a middle-grade historical fantasy.

10. Who is your favorite author and what is it that really strikes you about their work?
Oh, that’s a HARD question. I love Mercedes’ Lackey’s worldbuilding and Donna Andrews’ sense of fun. Tamora Pierce does awesome female characters like no one else, and Dean Koontz can almost always be counted on for good escapist plots.
It all depends on what I’m in the mood for.

11. Have you learned anything from writing that applies to other parts of life?
I think the biggest thing I’ve learned is to focus on the things I can control. Also, humility and patience.
In writing, you can get too wrapped up in the words on the page, too invested in the work. Writing is a deeply personal thing, but it’s also a skill like any other and needs practice. If you take critiques, rejections, etc, too personally, it can really hurt your ability to improve.

12. Do you have any advice that you would like to share?
Practice, practice, practice. You wouldn’t expect to become a concert pianist the first time you played chopsticks, don’t expect to be an amazing writer the first time you pick up a pen.
Along with that, the best way to be a better writer is to write another book, (or poem or song, or whatever). I spent years trying to rewrite my first book, and it wasn’t until I had another two manuscripts under my belt that I had the experience to make that first book what it needed to be

13. You're trapped on an island, what five things do you have with you?
A book on edible plants and a fishing net, to start. :) Also, a box of pens, a giant box of paper, and a really good, long book.

14. Quick, it's a Zombie Apocalypse! What do you do?
Run and find someone with a really big gun, then hole up in a bunker somewhere.

15. Your computer just died, does this ruin your writing day, or can you cope?
I think I could cope. There’s always planning to be done, outlining, or research. And if I have a scene that HAS to be written, I can always write longhand.

16. Where would you take your favorite author to dinner?
Flying Pie! Or somewhere like it, somewhere you can settle in, eat breadsticks and relax.

17. Why isn't the sky red?
Um, it is, isn’t it? Next you’ll be telling me stop signs aren’t blue! :)

Interested in being a guest blogger? Point us to your blog and let us know.

Genre Writing

2010-01-30T11:11:00.000-07:00

I know, I know, I'm not the one who writes Science Fiction or Fantasy. I do, however, read Science Fiction and Fantasy. And, something that marks good writing within this genre is an ability to build a world.

When writing in this world, in the world we already live in, the author can leave almost everything up to the reader's imagination that's not directly pertinent to the story. What color is the grass? The sky? What's the normal weather? What do people as a whole want out of life? What do people believe? These questions, and many more, are answered very briefly when writing in this world.

What happens when you move into another world? The author has to build a rich, believable world, and tell a story, all at the same time. Not to mention, the writing quality can't dissipate just because the author is having to do so much. This, I think, is why writing Science Fiction and Fantasy is very difficult, and, at least in part, is why I don't do it.

For that very reason dear readers, I'm presenting you with a challenge for this weekend. I'll join you in it, because I want to do it; i want to flex my writing muscles in a new way. Write a scene in a genre that you don't normally write. If you're like me, and you generally write "literary fiction" or "mainstream fiction", go for something different. I'll put on the Science Fiction hat I think. I could go for suspense or thriller, mystery or romance instead. There's so many different genres to try, and all of them will force you to think about something different.

I already mentioned Science Fiction: what color is the sky? What do the guns look like? And Fantasy: Are there more than Elves and magic? Fairies? Perhaps the main character can wish herself anywhere in the world.

What about some other genres? Romance, mystery, thriller. These usually happen in our world, but there are still questions to grapple. Why does the main character lust for the person he or she can't have? Who killed the victim, and why? What twist will you give the reader next?

Go write your 500. Do something a little different. Challenge yourself. Post it on your blog. Come back here and tell us how it went; give us a link to your blog. Tell us what you thought about while you were writing your Genre 500. All of these thoughts are helpful to your fellow writers. Don't be afraid to speak up.

Megan

Words of Power!

2010-01-28T07:00:00.000-07:00

Good Morning Viissada,

Thought I'd try a new language this morning. Works better than the last ones I found to refer to you all (:

Words are a writers stock in trade. Most of us love words. We all (by which I mean all writers), love words for the conveyance of information. The telling of a story, the picture of a poem, the history of a lost culture. Some of us even enjoy playing with words. To make words dance and do things that, perhaps, they should not be able to do (even if it is just the gut splitting groan that escapes when you break out a Tom Swifty (a particular nasty pun, E.G. '"The doctor had to remove my left ventricle," said Tom halfheartedly.'

How often, though, do you think about the actual power of a word. Just a single word. Yes, words taken together can make us cry bitter tears of anguish, or stand and shout at injustice and betrayal. But what about a single powerful word? Words that when added to a sentence transform the entire meaning?

There are a lot of words out there that a lot of people feel are very powerful. (See that, I used one right there. Do you see it? It's sitting next to powerful.) Very is a useless word. If you see it, throw it out. It adds nothing but weakness to your sentence. Go ahead, try it; out loud read that first sentence with, and then without "very", I'll wait.

See? By no means is it a perfect sentence, in fact, by no means is it good. But without "very"? It's better.

So what do I mean by "words of power"? Well, these are words that convey a huge amount of meaning, and there are different sorts of words that bring about meaning in different ways. Much better than "very" is "always". It tells you something. Whatever is always, never deviates. (Look, there's another one of those powerful words!) Always and never, though, are so powerful that they must be handled like uranium. Misplaced, and you could burn yourself, just as easily as you can with words that seem to convey power, but fall short of it.

Enough rambling for me. Try to find some powerful words and use them today.

- Sam Justice

Characters

2010-01-24T23:51:00.000-07:00

Characters are important. Without characters, we have no people doing things. It's hard to tell a story when there's no one in it.

Who are these people? What do they do? Where do they go after work? Are they happy? I find it easiest to write when I really know my character. I tend to think of situations that people get into, and then think of how my character would get out of them. It doesn't matter if the character would never actually be in that situation, just what would happen if he or she was in it.

We want to know, who are your characters? What brings them to life? What aspect of your characters do you wish you knew more about?

I'll start. At the moment, I'm working most closely with a teen-aged girl who's great-grand uncle (perhaps great grandfather, no one's entirely sure) founded the town in which she lives. She's frustrated at being a tour guide for everyone, and with her mother (though, what teenager isn't?). She's easily excited, though tries very hard to play it cool. And she wants desperately to be left alone.

I wish I knew where her father is; why he's missing. And why her mom is so bitter. I imagine the latter has something to do with the former, but I don't know.

What about you? Leave us some comments about your characters.

Contest announced!

2010-01-20T18:25:00.000-07:00

BNO is sponsoring a contest! With prizes! And not lame prizes like punches on punch cards or candy - real prizes.

What do you need to do to win? First, you need to enter. To enter, you'll need to write something using the theme "bridges." Fiction and non-fiction should be between 3,000 and 5,000 words, poetry no more than 22 lines. We're looking for black and white cover art too! There's a $10 entry fee, with one entry per person.

What are we offering up? Winners will be published in a chapbook, due to be released in May. There's also a cash prize. Entries are due no later than March 20, 2010.

There are more details here, on the website.

Go write!

Apocolypse Now (And Later)

2010-01-18T08:26:00.000-07:00

Good morning Good Morning Five Hundredians. Awkward on the tongue, that. I'll have to think of something better. In the meantime, this is Sam finally chiming in. Those of you who know me know that I'm usually pretty quiet. When I do finally speak up, I usually don't shut up for a while, I tend to ramble and go on a lot of tangents; I'll try to keep tangents to a minimum this morning. Those are better for afternoon posts anyway.

So, how is everyone's 500 doing? Good? Bad? Somewhere in between? I've been working on a story lately, that takes place well after "The End Of The World", how far after isn't really important. But thinking about after the end of the world, makes you start thinking about the end of the world. Would you survive? Would you thrive? Are you one of the crazy people who has a miniature model of the modern world stored in your basement (a year plus of food for ten people, weapons, generators, fuel for same, etc you know the type).

As I was falling asleep last night, this is what I was thinking about. Both for my own interest and as research I picked up a book on surviving the end of the world as we know it. I got to thinking, in that hazy place between wake and sleep, that I would challenge all of you Five Hundredites (still awkward, oh well) to write about the end of the world this week. Specifically, to write a series of notes or letters or journal entries left behind by someone after the collapse of society.

Farewell for now Five Hundredese (nope, not that one either).

Tandem Writing

2010-01-14T00:20:00.000-07:00

Thanks so much to everyone who came out and wrote tonight! There was some fun and silly group writing going on. The results will be posted here soon.

How did this group writing happen? A classic tandem writing exercise. Inspired by a classic Internet myth, this exercise rarely goes quite so bad as the myth.

Find a writing buddy (anyone willing to write with you for a bit is a writing buddy) and a piece of paper to pass back and forth. Emails, Facebook wall comments, even Tweets back and forth would work as well.

Now, decide who will write first. This person should write a paragraph about something. You can agree to write about a subject, agree on a plot, or just start and see where the story takes you.

Now, switch! Give your paper to your buddy (literally or metaphorically, it doesn't matter), and have your buddy write the next part of the story. Keep going like this, back and forth, until the two of you agree that you have reached a logical conclusion.

The big trick? Don't discuss the story as you're writing it! Just write, back and forth, and find and ending. The story won't likely be long, but it will exist. You can keep it and cherish it forever, you and edit it and make it better, or your can simply bask in the opportunity the exercise gave you.

What does this exercise do, you ask? For one, it gets you writing, and that's the most important thing of all. It also shows you another style of writing, and encourages you to try something a little different. Unlike role-playing, you're not writing just one character's actions - you're writing a story. Two very different styles will start to merge into one unique one over the period of a story. You might get to try a completely different genre, or voice, or narrative style.

You might even have a little bit of fun :)

Antagonize

2010-01-08T00:06:00.000-07:00

This post is late, I know, and I apologize profusely. Maybe this week the Friday post will work out better for you anyway?

Have you ever changed your mind in the middle of an argument? Or been so involved in an argument that you change your stance in the middle of it? Why not have a character do this?

Write some dialogue between two (or more) characters in which they hold an opposing viewpoint. Have them argue for their viewpoint. There's not need for reason or logic to be involved here, just get these two people talking. Have one of the characters start arguing against his original view, without realizing it. Keep the other character so involved in the argument that he doesn't realize the switch.

Want to take it up a little higher? Don't forget the space the characters are in - give them some space to argue. Perhaps have them fling small objects, slam a door, or shout up some stairs.

Enough reading - go write!

Megan

Latex

2010-01-04T22:02:00.001-07:00

Are you finding The 500 a bit harder than you'd like it to be? How about some inspiration in the form of a prompt?

Here you have a picture. It' s a lovely picture of some balloons in a rather disheartening predicament. For me, I always think about the smell of latex when I see busted balloons scattered about as they are in this particular picture. What other sorts of smells might be present in this scene? Where did they come from? How did they get there? How might the people (think of them as characters) be reacting to the scents, (even latex)?

Sensory description is essential to writing. Small details about the five senses (sight, sound, smell, touch, taste), give the reader an extra dimension into the the character's world that is often ignored. Sight is rarely overlooked, and sound often makes it into the description of the world, but there other three senses, I find, are often ignored, or given only a passing glance. I want to feel everything along with the characters, from the cool, dank floor of the tunnel to the acrid tang left on my tongue from rotting tree roots and earth. If there's nothing to hear, I want to enter that void of silence.

My point? Show your reader by allowing your reader to experience all five senses with your character. Don't leave your reader in the dark for even a second.

I want to know how Your 500 is coming along. Are you succeeding? What's helping you? Share it here.

Going Forward

2010-01-02T01:34:00.001-07:00

This post is going to be a bit of a mess. There's much to cover, and I have some questions for you. Bear with me, I'll get through this as quick as I can. And future posts will be much less cluttered.

We have a web-home. That's right. You can visit Boise's Novel Orchard at it's own little home on the web. We're still on Facebook, Twitter, and will remain here, we just have a place for ourselves now too. Check back often - we'll be implementing some tools and toys for writers slowly. Eventually, we'll even have a fully integrated system for critiquing online.

We're getting ourselves onto a schedule. In the future, plans for the next month will appear here on the 20th of the current month. That is to say, we'll announce February plans on 20 January, March on 20 February, etc. You can count on a post appearing on the 20th of every month with this announcement.

Each month, on the first meeting (the 2nd Wednesday of each month), we focus on the act of writing. Something about craft will be mentioned. Often times we'll use real live books as examples. Sometimes we might even have handouts. The day after the meeting (the 2nd Thursday of each month), we'll have a blog post up about the meeting from the night before, including the full writing exercise we did. Handouts will be available digitally as copyright permits. Our plan for January? Tandem writing. With pictures. You'll need your favorite old-fashioned writing utensils - computers won't work so well for this (though, of course, you're more than welcome to try).

On the second meeting (the 4th Wednesday of the month), we focus on critiquing each others' work. Critiquing is an essential part of writing. Writing, after all, is about more than putting words on a page. It's about editing, polishing, creating something a reader would enjoy. Critiquing others' work make sit easier for you to critique your own. And, you'll get opinions on your work from readers. If you have nothing to share for critiques, that's okay. Come anyway! We'll have a practice critique for you to go through. Or, you can sit in with a group that's critiquing. Check out our guidelines for more information on critiquing.

It's the new year, and a great time to start working out some good habits. Join us for The 500. It's simple - write 500 words a day, every day. If you're blogging about your 500, tell us. Whether you're blogging about your writing experience, or actually posting your 500, tell us about it. We'll feature a new blogger once a month. Contact me for more information.

We'll also have more regular blog posts. We'll start with...ummm...Thursdays. Yeah, why not Thursdays? Writing prompts and woes and concerns and hopefully some stuff from you.

Me you ask? Yes! You! We want do know: what do you think about all of this? Do you have an aspect of craft you'd like to discuss? Something you'd like to share with the group? Something you just want to learn about? Let us know! Comment here, send us an email, comment on Facebook, Twitter us. The more we know about you and what you want, the more likely we can give it to you. Whether you're an active participant, or hang out on the sidelines, we want to make sure you're getting what you want and need.

I'll leave you with a quick prompt. First, find a picture. For this exercise, pictures with quite a lot going on (perhaps a scene at a carnival) work best, as do pictures of strangers. Snoop around on Flikr for a bit, find something that speaks to you. Write about the picture. You can easily spend 500 words writing a description. Or, pick a person in the picture, and make some assumptions about the person - thoughts, opinions, conversations. What does that person want to do next? What did he just do? I'll wager that you can spend an entire week getting your 500 from one picture, focusing on something different in the picture; some different aspect of craft.

Now go write!

Megan

Sentences

2009-12-07T01:55:00.000-07:00

Wednesday, November 9th

The following are the plans for this coming Wednesday's Novel Orchard meeting.

Sentence Workshop

What is it exactly that makes a good sentence? Is it a hook? Is it simply a well-crafted sentence? What sort of information does it contain? Do you have any idea?

Wednesday, we'll go over this. We'll craft sentences, and then pare them down to good sentences. By the end of the evening, you'l understand passive voice and how to avoid it, modifiers and why they're not descriptive, and what sort of information you, as a reader, actually want to see in the sentences you read, and why you want to see it.

Come with paper and pen or pencil to write and then share what you've written.

What do you think makes a great sentence?

The 500

2009-12-04T00:30:00.000-07:00

The 500 is a challenge to all writers everywhere, initiated by Boise's Novel Orchard.

It's as simple as this: write 500 words a day, every day, for a year.

Why so simple? Writers need to write, and, while it seems an oxymoron, writers have a hard time with butt-in-chair-hands-on-keyboard. BNO has noticed that challenges help to alleviate this issue. So, use this to hold yourself accountable and force yourself to spend time with words every day. Work on your craft in small, manageable chunks.

What can you write? As far as BNO is concerned, everything goes. Starting with working on a novel or short story to non-fiction to blogging and even good old fashioned journaling. It doesn't matter what it is, just write it for 500 words every day.

What doesn't count? In a word: editing. Adding a bunch of new words to something well under revision isn't writing so much as it is editing. Adding new sections or scenes to something undergoing the revision process is, however, more writing than editing.

How do you hold yourself accountable? You can use your own blog, Twitter, Facebook, Myspace, or anything else that will hold yourself accountable. Announce it to friends and family that you're doing this - they'll ask about it. Whatever you do, don't keep it to yourself. Your friends will be pivotal in holding you accountable to your 500.

NaNo 2009 is over

2009-12-03T19:16:00.000-07:00

NaNoWriMo 2009 finished up a few days ago. We had a great time at the last minute write in, with all in attendance who planned to finish indeed crossed the 50k line. Way to go Boise WriMos!

Sunday (December 6) will bring about the TGIO (The Game Is Over) Party at Fairview Flying Pie at 3pm. Please don't forget to send your RSVP in before Saturday.

Also, we have some Participant Surveys available for you to complete to make NaNo even better next year. The first survey is for all participants in the Boise area, and is anonymous. The second is for those who wish to volunteer somehow in 2010.

Both of these Surveys will be available in good old fashioned paper form at the TGIO on Sunday.

Thanks to everyone who participated and made this year so awesome. We'll have some final statistics here in a few days.

See you on Sunday!