Writing Research

Hello and welcome back to a very very VERY late post. I am sooooooo late I have no excuses. Except for the fact that I forgot about it because I was... *sheepishly smiles* writing. Yes, writing. I've been working on some big projects for writing, and they have taken precedence. My greatest apologies, but now on to this post's topic!

As you can probably see from the title, we are discussing research today! Yay! *throws confetti* okay, so you probably are thinking, what's so exciting about it? Well.... 

Nothing. For myself, I find I have mixed feelings about research for my writing. Sometimes I'm pumped to learn more about a topic, and other times I wonder if I can just use the limited knowledge I have and get away with that.

So it's basically a love-hate relationship I've got going on with research. But nonetheless, research is very important to writing. Our characters experience things we could only dream of, and therefore we often don't know some things about the topic. 

For example, if you are like me, your characters get into a lot of trouble in which they are mentally and physically scarred. And because of that, often times I have to go to my trusty medical guide (WebMD is a great website with ACCURATE medical information) to research a particular ailment or treatment. I don't always want to do this, but if I didn't' then I might make a grave writing mistake.

Another example of such a mistake might be that my character gets poisoned, and instead of researching the effects of this particular poison (or any poison for that matter) I write as I imagine it. Now, you might be able to get away with it, but more likely than not you will lose credibility in your story, and it will appear a lot less realistic. Therefore, because you didn't take the few minutes' time to research that topic, you've written a lot on stuff you don't really understand. 

Okay, so putting those examples aside, I hope you are starting to see my point.

So whatever the topic may be, if you aren't well versed in it already, it would be wise to research as much as you can on it, especially if it is a big topic that will take a huge part of whatever you are writing. 

And the biggest reason is: your readers. They are merciless. And I am being completely honest.

Okay, not merciless in that if you make a mistake they'll hunt you down (that would be scary...), but they notice most all mistakes that you think you've hidden well. They notice a LOT of things. Trust me on that. 

Alright, well that is pretty much all I have on this topic. Basically, my whole point is that research is essential to the writing process. It is important for viability, being realistic, and being accurate. It shapes your writing and moves you from a novice to a professional, no matter what your age. Know what you write about. 

Aaaaannnd these cartoons have nothing to do with this topic, but I thought they were too funny not to share. Enjoy :) 

Aaaaaannnnnnnddddddd.............

Alright, that's it for this post! Enjoy your week! And I'll see you soon (metaphorically, that is).

Adverbs Are Excuses

Okay, so you might be wondering, just what exactly do I mean by the title of this post. I'm sure it sounds a little strange, but let me explain what I mean by the title.

Adverbs = excuses.

To start off, what are adverbs? Well, here's the dictionary definition:

"A word or phrase that modifies or qualifies an adjective, verb, or other adverb or a word group, expressing a relation of place, time, circumstance, manner, cause, degree, etc. (e.g., gently, quite, then, there)."

And here it is used in several sentences:

I quickly picked up the stick.

She fell to the ground, faintly hearing his voice.

"Don't do it!" She said loudly.

Now, you might be thinking, "What's wrong with those sentences? They sound perfectly fine to me!" And they aren't necessarily wrong, but there is a better way to write them. Look at the same sentences now, rewritten:

I grabbed the stick.

She fell to the ground, hearing his voice in the distance.

"Don't do it!" She shouted.

Do you see what I mean? Which sentences sound more powerful? Yeah, the second ones. (At least, I hope you said the second set, otherwise you can just stop reading, because I'm probably not gonna be able to get through to you. JK) And in the second set of sentences, I removed the ly adverbs and replaced them with more powerful verbs.

In writing, ly adverbs usually are excuses, or "fluff" in your writing. They tend to keep the writer from really considering their diction, and serve as excuses to write emotion.

However, sometimes adverbs are necessary. And with practice, you will learn to decipher between the adverbs that should stay, and the ones that have a better alternative to them.

For example this sentence:

"I quickly picked up the stick" sounds much better when you rewrite it to this: "I grabbed the stick."

But this sentence: "She fell to the ground, faintly hearing his voice," could really be written both ways.

And that is something, like I said, that comes with practice. But for now, there's an easy way to look out for those pesky adverbs in your writing. When editing, use the search bar (if you have one) and search for LY words. Then, go through the sentences one by one, seeing if you can come up with a way to get rid of the adverb and keep the meaning the same.

Believe me, when I write, I use adverbs also. And it is so easy to use them a lot, almost like a figurative "writer's crutch." But just remember that keeping them to a minimum will improve the professional quality of your writing, and the readability.

So, that's all I have for you today! I'll see you guys next time :)

Writing Exercises

Hello and welcome back to my blog. Today I want to share with you some writing exercises and different ways to "practice" writing.

Over the years, and through many different writing classes I have taken, I have learned lots of different techniques and exercises to practice in writing. I hope to share some of the most helpful ones with you!

1) Okay, to start off with, this first exercise is a good way to meet your word count for the day. It's called word sprints. This is a pretty simple exercise and all you need is some type of timer and a way to write, either a notebook or some type of keyboard. Now pick a time. Some suggestions might be ten minutes, five minutes, or even just one minute. Then set the timer for that amount and start writing! Challenge yourself to write as much as you can in that amount of time without stopping, pausing, or correcting anything. Just write and don't think!

Okay, on to the next one!

 2) This exercise is a good way to cure writer's block for sure. Try writing out a bunch of random, crazy, and strange first lines to stories. It could be anything! Just write fast and don't think. Most likely you will find a kernel of inspiration or idea in one of the lines! Here's some examples:

• I wish I could be a cat.

• The room smelled suspiciously like marshmallows.

• It was an avalanche of books.

• Each page was worn and wrinkled.

• "Do I have to eat the whole stick?"

• People are apples and oranges.

• The list was covered in highlighting and colorful writing.

• I climbed to the top of the tree, waiting for the lightning.

• Each flicker of the flames brought her hand closer.

• The shards imbedded themselves into my hand with each swipe.

• The snowman grinned at me even as he melted.

(Don't ask me why the lines are so psychedelic... I just like color!)


Those are some examples of ones I have written for a past project in a writing class I am taking. And in the end, I ended up writing a quite enjoyable little short story from this exercise! But you never know, you might just find some ideas for characters, scenes, stories, or even books!

Alrighty... on to the next!

3) This exercise is VERY helpful in improving your writing in one aspect: DIALOGUE. Now, I won't get into all the details as to why dialogue is so important and why it is hard to write (we'll save that for another discussion) and just go on to explain this exercise! 

First, find a notebook, or a portable device that you can write on, and go somewhere. Ideas include: the grocery store, a park, a coffee shop, a restaurant, etc. Go someplace other than your house (or even your house could work as long as there are people around) and then listen. Yup, you heard me right. Listen. Listen to people around you and record what they say! (be careful not to record anything that may be personal information) this regular, perhaps boring, speech will be a good place for you to go back to when trying to think of how someone would say something. You can really learn a lot by just listening to talk about the most mundane things. I promise it will help :)

NEXT: 

And last but not least... 

4) This one kinda incorporates all the exercises above. Designate a notebook, folder, or file (on a device) to be your WRITING JOURNAL. Then, write in it! Every day write something in your writing journal, whether it be one of the exercises from above, a snippet of a story idea, or even a practice story itself! The point of this journal is just to make sure you write every day, even if what you write is nonsense. That's okay. No one will see the journal but you! I have included some writing exercise websites below that may provide some ideas to include in your writing journal or just to use for inspiration! 

Writer's Digest: http://www.writersdigest.com/prompts

Think Written: http://thinkwritten.com/365-creative-writing-prompts/

Writing Forward: https://www.writingforward.com/writing-prompts/creative-writing-prompts/25-creative-writing-prompts

Writing Exercises.co.uk: http://writingexercises.co.uk/index.php

Pinterest Writing Prompts: https://www.pinterest.com/explore/writing-prompts/

The Write Practice: http://thewritepractice.com/writing-practice/

And to finish this post up here's the truth about writing!

JK... (sorta...)

Showing, Not Telling

This is critical. Let me repeat: critical.

Probably one of the most aspects in writing that is so easy to achieve successfully and remember to always do is the art of showing and not telling. This is important and does so much to improve your writing, yet people always seem to let this fall by the wayside.

And I'm not just saying this of other people. I struggle with this as well and only recently realized what it even was. But now that I know, I can see a considerable improvement in even my own writing.

In the following paragraphs I am going to discuss and explain types of showing versus telling.

First comes perhaps the biggest type of mistake that can be made. Showing emotion and not telling the emotion. In the character sense, it is easy to tell how a character is feeling instead of showing the feelings through action. This is especially easy to do when writing in first person. Consider the following example:

     He was dead. I could hardly believe it. I was so sad and felt like crying forever. I didn't want to eat. I didn't want to sleep. I was barely living.

That passage is littered with telling instead of feeling. He was dead. I was so sad and felt like crying forever. Those are just some of the examples that tell instead of show. They don't immerse the reader in the story and fail to provoke much sympathy from the reader. Now, consider that same passage edited to tell not show:

     His lifeless body, cold and still, laid motionless in the casket. I averted my wet eyes and drew in a shaky breath. My knees were weak and my stomach protested from its emptiness. I slowly made my way back to my chair where the tears burst forth once again.

Yes, they aren't exactly the same, but isn't the second one so much more meaningful? Can't you feel the character's pain and hopelessness so much more?

That, my friends, is what you are missing out on when you fail to show instead of tell.

Next comes another method of showing versus telling. Word choice. Yes, you could write that Sara smiled. But it is so much better so be more specific and say that she grinned. You could write that John walked up to the door, or you could write that he skipped up to the door.

The word choices are very important and also make the difference in meaningful and concrete writing.

Using specific, concrete words are always preferred in writing when you are trying to show and not tell.

For example:

Verbs: use sprint instead of run, grasp instead of get, collapse instead of fall, tear instead of open, gather instead of grab, etc.

Nouns: use apple instead of fruit, lipstick instead of makeup, mother instead of person, use dog instead of animal, pasta instead of food, etc.

Those are just some of the many examples that there are for switching out abstract words for concrete ones. And if you do that, then you are a step in the right direction towards showing in your writing and not telling.

Now go have fun with it! Have fun adding details and adding emotion and empathy to your characters and plot. Also, if you Google concrete words list, I'm sure you will find plenty of lists to help you get started.

Read Because You Write

Why is it so important to read if you are a writer?

The same reason it is important to ride that bike even when you fall, or to play that piano even when you make a sour note. It is like practice for anything; practice improves you. And reading is one of the keys to practice as a writer.

"Read a thousand books and your words will flow like a river." — Virginia Woolf

I once read a short essay by Virginia Woolf in a writing class I was taking for college. And let me tell you, this quote above is the honest to goodness truth. Her essay was like a river of words, and was excellently written. So, I would have to say that she knew what she was talking about when she made that statement.

As a writer, we may think that the only way to practice is by writing. Well, that makes sense! A person learning to play the violin has to actually PLAY it to practice. And a person learning to swim has to actually get in the pool and swim to practice.


But with writing, it's not all that cut and dry. Yes, it is just as important (if not more) to write as a writer (duh), but it is also critical to read. Read lots of books, as many as you can. But especially read the type of books that you write. Because that will help you the most.


However, don't just read them to read, read to understand and improve. Read with the knowledge of a writer and use everything that author does to improve yourself.


I read a really helpful tip on another writing blog a little while ago that I would like to share with you all. If you come across something in a book you are reading that just makes you stop say wow, or that you wish to you could do in your own writing, then write it down! Pause in your reading, and identify how the writer did whatever it was that made you stop. Then, make a note of it! The next time you are writing and are stuck on something like that, refer to the notes and make use of them.


Here's a plus to this whole idea of reading to improve your writing: if you enjoy reading (like me) then it gives you an excuse to buy lots of books and read, read, read! Because, why not? It is research and practice after all!


So go forth and read to improve your writing!

“I cannot live without books.” — Thomas Jefferson

Finding the Motivation to Write

Welcome back to my blog! Read on as I talk on about the wonders of writing and how to improve yourself! Thanks for reading!

Yes, this post is going to cover the dreaded topic of motivation. The writer's worse night mare and something that is always a constant struggle if you are honest with yourself. Sometimes its just so hard to get back at that keyboard and actually write. And sometimes when we do get to that keyboard, our brain instantly thinks up a million other things that need to be done.


Or maybe, our brain just decides to shut itself off. And then we have absolutely no words to write and feel (if you're anything like me) that we don't know a single word. That a dictionary us purely a foreign concept and we have no hope of ever achieving it.


But, have no fear! I have here to give you some tips that have worked for me on conquering the path to write and to stick with it.





[tip one] Music.
Yes, music. For myself, I find that music can be my greatest inspiration at times, and my worst enemy at times. Sometimes, the music just makes me write and write and write without stopping, while other times, I find myself typing the lyrics to the song I'm listening to. True story.


So, what do you do? Why, listen to music without lyrics of course! I am not kidding, it really does help. Listening to music that has lyrics forces our brains to have to process those words as well as what we are trying to write and that makes it twice as hard to write. But, if you listen to music that is without lyrics, it helps stimulate our brains and help us to focus. Gaming music especially tends to do this, as it is made to help the gamer focus and be motivated in the game.


[tip two] Location.
I have heard this tip from many other people more experienced than myself, and I have found it to be true. It is very important to find a location that is quiet, and allows you to focus. So that means, distraction free! No internet if possible, no phone, no electronics, no people, no ANYTHING that distracts you. Once you have found your special writing place, you will hopefully find it easier to write more and to write for longer as well.


[tip three] Routine.
This one is especially helpful, but it is also hard to achieve. I am still struggling majorly with this one. It is important to have a writing routine, and to stick with it! If you write every day, even for a little bit, and keep on track, you will find it easier to come back to the keyboard each time.


[tip four] Free Write.
This tip is one that I came up with on my own, but I have found it really effective for myself. I have found it so much easier to write for my books and novel and to focus on them, when I take time to write other things. Sometimes, when I am just writing for the same things over and over and I feel the stress of needing to be serious about it, it can just drag me down and take the fun out of writing.


Because of that, I decided to start other stories and little writing prompts on the side, but made sure to keep them light and nothing serious. By doing this, I am still practicing writing, but I can leave a lot of the stress behind when I take breaks to do these. Then, I feel (surprisingly) motivated to get back writing my more serious stories, sometimes just for the steadiness of them. (Believe me, some of my loose and light stories are pretty crazy)


These are the four biggest tips that work the best for me and I have found to be the most practical. Hopefully these tips help you as much as they have helped me, and give you the push you need to get back to that keyboard!





P.S. No flower pictures this time :) I didn't see how they would fit in to my discussion. But I hope you enjoyed the pictures I did put in!

“Don’t waste time waiting for inspiration. Begin, and inspiration will find you.” 

-H. Jackson Brown Jr.
 

The Importance of Outlines

Welcome back to my blog! Read on as I talk on about the wonders of writing and how to improve yourself! Thanks for reading!

This week I'm going to share what I've learned on a specific part of the writing process, thus named: the outline. 

Wait! Don't be scared off by the title, because, yes, outlines can be scary and intimidating. I have felt the same way as you might be feeling right now. But I'm here to tell you that outlines don't have to be scary. And when used correctly, they can make the writing and editing process so much easier.

Now, I agree that there can be things about using an outline that make the writing process less... exciting, maybe. And that can be true when you take the time to completely map out your story details and plot, but we can't forget the good that outlines do. Yes, it takes any spontaneousness (wow, what a word) out of the writing, but let's be real, is spontaneousness always good? 

Now take this flower. It is intricate and delicate and there are so many components that make it up to be like it is (those of you who read my last blog post will remember some of this analogy). This flower represents a finished story. Imagine it as your story all finished and completed. It is beautiful, for certain, but it didn't always look like this. At one point, it probably didn't look like anything special at all, and let's face it, most of us who write have probably felt this way about some part of our writing at one time or another. Just... be honest with yourself. :)

Now, back to my point. This flower is beautiful now, but how did it get this way? It had to grow! And what does a flower need to grow? Let's see... if I remember correctly it needs soil (earth), sunlight, and water. It cannot grow into such a beautiful flower without ALL of those components.

So an outline is like the soil or earth for the flower to grow in. It is the foundation for the flower. And it is what keeps the flower centered and firm while it grows. That is just what an outline does for a story. 

An outline keeps the story on track when it is so easy to follow those many rabbit trails that are always calling to us writers! The outline reminds us to keep on point with our story so we may share something meaningful with the world.

Plus, the outline also makes the editing process go easier (and I'm sure we all want that). When we don't follow as many rabbit trails, then there is less to cut out and rewrite once we reach the dreaded stage of writing called: revision. 

I'm sure I've probably convinced you that outlines are important by now (at least I hope so) and you are probably thinking, "so what? I can see they are important, but does that matter? It doesn't change the fact that I hate writing and using them!" And yes, I get your point. And I was just going there.

Perhaps you are like me in that you don't always use an outline when you write. Yes, I confess I am a bit of a hypocrite at times when I write, but sometimes it's just nice to not write so seriously, and just do it with more freedom. As a result, I have had some experience in writing stories using both an outline and writing without one.

When I prepare and outline, and use one, there are several tricks I use that I have gleaned from several writing classes I have taken throughout my life. And I hope that by sharing them with you, it will make your outline easier to write :)

First: don't even start the outline unless you have a lot of ideas and information written down or in your head for your story (this stuff is usually called brainstorming).

Second: start the outline somewhat vague (this may seem weird, but from experience, I've found that it does help to not go into so much detail right away). By keeping it more open, you can improvise and adjust when you come across things that need to be changed, whether plot holes or just a small mistake.

Third: loosely map out the ENTIRE story on paper (it helps to have it either printed or handwritten instead of just on the computer. That way, changes can easily be made). Trust me, there is something about holding the outline in your hand and being able to make notes that helps. I don't know why, but it helps me.

Fourth: once you have the outline printed and kept to be vague, as in not too much detail per chapter, then go through it. Make changes as needed and add more detail (still keep it loose though).

That is mostly the tips I follow when outlining. But I do have some other, more critical tips (as in format) that I use when writing it as well. These tips were given to me by a wonderful writing teacher who really helped me to grow in my love of writing and I wouldn't be the writer I am today without her.

Here is the format I generally use for writing an outline: (keep in mind that this is loose and would be changed somewhat depending on the story you write)

__________________________________________

Title

Author

Chapter One

First line of story (generally keep to short spurts. Don't give a lot of information and make it easy to read)

Keep it to just an overview

Not detailed

Small bits of information to keep you on track

Chapter Two

Make sure to keep chapters separate

Sometimes use abbreviations such as @ or slang to keep it short as well

Have double spacing between lines to allow for correction or edits

_________________________________________

So there you have it! That is generally the format I use, and the one I have found to be the most useful. Currently, I am using this format in my outline for the novel I am writing :)

Here is another flower picture for you, just because ;)

"The more work you put in on your outline and getting the skeleton of your story right, the easier the process is later." 

Drew Goddard