Time for Writer's Introspection

Time for some introspection. 

Writers, do you always finish what you start? Most of the time? Or instead, when something isn’t working do you give up rather than finding a way to solve whatever is in your way? Do you pitch it and come up with a new, bright, shiny idea?

The plain truth of the matter is writing isn’t as straight-forward as it might first appear. Some writing projects need a lot of work. When reading through you may well find areas that just don’t work and need to be tossed or totally rewritten. Some may need just a bit of smoothing. Other scripts or novels, a very few I’ll admit, are such that everything about them is easy and flows and just rolls out from the beginning. Love it when the writing flows with the vigor and simplicity of a stream bouncing downhill over rocks.  Got a bit poetic there, but writers will get what I mean. 

There’s a whole lot more to writing than slapping black type onto white background whether on computer or printed page.  There’s an investment the writer makes, a part of him or herself that goes into it. And that fact alone can make a writer a bit shy about his or her work, tempted to say, “that’s no good, that’s not working, I’ll just toss it and start again.”

And that leads us to the inability to finish mentioned above. The first question is do you, as a writer, frequently find you can’t or simply don’t want to finish a writing project? Do you have a hard time finishing ANY project? If this is something deep-seated within you, if you go through life finding it difficult to complete any undertaking, then it’s a much broader issue than just your writing. It might be time for some serious self-evaluation or even counseling.

However I’m going to assume that’s not the case and it’s just your writing that  gives you bumps you must negotiate. Or hives, or whatever.

That being the case, the best advice I can give is apply seat of pants to chair (or glue yourself to standing desk) and get on with it. Read it with a clear eye and reread it. Work with it. Take a break. Come back. Just finishing can be an exercise in itself.

Then let the writer soul within you recognize that there are some projects that really should just be allowed to drift off to sea on their own. Sad but true. It is a fact that applies to the occasional stinker of a project, one that should never have taken root anyway. Yep, there are times to just let it go.

Aside from that rare occasion, refer to paragraph above and follow simple instructions. Apply seat of pants to chair and rewrite or stand before your computer and do the same (standing, by the way, can be stimulating to the thought process!).

You might just surprise yourself – and the rest of the world at the same time.

Writers Don't Wait For Inspiration

 “You can't wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club.”

― Jack London

One of my favorite quotes on writing.

I don’t know how many writers still carry that image in their heads that a writer sits around contemplating until struck with a brilliant ideas at which point said writer begins to write in earnest. Hopefully not many.

I don’t know how many readers also have that same image of writers in their heads.

To both camps I say, get it out. Stomp that idea to death and do it now.

Hemingway had it closer with his famous quote, “There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed.”

Combine that first quote above with the second and it’s something closer to what writing is all about.

Seriously, you can’t sit and wait for ‘inspiration’, you have to pursue it, look for it, grab it when it comes your way. If your muse is busy, read something that might spark an idea, take a brisk walk, play with your dog. Do something that relaxes and inspires you and throws that door open to new ideas.

Staring off into space can be you conjuring an idea, but if all you’re doing IS staring off into space, you need to get moving. Stir the pot!

Sometimes it’s as simple as tossing words onto paper, type something or write something, anything, then follow with more words. A full-blown idea just might kick in.

But whatever you do, don’t think sitting around, waiting, will do it for you. Some ideas strike out of the blue, others need to be tracked down and subdued.

Because an idea doesn’t come to you easily don’t think if you simply wait long enough it will.

It won’t.

Part of the trick is always remaining open to new ideas and experiences; always think of the ways of the world as grist for your mill. If you’re continually ‘tuned in’ ideas flow much more easily. There really is nothing magic about the muse hitting you over the head with a fresh, new idea. You’re generating them all the time and there’s no end to strange, interesting, funny and bizarre happenings and behaviors to feed your need.

Hey, writing standing up doesn’t hurt either!

So, get up, grab a club and go after that muse.

A Writer's Don't - Mirror Gazing

How many of you writers are guilty of having one of your characters describe him or herself by looking in the mirror?

How many of you readers have been massively annoyed by that little trick?

Yep, today we’re talking about a major no-no in writing. It could work with a screen script – at least the guy could look at himself in a mirror though he wouldn’t be reeling off self-description – but it sure won’t work where written in a book. Really. Just don’t.

Why? Do I really have to tell you? Ask the above-mentioned readers, but well, sigh, okay, here goes

It’s boring. Really, really boring. (again, ask above-mentioned readers).  Readers today aren’t so concerned with the character’s appearance as they are with the character’s character, the character’s personality and maybe a bit of what created that personality. Of course you want to throw in a few details, then let the reader fill in the blanks. The reader really doesn’t want to read pages of, “he stared at himself in the mirror, tracing the deeply etched worry lines that furrowed between his brows and carved the deep crags in his richly tanned face…..” and on and on. Get over it. Don’t do it. Boring.

Oh, and by the way, don’t think your readers don’t realize this is nothing more than a writer’s information dump and either start reading faster, to skim past it all, or just give up and put the book, YOUR book, down and walk away – probably never to return. If the writing isn’t advancing the plot or giving us some real insights into character then dump it. And may I add ‘mirror-gazing’ never does that.

And if that’s not enough the act of ‘mirror-gazing’ and then relating all one sees within the silvery depths combine to make that character you’re trying so hard to create with some interest and depth basically self-absorbed not to mention possibly obsessed with his/her own appearance. Do YOU stand in front of the mirror, ever, and replay in your head your dazzling eye color, the lovely fall of your red hair, the arch of your eyebrows, the cleft of your chin, the depth of your tan and your general handsomeness? Not to mention every little detail like the twinkle in your eye, the loss of an eyelash and the quirk of your lips when you smile? Ummm, I hope not.

It’s contrived (don’t you hate that word when an editor throws it at you?) and one way to avoid hearing that word is to avoid doing things like using this kind of trick to get the info out there. There are many more creative ways. Plus some of the description information you think is so vital may not be needed at all. Writing is constantly changing. Read; think about what you’ve written. Then think about great books you’ve read. Have you seen such a technique used in the writing of them?  I doubt it.

Be creative. Be original. That’s what writing a great story is all about. And let’s just skip the look in the mirror technique.