Monday, November 15, 2010

Horse Training and Word Wrangling

To the average human being, horse training and novel writing have absolutely nothing to do with one another. Both seem challenging, yes, but what do animals with hooves have to do with long works of prose?

Patience. And lots of it. I am being reminded of this lesson on a daily basis as I slowly attempt to complete a novel while also retraining a horse that has been out-to-pasture for over a year.

Even if you have never ridden a horse, I am sure you have seen one in a picture, movie, or petting zoo. You can appreciate their beauty, power, and grace. Horses, real horses, weigh over 1000 pounds. They have ten times the strength and 20 times the endurance of a person. One kick can kill you. One bite can easily draw blood. If a horse is cornered, it will fight or find a way to run away. Horses have evolved as herd animals with a keen sense of fear and personal preservation.

And, even if you have never written a novel, I am sure you have read many. You have appreciated lyrical passages, inedible characters, and heart-wrenching dialogue. Real novels, the kind that stuck with you for decades, are a huge undertaking. Outlines are written, rewritten, scrapped, and dug back up. Chapters dry up and characters suddenly become cliche. Writer's block takes over. Reviewers hate everything about the book. The rejection letters add up to more pages than the finished work.

Why would any normal person, ever, attempt to train a horse or write a book? Is it simply insanity, ego, or boredom? Those may be the reason that a person starts a horse or a book, but it's something very different to finish both tasks well.

Somewhere in between falling off the horse and falling flat with every chapter, the task becomes something more, something larger than the trainer or the writer. The rider and the writer start to hunger for the connection with something outside of themselves. This connection is what makes everything worthwhile.

The horse will soon understand that you are here to help, not hurt. One day, out on the trails, the horse will listen to every little click and squeeze. He will respond just the way he was trained and the day will be unforgettable for decades. Readers will pick up the book someday, they will turn the pages, they will sigh and laugh and cry. Many will appreciate the beauty, power, and grace of your prose. They will recommend the book to a friend or two.

And, at the end of my day today, the horse is still unwilling to canter without a test of wills, and my notes for my next chapter include a squiggly line and a question mark. Back to the training pen and back to the outline I go. Determined to finish, content to struggle, and ready to showoff my hard work and hard knocks soon.

Sunday, September 19, 2010

Savor every moment, remember every detail.

Often my blog has information for writer's about their craft. But, recognizing as we all do, that our art and life is woefully and joyfully intertwined, I am sharing some truly inspired moments from my daily life.

My move to North Carolina has gone as smoothly as possible. I started a new day job, found a log cabin to live in, and made some new friends in just four weeks. My home and life in Southern Illinois seems ages ago and far away, now.

A week ago, I was a little homesick for the things I knew so well back "home". Finding light switches in my new place was a dangerous game in the middle of the night. Deciphering the thick southern drawl in my new hometown was a tricky an adventure. And, foreign sights and sounds were not becoming commonplace occurrences very quickly.

But, my attitude was suddenly changed by a gorgeous set of patio furniture, a free beer, and overpriced tahini.

Yesterday, as I flew down a back road with radio up, I noticed something charming and shocking all at once. House after house had gorgeous patio furniture and outdoor seating areas. Not a single home had a fence though. Nothing seemed to be tied down. These people must be crazy to leave such nice items unattended for anyone to steal, I thought. I have never lived anywhere that people blindly trusted their neighbors so much.

With a shake of my head, I drove on to a local bar. I ordered a beer and a sandwich and sat alone. Only a few minutes passed when the bartender brought me another beer. I wasn't ready for a refill yet, and I tried to tell him. "It's from the owner. Free beer to anyone sitting alone at the bar," he explained simply.
For a moment, I was a little insulted. A pity beer? I had planned on having another one anyway, but who gives away free beer?

After I ate my dinner, I stopped by the nearby grocery store for a few random items. Milk, bread, eggs, and deodorant. As I wandered down the cooking aisle, I remembered that I also needed tahini for hummus. I grabbed a jar and headed for the check-out. As the clerk rang me up, I noticed that the tahini was going to cost me five dollars. I balked.

"Five dollars?" I asked.

"It's worth it," she assured me.

"I don't want it." Worth it or not, it was a rip-off.

"You should try it. If you don't like it, bring it back for a refund." With that she put it in my grocery bag. "You're not from around here, huh?"

"No, just moved." I didn't feel like paying for marked up sesame paste or making small talk.

"You're going to have a great time getting to know our little town."

I was a little stunned by her certainty. She didn't know me at all. I paid and walked back to my car. As I turned over the engine, I realized I was no longer homesick. Instead, I was ready to begin learning a new place. I felt suddenly primed for a grand adventure and great new world. The writer in me recognized the transition and change as crossing the threshold into the next act of my personal story. The awkward human inside of me couldn't possibly articulate any feelings right away. But, I knew that I had to savor every moment, remember every detail.

As the late evening light faded, I decided to head back to my new house. I passed the a house with gorgeous patio furniture again. A huge crowd had gathered in the chairs and around the fire pit in the center. People were talking excitedly in the swirling firelight.

I made a turn onto a country road, rolled down my window, and let my hand dance on the updrafts of warm late-summer air. Home was just a mile away and didn't want the drive to ever end.

Friday, August 13, 2010

Writing Wrong Turns, Hamsters in Jars, and Fish out of Water

I have spent most of the afternoon trying to write an entertaining and informative post about character development. After several false starts and two totally awful, and rambling, drafts, I gave up. Immediately after tucking my tail and running away from my blog responsibilities, I felt slightly ashamed of myself and more than a little defeated. Am I losing it as writer? How hard can it be to write about something so basic? If I can't be creative on my blog, what would the next year, trying make it as writer, hold for me?

That last question seems way too heavy and much too serious for a Friday evening, but writer's block, genuine creativity, and lucrative inspiration are very much on my mind. In three short days, I will be relocating from the middle-of-nowhere Ozark, IL to the middle-of-a-place-I-know-nothing-about Raleigh, NC. I am quitting my job in search of a new life and a new life's work. This life change has not snuck up on me. Since the end of May, I have been mentally, emotionally, and physically preparing for a huge relocation and reality check.

This evening, I turned away from forcing myself to write for awhile as I continued to pack my belongings. I am at that point in the moving process when just about everything is in a box. Some essential clothes and items remain strewn about my house, but everything else is boxed, labeled, and sealed. If you have ever spent more than a day or two in a house full of boxes, ready to move, you know tempting it is to just jump in a cartoon yourself, tape it up, and take a nap until you arrive at your new destination.

But, I denied the urge to climb in temporary closet box and decided to collect all my knick-knacks and random items once and for all. On the front of my frig is a collection of photos, small posters, and miscellaneous items that simply make me smile. One of my favorites is a postcard with two pictures. On one half is a photo with a hamster gingerly half-in, half-out of a Ball jar. It reads "Seek comfort." The other half is a picture of a fish bravely jumping from his fish bowl. The caption says "Seek challenge."

This simple postcard says it all.

I am excited to leave southern Illinois, and I am terrified to start over again. Now that I have finally figured out all the short-cuts and back roads here, I will have to get out my maps and feel like a tourist all over again. I am looking forward to meeting new people, and I am nervous that no one will like me. I have finally gathered a group of intelligent and fun people close to me, and I will have to tolerate crowds of mundane and boring "new" friends until I weed out the ones I just can't stand. I am ready for a less intense day job that affords me more time to write, but I am out of practice with pen and paper.

In the past three years, I have revised and edited the hard work of other writers. I have offered character and story advise. I have worked for tirelessly for the creative success of others. But, at the end of the same three years, the amount of work I have done for my own creative growth fills maybe twenty pages. In one semester of college, I logged over 500 pages of short stories and screenplays. Even if I wasn't very poignant, I was certainly prolific back then.

A sinking feeling washed over me suddenly as I struggled to write a few witty paragraphs. Is writing really like riding a bike? Do I just need to practice and get good again? Or is it something more fleeting and ethereal? If you don't use it, you lose it, right? Three years of idle brain function could prove to have been a disastrous choice.

Instinctively, I know the answer this dilemma. My creative journey is going to be like learning a new place. Awkward for awhile, full of cul-de-sacs that look like through streets on the map, and crowded with ideas and inspirations that take time to get to know and appreciate.

With free time soon to be at my disposal, I will have to follow my own advice. Write often, write well, and revise. Write what I know, what I am learning, and what I struggle to understand. Appreciate that hamster and encourage that fish.

Saturday, July 3, 2010

Writer's Soup

Food and literature are often intertwined. Many of the culinary regions of the world are also associated with famous writers and novels. The connection is obvious. A remarkable meal takes the same preparation, creativity, and organization that a indelible story does. Chefs have a spice kit, and writers have collection of characters to pepper into a story.

One of the major food groups that parallels story telling is soup. We've all had canned soup before. After a few minutes in the microwave, it's warm enough to be palatable. We slurp it down because it's the only thing available.

But, then, if we are lucky, we are treated to a real, homemade soup. This dish is more like a meal. We are satisfied after one bowl. The soup is prepared carefully, simmered for hours, and served with a thick slice of bread.

Some commercial writing is just like canned soup. It's labeled, convenient, and easy to read. Once finished, "canned soup" novels are often discarded and forgotten. The story was entertaining enough, but we rarely remember it years later.

And, then there's those unforgettable "homemade soup" stories. We tell our friends about these books or short stories. We are proud to have read them, and we are even prouder to share their appeal with others. Years later, when we are hungry for our favorite characters and in need of a comforting, familiar read, we dust the book off and devour it again.

Just like a good soup, good stories take time. They need to simmer. The elements of the story need to cook and absorb the flavors around the them. The characters need to be spiced up with important events and challenges. And, the stock of the story needs to be carefully monitored. Too much drama and the story is too thick and hard too read. Too much fluff and there's no substance.

Good substance and good writing take life experience and practice. Get out that pen and paper and start cooking!

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Help! I'm a Creative Writing Major!

Several weeks ago, I was talking to a young woman who is in her first year of college. Like most freshmen, she was on her second major. When she began the semester, she had signed on as a Physical Therapy student, but within two months had been drawn into the clutches of the English Department's Creative Writing Degree.

Even though she seemed enthusiastic about the change, her eighteen year old mind was already setting off warning bells. "How will I find a job when I graduate?" she asked me. "Will I have any employable skills?"

She looked genuinely concerned. This young woman was asking me, as a writer, to offer her some reassurance. She wanted me to tell her that she would sustain herself on poetry collections and literary events once she left the confines of a university. I had no idea, really, what to say. But, I did have an important question to ask her.

"Are you writing anything right now?" I inquired.

"Yeah, research papers and stuff..." her sentence trailed off because she knew that was not what I meant at all.

"Are you writing for yourself?"

"Yeah. Actually, I have been working on this short story. Do you want to read it?" she asked me.

I immediately smiled. Her chances in the cruel world of writing outside of college were looking brighter. As we continued to talk more, something interesting happened. I formulated a plan for all writers to achieve success. It was a brilliantly simple plan. A plan that I could apply to my own endeavors and turn them into gold. I was stunned that no textbook for Creative Writing consisted of these simple nine steps.

1) Write.
2) Revise.
3) Rework.
4) Write some more.
5) Revise.
6) Rework.
7) Write some more.
8) Show your work to someone. Anyone. Make sure they read it.
9) Begin again at Step 1.

This check list may seem trite and even a little insulting. But, think about this. Why are Creative Writing programs even in existence? No one needs a diploma to call themselves a writer. Creative Writing programs set deadlines. They create an environment for sharing ideas. Professors use red pens and editing marks to show student how to do their own revising. Students are required to share their work with another writer to get a good grade. All of these elements foster creativity and encourage growth if the writer wants to take her vocation seriously.

As I shared this insight with my friend, she frowned. "But what happens when I graduate?"

I shrugged. "You get a job and keep writing." As soon as I offered that response, I expected her eighteen year old mind to literally overload with the uncertainty of it all.

But, her hair did not stand on end, nor did steam come out of her ears. "I guess I should do my math homework then, huh?"

She was going to turn out to be a great writer after all.

Sunday, April 18, 2010

Say it with Dialogue

We all know what bad dialogue sounds like. It happens all the time, one of our favorite actors delivers a line that falls flat and deflates the whole cinema experience for us. As movie-goers and writers, we often wonder if anyone actually read the script before it was put into production. As we try to craft our own scenes, we all struggle with the written word and the cadence of speech. And, to add insult to injury, we can all agree that bad dialogue is easier plucked out of a finished movie by a discerning ear than edited out of script by struggling writer.

To learn from the masters, let's consider Quentin Tarantino and Wes Anderson. Both of these writers are known for dialogue-heavy scripts. These artists are also known for their ability to attract high-caliber actors and actresses who are dying to play quirky characters in their movies. How do they do it? Tarantino's dialogue is best described as useful banter. The "Royal with Cheese" conversation helped make Pulp Fiction famous. Some could argue that the whole scene could have been cut from the movie without any harm to the story. But, as a writer and creative person, you know the film would have suffered greatly without a discussion of Europe's burger names based on their use of the metric system.

Wes Anderson, writer and creator of some of my favorite modern masterpieces, approaches his scenes differently. Rarely do his characters converse without a serious topic. And, very seldom do his characters actually reference the intricate and interesting world around them. For Wes Anderson, the spoken word is something full of mystery and nuance. In The Royal Tenenbaums, Margot and Richie lay quietly in their tent from childhood. Margot asserts that they "will just have to go on loving each other without anyone knowing it." Although her words seem final and certain, her actions are the opposite. In this way, Anderson has infused her dialogue with several levels of meaning and complexity.

Think about your favorite movies and your favorite sections of dialogue. The task of crafting engaging and unique scenes may seem overwhelming. But, just like story structure, writing dialogue has some tried and true formulas. Drafting dialogue should be just like drafting your outline. The words, phrases, and styles will evolve and change as you polish your work.

To avoid the pitfalls of poor dialogue, here are some simple things to remember.
1) Know your levels. Dialogue can be on-the-nose, full of metaphor, or completely abstract. Each level of dialogue is important and necessary to make a story entertaining. If your characters are saying exactly how they feel at all times, the audience will tire of such self-aware and obnoxious characters. If the dialogue is so full of allegory, metaphor, and simile that it is hard to understand, the audience will feel left out of the story world which you are trying to get them involved in. Mix up levels of dialogue and use them as a tool for different scenes.
2) If you don't have anything to say, don't say it. Just like our elders advice, characters should not be filling empty space on the page with words. If the scene is over and everything has been said, move on to the next event. If the conversation about the weather has lasted 25 pages, it's time to change the subject. If your character is on the fifth page of soliloquy, wrap it up. The most painful dialogue to an audience is word vomit to an empty room. Of course, talking to yourself can be a character trait, but the spoken word needs to be received by someone in someway for it to be important.
3) Characters should not narrate there own scenes. Even in first-person novels and movies, the main character is not supposed to be doing play by play of what is happening. Scenes should be organic and dynamic enough to exist without the characters narrating the location, time, place, or events.

Once you have poured over your work for hours and hours, get a group of people together to read it. They don't need to be actors. Better yet, normal people should read your scenes aloud. The lines they stumble over need to be rewritten. The dialogue they deliver without feeling needs to be edited to evoke emotion. The scenes that seem boring need to have a reason for existing.

Monday, April 12, 2010

Rural Wisdome

After graduating from the University of Miami with a double major in Motion Pictures and English Creative Writing, I moved to Ozark, IL (population 620). Instead of loading 16mm cameras and writing screenplays, I began training horses and teaching riding lessons.

Although the change of pace was abrupt, I have come to appreciate many things about country life. And, despite what many would assume, living in a farming community on the edges of the Shawnee National Forest has actually helped me improve my writing skills and style.

My town, Ozark, has several public meetings places. The Baptist Church is packed on Sundays, the feed store is buzzing on Fridays, and the Ozark General Store runs out of seating every morning starting at 6am. Recently, the Ozark General Store was the host for a moment that flipped on my mental light bulb and reminded me why I write.

Three weeks ago, the Ozark Men were holding court around a small table dressed up with a plastic flower print table cloth and a few hunting magazines. These men, ages 50 and up, all held coffee cups and wore baseball caps. As usual, I was in a hurry to buy some gas and get going, but also as usual, I decided to linger a moment and listen to their animated conversation.

Most days, the Ozark Men attempt to solve the world's major problems in under ten minutes and two cups of coffee, but today was different. They were discussing a new romantic comedy film. Since I joined the debate in the middle, I only guessed that many of the men had been forced to see this movie with their wives.

"It wasn't that bad," one of the men said. He sighed. They must have been talking about this for awhile now.

"Yeah, it was a little boring, but I guess it was supposed to be one of those feel-good movies," another chimed in.

"There was a funny part or two," the man proudly wearing waders and a fishing vest observed.

The oldest and most vocal of the men chimed right in. "Maybe you're all right. And maybe that's why Hollywood is still open. But what was the point?" His question lingered with the constant smell of BBQ pork that permeated the air.

The men hummed "Hmm" in unison, nodded, and went back to their coffee. Case closed.

I finished paying for my gas and literally skipped out to my car. The world was not a soulless, mundane, and trite collection of vapid people. These rural old-timers recognized something that many professional writer's miss. The Ozark Men, who could spin yarns for hours, were better students of story structure than most Creative Writing majors.

No matter how lyrical and well-written a piece may be, it has to have a reason for its existence. It has to have a point. In writing terms, a compelling story must have a main character that inspires sympathy and a story that encourages audience engagement. It is so obvious, but it took a group of curmudgeons to remind me of the First Commandment of Storytelling.

"Thine story shalt have a point."

Now, to get that smell of BBQ out of my clothing.

World, Character, and Quest: Writing a Compelling Story


Stories that sell are stories that compel their audience to read, watch, or interact. Imagining, creating, and writing a story that is compelling is less daunting if you understand what your audience wants and needs.  Crafting scenes and dialogue comes more easily if you understand your character arcs and plot lines.  From the beginning of time, when stories were told around campfires and bards were made famous by the yarns they spun, the same formula has been true.  Your audience must be fascinated by the story world you describe, the main character you follow, and the quest that must be completed.
                                                                    
Write an outline.  No excuses.  This outline will serve as your road map.  It should be revised, rewritten, and constantly reorganized.  The outline is an organic and dynamic document.  Your story must have a thread that is easy to track throughout the whole outline.  Find your story holes and fill them before you write 500 pages that go into the trash can.

Your story must have three, distinct acts.  Western cultures prefer linear stories and Eastern cultures prefer spiral story structures.  With either story style, three acts help the audience track import story points and the main character’s journey.

Interesting stories use the standard story formula and breathe new life into it.  Talented writers do not see structure guidelines as a hindrance to their creativity, but rather the foundation necessary for a truly genius work.

Tried and True Writing Advice
Every scene in the story must:
1)   Move story forward.
2) Offer new information about the main character.
3)   Include only necessary dialogue only.

Falling action, or the third act, is essential.  No matter how the story ends, the ending must be given its due time to unfold.  Stories that stop short offer the audience no satisfaction for the time invested in reading your book, watching your movie, or attending your play.

Learn from the Masters
Art students spend years training and copying famous works.  Creative writers should learn from this example.

The absolute best way to understand story structure and what your audience wants is to get out there and see for yourself.  Constantly read books in different genres, watch movies from around the world, attend musicals and black box theater.

Spend hours in the Writing section at a bookstore.  Gather as much information and as many examples as you can of engaging writing.