Haunted By The Past And The Future

I LIVE WITH GHOSTS

I'm constantly thinking about periods in history I'd like to write about. But it means a lot of research, trying to get the culture right, figuring out how the people lived and thought, and finding all those little things that makes the time come alive in the pages of a novel. No matter how hard you try to get it right, you always miss something. I've found this in reading novels set in historical times I know something about, invariably something's not right.

Writing about the future has another set of problems. Science Fiction needs science that is feasible. At one time I knew more about science than I do now. Things change so quickly, what was thought to be fact quite often is disproved, and what was thought impossible is discovered to be fact.... at least for a while.

So I write Fantasy.

I can make up my own rules.

Megamind - Genius - Brilliant in Every Way

IF I COULD GIVE THIS MOVIE TEN STARS...

Wait a minute -- I can

Ah-Hem. I GIVE THIS MOVIE TEN STARS!! and a smidge more.

MEGAMIND

I went to this movie because it was my nephew's birthday, and this was his birthday pick. I wasn't expecting much. From the trailers it looked like it was going to be similar to Monsters and Aliens (which I really liked, by-the-way). I couldn't see how doing the same thing over again would be worth the effort.

Boy was I in for a surprise. I LOVED it. And if I can be so bold, your kids will LOVE it. You parents will love it. Grandparents will love it. Your dog will love it. Even your fish will love it.

(There's a fish in the movie--the only spoiler I'll give. I promise.)

Now I'm going into enthusiastic writer mode. Tum da da. (If you're not a writer and don't really care about writer things and how to put a story together you can skip this next part.)

Here goes, without giving away any spoilers... Everything we writers try to get into our work is here in this movie.

Do we know the character's backstory? Yes.
Do we learn what what the stakes are prior to the first plot point? Yes.
Do the inner demons show up that come to bear on the hero later in the story? Yes.
Is the first plot point located properly within the story sequence? Yes.
Does it change the hero's agenda going forward? Yes.
Is there opposition to the hero meeting that need? Yes.
Does the antagonistic force have something at stake? Yes.
DO WE CARE? Yes.
Is there a mid-point contextual shift/twist in the story? Yes.
Does this pump up dramatic tension and pace? Yes.

Is there any character arc? Yes, all the characters have HUGE arcs.

It's all there. Everything the story is supposed to have from the beginning to the finish.

It was fun to watch it all work.
Besides that, it's just a fun movie.

Final notes: The music is by Hans Zimmer and has that great Hans Zimmer sound.
AND - just because the credits start running doesn't mean the movie is over.

My Newest Follower - Rick:

You can find him at [The Writer and The White Cat], and [Incident Commander].

We All Have Dreams: Tony Robbins Day 1

OUR DESTINY IS BORN OUT OF OUR DREAMS

Day 1 of Anthony Robbins’ book GIANT STEPS asks us to think about our dreams.

“Take a moment now just to dream and to think about what you really want for your life.” Giant Steps p. 15

My dream. I want to write a best seller.

Mine. ALL mine.

I could temper that and make it more modest by saying—I want to get better with each book I write. Well... I do... but it isn’t the deep burning WANT in my heart.

I could even focus on the other wants taking turns in my thoughts. I want to get back into shape because I really want to be something besides round. (dang - a blasted 'to be' sentence.)

I’d like to turn the clock back and take advantage of those moments I let slip by—remake some of those bad decisions. Bonus - I'd be younger.

So... some of my wants are doable. Some aren’t.

But this focus—this post—what I’m spending time with Anthony Robbins for is to take that HUGE want I’ve been harboring for most of my life and make it a reality. (and truth be know, is the same desire of most writers I know.)

I want to write something that’s a huge success—whether its this one, or the next one, or the next, or the…next.

But... Hopefully this one.

My first follower: Jaime Theler [Bookmom Musings] A really fun site.

Spending Time With Anthony Robbins

WHAT GOOD IS INSPIRATION IF IT'S NOT BACKED UP BY ACTION?

Once while browsing through a bookstore, a book called AWAKEN THE GIANT WITHIN by Anthony Robbins leaped off the shelf at me.

I'm not kidding. It JUMPED--right off the shelf. No help from me. Hit me in the chest and fell to the floor.

Either the cosmos or a familiar spirit was trying to tell me something so I bought the book.

I even read it. It was full of ideas on how to harness the strength living inside each one of us. Or, in this case--me.

I also discovered Michael Crichton wrote Jurassic Park after spending time with Anthony Robbins. Wow, that got my interest. I want to write a Jurassic type book. You know, best seller. (Since then I've heard there's some controversy whether the Michael Crichton and Anthony Robbins thing really happened or not, but I choose to believe it did. Otherwise this blog post will be really dumb.)

Later I found GIANT STEPS, this too by Anthony Robbins, a book listing the small changes a person (me) can make to get big differences. It's like an affirmations book of daily thoughts. I've tried a few of those before, but this is better. 365 Daily Lessons in Self-Mastery.

YES. *pumping fists* 365 days with Anthony Robbins without spending hundreds of dollars. (thousands for a scenic get-away.)

Can I write a best seller like Michael Crichton by doing what Anthony Robbins tells me in the little book? I want to give it a try.

SO
Next post

Day 1 - We all have dreams.

[Anthony Robbins - Wikipedia]
[TonyRobbins.com]

How Hard Do You Have To Work?

THE AWFUL REWRITE

So you've finished chapter twelve after rewriting it several times over the past several days. You feel good about it. You leave your computer for a break and to do some other things around the house. Then, later, you stop, shake your head, go back to the computer and delete the last three pages.

And you do it all over again.

And again.

What does this mean? Insecurity? A drive for perfection? Not enough pre-planning so you know where you're going?

Many best selling writers tell how they rewrite their books several times over until they are satisfied. By rewriting they don't mean that they merely change a word or a phrase or two on a page here and there. They actually rewrite the entire book, some of them nine times or more. They make hundreds of changes with each rewrite. They grind through the entire manuscript again and again until it is as good as they can get it.

Can you say the same thing?

When you are finished with your novel, can you say it is done to very best of your ability, even if it took an extra nine months of hard work? Or did you settle for mediocrity?

With so many would be writers throwing their manuscripts into the ring (so to speak) you can't afford to not do your very best.

Now -- a shout out to my newest follower, Trep. Catch him on [The Write Stuff].

Since this is a new feature on my blog, earlier followers--look for your own shout out in future posts.

How to get good ideas for your story

READ, READ, READ.

There are several things an author can do to strain out good story ideas from his subconscious mind.

Read everything you can get your hands on: library books, books you love, books you hate, newspapers, encyclopedias, backs of cereal boxes, cookbooks, books that want to eat you.

A writer should read while he is relaxed because that is when the stuff he's reading sinks most deeply into his mind; furthermore, reading should be his primary form of relaxation, not skiing or tap dancing or fishing or building model trains or watching television, but reading.

No novelist can expect to reap harvest after harvest of fresh ideas from his subconscious if he is not constantly fertilizing his subconscious with reams of other writer’ fiction and nonfiction. With every novel you read, thousands of facts, characters, images, narrative techniques, and plot twists are stored in your subconscious, thereafter constantly interacting below the level of awareness. When bits of this input jell and surface, they are usually in an original arrangement that bears no resemblance whatsoever to the books from which they came.

Do you have a list of books from which you are reading?

Write what you love

LET EVERYTHING ELSE TAKE CARE OF ITSELF

While my computer spent time in the computer hospital, I caught the crud and endured a few sleepless nights thinking about writing.

Every writer I know hopes their work will be the next blockbuster. I know writers who write with that goal solely in mind. I’ve fallen prey to that malady myself.

While feeling crummy, it occurred to me that trying to write the next blockbuster could be an inspiration killer. How about is? Worrying that the story will be interesting enough for a million people to want to read could paralyze the thinking process.

Most of the time it does. It did for me. I have two rejected manuscripts to testify to that misguided approach.

How does one predict what the readers want next? Trying to guess could cause you to spend prodigious amount of time on a dud.

What if, instead, you write something you love? Write that book you would eagerly order from Amazon.com. There’s a huge chance your book will have more life in it than the best seller you’re trying to write.

And who knows…..

Southern Cross Novel Challenge

SO YOU SKIPPED NANOWRIMO

The total collective word count for the 2009 NaNoWriMo was 2,427,190,537. But if, like me, none of those words were yours, don't despair, we have a second chance.

You can enter the SoCNoC Challenge. (pronounced "sock-nock)

The Southern Cross Novel Challenge is a yearly event held every June. The southern hemisphere's version of National Novel Writing Month, June [comprising thirty days total, including one long weekend] was selected as the month for this challenge because it is considered the equivalent of the northern hemisphere's November in terms of weather and temperatures. This challenge is hosted by Kiwi Writers, a New Zealand-based writing group which houses members primarily based in New Zealand and Australia but stretching as far as the United States and Canada. SoCNoC is the largest writing competition in the Southern Hemisphere.

The rules for SoCNoC are simple. The goal is to write 50,000 words on one or more novels during the thirty days of June, and participants are allowed to work on an existing novel or on multiple novels. Even compilations of short stories or poems are allowed. The challenge runs from 12:00:01am on June 1 until 11:59:59 on June 30, both according to the local time of participants, and any genre and any language are accepted.

However, for the best possible experience, the staff does recommend that a new novel is begun for the challenge. They encourage participants to aim to finish their novels at both 50,000 words and at midnight [local time], June 30, when the challenge ends. [Wikipedia]

I know I'm a day late, but I'm doing it.

Fail Well

TAKE A SHOT.

Don't worry if you miss.

Failure is a better teacher than success.

You can't learn without making mistakes.

Sometimes the thing you have to learn is how to keep going.

So do it again. And again.

The only real failure is quitting-- Or worse, not trying in the first place.

Fail Without Fear.

Because, eventually, you'll GET it.

The Ultimate Success Formula

FOUR SIMPLE STEPS

All people who succeed consciously or unconsciously utilize the same formula for success. Use these four simple steps to achieve whatever you desire --

-- whether author, musician, graphic designer, or

-- shrimp boat captain.

1 - Decide what you want. Be precise. A goal like "Become famous" isn't very valuable because there's no indication of what needs to be done to achieve it. Therefore, there's no measurement possible. Clarity is power.

2 - Take action. Because desire is not enough.

3 - Notice what's working or not. You don't want to continue to expend energy on an approach that's worthless.

4 - Change your approach until you achieve what you want. Flexibility gives you the power to create a new approach and a new result.

Are You Sure You Want To Be A Writer?

IF SO....

you must be willing to embrace the inevitable despair that accompanies doing your best.

Of all the arts, writing is perhaps the most difficult. It’s not a performing art, so you don’t have the immediacy of a live audience to let you know how you’re doing. It’s only black marks on white paper--

Um... computer screen

--it’s not pretty like painting or architecture. Everyone thinks he can do it, so writing has little prestige.

It can be lonely work.

So we have to get used to the despair.

And keep on writing, of course.

Note: I also watch my musician friends work on their recordings just as hard and with the same hope that writers do. And looking to future success in the same way. And feeling the despair. Yet keeping on....

What do you do to keep going when you want to chuck it all and take up knitting? Or sleeping?

Where And When Do You Create?

DO YOU USE CREATIVE RITUALS?

If not, invent some.

Rituals can spark our creative process. For some of us, a ritual can be a simple routine that readies us for inspiration.

One writer begins her writing day at her dining room table with a fountain pen and a yellow legal pad because she loves the color of the ink. When she finally gets to her computer, she is surrounded by pictures she has gathered that fit her story.

You could read before you start working... go for long walks on the beach or in the park.

In my case to the nearest bench... just across the street. Then I have to get my strength back to go back home. Luckily the new hospital is on the other side of the parking lot.

Ah-hem... It's not that bad, really.

A lot of writers start their day with a cup of coffee and a gander at the rising sun. I don't drink coffee, but I like to watch the sun come up.

I try to start work early, before the world comes alive.

But when I'm having a difficult time, I put the timer on for twenty minutes (I have one on my computer) and I say to myself, "Okay, you're not inspired, fine, but you're going to do this for twenty minutes. Write something, even if its a list of things you're NOT going to write about..."

... werewolves, bungee jumping, the history of the south pole, a study of Frankenfish--I don't know why.

Usually by the end of twenty minutes, I've found my inspiration.

Lately I've been reading what I've written that day before going to bed. I'm hoping for that 'something' that inspired writers like J. K. Rowling and Stephenie Meyer. Maybe I'll get answers and clarity in MY dreams.

What rituals do you use that work for you? I'm always looking for other approaches I can try.

Creating A Sanctuary

A SPACE OF YOUR OWN

As writers we need some alone time to set the stage for creative reflection. A sanctuary offers a place to indulge our creative spirit to fuel our creative process.

Not everybody has the luxury of an entire room In that case carve out a corner in your living room or bedroom.

Once I created a getaway space in a wardrobe, complete with huge pillow, blankets and books. Get a chair and a basket filled with things you love - books, pictures, cds. If you don't create the space where you can go, you might not take the time to be alone. Surround yourself with meaningful treasures.

If you listen to music get a player with earphones. Or you might get candles or a string of small lights to enhance the relaxed, meditative mood for your personal space.

From time to time I have used my car as a getaway office. It was perfect because I could go anywhere.
My favorite spots were a high vantage point where I could overlook the whole valley and the cemetery where I was guaranteed privacy.

In a pinch, you could always turn your bathroom into an office. Lock the door, ignore the pounding from the other side and write.

Write To Be Great, Not Rich

ARE YOU SERIOUS?

That's not the kind of advice I want to hear... EVER. I want to be the next Stephen King/Stephenie Meyer/Tom Clancy/J. K. Rowling.

Most writers do.

As a career, writing attracts more people than any other field in the arts. It's a crowded profession and only those who love it regardless of financial reward can sustain themselves for very long.

If you're only writing because you want praise and notice, it won't keep you going.

You've got to want to write even more then you want praise and recognition.

Of course most of us want money.

After writing because you love it, its really nice when it pays. I wonder how many people dance around with their check from working at the grocery store. I'd bet that every writer who got their first royalty check did a happy dance around the house and then posted the news on facebook and Twitter, and any place else they could shout about it.

THE KEY... Being able to see your project through to the end.

Professional writers complete a book and then work just as hard, if not harder, to get it published.

It's that stubborn stick-to-it-ness.

I have a closet shelf lined with novels waiting for rewrite. Instead of starting that next tempting story I need to take those down and finish them. Any one of them just might be the next Best Seller.

Taking Time to Capture Your Ideas

DIPPING INTO YOUR WELL OF CREATIVITY

If you're out of touch with your inspired self, making a date to reconnect with that part of you opens the window.

Inspiration comes quietly. If you have to sit in front of your computer screen and look out the window absent-mindedly for an hour or two, don't worry. That's as it should be because its the sitting at your computer knowing you are going to write that gives your creativity permission to resurface. This is the time you've picked. It's going to happen, sooner or later.

And you must sit there tomorrow at the same time, for the same length of time, and the next day and so on, and so on, even if you don't write anything.

You'll begin to notice what your inspirations are, where they come from, what about them excites you. Then you must find a way to capture them. Many creative people keep journals of their insights and ideas. This is not a dairy of every day activities. This is a place to put your musings.

Chronicling your awarenesses, meandering thoughts and feelings gives them value and signals to your inner self that your creative process is getting attention.

Time is absolutely vital to your creative self. Sitting and staring isn't unproductive. Most writing happens while staring out the window. Don't berate yourself for day-dreaming. You're dipping into your creative well.

What is writing after all but putting your dreams to paper?

We’re not alone -

PARALLEL WORLDS EXIST BETWEEN THE BOOK COVERS ON YOUR SHELF.

GO EXPLORING.