A long time ago, I used to draw as well as write. I took up this occupation when my
oldest daughter was an infant because I was going crazy waiting on her all day.
I needed something interesting to keep me busy. Writing took too much
concentration and didn’t lend itself to frequent interruptions, but art was
ideal. My first attempt was a portrait of the baby. It was to be a gift for my
mother, and as it progressed from an approximation of a baby to a fairly
creditable baby to an actual portrait, I learned a great deal about myself and
about art in general.
One of the most important things I learned was that art requires a good eye. You can’t draw it if you can’t see it clearly. This is true no matter what your medium.
Whether you paint in pastels or words, you cannot accurately portray what you
cannot accurately see. Like the stroke of the chalk on paper, words either add
to or detract from the description of truth, and one of the most frequent
errors that writers make is in using the wrong word, a word that approximates
but doesn’t quite catch their exact meaning. Very often, the reason is they haven’t
imagined their story clearly enough to “see” the right word. Being a good
observer is crucial.
Besides teaching me to see more clearly, pastels also taught me about what I call the “work” of art. Being creative and letting the impulse flow from muse to fingertips is great, but usually there is a stop along the way known as “technique” or work. Art is a construction project. To create we need brushes, paper, chalks,
light, pencils, erasers, a subject, an inspiration, and the willingness to
spend as many hours, days, or weeks as it takes to turn that inspiration into
reality. In art, we use color, line, and texture; we compare this shadow
against that to see degrees of light and shade. We compare the length of this
line against that to see form.
Written works are similarly constructed, but instead of physical colors and papers, our tools are words, grammar, computers, keyboards, imagination, inspiration and a willingness to work long and hard to get our book out of our heads and into the
world. We construct our book using theme, motive, character, dialogue, plot,
subplot, and climax. We weave emotion and action into the picture and use words
as paint to illustrate our thoughts. Although we might like the whole thing to
flow from mind to matter without effort, that isn’t usually what happens.
I learned one more really important lesson from my artwork—that the more you work on it, the better it gets. At one point I was pretty happy with my efforts. The baby looked like a baby; the colors were beautiful. But it bothered me that it
didn’t quite look like MY baby, so I kept at it. I must have erased that little
face and reworked it fifteen times. It took weeks. And then, there it was: My
own baby girl on the paper. It was miraculous. Translated to the art of writing,
it comes down to that old adage: writing is rewriting.
Writing, painting, sculpture, music; it doesn’t really matter. In art as in life, God is
in the details. If you want your work to progress from an approximation to an
incisive illustration of truth as you see it, you have to see clearly, master
your tools, and work on it until it shines.
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Friday, February 3, 2012
Handling Writer's Block
Writer's Block happens to us all – if not all the time, then at least now and then. Many writers have a particular trick for ending writer’s block that works for them, but it may not work for others. The key is to experiment and find the methods that help you today and next time it happens too.
Let's start with identifying the causes of writer’s block. For instance, stress. Some writers have unrealistic expectations for themselves and this need for perfection creates stress.
But it doesn’t have to be that way. Don't expect to write perfect, clean copy on the first try. Scribble your ideas for the story in random order. Write anything. Just get that story out of your head and onto the paper. Then, on your first edit, create a second draft that’s more organized, includes finer details, edits out the problems, fixes the missing plot points etc. Then, do it again, and yet again. If you want perfection, you might rewrite your opus five, six times or more.
Another common cause of writer’s block is running out of things to say. The beginning of the story pours out of you, but then all your words dry up, and you don’t know what to say next.Well, there isn’t any law that says you have to write a story sequentially. Just because the book is read from start to finish doesn’t mean it’s written that way. If you get stuck, move on to another scene, another page, the ending, the climax. Whatever works for you. Skip the parts that don’t flow easily and work on the ones that do. It’s also easy to get to get stuck through lack of planning. You start out excited about a story and just jump in not even knowing how it will end. You can overcome this by taking more time to plan. Be clear on what’s going to happen and what characters will be involved. Write up a short synopsis, outline, or treatment. This will keep you on track and help you when you get stuck.There are probably other reasons for writer’s block, but this is a start. Now let’s talk about some of the things you can do to get over it. How do you make yourself keep writing when nothing’s happening?
Here are a few ideas that might help:
1. Create a realistic writing schedule and stick to it. Avoid distractions. Writers write, so make sure you do that despite the yearning to do something, anything, else.
2. Sometimes it helps to listen to music. Let the music stimulate the creative part of your mind while you relax and go with it.
3. Go for a walk in the park, on the beach, around the block. Let your mind wander and see what comes up. Don’t try to force it.
4. Watch a movie and see what part of your visual cortex is stimulated by it. You never know what will trigger new ideas.
5. It never helps to try and force your writing, so if you’re really blocked, start a different project. It could be a completely different writing project or something else entirely. The idea is to be productive.
6. Switch from computer to paper or vice versa. Just changing how you write can make a difference.
7. Whenever you’re alone, work on your novel. In the shower, in the car, while trying to sleep. Every block of time that doesn’t require your conscious attention can be used.
8. When all else fails, take a nap. Maybe you’re just too tired to be productive. Give yourself the rest you need.
There’s nothing like writing, nothing like the feeling you get when it all comes together and works. When you know it’s done and it’s good. But the only way to get there is to keep at it, no matter how difficult it can sometimes be.
Let's start with identifying the causes of writer’s block. For instance, stress. Some writers have unrealistic expectations for themselves and this need for perfection creates stress.
But it doesn’t have to be that way. Don't expect to write perfect, clean copy on the first try. Scribble your ideas for the story in random order. Write anything. Just get that story out of your head and onto the paper. Then, on your first edit, create a second draft that’s more organized, includes finer details, edits out the problems, fixes the missing plot points etc. Then, do it again, and yet again. If you want perfection, you might rewrite your opus five, six times or more.
Another common cause of writer’s block is running out of things to say. The beginning of the story pours out of you, but then all your words dry up, and you don’t know what to say next.Well, there isn’t any law that says you have to write a story sequentially. Just because the book is read from start to finish doesn’t mean it’s written that way. If you get stuck, move on to another scene, another page, the ending, the climax. Whatever works for you. Skip the parts that don’t flow easily and work on the ones that do. It’s also easy to get to get stuck through lack of planning. You start out excited about a story and just jump in not even knowing how it will end. You can overcome this by taking more time to plan. Be clear on what’s going to happen and what characters will be involved. Write up a short synopsis, outline, or treatment. This will keep you on track and help you when you get stuck.There are probably other reasons for writer’s block, but this is a start. Now let’s talk about some of the things you can do to get over it. How do you make yourself keep writing when nothing’s happening?
Here are a few ideas that might help:
1. Create a realistic writing schedule and stick to it. Avoid distractions. Writers write, so make sure you do that despite the yearning to do something, anything, else.
2. Sometimes it helps to listen to music. Let the music stimulate the creative part of your mind while you relax and go with it.
3. Go for a walk in the park, on the beach, around the block. Let your mind wander and see what comes up. Don’t try to force it.
4. Watch a movie and see what part of your visual cortex is stimulated by it. You never know what will trigger new ideas.
5. It never helps to try and force your writing, so if you’re really blocked, start a different project. It could be a completely different writing project or something else entirely. The idea is to be productive.
6. Switch from computer to paper or vice versa. Just changing how you write can make a difference.
7. Whenever you’re alone, work on your novel. In the shower, in the car, while trying to sleep. Every block of time that doesn’t require your conscious attention can be used.
8. When all else fails, take a nap. Maybe you’re just too tired to be productive. Give yourself the rest you need.
There’s nothing like writing, nothing like the feeling you get when it all comes together and works. When you know it’s done and it’s good. But the only way to get there is to keep at it, no matter how difficult it can sometimes be.
Getting Started on Book Promotion
AUTHOR CENTRAL
Amazon has made it easy for authors to keep track of book sales on that site. Just go to www.authorcentral.amazon.com and join up. You’ll be able to blog, include a video, and find other ways to use the Amazon system to market and sell more books. And Author Central provides reports on Amazon sales worldwide.
EBOOKS AND eREADERS – STILL GROWING
A few years ago, before the advent of the Kindle, the Nook, the iPad and a whole host of other ebook readers, ebooks were not very widely read. Unlike printed books, ebooks could not go with you to the park or the beach. You wouldn’t be able to take your book with you to read in the waiting room or on the train. But now, things have changed. Ebook readers go with you anywhere you go, just like a printed book. They’re lightweight, easy on the eyes, and even more convenient than printed books when that book is long and heavy. Some people even read them on their smart phones. And for authors, the news gets even better: Ebooks are selling! They’re inexpensive; the royalties are high, and there are no shipping or printing charges. This means that even ebooks from unknown authors can compete with ebooks from the big publishing houses. It’s all good. To find out why Amazon now publishes over 900,000 ebooks and growing, visit www.llumina.com/kindle.htm.
TEN TIPS FOR PROMOTING YOUR BOOK
The book sales ( and royalties) for one of our authors were very high, and I wondered what she was doing to promote her book that was working so well. She responded with a list of ten tips on books promotion. Maybe they could help you too:
#1 Have a table at Local Book Festivals, seek to be one of the featured authors.
#2 Set-up at Local Festivals that relate to your book.
#3 Social Networking Sites – Facebook, Twitter, etc.
#4 Create Blogs – that relate to your book.
#5 Create a Flyer – that explains your book and distribute it everywhere.
#6 Book Presentations – speak about your book (local libraries are a great place to start)
#7 Local Radio / TV Interviews – speak about your book
#8 Purchase Business Cards – distribute them everywhere.
#9 Purchase ads on Facebook, Magazines, etc.
#10 Send Press Releases to your local papers – Write about your book.
Amazon has made it easy for authors to keep track of book sales on that site. Just go to www.authorcentral.amazon.com and join up. You’ll be able to blog, include a video, and find other ways to use the Amazon system to market and sell more books. And Author Central provides reports on Amazon sales worldwide.
EBOOKS AND eREADERS – STILL GROWING
A few years ago, before the advent of the Kindle, the Nook, the iPad and a whole host of other ebook readers, ebooks were not very widely read. Unlike printed books, ebooks could not go with you to the park or the beach. You wouldn’t be able to take your book with you to read in the waiting room or on the train. But now, things have changed. Ebook readers go with you anywhere you go, just like a printed book. They’re lightweight, easy on the eyes, and even more convenient than printed books when that book is long and heavy. Some people even read them on their smart phones. And for authors, the news gets even better: Ebooks are selling! They’re inexpensive; the royalties are high, and there are no shipping or printing charges. This means that even ebooks from unknown authors can compete with ebooks from the big publishing houses. It’s all good. To find out why Amazon now publishes over 900,000 ebooks and growing, visit www.llumina.com/kindle.htm.
TEN TIPS FOR PROMOTING YOUR BOOK
The book sales ( and royalties) for one of our authors were very high, and I wondered what she was doing to promote her book that was working so well. She responded with a list of ten tips on books promotion. Maybe they could help you too:
#1 Have a table at Local Book Festivals, seek to be one of the featured authors.
#2 Set-up at Local Festivals that relate to your book.
#3 Social Networking Sites – Facebook, Twitter, etc.
#4 Create Blogs – that relate to your book.
#5 Create a Flyer – that explains your book and distribute it everywhere.
#6 Book Presentations – speak about your book (local libraries are a great place to start)
#7 Local Radio / TV Interviews – speak about your book
#8 Purchase Business Cards – distribute them everywhere.
#9 Purchase ads on Facebook, Magazines, etc.
#10 Send Press Releases to your local papers – Write about your book.
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