Writing Tip of the Week: Writing Isn’t Magic

As writers, we have fantastic power.  We can create new worlds, characters, scenarios, and stories that can be enjoyed and shared with others until the end of time.  That’s quite a gift to have and one that often perplexes those who don’t write and create.  It’s as if they think what we do comes from some magic spell.

But we know the truth.

Magic powers or special abilities don’t make us a writer.  They don’t make us creative.  They don’t give up special powers to conjure up stories at will.

Writing takes time.  It takes persistence.  It takes dedication.  Like other professions or hobbies, it is a skill set that can be honed and perfected over time; but only if you take the time to improve.

If you have a knack for storytelling and a talent for crafting great characters and dialogue, that’s great.  But even those with ingrained and intuitive writing talent must work to improve their craft.

It’s just the reality of the situation.

Why do people believe this about writers or other creatives?  Why do they think what we do is some prestidigitation instead of the result of a lot of blood, sweat, and tears to get our art out of our heads and into the world?

Perhaps it’s fear that drives this theory.  It’s easier to make up an excuse like “being a writer is a magical thing” instead of investing the time to sit down and write.  Maybe it’s intimidation that leads some to think this way.  After all, seeing Stephen King’s name on over 60 books can make anyone think King and other prolific authors are under some magical spell to write as much as they do.

But it’s nothing like that.  It’s just putting in the work.  It’s about trusting the process.  It’s about believing in your skills and abilities and being humble enough to know that you can improve upon them whenever you write.

The only real magic comes from inside you, your creativity, and your ideas.  No magic wand, spell book, or enchanted mirror is required.

Happy Writing, and I’ll see you next time!

The Self-Aware Writer – Self-Awareness & Failure

We’ve all failed at things in our lives, but the things we really want, really desire, really strive to achieve, we have to understand and accept that failure is part of the game.  Everyone you know, either in your personal life or who is a public figure, has failed at some point in their life.  Most people have failed dozens of times.

As a self-aware writer, as a self-aware person, the important thing to remember is failure should be viewed as a learning experience and not as an excuse to give up.

Let’s talk about it.

Accepting Failure

Part of self-awareness is knowing that you’ll face an insurmountable obstacle at some point in your life that feels like you’ve failed.  Any number of things could lead to that moment, some within your control and some not in your control.  Sometimes we get super close to achieving something, only for the opportunity to be taken away at the last moment.  Other times we tried and tried, but things still didn’t work out.

Hey, it happens.

When it comes to your writing career, having the self-awareness to know and accept that the inevitable rejection letter or email will happen is a step toward accepting failure on some level.  It doesn’t mean you burn your manuscript or give up writing; you take the loss and try again.

There’s this author some of you may know, Stephen King, whose first novel, Carrie, was rejected by 30 publishers before one finally picked it up.  And before that, King himself tossed the novel in the trash, the novel that helped make him a household name and an author who continues to publish multiple novels a year!

Failure has many negative connotations in our society.  Still, one thing that isn’t discussed is how failure has to happen for success to happen.  Failure is part of the process.  And no matter what you do, you have to start from somewhere and work your way up; and failure is just something that happens on the way to the top.

A few months ago, I wrote a review for a book called Chasing Failure by Ryan Leak that I highly recommend.  Part of self-awareness is knowing how to utilize failure to your advantage and make it a positive learning experience instead of a catastrophic nightmare.  

You Have the Right to Fail, So Allow It To Happen

The obsession with perfection can cause many to not even try.  We want to be the best at what we do from the start; the terror of falling flat on our faces and being judged by others can cause analysis paralysis and a sense of doom that prevents us from venturing out of our heads or comfort zones.

But we have to understand that failure is part of life.  It’s part of being human.  And we have to accept that part of humanity to truly live life and reach for our goals.  Failing is another step toward success; you can’t reach your goals without its existence.  Don’t fear it.

Learning From Failure

The key to dealing with a failure is to examine why it happened and what you can learn from it.  Every failure is a learning experience.  Once you can pinpoint why you failed during that attempt, you can reconfigure and try again.  You may fail again, but now you have the knowledge to help you make new decisions and choices as you progress toward your goal.

Next Time…

Many of us fear failure, but what about being afraid of success?  We’ll talk about it.

Happy Writing, and I’ll see you next time!

Reading Challenge: Trying Out a New Author or Genre

I’m a huge Stephen King fan and an avid reader of his novels.  This past month when I was on vacation, I went to Barnes & Noble and found a new author in the horror genre: Ronald Malfi.  I had never read any of his books before, so I took a gamble and bought one of his books.

I’ve found a new favorite author!

The next time you’re at the bookstore, on Amazon, or considering buying a book from an author you know, consider trying out a new author in the same genre.  You can also experiment and try a new genre outside your comfort zone.  If you love fantasy, try romance; if you love sci-fi, try historical fiction, etc.  

Or, if you are a hardcore fiction reader, try a non-fiction book on a topic that interests you.

It’s easy to get locked into reading patterns – I know I do – but every once in a while, give yourself the challenge of trying out a new genre or author.  You may not like it and run back to what’s familiar, but at least you know you tried.

Or you’ll be like me and find a new author to enjoy.

Happy Reading, and I’ll see you next time!

What authors or genres have you tried and found you enjoyed?  Leave a comment and let me know!

Writing Tip of the Week: Story Pacing

Have you ever watched or movie or read a book where at some point, you think: Is this EVER going to end???  Or a movie or novel just flies by and you think: Wait, that’s it? I want more!

Pacing in a story matters; it keeps you engaged as a writer and can help keep your reader engaged as well. How you pace your story is related to the type of story you want to tell and how you want to tell it. 

So, let’s talk about it!

Taking Your Time

If you are world-building, writing historical fiction, or creating a nuanced view of your story’s setting, you will want to take your time to set things in motion. Your task is to draw the reader in, give them insight into the world the characters and the story inhabits, and deliver detailed descriptions that help them fully understand where the story and setting take place.

World-building gives you lots of ways to describe and present expository information, but it should be delivered in a way that keeps the reader engaged and interested. Much like historical fiction, you want to ground us in the world without getting too bogged down in minute details that don’t have any real bearing on the story being told.  

Some novels that take their time and do it well are the Game of Thrones series, The Lord of the Rings series, and many of Stephen King’s works like It and The Stand. These works provide detailed descriptions of their worlds and still keep the reader focused and curious about where the story is headed.  

Getting Right to It

Jumping right into the action is another pacing method. You start in the middle of an action sequence or some other adrenaline-pumping event that still gives us information about the setting and characters. Still, we get this information in bursts and not long paragraphs.

If you’re writing a thriller, an action-adventure, or an exciting sci-fi epic, grabbing the reader with a flashy opening sequence will help hook them fast and keep them turning the page. Just make sure that you still take the time to deliver substantive information that relates to the rest of the story.  

A high-octane story with a ticking clock and high stakes would definitely benefit from a fast-paced style. You can always give the audience time to catch their breath, which leads us to the next section.

Charging Ahead, Then Pulling Back

This is the most commonly used in mainstream films and novels, and it’s a healthy combination of the two. You hook the reader with a fast-paced open, then pull back and give us some detailed exposition and plot information, character backstory, and description, then ramp things up again.  

There’s an ebb and flow to the storytelling, allowing the reader moments to take a quick breather before things speed up again.  

What’s Best for Your Story?

If you are working in a particular genre, I recommend reading books in that genre to see what the pacing is like. Do they hold your interest? Were there any points while reading that your mind wandered, or were you locked in and focused on the story the whole time?

If a novel has lengthy descriptions that interest you, how does the author structure those paragraphs to keep you engaged?  

If the novel has a faster pace, how does the writer deliver needed information with fewer words while still connecting with the reader?

During the drafting phase, experiment with pacing. Choose a scene or sequence from your story and write it using different pacing styles. Does one fit what you want to do better than the other?  

Editing and Pacing

While editing for continuity, spelling, and grammar are essential, reading for pacing is also important. If there are sections of you story where you lose interest, you have the power to fix those areas to avoid the same situation with a reader.

I recommend a Pacing Edit. After you’ve gone through and fixed basic issues, removed sections, added new material, and are happy with what you have, take the time to read through the manuscript and mark – don’t do any rewriting at this point – any areas where you lose interest or aren’t engaged with the story.

Once you have those areas marked, go back through and figure out why. Are the sentences too long? Is the paragraph lacking information needed to move the story forward? Do you need that section? If you cut it, would it impact the story?  

Once you have resolved these issues, read through again and see if the pacing has improved and keeps you focused.  

Final Thoughts

You know your story best and what pacing will help convey your story, characters, settings, and dialogue most effectively. Doing some reading research and experimenting with pacing can help maximize reader interest and engagement in your own writing.

Happy Writing, and I’ll see you next time!

Book Review Tuesday: The Long Walk by Richard Bachman

I always enjoy picking up a Stephen King novel. Did you know that King wrote four novels under the pseudonym Richard Bachman? Rage (1977), The Long Walk (1979), Roadwork (1981), and The Running Man (1982) were all titles released under the Bachman name.  King planned to release Misery under Bachman’s name as well, but a snoopy bookstore clerk ferreted out the truth that Bachman was indeed Stephen King.  

King killed off the Bachman name after that, and three of the four books have been released with “Writing as Richard Bachman” under King’s name on the covers (you can barely see it on the cover above).  Rage – about a school shooter – has since been pulled and is no longer published.  

King used his relationship with his alternate author identity as the basis for his novel, The Dark Half, which I’ll be posting my review for later this year.

My review of The Long Walk is below:

Another solid and riveting King/Bachman work, The Long Walk pulls you into its narrative and never lets up until the final pages. A story about determination, perseverance, and strength set in a dystopian world where 100 teen boys are pitted against each other for one ultimate prize. 

Published in 1979, four years before King’s/Bachman’s Running Man (which has similar themes), The Long Walk is an early precursor to the fixation people now have on reality TV and sports competition shows. King/Bachman delivers a shrewd commentary on the public’s odd lusting for carnage as entertainment, and novels like The Hunger Games series show that this type of concept is far from extinct. 

The Long Walk is a must-read for Stephen King fans, and one I highly recommend.

Have you read any of King’s books when he was using the name Richard Bachman?  Which one was your favorite?  Leave a comment and let me know!

Book Review Tuesday: The Institute by Stephen King

The Institute by Stephen King grabbed me and refused to let go until the final pages were read. I will admit that there were moments the suspense got so intense that I had to walk away from the book just to prepare myself for what the unknown in the upcoming chapters.

Nevertheless, I persisted and finished the book, and below is my review:

Stephen King is a master craftsman when it comes to storytelling. His books have been a staple of my yearly reading for over two decades, and I never tire of the tales he tells.

The Institute was a unique King reading experience. Rarely do I come across a book filled with so much suspense, intensity, and emotion that I have to take breaks to prepare for the next chapter. This was one of those books. 

Part YA novel, part suspense-thriller, and part supernatural thriller, The Institute is King at his best. I loved every page, every chapter, and every character. Each element was expertly crafted and worked beautifully.

I rarely read books more than once, but this is definitely one I will read again.

I highly, highly recommend The Institute by Stephen King.

Have you read The Institute by Stephen King? What did you think? Leave a comment and let me know!

Writing Tip of the Week: Writing a Fearless First Draft

The ominous blank page.  Whether it’s a blank page flashing a taunting cursor from a screen, or a lined notebook daring you to fill its pages with ink, it can sometimes be challenging to get your brain and body moving in the same creative direction.

Every day, we see films, novels, and TV shows that move and amaze us.  But what we don’t see are the hundreds of hours of hard work, gallons of coffee or energy drinks, and the multitude of drafts that went into making what you’re watching or reading available for mass consumption.

The drive for perfection of the first try can be a detriment to creativity.  We demand perfection from ourselves, it doesn’t happen off the bat, so we beat ourselves up and walk away.  But nothing we see or read is the first draft.  Nothing we see or read didn’t start as something worthy of the recycle bin.  

Everyone’s first draft sucks.

And that’s okay.  If we were given insight into the early drafts of any best-seller or Oscar-winning film, we would be surprised to see that what is considered the standard of great writing starts off as mediocre at best…and unsalvageable at the very least.

I say this to tell you that writing the first draft of anything need not be a perilous and disastrous endeavor.  Quite the opposite, in fact.  First drafts are supposed to be bad. That’s why they’re called first/rough drafts.

So, let’s talk about them.

For Your Eyes Only

First a foremost, this draft is for you.  No one else.  Not your significant other.  Not your Beta reader.  Not your favorite child or pet.  You are the sole audience for this version of your story, and that’s that.

This is a place where you can openly write ideas, dialogue, description, and more that might be pushing limits or boundaries.  This is the place to test out ideas and story threads to see where they go.  This is the place to have fun with what you’re writing.  You are the Creator in this world; what you decide to do is what happens.

This draft should be unfiltered, unedited, and uninhibited.  While you’ll want to have a basic road map guiding where the story is headed, don’t let that stop you from shifting your imagination and creativity into overdrive in this draft.

You can always change it later.  The important thing here is to get everything down and out of your head so it can be fixed in subsequent drafts, because whatever you do…

Don’t Look Back!

You finished a chapter last night and woke up this morning with a new idea to change what you wrote.  Great.  That means your creativity is doing its job, but don’t return to that chapter and attempt to edit it.  Why not write a new version of the chapter with the new material instead?  

Writing a first draft is about momentum, the momentum to get from the beginning to the end without the pitfalls and hazards or going back and editing and revising. You’ll have plenty of time for that later.  Plus, what if you erase what you had and then realize later there was some dialogue you deleted that would’ve worked great in the revised version?  Now it’s gone.  

Keep it all in the first version and do that heavy lifting later.

Write the Fun Stuff First

We all have our favorite things to write.  It could be action sequences, romantic scenes, or comedy moments that really help drive the story and are fun for you to write.  These moments are likely the big payoff to a long buildup, so writing them can be an enjoyable experience.

However, we shouldn’t deny ourselves the opportunity to write these when we want to.  Write them when you feel like writing them.  When it comes to drafting, you always have the power to rearrange and change where chapters or scenes are located in the story’s world.  If you want to write the big finale first, do it.  Have a romantic scene that you’re itching to write?  Write it.  

While there may be traditional story structures needed when you put the story out there for the world, in the drafting phase, you can write what you want, when you want.  And no one can stop you.

The Creative Brain on Auto-Pilot

Sometimes your characters will begin to dictate what they want to do, what they want to say, and where they want to go. Don’t fight this feeling; let them take you there.  Often your subconscious knows what’s best for your story and can take you places you didn’t initially think of.  

This isn’t some weird phenomenon; it does happen.  And if it does, let your characters take the wheel.  Remember, if they steer the story down a wrong path, you can fix it later.  If they show you something fresh and new about your story or characters, it can be a great win for you and your story. 

Getting here requires you to tell that evil, no good, despicable part of your brain to shut up and go on vacation.  And that part is…

The Evil Voice of Doubt and Negativity

This horrible creature likes to loom around your creativity, giving making you unsure of what you’re writing, how you’re writing it, and if you should even be writing.

I sure hate this creature!

There are 24 hours in a day.  Give this monster a few hours off as your write and keep them locked out as you work on your draft.  This is all for you, not anyone else, so this evil creature is wasting your time by creeping into your head as you charge forward.  Even if the monster makes a good point about a scene or chapter, make a note or rewrite the chapter, but keep going.

Creativity is a big enough challenge at times without this specter of negativity floating about.

When You Feel Blocked…

Writer’s block does happen, but it’s how you handle it that makes the difference.  I would suggest when you do hit a wall moving on to another part of the story or work on another project to keep the creativity flowing.

It’s very tempting – and I’ve done this – to close the laptop, lay on the couch, and watch TV instead of writing.  While this is a quick fix, it doesn’t get you to your goal of finishing your draft and moving on to the next project.  

Do your best to stay focused and stay on track.  You may falter, but don’t let the block prevent you from writing for too long.

Have Fun!

As I said before, this draft is your time to play. It’s your time to test out ideas, see how they work or don’t work, and see if your characters take you anywhere new.

If you are bored with your story, have lost interest, or are dreading writing this draft, then there may be something wrong with your story, not you.  What is the reason you aren’t excited to write?  What aspect of the story is holding you back?

Unless you are writing this draft as part of an assignment, reevaluate your story and see where the issues are.  Maybe you are challenging yourself to write in an unfamiliar genre, or you don’t like the main character.  Whatever it is, make the changes you need to make the process enjoyable.

Writing is a journey. It’s a process. It’s a challenge.  And it’s something that can become addictive in a positive way.  As you begin to write your first/rough draft, remember that Stephen King, Jordan Peele, Grady Hendrix, and Maya Angelou all had to start with an idea, a blank page, and a first draft.

You can only get better once you have the first version out of your head and out on the page.

Happy writing, and I’ll see you in two weeks!

Writer’s Workshop Wednesday: Jack Ketchum

An author whose novels are not for the faint-of-heart or the squeamish, writer Jack Ketchum has been described by Stephen King as “the scariest man in America.”  There’s no doubt in my mind that there is something to King’s view of Ketchum’s work.  I have read many of his novels (The Girl Next Door, Off Season, Off Spring, Red, and many others) and the images that he paints with words stick with you long after you’ve finished the book and moved on to other, less disturbing, fare. 

And yet, his writing style makes you return for another graphic and horror-filled tale from this master of his craft.

From 1981 to 2017, Ketchum authored 27 works that range from short fiction to novels.  His unique voice and his ability to ignore critical views of his work – the Village Voice has referred to his writing as ‘violent pornography’ – have made him an iconic voice in horror fiction.  

Sadly, Ketchum passed away in 2018, but his works live on through print and film and TV adaptations.

Check out his official site HERE.  

Below are some interviews where Ketchum speaks about his works and his craft.

Enjoy!

Back in two weeks with another great author!

Sunday Edition of Writer’s Workshop Wednesday: New Stephen King Interviews & A Conversation with Stephen King and George R.R. Martin

Stephen King is one of my favorite authors of all time.  In honor of his newest novel, Billy Summers, here are some new interviews about the book, and a Q&A with King and Game of Thrones author George R.R. Martin.  

Enjoy!

Below is the King/Martin interview, which I was unable to embed, so please click the link below to access the video (there is profanity, just to let you know):

Back in two weeks with another writing series!

Happy writing!

Writer’s Workshop Wednesday: R.L. Stine

A reading staple of most middle-schoolers and young adults, R.L. Stine is the prolific master of teen-friendly horror.  His works and writing style have helped many of us – me included – graduate from his lower-stakes horror fare to the more graphic and violent works of Stephen King and Jack Ketchum.  Even if you’ve never read one his novels, you are more than likely familiar with the Goosebumps series of books that sport very effective and compelling covers.

Stine wrote his first teen-themed horror novel, Blind Date, in 1986, which became a best-seller.  In 1989, Stine began the Fear Street series, which boats over 100 books under its banner.  In 1992, Stine began the Goosebumps series of books, a series that currently has over 130 books!  His other novel series include, The Nightmare RoomMostly GhostlyRotten SchoolThe Haunting Hour and The Nightmare Hour.

His novels have been adapted into TV series, films, and comic books.  Needless to say, he is an author with one of the most extensive bodies of work I’ve talked about in this series!

Below are some interviews with Stine where he talks about his works and his creative process.

Enjoy!

Check out his official site HERE.  http://rlstine.com/

Back in two weeks with another great author!