Your Writing Should Grab You!



Photo used with permission of Photographer Raman Sharma.
Check out his other gorgeous photos here!

Scribblers,
     Here's a quick bit of advice I use all the time.
     If you write fiction that you actually want the market to read and like, the writing needs to be exciting! Any sort of mainstream fiction needs excitement.
     Therefore, a good way to tell if your writing needs revision is if it bores you. When you read your work, it needs to grab you.
Like The Claw in the picture! If, when you're doing light revisions, you find your eyes just skimming down the page, not really interacting with the text...there's a reason. It probably needs some heavy revisions, not line-editing.
     Let is simmer in the back of your mind for a while. Take a break from revision and create something. Then come back to work and rip the boring writing apart. Make it exciting. Make it jump out and scare/inspire/excite/inform you. Open up a new document and paste the writing into it. Look at the word "revision". "Re" means redo. "Vision" is what you want your work to look like. So, re-vision your writing! Rework it, make BIG changes; if you don't like it, you can always scrap it and change it back.
     Happy re-visioning!

Relax: The Importance of Play

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     Some days feel like "the daily grind." At night, when I'm not dreaming about work, it's because I'm too stressed to sleep. You know that feeling?

     As important as it is to cram in time to improve our craft, it's also important to make time for playing around. I've heard this from several writers. There's a time for pushing through the apathy/tears/writer's block, and there's a time to breathe and have fun. Otherwise, our writing can become "blah," and our creativity dries up. I relax for a few minutes little while every day using these techniques.

     Here are four ways to play:

• Instead of reaching for War and Peace, try reading an old favorite just for pleasure. A love of reading is where we all started. If you've practiced any creative reading, or reading like a writer, you'll automatically pick things up from those fond passages. This can give our overworked minds a break while still feeling productive.
• Anticipating a heavy day of work? Take a few minutes and try this: Ask yourself what you'd really like to be doing/writing about. Let your mind go where it wants...then write a focused free write about it. Pick an image, or a nice thought, or an interesting idea, and go with it. Don't grab--pluck. Say please. When your time is up, something, which is better than nothing, will be on the page! You might even like it! Keep it and look at it in a week. Is there any gold sifted in with the the soil?
• Sometimes, our mind needs rest. Call up a friend (or your significant other). Chill with them. You love them, they love you. If you can, do something nice for them, and you'll feel nice, too!
• Do something else you enjoy. Like to bake? (I do.) Do you run, or bike? Garden? Exercise especially can give you a much needed reprieve.

     These four techniques keep my shoulders from rising to my ears through the day. I hope they help you, too!
     For more fun, inspiring advice on writing, I recommend the book, "No Plot? No Problem!" by the author Chris Baty. This same creative genius created NaNoWriMo. The Lakeport Library has two copies of this book.

Book Review: The Hunger Games



     So, I know I'm not the first person to talk about The Hunger Games, but I couldn't just not do it. So here's me doing it! My review for my fellow Book Bandits:
     "Picture the future, not long from now, in a war-ravaged Panem (America). Food is tough to scavenge, and the government keeps it that way. Starvation is not uncommon in the Districts (states).
     Watch this girl. She hunts illegally to feed her family. She'll volunteer herself to save her younger sister. She'll even fight to the death in a government-mandated murder match, because otherwise she'll be killed herself. She's Katniss Everdeen. Her biggest problem, though, is not what she expects: Peeta, a boy who once saved her life, is one of the 23 other tributes she must murder. Brutally. On national television. Who is the real enemy, here? That's the question she has to answer before she's faced with life or death."
     I gave it my personal 5 star rating.
     It sounds brutal--and it is brutal--but it stays PG13. It's written for a young adult audience, which is approximately 13 and up. I don't recommend this to readers younger than that.
     I read the whole series about, oh, a year and a half ago. I originally heard about it from this awesome organization called YALSA, which stands for "Young Adult Library  Services" (I'll have to post about it sometime). This organization hosts a yearly book competition called "Teen's Top Ten (TTT)." The second book in the series (Catching Fire) was one of the nominees for TTT, so I read both the first two books.
     They left me in a haze for days. I couldn't stop thinking about them. I eagerly awaited the release of the third and final book (Mockingjay), and devoured this one equally as fast.
     I'm not sure I've ever anticipated a movie so much before. On March 23, I'm pretty sure I'll be watching it. Immediatly. Here's the official movie trailer--it's really cool! Check it out.

     Tip: If you're running low on reading time, you can download free audiobooks from the library's website. I listen to these books on my ipod whenever I drive or go for a walk.

     For Scribblers: these books taught me a lot about pacing my story line. Once we're introduced to Katniss and her world, surprises pop up practically in every chapter. The plot twists are fantastic! The author made detail count, as well. Every sentence creates a believable war-torn nation suffering under the thumbs of a 1984-esque government. These books are fantastic for learning how to keep a reader glued to the page.

                                                           

                                   Christy Dares you #2:



     I recommend reading this series (or even just the first book) for the story, at least.  Then, I recommend studying the plot and structure. Every page on which a plot twist occurs, stick a sticky note. By the end, your book will look like it's a preschool bird project. By doing this, you can learn to pace your own writing. Take it from the master--Suzanne Collins.

Love Your Library! & Reading Tip

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     It's hard to overstate the importance of libraries to writers and readers alike. The library is a mine of inspiration and a free bookstore. Free novels, yes, but also free manuals, free information. Also, free movies, music and classes!
     It's love month at the Lake County Library! Show them some love. Make an extra trip, say an extra thank you, donate an extra dollar!
     Okay, on with today's tip. You've probably heard this before, but I'm going to say it again because it's so important.
     I KNOW you've heard that reading is equally as important as writing for the creative mind.
     Some people say, "Read in your vein," or, "Read what you write." While that is important, I think it's far more important to read anything and everything. Seriously. If you write Sci-Fi, go read a western (I met someone once who was writing a western sci-fi novel)! Do you write Young Adult novels? Go find a popular adult pick and devour it, for a change of pace.
     Because I write for young adults, I read a lot of fiction for that age level. It's often a struggle for me to pull myself out of my comfort zone (Dessen, Collins, Cashore, etc). I need to, though!
It's good for us writers and readers; it opens our minds to new possibilities! By possibilities, I mean new content, new styles, new endings, etc. So!

                             Christy Dares You (#1):
     Go to a new section in the library and pick up a book you usually wouldn't. Read it through to the end. Maybe you'll like it! And even if you didn't, you did learn something. What not to write. :D

Significant Detail, and Cinnamon Rolls

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     A couple weeks ago, I posted on The Importance of Clarity in writing. Another way to give your writing impact is to use good significant detail. Here's a great quote from the famous "little book of style."

"The Greatest writers...are effective largely because they deal in particulars and report details that matter. Their words call up pictures." -William Strunk Jr., The Elements of Style.

    The above quote tells a very important message: good writers report only the significant details, the ones that will give the reader a picture in their minds. They should also suggest some truth the subject. That's what makes them significant. This way, the images pack more powerful punches. People will understand exactly what we mean.

     Lets aim to call up pictures with our words. When I describe something in my writing, I have to be careful not to just list things about it. Here's an example:

The original: "He still grins confidently, but a blush creeps over his cheeks."

     We get that the subject is embarrassed. Alright, that's fine.

The revised version: "He still grins, but his face tinges pink slightly, like my favorite flavor of jolly rancher--watermelon."

     Which example creates a clearer picture? This detail is significant as well, because it suggests that the narrator likes the image. It gives us a picture and interiority. In the first example, the writing doesn't convey that.
     I hope the quote and my examples shed some light on what I mean!

    

    Also, the bread-making class at the library was fantastic. Thirty-eight adults and teens learned how to make three different kinds of bread from our lovely teacher Amy!

White bread to knead. We also made a wheat bread to knead and a kneadless wheat bread.

     Five kids whacked some dough around during the class. It looked way more fun than playing DS Giga-Cool, or whatever.

38 Adults and Teens (4 teen boys!), & 5 Kiddos

      Aaaaaand, the grand finale: the cinnamon rolls I made from the bread dough!

They were so good,  we ate some before I got to take the picture!

      Have a great week, Scribblers and Book Bandits!

Works Cited



Strunk Jr., William, E. B. White, and Roger Angell. The Elements of Style. 4th ed. Massachusetts:

            Longeman, 2000. Print.

California Library Budget Cuts

     Scribblers, Library Lovers, and Book Bandits:
     On December 2nd, I posted about budget cuts to California libraries, and how we could speak out against more of them. Last year, Governor Jerry Brown proposed the elimination of all state funding for library programs. He and the Legislature were able to work out a plan in which only 50% of the cuts were made. These cuts were difficult to deal with, but this year will be even tougher.
     Since my last post, the threat has materialized. State funding to California Libraries has been cut as of January 1st.
     Lake County Libraries' first casualty of these cuts is the book budget--it has been severely reduced, and it still must be divided among the four Lake County branches (Lakeport, Redbud, Middletown and Upperlake). They can hardly afford to buy new books.
     Also, our Interlibrary Loan system, which allows us to order books, movies and other materials from other libraries, is no longer being funded by the state. Because these cuts are so new, the library hasn't decided how to handle this yet. One proposed idea is that patrons (we) might have to pay for this previously-free service.
     When I find out more news about casualties to our library's services, I'll post them on the blog.
    

     However!

     There are ways to deal with these unfortunate cuts:

1. Since the library can buy few new books, that leaves it to the public to donate their books. Have you noticed the "Recylce Your Books" bins situated around Santa Rosa? That's essentially what we need to do, if you want to help with this crisis. Bring in your books: read, unread, new, old, and especially those you know our library doesn't own a copy of it. Spread the literary love! It's time to lighten the shelves or your personal home library and help our community.
2.  You can volunteer a few hours a week. I volunteer on Tuesdays. Ask a librarian what days they could use some free help. They might tell you they love you.
3. Join the Friends of the Library. This is a group of library lovers that organize events like book sales and donate generously. Find out more and sign up at the library.
4. Tell a librarian how much you appreciate them and appreciate their work. <3 Maybe make them a card. And brownies. Whatever :)

     And don't forget--the free bread-making class is tomorrow at 2:00 PM at the library. Hopefully I'll see you there!
     Next week I'll write another craft post. Till then, friends. *salute*

Additional reading resources: "Twelve Way to Save Your Library" on Ilovelibraries.org, The Library Journal on the California Library Budget Cuts, & The Library Journal on "The New Normal" for US Libraries.

Works Cited

West London Dweller. "Carnegie Library (2)." Wikimedia Commons.  23 Jan. 2005. 18 March 2013.

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Carnegie_Library(2),_Brentford,_20050123.jpg

The Importance of Clarity

     This rule is important for any writing--books, articles, or reports for work.     
     Every experienced writer has a few golden rules they swear are absolutely, vitally important. These rules range from, "Keep it short," to "Write your completely unfiltered thoughts without inhibition."
     This post is about one of my all important rules. It's my mantra.
     Clarity. It matters more on a basic level than humor, beauty, show-offy skill, spot-on characters, or an engrossing plot. Clarity comes first. If a story's words or meaning are muddled, the reader will just stop reading. Your boss will love you if you can write clear reports that leave no doubt in his mind about what you're saying.
     Here are some ideas to think about when you're trying to keep your writing from getting fuzzy:

• Using clear verbs will help a lot in this quest for clarity. For example, instead of "Winthrop went down the street," write, "Winthrop walked," or "Winthrop ran," or "Winthrop  tore up the pavement in his hurry." This will give a picture in your reader's head.
• Don't clog sentences down with images. Famous writers can get away with page long sentences and long, rambling descriptions; we can't. Today's market likes one, maybe two clear images that get the point across. Television has shortened our attention span (not that I'm tv-bashing).
• Just like tons of descriptions will quickly lose readers, tons of adjectives will as well. "White, puffy, cumulus clouds floated across the sky like giant marshmellows, clearing any worries about storms from my mind." This sentence isn't bad, but I only really need one descriptive word about the clouds to get my point across--that the clouds are friendly and not threatening.
• Too much punctuation. This is a big problem of mine. I load my sentences with commas and try to fit too much into them. It's better to write two clear sentences than one long, rambling one.
• Often, simpler is better.  

     For great tips on how to avoid the problem of muddled prose, I  recommend, this post on "overwriting."
     Also, don't forget about the free breadmaking class on Jan. 21st!
     Thanks for stopping in! Now get writing! :)