Monthly Archives: April 2015

Taking Control

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POST CARDS FROM THE MUSE

Taking Control

By Nandy Ekle

 

I have the best day job in the world. I work for a major finance corporation in the correspondence department. So I read letters, analyze the letter, research the contract and write a letter in response. So I spend all day long in the bottomless pit of words. And when we’re behind, as we have been quite a bit for the last year or so, we work overtime, still swimming in that ocean.

I love this job because it utilized every part of me I always enjoyed using—analyzing, investigating, reading, and writing. However, one of the drawbacks is by the time I get home from work, the words have just given up. As a result, I have not written much during the past year. I had forgotten how good it felt to write.

This week I made myself a promise. Beginning this week, I will take my entire lunch hour for myself. I decided to spend my lunch HOUR writing.

I also bought some new music on my player. Now, by the time lunch comes around, I’m very excited to get the writing time.

Congratulations. You have just received a post card from the muse.

Pantser or Plotter?

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Pantser or Plotter?

By Adam Huddleston

So the questions come up when new writers look to begin their first work:

How do you write a story? Do you begin at the first and then just plug away? Do you organize all of your scenes first and then write it? What’s the best way?

Guess what folks. It really depends on the writer and their preferences. I will say that there are pros and cons to each. Let’s examine the two prevailing methods.

  1. The “pantser” writes by the seat of his/her pants. They start from word one and let it fly. The plot unfolds as they write. This can be a very exciting and creative method, but it can also lead to quite a bit of editing later on.
  2. The “plotter” plans out each scene and plot twist before they begin to write anything. This allows the process to be more streamlined and decreases editing.

Most writers probably use a little of both and what works best for you is simply that; what works best for you. I prefer to write and edit the “major” scenes that I know I want in the story then piece them together with “minor” scenes.

Try out both methods and see which you prefer. Happy writing!

 

 

Education

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Outtakes 193

Education

By Cait Collins

 

I believe in the power of an education. Statistics indicate the person who has a strong academic background, has a better chance of getting a good job and working his way to the top. Writers are continually educating themselves. There’s so much to learn about basics such as grammar, word usage, style, writing business letters, record keeping, tax reporting, and so on. But being a writer requires us to know a little about many subjects. Learning doesn’t all come from books.

Experiencing history, archeology, wildlife, sports and more, allows us to have a new perspective when putting a story together. Now, I’m not careless adventurer. I know my limits and will not take unnecessary risks. That said its fun to try new things.

My husband and I took a trip to Denver, Colorado. We were driving the back roads when we found a little place where you could pan for gold. There were a couple of prospectors who taught the art of panning. I never realized just how heavy a small pan of water and scoops of dirt could be; especially when you’re washing the layers of sediment from the pan. But I learned not only how to find gold dust; I also experienced a bit of what old time miners went through.

You ever heard someone say they’d have to take a gun or maybe a prized possession from his cold, dead hands? Well, I know what they mean. I’ve experienced my hands frozen from hours of dipping a pan in the frigid mountain waters. My fingers cramped around the edges of the pan and would not release. Although I’d only worked a couple or so hours, muscles and joints in my neck and arms screamed from the strain of handling the heavy pan. Mining is real work often with little reward. No matter the pain and exhaustion, you just know the next pan will be pay dirt. I wasn’t ready to leave when my husband suggested it was time to go. I wanted to keep panning; keep looking for a weighable nugget. Reality, a few flakes of gold and small bits of jade and garnets rest in my small bottle. I may not be the best miner, but I know the thrill of seeing the gold glimmer through the course, black sand. I’ve experienced the setbacks and downside of the job.

I am now in a better position to write a miner’s story

Mining is not the only opportunity to learn by doing. Living history days at forts, museums, or historical sites open our eyes to what used to be. Try fly fishing in a mountain stream, camping cowboy style, or being an assistant to a chuck wagon cook. The possibilities are limitless

I would never suggest putting the books away. They are needed to provide back ground information and basic knowledge of the subject. Then we translate what the brain knows to actually performing a task or living the life style, and then we write about the experience.

The Writing Process

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The Writing Process

By Natalie bright

 

If you enjoy reading about other author’s writing process like I do, you’ve probably come to the conclusion that there is no right or wrong way. I think the main goal that will set you apart from other writers is to actually get to THE END.

Here are examples of two totally different methods that have worked for me.

Option 1: Chasing Rabbit Trails

When you look at the pasture behind my house, you can see several well-worn trails used by cotton tales and jack-rabbits. They criss-cross, head in every direction going on as far as you can see or ending at a fence or under a tree. Here’s a true confession; I find it extremely difficult to stay with one project.

With two teen boys (a senior and 8th grader) and day job demands, I’ve decided to follow the advice of Natalie Goldberg in WRITING DOWN THE BONES: go with the thing that’s burning a hole in your heart. Come to that story with fire in your gut. From novels to nonfiction magazine articles to short stories, I just write. I’ve learned to never question the idea muse and to write whenever I get the chance.

Take for example a picture book manuscript I just finished. The idea hit me as I was climbing into my husband’s pick-up truck on our way to lunch. We were talking about the kids fighting. He was explaining to me that it’s nothing unusual for brothers. As an only child, I can’t relate to how mean siblings can be to each other. I got a visual image of a picture book, as clear as if I held it in my hand. I made notes right then and there, and worked on it over the next two months. Then sent it off to my agent, who had a few suggestions. Took several more weeks to work on edits, and now it’s out in the world. Fingers crossed that it finds a home.

This process may seem crazy to some, but I am able to get things done.

Option 2: Emersion into Fictional World

The middle grade manuscript I recently finished involved a total emersion into the world of Comanche, a Plains Indian tribe that once walked the ground that is now our cattle ranch. The book began as a story about a mule skinner’s son set in the old west, but when I typed THE END it felt incomplete. Something was missing. One Saturday morning, after two hours of digging in the dirt, I found a perfectly shaped arrowhead point which reminded me that the last person who had touched that piece of flint had been a Native American. The burning in my gut turned into a Comanche brave. I had to bring Wolf’s point of view to that story.

A secondary character became a main character, and I started over with research. If words refused to come, research turned into long walks staring at a Texas sunset trying to figure out what in the heck a Comanche teenager might be thinking in 1854. This was the most difficult and most fun book I’ve ever written. Hopefully it will find a home as well.

Don’t Question the WHY!

Take the advice of David Morrell, father of Rambo and an amazing speaker; don’t question the why. He really motivated me to keep writing; no matter the rejection, no matter the crazy ideas that pop into my head, no matter that my story may never be seen by the world.

Let’s be fearless, dear writers! Follow that fire in your gut and discover where it leads. You might be amazed at what you can accomplish.

Please share your writing process. How do you stay on task until THE END?

 

In the Cavern

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POST CARDS FROM THE MUSE

In the Cavern

By Nandy Ekle

 

My youngest son was about three or four years old when we went on a vacation. We decided we would go through a cave in another state.

The tour through this cave was a fairly new tour, and there were places where the walkway was not very well developed. My daughter and son were old enough to be thrilled with the challenge and adventure of the whole thing, but my younger son was a little timid by more scary spots. He clung to my leg like he was attached to me.

We saw beautiful stalactites and stalagmites, which the tour guide explained were formed by water dripping constantly, drip, drip, dripping, one drop at a time. And each time a drop of water travels the length of the protuberance, it leaves a deposit of mineral. After a length of time, the minerals clot up and a finger-like projection is born. If you’ve ever seen a cavern with the different stalactite and stalagmite formations, you know about their breath-taking beauty.

I’ve read a few books, that reminded me of this past adventure, and I think those are the books I love the most. I approach an opening in someone else’s imagination. The author, who is the tour guide, has set up a pathway through his world to make the trip safe enough so no harm comes to you, but there are still emotional dangers. Yet the idea of learning something is worth more than the danger could ever be.

The guide takes you deep into the cavern, just using a flashlight to start with. But you get to the point where he turns on a stronger light and you gasp with the beauty you are seeing. The words have continued to drip steadily until you have the most beautiful formations you have ever seen. And they are made of more layers than you could ever imagine. In fact, the deeper you look, the more layers you find.

This type of story is a masterpiece and your readers will read it over and over.

Congratulations. You have just received a post card from the muse.

A Few Words on Adverbs

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A Few Words on Adverbs

by Adam Huddleston

 It has been said that the road to, well, let’s just say a rather “toasty” destination, is paved with adverbs. While I don’t harbor a fierce hatred for those “-ly” words, I do see a glimmer of truth in the proverb.

One of the basic precepts of writing is to keep it short and sweet. Why use three weak words when one strong one will do?

For example: The man talked quickly. How about: The man babbled.

Or: The deer swiftly ran. Instead: The deer galloped.

Eliminating needless words will make your work cleaner and your chosen words stand out. That being said, you don’t have to be an “adverb Nazi”! There are many lonely adverbs out there looking for a loving home and many verbs which cannot be changed so easily.

My advice; read through your writing a few times and see if it sounds too wordy or cluttered. If it does, start chunking those adverbs and see how “quickly” your work improves!

Happy writing!

 

Thank you, Craig Johnson

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Outtakes 192

Thank you, Craig Johnson

By Cait Collins

 

I met Craig Johnson, author of the Longmire mysteries, when he spoke in Amarillo a couple of years ago. I truly enjoyed listening to his journey as a writer. I’ve known writers who would speak for little money, but he was the first to say he’d meet with a group for a case of Rainier beer. Of course he was kidding, but he got a good laugh at the offer.

After reading my first Longmire novel, The Cold Dish, I was hooked. I’ve read a number of the books and keep looking for the ones I’ve missed. This brings me to a find when I was roaming the bookstore shelves recently. Mr. Johnson has written a wonderful novella.

The Spirit of Steamboat has me captivated. I allow myself 30 minutes each morning to read before going to work. I have come close to clocking in late the last two mornings because I hate to put the book down. Think A Christmas Carol, a Christmas storm, a decrepit B-25 World War II airplane, a Doolittle’s Raiders vet, a helicopter crash survivor, Walt Longmire, and a Christmas guest, and you have the makings of a what-will-happen-next holiday story.

The novella presents a different side of the writer’s talent. I am enjoying this read as much as I have loved his mysteries. I’m looking forward to reading Wait For Signs, a collection of Longmire short stories.

Basic Social Media for Writers

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Basic Social Media for Writers 

By Rory C. Keel

 

After mountains of research, hours of keeping my rear end in the chair and wearing out the keyboard, they expect me to do what?

Yes, that’s right, as a writer you need to have an internet presence on social media.

Recently, I was asked to present some basic materials about social media, to the Ranch House writers, a group of writers who occasionally gather for a meal and encouragement from others in the writing community.

This blog will be the first in a series of four, dealing with the basics of social media for writers.

What is Social Media

Simply put, social media is a varied group of internet based applications that allow YOU to create and share content.

Early in the development of the internet, most websites were static. In other words, much like a billboard on the highway, it was costly to change and no had ability to interact with consumers.

Today, social media platforms give writers the ability to create, share, discuss ideas, and publish user-generated materials.

These applications are often categorized into groups such as networking sites, blog sites, video Sharing sites and even photo sharing sites. There are hundreds of applications and Facebook, Twitter, Google +, YouTube and Flickr are just a few examples.

Will Social Media benefit me as a writer?

While there are many reasons an individual might use social media, for the writer it’s as simple as Business 101.

Writing is a business

Have you ever read the reviews of a restaurant before going out to dinner? Have you ever researched someone on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIN, before meeting for an appointment?

It is estimated that in 2015, 93 percent of all businesses will use some form of social media. For both consumers and businesses it has become the norm and is expected.

Using Social Media

Using social media as a writer allows easy communication between you and your readers. It is a medium that allows the ability to develop relationships by having accessibility to groups where individual time is not possible.

And finally, social media allows you multiple mediums to develop your brand as a writer. By blogging, posting, tweeting, google plus-ing, you can establish yourself as a writer and build a large readership.

Next Tuesday we will discuss which social media platform to use. See ya’ then!

 

Story in a Blog

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Story in a Blog

by Natalie Bright

Emotion…

…is an important component of any great novel. Laughter, sadness, or horror—experiencing a wide range of feelings is perhaps the main reason readers read. Inciting emotion should be the goal of writers when they write.

An exceptional writer can take their readers on a roller-coaster ride of sensation. Can you remember the story that made you laugh out loud? How about an ending that left you crumpled in tears? And horror—thank you King and Koontz. Heavy sighs, heart pounding love; innocent and sweet, or in graphic detail if you so choose. Which brings me to topic of this post.

Last week, I read a blog post that contains all of the components of a great novel, an example that writing good blogs is just as important as writing good stories. Follow the link, read, and let’s discuss: click here.

Story in a Blog.

  • Writing from the heart makes for intense reactions. Dig deep. You might have to revisit those painful and embarrassing times in your life. Go there and be fearless. Your writing will be all the richer.
  • Empathy with the author. The reality of the situation brings to mind a myriad of sentiments for most of us. Panic, sheer terror, frustration, and tremendous joy at the thought of being a parent, plus I laughed out loud.
  • This blog post has the necessary components of a novel. A great beginning that drags the reader in, solid middle, and an ending that ties up the tale in a nice little package. It leaves the reader satisfied.

Side note: The author of THE BIG OOPS is our niece, Lindsay Bright, and I’m so very proud to announce that she’s recently been selected as a new contributor to the hugely popular CityMomsBlog. She’ll be blogging from the diverse city of Austin, so please watch for her posts there.

Thanks for following WordsmithSix!

 Nataliebright.com

Coffee Break

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POST CARDS FROM THE MUSE

 

Coffee Break

By Nandy Ekle

 

I’m a coffee drinker. I used to be avid about it, drinking coffee all day long. But a few years ago I cut back considerably. Now I have one medium sized cup in the morning and that’s all. Still, that one cup is very important.

We don’t use the new-fangled single cup coffee makers because my husband has never cut back on his coffee consumption and the little singles are just not practical in our house. So when we make coffee, we make it by the 12-cup pot full. This means putting a filter in the basket, measuring out the grounds, pouring water in the tank, pushing the button, and watching the brown goodness drip, a couple drops at a time, sometimes a small brown stream down into the carafe until it’s full and ready to be poured out.

So, what does making a pot of coffee have to do with writing? Well, I’m a writer. Sometimes I’m a more avid writer than others, cranking out stories all day long. But sometimes just one story a day is enough. Still that one story is very important.

I have to assemble my ingredients: the computer on my lap (make sure the mouse is on), scratch paper and pen next to me (because I always have scratch paper and pen next to me), the internet pulled up and handy (research and polling friends), and my cup of coffee. Then I push the buttons and let the page fill up. Sometimes it only drips one word at a time. But then, sometimes it flows as a stream onto the page in front of me. And when it’s done, I feel the same sense of satisfaction I get from drinking my hot coffee first thing in the morning.

And now, I believe I will have a cup.

Congratulations. You have just received a post card from the muse.