Category Archives: Writing

Today

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Outtakes 176

 Today

By Cait Collins

 

It’s that time of year when our calendars are filled with social engagements, shopping, holiday meal planning, cooking, gift wrapping. The list seems endless. In my line of work, tax season begins and the work load increases. Time to write seems limited. That does not mean we shut down our writing and pick it up again after the first of the year. We are writers, and we have a job that requires attention.

In the past, I have been guilty of neglecting my writing, but this year I plan to change that practice. Each day, I will write something. This does not include what I write at my day job. I promise to write something new and different daily. The activity may be an update on a query letter, or a character sketch for a new story. I may spend an hour editing my novel, or adding a chapter to my current work. I have holiday letters to write, grocery lists to make. There is no limit to the opportunities.

Making this pledge will help me focus on my writing career so that I can jump back into full production after the first of the year. I will not be playing catch up. I will not have a total interruption of the creative process. It will keep me from relegating my writing to the hobby status. Realizing my creative writing is as important as my day job will force me to keep this commitment.

Here’s another way to look at things. When progress is made on a writing project during this hectic season, we can give ourselves a treat. I think I’ll have another red velvet cookie.

 

Making a Transition

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Making a Transition

Have you ever felt the need to write every minute detail in order to transition between a situation, image or scene? You know, the insignificant information that ends up getting cut during rewrites? The words that took so much of your precious time, because you felt you had to “fill in the gap” to get to the next idea?

Too much filler can diminish the impact of the previous idea, or bog the reader down so they lose interest going into the next scene.

Here are a few simple fixes that can help.

First, you could start a new Chapter.

Secondly, Skip a line and start a new paragraph. The extra space indicates the start of a new scene. Simply leave the filler out.

Thirdly, use a transitional word or phrase, such as “Meanwhile…” or “the next day…” or even “when he opened his eyes, everything had changed…”

Fourthly, Use common traits in two different objects, for example, “The frost on the window reminded him of the ice that ran through her veins. She was cold, but not because of the weather.”

Remember, transitions should be simple, direct and crisp advancing the reader to the next scene or idea.

Rory C. Keel

STORY STARTERS

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STORY STARTERS

 By Natalie Bright

Empty page = empty mind?

Starting a story is one of the hardest things for me. Ideas are everywhere. I’ve got ideas jotted on sticky notes and outlined in several idea notebooks. Now where to begin?

Here’s a list of several ideas to jump start your word count (hopefully):

Personal Vignette

 Humor

 Surprising Fact

 Unusual Idea

 Question

 Quote

 Dialogue

 Smack in the Middle of the Action

(skip that boring intro)

 Now Get to work!

Natalie Bright

Writing Prompts

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POST CARDS FROM THE MUSE

Writing Prompts

By Nandy Ekle

 

I have written about writing prompts before, but I’m going to write a new blog here about them because sometimes they can really give us that jump start we need. I once ran across a prompt that was to write a short flash fiction story backwards and to start with the words, “Finally he (she) heaved a sigh of relief.” I guess that was exactly what I needed because I quickly wrote a story less than 1,000 words. It had a beginning (which was really the end), a middle, and an end (yeah, the beginning). And I had a ball writing it. (You can find it on flahesinthedark.com – search for author Nandy Ekle and it will pop right up for you to enjoy *shamless plug*)

Another prompt I stumbled on was to write a story using exactly 50 words. It had to contain people dressed formally and a fatal action had to happen. My words poured out and my fingers flew and I had a 50 word (exactly) story that soon became an idea for a great novel. Well, we’ll talk about finishing a novel some day in the future.

However, there are a few prompt sites and generators that really do the opposite. These are the ones that are like slot machines. You give each wheel a spin and they all land on topics that could not possibly go together or make any sense whatsoever. I try to stay away from those.

There is one other prompt that I enjoy and it is sitting in a time waste with a pad of paper and a pen. This would be like a doctor’s office, or some other type of dead time space. One time I found myself waiting for an appointment in an office full of other people just sitting around staring at the wall. I decided to describe the room. I started with the gray walls and described them down to the bumps in the sheet rock. I went into great detail with the carpet, the furniture, and finally some of the people sitting in the chairs. I could see all the emotion in their faces: the desperation, the fear, the frustration, fatigue, anger and hope. Before my name was called I had a discovered some characters, a conflict, and a story started.

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

Time Travel

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Time Travel

 By Rory C. Keel

 

Intergalactic warp drives, transporter stations or a portal in a time continuum that can teleport us back to the future. The desire to travel through time is largely based on the desire to see the future and to know where life is going; or return to the past, perhaps to change the course of life, or simply for a sentimental remembrance of days past.

In writing there are two basic ways to travel through time: vertical and horizontal. Within each of these, several vehicles can be used to accomplish movement through time.

Vertical Time

Vertical time is thought of as climbing a ladder. While in a particular moment of time in the story — flashbacks, flash-forwards, grabbers, bookends and brackets — move the reader up or down in that moment of time. Think of it this way, the reader doesn’t move forward in time but has a deeper understanding with the knowledge gained.

Horizontal Time

Horizontal time is the movement of the story in a linear direction. It differs from vertical in that the moment or events actually move forward in time.

To accomplish this, techniques such as stretching, condensing, leaps, bridges, foreshadowing, cliffhangers and suspense are used to move the reader forward.

When you write, incorporate these methods to make your story richer and move the reader through time.

THE PERFECT TRACTOR BOOK

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THE PERFECT TRACTOR BOOK

By Natalie Bright

It started with a tractor book.  After an endless search I thought I had purchased the perfect one, but my five-year-old son informed me the book had flaws.

“A tractor would never park in a garage,” he said.  My description of a giant, garage-like-barn-like-shed did not fly.  I asked his opinion of what might be in the ideal tractor book.  He told me and then suggested, “You should just write it.”

The spark of desire to write something besides work related pieces was flamed by my son. Armed with a purple gel pen and a blue spiral notebook I found myself sitting in a creative writing class taught by university Writer-in-Residence and New York Times bestselling author, Jodi Thomas. Her comment on the first night of class shocked me to the core. “You are all writers, or you wouldn’t be here,” she said.

A writer!  Me? Personnel policies, ad copy, business correspondence and scrapbook journaling doesn’t make a person a writer, or maybe it does.

That six week, intensive course changed my life, as have all of the writer’s conferences I’ve attended since.  And Jodi’s one piece of advice on the last night of her class still remains; “Always write from the heart.”

Beginning with a search for the perfect book for my son and ending with a passion to learn everything I can about the craft of writing, I realized this journey has just begun.

All the best to you on your writing journey, and thanks for following us on WordsmithSix!

Natalie Bright

A Great Experience

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A Pinch of Rodeo

By Joe R. Nichols

 

A Great Experience

I’ve never been paid to be a pick-up man at a rodeo.

My experience has only been at college practice sessions, or trying out horses.

When people watch a rodeo, the men who assist bronc riders safely to the ground, and clear the arena, mostly go unnoticed. If they’re doing a good job, there is no reason for the average spectator to pay any attention to their duties.

I’ve always wanted to be involved at the Cal Farley’s Boy’s Ranch. My wife and I have no children of our own, yet young kids are very important to us. I have personally seen how the sport of rodeo can change and effect lives for the better. A dear friend of mine has given me the opportunity to be a part of this great organization. J.B. asked me to help him pick-up at the practice sessions for the Labor Day Rodeo.

This is the biggest and most important event at the Boy’s Ranch for the whole year. The young women at Girls Town are also involved all the way.

I’m only there to try and help, not to take over or get in the way. J.B. is not there for any benefit for himself, only to help and improve the kid’s chances, in and out of the arena. That’s what I’d like to do as well. Surely, my knowledge of the rodeo events could effect someone in a positive way.

I’m honored to have been asked to help pick-up at the Labor Day Rodeo. I hope I do a good job and can live in the moment. These kids are phenomenal. They come from everywhere and anywhere, and they try harder than most kids.

I wish them the best, at this rodeo, and for the rest of their lives.

The Dump

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POST CARDS FROM THE MUSE

The Dump 

By Nandy Ekle

 

“The most important things to remember about back story are that (a) everyone has a history and (b) most of it isn’t very interesting.”

― Stephen King, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft

One time I read a story with a very complicated plot. A lot of this plot depended on the 200-year family history. The author had an incredible tale, but I was never able to finish it because the first one hundred pages gave the whole history at once. It was a very convoluted history with lots of characters and lots of twists and turns.

This is called information dump. I asked the author about the reason for placing the backstory at the front of the book in one giant swallow and the answer was that it was critical to understanding the present day story. And this was, to some extent, true.

However, there are other ways to accomplish this. If you’ve ever read any Stephen King books, you’ve seen this done brilliantly.

One of his methods is with dialogue. Two who have not seen each other in a while will have a conversation bringing each other up to date on news from the past. This can also be used to drop clues as to the trickier parts of the story.

Another one of Mr. King’s methods is to start the story at a place in the backstory as if it’s happening at that moment. After the pertinent information is out, he flashes forward to the actual story.

Another interesting way to get the history out there for the reader is in dreams. This can be fund because dreams are symbolic and just about anything can be used to transfer the important history.

And, of course, there’s always flashbacks. But always remember, elephants are best eaten one bite at a time instead of all at once.

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

A Writer’s Thanksgiving

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Outtakes 175

A Writer’s Thanksgiving

By Cait Collins

 

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day. At noon I will sit down with my family and enjoy a turkey dinner and fellowship. I’m saddened that this holiday is downplayed. The day after Halloween, the Christmas ads and Christmas specials began. It was as if there was no holiday between Halloween and Christmas. But this day is special. It’s a time to remember all that I have to be thankful for and my writing talent is just one of them. I would like to share my blessings as a writer.

  • I can read and write. How many people around the world cannot enjoy opening a book and reading a story? How many are unable to writer their own name?
  • I had parents who encouraged me to read and write; who wanted me to get an education and use what I learned to better myself.
  • I have supported myself with my writing. My jobs have allowed me to write, to have my work aired in newscasts, commercials, and documentaries. My sales materials were published to ad agencies across the country, and my proposals resulted in ad sales. Now I write letters to clients explaining provisions of their contracts. I may not have a published novel, but I am published.
  • I am limited only by my own drive and imagination.
  • I can write what I want to write. Freedom of speech and expression is a keystone of our culture.
  • I had good teachers who never allowed me to get away with less than my best.
  • I have friends in the writing community who stand by me when the work is progressing well and encourage me when I’m blocked.
  • I have been fortunate to meet other writers who were willing to share their experiences and help me become a better writer.
  • I have the best critique group and circle of beta readers.
  • Researching and writing helps to keep my mind sharp. True, if I don’t put events on my calendar, I forget, but dates, places, and people are often etched in my memory.
  • I don’t reach retirement age as a writer until I have no more stories to tell.

Yes, this writer is thankful. We have been given the gift of informing, inspiring, and entertaining. And because of this gift, we all should have a list of writer’s blessings. Think about it and I’m sure you will agree.

Happy Thanksgiving.