Nocturnal Descriptions

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Nocturnal Descriptions

by Adam Huddleston

 

During a recent bout of insomnia, I lay in bed thinking of ideas for my blog. It finally occurred to me: A lot of writing is focused on describing what the characters see in the world around them, but what if we focused on the other senses that we use at night?

Try this experiment: Lay flat on your back in bed, the later the better. Very few bedrooms are in total darkness. What light is available? Where does it come from? Does it produce any oddly-shaped shadows in the room? Do you feel anything other than the bed-sheets (overhead fan, air-conditioning vent, etc.)? What do you hear (dog barking outside, significant other breathing next to you, refrigerator compressor, etc.)? Any smells (garbage from nearby kitchen trash can, vented air freshener, etc.)?

When your sight is diminished, your other senses can pick-up on lots of things you may not think about. Hopefully these will help you in honing your craft.

Happy writing!

 

Change

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Outtakes 203

Change

by Cait Collins

 

On July 4th, I watch the kids from church play on a waterslide set up in the church parking lot. They were having a great time together. No one pushed ahead of the others or pulled hair. They weren’t fighting. Everyone got along and had fun. Even the insertion of a neighborhood child, a stranger, didn’t make a difference. He was just another kid.

Over the years I’ve learned kids don’t start out hating other kids. Instead they learn to be suspicious, to be bullies, or to crave and demand attention. Sometime the changes are subtle; almost unnoticeable. But the changes begin to take over and Johnny moves from bitter comments to outright cruel barbs. Finally, Johnny and Billy are no longer friends; instead they are life-long enemies.

This type of situation is not the domain of children. Adults fall into the same trap. A careless word begins the suspicion, a forgotten appointment, a lie comes between friends. And a relationship is destroyed. The sources of the problem as well as the progression of the feud make good reading in the hands of a skilled writer.

So how do we go from “Mom, he’s hitting me” to “keep your hands off my girl or I’ll kill you?” The answer is simple. You do it one nuisance at a time. Don’t blurt out the issues. Instead, leave a cookie crumb trail of hints and let the tension build until the final confrontation that ends with irreversible consequences. And don’t leave the people in the combatants’ inner circles out of the mix. Whatever happens with the protagonist and the antagonist affects the people around them.

I prefer to take a minimalistic approach to conflict. I replace adverbs and adjectives with strong nouns and verbs. I let the setting and the dialogue tell the story. No matter which path a writer selects, the climax should be explosive figuratively and possibly literally.

9 Helpful Tips for writing:

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9 Helpful Tips for writing:

  • Avoid difficult words, which the reader might have difficulty in understanding
  • Avoid moralizing
  • Don’t force your point of view on the readers. In other words, let the characters say what you want to say
  • Don’t inform, show
  • Include the five senses (hear, smell, touch, see, speak) to rouse the reader’s emotions
  • Avoid unnecessary details
  • Be innovative
  • Use active tense, not passive
  • Read your text aloud and listen for jarring notes

Roryckeel.com

BEST of WWA CONFERENCE

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BEST of WWA CONFERENCE

By Natalie Bright

Western Writers of America held their annual convention in Lubbock. As a first-time attendee and new member, I was surprised to meet such a diverse group. Songwriters, poets, historians, museum archivists, writers of nonfiction and fiction, editors, agents, musicians, and newbies and veteran authors, all sharing a love for the people, history, and wide open spaces of the West.

Below is a list of quotes that resonated with me and will definitely have an impact on my writing:

  1. Don’t judge the 18th century people by 21st century standards. You’ll go crazy. Think about them as they were in their time period. ROD TIMANUS, author of numerous books about the Alamo.
  2. Deadlines are important. It’s not a figment of an editor’s imagination. JOHNNY D. BOGGS, author and editor, WWA’s RoundUp Magazine.
  3. The search within yourself is very important in your writing process. Search within your own soul. WIN BLEVINS, Owen Wister Award Winner.
  4. For years, these women assembled on this panel, have bounced around in a pickup in pockets of the country where at one time nothing seemed to grow but clouds.  They possess a special understanding of the important contributions women have made to ranching in the West. The notion that ranches were settled only by men is just not true. CHRIS ENSS, New York Time Bestselling Author, and moderator, Frontier Ranch Women panel.
  5. If you know enough to write an outline, you can write the story. Just write the story. KIRK ELLIS, Emmy and Spur award winning screenwriter.
  6. A set schedule works best for my writer’s brain. Same thing day-after-day-after day. ANNE HILLERMAN, winner of the Spur and Arizona Book Awards.
  7. Find the motivation of your character. Put yourself in your characters head. Their motivation may change from scene to scene. JOHNNY D. BOGGS
  8. When you collect local stories, care should be taken in what you can use and publish. Everyone has their version. GAIL JENNER, award winning author and cattle rancher.
  9. You’ve got the rest of your life to make the pages you wrote yesterday better. Stay on task and get the damn story done. WIN BLEVINS
  10. People are photogenic and “see” your characters. Don’t waste words on a lot of description. Leave it to the readers. DUSTY RICHARDS, Spur award winning author.

I am truly inspired and remain in awe of this gathering of so many truly gifted people. Next year’s meeting will be in Cheyenne, Wyoming. I can hardly wait!

Website www.westernwrigers.org

Follow them on twitter @Western_Writers

Happy writing and thanks for following WordsmithSix!

Nataliebright.com

 

Wedge of Writing

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Independence Day

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POST CARDS FROM THE MUSE

Independence Day

By Nandy Ekle

The anniversary of the day this country declared its independence from England. The birthday of the United States of America, if you will. And history certainly shows how that turned out.

So I will take this opportunity to declare my independence from the writer’s block that has been crushing me for a while. My fans are calling for me and my stories are weeping for attention.

*raises right hand* I declare this day that I have returned to my passion. Taryn will learn her lesson. Gary and Gooley will come to an understanding. Mara will discover her past. And Suzie Carver will pay the price to get exactly what she wants.

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

The Writing Space

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The Writing Space

by Adam Huddleston

 

Every writer who ever used pen and paper, a typewriter, or a computer, needed a space to write in. The locations are as varied as the individuals creating the work. This week, I would like to share with you my writing space and why it works for me.

The ideal locale to create in is one with little distraction. Generally speaking, the human mind can only concentrate sharply on one item at a time. I would like to say that my home is the quietest, most peaceful place in my life, but with four lovely, energetic children, it can be anything but. I mean, who can deny a beautiful one-year daughter when she crawls to you and stretches out her arms? Exactly.

So, I have found that the best space for me to write in is my computer station at work. As a pharmacist, I stand in front of a monitor all day. While there are ringing phones and medical questions to distract me (it is my job after all), I still find a few breaks in the action to get some writing work done. Maybe having my brain warmed-up helps with the creative process. I also find that interacting with the general public provides me with a plethora of character ideas.

My advice is to try writing in a few different places and see which locale works best for you.

Happy writing!

I Need a Librarian

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Outtakes 202

I Need a Librarian

by Cait Collins

 

I love books and I have a fair sized home library. I own everything from Peanuts to the classics; religion to Dummies books. I read reference books and romance; kids literature and true crime. I have out-of-print volumes and new releases. I have kept books autographed by writer friends who are no longer with us. Trouble is I have a horrible time keeping the shelves organized.

Every few months, I go through the shelves, pull out the items I will never reread, and box them up. Eventually, I’ll load the boxes into the car and donate them to the library. Then I rearrange the shelves, putting the non-fiction on one end and filling the empty spaces with favorite authors and fiction. Within a month it’s all out of order as I’ve added new volumes and misplaced others.

My friends and family suggest I get an e-reader or tablet for the books I will only read once. It’s a logical suggestion, but I prefer a real book. You know, bound volumes with pages I can turn. Besides I’m not comfortable reading a tablet while relaxing in a bubble bath.

I guess I have a couple of solutions. I can hire a part time librarian to shelve my books and keep the book cases organized. Or I can enjoy going through each shelf looking for that new release I have yet to read. My conclusion; there is something to be said for reacquainting yourself with your personal library.

BATTLING THE BEAST

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BATTLING THE BEAST

I gaze into the eyes of the beast searching to find its soul. I am caught in the childhood game of “the first one who blinks looses,” yet he shows no emotion, no rising of brow, no blinking or shedding of tears, just a long menacing stare.

The creature’s leering eye grows brighter with every passing moment, seemingly intent on seeing the space of my existence. My vision is full of his sight, yet I see nothing.

I study his unrelenting look, my mind searching the far corners and deep recesses, constantly swirling, struggling to find some strategy, or weapon or even one simple word that might defeat my enemy and win this mind-numbing battle.

The desire to close my eyes tugs at the lids. The moisture surrounding my orbs in their sockets has become dry and I struggle against the urge to rub them. The creature shows no signs of weakening and continues to counter every glance.

Without my consent, sudden darkness is all I see. I blink. I am immediately torn between two emotions. First, relief. Moist droplets flood my eyes like waters of the sea crashing onto the shore. The fetters that once restrained the rubbing of my eyelids have now been unfastened.

And second, In the darkness of my blink, dread fills my mind as I wait for the wrath of my opponent to be unleashed. Or perhaps he has already struck with such a swift penalty that I didn’t feel the pain. In the deafening silence I dare to open my eyes. To my surprise I find that it was not I who blinked first, but the computer screen upon which I placed these words.

Rory C. Keel

WHY WRITE?

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WHY WRITE?

By Natalie Bright

 

It’s a question I’ve asked myself a gazillion times. Would life be easier if we ignored the voices in our head? Or, maybe not. It’s a delightful dilemma, this world inside a writer’s head, and then I found this great quote on Pinterest:

“Why Write? Why should we all write?

This is what I recommend:

Purchase a small notebook. Post-its. Colorful pages. Plain paper. Hold a pen. Pick a word and see where that word takes you.

Because you store everything in your body: the gorgeous, the ugly, the painful, the ecstatic. It’s all there locked away in your cells where memory, tension and confusion remain day after day, waiting to be set free.

You don’t have to show it to an audience or your spouse or your children or even yourself again. But when it’s written down as a list, as a paragraph or poem or story, you can go to bed with a greater understanding of yourself, of the world, or even of both: yourself in this world.

And at the very least, you know all those things are out of your body. Writing is essentially becoming free. It all begins with a world.”

-VICTORIA ERICKSON