Chasing the Creative Impossible

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Chasing the Creative Impossible

by Natalie Bright

www.nataliebright.com

Time.

The elusive part of our lives that all creatives tend to never have enough of, whether you’re firing ceramics, designing jewelry, painting with oils, gluing scrapbook pages or crafting stories with words. There comes a time when chasing your passion is like taking a slow, tortuous swim in a deep, murky pool of self-guilt. The reality is that most of us won’t realize world notoriety.

People Who Inspire You

I just returned from a writing conference where, of course, the topic of making time to write was discussed. Everyone struggles to follow their passion. Spending time with imaginative people helps me bring my ambition into focus. It makes my goals list seem more realistic and achievable, because I meet others who have accomplished what I dream about. Feeling exhausted, rejuvenated, and itching to apply what I’d learned to my waiting manuscript, the drive home took forever. I couldn’t wait to get my fingers on the keyboard again.

What Creative People Do

This weekend at the Enid Writers Group in Oklahoma, Spur Award winning author, Dusty Richards said, “Things will be tough in your life, but when you get to the other side, you still gotta write that book, or do whatever it is that drives you. Just do it.”

Something from Nothing

I think this applies to anyone who chases that elusive need to bring into being what they alone can visualize. People who are driven by an unseen creative muse can’t explain the why. At some point, it’s time to stop providing the excuses, the clarification, or the justification to others. At some point, all that’s left is the doing.

Dig deeper, keep going, just keep writing.

Note: Dusty Richards is author of over 100 books and countless short stories, and currently serves as President of the Western Writers of America. His Brynes Family Ranch Western series is a fan favorite, published by Pinnacle Books. www.dustyrichards.com

Left and Right

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POST CARDS FROM THE MUSE

Left and Right

By Nandy Ekle

The brain is a whole entire organ. Or is it?

The medical books tells us our brains are actually made up of two hemispheres connected by the corpus callosum. The left hemisphere controls our logic and analytical skills. The right hemisphere, according to experts, is the home of our creativity and imaginations. The corpus callosum enables communication between the two sides.

Sorry. I didn’t mean to give an anatomy lesson.

In the past couple of decades, this has been a hot topic for doctors, nurses, psychologists, educators, even artists. And writing, my friends, is art.

So, the point of all this. When we’re working, as in a day job that pays our bills, we mostly want our “left brains” to be the active side. We might need complete silence in order to keep the right side sleeping, or we might need music playing to distract the right so the left can work. (I actually have a funny story about how my right kept my left from doing what it does . . .)

When we sit at the desk in front of the computer, that’s the time to open the door and let          Mr./Ms. Right out to play. The hard part is getting Dr. Left to go behind that door.

So, my dear readers, your assignment. Write in the comments below the ways you deal with the two sides of your brain to accomplish whatever task you have.

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

Planning for the Future

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Outtakes 139

 

Planning for the Future

By Cait Collins

I’m a procrastinator to a certain extent. I find the things I don’t really enjoy are put off to the last minute. Unless unforeseen circumstances arise, I don’t miss deadlines nor am I late for appointments. But I’m learning there are some things that cannot be put dismissed. A writer should not avoid building his fan base.

It’s easy to think we have time to work on marketing ourselves. After all, the novel isn’t ready to publish. The magazine article hasn’t been sold. The research has hit a snag. So what if the work isn’t up for publication in the next few months. It’s never too soon to begin marketing and promoting your writing. You don’t have to break out the champagne or throw a catered party.  Start small, but remember to invest in a few essentials.

Business cards.  There are some really good computer programs that will help you design your cards, and good card stock for every printer type can be found at your local office supply store. Online services like VistaPrint offer a variety of designs at reasonable prices.

Promotional items.  Stationary stores, printing companies and office supply stores have printing services for post cards, stationery, and bookmarks. Imprinted pens, pencils, andnote pads are available through on-line services or local promotional ad sales

Handouts.  Copies of your magazine articles, book synopsis, and training materials are great to have for presentations.

On-line presence.  Create a website, start a blog, have a Facebook account. Remember social media sites, websites and blogs must be updated. Don’t load yourself down with so many online commitmenst you don’t have time to write.

Become a speaker. Prepare and present programs for schools, civic organizations, and writers groups.

Whatever you do, do not wait until three weeks before your work is published to try and establish a fan base. By starting your marketing plan at the beginning of your career, you will develop a list of contacts and fans who are already sold on you. They will be the first in line to buy that new book or attend a screening of your movie. They will promote your works and bring in potential fans. And a good writer always welcomes more fans.

Go West Young Man, Go West!

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Go West Young Man, Go West!

By Rory C. Keel

“Not a hard man to track. Leaves dead men where ever he goes.” – Outlaw Josey Wales

The Western genre is defined by a specific time and place. Most are set west of the Missouri River from Mexico to the south and as far as Alaska to the north. The stories flourish with greenhorns, gringos and cattle driving cowboys. Usually set between about 1800 and 1890, the rugged hero or heroine always endures through any adversity.

Some of the most popular authors include Louis L’Amour, Zane Grey, and Elmer Kelton.

 Western Subgenres include:

Black Cowboy (buffalo soldier) and Civil War westerns.  Bounty Hunter stories of men chasing outlaws, and Cattle Drive westerns which are set during a frontier cattle drive, such as Larry McMurtry’s novel Lonesome Dove.

Cowpunk, these tales depict all sorts of bizarre happenings on the remote frontier with slight sci-fi slant. Eurowestern, Gunfighter, Indian wars such as James Fenimore Cooper’s 1826 novel The Last of the Mohicans.

Land Rush stories usually focus on the Oklahoma land rush. Lawmen (Texas Rangers) are about the honest lawmen who brought order and justice to the wild frontier. Mexican wars (Texan independence), Outlaw westerns, and yes, most of them wear black hats.

Railroad stories connect the east with the west and Range wars are stories where ranchers are pitted against the farmer. Romance is an overlapping subgenre, which features romance relationships in a ‘western’ novel. An excellent example of romance western is the anthology Give me a Texas Ranger by Jodi Thomas, Linda Broday, Phyliss Miranda and DeWanna Pace.

Wagon Train westerns tell the historical stories of the pioneers’ struggles on their transcontinental journey on the Oregon Trail.

Just remember “Every gun makes its own tune.” – The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

Rory C. Keel

A Second

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A Second

By Nandy Ekle

First writing assignment in the new prompt book I bought asks, “What can happen in a second?”

Capturing a second takes a camera. Snap the picture and you’ve caught that moment forever.

So what is in your photograph? You might have a brand new baby in the middle of a sweet little yawn. You might have a dog jumping high in the air as he catches a flying frisbee. You might have a picture of a mountain, but the top of the mountain is covered by a layer of clouds and the bottom is hidden behind a different cloud layer. You could even have a simple bowl of fruit, nothing more, until you look closer and find that one of the apples has the shape of a small mouth bitten into it.

The point of the exercise is to find that one picture that opens up a world of words in your head. The baby yawning could be the story of conquering love. The dog catching the frisbee might be a story of victory. Maybe the partial mountain is a character who appears average on the surface, but becomes something truly majestic when the curtains roll back. And the bowl of fruit? Is there a mystery taking place there?

So, leave me a comment and tell me what you see in a second.

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

I’d Vote for That

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Outtakes 137

 

I’d Vote for That

By Cait Collins

I do not consider it professional to use my social media sites or this blog to express my political views. Politics, in my experience, is an in-your-face dirty business. That said politicians, their missteps, and political events are perfect fodder for writers. Likewise, current events and the news makers work extremely well into our stories.

The LAW and ORDER franchises capitalized on major news and political events. However, the producers were careful to create characters that resembled the newsmakers but were different enough to be fictional. Video and audio disclaimers let viewers know the characters and events were make-believe. Yet the writers skillfully developed the episodes around reality. The audience was forced to examine their own beliefs and morals and decide the guilt or innocence based on the evidence and the law.

Tom Clancy was the master of the techno thriller with The Hunt for Red October, Patriot Games, and Clear and Present Danger.  Barry Eisler created political assassin John Rain. While one would think Rain would be a detestable character, he could be very likable. Unless, that is, you happen to be the bad guy. We can even go back to ancient times for heroes like Julius Caesar, the 300 Spartans, and Alexander the Great.

The use of the news and politics is not limited to drama. Saturday Night Live, The Cobert Report, and the late night talk shows are geniuses at satire. The point is, no matter how much we rave at the news and our politicians, we still buy the books and tune into TV and the movies. A smart writer will pay attention to the major news stations. We need our current events fixes to create characters and situations. We also need to stand in line with the voters on Election Day. Talk about characters! A writer might get some of his best lines by listening to voters as they wait to cast their ballots.

Whodunit?

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Whodunit?

www.roryckeel.com

The scene, a story with a murder in the first chapter and a trail of vague clues scattered like glass from a shattered vase dropped on a cement floor. It’s a Mystery, the genre where no one knows who did it.

Your assignment is to read along with the protagonist through the complex descriptions and help solve the puzzle. As you unravel the case step by step, you will need to avoid multiple misdirections to succeed and reveal the truth.

This genre is full of detectives both highly intelligent, or those who seem to be bumbling idiots. Amateur investigators who stumble onto the clues and those who are highly experienced and always get their man.

Rory C. Keel

The Art of Friendly; Texas Style

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The Art of Friendly; Texas Style

How traditions can become awkward situations for your character.

By Natalie Bright

As a writer, everything I hear can become a spark in my mind for words on paper. An interesting resource has become people’s comments on current events. It’s fascinating to me how people are so very diverse and will interpret the same situation in so many unique ways, which brings me to the point of this blog.

A post on Facebook has stayed in my head these past several weeks. The blogger said,  “Manners and caring are so rare these days that acts of kindness are misunderstood and considered sexual advance in today’s world.”

Do you think that rings true?

Acts of Kindness

A car bumped me this past week in line at Taco Bell.  I got out of my vehicle to check the damage, which wasn’t anything that I could see. The driver of the other car refused to get out. She gripped her steering wheel with both hands and with a half smile, just starred. She could have at least rolled down her window to say, “Sorry, is everything okay?” I wish I had thought to take pictures of my bumper and of her with my iPhone. That might have generated some kind of reaction.

I have to admit that I’ve been the recipient of strange looks sometimes just for saying “Hello, how are you?” I can see it in the store clerks eyes; Beware, Crazy lady approaching. When did a common greeting and kindness become a reason for distrust? And why are people so scarred of engaging others in conversation? Maybe the statement made on Facebook does ring true in today’s world.

Chit-Chat and Hugging

Here in the Texas Panhandle, for the most part, manners and kindness still rule. Men really do hold doors open for ladies. Most of us chit-chat. A lot. We visit with each other while waiting in line at the grocery store. We visit about the weather in passing at the post office and chat to our waitress at lunch.

And we invade each others space. We hug hello, we hug goodbye, we hug not only relatives and close friends, in addition many of the people we have a working relationship with. Yeah, I know that sounds very awkward, but it’s really not, if you grew up that way. The hug I miss the most is a giant-all encircling hug that came from my Grandmother Williams. She really enjoyed talking to people and always welcomed everyone she knew with a sincere hug of warmth and love.

Hugging and chit chat: regional practices that can have the potential of creating huge conflict for your characters, and not just external. Consider the battles going on inside your character as well.

The What If of a Hug

Utilize the simple act of hugging to create conflict and awkwardness for your characters. It’s only one element of your story, but it can offer readers a glimpse into your characters personality. Here are a few story starters for you.

  1. What if a simple act of kindness is considered to be a sexual advance? How can your character explain his/her action and keep their job?
  2. An affectionate, life-loving southern woman dates a man who likes his space. Does her hugging and friendships with everyone in town create jealousy issues between them? How can he ever trust her? How can their relationship survive?
  3. She’s raised by a cold-distant mother, hard-working, absent father, and is sent to spend the summer with affectionate grandparents and a passel of cousins in small-town Texas.  She misinterprets a hug hello from the neighbor’s boy resulting in a first crush. How does that create conflict for them?
  4. What about the character that is accused of being extremely rude, but in her world she’s just extremely shy, detached and scarred of people?

It all starts with a hug. Happy writing!

Writing Prompts

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Writing Prompts

By Nandy Ekle

Sometimes it doesn’t matter how big our imaginations are. It doesn’t matter how much rest we get or how much time we have to spend. Sometimes we can sit in front of the TV listening to our most mysterious songs with hundreds of interesting photographs spread out in front of us while channeling Shakespeare, and still no ideas come to us. Sometimes we write the same paragraph a hundred times a delete it a hundred and one times and still . . . nothing.

When this happens, we might need a writing prompt or story generator. And there are many out there.

If you google “writing prompt,” the first few pages that come up are for elementary student and teachers. These can work for you, but if you want something more grown up, keep going.

There are different formats for these prompters/generators. I’ve seen some that just blatantly say, “WRITE THIS.” And sometimes we might need that level of command.

I’ve also seen some that are like slot machines. They have several wheels with different story elements. You give them a spin and they put together all kinds of story elements in random order. It’s your job to make something sensible out of it. These can be fun for their silly factor alone.

Then there are what I call the “What if” generators. These are the ones that say things like “What if your life was a mystery novel?” Then it sets a few ground rules such as, “You’re not a detective, but clues about the murderer keep falling at your feet.” These types of generators can be lots of fun because of the possibilities.

There’s another type of prompter I really like and it’s what I call the pressurizer. You’re given some random words to use, or a subject or scene. Then they give either give you a time limit, as in minutes, or an impossible word limit. The reason I like this type of generator is that some of my best stories have come from this kind of writing.

So don’t be afraid to google writing prompts. I’ve heard it said that you give five writers the same assignment, same subject, same scenario, even the same characters, and you get a hundred different stories.

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

By Way to Go

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Outtakes 136

 

By Way to Go

Cait Collins

I must take a minute to brag about a member of Wordsmith Six, Joe Nichols. Joe has just completed the first draft of his first novel TRAILS END. That’s a real accomplishment. So many beginning writers get discouraged and never finish their projects. But Joe stuck with it and we were privileged to hear the final chapters at out last critique meeting.

I’m truly proud of his work. From the beginning we all recognized Joe’s unique voice. I am convinced I could read his work and know he authored it without seeing a title page or book cover. That in itself is a selling point. But this guy is a natural with dialogue. I love reading his dialogue. It’s so true and right to the times.

I think I’m most impressed with his desire to learn the craft of writing. He’d come to meeting after meeting and accept our critiques. The next meeting we could see how he had applied our suggestions to the next chapters. He improved with every reading, and he began to apply what he learned to critiquing our readings. His insight and suggestions were valid and helpful.

Joe now begins the rewrite of the novel. I look forward to reading the updated version. I believe it will be wonderful. So congratulations, Joe. You hit the first milestone. I look forward to much more from you.