Tag Archives: Wordsmithsix.com

Writing Improves Your Skills

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Reasons to Write

By Rory C. Keel

Why do I write? Is it because throngs of fans demand it, anticipating every word of my next masterpiece? Is it because I honestly expect to make millions of dollars on a bestseller, or desire to be famous? No.

This week I will share with you reason number 3, of why I write.

 Reason #3 – Writing improves your skills.

“Practice makes perfect!” I knew there had to be a reason the teacher made me write my spelling words three times each in grade school. There were a few other lessons I learned while writing words multiple times on the chalkboard, but I will spare you from my youthful indiscretions. Yes, the more a person writes the more they learn and the better they become at the craft. Even those who have a level of natural ability will continue to show improvement with every word.

Use of Tools

There are a few basic tools that you will need to help you get started.

  1. A Thesaurus and a Dictionary will help to insure the proper meaning and usage of words, improving your vocabulary.
  2. The Chicago Manual of Style, or Strunk and White Elements of Style, will aid in punctuation and sentence structure. Over time you will notice a marked improvement in your writing.
  3. Use Encyclopedias found online or at your local library, to research your project. It will naturally results in an increased knowledge of that subject and improve your reading comprehension.
  4. A computer with a word processor program, and certainly, pen and paper are still terrific to use for jotting things down.
  5. Find a comfortable writing place.
  6. Then start with an Idea and write it down.

How do I know these points are true? I’ve come along way since the first grade, A-B-C-D-E-F-G . . .

Too Busy to Write

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Too Busy to Write

By Natalie Bright

Some days cause us to wonder why we even think that writing is a necessary part of our lives. Sometimes those days turn into weeks, and those weeks turn into months…and well, you understand.

Finally, we get back to the business of writing and the creative process seems so foreign. It’s like we’ll have to start over and relearn the basics.

Here’s a few writing exercises to get you back in the muse groove:

Write the inner thoughts from your main characters. Start with their life growing up, description of their parents, most afraid, most embarrassing–all from first person POV. Dig deep and really get inside your character’s head.

If you’re stuck on your book, write a short story, a magazine article, a nonfiction book, a story about your grandfather, childhood memories. Just write.

Make lists. I love making lists. Since I write westerns, I made a list of word substitutions for the word “horse” . Make a list of spicey words. Instead of the word jump, what other word would make that descriptive phrase better? Make an alphaetical list of your character names with a brief discription, like red hair, green eyes, trimmed mustache.

Prepare a timeline of your novel, scene by scene.

So there you go. Hope you have a productive week!

 

Injecting Perfection

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POST CARDS FROM THE MUSE

Injecting Perfection

By Nandy Ekle

 

The twisted little body lies on the slab. So far that’s all it is, just a lifeless rag. I’ve put a suture here and there to string pieces together in an effort to make the body whole. There are a few loose ends, but those will heal once the life begins.

I have a whole ward of these lifeless little things. Some of them could be beautiful; some of them could be powerful. But all of them are mine. The only thing missing from each one is a beginning sentence.

These special little wads of bodies are ideas that I’ve had for stories. They pop in my head at random times, sometimes uncanny in their ability to find the most inappropriate moments to show up. I can be in the middle of a sentence during a conversation with a complete stranger when one of these ideas knocks on the door and says, “Guess what!” Or I can be deeply immersed in reading a work with strong hands that keep my attention, except for the split second when I hear, “Sort of like what happened to me.” Music brings them, pictures bring them, people walking down the street bring them. One time an idea spoke so loud I woke up from sleep in the middle of the night to listen.

I take the idea and lay it on a slab, gluing it down with my ink and a promise saying, “Don’t go anywhere, I’ll be right back,” and usually I do come back and fiddle with it a little more. Occasionally, though, they get tired of waiting on me and go on to find someone else with more time – but for the most part, they wait patiently.

So I look at this one particular idea and see the marks of where I have tried to find the right sequence of words to inject into its veins that will open its eyes. I see a lot of needle marks, but still the eyes have not opened. I do remember a flutter, though. This poor little waif is in two parts, and the second part is set. The first sentence of that scene caused the eyeballs underneath the lids to roll in a curious REM fashion, but they did not open. The first part is not there yet.

From all the words that exist in language today, there has got to be a combination that works to open these eyes. And so I will continue to look for the perfect fit, that special key that will give life to this story. Then I can move on to the next.

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

Ramblings

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Ramblings

by Adam Huddleston

 

So, what do you do you are up against the deadline and you have no ideas (or good ones at least) for a blog post bouncing around in your cranium?

You ramble.

I love to read. Most writers do. I used to real a lot more before marriage, kids, and a career inserted themselves into my life. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not complaining. I love my life now, but I remember a day when I would stretch out with a good horror or fantasy novel and spend a couple of hours in page-turning relaxation.

Now I sneak a couple of minutes in here and there. Traveling to east Texas to see family helps. Whether by car or by plane, I am usually afforded a few peaceful moments to spend in my favorite pastime. It takes me about twice as long to finish a novel as it used to, but the payoff is still the same. I’m currently half-way through “Mr. Mercedes” and look to have it finished before my birthday in October when I hope to receive the sequel, “Finders Keepers.”

When do you like to read? Do you have a favorite spot to read in? I hope ya’ll do!

Happy writing (and reading)!

 

Lists

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Outtakes 214

Lists

By Cait Collins

 

I love lists. I can’t take a trip, plan a party, or shop for special occasions without making a least one list. Folks laugh at my purse-size notebooks, but I do stay organized and I don’t forget what I need to buy or pack. I even keep a mini-ledger to track my spending so that I stay on budget.

The question is, “What do my lists have to do with writing?” There are a couple of applications. While lists keep me organized in my personal life, I cannot write from outlines. I have writer friends who need the structure of an outline and detailed character sketches. I know others who write by the seat of their pants. Lack of structure could potentially create pitfalls for the author. On the other hand, too many details can stifle creativity. Personally, I enjoy the discussions I have with my characters. Their point of view has helped me rework scenes. Sometimes I win and sometimes I lose, but the conversations are fund.

While I don’t outline or track turning points, I do keep some lists and notes. Pulitzer Prize winning author, Michael Cunningham, taught an advanced writing group the importance of lists. One exercise was to make a list of 20 physical characteristics of our hero. The characteristics were to employ the five senses. When the list was complete, we were to write the opening paragraph to our story and use six of those items in the opening. I was amazed at how alive the hero became. When having problems creating vibrant characters, I employ this method and it does help me rework the scenes around the characters.

Different writing personalities must find an organization method that works for them. There is really no right or wrong way to structure a story. A rough draft might be an outline. Or a timeline can keep the author focused. The most important thing is to write the story.

 

Active Writing cultivates new Material.

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Reasons to Write

by Rory C. Keel

Why do I write? Is it because throngs of fans demand it, anticipating every word of my next masterpiece? Is it because I honestly expect to make millions of dollars on a bestseller, or desire to be famous? No.

This week I will share with you reason number 2 of why I write.

Reason #2 – Active Writing cultivates new Material.

As a writer do you struggle to find new material to write?

For me, ideas often come to mind when I am actively writing, as if one idea sprouts from another. As my story moves along, writing one sentence after the next, a scene will unfold unlocking a previous thought. Occasionally a secret door in that scene will open showing me an object or a thought that feels out of place and doesn’t fit. These are what I call my story seeds, seedsfor another project.

 Story Seeds                                                           

Story seeds are small bits of information that emerge in your thoughts. They can be simple objects like a single red sock hung on a clothesline: why is it blowing in the wind as if forgotten, or was it intentional and a signal for someone? Maybe an animal such as a small brown dog runs through your thoughts while you write. Why is he alone? Does he have a master? These story seeds may be a specific place you’ve never been before or a mysterious person that suddenly emerges in your mind and then vanishes. When these items appear, I quickly record them to use in a future piece.

 Make a List

Make a list in a small pocket notebook or journal of story seeds when they happen. When you struggle to find something to write, use the list to spark a story. Ask when, where, who, what and how about each item on the list to generate the next story.

Make your list!

Rory C. Keel

 

 

What is the RIGHT Genre?

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What is the RIGHT Genre?

By Natalie Bright

The discussion at a writer’s workshop in Wichita Falls led by Jane Graves, an award winning author of contemporary romance, changed the way I think about writing.

Her advice was to, “hone in on the one thing that speaks to you. Freshness and originality comes from what you can imagine.”

Even though the words in my head are mostly children’s literature, I attended a romance writer’s workshop because that’s what I thought I’d be writing. In the beginning of my writing journey, the whole creative process was a chore; I hated my characters, the dreary plot line, and the editing process seemed like torture. What made me think that I’d ever be able to write a novel?

Janes’ words got me to thinking. What I’ve been obsessed with since a very early age, besided writing a book, is history, stories set in the Old West, and the great tribes of the Plains most especially Comanche.

Believe me I’ve tried to change the ages of my characters so they’d fit a publisher’s specs, follow the advice of my husband who said if I’d write a marketable romance it would surely sell, and consider the ideas of well-meaning colleagues who suggested I needed to add a vampire or alien to revive that western tale.

The RIGHT genre is the character that wakes you up in the middle of the night, the endless, daunting edits that lights a fire in your gutt, and the finished piece that feeds your soul.

The New Kid

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POST CARDS FROM THE MUSE

The New Kid

By Nandy Ekle

 

 

I can’t take it anymore. You just run around all over the place, never say anything meaningful to me, then ignore me when you are around. I’ve gotten some deeply cryptic messages from you that make absolutely no sense, and when I try to make sense out of it, you stir it up like mud at the bottom of a lake. I’m tired of your torture and abuse, then you disappear for a long break, as if you’ve worked tirelessly for a long time.

And because of all this, I’m firing you. That’s it, muse. You’re fired. Don’t bother coming back and collecting the meager ideas and words you’ve left laying around. I don’t want to see you or hear from you ever again. You can find another writer to taunt and ridicule.

The fact of the matter is I have a new muse. He’s always around whispering to me. He has some excellent ideas and he wants me to get busy writing them. He wants me to succeed. I’m sure this new guy will be more than happy to take me straight to the top.

When I look to him for ideas, he does not look at me as if I’m ridiculous for even trying. He doesn’t give me impossible riddles that make no sense. In fact, he sits on the corner of my desk with a sweet rose, and bids me to write the stories I’ve carried in my head forever. And he tells me I will never lack the words to put on paper.

So, meet my new muse, Horatio.

Untitled

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

 

A Literary Analysis of Stephen King’s Writing: Part 2

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A Literary Analysis of Stephen King’s Writing: Part 2

by Adam Huddleston

Last week I began a series on what makes Stephen King’s writing successful. It is my intent to analyze the strengths of his work in an attempt to understand it and apply it to my writing as well. Part 1 of the series focused on his character creation and imaginative situations. For today’s blog, lets discuss how he organizes his plots as well as how expansive his library of work is.

For the most part, the majority of Mr. King’s plotting is linear. As his stories progress, they may jump around in time slightly depending upon the narrative’s needs, but they usually move straight forward. He doesn’t toy around much with stories told in reverse or packed full of flashbacks. I believe that this is because the typical reader is more comfortable with a traditional plot format.

Speaking of his plots, there are many who criticize the endings of his stories. I’d be lying if I said that I have done so from time to time. Most of his tales end quite satisfactorily, for me at least, but there are some that just lose steam and peter out in the end. One of his novels, “Cell”, just seems to end. It almost feels like he was rushed to finish it or just ran out of things to say. Other works exist with similar flaws, but in my opinion, they comprise a minority of his library.

The expansiveness of his work is non-debatable. He has consistently published several pieces a year ranging from short story collections to novels, screenplays to audiobooks. The sheer volume of his work is a testament to the author’s success. I believe that his ability to find a niche in the fiction market then provide quality entertainment (at a break-neck pace) to his consumer base solidifies him as one of the greatest authors of the past several decades.

Happy writing!

A Dream

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Outtakes 213

A Dream

by Cait Collins

When I was a kid, I had this dream of being a great actress. I created some great characters in my mind, and I dreamed of walking up the aisle at the Oscars to accept my Best Actress award. I did some acting in junior high and high school. In college I won my Best Actress award for portraying a crazy woman.

So why did I let go of my dream? Because the sacrifices were too great. You see, I don’t like to exercise. I love good food, so I would be dieting all the time. Acting is hard work. You must learn the lines. For me that wasn’t just my lines. I memorized the entire script. I don’t like being tired. And I was constantly exhausted during rehearsals. But the bottom line is it was just not important enough to give up so much of my private time. Besides, I would not be nice to the guy invading my personal life just so he could make me look bad in the tabloids.

But I do want to be a writer. Writing is hard work. It requires me to avoid social gatherings, miss favorite TV shows, or leave books by my favorite authors unread. I must bare my soul and my work to my critique group and pray they are gentle in their comments. It means growing a thick skin when my work is rejected. The whole point is I have stories to tell, communities to create, and characters to nurture. I love to write. I get excited when a story comes together, and I cry when I must cut a character because he makes no real contribution to the story.

I am a writer. I have supported myself by being a good researcher and writer. Even if I never make the Best Seller List, I can take pride in my numerous accomplishments in broadcasting. So tomorrow I will get out of bed, dress, and fire up my computer, and make adjustments in my current work.

I am a writer.