Tag Archives: Writing

How Did You Do It?

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css-inspiration-for-writers-2How Did You Do It? 

By Rory C. Keel

This is the number one question I’m asked when others learn that my story, The Challenge, was published in the recent edition of Chicken Soup for the Soul:Inspiration for Writers. 

There is no magic button

In trying to answer this question, I realized there is no one specific thing that will get a story published. There is no switch to flip or button to push that makes it happen, nor did I have an acquaintance or inside contact at Chicken Soup.

However, hard work along with a few of the following things can improve your chance of success.

Journal

To keep me from getting writer’s block, I have made it a practice to write in a journal everyday. I jot down simple things like a quote, a thought or a remembrance of something in the past. Many times I express an emotion and try to explain in words how I feel. The words in a journal don’t have to be profound, hilarious or novel worthy, but write something, anything.

Over time your journal becomes a vault of story materials.

Study the publication

I believe a crucial step in getting published in any market, is to know the market. If you desire to be published in Chicken Soup, read it, study the stories and notice how they are written.

Submit, Submit, Submit

Watch for story call outs. Many publications announce the type of stories they are seeking to publish. This is where the journal comes in handy. You may have story material already waiting to be expanded, worked or polished.

Early in my writing at a writer’s conference, I remember a publisher who said, “Ninety-five percent of those who want to be published begin writing, but only five percent finish and submit.”

Remember

Finally, sometimes it’s a matter of having good work at the right place at the right time.

roryckeel.com

Fixin’ to Act Ugly – Using Slang and Dialects in Stories

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 Fixin’ to Act Ugly

By Natalie Bright

 

Using Slang and Dialects in Stories

A visitor from Florida pointed out that everyone is “fixin’ to” do something or go somewhere. I’d never noticed that the term was used that often in the Texas Panhandle.  However, I am conscious of a Southern habit of using “ugly” as a verb. My mother always said, “We don’t say ugly things.” or “Stop acting ugly.” I cringed the first time I repeated those exact words to my sons.

As writers, the question is how much regional slang is too much in a novel? And if we use such terms, will our stories seem dated or be offensive to future generations? Granted there are many noteworthy books with regional dialects or patterns of speech to aide characterization. When it’s done well, it really enhances the tale. What about your work in progress? Will the words you write today stand the test of time?

The Wonders of Wilbur

In answer to this question, I consider the classics in children’s literature. The ever popular story about a pig named Wilbur in CHARLOTTE’S WEB by E. B. White was first published in 1952. In fact, the first paragraph is still used today for character development studies in writing courses.  And now with three films and a video game to it’s credit, the story continues to appeal to new generations of kids. School Library Journal named it as one of the “Top 100 Chapter Books” of all time in a 2012 poll. As an adult reader, I’m come to appreciate this book even more.

Consider the Classics

I’m reading my way through the Newberry Winners list and these stories are amazing. I recently finished the 1968 winner, FROM THE MIXED-UP FILES OF MRS. BASIL E. FRANKWEILER.  The thought of two kids running away from home and hiding in a museum still peaks the imagination, even in today’s world. I find myself going back to these classics to carefully study the dialogue, plot structure and characterization. What makes them so magical?

In mainstream fiction, dialogue referencing “calling a cell” or “tattooed hunk” makes me wonder if that is the best choice of words. And exclamations of “Jesus Christ” or “Oh, God” just makes me cringe.

What I ‘d like to do in this blog post is keep gushing over the amazing award winning books in children’s literature, but I’ll stop here and encourage you to discover the stories from your childhood.  Used book stores are filled to the rafters with such titles, and some of the older classics are FREE as eBooks. Even though kid lit may not be the genre you normally read, take a minute to ponder how a story about a pig and a spider continues to entertain readers after 60 years.

What are some of your favorite characterizations using patterns of speech with slang or specific dialects?

Happy spring and happy writing!

www.nataliebright.com

ECHT

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ECHT

Sharon Stevens

 

Today at our bookstore we had a gentleman visiting from Minnesota. His daughter had graduated from WTAMU on Saturday. He had been in several times in the past and bought books by local authors. As he was making his purchase he remarked that he and his daughter had discussed how genuine the people of the panhandle were, and how comfortable and welcoming we all were.

Genuine…what a wonderful word!  So descriptive, so simple, so eloquent, so meaningful. Very few words in the English language can fit this description.

I looked up all the dictionary words pertaining to genuine and found the definition wasn’t very old although I found the Hindu/Urdu/Sanskrit word “pukka” which first known use was in 1776. Bona fide and certifiable were the synonyms related. You can imagine which one of these words my husband connected to me. But that’s another story.

As writers we need to have genuine characters. No matter the genre we should be consistent with our thoughts. Even though they may stray into deep chasms of a dark direction they still need to be true to themselves. Serial killers, and psychopaths have a life, a story, a family. Their sick minds still envelope a beating heart. Christian and spiritual writers also need to follow a genuine path.

Please be genuine in your writing Give your characters life, but don’t betray their true philosophy. Their stories beg to be written, but with the truth they can believe in.

The dictionary definition of genuine is long and varied, and I quote…not spurious or counterfeit, authentic, real, free from hypocrisy or dishonesty, sincere, not pretending, possessing the claimed character, quality or origin, free from pretense, affectation, being of pure or original stock. Australia and New Zealand have another word for this, DINKUM, now that’s a word for you.

Dinkum…echt…genuine. We should never let our writing get lost as long as we follow the same path our characters would walk.

State of Being

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State of Being

 

The ‘state of being’ verbs. The ‘be’ verbs. Basic grade school grammar which you probably memorized to pass the test. For writers, they are murder on your story.

The ‘be’ verbs are passive. To fully engage the reader, your writing must be active.

One of the best tips I learned at a conference is to search and highlight was in your manuscript. It’s easy to use was, as you’re dashing through that difficult first draft. Go ahead. Put a was in there, however you must go back and replace as many of them as you can with active verbs. Ramp up the imagery and heighten the action by using active verbs. In grade school, my sons learned a list of spicy words. We should all write more vividly, and spicier.

Instead of: She was running.  Make a list of other words to replace the verb run, such as: amble, bound, canter, dart, dash, escape, gallop, jog, scamper, scuttle. Each active word gives you a little different visual as opposed to “run”.

How many spicy words can you think of to replace jump?

Learn the B verbs:

be, being, been, was, just, very, to be, had to

Over the next few posts I’ll be blogging about basic grammar and story craft.  Until next week…

Thanks for following us at Wordsmith Six!

nataliebright.com

SUITCASE

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SUITCASE

by Sharon Stevens

 In the movie, “Hope Springs” written by Vanessa Taylor, I was struck by the scene in the hotel room where Tommy Lee Jones and Meryl Streep were packing to come home from their marriage retreat led by Steve Carell. They were having a very heated exchange as they disagreed on the purpose for coming. In anger Meryl folded her clothes into the new suitcases she had bought specially for the occasion.

What touched me more than anything is that it seemed her clothes were swallowed by the darkness inside that could never be filled. No matter how many clothes she had brought with her they would hardly cover the bottom of the bag.

After they returned home, she and her husband had reached an impasse and she was packing to leave. This time though there wasn’t enough space in her suitcase for all her memories and treasured moments from the marriage. She sat down on her bed and looked around the room at family pictures, the walls, the curtains, the windows, the carpet, and her dresser filled with the silly odds and ends all mothers and wives savor. Her face was terribly sad as she realized the suitcase wouldn’t close,…couldn’t close, with all the things she wanted to tuck inside. How do you choose what you leave behind?

What a wonderful image to explain going from an exciting adventure all the way through to horrific pain and distress.

I loved this movie for so many different reasons. Of course my husband and I saw this from totally different perspectives. I know that even the most perfect marriages have baggage dragging them down.  But what I saw from my side of the bed was thoughts not only about discord in everyone’s life, but about the writer who wrote the story, and the screenwriter who transferred it to the screen. I wondered what they packed in their suitcase to help them write their saga.

I have so much trouble packing my bags for any journey because I know I can’t stuff everything I treasure for the trip. In fact there will never be enough bags in the world, or big enough to handle the volume. And the weight charge would be greater than the national debt.

In “Hope Springs” there were only seconds in these two scenes to impact my psyche to store away in my soul for future reference. Powerful thoughts to help remind me when I get stranded somewhere down the road. I have no idea where, or why, or when these will reconnect, but I am quite sure they will be seen again when I reach my destination. Then I can unzip the bags, empty them onto the bed, unfold my clothes, and then either wear them or put them away.

As writers we sometimes ponder the big picture when our focus should be on the simple scenes in our life. We have a duty to break it down in smaller bags. We can’t pack it all in and expect the reader or the viewer to comprehend our innermost thoughts. I admit I am the world’s worst in trying to stuff every moment inside hoping at least one idea will be understood. I have to work on that not only with everything I write, but everything I say and do.

Terrible habit I have. I’ll work on that.

The most important mission we have as writers is that we need to know when we pen those wonderful scenes straight from the heart that someone out there will be touched enough to remember and relate.

And also we need to be aware that we should weave a story worthy of someday being good enough for our work to appear on the big screen, our words spoken by the greatest Hollywood stars, with direction from A-list directors.

After all, who by far is better than a writer to understand the meaning behind one egg over easy at the beginning of the movie, and TWO eggs cooking in the skillet in the final thoughts?

As I am finishing this, the Mitt Romney and Barack Obama presidential debate is playing in the background. I wonder not only what they packed in their bags to prepare them for their thoughts, but what their wives packed as well. After all, it is the anniversary of Barack and Michelle Obama.

Success

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Success

By Rory C. Keel

I revisited an article on success written when I served as President of the Panhandle Professional Writers organization. It helps to keep me moving forward and successful in my writing.

President’s report by Rory Craig Keel 

“The word successful is an adjective that is defined as “accomplishing an aim or purpose.”

Some of us have been successful in our writing by simply starting the writing process, or by learning how to write better. Others have been successful in completing and having a piece of work published. Yet others were successful in marketing their completed and published works.

Being successful is not a static or finite level a person reaches, never to be pushed off as if they were playing King of the Hill, but it is a description of someone that continues to move forward in their goals.

January 2010 PPW Window, 

Here is my simple plan for success.

1. Today – Set an achievable goal and meet it.

2. Tomorrow – Set an achievable goal and meet it.

3. The day after tomorrow – Set an achievable goal and meet it.

When I set small goals and meet them, that’s success.

Don’t wait to be successful, do it today.

roryckeel.com 

Writing Cons: What to Expect

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Writing Cons: What to Expect

by Natalie Bright

 

Writing conferences are no doubt a huge commitment in money, not to mention the time away from family and home. I’ve often heard more than one writer say that their efforts can be better spent at their desk. No doubt about that. Who needs another distraction?

Yet every writers’ conference I’ve attended teaches me something new. And no matter how much I dread the packing and the traveling, or how many times I wonder what in the heck I was thinking, I always feel motivated and thankful after taking part in the event. For example, there’s the recent Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators spring conference, which I attended in Tulsa, Oklahoma several weeks ago. In case you’ve ever wondered what’s the take-away from a writing conference for children’s authors, I’ll review some of the topics covered.

Cheering on Your Cause

Regional Director, Anna Myers, welcomed the group by reminding us that we are all a group of believers: “believers in stories and believers in each other”. Sitting in a room of over one hundred creatives left little room for doubt that there was magic in the air. You can’t help but feel inspired.

Insight

The first presentation was by an Associate Art Director who gave an informative power point on the illustrating process. From selecting the artist, to initial sketches, decisions on word placement, and selection of the final cover based on multiple samples by an illustrator and narrowing down the final look with author input. The creative process is a mystery to most of us after it leaves the writers hands. The insight into this procedure was enthralling.

A typical editor’s day is always interesting, which was the topic of the next session. Writers tend to disappear into our world of every day life and our fictional stories, so its good to be reminded that there’s a whole world of business to this business. I realized that publishing takes a team of professionals who believe in the same vision. A writers’ manuscript is where it begins and a book, that everyone is proud of is, the end result.

Story Craft

The process of creating early chapter books was presented by a Scholastic editor.  This detailed review included the finer points of what makes early chapter books so appealing to beginning readers, and so difficult to craft for writers.

Picture books were the main focus of a talk by an editor with HarperCollins.  The differences between the specific genres in children’s literature always leaves me much to think about. It is a complex process as writers try to determine where to go with that spark. Picture book, or maybe an early chapter book, or can this manuscript be expanded into a middle reader?  The possibilities are endless, yet all are so very unique. There’s no one better to explain the differences than an acquiring editor.

Inspiration

A literary agent closed out the day by reminding us to keep going, chase our dreams, never give up. Despite the rejection and rewrites and the distractions of life, I was reminded that successful authors keep pushing themselves to write, to learn story craft.

In between sessions, I talked to other writers about finding agents, working with editors, and all things related to this crazy business. I heard about the struggles, the sparks, the successes, and I came away inspired to keep writing and to believe in a dream. I also came away with a ton of hope that these writers will keep going, because I can hardly wait to read their stories. So many great ideas in one place is contagious!

To find a group for children’s writers near you, check out the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators website at www.scbwi.org.

www.nataliebright.com

PUDDING

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PUDDING

By Sharon Stevens

My husband was preparing supper on the stove. He does it all the time and I, for one, am so very proud that he does. But this is not what my blog is about this week.

I decided that I wanted to have a little sweetness after the meal and found packages of JELLO pudding up in the cabinet. After choosing “cheesecake”, my favorite, and reading the directions I gathered everything together and began to mix. One problem became apparent though. The instructions said to mix for two minutes. Well my husband was at the stove and the timer was on the microwave aboveYou may think this was no big deal. “Tell him to punch in the time” you say. “Yea right”, I say. By the time he turned from the stove to ask how many minutes, and then by the time he turned back around to set the timer, and then by the time he asked me again, “how many minutes?” the whole shebang would be over. I know this from past experience. Of course there is no way you can ever ruin JELLO pudding. They give so much leeway when you purchase the product. The directions are just guidelines not set in stone. The company just wants you to mix until everything is mixed together and a little more.

You see I can’t even bake bread, or a decent cake, or brownies. Just because the recipe says to cook in a 350-degree oven for thirty minutes this doesn’t mean MY oven or MY temperature or even MY minutes. And when they say cook until the surface springs back, or that a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, well then Heaven help us! This just doesn’t apply to me.

So many times we have the same problem in our writing. How can we ever know it is done? We keep mixing and adding until the most basic recipe is lost in translation. Sometimes we step back to let it preheat or to stew just a little bit thinking this will fix it. Oftentimes the results are far worse. If I stirred the pudding mix for 1.35 minutes or 3.24 minutes I really don’t think it will ruin the final dish. What destroys the original is the distress we insert as we go. We may be mad or angry and our spoons become our weapon. We may be happy or sad and the same utensils we laid out in the very beginning become a symbol for our tears of joy or pain. Under mix or over mix, you just never know.

After we ate the “sloppy Joe’s” my husband made for supper, he dished himself up a bowl of desert. I didn’t tell him he was in the way so I couldn’t set the timer. I NEVER want to discourage his time at the stove. I hope when he tasted my contribution that he couldn’t tell that I didn’t mix it for the exact amount of time the instructions on the box called for.

My sweet husband told me he liked it and that’s all that matters.

Must be that the proof was in the pudding.

Find a Penny

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Find a Penny

By Rory C. Keel

Last week, in the parking lot of a local grocery store, I stood at my car door and looked down at the pavement. I noticed a tarnished penny and Abraham Lincoln staring at me. At that moment I had a decision to make, do I stoop over and pick it up?

What’s a Penny Worth?

There’s a lot of people that feel one red cent is not worth a plug nickel, and it must be true, I seem to find more pennies everyday.

I remember a time when gum-ball machines were a penny; today the cheapest gum machine is a quarter.

In the sixties I saved every cent. I didn’t think twice about picking one up then. I dug them out of the cracks in the sidewalk, street gutters and even work for what seemed like hours to get one out of the asphalt of a parking lot. After a thorough cleaning, I counted ten pennies and grouped them into ten stacks to make one dollar. I did this until I had accumulated three dollars, enough to purchase a new Banana seat for my bicycle.

I don’t know what the manager of the Wacker’s five and dime store thought about me that day, but he grinned and acted as if he appreciated that I came to his store when I poured all three hundred pennies onto the counter.

Pick It Up!

As I slid the key into my car door, I bent over and picked the penny up.

Now those in-the-know say that the exertion one expends to pick up a penny verses the return in earnings makes the effort futile. Basically, it’s not worth the time to pick up the coin. This thought ran through my mind until I remembered how much people pay to go to the gym and sit at a machine in order to exert energy and bend over. I got paid to exercise.

As is my habit, I looked at the date on this coin; it had the year 1977 inscribed to the right of Honest Abe. I dropped the copper into my pocket and my mind raced back to my Grandmother who died that year, high school, my brown 1973 Chevy Vega and my Oh-So-Hot girlfriend.

Picking up that tarnished penny dated 1977 was worth every CENT!

So where do YOU get stories?

Find a penny and pick it up…!

Motivation #4

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Motivation #4

By N. Bright

Story Beginnings

Glorious words and unique descriptions inspire me to work harder on my own stories. Next time you’re out enjoying a latte, wander into your favorite section of the bookstore and read the first two paragraphs only of randomly selected novels. Great story beginnings can be very inspirational. If you come across a few that blow you away, jot one or two first sentences down in your idea notebook (You do have pen and paper in your pocket or purse, right? I use the notepad on my iPhone a lot too.)

Finding Inspiration in Beginnings

Since I write for children, here are a few of my favorite beginnings in books for kids.

humor (+ element of sound effects)

“On the morning of the best day of her life, Maud Flynn was locked in the outhouse, singing “The Battle Hymn of the Republic.”

A Drowned Maiden’s Hair by Laura Amy Schlitz

interesting fact

“The road that led to Treegap had been trod out long before by a herd of cows who were, to say the least, relaxed. It wandered along in curves and easy angles, swayed off and up in a pleasant tangent to the top of a small hill, ambled down again, between fringes of bee-hung clover, and then cut sidewise across a meadow.”

Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt

surprise

“Princess Quinn of the underground Kingdom of Mandria steadied herself as she balanced upon a footstool in the circle of light directly below the wishing pool.”

Princess Nevermore by Dian Curtis Regan

“Phut Phat knew, at an early age, that humans were an inferior breed. They were unable to see in the dark. They ate and drank unthinkable concoctions.”

Phut Phat Concentrates by Lilian Jackson Braun

unusual idea

“In the city of Ember, the sky was always dark. The only light came from great flood lamps mounted on the buildings and at the tops of poles in the middle of the square.”

The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau

personal vignette

“Gramps says that I am a country girl at heart, and that is true.”

Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech

in the middle of things

“Where’s Papa going with that ax?” said Fern to her mother as they were setting the table for breakfast.” (+ element of dialogue)

Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White

What motives you to keep writing and submitting, despite the rejection and bad reviews? We’d love to hear from you, too.

Thanks for joining us at WordsmithSix!

www.nataliebright.com