With Halloween days away, I’ve been thinking about how writers wear many hats. As children, Halloween is an excuse to slip into another skin. If you dream of being a firefighter, it’s perfectly acceptable to portray yourself as one. Likewise, if you have an obsession with Freddy Krueger, no one will bat an eye if you don a fedora and strap on some wicked fingernails. Costuming How does this apply to writers? Well, unless you are a memoirist or nonfiction writer, you make stuff up. You create firefighters or Kruegeresque characters with nothing more than a vivid imagination and a keyboard. Feel like writing a character who works at a…
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How do You Name Your Character?
I like my character’s name to be compatible with the time period. For instance, if my female character was born in the 1920s I’m inclined pick the name Evelyn or Doris. But if my female character was born in the 2010’s I’m more likely to pick Emily or Madison. So how do I select a time-appropriate name? Historically Accurate When writing in a different time period, my go-to website is SSA. The social security administration has compiled the 200 most common names for girls and boys from each decade starting in the 1880s. Generally speaking, when choosing a character’s name, I pick a number before I pull up the list…
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Plot and Story
Plot and story: Plot is what happens. Story is how plot causes a character to change. Effective writing needs both. Back to School Assignment Every September of my school life, the first writing assignment was some variation of What I did over summer vacation. In retrospect I pity my teachers who were forced to wade through boring itineraries. I took swimming lessons. My sister and I played in the sprinklers with the neighbor kids. Our family vacation was driving to Aunt Wally’s and Uncle Pete’s. We swam in their pool with my cousins. It was fun. Bo-oring. That was merely a disjointed listing of events. If my summer vacation…
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Whose Story?
Recently a friend and I met for lunch. The conversation drifted to our childhoods. She shared that her daddy died when she was seven. I asked a few questions and the conversation moved on to other subjects. One detail stayed with me, though. His hands were scrubbed clean. She insisted they weren’t her daddy’s hands at all. Visual Inspiration That powerful image of a seven-year-old staring at her daddy’s hands in the hospital stuck with me. I slipped into the mind of a seven-year-old and committed the story to paper. But was it my story to tell? Elizabeth Gilbert writes in Big Magic that stories live in the ether, waiting…
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Language of experience
Every once in a while, you come across a line so powerful it smacks you in the face. In the craft book, Wired for Story, the author Lisa Cron writes “Story is the language of experience.” Take a moment to absorb that. Good writing compels the reader to see, hear, taste, smell, and feel what the character does. In other words, the reader lives the words on the page. Limits Capturing the fictional character’s experience in words allows the reader to inhabit that character. Even readers limited by age, ability, and income can fall passionately in love, conquer mountain summits, and indulge themselves in luxuries they will never have in…
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What Should I Write About?
Where do you find ideas for stories? Well . . . there are plenty of places to discover something interesting or worthwhile to say. But to track them down, you have to keep informed about what’s happening in the world, brainstorm original ideas, and keep your ear to the ground for the curious, the weird, or the otherwise fascinating. Finding Something to Say Ideas for stories are everywhere. In the news, in that summer novel, in your neighbor’s backyard. Whether you’re writing fiction or nonfiction, an idea is out there waiting for you. Elizabeth Gilbert writes in Big Magic that inspiration is ripe for the writer who is open to…
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Conflict is the Basis for Storytelling
All good stories contain conflict. Sometimes it’s good against evil, or a misunderstanding that snowballs out of control. Sometimes it’s a humorous mix-up. Whether visiting family, traveling, or attending summer camp this summer, recognize the potential for great stories. Family Conflict What better place to look for conflict than within your own family. Sibling spats, In-law imperfections, and cousin capers all scream conflict. Some of the best family stories involve everyday events blown out of proportion. Think about all the ways siblings get under each other’s skin. Something as simple as a trip to the store can be the basis of a conflict-laden story. Maybe your in-laws are driving you…
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Writers Read
Reading can take you places without ever leaving the comfort of your home. You can travel forward or backward in time, sail the oceans, cross deserts, and scale mountains. Writers read with intention. We notice language, story, mechanics, and tone. Language The language used in science fiction is very different from the language used in romance novels. Get to know your genre by reading. A lot. No, I really mean it. The more you consume in your genre, the more natural the language becomes. Some books are written in a flowery style while others are lean and sparse. Some use similes, metaphors, or analogies where others use simple, plain language…
