Writing Tips, Compliments of the Kitchen Painting Project

Like many of the Pandemic Population, I’ve been working on a home project. Namely, painting. And the other day, whilst I stood there, paintbrush in hand, fumes swirling about my head, I still somehow managed a couple of brilliant thoughts about writing. So before the fumes overtake me, here’s a few writing tips, compliments of the Kitchen Painting Project:

#1: Music Can Make All the Difference

I don’t know about you but I am not one to bounce out of bed, shouting, “Wheee! I get to paint all the trim today!” No, friends, painting all the trim is an onerous task. Painting all the trim calls for a little mood music to make it all bearable.

Fortunately, I have four or five CDs of ol’ Dean Martin and before long, despite my aching arms and knees, I’m singing and smiling; I’m in a fine mood, mostly because I have lots of great memories of Dean. Suddenly, I’m not a woman of a certain age with paint splatters in her hair, I’m a kid again, staying up way past bedtime to watch Johnny Carson and Dean. That’s the power of music!

And how can you harness that power in your writing? If you’re writing your memoir, listen to the music of your life. You’ll be amazed at the memories that will come flooding back to you. Or if you’re writing an historical piece, listen to the music of the time period to get a feel for the culture. Maybe you’re writing a mystery or thriller; there is nothing like Tubular Bells to set the mood. The point is, music might just make an ordinary story sing so why not give it a try?

#2: Respect the Process

Painting is a tedious process, isn’t it? One has to do all the prep work before even starting the job. And then there’s the painting itself, which includes who-knows-how-many-coats of paint (and waiting in between for paint to dry). Finally, there’s the point where one thinks one is finally done but puts on one’s glasses and sees flaws.

Well, it’s just like writing, isn’t it? Granted, a pantser might skip the prep part of the writing process but once through the first draft, it’s time for rewrite after rewrite after rewrite (and waiting a bit between revisions). And finally, there’s the point where the writer sends out the finished product for feedback and beta readers or critique partners take a close look. Flaws must be addressed.

Painting or writing, there’s a process. And respecting the process pays off in the end product.

#3: But Forget Perfection

Just when I think I am done with all the trim, I find another spot that needs a touch up. Or a pinprick hole that needs filling in or a streak of stained wood peeking through—UGH! But you know what? There is always going to be something that needs a bit of paint. And I will never move on to the next Pandemic Project if I don’t learn to live with imperfection.

Writing is the same way. At some point, one must quit fiddling with the work and start the next task. The next task may be submitting; it may be querying; it might be starting a whole new writing project. But for every writer (and painter) the time comes to call it done and move on.

And maybe celebrate with a little Dean Martin and a drink.

(So what home project have you been working on for the last couple months? And what writing tip can you share from it?)

~ Cathy C. Hall (who may have spent more time watching Dean Martin videos than writing this blog post. But you have to respect the process, y'all. )

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6 comments Cathy C. Hall, Dean Martin, the writing process, writing tips

What Goes on in a Writer's Head

A few weeks ago, I finally watched the movie, The Man Who Invented Christmas, about Charles Dickens writing A Christmas Carol. If you're a writer (which you probably are if you're reading this blog ) and you haven't had a chance to watch this film yet, stop what you're doing--okay, finish reading this first--and find some way to watch it soon. Why? Well, it gives a pretty true depiction of what goes on in a writer's head when he or she is working on a novel. You will no longer feel like you're crazy or alone in the world because it turns out we are just like one of the most famous authors of all time, Charles Dickens.

The cool thing about this movie is that the characters whom Charles talks to and argues with and yells at are played by actual actors, such as Christopher Plummer who plays Scrooge. So when Charles is trying to decide how Scrooge's story will end, and Scrooge is basically taunting him, there's an actual scene between two actors on the screen. In real life, however, we all know that this debate--between the characters and us (the writers) as well as our inner critics, who hate everything we write--is going on in our heads. Okay, okay, many times, we do say things to both the characters and our inner critic out loud, and our family members roll their eyes at us, or the people around us in the coffee shop, where we write, scoot their chairs farther away from our tables.

But these conversations happen--they are part of the wonderful creative process of writing a manuscript. It happens to all of us. These characters become real people who eat with us, go to family outings with us, and definitely sleep with us, haunting us until we finish their stories. Check out this trailer below of The Man Who Invented Christmas to see what I'm talking about. Remember--Charles Dickens, real man. Ebenezer Scrooge--character in a book. (smiles)



You can see from the trailer that this movie also covers writer's block--Charles Dickens had a hit and his publisher wanted more from him, and he had no ideas. Then when he got this Christmas idea, the gatekeepers thought it was terrible--they expected it to flop! (Sounds a little familiar, huh, J. K. Rowling?)

The movie also goes into how Dickens had trouble with his relationship with his wife and blew up at staff members and sometimes forgot about his children, which reminds me of a tweet I recently saw:

Oliver Phisher @OPhisher
What advice would you give to a smart, driven aspiring author? "Teach your family to cook."

Ha! That's actually perfect advice, and it's the truth--sometimes, we are so involved in our writing, we can't be bothered to eat ourselves--how can we also feed our families? This movie covers that reality about being a writer, too.

The Man Who Invented Christmas is one of my very favorite movies about writing. I've seen many: from Finding Neverland to Misery, from Julie and Julia to The Shining to Adaptation. But this Dickens flick is the first one where I thought the screenwriters really portrayed what it's like for novelists and the people who love them.

How about you? Have you seen this movie? What's your favorite movie about being a writer and why?

Margo L. Dill talks to her characters and tries to get them to settle down before they scare her 8-year-old daughter and her 9-year-old boxer dog. While she stays busy with that, she also has time to edit, teach, and write. Find out more about her on her blog and check out her novel writing course, which starts on February 1st here. 

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6 comments Charles Dickens, Margo L. Dill, movies about writers, movies for writers, novel writing, the writing process

Interview with Roberta Godar, Runner Up in WOW's 2015 Winter Flash Fiction Contest

Roberta Godar's fascination with history led her to pen "Signal of the Firefly," which placed in the top 10 in the WOW! 2015 Winter Flash Fiction Contest. Check out her winning entry here and then come back to learn more about Roberta.

Roberta Godar lives with her husband, their dog, Penney, and several, snooty cats on a small farm in Southern Illinois not far from the confluence of the Mississippi and Illinois Rivers. When she’s not writing, she’s hiking, learning Spanish and having coffee with the neighbor.

An avid reader from a young age, the written word has continually held a fascination for her. She’s always liked to write and now that the responsibilities of family, employment and taking care of the dog have lessened, she can devote more time to the art of writing a good story.

Her quest to trace her ancestors triggered a desire to tell stories of the past. She’s currently working on a fictional tale “The Bad Woman” that’s set in 1930’s Arkansas and told from the viewpoint of nine-year Mattie, a little girl full of curiosity that’s trying to understand the complex meaning of right and wrong.

Roberta’s story “Signal of the Firefly” recalls what many people refer to as “a simpler time” and reflects her belief that the past and the present can sometimes come together to touch a person’s life in an unexpected way.

WOW: Congratulations, Roberta, and welcome! We can't wait to learn more about you. First off, your bio mentions a "quest to trace your ancestors." What has that process been like? Have there been any surprising discoveries?

Roberta: The quest to trace my ancestors has involved hours of research in court houses, museums and on the internet. And, oh yeah, let’s not forget traipsing around in overgrown cemeteries looking for that elusive headstone. Each time I find a piece of information, it’s like finding a little diamond.

Interviewing numerous relatives, some willing, some not-so-willing, proved to be a valuable source of knowledge. Two elderly second-cousins who grew up with my great-grandparents generously provided me with a considerable amount of information, which led to other specific details about my ancestors. At times, their step back to the past brought up painful memories for them as well as joyful ones. I’ll be forever grateful to them for giving me a true glimpse of their early lives, and for sharing so much of what they remembered.

One exciting discovery I’ve made is that my great great-grandmother whose first husband died in the Civil war, remarried a man with the last name of Houston. Family lore was that he was a cousin of General Sam Houston. I think the term cousin was probably used loosely during those turbulent times, but though I haven’t been able to make the connection yet, I’ll keep looking.

One of my elderly cousins once said to me, “Tracing your ancestors is a labor of love.”
She was right.

WOW: What is your writing process like? Do you like to crank out rough drafts first or revise/edit as you go along?

Roberta: My writing process begins with a concept that I think about for a week or two before I ever put anything on paper. By the time I begin to write, I have a sense of where I want to go with the piece. If it’s a short story or article, I’ll revise and edit as I go along. For a longer piece, I compose a general outline of the story. I’ll revise “some” as I write the narrative, but in a fictional tale, I never know where a character might take me, so I don’t want to suppress that journey with too much editing. When the story is finished, that’s when I do the mean, hard revision. Sometimes it takes a while, but until the story feels “right”, I can’t let it go.

Writing is definitely a challenge, but it’s an itch that has to be scratched.

WOW: How did you get the idea for "Signal of the Firefly?"

Roberta: The idea for “Signal of the Firefly” came from the nostalgia I felt after looking through a box that contained old family photographs of my grandmother sitting in her rocking chair on the front porch of her Arkansas home, and photographs of my parents looking so young: mom in a pretty, flowered dress and dad looking like a young Clark Gable. The pictures brought back warm-hearted memories of family get-togethers with aunts and uncles and cousins: memories of tag and hide and seek and evenings spent catching those magical fireflies.

My grandmother was a good Christian woman, who as far as I know, only drank sweet tea and lemonade minus the vodka.

WOW: Do you prefer to write flash fiction or longer pieces? Why?

Roberta: Although I have longer stories I’m working on, I like writing flash fiction because it keeps the storyline simple. The narrative doesn’t involve numerous complex characters, grandiose surroundings or lengthy description. Also, less time is spent revising. The word limit is a definite challenge. Concise and carefully chosen words are significant to the meaning of the story and determine the impact on the reader. Sometimes it’s hard to find that perfect word. The discipline it takes to stay within that limit is a great way to sharpen my skills and improve my thinking process. One of my favorite books when I was a kid was “Grimm’s Fairy Tales”. Some of its stories are perfect examples of flash fiction.

WOW: What advice would you give other writers who are considering entering the WOW! Women on Writing quarterly flash fiction contest?

Roberta: For writers who are considering entering the WOW quarterly flash fiction contest, I say do it. I was so thrilled to have placed in the top ten of the winter contest. I never really thought my story would make it out of all the entries, but it did. So, all you writers out there who think you don’t have a chance, think again, you do. I plan to submit more stories and I will ask for a critique next time.
WOW! is a great website for writers wanting to improve their craft. The site offers informative articles, writing workshops and classes, and resources galore. Published stories from people of all walks of like make for interesting reading, and let’s not forget the Muffin Blog.

WOW: We thank you for that glowing endorsement, and we'll take it! Best of luck with all your future writing endeavors.

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Leave a Comment 2015 winter flash fiction contest, Contestant interview, Renee Roberson, Roberta Godar, the writing process, tracing ancestry

What's Your Writing Process?

As a college composition instructor, I am very interested in learning about other people’s writing process. Many people, I’ve discovered, don’t have a good sense of their own writing process and often don’t realize that they can deviate from the standard, formal process to suit their own needs and styles. Writing is much less daunting, and you’re less likely to get writer’s block, when you formulate your own process and keep it in mind as you tackle an assignment or just-for-fun writing.

Here’s a run-down on the standard writing process, but consider whether you follow this process or not. And if you deviate from it, how or why do you do so?

Standard Writing Process

from collegeunbound.org

Brainstorming: Gather ideas, research, make a web, jot down notes, sketch a picture, free write, and talk to friends. Consider your intended audience and the purpose of your story. A student once told me, “I don’t brainstorm. I just like to sit and think about it for a while.” Well, guess what? That’s brainstorming! Sitting and staring at a blank computer screen CAN be productive.

Drafting: Take those brainstormed ideas and put them into full sentences and paragraphs. I tell my students, “Don’t worry if you think your drafts are terrible, because they’re supposed to be.” Drafts are messy and it’s OK. Some writers like to work with an outline created either before or after drafting. The trick with an outline, though, is to remain flexible; you might think of new ideas as you start to write. Then you’ll need to change the outline.

Revising: Mold and shape your draft. This is where the term “craft” comes in. It’s like you’re taking raw material, like a block of wood you just cut from a tree trunk, and sculpt it into a statue. You make larger changes to your draft, like adding and subtracting sections, reorganizing scenes, and making sure each part of the story relates to your intended audience and purpose. This is often the most time-intensive and laborious part of the writing process.

Proofreading: Re-read your story to check for mechanical and grammatical errors (which you shouldn’t worry about too much during the rest of the process – it could slow you down and block creativity), strengthen word choices, and format into a readable presentation. Consider aspects like line spacing and font.

Publishing/Evaluating: Send your story to an agent or an editor, post on your blog, or submit it to your teacher. Keep in mind, though, that depending on the editor, audience, or teacher, you may go through several more rounds of revision and proofreading until your piece is officially published. But that’s all just part of the process! 

Does this process sound familiar you? Which part of the process do you like best/least? Let us know!

Written by Anne Greenawalt: writer and composition instructor in Central Pennsylvania.

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5 comments Anne Greenawalt, the writing process

A Fictional Finale

I want to start this post out by saying that when I first began freelancing about 10 years ago, I never imagined myself seriously writing fiction, much less trying to sell any books. Sure, I’ve always had a dream of becoming a novelist, but I really didn’t allow myself to plot out how I would actually make that dream happen.

Fast forward to today, Nov. 27, and I am just a few thousand words away from completing my first attempt at National Novel Writing Month. I’ve always heard people talk about NaNoWriMo and I pretty much scoffed, saying to myself, That’s the worst time of year for me to possibly try to complete a novel! And while that might be true, I also know that I can’t finish a big project such as a novel without some kind of fanfare, so I signed up.

It has not been easy. I got behind on day one of NaNoWriMo because we went out of town to visit friends and I didn’t want to be sitting in their house with my laptop working when we only get to see them once or twice a year. I fell a little more behind because the magazine I edit was going into production, and I needed to write copy and proof the magazine before we went to the printer. Throw into that mix a few other freelance deadlines, and I began wondering around day fifteen if I should just throw in the towel. This past weekend I powered through and with the help of my family, locked myself in my office and almost got caught up on the word count.

As luck would have it, WOW! Put together a “Best of Fiction” issue just in time for this month! I was reading Novel Writing: Choosing a Method That Works Best for You by Margo Dill and it made me think about how I write novels. 

When I wrote my first novel several years ago, I used a method similar to NaNoWriMo where I completed 60,000 words in a month by focusing on a three-act structure. This time around, I’m rewriting that first novel into a YA, so I’ve used the first book as sort of an outline although quite a bit of it has either been cut out or scaled back.

Last November I did my own modified version of NaNoWriMo and completed a first, very rough draft of a middle-grade novel. I am now in the process of submitting it. For that book, I used the “Chapter Summaries” method where I wrote the synopsis and then a few paragraphs about what happened in each chapter and used that as my outline.

This has all been a learning process. I never studied creative writing in college and have participated in my fair share of trial and error. But honestly, I can’t think of a better way to learn. What methods do you use when writing nonfiction or novels?

Renee Roberson is an award-winning freelance writer and editor who blogs at Renee’s Pages.

Drafts, drafts, and more drafts from my first attempt at a novel.

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5 comments National Novel Writing Month, novel writing, novel-writing methods, outlining novels, Renee Roberson, the writing process, writing fiction