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This brings me to the end of April’s A to Z Blogging Challenging, when I tried my best to blog 26 days of the month on writing topics while systematically moving through the alphabet. I think this quote is a good one to end on. Thanks for joining me.
I’m coming to the end of the challenge, so it’s time to evaluate the experience.
If you’ve been reading along with me, you’ll know that I’ve discovered that I could benefit from recording ideas, observations, sketches and other thoughts that might prove to be useful for new ideas. I’ve made some initial contact with other writers, and have supported them during their challenge. But probably the most valuable lesson here was being aware, just by looking for topics to write about, which opened myself up to the possibility of attracting new, creative ideas. And I’m happy to report that I have come across a new spark of an idea, that I’ll probably report about in the coming weeks and months. Will I keep up with this daily pace? -No. My previous pace of posting 3 or 4 times a week was fine with me, and this way I can devote more time to my WIP. –And ultimately, that’s the point of the challenge, isn’t it?
During April, I’m participating in The A to Z Blogging Challenging, blogging 26 days of the month on writing topics while systematically moving through the alphabet. The goal is to develop a more regular blogging habit and network with other bloggers. Join us!
I admit, coming up with a word that starts with X is hard. But in my life, X’s always stand for kisses!
During April, I’m participating in The A to Z Blogging Challenging, blogging 26 days of the month on writing topics while systematically moving through the alphabet. The goal is to develop a more regular blogging habit and network with other bloggers. Join us!
One of my favorite books on story structure is Your Book Starts Here by Mary Carroll Moore. I was fortunate to attend one of her writing workshops a few years back at NH Writer’s Day and it was amazing. Many of us have little trouble with story beginnings and endings, but when it comes to the middle…! It’s a challenge to keep the tension in a story strong enough so the reader will want to continue to turn the pages.
I’ll let Mary explain some helpful tips in this storyboard video.
During April, I’m participating in The A to Z Blogging Challenging, blogging 26 days of the month on writing topics while systematically moving through the alphabet. The goal is to develop a more regular blogging habit and network with other bloggers. Join us!
The variety of stories available to enter and live in for a time is truly wonderful.
During April, I’m participating in The A to Z Blogging Challenging, blogging 26 days of the month on writing topics while systematically moving through the alphabet. The goal is to develop a more regular blogging habit and network with other bloggers. Join us!
Yeah, I get that authors should have social media platforms but Snapchat continues to elude me!
During April, I’m participating in The A to Z Blogging Challenging, blogging 26 days of the month on writing topics while systematically moving through the alphabet. The goal is to develop a more regular blogging habit and network with other bloggers. Join us!
I’m glad to be able to use this platform to give a shout out to my former college classmate and roomie, Susan McMartin, whose film debuted at the Tribeca Film Festival (NYC) last week. Entitled Mr. Church (a change from the original title of Cook) the film stars Eddie Murphy in a dramatic story that is semi-autobiographical.
The reviews are very favorable, praising Murphy’s portrayal of a man who comes to live with a single mother and her kids, agreeing to cook for them. What might have initially been estimated as a short term arrangement, Mr. Church’s relationship with the family spans 15 years.
I’ve seen only one unfavorable review so far, which criticized the story for employing a subdued Murphy to play a “magical negro”. I’m not going to comment on that review because I haven’t seen the movie, which is scheduled for a wider release November 11th. But here’s the rub – McMartin’s story is based on real life events, and whatever creative souls produce for public view, will be subject to criticism. While students at NYU, our writing professor Mark Dickerman was fond of reminding us that real life is no excuse for bad drama; rather than recording verbatim the events of our lives, we were encouraged to find the nugget or theme of the story, and often times make the ordinary events, extraordinary and the extraordinary, ordinary – even departing from autobiography to find a story vehicle that would best amplify our theme. Given the overwhelming favorable reviews, I’m sure McMartin has done that. In order to connect with our audience – be it an individual reader of our novel, or a film director interested in optioning a script, or a wider audience watching a collaborative project – we need to tap in to life truths that resonate because they are true. I think also, when we draw from our own experiences, we need to remember that these events are fixed points in history, and history needs to be evaluated in its own time, not rewritten or white-washed to satisfy the current wave of political correctness. Is the Mr. Church character a “magical negro”? — All I know is that Mr. Church is a character who acts as a catalyst; in history he was a man who mended a family.
Susan’s had a life full of ups and downs and it’s been truly wonderful seeing her come in to herself and come in to very good fortune after many, many years of paying her dues and honing her craft. I’ll let her tell her own story, which she writes about in her blog Studio City Mom. My question for you is – what story will you tell?
During April, I’m participating in The A to Z Blogging Challenging, blogging 26 days of the month on writing topics while systematically moving through the alphabet. The goal is to develop a more regular blogging habit and network with other bloggers. Join us!
I had to re-read Laurie Halse Anderson’s groundbreaking debut novel Speak because it was nominated for the ITR list. Honestly, I approached it with some of the committees’ comments in my mind – “Too old,” “really dated”, “female centered” etc. so I admit there was an audible sigh as I pulled the book from my stack on the end table and cracked it open. Oh my.
Speak silenced me. Anderson is a master. I’m not even sure these other people were reading the same book! Or had they, like me, read it years ago and simply assumed it was dated?
Melinda’s voice is absolutely authentic, Anderson’s storytelling is, frankly, exquisite – her plotting careful and truthful, the structure of the book is amazing, and the topic is sadly, still timely and important. I didn’t find this dated at all. A few notable differences with today’s realistic fiction might be 1. no one’s carrying a cell phone so the book’s not artificially filled with characters’ text conversations (snark!) and 2. Melinda’s voice is so grounded, just so darn grounded, the novel has a layered texture that draws the reader in to Melinda’s world where we just sit it out with her over the course of the year. Too many novels I’ve read lately employ an artificial time keeper and for me, it’s a distraction. Books today are noisy and jagged and immature. Ok, so call me a snob. I admit that!
It’s a wonderful moment when you find or re-discover a book that is truly timeless that continues to bless the reader with its lessons.
Every November I participate in National Novel Writing Month, aka NaNoWriMo, during which participants challenge themselves to write the first draft of a 50,000 word novel in thirty days. I also serve as the Municipal Liaison for my state (=author wrangler, pep talker and Master of the event calendar). Some Wrimos are plotters – they’ve spend the other 11 months of the year plotting an outline of their Nano Novel, while other Wrimos are pantsers – they plunge in at midnight November 1st frantically typing anything that pops out of their fingertips. Both types of Wrimos start off strong, but because it’s hard to write 1667 words a day if you’re out of the habit, inevitably, the chatter on the NaNoWriMo forums turns to a discussion about word count, sludge and major manuscript padding.
To be successful during NaNoWriMo, you have to suspend your disbelief, withholding judgement on the quality of the work, while focusing on churning out quantity. For the plotter or the panster, NaNoWriMo is all about pushing through writer’s block and forcing your characters to make a decision that moves the story forward. Sure it could be crap, but sometimes writing sludge will get you to the other side of something or unravel a puzzle or spark an idea that you hadn’t considered before. One of my writing teachers encouraged us to develop a daily writing habit (aargh! there’s that darn journal cropping up again) because it was like turning on the water in a faucet that hadn’t been used in a long while. Daily writing is like letting the brown water flow until eventually it runs clear.
I liked this quote from Neil – but I have yet to find a quote I don’t like from Neil – because he really puts some good perspective on the whole excruciating process, don’t you think?
During April, I’m participating in The A to Z Blogging Challenging, blogging 26 days of the month on writing topics while systematically moving through the alphabet. The goal is to develop a more regular blogging habit and network with other bloggers. Join us!
Love the response…makes me wonder what this character would be like to write…
During April, I’m participating in The A to Z Blogging Challenging, blogging 26 days of the month on writing topics while systematically moving through the alphabet. The goal is to develop a more regular blogging habit and network with other bloggers. Join us!
Book Covers 