My Favorite Writing Resources: Ackerman and Puglisi

It's a challenge to express emotion in an authentic and accurate way without sounding robotic.
Also, there's this drive as a writer to sound poetic and fresh with every single description...

At least for me the result is something like this.


There are helps to maybe cushion the desktop as we slam our heads against our keyboards:


Get out and experience: Then think about it in front of a mirror, or bring a little make-up mirror when you're out.

Sure, you'll look vain and self absorbed staring at your own face all the time...

Alright, this is an unrealistic suggestion if it's the only thing you use.

Yay, there's more! Here are some amazing HELPS.

The Emotion Thesaurus

http://www.amazon.com/Emotion-Thesaurus-Writers-Character-Expression/dp/1475004958/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1431210585&sr=8-1&keywords=Emotion+Thesaurus

"A book to help you write a book?"
Yes.
So much yes.

Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi are heroes among writers. I think of them as my best buddies because they've captured every range of weakness and made a Go-To-Guide just for me!
They know me so well.

Ok, I suppose everyone is welcome to their awesomeness.

Personally I work on 3x5 cards and list my character name at the top. Using

The Negative Trait Thesaurus:

 http://www.amazon.com/Negative-Trait-Thesaurus-Writers-Character/dp/0989772500/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1437681185&sr=8-1&keywords=negative+trait+thesaurus

I plot a character weakness, possible causes, and ways the weakness can be overcome or triggered in that character.


But, let's not leave the character emotionally unbalanced!

The Positive Trait Thesaurus:

http://www.amazon.com/Positive-Trait-Thesaurus-Character-Attributes/dp/0989772519/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1437681185&sr=8-2&keywords=negative+trait+thesaurus

Gives a nice rounded balance to each character, with some redeeming quality to round out their flaws. Even side characters have both aspects, though it might not be highlighted in my writing due to a non-importance for the reader to know all the background details in all the characters in a single story.


(rounded visual--in case this one was too confusing)

 BUT WAIT!

There is more to the Ackerman and Puglisi awesomeness than my favorite trio of writing resources.
Check out their place online:

http://writershelpingwriters.net/

Seriously, they know me so well. My best buddies (if they only knew me in real life).

Conquering Fear of Contests

Contests scare me.

I'm determined to improve my skill and scope. So I challenged myself by entering a contest.
I chose to enter contests without an entry fee, because this is my first experience in any type of writing contest. I approached it as a learning opportunity and not a monetary investment.
I still needed to figure out what to enter and if I had the right material ready before any deadlines.

 

Step 1.

Find free contests. (Oprah isn't giving things away anymore? Bummer).

Thanks to Twitter, Facebook, and friends I heard of two similar contests within the entry window.
PitchSlam and Nest pitch. Both of those contests are based on a 35 word pitch, or tight summary of the novel, and the first 250-300 words of your novel.

 

Step 2.

REFINE REFINE REFINE

I formed a group to tackle this one and invited anyone also involved in the contest I was going to enter to join in order to refine our entries as a group. We posted our original Pitch and 250. The group commented on things that worked (positives) and things that didn't (constructive). Then we revised based on feedback. We posted revisions and commented again. There were many impressive entries in our group. I filled expected over half our group to be chosen as finalists for PitchSlam, the contest with the first announced results. Two out of our 18 active members were picked. No I was not one of them.

Step 3.

Keep Trying.

The first contest provided me with feedback that I needed to improve my work in ways I had not known.
I applied the information I was given to my novel, pitch, and first words.
(Nestpitch contest's submission window actually closed before I received feedback, but I applied changes to my own work anyway--hoping the selection committees/teams would see potential in my story with what they had on hand)

I was selected in the Nestpitch contest!
The last three weeks have been working with my contest team to refine my entry for the final round. That round begins in two days from the time I'm writing this post.
.
I'd love to say I obtained an agent from entering my first ever contest, but that is not what this post is about (and I have no idea what the final results will be yet). It is about conquering my fear of entering contests, which is not related to results.

In a short window of time I have gained not only the stamina to lose, and the determination to continue with my personal goal, but also the confidence to be selected.

These lessons are essential for me in my continued growth as a writer. Pushing myself to the next level.

My Personal Motto:

Embrace your Quirks.

Pursue your Talents.

I can't accomplish those things without a little fear conquering.

On to the next challenge.

Writing reality

I write every day.

Writing feels like this.



I LOVE it! I can't get enough.
So I'm a writer! It's awesome, right?

But....



It's more like this when I actually look at it... A bit sour and terrifying.

Which is why I like to think of myself as a reviser too.

Revision is like...



Whoa, that was awesome!
Was that magic?
No. It was editing. And everything is better for it.

Always writing. Forever revising.

High Five!

Or... Just...

Back to work.


Also--this is my first successful use of Gif's. I've tried to paste them here before and only got the code stuff on here. So woo! It worked. Way more fun than just words.

The Magic of Relating Experiences

I once read a blog post where a woman described being defecated on by her newborn son in such horrifically fascinating detail that I longed for the opportunity to commiserate her experience with her.
I've since changed my mind on that...

The art of relating an experience is what an author/writer aspires to do.
Doing it well is not only a skill, it's a master-craft.

Did you see Lego Movie?
Masterbuilders? Well there are MasterWriters.
Those are the people that can see the elements of an experience that can be arranged and highlighted in such fashion as to render the listener/reader incapable of turning away or closing the book.

Taking things from one mono-angle and elevating the perspective to widen your ability to appreciate the horror of butt-splosion from an unhappy infant.

We've all read the Facebook posts that say nothing more than *Boo, or some other derivation of bland complaint. Did you fall into the trap of following-up for more detail?
Did you get any more detail?
Often those who lack the vision to expound on their experiences from the start can't satisfy your curiosity (at least that's what I've decided to tell myself after totally falling for this kind of post and being left in the lurch).

How much more satisfying is being transported into a friends experience--getting a glimpse into their ability to manipulate an event based on their reinterpretation for entertainment sake? (I'm not talking exaggeration or falsification--far better. The ability to relate an event and make it so personal you know what someone is talking about even if it's never happened to you).
Last winter I was driving a particularly treacherous canyon road in the middle of a whiteout snowstorm. I was terrified. Literally scared out of my mind.
Guess what? That's not interesting.
And it didn't help me handle the situation with any additional skill or grace.

Drawing upon some story relator masters I had been devoting hours of spare time listening to/reading. I decided to *retell* myself the experience I was having.
Winter Olympics were happening during that time. It gave me a perfect opportunity to reshape the event.
NOTE: I'm still learning this craft of story relating--you will see the flaws, but this is a blog about the bumps in trying to bring myself up to the level of those I'm inspired by. Enjoy my amateurish awareness into new ways of thinking, speaking, sharing... :D

*I just won the gold medal in multi-ton vehicle canyon Luge! It was a white knuckle blind turn race with 27 competitors backed up behind me- poised to take the lead. No one could see worth crap. Making turns as we had all memorized them in the months of practice runs down and up the canyon. Practice paid off! We're alive! But, I got the gold- so HA!*

I failed to bring the reader into the moment the snowsheet cleared to reveal I was in the oncoming lane with a massive semi-truck yards way and closing. The only thing that saved me was the mind-numbingly slow speeds required under that kind of snow-terror-driving.

Practicing to re-frame my experiences, so that even I would want to have them, has a bonus effect.
My life is way more awesome than it used to be.
Almost every mundane event and experience can benefit from a change of angle. I have found I'm much more content day to day.
*If you see me staring insanely at nothing I'm being awesome. Ask me about it in ten minutes and I can relate to you how awesome the moment was.

If you want to experience True MasterWriters I'll direct you to:
Dan Carlin (this man is the best I've ever heard. Even if you have no interest in history, listening to his podcasts will heighten your expectations for retelling of events) Hardcore History
http://www.dancarlin.com/disp.php/hharchive
And anything written by Sara Baxter www.sarajbaxter.com. 
http://hahasforhoohas.com/stories/kindergarten-wisdom


There is magic in all things--If you know how to tell(show if you're writing, of course) it right.

Back to School Back to Blog

First Three Pages?

Are you kidding me?

I have to be interesting within the first three pages?
Wait, you said paragraphs...
That's not better.

I have a tendency to ramble into something good. I often fail at landing there directly.
When authoring a book there is a challenge--be interesting fast.

If you're reading this with the hope of my secret trick to overcome this obstacle you're in luck!

My Solution:
Write whatever comes out; Edit until you're left with something interesting.

Where does that leave me now?
Revising/Editing.