Books on Writing

People ask all the time about book on writing.  Nobody can teach you how to come up with a good story, but like I try to do here with writing prompts and exercises, you can be nudged to start writing.  You can be given a launchpad for a specific project, or you can be inspired to sit down and get to work.  Where your story goes is up to you!  But if I had to name one book that is a must, I would have to recommend WRITING DOWN THE BONES, by Natalie Goldberg.  It'll inspire you.  Give it a look:

Memoirs

What makes a good memoir?  Not just a good story, but you have to remember in the case of memoir, the reader needs to be able to relate to your story.  Ironically enough, my first rule of memoir is, actually it is NOT all about you!  It's about the reader.  When you think about putting out your experience or your life to the world, think about not just what happened to you, but think about what your story can mean to your reader.  What will the reader get out of the experience of hearing your story?  It's that age-old question, why you?  Feel free to post on the comments here and we can open up a discussion on memoir writing...

My friend Kim does it perfectly with her memoir, just out from Random House.  It's an amazing combination of personal story with reflections on self-esteem, self-respect, and as she puts it, 'learning to love yourself.'  Read it!

Again, it's Been Way too Long!

Wow, I did it again, disappeared from here.  So sorry about that.  Sometimes, I just get too waylaid by life as we know it.  I've been working on a novel, though, so that's a good thing.

Here's a writing exercise dedicated to my disappearance.  Think about somewhere you used to go all the time, whether it's your old school or a neighborhood you used to live in or a town you came from, maybe even an apartment or house you used to live in.  Fictionalize you as a character and write a story about what it would be like to return there now.  Who is still there; would you be recognized, or would you be a stranger?  I recently walked through a neighborhood I used to live in, it used to be home to me.  I don't know what's more striking: the things that have changed or the things that haven't.  The dentist's office on the corner, who catered to welfare recipients, is now a very chic trendy bar, but the nasty little dirty pizza place across the street is still there.

Think first about where it is you would be returning to.  How long ago were you there regularly?  So, the bottom line is, what would happen to you if you went back now?  And how would you feel about the place?

Writing Exercise

OK, bad joke.  Here's a writing prompt for you.  Dialogue between two characters can be the perfect launching pad into a good piece of writing.  So here's a scene for you...

Two women are in the group fitness room at their gym, laying out their mats and starting to stretch in preparation for a yoga class.  They are the only ones there, and after a few minutes, they find that odd, because the class is usually packed.  The instructor is no where to be found either.  Turns out they're the only ones who don't know the class was canceled.  Write the scene and their dialogue as they first wonder what's going on, are confused, then figure it out, and then does their conversation move on to something else?  What are they each going to do instead of the class?  Did they realize they know each other in some way?  Do they become friends?  Do they end up fighting?  Do they share their thoughts about the instructor, other people in the class?  Do something with the set-up.  Anything you want.

If you love your results, let me know or post a comment here.

Getting Local

You know, it's not all about getting your novel published.  There's a lot of writing to be done, down to the local level.  Are you doing any of it?  There's very small area local newspapers wherever you look.  Now there are even ultra-local web portals and blogs popping up.  There are regional periodicals and newsletters.  There are local charities and organizations that could use press releases and feature articles written about them.

Do you belong to any clubs?  Do they ever email their membership?  Are you involved in putting the email together?  Keeping their website fresh?  Do they have an event coming up that they'd like the region to know about?  Keep your writing chops sharp.  Volunteer to write for them.  Pitch article ideas to your local newspaper (don't offer to volunteer for that, charge!).  You don't have to wait for Alfred A. Knopf to come calling... besides he's dead.

Happy Comic Con!

OK, to celebrate Comic Con, see how I didn't make this 'all about me?'  I could have done 'to celebrate my birthday' today, but I didn't.  I could have done to celebrate 10/10/10, but I didn't.  Nope, I didn't have to start this out by pointing out it's my birthday today.  I said, 'to celebrate Comic Con.'  See how humble I am?

To celebrate Comic Con, let's do a character profile.  Come up with your own superhero or comic book character.  Do they have a special power?  How did they come by it?  Are they from this planet and were infected or poisoned by something?  Are they some other species or are the from another planet?

Is their superpower particularly useful?  How would you use it to fight crime and evil?  What if your hero were actually a villain?  How would they use their superpower for personal gain, committing crime, subjugating the masses, etc?

If you enjoyed this, then do it up a full second time with... who is this superhero arch-nemesis?  OK, you're writers, so antagonist.  What is their superpower or what makes them able to fight the other.

We could take this a lot further, so if you want to, DO!  Oh, and I give you my blessing to make this really silly.  Enjoy....

Back to Writing - Exercise

This time I want to bring you a prompt that sets you up for writing something that could become a pretty lengthy short story, even a novel.  This is one inspired by the fact that next week it's my birthday.  Yes, on 10/10/10!  And also, I guess I should give a shout-out to Mrs. Dalloway, though I don't really want to.

Your main character is having a party.  Is it later today, tomorrow, in a week?  A group of people (1, 2, 8, 50?) are going to descend on the character's (his/her) home.  Well, she (okay, I'm sick of writing him/her/character, I'm just gonna go with she, but you choose the gender) has to prepare!  Does she wake up, look around the house and realize it's a mess, so she starts cleaning?  Is it a garden party, so she has to mow and rake and tend to the yard/patio/garden?  Is she alone in her preparations, or is it she surrounded by family/children/spouse/partner?  Maybe the other person/s is the problem, not being ready?  Is she going about the prep nervous, happy, calm, frantic?  Guess that has a lot to do with when this party is too.  Is the party expected, surprise, did she forget about it, major life event or simple get-together, tea, brunch, garden party, photography shoot or interview?

All right, those are a lot of questions, and I don't want to lead you down any one path.  I just mean to say before you launch into random nothing, put it out, who is she (okay he/she), what is this party, when is it, and what is it she needs to get done beforehand?  [And does she get it done?  To her own satisfaction, to those of her guests?]

Go write something... and please don't have her go walk to buy flowers... ugh!