BLUE RIDGE MOUNTAINS CHRISTIAN WRITERS CONFERENCE

"Strong Language" in Fiction, Drama, and Film

Sooner or later, every writer must decide what kind of words are appropriate for his writing, and this applies particularly to words that are euphemistically described as "strong language"—common "cusswords" and the language of the gutter. As a former Infantry soldier and (worse yet) a graduate student, I guess I've heard them all. And I've put a good bit of thought into their proper place, if any, in my life and writing.

            Consequently, I've come to reject the most commonly accepted justifications of using these words in fiction, drama, and film. These "four-letter words" have certainly burgeoned in today's publications, films, and TV scripts. They assault the ears of channel surfers, and they so dominate fictional conversations that often these words are the dialogue.

            The usual justification is a claim of "realism" in two senses. First, it is said that because people actually talk that way, realistic fiction must accurately report their words. Second, it is claimed that four-letter words bring us into closer contact with “real life” than other words do-- that is, there is less distance between the word and the thing it represents.

            Neither claim can withstand serious examination.

            The first confuses "realism" with literalism. Fiction is not real life. It is an artifice that creates the illusion of real life. So, if the writer must report people's words literally, what excuses him from including all other elements of life literally? Must every fictional day begin with the hero shaving?

            And what about actions often excluded from fiction--praying, for instance? Depending on which poll one reads, 50 to 80 percent of Americans pray every day. By the "realism" criterion, shouldn't the correct percentage of fictional characters pray with appropriate frequency during the narrative?

            My conclusion: if "realism" does not justify literal inclusion of other elements in fiction, it does not justify literal inclusion of specific words.

            Nor can the claim that four-letter words are closer to "reality" withstand questioning. Many uses of those words are, to put it mildly, figurative. There may have been a time when attributing bisexual reproductive capabilities to inanimate objects was amusing. But if so, the idea is now so clichéd that it's no longer humorous.

            And on representing reality, let's consider the so-called "f-word." The early English (probably Anglo-Saxon) from which it descends was a savage language appropriate to the savage times in which it was spoken. Then, perhaps, the word may have accurately described physical relationships between men and women. But many cultural changes have altered that reality.

            One such change was the twelfth-century invention of romantic (courtly) love, popularized by  Eleanor of Aquitaine and Chrétien de Troyes. And in the 1590s, Edmund Spenser synthesized various love traditions into an ideal combining the romance of courtly love with the intellectuality of Platonic love and a dash of physicality from Ovid--all justified by marriage, one of the seven sacraments of the church. Spenser's synthesis held general acceptance until about 1900, when it eroded under the influence of naturalistic philosophy and Freudian psychology.

            The point for "realistic" fiction is this: if the "f-word” today accurately describes the physical relationship between a man and woman, it does so only because the couple is immune to or ignorant of the cultural experience the past millennium.

            My conclusion is that if the customary justifications do not stand up under examination, the real reasons for using "strong language" must lie elsewhere. Some involve today's cultural warfare, but another is more pertinent here. Writers know that conflict is basic to all good fiction. “Strong language” helps lazy writers gain the appearance of conflict without the hard work of creating genuine conflict, which is always generated by a story’s basic narrative structure. In other words, "strong language" substitutes for genuine creativity.

            Profligate use of "strong language" will always be chic, of course. But as the brilliant screenwriter Morrie Ryskind put it, "The chic are always wrong."

Donn Taylor is a poet and novelist who holds a PhD in Renaissance literature and has more than 20 years’ experience teaching poetry. His poetry has appeared in Christianity and Literature, The Lamp-Post (Journal of the California C. S. Lewis Society), and other journals, as well as general audience publications such as the Presbyterian Record (Canada). His poetry collection Dust and Diamond: Poems of Earth and Beyond was published in 2008. His fiction includes a suspense novel, The Lazarus File, and a light-hearted mystery, Rhapsody in Red. He has also published essays on writing, literary criticism, ethical issues, and U. S. foreign policy. In a prior incarnation, he served in two wars with the U. S. Army.

The Future of Self Publishing

 [Ed. note. A short time ago BRMCWC faculty member and agent Chip McGregor made a few prognostications. In this post, BRMCWC faculty member Athena Dean responds.]

While I too am no prophet, I have to agree with Chip MacGregor in his prediction #8.

<<8.     A major author is going to make a fortune self-publishing. I think a big author will look at the numbers, figure out how to market herself online, and decide to make more money creating and selling a book on her own. Really.>>

The publishing world is changing and I’ve watched over the last two decades as it has grown harder and harder for first time authors to win a contract from a major publisher. On the other hand, it is easier and easier to get published using print on demand technology, (whether you have something compelling to say or not).

The future of self-publishing is certainly bright. When done with excellence, custom self-publishing can not only be profitable, as Chip suggested in his recent post, but it can also be a quicker way to get your message into print. In today’s fast paced world, some messages just can’t wait two years, and need to reach the market sooner.

It is typically true that a significant platform is required in order to earn a contract from a royalty publisher, yet it’s a misnomer that an existing platform is necessary to be successful at custom publishing. It’s almost the dilemma of which comes first, the chicken or the egg. You need a platform in order to get published, but you need a book in print in order to establish your platform! For some people, self publishing gives the jump start needed to build that ever important platform.

Join Carla Williams and I for our three-part workshop on custom self-publishing at the upcoming Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference. We’ll be discussing the top ten pitfalls to avoid when self publishing, but will also help you develop that a power platform so your book reaches hungry readers.

A three-time self-published author, Athena Dean has coached hundreds of authors through the daunting task of book production and promotion. Since 1991 she has helped bring the degree of credibility for self-published works up to the high level of acceptance in the industry it enjoys today. Athena functions as a Solutions Advisor for WinePress Publishing Group and is actively involved on the board of directors of the Northwest Christian Writers’ Association.  

The Wizard of the Wizard

I had the joy of traveling to San Diego with friends to visit the city where I grew up and to take in a stage play. After spending some time in and around La Jolla (one of the most beautiful places on Earth) and Balboa Park (another breathtakingly beautiful spot) we drove to Coronado where the theater is located. After a late lunch we meandered through a small gift shop associated with the history of Coronado.

After a few moments of looking at knickknacks and small toys, I noticed an area filled with books and related materials associated with L. Frank Baum. Yup, that L. Frank Baum. My curiosity got the best of me. I asked one of the attendants, “What’s up with all the L. Frank Baum stuff?” (Yes, I am that smooth.) She replied, “Oh, he used to live down the street. He wrote some of this most famous works there.”

I don’t know how many times I’ve been to Coronado over the years but it’s a lot. Moment’s later, I was dragging my wife and friends on a expedition to find the home of the author of “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.” Here’s what I found.

Lyman Frank Baum (1856-1919) was a newspaperman who wrote 200 poems, scores of plays, 82 short stories, 55 novels (apparently there are four missing novels), and many other works. He endured bankruptcy and setbacks, but he kept producing written work.

I’m not one of those people who get weak in the knees seeing the homes of the famous, but standing there taking photos of the house left an impression. Today, Baum is famous and his work continues to live 90 years after his death. This is true for many writers: Hemingway, Melville, Twain. Perhaps it is one reason we write. To write and publish is too extend one’s reach, not just across world but across time.

Not every article, poem, script, novel, or nonfiction book goes on to the kind of fame of Baum’s Oz series, but some do. Did Baum know the success his books would achieve? Doubtful. He endured many setbacks before his success and serious financial problems after. Still he kept at it.

Many writers are suffering now. The publishing industry is iffy at best. News of layoffs is no longer surprising. It’s still too early to tell how book sales will be affected. Still writers write; editors edit; and readers read.

Standing on the sidewalk in front of what had once been Baum’s house, I wondered how nice it must have been to live part of his year in Coronado, close to the ocean, and beneath an azure sky. It must have been wonderful, but it didn’t mean he didn’t have challenges or failures.

The lesson for us is this: Do what you have to survive, but writers will always make time to write.

 

Alton Gansky

Write Hot, Edit Cold

by

Steven James

 

Writers must wear two hats. Slapping ideas onto paper is only part of the process. We also have to edit our pieces well enough so that they sell. What’s the secret? How do we do both of these odd jobs successfully? Each must be done with the right attitude. The best way I know to do this is to write hot and edit cold.

Write Hot

Strike when the iron is hot! Pursue the idea while it is still pursuing you. Don’t let go of it. Write it now. Pry loose a few hours and write. Write until you are dry, out of juice, the flame has died down. Then put the thing aside. Don’t try to go from inception to submission in one sitting. Yes, writers need self control and sometimes we must work, we must write, even when we have no passion. But take advantage of that fire in your imagination, that moment of inspiration.

So when the muse visits you, write. Don’t question the impulse, don’t imprison the idea. Write. Write hot. Then put it aside.

Edit Cold

Then, when the writing has cooled off, pull out the manuscript and prepare to edit. The first time through, clean it up. Fill in transitions, correct glaring grammatical errors, move chunks of script here or there. But do not fine tune! If you attempt to polish your story now, while it is still in the construction stage, you will painting the house before it is built. So take the time to see if it all fits together. Build the house here, don’t decorate it yet.

Have you waited long enough? You need objective eyes to edit your story. If you read the story too early, you will still be influenced by your initial crush on the idea. If it looks perfectly right and you want to start addressing the submission envelope to your favorite magazine, it needs more time to cool off. You need more distance or you run the risk of falling in love with your first draft.

You’ll know you’re ready to edit when you feel the urge to complete your story without feeling the need to. Compulsion lies in the blazing heart of the writer, restraint in the cool head of the editor. Wait until you can look at it with an editor’s eye. Cold and calculating. Objective and unmerciful.

But not heartless. Not brutal. Don’t attack your manuscript as if you were wrestling an alligator. It’s more like subduing a wild bronco. It’s not a contest. Don’t try to conquer. Try to coax. Tame the story. Lure the best possible effort from it. After a few days, or even weeks, as you reread your story you will find that you are able to look at it with objective eyes. Edit cold.

Write hot, when the idea is fresh and you are passionate about it. Whenever it is, wherever you are. When you feel the story surging from deep within you, write. Edit cold, after the rush of emotion has passed, after the tidal wave of inspiration has calmed. Edit thoughtfully, objectively, and carefully. But not angrily or dispassionately. Still believe in your story, but believe that it is good enough to have the best of your efforts, whether hot or cold.

So...You Want to be a Writer?

By Candy Arrington

Along my writing journey, I've met many people who say they feel like they have at least one book in them. Perhaps some hardship or illness taught great life lessons. Or a nostalgic past begs to be relayed to current and future generations. Whatever the cache of experience fodder, most of us dream of writing.

Famous writers are often colorful characters who exude a certain mystique. We're intrigued by their habits and sources of inspiration. But if you want to be a writer, here are some things you need to know before launching off into the world of pens, prose, and publishing:

• Fiction is harder to write than it appears – We've all read a great novel, one that keeps you up half the night, propelling you forward from one exciting, suspenseful chapter to the next. As you near the end of the book, you slow your reading pace, savoring the final passages. Closing the book, you already miss the characters and begin searching to see when the sequel is available. Then, you mutter, "I could do that. I could write a novel." But fiction is harder than it appears. Characterization, plot, setting, voice, point of view, and pacing all factor in. Without a firm grasp of each of these elements, mediocre, if not awful, fiction results.

  

• Nonfiction pays the bills – The vision of earning a six-figure income writing is most often a mirage. While you dream of hitting the bestseller list, garner some experience and publishing credits writing nonfiction. Start by writing for church or school newsletters. Then you can expand by submitting to a regional magazine, newspaper, or an on-line e-zine. Anthologies like the Chicken Soup http://www.chickensoup.com/  and Cup of Comfort http://www.cupofcomfort.com/CallForSubmissions/  series are always looking for stories. The pay may be modest, but once you get several nonfiction publishing credits, more opportunities will come your way.

  

• Write a book later – Many dive headlong into writing the great American novel or a rambling personal experience tome. Starting your writing journey by writing a book makes about as much sense as trying out for the U. S. Olympic team before ever training or competing at a local level. A better plan is to start by writing an article, short story, or devotional. Not only are you more likely to complete a smaller piece, you also gain experience outlining and sticking to a central theme – elements that are important once you begin writing a book.

  

• Even good writers need editing – Many think their words are divinely inspired, and couldn't possibly need improvement. But all writers, even good ones, benefit from critique and editing. It's impossible for the author of a piece, even with spell checker, to catch all the mistakes because we're notorious for reading what we meant to say rather than what is actually on the page. We transpose letters, use one word while intending another, dangle participles, mix metaphors, and misplace modifiers. Frequently, we speak and write in passive voice, substituting weak forms of the verb “to be” for more desirable action verbs. If you want to improve the quality of your writing, submit it for critique with a local writing group or at a conference. Enter a contest or join an on-line critique group. Later, if your work is selected for publication, accept the publisher's edits and learn from them.

  

• Follow the rules – Many beginning writers look at publisher guidelines and think those are for others, not me. Think again. Guidelines help writers come as close as possible to the publisher's needs. Ignoring the rules almost always guarantees rejection of your work. Proper manuscript formatting is essential to prevent your work from immediately appearing to be that of a novice. Formatting and Submitting your Manuscript by Jack & Glenda Neff and Don Prues (Writer's Digest Books) is a helpful tool for obtaining a professional appearance for your submission.

  

• Publishing is a slow process – Often those just sticking a toe in the publishing ocean think they can dash off something and see it in print a few months later. Not likely. Most magazines work six months to a year ahead. Thus, they are currently considering and acquiring articles for fall, winter, or next year. Book publishing is even slower. Even if you managed to get a book contract today (and the process of actually getting the contract can take six months or more), the release date for your book will be in 2011. Even with a contract, print schedules are subject to change. Many writers are impatient and opt for self-publishing. But wouldn't you rather get paid for your writing rather than paying to be published?

  

• Take time to learn the craft – Most things in life require a certain level of study and practice to achieve proficiency. However, “wannabe” writers think they can just declare themselves writers and make it so. But patience, practice, and perseverance are the mileposts on the successful writer's journey. Learn the craft of writing by:
  1. Attending conferences – A writing conference is a great way to get an overview of the publishing process, meet editors, mingle with other writers, learn, and gain inspiration.
  2. Join on-line writer loops – A variety of writing groups are available on-line. Some are fee-based. Others aren't.
  3. Read books on writing – There are “how to” writing books available for just about every genre. Writer's market guides give you information on where to submit your writing for publication. Check the library, local bookstores, or on-line book sites
  4. Join a critique group – While on-line groups and books provide a tremendous amount of information, there is no substitute for a local critique group. A local group provides writing opportunities, encouragement, and support to transform your dream of being a published author into reality.

Candy Arrington's writing provides Biblical insights and practical advice, often on tough topics. Her publishing credits include hundreds of articles in periodicals such as Focus on the Family, Today's Christian Woman, Marriage Partnership, Encounter, Pray, The Lookout, The Upper Room, Advanced Christian Writer, CBN.com, The Writer, and Writer's Digest. Candy's stories have appeared in the Chicken Soup and Cup of Comfort series. Additionally, she is coauthor of Aftershock: Help, Hope, and Healing in the Wake of Suicide and When Your Aging Parent Needs Care: Practical Help for This Season of Life (Harvest House, 2009). Candy is on staff with The Christian Communicator Manuscript Critique Service and is a member of the American Society of Journalists and Authors.

How to Write For Kids When You Don’t Have Any of Your Own

“Stop it, Ally!” screamed her older sister, Abby.

Still, the taunting continued in the backseat.

 

“Abby is a stupid head!” Ally shouted in a sing-songy manner.

 

“That’s enough,” I interjected, glaring at my two preschoolers in the rearview mirror.

 

After a few moments of quiet bliss, Abby leaned forward and very seriously asked, “Mommy, can we just sell Ally?”

 

“No, I think we better keep her,” I answered, trying to stifle my giggles.

 

As Abby sank back into the car seat, I made a mental note: “Write a picture book about wanting to sell a little sister.”

 

Out of that encounter with my bickering babes, Sister For Sale was birthed—a picture book released in March 2002 by Zonderkidz, and since released in a paperback version (2004) and a special I CAN READ format (2007).

 

In fact, most of my ideas for children’s stories have come from observing Abby and Ally going about their everyday kid life; listening to their delightful dialogue; and eavesdropping on them and their friends. But, what happens now that they are both teenagers? I’m not about to have more babies just so I can stay “in touch” with today’s kiddos. (Hey, I’m dedicated to my craft, but that’s pushing it!) So, how can we write for little children when we no longer have young kiddos living in our homes? We have to embrace the three important “R’s” – Rent, Research and Remember.

 

1. Rent a Child for the Day:

If you don’t have any children, you need to hang out with children so that you’ll understand kid lingo, children’s likes and dislikes, current trends, etc.

*Offer to babysit for the neighbors’ children or your relatives’ children.

*Take your turn working the nursery at church.

*Work with Girl Scouts; Boy Scouts; other children’s groups.

 

2. Research: hang out where kiddos hang out; read what they are reading; watch what they are watching; get into their world!

You’ll want to observe at play. Watch how they interact. Listen to how they talk. Observe how they move and what they wear, etc.

*Go to the park.

*Go to Chuck E. Cheese.

*Go to the zoo.

*See the latest animated movie and tune into the Nickelodeon and Disney channels on TV.

*Read the Newberry and Caldecott winning picture books each year.

 

3. Remember: think back to when you were a kid: Times may have changed but the raw emotion of a story never goes out of style.

*Draw from your own childhood experiences.

*Tap into memories of your proudest, saddest, most embarrassing or disappointing moments. Slang, toys, and fashions come and go, but feelings are universal and timeless.

*Childhood memories may be the story buds for numerous future articles and books. They key is to remember with all of your senses--what you saw, how it felt, how it smelled, etc. Become that child again...

 

The old writer’s cliché, “Write what you know,” is still as true as the first time some wise person said it. So, get to know the children you’re writing for, and enjoy becoming a kid again. Now, don’t bother me. “iCarly” is about to come on Nickelodeon…

 

 

Michelle Medlock Adams is an award-winning author of 25 children’s titles and 41 books in all. When not writing, she enjoys watching “American Idol” with her two teenage daughters and attending a gazillion sporting events with her husband. The Adams family resides in Bedford, IN. www.michellemedlockadams.com

Futures

I just came back from the Christian Book Expo, and though not many people came, it was interesting to see how Christian publishers are trying to reach readers in a changing world. The very notion that publishers would scrap what they’ve had and spend time and energy on a completely new event is fascinating. It shows that CBA publishers are trying to re-shape themselves to fit a publishing economy that, like nearly everything else, has been turned on its ear. And it got me to wondering what the future would be like.

Though I have no gift of prophecy, I’d like to make ten predictions about how publishing will change over the next two years. All of these will relate to you and your books…

1.     YOU will buy a Kindle or e-reader of some kind. You may not think so right now, but remember when you thought you wouldn’t need a cel phone or a DVD player? Editors have discovered the joy of only carrying one “book” with them, rather than a heavy bag full of papers. You’ll find it helpful and easy. Besides, some company in China will soon copy the technology and release a $99 version, forcing prices on all of them to drop.

2.     E-books will more than triple in sales, and they will begin to generate actual income for authors. Right now e-books amount to less than 1% of all book sales. But that’s going to change – the volume increased four-fold this past year, and in a flat market even a small boost to a publisher’s bottom line is noticeable.

3.     Apple will jump into the book market. I have no insider information, it just makes sense. If they could take MP3’s and change the way we listen to music through the iPod, imagine what they could do with books and documents. They’ve already made books available on the iPhone – why not an iBook?

4.     Publishers will start giving away free e-books. I think this is the wave of the future.  We’ve all figured out that giving away content on our websites helps us to build a readership, and authors like Paul Coelho have built themselves into bestsellers by handing out free content. This will have significant impact on the way books are sold, and it means publishing contracts will all have to be reshaped again.

5.     Libraries will jump into the e-book market.  Libraries are trying to figure out how to stay alive. They can do so cheaply by becoming resource centers for a wired world. That means sharing e-books with readers… and that poses all sorts of security risks. Remember what Napster did to the music industry? The same fight is coming to publishing.

6.     Your publisher will acquire websites in order to reach your readers. This is too natural to miss. If they’re publishing westerns, they’ll research where western readers go, then simply acquire the site and capture all those folks. It’s the next step in progressive marketing.

7.     Borders will survive, but Barnes & Noble will take over the world of brick-and-mortar bookselling. You may not think this impacts you all that much, but history has shown a free market economy works better when there is competition. Borders is on the ropes, but we need them to survive.

8.     A major author is going to make a fortune self-publishing. I think a big author will look at the numbers, figure out how to market herself online, and decide to make more money creating and selling a book on her own. Really. (Hey – it’s my column! I can predict what I want!)

9.     ICRS will fade away. I hate to say it, but it looks like the day of the trade show is ending. Interest was already down, and with the depression there will be even less incentive to attend a show more interested in Jesus Insoles and Thomas-Kinkade-soap-on-a-rope than in books. CBE was an attempt to re-shape the landscape of a bookshow, and we’re going to see more attempts like it.

10. In a world stuck in an economic depression, people will seek escape in romances, historicals, and adventure novels. Who needs reality when a great fantasy awaits? I think redemptive storylines and muckraking journalistic books on how we got in this mess are the growth categories in publishing, in addition to books on the evergreen topics of saving money, being healthy, and finding peace with God in a world offering very little peace.

So why does all this relate to you? As an author, you can’t just think about the creative side – you’ve got to consider the business side of writing if you’re going to move forward in your career. So consider this question: How can you look at the movement of e-books and use that to your advantage?

 

Chip MacGregor is president of MacGregor Literary, a full-service literary agency located in Portland, Oregon. He is a former Associate Publisher with Time-Warner, the author of more than two-dozen books, and the agent to several best-selling authors. You can follow his thoughts on writing and publishing on his website, www.chipmacgregor.com. Chip will be at the Blue Ridge conference in May.

Secrets to Creativity

Explore Your L.I.F.E.

When you don’t know where else to turn, explore L.I.F.E., an acronym for Literature, Imagination, Folklore, and Experience. L.I.F.E. is a limitless well of ideas waiting to be tapped into. 

Coax new stories from classic plots by setting them in a different time and place; examine your imagination for themes that pique your interest; search through the timeless motifs of myth, fairy tale and folklore; scour the expanses of your own experience to spark new ideas. Let your memories come alive!

Some memories inspire us, others haunt us. Some memories cling to things we own, others hover around places we’ve been. Start with what you have, nurture that fragment of a memory: your teacher’s face, the smell of your grandmother’s cookies, the charming way your father used to whistle, the chill in your soul as you rushed to the hospital, the taste of salt spray that summer at the ocean, how it felt to hold your daughter’s hand for the first time. Turn those memories over in your mind, flesh them out, allow them to breathe.

Every vivid memory is a garden of ripe plot ideas waiting to be harvested.

Change Your Perspective

A few years ago while visiting a hotel in Denver, I noticed “EXIT” signs not only above the exit doors, but also at their base. “How odd!” I thought. “Only someone crawling on the floor would need a sign down there!”

Aha.

Whoever placed those signs down low had looked at the doors through the eyes of someone crawling for safety during a fire. 

Creativity isn’t “seeing what no one else sees;” it’s “seeing what anyone else would see--if only they were looking.” New ideas are born when we view life from a fresh perspective or peer at the world through another set of eyes.

Keep ideas alive by working backwards and sideways, by peering over your shoulder rather than always staring straight ahead.  Remember, you don’t dance in a straight line.

So take a moment and look at your story from another person's perspective. Step into the shoes of your main character and write a journal entry, a complaint letter, or a love note. Switch your point of view. Write a few paragraphs in first person or third person. Think of how you would respond if you were in the story. Walk through the action, stand on your desk, crawl on the floor. And keep your eyes open for the doors no one else has noticed.

Let Serendipity Happen

In Horace Walpole’s 18^th century Persian fairy tale The Three Princes of Serendip, the heroes discover new things again and again while looking for something else. From this we get the word “serendipity” which Walpole defined as “the facility of making happy chance discoveries.”

Fiction pivots upon the hinge of serendipitous discoveries—the detective recalls the victim’s clogged drain while combing her hair, the lawyer realizes the significance of the cell phone when he knocks his off his desk, the spy remembers the secret gadget hidden in his wristwatch. At the time, they weren’t searching for a solution, but they found one. After they’ve tried everything they can think of, the answer comes riding in on the wings of serendipity.

If you’re stuck and drained of ideas, you might be trying too hard. You can’t make happy chance discoveries until you step away, take a break, experience life, and stop worrying about your writing. Relax. Worrying about problems is like looking at bacteria through a microscope—it doesn’t help ‘em go away, it only makes ‘em look bigger. And the longer you stare, the more imposing they appear. 

So work smarter, not harder. Break your routine. Go to a movie. Have a cup of coffee. Abstain from octopus. Try writing in a different place or at a different time. Lift weights. Vary your schedule. Get up in the middle of the night. Place yourself in situations where you’re not at ease--risking and responding to new challenges forces you to think creatively and opens the door for serendipity. Do something completely different and let those parts of your brain you’re not even aware of chew on the problem for awhile. 

Let serendipity work for you.

Set Specific Boundaries

A photographer focuses on a single event and snaps the picture, freezing that moment forever. Her picture reveals only a sliver of reality, yet that carefully framed sliver contains a world of meaning. A great photographer knows just what to leave out.

Fiction writers don’t have a viewfinder. The lens we look through is as large as our imagination. And when we can’t think of what to write next, we often try generating more ideas when we really need to set more limits. The skilled photographer is careful to frame her shot just right. The skilled writer is careful to fence in his idea.

Nothing stalls writing more effectively than lack of focus. Freedom to write anything usually ends up becoming an excuse for not writing anything. As William Zinsser notes in On Writing Well, “Every writing project must be reduced before you start to write it.” 

So sharpen your focus, clarify your framework, and set some boundaries. What’s your story really about? What’s the theme? The deadline? The word count? If you weren’t assigned any boundaries, set them yourself.

Look For Connections

Creativity occurs at the intersection of ideas when two thoughts, that seem to have nothing in common, collide and form something new. Don’t feel pressured to always come up with ideas from scratch. Instead, look for ways of combining two or more familiar things into something novel and unique.

Do this by forcing yourself to make connections. Randomly choose any two objects in your home, combine them, and form something new: “carpet” + “lights” might become “carpight” a soft, cushiony, glowing floor covering that turns on when you step on it.

See? Think metaphorically. For example: An idea is like a flame—it curls and leaps and has a mind of its own. It’s unpredictable and uncontrollable. And it’ll eventually burn out unless you feed it fresh materials. Only then can it grow and spread and light new fires. Without attention, it’ll slowly smoulder and die. So when you discover a new idea, be careful! Feed it gently, don’t smother it. Give your ideas space and every once in a while, blow on them to keep the embers glowing and the flames sprouting up.

Look for those parallels or connections between things that seem to have nothing in common. Let unexpected connections spark your writing. 

Ask Stupid Questions

Don’t be afraid to ask obvious, even stupid, questions. It may help you restate the problem in a way that reveals the solution you’ve been looking for. 

Describe the finished story to someone. What has to happen before you get there? What does the reader need to know by the end? You may have left out a key thought, clue, or concept. Ask yourself, “What’s missing from my story? What have I left out? What would naturally come next?”  

Use “What if?” questions to jar you toward a unique solution. “What if I started over from scratch? What if time wasn’t a factor? Is time a factor? What if I made this a screenplay instead of a novel?” Is there anything missing?

No question is too stupid when it comes to framing and improving your story. Just be brave enough to accept and embrace the answers!

Question Your Direction

A Jewish folktale tells of a man searching for paradise. Every night he points his shoes toward his goal and goes to bed. Every morning he steps into his shoes and continues his journey. But one night, a mischievous imp turns the shoes around. The next day the man thinks he’s headed for paradise, but he’s really walking back home. Pretty soon, he ends up back where he started from.

His problem had nothing to do with lack of effort or motivation. He even had a wonderful destination. He just never noticed he was walking in the wrong direction. 

That same imp visits writers. He sneaks into our stories and points the plot in the wrong direction. And we keep plugging away, writing page after page of a story that’s headed nowhere.

Sometimes we write ourselves into a corner. We try harder and harder to scale the walls we’ve erected without ever wondering, “Does this story even need that corner?”

Question where you’re going. Don’t assume that you must be going in the right direction just because you’re picking up from where you left off yesterday. Ask yourself, “Is this really the right direction for this story? If not, where did I make the wrong turn?”

Stay on track. Every day when you start writing, make sure the shoes are pointing in the right direction.

Critically acclaimed author Steven James is one of the nation’s most innovative storytellers. Since developing his skill as a performer at East Tennessee State University (MA in Storytelling), he has spoken more than 1500 times throughout North America, Europe and Asia. Now harnessing his ability to build suspense with his vivid imagination and evocative writing, Steven is launching his first series of high-octane thrillers, the Bowers Files. Steven lives with his wife and daughters in the hills of Tennessee.