Punctuation in all the right places can have a tremendous impact on a piece of writing. And, the opposite is true - punctuation in all the wrong places can greatly hinder a piece of writing. Or, even change the meaning of it, altogether.
Here's an example I love to give my students (I can't take credit for this - a friend sent this to me in a "forward" last year):
I write this sentence on the board:
Woman without her man is nothing.
I pause and let the students take in the meaning. Then, I punctuate the sentence this way:
Woman - without her, man is nothing.
I pause again and watch the students' faces change. They start to smile and nod their heads in understanding.
Punctuation is a powerful thing. In creative writing, I personally love to use dashes for dramatic pauses. I find them more effective than periods sometimes. Commas are another issue. I tend to overuse them, but I notice that in published creative fiction, they can be quite sparse. I think too many or too few (of anything) can be a bad thing. But, the good news is that it's up to the individual writer. Reading your work aloud, to "hear" the need for a short pause (,) or long pause (--) is always a great idea. Thankfully, in creative fiction, we're allowed some freedoms that formal writing doesn't offer.
So, consider punctuation thoughtfully. Consider its importance and the way it can enhance or detract from your writing. Because it's an intregal part of the communication process - and of creative fiction. ;-)
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Award!
Hey! My first award in BloggerLand (thanks, Matt!).
Never done this before, but I'll do my best to follow the instructions:
The rules are:
1. Copy the Kreativ Blogger picture and post it on your page. (Okay, done).
2. Thank the person that gave the award to you and link back to their blog. (Done - link below...).
3. Write 7 things about you that we don't know. (Below...)
4. Choose 7 other bloggers that you would like to give the award to. (Here's the tricky part - I probably only read/follow about 3 other blogs because of time constraints, and a couple of those blogs are sort of personal-friend blogs (so, I'm not sure if they want me to link to them or not. I'll ask them, though...).
5. Link to the bloggers that you chose. (See #4)
6. Let your winners know that they have the lovely award! (Will do!)
So, here are those 7 random things about me:
1. I have a real weakness for donuts. I could eat 5 of them, easily, in one sitting.
2. I wish James Taylor would make a new original album. I loved October Road.
3. I'm an Anglo-phile and would probably live in England if I wouldn't miss my family and friends so much.
4. I get tired of speaking in front of people all morning (lecturing to students). It doesn't come naturally to me. Never has, never will.
5. I love the specific quiet hush that snow brings with it.
6. I know my love of Shakespeare came directly from my watching the 70's movie version of Romeo and Juliet. I was 13 years old and hadn't read the play yet, so I had no idea about the tragic ending. I got so absorbed in it that I think I might've even talked to the screen, to Romeo - "No - she's ALIVE. Don't kill yourself!" lol Alas, he didn't listen to me...
7. I wish people didn't feel the need to judge other people. We're all in the same boat, living this life. So why point fingers?
Here are the blogs I follow and want to give this award to (I'll add more soon, hopefully):
1. Matt from Pensive Sarcasm -- he's a fellow writer and his razor-sharp, witty writing is amazing. His blog always gives me a good laugh, plus something substantive to ponder. A great mix!
2. Gayle's Bard Blog -- see my #6 to see why I love this blog. She's a lover of Shakespeare, like me.
3. The Sweet Life of a Trophy Wife - hilarious, witty, sarcastic blog of a good friend of mine. She's also a great mother and an awesome writer. Highly recommended.
Quirky Cards
This is a recent assignment I gave to my Creative Writing class, one that seemed to go over pretty well with them:
I handed each student 10 note cards and instructed them to separate the cards into 2 stacks - on 5 of the cards, they were to write down 5 occupations/careers (one per card). On the other 5, they were to write down 5 quirky behaviors (one per card). The occupations and quirky behaviors shouldn't intentionally "match." They should be entirely separate.
Then, the idea is to shuffle the cards and choose one random career and one random quirky behavior, and create a story/scene from that scenario. Sometimes I have the students swap cards, so that they're writing from someone else's ideas. That's always interesting! :-)
Here's an example: The first semester I taught Creative Writing, I had the most delightful 84-year-old woman as a student (she was auditing the course). She was quite proper and formal, but when she read her "card story" aloud, it was a little...surprising. She'd used another student's cards to create a scene in which a man goes through a drive-thru, orders a hamburger, then pulls over to the side and parks. He unwraps the burger and eats the pickles. Then, the cheese. Then, the tomatoes. Then, the meat. And finally, the bun. He wads up the wrapper and throws it on the seat, next to the gun laying there, and thinks ahead in his mind about the woman he's about to go use it on!
After she read the story, we were all a little shocked, and I asked her what the cards had said. She replied with a grin, "A mob hitman who eats his meal one ingredient at a time." Brilliant! Quirky! And, it gave her permission to write a story she probably never would've thought of, on her own. I think she enjoyed it more than any other exercise we did.
And, really, that's the point of the cards - to bring you out of your own head a little and create something unique, something quirky and left-of-center. I think we all need to write something like that once in awhile...
I handed each student 10 note cards and instructed them to separate the cards into 2 stacks - on 5 of the cards, they were to write down 5 occupations/careers (one per card). On the other 5, they were to write down 5 quirky behaviors (one per card). The occupations and quirky behaviors shouldn't intentionally "match." They should be entirely separate.
Then, the idea is to shuffle the cards and choose one random career and one random quirky behavior, and create a story/scene from that scenario. Sometimes I have the students swap cards, so that they're writing from someone else's ideas. That's always interesting! :-)
Here's an example: The first semester I taught Creative Writing, I had the most delightful 84-year-old woman as a student (she was auditing the course). She was quite proper and formal, but when she read her "card story" aloud, it was a little...surprising. She'd used another student's cards to create a scene in which a man goes through a drive-thru, orders a hamburger, then pulls over to the side and parks. He unwraps the burger and eats the pickles. Then, the cheese. Then, the tomatoes. Then, the meat. And finally, the bun. He wads up the wrapper and throws it on the seat, next to the gun laying there, and thinks ahead in his mind about the woman he's about to go use it on!
After she read the story, we were all a little shocked, and I asked her what the cards had said. She replied with a grin, "A mob hitman who eats his meal one ingredient at a time." Brilliant! Quirky! And, it gave her permission to write a story she probably never would've thought of, on her own. I think she enjoyed it more than any other exercise we did.
And, really, that's the point of the cards - to bring you out of your own head a little and create something unique, something quirky and left-of-center. I think we all need to write something like that once in awhile...
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Another Great Link
This one is called Preditors and Editors, and it's possibly the most valuable resource available to writers trying to get published. It contains a HUGE database of publishers and agents, listed alphabetically, with updated contact info. Even better, it helps writers distinguish between the legit agencies/publishers and the not-so-legit agencies/publishers. A very important distinction!
Before I ever send off a query letter to an agent, I go straight to this site, to double-check the quality of the agency first. To see if the agency has any "red flags," or even if the agency has recently gone out of business. Many times, after checking with this database, I change my mind about submitting to that particular agency, and I've probably saved myself some potential grief in the process. As well, I'm able to see positive remarks about the good agencies, and my hopes for those agencies are reinforced.
It always pays off to do your research, and this particular site should be an essential part of any writer's agent/publisher research process.
Before I ever send off a query letter to an agent, I go straight to this site, to double-check the quality of the agency first. To see if the agency has any "red flags," or even if the agency has recently gone out of business. Many times, after checking with this database, I change my mind about submitting to that particular agency, and I've probably saved myself some potential grief in the process. As well, I'm able to see positive remarks about the good agencies, and my hopes for those agencies are reinforced.
It always pays off to do your research, and this particular site should be an essential part of any writer's agent/publisher research process.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Ode to Poetry
So far, I've focused my entries on fiction because it's what I'm most comfortable writing. But I also enjoy, and occasionally write, poetry. So, here goes:
I'll be blunt - in high school and college, I didn't "get" poetry. I tried. I struggled. I sweated. I squirmed. But I just couldn't get it. It was out of my grasp, the carrot I was always reaching for but could never quite snatch.
Fast-forward several years - the lightbulb finally turned on for me during a Modern Poetry class I took when I was 30 years old. The teacher had the key that unlocked the mystery of poetry. She explained each line in tangible terms and made it easy to understand. I finally "got" it, and I appreciated it like I had never done before. It fascinated me.
Understanding it also gave me the courage to write it. Now, I still don't consider myself a true poet, and writing poetry still doesn't come easily to me. But I find it, by far, the most raw, real, personal, and subjective form of literature available. I love its freedom, its mystery, its depth, its brevity. I appreciate it. And I'm (hopefully) a better writer for appreciating it. Because there can be poetry, even in prose. In fact, there should be. Metaphor, imagery, personification, alliteration - these devices all have a place in prose, as well.
So, what's your "relationship" with poetry? Love it or loathe it?
I'll be blunt - in high school and college, I didn't "get" poetry. I tried. I struggled. I sweated. I squirmed. But I just couldn't get it. It was out of my grasp, the carrot I was always reaching for but could never quite snatch.
Fast-forward several years - the lightbulb finally turned on for me during a Modern Poetry class I took when I was 30 years old. The teacher had the key that unlocked the mystery of poetry. She explained each line in tangible terms and made it easy to understand. I finally "got" it, and I appreciated it like I had never done before. It fascinated me.
Understanding it also gave me the courage to write it. Now, I still don't consider myself a true poet, and writing poetry still doesn't come easily to me. But I find it, by far, the most raw, real, personal, and subjective form of literature available. I love its freedom, its mystery, its depth, its brevity. I appreciate it. And I'm (hopefully) a better writer for appreciating it. Because there can be poetry, even in prose. In fact, there should be. Metaphor, imagery, personification, alliteration - these devices all have a place in prose, as well.
So, what's your "relationship" with poetry? Love it or loathe it?
Monday, October 26, 2009
Agent Link
From time to time, I want to share some writing links I've found helpful, entertaining, or informative. I'll try to post the links each time on my main Blog board, to keep a running list of them. Please feel free to add some of your favorite links in the comments, as well! I love finding new sites!
So, here's today's - How I Got My Agent, a blog from Writer's Digest. I love these stories, detailing the struggles, pitfalls, and sheer joys that writers experience on their way to getting an agent. And, it's encouraging because it shows we're not alone. Agented writers had to face the highs and lows and everything else in between...
So, here's today's - How I Got My Agent, a blog from Writer's Digest. I love these stories, detailing the struggles, pitfalls, and sheer joys that writers experience on their way to getting an agent. And, it's encouraging because it shows we're not alone. Agented writers had to face the highs and lows and everything else in between...
Sunday, October 25, 2009
To Cuss or Not to Cuss...
Let's talk profanity. :-)
In my students' Creative Writing papers, I allow a certain amount of profanity. I tell my students that if their characters really need to cuss - if that's part of who they are as characters - then, let them.
But, I also caution my students - too much profanity can actually detract from the writing. Case in point, the movie Good Will Hunting. Now, I like that film. It's got some great moments in it and some well-written sections. But the first time I saw it, all I could hear was the "f" word. I even started counting them, for fun, and lost track after about 30 or so. I'm not a prude, and I don't mind profanity in movies, to a degree. But when it overshadows the dialogue, the characters, the plot, it's too much.
Think of it this way - if you have a character who uses that "f" word every other sentence, then after awhile, the reader starts to become numb to it. The word loses its impact, just like any other word you might say over and over and over again. But, if you have a character who never, ever cusses, and suddenly that character is infuriated by some situation and says, "F$%# that!", then it makes the reader sit up and pay attention. It's much more effective, used in moderation.
Certainly, profanity is not mandatory. In fact, most of my characters don't use profanity, and when they do, it's in moderation. That's just my personal choice, and it reflects the kind of novels I write ("cozy" women's fiction). Action/mystery seems to be a genre that lends itself to more profanity, but not always. I once heard John Grisham say that he uses very little profanity (if any) in his books, and that certainly hasn't stopped the sale of them!
In the end, it's your choice as a writer to include profanity or not to include it. Just be sure that it's necessary to the character/plot, and not simply "thrown in" for the sake of being controversial or startling. Every word, even cuss words, must serve a purpose in your writing.
In my students' Creative Writing papers, I allow a certain amount of profanity. I tell my students that if their characters really need to cuss - if that's part of who they are as characters - then, let them.
But, I also caution my students - too much profanity can actually detract from the writing. Case in point, the movie Good Will Hunting. Now, I like that film. It's got some great moments in it and some well-written sections. But the first time I saw it, all I could hear was the "f" word. I even started counting them, for fun, and lost track after about 30 or so. I'm not a prude, and I don't mind profanity in movies, to a degree. But when it overshadows the dialogue, the characters, the plot, it's too much.
Think of it this way - if you have a character who uses that "f" word every other sentence, then after awhile, the reader starts to become numb to it. The word loses its impact, just like any other word you might say over and over and over again. But, if you have a character who never, ever cusses, and suddenly that character is infuriated by some situation and says, "F$%# that!", then it makes the reader sit up and pay attention. It's much more effective, used in moderation.
Certainly, profanity is not mandatory. In fact, most of my characters don't use profanity, and when they do, it's in moderation. That's just my personal choice, and it reflects the kind of novels I write ("cozy" women's fiction). Action/mystery seems to be a genre that lends itself to more profanity, but not always. I once heard John Grisham say that he uses very little profanity (if any) in his books, and that certainly hasn't stopped the sale of them!
In the end, it's your choice as a writer to include profanity or not to include it. Just be sure that it's necessary to the character/plot, and not simply "thrown in" for the sake of being controversial or startling. Every word, even cuss words, must serve a purpose in your writing.
Friday, October 23, 2009
Character Sketch
To help me get to know my (main) characters better, I use this "sketch/profile."
What is the character's...
* physical presence? (height, weight, hair color, skin color, eye color, etc...)
* personality? (get as detailed as possible - even could take a Briggs-Meyers test AS your character, to get to know him/her better)
* special quirks, phobias?
* background? (including childhood, siblings, friends, education, etc.)
* current career? (Why did he/she choose that career? How does it fit his/her personality? Is he/she happy in it?)
* hobbies?
* family situation? (married/single? current and past relationships with parents and siblings - birth order, dynamics between siblings, parental issues, etc.)
* past loves (who were they, how did they meet, what was the relationship, how deep was it, and how far did it go, and when and how did it end?)
Additional questions:
* How does the character react to: fear, love, death, decision-making, hard-to-like people, boredom, conflicts, crises, children, etc...
* What’s in the purse/wallet?
* What kind of car does he/she drive and how old is it?
* What’s his/her idea of a perfect evening? Perfect day?
* Neat freaks or sloppy?
* Favorite tv shows, music, movies?
* Dog or cat person?
* Religious or political affiliation?
* Any tattoos or piercings? If so, where are they located and what's the significance?
* Speak more than one language?
* How many other cities/countries has the character visited?
Environment:
* Describe his/her room or living space - what’s in it? Color scheme, items (computer, clock, CD’s, furniture)? What could you tell about this character by just walking into his/her house or office?
----------------------
Certainly, the list could go on and on. And the odd thing is, you probably won't end up revealing even HALF of these specific details inside your story/novel. There's not room to do that (without wasting valuable plot time), and it's really not necessary. These details are for you, the writer, more than for the reader.
I'm sure many of you already have some sort of "character sketch" you usually follow, probably even similar to this one. I'd love to hear some of the questions you use to get to know your own characters!
What is the character's...
* physical presence? (height, weight, hair color, skin color, eye color, etc...)
* personality? (get as detailed as possible - even could take a Briggs-Meyers test AS your character, to get to know him/her better)
* special quirks, phobias?
* background? (including childhood, siblings, friends, education, etc.)
* current career? (Why did he/she choose that career? How does it fit his/her personality? Is he/she happy in it?)
* hobbies?
* family situation? (married/single? current and past relationships with parents and siblings - birth order, dynamics between siblings, parental issues, etc.)
* past loves (who were they, how did they meet, what was the relationship, how deep was it, and how far did it go, and when and how did it end?)
Additional questions:
* How does the character react to: fear, love, death, decision-making, hard-to-like people, boredom, conflicts, crises, children, etc...
* What’s in the purse/wallet?
* What kind of car does he/she drive and how old is it?
* What’s his/her idea of a perfect evening? Perfect day?
* Neat freaks or sloppy?
* Favorite tv shows, music, movies?
* Dog or cat person?
* Religious or political affiliation?
* Any tattoos or piercings? If so, where are they located and what's the significance?
* Speak more than one language?
* How many other cities/countries has the character visited?
Environment:
* Describe his/her room or living space - what’s in it? Color scheme, items (computer, clock, CD’s, furniture)? What could you tell about this character by just walking into his/her house or office?
----------------------
Certainly, the list could go on and on. And the odd thing is, you probably won't end up revealing even HALF of these specific details inside your story/novel. There's not room to do that (without wasting valuable plot time), and it's really not necessary. These details are for you, the writer, more than for the reader.
I'm sure many of you already have some sort of "character sketch" you usually follow, probably even similar to this one. I'd love to hear some of the questions you use to get to know your own characters!
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Out-of-Character Characters
Well-drawn characters should feel like real people - with strong personalities, quirks, weight issues, Bachelor's degrees, huge DVD collections, sibling rivalries, sleep-walking issues, etc. They should be full and deep and intricate and complex, just like real people.
Which leads me to state something slightly controversial: I believe that real people don't change. Now, certainly, people can become jaded or more open-minded, can develop new musical tastes, can even change political parties throughout their lifetimes. But the core of who they are, their very essence, generally does not change: core values/beliefs, personality traits, basic view of the world. These things, I've found, usually remain the same, even over decades of time.
Likewise, characters in our books/stories/plays should not drastically change. Of course, they should evolve, grow, learn from mistakes, or else why write about them in the first place? Nobody lives in a stagnant place. There's always room for growth and improvement and lessons learned. A character should grow from Point A to Point Z, surely.
But - the very core of who the character is should remain the same. Because when it doesn't, then it leads the character to do something...well, out-of-character. And that frustrates readers. They will pause the reading, scratch their heads and furrow their brows, and say, "That character would never do/say something like that." Even worse, readers might stop trusting the writer altogether, wondering if the writer knows his/her characters at all.
I'll let you in on a little secret. One of my guilty pleasures is watching The Young and the Restless. (*waits for tomatoes to be thrown at the screen* LOL) I've watched it since I was in college, so I know these characters pretty darn well. One time, a few years back, Victor Newman did something TOTALLY out-of-character. I don't even remember what it was, but it had me practically talking to the screen: "What?! Victor would never do that! How stupid!" I can't tell you how frustrated I was that the writers had gotten so lazy. Or sloppy. Or careless. Whatever the case, as the viewer, I was pointing my finger directly at them.
As a writer, trust that your readers are smart, that they will care for and know your characters -- well enough to hold you accountable for sloppy/lazy/careless writing.
So, how do we avoid angering our readers, and keeping our characters "in character?" Know the characters. Well. Better than anyone else. Know their habits, their morning routine, how many sugars go into their coffee. Know their dating history, their future goals, how much they love or hate their current career. Have a conversation with them (internally, unless you don't mind that your friends/family might think you're going a little nuts). Know the way they talk, walk, whisper, dream, hold grudges, love, and hate. Know everything about them.
Then, the likelihood of them doing anything "out-of-character" will diminish drastically. And you will have happy readers. Which is always a good thing. ;-)
Which leads me to state something slightly controversial: I believe that real people don't change. Now, certainly, people can become jaded or more open-minded, can develop new musical tastes, can even change political parties throughout their lifetimes. But the core of who they are, their very essence, generally does not change: core values/beliefs, personality traits, basic view of the world. These things, I've found, usually remain the same, even over decades of time.
Likewise, characters in our books/stories/plays should not drastically change. Of course, they should evolve, grow, learn from mistakes, or else why write about them in the first place? Nobody lives in a stagnant place. There's always room for growth and improvement and lessons learned. A character should grow from Point A to Point Z, surely.
But - the very core of who the character is should remain the same. Because when it doesn't, then it leads the character to do something...well, out-of-character. And that frustrates readers. They will pause the reading, scratch their heads and furrow their brows, and say, "That character would never do/say something like that." Even worse, readers might stop trusting the writer altogether, wondering if the writer knows his/her characters at all.
I'll let you in on a little secret. One of my guilty pleasures is watching The Young and the Restless. (*waits for tomatoes to be thrown at the screen* LOL) I've watched it since I was in college, so I know these characters pretty darn well. One time, a few years back, Victor Newman did something TOTALLY out-of-character. I don't even remember what it was, but it had me practically talking to the screen: "What?! Victor would never do that! How stupid!" I can't tell you how frustrated I was that the writers had gotten so lazy. Or sloppy. Or careless. Whatever the case, as the viewer, I was pointing my finger directly at them.
As a writer, trust that your readers are smart, that they will care for and know your characters -- well enough to hold you accountable for sloppy/lazy/careless writing.
So, how do we avoid angering our readers, and keeping our characters "in character?" Know the characters. Well. Better than anyone else. Know their habits, their morning routine, how many sugars go into their coffee. Know their dating history, their future goals, how much they love or hate their current career. Have a conversation with them (internally, unless you don't mind that your friends/family might think you're going a little nuts). Know the way they talk, walk, whisper, dream, hold grudges, love, and hate. Know everything about them.
Then, the likelihood of them doing anything "out-of-character" will diminish drastically. And you will have happy readers. Which is always a good thing. ;-)
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Character Stew
Let's talk characters. I have 3 blog entries in mind (this is the first) that will deal with characterization.
First, creating them:
Creating a character is a bit like making a stew. It doesn't happen all at once, in an instant, BAM! No, it happens in stages, as the author puts on the apron, hums a tune, and then begins - sprinkling in bits of description, dialogue, relationships to other characters, inner turmoil, background details, decisions, etc. Then, the stew simmers and is brought to a boil.
Think about creating characters the way you get to know a person in real life. The first time you meet someone, you make an initial assessment - how he/she looks, talks, carries himself/herself. Then, you communicate - and you learn even more about who that person is from the accent, mannerisms, hesitations, word choices. And, over time, you find out the likes/dislikes, the personal history, education, career, religious beliefs, etc. It takes time to "know" and develop a character, much like it takes time to know a real-life person.
Mainly, don't feel like you have to give the character away on the very first page. Just like real people do, let your characters have a few secrets, to be revealed at a later time. Then, bit by bit, action by action, page by page, let the readers decide for themselves who this character is. "Show, don't tell" is especially important here. Be careful not to use too much exposition (background information) to tell directly "about" the character. Instead, show the character to the readers and let them develop their own "relationship" with the characters, without your "telling" them what that relationship is. Easier said than done, of course. It's a tedious process, characterization. It takes hard work, diligence, sensitivity, and practice.
Another tip is to READ. See how other authors do it. How do they craft their characters? The best thing to do is to re-visit a book you've already read - one in which the characters were so richly drawn that they felt absolutely real, and that when the book was over, you felt sad to leave them. Go back to those books - but this time, go back as a writer instead of a reader. Observe exactly how the author made you care so much in the first place. See whether, in tasting their character "stew," you can identify the individual ingredients that made the stew so rich and hearty.
First, creating them:
Creating a character is a bit like making a stew. It doesn't happen all at once, in an instant, BAM! No, it happens in stages, as the author puts on the apron, hums a tune, and then begins - sprinkling in bits of description, dialogue, relationships to other characters, inner turmoil, background details, decisions, etc. Then, the stew simmers and is brought to a boil.
Think about creating characters the way you get to know a person in real life. The first time you meet someone, you make an initial assessment - how he/she looks, talks, carries himself/herself. Then, you communicate - and you learn even more about who that person is from the accent, mannerisms, hesitations, word choices. And, over time, you find out the likes/dislikes, the personal history, education, career, religious beliefs, etc. It takes time to "know" and develop a character, much like it takes time to know a real-life person.
Mainly, don't feel like you have to give the character away on the very first page. Just like real people do, let your characters have a few secrets, to be revealed at a later time. Then, bit by bit, action by action, page by page, let the readers decide for themselves who this character is. "Show, don't tell" is especially important here. Be careful not to use too much exposition (background information) to tell directly "about" the character. Instead, show the character to the readers and let them develop their own "relationship" with the characters, without your "telling" them what that relationship is. Easier said than done, of course. It's a tedious process, characterization. It takes hard work, diligence, sensitivity, and practice.
Another tip is to READ. See how other authors do it. How do they craft their characters? The best thing to do is to re-visit a book you've already read - one in which the characters were so richly drawn that they felt absolutely real, and that when the book was over, you felt sad to leave them. Go back to those books - but this time, go back as a writer instead of a reader. Observe exactly how the author made you care so much in the first place. See whether, in tasting their character "stew," you can identify the individual ingredients that made the stew so rich and hearty.
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