A Writer’s Journey

Making an evil character takes a good understanding of how the human mind works. Being evil for the sake of being evil is not realistic, and generally not good reading. A good book, after all, has more to do with the human element and our place in the universe. This leads into the depths of good versus evil, and defining the two sides to something black and white. What about the gray area in between? What is your own concept of good and evil? Is this the norm of society, or do you want to make a point of what your view is on human nature.

A good ‘bad guy’ is a character of many parts. He (or she) should have reasons in doing what they do; causes for their actions. A bad guy can provoke fear into the hearts of those around him, or hate, or even pity depending on the reader’s own experiences. Some bad guys are a wonderful blend of their own chaos, taking the other side of the protagonist in the story. They serve to create the conflict.

An act of evil depends heavily on the reasons, the causes, and the actual events of the act. When someone murders another, ask yourself ‘was it out of desperation, anger, fear, or enjoyment’? Sometimes a bad guy simply has weaknesses. He might be mentally ill, or carrying an emotional burden. What you might consider evil might be understandable by some readers. For instance, murdering someone in self defense or by accident isn’t evil, but can spur the reader to hate the ‘bad guy’. We can hate him for his fears, cowardice, or sense of revenge as well.

The cliche ending for the bad guy is generally a bad end. They ‘get their just desserts’, and the reader is left with a sense of justice in the world. Even more cliche’ is that the villain often does something evil to remind the reader that he or she is evil and therefore they deserve do die. Or do they? Wouldn’t a plot that allows the bad guy to find redemption be the better end? Do they perhaps escape to be evil another day? Is the reader left to wonder? Do you stay the course, or explore other avenues in plot design for your bad guy?

TIP: Put yourself in the place and time of the bad guy character of your story. Ask yourself about motive and fears. Why is this character on the opposing side of your protagonist? Write from his or her point of view, justifying their actions.

If you don’t have an established antagonist, create one. Provide a brief visual description, but also habits, fears, hopes, dreams, and passions. Make the person ‘real’.

There’s the old saying, “Never judge a book by its cover”. Sage advice, if you ask me when judging people. However, I find myself very much judging a book by its cover, to gain some insight as to what the book is about. You’d be surprised to know that many authors do not choose the cover to their own book. Publishing companies decide, and I would think they know best, right? They might also have an inside scoop on the best illustrators, or have something in mind that would help sell the book. Some illustrators add to the book’s worth as well, making it a collector’s edition.

For instance, hardcover books will have a different artist than the paperback copy as found in R.A. Salvatore’s Dark Elf series. The covers were redone when reprinted by Todd Lockwood (who does breathtaking work, by the way).

Starless Night’s original cover include Drizzt looking like an old man, despite the story telling how Drizzt, despite his years was from the long lived Drow race and therefore quite young looking. You’ll notice too, this is not the ebony skinned Dark Elf described in the book, but an old, white man, looking stern. The newer cover captures the story and its characters so much better.

Here is Todd Lockwood’s version of Starless Nights, with the infamous fight scene between Drizzt and his nemesis Artemis Entreri. Not only is Drizzt pictured as the true Drow with dark skin and white hair, but the scene holds the true sense of the excellent fighting scenes the author is known for.

Michael Whelan is a famed illustrator that creates some mind blowing artwork for books of various genre. He did the covers for Stephan Kings Roland the Gunslinger, and Michael Moorcock’s Elric series. He also designed Anne McCaffrey’s Dragonriders of Pern series, among others.

Michael Komarck is another artist that excels at book covers and letting the reader get a real sense of the story and characters. Its this sort of cover design that snags my attention and has me picking up the book to read what its all about. Feel free to post favorite authors or books you find that are eye catching.

Many current events can inspire ideas for articles such as holidays, personal experience, other articles, personal issues, and even your own crisis in life can spark an interesting topic to publish. This is especially true if you write blogs (online journals) and need topics, or you submit articles to web content sites.

Check the month’s holidays to see if you can find something interesting to write about. Doing this also puts you on a deadline. You want to complete the writing before the holiday and in enough time so this gets published. Origins, meaning, traditions, and crafts are popular aspects of subject matter. Your own personal experience offers readers a possible solutions to their own problem. Knowledge, especially learned firsthand, is gold in this market.

Telling your personal story on how to deal with a crisis not only provides the drama readers like, but also a means to problem solving on their own. Have a health problem, a family issue, or something even mundane on dealing with products such as reviews or experiences.

Telling someone else’s story. With their permission of course. Not everyone can write about what has happened to them, and stories from any source can be entertaining or at least informative. Interview someone who has something to share, and offer to give them credit.

Explaining how to do something. Instructional articles or even non fiction books and articles are always in demand. People want to know, to learn, and to understand about various subjects. If you follow a hobby or studied a subject, why not share what you know?

Reading. Reading books, both non fiction and fiction alike, can provide tons of ideas to a writer. You can expand on an established subject, provide a new angle, or find a creative change from the norm. Newspapers, magazines, poems, and any other reading medium provides the same inspiration. A good writer reads.

http://menwithpens.ca/fiction-writing-hurt-your-characters

I was inspired by this topic I discovered today in my travels online. I agree wholeheartedly with inflicting pain and anguish on your story characters. Life is about problems and solutions, of crisis and overcoming obstacles. Pain also offers the best teaching tool, with tempering the character with strength. (both inner and outer)

I also found this as a writer’s tip to kill off a character if you face writer’s block. Such action immediately creates drama and something for the other character to deal with.  Even having a character believed dead causes enough raucous to add more issues into your storyline.

One method I like to use to inspire my writing is listening to music. I have a number of choices, such as soundtracks, rock, blues, classical, and just about any other type of music out there. Depending on the scene will depend on the type of music I choose.Here are a few tips:

• Create playlists in your music player (Media Player, RealPlayer, other) with labels such as battle, romance, dialogue, or another ’scene’ them you want.
• You can copy your CD/DVD onto your hard drive to create the playlists. How this is done depends on your player.
• You can listen to music online if you have high speed Internet (see links below).
• Headset helps drown out outside noise, filling your ears with music, and allowing you to lose yourself in your story.

ISerenity- This site offers a means to use ‘white noise’ or ambiant sounds you can use for free. Simply pick your sound, and let it fill you. I like the wind chimes the best.

AOL Online Radio- offers a huge variety of music to choose from; most of which has no interruptions and you can hear the whole song. If you sign up (free) you can add up to 10 preset stations of choice. The link to hear the radio is near the top of the screen where it says “listen now”.

Playlist User- offers a means to create playlists you can listen to on various styles of music. One drawback is often you find the song you like is no longer available.

Amazon.com downloads- Believe it not, there is an area on Amazon.com in which you can download music. These are samples, giving you a bit of a taste of music you might not otherwise hear. You can also buy songs on an individual basis through them. PLEASE note: backup your music in case your computer crashes.

Writer’s Prompt:

Click here to listen to the music. (or listen to any song you have on hand). Write on whatever the music provokes inside of you such as a scene, a character, or start of a story. What images are brought to mind?

Recently some writers asked what books are best in regards to the craft of writing. I have to admit, I’m rather picky myself on this subject, because so many books waste my time with fluff and sharing information that I have no use for. I decided to share the books I’ve enjoyed (and covet) in my library:

No Plot? No Problom by Chris Baty- Chris Baty founded the National Novel Writing Month, and this book covers the process of writing a novel very well. With added humor, tips, and some exercises, No Plot? No Problem provides inspiration to keep writing.

The Renegade Writer by Linda Formichelli and Diana Burrell- The authors provide a wonderful book that breaks the rules. Offering story after story of writers who managed to find success despite being told otherwise, the book explains the rules of writing while showing how on occasion they can be broken.

265 Troubleshooting Strategies for Writing Nonfiction by Barbara Fine Clouse I love this book. Not only does it help with grammar issues, you will find tons of exercises and prompts to get you writing more creatively.

Starting Your Career as Freelance Writer by Moira Anderson Allen- Another useful book for any writer. This offers the practical side to writing, and how to write for the market. I found tips on finding time, making use of that time, and how to properly format manuscripts extremely helpful.

A Writer’s Workbook by Caroline Sharp- This book includes tons of writer’s prompts and exercises. Its smaller than the other books, fits nicely in my purse, and I bring this with me when I have to sit in waiting rooms. Very handy. Topics covers ‘writing bad guys’ , ‘end well’, and plenty of writer block solutions.
The Well Fed Writer by Peter Bowerman- Here is another practical book on the craft of writing. The author includes just about every avenue of the writing business, and making money as a writer. He gives his own story on breaking into markets, finding work, and utilizing the income you receive.

Let me know if you like this posting. I can add more books I have, but these were the ones that are stock filled with post it notes, and kept by my computer for reference.

Having characters speak to one another in a story offers a interactive dance of thrust and parry with words. You may not realize, however, that dialogue also provides another means to reveal points of your story, expands on your character, and allows a writer to use conversation to tell a story.

Of course, you should try to avoid using the word ’said’, if possible. Overuse of any word on a page leaves a reader strained. Instead, consider using verbs that show action as to what the character is doing. This includes expression, tone, mannerisms, or even thoughts.

An example:

“You can’t be serious!” Tom said in surprise. “You tell me to not use the word said? Are you crazy?”

Calmly, she said, “Indeed, Tom. The word ’said’ generalizes and simplifies dialogue.”

Instead use:

“You can’t be serious!” Tom gasped with eyes wide and jaw dropping. “You tell me to not use the word said? Are you crazy?”

Nodding, her reply maintained calm to his storm. “Indeed, Tom. The word ’said’ generalizes and simplifies dialogue.”

As you can see, the second dialogue never mentions the act of speaking. Only verbs to explain what the characters are doing at the time of speaking is added. Showing actions or sharing thoughts can also imply more that is going on as well.

When you include more than two people in discourse, you will find topics get fuzzy as to who is speaking when. These sentences can then be broken up with the same technique.

For instance:

Tom frowned, tapping fingers in growing agitation. “I’m not convinced.”

“Convinced of what?” Harry interjected. “The whole subject is simple; avoid the word ’said’. How hard can it be?”

“I have to agree with Tom here.” Dick, who remained quiet up until now, added his own opinion. “How can the reader tell who is speaking to who and when?”

Rolling eyes at the both of them, Harry sighed. “Because the actions will reveal that to the reader. Not once are we mentioning the word ’said’. See? It’s easy.”

The two men looked at one another in surprise.

Let your characters tell the story. When pressed to explain pieces of your story, let the characters do this for you. This method allows for a question/answer conversation, as well as connecting the reader on a more personal basis into the story.Through discourse, character take part in being storytellers, sharing their point of view to the story.

Take a moment to listen to people talk. You will realize that mannerisms, tone, and accent make up a character as much as their appearance. This character might have a southern drawl, while this one might carry a speech impediment. Another character tends to spit when they talk, while this character has a sultry, sexy voice that makes the ladies swoon.

Humans use as much facial expression and body language to speak as they do with words. Leaning forwards shows interests, while finger tapping illustrates annoyance. Fussing with hair gives away sexual attraction. Pursed or even tight lips can tell a character as much to someone’s thoughts in many cases.   Some people even have habits that makes them unique such as eye twitching, a smoking habit, chewed fingernails, or something small like a nervous way of brushing aside their hair.
Writing Prompt: 

A neat exercise is watch a movie, and paying attention to the conversations you see. Watch for mannerisms, tone inflection, and subtle emotion playing out before you. Try to write out the scene and see where this plays out.

I had my writer’s meetup yesterday, where a few of my fellow writers join together to share our work, critique, and sometimes endure some writer’s activities to spark something akin to creativity. I look forward to these times. In fact, early this year I dealt through a harrowing time with depression. I felt exhausted all the time, hated to get out of bed, and barely had energy enough to deal with even the most mundane tasks. Oddly, a writer’s meetup lifted my spirits just enough to pull me out of that pit of despair.

Sometimes I feel somewhat pressured to inspire the other members. I’m the organizer, after all, but more often than not I find myself all revved up after talking with fellow writers. Their enthusiasm of for stories, plays, poems, and articles musters enough creativity for each of us to keep writing. Plots sharpen, characters become clear, and goals are shaped into something tangible.

The past few weeks, writing is touch and go. Being unorganized is my Albatross to bear, and the Internet offers too much entertainment for me to focus on ‘just writing’. (curse you StumbUpon!) I think its time I center on what I often tell others is my favorite thing to do. Oddly, I do write; every in fact. Fanfiction and blogs do not make me money though, nor ascend towards my goals.

So I find tips on beating writer’s block, but found that writer’s block is caused by a number of problems. Not all tips will work for the same thing. Some causes are;

• Lack of time. Upon asking my members if they write daily or if they set aside time for writing, they shared that no, with all good intention, they found Life throwing too much at them. This leaves little time to actually write.
• Lack of sleep. This is a big one for me. I’m an insomniac, and find sleep alludes me at every time. Being exhausted directly affects attention, mood, concentration, and even drive to get things done.
• Too much stress. Worry about other things can often color your fictional world. In some ways, writing can also be cathartic, but not always.
• Interruptions. This is another issue I face on a daily basis. Phone calls, visitors, and family here (including my dog and cat) tend to hold no respect for boundaries.

So here are a few solutions to the aforementioned issues:

Lack of Time. Make the time by scheduling the time. This might include waking up an hour earlier, or staying up an hour later to get the writing time in. Set aside lunchtime, or any block(s) of time specific to writing. Get a timer to respect the crucial moment of writing.

Lack of sleep. I go so far as wear ear plugs (to drown out snoring) and bought a new pillow. I also need an electric blanket to be all nice and cozy. Going to sleep and waking up at the same every day is said to help your sleeping. I’m going to start this and let you know if this works.

Too much stress. Obviously you need to lessen the causes of stress. Find your ‘happy place’ inside to take with you and endure stressful situation if you must, but if the cause of stress isn’t essential to your life, then cut it out completely. (Like my mother. I keep our visits to a minimum) Certain scents also relieve stress such as vanilla. Carry a sachet or dab a scent on your wrist to help de-stress during the day.

Interruptions. It never ceases to amaze me how not only my son, husband, and family interrupt my day, but even the dog and my cat persists on nagging me for attention. The best solution is a door with a lock, and a sign reading “Writing working. Leave or face dire consequences”. A small sketch of a hanged man or tortured victim also helps.

Other useful tips: (My top 5):

1. Write every day. This tip continually pops up by both professional authors and freelancers alike. The idea is to make writing a habit, even if its to keep a blog/journal, or write a paragraph or two on your manuscript.
2. Keep an idea book with you at all times. Jotting down notes, character studies, ideas, etc all provides valid ‘work’ on your writing. I even speak notes into my cell phone that has a voice recorder on it.
3. Never write about mundane things. I avoid rants and the boring daily stuff some bloggers share with the world. People don’t care what I bought at the grocery store or what I ate for dinner. I find something of interest which includes news, politics, spirituality, or even what another blogger wrote to comment on.
4. Always practice good punctuation. I admit it; I got lazy with my spelling and grammar online. Messaging, emails, and message board threads left me throwing all rules of writing etiquette to the wind. Well… no more! I try to focus on improving my writing everywhere. (And I’m still working at it)
5. Show, don’t tell. Writing shouldn’t be a blow by blow account of things; its experiencing things. Add the five senses. Let readers taste, touch, feel, and hear the story. Add thoughts, feelings, fears, and rages. Pull readers along to live the story; not just as a bystander.

In the world of fanfiction, you often find the expression a ‘mary sue’. This refers to a story written where the author is clearly the main character in its highest form; beautiful, smart, and simply amazing in every way. What makes the Mary Sue so undesireable (despite beauty, smarts, and being perfect) stems from the writer often writing herself into the role. A Gary Stu is the male equivalent.

http://www.merrycoz.org/papers/MARYSUE.HTM

More terms and background on fanfiction can be found here.

I find along my journey in the World Wide Web a number of interesting blogs. These valuable e-journals, by and for writers, include resources and valuable insight in the craft of writing. I felt its a good thing to share. Don’t forget to add the RSS feeds to your RSS reader.

Writinghood- The author(s) shared a number of topics including help with grammar, punctuation, and writing development.

The Barefood Scribbles- I found this writer on Associated Content, where he provides the most extensive, most informative articles on writing and making money as a writer. The style includes important points mixed with good humor.

The Daily Writing Office- This blog includes daily writing prompts to nudge and prod you into creativity. I find the author’s style refreshing and light-hearted, providing some interesting tips and ‘nudges’.

The Writing White Papers includes a blog entry specific to the top ten blogs for writers. The author’s own blog is a good resource as well including entries about freelancing, marketing, and generating leads.

Problogger.net isn’t just for bloggers. The author is a professional blogger, but his site includes some interesting tips and tricks on the art of writing for money.