 For Authors: July 23, 2008 Issue [#2511] |
  For Authors
This week: Edited by: Cubby  
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Hello, everyone! Welcome to this edition of the For Authors newsletter.  This week's topic will cover guidelines toward building a story, but first off, I'd like to share a few quotes with you that are related to writing. Enjoy!
Quotes:
*
Writers aren't exactly people....
they're a whole bunch of people trying to be one person.
~ F. Scott Fitzgerald
*
Fiction is a lie, and good fiction is the truth inside the lie.
~ Stephen King
*
You can't wait for inspiration, you have to go after it with a club.
~ Jack London
*
When I say artist I don't mean in the narrow sense of the word,
but the man who is building things, creating, molding the earth,
whether it be the plains of the west, or the iron ore of Penn.
It's all a big game of construction,
some with a brush, some with a shovel, some choose a pen.
~ Jackson Pollock
*
A great book should leave you with many experiences, and slightly exhausted at the end. You live several lives while reading it.
~ William Styron
*
To hold a pen is to be at war.
~ Voltaire
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~*~* ~ Building a Story: The Nuts and Bolts ~ *~*~
~*~* ~
Definitions [cited from Dictionary.com]
 build - [verb] built, building, builds
1. To form by combining materials or parts; construct.
2. To develop or give form to according to a plan or process; create.
~*~* ~
Whole books are written on individual topics such as plots, settings, and characters, among other important components in creating a story. This week I'm attempting to summarize and simplify these elements. By following my guidelines, you can put together your own outline for a story, whether it's still in the thinking stage, or already started. These suggestions may help clear up confusion that sometimes overwhelms us during certain points of our writing process.
Setting: A setting includes a time and specific area where the story takes place. What year is it? What is the location? Imagine a stage with various backdrops for the variety of scenes in your piece. It's very important you make sure everything works. You wouldn't have your main character driving a brand new Escape in 1955. Nor would teenaged girls be wearing mini-skirts in Alaska during the Gold Rush. There's always an exception to the rule in fiction, of course, but in most cases, it's best to stay true to the times.
Example:
Year: Late 1960s
Place: California
Scenes: Surfing, beaches, VWs, girls in mini-skirts, fishnet stockings, and go-go boots, guys with long hair,(etc.)
If you are unsure about the time era you are writing about, browse the Internet. This is probably the easiest resource for finding information, and the quickest. A few good links to start out with are:
Time Periods
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_time_periods
Fashion Eras
http://www.fashion-era.com/index.htm
Theme: This is the message in your story. What do you want your readers to conclude after the last page is read? The theme is what the story is telling you. Do not confuse it with the plot.
Examples:
 It doesn't pay to lie, no matter what.
You should never make a quick decision if your life is at risk.
It's better to work out a disagreeable family-related issue rather than carry the problem around like a cancer.
If you never pursue your dream, you will never know if it might have come true.
If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
Characters: Also called the protagonist, your main character should connect with your readers right away. You want the reader to care for, understand, sympathize, and root for this character. Other characters can be created to oppose your protagonist, which should make for a variety of interesting events.
 Tips
>>> Do not create too many characters.
>>> Avoid character names that begin with the same letter and/or rhyme, as this sometimes causes confusion to the reader.
Examples:
Tim / Tom; Beth / Betty; Lois / Louis
Jack / Mack; Jerry / Terry; Vicki / Nicki
Plot: Also called the storyline, the plot is the scheme of the story from which events occur through to the outcome. A good way to keep your events straight is to make a timeline. Think of it as the backbone, or spine, of your story. The plot is what everything is based around.
Example:
 -------------------------------------------------------------------------
Above the down-arrows, write the time of the event taking place so you keep them all in sequence. Below the down-arrow, write a brief summary of the occurance.
Beginnings: Too much detail in the beginning of a story might bore the reader. Consider opening your piece with something that will grab the reader's attention right away.
Example:
As Jesse unzipped his sleeping bag to cool off, his eyes adjusted to the two small bear cubs curled up beside him.
"Oh, crap!" Jesse scrambled from the ground, found his flashlight, and sighed with relief when no mother bear was in sight.
Without too much written detail, we can assume Jesse had been sleeping outside, somewhere in the wilderness. Most of us have been told to stay away from a mother bear and her cubs, so we can sense Jesse's panic when he discovers two baby bears snuggled next to him. And within this short beginning, we can also assume Jesse is the protagonist and starts right off with a problem to overcome. Readers do not need everything spelled out to them if you have written well enough for them to read between the lines. 
Middle: By now, the reader should know the characters quite well. Things are happening and connections are being made. A turn of events may change the protagonist's attitude or perhaps his or her entire life. While the beginning is what grabs the reader into the story, the middle should hold him or her there. Make sure there are enough twists to keep the reader turning the next page. And don't forget about that timeline of events! 
Endings: Before you finalize your story, make sure you tie up all the loose ends. You'll want your readers to be content when the story is finished. You don't want them left with unanswered questions...
 "But what about..."
"I thought that..."
"How come..."
"Why didn't..."
...and so on.
The ending should provide a satisfying outcome. I'm not saying everything needs to be picture-perfect, but questions need to be answered and lessons learned. Readers want closure. Keep your reader happy with a solid ending.
A few interesting books to consider checking out:
 Beginnings, Middles and Ends by Nancy Kress
Book in a Month: The Fool-Proof System for Writing a Novel in 30 Days by Victoria Lynn Schmidt, Ph.D
You Can Write Children's Books by Tracy E. Dils
*Also by this author: You Can Write Children's Books WORKBOOK
How to Write Stories by Celia Warren
(Though geared toward children, this is where I gathered the backbone of information for this article.)
For additional information, browse the following links:
Using Story Templates
http://www.makemovies.co.uk/stories/page10.htm
The Writing Process
http://library.thinkquest.org/J001156/writingprocess/writingprocess.htm
Happy last-week-of July and...
Keep on Writing!
Cubby ") |
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~*~* ~
Feedback
~*~* ~
fleckgirl
Cubby, I really enjoyed this NL & I think that most will as well just because when one thinks about their emotional experiences & the thought of putting them out there on paper-whether in the form of a blog, journal or as a foundation for a fictional story, we all take a deep breath. It is that taking of the first big step to completely pouring out our souls and giving of ourselves which makes our writing that much more compelling to readers. Emotional experience lends credibility to most pieces... at least I think so!
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on the emotional aspect of writing. I agree whole-heartedly. No one should ever underestimate the therapeutic value in writing down our emotions or how we deal with or process a situation.
Very well done!
Fleck
~ Thank you so much, Fleck. What a wonderful response of support! I appreciate it.
SHERRI GIBSON 
Great newsletter, Cubby. I agree that writing from experience other than research makes for better poetry. I would also like to thank you for featuring my folder in your newsletter.
~ Yes, I bet more poetry is written from emotional experience than anything else! And you are welcome about the folder being featured. It fit perfectly with my topic!
Little Miss Leigh-Lee 
A great news letter. I really enjoyed it. I write mainly drama, and while I sometimes use my own experiences, I also like to research other peoples lives and experiences to draw ideas from.
Thank you for the advice on the diaries, I might have to fish a few of my old ones out - however it would probably only make good teenage reading, as that's what I have captured through diaries. All good - Thanks!
Leigh
~ Hmmm... Perhaps there's a YA book in the making??? Thank you. I 'm so glad you enjoyed it.
Maria Mize 
Thank you, Cubby, for a refreshing and informational newsletter (as always).
I appreciate your advice on "emotional writing" resources. Very useful...
~ You are very welcome... And a big thank you back at ya!
Becks the Papyrus
That was the best piece of advice ever!
I was once told to write from the heart, and I guess that your advice will certainly help!
~ Thank you. And thank you for the email, too.
Dr Taher writes again! 
Dear Cubby,
Thank you very much for the large font newsletter. It makes reading it so much more easy on the eye, and therefore, enjoyable! I sincerely ask the WDC admins to consider universalising this practice for all NL's.
~ I never used to think about the larger font until my hubby started having problems reading. Now my own eyes are headed the same way. Many of my patrons at the library appreciate it when I order Large Print books, too. I will try to remember to keep the font larger than normal for all the people out there who find it much easier to read. Thanks for sharing that. I thinks it's definitely something to consider!
larryp
Hey Cubby, I just finished reading an article on another site about the emotions that married couples struggle with. I think our emotions can be a great source for writing. Emotions are something the reader can relate too. Good newsletter.
Larry
~ That is for sure! Without emotions, we may as well be the walking dead. Hey, thanks for responding to my newsletter, Lar! Good hearing from you again!
AXiLeA
Hello!
This is a wonderful newsletter, one that I will keep. The quotes you found show how precious our emotions are, how they help us grow. They are our humanity in today's world that is sometimes dehumanizing. Your article is also very valuable and encourages us to use the emotions in a creative way, although some of them may come from a distant past. How important they are in our lives and in art!
Thank you!
~ Oh, yes, in art! That's a good point. Any sort of art: Paintings, sculptures, music, etc. I'm so glad you mention that. Thank you.
raeburk01
Great newsletter! I think using our own emotions in our writing is very important. Emotions make up who we are and give us a unique quality to our writing voice. Thank you for addressing the necessity of this aspect to our writing.
~ Thank you very much! And you are very welcome.
THANKFUL SONALI Library Class! 
Oh! You might have written this one on emotions just for me! I remember some emotions while I was going through tough times, and still haven't been able to bring myself to write about most of them. But you're right about first hand emotions being the best - when I try to write using what it "must feel like" I write cardboard characters ... Thanks again. Sonali
~ My pleasure!
Maimai J Saves for Upgrade
Thanks for the newsletter. I just want to share something: Established creative writers here in the Philippines have this endless debate on whether you should channel your emotions into writing or wait until it passes. One side says that more often than not, works written at the height of emotions end up too personal and too chaotic. They say that there should be distance between the writer and the work to get the message across the readers. The other side, however, says that writing while you're highly emotional can be a form of therapy and a rich source of writing ideas. They both have their points, but what I do is I write my feelings in a journal, and then when I'm already calm and composed, I read my journal and find creative ideas there. Very informative newsletter, thanks and more power!
~ I can see both sides of the debate. I suppose if one can handle channeling the emotions, it would be fine, but not everyone can handle it. It's best to do what your heart tells you to. Thank you for your sharing this. The way that you do it sounds like an excellent idea to me.
joannelockwood
Being able to grab the reader emotionally and direct them is the greatest high for the writer within me. Thank you for the helpful hints.
~ You are welcome. Yes, it is a high to be able to do that, I certainly agree!
 Thank you, everyone, for all the wonderful feedback you send in!
As always...
Have a wonderful week!
AND KEEP ON WRITING!!!
Cubby ")
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