sherihawkins, Author at TLB Media

I’ve Got a Good Idea, but Where do I Start?

May 7, 2015
by sherihawkins

For novice writers like myself, having a really great idea for a novel, but not knowing where to start, is a common challenge. Writing a novel is easy, but writing a good novel is hard. As many first-rate writers will attest, good novels don’t just naturally evolve from a hodge-podge of ideas into a beautiful story, they are intricately planned and meticulously constructed.

There are many ways to begin building your story, and I will definitely be providing more suggestions and resources for this in future posts, but one very simple method I have learnt recently is called “the snowflake metaphor”. One of my writing partners Jaye had recommended this method to me and I have found it very helpful with getting started on my own story. Created by Randy Ingermanson, the basic premise of this idea is that, by using the same mathematical principle as you would to create a snowflake, you can apply this same method to writing your novel.

Below is an example of a design of a snowflake. It starts off as a simple triangle and with each step it develops a bit more complexity as it slowly starts to take shape and in the process, become more uniquely defined.

By adopting this same principle, you can effectively design your novel by starting small and working your way up. Below I’ve briefly listed the first five of the ten steps to applying this method to your novel.

The First Five Steps of Design:

Write a one-sentence summary of your novel. This will be the hook that will sell your book to your editor and your future readers, so make it a good one! Here are some hints on how to best construct your sentence:
- Shorter is better. Try to make your sentence fewer than 15 words.
- Do not use character names.
- Tie together the big picture and the personal picture of your story. Who is your main character; what does he/she stand to lose and what does he/she want to win?
- Read one-line sentences on the New York Times Bestsellers list to get some inspiration. This was my personal recent favourite:
  
  “After her husband’s death, a woman returns with her daughter to her Smoky Mountain hometown, only to discover that her husband was a fraud who implicated her in his deceptions.” — “The Liar” by Nora Roberts
Expand your one sentence into a full paragraph, describing the story set-up, major disasters and ending of the novel. One suggestion Randy gives is to use the structure of “three disasters plus an ending”. If you choose to follow the “Three Act Structure”, the first disaster or obstacle corresponds to the end of Act 1; the second disaster is the mid-point of Act 2; the third disaster is at the end of Act 2 and Act 3 is your conclusion. Ideally your paragraph will have five sentences: Your first sentence will be backdrop and story set-up; sentences 2-4 each describe your three disasters or obstacles, and your fifth sentence reveals the ending. This paragraph should, in essence, summarize your whole story.
Write a one-page summary for each of your main characters. Characters are the most important part of your novel and creating them in advance will give you a more specific idea of who they are and where you want them to go when you start writing. Your summary sheet should include the following details:
- The character’s name
- A one-sentence summary of the character’s storyline
- The character’s motivation
- The character’s goal
- The character’s conflict (what prevents him/her from reaching their goal?)
- The character’s epiphany (how will he/she change based on what he/she has learnt?)
Expand each sentence of your summary paragraph (from step #2) into a full paragraph. By this stage, you should have a good idea of the large-scale structure of your novel, so now just keep growing your story. At the end of this exercise, you should have a minimum one-page synopsis of your novel.
Write a one-page description of each major character and a half-page description of the other major characters, telling the story from the point of view of each character. Your characters and how they interact with each other are the most important elements of your story. As a side note, editors love character synopses, so if you’re writing a proposal, including these instead of, or alongside of, a plot-based synopsis to show the additional development of your story.

Keep in mind that it doesn’t have to be perfect. The purpose of each step in the design process is to advance you to the next step. Keep your forward momentum! You may find that you need to re-think and change your one-sentence summary and/or your one-paragraph summaries. Remember it is always okay at any stage of the design process to cycle back and revise earlier stages. The more you understand the direction of your story and the motivation of your characters before you start writing, the better.

For a more detailed description of “the snowflake method”, including the additional 6-10 steps of design, please visit this site.

Also, if any of you readers/writers have found alternate ways to build your story that have worked for you, please share them in the comments! After all, I’m a novice writer too so I’m always interested in learning and researching new ideas, and I’d be happy to write about them in future posts. We as writers are as individual and unique as the stories we write, so the best method is the one that works for you!

Thanks for reading and happy writing! 🙂

Handling Criticism: It Doesn’t Have to Break You

This is a tough one for me to write about honestly, because I’ve always been uncomfortable with criticism, to the point where the fear of it has held me back from sharing my writing with others. I can handle criticism in virtually every other area of my life, but when it comes to my creative writing, I am extremely thin-skinned.

I would guess this is largely because writing is such a personal thing for me and it’s a huge part of my identity, as I expect it is for many of yours. Furthermore, it’s a deep and poignant expression of what I’m thinking and feeling, so if it’s criticized, or God forbid, rejected altogether, then what does that say about me? What if, even at my best, I’m unable to attain the approval of my critics? Does that make me a complete failure as a writer, and if so, who am I if I’m not a writer?

These are the insecurities that have plagued me for most of my life and regrettably, have held me back from ever really trying. I’ve been too scared of my critics to even take a shot. But as my fellow writer Misha recently pointed out in her article for Gumption magazine, you either are a writer, or you’re not, there’s no such thing as “aspiring”. This was a brand-new concept for me as I’ve defined myself as an “aspiring writer” for many years, largely I expect, because I was too afraid too call myself an actual “writer”. It somehow seemed arrogant and a bit presumptuous; after all, what have I ever actually written to call myself a writer? I’d held up that label of “writer” as if it was some lofty title I had to earn, when in fact, it’s just something I had to do.

As much of a personal challenge as this has been for me, I don’t feel I’m alone in this. I believe the fear of criticism holds most of us back from doing the things we think we might be good at because, if we don’t try, we can’t fail, right? But the truth is, we’ve automatically failed simply by not trying; the only way we can ever succeed at anything is by giving it our best shot, learning from our mistakes and not giving up. And that’s where learning to accept criticism well can make us better writers, because without it, how will we ever improve? How can we be our best if we don’t have our critics telling us where we’ve fallen short?

After some reading and research, here are the top five best tips I’ve found on learning to handle criticism:

Detach from your critic. They are not criticizing you, they’re simply commenting on your writing. To them it’s not a personal investment of time, thought and energy, it’s just a product. Their rejection does not decrease your value as a person, any more than their approval inflates it. Your writing may be a by-product of who you are, but it’s not YOU. Your worth as a human being does not ebb & flow based on the opinions of others.
Remember that your critic is a reader. You’re writing for more than just yourself, you’re writing for your readers, and your critic’s comments reflect a reader’s point of view. As a writer, your characters may be more fully developed in your mind than they are on paper, or you may have assumed the reader knows what you’re trying to say even though you haven’t expressed it. A critic can view your subject with fresh eyes. Try to really listen and and hear the merits of the criticism, then think about the changes you can make that will effectively address your critic’s concerns.
Enlist the opinions of multiple critics. One critic’s point of view may be widely held by others, or it may not. Don’t assume if one person doesn’t like your writing then no one will. Rather view each individual negative comment as a warning that your writing may need some adjusting. By enlisting the help of other critics, you will be able to find what universally resonates and what doesn’t. If three or four people respond the same way and share similar concerns, then you’ll know where you are in most need of improvement.
Ask questions. Asking questions and eliciting more specific feedback will help you understand exactly what the critic is saying and additionally, will make your critic feel appreciated and heard. Effective criticism, even if it’s hard to take, will make you a better writer.
Some people just aren’t your audience. Don’t feel you have to accept every criticism that is thrown at you. Be sure to use your best judgment when weighing in on each bit of criticism. Sometimes your critic may not respond favourably to your style or genre of writing because their specific tastes differ too dramatically from yours. By being emotionally detached, respectful of your critics and sincerely open to their opinions, your instincts will tell you what feedback is worth pursuing and what is not.

I’ll leave you with this final thought: Simply by taking the action to write something, this makes you a writer. It is not something to aspire to, it is what you are. But then the question becomes whether or not you’re a “good writer”. As scary as this may seem, it is something you will never know unless you are prepared to elicit feedback from others. Remember that putting your pride and your insecurities aside and accepting criticism will only help you to become better. Just give it your best shot and see what happens!

Good luck and happy writing!

Quote of the day:

How to Make Time for Writing

If you’re anything like me, making time for your writing and creative pursuits is a huge challenge. It can be tricky to find the right balance and often times, fitting creative projects into the mix proves difficult. The more my schedule expands to fit in work, family life, fitness, household chores and social activities, the lower my writing becomes on my list of priorities.

Perhaps the biggest deterrent for finding time to write is that often I feel like I need an entire day to get both mentally and physically “set up” before I can begin. That’s okay if I have an entire day available, but if I only have an hour or two, it can feel too daunting to even begin. So instead I’ll use what little free time I have on other things, which are usually huge time-wasters and get me absolutely nowhere. I cringe when I think of the days, weeks, even months of my life that I have lost, just by wasting an hour here and an hour there on Facebook browsing and watching clips on YouTube. In small segments, it doesn’t seem like that big of a deal, but over time it can add up quickly! And as a side note, no matter what I start watching on YouTube, somehow I always end up watching ‘Ellen’ clips or videos of puppies. I have no particular interest in either, but after awhile, my browsing becomes so mindless that before I’ve even realized it, I’m watching this:

So needless to say, I’ve had to incorporate a few tricks over the years to make sure I always find time for my writing without feeling overwhelmed or neglecting my other responsibilities. Here are some time-management tips to ensure that, no matter how busy you are, you can always find the time to write!

Prioritize and create a schedule. Recently I have started making a schedule at the start of every week, to ensure that I have allotted the appropriate amount of time for everything I need to do. Although I know things will come up unexpectedly, having a general idea of what I’m planning to do with my week helps me organize my time more effectively. I schedule in my high priority tasks first and I work my way down the list. I can truthfully say that, regardless of how busy I’ve been with competing priorities, I have always been able to carve out a space of at least three hours twice a week to work on my writing. Whether or not I actually utilize that time wisely is a different story, but I know I can find it. And I also know I’m more likely to be discerning with my creative time when I’ve scheduled myself in for it.
Create a comfortable writing space. Keep your desk organized and clutter-free so as not to create distractions. Remember this time is for you to be creative, not to pay bills or reply to email. If home causes too many distractions, take your lap-top to your favourite coffee shop or the library, and if you don’t have a lap-top, most libraries will provide you with limited time on a computer and internet access. I also find that having a well-lit room helps me stay focused and avoid eye strain. Sit in a comfortable chair and set yourself up with your favourite beverage. I find that something as simple as making a cup of tea or coffee can make the experience of sitting at my desk to write feel like a luxury instead of a chore. (In fact, just as I was writing this, my sister-in-law Debbie brought me a coffee from Tim Horton’s! There’s not much more enjoyable for me than getting my Canadian paws on a large Double-Double!)
Establish your writing goals. Neglecting this point was a mistake I made for many years. All I really knew was that I wanted to write fiction, and I had a general idea for a story, but I was reliant almost entirely on inspiration to make any significant progress. Unless inspiration struck at the same time I’d scheduled myself to sit at my desk and write, I’d accomplish nothing and end up discouraged and frustrated. Additionally, if you’re someone who carries around your story in your head like I do, it can seem incredibly daunting to work out how to get down on paper. I will definitely be addressing this more in a future post because I know this is a big one for a lot of you, but for now I’ll just sum up by saying this: By having a clear, concise idea of what you want to write about and setting specific, achievable goals, this will not only ensure you get focused quickly, but will help keep you focused for longer periods of time. I’ve also found that by doing this, I’m not as reliant on inspiration to make forward progress.
Write whenever and wherever you can. Sometimes inspiration strikes when you’re not expecting it. For me, I find this to be the case when I let my mind wander, like when I’m waiting at the doctor’s office or I’m out on a walk. Take a pen and pad of paper with you everywhere you go so you can jot down notes or ideas wherever you are. For me, I find my ‘Notes’ app on my iphone to be quite invaluable. I also leave it on my bedside table at night for those times when I’ve woken up from a dream and I’ve felt inspired to write it down. Although in most cases, my dream thoughts are usually incoherent gibberish about flying teapots made of wood, or a talking birthday cake with googly eyes and lobster hands, but if nothing else, they make for an interesting read! I definitely find though, that if you keep your writing project near the forefront of your mind, once you have no immediate pressures and you have a moment or two to relax, your mind will naturally take your thoughts in that direction. It’s a huge asset to have those writing tools readily available so you can jot your ideas down easily and utilize those small moments throughout your day as they happen.
Have an ‘accountabil-a-buddy’. This is a great term that was coined by my writer friend, John, and it’s an important one for those of us that find being accountable to just yourself isn’t enough to stay on track. Not only does it help to have someone with shared interests to use as a sounding board for new ideas, but scheduling a time to meet with them on a consistent basis ensures that your writing project doesn’t go untouched for too long. I also find that setting goals with my partner and telling them what I plan to accomplish before our next meeting helps to keep me accountable for the time I’ve allocated to my writing each week. I’m less likely to misuse the time I have if I know I have a deadline.
Be aware of “state”. This is a concept I have found to be immeasurably helpful, not only with respect to time-management for writing, but time-managing anything, especially the things I’m most fearful of or I least want to do. [Tony Robbins discusses it quite extensively and goes far more in-depth than I intend to as I’m only going to refer to it for the purpose of this blog.] Psychologists have stated that the most effective way to do anything efficiently is to a) make your task easily accessible and b) adjust your state of mind to suit the task. So for example, if one of your fitness goals is to go roller-blading in the park twice a week, keep your roller blades near the front door, not in a box in the garage. The more effort you have to put in to get started, the less likely you will be to follow through and do it. A second example is, if you’re like me and you hate making business-related phone calls, create your list of the people you need to call and tell yourself you’ll only make one phone call. By the time you’ve finished that first phone call, the next one won’t seem so daunting. After you’ve finished your second or third phone call, you’re in the “state” or “mindset” of making phone calls, and before you know it, you’ll have completed your entire list. However, the opposite is also true in that, if you tell yourself you’ll “just watch television until the end of this program” or you’ll “just watch one more YouTube video”, you’ll easily settle into that state of mindlessness and it will become much more difficult to change course. So even if you don’t “feel like” writing, or you feel overwhelmed and don’t know where to start, just sit down and force yourself to focus on it for twenty minutes. Chances are, once that time has elapsed, you’ll be in enough of a groove that you won’t want to stop.

These are just some tips that I have found through my own experiences have worked for me. If you’re already a disciplined person and know how to utilize your time well, then you’ve likely figured out most of this for yourself. But if you’re an undisciplined procrastinator like me, writing projects can seem intimidating and too daunting to start, let alone finish. By giving yourself the time you need to keep making forward progress, you’ll find it becomes easier to keep the momentum heading in the right direction.

Happy writing!

Creative Writing Exercise #1: “Addiction”

Back in 2009, I was taking a creative writing course at university, which I loved. As you may have guessed by the content of this blog, I really want to be a writer, but the truth is, I’ve got this weird “thing” about being critiqued. For many years, I was scared of putting my stuff out there and having someone destroy my dream by saying it’s crap. But as I’ve gotten older and realized that opportunities in life are fleeting, I’ve become more willing to take risks. I also figure if I’m going to be a writer by profession, I have to eventually allow my writing to see the light of day, because, good or bad, it’s got to be read, otherwise, what’s the point? And the other thing I’ve come to realize is, negative feedback doesn’t necessarily mean that I suck, it just means that I’ve got room to improve. And who doesn’t really? So that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

So in keeping with my personal resolution to “put my stuff out there”, I decided to post this. It’s an assignment I did for my creative writing course. The assignment was to describe “addiction” in a story format, and if possible, without using the same two adjectives. The assignment is not to start and complete an actual “story”, but it’s primarily focused on the aspect of “description”. As someone who enjoys describing images with words, this writing exercise was right up my alley.

Also, I should mention we were allowed to plagarize one sentence from a book we’d read, so long as the sentence was to be used as a point of inspiration. My line was: “The stench of gin fumes and bile made her eyes water”. In fact, most of the first paragraph is paraphrased from my source, “Tent of Blue”, by Rachel Preston as my jumping off point. Anyway, if you’re interested in reading further, here it is (see below):

“She stood rooted at the door to the bathroom. The stench of gin fumes and bile made her eyes water. There was no hiding her addiction anymore. Not that she had bothered hiding it for quite some time. Nor had she tried to sanitize it, tone it down with a glass, a slice of lime, a splash of tonic or orange. She drank the warm, bitter liquid straight from the bottle, always alone and with the curtains drawn.”

“A carnivorous ache began to form in her belly, even as the taste of her own vomit tinged her swollen tongue. She closed her eyes and visualized the photo of her infant son, held neatly under a magnetic frame, attached to the refrigerator door. She bit down decisively on the soft tissue inside her cheek. The pain drove away her shame for a moment as she took a clumsy step forward, her thick toes curling against the smooth ceramic tiles. She stumbled, her soiled knees buckling underneath her lumpish frame as she fell, hard, like a solid leaden slab plummeting against concrete.”

“She lay there, sprawled out and motionless, her bloated legs twisted beneath her, her reddened jowls pressed against the cool enamel floor. She savored the salty taste of blood in her mouth, twirling the tip of her tongue into the sunken pockets of her decaying teeth, as if feeding off her own self-hatred brought her a corrupt sort of pleasure. Strands of sweaty hair matted against her face, but she didn’t care. Instead she closed her eyes, hoping to find refuge in the sweetness of a gentle dream. She envisioned her son, with his tuft of blond curls shaping his ethereal face and crooked smile, his eyes the color of warm maple, his chubby little hand pressed against her palm. She smiled, her tight lips curled upward as she breathed a deep sigh of relief. But as quickly as the moment came, it went, scurrying off into a sliver in the floorboards like a timid little mouse. She began to choke, suddenly aware of a smell more acute than stomach bile and gin.”

“Her face began to burn and her throat closed. There, next to the bathtub was a pile of denim and baby blue cotton. She reached for the trousers and dragged them across the floor. The smell made her gag. She looked up and there it was; a large wet patch across the backside, and in the middle, the darker stain of excrement. She shrieked, angrily tossing the trousers into the bathtub as she crawled across the floor, curling her fat fingers around the lip of the tub to pull herself up to her knees, her pendulous breasts cushioning her weight as she leaned forward to reach for the steel water tap.”

“It was stuck. She grunted, twisting the tap furiously as it slipped underneath her clammy palm. The dismal stench of thick mould clung to the air. She tasted her own pungent odor as a bead of sweat dripped off the crest of her upper lip and slid onto her tongue. She swore at the trousers, loudly, as if their current state was somehow a direct result of their own stupid negligence. The familiar ache was eating at her insides, her hands trembling as she turned to the wastebasket. She began to paw frantically through the garbage, desperately searching for a discarded bottle that contained one last burly swig of whisky. Elbow-deep in discarded tissues and empty cardboard paper rolls, she gasped as she felt the fluent shape of curved glass underneath her fingertips.”

“She picked it up and pulled it into her chest, cradling it against her body for a moment as she began to cry. She gave in for just a moment, hot tears slipping down her cheeks and dropping onto her naked skin, like grease sizzling over a temperamental flame. She glanced down at the silver bottle and quickly brushed her tears away, promising herself that this would be the last time. Tipping it forward, she simultaneously tilted her head back as she sat, slumped against the tub, her soggy hair still sticking to her neck like thin, dark leeches, her arms convulsing in anticipation.”

“And then, there it was; the hot painful liquid engulfed her belly and seeped into her pores. Her cheeks flushed until they hurt, her eyes lit with euphoric, self-indulgent pleasure. All the pain had once again melted away, carrying with it all of her crippled dreams and broken promises. She smiled.”

This was a fun writing exercise and great way to practice descriptive imagery. What I enjoy most about description is finding the best way I can to create a connection from the reader’s mind to the same images that are knocking around in mine. I know as a reader, I feel a kinship to a writer who is able to incite my imagination by effectively building a bridge between their thoughts and mine. I can easily recall some of my favorite descriptions in books that I’ve read over the years; Margaret Atwood’s “Lady Oracle” is the one that most readily springs to mind, but there are many others. This is definitely a topic I will be discussing more in future blog posts.

I also find that keeping a thesaurus on hand, especially for writing exercises like this one, can be hugely helpful. So many times I would get stuck in my head and wouldn’t know where to go next, and having a thesaurus at my fingertips would spark new images and oftentimes take my writing in a better, more suitable direction.

So, should you feel so inclined, I would encourage you to give this a try and see what interesting & innovative descriptions your creative mind can conceive! Happy writing! 🙂

Venice

Hello reader. and welcome to my very first blog post!

Many years ago, when I was an impressionable 20-something, full of zest for life and a desire to be adventurous, I discovered a deep fascination for the city of Venice. It strikes me as such a beautifully unique city, with its remarkable architecture and Renaissance palaces, moonlit waterways lined with gondolas paddled by swarthy Italian men in their distinctive black & white-striped shirts, and the mysterious allure of its old world charm. Everything about it appeals to the romantic in me and perhaps that is why it seems to be the sort of place where my creative energies would spring to life.

In all honesty, as naturally drawn as I am to Venice’s rich culture and historical beauty, I think the image I have of myself sitting in the Piazza San Marco drinking a rich cup of coffee may have been influenced by a Woody Allen movie I saw a long time ago. I can’t recall the name of it and for the purpose of this story, I suppose it doesn’t really matter, but what I remember of it, Woody’s character is an aspiring writer who lives in a simply furnished loft in Venice with a window that overlooks a beautiful view of the city. The best feature of the room is a wooden desk with an old-timey typewriter, his character being one who, much like me, despises modern technology. He expresses his contempt for computers when he is criticized for using a typewriter, and although I’m not typically a fan of Woody Allen’s stammering, neurotic rants, that one instantly resonated with me . In fact, everything about that environment struck me as completely idyllic. I remember little else about that movie except that one particular scene, but it has been vividly burnt into my memory ever since.

For me, Venice represents creative awakening, a resurgence of prolific energies that I know are still buried deep inside my psyche somewhere, but have just been obscured by years of carelessness and neglect. As long as I can remember, I’ve loved to write, and I’ve had a sincere fascination with the English language (even the boring bits, like grammar and punctuation). I was just never confident enough in myself to make an earnest go of it, opting instead for safe, steady jobs instead of pursuing my creative ambitions. I always told myself that “one day” I would be a writer, but for one reason or another, I kept putting it off. I expect it was partly because I was scared to put myself out into the world in a way that would expose my vulnerabilities and potentially set me up for failure, but it was also largely due to the simple fact that I didn’t know where to start.

My friend Ed Harcourt once said to me, “If you want to be a writer, write”. Although at the time I felt his advice was overly simplistic and not taking into consideration the many potential pitfalls of being a writer, I’ve since realized that’s really the only way to go about it. Whether you decide to take a creative writing course, join a writing club, start a blog or just scribble your thoughts down in a journal, whatever you decide to do, just write. And if you’re anything like me, writing pretty much anything will reignite your passion for it and feed your soul.

As for Venice, it’s still just a fantasy, but one that I think about every day. My sister-in-law Debbie visited Venice last year, and she brought me back this snow globe. It sits on my dresser where I see it at least half a dozen times each day. It helps keep me going, when real life starts to feel a bit too mundane and ordinary.

Who knows, maybe one day I’ll be sipping a Bellini in my loft while my ink-stained fingers pound on the keys of my creaky old typewriter, or I’ll be strolling across a cobblestone path, on my way to see an Italian opera at the prestigious Teatro la Fenice. But for the time being, I’m happy just to write. Venice is after all, just a place to write. The act of writing is something you can do anytime for any reason, no matter who you are, where you live or how you feel.

I wish you the best of luck on your own writing journey and I encourage you to “just write”! I welcome your feedback, so should you have any topics in particular you may wish me to research or discuss, please let me know!

Quote of the Day: “Whether or not you write well, write bravely.” — Bill Stout

(*For more information on Venice, go to: http://www.venice-tourism.com/en/visit-venice.html)