Writing Better Fiction - BlogEverything you need for Writing Better Fiction - Faster Telling StoriesTo tell a story one must first have a story to tell. To have a story to tell one must first have something to say (that's the premise). With something to say (and a premise that illustrates that point) one can construct a sequential narrative to illustrate that point. When one approaches the subject of storytelling in such a logical way the Composition process becomes very simple and intuitive. Lacking such a Story Conception and Story Design process the writer often becomes overwhelmed and confused trying to make two many decisions while telling (composing) the story.
What people call "writing" is not just one process but at least 4. Attempting to do more than one process at a time is the cause of 80% of every writer's "problems". The other 20% of the problems is caused by a lack of clear, workable definitions for the words that comprise the nomenclature of storytelling. Even the word "story" itself is so poorly defined in dictionaries that I had to create a completely new one from scratch. Combine the above two and it's no wonder that writers go slow, produce little, and spend most of their time going around in circles re-writing while they starve to death. Don't Kill Your Children"As a man has no right to kill one of his children if it is diseased or insane, so a man who has made the gradual and conscious expression of his personality in literature the aim of his life, has no right to suppress himself any carefully considered work which seemed good enough when it was written. Suppression, if it is deserved, will come rapidly enough from the same causes that suppress the unworthy members of a man's family." - J. M. Synge (1871-1909), Irish poet, dramatist. Art is Philosophy in ActionIt is quite apparent that while the "sciences" have and are advancing at an alarming rate philosophy and the remainder of the humanities are still in the dark ages. Although we can put a man on the moon we don't know what a "man" actually is. It is largely through fiction that the question - of what a man (and therefore mankind actually is) and how and why the species does the things that it does - is asked and answered. It is fiction that deals with these issues because fiction is the only lens through which we can attempt to examine the inner workings of the human mind and soul - those things that we can not observe directly but only infer from the actions and reactions of our protagonists, antagonists and even the bit players that populate our dramas. It is friction that attempts to create order out of the chaos we call life. Life has no meaning, except that which the artist gives it. It is the artist that tells us who we are, where we've come from, and where we're going. Writers or StorytellersThe product of the fiction writer is: a "story". Therefore it's far more revelatory to call ourselves "storytellers" than "writers". For the title of storyteller more accurately describes what we actually do while the term "writer" is so nebulous it could mean anything; like writing letters or (God forbid) news articles. And by-the-way; news "stories" are not stories at all but rather only "articles" - huge difference. Write on... The BookStill working on my book. There is so much to share it's hard to know where to start - but I'm making progress. Then of course there are the alligators. When one is up to their ass in alligators it's hard to remember that the intention was to drain the swamp. HA! The Born Writer - and other writing mythsThe "born writer" Writers are not born -- they are made by study and practice. The only problem is knowing, what to study, how to study and therefore what to practice. As Vince Lombardi said, "Practice does not make perfect. Only perfect practice makes perfect." And therein lies the rub - knowing what to practice. Unfortunately most people practice the wrong things - like the items in this list of myths. They "believe" in the wrong things and they "practice" the wrong things and then they wonder why they fail. The first thing to understand is that there is a "right way" for doing anything (including writing fiction) and then there are all the other ways. Your objective is to discover that "right way" and then practice it. Anything else is a waste of time and energy. Click the link below for other "popular" writing myths. Permalink -- click for full blog post "The Born Writer - and other writing myths" Insperation - and other writing myths"I need inspiration to write." Inspiration has nothing to do with it. Writing is work and if you want to write, then you have to consistently and diligently write. If your solution is to wait for inspiration you might as well play the lottery. There's a better chance of winning. "You can't wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club." - Jack London. You also need some know-how which is what you'll get from this website. Inspiration is often associated with "The Muse" from Greek mythology. Relying on "inspiration" or "The Muse" is to rely on a "myth". Instead of this trying to depend on these "fairy tales" any writer would do better with a system like my "Story Engine". Click the link below for other "popular" writing myths. Permalink -- click for full blog post "Insperation - and other writing myths" e-Zine MembershipGet your Subscription to The W.B.F. e-Zine membership - the information packed, Free monthly e-zine for Fiction Writers and receive my special thank you gift. Permalink -- click for full blog post "e-Zine Membership" Writers Block - and other writing mythsWriters block is only a symptom of not following a system from Story Conception, through Story Design before starting the Story Composition phase. This leaves the writer trying to do at least three things all at the same time - in his head. That would "block" anyone about anything. Writing fiction, or non-fiction for that matter, is not just one single process but several. Most writing problems are a result of trying to jam these separate process into one activity - "writing". Click the link below for other "popular" writing myths. Permalink -- click for full blog post "Writers Block - and other writing myths" Fiction Writing - Revealed - Learn its Secrets, Tips & TricksMaster fiction writing with these Exclusive Secrets, Tips & Tricks - Learn all the secrets to fiction that sells - Here Writing MythsThere are many common writing myths. Here are a few of the most deadly. Permalink -- click for full blog post "Writing Myths" Writing Better Fiction - Faster, means selling more of your workWriting better is the first step of selling more of what you write. Short Fiction Stories - The ProblemShort Fiction Stories are more difficult for the writer and less desirable for the reader - than the longer format of the Novel. Permalink -- click for full blog post "Short Fiction Stories - The Problem" Realistic Fiction must be more real than realityWriting realistic fiction is the goal of every fiction writer. Because experiencing realistic fiction is the desire of every reader. Permalink -- click for full blog post "Realistic Fiction must be more real than reality" How to Write Fiction better & faster - The broad concepts upon which the detailsHow to Write Fiction - A top down approach based on the 6 Key Categories of knowledge that Every Writer Must Know The Fiction Book - what is it and why you should careThe elusive fiction book - The Holly Grail of every fiction writer. Find Out - What is it, exactly - How do I write one of these. Permalink -- click for full blog post "The Fiction Book - what is it and why you should care" 18 Elements of Fiction WritingThe elements of fiction are the fundamental principles of writing effective fiction Permalink -- click for full blog post "18 Elements of Fiction Writing" Writing for PublicationWriting for Publication is the only legitimate reason to write stories. Creating "Art for art's sake" is a fool's errand. Permalink -- click for full blog post "Writing for Publication" Publishing ContractsWhat authors need to know about publishing contracts - before they sign on the dotted line. What are you giving up and what are you getting? Permalink -- click for full blog post "Publishing Contracts" Digital Piracy or Digital FreedomIn this Information Age some warn of the dangers of "Digital Piracy" but I see it as the age of "Digital Freedom". Permalink -- click for full blog post "Digital Piracy or Digital Freedom" Book PublishingIf you're a writer you should be engaged in book publishing; whether selfpublishing (which I recommend) or through a conventional publisher; and you need to know the ropes. Permalink -- click for full blog post "Book Publishing" Use Lightening - Not Lightening Bugs
What you don't know about dictionaries A writer's personal library should include a shelf full of good dictionaries. Yes, that right, you need several of them because they don't always agree. And they have other flaws that can lead a writer to a warped understanding of the very nature of words. One problem with dictionaries is that they specialize in associating the meaning of different words, rather than differentiating them. Diction-aries were originally introduced in the 1700's in an attempt to standardize the pronunciation and spelling of words, hence the name "diction-ary". The suffix "ary" means "having to do with" and the word "diction" originally meant simply "word". As time moved on the word "diction" took on two shades of meaning: one having to do with word selection and the other having to do with the pronunciation of words. Neither, you will notice, have anything to do with the meanings of words. But as time continued to move forward the purpose of dictionaries was expanded to include reporting the common meanings of words as used by writers. This article regarding the Oxford English Dictionary (opens in new window) is an interesting study in just how wacky that process was. The point is that dictionaries were created by men, not god, and they can be and often are wrong; and one of the biggest problems with dictionaries is the concept of "synonyms". Many definitions include a list of synonyms such as: "Synonyms: propose, pose, propound, submit. The central meaning shared by these verbs is to present something for consideration or discussion: propose a solution to a problem; a situation posing many questions and problems; propound a theory; submitting a plan." It's fine to talk about similarities but if you're going to do so then you should also talk about differences. No, we are not talking about antonyms (words that mean the opposite of each other). What the dictionary should be saying is, "these are the similarities AND these are the differences between these words." That would lead to a much better understanding of any given word. Instead one could get the idea that dictionary publishers are trying to associate the language down to make is simpler. Perhaps - if they can remove enough words from the language by calling them Synonyms - they believe they can solve the illiteracy problem. Read the rest of this article here Permalink -- click for full blog post "Use Lightening - Not Lightening Bugs" Dictionaries and SynonymsA writers resources should include a good dictionary. But dictionaries have a few flaws that can give a writer a very warped understanding of words. Permalink -- click for full blog post "Dictionaries and Synonyms" FAQ's - Writers ResourcesThe best writers resources are the comments and advise of other writers. Ask questions and share your advice - in this writers community. Permalink -- click for full blog post "FAQ's - Writers Resources" "My Children"Richard A. McCullough this has surpassed all expectation. Thank you for your expressions of truth fullness which makes me rank you number one dad. Fathers Permalink -- click for full blog post ""My Children"" I love your poem "My Children".I love your poem My Children. You are right, the words, verses and poems are our children. You put it in a very nice way. Thank you for sharing it with Permalink -- click for full blog post "I love your poem "My Children"." Memories RiseLOVED reading your Memories Rise poem... I feel the swirl. Would know you're a musician from the poem alone. Well Done! Permalink -- click for full blog post "Memories Rise" Your poem 'The Epitaph' is an exquisite poem.I won't comment on every single image, but will tell you that this poem is inspiring and invites the reader to meditation. What I like is that you convey Permalink -- click for full blog post "Your poem 'The Epitaph' is an exquisite poem." Types of PoetryThere is an infinited varity of Types of Poetry both in terms of form and subject - this page presents some unique ideas about poetry in general and a few examples of the authors work. Permalink -- click for full blog post "Types of Poetry" I Get ItRichard I have written many endorsements on your site in its early development stage. Poets at week hours of the morning. Thank you for introducing me Permalink -- click for full blog post "I Get It" Rules to FictionI read and digested what you had to say about the rules to write fiction and other genres and at well past 3:00 AM I was still wrapped up in your instructions. Permalink -- click for full blog post "Rules to Fiction" Poetry and ProseThis page addressed the confusion between poetry and prose, storytelling and the writing of fiction in general. Permalink -- click for full blog post "Poetry and Prose" Lars and the Real GirlWe watched "Lars and the Real Girl" last night. Highly recommended. * * * * "Ryan Gosling plays the title character in this oddball comedy about a delusional young man who buys a life-size sex doll over the Internet - and then falls in love with her. When the besotted young man starts telling people that the doll is his girlfriend, his brother and sister-in-law decide it's time to intervene in this film co-starring Patricia Clarkson, Emily Mortimer, Kelli Garner and Paul Schneider." This is an interesting story and extremely well told and not sexually kinky in any way. Ryan Gosling does an incredible job of interacting with Bianca (the name of the doll). And the story unfolds flawlessly on many different levels. Several things are quite remarkable about this film. During the course of the story the doll transforms from an inanimate object, to a character, to a real person - In our minds and in the mind and hearts of the people of the town. This creates a very powerful tension. While we know that Bianca is just a "doll" she becomes so much more to Lars, and the reset of the characters in the story that we (the audience) are drawn into wanting to believe and accepting his need and everyone else's need to believe. And in that way we accept Lars, for who he is, what he's going through and we care about him. In this regard Lars is a very unusual protagonist for a story. The audience is not connected to him because he is "heroic"; neither do we feel pity for him. We are drawn into his character by compassion, and our need to understanding him. We are afraid of what we may find but still we need to know. This is a character driven plot, and the only antagonist is internal to the protagonist. Lars needs to love and be loved but is so strongly blocked that just being touched is physically painful. This is a sad sort of comedy that makes you laugh and cry at the same time. And our eyes water at moments with cathartic tears because we've been touched. When I heard about this story I was concerned that it would go off in some sick, bent direction but my concerns were unfounded. The story as told walks a flawless fine line between tragedy and comedy. This is a movie worth watching again and studying the script. The director, producer and actors called the script "flawless". This story is about our need for companionship, intimacy and love - and perhaps most important - accepting each other for who we are.
Write on... My Children
An Ode to my "other" children - the words I birth onto the page.
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