Writers and Stories

I think the best part of being a writer is being interested in stories.

Stories are everywhere. Not only are they embedded deep into the books we read, but they are also in the shows we watch, the movies we see, the games we play, the news we peruse and the conversations we have. They are all different, all created in different ways - some fiction, some real - but they are all stories nonetheless.

I think a lot of people forget that when they sit down to write. The goal is to share a story, to make it entertaining to the reader. Successful writers, in my mind, keep that always at the front. Sure, there are a lot of things that are important to writing - point of view, characters, grammar and construction, detail - but even grammar (and I almost shudder to say this) takes a backseat to the story. If it doesn't have a story driving readers onward, why are they going to care?

Sarah and I took a class last semester that was all based on plot. The driving force of a story is plot, our professor told us, and I really took that to heart. Think about it: How many things have you read that you weren't really that impressed with the writing, or the characters or something, but you kept reading anyway because you wanted to know what would happen next? I've hated the writing of some people, complained about it incessantly, but kept reading because I still wanted to know how it was all going to end.

Take a look at stories around you - in any form - and think about why someone was compelled to tell it. Then, take that inspiration and use it for your own endeavors. I constantly am inspired by good stories - whether from watching them on the big screen or reading them in the newspaper. Then, I take that inspiration and use it when I sit down in front of my computer and become a storyteller.

Happy writing,
Brenna

Music can go a long way

Goodness, somehow 15 days passed without a new post! I received a lovely comment from Marina over at Adventures in Children's Publishing, and realized that I had left you all hanging. I guess I got caught up in summer. Oops!

Speaking of caught up in summer affairs, this past weekend I went to the National Folk Festival in Butte, Montana. It was pretty awesome, but it's going to be in Nashville for the next three years, which is a bit out of my range, unfortunately. Anyway, I think it's amazing how inspirational music can be. I don't know about anyone else, but I've always liked to make little soundtracks for my novels. It's a good way to get yourself in the mood instead of puttering around on the internet for 45 minutes. That way the instant you turn on a song, you're thinking about your story. Or at least, that's the plan.

I mostly listen to modern rock, but I'm pretty tolerant of everything, and it shows in my music library. What about you guys? Is there anything in particular that sparks your writing? Last NaNo I wrote about my soundtrack, which is pretty limited, but you can check it out here and here if you want.

The big WB

Sometimes, I think the most shocking things are inspirational. As I sort of said below, I don't really believe in what we've dubbed as "writer's block." There's never anything stopping people from writing except themselves.

This can be seen in a lot of different ways. There are those people who just buy writing book after writing book looking for all of the rules to follow, and they end up with the big WB simply because they've found too many restrictions for themselves. Or it might be that time when you sit down ready to write and then get distracted by the internet or tv or any of those other shiny things. WB is when your story looks too difficult to push through, and you would rather spend all of you time doing something else. It doesn't really exist, but we like to pretend it does.

Other people, like myself, have too many stories all with legitimate reasons to not work on them. I'll sit down in front of my computer and say, "I'm going to focus on this story!" But then I realize it's not going to be that simple because that's the story with underdeveloped main characters and more interesting side characters (Kai Story), or the story that has POV issues that I'm. not sure how to fix (Kaleidos), or the story that has a terribly complex plot that hasn't afforded me a way for the characters to save the day (AROS). All of these stories and glittering little gems of their own, but they're all flawed in a sense. NaNoWriMo is a brilliant thing for getting work done, but it's made a lot messy projects for me. Too many.

If you ever spend some time visiting other writers blogs, you'll notice a trend. It's warning of sharks in the water, painted red on a sign: DO NOT FOLLOW THE NEW, SHINY IDEA. It's when you're writing something, and you hate it, and life sucks, and then you get an idea. An idea for a better story. This story has a more dynamic plot then the one you're currently working on, better characters, and a brilliant future. It's really just a siren, coaxing you in, and trying to make you forget what you're working on. Sadly, for me, NaNo is a little like that. Right now I've got too many different stories, all with different problems, singing against each other.

I think a great way to get something done when the great WB is looming over your head is to have a deadline. Don't just set yourself a deadline, because unless you're trapped in writing and don't need to push yourself. NaNo, despite what I've said, is wonderful for this. It's like the world is pushing you to succeed and get those 50,000 words.

On the hand, what about when it's not Novemeber anymore? You can always go join one of the NaNo spinoffs. They're easy to find on google. Something I think that's a little simpler, is to give copies of chapters to your friends. Build yourself a little reading base. I did this once, when I only had two stories, and I cranked out the words just so my friend could find out what happened next. It didn't have to be written well, as long as I was getting the words out and she was enjoying it, that's all that mattered.

Right now, I've been puttering over what story to work on for over a month. The WB is sitting on my shoulder, influencing me with lack of productivity and a skittish mind. Should on this story? The one thats so incomplete that its size scares me (Lazuli), or maybe the one that I've been saving for NaNo (Epic)? Should I hit up the disaster that spawned from last November (Treese Story) , or the baby one that's more of an experiment than anything else (Good Drinks)?

EDIT: I went off on a tangent and never finished what I was going to say! Ooops. Brenna drew me this beautiful picture of Russus and Caeruleus (Kaleidos), and it kind of makes me want to work on that!

Happy Birthday Mizu, 2010 by ~Annerb on deviantART