Hello *listening for the echo*

I've been away for quite sometime (writing in the dark corners of a dorm room and hunching under the every day pressures of "the real world"). Let's see, since my last post in January 2013 I have:

-Graduated with a BA in Psychology and a BFA in Creative Writing

-Interned as a social worker

-Been in my first Car Accident

-Got my first "big girl job" as a Marketing Coordinator

-Quit my first "big girl job" to move to England

-Stared working on a Master's in Creative Writing in Oxford!

I've also aged two years (but that's a given). Of course there's been more going on, but those are the big events, the memorable ones. No, I didn't become a world famous author (like I'd dreamed) or a psychologist (like I'd planned) but I have grown up quite a bit (at least, I like to think so). So over the next few posts, I'll be re-introducing myself as the Morgan two years older than the one frozen in the screen and figuring out what direction I'll be taking this blog in (self-exploration, yay!)

Has this happened to anyone else? Have you stepped away from your blog or other parts of your life and looked back on them and thought "what was I thinking?" Because that's how I feel coming here... cringing at some of my old posts and laughing at some of the others. It's like reading an old diary and feeling like a stranger. I had half a mind to delete it and start over new, but then I thought, "Where's the fun in that?" so I'm just going to pick up where I left off, a year and a half later, and see where it goes. Here's hoping it's fun!   

When Being A Writer Comes In Handy

We all know it's a great feeling to have the world know you're a writer through your top-selling novels... or, at least, we can imagine such a great feeling. But, other than the connection, inspiration, and (just a little) ego-stroking a best-selling novel would being, here are some often overlooked perks of being a writer: 

• When you feel like you finally have a reason to listen to your crazy relatives life histories or gossip in the office
• When it comes to writing holiday cards
• When it comes to making speeches
• When it comes to putting together a resume
• When you can look at jury time as inspiration
• When you can look at any disagreeable event as inspiration
• When you can impress friends by predicting the end of a TV show or movie 
• When you can read or watch TV and say it’s “research”
• When you have a perfectly reasonable explanation of eavesdropping 

I hope everyone was thankful for their writing on Thanksgiving :P Hope you had a happy one! 

Pop Culture References in Writing

Want to make a reference to your character with a scar like Harry Potter, or a smile like Jennifer Aniston? When can we use them? In high school creative writing classes, the rule is generally: never.

But. What if it's really good? What if it's really funny? What if it's an important part of the character or the way people interact with them (a kid who looks like Harry Potter is bound to get a few snide comments now and again)?

Here are some guidelines:

• Does it really offer anything? Move the story forward? Shape the character? If it doesn't have a purpose, it shouldn't be there. 
• Will it be recognizable in ten years (or, as long as you expect the piece to be around)? Classic icons are usually a better choice than modern sensations. If a reference is too obscure, it's more likely to alienate a reader than anything else. 
• If you choose to use a reference to describe or compare someone, don't put too much weight on it. For example, "his white hair stuck out in every direction, resembling Albert Einstein" is better than "he looked like Einstein" because the second one requires the reader to know who Einstein is to get the image the author is trying to convey, while in the first one, if you've never heard of (or seen a picture of) Einstein, you're not thrown out of the story. 
• Know you're audience. If you're writing a short story for a teen music magazine, references to modern pop-stars are much more acceptable than they would be in a sports magazine.

How do you feel about authors referencing other works of fiction or celebrities in their work? Have you come across any that worked? That didn't?

Writing Wednesday: Editing Tips

I can't believe it's almost the end of September already! Time flies when you're busy. Speaking of which, I have exams this week, so I don't have as much time to write and blog as I would like. That being said, today's post is quick and to the point.

Some tips to keep in mind when Editing:

• If possible, give yourself some time between drafts. A fresh pair of eyes are always strongest. 
• Pay attention to grammar. In other words, make sure it "sounds natural." Try reading it out loud, printing it out, or changing the font so it looks different. 
• If you see/hear a word to often, try to vary it with something else that means the same thing, or vary the sentence structure. (For example, a lot of times it's hard to write in first person with out starting with "I" a lot," you can very this by changing phrases like "I twirled my ring" to something like "Twirling my ring around my finger...")
• Pay attention to transitions. If something seems jarring or confusing, chances are the transition needs to be a little smoother.
• Always have someone else read over your work. It's hard to catch things that are missing when you know the whole story- you might know the main character is a female, for example, but if you forgot to mention that, it wont effect your reading of the story as it would someone else who assumes she is a boy. 

Any other advice? Anything you usually have trouble with?

Animals in Writing

Everyone loves playful puppies and cute kittens, right? Here's how they can provide much more than simple adorableness in a story:

• Characterization: yes, you can give the animals character (in fact, I hope you do) but they can also reveal things about your main character. What kind of pet does she have? What did she name it? How does she treat it? How does she treat her neighbors pet? How does she respond to other characters interacting with her pet?
• Comedic Relief: so, it wasn't the evil stalker vampire sneaking in at the middle of the night this time, but the puppy getting tangled in the sheets?
• Plot devices: "..... what's that strange thing Furball has in his mouth? Is it a magic amulet? Evidence from a crime scene?"
• Motivation: Yes, so it might be a bit far fetched to have the bad guy kidnap the hero's trusty pet, but if the cat gets out, would the kid not be more likely to approach the scary forest he had promised never to go into?

Personality through storytelling

If you’ve ever taken a creative writing class, or been fresh out of story ideas, there was probably a time you turned to a picture for inspiration. While it’s common knowledge this often is a helpful creative writing technique, who knew it was also a psychological study as well? 

The Thematic Apperception Test is a projective psychological test where a subject is shown a picture of an individual, asked to describe how the character is feeling and make up a story based on it, that must include a beginning, middle, and end. It’s used for the psychologist to get to know the individual better, as it’s said to reveal personality and outlook on life.

We were shown a few samples in one of my psychology classes, the other day. The professor would randomly call on certain students to try the exercise, and would then show how their answered differed from those that may come from more psychologically disturbed individuals, whose answers would be much darker or "less realistic".

Humm… I wonder where a creative writer would fall in this? Especially someone who, like me, loves to add a bit of fantasy or surrealism to everything. Take this picture for example: 

What is the boy doing? Why, obviously he’s trying to move the violin with his mind. And does he succeed? Well, it wouldn’t be as interesting of a story if he didn’t…

It's probably a good thing my professor didn't call on me. I think this test may be a bit biased against creative writers :P

The Best Scenes are Multitaskers

There are many things that make a scene entertaining, including outstanding dialogue, well-placed description, unique characters, and a fascinating subject. But even a beautifully written scene could get in the way if it doesn’t serve any purpose to the story. On the other hand, a plot essential scene can come across as an information dump if it’s not carefully sculpted.

As with anything, our goal as writers is to find a balance: a balance between being entertaining and informative (or moving the story forward).

Have you ever written something that was way over the word count? Maybe a short story for a contest, or a novel you’re hoping to get published. A great way to condense is to look for scenes that serve only one purpose. Sure, maybe it’s entertaining, but do we really learn anything about the characters? Does anything change during/because of it—a relationship, character, society? In essence, we’re really asking: does it move the story forward, or does it slow it down? I’m sure you know which one we’re going for.

So, once we recognize a scene as a problem (though we hate to admit it), how do we fix it? Well, it’s pretty simple, actually. You have a few options.

• Scratch the scene entirely—I know it’s hard to hear, but sometimes, it really is the best option

• Merge the best parts into another scene—it can be as small as a single, great line of dialogue, to an entire conversation. Or perhaps you keep the setting, and replace the third conversation that takes place in the dull school cafeteria to the local arcade that was so greatly described in your problematic scene.

• Make up for what it’s lacking—If you absolutely love the scene, you can try to build it up. Was it mostly just fluff, but the sweetest scene you’ve ever written between two characters falling in love? Why not make that into a crucial moment in their relationship. Make that the first time he kisses her, or the moment she realizes she likes him as more than a friend.

When reality gets in the way

Do you ever get so wrapped up in a story you’re working on, that when it comes to real life, you just can’t seem to focus? Your thoughts keep wandering back to that scene you were writing, or pondering what’s going to happen next.

Simply put, you’re daydreaming.

This is one of my personal favorite times of writing, when it occurs when I’m safe at home, but it’s one of the most annoying times when I’m preparing for a hectic day. As with anything, there’s a time and a place for day dreaming… it just isn’t while you’re driving down the highway or sitting in math class (as much as I tend to forget that second one).

Has this ever happened to you before? If so, what do you?

I’ve found scheduling time to sit and think about my work, even just ten or fifteen minutes between obligations, and scribble down notes will usually satisfy my imagination to go back into hibernation for a while. But sometimes, I just can’t seem to get it to be quiet. Maybe that’s just one of the side effects of being a writer. 

I want to be a real boy (or girl)

Ever opened a book and read about a character that you felt like you knew by the end? Ever fallen in love with one? Have you ever closed a booked (or muddled through with a determination greater than mine) because the characters seemed flat, unrealistic, or didn’t make any sense? As a writer, we want to be remembered for the first, and not the second.

So what exactly is it that seperates the two?

Personality: this is obvious, but sometimes it seems to be shoved aside when another character or a complicated plot is introduced. Every character that has a line of dialogue should have a personality. You don’t need to figure out every last detail of the guard’s life if he’s only in one paragraph, but do decide if he’s a typical guard (serious, commanding, intimidating) or if there is anything different. Different is often more interesting. People are more likely to remember the frail, worried guard on his first day than they are the “cut-out” of normality.

Motivation: What is it that is motivating your character? What are his or her goals? They should have two: one, which is tangible and they are aware of (ie: destroy a ring, save the cheerleader, or win back the girl of their dreams) and one in that lies deep in their subconscious, which you as the author are away of. This second is much larger, and usually is to be loved, to be feared, to be accepted, to be admired, or something very similar. This should never be stated explicitly, but the readers should be able to figure it out by the end of the book (which category does Bella fall into? Harry Potter?)

Self-image: Often times, the most interesting stories are when a characters self image is quite different from how they are perceived. They see themselves as worthless and cowardly, while their actions show they are actually quite brave, but perhaps not in a way they don’t think of as typical bravery. Or, they see themselves as heroic and inspiring, but are crushed when they realize everyone else sees them as self-centered and cocky.

Background: it’s good to have at least a general idea for a character’s background, even if it’s never mentioned. Were they properly educated? Do they have a strong accent?  Are they close to their family? These factors are going to change the way they behave and influence the other characters perceive them. The larger role the character will play, they more you should spend time creating their background.

Interaction with others: this is the most important part. It could really have a whole post to itself. A character can be described as funny, but no one is going to buy it unless they see for themselves. “Funny” is such a generic word, because everyone has a different sense of humor.

Relatable: This doesn’t mean all young adult books have to take place on earth in a suburban high school, but it does mean it has to be relatable to people in that setting. Loss of innocence, witnessing injustice, introduced to new situations, and becoming overwhelmed with emotions are all trials we face as young adults, and are therefore often explored in the YA genre.

Simply put, people want to read stories about people (or at least, characters with human qualities) so character development is a crucial part of the writing process.

What are some of the “most real” fictional characters you’ve been introduced to? What do you think it was that made them so real?

Scene Setting

Have you ever read a book that took place somewhere (real or fictional) you’ve never been, but you can picture it like you’ve lived there? If the answer is yes, chances are the author did a great job depicting the setting and atmosphere (either that or you just have a great imagination :P).

So how do you write a scene that tricks your readers to believing they’re in an ancient royal palace or futuristic spaceship instead of reminding them they're staring at ink on a page in their familiar living room?

It’s not that hard. There isn’t really any deep secret or meticulous method. It’s mostly just including the right details in the right places. Here’s how:

Picture the place in your mind. Make note of everything, every color, every line, every object for your own personal reference. Then move on to sound. And smell. And touch. And, if necessary, taste. Try and imagine yourself taking a short walk through your setting, as if you’re a director arriving on set, preparing to make a film. You have complete control over the setting: if you want to tear down a wall and put in a fountain, go ahead and do it! Resources are free in your imagination.

When writing the scene, try to sneak in small details here and there instead of describing a room at once. Any more than two or three sentences of description can appear dull and loose your reader’s interest, especially in young adult novels. Unless the setting is breathtakingly beautiful or eye-opening to your main character, the description should be interspersed with dialogue and action. Have people sit in the chairs of soft blue velvet, or drink from the gold goblets encrusted with dragon’s scales. Try and include details in the setting that serve a duel purpose, maybe revealing something about a character (paint splatter on the walls for an artist) or a mood (every ghost story needs fog and mist, right?). 

(Sometimes color can be a great way to convey the mood)

Be consistent. If you have Sweet Mother Sally open the cabinet by the fridge to get a mug, don’t have her daughter open the cabinet over the stove to get the same object two scenes later. If the cat’s collar is pink, don’t have it suddenly change to blue (without a reason).

Any other advice? Do you have a favorite place like you to “visit” by opening the pages of a book? 

Inspiration Blogfest

Aka, the first Blogfest I've participated in :)

Hosted by Summer Ross, here were the rules:

•  On July 18th post one inspiring prompt. You can use a writing prompt or a photo prompt.
• Go around and comment on each others prompts

Rewards:
        Every one will have some great inspiration to write from 



Sounds great! Inspired by my recent move (and my roommates severe loathing of the furniture), I made up the following prompt:

First, describe your ideal house/apartment/vacation spot, etc.

Next describe the worst house/apartment/vacation spot (make sure you pick the same type as in the previous part).

Finally, write a scene where a character is expecting the first, but gets the second. Or expecting the second, and gets the first.

Everything Ends

With “The End of Harry Potter” so often a topic of discussion these days (it will never die as long as we keep it alive in our hearts), why don’t we take some time to talk about endings in general?

Have you ever read a book that was exciting and page turning, and then you get to the end and it just… stops? Or something ridiculous happens that makes you feel incredibly disappointed. This has happened to me quite a few times, and it is something that I wish authors would avoid.

You know, I don’t think I’ve ever had the opposite happen, where I’ve read a book that wasn’t that great, but I put it down and thought “Wow, that was a fantastic ending” (probably because I’m bad about stopping halfway through a book if I don’t like it), but I’ll admit, I’m picky about endings. I almost always like stories to end happily. It doesn’t have to be a perfect “and everyone lived happily ever after”-in most cases those seem incredibly cheesy and unrealistic (unless of course, it’s “The Hobbit” or a fairy tale, or something along those lines)- but I don’t want a tragic death on the last page either: if there’s going to be a tragic death, that’s fine, but I want to see the other character’s reactions and process the grief along side them, not be left hanging on the last page to mourn on my own!

Twist endings are great, when they’re well done. On the other hand, poorly done twist endings can be horrible. If the author doesn’t foreshadow the ending at all, or at least drop hints, it makes the reader confused, annoyed, and regretful of the time and money they wasted on the book. It makes the author look lazy and armature, and no one wants that!

I think it's really neat when the author ties everything together, taking things from earlier pages you may have forgotten about, and bringing insignificant details or events to life, as if revealing some great secret the whole story has been building up to. But even then, I want to see what the characters do with this information or, if they don’t know, at least hint at how it’s going to effect them.

These are more my personal preference than actual rules or necessities. The only thing you really need to do in an ending to make it a decent one, is answer all the readers questions. You don’t even have to do that. If you want to leave it open-ended, you can: just make sure anything left unanswered was done so intentionally (the end of Inception comes to mind).

Do you have a favorite kind of ending (Hollywood? Tragic? One that makes you think?) or a specific favorite book or movie ending? Any endings you absolutely hated? I'd love to hear about them, without giving too much away, of course :).

Finding the time to write

This is something I struggled with a lot when I first started writing, and even now that I've gotten into the habit of writing everyday, things come up that pull me out of it now and again.

Like Now, for instance. The past few weeks I’ve been interning, studying for the GRE, starting this blog, packing to move (from one apartment building to another beside it), and preparing my book for publication. These are simply excuses.

I’ve actually found that, for the most part, I’m one of those people who does better writing when I’m busy. If I have to get up and show up for class at a certain time, I have no problem setting my alarm an hour earlier and writing first thing in the morning. If I have to get up really early for work, I write when I get home.

If I ever get a rare full day to myself with little or nothing that needs to be done-which sounds ideal for a writer-I actually get less done, proportionately. I’ll procrastinate. I’ll get distracted. I’ll open a blank document and think, “I have no idea what to write.” It’s like I have situational writer’s block.

It’s getting out and engaging with other people that give me ideas and inspiration for my stories, and allow me to clear my head. That being said, if I have too much on my plate, writing is often the first thing that goes, and once it does, it’s hard to jump back into.

In an effort to keep this from happening, I’ve learned to plan ahead and set aside designated time to write (an exact time works best, but if that’s too uncertain, then “as soon as I get home” or “right after dinner” works too). I try and keep this time the same for as long as possible (for example, I wrote first thing in the morning every day last semester, but over the summer I switched to writing before I go to sleep).

But of course, last minute surprises love to pop up and shatter all my careful planning. When that happens it’s easy to say, “Looks like I’m too busy to write.”

The truth is, most days, we’re never too busy to write. The time is there, we just aren’t looking for it hard enough. I mean, look at me-I’m on here (and you are too!) so we must have a few minutes to spare. The trick is to squeeze those minutes into hours.

If your schedule seems too busy, rearrange it. You might be thinking, “I can’t do that.” But chances are, you can, if you’re willing too. Some of the ways I’ve managed to cram in writing during those hectic busy weeks are by:

1) Cutting back on phone calls (this was a big one for me-I probably spend over an hour a day on the phone, on average. That gives me a whole half-hour to write, just by cutting it in half).

2) Getting up early, going to bed late. Sleep is important, but what is twenty or thirty minutes really going to do for you?

3) TV. Movies. Video Games. Need I say more?

4) Dinner. Do you usually cook? Try making something you can throw together quickly, then pop in the over for thirty minutes or more, and write while it cooks. If you usually eat out, try eating in, or ordering take out. Who says you can’t write while you eat?

5) Reading. It might sound counter-productive to give up reading to write, but if it’s a daily ritual you’ve already become accustomed to, try cutting your reading time in half, and devoting the other to writing.

6) If you live with other people, make sure they know you are writing. Or working. Or doing something important and should not be interrupted under any circumstance unless the house is on fire or the world is about to end. Or your favorite fictional character was just seen walking down the street. 

Of course, you don’t have to give up all of these things. Being a writer wouldn’t be very fun if all we ever did was write. These are just some suggestions, all of which I’ve cut at one time or another, but picked back up again when things slowed down a bit in the rest of my life.

Have you ever found it hard to find the time to write? How did you cope? Was there anything you had to give up? 

Music as Inspiration

Do you ever turn on the radio, or listen to a new CD, and hear a song that really resonates with you? One where it seems like the singer got inside your head and wrote about your life?

It happens to me all the time, especially when I’m making the (almost) monthly four and a half hour trip home.

Usually, when I listen to songs with lyrics, I associate them with a character. Sometimes it fits in with my own life, but often it’s a character from a book or movie. Now and then it will be a friend or relative. Other times, it’s a pure creation of my imagination. These songs can be incredibly inspiring, and can be a great source of story and character ideas. Here are a few that have been inspirational in my writing:

Mad World, Gary Jules

Stand My Ground, Within Temptation

Hurricane, 30 Seconds to Mars

And here's one that's been inspirational in my own life:

Free Life, Dan Wilson

X-men and Comic Books

I saw the new X-men movie (X-men first class) about a week ago and loved it. I’ve been a huge x-men fan for a long time now, ever since the second movie came out and my mom took me to see it in theaters. I was hooked. I went home, watched the first one, returned to the theater to watch X2 again, then went to barns and noble and started on my large collection of graphic novels (collections of bound comic books). What can I say? There’s just something about teenagers with flawed and dangerous super powers that attracts me.

For those of you who are not comic book fans, and scoff at the idea that they have any value beyond pure entertainment, I’d ask you to reconsider. Take Spiderman, for example. The story of the web-slinging teenager is a classic heroic tale, yet it is filled with life lessons and societal morals. The champion of good overcomes much peril in the form of physical enemies as well as his own self-doubt and insecurities. In Amazing Spiderman # 36 he contributes by helping NYC with the aftermath of the all too real terrorist attack of September eleventh. In the Ultimate series, there is a greater focus on his home life, on his struggle to maintain his ‘normal’ teenage life, including relationships, school, and work, while still making a difference. He has to determine when to make sacrifices and when sacrificing goes to far. For, as the classic quote goes, "With great power comes great responsibility." 

The X-men have always been my favorite super hero team, because, unlike Spiderman, Superman, and Batman, they aren’t trying to be heroes, but trying to overcome real life struggles. As many of them are teens, they’re trying to find their place in the world, learning the balance between blending in and standing out. In a world where mutants are seen as less than human, they are all faced with prejudice at one time or another, choosing to cope how they see fit. Some want to blend in to society, while some want to stand out. The balance between changing who you are to fit in, and staying true to yourself when the world seems against you, is something many teens struggle with today, whether it be because of race, gender, religion, sexual preference, appearance, interests, and many more subtleties most people wouldn’t think would make a difference. Everyone has to grow up and find their place in the world, deciding who they are and what they stand for—super heroes and real life readers alike. 

So, then comes the question “Well, if you want to read about real world problems, why not read mainstream fiction? Why all the super powers?” There are many answers to that. It all comes down to personal preference, really. I’d rather read about a mutant who needs to learn to control their anger because they could accidently kill someone if they didn’t, than an ordinary girl like me who could get grounded. Realistic problems can hit too close to home. Comic books, as well as all works of sci-fi and fantasy, give us the illusion of an escape from the real world by showing it to us in a different way, allowing us to break down the defensive walls we put in place and look at human nature and ourselves from an artificial distance.