Steps to Keep You Writing

All my life I have written stories. Well let me restate that, all my life I have thought about stories. For as far back as I can remember, I had all these stories mapped out in my head and I knew exactly how I wanted them to play out, but unfortunately I never wrote more than a couple thousand words for any of it. That is, until recently. In the last 4 months, I have written about half of my very first novel that will total 100,000+ words. And now that I am finally regularly writing I thought that I could maybe help the countless other would-be writers out there. So to the question at hand: How can you start writing? AND continue to write?


How many of you are familiar with the Prochaska and Di Clemente's transtheoretical stages of behavior change? This theory states that humans go through specific steps on their way to changing their behavior (i.e. writing). Now I suppose you are wondering why I’m even talking about this. The stages of behavioral change can be very easily applied to any behavior that a person wants to change and in our case this means writing. Not only does the theory describe the stages of change but it also shows how to move from one stage to the next. In layman’s terms, this model can show you how to get off your butt and start writing!

FIRST STAGE: NOT THINKING ABOUT WRITING

Definition: Pre-contemplation is just a fancy way of saying that someone is not thinking about changing their behavior (I.e. they’re not writing and not thinking about it either).

Most writers I know are not in this stage of behavior change (they at the very least they are thinking about writing). If you’re anything like me, your thoughts are never far from your stories. Most writers, I know, are in the second stage of change: contemplation.

SECOND STAGE: THINKING ABOUT WRITING

Definition: Contemplation is the stage where a person is thinking about changing their behavior (i.e. thinking about the stories they want to write, how they will plot them, who their characters are). The catch here is that a person can stay in this stage indefinitely, meaning that a person can think about writing ALL THEIR LIFE and NEVER actually write.

I don’t know about you, but that is freaking depressing. So how do you get out of that rut? YOU have to make the decision to make the change. You have to make an assessment of the costs and benefits of this behavior change (and the benefits have to outweigh the costs or you’ll never adopt the new behavior).

COSTS:

Cost does not simply mean monetary demands, although that can factor in too. No the costs of adopting a new behavior have to deal with anything that a person has to give or sacrifice to change their behavior.

1. TIME – The largest cost to starting writing is TIME. Time, if you are like most people, you have it and don’t even know it. Let’s do some simple math. There are 24 hours in a day. On average a person works 8 hours and is recommended to sleep 8 hours (probably a lot less for most). Factor in about 2 hours for getting ready for work and commute you have six hours left. Let’s subtract another 2 hours for meals and cleaning (for those clean freaks out there). Let me just say that I am being VERY generous with the time allotments. Now we have 4 HOURS LEFT WITH NOTHING TO DO. These 4 hours has actually been accounted for by statisticians. Anybody care to guess what we, as Americans, do during this time? We watch TV, surf the internet, and basically piddle around doing nothing. I’m not going to be Fun-Nazi and say that you should use all 4 hours to write, but I think you could, at the very least spare 1 hour. This brings us to the only other cost to consider.

2. FEAR OF REJECTION - Fear can be a great motivator, but it can also be a great inhibitor. As a writer, I flux between thinking I’m the greatest writer of my generation to thinking that I am the most inept human being in all of creation. In truth, I live in the latter belief more often than not. How about you? Don’t think anybody will want to read your book? Think you are terrible story teller who should have never been taught to draw words on a page? Ok, well let’s take a step back. I don’t know about you but the some of the stories I think about have been with me for years. I have thought about every detail and cannot shake it from my mind. I don’t know about you, but if I can’t shake a story after 7 years then it’s about time to write it down. Get it out of your head and on to paper. Who cares if no one is going to read it? If you want to write it, then write it! There are plenty of terrible books that surprisingly have found audiences (*cough* Sparkly Vampires *cough*). Don’t let self-doubt eat you up! Write that book you have been thinking about for years, before you go crazy ;-)

*Also, with the new opportunity to self publish it is virtually impossible to have your material rejected!!!

BENEFITS:

1. FEAR OF AN UNFULFILLED LIFE – I’m going to get a bit morose for a moment, so please excuse me. The older I get the more people I know die. They die with unfulfilled dreams and expectations. How would it make you feel to die without ever having finished even one book? I don’t know about you, but I would feel pretty freaking depressed. I think fear can be a pretty great motivator. In this case, I’m talking about the fear of wasting your life away! And if this starts you to writing then you will gain the next benefit.

2. PRIDE – Have some pride in yourself! How do you do that? By actually doing something, that’s how. Think about when you get older and look back on your life. What is going to make you prouder? That you finished the entire 6 seasons of Lost? Or that you wrote that story?

3. MONETARY GAIN – I think that most will agree with me when I say that if you are writing novels in the hopes of becoming wildly rich, then 9 out of 10 of you will be sorely mistaken. That being said, writing doesn’t cost much. I mean, sure you will have to spring for an editor, maybe some cover art, and there are ways of promotion that cost nothing at all, but in the whole scheme of it all, you are writing, in your leisure, at no cost to you except that you miss some of your 4 hours of media time.  The new creation and ease of self publishing on global markets has all but ensured that your book is likely to sell at least a little.  So while the cash flow may not be grand, it will still be there.

So do the benefits outweigh the costs? Yes? Well on to the next stage, which is often the most overlooked and is considered by many to be the most important stage.

THIRD STAGE: PREPARING TO WRITE

Definition: The most-overlook but highly important stage of mapping out how you will adopt the new behavior.

This stage is often the most overlooked and underestimated stage in changing your behavior. Often when a person decides that they want to change their behavior they just jump into it head-first. Now while I appreciate and understand the enthusiasm, this approach does not readily lead to you maintaining your new behavior (i.e. ignoring this step does not help you to continue to write).

So before you start, sit down and make a plan of what and when you want to write. This doesn’t have to be complicated. It can be as simple as determining what time and where you are going to write every day. (*Writing every day makes the seemingly insurmountable task of writing a novel manageable.*) To a more complicated plan, which is what I did.

What I did:

1. Mapped out my plot and bulleted the most important scenes that I know I want to be in the book.

2. Delegate which scenes I wanted to write first.

3. Determine what time and for how long I want to write for each day.

4. Determine how many words I am going to write each week or month. (*THIS IS EXTREMELY HELPFUL*)

Now the plan has been created the time for writing and story-crafting is upon us!

FOURTH STAGE: ACTUALLY WRITING

Definition: Engaging in the new behavior.

The fourth stage is action, but in a smart way. In other words, you need to make your writing into a habit. It is time to write and there a few points you should consider:

1. TURN OFF THAT MOVIE/TV SHOW/FACEBOOK/ETC. – If it is the time in the day you said you would write then turn off all distractions! And sit in front of that blank page, even if you don’t want to! Time for tough love! Sit yourself down in front of the page and placate yourself with the knowledge that it will only be for a short hour.

2. DON’T WAIT FOR INSPIRATION – Stop blaming writer’s block for your lack of writing! Write! Write anything! I’m guessing that you have an idea of what you want to happen in your plot. Right? Well start writing it down! Yes, it will probably be rough and not very eloquent at first, but God bless editing! This isn’t an essay test that you have to turn into a teacher. No this is simply putting your story on paper. So write!

3. READ – Read other books on your down time. Without realizing it you will start to see how others construct their stories. All of a sudden you’ll start having opinions of your own writing. You’ll see story constructs that you’ll love and hate. Either way, it will inspire you. (*Also, if you are writing for a specific genre, then read books out of that genre. See what is popular. See what sells!*)

4. TIME - Write everyday at the appointed time and don't filch! If you do this each day then eventually it will become a habit.

Now that you are writing, how do you make sure that you continue to do so? Well let’s move onto the next stage to see.

FIFTH STAGE: CONTINUING TO WRITE

Definition: Making a habit of the new behavior.

Now we are down to the nitty-gritty; the great mystery of how to continue to write. The following are the points that I keep me writing (and yes I will be repeating some things.)

1. HAVE A WORD COUNT GOAL – Whether it is weekly or monthly, have a word count goal. This will help you to not get overwhelmed in the onerous task of writing a novel. Yes, you may have only written 8,000 words this last month, but that is how much you wrote the month before and in a novel of 90,000 words you are a fifth of the way through!

2. REWARD or PUNISH YOURSELF – We are outcome oriented creatures. We respond to rewards and punishments in adopting new behaviors. If you have set a goal, but do not reinforce your behavior then that goal means nothing. Did you meet your half-way goal for your book? Yes? Then go out to eat! Buy yourself a gift! No? Then don’t join friends to go out on the town. Stay at home and write more.

3. BE ACCOUNTABLE – Find someone in your life that is willing to read your weekly/monthly installments. (Or even better find someone who will write with you (so that both of you are kept accountable to one another!)) Not only will this help you continue to write, but this can offer fresh eyes and perspectives to a story that may be growing old to you.

4. WRITE DIFFERENT PARTS – You don’t have to write a story from beginning to end. Instead, write the sections that inspire you the most at the moment. This way you can avoid growing stagnant through the more boring connecting parts of your story.

5. LOVE YOUR SUBJECT MATTER – This point is straight forward enough. If you want to write a novel, remember that is up to 100,000 words of material. You damn well better like what you are writing or be ready to just stop what you are doing now.

6. DON’T THINK ABOUT THE READER’S OPINION (at least not yet) - Remember that you as a writer are your own worst enemy. Stop questioning how others will view your writing and just keep writing. The point is to put the words on the page. After you have finished and when the editing has begun, then you can think of what your audience will think. Just get it done first!

7. THINK OF THE FINISHED PRODUCT - Just keep thinking of that finished book. Keep thinking of finishing your first freaking novel! Get encouraged! You can do it if you buckle down and do it!

AVOID THE MUCH FEARED SIXTH STEP: RELAPSE

The threat of relapsing into your previous behavior is ever present. That is why you have to maintain your writing constantly. YOU need to make it a habit: write every day (you have time!) and meet your word count goal. YOU and no one else can do this!!!

Southern Inspiration: The Lunar Moth

I think that nature plays an essential role when living in the south.  There are hunters everywhere, home gardens are often relied upon to supply the majority of food and people live in the middle of the woods/mountains/swamp (miles from others). Well this idea is especially evident in my life since spring has started. 

My mother's home is surrounded by a thick hard wood forest and since spring has come the wood is teeming with life.  It is now the time of year that lunar moths come out *see above*.  The wingspan on one of these guys is about 4.5 inches (they're about the size of a bird).  Now while I think they really are beautiful, they also freak me out!  I mean it's a bug the size of a bird for crying out loud! I have this irrational fear that they will fly into my hair:

GIFSoup

I think that nature has played such a significant role in the south that it has taken on a kind of mystical quality.  Superstitions and old wives tales have sprung up for things ranging from the promise of guests depending on the direction a bird flies to whether fishing will be any good depending if the cows are lying down or standing.  I'm sure that other places around the country and world have similar superstitions.  However, it seems that down here these superstitions are still alive and well. 

All this talk of superstitions and old wives tales made me curious about the moth and whether there were any beliefs about it.  Well apparently there are a few: 

Many believe moths bring bad luck when trapped in the left hand.

It's been said that when a large black moth appears, it symbolizes a deceased loved one who is visiting.

If a moth flies around you at night, it means that you will recieve a letter.

In some cultures, it is a superstition that a white moth in a house or trying to get in a sign that a death will come to the family.

Also, apparently some believe that a moth is the soul of a witch. 



Whatever the superstitions are, everytime I see this moth I feel as though I have been transported to some primal place where the extinct, giant animals of old still persist. 

8 Points to Remember When Naming Your Characters

From the start, it may seem that choosing a name for your character is really easy.  You like a name and so that’s the one you’re going to use. That’s settled. Now on to more important things like procrastination! Well hold on for just a moment.  Have you considered if that name you have fallen in love with makes sense for your character? For the setting? Or how about the meaning of the name?  Before you go willy-nilly in naming your characters, there are a few important points to remember.  

 1. Is the Name Appropriate in the Setting?

 Before I continue any further remember that setting includes not only the physical place but the time period as well.  Is the name you have decided on appropriate for the country your story takes place in?  How about the time period?  The name could be more old fashion or too trendy for the setting you have decided on. 

If the character is an American then you can go here Social Security Name Popularity List and search by years. And this site allows you to search through decades: http://www.sheknows.com/baby-names/rankings/decade

If your character is British then you can check out this site http://www.britishbabynames.com/blog/links-to-name-data.html, which lists names from 1880 to present day.

**Remember that this really only applies to stories that are based in the real world.  If you have a science fiction or fantasy novel and you are creating an entirely new world then these rules can be thrown out the window.  

2. Is the Name Appropriate for the Character?

Is the character an adult? Does he have a name appropriate for the time period in which he was born?  If the character is an American then you can go here Social Security Name Popularity List and search by years.  Don’t make the mistake of naming him/her something that is currently trendy, when your character was born decades ago.

Is your character of a different ethnicity?  Is the name ethnically appropriate?  There are many baby name sites that will allow you to search for names according to ethnicities and genders.   

For example:

http://www.babynames.com/Names/search.php

http://planning.thebump.com/baby-names/origins

http://www.babynology.com/

      3. A Name Can Determine Who a Person Is

Ever since I read about the brothers Cain and Able in John Steinbeck’s East of Eden, I have been obsessed with the idea that a name can determine who a person is.  Naming a character a certain name due to a meaning can be a fun Easter egg for your readers to discover.  But remember that your readers are smart so don't make it obvious (e.g. Bella Swan).  Meanings for names can be literal or implied. 

For literal meanings of names there are sites like these:

http://www.behindthename.com/

http://www.thinkbabynames.com/

For implied meanings of names, think about East of Eden where two brothers' lives mirrored the lives of two biblical brothers.  Perhaps the character’s story that you have thought of reminds you of a figure from mythology:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Greek_mythological_figures

http://www.behindthename.com/names/usage/mythology

Or from the Bible:

http://www.behindthename.com/names/usage/biblical

Or literature:

http://www.everydayfamily.com/baby-names-inspired-by-literature/

http://www.nancy.cc/2006/10/31/unique-baby-names-from-literature/

      4. No Country for Interesting Names (well at least not for everybody)

Unless you have made up a completely new world then you have to accept the fact that some people will have boring names!  This doesn’t mean that you have to name background characters Jane Doe or John Smith.  But you can’t name every single person a unique, interesting name.  Find a good balance. There are plenty of common names that may have fallen out of vogue recently (and therefore feel fresh).  

5. A Place and Time for Nicknames

If other characters are familiar with a particular character try to think of a nickname derivative of the name or completely new one all together.  For example, did you know that the old fashioned nickname for Sarah is Sally? Or think of how down south people like to give others two names as a term of endearment (e.g. Sarah Elizabeth becomes Sarah-Beth).

Here’s a site that list nicknames for common names:

http://usgenweb.org/research/nicknames.shtml

Here’s a place you can look up old-fashioned nicknames:

http://www.cslib.org/nickname.htm

http://jenniferfindsyourroots.com/2011/02/03/old-fashioned-nicknames/

http://nameberry.com/blog/old-school-nicknames

And remember that a nickname can have nothing to do with the actual name itself (e.g. Slim or Little John).  Maybe the nickname comes from an interesting story in your character’s past.

6. Pronunciation. Think about it.

Pronunciation is extremely important for a reader.   The first time I read Harry Potter; I had no idea how to pronounce Hermione and ended up pronouncing it Her-mine.  If someone doesn’t know how to properly pronounce the name then they will pronounce it however they want or skip over the name all together. 

Remember that the pronunciation must follow the normal conventions of grammar. I had a friend once that wanted to name her daughter Magdalene and have everyone pronounce it Madeleine, “the G will be silent”…yeah that’s just not going to happen.  If you do have unexpected pronunciations then try to subtly work it into the story, a short time after the character is introduced to assist the reader.

If you are set on the character having a difficult name to pronounce then think about giving them a nickname (see #5). 

7. The World is Unpredictable

Remember people in the real world are weird and unpredictable. I once met a person with the last name of Moneymaker (that was her legal and legitimate surname).  If you have your heart set on a particular name then go for it.  My rule of thumb is that if your story is set in the real world and the name you have decided on is bizarre, then explain why.  Make an interesting story or mystery around it and this will help to give your characters depth too. Which brings us to the most important point in naming your character…

      8. Know Your Characters!!!

Who is this person? What is their back story?  Perhaps they received their name as a namesake.  Then what is the story behind that? If the personality and the name don't match up then make it point of contention.  Remember that names make an impression and you want readers to remember that name. 

The perfect song to gain a look inside my world

 

"Saint Judas" by Natalie Merchant

Southern Inspiration: Abandoned Road

 

This is an abdoned road that runs alongside of the river. 

Southern Inspiration: The Flood

Every so often, I will be adding photos from my daily life and talk about how it made me think of a story or maybe how it is one of countless things that make me think of life in the strange south.  I do this if only for no other reason then I think that the South is an untapped treasure trove of bizarre people, places and events.  As I can't find too many tolerable stories that use the south this way, I guess I'll just have to write my own.    ;-)

So let's get back to the picture above.  The other day I was walking by the Arkansas river when I saw my little friend above (he's the small squiggle at the bottom).  This snake looked to be about 5 to 6 feet in length and from a distance a friend and I thought it may be a Cottonmouth, there are only a few water snakes here in Arkansas.  Anyways, this snake in the water got me to thinking about a story my father had told me about my mammy, his mother, and the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927.  

For the lay people, the flood of 1927 was catastrophic for the people of 10 states, the hardest hit of which was Arkansas with about 14% of its land under water.  That flood has been thought of as the most destructive flood in the history of the United States.  Randy Newman even wrote a song, "Louisiana 1927," about it.  The Mississippi river swelled to 60 miles in diameter in some places, it flooded about 27,000 square miles, and killed 246 people in 7 different states.  My grandmother was 7 at the time and the following is a story inspired by what happened to her in the flood.  

***

                Up north the rain had fallen and fallen.  There seemed to be no end to the water.  The river crested the banks of its northern neighbors about a week ago.  There was nothing new about that.  It’s when the water pushes over the southern shores that people start to worry.  The land of the delta, flat and pregnant with rich silt, was the primary resource of those poor ones that decided to live there.  And now the river threatened everything.  A river that for countless years before was the vein that supplied a muddy, wet life to the land, now loomed wider and wider.  A provider turned usurper.
                 Helen sat quietly on the thin carpeted floor of a small two bedroom house in Eros, Louisiana.  Her fine, light brown hair was pulled back into a short ponytail.  The cloth doll, Lottie, she held had a white porcelain face with delicate blue eyes and a pink mouth that had been carefully painted on.  That smooth white face was her favorite part of Lottie.  On summer nights she would press the small, cool face against her cheek and wait for it to lose its heat, then she would pull it away from her face and study the small blue eyes that stared unblinkingly back.  She would try to keep her eyes wide open, without blinking, as she waited for any sign of life.  Helen fervently believed that her doll was alive and just never moved when other people around.  She wanted Lottie to talk to her so badly.  When her eyes would grow dry, she would pull the doll close and feel the cool porcelain against her face again. 
                “The river is coming,” A business-like voice came from the wooden radio that was pushed against the wall.
                Her daddy would stop it, Helen thought without worry while she rubbed the soft black dress her doll wore between her fingers.  Claude, Helen’s father, was the high sheriff of Eros and for the last 4 days he had driven all around the Jackson parish in an attempt to prepare the people for the coming waters.  He had driven his model T from Hog Hair to Salem Guyton to Bug Tussle organizing hands to fortify the levees.  

               Eros was a small town in north Louisiana.  It was a sawmill boom town that had sprung up in the vast pine forest of the south that stretched from east Texas all the way to Virginia.  To understand how this stretch of Pine Barrens had come to be named after the Greek god of love and desire, one would have to turn their eyes skyward.  The bright jet of the Eros asteroid inspired a richly dressed woman in a large two story house who in turned told her equally dressed husband, the owner of the giant sawmill.  And so the town was named.  The fire of 1926 had burnt the giant sawmill to the ground, leaving many residents without a job.   The sawmill held no sway now and the town was on the decline.  This mass exodus of people was a blessing and a curse to Claude.  There were fewer people he had to worry about protecting but finding able hands to pack sand bags on the levees was proving to be an onerous task.

            “Helen time for bed,” her mother, Ollie, leaned against the door frame, her simple house dress was wrinkled from house chores.

            “Daddy isn’t back yet,” Helen whined back.

            “Bed,” her mother said in a voice that left no room for questions. 

            Helen shuffled back to her room, and her mother followed close behind.  Small arms were raised. A child’s day dress fell quietly to the floor, while a soft cotton nightgown rustled over the small head.  Helen’s older sister Anne was already tucked into the single bed that took up half of the room.  A faint smell of rubbing alcohol came to Helen’s nose.  Her sister had rubbed the stuff on her arms, neck, and legs to cool off from the day’s heat.  The cotton sheets were cool as Helen slipped into the bed.  Ollie’s hair tickled Helen’s cheek as she leaned in and kissed her goodnight.  The door shut quietly and Helen was left to fall asleep.  Her eyes strained to stay open as she stared at Lottie’s face, but slowly sleep pulled them shut.

            “Girls wake up,” It was their daddy.  He strode into the room and pulled the blanket off the sleeping pair.  “Come on Anne, Helen.  We got to get on top of the roof.”

            “Ok daddy,” Anne said quietly, her voice softened by sleep.

            “Wha-” Helen asked sleepily as she rubbed her eyes.

            Claude swept Helen up into his arms and carried her outside of the house.  Anne’s bare feet slapped the floor as she followed closely.  Helen held Lottie unconsciously in her right hand. It was still night outside and the stars were dark, clouded over by rain clouds that came from the east.  Helen’s mother stood looking down at the three from the roof.  She stooped and held out her hands to her husband.  Claude easily lifted Helen’s small frame up and Ollie pulled her onto the roof.  Anne was next.  Then Claude climbed his own way up the clapboard side of the house and onto the roof.  A streak of lightning etched across the sky and rain threatened.  Ollie sat down carefully on the slant of the rough roof and motioned for her daughters to come near.  Anne and Helen huddled next to their mother while they stared out into the dark.  A levee didn’t hold.  They knew the waters would come.  They fearfully stared out into the darkness looking for the waters to come rushing towards them.  Fear can be a strange bed fellow and make eyes heavier than a person can remember, and so the two girls’ vigilant watch slowly became slumber against their mother’s side.

            Ollie was leaned back against the roof.  She could have sworn that she had only shut her eyes for a moment but hours passed by.  Helen was curled in a ball against her side, while Anne had draped half her body over Ollie.  Claude squatted nearby keeping out a watchful eye.  It was in this lull that Helen was awoken by a small touch at her ankle.  She shook her ankle absentmindedly and felt the touch again.  Helen’s foot twitched against her mother’s leg waking up Ollie who looked down at Helen’s foot and screamed. 

            The brown, silt-filled water had come.  Water swilled at the roof’s edge.  The surrounding oak trees and neighbor’s houses were shortened to half their height in the water.  Other families crowded on top of their houses looking at the invading river that surrounded them.  Helen’s small family was not the only things trying to escape the waters.  A dozen dark brown snakes tread the water, their heads raised up onto the roof as they tried to climb up.  A smaller snake with black bands had already made it up onto the roof and entangled around Helen’s feet.  The family panicked.  Helen started flinging her arms around in fear.  Ollie pulled her daughter away from the snake, while she scrambled higher up the roof.  Claude rushed over and stomped his boots against the onslaught of snakes.  He kicked the small snake that had been on his daughter into the water.  Helen buried her head into her mother’s side while she cried. 

            Then Anne said quietly, as if to herself, “Oh Lottie!”

            The name caused Helen to grow suddenly quiet and peer around her mother.  Past her flailing father, she could see the white face of her doll in the swilling waters.  Without a thought, Helen ran towards her doll.  She pulled away from Ollie’s arms so suddenly that Ollie didn’t have a chance to hold her back. Helen took one leap. Two.  And just as she tried to jump for Lottie, her father’s strong arms snatched her up. 

            Helen screamed.  Her face was beat red as she reached her arms out over her father’s shoulders toward the doll.  Lottie sank slowly in the snake infested water.  The motion of the swimming tails rocked Lottie back and forth.  Just as the water had completely soaked the cloth body and Lottie sank beneath the water, Helen could have sworn that she saw a painted blue eye wink at her.