Watching a Writer Write

                  
                                                                  by Trina Boice
                                                                 www.trinaboice.com

One of the things I love about writing books is that I get to meet other authors.  I especially love getting to know creative fiction authors who think outside of the box.  Many of my non-fiction books have become best-sellers, but writing engaging fiction seems way too hard to me.

A good author friend of mine, Steve Booth, has just started a new project that is really imaginative and engages readers in a new way.  He's inviting readers to participate in a story as it unfolds online at: http://www.stevenmbooth.com/?page_id=201&cpage=1

Here is what he had to say on his latest blog post as he explains the project:
"Over the last several months, we have been working on a new way to present fantasy material on the web. Of course, there have been many excellent examples of storytelling – eBooks, multi-path stories, even full-blown, immersive role-paying games.

These all fall short, however, when it comes to one thing — engaging readers in the creative (and sometimes challenging) process of writing a story from scratch. What we thought would be very cool, interesting for all, and also instructive, is to actually create, under the watchful eye of an author, a short story, interactively, over a period of several weeks, and to let everyone have a chance to contribute and make suggestions about how it should go. In short — you get to do the fun stuff, and I have to do the work. We call it an ‘eStory’.

Each new iteration of the eStory will consist of two or more parallel story tracks, based on the suggestions and selections made by all those that wish to contribute. Thus, although I have a pretty good idea of where our tale will lead, it is in a very real sense ‘organic’ – how we get to our destination has not yet been determined.

SO… if you’re curious, if you’ve ever wondered how folks come up with these fantastical characters and worlds, please join us on our adventure. We’re calling it ‘The Legend of Talimar’.  In addition, it will be possible for anyone to comment, critique, ask questions, and suggest alternative paths that might be interesting to follow.

After everyone has a chance to respond, we will create at least two, or perhaps more alternative paths for the story to take, like the waters in a stream parting around a rock.    Later on, the two paths will rejoin the main plot of the story, but in the interim, new and interesting things will be revealed; things no one had suspected; things I never considered, perhaps!

After a number of installments (we're thinking like 10-12), we'll conclude the tale with a really cool climax and finale, and we'll provide some special secrets for those who also want to continue with the follow-on volume, Dark Talisman."

Go support my buddy and check out his fun project at:
http://www.stevenmbooth.com/?page_id=201&cpage=1

The Writing Anarchist- Rules and the Power of Suggestion

I suspect I will have many people disagree with the concept of this post. I welcome the disagreement, or I should say, I welcome the dialogue. Sometimes all it takes is a question or a challenge to get our juices flowing and we find that we are more passionate about a subject than we even realize. I hope that is the case with the questions I pose today.

Lately I’ve been pondering the rules and qualities that define good writing. Or more to the point, what makes one book better than another. I am reading a LOT right now, much more than usual, as I prepare to cast a somewhat informed vote for the Whitney Awards. I have heard some wonder if there are certain criteria we should all consider in judging. I’ve heard responses both for and against the use of a uniform evaluation form. Unfortunately, as yet I have come up with few conclusions but many questions.

I would like to ask a series of questions and get responses from the readers.

1- Are there certain norms and rules that fiction writing should follow to be considered worthy of accolades and general acceptance? Are these norms and rules the same today as they were twenty or fifty, one hundred or two hundred years ago? Why or why not?

2- Why do we accept certain rules and norms? Do we do it because a teacher or mentor told us we should and we want to sound smart or are there hard and fast rules about what defines quality in writing?

3- Are there generally accepted rules we question but follow in an attempt to go with the flow in appeasing the gatekeepers?

4- Does the average reader care about following the rules of grammar, punctuation and point of view or are they in it for the story and characters?

5- What is most important to assessing the quality of a book: Story, technical skill or conveyance of emotion?

6- How do we obtain the best writing education? Continual reading to discover what we like and how to emulate it? Classes that teach classic technique or writing conferences where experts and peers share their wisdom? Practice?

7- Is writing merely popular art that changes to meet the expectations of the audience? Or does the audience change as it becomes accustomed to the changes in art?

8- Which artist produced higher quality work—Picasso or Monet? Faulkner or King?

9- Are the differences between these authors and artists only stylistic or do they adhere to some different rules?

10- Are there some rules that should NEVER be broken if a writer wants to be taken seriously?

Am I a writing anarchist for questioning the value and method of how we arrive at our writing rules and norms, or am I merely an ill informed schmutz? Be honest. I can take it.

Like many readers I know what I like when I read it. I also know what I don’t like. I recently started reading a book and WOW…it is really bad. But I wonder how much of my taste is based on the rules I’ve been taught and the norms of the culture in which I live, instead of an acceptance or disapproval based on pure truth, innate quality and superior writing? Do I value what I’ve been trained to value?

In considering Whitney finalists I will suggest only one conclusion. I will vote for the books I enjoy. I will vote for the stories and characters I love and the themes and style that make me feel something. I’m not smart enough to evaluate in any other way. Am I wrong?

Please choose a question to answer. Don’t worry about being right or wrong or looking foolish. I think I’ve already established I’m the biggest fool here so just tell me what you think. Hopefully we can learn together.

FYI- I have developed a simple worksheet I use when evaluating my Enjoyment Factor of a book I am judging. Check out my Enjoyment Factor Worksheet.

Too Busy?

by Rebecca Talley


I always love General Conference. It's such a fun weekend hanging out with the family and listening to talks by those who've been called of God to lead us in these latter-days.

President Uchtdorf touched on a subject that I think is important. His talk during the Saturday morning session was about being busy. In the world we live in, we tend to be very busy. We schedule so many activities, meetings, and things we have to get done that sometimes we neglect that which is most important. We give up the better for the good.

What is most important in our lives? I would say that our relationship with our Heavenly Father and His son, Jesus Christ would rank at the top. I would also add in our service to Him in building up His kingdom. We can build our relationship with God by reading and studying His words and by communicating with Him through prayer.

Next, I would say is our spouse and children. After all, if we don't enjoy being with them in mortality, Heavenly Father certainly isn't going to make us suffer with them throughout eternity. Are we doing all we can to create strong, loving bonds within our families? Do we spend time with our spouses and our children? We have been given counsel on how to strengthen our families by having family prayer, family scripture study, family home evening, family dinners, and wholesome family activities. 

It is good to involve our children in wholesome activities such as sports, music, dance, theater, and other activities to help them develop their talents. However, we should use caution when scheduling these activities to make sure we don't infringe too much on our family time or the time we need to be close to the Lord.

In this day and age, it's easy to over schedule. We want our kids to experience all sorts of activities, prepare for college, and do as much as they can. As community members we want to serve our community, be active in politics, go to PTA meetings, volunteer with other organizations, and do our best to fully live our lives. Oh, and for those of us infected with this writing virus, we also want to share our words with the world.


As we seek to do these good and worthwhile things, it's important to evaluate them and how they affect our lives. Being busy for the sake of being busy doesn't mean we're being successful, only that we're being busy. Of course, I'd love to produce multiple books each year because that's the only way I'll ever write all the stories in my head, but is that the best choice  for me and for my family?

I don't want to be so busy with activities, including writing, that I don't have time to enjoy blowing bubbles with my son, reading a book with my daughter, or listening to an older child's problems at college. I want to soak in every moment with my family and I'm confident, that as I build my relationships with my Heavenly Father and my Savior and as I seek to focus on my family, that Heavenly Father will provide time enough for me to write. I may never produce very many books, but if the books that I do produce are pleasing unto my Father, then that is enough for me.

Words Have Power

by Rebecca Talley

As writers, we use words all the time. We string them together to make sentences and then weave those together to make paragraphs and, eventually, we create stories from them. The words we choose to use will have an effect on those who read them. We must carefully select words to create the exact feeling, emotion, or sense we want for our stories.

In the English language we have so many words from which to choose. Crack open a dictionary and you can find thousands and thousands of words. we even have a thesaurus to help us find similar words that may convey a different feeling. With all of these words at our disposal it seems that we would be able to use a specific word to describe what we want to say. Some words have lost their power simply because they've been overused. What exactly does beautiful mean? We've used it in some many contexts and to describe such a myriad of things, it has lost its true meaning.

Why do people resort to profanity or even words such as stupid or dumb, when there are a vast array of words we could use to describe exactly what it is we want to convey?

There's an old saying, "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me." I strongly disagree. Words stay with us. Words have power. And words can hurt. For example, watch this clip and tell me, how does the use of the word retard affect you? I know how it affects me because I have a son that will likely have intellectual disabilities.

We need to carefully consider the words we use, in our writing and in our everyday lives, because words have power.

Knowledge is power...and free!

                                                                    By Trina Boice
                                                                 http://www.boicebox.com/

Can you believe it’s BACK TO SCHOOL time already? While some parents are celebrating the idea of a quiet, clean house during school hours, others are sad to leave behind the carefree fun of summer spent with their children. My kids think I’m crazy because I absolutely love the smell and anticipation of opening up a new textbook.


For parents who are just a bit envious of their children’s opportunity to learn new things at school, I have a goldmine of resources for you! The following web sites include thousands of video lectures from some of the world’s top scholars! Knowledge nirvana! And they’re all FREE!

One of my favorite quotes, and one worth teaching your children, is:
“The more you read, the more you know.
The more you know, the smarter you grow.
The smarter you grow, the stronger your voice
When speaking your mind or making your choice!”

Enjoy!

http://academicearth.org/
http://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/web/courses/av/index.htm
http://worldlibrary.net/Collections.htm
http://freevideolectures.com/
http://videolectures.net/
http://lecturefox.com/
http://www.ted.com/
http://ocw.nd.edu/
Courses include detailed lecture notes, a calendar of teading assigned for each class and a description of major assignments.

http://ocw.tufts.edu/
Offers student-made documentaries about social issues as well as a list of weekly readings.

http://itunes.stanford.edu/
Professors Martin Evans and Marsh McCall lecture on great works by Virgil to Voltaire.

http://itunes.berkeley.edu/
Berkeley's lectures online
http://webcast.berkeley.edu/
Alternate site of Berkeley's lectures.

http://scholarspot.com/

http://www.varsitynotes.com/

http://www.learnerstv.com/

If anyone is interested in Entrepreneurship and learning more about what it takes to own or run a business, I highly recommend the Standford eCorner ( http://ecorner.stanford.edu/authorMaterialInfo.html?mid=1554 ) or the Harvard business school ( http://www.hbs.edu/entrepreneurs/ ) podcasts. Both are great resources that provide outstanding insight into running your own business.   Others include:
http://oedb.org/library/features/236-open-courseware-collections
http://www.careervoyages.gov/education-videos.cfm
http://www.sba.gov/training/index.html
http://www.sba.gov/tools/audiovideo/Podcasts/index.html
http://www.openculture.com/2007/07/freeonlinecourses.html
http://www.videomd.com/featured_videos.aspx
http://freesciencelectures.com/
http://streaming.discoveryeducation.com/
http://education.usgs.gov/common/video_animation.htm
http://www.nachi.org/advancedcourses.htm
http://education-portal.com/video_library/index.html
http://www.serve.org/nche/ibt/aw_video.php
http://www.practisinc.com/interactive/patient-education-videos.php
http://scholarspot.com/
http://www.varsitynotes.com/
http://www.learnerstv.com/
http://www.stumbleupon.com/
http://www.ovguide.com/education.html


CENTSerely,

Sister Thrifty a/k/a Trina Boice
http://www.sisterthrifty.com/

Too Coincidental?

by Rebecca Talley

by Rebecca Talley

Have you ever read a book and said, “That’s too coincidental?” If you have, you’re not alone.

I finished reading a book the other day and thought there were far too many coincidences in the storyline. In fact, by the end of the book I felt like I’d been manipulated by the author. Not a good reaction from a reader. Definitely not the reaction we want from our readers.

Yes, coincidences happen in real life. But we're not writing real life, we're writing fiction and in writing fiction, things that happen must not only have a purpose, but they must grow organically out of the plot.

For example, if a character needs to know a secret, find a way to allow that character to naturally discover the secret. If you have another character blurt out important information, especially if that character had been keeping the secret for a long time and it wouldn’t be natural for him to blurt out guarded information, it will feel manipulative.

Ask yourself as you write, “Would this character really say or do this?” “Would this really happen the way I’ve written it?” “Are my events growing organically from the plot?”

If you need a character to learn information or meet another character, foreshadow it so when it does happen, the reader feels like it’s natural. Don’t just plop a character in a specific place because you need to do so to advance your plot. Give the reader reason to believe the character should be there, naturally.

As you write your story, consider your plot points and make sure that one point leads to the next in a natural way. Don’t force a plot point because it will be evident to the reader. Don’t rely on coincidence to move your story forward because a reader will feel manipulated and as soon as he feels that way, you’ve lost him.

Make sure your plot grows organically and you won’t have readers scratching their heads and muttering, “Too coincidental.” Or worse, throwing your book across the room.