Kristal Lee

It's Thursday and I've skipped over to New Kids on the Writer's Block. I'm sharing what's on my to-be-read list for 2011. Stop over and tell me yours.  

Last week, Deb Sanders @ NKotWB wrote about "Rules? Where we're going there are no rules!". And she goes on to explain that to break the rules, one must learn the rules.

Generally, our first exposure to "the rules" is grammar class. We learn vocabulary, noun, verbs, pronouns, adverbs, adjectives, etc, into ad nauseum. We learn how to write the proper way. This is good, for without the basics, there is nothing to weave your words into coherent sentences. The proper way can also be bad when it restricts creativity and stifles voice.

But, knowing good grammar is the cornerstone in becoming an excellent writer. Notice I typed "excellent writer." Anyone who has a basic understanding of written language can write. The ability to become an "excellent writer" depends on the writing tools you have in your toolbox.

Rules = Tools. (But they aren't always the sharpest tools. In fact, they can be quite dull.)

Consider adding online writing workshops, enrichment classes, college courses, lectures, books, books, and more books to vary your tools.

[Beeeep~ This is a Writer's Public Service Announcement: Be mindful of the workshops and classes you choose. I took a class in college that was all about diagramming sentences. For me, diagramming sentences = writer's hell. Lesson learned? Know what you're taking before you sign up for it and investigate the instructor's credentials. Some have less experience writing than you do. Now, back to the regularly scheduled post about those workshops and classes and books that are essential to your toolbox.]

In our busy lives, it's unrealistic to attempt to attend workshops and classes that aren't in our generally vicinity. Thank god for the internet. Many RWA chapters host monthly writing workshops via Yahoo and Google loops. Other online classes are independent of RWA affiliations, such as Margie Lawson's workshops. Margie is uber psychologist by day and super uber writing guru by night. At least in my estimations. I've learned so much from her intensive online classes because she gets into the psychology of writing. Her classes include Defeat Self-Defeating Behaviors, Empowering Character Emotions, Deep Editing, Writing Body Language, and Digging Deep into the EDITS System. I love her workshops because she not only shows you the tools, she teaches you how to use them.

If online classes don't work for you, and even if they do, I also recommend that you attend your local RWA chapter meetings. Oftentimes they will host guest lecturers on the craft of writing. And, if you can, attend the RWA National Conference. They have beaucoup workshops on writing. If you can't make it to the annual wingding, don't worry. The workshops are recorded on CD's and available for purchase. Check out the RWA website for details. You can also ask your local RWA chapter if they purchased a set for their members to peruse.

On to books, books, and more books. Another key to unlocking the secrets to becoming an excellent writer is to read, read, read. My to be read pile is at least 75 books high and climbing. I aim to read 2-3 books a week. I don't always hit that goal, but I try. Some books I'm reading are for reviews at The Season or here at It's KRISTAL kLEEr. Others are craft books or books I'm reading for personal interests.

Whether I'm reading for enjoyment, enrichment, or education I always have an agenda. I'm studying voice. I'm studying POV switches. I'm studying what holds my attention and what parts having me skimming. I dissect the plot. I take copius notes about what I like and what I don't and why. I meditate upon what I'm reading, not the story but how it's written. I keep my favorites close by. I do the same with the ones I dislike. I am a student of the craft. You should be too. Read the genre you write. Study your competition. Read outside your genre. You may discover a hidden gem.

To become an excellent writer, you must, you must, you must read and study your craft. Here are a few books I believe that every writer should own. My list is by no means exhaustive, but it can be a starting point if you haven't begun stocking your toolbox.

Everyone, and I mean everyone, should own a copy of Strunk and White's The Elements of Style. If you don't, your writing skills are greatly disadvantaged. Originally published around 1935, this master tool is a timeless and a priceless resource for all writers.


Number two on my list is GMC: Goal, Motivation & Conflict by Debra Dixon. She delves into the critical elements of creating a plot by ferreting out what it is that your characters want or need and the obstacles hindering them from obtaining their goal. Plot is essential. Without a plot, all you have is a random series of events that no one cares two hoots to holler about. Again, I say, this book is a must for every fiction writer.

Another treasure for the chest is Donald Maass'  Writing the Breakout Novel. For those who may not have heard of Mr. Maass, he is a highly-sought after literary agent and author in his own right. Writers, pay close attention to him. He not only knows how to write, but how to write what sells.

Also worth mentioning is Brandilyn Collins'  Getting Into Character: Seven Secrets a Novelist Can Learn From Actors. She demonstrates how to use Method-acting techniques to deepen characters' emotional and behavioral presence on the page.

Though my list goes on and on, I must make mention of the RWR (Romance Writer's Report). This is a free publication available to all RWA members. Inside each issue are numerous articles on the craft of writing. I've read and kept each issue I've received since becoming a member. If you aren't a member of RWA: Romance Writers of America, I seriously encourage that you become one. Their goal is to educate writers on how to become excellent writers.

There's an old adage that "Practice Makes Perfect," but that is misleading. Only perfect practice leads to perfection.  Okay, so we all know that perfection is a myth, but what we can relate to is that excellence in practice leads to excellent performance. Learn from those who've gone before you. Fill your writer's toolbox and practice, practice, practice your writing. Once you master a tool, experiment and create your own method of utilizing that tool outside the norm.

I've given you a glimpse into my writer's toolbox, tell me, what's in yours?


Happy Tales,
~kristal lee

Blogging at New Kids on the Writer’s Block as Kaelee Morgan– on Voice and Sensibility.
(Reposted)
 
“Voice, at its most basic level, is the sensibility with which an author writes. It’s a perspective, an outlook on the world, a personality and style that is recognizable even out of context.” ~ Nathan Bransford

   Writing craft guru Dwight Swain writes “each of us experiences and responds to life differently, in a manner uniquely and individually his own. As a writer, your task is to bring this heart-bound feeling to the surface in your reader: to make it well and swell and surge and churn.” (page 7, Techniques of the Selling Writer).

So, how do we make it well and swell and surge and chum?  With our voice.

First, there’s the matter of style. Choices a writer makes with words, sentence structure, figurative language, and how emotion or conflict is layered.

Personality should also be present on the page.  For me, personality is reflected in the tone, setting, and theme.

Originality is a must. As I mentioned in a previous post, To Thine Own Voice Be True. Be yourself. Write what comes natural. Write what you know. Don’t be an imitation. Only Nora can be Nora. Aspire to be You.

Enrapture and provoke. I call this the Calgon, Take Me Away syndrome. Whisk the reader away from their every day life. Help them experience your character’s world as if they were there, in the middle of the story. As a participant, not a bystander.

Be consistent and in control. Know your characters. Know their story. Weave a tale that only you can tell. And tell it fresh. Tell it with power. Tell it with confidence.

In my endeavor to define my own voice, I’ve started to understand that it isn’t something you study like grammar and vocabulary. It’s recognized through practice, the same way a vocalist discovers, develops, and strengthens their range by singing and experimenting. So a writer must write and explore. Figure out what feels natural. What doesn’t. Write, write, write. And then write some more. Read what you wrote when you first began writing and compare it to your current work in progress. You will begin to see and hear your writer’s voice.

Rachelle Gardner explains in her blog that finding your voice “is a process of peeling away the layers of your false self, your trying-to-be-something-you're-not self, your copycat self, your trying-to-sound-a-certain-way self, your spent-my-life-watching-television self. It's like going to psychotherapy, delving deep and allowing the real you to emerge, only in this case you want it to find its way on to the page.”

So, tell me.  Have you peeled away the layers to discover your  true voice? What have you learned in the process that makes your voice unique?

Blogging at New Kids on the Writer’s Block today as Kaelee Morgan: To Thine Own Voice Be True -
(Reposted)

I like post-it notes. Whenever I come across a phrase or a quote that I find enlightening or inspirational, I write it down on those tiny colored pads and stick them on my desk. On my bulletin board. On the bathroom mirror. On the refrigerator door, etc. into ad infinitum.

One of my favorite quotes is by Ingrid Bergman, "Be yourself. The world worships the original."

Les Edgerton tackles this sentiment in chapter four of his book, Finding Your Voice: How to put personality in your writing. He states that many writers follow the pack to the detriment of their writing instincts because they've been educationally programmed to do things the proper way. This leads to formal, text-book style writing. It may be technically correct, but doesn't showcase voice. When one reads it aloud, it doesn't feel natural.

If something doesn't feel right in your writing, trust that feeling. Your gut is saying, "Hello! Did you develop a sudden case of writer's laryngitis? Cuz I can't hear your voice no more."

Les suggests reading your work out loud to friends and family and ask them to comment when the "hear" your voice. Once those sections are identified, read them aloud again until you become accustomed to the sound and the rhythm of the words. This will put you in tune with yourself.

He also suggests selecting a writing sample from your WIP and marking out all the adverbs and adjectives. "Adverbs and adjectives are the hockers of your voice." I love that sentence so much I have to type it again. "Adverbs and adjectives are the hockers of your voice." (Yep, that's definitely going on a post-it note for my netbook.)


Once these phlegm balls are cleared from your writing, the true essence of what you wrote will shine through. The pace will be faster and the writing more alive. It's okay to go back and sprinkle a few adjectives into the prose, but sparingly and use stronger adjectives when possible. And ex-nay on the adverbs. "They bring bad karma and are rarely aligned with the planets." --Oh yeah, that's going on a post-it note, too.

The important thing to remember is to be the same person on the page that you are off the page. Don't use words that you wouldn't use naturally when talking to people. Don't adopt a writing style that doesn't mesh with your personality. Learn the rules so you will know when, where, and how to break them. Trust your gut. And above all, to thine own voice be true.

Recently I purchased Stephen King’s On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft. It was recommended to me as a writer’s resource keeper. Of the many gems of Mr. King’s writing wisdom, the nugget I’d like to ooh and aah over today is his confession of writing rapidly with the door shut.

What? Close out the fur-babies, the hubby, my Nickelback iTunes? And what about stopping to make those pesky corrections after I re-read the paragraph I just wrote? Oh, the horror!

Well, Mr. King is the master of horror novels.

So, I allowed his little tidbit to marinate in my shocked and awed mind.

Mr. King explains that he literally closes his door and writes as quickly as he can, transferring what’s in his brain into words exactly as they come to him. He doesn’t stop for corrections and only flip-flops back to check characters and essential back story. He focuses on the goal of finishing the story by writing fast enough to outrun self-doubt. Revisions eventually come, but not until the first draft is complete and adequate time has passed so that sink holes in the plot and stumbling blocks in character building become as apparent as a shimmery full moon in a cloudless, black velvet sky.

Suddenly, I got it. For months, I couldn’t get past the first few chapters of my current WIP because I kept stopping to revise and rework it. As a result, the story twisted tumultuously and kept changing. Mainly, because I became unsure of where I was going with it. Self-doubt mowed me down and kept riding over me each time I made a change. I thought I was working toward improvement when I was actually disassembling the foundation and scattering it to oblivion.

Although I’ve been writing since childhood, I’m a novice when it comes to the craft of writing for publication. Knowing this, I read how-to books, take online classes, and whatever else I can find to do to learn the techniques I need to develop for success. I have charts and outlines and character interviews and storyboards. None have worked to help me complete this WIP.


Mr. King talks about starting with a situation that organically develops into a story. He defines the difference between plot and story as “Story is honorable and trustworthy; plot is shifty, and best kept under house arrest.”

I found that when I returned to the basic inciting situation for my hero and heroine, their story began to naturally evolve. Twists and turns and reveals are occurring that I never imagined when trying to systematically structure the storyline. I also found the writing is easier and faster than when I was struggling to make the jig-sawed plot pieces fit together. With resounding clarity, and a sliver of guilt, I accepted that formal plotting doesn't work for me.

Now, my mission is to write hard, write fast and let self-doubt choke on the dust my fingers leave behind while I'm tapping out that first draft. Do I expect it to be a masterpiece? Not in any lucid reality, but that’s okay. Ernest Hemingway said “The first draft of anything is sh**!” So, I’m in good company.
Reposted from New Kids on the Writer's Block