New Writing Challenge

Red Bird · Dec 18, 2009

So, our old writing challenge thread is, well, old.

Here's a brand-spanking new one.

What's every one working on this weekend?

Are we having fun yet?

Me, I'm hammering out the specifics of my synopsis before I finish the thing. Or, start it over. Time will tell. I'm receiving some great help though.

RB

Bluegate · Dec 18, 2009

Me? I just bought some shiny new sticky notes and I'm going global.
Well, I'm actually going to story board with them. I moved my "office" into my studio because I thought the actual office room was sort of sucking the life out of me. The studio has more light and that makes me more productive. Hence the sticky note acquisition. So for the next few days...once I get the hubby back to work and out of my hair heheh, I'll be working on structure, rhythm, plot points and various story telling stuff.
Boy, doesn't that almost sound like I might know what I'm doing? RFLOL

Oh, and thank you for making a new thread for us. The old one was getting a little long in the tooth and frankly, a bit senile.

Red Bird · Dec 18, 2009

You're a trip, but yeah that thread was getting on my nerves. Ha.

A studio for writing sounds lovely. Me, I'd probably gaze out the windows and accomplish little. Not that I'm getting much done anyway. Ha.

Each time I move my desk around, I produce for a time and then I have to move that sucker again. I get that stuck in place feeling if I stay put for too long.

Bluegate · Dec 20, 2009

I know that it is about two minutes before Christmas and all but I thought I'd give a quick update just the same.
I have been working on story boarding lately. The new office space in the studio gives me more daylight which is helpful plus I can take easy breaks over to the easel to paint. It's working for me. I have been studying different genres that I think fit my story and working on implementing those elements into the framework. I would like to say that I am doing the actual writing work but I'm not. I do hope that I am saving myself from some big problems later on by working on the structure, rhythm and plot now.

Anyone else working so close to the big gift giving losing all my money and sanity holiday?

Red Bird · Dec 20, 2009

I'm working. I'm reviewing the synopsis information jclarkdawe sent me. I'm taking Uncle Jim's advice and typing the entire first chapter of a favorite memoir to see how/why they chose information for the first chapter. And I'm locating chapter focus throughout my own book.

Can't say I'm having fun though.
RB

Bluegate · Dec 20, 2009

Red Bird said:
I'm working. I'm reviewing the synopsis information jclarkdawe sent me. I'm taking Uncle Jim's advice and typing the entire first chapter of a favorite memoir to see how/why they chose information for the first chapter. And I'm locating chapter focus throughout my own book.

Can't say I'm having fun though.
RB

No, it doesn't sound like fun. I think it is a very good use of time though. I applaud you for doing such hard work!

Right now I am working on the "central question/theme" of the story. I am also rolling around the ideas of set imagery. I hope that if I can work up a strong and layered understructure that when I get to the filling in part I'll be able to angst over whether or not I can actually write worth a darn instead of having to deal with what the hell my plot is. Maybe this part now just buys me some time before I have to actually find out that I can't write a compelling grocery list let alone a book.

Newport2Newport · Dec 21, 2009

Bluegate said:
I know that it is about two minutes before Christmas and all but I thought I'd give a quick update just the same.
I have been working on story boarding lately. The new office space in the studio gives me more daylight which is helpful plus I can take easy breaks over to the easel to paint. It's working for me. I have been studying different genres that I think fit my story and working on implementing those elements into the framework. I would like to say that I am doing the actual writing work but I'm not. I do hope that I am saving myself from some big problems later on by working on the structure, rhythm and plot now.

Anyone else working so close to the big gift giving losing all my money and sanity holiday?

I think storyboarding's a great idea! Whiteboard, colored index cards, Excel spreadsheet, creative journal...what format are you using, pray tell? (You'd probably laugh --or loft your eyebrows -- at all the structural tools/strategies I've tried.)

And yes, I'm one of those who's writing her way to the very margins of the ho ho holiday. Santa Claus, are you watching?

Newport2Newport · Dec 21, 2009

Red Bird said:
I'm working. I'm reviewing the synopsis information jclarkdawe sent me. I'm taking Uncle Jim's advice and typing the entire first chapter of a favorite memoir to see how/why they chose information for the first chapter. And I'm locating chapter focus throughout my own book.

Can't say I'm having fun though.
RB

Somehow I missed the synopsis information Can you point me to a link? I'd love to see how it's done.

Oh, and whoa! Re-type the entire first chapter??? Wow, that's a lot of work. Wondering...which book did you select? I'll be interested to hear your discoverings, if you're willing to share them.

Red Bird · Dec 21, 2009

Newport2Newport,

He emailed his synopsis to me. If you'd like a copy, send him a message. He's been very helpful and supportive. His synopsis progress is outlined, which has helped me find focus. I just got it yesterday, so I'll let you know more later.

I'm reading Dry, by Augusten Burroughs. I have a hard time focusing on craft sometimes because I get lost in content, but typing it out is helping. Memoir is a strange bird. I was instructed not to censor myself while writing. Just put the story down, which is a good thing, but you get to the synopsis/query process, and unlike fiction writers (who have a plot when they start) you have to go back and "see" what you've actually written.

I just bought Look Me In The Eye, by John Robinson, and I love the way his book opens, too. You know, I've read a ton of memoirs, and I like the way I've structured my book. I just have to find a way to incorporate the structure within the restrictions of a synopsis. I'm not sure of the exact nature of the problems yet, but when I figure it out I'll gladly share it with you. Right now, I'm thinking I have two problems. One is chapter focus and the other is the way my book is both a non-fiction account of my work as a respiratory therapist, and a memoir.

Still, I'm happy to have identified the problems before I try to find an agent. I wonder if writing a synopsis isn't a good thing for authors to do early on in the writing process?

Cheers,
RB

Bluegate · Dec 21, 2009

Newport2Newport said:
I think storyboarding's a great idea! Whiteboard, colored index cards, Excel spreadsheet, creative journal...what format are you using, pray tell? (You'd probably laugh --or loft your eyebrows -- at all the structural tools/strategies I've tried.)

And yes, I'm one of those who's writing her way to the very margins of the ho ho holiday. Santa Claus, are you watching?

Laughing? Are you kidding? I don't have any idea what I'm doing!
Here is what I am doing so far. OK, your turn to laugh.

1. I have Power Point docs in table/grid format for each year and they are broken into months. On those are notes on locations, age and the major events for that year.

2. There are corresponding docs to detail out those events.

3. On a large blank wall next to my desk I have pinned velum paper (I bought a roll) on which I have sticky notes. Turns out the stickies don't want to sticky on the paint, hence the paper.
a. right now the stickies are much like the power point docs but they are easier to move and I can see the total timeline.

4. On another level I am determining what other genre my story best resembles, ie. mystery, horror, literary etc.

5. Then I am researching those genres for tricks of the trade in order to best understand how to manipulate the readers emotional response.

6. Once I have some kind of grasp on those things I assign color codes to each plot point, scene imagery and so on through all the layers.

7. Then I look at which elements of my story best fit those needs and cull them out.

8. Then those go on the sticky wall under chapter headings which will be arranged in plot order.

9. Those get edited and moved around—this is where the sticky thing comes in handy, until there is the proper mix and flow of all the elements which can be easily seen because of the color coding. Thank jclarkedawe aka General Squirrels for this handy tip.

10. Finally when all this arranging has been done the fleshing out comes in and I finally get to actually write something!

So, like I said I don’t know what I am doing but this is what I have come up with. I just found that I had so much material to work with and it was so darn easy to end up with an entire chapter on one little event. I figured I had better come up with a way to focus on the journey I wanted to take the reader on. But hey, I’ve never written before so I’m just talking out of my hat here and hoping that I get something right.

Aren’t you glad you asked? LOL

Newport2Newport · Dec 22, 2009

Bluegate said:
Laughing? Are you kidding? I don't have any idea what I'm doing!
Here is what I am doing so far. OK, your turn to laugh.

1. I have Power Point docs in table/grid format for each year and they are broken into months. On those are notes on locations, age and the major events for that year.

2. There are corresponding docs to detail out those events.

3. On a large blank wall next to my desk I have pinned velum paper (I bought a roll) on which I have sticky notes. Turns out the stickies don't want to sticky on the paint, hence the paper.
a. right now the stickies are much like the power point docs but they are easier to move and I can see the total timeline.

4. On another level I am determining what other genre my story best resembles, ie. mystery, horror, literary etc.

5. Then I am researching those genres for tricks of the trade in order to best understand how to manipulate the readers emotional response.

6. Once I have some kind of grasp on those things I assign color codes to each plot point, scene imagery and so on through all the layers.

7. Then I look at which elements of my story best fit those needs and cull them out.

8. Then those go on the sticky wall under chapter headings which will be arranged in plot order.

9. Those get edited and moved around—this is where the sticky thing comes in handy, until there is the proper mix and flow of all the elements which can be easily seen because of the color coding. Thank jclarkedawe aka General Squirrels for this handy tip.

10. Finally when all this arranging has been done the fleshing out comes in and I finally get to actually write something!

So, like I said I don’t know what I am doing but this is what I have come up with. I just found that I had so much material to work with and it was so darn easy to end up with an entire chapter on one little event. I figured I had better come up with a way to focus on the journey I wanted to take the reader on. But hey, I’ve never written before so I’m just talking out of my hat here and hoping that I get something right.

Aren’t you glad you asked? LOL

Yep, as a matter of fact, I am! I *love* reading about other writers' processes. So many ways of doing things, aren't there? Sounds like we're alike, in that we sample 'most everything at the buffet table. When all is said and done, it'll be fun to reflect on the choices we liked best. Meantime, there's a lot on my plate, so I guess I'd better shove away from AW and get to shoveling'.

Happy writing!

Newport2Newport · Dec 22, 2009

Red Bird said:
Newport2Newport,

He emailed his synopsis to me. If you'd like a copy, send him a message. He's been very helpful and supportive. His synopsis progress is outlined, which has helped me find focus. I just got it yesterday, so I'll let you know more later.

I'm reading Dry, by Augusten Burroughs. I have a hard time focusing on craft sometimes because I get lost in content, but typing it out is helping. Memoir is a strange bird. I was instructed not to censor myself while writing. Just put the story down, which is a good thing, but you get to the synopsis/query process, and unlike fiction writers (who have a plot when they start) you have to go back and "see" what you've actually written.

I just bought Look Me In The Eye, by John Robinson, and I love the way his book opens, too. You know, I've read a ton of memoirs, and I like the way I've structured my book. I just have to find a way to incorporate the structure within the restrictions of a synopsis. I'm not sure of the exact nature of the problems yet, but when I figure it out I'll gladly share it with you. Right now, I'm thinking I have two problems. One is chapter focus and the other is the way my book is both a non-fiction account of my work as a respiratory therapist, and a memoir.

Still, I'm happy to have identified the problems before I try to find an agent. I wonder if writing a synopsis isn't a good thing for authors to do early on in the writing process?

Cheers,
RB

Redbird~Thanks for being so generous in your answer! When you post your progress updates here, I'm inspired to (re)think my own project.

Hmm, I'm wondering about that synopsis question, too. For what it's worth, I wrote my chapter summaries over the course of getting my first draft down on the page. They're still evolving (understatement), but I've sure appreciated having these "tent posts" to work from and towards.

Red Bird · Dec 22, 2009

Bluegate,
One of the best tips I learned about developing an emotional response was to check each page to see if I had used each of the senses in some way. For me, smelling was the most difficult sense to incorporate in my writing. You can learn a lot about your writing by checking to see how often you use which sense.

Bluegate · Dec 22, 2009

I have been cruising around picking up tips and what not when I realized that we do not have any sticky notes in the Memoir section of Share Your Work. We should have some don't you think? Oh, sure we need something to sticky. Didn't we start a helpful links thread not too long ago and didn't someone also ask certain mods to do the sticky work? What's that? Not in the Share Your work section you say. Hmm.

Seriously, I am wondering if we ought to have something in that section to help with things that make memoir different than other novels. The way queries and synopsis for instance are a little different not to mention just in general. Red Bird, Chrisla, Newport and Sommemi, I know you guys have had to hunt down a lot of stuff for this section and tried to get it stickied. I am just wondering if we ought to have something in the other section as well.

I honestly don't know what makes something sticky worthy. I just know that I do find those very helpful sometimes and we are lacking in that neck of the woods.

Red Bird · Dec 22, 2009

newport2newport,

I'm happy to hear you're learning something from my process. I wish I had been thinking chapter focus with the first draft. It may have eased some of the frustration I'm having with the synopsis, but my mentor thought it would distract me from doing the actual writing. I guess each person has their own way of going about it and the real important thing is to just do it!

Red Bird

Bluegate · Dec 22, 2009

Red Bird said:
Bluegate,
One of the best tips I learned about developing an emotional response was to check each page to see if I had used each of the senses in some way. For me, smelling was the most difficult sense to incorporate in my writing. You can learn a lot about your writing by checking to see how often you use which sense.

That does sound very helpful and I am tacking that onto my checklist. Thank you!

I have a feeling that it sounds much easier to do than it really is. LOL

Red Bird · Dec 28, 2009

Uugh,
So, the holidays are over. It's time to get back to some serious work, yet I find myself feeling fat, broke, and uninspired.
I'm hoping January lands me with some motivation. 2010 sounds like a good year to publish a book.

Bluegate · Dec 28, 2009

Red Bird said:
Uugh,
fat, broke, and uninspired.

Title of my next book!!

Red Bird · Dec 28, 2009

It's destined to be a success.

Well, I seriously need to get it together. Where is Sommemi when I need her? Wayne,, you survive the holidays? It's getting lonely around here again. Blade, you still hanging with us? Newport2Newport? Chrisla?

Don't funk out on me now.

Bluegate · Dec 30, 2009

OK you guys it's just about time to crawl back out of the woodwork and get your behinds back into your chairs. Tomorrow is New Year's Eve and I expect to see some posting going on around here within the next 48 hours! :e2writer:

Hellloooo...anybody there?
It's cold and lonely in here. Hellooo...?

Bluegate · Jan 1, 2010

Red Bird said:
Uugh,
So, the holidays are over. It's time to get back to some serious work, yet I find myself feeling fat, broke, and uninspired.
I'm hoping January lands me with some motivation. 2010 sounds like a good year to publish a book.

OK, so I just stole this for my last blog post. No book deal as yet but it's a start. Red Bird, I'll split the royalties with you. A bag of M&Ms should divide up nicely.

Red Bird · Jan 1, 2010

I love M&Ms: )

So, I know it's the first day of the New Year, and I'm feeling it, really. But, I'm sick of food and festivities. I'm ready to get back to work. I'm not counting on pork to bring me luck. I'm not praying for a muse. I'm packing away the tree and the presents. I'm ready for 2010.

Cheers,
RB

Sweet Tea · Jan 1, 2010

Can I slip in a word of thanks for all the information you've provided?

Now, pressing on to finish this proposal - ARGHHHH

benbradley · Jan 1, 2010

I should seriously start writing the memoir I've been threatening to write for years...

Red Bird said:
I'm working. I'm reviewing the synopsis information jclarkdawe sent me. I'm taking Uncle Jim's advice and typing the entire first chapter of a favorite memoir to see how/why they chose information for the first chapter. And I'm locating chapter focus throughout my own book.

Can't say I'm having fun though.
RB

That's an idea. I could do that.

I recall about 20 years ago I typed in the first 164 pages of a certain book I had been studying. I had a goal of having a searchable copy on my computer, and a secondary goal that typing it in would help me understand it better. The secondary goal actually turned out more valuable, and it turned out my better understanding, to the horrors of those who knew me, became "this is wrong and terrible advice."

And yes, the story of typing that in should be part of my memoir.

Red Bird · Jan 1, 2010

Benbradley,
I did the same thing with the same book. Ha. My boyfriend was in Kuwait and I sent him a page a day. My goal was to "help" him, but I learned a lot too.

Organique Girl,
Welcome!

Cheers,
RB

New Writing Challenge

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