Category: writing

What Dealing with Depression has Taught Me About Writing

image by Martin Walls via freeimages.com

Introduction
I was 13 when I had my first episode of depression. I lost all interest in things I used love doing and didn’t want to much but eat and sleep. My parents thought it was funny, not know this was more than mere teenage moodiness, and I learned to deal with it on my own.

Over the years I dealt with depression off and on mostly during the winter and I am getting over the latest episode now. Writing has helped me make sense of my feelings and given me the confidence to pull myself out of the rut I’ve been in.

Start Small
One lesson I’ve learned is to start small. Things didn’t get to where they are overnight, so you shouldn’t expect them to change quick. Per my therapist’s request I started keeping a journal and that has helped me work through my issues get back in the groove.

Whether it’s morning pages or a snarky tweet commit to writing something every day. It doesn’t have to be perfect or pretty, just get your words in and go from there. If you’re struggling to write there are plenty of websites with daily prompts to get you started. Whatever you choose stick with it.

Celebrate Small Victories
At the height of my depressive episode I don’t do much besides eat, sleep, and shit. But I’ve learned any day I get out of bed is a small victory.

You have to stay positive and get your words in even when you don’t feel like it, because no one is going to live your life for you. You have to make the effort to change things and follow through on them.Set a time to write and show up to produce.

Break it Down
As I pull myself out of the funk I’m in it can seem like there’s so much to do that it’s overwhelming, but I’ve learned if you break things down into manageable tasks and do a bit each day that helps to alleviate a lot of my anxiety.

So whether it’s a blog post, article, or a novel you’re working on just do a little each day, and bit by bit you’ll get to where you want to be.

Commit to Finishing
Journaling has helped me tremendously to put things in perspective. it doesn’t have to pretty or make sense. I just write until I hit my 500 word count and then move on.

There will be good days and bad days. The trick is to commit to something until you’re done. Remember not everything you write will be good, but continue until the end anyways. Done is better than perfect, and it’s good practice.

Get Out of Your Comfort Zone
I’ve learned you can play it safe and stay isolating in your house, or choose to push yourself out of our comfort zone and start living life again. Sure it’s hard work at first the end result is worth it. This is true of writing too.

You can stay in your comfort zone and never push yourself out of your bubble. Unless you’re constantly challenging yourself to push your limits you’ll stagnant. Shot to do a little bit better each day and hold yourself accountable to a higher standard.

Conclusion
Dealing with depression has taught me sometimes you have to fight for your happiness, and push beyond your fears and worries. Sure it wont be easy and you’ll want to quit, but you have the keys to your success.

For more writing tips click here.

5 Simple Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Write What You Know

Introduction
Write what you know is one of those adages that gets hurled around a lot,. But should writer s really ad

here to it? Or should it be taken with a grain of salt?

1. Writing what you know means becoming an expert on the subject matter. And can only take you so far before you reach the limits of your knowledge .

2. Writing what you know can be boring. Retreading the same subject matter again and again without a new spin will get old with readers and eventually drive them away.

3. Writing what you don’t know is fun. It allows you to learn new things. And see the subject matter in a new light.

4. Writing what you don’t know can be liberating. Instead of being stuck in the same mode of writing trying new approaches may open up new avenues of creativity.

5. Writing what you don’t know forces you to stop playing it safe and get out of your comfort zone.

Conclusion
Writing what you know, while a good rule of thumb for new writers, ultimately can be stifling , and lead you to stale and lack luster prose. But writing what you don’t know opens up new areas to explore and grow.

writing how to

Why Fan Fiction Matters

Introduction
When I first toyed with the idea of being a writer I cut my teeth on fan fiction and learned a lot in the process. I encourage all new writers to do the same as it will give you experience in characterization, world building, and plotting.

Characterization
Because you’re dealing with another author’s work the task of world building has already been done for you, and all you need to do is keep people in character. This means having the characters act and speak and the same manner as the original author. Get this wrong and you’ll get hounded with calls of ooc (out of character).

While this might seem stifling many fan fiction writers can and do create OCs (Original characters). When done well this leads to new interaction and plot lines, but when done badly it leads to the dreaded Mary Sue/Gary Stu. While the definition varies the common theme of Mary Sue/Gar Stu is that the character is too perfect, often to the point of breaking the rules of the universe they’re inserted into.

World Building
To fix this many writers alter the universe to accommodate their OCs. Theses so called alternative Universe stories can be simple what if scenarios and full on rewrites of the cannon material. When done right these stories explore areas the cannon areas not well known or relationships in a new light.

So called slash fiction and fem slash deals with same sex relationships among male characters and female characters. This offers representation for
LGBTQ readers and opens new plot lines to explore.

Plotting
But what is one to do if you don’t know what to write? Well if you’re lacking inspiration there are many ready made plots to explore, just read other stories or author prompts and you’re set. Or you can come up with our own plot lines and go from there.

Conclusion
Fan fiction provides a ready made world for new writer to play around with characters and plot, and practice honing the skills needed when they transition to original works.

fan fiction writing

Five Lessons Anime&Manga Can Teach us about Writing

Introduction

Growing up I was always more into manga(black and white Japanese comic books) and anime than American comic books owing to their larger than life characters and action packed stories like those in Sailor Moon, Dragon Ball Z and countless other series. While anime can sometimes be stereotyped as being for kids or basement dwelling man-children there are many lessons that can be gleaned from the stories found there in.

The Hook

The best series hook you from the beginning. For example the start of Sailor Moon lays out the basic premise of the series and shows clips from the series so you know what you’re in for. Like wise The first episode of YuYu Hakusho opens with the narrator explaining that the protagonist, 15-year-old Yusuke Urameshi is dead.

This does two things. First it makes the viewer want to know how Yusuke died, and second how the series will progress with the main character dead. Likewise in writing you want to hook the reader early or risk them putting down your book. A good way to do this is to start the story as close to the inciting action as possible.

Another way is to start right in the middle of the action. Another technique is to open with a question or mystery for the reader and reveal things as the story progresses. Whatever approach you take make sure it keeps the reader engaged.

Suspension of Disbelief

The main reason I read manga and watch anime is because of the fantastical stories found within. It provides a nice escape from the everyday grin, but not all series are alike. The best series not only hook you but pull you in to their world by establishing the ground rules from the get go. For example the first episode of Full Metal Alchemist establishes the rules for transmutation and how one goes about performing alchemy.

But it’s not enough just to establish the rues of our world. The also must be consistent and you must have a good reason for breaking the rules that is also logically consistent with the rules of your world. For example the second time Yusuke Urameshi comes back to life it’s because of the demon blood in him which had been laying dormant until that point.

Contrast this with Ichigo Kurosaki from Bleach, who whenever it looks like he’ll die something always happens to save his butt. It happens so much throughout the series that it’s known by fans as plotkai and is one of the reasons I stopped reading it.

Readers can only stretch this disbelief so far before they through up their hands in frustration. Which is where your plot comes in.

Plot

Without an engaging plot to keep readers interested people will put down your book. A prime example of this for me was with the manga series bleach. I stopped reading it because it kept recycling the same plot line over and over again, namely that the protagonist would lose his soul reaper powers and in the process of regaining them would get a new ability, only for it to become obsolete once his soul reaper powers were back.

No matter your genre your plot must have an internally consistent logic. For example one the main plot points of Dragon Ball Z is you can’t wish something beyond the power of the eternal dragon like bringing back someone to life who’s already been brought back from the dead. This plot point leads the Z warrior to planet Namek where their dragon balls have no such restriction.

Characters

The people you populate your story with can make or break your book.It’s not enough to have interesting characters they must be well rounded as well. An example of this is Vegeta from Dragon Ball Z. In the beginning he starts of as a a villain but through the series slowly becomes an antihero culminating in his sacrifice to destroy the evil Majin Buu.

Compare Vegeta with Goku, the main character, and their differences couldn’t be more obvious. Goku is one dimensional and at no point goes through a crisis of consciousness or ever questions his reason for fighting, he is the same happy go-lucky goody two-shoes at the end of the series as at the beginning and is ultimately a boring character. And being boring is the last thing you want your characters to be. Give them real flaws, wants and needs, and let them struggle before reaching their goals. But characters and plot alone are not enough to keep people reading your work.

Pacing

Dragon Ball Z is infamous for dragging out fights, especially the fight between Freiza and Goku on Namek which lasted for 30 plus episodes. One problem many new writers have is they get bogged down in the backstory and bore the reader before he/she even gets to the meat of the story. A simple solution is to let readers get to know the protagonist before delving into the back story. Another is omit scenes that don’t move the plot forward and keep things going by upping the stakes with your characters.

But nonstop action will wear thin with readers so be sure to pause the action to allow bot the readers and protagonist to take a breather, and also to build tension for the next lot point.

Conclusion

There are many lessons we can learn from anime and manga, but the takeaway here is to balance plot, characters, pacing, and suspension of disbelief so as to craft a engaging read.

anime manga writing how to

Show and Tell

It can be a struggle to balance showing vs

telling in your work. Too much show and you’ll bore your readers; too much telling and your readers wont care about our characters. Ultimately it comes down to your choices when to deploy one or another and not to.

Right now I’m struggling with how much to show versus bogging down the story line and how much to tell to get the plot moving again. there’s an art to writing when it comes to balancing out things and in the end it comes down to your choices as an author.

For me one area I show too much is in dialogue. I love words and can write pages of back and forth exchanges between the characters. Now while I like them the reader wouldn’t necessarily like them, so I’m trying to rein in this tendency of my and summarize where appropriate to keep the flow going while building tension, characterization, and advancing the plot.

An area where I don’t show enough is in describing locations and what the characters are wearing. It usually slips my mind because I don’t care what someone is wearing, but what they’re doing or saying, but I know my readers care about these thing so I try to incorporate them when I remember to.

Another area I struggle with is in the passage of time. In my current WIP time has a way of slipping passed me. When I’m in the thick of it time becomes secondary to the plot until I come up for air so to speak. I know it will be something I have to deal with in the rewrite, but I’m not too concerned about it.

Ultimately it gets easier with practice to balance them but not without putting in daily writing goals.

writing how to

On Dreams

What are your dreams as a writer? Do you want to be a New York Times Best seller, hook an agent, or land a contract with one of the big five publishers? The truth is you’ll have to work to turn your dreams into reality, no matter what they may be.

There are thousands of other writers out there you’re competing with and you have to be willing to sacrifice for your dreams. What are you going to do to separate yourself from the others out there?

Will you get up an hour earlier to write, or get in another hundred words before calling it a night? Are you willing to risk failure to reach greatness, or will you let your fears cause you to play it safe?

The truth is you could be the best writer in the world, but if no one reads your work then what’s the point. You have to be in it for the long haul. You have to write everyday to find your voice and build a platform for your work.

Yes rejection sucks, but it’s how you deal with it that determines what type of writer you are. You can either get all butt hurt, or let your ego go, develop a thick skin and move on.

dreams life writing

No Limit Writing

How many times have you started a piece but never finished it? If you’re like me then it’s probably a lot. It’s the fear of not being good enough that paralyzes us, but unless we risk failure we won’t reach new plateaus.

Writing like anything else takes practice. We must always push ourselves to new heights and go beyond our limits to reach greatness. It’s not simply good enough to do the bare minimum. We must shoot for perfection each time we write, and not get complacent in our work. That being said we mustn’t use this as an excuse so that we don’t write anything at all either.

Likewise we mustn’t let our quest for perfection sidetrack us from shipping our work. There comes a point when we must let the world see our work and this can be scary if we aren’t ready mentally for rejection. But we needn’t concern ourselves with what others think because that is outside of our control, so keep things in perspective.

We must experiment with new forms and genres, to grow our craft in new and exciting ways. To try new subject matters and write outside our knowledge base. We must be ready to approach these new topics in fun and unique ways. Sure we won’t succeed at everything we try, but that’s a risk we must take.

At times it will seem like a struggle but in the end it’s worth it when you create something that resonates with a lot of people. You must be willing to go outside your comfort zone and try new things with your work. You can’t let your preconceived notions cloud you from thinking in new and better ways.
We must be willing to take in the new and cast out the old where appropriate.

We must be willing to work our writing muscles in new ways to elevate our craft to the next level and the next beyond that. This means we must write everyday, no excuses, and try new things with words. If you normally write in first person point of view try third person, or vise versa.

If you generally write in one genre try another. If you write about one subject matter try a new angle, or a new subject all together. If you write mainly nonfiction try your hand at a short story, and if you usually write fiction switch to creative nonfiction. Only then can we be satisfied with our work.

Yes the hours will be long and the work hard, but this is the price we must pay for going beyond the average and making work that engages readers, and makes them question what it means to be human.

Your job as a writer is to add your verse to the poetry of life, and you can’t do that if you’re not going beyond the mediocre because you’re afraid of failing.We have to move beyond our fears and let the sky be our limit. Fear never goes away, it just gets easier to deal with in time, with practice.

Bruce Lee no limit writing how to

Rise and Shine

What are your dreams as a writer? Do you want to be a New York Times Best Seller, hook an agent, or land a contract with one of the big five publishers? The truth is you’ll have to work to turn your dreams into reality, no matter what they may be.

Yes rejection sucks, but it’s how you deal with it that determines what type of writer you are. You can either get all butt hurt, or let your ego go, develop a thick skin and move on.

dreams

Excuse Me

Excuse me if I don’t speak.

I was the kid who never spoke

In class and hoped to make through

One week without being called a freak.

Excuse me if I don’t speak

I’m busy wondering if I

Should run and hide.

Or if it’s you

I should seek?

Excuse me if I don’t speak.

I mean no offense but

I’m always on defense

Lest you think me meek.

Excuse me if I don’t speak.

But I never learned

The finer points of making a friend.

Too busy lost in my world of pretend

Where I never got sick or picked on again.

Where I was always strong, and never weak.

Excuse me if I don’t speak.

But I never know what to say.

This silence a prison: the walls a million sentences

Left unspoken, and bars a devouring fear. Will I go

Unheard again, or will you hear me loud and clear?

Sorry I didn’t mean to be so bleak.

Over the years this fear has given way and

When I go out I can hang and shout with the best the best of them.

And though the shy kid I used be is no more I still find myself

Retreating to this haven, this welcomed quiet.

So excuse me if I don’t speak.

I’m just catching up with an old friend.

mute poetry

Screw Perfection

It’s rare to be good at new things, but we must try anyways or we may never discover new talents. Take writing for example. I did well in English class, but never thought I could be a writer because I didn’t think I was good enough. Truth be told I did have some talent, but I was far from being a professional. It was only when I committed to writing everyday that I started to see an improvement.

I used to think I could only write when the mood was perfect and I was inspired, but I have since learned that you have to show up and produce regardless of how you feel because that’s the only things will get done. Like Stephen King said, the secret to writing is sitting in your chair and not getting up until you’ve written something, even if it’s terrible.

Where I was once stymied by the blank page I now relish the challenge because I focus on getting the words down and worry about getting them “perfect” in the rewrite. Like Chandler Bolt says, done is better than perfect.

The truth is I used to agonize over every word choice and sentence structure choice so much it stopped the flow of my thoughts. I’ve since learned you have to write without letting your inner editor get in the way. You have to get it in your head that not everything you write will be good. Accept this and move on, for that is the only way you’ll get better.

Moreover, I’ve also learned you have to risk failure if you want to shoot for greatness. With my current work in progress there is so much I want to say with the work and so many issues I want to cover that sometimes the pressure to “get it right” is overwhelming and I don’t write out of fear of failing. But I’m learning you have to let that fear go and write anyways.

If you let your fears win then you’ll never complete that blog post, book, or whatever you’re working on. I’m not going to lie, sometimes it will be hard to get the words out, but you have to try anyways, because it is only when we stop that we fail. So soldier on because no matter how bad a piece might be you can always make it better. Because the rewrite is where the magic happens.

The Path to Greatness

Great writing, like anything else in life doesn’t come easy. You have to go beyond your limits to reach new ground. This means putting in hundreds of hours and still not getting it right if you’re shooting for greatness. It means rewriting and rewriting until you’ve come as close to perfection as you can.

Yes it’ll be hard work, but it’s worth it if you want to create something extraordinary. It’s easy to become complacent and just do the bare minimum. This is how mediocrity creeps in, and you must constantly be on guard against it.

Sure failure is an ever present danger, but you have to risk it if you want to create a lasting impact on the world. Even if it kills you. It’s all or nothing, there can be no in between. You have to write every day, especially when things get hard, otherwise you’ll stagnate.

At the beginning it will be a struggle to put words to the page, but you’ll get better at it in time. Give yourself permission to fail and then try again. For it is only through perseverance that you will achieve your goal.

QUILTBAG

One of the difficulties of being a QUILTBAG writer is that you’re writing for a community that encompasses a wide range of people. For this reason it can be hard to include everyone’s experiences and trials.

It can be overwhelming to get things right for every reader. If you have a sex scene one person will complain about too much sex, another will complain about there not being enough sex. Have a feminine gay character and you’ll get complaints of being stereotypical from one reader, and compliments from another.

You can drive yourself crazy trying to please everyone, or you can focus on one person while writing: your ideal reader. I’ve found once you define who your audience is it goes a long ways to alleviate these concerns. Yes be true to your readers’ experiences, but don’t pander to them.

Your job as a writer is not just to entertain, but to inspire. When people read your work you want them to leave ready to take on the world and know they matter.

Remember your primary job is to tell a good story.

What NaNoWriMo has Taught Me

Hello my fellow NaNoWriMoers. How goes the writing? The thing I’m finding it hard to do is start, but once I begin the words follow on to the page. The thing I have to break myself of is wanting to go back and edit.

It’s a struggle everyday but I get through it. Some days I only manage a few hundred words but I keep at it because on the good days I get in a few thousand.

The thing participating in NaNoWriMo thus far has taught me is you can’t beat yourself up not getting everything perfect on the first try. The first draft of anything will need work and I accept that but it doesn’t mean I should do the bare minimum to get by.

I want to produce the best content I can while still having fun. I know getting the balance right is going to take time so I’m just going to have fun writing this first draft then go back and edit it later.

So tell me how is your experience with NaNoWriMo going?

NaNoWriMo

The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step. –Lao-tzu

What do you do on the days when nothing seems to mesh? Do you sit there and stare at the blank screen, or do you make the choice to write anyways?

There’s no secret method or app for this. You must put words to the page everyday if you want to better your skills and honor the craft. With NaNoWriMo coming up what better time to recommit yourself to writing.

This will be my first time attempting it and I’m a little scared. But I’m going to plow through my fears because I know I have a good story in me that needs to be told. And so do you.

First drafts are mysterious, often crappy, creatures by nature. The point is to get the words on to the page and worry about spelling, grammar, punctuation and structure later. Just write.

Right now I’m stressing out on have to start my novel because it’s the second of a planed trilogy. My gut says just write a passage linking the end of book one with book two and go from there. But I also don’t wont to bore readers by rehashing the ending of the first book.

I don’t know what to write but I know I can’t put it off either or I’ll fall behind. So when Friday comes I’ll write what feels right and go from there.

I’d be much obliged if you shared some tips for a newbie in the comment sections.

Later.

NaNoWriMo

Just Write

Just write and the words will come. Just write until you’re done. Just write, and have some fun. Just write, whether the crack of dawn or dead of night. Just write, whether the words are wrong or right.

Just write, through the storm and the rain, through all the pain. Whether plain or insane let your prose flow. And like a rose your confidence grows. Just write and wrong or right let the words fall where they may. Just write every day and soon you’ll say, “Hey I’m not so bad. In fact, I’m quite OK.”

Just write because every day is a new chance to make amends with our faults and flaws, because in the end all we have are the words we put to the page. Just write because it’s all that you can think of. Just write not for fame or to run a con game, but because you love it all the same.

Just write for the hell of it. If no one knows your name there’s no shame as long as you have something to say at the end of the day. Just write because it’s the one thing that makes you complete. Just write even when managing a few words is a feat. Just write because it’s neat. Just write until you fall asleep.

Just write because deep inside a part of you dies every time you have to lie or hide who you are just to get by. Just write until you die. It doesn’t matter why, just write. Good night.

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