Whilst listening to The Beatles I came across bonus tracks; demo versions, deconstructed versions and yet to be completed versions. I always find these alternative versions a fascinating listen. It kind of gives you an idea of the original concept before one of them had the light bulb moment and decided to add words, extra-musical parts or even an orchestra (if that is your thing). As I say, not really a Beatles fan but it was a good example of the layering or even unlayering of the creative process. This of course is adaptable to any creative process including various forms of writing. I have been deconstructing books for quite a while now which I believe is helping my writing.
After somewhere approaching eighteen months, I think I have solved the biggest issue with my writing and I could not be happier. I remember when words flowed very easily. It was not uncommon for me to write between a thousand and five or six thousand words per night after work. Admittedly the standard was somewhat inferior compared to now, but I looked back on those days and really missed the flow, productivity and inspiration. Since then, both major and minor project's have slowed dramatically and I have even had to shelve ideas. I wouldn't call it writer's block as that's a term that means broadly something but specifically little. Using the term writer's block is like describing an angry or excited person as being emotional. Yeah, it is technically correct but not specifically so. To solve my problem I needed to be specific. My creativity reduced as I concentrated on the quality and the craft. For a while, I thought that was it; that somehow the theory was clogging everything up in my head! I am now a better writer than I was, but that has not been much use when the productivity reduced further and further. But again this was not specific enough to be a valid reason. Even still there was a mysterious problem that I could not solve. This has been really challenging. Anyway, after many crackpot theories, I have discovered that I segue. Not because anyone told me - I figured it all out on my own - Hooray! I guess you could call it tangential writing, it is a technique that some experienced professional authors use very well but it made me lose myself for a while there. A simple notion became much more than it needed to be and before you know it five words become twenty-five. I would be scratching my head trying to figure the mechanics of it all. The answer, of course, is that there is a time to segue, you need to know how to use it. Keep hold of the story and protect it at all costs from waffle and nonsense. Now that I realise that I segue, I have control of it and that means I can keep the focus in all the right places. I can see it in other peoples writing, once you know what it is, it sticks out a mile! For the first time in a while, I feel very excited about writing again.
I have made these mock up's for my book cover. Just looking for peoples input to help me decide which if any might work. I can change any details quite easily. I am also interested to know if you think the quality is on the right track and have I missed anything. Many Thanks. Rich. View attachment 23038
The rules of poetry: No1 Obey the rules No2 Ignore the first rule No3 Ignore the second rule No4 Obey all the rules Ah, the joys of creativity! Let's just enjoy it.
Oh cripes! The moment that I realised I could have chosen a different point of view for my beloved manuscript and it would have been so much easier. Certainly, easier to write. It didn't hit me like a train exactly but all the same, I have had something to think about recently. The thing is, I am presuming that publishers and agents like things to be nice and straight forward. Easy if you like. They could see problems far more quickly than us writers. This is why I am starting to worry about my choice of point of view. To be fair to the story, readers seem to navigate the complexity of 3rd person and are lapping up the multi-story threads, but I wonder if I am walking into a niche market which is what I don't want. If I might explain: My point of view character are in a kind of unintentional Christmas tree formation. Two MC's take the lion share of the action (lets say 65%). Underneath supported by another two MC's who play significant roles (maybe 35% and they share these scenes apart from the main two MC's). Then there are five MC's that play a lesser but reasonably significant role without p.o.v. At the bottom somewhere is the antagonist that is lurking under the foliage waiting for his moment to steal the show - although that little upstart will have to wait his turn, he is hardly allowed to speak, let alone p.o.v. Then there are many characters that have been introduced for depth and future roles of some sort. I am entirely confident that I have used multiple 3rd p.o.v correctly and consistently. Beta readers have responded positively but one seems to have been flawed by the point of view changes and multiple threads. Closed third person would have been a doddle. This story if it works will have the scale of GOT & LOTR but it is certainly not a Silmarillion. I wish that someone could point a stick at what is wrong. I wonder should I take the easier road which would be Harry Potterish... Are there any more experienced writers than myself that can lend a helpful perspective on this for me? Send me a direct message if you prefer.
If you could step back in time and give yourself one piece of advice as you started your writing journey, what would it be? I shall get the ball rolling. Ahum! Imagine you are running from a rather frisky grizzly bear named 'Distraction.' Although Distraction may well be a handsome chappy, he is a little too hairy and rather too scary for your taste. He will not stop chasing you until he gets what he wants, and you don't want to know what he wants! Not only this, Distraction will continue to chase you until your first draft is completed. Only then will he leave you alone. You may summon Distraction if you wish by pondering such things as SPAG, constantly accessing how does your writing look, sound, read? (akin to constantly looking in the mirror) Screwing up many pieces of paper and throwing them beside a waste paper basket. Hesitant word choice, sentence structure and a hugely intimidating list of key criteria that is sure to crush every ounce of creativity until you grind to a shuddering halt with the dreaded block. Creativity is fragile. Don't crush it, nurture it. It is the only thing that you must use to complete the first draft. Then edit. Editing will teach you how to write more effectively the next time around and hopefully lessen the need for such heavy editing. But edit only once you complete your first draft. See you next time Distraction...
I love reading or listening to someone that can convey a message clearly. Especially when the subject matter is complex. Way beyond my normal reckoning but they can still get 'El Thicko! (me) to understand the message or the story. There is little point being a clever clogs if you cant share what you have to say. Take Professor Brian Cox a physicist who lectures in particle physics at the school of physics and astronomy at Manchester University, England. He also presents a programme called the planets on the BBC. He uses simple everyday language to convey his understanding of a black hole, or how the universe began. Never trying to find obscure, peculiar or less often used words for the sake of it. Of course he doesn't need to as he knows his subject very well. Proof of his unique skill is that I can sit and watch an episode of the planets and feel I understand every word. Then I try and explain to someone else what I have just watched and it all unravels very quickly into a big mess. It quickly becomes apparent that I am not an astrophysicist and I don't do on the hoof presentations of complex subjects. Or at least not in a live situation. I much prefer to take as much time as is needed to clarify and simplify the intention. (story) This can take months or even years. I believe very strongly that if you cannot communicate your ideas then you should try harder to do so. If you have something to say but you are not able to say it in a way that people understand then don't say it. At least not until you are able to communicate your ideas or knowledge more effectively. Further understand the audience. They are not stupid just because the idea was not delivered clearly. Let me clarify, when I write, I use everyday language and simple structures to convey my ideas. I really don't see the point in distracting the reader from the narrative by showing off. I would rather write like Roald Dahl than Dickens although Tolkien is a nice compromise. Yes I am a middle-grade author but I think communicating with the masses is key. Only then can a message be conveyed and not lost in a complex narrative. Even clearly delivered simple notions may be conceived after the fact to be a work of genius. As yet I am not the author that I wish to be, but I am heading in the right direction. All be it slowly.
The first and only story I started in 2017 is now finished. Gees that sounds so cool!, Not only did I start and finish something for the first time in my life (although its has been nearly 3 years coming). I did'nt fall into all the other regular traps of starting numerous projects at once. I guess that is because writing a 70k MS has kept my little brain occupied all this time, and I could hardly have fitted any distractions in. Could it be better? Yes. Does it need re-writing? Most probably. Will I try and release it into the public domian? Hmm! All in all I am 75% happy with it. Now I will take a rest from it and maybe fill in the back stories, work on the graphics which I have been promising to do for too long. I will try and become a better writer and maybe get it to 90+% personal satisfaction over the next 6 to 9 months. At least I have learned to write and speak with much more confidence. I choose my words now and articulate myself better. Auto spell correct hardly ever seems to hassle me these days. So lets see what the future brings. Thanks for the support and advice from the many here!
Is creative writing art? If so should it be rationalised? For the sake of debate lets say we are talking fiction here. I am interested to know your views on these questions. The reason I ask is, from what I can see there are two influencing dynamics when writing. There is a conflict between the creative process and the rational process. As we all appreciate, there is always a compromise to be made and it seems to me, that creativity yeilds everytime when faced with the rational of SPAG, editing and the rigorous process of improving our work. Are we dismissing brilliant stories as they dont make the academic grade? With the rise of self publishing and the internet is the quality of writing under threat? Why do we ask writers to explain better? Is it that we are more demanding or we lack imagination as readers? I find the necessary compromise that we make between creativity and the all important technical side of writing fascinating. I wonder if writers are more academic than creative some times. Do you agree? Does the rationalising of a story damage the purity of the creativity? Just some questions, that may encourage us to discuss.
I first had ideas for stories not writing. Like many others it was my children that inspired me to create stories, although I am not blaming them ofcourse. These were made up stories on the spot that were never recorded. I did try and write some of the stories the next day or the next week on a few occasions but the magic that came from spontaneity had gone. It was alot to do with the interaction between me and the kids and writing it was just not the same. So I figured writing just did not cut it. We would race up the stairs and once they began to settled down I would read them a story. Whatever they wanted. If we did not have it then I would simply make one up. The three bears became the story of Wellington Boot. A character I made up on the spot one night as I really did not fancy the traditional tale (again). Wellington Boot was no ordinary teddy bear. He was wild and did not like to conform. He had attitude. He lived with his sister and many other relatives in one of many old shoes and boots scattered about at the bottom of the garden. My kids always knew when I was getting creative. If I was holding the book upside down or maybe I might pick up a book of knitting patterns - they knew I was coming over all inspired. Then the made up stories began. The chosen book was just a fascade. If I could not think of a story I would begin and then invite the children to join in. Ofcourse they loved that and the stories became very fanciful. I would not always mess about. I read books properly too, however I reserved the right to toss a book over my shoulder or out of the window and into the garden. Then the improvising started. It was all about being spontaneous, I wanted my kids to know that anything was possible - in their imagination at any rate. I never thought about writing in the real sense until my life unraveled. More than one person suggested that writing might help and I was in such a bad way that I thought I might give it ago. I have never looked back. I wrote 42,000 words in the first three weeks. 2 years later many of those words or at least the meaning of the story still remain in the now finished book totalling 70,000 words. That was the first in a series of books that I have been writing. There are a further 5 short stories that underpin the main books. As yet I am unpublished but I am hoping like everyone else that might happen yet.