NaNoWriMo, part 2

It's November 1st, All Soul's Day and NaNoWriMo time. NaNoWriMo, for the uninitiated, is short for National Novel Writing Month, and is a crazy month long writing spree. Thousands of participants from around the world will be striving to write 50,000 words in 30 days. I wrote my first 2000 words today, and I have to say, am pleased with the result. I will be teaching a fiction writing workshop at the Wilbraham (MA) Public Library this Saturday, November 3rd, from 9:30-11:30 am, so am preparing for that as well. The workshop is in support of all the NaNoWriMo folks out there, but everyone is welcome. Just call the library to reserve a spot. We will be concentrating on character building, which I find is the most important start to any fiction writing project. Before I started WriMoing, I did some outlining and character work. So I feel pretty good about what I hope to accomplish - a first draft of a novel. Then there's National Novel Editing Month and National Novel Finishing Month to contend with. Really. Novel writing seems to have become a kind of sport. And that's OK by me. So, if you are inclined, check out the NaNoWriMo website: www.nanowrimo.org. Jump on the bandwagon. What have you got to lose but some sleep? And the good news is, you've only missed one day.

Where Ideas Come From

The second most frequently asked question my students pose(after, of course, how do I get my work published) is, where do ideas come from?
I am not a big fan of "The Muse." That almost miraculous blast of divine prompting from the universe is pretty rare, if you ask me. If I waited for my muse to show up before I sat down to write, I'd probably never have written much besides a few brilliant sentences. Maybe one or two amazing paragraphs. And anyway, my muse scares me. She is no sweet Pre-Raphaelite beauty floating around above me spouting perfectly constructed, shining prose. She is more akin to Medusa of the writhing snake hair, screaming at me, bonking me over the head with creepy images. I'm kind of glad she doesn't show up more. It's probably the same for 99% of writers. Stephen King likens his muse to a fat, balding old guy sitting in the basement smoking big smelly cigars. Thankfully, a muse is not usually in order for producing fine ideas for your writing. Great characters, plot lines, dialogue and descriptive narration mostly come from paying attention to your own unique and gorgeous and frightening and silly life. Or the similarly-attributed lives of those around you. The bases of my writing classes are 1) paying attention to the world around you, 2)writing down your observations, and 3)structuring your scribblings into some kind of readable, and hopefully enjoyable, form. If you practice running these three bases consistently, eventually you will start hitting home runs (pardon the baseball analogy, the Red Sox just won the series after all). So, keep observing. Take notes. Carry index cards to jot down those weird converations you overhear in the checkout line at Stop & Shop, so you can note just exactly what colors the flaming autumn trees take on in rainy light, or the softness of your husband's snores like a distant truck on the highway. Because that's where ideas come from. They are all around you, every day.

Growing Hoofs

Sometimes, the best way to get ready to begin a writing project is to just start. Plunge right in. Other times, it will probably behoove you to plan. I love that word, behoove. Of course it means fitting, advantageous, of benefit. But I imagine something different. I imagine when I write it, that I am magically growing hoofs, outfitting myself to run like a mustang to my goal. That's what I've been doing for a while now, growing hoofs for NaNoWriMo, when I (and many others)will write 50,000 words in 30 days.
Part of the getting ready, the hoof-growing, is practical and solid work, like outlining and doing research and some free writes to find a voice. But a lot of it is impractical, magical. A lot I do while I'm walking my dogs or driving. It is surprising how much writing gets planned this way. I have had many musician friends over the years, and they occassionally do something called 'woodshedding.' It means thinking about music, not writing or even playing it much, but just kind of noodling around for a few days or weeks. It primes the pump. Writers do this, too. Sometimes when people say they have writer's block, they're really just woodshedding, getting their brains and body prepared for the next big effort. You can give yourself permission to do this, when you have a good feeling that it will result in solid work. And you will know, when you are thinking 90% of the time about your characters, what will happen when, how ice crystals are formed, or anything pertaining to your project. Daydreaming is good for writers, it is necessary. I still get a lot of grief for it, from various quarters, but I have learned to pay no attention. I grow my hoofs when I need to. You should, too.

NaNoWriMo

No, the above is not a misprint, or some weird computer language. It is the acronym for National Novel Writing Month. Which begins November 1st. It is not any old esoteric so-who-cares-anyway designation, but is meant to encourage people -- anyone, not only "writers"-- to write the novel of their dreams. The encouragement comes in the form of a website --www.nanowrimo.org --on which one can sign up to write 50,000 words (175 pages, approximately) in a month, i.e., the month of November. Whoever completes this ridiculous, quixotic task is deemed a 'winner' by the nano folks. You can post excerpts, your daily word count, your profile on the site. You can also often find support in your community. Check the website or even your local library for listings of events offered for wrimos (those who sign up for the gargantuan task).
I myself am teaching a workshop at the Wilbraham (MA) Public Library on Nov. 3rd, although I thought I had no intention of actually signing up for wrimo status myself. But a few weeks ago a full blown book developed in my head during a long dog walk, and I decided, hey, why not? If I complete my goal, I'll end up with a draft of a book. If I don't (but I will), I'll still be pretty far along in a draft. What have I got to lose but sleep?
How daunting a task is it, anyway? Actually, it breaks down to about 6-7 pages a day. Closer to seven, if you intend to take some Turkey Time off, which I do. I figure that's 3-4 hours a day of steady writing. That's really not TOO bad. It's what I usually do when I'm hitting my stride in the midst of work on my novels.
How does one even begin? Well, my strategy is to do my research re characters, backstory, place and internet searches (involving missing children, ghost towns, military research, and women pirates, among other things) NOW, before I start writing. Then to construct a detailed outline. Then to decide which perspective I'm telling the story from. Do some free writes to find my main character's voice. Over the past two weeks I've done most of this stuff, and feel pretty grounded in my story. So, on November 1, I'll be ready to roll. I hope some of you will be joining me. Oh, and if you're interested in the (almost free, I think it costs $3) workshop at the Wilbraham Library on November 3rd, give the library a call and sign up to receive more pearls of wisdom from this quarter.

Beginning

My Continuing Ed class was working on beginnings this week. The beginning is arguably the most difficult part of a story, novel, play, article, essay. If you don't grab readers in the first few sentences, you've lost them and might as well not have written the story, novel, etc. at all. If the first scene of "Romeo and Juliet" had the Montagues and Capulets playing bridge together, expressing their joy in sequential monologues that the kids had finally gotten together, where do you go from there? There's no reason for the story anymore. Even Shakespeare would have a hard time selling that.
So, how does one begin? How does one capture the attention of readers, make them feel they're in the story, rather than just being told about it (because that's what readers really want, right from the get-go)?
There are probably countless ways to begin a story, but I've tried to narrow it down to those that seem best to me, so my students wouldn't run screaming from the room never to return.
1) Lovely.
The purely lovely beginning, the gorgeous writing, the lavish and dead on description of place, character, or event is perhaps the most difficult way to begin. Only masters can truly accomplish it. But keep trying. It's my absolute favorite way that books and stories begin. If you learn to do it right, you'll be able to draw in not only readers, but editors and critics as well. Study Eudora Welty, Alice Munro.
2) Ka-Pow.
The writer begins with a ka-pow moment, in the midst of the action. This nearly always draws a reader right in. Think Da Vinci Code. Perhaps the easiest (and sometimes cheapest) way to begin a story. But again, done well, and with finesse, a good way to begin. Nick Hornby's How to Be Good begins with one of those ka-pow moments, the narrator confessing that she told her husband she didn't want to be married anymore on a cell call from a car park. This kind of beginning can almost force a reader to keep going, to find out what happens.
3) The Voice.
Usually written in the first person, and introducing a really amazing character. Huck Finn comes to mind, and Bridget Jones, and Jane Eyre. The reader wants to find out more about this person. Even if it's how they sort their laundry. The most boring things in the world become interesting if the right voice tells about them well. And the interesting things are enhanced no end. Sometimes too, the voice of the author is so compelling, it is his or her voice that we are drawn in by.
4) Just Tell The Story, Already.
Introduces place and characters and backstory, all in the first few paragraphs. Again, very difficult to do well, and easy to be boring. Check out Alexander McCall Smith's Ladies #1 Detective Agency books. He pretty much sets it all out, where we are (Botswana), who we are dealing with (Mma Ramotswe, the first lady detective in Botswana, and her family, assistants, and clients), and what has occurred before the books start.
5) The Combo.
Some writers can pull all these elements together, or a goodly number of them. The best beginnings of all are the ones that include fine description, a ka-pow moment, a compelling voice, and the story line, all wrapped up in a couple of paragraphs. See Louise Erdrich (particulary The Beet Queen). If you can learn to do this, you're golden.

So, these are some of my thoughts on beginnings. As usual, the key is practice, practice, practice. For an exercise, try to write at least three beginnings for your story, using the ways of beginning listed above. Which work best? Which need help? Which do you have the most fun with (if you are having fun, your readers probably will, too)?

Scrabble

I've been playing Scrabble a lot lately. And winning, despite my penchant for making interesting words (like "penchant") and ignoring the obvious "at" and "to" and "so," the words that can really rack up the big points in combination with other insignificant words. Perhaps this is because my Scrabble partner would also rather make interesting words, too. He's lying in wait, hoping to catch me off guard with something like "harquebus" (an ancient kind of gun).
In any case, when one of my students aked me how she would know WHEN to use all her little observations (scribbled on index cards at my suggestion), a Scrabble analogy came to mind. "Well, it's like playing Scrabble. You just see where the letters fit, and you decide where to place them to get the most points."
"But," she continued, "What if in the next move you could have used a tile you just put down, and gotten a jillion more points?" I didn't even need to think. "When you're writing, there are a jillion tiles. It's like a never-ending Scrabble game. There are always more ideas, and better ones."
And I think that's right. Why worry about running out of ideas when the world, in combination with our minds, always proffers more and more? I just wish it was that easy in a Scrabble game...

Close The Door

I've been having problems with a necessary component of writing lately: the ability to close the door. I don't generally have any difficulty writing in public places, and in fact recommend it to my students. Write at the library, a cafe, even the mall food court. It shakes you up and gives you new perspectives. Also it often affords you the opportunity to eavesdrop, and that is key to writing good dialogue.
However, there must be a time in every writer's life when a closed door is a necessity. When I go into a "writing trance" I don't want to have to come out until I've got my work done for the day. Now, when you're staying with your mum, this is just not possible. No matter how great a mum she is, it is unlikely that she will resist the temptation to throw the door open and yell, "Guess who's on Ellen's show? You HAVE to come see!" Or if you're visiting your fiancee, and you just sit down to a nice blank page, it is almost requisite that he drop whatever he's doing (posting snowblowers on craigslist, baking bread, felling trees) and find you to tell you every detail of the process. You find yourself listening in fascinated horror to his tales of crazy bottom-feeders on craigs, or how the dough is taking over the world, or how he almost sliced his leg off. And the pen and notebook drop to the floor, forgotten.
The sad truth is that those we love most also think we need their constant presence, advice, tales of woe. But really, we don't. Really, what writers need most is quiet time, away from people, even the people dearest to us. Especially them, actually. I've never had a perfect stranger come up to me when I'm writing, thrust a dripping index finger over my pristine notebook and shout, "Look, I'm bleeding!" And I have to tell you, this person was a supposed adult.
In any case, you will probably at some point need to convince your nearest and dearest that you absolutely MUST close the door and have it stay closed. This may work. But if it doesn't, you may find as I am that it pays to pay for a space, even a tiny space, a closet away from home. Where they can call you if they need you, but probably won't bother and will find the Superman bandaids and the Neosporin themselves.

Why "Save Your Life" Writing?

I asked one of my students to give me a quote regarding the class which I could use as a testimonial. She very kindly wrote: "The exercises and encouragement have helped not only to start my book project, but [Chrysler] has taught us to continually be aware of every sound and action in every moment of the day. I feel more alive! I cannot wait to start the next set of classes."

Now if I were to ascribe to writing rules, after Read A Lot Write A Lot, the second would be:

Pay Attention.

To everything around you, to your friends and family, to their conversations, to their beauty, to their quirks. To the natural world. To animals. To your thoughts and inventions and idiosncracies. To what you love. To what you hate. To the horrors and wonders you experience or imagine. Because it's all grist for the mill.

Then once you've sufficiently paid attention to the world around you, write as much as you can, as well as you can, about it.

If this rings true to you, if you want to live this way (for it becomes a way of life), try having a go at my blog www.happinesscansaveyourlife.blogspot.com which will give you some direction until it just becomes habitual. It's a good way to live. And it does change your life, whether you consider yourself to be a writer, or not. Hence the name. For whoever might wonder, why "Save Your Life" Writing? This is the answer.

What Hemingway Said

Everyone always wants to know 'the rules' of good writing. I am not big on rules, but here's my response to the rule question:
I am not a huge Ernest Hemingway fan. But the fact remains that the guy sure could write. So I am inclined to pay attention to anything he might have said about writing. In that spirit, I share the four rules of style he ascribed to:

Use short sentences
Use short first paragraphs
Use vigorous English
Be positive, never negative

I think if you are going to follow any rules about writing, these are good ones.
I feel the same about a number of other writers, including Stephen King. I am not a horror afficionado, per se, but the guy can write, and he sure can sell books. So it behooves us to listen to what he says about writing, too. In fact, his book On Writing is one I highly recommend to my writing students. And in that book, his # 1 rule is:

Read A Lot, Write A Lot

I have to say, if I were to have rules about writing, this would be my #1 rule as well. It's the way I learned to write. It will serve you well to read everything you can, especially in your genre, but read classics and living writers who are reviewed in the New York Times Book Review. Also read recipes and cereal boxes. Read advertisements and instructions. Just read everything, and you will get a pretty good idea of how to write. That's the best 'rule' I know. And don't forget the 'Write A Lot' part, either. More on that later. Have fun!

Writing Classes For All

Writing is an experiment in wonder. Tap into your amazing mind in a Save Your Life Writing class.

Taught by Chrysler Szarlan, who believes that everyone who loves to read, wants to write, and has a few ideas can learn to put it all together in a story or a book.

Chrysler is a writer, actor and former attorney. She was a finalist for a Dana Award for a Novel in Progress in 2001.

Classes will be held live and in person in the center of East Longmeadow, Massachusetts.

The next sessions begin September 17, 2007, and include:

Creative Writing 101: A primer for aspiring short story, novel, or creative non-fiction writers. We will cover basics of organization, as well as character development, plot, and description. Be prepared to write in class. Mondays from 6-8 pm, September 17, 2007 - October 15, 2007. $175.

Continuing Ed: Continue to work on your ongoing project using class exercises and discussion to spur you on to greater heights. Wednesdays from 6-8 pm, September 19, 2007 - October 24, 2007. $200.

The Critique: Share your completed first (or second or third) draft problems with other writers. Get feedback and inspiration.Thursdays from 6-8 pm, September 20, 2007 - October 25, 2007. $200.


Call (413) 346-8793 to register for classes, or leave a comment in the comment box with your e-mail address.