Showing drastically increases word count and gives every writer a chance to show off.
Telling, except on rare occasion (when required) is the mark of an amateur because it represents an opportunity the author had to give a unique or genuine or entertaining spin on something mundane, but elected to pass instead (or just plain outright missed it, which is equally as bad).
(Personally, I think male authors are typically more guilty of this faux-pas)
Writing a book is fucking hard, man, especially when you're just starting out. Well, I should rephrase that to say that writing a good book is hard. Crappy books are inevitably filled with too much fluff, and any number of other flaws; terrible and/or unrealistic conversations/progressions/transitions, a demonstrable lack of understanding as to human characteristics, qualities, and typical responses, and often just a poor foundation to the entire book. One of the most challenging aspects of writing a book comes when you're shooting for an arbitrary word count. Your story may be 30,000 and perfect acceptable but the publisher/audience requires 60,000 words.
That's when the author's ability to stretch and draw out certain areas of the narrative is so important. You learn to do a shitty version of this in school that usually succeeds because the teacher doesn't actually really care about anything you've written and doesn't criticize it very harshly because of the inevitable outrage that follows if they do. A certain amount of fluff is inevitable and, indeed, required for a good story. It's the fat of the story. Some fat is good. Too much fat is not. The danger is that every time you start wandering away from the clear path of the main story, you risk losing or alienating your audience.
(see; the current state of affairs with Wheel of Time)
The real skill is to insert the fluff/fat in such an entertaining fashion and seamless manner that the audience doesn't realize that what they've just read is completely unimportant to anything related to the progression of the story. They don't care because it's good. That's where showing vs. telling becomes so important - showing the audience what a badass a character is, or why they're insanely attractive, or why they're so dangerous not only provides more interest, it makes the story that much longer!
EXAMPLE;
Telling
"Todd was a badass, but none of us liked him."
Showing
Todd burst in through the front door as we were talking about him, startling more than a few people as the heavy door banged off the doorjam. His face was stuck in it's usual expression somewhere between a scowl that challenged every face that had just been talking about him, and a contemptuous sneer as every pair of eyes darted away from his own. He walked to the fridge and snatched out a beer, tearing off the cap (whatever this is called, I don't drink) with his bare hand without missing a beat.
Look at that wordcount different, goddamned it.
A good writer can make almost anything interesting. Anything. Provided they're allowed freedom, and the ability to wander about like a crazy person.
Anyways, that's it for today.
Monday, December 3, 2012
Friday, November 30, 2012
Dreams and Writing
Good writing is tiring work.
Question; how often do you remember your dreams? They're happening every night or the closest thing to it, whether you remember or not. Usually they're some insane combination of events that leave you confused and are quickly shredded to tatters and pieces by reality once you wake up and get moving, though occasionally you're hit by a PTSD-esque flashback at seemingly random times.
Good writing involves a certain depth of immersion in the mind's eye that I'm comfortable saying that most are not comfortable with experiencing at any intensity for any amount of time. Picturing a story unraveling in your mind so vivid that your present surroundings begin to fade as you try to capture the essence of your imagination with words and sentences of meaning and weight and color as best you can is like a conscious dream, self-inflicted and just as delicate as it's unconscious version. If you are familiar with the concept of ego-death, there are some small similarities shared with writing. The 'I' begins to blur and fade in direct proportion to how deep you dive.
Dreams and sleep are an unfocused, unrefined meditation, an exclusion of the external world to focus and concentrate on the internal one instead. Writing - good writing - is a focused self-imposed fantasy constantly interrupted, paused, forwarded, and rewinded as you attempt to do it justice with pen (well, pencil for me but you understand) and paper.
So my recommendation is to eat a big healthy meal, double up on desert, write four double-sided pages, and then go for a walk, stretch, or exercise.
Question; how often do you remember your dreams? They're happening every night or the closest thing to it, whether you remember or not. Usually they're some insane combination of events that leave you confused and are quickly shredded to tatters and pieces by reality once you wake up and get moving, though occasionally you're hit by a PTSD-esque flashback at seemingly random times.
Good writing involves a certain depth of immersion in the mind's eye that I'm comfortable saying that most are not comfortable with experiencing at any intensity for any amount of time. Picturing a story unraveling in your mind so vivid that your present surroundings begin to fade as you try to capture the essence of your imagination with words and sentences of meaning and weight and color as best you can is like a conscious dream, self-inflicted and just as delicate as it's unconscious version. If you are familiar with the concept of ego-death, there are some small similarities shared with writing. The 'I' begins to blur and fade in direct proportion to how deep you dive.
Dreams and sleep are an unfocused, unrefined meditation, an exclusion of the external world to focus and concentrate on the internal one instead. Writing - good writing - is a focused self-imposed fantasy constantly interrupted, paused, forwarded, and rewinded as you attempt to do it justice with pen (well, pencil for me but you understand) and paper.
So my recommendation is to eat a big healthy meal, double up on desert, write four double-sided pages, and then go for a walk, stretch, or exercise.
Thursday, November 29, 2012
The Sadism of Writers
Happy stories that are happy all times where no characters suffer and nothing dramatic happens are hard to make interesting. I sort of wonder if this is some sort of implicit commentary on the human condition. That's because happiness in stories is like a dessert - a sugary, delicious desert. Too much and you start getting sick of it.
Creating drama, upset, pain, disaster, misunderstanding and conflict is the meat and potatoes of the writer. Brushes with mortality, with loss and hurt, truly brings out the character of characters. Do they passively accept their unfortunate turn of circumstances? Do they reject the circumstances and struggle furiously, like an animal with it's leg caught in a trap? Do they collapse and retreat inside themselves? Does the sudden confrontation and challenge awaken something lurking inside of them?
Stories require a delicate balance, of understanding pace and balance. Happy moments are an oasis for characters that they can briefly respite and recover from the waves, tides, and avalanches of shit a writer sends their way. Ultimately, though, the only lasting happiness can come from the completion of the story, however tattered and imperfect it might be.
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
American Apocalypse pt.1
The end of the world is coming, my friends. Of that you can be sure.
The spark of destruction will begin in Texas. Four teenagers with baggy pants and an assortment of weaponry will be idling outside a gas station when an old white man carrying two revolvers, one semi-automatic glock with a 37 round clip, and a high-explosive fragmentation grenade (of all things) will be stopping in front of the gas station with a growing sense of unease in order to top up his Hummer on the way to his younger brother's funeral (who died in a tragic hunting accident).
Thoughts will be had, eye contact will be made and then quickly avoided, and words will be muttered. One of the teenagers, a gentle soul with good intentions, will move towards the man and wave and say something to the effect of "Have a nice day". The old man will mishear the well-meaning youth as he approaches and his mind will immediately dart to the hundreds and hundreds of news stories that have been pouring over him for the past four decades about the dangers of ethnic youth and life-changing robberies of unsuspecting folk like himself as he spots the aggressive, hostile target approaching him as his gang of hoodlum criminal friends look on.
In either case, the decision will be made in little more than a heartbeat.
Falling into a defensive stance with practiced ease, he'll draw one of the enormous magnum revolvers, polished to a mirror finish, and move with a shocking speed as he cocks and fires the hand-cannon with a single smooth motion. Unaware that the youth could not hear his hoarse, mental scream to stop, or comply with the psychic demand in a fraction of a second, the enormous bullet will leave a massive, fatal exit-wound as it borrows and tears through the young man's heart and spine with equal ease before proceeding into the gas station.
The teenager, not much more than a child really, will fly back onto the sizzling pavement, eyes unfocused and looking directly into the sun as his spirit departs the earthly realm in a matter of moments. His friends will be completely frozen for the moment it takes for the old man to realize the threat they represent and begin unloading in their general direction.
Unloading into the group of teenagers, who immediately scatter, scrambling for their own weapons as they leave another one of their own slumping down towards the ground, a massive firefight occurs. The old man finds himself pinned behind his Hummer as the youths unload, screaming as the adrenaline courses through their veins...
(to be continued)
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Dealing With Writer's Block
If you've ever been forced to write something when you weren't feeling it, when you weren't in the mood, you know how unpleasant the sensation of writer's block is. It's very similar to mental constipation. You're pushing and pushing and nothing's coming out. Nothing feels right. A lot of the material that does make it to the page has the very distinct feel of "that crap you'll have to re-write later".
So how do you deal with writer's block?
There are a few different ways you can deal with this problem. The first is to figure out whether or not you actually have writer's block. Is the great icy stick happening at the very beginning of your writing day, or have you already gotten down a few pages? If you've already been busy writing, don't mistake simple fatigue for writer's block. Good writing is a tiring process. You're flexing the shit out of your mind's eye as you envision different characters in different situations and the world around them. Just take a break, go eat some cookies or something, and come back in an hour or two. Reward yourself for the work you've done. It's never a bad idea to associate something positive with writing.
If you just sat down and nothing's coming out, then the problem is different. Are you excited to get your story down on paper? To create and explore new characters? The issue could just be that you're approaching the prospect with a lukewarm tepidness and a complete lack of enthusiasm. Excitement tends to spill out (that'swhatshesaid) whereas quiet resentment of the blank page and uncertainty tend to slam on the brakes. To be sure though, there's something to be said of people who can just start writing.
If you're not a professional writer, you can just take a break. Walk away. If you've been progressing at a good pace and suddenly find yourself ground to a halt, it's perfectly fine to go do something else for awhile. Go read a new book, or watch a new movie, or burn through an entire series in a day and then regret doing so. If the problem persists, you can decide whether to try and power through the freeze or just let the story sit in the drawer for some time while you let your subconscious figure out exactly what it wants to do. Time is very much a glorious luxury when it comes to writing.
If you are a professional and are staring down the menacing barrel of impending deadlines, well, god help you. Force yourself into action and hope for the best. I'd recommend setting up a playlist of particularly inspiring music you can try to use to get you into the zone. Also, I hear bloody, fiery animal sacrifices are all the rage.
So how do you deal with writer's block?
There are a few different ways you can deal with this problem. The first is to figure out whether or not you actually have writer's block. Is the great icy stick happening at the very beginning of your writing day, or have you already gotten down a few pages? If you've already been busy writing, don't mistake simple fatigue for writer's block. Good writing is a tiring process. You're flexing the shit out of your mind's eye as you envision different characters in different situations and the world around them. Just take a break, go eat some cookies or something, and come back in an hour or two. Reward yourself for the work you've done. It's never a bad idea to associate something positive with writing.
If you just sat down and nothing's coming out, then the problem is different. Are you excited to get your story down on paper? To create and explore new characters? The issue could just be that you're approaching the prospect with a lukewarm tepidness and a complete lack of enthusiasm. Excitement tends to spill out (that'swhatshesaid) whereas quiet resentment of the blank page and uncertainty tend to slam on the brakes. To be sure though, there's something to be said of people who can just start writing.
If you're not a professional writer, you can just take a break. Walk away. If you've been progressing at a good pace and suddenly find yourself ground to a halt, it's perfectly fine to go do something else for awhile. Go read a new book, or watch a new movie, or burn through an entire series in a day and then regret doing so. If the problem persists, you can decide whether to try and power through the freeze or just let the story sit in the drawer for some time while you let your subconscious figure out exactly what it wants to do. Time is very much a glorious luxury when it comes to writing.
If you are a professional and are staring down the menacing barrel of impending deadlines, well, god help you. Force yourself into action and hope for the best. I'd recommend setting up a playlist of particularly inspiring music you can try to use to get you into the zone. Also, I hear bloody, fiery animal sacrifices are all the rage.
Saturday, November 24, 2012
Male Writers, Female Writers, Good Writers.
This is a method I use to identify the gender of authors, and while it's not 100% reliable by any means. it's accurate more often than not. If nothing else, hopefully it'll be food for thought.
Very few authors get it. Let's just make that clear up front.
Men write the way they fuck. The inexperienced rush through the entire affair, desperately anxious to reach the prize of the ending. They bang away at the story, moving far too quickly past important details, characters, events in their desperation to reach the climatic finale, at which point their handling of the ensuing aftermath and fallout is abysmal, lacklustre, and telling.
Women perform similarly. The narrative dawdles and lingers in a self-indulgent manner around truly and genuinely unimportant and unnecessary events that would probably be best served by being scrapped entirely. They take far too long to get to the point, content to waste the audience's precious time as well as their own, mistaking word-count for progress. Their finales are approach with a timid terror, spending and investing precious little time exploring the exciting, fascinating moment they've been building and working towards the entire time for fear that the ultimate moment of revelation will be found lacking.
The challenge, then, is learning and internalizing those infinitely difficult concepts of Balance and Judgement. Great writers defy gender. Their narratives push forward at a thrilling, rushing pace, lingering when needed and pushing forward when required. Their Judgement of what is ultimately important to the story and what is not is beyond reproach, almost without question. Their characters are not filled with quiet biases weighted towards either gender - they stand equal, shoulder to shoulder in their differences, every one individual. Their internal Balance is masterful.
They intimately understand the idea of a story's underlying unity, of overlapping themes and events and reactions and the sheer ridiculous amount of crap required to create a good story.
The problem, of course, is that you and your stories are going to suck cosmic amounts of dick before you start getting it sort-of right.
So uh, keep on keeping on and I wish you all (well not all, but most of you) the best of luck.
Very few authors get it. Let's just make that clear up front.
Men write the way they fuck. The inexperienced rush through the entire affair, desperately anxious to reach the prize of the ending. They bang away at the story, moving far too quickly past important details, characters, events in their desperation to reach the climatic finale, at which point their handling of the ensuing aftermath and fallout is abysmal, lacklustre, and telling.
Women perform similarly. The narrative dawdles and lingers in a self-indulgent manner around truly and genuinely unimportant and unnecessary events that would probably be best served by being scrapped entirely. They take far too long to get to the point, content to waste the audience's precious time as well as their own, mistaking word-count for progress. Their finales are approach with a timid terror, spending and investing precious little time exploring the exciting, fascinating moment they've been building and working towards the entire time for fear that the ultimate moment of revelation will be found lacking.
The challenge, then, is learning and internalizing those infinitely difficult concepts of Balance and Judgement. Great writers defy gender. Their narratives push forward at a thrilling, rushing pace, lingering when needed and pushing forward when required. Their Judgement of what is ultimately important to the story and what is not is beyond reproach, almost without question. Their characters are not filled with quiet biases weighted towards either gender - they stand equal, shoulder to shoulder in their differences, every one individual. Their internal Balance is masterful.
They intimately understand the idea of a story's underlying unity, of overlapping themes and events and reactions and the sheer ridiculous amount of crap required to create a good story.
The problem, of course, is that you and your stories are going to suck cosmic amounts of dick before you start getting it sort-of right.
So uh, keep on keeping on and I wish you all (well not all, but most of you) the best of luck.
Friday, November 23, 2012
Making the World a Better Place
I have a theory about how to make the world a better place that is only really viable through the wonders of the internets and computers.
First off, just to clarify something, you don't need to be a great person to make the world a better place. I've noticed my own nature (which, I think, can be reasonably applied across the board) tends to follow a thought mentality akin to "Well if I can't do something completely or absolutely then I'm better off just not doing it at all" - something small for example, talking to my neighbours and even learning their damned names (which is pretty awful when you consider it - that you don't even know who the fuck the people are who live within twenty feet of you). Another, better (although slightly less practical and more abstract) would be learning languages - why bother learning anything about a beautiful new language that I could use to describe the world around me in greater nuance and detail if I can't adequately master the entire thing?
It's a retarded mindset.
aka; I am a retard.
So first off, and this is a relatively big step for a lot of people (I think - I'm basing this on my rather low opinion of most people as I am often witness to living, shambling totems of despair and failure so if this is not you then I apologize, though you really shouldn't have included yourself in the group in the first place, jackoff), you need to get comfortable taking steps in the right direction. Baby steps. Accomplishing small goals.
But the truth is - a lot of people (not everybody) have something valuable to offer. Some skill. Some insight. Some advice. Some methodology or mindset or unique perspective that has served them well. Most people - and I absolutely include myself in this statement - keep these nuggets of wisdom to themselves. It brings to mind images of Dragons guarding their treasure. What could be shared openly to make a hugely positive impact on the world is kept private, secret.
There are reasons for this, surely, but this post is about how to make a positive change.
The truth is that you have the power to seriously alter someone's life. On the positive side, you can call it mentoring, friendship, brotherhood (or sisterhood), love, whatever you want. The important concept to grasp is that you take a positive interest in another person's life. You actively seek out ways to help them improve potential deficiencies in their thinking, their approach to life, et cetera. Done correctly, this involves a ruthless suppression of personal ego - you're not trying to change someone because you have the ability to do so, or in an injurous fashion (you're not being a dick and effectively going hahahaha! you fucking SUCK in this regard and I'm going to point it out!). You simply speak honestly, genuinely, without attack or intent to destroy about what a person could do to improve themselves. You're not trying to force anything - you're presenting them with an alternative choice, and maybe one they haven't ever considered or seriously thought about before.
The problem, however, is twofold.
The first problem is that there's only so much time in the day. You have 24 hours in a day and when you subtract time required for sleeping, for work, for eating, showering, cleaning, hobbies, et cetera - there are precious few hours in the day to do as much as you wish you could. Seriously making an effort to help another person isn't something that's done in an hour, or a day. It's a commitment you make - usually to your close friends/family, but some people are charitable as fuck and do it for strangers.
Jesus had what, 12 apostles or something like that? That's a fucking heavy workload if I ever heard one. Call them your crew, your posse, your entourage. Your inner circle. Knights of the Round. Your core. The cream of the endangered Hostess twinkie.
The second problem is that the influential effect is not a one way street. Nietzsche put it as such;
"When you stare into the abyss, the abyss stares back into you".
Now this is, admittedly, a rather dramatic way to frame the concept, but it's also effective (and I think it sounds badass).
Unless you've reached a high state of enlightenment (which, in my opinion, is partly defined by a complete detachment of ego) you will notice negativity brushing off on you. Positivity, much like negativity, leaves stains. It's partly why that expression "Birds of a feather flock together" remains so relevant. If you surround yourself with negative, cunty assholes - well, it's more likely than less that it's just a matter of time before you start to emulate them. Likewise, if you surround yourself with really cool, generous, positive people - it's just a matter of time before you start emulating them. Attitudes are infectious - both ways.
The issue, which I've been considering, is that there's a danger in trying to help the negative cunts of the world - and the danger is infection. Corruption.
But I'm not comfortable with the idea that the solution to the problem is "fuck 'em". I'm not content with the idea that I, and others, can't affect some sort of positive change.
There is a way, though. The way is to create positive, passionate work and to upload it to the internet, free to all those who are interested. Breadcrumbs of positivity forming a trail for others to follow. Admittedly, the effect of influencing someone through digital work is not as pronounced as doing the same work in person - but there's also much less chance of negative blowback and there is the ability to hit a much wider audience.
So that is a solution. It's not the solution, but it is a solution. A partial one, until I, we, can come up with something better to help people flailing, struggling not to go under in the dark sea.
First off, just to clarify something, you don't need to be a great person to make the world a better place. I've noticed my own nature (which, I think, can be reasonably applied across the board) tends to follow a thought mentality akin to "Well if I can't do something completely or absolutely then I'm better off just not doing it at all" - something small for example, talking to my neighbours and even learning their damned names (which is pretty awful when you consider it - that you don't even know who the fuck the people are who live within twenty feet of you). Another, better (although slightly less practical and more abstract) would be learning languages - why bother learning anything about a beautiful new language that I could use to describe the world around me in greater nuance and detail if I can't adequately master the entire thing?
It's a retarded mindset.
aka; I am a retard.
So first off, and this is a relatively big step for a lot of people (I think - I'm basing this on my rather low opinion of most people as I am often witness to living, shambling totems of despair and failure so if this is not you then I apologize, though you really shouldn't have included yourself in the group in the first place, jackoff), you need to get comfortable taking steps in the right direction. Baby steps. Accomplishing small goals.
But the truth is - a lot of people (not everybody) have something valuable to offer. Some skill. Some insight. Some advice. Some methodology or mindset or unique perspective that has served them well. Most people - and I absolutely include myself in this statement - keep these nuggets of wisdom to themselves. It brings to mind images of Dragons guarding their treasure. What could be shared openly to make a hugely positive impact on the world is kept private, secret.
There are reasons for this, surely, but this post is about how to make a positive change.
The truth is that you have the power to seriously alter someone's life. On the positive side, you can call it mentoring, friendship, brotherhood (or sisterhood), love, whatever you want. The important concept to grasp is that you take a positive interest in another person's life. You actively seek out ways to help them improve potential deficiencies in their thinking, their approach to life, et cetera. Done correctly, this involves a ruthless suppression of personal ego - you're not trying to change someone because you have the ability to do so, or in an injurous fashion (you're not being a dick and effectively going hahahaha! you fucking SUCK in this regard and I'm going to point it out!). You simply speak honestly, genuinely, without attack or intent to destroy about what a person could do to improve themselves. You're not trying to force anything - you're presenting them with an alternative choice, and maybe one they haven't ever considered or seriously thought about before.
The problem, however, is twofold.
The first problem is that there's only so much time in the day. You have 24 hours in a day and when you subtract time required for sleeping, for work, for eating, showering, cleaning, hobbies, et cetera - there are precious few hours in the day to do as much as you wish you could. Seriously making an effort to help another person isn't something that's done in an hour, or a day. It's a commitment you make - usually to your close friends/family, but some people are charitable as fuck and do it for strangers.
Jesus had what, 12 apostles or something like that? That's a fucking heavy workload if I ever heard one. Call them your crew, your posse, your entourage. Your inner circle. Knights of the Round. Your core. The cream of the endangered Hostess twinkie.
The second problem is that the influential effect is not a one way street. Nietzsche put it as such;
"When you stare into the abyss, the abyss stares back into you".
Now this is, admittedly, a rather dramatic way to frame the concept, but it's also effective (and I think it sounds badass).
Unless you've reached a high state of enlightenment (which, in my opinion, is partly defined by a complete detachment of ego) you will notice negativity brushing off on you. Positivity, much like negativity, leaves stains. It's partly why that expression "Birds of a feather flock together" remains so relevant. If you surround yourself with negative, cunty assholes - well, it's more likely than less that it's just a matter of time before you start to emulate them. Likewise, if you surround yourself with really cool, generous, positive people - it's just a matter of time before you start emulating them. Attitudes are infectious - both ways.
The issue, which I've been considering, is that there's a danger in trying to help the negative cunts of the world - and the danger is infection. Corruption.
But I'm not comfortable with the idea that the solution to the problem is "fuck 'em". I'm not content with the idea that I, and others, can't affect some sort of positive change.
There is a way, though. The way is to create positive, passionate work and to upload it to the internet, free to all those who are interested. Breadcrumbs of positivity forming a trail for others to follow. Admittedly, the effect of influencing someone through digital work is not as pronounced as doing the same work in person - but there's also much less chance of negative blowback and there is the ability to hit a much wider audience.
So that is a solution. It's not the solution, but it is a solution. A partial one, until I, we, can come up with something better to help people flailing, struggling not to go under in the dark sea.
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