Tag Archives: writer’s process

Taking a Tip from Forrester

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Finding_forrester

Didn’t you love it when your teacher said, “Tonight for homework I would like for you to watch on tv . . .” but then hoped the next words weren’t, “The State of the Union Address?”  Well, if you are looking for a little kick start to your writing, I encourage you to watch a movie that inspires you to write.  Some of my favorites are Finding Forrester, Stranger than Fiction, and You’ve Got Mail.

Though I haven’t watched it in a bit, I am finding myself taking advice from William Forrester, played by Sean Connery, to his young prodigy. . . .

A few years back I read Inside Out and Back Again. (my post about it)  That did it!  I was hooked on stories in verse.  I ached to write one myself, but was knee deep in the Chicago Fire at the time.  I knew it couldn’t be any ol’ story that I chose to write in verse.  It took a long time to come up with the right idea.  And now that I have it, I’M REALLY STUCK!

I’m so intimidated to follow in the steps of Thanhha Lai, Jaqueline Woodson, Karen Hess, Katherine Applegate, Alexander Kwame to name a few of the seriously polished and amazing writers who have fashioned beautiful treasure boxes of powerful language in as few as ten words on a page!  Seriously?  My word pictures lack color and clarity.  I am wordy, not succinct.  I go wide, not deep.  I am in WAY OVER MY HEAD!

books in verse

Which brings me back to Finding Forrester.  William Forrester, an acclaimed author turned hermit, offers this piece of advice to his charge, and to us.  (Paraphrased or altered by my memory). . . Starting is the worst part.  If you don’t know where to start, borrow someone else’s words and before you know it, they will turn into yours.  (No duh side bar: Keep in mind, however, the high school student did get into great trouble for plagiarism when he entered his essay into a competition.  I, nor William Forrester, are encouraging you to take someone else’s words and claim them for your own.)

With this in mind, I am studying some of my favorite novels in verse and recording bits that stand out to me.  Writing the rhythm, feeling the strength of the words, getting a sense of siphoning a scene down to its bare truth.  As I immerse myself into Jacqueline’s Brooklyn, Billie Jo’s dust covered world, Kek’s first taste of America, Ha’s trip on the ship, and Filthy McNasty’s court time, I am slowly feeling my story churning, bits of it jumping into mind and immediately onto my journal.  Line by line and moment by moment this new story will come.

What inspires you to write?

What helps you get started?

Top Ten Ways to Put Off Starting Your Next Writing Project

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procrastination

Caught you! You’re procrastinating too, aren’t you? Why else would you be online right now? That’s okay. You’re in good company here! In fact, I have ten ways to put off starting that next writing project.

10. Look for pictures to help sort out what your characters look like, then get caught organizing pictures and possibly making a photo album on Shutterfly.

9. Make a sound track of your story to listen to while writing. Right now I’m searching for playful, whimsical instrumental music that fits my new MC’s attitude.

8. Pick out the clothes that make you feel like a writer, including a thinking cap. Why, yes, that is my thinking cap I’m wearing in my picture.

7. Buy a new journal just for this project to record this idea and that idea that will pop up and will need a place to be recorded. If you can find a water proof journal, please let me know. My brain tends to think of wonderful ideas while I’m showering, which are long gone by the time I’m dressed. Dag nab it!

6. Put new batteries in your dictaphone, because you know new ideas will pop in while your driving and your best ideas will occur when you have no dictaphone or paper and pen nearby. Hope your memory is better than mine!

5. Find said dictaphone. (Hmmmm, the MC of my next book may be to blame for missing dictaphone.)

4. Organize the garage because you know once you begin this project its going to swallow you up until its finished with you and your garage will remain a disaster zone until then.

3. Buy new ink and paper for your printer. Sometimes you need to be practical, right? And while you’re out, stop at Pier 1 because a new season is around the corner and you need to decorate your house for the new season before you start writing. Or else IT WILL NEVER GET DONE!

2. Eat your favorite writing meal/food. Who am I kidding? Get a glass of wine. (Unless, of course you’re a young author. In that case, get yourself a couple cookies first. Oh, okay, adults, you can have a couple cookies too. Just don’t have it with the wine. Not a good combination!)

1. Make a procrastination list to post on a blog.

Enough procrastinating! Go write some awful sentences! Don’t worry, they will get better. Just gotta get the awful ones out of the way first.  Be Brave!  Write!

Research! You Can Do It!

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Students, writers, scientists, journalists, phd candidates, and shoppers all have something in common: RESEARCH.  Whether you are going to get fully into the trenches as you prepare a historical fiction novel or make your contemporary fiction glimmer with realism, research must be done.

There are two arguments I have heard.  The first says write what you know (which for some of us is seemingly limited) and the other says write what you want to know more about.  Yes, that’s the one for me.  As a Chicago native, I was always interested in the mystery of Chicago’s greatest disaster.  That led me to buy my first book on the Great Chicago Fire.  I thought it would be a fascinating setting for a children’s historical novel and that someone should write one.  But as a very busy teacher I certainly didn’t have the time or the know-how to do it.  Time rolled on by about a decade and I became a SAHM (stay at home mom) and my brain felt like was becoming mush.  I picked up another book on the Chicago Fire and wondered if I might be able to write something.  I read and read and read and the truth of the event could not be imagined.  The stories, the oddities, the humanity and lack of it, all stunning.  It’s a story that must somehow be told.  The research was molding the story.

SOURCES

Internet: Who doesn’t start here?  It’s a bit of a black hole and an enormous amount of time can be swallowed by looking for the information you seek.  But it will lead to many other great resources and pearls can be found.  It must all be measured, however, by other sources.  Anybody (ahem) can get online these days and write something!

  • One of my favorite web pages (more can be found on the Chicago Fire page of this website) comes from the Chicago History Museum.

Books: Put that library card to work for you!  There are books written on just about any topic you are interested in learning about.  If your library doesn’t have it, often you can get a hold of it with an interlibrary  loan.   (Just make sure you pick it up in a timely fashion or they will send it right back!)  And there’s always amazon and bookstores if you think it’s a book worth owning, or if you are an active reader that needs to highlight, underline, and write in the margins.  But don’t forget about cookbooks, almanacs, high school yearbooks, and titles that are popular to the locale of your story.

  • One on my bookcase: The Great Chicago Fire in Eye Witness Accounts

Newspapers: Holy Toledo how newspapers have changed over time!  In my review of articles from the Chicago Tribune in 1871 I was taken aback by how full the pages were and the great variety of stories I would happen upon.  Of course there was plenty of news, but there were also vignettes, etiquette lessons, humor.  News then was like news today, have to take it all with a grain of salt, but it definitely allowed me to tune into language and culture.

Interviews: incredibly intimidating for some, but one of the best sources for personal perspectives.  Thanks to Skype and the like, interviewing someone across country is easy.  I certainly had no survivors of the fire I could interview, but I sat down with a fireman, a horse aficionado, and historians for two prominent buildings in my story: The Palmer House and Old St. Pat’s Church.  It’s important to do as much research ahead of the interview as possible so that you can find out what you don’t know and ask educated questions.  Don’t make the person you are interviewing do all the work.  Bring something to the table, they are giving you their time as it is.

Travel: It makes all the difference in the world to go to the location your story will take place.  (If it is an invented setting – of this world – try to go somewhere that has similarities, it will give you a new perspective.)  I have spent many hours at the Chicago History Museum, but also writing on a bench outside of Union Station along the river – the locale of the first 10,000 or so words of my story.  I walked my MC’s neighborhood and got a sense of distance and noise.  I had to transport myself back in time, take away the concrete and highrises.  I’m still thinking about challenging myself to walk the path my MC takes.  I’ll need to do some training first.  I joke that my story is Pursuit of Happiness meets Backdraft.  My poor MC travels (mostly by running) somewhere between 15 and 20 miles over a three day period.  Should I walk in his shoes (minus the fire of course)?

TOOLS: apps that help

This is the first 4 rows of notebooks I have in the stack on research on the Chicago Fire.

This is the first 4 rows of notebooks I have in the stack on research on the Chicago Fire.  From Noteshelf

Noteshelf – by far my favorite app for recording research.  What I like about it: I literally use it like a collection of notebooks.  I can use a stylus or type.    As I researched, it’s hard to know what information I would find out and where it would lead me.  This made it incredibly difficult to organize my notes.  Reorganizing a notebook or stack of notebooks is a cinch.

Nine of the nineteen pages from my notebook on the Lull and Holmes fire.

Nine of the nineteen pages from my notebook on the Lull and Holmes fire.

There are a lot of pen colors, highlighters, and symbols.  There is also a nice variety of notebook covers and types of paper to use.  Every page of a notebook could have different paper if you wanted it to.  Make a stack of a series of notebooks to save space on the shelf.

On one page I can use a variety of colors, writing tools, graphics. From Noteshelf

On one page I can use a variety of colors, writing tools, graphics. From Noteshelf

The only thing that either I haven’t figured out

or isn’t possible is how to copy text or pictures outside of noteshelf into the app.  But that’s why I also list the next two apps.

Evernote – I have used very little, but it does allow me to paste pictures and text from the internet.  For information on how to get organized using Evernote check out this blog by Michael Hyatt.

Trello – I just discovered this one.  It seems like it will be really great once I get the hang of it.  Positives: You can add other members to a board and they can add things to the research.  Great for projects that are collaborative (ie – co-author, or if you have an assistant – it’s nice to dream, isn’t it?).  You can have checklists, hyperlinks, upload video, moving cards between boards is super simple, the sidebar lets you see what others have done without going hunting.  And it’s free.  The negatives: I haven’t used it enough yet to know.

That’s it for now.  I would love to know other tips for research.  What works for you? Click on the comment link on the META side bar!

Next time, I’m going to take a break from writing about writing and share some interesting goodies from my research bag.

Til then,

Enjoy Playing with Words!

MRUs, they are nothing like MRIs

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Motivation-Reaction Units! oooh!

In last week’s post I shared about a strategy about how to analyze your scene/sequel structure.  Every chapter contains scene-sequel cycles, my chapters average 2 or 3.  But within every scene and every sequel are motivation-reaction units.  (This phrase is used by Dwight Swain in his book, Techniques of a Selling Author and is well-summarized in the blog Writing the Perfect Scene.   Where I lack creativity, I make up in resourcefulness!)

The nuts and bolts:

Motivation: What your MC sees, hears, feels, tastes, or smells.  It is observable and objective.

Reaction: begins internally and may end internally or externally.  The MCs reaction should mirror real life.  Initially, we react to things emotionally, something we can’t control, and to varying degrees depending on the motivation.  Sometimes the emotion is followed by a knee-jerk reaction.  Again, something we can’t control.  This happens usually in more dramatic or surprising situations.  Sometimes we skip the reflexive response and have a thought, or say something, or do something.  And there are some situations when all three occur.  When that happens, it usually follows: emotional reaction – reflexive reaction – thoughtful reaction.

Common sense, isn’t it?

As you are analyzing your scenes and sequels for their larger structure, you can mark down the side of the page when you are reading a motivation or a reaction.  This reveals story parts that are not motivation or reaction, and therefore don’t belong.  I have read nearly a full page in which my character is not reacting to anything.  A full page of motivation is too much.  The reader has identified with the MC and wants him to be engaged, not just an observer.  I also noticed, despite Swain’s suggestion that Motivations and Reactions alternate paragraphs, that my writing often had one, sometimes two, MRUs, within one paragraph.  (I’m not usually a rule breaker, but I’m okay with this one.  Especially since I have looked at other children’s books and noticed that accomplished authors have done that too.  Nonetheless, MRUs fill their pages.)

The only place that I ignore the MRU pattern is when I am establishing setting.  For the sake of my reader, this needs to be done swiftly and the action needs to get going again.  There are certainly more patient readers who like a thorough picture painted for them.  Know your reader and their attention span!

An example from the bookcase: Breaking Stalin’s Nose by Eugene Velchin

     I’m almost at the first floor when I hear the door open upstairs.  It’s my aunt.  (motivation – M).  I stop and wait for her to catch up.  I knew she’d come, (Reaction – R) and she does, arms reaching out and pulling me in.  (M)  With her face so close, I see she looks like my dad.  Though my dad never cries, of course. (R)

     “He’s wrong,” I say.  “My dad’s not an enemy of the people.  You know that, don’t you?” (Still R)
     She nods and pats my head, or tries to arrange my hair (M) – I don’t know which (R).  “I’m sorry, Sasha,” she says  “If we take you in, they’ll arrest us, too.  We just had a baby.  We have to stay alive.”  (M)
     She pushes something into the palm of my hand, folds my fingers over it, and runs upstairs (still M).  I know it’s money.  I’ll need it.  I’m grateful.  When I look, it’s not much, but at least in the morning I can take a streetcar to school (R).
 While alternating paragraphs for motivations and reactions is clearly not followed here, the MRU pattern certainly is.  Study some text for yourself.  Pick a favorite book off the shelf and see if that author uses MRUs.
 Well, January is research month for me.  So next time I will share some research tips I’ve picked up along the way.
 
Til then,
Enjoy playing with words!

Revision Process: scenes and sequels

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First off, where have I been?  I noticed my last post was in October.  My apologies.  I spent October and November in revision and took December off to focus on my primary job: SAHM (stay at home mom.)  But a new year is here with brand new motivations.

Pre-published authors are keenly aware that we are not to submit our work to agents until we get it as good as we can.  To perfectionists, that is a cruel task.  So we have to learn to let go of ascertaining perfection on our own (if ever), establish a plan, and stick to it!

In brief – the steps that got me this far:

  1. Write the rough draft like a crazy person.  Finish the darn thing and celebrate.  Really celebrate.
  2. Take a month away from it and read a craft book.
  3. REVISE: see this blog on what you can do in the first revision.
  4. Rewrite – time to fix all those things you didn’t allow yourself to look back at during the frenzied rough draft.
  5. Get eyes on it.  Yep.  Be brave!  Do you have a critique group?  They are the perfect people to do this.  They have willingly sacrificed hours of their time to read your writing and critique it because they know you will do the same for them.
  6. While your critique group has it start the next revision.

That’s what this post will focus on.  My process, in general, is an inverted triangle: start broad and become more narrowed through the revision.  Every writer has a process.  This works for me, for now.

On the first revision I was focusing on story arc, plot, characterization, what chapters can go – big picture stuff.  Now, I am getting more narrowed.  I am breaking the chapters into scenes and sequels and I am looking for specific elements.  And what I’m doing is not original.  I have taken what I have read in craft books, learned at conferences, and researched online to synthesize my process.

This step of my process was largely taken from a blog that was summarizing a book.  The blog:  Writing the Perfect Scene (beckons all perfectionists!)  The book: Techniques of the Selling Writer by Dwight Swain.  (Admittedly, I have not read it yet.  As a SAHM my writing time is very limited.  But perhaps that will be the craft book I read after my next rough draft.) Refer to either or both of these for expanded information.  I will hit the highlights.

Tools: 3 different colored highlighters, a fourth marker of a different color, a red pen, green pen, tablet with Index Card app (By the way, this is a revised method.  My first was even more involved and I quickly realized I was working harder not smarter.)

Each chapter is compiled of scenes and sequels.

In a scene there is:11170843-highlighter-pens-in-desk-organizer-for-home-business-back-to-school-projects

  • a goal: the MC (main character) goal for just this little moment in time, which ultimately is somehow tied to the big goal/story arc – when I identify the goal I highlight it in blue.
  • CONFLICT! – internal or external, obstacles stumbling blocks the MC is dealing with in the scene. (I uses yellow highlighter – like warning road signs)
  • DISASTER!!!! – the thing that keeps the MC from reaching the goal (I like a pink highlighter for his one, it’s close to red. – I know, I am a very deep thinker!)

After the disaster the sequel begins:

  • Reaction: an emotional response that follows the disaster, will probably include dialogue or internal thoughts. (back to blue highlighter)
  • Dilemma: the MC is in a situation with no perfect solution that will allow him to reach his initial goal.  The MC sorts out his options. (yep, yellow highlighter!)
  • Decision: MC has weighed his options and chooses a path, therefore a new goal.  (red again. though sometimes it is also blue for my next scene.)

Most of my chapters have between two or three scene/sequel cycles.  Some had just one, the most was probably four.  Keep in mind. my chapters run about 9 or 10 pages.  So what I’m calling scenes may be what someone else calls a beat.  I’m not going to get hung up on vocabulary.  The important thing is that I am analyzing my text for the good stuff it needs to have.  My book is also an action story, fast paced.  Stories that are slower paced or focus more on building suspense or scene setting may have longer chapters or fewer scene/sequel cycles.  With my target reader in mind, I need to keep the pace up!

The purposes for the other tools:

  • Purple marker: noted flashbacks, internal monologue, and transitions (all of which were used SPARINGLY!)
  • red pen, to do what red pens always do!
  • green pen – to record MRUs – ooooh what’s that? I’ll get into that in my next blog.
  • Index Card app: After I completed each chapter I recorded for each scene: the number of the scene, the chapter it belongs to, the act it was from, the headline, the goal, conflict, disaster, the number of words and MRUs (oh! there it is again!) and humor.  And for each sequel I did the same thing, but recording the reaction, dilemma, and decision instead.

What good did it do?

I quickly realized when I was missing key components.  Sometimes an entire sequel was missing.  I have at least 5 scenes or sequels that need to be written – and one entire chapter.  And the opposite is true too.  I am able to see what isn’t a scene or sequel that is moving the story forward and can be discarded.  Repetition, lack of scene setting, drifting from the plot,  wordiness – it all stands out more.    I noticed my habit is to often skip past a reaction by the MC to the disaster.  And I’m sure there is more too.  Thankfully, it’s all recorded on my index cards!

Next time – MRUs. They are nothing like MRIs!

Til then,

Happy Writing!

By the way, what it one thing you always include on your index card when you are analyzing your story?

Westview Questions of the Week

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This is the last set of questions from my visit to Westview Elementary.  I have been surprised by the level of questions the students have posed and have enjoyed answering them.  Here are the last five questions.boy reading to snake

1.  What if you don’t know what to do at the end?

There is a saying that the end is in the beginning.  The main goal that the character wants to achieve must be figured out by the end.  If it was resolved, but you kept writing, it’s time to do some editing.  If you are not sure what your character wants to accomplish you probably have to rewrite the beginning.  It’s in the beginning that the main goal is set.  Through the middle conflict gets in the way of meeting that goal.  By the end, the character has figured out how to solve the problem and reach the goal.  If you’re having a problem with the end, look at the beginning.

2.  What kind of story is it?

The story I am writing is historical fiction novel for middle grades.  It’s historical fiction because the setting of the story is a true historical event, but the characters are made up.  True history and setting + fictional main characters = historical fiction.  It is intending for students in fourth through sixth or seventh grade.

3.  Why does it take so long to write a story?

It depends.  Short stories don’t take very long.  Novels take longer.  If a person writes for six or more hours a day, the story gets done faster.  If they are inconsistent it will take longer.

4.  How long have you been writing?

Most of what I have written has been academic, meaning I did it because I had to for school.  Even so, I still liked it.  I enjoy the relaxation that writing brings me when it’s going well and overcoming the frustration when it isn’t.   I liked proving my point through writing.  I also appreciated the things I learned through research. There is no better feeling than the one that comes upon completion!  Now, I entertain myself when I create a scene of my book.  I  didn’t start writing for the purpose of creating a manuscript to publish until a few years ago.

5.  How do you publish it?

There are two major routes.  The first is self-publish either online or pay a company to turn your manuscript into a book.  When you self-publish you are completely on your own with producing a great story.  The other way is to go through a publishing house.  Most publishing houses don’t take work from just anyone, so a writer needs to find an agent who will help get their books to an editor at a publishing house.  Another way to get access to a publishing house is to attend conferences where publishers also attend and invite you to submit your story to them.  They do this at writer’s conferences because they know that the people who attend are serious about their story and making it the best that they can.

That’s it, folks!  Thanks for the great questions.

Stop by anytime and enjoy Playing with Words!

Westview Questions of the Week

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persevereA few weeks ago I visited Westview School in Champaign, Il to talk to the fifth grade students about the writing process.  I told the students I would respond to their questions on my website.  They have asked some really great questions.  Here’s a few for this week.

1. Do your kids write books?

Sometimes my children like to tell stories, but they haven’t started writing much.  One is not in school yet and the other is in early elementary.  For now I hope they enjoy reading books and maybe one day they will find their own story.

2. Did you ever doubt yourself or want to give up?

Sure, this has been a long process filled with times of both success and frustration.   My faith is a big part of my life, so when I feel like that, I pray.  I also take a break from writing long enough to read something for fun or watch an inspiring movie.  It also helps to have someone read something I’ve written and get some encouragement.  The main thing that brings me through, though, is my faith.

3.  Is your story on your blog?

No, I am actually saying very little about my story on my blog for now.  Until I have it on the way to the bookstores, I am keeping it pretty private.  What my blog is about is the stuff I’m learning about writing that I think might help someone else who is on the same journey.  I also like to share great books I have read and what makes them so good.

4.  What helped you become a writer?

Being a reader is the best thing you can do to become a writer.  By reading a lot you develop a sense of story.  You know how a story is suppose to work – plot, characterization, story arc, etc – by reading good stories.  It just kind of soaks in.  There is a lot to learn through books about how to write, but you can’t learn how to sense what works in a story or what doesn’t unless you are reading a lot of good stories.

5.  Is it a hard process?

I think like most things, the first time you do something is pretty hard.  You do a lot of things wrong and you learn from your mistakes.  I have written a lot of things in the past, but nothing like this.  So I am learning A LOT!  I’m hoping it will get easier with each story, but some challenge is good.  It keeps you sharp and when you get through the challenge you have grown and can feel proud of yourself.  Yes, it is hard, but not so hard that I don’t want to try.  I’m looking forward to the victory!

Next week is the last set of questions.

Until then,

Enjoy Playing with Words

Obstacles

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Every writer will face many obstacles in the pursuit of creating a manuscript, getting it published, and getting readers to be interested.

This will be a stream of consciousness and a bit of venting.  So here it goes:

Limited time.  Limited ideas. Too many ideas.  Not liking what you have written.  Liking what you have written so much that you are not open to critique. Having no one to critique you. Having people to critique you, but have little to offer.  Mommy guilt.  People who think that what you are doing is merely a hobby.  Having  a support group who is overly involved.  Burn out.  Not knowing your protagonist well.  The art of writing.  Not sounding like a fifth grader wrote it. Balancing dialogue, action, and description.  Being funny.  Being dramatic.   Having time to read.  Under-editing your work.  Over-editing your work.  Creating a protagonist the readers will care about and relate to.  Creating an antagonist that your reader will despise.  Creating great word pictures.  Writing less, but saying more.  Knowing when it is good enough.  And knowing what to do next.

There are probably at least 142 more things to add to this list, but I have only been a writer-in-action for a short while, so I will play my green card.

As to solutions, all I have at this juncture is to never, never, never give up.

Oh ya, one more obstacle : tech problems!

Westview Questions of the Week

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Mrs. O'Leary and her cow

Mrs. O’Leary and her cow

I recently visited Westview Elementary School in Champaign, IL.   I brought some questions home with me to answer on the blog.  May I add, I am impressed by the thoughtfulness of the questions.

1.  Do you like being an author?

I do enjoy writing quite a lot.  It is a bigger job than I ever imagined and sometimes incredibly challenging.  On the other hand, I enjoy seeing a story come to life at my fingertips and I LOVE hearing about the enjoyment my book brought to others.  If I can write something that makes kids want to read, then every moment of the battle during the creation is worth it!

2.  When did I first decide to write?

Sometime in 2001 I was reading about the Great Chicago Fire and thought it would make an exciting setting for a historical fiction children’s novel.  At that time I was a teacher and didn’t have the time to even dream about writing let alone try to do it.  A few years ago after being a stay-at-home mom for a while the interest came back to me.  Then one day I was sitting at a cafe by myself having some lunch and thought about how some really great ideas started on napkins.  And so I began writing some words of a story, not on napkins, I did have a notepad with me.  I had no idea what I was doing or where it would take me.  But it was fun.  (The words weren’t so good when I look back at it, but it was a great way to get started!)

3.  How many books have I written?

This is my first, but certainly not the last.  I have ideas bubbling in my head, so I need to finish this one and move onto the next!

4. Does the book have to be like the movie?

Generally, the book comes first and only a very small number of books are turned into movies.  I love to watch movies, but nine times out of ten the books are always better!

5.  How did the fire start?

For a very long time a poor cow was blamed.  Someone put that idea in the newspaper and it became fact, even though it wasn’t.   The world thought that a cow owned by Mrs. O’Leary knocked over a lantern while being milked.  That fire grew uncontrollably due to several reasons and burned for two days destroying much of the city.  In my research I read a book call The Great Chicago Fire and the Myth of Mrs. O’Leary’s Cow by Richard Bales.  In this book the cow and Mrs. O’Leary are proved innocent.  It appears that the likely cause was someone smoking behind the barn and accidentally started a fire.  No one stepped forward to take the blame.

6.  What does the main character look like?

My main character is a twelve year old boy who is an Irish Catholic.  He is lanky with black hair and blue eyes.

7.  How do you focus?

It is very easy to get distracted or to feel lazy!  It is sometimes hard to sit and get started.  If the house is too quiet it’s hard for me to concentrate.  Having soft music on or something like the weather channel or a news channel on quietly provides enough noise to help.  But if I put on a show that I like, forget about it, I’m watching tv instead!  It also helps me to set a goal.  Once I get started I want to reach that goal.  If it’s a really tough day to focus, I may even give myself a reward for completing that goal.

Questions from Westview School

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It is time for another installment of questions from some very inquisitive young authors at Westview Elementary.

1. Are you a good drawer?

I enjoy drawing and painting.  I also really like to create with clay.  Most of the art I create is abstract, which means that it focuses on lines, color, and geometric shapes.  I’m not really great at drawing things the way they look in real life.

2. How many stops did take while you were making your story?

I have worked on my story very inconsistently over three years.  During the first year I got stuck on the first 50 pages.  I kept revising them and didn’t move forward.  I was also doing a lot of research in the beginning so I would write the history part correctly.  Summer months are very hard to write since my children are home and I need to keep them busy.  But over the last year I have made very good progress.  I have finished my story all the way through ( and then celebrated!) Then I revised it to look at the big picture,  Then I rewrote it taking out stuff that didn’t belong and writing parts that needed to be added.  Now I am in the middle of my next revision.  SO . . . I am hoping to not take any more breaks until I’m done, which I hope will be by the end of the year!!!!

3.  Is it fun to write all the time? Do you ever get bored?

abstract art

abstract art

I do enjoy writing most of the time.  I don’t think I get bored because it is a good challenge.  But sometimes I do get frustrated when I can’t get the scene the way I want it or when I know there’s a problem with the story, but I can’t figure out what it is.  I can also feel like there is a lot for me to still research, but when I break up one big job into many little jobs it doesn’t seem too bad.

4.  What’s the best font to use?

There are a few fonts that I like to use personally, but editors and publishers and agents prefer something basic like Times New Roman.

5. Have you ever been on an airplane?

Yes, I have.  I enjoy traveling and seeing new places.  My first time on an airplane wasn’t until I was in college, probably around 19 years old.

Thanks for the questions!

There will be more responses next Friday.

Until then,

Enjoy Playing with Words!