"Wild geese fly south, creaking like anguished hinges; along the riverbank the candles of the sumacs burn dull red. It's the first week of October. Season of woolen garments taken out of mothballs; of nocturnal mists and dew and slippery front steps, and late-blooming slugs; of snapdragons having one last fling; of those frilly ornamental pink-and-purple cabbages that never used to exist, but are all over everywhere now." ~ Margaret Atwood, The Blind Assassin

From an Editor's Desk: 

Develop a vivid, yet practical vocabulary

            Many writers fall into a rut of using the same language for every situation. And there are writers who write as if they’re constructing a crossword puzzle, peppering the story landscape with obscure, archaic or just plain strange language to prove they got their money’s worth at their Alma mater. So avoid the florid, or use with discretion, respecting 'word territory.' The more unusual or James Joyce-like the word or phrase, the less often it should be used.
      Your aim when writing is to make every word count.

      Try to use verbs that evoke images and create movies in the reader's imagination.

      Replace look and see with squint, peer, gape, glance, peek, leer, rubberneck, ogle,

      During your final stages of revising, tighten flabby sentences by inserting powerful verbs.Omit pallid or dead verbs such as get and got, put, look, see,  got, run, ran, walked, turned, went, moved, do, done, take, took, leave, left, go, and gone.Vivid verbs ignite the reader's imagination. Question every time you use passive linking verbs such as is, am, are, was, were, have, has, had, take, could, should, would, be, been.
       Avoid beginning sentences with There is, There was, It was, It is because the sentence will have a passive a passive construction.
      Change noun forms into verbs. Instead of communication, communicate. Instead of conclusion, conclude.
     When I was in the final stages of revising my book Between the Lines I noticed that I used the same words--especially dazzle, shimmer, and deep--over and over. I started consciously collecting fresh words, lassoing them into a word list that I alphabetize on my computer. Now, often these are words I'm familiar with or have used before, but if I deliberately gather them into a document, I value them more. Some of the verbs I've collected: canoodle, thrumming, snooker, buttress, skulk, waylay, clobber, graft, prattle, sputter, canter, tut, parse, whack, yammer, pilfer, pounce, sashay, swagger, mince
Keep writing, keep dreaming, have heart

"The verb is the word that gets things done. Without a verb, there’s nothing happening and you don’t really need a sentence at all. So when you go shopping fore a verb, don’t be cheap. Splurge.” Patricia O’Connor, Words Fail Me

Writing Tip: Settings and the Passage of Time

Setting, pacing and transitions portray the passage of time. Setting can reveal short passages of time as the sun moves across the sky and gradually shadows creep into the room where the protagonist waits for an important phone call. Or it can reveal longer passages of time as summer’s blazing heat gives way to the soft breezes of autumn, and then to the icy bite of winter.

            A transition can often be short and simple such as:

By four the sun had disappeared and a cold, ominous rain was falling.

Or, you can reveal that your story has shifted to a new location by writing a quick summary such as this:

As the plane soared into the skies above Manhattan, snow fell in a sullen sky. Hours later he was on the sunny patio of Al Fornio, a chic bistro overlooking the Hollywood hills sipping a fine pinot from the Napa valley and waiting for an order of steamed clams.

When reading fiction, notice also how authors filter setting details through the character’s viewpoint. This adds an emotional undercurrent to the scenes and uses them to characterize the person observing:

As he approached the sagging barn, the wind seemed to pick up, and he could have sworn the barn swayed under its spell.

One difficulty that writers encounter is moving characters around in fiction. They want to describe every footstep across the room, every street he drives down, or every time the plane bucks due to turbulence. It’s best to skip over mundane locomotion activities and use these transitions for a dual purpose. For example, if your character is in an urban setting you can insert an urban situation:

Driving down Broadway nearing downtown, he spotted the homeless woman again, her shopping cart piled high with wrapped bundles and what appeared to be sculptures formed from plastic bags.

If your detective loves music, you can reveal what’s playing on his car’s CD player as he drives to a romantic rendezvous or to interview a murderer. Or perhaps you can show that gentrification has taken place in a certain neighborhood, which would by extension describe a character who lives there. Or, the natural lull of a car trip or the apprehension about the upcoming encounter can trigger a viewpoint character’s flashback or memory. The bottom line is don’t simply move your character around, force the setting to accomplish several tasks as he moves from place to place.

        Remember, too, that setting can be the starting point for crafting fiction, just as P.D. James uses the place of her murders as the foundation for her mystery novels. Since his twenties, Ray Bradbury has dipped into his darkest childhood memories for places of fright and intrigue, and uses these memories as catalyst for storytelling. No matter if you first conceive of your plot, character, or setting, your story’s environment will influence every element in it.

Amid a well-crafted story, the reader  sinks into another land far from his daily world. And in this land, the drenching sorrows and complicated lives of the characters teach him what it means to be human. And he absorbs these lessons easily because the characters’ emotions are knowable and real and track familiar terrain.

October

October already--a month of russet and red and orange and Halloween. What's not to love?  The skies are clearing and I'm getting ready to catch a train north for Edmonds, WA and the Write on the Sound Conference. Will be teaching a workshop on writing nonfiction proposals and another on scenes and signing books at a reception Saturday evening.
Also, I have updated my mailing list this week. If you haven't received my September newsletter it means your email bounced back because I could not read your handwriting (if you signed up at conference).  I also still have spaces available in my upcoming fiction critique groups which begin the second week in October. My email address is jessicapage(at)spiritone(dot) com.
Keep writing, keep dreaming, have heart

I have read wonderfully written books that are entirely unsatisfactory to me because I do not believe that the author was writing a story. The author was writing a book. There is a great difference. ~Kaitlyn Ramsey

Characters and Fear

Sky is overcast for now and a cool breeze is blowing in. Lately the weather has been oddly humid here--something we don't have a lot of experience with in the Northwest, so these cool mornings are welcome. 

I want to comment a bit more on using fear as a motivator and force in fiction. In most stories what a character fears or dreads is at stake. Often a character fears that he or she won’t achieve his or her heart’s desire and this failure will have huge ramifications. This is an important point: the failure of desire must be a looming and horrible possibility in fiction. If a character desires true love, the man or woman he or she meet is perfect for him or her—in fact, so delightful that life without this beloved seems a wasteland. Or, a woman has always desperately wanted children and now the man she falls in love with has had a vasectomy because he never wanted children and she cannot reconcile her desire for him with her desire for children.

          Or, a character desires a big promotion not only because he’s worked hard and earned it, but he needs the money it brings for a specific reason: he has elderly parents to support, his wife will respect him more because of it, it will put to rest long-held feelings of inferiority, and will allow him to exercise creative vision in the company. Without the promotion his career and life won’t be as meaningful or satisfying and his parents will need to be placed in a low-cost nursing home—a seedy, depressing place that will surely destroy this once proud and vibrant couple.

The more potent the fear, the greater the suspense and tension. The point is that not only is the fear palpable, but it also not a one-time thing, it is connected to his emotional needs (leftover wounds, desires, from childhood), and will have long-ranging implications. 

Keep writing, keep dreaming, have heart

Metaphors have a way of holding the most truth in the least space.  ~Orson Scott Card

Quick Tip:

What is your character's worst fear? Can you put that at risk in your story? For more information on this topic read Jason Black's article, What's the worst thing that can do to your characters? at Author magazine.

Track fiction series

In case you read series fiction and want to make certain that you've read all the books in the series, or in the proper order, there is now a website for you: Fictfact.com. It tracks all sorts of series by genre, author, most popular.

“People who are convinced that a vision or result is important, who can see clearly that they must change their life in order to reach that result, and who commit themselves to that result nonetheless, do indeed feel compelled. They have assimilated the vision not just consciously, but unconsciously, at a level where it changes more of their behavior. They have a sense of deliberate patience—with themselves and the world—and more attentiveness to what is going on around them. All of this produces a sustained sense of energy and enthusiasm, which (often after a delay) produces some tangible results, which can then make the energy and enthusiasm stronger.” ~The Fifth Discipline Fieldbook, education author Peter Senge

Upcoming Workshops & Groups

with  Jessica Morrell

If you want to make your writing better, I can help

Fiction Critique Groups

October 13 and running 9 weeks Wednesdays 12:3-4, 19th & Glisan Portland, Or

October 14 and running 9 weeks Thursdays, 6-9  42^nd & Hawthorne Portland, OR

Limited to 5 participants  Cost: $310

Getting short stories or  a novel published can be daunting, so here’s a bit of help: a nine-week critique group led by a developmental editor and close work with a small group of like-minded writers. Helpful and insightful feedback, support and instruction. The group is suggested for writers ready to take their manuscripts to the next level who have a first draft written.

October 23, Make Your Writing Sing (and Sell) taught with Sage Cohen

Center for Contemplative Arts, Manzanita, Oregon

9:30-4:30 cost: $80

Writers often believe that it takes a knockout plot or idea to see their work in print. Of course, what you say is important; but many writers don’t realize that how you say it matters just as much. The truth is that the beauty of your sentences and strength of your voice can help take a solid piece of writing from the slush pile to publication.

Stories are built of sentences, and sentences are built word by word. An artfully-crafted sentence can bring shivers of recognition in the reader, stir his or her emotions, build or release tension and take the action forward. When words are consciously chosen for impact, you can keep your reader on the edge of his or her seat from start to finish––whether you’re writing a personal essay, a piece of fiction or a how-to article.

November 6,  Writing a Book That Makes a Difference

1241 N.W. Johnson (PNWA room 207) Portland, OR

9:30-4:30 Cost: $75

Because a writer is a scavenger constantly gathering materials from life and gleaning memory, because a writer holds an ear to wind and is constantly noticing, he or she needs a format to transform all that listening and gathering. With that in mind, this workshop instructs writers on how to write a book that comes from our deepest passions, and communicates emotions, caring and concern. We’ll discuss how our books can touch a reader’s imagination, life, and heart.  Or, as Erica Jong once said that when you write you try to become a conduit, a channel, a pipe from muse into matter. A wide range of examples from various genres will be used to illustrate the discussion and a reading list and generous handouts will be supplied.

November 20, The Final Edit

1241 N.W. Johnson  (PNWA room 207) Portland, OR

9:30-4:30 Cost: $75

First comes the blank page and how to fill it, then comes the written page and how to fix it. Most often it is in the revision process that the real writing gets done. This workshop offers suggestions on how to be your own editor, concentrating on readying a manuscript for submission. We’ll be especially focusing on the three stages of revision: First Revision: Looking at the big picture and analyzing the overall coherence, structure and plausibility. Second revision: The aim of a second pass-through is to make the story seamless and to fine tune pacing, scenes, and the ending and to track character development and arc. Final Revision: this is where your think like a copy editor and your aim is to correct language, style, and hone in on details. This draft is also for making certain that there is enough tension throughout.  We’ll discuss what editors notice and reject in manuscripts. Generous handouts will be provided including checklists for revision to help writers reconsider and enhance final drafts. The workshop content will be geared to the specific needs of the group, so participants are encouraged to submit questions beforehand.

And please mark your calendars:

{June 10-12, 2011}

Summer in Words Writing Conference on the Oregon coast

The fine print: Thanks so much for reading this notice. Please feel free to forward to anyone you think might be interested. All events require pre-registration and payment. Space is limited, so you’re encouraged to register early. Contact Jessica at jessicpage@spiritone.com.

All groups and workshops include generous handouts and practical, doable information that you can immediately put to use.

Jessica Morrell is the author of Writing Out the Storm; Between the Lines, Master the Subtle Elements of Fiction Writing; Voices From the Street, The Writer’s I Ching and Bullies, Bastards & Bitches, How to Write the Bad Guys of Fiction and Thanks, But This Isn’t For Us: A (Sort of) Compassionate Guide to Why Your Writing is Being Rejected. She has been teaching writers since 1991 and you’ll learn more than you thought possible in her workshops and sessions.

To reserve your place: Please send an email to confirm your interest and a  check for $150 for critique groups and the full amount for one-day workshops. (Balance due the first session of critique groups ) Mail to Jessica Morrell, P.O. Box 820141, Portland, OR 97282-1141. A confirmation e-mail will be sent so please include email address and phone number.

Recommended

Blue appearing overhead pushing away cumulus clouds. Yesterday I finished reading Let The Great World Spin by Colum McCann. In case you're down on life, on love, on writing, on humanity--this is the book to read. It's simply luminous and it's such a rich, layered tapestry of events and characters all adroitly tied together that it will leave you pondering his techniques long after you finish the story. If you're writing a multiple viewpoint novel, this is a must-read. At the heart of the story is the strange apparition of Philippe Petit, the French acrobat who in 1974 walked on a tightrope strung between the Twin Towers in New York. But the story isn't about the tightrope walker-it's about a wide cast of characters who are introduced along with themes of redemption, loss,  grief, and survival. It's profound and heart-wrenching and lustrous--all the sort of adjectives we'd love applied to our own writing.

“In writing your journal give primary attention to detail, for it is detail which is organized and preserves experiences for your future self or some other reader. General statements like “We had a wonderful time” or “It was a dismal morning” make a mockery of the whole procedure, for they evaluate experience without recreating it. I kept long journals from the ages ten to twenty-two, chronicling events and describing emotional states, but again and again missing the physical immediacy of experience, the tiny hooks by with experience could have been caught and held. I failed to record how we looked, what we saw, the minor eccentricities of circumstance which gave special character to a day. I ignored these elements not only through lack of training but through misplaced priorities: I mistakenly assumed that one could discuss the heart of things without discussing the immediate details of life.” ~ Robert Grudin 

“Thin description leaves the reader feeling bewildered and nearsighted. Overdescription buries him or her in details and images. The trick is to find a happy medium. It’s also important to what to describe and what can be left alone while you get on with your main job, which is telling the story.”

Stephen King, On Writing

Tip: Use direct characterization

When possible in your storytelling  use direct characterization more often than indirect characterization. Direct characterization is when the author or narrator comments directly on the character as in Melissa was a beautiful woman and every man fell for when he met her.  Indirect characterization is when the author or narrator shows a character acting and speaking; paints physical descriptions of the character; reveals the character’s thoughts; or reveals other characters opinions of her.  By using one or more of the indirect characterization methods, the author allows readers to draw their own conclusions. Direct characterization can also be supported by indirect techniques. When Melissa waltzed into the party wearing a low-cut dress the color of Cabernet, the room went silent. In other words, you trust the reader to read between the lines. 

Create a blueprint

            Fiction illuminates the significance of events. But first comes knowing your story because the more you know, the easier it is to write, particularly if you know the ending. One such tool is to create a blueprint for crafting your story or novel. Here are the elements of your blueprint:

Situation:

Story Question:

Protagonist’s Name and Identity:

Protagonist’s Goal or Desire:

Protagonist’s Emotional Need:

Obstacle/Antagonist:

Internal Conflict:

Subplots:

1.

2.

3.

Complications:

1.

2.

3.

Time Span:

Setting:

Resolution:

Make Your Story Sing (and Sell) 

Taught by authors Sage Cohen and Jessica Morrell

The Center for Contemplative Arts, Manzanita, Oregon

October 23, 2010 9:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Cost: $80 

To me the greatest pleasure in writing is not what it's about but about the music the words make. ~ Truman Capote. 

Writers often believe that it takes a knockout plot or idea to see their work in print. Of course, what you say is important; but many writers don’t realize that how you say it matters just as much. The truth is that the beauty of your sentences and strength of your voice can help take a solid piece of writing from the slush pile to publication.

Stories are built of sentences, and sentences are built word by word. An artfully-crafted sentence can bring shivers of recognition in the reader, stir his or her emotions, build or release tension and take the action forward. When words are consciously chosen for impact, you can keep your reader on the edge of his or her seat from start to finish––whether you’re writing a personal essay, a piece of fiction or a how-to article.

Join two inspiring writing teachers and authors for a deep dive into the possibilities of language. Through a mix of writing exercises, inspiring examples, generous handouts and personal instruction, writers of all genres will learn how to make potent language choices that will bring your great ideas to life and increase your odds of publication.

Instructor Bios:

Sage Cohen is the author of Writing the Life Poetic: An Invitation to Read and Write Poetry (Writers Digest Books), The Productive Writer: Tips and Tools for Writing More, Stressing Less and Creating Success (Writer’s Digest Books, forthcoming in December 2010) and the poetry collection Like the Heart, the World. Learn more at sagesaidso.com and writingthelifepoetic.typepad.com. 

Jessica Morrell is the author of Thanks, But This Isn’t For Us, A (Sort of) Compassionate Guide to Why Your Writing is Being Rejected; Bullies, Bastards & Bitches, How to Write the Bad Guys in Fiction; The Writer’s I Ching: Wisdom for the Creative Life, Voices from the Street; Between the Lines: Master The Subtle Elements Of Fiction Writing; and Writing Out the Storm.  

How to Enroll: Space is limited so we suggest you register early. Send a check for $80 to Jessica Morrell, P.O. Box 820141, Portland, OR 87282 Please include your email address and a phone number. A confirmation email will be sent when your check is received along with further instructions. 

What to Bring:  Please bring writing materials, two colored highlighter markers, a two-three paragraph writing sample, and questions about language and craft.

Morning Landscape

In reality the sky in front of me is overcast and half a block away a cement mixer is, well, mixing cement. When it stopped at the corner below my window at 7:14 a.m. (I checked the clock) my heart fell a little. Now I don't mind new buildings in the neighborhood, just the distracting noise it takes to create these buildings, when I would really like my window open as I write. So I started imagining that outside my window there was a much different view, a view that would whisk me away and entice me with exotic scents like wild bergamont and sounds like a call to prayers. And here is what I came up with: 

Keep writing, keep dreaming, have heart