The Role of Music in Writing
Music can inspire you, influence you, and help your mood while writing a piece. Despite your taste in music or writing style, you can use music to create a mood in a scene or a chapter of a novel. Are you writing poetry or a Love affair? Try some romantic music. How about a dangerous scene? Try some fast hard rock. Keep your pen and your feet dancing – and your muse shaking.
Save your Rubbish
How many times have you crumbled that piece of paper and aimed it to the waste basket? How about deleting that file? Hopefully, not that many times. Think twice before deleting or throwing away content that is not passing your approval at a particular moment. Save it. Yes, save that Rubbish! It may not be useful now, but it may become inspirational material for future writings.
We are not in the same emotional wave all the time. Our emotions shift from day-to-day, or moment to moment. What may not appeal to you today, may become useful material later – inspiration for an idea for a story, for a character, an article, or even a poem. Right now, it may seem horrible to you, but it may contain the roots for a good piece.
So before you throw away your rubbish, give it a second chance – in the future.
The man behind the curtain
Yesterday I talked about characters, and how crucial it is to care about your characters – the quality of your writing depends on it. Sometimes, there is a character out there, hiding, that has not come to light yet or has not jump into the story. You know he/she is lurking, but not ready to shine yet.
Other times, that character was planned a way, by you, but he/she refuses to exist that way, and leads you in a different direction. It may come as a surprise to you, and twist to your story.
Ultimately it is up to you to listen to the man (or woman) behind the curtain – you are the writer – but if I was you I would listen carefully.
Getting to know them
Getting to know who? Your characters. Your characters are more than names and descriptions on a page. They move in with you for a while, and they have lives, feelings and situations. You write them, but sometimes, they will surprise you and write themselves.
In an interview with Borders, best-selling author Linda Howard (Ice) said that “it is important to get to know these people and what happens to them.” She added that she pays attention to “whoever shows up in her imagination and starts talking.” She expressed that she doesn’t plan anything – she writes “whatever story appeals to her at whatever moment.”
This is because she is very attuned to her characters and what they are saying and doing, and to the ones that have a small voice, but have not pop in yet. While writing your book or novel, keep your ears and mind open to what your second family has to say. It will only help you with your writing. Care about your characters and they will take care of you.
Character Strength
The story line is important, but characters have to drive it; they have to make it alive, real – the pages have to keep turning. If you have watched the popular TV series 24, you understand what I mean. In the series, the basic premise is pretty much the same – Jack Bauer has to prevent a terrorist attack, which is usually a nuke or bio threat; and a big part of the government is corrupted, making the task almost impossible. This is basically it, but how is it that we want to keep watching, over and over, can’t get enough of 24 and Jack Bauer, or can’t wait for the next season to come? Why is it that this simple story that repeats itself in every season, manages to capture us with such force?
It is because of the characters. The characters in these series are strong, unpredictable, forceful, and full of mystery and deceit. The characters drive the series, and keep us in our seat – watching and wanting more. If you notice, every season new characters appear, old ones die or disappear for a while; sometimes they are brought back. This is how the series is kept fresh, no matter if the story line is almost the same – the terrorist attack and the corrupted government.
No better example than this one to show you how important character strength is in any story. Weak characters make for a boring read.
Being True to Your Writing Style
Your writing style reflects who you are. It is a picture of _____ (your name here), the writer. When you write with heart, with passion, your true style resurfaces. You can try to force someone else’s style in your writing, but ultimately, you will end up writing without heart.
A good example of an author who writes with passion is Kate DiCamillo. Although her books are for children (I happen to love some), the way she writes, appeals to adults too. Her books are magical. In an interview with Borders, she said that her book just shows up, and she knows she has to write it. If you read one of Kate DiCamillo’s stories, you will soon capture her style in the book. It is like she is there, with you, but she really isn’t.
Even that the story is told through the characters, an author’s style permeates the book, maybe because it is the deepest truth that lies within the pages. So, when you write with heart and passion, inevitably, your truth saturates the essence of the story, you become true to your style.
Writing, Just Do It!
Best selling authors agree on this. You can take as many creative writing classes and seminars, read books on writing, but if you don’t do it, your knowledge is just that – knowledge.
There is no minimum or maximum amount of pages to write a day. It is different for everyone, and you should find what works for you. Best selling author Eloisa James, writes 20 pages a day. She says that, “writing is hard work; it is tough.” (interview with Borders). John Grisham from 5-8 + pages a day. I recommend Janet Evanovich’s book: How I Write, Secrets of a Best Selling Author. It is full of information, and real life advice on writing – excellent book for aspiring authors.
One of my favorite quotes, is from best selling author Sherrilyn Kenyon, and has become inspiring to me: “Over, under, around or through, there’s always a way to get where you want to go; you just have to find it.”
We have to find our own way in writing, our own path. Debbie Macomber is one of the greatest inspirations in writing. As told in an interview with Borders, she was dyslexic, and learned to read in the 5th grade. She is a best selling author, and in her own words: “I Loooooove to write.”
Author Claire Cook is another inspiration. She knew all she wanted to do was to write, but it took her 25 years because she was afraid of the big step. Her recommendation to aspiring writers: “Just try it; small steps every day take you there.” (Borders)
And who can say it better than one of my favorite authors – The Donald. In an interview with Borders, for his book Think Big and Kick Ass, he said: “Keep your left up; never ever quit.” – Donald Trump.
So, if you love writing, but are procrastinating, stop now, go pick up your pen, (or mouse), and let it flow; don’t think about it, just do it!
The World(s) in your story
When you are writing a story, immediately, you are confronted with – where is it taking place? Time and place are essential to a story, especially in historical novels. If you are writing about a place in reality, then you have to research its history and what it looks like, and many other details. When you are writing fantasy or just making up the setting, you are free to give range to your imagination. The world or worlds that you create are entirely up to you.
Best selling author Gregory Maguire puts it this way: “Your inventive culture/world should be convincing. Work this world in your mind, even if you do not write all the details in the story.” (Borders interview)
The important issue here is that you have a clear picture of what your world looks like, feels like, and works like. When the vision of your world is clear, the characters will move more freely in it, and their interactions will flow easier. Just because a world is fantasy, it doesn’t mean that it won’t be convincing. The reader will step inside that world, and navigate around it through its characters. If you want your reader to keep visiting that world, and exploring it, it is your job as a writer to make it alive for the reader – to make it convincing. Character creation follow the same rules, your characters should be believable, but where they are interacting should be as well.
Fantasy or reality, the setting of your story will capture the reader or turn him/her away.
“The characters will take a life of their own; they will lead you, but you are in control.”
As you get deep into the story, each character will start interacting with you in its own way. Sometimes, a character will refuse to do what you want them to do, and will suggest other ways. It is up to you to listen to that character, feel what he/she is feeling, get a better understanding of where he/she is coming from. Sometimes, characters will surprise you, they will step forward in the story, or they will stay back. Sometimes, characters will help you in a story dilemma; you might be stuck with an issue, and suddenly, a character jumps out with the appropriate answer. So, listen to your characters, talk to them. However, you are still in control of the story. You choose to accept or refuse their input, and you certainly have the last written word.
Inkspeare 