Karinwritesdangerously

These I’ve Loved

These I’ve loved since I was little:
Wood to build with or to whittle,
Wind in the grass and falling rain,
First leaves along an April lane,
Yellow flowers, cloudy weather,
River-bottom smell, old leather,
Fields newly ploughed, young corn
in rows,
Back-country roads and cawing crows,
Stone walls with stiles going over,
Daisies, Queen Anne’s lace, and clover,
Night tunes of crickets, frog songs, too,
Starched cotton cloth, the color blue,
Bells that ring from white church steeple,
Friendly dogs and friendly people.

Elizabeth-Ellen Long

“The best advice for a budding writer is to ignore all advice.”

“A book, if it’s going to have any chance of succeeding…it’s got to be vibrant, and alive, it’s got to have a beating heart, it’s got to be organic. The only way you can get that is to have one mind working on it, which is yours.” Lee Child

With more than 60 million copies available in 60 languages and 96 countries, Lee knows how to spin a yarn — and how to create a hero with enduring appeal. Here’s how he once described Jack Reacher in an interview: “He’s also the descendant of a very ancient tradition: the noble loner, the knight errant, the mysterious stranger, who has shown up in stories forever… He is a truly universal character. I think I lucked into a very fortunate position, where I’m writing the modern iteration of a character who has existed for thousands of years.”

At a talk called “Tell, Don’t Show: Why Writing Rules are Mostly Wrong,” Child offered his views on how to keep readers reading:

Forget ‘Show, Don’t Tell’: Writers are storytellers — and that’s what readers depend on us to do; they don’t care about telling or showing, they just want to be carried through a book. “There is nothing wrong with just telling the story,” “So liberate yourself from that rule.”

Ask a question: According to Child, as human beings, we are hardwired to want the answers to questions. “The way to write a thriller is to ask a question a the beginning, and answer it at the end….For me the end of a book is just as exciting as it is for a reader.” When he writes a thriller, Child doesn’t know the answer to the question it poses. He just takes it scene by scene, throwing in different obstacles as he figures out the answer along with his readers. 

Just write: Ultimately, Child says, all the writing rules people offer make crafting a book more complicated than it needs to be — and they can get in the way of reaching your readers: “My method is just to start on page one and keep going…” Write on, Lee!

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Advertising. Bloodstained. Cold-blooded. Fashionable. Hobnob. Moonbeam. New-fangled. Puking. Swagger. Worthless. Zany.
Words coined by Shakespeare

It’s been more than 450 years since Shakespeare put pen to paper. His birthday is traditionally celebrated on April 23rd. In his honor, let’s ponder this little-known, but amazing, fact: The Bard is said to have invented between 1,700 and 3,000 words. No wonder he didn’t need a dictionary — he practically invented it!

Will’s not alone in the word-coining universe: George R.R. Martin, author of the incredibly popular Game of Throne series invented a whole language called Dothraki. In Dothraki, for example, “small clothes” translates into “underwear.” Bet you didn’t know that! See how much you learn reading KWD?

But I digress. Back to The Bard of Avon. Surely, our boy Will must have had tons of fun dreaming up all his freshly minted words and word combos. Just in case you want to do the same, here’s an overview of five of Wily Will’s tricky wordsmithing techniques:*

Verbing (changing nouns into verbs): When Cleopatra said, “I’ll unhair thy head!” she was verbing. When we say, parenting, shoulder the blame or table that motion, so are we.

Adjectivizing (think I just invented a new word!) — transforming verbs into adjectives. Example: After you filter water, it turns into filtered water. Barefaced, blushing and gloomy are all adjectives coined by Shakespeare.

Combining words: Clever new word combinations crop up in the media all the time and making these up has to be a blast. A few examples: Youniverse, Brangelina, tween, and authorpreneur. A variation, dubbed “portmanteaus,” refers to words that blend the sounds and meanings of two words. Blog, for example, is a shortened version of weblog (website plus log). A few more: jeggings (jeans plus leggings), screenager, and a personal favorite coined by Alex when he was four: freelax as in, “Just freelax, Mom!”

Agglutination: Whoa! Someone needs to invent a better word for this process – adding prefixes and suffixes. This results in words like: declutter and commoditize. A few gems from Shakespeare: discontent; invulnerable, metapmorphize.

Cold-blooded coining: Some words just spring from nowhere. A few Shakespeare conjured up one morning or afternoon when he was tired of writing Hamlet: addiction, lonely, and manager. Who knew?

Any words you or a friend have invented? I love to hear about them! Now that I’ve stoked your creative fires, let’s all write on!

* Kudos for an online story by Demian Farnworth called “Shakespeare’s 5 Rules for Making Up Words (to Get Attention)” from which I blushingly purloined these fashionable techniques and many of the zany examples.

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Flowers, green grass, Spring sunshine bursting with Vitamin D. With all this surrounding us, sometimes it’s hard to focus on writing. And with the days getting longer and longer, I don’t know about you, but adjusting my internal time clock has been challenging. For help in revving up, I turned to my trusty stack of Woman’s World magazines to find some easy energy boosters for us all:

Eat your oatmeal: Besides being low-cal and fiber-rich, oatmeal is a great source of B6, which activates the feel-good hormone, serotonin. You can get an even bigger boost by adding nuts and berries. And here’s another trick I’ve learned: If you’re like me and enjoy having a morning smoothie for breakfast, try adding a quarter-cup of dry oatmeal to it for some slow-burning protein.

Snack on sunflower seeds: If you’re prone to midmorning or afternoon slumps, you might be tempted to grab an energy bar or a snack that’s high in sugar. A better bet: munch on sunflower seeds. They’re rich in magnesium, which fights fatigue. Other magnesium-rich foods you can snack on for quick energy: pumpkin seeds, avocados, spinach, almonds, peanuts and cashews. Another slump-buster: combine a protein and complex carb like whole-grain crackers and cheese or peanut butter. This combo can give you an energy boost that lasts for hours.

Catch up on C: One in three Americans suffer from low levels of vitamin C according to experts. Since this vitamin helps cells convert food into energy, a shortfall can lead to fatigue. Eating a serving of citrus or taking 500 mg. of C daily can boost your energy in just three weeks. Other sources of C: tomatoes, broccoli, peppers, and leafy vegetables.

Snag a snooze: There’s loads of evidence that taking a short nap in the afternoon can recharge your battery. One study found that astronauts who took a 40-minute nap improved their performance by almost 35% and their alertness by 100%. So if you work at home, you might try this easy and enjoyable energizer. 

If you have any energy boosters that work for you, I’d love to share them. Write on! 

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As writers, we all know that words matter. And when it comes to our own inner dialogue and self-talk, we can all use a boost. A can-do attitude is a powerful asset we can bring to the page. So here’s some advice from a sports expert we can tailor to our own needs:

“Athletes can use positive self-talk to combat the negative effects of negative self-talk,” according to Patrick Hammond, a coach specializing in performance psychology. “Such encouragement can come from both internal and external sources.”

Hammond suggests pinpointing exactly what motivates you, so that the self-talk messages you give yourself are primed to pack plenty of punch and feel familiar. He also notes that “trigger words” can be especially effective in bolstering positive thinking during tough moments. As he put it, “Trigger words allow coaches, fans, and the athletes themselves to communicate clear messages and trigger positive self-talk.” For maximum impact, these phrases should be short and sweet.

“Trigger words” and phrases are a tool I use all the time: They often give me a shot of energy during my writing sessions and help me when I hit a rough patch. Just to give you the idea, here are a few phrases I find helpful when I’m writing:

My words flow like honey.
A relaxed mind is a creative mind.
Ideas come to me.
Now I’m going to concentrate as hard as I can.
I have everything I need.
I have a passion for completion.
Onward, with velocity!

Feel free to experiment with any or all of these phrases and see if they work for you. Whenever I find a motivating phrase I like, I jot it down on a colored index card. I have a stack of these and sometimes thumb through them and pick out one that appeals to me in the moment. How about you? Are there “trigger” words or phrases that you find inspire your writing and help you keep going? I’d love to hear them! Write on!

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“A single dream is more powerful than a thousand realities.”

“It’s the job that’s never started that takes the longest to finish.”

“A pen is to me as a beak is to a hen.”

“Not all those who wander are lost.”
JRR Tolkein

“Not all those who wander are lost” — what an inspiring and consoling thought from that master wordsmith, JRR Tolkein! We’ve all been there: things seem to perk along and suddenly, thump! crash! crunch! thud! Everything tumbles to the ground in a muddle. 

When this happens, it’s helpful to remember that you are not lost, but wandering — you are finding your way, only it may not be exactly the way that you expected or envisioned. I’ve done my share of wandering in the forest of words and here are a few things I’ve learned that may be helpful if you find yourself in a similar situation:

Wandering isn’t a waste: When you find that you’ve somehow fallen off the path you were on, you first reaction may be to panic and feel that you are losing momentum. But consider this: the path you were on may have been a hidebound, limited one that couldn’t supply you with what you need to discover to make your work better, truer, deeper. So don’t freeze, “freelax” as Alex used to say. Trust that something new and exciting awaits you.

Wandering can be refreshing: Sometimes, we can become almost mechanical in the way we approach a project we happen to be in when things start to fall apart. This can be a sign that we aren’t bringing as much creativity as we’re capable of to the job at hand. Being forced to halt our forward march may be showing us that we are putting too much head and not enough heart into what we’re writing. 

Wandering can be wonderful: If we can let go of the fear factor and jump into the mud puddle instead of stepping over it, we can rediscover the fun and sense of wonder that make wordsmithing such a joy. So don’t be afraid to dive in and get messy — and write on!

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Viewing the Waterfall at Mount Lu

Sunlight streaming on Incense Stone kindles violet smoke;

far off I watch the waterfall plunge to the long river,

flying waters descending straight three thousand feet,

til I think the Milky Way has tumbled from the

ninth height of Heaven.

—Li Po

« There’s nothing that leads to more wasteful expenditure of the creative energy than to depend on the verdict of others. » Thornton Wilder

Today, April 17, is the birthday of the amazing author Thornton Wilder; he was born in 1897. He is the only writer to win Pulitzers for both fiction and drama. He won three of them—for his novel, The Bridge of San Luis Rey, and for his plays, Our Town and The Skin of Our Teeth.

Here, I’ve gathered some telling comments from his collected letters. I hope you’ll mine them for the gold they may offer you!

On the mystery of the creative process:

“I distrust bringing upward to the conscious analytical level, in myself (in relation to my own works) the various processes and influences which enter my novels and plays. I have always assumed that every artist is a tireless critic–a selector, a rejector, a discriminator–but that those operations take place–as it were–“in the dark.” The practice of writing seems to me to be the gradual acquisition of ever increased experience, in the organization of such thought and material—an experience which frees him from the consciousness of “fabrication” and opens his mind more and more to the appearance of spontaneous and ‘lyric’ expression.

 “Hence, I do not look back on my works: do not re-read them. I even become ill at ease when I recall them. “Forward!” “Let’s make another.”

On where “good ideas” come from:

“You are still haunted by some notion that each good idea is a haphazard descent form the skies–yes, it is also that–but in addition to gratitude to the skies one has the legitimate expectation that all the dedicated work of one’s previous years are also there as support and incitement. This is the popular misunderstanding of the word ‘inspiration’: all work is breath from without, but it is also the reward of being ready–for years–for hundreds of previous inbreathings.”

On “failures” on the public front:

“I was contracted to A and C. Bond for a second novel: They almost turned it down because they felt it was written ‘for a small over-cultivated circle of readers,’ i.e., The Bridge of San Luis Rey.

“On tryout the manager cancelled the second week in Boston because the reviews were so bad. Our Town.

“The Lunts ‘liked’ Skin of Our Teeth but would not consider playing it because it was so defeatist. It reached New York and never was there a play ‘where so many people walked out at the end of the first act’

Merchant of Yonkers failed in New York–with not more than 100 words altered in it ran three years as The Matchmaker. Edinburgh–London–New York–to Los Angeles….

“There’s nothing that leads to more wasteful expenditure of the creative energy than to depend on the verdict of others.”

As Gertrude Stein said, …”the business of life is to create a solitude that is not a loneliness.’ 

Don’t you love it—what came to be Thornton Wilder’s biggest successes were panned by both critics and audiences. How right he is—it’s a waste of creative energy to “depend on the verdict of others.” So let’s march to the beat of our own drummers as we all write on!

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« A room without books is like a body without a soul. » Cicero

« The instruction we find in books is like fire. We fetch it from our neighbors, kindle it at home, communicate it to others, and it becomes the property of all.” Voltaire

Bravo, Cicero! Well said, Voltaire! I’ve taken their words to heart—just about every room in my house is awash in books. My beloved sister Judy once said to me, “Karin, you think you can find everything in a book.” In a way, she was right: When I see the world through others’ eyes and hearts, I learn about my own life and how I want to live it. 

Books not only nourish heart and soul. As Voltaire pointed out, the instruction they give us is “like fire,” which we kindle in ourselves and then pass on. That’s how I think of my set of writing guides perched on a shelf outside my office, which I dip into for inspiration.

And classic stories I’ve turned to for help in crafting my children’s novel have taught me something valuable that I’ve used to enrich my story and make my characters come alive. 

Pride and Prejudice by the peerless Jane Austen gave me a master class in plot development: After analyzing it, I revamped my novel’s structure. Anne of Green Gables helped me discover the qualities that make for an appealing young heroine. Then there’s one of my all-time favorites, The Secret Garden. Reading this 100+ year old classic several times taught me to trust my own intuition in believing that lyrical language can be a powerful world-building tool.

How about you? As you craft your short story, novel, film or play, are there authors who’ve taught you valuable writing lessons? If so, I’d love to hear about books have fired your imagination as we all write on!

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“Spring is the time for plans and projects.” Leo Tolstoy

“It is only the farmer who faithfully plants seeds in the spring, who reaps
a harvest in the autumn.” B. C. Forbes

Robins in the grass. Buds on the trees. Crocuses by the walk. Spring is here! I’ve just put away my winter coat and boots. How about you? 

Speaking of springtime and new beginnings, tips on freshening up our writing arrived in my email box a while ago and brought a smile to my face, so I’m passing on a few ideas you might find inspiring:

Inventory your ongoing projects and organize your computer files: I don’t know about you, but I have lots of unfinished projects floating around my computer: My desktop is looking pretty cluttered. Think it’s time to do a little digital dust-off and see what’s what. It might not be a bad idea to also organize my computer files for easier access. 

Plant some submission seeds: After reviewing your pending projects, you may find a couple that you can move from “stalled” to “submitted” with a bit of fine-tuning. There’s nothing like having a few stories or poems out and about to make you feel like you’re making progress.

Break free of your comfort zone: Spring is all about energy, growth, shaking things up. Learning something new by taking a class can give you a fresh outlook. Whether it focuses on writing, exercising, or pottery making, it can be energizing, physically and mentally. Who knows where it might take you?

“Freshen up the season with new ideas. Sure, you spend time on your works in progress. But what about generating new projects? Why not spend some creative time on new stories, poems, and books? Who knows what seed you can sow that may bear rich fruit!

Let’s bloom where we are planted — and write on!

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