My Tips For Showing In My Writing

Whoops! Sorry, didn't quite get this in last week.  In all fairness I did start a lengthy post about showing instead of telling.  I think it's fairly easy to notice when you have a sample of one writing which "tells" versus a sample which "shows".  I think we can also agree that a lot of writing combines aspects of both showing and telling.  In essence they key is to know when to show instead of tell, in addition to be able to determine what "showing" will look like for your story.  Here are a few things that I'm using to try and help me deal with this aspect of writing:

1) If I can't think of a way to "show", I change my POV (point of view, sorry)
I either write it from the perspective of a completely different character, or change the actual POV to first    person, etc.  Even if this is only a temporary change, it has been well worth it in the end.

2) Vocabulary.  Let's face it, there is only so much one can do with "rippling muscles".  Those are the kinds of "cliches" that I want to avoid.  Use an odd comparison suitable to the tone, or look up a completely different word.  Variety adds spice.

3)  Try mildly mimicking some of the actions if you're having trouble and notice a few things, how your muscles feel when you clench your hand into a fist, how the tendons in your wrist stand out out.  Make a mental or regular note about that so you can include it in your writing.  (Note:  this does not mean you should grab a sword and jump into the street trying to engage in combat) Sure I may look like an idiot now and then, but it's no different than any other day really! :)

4) We take a lot for granted. As writers, it is up to us to make things "new" again.  The feeling of first love, unrequited love, anger.  Even just the wonder of waking up to a day that is so incredibly sunny you can't help but smile.  Maybe the way you stand almost on tiptoe when you stretch in the mornings. It's writing "alive".

Here's my new philosophy on the subject:  if we can feel our writing, and there is a sense that it lives and breathes on its own, then we've done a good job. Does that even make sense or is that just a horror story waiting to happen?  Eaten alive by my own manuscript...

Tell me what you think!  Agree?  Disagree?  Have an idea I left out (there should be lots)?

I'd love to hear from you!

"What If" Ponderings

What if the world as we know it, does not exist?  We might automatically think, The Matrix.  I, however, am not really thinking along those lines.

It's All About Living

I am hardly ever bored.  It is just that sometimes, I don't know what I want to do.  I have a virtual pile of things that I am able to do and enjoy quite a bit.  I can't always paint, however, or draw.  I love to crochet, but sometimes that gets old as well (still in the learning process). I can't always watch movies, or even write.

Do you ever feel as though you have to do something, anything to zap the synapses in your brain or you'll spontaneously combust? People are going to call me a mad woman, I swear.  There are days where I know  I should be running through fields of grass, waving my arms in the air hollering with joy. When I don't get to do that, the pressure builds up and it is difficult to turn my energy and whims to something entirely different.  Like sitting still and writing.  That doesn't work well and it makes me feel trapped. Ever feel trapped? Maybe it's just me, but I like to think that writers need their freedom and wide-open spaces.  Things are different for "us writers".  Fine, that's probably everyone at least once in a while.

I have to confess that there are times when I look around at everyone, plodding through their lives.  It seems as though they are content to do the same things day after day with the occasional visit with friends thrown in.  Perhaps it's all about the camping with friends.  That must be what is different, because I feel like I'm going to crawl out of my skin one of these days.  I'm not going to be able to do the same thing for 20 years and never learn, never pursue something different.  I'll go brain-dead.  So right now, I'm cramming my head with all manners of hobbies and knowledge.  It's a challenge and I love it.  I feel vibrant and alive.  It's something I feel down to the tips of my toes and it's a vibration that hums through me telling me that this is how life is supposed to be.  Pursue those dreams, ignore the haters and the naysayers.  When someone says you can't accomplish your goals...just smile, hold your head up high and tell them, "Watch me!".

We were made for so much more than a pale existence lying in the arms of a corporation.

Yay! My Review of Alison Goodmans novel, "Eon"

Finally!  My long-awaited review of the book Eon, by Alison Goodman.

Multitasking in Writing

Not sure if multitasking is the greatest thing for a writer to do, it is like self-inflicted ADD.

Random Thoughts from The Ninjawriter

There has been a lot going on lately so I apologize for the lack of posts.  I recently purchased a new camera and will be testing it out and looking for good shots to post on my blog.  It is so interesting what can end up being inspirational.  Hopefully, I will get some great shots. At the very least I'm hoping to update my profile a little bit.

No sage advice today, I am just keeping my eyes open for bits of inspiration that fire up my brain cells. It is one of those quiet, reflective days or maybe I just need to drink more of my cherry Amp. That is probably more the case.  Sorry that this is so unexciting.  I am really excited about my camera.  It will be the first really nice camera I have had.  Last night when I was trying it out, I discovered that it automatically takes pictures when it "sees" that the subject is smiling.  That is pretty much full of awesome in my book! Okay, I'm going to go and read the camera manual.

Happy Ninjawriting Everyone!

Back to Writing, Randomness and The Chronicles of Jane Windall

~GASP~

Oh no! I have left you poor souls in the lurch for a number of days without random writing or ranting craziness! I apologize and sincerely hope no one has been ill-effected by this turn of events. I had my computer in for repair. Nothing serious, no need to panic. The protective plastic coating on the bottom was coming off. and I must say that there is a certain feeling of incompleteness when one’s laptop is missing. I found it more difficult to write on my desktop. Terrible excuse, I know.

My laptop is back though, and in the meantime I was working on an additional installment of a free online story which I have decided to call The Chronicles of Jane Windall. I posted a little bit about what I want to do in a previous blog post: http://camikahayes.blogspot.com/2012/07/writing-decisions.html

The idea is to use our wonderful internet as a means to help improve my writing on a consistent basis, while also offering anyone who has a few moments to waste, the opportunity to read free content.  This stems from a time when periodicals included short stories, or a long story broken into intervals.  Readers were able to follow a story a little at a time until its conclusion and I thought it sad that this trend fell by the wayside.  I know there are fanfiction sites, and other writing sites but I don’t feel that it is quite the same. The first section of The Chronicles of Jane Windall is not great, was just a writing exercise for like 15 mins and unedited.  Bad idea.  Second section is hopefully better.  If you want you can check it out here:

http://crampedwriting.wordpress.com/storystuff/

Also, I had a slight epiphany yesterday having to do with writer’s grief. I figured out I was grieving for a manuscript which turned out quite different from what I originally had envisioned.  I literally could not jump into the editing process and finally realized I had needed time to grieve for what I knew would never be.  The story still has potential, but my characters sent it in a completely different (albeit, better) direction. Aside from my epiphany though, I will list my other accomplishments of the week:

1)    Sliced the tip of my finger on an aluminum foil cutting edge (that serrated thingy)

2)    Wore my coffee to work

3)    Barely made it home when my car died in the middle of a turn

4)    Finished my 2^nd installment in The Chronicles of Jane Windall (sorry, redundant but I’m proud of finishing another section)

5)    Hit myself in the eye with a clothes hanger (don’t ask)

6)    Had an epiphany about writer’s grief (also redundant but I have to put a couple good things on here)

7)    Got my laptop repaired

8)    Got an unexpected day off, and not in a “don’t come back again” way either, which was very cool

9)    Wrecked my challenge by forgetting to freewrite yesterday (The Chronicles of Jane Windall could count for that though, right?)

As you can see, it has been an absolutely riveting week! Still not done with the books I am reading, so I guess it will be a while before I’ll be able to do a review.  In the meantime if you want to read about my epiphany regarding my writer’s grief you can read my post:

http://crampedwriting.wordpress.com/2012/07/28/grief-chronicles-of-jane-windall-and-other-such-coolness/

< pic of my manuscript in its box 

Happy Ninjawriting!