Tools for Your Toolbox

As fiction or screenwriters, it's our responsibility to make sure our readers enjoy the absolute best experience possible when they take time out of their lives (and in many cases, spend money$$) partaking of our imaginative cuisine. In the end, it's all about the audience, if not, why publish, or seek to have your work put up on the screen? As a writer, nothing moves me more than when a reader enjoys my work (I had one reader who actually called in sick to finish one of my novels).

The first drafts of whatever I write are for me. I insert my voice liberally, and I don't pay much attention to anything except the story. It doesn't matter if there are no typos or grammatical errors, if the story is boring and makes little sense. So let go, and tell the story to your heart's content. This is when the story is all about you. (Personally, at this point, I don't even spell check. I'm much too caught up in the characters and what's happening.) And whatever you do, don't look back. Resist the temptation to rewrite as you write. It's the kiss of death and you may never finish. Get the entire story out of you. The sense of satisfaction you get from having it all out will clear your head for the rewrite.

After you've finished your first draft, put it away for a month or two and move on to something else. This will give you the needed distance from the work, so that when you return to it, you'll have an easier time catching those things that need your attention.

A great writer once said, "There's no such thing as great writing, only great rewriting." And oh how they are dead on target! I consider my first drafts "mounds of clay" that I will take and mold into a sculptured work of art for many to enjoy. I carefully chip away at those things that don't belong, will slow the story down, or just don't make sense. All the while keeping one crucial variable in mind. The audience. Not that I believe you can write something that will appeal to everyone. You can't. But you can make sure that the writing is as good as you can make it. You can use tools and techniques to ratchet up the tension, make comedic scenes funnier, and love scenes more intense. This is when you show mastery of the craft. Using your skills to make a good work, great.

There are a few tools that I use when I write that I'd like to share with you, as they have helped me immensly. First, let me say that nothing is more important than making the time to read and write everyday. I listen to writer's b.s. all the time about how they can't find the time to write, let alone read. Here's an idea that worked for me. Less sleep! I changed my sleepy time and got up at 3:00am. It was hard at first, now, I wake up at that time automatically. If you really want to write for a living, then make sacrifices. There's no other way. If this is just a hobby for you, well, keep complaining. We're not listening anyway.

There are a few books that really helped me get started. The set that really set me free is called Elements of Fiction Writing, published by Writer's Digest Books. There are ten books in the series, and they are better than any class or workshop you'll ever take. They are as follows:

1. PLOT by Ansen Dibell

2. SCENE AND STRUCTURE by Jack M. Bickham

3. CONFLICT, ACTION, AND SUSPENSE by William Noble

4. DESCRIPTION by Monica Wood

5. BEGINNINGS, MIDDLES, AND ENDS by Nancy Kress

6. CHARACTERS & VIEWPOINT by Orson Scott Card

7. VOICE & STYLE by Johnny Payne

8. DIALOUGE by Lewis Turco

9. SETTING by Jack M. Bickham

10. MANUSCRIPT SUBMISSONS by Scott Edelstein

I've listed the books in order of importance to me. It may be different for you. I can say that if you really apply yourself, you'll save thousands of dollars foregoing writing schools and workshops. Not that those are bad ways to go, but it's money that will be better spent on printing, cover design, marketing, etc. I've referred this series to quite a few writers, and have noticed a pattern. Those who have used the books, finished whatever they were working on. Those who haven't are still struggling. You do the math. (Discipline people! Discipline!)

The book that helped me the most is SCENE AND STRUCTURE. Some writers resist the concept of structure as though if you employ it, it's more paint by numbers than true writing. Again, I've noticed a pattern. Those who believe such misguided hogwash, don't seem to finish. And the one's who finally do complete their work, eventually figure out that their story won't hold together unless they employ some type of order. (So, what's it gonna be, the easy way, or that long dirt road. Hey, maybe you like dirt.) Please note: Structure and stroy technique don't inhibit, they set you free to create without worrying about whether or not there's progression and order in the story. You know. Forward movement that holds together.

Next, is Stephen King's book, ON WRITING. It's an autobiographical account of how he became a writer, and it's very fascinating. I suggest you buy the CD's. He reads the book himself, so it's like he's talking directly to you. You'll find that his struggles are the same one's you face today. (Stephen doesn't believe in structure, but when you read his work, there it is. Orderly progression. It's ingrained in him. Lucky bastard! He also believes either you have it or you don't. That writers are not made. Don't fret. Most prodigies think this way. They're geniuses. So they're also a little nuts.)

Finally, You're not really a writer if don't have a copy of Robert McKee's STORY. It's written for screenwriters, but don't let that fool you. His insight into storytelling and character is astounding. I re-read it, and the Elements of Fiction Writing every time I start something new, and find a new tidbit I missed before.

The bottom line? There are many ways to tell your story. These are just a few suggestions that worked for me. What you can't get away from, is writing, and reading. I can always tell when a writer is not a big reader. Their stories are shallow, their characters flat. Hey, if you don't like to read, why are you writing fiction? It's like a screenwriter who doesn't watch movies. It's sick.

Anyway, whatever you do, keep swinging. You'll hit something eventually. And remember, you're not alone.