Writing Risky and Relevant Topics (and why you should, even in your non-modern settings)

Genocide? Substance abuse? Racism? Addiction? Mental illness? Yep! They're all here, in my very own medieval fantasy novel.

"WAIT," you're probably saying out loud to your empty bedroom. "SUBSTANCE ABUSE AND MENTAL ILLNESS AND ADDICTION IN A MEDIEVAL FANTASY NOVEL??? IMPOSSIBLE!!! AND WHY???" That is a questions I have come to answer.

(Note: When I say "your story's theme", I am referring to the main point your novel is trying to get across. You know, like, "Love conquers all" or "Best friends are forever" or whatever. If you don't know your story's theme, that's okay. I don't know any of my stories' themes either.)



WHY YOU SHOULD INCLUDE RISKY TOPICS IN ALL (OR YOU KNOW, SOME) OF YOUR WRITING

So you may have noticed that some fantasy, sci-fi, historic-based, or what-have-you novels can sometimes be difficult to relate to. I think this is because of the lack of relevant themes within them. The setting is obviously alien, and sometimes the characters can be vastly different from the modern ideal, which makes it difficult for the reader to connect to the story. How does the author fix this problem?

The truth is that topics labeled "risky" (or just difficult to write), like racism, substance abuse, mental illness, and even gender and sexuality, are extremely relevant to today's readers. It's something that most people recognize and spend a lot of thought on--and some even relate to the issues brought up by these themes. Here's my case: topics like these have a place in EVERY genre of writing, not just modern or contemporary.

Imagine a young prince addicted to dark magic. He tried to get away from this power before, but in an attempt to heal his dying dragon, he was forced to come in contact with dark magic again. Just one touch threw him into withdrawals, and his addiction rose to the surface as he slipped further and further into dark magic's grips. Tada; you were just exposed to substance abuse and addiction in a medieval fantasy! (That may or may not have occurred in my novel The Cycle of Time, so don't steal my ideas.)

But why bother? What's the gain in including topics like these in your writing? And what will readers potentially learn from you writing about stuff like this?




BENEFITS: READER CONNECTION

By writing about risky, relevant, or controversial topics, you will be allowing your readers a point of access into the very heart of your novel. Risky and controversial topics provide something for your readers to open debates and discussions over, and depending on how you deal with such themes, could lead towards insights on how to resolve, accept, or deal with issues like addiction, racism, mental illness, etc. Writing about risky topics could also shed light on the topic itself, with the right viewpoint, and perhaps move a reader to do something to change either his own opinions/ideas or attempt to change someone else's opinions/ideas.

Depending on how you deal with your topic of choice (wether negatively, positively, or just neutrally), you will provide your reader with a point of view on the issue at hand. She will either learn how to love or how to hate what you're writing about. Don't be afraid to open up a new point of view on such themes. Maybe racism isn't just against African-American, Arabic, and Asian peoples. Do Europeans, Americans, Canadians, maybe even Peruvians experience it as well? And what about gender roles? What if a man is sensitive, sweet, and tends towards the emotional but is still confident in his masculinity? And what if the mentally ill feel just as deeply as we do? Not just soldiers and war vets get PTSD. And what if the addicted hate what they're addicted to?




BENEFITS: STORY THEME AND SUBJECT SUPPORT

Relevant themes like mental illness, gender roles, and racism provide a backbone for your story's theme. Even if it seems like the topic doesn't fit with your theme at first, you'd be surprised at how you can stretch and mold it to fill the gaps in your subject matter--which will provide you a richer and fuller story. Not only that, but the subject matter brought up by the presence of these risky topics could either support or defy your theme; both are constructive qualities of a good piece of writing.




BENEFITS: CONFLICT & SUBPLOT POSSIBILITIES

Maybe you're one of the (admittedly and regrettably rare) writers who include an Arabic or African-American character in your MC's posse, but none of your charries really acknowledge the character's race or ethnicity. However, imagine having just one--or maybe a few--characters who express racism towards that characters. Imagine the possibilities for conflict and character development that one little tweak would open up! YOU COULD HAVE ENTIRE HUGE FIGHT SCENES BETWEEN A CHARACTER AND HIS RACIST BEST FRIEND ONLY TO HAVE THE ETHNIC CHARACTER STAND UP AND SAY WHO CARES?!?!?! THEN THAT'S A WHOLE LIKE MESSAGE OF STANDING UP FOR YOURSELF, STANDING UP AGAINST RACISM, ETC. RIGHT THERE!!!

OOOORRR imagine having a character who simply likes to smoke, but his girlfriend doesn't like it and tries to get him to stop throughout the book. It could be a trivial and simple little subplot including cutesy scenes where the girlfriend tosses the boyfriend's cigarettes and he goes days without one and gets incredibly grumpy and uptight, but it would still be touching on addiction and, if shed in a negative light, could lightheartedly express the dangers and drawbacks of smoking.

These are tiny tweaks that could very well add that extra oomph to your novel, provide opportunities for character and story development, and offer a way to provide extra insight into your novel's theme.




BUUUUT...

In no way should you change your entire book's theme to fit one of these topics. Whatever message you choose (or your story chooses) for your book is special and entirely yours. What adding risky topics adds is a venue for reader relation, connection, and insight. Some books just don't call for this type of writing, and that's entirely okay. However, keep in mind that in order to say something with your writing, you may have to step out of your comfort zone (heck, look at me, a conservative Christian girl, who has a character who smoked, did drugs, abused alcohol, has tattoos, has a dirty mouth and mind, and is in no way a chaste Catholic boy [you probably know who I'm talkin' about {especially you, Kel. You know.}]). Don't be afraid to try new things; you may find you have something important to say.




AND I INCLUDE THESE IN NON-MODERN SETTINGS HOW...?

Good question, but not one I can explicitly answer. It all depends on your setting. Get creative! See how you can include these topics without compromising parts of your plot. Use a substance native to your fantasy setting to create addiction like I did with black magic, or create your own mental illness based on staying in space too long for your sci-fi. Maybe you created your own races for your setting; good for you! Use that to your advantage and create rifts between ethnicities! It's all up to your sense of creativity now. Go out and show the world what you're made of!




NON-EXTENSIVE LIST OF RISKY/CONTROVERSIAL/RELEVANT TOPICS (FOR INSPIRATION PURPOSES):

• racism
• genocide
• mental illness (autism, downs syndrome, aspergers)
• disease (AIDS, HIV, brain/heart disease, cancer, etc)
• addiction
• substance abuse
• mental abuse
• domestic violence/abuse
• sexuality
• gender roles
• eating disorders
• suicide/self harm
• domestic neglect
• abortion
• religious ideals
• religious oppression
• religion in general really
• gambling
• introversion (can someone please make it a positive/neutral trait and not negative)

Ana has Joined the Twitter

Behold, I have joined the Twitter. Yet another social networking platform has been invaded by my insanity.

But there's just one problem...

I CANT FIND ANYONE ON THERE!!!

Where are you guys?!?!??!

YOU HAVE TO COME FOLLOW ME SO I CAN HAVE FRIENDS!!!

My username is @anacrossbooks so come find me so I can find all you lovely peoples. Follow backs are promised, I just want some more awesome people I can follow. :)

I promise a real post will come very very soon. Until then...

SIANARA, SHADOW THE HEDGEHOG.

How to be a Writer

So we all know that there are many many different archetypes for writers. There is, of course, the elderly scholar, the hipster, the coffeeholic, the lazy man, the passionate grammar robot, and many more. Today (for utter lack of researching for good topic abilities due to my computer being a potato [see last post since my phone apparently can't link text]) we will be examining as a whole what exactly it takes to be a writer.

1. Drink Coffee

This is an absolute must if you are truly going to be a writer. Coffee is the soul food of book nerds everywhere. Food? Drink? Soul drink? Whatever, you know what I mean. Either way, the need for caffeine is real and dangerous.

On a side note: do not get inbetween a writer and his coffee. Ever.

2. Read a lot of random (and often bad) fiction.

You simply cannot skip this step. The writer feeds off the writing of others. It spurs those necessary explosions of inspiration that writers work off of. It's just necessary.

Not only that, but reading a lot helps improve your writing and style too. As a writer, reading is an act of imbibing information. Whether you're taking notes on word usage, praising sentence rhythms, or simply busy being horrified at a lack of character development, you're learning how to better your own writing. So, basically, reading is like teaching yourself how to write.

3. Watch Netflix a lot

Writers watch Netflix a lot. Because it helps us come up with cool scene ideas and stuff. Not because procrastination. Never. Writers never procrastinate.

4. Procrastinate

A writer's number one hobby is procrastination. Writers procrastinate more than any other type of person on the planet. Why? Well, trying to plumb the depths of human condition is a daunting job and some of us are a little overwhelmed by it.

5. Murder frequently

Murder is inevitable as a writer. If you don't murder someone (fictional or non) at some point during your writing process then surely you are doing something wrong.

6. Text friends freaky facts during the www hours of the morning

This is just one of the many downfalls of being a writer.

7. Crying over old writing

8. Crying over new writing

9. Crying over thinking about writing

10. Actually hating writing

The sad truth is most writers actually hate writing. We just have an innate inability to not write.

And last but not least:

6. Never actually writing ever

The number one popular mistake people make when referring to writers is that they actually write. Wrong! Writers are notorious for their complete lack of actual writing. The number of writers who don't write far outweigh the number of writers who do. It is a sad fact of life. There is no escaping this.

So, do you too do these things? Well then, my friend, you may actually be a writer! Don't be afraid to tell your parents; I'm sure they will accept you for who you are. :)))))))))))

Writer's Block: Fear of Failure

Today, since I have done nothing but write essays, I present to you an essay about Writer's Block So, behold. Enjoy. Ignore documentation. It's necessary.

(Also ignore bit CITATION things. That's me being too lazy right now to figure out how to document websites with no author and no page number.)

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

I banged my head on my desk and groaned. It was midnight on a school night, and here I was, sitting alone, my workspace illuminated only by a silver desk lamp hovering over my laptop. A blank document blared white light on my face on my laptop screen, where I had just left an sentenced unfinished. A verb dangled like a rock climber without equipment, threatening to fall into the blank emptiness below if I didn’t block its exit with a period. What on earth did I think I was doing?  Did I actually think I could finish this novel before my eighteenth birthday? Sure, I was seven years into it, but I had over four hundred pages typed and I was far from finishing.

I’ve had writer’s block for nearly a year…and I’m not talking about the writer’s block some authors (including myself) have claimed when they’re really just lazy. I’m talking about full-on, physically painful writer’s block that begins to make you wonder if you’re really a writer at all. Writer’s block is defined as “a psychological inhibition preventing a writer from proceeding with a piece” (Merriam-Webster). All who have done any sort of writing—essays, emails, letters, stories, poems—have suffered from it. Some, like best-selling author Tom Clancy, claim writer’s block is “pure laziness,” because he can finish a novel in a year and a half and only get writer’s block for “11 minutes” (qtd. in Hiaasen 3E). For some, this may be true. For others, though, writer’s block is a much more real threat.

Writer’s block can be caused by an array of different things. Loss of interest in a piece is one of the main problems, in which there is only one solution: Write something else. When you are interested and excited about writing something, however, and freeze up whenever you sit down to actually write it, something besides laziness or disinterest is at work. Art correspondent for the South Florida Sun, Rob Hiassan, diagnoses writer’s block as such:

“Fear — that’s the rub. Writers often fear their writing isn’t any good. Writers are fearful that others won’t like their work. They fear their best work is behind them, waving at them in the rearview mirror and laughing. Behind the scenes of great literature have been writers battling great periods of creative dormancy. William Shakespeare suffered ‘the utter pain of blank . . .’” (3E).

Seems legitimate, right? I came to realize this painful truth while writing the end of my first novel. I poured my heart into four hundred pages of prose, and when it came time to tie it all together into one heart-rending conclusion, I was terrified that it wouldn’t live up to my expectations, or that if I didn’t write the absolute perfect ending, my entire novel would dwindle off into mediocrity.

Other fears are sure to cause writer’s block as well. Award-winning thriller writer William Deverell talks about his own experience with fear and writer’s block, explaining, “My fear was, my Can-Litish father would disapprove if I wrote in the genre which I eventually did” (qtd. in Ross C.7). J.K. Rowling, world-renown best-selling author of the hugely popular Harry Potter series, even suffered paralyzing writer’s block, explaining, “I’ve only suffered writer’s block badly once, and that was during the writing of Chamber of Secrets. I had my first burst of publicity about the first book and it paralyzed me. I was scared the second book wouldn’t measure up . . .” (CITATION)

This fear of failure paralyzes writers perhaps worst of all. Dancers can save a flawed performance with just a few perfectly executed moves. In art, nearly anything goes. In writing, a bad work can’t be saved by a few good lines. In writing, everything must be constructed perfectly to represent reasonable thought. Stories must have a sense of believability to them, and characters must be as realistic as possible (and people wonder why writer’s have issues).

Could there possibly be a cure for writer’s block, then? Is there a cure for a crippling fear of failure? Sure there is: Just write. Deverell mentioned his fear of his father disapproving of his writing; he continues the story by saying, “What finally happened was, I got a page out and the dam burst” (qtd. in Ross C.7). Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette, famous french novelist and screenwriter during the late 1800s and early 1900s, claims, “Writing only leads to more writing” (CITATION). In my experience, it’s true; the more you write, the more you want to write. And when you push past the barriers of your fear and throw yourself recklessly into your writing, you are throwing kindling on the spark of your ardor. Passion drives good writing more than anything in the world. Rob Hiaasen writes, “Think harder about a singular passion. This story, too, must be about a passion for one simple thing. The passion for a story.”

Writing Boys and Girls: Conclusion

To conclude my discussion on writing the difference between boys and girls, I came across this infopic on Pinterest. It was EXTREMELY helpful to me, and summed up men's brains extremely well, it seems to me. Read it and be enlightened.

Writing Boys and Girls: What's the Difference?

So this is something I've been thinking about for a week or so, since watching a YouTube video about teenage girls writing guys. I've come to the conclusion that boys and girls are very different. (I know right? Who knew!)

Boys and girls are different. More different than, I think, most young writers (and even some older) realize. And they aren't just different in looks; our entire makeup is almost opposite.

(Disclaimer: This is just my thoughts on the difference between boys and girl's minds. I am no professional, nor do I claim to be. Actually I'm mostly coming up with this as I go along. But I have four brothers so I consider myself kinda knowledgeable on boy brain make-up...but boys, please, correct me if I'm wrong because goodness know we writers who mostly write in boy POV want to know what boys think!)





Boys and Girls: What's the difference?


Minds
Boys and girls's minds are quite different. Boys tend to have one-track minds; in other words, they tend to focus on one thing at a time. Instead of having one hundred tabs open in their brains at once, boys tend to strive to complete one goal after another. For example, I doubt a guy would be thinking about how beautiful his girlfriend is while escaping a burning building.

Girls, on the other hand, often over think things terribly. We could be writing an essay but thinking about whether or not your friend really likes you, and if you made your boyfriend mad by forgetting to text him. We also dramatize situations in our minds; things become much more dire when a girl explains it.

Boy: "Well, you know. This house blew up but we got out of it. No one got hurt."
Girl: "This house just exploded! Oh my word, is anyone hurt? I hope Jack made it out alright! Does anyone see him?"


Conversations
Boys talk differently than girls too. While girls blabber and talk about their feelings and otherwise just talk a lot, guys tend to be more quiet (with, of course, exceptions). But one thing can clearly be stated: guys hate to talk about their feelings. Instead, they like to trade stories about their lives, like how they battled the lion at the zoo, or something along those lines. They also tend to focus on the action instead of the emotions, which should be obvious but easy to forget (for girl writers).

Girls, on the other hand, are emotional creatures. We try to read between the lines and figure out what people are feeling through their tone and their choice of words. Oftentimes, we read far too closely in common conversation and end up confusing ourselves. Girls are also multi-tasking thinkers, while (as I stated before) boys' minds are one-track. So, girls usually tend to branch off into a ton of different little conversations, which we bounce between as we converse.


Emotions
In my experience, boys tend to push their emotions down until they want to deal with them (except maybe anger). It's a societal problem that boys that cry/feel tenderly are "sissy", so boys often do the whole conceal-don't-feel deal. When they do feel, they can beat themselves up about it, or just explode into a fit of feelings, depending on their personality.

Girls are feelers, and cry more easily than boys. They also tend to be more prone to mood swings. I know I can go from happy to overwhelmed in a mere seconds. It's pretty incredible. Oh, that's another thing to note: girls feel overwhelmed easily since their brains have branches on their branches.



Of course, there are exceptions to to all of these traits, in both boys and girls, but generally they all seem to be true. So, I know I have missed about forty thousand things, so please, enlighten me! I've been diddly-daddling with this blog post for weeks trying to get it together...it was tough. So please, help me out! :)



P.S.

And please, people, don't make a boy giggle. For pete's sake, just say chuckle.

Please.

Wrandom Writing Tip #9: Emotional Resonance–How to make your book matter

When you've lost interest in writing your novel, there are a few things that could be wrong. You could just have writer's block. Maybe your book needs to be planned out. But most of the time, we writers get bored and uninterested in our writing because it lacks the emotional punch that keeps us interested.

When was the last time you read a book, watched a movie, or finished a TV show? Do you remember the scene that really got you interested? The puncher that made you physically ill because of the complete horribleness of it? Do you remember what you felt?

Felt. That is the key word. I bet the scene you liked best wasn't the one where Prince Charming was handling a machine gun and mowing down flying monkeys. *SPOILERS OUAT* I bet it was the one where Rumpelstiltskin was put in Pandora's box, after trying so hard to be good and get his family back together. For me, it was the scene where Henry was in Peter Pan's body. With my deluded view of Peter Pan, where he was still just a boy who missed his parents like in the real world, it hurt totes bad to see him hugging everyone like he belonged somewhere. *END SPOILERS* I'm sorry I didn't mean for this to turn into a psychotic discussion on what Peter Pan could have been in Once Upon a Time.

The point is, the scenes that matter the most to us are the ones where emotions are raging, tension is high, and the loss is huge. They make us cry, think, love, and scream in rage, and that's what readers (secretly) want out of books, movies, and TV shows.

Now that doesn't mean go and kill off the people everyone loves (though that does cause pain to readers). Unless you have a good reason to, killing people isn't the only answer. There are plenty of other ways to create emotion in your novel, but loss is one of the biggest and most important.

Feelings of loss can be created in many, many ways. Take something away from the hero, kill off a friend, *SPOILERS OUAT* curse Storybrooke to be cast back to the enchanted forest without Emma and Henry...the list goes on. *END SPOILERS* Loss and loneliness are two of the most powerful emotional tools; everyone–and I mean everyone–has felt these emotions, so readers can relate.

Don't underestimate the power of emotional resonance. Sure, the Evil Queen ripping hearts out is interesting and all, but it only really matters if she's ripping the heart of her loving father out. Get what I mean? Creating emotion in each scene is a great way to start bringing the magic back to your novel.

Now go destroy some orphans and kill someones parents. ;)

Write from the Soul

Too many writers in today's market write for just that—the market. When wizards and magic were the hype back in the Harry Potter days, everyone wrote fantasy books. In the dark days of Twilight, it was all werewolves and vampires (I can still go to the YA section of my library and find nothing but werewolf and vampire books. That was a BIG fad.). Now, the new thing is post-apocalypse and dystopian genres, and I can't even count how many movies and books are following suit. (Think Hunger Games, Divergent, Walking Dead, Falling Skies, Godzilla...). And the rumors are true—if you write for the market, your work has a huge chance of getting published.

BUT, your work will be the forced product of something you may have no interest in.

While it's tempting to write for the market to have a better chance at getting published, writing for the market is just not the answer. The market changes; by the time you finish your vampire novel, pop culture could change to pirates. There's no point in it.

Don't write for the market. Write for you. Write what you want to read, and you'll enjoy it so much more than writing for other people. Sure, keep in mind your audience and readers, but you're the writer, not them. You make the ultimate decision. You're writing the book.

If you're not interested in vampires and werewolves, don't try to write a vampire book. If you're not interested in post-apocalyptic or dystopian genres, don't worry. The market will change, so there's no point in freaking out about publishing your book. Just keep trying.

Don't get caught up in the "write for the market, you'll get published" fad. Write from the soul, write what you want, write until you bleed words, write until you find what you want to say. Then, say it.

Wrandom Writing Tip #8: First Drafts

First drafts! YAY!!!!

Really, this is what you should be saying. First drafts should be the best part of writing a book (besides finishing it of course). Why do we have so many problems doing this simple task of writing until our eyeballs fall out?


First Draft Tremors of Fear
Sometimes, writers freeze. Let's face it. We all have. Dag-nabbit, I certainly do. About EVERY TIME I SIT DOWN TO WRITE. But starting the first draft is most definitely the hardest thing in the world to do.

So don't worry. We all feel that way, hun.

Something about sitting down to write the horrific story of three or more precious, innocent children you have birthed in your brain, to bring them pain and glory and love and loss, to kill their best friend and watch them suffer for their wrongdoings in the midst of Mordor and Hades all put together...something about that simple little task is scary, you know? Just me?

The first thing to know is that the entire world feels this way when starting a book. As far as my research goes. Which is a poll of one person. Which is me. I hate starting a book, because I feel like I have to get it right the first time.

You don't.

Of all things you should NOT strive for in a first draft, it is perfection and "rightness". The first draft is for literally letting your brain throw up on the page and watch what happens. It's like putting ideas down so you can whittle it down later. Scenes will come and go, and that's okay. I bet we'd be shocked at how many scenes were cut from Percy Jackson, Harry Potter, and Lord of the Rings. And that's the beauty of writing...whatever doesn't work in one book will certainly work in another. >:)

So get over those first draft tremors. In fact, don't even think of this as a first draft. Think of it as preliminary writing, to get the feel of the book, explore the characters, and explore the world. Because, um, cough, basically you will have to rewrite the whole book when the first draft is finished. <:)


Planning
I've done a million things on planning, and I can't express to you how important it is. YOU SHOULD ALWAYS HAVE AT LEAST A NEWBORN BABY'S GRIP ON HOW YOUR STORY IS GONNA GO. Knowing the characters is NOT ENOUGH. You have to at least know where you story is going, a few big plot points, and how it's going to end. As the bare minimum. It's best to have a sketchy outline done on paper of the entire book, or go chapter at a time and write them as you plan them. Both work, as I've tried both.


So you're in the middle of writing a first draft?
While you're in the middle of writing your book, everything seems lame. I know. It isn't. It's not a book, remember. It's just exploration of what your book could be. Of what it will be. You are exploring your options, figuring out what works and what doesn't. Don't worry about randomness, long dialogue, chunks of description...it doesn't matter. It's your writing, you're just feeling the ground so that you can dive into the story in the next draft.


Just remember...
First drafts are CAKE. All you have to do is write! How easy is that? No extensive worry on plot, structure, or anything! You have freedom to write what you want, no matter how random and boring it is. So go crazy!

Starting Books...and why it's so hard (for me)

This is really awkward for me.

I didn't used to have this problem. In fact, I always just pooped out whatever came to mind when writing.

So why now do I have this chronic fear of starting books?

As I'm sure you've picked up, I am a perfectionist. I have problems. And starting books is one of them.

I think it's because my whole life, up until last April, has revolved around finishing The Cycle of Time: The Journey. I've been revising that puppy for like, 4+ years. And when I finished and tried writing something else, it didn't come out all revised and perfect like The Journey is now. I've totally forgotten how horrible that book was when I first started it. And now I expect everything to come out looking all nice and neat and The Journey-y.

That is my main issue. I'm having editorial withdrawals.

Wow. Just talking about it is making me feel better, though. But seriously! I have gotten about zero significant writing done since last April. Last year. Other than the sorry beginnings of a few books and a few random short stories, I've written exactly squat. Maybe it's just a slow year. Maybe I've been busy with school. Either way, it's gonna change pretty soon.

I feel my brain booting up to inspiration mode after last night's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (I had an idea for a part in a book I haven't even planned out yet). I'm having ideas again! And inspiration is flowing! And I'm thinking!

I think it's also because school is slowing down, and I've been accepted into my dream college with all finances paid, so the weight's been lifted off my shoulders, as well. Wow...I just made my own day! :)

So, in short

But I guess that's what makes writers so AWESOME.

If we could get off our blogs long enough to actually do something with our lives.

Ana

Wrandom Writing Tip #7: Perfectionism and why it DOESN'T help a writer.

"Hey."

*ignore*

"Hey!"

*ignore harder*

"HEEEYYY!!!"

*finally look over* "WHAT?!"

"You spelled that wrong."

*look back* "OH, you're right, I did! Let me just change that." *flow of writing is totally broken as goes back to fix problem*

"Oh, but there's another problem!"

"Oh, and another!"

"Did you or your four year old brother write this?!"

"OH MAN, I AM A COMPLETE DUNCE FOR WRITING THIS TRASHY GRAMMAR!!"

Does this conversation sound familiar? You've probably had it with yourself over four hundred times, or so a new study says (study does not exist). Who am I, you're wondering? Oh, let me explain.

My name is perfectionism. I am the heart and soul of Anastasia Cross.

You see, Ana here is a severe perfectionist. She is all about grammar, spelling, right sentence structure, engaging prose, etc. You may be like, "So? I am too!" Then you are also one of my victims.

Perfectionism is a deadly disease to writers, up there with Writer's Block and Character Limpage. I cause people to be acutely aware of their faults as writers, and all of their annoying writing habits that have to be corrected eventually. And the worst part is...I DO IT ALL THE TIME. Even during the rough draft!

*spooky music*

Why am I such a problem? Well, you see, rough drafts are supposed to be rough, by definition. Unfortunately, I force writers to try and make their first draft perfect, thus causing Writer's Block, Character Limpage, Prose Dullogos, and Mybookstinkititus. So really, I could possibly be the cause behind EVERY WRITER PROBLEM IN THE WORLD (for some).

I know I am for Anastasia.

How do you get rid of me, you wonder? I don't think you can. I penetrate your very personality. And truthfully, I am not wholly bad. In some cases I can be good—but not for writing. I am a terrible companion for a writer.

But there are ways to suppress or even ignore me.

So, how do you do it? Well, it's a learned habit. You must push past me as you write, forcing yourself not to care if the beginning doesn't set the right 'aura' or if your grammar reeks or if your character is being naughty. You just have to write. That's all that matters right now is that you get words on the paper. As soon as you start ignoring me, I'll get less and less noticeable, until you manage to suppress me to the very back of your mind. As you do keep ignoring, I'll get smaller and smaller and less pushy until I seem to disappear completely. I will get easier and easier to ignore, but you have to start right now!

Sometimes I may come back. Don't let me. Just keep ignoring me, keep writing no matter what. I don't care if your bad guy becomes your good guy and everyone goes crazy in the end, that's what revisions are for. First drafts are for IDEAS and WRITING, not PERFECTION.

/\/\/\That is a very important fact.

So, have I given you something to do? Ignore me? Go ahead. I won't be around forever. Soon, you'll be able to snap your fingers and get rid of me just like that.

(Anastasia is still working on this. Isn't it funny how much she loves and hates me?)

So you're welcome. I just gave you my greatest weakness—ignoring. Ignore me and I'll be gone before you know it.

Sincerely,

Perfectionism

Randumb NaNoWriMo Update

Me:

My Characters:

Me:

Fine, I'll write.

Characters:

Me:

Characters:

Me:

Characters:

Me:

Characters:

Me:

Characters:

Me:

Characters:

Me:

...

My Short Story Handicap

For ever and ever I've looked at my sister's beautiful short story writing ability and sighed. I've seen competitions for short story writers...and sighed. It's a massive handicap to not be able to write short stories. I wish I could so bad.

For some reason I have no inherent ability to write short stories. I've tried to write thousands, and have only completed two. And only one was any good. (I'm actually quite proud of that one. It's pretty awesome. Well, fast-paced and one part is kinda random, but overall a good one. Rabbit trail.)

I think it has something to do with my detailistic mind. Either way, when I sit down to write a "short story", things get so complicated I end up writing thirty pages before stopping and going, "This isn't short, therefore, NOT A SHORT STORY."

But I would, like, SO enjoy writing a story that is short and to the point. It would be SO FUN. The problem is, I just can't seem to fit all that I want in just ten pages. How do you fit a story in ten pages? How do you create believable characters, a compelling plot, and interesting elements in just ten pages?

Does anyone have any pointers on short story writing? What are your secrets? How do you keep a short story short?

What a WEEK...

It sure has been a looooong week. Me and my family have been super busy these past days...between trying to get a job (yeah, like writing isn't a REAL job...tuh, people these days... ;-}), listening to my eighteen-month-old sister scream her head off for five hours while my parents and my sister are gone at her five-hour-a-day dance thing, and trying to hack out an outline for The Sentinels, it's been a rough, rough week. In fact, as we speak, I have my little sister on my lap watching Tangled on the same computer I'm currently typing on.

Still, I have gotten some writing done, somehow! I attended a critiquing session with the Nassau Young Writer's Program and had some good feedback for The Journey. Also, my wonderful big brother (I nicknamed him the Random Idea Spitter-Outer) gave me some SERIOUS awesome ideas for The Cycle of Time. Not to mention I FINALLY started SERIOUSLY editing The Deadlands! Which is a big deal! Because I love that book but I've been dreading editing it's horrid roughness. But I've come to realize that it actually wasn't written as terribly as I once believed.

AHG...glad all that's off my chest.

Anyways. How's everyone else doing?

~Anastasia

P.S. Now you know why I haven't been posting... :)

Wrandom Writing Tip #6: Conciseness is the Key

Tip #6:

I used to be the writer with the flowery words, the writer like L. M. Montgomery and Eloise Jarvis McGraw. I was a firm believer in adjectives and their impending power to bring to light the many details of things I thought important in my books. I was the master at listing adjectives behind nouns; I would go on for paragraphs and paragraphs, using redundant words like "brilliant" and "excellent" in the same sentence. Looking back, I find it humorous, but at the time I was dead serious. L. M. Montgomery and Eloise Jarvis McGraw were my role models. They still are in a way.

But today while editing I learned something that I had learned before, just never consciously realized.

Conciseness is the key.

"Well, duh," you might think. "Everyone says that." But really think about it. Really, really think about it. Why write, "He took a deep breath in" when you can write "He inhaled deeply"? It means the same thing, and it obviously reads better, right? I thought so, too.

See, conciseness packs a powerful punch. When you are concise and specific, you can move mountains with your writing. Instead of using to-be verbs, use specific, powerful verbs to really show the readers what you want to say. Use "glance" instead of "look", and that right there ups your writing by ten percent. Use "morbid" instead of "dark", and you get ten whole brownie points (and those are redeemable at any Anastasia Cross hug store).

Now, instead of writing lists of adjectives, and try to find one or two specific words that sum up the characteristics of whatever I'm describing. And if I want to dig deeper, I look for one or two specific traits and describe those. My writing has become much less boring and much more intense.

Now, I pass the torch of awesomeness to you, reader. Carry it well.

~Anastasia Cross

Wrandom Writing Tip #5: The Had-Hadders

Tip #5:

It may just be my psychotic views, but nothing annoys me more than DOUBLE WORDS. Nothing. At all. That, to me, is the most aggravating, distracting, horrible thing I can do while writing.

Example: "His face was red. He wiped the tears off his face."

DID YOU CATCH THAT?!?! DID YOU?!?! I can't STAND it. Just writing it made me feel dirty. I mean, that is just so distracting. When you are reading something, and you come across something like that, BAM. Everything stops. And you go, "whaaaaaa?"

So. This brings about the evil Had-Hadder.

The Had-Hadder is a "sometimes necessary" grammatical combination of 'had' and 'had'.

Example: "Harry had had to dissect a frog in fourth grade."

...Okay, not my best example, but you get the meaning. I know it's "sometimes necessary", but every time I read "had had" in a book (it was in Eragon several times), it totally throws me off. I have to stop and read it three times to make sure I'm not hallucinating.

My advice: If you ever (or if you now) realize that you are a Had-Hadder, then I suggest you find a new way to word the Had-Hadder sentence. You may argue that it is "grammatically correct", but for the sake of your book, I'd cut them out. It's just not worth ruining your reader's attention on the story to stop and wonder if that "had had" was a typo or what. You following me?

Okay. Whoo. Glad I got that off my chest.


A :D (happy) Anastasia Cross bids you good day, readers!

Writer's Attention Deficit Disorder

Writer's Attention Deficit Disorder
(noun)

A disease found primarily in authors/writers, characterized by inability to focus on one project at a time and/or constantly shifting between several projects at random intervals. Side effects include random thoughts, writer's block, and intense finger cramping.



I have a bad case of Writer's ADD.

Really, really bad.

As in, incurable.

Let me count how many books I am actively writing...

Six. And that's an approximate because I might have missed something.

I really don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing. I manage to keep up with all of these books pretty well, it just takes a really long time to finish these novels. It's maddening, really, because I know I could finish a book pretty fast if I could focus on one at a time, but I can't. I get random inspirations for lots of books. Would that make me prolific? I'm not sure. So I came up with Writer's ADD instead.

I think it's an accurate representation of my life.

Here's a list of the titles of the books I have stuffed in my "Books" folder. Just for fun!

The Journey
The Sentinels
Embers (a prequel to The Cycle of Time)
The Secret of Blackrock Cave
The Cave of Thieves
Rex's Island
The Bermuda Triangle
Shadows Rising
The Deadlands
The Uprising
Free Spirit
Encephalon (whoo, dat's a mouthful)
The Round Table
Survive
Never Listen to your Best Friend's Little Brother
Blue Skyys
Hybrids
The Irias-Windr

Keep in mind I'm really only working on The Sentinels, The Secret of Blackrock Cave, The Deadlands, The Uprising, The Irias-Windr, and Blue Skyys.

This is mainly just for reassurance, for those lost little writers. Like me. You're not alone. Just so you know. I think a lot of writers think, "Oh, I must be the only one who does this," or, "Am I the only writer in the world who hates blue pens?"

I mean, REALLY?! Blue pens?! What's the point of making ink if it's gonna be blue? I mean, for REAL!!

So I love to let writers know they're not the only ones who do weird stuff. We writers are weird people. It takes a messed up person to sit at a computer screen for hours on end dreaming up ways to bring pain to a fictional person's life, after all.

It's like Batman. "Any guy who dresses up like a bat clearly has issues." (Bruce Wayne, Batman Begins) So we're, like, the Batman of all awesome people. Or something.

But isn't that why we do what we do?

Thanks again for listening to my pointless rambles!

~Anastasia

P.S. Also, if you would like to know about any of these books, I will write a synopsis and post it if you write a comment requesting it. Anyone may comment.

P.S.S. I can't promise any of these books will ever meet the face of a publisher. Of any sort.

Wrandom Writing Tip #4: What to do When You Don't Know

Tip #4:

Have you ever just hit a part in your book and stopped dead in your tracks?

You're like, Oh my goodness...what am I doing? Where am I going with this? What happens next?! AHG!

And then you run screaming to the nearest corner to hide your face in your hands and sob quietly?

Yeah, me too. And trust me, it passes.

Here's the thing about writing a book. Whether it's an epic 800-page novel or a heart-warming short story, eventually you will hit that one part you were trying to avoid. I like to call this part THE BLACK HOLE. It's usually in the middle, but sometimes it can be the beginning. Or the end.

There's nothing like that one moment when you hit that BLACK HOLE and your fingers freeze over the keyboard (or your pencil stops scratching on the page). You suddenly realize that the last four pages were completely dialogue, and that your characters are talking about baloney sandwiches when they should be out doing something else. What that something is, you may never ever know. But it's out there somewhere.

So, you freak out. You've been writing this for years and years and you've been doing so well, and now suddenly you think of all of the work before this point and cringe. How on earth did you manage to write such a sloppy bunch of random ideas? How bad can one ____.doc be?

This is something many writers face. I find myself in this situation while writing The Cycle of Time: The Sentinels (which, again, is what I was doing before I posted this). My characters are about to embark on an epic journey, but the time between the beginning of this journey and now is a BLACK HOLE. Dirco is being a sissy. Alli is an empty shell once again (from the empty shell she was born, and the empty shell will return to). I'm totally lost. I just want to skip to Eadën and get to his awesome complexes. But I can't do that! I'm a perfectionist and I have to do everything PERFECT and IN ORDER or else I will have an OCD ATTACK and THRASH AROUND and eventually I will end up DYING because my PAPERS are CUTTING ME OPEN and I will BLEED TO DEATH from all of the PAPER CUTS I receive from THRASHING from my OCD ATTACK. Now I'm perfectly aware some of you don't get like this. This is just me talking to myself.

So as before I digress into madness, I want to discuss what to do when you don't know.

How on earth do you get away from a BLACK HOLE? I've asked myself this many times. One of these times is right now. Another was about fifty-seven different times during The Journey, The Secret of Blackrock Cave, and...actually, The Deadlands never really did that.... But I digress again.

Here's how I cured mine.

1. Take time away from your novel and completely brainwash yourself from everything that has to do with it. You can do this by gorging yourself on Oreos, or listening to music until your ears fall out, or just taking a shower and shrugging it off. Anyways, a week or so usually works, but take more time if you're obsessive (like I am).

2. Go back after you've forgotten about it and read some of what you've already written. For me, this helps me look at if with fresh eyes and really enjoy what I've accomplished without worrying about my atrocious use of to-be verbs and my rebellious characters. It also gets me excited about writing it again!

If this doesn't work, extend treatment to the following:

3. Sit down and think. Bring a pad of paper and a pencil with you, because you might have a brilliant idea that flies the coop once you think it. Try to focus on the BLACK HOLE point and brainstorm random conflict. Even if it has nothing to do with the story. (i.e. sandstorm, earthquake, armies attacking, car crash, lost job, etc.) You may find a way to link the seemingly random conflict in a totally awesome way (just for inspiration, my whole book The Journey was made from random conflict and ended up linking so beautifully!).

4. Write whether you like it or not. You may not want to, but the more you write, the more you'll want to. Even if you end up deleting everything you write, at least you wrote something. Besides, you may come up with something as you write.

I hope this helps you as much as it helps me.

Keep calm and write on!

~Anastasia

Wrandom Writing Tip #2: Never Use 'Was'

Tip #2

Something I've learned over much toil and pain:

NEVER USE 'WAS.'

It's a painful thing to learn, really. Honestly! You think it would be easy to cut out 'was,' but it isn't. It is very, very hard to break writing habits.

So, if you're new to writing, STOP USING 'WAS' NOW. It will save you a world of pain.

You see, 'to-be' verbs (such as was, is, had, been, be, being, are, etc.) are called 'passive voice verbs.' They relate action in the passive-voice, which basically means it's a boring way to write action and there is a much, much better way.

Compare two examples:

"I was going to the store."
"I went to the store."

While neither of these are stellar sentences, they are good examples of deleting passive-voice verbs. Do you see how one relays action as if someone was telling you what happened, while the other describes the action as if it was happening right then?

Cutting out to-be verbs and inserting more precise, descriptive verbs are a good way to start editing a manuscript (once you get the storyline nailed down, that is).

Here is a list of to-be verbs to use as reference:

be
am
is
are
was
were
been
has
have
had
do
did
does
can
could
shall
should
will
would
may
might
must

And any combination of the above (i.e. has been).

Sometimes you may find that you have to use them, and that's okay. But I've found usually when a 'was' is paired with a '-ing' word (was standing) it can be replaced easily by the past tense of the verb (was standing—stood). Get what I'm saying?

By the way, don't you dare go through and try to catch all my to-be verbs. That would be very unkind. ;)

Good luck!

~Anastasia