I have to admit, I have never read Joseph Campbell “A Hero with a Thousand Faces.” I know, I know… As big of a Sci Fi & Fantasy fan as I am, I shamefully admit it. But I’ve heard stories about how Star Wars and other classic works have borrowed heavily from his ideas and concepts. So I guess it goes on my list of works to study.  A few weeks ago I came across this video on author Allan Baxter’s website. I love this, It explains the entire concept in just a span of a few minutes.

http://youtu.be/yZxs_jGN7Pg

There is no doubt that Stephen King is one of the most prolific writers of our time. Whether you love him, or hate him, none of us can deny that he is one of the greats. His ability to churn out tale after tale after all these years is absolutley amazing. So when I came across this video on You Tube I had to sit and watch it. Just to listen to the man talk about the craft of writing is something special… In his book “On Writing” King says this; this is one of my favorite quotes from his book.

“Writing isn’t about making money, getting famous, getting dates…. or making firends. In the end, it’s about enriching the lives of those who will read your work, and enriching your own life, as well. It’s about getting up, getting well, and getting over. Getting happy, okay?Getting happy… Writing is magic, as much the water of life as any other creative art. The water is free. So drink. Drink and be filled up.” – Stephen King

So here it is- A Conversation with Stephen King

My Five Principles of Writing… Enjoy…

Okay, I’m going to be upfront and honest with you. I’m not a big believer in writers block. That’s not say I don’t think that there are some that may struggle with it. It’s just my idea of writers block is looked at from a different lens. It could be that I have yet to publish with a major publisher or find enormous success. Then again it could be I’m just living behind a curtain of denial. That being said, I think of writers block more along the lines of just being burned out.

There have been days, even weeks, where I simply just can’t seem to put the pen to the page and go. Call it a lack of confidence; call it doubt, a mental breakdown, or even exhaustion. There are just some days where the words don’t want to flow.

I have found most of these incidents occur because of my choice to allow them to occur. So many times I let that demon on my shoulder take over and draw me away from the story. You know the one I’m talking about, it looks just like you. Its face is in a scowl, the talons are dug in deep into the meat and bone on your shoulder. It spits out comments like- “You stink…” Or “You call that writing…?” Many times we shy away from completion because of that voice inside of us.

I know, makes us in the profession sound a little creepy. But hey let’s face it, we are… The point is we have obstacles to overcome with each project in order to even make it to publication. At times this blockage is our worst enemy. So the question is asked- How do we do it…? How do we get around that roadblock and move forward to a place where the river of words freely flows…? I don’t have all the answers but I have come up with five ways that I deal with it… Maybe you got some other suggestions. Be sure to drop me a line and let me know.

1.      Stop worrying about Grammar…

This one held me back from completing anything for a long time. I would read what I wrote and was so worried about my bad grammar that I was embarrassed to show it to anyone. Still am. Heck even reading this post I cringe at my use of prepositions and adverbs. The point is we can’t possibly remember all the rules while remembering our story. So here is my suggestion- Just Write… Remember editing and re-writing are a part of the process for a reason. Everything, everything, let me repeat that everything sounds bad in the beginning. Hemmingway re-wrote the ending to “A Farewell to Arms” around 40 times before he was satisfied. So don’t worry about grammar- It will hold you back. Remember, finishing the first draft is the first step towards publication…

2.      Write at a different place and time…

John Grisham, Stephen King, and many other successful authors have all preached consistency. And they are right. Finding that place and that time where you will be uninterrupted is the most precious gift for a writer. The problem is this, sometimes when you are stuck you may need to make a change. I have found for me that a change of scenery and maybe even time goes a long ways to get me out of the rut. Try going to a coffee shop, a bookstore, library, or even a park… If you write in the mornings, then try staying up late – Very late and writing at night… If you write late at night try waking up early and hit the keys then… Sometimes that change will give you the ability to break free.

3.      Talk to your characters…

I know this sounds kind of strange, but I think at times it actually works. My suggestion, do it with the door closed when no one is around… People tend to look at you as if you’re crazy. But seriously, ask your characters questions. Prepare an interview for them. Get to know them and think of how they would respond to a particular situation. Sometimes the best way to get a character out of a bad spot is to sit and chat with them for a bit…

4.      Try a different writing method…

This one could probably go up top with “a different writing place and time” but I think it needs to be separate. Many of us use writing programs. I can’t get into them. Scrivener is an excellent tool and all, but I’m a plain old yellow legal tab and MS Word type of guy. However as I said, sometimes change is good; especially when you can’t get going. If you are obsessed with using Scrivener or a certain writing tool, then switch it up a bit… Try writing long hand for a change. I LOVE writing in long hand. Something about the pen on the paper gets the juices flowing. In fact, most of the short stories I have written were written in long hand. Plus, you can take a notebook anywhere and it never runs out of juice…

5.       Sleep, exercise, & nutrition…

My last piece of advice is something we as writers tend to forget from time to time. Sleep, exercise, and a proper diet. My wife gets up at 5:00 AM every morning and heads to the gym. She does Title Boxing… I envy her ability to be so persistent. In fact, her commitment motivated me to get back in shape. This past spring I ordered Shaun T’s Insanity program on-line… I did the entire nine week program. And even though I was about to die after the first week, by week five I felt tons better. I also found I could think more clearly. I was sleeping better, I was eating better, and I cut soda completely out of my diet as well… The result, I had more energy to sit down and write, the creative juices were flowing better, and I was happier and less of a crank. (Makes me think I should start it up again)… We writers tend to drive ourselves off of sitting for long periods fueled by massive amounts of coffee and Red Bull. The truth is, we are probably limiting ourselves more than we know…

Again, take my advice, don’t take it… These are simply things that have helped me out along my writing journey…So Good luck- And happy writing!!!!!

Writing is hard. Let’s face it, it’s not for everyone. Those of us that do it and labor for countless hours over certain sentences and paragraphs do so because we love it. But we’re not magical by any means. The unique thing about writing is “we never stop learning.”

There are many in the business that have gained a certain level of success. Not all, and pretty much most, did NOT achieve instant success overnight. Thankfully, these gifted writers have shared their secrets—often the same secret, that their best words weren’t a gift at all, but the fruits of frustrating, wearisome work.  

If you’re a writer then like me you are always on the lookout for a good writing book. Anything that will enable me to improve in the craft is worthy in my opinion to be on my shelf. Recently however I have noticed a TON of short ebooks popping up on the craft of writing. Most of these are fairly good and written by some well established authors. But it got me thinking about the books I always keep on my shelf to help me with my craft. These are the ones with the covers so worn I could probably do myself a world of good by simply ordering a new copy. They’re the ones I recommend to every writer friend I meet and say “This helped me out…” So here they are, in no particular order. My top five writing books… Let me know the ones you love.

1.      On Writing By Stephen King

Regardless of what your opinion is of Stephen King no one can deny that he is one of the greatest writers of our generation. He has managed to pen an enormous amount of work over his career. In 2000 he released a book that was part Memoir and part writing advice. It is an amazing book that I have read at least three times. His story of writing as a young child to how his wife rescued “Carrie” out of the trash are inspiring stories that motivate us to sit and write…

 2.       The Elements of Style By William Strunk Jr and E.B. White

This book sits at about 85 pages. Written in the early 60’s originally this book is one book that every well know writer states “This sits on my shelf.” You learn everything from words that are often spelled wrong, to punctuation, to style, etc. Very blunt and to the point. This book is essentially saying this: you can’t blaze new trails in the English language without having a solid foundation in the basics first!

 3.      Self- Editing for Fiction Writers By Renni Browne and Dave King

If your ego is one that you don’t enjoy having deflated from time to time- Then I suggest you skip this book. With each chapter I read I felt like someone was stabbing in the spine. Everything I was doing I discovered I was doing wrong. This book helped me break some very bad and nasty habits.

4.      Writing the Breakout Novel by Donald Maass

I have one published writer in my ACFW writing Group that credits this book for being the reason she got published. This book goes beyond most of the usual bland advice you find in the regular “How to Books.” He offers advice on plot structure for various genres to sub-plots to multiple viewpoints…

5.      Dialogue by Gloria Kempton.

Let’s face it… Who of us wouldn’t love the chance to write dialogue like Robert B Parker…? All of us would. But when I first begin writing dialogue was my biggest issue. I had no idea how to approach it. This book gave me the simple tools to use whenever I came to that critical spot in my scene. This is one of those that doesn’t sit on my shelf, it sits on my desk, always opened.

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