Friday, February 27, 2015
Meme (s) for the Day
In Tutu Tough, Mrs. C is always telling Brick to take care of his feet. Here are some fun memes about feet in ballet. Enjoy!
The Importance of Setting
Hi Guys! I'm a visual learner, meaning I have to see it to fully "get" it, so I've put together some photos in a collage. Since this blog is supposed to be about my writing process (and is occasionally a place for me to vent and just have fun!) I am sharing these pics. This is all part of my pre-writing process, and it helps me with the WHERE of my story. Describing the WHERE is kind of hard for me. Is it for you, too? If it is, let me know! I would love some company.
A Powerful Reaction
"Wow, I can't believe it."
"I hate her!"
"I LOVE her."
These are the types of reactions I want my readers to have. I want them to read and reread a passage because they can't believe it! I want them to pause to let it all sink in. I want the readers to feel satisfaction at the finale. And to feel better than they did before they started reading my book. I want my readers to feel SOMETHING.
I'm a volunteer reading tutor at my children's elementary school. It's a small way for me to connect with my teacher-self. It's the highlight of my day when a student stops reading and says, "I wonder why..." or has another type of connection with what they are reading. One of my reading buddies loves to think aloud as she reads. The other burns through text without hesitation. Two very different readers. How do I, as an author, connect with both of them?
That is the question I always have in the back of my mind. I hope to do that through heartfelt humor, and beautifully drawn and complex but relatable characters. And of course with a story that hooks the reader from the start to the finish. All of this with the final goal in mind of giving the reader that POWERFUL REACTION. Goosebumps. Tears. Belly laughs. Anger. Relief.
Those are the types of reactions I want my readers to have. So, I'd better get to work!
Happy writing,
Rachel
"I hate her!"
"I LOVE her."
These are the types of reactions I want my readers to have. I want them to read and reread a passage because they can't believe it! I want them to pause to let it all sink in. I want the readers to feel satisfaction at the finale. And to feel better than they did before they started reading my book. I want my readers to feel SOMETHING.
I'm a volunteer reading tutor at my children's elementary school. It's a small way for me to connect with my teacher-self. It's the highlight of my day when a student stops reading and says, "I wonder why..." or has another type of connection with what they are reading. One of my reading buddies loves to think aloud as she reads. The other burns through text without hesitation. Two very different readers. How do I, as an author, connect with both of them?
That is the question I always have in the back of my mind. I hope to do that through heartfelt humor, and beautifully drawn and complex but relatable characters. And of course with a story that hooks the reader from the start to the finish. All of this with the final goal in mind of giving the reader that POWERFUL REACTION. Goosebumps. Tears. Belly laughs. Anger. Relief.
Those are the types of reactions I want my readers to have. So, I'd better get to work!
Happy writing,
Rachel
Thursday, February 26, 2015
Meme for the Day
For the editors and associate editors who have the joy of wading through the slush pile, which I am a member of. Here's to hoping this is not your reaction to my MS!
Writing to Find Emotional Truths vs. Behavioral Truths
Robert McKee is a brilliant teacher. If you ever have an opportunity to attend one of his workshops, I'm telling you--do it! Even if it means selling your vintage collection of Barbie dolls, or flipping flea market furniture (I just wanted to say that for the alliteration!) It will be well worth the $$$.
Or, if you are cheap like me, you could buy his book! It's titled STORY: Substance, Structure, Style, and the Principles of Screenwriting. But, his teaching can be extended to novelists as well... and I would argue FIRST because Hollywood writers don't write treatments anymore, they depend almost exclusively on novelists for good stories. IMHO. I said ALMOST, so don't get all testy out there, screenwriters.
Anyway, Robert McKee writes about creating a scene from the inside out by finding your way to the center of the character and experiencing it from his/her point of view. Ah, POV. So, very, very important for us authors to master. He argues that you can either write as an anthropologist RECORDING behavior, which would be Behavioral Truth. Or, you can crawl inside a character's head by asking, "If I were the character in this situation, what would I do?" That is Emotional Truth.
Linda Urban spoke at a conference I attended once. She taught us about Personal Third Person POV. I think Linda and Robert are speaking of the same thing here... For my reader to experience anger, fear, joy, suspicion, disappointment, excitement my character must experience those emotions. And if my character must then I must! I used to do improvisational theater. I love it. It's child's play for grown ups. And writing is another form of improvisation. I think what stops me from getting into a Personal Third POV is my mean inner-editor. She is a composite of every single person who has ever told me I'm terrible. Am I the only lucky person in the world to have one of these? In not so many words, she says, "Don't tell the truth. Because once you've told the truth you have nothing left to tell... and what if it sucks?" So, I try to stay in the safe lane, which leaves my writing feeling flat. No more, I say!! Inner Editor, you're fired! Oh, and hey there's a job that has just opened up. Outside-my-head editors wanted. :)
So, in previous posts when I said I'm writing TRUTH, I meant my character's emotional truth. And the only way to do that is to be inside the head of my characters. That is what I aim for!
Happy writing,
Rachel
Or, if you are cheap like me, you could buy his book! It's titled STORY: Substance, Structure, Style, and the Principles of Screenwriting. But, his teaching can be extended to novelists as well... and I would argue FIRST because Hollywood writers don't write treatments anymore, they depend almost exclusively on novelists for good stories. IMHO. I said ALMOST, so don't get all testy out there, screenwriters.
Anyway, Robert McKee writes about creating a scene from the inside out by finding your way to the center of the character and experiencing it from his/her point of view. Ah, POV. So, very, very important for us authors to master. He argues that you can either write as an anthropologist RECORDING behavior, which would be Behavioral Truth. Or, you can crawl inside a character's head by asking, "If I were the character in this situation, what would I do?" That is Emotional Truth.
Linda Urban spoke at a conference I attended once. She taught us about Personal Third Person POV. I think Linda and Robert are speaking of the same thing here... For my reader to experience anger, fear, joy, suspicion, disappointment, excitement my character must experience those emotions. And if my character must then I must! I used to do improvisational theater. I love it. It's child's play for grown ups. And writing is another form of improvisation. I think what stops me from getting into a Personal Third POV is my mean inner-editor. She is a composite of every single person who has ever told me I'm terrible. Am I the only lucky person in the world to have one of these? In not so many words, she says, "Don't tell the truth. Because once you've told the truth you have nothing left to tell... and what if it sucks?" So, I try to stay in the safe lane, which leaves my writing feeling flat. No more, I say!! Inner Editor, you're fired! Oh, and hey there's a job that has just opened up. Outside-my-head editors wanted. :)
So, in previous posts when I said I'm writing TRUTH, I meant my character's emotional truth. And the only way to do that is to be inside the head of my characters. That is what I aim for!
Happy writing,
Rachel
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