The Dexterous Writer

SATURDAY PAGE RAGE #8

2010-10-30T12:52:00.000+01:00

Welcome to the Saturday Page Rage!

Saturday Page Rage is a one-hour writing challenge that uses free association writing, also known as freewriting or automatic writing. You will have one hour to write as much as you can and as fast as you can without stopping. You can do it by yourself or with a group of writer friends today or any time during the week. There will be a new theme posted here every Saturday.

RULES

WRITE AS FAST AS YOU CAN
WRITE AS MANY PAGES AS YOU CAN
WRITE FOR ONE SOLID HOUR

Read more about what, how and why here.

Have you got your pen and paper? Finished your coffee? Eliminated all distractions?

Take deep breaths to relax and clear your mind. Relax your feet, your back, and your arms. Shake your hands to relax them. Ready?

Here's is the theme for this week:

You're master of your own words, but once spoken, your words may master you.
Just to get you going: the character you come up with can be either very talkative or the opposite - very quiet. Try to figure out how you could use irony with this concept. Remember to raise the stakes as high as possible!

Just start writing! You might feel blank at first but if you keep going you will surprise yourself!
Come back and let us know how it went!

Good luck!

SATURDAY PAGE RAGE #7

2010-10-23T12:29:00.001+01:00

Hello and welcome to the Saturday Page Rage!

WRITE AS FAST AS YOU CAN
WRITE AS MANY PAGES AS YOU CAN
WRITE FOR ONE SOLID HOUR

Read more about what, how and why here.

Have you got your pen and paper? Eliminated all distractions?

Take deep breaths to relax and clear your mind. Relax your feet, your back, and your arms. Shake your hands to relax them. Ready?

Here's is the theme for this week:
Better the devil you know than the devil you don't.
Just to get you started: try to form four different points of view of the same event or problem.

Just start writing! You might feel blank at first but if you keep going you will surprise yourself!
Come back and let us know how it went!

Good luck!

SATURDAY PAGE RAGE #6

2010-10-09T10:00:00.006+01:00

Hello and welcome to the Saturday Page Rage!

WRITE AS FAST AS YOU CAN
WRITE AS MANY PAGES AS YOU CAN
WRITE FOR ONE SOLID HOUR

Read more about what, how and why here.

Have you got your pen and paper? Finished your coffee? Turned off the phone? Eliminated any other distractions?

Take deep breaths to relax and clear your mind. Relax your feet, your back, and your arms. Shake your hands to relax them. Ready?

Here's is the theme for this week:
Sins and debts are always more than we think them to be.

Just start writing! You might feel blank at first but if you keep going you will surprise yourself!

Good luck!

SATURDAY PAGE RAGE #5

2010-10-02T11:57:00.000+01:00

Hello and welcome to the Saturday Page Rage!

WRITE AS FAST AS YOU CAN
WRITE AS MANY PAGES AS YOU CAN
WRITE FOR ONE SOLID HOUR

Read more about what, how and why here.

Have you got your pen and some paper? Finished your coffee and biscuit? (Or maybe leave the biscuits for later, as a reward.) Turned the phone off? Eliminated any other distractions?

Shake your hands to relax them, take deep breaths to relax and clear your mind. Relax your feet, your back, and your arms. Ready?

Here's is the theme for this week:

What soberness conceals, drunkenness reveals.
Just to get you going: you can take it literally but you don't have to, the character can be 'drunk' on love or there could be any other emotional trigger that sets them off. What is it that is concealed? From whom? Why do they feel the need to conceal it? What are the consequences when the truth comes out?

Just start writing!
Good luck!

Upcoming Deadlines for Short Story Writers

2010-09-27T17:11:00.003+01:00

Short story competitions with a deadline on 30 September.
[Please see Competitions page for more recent updates]

Asham Award for unpublished female writers
Maximum of 4000 words
1st prize: £1000

Flash 500
Maximum of 500 words
1st prize £250

Dark Tales
Maximum of 5000 words
1st prize: £500

Chorley Writers' Competition
Maximum of 1500 words
1st prize: £100

Longworth Editors Short Story Competition
Maximum of 3000 words
1st prize: £250

Meridian Writing Short Story Competition
Maximum of 3000 words
1st prize: £100

Yellow Room Autumn Short Story Competition
Maximum of 2500 words
1st prize: £80

Leaf Books Micro-Fiction Competition
Maximum of 300 words
1st prize: £150

Fleeting Magazine Competition
Poems of up to 40 lines, flash fiction, short stories of up to 2500 words
1st prize: £100

Also, don't forget these monthly competitions:

Global Short Story Competition
Maximum of 2000 words
1st prize: £100

TxtLit.co.uk
Maximum of 154 characters
Prize: £50

SATURDAY PAGE RAGE #4

2010-09-25T11:44:00.001+01:00

Hello and welcome to the Saturday Page Rage!

WRITE AS FAST AS YOU CAN
WRITE AS MANY PAGES AS YOU CAN
WRITE FOR ONE SOLID HOUR

Read more about what, how and why here.

Have you got your pen and some paper? Finished your coffee? Turned the phone off? Eliminated any other distractions?

Shake your hands to relax them, take deep breaths to relax and clear your mind. Relax your feet, your back, and your arms. Ready?

Here's is the theme for this week:

Time is a good storyteller.
Just to get you going: think about three changes - change of character, change of circumstances and/or change in the way character is perceived.

Just start writing!
Good luck!

SATURDAY PAGE RAGE #3

2010-09-18T11:56:00.001+01:00

Hello and welcome to the Saturday Page Rage!

WRITE AS FAST AS YOU CAN
WRITE AS MANY PAGES AS YOU CAN
WRITE FOR ONE SOLID HOUR

Read more about what, how and why here.

Have you got your pen and some paper? Finished your coffee and banana? (Which is a lovely combination, by the way.) Have you turned the phone off? Eliminated any other distractions?

Shake your hands to relax them, take deep breaths to relax and clear your mind. Relax your feet, your back, and your arms. Ready?

Here's is the theme for this week:

Evil wearing the mask of goodness
Just to get you started: think about their agenda, why they thought this was a good idea, give them a few close calls of getting exposed but managing to talk/act their way out of it, and how do they get caught (which might not necessarily mean it's the end of things...)

Just start writing!
Good luck!

A Fairy of Principles

2010-09-17T16:24:00.001+01:00

This is for the Write Anything [Fiction] Friday Challenge on 17 September 2010

which was "Why did the Tooth Fairy fail to deliver coins one evening?"

Some years ago The Union of Tooth Fairies wanted to organise a strike. Hizzy and Jock who led the union at the time felt that tooth fairies were invisible and their needs had been ignored for far too long. Pom never agreed with the leaders as he had always wanted to be good at his work and not mind what anyone thinks of him – as long as his happy, his wife is happy – and most of all – the kids are happy. Hizzy and Jock were not happy and caused a lot of trouble for everyone; they had been thrown out of the Union after their plans faced a lot of opposition from the rest of the fairies. Pom and most of the fairies were sure that Hizzy – a short plump fairy who was lazier than an average tooth fairy and just wanted to stay at home and eat Jaffa cakes and not go out to do his “unthankful” job of delivering coins, or in some countries, sweets or chocolate covered fruit. Pom didn’t want to get involved in the conflict, he just wanted to keep doing his job and do it well, and so far he had managed it quite well.

One day or rather – one night – Hizzy and Jock came to visit Pom as he was on his way to work. Pom had finished his pancakes that he and his wife made for breakfast which they normally had in the evening, gulped down his two pints of milk-coffee, adjusted his pointy tie, kissed his wife goodbye and opened the door to leave. It was quite late in the evening, although still a bit too early for work but Pom wanted to get going sooner to make sure he would miss any kids on his schedule. The sack of coins was heavy and he had to hold it with both hands as he stooped under the weight. Darkness was taking over while some sunlight still echoed at the back of the sky. Hizzy stood near Pom’s door. He wore a crooked black top hat and a black suit and his wings were covered in smudged inky art work. Jock stood behind his shoulder with his old grey wings and yellow teeth bared as his tried to form a deceiving smile.

“You’re off to work, then,” Hizzy said, leaning against the door frame.

“Yes, I am.” Pom looked him straight in the eye. He wouldn’t let himself be intimidated.

“What would you say if I were to invite you to our meeting?”

“I’d say “no, thank you. I’ve got work to do,” that’s what I’d say.”

“Not to attend – no – we’d like you to come and give a speech.”

“What? A speech. Why?”

Hizzy held his fist up under Pom’s nose.

“We need you’re determination. We need someone who can inspire.”

Pom always got a bit nasal when he was impatient. “I’m truly sorry but I need to get to work.”

“Okay. No problem. Just think about it. We’d really like you to come. When ever.”

“Thanks,” Pom said hesitantly as his feet took off the ground and he hurried off.

Hizzy and Jock were still standing by his door and watching him when Pom glanced back before disappearing behind the roof top.

Pom arrived at the kid’s window. He checked his pocket book to see if was the right address and the right window. It was. He was just about to study the window frame and look for any open ventilation holes when he noticed some black ink smudged on the window glass. It could be anything, he thought and carried on but an odd feeling kept nibbling him. He felt like he was being watched.

Pom was always careful. He found a nook and hid himself, covering himself with his wings that would camouflage him against the wall. He waited patiently but there was no sign of anything out of the ordinary. Just in case, he went back to study the smudges on the window glass and discovered that they were gone! Pom was quite puzzled and rubbed his neck. Pom touched the glass to see if his eyes had been playing tricks on him but his fingers came off clean. But there was still something odd about this. The window glass was warm as if someone had breathed onto it. He’d been standing right there next to the window and surely he would’ve noticed any movement. Very odd, he thought. He then noticed a little crack in the window frame and discovered it was a secret door just big enough for him and a coin. Pom began to wonder whether there had been a mix-up with the schedules and someone had already delivered a coin to this address. But just then he heard something from inside and quickly dropped flat down on the window sill. The kid was awake!

Pom’s heart rate went up and his head began to shake in fear of being detected. He raised his head, slowly and carefully, and peeked in through the window. It was dark in the room and it certainly was a kid’s room – there were airplane models under the ceiling and pictures of dinosaurs. Somewhere at the back of the room there was a bed and in the bed there was someone lying under the quilt that had airplane pictures on it and near the head of the bed there were two excited eyes glinting as the boy was waiting, holding the quilt up over his nose with just his eyes and the top of his head visible. Patient. Just as patient as Pom. The boy couldn’t see Pom but he knew he was coming. Pom noticed that there was a thread tied to the inside of the secret door with the other end attached to a toy car next to the toy box. Opening the door would’ve caused the car to move which would’ve pulled the cover of the toy box, causing it to slam down and alert the boy of his arrival. The noise would’ve been loud enough to wake the snoring parents.

Pom waited and the boy waited. Pom looked at his watch and worried about the other kids on the schedule but he knew he couldn’t go in and risk getting detected.

It had to be Hizzy. Hizzy set him up, Pom realised. Hizzy had been here and wanted him to get caught by the boy so that the old code centred around avoiding detection would become redundant and Pom would join Hizzy’s cause. Hizzy had known that Pom was going to complete the job no matter what but he didn’t know Pom as well as he thought he did. Pom was a thinker and he thought long and hard before deciding what to do.

Pom waited for a few more minutes but there was nothing left to do. He was a fairy of principles. He had always honoured the fairy code, and whatever he chose to do that night he knew it would bother him for years to come. There were two ways out and they both meant dishonouring the code. The coin had to be delivered and had to go undetected but that night he could only do one of these and it was hard for poor old Pom. He just could let Hizzy get what he wanted. Pom had to choose whether to complete the job but get detected, or not deliver the coin at all. But delivering the coin was the purpose of his whole being, it was who he was, what he did, his fathers did, his wife did, his children will do. So, in order for the world to continue as he knew it he decided not to complete the job and leave – no matter how much regret and heart ache it would cause. This kids would wake up and there would be no coin, he though on his way to another kid’s home, I’ll never be able to forget it.

It had to be done.

SATURDAY PAGE RAGE #2

2010-09-11T12:24:00.002+01:00

Hello and welcome to the Saturday Page Rage!

WRITE AS FAST AS YOU CAN
WRITE AS MANY PAGES AS YOU CAN
PEN CANNOT LEAVE PAPER or
FINGERS CANNOT LEAVE KEYBOARD
WRITE FOR ONE SOLID HOUR

Read more about what, how and why here.

Have you got your pen and some paper? Have you turned the phone off? Eliminated any other distractions?

Shake your hands to relax them, take deep breaths to relax and clear your mind. Relax your feet, your back, and your arms. Ready?

Here's is the theme for this week:

Individuality (denied)
As in when parents keep dressing up twins in identical clothes they are denying them individuality. Do try to find other contexts to explore this idea.

Just start writing!
Good luck!

SATURDAY PAGE RAGE #1

2010-09-04T13:27:00.004+01:00

Hello and welcome to the first Saturday Page Rage!

Saturday Page Rage is a form of free association or automatic writing. You will have one hour to write as much as you can and as fast as you can without stopping. You can do it by yourself or with a group of writer friends today or any time during the week. There will be a new theme posted here every Saturday.

RULES

WRITE AS FAST AS YOU CAN
WRITE AS MANY PAGES AS YOU CAN
PEN CANNOT LEAVE PAPER or
FINGERS CANNOT LEAVE KEYBOARD
WRITE FOR ONE SOLID HOUR

In order to get as much as you can out of this you have to follow the rules! It's important that you do not stop - finish your coffee, use the toilet, get extra pens and paper, make yourself comfortable, during writing do not stop to sip coffee or tea, do not even stop to think - YOUR PEN MUST NOT LEAVE THE PAPER! Alternatively, you can do it on the computer and in that case your fingers must not leave the keyboard (unless you have a cramp!).

If your mind wanders - write it down, if you go blank - write it down, you can repeat the theme until something comes to you - do not stop! Thinks as you write and write as you think. Do not go back to read what you've written, do not even think about what you've been writing. Write as fast as you can - this is not a stroll in the park, this is a sprint - imagine a pack of vicious rottweilers running after you - yes, THAT fast!

And whatever you do, you have to have fun! Enjoy it! No one will ever read unless you want them to, the aim is to get your brain to 'loosen up' and bring out something new and surprising. Therefore you have to write as fast as you can. It's about mileage - write about anything as long as you can as many words down as possible.

It will be a fun experience with a group of writers where you can keep an eye on each other and discuss afterwards - how did it go? Was it easy? Was it hard? What did you write about? Did you write anything that surprised you? Is there anything you can use in your other projects or gave you an idea about doing something differently with some other project?

Every week a new theme will be posted here. You don't have to stick to it, you can just use it to get you started or get you back on track during writing. You can use the theme to write about anything that is on your mind, you are currently working on, or use it to write about something completely new. You can write about a a fictional character, come up with a story; about a personal experience, issues on a community level, national level, or about something universal - anything! The theme can be applied to any topic or issue - personal relationships (fictional or not), family, politics, sports, culture, etc.. Different angles and associations might come to you as you write - let it happen, don't censor yourself, relax and let everything come out.

After you've completed take a short break, have a cup of coffee and just think about the process - how it went and what you felt - did you struggle? Where did you struggle? How did you get rolling? After you've cleared your mind and relaxed go back to read what you've written, read it a couple of times and analyse it - are there any surprises? Are there any interesting thoughts? Something you can use in your other writing? Which parts were easier to write about and what were the areas where you lost the train of thought? Was the easy part something you've been writing about before or was is something new? Perhaps the harder bits are the ones worth exploring? Did you stumble upon any deeper issues you've been avoiding without being aware of it? Take your time. If this has given you new ideas to explore and write about - great!

Also, please come back to leave a comment and share your experience with other writers! We would love to hear about how it went!

Please use #satpagerage to post your responses and comments on Twitter. Please tell your friends about Saturday Page Rage and invite them to join!

Have you got your pen and some paper? Have you turned the phone off? Shake your hands to relax them, take deep breaths to relax and clear your mind. Relax your feet, your back, and your arms. Ready?

Here's is the theme for this week:

Every medal has its reverse.

Don't stop to think, just start writing!
Good luck!

Coming Soon: SATURDAY PAGE RAGE

2010-08-26T16:26:00.000+01:00

On September 4th, the first ever SATURDAY PAGE RAGE will kick off here!

Are you a writer? Any kind of writer? Playwright, poet, novelist, screenwriter, non-fiction writer? This is for you. It'll be tense, fun, and a great brain-boosting experience! Come back on September 4th and join in! You will only need one free hour, a pen and some paper.

What's Saturday Page Rage? You will find out soon!
Watch this space for more info and look out for #satpagerage on Twitter.

Writing Essentials: The Four Levels of Structure

2010-07-22T21:32:00.003+01:00

We all know how important structure is regardless of what you're writing. It doesn't matter what type of structure you follow, whether you prefer three or five acts, or eight sequences, the structure is there to hold the story together. The structure will help you organise your story, the material, so that your introduction won't take up half of the story while the climax is spared a paragraph. What would happen if a building had nothing on some of the floors, or there were corridors that led nowhere and rooms without an entrance? Everything in a building is carefully arranged, so that when you're in there, you won't even notice it. Just like each floor of a building has an organised set of corridors and rooms, and each room has a door, there are also structures within the main construction of the story, structures that will help you organise the scenes or chapters, and more detailed parts of the story.

The four levels of structure are:

1) Story Structure
As discussed above - this is the bigger picture, the whole story from beginning to end. Create a map for yourself that will help you visualise where each part of your story fits and whether all the parts are in balance. Do all parts of your story get the right amount of attention?

2) Storyline Structure
In a long story you will have different storylines that sometimes connect and other times run parallel without 'meeting'. Each of those storylines should have a structure of their own. Storylines should be analysed through characters because it's the character that the audience is following. Take a character and separate them from the main story for a second in order to examine more closely what is going on with them, just in that one storyline - how is it introduced? Does it evolve? Does it end up anywhere? Are there consequences and a resolution? This could be a secondary character, the antagonist, or any other character. You will notice immediately whether there are any plot holes, or the storyline is too sparse, or too long. Don't forget that each character is the protagonist of their own story and their motives and wants need to be as clear as anyone else's.

3) Act Structure
Each act has their own structure. For example, Act I is the introduction (or The Routine as in Frank Daniel's Eight Sequence Method). This is not just a delivery information so that we can get to the story later but this, too, is a dramatic unit of storytelling. Which means it needs to just as dramatic as any other part of the story. The Introduction, just as any other act or sequence in the story, has to have a beginning, middle and end.

4) Scene/Chapter or Event Structure
Sometimes it takes several scenes to cover one event (i.e. when action moves from one location to another). The scene needs to be examined without any parallel action involving someone else (if there is one). Each scene has their own beginning, middle and end, and is a unit of dramatic storytelling. Beginning doesn't necessarily mean exposition (i.e. showing who, where and what - you choose how you reveal your information and when) but you can start with something that sets the tone or the context, you can begin with the obstacle, anything, just as long as the scene will develop further - someone wants something and faces opposition, and therefore, there are consequences - which take us to the following scene. Don't forget cause and effect!

Working on different levels of structure will help make the whole story richer and more engaging.
Separating different levels of the story in order to examine them by themselves will help you rationally analyse your story and see whether the different parts of the story are in balance. Viewing your characters' stories separately will also help with character development because you will see where the character is psychologically at each stage of his/her personal narrative.

You can use bullet-point lists or index cards for dismantling the story. Write only a a few keywords or a short title on each card, so that you will have an overview without having to take time to read each card. You can always add new cards or shuffle them around to discover new options for the narrative.

Structure is there to hold the story together and structure itself should be invisible to the average reader. If you think about a problem - a problem has a structure: first, everything was normal, then something happened, there was a reaction, something was done about it, and there were consequences and a resolution. If you leave out one of those steps, the whole thing will look awkward, there's a beat missing. It's the same with stories. If all the parts are there, each given proper amount of attention, the story will run smoothly and the average reader won't notice a thing - the structure will become invisible.

Good luck!

Writing Prompt: Current Issues

2010-07-20T11:53:00.001+01:00

Have you read the paper today? Or yesterday? Watched the news on TV? Were there any stories that really caught your attention? Not as a writer but just as a person observing the news. Did something make you angry? Did something prompt a discussion? Were they talking about any people or events that made you react? Perhaps there's something that you ought to write about? Some deeper issue that you might be passionate about and could explore in your writing?

For example, when they talk about the oil spill, it's not only about the environmental damage and the struggle to clean it up, but there had to be something deeper, some deeper flaw, that caused it - perhaps it was incompetence, greed or bureaucracy that was at the heart of it. That gives this tragedy a human face. (You can't write about an issue, you can write about people involved in the issue.) I often get worked up about incompetence in politics and business, I get worked up about social issues, injustice, ignorance, or when authorities fail, harming us instead of protecting. I get worked up about how the media is over-reporting some things and not reporting other things at all - this selective view of the world that ignores matters that are too foreign and complicated.
A writer should be able to analyse news stories critically, not just take in the information, because the way the news are reported, and what is reported, also says something about the society we live in.

So, was there something that caught your attention? See if you can use the issues in a story or a scene.

Good luck!

Introducing: Scripped

2010-07-20T11:05:00.000+01:00

Scripped is free web-based screenwriting software (also holds stageplay, radio, TV and comic book formats) that you can use for storing your work online in order to access it from any computer or collaborate with other writers. There's an extensive writers' community, you can share your scripts and receive feedback or join in on discussions. Also, you can use the website to submit your work to screenwriting contests held by Scripped.com where they invite producers, writers, and other professionals to come and find new talent and great scripts.
There's a 30 free trial followed by a monthly fee.

Scripped.com
Scripped on Facebook
Scripped on Twitter

Writing Exercise: Two Reactions

2010-07-19T13:11:00.002+01:00

Create a scene involving two characters, using minimal dialogue. The scene takes place in a small shop, it's late and there are not too many people around. The two characters are a Shop Assistant and a Client. Create different version of the scene, always creating two reactions for the Shop Assistant: the first impression and a change.

The Shop Assistant is behind the counter and a Client enters. This is where the first reaction will happen. Use the Shop Assistant's behaviour to portray what his/her first impression is (it could be ignorance, awe, etc.). The Client picks up something from the isles or s/he could walk straight to the counter. As the two characters interact, the Shop Assistant realises who s/he is actually talking to - show the reaction and the consequence - a change in the behaviour. The Client's behaviour can remain the same throughout the scene, so that you can keep the Shop Assistant in focus but remember that there have to be small clues to the Client's character throughout the scene (the way they carry themselves, how they speak, etc.) and there should be something atypical about them (they are perhaps dressed informally or there's something else about them that will mislead the Shop Assistant).

Here are three options for the Client. The Client, who is not immediately recognised (but judged by their appearance and behaviour), is:

a) a high-ranking police officer

b) a politician

c) a priest

Remember to use minimal dialogue. You can try using the same lines of dialogue in all versions in order to focus on behaviour. Try to come up with more options for the Client as well as the Shop Assistant, props, or setting.

After you've come up with some scenes, take a scene you've created and turn it around: use the second reaction as the first and the first reaction last. For example, if they were 'indifference' and 'respect', use 'respect' first and 'indifference' last. Remember that these are 'reactions' - the Shop Assistant's behaviour needs to be a reaction to when s/he sees or experiences, and it's interaction with the Client - learning about the other character that will change the Shop Assistant's perception.
Play around with gender, social background and age. Transfer the scene to another place: a library, a drug store, a shelter for the homeless, etc. Try different attitudes, both positive and negative. Try to avoid the typical and the obvious by coming up with more options (the first three or four ideas are usually the more obvious ones).

Good luck!

Writing Tip: Keep Asking Questions

2010-07-16T16:46:00.001+01:00

In order to write an engaging and clear story, the writer should keep asking as many questions as possible at any stage of development. You should write at least one draft to get your thoughts and the story flowing before beginning to dig deeper. The most important questions are about characters and the relationships between them because it's the characters that the reader is following.
Here are some examples:

Is it clear whose story it is? Is it clear in every scene/chapter?
Does the introduction introduce the story from the right point of view?
Is it clear how characters feel about each other? (play with it: someone who turns out to be an antagonistic character later can be a friend at first and vice versa)
The theme: are different of opposing points of view represented in order to explore the subject in depth?
How does theme manifest in each scene/chapter?
What are the dominant emotions during the different stages of the story? Is there enough contrast and variation?
Is there enough variation in mood or setting?
Is there any repetition in scenes or events?
Will the story suffer if I leave this scene or event out?

Or more detailed questions:

Is this an appropriate prop to use in this scene? Could it be something more original?
What if I start the scene with another character or a different image?
What is the atmosphere during this even? How can I create variations within the scene?
How does the main character feel about this place, person, object?
How can I make it more uncomfortable for my main character?

Just keep going and come up with questions about anything you've written down. Look at what the characters are doing, what are they saying and to whom, or when (timing). Coming up with questions will help you distance yourself from your writing and develop the story further. You can come up with questions on character, plot, theme, scenes, structure, anything.

Good luck!

Writing Tip: Defamiliarisation

2010-07-10T13:40:00.002+01:00

The term 'ostranenie' in Russian means 'making strange' or 'defamiliarisation'. Defamiliarisation occurs when the writer makes something trivial or habitual seems strange and unfamiliar to the reader as if it's perceived for the first time.
The strange effect can be created through description, metaphors and other rhetoric devices, so that through the distortion of form the object will appear from an unconventional angle. Instead of just showing the object and letting the reader recognise it, the writer slows down the process of perception and makes it more difficult to recognise the object, letting the reader really see and pick up clues step by step. The writer wants to portray objects as they are perceived in the context of the story not as they are known to everyone, and keeping in mind that description can be considered part of character and point of view, the manner in which the writer decides to portray and defamiliarise an object, or an act, will add to the character(s) and the mood of the story.

Go through the story you're working on and see if you can deploy this effect to replace familiar acts and object with something more intriguing for the reader. It doesn't mean the object will change, it means you are revealing it to the reader in a unique and original way.
Create a new story where you can use this effect as part of the world of a character - it can be the world of the main character or a strange world of, say, a villain that the main character enters.
Try using the defamiliarisation effect in either a moment within a scene (for example, when entering a scene, or climax), in the whole scene, in a sequence, in a chapter (keeping in mind the function of the events in the story as a whole), or in the whole story.
Take it to the next level: you can not only make your reader experience defamiliarisation but you can describe a character experiencing one. Show a character encountering something strange (an object or an event) and show the process of recognition to the reader. You can make the reader either part of the process by letting them go through the process with the character or keep the reader one step ahead, so that the reader can observe the process.

Further reading:
Defamiliarization in Language and Literature

Metafictional Techniques: Fourth Wall, Defamiliarization, Story Within a Story, Presentational Acting and Representational Acting, Metafiction

Her Last Meal with Jim

2010-07-09T12:11:00.003+01:00

Write Anything [Fiction] Friday Challenge for 9th July 2010

In her right hand a woman holds a loaded gun, in her left, a coin that just came up ‘tails’.
- It's all yours.
She holds the gun under the table, waiting for Jim to take it.
The man stares at her, nervous and wide-eyed, sweat running down his cheek.
- Take it!
He reaches his hand under the table and is startled by the metal warmed by her hands touching his palm. His weak hand can barely handle the weight. He looks around. People in the restaurant eat and drink, oblivious. A waiter hurries past. He waits till she's gone. He lifts the table cloth to look at it and quickly hides it under his jacket. The room feels quieter than before. Is he being watched?
She stares at him from across the table.
- Come on. If I can do it, you can do it.
He stands up, looking at the people, trying to get their attention. The pulls the gun out, forgetting to aim it.
- Everyone, this is a robbery! His voice is too weak. No one can hear.
- Hey! You, all... He lifts the gun a bit. His hand waggles under the weight. A woman at the nearest table takes a glance at him and then carries on with the conversation.
He slumps back into the seat and hides the gun. The woman looks nervous, alert, just for a second, but realises no one has taken any notice and calms down.
- What the fuck are you doing?
He wipes sweat off his forehead. A waiter comes over.
- Are you ready to order?
The woman stares at the guy.
- That's great, Jim. Nice meal. From now on, you're on your own.
She gets up and walks off.
The waiter is still waiting for him to make an order.

Writing Prompt: Recognition

2010-07-06T12:07:00.002+01:00

Picture this: your character is at home, it's quiet and peaceful, perhaps it's Sunday. Suddenly the police burst in and your character is accused of something they haven't done. Then, your character and one of the policemen recognise each other.
One of the policemen is the main character's:

a) neighbour
b) former school bully
c) former boss

Come up with more options, perhaps the main character is the policeman's former boss or one of them got dumped by a spouse for the other. What has gone on between them before this event? Do they know each other well? Did they get along or not? Is there a change in the relationship during this event? Would one want to use the acquaintance to their advantage? Remember to make the situation as difficult as possible for the main character. What happens afterwards between those two characters after this crisis has died down? Also, play with characters by using the same relationship but changing the characters' age, gender, or social status.

Writing tip: try not to write anything down as long as you can. Start writing only when you feel like you can't hold yourself back or you're afraid you're going to forget what you've come up with.

Essentials: Character

2010-07-05T22:45:00.002+01:00

What is a character? How to create a believable character? A character in a story doesn't have to be likeable but he or she should be recognisable. The audience will engage and take interest in a character they recognise and understand regardless whether the character is 'likeable' or not. Stereotypes come out of using the same elements and qualities that everyone will immediately recognise. The nagging wife, the school bully, the old granny who can't hear well. Stereotypes are recognisable but they are also superficial and a result of lazy writing. Using stereotypes is not encouraged but stereotypes should be analysed because they can be used as a stepping stone for building a more original and believable character.

Characters have a personal history, temperament, beliefs, and ideas about their future. Human beings are complex but a writer should be able to express a character in a clear and economic way. The writer has to know more about the character than is written on the page.
Try comparing two people you know: compare their background, opinions and aspirations. What are their flaws? What are they good at? What would be the first thing, a tell-tale sign of their personality when you meet them for the first time in your life?
One of the easiest ways of first approaching a character is to think of them as 'the most...' type of person in the story. The most nervous, the most energetic, the most talkative, the most silent, the most ambitious etc.

You can then build your character around that: how did they grow up? How did they end up with the personality they've got? How do they behave around people they know and strangers? What is important to them? Is it something personal, something regarding a loved one, or the whole community? How do they want other people around them to behave? A criminal would want his mate to be more submissive, a teacher would want his colleagues to be more ambitious, etc. Play with the reader's expectations: a little old granny can swear like a sailor, a fireman can become too nervous to perform his duties, a clumsy superhero, etc. People can also have public personas and behave completely differently in private.

Complex characters are more engaging for the audience. Creating paradoxes is a good way of revealing character and exploring their personality in a dramatic way. When you come up with 'the most' character, try putting them in a situation where that quality stops them from getting what they want. In There Will Be Blood, Daniel Plainview hates people but in order to get what he wants - oil - he has to work with other people because he can't dig oil by himself. That puts him in a constant state of conflict and tension that can't be resolved unless the character changes.

Writing Prompt: Alone in the Crowd

2010-07-05T14:01:00.003+01:00

Picture this: there are tens or maybe hundreds of people in the streets celebrating. It could be New Year's Eve or some local or national celebration. Show details of people enjoying themselves. Then, there are two people in the crowd who are unhappy.
Come up with as many variations as you can, for example:

a) there are two unhappy people together
b) there are two unhappy people and they don't know about each other
c) there are two unhappy people and there's a moment of recognition

Things to consider: what has happened to the character, what has made them unhappy? Try to keep dialogue to a minimum. Avoid having people declare their state of mind, show it through their actions and reactions. Being unhappy is a passive state which doesn't mean that the character can't have a goal in the scene. What do they want? Consider options for changing the characters mood (for the better or worse) during this event, or showing the promise of resolution in the future.

Good luck!

Opportunities: Txtlit Competition (UK)

2010-07-05T11:09:00.007+01:00

Txtlit competition accepts micro short stories every month.
Simply text the keyword STORY followed by a space and your micro story of no more than 154 characters to 82085. There is no limit to the number of entries. The fee is £1 per entry.

The theme for July's competition is 'Disappointment'.

Find out more here.

Good luck!

On a similar subject:

Tip: How to Keep Going

2010-07-04T11:39:00.002+01:00

Stories are about who, what, where, when, why, and how. Keep yourself going by asking those questions at each stage
(about the story as a whole, a sequence, a chapter, or a specific scene) or whenever you get stuck.
Remember to keep the questions specific. Don't ask 'What will happen next?' but ask about a specific character, action, prop, or place. For example, you can ask what this character wants out of the other character(s) in the scene, when does the character want to perform some specific action and when are they able to do it, how the character will get from one place to another, etc. Instead of asking 'What's stopping them?', you can ask why the other character in the scene or story would want to stop them, what or who stopping them in this location, or at this time. Try to be as specific as you can.
Don't forget that stories are about relationships and it's helpful if the questions are about how one character relates to another character, place, or time.

Keep asking yourself specific questions at every step.

Good luck!

Recommended reading:

Writing Prompt: Off the Road

2010-07-03T19:26:00.006+01:00

Imagine this: someone has driven off the road in their car and hit a tree in a field. It's miles from anywhere, it's dark and there are no lights on in the car to make it visible to passing drivers.
There's a passenger who is unconscious and the driver has to act quickly in order to get help.

1) Come up with five or more ways for the driver to stop a passing vehicle for each:

a) the driver is a teenager
b) the driver is middle-aged
c) the driver is old and frail

2) Using the same characters: it's daytime and the driver is stuck in the car.

For the first one, the most obvious - running in front of the approaching vehicle and waving hands is not allowed. Don't forget different levels of injury and considering options for who the passing driver might be!
Next step: who is the passenger and what has happened between the driver and the passenger during the past 24 hours.

Good luck!