Writing

Section 1

• Don't forget your central essential question.
• Introduce the problem in the first couple of paragraphs or within the first two pages.
• The ending is where your philosophy is revealed.
• Maximize the middle section of your story.
• Make your hero active and decisive.
• Even at rest, characters should be driven by desire.
• Write characters at the height of their intelligence.
• Closely matched antagonists create more engaging stories.
• Do I have an antagonist?
• Confront evil.
1. Write a story that features a single evil character.
• Attack your theme.
1. Identify objections to your theme.

Section 2

What is This Thing Called Creative Writing? How Do You Get Started Without Feeling Overwhelmed?

Part 1: The Basics

Reconciling the Method with the Madness

Main Question: Can writing be taught?

Compelling writing involves two aspects: method and madness.

• The method can be learned academically and systematically.
• Writing is a craft that can be acquired, practiced, and mastered, much like woodworking or painting.
• Craft includes learning about:
  • Imagery
  • Dialogue
  • Narrative
  • Scene-building
• Writers can master:
  • Character development
  • Story structure
• The answer to whether writing can be taught is both yes and no.

The "Madness" Aspect of Creative Writing

The "madness" aspect is often referred to as inspiration. Picasso once said, "The chief enemy of creativity is good sense." Writers face a dilemma: how to be creative and chaotic while shaping material coherently. The challenge lies in reconciling method (craft) with madness (inspiration).

There are two extremes among writing students:

• Those who master craft but produce dull stories.
• Those who create exciting drafts without control.

This dichotomy can be understood through right-brain (intuitive, holistic) and left-brain (logical, sequential) capabilities. Creative writing workshops often emphasize left-brain analytical skills, risking an overemphasis on logic at the expense of intuition and spontaneity.

Some individuals seamlessly integrate left- and right-brain functions. A common issue after acquiring craft knowledge is the difficulty of turning off the analytical "editor" (left brain) when generating new material. Paradoxically, more knowledge can lead to increased self-censorship during the creative process.

The traditional workshop method in creative writing lacks a way to help writers access deep and profound material.

Questions and Answers

Question: Can the ability to tune into private material be taught?

Answer: It can't be taught in a traditional sense, but it can be nurtured, especially in a classroom setting. Certain exercises, prompts, and "constraints" are known to help writers tap into their inspiration. The exercises in this book are designed to help set aside logical reasoning and engage in an intuitive creative process.

Goal

Writers can shape raw, early drafts into something meaningful through the craft process, emphasizing the interplay between craft and creativity, method and madness.

Talent and Creativity

Are some people more talented than others? Yes. Does creativity come easier to some? Certainly. In my teaching experience, I have witnessed creative breakthroughs through perseverance, dedication, and obstinacy.

Belief: Everyone has something within them to express; the key is providing process tools to discover it and craft tools to express it coherently.

Some Basic Definitions

"Fiction" originates from Latin words meaning "act of fashioning" and "to shape, fashion, or feign." According to Merriam-Webster, fiction is "something invented by the imagination"—an assertion of something created from the imagination.

Fiction is not factual; it presents as true something that is not factually real in order to convey a deeper truth. John Ciardi said, "Poetry lies its way to the truth." Picasso stated, "Art is a lie that makes us realize the truth." Writing fiction involves conveying truth through creative deception.

The purpose of this book is to teach how to be the best liar in the context of writing fiction, emphasizing the importance of rendering something on the page as true, regardless of traditional story elements like conflict, crisis, resolution, or character change.

On Sentiment and Sentimentality

Good writing is both surprising and convincing. Choosing to depict things that resist easy summary helps avoid sentimentality and melodrama, the twin pitfalls of creative writers. It’s important to define these terms precisely to foster understanding in writing classes and workshops.

• Melodrama: Characterized by extravagant theatricality, with an emphasis on plot and physical action over characterization. Reader emotions are evoked through sensational events rather than subtle character development. The term "melodrama" originates from early dramatic pantomimes that featured staged action set to music, often lacking dialogue. Subtlety of character is frequently lost in favor of dramatic physicality in melodramatic works.
• Sentimentality: Defined as being falsely emotional in a maudlin way, often exhibiting extravagant or affected feelings. It reflects an excess of emotion that feels unearned or disconnected from meaningful context. Sentimental writing relies on stock emotional responses from general cultural or human experiences. It often lacks a believable context within the story's world for its emotional responses. The term "sentimental" is frequently associated with things considered precious or mawkish, like babies and kittens. Sentimentality can arise even in serious subjects like war or death if it attempts to provoke an emotional response that exceeds the situation's merits.

Sentimentality and Its Illustration

Sentimentality is best illustrated through examples, particularly from advertisements designed to provoke emotional responses. Advertisements often tap into fears, such as missing out on life's precious moments or grown children calling their elderly parents. These ads typically avoid complexity and instead focus on eliciting immediate, knee-jerk emotional reactions.

Sentiment itself is not inherently negative. It can be defined as "refined feeling," "delicate sensing of emotion," or "an idea colored by emotion." Striving for true sentiment is essential for creating genuinely moving work. Sentimentality occurs when this positive aspect of sentiment is overextended or misapplied.

I.A. Richards, in Practical Criticism, defines sentimentality as a response that is inappropriate to the situation. Bad sentimental responses are often confined to one stereotyped, unrepresentative aspect of the prompting situation.

Sentimental depictions often involve stereotypical portrayals: marriages and births are always happy, funerals are sad, and older people are lonely while waiting for phone calls. These portrayals fail to capture the range of emotions that such situations can evoke, which often include more complex feelings, like reluctance to become parents or relief at someone's passing.

Sentimental writing triggers "stock responses" in the reader, meaning a poem or narrative invokes pre-existing views and emotions. In such cases, the reader's role becomes more significant than the writer's; the author's work is reduced to pressing a button that plays a predetermined emotional response.

Sentimentality can also manifest at the opposite end of the spectrum from treacly sweetness. Some writers fear being labeled sentimental, causing them to avoid emotional risks and stifle their work. However, to avoid genuine emotion is to neglect the very reason many of us write: to convey complex, urgent feelings.

Our First Job as Writers: To Notice

Avoiding melodramatic or sentimental writing begins with the act of noticing—truly observing the world. Noticing is the writer's primary job, and everyone possesses the innate ability to notice things that catch their attention.

The individual nature of noticing is a writer's greatest strength, as two people can have different experiences during the same walk, observing distinct details. There is no right or wrong in what one notices; observations stem from individual experiences.

Creative work arises from this act of noticing. It signals the creative urge, buried deep within, suggesting that something matters and that there is material to uncover, along with memories and associations to explore.

Avoiding the “Writerly” Voice

Writers often desire their work to feel Important and Significant, risking a tone that comes off as pompous or declarative. Another common pitfall is the attempt to use overly sophisticated language, resulting in flowery, overwrought writing. It's crucial to avoid writing that feels artificial or excessively "written."

Beginning fiction writers must understand the importance of developing a unique and natural voice. This discovery is a continual pursuit throughout a writer's life. The writer's voice may differ from their speaking voice, representing a distinct expression in writing.

Using straightforward and honest language enhances the visibility of the writer's voice. Writers should avoid unnecessary complexities, such as big words or ornate language, unless they come naturally. A natural use of metaphor or strong imagery is encouraged if it aligns with the writer's gifts. The operative word is "honest"; honesty is crucial in both content and expression.

The goal is to find your unique voice, distinct from others. This can be challenging due to a lifetime of trying to fit in and avoid standing out. Society encourages conformity in behavior, but creative writing is a space where unique and unconventional aspects of oneself can shine. Embracing and expressing these distinctive elements is vital in creative writing.

Part 2: Exercises

"I Don't Know Why I Remember…"

Goal: To pinpoint previously unexplored material that holds emotional significance.

What to do:

• Reflect on your life and think of small, seemingly insignificant moments that have stuck with you (avoid major events like births or deaths).
• Render these moments precisely on the page using concrete details, beginning each with the phrase, "I don't know why I remember."
• Refrain from explaining why these memories are significant; focus on immersing the reader in the experience.

I am a Camera

Goal: To notice what you notice and render it without explanation or interpretation.

What to do:

• In the style of Christopher Isherwood's famous passage, activate your "camera" (the part of your brain that observes).
• Take a walk or visit a place rich in sensory experiences, preferably where there are other people.
• Record everything precisely on the page, using as many senses as possible.
• Avoid interpreting or explaining; simply capture the experience. Everything will be developed later—just focus on recording for now.

Section 3

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Section 4

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Section 5

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Section 7

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Section 8

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Section 9

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Section 10

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Section 11

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Section 13

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