Writing Lessons From a Block of Wood

By Keith Fisher

When this blog began, it was called blogck in reference to the phenomenon that often happens to writers. It’s called writer’s block, and it’s when a writer tries to work and can’t seem to think of anything to write. There are many methods for relieving this condition and this blog was intended to be one of them for the authors.

In thinking about our blog name and the purpose, I dreamed up a new logo. What do you think?



Also while thinking of the name, I was reminded of a recent movie that most of you have probably seen.

In Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium, Mr. Magorium gave Molly a marvelous gift. He reached into his dishwasher, removed a large block of wood, and handed it to her. Of course she was at a loss as to what to do with it. See the block in the picture?

The story unfolds and Molly is shocked to discover that Magorium is going to die and he wants to give the magical, living toy store to her. She objects because she claims to have no magic and can't run the store. Magorium asks her if she used the block of wood, she asked how, and he told her that she must believe in the block.

If we attach this as a metaphor to our writer’s block, we must imagine a set of children’s toy blocks with numbers, symbols, and letters printed on them. The words are there—the letters are in the blocks. We must believe in the blocks and place one letter in front of the other until suddenly, out of nowhere, an idea begins to form. Before we know it, we have written pages of beautiful prose. We set the blocks aside and move on in the jubilation of our craft.

In the movie, Magorium died and Maggie is left with a half-dead toy store. All appears to be lost but at the last minute, the block shows Maggie the magic inside her and she uses it to bring the store back to life.

Like Maggie, there is magic in our souls. Sometimes we think the magic is lost, but if we believe in the block and use it to learn and grow, it will show us the magic that is writing.

Good luck with your writing, see you next week.

18 or 30?

by G.Parker

Those who are age conscious will look at that title and think I'm going to talk about the differences between a teenager and an adult, or something related to it. Fooled ya, didn't I?

A long time ago I heard that it takes 30 days to set a new habit. It doesn't take very long to undo it, but it takes 30 days of repetition for the habit to be set. Last Monday in a work meeting, someone said that it takes 18 times of doing something to set it as a habit. I thought that was interesting, and my writer's mind immediately took over.

In this meeting, they were discussing how perhaps they were repeating themselves in a newsletter they sent out to certain people. It was stated that most of the people didn't keep track and didn't realize it anyway, they all thought it was great.

In my mind I went over our blogs for the past year, and I know at one time or another, I've probably repeated myself, or mentioned something that someone else has said as well. No one has sent us hate mail, and none of us have noticed it ourselves enough to comment, "Hey, didn't I talk about that last month?" So I guess we're good.

But have you ever noticed this phenomenon yourself? I figure this has a lot to do with what we are trying to do as writers. We are trying to get ourselves in a routine -- make our writing a normal every day activity. A group I'm associated with does a Book in a Month thing where they try to write anywhere from 30 to 50,000 words in a month. This is not associated with the National Novel Writing Month, but it's very similar. The whole point of the BIAM project, however, is to get one used to writing every day.

I know that's one thing that I've mentioned before. Sound familiar?

I'm sure in the years to come as we hone our skills as writers and continue to grow and develop, we might repeat ideas or suggestions that we come across in our blogs. Your challenge is to see if you remember it. Does it sound like something you've decided to do and when did you decide to do it? Repetition doesn't hurt when it's a good habit. What kind are you developing?

I've got to get back to my story.

Seven Random Things
By Nichole Giles

A little while ago, Rachelle Christensen tagged me to write seven random things about myself and share them in a blog. Since I promised this blog to our readers last week, I guess it’s time for me to pay up.

1. I am the oldest of seven children—although the seventh didn’t come along until I was married and had a child of my own.

2. When people ask me where I’m from I usually say “a lot of places” because I was born in Nevada, moved from there to Utah, then Arizona, and back to Utah when I was a senior in high school. I lived in several different cities within each state, and even spent a few months living in Texas with my grandma when I was twelve.

3. I am a champion shopper. My family claims that if there were such a thing as a worldwide shopping competition, I would stand a great shot at winning a trophy. But then, that kind of shopping spree might cure me for life and what fun would that be?

4. I love jewelry. Random, unusual pieces catch my eye and beckon to me. But I also have to admit that jewelry is inspiring to me. Those same random, unusual things give me thoughts of fairies, or jewelry making elves, or even cultures of years ago. I think of fairy tales and love stories and all the things of fiction when I see something remarkable.

5. When I was younger I wanted to be an actress. I was heavily involved in the drama program (in all of my three high schools), fearlessly singing and dancing my way across a stage in front of audiences that ranged in size from a single elementary school class to a thousand or more people attending a community benefit. I felt really lucky when the director picked me to do a commercial on a local TV station for the benefit. That same year, in that same school, I went to New York with the choir for the opportunity to sing in Carnegie Hall. Those were the days….

6. In the seventh grade, I read the book, “Cheaper by the Dozen” and decided I wanted to have twelve kids when I grew up. I told my mother about this desire, and instead of laughing, she told all my friends—who believed her. When we moved and I thought I had escaped her little joke, she told all my new friends--at my new school--the same thing. That statement followed me through my junior year of high school until we moved to Utah where some families actually did have that many kids. Then my mother finally let it die. I only have four kids.

7. If I had my choice of places to live, I’d choose somewhere by the ocean. The sounds and smells of white-capped, rolling waves call to me every time I’m near the sea. If I believed in reincarnation, I’d wonder if I might have been a mermaid in a former life, especially since I am a huge and total fantasy fan. Doesn’t everyone believe in mermaids? I think one of these days I might take scuba diving lessons so I can swim with the fishes somewhere far away. Maybe I’ll run into some old friends?

Well, there you go, seven random things you never knew about me. I don’t know how many other people I’m supposed to tag, but Rachelle only tagged three. I figure I’m safe doing the same thing. I’m hoping to hear seven random things about:

Darvell Hunt
C.L. Beck
C. LaRene Hall

Have a good week everyone.

Difficult People

By C. LaRene Hall

Last week at work, I received a solicitation to attend a seminar about dealing with difficult people. As I read about the traits of these people I had to chuckle. Yes, I know people who fall in all of these categories. Then I decided to use these different types of people in the stories I write.
Everyone knows a ‘know-it-all’ who is arrogant and has opinions on every issue. If someone proves them wrong, they get defensive. This would make a great character.

There are the ‘no’ people who are quick to point out why the thing you suggest won’t work. The ‘yes’ people are the ones who agree to all commitments, but rarely follow through.

I hate being in a meeting with someone who is ‘passive’, never offers an idea or lets you know where they stand. Of course, it’s worse being in such a meeting with the ‘dictator’ that bullies and intimidates everyone. They are demanding and critical, and make everyone uncomfortable.

We mustn’t forget the ‘gripers’ that prefer complaining rather than finding solutions. By including these different types of people in my stories, it would create lots of conflict. I wonder why I never thought about that before.

You can guess what my next story is going to include – a character with each of these traits. People who know when to push the right buttons at the correct time will make a good story.

New Toys for an Old Habit

By Darvell Hunt

I wrote the first twenty or so chapters of my second novel rather quickly—and for an odd reason: I bought a new computer. Writers tend to love implements of writing—fancy notebooks, unique pens, and yes, high-tech writing tools as well.

Last week I bought a new laptop/tablet PC in the hope that it will spur me on to write lots of great new fiction. I’m a pushover when it comes to new computers.

The main reason I bought the new writing toy was because I was tired of packing around a huge laptop computer at my last writing conference. The LDStorymakers writing conference is coming up soon and I didn’t want to miss out on taking important notes from the teachings of the likes of James Dashner and Tristi Pinkston.

These are the reasons I’m telling myself to justify buying a new computer, but mostly, I just like new toys. Boys never get tired of new toys; they just get more expensive as we grow up.

I’m also hoping that this new addition to my nerd collection will also help me keep out of my home office to help me be with my family more. On the computer? Sure, okay, but still in the same room with them. Aha, another good reason for a laptop! “Serious writing” might still be done with the door closed, but surfing the web, reading and answering email, and playing games can be done in plain sight.

Well, I have to go. I’m off to browse my local stationary store. Computers are nice, but someone who calls himself a writer can never ignore fancy notebooks and unique pens. I hope the new computer doesn’t get jealous.

Home Away from Home

C.L. Beck
© 2008

I don’t know whether it was the irritating noise, the cramped space, or the slip-and-fall in the bathroom that made me vow never to spend another night in a hotel.

*********

My husband, Russ, had a conference in Salt Lake City for a few days, and I thought it the perfect opportunity to go along, hole up in a hotel room, and write my brains out. It’s impossible to say why that thought even flew over the cuckoo’s nest, because I seldom get a lot of writing done in a hotel room. The reasons for the lack of accomplishment are varied. Mostly, they center on hours spent taking our dog, Corky Porky Pie, out for a walk fifteen times a day to insure an empty bladder (the dog’s, not mine) … and changing rooms.

Yup, I said, “Changing rooms.” It seems no matter how many years in advance we reserve our little home away from home, we end up with less-than-stellar accommodations. One time, we had a hotel room that I swear had a disease living under the bed. Another time, the lighting was so poor the cockroaches were mugging each other.

This time there were no diseases and no cockroaches. Instead, the staff put us in a closet next to the elevator. A closet with a square, chunky heater. You know the type; a heater that clunks all night long, shaking the walls and floors. The kind whose rumble prompts you—in your sleep-induced haze—to leap out of bed and jump in the bathtub fully clothed in your Big Bird pajamas, in hopes of surviving what you think is an earthquake.

However, the heater was noiseless in comparison to the elevator. Every time someone got in it, that contraption would give a, “whiiiiiiine, cheeeeese, cheeeeese” sort of squeak, followed by banging that seemed to come from the bowels of the earth. It did this every few minutes, as people moved up and down the twelve-story hotel. All night long.

Then there was the bed, crammed against the wall, with barely enough space to fit my bunny slippers on the floor next to it. When I needed to go to the little girl’s room in the middle of the night, my choice was to slither all the way to the end of the bed, or crawl over Russ and fall on the floor with a thunk.

After an entire night of whine and cheese by the elevator, I convinced Russ we needed to change rooms. He discussed it with the staff and they agreed. So it was ,while Russ attended the conference workshops, that I repacked our belongings and loaded everything onto a luggage cart that resembled Dr. Doolittle’s Pushmi-pullyu. Tossing Corky Porky Pie on top, I pushed-pulled the thing to the whining elevator and rode down to the seventh floor, where a freshly cleaned room awaited us.

Except when I got there, the room was only half-ready and the maid cleaning it spoke little English. However, that wasn’t all that was wrong. Oh, no. We were in for quite a few more surprises.

*********

Are you wondering yet where the slip-and-fall in the bathroom comes in? It seems you’ll have to stop by again next Monday to find out!


What books C.L. recommends:
Life is Like Riding a Unicycle by Shirley Bahlmann
Publishing Secrets by LDS Storymakers (BJ Rowley and others)
Writing for Story: Craft Secrets of Dramatic Nonfiction by Jon Franklin
Self-Editing for Fiction Writers by Rennie Browne & Dave King

C.L.’s other work:
Newspaper Column
Ensign Magazine, Dec 2007-Q&A
2007 League of Utah Writer's Award-Historical Fiction

Where No One Has Gone Before---Writing the Rosetta Stone

By Keith Fisher


Have you ever seen Star Trek? Do you like it? I’ve been a fan since the first series aired on television. I’m not sure why, but people called us Trekies. Now we’re called Trekers, and we’re proud of it. Even with the thrill of Star Trek, I’ve never been able to kindle that excitement in others. Have you ever watched a non-treker’s reaction to a conversation in a room full of Star Trek fans?


I was perusing the discount DVD bin in my local grocery store the other day and I found a director’s edition of Star Trek II, The Wrath of Kahn. Of course I bought it. I was delighted to get it so cheap and I told my friend about my treasure. I guess I was expecting jubilation, but all I got was a patient smile. I was crushed. How could anyone not realize the significance of my find?


In the Star Trek world, I believe the second movie is probably the most important piece of the puzzle. Because the original series was great, an attempt was made to transfer ST to the silver screen. To be honest, the first movie was kind of boring with scene after scene of the characters doing nothing but looking at a video screen.


"What is that?" one of the characters would ask.
"I don’t know," another one would answer.


It wasn’t a shining moment in movie making, but it brought Star Trek to a whole new generation.


When the second movie came out, those who like special effects took notice. More than that, however, was the reaction of the fans---they were thrilled. Like in the TV show, there was magic between the cast members, and the movie was tied to an episode from the series. It all made sense, and we cried when Spock died. We all knew he’d be back, but it was sweet sadness to see him hold up his hand and say goodbye to his best friend.

There have been more movies and whole TV series’ since. Some were good---some were not so good, but all of it adds to the magic that is Star Trek. Trekers are free to debate the finer points of the universe until the Nexus comes around to take us into our perfect day.


That was a little inside terminology that my friend doesn’t understand. Which brings us back to the point of this blog: How do you spark interest in Star Trek, or your latest novel, without explaining the whole thing?


We could lock our friends in a room with all the series episodes and movies then try to explain the difficult points, but some people still might not get it. We are left with feelings of frustration and we mutter under our breath, "How on earth can they not love it?"


Such is the world of writing fiction. There are those who will love everything we ever write, and there are those who will never get it. We have to accept that, but we must also make it flow. We can’t go from point A to point B in a story without providing a link between the two. Like the Rosetta Stone, Star Trek II provided a link between the original, and everything that came after it. In our writing, we must provide a plausible and entertaining link between the hook and the fantastic ending. If we do it right, our writing might develop a following. Who knows there might be a convention someday based on my story.


By the way, I heard there is a new Star Trek movie coming out this year. Time to dust off your Vulcan ears and tune up your tricorder.


Good luck with your writing, see you next week, and . . . uh . . . live long and prosper.

It's In The Journey

by G.Parker

It's in the journey -- I became intimately acquainted with that thought this past week. I have come to realize it means more than one thing, but mainly it's all about perception.

We think when bad things happen to us that it is so difficult, and our lives are so hard. Most of us are apt to bemoan "Why me? Why is this happening?" Then we hear about someone else's problems, and realize that we have it so much easier than they do.

We'll read a book and think, "Man! I know how this is going to end." but we continue reading it anyway, because we want to know how they reached that end. For example, we've been watching the movie Walk In The Clouds with Keanu Reaves this week. It's a lovely romantic film, with old fashioned values and traditions, showing the strength of family and honor. It's also very obvious from the beginning that the man and the woman are going to end up together -- what's fun is seeing how that happens. What is the crisis that pulls them there? How do they fall in love?

While we were watching it, I realized it seemed very similar to the movie made only two years later called Fools Rush In. It's along the same premise, with even the same type of family background. Only, how they arrive at the end is different.

So, it occurred to me that it's all in the journey. As a writer, that is something I always need to keep in mind, because that is what makes or breaks my book. I may have an excited first page, first chapter, etc., but if it falls apart in the middle, the reader isn't going to want to finish. They could care less about the ending because the journey fell apart.

Also, this is something to look for in your everyday lives. Living a normal life is easy to take for granted. Once flat on your back the realization comes that things are not as easy as they were and everything takes on a different perspective. The future looms with a little bit of fear and uncertainty. Thoughts go through your head that make you question the journey you are on. "Is this going to be permanent? How will this affect my family? What about my work?"

Don't take the journey for granted. Live every day to the fullest and remember to put that in your writing, it will make all the difference in the world.

Advice From the Pros

By Nichole Giles

Last week I promised to share with you a few of my favorite quotes from the recent sci-fi/ fantasy conference held at BYU. Unfortunately, my weekly blog space doesn’t allow for me to cut and paste my several pages of notes. Therefore, I am forced to choose a few tips to share. It is my hope that I can pick tips that will be the most beneficial for your writing endeavors, even if they do seem a bit random.

First, a little tidbit from Orson Scott Card, author of Ender’s Game, Ender’s Shadow, Speaker of the Dead, and a very long list of other books:

“Arrive at the answers having earned them.”

Mr. Card gave a lovely speech about causality in writing, explaining that we should never ever stop asking the question, “Why?” He gives the following advice:

Start with character and determine how we relate with him or her. Why…why…why? We don’t even know why WE do what we do! Who knows if you’re right? What is your motive? Is it what you mean to do? Is it heredity?

Fiction tells us why we do what we do and no one can contradict you.

To be a good writer find depth. Don’t fall in love with your first idea, or even your 10th.

GET IT RIGHT!

Thank you, Mr. Card. We’ll do our best. Now, moving on to another brilliant author, Gail Carson Levine, author of Ella Enchanted, Fairest, and many other beautifully told fairy tales.

“When I make a list of possibilities I invite my stupid ideas in, because they are not shy. I write down the stupid ideas and then my smart ideas start coming forward. I use my stupid ideas and don’t call them names. I keep a file of names from book to book. And a memory file.”

“I cut ruthlessly. Your most beautiful writing will probably be the stuff that needs to be sacrificed. You’re going to write more beautiful stuff, and that might have to go too. I save that in a file I call extras. (Then historians can see those gems in the future.) In a few of my books they put a special section in the back for some of those things and that too is very satisfying.”

The following are quotes I picked up from this conference that really made me think hard about my own writing. Enjoy!

“Humor is surprise without threat or promise.” Rick Walton

“A good way to add humor is to create a quirky character who does bizarre, unexpected things.” James Dashner

“The difference between children’s fiction and adult fiction is that children’s books can’t be boring.” Rebecca Shelly

“Social networking is the foundation of getting published. That, and good writing.” Brandon Sanderson

“There is nothing more important than writing for kids because the things they learn as readers, writers, and thinkers is part of what kinds of people they will become.” Rick Walton

I hope you’ve enjoyed learning a little bit about some of my favorite authors. Stay tuned next week for the answers to Rachelle Christiensen’s tag—Seven Random Things About Me. This should be interesting!

Fast Action

By C. LaRene Hall

I already had a blog written, but after a frightening Friday afternoon, I changed my mind. Three hours after the incident, my writing head kicked in. I was too terrified to think of the incident until then.

During the last half hour of work, I went to the bank to deposit a check. I pulled to the drive-up window, because I’m too lazy to go inside the building, so I opted to stay in my car. I opened my window and put the deposit into the tray. Then the action started. A police officer pulled his car at an angle on the road in front of the drive-up lane, so nobody could get out. He jumped from the car, drew a gun, aimed down the street, and yelled, “Hold it right there.”

A black cloud settled over my entire being. Finally, I heard the sirens screaming all around me. Another police car pulled behind the first. I sat there wondering, “Is the bank being robbed?”

People lined the sidewalks, and I thought, “You are sure dumb.”

I couldn’t imagine anyone wanting to watch activity that involved guns. Then I watched as other people took pictures, while I just wanted to be as far away from here as I could get.

Everything inside the bank seemed normal, except the teller helping me, was extra slow, and didn’t come back to the window for a long time. When she returned I asked, “Do you have your doors locked?”

“No, we don’t. We’re okay. A high speed chase ended in front of our bank.”

That was a relief, but I still wanted to leave. No cars were behind me so I backed out, and exited to the rear. What a chicken I was. I didn’t want to know what was going on, I just wanted to be gone.

Now, as I sit here hours later I’m angry that my curiosity didn’t get the best of me. I could have written a good story, but I was too scared to watch the action.

Flu-written, not Flea-ridden

C.L. Beck
© 2008

My blog today is flu-written. No, I did not say flea-ridden. Flea-ridden is what happens when you saddle a flea and ride it. Flu-written means you wrote something while coughing your head off and wishing you’d gotten the influenza vaccination last fall. You know—the shot that the CDC now thinks was for the wrong viral strain.

Since some of you may actually be coughing and hacking yourself, I thought I’d share a list of items that make it easier to write while dying of the flu.

1. Laptop computer. Lie on the couch and prop your laptop on your knees. In your weakened condition, you would slide onto the floor if you tried to sit at a desk, anyway. Play a few computer games to sharpen your mind for writing.


2. Kleenex. The closer the box sits, the quicker you stop drips. For ease of use, place the box on your forehead. Expect that in your hazy condition, the trashcan will appear farther away than it actually is, so save your energy and drop the used tissues on the floor. When your spouse asks about the three-foot deep layer of wadded Kleenex, blame the kids. If he/she notices Gorg, the Barbarian Warrior, is loaded on your laptop and asks why, say you’re doing research.


3. Motrin. The bigger the better—a giant, 5000 mg tablet would definitely stop the ache in your joints—but then, it might be tough to get that down your sore throat. Try dipping it in honey first.


4. Cough medicine. The kind whose label warns of a visit by drug enforcement officers if you tell anyone it's in the house. Take a tablespoon or six and watch how quickly your cough stops. Lick the drip on the edge of the bottle, just to insure you’ve had enough. You might see pretty lights and feel like taking a nap. Gorg, the Barbarian, may jump off the screen and actually speak to you. Don’t worry; it’s just the effects of the flu. Take a few more tablespoons of cough syrup to counteract it.


5. Ice cream. Ignore your doctor’s orders to avoid sugar because it inhibits healing. What does he know? His thirty years of study at the Stevens-Henager College of Origami hasn’t made him any smarter than you. Consume a gallon or two of Ben and Jerry’s New York Super Fudge Chunk—just to prove him wrong and cheer you up.


6. Thermometer. This is the most important item in your flu-fighting arsenal. Take your temperature every few minutes. If it shows normal, run it under really hot water to kill the germs. Then look at it again. See? You’ve got a temperature of 210 degrees! It’s a wonder you even have the strength to wad up Kleenex. If your spouse asks you to fix supper or take out the trash, reply with a racking cough and the words, “But, I’m a sickie with a fever.” Your partner needs to understand you’re far too weak to do anything but sit and chat with Gorg, the Barbarian.

I hope these tips have helped. I’m sure I could think of more, but the thermometer shows I’m running a temperature, so I can’t do work of any kind. Besides, it’s been five minutes since my last dose of cough syrup and I’d better take a cup or two.

Aaahh, that’s better.

Oh, and one more thing. Before I leave to get a gallon of ice cream from the freezer ... Gorg, the Barbarian, says to tell you hello.

(Disclaimer: This blog is all in fun. Do not consume large amounts of Motrin or cough syrup, no matter how bad your symptoms. But hey, the Ben and Jerry’s ice cream might be okay.)


What books C.L. recommends:
Life is Like Riding a Unicycle by Shirley Bahlmann
Publishing Secrets by LDS Storymakers (BJ Rowley and others)
Writing for Story: Craft Secrets of Dramatic Nonfiction by Jon Franklin
Self-Editing for Fiction Writers by Rennie Browne & Dave King

C.L.’s other work:
Newspaper Column
Ensign Magazine, Dec 2007-Q&A
2007 League of Utah Writer's Award-Historical Fiction

The Blank Page

By Keith Fisher

When I sat down to write this blog two things struck me. I had no clear idea where I was going with it, and I noticed the vastness of the blank, white page. Have you ever noticed how daunting an empty page can be? I know I’m not the first to notice this but it seems a page of clean white paper can influence a writer in positive and negative ways.

It is exciting when you, as a writer, have an idea percolating and you can’t write it fast enough. A blank piece of paper, any blank piece of paper will serve as a coveted gift. Not unlike the gift of a drop of water to a thirsty man who is languishing in the desert.

On the other hand, if a writer has a deadline and nothing comes to mind to write, the blank page can be like an endless void. It sucks a writer into the dark recesses of the snow-white abyss, never to see color, or the reassuring comfort of black words filling the white page.

In an effort to eliminate the blank white page, I went into options on the tools menu in Word and turned the page blue with white writing. It reminded me of the old Word Perfect program I used to use, but it did nothing to help me get new ideas. In fact, I think it was worse. Would you rather be stuck in an abyss of white or be condemned to spend eternity in blue?

I guess it’s up to you, but I prefer to look out the window and see the multi colors of new growth associated with Spring and a beautiful day. The buds are on the trees and the crocuses are breaking free from their long winter slumber. It will be a beautiful Spring, followed by a fantastic Summer, but first, I’ve got to write an article for the blog and make it look like it flowed from my fingertips with very little effort on my part.

Ah, such is the magic in the craft of writing. It is the only job I know where a piece of blank paper can cause such an array of emotions. It is the lifeblood of an imagination that cannot be controlled. Go outside and enjoy spring, see how many worlds you can create by analyzing the growth of a blade of grass. You will be better for the experience.

Good luck with your writing, see you next week.

Stress -- It's a Killer

by G.Parker

Anyone who knows me picks up on the fact that I am an avid movie watcher. I don't usually see the movies in the theaters as I'm frugal, but I watch them on DVD all the time. My kids love to quote the movies we see, and we can have hilarious moments just quoting an apropos line from a movie.

The title of today's blog is from Anastasia, the Don Bluth movie from 1997. The line in particular was related to physical health, but I find that it applies to creative outlets as well. My life has been rather stressful of late, and I find that I don't have the time or inclination to write as I'd planned in my 'non resolution' blog. I even had to skip on my blog for last week, the first time (I believe) since I'd become a weekly contributor.

All of us at the Writer's Blogck have families and a few of us have grandchildren. We all have jobs, households to maintain, families to spend time with -- in short, we have lives. We find many times during our lives that reality interferes with our dreams and creative desires. Sometimes this is because things are wonderful and crazy, while at other times because they are stressed and chaotic. The challenge is finding the time to balance everything with what we need to do each day -- write.

Recently many of us were able to attend a free seminar at BYU on writing, and you've already benefited from the information gained there. I had fully intended to go -- it's not often that workshops are free to those of us who write or illustrate -- and I wasn't going to pass up the opportunity. But, life got in the way. This past two weeks have been an illustration in chaos and frustration. My husband hurt his back and was laid flat wording kind of sounds a little funny here…-- throwing the responsibility for everything on my shoulders. It hasn't been that big of a challenge, but I've felt it keenly.

I've noticed it in my lack of time to write as well as my lack of creative thoughts. I haven't been able to get much down on paper, let alone on my own personal blog. I'm not sure why that is exactly, except for the feelings of stress. This feeling seems to rob me of will or desire to accomplish -- I feel chained or frozen in the attitude of despair as I think of what needs to be accomplished and the impossibility of it.

But then the light shines, the Lord blesses and my burdens ease. He always blesses when I most need it -- it's amazing. So -- I am writing, I will not let other forces get in my way. Once again I am back among the blogging to send my voice out to the masses and try to encourage those who desire to write and seek advice. Thanks for sticking with me.

Encouraging Creativity

By Nichole Giles

During the BYU sponsored conference, “Life, the Universe, and Everything,” I was privileged to sit through many of the Thursday sessions that other people were unable to attend. The main address that day was given by Kevin Wasden, an illustrator.

In the beginning, I considered skipping the address to hunt up a snack. I’m not an illustrator, so I wondered what Kevin could say that might pertain to writing. Luckily, I came to my senses and remembered that writing is art, and all things artistic are related—especially writing and illustrating. Those two in particular go hand in hand.

I was glad I stayed. Kevin gave a presentation so impressive that it gave me cause to think about a lot of things—in life, in writing, in thinking, and in motherhood—differently. I took four pages worth of notes, and that is only what I was able to scribble by hand.

He began by asking the question: What is creativity?

Of course, people tossed out a few answers here and there. It was suggested that creativity is: Ability, desire, illumination, and generating a combination of ideas to become something new. I thought these were great answers.

Then he went on to list traits common to creative people. (I love this list.)
Creative people generate many ideas.
Creative people recognize and nurture good ideas
Creative people are observant
Creative people are imaginative
Creative people are interested in many things
Creative people dare to take risks
Creative people are independent thinkers
Creative people welcome challenges
Creative people persevere
Creative people value their ideas

This list gave me cause to think about my own creative qualities, and the reasons behind them. It was an eye opener to think about some of these points. Those of us with even a few of these traits should be proud to have them.

Kevin also claims creativity is something everyone is born with, but can also be learned. We are all naturally creative, but we must learn how to channel our strengths. It requires hard organizational change in attitude and thinking style. He suggests carrying a sketchbook (or notebook) everywhere you go, and always sketching/writing things that catch your attention. Kevin claims this is especially crucial for children, and quoted Pablo Picasso to make his point.

“Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist after growing up.”

I love that thought too. Kevin also gave the following tidbits of advice:

“Our children are creative. It is our job to foster their creativity—as well as our own—as much as we can.”

“Success begins on paper. If you have an idea, do what you have to do to get it down.”

What brilliant thoughts he shared. In case you’re interested in learning more from Kevin Wasden, you can visit his website sketchbooksforkids.org. Thanks for reading.

Stay tuned next Thursday for my favorite tips from Orson Scott Card, Gail Carson Levine, Brandon Sanderson, Rebecca Shelly, James Dashner and more.

An Honor

By C. LaRene Hall

During the past week at LDS Writers Blogck, Nichole Giles gave me an award “A Roar for Powerful Words” and C. Beck gave me an award “You Make My Day”. I can’t believe this coming from either one of them because they are both my inspiration.

...............

Of course, they stole all the good tidbits of advice I’m supposed to pass on to you. Nichole said to read, join critique groups, and write. Then Cindy said to believe in yourself, submit, and share the wealth. Now what does that leave?

First, I will say to enjoy the journey. How could you not? Writing is a blast.

Second, learn the techniques in writing by reading and attending writing conferences. It will make the going easier. Once you learn these techniques, you can use, ignore, break, or twist them any way you want. The choice is up to you.

Third, don’t just dream of big things; wake up and do them.

Since Nichole and C. Beck used some of my advice, they also used the other people in our writing group. When I think about powerful words, I recall the writing conferences I’ve attended. Some of those who have helped me at these are James Dashner, Julie Wright, Tristi Pinkston, Annette Lyon, and H. B. Moore.

Besides family and friends, which include my blogging group, the ones who usually make my day are those in my local Oquirrh writing group. Jill Vanderwood, Sara Fitzgerald, Dorothy Crofts, Susanne Morley, and Kathy Jones are always supportive. They sometimes have more faith in me than I have in myself. Aren’t people wonderful?

The Awards

C.L. Beck
© 2008

Thanks to Marsha Ward, at Writer in the Pines, who gave me the “You Make My Day Award” and to Nichole Giles, at LDS Writers Blogck, who gave me the “A Roar for Powerful Words Award”.

If there had been an “Inept with Scissors Award” in kindergarten, for the child who couldn’t cut straight, I’m sure I would have won it. However since someone with infinite foresight did not bestow that dubious honor, my parent’s fridge was bereft of prizes and instead was cluttered with crookedly cut, artistic endeavors.

Hence, you can see why I’m tickled pink with the kindness that Marsha and Nichole have shown me.

Although Marsha didn’t specifically state it, I believe the “You Make My Day Award” is supposed to be passed on to others. I’m passing the torch to Nichole Giles, Connie Hall, Shirley Bahlmann, and Ronda Hinrichsen. Thanks for making my day, ladies!



The “A Roar for Powerful Words Award” requires that I pass on three snippets of wisdom before bestowing the honor on others, so here they are:

— Believe in yourself. If you don’t, who will?
— Submit, submit, submit, submit, submit! You’ll get used to the heartbreak of rejections faster when they show up in grundles in your mailbox.
— When you become a famous writer, share the wealth with me. After all, it’s probably my snippets of advice that got you there. :)

And now, I’d like to bestow the award on Danyelle Ferguson, Karen Hoover, Karen Mittan, Holly Horton and Rachelle Christensen. They are writers; hear them roar!

What books C.L. recommends:
Life is Like Riding a Unicycle by Shirley Bahlmann
Publishing Secrets by LDS Storymakers (BJ Rowley and others)
Writing for Story: Craft Secrets of Dramatic Nonfiction by Jon Franklin
Self-Editing for Fiction Writers by Rennie Browne & Dave King

C.L.’s other work:
Newspaper Column
Ensign Magazine, Dec 2007-Q&A
2007 League of Utah Writer's Award-Historical Fiction

Hard Cover or Trade Paperback—An Author’s Choice

By Keith Fisher

So, you finished your book and a publisher made an offer to print it in trade paperback, but you want hardcover. You think a hard cover will give your book more authenticity somehow. You’re not alone, many writers have felt the same, and many authors have their name on hard cover books that readers don’t read.

Before you make an issue of wanting hard cover, you may want to reconsider.

Walk with me into the library of a very old stately mansion. This musty house is as old as it is intriguing. Since electricity was never installed in most of the rooms, candle wax drips from the chandeliers as the reflection of flames dance on the walls and ceilings around you.

In the library however, the homeowners have spared no expense in providing us with all the modern conveniences to illuminate the collection of leather-bound first editions. Some of the most important books ever published sit on shelves at our fingertips. We pause to examine some of the familiar titles and marvel at the dollar value that must be placed on some of these old books.

We pick up one of those books and run our fingers over the gilded edges and admire the binding. We open it and examine the pages. Raising our eyes, we spot another, more beautiful book---bound in leather and very similar to the other ones, only newer and with a title we’ve never heard before. The pages crack as we turn them. We look at the title page and discover it was published at the same time as the first book, but it appears to have never been read before.

We don’t have time to wonder, because another book has caught our eye. It’s almost pocketbook size and smaller than most of the others. The green cloth hard cover has gold letters and a picture of a dog in a harness on the spine. This book intrigues us because it is different. We examine it closer—it is The Call of the Wild by Jack London. This book is worn and well read. We open the first page and there is a piece of vellum protecting an illustrated cover page with a dog in the center. This book was published in 1903 and is a story that almost every young man has read since then.

This week, I inherited a first edition reprint copy of The Call of the Wild. There is a certificate attached to the book that tells me it is exactly the same as the original. As I run my fingers over the cover, I’m reminded of a story about a young man and his dog in the wilds of the Klondike Gold Rush. More than that, however, I am amazed at the size and the binding. It was small enough to fit in a hip pocket and since there wasn’t a dust jacket, the color pictures on the cover must have attracted readers to look into the pages and read the book.

The hard cover original was bound in cloth, which was cheaper than leather, meaning it could be purchased by far more people. Over the years, it found its way into the hearts of millions.

Now, consider this: do you want your book bound in a more expensive hard cover, that may or may not be purchased or read except by literature professors? Or do you want your book to touch the hearts and lives of as many readers as possible? Yes, there is prestige in the hard cover. There is something about it that says, "I am literary."

The bottom line, trade paperbacks (not pocket paperbacks) are the same size as most hard covers, which are more expensive and may not get purchased.

I searched online for first editions of The Call of the Wild and found one signed by Jack London’s daughter. It lists for $425.00. I also found a 1906 copy of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, signed by the author. It listed for $19,072.33. Compare those to F. Scott Fitzgerald’s, The Beautiful and the Damned listed at $175.00, Beyond the price, however, is how many more people have read London’s or Twain’s books vs. Fitzgerald’s.

Rather than sitting on a shelf with a rare book collection, I want my books to be read. Good luck with your writing, see you next week.

A Roar for Powerful Words

By Nichole Giles

Dan from the Thoughts on LDS blog at thoughtsonlds.blogspot.com has honored me with a beautiful award called “A Roar for Powerful Words.”

I had never heard of this award before. I’m grateful to know that my words have affected someone else in a positive way, and that he would remember me when choosing five people he felt deserved this award.

The deal is that I have to give three tidbits of writing advice and then pass the award on to five other people. Before I do, I want to thank Dan for reading, and for telling me my words were powerful. That is a high compliment, indeed. Now, here is my advice.

Read. Read, read, and read some more. If you want to write, the best way for you to become a better writer is to read as many books as you can. I’m not just talking about reading in one particular genre, either. I’ve found that the more I read—even from genre to genre—the more I learn about what makes good writing.

For instance, I’ve been working on my current novel since September. I wrote an entire manuscript and then scrapped it and started over because something really bothered me about my first attempt. Something was missing. I started over, going much more slowly, and at the same time, reading several books. The other day I was reading at the gym (my version of multi-tasking) and I read a certain paragraph that completely got my mind spinning. In the fifteen minutes I had left on the elliptical machine, I was able to unlock the mystery to my own writing.

Join a critique group. Having available to you a group of trustworthy writers who are willing to read your work and be brutally honest can be invaluable to you. I’m not suggesting you allow anyone else to write your book for you. But others can tell you what they think is wrong with your work and how you might be able to improve it.

Write every day. Even if you only have five minutes to jot down a few thoughts as you sit in your car. Our brains—and thus our writing abilities—need exercise every bit as much as the other parts of our bodies. If we don’t use them often, they will shrink, and our abilities will fade away bit by bit until the voices in our heads become silent and the stories come to a halt. And always, always save what you write, even if you think its junk. You never know what nuggets of wisdom are buried in the mush.

Now that I’ve shared a bit of advice, I am passing this award on to: C.L. Beck, C. LaRene Hall, Keith Fisher, Darvell Hunt, and Gaynell Parker. You have all influenced my writing for the better with nearly two years of wonderful writing advive. For that I am forever greatful.

Stay tuned next week for a blog about last weekend’s Sci-fi/ fantasy symposium at BYU, “Life, the Universe, and Everything.”

Thanks for reading.

Difficult Choices

By C. LaRene Hall

This past week I attended a Science Fiction/Fantasy Symposium held at BYU. I was only able to attend a couple of days, but the effort was worthwhile. There was so much information given throughout the day it was a difficult choice to decide what would be most beneficial.

I started my adventure bright (well maybe, it was actually too early to tell), and early Friday morning learning about dialogue, and how each character needs their own speech pattern. They encouraged us to write dialogue rather than large paragraphs of telling. I’m reading a book that I’ve almost stopped reading because of the long paragraphs telling instead of showing. I was glad for the reminder I received in this panel discussion.

Next, I was listening to a group of women talking about fairy tales. To this day, they still fascinate me. I would hate to live in a world without them. I now understand why I love them so much. I had never heard that the journey in a fairy tales resonates because it’s the plan of happiness we all recognize. What a beautiful thought.

Orson Scott Card then treated the audience to an intriguing presentation. During his opening remarks, when he said Mormonism is a science fiction religion, I knew I was going to enjoy the next hour. He reminded us that we believe in other worlds.

I also attended a panel discussion about biblical motifs in fantasy. Many comments gave me reason to reflect, I agreed with most of them, such as the bible is a question and answer book. I totally agreed with the comment that fantasy fosters faith. No wonder I love fantasy.

I wasn’t very encouraged as I sat through the discussion of Realities of NY Publishing. There was one encouraging sentence, the more you study the market, and the more you submit the closer you get. They also said that if you write a good book it would sell. The last encouraging thing said was to tell a fabulous story your way.

I’ve never written a romance novel, but decided I’d attend the Putting Romance in Your Novel discussion. Maybe I haven’t tried this because they said romance has to have a happy ending.

I love story settings in the Medieval time period so I was excited to listen to the panel discuss Women of the Fantastic – creating strong, believable female characters in a Medieval fantasy setting. With lots of research, I decided this is a genre I would like to tackle.

The first day was almost over, but I had to attend one more class so I could learn about publishing with a small press. I loved the comment always shoot for the stars, and that is exactly what I’m going to do.

Many Were Cold, But Few Were Frozen

By Darvell Hunt

It's a stupid thing to go camping in the snow in the middle of February, but that's exactly what I did last weekend. My ward held their annual Klondike Derby, an insane practice by scouts who happen to live in snowy regions like Utah.

The boy scouts did fairly well in the cold weather, except one eleven-year-old who got cold feet. Literally. My toes were well insulted with thick woolen socks and waterproof leather boots, but I also got cold feet. Figuratively.

It ended up becoming my task to take home the cold-footed scout, which was fine by me, as I didn’t have to spend the night in the sub-freezing weather.

So, as things turned out, many were cold, but few were frozen. The eleven-year-old's toes weren't really frozen, only very cold. And, best of all, I got to back out of camping in the snow and save some face as well.

But cold feet isn't what I'm writing about today. What I want to write about is bruised shoulders.

Last Sunday in Priesthood meeting, we sang the song "Put your Shoulder to the Wheel," which took on new meaning for me—a meaning that I've never really understood.

The hymn is a pioneer song about, presumably, pushing either a handcart or a wagon, possibly uphill or out of the mud. The song tells us to "put your shoulder to the wheel, push along."

I found myself doing just that at midnight on Friday night for about 40 minutes. Well, okay, I didn't put my shoulder to the wheel, but rather, I put my shoulder to the grill. The grill of my pickup truck, that is.

I got stuck in the parking lot trying to make my getaway—and this gets me to the whole point of this story. I put my greatest effort into getting my truck off the ice in the parking lot by pushing with the weight of my body. I found that I could move the truck further by planting my feet in the snow and putting my shoulder to the grill, than by spinning my wheels on the black ice. I exerted so much force on the front of my truck that the next morning I had grill-shaped bruises on my shoulder. I was also in considerable pain.

And now for that elusive point I’m trying to make: despite the opposition of cold, freezing weather, and a large patch of black ice, coupled with an upward slope, I gave my task my greatest possible effort to get my truck unstuck. That’s what writing takes. You have to give it your all in order to succeed.

Getting published is a lot like the Atonement. Okay, stick with me here, as I promise this will kinda-sorta make sense by the time I’m done. After all you do with your writing, it doesn’t make much difference unless your work attracts a publisher (if publishing is your goal, that is). Once you do find a publisher, they take the book from there, but despite all the considerable effort to that point, there’s only so much you can do.

Did I get my truck out? Yes, after about 40 minutes, like I said, but in the end, I bruised my shoulder in vain. Some other dad—who was picking up his cold son from the winter camp—saw me trying to get out of my parking spot and pulled me out with his truck. I could only do so much by “putting my shoulder to the grill, push along.”

As I see it, my job as a writer seeking publication is to do my absolute best work, then wave at every publisher I can see in attempt to attract them to pull me out of the slush pile and off the black ice that I always seem to find myself perched on, seemingly spinning my wheels. In the end, whenever that comes, I see my writing being pulled out and eventually ending up on the bookstore shelves.

Many novels are written, but few are published. I know, that doesn't sound as good as my title pun, but is nonetheless true.

See, that kinda-sorta made some sense, didn’t it?