My favorite research tool

How do you travel when you can't travel? Well, for the touch of the sea, for smells and the feel of the whole huge sky, I guess you have to use your imagination, but for everything else, there's flickr.

When I began my current book, I had only an idea about main characters. This idea, incidentally, was provided for me during short story brainstorming on twitter, by Dan Krokos. It was a funny thing he said, but it caught my attention because I'd been thinking about its main characteristic for a year or so, in the back of my mind, like this: "Hmmmmm... what if..."

After receiving the prompt, I obediently wrote the short story, but I loved its world and characters so much that I started researching them with books and on the internet.

Now, something contradictory about me is that I hate the internet. If I could turn in my laptop and buy an old car (my minivan isn't exactly new) and a beat-up guitar (I already have one - see how this is coming together?) and do my research on foot, oh how I would. The reason this is contradictory is that I use the internet a lot, and I'm glad I can. Did you need to know that? I don't know. I'm pretty passionate about it.

Back on topic... I researched the world I had in my mind, a real geographical location that because of its culture and sense of magic is very compelling to me. I also researched the mythology necessary for my story, and bent it to my own uses after learning a lot about it. And I think legends are okay to research via books and the internet, because when we're talking about something that (likely) doesn't exist, you can't go touch it. Although I'd rather have a kerchiefed babushka whisper creepy tales to me over a pot of kvass. But we can't have it all.

The next thing I did, after I had all my information, was go on flickr. Do you use flickr? It's an amazing thing. I can't show you my favorites because they're secret, very related to my stories. But let me say, flickr is a huge community and there are so many magnificent photo resources by talented people who ARE where you want to be. They can give you the emotional and physical inspiration for a story you've sketched roughly. It adds a whole new dimension.

What sort of research do you do for your stories?
What moves you most - photos like me, or something else?

Meditate

“It is good for thee to dwell deep, that thou mayest
feel and understand the spirits of people.”
-John Woolman
It's time to hush. Breathe deep and look around. Release habits and see the forms and patterns of rooms and hills, of roadsides and paintings; take pleasure in their givenness.

Everything is going to be alright. I know this is true.

Rest.

"Living Like Weasels"

I'm working through the St. John's reading list – right now Aristotle's Politics is on my nightstand – and also great fiction books I want to know – currently Anna Karenina. But one should have some whimsy in reading too, yes? My “fun” read this week is Teaching a Stone to Talk by Annie Dillard. Dillard is one of my literary heroes, now for her nonfiction work as well as her fiction. Let me show you why.

A favorite essay of mine is "Living Like Weasels". In it, Dillard describes the way a weasel goes in for the kill – it sinks its teeth in the underside of the neck and doesn't let go till its prey is dead. She describes an eagle who was found with “the dry skull of a weasel fixed by the jaws to his throat.” Apparently in their struggle, the weasel did not win, but neither did it let go. It held on till it was “beautiful airborne bones.”

Dillard goes on to tell of a weasel she met suddenly by a pond one day. They lost themselves in the shock of seeing each other, a moment of realness between them after which the weasel whisked beneath a wild rose bush. She speaks of how she would like to live like a weasel, who even when killing doesn't “attack”, but rather surrenders to its necessity. She says, “What does a weasel think about? He won't say. His journal is tracks in clay, a spray of feathers, mouse blood and bone: uncollected, unconnected, loose-leaf, and blown.”

Beyond how much I adore the substance of what she's written in this essay, I admire Dillard's flawless development of ideas, the exposition that feels like a benevolent chokehold, how the whole thing is one careful, headlong, unselfconscious metaphor, one in which the word “like” is never used.

“I think it would be well, and proper, and obedient, and pure, to grasp your one necessity and not let it go, to dangle from it limp wherever it takes you. Then even death, where you're going no matter how you live, cannot you part.”

Surrender, full-steam ahead.

Sunday Afternoon Writing

Slow and steady wins the race.
-Aesop
These days, I write once a week.

Maybe I wouldn't have had the courage to even try to do it, if I hadn't read that Maggie Stiefvater's first novel, LAMENT, had been written in just such a way. I read her post about it last spring, and mentally shelved it as a curiosity.

Well. Life gets crazy, and you have to dust off even your curiosities and put them to use. I knew I had a few hours Sunday afternoon when I could go to a coffee shop and expand. So that is what I decided to do, only I chose to expand in the direction of a novel. And you know what's kind of curious? I'm just as productive in those three or so hours as I used to be in an hour every morning.

I believe this works because I think about my writing during the week. I think about what comes next; I dip into that world in my mind if only for a few minutes. The other reason it works is that I go to a café without wi-fi.

Do you write every day, or sporadically, or once a week like me...?

...a language that can make us whole...

My purpose is a language that can make us whole,
though mortal, ignorant, and small.

...Nor do I believe
"artistic genius" is the possession
of any artist. No one has made
the art by which one makes the works
of art. Each one who speaks speaks
as a convocation. We live as councils
of ghosts. It is not "human genius"
that makes us human, but an old love,
an old intelligence of the heart
we gather to us from the world,
from the creatures, from the angels
of inspiration, from the dead--
an intelligence merely nonexistent
to those who do not have it, but --
to those who have it more dear than life.

-from Some Further Words by Wendell Berry

Unrelated to the poem: due to a health situation, I've been silent for awhile. But in the quiet, I've been writing, little by little. The emails and support from my friends through twitter and my blog have meant a great deal. Thank you.

Purgatory Chasm by Steve Ulfelder

Five stars to Steve Ulfelder's Purgatory Chasm, which debuts this month from Minotaur Books. Conway Sax does “little jobs” for his unique AA group, the Barnburners. When a longtime member of the group asks Sax for one of his favors, Sax gets involved in a mystery about a car, which turns into a mystery about a murder.

Conway Sax is an out-of-work mechanic, a sober alcoholic, more or less on the outs with his girlfriend. In Sax, the author develops a lead with a meaningful story arc and the voice of a strong man who knows his imperfections, and even manages a sense of humor.

Ulfelder proceeds with stylistic restraint through this intriguing mystery, unfolding matters of addiction, integrity, and fathers and their children. The significance of Purgatory Chasm, the rocky gorge from which the book takes its title, twists into the story with a conclusion that left me sobbing in my bathwater... and pondering my notions of responsibility within relationships.

Purgatory Chasm is available now from Amazon or the indie bookseller of your choice.

Three steps for growing an idea.

The initial spark... a thought or way of seeing... the twinge of knowing that excites you – the true first step on the way to story is more like a miracle than a technique. I've written about how to stay healthy so the miracle will come. Today I'll write about the work that comes after the initial idea, but before the first draft or even research.

How do you discover a character, a world, the true line of a story? The same way you carve a Venus de Milo or a David. Chip away the excess, woo them out slowly - first the broad shapes and then details (but if a detail gives you your bearing by all means, sketch it in there).

Step One – Familiarize yourself with your idea.
During this first step, free associate. Flow from one thought to the other without worrying about finishing or making too much sense or sticking with the original intent. For instance, “Hero is tall dark and handsome” might end up “Hero is a short punk gamer,” and that's just fine – finessing emphasis and even fact are actually the purpose of this.

Step two – Journal for plot troubleshooting.
Sort through possibly problematic or conflicting facets. Talk to yourself (on paper) as if you are a trusted friend, but one you won't annoy by blabbing about the esoterica of your work at this messy stage.

Step three – Characters.
Fill out character worksheets (Kait Nolan's character worksheet is here). Story rides on the two wheels of plot and character. Here's where you get them in balance, support one with the other and back again. Character worksheets assist not only with unveiling character, but with streamlining the world and the emotional environment of the story.

From here, I still research, outline, synopsize before I draft. But the beating heart of the story is big enough by now to be a heart.

How do you nurture your ideas?

With My Hair a Mess

I write in the morning, before anyone is awake. I write in a dark basement, with cold feet. I write with the internet off because staring at others' words is easy; writing my own is hard. I write according to my schedule, according to my list whether it inspires me or not. I write in the quiet, fresh from dreams. I write with a pillow behind my back and a quilt over my lap. I write whatever I want, I write only what's the truth. I write with my sensibilities strong, though I have to edit them later. I write with a fire in my belly. I write with my hair a mess. Sometimes I lose everything around me and the story becomes a vision. But even when it doesn't, I still write.

How do you write?

Rosy and Thistle and Magic and Us

“Why did Rosy's father leave a tiny piece of cake for Thistle?”

Her question was about a book, a children's book* about a girl who works on her dollhouse early every Saturday morning with her father – Just me and my Rosy-posy, as he says. Then one Saturday morning Rosy's father is not there. He is seriously ill and has to stay in the hospital for a long time.

That very day, Rosy discovers a fairy in her dollhouse. Thistle, the fairy, has hurt her wing. Even though she is mischievous and likes potato chips and makes messes (not at all like the sweet fairies in Rosy's story books) Rosy loves her and takes care of her, bandaging her wing and playing with her. Having someone to nurse helps distract Rosy from worries about her father.

Finally, he returns home and asks after the dollhouse. Rosy whispers the wonderful secret of Thistle and takes him to see. But Thistle is gone. All that's left are her naughty drawings on the walls and the furniture she's turned upside-down. Rosy's father says Rosy must have helped Thistle's wing feel well enough that she could fly again. They put the dollhouse in order and before bed, he leaves a tiny piece of cake for Thistle, just in case.

So my daughter came into the kitchen while I was making dinner. She asked the question about the cake, and several answers flitted through my head at once. It came down to: I could say Rosy's father was being kind to Rosy, and make sure my daughter realized fairies aren't real. But... was that the answer closest to what I believed? What I wanted my daughter to know about the world?

I said, “Just in case she got hungry.”

What would you have told her?

*The Dollhouse Fairy, by Jane Ray

Dialogue: 3/5/11

Me [unloading dishwasher]: I don't know how I didn't know till now [my thirties] that I was an artist. I've always been happiest around people who were doing art, being creative. Like, any kind of art: music, drawing. I guess not writing, cause writing's pretty solitary. But I always loved to write.

D. [in the other room, on the computer]: Hm.

Me: But I think everybody's like that. Cause art reminds you how to be a child. There's something about it that's like the way a child thinks.

D.: Yeah.

Me: I'm going to put our conversations about art on my blog. We have good talks and everybody likes to think about that stuff.

D.: I think you're right.

What about art makes you happy?

Blogging Frequency

One of my goals for 2011 is to finish a short story a month. I started this practice last year and it was wonderfully helpful and fulfilling, but things came up, as they do...

Like all of us, I have time limitations, I have to decide what to prioritize, so for now I'm choosing to write short stories on a regular basis instead of updating my blog on a schedule. I'll still post to this space as the spirit moves me.

What's Your Literary Genre?

HI, I'm Elisabeth Black, and the word "genre" makes me want to pull out my hair - just a little. Nevertheless I am learning to pay attention to the rules of genre because I want to sell my book. Respecting industry norms can only improve my chances of doing so.

Today I went searching on the internet for more information, trying to understand what literary genre my book fits into. The best articles I found were all from the Writer's Relief Blog, and I've listed them here for your perusal if you, like me, belong to the "I like what I like and I've never paid much attention to genre classifications" support group.

1. Here is an article breaking down literary versus mainstream fiction. I know I don't write literary fiction, but I've always wondered exactly what it is. The definition of "mainstream fiction" actually comes closer to what I'm writing than I expected.

2. This post talks about the rules of genre fiction, for instance how long the manuscript for a science fiction novel should be, or what elements it should contain.

3. The clincher for me was their discussion of subgenres. Oh yes, there are genres within genres. But believe it or not I think this fact makes it easier to define my novel's category.

In my opinion, my current book is soft, or basically mainstream science fiction. What do you write? Have you had any trouble defining your own literary genre?

Behind All Things Seen

"Behind all things seen lies something vaster;
everything is but a path, a portal or a window..."
-Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
On the bay windowsill stand a salmon-blossomed begonia, fennel, geraniums and other plants I've brought in for winter. I keep looking up to watch brown leaves float in ones and twos past bare branches and a hard sky, contrasting with the warmth and greenery inside my house.

There are things I want to say to you, big world. A snuffer sits heavy on my thoughts as I work through revisions to my novel.

I wrote the climax again last night. I leaned in to the screen, bouncing my legs, spellbound for hours. My husband did the dishes; I didn't even notice. And when I stretched out in bed I felt I'd fought a battle with broken feet. No. I felt I'd watched someone I loved do it, watched from inside their eyes.

I'm no sort of person to talk to, these days. But I'm collecting things for you. I've got tall towers and crashing waves, deep caverns and blood to offer, world. In awhile, just a little longer.

Do you experience a drawing-in when you work on revisions?

Plot & Structure Winner

Plot & Structure goes to Linda Grimes. Linda, you made me laugh with your entry.

"There's nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and open a vein."

She stared at the Red Smith quote for hours. Since nothing else had worked, she followed his advice.

As the ambulance took her away, she vowed next time she would stick with Lamott.

Special mention to Trisha Leigh for the most horrible entry, and I mean that in a good way. Well done.

Thanks to all who entered. Linda, email me your address and I'll send you the book!

Plot & Structure Giveaway

By the time I read Plot & Structure by James Scott Bell, I knew a lot of basics about getting myself to write, writing techniques, etc. Also, I had rewritten my book more than once already, so the last few chapters of Bell's book, those intensive structure/revision chapters, were the ones most helpful to me. Using the information in those chapters, I broke my novel into three acts, with the doorways of no return between, and was able to see some of the things I needed to fix to pick up the pace and give the story a feeling of consistency throughout. Plot & Structure also helped me create a rough outline for my next project (that sound you hear is stars exploding in my belly - yes it does hurt, in a good way), which I hope will require much less revamping than this one, due to a better understanding of plot and structure from the get-go. Finally, Bell gave me the needed kick to rev up scenes of conflict.

I recommend Plot & Structure to anyone who feels a little shaky on structure.

Since I've taken copious notes from the book, I'm giving away my copy to the person who writes my favorite scene about... writing. This does not have to be typing on the computer. It could be writing a love note, graffiti... anything written, from the point of view of the writer or otherwise. The entry should be no more than 150 words.

Contest closes by the end of the day Saturday, the 13th.

November 1 First First Draft Advice

A new-to-fiction writing friend asked my advice on first drafting. I kind of said, "Uhhh." Then I deleted that (I'm pretty sure I deleted it?) and typed something resembling helpful. I hope.

The truth is, when I wrote my first draft of my first book, I didn't mean to seek publication. I didn't know what I wanted outside of myself, but I knew inside of myself, I had to write. Because I didn't have dreams of world domination yet, I went at it in a highly experimental, even slipshod fashion. I diaried about my characters and plot before I began the book, and a few other times throughout. Every time I began a writing session - back then I wrote at Panera with a pen - I made a bullet point list of what I wanted to happen. I also made a longer list at the beginning of each chapter. Then I went through, scene by scene, and wrote.

I wish I hadn't wasted the time hand-writing two novels, and I wish I hadn't wasted time by not having a working understanding of structure before I began. On the other hand, if I had worried too much about writing the "right way", I might not have started writing. So, for me, the most important part of writing has always been what it still is: Just Do It.

I'm not sure I got around to telling my friend, but S, if you're reading, here's my best advice. When writing your first draft, make sure you keep writing. If you get stuck, get information that will help, then go back to writing. Don't let anything stop you. Don't let hardware, software, worries about your reputation or your influence, not having as much time as you'd like, not knowing a lot of big words*, realizing halfway that your writing is terrible, being scared by what's coming out of you, not having brilliant ideas, having too many brilliant ideas, not having read On Writing, your plant dying because you forgot to water it, not having read enough classics, not having read the bestsellers in your genre, being unsure of your genre, not being completely rested, not having the right music, that creeping feeling in your thighs, being behind on word count, being ahead on wordcount, being out of cookies, or any other thing stop you from writing. Do whatever you need to do to keep learning, but make sure you are writing as you do so.

And enjoy your NaNoWriMo.

*I know you know a lot of big words.

100% Inspiration + 100% Perspiration

You know the old saying: "Genius is one percent inspiration, ninety-nine percent perspiration." Maybe it's true, but inspiration has to be renewed, or perspiration lies cold as a dead fish.

Luckily, throwing yourself into your work can cause you to catch that purpose over and over.

So today, friend, if you're having trouble being interested in your project, if you're tempted to get inspired by something new instead? Try digging in afresh. Turn off your router, set your timer, and go for thirty minutes. Just try! Because finishing is important, and genius isn't genius without it.

Fight

This is a stand-alone character study of one of my secondary characters.
*****

I've decided to take this down for now, as I'm afraid it might be too spoilery. Thanks for your comments!

Wonder

"The beginning of our happiness lies in the understanding
that life without wonder is not worth living.
What we lack is not a will to believe but a will to wonder."
Madeleine L'Engle
I believe L'Engle is using “wonder” here in a deeper sense than usual. Wonder isn't always reserved for pretty things, and the best kind of wonder hurts, too, the way real awe hurts. Maybe when people say dreams, hope, they mean wonder the way I think of it. I think transforming creativity springs from wonder, and without wonder imagination is a heavy thing, merely dread.

Also, to wonder can mean to question: “I wonder what would happen if...” The difference between “questioning” and “wondering” is the sense of humility intrinsic in the latter word, often inverted in the former.

I cannot imagine trying to get through life without a sense of wonder. I definitely can't imagine trying to make art without it.

"That unnameable something,
desire for which pierces us like a rapier at the smell of bonfire,
the sound of wild ducks flying overhead...
the morning cobwebs in late summer,
or the noise of falling waves."
C.S. Lewis
Do you think “a life without wonder is not worth living”? How do you retain your sense of wonder?

Writing: Hobby or Career?

A lot of us writers struggle to find time to write. Here's what works for me in my own situation.

It all started when I decided writing was my career. Now, I have three young daughters and I am blessed to be a stay-at-home mother. I hear some other women in my position call homemaking their career, but to me, my family isn't my career, it's my family. As such, it comes first, but I always have a bit of time throughout the day I'm not using on the homefront.

When I began taking my writing seriously, I came to a crisis where I had to decide: how much of my life do I want to devote to this? The answer: as much as possible. So I took the schedule-blocks I used to spend on relaxing or on other hobbies and I filled them with writing. A wise person once said that when it comes to how you occupy yourself, a change is as good as a rest. Writing refreshes me.

My children thrive on playing with me, on helping, and the usual, but we've always given quiet times to them, and they thrive on those too. While they read or what-have-you, I'm nearby, writing. In the evening, while my husband sketches and watches documentaries, I write.

The important thing about calling writing my career is this: it increases my expectations for myself. When my hobby became a career, it gained dignity, in my eyes at least. You don't HAVE to stick with a hobby, but it's more important to stay dedicated to your career. If I really mean it? I owe it a regular, faithful schedule.

I'm lucky: I have no commute, don't have to wear special clothes, or choose between spending time with my family or spending time writing. What I do have to choose is not to waste the time I have, and that's the key, whether I can find six hours a day or sixty minutes.

How do you make time for your writing? Is writing your career or your hobby?