A method for motivation, character growth, and plot development in your writing

We all want to make certain that we have a memorable plot and good characters in our writing. I've known of no one that walks around thinking, "Why can't I just be mediocre? That's all I've ever wanted!" Of course, how to create a memorable plot, developed characters, and talk ourselves into putting the time and effort into it is one of the great difficulties of writing. I put together a new technique recently that just might work for you: the fantasy cast! Some people like to play fantasy sports. I'm not one of them. All it does is remind me how little I know about sports. However, putting together that fantasy team really becomes an obsession for some people, and it keeps them watching their favorite sport all season. If you are trying to visualize your story as you write, why not put together a fantasy cast for your novel? Sure, most books aren't really written to be movies, but they are written for people to visualize as they read. Why not choose the actors and actresses that you think would best portray your characters if your book were adapted for Hollywood?

I'm not cheapening books by this at all. Think about it. If you have real, live people that you can picture playing the parts of your characters, the characters themselves become more real. As you imagine the way that these actors would portray the characters, you create more depth to the characters. As you visualize this in your mind, you are essentially directing your movie. It is a new level of control over your story, and it can help take your ideas in new directions. You can't really picture those two actors in a scene together? Maybe that scene needs to be rewritten. That actor would say that line with a sneer on their face? Great! Put that in writing! Why can't writing a book be like mentally directing a movie? Give it a try next time you need a fresh approach to your work! It gives you new motivation and even a good conversation topic with your friends.

I had already finished with my book before I thought this all of the way through, but I still came up with a fantasy cast for Pup. What do you think of my choices (I know that you don't know the characters, but look at the choices and picture some interactions. Would be awfully fun!)

Nickel- John Boyega

Jethro- Colton Haynes

Rabbit- Jordan Hinson

Shaggy- Jim Parsons

Hannibal- Chris Hemsworth

Professor- Benedict Cumberbatch

Boom- Freema Agyeman

Mayumi Ogawa- Jamie Chung

Pup- Colin Morgan

So who would be in your fantasy cast? Swing by imdb.com and find the best fit for you!

feature image via genius.com

Motivation for writing

This week I decided to take a moment to speak about motivation for writers. We all want to write the next great book, but finding the time and energy to sit down and do it can be a pretty difficult thing. If you have a career outside of writing, that will take up a lot of your time. If you have a family, that is going to take up more of your time (and rightfully so!), and any other hobbies plus the daily requirements of life will take up a big chunk of time. How do you make yourself sit down and write when so much else is fighting for your attention? Well, I point out two things that work for me on today's vlog and I would love to hear what else works for you. In case you don't have the time to spare to watch (although I think you should! You never know what you're missing!), one of my motivating factors is having someone who reads things as I am writing them. Knowing that someone is awaiting the next scene can be very motivating. The other is speaking with other writers online. If they are touting their successes, it tends to get those competitive juices flowing. Enjoy the vlog, and make sure to let me know what helps convince you to make the time to sit down and write!

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8xPZ2AnxNw]

Can you teach someone how to write?

Everyone appreciates talent. The problem with talent is that those with a talent cannot understand why others can't do the same things that they can do. Why can't I walk on my hands? (Probably because I can barely walk on my feet!) Why aren't I a good basketball player? (Probably because I have a total lack of coordination) Why can't you draw? (See previous excuse) So if a talent is something that not everyone is capable of, can we teach people how to write?

Many schools have courses or clubs that center around creative writing. I myself have run a club of that nature before and I am currently working with students daily on the same subject. Does that mean that writing is a talent different from other talents? Can the talent of writing be taught? If so, then is there hope for me at basketball, drawing, and maybe even walking on my hands? (I could also use lessons in social skills, but that is a subject for an entirely different post.) To answer that, we need to look at what is taught in creative writing.

I am not certified to teach creative writing. I don't teach a credit course on the subject. What I do try to pass on to those in the club or in spare time at school are a few skills and ideas that can help improve writing. I try to get hopeful writers to spend more time working on their characters and less time working on plot lines and twists in their stories. I show them how to create deeper and more believable characters. I talk with them about how to critique someone's work and how to work with a critique of their own work. All of this is intended to help the perspective writers grow. I do believe that a lot of people reading this can learn how to write. It is a matter of skills, and skills can come from instruction and practice. There are lots of resources. Speak to the people around you. I would bet good money that you know someone who considers themselves an amateur writer. Look around on the internet. There are all kinds of sites that are made to assist writers. It is out there.

So, if I believe that lots of people can be writers, why aren't we inundated with amazing writers all day, every day. Please note my careful wording. I said that a lot of people can be writers. I didn't say that everyone can be an amazing writer. Most people who consider themselves writers do so because they enjoy writing and find pleasure in it. They would love to write a best-selling novel, but whether they do or not, they will continue writing for the joy of it. They have learned some skills and they make use of them. These are the writers I'm talking about. I count myself among them. The amazing writers do have a talent that probably cannot be taught.

OK, even with that distinction, why don't we have a lot more writers. For the same reason I'm not a good basketball player: drive and determination. A writer wants to write. They do it for joy. They do it as their outlet. They do it for their readers, however small the number. Without that drive, you never put pen to paper, just as I never put on tennis shoes and work on my lay-up (which is a moment of epic slapstick comedy). So, to answer the question of whether you can teach someone to write, I say: You can lead someone to the keyboard, but you can't make them type.