Don't be afraid of your image. Or maybe you should be.

The start of the school year brings about a lot of changes for me. I have much less time for blogging, vlogging, writing, critiquing, etc. That time gets taken up by grading, lesson planning, research, preparation, and helping my own child with his homework. Despite this, it can wind up being a remarkably insightful time for me as a writer. My interaction with students and faculty bring me lots of new ideas and concepts for stories, characters, and even life in general. This week had me realize something that I used to think was limited to just teenagers, but I believe that it impacts writers a lot as well: we compromise to protect a certain image.One of the most frustrating thing that a teacher experiences is when we know that a student is intelligent and capable, but they will not take advantage of their abilities. I see this a lot in my creative writing lessons because they are not part of a graded course, so students are less inclined to put forth the effort. I always have a few students that do not want to put the thought into an assignment or answer that they could. They are capable, but they are oftentimes concerned about their reputation. They are afraid that if they show that they can be thoughtful and creative that it might ruin their image of being a class clown or that others might think that they are a nerd. It has held back some great talent, and it is a frustrating trait that I thought might exist only in middle school. I was wrong.

Writers are often writers by hobby more than by profession. This creates a situation very similar to that of middle school students. You have a professional reputation to protect, and knowing that someone might connect your writing with your profession may force you to compromise some of your ideas or plans for your story. I have been guilty of this on many occasions. The question is, should it? In an ideal world, a writer should be able to express their ideas without their art impacting their professional image. Of course, I don't have to tell anyone that we do not live in an ideal world. I am not talking about extreme cases here. I am talking about language used in the writing or perhaps some character traits. So where do you draw the line? Where do you decide that you need to compromise your art in order to protect your professionalism? Should you even consider such a thing? My thoughts on this depend upon your profession. Some professions and employers don't care if you write a book with some foul language and some unsavory characters. There is little connection with your profession and your hobby. In that case, don't compromise if you can avoid it. Other professions have little separation. What you do at any time is seen as a reflection of you as a professional. When that is the case, it is time to compromise, and keep that in mind as you write.

I am certain that several people just said some of those words that I am would recommend avoiding in some people's writing. I'm sure that the word "sellout" is flashing through several people's minds. First of all, I am writing this for amateur authors, not professionals. If you are an amateur, you have to worry about keeping food on the table. Practicality has to rear its ugly head now and again. Secondly, compromising some of your ideas can lead to a better final product. If you force yourself to rethink your approach to your story, you will often come up with some ideas that you wouldn't have even considered before when you were hooked on your original idea. Being forced to compromise can be a bridge to new approaches and a better final product. Life isn't always fair, but that doesn't mean that it can't be fruitful!

Audiobook giveaway!

Guess what! "Pup: A Novel of Accidental Heroism" is now an audiobook! I listened to it and have to say that it is a unique experience to hear your story being told in someone else's voice. To top it off, the narrator did a great job. I would love for some of you to experience this story being told with such a great voice, so I've arranged a little giveaway! Promo codes for a free copy of "Pup" on Audible will be given to three lucky winners. You can enter one of two ways. Use the rafflecopter widget below to enter. Best of luck to you!  

a Rafflecopter giveaway //widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js

What are we waiting to write for?

This weekend my family and I took a short trip to a museum in west Tennessee. Part of the museum includes a tower that allows you to look out over a fairly impressive distance. I've been suffering from sinus problems lately, so my main thoughts while I was in the tower dealt with how dizzy I felt while that high up. Once we returned home, I got the chance to look at the pictures I had taken while up there and appreciate them without equilibrium issues. I loved them. Maybe I'm easily impressed, which is likely, but I looked at these pictures and realized that there is so much there that could be written about. Between the museum's outdoor exhibits and the surrounding landscape, it was a beautiful sight, and I realized how much people have a responsibility to share that beauty with the rest of the world. Some do it through art. Some pass it on one person at a time through their charisma and ability to share experiences. I try to pass on the history and beauty to each class full of students that passes through my room. As writers, we should be sharing it through our prose. Take a look at the pictures, or take a look around you. The world is there, just waiting to be shared with those that might not be standing by your side. Give them something to amaze them. If you can't show them a picture taken through a camera, paint them a picture created by your words. If you are facing some writer's block right now, look around you and ask, "What am I waiting for?"

*Thanks to Discover Park of America for the great experience*

Balancing a career and writing

This week I was working on grading some papers when I remembered how challenging it can be to juggle a career that you love and are passionate about as well as writing, which you also love and are passionate about (throw in a family that you love and are passionate about and you start demanding more hours in the day!) So how does one balance these things? How do you make it work out? I can't claim to have all of the answers, but I can point out a thing or two that might help you a bit in this week's vlog.[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ECoYLV14Sw]

Love is in the air...in every story!

This week I put together a vlog asking questions about romance in stories. Ever notice how most stories do have a romantic interest involved? It's like we can't escape it, regardless of what the topic is. So is it necessary? If you are adding a romantic interest into your story, how do you do it correctly? Well, take a look and let me know what you think![youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_0Tk2Dq_vmw]

When it comes to teaching writing today, where is the love?

The school year is just about to begin for my students. Like seems to be the case far too often, there are new requirements for what to teach and how this year. The new requirements call for more reading and a whole lot more writing in all subjects. As a writer you would think that I am happy with this. Well, as a social studies teacher, I certainly am. I think that students can benefit greatly from learning how to write informatively. As a writer, I’m not quite as thrilled. The thing that I’m concerned about, as a writer, is that we aren’t quite teaching the love. I’m going to borrow some lines from Joss Whedon here to make my point. You can know all of the grammar and tools for proving a thesis in the 'verse, but if you don’t have love then writing may shake you right off as surely as the worlds turn. I worry that as the students get older, we are requiring less and less creativity from them. Non-fiction writing is a crucial skill in today’s world, and I don’t think that it should be less emphasized. However, fictional, creative writing seems to be falling away. I fear that we may be taking the love from the writing, and if that’s the case, then writing may become a matter of nothing more than work for future students. Writing will shake us right off from a lack of love.

I am not recommending any kind of change in standards or anything like that, nor is this any kind of complaint against current standards. This is a plea to the teachers, parents, and writers out there. Even if it isn’t in the standards or expectations, we need to make certain and instill some of that love for writing into our children. Many students love to read, but I wonder if any of them realize that it is up to them in the future to provide the stories that the next generation will read. If we don’t try to instill some of that love into the students, then the next generation may not have the gripping stories to mesmerize them that previous generations have enjoyed. I teach some creative writing as an enrichment course. Do I think that everyone in there leaves with a love of writing? Absolutely not! But if I can get three or four students a year to gain an appreciation for writing and maybe help foster a talent they have for it, then I feel that I have accomplished what I set out to do.

We certainly need to teach our students how to write and explain things with informative texts. It is a skill that they need to learn. But to my fellow teachers, parents, and writers out there, try to find the opportunity to instill a love for writing whenever you can. That is something that many of the children want to learn. That’s important for their futures, too.

Time period settings

This week I look at time periods. Are they important? Is there anything that you should know if you are trying to set things into a different time period? Future, past, or present? When do you like to set your writing? [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mwa2HyIvevU]

So what about those short story prompts?

Well, a day ago I posted a vlog talking about the usefulness of short stories in helping you get through writer's block. Naturally, plenty of people want to know how they are supposed to write a short story to help get them past their writer's block if they can't think of a basis for a short story. Here are a few prompts for short stories that you can use: Write a story about the first time a character has to mow the yard.

Write a fictional family history about people moving into a house that is empty in your neighborhood.

Write a story based on your favorite song.

Write a story about one day told from the perspective of your pet.

Write a story about a leaf being carried along in a stream.

Write a story about writer's block (I thought up a book idea that way once.)

Write a story about your first crush.

Write a story about the perceptions of Earth by a person from another planet/universe/dimension.

Write a story about five people in a plane that is flying overhead.

Write a story about teaching someone to play cards/poker.

There's ten quick story ideas to help get you started, and those were just off of the top of my head. What about you? Any good story ideas?

Short story ideas and where to get them

In this week's vlog I talk about short stories, why they can be useful, and where to get ideas from. I mention a few ideas and would love to hear some of your own writing prompts. I plan on posting more prompts later this week.[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jUFUnLbV2yg]

What are good reason to write? What are some not so good reasons?

I'm sure that many of you have thought about why it is that you like to write in whatever form that you write in. Of course, you have to ask yourself if it is a good reason. Obviously no one else can judge that but you, but can you say that your reason helps your writing? Does it add a passion, a heart to what you are doing? Sure, most of us had our first experience with writing as a result of a school assignment, and doing the writing as an assignment isn't always going to produce your best work, but when you write voluntarily, what is motivating you? That is the question that I ask on this weeks vlog. Take a look![youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1gFn9hr3BDA]

When you should add background to your story and how much

Just the other day I was watching a movie with my wife. I thought that the movie had potential, but I kept getting really confused during a good portion of it. Terminology, technology, concepts, and relationships that I didn't understand or had never heard of kept popping up. I was getting lost in trying to figure out some of the minutiae instead of enjoying the storyline of the film. This is a problem that I have begun to see in movies as well as in books. The writers don't seem to want to give any background early in the story. So when should you and how much should you give? There are some times when giving the back-story is part of the story itself. You don't always want to tell everything up front. Instead, you want to have it divided out because it helps to drive the story. That can work out wonderfully. The youth novel Holes wouldn't have been nearly as good if the entire background of the main characters was given in the beginning. It became a driving force in the storyline. If that is how you plan to have your story flow, go right ahead. However, make certain that you are dealing with characters, situations, and terminology that is familiar to the average person. You do not need your reader to get bogged down in trying to figure out what on earth you are talking about because you are using unique terminology. I will admit to having closed books and turned off movies because I wasn't able to figure out what they were talking about. If telling the background isn't a driving force in your story, then I would suggest getting that background out there as soon as possible. Your reader wants to know whose lives they are following or what situation they are watching unfold. Even Star Wars gave enough background to understand that there was a civil war taking place and that the Rebels were desperately trying to find some advantage to use against the much larger and stronger Empire. If you can't learn from Star Wars, who can you learn from?

The next thing that I find useful to point out as part of the background is enough information to educate your reader. A very dangerous trap that I have seen many writers fall into is that they assume that the person reading their book has a similar education to themselves. I'm not talking about college degrees here. I am referring to practical experience that impacts the terminology that you use or the processes that you might choose to not explain because you are so accustomed to them yourself. The safest bet is to never assume that your reader is familiar with what you are talking about. Just because a reader has chosen a military adventure doesn't mean that they know the difference between a carbine and a lmg. Just because someone chooses to read a legal thriller doesn't mean that they know what an indictment is (a large number of people don't). Some writers are concerned that they might make their audience think that they are stupid if they explain everything. If that is your concern, then have an ignorant character. Very often the people involved in different situations have no experience with whatever is going on. Let the character ask the questions that the audience might have. The audience doesn't get lost and you have a new, useful character for your story.

Be imaginative. Create your own stories. Create your own people. Create your own universe. Just remember that your readers, your audience cannot see into your imagination. You have to use your talent for story telling to draw them into your imagination. It's what some of the greatest stories do.

Can a writer learn about life from their characters?

Sometimes the movies and books that we appreciate the most stick out in our minds because of the lessons that we learn from them. Probably the most obvious example comes from Winston Groom in the character of Forrest Gump. Although the character was markedly different between the book and the movie, we all learned lessons from Forrest Gump through his unique view of the world. Everyone can tell you the relationship between life and chocolates. And who doesn't know that stupid is as stupid does? I have to wonder if, while Groom was writing the book, he really thought through each of those lines as a writer, or if Forrest Gump had become a living, breathing person in his mind that saw the world that way. People who don't write probably think that writers are crazy. That's because we writers are a little crazy.  When you start to truly write an in-depth story, the characters aren't just a name that you write down on paper. Their actions, reactions, and point of view should be consistent, as if they were truly there and doing what you are writing down on paper. They should become believable not only to your readers, but to you as the writer as well. Even though they are a creation of your imagination, you should be able to learn from your characters.

I got to experience this in the writing of my novel, Pup. The main character, who goes by the nickname Pup, has a very unique way of looking at the world around him. I started to exercise my creativity with this character by wondering what his reactions would be to various situations that I experienced throughout the day. As time went by, I started to do this without thinking much about it. What resulted (and continues to result) is a series of sayings that I call Pupisms. Some of them are found in the book. Others have shown up on my twitter or Facebook or even on this blog. The funny thing about these Pupisms is that I will sometimes look at them and ask myself "Why don't I see things that way?" For example, one Pupism states that working for someone else's approval is like living on Jello. You'll never feel satisfied. I have to remind myself of that on occasions.

Now, there are probably psychologists out there chomping at the bit to explain how those words are my subconscious trying to lead me in the right direction, etc., etc. I don't care. The lessons come from a character that I created, and I learned a little something from them. If you are writing a story, don't just gauge how those characters might react to the situations in your story. Started thinking of how they might react to situations in your life. Once they start to surprise you, or once you start to learn from them, then you know that you have a real character on your hands that's ready to teach others as well.

How binge watching might help your writing

I know that as a writer I should tell other writers that the only way to help your writing is to read, then write, then repeat the cycle to improve. There is a reason that formula is used so often: it works. However, we are in a changing time with new technologies and possibilities around every corner, so I would like to entertain new concepts that could open your mind to new possibilities. In today's vlog, I point out that the new public fad of binge watching can actually help you to develop your story and characters. It is all about opening your mind to new possibilities and stimuli.[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ev3opezTXLY]

How to make your villain believable

So you are writing your story and your antagonist does something cruel. Have you ever wondered if your audience believes that someone would do such a thing? It's amazing how many writers create a "bad guy" who is simply...bad. Sometimes it takes a great story and makes it mediocre. The way to prevent that is remarkably simple, and I tackle that not-so-secret in this week's vlog.[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T3FNABNbeUs]

Happy Birthday to Pup

Well, today is the day. My brain-child was finally born. The novel Pup has been released. There are certainly days that have been more important in my life. The birth of my son and my wedding day are the obvious ones that come to mind. Still, this one certainly ranks up there. Any of you that are writers understand how amazing it can be to watch a story take shape in your mind and by your hands. Sometimes the characters become as real, or sometimes even more real than the people around you.You go back to read through what you have written and you find yourself surprised with what you find. A life plays out before your very eyes. You get to not only witness it, but you also get to shape it. I feel sad to say this as a writer, but words cannot do justice to the process. Those of you that don't write understand as well. You get the same feeling through the expression of your own passions. I watched that same elation form on someone's face when they finally got a troublesome engine running once again. I see it when people draw, and I've seen it on the face of every person that finishes a long-distance race. It is an amazing journey.

The difference between this journey in writing and others that I have taken is that this one included another leg to the trip. Not only did I get to write the story, I was offered the privilege of publishing the story. This meant that my story would not only mean something to me, but it had the chance of finding meaning for someone else as well. No artist paints a picture hoping that they are the only one that sees it. The very knowledge that someone else, even if it is only one individual, would get a smile, a laugh, or a lesson from my writing was a heady feeling indeed. That feeling has lasted since I first heard the news about publication over six months ago.

So, the big day of release is finally here. So what am I planning to do to celebrate it. Nothing much. Honestly, I have kept up with my social media, spoken to my mom (she was probably one of the first buyers. No surprise there!), gone to a few shops, and gotten a little exercise. My wife and I will probably go out to eat, but that is all that I really have planned. Am I a party pooper? I don't think so. I've had six months of celebrating, and that isn't counting the writing process itself. I'm thrilled. I'm proud. I plan for a great showing. But I don't intend to spike the football. I'm happy just soaking it in and getting ready for the next day.

A Tough Day Parenting

As I have stated in the past, I do not write poetry. At least, not on purpose. On occasions I'll jot some things onto paper if it has been an interesting day or two (a term which has many definitions!) This is something I jotted into my phone a couple of days ago. A Tough Day Parenting

My life centers around you.

You are my world now and forever.

Protect. Love. Teach. Guide.

Tricks. Lies. Distrust

Twist a knife in my heart.

Betrayal.

Send to bed with anger.

Tears.

Say I love you because I do no matter what.

Still hurts.

Hurts us both.

Return to tuck you in after you're asleep.

Demand better tomorrow

From both of us.

Tired.

Determined.

Dedicated.

Parent.

A brief reading from PUP

With the release date coming up soon, I decided to read a brief section of PUP so that people can get a preview of what I am so excited about. The scene that I am reading is just an example of some of the early trials faced by the main character and gives an idea of the interesting, almost comical difficulties he has a habit of stumbling into. [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Ji_0OVj9w4]

Vlog 9: The origins of Pup

Pup: A Novel of Accidental Heroism comes out in just a few weeks on June 16th. This week I was thinking back on some of the things that influenced me in writing the story and I remembered the very first reenactment that I took part in. I tell the story here and you really start to see how Pup was influenced as well as how much of a bumbler I can be! [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjRAscgZssk]

Filler for your story: what you should and shouldn't do

I recently had someone ask me to do a vlog on filler for their writing. While considering it I also thought about how long it had been since I had the opportunity to sit down and do a written blog. Since it had been quite a while, I figured I would set aside a few minutes and answer his question in writing. Whenever you write, there is always a lot of concern with the length of the story. Sometimes you want to make certain that the story is novel length (which varies, depending on who you are speaking to) and sometimes you want to make certain that you aren't overdoing it. It is the first of these categories that are concerned with the phenomena in writing known as "filler." In essence, filler is something that takes up space and helps serve as a kind of written bridge between one important event in a story and another. Filler makes certain that what you hoped would be a novel isn't just an article. I once heard someone say that one of the hardest things to do is nothing. Filler essentially does nothing for the characters or story, so it makes it one of the most difficult things to write.

So, if you are asking this particular amateur writer how to create filler for your story, here is my answer: don't. I understand how much it might seem that you need to come up with something to fill up space, but if you do, then it is possible that you haven't fully developed your story or characters yet. Each thing that happens in your story should be a link in the chain. Anything that isn't doesn't belong there. Whatever is being written should be something that helps the characters grow or the story move forward or give background to the situation. If it doesn't do one of those things, then you are wasting your time and your reader's time. Your characters and your story should be alive. Everything that is alive, whether they realize it or not, do things for a reason. They may not understand the reason, but it is there nonetheless. Your living story and living characters should be no different.

I understand completely how tempting it is to add extra stuff in to lengthen out a story. However, when it is all said and done, I would much rather have a well written short story than a poorly written novel. There's my two cents worth.

A quick word on research for your writing

This week I made a quick vlog while I was out and about taking part in one of my hobbies. The video is about the importance of research. Now I will admit that researching online and through books is incredibly important. It really gets you familiar with the subject that you are researching. However, nothing can take the place of actual experience. Remember, you are a writer. The idea is to bring the experience to life in the readers' imaginations. You can only do that if you try to get out of your house and take part, in some way, in the activity you are writing about. I know that this isn't possible for a lot of things in stories, but do it for everything that you can. There are a million tiny details that you pick up along the way that can really make a difference between a good story and a great story. So get up and out whenever you can find the time and look for those things that will really bring your writing to life. [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=74DaZP8ks6U]