Stealing and Stalking

by Suzanne Cordatos

Teachers have scolded us for plagiarism ever since we learned the three-finger grip on a pencil. Stalking is just plain creepy. However, writers, aren't we known for our powers of observation? Maybe we should pay closer attention to our dark sides. As editors say, there isn’t a new story under the sun—only new ways to tell it. When you're stuck for an idea, tap into your considerable skills of observation as one way of getting creative juices flowing.

Steal an idea. Work it like Playdoh.

Knead it, twist it until the idea is unrecognizable and becomes a creation of your own and not a clichéd duplicate. In a favorite TV show recently, pieces of earth rose from the floor of a cave and morphed into a ghost/robot/monster thing. Movie scenes instantly came to mind: mummies from a desert-sandstorm and a ghostly Headmaster Dumbledore rising from dusty floorboards in a Harry Potter. Each of these transforming dust bunnies is creative, unique--and part of a completely brand new story.

Highlight favorite lines while you read. Steal the technique, not the line. Analyze the sentence. What makes some sentences great? Is it the word order that reads like a punch line? Is it the blend of sounds, the writer’s use of alliteration or onomatopoeia that makes the line linger on your tongue like candy? Is it a description of food so gorgeous it makes your mouth water? Keep a small notebook of favorites and refer to it when you want to describe a sunny beach in such a way your readers will want sunscreen.

Stalking 101. We learn writing tips from conferences, books and blogs. We learn how to write settings from paying attention to the world around us. A trip to the local library or bookstore can be another good teacher. Choose a stack of books in your genre. Who publishes the books you relate to the most? Take notes which publishers might appreciate your work when you're ready to submit.

      Sit on a comfy chair near the genre you write. What do teens roll their eyes at in the YA section? What do middle graders giggle about? What images do toddlers poke stubby fingers at and giggle?

      How do adults choose new authors? The cover catches an eye. Flip the book over to scan the back blurb. If all is well, a reader might read the first paragraph. That’s typically it.

            

     The back blurb
Can you write your entire novel idea in three or four exciting sentences just like the back blurb of a book cover? Research books in your genre (i.e. PLAYDOH METHOD, see above) and compare your own write-up. Does it have the same zingy tone? Show it to a few reader friends (preferably those not in your critique group) -- Is this a story they’d likely continue? Are you able to be richly concise with your main character, plot and theme?

     The first paragraph
Does your novel's first paragraph stand up to the same type of scrutiny?

Enlighten us! How has your keen sense of observation improved your writing?

Pebbles on the Beach

Pebbles on the Beach

By Suzanne Young Cordatos          

 www.suzannecordatos.blogspot.com      

Are you a collector?

When on vacation, I find it impossible to resist bringing back a piece of the place. How better to preserve memories of special times, gatherings, food, music, and scenery than holding it, literally, in one’s hand?

Sometimes a “piece” means a cheap refrigerator magnet in the shape of the Mayflower, but often it means a literal piece picked off the ground. My husband is from Athens, Greece, and visits to his family always include a trip to the beach. The ubiquitous pebble beaches of Greece are a wonderful place to find packable treasures. Marble chunks smoothed by years in the Mediterranean Sea. The whitest pebbles, or the blackest. Pieces of blue and green bottles. Broken terracotta so smooth it seems like an ordinary pebble, but one that might have originated in some ancient past. Each pebble contains the power to bring back visions of my kids dancing in a village square, laughing and stumbling over the fancy Greek footwork.

Collect words

In my writing, too, I am a collector. When I first began, I voraciously sought out “how-to” books. How to structure a story. How to bring believable characters or plots to life. How to build a platform. Then I realized: I was doing a lot more reading about writing than actually writing. Has this happened to you? We “feel” like writers, therefore we are? Nope. Not unless we are writing! Now, I prefer collecting books of words, unique thesaurus-style books filled with words relevant to whatever theme I am exploring barefoot at the moment.

Keep a small notebook

Collect special sayings that touch your heart in a notebook. They might worm their way into a book's theme. A small notebook can be a writer’s best friend, easily on hand to record the joys/pains of life. Annual events like the 4^th of July would seem easy to recall, as they happen pretty much the same every year—but on a winter’s day writing about it, are you going to remember the sound of the American stripes flapping in a strong breeze, or its hooks clanging a summer music against the flagpole? Will you remember the sting of lemon in a fresh cut, or the pesky bee buzzing around the pitcher of lemonade? 

Writer’s Block is a Myth

by Robert Medak


Writers talk about Writer’s Block, it is just a term and nothing more.

Some writers may disagree with me. Writer's block occurs because the writer hasn’t paid enough attention to their research, or has a clear conception of their writing project. Before tackling any writing task, it is necessary to have a clear concept of what they are writing, albeit a story, and article, a synopsis, or pitch.

My favorite quote, which I use as part of my e-mail signature, is by Mark Twain that speaks volumes to me is, "The time to begin writing an article is when you have finished it to your satisfaction. By that time you begin to clearly and logically perceive what it is that you really want to say."

Before beginning any writing project, the writer should take the time to gather their thoughts about what it is they wish to accomplish with their writing project. This may be a difficult concept for some writers to comprehend, especially the beginning or unpublished writer.

There are different types of writers. I for one am a seat of the pants writer. Writing for me is to have a clear concept of what I want to say, than say it the best way possible for the reader to have a clear idea of what I am saying. I want to engage the reader and offer information that may help them in articles I write.

The bottom line is to have a clear idea of what you are writing, get it written down, then edit it or have someone you trust edit the work for you.

Related articles

• Wishing for Writer's Block (valerieraynerants.wordpress.com)
• Getting Past Your Writer's Block (boldstate.com)
• Writer's Block? No Problem! (coolcatnebula.com)