Writing Outside of Your Box

          I admit, this post is not directed at Fireblossom who writes mind-blowing poems every day (and lately, several times a day). Not only are the images and word choices she crafts responsible for lots of teeth-gnashing by those who are envious, but the style and tone of her poems is so varied, it's hard to believe one person actually writes all of that poetry. (There is an investigation underway by the PP--the Poetry Police--because of the many allegations that have arisen, but since witnesses are still being questioned, no details are available at this time.)

photo by jaqian

          I began this new year by writing something that was way out of my box. Late last year, I had submitted to a romance anthology. Since I am incapable of heaving bosoms and men with Fabio-esque looks, it was humorous. It was snarky. It was rejected.

        Stung by the resounding gentle "no" I received in November, during the first days in January I opened up my laptop to craft something for the same editor--a different anthology but still the pesky romance genre. I am holding my breath, waiting for either a yea or a nea.

        Everything else I write is creative nonfiction. Writing a romance is not my forte, but my stubborn nature has fueled my efforts during the occasions I do emerge from my box--these two romance stories...a novel that is currently in a rut--I'm pushed forward by my pride. And when I fail to get something published or a little voice inside me says 'Don't be ridiculous. You can't do that, Sioux,' my uncertainty surrenders to my stubborness.

       What have you done--writing or otherwise--that has brought you out of your box? What fuels you? What keeps you moving forward? Inquiring minds want to know...

(This post is also not aimed at Mama Zen, either. She's a poet who can write mind-boggling poems with just a few words. After the investigation into the ruse Fireblossom has created has concluded, one is going to be launched to check out Mama Zen. Is she really a mother? How can an actual mother squeeze out creative brilliance like that as she does diapers and laundry and lunches?  Was she really a singer in a band in her "former" life?  How much talent can one person hoard?) 

        

Breaking Bad: Everything I Learned About Writing I Learned From Breaking Bad

Bryan Cranston as Walter White in Breaking Bad


1.  Details matter. Walter White is a meth cooker, and wears a rubber apron, to complement his underwear, as he doesn't want to go home smelling like meth. Boxers would have been a possibility, but tighy-whities are a detail that adds to the character...and the quirkiness of this show.

2. Show, don't tell. The writers could have told the audience, in just a few bits of dialogue, how desperate one of the characters became by the end of the 4th (and most recent) season. However, at the very end of the season's final episode, a shot of a pot of lillies of the valley showed the desperation. That one shot packed a powerful whallop.

3.  Get into your characters.  If a writer does not really know their characters, neither will the readers...and the readers won't care about the characters, either. One of the characters, played by Giancarlo Esposito, is the iciest creature I've ever seen walk on two legs. The audience sees his callousness,  his calculating-coldness, and his brutal unpredictability. However, the audience also sees his kindhearted side and they see--via flashbacks--what is driving his black heart.

4. Leave 'em wanting more. Keep 'em guessing.   Every episode left me on the edge of a cliff. I would wonder, Where is this headed, because I can't see any way out of this corner. And sure enough, there would be a solution, a way out. And I am desperate for more. The final (fifth) season starts up this summer (or so they say). I cannot wait...If your readers know exactly where your story is going--every twist and turn is telegraphed 30 pages before they happen, what is the point in reading it? 


Sons of Anarchy and (now) Breaking Bad are my guilty pleasures, but since I've frothed at the mouth to everyone I've encountered about Breaking Bad, I guess I'm not feeling too guilty about watching it.

How about you?  What have you learned about writing via movies or television shows?
 

Not-Good Friends (When It Comes to Writing)

         I have a writing friend, a founding member of the WWWP. I'll call her Lynnette (not her reall name) so the guilty can be protected.

         Lynnette shared a romance story that she's working on; reading it made me mad as a cat being given a bath. I guess she was taking Tammy's place. Tammy was MIA last night at our critique meeting, and she is the one who regularly pulls mind-blowing (or butt-blowing) things out of her sphincter. So perhaps I should give "Lynnette" some slack; maybe she was just channeling our missing member...

Okay, I lied. "Lynnette" doesn't deserve to be protected. If you see this woman,
bow down as you simultaneously hiss at her.

         Why was I spitting mad? One, I dislike romance stories, but I loved this one.

         Two, the voice (of a male narrator) was so vivid and dead-on, I was jealous. I kept trying to put a writing curse on her with my evil looks ("May your pencil run out of lead and all your pens leak out all their ink," and "May your cat Smeagol get 'cat-scratch fever' and tear up all your empty journals and copy paper.") as I read her story, but I'm sure it didn't work. Her story reminded me of why I love Stephen King's Delores Claiborne--the voice of the narrator is so chillingly clear, it's as if that character has come alive and is speaking to the reader.

         "Lynnette" said, (to make me even more furious) "I think this will be my last romance," and "I hate writing fiction." And why, I asked. If you get out of your box and find you have talent, why stop? Continue to write your 'tried and true" but also continue to take frequent steps out of your box.

         What is outside of your box that has resulted in some success? Share, and if you have time tomorrow, stop by The Muffin and leave a comment. I've got some recycling (for writing) tips...

         

Fifty Shades of Grey--Redux

     No, I have not read the best-selling book that includes in its title a number that is half a century, along with the color of my undyed roots natural hair. I only know what I've heard about it.

     I do know that it appeals more to women than men. How sad that men don't have the same literary "genius" that women are titallated by. But now, they do.



      If you'd like to read some excerpts of Fifty Sheds of Grey, go here.

       You won't regret it. It's sure to bring a smile to your lips and a chuckle to your tummy.



        

    

Lucky 2013

        I was reminded by a comment Linda O'Connell left on Val's blog that, as June Carter sang, "Time's a wastin'." (If I punctuated that incorrectly, I will have to rely on the "Grammar -itch" in my critique group to help me out and correct me.)

photo by Joo Joo
Linda O'Connell is known as one our local Chicken Soup for the Soul Queens.
Now, she's threatening to become a NYMB Queen, and has been steadily submitting to those collections.
She must be stopped at all costs!

        Linda smugly honestly informed Val that it was January 4 and she had already sent out 36 submissions in 2013. She then challenged Val to a duel. I am sure that sometime soon, blood was fall. Or spittle will spray. Or gray hair will be yanked out. Or maybe...feathers will fly.

          Since I am better at dividing than multiplying, I have this number sentence for you. 6 divided by 2 = 3.

          It's January 6 and I've already sent out 3 new submissions to the Not Your Mother's Book anthologies.

              How about you? What have you done as a writer since the new year began?

Super Writers

My son-in-law and my granddaughter...Daddy obliged his daughter and posed as the Hulk to her (I think) Ironman.
Can you tell this was a Superhero Christmas?

As writers, we have to think of ourselves as superheroes. We have to slip on our cape to shield ourselves from the rejection so that it doesn't hurt too much...

We have to put on our power belt, so that we can get rejuvenated and replenish our energy supply when we run low... 

And we have to strap on our photon-shooters/arm-blaster thingys so we can shoot down our inner critic who whispers in our ear, "Your writing sucks...You'll never make it as a writer. Just give up, why don't you!"

If you want to be inspired about a goal you really can achieve during 2013, check out Cathy C. Hall's post at The Muffin today, entitled "Just for Today, For a Writer."  And hopefully you're having a great start to this new year.