So you think you’re pretty decent with words and you enjoy telling stories, and you want to be a writer.
You should think you might want to be a writer. Here’s what you need to know about being one.
(Note: This post is mostly cynical humor as I speak out about the harsh reality of being a writer. Because in reality it’s not all sunshine and rainbows; it’s more like no sun and rainclouds––which can still be pretty cool.)
As of late, writer’s block has decided to show up in all its glorious nonexistence, probably because NaNoWriMo was traumatizing and I didn’t want to touch my book for an entire month afterwards. But I recently got tagged by my friend Addie at The Lion’s Pen with the Most Likely Tag, which basically asks questions about my characters and I get to answer them here. I’m a fan of tags that have to do with one’s WIP because it helps me to think about my story and characters in ways I never have. So, onwards.
Taking breaks is important. As mortal Earthlings, moderation with everything is vital; we can’t handle too much of anything. This is why we sleep at night. This is why we take breaks at work. This is why we take school breaks during the summer and Christmas time. And this is also why we should take breaks from creating.
“The Bourne Ultimatum” is a perfect film for analyzing and applying to writing, because it has many traits that are unique to this film series, one of the reasons it is widely known and well regarded as an action film. The director, Paul Greengrass, skillfully uses camera cuts and omniscient narrator voice to build tension throughout the movie. We will be primarily exploring the opening sequence to show just how these cinematic tools are used. I will also be applying this to writing as well, suggesting how writers can use these techniques in their writing to build tension.
It’s that time of year. Halloween is in the past, pumpkins are out, temperatures are dropping, people are hopefully getting their pumpkin-spice-chai-lattes from somewhere other than Starbucks. And writers around the world are halfway through the event in which they challenge themselves to write an entire novel in 30 days.
For many of us, NaNoWriMo is an exciting, challenging time of year, and for good reason. Yet we often dread it too, because what if we didn’t prepare enough? What if we fail to write 1667 words per day? What if we encounter writer’s block, which is a myth but is still apparently a thing? Let me say this: Even if you haven’t prepared at all, winning NaNoWriMo iS POSSIBLE! As I write this post, I am behind on my word count (hooray for productive procrastination). The point is, failing NaNoWriMo can and does happen. It happened to me last year because even though I knew my novel (Netherworld) inside and out, I simply wasn’t committed or motivated or excited to follow through the whole month. (Which is why I’m making up this year.)
For those of you who are struggling with NaNoWriMo right now––and even for those of you are way ahead and are doing just fine (KEEP IT UP!!)––I have some tips that might give you some good ideas about how to persevere through NaNo without giving into the stress. I’ll also be sharing a little bit about my NaNo novel Fiction’s Lie just for kicks!
Let’s talk about Twenty Øne Piløts. Again. Because they just recently released a new album called Trench, which is very exciting, and there’s a particular song I want to talk about.
I ran faster, the stitch in my side forgotten. I felt exhausted and frustrated at how serious this seemingly innocent game of tag had become. I mean, no game of tag has ever existed for two hours, and being anxiety-prone isn’t helping each time I spot a fellow player with impish intent all over their face. When the game started, we were all amateur bloggers, trying to make friends in the otherwise unfriendly world of the Internet. How did it become such a stressful game of every man for himself?
My heart nearly stopped in my chest as I turned a corner and met a dead end; a huge wall of wood spanning about twenty feet in width and length barricaded any other hopes of hiding. Someone had generously graffitied “BLOGGER’S BLOCK” in big black letters across the wall. So this is how it ends, then. But then I heard footsteps, getting louder at an even faster rate than my growing apprehension. When I whipped around, I stood face to face with another runner in the game. It was a girl with long brown hair, braces, and an unexpectingly friendly smile. She reached out, tapped me, and whispered, “tag!” I immediately fell unconscious.
