Time to Write

Should you walk away from BookWalker?

BookWalker is a business that has been sending out lots of emails to authors, offering to help them market their books.

The price? A mere $2939.00.

If you are even considering spending that kind of money you definitely need to do your due diligence. Fortunately, the excellent "Writer Beware" blog has done some of it for you. Here's a small sample, about the BookWalker website:

"Similarly, there’s nothing to back up the promotion and relationship claims: no client names, no examples of successful PR campaigns, no mention of who the partner literary agents, collaborating editors, etc. actually are."

That alone should be enough to set off alarm bells, and there's plenty more.

Based on the information in the Writer Beware look at BookWalker, my advice is, don't walk--run!

 

If It Hasn't Happened for You Yet

It can be frustrating to keep on writing while waiting for your break. Sometimes we wonder whether we're just wasting our time. All those days, weeks, months, years with nothing happening.

Of course, it's not really that nothing is happening. You're constantly learning, improving, and bringing new stories to life. The part that hasn't happened yet is the recognition from others, like editors or producers, of the value of what you're creating. And that hurts.

I have experienced this myself, and at times it has put me off even submitting material. I love the process of creating. The process of marketing? Not so much. But, of course, we have to do both. Both call for patience. Here's what the poet Rilke wrote about that:

"Being an artist means, not reckoning and counting, but ripening like the tree which does not force its sap and stands confident in the storms of spring without the fear that after them may come no summer. It does come. But it comes only to the patient, who are there as though eternity lay before them, so unconcernedly still and wide. I learn it daily, learn it with pain to which I am grateful: patience is everything!"

That's the lesson I have to learn and re-learn. Maybe it'll help you, too.

 

A Tool for Procrastinators Only

I’m sure you’ve heard that the way to tackle a big task is to turn it into small chunks. Good advice but I’ve found sometimes I do one or two of the small chunks, get distracted, and lose track of the bigger task. When I’ve confessed this, quite a few people have said they have the same issue. If that’s you, too, I recommend a simple little tool I’ve devised that I call a Task Map.

A Task Map is just a simple diagram of the smaller chunks in the order in which I think they need to be done.

The example pictured here is a breakdown of the steps I need to do in order to launch a feature on TikTok. As you can see, I’m starting from zero; I don’t even know the exact dimensions the graphics should have or the best format for the audio. I also need to find out the best frequency of posting (consistent with what I can realistically produce), and some tips on how to attract followers.

As reflected in the next step, I plan to produce the first dozen posts for launch day (they’re very short). I also want to have the related print-on-demand merchandise ready on a site like Etsy in the unlikely event of the site arousing a lot of interest right away. I also want to get feedback from some more experienced people, do any final pre-launch prep I’ve found out about in the meantime, and then launch. I put a check mark in each circle as I complete that step.

Of course, you don’t need to draw it, it could just be a simple list, but I am visually oriented and find this format stands out more and is less likely to get buried on my desk.

I haven’t done it on this map, but you may want to add deadlines for each step. Sometimes it turns out that something I’ve got down as one step needs to be broken down into smaller steps, leading to another map.

When I get to the end of the map, it's time to draw another one for the next part of the process. In this case, that would be continuing to post, responding to feedback, improving the posts, and perhaps creating additional merchandise. If that sells, there may even eventually be a step that reads, “Spend the income on something nice!”

 

If procrastination is an issue for you, give this a try and let me know how you get on, either in the comments or at [email protected].

The key to great characters is "why"

You always hear about how important it is for your protagonist to have a goal. That's true, but equally important is the "why" behind their goal. You'll create a better-defined and more compelling character if you also spent time coming up with the most powerful motive for their actions. 

Let's say that both Adam and Gary have the goal of completing a marathon.

Adam wants to do it to raise money for a charity. Not a bad reason.  It suggests that Adam is a good guy, willing to go out of his way to benefit others.

Gary wants to do it because his daughter is running and he wants to show her that he can actually follow through doing something together--which he never did when she was growing up. He hopes she'll give him a chance to be a better father.

Which character do you think you would care about more? 

I think it would be Gary because his goal is personal and emotional. If we've ever let anybody down or have ever hoped for a second chance in any relationship, we may identify with him at least a little. 

WHAT'S AT STAKE?

The other difference is that if the charity doesn't get the money one participant hoped to raise it probably won't be a huge blow. But if Gary doesn't finish, or at least make a massive effort, his daughter will feel he hasn't changed and there's no reason to trust him now. We can imagine how painful that would be for both of them.

The more your protagonist has at stake, the more we will care about their goal. What's at stake doesn't have to be objectively huge. Sure, in many stories it's a matter of life and death; however, you can get equal drama from a story in which what's at stake is whether a young girl is able to earn $20 to buy her ailing mother a Mother's Day gift. Her "why" is that she wants to show her mother how much she loves her.

THE "HOW" CAN CHANGE, THE "WHY" USUALLY STAYS THE SAME

Sometimes in the course of the story, the protagonist realizes the "how" they have chosen is not actually going to deliver the result they want. For instance, Adam might start off thinking he can buy his daughter's forgiveness with presents. But then he realizes he will have to give of himself instead, and that's when he signs up for the marathon.

Likewise, maybe the little girl comes to understand that something she makes herself will mean more to her mother than anything she could buy.

Thinking about the different ways that your characters try to fulfill their "why" can be a rich source of incidents and turning points for your plot.

DON'T FORGET THE ANTAGONIST

Antagonists have their own "why" as well--or at least they should. If they don't, they won't seem three-dimensional. An antagonist who does evil things just for the sake of being evil comes across like a cartoon character. An antagonist who does evil things for a reason we can understand is much more realistic. 

REVEALING THE "WHY" IS PART OF THE AUDIENCE ARC

The character arc refers to the transformation your protagonist undergoes as a result of the events of the story. There can also be an audience arc. By that, I mean a change in how the audience sees your character. Let's look at an example:

Recently I saw a reality show in which a restaurant owner was hostile to customers who asked for any minor change in a dish (like 'no onions'). Why? It turned out that when she was a child she was constantly criticized for not being able to do anything right and told she would never amount to anything. When a customer asked for a change in an item, the restaurant owner heard it as another insult and she responded angrily. When that was revealed it changed the way I regarded her.

A movie that has an audience arc is "As Good As It Gets," in which the Jack Nicholson character was mean and seemed to try hard to make sure nobody would like him. As the story goes on, though, we come to understand how he got that way, and it changes how we regard him. He also has a character arc, but our feelings about him change before he does.

The shift in an audience's perceptions is one of many ways of keeping them involved in your story.

HINTS MAY BE ENOUGH

If understanding the 'why" is crucial to your story, you may want to go into some detail and maybe even use flashbacks to reveal it. However, that's not always necessary. Often giving the audience some hints is enough to have them become more invested in your story. 

A great starting point: What do you want your readers to feel?

Halloween stories and horror movies are always about making people feel scared, but every kind of writing has the goal of making the reader or viewer feel something. Deciding what that is can help you develop your plot and characters.

Ads provide a good model. Some companies create new things to fear. When I was young there was a campaign with the slogan “No more ring around the collar!” in which people spotted that a man’s inside collar had a ring around it (due to poor washing powder) and were repulsed. “Ring around the collar” was sung in a kids’ mocking way and implied that people would think you were dirty. The way to avoid this humiliation was to use Wisk laundry detergent.

EMOTIONS ARE THE GATEWAY TO YOUR STORY

To bring the reader into the world of your story, it helps to have four elements:

• A protagonist with whom they can identify on an emotional level. If you introduce us to a character who yearns for love, for instance, it doesn't matter whether it's a prince or pauper, an innocent young girl or a lonely widow, a little mouse or the last dinosaur on earth. It's the emotion that is the basis of the reader's or viewer's bond with the character. 
  
  
• A tangible goal the protagonist pursues. While we may identify with the character's emotional state, our interest will wane if they don't soon start doing something to try to get whatever they need or think they need. Sometimes we become aware quickly that they are taking the wrong route to get their need met, and that will make us curious whether they'll recognize their error and do something else. 
  
  
• An antagonist who gets in the way.  This could be a love rival, for instance, or a person who has some kind of power over them. As you may have noticed as you've gone through life, a person can also be their own worst enemy. When that's the case, we want to get at least some clues as to why they are sabotaging themselves. Things like the weather, an accident, or a coincidence can also serve as an antagonist. In the case of coincidences, remember that it's fine to use one to get your character into trouble, but not out of trouble (that will feel like you're cheating).
  
  
• A variety of emotions for the protagonist to experience. As the story progresses, it will be emotions that keep us tied to the character. We will feel their shifting responses as they move forward or experience setbacks. If the protagonist stays in any one emotional state for too long we will get bored. 

I've linked these points to the protagonist, but in more sophisticated stories they apply to the antagonist as well. It's easy to boo a villain, but if the antagonist also has needs and goals with which we identify, the story will be richer. It may raise some conflicting emotions in us as we follow the story. For instance, let's say the person opposing a young woman's relationship with a poor young man is her mother, who truly believes she's doing the right thing, maybe because she suffered from poverty when she was young. We still feel the mother is doing the wrong thing, but we understand that her actions come from love for her daughter. It involves our intellect as well as our emotions and thereby enriches the story.

START WITH WHAT YOU WANT THE AUDIENCE TO FEEL

Knowing what emotions you want to evoke before you start writing can help you construct a good story and design the characters.

It can be helpful to have a map of the emotions you want your protagonist to go through on their journey. When you write the script or the novel you can check to make sure that each major scene or chapter is evoking the desired emotion. Even in a horror film, for instance, you need some variety because nobody can be scared 100% of the time, You need some moments when your protagonist (falsely) believes that now they are safe, before the monster or the ghost reappears. This need for variety is true for every genre.

You also can decide what you want the audience to feel as they leave the cinema or theater or read the last page of your novel. If, for example, you want the reader or audience to feel repulsion at the destructive power of greed you can choose to have the character realize it before it's too late, or you can have them remain blind to it and suffer the terrible consequences. 

OVER TO YOU

What is the central emotion you want your audience to feel? Try using that starting point, and let me know whether it helps you develop involving plots and characters.

 

Why you will hate your writing at some point (and what to do about it)

It's a fact of the writing life that at some point you will hate your project and will feel like giving up on it.

It's important to know that this is natural--and not a reason to give up.

This can happen at any point in the project but usually, it happens when we're about halfway through the first draft. At the mid-point, it sinks in that what we've written doesn't match the pristine, perfect version of it we had in mind. Also, there's still such a long way to go. 

This is when we may be tempted by another pristine, perfect vision. "Write me instead!" it cries. "I'll be better!" Spoiler alert: it won't. It will have the same or similar issues and you'll hit the same point again.

WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU FEEL LIKE GIVING UP ON YOUR PROJECT

Here's the process I recommend for when you feel like giving up on a project:

1: Step away from it for a week or two. During that time, don't work on it or even think about it. If you've been working hard, take a break. Read some books, see some movies, go to an art gallery or museum, spend some time in a park. See some friends you haven't seen for a while. Eat some ice cream. 

2: Return to the project, go somewhere other than your writing desk, and look at it as though somebody else wrote it. Make a list of its good points and weaknesses. You may be surprised to find that during your break from it your subconscious mind was still working on it and now presents you with some new ideas that will improve it.

3: Decide: If a good friend was working on this, would you advise them to give up?

If not, return to it, refreshed and with a better idea of what it requires. Ideally, finish the draft before going back to make changes in the first half. However, if you now have a  new approach that changes the first half in a major way, go back and do a quick new draft of the first half, too.

If yes, get a trusted outside opinion. Someone who approaches it with a fresh eye may well be able to suggest the fix that eludes you. 

If you still feel like quitting it, go ahead---but not before you think about what you have learned. What was wrong with it? How can you avoid making the same mistake in your next project? When I say dump it, I don't mean throw it away. Put it in a folder and when you've finished your next project go back to it. You may have gained a new perspective and want to take it up again, or you may discover you can use part of it in a new project. Or you may never want to see it again. Either way, you'll know that you gave it a fair shot.

Motivation: some days the mountain is too high

I see a lot of motivational posters featuring somebody climbing a mountain.

That's great, but some days the mountain is too high.

Some days taking one step is all we can manage.

Some days getting out of bed and putting your socks on is a win.

Even if the socks don't match.

Probably this is most relevant to those of us who battle with depression, but my guess is everybody feels this way at least once in a while.

This is my motivational poster for those days:

                                                                                                                                                                                   copyright 2021 Jurgen Wolff

 

 

You've got to tell the world how to treat you

The other day I ran across this quote from James Baldwin:

"You've got to tell the world how to treat you. If the world tells you how you are going to be treated, you are in trouble."

It reminded me of an email I received recently from an aspiring writer who was doubting herself because she hadn't sold anything yet. "Am I even a writer?" she asked. 

She was letting the world--or one part of the world--define her.

I told her, "You write, therefore you are a writer. If tomorrow a publisher accepts your novel, are you a different person? If a publisher never accepts your novel, are you a different person?"

Yes, of course, most of us want our work to reach and affect others.

We can decide whether to submit our work to publishers or producers, and we can decide not to be discouraged (for long) when it takes time to find somebody who wants to buy what we've written.

We have the option of publishing it ourselves or, admittedly with greater difficulty, making a film ourselves.

But, most of all, it's our decision whether or not we are writers, not anybody else's. When we are confident and proceed with boldness, the world tends to pay attention--sooner or later. 

Having doubts is natural--probably like you, I have days when I lose heart. On those days it's good to remember James Baldwin's words and get back to our desks and do what we were born to do.

Want to write a TV series? (with corrected link)

It's very difficult to get networks or producers to look at an original TV series proposal unless you already have a track record in TV, but occasionally there are contests for new series proposals, called "bibles."

If you're interested, this article at nofilmschool.com is the best model I've found and it includes a template you can use. Good luck!

https://nofilmschool.com/how-write-tv-show-bible-free-template

Good luck!

Telling a small story to tell a bigger one

"Six Minutes to Midnight" is a thriller movie starring and co-written by Eddie Izzard that tells the story of a girls' school in the period leading up to World War II. It's a great example of using a small world to tell the story of a larger one

In this video, the director and a couple of others reveal how they approached the story:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ClKwK-ExlGI

 

How to find your screenwriting voice

Are screenwriters allowed to have a voice or style? 

I say yes, and here's how to find yours:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kOLHBFi6ExA

That's a link to a 13-minute video that guides you through the whole process--by the end, you'll know what your style is--or could be.

At the end, I mention an advanced screenwriting course that I'm teaching for four consecutive Mondays, starting on July 19. The hours are 7 pm to 9.30 pm London time, that's 11 am to 1:30 pm Pacific, or 2 pm to 4:30 pm Eastern. It's on Zoom, so you can join us from wherever you are.

How to get more conflict into your story

"The cat sat on the mat is not a story. The cat sat on the Dog's mat is a story." - John LeCarre

Most stories have a central conflict. They have the cat and the dog fighting over the mat. But especially in a longer format like a novel or screenplay, sticking to one strand of conflict isn't enough. Halfway through, your readers lose interest because the conflict seems predictable or repetitive.

In that case, you need to zoom out and see what else could be happening.

In the case of our dog and cat, how does their owner respond to the conflict over the mat?

Does she buy an additional mat--over which the dog and cat fight as well?

Does she take away the original mat--so now the dog and cat fight over something else? 

OK, that metaphor goes only so far, and I may already have exceeded that distance, but you get the idea: look at the conflict in expanding circles of impact.

Who besides your protagonist and antagonist is affected?

How do they respond?

What knock-on effects does the conflict have?

Who else could get involved?

If one side tries to de-escalate, how could the other side take advantage?

What's the least likely development? How can you make it plausible that such a surprising thing could happen?

If you apply questions like these to your central conflict, you'll have plenty of material to keep your reader or viewer interested.

Need a Good Title for Your Non-Fiction Book or Newsletter?

In a previous post, I wrote about how the Oberlo Business Name Generator can be useful for coming up with a fictional name or a business that appears in your screenplay or novel. The same tool can be helpful if you're trying to come up with a good name for a non-fiction book or newsletter.

You just type in one word you'd like to have in the title. The Generator comes up with 100 combinations. 

For instance, I'm thinking of publishing a creativity newsletter, so I entered the word "Creativity." Here are some of the titles the Generator came up with, some more mainstream than others:

Power Creativity

Black Sheep Creativity

Creativity Precision

OneMan Creativity

Retina Creativity

Affinity Creativity

Creativity Signals

Simply Creativity

Jumpstart Creativity

Immersion Creativity

Scribe Creativity

High Voltage Creativity

Creativity Road

CreativityGram

Creativity Frontier

Creativity Fix

Creativity Driver

These could work equally well as titles for a book about creativity.

WANT SOMETHING LESS OBVIOUS?

If you want something less obvious, see whether any of the words that were combined with your keyword could work by themselves. In my example, "High Voltage," "Jumpstart," "Signals," or "Retina" could all work as trendier creativity newsletter titles, or as main titles for a book, and you could use a secondary title to connect it to creativity.

A Brainstorming Tool for Writing for Children

I've already posted about using the free Oberlo Business Name Generator to come up with the names of fictional businesses in your screenplay or novel, and for coming up with titles for a non-fiction book or newsletter. It's also a useful brainstorming tool if you write for kids.

For instance, I was thinking about writing a story in which a young child explores a pond and encounters magical versions of all the type of creatures that hang around ponds. I wanted to come up with fun personalities or identities for each creature. To start, I typed "frog" into the Generator. Here are some of the combinations it came up with:

Rock Frog

Frog Chef

Daydream Frog

Sidekick Frog

TopDog Frog

Singular Frog

General Frog

Thunder Frog

Hip Frog

Everlasting Frog

Frog Doctor

Covert Frog

If those don't give you some ideas for the kind of frog the child could encounter, you're not a writer! And I'll bet you can think of other ways that the Generator can fit into your brainstorming as well.

 

All About Fake Business Names for Your Screenplay or Novel

If you ever need a made-up business name for your screenplay or novel (e.g., the company for whom your protagonist works), try using the Oberlo Business Name Generator (it's free). All you have to do is type in one word you want included in the business name. For instance, let's say that I want my protagonist to run a barbershop. Here are some of the names the generator came up with:

Galactic Barbershop

Paramount Barbershop

BlueRibbon Barbershop

Deuce Barbershop

Mainline Barbershop

Barbershop Island

Luxury Barbershop

GoodLife Barbershop

Freestyle Barbershop

Perfection Barbershop

Brilliant Barbershop

Progressive Barbershop

LET THE NAME MATCH THE SETTING OR TONE OF YOUR STORY

Once you have a good selection, narrow the choice by considering which ones best match the setting or tone of the story. A sci-fi story might feature a "Galactic Barbershop," while a noir-type story would be better served by "Deuce Barbershop" and a comedy might find material in the difference between the aspiration suggested by "Perfection Barbershop" and the lack of that perfection in actuality.

CAN YOU USE AN ACTUAL BUSINESS NAME?

When you find one you like (examples below), Google it to check whether it actually exists.

It's OK to use a business name that is common--for instance, I'm sure there are plenty of "Curl Up and Dye" salons. But avoid that if you have set your story in a real location and that business name is in use in that location.

Be especially careful if your fictional business is dishonest or disreputable!

 

Should you enter writing contests?

There are a few writing contests that garner major attention for the winners (for example, from agents, publishers, or producers) but for most competitions, the reward is the ego boost of winning and a sum of money. When deciding whether to enter a contest, consider whether or not winning the contest would carry any meaningful prestige, the value of the prizes, and the amount of the entry fee. 

This subject came to mind when I got an email about the Spring Short Story Contest sponsored by The Writer Magazine. The top prize is $1000 and publication in the magazine, the second-place prize is $500 and publication in the magazine, and the third-place prize is $250 and publication on the magazine's web site.

These are good prize amounts, but the entry fee is $25 for your first entry and $15 for any additional entries. With a prize total of $1750, they need only 70 entries @ $25 to cover the prize money. Yes, they do have to pay someone to read the entries but these are short stories with a maximum of 2000 words. 

You can also get 200 words of feedback on the story for an additional $25, which is reasonable. I don't know the quality of the feedback on offer, but especially if you don't have any other way of getting feedback on your writing, it may well be worth paying the extra amount.

They say, "Our critique times vary based on how many submissions we received and can take six months after the contest has closed." That would suggest a large number of entries. 

The magazine also ends up with a nice mailing list of contest losers who can be pitched courses and subscriptions. The winning writers will appreciate being able to show their friends and families their work in print--however, it's not bad for the magazine, either, since they will be filling a number of pages without any additional payment to the authors.

I'm not saying you shouldn't enter this contest. If $25 is not a meaningful amount to you, that's fine. However, if money is tight, contest entry fees can quickly add up and your odds of winning are fairly small. 

Childhoods of the Great Authors: James Joyce

How NOT to respond to rejection

Publisher Lee Goldberg recently related how an aspiring novelist responded when Goldberg sent him a polite rejection of his manuscript. The author wrote:

"Keep printing the same redundant s**t, arrogant ass, just remember the title of this book, u will see it on the best seller list, ***hole."

When Goldberg pointed out this is not the way to win friends in the publishing world, the aspiring novelist apologized for lashing out, but still maintained that his work is brilliant and there's no way that Goldberg could have rejected it so quickly if he'd really read it.

Goldberg added, "It was terrible."

Not only terrible work gets rejected, of course. There are dozens of examples of books and screenplays rejected multiple times before finally achieving publication or production and massive success.

But no matter how convinced you are that the people rejecting your work are clueless and will someday regret their decision, keep it to yourself. The film and publishing worlds both are small and making enemies can catch up with you quickly.

Usually there's no need to reply to a rejection unless the person sending it has given you some constructive feedback. In that case, the proper response is a brief thank-you--even if you don't think it was right. You don't have to pretend you agree, something like 'Thank you for taking the time to give me feedback" is fine.

And don't call them an ***hole.

Capture your ideas quickly or else!

"You have about ten minutes to act on an idea before it recedes back into dreamland so when  you're excited about an idea, start writing about it immediately." -- Buckminster Fuller

This is especially important if you have an idea just as you are waking up or falling asleep. Often those ideas are the most creative because they carry a little of your dreaming self. 

If you keep a notepad by your bedside you'll be less likely to let an idea escape. Some people prefer to use their phone to record their thoughts, either in a notes app or by recording a voice memo. 

Remember not to judge your idea as soon as it pops up--that stops the flow. Sure, many of these ideas will not be worth pursuing, but if even one out of ten has value, that makes the process worthwhile.

PS: If you're not familiar with Buckminster Fuller, check out his Wikipedia profile. Born in 1895, he was an inventor and visionary. Long before most people gave it much thought, he advocated using renewable energy and doing more with less. He hoped for an age of "omni-successful education and sustenance of all humanity."

How to Stay Creative Despite the Pandemic

The pandemic has gotten in the way of many people's usual means of expressing their creativity. However, it has also prompted some of them to find alternatives.

FROM THEATRE TO SCREEN

The Salt Lake Acting Company was about to celebrate their 50th season before the pandemic closed down their theatre. "And [the question] was how do theater people do theatre without a theatre?"

They decided to connect with audiences remotely by producing a series of digital shorts they shared on YouTube. These pieces average five minutes and feature a variety of formats. Instead of just shooting material intended for the stage, they created new scripts.

If you're interested in having a look, this is the link: https://www.youtube.com/user/saltlakeactingcom/videos

HOW TO LABEL ART

Bombay Sapphire drinks company is releasing bottles of their Bombay Bramble featuring the work of three up-and-coming artists on the labels. The company initiated this, but it makes me wonder whether artists could explore doing something similar with other brands that want the public relations value of supporting the arts.

WORKING WHILE WALKING

British photographer and agency owner Rankin says, "I'm currently working from my walk. Every morning between 6am and 8am I walk with my dogs and dictate emails or listen to books...I find myself having to be very disciplined in making sure I find ways to inspire myself...In my opinion, you can be more creative if you find some form of boredom in your life." (The full interview with Rankin is here.)

What can you do to make sure you are keeping your creativity active?