Time to Write

Telling a story 20 x 20: have you heard of Pecha Kucha?

Have you heard of Pecha Kucha? It started in Japan and means, more or less, "chit-chat." It's an evening during which a number of speakers talk about their work or their ideas and are limited to 20 slides and 20 seconds per slide. It's similar in some ways to TED but shorter (it comes to just under 7 minutes per speaker as opposed to 20 minutes at TED and, unlike TED, speakers can be anybody). 

There are Pecha Kucha chapters in 318 cities, although the frequency of the event varies (there hasn't been one in London since late February and the last one in Southend-on-Sea was a year ago). It sounds like fun and a good challenge. Sarah Jane Semrad, one of the organizers of the Dallas chapter of PK told dmagazine, "What’s gained is an all senses explosion of a topic.  Twenty visual slides is a lot.  Twenty seconds per slide is, simply put, not.  Combining these two constraints with a variety of topics is great fun."

You can find out more at the home site: www.pecha-kucha.org. But it also strikes me as potentially a very good way to organize a pitch of a project you are presenting to someone. In some cases visuals are not generally used (e.g., pitching a screenplay idea) but even without them, the idea of organizing your pitch into 20 sections, each one no more than 20 seconds, could be very useful.

(If you're thinking about writing a book, you can get guidance from my book, "Your Writing Coach," published by Nicholas Brealey. If you'd like to be more creative, you'll find 100 ways in my other book, "Your Writing Coach," published by Pearson. Both are available from Amazon and other online and offline retailers.)

For my fellow networkingphobes

Do you fear and flee networking events? Me, too...

I'm embarking on a campaign to overcome my resistance to networking events. Yes, I know it's possible to network using the internet and I do, but it would definitely be to my benefit to be more comfortable with networking at live events as well. 

I have no problem with public speaking or teaching, but going into a room where I don't know anybody has always been an issue. I'm sure there's now a name and some kind of pill for this but I'd like to tackle it with more natural methods first and, assuming I achieve it, to share my findings with fellow sufferers (I know you're out there).

One technique that has helped has been the "alter ego" method I describe in my book, "Focus: use the power of targeted thinking to get more done." You evoke as strongly as possible the part of yourself that fits the needs of the situation. 

In this case, that would be the part of myself that feels comfortable socializing with strangers. It usually comes out only after a while in that situation, so bringing it to the fore as I contemplate going to an event and again just as I'm about to step into the room has been useful, but I'm on the hunt for additional tools and techniques. 

Recently I attended a presentation about change given by consultant Ian Cooper (you can find out more about him at www.ic-iancooper.co.uk). One of his useful suggestions was to go in with a minimal goal, such as talking to three people and promising myself if after that I want to leave, I can do so. The odds are, however, that by that point I will feel a lot more comfortable and will continue. 

I made a video of the part of Ian's presentation in which he worked with me, and will put it up soon either here on a special website regarding networking--anyway, I'll let you know about it here. In the meantime, if you have any tools you've used to get over your reservations about networking events, let me know either in a comment here or via email to [email protected]. 

(You can get "Focus: use the power of targeted thinking to get more done" from Amazon or your other favorite online or offline retailer.)

The power of planning your writing

 One question I get a lot and have addressed a couple of times before is whether or not you need to work your story out fully before you start. 

Of course the only correct answer is to do what works for you. However, for screenwriting I do think it's the best strategy and that was reinforced by a project I'm working on at the moment. It's a story for a thriller TV movie which, if it goes forward, will be a German-French coproduction. 

I won't go into the whole plot but basically it's about a woman who disappears while on a trip with her sister, and it becomes the sister's mission to find out what happened and in the process her self-image and what she believed to be true about her sister all change. 

I worked out the basic story line for a producer a couple of years ago but, as so often happens in this business, for various reasons the project didn't go forward. A month or so ago the producer got back in touch saying they now have an opportunity to revive it. 

The challenge, though, was that the German network skews to older viewers and the time slot is also one in which they don't like to have too much violence. The upshot was that instead of an action-based thriller (the original version) they now want more of a character-based psychological thriller.

Because the story already had two strands (the plot and character development) it was a matter of simply shifting the emphasis from the action to the psychology. Because the basic story was sound, this didn't require a massive rewrite so I've been able to turn it around quickly. 

The need to make changes to suit the demands of a particular producer, network or studio, or even director or star is par for the course in the screenwriting world. But if you start with a solid story, you can handle the changes and, with luck, emerge with a script that still has most of the virtues you started with.

What writers and other creatives can learn from Picasso

Artist & Illustrators magazine asked Picasso's grandson how many works his grandfather created. The answer:

"It is quite difficult to answer but we are almost able to say that since he was very young he made 2 or 3 works every day. But in his personal collection there were 2000 paintings, 12,000 drawings, 300 sculptures, 4000 ceramics, a few thousand print objects. His attitude was if you want to do something, just do it."

And that's what we can learn from Picasso.

Is ADHD a positive force for writers and others?

Professor Michael Fitzgerald of Trinity College, Dublin, says that in some cases ADHD can have an upside. The risk-taking behavior that often goes with ADHD can lead to self-destruction--or to massive breakthroughs in science, the arts, or exploration.

In an address at Keele University, he said, "People with ADHD have symptoms of inattentiveness but they often also have a capacity to hyper-focus on a narrow area if that is of particular interest to them. Clearly ADHD is not a guarantee of genius, but the focused work rate that it produces may enable creative genius to flourish."

He cited Thomas Edison, Oscar Wilde, Lord Byron, and Mark Twain as examples of people who had ADHD and were helped by it.  

For the record, I'm skeptical of such after-the-fact diagnoses but it's an interesting idea. What may be useful about is that if you have ADHD it could be useful to reframe it and try to take advantage of any potential benefits by organizing your schedule to use focused periods to work on what's really important to you.

An easy way to get unstuck

 Psyblog recently suggested 7 psychological techniques for breaking through creative blocks. The write up is rather abstract, but one method I liked is substituting generic verbs for specific ones in order to expand your possible solutions.

For instance, I might frame my challenge as: How do I get more people to sign up for my Brainstorm & Focus e-bulletin?

The verb is "sign up." Some more generic verbs might be: pay attention to, be aware of, see.

These suggest that a good strategy is to focus on exposing as many people to it as possible and letting the truly interested ones sign up. The strategies that come to mind are offering free samples of the ebulletin via lots of writing-related sites, offering a column based on the ebulletin to newspapers or magazines, and distributing leaflets about it at writing conferences.

If you feel stuck, give this a try because by enlarging the scope of the verb, you may also enlarge your circle of thinking. 

This can work just as well when coming up for some plot solutions--instead of stating your problem, state the character's problem, enlarge the verb, generate alternatives, and use them to give you fresh options for what happens in the story.

(There are 100 specific ways to be more creative in my latest book, "Creativity Now!" published by Pearson and available from Amazon and other online and offline retailers.)

Writers: should there be a podcast in your future?

One of the first authors to distribute his fiction via podcasting was Scott Sigler with "Earthcore" in 2005. He occupies a niche within the horror genre. Here's how he defined in a recent interview at dreadcentral.com:

“I consider myself what I call a hard science horror writer. It’s very different, as far as horror goes, because there’s not a lot of people writing what I consider to be pretty hard core heavy horror, but using it from a scientific bent. Most people are approaching it from the supernatural – you know it’s ghost stories, vampires, werewolves, etc. As far as people who are writing just straight-on horror novels but with a really hard science background, outside of Michael Crichton, whom I count in that camp, Jonathan Mayberry is one that comes to mind and not a lot of other people. 

 Sigler has used podcasting to build a following over the last few years and it led to a publishing deal with Crown/Random House. His newest release, "Ancestor," just came out. It's about a genetically engineered creature going wild on a secluded island. He actually wrote it in the late 90's and turned it into a serial podcast in 2006--proof that there's life for your older writing.

Could you use podcasting to develop a following for your fiction? I suspect it works best for a genre novel, where you can tap into an existing fan group for that category. Further, it probably helps to find a niche within that niche that you can occupy.  

PS: So far I haven't done any fiction podcasting, but my "Creativity Rocket" podcast is available on iTunes and a new screenwriting podcast is coming soon. 

Creativity in Business

"Creativity in Business," reviewed by Jurgen Wolff, author of "Creativity Now!" from jurgen Wolff on Vimeo.

A useful list for writers doing research

 We all know Google but there are many other search engines and research resources that are a terrific help to writers. Recently the Accredited Online Colleges blog posted "60 Awesome Search Engines for Serious Writers." Here's just a sampling of a few:

Professional

Find other writers, publishers and ways to market your work through these searchable databases and search engines.

1. Litscene: Use this search engine to search through thousands of writers and literary projects, and add your own as well.
2. Thinkers.net: Get a boost in your creativity with some assistance from this site.
3. PoeWar: Whether you need help with your career or your writing, this site is full of great searchable articles.
4. Publisher’s Catalogues: Try out this site to search through the catalogs and names of thousands of publishers.
5. Edit Red: Through this site you can showcase your own work and search through work by others, as well as find helpful FAQ’s on writing.
6. Writersdock: Search through this site for help with your writing, find jobs and join other writers in discussions.
7. PoetrySoup: If you want to find some inspirational poetry, this site is a great resource.
8. Booksie.com: Here, you can search through a wide range of self-published books.
9. One Stop Write Shop: Use this tool to search through the writings of hundreds of other amateur writers.
10. Writer’s Cafe: Check out this online writer’s forum to find and share creative works.
11. Literary Marketplace: Need to know something about the publishing industry? Use this search tool to find the information you need now.

The other 49 are here.

(And if you want an overall guide to writing your book, from idea through to publication, search for my book, "Your Writing Coach," published by Nicholas Brealey. Here's a clue: it's available from A----- and other online and offline retailers.)

In case you need an excuse for poetry

A German experiment reveals that reciting poetry is good for your heart. It was a small test group--seven people walked around a room reciting traditional poetry and breathing in time to the poem's beat. The result: their heat rate dropped and their heart's ability to rest and recuperate from stress increased. 

The researcher, Dietrich von Bonin said, "Recitation links body and soul--mind, breath, and body--in a unique way."

The generation before mine was taught to recite poetry, mine was just asked to read it--today, is it still part of the curriculum? Maybe we can bring back the practice--we could use a poetry App on our iPhone and recite as we walk to the store or while commuting. It would be more entertaining than hearing someone braying, "I'm on the train! I'll be home in twenty minutes!" If you take a hat, you could even make some money...

What the chairman of BP can teach you about writing characters

When the Chairman of British Petroleum said of his company "we care about the small people," he unwittingly provided a lesson in character revelation. He later apologized for having spoken "clumsily" but the damage was done. People are convinced he's a patronizing snob. BP Chief Executive Tony Hayward didn't fare much better with his comment that he wanted his life back--which he later said was a "hurtful and thoughtless" comment.

The importance of these comments here is to show how much power they have in creating an impression of the character of the people who utter them. In a novel or screenplay, this is a powerful tool. How you have your characters interact with those around them, particularly those on a lower societal or monetary level, can tip off the reader as to the real personality and values of the character. 

I just saw a news item saying that Lindsey Lohan's mother called the police when a Carvel ice cream parlor employee refused to give her a free ice cream cake when she used a "free ice cream for life" card that had been issued to her daughter. She said it just shows how the Lohans get treated worse than everybody else.  More character revelation, but now we're in the realm of melodrama. (And whether a tantrum by a middle-aged woman should be news is another issue.)

The more subtle you make these touches (without being so subtle that nobody catches them, of course), the better, because the readers will enjoy the feeling of having put two and two together themselves. For a masterclass in this, watch the party scene early in the classic comedy, "Tootsie." The way the Dustin Hoffman character, Michael Dorsey, interacts with women and children tells you everything about him. These behaviours change gradually as the experience of posing as a woman begins to affect his values.
 

(For more about creating vivid characters, see my book, "Your Writing Coach," published by Nicholas Brealey and available from Amazon and other online and offline retailers.)

Another crystal ball that will discourage creativity

Test-screening service OTX is to offer a script evaluation service. Daily Variety reports: 

"The timing could be perfect for OTX considering studio chiefs and film financiers are more cautious than ever about greenlighting projects -- hence the emphasis on studio fare with built-in brands. Yet OTX's process of relying on past releases as a guide could also result in still more cookie-cutter fare bowing at the megaplex.

OTX's new division will essentially compare a script to other pics in its genre and identify its target demographic and box office potential, as well as potential marketing messages.

Creative elements are analyzed and compared with similar pics to suggest how audiences might react to scenes, based on a database of research OTX has assembled over the years. Recommendations are made to address any negatives. The scripts are also pitched to 1,500 moviegoers to gauge their interest in wanting to see the film.

Each report costs $5,000."

Would OTX have recommended "The Hurt Locker" or "Up" or any other scripts that stray from the path of the predictable? How about "Harry Potter" had that originated as a script instead of a novel? 

I bet they would have been enthusiastic about this summer's crop of sequels and remakes, most of which have been disappointments at the box office.

My recommendation to producers: pay $100 to Madame Esmerelda, your local psychic, and give $4900 to the charity of your choice. You'll get equal value and feel better about yourself.

Learn about writing & filmmaking from Pixar's Ed Catmull

Here's a great interview (about 11.5 minutes) with Ed Catmull, president of Pixar--useful points about creativity, teamwork, criticism, and more (if you can't see it here, go to: http://timetowrite.blogs.com/weblog/2010/06/learn-about-writing-filmmaking-from-pixars-ed-catmull.html )

Should you talk about what you're writing?

There are two schools of thought about whether you should talk about your writing when you’re in the middle of a project. 

Some people say absolutely not, because it drains some of your creative energy—in other words, if you’re talking about it you’ll feel less drive to write it.

Others say that’s ridiculous and by getting some feedback or encouragement when people react to your ideas you are more likely to finish the project and may even improve it as you go along.

Me? I’m for the middle path. I don’t mind telling people that I’m working on a book or screenplay and mentioning a sentence or two about it, but no more than that. Why? Three reasons:

·      Generally, that’s the most they want to hear. The rest is politeness.

·      You can talk yourself out of an idea when you feel the need to explain it completely even though you haven’t figure out everything about it yet.

·      A negative reaction to an incomplete idea can depress you and spark writer’s block.

Here’s an alternative I use: talk to yourself about the project. 

I do this when alone, and in my head rather than out loud. Sometimes I pretend that I’m being interviewed about the project, other times that a good friend is fantastically interested and wants to hear all about it (unlike real friends, my imaginary friends never get tired of hearing me talk). This gives the benefits of thinking out loud (or almost out loud) without any of the pressure. 

Give it a try. If your lips move and people give you weird looks you can always pretend you’re on a really tiny cell phone.

(Whether or not you talk while you write, you definitely should read--maybe something like my book, Your Writing Coach, which is pumped full of tips and techniques like these!)

Make your writing idea HAPPEN

I'm reading "Making Ideas Happen," a book by Scott Belsky. The subtitle is: "overcoming the obstacles between vision and reality." Belsky points out that "The most potent forces that kill off new ideas are our own limitations. Time is very limited, and with the demands of family, friends, work, and sleep, most ideas lose traction immediately...In some ways, the self-discipline and restraints necessary to execute an idea can feel like a tremendous compromise of your very essence as a creative person."

That's why sometimes it's easier to abandon a project when those compromises start and to move on to a fresh, new, uncompromised project. The problem is that this one, too, will hit that stage.

His prescriptions include: 

* Manage your energy wisely. Your boss, your family, your friends, and society in various guises all demand a piece of you. You have to manage it so that you have a piece left for yourself and your creative projects.

* Accept that doubt, chaos, and obstacles are a natural part of the process. They may be uncomfortable but they come with the territory. As soon as you accept that, they have less power over you.

* Get organized. He says, "Someone with average creativity but stellar organizational skills will make a greater impact than the disorganized creative geniuses among us."

There's a sobering thought! Plug: I think you'll find some of the organizational methods in my book, "Focus: use the power of targeted thinking to get more done" useful in this regard. I'll also be sharing on this blog some more about my own struggles with getting--and staying--organized.