Time to Write

Want to write a book or create something? The 2nd best time to start. (7th in a series)

This is the 7th in a series of ten important (in my opinion) principles about doing creative work. Today's is short and semi-sweet, designed to stir you to action if the previous post didn't:

THE SECOND BEST TIME TO START

The best time to start doing your creative project is ten years ago.

Look at the clock.

What time is it?

That’s right, the second-best time to start.

If you don't know where to start, check the previous post. It mentioned what a writer could do to start. A painter could draw some thumbnail sketches. A musician could jot or record some sounds.

You know what you could do, don't you? Well, now you also know the (second) best time to start!

(My book, Creativity Now, helps you develop a mindset that favors creativity, shows you methods for generating more ideas, gives you tools for translating your ideas into action, and inspires you with case studies of how others have achieved their creative goals. It's published by Pearson and available from Amazon or your other favorite book seller.)

 

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Your creative project: Is it the right time? (6th in a series)

This is the sixth in a series of ten things about creativity that I think are of crucial importance. This one is about being ready to start your creative project. 

6: READY, FIRE, AIM

Many creative people are waiting for the right time to get started on their book or their painting or their whatever. They want to be sure they have all the resources they need. 

The bad news first: It may never be exactly the right time, and you may  never feel you have all the resources you need. 

The bad news: It doesn't matter. Get started, see what happens, adjust, persist.

The first step? Anything. 

For instance, let's say you're a nurse and you have a vague idea of writing a book about a nurse but you're not sure that you have the time, or that you know enough to write a novel, or that anybody would want to read it. Here are a few things you could do (if you don't want to write about a nurse, adjust these as necessary):

* Come up with a name for your main character.

* Take notes. Lots of notes. Jot down any ideas that come to mind, even fragments. Interesting patients, problems at work, conflicts that come up (conflicts are good, at least for a writer). Don't rush into trying to figure out your plot.

* Think about what conflicts this nurse experiences that could be interesting for a reader. For instance, could it be about a nurse who is overruled by a doctor but gets blamed when the patient dies? Or could it be about a nurse who suspects a doctor or another nurse of being responsible for a series of deaths at their hospital? Or a nurse who falls in love with a patient and marries him, only to find that he no longer wants her to follow her profession? Each one of these automatically suggests new characters.

* When you have a general idea of a story, try writing short scenes. Don't wait until you have a big block of time, just start. You will find that soon new ideas start being attracted to you. The more ideas you have, the more will show up. 

* Don't think you have to start at the beginning. If you have a scene in mind for the middle or the end, write that one. Then work backward or forward.

* Don't worry if it's not perfect. First drafts are supposed to be bad. Keep going. Later you can get feedback and rewrite, for now just get on with it. Tell your inner critic to shut up.

Pretty soon you will find that although it's not the perfect time to write, you're writing. Congratulations!

(My book, Creativity Now, helps you develop a mindset that favors creativity, shows you methods for generating more ideas, gives you tools for translating your ideas into action, and inspires you with case studies of how others have achieved their creative goals. It's published by Pearson and available from Amazon or your other favorite book seller.)

 

Want creative success? Crazy is the first step! (5th in a series)

In this series I'm sharing what I consider to be ten essential truths about creativity (taken from my Creativity Manifesto, published in the book, Creativity Now). Today: you've had an idea...it's crazy but it might just work!

5: CRAZY IS THE FIRST STEP

Every breakthrough is considered a crackpot idea at first.

Of course, some ARE crackpot ideas.

You can’t tell the difference until you transform the idea into something real. 

Just about every breakthrough idea seemed impractical or even crazy at first. Usually it was the perseverence of one person that brought the idea to life and, in some cases, changed the world.

Of course there is the possibility that your idea will indeed turn out to be unworkable. It may be ahead of its time. Or behind its time. Or something that will never have a time. That risk comes with being a creative person--or, rather, a creative person who takes action instead of just thinking.

Thinking without action is fun. It's called daydreaming. For most people, that's as far as they go. Then,when somebody else actualiy creates something similar, they enjoy telling their friends they had that same idea. Quite likely they did. What they didn't have is the drive and the willingness to take a risk and work hard to put that idea into action. That's why the person who did gets the attention, praise, and (sometimes) fortune, and they don't. 

If you believe your idea is worthwhile, don't let it be just a daydream. Make it happen. It might be crazy or it might be crazy good.

(My book, Creativity Now, helps you develop a mindset that favors creativity, shows you methods for generating more ideas, gives you tools for translating your ideas into action, and inspires you with case studies of how others have achieved their creative goals. It's published by Pearson and available from Amazon or your other favorite book seller.)

 

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Find one person who believes in you (4th in a series)

In this series I'm sharing what I consider ten key things about creativity. You've probably heard the saying that a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Well, getting a following of people who appreciate (and perhaps buy) what you create beings equally modestly.

4: FIND AT LEAST ONE PERSON WHO BELIEVES IN YOU

It helps to have a champion, somebody who believes in you.

Your belief in yourself generates 1 unit of self-confidence. You plus a champion generate 100. (Psychology math is different.)

When I started out as a TV and film writer it was my now dear friend Rose Berman who did that for me. A little later it was an old-time, mostly retired producer named George Bilson. My best friend since college days, Bob Cochran, has always believed in me (and vice-versa). Going back farther, a teacher named Mrs Drake made me feel worthwhile at a time when I really needed it.

You probably have a few people like that in your life--at least I hope you do. Sometimes as we get older we lose those champions, or we get involved in a new arena and feel insecure about whether we can succeed. 

I suggest you thank your old champions and find one or two new ones. They make the journey a lot more enjoyable. Of course you can also play that role for others; I try to do it with this blog and with my books, as well as for a few people I know, and it's very rewarding when I hear it's made a difference.

(My book, Creativity Now, helps you develop a mindset that favors creativity, shows you methods for generating more ideas, gives you tools for translating your ideas into action, and inspires you with case studies of how others have achieved their creative goals. It's published by Pearson and available from Amazon or your other favorite book seller.)

 

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What if not everybody likes what you write? (They won't!) - 3rd in a series

In this series of posts I'm sharing what I consider ten truths about creativity. It's a common fear that a lot of people may not like what we create. Guess what? It doesn't matter if 99% of potential customers hate it, as long as 1% love it.

FEWER THAN 1% OF PEOPLE HAVE TO BUY WHAT YOU DO

Not everybody wants to profit financially from their creative activity, but if you do, one person out of a hundred buys what you offer you’ll have more than 3 million sales.

In Great Britain that would be about 600,000.

If you happen to live in China, you’re really in luck. 

The internet makes it easy for the haters to express their dislike of what you create. Fortunately it also makes it easy for those with more discerning tastes to find your product and buy it.

It's natural for creative people to focus on the negative. I've taught large classes and if I had 99 compliments and one complaint I'd focus on the latter. Now I consider any complaints, see whether I can learn something from them or remedy them, and then put them out of my mind. 

From now on, put your attention on finding that one percent, or half-percent or .01 percent who will love what you do. You'll make them happy and yourself happier as well.

(My book, Creativity Now, can help you develop a mindset that favors creativity, show you methods for generating more ideas, give you tools for translating your ideas into action, and inspire you with case studies of how others have achieved their creative goals. It's published by Pearson and available from Amazon or your other favorite book seller.)

 

 

 

How long does it take to be a successful writer? (2nd in a series)

In the previous post I suggested that you create your own definition of success, but if by success we mean getting published or finding an audience for your creative outlet, especially a paying audience, how long does it take?

2. COMMERCIAL SUCCESS CAN TAKE ONE YEAR OR ONE HUNDRED YEARS

J. K. Rowling got there fast.

Van Gogh didn’t.

Even finding one hundred passionate followers can take time.

Don’t define the journey only by the outcome. Also consider what you are learning about your craft, about yourself, and about the world. 

You can't force yourself not to think about commercial success, but by looking at the process in a larger context you can stop yourself from obsessing about it. And, as we know, often it's when you're no longer desperate for something that it appears.

(My book, Creativity Now, can help you develop a mindset that favors creativity, show you methods for generating more ideas, give you tools for translating your ideas into action, and inspire you with case studies of how others have achieved their creative goals. It's published by Pearson and available from Amazon or your other favorite book seller.)

 

 

 

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What's your definition of writing success? (Here's a weird idea...first in a series)

Starting with this post and over the next nine I'm sharing with you 10 essential truths (as I see them) about creative success. They form the Creativity Manifesto I included in my book, Creativity Now.

1. SUCCESS IS WHAT YOU SAY IT IS.

If getting to number one on the N. Y. Times best-seller list makes you happy, great.

If writing a blog that 100 people follow passionately makes you happy, or writing one poem a night that nobody else ever sees, that’s what success is for you.

It’s your brain, your heart, your life—don’t let anybody hijack it with their definition of success.

(Creativity Now can help you develop a mindset that favors creativity, show you methods for generating more ideas, give you tools for translating your ideas into action, and inspire you with case studies of how others have achieved their creative goals. It's published by Pearson and available from Amazon or your other favorite book seller.)

 

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Writers, don't say this (Things that turn off publishers and agents)

I read an interview with an agent in which she said there are some tip-offs that she's not dealing with a writer that knows what he or she is doing. One is using the term "fiction novel." A novel is, by definition, fiction, so referring to a fiction novel is like saying "a canine dog" or "a tall skyscraper."

That's why I was surprised to see this book on the Kindle Books site:

From the description: "You will learn how to understand the dramatic structure of a novel (both fiction and nonfiction), and all of the details in between."

Huh? What's a non-fiction novel?

One of the reviews says, "I only got a third of the way through before the incorrect word choices ("bare in mind", "the old barriers... ...is crumbling", "the same person playing every roll")".

There is also "the exact same book," "the imagination and visualization of our mind," and "Your mind places the exactly perfect faces and noses and eyes on the exactly perfect characters."

The author has some interesting ideas: "Reading is like running: like it or not we all have to do it. Everybody on this planet needs to be able to read. And everybody on this planet needs to be able to run. I'm pretty certain that if you are incapable of either of these things then your place in society is going to be decidely more uncomfortable." 

I'd run from this book--and from using the term "fiction novel."

OTHER THINGS THAT TURN OFF AGENTS AND PUBLISHERS

* Query letters that assure them your book will be more popular than 50 Shades of Grey (or whatever is the best-seller at the moment);

* Assurances that your relatives and friends all think your book is great;

* The revelation that you intend to rewrite it but decided to send this version anyway;

* Ideas for merchandizing and spin-offs or your ideal casting for the movie version;

* Offering to pay more than the usual commission, or suggesting a cut in the usual commission.

(You'll find friendly guidance for writing your book in Your Writing Coach, published by Nicholas Brealey and available from Amazon or your other favorite bookseller.)

 

 

These novels are only as long as your flight. I wonder who wrote them.

Qantas Airlines has created a series of books designed to be read in the length of your flight. If you're flying from New York to Sydney, settle in with a hefty tome. If you're on a short flight, pick a short story.

The books were commissioned and developed in association with Hachette and ad agency Droga 5.

The series includes thrilers, mysteries, and short stories. Their length is based on an average reading speed of 200 to 300 words per minute, and I assume they factored in the time you're supposed to be paying to the safety instructions instead.

Refreshingly, they're actual physical books.

What's annoying, however, is that the press release names the cover designer, the Droga 5 Sydney Creative Chairman, the CMO of Quantas Loyalty the Quantas Frequent Flyer CEO...but not the authors.

Hey, they only wrote the words...

 

 

 

What has been given to you to write or create? (Here's Waldo...)

"There is a time in every man's education when he arrives at the conviction that envy is ignorance; that imitation is suicide; that he must take himself for better, for worse, as his portion; that though the wide universe is full of good, no kernel of nourishing corn can come to him but through his toil bestowed on that plot of ground which is given to him to till. The power which resides in him is new in nature, and none but he knows what that is which he can do, nor does he know until he has tried."

--Ralph Waldo Emerson, "Self-Reliance"

(If you need some friendly guidance in writing what only you can write, get my book, "Your Writing Coach," published by Nicholas Brealey and available from Amazon or your other favorite book seller.)

We know you're good. Could you be great?

Are you good at what you do? I'm guessing you are.

Could you be great?

I think probably you could.

By great, I don't mean people would be carrying you around town on their shoulders, although I guess that's always a possibility...I just mean doing work that realliy stands out and goes far beyond the norm.

At WebDesignerDepot.com I read a long post on this topic by designer Speider Schneider. He starts by recounting what a jerk he was when teachers tried to help him understand art. That part is a real tribute to the dedication of some of his teachers, who went out of their way to get him to open his eyes instead of being a wise guy. He later thanked some of them, but others were already dead by that point. 

He says his ephiphany came when the late Tom Corey, owner and creative director of Big Blue Dot, showed him the difference between good work and great work. Here's what Schneider writes about that distinction:

There is always another dimension that can be explored, another step that can be taken before falling over the edge… and that falling over the edge is sometimes how we learn to fly.

Coming up with something great requires challenging the usual assumptions:

Why does a logo have to have the same parameters they have had for centuries? In the age of digital movement, paper-thin t-ink and lenticular technology, what is the future of paperless logos?

Web sites, applying the same thinking, can be an immersive experience and not just a layout of blocks of information. ...Will you be able to look at a site you’ve designed and see a level of innovative design no one else has seen? Can you say, “how will I make this different and exciting?” This is the freeing process to experience a leap into a creativity you have never thought you could imagine...why does an ad, brochure or billboard have to be a rectangle? Why does a piece of paper have to lie flat in two dimensions when it can be three dimensions? Imagine all possibilities your designs can have and take it farther… as far as your mind will allow and budgets be damned! It’s better to aim high and let others bring you back to Earth.

His examples are from the world of design but the idea applies to just about anything. I sometimes teach screenwriting and often what students want to know is how to fit within the conventions of screenwriting, how to write so their script is most like the ones that have been made recently. I understand that desire and frankly that may well be the best way to sell a story, but it's not the best way to come up with a great one.

What assumptions are keeping you in the realm of the good?

How could you break out of it into the realm of the great?

(Want to stimulate your imagination? There are many ways to do that revealed in my book, Creativity Now, published by Pearson and available this very minute from Amazon or your other favorite bookseller.)

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Why Amazon's plan for fan fiction may fizzle

Amazon recently announced that writers of fan fiction--that is, fiction using characers and situations in books written by others--can get published and paid via the new "Kindle Worlds" program. 

At first glance this sounds pretty good. Fan fiction violates copyright laws when done without permission, which is the case most of the time. Here it will be done with the approval of the authors. Second, writers of fan fiction do it for fun, so getting paid (for those works selected) will be a bonus.

However, the program ignores the fact that a lot of fan fiction is fun because it takes the characters places the original authors wouldn't. A favorite is imagining that characters like Batman and Robin or Spock and Kirk are having a gay relationship. Others give a secret, dark history to a wholesome character. Yet others have one character killing another or stepping into a totally different work of fiction. 

I wonder to what the degree the original authors will be prepared to approve these kinds of storylines? I also wonder whether some of the attraction of fan fiction is the fact that it is a bit naughty to appropriate someone else's characters? As for the wholesome variations, will they be written well enough to tempt buyers?

Only time will tell, but I wouldn't be surprised if this program fizzles. In the meantime, I'l get to work on some mash-up fan fiction myself:

WHO MOVED MY HOLY CHEESE? - Robert Langdon uses modern management strategies to find the a missing piece of limburger said to have belonged to one of the Disciples.

GONE, PLOT, GONE - James Patterson sends a ghost writer a napkin on which is written the plot for his latest book but it gets lost in transit. Or did it ever exist? 

LIFE OF 15-MINUTE PIE - Jamie Oliver is trapped in a kitchen with a tiger who will attack him unless Jamie can feed him a delicious pie made with fresh ingredients in the next quarter hour.

Amazon, you know where to send the money.