Time to Write

Not take a break may be harming your writing

We know that taking a short break during a long writing session is helpful, but research shows a surprising reason. Apparently, focusing exclusively on one task for a long time can actually make it disappear from your mind. 

One of the authors of the study, Alejandro Lleras, compared it to the way we tend to stop noticing anything that is constant in our environment. For instance, you may put a poster on your wall. The first few times you see it, you notice the colors and perhaps it cheers you up. After you’ve seen it every day for a while, your eyes still see it but it stops registering. As reported on the Psyblog site, Professor Lleras says:

“Constant stimulation is registered by our brains as unimportant, to the point that the brain erases it from our awareness…If sustained attention to a sensation makes that sensation vanish from our awareness, sustained attention to a thought should also lead to that thought’s disappearance from our mind!”

He tested this with two groups. One focused on one task for 50 minutes without interruption, the other switched tasks from time to time. The performance of the first group went down, the performance of the other group stayed comparatively high.

The brain responds to changes, so even if you feel you are too busy to take a total break, at least switch to doing another task for a few minutes and then get back to the main one. Since research also suggests that sitting for too long is bad for you, an easy way to do this is simply to get up, walk around the room, perhaps drink a glass of water, and then get back to work. During this brief break be sure to think about something other than just the project you’re working on, or it may not function as intended. 

However, in terms of writing, if you find yourself in a flow state, with the words coming to you easily, I'd advise that you keep going.

If you're a writer, you need these extra skills (Part 1)

It would be ideal if writing skill and talent were the only attributes a writer of novels or screenplays needs. However, in the real world some additional skills are vital. Some of these may strike you as unusual, but bear with me.

AN AUTHENTIC SMILE

(I did warn you these might strike you as unusual..) Part of success as a writer is making connections with agents, publishers, influential bloggers, etc. Many of these links are forged online, but it's also common to make such connections in pitch meetings, at conferences and conventions, and other live events. 

Research has shown that people make up their minds about you within the first few seconds, and that a genuine smile has a strong positive influence. It's sometimes called the "Duchene smile," one that involves upturned lips and crinkly eyes (fake smiles don't involve the eyes).

How do you create such a smile if looking at the agent or publisher doesn't genuinely fill you with positive emotions? Method acting. You think about something or someone you love and would smile at if they were in front of you. Or in your imagination you put the head of a baby or your favorite dog or cat on the body of the person you're meeting. Better not to burst out laughing, though. 

Check out the two stock photos below. At a quick glance, which one strikes you as more genuine?

The one on the left passes the crinkly eyes test, the one on the right doesn't.

If you're writing a romance or romantic comedy (or are looking for a partner)

The first episode of a new podcast called PsychCrunch features interviews with researchers in the field of personal attraction. While they are pitching it toward people looking for help with dating, the information could also be useful for anyone writing a romance or romantic comedy screenplay or novel. 

The guests include researchers from the University of Pennsylvania, University of Baltimore, and Rochester University. Here's the link:

http://digest.bps.org.uk/2015/02/episode-one.html

There's additional interesting and useful information on their collection of articles for this year's Valentine's Day:

http://digest.bps.org.uk/search?q=+valentine%27s

Coloring books for adults? Therapy or regression?

If any additional evidence is needed that I sometimes totally fail to have my finger on the pulse of the book-buying public, the advent of coloring books for adults qualifies. That's definitely one I didn't see coming.

Publishers Weekly reports that "the demand for coloring books in the US continues to surge." One of the books that started it all, Secret Garden, has 1.5 million copies in print around the world. The pitch is that coloring is therapeutic rather than regressive. 

One line of books has perforated pages so you can frame your masterpiece. Or you could put it on your fridge door for your kids' friends to admire when they come over.

Maybe it's a drastic response to the perceived need to be available and online 24/7 but I have to say I still find it a little strange. I wonder whether we'll see an upsurge in jigsaw puzzles and paint by number kits, too?

PS: when you're an adult, is it OK to go outside the lines? 

 

 

My first bribe (offered to me, not from me...)

A while back, a publisher named Austin Macauley had their lawyer send me a letter threatening legal action because (in their view, but not in mine) my post about them was actionable.

I changed the wording to make it clear that I have had no personal experience with them nor do I accuse them of anything illegal, but that I advise caution when signing a contract with any publisher, and especially with those on the 'thumbs down' list at the Writer Beware blog. 

Now I've had an email from someone who identifies himself only as Patrick, who says he is a consultant for Austen Macauley, requesting that I remove the current post "even if money is involved." 

I answered that I don't put up posts for money and I don't take down posts for money, but I must admit that it was interesting to get a bribe. I've added the text of his email to the post, perhaps it will help prospective customers make an informed decision. 

 

 

 

.mge.Wur.8W
. . 'gtald.Tawd'..mgQ!.
.w.QQ.Rdn.

This text was recognized by the built-in Ocrad engine. A better transcription may be attained by right clicking on the selection and changing the OCR engine to "Tesseract" (under the "Language" menu). This message can be removed in the future by unchecking "OCR Disclaimer" (under the Options menu). More info: http://projectnaptha.com/ocrad

.mge.Wur.8W
. . 'gtald.Tawd'..mgQ!.
.w.QQ.Rdn.

This text was recognized by the built-in Ocrad engine. A better transcription may be attained by right clicking on the selection and changing the OCR engine to "Tesseract" (under the "Language" menu). This message can be removed in the future by unchecking "OCR Disclaimer" (under the Options menu). More info: http://projectnaptha.com/ocrad

Writers now being charged for being rejected

I just read that a number of small literary magazines are now charging a reading fee. If you want them to consider your story or poem you have to pay them a fee (in one case, $3).

If they reject your material they keep the money and use it to pay the contributors whose work is accepted. The pay for accepted material usually is very low, sometimes a few dollars and a few copies, so I suspect some of the money will go toward their other expenses.

Their rationale for this: they get too many submissions and they don't have enough paying subscribers to pay the bills.  

So, in sum, you can now pay to be rejected by publications that don't have many readers in the first place.

Of course nobody forces you to submit material to these publications, and I wonder how many people will continue to do so, and what effect this policy may have on the quality of the material submitted.

 

 

When a writing magazine gets it this wrong...

From the current issue of Writers' News:

"Simon and Schuster Children's Books (UK) acquired two fiction novels..."

"Fiction novels?" 

Sigh.

Two wrong sentences (one is 15 years long)

My new favorite headline: 

"Jury Convicts Couple of Having Sex on a Beach After Only 15 Minutes of Deliberation"

If only the couple had deliberated a few additional minutes...

Beyond the poor choice of sentence construction, there's a serious element--because the guy has a previous felony conviction, he automatically gets 15 years in the slammer.

Undoubtedly they should have booked a room (there were families present at the beach), but 15 years and registering as sex offenders? Sounds more like the kind of sentence we'd expect in Saudi Arabia. Don't tell the Florida authorities about the 1000 lashes option.

The Language Police are on the move (don't mention peanuts)

There's an interesting new book out from the US about the (self) censorship that takes place with textbooks in an effort not to offend anybody (and therefore not lose any potential sales). The book is called The Language Police. The following is not a parody...unfortunately. Here's a part of a review--the committee they talk about was made up of counselors, diversity experts, etc:

"The committee flagged many seemingly innocuous passages gathered by the Board as potentially offensive or biased: an essay on peanuts because some children are allergic to peanuts; a biography of the designer of the Mount Rushmore monument because the site is considered sacred by some Native Americans; a legend about dolphins because it reflects a regional bias against children who don't live near the sea; an inspirational story about a blind mountain climber because it suggests that a blind person might find it harder to climb a mountain than a sighted one. The examples go on. Even Aesop's fable, "The Fox and the Crow", was flagged as sexist because a male fox flatters a female crow; to gain approval, the gender of the animals had to be changed. The review committee also gave the Board a list of topics to be avoided. These included abortion, evolution, expensive consumer goods, magic, personal appearance, politics, religion, unemployment, unsafe situations, weapons and violence -- among others."

In the midst of this huge heap of ridiculousness, the bit I highlighted strikes me as the most ridiculous...so now having kids read about something with which they may not be personally familiar is discrimination? I think we used to call it "learning." We were so insensitive!

Novelist Jeffrey Deaver on planning a novel

Thriller writer Jeffrey Deaver believes it's important to outline your work before starting to write it. He says his background as a lawyer probably contributed to his dedication to preparation.

In a three-minute video hosted at SimonandSchuster.com, he describes his process in detail--including how he does 30 or 40 drafts before sending a manuscript to his publisher:

JEFFREY DEAVER ON HOW HE WRITES

The late-night writing, late-night snacking connection

If you write at night you may also find yourself snacking more during that time (unfortunately, I'm speaking from experience). I assumed this might be a distraction gambit--a trip to the fridge gives you time to think about what to write next. However, a new study reveals that something else may be happening. 

As reported in Science Daily, researcher Travis Masterson said, "You might over-consume at night because food is not as rewarding, at least visually, at that time of day. It may not be as satisfying to eat at night so you eat more to try to get satisfied."

The study also showed that we are more preoccupied with food at night, even if we don't feel any less full than at other times of day.

The researchers used MRI scans to see how the brain reacts to images of food. They found lower reward-related brain response to food images in the evening. Not surprisingly, they also found that the brain gets more excited when it registers images of high-calorie food (ice cream, baked goods...oh oh, I'm getting hungry...) than when it is presented with pictures of low-calorie foods (vegetables, grains, fish).

The practical value of the findings may be limited. We can tell ourselves that we don't need these snacks and that our brain is tricking us, but logic doesn't stand much of a chance when pitted against a big bowl of ice cream. Probably the best solution still is not to have that kind of food in the house in the first place.

The perfect way to ensure bland screenplays (thanks, Hollywood)

Data and Targeting Insider reports:

"Hollywood has begun to use data to determine the potential success of screenplays, [analyst Martin ] Kihn said. "There's a company in Hollywood that takes option[ed] screenplays owned by the studios that go through a rewrite process," he said. "They will analyze the story, just the plot points in the story … and run it through an algorithm, set of models, taking notes to determine how to change the screenplay. The models are based on what was successful in the past, the movies that did well. The company tells the studio what will make the story better based on data."

When I was writing scripts for Germany, some of the production companies and networks used a consulting service (based in the UK, I think) that analyzed scripts and created many colorful charts. They gave authoritative-sounding suggestions, designed to give the impression that writing is a science, not an art. I'm not aware of any hits that resulted from their input.

The inevitable end result of the Hollywood process will be one all-purpose screenplay they can make over and over again, just changing the actors and maybe the name of the superhero...hmm, maybe they've already done it.

Let's not limit this exciting idea to screenplays.  I'm sure just "doing what worked in the past" is a great recipe for dealing with climate change, inequality, and wars as well--any number of politicians have already embraced the concept.

They think they know what movies you'll want to see in 2019

It's interesting that in an age when tastes change more quickly than ever, the big studios think they know what you'll want to see next year and the year after that and the year after that. 

For instance, Star Wars: The Force is coming in December, Star Wars: Rogue is scheduled for December of next year, an untitled Star Wars spin-off is planned for 2018 and Star Wars: Episode IX for 2019.

Last year, Marvel revealed their five-year plan for superhero films. The Age of Ultron is out now, Ant-Man is coming in July, and there are plans for two more Avengers films, a third Thor, a third Captain America, and Guardians of the Galaxy 2. 

I have a poor record as a prognosticator, but I'll go out on a limb and predict that by 2019 the audience will have tired of superhero films. Or maybe that's just wishful thinking. 

Protect your brain, improve your willpower, and don't give up!

Keeping our brains and bodies working well doesn't always require a huge effort. Here are a few tips I've run across lately that might be worth your attention:

NUTS!

A handful of walnuts every day can help improve your concentration and memory, according to a new study published in the Journal of Nutrition, Health and Aging. This seemed to apply to people in all age groups. If you're watching your weight, don't go for more than about half an ounce---one ounce of walnuts contains 185 calories.

GOT MILK?

Another study showed that older individuals who consumed three servings of milk per day had higher levels of glutathione, which is believed to stave off the effects of oxidative stress on the brain. Oxidative stress may be involved in developing Parkinson's and Alzheimer's. The study was published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

FLEX YOUR WILLPOWER

You know you should resist eating that big piece of cake but you feel your willpower draining away fast. Try tensing your muscles. A series of studies found that when you tense your muscles you are better at resisting temptation, withstanding pain, and paying attention to disturbing information. In the case of the cake, follow up by walking away quickly. And remember to tense the next time you start down the snacks aisle at the supermarket.

STICK TO IT!

Another posture tip: if you want to increase your persistence in solving a problem, cross your arms. A study showed that people trying to solve anagrams worked at it twice as long and solved more of them, when they crossed their arms than when they didn't. Does this translate to other tasks that require perseverance? Seems worth a try.

The fruit bowl method for getting more done

If you want to make sure you spend more time doing things you intend to do but sometimes forget, the 'fruit bowl' study by Cornell Food & Brand Labs might help. 

They analyzed 112 studies about healthy eating and found that "most healthy eaters did so because a restaurant, grocery store, school cafeteria, or spouse made foods like fruits and vegetables) visible and easy to reach, enticingly displayed, and appear like an obvious choice." (source: Science Daily)

This is an example of the "nudge' philosophy that says if you want to encourage a behavior, make it easy and provide reminders.

We can apply the same principle to making sure we spend more time on things (like advancing a writing project, for instance) that we might otherwise neglect.

In that example it might take the form of having a folder about the project in plain site, making a note at the end of a writing session about what we intend to do in the next one, and something as simple as putting "work on Project X" on our calendars. It's the opposite of 'out of sight, out of mind.'