Posted on

Shout, Shout, Let It All Out―Or Just Mutter Under Your Breath (Editing Life Hack)

Reading aloud. Why don’t we all do this? It’s not a rhetorical question, I seriously want to know why every writer doesn’t use this life hack ALL THE TIME.

Editing is a resource intensive task, drawing on attention, concentration, and higher cognition in order to both assess content and, hopefully, identify errors (typographical, grammatical, and otherwise…ical). For those who spend a large portion of their time reading the written word―i.e. WRITERS―our brains have a tendency to engage in some proactive problem solving. In short, when reading your brain will automatically correct mistakes, often without the mistake even registering in your conscious thought. Psychological studies have found that the propensity for this even extends to words where only the first and last letters are in the correct places. That is a serious error, but our bniars hdanle it sotohmly. Most of the time.

While editing, since your mind is attempting to process a large amount of information, this cognitive autocorrect can easily run parallel in the background leaving you with a beautiful manuscript dotted with the occasional ghastly typo.

We’ve all been there. Don’t tell me you haven’t, I won’t believe you.

What can we do about this? A few options:

  • Use spellcheck/autocorrect
  • Openly weep
  • Contract a professional editor to read everything we write
  • Create a pact with an editing spirit
  • Read aloud

Let’s go through these, shall we?

Use Spellcheck/Autocorrect

This can definitely help find those typos and correct them. We all know the sweet, lingering touch of the red squiggly line telling us that we made a mistake. Kinda like a much more subtle version of the mistake opera singer from Scrubs.

There are, unfortunately, 2 problems with this plan. First, it doesn’t always catch errors. Such programs are frequently confused by homonyms, homophones, similar spellings, or anything that is not a commonly used word/phrasing. Just look at the blight of “definitely” vs. “defiantly” in the world today!


It’s defiantly a problem.
JOKES!

Second, spellcheck dependency is a thing. As a professional managing editor, I’ve seen it and had to find ways to break writers of it. It’s so easy to rely on spellcheck to fix all the problems, but it’s not infallible. Those who treat it like it is can find their own copy editing skills have atrophied in the interim, to the detriment of their own writing abilities (see Being a Good Writer Means Being a Good Editor for more on that connection).

As a piece of a greater editing strategy, spellcheck is neat. Not by itself.

Openly Weep

I respect anyone who chooses to go with this option. But afterward, please move on to something more constructive.

Contract a Professional Editor

I mean, yeah, this would help. But who has the money to do this for everything they write?! And it brings us right back to dependency and atrophied skills again. Not a good place.

Like spellcheck, this is a tool that can (and should) be utilized when appropriate.

Create a Pact with an Editing Spirit

These are not things. Don’t try this. It’s probably a poltergeist or Slimer or Loki messing with you. Next thing you know, your manuscript will be about the flopping patterns of the midwestern perch.

Read Aloud

Now here is a tactic. It’s really simple, but I’ll carefully explain it for you:

  • Step 1: Take writing
  • Step 2: Read writing out loud
  • Step 3: Find mistakes you likely would have otherwise missed
  • Step 4: Become most famous writer ever because your pieces are SO clean

Minus the last step, that’s exactly how this works and what it does. Your mind processes writing differently when you read it aloud, as it’s forced to pay greater attention to each word. Why? Because it needs to read and know how they sound. This serves the purpose, first, of catching those little cognitive autocorrects since your mouth will often stumble where silent reading wouldn’t. And second, you’ll also be better able to recognize the areas of awkwardness in phrasing. Phrases that “sound” fine in your head may actually sound dumb aloud.

And it’s all just a part of how your brain processes language vocal language. Isn’t that fun?

Now, you don’t need to yell as you read, though you can. You don’t even need to read in a full voice. Heck, you can just consciously mouth each word and still get most of the benefit.

PLUS PEOPLE WILL THINK YOU’RE REALLY WEIRD OR CASTING SPELLS UNDER YOUR BREATH!

Those are things you want people to think of you, right?

Yeah, of course they are.

See you next time!

For more content, check HERE.

Posted on

Being a Good Writer Means Being a Good Editor

We, as writers, spend the bulk of our time considering how to write better. We attend workshops, go to conferences, watch TED Talks, and spend hours in hyperbolic time chambers training until our writing can reach the “next level.”

And there’s nothing wrong with that. Writing is, after all, what we do and hope to continue doing forever. At some point, however, writing alone simply won’t be enough. All the drafts in the world won’t be able to add the sparkle and shine that you and readers are looking for. When that realization strikes, in struts EDITING from outside. Grizzled from many a long fight over verb tensing and whether you should reorder three chapters in the middle that you really like as they are but don’t make sense, EDITING has returned to the picture for one simple reason:

It is needed. You need it. I need it.

The best writers are great editors.

Now, I recognize that there are many of you out there who don’t agree with that statement. “Christopher,” you say, “there are so many great writers who aren’t great editors. They just have great editors.”

To which I say: I wasn’t talking about “great” writers. I was talking about the best.

You’re right. Many, many wonderful writers are not the best of editors and have colleagues, friends, family, or industry-appointed professionals to make up for that deficiency. But there is great power in being a strong editor of your own work, before (and after) those other people enter the scene (literally and/or figuratively). Third party perspectives are vital to the creation of terrific writing, but those perspectives can only be relied on so much. There are some things that only you can effectively edit, and if you haven’t taken the time to build your editorial skills until then, you’ll be doing your own work a disservice.

Let me paint a picture for you (with words).

You’re a published NYT (and international) bestselling author. Your works have been made into successful feature films and TV shows. Everyone knows your characters’ names.

Awesome, right?

In fact, you’ve hit the point where publishers no longer question you, trusting instead that your phenomenal ability to basically print money will hold true. Third party editing is minimized to the point of proofreading: finding typos but ignoring questions of pacing, plot, characterization, etc. In short, what you write gets published as it is.

What power you wield!

But from there comes the problem: through over-reliance on those third party editorials, your self-editorial skills have either atrophied or were never fully developed in the first place. Certainly, you can bulk them up to snuff, but this isn’t the time. The publisher wants the book now. And you want it out there. So you do your best, and it turns out alright.

Which it does. But I promise you that a lot of readers (especially those that write) will notice something different about that book and any others done in the same way. The pacing for such manuscripts is often looser, characterizations more vague or (flip side) insanely detailed, and plot less clear that would be ideal.

I could name books where I think this occurred, but that wouldn’t really serve a point. What I’m attempting to explain is that even in the scenario where we, as writers, have achieved ultimate success (commercially, at least), being able to edit our own work is vital. Likewise, as writers frantically aspiring for that success, being able to edit our own work is vital. At any stage of the journey between those two points or beyond, being able to edit our own work is vital.

And that means building the skillset. There are many ways to do so, and I intend to write several posts in the future talking about editorial processes, tips, and tricks (based on my experience as a creative writer, master tutor, and managing editor ). But to leave you with a little something today:

  • Don’t be afraid of editing your own work
  • Treat editing like a conversation with yourself: asking questions and providing honest answers
  • The best way to build editing skill is to edit, so offer to edit the work of writer friends
  • Don’t beat yourself up

Editing is not the time or place for self-flagellation. It’s not an excuse to be mean to yourself or give into the insecurities in your head that make you feel like you’re a terrible writer. Editing is about becoming ever more. About taking, refining, and beautifying the beauty you’ve already made. The beauty you already are. Don’t let fear wedge itself in there and make you feel like less.

Stay tuned for more on editing soon! You can read more posts about writing techniques (and everything else!) at my main page HERE.

You can do this. Don’t ever give up.

Posted on

Top 10 Lyrics, Part 2: #5-1

And I’m back with the second half of my list of the Top 10 Best Lyrics!

Last time, I kicked things off with lyrics from songs all over the emotional spectrum, and today won’t be any different. To recap, here’s the songs lyrics were pulled from last week:

  • “Stressed Out” – Twenty One Pilots
  • “The Temptation of Adam” – Josh Ritter
  • “Pluto” – Sleeping At Last
  • “Who Do You Say I Am” – Pas Neos
  • “Leave The Light On” – Chris Smither

Song: “Audience of One”

Artist: Rise Against

Lyrics:

“I brought down the sky for you, but all you did was shrug”

Rise Against is one of those groups that continually please me with the poetry of their lyrics. I could easily put together a list of lyrics I really enjoy just from their songs alone, but this is not that list. In any event, think about this line. In the context of the song, it drives forward the overall narrative. What I really want to discuss, though, is the potency of the line by itself.

Taken out of context, these words are such a damning description of a relationship in which one party has given their everything only to be met by the indifference of the other. Frustration and anger may be there, but sadness remains the primary emotion I feel when I hear this part of the song. I would love a character in a novel to be the subject of this type of description.

Song: “The Sound of Silence”

Artist: Simon & Garfunkel

Lyrics:

“And the people bowed and prayed // to the neon god they made”

“The Sound of Silence” is one of the best written indictments of modern society’s failings in recent history. The entire song is a masterclass of excellent wordplay and imagery (“words of the prophets are written on the subway walls”), but this pair of lines takes the prize.

I love allegory, symbolism, and works in the style of Paradise Lost or Dante’s Inferno. In fact, I wrote an epic poem of my own as a modern take on that style. The phrasing and frustration of these words aligns with that of my own work and others like it from long, long ago. In its own way, I hold this song thematically in the same mental category as works like those I’ve mentioned. These lyrics are the major reason why.

Song: “The River, the Woods”

Artist: Astronautalis

Lyrics:

“A sinking ship is still a ship, no captain spoke the obit
Till the crew is flew, crow’s nest slips silent beneath the ocean.
We set sail without an anchor, we count upon that never stop
An anchor’s just a coffin nail, waiting for that hammer drop”

I found Astronautalis by accident when I was a teenager and didn’t really like it. Then I started truly listening to the lyrics and found brilliance in several of the tracks. While there’s still a lot by this artist that I’m not fond of, this song is amazing. In four lines, he conveys a stunning attitude of defiance and encouragement. These words urge you to keep going, keep striving, keep pushing against the tide. They want you to fight against the desire to stop and stagnate. And likening an anchor to a coffin nail “waiting for that hammer drop” with the rhyme structure?

Gorgeous.

Song: “The Hounds”

Artist: The Protomen

Lyrics:

“What kind of man builds a machine to kill a girl?
No he did not use his hands
Like a smart man, he used a tool,
But just the same,
How can you question who’s to blame?
(Investigators:) What was her name?
It doesn’t matter”

Alright, you’ve probably never heard this song or heard of this band, and for that I am so so sorry. The Protomen are terrific. Go look them up. Right now.

“The Hounds” is one of the best villain songs ever written and terrifically performed. Set in a driving swing beat, it refers to the police coming at the call of the story’s villain who has just killed a man’s wife, framing on that man in the process. This chunk from the second verse, is brilliantly cold and confident, displaying the personality of a person who would do such an evil thing for his own gain. He spins a web of convincing lies and when confronted with a real question (What’s the name of the woman that died?), he brushes it immediately aside as irrelevant. It’s incredible and awesome and brilliant because it’s terrifying.

HONORABLE MENTION:

“When I say he was a monster,
When I set fire to his name,
It does not matter where you hear it from―
Whether truth or lies,
It gets said all the same”

An honorable mention entry from the same track (which is incredible and you should listen to it), this one gets right to the heart of why “fake news” is so dangerous, though it came out years before the term. Regardless of whether or not it’s true, the fact that it is being said and heard carries SO MUCH POWER. This entire song is built on the back of that power and stands as a horrific testament to what a person can do when they utilize the most potent force in existence―language―to serve evil.

Song: “Lift the Curse”

Artist: Astronautalis

Lyrics:

“There ain’t no magic in materials
The magic’s in our words
That we whisper in each other’s ears
To make diamonds out of dirt”

Find me better lyrics to convey the vitality and onus put on us as writers. Bet you can’t. This phrase carries both the incredible privilege and incredible danger of what we do. Through our command of language, we can take the mundane, average, and awful to turn it into something beautiful: literally making something good out of nothing or less. But within that ability also rests the power to destroy by using the gift to lie, cheat, and steal.

Both versions of this gift have made enormous impacts on this world. These lyrics remind me to only use this power for good.

But seriously though.

Well, that’s the list! Hop into the comments below or tell me on Twitter whether I included some of your choices (and if not, tell me what your favorite lyrics are!)

For more Top 10s and thoughts on writing, check out the main page HERE.

Thanks for reading, and see you next week!

Posted on

Sticking With It

Let’s be real here for a minute: writing is HARD. The act of creating something wholly new from the ether takes a lot of time, energy, and effort. What truly makes it difficult, however, is that once those resources have been expended…you still may not see the results you desire when you want to (if ever).

Like every writer querying to literary agents, I know how personally challenging this can be. You follow the steps, make critical edits, get outside impressions, and more, but there’s still no guarantee that an agent will respond to it positively. When those (form) rejection letters come in, it can be soul crushing. You and the people around you know that the writing is good, why don’t the agents see that?

If you’ve felt/thought anything like the above in recent weeks, welcome to the club! You are a writer striving to make a way in the world for your words when millions of others are trying to do the same.

To sum up: it’s difficult.

When faced with these situations, there are many things you can (and will be told to) do:

  • Go through and edit more carefully
  • Get more beta readers for impressions
  • Work with an editorial group to brainstorm
  • Be patient
  • Etc.

Honestly, those things are and can be very important in the process of getting an agent on the way to a hopeful career as a creative writer. I think they miss the most important thing you need to do, though, so I’m going to devote the rest of this short post to that:

BELIEVE.


(In before anyone says I sound like a cat poster.)

Above and beyond any other consideration, you must first believe in yourself and the work you’re doing. Believe in the words, the ideas, the plot, the characters, the thoughts, the feelings, and the person that put it together. Meaning YOU.

Going from person who authored a novel to person who authored a published novel can grind at the emotional anchors that hold us together. The strain can drag on relationships, push at your buttons, and make you question if what you’re doing has any value at all.

I’m here to tell you that IT DOES HAVE VALUE. Even if you don’t have an agent yet. Even if you haven’t gotten a single positive reaction from an agent yet. Even if you haven’t queried anyone and aren’t sure if you ever will, your writing has value because you made it.

Don’t let the world’s material considerations take away from what you’ve accomplished. No one else can claim to have told the story you have, so hold your head high, and keep fighting.

Nothing worth doing is easy.

And writing is always worth doing.

This doesn’t mean you’re absolved from continuing to improve your skills and stories, oh no. You need to push hard at those personal barriers, strengthening those abilities along the way. It does mean, however, that you don’t need to be glum, downtrodden, and perpetually hurt. I know it’s easy to be, sometimes you almost want to give into the negativity because it seems like that’s all the world wants to show you. Don’t. Feel the sad, anxiety, and hurt. Then get back on your feet, pen in hand, keys under fingers, brain hard at work. Push, strive, try.

And know that millions of writers, myself included, are right there next to you, encouraging you, bolstering you, and wanting you to know that you can do this.

Even if it takes forever, we will write our way forward.

I believe in you. Believe in you, too.

And if you can’t, well, believe in the me that believes in you.

I leave you with motivational gifs:

Let me know how your journey’s going in the comments or on Twitter. For more content (and encouragement) pop over HERE.

You can do it. See you soon!

Posted on

What Are You Writing For: Fun, Business, or Satisfaction

Hello again, true believers!

Stopping to think about, that’s kinda a weird way to start a comic book. What was Stan going for with that? Eh, I digress.

Today, let’s talk about WHY you’re writing, WHY I’m writing, and WHY anyone ever has written. It’s a short topic and we’ll get entirely done with it in 600 words or less 😉

Seriously though, while there are umpteen inspirations that have gotten people writing, the real reason for any writer falls into one of these 3 categories that reflect, in some way, what the person hopes to get out of the effort. Now, up front, I want to note that this is not a “One is the best and the rest suck” or “This one is terrible but the others are OK” post. That accomplishes nothing, and each person needs to do their own thing. Frankly, most people have hybrid motivations of these three types, anyway, which I think is for the better.

As rule 3 states: “You do you, girl.”

Instead, I just want to talk about each type, it’s strengths and weaknesses, and leave this as a foundation for future, more in-depth discussions. So…

FUN

This is hands down the easiest one to explain: these people write for fun. Wow, such brain. Much analysis. More specifically, however, these individuals write for the personal fun of it. The act of creation brings them an innate pleasure from which they derive personal joy.

At its most pure, these folks require noone to ever read their work―it’s neat if someone does but not required. Their joy comes from having written at all. In many ways, this is writing at its purest. It does not need to take into account the thoughts, feelings, or expectations of others to serve its purpose. It succeeds by existing.

That said, writing of this type can become so esoteric within the thoughts and ideas of its creator that the narrative is unintelligible to anyone else. Additionally, this type of writing can run into brick walls that outside input would help overcome.


BUSINESS

Next easiest to explain is writing for “business,” by which I mean writing specifically to serve as a career. I will clarify that I mean creative writing as a career, not the million forms of corporate writing that exist (and that I do!). That’s a different kind of writing for business.

No, the folks I’m talking about here, write creatively because they feel that it is their most secure career path. They’ve found success (or are seeking it) and have a knack for writing pieces that hit the appetite of their desired audience. Generally, these writers are keenly attuned to the needs of readers and the wider publishing community, making them experts in navigating those complex waters. Additionally, they often have a knack for taking the observations they’ve made of the market and writing to meet them, which can be far more challenging than you would think.

That said, writing of this type can seem formulaic as it is catered toward the specific interests of a targeted audience. Additionally, business-minded writers can run into creative blocks when their go-to sources of inspiration become clouded or the market becomes less easily analyzed.

SATISFACTION

Writers being driven by the goal of satisfaction are often harder to succinctly describe. Of course, I could say “They write to be satisfied!” like a dingus, but that would tell us nothing. What, specifically, are they seeking to satisfy? I could easily argue that Fun and Business are two “satisfiers” in and of themselves, making this entire blog post pointless…but I won’t do that.

Instead, I’ll say that I mean “Satisfaction” in the sense of those who right for reasons outside of business or fun. These individuals are seeking to accomplish something else with their work, often related to an internal need. For some, it may be therapeutic (i.e. writing autobiographically about a difficult life experience), while for others it may be an obligation (i.e. helping a family member with a memoir). Ultimately, the self-satisfaction of writing is what drives these individuals.

That said, they can run into problems if the external source shifts in such a way as to make getting that satisfaction more difficult (i.e. memory is too difficult to write about, family member no longer wants help, etc.).

IN THE END

It doesn’t really matter which of the above you most identify with. It might be all of them equally or one strongly. What matters, at least in my mind, is that you write. Over the course of your life, motivations shift and change because we all are constantly adapting to what’s happening around and within us.

Let me know which of these you most identify with or if there’s another that you think I should have included!

Like I said, this will be a foundation for more conversations in the future, so don’t fret if you wanted to hear more. It’s coming.

Thanks for reading! If you want more content, check HERE.

See you next time!

Posted on

Cause and (Mass) Effect

Welcome back to another Monocled Gamer! Today, I want to talk about my favorite game: Mass Effect 2. Yes, 2. Not 1 and definitely not 3. 4 is right out.

More specifically than just raving over why Mass Effect 2 is one of the greatest games ever made (which I could do for hours), I want to compare it to the new-in-2017 Mass Effect: Andromeda and why one succeeded as compared to the other.

Even more specifically than that, I want to have this discussion solely based on the WRITING of the games. This post is meant to be a snapshot of comparison, not a comprehensive analysis.

So Mass Effect 2

Vs.

Mass Effect Andromeda

I feel that this comparison can be broken down into two major factors:

  1. Characters That Are More Like People Than Facsimiles (See previous entries on character writing for more thoughts on this)
  2. Focused Narrative

Characters

Ultimately, the characters of any story are the most direct means through which we learn. Their interactions teach us about each being’s values as well as where they fit in the world. Their observations and histories inform our own. Especially in games, such as much of the Bioware catalog, where the player creates their own avatar in game, characters are the core bridge to narrative engagement.

Among myriad other effects, this also means that players will often feel out-of-place character moments more quickly than any other story inconsistencies. It’s why the precise choices of Captain America and Iron Man in Marvel’s Civil War event (movie or comic book) often don’t quite add up when you stop to think about them.

Mass Effect 2 delights in tightly told, restrained interactions with each character whether primary, secondary, or tertiary. While some characters are more cardboard than others―Jacob and Miranda, for example―every significant individual in ME:2’s story experiences some amount of growth. Unless you skip all personal quests, in which case YOU ARE DOING IT WRONG.

Each of these individuals has likes, dislikes, families, histories and events that drive their actions. Some are consistently resentful but when you learn why, you can at least understand. Some are eternally optimistic, in spite of their lives. Others become dismal realists in the face of galactic terror. The evolution and decision making of characters drives the narrative forward meaningfully.

On this count, Mass Effect Andromeda still does a great many things right. Characters are varied, if considerably more cardboard overall, and share elements of themselves over time quite effectively. When an intense moment of character development arrives, you engage with it…but may wind up feeling like the payoff was lesser than anticipated. The first reason for this is that characters in ME:A rely on their cardboard characteristics―those infallible traits that you would use to describe them in 2-4 words (i.e., lifelong mercenary for hire; human asari commando; repentant, religious assassin; bookish scientist turned super spy)―more than they should. The second is a problem of…

Narrative Focus

To be blunt, ME:A lacks narrative focus. It attempts to tell many stories and in so doing, dilutes them all. This is a common element of early story drafts. When in the midst of storyboarding or worldstorming, countless ideas will come to mind. What’s most important (after embracing these ideas) is finding the ones that are the most vital to the core narrative you’re trying to tell, and removing the rest.

During my time as a managing editor, I’ve come up with a name for this rule: “Neat but Unnecessary” or NUN for short (NBU is a cruddy acronym to remember).

Mass Effect Andromeda has a lot of cool story moments, but every single one is buried under heaps of NUN Rule violators. By contrast, Mass Effect 2 is a shark of storytelling―it is lean, fast, and muscles you from point to point.

Narrative revelations in Mass Effect 2, either character-driven or plot-driven, happen continuously. Events roll from one to another rapidly but smoothly. Narrative revelations in Mass Effect Andromeda wind up dragging along the baggage of things you missed or forgot in the umpteen other things that have happened since the last revelation. It’s not that you don’t care for the story (at least at first), it’s that so much happens without really mattering that you can’t be bothered to care once something does.

At the end of the day, a story can (and should) be as long as it needs to be. It can be easy to cram it full of extra details, but those details need to add cohesively to the narrative rather than distracting or, worse still, creating brand new questions that may not be answered (*cough*Quarian Ark*cough*).

So as you go on and write whatever it is you’re writing, take time to think about NUNs. Not these

https://giphy.com/gifs/hayley-mills-the-trouble-with-angels-AqlX1TY49hTS8

but those details that are Neat…but UNncessary. Unless you’re writing about actual nuns. In that case, have at it!

For more content, head to the main page HERE.

Make sure to let me know what you think in the comments or on Twitter!

Thanks for reading and see you next time.

Posted on

Don’t Let Writer’s Block Slow You Down

Ah, writer’s block. Bane of all creatives, everywhere. Most people are familiar with this term, regardless of whether or not they do any writing, predominantly as it’s endemic to the creative arts. We who toil with paper and pen (or typety-typing and LEDs) do not have a monopoly on lulls of inspiration, but I feel like we complain about it the most. Therefore, this unfortunate state has been named after us.

Today I want to discuss how I approach writer’s block. Ultimately, when we use that term we’re referring to a lack of motivation, inspiration, or insight regarding our creative process that leads to (what we feel to be) suboptimal quality of work. It can be brought on by emotional shifts, recent events, general malaise, or nothing at all.

Most writers, in my experience, stop writing when they feel they’re under the influence of this potent force. Superstitions may come into effect (lucky underwear, fancy pants, special music or food, etc.) or Internet tip sheets may be referenced. There are likely as many tactics to overcome writer’s block as there are writers. Ultimately, however, I want to share a sad truth with you…

Most of them don’t work, or if they do, they don’t work consistently (in my opinion).

Besides writing, I also have a background in psychology (in another life I would have been a psychologist). When we’re dealing with these sorts of creative block, we tend to blame a great many things, hence the great many solutions proffered on the Interwebz. The core cause, however, can always be tracked back to something cognitive, i.e. within your own head.

This does not mean there is something wrong with you, though it may be a sign that some amount of your mind is grappling with something that you feel is wrong (but are trying to avoid). Our minds are fickle things: easily distractible, easily lured into pitfalls, and easily discouraged. Writer’s block, at least in my opinion, tends to reflect something in our minds that is actively pulling mental energy and focus away from creation. Often, it seems to root in personal insecurity, discouragement, or a lack of confidence―often spurred by some life event that you may not have even really noticed.

All of that being said, it doesn’t really matter where it comes from. What matters most is what you do about it. If you feel like your writer’s block is overwhelming, first take a moment to step back and meditate a bit on yourself and your thoughts. Ask yourself “Is anything bothering me? How do I feel right now?” And then―this is the important part―

GO BACK AND WRITE ANYWAY. CREATE ANYWAY. DO IT ANYWAY.

The only surefire way to overcome writer’s block is to keep writing regardless. It doesn’t matter that you believe the writing will be terrible (or that the writing is terrible once it’s down), what matters is that it’s there. Refusing to write/create until the block passes gives the block more power within your mind, building it up until it can seem insurmountable. By writing through it, you subvert that power and the importance of the block in your own cognition, while simultaneously continuing to lay the foundation of your success.

TL;DR – When you write during writer’s block, you teach yourself how to overcome obstacles and continue building toward your goals.

Super TL;DR – Writing through a writer’s block makes you stronger.

This isn’t just my opinion, mind you. There are quite a few terrific authors out there that stand by this approach, too. The most significant thing you must remember for this to work is that every word you write has value. Nothing is wasted. With each letter, you improve.

Don’t let the boogeyman (writer’s block) take that away from you.

What do you do when you have writer’s block? Let me know in the comments or on Twitter!

For more of my thoughts, head back to the main page HERE.

Thanks for reading and see you next time!

Posted on

What’s In A Name?

Call me Ishmael. (Don’t actually. That was just for dramatic effect.)

Names are such important things. We take our own very seriously, and I’ve yet to meet a writer who takes their character names less seriously than that. Nonetheless, a character name is an altogether different thing. Most of us, like and use the name we were given. The most choice we had in the matter was whether to use a nickname. For example, I was Chris for many years until I realized that there are way too many Chris…s (Chrisii? Chrises?).

Character names, on the other hand, we have to choose. (Word of advice: Never leave a character name up to chance.) The issue, then, is how to make that choice. Many writers will tell you that they select names of significance either to the story or to them personally. Others go for referential names that allude to parallel events, secret origins, myths, legends, or jokes.

Regardless of the option you choose, what matters most—at least in my mind—is ensuring that the character name makes sense for the universe in which it will be used. To paraphrase the fine folks of How Did This Get Made?, the name must fit the setting. Tyrion, Tywin, Cersei, and…Kevan? Feels a little odd. Having a character born and raised in ancient China named Nigel, would also be frowned upon. If Gandalf’s true name happened to be Bob, we would call foul. It’s not that Kevan, Hank, and Bob are bad names in general. They simply do not fit the universe in which we’re using them.

One of the best parts of writing is the absolute control we wield over our worlds. The power is ours to create and destroy, dub and redub. I call that out because you CAN name your book’s Gandalf “Bob,” if you want. Just have a reason for it. In universe, not merely in your head. If the pronunciation is more like “boba” and follows the etymology of a forgotten native tongue of the fae, awesome. Just make sure the reader knows that.

It’s far too easy to get wrapped up in being clever and forget that you’re actually not explaining anything to anyone.

A final note on fantasy/science fiction character naming. In my opinion, these are the most fun names to conceive as they can, by all rights, be insane, quirky, or clever without fault. That said, beware of your name quirk. I’ve found that many writers have certain types of names or name sounds that they really enjoy, thus they use them often. I know I have a name quirk like this (and no, I won’t tell you what it is—though you’re welcome to guess). Because fantasy and sci-fi allow us to move beyond “normal” names with impunity, it can be very easy to feed your name quirk.

I had an early novel concept whose character names were all oddly similar until I realized I was doing this. Pro tip: don’t make everyone’s names include the same vowel sound.

What do you do when you’re coming up with character names? What other tips or tricks would you like to share? What name quirks do you know you have bubbling deep inside? Let me know in the comments below, and thanks for reading!

For more thoughts on writing, music, and more, check out the main page.