Writing Techniques ~~ Balance

Balance can be associated with gymnastics, scales, scorecards, life, health, walking, wheel alignments, your bank statement, and many other things. How can you implement it in your writing?  Why is it important?

Step 1: Balance helps to establish a sense of progression.

Select a scene toward the beginning of your manuscript and another one either in the middle or near the end.  What has happened to the characters in the interim?  An example would be one in which the opening chapter features a castle in a state of disrepair since your fantasy aristocracy has fallen upon hard times.  In Chapter 12, francium has been discovered by the Cofferer in the northwest quadrant of the bailey.

https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=what%20is%20francium


Eurkea overnight, the cast is dressed to the nines, royal dainties are served non-stop, and the mules have been replaced with million dollar thoroughbreds. Using this basic narrative, what is the net effect of the progression?  Is it positive or negative?  What writing techniques have you used to achieve this outcome?

In one of my prior blog posts, I touched on the flow of writing.  Some aspects mentioned therein could be joined with balance.  Here is the link:
http://sheilassagaciousstirrings.blogspot.com/2016/05/writing-techniques-flow.html

Step 2: Progression achieved through balance reinforces theme.

If you’ve predetermined that your particular project is theme based, balance will be of utmost importance to you.  Careful construction will prevent overuse of your theme or such scant use the reader is unable to discern it in the first place.  For instance, if your basic theme is forgiveness, there are a plethora of ways to weave this into your writing to achieve an even distribution of it.  Does your project include a theme?

Step 3:  Dodge the ditches.

Have you ever ditched something?  In Step 1, we touched on the characters, but what about the plot?  If your story stays balanced, this will help prevent it from getting off in the barrow pit which may cause a reader to ditch it as well. Let’s say you have a scene where an employee is about to be terminated by a well known corporation whose headquarters are on the top floor of a swank high rise commercial building. 

If you devote four pages to explain every step of the soon to be ex-employee leaving his apartment, getting into his car, driving to the meeting, attempting to parallel park on the street; one line where the boss tells him he's fired, and five subsequent pages describing his exit from the building, it could be that some of your enthusiasts will quit turning the pages. They'll be looking for File 13 or headed to the closest thrift shop to add to their annual non-cash charitable contributions.

Step 4:  Pick and practice your act.

A gymnast needs a balance beam to practice his skill.  During the summer months of my brother’s collegiate gymnastics career, he fashioned a set of still rings between two tall cottonwood trees in our yard.  Use what is readily available to you.  Most writers have other books or movies in their homes or apartments.  Select one of your favorites from there or your local library. Repetitive reading or watching can assist you with being able to spot where your fellow author or the filmmaker completed his balancing act.  How would you rate his act along with your own?

Step 5:  The Greek Team.

After you’ve done the best you can with your manuscript, dial up your alpha and omega team.  Instruct your alpha or beta readers to make notations concerning balance as they work their way through the pages.  Your omega team member, i.e., your editor, will definitely appreciate your balancing efforts.  The ones who will benefit the most are your readers because you will have put your work in a steady position or framework so that it does not fall.

As we continue to practice our craft, we can achieve spectacular results. Speaking of spectacular, check out this stellar image relating to balance which is located in our great state.

                                                       

South of Buhl in the Salmon Falls Creek Canyon stands the famous Balanced Rock. Over 48 feet tall and 40 tons, the wind-carved rock balances precariously on a pedestal only 3 feet by 17 inches. Nearby Balanced Rock Park is an excellent spot for a picnic. https://visitidaho.org/things-to-do/natural-attractions/balanced-rock-balanced-rock-park/

Fellow authors would benefit from reading your comments regarding how you have managed to apply balance in your writing.  Thank you for your participation.  The rising tide benefits all ships!

Watch for my next blog post regarding additional writing techniques.

In the interim, stay balanced, and write well!

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Writing Techniques ~~ Voice

During the days before the advent of the internet and when people actually took the time to pen a note or letter, it was much easier to hear their voice. That is one of the reasons that to this very day, I especially enjoy receiving handwritten communication because it’s as if that person is literally sitting in my living room and speaking to me.  Most people write just like they speak.  That’s what makes it so unique.  (Can you tell I also pen poetry every now and then?)

In Literary Land, what is voice?  It’s simply the way you handle words and craft them into sentences which ultimately forms your writing style.

Joe McGinnis, one of my favorite authors, is no longer with us, unfortunately.  He was an investigative reporter who wrote such memorable works as Fatal Vision, The Last Brother, and Blind Faith.  In the midst of collecting facts and reading depositions, autopsies, and the like, he honed his craft.  I can close the hardback covers of his books and still hear his voice.  In my opinion, he had the gift of being able to place a pretty bow on the top of an already beautifully wrapped present.

A portion of the writing exercise involving voice requires the skills of both a house framer and a finish carpenter.  The skeleton or outline of the piece must be constructed first before putting the finishing touches on it. Just as with the building of a house, there’s a whole lot that happens between the time that the site is prepared and the foundation is poured until the carpeting is installed, the light fixtures are hung, and the exterior is painted.  It’s quite often called “multiple drafts”.  

Continuing with our house analogy, each of the subcontractors who work on the project don’t all sound alike. Some will be fast talkers whereas others are slow; some will be high and some will be low.  Others will be happy who offset the serious ones and on it goes.

Let’s take a minute and consider items relative to voice:

• Who is your intended audience?  This will have a bearing upon the voice implemented in your writing. For instance, I use a somewhat different approach when penning poetry than I do for my western fiction novels.
• It’s very important for your loyal readers to still be able to hear your voice.  Prior to publishing my first book titled A Woman of Substance, my good friend, Kathi, sent me an email to let me know that she was anxiously awaiting her autographed copy.  I will never forget one sentence in her message which was, “After reading it, I will be able to discern whether or not it’s your voice.”  A few months later I received another email from her wherein she assured me, “Yes, I did indeed hear your voice in your book!”
• If you are using a ghostwriter or contemplating hiring one, this will take a little extra effort on your part to keep the project on course and point in order to achieve the desired outcome.
• Do you like your literary voice or do you desire to change it?  If so, enlist a handful of honest and helpful beta readers and get their feedback.  If you’re in the market for a significant change, select a page or two from the writing of your favorite author. Then take a page or two of your manuscript or already published book, and rewrite it using his or her voice and style. Give it a little time to percolate or marinate and determine if it was a helpful exercise. The real surprise of your writing life may come when you ascertain that another writer somewhere around the globe has done exactly the same thing using your printed words on one of the pages of your book.
• Experiment with changing point of view.  If you’re penning fiction and you’re not entirely satisfied with your current writing project, try writing it in third person as opposed to first person.  Take one of your scenes and write it through the eyes of at least two different characters to see what happens.  In the end, there needs to be a compatible marriage between voice and point of view.
• Just for grins, read a portion of your writing to someone you have recently met.  Trust me when I tell you that you will receive some valuable and insightful commentary.
• In order to write well and develop your voice, ask yourself these basic questions:
• What am I passionate about?
• What do I want to explore?
• What gives me joy?
• How can I help others?
• What genres do I not like such as Sci-Fi or Paranormal?  Chances are, if we’re not keen on these to start with, why put ourselves through the wringer of trying to author one even though those types may be the hottest ones on the market?
• Do you want your voice to be heard by your readers through painting the landscape, the talking heads, tension, or all of the above?
• Make a list of ten people you know in real life.  Next to their names, write a short description of each of them such as “could be a stand-up comedian” or “quiet scholarly type”, and so forth.  Then make a list of ten authors you know and complete the same exercise.  Chances are there will be clues that emerge pertaining to their voices.  Determine which ones you want to study in depth. Ask yourself why you like that author’s voice and how you identify with it.
• Are you working with an editor? After you’ve received your final draft and before you cut him or her the check, make sure you can still hear your voice between the covers of your soon to be published book.

When it’s all said and done, please remember that there’s only one you with your unique voice.

Fine tune your voice, and Write On!

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Writing Techniques - Flow

There are times when aspects of the writing journey can be likened to the great outdoors which contains a myriad of living organisms.  My husband and I were hiking in the state of Colorado a few years back when we came upon the beautiful waterfall featured in the photo above.  I can remember standing very still for a period of time just listening to it and wondering where it ultimately flowed.  The sound of the crashing water echoed down the canyon for miles.  Suddenly, a chilly wind ushered in raindrops.  Our pace quickened as we worked our way down the mountain trail.  We were able to get inside our vehicle and roll up the windows just before the torrential downpour arrived.  Whew, saved by the hiking shoes on that one!

A manuscript, short story, poem or literary work can be analogous to a living organism in that it seems to have a mind of its own.  The flow of words from our spirit onto the keyboard or paper can be as gentle as a stream or as strong as the water flowing from the featured waterfall.  This corresponds to the rising and falling action within the piece.

During his retirement years, my father spent a lot of time in the high desert mountain regions.  He was intrigued by the intricate dams built by the beavers.  In some cases, these produced jams in the flows of rivers and streams, much to the dismay of farmers and ranchers.  Suffice it to say, it probably takes a lot more work to clear those obstacles than it does for those appearing in our manuscript.

It has been my experience that if I try to force or rush the words, they quickly become quite bellicose.  It’s as if they can speak directly to me and let me have a piece of their mind.  “I don’t want to go there today.”  “Why are you trying to make me do something I don’t want to do?”  “You are putting the cart before the horse on this one.” 

Let’s take a quick gander at the meaning of the word flow which is the action or fact of moving along in a steady, continuous stream.  That corresponds beautifully to what our literary goal should be which is to keep those words moving right along until the project is completed. 

If you are experiencing a “log jam” of sorts, talk to that literary piece and figure out where the blockages are located.  You might need to sleep on it overnight, but surely by the next morning the answer will have arrived.

I am enjoying penning fiction far more than I thought I would.  Once the characters are created, it seems as though they take on lives of their own.  One of my tasks is to follow them and find out where they are going.  Occasionally, we need to have a face to face meeting to decide whether or not their arcs are changing from flat, negative, or positive.  In addition, some of them might need to attend an AAM ~~ Attitude Adjustment Meeting.

After Jantzi’s Jokers, Book One of The Sabblonti Series, was published, I started to receive emails and written letters from readers expressing their concerns over the choices the main characters would make in Book Two.  One of the challenges in authoring fiction is keeping our readers happy, but I fully realize this is not entirely possible as some of them may not approve of the choices the characters have made or where the flow of words has taken them.  Welcome to Literary Land!

As a word of encouragement to writers on their writing journeys, if your flow isn’t flowing, have a heart to heart talk with it!

I would love to receive input from you as to methods you have implemented to keep your writing moving continuously.

Best wishes on your writing journeys and Write On!

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Writing Journeys - Flow

There are times when aspects of the writing journey can be likened to the great outdoors which contains a myriad of living organisms.  My husband and I were hiking in the state of Colorado a few years back when we came upon the beautiful waterfall featured in the photo above.  I can remember standing very still for a period of time just listening to it and wondering where it ultimately flowed.  The sound of the crashing water echoed down the canyon for miles.  Suddenly, a chilly wind ushered in raindrops.  Our pace quickened as we worked our way down the mountain trail.  We were able to get inside our vehicle and roll up the windows just before the torrential downpour arrived.  Whew, saved by the hiking shoes on that one!

A manuscript, short story, poem or literary work can be analogous to a living organism in that it seems to have a mind of its own.  The flow of words from our spirit onto the keyboard or paper can be as gentle as a stream or as strong as the water flowing from the featured waterfall.  This corresponds to the rising and falling action within the piece.

During his retirement years, my father spent a lot of time in the high desert mountain regions.  He was intrigued by the intricate dams built by the beavers.  In some cases, these produced jams in the flows of rivers and streams, much to the dismay of farmers and ranchers.  Suffice it to say, it probably takes a lot more work to clear those obstacles than it does for those appearing in our manuscript.

It has been my experience that if I try to force or rush the words, they quickly become quite bellicose.  It’s as if they can speak directly to me and let me have a piece of their mind.  “I don’t want to go there today.”  “Why are you trying to make me do something I don’t want to do?”  “You are putting the cart before the horse on this one.” 

Let’s take a quick gander at the meaning of the word flow which is the action or fact of moving along in a steady, continuous stream.  That corresponds beautifully to what our literary goal should be which is to keep those words moving right along until the project is completed. 

 

If you are experiencing a “log jam” of sorts, talk to that literary piece and figure out where the blockages are located.  You might need to sleep on it overnight, but surely by the next morning the answer will have arrived.

I am enjoying penning fiction far more than I thought I would.  Once the characters are created, it seems as though they take on lives of their own.  One of my tasks is to follow them and find out where they are going.  Occasionally, we need to have a face to face meeting to decide whether or not their arcs are changing from flat, negative, or positive.  In addition, some of them might need to attend an AAM ~~ Attitude Adjustment Meeting.

After Jantzi’s Jokers, Book One of The Sabblonti Series, was published, I started to receive emails and written letters from readers expressing their concerns over the choices the main characters would make in Book Two.  One of the challenges in authoring fiction is keeping our readers happy, but I fully realize this is not entirely possible as some of them may not approve of the choices the characters have made or where the flow of words has taken them.  Welcome to Literary Land!

As a word of encouragement to writers on their writing journeys, if your flow isn’t flowing, have a heart to heart talk with it!

I would love to receive input from you as to methods you have implemented to keep your writing moving continuously.

Best wishes on your writing journeys and Write On!

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Writing Journeys ~~ Write On Schedule

According to Merriam-Webster, any writers' friend, 

According to

If you are currently working on a literary project or manuscript:

• Do you have a writing schedule? 
• Is it written or printed out?
•  Which do you prefer — a certain time frame or a specific number of words?
•  Are you able to adhere to your schedule?
•  What happens when the wheels fall off your writing plan?

According to Merriam-Webster, any writers’ friend, the definition of schedule [noun] is:

·        a plan of things that will be done and the times when they will be done

·        a written or printed list of things and the times when they will be done.

I adhered more strictly to a writing schedule after embarking upon my first western fictional novel, Book One of The Sabblonti Series titled Janzti’s Jokers.  Due to physical limitations, it was easier for me to work for a certain period of time on the days my schedule permitted as opposed to trying to set a goal of a certain number of words.  Now that I am penning Book Two of the series, I am implementing that practice as well.  Just for grins, I record the number of words on a small yellow lined tablet stored close to my computer. 

Prior to writing fiction, I authored primarily inspirational books along with some poetry.  If I had to take extended breaks between writing those genres, it did not seem like it took much to “get back in the river”, so to speak.  

Experiencing quite a few interruptions or having to be absent from Jantzi Belle and the cattle crew in my fictional novel proved to be far more challenging as I would have to retrace my steps and figure out where I left off the last time my fingers touched the keyboard.

Stephen Covey’s sage advice comes to mind, “the key is not to prioritize what’s on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.”

I recently started blogging and have found that I enjoy it far more than I thought I would.  One thing that has kept me on track is a blogging calendar.  Businesses typically give out calendars at the beginning of each year, so I pressed one of those into service for my new found writing interest.  Granted, it’s easier to use a calendar for blogging as most posts are short and to the point.  A novel consisting of 80,000 to 140,000 words can seem far more daunting.

Times and seasons can also affect our writing schedules.  As I am typing this, it is a glorious spring day in the mountain west complete with a gentle breeze, bright sunshine, blue sky, and the birds chirping outside my office window.  When the thermometer registers 35 degrees Fahrenheit, the wind is howling, and it’s snowing sideways, it’s much easier to sit at a computer and hammer out mega words.

Let’s consider some things which may help to increase your writing capacity:

• Determine what is your optimum time of day wherein you are most productive, and strive to use that block of time for your writing endeavors.
• Take a long and short look at your calendar.  Mark off some specific days that are set aside just for writing such as you would do for a doctor appointment.
•  Analyze your daily routine to see if you can rearrange it to carve out more time for writing.  For instance, if you have household chores or other things for which you are responsible and you normally do those in the morning, flip your schedule, and do those in the afternoon which frees up your morning to write.
• Assess your writing style.  Are you trying to edit as you write?  If so, this may be cutting into your initial productivity.  Granted, there are different opinions on this matter.  Some writers deem it’s best to get their thoughts down on paper and edit afterwards whereas others edit as they go.  Different key and pen strokes for different folks.
• Some authors outline their manuscript ahead of time while others bemoan even the very suggestion of such a thing.
• Try talking a walk before you write to unleash the creativity within.
•  Mothers with young children can sometimes find another mother with young children and work out a shared arrangement to free up time for each other.
• Comparing yourself to other writers and their schedules is counterproductive.  Do what works for you.
• Join a small writer’s group where the members can assist and encourage you.
• Book fairs, signings, and related events are wonderful incentives to help keep your writing flowing.  Endeavor to associate with writing clubs or organizations which conduct events as this will help you achieve your goal of getting your book published in a timely manner.
• Reward yourself for achieving your writing goals.  This could be something as simple as a pretty bookmark, a fellow author’s book, a canister of your favorite tea, etc.  The higher end, of course, would be that trip to the Bahamas or elsewhere that you have always wanted to take.  J

 I would like to hear from you as to what suggestions you have for fellow writers as to how to stay on schedule, increase productivity, reach your writing and publishing goals, and live happily ever after in the process.

Happy Reading & Write On Schedule!

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