Everything Writing

Stuck for Ideas? Try this Writing Exercise.

2006-02-17T12:20:00.000-08:00

Freewriting is one of the best writing exercises you can do to eliminate writer's block. It's easy, and doesn't require any special tools. Best of all, it's quick - each freewrite should be timed for no more than 15 minutes - and a great writing exercise to develop new ideas for stories and plots.

How to Freewrite:
All you'll need for this writing exercise is a pen and paper, or a computer if you're more comfortable with a keyboard. I recommend pen and paper, because the physical act of writing seems to unlock something subconscious, allowing your thoughts to flow more naturally. At least, it does for me, but as always, experiment with what works best for you.

If you're still feeling stuck for inspiration, try using a game like Creative Wack Pack ( a deck of colorful and inventive cards) to help you get your creative juices flowing.

Set a timer for at least ten minutes, and no more than fifteen. I suggest starting with 10 minutes, because you will have to keep writing non-stop for the entire time. When you first start doing this exercise, that ten minutes may seem like forever!

Begin writing and - here's the important part - DO NOT STOP! Do not lift your pen from the paper or your fingers from the keyboard, even if you wind up writing "I don't know what to write." over and over again until your ten minutes are up. Write anything, even if it's unconnected nonsense. But keep writing, and do not stop.

When your timer signals, stop writing. Look over what you've written. Sometimes it will be pure rubbush, but often you will be surprised to find that you have pulled ideas for a short story, a poem, or another writing exercise. If not, don't worry. The object of this exercise is to just write, so if you have anything worth saving, that's a bonus!

Some writers like to do a freewriting exercise as a "warm-up" before they begin the day's work. Others use it when they need inspiration. Whatever you decide to use freewriting for, be sure to have fun with it. And keep writing.

Overcoming Writer's Block

2006-02-15T17:16:00.000-08:00

When you're staring at a blank page or a blank screen and your mind is as blank as the thing you're looking at - don't feel alone. It happens to every writer: the dreaded Writer's Block.

So what's a writer to do? Here are some ideas...

Deadlines, distractions, and frustration can all contribute to writer's block. And writer's block can cause its own vicious circle: you can't think of anything to write, so you get frustrated, so you tighten up, so you can't think of anything to write. Voila! Writer's Block.

Every writer has his or her own tricks and strategies for overcoming writer's block. Play with a variety of solutions until you find a few that work best for you.

Sometimes, the best way to overcome writer's block is to simply take a break. Make a cup of coffee, take the dog for a walk, take the dishes out of the dishwasher. I like to go to my local library or bookstore and browse for an hour or so. Being surrounded by writing seems to relight the torch of inspiration for me. Find what works for you.

Another useful tool for overcoming writers block is to do a 10 minute freewrite. Freewrites are writing exercises where you write nonstop for a short time, usually no more than 15 minutes.

During a freewrite, you just write. You don't compose, or edit, or (preferably) think. You just write without stopping until your timer rings. Make yourself a list of subjects to write about and you'll never be stuck for a topic.

Of course, a freewrite can be about very simple things. For example, write about what you did in the first ten minutes of your morning, or the experience of drinking your first cup of coffee.

When you draw from your freewrite list, write using different perspectives each time. For example, let's say that "Describe my favorite china cup" is on your list. You can:

* describe the way your cup looks at different times of the day,

* write about the sensory experience of using this cup,

* explain the emotional reasons why this cup is your favorite,

* compare your china cup with your favorite earthenware bowl.

Use your freewrites to observe things you wouldn't normally notice, and describe them in unusual ways.

Another cause of writers block is not staying in the moment. Many writers try to write a perfect piece in their first draft. This is a sure prescription for disaster. The pressure of trying to find the "perfect" word for each word will overwhelm even the most experienced writers. Don't overburden yourself. The time to find the "perfect" word is during the editing process.

Write from your heart. Edit with your head.

James Frey Defends A Million Little Lies

2006-02-01T21:18:00.000-08:00

In an interview with the New York Times, author James Frey says he altered much of the book to serve what he felt was the greater purpose of the book: to detail the story of addiction and an addict's struggle.

Pffffft! Why not present it as fiction then? It seems to me that Frey knowingly concealed his "alterations" because he realized the book would create more "buzz" (and more sales) as a gritty, anti-glamour memoir...February 2, 2006

Frey Says Falsehoods Improved His Tale
By EDWARD WYATT - New York Times

James Frey yesterday offered the first detailed explanation of why he embellished and lied about events in "A Million Little Pieces," his best-selling book: it made a better story.

"I wanted the stories in the book to ebb and flow, to have dramatic arcs, to have the tension that all great stories require," Mr. Frey said in an author's note released yesterday that will be included in future editions of the book. "I altered events all the way through the book," he added.

Also yesterday, Nielsen BookScan released figures showing that weekly sales of "A Million Little Pieces" have fallen by more than half since the disclosure of Mr. Frey's fabrications on Jan. 8, by the Smoking Gun Web site (thesmokinggun.com). In the most recent week, 58,000 paperback copies of "A Million Little Pieces" were sold in the outlets tracked by BookScan; these do not include mass-market retailers like Wal-Mart, which sell close to half of all paperbacks. At its highest point, the book sold 176,000 paperback copies in a week.

Last week's sales were the lowest since Oprah Winfrey chose the book for her television book club in September. On Jan. 26, Mr. Frey appeared on Ms. Winfrey's show and under her questioning, admitted to extensive fabrications.

In his author's note, a three-page essay titled "a note to the reader," Mr. Frey also said that officials at the rehab facility where he was treated had previously questioned his account of having a root canal procedure without anesthesia. "They believe my memory may be flawed," Mr. Frey wrote. Though he does not name the facility in the book, it has been identified elsewhere as Hazelden, in Center City, Minn.

Other events that Mr. Frey had previously defended as true but which, according to the statement, were invented, include "my role in a train accident that killed a girl from my school."

Repeating admissions he made last week on Ms. Winfrey's show, Mr. Frey also said he falsified descriptions of time spent in police custody and in jail.

Overall, his portrayal in "A Million Little Pieces," is of a person who "I created in my mind to help me cope" with drug addiction and recovery. He said most of the invented material "portrayed me in ways that made me tougher and more daring and more aggressive than in reality I was, or I am."

The events and details were invented, he said, "in order to serve what I felt was the greater purpose of the book," specifically to "detail the fight addicts and alcoholics experience in their minds and in their bodies, and detail why that fight is difficult to win."

"I sincerely apologize to those readers who have been disappointed by my actions," he said.

On the New York Times best-seller list to be published on Sunday, which reflects sales in the week ended Jan. 21, "A Million Little Pieces" is ranked No. 2 among paperback nonfiction books. But the editors of the list have added a note saying: "Both author and publisher acknowledge that this memoir contains numerous fabrications." David Drake, a spokesman for Doubleday, said the company will continue to market "A Million Little Pieces" as nonfiction, despite Mr. Frey's admissions.

"The publisher's statement and the statement from the author give the reader due warning," Mr. Drake said. "It is a memoir, albeit a flawed one."

Some experts on memoir disagree with that decision. William Zinsser, the author of several classic guides to the writing of memoirs and nonfiction, said in an interview yesterday that he thinks the author's note will significantly alter a reader's view of the book.

"I believe most readers of those statements would think, 'I don't know what I can believe,' and conclude, 'I will look for a book that is more authentic by a writer whose experiences are obviously true,' " Mr. Zinsser said.

On the message boards on Ms. Winfrey's Web site, oprah.com, more than 20,000 messages about the book have been posted since Mr. Frey admitted, on Ms. Winfrey's show, that he lied. Many of those messages criticize Ms. Winfrey for her anger at Mr. Frey and for turning against a book that many readers still embrace.

The publishers of "A Million Little Pieces," Doubleday and Anchor Books, said yesterday that they were printing 100,000 new paperback copies of the book and 3,500 hardcover copies that include both the author's note and a publisher's note explaining the controversy and apologizing for it. The publishers, both divisions of Random House Inc., also posted the note on randomhouse.com and said they will distribute it to booksellers to include in copies of the book already in stores.

Copyright 2006The New York Times Company

Developing Plot - Exposition

2006-02-01T17:26:00.000-08:00

Every good fiction plot follows something of a formula: Exposition, Rising Action, Conflict, Falling Action, Resolution. And although not everything in real life gets resolved, fiction readers usually want a wrap up; a tying up of loose ends; to feel satisified at the conclusion of the novel.

Using a formula may sound confining, but it's actually freeing, because...you know the path you need to take, and therefore you have more energy to devote to the creative aspects of your plot. You can enjoy the view, instead of looking for the map, so to speak...

First, let's deal with the exposition, or the background of the story. Exposition, properly done, makes the reader care about the characters, and become more involved in the results of the events that happen to those characters. Good exposition creates powerful characters, and in turn, a compelling narrative.

For example, if I tell you that a 30-year old woman, let's call her Susan, got hit by a bus and was killed, you would think this is an unfortunate event, but you would not necessarily be saddened by hearing about it.

But what if I tell you that Susan was a single mom who left behind a 5 year old daughter?

What if I also reveal that, as a child, Susan had lost all her family in a fire, and so had no relatives to care for her daughter?

And that after being homeless and destitute, she had pulled herself out of despair and depression, finished college with honors, and started a business employing battered women?

You can see that adding more information turns a simple unfortunate fact into a tragedy. Once you know more about Susan, her loss takes on more weight and color. You become more emotionally invested.

The purpose of exposition is to give the reader background information on the characters. As a writer, you can simply refer to some of the information, or you can add more detail by creating a scene or conversation between the characters. The latter is usually the best way to keep the story moving, because it is extremely difficult to write narrative exposition that doesn't become deadly dull.

Make sure that any exposition is relevant to the piece. Using our character Susan, for example, the reader doesn't need to know that Susan once dyed her hair blond unless this information is relevant to the forward momentum of the story.

Additionally, deliver your story exposition in small chunks. Large chunks of background information tends to be overwhelming for the reader. Besides, by breaking your exposition up, you can use it to develop the tension or conflict in your story.

Next time: Conflict.

Write and Be Read

2006-01-31T12:36:00.000-08:00

There's a recent surge of interest in the web as a community-building tool. Sites like Ares, wikipedia, and Google's orkut, are logging large numbers of search queries.

Why is this so hot... Orkut is an Internet social network service run by Google and named after its creator, Google employee Orkut Buyukkokten. Since its launch on January 22, 2004, orkut's member-by-invitation-only format has spawned a rash of online orkut scalpers.

Wikipedia is controversial, but that hasn't hurt its popularity. Wikipedia, or "Wiki" is a free encyclopedia that anyone can edit. Subjects are posted, and anyone visiting the site can chime in their two-cents worth to build the knowledge base. Wiki is a massive collaborative project, (almost 930,000 articles with 340 million words!) and there is no single point of contact.

Because the entries are not fact-checked, using Wiki as an authority source cannot be recommended, but it provides a quick way of looking up a term or a subject. Moreover, entries that are biased, incorrect, or out of date are usually corrected quickly by other users.

Wiki also hosts discussion boards for each topic, sometimes carrying heated debates, depending on the topic.

Then there's Ares – another contender for open-source downloads. As a free, peer-to-peer file sharing program, Ares enables users to share any digital file including images, audio, video, software, and documents.

To get around the legal issues that plagued previous peer-to-peer file sharing programs, Ares has posted a copyright warning, thereby putting the onus of obtaining permission on the users.

Another web place that is hot, hot, hot is MySpace. The site, which is owned by Rupert Murdoch's News Corp., boasts nearly 42 million users, mostly under the age of 25. It allows each user to create a free personal profile, incorporating photos and audio. This has made the space extremely popular with bands, who can upload their music and potentially get it heard thousands of users.

MySpace users are highly interactive, and discover and form new groups of people or bands by looking through other people's profiles and their lists of friends and contacts. In three years, MySpace has gone from a defunct URL, to ranking as the 7th most popular English language web site (Alexa.com ranking).

What does this mean for writing and the web? New avenues are opening up for writers to market themselves and their work, through non-traditional channels. The viral possibilities inherent in these kinds of sites make it possible to post and be seen by large numbers – for free.

Consider the possibilities...

James Frey - whence the lawyers now?

2006-01-29T03:04:00.000-08:00

There's an interesting "cease and desist" letter on thesmokinggun.com from James Frey's lawyers, claiming that The Smoking Gun made allegations that are false, unfounded, and defamatory.

In light of the fact that James Frey has now publicly admitted that much of A Million Little Pieces is *ahem* substantially altered, I wonder if James Frey's lawyers will be sending The Smoking Gun a letter of apology.

Legal issues aside, James Frey's addiction seems to have been only the tip of his problems...

The Smoking Gun

James Frey - A Million Little Lies

2006-01-26T21:19:00.000-08:00

For those of you who were unable to watch La Oprah today, it was one of the most painful hours of live television ever.

At times, Oprah looked as though it was all she could do to stay in her seat, and she could barely bring herself to look at James Frey. Frey seemed bewildered by the intense emotion his lies have engendered. I'll give him the benefit of the doubt, and call him "shellshocked". Whatever.

Unfortunately, I don't think James Frey "gets it". I think he "gets" that people are very, very angry at him, but I get the distinct feeling that he doesn't really understand why. In fact, he couldn't bring himself to use the word "lied" until the very end of the show, when, as he was dissembling for the umpteenth time, Oprah barked, "Lied, James! You LIED!"

And although he mumbled The L Word for the first time in the hour, he seemed shocked at the vehemence of her statement.

"Sure, I mis-represented some of the facts, but it's not that big a deal, is what his slack-jawed visage seemed to say.

Except that it is a big deal. Because not only will this incident make the reading public more skeptical, thus making life incrementally more difficult for new non-fiction authors. The fact that Doubleday is named in the lawsuits (yes, there are now three lawsuits, not one) raises the question of whether a publisher can, or should, be held liable for the failure of its authors to tell the truth, or do their own due diligence.

If the publisher is liable for the veracity of a memoir, where is the author's responsibility for personal integrity? Why isn't anyone responsible for their own actions anymore?

Doubleday has issued an apology, and plans to include an author's and a publisher's note in subsequent printings of the book.

What they should do, is not print it at all.

Oprah faces off with James Frey

2006-01-26T13:05:00.000-08:00

Well, it may have taken a while, but now Oprah's ... upset ... with James Frey. After first saying that the important thing about the book is not that he lied, but that he climbed out of addiction, she realized that she may have left the impression that she didn't feel truthfulness is important.

So on today's show, she puts him in the hot seat, and asks the question everybody else has been asking, "Why? Whydja do it?"

Now I really like Oprah, but I usually can't break away to watch the show when it airs in my part of the world, so I rarely catch her. However, I think I'm going to have to make an exception today. This is one Q & A I wanna see...

For those of you who can't make the broadcast, I'll post the scoop later...

Write a book - Part 3

2006-01-22T21:40:00.000-08:00

When you start working on your storyline, or the theme of your story, consider using one of these classic story themes as your writing guide:

A journey: there and back.
Winning a prize or contest: it may be physical or spiritual.
An awakening.
Winning or losing a loved one.
Overcoming adversity.
An ugly duckling becomes a swan.
A falsehood or secret is revealed: the basic premise of mysteries.
Loss and recovery.
A blessing becomes a curse.
Returning from destruction or ruin.
Descent into destruction or ruin.

These writing themes have been used for thousands of years; as far back as the Ancient Greeks. Storytellers sitting around prehistoric fires probably used them, too, no doubt with great success. They still work in writing today, because they are themes woven through all of human society and human civilization. The great classic themes are universal precisely because they tap into a part of the human psyche that is so deep, that it’s practically a part of our DNA.

Use a story expectation that the reader can recognize, and then manipulate it, frustrate it, or fulfill it, on behalf of your reader. Most full-length novels can handle two, sometimes even three themes. More than that, though, and you had better be sure that you have the requisite writing chops (skill level).

Short stories are built around one theme. More than that, and you risk blowing the power of your narrative.

If you are using more than one theme, choose one as the main theme of your narrative, or you will dilute the strength of them all.

For homework, grab some children’s fiction from the library, and examine the themes. Even in very simple stories, you will see that the central theme usually comes from one of those listed above.

Consumers Rise Up Against IVR

2006-01-20T08:58:00.000-08:00

The Great Escape from Voice Jail

I'm nominating Paul English for the Nobel Peace Prize, for his service to better the health of all Americans.

Singlehandedly, he has done more to reduce heart attacks, strokes, high blood pressure, every stress related illness, anger management issues, and just plain incivility.

English has published his gift to humanity, The IVR (Interactive Voice Response) Cheat Sheet online and available to all, and has bequeathed sanity to humankind.

If you, like me, have found yourself about to pop a blood vessel as you spend ridiculous amounts of time working your way through automated Voice Purgatory, repeating your information two, three, and four times, only to never reach a person , or if you do, to reach someone who seems completely unaware that you have just spent the last 25 minutes repeating your information two, three, and four times, and asks you to repeat it all again, and who then tells you that, they cannot help you, you are in the wrong department, you must be transferred, and please hold, thank you for holding, even though they have given you no other option, and then you wait another interminable length of time, only to have to repeat your information YET AGAIN to another automated set of questions, and then to find, at the end of it all, that you are now speaking to someone in India, who you have trouble understanding because their accent is so thick, who has trouble understanding you, and who, they tell you, does not have the ability to solve your problem, and who says they will transfer you to the right area, which is THE SAME AREA THAT SENT YOU TO INDIA...if, like me, you have then found yourself thinking, "'Going Postal' should really now be known as 'going IVR'" and thinking up new and imaginative ways to do it, one of which involves fastening the relevant company executives to a chair and making them negotiate their own systems for 36 hours straight, with no end in sight, while listening to an endless voiceloop saying "Thank you for holding. Your call is important to us." ....

That IVR passes for "customer service" is an abomination, and displays nothing more than a company's complete contempt for its customers. By conveniencing themselves, they are destroying their customer base. Kudos to Mr. English for giving consumers a way to fight back.

Here's that link again. I've both printed the page and saved it to my desktop.

Write a Book: Part 2

2006-01-18T11:40:00.000-08:00

...Then get another blank sheet of paper and write across the top: The Big Idea.

On it write a synopsis of the plot of theme of your book. If you are writing a non-fiction book, add an index; if you are writing fiction or memoir, make a list of chapter titles, even if your finished manuscript won’t use them. This will help you begin to get a feel for the flow of your book.

Now turn to your characters.

If you can use mindmapping software for this part, it will save you a lot of time; otherwise use old-fashioned paper and a bunch of different colored pens.

In the center of the paper, draw a circle that represents your main character, with a brief bio and description. Around this, write the names of all the other characters you want to use, and draw lines connecting them to the main character, each with a brief bio and description.

Next – and most important – about halfway down each line add a box containing information that connects each one of your characters. What’s their relationship to each other and the main character? How do they meet? How do their lives intersect?

Establishing and maintaining relationships between characters is a perfect way to figure out how each character is involved in the story. If you can’t find the relationship, put that character aside for now. The relationship may occur later or not at all.

Whatever you do, don’t just stick characters in your story because you think they’re cool. They may be; but not for this manuscript.

to be continued...

The James Frey Lawsuits Begin...

2006-01-17T12:46:00.000-08:00

Now a Chicago woman is suing non-fiction/fiction author James Frey (A Million Little Pieces) for consumer fraud. The suit also lists Doubleday, Random House, Knopf and Vintage Anchor publishing houses as co-defendants.

All the furor begs the question, "Why?"

Why would a writer deliberately open himself up to this kind of scandal? It seems that James Frey should have been able to write about his addiction and alcoholism without resorting to deception. In fact, sordid is usually colorful enough all by itself without any help. And although Frey said on Larry King Live that he was simply relying on his memory, that doesn't negate the fact that people expect a memoir to be factual. A writer doesn't need a lawyer to tell him this.

To use the excuse that, had Frey disclosed that it was partly fiction, the book would not have sold as well, is rubbish. After all, Memoirs of A Geisha by Arthur Golden, was a huge hit and was fiction.

The real shame of all this is that A Million Little Pieces could have been an eye-opener for so many people. A work of fiction simply doesn't carry the weight of a non-fiction memoir.

And a lie simply doesn't carry the weight of the truth.

The Word is Out on AdSense!

2006-01-16T09:49:00.000-08:00

If you've ever kicked yourself for missing the first wave of Internet profit, and think your future is dead in the water - take heart my friend! Your ship has not yet sailed...

This past weekend I attended an amazing seminar hosted by Harlan Kilstein. One of the presenters was Joel Comm, author of What Google Never Told You About Making Money with AdSense.

Now, not only is Joel a warm, generous and funny man; he is also a terrific teacher. If anyone can teach you how to make money using AdSense, Joel Comm is your man.

Read today's New York Times article (see below). Then run, do not walk, your fingers over to Joel's web site and grab your copy of What Google Never Told You About Making Money with AdSense.

Now, maybe you're the kind of person who thinks that making money shouldn't be this easy. Maybe you believe that you should only be able to live comfortably if you spend so many hours working that you never have time to take a vacation. Maybe you believe that success isn't worth it unless you have to give up your family, your friends, and basically any kind of healthy life, in order to be successful.

More power to you, my friend. This book is not for you.

Or maybe you're the kind of person who believes that you should never spend money to make money. Even the pittance that this book will cost. And you resent having to pay for secrets that are there for the taking - if you know where to look.

Alas, my friend! To you also, I say, "This book is not for you."

True, this information is not for everyone. True, you can probably figure out a lot of this stuff on your own time. Of course, it would take you years, and Google will probably be doing something completely different by the time you got AdSense nailed. And of course, every second you spend trying to crack the Google Code is money lost that you will never see. But, yeah, you probably could do it on your own.

Or you could take the lazy (and smart!) way, and take advantage of Joel's blood, sweat, and tears (and his mistakes) and start ahead of every single one of your competitors.

Today. Right now.

Your choice. Wave sadly from the dock as your opportunity ship sails (again!)? Or jump on board? If you want to make real money on the Internet, there's only one real choice.

Go get the book now.

New York Times article:

Google's Shadow Payroll Is Not Such a Secret Anymore

Writing a book: Part1

2006-01-15T22:42:00.000-08:00

Seems like there are lots and lots of folks out there who want to write a book. The basics aren't really that difficult, you know; the hardest part is getting started.

Here's a few tips to get you started writing a book , or even just getting some thoughts down on paper.

First, write down your plan.

Go to the stationary store and get the largest piece of paper you can find, and a supply of Post-It Notes. When you get an idea for a scene or a character, write it down on a Post-It and stick it somewhere on the piece of paper. When you have about 50 or so, spend some time arranging them in the order of the plot. Move them around until they're in the best order you can get. Then take a break for a few days.

Next, think about the characters. Every good book needs a mix of all kinds of characters, so just write down any and all the ideas that occur to you: you can always change them around later.

Next tackle the research you need. The more research you do, the more interesting your book will be.

Then. . .
(to be continued)

This Writing Life

2006-01-15T08:45:00.000-08:00

It's the third and last day of my copywriters workshop, and the journey begins with this blog. After being a full-time copywriter for over 6 years, I have decided to take the plunge into the online business world that I write about all the time.

So here I am in an expensive, soulless hotel room, with a stunning view of the parking garage, ready to reinvent myself once again.

What's in my future? Almost certainly writing a book...definitely online entrepreneurship...maybe some consulting...and, I hope, a lot of travel.

I hope you will join me, whether you're an aspiring or experienced copywriter, or just someone who wants more freedom, more control, and more...Just more.

I'll be sharing whatever I learn along about writing, copywriting, online marketing, and just plain Life. Whatever happens, it certainly shouldn't be boring.

I hope you'll come along for the ride...