Persistent Pen

Reworked and Rehashed (Short and Sweet)

noreply@blogger.com (Persistent Pen) — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 06:55:00 +0000

This is a story that I am building between my FSU chores and life. The point of the project is to perfect a scene so that it demands that the reader reads on. I am also purposefully using horror cliches in order to make the cliche my own. Truly, it may be a cliche but if you add your own meanings then it becomes yours.

I find the use of omnaetopaias to be essential in my horror screenplay. When I speak it out loud it even creeps me out.

2-3 pages per scene is my aim because I believe attention spans have lessened and lengthy scenes lose the audience (and the all important reader). Unless you can pull off a genius 6 page dialogue driven opening like in The Social Network, then I wouldn't attempt a 6 minute scene.

INT. CHURCH - NIGHT

A MAN kneels in front of the image of the CRUCIFIED LORD. He WHIMPERS and MUMBLES a prayer.

A BOOK bound in leather lays on the ground beside him.

MAN
(mumbles)
... us sinners...

FOOTSTEPS echo from behind. The MAN lifts his head and sweat glistens on his brow. He is haggard and his eyes are wide and sleepless.

MAN (CONT’D)
You can’t...
(shakes head)
... you can’t...

The FOOTSTEPS pause. The man searches the DIM down the aisle. Boots SCRAPING on floor and more FOOTSTEPS.

MAN (CONT’D)
(disbelief)
You can’t come in here...
(angered)
IT”S NOT PERMITTED!

A CAT appears into the edge of visibility where the candles’ light dances. It stops and stares at him. Something FLUTTERS in the ceiling arch. The man looks up. The CAT HISSES. The man looks to the CAT.
*breaking from the script to note the cat is very very very cliche. But upon further review and understanding the twist later, I make it mine*

FOOTSTEPS approach closer but pause just outside the candles’ reach.

The man snaps around and rushes to the BOOK on the floor. He kneels and flips open the cover and pulls a CROSS from a cutaway cubby inside.

Child-like GIGGLES resound.
*wow, how cliche can a guy get?*

CLOSE ON Samuel’s profile. Something behind him BLOWS the hair near his ear forward and the man snaps around and stands to his feet. He brandishes the CROSS high but there is nothing except the CAT that stares at him.
*camera direction is not recommended but I felt this was a vital direction so the proper angle allows for the spook factor*

A deep and slow CHUCKLE echoes within the cathedral hall.

VOICE (O.S.)
(a serpentine whisper from behind him)
Samuel...

SAMUEL turns quickly but only THE CRUCIFIED LORD is present.

FLUTTERS of leathery wings high in the ceiling archway. More FOOTSTEPS fall.

Scared shitless, the man resigns and falls to his knees. The CROSS lowers as his head bows. He WHIMPERS.

SAMUEL
Mother of God... pray for us sinners...

A serpentine hiss of LAUGHTER.

CLOSE ON a resigned Samuel. FOOTSTEPS fall close behind him and stop. A thin, unkempt and wrinkled HAND falls on his shoulder.

The CROSS CLATTERS to the base of the CRUCIFIED LORD where the BLACK CAT sharpens its claws on the statue.

CAMERA FOLLOWS the length of he CRUCIFIED LORD and CLOSE ON the tortured face of Jesus. A child’s GIGGLE. A GROWL and the head CRACKS.

The sound of many sets of FOOTSTEPS and the WHISPERS of an attending crowd.

VOICE (O.S.)
(a louder whisper)
God is dead.
*where have we heard this line? Hint... hint...*

Tension and Hook (the art of visual writing)

noreply@blogger.com (Persistent Pen) — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 05:17:00 +0000

The cliche is always spoken against in writing, but time and time again we see the same shit appear in movies. These guys are making money while telling newbies to never use the cliche!

It's all a cliche whether it is a phrase or an entire scene.

***

INT. CHURCH - NIGHT
A MAN kneels in front of the image of the CRUCIFIED LORD. He WHIMPERS and MUMBLES a prayer.

MAN
(mumbles)
... us sinners...

FOOTSTEPS echo from behind. The MAN lifts his head and the sweat glistens on his face. He is haggard and his eyes are wide and sleepless.

MAN (CONT’D)
(to the dimly lit emptiness)
You can’t... you can’t come in here.

The FOOTSTEPS pause. The man peers down the aisle and into the dark entry area. He scans the area but there is nothing to be seen. Boots SCRAPING on floor and more FOOTSTEPS.

MAN (CONT’D)
(shaking his head in denial)
You can’t come in here... it’s not permitted.

Something FLUTTERS like wings high in the ceiling arch. The man looks up and stumbles unsteady on his feet.

FOOTSTEPS closer now but on the far side of the church on the other side of the seats.

The man snaps around in the direction of the sound and brandishes a large wooden cross he had been holding to his chest.

There is nothing but the dim light of candles and shadows dancing on the walls.

CLOSE ON man’s sweat covered and panicked face. His eyes are wide as he holds the cross up in defense.

Something behind his BLOWS his hair near his ear and the man snaps around and stumbles backward barely avoiding a fall. He holds the cross high.

A deep and slow CHUCKLE echoes within the cathedral hall.

VOICE (O.S.)
(a serpentine whisper)
Samuel... where has your faith gone?

The FLAPS of leathery wings high in the ceiling archway. FOOTSTEPS near.

The man resigns and falls to his knees. The cross lowers as his head bows. He WHIMPERS.

SAMUEL
Mother of God... pray for us sinners...

Serpentine hiss of LAUGHTER.

CLOSE ON a resigned Samuel. FOOTSTEPS fall close behind him and stop. A HAND falls on his shoulder.

VOICE (O.S.)
(a whisper)
God is dead.

CUT TO:

***

Lions and tigers and bears... OH MY!

Sharing Your Work

noreply@blogger.com (Persistent Pen) — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 04:33:00 +0000

Are people really afraid someone will steal their idea if they show their work before they register it? I find it highly unlikely that even if I showed the first scene of something marketable that another writer could continue the project and continue its marketability.

The Truth

The simple fact is you have no original ideas. Everything has been said and done and you cannot possibly create an original idea. It is all a big rehashed cliche with new characters and twists but believe me, it has been done. In fact, look at Hollywood now. Why did we need A Nightmare on Elm Street revival? How many times and how many ways can Romeo and Juliet be shown on the big screen?

REHASH

Please. Do show your work. How can anyone get better unless they are willing to show samples?

Being Visual

noreply@blogger.com (Persistent Pen) — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 19:32:00 +0000

In Rebellion I have to display the internal monster within this child. Rebellion against our parents' rule. I need to display that within every baby there is the potential to become an evil little monster. Regret for every moment of argument and hatred is what I am trying to point out as the MAN rushes to his possibly dying father.

I use images of a father and an infant sleeping peacefully together to show a contrast between the innocence and what we become as we grow into adults. I didn't feel Transitions were necessary because these pictures and film are so quick that a CUT TO would take up space that could be used for story. Remember I am limited to 10 pages of visual content. This is not a formatting class. The Scene Heading Transitions should be enough to understand what I am attempting to do in the film.

***

INT. BEDROOM - DAY
A father and son sleeping.

MAN (V.O.)
Where did I go? What did I become? Something inside was lurking... waiting... watching...

ON SCREEN
An EVIL RED EYE flashes.

INT. BEDROOM - DAY
The father and infant sleep.

MAN (V.O.)
And when it is ready... it snatches us from our innocence.

INT. WHITE ROOM - VISION
The MAN is panicked and his features are masked in a red glow and dark shadows. He BREATHES and covers his mouth.

MAN (V.O.)
And then... and then we become something panicked and unrecognizable.

***

Being visual is about telling about something deeper than the surface without having to go into it with dialogue and narration or entire scenes. It expresses everything within a picture or series of images.

Rebellion

noreply@blogger.com (Persistent Pen) — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 06:43:00 +0000

Rebellion is a 3 minute short film about regret and what goes on in an ex-asshole's mind when he thinks his dad is going to die before he can get to him.

***

INT. BEDROOM - NIGHT

A MAN sleeps and is suddenly awakened by a CELL PHONE text.

EXT. HIGHWAY - NIGHT

A car speeds.

MAN (V.O.)

I spent most of my life trying to go too fast. Of course I had thought of it before, but it was that night that I remembered that I had forgotten to say something.

INT. BEDROOM - NIGHT

A CELL can be seen glowing as a text is read. The MAN dials and puts the CELL to his ear.

MAN (V.O.)

A late night text that reads it’s bad. Please hurry. A frantic brother answers and my heart sinks from his words.

EXT. HIGHWAY - NIGHT

The car speeds.

MAN (V.O.)

I spend the whole ride blinded by both fear and regret. I remember fighting against him. I remember my angry words... but most of all... I remember the words I haven’t said.

INT. BEDROOM - DAY

A father sleeps beside his infant son.

MAN (V.O.)

We begin so innocent. They love us so much and we return that love for no other reason than we have to. Our innocence demands that we need them because it is their love that created our innocence. We are bound to it.

***

Of course there is more, but I am not posting it yet. I want to get the film made and edited and uploaded. It is a film designed to be visual in order to fulfill my week's rubric at FSU to tell a story with pictures. In 3 to 10 pages I can't do anything but V.O. the cell video and stills. I did a lot with a MAC and PhotoBooth as well.

If you are thinking of Full Sail this is the kind of thing you can expect. I am trying to hang on to my 4.0 but it is grueling and sometimes I want to say screw it.

Sometimes it takes a while to get a critique back from the instructors and that can be frustrating because a writer needs to gauge the critic's opinions and wishes. I have Christopher Ramsey this month and I think he is liking my work now. I am staying up in the 92 - 98 range in grade scale.

Once the film is perfected I will upload it and link to it.

*yawn* Time to get some sleep.

noreply@blogger.com (Persistent Pen) — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 12:12:00 +0000

This class at FSU has produced a screenplay idea that I never would have thought of without the visual prompting. I am digging the weekly prompts and guidance. Even the criticisms help and I look forward to receiving them. I encourage anyone looking for some input to join the alumni at FSU.

I have been lucky to have a few of the brightest instructors in the world. Every single instructor I have encountered has been talented and accomplished.

Maybe at some point I will give you all a sneak peek of my screenplay and let you judge me. I always post my stuff publicly for classmates. Why not you? :)

FSU and Grammar Police (Grammar Rules Suck)

noreply@blogger.com (Persistent Pen) — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 05:12:00 +0000

It has been quite a while since I tended to my blog. I thought I would stop in and say hello once again. Hi!

A lot has been going on with my writing and I have had some success in my life. In August of 2010 I was able to get some money (gift from my Mommy and Daddy [Yes you pricks, I said 'Mommy and Daddy' because I have the best in the world!]) and I opened a small film company after purchasing two Panasonic HVX200 camera's. I realized through getting back in touch with my best friend/cousin (who happens to be getting ready to receive his MA in Media Studies at WVSU) that I love film and film writing. So guess what. I have been studying Creative Writing for Entertainment at Full Sail University after taking an ass load of higher level English classes at other colleges.

I think it was 'No Country for Old Men' that really screwed me on what I wanted to write, but Cormac McCarthy is God's gift to all of mankind and I was blessed to fall in love with his style. It was that movie that makes me a determined screenwriter and I have been able to grow as a writer by attempting to master the art of visual writing. So, that's where I have been; busting my ass in classes and getting ripped apart by real life success stories at Full Sail University.

If you think FSU or FSO is a joke school like Walden or some other online endeavor I am here to tell you that you are wrong. These instructors are 100% serious and will put your ass to task. They are insightful and expect your full attention and require your best work or else you will fail out and disappear like so many others before you. You will learn something important that other places just don't recognize. Creativity outweighs grammar issues by tons, but grammar is the tool by which you display your talent.

I challenge you all to take up the Cormac McCarthy challenge. Mr. McCarthy is the Faulkner of our time. He does not follow in the traditional scheme of what writing is supposed to look like. He makes his own rules and rarely uses any punctuation other than the period, question mark and the comma. He seems to hate the quotation mark and I sometimes wonder if some of his sentences are sentences at all. BUT his words keep me going and make me excited to flip the page. SCREW TRADITION AND RULES! TELL ME A STORY!

Now here's the link I want to make. Ethan and Joel Coen would never make it as screenwriters. What? You might be asking that question. Ethan and Joel Coen are screenwriters! They've written oscar winning material YOU IDIOT! You might be saying this as you read this ridiculous BS. But I am here to tell you, Ethan and Joel Coen are terrible screenwriters according to the rules of formatting. They break every rule in the book and stick up the proverbial middle finger at every rule I have learned. Their screenplays are sloppy and full of errors that any first year BFA Creative Writing student can spot from 20 feet across the room from one of their manuscripts. If that is true (and it is), you might ask yourself, how in the hell are they making millions from their screenplays? That is easy. They are damn good at telling a story, they have a huge network now, they met all the right people and they were damn good at selling an idea to investors. (reference the method by which Blood Simple was financed).

FINANCING A FILM

Now, I am not saying you shouldn't keep your grammar teeth sharpened, but I am saying that it comes second or maybe even third or fourth to story, business, planning and building a network worth bending over backwards for. Becoming a success story involves a lot more than English classes and even more than having a good story to tell. You have to plan on leg work and jumping through some hurdles and making some good contacts. You would all probably be surprised how many damn good stories are pushed aside because some publisher or Hollywood prick wants to advocate a good buddy's much shittier story. That's just the facts about it.

Yeah, the Coen's deserve their success because they put in the legwork and got the funds all by their lonesome. I imagine that time was full of worry and embarrassment and a lot of down sides and disappointments. But I bet they laugh about it now and are damn glad they did it.

What about FSU? It is probably the best place in the entire world to gain contacts that can be an asset later or even now. I know my IM Buddy Lists are full of people in the know. Instructors, students and credited/published geniuses that are full of ideas and think of me just like I think of them. My friends, I have now become an asset to know. Thank you Full Sail!

Crossword Puzzles

noreply@blogger.com (Persistent Pen) — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 15:25:00 +0000

How many of you enjoy them? I find them to be the best exercise to warm up for a day of writing. Trying to think of the right word that the hint (the more vague, the better the feeling of guessing correctly) refers to is probably the closest thing to creative writing (or any writing- for that matter)that one can get.

The New York Times has some very tough puzzles that challenge me and are very gratifying to solve. If you don't solve crosswords you should try it. Your vocabulary tends to expand very quickly while having a lot of fun. The thinking in reverse (vague definitions being the question, rather than the word needing to be defined) tends to make those babies stick right there solid in the noggin.

I love them!

Been Writing Stories

noreply@blogger.com (Persistent Pen) — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 15:12:00 +0000

Sometimes I get to the point where my writing is so intense, I forget about the blog. HA! Well anyways, I am back to updating at least weekly.

I am finished with the Cemetery Dance story and I am just fine tuning it. I also have 30k words on the latest novel written. Enjoying the time between the two projects and hoping to soon get out there for all to read.

I'm addicted to this daydreaming business. :D

I also need to find a copy editor. I've been researching First Editors and they seem really eager to help, so I will send them a sample that is full of crap and see what they do to it. I'll let you know how it goes.

New Approach

noreply@blogger.com (Persistent Pen) — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 06:27:00 +0000

Tonight I have taken the story back to past tense. I think it flows better and I think I am heading in a better direction.

Here is an unedited sample:

He was still at the in between, the subconscious place where the dark things lurk, when it came. Three quick pounds at the door and he woke. At the shallow layer, the room was filled with the hiss of air, stressed springs, and his own breathing as he flipped around, pulled himself to his knees and thumbed a peek hole in the blinds at the window. As he peered through he might of claimed shock, but of course that claim would have been a lie. Eddie had known it was coming since that terrible day in June, and it had been a dark spot growing inside him for two months, growing darker and more terrifying, in accordance with all the rules that govern life after a unlawful act, growing with the same powerful rise of a drummer’s opening crescendo and finally reaching the splash of his giant cymbal.

There on Eddie’s stoop, pounding in sessions, stood an Allegheny County policeman.

As Eddie slid off the bed, the room was alive with the thump of his feet, groans of the floorboards, and the belabored sound of his panting. He had been dreaming about the girl, and the rude awakening had left him shocked and eager to run away.

He stretched his arms out and then over his mass, yawning, shutting his eyes, rocking his weight from one trunk to the other. He stood there blinking wildly, a man in the shape of a pear. He was a whale of a man with rolls of flesh on his belly and back and beneath his chin, his body was covered in patches of brown to black hair and the hair on his head was solid black. It rested against his forehead with disheveled disarray and he stood still, eyes closed, letting the air from the vent wash over him and cool his nerves. He looked the role of the eternal virgin, the school-yard joke, the fast food junkie, the emotional wreck, and he was. He had hoped with a constant and forlorn hope that someone would come and save him-and thus his picture of the white-knight dream woman had been born. It never came. It never happened.

He steps to the chest of drawers, slide it open, removes wads of clothing, tosses them to the bed, bends with each emptied drawer, stomach gurgling as bubbles rise to a shallow place. Slams the drawer, steps to the bed. Sweat rises on his brow; the room might as well have been a steam room except for the occasional relief of the air from the vent on the wall. Creaks and groans whine under his feet with all the bitch and moan of a colicky infant.

Eddie grabbed the black canvas bag from the nightstand. He stuffed it fat and with a tug and a zip, he was ready to dress.

It wasn’t until he was squeezed behind the wheel of the Toyota compact that he made the decision to grab lunch on the way out of Dodge. He turns over the ignition and chocks the stick into D and pulls away from the curb.

And here we are, back up to 503 words but everyone should be able to feel for Eddie ( even if its pity or disgust, its something, it's human).

Cutting words to keep the same effect

noreply@blogger.com (Persistent Pen) — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 16:45:00 +0000

Of course, this is just an example of what can be done to a scene. But I think it still holds the immediacy of the previous draft and doesn't lose anything in the way of needed info.

All this scene is intending to do is hook the reader into wanting to know WTH is going on.

I even lost the bit of rough dialogue and it didn't affect a thing. Thus, from 468 words to 297 and no unneeded foul language.

Three quick pounds at the door and he’s awake.

Eddie flips around and lifts himself by the headboard and pulls his knees under him. Level with the window, he thumbs a peek hole between the slats of the blinds and leans forward to peek through it. He shifts his eye to the right and finds the man-in-blue staring resolute at the font door. He snaps back and lets the slat fall down.

He slides off the bed and grabs an overnight bag from the nightstand. He tosses it on the bed and takes two quick steps to the chest of drawers against the wall. Jerking the drawers open, he bends his back and begins tossing their contents as the bulge of his gut knots against his thighs. Tighter and tighter the knot grows as his bend increases with each emptied drawer.

The room is filled with panting, the hiss of air conditioning and the groan of stressing boards beneath his feet. He grabs a final wad and returns to the bed to unload it. He stuffs the pile into the bag then turns to find his shoes.

As he slips into his Nikes, a bubble gurgles up to a shallow place and he decides to grab lunch on his way out of Dodge.

Minutes later, he steps out of his house on Holloway Road and lumbers, bag on shoulder, to the gray Toyota along the curb.

He slings open the its door and squeezes behind the wheel. As he jabs the key into the ignition, he thinks about the girl and the cop. They won’t get me, he thinks as he turns the ignition forward. Not without a fight.

He chocks the lever into D and pulls onto the road.

Yes, it still needs work but that's the fun of it. Making it perfect.
Now, the next scene needs a slower pace in order to build into a climax and start a rising rhythm.

Edits (2nd draft)

noreply@blogger.com (Persistent Pen) — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 15:31:00 +0000

Well, I manage to cut the length from 9800 word, all the way to 6800. Still needs a lot of editing and some clarity.

The pace is a little fast and needs some slowing in several places. Rhythm and flow should be consistent and what I have in total is not.

Also, I am thinking I need to give Eddie something more to create an emotional attachment between him and the reader.

Anyways, it is coming along and the 3rd draft is always the hardest for me. (by then, I've grown too attached to my darlings.)

We will see how this edit turns out. (hoping to get below 5500 words.)

Watch Me Work

noreply@blogger.com (Persistent Pen) — Thu, 25 Dec 2008 07:40:00 +0000

Well folks, I am currently hard at work on a short piece for Cemetery Dance magazine. This is the first scene and I hope it comes off clear and affects everyone in the way I intend (after reading something 4 million times it sort of gets stale eh?).

I am kind of wobbling between tense at the moment and this present tense version seems more immediate and fits the overall urgency of the matter.

Three things I wanted to introduce. 1) Eddie is fat and should show all the signs of someone fat. 2) He has done something bad. 3) The story takes place on the run. 4) Put him on his way to the restaurant/diner.

The Keeper

Three quick pounds at the door and he’s awake.
Eddie quickly turns and lifts himself by the headboard and kneels- level with the window- thumbing a peek-hole between the slats of the blinds. He leans forward and peeks through the opening, shifting his eye from side to side.
He spies a man-in-blue standing on the stoop and staring resolute into his door . . .pounding in sessions. They know, he thinks.
“Shit,” he mumbles through gritted teeth, “mother. . .fuck.”
He snaps his thumb away from the window and lets the slat slip back into place. He puts his thumb to his mouth and chews it. It’s the girl, he thinks.
He rolls out of bed and grabs the over-night bag he had placed there- the night before- on the nightstand. He tosses it to the bed as he wobbles to the chest against the wall. He is panicked as he jerks the drawers open and bends at the back with the bulge of his gut knotted against his thighs. The room is filled with the sounds of labored breath, the rhythmic hiss of air conditioning and the groan of stressing boards beneath his feet. He jerks wads of clothes from the drawers, tosses them toward the bed, then turns, takes two steps it to unload the final wad. A trail of wrinkled shorts and single socks speckle the floor between. In his rush; he pays it no mind and begins stuffing the pile on the bed into the bag.
He turns his attention to the mirrored closet and stares at the pear of a man, staring back. He is looking haunted beneath the yellow glow of the cheap bulb above. He takes notice of the dark circles beneath his eyes. Need more sleep, he thinks. Sweat trickles steady from his temples and around the apple of his flushed cheeks. He rubs a palm across the over-hang roll of his gut and chews the thumb of his other hand. Hurriedly; he turns back to the chore at hand.
After he has finished stuffing the bag, he grabs his shoes. A churn in his guts sends a bubbling gurgle rising to a shallow and hollow place. He rushes out of the bedroom, down the short hall and into the main room. He is hungry and decides then to each lunch at Rachael’s on the way out of Dodge. He slips into his Nikes and heads for the door.
Two minutes later he is opening the compact’s door and squeezing behind the wheel. They wont get me, he thinks, not without a fight. He turns the ignition, chocks the lever into drive and pulls away from the curb.

* * *

Well, it's a start. I will update as changes and epiphanies occur.

Cormac McCarthy

noreply@blogger.com (Persistent Pen) — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 23:44:00 +0000

Wow, this guy has the stuff. Even with the sometimes confusing loss of punctuation. Mr. McCarthy knows how to do a play by play scene creation and is a master of letting dialogue develop the story.

If you have never read No Country for Old Men then you are missing something. I read it in one sitting and it gave me goose flesh. Belle narrates each chapter and has an outlook on the world that will leave you reeling and nodding your head.

I am now buying Mr. McCarthy in bulk. Every writer out there can benefit from his style. It is so simple that you will kick yourself for trying to write in any other way. I mean, I love to delve into my characters head, but Mr. McCarthy avoids it and is the living and breathing example of show don't tell.

Add him to your list.

The King of 1979

noreply@blogger.com (Persistent Pen) — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 08:28:00 +0000

In Stephen King's 'On Writing', Stephen seems to be telling us that consistency is the key to success. Well, Mr. King, you have flubbed. You tell us that you stick to a 2000 word per day schedule, but in 1979 you were on a 1500 word per day schedule.

***
Behind the Best Sellers: Stephen King

by Carol Lawson (New York Times)

Mr. King says he has “no idea” where his obsession with the occult comes from. “I’ve had this interest ever since I was a kid. People somehow acquire different interests that sink into their characters like lodestones.” His next book, “Danse Macabre,” will be a nonfiction treatment of the subject, examining how the genre has been treated by films, television, radio and comic books. Everest House will publish it next fall.

How has he managed to turn out six novels in six years? “I’m not a fast writer, but I stick to it. I write 1,500 words a day, and the stuff just piles up. It’s a constant secretion. I have the feeling that if I stop, I won’t be able to do it again.”

***

I think the point is writer's evolve and it is a hard proven fact, we lie and are destined to get caught in it. Being completely honest, I can pump out anywhere from 300 to 5k words in one sitting and most of it is drivel.

My favorite part of On Writing is where Mr. King gives us that formula. 2nd draft = 1st draft - 10%

Well, my 2nd draft = my 1st draft -10% and then it becomes my 3rd draft= my 2nd draft - 10% and then I write some more and reapply the formula. At some point it becomes trunkalized (I know, contrived word) as uninteresting drivel. ( maybe my unrecognized dream is a posthumous discovery of mountains of typed words that only could be appreciated in another time and generation)

I like seeing my hero's down to Earth and human. The next part of that NYT interview brings Stephen down to average Joe status:

***

Life in the King household has changed since the trailer days, of course, but the author says he’s not carried away by his sudden wealth. He lives with his wife and three children in what he describes as a “nice house” in Center Lovell, Me., population 640. “We have a mortgage like everybody else, but I don’t have to worry about the payments. I feel we’re as safe as anyone can be in this crazy world, but I’m not buying yachts. My only extravagances have been a canoe, a video recorder and hardcover books.”

Mr. King denies believing in the demons he writes about. But there is one thing that frightens him: “I hate to fly. It scares the devil out of me.”

***

Mr. King writes in 'On Writing' that writers do not write for anything other than the love of writing. I think Mr. King overstated it quite a bit.

Bills and how it is easier to pay them. Now there's a revelation about Mr. King that he denies in his book. In 1979 he was writing for money. His bills were on his mind. I don't think anyone should start writing because they need money, and that is most likely his point, but authors keep writing because it pays the bills. I don't think Mr. King can deny that.

Anyways, the book is good and an exciting read. But my point here is that writers write to fill pages and instruction on the craft really can't be given. Each writer is so different from another that no set rule has been made. Mr. King's way is a good way and anyone is doing well to emulate his general writing habits.

Consistency and determination is the premise to be understood in 'On Writing'. Persistence is the secret ingrediant to any type of success.

On Writing by Stephen King

noreply@blogger.com (Persistent Pen) — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 20:49:00 +0000

The book is a must have for anyone wanting to understand Stephen King's process. This isn't your standard run of the mill how-to book ram packed with a lot of crap and a lot of worthless exercises. This book gets right down to the nitty-gritty of what's needed and how to get it This is hard hitting and deep.

Stephen's biographical ( I say it isn't really a biography, it is a how-to book and uses his own life as an example. If you are looking for more biography, danse macabre is what you want) writing instruction opens your eyes to how one's life develops and evolves into writing skill.

Stephen starts this book with vague memories of his childhood and this in itself is enough to keep the reader enthralled and left with a sense of kinship with Stephen. He will make you laugh and bring tears to your eyes, but he doesn't stop there. Stephen leads you into the easiest writing instruction of your life. You will come away from it with a better understanding of him and better understanding of the craft.

Stephen leads the reader into his how-to section with the stern warning that not everyone is meant to be a writer. He says, that a bad writer can never be a good writer and that a good writer will never be a great writer. One gets the feeling that Stephen feels of his own writing, to be merely good and the best that he can do, which is obviously enough. It makes you feel better about your chances to hit the big time. This book is an inspiration as Stephen recounts his first big sale, Carrie and how he had thrown it away ( One can only imagine the strength of emotion he feels for Tabitha, she saved this manuscript from certain doom).

Stephen asserts here that reading is the only real path to success as a writer. He emphasizes that fact and states that only avid readers have the barest chance at making it in today's highly competitive market.

If you have ever wondered where he gets his macabre ideas, this is the book to read. I loved it and think that most will. Grab it and give it a go.

How to Write a Damn Good Novel

noreply@blogger.com (Persistent Pen) — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 15:43:00 +0000

The book was good and to the point. I read it in one sitting and was left wanting more. I guess that is why Mr. Frey has written part two. Supposedly, part two is a more advanced instruction in the common sense approach to crafting your long fiction into something viable and clear with an intense, 'can't put it down' feeling.

I have never read anything by Mr. Frey, but the book has perked my attention. I want to explore this writer a bit more. I think that was probably 90% of the reason he wrote the book.

Mr. Frey's lessons include the miracle of making a 'sizzling' character by writing long descriptive biographies of their lives up to the point of your story. He also praises the understanding of what the premise of your novel will be (most call it the theme and there is nothing new here about it). The stepsheet is also a Freyism. I found it to be just a variation of plotting scenes and the general scene outline and how the events of the story (and the writer's firm grasp of them) must progress. The subject is an interesting tidbit and allows the reader a glance into Frey's mental process.

Frey shouts to the heavens the virtue of conflict within the novel. His emphasis is set upon how no novel can succeed without believable conflict and a lot of it. He explains viewpoint and makes suggestion about why a writer should choose each one and gives us a brief history of how it has evolved over time and its acceptable forms in the modern novel.

Anyways, the book is full of a lot of helpful (yet brief) examples and is a must read for anyone who dares take up the pen to write long fiction. It's a quick read and you end it wanting more. That's always a good thing.

Self Esteem for a Writer

noreply@blogger.com (Persistent Pen) — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 07:48:00 +0000

How you rate yourself as a writer will vary according to your understanding of the correct way and the wrong way to look at it. The reactions given to your work by others also affects the writer.

Sometimes we get critiqued unfairly (family are the worst critics one can have- either being too kind, or trying to sound too detached by misjudging the work and the areas in need of improvement. Let's face it, you are probably too close to them to get an honest opinion), sometimes we compare ourselves against the writing we admire ( never judge yourself against the successes of others. This is the worst mistake.). However you judge your writing, self-esteem is one of the most valuable resources a writer can have.

I am a doubter and my own worst critic. I write for days and come to the point of editing, only to never get done editing. Perfectionism is death for the writing. Their has to come a point where one says, 'it is good enough.'

One way to keep your esteem to a healthy level is by always doing the best you can. Whether it is in blog comments (I know, I break my own rules), emails or letters to friends; you should always try to come off grammatically correct and in your own style. The compliments will come back to you and they will help improve your esteem further.

Judge yourself against your older writing. If you see improvement, then others will too. So, keep a journal and go back and read yourself often or when your esteem is falling flat. Find the beauty in it.

Writing is hard work, so, if you have done a lot of it, you can be proud of yourself with something as simple as the word count. Remember that most people dream of being authors but never put forth a word count effort; at least you have that to be proud about.

Most of all, read amateurs and participate in writing workshops and online forums devoted to new writers. Judging myself against the talent of equals is how I continue to write. I see myself as above average, so, naturally I continue in my quest for fame and respect. In this, my esteem exists and drives me forward.

How do you feel about your own abilities as a writer? Once you can manipulate your esteem, you will find yourself writing more and writing better.

The Child's Eye

noreply@blogger.com (Persistent Pen) — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 13:13:00 +0000

Again, I find myself posting on Word Painting by Rebecca McClanahan. Something there I found to be very interesting; the perspective of children.

As a poet-in-residence for a large school district, the author encountered this child's eye every day.

She has a few examples listed in her book:

I have fierce, perfect muscles that you can see far away. I used to have a perfect mouth, till I lied.

My parents got divorced and my dad got me.

What's quieter than rain Wednesday morning? Silence is the quietest thing that people break.

Sometimes I feel kinda only.

I find that amazing, and am constantly surprised by my own children and the others I encounter in life. Do we lose some creativity as we get older?

Ms. McClanahan goes on to quote Nietzsche (not that I take Nietzsche seriously, but even the stupid and insane have their moments of brilliance); "Man's maturity (is) to regain the seriousness that he had as a child at play."

Now there's something to think about. Remember playing as a child and making up the game as you went along? Remember how serious you took your playtime? If only we could capture that again and use it in conjunction with what we know now.

Ms. McClanahan goes on about how we viewed the world then. Looking at the sky, flat on our backs, peeking out from our hiding places; under a table, watching and listening as the world of adults passes by. Remember? Children love small spaces, she says. And in those times we capture the world with imagination, always in motion, exploring with wonder and taking our play into us with a seriousness we seem to lose in adulthood.

If we could experience the world like that now, we could surely add a spark to our writing and -again- see the world with the child's eye. Imagine the possibilities.

Do you Outline?

noreply@blogger.com (Persistent Pen) — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 22:01:00 +0000

I have been writing creatively for 22 years now. I have never started any story from an outline. Instead, I tend to write off the top of my head in a general direction, discovering my story as I go along. Of course, I need a plot, but plotting and outlining are, altogether, two separate things.

Outlining, to me, seems to go nowhere fast. I start putting on paper where I want to go and where it is, only to discover once I am actually writing, that, I really didn't want to explore the places I told myself about in the outline. Is this unusual?

It seems all creative writing websites or 'how to write' books, emphasize the outline as the most important rule when beginning a story. They always say how you need to know your characters to a pinpoint definition. Can't we just discover them in the process? Are they not in your mind already?

Just writing the story seems to work for me. It is during my proofreading edits that I tend to add those quirky little details that make my story live and breath. Spending a month writing about two or three different characters tends to make the writer familiar enough to know what they would and wouldn't do or say. So why outline anything? Doesn't it stifle creativity and discovery?

My outlines come after the story begins and during the initial proofread; which, either proves my character is true to his/her nature, or I must edit out the things they probably wouldn't be a part of. Those unnatural occurrences. Then begins the rewrite and it is done according to what has been discovered in the proofs.

Like I said before, the only thing I really NEED to do before writing the story, is to understand my plot and to understand my basic theme. Basic outlines are a choice I think. Do you outline prior to starting?

Vocabulary

noreply@blogger.com (Persistent Pen) — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 00:11:00 +0000

I have often been writing heatedly only to suddenly become stuck for lack of the right word.

An extensive vocabulary is probably the most important tool a writer can have. Nay (yes, I said Nay), I'd say it is the most important tool a writer can have.

If you are like me though, you can't bear spending an hour per day reading something as dry and uninteresting as the dictionary, so, there has to be a way to broaden your vocabulary in an more entertaining way.

I have discovered one.

Vocabulary Games

The site is devoted to fun ways to play with words and learn new ones. I find it helpful during those blank headed times when the writing spirit has escaped me. Maybe you too will find it fun.

Try Wordsmart. I love it. I think I'll play a while.

When Savings Go Too Far

noreply@blogger.com (Persistent Pen) — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 19:25:00 +0000

Yeah, I am mad today. How sick has America become when shopping turns deadly? Black Friday is even bleaker this year.

This young man was trying to make a little money and our society's ignorant traditions came up and bit him where it really hurts. Are we as civilized as we suppose?

Yeah, this isn't about writing but it has to be said: Long Island, you have gone too far. Competition for little pieces of advertised junk has taken this young man's life. Will there be guilt in Long Island? Probably not. Instead, you will blame the people at the door, I mean, of course it was only them guilty of anything. We can't blame the corporations who fill our heads with much to-do about how important Christmas buying is.

Let's remember Jdimytai from here on out. America really needs to wake up from this commercial imposed attitude about the importance of the buying season. It really is sick. You killed someone people. Your seasonal greed has gone too far.

Inspiration

noreply@blogger.com (Persistent Pen) — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 02:45:00 +0000

'Write while the heat is in you. The writer who postpones the recording of his thoughts uses an iron which has cooled to burn a hole with. He cannot inflame the minds of his audience.' Henry David Thoreau

I went to bed last night thinking long and hard about this piece I am writing (only tidbits at a time). As I lay there, nearing the peak of the thought process, you know the place where all your fantasies and thoughts have pecked and poked at the real world enough, that your mind can finally surrender unto a mindless peace. Sleep. Blessed sleep.

Suddenly, in pops that heat of creativity. (Why does it always wait until I am doing my own thing? Is it cruel and spiteful? Did I do something to offend it?) I could spend four hours, staring at blank screen or page, attempting to rouse creativity from its rest, and all I ever achieve is a roll over and a mumble or a two minute stretch about how sleepy it is. Creativity is lazy.

So there I am with creativity rousing me with an idea; an antagonist description. I laid there burning with vivid pictures and I was forced out of bed to jot them into my notebook. Before I had read the quote above, I may have been just as lazy as creativity. But not now, not ever again.

Quotes from Writers (some inspiring and even funny thoughts)

noreply@blogger.com (Persistent Pen) — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 23:01:00 +0000

Hemmingway is the most inspiring Author for young writers (though, some of his subject matter may be too strong for younger people). His down to Earth style and understanding of the writing chore (you know it can be), let's us know that even greats like him can suck at times. He looked at his successes as luck and they came to him in brief moments. Hard work (that is writing the best that you can and never off the top of your head) pays off and anyone can eventually create a masterpeice:

'For a long time now I have tried simply to write the best I can. Sometimes I have good luck and write better than I can.' Ernest Hemmingway

T.S. Eliot is cruel. But this statement is the truth. Reality is always hard to hear and Mr. Eliot's experience as a literary critic shines through in this fact of life:

'Some editors are failed writers, but so are most writers.' T.S. Eliot

One of my favorite American writers is John Steinbeck. Here is his little tidbit of truth about trying to make a living out of writing:

'The profession of book-writing makes horse racing seem like a solid, stable business.' John Steinbeck

Erle Gardner was one of the firsts to turn his fiction into a Hollywood T.V. drama. Perry Mason is still one of the most memorable series in television history. Mr. Gardner was all about the buck as this funny tidbit suggests:

'It's a damn good story. If you have any comments, write them on the back of a check. ' Erle Stanley Gardner

Every time I begin writing a singular idea, it seems that every story I've imagined wants to come shining through, (it really is annoying) crowding my thoughts, distracting my creativity. I believe this writer of westerns was speaking of his finished stuff, and not wanting to dwell there, but still, it reminds me of my own jumble of thoughts and trying to focus on just one of them:

'I'm like a big old hen. I can't cluck too long about the egg I've just laid because I've got five more inside me pushing to get out.' Louis L'Amour

I love reading quotes. I will share more in the coming days and months, but for now, I am going to write.

King on the Military (stick to writing)

noreply@blogger.com (Persistent Pen) — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 16:13:00 +0000

Posting on King last night made me think about a past comment King made about the young people who join the Military. I know he didn't intend what it sounded like he intended, but this is proof that a writer who is as covered as King is, needs to think long and hard before opening their mouth.

Mark Levin has sworn never to buy another King book or watch another King movie and has given Mr. King a new pet name; Rat Fink. I think Mr. Levin jumped the gun and forgot that writers are writers and sometimes come off moronic when speaking. Let's give him a break.

Here is King interviewing himself on the matter at stephenking.com:

Steve: Do you go there often? (the message boards at stephenking.com/forums)
SK: All the time. I ghost around the message-board. It’s like being a fly on the wall. Every now and then I get flamed, but sometimes I deserve it.
Steve: Like when you made that dumb remark about how if kids didn’t learn to read and write, they’d end up in the military?
SK: Ow! But I’d have to agree that was badly phrased. Most of the troops I’ve met—and I meet a lot, because Bangor’s a National Guard town—read and write well. But of course, kids who don’t read and write well score down on their SATs and have trouble getting into colleges with scholarship money to give out, and that makes the military look good. There’s nothing wrong with the military option—as long as you clearly realize you’re eligible get shot at, that is—but kids deserve more options. Reading and writing provide them. That’s what I wanted to say.
Steve: So if you could get a do-over on that remark—?
SK: I’d take it. But writers expressing themselves poorly in speaking situations isn’t new; that’s why we’re writers! And the basic point is a valid one. Nor do I think our troops need our constant, unqualified worship. They’re tough guys and gals. They can take care of themselves, and most have got more important things to worry about than whether or not Steve King dissed them at a PEN event in Washington D.C.
Steve: And no diss was intended?
SK: Nope.

See Mr. Levin? Mr. King may be a flaming liberal (let's face it, most famous people are, I think it is a Hollywood/NYC requirement) but he never intended to sound so idiotic and prejudiced. I think I'll let our military members decide for themselves if they will hold Mr. King accountable for his drivel.

So, here Mr. King, I will say what you should have said. 'Young people need a strong base in reading and writing so that they have more options in life than just the military. Because, we all know that the military accepts men and women of every level of education. Some are extremely intelligent and some are only there because they had no other choice. Let's make sure that all America's youth have a choice.'