What Writerly Tools Will You Use?

We’ve discussed in previous posts the idea of a writer’s “tool box.” It is a metaphor I first saw in Stephen King’s excellent book, On Writing. The idea is that you have certain tools at your disposal. You’re more skilled with some tools than with others, so you need to learn to use those tools you have more creatively, and avoid the ones you’re shaky on. It’s also a reminder for what tools you really have — and usually, you have more tools than you think.

For example, you might be very good at capturing realistic dialogue. Maybe you have an ear for conversation. If so, why did you write a chapter with no dialogue in it? You’ve got to pull the old dialogue wrench out of your tool box and use it. You have the tool of plot and suspense — maybe you know how to create a nice gripping cliffhanger. If so, use it! That’s a tool that writers rely on heavily.

The question for you this weekend, therefore, is all about what tools you’ll try pulling out of the old box. What is being underused? What does the story need? What have you neglected? What’s a little shaky or rusty or poorly put together? It’s time to work on it with the tools you have. This exercise requires a little self-examination as well; you need to take the time to discover your own writing style, and figure out what tools you really know how to wield. If you’re busy with family or vacationing this weekend, just thinking about your own writing will do. Try to understand what you can do and what you can’t. Read something good and figure out what parts of the book you could do better. That will give you a better understanding of what tools are already in your box, and what tools you need to get in there.

This week’s tip:

Name Your Chapters

I have a separate file for each of the chapters of my novel. It’s just easier to manipulate a shorter document, and it helps remind me to give each chapter its own arc, climax, and sense of satisfaction. I’ve been returning to these chapters now, trying to edit the novel on a macro level, shuffling chapters around and trying to figure out the overall trajectory. It was getting confusing; I was losing focus, and I didn’t know where the novel should end up. I was even getting confused about which file was which, so I set myself the task of naming each chapter, with just a word or two that would capture the essence of that chapter. And something miraculous happened once I had done this — the overall plot, and many of the big story arcs I was struggling with, suddenly seemed clear. I could see how one chapter (childhood) was repeating the work of another (childhood II); I combined them. One chapter (“kids”) needed to go earlier. And one chapter, named for the protagonist’s brother, would be a triumphant kind of climax.

Whatever your naming scheme ends up being, I highly recommend taking the time today to name your novel’s chapters. These names might not make it to the final draft — instead, they are for you alone. They are your chance to get it straight, to understand what each chapter is fundamentally supposed to be about. Once I realized one chapter was named the protagonist’s brother, than I knew that chapter had to be all about him and his perspective on things. This simple process ended up solving a lot of my problems.

First, the good of following trends

There’s no such thing as a contemporary book that is utterly without style, or that is unaware of fashion. We all swim in the ocean of books, and we know what sells and what doesn’t. We also are creatures of context; it is dishonest, and ultimately reactionary, to write in a way that rejects our current cultural moment. To completely isolate ourselves from the literature we read is going to create a very stale and strange work.

So in one way, we must acknowledge the good of being aware of contemporary writing fashion. Hemingway, for example, created a new fashion in American writing when he began using his stark, staccato style. It was a style that would hugely influence American writing for decades — we can see his influence in Raymond Carver, for example, and in so many others.

But if we were to write exactly like Hemingway today, it would feel like we were trying to do style imitations that were now sixty years old. It wouldn’t feel original and unique; it would be a knock-off. It would be like trying to invent the miniskirt, after women had been wearing it for fifty years.

Second, the bad of being beholden to fashion

There are plenty of ways that we can become caught up in trends, however, and lose what is unique about our own writing and character. After Harry Potter, a slew of magical-school-for-kids books flooded the market — and not many of them are memorable, because they are simply hollow copies of what was new and original. To say, “Vampires are in now, so I’m going to write a vampire book” is entirely missing the point of how to conceive of a good story. If you write with the goal of just selling, or just being trendy, you’ll never write something that is honest, that is idiosyncratic, or that feels like original You.

How to use fashion wisely

So overall, I think it’s more dangerous to try to follow fashion blindlly. It will consistently produce style imitations and empty, formulaic works. Start first with your identity. I’m reminded of The Lord of the Rings; this old-fashioned, heavy fantasy tome was completely out of style for the kinds of fiction being produced during its time; but it was fully, richly of Tolkien’s world, his personality and his interests, and that rich personal interest shows on every page. If you feel that your voice is Hemingway-esque, then go for Hemingway — but remember that you live in the 21st century, and your voice must be influenced by the moment in which you live.

This week’s tip is:

Cut it out with those mixed metaphors already

I just saw the little documentary “Bad Writing.” It’s a real hoot if you’re a writer — full of fresh, funny insights about what makes writing bad and why we can often be so blind to our own creative flaws. I’ll probably write about it in a separate post, but one thing I noticed in the bad writing the filmmaker presented was the rampant mixing of metaphors. In his (self-confessed) bad poetry, he often writes things that are needlessly abstract cliches, like the burning sun drinking flames or the ice of the booze tearing his throat. But there’s another sin going on in phrases like that — they are imprecise images.

Here’s what I mean: can the sun drink? And how do you drink flames, even if you can drink? Is the booze ice, or ice-like? And how does ice tear? The images he’s creating may seem vivid on a first pass — but they’re actually muddled and nonsensical — they don’t add to our understanding of the feelings, because they don’t actually mean anything.

We’re all guilty of mixed metaphors, so you’ll need to apply a skeptical eye to your metaphors and imagine if they’re actually possible or imaginable. Your heart is galloping in your chest. It works because the galloping rhythm could really be like the pounding of a heart. But angel wings of your lungs flutter? How can your lungs have wings? Are they inside the body? Try cutting that one out.

It means as well that I have renewed energy to throw myself back into things here at Writerly Life. You can expect new posts, and a resumed regular schedule of tips, techniques, and thoughts about keeping creativity alive in your life. I’m a firm believer in the idea that doing creative things enriches our lives; it keeps us from falling into lazy habits, and it gives meaning to the things we do every day. To create is to feel alive in my book. And my creations of choice are stories.

As the image for today attests, I’m feeling like the gears are at last shifting in a new direction, back toward writing fiction. I’ve finished a rough draft of my novel, but I’m also thinking about changing gears in other aspects of the writing life — in starting a new work, or in trying a new voice. When was the last time you made a conscious choice to change gears in some way in your creative life? What did you do? Did you try a new form, or stop using those same old word pairs that you’ve been using? Did you look at a different character?

One way you can revitalize your writing for the new season is to think about changing gears in one major way. What will you do to refresh your style? To try a new character? What kind of story have you never told before?

Whenever spring arrives I start filling up my notebook with plans and lists and goals. Some of my goals I’ll write about here at Writerly Life, and I’ll keep you posted on their progress. But I want to hear about yours too — and about what new gear you’ve shifted into.

Top 5 Prompt Books to Get the Words Flowing

Even the best of writers feel bereft of ideas at times, and we all know how frustrating that can be. A dry spell, writer’s block—whatever you feel you might be experiencing (or want to get ahead of experiencing and be prepared for), never fear. These five prompt books will help jostle those great ideas out of hiding in that noggin of yours.

Free yourself of the agitation of writer’s block and get yourself a prompt book or two.

Take Ten for Writers by Bonnie Neubauer

This book provides over 1,000 exercises to inspire your writing. The title indicates that each exercise only takes about ten minutes, but also that you can do the work ten different ways with unique outcomes.

Author Neubauer makes the great recommendation that you do an exercise like this once daily so that you don’t lose the momentum of idea generation and writing.

The Plot Whisperer Book of Writing Prompts: Easy Exercises to Get You Writing by Martha Alderson

This books is fabulously full of helpful prompts, whether you are just starting a project or in the middle of one. For those in the middle of a writing project, Alderson “helps…with…imaginative prompts, such as: Create an obstacle that interferes with the protagonist’s goal and describe how that scene unfolds moment-by-moment. Provide sensory details of the story world and what your main character is doing at this very moment. Scan earlier scenes for examples of the protagonist’s chief character flaw and develop it. He or she will need to overcome this flaw in order to achieve his or her ultimate goal.” These are the kinds of tips that will take your writing that is in process to the next level.

There are also plenty of exercises for those who are not in the middle of a project.

Don’t underestimate the value of other’s ideas in generating new ones for yourself!

The Writer’s Idea Book by Jack Heffron

Jack Heffron, a former editor from Writer’s Digest, put this together and it has been on the best-sellers list for years. With over 400 exercises and prompts for new writing topics, you’ll have plenty of inspiration at your fingertips!

The Pocket Muse I and II by Monica Wood

These books have such wonderful ideas to get your mind moving, a couple of examples being ‘Write about someone who misinterprets a compliment’ and ‘Write about a friendship you failed.’

Wood gives tips on how your writing space should look and feel, and that it should be a dedicated space outside of your immediate surroundings, and full of natural light.

The Write-Brain Workbook by Bonnie Neubauer

This book is for all ages, and has 366 different exercises leveraging great imagery and ideas in order to get your writing juices flowing.

Here is an online example of one of the great exercises this book has to offer.

So whether you’re feeling uninspired and need a bit of a goose to get you back in the game, or you are simply looking for some fun or insightful inspiration to fuel your current project, check out one of these great prompt books. You should start to feel the blockage start to dissipate almost instantaneously!

Cara Aley is a freelance writer who writes about everything from matters of online reputation management for Reputation.com to digital marketing solutions for small businesses. She is currently VP of Operations for Two Degrees, a one-for-one food company, but has also spent many years in digital marketing on the agency side.

I know I’ve done this in the past. It seems that when I have more free time, I simply stretch out my work to fill in the new hours; I veg more and work less. There’s a time and a place for a break and re-boot, for a little reward, a little television, a little socializing, but I think we also have to remember how precious this new time is. When I reach the end of the semester I’m always full of brave new plans; I’m full of exciting ideas. And by the end of that free time, I’m left with the cliche question, “Where did the time go?”

This time, though, I’m resolved to make the most of my newly opening days. I’ll be setting concrete goals, making lists, and using my days in structured ways to meet my creative goals. I’m even planning to go on a writing residency for the first time, and I’m wildly excited about that experience; I’ll discuss that in a future post. For now, try being a little grateful for your opening time — and don’t waste it in treating yourself. Use the time for what it is — a blessed chance to do the work that you care about.

What it Takes to be a Writer

You know, when I got the idea that I wanted to be a writer as a profession I did not really understand what that meant. I had some romantic notion that writing was an easy thing. Something you could do with no problem. I would sit down at my computer and type out a novel or two, get it published and I would be a real writer.

As I got older the dream dimmed. I had not written a novel. I had not time to devote to that sort of thing. I figured that it was almost impossible to make any money as a writer. I mean, you had to be successful like J.K. Rowling or something, right? And there were no real other writing jobs out there beyond a novelist or journalist or technical writer. Ug. I had zero desire to write the latest article on sports news or weather.

So I worked one dead end job after another, trying to find a calling that would pay. After making some okay money I found myself increasingly dissatisfied. I wanted to write. Not just as a hobby like baking or hiking, but as a day in day out job. But how could I get started? I did not have a degree in writing. I had not had anything major published outside of some school stuff. I had not even written anything really for three years. Who would hire me?

Resolute, I decided to find any job even remotely related to writing. I applied at a college for a position as a student advisor. I figured it was close enough, right? Well, they did not hire me for that, but since I listed writing as an objective on my resume they asked how good I was at English. I managed to give them a satisfactory answer and was suddenly a substitute English teacher!

After a whirlwind couple of semesters, working pretty regularly as the school was a large one, I was called down to the office once again. It seems my resume and eclectic assortment of minors and majors had caught someone’s eye. They asked if I had any interest in technical writing.

Sure! I said, grasping at straws. Of course I had done something like that before, I was a science major at one time, so no problem. I ended up being hired to write a series of SAT preparation books. Not exactly the writing experience I was looking for, but much better than the glorified secretary position I had applied for.

This was a limited time opportunity. I had four books, four months’ worth of work ahead of me. After that I was out of a job once again. I could go back to the one I had left, they were always looking for workers as their turnover was very high (no wonder there). Or I could take these four months to really spruce up my resume with my new skills and experience and get out there.

I applied everywhere; at newspapers and magazines, even though I hated to interview, from the smallest to the largest. Nada. Nothing. Zip. I searched the want ads, applying for any job that had writing in it. I even went to Craigslist, fighting through the junk to apply to the few real job postings.

After the four months I still had nothing. One interview for a job that required more web design talent than writing talent and paid peanuts. I went back to my boring job, occasionally stepping in as a substitute too. Then, almost a month after sending in my resume, I got a reply. An interview.

The office was far from my home but it was worth the drive, even though I thought I had no chance of getting it. It sounded like they wanted an experienced writer who knew what they were doing online and off. That was not me. After all, what had I done? A little school writing, some hands on experience with teaching and a test booklet or four. That does not make a successful writer.

As I sat through the lengthy interview process in the backroom of a tiny office space I tried to quell my doubts and present myself as a writer. Think it, be it. After having loads of information vomited on me, I was given a quiz of sorts. It turns out they were looking for more than just a writer. They wanted someone who could think fast, come up with twenty ideas a minute and could think outside of the box. Luckily for me, that pretty much defined my talents.

Pushed into a corner and surprised, I nonetheless did everything they asked, and even above and beyond it. I got the job… Yet I was still unsure of what the job actually was.

I have to say that my first few weeks as a ‘real’ writer were scary ones. I thought that I was ill prepared and totally not what they needed. However as time went on I became more confident in my abilities. No, that is wrong; I gained the abilities I needed as time went on.

You see, being a writer is not about how many books you have published or how much money you make. It is about the writing. The more you write, the more you build your talent. Talent is not defined by your grammatical correctness or your vocabulary. Instead it is about the passion with which you write and how compelling and rich you make your writing to the readers.

It has been a long, hard road learning what it takes to be a writer. I could have never dreamed that I would make a living as a writer, nor did I ever think I would be successful without ever having a bestseller or movie made of my work. However I do feel successful and blessed that I get to do something I love every day and get paid for it.

About the author:

Blogging for was a natural progression for Allison once she graduated from college, as it allowed her to combine her two passions: writing and children. She has enjoyed furthering her writing career with www.nannyclassifieds.com. She can be in touch through e-mail allisonDOTnannyclassifiedsATgmail rest you know.

Getting a book published is not simply a matter of having an idea. If you are an aspiring writer, or even an experienced one, and want to get your book published, here are the five important steps to follow.

1. Come up with an idea – the idea is of course the basis of the book. Your main concept or idea will determine whether your content is good enough to publish. If you have an original idea that has been floating around in your mind, discuss it with some trusted friends and colleagues who can give you an honest opinion about it. Having an original or inspired idea is always useful, because a calculated assessment of current trends can only help you a certain amount.

2. Do Your Homework – once you have an idea you can think about who the audience is meant to be for your book. Is it meant for children? If so, what age? Is it mainly intended for boys, or girls, or both?

Knowing your audience will help you when you begin writing your manuscript. Your target reader will determine how you develop characters and the style in which you write. Doing your homework also includes making a broad and loose outline for your story. This may help you by acting like a framework when you flesh out the book.

3. Complete your Manuscript – make a schedule and write regularly. Give yourself deadlines to complete the manuscript. Once you have a draft, also focus on a summary. This is what publishers will first read when deciding whether or not to publish your book, so put effort into making the summary as accurate and telling of your style and content as possible. You can find resources and tips specifically on how to write a summary for your manuscript.

4. Consider Hiring an Agent – while statistics on this tend to vary, the fact is that a very tiny proportion of manuscripts ever written get published. An even tinier proportion of this number is by novice or debut writers. This is not because publishers are scared of launching new talent. On the contrary, most publishing houses are on the lookout for new ideas and writers. But the fact is that publishing is a business and in order for it to be profitable, the books published must be saleable, or at least in the publishers’ opinion.

Unless you’re thinking of self-publishing, it may be a good idea to hire an agent. An agent can represent you and your manuscript to publishers and help you find a willing publisher in exchange for a commission.

5. Be Open to Possibilities – there are many ways to get a book published, and while approaching a big well known publishing house is one of them, it is certainly not the only way.

Think about whether you would like to self-publish your book. If you have the resources and the vision, it may turn out to be the easier and perhaps even the more profitable thing to do.

Think about newer publishing platforms like e-publishing or book blogs, wherein the book is published as an e-book instead of a paper copy, or in the form of a live blog that one can subscribe to.

Think also about approaching smaller and independent publishing houses instead of, or above and beyond larger more well-known ones. Smaller publishing houses may be more open to publishing new talent.

Nick Anderson is a writer for How2become; a leading career and recruitment specialist. How2become currently offers over 150 different titles across a wide range of careers providing insider information to help you prepare effectively. You can also connect with How2become on Facebook

This week’s tip:

Type Up What You’ve Got

John Steinbeck wrote all of his books by hand. In particular, he wrote The Grapes of Wrath in its entirety on yellow legal pads, scribbling in a nearly indecipherable and quite small scratch. It was his wife, Carol, who loyally typed up his first draft, and she is known to have done the work of cleaning and polishing as she went, improving the language and writing. It’s crucial to have that second layer of writing to improve our rough thoughts and scribblings, and while someone else might do it, you can easily do it yourself.

Many writers still write by hand. Jennifer Egan is one writer whom I’ve heard writes all her first drafts by hand on legal pads just like John Steinbeck. It’s an essential first step; and it automatically builds a second draft into the process of typing it up. Maybe you’ve written paragraphs and pages by hand, and now they’re scattered about your life, appearing in various notebooks. Today, spend some time pulling together the pieces that you have and typing them up into one document. As you type, you’ll find yourself improving the work, cutting down on words, not bothering to type paragraphs that are a waste of time, choosing better words where you got repetitive. You’ll be doing important work to make the writing coherent in your mind, and you’ll be taking the first step to improve it.

At the end of a typing session, you’ll often find yourself with a better vision for the work — and you’ll have an improved work on your computer too.