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1. Overcoming writers’ block

Does it exist?

When asked the question ‘what do you think of writer’s block?’ most people would sympathise, but not crime novelist Mark Billingham. His reply when I interviewed him for my blog late November 2011 was, “No such thing. Unless someone has broken all your fingers there’s nothing stopping you writing.” I cheated really because I’d already met him (at Oundle Literature Festival March 2011) and the question came up then, but I asked him because I wanted to prove a point.

He continues, “It won’t always be any good of course, but writers have good and bad days, same as anyone else.” And that’s the thing to remember. We are the hardest judges (although some editors aren’t far behind) of our output. It’s easy for the days to fly without a word written, but just 300 a day would get you a 100,000-word novel in a year.

Don’t Panic

But what happens if you’re all prepared; at your keyboard with a blank page and cursor flashing encouragingly but nothing pours forth. As the great Douglas Adams wrote… Don’t Panic!

There are LOADS of ways to get your writing juices flowing. I run a fortnightly writing workshop here in Northampton, England, with 10-15 minutes for each prompt to come up with something. It doesn’t always happen. Even I (who set the tasks) have times (fortunately not many) when my brain freezes whilst all around me are scribbling away, but then other exercises can produce, in my opinion, some of the best things I’ve written in ages.

Sentence starters

The option I generally find the easiest (but one of my writers loathes) is sentence starts. Picking one from my 365-Day Writer’s Block Workbook (Vol 1), ‘Although they legally belong to me…’, could take you in a variety of directions. It’s first person present tense. What is it that I own? What’s the conflict? The action’s happening now, what led to this? I find once a sentence is underway it’s far easier to keep going and it’s a trick that some authors (including famous ones) use if they’re stuck. Go to bed with a sentence half-written and the chances are you’ll be able to continue in the morning.

Another regular exercise is keywords. Picking five words at random to include in a piece is fun and although we all have the same words, the stories end up being so different.

Use pictures

If you’re a visual writer, then pictures can work wonders, especially of people. If you google ‘male 50s’ you’ll be greeted with loads of potential characters. Ignoring the celebrities (and women!), pick one and give him a name, age, height, occupation, quirk, regular saying, siblings, marital status and so on. Once you get to know your characters they’ll repay you by doing some wonderful things on the page.

Titles are good. Look through a magazine and pick a phrase that grabs you and see if you can make it the influence of your story.

Play with POV

If you’re stuck on a current piece, try changing point of view (from first to third or vice versa, or you could try second!), tense (present / past – future!) or add in a new character or dilemma / scenario.

Perhaps you’re too close to it? If you can, leave it to marinate and work on something else. That way you go back to it with fresh eyes.

Just write something!

But most of all, write something. Do freewriting. Even if it’s ‘I must write something’ repeatedly, your brain will kick in. As Mark said, it may not be good, but you can’t edit a blank page.

Morgen Bailey is a writing-related blogger, podcaster, writing group host, is the author of numerous short stories, novels, articles, has dabbled with poetry but admits that she doesn’t “get it”, and is a regular Radio Litopia contributor. She also belongs to two other local writing groups (one of which runs the annual H.E. Bates Short Story Competition) and when she’s not researching for her critique group, is a British Red Cross volunteer, walks her dog (often while reading, writing or editing) and reads (though not as often as she’d like). Check out her blog including the exercise section to get your creative juices flowing.

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3. Beginner Blogging for Writers: part 1

1. Writing Historical Fiction 1 – Creating your historical world.
2. Writing Historical Fiction 2 – Doing the research.
3. Writing Historical Fiction 3 – Using fact in fiction.

If you enjoy reading books like The Long Song and the Ruso series you will also enjoy my literary thriller, The Peace Garden, which deals with the aftermath of the Soweto Riots and its repercussions in the lives of two young lovers. To find out more, read Ruth Downie’s review of The Peace Garden.

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1. Writing historical fiction 1 – creating your historical world
2. Writing historical fiction 2 – doing the research
3. Writing historical fiction 3 – using fact in fiction

And now, here are those tips for choosing a good children’s book (apart from mine!):

Beware of marketing

The best books for children are not always found on the big flashy displays. Not to say that everything on the front-of-shop racks are poorly written, but don’t just grab the first thing you see in your lunch hour. These books are usually character driven spin-offs from television shows or toy product lines. They’ve got a massive advertising budget behind them and trade on ‘product recognition’. This does not necessarily mean they are well-written books. I was shocked to read some Thomas the Tank Engine Books the other day. They were quite simply film stills with captions, taken directly from the TV show. The original Thomas books by the Rev WV Awdry were wonderfully conceived and written, but since the TV franchise took over in 2002 (note they are now Thomas and Friends) the quality has gone downhill like a runaway train! So take some time and delve a bit deeper into your local bookshop.

Assuming you’ve got past the glitzy displays and into the dustier depths of the shop, what do you look for?

A good story

Quite simply, is it fun to read? Is the plot well constructed with a good beginning, middle and end? Are the characters engaging and realistic? Does the plot line deal with emotional issues without being too soppy? Does it dare to be daring? The other day I was delighted to read Pigs by Robert Munsch (illustrations Michael Martchenko). This is the story of a little American girl who opens a pig pen and lets the swine loose on the town. While I feel the book is a bit wordy and could do with a better balance between words and pictures (and less repetition), the story itself is brilliant! It’s funny, engaging and slightly ‘naughty’ – which children love. For older children, books that are often snubbed by the literary critics, are the Artemis Fowl series by Eoin Colfer. They’re subtitled ‘Die Hard With Fairies’ and the first in the series is simply one of the best reads I’ve had in years.

Quality writing

It’s amazing how poor the writing in children’s books can be. Just because children are not that good at reading yet, does not mean publishers can get away with producing shoddy material. Read a book before you buy it – or at least sample some good chunks of it. Good literature doesn’t have to be boring. Anything by David Almond is guaranteed to entertain and challenge on an intellectual level. His first children’s book is Skellig about an angel in a garden shed, but my favourite is The Fire Eaters about a little boy in the 1960s who befriends a carnival freak.

Another beautiful writer is Eva Ibbotson. I loved Journey to the River Sea and The Star of Kazan. Ibbotson has the rare talent of knowing how to couple rich, atmospheric writing with a rolicking plot. She deals with historical and fantasy themes.

For a more contemporay, dare I say, tweenybopper, writer, Jacqueline Wilson is one of my favourites. She’s often maligned for being too gritty, but, in my opinion, she handles the darker side of childhood with sensitivity and an unflinching eye. I would recommend The Illustrated Mum about a young girl dealing with her mother’s mental health issues. It is a fine example of good writing and a respectful treatment of a difficult subject.

All of these writers have either been nominated for or won major awards.

Awards

For the confused adult buyer with not much time on their hands, an award nomination or win, is often a good guide. The major awards for children’s writing are the Carnegie Medal, the Kate Greenaway, the Guardian and the Whitebread in the UK. The Smarties Award, unlike the others, is voted for by children themselves, so is a good measure of what young readers themselves like to read. In America, the John Newberry Medal and the Caldecott (for picture books). Canada and Australia also have prizes (see list above) as does the Christian market in the UK and the USA.

A lack of preachiness

This applies to any book with a ‘message’; not just a Christian message. We need to respect young readers and their right to be able to make up their own minds about issues. Writers can present a positive viewpoint without resorting to brainwashing. The jury is still out in my mind about the most popular children’s series of the last decade: Philip Pulman’s His Dark Materials trilogy (Northern Lights, The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass). While the books certainly fulfil all of the above criteria of good children’s literature (and I enjoyed reading them), his overtly evangelistic atheism borders at times on a preachiness that would be condemned in a Christian book. And at least most Christian books are found in Christian bookshops so readers know what they’re getting. On the other hand, if more Christian books were as well written as Pulman’s they could compete on a more equal footing. (Was that a rotten tomato?). For a more in-depth discussion of spiritual themes in children’s literature see my article ‘Once Upon a Time.’

Quality illustrations

I toyed with putting this point first on the list, as illustrations are what makes children’s books magical. But I fear that many adult buyers are wooed simply by pretty pictures. Do the pictures complement the text and vice versa? Does the text over-clutter the illustrations or do the two elements work together to tell the story? On the other hand, beware of too much visual detail in stories for younger children. Simpler lines and bolder colours may not be aesthetically pleasing to an adult eye, but they are easier to engage with for a child under four. From four upwards the illustrations may be more sumptuous. However, this trend may be reversed as children approach eight or nine where the ‘cooler’ minimalist, cartoon-style illustrations are more in vogue. If you’re interested in illustration for children’s books, I recommend Illustrating Children’s Books by Martin Salisbury. In a later article I intend to discuss the relationship between the illustrator and writer in children’s picture books.

Original concept and presentation

There is a fine line between original presentation and a gimmick. Let’s admit it, it’s a challenge to find a different way to tell an age-old story, particularly at Christmas. But with that season of joyful spending coming up, I would recommend What’s Christmas? by Alexa Tewkesbury. This gets my vote for the best Christmas book of the season. It is an endearing tale challenging the traditional ways of telling the Christmas story. The beautifully constructed text is matched by charming illustrations and a little bit of subversive humour (look out for the Puffin Guide to the North Pole!).

Another recommendation is Father and Son. The poetic beauty of Geraldine McCaughrean’s words with Fabian Negrin’s exquisite illustrations, make this a book to be treasured. Written from Joseph’s point of view, Jesus’ earthly father contemplates the enormity of the task before him. This is a book that will touch the heart of every parent while inspiring awe in every child. Why didn’t I vote it ‘book of the season’? Simply because I felt it was written first for an adult and then for a child.

Age appropriateness

This applies to both subject, telling and presentation. Young children can be rough with books. Will your choice stand up to Junior’s attentions or should you put it away for another year? Are the illustrations and the text suitable for the age of the child you are buying for? Is this really just a clever, tongue-in-cheek tale for adults or an excuse for an adult flight of fancy? Is the child first in the author’s mind or the adult? A good book will balance the two (so that parents don’t get bored when reading to their sprogs) but children’s books should be for children first, adults second. When choosing a book for a particular child, beware that publishers rarely print an age guide on the covers. This is because some seven-year-olds are reading Harry Potter and some 12-year-olds can barely manage Winnie the Pooh! To try and help confused adult buyers, retailers have different shelves for different age groups, but this varies from shop to shop. If in doubt, ask a parent.

Old books aren’t always ‘timeless’

I know it’s hard to accept, but just because you enjoyed a book as a child, it doesn’t make it timeless. Nor does it make it a classic. The great children’s classics of the last century or so (Black Beauty, The Water Babies, Little Women etc) are quite difficult for modern children to get into. Some children will grow into the classics, some won’t. Don’t force the issue. And quite simply, not all ‘old’ books are classics! The Nancy Drew series, which I loved as a child, makes me feel ill when I try to read it now. Great stories, yes, but so badly written. The Famous Five and Secret Seven are also a bit long in the tooth. Again, they’re good stories, but the ginger-beer drinking days of yore are more likely just to bore. Fantasy books, such as Winnie the Pooh and Alice in Wonderland have fared better, perhaps because their make-believe-worlds are outside of time and harder to date.

For some excellent material on children’s books visit the Centre for the Children’s Book website or their recommendations page.

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1. What makes a good children’s book?
2. Writing for children: Picture books
3. Young Adult vs Adult fiction. Where’s the line?

I know everyone says it, but this book and its prequel, David and the Hairy Beast, will make great Christmas presents. You can place an order through any bookshop in the world (that’s right, anywhere on planet earth) or, if you want it quicker, you can order directly from the Crafty Publishing website.

If you are in the Newcastle upon Tyne area on Saturday 26 November, Amy and I will be giving a talk about our creative process and how picture books are written and illustrated. Click here for directions and details.

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When I started scriptwriting 10 years ago, the only outlets for scriptwriters were the major TV & film companies, competitions, minor cash-strapped production companies and cumbersome commissioning processes.   With the advent of digital media I took the initiative to produce my own work.  I set up spoken word entertainment website listenupnorth.com as a showcase for my own radio plays performed by local actors and for other writers’ recorded work.

Recently I have added film to the content and I want to share with you the experience of making a pilot episode of my webdrama, Celia, a to-mirror monologue of a middle-aged woman and a mid-life crisis and how I aim to bring it to a more mature audience and fund it.

Writing

If you want to make a film from virtually no resources then you have to factor this at the writing stage.  To strip away a reliance on lots of different scene changes, a cast of thousands and endless props will focus your mind on what the story really is about. For this reason, I chose to set the entire story of Celia in her bedroom, where with each episode we could view a different snapshot of her journey.

If the short film you are making is to be shown via You-tube, you also have to consider length (max 15 mins) per episode.

Collaboration

Writing is a solitary occupation but to achieve your objectives you have to leave your comfort zone, get out there and network. I met Shirley, camera, co-director and editor after gaining a place on a Creative Entrepreneur scheme at a local business school.  Penny, the actor, I met at a local theatre when she was performing one of the monologues written by the theatre writing group of which I was part.

Both Shirley and Penny brought so much to the production that I alone could never have achieved.  Shirley’s idea to use two cameras for Celia’s monologue – one to the side for addressing the audience, the other as if through a mirror for her private thoughts. Penny really developed the character, gave her a dimension beyond the page with mannerisms, subtext and body language.

Both agreed to work for free with the agreement that any profit made after expenses would be shared.  They also signed rights over to me so that effectively I became the producer of the work and would be able to promote and show it. I recommend that all agreements are made in writing at the start of working together to avoid any misunderstanding.

Funding

The pilot was funded with goodwill, my housekeeping money and the hope that it might attract sponsorship.  During the preparation, filming and editing, we kept a record of all expenses and time spent to use as a guide when planning a budget for the remaining episodes. I am now looking for funding by advertisers placing their logo on my film. I am going through a process of identifying potential companies who may be interested, initially for the pilot and then for subsequent episodes.  Potential for product placement will also be explored.

Again, a writer must be prepared to be out of their comfort zone.  There have been a few rejections so far and I am working my way through a list, starting with local businesses who may wish to target my audience.

Publicity

Social media is now used by an older demographic but there is very little online entertainment aimed at this group, which I hope to attract to my webdrama, Celia.  Prior to this I am raising awareness through the release of Celia – The Trailer available to view through listenupnorth.com.

I am also planning a tour of local film clubs operating mostly from village halls, which would help me to reach a wider audience who do not necessarily use social media and also to gauge reaction to the film.  To do this I will need to obtain certification of the film from each local council where the film will appear or a single coverage from the bbfc which may prove costly.

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Submit: There are four editions of Cuckoo a year and they say they are always looking for new writing. Cuckoo accepts most forms, including poetry, short stories and non-fiction writing. They’re keen to publish audio recordings/ podcasts etc. and to hear from young photographers and illustrators. The deadline for submissions to Edition 2 will be 21st December 2011. Email your writing and a two-sentence biography to editors @ cuckooquarterly.com.

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Is science fiction better on film?

This summer I had a science fiction play, Future Shock, produced at the 247 Festival in Manchester. Some people I spoke to about it were nervous about putting science fiction on the stage. “Film does it so much better” by which I assume they mean if you want to fire a laser or beam someone aboard it’s bound to look a bit naff on stage therefore you can’t do science fiction. This is of course nonsense. When writing for the stage you are careful to select what you show and don’t show, this is the job of the dramatist to select what is appropriate for the play in order to make the point you are trying to make. This is true whether in science fiction or in any other genre, for example, Alan Ayckbourn points out in his book, that you have to be careful about the way that you use violence since it either looks false or else we get too much of a vicarious thrill from it and it obscures the meaning.

As a result most plays prefer to keep fights offstage. In science fiction you do the same – you just keep the lasers or phasers or fazers (or whatever the hell they are) offstage. A play is still a play whether it is set in 1603, 2010 or 2875, the same rules apply. Science fiction is usually about what it means to be human whether it’s Blade Runner “I’ve seen things you people wouldn’t believe… attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion…” or Star Trek “logical captain”. By presenting the non human replicant and the non-human Spock we are able to consider what the boundaries of humanity are. That theme is also central to my play.

Future Shock

In Future Shock a woman is stranded out of time unable to reach her lover – the only way to get to him is for her DNA to be recorded and the data held for the time in the future when her lover will appear. The question of the piece is: will the reconstructed human being be the same if body dies but the blueprint goes forward, or are we more than our DNA? In other words, what does it mean to be human?

Genre expectations of science fiction

The genre then raises an expectation which is partly fulfilled and partly surprised, it’s a shorthand notation for certain expected themes and tropes. When the expectation for these are fulfilled the audience is soothed and rewarded, they are made to feel knowing. The genre therefore helps the audience to a point of understanding from which the more interesting, unique element can grow. By sharing a starting point (the genre) writers are freed from a host of setting up problems and instead of starting from point A and writing through to F they can start from D and then go further – maybe even to P or Q!

Future Shock was performed at the 247 Manchester in July 2011. It was the winner of the Drama Association of Wales prize for Best one Act play of 2011, and is published by the Drama Association of Wales (price £3.50, to order email info [at] dramawales.org.uk). Visit Richard Stockwell’s website to learn more about his work.

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