#IWSG: Helpful #Writing Resources

Sometimes, a post written by another writer can provide the inspiration or motivation you might need to push yourself to the next level ... or to simply write the next word in your current project. Below are a few posts that I've recently found inspiring. I hope they help you, too.

 http://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com/

The first Wednesday of the month is Insecure Writer's Support Group! If you've not heard of the group before ... click on the link below the picture and check out the fantastic resources and support this group has to offer.

Here are some additional links to posts that I've enjoyed recently:

Do you ever get distracted by a "shiny new idea" before you've finished the hard work on your project in progress? If so, here's a great post for you: http://writerunboxed.com/2015/06/24/resisting-the-lure-of-the-shiny-new-idea/#more-37781

Do you struggle to show the emotions of your characters (without over-using clenched stomachs and gritted teeth)? Here's a great lesson on the topic of emotions: http://www.livewritethrive.com/2015/06/24/how-fiction-writers-can-show-emotions-in-their-characters-in-effective-ways/

Do you have trouble deciding what point of view to utilize in your story telling? Check out this post: http://blog.janicehardy.com/2010/02/first-through-third.html

Point of View

The letter P stands for Point of View.

(repost)

Frankly, I think writing in FIRST person point of view is MUCH easier than writing in third person. Why?


Here's my number one reason:

When referring to parents, do you write:

1. Abby's mother
2. Her mother
3. Mom

According to "Uncle Orson's Writing Class" (click here) you should use Mom (basically). To quote: "You refer to the parents by the names or titles that the point of view character would use."

But ... according to Meg Chittenden (click here) you should use her mother (basically). To quote: "She was getting sick of her mom yelling at her for something that wasn't her fault."

What's your vote?

I'm going with Uncle Orson.

The Follow Up's Follow Up... right?

Ha. So, yesterday's post was fun. Eh?

I totally twisted the post to double as a challenge entry for the Crusade. It was tricky because there were "rules."  One rule was to bury a lie within the post. Now, I *never* said the lie was within the dialogue. Many of you assumed it was. Now... you know what assuming can do... ha. JK

The lie was actually the word count. Since the post was limited to 300 words or less, I really had to pare it down. That was hard! So, I barely made it under the wire, and lied that the post was only 251 words. In case that wasn't a *good enough* lie (ha),I could also argue that I actually am a pretty good judge, and I do my best to judge everyone fairly and give them the benefit of the doubt. :) But, no one guessed either of these. So, I win. Right?

Anyhow, I wanted to let you know, that yes those two BOYS were judges. There are often a lot of YOUNG judges at these competitions. I can only assume (there's that word again) it is because the organizers can't find enough older people to volunteer, and they cannot afford to hire judges, especially with all of the budget cuts.

And, yes, that was the most interesting conversation I eavesdropped on... it was actually much longer, but I chopped out the middle where they went on and on about their "hot" debate and speech partners from their senior year in HS and how none of those relationships ever worked out for the long term, but they were great while they lasted.

Another conversation I eavesdropped on, this girl (probably 19 or 20) went on and on about how she was so upset for forking out $7 WHOLE dollars to send off a transcript to another college. Oh my! If that's her biggest problem... *head shudder*

The creepiest thing of the day was when a beautiful young woman performed a first person point of view interpretation of a book written by a serial killer. It was as though Satan had taken over her body. I wanted to cry and shake her at the same time. She describe in awful detail the first murder she ever committed. And, I read HORROR all the time. You'd think it wouldn't have bothered me. But it did. Because it felt so *wrong* for THOSE words to come out of her mouth.

Where is the teacher who approved that content?

Where is the mother?

... Okay ... maybe I am an unfair judge! Good thing I lied about the word count yesterday.

This young woman made it to the finals. My judging placed her third after her performance in the finals, but there were two other judges on the panel as well, and I don't know how they voted. We didn't attend the ending ceremony, so I don't know if she qualified for Nationals or not.

I thought the content was totally inappropriate. And, based on the instructions for judges, for that category (Dramatic Interpretation) we were supposed to judge the content for literary value as well as the delivery by the competitor.

Do you know what books your kids are reading? Do you know what they're turning in as schoolwork? Do you think it matters? 

Writing in Third Person

Frankly, I think writing in FIRST person point of view is MUCH easier than writing in third person. Why?

Here's my number one reason:

When referring to parents, do you write:
1. Abby's mother
2. Her mother
3. Mom

According to "Uncle Orson's Writing Class" you should use Mom (basically). To quote: "You refer to the parents by the names or titles that the point of view character would use."

But... according to http://www.megchittenden.com/writingtips/?pid=8 you should use her mother (basically). To quote: "She was getting sick of her mom yelling at her for something that wasn't her fault."

What's your vote? I think I'm going with Uncle Orson. Back to the revisions...

MANIFESTED, chapter one

Hmm... check it out:

http://www.margokelly.net/

I've posted the REVISED revised revised (etc.) version of MANIFESTED chapter one. This was a HARD revision - - still not quite sure if it's just right - - but I switched it from first person p.o.v. to third person and expanded the first chapter to include more information than the original version.

Check it out and let me know what you think. And, if you read the original version, let me know how you think it compares. :)

I off to SLC.

More Opinions on Debate Competition

Well... I spent twelve hours Saturday judging teenage debate competitions. Mind blowing. In so many ways.

1. Novice (usually the younger teenagers) debaters tend to think aggressive speech and body language will help them win the debate.
2. Novice debaters try to trick each other via rule violations.
3. Novice debaters tend to apologize a lot.
4. Varsity debaters (usually the older teenagers) have amazing self-confidence.
5. Varsity debaters tend to be very respectful toward one another.
6. Varsity debaters argue the issues, not the rules.
7. Both novice and varsity debaters doubt the intelligence and attention span of their judges.

I learned a few other things as well while participating in and eavesdropping on conversations in the judges lounge:

1. Adults can misinterpret teenagers' body language and attitude.
2. Adults tend to judge a loud girl differently than a loud boy.
3. Adults want to help teenagers succeed.
4. Apparently, I don't feed my dog enough food. Several judges thought I was starving him. So, I doubled his food today...

Actually, this picture is a few years old now... but I like it!!

Anyhow... I feel the need to write after this weekend's competition. I observed interesting behavior amongst the debaters: flirting, ignoring, rushing, worrying, smiling, doubting, insulting, respecting, and spewing.

Yes... SPEWING is a debate term for the policy category. OH. MY. GOSH. They speak so fast, they gasp for air. The words run together, and it felt like they were speaking a foreign language. Once I got the hang of it, I understood them better. But the "spewing" was crazy. Just crazy.

Oh... and I eavesdropped on a judge in the judge's lounge. She talked about how rude this novice girl was in a Lincoln-Douglas round. I listened to everything she said, and thought, "Oh, no." When I saw my daughter at the next break, I asked her if she said anything like what I had just heard. She asked what the judge looked like. Same judge. Thing is... my daughter's intent did not match the judge's interpretation. My daughter was pretty disappointed, because until our conversation, she thought she had won that round.

I find it interesting how this can happen not only in debate competitions but also in everyday life. We mean one thing in our head, but another person misinterprets us.  Communication is more about tone of voice and body language than it is about the words we use.

Have you ever been misunderstood in a conversation?

Attitude is Everything

The way we look at life greatly influences the quality of our life. I think as a writer, I'm always looking at the life around me and analyzing it. Probably over-analyzing. I just find it all so stinkin' interesting.

So... my mom's health is not getting better. She's fought a valiant battle against stage four lymphoma for fourteen years. It's a miracle (and a lot of hard work on her part) that she's had these last fourteen years. She eats raw garlic, eats organically (is that a word?), and does yoga. But, her health is taking a turn now. The doctor has decided she needs another bone marrow biopsy.

I think her doctor told her something that she isn't telling me. Why do I think this? Because of my mom's tone of voice... and because my mom wants me to come over to her house and review the paperwork for her financials, funeral, and what-not.

What does this have to do with attitude and analyzing life?

Let me tell you:

I worked at Quilt Crossing today selling Berninas and two things struck me as ?coincidence?...

1. A sweet sweet little old lady (maybe 75-85 years old) came in to have her $8500 machine serviced. She told me how she viewed the machine as a gift from her mother who'd passed in 2004. This lady told me how she'd struggled financially her whole life and "made-do" with an inexpensive basic machine, but when her mother passed and left her quite a bit of money, she decided to treat herself to this machine. So, everytime she uses it, she feels closer to her mother. She started to cry just retelling the situation. She made me cry. We hugged. She's a lovely woman with a great attitude.

2. A bitter adult daughter (maybe 50 years old) brought in her 80 year old mother who needed a new sewing machine because she dropped hers and it busted. I asked the mother what type of sewing she liked to do, and the daughter seemed offended that I would ask her mother and not her. The daughter tried to answer for her mother. Based on the mother's answers, I showed her an entry level machine that does automatic buttonholes. The daughter had a fit when she saw the $2000 price tag and said there's no way they were spending that much money. So, I showed them the $149 machine. The daughter was short and belitting toward her mother. The mother physically shrunk. I felt so badly for her.

A lot goes into our lives. Many different variables, trials, and blessings, but how do we react? Or better yet, ACT.

My fifteen-year-old son said the other day, "I want to be a man of ACTION, not REaction."

Attitude is everything.

Give up my cookies?

So... awhile back on the kidlit site (link below) I read that when it comes to YA novels, writers should not incorporate parental point-of-views or worse yet villian point-of-views.  No parental POV because teenagers don't really want to read that. No villian POV because it's too jarring for the YA reader.

 

Oops. My work-in-progress has multiple points-of-view. Including the parental and the villian. The kidlit site also suggested that writers who include a parental POV in YA novels are trying to "teach" the teenager something.  Na-uh. (That is TOO a word! Look it up.)

Okay... well, maybe the kidlit site is right. Maybe I was trying (without realizing it at first) to teach something, and maybe the villian POV is too jarring.

However, I love a good thriller (granted usually written for the adult market) that has some chapters from the villian's POV. Is it really too jarring for the YA readers to jump into the head of the icky icky bad guy?

So, I'm reworking (from page one) my WIP. I've successfully removed the parental POV. That was actually pretty easy. But, I'm struggling with removing the villian's chapters. These chapters are really creepy and I'm concerned I'll lose too much of the story by taking them out. What to do. What to do.

I feel like the Cookie Monster. I love cookies. But someone has just told me to do without them. Oh no...