Don’t imitate. Interpret. Today’s writing tip comes from Peter Beston, an East Quoque, New York-based artist I had the pleasure of meeting during a recent taping for The Writer’s Dream. “Don’t imitate. Interpret.” It’s the advice Peter gives to aspiring painters, but of course his words can apply to any creative artist. When you imitate, you aim to replicate what another person has done; you essential take yourself out of the creative process. When you interpret, you embed your own viewpoint into your creation — you make sense of, add to, depict, question. When I think of “imitating,” I think of an assembly line, the mindless act of placing images on a canvas or sentences into a Word document — an act of the body rather than of the mind. When I think of “intepreting,” I think of a collaboration, a synergy between the mind and body. Although I’m sure there are those who believe that the act of trying to imitate alone will yield an interpretation, my feeling is that if the intention is only to duplicate what is already there, then the artist is not utilizing her most important asset: her point of view. And a well-developed point of view is what separates a beautiful work from a singular work.
Art
Anne Canadeo: ‘All Characters Are a Reflection of the Writer’
Last night, I attended the book signing of cozy mystery writer Anne Canadeo at Book Revue in Huntington, New York. Anne is the author of the Black Sheep knitting mystery series (she also wrote the popular Thomas Kinkade writing as Katherine Spencer) and was discussing The Silence of the Llamas, which is the latest book in the series. As often happens when I attend these appearances and the authors talk about their experiences while writing their books, I find myself nodding along. Here are nine things Anne said that I thought were pretty spot-on:
Anne Canadeo
- ‘All the characters in the book, including the villain, are a reflection of the writer.’ Whether consciously or unconsciously, I imbued practically all the characters in Baby Grand with elements of my personality or fragments of my thought process. A piece here. A piece there. What’s fun is when people who know me read the book and pick up on them.
- ‘Fun things happen by accident.’ All the time. I plan, plan, plan, but sometimes the characters have something else in mind. I was surprised by many of the twists and turns that occurred in Baby Grand as I was writing.
- ‘Even though I knew my ending as I was writing, I wasn’t sure how I was going to get there.’ Imagine getting into your car and getting ready to drive to a destination that is familiar to you. Hmmm… let’s see, you can take the highway if you want to get there quickly, or perhaps the scenic route if you’re in the mood for pretty. There’s lots of ways to get to one place, and that’s part of the magic of storytelling.
- ‘I need an outline or else I find that I’m wandering aimlessly.’ I experience this as well. Although my process is to just jump in and start writing wildly, without an outline, I reach a point — probably about a hundred pages in — where I get that “wandering aimlessly” sensation. That is when I sit down and do a very, very basic outline that serves as a guideline to get me from chapter to chapter and eventually to the end of the book.
- ‘Sometimes writing is miserable, but you’re compelled to do it.’ As one of my graduate professors used to say, there are so many more exciting things we could be doing — spending time with our families, meeting friends for lunch, going to the movies. Why do we sit at that computer and suffer? Because, for some reason, we’re compelled to do so.
- ‘You can talk and talk about writing, but you really just have to sit down and do it.’ This is VERY true. Waiting for inspiration is a myth if you’re a working (or serious) novelist. Gotta just sit there and write. Now.
- ‘When I’m writing, I do not think about the reader.’ It sounds cruel, perhaps, but worrying about what readers will think about a book will keep me from writing anything at all. Everybody is different. We all find different things funny, scary, thought-provoking. I truly believe that if you just concentrate on writing what’s in your heart, readers will find you.
- ‘Being a writer is pretty lonely.’ When I’m writing, it’s just my computer and me. In the middle of the day or night. I wouldn’t quite call it lonely, although I am indeed alone. Writing is a solitary endeavor. Maybe that’s why I’m enjoying the marketing aspect of Baby Grand right now — interacting with readers at store appearances and book clubs. I get to share my characters with others who — thank goodness — seem to love them as much as I do.
- ‘The most fun is being done with a book.’ Amen.
Meet Victor Giannini
Today’s featured debut author is Victor Giannini. His novel, Scott Too—which was inspired by events from Victor’s own life—was published in December and is available in paperback and as an eBook.
Name: Victor Giannini
Name of book: Scott Too
Book genre: Magical realism or speculative fiction, depending on your cup of tea.
Date published: December 2012
Publisher: Silverthought Press
What is your day job? The last few years, I’ve been teaching with YAWP, The Young American Writer’s Project. They send me into schools, grade 7-12, to teach playwriting or creative writing for a semester.
What is your book about? Being in direct conflict with yourself. Being forced to look at your own lackluster life and take responsibility for it. Thirty is the new 20, and this odd decade of extended teenage years can be a curse, so what do you do when it goes wrong? What do you do when another creature steals your life and lives it the way you wished you could?
Why did you want to write this book? I wanted to write a dark comedy for a novella class I was taking at the Stony Brook Southampton MFA in Writing and Literature. What started as a “multiplicity style wacky sitcom” with super violent jokes and gore quickly turned into an absolutely different project. I saw my generation around me, where our twenties are different than previous generations’. Scott Alvin became a representative for this new generation. So I pit him against himself, a more aggressive, bitter, unrestricted self, to see what would happen. I wasn’t sure, I wanted to find out. And I did! And in all honesty, as I got inside Scott’s head, it was not what I expected at all …
Meet Erica Stanciu
Today’s featured author, Erica Stanciu, holds a special place in my heart. She is the daughter of an old friend who had the gall to get married and move to a land far, far away (Philly, and then Las Vegas) when we were mere teenagers, leaving me to navigate college, adulthood and handball all on my own. It doesn’t surprise me that her little girl (one of three children) has grown into a talented, funny and smart young woman. The apple certainly doesn’t fall very far from the tree.
Name: Erica Stanciu
Name of book: Electrify Me
Book genre: Fantasy
Date published: December 12, 2011
Publisher: Amazon.com (self-published)
What is your day job? I hold down the fort we call home.
What is your book about? A young princess, by the name of Kaiya Fraust, is forced on a journey where she travels to different kingdoms who wield elemental powers. Along the way, she finds demons, dragons, relics, and mysterious figures who want her for themselves.
Why did you want to write this book? I was reading a book one day and hated the ending. A friend suggested I write my own book so I did. Four months later, Electrify Me was born.
What would you say is the most challenging part of writing a book? The editing. It’s necessary, but so tedious at the same time. I’m pretty sure I have my book memorized after reading it five times just to make sure it was mistake-free.
Did you conduct any kind of research in order to write Electrify Me? My research came from reading fantasy novels for thirteen years. That helped me create the setting, characters, their powers, and the different animals you see throughout the story.
What motivates you to write? To have my characters come alive in the pages of a book (or an e-reader). I have a feeling of constant restlessness until the next scene is down on paper. Even my dreams consist of the characters and what they should be doing.
Did you experience writer’s block? I experienced writer’s block towards the end. The best way for me to overcome it is start a short story. It takes my mind away from the other characters for a bit. When I eventually come back to my original story, my mind feels refreshed and ready to tackle the novel once again.
How long did it take you to write this book? Three months to write it, and two months to edit.
Why did you decide to self-publish? I received a handful of rejections and started to feel stuck. I poured my heart into a story only to wait six weeks for an agency to say, “We’re not taking on any new clients. Have a good day.” Instead of throwing a pity party and retiring my manuscript, I decided that self-publishing was the best route for me.
Was the self-publishing process easier or more difficult than you thought it would be? Amazon makes it very easy to self-publish. They walk you through the steps to convert your work into the proper form. The rest is just submitting and waiting. It’s actually not difficult at all.
How did you decide on your book cover concept? Well, my mother, the coolest person alive, helped me design it. She’s a genius when it comes to Photoshop. The concept of silver eyes and a bolt of lightning was created, because I think simplicity intrigues readers.
What is the biggest misconception about writing a book? Almost everyone has an idea for a great novel, but actually setting scenes, creating dialogue and writing amazing plot twists takes real time and effort. Not many people have the time and patience for something like that. It’s a very hard process, but rewarding once the novel is finished.
What was your favorite aspect of the writing process for this book? Writing the scenes where the readers will say, “No way! I can’t believe that happened.” I get so excited putting those thoughts into words that it sometimes feels like my fingers are tripping over each other.
What tools/methods have you employed to promote your book? I’ve been honing my writing skills on Wattpad.com, a website where authors can post their work and have it read by people for no cost. In eight months, I have gathered more than four thousand fans who have been my biggest supporters (besides my family). A lot of them bought my book and told their friends to buy it. Promoting takes time and energy that can leave you drained, but don’t give up. Create a website, promote on blogs, use social media, and eventually you’ll see the sales skyrocket.
How has life changed for you since the publication of your book? I’ve realized that becoming an author is my true goal in life. Writing is a passion of mine that I can’t go a day without doing. Self-publishing really helped me realize that.
Do you find yourself obsessively checking sales stats? I have to admit that I do. I set a goal for the first month of publication, and I won’t stop looking obsessively until I reach that goal.
Are there plans to write another book? Electrify Me is going to be a four-book series, and I’m currently writing the second one.
My favorite last question: Oprah once famously said that there is no such thing as luck, without preparation and a moment of opportunity. Would you agree or disagree with regard to your own success as a writer? I completely agree. There were many opportunities that presented themselves to me, but I wouldn’t have been ready to take the plunge without the proper preparation.
Writing Tip #51
Stuck? Write something else. Longtime readers of this blog know that I started “Making Baby Grand” back in March 2010 because I was struggling with finishing my novel, and I thought working on a blog would get me writing about my struggles and help unblock me, which it did. Last week, I had the pleasure of interviewing Ethan Dreilinger, co-author of the ebook, Out of the Dust, for our little public access show, The Writer’s Dream. Ethan told me that the reason he started his novel was because he was struggling with writing his blog — the reverse of what I had done.
There are all kinds of ways to get yourself out of a bout of writer’s block — take a walk, take a shower — but turning your attention to another type of writing is a terrific way to take a break from whatever it is that’s giving you trouble and keep writing at the same time. You’d be surprised how many times I’d work on a blog post, utter a sudden gasp and then jot down a note for my book — what Oprah might call an “aha” moment. Why it works, I’m not entirely sure, but it’s a way to stick to a discipline while mixing things up and allowing your brain to change gears. It’s kind of like going for a long walk and then walking backwards for a half a block — you’re still walking, but you’re exercising different muscles. And when you turn back around to walk frontwards again, there’s a new appreciation, a new sensation and excitement, for the simple act of walking, the very thing that had gotten you tired or had become boring in the first place.
Writing Tip #5
Write from your heart, not with your head. This week, I posted the following on Twitter: “Writers, listen to what’s in your heart. It will never steer you wrong.” I had thought a bit about using an absolute when writing this — as a journalist, absolutes such as “never” and “always” are a big no-no — but did so anyway. As expected, I received a reply from a tweep challenging me: “Never?” he asked. Sure, in life, it makes sense to do what’s sensible sometimes, perhaps most of the time, but writing — fiction, poetry, creative non-fiction — is the place where the heart rules, and the brain takes a backseat. Some of the best writing I’ve done came after shooing my brain away, my brain who kept warning: What are you doing? Are you crazy? You can’t write that! Oh, yeah, watch me.
Guest Post: 5 Tips to Inspire Writers
Today’s guest blogger is Brandi-Ann Uyemura, the associate editor for Psych Central and a freelance writer with a penchant for all things inspiring. In her guest post, Brandi shares with us some tips for finding inspiration.
5 Quick & Easy Tips to Inspire Writers
How long can you stare into the eyes of your computer before you’re officially brain dead? There are only so many shows to watch, online sites to visit and tweets you can tweet before you’re back where you started from — uninspired and losing speed fast!
On September 29, 2010, writer Aaron Sorkin talked about his new movie The Social Network on The View and revealed a few secrets about his writing style. Things like his penchant for showering for inspiration. Without the gratifying experience of crumpling up his writing from a typewriter, Sorkin said he took a shower to recharge — sometimes up to six a day!
With that being said, there are tons of ways (quirky and creative) to bring back inspiration to your writing. Heck, if showering does it for you, I’d say it’s worth a try! Here are 5 quick and easy ways for writers to get inspired:
Stop what you’re doing! Ever try sleeping when you’re not tired? It’s near impossible, right? The wrong word in the equation is “try.” If you’ve been “trying” to write for an hour, put down that mouse, and get away from your computer. Do something that has nothing to do with writing, if just for a little while. (That means no reading or watching TV either.) While it’s tempting to keep up the momentum of what you’re doing, writing when you’re trying will be writing you need to delete later on. Save yourself that extra editing time, and stop while you’re ahead.
Money doesn’t grow on trees, but ideas may. There’s something about the outdoors that inspires creativity and invention. It’s how Isaac Newton came up with his theory on gravity. A recent research study suggests that being in nature can also sharpen your mental skills. So what are you waiting for? Go outside and take a breath of that fresh air.
Meditate. You’ve either heard the benefits of meditation (relaxation, increased ability to cope with stress, etc.) and don’t believe it or you just don’t have the time, but there’s a part of you that knows you should be doing it. Meditation is important to our mental health, yet it falls down on our list of priorities. While taking a break by indulging in a favorite television show or shopping online could temporarily relieve you of the pressure of a looming deadline, meditation is much better at alleviating long-term stress. It just takes five minutes, so you really have no excuse. Confused about how to get started? Just breathe. Listening to your breath for five minutes is enough to get you on the road to inspiration.
Give into your inner child. Do something crazy. Well, not illegal crazy or dangerous crazy, but something that makes your heart skip a beat. When you engage in activity that’s body and mind encompassing, you can’t think about that book waiting to be written at home. And that’s a good thing because you’ll leave a space for inspiration to seep through. The best part? You’ll have fun too. And goodness knows we writers need a bit of fun every once in awhile.
Do something outside of the box. This could mean different things to different people. It could mean that you take a different path on the way home from the market or you invigorate your taste buds by trying ethnic food. For me, it means reading a book I would never think of reading, like a 600-page biography. For you, it might mean writing a piece in the eyes of a character you despise. When we do something outside of our comfort zone, we open up the possibility for something new, adventurous and exciting to come into our lives. Try it, and you may end up being your own source of inspiration.
If you’re still looking for ways to get more inspirational ideas, come see my blog The Inspiring Bee or read this awesome article by one of my favorite authors, Martha Beck, called, “Creativity Boost: How to Tap into Right-Brain Thinking.” Then, go on and get inspired!
Making 'Baby Grand' (& Other Literary Rugrats) 