Writing as Therapy?

I kept a diary when I was young. From age nine to twenty-one I wrote in those cherished journals most everyday. Sometimes the entries were mechanical and boring, other times quite insightful and interesting. The most fun has been digging them out of the cedar chest and reminiscing. What is most curious to me -- and it's not exactly possible to go back and ask myself -- is why? What gave me incentive to keep a diary? Was it trendy? Was it because of loneliness? (I was an only child.) Was it my way of thinking and talking about my feelings... what bothered me, what excited me, made me sad, angry, happy? And then later in life, as my writing expanded to short stories, song lyrics, and eventually novels, has that writing been for the same reasons? All I know is that writing became a part of my life, a very important part. A way of expressing myself. But is it or could this practice be labeled therapeutic? I think so. I've given it much thought. And that's my conclusion. Maybe it doesn't matter. Maybe it shouldn't matter, as long as it makes me happy. However, it's interesting to consider the "healing" power of writing. What do you think? Is writing more than the creative, informative, entertaining art form we enjoy? Is it therapeutic?

Reading & Writing...the Connection

How many of you agree that readers make better writers? I find with my students there appears to be a connection. And it's frustrating in that so few of them are readers. Oh, of course they may dedicate themselves to their studies and class texts, but reading as a choice? Seldom happens. To find words of encouragement that work?...equally as frustrating. I tell them to think about what interests them. There are hundreds, thousands of books out there that could be about that interest. Reading feeds and expands the imagination, I tell them. It opens up a world of information, experiences. We all learn by example. To learn about styles of writing, we read. And we learn. We imitate. A little from this author, a little from that one, and then eventually we create a style we call our own. At least that's how I see it. What do you think? Share your thoughts.

Setting the Mood & a Writing Prompt

What sets the mood? Descriptive words, for one, help to create mood. Your setting, your characters, your plot, all these are dependent on such words. You appeal to your reader's senses, help him/her become an active participant. I often tell my students when they are about to work on a writing assignment to be aware of this. Or when they read a story, look for descriptive phrases and what senses they address. I tell them that when they write a narrative piece, for instance, if they haven't grabbed the reader's attention this way, then they haven't done their job. If I read a scary tale, I want to sweat, to feel my heart hammer with fear. If it's about romance, I want to melt inside and recall my own first love or kiss. You want the reader to feel this is personal, written just for him/her, to exist inside that story and its characters. Not an easy task for the writer, is it?

Now, I'd like to know what you do with mood. How do you create it? Also, how do you make your reader become involved through the senses? Give me your opinions. For those of you who want to tell by showing an example, here's a prompt to play with:

The clock chimed eight. She sat waiting with little patience when finally.....

I can't wait to read what you have to contribute. I hope you enjoy!

And the Beat Goes On....Writing With Rhythm

Well, now that school (and work) have started, I can see that posting will probably be cut down to once a week! Oh, those lazy days of summer....how I miss you :( Okay, now that my little bit of whining is over, I will go on to the intended subject of this post: writing with beats (and no, this isn't music class) Beats are the bits of action you want to break up your dialog with to vary the pace of your writing. Think of it like driving a car. There are times you may travel at a faster speed, such as on the expressway, but then you slow down or stop at the intersections, when traffic is heavy, etc. If you have a fast action scene in your story where the tension is elevated, you don't want to break it up or slow it down with a lot of beats. However, when the pace slows down or needs to take a breath so to speak, or to just vary the pace, you want to insert a beat or two. Take a look at any page of dialog in a story. For example, if it goes on with "he said", "she said", line after line with no breaks to describe action for a whole page or more, it will become too mechanical and boring. Consider this:

"I hope you'll find the time to come to the party," she said.
"I might, if it's not too late," he said.
"I just know it's going to be boring if you don't. Did you invite Ted?" she asked.
"I thought you wouldn't want him to come," he said.
"Of course he can come. I want to know your friends better."

Now just imagine this going on for a whole page or two. Then see how it changes by inserting just a couple beats of action:

"I hope you'll find the time to come to the party," she said.
"I might, if it's not too late," Sean answered.
"I just know it's going to be boring if you don't." Kristin stacked the napkins next to the plates, before asking, "Did you invite Ted?"
Sean stared out the window for a second or two. "I thought you wouldn't want him to come."
"Of course he can come. I want to know your friends better."

Minor changes such as adding beats can create a better rhythm in your dialog, give balance and reality to the scene. And one final tip - read your dialog aloud, maybe have another person to read one character's lines and you the other's. This will help you find out how well placed your beats are and any changes you may need to make.

Now, why don't you try it? Take a half a dozen lines or so of dialog from a story you've written and insert a couple beats. Or maybe you already have a sample of dialog with beats added that you would like to share? Post them here so we can see your creativity! Or leave a comment about using beats. What do you think?

Another Day, Another Post, Another Prompt

The past few days have gone by in a blur. Getting ready for the new school year and editing my current manuscript for a fifth and final time has kept me too busy. So, when I noticed that I hadn't posted since last Wednesday, well, it took me by surprise. Time not only flies when you are having fun, it obviously does that when you're really, really busy, too! Okay, now that I am done making excuses, let's get down to serious business....writing.

Today I thought I'd write about use of verb tense and POV. What works best and in what situation? In my opinion -- and it's often been stated -- that if you use the first person POV and the present tense, the reader has a more intimate connection with what the narrator is feeling, experiencing. Compare for yourself:

I enter the room and see the crowd. I want to run away, the nervousness I feel overwhelms me. I notice him standing apart from the others. He smiles at me; I blush, but manage a quiet response.
"Hello," I say, and then in sudden panic turn to find the nearest door.

Or, how about...

I entered the room and saw the crowd. I wanted to run away, the nervousness I felt overwhelmed me. I noticed him standing apart from the others. He smiled at me; I blushed, but managed a quiet response.
"Hello," I said, and then in sudden panic turned to find the nearest door.

Granted, it is a slight difference, maybe not noticeable to some. I feel the present tense gives the reader the sense of living that character's experience, right at that moment, rather like virtual reality.

Or we can play with this and change it to the third person POV and past tense.

She entered the room and saw the crowd. She wanted to run away, the nervousness she felt overwhelmed her. She noticed him standing apart from the others. He smiled at her; she blushed but managed a quiet response.
"Hello," she said, and then in sudden panic turned to find the nearest door.

So, what do you think? Do you notice or feel any difference? Which do you like better? When you write, which POV and verb tense do you prefer or find easiest to write in? Give me your opinion.

And now I'd like to experiment around a bit with the next writing prompt. I will write it in the first person POV, present tense, but when you write your story, you can decide which POV and tense to use. And if several respond, it should be interesting to see the results!

Okay, here goes....

I walk into the darkened room, my heart pounding. The fear overcomes me; I think I am drowning. Reluctant to move, my steps are cautious. I want this to be over, to find what I came for and go home....

In Your Opinion

I read an article online today concerning corporal punishment in the public school system. The statistics give pause to seriously think about the disparity throughout the U.S. For instance, did you know that 29 of our states have banned this type of punishment in public schools? Read for yourself and then give me your opinion. Should we allow it at all? Does it work? What about in your area's schools?

http://www.rr.com/view/content/story.cfm?storyId=5634946&view=NEWS&sSect=LP3-T2VGEN&trProv=NE_AP_19

Dialog Tips & the Prompt for the Day

Dialog is a very effective way to bring life to a story; it helps you show what goes on rather than telling about it. Of course, it can go the other way if written poorly! So, what does make it work? First of all, you, the writer need to avoid those things called speaker attributions. They tend to distract from what the characters are trying to say. For example, "I told you I don't want to go!" she shouted. The word shouted... is it really necessary when you already see the exclamation point? "I told you I don't want to go!" she said. Here the focus is on the quote. And it works. If you don't believe me, check out those novels you have sitting on your bookshelves. I bet you don't see too many attributions other than -- he said, she said, or maybe he asked, etc. Another tip that goes hand in hand with speaker attributions deals with those dreadful "-ly" words. For example, "Susan asked quietly" "John spoke loudly". Avoid them, too. If you write your dialog effectively, you won't need fancy attributions. And if your dialog seems to be missing something without them, then rework your dialog. Bottom line? Dialog should "speak" for itself. (Okay, I know, I know, I shouldn't have... but it is funny. Corny, but funny.)

Now, enough of this instruction stuff. Let's have some fun. I think we should try another story. Let's add some interesting dialog. So, here goes....

"I'll tell you what you can do with it," she snapped....