Road to Writing - Outline

Hi All,

The journey continues in preparing a story.  We've done some work so far in what our characters should look like, where the location of our story will take place and what some of the buildings may look like.

Now it's time to outline or plan some of the things we'd like to happen in our story.  Think about your plot, think about sub-plots and specific scenes or conversations you'd like characters to have.

There is no right or wrong way to organize your story.  You can use folders for each of the items you have or you can enter it onto one sheet.  I like to use a word document to lay things out. I like to break the document into sections: Plot, Secondary Story Lines, Specific Scenes and Other.

I don't always write up this document. I sometimes will use colored sheets of paper and cut them with ideas or write what I want to do with my story in a journal book.  My advice is to use a technical that works best for you. 

That's the key to writing your story, using the tools you have and using them the best way possible to create your story.

Today I'm leaving you with a video by Sirenia - The Path to Decay.  Enjoy!

Rock on!
~Maynard

Road to Writing - Character Appearances

Hi All,

Well, it's time to move along with our characters.  If you have character names then you might have an idea what your character(s) might look like.  By now you might have an idea of their appearance and the clothes they might wear.

What your character looks like is just as important as to what they wear.  What they wear helps shape your character and in trying to determine what your characters should wear, go to clothing websites or any website that sells clothing and start looking at clothes for your characters.

As an example, I recently went on a women's clothing website to find an outfit for the lead character in a story I'm working on.  My character is in her 20's and I envisioned her to look a certain way, that her clothes needed to reflect that she's an introvert and depressed. 

Her clothes need to reflect the darkness that she has about herself.  I found a nice jacket I wanted her to wear and a scarf to go with.  By finding the clothes I wanted her to wear and having pictures of the clothing it helped me describe the clothing better in my story.  My character went from wearing a wool short coat to wearing a black double-breasted wool short coat with a cotton teal scarf. 

If it's helpful, get sheets of paper out and create your character appearance on them so that when you write it's in front of you.  You can do this electronically too by creating files for each of your characters.

By doing this, you can see how your characters fit together.  Think of a play or a Broadway show and how the cast is complimentary to each other regarding their wardrobe.  Essentially this is what you are doing.  You're creating a character appearance palette.

This can be a fun thing to do and obviously how much you put into it is up to you.  It's not a requirement or something that many people do but with anything it's another tool to help you along.

Typically, I leave you with a music video but today I am leaving you with a commercial starring former Chicago Blackhawk Patrick Sharp which fits into today's theme.  Enjoy the chuckle.

Rock on!
~Maynard

Road to Writing - Main Character

Hi All,

Apologies for the hiatus but I had a chance to take a software testing class and so I went for it. Now that I am done with that, I hope to be back here writing posts more often.

In my last post, I gave you homework in writing down names to potentially use for your characters. Do add to your list, let it grow to 10 pages if that's where it takes you. Your list of names is very important and you'll go back to it over and over.

Today, we're going to concentrate on a supporting or main character.  You may not know exactly the role the character is going to play in your story and that's okay.  What we're going to do is jot down some basic things about your character.

In your journal book, on index cards or in a computer file, start on a blank page or card and write an attribute about your character.  If you already know the name of your character, write it at the top of the page or card. I have listed an example of the list you want to create for your character.

*Name
*Gender
*Eye Color
*Hair Color
*Physical Attributes
*Hobbies
*Occupation
*Special Skills

Now, this is just an example and you may have many more items to add about your character.  Adding more or using the basic list above is fine.  There is no right or wrong answer as you begin to construct your character.

Once you do one of your characters, try another, and another.  You'll find that you'll be able to write about your characters more easily and really flesh out who they are.  If there is a photo of a model or various people who make up the appearance of your character, cut their photos out and use those to inspire you when you write your character.

The characters in my most recent book were based on people that have been in my life at one point or another.  I've changed them drastically from the people I knew but their foundations are based on real people.  I have characters that are based on random strangers too. Plain people who I've passed walking down the street.

The world is filled with characters and many of them reside right in your own head.

Okay, that's it for me today.  Start writing about your characters and give them names if you are ready to.

Today's music treat is: Pink Floyd "Coming Back To Life"

Rock On!
~Maynard

Road to Writing - Names

Hi All,

Today's adventure is all about  - names.

Naming your characters is an important thing.  Think of all the books you've read and which characters have stayed with you all these years.  Characters development is important and will get to that in another post but today I want to address names. 

The name you give your character is not always an easy thing.  There are characters I write and I know right away what their name will be other times I struggle to give a character a name. The name you choose for your characters should be appropriate and it should fit them.

If you are writing a period piece and you have a name you wish to give a character, do research to make sure that particular name existed during that time period.  The reverse can be said if you are writing a modern piece. 

Your assignment is to write down a list of names you like.  Watch the credits of your favorite TV show to see if a name jumps out at you, whether it's the first or last name. Look through a book of baby names, magazines, movies, names are all around so write down the ones you like.

If you come up with a name that is unique or a variation of one, put it in its own column. What I mean by that is for instance, in my recent book, my main character Azlyn, her name is a variation of the name Aslan which I saw as someones last name. I saw this name in the credits of a TV show I watch.  Azlyn is an unusual name and so I set it aside so I wouldn't forget it.

Always have a list of names you like and keep adding to it.  Don't dismiss a name thinking it can only be used as a first name or a last name.  I wrote a story once using the name Jepson which was someones last name but I found it to be a very suitable first name.

Go forth and have fun my friends.  Today's musical treat is Seth MacFarlane.

Rock on!
~Maynard

Keep That Creativity Going!

Hi All,

By now you should have found a journal book, written down a few quotes and taken notice of the things around you.

Today, I want to help move you forward in your adventure in writing by scanning a real estate website or a real estate magazine that you find at your local supermarket.  The goal is to find houses that get your attention or features of houses and buildings that you like.

When you find a few that you like, take a look at how the houses are described.  This will help you when you want to describe a house and help you learn the style of house you like. Is it a Ranch, a Cape Cod, Victorian, Modern, etc.

Keep track of the pictures you find. Place them in your journal or in a special folder that you are keeping your writing in. 

If you are feeling adventurous, try this:

Take one of your quotes and connect it to something you observed around you and then to the house you recently found.

Don't worry it you can't connect the items together smoothly.  Just do the best at writing a couple of paragraphs or how many you feel comfortable in writing.

Good luck!  Here is Gary Moore - Whiskey in the Jar.
~Maynard