The Review Club Forum writing tools

Just curious do you guys keep any writing tools by your sides while you write. Any books or inspirational objects. I had a friend who kept little ferry statues by him. Are there any rituals that you perform while writing?

I know I have to take a moment to get into the grove. I usually step out my back door or into the bathroom for a moment and stare off till a line comes to me then jump on the pc. There is zone I have to be in. I must look troubled when I'm in this zone because my wife always asks what's wrong. It annoys me to no end because it breaks my focus. She is supportive enough but doesn't really get a creative state of mind. She thinks I can turn it on and off like the water faucet.

But today she did a great thing. I woke up late and found a note on my pc that said, 'I took the kids to the park, have fun writing.' I wrote out you are so sweet on the bottom of the note and hid it in the spice cabinet. She just found it in the spice cabinet.

I ordered some books tonight on writing and was just curious what you guys do.

Anthony:

Give your wife a big kiss. Having the peace to write is the best!

As far as anything that gets me in the mood... I used to think a few drinks would do it, especially if it was a scene that was personal or over emotional. But, wow, what a crock of s**t that was. The only thing it gave me was purple prose and a hangover. ::biggrin::

My biggest tool I use now is my laptop. Sure, it is nice to write on and has all the cool features like spell check, but more importantly, it has my cheaters idea database, which is a listing of ideas and bits of stories I've had or written and never finished. It has scenes that I love but just haven't been right yet.

I also have an Oscar Wilde quote that I look to whenever I need my fickle muse to bend to my will.

Please do not shoot the pianist. He is doing his best. --O. Wilde

I'm glad that you mention the fleeting need to write, and how it comes and goes like a wave. Some days I can't write to save my life, and others, I can churn out word after word. I wish they could bottle that and sell it on ebay.

Julie

Dear A.C.,

I keep next to my desk a seven page document labeled "MY MUSE," which is largely a 9-point outline of the major necessities of writing. I read this now and then to keep these all in mind, and often they touch off an idea that might not otherwise show up. I'll sum it up:

1. Draw for reader a MENTAL PICTURE
2. Create SYMPATHY for the characters' plights
3. Cause the reader to IDENTIFY with the characters (eg, give characters noble goals)
4. Create EMPATHY in reader (by use of sensuous and emotion-provoking details)
5. Create INNER CONFLICT (give reason for reader to take sides in character decisions)
6. SUSPENSE stems from the STORY QUESTION
7. CHARACTERIZATION must be dynamic
8. remember characters' active and dormant RULING PASSIONS
9. identify story PREMISE and be sure the story proves the premise.

In addition, I have two bulletin boards covered in 3 X 5 notecards covering advice in such catagories as Drama & Suspense, Plot and Action, Character, Dialogue. Also on the boards are many paper clippings with pithy sayings: e.g. "The aim of every artist is to arrest motion, which is life, by artificial means and hold it fixed so that a hundred years later, when a stranger looks at it, it moves again since it is life." (Faulkner)

One more: "Action is the bridge between character and plot. What a character does should, by his actions, construct plot."

One more: the 5 Ps: Prior Preparation Prevents Poor Performance

Thanks for presenting a good question.

My solution, generally, as I try to write each day is this. I write to the end of scene whether it's crap or not, because I can go back and fix it later. Some scenes earlier get changed completely after a later scene goes somewhere else. Names might change, etc. I just want to get the words out no matter what. I don't save fragments any more like I used to, although I'll write lines or scenes in small note pads as they come to me. Later I'll incorporate.

The reason I try to write to the end of the scene no matter what is I find if I leave a scene fragmented I won't know how to jump back into to finish it. It'll dangle. With that said, sometimes I have unfinished scenes in the overall chapter where I think the scene is finished but I think I might be able to add to it later.

I love google or youtube for inspiration. If a thought comes up I'll google it and pull down anything I think is helpful for the idea. If I want to see a scene that approximates one I have in mind, I'll youtube it. But only where I can't draw on the idea immediately from my own thought.

CDn,

I gather up all what I think will go into a scene (snippets of dialogue, plot devices, description required), then divide all these elements according to whether they will likely come in the beginning, miidle, or end of a scene. Then I will decide what likely will be the transition points between begiinning and middle, and middle and end.

Now I can feel free to write just the beginning or both beginning and middle in one sitting, knowing when I next sit down the transition right into the next portion is ready and followed by my list of elements to appear in the given area. In this way I feel comfortable writing scenes by the piece.

If my energy flags after say the beginning, I take a nap, knowing when I arise I can immediatlly transition to the next phase seamlessly, with energy renewed.

Well, for me, my best writing tool is my journal. I have it with me every where I go. If an idea comes to mind, on the bus, at work, in my pub, I pull it out and jot it down. It could be a scene I am watching or a smell, who knows, but I scribble something down.

I look at one of my short stories from last year. It came about while we were waiting in line to see a Led Zep tribute band. One the marquee they had listed a band coming soon called Morbid Angel. One of my co-workers joked it would make a good title for a story. I didn't see it but the next day an idea hit me. As I scribbled in my journal, the story took form and Drawn was born.

Another reason I like a journal is it never runs out of batteries. All I need is a pencil or a pen.

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Now that explains why your scenes are so damn well organized. ;-)

Hrmm I don't really write start middle and end. I think of a good line and write it down. I know the order of things but that usually isn't how I write them. It just starts blossoming around lines. I think that is why I have rough transistions. I don't often spend too much time roping it all togeather. I figure I can go back later and work on those transitions.

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I hate running out of batteries... ::suprised::

Julie!

I have a picture of JD Salinger that I often ask questions to. Is that creepy?

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Why yes Jeff, but not unexpected!

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The Catcher in the Rye is why I started writing. I hated it so much that I said if mind numbing crap like this can get published I could too. Well I have much more respect for
both the book and author J. D. Salinger. Wiser now.

Tools, wow. Yeah. Ok, so first I have about five idea books. My personal favorite is the Pocket Muse. (I sooo cheat.) But generally I suggest any writing excercise/idea book because when I don't have an idea or a clue I can pick something from it and write. Sometimes it turns into something and sometimes it doesn't. But either way it goes in my notebook of DOOM (because everything is cooler when you put of doom after it).

Now generally I do write a story from start to finish. But it's neat to meet someone who writes non-consecutive stuff. That is really cool.

What else. I really wish I was as cool as Julie and had a neat quote. But in the end I just try to write a little each day. If it sucks then it goes back into my idea file. If it doesn't then I keep it.

Anyways that's just me,
Cameron

For me. I keep a few things around. My notebook is the one that is probably always around. When I write, I have thought about the story line, plot, scenes, ect for a few months before I start writing anything, except for little snipets that will remind me of the things I want to add to the story. I keep thesaurus.com open while I'm writing and a dictionary of dream symbolism on my desk, because it gives me ideas of things that I can add into the narration that expresses a mood that is triggered on an unconcious level.

I write from start to finsish. I usualy start with a draft that won't be detailed and just get the ideas on paper. That process takes about a month. After that, I do an outline of what I want to keep and get rid of, then do a complete rewrite, which takes about two or three months.

I just have random thoughts that I think, yeah! So I ring and leave a message on my phone which I then forget about and listen to some other time and go, yeah! And that sort of inspires me to write a random scene - with not enough transitions from the last scene, as you guys have pointed out - but strangely readers who are crazy enough to pay for my ramblings seem to enjoy the lack of cohesion and ramblings, never quite knowing where they're going next - which kind of figures, as I didn't while I was writing. So I have no advice at all, other than, don't do what I do!

Smoking, loud angry music, and the bathroom. I'm not kidding. And I am NOT a man pretending to be a woman.

-cc

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Be good, Loekie, be good. Take a deep breath and let this one go! ::biggrin::

But cc brings up something that also works for me. Depending on the scene or snippet I am writing, I find music a good tool to work with. During violent, angry scenes, I have heave angry music pounding. When it is a softer scene, it may be classical or ambient music. I find music really helps to shape my mind-set as I dive into something I want to write.

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I can relate to that. The angry music is an on off thing.

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Oh, come now, boys. The bathroom is the one place that you're almost guaranteed to be left alone in peace and quiet - because people are afraid you're either naked or doing something unpleasant. Peace and quiet are rare gifts.

-cc