Sunday, June 30, 2013

Day 175 of the 365 Days of Blogging

The author, Dane F. Baylis

THE MUSE CAT IS OUT FOR THE COUNT!

I'm going to keep this concise tonight. In an unusual bit of perversity, Mama Nature has turned the Southern California coast into something a lot more like the Caribbean at this time of year. Mid-nineties temps on the coast with the kind of humidity that has sent the studio cat into a prolonged coma. Ah, that I could join her.
 
Anyway, the last few days on this blog have been something of a marathon of things to do BEFORE you write your story. Whether you're producing short fiction, novella, or novel, no matter what the genre, these are things I have found to be essential parts of the process. Will you? Maybe, and maybe not, but nothing about writing is etched in stone. Give what you've seen a fair read, think about what benefit your work might derive from these procedures, then adapt and use those parts that really make sense to you. We're all different, with idiosyncratic approaches to our work - no one thing will fit every style and habit - but something will work for most if it is tweaked correctly.
 
Now is almost the moment to let the horses run. You've done all this building of lists, answered more questions than you care to remember, and drawn pretty pictures as if you were illustrating some technical manual. There's one key thing left before you can finally start out to do what you came here for...WRITE YOUR STORY.
 
What you need to do is very simple. All you have to do is write a one paragraph summation, or synopsis, of the story you want to pen. Briefly jot down the character and setting. Describe the all important conflict and what it is the MC does to overcome it. Last, tell us what, if anything, about the MC is changed when we reach the resolution and the crisis is overcome. Okay, I fibbed, it's probably not going to be as painless as it sounds.
 
Once you've pulled this off, distill that paragraph into ONE sentence. When you can do that you will have a clear picture of what your story is. At this point, switch to the White Abyss of the new page on your monitor and begin to tell your story. You have taken a lot of the heavy lifting out of the activity and left yourself a wonderful, clear field on which to erect a really impressive edifice. So go on, amaze the hell out of us!
 
 
Meanwhile...live, love, write.
 
 
Want to follow or subscribe to this blog? There are gadgets for that on the right side of the page. You can leave comments in the form below. I can be reached directly at dbaylis805@gmail.com . You can also find links to some of the sites I visit from time to time on the right. I'm also looking for submissions to the Your Work/Your Love page. Authors retain all rights.
 
 
Tomorrow,
 
Dane F. Baylis
Author.

Saturday, June 29, 2013

Day 174 of the 365 Days of Blogging

The author, Dane F. Baylis

OH THE KNEE BONE CONNECTED TO THE SHIN BONE, THE SHIN BONE CONNECTED TO THE ANKLE BONE.

OR

Even Human Beings Started Out As Pond Slugs.

 

Everything is built one step at a time. Everything evolves (don't go fundamentalist on me, we're talking fiction here). Your stories start out as two dimensional ideas and we dress them in flesh, blood, emotions, and desires. This is what brings them alive and makes them worth the time invested by your readers. But, like the architectural references I made yesterday, if we have a drawing of some kind, the job of erecting either castle or hovel is much easier.
 
I know, we've already asked more questions than you've ever considered in this process of writing before. NO whining, writers only whine about reviews and late payments, a lot.This is going to be an easy one.
 
By creating a diagram you are providing yourself with a road map. A clear representation of the place where your story begins, where it eventually ends up, and the route in between. In this way, when you start actually writing and working through the myriad details you have listed up to now, you will have a clear idea of where you're going and how to get there.
 
The simplest diagram you can concoct is the "V". To begin, identify the three most important points in your story's beginning, middle and end and write them into a "V" something like this;
 
      Little Johnny starts for the store                           He turns into the hulk and pulverizes the punk.
      in a crime soaked neighborhood.                          Recovers the money and joins the Avengers.    
                             *                                                                                           *
                                 *                                                                                    *
                                      *                                                                           *
                                           *                                                                  *
                                                *                                                          *
                                                 He is jumped by a punk who steals the
                                                  the milk money Johnny's carrying.
 
Granted, this is a very simple story (I'm not trying for the Carver this year), but it's just an illustration, so please, let's not bust my chops over it. What, you don't think I'm going to post all my best stuff out here for you to borrow?
 
As the story evolves in your lists and imagination you can add more detail. You can put in the conflict that leads to the central problem. You can include the obstacles that your MC must overcome to reach the climax or resolution. If you are introducing subplot or minor characters with pivotal roles, you can add these as branches that return to the diagram at the key point. This is a great way of saving yourself from suddenly remembering, just before you type, "THE END", that Little Tony was supposed to warn Maggy that The Boss was looking for her and his rival One Eye about four thousand words earlier.
 
Anyway you use them, they won't hurt. And if you're thinking that this takes away from the process of "discovering" the story that your seat of the pants style is all about, I say it only clears the way for some really concentrated construction. The kind that has made the likes of Hammett and Oates world famous.
 
 
Meanwhile...live, love, write.
 
 
Want to follow or subscribe to this blog? There are gadgets for that on the right side of the page. You can leave comments in the form below. I can be reached directly at dbaylis805@gmail.com . You can also find links to some of the sites I visit from time to time on the right. I'm also looking for submissions to the Your Work/Your Love page. Authors retain all rights.
 
 
Tomorrow,
 
Dane F. Baylis
Author.

Friday, June 28, 2013

Day 173 of the 365 Days of Blogging

The author, Dane F. Baylis

ANNOUNCEMENT!

Just heard via e-mail that a short story I submitted to an on-line publication a couple of months ago has received a go ahead pending revisions! Hot-diddly-damn!

 

Now To Recover A Bit Of Decorum.

 

WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?

 All right gang, believe it or not, everything we've done up to now has been the easy part. We've looked for that story idea in its broadest terms. Maybe it came from inside our own life or we found it in a newspaper, or in a song, or written in archaic Chinese script on a two thousand year old cocktail napkin. Where ever it came from, as long as it is something that truthfully stirs your emotions, then it is time to pursue it.
 
So, we have a story idea. We've determined what type(s) of conflict we're dealing with, and how they will probably be resolved. We've asked the Major Dramatic Question (MDQ). So, what's left?
 
Well, it's like erecting a building. As they say, you've done the ground work. You've cleared away the unwanted distractions, laid down a foundation and begun to assemble your materials. Now it's time to put up the framework that will hold everything together. The drawback here is, it's still not time to go all writerly on me. Just like any good construction, we're going to consider the details carefully and commit them to paper without actually starting on that first draft. The more detailed, layered, and lively you make this part, the more engaging your finished piece will be.
 
We asked questions of ourselves to find an idea we had real feelings for, now we will ask questions about the story itself. Some of these will deal with characters, conflict, and resolution. It will inevitably be more detailed than we can cram into our tale, or should even want to, but don't let that deter you from being as detailed as possible. It will only make the later steps that much easier.
 
Let's start with characters:
 
*Who is the main character?
*What does he/she look like?
*Age?
*What makes him/her angry? Happy? Sad?
*Do they get along with peers? Do they have friends?
*What events lead them to the main event in the story?
*Other characters? How do they relate to the MC?
 
Conflict:
 
*What does your MC want?
*How does he/she try to get that?
*How do those actions effect other characters?
*How do those actions effect the setting?
*What obstacle(s) keep your MC from attaining their goal?
*How does the MC overcome those barriers?
 
Resolution:
 
*Is your MC successful at getting what he/she wants?
*What, if any, consequences occur because of your MC's actions?
*How do the actions change your MC?
*Is the MC better or worse when the central problem is overcome?
 
This is only a basic list! You should be able to think of any number of other questions that will begin to clarify your ideas. Don't be afraid to spend some time on this.Now you can see why I am such a lover of NOTEBOOKS! The more detailed you are here, the more you can focus on the art and craft of writing. You are taking away hundreds of stopping points that would require your attention while you are in the process of trying to relate a hell of a good story. It's like being an actor. The more thorough your preparation the better your performance. Just like that actor, if you have the physical details down, you can concentrate on bringing alive the emotions that an audience craves.
 
 
In the meantime...live, love, write!
 
 
Want to follow or subscribe to this blog? There are gadgets for that on the right side of the page. You can leave comments in the form below. I can be reached directly at dbaylis805@gmail.com . You can also find links to some of the sites I visit from time to time on the right. I'm also looking for submissions to the Your Work/Your Love page. Authors retain all rights.
 
 
Tomorrow,
 
Dane F. Baylis
Author.
 
 


Thursday, June 27, 2013

Day 172 of the 365 Days of Blogging

The author, Dane F. Baylis

ANNOUNCEMENT

Today marks a milestone in the life of this blog and my present stage as a writer. For a project that first saw daylight last October, and only had a handful of posts until January 10th this year when I accepted Kharysma Rhayne's "365 Days of Blogging" challenge, today is sweet. In the last twenty-four hours this endeavor has passed 10,000 views. I owe a world of thanks to all of you who have made this possible. Those of you who have stuck around, those of you who stopped by to visit, and especially those of you who have added your very unique voices to these pages from time to time. None of it happens without you!

                                      Hands together in gassho,

                                     Dane.

 

ANNOUNCEMENT II

Once in a while I come across one of those books that just pulls so many things together. Jeff Bridges' and Ernie Glassman's, THE DUDE AND THE ZEN MASTER, is one of those. It speaks to life, living, parenting, creativity and so much more in a way that is witty, thoughtful and further reaching than I expected. If you haven't yet, I recommend you acquire it. It is something I will refer to frequently.
 

NOW, ON WITH THE SHOW!

Yes, There Are More Questions In This Universe Than We Have Ready Answers For. (Did I Say It Was Going To Be Easy?)

 

So far we've asked questions of ourselves to try and prime the creative pump and generate ideas. Then we asked questions of those ideas. We asked what kind of conflict(s) we wanted to introduce for our characters to overcome. But that is only the beginning.
 
Now we come to the question that is at the heart of any story, despite its length, tone, or genre. "What happens?" Not just the simple 'what', as in,  "John Doe got up. He ate breakfast. On his way out the front door, he stopped to check the mail and found a dead rat in the letter box." These are just the story coming together. This is what we dress our ideas in to turn them into a fictional narrative.
 
When we ask, "What happens?", we are posing the (drum roll please) MAJOR DRAMATIC QUESTION. Will our hero succeed in his quest? Or will he end up worm food on some forgotten battlefield? Does the girl get the promotion, marry the boss, inherit everything and go on to establish world peace? Does little Johnny finally graduate high school at the tender age of thirty-two? The MDQ represents what goes on in that space between the statement of the problem and the resolution. It points to a story's defining event. The climax.
 
Because we are talking mostly about short fiction, we are also talking precision. There isn't the breadth to go wandering about, you need to write more specifically and with a real sense of direction so that you know what has to happen at the climax. The clearer your image is of all this, the tighter and more dramatic your writing will be.
 
Remember, I said there were questions? Here are the things you will NEED to consider:
 
* What, if anything, does my character want?
 
* What action does he or she take to get what he or she desires?
 
*What, if anything, keeps my character from getting what he or she wants?
 
*Who succeeds? Who fails?
 
Once you've asked the MDQ you get to answer it. This is the resolution. Not every story ends, "...and they all lived happily ever after." Check out some of Joyce Carol Oates' work or Ernest Hemingway's short fiction. The way YOU choose to answer the central conflict of a story will determine how it unfolds, but it will also shape the change in the character that is central to whether or not we care about him or her. Ultimately, it shapes the theme you present.
 
So, are we done with the questions? Not quite, but that's for later. For right now take a look at what we've shared over the last couple of days. Does it seem like it will work for you in your short fiction? Will it work in your longer projects? Do you see how this can help us escape the formulaic?
 
 
Meanwhile...live, love, write.
 
 
Want to follow or subscribe to this blog? There are gadgets for that on the right side of the page. You can leave comments in the form below. I can be reached directly at dbaylis805@gmail.com . You can also find links to some of the sites I visit from time to time on the right. I'm also looking for submissions to the Your Work/Your Love page. Authors retain all rights.
 
 
Tomorrow,
 
Dane F. Baylis
Author.


Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Day 171 of the 365 Days of Blogging

The author, Dane F. Baylis

WHAT WOULD EDEN HAVE BEEN WITHOUT THE SNAKE?

OR

Even Creationist Mythology Needs Conflict To Attract Readers.

 
 
You've started compiling those lists we visited yesterday. They've provided you with that germ of an idea that might make a good story. But you need something to kick the ball down field and get this game underway. Here comes the conflict.
 
What is conflict? Well, according to my handy copy of The American Heritage Dictionary: conflict > n. 1. Prolonged fighting. 2. Disharmony between incompatible or antithetical persons, ideas, or interests. 3. Psycol. A struggle, often unconscious, between mutually exclusive impulses or desires. > v. To be in opposition, differ. So, as you can see, this covers a lot of ground - from open fighting, to differing or disharmony, to the personal struggle within the mind. If you have my Irish-American background this works out pretty well. Kind of along the line of, "Uh-oh, looks like there's a punch-up brewing. Great! I was getting bored with this funeral."
 
As the definition indicates, there are two types of conflict. External, that being between two characters, a character and the environment, a character and the government, a character and some soul sucking, heartless monstrosity...Sorry, I already said government, didn't I?These are the outside things in the story which raise barriers between your character and their goal.
 
Then there's internal conflict. As it says, this conflict happens inside a character. It is a psychological struggle between opposing forces within the character's heart and mind. It has the same result, erecting barriers that the character must face on their quest for their goal.
 
Short fiction can have any combination of conflicts, as well as any number of conflicts - from one to several, but it cannot work without some form of conflict. This isn't Seinfeld, a story about nothing is, well, nothing. Conflict is what sets your character on his or her path through the story and provides the tension that readers demand. A short story is built around a change in your character. The catalyst for that change creates conflict that must be overcome, or not, to bring on the climax and resolution of the story.
 
It's up to the author to determine what type of conflict the character will face. In order to do that you will need to ask some basic questions. Again, borrowing from, " HOW TO WRITE A SHORT STORY. ":
 
*What kind of conflict do you want to highlight in the story? Will it be internal or external conflict - or both?
 
*Which conflict is appropriate for your characters' desires and actions?
 
*Which conflict is appropriate for the setting?
 
*Does the conflict offer a difficult struggle for your character?
 
If you have a strong sense of the story you want to write, the answers to these questions will probably come easily. If you're sketchy as to just how you want to advance, then answering them will be a very helpful part of developing your tale. This is still all in the realm of pre-writing so you have a lot of latitude. Experiment with different approaches and angles. Enjoy the process!
 
 
Meanwhile...live, love, write.
 
 
Want to follow or subscribe to this blog? There are gadgets for that on the right side of the page. You can leave comments in the form below. I can be reached directly at dbaylis805@gmail.com . You can also find links to some of the sites I visit from time to time on the right. I'm also looking for submissions to the Your Work/Your Love page. Authors retain all rights.
 
 
Tomorrow,
 
Dane F. Baylis
Author. 

Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Day 170 of the 365 Days of Blogging

The author, Dane F. Baylis

LET'S PLAY LIST-O-MANIA!

 

Yes, I love lists! Why? Because they take a good deal of the drudgery out of writing. Lists of places = settings. Lists of weather effects = mood. Lists of passionate emotional reactions = themes. Lists of objects = props.
 
Why not just sit down and write something and worry about the details later? Because there are so many rich and intricate parts to life that it is impossible to remember them all. Especially when you are struggling through your characters persona and what is the exact right, or wrong thing for them to do, say, own, drink, eat, watch, drive, fly...Boy, that almost made me dizzy.
 
Another thing to make lists of are ideas. Why ideas? Ever sat in front of the White Abyss and thought, "Where the hell have all the ideas gone?" Oh yes you have, Clyde, don't tell tales to the class. All of us have sat there at some point, casting all about for something, anything, to jump start the creative engine, only to realize we were out of fuel.
 
A notebook in which you keep lists of things, character traits, physical descriptions, emotional reactions, and ideas may just save your writerly ass! If it doesn't provide the exact essence of a story, it at least gets you out of the ditch and back on the road. One of the best places to find a list of ideas to start the juices bubbling and oozing is your own life.
 
Remember what I said yesterday about borrowing? Well, that last bit wasn't original, it came from my VERY dog eared copy of, "How To Write A Short Story" by John Vorwald and Ethan Wolff and published under the Sparknotes imprint by Spark Publishing. In this work is a section subtitled - Look for Ideas in Your Life. It is a list of questions for you to answer, some of which are:
 
*Who is the person who makes you most angry? Think of a time in your life when you were angrier than you've ever been before.
 
*What is your juiciest secret? What would happen if you told someone?
 
*What is the place you loved most in the world? List ten specific things you loved about it.
 
*What kind of relationship (mother/daughter, boyfriend/girlfriend, teacher/student, etc.) is most intriguing to you? Why are you so fascinated by it? What do you think is the hardest part of the relationship, the thing that leads to the most problems?
 
As you can clearly see, even a partial list like this can be the seed of some very powerful ideas. Before you know it, you're observing things around you and adding your own questions and answers to the list. Let these marinate in your mind for a while and before you know it you start using them as the catalyst that opens an idea into a theme and then into a story. But, without the lists, some of your best, quirkiest, most touching and passionate ideas will whither and disappear before you can get to them. And it is the passion you feel that carries your writing beyond just another story to one that touches a stranger in some special way.
 
 
Meanwhile...live, love, write.
 
 
 
Want to follow or subscribe to this blog? There are gadgets for that on the right side of the page. You can leave comments in the form below. I can be reached directly at dbaylis805@gmail.com . You can also find links to some of the sites I visit from time to time on the right. I'm also looking for submissions to the Your Work/Your Love page. Authors retain all rights.
 
 
Tomorrow,
 
Dane F. Baylis
Author.

Monday, June 24, 2013

Day 169 of the 365 Days of Blogging

The author, Dane F. Baylis

THINK OF THIS AS A COMBINATION BETWEEN THAT CREATIVE WRITING CLASS YOU LOVED AND THE BIOLOGY CLASS YOU HATED

AT LEAST IN THIS DISSECTION YOU GET TO HOLD ON TO LUNCH

 
All right, so we've opened this series by talking about the chapter as a serial short story, one that doesn't resolve everything and frequently will introduce new twists and questions. Now let's look at the short story as an individual form. But first, we should lay down a few parameters.
 
A short story can be something as brief as a paragraph or two that qualifies as 'flash fiction'. This is a form that is difficult to construct and have it be anything more than an interesting novelty. Most short stories range from a few thousand words to near novella length, about thirty thousand words.
 
As a rule, a short story is concise with a limited number of characters. You're not going to stuff far ranging fiction into these clothes. What you are going to create is something that cannot contain the breadth and detail for a novella or novel but is still a complete entity. It is a story built around an event or conflict that occurs between as few people as possible and can be brought to a climax in a fairly tight space.
 
Notice I didn't say resolution. There are all kinds of great short stories that do not come to resolution. They present a conflict and, often, a climax to the action that leaves you a) wanting more, or b) stunned at the ending. A great example of the latter form is Edgar Allen Poe's, The Casque Of Amontillado.
 
As is said over and over, one of the best ways to learn what makes up a good short story is to read a lot of short stories. Some of the best authors of short fiction are Raymond Carver, Kate Chopin, William Faulkner, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, James Joyce, Joyce Carol Oates, Flannery O'Connor, and John Updike. Is this a comprehensive list? By no means. There are literally hundreds of above average writers of short fiction.
 
The flip side of the coin is to learn to recognize bad short fiction, and read it also. Why adulterate your thinking with a bad example? Because you are about to give up reading for entertainment and take up reading as an exercise in learning what comprises good and bad writing. Then you will be able to incorporate those good things you find into your own writing, while avoiding the mistakes made by the less than accomplished. (And remember, we're writers, and therefore honorable, we never STEAL from one another. No more than musicians or painters...) 
 
 
Tomorrow we'll take a look at reading "deliberately" and why your enjoyment factor is about to suffer a paradigm shift.
 
 
Meanwhile...live, love, write.
 
 
Want to follow or subscribe to this blog? There are gadgets for that on the right side of the page. You can leave comments in the form below. I can be reached directly at dbaylis805@gmail.com . You can also find links to some of the sites I visit from time to time on the right. I'm also looking for submissions to the Your Work/Your Love page. Authors retain all rights.
 
 
Tomorrow,
 
Dane F. Baylis
Author.