​Hello once again, dear reader, and welcome to another Wednesday edition of Adventures in Writing and well… I have to admit that I’m supremely excited to write this particular blog. Simply because, we are done discussing the finer points of preparation and construction. It’s time to write, it’s time to talk about progress and the wonderful and difficult moments that come with writing a story and ironically enough, today’s blog is going to feature both of those elements in one sitting. Because today, we are going to talk about the most inspiring and the most terrifying part of writing; starting a new project.
 
Which may seem like quite the contradiction but joy and terror are basically the two things a writer feels when they sit down to write something new and well, I’d like to break down that process because I want this blog to be as honest and as raw as possible, so… let’s start with the first thing you feel, the joy. Because man, the instant you sit down with that blank page, with the cursor blinking away, all you can feel is adrenaline and the endless possibilities of what is about to happen. Because this is it, you’re about to create something out of thin air and that’s just an incredible prospect, one that has you ready to roll.
 
But despite your excitement, it doesn’t take long for the joy to disappear and be replaced with the harsh reality that once you get past FADE IN (if you’re writing a screenplay) or Chapter One (for all the novelists out there), you’re not quite sure how to procced. After all, this is it, the bare beginning. And you need to set the tone with some powerful words that will grab the audience and/or the reader and well, that’s a daunting task for certain, one that helps to engender a little bit of fear and a whole lot of doubt. Because for a brief moment, you worry that what is about to appear on the page isn’t good enough, that it and everything that follows is going to be crap and that this whole endeavor is going to be a titanic waste of your time.
 
However, it’s okay to feel that fear, and it’s okay to feel that level of uncertainty. Because for a writer, it’s a natural thing. After all, you are in essence venturing into the unknown and creating something out of nothing and that’s a wild prospect in its own right. But every writer goes through this, in fact if you go through Stephen King’s book about the craft, aptly titled On Writing; you’ll find a fascinating quote about the beginning of a story from the maestro himself. Wherein he tells us: ‘The scariest moment is just before you start. After that, things can only get better.’ And Mister King is right. Because it does get easier, and it is always scary, which is why it is best you just… write.
 
Just, get some words on the page, get your fingers moving. And while that may not offer you the exact words, you’re looking for at first, that’s fine. Because now the juices are flowing and you’re shifting into writing mode and things will begin to flow. And hey, if it isn’t exactly up to snuff right away, that’s what rewrite are for later. So, with all of this in mind, why offer up such a gamut of emotions in regard to the start of a brand-new story? Well, simply because, I want this blog to serve as a hybrid of sorts. One that offers advice to folks that are just starting out or are curious about the writing process, but also have it chronicle my own thoughts and feelings as I put together this new screenplay.
 
Which means, this was biographical in nature. For these are the emotions I went through this past weekend when I settled in to finally put some words to paper in this new screenplay and man, did it feel good to get back into the game and just create. After the fear, of course. Plus, the best part was that I was able to piece together six pages of this thing, six pages that I actually feel good about. So, now that the words are flowing again, and now that I am comfortable with everything, I spent weeks assembling, this blog is going to take a tiny hiatus. Because I want to have something worthwhile to offer all of you outside of ‘wrote two pages on Tuesday’, and on that note, I’m off to Final Draft to dive deeper into this and we will pick up in a couple of weeks when I’ve made a little more progress on this new adventure. Until then.

​Hello again, dear reader, and welcome to another Wednesday edition of Adventures in Writing. And after a couple of quick stops in advice land, the kind that I thought were supremely important to more of my fellow scribes out there, the time has come to sit down and refocus this blog. Because for some time now I have been promising all of you a grand chronicling of the rewrite I’m embarking upon, the kind that helps to examine the writing process as a whole and well, it’s time to quit staving that off and dive into the nitty and gritty of writing, and the best place to continue this particular journey is by examining how one assembles a character.
 
Because at this point, I already know my plot and I have an ending in mind. Which means, that the characters now have to fit that plot and help guide the story along and that is the true trick to this particular part of storytelling. In that, how does one create vibrant and colorful characters that help to drive a story? And well, I would venture to say there is no easy answer to that particular question. Because just like outlining, everyone has their own special way to build a character that populates a fictional world.
 
Some writers for instance, believe firmly in diving deep into the character, from birth to the moment we meet them, and they assemble incredible treatments of their lives and the moments that formed them. While other writers look for important moments about these imaginary people that are relevant to the story and let them come to life on the page in a relative freestyle format. But no matter how you handle their creation, the important and concurrent theme here is that the characters need to feel complete and have depth. Because if they don’t feel real in the slightest, the audience won’t resonate with them in the slightest and that’s a disaster waiting to happen.
 
Personally however, I build my characters based upon a couple of edicts. First and foremost, they need to serve a purpose within the framework of the plot. I am never a fan of when a character just pops in for like two seconds and disappears just like that. Every single one of them should somehow move the plot along, including the ones who only make a brief appearance. Because in my humble opinion, everything in a story serves the plot and our characters and their actions are what get us from point A to point B, so they shouldn’t be wasted in the slightest. Second to that, I do indeed expect the leads to have depth to them when we meet them on the screen or on the page.
 
I don’t go as far as creating their childhood and every formative moment they’ve ever experienced, unless it is relevant to the story. But I do make a point of figuring out what they stand for and what events have brought them to the moments that we are about to share with them. Because those are the pieces of their personality and their fictional souls that are critical to the story and they of course, have struggles that they need to overcome and that is perhaps the most important part of character building when all is said and done. Because overcoming obstacles is what all of us strive for and struggle with, and that brings up one more thing that I try to inject into my characters; I really do want them to be relatable to the audience. Which is why they need to have familiar quirks and are likely working to overcome something familiar to all of us, so that we feel that connection.
 
The bottom line, is that no matter how you decide how to create fictional people on the page or for the screen, just give them depth and make them vibrant and memorable. Because these are the folks that are going to be driving your story and who your audience will be spending a lot of time with, so make sure they’re everything the audience hopes for and more. And now that we know what goes into building them, and now that mine are also fleshed out and ready to go, the time has come to do what is perhaps the hardest part of creative writing; start the story. Which is where we will pick up, next time. Until then.

Hello again, dear reader. Once more, we’ve reached that time of the week (which I suppose we should hashtag and call ‘Writing Wednesday’), wherein we discuss creative writing on NTG and well, today’s particular entry in this blog is going to be filled to the brim with advice. Because after taking the time last week, to discuss the fact that writers should avoid having to pay for anyone to read or represent their work, I came to realize that there is a little more advice that I need to offer to writers that are just starting out, specifically when it comes to protecting themselves.
 
Because sadly, there are people out there who are ready to take full advantage of a nouveau scribe’s naiveite for various reasons, which does sound like quite the ominous statement, the kind that evokes some ugly imagery. For I am sure you can already picture a greasy agent or producer, the kind that operates out of a seedy office and has to dab their brow nervously when the phone rings. But that’s not really what you’re going to encounter out there. No instead, you’re going to run into like-minded individuals. Folks who want in on the game or are trying to get back into it and these guys and gals are going to promise you the world and try to appeal the dreamer side of you to keep their hands on your work.
 
They will lead you on, they will name drop, and say whatever they need to in order to keep you hooked on the potential of making it big and you will eat it up because you want nothing more than to see your name on the big screen or on a shelf at Barnes and Noble. Which doesn’t really sound nefarious when all is said and done, but this does pose a problem for you, in that; they’re not going to do anything with your work. They don’t have the connections they claim, they don’t have the ability to properly close a deal with a studio or a publisher and your work will lament in development hell until you either snap out of it or they give up. If anything, these folks just waste your time and drag you along and thankfully there are things you can do to prevent that.
 
First and foremost. Understand that what you are about to embark upon is a business transaction. Sure, they might be good people with great intentions, but you cannot allow for this to be personal for you in the slightest and you should expect some kind of return on investment or results from the person promising you a sale. Which means the first thing you need to do, is get everything in writing. Set out your terms and get ink on that contract. As to what those terms are, that’s between you and the party. I’m a writer, not a lawyer and not qualified in the slightest to give out legal advice, and if you’re not comfortable putting that together, invest in a lawyer, they’re worth it. However, what I can offer today is common sense advice and that’s what this is. Because you need to protect the story you poured your heart and soul into and this will definitely help do that. And quick note, if they say ‘no’ to a contract, say no to working with them. It’s a big red flag, plain and simple, just walk away.
 
So, with that out of the way, let’s get back to the advice to hand. Because another common sense thing to do, is put an expiration date on your agreement. Because this way you add a sense of urgency to the matter and it will let you see just how serious your interested party is in making the sale. But while these elements lay the foundation for protecting your work, how does one gain a return on the investment of your time? Well… be the boss in this instance. Ask for regular updates and detailed information on what your rep is doing to sell your story. Get detailed reports on those meetings, hold them accountable. Which may sound exhausting but the point of all of these safeguards is to ensure that this person puts their money where their mouth is. Because a good agent or producer will be happy to share honest progress, the kind that isn’t filled with pomp and circumstance, because they’re a partner. And really the point of all these protections and procedures is that in the event this doesn’t go the way you want it to you can walk away once the contract expires.
 
Which brings me back to the whole not taking it personal. Because part of you will want to. You’ll feel that you invested all this time and energy into nothing, regardless of the contract, and that’s not the case at all. For one, you just garnered some business experience and stood up for yourself by saying no. Second to that, you’re walking away clean and free, and now you can move onto a representative that will indeed invest time and care in your work and go the extra mile for you and that’s what you want. Someone who holds the story up and believes in it, not their interests. It’s just business, plain and simple and if the interested party wants to make it personal or is fussy about you no longer wishing to work with them, oh well. It’s your story, and your business is now concluded, and they didn’t deliver on their promises, so just move on.
 
But perhaps the most important advice that I can offer in matters such as this, is that you do need to listen to your gut now and again. Because it knows what’s up and if it flutters when the promises flow, it’s telling you something. So yes, follow it, and don’t play the ‘what if?’ game and think that if you step away from this, your big shot will never come. Because the right person will get you where you need to go and wasting time on empty promises will never get you connected with that person. The bottom line is that you wrote this beautiful story, you gave it life, and it is up to you to get it into the right hands. It takes time, and there are no shortcuts or easy ways to success. So, protect your creation and yourself and know your worth and that will help you realize who really has your best interests at heart. Until next time.

​Hello again, dear reader. It’s that time of the week to talk about creative writing here at NTG, except today’s discussion is going to be a little different than what I promised you during our last go round. Because while it is important to continue to talk about the craft and how characters are built and assembled on the page, I ran into something late last week that is more or less bugging me days later, and rather than dive into that discussion on character construction, I think today’s blog will be better served by offering up a little advice to folks out there who are hungry to get their name out in front of other people.
 
Which I know, sounds like the beginning of a bash session on someone who was out of line or didn’t use proper etiquette and that’s not the case. No instead, we need to take a minute today and talk about websites and ‘agents’ and other folks who charge fees for reading your work because, that’s a problem and a major concern and let’s start with a little background as to why this is irking me today. So, full disclosure, I belong to quite a few groups on the web that chat up the craft and/or try and guide writers toward opportunities because hey… you never know where it might lead. And on several occasions, they’ve helped me locate some contests that were up my alley or helped me find some potential publications to submit to.
 
But the group in question today, well… needless to say I backed away into the bush pretty darn quick once I saw how this one operates. I mean, it looked like it was going to be helpful, it had job leads posted everywhere on its board, with just one caveat: I have to pay to submit to a job. Which is a big problem. Because this website/group is designed to connect screenwriters to potential gigs and well, having had a little experience in that field, I’ve never been asked to pay a submission fee or ‘reading’ fee to any producer that I’ve ever worked with. If anything, it’s been the opposite, wherein they offer me a contract and some cash to read it and that’s really why I’m quite irritated with this site and why I feel compelled to say something on these here internets.
 
Because a writer should never have to pay for a ‘professional’ to read their work. For true professionals, fully understand that your work is a well-crafted story, one that requires the right kind of care. Which is why you’ll see contracts of various varieties when agents and producers agree to represent your work. Because these folks understand that once the stars align properly, everyone will be compensated in appropriate fashion. So, the bottom line, is that if an agent or producer asks you to pay a reading fee or evaluation fee after saying they desperately want to read your work, politely decline and move on. Because the chances of them doing anything worthwhile to have your work seen in front of the proper people are slim to none.
 
Yet, there is a flip side to this little conundrum in that, I did a couple of weeks ago, point out that contests require an entry fee, and those are a great way to get some recognition. So, wouldn’t that be counterproductive to what I just said? The answer is no. Because contests are up front about their fees, whereas these other people and places keep that a secret until they feel they’ve reeled you in enough to ask for the cash. Plus, contests often offer some kind of prize money or prize in general and the fees in question, go to people who are reading your work and to the pot as well. So, in this instance, you at least have an idea of where your cash is going and if all goes according to plan; you’ll get your entry fee back and a whole boatload more when you win first prize in said contest.
 
If anything, I simply felt compelled to write this advice themed blog because I hate the idea of any writer pouring money into something that isn’t going to take them anywhere, and that’s really what these sites and fake agents/producers do. They take the cash and that’s it, and it doesn’t matter what these entities promise you, they’re the personification of ‘too good to be true’. So, I do apologize if this blog seemed a little saltier than expected, but this needed to be said. Because it’s not cool that people are taking advantage of others, and raising awareness about their bullshit is the only way to help put a stop to this. So, hopefully this helps you in your endeavors to get published and/or produced and honestly, there’s a little more advice I want to offer in regard to protecting yourself as a writer, so we will delay the rewriting portion of this blog for a just little longer. Until next time.   

Well hello again dear reader. It’s that time of the week again at Nerds That Geek where we talk about the craft of creative writing and all the ups and downs that come with it. Because writing can be quite the unstable adventure now and again, especially when the time has come to genuinely begin to assemble a story. For this is when you have to roll up your sleeves and really dive deep into the structure of your story and this can be quite the terrifying venture when all is said and done.
​
Because these first steps, the kind that every writer takes differently, are filled with doubt and worry. For you haven’t a clue if the concepts floating around in your mind are going to actually work as a structured story, or for that matter if the moments you’re thinking of assembling will indeed provide the reader or the audience with the gravity that you’re hoping for. But as the old saying goes, you don’t know until you try and that’s why I for one… love this part of the creative process. Because it’s a thrill to feel fear and hope all at once and start to see your story come together. But, while I’ve talked a lot about how it feels, I haven’t spent a moment discussing exactly how one starts to assemble a story and for that I apologize. I get excited when I talk about the craft.

But with that in mind, let’s dive in, and let’s start with the fact that there is no wrong way to begin to piece together a story. Some folks, well they prefer to put their ideas down on note cards and then put them on a board so they can see how the story flows in fine visual fashion. Some honestly just like to dive in and see where the hell it goes and me, well I like to loosely outline the overall structure of the story, and this is really where that thrill comes in that I made mention of a moment ago. Because in this part of the writing phase, you genuinely can see the connective tissue of the story come together, and see how a decision in Act One will strengthen Acts Two and Three and watching it assemble right before your eyes is a magnificent feeling, because you’re watching concepts become reality and you start to get a feel for the rhythm of the story and well, it’s been a while since I felt the rush that comes with that, but it was definitely present here as I put this new story together. Except this time around, I have to admit that I was a little more fastidious when it comes to the ideas that I was assembling on the page. Simply because there’s part of me that doesn’t want to repeat the mistakes that made in my last screenplay.

Which means, I really challenged ideas that came too easy, and asked myself if they actually helped the character grow, or if they were just cool ideas or ones that were too good to be true. And while that looks like a sign of doubt or perhaps worry on my end, it certainly did not feel that way to me. It made me feel as though I had grown, and rather than try and rush to the finish line like I did in the original screenplay, I was taking the proper time to build the right foundation for the right story and well, after a weekend full of work, I feel good about where this script is going and what it is going to stand for and I suppose it’s only right that I provide you with a bit of an idea of what this movie is going to be about.

So, first and foremost, this is going to be a sports drama. A boxing related one, in fact. And it is going to be about the past and how it haunts us and how we need to confront it in order to properly heal and already, I can see some folks shaking their head with disappointment, and I fully understand why. Because everything I’ve said sounds cliché and run of the mill since we’ve seen countless boxing flicks where our hero works out their pain in the ring and well, that’s not this movie. I want the boxing aspect to represent something else and have deeper meaning, and I really want to present the fighter as a human being, one that genuinely grows before our eyes and honestly, I’m excited as to where the plot is going and I’ll drop more details along the way.

Because I want this blog to really serve as the diary for this screenplay, one that chronicles the ups and downs as this story comes to life. But what matters more today, is that the first steps have been taken, the framework for the film is now in place, the characters are fleshed out and ready to be given life. Which means it is time to sit down and just write. However, before the diary can properly begin, we do need to talk about those all-important characters and how they earn their depth, and that’s exactly where we will pick up next time. Until then. 

​When we last settled in to discuss the craft of creative writing, we spent a lot of time discussing the need to be open to the nature of the rewrite and how sometimes, that is a flat-out necessity in order to make a story better. Which in turn made it seem as though the next chapter in this blog was going to revolve around the early stages of rebuilding the foundation of a story in order to prepare for that massive rewrite and honestly, that was my initial intention when it comes to this particular blog. But a funny thing happened on the way to that process, I got a little sidetracked by an opportunity that I couldn’t pass up and well, that’s going to take the center stage today.
 
For I subscribe to an unhealthy amount of newsletters and groups that revolve around writing, simply because I’m always on the lookout for some potential opportunity to get my work in front of others and recently, I stumbled upon a short story contest that quite frankly was right up my alley. Because I have a story that’s been sitting around for ages, one that I’ve done quality rewrites on, and love for its uniqueness. But it is indeed a short story, one that chronicles an important moment in a person’s life and I’ve often been trepidatious to submit this one to contests since it is indeed a whopping 1300 words in nature, which in writer speak equates to about five pages since 250 words = 1 page in industry standards. But I digress because that’s my inner writing nerd coming out.
 
What matters more, is that they wanted something brief and meaningful, and I thought this might qualify since it revolves around one person’s final moments on earth. So, I submitted the sucker, paid the freight on the contest and realized that this is another element we don’t talk about in the writing community enough. Because contests have their merit and they really can be helpful to writers for so many reasons, such as how, they’re legit good for a resume. Because winning one of these means your story was the genuine cream of the crop and that is the kind of accolade that can go into a query letter and hey, it’s something to absolutely be proud of. But the magic of the contest goes beyond winning and potentially enjoying some kickass prizes and relishing in the joy of assembling something beautiful and worthwhile, they can in fact also improve your work.
 
Because some contests, not all, do take the time to offer feedback on your story and that can be invaluable. For sometimes, we get very close to a story and it becomes personal in ways we never thought possible, and that can be a bad thing if there’s a fundamental flaw in said story or some wrinkles that need to be smoothed out in the overall framework of it. So entering one that offers feedback really does provide the author with an objective view of their story and what they can do to improve it and having had that happen to me recently, I really did find that to be incredibly worth the entry price and it definitely helped me to refocus the screenplay I’ve been chattering on about for weeks. And honestly, said feedback has motivated me to really challenge myself because it made me realize I can do better, and that’s prompted me to work hard to put the best possible words on the page as of late.
 
But while contests do indeed offer writers a chance at some awesome prizes and the sheer joy of letting others know that they won, and the potential to improve, there are some things everyone should know about them up front. For example, a contest is likely going to require you to pay an entry fee up front to enter said contest and while some may see that as a rip-off well, the prize money has to come from something and honestly, the way I look at it, is that one needs to weigh if this is right for them. So, really dig into the contest and see if it fits your needs and if it does and you’ve got a killer story, the kind that’s exactly what they’re looking for, enter it. See what happens. But if you’re not keen on spending money for this kind of stuff, that’s okay too. Contests aren’t for everyone and it’s okay if you don’t find value in them. Also, if you do decide to enter one, do be prepared for a wait. After all, they have a lot of stuff to read to narrow down the field so patience is also a must for these events.
 
I, however, love me some contests. I enjoy the thrill and endless possibilities of entering them and they’ve been worth my while thus far. Because not only have I received some magnificent feedback from them, I’ve also placed as a finalist in a few and if it wasn’t for rolling the dice a few years back on the Illinois International Film Festival, I wouldn’t have won Best Original Screenplay and damnit, I am incredibly proud of that. And I think about the thrill that came from that phone call, every time I enter a contest and hopefully, I get that to experience that again in a few weeks when I hear back from this current one. In the end, I personally believe contests bring out the best in a writer, because they really do prompt you to polish your work and put your best foot forward and truly the reward is worth the effort and hopefully this has helped give some direction to someone out there who wasn’t sure about entering one and I’ll keep you up to date on when I hear back from this current contest. But for now, it’s back to our regularly scheduled programming, and the script that’s waiting to be given new life. Until next time. 

Hello again, dear readers. Last time we sat down to discuss the craft, I promised all of you more creative writing content on NTG in 2020 and here it is! Because I am thankfully about to begin rewriting the screenplay that I made mention of in my last entry of this blog and well, now seemed like a good as time as any to discuss what motivates one to start that process. For in all honesty, I cannot recall the last time I saw much content on rewriting when it comes to novels and screenplays and everything in between, outside of how it is an outright necessity for scribes everywhere in some capacity.
​
If anything, I think I understand why this particular topic isn’t visited all that much on the web, simply because it can be dry for certain. After all, most rewrites involve changing of dialogue, or tightening of paragraphs and that really doesn’t make for a compelling blog. I mean come on, who wants to read about how a writer changed a single word for better impact? But this, this has merit for me because folks definitely don’t talk about detonating a story that has fundamental flaws within its framework, and what it looks like to rebuild it from the ground up.

So with that in mind, let’s talk about my problem child script and those flaws because they are critical to what the new iteration of this story is going to look like and really, what motivated me to finally start this tale over is the sheer fact that the original story is… too happy. In fact, the feedback I received from the film festival I recently entered it into, was that everything in the story was ‘too good to be true’. Which is a problem simply because conflict is what drives a story and going through an entire film and trying to fix those flaws would require a major rewrite as is, so why not just retire this one and try it from a new angle? Which in turn does raise an important question, in that, when one decides to start anew, what angle do you take?

I mean, clearly this was a feel-good story to begin with, so does one take a more uplifting story and dunk it deep into darkness? Do you take characters with noble intentions and put them in greyer areas so there is now aggravated conflict between them? Granted, those are all of course, viable options for the new iteration of a particular story, but in all honesty, they’re also a cop out. Because it’s incredibly easy to make a story darker and gritter and it’s easy to put ill will into a fictional character’s soul and I simply didn’t want to do that. I wanted to find a way to keep the uplifting nature present in the first draft of this story, which meant this story needed to slide into more realistic territory since they had to earn their happiness, like the rest of us do.

Which may seem like a gross oversight on my part since I myself have preached complete arcs for characters and taking the time to see what really makes them tick. But if this last draft taught me anything, it’s that… sometimes you lose yourself within a story and that it is possible to assemble a tale where only good things happen and the arc/conflict in question is akin to being forced to choose between cheesecake and strawberry cheesecake. And if you don’t believe that kind of storytelling is sustainable, well then, allow me to introduce you to the Hallmark Channel. But I digress, because what matters more, is that knowing that my characters need to earn their emotional stripes allowed me for to assemble a concept that featured a heavy dose of reality.

Not the kind that tortures the characters and the audience with hardship after hardship, but the kind that is relatable and organic, the kind that forces the characters to genuinely grow and push ahead in order to find the peace they will be looking for and honestly, this new concept has me quite excited. Because now this story has a depth and gravity to it that I honestly didn’t think was possible before, and that’s my bad for playing it safe the first time around and looking toward the endgame over the journey. But that’s okay, because eventually, I figured it out with a little help, and perhaps the true beauty of the potential of the rewrite, is the sheer fact that it allows for a writer to really look at the core of a particular story and dive deep into what said story needs to accomplish to properly examine the human condition. And knowing that I need to be more critical of my own work and push it a little harder, oddly has me energized to dive in and start to plot this new adventure. Until next time. 

Hello again, dear friends. It has been a little while since we talked about creative writing. In fact, it’s been a long time and for that I apologize, but 2019 was not a good year for me creatively. Truth be told, I went into quite the stagnant place, one where I didn’t do that great of a job with querying. Which is unfortunate, because no one is going to be knocking on my door begging for my manuscript or whatever screenplays I have lying around. And in all honesty, I really just focused on blogging in 2019 and let the creative stuff just sit around more than it should have. If anything, the best analogy for my creative work last year, was that I was akin to a picky child who really didn’t want to do more with the Salisbury Steak in front him but poke at it. So yeah, words made the page, but not that many.
​
Which is why this particular blog is going to become a necessity for me in 2020. Because I think talking about the craft and where I am in the creative process adds accountability and focus. After all, no one likes the idea of embarrassing themselves on the web by saying, ‘Imma do the thing’, followed by ‘yeah so, I didn’t do the thing.’ So, with that in mind, let’s talk about creative writing once again and look at an important part of the craft that I think some of us don’t like to think about or do all that often, and that’s hit the proverbial reset button on various projects and our work habits. Because we like to think that forging ahead is the way to roll, and that you have to grind all things out to be successful, but truthfully speaking, that’s not always the case.  

Because sometimes, the grind can be unhealthy, simply because… you obsess over a particular story in all the wrong ways and honestly, that’s something that happened to me in 2019. For you see, there’s a screenplay that I wrote ages ago that had some serious legs for a little while. It garnered interest and bounced around a few awesome places, but nothing ever really came of it. Which… quite frankly made me think it was the hot thing and I really just needed to find the right person to nurture and grow this project and well, that kind of belief system can pull the wool over one’s eyes. Because suddenly you believe in it over anything else and that joy of knowing someone read it and considered it, is intoxicating. But… in the end it hasn’t gone anywhere, and while that seems like the setup to begin a grandiose rant about how the system is rigged or I didn’t get a fair shake, that’s simply not the case.

For in reality, the folks that read it did nothing wrong, they weren’t rude or mean or biased against anything. The fact of the matter is, it’s a script that needs more work, something I came to learn after a recent contest entry. Because the feedback said contest provided me with, exposed powerful flaws that were in the foundation of the script that I would venture to say I knew were there all along, but I simply wanted to will this thing into existence and this is the unhealthy stuff I’m talking about. Because instead of trying to find the right producer or agent for this thing, I should have been taking an objective look at the script and making any necessary changes. And for those wondering why those interested parties didn’t offer feedback, that’s not their job. They have piles of scripts to get through and if it’s not ready on my end, that’s my bad and well, coming to realize that the screenplay needs some serious work, brought me to an important decision that I’m oddly good with.

Because I finally have to come to the realization, that this script, in its current state and design, simply needs to be retired. For it was written by a different man all those years ago, one who has grown and experienced new things and well, this story no longer resonates with me like it should. Granted, that sounds like a surrender and the prelude to saying I’ve had enough, and that it is time to just walk away from this part of the craft and move on in life, but that too would incorrect. If anything, this is a grand opportunity to hit that proverbial reset button. To start over with a fresh idea that is quite frankly better and has more to offer than what came before it and that’s precisely what I’m planning to do in 2020, and I am so looking forward to it. Because now I get to outright create something new, and that’s always an exciting venture and the endless possibilities with this story have me supremely excited.

Because honestly, I played it safe with the screenplay in question. I held back; I took the easy route. But now, I can dive in and create something bold and powerful and moving and this is why hitting the reset button is sometimes a wonderful thing. For it really allows you to see things clearly and objectively and forge a new path when you realize you’re walking the wrong one and man, it feels great to be back on track mentally to start work on some new stories in 2020. And I promise to write more frequently about the craft and I do hope you join me as I quit doofing around and put together this new screenplay and chronicle some of the other goodies I’ve been working on as of late since I’ve clearly grown tired of being lazy with my work and well… now seems as good a time as any to just buckle down and write and accomplish some of my long-standing goals. 

When I was 17, I met an African storyteller. He was a round-faced, wrinkled little guy with the sharpest eyes I've ever seen. He spoke in a melodic French-African accent (English was his fourth or fifth language) and he knew everything, it seemed, about writing. When he wasn’t teaching, he traveled across Africa, collecting oral stories and writing them down for posterity.
 
He was my first real-life writing teacher. And he had a unique way of encouraging my horribly limited skills. Rather than point out everything I had done wrong, he would point out something I'd done right, and say: “Yes, yes. More of this.”
 
That feedback was what got me started as a writer. Within a couple of years, I had sold my first magazine article. I've been writing ever since.
 
Half a dozen books and hundreds of articles later, I'm looking back and realizing there are so many weird things I love about writing.
 
1. It makes you the office supply king of the apocalypse.
 
Technology is neat, but there are times when nothing beats pencils and paper.
 
I’m an unapologetic office supply geek. When back-to-school sales start up, and the stores are piled high with index cards, filler paper, and dry erase accessories, I run around like a kid in a candy store. I love it so much, sometimes they have to call security.
 
If there's ever a zombie apocalypse, and the survival of the human race depends on building a fortress out of shrink-wrapped bundles of index cards, I'm your man. Bring me some erasers and we’ll talk.
 
2. Writing makes you mumble less.
 
Believe it or not, I used to be terrible at expressing myself. I would mumble. I would stumble over my words. I made everything awkward.
 
But all these years of writing have taught me how to organize my thoughts and convey them in a clear, compelling manner. I've gotten better at being direct and succinct.
 
At least in writing. In person, sometimes I still mumble. But now I'm a more succinct mumbler.
 
3. You can get paid to write. What? Yes.
 
Samuel Johnson once famously quipped, "No man but a blockhead ever wrote except for money." And while I think that's a little severe, the guy had a point.
 
Look, you don't HAVE to get paid to write. I write for free all the time. Because it's fun. Because I like to connect with readers. Because I like to hear myself talk. Because whatever.
 
But if you try hard enough, you CAN get paid to write. You can even make a living at it.
 
Nobody believes that, though, I just have to warn you. I know this from experience. When you tell someone you’re a writer, they think you're either fabulously rich or stone-cold broke. Nobody imagines that anyone can just, you know, make a living as a writer.
 
Weird.
 
4. Every day is an adventure. And that's (mostly) a good thing.
 
What's the surest way to avoid getting stuck in a rut? Make sure that there is no rut.
 
You don't have to constantly reinvent your life. But every day, I try to write something different.
 
Not only do I write novels and short stories (and blog posts and newsletters and back cover copy), I also write freelance projects for business clients. Magazine articles, sales letters, case studies, website content, you name it.
 
To be honest, I enjoy some projects much more than others. But with a constant variety of projects crossing my desk, I'm never doing the same thing twice.
 
5. There's no such thing as a bad day at the office.
 
I'm going to qualify that. Obviously, on some days, everything goes horribly wrong. Your computer goes up in smoke. Your car breaks down in traffic. Zombies swarm through your index card blockade.
 
These things happen to everyone. That's just life.
 
But I'm going to paraphrase the great Peter Bowerman (author of The Well-Fed Writer): Writing is like going to the beach. And a bad day of writing is like a bad day at the beach.
 
You really can't complain. Because no matter what happens, you’re still at the beach. Metaphorically speaking, anyway.

6. You meet the most interesting people.
 
And when I say interesting, I mean bizarre.
 
One time, a gravelly-voiced gentleman in Las Vegas wanted to hire me to write new content for his website. The phone call went something like this:
 
ME: So, do you need an About Us page, and maybe a separate page for each of your services?
 
HIM: No, no. You don't understand. This is live-action stripper dinner theater.
 
ME: Um... I'm sorry, what?
 
HIM: My customers got no attention span. These aren't gonna be "pages." It’s gonna be page. Singular. Short, punchy, know what I mean?
 
ME: Um, it's just... Did you say live...
 
HIM: Live-action stripper dinner theater. Yeah, I just bought the company. The website is terrible. Bounce rate is too high. That's why we need you.
 
ME: Hmm. Yeah, I'm not sure that I --
 
HIM: How much this gonna cost me?
 
ME: Um...
 
HIM: You got any samples of anything like this you done before?
 
ME: Nnnnnnoooooooo.
 
7. You get to research the oddest things.
 
The main character in my Dru Jasper urban fantasy series is a crystal sorceress. In every book, she has to stop doomsday using her magic powers, which come from real-life crystals. Quartz energizes her, amethyst protects her from psychic attacks, et cetera.
 
The thing is, before I started writing these books, I didn't know much at all about crystals. Sure, I knew there was quartz, amethyst, and . . . um, some other crystals. Maybe a dozen or so?
 
Wrong-o, Bongo. There are thousands of crystals in this world. THOUSANDS.
 
All different colors. All different sizes and shapes. Some are metallic. Some are fiber-optic. Some glow under black light. Some are mildly radioactive. Some are from outer space. I've started a rock collection that looks like it belongs in a Marvel movie.
 
Did you know that the ancient Egyptians invented eyeliner? But it wasn't just for looks. They would grind up galena crystals to make a dark paste that was supposed to protect you from the “evil eye.”
 
Crazy superstition, right? Except that scientists have since discovered that galena, a lead sulfide, kills bacteria on contact. And since eye infections in ancient Egypt were mostly spread by insects landing on your face, the Pharaoh’s eyeliner served as real protection.
 
Strange, but true.
 
8. Writing is fun. No, really. I'm not kidding.
 
People tell me the most bizarre things about writing:
 
“I can't seem to make myself write.”
 
“Writing is just so painful.”
 
“I wish I could just wave a magic wand, and POOF, my book would be done, so I don't have to write it.”
 
I don't get that. To me, writing is the fun part. I don't feel like I HAVE to write, I feel like I GET to write. It's a privilege.
 
When people complain about how they hate to write, I just scratch my head. Look, if you're not having fun, you're doing it wrong. Simple as that.
 
Sure, good writing is hard work, there's no way around it.
 
I know it may not look like hard work. Probably looks like I'm just sitting here, staring off into space. But that's when I'm thinking extra hard.
 
Or maybe I'm just daydreaming about buying more index cards.
 
9. Anybody can learn to write. You, me, anybody.
 
Nobody is born knowing how to write. You don't get "writer" stamped on your birth certificate. If you want to be a writer, and you have the willpower to learn, you can do it. It's just that simple.
 
If you want to become a writer, you just start writing.
 
Now, I'm not saying it's easy. But it is simple.
 
There's only one thing I hate about writing.
 
And it's a big one.
 
Writing takes time. An enormous amount. Sometimes, it can take years to write a single book. That makes it a struggle to build up a large body of work, even over the course of your career.
 
My heroes are the pulp writers of the early 20th century. These tireless men and women cranked out page after page on old manual typewriters, sometimes until their fingers literally bled.
 
Erle Stanley Gardner, creator of Perry Mason, wrote nearly 150 novels in his lifetime. William Wallace Cook (author of The Fiction Factory, which every aspiring writer should read) wrote more than a thousand pulp stories, so many that he was known as “the man who deforested Canada.” Lester Dent used to write a book-length Doc Savage story every month. Yes, every month.
 
These people were amazing. I wish I could write that fast. I've tried, with some success. (Go to my author website and search for “Ways to Double Your Writing Speed” to see the techniques I've adopted.)
 
But maybe speed isn't everything. Every day that I'm able to write, I consider it a privilege. I love it. As weird as it all is.

Hello again, dear readers, and if you’re perusing these words on your phone or your tablet, then you know that it is time once again to dive into the world of creative writing to discuss another myth that just so happens to hang heavy over the craft and this one oddly enough, is tad more on the unique side. Because I am hard pressed to find any particular blog or book that recommends the myth we are going to debunk today, instead, this is one that remains off the books and toils about the creative world as an unspoken rule by some and it is one that bothers me to no end because it has ruined a great many story and the myth we need to put to bed today, is the odd belief by some that editing and rewriting is not a necessity in the slightest.
​
Which may sound like a stretch but hear me out if you will. Because the only reason this is on my mind today, is due to the fact that I was poking around Amazon the other day, seeing what new books were floating about in the self-publishing area, since you sometimes find some incredible gems there. But this particular voyage into the creative world brought nothing but sorrow, for several of the stories that I found for free download were strong in premise but lacking when it comes to editing and well, that was irritating to say the least. Because these books were an outright mess, filled to the brim with sentence and spelling errors and well, they could have been great with a little polish work and my disappointment in finding that, is what got me to thinking about this particular blog because a few conversations I’ve had with writers, and some things I’ve seen on social media, reminded me of the fact that this myth exists.

For there really are writers out there who firmly believe that great novels are only created when a writer pours their heart and soul onto the page, and if they feel it deep down and work crazy hard to create, they’ll give birth to the next great American novel, and while there is some credence when it comes to caring about the project and putting your all into it, editing is the real key to what separates a great story from the rest. Because passion sometimes gets in the way of logic, and when you’re excited and jazzed and feel the story flow from your fingertips, sometimes what you feel in your heart doesn’t quite translate onto the page. Sure, the concepts are there, but spelling and structure can suffer and exactly what you wanted to say, is lost in a sentence that speaks more to emotion than logic, ergo, the story needs a little work.

Which means the writer needs to go through everything they’ve written with a fine-tooth comb, or have someone they trust pour over it instead to find those annoying spelling errors and examine exactly what a particular sentence or paragraph is trying to say, because in the end it is all about quality, not quantity. Granted, there is something to be said about hammering out the first draft in record time because sometimes a story does drive you mad to the point where you need to blast it out. But at the same time, there’s no publisher or producer or magazine or editor that will ever accept the first draft because it is the story in its rawest form, and there will be flaws in the act structure or how the characters are designed which means, a second or third or ninth pass is needed, because the words on the page need to be outright perfection.

Which is impossible to achieve, but one should strive for it none the less. Because the words have to convey every image, every emotion and every moment perfectly and the more work that goes into those words, or what the characters have to say, only helps to draw the audience in. So, if you ever feel as though what you’ve written is good to go shortly after you’ve finished a piece in what seems like record time, take a moment, step away from that story, work on another, watch a movie or whatever you need to do to clear your head so that you can return to that story with objective eyes, so you can really get a good feel as to whether or not the story is clicking properly and that it’s free of errors that will take a reader out of the experience. Because the story, and yourself for that matter, deserve far better and taking the time to polish your story will pay off dividends in the end when people simply cannot put it down.