A song from the third grade was stuck in my head when I woke up this morning: "I know an old lady who swallowed a fly." Again and again I kept repeating it mindlessly as I showered, dressed, and drove out to Starbucks for a frappucino. Finally it became intollerable--who ever heard of an old lady swallowing a fly? And why, after swallowing a fly and possibly contracting salmonella or another likely desiese, does she swallow a spider, bird, cat, dog, horse, and other animals? And why, after this poor omnivorous old lady suffers the several swallows (probably getting her dentures kicked in by the horse) does the next lyric so whimsically say "perhaps she'll die"? I suddenly became very suspicious about this so-called "childrens" song and started a private investigation of it: what was her motive? Was there something inside her the fly was trying to get to? Was this some strange voodoo form of suicide she'd picked up at an overseas restaurant where she dined with a surprisingly charming man who kept saying under his breath "perhaps you'll die"?

And poof! A story was in my head, all because of a stupid repetitive childrens rhyme I'd learned all those years ago and never stopped to think about so carefully (though now that I have, I'm starting to second-guess many other things as well...)

Think back to all the old song you learned in gradeschool, and once you've remembered a particular lyric, dissect it like I did; pick apart the lyrics and figure out the story behind each--believe me, there's always a story to be found when you look hard enough.

Send me your stories and I'll post them on here; my e-mail address is chaser_2389@yahoo.com. I'll put up my 'final draft' of the old lady story tomorrow as well and we can compare efforts in solving old mysteries!

Toodles!

Let's be nice and sparkly clear about a common place between ALL writers, whether we be freelance, salary, aspiring, or simply just getting into the craft: telling a story for the first time on paper may just be the next most terrible thing after Purgatory. It's hard to do because the entire time your pen's moving your mind's panicking like a scared child: am i using the right wording? what if the reader gets bored here? should I maybe go back and do a quick re-do with the last paragraph before going onto the next? what if all my friends are right and I AM just wasting my time? 

There is no definite cure for this: it's the price we pay to follow our dream, the mental gauntlet we must all walk through before the nice relaxing massage at the end. The best way to help yourself though and to simply GET THE STORY TOLD is to heed the words of an old saying: "Angels fly becasue they take themselves lightly."

Stop worrying about what others will think of your work, and above that, stop thinking about the last paragraph before proceeding onto the next--you'll NEVER finish the story that way! No matter what our ages may be, we're ALL very, very young as far as "writer years" go. Here's how I measure my age as a writer: NOT by how old I am, and NOT by how long I've "been writing" (let's face it, we've all 'been writing' since we were little and that really means nothing!). The number of stories I've PLANNED and FINISHED at least the first draft of determine my age as a writer: planning and finishing something is the ONLY way to grow better, not by bickering at yourself over one paragraph or by taking the advice of your "all-knowing" friends.

Well, what are you sitting around for? GO FINISH THAT PARAGRAPH YOU'VE BEEN SO BOTHERED BY, THEN FINISH THE REST OF THE STORY!!!

Well HELLO AGAIN, everyone! It's been a few weeks since I've posted anything new, due partially to my busy schedule at work and also to the mental lapse I usually get during summertime...it's just so nice out every day it's hard to park myself at the computer and get anything worthwhile done, so progress in most of my writing has been slow-going (I hope none of you have gotten this bug as well!) I must say, though, whenever I get my laptop back out at night and read over the previous day's work before plowing through the next patch of burrs in the story, I'm VERY satisfied with the quality of what I've written, which is ultimately all that matters no matter how you cut it. If you write every day you will get better: PERIOD!

I read something very interesting the other day in Darren Shan's blog:

Finished my latest edit of Book 9 of The Demonata. I'm pleased with how it's shaping up now. The first draft was unwieldy -- I had a LOT of information which I felt the need to convey, and the middle third of the book dragged like a legless elephant!!! I've now managed to whittle the book down by almost 17,000 words (!!!!), and it feels nice and tight now. The excesses of the first draft were necessary for me, in order to get everything down that was in my head, so that I could then sift through it, keep what was essential to the story, eliminate all the bits that didn't need to be in the book. Sometimes you have to do that when you're writing. It's always easier if you know exactly what you want to say, and can peg the structure first time round. But if you're unsure, it's better to forge ahead, slap your thoughts down messily, and then sort them out later. I'm a big believer, as I've said before, in the powers of action. It's normally much better to dive into a book and get writing, than to sit around thinking about it so much that you start to get scared of the story. Writing can often be a leap of faith -- you need to believe that the story will come good in the end, that you have the power to mould it into shape in later drafts. And you have to keep that faith, even if the first draft turns out a lot messier than you anticipated, if at all seems to be too much to deal with, if the story feels like it's spun out of your control. You should never give up, just keep chipping away and re-writing and editing and tinkering ... and eventually it will all work itself out. Fingers crossed!!!!!

As most of you know, Darren Shan is one of my biggest influences in work-ethic, and the top portion of this bit really lays down the law of being a good writer: you MUST push through several drafts before your work becomes a true marvel! No writer in history (except, perhaps, those in the VERY early days) has ever written anything great in the first go; name any author you've ever read and I'll guaruntee you he/she took many plugs at that story before even thinking of sending it out. Darren does seven by himself, and before going onto the eighth he sends it to his editor for her final thoughts so he can fix the real nitty-gritty details he might've missed on his own. Take a note from Mr. Shan: just get as much out the first time around as you can, and then, AFTER telling the whole story and more, go back through and simply start taking out what doesn't belong, then go onto the third draft to start fixing particular paragraphs and structure, then go onto the fourth draft to fix wording or to tighten dialogue, then onto the fifth draft...and so on and so fourth.

Do the dirty work and you won't regret it.

One problem I have sometimes when approaching the endeavor of starting a new story, whether it be a novel or otherwise, is figuring out how to make everything streamlined--how do you make it so there's NO worthless, whimsical scenes in your work, carving off the fattie tissue and delivering a muscle filled punch in the reader's imagination?

The answer: Start with the core. Rather than begin your story with the typical introduction to characters and plot, start writing the big scene FIRST, and then, after you've written all that you know about the big event itself, it's simply a matter of going back in time and figuring out how your character(s) got to that point. Believe me, this is a mega time-saver and it relieves the disastrous headache of trimming out those scenes you had so much fun writing in the first place but actually hold no water.

I use this method sometimes, but not a whole lot, so you may want to take this particular piece of advice with a grain of salt--I'm more of an "outline first" kind of guy, and I approach my work like I would a house project: you don't start building without a blueprint in your hand. Now, for those of you interested in story "flipping," you may not like either of these methods--maybe you actually DO work better when you're simply being whimsical. Some people do that, and some of those some succeed in doing so.

After all, we're all a little different, aren't we? It's YOUR voice, so do what works best for YOU.

One thing I hear from a lot of seasoned writers which I strongly disagree with is anyone can be a writer if they want to: we all have a novel in us somewhere, don't we?

Sure, everyone has a story they want to tell the world, but like any other serios career on Earth there's a strict job description which all writers must assess before becoming serious about their work. I may not be as influential as men like Stephen King or Tom Clancy, but here's the job description you MUST look at before proclaiming yourself a true writer:

Qualities: The Three P's--Patience, Persistence, and Passion for your story no matter what others may say about it.

                  Honesty to the story you're telling and the characters involved--write what they'd REALLY say, not something pretty or poetic you think Shakespeare would have them say.

                  Imagination--Affirm to yourself with utter conviction "Anything is possible!"

Working Conditions: Writing a job that involves a LOT of time on your own, shut off from your friends and the rest of the world. This doesn't mean you must lock yourself in your bedroom with a pen and paper every day, but you must take big chunks of time to get to know the characters you're creating and outline the story mentally before plugging away at it. In short, loneliness is something all writers must face at some point, and as oppressive as it may feel it will, in the long run, propel you and make you better.

Daily Habits: Every day upon waking up, go to a spot on your wall and mark your height in light pencil, then, a few feet higher, draw an arrow and write next to it "My attitude must be THIS high to succeed today!" If you can't get that excited about what you're writing and you can't see yourself coping with the pressures of the blank page or the over abundance of ideas dancing around in your mind, re-examine your choice of careers, because having a possitive attitude about what your creating and believing that one day these "fake" worlds of yours will be enjoyed by someone else is almost all a writer has to push him/her forward. Take it from a guy who's had SEVERAL instances of self-doubt and questions like "Why am I doing this? Who am I to think I can finish this story?" Attitude is everything, and without it you WILL fail.

Can you contend with all these things? If so, maybe you and I will be one of the few who get to the top at least in our own minds--take note, even that is an achievement! Before you consider world fame which the likes of Darren Shan, Emily Brown, and Stephen King share, think only of your own interest and happiness. Be selfish. Write what you want, but be happy with it the whole way along and trust that in the end it will be the finished product you dream of.

I believe in you. I know you have what it takes. I believe anyone can be a good writer, but only those who read this description and assess themselves by it can really be great writers.

Today as I got to the mid-point of chapter four in a novel I've been working on recently, finally assessing one of the great scenes I've had playing in my mind for nearly two years, something happened to me which I think all writers have happen every now and then: I completely forgot what I wanted to say! Some people refer to this as writers block, and after reading up on it for so long and hearing ways to get rid of it I went with the most obvious--I kept pounding away at the keyboard, hoping something would spark and I'd be back at a furious pace within minutes.

But nothing happened, and after scratching my head in confusion and throwing a few things around the room (no exaggeration!) I discovered a much better cure which I think young writers should embrace whenever they get stuck in this situation:

AHEM!--JUST TAKE A BREAK!!!

I'm not talking about quiting or returning to your couch in shame--what I mean is go for a walk, listen to some music, get a little blood flowing in your system, and just try to forget whatever it is your working on for a minute! Take a breather! Writing may not be as risky as swimming in an ocean full of sharks, but it's damn near close! Discipline is all fine and dandy--I've programmed myself over the course of two years to not even fall asleep five out of sevend days a week unless I've typed nine hundred words of work I'm satisfied with--but too much of a good thing can turn disastrous, and your story WILL suffer if you don't get out into the world to let your mind wander and relax.

Now as I've said, the scene I was stuck on has been in my mind for quite some time, and when I approached the endeavor of writing it to perfection I had an exact standard for how i wanted it to be, which, it turned out, was my error. I got past the problem by accepting that first drafts won't be as perfect as you see them in your mind no matter how much you slave over them--perfection comes later, in the third, fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh drafts of work. It sounds like a lot, I suppose (the furthest I've ever taken a novel so far is to draft four, and event the I spot a few things which i think need work) but the biggest part of being a writer is patience! It's something I need to learn to accept, and I hope, if you too ever have this common problem, you can grow with me on beating it!

Sorry I haven't posted much recently--I promise we're still working on that project I spoke of last meeting, but I just needed to finish a few things! Irresponsible on my part, but the more time for idea gathering on yours! Lol!

I was lying in bed late last night, saying my prayers as normal, when a million dollar idea popped into my head and captured my full awareness: what if there was a camp--not a workshop, but an actual activity-filled camp--for young writers? Where would it take place? Who would be the keynote speakers? What would it do to keep the campers motivated and excited?

You Decide. Tell me what you're dream writing camp looks like, what you'd hope to get out of it, and what you'd ideally do with what you learn. You never know: maybe one day you'll get the camp you ask for!

OK, if you're reading this you're obviously in some sort of slump right now where you're feeling the need for inspiration, correct? I promise you, if you do the things listed here as I describe them you'll find yourself doing more than you imagined in your most perfect mindset!

• I want you to stand up, regardless of where you are (you people who're reading this from a library computer have no excuse to be bashful!) and I want you to stretch your arms. Go for ten to fifteen seconds across your chest, then do the same behind your back and over the shoulder--pretend your warming up for a big football/baseball game, even if you've never been an athlete in your life; picture yourself in your mind preparing for the biggest event of your life!
• Now I want you to start jumping up and down, bouncing lightly from foot to foot. I know it sounds silly, especially if you're in public, but while you're doing this I want you to put on the biggest, brightest smile you can--picture your ideal happy moment, or even one you've already had (if you have a HUGE crush on a celebrity of some sort, picture him/her watching you with humor and smiling over at you--Just don't start kissing invisible people and you'll still appear sane to those around you!)
• If you have the soundtrack to one of the Rocky movies or anything energetic like that, either play it loudly or hum it to yourself as you continue this motion--in your mind you're in a triathlon, everyone's cheering for you, you're beating the greatest runner of all time and you're doing it with ease! You're invincible!
• Start affirming to yourself out loud, WITH FEELING: "I am a great storyteller! I am doing the best I know how! Great ideas come to me easily and in large amounts! I write because I have passion! I write because I know it's what I love doing!" (Helpful Hint: the more feeling and passion you put into these affirmations, the bigger and better results you'll get! This works for me every time I'm in a block, but you CAN'T be half in or out with it if you truly desire results!)
• OK, now slowly stop your bouncing...turn the volume on your stereo/IPod/Computer down gradually so you have the feeling of a movie soundtrack fading out before a big scene...relax. Sit back down and let your pulse settle if you so desire, but keep repeating this affirmations either to yourself or out loud. With a smile still on your face, go to a nearby mirror and look at yourself. Appreciate the genius of the person you see--it's in there! Ask the person in the mirror for advise about whatever it is you're trying to accomplish. Say to yourself, "Self, I'm having a bit of trouble with ______. Tell me, what would a genius like YOU do in this situation?" Keep asking these questions, faithful that answers will come, and within a few minutes they will!

Sound pretty crazy? Believe it or not, the richest men and women in America and all across the world make their fortune by doing this sort of thing every single morning before starting their day! If you really want to LIVE in your inspiration, do this within the first five minutes of waking up--that's the time of day which sets the tone for what's to come. Remember that yesterday ended last night, and no matter what progress or non-progress you've had, today is a clean sheet for everything!

If you're reading this and you're not planning on trying it because you think of yourself as above something like this, suite yourself. Just remember, if the "normal" habits you have now were able to get you any further than you are in life, you'd already be there. Once you change your daily habits and look for new and exciting ways to pump yourself up, the rest is much easier!

Chase M.

Hey everyone! I just wanted to put in a quick entry to let you in on what i have planned for the next meeting. I know I've been gone for a while (there was a problem with my right knee and I couldn't walk much the day of the last meeting) but never to fear, Chase is back with a few more aces up his sleeve before heading off to college!

Now, I've told a few of you how I want us to collaborate on a big group project, which is why I had you put together characters of your own the last time i was in (if you weren't able to attend that meeting, contact me chaser_2389@yahoo.com  and I'll give you the materials you missed.) Starting next meeting we're going to be using these characters to tell a story of our own and put a little piece of ourselves into it. Not only will this be fun to work on until summer (or even THROUGH summer if there are no objections) but it will be something to remember each other by since time tends to fly and ways seem to part.

Be sure to contact me if you need your character sheets or anything else you might've missed! See you guys next meeting!

-Chase M.

Hello everyone! I'm excited to say we now have a way to get together outside the meeting room and share stories with one another without the awkwardness of reading them aloud (I know that's what holds some of us back, and it's a natural fear)

With this blog, every registered member of our group with a valid e-mail address will be able to become an author of this account and post their two-cents any time they want, whether it be a question or comment to myself or RoseMary, encouraging criticism toward a story or post by someone else in the group, or even a story of your own! I implore you to use this resource as often as you'd like--remember, if you're not using every source available to sharpen your skills you're simply standing still and avoiding progress!

Hopefully I've contacted all of you and and assigned you login information to access the blog. If I somehow missed you, contact me chaser_2389@yahoo.com  and tell me to get a move on!

Feel free to tell me anything you'd like to see on this blog--after all, this is OURspace, not Myspace!

--Chase M.