New Tips

This entry was written on Jul 17, 2009 by our Creative Writing Guru James Gapinski

Though I am not completely finished revising existing Tips, I have begun adding a few new Tips. The flow of new content will pick up even more once I’m done revising and revamping the site.

For some reason, my Life Tips Guru profile still says “0 Tips from James Gapinski,” making it understandably difficult for my readers to follow recent Tip postings. I am not sure what is responsible for this bug, but I will contact the Life Tips staff to find out how to remedy the situation.

In the meantime, I will be featuring the most recent Tips on the Creative Writing Tips Site home page for easier viewing. Additionally, I’ll be featuring recently revised Tips that I find particularly insightful or timely. The featured Tips will rotate regularly as I continue to update and manage the site.

Establish Regular Writing Time

Tip created and edited by James Gapinski

Writer’s block happens to everybody at some point, but you can help avoid unnecessary bouts of frustration and unproductiveness by establishing a proactive writing routine.

Dedicate certain times during the day to writing. Eventually you’ll get in tune with the schedule, and when the writing hour dawns, your mind will instinctively slip into author-mode.

A Note On Tips and Resources

This entry was written on Jul 17, 2009 by our Creative Writing Guru James Gapinski

On Tips

My past two postings alluded to my “goals” for this Tips Page. I’d like to share my Tips plan with my readers.

While the postings on this blog will often be topical or discussion-provoking, I intend to retain minimalism in the Tips sections of this site. Tips, as I understand it, should be succinct, yet well-conceived and not at all cursory. Meanwhile, the blog on this site can function as a forum for more lengthy discourse.

I’ll keep tips informative and brief, so interested creative writers can get all the vital information they need at a glance.

On Resources

That being said, I never want my readers to feel shortchanged—I want to encourage those in search of greater topical depth.

While the Tips will be brief, providing snippets of useful creative writing information, I intend to incorporate supplementary links with many Tips in the way of an “Other Resources” footer. An example of this can be found on my previous blog posting entitled “On Revision.”

I want my readers to find the site helpful for creative writing enthusiasts at all learning levels. For many writers, the Tips alone will be the only disciplinary boost necessary; however, for writers in need of greater details, there will typically be an Other Resources section available to enhance further study.

Write the Story Backwards

Tip edited by James Gapinski

The Tip:

If you have a great story idea, but don't know how to start it, start at the ending. Write the ending first and work your way backwards. You'll have a great story in no time.

A Note from the Guru:

This tip is backed up by many current compositional theories, as essayists often write the body and then work on the introduction later, understanding that it is easier to introduce a topic after the details have already been solidified in writing. I often emphasized this strategy when tutoring young writers at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.

On Revision

This entry was written on Jul 10, 2009 by our Creative Writing Guru James Gapinski

As I mentioned in my introductory post, I plan on revising much of the content on the Creative Writing Tips Site prior to posting new Tips. I decided I’d take this as an opportunity to discuss revision, both broadly and as it pertains to my goals for this Tips Site.

As Donald M. Murray stated in his 1973 article from The Writer entitled “The Maker’s Eye,” “A piece of writing is never finished. It is delivered to a deadline, torn out of the typewriter on demand, sent off with a sense of frustration and incompleteness.” The good writer is never completely satisfied, because no piece of writing is perfect, and we can never fully quell the desire to make our work better.

In his book, The Craft of Revision, Murray also explains that “writing is rewriting.” When taking up the daunting charge of bringing our work as close to perfection as possible, we writers must continually alter our vision of the project. With fresh eyes, we must take a look at our past work, whether it be from yesterday or yesteryear, looking for new potential twists and turns that we may not have considered during the initial rush of drafting.

With these tenets in mind, I am seeking to revise the Tips on this Creative Writing Tips Site. I won’t simply be “editing,” as this is not true revision. I will truly re-envision the site’s purpose and functionality. The process will be grueling, but I plan on tackling the 283 Tips currently on the Creative Writing Tips Site, making sure they are best suited for the direction I am taking this Tips Site. It will undoubtedly take a few days, maybe even weeks, for me to finish revising the existing tips. But rest assured, new Tips will be coming very soon. Stay tuned to this blog for more information.

Other Resources:

Empire State College article: “Vision and Re-Vision.”

Choosing a Conference

Tip edited by James Gapinski

Choosing a conference is kind of like deciding where to go to college. Different ones are good for different reasons. There are big ones, like Breadloaf and Sewanee—if you go to these you'll definitely mix with some well-known writers, but you might find yourself swept up in some serious rump-smooching sessions. You can get a lot out of these big ones—like an agent, or a critique from a writer you respect. But if you shop around, you can find smaller, less pricey weekends with good writers running the workshops—without much hype. These conventions can be equally worthwhile, since you're there to become a better writer and make meaningful contacts—not to rub elbows.

Other Resources:

Writers' Confernences & Centers: WC&C Home Page.

An Introductory Blog Post

This entry was written on Jul 08, 2009 by our Creative Writing Guru James Gapinski

As my first posting on Life Tips, I’d like to address my itinerary for this Tips Site and give a hearty welcome to all my readers.

I’m pleased to be the new Life Tips Creative Writing Guru, taking over for Kelsey Childress. I plan on leaving her old blog postings up until August 1st, 2009, so her former fans have the opportunity to archive any necessary information before the text is removed.

My main goal as a new Guru is to clean up the existing content on the Creative Writing Tips Site before creating my own Tips. Unfortunately, I get the feeling that this site attracted a wide range of passing authors, some professional and others without much Creative Writing experience. Many of the Tips are very useful, but others are outdated or too general. Some Tips even have grammatical errors within the text; while I recognize that writers are not perfect (as I am sure I will post occasional error-laden content), I believe it is my duty as an incoming Guru to ensure that all existing content meets my personal standards and future vision for the Tips Site.

This is not to say that the majority of the Tips on the Creative Writing Tips Site are faulty—in fact, most are well-written—only that there are a select few that require my immediate attention. Others do not require attention, but they will get it anyway. I plan on making painstaking minor revisions to help adjust even the best Tips, aligning them with my authorial voice and future plans for this Tips Site.

I will not drone on about myself here, only to say that I have a wide range of previous writing and editing experiences. You can follow some of my other projects at my personal blog: justsuppositions.wordpress.com. Additionally, more information about me is available in the Bio section of the Creative Writing Tips page.

As I close this post, I’d like to thank Kelsey Childress for allowing me to take over the site. Her postings were all well-informed and knowledgeable, and I’m sure her readers are disappointed to see her go. I hope that, in time, you’ll come to see me as an ample replacement, striving to continually improve this Tips Site.

Stories from life experience

Tip edited by James Gapinski

The Tip:

Fiction doesn´t have to mean you make everything up. You can pull stories from your own life experience or borrow them from other people. Don´t be afraid to write your own life story.

A Note from the Guru:

The former Life Tips Guru that posted this tip suggested "Just be sure you have had sufficient time to gain perspective on your own trials and tribulations. Only in hindsight do we see the whole picture." While this is partially true, I'd also suggest that you can gain perspective through the writing process itself. Creative writing can be a mechanism for working through complex emotions and issues in your life, fleshing out your true thoughts on paper.

Get a magazine collection

Start collecting issues of magazines you would like to publish in. You can buy them individually at bookstores, or get a subscription (saves you $$ if you consult the mag often.)Read cover-to-cover for a good sense of what the publication is looking for.

Conference Links

Tip edited by James Gapinski

Click the following link for a detailed list of current conferences and residencies (from Poets & Writers). http://www.pw.org/links_pages/Conferences_and_Residencies/

People watching

Tip edited by James Gapinski

If you´re looking for a fresh story element, try eavesdropping in the park or while riding the subway. Carry a notebook around with you. Jot down the wacky things people say and do. Describe an unusual looking person you see on the street, and try to imagine what his life might be like. Our best story ideas sometimes come from strangers we never get to meet.

Can I work while working on my MFA?

Tip edited by James Gapinski

While pursuing an MFA degree in writing, make sure you have ordered your life so that you can give enough time to writing and preparing for your workshops.

You need a guaranteed time each day to write. You also need to be fresh when reading the work of classmates so you can contribute. Generally, job-stressed people make poor writers & readers.

Still, most of us can't afford grad school without a job; do your best to find a balance, even if that means cutting back on the luxuries so you don't have to spend as much time working to support your lifestyle.

Other Resources:

The Atlantic article: "The Best of the Best: Ten Top Graduate Programs in Creative Writing," by Edward J. Delaney.

Characterization

Tip edited by James Gapinski

Take a few moments and answer the following questions about the protagonist in your story. This will help you generate ideas about where the story will go and how it will develop during revision. Keep in mind that there may and can be multiple answers for each.

• What does my character want?


• What does he or she fear?


• How does he or she deal with his emotions?


• What are his or her social and intimate relationships like?


• What are his or her past experiences, and how does he or she regard them?


• What does he or her view (or not view) as personal responsibilities?


• What elements of the spiritual does he or she exhibit, and how does he or she deal with them?


• What does he or she do for a living?


• What does he or she do for leisure?


• What failures does he or she secretly feel accountable for?


• What biases or prejudices motivate his or her behavior?


• Are there any "catch phrases" or verbal quips that are unique to him or her?


• Does he or she dream at night? If so, of what?


• Where does he or she go in daydreams?


• What strikes him or her as humorous/non-humorous?


• What does he or she take seriously or fail to take seriously?

Other Resources:

The University of Iowa Writing Center: "Writing Exercises for Creative Fiction Writers - Characertization."

Point of View

Tip edited by James Gapinski

Write a story that employs more than one point of view. The exercise focuses your attention on point of narration, so that you are conscious of things like physical observations, language, and personal biases unique to each individual character.

Other Resources:

Writer's Digest: "Fiction: Point of View," by Steve Almond.

Dialogue

Tip edited by James Gapinski

Write a story in which one character tries to "sell an idea" to another. Focus on the verbal exchange as one character attempts to persuade the other, and on heightening the tension throughout the scene. Begin in medias res, don´t worry about getting us in to the scene.

Other Resources:

Poe War Writer's Resource Center: "12 Exercises for Improving Dialogue," by J. C. Hewitt.

Writer's Write: "Screenwriting Writing Exercises - Dialogue," by Stephen J. Cannell.

Barnes & Noble: Write Great Fiction: Dialogue, by Gloria Kempton; 2004 (book).

Current info on conferences

Tip edited by James Gapinski

Visit Shaw Guides for current info on conferences worldwide. Search by state to find the one most accessible (or enjoyable).

Freelance Writing Sources

Occasionally freelance writing sites will post jobs for fiction writers. However, creative writers are luckily enough to find work in all sorts of areas, from marketing to blogging. Below are some links to a few popular freelance writing sites.

http://www.freelancewritinggigs.com

http://www.odesk.com

http://www.freelancewriting.com

http://www.guru.com

http://www.craigslist.org

Write a Story in Pictures

Instead of a writing a story, create one using pictures you've found on the internet or in old catalogs or magazines. Then, ask a friend to guess the plot of the story! This is a fun game to do with close friends, family, or loved ones.

Join an online writer´s community

Writing communities like Writing.com are great outlets for your creativity when you want to relax and have some fun. You can create and post haikus, write a column about telemarketers, and offer feedback on what other registered authors are doing. You can be as silly or serious as you want.

Writing Prompt: Given First Line

Tip edited by James Gapinski

Write a story beginning with this line: "I didn´t hear you come in last night."

Other Resources:

Short Story Ideas: "First Lines"