Scribblings on Whatever

Writing: Does It Get Easier or Harder?

5/10/2023

How writing feels to you can depends on many things.

• What's your mood at the moment you sit down to write? Depending on what it is, it can make writing hard or easy.

• Are you comparing your efforts to your last book, which you can clearly recall and have yet to lose the momentum you had, or to your first book for which the memory of your labor pains has dissipated? Both could persuade you that writing has become quite easy for you these days.

• Are you competing with yourself or someone else? This ego-driven activity always makes writing seem harder.

• Are you seeking excellence? This has the power to motivate you, but it also has the power to stall you in your tracks. So, once again, writing can become easy or hard.

• Are you simply seeking to honor your talent by refining your expression through the means available to you? Then writing becomes easy because you meet that which would seem hard by simply expecting the best.

I know of many writers, including myself, who have started a novel only to put it aside to work on another idea. Later, sometimes years, we come back to it, and it flows as if there had never been a problem. Why? I think it comes back to one of those items listed above.

I feel the creative part of myself is almost like a separate entity from my day-to-day personality. It has moods and can be just as stubborn as the rest of me. When I write vers libre, my creative self is chomping at the bit to express itself. I have learned to give it room. It makes writing so much easier for me no matter what I am writing.

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Can Sensitivity Reviewing Go Too Far?

4/26/2023

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An Example of Sensitivity Critiquing of Classical Literature: Roald Dahl

According to the BBC, below are some of the changes being made in Roald Dahl’s books.

• Augustus Gloop, from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is now described as "enormous."
• The word "fat" has been taken out of every book - according to the Telegraph.
• Mrs. Twit, from The Twits, is now described as "beastly" no longer "ugly and beastly."
• The Twits has removed the word "weird" from the sentence "a weird African language."
• "Crazy" and "mad" have also been taken out of the books.
A spokesperson for the UK Prime Minister used a word created by Dahl to support his opposition to the changes. “When it comes to our rich and varied literary heritage, the prime minister agrees with the BFG [Big Friendly Giant] that we shouldn’t gobblefunk around with words.”

If you’re interested, here’s a link to Roald Dahl: the best gobblefunk words: https://www.theguardian.com/childrens-books-site/2016/jun/14/roald-dahl-dictionary-best-gobblefunk-words

While Travis Croken, national co-chair of the Canadian Authors Association, believes using sensitivity readers to rewrite classical literature like Dahl is problematic he does believe employing them to work on in-progress manuscripts can be an important aspect of the writing process.

Examples of In-process Critiquing

A British Columbia sensitivity reader told an author of an unpublished manuscript that her autistic lead character, who spent her time hating herself and being a burden to her family, was a harmful characterization and needed to be changed. There was no mention of how the story played out. Did the character eventually evolve into a better state of mind or was her role to demonstrate to readers, even autistic ones, how unproductive her attitude was?

One sensitivity reader makes the point that often authors are writing about situations they know nothing about. She is non-binary and finds that despite their research, cisgender authors may tap into stereotypes or utilize damaging tropes. I understand that as authors we cannot always walk in another’s shoes, but I find it interesting that in reviewing a fantasy book, she found fault with a black character who turned into a Minotaur being described as monstrous and bestial. She saw this as a dangerous stereotype. My clinical observation is to ask: If the character were not black and still turned into a Minotaur in this fantasy novel, would you still consider it a stereotype?

Being a fantasy novel and the character being a Minotaur, having the head and tail of a bull and the body of a man, which has often been described in mythology as being monstrous and ferocious, doesn’t it seem like overreach to assume that the author’s descriptives were aimed at the character’s race rather than at the Minotaur itself? If one sees this as impossible to view other than as a “damaging stereotype,” it opens the door to authors being unable to exercise their imaginations or create characters that are anything but perfect by someone else’s standards. Censorship of societal issues should not be applied without context.

Authors often use their imaginations to present societal conditions as they exist in order to inform those who are uninformed about those situations. Not all instances are designed to express disapproval of someone or some way of life. Once again, context is important. I once had a reader who, after reading a couple of chapters in one of my books, felt the female character was not portraying the strength she expected. Of course, she didn’t read the book in which this female’s character evolved into a strong, independent woman.

Author Keira Drake had the release of her book postponed because early readers pounced on what they termed “racist trash.” The Continent is a fantasy novel about two warring nations. Apparently describing one nation’s warrior as having “reddish-brown skin and painted faces” is one of the things which set them off. I admit that I haven’t read the book, but it’s difficult to see exactly how imaginary peoples in a fantasy novel could offend anyone.

Writers’ Opinions

American author Francine Prose doesn’t believe authors and publishers need to hire sensitivity readers. “Few of us are working in so much isolation that we can’t find someone who we trust about a certain subject and say, ‘You know, you think I’m getting this wrong?’”

Award-winning author, Kate Clanchy, who went through the gauntlet with several sensitivity readers offers her opinion in an opinion piece. The title is “How sensitivity readers corrupt literature: They sullied my memoir to suit their agenda.” https://unherd.com/2022/02/how-sensitivity-readers-corrupted-literature/

Writer Hillary Jordan, author of Mudbound, told NPR.org the following: Literature “comes from curiosity about how other people live; it comes from the desire to break down the barriers between us. And I just don't know how you do that if you have someone looking over your shoulder and sort of coughing slightly to let you know when you're off."

Sensitivity reader Dhonielle Clayton says, "I'm not in the business of censoring people. I'm in the business of checking to make sure what they're doing does not have harm and repercussions for the people that they are writing about. Because people don't realize the power of words and the power of bad representation — it can haunt people."

Do Sensitivity Readers Have Value?

If all sensitivity readers approach their work like Lynn Brown in New York, then it can be a good thing. She believes her role to be pointing out if the character feels stereotyped or if the character from particular segments of society would speak the way the author has written. She also believes she should point out if the author is developing the character in a stereotypical way to the point of being offensive to those readers of similar backgrounds.

One sensitivity reader believes that any author writing across cultures should use a sensitivity reader, especially in books for kids. I agree that accessing feedback from persons who are in the population group of your characters if different from your own is as reasonable as accessing experts in periods of history or professions used in your book.

My Opinion

I think classic literature should be left alone. It smacks of trying to rewrite history, an offense on the lips of millions today.
Advising authors on a work-in-progress is fine and can perhaps rectify one-dimensional stereotypes as well as clichés as long as the author has the final word.
As mentioned earlier with the Minotaur example, context should always be considered. If a book is a fantasy or a science fiction, it is especially important to honor that they do not usually mirror reality.
Let us all remember that when talking fiction works, fiction is defined as “literature in the form of prose that describes imaginary events and people,” who I assume cannot be offended.
The difference between censorship, such as banning books, and sensitivity readers is that censorship is the suppression of content. As long as sensitivity readers’ opinions are held to the standard of suggestions, there is no suppression.

In today’s hair-trigger, hyperreactive social media landscape, as the New York Times describes it, readers can often assume it is their job to nitpick everything they read. Sometimes you have to wonder if they took the time to enjoy the stories in the books they post about. If such “heightened scrutiny” continues, many writers of fiction will refrain from including other cultures in their writing, resulting in a more homogenized body of literature.

We want to know what you think. Do you believe books should be altered and possible offensive words and content be removed, or should the books be left as they are?

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The Writing Process

4/12/2023

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It’s easy to find explanations of the writing process. Some are very technical and detailed-oriented. As a writer, you have probably figured out already that everyone has their own style and their own approach. It has a lot to do with one’s personality. Some writers need to outline their entire presentation before beginning. Some writers jot down a few points and start writing. Some writers rely on their intuitive connection to assist them in their writing, choosing to allow ideas to flow more freely.

Regardless of the category into which you fit, there is one basic description of the process that is relevant for everyone, whether you are more analytical or more spontaneous.

1. Every piece of work starts out with an idea. It is an idea you have created. It doesn’t matter what sparked it: you now have a seed idea. You will now take this seed idea and use your own unique approach to the writing process to launch your work.

2. The next stage in the process is the bring out the potential of this idea.

If you are what Robert Pirsig (Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance) calls a “classical” thinker, you may choose to sit down and write a detailed outline, carefully developing this seed idea into its fullest expression before you ever begin the actual presentation itself.

If you are more of a “romantic,” you are less methodical. You’re more of a free spirit, choosing to live in the moment. So, you may decide to jot down a few possibilities about how to expand your idea and trust in the moment. If you are an intuitive writer, you may take your idea and start writing, allowing your intuition to guide you.

You may be a little bit of both, but it doesn’t matter which approach you take as long as you carefully nurture your idea so that it develops into the message it was intended to express.

3. The final stage in the process is to prune the outgrowth of your seed idea. Pruning, if done right, will produce a powerful and meaningful message. During this stage, regardless of your approach to writing, you should read your talk over carefully.

Take one paragraph at a time and check for grammar, punctuation, and spelling.
Then check for syntax. The organization of words, phrases, and clauses in a sentence can deliver the power you’re seeking or neutralize your point entirely.
Next, make sure that your sentences within a paragraph are in the best order for making your point.
Next, determine if any sentences should be cut.
Finally, make sure your paragraph is the next logical step in the fleshing out of your idea.

In their execution, these three stages incorporate more detailed steps found in others’ discussions of the writing process. I feel, however, that if you can keep the “big picture” in mind while you’re writing, you’ll be okay. My explanation offers you a structure within which you can do your work – details and all – without losing sight of what you’re trying to accomplish.

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Avoid Mindless Patterns in Your Writing

3/8/2023

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Your writing can slip into a mindless pattern like those associated with certain activities in your life, such as getting dressed in the morning and driving to work. These mindless patterns indicate that you are acting without conscious thought. You are relying on past experiences to handle your needs in the present.

One of the most obvious ways in which these patterns express in your writing is through using worn-out phrases. These can be clichés, but they can also be buzzwords that are thought to be stylish or trendy for your target audience. There are two problems with trendy and stylish phrases or words:

everyone else has used them – many times! Your audience has become immune to their original intent. Consequently, your message is lost.
sometimes it is taken for granted that the meanings of such words/phrases are known by all when the truth is that no one has bothered to define these terms in so long that their meanings are vague to most of your readers. Again, the full impact of your message is lost.

Another way in which mindless patterns emerge in your writing is through the repetitive use of your own pet phrases. These phrases are peppered through article after article without your even realizing it. In a manuscript I read recently, a writer used the word basically followed by a comma in nearly every paragraph. It was not only a mindless pattern for him, it represented lazy writing on his part: he was unwilling to take the time to be creative in his writing.

To avoid these mindless patterns as a writer, you must stay in the moment. Be aware of every word you write. Make the conscious choice to be creative in how you express your thoughts. After all, writing is not about the number of articles or manuscripts you complete; it is about the message within each work and the uniqueness with which you express it.

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A Writer’s Superpower

2/22/2023

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Writing is more than putting words on paper. It’s reaching into your innermost thoughts and feelings and expressing them in a way that entertains and enlightens the reader. It’s creating a place where someone can go to escape from reality for a little while. Your words can also educate or inspire or empower a person to see things in a different light.

Our words are powerful. They can do so much more than just entertain readers, especially the younger, more impressionable minds. Books can open children’s and teens’ eyes to experiences they have never dreamed of, discover places they have never been, and experience feelings their souls have not yet felt.

Everyone knows that reading to children is instrumental in their cognitive development. This practice aids in an essential part of brain development in the first three years of a child’s life. Reading to children from the earliest age enhances vocabulary and communication skills.

But that’s just scratching the surface.

At the same time, exposing our kids to books that help develop character and conscience is equally important. These stories are their first life lessons. Memorable characters will shape their perceptions in ways they carry throughout their lives.

That’s where we, as authors, come in.

For kids, concepts such as sharing, caring, honesty, kindness, individuality, gratitude, love, empathy, and so much more can be introduced at an early age in ways they’ll enjoy, accept, and adapt to their lives. Whether the books are read at home, during circle time at school, or at the library, life lessons will be absorbed into their open minds through the magic of storytelling.

The more books a child is exposed to, the more life they experience. Books not only introduce kids to the world around them but also help them connect with it. Stories can show kids they aren’t the only ones who’ve ever been afraid or sad. As authors, the words we write can bolster a child’s confidence and empathy as they realize others share the same feelings.

More difficult life lessons such as fear, death, and bullying are challenging for any aged child or adolescent to wrap their minds around. Parents, teachers, or other grown-ups can offer good, sound advice. However, it doesn’t make the same impression on young thinkers as a character in a story experiencing the same quandary. Reading about someone else making it through similar hardships allows the readers to deal with the difficult issue in the safety of their own home at their own pace. It can also open up a channel for conversation when they feel comfortable talking about it.

Another thing writers need to keep in mind — our words can help young people learn valuable life lessons without subjecting them to boring lectures. For instance, Coming of Age is a popular genre for middle-grade and teen audiences. These books usually cover a protagonist’s journey from adolescence to adulthood, focusing on his loss of childhood innocence as he matures. The plot generally revolves around inner conflict and turmoil that eventually results in personal growth.

Add in the part where parents suddenly become extremely stupid, and this genre portrays a teenager’s life to perfection. No wonder they relate so well with these books! A teen’s journey echoes the hero’s arduous quest.

Trials, challenges, temptations, and curiosity can sometimes overwhelm common sense, causing problems similar to the protagonist’s experiences. A few well-placed words of advice in the story can go a long way in guiding the reader over his own personal humps. Since the words of wisdom come from a fictional character, they don’t come across as a lecture. Back in my time, Yoda was a lot smarter than my parents. I never realized they were both saying the same thing until I got older.

It’s kind of scary to think that as authors, we have our very own superpower. Our words not only entertain our readers but can also influence their lives.

It doesn’t matter whether you write for kids, adolescents, or adults — books teach life lessons.

Our words help readers form identities and confirm values in a way no amount of preaching can ever achieve. Books build a bridge between experience, imagination, and emotion. Time spent reading is time invested in growing and maturing, creating a channel for the good things to enter — empathy, compassion, forgiveness, and love.

So put your superpower to good use and create books that inspire readers to be the best they can be.

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Writing Is a Birthing of Ideas

2/8/2023

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Writing is more than putting words on paper. It is the birthing of ideas. When a child leaves the womb, it is beautiful to the mother despite its being covered in the unappealing remains of its sojourn in utero; however, the dispassionate bystander may react only to appearances, unable to see beyond the superficial. Unless you learn to “clean up” your writing, your potential readers could all remain dispassionate bystanders, unwilling to see the beauty in what you are trying to express.

If you desire others to truly experience your writing, then you must develop an internal relationship with the process. Writing is not like sitting down at a table filled with pieces of a puzzle and struggling to find the ones that fit together, trying first one and then another. Writing is the building of an emotional and intellectual relationship with the idea you are trying to express. In other words, it is an internal process.

As you begin to write, take your time: do not speed write. Take the time to experience each sentence. Read it aloud or to yourself and allow your mind to lead you into the next sentence. I know it sounds crazy, but it does work. Allow yourself time to “feel” what you’re writing. When you do this, your intuition kicks in, and you will often find yourself following a path that had not occurred to you before that moment. Speed writing gives you a false sense of accomplishment, which is nullified by the time you spend trying to make sense of this jumble of ill-thought-out sentences.

Your writing is your creation. You are giving birth to it: so treat it as a living organism. Give it the opportunity to develop “in a manner analogous to the natural growth and evolution characteristic of living organisms.” Nurture your seed idea. Give it the time and attention it deserves so that it develops into an expression of your unique voice, one that is unambiguous, rational, and speaks to your intended audience.

There are “tricks” for improving your writing that you will learn along the way. One of the methods I have always used is reading my work slowly, staying totally in the moment, and listening for what I call the “hiccup.” The “hiccup” is when there is a break in the logic chain of ideas. If you were reciting the alphabet and skipped from b to d, a listener would immediately home in on the fact that you left something out. If you started at the wrong end of the alphabet, the listener would notice this, too, because they would not be able to easily follow your recitation. When listening to your own writing, you should listen for the missing piece or for an unsound presentation of ideas.

Writing is usually about selling an idea. Therefore, you are actually presenting an argument or a persuasive discourse designed to influence the thoughts and/or behaviors of others. To accomplish this, you must dot your i's and cross your t's so that your readers will understand what you’re saying, not focus on a point you omitted, or become distracted by poor grammar, spelling, and punctuation. So, clean up your writing from the inside out – from the idea to the presentation.

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Wait For It!

3/24/2022

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I’m sure you’ve all heard the saying “There’s someone for everyone.” Are there going to be those who don’t touch your soul the way someone else does? Absolutely! Well, the same holds true for books in my opinion. Not everyone will relate to the emotional situation of a character; however, others will immediately be drawn in.

Since I entered the writing arena a couple of decades ago, I have heard about “the hook” ad nauseam. Those who seek to instruct other writers are very big on the hook as essential. Many limit their concept of a hook to one or two sentences. Others are a bit more expansive and allow for a situational hook. Regardless, the hook seems to be the only avenue for ensuring the reader gets beyond the first page. In reader/writer groups, I see so many readers who comment they tossed a book because the first couple of pages didn’t titillate them. All I can say is that they have deprived themselves of many a great read.

Entering into a relationship with a book is similar to getting to know a new neighbor. You watch out your window while they are unloading the moving van. You see members of the family milling around. In your head, you’re already imagining who they are and what they’ll be like even though you haven’t yet stepped into their world. Maybe you’re not impressed one way or the other. Still, you leave yourself open to the possibility things will change once you know more about them.

Some books are like this. Initially you watch the mundane happenings, but you aren’t truly invested yet in the characters. Instead of being impatient, you stay in there, and suddenly you don’t know when it happened, but you are totally caught up in their story! This has happened to me so many times, and I was so glad I gave the story the benefit of the doubt.

The bottom line of all these words is that there will be some books that don’t suit you at first glance and others that click with you immediately — rather like people. Just don’t make snap judgments based on the lack of an immediate “hook.” Have a little faith. There may be rewards you never expected.

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Writing: Does It Get Easier or Harder?

Can Sensitivity Reviewing Go Too Far?

The Writing Process

Avoid Mindless Patterns in Your Writing

A Writer’s Superpower

Writing Is a Birthing of Ideas

Wait For It!

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