Methods – Page 8 – Dabbling in the Art of Writing

Knowing When to Quit

Posted on February 27, 2016June 10, 2016 by Kassandra Carrillo

When writing, I don’t normally think of the ending. As a matter of fact, I don’t always know the ending. The end doesn’t pop into my head until I’m in the middle of my story. Until then, writing becomes more about discovering what the story is about. For some, that might not be the case. You might already know the ending from the beginning but most often than not, the ending doesn’t turn out the way we envisioned it and that’s okay. The story is always changing.

So, what if the ending doesn’t ever show up? The story grags on and on. The piece becomes longer and longer. A longer piece isn’t so scary but it gets to the point where the drive and motivation to continue evaporates. A few tips I learned along the way are as follow:
1. Plan
You don’t have to have an outline per say but it’s a good idea to know what your character(s) want. Will they achieve this goal at the end? Will they fail? Or maybe they realize that goal isn’t what they wanted. Know your character and the story can write itself and the ending won’t be too far away.
2. Write the ending first.
You might have an idea for a story but you’re having trouble starting. A little exercise I learned is to write the ending. Picture how you want the story to end. That way, you can see the light at the end of the tunnel and you won’t be bogged down with the details of a started story.
3. Just stop writing.
While this is probably the most obvious, it also doesn’t make sense completely. Sometimes you just have to put down your pen or stop typing and sit back. Take a break. More often than not, you’re just word vomiting. The content might not be related or necessary to the story. Read over what you wrote and figure out where the story stops making sense.
4. Quit.
This is probably the last thing you want to hear. Writing is as important as breathing and eating. It’s a part of who we are. However, saying that, it’s important to know that sometimes a story won’t work out. It doesn’t mean you can’t come back to it but it does mean that you need to close that document or put it in a drawer and forget about it for a few months or years. A story is not always ready to be written and that’s okay.

Do you ever have trouble knowing where your story is going to end? How do you plan the ending? Do you know it first? Don’t forget to share your thoughts and opinions
Until next time, Kassandra.

Methods, Writing

Plot and Subplot

Posted on February 22, 2016June 10, 2016 by Kassandra Carrillo

Just recently, I have started working on my second book in a five part series I plan to write. My beta readers are busy reading through the first book and so it’s a good opportunity to start writing the second. Unlike most people, I don’t exactly outline the entire book. I like to let the story breathe on its own and expand toward places I wouldn’t have thought about otherwise. So, I faced a dilemma.

I knew the effects I wanted to write about; the ripples of the events that happened in the first book. I made an entire list of those effects and I thought I was ready. I was on the second notebook page when I realized that I had no idea what this story was going to be about. My list of effects was beside me but it wasn’t a story. There wasn’t anything connecting these points. They were just scenes and without a connector, it wasn’t a story.

I went back to the writing board. What was my story about? I wanted to follow the themes of revenge and family but how could I incorporate this into a story? Somewhere online I read that books in a serious should more or less be a stand alone book. While they might be part of a series, it has to have its own story despite having the same cast. Thinking about my plot made me think about the overall plot of my series. I knew what I wanted to accomplish in the last book but I needed to build up to that point. How could I get to point A to point D?

The answer came to be while I was sitting at work. My effects list was in front of me and I knew that most of them were all character based. One way or another, the characters had to face that effect and deal with it. One point in particular caught my attention. The cult in my book needed more of a presence and it was in that moment that I realized that they could be the center of the story. They were the driving force.

And so, I had my plot.

It doesn’t always work that way but what helped me was that I concentrated on one detail that I could expand and luckily it worked out. This exercise, so to speak, made me realize that subplots can’t drive the story because then, without an overall connection, there is no story. If you ever have trouble coming up with a plot, shot down a few points that must happen in the story and then ask yourself: how does my character (s) get from this moment to that moment? They you fill out the details.

Take from other readings and writings that you might have done over the course of your life. The what-if game is also very helpful because it allows you freedom to think about different scenarios that you wouldn’t necessarily put into writing. Overall, it’s important to remember that each book in a series builds the plot as a whole and each piece must work together to get you to the end. But in the end, take it one chapter at a time.

Methods, Writing

Magazine Shopping

Posted on February 20, 2016June 10, 2016 by Kassandra Carrillo

Have you ever browsed through a magazine and cut out images because they’re your favorite though you can’t afford them? Or your teacher asked you to cut out your future goals for a grade. Either way, at one point or another, we all have looked through a magazine.

But Kassandra, what does that have to do with writing? Here’s my answer: everything.

I used to collect lot of old magazines from school and bring them home. Every day I would go through them and cut out images that I liked and what I wanted to have. However, it was only after that I started cutting out images for my characters. I would glue the images to a sheet a paper under a specific name. What would so and so wardrobe look like? What about their homes? What could they buy? What do they wish they could buy?

All these questions helped me build my characters economic background. The way a character dresses, where they buy, etc. reveals a lot to a reader without telling them. With those images, I created a life for my characters that I could see and describe in my writing. That way, not only could I use the magazines after I finished looking through them but that activity allowed me to expand the way I create characters. It’s a fun and creative process to bring back the enjoyment – in my opinion- to creating characters.

While there are many articles and websites about character development, I like to believe that playing dress-up and house with your character is just as helpful.

Do you know any other non traditional ways to build our characters? What process do you use? Leave your answers in the section below. Thanks for reading.

Until next time.

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