Tag: creative writing

My City of the FUTURE

How would you design the city of the future?

Well, for starters, I’d figure out what the heck is meant by “city of the future.”

I mean, hypothetical, futuristic cities designed in the 1950s look a lot different from what we 2020ers think they should look like . A lot less art-deco and a lot more Apple aesthetic. Lots of white and curved corners. In fifty more years, the city of the future will probably be imagined as made of recyclable plastic or something.

But this is my city, right? I can do what I want. So, futuristic means pretty, practical, and maybe even a little sustainable.

First thing’s first, its streets are based on a grid system. I want a city that’s easy to navigate with no silly, loopy streets going every which way. If we live in the future, we should be able to make our own cities easy to drive in, a least. Also, wide streets. My city will acknowledge the existence of heavy traffic and anticipate it. Wide streets that can accommodate, oh, let’s say six lanes.

But I’m also going to offer incentives to not drive cars everywhere. Because we’re in the future, right? And cars are a thing of the past. Well, they might be. It’s the future, who knows what’s going to happen?

So, I’ll have elevated rail lines for the train and also lots and lots of rental stations with electric bikes. Just put in a quarter and ride your rental for an hour or so. Also, I’m bringing back trolleys. Trolleys are a great idea, and I’ll fight the gas companies to make my city’s public transportation system the best in the world.

Since my city is on a grid, I’m thinking it’ll be shaped like a big square or rectangle. In the center is where all the skyscrapers will be located; the major businesses and corporate headquarters will have their places in the center, and they aren’t going to be big blocks of glass. I want some curvature to these buildings, something a little softer on the eyes. No hard corners. Also, solar panels. I’ll coat the upper floors of these skyscrapers in solar panels. Fancy, futuristic solar panels that are transparent or something, so you can still see out the windows. Not possible? Well, guess what? It’s the future!

Ah, speaking of power, I’m also going to install revolutionary new generators under the city center sidewalks that convert the kinetic force of footsteps into electrical energy. That’s right, I’m going to design a city that generates power from people walking down the sidewalk. Impossible, you say? Need I remind you? Future!

The most vital part of my city design is trees. Lots and lots of trees. The streets will be lined with trees, and there will be dozens of parks. Big parks, little parks, flower gardens, all scattered throughout the city. The very center of the city, smack dab in the middle, will be the biggest park, with a lake, a sports field, a walking loop through the woods, and more. Trees are important. They provide fresh oxygen and help calm people who otherwise are trapped in an artificial world. My city of the future will have nature in it.

That’s about all I can think of. A nice, pretty city that’s livable. And preferably cheap to live in. It needs lots of incentives for businesses to come in and employ people, but I’m just the designer, not the economist, so I can’t answer that here. But I’m sure my revolutionary sidewalk power generators will cut down on costs somehow.

I took the time to describe my basic idea to AI and got this image spat out in response.

Not bad, actually. I was expecting worse from AI. The buildings aren’t quite what I wanted, but I like the distinct lack of traffic and lots of bicyclists. Also, trees. Yes, that many trees.

There you have it. My city of the future.

Many thanks for visiting my blog. I post updates on my writing career, I muse over storytelling and fiction, and I reflect on the curious and wonderful things in life.

A Story’s Skin: Setting Limits for Yourself as a Writer

We as human beings don’t like to hear about “limits.” We want to do our own thing without anything holding us back. But consider the breadth of human imagination and all the choices you have as a writer and ask yourself, “How do I even know where to start with my story? Where do I go with it? How do I keep it organized?”

The truth is, stories need boundaries. That’s the difference between a story and rambling. Stories have a point, and they stick to that point. Telling a story about shopping at the grocery store is not going to include what your kids did at school that day. And a story about grocery shopping isn’t going to take as long to tell as, say, the history of Great Britain. Different stories have different limits. But they do need limits.

Some of us like to meander. We have so many ideas and we want to shove them all in. It’s fun to type away at your computer and watch the words flow. But knowing when to stop – ah, there’s the rub.

Here’s a metaphor for you: Imagine your story is like the human body. It’s made of many different complex parts. But all those parts are able to stay together and function properly because of the skin. Skin covers the body and keeps it in place. If we didn’t have skin, we’d just sort of … ooze all over. And who wants that?

It’s the same with writing. You have an idea, or two or three. Great! Now stop. Organize those ideas, don’t add to them. Stories have a beginning, middle, and end. A triggering event, rising action, climax, and epilogue. In other words, stories have structure. And structure, by its very nature, is defined by boundaries and restrictions. They aren’t bad things. They’re necessary for anything to make sense and have form.

Outlining your story ahead of time is a great way to know what your story is about, to know what to put in and what to hold back. Yes, things will shift and change as you go through drafts. But don’t keep adding and adding and adding. Know when to stop and refine what you already have. Put a skin on your story.

If overwriting is a major problem for you, then put a limit on your word count. Something miraculous occurs when you suddenly have a ceiling you can bump your head on.

When we are deprived of the freedom to do everything, we discover a new well of creativity. We choose our words more carefully. We find focus. Words matter more, so we experiment until we find the right ones. We cut away cumbersome paragraphs and sentences. Knowing there’s a cap on our writing makes us pay extra special attention to dialogue, plotting, pacing, and everything else.

Limits are good. They force us to be better writers.

Many thanks for visiting my blog. I post updates on my writing career, I muse over storytelling and fiction, and I reflect on the curious and wonderful things in life.

No, It is Not Genius. You’re Not Genius. There is No Genius Here.

What is a word you feel that too many people use?

I have … several … words that I believe have seeped into the social fabric as overused and overrated vocabulary. Words used so often they don’t have any meaning left except as placeholders or hollow props to push a point. But one word I, as a storyteller and writer, really, really, really, really tire of seeing used at the drop of a hat is this:

Genius.

I see it everywhere online.

“Look at that camera shot! Genius!”

“Did you read this cool one-liner in this comic book? It’s awesome! Genius!”

“Look at what she’s wearing! I love it! The designer is a genius!”

“This music pumps me up! It must be genius!”

No, it’s not. It’s not genius. It’s likeable and memorable and probably technically very skillful. But it’s not genius just because you personally like it.

If I’m coming on strong with this, it’s because I don’t like it when people’s vocabulary is reduced to a handful of expressions and words to communicate a vast and varied array of feelings and situations. It cheapens words. Wait, what am I saying? Words are expensive. They must be, because so many people can’t seem to afford to learn any more.

Genius is a word with a history. The ancient Romans believed the genius was a type of spirit. Genii watched over people and resided in objects and locations. They were entities that guided and assisted people. They were an abstract, animistic concept with concrete benefits.

Genius evolved to mean an individual possessing remarkable and unique creative or intellectual ability. Geniuses are singular in their talents. They are rare, and often leave a significant impact on the world beyond that of simple aesthetic or crowd pleasing. Their minds are quantifiably beyond that of others.

Note that I said “rare.” Geniuses, true geniuses, don’t sprout up like dandelions. And yet, somewhere down the road, society lost the plot. It loves to attach the word to anything. And, I suspect, not because one truly believes the person or the work has intellectual or creative worth, but because of personal gratification. Genius is whatever you want it to be. Genius has become relative.

Maybe it always was? Maybe. But were Einstein or Turing or Leonardo da Vinci merely relatively smarter than the average joe? Or were they actually making remarkable and unprecedented achievements in their fields through learned and innate skill that is extremely hard to match? There’s nothing relative about genius. It is either present, or it isn’t.

This is not to tread over the achievements of others. Not everyone is a genius, but there are many, many skilled people in the arts and sciences who have produced amazing things for people to enjoy and benefit from. They should not be put down. And geniuses work hard, too. It’s the hard-working ones that we know about. But for the love of apple pie, please stop throwing the word around like confetti! Let it hold some meaning.

On the other hand, linguistic drift is a thing. Tragically, “genius” may very well go the way of so many other words with rich histories and meanings and become just another toy in pop culture’s box.

But not for us bloggers, right? Right?

Many thanks for visiting my blog. I post updates on my writing career, I muse over storytelling and fiction, and I reflect on the curious and wonderful things in life.

A Writer’s Lament

My friends and family know I’m a writer. They know that I’ve published one book and am currently working on a second. That arouses interest, and it invites a question. It’s a question I never feel I can adequately answer:

“How’s your book coming along?”

What do I say? Do I delve into the complexities of plotting and characterization or explain exactly how the story has evolved in the writing of it? Do I describe the process of drafting? Maybe we could have a chat about beta readers or commissioning cover art? Or perhaps I just jump into a lengthy spiel about how writing is so darn fun, the thrill you get when your ideas come together and your vision is realized?

It’s … hard to talk about my work with non-writers, not because of some elitist viewpoint that only writers can understand other writers, but, because I don’t have anything to show for my work until it’s done. That’s the weird thing about writing in the modern era. There’s no physical measure of progress.

I’m no artist or sculptor, whose progress is apparent from glimpsing the picture being painted or the block of stone being carved. I’m not an architect whose building people can watch being built day by day. I don’t even live in the era of the typewriter, when authors ground out their pages and stacked them into a pile. That’s progress you can see. But in this time of computers, all of my work is invisible. It’s in the hard drive, unseen and untouchable, and what isn’t there is in my head.

So, when people ask how my book is progressing, all I can really say, “It’s going good,” or “I’m on track.” Unless they want to be a reader reviewing my work, there’s nothing I can show them. The answer to their simple question – the full, glorious answer of what is going on inside a writer’s colorful mind – takes more than a quick word to fully portray. Microsoft Word documents aren’t glamorous. The writing process itself isn’t glamorous. You don’t see people lining up for tours to see authors at their desks. It isn’t fancy or visibly interesting. All the fun goes on in the writer’s imagination, unseen and unheard. It’s the result that grabs people’s attentions, and only the result.

Cal it a writer’s lament.

How’s my book coming along? Just fine, thank you for asking. But I can’t truly show you until it’s done.

Many thanks for visiting my blog. I post updates on my writing career, I muse over storytelling and fiction, and I reflect on the curious and wonderful things in life.

Writers, You Can’t Be Perfect

There is no such thing as a perfect story.

To strive for perfection is something that writers do. We put all our effort into writing stories that are perfectly plotted, that contain no plot holes or leaps of logic, that are devoid of unnecessary fluff, that are devoid of grammar and spelling mistakes. Perhaps even more, we want to write a story that everyone loves and that has no detractors whatsoever, a story that perfectly conveys the message we want to share with the world. We strive to be perfect, but we will never get there.

But this fact should not lead to discouragement. If an author wrote a book that everyone somehow agreed was perfect, what point would there be to continue writing anything else? If you’ve achieved the absolute height of the craft, why keep going?

Perfection is a hypothetical. We may use it as a target to direct our efforts, but we won’t ever “get there.” No, the best writers keep writing to refine their craft and to improve. Always improving, always discovering new ways to tell stories and make them exciting, interesting, impactful. I’m not a particularly good writer, but I look back on past work and see the maturity that’s taken place.

Aim for excellence. Aim for quality. Don’t worry about writing the next great American novel. Don’t despair at the mistakes you see in your work after it’s published. Recognize them sure, and learn from them. And then look forward to writing an even better novel next time.

Many thanks for visiting my blog. I post updates on my writing career, I muse over storytelling and fiction, and I reflect on the curious and wonderful things in life.

Improve Your Writing … By Writing

If there was a magic trick to becoming a better writer, if there was a special class or a magic book, I’d be recommending that here instead. But, obvious as it may sound, the only way to become a better writer is to, well, write.

It’s one of those facts of life that’s so simple that you think there must be a catch. There isn’t, except that it requires hard work and discipline. To become better at something, you need to do it as often as you can.

But, you might ask, what about writing classes? What about exercises? What about reading and research? Those are important, make no mistake. There are plenty of good resources for writers nowadays, especially online. There are tons of excellent blogs that I personally peruse for advice. But if you want to be the best writer you can be, you have to delve headfirst into turning that idea that’s been clattering inside your head into reality. You need to practice your craft.

Write, keep writing, and never stop writing. Practice, practice, practice. And after you write, go over what you’ve written. Look at it with a critical eye. Learn your strengths and recognize your weaknesses. Improve upon them. Seek feedback from friends and family and writer groups. And keep writing.

With every new project, with every completed draft, and with every review, you will improve. Don’t let up. Keep pushing yourself. Accept no substitutes.

Many thanks for visiting my blog. I post updates on my writing career, I muse over storytelling and fiction, and I reflect on the curious and wonderful things in life.

Seizing Opportunity from Reader Feedback

Submitting your book to beta readers can be a daunting prospect. What if they don’t like it? What if their suggestions mean you have to overhaul your entire book? What if the book is no good at all? Writing for the public is always underpinned by a certain amount of nervousness. But we can prosper from reader feedback, both positive and negative. Responding to how other readers view your work, as opposed to what you see through your own eyes, requires a willingness to adapt, but it also offers a broad range of new opportunities.

Every reader is a different person with different experiences. That means that everyone has different ideas about the same thing. The point of hiring beta readers is to gain an understanding of how your book is perceived by others. We as writers tend to get too close to our own work. It’s our baby, and we coddle it. It’s not that we overlook flaws or plot holes, but rather that we don’t even realize they’re there. Having them pointed out to us can be painful, sometimes.

But once we take a day or two to mull over the feedback and start our next draft, a whole new world of possibilities opens up. Weaknesses in the story can be turned into new strengths. Filling in plot holes unlocks new avenues for the story and new directions for character development. Glorious opportunities to make your story even better, to develop themes and plot points that never even occurred to you.

None of us are perfect writers. We’ll never be perfect writers, and we won’t see every shortcoming in our work or the chances to capitalize on half-formed ideas. We need an extra set of eyes to see what we ourselves cannot, both the good and the bad. A little encouragement and a kick in the pants to sharpen those details that don’t sit right with readers.

Every book we publish will be better than the one before. Your first book might be hot garbage. Your second book is a slight improvement. You third is a breakthrough in quality. And so forth and so on. Can’t do it without listening to constructive opinions, though. No writer is an island. If you plan on publishing your work, you’re going to need to listen to your readers. And often, they have a lot of worthwhile things to say.

Many thanks for visiting my blog. I post updates on my writing career, I muse over storytelling and fiction, and I reflect on the curious and wonderful things in life.

What is a Masterpiece?

Masterpiece. It’s a word you hear often. So often, I feel that its meaning has been drained out of it. Like “genius” and “magnum opus,” it’s a label we often apply to something that we enjoy on a personal level, regardless of whether it deserves the title.

A little harsh? Probably. There’s nothing wrong with liking something. In fact, I encourage you to like lots of things. Enjoy life. But I like to overthink things and write them down, so why not dig a little deeper?

Masterpiece. It’s actually two words. Master. Piece. A master piece. In ye olden days, guilds and academies required their apprentices and journeymen to submit a masterpiece as part of their application to the status of master. Hence, they presented a piece that marked mastery of their craft, be it carpentry, smithing, jewelry, baking, or what have you. Proof and demonstration that they were worthy of attaining the highest rank, as judged by their superiors.

So, it was something that was measured against quantifiable standards. A masterpiece was actually a lot like today’s college senior capstones: a final paper or project that demonstrates the graduate’s understanding of their degree subject. Or perhaps more appropriately, it is like a doctorate or master’s thesis (and there’s the word “master” again!). That’s not really surprising, considering that guilds, like schools, train people for careers.

But the word’s meaning changed over time, as words are wont to do. Now, a masterpiece has come to hold an even more elevated meaning. It is not simply proof of an individual’s skill, but it is the apex of their skill. Mona Lisa is Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpiece. Not his first work, but widely considered his best. 1984 is George Orwell’s masterpiece, and Star Wars is George Lucas’s.

So what does the word mean nowadays? It means something superlative, something that represents the epitome of the creator’s talent and understanding of the art. It is applied to anything that can be considered great or notable. And in so doing, we have, oddly enough, brought the word down. A masterpiece is declared as such by critics who are not necessarily practitioners of the art. Anyone who favors a particular artist or author and is eager to share that love can declare their favorite work to be a masterpiece, regardless of what merit it actually represents. That happens with all words – their meanings change and are shaped by usage into something quite different, and will again in a hundred years or so – but looking back at a word’s origin can make you look at it a little differently. A little more carefully.

A masterpiece was originally something that proved the apprentice was worthy of the master’s rank as judged by his teachers. It was a stepping stone from a lower tier to a higher one. It was a gateway and a turning point in one’s life. It was something singular and unique. It was the masterpiece of your career. It was something special.

Call me grumpy, but I think we can be more mindful when using words like masterpiece. They are powerful words, and applying them more prudently can in turn make us consider the media we consume more carefully. A bit of critical thinking put into evaluating whether something is truly a master’s piece. And that’s good practice for any artist.

Many thanks for visiting my blog. I post updates on my writing career, I muse over storytelling and fiction, and I reflect on the curious and wonderful things in life.

Likeable Character and Charismatic Characters

There’s a fine line between being likeable and being charismatic. A likeable character – affable, friendly, trustworthy – is someone you want to be around for a chat and a drink. A charismatic character – inspiring, motivating, commanding – is someone you want to watch from a distance . There can be overlap, of course, but when writing a charismatic character, keep in mind that they don’t have to be nice. And a likeable character can be as dull as dirt, oddly enough. It depends on the reaction you’re trying to get out of your readers.

Understanding the type of character you’re writing and the feelings you’re trying to draw out of your readers is important. Likeability and charisma are just two of the facets found in any character, but they are important ones. Consider your protagonist. Does he draw others to himself? Does he make friends (and allies) easily? Why? Do you intend for him to be just plain affable and good-natured? Or maybe he is forceful and commanding, the type of person who gets what he wants through panache and strength of personality?

Knowing which you want determines which of the two traits you’re shooting for.

Likeable characters are, well, easy to like. And we like people who are like us. Most importantly, such characters possess empathy. They have hearts, and they not only understand how their actions affect others, they care about the consequences of those actions. And we generally like that in the people we’re in close contact with on a regular basis.

Charisma is awe. We don’t necessarily want to be around them constantly. We are amazed by them, but they are best enjoyed from a distance. They’re natural showmen, they get others pumped up and ready to see something spectacular. They represent what we want to be. A charismatic character can become a symbol or ideal to aspire towards.

Is there overlap? Absolutely. Many, many characters in fiction possess both traits. But even then, there tends to be a weight toward one or the other. Whether hero or villain – yes, villains can be easy to like, too – the two traits must be separated from one another to recognize them for what they are, and ultimately, to understand the impact you want the character to have on your reader.

Many thanks for visiting my blog. I post updates on my writing career, I muse over storytelling and fiction, and I reflect on the curious and wonderful things in life.

Weather for Reading, Weather for Writing

Rainy weather is the best for reading, I think. The cold and the wet outside isn’t inviting. There’s no work to be done beyond the front door, not if we can help it. Better to curl up on the couch with a good book and listen to the drumming of raindrops overhead as you sink into a comfortable half-doze. The sound of rain soothes and calms our minds for the act of reading. Relaxation. Rest. Quiet.

But sunny weather is good for writing. The sun invigorates us. A sunny day is a day to do things. Open the window and let the light shine cheerfully into your office. This is a time to accomplish goals. Reach your day’s word count, complete your chapter, finish your poem-in-progress. The sun beckons us to move and do. A bright mood to go with bright light. Energy. Vigor. Action.

Is this true for you, as well? Does the rain calm you into stillness? Does the sun motivate you into action? Or, perhaps, the other way around?

Many thanks for visiting my blog. I post updates on my writing career, I muse over storytelling and fiction, and I reflect on the curious and wonderful things in life.

Image: “Clouds” by CSLmedia Productions; Licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.