Kritique Kritics

Together with my fellow Kritique Kritic bloggers, I had a blast this past weekend at the Cuesta Writers’ Conference. A round of applause goes to everyone who organized the event, and who (like our Laurie Woodward) volunteered their time to make sure attendees had a trouble-free experience.

The opportunity to get to know other writers was motivational (thank goodness, I’m NOT the only one who has characters who don’t do what I tell them!) and the speakers were inspiring. I’m sure we’ll all cover many points over the next few weeks; but that’s a lot of information to process, so I’ll start with one bit at a time.

During his mystery writing workshop—”From Crime to Crime”—speaker Dennis Palumbo gave a tip that hit me like a ton of bricks. As a matter of fact, when he illustrated it, the whole class shrieked. (Me the loudest, much to my embarrassment.)

I’ll share his tip in a moment; but first, here’s a video I’d like you to watch:

PLANE LANDS TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT:

Mr. Palumbo’s tip?

Surprise is not suspense.

While writing my mystery novel, I’ve been thinking in terms of surprise. What plot twist will surprise the reader? What kind of surprise ending can I create? But just like with this video, it’s suspense, not surprise, that makes a great story.

First, you read the title: “Plane Lands Too Close for Comfort.” Already that gives you a feeling of foreboding. Oh, man, what am I going to see here?

As the video opens, you see the plane approaching. It takes for-evah. And because of the title, you flat-out know it’s going to have a close call at the landing—all that remains is to wait for it. ~~Cringe.~~ In Dennis Palumbo’s words, “Suspense is when we know it will happen, we dread it will happen.”

When the plane sweeps overhead with explosive sound and massive bulk, you gasp. After the people and red car appear, and you realize they were inches away from the plane, you exclaim aloud, “Oh, my gosh!” (Or something stronger, as a member of my family happened to do.)

That’s surprise. The noise, the explosion, the realization of something astounding. Waiting for it all to happen? That’s suspense. And as a matter of fact, it’s suspense that makes the surprise better.

Even after the plane has landed, the thrill lingers in a viewer’s mind. (Notice the flabbergasted guy at the end of the video.) The best writing is like that. Long after we’ve finished reading a work, we remember how it built anticipation, then paid off with a thrill. As with many other experiences in life, the journey is as important as the destination.

So I’m going to take Dennis Palumbo’s advice to heart. Whether I’m writing a mystery novel or a blog post, I’ll remember to…

…build suspense.

Tags: Cuesta Writer's Conference, Writing by mousewords
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Today was my third class and I enjoyed it immensely. We spent some time reviewing a poem called “The Layers”, by Stanley Kunitz:

I have walked through many lives,
some of them my own,
and I am not who I was,
though some principle of being
abides, from which I struggle not to stray.
When I look behind,
as I am compelled to look
before I can gather strength
to proceed on my journey,
I see the milestones dwindling
toward the horizon
and the slow fires trailing
from the abandoned camp-sites,
over which scavenger angels
wheel on heavy wings.
Oh, I have made myself a tribe
out of my true affections,
and my tribe is scattered!
How shall the heart be reconciled
to its feast of losses?
In a rising wind
the manic dust of my friends,
those who fell along the way,
bitterly stings my face.
Yet I turn, I turn,
exulting somewhat,
with my will intact to go
wherever I need to go,
and every stone on the road
precious to me.
In my darkest night,
when the moon was covered
and I roamed through wreckage,
a nimbus-clouded voice
directed me:
“Live in the layers,
not on the litter.”
Though I lack the art
to decipher it,
no doubt the next chapter
in my book of transformations
is already written,
I am not done with my changes.

I couldn’t understand the poem, but when I listened and participated in the discussion, I found out two things: first. I need to break the poem into verses to understand it and second, it’s a rich and beauty poem.

To better understand it, this is how I divided it:

I have walked through many lives,
some of them my own,
and I am not who I was,
though some principle of being
abides, from which I struggle not to stray.

When I look behind,
as I am compelled to look
before I can gather strength
to proceed on my journey,
I see the milestones dwindling
toward the horizon
and the slow fires trailing
from the abandoned camp-sites,
over which scavenger angels
wheel on heavy wings.

Oh, I have made myself a tribe
out of my true affections,
and my tribe is scattered!
How shall the heart be reconciled
to its feast of losses?
In a rising wind
the manic dust of my friends,
those who fell along the way,
bitterly stings my face.

Yet I turn, I turn,
exulting somewhat,
with my will intact to go
wherever I need to go,
and every stone on the road
precious to me.

In my darkest night,
when the moon was covered
and I roamed through wreckage,
a nimbus-clouded voice
directed me:
“Live in the layers,
not on the litter.”

Though I lack the art
to decipher it,
no doubt the next chapter
in my book of transformations
is already written,
I am not done with my changes.

It wasn’t my idea to break the poem up; it was the instructor’s. And, what a great suggestion–now, even I can begin to understand its meaning.

Thank you Diane Halstead, that suggestion made all the difference.

Tags: Writing by debradavishinkle
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In order to succeed in this world, there’s one thing a writer needs more than anything else. It’s not talent. It’s not skill. And, no, it’s not an agent.

It’s a thing called CONFIDENCE.

It takes confidence to bare your inner soul in print. It takes confidence to let others see what you’ve written. You certainly need it to make the decision to publish, and definitely when you act on that decision. You need confidence to withstand rejection notices, and to handle success when it comes.

Which leads us to an obvious question: Where does one get confidence?

Easy answer: It’s been inside you all along. The embers of confidence are there. You just need to fan them into a flame. One awesome way to do this is through music—but not just any music.

You need a soundtrack.

You need a song that you can plug into your headphones when you sit down to work for the day, one that plays in your mind when you walk. Boom, boom, boom, step to the beat, walk with an attitude. Make people wonder whatcha got, want to know what you’re so interested in. “Who, me? I gotta dream, and I’m gonna rock the world!” That kind of music.

You can follow the example of Bre Pettis. He’s enthusiastic about history, a subject which just might put the average viewer to sleep. But not the way Bre delivers it. He’s excited about what he does, and his music video lets us share that energy. And I say “energy”…literally.

“Ready, steady, GO!”

And what about Angelina Jolie as legendary archaeologist Lara Croft? That lady walks with an attitude—confident in her ability to lay the smack down.

“Time to save the universe again, is it?” “Absolutely.”

Confidence isn’t reserved for geniuses and fictional heroes. It’s a free gift, accessible at any time. All you have to do is follow the example of Bre Pettis and Lara Croft.

Live up to the amazing potential that’s inside of you. Be smart. Be cool.

And walk like you got a soundtrack.

~ mousewords

Tags: inspiration, video by mousewords
4 Comments »

This Friday and Saturday, September 26th and 27th is the annual Cuesta Writer’s Conference. There will be a host of workshops ranging from non-fiction to poetry to novel writing as well as great business tips. I’ve attended five times and the information is invaluable. This year yours truly will be one of the volunteers so I hope to see all of my  blog friends there.

The link to register is:  http://www.communityprograms.net/wc/wcindex.htm

You won’t need a life vest to attend, in case you were wondering. Just come as your charming self.

Tags: Cuesta Writer's Conference, Writing by LaurieWoodward
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My writer friend, Helen Sherry, sent me this and I wanted to pass it on!

In grieving for my mother, I learned this gift.

May I always remember both.

Photo: “You Are Worth the Time” by jannypantsthegreat

Tags: Family, inspiration by debradavishinkle
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Wednesday was my second class and in my last review, I forgot to mention the instructor, Diane Halsted, was top notch.

Some of her suggestions this week include:

1. Read a poem more than once – which I find difficult to do unless I like it.

2. Don’t read or write anything you don’t like – It seems like I don’t have to read that poem a second or even a first time, after all.

I took the course hoping to learn some tricks so writing would be easier for me. After just two weeks, I think it will help develop my natural ability and help me get my point across. That’s still my hope and I’ve uncrossed my fingers.

Some things I seem to do instinctively and correctly. Others I don’t understand the type of mistake I’m making and I’m hoping more training in this area will help. For example, I use an “imperative verb” like imagine when I don’t mean to be giving instructions, orders or commands. And, right now I can’t think of another word to use in place of imagine.

Let’s see what next week brings!

Debra

Tags: Writing by debradavishinkle
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Thanks for the kind words, Laurie–can’t wait to read some of your own pearls from other worlds as well!  Hopefully, I will be able to post this comment on my own this time.  Here goes…

Tags: Uncategorized by CarterPittman
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Ever since my exploration from the SCBWI conference into giving my characters greater depth, I have found one thing.  In order to truly become a character I have to act like a crazy woman. For each one, I jump in their skin pretending to  eat their grainy pancakes, paint their superheroes,  or sculpt their loved ones.  Sometimes I wake up my entire family humming loudly, blowing out windstorm air or crying, “Filth! I see filth!” like my character, Hygenette Borax. I perch on chairs, dash up stairs, and run my fingers wildly through my hair. I talk to myself, and here is the really scary thing. I answer back.

I look like a cross between a bag lady, a dumpster diver, and a resident of Cardboard box City.

Is there no help for this insanity?

Tags: Writing by LaurieWoodward
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 Wednesday was the first day of my creative writing course, which focuses on poetry. It’s been a long time since I’ve been on a college campus and it felt a little strange. I will try to give a weekly critique on the course–what we did in the class, how I felt, whatever.

REPORT ON FIRST CLASS:

Our first assignment was to write a nine-line poem in seven minutes. We had to use the words off the white board and the first and last line had to have the word “imagine” in it.

The white board had the following words:

(The words went from “I know these” to “you’re making these up.”)

Cogitate – Consider carefully and deeply; reflect upon; turn over in one’s mind.

Kaleidoscope – An optical toy in a tube; it produces symmetrical patterns as bits of colored glass are reflected by mirrors.

Oxymoron – Conjoining contradictory terms (as in `deafening silence’).

Synchronicity - The relation that exists when things occur at the same time.

Juggernaut – A massive inexorable force that seems to crush everything in its way.

Serendipitous – Being lucky in finding things you were not looking for.

Arachnomambo – (the spelling must be incorrect) the word is suppose to have something to do with how humans react to spider webs.

Horripilate – Chill, freeze. (render cold); make the skin crawl, give one goose flesh.

Onomatopoeia – is the device of a word, or occasionally, a grouping of words, with a sound imitating the sound it is describing, such as “bang”, “click”, “fizz”, “hush”.

Perambulate – walk with no particular goal.

Oh, I forgot the easy ones: sight, sound, smell, touch, and taste.

Seven minutes came and went and here’s my poem:

Imagine

Smell

Without

Taste

And

 Sight

Without

Touch

Imagine

Definitions from Webster’s Online Dictionary

Tags: Writing by debradavishinkle
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I’ve never been a big cartoon reader, but I think my cats are cute.

What do you think?

Should we have a weekly cartoon series?

(If we did, you would be able to read what they were saying.)

Tags: Animals by debradavishinkle
4 Comments »