Never underestimate the power of place. It can do a lot for a story if you let it. Places have character. Think of the home you grew up in or the first home you ever purchased. Think of where you were when you were on the worst vacation you ever experienced. Where were you when you had car trouble or when you got lost one night? See what I mean? Let your readers experience the power of place.
Here's another aspect to it. Sometimes "place" can be the springboard for a wonderful story. Imagine looking into the window of a pawn shop and noticing the things on display. Focus on one particular item. How did it get there? Who pawned it and why? What is the history of that item and who are the people connected to it?
National Public Radio had a story the other day about a Purple Heart medal being in a pawn shop. Why would someone want to give that up? How about a ring with an inscription "love forever"?
All right now, create your own pawn shop window, pick out an object in it, and write a story about it.
Sunday, December 25, 2011
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Get beyond the tick-tock
Tick tock, tick tock. Sometimes that can describe everyday life. But we have to get beyond that in our writing.
Here's an example. A writer in Illinois once did a magazine article on a country doctor. He spent some time with him and went out with him on all his calls. One of them was a tragic situation in which a man was cutting down a tree and the tree fell on his leg, trapping him. As friends tried to get the tree off of him, someone called the doc because he was the closest medical help.
The doctor and writer rushed to the scene. As they got closer, the doc began honking his car horn repeatedly. When he arrived, he treated the man as best he could until an ambulance arrived. When the episode was over and the doctor and writer were headed home, the writer recalled how the doctor had honked his horn. "Were you doing that to make it sound like an ambulance siren so you could get there faster?," asked the writer.
"No," said the old doc. "I did it because people in that much pain often think they're going to die and it's important for them to hear the horn and know help is on the way. It gives them hope." Wow.
The writer's magazine subject was a country doctor. But his story was much more than that - it was about wisdom, insight and experience - things not found in medical bag. That's getting beyond the tick tock.
Here's an example. A writer in Illinois once did a magazine article on a country doctor. He spent some time with him and went out with him on all his calls. One of them was a tragic situation in which a man was cutting down a tree and the tree fell on his leg, trapping him. As friends tried to get the tree off of him, someone called the doc because he was the closest medical help.
The doctor and writer rushed to the scene. As they got closer, the doc began honking his car horn repeatedly. When he arrived, he treated the man as best he could until an ambulance arrived. When the episode was over and the doctor and writer were headed home, the writer recalled how the doctor had honked his horn. "Were you doing that to make it sound like an ambulance siren so you could get there faster?," asked the writer.
"No," said the old doc. "I did it because people in that much pain often think they're going to die and it's important for them to hear the horn and know help is on the way. It gives them hope." Wow.
The writer's magazine subject was a country doctor. But his story was much more than that - it was about wisdom, insight and experience - things not found in medical bag. That's getting beyond the tick tock.
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Keeping a reader
I've always liked the story about how Phil Donahue, the former TV personality stopped in the "Green Room" before a show and had some words of advice for his guests. "Make 'em glad, make 'em mad, make 'em sad," he said. Donahue wanted his guests to be able to hold the audience's attention. His advice for his guests is not bad advice for readers.
Charles Reade, an English novelist of the 19th century, had similar advice for writers only with a little bit of a twist. He said, "make 'em laugh, make 'em cry, make 'em wait."
In other words, create some interest but create a little suspense too.
Charles Reade, an English novelist of the 19th century, had similar advice for writers only with a little bit of a twist. He said, "make 'em laugh, make 'em cry, make 'em wait."
In other words, create some interest but create a little suspense too.
Sunday, December 4, 2011
What's my story?
Picture yourself with an idea for something you want to write. It could be a research paper, a short story, a dissertation or a novel.
Now picture yourself taking all the research you have accumulated - newspaper clippings, magazine articles, printouts from the internet as well as your own notes.
If you haven't reached that point yet, imagine that you have taken all the ideas that you have for what you want to write about - big ideas, small ones, serious ones, silly ones - and spread them out all over the table.
What you see covering that table in all its many forms is your subject matter. The next step is crucial: You have to look at the table and say, "That's my subject. Now, what's my story?"
What are you going to sift out of all of that material or all of those ideas that will be creative, fresh, and fulfilling for the reader?
Say to yourself "Health care is my subject; what's my story?" Or -- "Abraham Lincoln is my subject; what's my story?" Or -- "The first job I ever had is my subject; what's my story?"
It's a question every writer must answer.
Now picture yourself taking all the research you have accumulated - newspaper clippings, magazine articles, printouts from the internet as well as your own notes.
If you haven't reached that point yet, imagine that you have taken all the ideas that you have for what you want to write about - big ideas, small ones, serious ones, silly ones - and spread them out all over the table.
What you see covering that table in all its many forms is your subject matter. The next step is crucial: You have to look at the table and say, "That's my subject. Now, what's my story?"
What are you going to sift out of all of that material or all of those ideas that will be creative, fresh, and fulfilling for the reader?
Say to yourself "Health care is my subject; what's my story?" Or -- "Abraham Lincoln is my subject; what's my story?" Or -- "The first job I ever had is my subject; what's my story?"
It's a question every writer must answer.
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