Verse Novel #1: Love That Dog

This week, I read Love That Dog by Sharon Creech as the first of the verse novels for the Verse Novel Challenge.

In this story, the protagonist Jack resists his teacher's assignment to write poems in a weekly journal.  As he responds to his teachers comments and the poems he reads in class, we learn more about Jack, his dog Sky and his story.  What I especially liked about this book was how we only hear Jack's voice and his side of the dialogue with his teacher, but from his responses, we can infer what the teacher is saying.  In taking this approach (rather than giving us also the teacher's voice) Creech puts the reader in Jack's shoes and allows us to become fully absorbed in the story.

I'm not usually one to gush, but this book was so good I read it in one sitting.  OK, I'll admit, it's also a really short book, so it's not as though "one sitting" was really a stretch.  (It was more like the dead time between two meetings.)  Still, even if I had had some appointment to run off to, it would have been hard to tear myself away.

I wish I had read this book sooner and included it in my literature thesis because it's a perfect example of the form of a book following function.  In particular, the experience of reading the book makes us feel as though we are Jack, reading the poems in class (which Creech wisely includes in the back of the book for the reader's reference) and talking to the teacher through poems.

And you can't beat that first poem:

September 13

I don't want to
because boys
don't write poetry.

Girls do.

VP Submissions Open Next Week

For those of you who aren't familiar with it, Verbal Pyrotechnics is a literary magazine edited by yours truly and three of my fabulous writer/editor colleagues.  VP is dedicated to publishing teen literature of the short form (stories, poetry, essays, etc.). There aren't many short form outlets for writers who focus on teen literature and we've decided to fix that.  Now we need your help because we need to spread the word.

Verbal Pyrotechnics will be accepting submissions starting next week (July 1)!  Check out our submissions page for more information.  And don't forget to tell other writers about it and get ready to submit.

Writing Through the Senses: Sound

Hello all and welcome to Writing Through the Senses!

We'll be talking about sound today and how it can inspire a story.  Let's start off with a short listening exercise. 

Listening Exercise:   Below you'll find a series of links to music.  Listen to the first 1-2 minutes of each piece (but don't watch the accompanying videos; let the music speak for itself.)  While you listen to each piece, note the imagery that comes to mind.  What mood does the music establish?  Which specific sounds inspire each given image?  If you like, post your thoughts in the comments (but don't read other people's posts until you've had a chance to listen to the music for yourself).

Copland
Ponchielli
Saint-Saens 1
Saint-Saens 2
Holst 1
Mussorgsky


Writing Exercise:  Now that we've warmed up our ears, choose one of the three pieces below and listen to it all the way through (approx. 8-10 min)  As you listen, make notes again about the mood of the piece and think about what sort of story might go with this music.  If this music were a soundtrack to a story, what would the story be?

Once you've listened all the way through, take 10-15minutes and write a scene or story inspired by the music.  If you need to listen to the piece again, feel free to do so but don't feel like you have to parallel the music exactly.  The music is only here to inspire the story and give you a starting point.

Beethoven
Holst 2
Dukas


Take-Home Message:  While some writers find it challenging to write and listen to music at the same time, music can be a great writing tool.

Suggestions for Future Listening:  These pieces of music all tell a story or convey a specific mood.  If you don't have them in your listening library, I highly recommend.

• Beethoven - 6th (pastoral) Symphony
• Saint-Saens - Carnival of the Animals
• Holst - The Planets
• Vivaldi - 4 Seasons

Advice About Teaching...

...that also applies to the writing life.

Not too long ago, I took a class called "Teaching of Writing" as part of my MFA.  What with graduation and looking for teaching gigs, I promptly put away my notes from that class and forgot all about them.  This weekend, while glancing through my notebook, I came across notes from the final "Teaching of Writing" class and I realized that a lot of the advice the professor gave us applies not only to teaching, but also to building a fulfilling writing life.

Here are some lessons I learned in that class that can also apply to writing.

1.  Say "yes" to every opportunity.  Just as freelance teachers need to be open to opportunities, so should a writer.  Sometimes an opportunity may not seem like what you're looking for, but it can lead to something.  And that something might lead to something else and somewhere down the line, you might wind up finding exactly the type of writing what you wanted to do.   

2.  Teach any subject (at least once). Similarly, as a writer it's important to be open to writing any type of piece, at least once.  Who knows, maybe you'll find that you love writing a how-to piece just as much as that paranormal romance novel.  The only caveat with this point is the "at least once" part.  If you find after you've tried something that it's really not your thing, look for something else that's more your style.  It's easy to get sucked into a niche and once you're there, it can be very difficult to break out. 

3.  Build a CV. This one's a no-brainer.  As with any field, you need to show credentials, but in writing this can be tricky, what with submissions being so competitive.  I've found the only solution to this problem is: submit, submit, submit.  And when you're done submitting, submit some more. 

4.  Do it for free (at first). There are lots of volunteer opportunities out there.  For starters, a lot of literary magazines (especially small ones) don't pay for publications and writers submit simply for the joy of having their name out there in the world.  Blogging, being a guest blogger on someone's site, all these things are ways to get your writing "out there" even if you're just doing it out of a love of literature and words. 

5.  Be versatile.  In teaching, this means looking for scenarios where you might be able to teach writing in unconventional venues.  This same type of creative problem-solving can be helpful in expanding your publishing prospects.  Try to think of places outside the norm where your writing might fit.  Maybe your short story about a grandmother teaching a child to knit could be perfect for a knitting magazine. 

6.  Understand the way they run things...  and prepare yourself accordingly.  This is especially true when submitting your work to literary magazines or agents.  Each place has its own way of doing things and you need to play by the rules.  After all, the last thing you want is for some intern or first reader to toss your work in the reject pile just because your formatting is weird or you didn't include an SASE. 

7.  Make your 100% better than 100% so you're allowed to have a bad day.  This is especially true for writers who have blogs.  It's important to keep the content consistent and strong, to give yourself the flexibility to have a "bad posting day" or skip a day when you need to do so.

Any other teachers out there?  If so, do you have advice to someone who's teaching her first live Writing Through the Senses class today?  How about teaching advice that also translates to writing?

Wish me luck!  And don't forget to check in tomorrow for our first online WTTS class.

Computer Deprivation

This weekend, I took an overnight trip to Nashville, TN for a friend's wedding and *gasp* I did not bring my laptop.  It made sense, after all.  I was going to be gone for less than 36 hours and while being away from my computer should be no big deal, I must admit I had some trepidation.

First, this was going to be a whole day and a half with no email.  What if something happened and everybody else knew about it, except me?  Also, no web browser to ask for directions when I took a wrong turn in a Nashville suburb while looking for said wedding.  (Three times this happened--we made it to the wedding 30 seconds before the procession started.)  And of course, no FaceBook where I would stealthily be able to look up people I saw at the wedding if I couldn't, for the life of me, remember their names.

But the biggest problem had nothing to do with lack of internet.  Alas, it was lack of word processor that had me freaking out.  And yet, though I am loathe to admit it, this has been one of the most productive weekends--both in terms of writing and generating ideas--that I've had in a long time.

Which got me thinking about this idea of computer deprivation.  Sometimes all the technology in our lives stifles our ability to think creatively.  This isn't because computers are evil and all technology is sending our culture straight to the underworld.  Rather, computers and other electronic devices simply train our minds to think in only one direction: forward.  When we're browsing through the internet or looking for files in a computer, one click leads to another, which leads to another, and another.  Even if the cognitive path squiggles around or comes full circle, the direction of motion is always the same.  Computers train us to look for the next step in the path, but sometimes the path can be limiting.

But what if instead of following the path, we step on the grass and cut across the lawn?  What if instead of thinking only forward, we think sideways, or backwards, or up and down?  Someday, perhaps there will be computers that allow us to think this way and that mimic the beautiful, disorganized thing that is the human mind, but for now the best solution may be simply to turn the computer off.

My challenge to you is this: give yourself the gift of one computer-free day (or if you're really brave, a computer-free week) and see what crazy connections and wild ideas come up when your mind isn't always moving in that same forward direction.

As for me?  Who knows.  Maybe I'll do this every weekend.

Sneak Preview

It occurred to me that perhaps some readers out there may be wondering what this Writing Through the Senses thing is all about.  In light of this, I decided to give you all a taste of what this course will be like.

Over the next five weeks, we'll be talking about the five senses and using them as a jumping off point to spark creativity and kick-start some writing projects.  Each week will focus on one of the five senses, using it to enrich our writing and deepen our understanding of craft.

Week 1: Sound--Achieving a Sense of Focus
We start the series of classes using music to set the mood for story-telling.  We will discuss the musicality of language and how it can affect tone.  We will experiment with sound-based language tools to achieve a desired effect in our writing.


Week 2: Sight--Gaining a Sense of Curiosity

This week will be all about imagery.  By using colors and visual images to inspire our writing, we will develop a better understanding of metaphor.  We will also study how key details can both further the story and build character.


Week 3: Touch--Developing a Sense of Intuition

This week will focus on how we can make the ordinary become extraordinary through writing.  Touch--perhaps the most immediate of the senses--is all about intuition and the focus will be on artfully channeling that instinct.


Week 4: Taste--Creating a Sense of Playfulness

Food is fun; it has a sense of humor.  This week is all about "finding the funny" in our writing.  We'll examine the mechanics of parody and discuss literature that is just plain silly.  The point of this week is to make writing fun.


Week 5: Smell--Reclaiming a Sense of Nostalgia

Ah, smell... the most elusive of the senses.  And yet, of all the senses it is the one most closely tied to memory.  That is what this week will be all about: getting to the core of our memories and capturing them on the page.


Intrigued?  Want to be part of the challenge?  Just go to Writing Through the Senses and follow the instructions in that post to join.

Writing Through the Senses

As promised, here is the third project.  I mentioned in a previous post that I was teaching a creative writing class in NYC, starting next Tuesday.  Then I thought, why limit the class only to people in NYC or people whose schedules fit class time?  That's when I came up with this plan. 

*Drumroll*

Welcome to Writing Through the Senses Wednesdays!

Starting next week and going for five weeks, I'll be posting a condensed/modified version of my class on this blog.  We'll have all sorts of goodies like links to readings and fun exercises to get the creative juices flowing.  I'm also hoping to get some discussion going on the weekly topics, which is where you come in.

If want to qualify for the Writing Through the Senses Challenge, just follow these simple steps:

1. Post a comment below so I know you're participating in the challenge.
2. Post a link on your blog, if you have one (optional, but you'll get an extra contest entry)
3. Read the Writing Through the Senses posts (5 Wednesdays, starting next week) and post an on-topic comment.

That's it!  Easy, right?

Prize:  One bright, shiny and new Moleskine notebook and a few surprise goodies.

One week after the challenge is over, I'll announce a winner (most likely selected by using the ultra-scientific method of picking a name from a hat).

Think this sounds like fun?  Then join the challenge.