Wrapped Up Like a Blog

Just a quick post today to recommend some books that helped me on my journey to become a writer.

One of the books that helped me in the early stages was called The Right to Write by Julia Cameron. It was the type of book that got me thinking about writing in a different way. Not as something to do, but as someone to be. Thinking about myself as a Writer led me to take a different approach to putting words on the page, to filling the blank space, to making writing part of my daily routine, part of my life. Another book by Julia Cameron, The Artist's Way is a good supplement to this tome.

The other book, which I have mentioned before, is called On Writing, by Stephen King. Part memoir, part book about the craft, it gave me perspective on the writing life and also made me think about myself as a writer, my preconceptions and my habits. I recommend these books to other writers, and to all creative people looking to break out of a rut and make something.

Enjoy!

Ever see the Disney/Pixar animated flick, Ratatouille? If you have, keep reading. If not, SPOILER ALERT: I'll discuss the opening of the movie. But trust me, if you have not seen it, what are you waiting for? It's fantastic!

As a writer, I struggle on how to start a tale. Should I start en media res, dropping the reader into the middle of the action and explaining everything later? Or should I start slower, building the world from the bottom up? It's quite the dilemma, methinks. A balance must be struck between keeping the reader's interest and not allowing him or her to become lost. So, what makes a good opening?

I submit that the first couple of minutes of Ratatouille serve as a GREAT example on how to start a story. Brad Bird, howrote the screenplay based on a story by himself and two others, was nominated for an Oscar for the script (which he took over in the middle of production from the previous team, for the record). So, what makes it so good?

It introduces, in a succinct and entertaining way, just about every essential element of the film. We get info about the setting, Paris, France, cooking capital of the world. We learn about some of the themes-- anyone can cook, even the most unlikely of us. We meet one of the main antagonists, the evil (at first) food critic who does not believe in this notion. And we meet our protagonist, a rat with an exceptional nose who is torn between duty to his family and his dreams of being a chef. All of this is done with a quick video clip, a couple flashbacks and some voice over, all the while teasing us with imminent danger to our hero.

That, in my humble opinion, is a great start.

There are other books and films with great openings. Sometimes it's a single line ("It was the best of times, it was the worst of times") or, in a film, a certain image (the garage full of clocks in Back to the Future), but I admire Bird's work here, setting up a film that can be appreciated by kids and adults alike.

And that, my friends, is what I try to do with my opening scenes: set the stage in a clear and interesting way. Hopefully I can achieve that.

What are your favorite beginnings?

As heard on In Focus Paranormal, the tentative title for Misty Johnson, book 2 is...

Misty Johnson, Supernatural Dick in...

THE NATIONAL MAUL

One of my favorite all time films is "Airplane." So funny, and with so many quotable lines. Many of them can be wedged into everyday conversation with little effort. "What do you make of this?" someone asks, to which I reply "A hat, a brooch, a pterodactyl..." (and if you haven't seen the movie, don't worry. It's funnier in context) But one of my favorite is the response to this question:

"Do you have any ideas?""

In the film, the answer is "A game show, like Hollywood Squares, except for kids. Gary Coleman could be the host." And that's the flip answer I give people when they ask me the question.

But what do I do when I really do have an idea?

It's a good predicament to be in, I suppose. Better to have too many ideas than none at all. But ideas are a drachma a dozen, let's face it.

I write them down, to be sure. But will I get to them? I don't know if there are enough hours in my life time to write all the stories I have. And what form should they take? I've already written a novel, and I love it, but what about other media? Can I get an artist who wants to work on my material, and produce a comic? How about a TV pilot or a movie?

And then there are the non-story ideas. I have ideas for businesses, for products and the like. What can I do with those? Sometimes I drop them in my writing, for in fictional worlds they can be tried on for size, and I can make the public embrace them (at least the public of the world I create). But I am no inventor, and I have no capital. What then?

And then there's my latest idea. It started as a concept for a game show, but then I started to think that it could be something that I could make a reality here in the virtual world of the Internet. I just have to polish the rules and format, and work on getting others interested and involved. If this sounds intriguing to you, feel free to ask me for more information. Otherwise, stay tuned...

I blame movies.

At the end of a good flick, something eventful happens: a wedding, a new job, a new baby. And the heroes smile and congratulate each other, and then the credits come up and we go home, thinking that it's so nice that the hero got the girl or whatever he wanted. (there are other kinds of movies, without happy endings, but they're not as mind warping, at least not in this way).

So that's how my mind is trained sometimes. Something great happens and it's the end of a reel. But in life, as opposed to the movies, a happy ending is usually also a challenging beginning.

Take being a writer, for instance. For years, I tried to write a book. I finally did! Yay, cue the credits. But it's not over. I work hard to get the book accepted by a publisher! Fade to black. But wait, there's more... The book needs revisions and edits. Oh, and, since you signed with a small, up and coming publisher, you need to do your own publicity as well. Oh, and since the publisher liked the book, you should be working on that sequel, too.

Not that I am complaining. It's not like I published a book and now I have to shovel elephant poop or something. And it's not like I broke a hip or my house burned down or something. But for someone like me, wearing all these hats, writing, revising, editing, promoting (not to mention all the other stuff that comes at me in daily life) can be tricky. It's a balancing act: I want to promote Capitol Hell, but I want to finish the sequel, and I feel like I'm being stretched in several directions at once. Good thing I still dig Misty and her story, as she has been my constant companion in my free time, and I think she will be for quite a while now...

I've written a bit about my writing journey here, sharing my accomplishments and setbacks. I thought I'd take a minute to speak about my thoughts and feelings at this point in my career and the future...

Writing is, in many ways, a pretty solitary event. Sure, you can collaborate with other writers or editors, but in the end it's mostly just you and the blank page. Often, it can feel like you're writing for that proverbial drawer where Emily Dickinson hid her gems from the world. In reality, I write to please myself, but it can be pretty cool to know that others are getting a taste of my work.

The first high point for me was in high school, when my one-act play "Opening Face-off" was produced by students at my high school (some of whom are professional actors nowadays). It was pretty wild listening to audiences laugh or sigh at words that had come from my brain. Then in college, I created and wrote a radio drama that had a listening audience of, well, one or two people. But when I heard that one listener wanted to dress up in a College Daze themed Halloween costume, I was pretty excited.

And, more recently, I've had a couple short storied published online and in literary magazines, but last February, I found out that my debut novel would be published, and I was as thrilled as can be. And now, a year later, the book is out and in my hands, and the first royalty check is on my desk. It's a little hard to believe, frankly, and I thought I would be more over the moon. But at this point, I am so focused on continuing the journey that I started with these characters that I only took a few minutes to smile at my good fortune before getting back to writing the draft of the sequel.

Now, in the immortal words of Leonard Shelby... "Where was I?"

Misty Johnson, Supernatural Dick in... Capitol Hell now available in print form from Amazon!

http://www.amazon.com/dp/0982609949