Do you find that when you start a piece of writing you are sure of your plot and structure of your story? Do you find that after a only a few chapters (or paragraphs!) you are writing another story altogether? If any of this sounds familiar, this article is for you.

When I first started to become a writer a problem I ran into was that the first three sections in a piece were just great, but over time the story started to wander. This issue would tend to magnify in relation to the length of the piece of work.  I needed advice from a professional writer, or instructor, but I didn’t know any.

The problem, at least in part, was that although I thought I knew what I was setting out to write my actual conception of the overall plot was weak. I knew the end I wanted and many of the plot points along the way, but as soon as the story started my writing seem to go on to wander a path all of its own.

In short, I needed a system.

Plot and Structure

Well, one of the first books I bought in this area was “Plot and Structure” by James Scott Bell.

It is no exaggeration to say that when I read this book I thought I had discovered the “Holy Grail” of writing books (yes, I was a newbie). Plot and Structure suddenly illuminated areas of the writing process I had never even considered.

For instance, are you a NOP or an OP kind or person? It is ok to be confused by those words, they are terms from the book. An OP is an “outline person” and a NOP is a “no outline person”. Mr Bell shows how plotting can still be relevant even if you are a NOP kind of person.

Plot and Structure deals with the usual beginnings, middles and ends of a story but it goes a lot further. The book also deals with techniques for tightening tension and increasing interest, developing characters through plot events, motifs, themes, dialogue and also suggestions on how to generate new plot ideas.

An interesting technique that Mr Bell illustrates for developing plot is the “LOCK” system. This stands for Lead, Objective, Confrontation and Knockout. This acronym is well developed in the book and makes for a very useful addition to the aspiring writers’ toolkit.

Plot and structure gives a brief tour of everything you might need to gain a basic knowledge of writing a longer piece of work. Obviously within 230 pages or so these topics cannot be dealt with in great depth, but this takes nothing away from the book.

It is a great book and one that I learned a great deal from. I can recommend it without reservation for anyone that is having trouble with plot and structure.

Dave Felton.

The Truth About Writers.

Today, the “one post a day goal” for this blog looks in danger again.  Even as I write this the hands on the clock move ever nearer to midnight.  No point in trying to edit the post date either, WordPress tells no lies!

My excuse this time is that I have been resurrecting an old website of mine most of the day.  Technical problems can be simple, or they can take ages.  If I hear the word “PHP” again I will scream.  Still, the new (old) site is beginning to look good again, all it needs is some traffic and it will be truly open.

The other thing I blame my non-production upon is the renewal of an old acquaintance, Lee Auburn.  Together, we look sort of like Danny Devito and Arnold Schwarzenegger in “Twins” if we stand side by side.  Good fun if we tell people that we really are twins that were separated at birth!

Lee and I met through an online MMORPG called City of Heroes.  Back then he ran a large supergroup called “FoxBase”.  (A  supergroup  is a group of friends, playing online super heroes – don’t ask.)

Those days were good times and I met some really nice people, Lee being one of them.  The site I am rebuilding happens to be a community site that served that same group of gamers, amongst others, so meeting Lee again was kind of a synchronicity.  After we had Facebooked, linked and otherwise managed to re-connect in the cyber sense, we did an old fashioned thing; we chatted on the phone.

We chatted on the phone for a few hours in fact.  It turns out that Lee is also learning to become a writer right now.  Talk about synchronicities; do they come in threes?

Lee hasn’t been writing long, but his writing is pleasant and easy to read.  Look Lee up here on Facebook and here in his “Explore Auburnville” personal blog.  Tell him I sent you!

Dave

It occurred to me after writing that blog post that maybe some of my readers might care to hear the words from the man himself.  So here are a few YouTube videos of Stephen expressing himself on the subject.

There were some truly funny comments in that video and if you just clicked past it you missed some great stuff for any aspiring writer!

Where does Stephen King get his ideas for novels from?

Another good video, with admittedly slightly iffy sound/picture quality.

And finally, probably the best, although it is from a commercial source and so is cut short.

Stephen talking about novels, short story writing and the problems of writing them.

Did you know that Misery and Gerald’s Game were originally conceived of as short stories?  It seems that he finds a problem writing short stories now, as since he became a full time professional writer his mind has become conditioned to writing longer material.

Stephen King is a modern master craftsman of the writing profession.  He proves that it not just possible to make money from writing but that it is also possible to become exceedingly rich.  While it may not be likely for everyone to be this successful, I find it useful to hear those that have been exceptionally successful speak about their subject.

Maybe some of the “stardust” will rub off?

Dave Felton

“On Writing” is however, definitely not a normal “How to become a writer” type book.  Instruction and hints, books to read etc., are present, but the book is as much autobiography as instruction.  If you are looking for instruction on writing only, you may well be disappointed.

Instead the book deals with Stephen’s experiences as a writer and how various events have changed his life, not least being run over by a van and nearly killed.  Being the master storyteller that he is the books anecdotal sections are excellent.  There is some great information about the early days as an unknown writer and the effect of his first sale “Carrie” had upon his life. If only that could happen to us all!

Stephen expresses the viewpoint that “Fiction writers, present company included, don’t understand what it is that they do – not why it works when it is good, not why it doesn’t when it is bad.”  He holds the opinion that any instruction book on writing should be short as it will be mostly *ahem* nonsense (not his actual words, but if you want to know what words he did use, buy the book!).

It is this viewpoint that writing cannot truly be taught that keeps him from giving a true tutorial.  This is, in my personal opinion, a shame as the small amount of material he includes on the “How to” of the writing process is excellent.

What I found interesting was that he was yet another author that recommended Strunk and White’s guide.  At the time I read “On Writing” I admit that I didn’t possess a copy and had never read it.  It was Stephen King’s recommendation of the book, along with his scathing attacks on the poor English employed by many writers, which finally pushed me into ordering a copy.  This small book has no doubt improved my English, but I still have a long way to go.  Stephen’s attacks on various aspects of poor writing can at times be hilarious and the book is worth buying for this reason alone, for example; “The road to Hell is paved with adverbs”.  Great stuff, especially from a horror writer.

In closing let me say that Stephen King’s “On Writing” is a great book.  It made me laugh and cry, provided some excellent advice and gave an insight into the mind and the life of one of the most popular authors of our time.  While it is not an instruction book on writing, it certainly is worth your time and money.  Go out and buy it.

Dave Felton

Of course since I wrote that promise I have had a P.E., a lengthy hospital stay and a large dose of pneumonia.  These events kind of disrupted my plans…but no more!

In starting this review process I looked for a good candidate that offered the best starting point and I really think I found it.

Becoming a Writer

I think it is true to say this is the single best book on writing I own and has definitely been the most practical use as a beginning writer.

This book was written before all the current trends for political correctness (1934) and offers helpful, pithy advice to a writer that is starting out.  It is because of the books succinct, direct style that I recommend it without reservation.

The printing I received is a small book of a mere 192 pages, yet it is packed with useful information.  Ms Brande shows a great understanding of the psychology of writers and puts that knowledge to use in a friendly, but strict manner.  I truly regret that I will never get to meet her, or attend a writing class of hers.

Amongst the good news the book offers is the fact that anyone can become a writer, it is just that we have varying degrees of ability.  This fact must surely come as a delight to anyone that has been told that being a writer is somehow an innate ability and make the book worthy of purchase on its own.

It needs to be realised that the book is not about the mechanics of writing.  There are a great many books that are about plot, character, English usage etc. and I will be reviewing some of them over later weeks.  This is book is, as the title states, the process of becoming a writer.

I won’t spoil the book by commenting further on Ms Brande’s advice, except to say that it is most worthwhile following the advice she gives and performing the exercises.  Don’t buy this book if you tend to read a self help book and then leave it on the shelf.  Ms Brande would not approve!

If you are a writer wannabe, like me, buy this book!

Becoming a Writer