Everyone's A Critic - Find the One You Need

When I first started writing, I never realized just how many people could have very elaborate opinions about anything I created. I would offer a little poem or short story to someone to get some feedback, and their response would be longer than my piece of work. It was quite the revelation, but as I soon discovered, not a lot of it was helpful. 

First, you will have to accept that not everyone is good at constructive feedback. A lot of people will offer you their opinion, which is a start, but a lot of those opinions end there - a simple, "it was okay" is only helpful if they can explain what the turn-ons and turn-offs were, how they felt as they turned the page, and so on. Otherwise, it's a nice appetizer, but hardly the sustenance we need as writers.

And of course there are the people who will offer you a very deep, engaged discussion on how they would've written it. Of course this can be informative, but the fact of the matter is that you are the writer and they should not be taking the opportunity to pour out their ideas onto your work. To those critics, I often say, "Thanks anyway."

The point I am getting at is simple: When you want some kind of feedback on a piece, it is best to start by knowing just what kind of feedback you are looking for, then seeking it. This pursuit can fall into a lot of different categories, so I will flesh out a few of the broader concepts then let you find the kind of critique you need for a piece.

(Note: a critic is different than an editor. Look at my post, The Editor Checklist, for information on that subject.)

What's wrong with my story? When we write something that just doesn't feel like it works (whatever that may be), we need to find someone who is willing to read, process, and tell you if the story thread is continuous and sensible, if the twists work, and how it fits as a whole. The critic who will tell you whether or not they like it isn't very helpful in this case because you, the writer, are feeling off about it. Maybe you are just off the mark or overly critical, but in this case you need a critic who is willing to discuss any and all shortcomings. A tough one to find indeed.

Does this story work? Have you ever written a heart-wrenching short story then wondered if it will move anyone other than you? Do you question whether your horror story will scare anyone other than yourself? This is where you simply need a gut reaction from your reader. Their critique should be as simple as, "That made me sad," "That was a creepy story," or "Meh." After that, you can have a little Q&A to dig into the details, but that point is up to you. This critic serves merely as an external opinion, which can be valuable if the writer has been looking at the same story for too long.

What's right with my story? This may sound like a weird question to ask a critic, but it can be important for us as writers. Sometimes, writing can bog us down to where we are doubting our every word, and we just need a little lift. Getting someone to read our piece and give us some positive (not constructive) feedback can be uplifting and energizing. As long as the critic understands what you are looking for ahead of time, this can be a very beneficial endeavor.

There are a few other types I will discuss later, but think about these three categories before you seek input from an outside source. Figure out which serves you best, then track them down and get a few good words from them. It will pay off in the long-run. 

 

So You Want To Be A Writer?

"I want to be a writer but I don't know how to start."

I see this a lot on writing pages - people are ready to jump in and write the Great American Novel, but they just don't know how to take that bold first step. It's not easy - the mere thought of writing a 70,000-word novel can be overwhelming, especially if such a thing is about twenty times larger than anything you've ever written previously. So, how does one start?

Glad you asked.

I am going to offer three pieces of advice on how to get started, and I am going to do them in sort of a reverse order. Instead of offering advice in the order from beginner to intermediate to advanced, I am going to switch it up and start with my pro advice first, then work backward. If you find yourself not ready for the first piece, read forward to the next one, and then to the last one. Somewhere along this line, there is the perfect spot for you to start your journey as a writer.

- Just start writing. This is not a very easy step, but it gets the momentum going. Make yourself a promise that anything you write can be rewritten, and that none of your words are perfect at this point. Everything is a work in progress, so for now you are just committing to the process of creating. Start at the chronological beginning of the story and have your character look at where they are now. Open with, "Sam looked around the room, spending a moment to take everything in." Then describe the room, then have Sam do something. Not the most engaging beginning, but you promised yourself you can rewrite that if necessary. You have set things in motion. You have officially started your journey.

Not ready for that yet? Try this:

- Read some stories as a writer. Normally when we read, we do so as a reader enjoying someone's story. However, when we read as a writer, we study the beginning. "What is important about the opening line?" "How is the description important to the scene?" "How does the writer present the important elements of the story?" Try reading something you are already familiar with, but as a writer. Look at the pieces of the story and how they come together. Think about the story you want to write, and how its individual pieces should fit. Look at how the writer moves their story forward and imagine how your story could follow a similar path. Once you read a couple of stories as a writer, you will be ready for that step of "Just start writing."

No? Still not feeling it? Sounds like you need this as a first step:

- Tell yourself the story you want to write. Yes, tell yourself the story the way someone would tell you a story at a bar or around a campfire. If you are not ready to write and you do not see how your story fits into how other stories play out, you probably need to get a better feel for the story you want to tell. Why is it important? What makes it stand out? What gives it that special appeal? Tell yourself the story as if a stranger it explaining it to you, and start filling in all the pieces. Even play the role of someone asking, "Why did that character take that step?" or "How did they know that would happen?" This will allow you to fully understand your story. Once you know that part, then read a few stories as a writer to match your steps to theirs, and you will be ready for writing.

And here's the big step everyone needs to realize:

- There's no reason why you can't do this. If you are reading this, it means you are literate and want to do this task. The only thing holding you back is your own doubts. Discover those doubts, fight with them, overcome them, then march through the steps. I guarantee you will end up with the story you want.

(no promises about what the editors will say)

Some Words Worth Reading

This is not exactly my usual post. Rather, it is a reminder of just what words can do when we put them to a good and proper use. Sometimes it is easy to forget just how much strength the written word has when we think about it strictly in the confines of our novels and poems. However, words make a difference. They move people, they shape minds, and in some cases, they form nations.

Below is something worth reading once a year, just to remember what things are all about. The text does not translate perfectly, it sounds kind of antiquated, and to say the least it is not exactly politically correct. However, these words made a difference. They changed the world. Let's take a moment to read them, then remember just what power words can have.

In Congress, July 4, 1776

The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America, When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.--Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.

He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.

He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.

He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.

He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.

He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the Legislative powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.

He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.

He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary powers.

He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.

He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harrass our people, and eat out their substance.

He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.

He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil power.

He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:

For Quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:

For protecting them, by a mock Trial, from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:

For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:

For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:

For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury:

For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences

For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies:

For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:

For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.

He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.

He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.

He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.

He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.

He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.

In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.

Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our Brittish brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which, would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.

We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor. 

"How much do I need for a story?"

I am surprised how often this question comes up in writing chat groups. People say they have a work that is so-many-thousands of words, and they want to know if it counts as a story. In some way, I understand what they are asking, but in other ways, I think they are missing the greater question. Let's clarify the first part a little, then dive into the second part.

There are a lot of classifications for story sizes and categories, but here is a general breakdown (and not a hard-and-fast rule):

Less than 10,000 words: Short story
10,000-50,000 words: Novella
More than 50,000 words: Novel
(greater than 300,000 words: Too long)

This is really little more than just definition, and doesn't matter until you are talking to a potential publisher and they have their own standard of so many words for a publication. Numerous short story publishers have different standards for what they will consider. Hemingway famously boasted of writing a story six words long. And yes, I know of someone who wrote a "modest" novel that was over 300,000 words (it has not yet been published). However, don't let the definition take you away from the task of writing a story. That is a different thing altogether.

When we write a story, we generally have an idea of a character or characters, the journey they go on, the obstacles they face, how the mission is completed, and what life is like afterwards. These are the ingredients for a story - not the length of the work. In this regard, our obligation as writers is to make sure we make all those steps as complete and satisfying as possible to our reader, and give them a full experience of what might be an otherwise simple journey.

When a lot of writers first start out, they want to write the complete story of the hero's journey. They introduce the main character, lay out the problem, send them on the mission, it gets completed, and we're done. That, technically, is the complete story. However, it is quite boring. It is not engaging. Part of the mission of telling the hero's story is storytelling - making that person full and real. Before the hero runs off on their mission, the reader needs to know about them. Their habits, their interests; the things that connect the hero to the life of the reader. Rushing to the mission is one thing, but if the hero gets a cup of coffee with too much cream, the reader connects with this point and relates to their situation through that cup of coffee. It's extra words, but it benefits the story.

A lot of words in a story come from the conversations, the descriptions, the narrative that shapes the world around the hero. When those words are used in a way that helps the reader, the story gets better. It becomes a longer work, but the reward is even greater.

The main takeaway is to not be concerned about the length of the story. Focus on your engagement with the reader, how you want your words to affect them, and the journey you wish to take them on. If you want to share a quick little event with a sharp twist at the end, write it and call it a short story. If you want to transport your reader to a different place and time, focus on the description and world-building, and let the novel create itself.

And if it is in excess of 300,000 words, get some outside input. It's too long.

 

Killing Off Your Characters

"If a character isn't moving the story, it's okay to just kill them off. Unless it's an autobiography."

Over the past few months, I have seen this subject come up more and more: What are the rules for killing off characters? Authors seem to be conflicted about this, and rightfully so, but the question kind of misses the real mark. The question we really need to ask is whether or not the character deserves to live in the first place.

I'll actually offer this disclaimer before any discussion about living or dying. Some writers get attached to their characters to the point where they are reluctant to kill off the nice ones, and that's a good sign. It means the character is real, is substantial and has dimension. If it's easy to kill off the main character's best friend, the real question should be whether or not that friend really had any substance. If a character is important to the story and the plot arc, they need to be drawn out well enough to carry that load. Otherwise, you are not doing justice for your readers.

Anyway - living or dying. The real lines we need to draw in deciding whether or not we should kill off a character boil down to these. First, does killing off the character advance the plot? Does it move the story along in a meaningful way, or does it just add another body on the pile? Like anything we write into a story, the loss of a character should have a ripple effect that carries on for pages. If we are just killing them off for shock effect, well, that's nice for a moment but it's kind of a cheat. At the very least, let the death of the character build up the motives and meanings of other characters.

Second, is death the only option? Let's face it - life is quite expendable in the fiction genre, and people die all over the place. Therefore, we should consider whether death is the right way for that character to impact the plot. If a character dies in a car accident, well, that settles their arc. However, what if they are badly injured instead? Would that option allow the character to continue to influence the story in a valuable way? What if they disappear under odd circumstances? Their absence now becomes the important part - the lingering question about being alive or dead. Non-dead characters have a lot more versatility than one who ends up south of the grass. 

Here's a big question. Should the character even be alive? Have you ever read a story or saw a movie and just knew some supporting character was just filling a dead person's shoes? Inevitably they'd get bumped off, and the only questions were when and where. As writers, we need to make sure these characters are few and far between, or that their unfortunate demise has a real big payoff in plot progress. They better reveal a big secret, make a bold sacrifice, or offer something surprising that the reader never sees coming. Otherwise, they become a distraction to the reader and a drag on the story's momentum.

We all get the chance to kill off characters, and let's face it - some of them are better off dead. However, as in the real world, our only job is to make sure that while they were alive, their existence had purpose.

 

Preemptive Writing

It may come as no surprise, but I write a number of my posts in advance. Sometimes I can be in the middle of an ordinary day when an idea strikes, and I set aside the nonimportant things and write about my particular inspiration. Granted, sometimes my posts seem a little dated if I write about a current event but the post doesn't go up until Friday, and holiday writing can always run into timing issues. However, for the most part I think we can all understand this style of cause-effect writing. We get inspired, therefore we write. 

Now I am going to suggest an exercise that is just the opposite. 

Often, when we write based on inspiration we produce things we feel good about, or at least acknowledge that they came from a good place. The downside is that if we go through a dry spell where nothing is inspiring us, we end up not writing. We don't flex our creative muscles, our sources of inspiration feel further away, and it spirals ever-downward. This is a tough trap to escape from, so sometimes it is best to avoid the trap altogether and use our writing as a way to find our inspiration. By flipping it around, we can find a way to fuel our own interests.

I have often brought up this point but it's worth mentioning again. During my life in economics, I followed a pretty standard schedule. Part of that schedule was catching the 7:02 a.m. train into the city in the morning, and taking the 5:02 p.m. train back. This train ride lasted about 45 minutes, and I always got a seat, therefore, it gave me time to write if I felt so inclined. At times I would not feel inspired, so I would nap or read or catch up on work, and that's where the problem started. No inspiration meant no writing, which sent me into that spiral.

Then I thought, "What if I take those 45-minute spans and write, no matter what? No matter how unmotivated I am, I still push my fingers along the keys and create something - anything. I don't even need to save my work if I don't want to. I just write, and work toward the inspiration. Could this work?"

Long story short, it worked.

After a couple of months of doing this, I kind of conditioned myself. I would be at work, doing my thing, but in the back of my mind I knew my writing time was coming up. My creative mind went on a conditioned countdown, and little ideas started bubbling to life. Even on the least inspiring days, the knowledge that I had some writing time coming up triggered sparks of inspiration. 

It may sound a little odd that I am suggesting we teach ourselves to be inspired, but that's basically the case here. Don't get me wrong - if inspiration finds us, we should take advantage of it as quickly as possible. However, let's not overlook how we can get ahead of that part of the process and fuel our own inspiration. Once we can do that, the writing comes so much easier.

Writing the Perfect Story and Other Myths

As someone once said, "Not everything goes the way we planned, and that's okay." Last week I posted about finding unusual sparks of inspiration in the weirdest of places, and taking advantage of those moments to write things like awesome poems (no, this is not another poetry entry.) Well, today is a follow-up on that piece, and as you might have guessed, sometimes things did not go as planned.

For all the inspiration I gained from an exhausting stretch of cycling, for some reason I did not end up with the perfect poem. Somewhere between having that "A-ha!" moment on my Schwinn and sitting at my keyboard, something changed to where I found it very difficult to take that bit of creativity crashing around in my skull and put it into words. All of the structural parts were there - purpose, meaning, theme, message, all well defined and clearly understood. Yet for some reason, nothing happened when I hit the final stage of actually writing the thing. 

After a little bit of soul-searching, I came to a few conclusions. First, I did not need to do yet another fifty-mile bicycling trip through the sticky Midwest heat to recapture what I had found. Second, my inspiration was not an illusion, it was very much real and would come to fruition sooner or later. Most importantly, I realized what had me all hung up. After such a moment of awakening, I set myself up for a profound adventure that would lead to an awesome creation. I led myself to believe that I was about to create the definitive poem of my existence, the one that would not just speak to me but would serve as a looking glass through which all readers could see me. This would be a truly amazing work; the magnum opus of my writing career.

With that kind of pressure, how could anyone write anything?

I concluded that I had raised my expectations so high that I could never reach them. I was now set on writing the perfect piece of poetry, when in fact deep down I know I am not there yet. Somewhere inside there are a few good pieces of work, perhaps even great given time, but perfection in just not in the cards right now. Once I accepted that, it became easier to write what I wanted to, because I knew it would not be perfect... and that's okay.

This happens a lot in the writers' groups I attend. People want to write that epic tale, that wonderful novel. They know their story is the one they need to create, but they set their bar so high that they know they'll never clear it, and it prevents them from even trying. They assume their limits will restrict them from ever reaching the point they want to achieve, and they never even start to write their perfect story.

Now that I accept that I am just as guilty of this crime as anyone else, I can offer this advice. Write a first draft, and tell yourself it will be ugly in the beginning. It will be clumsy and awkward and off-balance, like a toddler stumbling around the living room, but that's okay. You start by creating the toddler, then revising it and reviewing it so it can walk properly, then run, then do amazing things that you perhaps never expected. Just don't get yourself hung up on your inability to create perfection. Focus on your desire to create, and let the rest come together in time.

Because that's okay as well.