A Lesson on Perseverance

1) Using Grids Word Banks & Webs
2) Keeping Time
3) Using themes and sticking to them

Cathy Birch, god bless her, reminds us that perseverance (almost unspellable) is among the chief qualities of the writer.

Do not be dismayed by Day 3

If you have ever given up smoking (or wow for that matter) you will know of the evils of day 3. That is truly the day when you are either unconsciously not smoking, or very consciously having a sneaky fag in the toilet saying to yourself “just one, I promise”. In the realms of wow, you might still be checking the auction house lying to yourself that just because you’re using the armoury its still ok.

Before I go into day 4, i’ll satisfy your curiosity about what did happen on day 3.

1) Grids, Webs and banks

I began the day with making a word bank to help build atmosphere. I dithered on thesaurus.com for an hour and made a really shit job of cutting and pasting words (Methinks its time for a hardback). This activity was a proper kidney punch to my motivation and self-esteem. My word bank sucked (think lycanthrope, sepulchre and trepidation). Though I do see its merits, I think better sources are required.

Next, I completed the 10×10 grid. Losing some of Birch’s twee suggestions like ‘colour’ and ‘food’ and ‘pets’ and replaced them with more gritty manly stuff like obsessions, fears and enemies. This activity brought me to a new low point and I found myself escaping self-loathing by way of reading the Wiki page on Charles Dickens (I blame this entirely on Birch for her grid entry ‘ music’ which I took as main character’s ‘ favourite author’.)

I read with great interest about Dickens having to leave school and work ten-hour days at Warren’s Blacking Warehouse, where he earned six shillings a week pasting labels on pots of boot blacking. Apparently he was deeply resentful toward his parents for lumbering him with child slavery and paying off their debts (#parenting). It is truly amazing how he became a literary colossus from these humble beginnings and a good reminder that no low cannot be overcome (as I write this I am taunted by visions of yet lower lows – after all, Dickens never had to content with Arathi Basin withdrawl.)

I fell to pieces after this, ate as many sausages as i could, then played DS3 for the rest of the day.

Day 4 however, that’s today, has been a mild success. I returned to character building (both literally and literally).

2) Keeping Time

It is advisable when doing the visualisation exercises to stick to a fixed time. Don’t just ramble on. Set a limit and get as much done in the time as you can then stop. This is important to get a feel for actually how long it takes to get to the point. Stop dithering!

I set three exercises of 20 minutes. and wrote a total of 1443 words. I became wildly distracted a number of times (from the fearful looks of yoga mums looking at the creature in their cafe), but on the whole I focussed on:

Exercises:

a) Visualise your main character in the light of your word bank and character grid. Use theme and mood continue to draw out details about them and their conflict.

b) Report what you have found to another character in the story. If you have tried writing a high status character such as a parent, an officer or such, try a low status one, or vice versa.

3) Using Themes and Sticking to Them

Mood and character development – its not enough to report back why a character feels one way or another, the report must be in keeping with the overarching theme. Birch gives a whole list of cool themes you might want to adopt. I chose, adventure, paranormal, and transformation. I tried to hover around those themes in the interview with my main character, teasing out if he’d ever confronted ghosts and whatnot.

What other’s say about ‘you’ – I then took my interview and reported it to another character. Seeing how sympathetic or otherwise someone might be about his plight. Whether his private machinations were in keeping with his public ones. I didn’t get far with this and ended up browsing the internet for firsthand paranormal accounts.

Finally, I took my theme, plot and character findings and tried again to hash out a plot line. This was a bit naughty since I should have been doing straight up creative writing, and building content. However, it was useful to see how the story was evolving and how I am leaving some things behind and moving more clearly to my over arching themes. On the other hand, I started puking at all the research I’d have to do to successfully write such a plot. So, checks and balances here.

A Little Summary of Birch so Far

By steering around Cathy Birch’s own occult tendencies and heavy leaning on old Jungian psychology I am delving deeper into my main character and learning a great deal more about him. Through Birch’s process, the plot (and its gaping holes) is also being brought into focus. I am becoming aware of trying to do too much. I need to cull some of my ideas. But for now, just putting out the words is good.

The Curious Tale of Momentum

Using Visualisation, and roleplay to discover your characters.

We can all burst. Sure we can. A burst then a crash. Listen to old Gerald Manley Hopkins in one of his lows after writing:

“a wretched state of weakness and weariness, I can’t tell why,” he wrote, “always drowsy and incapable of reading or thinking to any effect.”

What a fate. He died in 1889 at 44 only having published a couple of articles. His work wouldn’t hit the public until 1918.

Spare me the Manly Hopkins exit.

I am very near my threshold of burn out: two days vertical!! its near a record these last five years. At any minute I expect i’ll devolve into a bonobo, pull the blinds and turn on the PS4 (RSI prevents me from playing wow). So let me press on while I may. And god willing see a third day out of this triumph over inertia.

–Just to say, the cats were banished from the sanctuary of the bedroom and hence a full night of sleep was achieved. Who would have thought might erratic sleep could be resolved so easily.–

I shuffled out of the house and was damn near attacked by a yoga woman with a fierce “Good morning!”. Apparently I was not in fit state to be in the hills and was terrifying the locals again. Taking the hint, I rolled back my shoulders, wiped my bleary eyes and started breathing a little quieter through my nose. Following the example of the evidently human yoga woman, I saluted the next dog walker with a jolly halloo (which was greeted with a raised eyebrow and a startled nod). And continued to do so until humanity resumed itself in my breast.

I continued with Cathy Birch. Today was focusing on character. She advises using grids and webs to create unusual traits and unsuspected but interesting clashes. I couldnt bring myself to do grids or webs (feeling superior to such adolescent approaches to the refined art of written composition.) However, as with Sexton. I promise to do these things at some point.

What I did do, however, was to follow her advice and visualise my main character. In character, (I played a sexy french mistress who happened to walking by), I asked him what his day was like and why he was in such a state. It helped that I had done a little research into his particular wardrobe and had fun with that. I continued to ask questions along the lines of why he was so upset until he revealed the particular crises that he was facing. It was good stuff and deepened my understanding of the conflict and the plot.

Later, after reading more Mark Z. Danielewski, I realised that his crises had way too few jagged claw marks and Euclidian mindfucks. I’ll be sure to insert those tomorrow.

Following Birch I was able to clock in another hour or so writing. 1550 words this time.

Finishing up here i include a url to the website where I found the Manly Hopkins info. And, I’ll conclude with another decent tidbit from Birch (and others it seems), by reading House of Leaves (as one might study a competing athlete) I was able to reflect on my own story and see where a little more horror/terror needs to be added. See gore as salt… yes ma’am.

http://publicdomainreview.org/2012/05/28/the-krakatoa-sunsets/

Conquering Block

A short list of self help books followed by an indulgent post that used time that should have been used actually reading the books and following their advice.

1. Masterclass in fiction writing: Techniques from Austen, Hemmingway and Other greats Adam Sexton McGraw Hill
2.Horror Upon Horror: A step by Step guide to writing a horror novel Suzanne Ruthven Compass Points
3.Techniques of the Selling Writer Dwight V. Swain Oklahoma
4. The Writing of Fiction: Classic Guide to the Art of the Short Story and the Novel Touchstone
5. Practical Short Story Writing John Paxton Sheriff Hale
6. How to Grow a Novel: The Most Common Mistakes Writers Make and How to Overcome Them So Stein St. Martin’s Press
7. The Creative Writer’s Workbook: A Source for Releasing Your Creativity and Finding Your True Writer’s Voice Cathy Birch HowtoBooks
8. The I Ching For Writers: Finding the Page Inside You Sarah Jane Sloane New World Library

After a thoroughly disappointing (and very expensive) writing workshop (SLS) over the summer, I have decided to take matters into my own hands. The baffling lack of actual writing and the juvenile comments from the workshop facilitator (Josip Novakovich) I realised that there is an enormous industry out there for saps like me who are unable to put their trousers on (so to speak) and get on with the goddammed job.

Thus with a good deal of humiliation and a 2500USD debt. I set forth on my latest attempt to conquer my indolence, my pride and my greatly diminished confidence in my writing ability.

The day has described itself so far with middling success. It began with the all important “walk of self esteem building” since I am still not at the shaving phase of recovery (but I am washing!), the walk is of vital importance. It is the signal movement from the prone and sleeping phase of the day, to the vertical and working phase. It is not good to simply roll from bed to computer. This is vestigial behaviour from the WOW days and should be eschewed at all costs. The walk does not endanger my health, but it is enough to get a little sun on my face, be sure that I am not frightening to young children, or yoga mums, and generally remind me that I part of the human machine. With a mild dew of sweat (not mildew), I returned to the house.

The eating part of the morning is one of exceptional balance. If you are as delicate as I am (almost Ignatius Reillyesque) you will find that the slightest mistake in the morning meal on a monday can throw you out for an entire week. I prepare my breakfasts with caution. To be more precise, a spike and dip in sugar levels can bring on a nap at 10am that is fatal for the productivity for the rest of the day. A too hearty portion of muesli can mean a feast of chips and sausages at lunch that can quickly descend into a irresistible McDonalds craving, or worse, a 16inch pizza. Thus I measure out my food with precision to avoid such temptations and their consequences. Today, a cup of porridge oats, a tablespoon of kefir, a heap of flax seeds and a heap of chia seeds.

Nourished and walked, I clocked into work at 7am (I am an early riser, back in the WOW days that meant I was practically alone in the Oceanic server to hunt for pets and things.)I started with a “How to write” book, looking for inspiration and ideas to get me going.

This past sunday, my wife, who is a librarian, basically took me by the ear, and despite my protests that we would miss the 2pm showing of War of the Planet of the Apes, lead me directly to the “how to write short story” section of the library. i confess, I wandered about watching the tykes play candy crush on the public computers whilst she ferreted out a selection of titles. She did the heavy lifting but I carried the books home. Actually, she was kind enough to read through them and put helpful postits on them like: read week 2 to focus on main character and how you are going to represent his story.

I have written them all above and short of actually reproducing what they say in them, I’ll give my tuppence worth of what they’re about and how useful they are.

Being of a grossly inflated opinion of myself, I started with the Master Class by Adam Sexton and quickly found myself puking at this dilettantish snob who begins and ends his classes with James Joyce. I promise to return to this book and give it its fair dues, but it was not a great starting place for me. I’m still gagging at his pronoun choice for the book.

Cathy Birch on the other hand was much gentler with me this morning. Her soothing voice reassured me that it was ok to fail, that i ought to rediscover the fun in writing, that I still had a child within who wanted to play. Her advice in the first chapter is mainly peripheral to the writing act, remain healthy, eat well etc, make sure you have the right tools for the job: dictionary, thesaurus, encyclopedia (how long ago was Birch writing?), rhyming dictionary, book of names, that sort of thing. Everyone loves advice that involves retail therapy. Easy going stuff and perfect for delicate types who cant confront actually writing.

I’m not a fan of advice that involves new agey shit like Tarot cards, and writing with the non-dominant hand to unleash the child within. but Birch jumps into it straight away. Go for broke if its your thing.

What did really resonate was the advice to do timed writing exercises.

And even, begin the day with a short writing exercise before you even get out of bed.

That’s good practical advice. So with that in mind I went away and did a timed hour of writing. Just under 1000 words. And with no expectations. Just to flex the old writing muscles. After all, as Birch says, we writers are like Athletes. And can get out of shape just as easily as Usain Bolt if he procrastinated for seven years playing WOW in his pants.

To conclude this day of success, my cat has decided to celebrate with diarrhea. As I have been writing, she has wiped her bum across the duvet, all down the hall, and left dribbles in unexpected places. The irony of this latest distraction is not lost on me: you can’t make this shit up.

Last Days of Old Canton

The Last Days of Old Canton is the title of a novel I am writing. Like most writers, I am bemired in works-in-progress. The eponymous title of this blog is no different. However, what we chip away at, eventually gains shape. So, whilst that project chunters on in the background, this blog will record my thoughts on poetry, short stories and some more general ones on art. It will also, from time to time provide a platform for my published and unpublished work.

I do hope there is something here for you to enjoy. After all, the whole point is to inspire and be inspired.

To conclude this first post, I can’t resist a little quotation from Dante:

“In the middle of the journey of our life I came to myself within a dark wood where the straight way was lost.”