Paint With Words

There’s nothing more laughable in writing today than fanfiction. 9 times out of 10, the stories are written by overly obsessed fans of some book, tv show, actor, or band, wishing they were somehow part of that world. So what do they do? They write a story, and insert themselves, or a character largely based off of themselves, into the story. Not only does this lead to a weak plot, but the creation of Mary Sue/Gary Stu characters, and a story that serves as more of a comic relief than literary satisfaction.

Now, I’ve been reading and writing fanfiction since I was 11, back in the good old days of “MMMBop”. Yes, I’ve been a Hanson fan since 1997, and I still am, loud and proud. And I’ve divulged in plenty of other fanfiction obsessions since then: Savage Garden, Gil Ofarim, Orlando Bloom, AFI, and my most recent being Tokio Hotel. There’s a little bit of Cinema Bizarre infatuation in there, but as most Cinema Bizarre fanfiction is written in every western language EXCEPT English, so I haven’t really gotten into it.

But anyway, my point is, I’ve read and written quite a lot of stories in my day. In fact, it’s what I cut my teeth on, concerning writing. I’ve read and written a lot of it, and some of the stories are more embarrassing to remember. They were the total teenaged Mary Sue wish I was the perfect girlfriend for (insert celebrity of choice here) with no flaws, an amazing wardrobe, and a family with an endless bank account. My first one that was really published on the Internet was a Gil Ofarim fanfiction called “Can’t Help Fallin’” which was basically about me. I was the main character, my friends were part of it, so was my family.  Definitely was Mary-Sue-ish, but it was my first attempt at a half way decent story.

Over the years, fanfiction though has morphed from goofy wishing to a real story. There are a lot of hardcore fanfiction writers now who frown upon those kinds of stories, and there are also a lot of really good stories out there. The downside is though there’s a lot of Mary-Sure writing fangirls out there. If you go on Tokio Hotel Fanfiction, or AFISlash, you have to watch out for the bad slash and twincest fiction. However, once you discern past that, talk to a few users, and check out the popular stories and authors, you start finding stories that are probably good enough to be published, or can keep up with things that are on the New York Bestsellers list. Sometimes you even forget you’re reading fanfiction; there’s only the vague reminder that the people in the stories are celebrities.

 If nothing else, over the years, Fanfiction has been a good way for me to learn. I’ve been able to sharpen my skills, get feedback, and honestly not have a lot of pressure. Sure, there have been mean people, and whatever, and you’ll always have that, but I have been able to gain all the experience without all the pressure of the ‘industry’. So now that I’m trying to write a story to get it published, I feel more confident in myself, and I don’t feel like I’m just shooting in the dark. Of course I have friends helping me, and all of that, but it’s not all foreign to me. Fanfiction has been for me what spending hours in a practice room are for a musician. A musician can’t go out and perform without rehearsals and hours of practice. They sit in their practice room for hours, straightening out tought parts and adjusting their technique. Spending the better part of 10 years writing fanfiction has done just the same for me.

I was going to try and write a somewhat intellectual post about character development, but I can save that for another day. In fact I think I will. Today, I think I just want to talk about the art itself.

 Throughout history, mot of the great artistic minds have also suffered from ‘mental disorders’. Depression, mania, bipolar, even schizophrenia or multiple personality disorder. You name it, I’m sure someone’s had it. Not to mention, most great artists have had dysfunctional pasts.

It’s so weird because, there are PROFESSIONS out there to correct those situations. It’s not just a small thing, it’s a billion dollar ‘industry’ (I use that word lightly…there’s the medicines and sure those come from pharmaceutical companies, but I wouldn’t call a doctor’s office a facet of industry). And if someone feels like they need Zoloft, or a trained professional to confide in, good for you. There’s nothing wrong with that. But what gets me is, how creativity is linked to ‘dysfunction’.

Even in personal experience, some of the best things I’ve ever done were things that I did while suffering through severe depression, or battling with grief over the loss of my mother. But as soon as I recovered from the depression (which has only been in the last few years), my knack for poetry went away. Now, I can still write a story, and I can still play the drums no problem, but it’s different. I don’t feed off the same energies anymore, and sometiems I feel like i have to make myself depressed to tap into that special energy to be able to create.

I’m not really sure why it’s like that, nor am I going to try and figure it out. All I’m saying is that it happens, and it intrigues me. The very things that make life harder for us, are also the very things that give creators the power to do, and to feel, and to think in a way that they are able to produce beautiful works of art/writing/music. ‘Tis the irony of life, so to speak.

I took a few days to not write anything, partially because of school, and partially because I wasn’t quite sure what to say next. Once I got to thinking about it, I realized that ‘plot’ should be something to talk about.

Over the summer, I read “Nights In Rodanthe” by Nicholas Sparks. Now, Mr. Sparks is a somewhat guilty pleasure read for me. His stories are poignant, and they’re about regular every day people, falling in love, and it’s REAL. It’s not a bubble gum chic lit book, with vapid girls and beefcake guys. He writes about the cashier at the grocery store who happens to fumble handing a customer their change and somehow that starts a conversation. The conversation leads to someone asking the other on a date, and a mind-blowing lovestory ensues. Cheesy, but hey, it’s more real that the 30-something bleach blonde working at  PR firm in Manhattan.

So, this particular book was a let down? Why? The plot development just was not what it could’ve been. It had a LOT of great ideas, and a lot of amazing things could happen, however for some reason they just didn’t.

One key event in this story was that one of the main characters was a plastic surgeon. A woman came in, wanting a certian procedure, and soon there after passed away. Naturally, the woman’s family was suing the doctor. Her widower’s legal counsel suggested not to make any personal contact with the doctor, but he did anyway, and told the doctor he’d like to talk to him. And this is why the doctor wound up in Rodanthe, North Carolina.

To me, that was a crucial even in the story. However, during the course of the book, more attention was paid to the past of this character, and that of the female love interest. The woman in the story had her past issues too, which were developed well, but this reason for the doctor being in Rodanthe was ignored. And when he finally did talk to this woman’s widower, he said naught but 2 sentences to the doctor.

While I can appreciate Mr. Sparks’ attempt at being concise and to the point, this was not the time to do it. The widower deserved a conversation with the doctor, the discourse between the two of them had little to no tension in it, and you didn’t know very much about the way the family felt. Those things took a back seat to the love story that he was trying to write.

Of course the love story WAS the story that the book was being written for, my point is, so many other things could’ve happened that didn’t. To me, poor plot development in this story completely took away from everything else that was good about the story. There was a lot of potential for this book, and I guess that’s why such a lack of plot ennerved me. I wanted to see more detail, and hear more about what people were feeling about these extremely important events.

 To me, a strong plot is the most important part of the story. Sure, character development is necessary, but without a decent plot, the story will not exist. And sometimes, at least in my experience, character development is dependent on the plot. This isn’t always 100% true, but think about how life works sometimes: your personal changes and developments over the years has been dependent on the things you’ve gone through, good and bad. Without a story line, your characters can’t grow. But sometimes, the plot will unfold due to how you want the characters to change. Either way, it’s important to make sure you develop your plot as fully as you can.

 Until next time,
Erika

Walking into the reference section of a bookstore, looking for books to help improve your writing can be a bit daunting. Trust me, I worked in a bookstore for a LONG time. The only reason I knew it like the back of my hand was because I had to. But I did spend quite a bit of time back there to satiate my own intrigue. The selection is wide, and if you don’t know what type of book you’re looking for, in general, then you’re basically stuck. And let’s face it, while the staff is SUPPOSED to have good product knowledge, some people just know other sections better than other people do. So I hope this helps you a little bit.

First, I would suggest “The Elements of Style” by E.B. White and Robert Strunk. It’s a very non-intimidating book, and it breaks down the most basic elements of English grammar and structure. It’s MAYBE 100 pages long (I don’t have my copy handy, but it’s relatively easy to find), and in recent years, it’s been updated, illustrated, and put into a nice fancy hardcover edition. It’s very clear and very concise, and you never feel dumb when you need to reference it

“The Spooky Art” by Norman Mailer is a good book if you want to hear about experiences from someone. Mailer talks about his own experiences while also referencing authors he admires, such as Tolstoy and Hemmingway. He even has a chapter dedicated to his experience as a journalist. If you’re an aspiring journalist and read his opinions on it, don’t let that detour you from  your dreams. Rather, tuck it back in your mind for future reference because, while his experiences left him with a bitter taste in his mouth, his points are still good things to remember. But his thoughts on writing fiction are good too. He talks about how his life experiences influenced his writing (mainly his book “The Naked and the Dead”), techniques and thought processes he used to create stories, and so on. It’s one half memoir, one half good advice.

Another book that, while I haven’t read it, I’ve always heard good things, is “On Writing” by Stephen King. One of my writing professors at school referenced and quoted this book frequently. It’s been on my ‘to read’ list for probably a little too long, but from the way my teacher talked about it, I imagine it’s just as good as “The Spooky Art.” Unfortunately, as I haven’t read it I don’t have much else to tell you other than I’ve always heard positive commentaries on it.

Now, if you’re more into ‘professional’ writing, there are other types of books you should check out. While the first 3–ESPECIALLY “The Elements Of Style”–have good ideas and advice, they don’t give you anything concrete. If you’re writing a research paper or an editorial, you need to know how to site your sources. Now, granted, it depends on the requirements of the assignment’s format. That is where the “MLA Handbook”,”The Brief New Century Handbook”, and the APA style manuals are handy. I forget the exact title of the APA stylebook, but if you ask any bookstore employee about that book, they should know exactly what you mean (around the beginning of the school year, so many people ask for it, you may as well drop it in the center of the store and have a huge neon sign over it to tell people where it is). Depending on what you’re writing for, there’s also the Chicago Style Manual, but that one is a little insane. Let’s be honest…when the APA and MLA books are all of, maybe one and a half to  two inches thick, the Chicago manual clocking in at about 4 or more inches thick is daunting. But there is the occasional assignment that requires it so you never know…

If you’re more for journalism and whatnot, you MUST own a copy of the Associated Press Stylebook. Don’t remember a state’s abbreviation, or the appropriate title for a politician/emissary/religious figure/royal figurehead, this book has it. It’s like a dictionary or thesaurus. Keep it on your desk. Your editors or professors (depending on what stage you’re at in life ) will appreciate it.

There’s also all the Writer’s Market books that are put out annually. And they’re always broken down: fiction, nonfiction, kids, magazine writers/journalism, etc. They tell you exactly who to go to for whatever you’re aspiring to do with your writing. They’re a little expensive considering they do a new one each year, but not a whole lot changes annually so if you buy one this year, and finish your story in 2010, you could probably still rely on the information in the book you purchased.

I hope this is a good help for all of you. Once again, this is just my personal advice based on what I’ve read or had recommended to me. There are HUNDREDS of wonderful books out there that serve as writing references, and I encourage you to look into as many as you find interesting. Until next time.

Auf Wiederesehen,
Erika

So this is just my first entry to say hello and introduce myself to you.

My name’s Erika York, and I’m a 22 year old college student. I’m majoring in French and International Studies, and minoring in German. I’ve been writing stories since the 6th grade, and poetry since 8th grade. I’m also a musician, and have been playing the drums since 9th grade. I also have a very little experience on the coronet (lessons when I was 7 for a year, don’t ask me to play now, it won’t be pretty) and I can play some piano (lessons from 9-13).

 I’m engaged, and hopefully am getting married in 2010. Brandon (my fiance) and I have pushed back the date a little since I’m still in school. We’ve already been together for nearly 3 years.  He’s an artist, and graphic designer. If you ever want to see his work, check out www.bschaadt.com

 I was employeed at Borders Books and Music for 4 years, but thanks to bad management I recently left and am now part of management at Hot Topic. I’ve only been at my current job for almost 2 months but so far I like it.

Well, enough about me. My next entry will really be getting down to the nitty gritty on writing. Thanks a bunch for reading.

 Erika

Futility