I Am A Literary Illiterate

I love trivia. I’m a sucker for most trivia shows, online games and board games. Generally I do quite well at them, but even if I don’t I love learning the little facts that make the games irresistible. Sometime ago (probably about a year) I stumbled across the Book Lover’s Edition if Trivial Pursuit. Trivia and books? The fact that I got it on sale for under $5 was an unnecessary incentive.

Until recently, I never quite got around to opening the game. In a house with four kids there are a lot of opportunities for board games, but this one doesn’t really appeal to my little ones—even if they do read quite a bit. But in the last month I cracked open the box just to look through the contents, and I found out something about myself…

When it comes to books I’m practically illiterate—an oblivious half-wit.

Well let’s back up a bit. Opening the box, I was treated to a cute little bookstore redesign of the typical Trivial Pursuit setup. The traditional categories are replaced with Children’s, Classics, Non-Fiction, Book Club, Authors and Book Bag. And standing in for the basic pie shells are four delightfully bookish playing pieces.

But as I sat down in my comfy chair (I always hear the Monty Python skit) with a handful of cards it didn’t take long for me to discover that the games charm ended with the visual. Talk about difficult!

OK, the Children’s category, I’ll admit, is easier than the others—keeping a high percentage of the questions to the classics:

Q: What kind of creature is the grouchy Templeton, in Charlotte’s Web?
A: A rat

Q: What Dr. Seuss character declares: “I speak for the trees, for the trees have no tongues”?
A: The Lorax

But a most of the rest of the questions—and even some of the Children’s—are incredibly difficult (the sampling below is not cherry-picked, but pulled from the first four cards I pulled from the pack):

Q: What fictional medical examiner gets occasional help from Richmond police officer Pete Marino?
A: Kay Scarpetta

Q: What humorist needed 560 pages to explain The Short History of Nearly Everything for U.S readers, but only 500 pages for British readers?
A: Bill Bryson

Q: What Spokane Indian titled a book of short stories The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven?
A: Sherman Alexie

Q: What author of You Got to Dance with Them What Brung You did the L.A. Times call “H.L. Mencken without the cruelty”?
A: Molly Ivins

Now maybe you got those right, but I didn’t. In fact after looking through 50 or so cards, I’d be surprised if I got more than 10% correct.

The lesson here? Well if there is one, it’s that I obviously have plenty of books to read.

BTW, if you’d like the game you can get it on Amazon for $10. Good luck. You’ll need it.

Dale would like to take a break from his regularly scheduled nonsense to wish Karen—creator of Write Anything—a very happy birthday. I hope it’s filled with completed word counts.

That That

Over time we all develop pet hates. Some of them are personal idiosyncrasies, such as particular words we develop an aversion to, while others are tics based on established elements of writing. The latest addition to my list is the over use of the word “that”, which has overtaken the distaste of adverbs.

It was brought up at my writing group a few months ago and since then I’ve worked hard to cleave the superfluous “thats” from my writing. What I’ve discovered, having had the radar up while reading and writing, is it is a really hard habit to get out. Made doubly difficult by the simple fact it is an accepted overuse not just in writing but in every day usage.

The last book I finished was littered with more thats than you could poke a stick at, which at times got in the way of enjoying the narrative as I picked them off, paragraph to paragraph – one, two … ten. Not only was it sloppy writing from someone who had developed the book through a Masters course in Creative Writing, but sloppy editing. I’m a bit like a reformed smoker – coming down hard on those who still indulge in the habit.

To prove I’m not above pointing the finger at my own writing, my older (pre “that” enlightenment) writing is full of examples of “that” overuse. Here is a section from a Friday Fiction story earlier this year:

Roly was just a thirty something, Chartered Accountant who was no closer to getting married and settling down, than he was to moving out of the granny flat in his mother’s Nundah backyard. Lawrence had a sneaky suspicion the sex romps that Roly regaled over the lip of his Hoegaarden were vivid fragments of his imagination or at worst, something he’d ripped off the internet.

Yes – Gloria was younger and flashier than either of the women that Lawrence had previously dated. But hell – some men just hit the jack pot. Yes the marriage had come on a little more suddenly than Lawrence had ever imagined possible – but they were in love, why wait?

The exclusion of “that” in both these paragraphs does not detract or change the narrative. What it does do is faciliate the flow by not clutting up sentences with unnecessary words.

Editing is a good means to get an insight on the overuse of “that” – whether it is your own work or someone else’s. Being mindful when you write is another. While something like morning pages, as suggested by Julia Cameron, is meant to be a stream of consciousness sprouting forth from your pen, it is also the perfect place to also observe. After a few weeks of consciously noting the insertion of needless thats, I began to stop myself before I wrote them down, which eventually translated into an unconscious ripping it of them from my writing. It is hard though.

Un-using “that” is a little like unlearning negative self talk. Once you become aware, the continued overuse of “that” becomes an uncomfortable habit which over time you don’t want to indulge in. The upside, it allows you to utilise every word of a word count, a boon if you are writing to tight word limits in flash fiction. It also allows you to create well written and succinct pieces of writing. Have a go – I promise you’ll never go back.

Jodi Cleghorn is still keeping her head above water this November. Yes the family are still happy.  And the other creative projects are still moving foward. Changing habits is hard but worthwhile. Want to share in Jodi’s NaNo experiences? They are being Tweeted, blogged and discussion boarded.

Don’t panic

A timely reminder for all those taking part in NaNoWriMo…

Relax. Breathe. It isn’t over yet. For those on target, congratulations, keep going. For those falling behind – you have plenty of time to catch up.

For those not taking part – we appreciate the sympathy….

Writing longhand is a liberating way of taking part in NaNoWriMo, as I can now write anywhere at any time. But it means I have absolutely no idea what my word count is…

[Fiction] Friday #128

[Fiction] Friday Challenge for November 6th, 2009:

A man ducks into a dress shop to escape a sudden downpour and finds himself in the middle of a heated debate between employees. (Feel free to incorporate this prompt into your NaNoWriMo project!!)

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How Fiction Friday works

Fiction Friday is easy to do.

• Every Thursday, just check this page for this week’s theme or challenge.
• Spend at least 5 minutes composing something original based on the theme or challenge.
• But, remember, no editing. This is to inspire creativity not stifle it.
• On Friday, simply post what you wrote to your own blog.
• Then come back to Write Anything and leave the link in the comment section below.

If you’re participating in the Write Anything meme, please leave a link to your entry below. (If you’re not participating, please don’t leave a link. People who aren’t playing will be removed). Please don’t forget to leave us a comment in addition to leaving a link!

You might also like to Tweet links from this site as they are posted.

[Fiction] Friday Participants

1. Write From Karen 2. Annie

3. Ingrid Senger-Perkins 4. CJT

5. RicV

Powered by… Mister Linky’s Magical Widgets.

If you’d like to participate further, just go visit some of the other links left by other participants, read what they wrote, and leave a comment. Just be sure that your comment is constructive—this is, after all, a meme to give us all a little writing practice.

Want more information? Visit the Fiction Friday page.

Technorati tags: fiction, fiction friday

What’s Your Nano?

It seems WordPress was hungry and decided to eat my post. I hope it’s please because I’m not. Allow me to try and recreate what was lost.

Last year, I decided to create a personal goal for myself. The minimum daily word count is 1,667 words (when it is all broke down). I set a goal to meet that minimum everyday in November. When I crossed the 50,000 word finish line, I also achieved what I set out to do.

This time around I wanted to up the stakes. I’m still meeting the minimum but I also created my first Nano blog called Sinister Tales. The purpose was to post excerpts everyday in November. It goes along with the theme of my Nano project. I also signed up for National Blog Posting Month. This technically takes place during every month in the year but November counts the most. I saw it as an extra incentive.

Instead of doing a series of short stories, which is what I have been doing every Nano since 2007, I am writing journal entries in my main character’s voice. She’s a wealthy city girl who lost her high paying job. Then, her life of luxury was the next to go. She learns her aunt has died and left the house to her only niece. The girl remembers visiting her aunt as a little girl and knows the house is haunted. She decides to use this opportunity to capitalize on the situation but doesn’t get what she was bargaining for. Below is the excerpt from Day 4:

“Maybe they all have. Maybe it was all one big conspiracy. It would certainly explain Simon’s demeanor. Would explain a lot of things. Was the answer that simple though?

Simon was my only link to anything. I asked him if he could help clean up the place. Maybe get the screws out of the windows. He hesitated at first. Maintained the smile with obvious discomfort. He didn’t want to answer the question. I assured him he didn’t have to. He wasn’t bound to my every need. The offer seemed to heighten his confliction. He wanted to leave but something was keeping him here. I told him if he had more pressing matters to please go and take care of it.

He stammered. Said he didn’t have any appointments for the day. Offered to stay and help me in any way. His smile faded. He turned and walked to his truck. Simon pulled out a tool box and walked past me. he avoided eye contact. It was like he was blaming me for keeping him here. He took out all the screws from every window. Never argued. Didn’t say much of anything. After completing one task, just asked for another.

It was like he was afraid to be idle in the house for any period of time. The more he was willing to do the faster the house would be clean and smelling better. Plus it was stuff I didn’t have to do. So, I stood back and let him.

I watched as he tackled one project after another. He tried ever so hard to play it cool, but he wasn’t fooling me. I know he’d rather be anywhere than in this house. I wanted to force him to drop everything and go. I didn’t want to be there by myself but I couldn’t make him stay. It broke my heart observing his bravery. I tried to focus on the cleaning but found it difficult. The dust and mold all made me want to vomit.

By dusk, every surface had been disinfected. Dishes washed. Refrigerator cleared of spoiled food. Sheets washed. Floors swept, mopped or vacuumed. Our hard work transformed the house in to something livable. It didn’t even look like the same place. I felt quite proud of myself I did domestic work. First time in like…ever. So much accomplished with no interruptions…of any kind. The time had come.

Simon had to go back to town. I was left with the decision on whether or not I would follow. I now had a house to sleep in. We had no strange occurrences all day. Could I survive a night here…alone? I had my car. I could take comfort in that. If anything happens, I could just leave. No big deal. I had food. All the utilities were still connected. I needed to save as much money as I could. No reason not to stay. Well…there was one. But nothing happened all day. There’s a chance nothing would happen tonight either.

I wasn’t exactly feeling completely sure about my decision. However, I was willing to take the chance. Simon, trying to hide it, was happy to leave. I gazed at his departure. I was left to face whatever the night held for me…alone.”

What personal goals have you set for yourself? What is your Nano project?

Andrea says in honor of Guy Fawkes set your character on fire. Use it to get the attention of your protagonist.

Maintaining a Healthy NaNoWriMo disposition.

Like adopting a healthy lifestyle, adopting a healthy attitude towards NaNo is integral to your ongoing success. For many, NaNo represents a pressure cooker environment of little sleep, bad food choices and too much caffeine. Its no secret that I don’t sleep much and haven’t for several years; for a number of haunting reasons I’ll not go into on this post. However, whats important is that to keep going with minimal sleep, a western diet and its thought processes are not going to fuel the lifestyle I maintain. As someone who has battled eating disorders, depression, weight issues and health challenges, I know only too well the power of attitude, focus and proper nutrition to support the body. For those who are seeking balance or a healthier way of surviving NaNo, perhaps some of these tips will assist.

Attitude

Your attitude will make or break you before you type the first word on Nov 1. Be clear with your goals and the reasons you are participating in NaNo.

Every day we make dozens of small decisions which ultimately spell out the difference between success in our goals, or failure. As soon as you get up or home from work, did you spend twenty minutes on the couch watching telly or goofing around on facebook or spend that twenty minutes on a super charged word hit, typing as quickly as you can without editing? Small changes can add up to huge results.

Like training for a sporting competition, or reshaping your body, its how you spend 98% of your the time rather than being obsessed with the trip ups which are realistically going to happen. It does not serve you, nor is it healthy to focus on the 2% of your time you spend negativity, binge eating or procrastinating. What will normally happen is that you will beat yourself up and then give up… all for 2%.

Remember that consistency is important in achieving your goal. Just as when you are reshaping your body, if you only make healthy choices when you feel like it, then you won’t see much progress on the scales or in the mirror. Make the right choice even when it’s hard and you are tired. In most cases, you will find an extra burst of energy once you start to write and that by pushing through that resistance, you strengthen your resolve and it will be easier next time to fire up your laptop and punch out a few paragraphs.

Treat yourself with gifts or treats after you cross small milestones. This will motivate you to continue. Don’t wait for the 50K mark to pop the cork of a champagne bottle or a new fountain pen. After years of teaching people from preschool to adults, there aren’t many students who are immune to bribery in the way of a sticker chart and treats!

Focus

The NaNo word count can be likened to the bathroom scales used to measure ones weight. Just like those on their initial weeks of weightloss, many writers become obsessed with the numbers. Similarly, there are going to be days where those scales tip favourably and others when no matter what effort you put in, they remain stable.

Yes, NaNo is about setting those targets, hitting the daily word count and putting yourself under pressure to perform, however, make your plans to write realistically fit around your life, not the other way around.30 undisturbed days to write, but unless you hang out in the mountains alone, its unlikely to happen. Sometimes circumstances change suddenly – a new job, a family crisis, moving house – and your planned routine doesn’t work. The trick is to be flexible and know when it’s time to tweak your methods.

Focus on what is important to you with your NaNo project. Is it really to dish out 50K of hasty words, or 30K of thoughtful, considered ones? Is it to start your journey as a novelist or give you material for an anthology? Perhaps NaNo is really about proving to your family you are serious about your writing. There may be other ways to achieve these goals rather than focusing solely on the word count.

Proper Nutrition

No doubt we all “know” what to do and eat; however especially during NaNoWriMo, we don’t. This is when the body takes over and forces you to stop when you get cramps, fevers, sore throats and sniffles; resulting in more stress as your word count drops as you are too sick to concentrate or write.

Cheat on Sleep

Don’t kid yourself. No-one gets enough sleep during NaNoWriMo. An important fact you may not know about good quality sleep is achieved when you are in the Delta Phase. For most people who sleep 8 – 10 hours they only actually ‘get’ to Delta for around 30 – 45 mins. The trick, therefore, is to get yourself to delta as quickly as you can and stay there for as long as you can. Learn some deep relaxation techniques to assist you in getting to this state – or look into the Pzizz. I’ve had an earphone unit for years and when really sleep deprived, they work a wonder as they bring your brain waves into a delta state within moments. I believe that there is now a software based program which can be used for a 10 min power nap while you sit at your desk in front of your pc.

Sufficient pure water
Not sweetened fizzy drinks or caffeinated drinks – pure, unadulterated water. If you are sitting inside, you will need about 8 glasses. Keep a waterbottle by your laptop and everytime you pause to think, it’s a signal you are getting dehydrated – so take a sip.

Supplements
Forget the 5 servings of fruits and vegetables. The way the toxic farming industry is going, our produce lacks proper nutrition. Source either organic produce, or quality plant based supplements to support the stress NaNo will put on your body… and make sure you either eat them or take them!

My secret weapon is Green smoothies.
Since discovering them in February this year, they have become a staple part of my day. Supercharged full pure raw energy, they are the perfect breakfast for sleep deprived, nutritionally deficient NaNoWriMo participants, and particularly good afterward to wean those off all the caffeine and sugar many use to keep themselves going. A good Green Smoothie is 60% fresh fruit blended with a high power processor with 40% green leafy vegetables and a little pure water.

If you are looking to get through NaNo without the assistance of junk foods and sugar, then seriously look at having a green smoothie a day. When your cells get what they need, and your brain, and emotions, and that desire for junk falls away one step at a time and you find yourself buzzing with a new found energy – and perfect focus to write. For a step by step video and info on them click here

Again, these are the things I adopt on an ongoing basis to support my lifestyle, and may not suit everyone. However, I have a deep knowing that without them, my emotional, physical and psychological health would be of a poorer state. No matter what you do, keep your NaNo in a healthy state.

Annie Evett can’t think of a better way to make people eat silverbeet and spinach. Green Smoothies ROCK!  Buddy up during NaNo here. Follow her here on Twitter and catch her growing amount of websites and blogs here