Talking To Yourself: Don't Stifle Your Inner Monologue

It's after 2 a.m. on a Saturday. Just spent 14 hours on the road for Uber and Lyft in the Dallas-Ft.Worth Metro area during an absolute deluge of rain. Had to work. Had to earn. I was not happy. Many of my thoughts were the kind many of us wouldn't admit to having. But... as a writer... we should not stifle any thoughts - even those polite company would consider bad. Even those that offend people in our lives.

Here is what I mean. To set the scene... Streets flooding. Visibility - even with windshield wipers at max - limited. But... I remained on the road out of sheer determination and anger.

Experience.... is one of the greatest resources for writers. Now... some of my thoughts during the last 14 hours...

Inner monologue:

"Every time I take a step forward, fate hits me with another obstacle that sends me two steps back!"

"Why keep trying! I can't win. God, help me... would death be better? I'm tired."

"No! Can't give up! I will fail tonight...but... I can't quit!"

"I miss my son. She won't let me see him. Calm down... Don't cry. Don't make a decision based only on emotions. Use your head! If she knows she made you cry, she wins!"

"I can't see the road. Keep driving. Keep working. Think of your son. He misses me."

"I'm sorry, dad. I wanted to come," my son texted me. "My hands are shaking. I'm sad. I'm angry. God! Help me!"

"I'm soaking wet. I'm tired. But... I have to keep going. I miss my son. I have to do whatever it takes to be heard, for him to be heard. I need to keep working. The poor don't have a voice."

"I need a lawyer! I need a drink!"

Reading, Or Writing?

So, I'm about a month and a half into my reading goal for the year. Read 50 books. Simple. I've digested five so far.

I read slowly, so it consumes a good chunk of my time - time that could be used for writing! There's my dilemma. I've been tossing it around in my head. I hear the voices kind of like the old Looney Tunes cartoons where the angel and devil appear on a character's shoulders.

"Do it!"
"Don't do it!"

I believe that my reading will pay off. I mean, seriously, if you're a writer who doesn't read, what's the point? Still, I have been battling with the nagging voice in my head that says I'm spending too much time on reading and not enough on writing.

Anyone else feel the same pull? Just wondering. OK, back to my Kindle...

5 Things To Do When (and if) You Are Not Writing

You should write all the time. 

Having said that, I know sometimes we just won't be writing. If you are at one of these rare moments as a writer when you aren't writing, then there are by my count 5 things you should be doing besides writing. These are the only 5 activities I don't feel guilty doing instead of writing.

OK, maybe I feel a little guilty, but I get over it...usually.

So what are these five things? Fine, here they are:

1. Researching - Got an idea for a historical thriller set in biblical times, but you know nothing about ancient civilizations? Doing a little research on the times, how people lived, etc., is essential. In my second book of the Mall Demons Fantasy Series, I take readers back to the time of the biblical Noah. Although I know the story, I did research on everything from what ancient people wore, what they ate, how they farmed and traded, as well as, when they married. WARNING: If you're researching, set a time limit or deadline. Once you reach that limit or deadline, stop researching and start writing. The temptation is to keep researching until you know EVERYTHING about your topic. You'll never know everything. If you try, you'll never stop researching and start writing.
2. Reading - This is the activity I do most when I'm not writing. Why? You can't truly grow as a writer if you don't read. Makes no sense to want to write (a craft that relies on words), but not want to read (an activity that familiarizes you with words). This is the one activity that I will schedule in my day, like writing. I must read every day: fiction, nonfiction, newspapers, magazines. This helps me learn how to be a better writer. I often see how another writer describes a tree or someone's face and it gives me ideas how I can do the same. Can't stress how important reading is for writers. Reading is fundamental.
3. Living - I'm a big fan of experience. The more you do in life, the more you can write about with authority. Reading and research can compensate for experience. I'll admit that. However, experience will go a long way towards giving you confidence in your writing. I can set a story in Austin, Texas, describing the city or a neighborhood park with confidence because I have experienced many, many years of life there. I can create a character who is an Army veteran, knowing I will make him realistic because I was a soldier for eight years. I can write a scene showing the birth of a child because I witnessed the birth of all my children firsthand...and I did not faint. My advice: don't forget to live. write a lot; read a lot; but don't sacrifice life. Get out of your house or apartment. Turn off your computer. Take a walk outside. Meet real people. Live.
4. Resting - On December 1st last year, I didn't bother to write one sentence. I didn't write a sentence the next day or the next. I was resting. It was my sabbatical, if you will. I had just spent all of November writing a novel draft, 50,000 words. I was drained. After such a frenzied period of writing activity, I felt I needed a well-deserved rest to recharge. That was OK. Don't abuse this. I do not allow myself to say, "I wrote today for 10 minutes. Now I can take tomorrow off."
5. Thinking - If you're not writing, you should be thinking of writing. Bottom line. Whether you are researching, reading, living or resting, you should be thinking about writing. End of discussion. If you are a writer, you must write or be thinking of writing. Human nature is too easily corrupted. We will compromise in a heartbeat. You can't compromise your craft. If you're not writing, you're not a writer.

What do you think? Agree with these 5 things? Have your own activities to add to the list? Share!

First New Year's Resolution For Writing

Writing something every day whether I'm in the mood seems like the obvious choice, but that is not my #1 New Year's resolution. Putting my butt in a chair and writing for at least 10 minutes - regardless of how complicated life is -  is something I already know is essential. See any of my NaNoWriMo blog posts for that.

No, I figured I would look at something I am not doing enough. Pick at least one thing. I had a lot to choose from, but I figured I would kick it off with one thing or else I'd get overwhelmed by "all" the things I need to change or improve on. Pick one, get the ball rolling. Feel victory in one small area, then surge forward in another area.

So, first for me: My first New year's resolution to improve my writing is to read more. Simple, but effective. As I look back on 2011, I realized I did not read as much as I should have. I read maybe 9 books between January and March. Then I slowed down the rest of the year. My goal for 2012 is to read at least 50 books.

Reading for a writer is so crucial. You learn how other writers are playing with words. If you're writing genre fiction, it's good to read examples of that genre to understand its conventions. Reading books on the writing craft can help you, too. And I love reading from other genres, as well.

Set your own reading goal for 2012. A good place to do it as at Goodreads.com. Great community of readers and writers sharing about the books they love. You can see my book list on Pedro Ramirez's Goodreads profile page. Let me know if you have a good book suggestion.

10 Best New Year's Resolutions For Writers

Less than two weeks until the end of the year. Goodbye 2011. Hola and que tal to 2012. It got me to thinking about what resolutions I might make as a writer. It's always a good thing to push yourself. So, what are the best resolutions for writers? For some it could be to start a daily writing routine. It could be to actually submit your work instead of writing solely for yourself.

The possibilities could be endless. I haven't decided what all my resolutions should be, but I'm thinking about it now and hope to write out a list of 10, my Top Ten, if you will. Two brains are better than one, and a thousand are better than two, so I'm asking what resolutions you can think of, as well, to help the aspiring writer.

Making Readers See: Lessons From My Life As A Journalist

As I recline here on my living room couch surrounded by pillows and covered with my daughter's Winnie the Poo blanket, I can't help but reflect on my years as a newspaper journalist.

Maybe it's the NyQuil that I'm taking (again) because of this cold that just won't go away. Maybe it's because I'm craving eggs and bacon with toast this morning, but we're out of eggs and bread and I don't feel like running to the grocery store at 6 a.m. Maybe it's because I'm listening to the morning news and hearing more about all those protests with disgruntled people occupying parks all over the United States. (In my days as a journalist, I'd be one of those guys interviewing the protesters, asking why they were out there, etc, etc.)

An interesting side note (at least to me), my morning routine as a journalist always started with turning on the radio and tuning into the local morning news station as I got ready for work. Today, I simply use my Blackberry to tune into the news. Funny how times change.

Maybe it's all this stuff I mentioned and the fact that I'm editing a story which I'm preparing to publish as a Kindle Single that has me thinking about my former life as a newspaper journalist. Maybe it's more complicated, but my head is too fuzzy because of the NyQuil, so I can't see the other details at the moment.

But, whatever it is, I woke up this morning with my Kindle on my chest with a question on my mind: What did I learn about writing during my years as a newspaper journalist? The short answer is I learned a lot.

But if I had to start with one idea - and it's always good to start with a focus of one and then move on from there - I'd have to say the number one lesson about writing is this:

Make Your Readers See.

Moving on from there... well, I'll do that after I return from trudging to the store for eggs and bread, then cooking, eating and taking a NyQuil nap.

Questions? Comments? Just leave them here. When I return from my psychedelic dreams, I'll do my best to answer them.

Use Literary Terms As Writing Prompts: Allusion

When I get stuck in my writing, I turn to exercises to prime the pump. One of the exercises I often turn to is using literary terms as prompts. By literary terms, I mean words like allusion, characterization, dramatic irony, foreshadowing, personification, symbol and tone.

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So, I figured I'd share my strategies with you. Maybe it works for you. If it does, then great. For it to work, you must know what the terms mean. Today's term: Allusion


It's not the same as 'illusion.' An allusion is a quick reference, brief mention to something (literary person or historical event, for example) in your work. The assumption is that usually whatever you are referring to is something your audience knows about (although this isn't always the case).


Writers might use allusions to enrich their story, to provide context quickly or draw connections with other works. I have written stories based on allusion prompts. Once in a writing group, we put together a prompt for our monthly writing exercise that looked something like this:

In no more than 5,000 words write a horror story based in Virginia while also using at least 3 allusions.

Now, here's an example from the first part of my Mall Demons Serial, 'Death Speaks Loudest To Those Who Flee.' In the story, one of the demon characters recounts a tale from his past:

Many of their years ago I was apprenticed to Death himself. It was in the year 1187. We were visiting one of the many villages that Richard the Lionheart's crusaders were traveling through...

My mentioning of 'Richard the Lionheart' was an allusion. If you know who he is, I've just drawn a connection between that figure and that historical time and the setting and events of my story. It's brief, but it adds richness that would be missing if I simply wrote something like this:

I was apprenticed to Death himself during the middle ages. We were visiting a village...

The second passage, at least to me, just doesn't carry the same punch. Here's another example from a story I am working on now. It's a sci-fi story, and one of the characters, a child, is explaining the situation to another character:

Then something weird happened... This is when John and, I think, the alien guy showed up. And the alien used his device. Well, it threw everything out of whack, kind of like that episode in Star Trek Voyager when Janeway and Paris got stuck in another phase of reality because of that clock thing and almost got blown up.

I know, the passage is still rough around the edges, but you see the allusion, right? I linked my story's events to similar events from a Star Trek Voyager episode. Anyone in my audience who's seen the episode will draw a connection.


That's it. Simple, right? Try using allusions in your next work. Make it an exercise. Use the prompt I shared above if you like. Let me know how it goes! You can comment below or e-mail me.

Elementary Steps To Writing - Are You Smarter Than A Fourth Grader?

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My wife and I just returned from a parent-teacher conference to hear that our child is doing very well. Something parents always want to hear. Getting to the particulars, the teacher said our child loves to read. Given free time in class, it is her activity of choice.


Now, that's something a writing father loves to hear.


As I observed the room with a writer's eye, I noticed one wall devoted to laminated signs that spelled out several steps to the writing craft. I read the signs and was pleased to see what fourth graders are learning about writing in elementary school. Since I can't remember when I was that young and I imagine other adults may have forgotten their wonder years as well, here's what those signs said about writing:


Six Steps (and I'm paraphrasing what they said)

• Prewrite - Brainstorm your topic
• Draft - Write out that 1st draft
• Edit - Check for grammar and other errors
• Revise - Rewrite to make your manuscript more interesting
• Publish - Use your best handwriting 
• Share - Let the world read it.

I thought the list was pretty cool. Granted, the 'publish' step could be altered to address any formatting requirements writers might need to follow when submitting a poem, article or short story to a magazine, journal or other publishing venue. But, the list itself is solid advice to more than just elementary school pupils. I think these steps are excellent building blocks every writer can use to improve their writing.

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As a writing professor, I often see students give short shrift to several of these steps (if not ignore them completely). 


Prewriting is often ignored. I don't know how many times I've seen students try going from blank screen to 1st draft without a plan or at least a brief exploration of the topic. 


Can I just say that skipping the editing step is probably what annoys me the most as a teacher. That just screams laziness. And finally, revising is often ignored, too. The first draft of anything is crap. There is almost always something writers can do to revise their work and make it more interesting. No matter how many times I say this in class, someone always rises to challenge my statement.


"You've never seen one of my papers," the student will say. "It'll be an A+ on the first try."


"Prove it," I say. "Don't boast. Show me."


Hubris... I'm still waiting to this day for that perfect paper on the first try.


So, what do you think of this elementary school list of writing steps? Share your thoughts.

Do You Write Too Much?

Simple question. No need for a complex answer. In all honesty, the proof is in your writing.


The question again: Do you write too much?


Gotta admit the truth is most new writers do. It's why I have so embraced flash fiction. I needed to write tight. I wrote a previous post on writing flash fiction, and an Esquire contest to write a complete story in 78 words. 


Check it out here.


Now back to writing too much. This from Garry Disher's "Writing Fiction: An Introduction To The Craft":

New - and experienced - writers often write too much owing to a lack of focus (Sara Paretsky threw out three hundred pages of her novel, Tunnel Vision, saying: 'I was kind of meandering and it just didn't have a shape') or burden themselves with complex, complicated or competing ideas. It may be necessary to simplify the theme and coolly cut inessential ideas, characters, incidents and sub-plots.

So, the question bears repeating: Do you write too much?


If you don't think you need to worry about writing too much, then try an exercise: On a page, list the numbers 1-100 as if you were going to take a test and answer 100 questions. Like this:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
And so on...
Now, next to each number write one word all the way to 100. And in this way, write a 100-word story: beginning, middle and end.
Give it a try. Share your story in the comments section below.

Do You Use Freewriting?

So maybe it's just me. Am I the only one who feels this way?

Let's find out. Here's the deal: I feel a lot of pressure to produce a masterpiece every time I sit down and put pen to paper or place my hands on a keyboard. That's when I freeze.


Like I said above, maybe it's just me. If that's the case, then you don't have to read further.


But I imagine a few of you - the aspiring writers still trying to figure this whole writing thing out - are still reading. Hi, there! Let me introduce you to my friend, Freewriting.


Freewriting is a wonderful friend. He (or she) allows you to write about whatever you want. It doesn't even have to make sense. He won't judge. All that matters is that you showed up to share your words - preferably on a daily basis.


Freewriting will help get the words out without pressure. How's it work?


It goes something like this. you just ramble on. what is ist that's coming into my head? well I'm glad I finished my latest installment of the Mall Demons serial. I think I like Meego as a bad guy. I should flesh him out. He an regenerate like a lizard so it'd be cool to have an arm or leg get clippe d;in  battle and then pop! another limb replaces it in amatte rof seconds. talk about intimidating an opponent. here you are thinking you're winning the fight. chopped of f this guy's legs and before you can celebrate bam! he's on two legs again. tough to beat. of course he's gonna need a weakness. can't be invicncible - not that incinvicplbe...or can he? 


There you have it. That's your friend Freewriting at its most real. You notice there's no worry about grammar, typos, etc. You're just getting the message down as it flows out of your creative brain. Tell the logical side of your brain to zip it for awhile. It doesn't matter if you have a singular subject and a plural noun. Dangling modifier? It's all good.


What your write is for you and your Freewriting friend alone. It doesn't even need to make sense to anyone else. So give it a shot. It's best to do it daily. Try every morning right before you have to get ready for work or school. What I wrote above took less than a couple of minutes. You have a few minutes for your writing. Don't you?
You can type it out on a computer, or use a spiral notebook and scribble away. The object is to just keep going. Write. Write. Write. No pressure to produce a masterpiece. Tell that literary critic, that grammar teacher in your head to shut up.

Think of this time as your workout or practice time. Compare it to a professional basketball player practicing that same free throw shot hour after hour after hour. The basketball player is developing muscle memory by repeatedly practicing the same shot. You as a writer must develop your writing muscle memory, verbal muscle memory, or whatever you want to call it. 

Just do it! Not only will Freewriting free up words within you, it will - through your notes - become an important resource for you.
Do you freewrite? Share your techniques, success stories in the Comments Section.

Learning From Disney's Beauty and the Beast

Beauty and the Beast Movie Poster

I walked in from soccer practice with two of my children. When we walked in, the youngest was in the living room watching Beauty and the Beast. Over the next several minutes as I figured out what I was going to eat for dinner (leftovers), this is what happened in the movie:

• Beast is yelling because Belle doesn't want to eat with him. She has locked herself in the room. He storms off.
• Moments later, she comes out. There's singing, then she goes on a tour and wanders into the forbidden West Wing.
• Beast kicks her out when she finds the magical red rose. Belle flees saying she can't stay there.
• While on horseback, she is attacked by wolves. All looks bleak until Beast comes to the rescue, fighting the wolves away. But, he is injured.
• Belle takes him back to the castle. She tries to patch him up and they have a little war of words. The tone has changed, however, there is chemistry brewing.
• The scene cuts to Gaston making a deal to throw Belle's father into the asylum unless she marries Gaston.
• Then another scene with Belle's father rushing out of the house to look for her. As he leaves Gaston arrives looking for Belle and her father.
• Back to Belle who is on the castle grounds as Beast has the idea to do something special for Belle.
• The next scene has him showing her a surprise, his library.
• We have music showing the development of their feelings for one another.
• And last, a scene with the castle servants mobilizing since there's little more than 12 hours left for the spell to be broken. Remember this is the spell that turned their master into the Beast and them into furniture, etc.

All this happened quickly. One scene after another. As I was watching, I took note: this is how energetic my writing should be - especially if I'm writing genre fiction like fantasy or sci fi. If you have the DVD, check it out yourself. You will also see how fast each scene moves to the next. Each scene moves the plot forward efficiently.


The scenes also focus on the characters feeling and acting on something we can relate to whether anger, sadness, greed or gratitude. And as all this is happening, we are reminded that the clock is ticking. There's something big at stake for everyone and only 12 hours to get it done or else all is lost forever. 


Analyzing just the scenes I pointed out above, you can see each of the characters needs: Beast and the servants need the spell broken; Gaston wants Belle; Belle's father wants to find his daughter; Belle wants to keep her promise. We see their needs, and the obstacles to meeting them. 


I know it's an animated movie musical. But you can learn something from it to apply to your writing. Do your scenes pack the same kind of punch? If not, what's missing?


Have you seen Beauty and the Beast? What else do you think a writer can learn from the movie? Share your comments below.

Do You Have 30 Minutes To Improve Your Writing?

The correct answer is "yes."

I know time is always a problem when you're working a day job, raising a family, trying to stay healthy and trying to write. But 30 minutes is manageable. Don't think you have 30 minutes? Maybe you need to perform an inventory on your time. Do it for a week. Kinda like you'd do if you were monitoring your spending.

You should see patterns in your weekly schedule - some maybe you can manipulate. Do you spend an hour a day commuting by bus or subway? Forget about catching a few extra Zs. Write. Use note cards, a small notepad and pen. Dollar stores have all these supplies now for you to stock up on. Wanna geek out? Use your smartphone to write.

The other day I was furious about something. The writer in me realized I could capture the raw emotion of anger if I jotted down my feelings. No pen. No paper. I was walking. So I pulled out my Blackberry and using the MemoPad I tapped out some strongly-worded emotional dialogue.

It took me 5 minutes. Tops. This is another example of using extra time for writing. I think I was arriving home from work when I pulled out my phone. By the time I unlocked the front door to my house and walked in, I had tapped out the dialogue.

There are precious moments like this hidden throughout your day. Find them and write.

Now do you think you can find the time for your writing?

If so, check out the WritersDigest.com blog post, "25 Ways to Improve Your Writing in 30 Minutes a Day."

Lots of good stuff here from five masters of the craft. I'm personally bookmarking it and referring back to it often.