Creative Writing Lessons Learned, 5/21

I’ve been learning a lot since I’ve been hooked up with an accountability partner (hi Katrina!) and not only THAT, but I’ve been CREATING a lot, which is astounding to me.

Lessons I learned this last week:

1.  Outlines take many forms.  In reading some old notes, I decided to try an out outline for my novel.  I had taken a stab before a long time ago and failed miserably.  The directions in the writing class were that they were NOT to be extensive and that was my problem.  I googled about and learned about netlining or mind-mapping (Google or Wiki it for yourself).   It’s decidely NON-linear, which put my schoolish butt ill at ease, but funny thing, after just “doing it”, my split personality kicked in, and the funky ginabad part of my brain took over.  My bookworm side screwed up its face at the messiness, but I read it all through.

Then, I pulled out a sheet of paper and literally ZIPPED through my novel’s outline, which came EXACTLY to my projected 3 page, double spaced requirement on my task list.  Better than that, it helped me make some critical decisions, such as the groundwork for the civil war in my story is the coup the book begins with, rather than there is already one going on.  The king is warring with neighboring regions, while tensions are growing at home.  This way it makes more sense when he gets assassinated.  (That’s no reveal, it’s in the first page of the book.)

2. Sitting in the passenger seat on long trips with no “aids” (ipod, notebook, book) really DOES allow you to create.  I started a nice little vampire story (not something I’ll really write, just for my own pleasure…I do this from time to time), and finished a concept in my head for an awesome short story.  Kicker ending too, now I just have to write it.  Must earn some gas money and plan long trips with Chris driving

3. Writing generates writing.  I had a task list, and I was working on one task (do one assignment from old class, which was “just start writing”) and - without even realizing - finished another (start writing that short story).  Cool.  Since I finished the concept on the trip, I now have some nice beginning bones to work with, and a promising plot that I can send to contests or lit mags.  Wow.

4.  Having an accountability partner works.  Really!  See Above!!  cool beans…