Apr 24th, 2009 by BK Reeves
Making time to write, as opposed to finding time, has long been a theme of mine, as any of my students can tell you.
If you are really serious about being a writer, (as who of us are not?), you make necessary changes in your life. IMO, the most important change is making sure you are prepared to write when the moment comes. Warning: These suggestions might not work for you. Use what you can. Continue Reading »
Apr 24th, 2009 by BK Reeves
It’s atavistic, I think. Most of us like to cozy up to a fireplace, stare into the flickering flames, dream and drift or think of nothing at all. Others find inspiration in writing by a fire, snug in a blanket, laptop at the ready.
I was raised without central heat. In a bitterly cold house on the Texas/Oklahoma border, the welcome warmth of a hot stove was our greatest comfort. Those stoves were closed cast iron heaters, fueled by chopped wood and vented via a tin chimney with a damper to regulate the heat. Continue Reading »
Apr 24th, 2009 by BK Reeves
Written at the farm December 24, 2005
I spent a most enjoyable hour or two yesterday, curled in one of my lounge chairs here at the farm with a printout of the synopsis of a historical that has bugs in it. The original date of the document was 1993, so I’ve been working on it since then, at intervals of five years or so. I travel with a laptop. The first thing we do is set up a work station for me. We have a neat little printer that lives in a cupboard out here. Continue Reading »
Apr 24th, 2009 by BK Reeves
Have you ever had to do something you just hated? Last year, two days before my seventy-fourth birthday, I voluntarily gave up driving. I was rattling around town and almost got run over. Twice. I came home, walked in the house and canceled my car insurance. I knew I wouldn’t drive that car uninsured. My kids and friends were so proud of me. I was too, but habits you’ve had sixty-four-years are hard to break. Continue Reading »
Apr 24th, 2009 by BK Reeves
(C) 2000 BK REEVES/THE PSYCHOLOGY OF ROMANTIC LOVE
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THE CRUCIBLE OF LOVE
Our concept of love is centered in our minds. Our human sexuality constrains us to love, and this is the crux of the male/female equation: we want to love and be loved by a member of the opposite sex. When we refer to our “hearts” we really mean our entire mind and emotions. Beyond the animal level, there is no sex vs love; only sex and love. And this is the human ideal Continue Reading »
Apr 24th, 2009 by BK Reeves
(C)1999 BK REEVES/FICTION/BEGINNING WRITERS/ADVANCED WRITERS
BEGINNING WRITERS
Beginning writers are welcome in my class whatever the level. One of the joys in my life is discovering a writer who has long wanted to write, who commits and–at last!–produces copy. However, beginning students should be aware of the differences between themselves and advanced student-writers. Continue Reading »
Apr 24th, 2009 by BK Reeves
(C) 2000 BK Reeves/THE POWER OF MYTH/THE CODE OF STORY
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MYTHIC CHARACTERS/MYTHIC JOURNEY
For the Western reader, characters based on mythic models have the ring of psychological truth.
These characters are the internally determined “roles” or archetypes (Carl Jung). They are familiar because from childhood, we have encountered them again and again in ancient myths and fairytales. Most of us are aware of such character roles only on a subconscious level. As writers, we must study these roles and archetypes and be able to use them.
These stock characters, the hero, the mentor, the allies, the herald, the shadow (opponent/nemesis/villain) and attendant threshold guardians, plus the shapeshifter and trickster, satisfy our dramatic and psychological needs whether we are reading a story or telling one. Continue Reading »
Apr 24th, 2009 by BK Reeves
(C) 2001 LEARNING TO WRITE SCENES – BASIC FICTION/BASIC STORY
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SCENES
A story is a continuum of scenes. A continuum? Something that extends continuously. (OAD) A story flows like a river from beginning to resolution but may be structured non-chronologically.
A storyteller around a campfire held his audience captive from his first words: “Once upon a time . . . ” From that moment of capturing his listeners’ imaginations, his words created characters engaged in actions and deeds, sometimes dangerous, but always exciting. The images he induced created scenes in their minds. This was an art. The villagers couldn’t produce these scenes, these stories themselves. Then, as now, storytellers were unique and gifted people.
So, that was how this particular story started. “Once upon a time, a hungry hunter named Olaaf was walking through the jungle.” That was the INTRODUCTION. Continue Reading »
Apr 24th, 2009 by BK Reeves
(C) 2001 BK Reeves/BASIC FICTION
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A DELIBERATE PATH OF NARRATIVE
Remember that narration is one of the four kinds of discourse (which is communication). The other components of discourse are exposition, description and argument.
Exposition “exposes” facts or explains
Description gives your reader images
Argument appeals to the reader’s reason or emotion
Narration is an account–the telling–of all the action or events in a story.
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DECISIONS BY THE THOUSANDS Continue Reading »
(C)2000 BK Reeves/EDITING/A Process
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EDITING
I suggest you write your first draft as if it were the final version of your manuscript. You realize you’ll have to rewrite, but pretend you won’t. Format your pages: double spaced, headers left top, page numbering right top, left justification only. In other words, turn right justification off. (This makes the spacing between words correct.) Whatever format you choose, be consistent. Don’t leave such details until later. In a novel of 100,000 words, such “catch-up” items will weigh you down.
AN INDIVIDUAL PROCESS
Many writers do not proofread their first draft. They turn their internal editor off, preferring to push on to the end. These are the authors who do not write from a complete synopsis. They start with characters, situation, goal, motivation and conflict (GMC), discovering the story as they write. Continue Reading »