#preparing to write

some notes for ch13..

from before i STARTED the season 2 arc :0

how i write them (mk & red son) !

“All things are ready, if our mind be so.”

― William Shakespeare, Henry V

The first step in anything is preparation. You wouldn’t go on vacation, or to work, or school without packing at least some of the basic necessities. The same applies to when beginning to sit down and write.

Understandably I know that there are various types of writing styles; planners, “by the seat of your pantsers” and, everyone in between. However, I am not talking about the physical act of writing here. I am talking about preparing and accumulating those vital resources that will allow you to write. This can be a broad range of items; from research papers and literary reports, to inspirational images and music, and even other novels and guides can serve a purpose for allowing you to see how to you want write or better describe what you want in your writing.

Even if you are not preparing for NaNoWriMo (which is the focus of this blog series) I want writers to still be able to use this as a font of knowledge to hopefully inspire and assist them in writing. 

The first block in this series is going to focus on  building and accumulating your resources for effective ways to get ideas down, organizing those ideas, and items, app, or software that help create a more conducive writing life-style. However before I leave off, there are just a few things I recommend to have with you at all times or as often as possible.

Pens & Pencils: Which ever you prefer. I use pens because I can color code ideas as they come to me but, a pencil can be smaller mechanical pencils are reusable. Pens however, don’t require you to sharpen or refill with new graphite. All writing implements can be placed anywhere your frequent (i.e. your car, lockers at work or school, home, desk, kitchen). Seriously you hang out for more then 5 minutes in that area, put a pen or a pencil in there.

Paper: Either in a journal or loose leaf, I use the little cheap flip notebooks. However, I do have a simple 3-ring binder for when I write on random pieces of paper, such as receipt paper at work, so it gives me a place to staple them to and  eventually organize them. Because inspiration doesn’t know what time it is.

Phone or Voice Recorder: Often because I drive I find that much of my inspiration comes at very in opportune moments or sometimes when you don’t have a pen and paper nearby. So I use a voice recorder and speak out my thoughts, which can then be translated to paper or downloaded to your computer. There are also apps on phones for voice recording or ‘Notebooks apps’ which can be used ***Never use your phone, open or access apps in your phone while driving. Its not worth it, I strapped this voice recorder to my dash and press a button and start speaking.

Binder/ Folder: Because chances are as you start to record your ideas, and  they are across multiple different papers you have accumulated, you are going to need a place to store them. I prefer a 3-ring binder because I can simply put paper in and staple my other stuff in or use a hole-punch. Binders are bulky and if you are always on the go, a little $0.50 folder goes a long way even an accordion coupon pouch, like the one’s at the dollar store work really well. It can be used for temporary storage

These few things can really help to start making progress on preparing your self for that next big step, Writing. Because writing is a part of you and your ideas and inspiration don’t simply turn off when you go to work or school (just make sure you focus on those things too). Embrace the inner artist and allow for them an equal opportunity to stand out and be recognized.  Below will be a list of what to expect in the future:

Preparing & Building the Tool kit (We are here)

Organization

Writing exercises

Building a routine

Pitfalls and common mistakes

Self-Care as a writer

 To Slay the ‘Dragon’

“A book is a dream that you hold in your hand” -- Neil Gaiman

Building the Tool Kit (Cont.)

Now that you have places with ample amounts of references, it maybe starting to become clear that a handful of these are indispensable. You may want to amass a collection of your own. This one is going to be a little longer than the other two but, let’s jump right in.

By now have a number of books you may find critical to your research and to your writing. Even though you can use them there is the one issue, you can’t mark them, write notes in them, or tab them. This is the one critical flaw in using books that are on loan. There is value in ownership of your reference material.

However, outright purchase of any reference material is very expensive. The books can range in price, the smallest can cost about 20 USD to as much as 60 USD. This is painful especially if you are on a limited budget, which can be wiped away in 1-2 purchases. There is a fine line between what you should really spend your money on and what would be better to rent/loan. Below I will cover some tips and tricks of what makes a ‘buy & own” or a “save & loan”.

“Buy & Own” vs. “Save & Loan”

Humans can naturally be impulsive and often times we can make rash decisions be it financial, physical, emotional, etc. The same can be said when you are just starting to build that writer’s toolkit. There is a lot of stuff out there, you have found websites, free lectures and workshops, even notes from classes. As I stated above, there are some disadvantages and so we look for solutions. Logically we go to a bookstore and BOOM its like we hit the mother-load. Every subject, every reference, we could possibly want/need and couldn’t find elsewhere. A garden of Eden but that garden is riddled with thorns, called price tags. The questions that now hit you; is it even worth it? Can I afford it? Will I really use it if I buy it? Here is what you need to consider:

Slow down...Don’t buy the first this you spy:  Sometime we see things and we just have to get them. I have done this more often than I care to admit. In this increasingly materialistic and fast-paced society we fall into this trap, ‘IF I DON’T GET IT NOW ITS GONE FOREVER’. This isn’t the case, and it is important to break this mentality. You will want to remember two key things when you looking for references to hold on to.*** NOTE: Remember that pen/pencil and notebook I mentioned you to have? This is where it is about to earn its keep.

1. Do I use more than ~60-75% of the content within this book?

If the answer is no, then it will be more effective to loan this book. If there are sections that are critical to you for use as references you can come up with novel solutions. Using a scanner, or printer you can create a copy of the sections you want. One that you can write on, take notes, on and highlight. Staple it together, hole punch it, and put i in your folder/binder for later use. ***Label these print-outs so that if you need to you can find the book again.

If the answer is yes, be sure you read it/skim it so that  you really know, reading some of the passages my reveal to you if you should even consider getting this book. Never judge a book by its cover. If it covers the kinds of subjects/topic you need effectively (I mean effectively that you will regularly use it). It may be one to bring in as part of the toolkit.

2.  Is this the cheapest I can get this for?

Don’t buy at the first place you go take the time to shop around. There are plenty of places to get this books and you may save a lot of money doing it.

Abebooks

Alibris

Amazon

Amazon Smile (donate to your favorite charity while you shop)

Barnes & Noble

Ebay

Local Bookstore(New & Used)

Thrift/Second-Hand Store

There are many other places I am sure that I am not referencing but, these are just a couple of places that come to mind. All vary in prices, available stock, and quality of stores. Be on the look out for books that go on clearance or sales and discounts. Be sure to write down the ISBN, Title and Author to track down these books later. ISBN is the most important while the Title and Author can be used to track down information and as confirmation. 

What is an ISBN and how to use it.

The International Standard Book Number, or ISBN for 10-13 digit ID unique to each book. This number is used by publishers, booksellers (new and used), as well libraries. If you don’t have a title or author but the ISBN you are almost guaranteed to find this book. It is the like book’s dog-tags. There are two systems in currently, ISBN 10 and 13. The only difference is ISBN 10 was utilized until DEC 2006, and ISBN 13 is used from JAN 2007 to present. As the name implies this is an ‘INTERNATIONAL’ standard which, means that it is a global identifier for the book. Additionally ISBNs are placed on other forms of media including e-Books! The ISBN #  is located on the back of the book above/below the bar-code or within the book on the same page as you will find the publishing data.

Need proof? Search this ISBN in a search engine and tell me what you get. I will personally respond telling you if you got it right.

                                       ISBN (10): 1-58297-312-1

 ***NOTE: This is a book a recommend getting your hands on.

Digital (E-books) v. Analog (Physical Copies)

This is the last section of this Entry. Here we will go over the advantages and disadvantages of two formats of books, E-books or physical copies.

Price: One of the greatest disadvantages to new physical copies of literature or any other media is the cost. Physical editions can some times cost x2-x5 more that the E-book copy. You get more bang for your buck with E-books which won’t come to you with damages, or missing pages if you are trying to thrifty and buy used. You could get 3-10 e-books vs  one or two high-end physical copies. The only disadvantage to E-books is that you will need at least a computer which can reads e-books, or a ‘reader’ (i.e. Nook or Kindle, etc.). This can be a steep cost. My personal Kindle cost me about 600 USD for 64GB and, thankfully it was a gift for school. You will also need to invest in accessories, such as charging cables, power blocks (for on the go), cases and screen-protectors (A MUST WITH THIS KIND OF EXPENSE).

Accessibility: Both tend to be fairly accessible, you can carry a book anywhere with you, at any time of day. The same can be an e-book reader but, an ‘reader’ can carry more than one book without getting heavier. However, a physical copy doesn’t require you to have access to a cloud where a ‘reader’ may require it to function for getting books from your library. Also, battery life. You have a limited amount of time to use a ‘reader’ compared to a book. So long as you have a light source you can read physical book. This isn’t the case with a ‘reader’, and if you forget to charge it then you are out of luck till you can.

Utility: With both, you can highlight and bookmark pages but, you may not be able to write physical notes, simplifying or explaining passages within e-book readers. This is where a physical book shines. If you are not adverse to adding notes to the pages of books you purchased (understandably some are reluctant to do so...I sometimes am as well), it can make it easier than having to re-read entire passages every time you need to look it up.

Storage: Books are lovely to have but, they take up space and you need shelves, lots of shelves. Additionally books are stupid heavy and if you need to move. It is a pain to haul a box of books, especially if you filled on large box in an attempt to save boxes and money (I have done this before). You also need sturdy shelves and they need to be safe from water. While a ‘reader’ also needs to be kept safe from water, storage will not be as imperative. With a large enough Micro SD, USB, or Hard drive you can have tens of books without needing invest in additional storage space or the hardware that comes with it. An entire library could be at your finger tips.

Building the Toolkit

We are now at the final part of the first section of the Writer’s Gauntlet. As promised I was complied all of the books which I used as reference material when I am writing. These are accessible through the link below:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1dl-CMw78gtA3rL3xn7OpUlW3Z85DosA1/view?usp=sharing 

Mind you that this list is tailored to my genre of writing, which is fantasy.There are a number of books however, that I do recommend people utilized but, any of these books can also be used at your discretion. Additionally you may notice a common theme, most of these books are found or collected from thrift stores (Savers, Salvation Army, Goodwill, etc., your pick) with only one of them coming from a major bookstore chain. Regardless, I have not spent more than $5 USD for each of these books, most of which would cost me well over $11-30 USD if purchased new.

Music expresses that which cannot be put into words and that which cannot remain silent.-- Victor Hugo

Building the Tool Kit (Cont.)

There is magic in the power of expression and especially in music. We us it to inspire us, motivate us, it can make us laugh, cry and feel an untold number of emotions simultaneously. Music and sound is powerful allowing us to focus our minds and our bodies, perhaps to be more productive. That is the goal of this post to create a listing of potential sources of both music and sound.

 “Picking your Perfect Playlist“

Your choice of music when writing may vary dependent upon a number of factors: they settings which you are writing, genre preference, and what may be most readily available to you. However, there are some recommendations that I have when selecting your music. Some of these recommendations are relatively universal but, others are personal preference or opinion.

 Non-lyrical Music: As wonderful as lyrical music can be for getting us into the mood it can become quiet distracting at other times. I personally find this the best option when selecting music in general. Picking music from movie or game soundtracks can help you if you are developing playlists or lists with specified themes. Additionally, most scores from games and moves are non-lyrical and genres can paint a pretty clear picture of the music’s context.

 Rhythm-centric music: This is a little tricky. There is a fine line between music that gets you ‘moving & grooving’ and music that while it doesn’t get you up to ‘‘get down’’ it keeps you awake and motivates you keeping a steady, noticeable pace. There are many forms of music out there like this so it is important to find music with a strong beat that you can identify and music that wont have you “dancing like Uma Therman”(the extent of my musical puns). Our bodies can identify pace and tempo. A set of music with a moderate pace/tempo can be helpful in maintaining momentum. That being said faster paced music can help you write more intense scenes while, as slower tempo could help you with those quieter more intimate moments a reader may have with/during your writing.

Thematic Music/White Noise: This can be very helpful and where sound tracks for films/movies, tv series, and video games can be useful as I said above. Music that creates a setting in which you are “there” while you write. If you are writing epic fantasy you may want to select music based off of this preference (i.e. Traditional ballads, medieval reels, soundtracks that invoke that sense of time.) These can be as simple or as complex as you would like. You can also utilize white noise in addition to music. There are many simplistic background noise makers both online and devices you can make a more immersive writing experience (rain, woodlands, even coffee shop).

You can select music (or use white noise) that is each of these or just a combination of themes. Music can be available both for free (depending) and for purchase from various media sources (iTunes, Google Play, Amazon, Various media stores, etc). Below I will post a list of both soundtracks, artists, and white-noise/background that I use. Maybe some of these will help you, inspire you, and give you inspiration.

 Rainymood.com

Mynoise.net

Adrian Von Ziegler (a personal favorite)

Two Steps From Hell (another favorite)

Karliene (this is lyrical but it, a decent exception)

Pandora.com

Two steps From Hell Station (gives you most soundtracks and non-lyrical music)

Peeler and the Goat Station (Old traditional ballads)

Swing Radio Station (Big time band music)

Spooky Radio (ambiance music)

Spotify.com

Horror Soundtracks

Dead By Daylight

Anything to do with the Apprehension Engine (I’ll give you the link to this)

Scary Sounds CD’s (like the ones you would see during Halloween)

Video Game soundtracks

Darksiders

Warframe

***Lots more just two of my favorite

 Movie Soundtracks

Lord of the Rings

How to Train Your Dragon

  ***Lots more just two that come to mind

***Its been a while because I have to remember most of these since iTunes locked me out of my account…. :/

You may find that over time you want to purchase some of this music so that you can have it offline. Personally by all means do so and support artists you appreciate. Also keep an eye out at thrift stores, sometimes you find real gems for music which you can rip and put onto your phone or media player.

All Fired Up for NaNoWri: How I’m getting ready

NaNoWri or National Novel Writing Month starts on Tuesday. This will be my third year participating. I don’t know why, but somehow tracking words and trying to attain the 50,000 word challenge in 30 days just gets my blood flowing and the creative juices oozing.  So I am getting set for the race to the finish.

NOTE: If you don’t know what NaNoWriMo stands for, here’s a brief overview. NaNoWriMo…

Writing Process – A dedicated space of her own #writingtip @storymedic

Writing Process – A dedicated space of her own

A reply to James and his process – he goes about it completely differently

When I cranked out my first story it was done on a white plastic table smooshed into the corner of reclaimed attic space. It is West’s man cave and he wanted me to take up residence there because he knew we would see little of each other if I set up shop in another room.

He…

Now I'm getting people telling me, firstly, to not delete the Facebook that I DON'T EVEN DO ANYTHING ON, and secondly, that I CAN'T delete my account, anyway...???

If that's true, fuck you, Facebook. I hate that I was ever browbeaten into signing up for you. XD