Writing In Public

 

Writing doesn’t have to be a solitary thing.

Most people think of writing as a solitary occupation, with romantic visions of a starving writer holed up in an ivory tower away from the world creating reams of prose and poetry. There are times when we writers do need to be alone with the written word. But that is not always the case.  Sometimes writing and be a very social event.

I write in public. Writing in public is not something non-writers would consider helpful to the writing process. To be honest, I’m not as fast putting word-to-paper in public as I am in my little room at home, but it does garner some interesting conversations.

Why do I write in public? The reasons are many but here’s a few:

It’s a NaNoWriMo thing.

November is National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), and participants will gather at coffee shops, libraries, and schools to write together for a “Write-In.” The goal is to complete a 50,000 word first draft of a novel in 30 days. Can it be done? Yes, it can. I’ve done it now nine times. Now some of those first drafts may never see the light of day, but I did write them. At a write-in, everyone is working on their own masterpiece in a public space. The gathering may vary from two to twenty people, each typing or hand writing their stories. Not talking to each other, just writing. Then every once in a while there will be a question; for example, in one story I had a character named with the very British name of St. John (pronounced Sinjin) and the question was how do I tell my readers how to correctly pronounce this name? One gentleman in the group suggested that I have someone mispronounce it so the character could then correct him. Problem solved. Back to work! Then there will be the challenges – someone, usually the Municipal Liaison (ML), will yell Word War! And everyone will write frantically for the next ten, fifteen, thirty minutes. The person with the most words during that time wins.

I am the ML for my region, so it’s my job to schedule these write-ins. Plan the challenges – sometimes it’s use this weird obscure word in the next scene or your main character’s house just burned down, now what?  I also provide the prizes, usually small trinkets. I show up early and save the table. No one has any problem finding me, I’m the person in the Viking helmet. When someone comments on my headgear and asks why am I wearing it while I’m typing, it gives me a chance to explain NaNoWriMo and invite them to join in the fun.

As I write this blog, I’m at a write-in, but we’re calling it a “campfire” because July is Camp NaNoWriMo. Earlier while setting up and chatting with the barista, Cory joined in the conversation. He’s a NaNo from Northern California, who just moved into the area. So we pulled up a chair for him, and he joined in the writing, working on his own story.

It’s a change of scenery thing.

Sometimes I get bored looking at the same four walls in my writing room. So I pick up my tablet and move outdoors. This being in a new location can be a distraction, and I may get less writing done, but I find inspiration in watching people and listening to the birds.

Some of my outside writing is being in the location of the scene I’m currently writing. For example, for a short story I’m currently working on, it takes place in small mountain town not far from where I live. I spent some time visiting that town. I sat at the local coffee shop, sipped coffee, and wrote the scene that takes place booth next to where I was sitting.

Sometimes I see things that give me ideas for stories. Sometimes I talk to those around me, mostly they’re curious to see someone typing in the park or on the beach. Now I’ve learned what the speech pattern of someone living in that community sounds like and can try to imitate it in print.

It’s things at home are too crazy thing.

Let’s face it working at home isn’t always easy. And even though I have a writing space, things still intrude. The dogs need attention. My husband is watching his beloved Giants trounce the Dodgers and being loud enough the team can hear his support all the way to San Francisco. The phone won’t stop ringing with unimportant calls.

Sometimes my writing room isn’t the fortress of solitude I need it to be. So off to the coffee house or the library I go. I find an unoccupied corner, settle in, and write.

Yes, sometimes I’m interrupted, but I don’t mind. It gives me a chance to talk about writing. To explain why I have pictures of cowboys and Victorian princesses on my notebook – my current novel in progress. To talk about NaNoWriMo and invite them to sign up. To encourage them to check out my friend’s newly published book.

Yes, I write in public. It inspires me. It lets me be social. I can share writing with others.

Until next time, remember the door is always open, and the kettle is always on.

Two Ways Dogs Can Make You A Better Writer

 

Yes, dogs can improve your writing. Actually adding any animal to a story can improve it significantly, but I am a dog parent, I live with two dogs, so I’m going to use dogs.

Argos and Rowdy Girl, my fur-babies.

We’ve all noticed there are people to whom dogs are naturally attracted or just the opposite, they avoid them as if they were the dog-catcher. Dogs are good judges of character. We can also judge a person’s character by how they treat dogs.

This is the first way adding a dog into your story can improve it. We want to let our readers know if this is a “good guy” or a “bad guy,” right? Having them interact with a dog is a way of showing, rather than telling, that the person is gentle or harsh. For example, your main protagonist is eating a hot dog, in walks stay dog (or his girlfriend’s dog), and he ignores the big brown eyes. In fact, he turns his back on the animal. What do we know now? He’s not such a softy after all. Or what if your main antagonist can’t resist taking home every stray dog she finds? Maybe there are some redeeming qualities there after all. What if a character is growled at every time the dog is present? That might be someone who is not trustworthy.

In the above example, the dog is primarily a prop, no different than a gun or umbrella. But a second way to include an animal is as a full-fledged character. There are lots of examples of this. Lassie and Big Red, of course, comes to mind. As does, Buck in Call of the Wild. These are main characters, but they can also be supporting characters. Think of Fang in the Harry Potter and the Sorcerer Stone, Nana in Peter Pan, and Pilot in Jane Eyre. These dogs are not primary characters, but without them, the story would be diminished.

Here are some examples from The Princess of Sweetwater using the dog to tell the reader something:

After dinner, Victoria sat on a stool in front of the big fireplace reading one of the textbooks, while Ox rested his massive head on her lap.

“I have never seen that dog take to someone the way he’s taken to you.” Hiram stretched out in his chair. “Did you have dogs at home?”

“Not as pets. My father keeps deerhounds and wolfhounds, but they’re hunting dogs.”

“Maybe he misses a woman’s attention. Marta spoiled him, and Maria won’t have anything to do with him.”

“You’re always welcome to join me by the fire, big boy.” She buried her face in his thick fur.

Ox is the ranch dog, and he likes Victoria, maybe he’s telling Hiram, she should stick around

And here’s Ox again:

At five o’clock, the boys washed up for supper. They ate in silence. Victoria saw a mix of worry and fatigue in the older boy’s eyes.

As Maria began to clear the table, a dog’s bark mixed with the clinking of the dishes.

“That’s Ox,” said Harvey, shoving away from the table.

He ran to let the dog in, the wind rushed through the open door blew out most of the lamps.

Ox continued to bark and ran back to the barn. Halfway there he stopped and looked back.

“I guess he wants us to follow him,” said Harvey running after the dog.

Victoria and the other boys followed.

On the barn floor, they found Hiram wet, muddy and bloody.

What happened to Hiram? You’re going to have to wait until the book release in March 2017.

Ox, an English Mastiff, 150 lbs of slobbering love.

And here’s a cute little beagle named Dudley:

Kate came out of the kitchen when she heard voices in the inn’s main room. The dog bounded after her.  She found two men in suits going through the cabinets and drawers. “Can I help you, gentlemen?”

“We’re from the Pinkerton Agency,” said one of the men. Both pulled out their badges.

Dudley growled at the men. They took a step back.

Maybe Kate shouldn’t trust those Pinkerton agents.

Dudley,  a Beagle pup

And here’s a bonus on how dogs can make you a better writer – owning a dog will get up and moving. You can’t sit at your desk and stare at the computer screen all day. You need a break. Take the dog for a walk, go play in the yard, or visit the pet supply store. While you’re taking that much need break, your brain will still be churning, and when you come back, there will be fresh ideas waiting for you.

Until next time, remember the door is always open, and the kettle is always on.

Running Away, Sort Of

I ran away this week, sort of.

Sometimes you just have to move, get out of your space, and explore.

I’m working on a short story that takes place in the mountains. I enjoy doing the research for my stories, but there is only so much you can do can on the internet. So I ran away to then mountains.

The San Bernardino mountains are visible from my neighborhood. I’d say from my front porch, but there are too many trees and buildings in the way. To see them I have to walk to the corner and look southwest, and there they are in all their glory.

I though it’s a beautiful day, and maybe I should just trot on up the hill and see the lay of the land for myself.

Paradise Mountain Coffee

My first stop was a Paradise Mountain Coffee in Crestline. I met my friend and co-municipal liaison for National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), Lyn. She lives in the area, and we seldom spend face-to-face time together. So over our cups of coffee, we chatted about NaNoWriMo, Camp NaNoWriMo, religion, politics, and life in general. What I thought would be an hour visit ended up being nearly three. It’s amazing how time flies by when you’re having a good conversation.

My second stop was the San Bernardino County Library, Crestline Branch. Now you’re thinking, isn’t there a closer library to my home, right? I needed to stop because I wanted to see how the library was set up and its proximity to Lake Gregory. My main character needs to go to the library to research something and his internet connection in his cabin is non-existent, so off to the nearest library, he treks.

My next stop was Running Springs, the central location of my story. After several wrong turns, I found the small mountain village, nestled between Lake Arrowhead and Big Bear. It’s where the CA 18 and CA 330 meet, so most travelers will fly by it and never notice the quaint little town.

Originally a sawmill called Hunsaker Flat, when the lumber companies moved out in 1896, development moved in. The area was advertised a country club, resort, mountain playground. It became Running Springs Park in 1925.

The small community of about five thousand people is worth your time. There are several antique shops and art galleries. They have a coffee shop and a pizza parlor. The folks are friendly, too. When I started asking questions about where this or that might be located, or how long does it take them to drive to San Bernardino or Crestline, they were more than happy to be helping get my story accurate.

Grocery and Real Estate Offcie

Antique/Arts Mall

Coffee Shop

So are you curious about the story? Here’s a little taste:

In 1927, Rachel Doolittle was found dead in her Running Springs home of apparent carbon monoxide poisoning.  The coroner reports that the accompanying head injury was due to a fall when she was overcome by the poisonous gas from a faulty furnace.

It’s 2017, and true crime writer Eric Cartwright is facing a deadline. He retreats to the mountains above San Bernardino to complete his current project. He is told by the realtor that the house is haunted, but he laughs it off. After a series of strange occurrences, he sees her in the mirror, standing behind him, while he shaves.

What would you do if a beautiful ghost asks you to solve a ninety-year-old murder?

Until next time, the door is always open, and the kettle is always on.