Don't Get Lost In Thought

A lot of the writing I do is without a pen or a keyboard; it's done in my head.  The problem with that is the risk that it never gets out of my head.  I may get distracted by other people or other things I have to do. But sometimes I just nod off while planning these things out.

Though I've never thought of myself as a daydreamer, there are times when it is very easy to get lost in the fantasy worlds we create.  All of a sudden, I find myself far down the path, but have no memory of how I got there.

I don't know that there's anything that can be done about this.  The best advice is to work on willpower or to create some tricks to be able to type those daydreams as they come to you.  Of course, it may become boring, being the stenographer of events instead of a more active participant, but at least this way you'll have something to show for it.

You also leave yourself a little present.  You may not even remember half the things you just daydreamed about.  That's when that written record is pretty handy (when it makes sense).

I'm not saying you shouldn't daydream.  It's a great thing, especially when you want to start understanding or exploring your characters and settings.  Just don't get lost in thought.

Not All Music is Headphone Music

I listen to music with headphones on.  It's usually through my computer or a music player.  Sometimes, though, I will either have music running while I'm doing chores or I'll listen to the radio while I'm driving.  That's when I realize that the music sounds significantly different.

With headphones, I hear everything.  There are a lot of little sounds, effects, tracks in a song that work with the others to make it what it is.  Through speakers, the finer ones disappear.  The other sounds usually drown it out.

Not surprisingly, I prefer listening to music through headphones.  However, I have found that not all music is headphone music.  Sometimes a song will alternate quickly between right side and left side or have one some sounds go only through the right and other sounds only through the left.  Those kinds of things are fine through speakers, but through headphones, they give me a headache.

I have found that writing works in a similar way.  Some set-ups work better than others.  A good, spooky story is amazing at night with all the curtains drawn and a dim light.  A dry, factual book works better in the middle of the day while I'm waiting (like being a passenger or on a lunch break).

It's nothing that you can really help as a writer.  It's up to readers to determine how and in what ways they read your work.  However, much as you may imagine who your readers will be, you could also imagine how they will read it.  With that in mind, write in a way that will work well with the setting your work will be read in.

No Euphemisms

We like our euphemisms.  Whether it be nicknames, slang terms, or descriptions, it seems like people have trouble calling things by their names.

There are times when it's useful.  Sometimes we use shorthand just to express ourselves quickly.  When speed is of the essence and everybody knows the subject at hand, there's nothing wrong with that.

The issue I have is when I see it used because of fear or squeamishness.  When people refer to an ex-girlfriend as "my ex" or "that bitch" (the latter technically being a dysphemism) instead of her name, it means that she holds power over them.  The speaker cannot bear to use her actual name.  To use a literary example, nobody in the world of Harry Potter dared to use Voldemort's name, instead calling him "He who shall not be named".

People who are embarrassed about something will also try to avoid using a direct name.  If you see a small child who wants a cookie, but is afraid of being admonished by her parents for wanting one, she may point to a cookie jar and say "can I have what's in there" instead. And how many ways do people talk about genitals without actually saying penis or vagina?

These are the kinds of euphemisms that frustrate me.  People want to talk about a subject, but do not have the courage to do so.  But rather than mustering up the courage, they try to hide behind softer words.  If you want to talk about a subject, talk about it.  Don't be afraid of it.  And if you are afraid, act like you aren't.  If nothing else, it will make for better writing.

Make Things Balanced

My friends have exposed me to a lot of fun games that I'd never played before.  Games like Small World, Settlers of Catan, and Chrononauts are great ways to spend an evening with good people.  One of the things that I always remark on is how balanced the games are.  There is a combination of random luck and strategy involved in playing, getting an early lead does not allow somebody to breeze through the rest of the game, and no single component overpowers any other part of it.

It occurs to me that this is a good lesson for more than just making board or card games.  This is good advice for writing, too.  What fun is a character who can't die?  How boring is a character who never fails?  How boring is a character who always fails?  It is the not knowing what to expect that makes things exciting.  Giving characters that same kind of balance, not having any one of them be markedly and assuredly better than another, makes for the most interesting stories.

Of course, this is not new advice by any means, just new words.  The classic way to describe boring, predictable, overpowered characters is Mary Sue.  And really, the advice here is all the same advice you see when reading how to avoid making Mary Sues (and why they are a bad thing in the first place).

Still, sometimes new words are all we need to spice up old advice.  How balanced are the people in your works?

You Don't Need School To Learn Examples

I don't regret the fact that I went to college.  I did a ton of growing up, met some wonderful people, and learned a great deal about writing.  However, in terms of sheer learning, school is only so useful.  There are examples all around you.  It's impossible to go a day without seeing words.  Somebody wrote those words.

I learned how much difference one word makes by looking at writing in a restaurant.  I watch commercials and read posters.  People are communicating constantly, now more than ever.  Heck, you're reading this right now (and as of this writing, it is not in a textbook).  Examples are all around you.  What's good?  What's bad?  What is effective in educating?  What is effective in persuading?

What school does offer, though, are tools.  It taught me how to see the examples all around me, how to evaluate them, how to put into words what they do and how they do it, and how to go about internalizing those abilities for my own uses.

School is by no means useless.  I do not want that to be the message.  I simply want to remind people that once you know how to teach yourself, the material can be found everywhere.

Some Candles Are Bigger Than Others

There is a saying that "the candle that burns twice as bright burns half as long."  Well, yeah, that's true.  But if we look at the analogy, we can see that there are more than just those two qualities involved. How big are the candles?  If a candle burns twice as bright, but is also twice as big, then it will burn the same amount of time.

To apply this extended analogy to people, it still holds true.  Sure, everybody burns out eventually, but some people can do more than you and do it for longer. How is that possible?  Well, they must be a bigger candle than you.

Frustrating though it may be, we're not all made equally.  That doesn't mean you shouldn't try if you aren't the absolute best of the best. It just means you do the best you can by giving your all.  Choose the amount of energy you wish to exert and know that you will burn out faster by burning brighter, and that it has nothing to do with how bright or for how long other people burn.

Compelled By The Zeitgeist

I was lunch with a woman.  At one point, she asked if I wanted another drink and I said no.  When she got up to refill her cup, I decided that I did want a refill, too, so I got up and said, "I lied.  I do want another drink."  When she heard this, she corrected me, saying that I changed my mind; I didn't lie.

This sparked a conversation about culture.  Our culture (American) is a truly bizarre one.  We are so well-trained to think that we're perfect that we cannot admit that we would change our minds.  If our initial decision is always right.  We would rather admit to being actively deceptive than admit to being wrong.

This made me realize exactly how much we do lie, and how acceptable it is to us.  And sometimes we lie for no good reason.  We lie because we're scared that we might not fit in.  We lie because it makes us look cool.  We lie because we can.

I say "we" because I am no exception.  I hate lying, but it is a difficult thing to resist.  It feels as though I am compelled by the zeitgeist to lie. Even though it disgusts me to deceive people, our culture says it is better to create this alternate reality where I did normal things than to admit to being different.

It makes me wonder: What are the people of different cultures compelled by the zeitgeist to do?  Are there people who despise alcohol, but have a glass with every meal simply because people can't imagine not doing it?  Are there cultures where physical conflict is the only guaranteed way to settle disputes and people who would love to be pacifists still trade blows because it is easier and safer than any other means?

It seems we always put our characters in our culture or ones very similar to it.  It's understandable, I admit.  You know it very well and the audience instantly understands.  But there are limitless possibilities when it comes to social mores, folkways, and laws.  Start playing the What If game and coming up with some insane cultures.  Then make some characters who don't like that culture, but are still compelled to take part in it.

No matter how different those people will seem to you, they will still be very human.