One of my favourite paintings is David with the Head of Goliath by Caravaggio. The picture to the left does not do the painting justice. In person, it is incredible. But paintings like this can teach us a lot as writers as they are a moment in time after a lifetime of backstory. And a moment in time is exactly where we find our protagonist.
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Taking the cliché out of Pavlov
The writer’s competitor is no longer other writers. It is social media. The poorly written opinions on Reddit can hook a reader quicker than the first five sentences of your carefully written literary fiction.
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Changing things up when you’re stuck
It has been years since I even thought about writing a short story. Which is probably why it felt like a lightbulb moment when a writer friend suggested I start.
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When truth is too strange for fiction
Mark Twain’s words “the truth is stranger than fiction” have become a cliché because they are accurate. As fiction writers, we get to experience this in real time: the first reader or editor comments, “that just wasn’t believable”; yet you had stolen it from a real life experience. This played out for me when I read a recent interview.
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Making the unlikeable acceptable
I remember a tutor, a long time ago, used the example of Jack Nicholson in As Good as it Gets to prove his point that a protagonist does not have to be likeable. It’s a good example because if I ran into Melvin Udall in my daily life, I would change course immediately. Despite his excellent points, to date all of my protagonists are likeable, or at the very least, sympathetic.
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Fool-proofing your writing goals
The start of a new year is a natural time to reflect on the past 12 months and set goals and priorities for the year ahead. We all start with good intentions, often involving gym memberships, diets and projects to complete. But as the year progresses, even the most realistic goals can run up against, well, life. How can you make sure you meet your writing goals this year?
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The ball and chain of perfection
I used to be a perfectionist. I was voted the class perfectionist in 8th grade. Yep, I was a notorious perfectionist. Perfectionism is a good thing, sometimes. But a hell of a thing most of the time.
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Finding your voice
The first time I heard about a writer’s voice I was a teenager, sitting at an awards ceremony. It was getting late and people were a bit fidgety. We were onto the poetry awards. The third place had been presented — he was grateful to the sponsors and his family. The audience was expecting a similarly short and sweet acceptance from the second placer. Nope. She started waxing lyrical about how she had finally found her voice. I think she was on her back porch feeding the birds at the time. She was very passionate about it, and the description was extremely long winded. I started looking at my watch, hoping for it to end. Now, I wish I had listened and taken notes. She was generously sharing what can make or break your sense of self as a writer: the writer’s voice.
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Doing dumb stuff
Have you ever been told “you’re your own worst enemy”? Or “you make things so hard for yourself”? These phrases hold negative connotations. And normally in our own lives we try to avoid situations where we could be accused like this! Not so, your protagonist.
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Dead ends and beliefs
Ever written yourself into a dead end? I do it on a regular basis. It usually goes like this: my plan is in place; the plot looks vaguely comprehensible; the script or book is on its way. Then things take an unexpected turn. I follow the turn, then the next. But then it happens: I reach a place where there is no realistic way things can work out well. Worse: I have no idea where I am or how much I have to rewrite!
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