Poetry

~Poetry~ 

A poem?

It's simple

A trifle, 

But complex

And a mess!

Jokingly, 

Playfully;

Depressing,

Arresting.

It's lovely, 

Yet lonely.

Tickles ears,

Dispels fears.

Beautiful,

Meaningful.

Makes you cry,

Makes you sigh.

A poem. 

    -by Avriel Lowry

Characterization

When the idea for a story comes, I sometimes get in a hurry and jump right in with plot, setting, point of view, names, etc., but it isn't until about the third chapter that I realize I don't know my characters.

"Psh, that's silly, Avriel. How can you not know your characters? You created them!"

Well, I did, but it takes more than just giving a character a name... you really have to KNOW them to know how they will act, talk, respond, and react. This is important. You wouldn't have an old hermit or miser shopping at the mall, or a teen girl sitting in a gym playing tiddlywinks with her friends (well, you could, but it wouldn't be normal). Likewise, a brave, daring hero probably wouldn't shake with fright if a villain arrived in town and a unloving, callused father probably wouldn't cry if his daughter ran away. 

So how do you get to know your characters? You build their characterization. Open a Word document or grab a piece of paper and start making a list. Imagine you suddenly pluck that person up from your setting and place him or her in a chair across from you. Now get to know that character. Interview them, if you will, as though you had them on the Ellen Degeneres or Oprah show. 

Where were they born? 

What kind of home did they grow up in?

How did their parents treat them?

What was their favorite toy?
What is a hidden talent?
What do they enjoy doing?

(You get the idea)

Now create in your mind how your character would respond. By asking them several personal questions, you should be able to figure out a lot about their personality. Do this for each of your characters. 

Later, when you start the editing process, consider the character and see if what they are doing matches their characterization. The character may have some deep seeded fear or may have bitterness from an earlier occurrence, but make sure that you explain it.

Trust me, it will make your story a lot more believable and save you a headache later on if you get to know your characters first thing!
Happy Writing!
Avriel

Writers Block

What is writer's block?
Have you ever sat down looking at a blank screen thinking 'What to write? What to write? Think, think, think!' and nothing comes? There may even be chapters earlier in your story that you can work from, but you would much rather read those, or read something, or do something... anything other than write. It's a common occurrence with writers, so don't give up. In fact, it is probable that I will write several subsequent blogs about writers block, because frankly, it is something that I have to work through often!
So here's what I do when I get stuck when writing:
1. Watch my favorite movie
(Don't ask me why, but movies like Lord of the Rings, Narnia, Pride and Prejudice, or the Phantom of the Opera NEVER cease to inspire me.)
2. Busy myself with other things, always keeping my mind in writing mode
(It's amazing how the world around us can be such great inspiration! If I am going out and about, I'll watch people, and see, smell, and listen to the things around me, all with my writing lens on. If I consider how even the simplest things could be imparted into a story, an idea will come in no time)
3. Talk to someone I trust about my predicament
(I personally have three people that I can go to for different needs. My mom, my sister, and my best friend. It seems all I have to do is sit down and start telling them what is happening in my book and they will suggest something that I can add or someway that I can twist the plot. It's always exciting)
5. Stop procrastinating
(This is really quite important in anything I am doing, and it's one of the hardest things on my list. However, I know that if I'm ever going to write another page in the story I'm blocked in, I just need to stop putting it aside and make myself work on it.)
I hope these ideas help. Again, writer's block is something that you have to get through in your mind. No one else can do it for you. It's a personal, mental decision. So do what you must, then get back to that story!
Happy Writing!
Avriel

#1 Turn It Off

#1 Turn off the radio when you write - C.S. Lewis
I've heard several writers say that listening to music makes them creative, but personally, I work better when I turn off the noise. Obviously, C.S. Lewis did too! He loved quiet rooms to write, and he often took long walks in secluded forests to think. That doesn't mean he never listened to the radio, and in my life, I usually have the music blaring when I'm not writing or doing school. Music is one of my sources of inspiration, but not creativity. So next time you sit down to write (or to do homework), instead of reaching for the headphones or turning on your favorite show or movie, try working in peace for a while and see how it works for you!
I know a lot of us work in noisy environments, but we can beat the noise by going on a walk, or finding a quiet room to write. If you aren't able to get away, turn your radio to a blank station and just listen to white noise. Don't confuse lack of creativity with lack of inspiration when the words won't come. Listen to your music to get inspiration while you do chores or while your working on your hobby, but when you sit down to write, turn everything off!
Happy Writing <3
Avriel

Writing 2 Music

It's the holiday season. What does that mean?  The malls are busy. The roads are busy. People are super busy, including me! When I finally got my finals taken at the end of the semester I was excited that I would actually get time to write. HA! Let's just say that not an 'i' has been dotted nor a 't' crossed since November. I was feeling pretty bummed until a few days ago when I was listening to a hard core instrumental Christmas CD and got an idea. I thought to myself, 'Hmm, what if I wrote a story where each chapter was based on a song from this CD?'

I don't know if this is a real technique or if I just made it up, but either way, it's been pretty fun for me.

Music with Wings

I would encourage you to try it as you are enjoying your festive music this season.
Choose an album that's pretty classical with minimal singing. You could use a movie soundtrack (Hans Zimmer is awesome) or something with no definite story behind it (check out Escala - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pM5g4i7VjDE). But the key is to write your actions according to the rises and falls of the music.

Just play around with some songs and see what you get. Trust me, it's a good way to get your creativity going... now if you'll excuse me, I'm heading to write. 

Your Gateway

Monica leaned against the window and gently pressed her cheek on its icy surface. She stared out into the cold night, watching lonely snow flakes drift to the ground. She imagined for the hundredth time that she would see him running through the snow towards the restaurant. He would see her and smile and at that moment her heart would melt. But there was no one there. The night was silent and still. When the waitress walked by Monica sat up straight. The woman glanced at the empty seat across from her, then smiled half-heartedly and kept walking. Monica pushed her menu away and rested her arms on the crisp white table-cloth. She fought back the tears that shrouded her vision; he wasn't coming. 
The first paragraph of your story is the most important. While reading this paragraph, your readers will decide mentally whether they want to keep reading or not. Your goal is to draw the reader into your world; make them relate to your situation. Explaining background isn't necessary yet, just start and let the reader figure out what's going on. Show, don't tell. Put them into the action.
Consider:
Amy walked into the train station. She was going to take the 2:30 train to Baltimore to see her parents. She was almost late. The line at the ticket desk was long. She looked at her watch. It was 2:25. The next train wouldn't arrive for another three hours. She had told her parents in her letter that she would be on the 2:30 train. She couldn't be late. 
Versus:
Amy shifted on her feet and peered down the long line to the ticket counter. She sighed when she looked at her watch; it was already 2:25. She had only five minutes to get her ticket. Frustrated, she dropped her worn carpet bag on the bench beside her and pulled out her mom's letter. "It was so good to hear from you. We are doing fine. Your father has been busy bringing in the harvest. We weren't able to hire help this year, so it has been hard for him. However, he said that the drive to the station isn't very far and we would love to come pick you up." Amy peered up at the schedule that was scrawled across a chalkboard hanging above the counter. If she missed this train, the next one wouldn't leave for Baltimore for another three hours. She couldn't make them wait on her. Not again. 
Your first paragraph is the gateway to the rest of your chapter. Make your readers want to run through it.

Need. More. Time. To. Write!!!

Do you ever feel as though you have to search for time to write? I have that feeling often. Your dreams of completing a story can seem elusive not only because of day to day things like school and work, but also things that can be time wasters such as Facebook, Twitter, etc. You might get discouraged when two weeks have gone by and you’ve hardly even thought about your story. Maybe a character idea popped into your head, but you were hanging out with your friends, so you didn’t even write it down. Maybe you tried to stay up at night to write, but the next day you felt like you were sleepwalking. I used to think, ‘If great writers are the ones who pump out thousands of words a day and devout their lives to writing, I’m a pretty lame writer.’

However, everyone has lives outside of writing. At times, I wish I could hide away like a monk and write all the time, but honestly, how interesting would my stories be? I’ve learned that inspiration comes from my everyday life. I’ve found that it’s a very good idea to carry a notebook around so that when something inspires an idea for a story, I can write it down. If you do chores around the house, be thinking about plot lines or character sketches (that’s when I get my best ideas for my stories). Often, I will think up a scene in my head then write it down; later when I actually get the time, I already have a rough scene to work around.

Although writing time is important, there are often other necessary things to think about during the day. I can’t even pretend to focus on my story and my homework at the same time. Instead of trying to write during lunch and at breaks like some people do, I like to do my homework during those times, so that evening I have less homework to do and I can write longer before bed (however, you will be able to function a lot better both in writing and in everyday life if you make sure you get sufficient sleep). Write when you can, but make sure you concentrate on the important things at hand.

Time wasters are deleterious (I just learned that word) to your writing. Not only can they steal away the time that you could be writing, but they can also suck your energy and inspiration to write. For me, Facebook is the greatest struggle. In order to bypass the urge to spend fifteen minutes every couple of hours on it, I set a time (say 4 o’clock) that I will get on. Sometimes I’ll look at the clock and decide to get off in twenty minutes, no matter who I’m talking to or what I’m reading. Especially if you do your writing on the computer, it’s very easy to want to jump on the internet, but resist the temptation! TV is another major time waster. Is it really necessary to watch three episodes of Hannah Montana (two of which you’ve already seen) in one night? (Yes, this is a personal issue of mine lol.)  If you aren’t willing to skimp on your favorite shows, write some before you go watch or determine to watch only 30 minutes before you start writing. TV and internet can be good tools and entertainment, but they can also be parasites to your writing time.

Sometimes, if you don’t have a lot of writing time in a day, you can get discouraged and procrastinate when you actually do get the time. I suggest making a list of how many words you want to write each day then aim for that goal. Maybe set a goal to write 1000 to 1500 on Monday and Tuesday but only 500 to 1000 on Wednesday and Thursday. On the weekends you can aim for higher goals like 2000 on Friday and 2500 on Saturday and Sunday. If you reach those goals, fantastic! If you don’t, move on and see what you can get done the next day. As in the rest of life, if you don’t set goals, you probably won’t get to where you want to go.

Write when you can, but don’t get discouraged when life gets in the way. It is perfectly normal to have to struggle for time to write, but don’t let that stop you. Just keep writing!