Eva Hunter

Archive for the ‘Becoming a Writer’ Category


Writing Exercise: Those bad, bad adjectives!

In Becoming a Writer, Creative Writing on July 20, 2011 at 12:49 pm

Huh? What’s wrong with adjectives? Aren’t they the way we tell the reader exactly what we’re trying to tell them? Aren’t adjectives part of “show, don’t tell?”  Well–maybe yes and maybe no. It depends on the quality of the adjective. Unfortunately, most of us tend to use what I call “wimpy adjectives.”  Here are some examples adapted from a recent writing workshop:

1. She drove down the street past  sparkling, elegant  houses.

2. We could not see behind the brightly-colored walls: they ran from one house to the next down the cobbled road.

3. Her house was  beautiful, cozy, comfortable, and welcoming.

So what’s wrong with those sentences, you ask? Is Professional Writing Coach getting entirely too fussy? The adjectives involved are: elegant, sparkling, beautiful, brightly-colored, cobbled, cozy, comfortable, welcoming. Of all of those, “cobbled” is the closest to being a good, descriptive adjective.

But what about the others? We know what “splendid” means, don’t we? We know what “sparklingl”  is. Or do we? Consider that what you might be thinking of when you write “splendid,” may not be the way your reader defines splendid. I may think a restored California Craftsman style house on a shady older neighborhood street is splendid. You may prefer a Mac Mansion in a newer suburban neighborhood. The same goes for “sparkling.” What does that mean? It was after dark, and the lights were on? It was in Arizona and the sun was bright?

In reality wimpy adjectives tell us nothing. They don’t contribute toward the accomplishment of every writer’s task: to take what is in the mind of the writer, transfer it, through the medium of the page, to the mind of the reader–as directly and accurately as possible.

Now look at the other adjectives in the list. Do they paint the picture we are trying to paint? Or do they leave it to the reader to fill in the colors–perhaps not the colors you had in mind, at all.

Consider this selection from Lawrence Durrell’s Justine, the first book in his Alexandria Quartet: Read the rest of this entry »


Choosing Organization for Your Story

In Becoming a Writer, Creative Nonfiction, Creative Writing, Literary Nonfiction, The Craft of Writing, Writing nonfiction on February 26, 2011 at 3:01 pm

THE CRAFT OF WRITING

part nine–Collage, Function as Form, Spiral

(If you are new to this series please check the archives for previous selections in THE CRAFT OF WRITING)

Today we’re going to discuss the last three organizational structures on the list. We’ve covered straight chronology, revised chronology, flashback, converging narrative, and the trip. This column will cover the final three: collage, function as form, and spiral.

Collage is what it sounds like. It is a way of writing that is organized through a series of observations or facts patched together into a (mostly) creative nonfiction piece. Although it sounds simple, it’s not. In my classes, I encourage only the most skilled of writers to try collage. The pieces of writing must be succinct and have a common thread that runs between each of  them. For a good example of a skilled use of collage, read Caroline Roberts’ piece, “A Simple Mole” in the July, 2010 issue of SOL: English Writing in Mexico. http://solliterarymagazine.com

In Function as Form, the story is organized by the subject itself. In Tracy Kidder’s literary nonfiction book,  “House,” for example, the story is about the experience of the owners, and the building crew, while a house is being constructed. It is organized by things like: pouring the foundation; putting up the walls; the landscaping. So Kidder tells us the story of what the family is doing while the cement foundation is poured–bringing out problems, decisions, misunderstandings that might have happened. Then he switches to what the building crew is doing while the foundation is being poured. Then the same thing with the framing, and so on–until the house is complete.  Obviously, as in all literary nonfiction books, Kidder had to be on-hand during the entire process. A book like “House” isn’t written from after-the-fact interviews. Read the rest of this entry »


Choosing Organization for Your Story

In Becoming a Writer, Creative Nonfiction, Creative Writing, Getting Published, Literary Nonfiction, The Craft of Writing, Uncategorized, Writing a Book, Writing a Novel, Writing Fiction, Writing nonfiction, Writing Short Stories on October 9, 2010 at 12:24 pm

THE CRAFT OF WRITING

part eight–Converging Narrative, section two

(If you are new to this series, please check  the archives for previous selections in THE CRAFT OF WRITING)

In the previous selection in this series, I introduced the idea of Converging Narrative as an organizational form–that is: two (or more) related stories run independently until they converge–or come together as one story–in what is usually the final pages of the composition. In this segment, I’m going to talk about the writing of my short literary nonfiction story, David’s Journey.

My specialty in those days (early to mid-1990s) was short literary nonfiction for magazines and newspapers, so I was always on the lookout for good stories. Just to review, literary nonfiction is defined as “real stories about real people and the dramatic events in their lives, using the techniques of fiction.” This does not mean, however, that literary nonfiction is a hybrid of fiction and nonfiction. That “hybrid” simply does not exist in the formal literary world.

Anyway. I had done a story about an organization in Portland, Oregon, that matched  veteran parents of disabled children with parents of newborn children who were born with disabilities. As part of the story, I interviewed a cranial-facial surgeon. I mentioned to him that I’d like to do an in-surgery story with him–meaning I would follow the progress of a surgery from inside the operating suite. A few weeks later he called  to let me know he would be doing a surgery on a child, now seven years old, with severe facial deformities.

The little boy’s name was David, and he was born to a first generation Mexican family who lived in Springfield, Oregon–which was about a two hour drive south of Portland. In the weeks preceding the surgery, I drove to Springfield several times to interview the family. What I found was Read the rest of this entry »


Choosing Organization for Your Story

In Becoming a Writer, Creative Nonfiction, Creative Writing, Writing Fiction on September 10, 2010 at 11:27 am

THE CRAFT OF WRITING

part seven–Converging Narrative, section one

(If you are new to this series, please check  the archives for previous selections in THE CRAFT OF WRITING)

I think converging narrative is one of the most fun organizations to use. That’s because it can be combined with other organizational devices, or just used alone. Although converging narrative is probably used more now in nonfiction than in fiction, it started as a fiction device.

Converging narrative means that two or move protagonists or sets of protagonists begin their stories at different points of origin, and the story consists of their physical movement toward each other.What makes this an organization, as opposed to a plot device, is that the story ends shortly after the characters meet. In other words, the point of the story is to get the protagonists together.

Here’s an example from my parents’ story. My father was born in Las Angeles; my mother was born in the small village of Santa Clara, Utah. They met when they were both in their early 20s in Boulder City, Nevada. My mother was a waitress in a hotel cafe; my father was a young electrician working at Hoover Dam. If I tell the story by having them both in town for awhile, then someone introduces them and they get married and spend the rest of their lives together, that is NOT a converging narrative organization. That story might use one of many other organizational approaches, but its primary approach is not converging narrative.

Why? Because the STORY in converging narrative is the journey toward the other person. The story is essentially over when they meet. Why, then, would I consider writing my parents’ story in this way? Suppose I wanted to make their story be that of two great waves of immigration to the United States, which on an individual scale culminated in my parents’ marriage: my father’s, the Spanish/Mexican immigration dating Read the rest of this entry »


Try This On For Size!

In Becoming a Writer, Getting Published on August 7, 2010 at 10:12 am

Five Things Editors Hate

PROFESSIONAL WRITING COACH recently e-interviewed ten editors from newspapers, magazines, and book houses to get their “pet peeves.” Does it surprise you that they pretty much said the same things? Here are the five points all ten editors had in common.

1. Inappropriate proposals. Research what they do! If they’ve never done a romance novel, they’re not doing them now. Magazine editors say take a look of at least six issues of their publication within the last year. If you’re thinking of offering them something that is entirely different from what they’ve been doing–don’t! Publications have a focus. If they wanted to cover “catching tadpoles in Southern ponds,” they’d have similar articles in other issues.

2. Books that start off with a long explanatory preface. Just tell the story.  If the story doesn’t tell itself, it is  not well enough written. Prefaces are often added after the book is done. Who reads them, anyway?

3. Stories that start with  (or even contain) well-known quotes or pithy sayings.

4. Stories that wander around, not getting to the point for three or four pages, or ever.

5. Stories that claim to be “hybrids”–both fiction and nonfiction. There ain’t no such dog. It’s one or the other.

Practice for Writing–Be A Spy

This week your assignment is to do something fun–go out for coffee. It should be a place where people linger, rather than just grabb a cup at the window and walk away. Starbucks, perhaps? Order you latte, then find an empty table near a group of two to four people. Your notebook or laptop is your prop–you’re just writing a letter, or checking email, right? Pretending to mind your own business, eavesdrop upon and watch your group. A pair of sunglasses helps hide the direction you’re looking. Read the rest of this entry »


TRY THIS ONE FOR “WRITERS’ BLOCK.”

In Becoming a Writer, Creative Writing, Getting Published, Writing nonfiction on August 7, 2010 at 9:02 am

WRITER’S BLOCK?

Let’s talk about it!

Professional Writing Coach doesn’t  really believe in “writer’s block,” but perhaps that’s because she wrote for magazines and newspapers for so many years, and had to make those deadlines. That’s not to say that she didn’t avoid writing plenty of times–you can read about that in her guest blog for MADAME MAYO, in the archives. But, OK, she concedes that there are times when one just can’t begin the process. And the beginnings are often the issue–breaking through inertia and insecurities and fear. Read the rest of this entry »


SOL: English Writing in Mexico–Take A Look At This New Literary Magazine!

In Becoming a Writer, Creative Writing, Getting Published, Testimonials on July 10, 2010 at 11:15 am

It’s published and subscriptions don’t cost a thing–we want you to be part of  it. The first issue of SOL: English Writing in Mexico is ready for you to read, just by clicking on the link below. You’ll find writing by Tony Cohan, C.M. Mayo, Halvard Johnson, Wim Coleman, Pat Perrin and more. And submissions are now being accepted for the November issue. To find out about that, take a look at the “Sol Writer Guidelines” available on the banner at the top of the page. But for now, dig into some super reading in SOL! http://solliterarymagazine.com/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

THE CRAFT OF WRITING

Writing the Perfect Sentence

Some years ago,  in Portland, Oregon, when I was writing literary nonfiction stories, as well as some feature stories for magazines and newspapers, I covered a week-long writing workshop for The Oregonian. This wasn’t a usual assignment from the publication, but the workshop was being taught by legendary fiction editor Gordon Lish.

The workshop sounded as if it would be easy–all one had to do, the literature said, was come up with one perfect sentence. Now Lish is a demanding editor and he put the ten workshop participants through a lot of stress that week. I’ll admit I satisfied the master with a couple of sentences, but as I was a professional writer, I had a huge advantage over the other participants. Here are my sentences that Lish liked. And, by the way, the assignment was to create first sentences.

“He bought the shotgun shells.”

and

“First there is the land, and the way it acts upon those who live on it.”

I knew what I was doing, and Lish knew I knew what I was doing. So why are these good sentences?

Let’s look again at the first one: “He bought the shotgun shells.” One of the principles of writing at an advanced level is to make one’s sentences sing. We borrow from poetry to do this. Notice, then, that “bought,” and “shot,” have the same “o” sound. Read the sentence aloud and notice how it flows off the tongue. This, along, with the alliteration of s in the sentence: shotgun, shells. (three times) created a rhythm of depth, of interest. And, of course, the sentence is provocative, which all first sentences should be. Who bought the shotgun shells, the reader thinks. And continues reading to find out. Read the rest of this entry »

Come on, ‘fess up. You do it, too!

In Becoming a Writer on July 8, 2010 at 4:54 pm

Hey, take a look at my guest blog on MADAME MAYO

I’m pretty happy my amiga,  C.M. Mayo asked me to do a guest blog for her on that frisky writing blog of hers, “MADAME MAYO.”  C.M. Mayo’s most recent book is the  well-researched historical novel, The Last Prince of the Mexican Empire. It’s a terrific read, and I recommend it, along with her book of short stories, Sky Over El Nido. And, well,  all of her other books, too. Mayo invites her guest bloggers to write lists of 5 things, with corresponding internet links to each item on the list. My list is “Five Ways to Avoid Writing.” Now that’s a funny thing for the Professional Writing Coach to be writing about, isn’t it? While you’re checking it out with the link below, take some time to look at  the rest of MADAME MAYO. It’s Mayo’s delightful take on life and literature.

http://madammayo.blogspot.com/2010/07/guest-blogger-writer-and-writing-coach.html

The Concept Statement: What Are You Trying to Say to the World?

In Becoming a Writer on June 18, 2010 at 1:25 pm

(Did you miss the first post in this series? It’s in the “Becoming A Writer” archives.)

part two of the series

Last week, we introduced the idea of defining what you’re writing through the single-sentence concept statement.  Here’s what I wrote for my literary nonfiction book, The Lord of the Dolls: Voyage in Xochimilco. (St. Michael’s Press, 2007)

“This is a  nonfiction book about an island in the innermost recesses of the Xochimilco canals—the last remnant of the ancient lake that made up pre-Conquest Mexico City—where an old man has, for over 40 years, nailed dolls and doll body-parts to trees, garroted them with wires, impaled them on stakes; and the historic and contemporary implications of those actions.”

That’s a long sentence, but it covered every concept to be introduced in the book, and—as such—kept me on track.   The concept sentence also reminded me that I was writing an  anthropological adventure story.  Exactly why DID this old man torture dolls?

So what about the “who cares?” question?  The conclusion of my book shows that the doll island is related to an ancient cult of sacrifice that has existed since before the Conquest.  This presupposes the interest of travelers, history buffs, Mexico-philes, cultists, studiers of ancient religions…and the fact that we live in a time of re-examination of spiritual beliefs, and their impacts on culture.

Now let’s take a fiction concept.  This concept sentence came out of one of my writing workshops:

“This is a short story about a little girl, who, while playing at the seashore with her sisters, witnesses an interaction between her parents that affects her consequent conceptions of trust and responsibility.”

What’s your concept statement, and how do you answer the “who cares?” question?  It’s good to have both answers prepared—ready to use when you corner that agent or editor at the next writer’s conference.

What?  You say this sort of planning isn’t as much fun as just letting the words “flow?”  Now remind me, how many times have you begun writing that book?

Next week, we’ll talk about building the framework of your story—through organization and the technique of identifying conflict, resolution, and the equal or greater force.


“Professional Writing Coach” on Getting Published

In Becoming a Writer, Getting Published, Writing a Book on April 16, 2010 at 5:08 pm

Ready, Set, Go!

Making It as a Writer.

What does it take to break in to professional writing? That’s the big question isn’t it? When I ask participants in my writing classes and seminars this question, these are their answers: (a) a good idea; (b) an agent; (c) a “contact” in a big publishing house; (d) perseverance. What would your answer be?

Here’s my answer, and it’s the most important  answer as far as I’m concerned: absolutely perfected, professional writing skills. Writing skills. Let me say that again: Writing skills.

 

That’s what this blog is mostly about. I’ll do other things with it–like give you a book recommendation or a reading list. I’ll even have entries from other people about the business, the craft, and the art of writing. But primarily you’ll be hearing from me about the craft of writing. Stick with me, and you’ll learn everything you need to know about becoming a writer. And by that I mean becoming a published writer.I’ll be writing a weekly column about the craft of writing, and if you miss any, you’ll find them in my “ Becoming A Writer” category. The first column starts now, in the left-hand column. And by the way, I’d pick “perseverance” as a second choice.

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Becoming A Writer: The Craft of Writing

In Becoming a Writer on March 13, 2010 at 3:25 pm

part one in the series

I Did It–So Can You!

I’d always wanted to be a writer—even when I was a little kid writing scripts for my puppets to perform for third-grade class.  I loved books, and I loved the feeling of  a pencil in my hand.  In the late 50s—an era when  prolific writer, Evan Hunter, was turning out novel after novel—I’d lurk in the “H” section of my small-town library’s fiction stacks, surreptitiously holding a finger over the final letter of Hunter’s first name.  Hold a finger over the “n”  in ” Evan,” and Voila! A book written by EVA  HUNTER!

Between the ages of 18 and 45, I must have begun writing a dozen novels.  I completed none.  Consistently, my excuse was that I hadn’t  quite found the right plot-device to sustain the story.  So I spent over 20 years assuring myself that someday I’d really write that novel.

I’d probably still be beginning to write books I’d never complete, if I hadn’t discovered what every professional writer knows:  Writing isn’t just letting the words flow from your fingers.  Writing isn’t producing page after page of words, trusting that the story will eventually reveal itself.

Writing is a specific process of craft.

There are formulas, standards, protocols for everything successfully published, and professional writers know and use these formulas.  In the next several weeks, I’m going to acquaint you with these approaches—the “secrets” of professional publication.

So, writing step number one is this:  Define what you want to say to the world, and put it in a sentence to be displayed in your writing area. Easy, right?  Yet 99% of the writers who come into my workshops have failed to clarify, even to themselves, what they are trying to say.  These are the first questions we answer:  What’s the point?  What’s the universal application?  And:  Who cares?

And that’s where we’ll begin next week.