Creative Writing Blog

Character Profiles

A somewhat debated topic amongst writers, character profiles have both their pros and their cons. Some writers choose to create character profiles or brief biographies about their character to help them learn more about the character themself. In a character profile, the idea is to write as much about the character as you can, even things you may not use in the actual writing. Your intent is to create a personality for the character.

Some writers find this technique very helpful; other writers find that this restricts the character too much. The second type of writer prefers to create the character as they write, shaping them to the story as opposed to shaping (the events) of the story around the character.

If you choose to do a character profile, include the following:

• Age
• Occupation and Income
• Appearance (be detailed!)
• Education and Intelligence
• Relationships
• Interests
• Dislikes
• Information about their past
• Characteristics and habits
• Ambitions
• Fears

Try to make the biography as detailed as you possibly can. Some people find that it’s helpful to create a character based off of someone they actually know.

Keep in mind that this technique is used by some writers, but other writers resent it. My best advice would be to find out if it works for you; if so, use it. If not, then find something else that works. For me personally, I never had any success with creating character profiles. However, I do know several people who have; for that reason, I’ve chosen to write about it briefly.

Americans Are Reading Less

As a follow-up to an 2004 NEA survey, a study, titled “To Read or Not to Read” will be released today. The previous survey found that the number of adult Americans who read at least one book a year was decreasing. According to the study, more than 72% of high school graduates are deemed literary deficient. Additional survey findings include:

• In 2002, only 52 percent of Americans ages 18 to 24, the college years, read a book voluntarily, down from 59 percent in 1992.

• Money spent on books, adjusted for inflation, dropped 14 percent from 1985 to 2005 and has fallen dramatically since the mid-1990s.

• The number of adults with bachelor’s degrees and “proficient in reading prose” dropped from 40 percent in 1992 to 31 percent in 2003.

“This should explode the notion that reading is somehow a passive activity,” Gioia said. “Reading creates people who are more active by any measure. … People who don’t read, who spend more of their time watching TV or on the Internet, playing video games, seem to be significantly more passive.”

“‘To Read or Not to Read’ suggests we are losing the majority of the new generation,” Gioia said. “The majority of young Americans will not realize their individual, economic or social potential.”

Original Article.

Amazon Kindle: Revolutionary EBook Reader? I Think Not.

Amazon recently unveiled it’s new “Wireless Reading Device,” the Amazon Kindle. The product is wireless and allows you to access Amazon’s ebook store wirelessly. It also allows you to purchase books from there store, which holds more than 88,000. Unfortunately, the product can only hold about 200 titles.

Firstly, the reason I don’t think this product will be successfully - or any similar future product, for that matter - is because of the nature of it. I just don’t see typical readers buying a product to read their books on. There is something unique about reading a book, holding it and turning the pages. Carring a screen around won’t change that. Secondly, it’s monstrously overpriced. The asking price for this product is $400. I can’t see anyone other than the rich or the foolish purchasing this product.

The second issue I have with this product is simply the look. The design is horrible; it looks like a low-end product from the 90s. The awkward keypad and bulky, uncreative design put a damper on a good concept. I’m sure amazon will keep trying, but for now I think this product is anything but revolutionary (as Amazon claims it is).

The Key to Sucessful Writing: Perseverance

They key to writing successfully is simple: be persistent. Perseverance goes a long way. You can be an excellent writer, but if you’re not motivated, you’ll never be successful. As a writer, you need to find what works best for you to get thing out of your head and onto the page. I previously suggested that you set aside a piece of time everyday for writing. Find what works for you, and then write.

Skills and creative ideas are often very helpful to writing an excellent novel, but they’re not as vital as perseverance. If you don’t persevere, you can have all the creativity in the world, but you’ll never finish. Believe me, no matter how hard you try, you’ll never sell 3/5ths of a novel.

Take a look at many of the novel’s that are published today. Many of them are okay writing, but there’s nothing unique about them. Apparently, for some publishers, that’s okay. The author finished writing the novel, which is the first and most important step.

I simply want to stress how important being motivated truly is. Not all perseverant writers are successful, but all successful writers are perseverant.

WGA Writer’s Strike 101

As many of you know, many of the television writers have been striking for the past week or two. Immediately following the strike, late night television started airing reruns, soon followed by soap operas. Soon primetime TV - and your favorite show - might follow. Most television shows have about three episodes left that have already been filmed; after those three you might be stuck watching reruns indefinitely. Let’s assume that the majority of primetime television will stop airing new episodes halfway through January. until then, the strike will have little effect; however, after that it could be disastrous.

All the major networks, including ABC, NBC, CBS, CW and Fox are all suspected to be planning several new reality TV shows to supplement the shows that are under the WGA contract. Because reality TV shows aren’t under the contract, if the strike doesn’t end soon, it’s likely we’ll see a surge in reality TV shows in the near future. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing for some shows; for example, ABC’s Lost and Fox’s 24 each have several unaired episodes that weren’t intended to start until January or February anyway. For shows such as these, it’s likely they’ll see an increase in ratings if the strike persists.

The Writer’s Guild of America are striking because they want to have a portion of DVD and online revenue. Currently they do not receive royalties from these mediums. Typically, this wouldn’t be such a huge issue, except it’s very possible that the Actor’s and Director’s Guilds might also strike next summer if the Writer’s Guild is successfully in getting a portion of these new revenue streams.

Chuck Palahniuk’s “Snuff” Available for Preorder on Amazon

“Six hundred dudes. One porn queen. A world record for the ages. A must-have movie for every discerning collector of things erotic.”

Cassie Wright, porn priestess, intends to cap her legendary career by breaking the world record for serial fornication. On camera. With six hundred men. SNUFF unfolds from the perspectives of Mr. 72, Mr. 137, and Mr. 600, who await their turn on camera in a very crowded green room. This wild, lethally funny, and thoroughly researched novel brings the huge yet underacknowledged presence of pornography in contemporary life into the realm of literary fiction at last. Who else but Chuck Palahniuk would dare do such a thing? Who else could do it so well, so unflinchingly, and with such an incendiary (you might say) climax? - Random House.

Well, I can’t say I’m surprised. Chuck Palahniuk has been hailed as an author who’s not afraid to write about the vile, the graphic, or the offensive. I applaud him for that; however, I’m a bit skeptical about how good such a piece of writing would actually be. I suppose I’ll have to find out. Basically in this book 100 guys have sex with a porn star - and we get to read from the perspective of three of these men.

This book is set for a May 20th release date.

You can view more information and preorder the book on the Product Page.

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Good Grammar is Essential

Good spelling, punctuation and grammar are essential to writing a quality piece of writing, regardless of the type. I would much rather read a horribly boring essay that is near-perfect in grammar then a uniquely interesting novel that’s loaded with errors.

Errors are okay in only a select amount of circumstances, namely when it’s intentional. However, one would argue that if an error is intentional, it’s no longer and error. Errors are also acceptable if you’re intend to go back and correct them after proofreading later, so long as the writing piece is accessibly by your eyes exclusively.

Errors of all kinds can ruin otherwise good writing. If your writing is going to be on display, be it published, self-published, or for critique or review, it’s your responsibility to make it error free. Proofread everything twice if you can.

(Spelling, punctuation and grammar are the essential foundations to creating a quality piece of writing of any kind. If you have any questions about SPAG (Spelling, Punctuation, and Grammar) then you can find help in this forum.

To Many Ideas, Not Enough Time

A problem I often face myself is being unable to find time to write. Some days I’ll write several thousand words, other days I’ll struggle to write any at all. Sometimes I’ll have a breakthrough, other times I’ll be unable to write for a week. Unforunately, oftentimes it turns out to be the latter.

I don’t mean to be harsh with this post, but the only reason you might not be able to find time to write is because you’re not motivated. Don’t worry, I have the same problem, and now I realize why; I’ve not been motivated enough. Good writing does take time, and if you don’t have time, you have to make time. Make time to write. If you’re a student, write during classes if you can. If you usually spend time watching Seinfeld or a favorite TV show, turn it off and write instead. Oftentimes we don’t want to give up something to make time for something we claim we love. If we really love writing, we’ll find time to write. If we can’t find time, we’ll make time, or we really don’t love the craft.

I suggest you make it part of your daily schedule. You should make a habit of writing. Don’t make excuses either. I suggest doing it in the morning or evening. Wake up early and write for half an hour in the morning, every morning. Alternatively, you could do it in the evening. Stay up an hour later or skip watching television and write, and do it daily.

If you want to be a successful writer, make it a part of a schedule. That’s some of the best advice you’ll ever receive if you’re having trouble making progress and getting the words on the paper.

Survivor by Chuck Palhinuik

About a week ago I finished reading Survivor by Chuck Palahniuk. I had previously read a few books by the author, including Rant and Lullaby. While unique, Survivor lacked the technique of Rant yet, in my opinion, was an improvement on Lullaby. If you’ve read anything by Chuck Palhinuik before, this book also has his unique and distinct style.

Plot (possibly spoilers)

In Survivor, Tender Branson, the product of the Creedish Cult District, must find a way to truly live. Since childhood he was brought up to serve the church district, only to have them all kill themselves in The Deliverance. He is [nearly] the last remaining member of the cult, and as a result he is thrust into stardom. He, using his friends ability, predicts the future periodically to the world. The entire story is recounted by Tender Branson as he is 20,000 feet in the air in a hijacked airplane.

Response

In general, I liked Survivor, though it wasn’t as fast-paced as I would have liked. However, rarely are Palhinuik’s books fast-paced. He instead focuses on technique, which he does quite well. I would recommend this book to anyone if you’re looking for something new or something unique.