Since I’m about to start the last act of Arthur Quinn Book 3, I thought I’d post this song. It’s just the kind of thing I’m listening to to get geared up for the epic conclusion to the series.
Joss Whedon’s Ten Writing Tips
A few years ago, Joss Whedon, writer of creator of Buffy among other things, shared his top 10 writing tips with 4Talent magazine. They’re mostly aimed at screenwriters but could easily apply to most types of writing, particularly any fiction. So here they are, with some of my thoughts after in italics.
1. FINISH IT
Actually finishing it is what I’m gonna put in as step one. You may laugh at this, but it’s true. I have so many friends who have written two-thirds of a screenplay, and then re-written it for about three years. Finishing a screenplay is first of all truly difficult, and secondly really liberating. Even if it’s not perfect, even if you know you’re gonna have to go back into it, type to the end. You have to have a little closure.
This is so true. There really is nothing worse than a story or script hanging over your head.- Alan
2. STRUCTURE
Structure means knowing where you’re going ; making sure you don’t meander about. Some great films have been made by meandering people, like Terrence Malick and Robert Altman, but it’s not as well done today and I don’t recommend it. I’m a structure nut. I actually make charts. Where are the jokes ? The thrills ? The romance ? Who knows what, and when ? You need these things to happen at the right times, and that’s what you build your structure around : the way you want your audience to feel. Charts, graphs, coloured pens, anything that means you don’t go in blind is useful.
Some people might not like structure but I think it’s good idea that if you do find yourself stuck to revert back to structure. I’m not big into making notes, although I have started making Post-It notes of what I’m writing that day.- Alan
3. HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY
This really should be number one. Even if you’re writing a Die Hard rip-off, have something to say about Die Hard rip-offs. The number of movies that are not about what they purport to be about is staggering. It’s rare, especially in genres, to find a movie with an idea and not just, ‘This’ll lead to many fine set-pieces’. The Island evolves into a car-chase movie, and the moments of joy are when they have clone moments and you say, ‘What does it feel like to be those guys ?’
4. EVERYBODY HAS A REASON TO LIVE
Everybody has a perspective. Everybody in your scene, including the thug flanking your bad guy, has a reason. They have their own voice, their own identity, their own history. If anyone speaks in such a way that they’re just setting up the next person’s lines, then you don’t get dialogue : you get soundbites. Not everybody has to be funny ; not everybody has to be cute ; not everybody has to be delightful, and not everybody has to speak, but if you don’t know who everybody is and why they’re there, why they’re feeling what they’re feeling and why they’re doing what they’re doing, then you’re in trouble.
This is brilliant advice and it’s so so true. The best pieces of writing always make sure everyone has a perspective. A great example of this is the George R Martin’s A Song of Fire and Ice series. Perspective just gives you more layered characters and this is vital to a good story. – Alan
5. CUT WHAT YOU LOVE
Here’s one trick that I learned early on. If something isn’t working, if you have a story that you’ve built and it’s blocked and you can’t figure it out, take your favourite scene, or your very best idea or set-piece, and cut it. It’s brutal, but sometimes inevitable. That thing may find its way back in, but cutting it is usually an enormously freeing exercise.
My old typewriter
I’m at home in Leitrim for a couple days and I came across my old word processor cum typewriter. It’s bulky, weighs a tonne and it’s nigh-on impossible to get the cartridges anymore but I would hate to part with it. I wrote some of my first published stories on it. They’re probably still stored on floppy discs somewhere… And it still works! Despite being about 15 years old, it’s in better working order than any of my older laptops. I might write another story on it one day. I just need to find one that fits…
It’s difficult to concentrate on writing when…
…the sky outside your window is that blue!
Book 2 Progress Report
I’m in the middle of writing Book 2 (aka Arthur Quinn and the Fenris Wolf) these days and so far it’s all going smoothly. The chapters I’m working on at the minute are quite layered, where we follow several different characters in various parts of the country on top of some pretty important pieces of exposition. Even though I know the general plot backwards, I’ve started writing the various plot points for these chapters on post-its. I stick them up over my desk and keep referring back to them as I write. The greatest feeling is pulling one down and crumpling it into the bin.
