The Writer's Mailbag: Installment #303
A Cold Spring but Warm Hearts
We aren’t even close to planting a garden yet. Oh, we have the seeds and yes, we definitely have the time, but the soil is just too wet, and the temps keep dropping down to freezing at night. So far we have garlic and potatoes in the ground because, well, those two are pretty hardy and can handle some adverse conditions.
Pretty much like all of us these days.
I hope this finds you well and healthy and happy. There sure are a lot of new articles on HP lately. Amazing what happens when people have spare time on their hands.
As you know, every Monday the Mailbag arrives, a welcomed distraction from the daily news.
So let’s get to it!
Really, a Memoir?
From Joel: “I know you have encouraged us, in the past, to write our memoirs, but I just can’t see anything in my life worth writing about. I’m thirty-three and I’ve lived a pretty boring life. What do you think of that?”
Joel, I think you are living with self-delusion.
What do you think of that? LOL
I just don’t buy it, Joel, or anyone else who thinks that. Human beings are fascinating creature. There are 7.5 billion of us, and we are all wired differently. That in itself makes you, and your story, unique. You have experienced hardships. We all have. You have had victories. We all have. You have bled and struggled and celebrated and laughed and mourned. We all have.
Your story is relatable to 7.5 billion people.
So write the damned thing and quit hiding behind the “my life is boring” excuse.
And, if you need help, I'm your man!
Hot Topics for Writers
From Cherise: “With the COVID-19 thing going on, what do you think will be popular writing topics in the months ahead? I’m thinking in terms of HP and going viral and all of that, how to rack up a big number of views?”
How-To article are always good, Cherise, and by the way, I love your name. It’s a musical name and it feels good saying it.
Back to your question….how to downsize…DIY repairs….how to plant a garden….how to save money around the house….how to keep kids occupied with fun activities….
In the months ahead, people are going to want to save money. They are going to take up new activities. They hopefully will become more self-efficient, and they will be looking for articles which can guide them.
Now is the time to write those articles. Get busy and you should see some supplemental income in a couple of months.
Jumping Between First and Third Person
From Andrea: “What do you think of alternating between first and third person when writing a novel? I’m thinking of that approach for my next novel, but I’ve never done it before and I wonder if it would be confusing to the readers.”
I’ve done it several times in several novels, Andrea, and I don’t think it’s confusing at all for the reader. If anything, it’s a bit of a challenge for the writer, who needs something like a split-personality to pull it off well. Lol
I’ve also seen it done quite well by some famous authors, so I’m pretty confident in telling you that you can do it.
Now Is the Time
From Megan: “I have no more excuses. With this social distancing, and with me home from work with all the time in the world, I can’t use the “I don’t have enough time” excuse for not writing a novel. I only have one question: how do you do it? Seriously, how do you start a novel? It all seems so overwhelming to me. I think you’ve said that you start with an opening chapter and the story just grows from there, but I think that sounds like witchcraft. HELP!”
Megan, I will never deny a damsel in distress. Help is on the way!
I think what you are referring to, Megan, is the act of overcoming the fear attached to doing the task. To anyone who has never done it, the idea of writing 75,000 words in a cohesive form is daunting. Many freeze and do not get beyond the idea. My suggestion to you, and to others who feel the way you do, is to break it down and swallow your bitter pill in small bites.
Consider this approach:
- Plan your story
- Build your characters
- Create a setting
- Decide upon the inciting incident
- Pinpoint key moments, or sparks
Each step is crucial, but taking it slowly, step by step, will get you through the door and safely down the path. Let’s take a brief look at each of these.
Plan your story – if you want to call this outlining, that’s fine, but you have to put down, on paper, some sort of story thread to follow. The original plan can be pretty basic, but it’s a good idea to jot down some sort of blueprint to follow.
Build your characters – this is fun! You get to create characters. Make them interesting. Write a character biography for each of the main ones.
Create a setting – where is this story taking place? Be specific and be detailed when doing this.
Decide upon the inciting incident – something must happen to propel the story forward and to make it interesting to the reader, some conflict which the main character will spend the rest of the book trying to overcome.
Pinpoint key moments, or sparks – The formula I use is 15,000 words per spark. Throughout the book, there must be things that happen which will keep the story moving forward.
That should be enough to get you started! Good luck! And if you need a writing coach, get in touch with me at hollan1145@yahoo.com. I work cheap for fellow writers.
Rest Assured, Spring Will Arrive
One day we will wake up and it will be seventy degrees and sunny, and our hearts will be lifted and we’ll rush outside to gather in that wonderful warmth. Until then, dream of better days and plan that garden!
I hope you all have a safe, happy, and love-filled week.
Bill
2020 William D. Holland (aka billybuc)
“Helping writers to spread their wings and fly.”
Comments
What a positive and cheerful article! I especially liked the part where you gave advice on novel writing. Thanks for sharing, Bill.
I hope you are enjoying warmer spring weather now. Just wanted to stop by and wish you a Happy Easter!
We've already had 70 degree weather here, Bill, and I've been outside working every day for weeks now. Takes my mind off the bleak news. Some days up here on our hill we can almost forget there's a pandemic.
This was a great Mailbag. Chock full of good information.
Hi Bill, wow you explain thoroughly! Like your answers to Megan. You're right about memoirs. I'm sure even talking about ordinary things enthusiastically helps. And you gave a good reply for hot topics. Thanks for sharing!
Bill, I really liked your suggestions for breaking the novel down into 5 parts. I think writing the outline for the story is a good way to start even for a short story and also the inciting incident which propels the story forward is something that may get us over the inertia of writing a novel which can be quite a daunting task! And pinpointing key moments or sparks which will keep the reader engaged. Spring is here where I live and the cactus are in bloom. A great time to take the pooches for walks and look at the moon over the mountains... a good time for reflection and for getting those ideas out on paper. Best wishes to our writer in residence!
Very interesting questions and great advice. I always keep learning from your mailbags. Thank you.
I liked the advice you gave regarding where and how to start. As with any large venture, some degree of planning and forethought is required. The pollen here is so heavy that I don’t dare spend too much time outside for fear that allergies may convince me I have something more sinister. I have unfortunately traded in wonderful napping for another method of coping, as I now have my nephew with us. My sister works with COVID-19 patients and poses to high a potential risk to him because he’s asthmatic. We are learning to knit, I’m teaching him vocabulary and working on improving his writing skills, we are baking, doing puzzles, etc.
Great advice as always Bill. We are lucky with the weather this side of the Pond. In the 70s all week, lovely time to sit outside and take time out. Seeing your chickens reminded me of something funny in my town this week! Someone took a photo of two chickens happily going for a walk down the middle of the road! and yes, the jokes came out. Why did the chicken, etc. LOL! you take care.
I hope the weather quits being fickle in your neck of the woods, Bill. Spring has officially sprung!
This past Saturday (April 4th), Janet Reid's post was called "Memoir vs. Novel". Did you see that?
Of course, there are two approaches to novel writing, both of which have been used to great success by famous authors. The first approach involves meticulous planning, outlining, building characters in advance, etc. The second method is to wing it, to let the story tell itself as it goes along.
Now because I am lazy and of limited attention span, I favor the second technique. But I have also been thinking lately that life is random, it is not something plotted out. Things sneak up behind us and kick our butts without warning. They steer our story in unexpected directions. Perhaps art should imitate life. Any thoughts on this? Great mailbag.
Wonderful article, I really like the information you shared. Thank you for sharing.
Where have you been hiding, Bill? I went looking for your mailbag because I was worried that something had happened to you. I didn't get any notifications today, and when I went to the feed, the mailbag wasn't there either. What gives with HP?
I especially liked your answer to Megan's question. I giggled when she said starting and writing a novel by your method sounded like witchcraft. But that's the way I write, long or short, so does that make me a witch? I've never been an outliner; even had to cheat on that in school. Write the story first, then go in and do the outline.
I guess you could call it spring here with some days in the 80s, except that the nights are still so cool that we haven't put the tender plants outside yet. Aren't you having unusually cool weather for the upper Pacific costal states? Stay safe and be well, my friend.
Happy Monday, Bill! I hope that you and yours continue to stay healthy and happy. There's a lot of anxiety out there right now even for us introverts.
I should have more time to write, right? But I'm not finding that I do. It' as a combination of procrastination and too much distraction by way of family. That, and work must go on even though I already work from home.
Hi Bill. I am home but working remotely, which means I have even less time than I had before as it seems to take twice as long to get my work done. With everyone home and online internet connections have slowed and my employer wasn’t really ready to have thousands of people working remotely so their servers are overloaded and slow. But at least I get to work in my pajamas if I so choose.
Hello Bill! What a fantastic mailbag this week! Thank you for the topic suggestions. This is something I'm struggling with this month.. what to write about? You gave me a lot to consider! I also appreciate your wisdom and advice on point of view as well as the steps to writing a novel.
I am just itching to get out in my garden.. but it's just too wet here right now and the temps also fluctuate from one extreme to the next. It's just too soon. I did, however, start my green peppers inside. Fingers crossed that they actually grow. ha!
I hope you are all staying healthy and safe up there! Have a wonderful week!
Always great counsel, and on the memoir question I couldn't agree more; I can't even find an excuse. You talk to me, too. Thanks.
I am inclined to get depressed when anything unordinary happens, and boy this virus is as unordinary as it gets, but it is beautiful here today, 70 degrees. Soon I will plant some tomatoes and do a little bit of outside painting, so all is well in Southern Il. Take care, stay safe, be happy.
I dream of a garden although I know it won't happen for me. This apartment is limiting and my husband doesn't like house plants or I'd fill the place with greenery. Oh well. Happy writing.
Blessings,
Denise
I love using mind maps to plan things out. I hang large blank sheets of paper from my noticeboard and add bits to it as I am passing or think of them. A novel, a holiday, a presentation, an academic article - mind maps can cover them all.
Happy Mailbag Monday... if it is indeed Monday. One day blending into the other.
Anyway, I can't add anything more to this week's topics. I agree, though, that articles on saving money, keeping healthy, etc. will be hot topics for the balance of this year. Even if a lot of the lockdowns are lifted, it will not be an immediate return to "normal." In fact, I predict a new normal. It won't be recovery, it will be recalibration.
Enjoy another week of self isolation!
Chuckle.
I thought you are always with me in Spirit, bro. I was speaking of when the fear dissipates and our Hearts are dancing ... when our intuitive feel, is once more so full of joy, that we can hear the nightingales sing. Would be a metaphorical and virgin Spring, no? Lol.
Some good questions answered informatively, as always.
I agree with your advice on Memoirs. Everyone has his own story to tell. And, there might be some or other useful point in everybody's life that might be beneficial to others.
We are already in the Spring season here with the cuckoo birds singing merrily from the trees around.
Bill, I don't have time to write, and scant time to comment right now. I have been trying to get my garden in for a week now. I have strawberry plants that I ordered and they came bare root. I stuck them in a pan with some water, and they greened right up. I have a great planter for them. It is a round aluminum bed with three layers and a sprinkler hear coming out of the top one. It will look great and it is the perfect time of the year for here.
I also have 3 4x4 raised beds, and a bunch of big tubs to plant in. I have to get some potato starts, because the potatoes I bought to sprout in a bag, got eaten when my son moved in. He and his girlfriend broke up and he needed a quick place to go. Just in time for the lock down here and the run on the grocery stores. They are finally starting to have some food in the stores and I need to go get some more. Unfortunately, I am one of those with the breathing complication, that they tell you to stay home. Hard to have other people spend you money on groceries, even when they know how you shop. My daughter would be on the phone with me the whole time.
Those who need plants and seeds, should go check out Amazon. I bought a pack of heirloom seeds and keep them in the freezer. They will last up to 10 years in the freezer. I store all seeds in the freezer now. The packaging also tells how to harvest your own seeds. I have been using out of that package and the harvested seeds for 3-4 years now. Now all I need are some fruit trees, and I will be set. I told my kids that I want fruit trees and maybe I will get some for Mother's Day. I even told them what kind I want.
Those who have painful memoirs, should definitely write them, even if they don't publish them. It is an incredibly therapeutic thing to do. I cried a lot, but it helped getting them out and I don't feel so bogged down now.
Much longer post then normal, but I guess I had a lot to say today.
Happy Spring, Bill, Thanks for another mailbag loaded with lots of goodies. It just keeps rolling along.
Yes, Bro.
A lot more articles and some religious one too. You probably worry about one or two, right? Still, I always say that movement is better then standing still or stagnant, like a swamp.
You are truly visionary in your response to Cherise. She may even want to include ' Inspiring words from those on the front line.' She can start gathering the info now.
Spring will arrive, bro. I hold my glass of juice to you there. Cheers!
On the contrary, I haven't written anything now that I am at home due to lockdown. I am reading, watching movies and spending quality time with family. Hope this ongoing situation ends soon like a bad dream!
Plenty of food for thought this week, Bill. In the UK, the weather has got warmer, but this causes issues with too many people out and not keeping to social distancing. I often think writing a biography about someone else is easier than a memoir/autobiography. Everyone I know has an interesting story of their life.
I appreciate you hub tips. I'm expecting a flurry of 'how to' articles.
I noted with interest your thoughts on moving between 1st and 3rd person narrative. I was debating over moving between present and past tense descriptions today.
Thanks for the great novel writing tips.
Stay well and have a good week, Bill.
Bill I think being out incommunicado in the Wilderness I missed the gold rush. LoL.
I was thinking of writing a memoir but my lawyer told me to plead the 5th instead.
Happy Monday Bill, and thanks for this refreshing installment.
Useful questions and helpful advice from you. You are right that people have more time, while staying at home. It's good to write more, and read more. It's also a good time to learn new skills.
Thank you and take care.
Order online, Peggy. There's plenty of online seed and plant sites.
You are correct in that people who are staying home will be searching for ideas on how to spend their time. Thus articles that may fill that gap will become popular.
I had some old seeds that are obviously past their expiration date. Our temps are warm, and they have been watered sufficiently, and yet, nothing is coming up. I have been avoiding going to nurseries because of COVID-19. We may not have much growing in our little garden this year.
Yes, we have loads of time. I'm spending as much as possible outside - in my own space, I hasten to add. I also have lots of silly things to get done, stuff I've put to one side because it didn't seem a priority. Now there is plenty of time so priorities don't matter. I just get on with whatever I see in front of me!
Great advice for the stages of a novel. Also great encouragement for all of us to start those memoirs. I dip in and out of mine - I have to be in the mood and feel quite thick-skinned as some can be difficult to re-live!
I hope you get some sunshine and higher temperatures. I'd send you some of ours but I haven't mastered that yet...
Keep safe and well, bill.
Ann
The cold weather will pass into beautiful sping days as it always does. I like your advice for the steps in writing a book. The steps you listed are clear and sound easy.
Writing a memoir would take a lot of self reflection. Writng one at age 33 sounds young but I could be wrong about that. I hope you have a good week, Bill. Stay safe and healthy.
Happy Monday Bill. Good advice on hot topics. My article on how to bake bread is taking off (again), but nothing else seems to be picking up any speed. My daughter said that everyone staying at home on their computers would be a good thing for page views, but not so much. I'll see what happens in the next couple of weeks.
Stay well my friend.
Happy Monday, Bill and truly wishing you a very, healthy and happy week ahead. Thanks for always just being you!! ;)
Yes, Bill it is good to see a healthy flow of new articles on HubPages. If this current virus has any positives that is one..giving many people more time to write while they are stuck at home. Another good mailbag, especially the instructions on how to go about writing a novel.I've been spending a couple of hours each day getting the garden sorted and it's looking good.
Hi Bill you have informed me of yet another interesting and positive hub. Writing in so many ways has opened my mind to be hopeful an positive. I see that you have that here too. Spring is warm an the best time of year for me. Keep well and stay safe.
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