A Little About Character

Posted in Posts, Tips by Rachael C Marek

We’ve all heard the phrase, “write what you know”. Obviously, this is not a literal writing tool or we wouldn’t have the vast array of stories we do. What it all boils down to is character. Your characters must be real, believable, and encourage our sympathy or disdain (I mean who doesn’t love to hate a character? Have you all met Joffrey on Game of Thrones?). And for some reason, this is sometimes hard to do. We are people. We are surrounded by people everyday, and yet when writing them down, they somehow lose their substance.

The same for dialogue. Why is dialogue so difficult to write sometimes when we talk everyday? Another topic for another day.

I was having a conversation with my younger sister about dating habits. And it sparked the idea for this topic. There are different mindsets depending on age. The teen years are all hormones and angst – Everything is a tragedy. The twenties are about exploration and self-discovery – It’s all about the chase, the idea of someone. The thirties are about settling down and grown up responsibilities – There’s little patience for games. The forties are about finally being comfortable in your own skin…etc. Knowing the age of your main character and your audience might ease the storytelling process as many factors will already being in place, but obviously, don’t rely on those as crutches. No two people are the same, even from the same family. A great variety of personal, societal, and cultural differences separate us and unite us in our differences, no matter our age.

I’ve always been a people watcher. A trait among most writers, and a useful tool to build an arsenal to peruse come story time. I used to go to this tourist trap on the weekends with my best friend where we’d sit on the patio of our favorite cafe with our cappuccinos and watch the droves shop. Sometimes we’d make up stories, back stories, what-have-you for the strangers we found so fascinating; that’s his mistress, they’ve been married for three days, he’s afraid to tell her he gambled away their vacation money, etc. Experiencing more of life, knowing a variety of personalities adds to your knowledge bank and might help when fleshing out your characters.

As with any research, if there’s something you want to know about for your character, find the right avenue; speak to someone with the insight, read a psychology book, and definitely read The Hero with a Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell. Find a family member, friend of a friend, or colleague that might be able to help you. Go sit somewhere where a cross-section of society might converge and listen, watch. Just remember, it’s the character that draws us in. No matter what the story is, no matter where it takes place or when, if we don’t care about the character’s struggle, we won’t care about the rest. And it doesn’t always have to be a “good guy” we’re invested in. There are plenty of anti-heroes (Rick from The Walking Dead) and likeable/redeemable “bad guys” we’ll follow (and who doesn’t love a bad boy? Why else is Loki of the Thor movies (and The Avengers) more popular than the title character? This would be wonderful opportunity to post another Tom Hiddleston picture, but…).

So explore the variety that is human nature. There’s lots to choose from. This might be where that “write what you know” phrase comes in handy. We already have a wealth of character information at our fingertips (family, friends, exes), and in some ways, our characters are extensions of ourselves. There is some facet of us in them. This is what we know. We just have to be brave enough to put it on the page.

Best of luck and have a great weekend!

13Jan2014

Keeping The Promises You Make To Yourself

Posted in Posts, Tips by Rachael C Marek

There’s this phrase, a joke really, about how “you’re not really a writer unless someone sees you doing it”. Family Guy had a cutaway once of two guys writing in a well known coffee shop where one of the guys asks the other to watch him as he writes. There’s a bit more to it, but you get the gist. The reason I bring this up is because I don’t go anywhere to write, but after attending my first writers group tonight, I can understand the appeal. I don’t need the outside validation to prove to myself that I am in fact a writer, but the two hours of solitude I was able to partake in tonight was wonderful. I sat in a little restaurant with about 20 other writers, put in my ear buds, and just focused on my work. I don’t want to say that I liked the fact that I had no dogs or sister demanding my attention, but the little respite was welcome. When I came home my sister told me to take two hours everyday and go to said well known coffee shop. But my laptop is now ancient, and I suppose I could use a pen and pencil the old fashioned way, but I actually type pretty quickly, fast enough to usually keep up with my train of thought, except when my hands are cold, like they are now, and I keep shivering and hitting the wrong keys, and having to go back and fix every other word…

So attending a writers group was one of the many items on my new to do list. A way to meet people and network and be held accountable. As I’ve mentioned, time sometimes gets away from me and I don’t get any screenwriting done. So I joined a handful of groups in an effort to find multiple slots of time each week to get out of the house and work. Doesn’t that sound strange? But, when dirty dishes are staring at you, or a Netflix marathon seems inevitable because it’s a little cold and gloomy outside, and you’d rather snuggle on the couch with your dogs or significant other then sit at your desk and “work”, getting out may be the only answer. I think a laptop might help me as well. Then I could snuggle and work.

One of the other items on my list is to be more creative, in any capacity. I’d like to learn to draw, more than balloons and stick figures. I’d like to learn to sew, more than stitching my dogs chew toys because they are aggressive chewers. I used to decorate cakes, so this weekend, for my sister’s birthday, I made this —

I don’t have any of the proper utensils to actually decorate cakes, so I’m pretty proud of the results. My friends were impressed, so I’ll probably give this another try. Valentine’s Day is around the corner, as is my birthday…perhaps I’ll make my own cake…

So my point is this. Those resolutions, whatever they are, try to keep them. Start small. Let them build upon each other, and when you look back in three months, six, the end of the year, you will be so impressed with the progress you made and you can be proud of your accomplishments. If you’re a fellow writer, I would recommend small page/word counts to start. 1,000 words a day or 10 pages, etc. may sound easy enough, but there’s a lot of life that could get in the way, and if you don’t hit that mark, you might be disappointed. So start a little lower, build momentum, and add to that word count/page count every month or so. If you get on a roll, you may write more one day, then you can celebrate.

One thing I’ve learned along the way is to celebrate your achievements, great or small. You finished that chapter you were struggling with…treat yourself to something. Finished the first draft on your novel…treat yourself to something big! Your treats could be anything; a celebratory walk around the corner for a bit of fresh air, and to revel in the moment of your success. Maybe it’s a new keyboard, or a pen, whatever.

It’s easy to let things slide (I know this better than anyone), but come the end of the year, you want to be able to look back and feel good about it all. This is what is propelling me forward this year. I don’t want a repeat of the last one, or two. Remember to write down those goals and post them where you can see them. The constant reminder helps.

Wishing you all the best! Continued success! And be sure to look around in the coming week as I make changes to the blog…another item to check off that list.

3Jan2014

Resolutions

Posted in Posts, Tips, Websites by Rachael C Marek

So of course over the last two days every article I came across was in regards to sticking to the (writing) resolutions we make. I’m still working on my list — a few items require an investment and I’m already becoming overwhelmed at the amount of things I’m even hinting at wanting to accomplish, both personally and professionally. I’ve never been very good at the whole resolutions thing. The idea of setting imaginary goals on one specific day of the year, only to be soon forgotten, seemed pointless when you can start each and any day with the same drive and purpose. But now I sort of get it. In the writing world, there are deadlines to be met, opportunities that come and go on an annual basis, and it’s good to be prepared right from the beginning of the new year so you know what to expect.

As I’ve learned, this is something that comes with age, time really does fly. Days flow into one another to the point of not being able to remember what one did just two or three days before. With a new year comes possibility. There’s hope that this one will be different from the last, but this only works when we make a conscious effort to make it different. We can complain all we like about our fates, but if we do nothing different, if we don’t alter our perspective and take action, then there is no one else to blame come the following year. So the new year implies making the effort. We reflect on our past actions and become mindful to not repeat them.

I have made a conscious decision to alter my ways. I know I wasted too many days not writing last year consumed with depression over failed attempts at contests, not finding a “regular” job, and just a sheer lack of perspective. Half way through the year I took notice and started to change, so that this year would be better. Also, I’ve grown more lonely in an already lonely vocation, in part because I don’t have a “regular” job where I interact with people regularly. So I watched too much Netflix and played too many video games, but I love doing both…This is something I vow to change this year by joining a writer’s group and volunteering. I want to look back on my life and find it fulfilling, and the past year has not been that. I told my sister that I had this silly notion that one day, when I’m successful and I’m being interviewed and the like, that I would like “them” to say, “Oh, wow, you do this, this, and this? How wonderful!” This is both a personal and professional goal, and though silly, may inspire me to do more with myself and my work. It’s like having that Oscar speech, or what ever award you want to win, ready. Most of us are prepared to thank those who helped us or inspired us along the way, and that in itself is a mental goal, that we would like to be standing in front of those esteemed people, worthy of being one of them.

So, here are a few links in regards to sticking to those writing resolutions. I made note of many of them to help me as well — prioritize, make consistent, manageable progress, identify your big picture, discover and implement your 3 “NOs” as a writer, and a few more. I hope they help.

LitReactor – The Top 4 Tips For Making Your Writing Resolutions Stick

The Write Life – 3 Steps For Creating Meaningful Goals

Chuck Palahniuk via LitReactor – 13 Writing Tips from C.P.

FabFreelanceWriting – 14 Easy Ways To Improve Your Writing Skills in 2014

Maybe as part of my own accountability, I’ll post my resolutions here. If they’re out in the world, for anyone to see, it’ll probably hold me to them.

Best of luck and continued success!!

*Image from DL Koontz site

1Jan2014

A(nother) New Year

Posted in Posts by Rachael C Marek

Welcome to 2014!

BigBen2013

I can’t believe it’s a new year. I’m sure many of you are thinking the same thing. Just two hours into the new year and I remembered something I once heard — how you spend your time in those “early moments” of the new year is a great way to determine how you will (want to) spend your year. I wanted it to be about writing, so here I am, 2 a.m., writing.

I wish you all a Happy New Year! Hopefully, everyone was safe, had a wonderful time, and is looking forward to the prospects that a new year can bring. I plan on making some personal resolutions…later. I’m also planning on reorganizing my professional to do list, creating new goals, and laying a course of action for my career. My hope for you all is that you will do the same for yourselves. Let’s make 2014 wonderful; filled with passion, creativity, imagination, fantasy, romance, fun, and productivity. Let’s have no regrets!

Thank you all for helping me make the last few months (since I started this blog) of 2013 memorable by supporting me and my work. It really helps the mental well being of this lonely writer to see the likes, comments, and follows as you all lend your time to my ramblings. I truly appreciate it!

Best of luck to you all and continued success! xx, Rach

27Dec2013

It’s Always All About The Writing

Posted in Posts, Tips by Rachael C Marek

I’ve been playing hooky. (Doesn’t that word look strange? Maybe it’s just me. I find it odd that I rely on words and yet, sometimes, a word will just look wrong. Hooky is just such a word.) I have to be honest, I just haven’t had any impulse to write the last week or so. I can blame the holidays, the melancholy that sometimes takes hold around this time of year, the fact that I’ve been a little depressed over the writing contests and the fellowship I didn’t advance in, and a slew of other creative sucking outside influences, but I’ll woman-up and say it’s all me. I’ve sat down, stared at the computer, and then…nothing. I know we’re supposed to write even when we don’t feel like it, and it’s a great way to escape reality, but I’ve been losing myself in books, movies, and video games, which are all creative outlets, some with inspiring effects, but, they aren’t writing, and I know that. I should also know better.

The other night while I lay in bed, my mind finally free to roam because I was dozing off, I had a strange, dark, sort of twisted story idea. I grabbed my phone, used that note app I’m so fond of, and jotted down what I had just envisioned. It was a big jump in my mind, something I had heard while watching American Horror Story — there was a line of dialogue that sparked this chain of ideas. I’m always surprised at where the ideas come from. And I know this is a story idea I will want to explore. I’ve been lucky, so far, that I haven’t had a lot of lag time between ideas (that I want to expand on). I tend to have a vision of one scene, and I go from there. The first images I have are usually strong ones, that make an impact, which I know, in turn, will make a compelling story (at least I think so). I try to write everything down right away, because as I’ve noted, my memory is horrible. I’ll have this idea or a bit of a scene or dialogue, not write it down immediately, and then it’s out the window. I’ll rack my brain for days trying to recall what it was, but, it’s usually gone. I even try the trick of walking into the room where I had the idea, or try to recreate what I was doing, saw, heard, etc., but my mind is like a bottomless abyss where ideas fall, never to be heard from again.

Then I saw this article about choosing which story to write next and thought I’d share it. If you have too many ideas and don’t know where to go, Script Magazine offered this advice, which can be utilized for any writing, not just scripts as the title suggests. I think this also helps in relation to the “branding” idea I discussed recently, when you’re trying to build a portfolio of your work, and loving the story your writing. It all comes back to passion. Which has made me rethink why I’m not writing. Maybe it’s a lack of passion. I’ve let a lot of those outside influences dictate my mood, which is always a creativity killer, but sometimes life just gets in the way of productivity. I did not meet some of my year end goals, another thing to add to my current state of mind, but then I thought, “the goals are meant as a challenge”. “They are meant to be inspiring, not to encourage a defeatist attitude.” They were a little inflated as well, so as the new year lingers on the horizon, I will keep those goals in mind, set new, attainable ones, and work a little harder to achieve them.

And this is what I wish for all of you — Don’t set yourself up for failure. Try to remain focused. Try to maintain discipline. Stay positive.

I wish you all a Happy New Year and a productive one at that! Continued well wishes to you and your writing! And thank you all for your encouragement by following my ramblings and encouraging me to continue to work on my dreams!

xx, Rach

13Dec2013

All About Being Helpful

Posted in Posts, Tips, Websites by Rachael C Marek

So I’m done moping. Although I felt a slight indignation last night, today I only wanted to send out positive energy. As writers, we are always striving to better our writing by continuously reading and learning. In this vein, I am attaching a handful of, hopefully, helpful resources…do with them what you will. I have a dozen or so pages to read (oh, yes, again), and will share what I learn from all of those next week. I suppose this is a good way to accumulate a blog inventory.

Although mainly for screenwriters, Script offers tips and advice that all writers can take advantage of. If you haven’t taken a look at their site yet, besides their own blogs and information, they offer free downloads on a variety of topics, such as query letters, editing, dialogue, networking, etc. I’m taking a look at a couple of them this weekend that I’ve already downloaded to test their value. Here is the list of available downloads.

LitReactor is another useful site. If you’re a fan of Chuck Palahniuk (author of Fight Club, and my personal favorite, Invisible Monsters), you’ll be happy to learn he regularly contributes. My favorite article from him is about Thought Verbs. He reassures the reader that it will make for better writing and who’s going to argue with a writer like Chuck? I also follow them of Facebook so I don’t miss anything.

A site I came across today, Daily Writing Tips, has loads of information on everything from grammatical errors to proper punctuation to proper word usage. This would be a good one to bookmark as a reference tool. I also like the site by Grammar Girl, Quick and Dirty Tips.

I’m also a fan of the site, The Write Life. I’ve attached articles multiple times from this particular page and follow them on Facebook as well.

Well, that should be enough to get you started. *Wink. Please feel free to share sites you find useful as well!

Have a wonderful and productive weekend!

*Image from megrosoff.co.uk

12Dec2013

Disappointment

Posted in Posts, Quotes by Rachael C Marek

I didn’t get the fellowship. I’m a mixture of disappointment and mild relief at the knowledge that now I can move on. The waiting game was growing tiresome. I had other things to keep me occupied, but the continuous wondering and worrying whether or not I was moving forward was becoming a burden (if you can believe). So after a few tears, I’ve decided not to wallow (too much) by shrugging off the rejection and pouring myself into my work. This is one of the unfortunate sides of the business I’ve decided to take part in — rejection — a lot of rejection. I have to keep telling myself that this is only the beginning. I’ve only just begun to send out my work, but it was not for me alone I wanted this opportunity. *I need to make note of this, for my future self. Since moving to LA, I’ve struggled to find steady work, a “day job”. My younger sister has been supporting us and that in itself is an enormous burden. Her job is unsatisfying, and she is left to shoulder great responsibility while I try to achieve my goals. Since the fellowship offered so many benefits for a new writer, including financial support, I thought (perhaps foolishly) that I could relieve some of the pressure. So here I am again…square one.

And then the thought dawned on me, “I am not alone in my struggles today”. So in an effort to be optimistic in order to move forward, I’m going to post a few uplifting quotes from LiveLifeHappy.com.

Just because you’re struggling doesn’t mean you’re failing. Every great success requires some type of struggle.

Don’t rush anything. When the time is right, it’ll happen.

If you never go after what you want, you’ll never have it. Live without regrets. If you want it, fight for it.

Wait for what you deserve. Don’t settle, just be patient.

Don’t let something tear you down. Allow it to help you move on to something better.

There’s always something good coming. Remember that.

Sometimes things have to go very wrong before they can be right.

I wish each of you success in whatever you are hoping to achieve! And know you are not alone in your daily struggles. There is an entire creative network, hopefully, cheering you on and supporting you. If you don’t have a support system, like a writer’s group, make that one of your “to do’s” for the new year. As I’ve stated, and you’re well aware, writing is a lonely business. Finding others like us is instrumental in making our solitary lives more bearable.

If anyone would like to offer some words of advice and encouragement, not just to me, please feel free to share.

Best of luck to you all!

19Nov2013

Taking a Little Respite

Posted in Posts, Quotes by Rachael C Marek

Some days are rough. Not just for writers, but for people in general. There are just so many days when you feel like all you’re doing is swimming against the current. Being an adult is hard. So much for high school, even college, preparing us for that wake-up call (no, this is not new to me, I’ve just been reminded again recently). As for being a creative, those days seem doubled, maybe even tripled. We have our regular lives, then our creative ones, then the professional ones where we try to get people to notice the creative one. It’s a constant uphill battle with some little demon at the top throwing down boulders, pebbles, entire buildings…all while laughing at us and our torment as we try to achieve success.

I took my weekend, then as the new week dawned, I started to feel this dread. As I wait to hear about a writing fellowship I applied for, the whiff of a negative thought has started to worm its way in and make me question my skills. I had wanted my first screenplay entered as my “sample”, but it wasn’t ready. I love the script I did submit, but the story is not as unique as the other, although it has spurred me to write two sequels (there’s just so much to write about), and now I’m wondering if that has inhibited my progress in some way. See, there’s that little demon, working his evil magic. I realize I haven’t really started to put myself “out there” as a writer until this past year, and the knocks have taken a little getting used to, but as the days compound, doubt creeps in, and I think stepping away from it all to get my head back on straight is the best remedy. Besides, most people get sick days, so should we. And then I found out about another approaching deadline, and right now my mind is a blank. Six weeks…and I’ve got nothing. And then there’s this potential writing job on the horizon…this is when I decide to have a creative/mental meltdown?! I don’t have time for this nonsense. Number one on my professional to do list is to treat my career as if it were already my profession. So it’s time to get back to work.

Needless to say, I decided to take one “mental health” day. I completely vegged; no cleaning, no worrying, not even a glance at my computer. As this blog is meant to serve, in part, as a journal, I’m putting this out into the world and as a reminder to my future self of the times endured and overcome. Here are a few quotes to help those of you struggling as well.

“Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.” — Thomas A. Edison — So don’t give up!

“The only thing that stands between you and your dream is the will to try and the belief that it is actually possible.” — Joel Brown — Believe in yourself!

“If opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door. “ — Milton Berle — Create your own success story!

You may have noticed I have a thing for keys. I like the metaphor they represent. Let it be a reminder that we hold the keys to our success. Throw rocks back at those demons, whether in reality or in your subconscious, and persevere!

Best of luck to you all!

12Nov2013

Taking Chances

Posted in Posts, Tips by Rachael C Marek

There is something to be said about a writer who can do something as bold as killing of a “lead” character. When it translates to television, having a face and a visual to connect with, their death, if unexpected (if you’re like me and maybe haven’t read the source material to shows like The Walking Dead and Game of Thrones), can be tragic and almost heartbreaking. It’s even harder nowadays to keep incidents on shows a secret when everyone is so apt to talk about it the moment it happens. So, if you’re behind on any of your shows, like I am, you scroll past Facebook posts with eyes averted for months so that when that dramatic, surprising moment occurs, we can still be shocked, angry, or sad. And the writer has accomplished something great. It takes something special to surprise me anymore and when that does happen, it creates a loyal follower. The Walking Dead and Game of Thrones are among my favorite shows ever and for good reason. (TWD has the highest ratings of any show practically ever, and GoT is second only to The Sopranos on HBO, so I’m clearly not alone in my devotion.) They keep me guessing and rooting for the characters, that’s why when one of them falls, I feel like I’ve lost friend. On The Walking Dead, as it’s a fight for survival, I want this small band of people that I’ve been following to find a safe haven and a moment’s peace. On Game of Thrones, I want vengeance, often. After the last season of GoT, it took quite a few days to overcome the sadness that I was surprised took hold of me.

Now you may be asking why I haven’t read the written works. Once I’ve started a series, either tv or film, I don’t want to know what’s going to happen, I want to remain in the dark, so I only read up until the current season (I still haven’t finished Harry Potter, I know, I know…). I’m just about to start George R.R. Martin’s series for insight into his writing style and technique. I find Game of Thrones so fascinating that it’s only proper that I read some of the novels to learn more.

After another tragedy during my viewing today, I started to think about my own stories and how I play it fairly safe. I’d like to blame my upbringing a bit because in fairytales, the layers of darkness and deception, etc. only go so deep. My sister likes to call me naive, which in part is true, because my mind just doesn’t go to certain places. This is why I need the influence of writers, such as these, to help me think beyond my own boundaries/limitations. I love the feel of that tugging on my heartstrings, the pit in my stomach, when I realize I’ve been holding my breath, and clenching my fist…I’m emotionally invested. And I want to do that for my readers and hopefully/eventually my viewers. I want them to be surprised and to worry and hope for my characters as if they were friends, loved ones. Stories are like walking into a character’s life and we should be moved by what we witness.

As writers, we owe it to our readers to take chances. We are in a unique position to create worlds that draw people in. What we do once were in there is up to us, but we should be willing to be bold and daring. I’m not saying to shock for the shock value alone, but if done well, can be among those memorable moments that people will talk about time and time again.

Here’s to taking chances!

30Oct2013

Opportunity: Write Start Contest

Posted in Posts, Websites by Rachael C Marek

I always figured I’d be some kind of writer. I remember (way, way back) in elementary school writing stories — I think I was trying to write a biography once, as if so much had happened in my 8 short years…maybe it was meant to be some sort of diary — I still have some of them. In fifth grade we had this great project to create a hardcover book, artwork and all. I wrote a story about running away after my bike was stolen. Oh, yeah. Not a true story by the way. I kept writing, but always struggled. I rarely finished anything. It wasn’t until many years later that I found my calling. I had taken some time off from college, not finding a degree that I wanted to spend money on and then brag about later. That is, until I found screenwriting. I graduated with a film degree and loved pretty much every moment of it. That is a satisfying feeling.

So for those of you interested in becoming a screenwriter, I just discovered an opportunity for you. Sponsored by Stage 32, The Write Start Contest will give you a chance to study screenwriting for an intensive 8 weeks at the New York Film Academy. You don’t need to have written a screenplay, just an idea (remember I just said something about how everyone has an idea?!). Anyway…screenplays take a different approach then novels do. You leave so much description, dialogue, and “fluff” by the wayside. It may not be for everyone, but I find it liberating. One can get so bogged down in the details, and with screenplays, those details are left to the hands of all those creative departments.

So if you’re thinking about trying your hand at screenwriting, this may be a quick, intensive lesson in whether or not it’s right for you.

Good Luck!!