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Family Stories Inspire Creativity

Cousin Mary stands with me along with Marion and Ann who are seated.

Visiting relatives for me has always meant listening to family stories.  “What was it like when you were growing up?” I’d ask my aunts and uncles, longing for their descriptions of what life was all about during the roaring twenties, the depression and the war years.

During my recent trip back to my native state of Wisconsin, we cousins reminisced and pieced together our family tree without those aunts and uncles, as they’ve crossed over into another world where we can’t ask them questions any longer.   

One afternoon my cousin, Mary and I gathered with our dads’ cousins, Ann and Marion, both in their 90s, the last of their generation.  Photo albums were spread around us.

“Tell them about the fire,” said Marion to her older sister. 

 “It happened when I was a little girl,” said Ann.  “Mother had wash hanging in the kitchen near the stove.  I was with the baby in the kitchen and Mother went out for a few minutes to help Dad.” 

“How did the fire start?” I asked.

“One of the children put the clothes on the stove,” said Ann.

 “One of the children!” exclaimed Marion.

“Who?” I asked.

 “Well, it certainly wasn’t the baby,” said Ann. 

We all laughed as we realized she had done it. 

Although the house was destroyed, young Ann grabbed the baby and got out safely. 

That day, we bonded over family narratives. 

What tales do you have to tell?

Writing Prompts: 

  1. Create a timeline of emotional events for yourself.  They don’t have to be life-threatening or tragic.  It could be the day in third grade you discovered your gift of making people laugh. Or the time you hit a home run for your baseball team. 
  2. Flesh out these memories with details and recreate them as personal stories.
  3. Interview family members for their memories.  A good book to help you is Legacy:  A Step-By-Step Guide to Writing Personal History by Linda Spence.
  4. Invent a memory timeline for your protagonist.  Flesh out a few of them creating back story for your character.
  5. Use a family story to inspire a poem, song, or other piece of art work. 
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Writing about Food and Memories

Warning:  This blog is about food.  So if you’re hungry, it may make you want to reach for something yummy.  If you aren’t, you’re probably safe. 

Friday night fry.  Turtle sundaes made with honest-to-goodness creamy, custard.  (Richer and tastier than ice cream!)  My cousin, Cindy special-ordered German doughnuts called crullers, from a delightful small-town bakery called Bon Ton. Crullers are delicious pastries created with cake-like dough twisted into sticks and covered with light white frosting, from a wonderful small-town bakery, Bon Ton. My cousin, Mary’s fabulous farm-fried egg, white on top, perfect yellowy-goodness inside.  A POP of flavor!  Best of all? The homemade pies my cousin, Paula created – – apple with a flakey crust – – the apples not too hard and not too sweet, but just right – – and a tangy lemon meringue.  What could be better?

The last time I had a homemade Wisconsin pie – – made just right – – was when I was seventeen.  (Thank you, Mom, if you can read this in that parallel universe known as heaven.)  I left for college and came home for visits when she created the most fabulous cakes and cookies.  Perhaps because I didn’t come home during apple-picking season, I didn’t have eat another of her apple pie wonders.

Setting foot on Wisconsin soil brought back memories of picking sweet, crunchy carrots right from the garden, holding them under the hose and then chomping down on them for a quick snack.  I did the same thing with lettuce and even green beans.  Mom would shudder and say, “Raw green beans?  How can you, Elizabeth?” 

But I hated picking them in the early morning, slapping away at Wisconsin’s state bird – – the mosquito.  See what happens when you begin writing about food?  Our sense of taste can bring back a flood of other memories and associations.   

I recall years ago writing a number of articles about one of my passions – – chocolate.  At one point, I received annual gifts from the Chocolate Manufacturing Association.  There was only one problem with my assignments – – the writing motivated consumption of the product.

Stay tuned for more about the Wisconsin trip, and how you can use your travels to motivate and improve your own writing.  Right now, I have to take a break and eat something luscious.  Unfortunately, nothing will taste as good as it did in my home state, or in my memories. 

Writing Prompts: 

  1. What foods do you recall from your past?  Write about them and any associations they bring.  
  2. Describe a food scene with a character in your current project.  Is your character sitting at a dining table?  Eating on the run?  Include description of the food and your character’s reactions to the food and her/his surroundings.
  3. Let food motivate a poem, song, or other piece of art work. 
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Stumped in your creativity? It’s a GOOD THING!

Jonah Lehrer says in his book, Imagine, “Every creative journey begins with a problem. It starts with a feeling with frustration, the dull ache of not being able to find the answer. We have worked hard, but we’ve hit the wall. We have no idea what to do next.”

It’s comforting to know that a block within our writing is not only normal, but leads us to inspiration.

According to Lehrer, “The act of being stumped – – – is an essential part of the creative process. Before we can find the answer – before we probably even know the question – – – we must be immersed in disappointment, convinced that a solution is beyond our reach. We need to have wrestled with the problem and lost.”

So if you are muddling through your mushy middle or plodding through a particularly picky plot point, don’t worry, just wonder. Lehrer points out that the best creativity happens not when we are trying too hard, but when we aren’t. Daydreaming, sleeping, and NOT thinking about it actually is part of creativity too.

Now I’m going to relax, daydream and eat chocolate.  After all, it’s writing, right?

Writing Prompts:

1. Read Imagine, by Jonah Lehrer and come up with out-of-the-box ways to create your art.

2. Write without sitting in front of your computer and minus a writing instrument in your hand.

3. Draw an object or a person you’ve seen every day. Lehrer points out that drawing is a different kind of thinking. We observe more acutely when we must recreate it.

4. Now write about what you’ve drawn.

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Six Tips in the Art of Revision

Rewriting becomes addictive.  Newbery winning author Lois Lowry says she can’t read any of her published books with a pen in her hand or she’ll start naturally editing them. 

When my son brought home teacher letters from school I’d find myself editing their words. 

So what should you look for in your revision process?  

1.  Ask yourself, is there enough reason for the reader to turn the page?  Enough suspense, emotion, or unanswered questions?  Can you begin with less explanation or more drama and conflict?

2.  Does each and every word need to be there?  Does it propel the plot forward?  Show character depth? 

3.  Your character dialogue should show tension, character and/or emotion.  If your characters are just talking to talk, cut their words.  Every line they say should have a meaning – – or even a double meaning.  They might say one thing while having a secondary agenda or thought. 

4.  Read your story like you’ve never seen it before.  Are you showing and not telling?  Are there senses and specific details?  How can you incorporate these?

5.  If you are stuck in your rewriting, call in a trusted writing friend or critique group. 

6.  Put your work away for a while.  Time may be your best friend.  Looking at your piece with fresh eyes sometimes is the best possible revision advice there is. 

Writing Prompt: 

1.  Change weak verbs in your manuscript to active verbs.   

2.  Read or re-read Strunk and White’s The Elements of Style for reminders of how to write “tight.”  Get rid of any unnecessary words that simply take up space.  How short can you make your manuscript and retain the meaning?

3.  Purge your manuscript of adverbs when possible.  The same if you’ve piled on too many adjectives.  You don’t want to be accused of over-writing.

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Best Advice from Authors and Editors

I attended a Society of Childrens Book Writers and Illustrators one-day conference in Rocklin, California this weekend.  Fabulous speakers gave terrific writing techniques and marketing tips which not only apply to those interested in writing for children, but writing for anyone.

Here are some gems:

Lin Oliver, who founded SCBWI with Steven Mooser in 1971, quoted well-known authors who have spoken at the L.A. conference since its inception.  

She quoted Bruce Coville:  “Follow your weirdness.” 

Lin also recommends for every book you write  you should read 500 of those types of books to get a feel for that genre.  Which books inspire you most? 

Andrea Tompa, editor at Candlewick Press discussed the process of revision in which she gave detailed questions we should ask ourselves as we go through our projects.    As she quoted Roald Dahl, “Good writing is essentially rewriting.”

Andrea advised us to think about both the internal and external stakes for our characters.  What are they?  How are they resolved?   Many times writers forget about internal growth which needs to happen to their main character. 

Agent Minju Chang from Bookstop Literary Agency spoke about emotions in books.  Make sure you build a bond with your main character and reader.   She quoted Maya Angelou:  ” . . . People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

Sterling Editor Brett Duquette talked about voice, the most elusive technique in writing craft of all, in my opinion.  He defined it as the language used in harmony with the characters, narrative, style . . .

For a good example of picture book voice he suggested The Caveman A B.C. Story by Janee Trasler, where the voice begins within the title of the story.  For older books he recommended the play Peter Pan by M.M Barrie and The Fault in our Stars by John Green, among others.

One of several exercises he gave us was this:  Place your character in mortal danger.  Write a complete scene.  (Not necessarily to be used in your book – just to learn about your character)  You will learn a lot about your character through this writing prompt.

And although the agents and editors said they were tired of paranormal books and would love to see contemporary fiction, they advised write what you must and disregard the trends.  Just keep it fresh and unique!

Now . . . back to writing!

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Are you stuck in your fiction?

Do you often stop in the middle of a short story or novel and say, “Now what?”   It might be because you don’t know your character well enough.

Put away your story and just wonder about your character.  Daydream about her/him.

What is her biggest desire?  Her magnificent obsession?  What is a secret she carries inside that she doesn’t want anyone to find out?  What is stashed away in the depths of her closet?  What does her bedroom look like?  What is hanging on her walls?  What does she eat?  How does she eat?  Pick at her food?  Wolf it down?  What is her earliest memory?  The funniest thing that has ever happened to her?  The scariest?  Something that will happen to her in the future?  How does she react if she witnesses a theft?  How is she different from you?  How is she similar?  How is she quirky?

Write scenes about these questions.  They may never appear in your story, but you must know your character backwards and forwards so that you’ll know how she’ll react to situations within your plot. 

Next, play the what if game.   What if your character . . . gets in a car accident.  What if she sees an animal hurt by the side of the road . . . what if . . .

You get the idea.  And place her next to your other minor characters.  Ask the above questions about these guys too.  Know them all so well they seem like your friends that you carry around with you in your head. 

When you think of your main character more than you think of your regular daily life, then you may be ready to get back to throwing her inside your story.  And away you go . . .

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Writing Prompt About Nature/Animals

Let your visual and auditory senses inspire writing.

Watch what happens when a young man saves the life of a hummingbird.  Describe their relationship in a poem or short story.

http://www.wimp.com/babyhummingbird

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You in the Universe

Clink on the link below.  Move the scroll bar to the right, and the universe gets larger.  Move it left; the universe gets smaller.   Not only is this cool, it’s mind-boggling!   

 
Writing Prompts:
1.  How does this site help you see your world differently?

Use the expansive universe to motivate a poem.   After you write your poem, use the poetry tip page at right to help you in your revision. 
 
2.  Choose one object from this site and write about it.  You may choose any genre you like.  Poetry, essay, short story, rap . . .
 
3.  Write an essay from your prospective in the universe.  How we relate to each other, how size matters, or how change has evolved over time are some possible themes.
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Writing About Your Life . . . Will it Harm Others?

Are you interested in writing episodes of your life?  Working on a memoir?  Personal narratives? 

You must be willing to be honest.  What do you owe the other people in your life who will make appearances in your scenes? 

At the moment, I’m writing about how my life intersects with others.  As I read my aunt’s diary for research, one line changes everything. 

Do I include this in my story?  If I do, it alters perceptions. 

I pause.  It is true the people in my narrative have passed on.  But I do not want to cause hurt to anyone on this side or the other.

Yes, it is important to the storyline. 

But. 

We must choose our words carefully in our daily life and in our writing. 

Crash!  A dove has just flown into my office window.   The universe has sent me a message. 

Writing prompt:

Choose a moment from your life that has emotional meaning for you.  It can be funny or sad, small or large.  Write the scene using sensory description, dialogue, setting and your feelings.  Set it aside for a few days and then come back to it.  Can you recall any other details you may have left out that are important to the story?  Do you have a journal  you can check which may refresh your memory?  Anyone that was there who might provide insights to the moment in time?

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Mount Diablo Peace Center’s 2012 Art and Writing Contest

The 15th annual Contra Costa Middle and High School Art and Writing Challenge has been announced through Mount Diablo’s Peace Center.  The Topic:

The Occupy Movement is raising concerns about social inequality in our country.  From your perspective, are there improvements you would make and inequalities you would end within your school, community, and/or nation that would help you, your family, or others?  Describe. 

Interested students whose teachers are not participating may call the office at 925-935-7850 to receive an application.  Cash awards will be offered!

Students may address this issue through art, essay, or creative writing.  Selections will be announced in April, and awardees, their teachers, and families will be feted in May with a celebratory dinner, during which students will present their work. 

Many thanks to the George Miller Youth Fund and Ludell Deutscher for their generous donation to this project.  Anyone else who wishes to donate should please contact the office.

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