Creative Writing at iTunes U

While writing on my second novel, I wanted to brush up on the basics and have a closer look at some of the elements and techniques which writers usually have in their toolbox. I remembered that iTunes University offered a number of free online courses and thought I would just try my luck. Lo and behold, I stumbled upon “Writing Creatively: Fiction”, a course offered by The Open University which featured interviews with best-selling authors on their experiences and motivation as a writer. I really enjoyed the course because it gave me an opportunity to reflect on my own writing life so far, while still refreshing some of the concepts I learned at college.   

Click on the image for the programme overview

The programme is ideal for a beginner who is unsure of where or how to start his writing career as it gives a great overview of the process. If you are a better reader than listener when it comes to study, then you also have the option to read the transcripts. I also liked the offered exercises on storytelling. My friends and I had a great evening coming up with adventures for characters invented over dinner! Whether a newbie or already a writer with experience, I believe that the offered course is a great opportunity to reflect as well as experiment with your writing. 

Now, that I’m finished with this course its back to writing - Mug has been up to quite some mischief in the meantime, I'm sure! However, if one of you stumbles upon an interesting blog or online resource, let me know ;)

VOICE – An Author’s Way of Telling a Story

After my take on character arc and plot structure last week, I am back to my article on voice. When I attended my first creative writing class during my BA in English Studies, we first discussed the writing styles of different writers as well as the artistic licence writers can take on traditional text forms. However, when it came to writing our own texts, we were told to find our own style. I believe one of my university colleagues and I formulated it best during one of our literature rants:

“It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single writer in possession of a great plot idea, must be in want of a voice to tell it to the world. So get your pen and start!”

While we freely borrowed from Jane Austen, it was to the point. Jane Austen had an iconic writing style and we had been told more than once to get to it and find our own voice. Of course, initially we were stumped. How do you go about finding your voice? I mean in reality it seems like you just open your mouth and there it is, yet I was unsure of my voice on paper. What were the elements that made up a great voice? What was the first step to developing a good writing voice?

Given my love for a plan of action, I searched for a manual that would guide me through the process of developing a voice, but the only thing I got to hear was that I had to do it on my own. Now, years later, I understand that there is no single way to finding your voice as a writer and it doesn’t end or begin with an epiphany telling you ‘This is your voice’. There is no homogenous manual which will tell you what the first, second or even the last step will be for you before you find your writer’s voice. Like your own personality takes shape over time and shifts as you experience new aspects of life, your voice as a writer gradually develops through writing.

Wikipedia defines a writer’s voice as “the literary term used to describe the individual writing style of an author. Voice was generally considered to be a combination of a writer's use of syntax, diction, punctuation, character development, dialogue, etc., within a given body of text (or across several works).”

As a budding writer, you might have a natural talent for character development or dialogue, but you usually stick to the grammatically prescribed rules of syntax and punctuation. However, once you have confidence in yourself as a writer, you will recognise patterns, challenge yourself to overcome bad habits, dare yourself to try something different with your voice and start playing with grammatical parameters. These small elements will make your writing style unique. They will become corner stones of your voice. Your best bet to finding your own voice as a writer is to write. In the last ten years I have written texts in a number of text styles and genres, I even tried my hand at poetry not too long ago. (It took me about four hours before I was happy with the end result!)

Writing different stories, receiving feedback, reading texts from various genres and your own life experience will teach you about character development and dialogue. Constructive criticism and positive feedback will give you the courage to try yourself out. And in the end it will be you who decides whether the style and tone of your writing is authentic or not. After all, whether an author’s style is considered good or bad is a matter of individual preference. Readers are as diverse in their tastes as the authors which bring their thoughts to life on paper.

That does, however, not mean that there are not marks of quality for a well-written piece. Correct spelling, coherence, fluidity, choice of register and content will still play a role.

Character Arc and Plot Structure

Since I seem to have caught a tinkering bug concerning my VOICE post, I am going to get this little insight into writing off my chest first. What I would like to talk about today is patterning a character’s, usually the MC’s, emotional journey after the plot structure of your novel creating a two-fold outline, combining action and character arc peaks.

Have you ever struggled with how to account for the emotional journey of your MC against the backdrop of your action sequences?

Plot structure - reallyrelative.blogspot.com

At times I am clear on my character arc and clear on main events in my story line, but I need to take an extra step to assure that my peak moments carry the right emotional triggers next to the twists in the story line. Peaks in the plot usually accelerate the narrative or change the direction of your story. While serving as triggers for action, they can also jump start character change in your MC. 

Following the displayed plot structure model, I use the opening sequence/introduction for setting the scene and displaying the basic character traits of my MC. For example I could go with Lynn, a shy, harmony-loving, emphatic twelve-year old. In order to outline Lynn’s shy and harmony-loving personality traits in the introduction, I would indirectly involve her in a conflict situation in which she acts more as an observer –e.g.: a school yard bullying scene.  Her empathy would be shown in her care of the victim after the attack, but at the same time, her flaw would become obvious. She is a coward and not standing up for what is right.

The inciting moment in turn triggers an emotional response which sends her on her journey towards bravery and self-respect. Lynn who has avoided the wrath of the bullies so far, suddenly finds herself the target and out of fear is forced to do something against her will. Fear as an emotion combined with her deep empathy could easily swing into anger and self-disgust which often serve as emotional triggers for change. Consequent peak moment in the building section of the novel would then confront Lynn with different emotional experiences forming her new character.

During the building phase changes of scenery often serve as a great way to tell backstory and allow new impressions and triggers to push the story and character arc forward. Taking Lynn out of her school environment, for example, will put the bullying into perspective against a bigger scale – the real world.  At the same time, the broader perspective gained through looking beyond the class room will expand Lynn’s horizon in terms of self-awareness. I imagine it would be a great experience for Lynn to volunteer at a retirement home. The life experiences of the residents would act as a further catalyst for her change. Adapting to a new environment would give Lynn the emotional maturity and self-awareness to redefine herself in the school environment. In another peak moment, it would give Lynn the opportunity to recognise that her role in school is her choice cemented in how she reacts to the bullying. 

The climax is reserved for Lynn’s breakthrough moment: She overcomes the bullying problem and at the same time validates her new personality traits. Lynn confronts the bullies and stands up for her friends, maybe even getting the miscreants to repent. The emotional trigger here could be relief and a feeling of accomplishment. 

The resolution/conclusion would then describe her new reality and show case her gained emotional maturity. If you wanted to add an extra twist to the climax, you could also let Lynn’s character swing into an unexpected direction where self-assurance bleeds into arrogance at the triumph over her bullies. Lynn emerges as the leader of a new bullying band.

That is where the creative licence of an author takes centre stage. The important thing I learned, however, is that I can match each peak moment in my plot structure with an emotional trigger propelling forward my character arc while at the same time accelerating my narrative through the action.