Sylvia's novel writing blog

My shiny new book trailer for my WIP

Check out my shiny new book trailer (a marketing tool) for my work-in-progress:

 

First, I used a Mac to make a Powerpoint presentation (sparse writing = good). After saving the PPT project, save the project "as pictures", so that each slide is saved as a jpg. Next, open iMovie, and insert each jpg into the story board. Once the jpgs (slides) are in place, choose a movie theme and adjust the length of each jpg (slide). Choose a song from iTunes (ask for permission from the musician first if you wish to broadcast it publicly) and lay it on the story board (this makes the background light up green). Finally, click on the Share tab to post it on YouTube. If you have a PC, you can use MovieMaker.

Write back. I'd like to hear about what other people are making.

Our brains--hardwired to enjoy stories?

One of the most useful books on writing that I've read in the past 10 years is Wired For Story by Lisa Cron. It merges art with science, deftly explaining how we are biologically wired to pinpoint those elements we as readers seek and hope to find while reading a story. 

To hear a summary of some of the most salint points in her book, I'm including the link Grammar Girl: Quick & Dirty Tips for Better Writing, where Lisa Cron's work is showcased in an article. You can also listen to the audio version (10-minutes), which is located just above the GG article.

My W-Storyboard for my novel

Here's a quick sketch of my W-storyboard I've been using, based on ideas I've gotten recently from screenwriter Michael Hague, writing teacher Mary Carroll Moore's W-storyboarding on YouTube, and MyFlik's (a superb screenwriting channel which could also help fiction writers) The Hero's Journey 15 plot points YouTube video. Hyperlink function isn't working well :(

Story structure is probably one of the most important elements in fiction writing a writer needs to study and understand in order to give his/her readers an enjoyable reading experience, and even more than that--RESONANCE. Did you know that George Lucas and JK Rowling, to name only two out of thousands of (screen)writers used the elements of the mythic hero's journey tale to tell their story? I've seen mythic hero journey sites that show step-by-step how each of  the Star Wars' characters resemble Harry Potters characters.

If this revelation makes you worried about your novel being too formulaic, don't fret. I've avoided learning story structure until recent months, and I've realized that we all have our own story to tell, our own characters and voice, and so on. You can make things feel fresh and yet leave your readers with a feeling that they've entered another world through your senses, and by using the mythic structure of your choice, help them feel as if they've touched the tip of eternity

Michael Hague: http://www.storymastery.com/articles/30-screenplay-structure

Mary Carroll Moore: Your Book Starts Here--Storyboarding for Writers: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMhLvMJ_r0Y

MyFlik channel (a treasure box collection of insightful short videos on (screen)writing: How to Write a Script--Hero Journey Plot Points: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zY_WYkbq7YM

Novel writers are...(fill in the blank)

Sometimes it feels insane to pursue novel writing, and I know it sounds pretentious when I say there's no way around writing it. I still feel bound to finish it with a drive I haven't experienced before, except the time I had to get my son out of me when the OB-gyn wielded an epesiotomy knife at me.

This past year, I've read several fiction and nonfiction. Fiction includes The Shadow of the Wind; a rereading of The Steppenwolf; Girl With a Pearl Earring; Eat, Pray, Love; and poetry by Rosalia de Castro. Nonfiction includes The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch. I've also listened to a lot of Julia Cameron's The Artist Way, the audiotape version of her book that I had made copies from the library in Pacific Grove, CA years ago. I found them in a box here in Al-Ain started listening to them again and again. Now that I've created a little and have been wanting to return to my novel manuscript but know that I'm afraid of beginning the whole process again, I've learned so much about myself and my fears by listening to her wise words. Audio version is nice because she has a gentle yet stern voice to put you in your place while you make your commute to work every day. Anyone whose fear of making mistakes is preventing them from creating should read or listen to her book. Immediately. For your sake and ours. 

 The Artist's Way

Julia Cameron

Writing is sometimes kinda scary

It's mid-December and the sands are blowing outside my window. I'm just 70% above my writing target. I can now see the handful of scenes I need to write to complete the novel I'm writing, and I'm both thrilled and terrified at the same time. But overall, as of today anyway after completing a scene, I am beginning to feel a sense of relief that I am accomplishing the task I set out to do one year ago.

Recently, I thought of another couple books that have deeply influenced me and my writing: On the Road by Jack Kerouac, Winesburg, Ohio by Sherwood Anderson, and Candide by Voltaire.

 

 

 

 

 

On the Road: 50th Anniversary Edition

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Winesburg, Ohio (Bantam Classic)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Candide (Dover Thrift Editions)

 

 

 

 

 

I have a week off to write instead of teach due to Al-Eid holiday in the UAE. So I am going to get as many scenes finished as possible while juggling my time with my family, especially since my super cool step-son Max (and personal investor) is coming to visit. Meanwhile, in the evenings I am reading my manuscript aloud to listen for anything that sounds stilted or wrong, and rewriting in the rare moments I have when I'm not power writing. I've also emailed the first batch of 50 words out to a few people. After the first polished draft is complete, I plan to ask as many of my friends as possible to review the manuscript while I am in Spain for a couple weeks in January researching my setting on the Camino to Santiago de Compostela.

By the way, I am pleased to announce that my nonfiction The Long Distance Relationship Guidebook has been doing well at the online bookstores.

 

 

 

 

 

The Long Distance Relationship Guidebook

Sylvia Shipp

 

 

 

 

 

Focus on the journey my butt

It's December and this past week I've been fermenting the last leg of my main character's self-discovery journey on the Camino to Santiago, and hover at 65%. I say "self-discovery" because I've realized that overall, that's the overarching theme in my novel. There are many books and films out on this topic, but none resemble my own (thank God).

I was just reading the reviews of Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert on Amazon.com, and it terrified me how some reviewers lambasted her. I hope she never reads some of the vicious remarks people have written. They were lambasting her for two reasons: 1) she received an advance from her publisher before taking off for a year on her journey toward self-discovery to Italy, India, and Indonesia, and 2) they say she is too narcissistic. I don't know, isn't the point of self-discovery for people to focus on themselves? I haven't read the book, so I''m withholding judgment for now. I sympathize with their concerns, but still, I wish people would show a little more tolerance towards others, even if they have been given a helping hand. And furthermore, it's not like she hadn't traveled a lot under spartan conditions before getting any help from her publishers.

I've researched other notable works on second chances and self-discovery, and I've come to realized how influenced I am by Herman Hesse's books Siddhartha and Steppenwolf which I read in my twenties. 

I'd like to deepen my understanding of a person's self-discovery by watching Woody Allen's paragon of reinvention, Shirley Valentine which is about a middle-aged woman who is dissatisfied with her marriage, travels to Greece alone and ends up finding herself again.

On a lighter note, there are the films Bread and Tulips (Pane e Tulipani), Under the Tuscan Sun and more recently, The Holiday, all of which I've seen over the years and enjoyed very much.

The Holiday

Shirley Valentine

Bread and Tulips

Under the Tuscan Sun (Full Screen Edition)