The Writing Forge

Miranda and Bonnie talk with Gary Raham about how science fiction can generate interest and learning when it comes to the sciences.

Question for the week: What piece of fiction inspired your interest in a topic that you might not have otherwise had?

Tips and Tricks:

• Children hold a natural wonder for the world and this matches well with the inherent wonder and curiosity that’s pervasive in science fiction. This can create great foundations for future learning.
• With science fiction (and all other forms of fiction), children can learn how to navigate society, culture, dangers, and a number of different things, all through the lens of a fun story that will stick with them.
• It’s important to get facts in science fiction correct. Readers of the genre will notice those kind of mistakes and, for many people, that story might be their only exposure to that kind of science.
• Most science fiction allows for one big “lie”—or rather, one big inaccuracy. Typically you can ask a reader to suspend their belief for one fantastical element, but because of that, everything else around it must be as accurate as possible so as not to put too much strain on that suspension. 
• We learn more about the world as time goes on. So older science fiction is full of inaccuracies but was correct with the knowledge available at the time. This can be used to help compare and contrast the kind of science we know now. 
• “Science fiction is the precursor to science fact.” Much of what we see in science fiction—technology, social structures, exploration—can give us something to strive for as people and as a society. 

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Chrysta Bairre joins Miranda and Bonnie to talk about Imposter Syndrome in this week’s episode of The Writing Forge. We referenced NCW/Writing Heights’ annual writing retreat a lot. Check out our website for details on our next retreat! https://writingheights.com/retreat

This week’s question: Do you also suffer from Imposter Syndrome? If you do, what are some ways you counteract it? Let us know at the social links below.

Tips and Tricks:

• Imposter syndrome is defined as the persistent inability to believe that one’s success is deserved or has been legitimately achieved as a result of one’s own efforts or skills.
• Sometimes imposter syndrome is sneaky, not necessarily feeling like a “fraud." For instance, the inability to accept compliments while immediately internalizing anything negative said about your work.
• You can experience imposter syndrome even if you've published multiple books or done the work of a profession—nothing will feel like it “counts.”
• A few practical tips to dealing with imposter syndrome:
• Practice receiving positive feedback differently
• Get more practiced at talking about your contributions and accomplishments and how you’re proud of yourself
• Resist the urge to talk about and point out all the imperfections in your work
• Imposter syndrome can stop you in unconscious ways, such as missing out on opportunities or not even considering options because you don’t think you’re “worthy” or you “belong.”
• Try having an accountability partner to talk about your weekly wins: how you showed up, what you accomplished, progress you’ve made
• Also try a “Win Jar” (can be physical or digital): every time someone pays you a compliment or you get good feedback, put it in the jar. When you're feeling low, you can return to the jar and go through the things there.
• Appreciate the people in your life. Help reflect on their wins and accomplishments; yours will start to sink in for yourself as well.
• Join or create communities to help empower your skills and your belief in them.

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Cover art by Maggie Walker

Links:

For more about Chrysta, visit https://liveandlovework.com/

Beautiful Badass: https://smile.amazon.com/Beautiful-Badass-Believe-Yourself-Against/dp/1734584106/

Chrysta’s blog post on compliment dodgeball: https://liveandlovework.com/2018/03/29/the-1-reason-you-are-underpaid/

Original 1978 study on “The Imposter Phenomenon:” https://www.paulineroseclance.com/pdf/ip_high_achieving_women.pdf

In this week’s episode Bonnie and Miranda talk with blues-musician-turned-author Shawn Amos about living different creative lives, transferring skills from one creative pursuit to another, and capitalizing on the power of music in writing.

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Cover art by Maggie Walker

Links:

Cookies & Milk: https://www.smile.amazon.com/dp/B09FL821JR/

Bonnie and Miranda talk about common misconceptions perpetuated in the writing community.

This week’s question: What other common misconceptions do you see in the writing community? Do you have a writing rule that someone has told you and you want to know if it’s legit? Let us know on our socials.

Tips and Tricks:

● Passive language and passive voice are different. Both are frequently edited out, but sometimes there’s a time and a place for them.

● People are always talking about kicking up the intensity in a novel, but sometimes that’s to the detriment of the story and to the reader. It’s okay to give you’re characters breaks once in a

while and settle into slower scenes.

● “Never use adverbs” is another piece of advice that should be taken with a grain of salt.

Adverbs, when used correctly, can help with pacing and help clarification. Usage is all based on context.

● Thesauruses aren’t always your friend. Using strong language is typically recommended, but if this advice is taken too far you run the risk of scaling your scene’s tension too quickly or taking words out of context because they aren’t “fancy."

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Cover art by Maggie Walker

Mike Pickard joins Miranda and Bonnie today to talk about the ever-dreaded writer’s block, whether or not it exists, and how to combat it.

This week’s questions: Do you believe writer’s block exists? How do you deal with writer’s block? Have you ever experienced it? How long has it lasted? What finally got you out of it? Let us know on our socials.

Tips and tricks:

• Generally, “writer’s block” is a term used to describe a problem you have that is preventing you from writing. The best way to cure writer’s block is to diagnose what the problem actually is. Fear? Indecision? Mischaracterization? Not having a viable idea to begin with?
• Depending on what the problem is, your solution will be born out of that.
• Having something on the page is generally better than having nothing at all. Don’t be afraid to write poorly or take the wrong direction; you can always go back and edit it later.
• Stories can run into problems with mischaracterization. A plot point may be necessary to the story but is not something the character would do and this can lead to a stall in writing.
• Not knowing what kind of writer you are can also lead to writer’s block. If you find discovery writing isn’t working, try plotting, or vice versa—you might find that another method actually works better for you.
• When finishing a writing session, try stopping at a point when you know what the next half of the page is going to be. This can help kickstart the next writing session.
• Sometimes writer’s block can actually be depression. If that's the case, it's better to take a step back and work on healing yourself than trying to force your creativity.

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Cover art by Maggie Walker

Links:

Shut Up and Write

“Sometimes Writer’s Block is Really Depression,” by Mary Robinette Kowal

Bonnie and Miranda talk with Ronda Simmons about writing under stress. This week’s question: What do you do to relieve your stress? And what do you do to keep writing and doing creative things while you’re stressed? Come chat with us on our socials.

Tips and tricks:

● If you’re trying to create under stress, it sometimes helps to change things up. Create in a different space, put on different music, engage your senses differently: these can all help put you in a different mindset.

● Practice self-care like meditation or taking walks to free up your mind for more stressful projects.

● Creating a habit before difficulties come up can help carry you through stressful times.

● Create a “trigger” to send a signal to your brain that it’s time to start writing. It can be burning a scent, positioning and settling in your desk chair, etc. Make it unique and specific to your writing time.

● Some people find changing up fonts can help give themselves permission to write poorly, which can help them get over blocks.

● Changing genres or switching between fiction and nonfiction can tap into different parts of your creativity, giving part of you a break.

● Find a community and/or support system. A writing community can help bring you back to a creative headspace with constructive ideas and brainstorming. A support system can help you release the stress to the point where you have room for creativity again.

● Helping other helps yourself. Helping another writer can help your mood, plus a lot of times you’ll be working on your own problem as you're working on theirs.

● Sometimes the simple act of writing when surrounded by a group of people who are also writing can be enough to help you get in a writing headspace.

● Having supportive people to hold you accountable can keep the creativity flowing.

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Cover art (and Ronda covers) by Maggie Walker

Links:

The Potato Primer

https://www.ambient-mixer.com/

Atomic Habits

Shut Up and Write

Amy Rivers joins Bonnie and Miranda on this episode of The Writing Forge to discuss trauma in fiction. 

This week’s question: Assuming you're writing fiction, think about your main character. What trauma have they experienced? If you don’t have an answer to that question, what trauma could you introduce into their lives to help them grow?

• When writing trauma, the key is to find a balance between the emotional impact of the trauma without being too gratuitous or graphic in the descriptions.
• Think about what kind of triggers you’re going to be covering and how people who have been traumatized in that way may respond.
• The main goals of books, whether reading or writing, is to gain empathy for people. 
• Try to be as true to the situation as possible without forcing people to live it. People experience trauma differently, and sometimes fading to black is more helpful than spelling it out, because it allows people to process in their own way.
• Think about what kind of writer you are and what kind of message you’re trying to convey. You can be faithful to real life healing and its rises and falls, or you can resolve trauma by the end of the book. Neither is more right than the other; it’s about how you handle the journey.
• Writing trauma authentically usually requires a bit of plotting and a little extra reworking in the editing process.
• Use of sensitivity readers can be very helpful to find what lines you may be inadvertently crossing.
• Memoirs, textbooks, firsthand accounts, and online groups are great sources that can help you learn about trauma and how it can affect everyone differently.
• Make sure to take care of yourself when reading or writing about trauma. Take breaks when you need them and practice good self-care. Walks, talking with friends or professionals, and meditation, are just some examples. Research and experimentation will help you find what works best for you. 

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Cover art by Maggie Walker

Miranda and Bonnie talk with Richard Bender about reading widely in today’s episode of the writing forge.

This week’s question: What genres do you normally read? What genres are you unfamiliar with? Let us know and let’s give each other recommendations.

Tips and Tricks:

• It’s important to read widely in order to familiarize yourself with different writing styles.
• Each genre has its strength. See what it does well and apply that to your own writing where you can.
• Conversely, if there is a particular skill you want to cultivate within your own genre, look for a genre where that is the main skill. E.g., if you want better humor in your fantasy, read some humor books to see how they’re constructed.
• It’s also important to read in the genre that you write in to understand what’s going to appeal to people in that genre and to see what other authors in that genre are doing.
• When reading for fun, try to take stock when a book does something well. You can pause and analyze what the author did right then, or revisit later.

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Cover art by Maggie Walker

On today’s episode we discuss comic books and graphic novels with author Rod Martinez.

This Week’s Question: What is your favorite graphic novel? One that was most influential, one that caught your interest, or just one that you've been following? Let us know! 

Tips and Tricks:

• When writing a graphic novel, don’t think like a novelist, instead try to think like a director in a play or a screenplay.
• Storyboard your panels, keeping in mind that you’ll be working with an artist and you need to be clear on the vision you’re aiming for.
•  Seriously, clarity cannot be underscored enough.
• When writing a graphic novel, lean into your strength, whether dialogue or exposition; both will help.
• Querying a graphic novel or comic book is similar to querying a children’s picture book: some publishers just want the script only; some want the script and the art. Be sure to research.
• Be. Patient.
• The publishing timeline on comic books is variable.

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Cover art by Maggie Walker

On today’s episode we discuss Bookstagram with author and Bookstagrammer Nina Little.

This Week’s Question: Do you participate in Bookstagram? If you do, who's your favorite Bookstagrammer? Tag and share on social media; you can find our links in the description. 

Tips and Tricks:

• Instagram is a visually based—take lots of pictures of your book, things in the book, or topics related to your book
• Becoming a Bookstagrammer first and published author second can help writers build a following and more easily generate frequent
• If possible, try to set up your author Instagram before you sell your book. That way you’re able to promote the book leading up to the launch. (It’s alright if you’ve already published without an account. It’s a better-late-than-never kind of situation.)
• Don’t make the majority of your posts self-promotion. As always, social media works best when you focus on building a community rather than selling things. Make sure to vary your posts and actually participate (comment, follow, chime in on others’ posts, etc.)
• Instagram book tours cost a couple hundred dollars, but some people have found them to be a good return on investment.
• Themes are huge on Instagram. Look for Bookstagram hashtags by searching through other Bookstagram accounts and checking out their posts. It helps to organize the tags by month, week, day, and theme.
• Bookstagram charities can not only help you gain followers but support good causes and help readers learn more about you and what you stand for. 
• Avoid drama online and always try to be polite. 

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Cover art by Maggie Walker