Writers!
Good autumn morning. Did you catch that Chinook wind yesterday and last night? How wonderful!
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This week is focused on outlining. Asking yourself, your characters, your storytelling skills lots of questions; forcing some introspection and examination.
Outlining can be rather daunting and, for those unfamiliar with the process, it may be difficult to imagine the form — not that there is a single, rigid style. To acquire a self-created example, I suggest that you try a technique I’ve found both enlightening about the form and instructional about writing — a method by which you can learn how good stories (and those not-so-good) are constructed. Even experienced writers, including professionals, may find it to be a few well-spent hours.
Rent or buy or borrow a videotape or DVD or other type of recording of one of your favorite movies or shows or miniseries. View the first scene, punch Pause and write three or four or five lines about what the scene was about. Then run the second scene, and repeat the process — and so on and so on. It will take a while, but by the time you’re through, you will have an outline. You’ll see what it looks like, know how it’s supposed to read.
But more than that, you will have learned. A lot. You’ll see what the writer was doing — understand it on a fresh level. Which can be a revelation — and may just give you some creative mojo for your next project.
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Sunday, Oct. 23 is our next Writing Work Session at the North Bend Library Meeting Room at 3 p.m. Please RSVP so I can plan accordingly for our session. We will be talking & exercising more on outlining and plotting. Don’t be scared, I promise it will be fun. I’ll even bring some treats! You bring your smiling selves, notebook and pen (laptop if you prefer) and get ready to loosen those writing muscles. Who’s with me?
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By request at our last work session, I was asked to point out those in the membership who have blogs for others to follow. There is a page on our Web site that features this:
http://www.snovalleywrites.org/?page_id=342If you have a blog and would like to be added to this list, please let me know.
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And now your moment of Writing Zen:
“Do not fear mistakes — there are none.” ~Miles Davis
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What did you Write today?
~Casz
Casondra Brewster
Moderator/Founder
Sno Valley Writes!
Helping Writers Reach New Literary Peaks Since 2008
http://www.snovalleywrites.org
Check us out on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/SnoValleyWrites
“But words are things, and a small drop of ink,
Falling, like dew upon a thought, produces
That which makes thousands, perhaps millions, think.” ~ Lord Byron