As we all know

As we all know, when two or more people know something to be common knowledge, they don't typically take a couple pages of valuable novel space and reader time explaining it to each other.

Yet how many times have you seen this happen in books you've read? Or movies you've seen?


Why do writers do this? Is it because they're lazy? They just don't care? I think it's actually a problem that has to do with the mindset a writer is in when they write such a scene. I think for most situations, a writer either feels like the crucial information cannot be described in any way except between a couple experts. When this is not the case, the second most likely circumstance is that the writer simply does not realize this is a problem in any way.

Let me explain why I think this happens.

I think that when writers are at work, then can have very different perspectives on what their writing actually is. It all boils down to one thing - "I tell people stories." Depending on which word you put the emphasis on, it completely changes the meaning for you.

 "I tell people stories"

If the emphasis is on 'I', then you might have a writer who is only in it for the fame and glory of being a well-known author. I don't imagine these authors ever make it too far because they are the kind that will just settle for mediocre craft and vanity publishers who won't help them get anywhere further ahead in their careers.

"I TELL people stories"

If the emphasis in on 'tell', then it's all about the process of describing what's happening. These people really focus on the craft, and the experience of telling. I imagine these people would probably really like to write literary fiction, and would focus a lot on the prose.

"I tell PEOPLE stories"

Then there are those who put the emphasis on people, these guys are thinking about their reader at all times when writing a book. This is often a really good thing, they're writing what they know their target audience will like to read, and for the most part that's exactly what you have to do, but I think that these people can easily fall into the trap of "my reader needs to know this". This can be devastating for your novel if you let it go too far.

When this thinking is let out of hand, you end up with problems like info-dumping in your first chapter and the "As we all know" schtick. When writers feel the need to explain everything right away to their readers, it shows that they have a lack of confidence in their reader's ability to think through a situation, or even have the patience to wait for an answer. They think they're simply trying to be nice to their readers, and keep them coming back for more, but in reality, it's insulting. I know when I read stuff written like that I always feel like I'm being babied, like they don't think I could handle not knowing something, or they have to spoon-feed me the information or else I'll never get it. Either that, or I'm just bored out of my skull.

"I tell people STORIES"

These guys are much like the 'tell' people, except they aren't quite as interested in the craft. They're more interested in the actual goings-on of the story itself. They don't really care how the story is told as long as it's being told. They also don't care much about the readers, or at least, what the readers want. The readers are going to get what they write, and they're just going to have to accept it and move on. These people do not pander to what the masses want. They are going to say what they think regardless of what anyone else says.

This is the group that can fall into the opposite problem of the 'people' emphasized group. They can often err on the side of too little information. They want to keep that suspense going for as long as they can because they want the story's great reveal to be as epic as possible, or they hold off a ton in the beginning because they want to make their novel a really great, steady increase in tension and pace.

This too can work well if used properly, but if it's used to the extreme, you'll lose a lot of people at the beginning when they get too confused and/or too bored with the slowness of the pace.

So what's a writer to do?

Well, if you want to know what I think (and I assume you do if you're still reading this post up to this point), I think you need to be able to balance all four aspects of that core sentence. "I tell people stories" To a certain extent, you have to see yourself as a respectable writer, with something important to say. Something that's good enough, or interesting enough, or important enough that as many people as possible should hear it.

You need to have a good grasp on what it means to tell stories effectively. If your craft is terrible, then your excellent story and drive may be lost to your readers. They may become confused, irritated, and impatient with you if you can't handle a pen properly.

You need to be able to tell a story that people can enjoy. In the end, if you want to get published, you have to think about how other people are going to read your book, and what they're going to take away from it. However, in keeping with the last word, you can't let your fear of what people will think take away from what your story is really all about.

It's okay if what you write doesn't appeal to everyone! In fact, it most certainly will not appeal to everyone! And you know what? That's okay. If your story needs to be told, then by all means tell it. But don't get caught up in the "that's what everybody wants" cycle. You may earn lots of money doing that, but I'll tell you one thing, you will not earn my loyalty or respect.

And that to me, is what makes a good writer... wait, what was this post about again?
How far down does the rabbit hole go?
As we all know, Alice in Wonderland references are very cliche, and you should really avoid using them.

WHICH BRINGS ME BACK TO MY ORIGINAL POINT.

There are better ways to get valuable information to your readers. Don't resort to just flat out telling them in boring or nonsensical ways. You may think they need it, but chances are, they're smarter than that. Don't underestimate the power of your reader's mind. They know much more than you may think.


What writing cliches bother you? What kinds of things just make you cringe when reading a book or watching a movie?

Eight Killer Tips On How To Go Insane

So, I was thinking about this the other day, and I realized that there are probably thousands of people slowly going crazy, and they're totally oblivious to the fact that there's a better way for them!

They can get to a state of total mental instability at lightning speed, and arrive at rock bottom much sooner than they expected if only they would follow a few simple guidelines. This post may not speak directly to writers, but there are lots of applicable concepts, and c'mon, aren't all the best writers crazy?




8. Always keep one eye fixed on your past

This is something that virtually anyone can put into practice immediately. Regardless of what your past actually is! All you have to do, is focus on how either

A. Things were much better before, and you will never be content until you're back to that former state of perfection.
or
B. Things were much worse before, and you should feel sorry for yourself over having been dealt such a terrible hand in life.

7. Keep your other eye fixed on the future

This one goes hand in hand with 8. When you're not thinking about your past, focus on the indeterminate future.  Will you be successful? Famous? Just as it was with the past, focus on whatever you don't have at the moment.

Is your life relatively calm and cheerful at the moment? How is that all going to crumble in the next few days?
Are things bleak right now? Focus on how unchangeable this is, and how hopeless your life has become.

6. Never ask for help

When life gets you down, you know what you gotta do? Just keep going it alone. Obviously there isn't anyone around you who wants to help, or would understand what you're going through. If you've got a lot on your plate, why would anyone be willing to lighten the load? It just makes no sense. You'll be much closer to your goal of total insanity if you just continue on as a lone ranger.

5. Take everything as an insult

Insane people know that no one has their best interest at heart, and that anything anyone says can be twisted into some kind of insult to you as a person.

"Hey Joe! Looking good today!"

Wow thanks, so basically you're saying that today's the exception and that every other day I look awful?

When you can think things like this on a regular basis, you'll be much more apt to spin into a cycle of annoyance and hatred for all human contact, resulting in solitude and madness. Perfect.


4. Never take time out for yourself

Do you find yourself with spare time? Well, we'll fix that with number 3, but for now, just know that relaxation and rest is not an option. Not if you want to go insane. You need to find some way to really be productive with this time that you've been given, so I would suggest trying to fill it with menial tasks that have already been done a few times that week. This could include but is not limited to taking out the trash, vaccuming, washing dishes, alphabetizing the DVD collection, and can even extend to the obsessive compulsive  spectrum if you so desire. Have you ever considered highlighting every 'F' in an encyclopedia? Or checking the deadbolts on all your doors again? If you're not obsessive compulsive, now is the perfect time to pick up this sort of habit.

Bottom line, always occupy your free time with things that distract, and keep your mind busy. We wouldn't want you to actual learn how to cope with the stresses of life now would we?

3. Make sure to have at least three instances of double booking per week

With this tip, you can often save yourself the trouble of having to fill up your free time with trivial acts, because you won't have any free time left over. In my personal experience, this one has led to the most satisfying results over a long period of time.

If you can manage it, triple booking is even better, because then you get to choose two people to disappoint on a regular basis. This leads to an overall negative atmosphere because you're pleasing less people than you're disappointing. This tip requires persistence, because you'll be tempted to just drop one of the double booked activities. But don't lose heart! The longer you stay in both of them without letting either know why you're bailing on them so often, the better the results will be.

This one really takes time. Let that guilt build up inside of you, and make sure to really think through all the pros and cons every time you have to decide between two or more things. Make the decision as agonizing as possible. Soon you'll feel so awful about yourself, and you'll be stretched in so many different directions that you'll be utterly useless even to the party you don't disappoint.

From there it's just a matter of time before you're completely run into the ground and stark raving mad.

2. Let guilt control your life

Why haven't you already thought of this? Do you realize how many people wish they had the information you're privy to right now? And you squander it! You're so selfish. Do you honestly believe you deserve to know any of these tips? Do you know what some people go through to get even ONE? And you're getting all eight for free! I'm not even charging you for them! You're practically stealing from me!

If you took any of these statements to heart, then you've already begun putting this tip into practice. Bravo! Just keep it up, or else I'll find you and commence a long drawn out lecture about how you've wasted so much potential as a crazy person.

Being crazy is very demanding. You need to constantly feed that whirlpool of emotions, and guilt is a great way to churn up the stomach and knocking your self esteem down a few notches.

1.  Stay the course, and ignore all warning signs

If you really want to go insane, this is the most important tip here. Under no circumstances can you allow someone to show you the detrimental effects of your behaviour. Since being insane will probably be the best thing that ever happened to you, it's obvious going to be something you pride yourself in, and you can't let some 'friend' take that away from you. Be strong! Don't let their foolish well-meaning gestures get to you!

Also, just remember that whenever you feel like you want to give up this journey, and go back to being sane, that's just crazy talk. No matter how bad this might get, just don't turn back. Never give up, never surrender!


These tips all served me very well while I was in High School, and at the beginning of my first year of University. They helped me to stay crazy for quite a long time, and I know that if you follow them, you'll be just as well-off as I was. Won't that be fun!?

What tips do you have on how to go insane?

A Leap of Faith

First off, I just want to say, bungee jumping has always been something I've wanted to do.

And I can now officially say that I've done it.

Going bungee jumping was absolutely thrilling, and terrifying, and exhilarating, and nerve-racking.

Before the jump part of me just wanted to turn around and say "No way. This is not going to happen." ... but the part of me that said "You've been waiting your whole life to do this, just go!!!" won out.

And I'm so glad it did.

Right before I went for the jump, as the guys working there were cinching me up getting me strapped in tightly, I asked one of them "Has anyone ever died on this tower?" And to my surprise, they said

"No, not on this tower."

Then I asked, "What was the worst injury someone sustained?"

"Just some bruises really." Then he described to me how one or two people had hurt themselves a bit more seriously, but only because they did stupid things like bungee jump by their wrists or things like that.


That was actually probably the best thing for me to hear at that moment. Basically, I just needed to know. You're not going to die if you do this. You're going to be alright.


And you know what? It's the same for my writing career.

I am absolutely terrified of sending off my manuscript to agents. I have no idea if anyone is going to like my writing, and I feel like as soon as I start sending it off, I'm going to be jumping off a ledge with no way back. I'm going to find out if I can write, and that knowledge will change things for me. No matter what happens, I won't be in total ignorant bliss anymore. I'll know one way or another.

It could be awesome, it could be heart-breaking, but you know what?

It won't kill me.

At the end of the day, if all I sustain are a few bruises, then I'll be okay with that. At some point I'm going to have to just be okay with what I've got, and accept the fact that someday, if I really want to be an author, I have to take the plunge. I have to take that leap of faith, and put myself out there as a serious writer.

Did I mention that's really scary??


Now, don't think too hard about this metaphor, it's not something ultra-profound or super applicable, but I think in this case it works. I realize people have died from bungee jumping before, but that's not the point of this example. Like I said, try not to think about it too hard.

A lot of people have been asking me how it felt to go bungee jumping, and to be perfectly honest, I'm not sure how to describe it. It felt utterly surreal. Like I was in the most life-like dream I've ever had. I've had lots of dreams that ended in falling, but when I went bungee jumping, instead of a sense of sheer terror, I felt utter thrill and elation as I plummeted down toward the water below. Right before jumping, all I could think of, was Buzz Lightyear with his eyes closed about to jump off the side of Andy's bed saying "To infinity, AND BEYOND!!" Then I fell, with style. :P No more prep time needed. No more pep talks required. Just a willingness to jump, and the knowledge that it would all be ok in the end.

I don't know what it will feel like when I send my book off to the "professionals". It could be everything I've dreamed of, or it might not be. The fear of the latter has kept me paralyzed for a long time. I've been doing a lot of stuff to basically just put off sending query letters to agents because I keep feeling like I'm not ready, and I need to prepare more. But how long is that going to drag on for? At this point, I think it's time to go out there and just do it. Seriously, why wait to chase your dreams tomorrow, when in reality you could be doing that today?

Basically all I'm trying to say, is sometimes, there's only so much preparation you can do.

The rest, you just have to leave up to gravity.


What about you? What's holding you back? Or have you already taken the plunge?

A Person's A Person, No Matter How Small

My absolute favourite Dr. Seuss story is "Horton Hears a Who".

"What?" You may ask.

To which I would reply, "No, a WHO."


While it's true, this probably isn't Dr. Seuss' most famous story, it has remained near and dear to my heart for many years. The recent re-make was one of the only movies I've ever watched twice in theatres. The reason why? Because in this story, we see two people fighting against everyone they know, and everything they've seen or heard to defend their belief in each other. To me, this is awe-inspiring.


For those of you who haven't watched/read Horton Hears a Who, SHAME ON YOU - I mean, that's okay. I'll give you a quick run-down of the plot. *Spoiler Alert* (You really should just read it on your own when you get the chance, if you haven't noticed I highly recommend it)


Synopsis

 One day, in the Jungle of Nool, Horton the Elephant hears a small noise, which he soon attributes to a small speck of dust - being the only thing around. Eventually he discovers that there must be very small people on this speck, too tiny to see. When a sour kangaroo hears of this, she says it's absurd, and tries to destroy the dust speck because it's obvious to her that there couldn't possibly be people that small. Meanwhile, on top of the dust speck, the scientist/mayor (depending on which version you watch or read) tries to warn the town of Whoville that they are in danger and that their whole world rests on a speck, but no one believes him. So both Horton and the mayor spend the better half of the book trying to convince the people around them that there is another world out there that they can't see, hear or touch. This culminates in an intense moment where Horton is tied up and thrown in a cage by the kangaroo and a few monkeys, and the speck is about to be dropped in a pot of boiling beezlenut oil. The whole town tries to shout out "We are here!" to stop this from happening, but no one can hear them until the smallest who of all lets out one tiny "Yop". When all is said and done, no one believed in the who's because they were so small, but their whole world was saved by the smallest of all - reinforcing the central theme that Horton states early on, "A person's a person, no matter how small."


It's incredible that cartoon characters can sometimes communicate themes like this more effectively than live-action actors.


Why I love it


For me, when I see Horton giving it his all, and never doubting the Who's existence for a moment, it just makes me that much more invested in the story, and makes the "roping and caging" scene so much more intense. I think that anyone with a strong sense of justice will always be more involved in a story when the main character is put through great trials through no fault of his own, or accused of wrong when innocent. Horton did nothing to deserve the sour kangaroo's wrath, but even when she did unspeakable things to him, he never once lashed out at her, or insulted her, or tried to get back at her in any way. In fact, when all was said and done, he readily forgave her.


Similarly, the who's did nothing to deserve being thrown in a pot of boiling beezlenut oil, and all their efforts to be heard seem completely in vain until the very last moment when the smallest who lets out that yop.


When I was watching this in the theatres, I remember the "We are here/roping and caging" scene very vividly. Watching the who's doing everything they can to make noise, and Horton doing everything he can to keep them safe is absolutely riveting. Granted, this story may fall under the category of "I watched it when I was young so I can't find any faults with it.", but I don't think that's the only reason why I like it.

In the end, this story is about belief. It's about believing in what you can't see regardless of what people around you think. Horton and the mayor were both made fun of, ostracized and rejected for what they believed, but they stuck to their guns, and kept pushing no matter what the cost.


Why this matters to me as a writer

As an writer, I'm always trying to think of ways to create compelling, likeable characters for my stories. Something that has recently come up through thinking about Horton Hears a Who, has been the aspect of belief. If a character is realistic, they're going to have some core beliefs that really mean a lot to them. I think a really powerful way to get people to care about a character is to portray that character as someone who will stick to what they believe, no matter what people around them say. Of course, this can become problematic when those beliefs prove to be erroneous, but at least for me, I hate a flip flopper.

I can't stand it when a character is tossed to and fro depending on the current thoughts of the time. I love to see dynamic characters that can change, but who don't just change because everyone tells them to. I want to see them change as a result of the story. As a result of what they've experienced, and from their own introspection. How can you respect someone's values if they're constantly changing them? How can you root for a character that's changing their motives every five minutes?

I love Horton because of his determination, and his guts. I honestly don't care much that he isn't all that three-dimensional. I'm okay with the fact that he doesn't necessarily have any character flaws, or anything to make him more 'realistic'. He's an elephant. He's a cartoon. He doesn't have to be some ultra-realistic person anyone could relate to. He's a likeable character that goes through a lot because he's loyal, kind, and he never gives up.

Why this matters to me as a person

In a way, even though Horton isn't a real person, he's someone I can look up to. There are times when I want to shrink into the background and not say anything about my faith for fear of what others will think of me. There are days when I really don't want people to ask me about what I believe. But is this because I expect them to really persecute me like some people are being persecuted right now in other parts of the world?

I'm not exactly about to get roped and caged for what I believe in. But I'm still hesitant to voice my opinions in some areas. Why?

Because at the end of the day, I want people to like me.

Really, that's what it comes down to, and to be honest, that's pretty selfish. There are people out there literally dying to share their faith and I'm sitting in the corner twiddling my thumbs waiting for the topic of conversation to switch back to the weather. I think that there are areas in my life where I really need to be more like Horton and just say it like it is. "This is what I believe, this is why, and like it or not that's the way it is!"
  
I could go on and on about this story, and about how I also see the connection between the theme "A person's a person no matter how small" and abortion, but that would probably at least double this already lengthy post, so I'll save that lovely subject for another day.

But I want to know, what are your thoughts about this? Are you annoyed by people who "stick to their guns" and don't budge on their beliefs? Or do you admire them?


I realize no one's infallible, and sometimes we need to be open to correction from others, but at the end of the day, are you just a people pleaser? Or do you really, really believe what you say you believe?