Cole Writing

Writing Frees You

Jan 7

Posted by Rocky Cole in Fiction Writing, Writing Craft | No Comments

PC010015

Writing can set you free in more ways than you can imagine. I think that is why so many are drawn to write, whether in journals, letters to friends, or in works of fiction. Even essays and non-fiction writing can free you and take you away from the mundane world if you find that special word or phrase that brings your writing to life.

It’s true that writing is not always easy and you do not step through that “special doorway” into another world every time you sit down to write. There are many days that the words won’t come, days when writing is a true struggle. But those hard days are not the ones that keep us coming back – although there is some merit to fighting the good fight on days when writing is tough.

But what makes a person a writer is when they fall deeply into a piece of writing and the everyday world melts away. You are writing, and then suddenly you lose your sense of place and are more the writing than a person sitting in a chair writing something. What I am describing here is that moment when the words are just right and the images and ideas you are putting down on paper take on a life of their own… you, the writer, just seem to be along for the ride. This is a wonderful state to be in and it’s like magic. The words become more than just words and when you stop you realize you were lost in your own writing and more time has passed than you realized. Truly, like magic.

Those moments, the moments of magic, are what create writers. You discover that nothing else can quite give you the same feeling of accomplishment or take you to that magic place. Not everyone has this “gift”, the gift of writing, the calling of being a writer, but those of you who have it know exactly what I am talking about.

You are the writers.

Should You Apply for an MFA Program in Creative Writing?

Nov 27

Posted by Rocky Cole in Fiction Writing, Freelance Writing, Writing 101, Writing Craft | No Comments

Blog: Should You Apply for a MFA Program in Creative Writing?

Here’s the scenario: You have always wanted to become a writer and have considered getting a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in creative writing but aren’t sure if you want to invest the time and money.

The question: Should I apply for an MFA program in creative writing?

The answer: It depends.

Instead of leaving it there, let’s examine this in detail and see if we can work through a process for making a good decision about whether or not an MFA program is right for you.

Creative writing (both fiction and creative non-fiction) is something that many of us want to do well, and if we can get paid for it, so much the better. While an MFA in creative writing is not required for success as a writer, focused study of the art and craft of writing will help most people. Of course, as I write this, there is a minority of writers – some with MFAs – who will say that an MFA program will hurt certain writers and detrimentally alter their specific style or creative uniqueness. While that may be true in a few cases, as a rule, most of us would benefit from focused training and awareness of writing that will come as part of an MFA program. An MFA program is a big investment in time (2-5 years depending on full or part-time attendance, and whether it is a traditional or low-residence program), and in money (from $15,000 – $35,000 for most programs).

In order to figure out if an MFA program is right for you, you have to seriously consider what your ultimate goal as a writer is. For example, an MFA in creative writing will benefit almost any writer in five ways:

1. It will make you feel like a writer and identify yourself as a writer. (This may actually be the most important thing an MFA program can do for a writer.)

2. You will have time to write, and you will in fact have external and internal deadlines imposed on you – you will have to produce material.

3. You will learn to give and receive well thought out criticism of a piece of poetry, fiction or creative non-fiction (depending on your program orientation).

4. Your writing will improve – if you work at it – because you will focus on improving your skill as a writer and will receive continuous, close feedback on how you are crafting specific work.

5. You will likely make some contacts through the program that may help you in submitting polished work, and, if this is your objective, finding employment in teaching or publishing.

Thus, most MFA programs will improve your writing and will give you a “terminal degree” that will allow you to either teach creative writing or work in publishing. A terminal degree means that the MFA is the accepted top-degree in the field of “creative writing”, and is the degree you need to teach at the college and university level. While there are a number of programs offering Ph.Ds in creative writing, the MFA is the mainstay and you don’t need a doctorate to teach or find employment.

All of the above are good things, and I would not want to talk anyone out of going down the MFA route if that is what they want, but if your goal in not academia or publishing work, then an MFA may not be the right route for you. There are as many (or more) successful writers without MFAs as there are with MFAs. Now, let’s examine some other routes to improving your writing that do not result in MFA degrees.

First, you have to examine where your specific level of writing is at, and what your weaknesses are. This critical self assessment will allow you to work to find training and mentorship outside of an MFA program to improve your skills. Options to improve your writing are many, but a few are:

Reading books on craft.

Attending short workshops and classes (either online or in person).

Attending a course in writing (this can be at a local college, community center, or a writing center.)

Finding a mentor who is a more experienced writer or an editor.

Joining or forming a critique group (this can be online or in person).

Write a lot and try and improve with each piece you write.

Let’s face it, MFA programs are expensive and they take time. But for some, they offer the structure and the time needed to improve your writing and reach your goals. However, if you have a modicum of self-discipline and the internal fortitude to critically assess your weaknesses, you can design a program of seminars, conferences, and classes to make similar improvements that you would in an MFA program.

Graduation from an MFA program does not guarantee success, but no creative endeavors does. An MFA program (and I caveat this with saying, a “good MFA program”) will offer a pre-packaged path to improve your writing and gain the confidence and contacts to get you started as a writer. That said, in the end, you still have to sit down and write. An MFA program won’t do this for you. You have to get your butt in the chair and put words down on paper or up on your computer screen.

In the end, the decision on attending an MFA program or working on your own to improve your writing is a very individual one. Every writers situation will be different. However, with some focused thought and self-analysis, you can make the decision that is right for you. If you found this article helpful or would like to hear more on this topic, let me know at info@colewriting.com.

writing_entry

Check out our Bookstore tab for some recommended books on writing.

More great writing ideas are also at www.creative-writing-mfa.org.

Here’s the scenario: You have always wanted to become a writer and have considered getting a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in creative writing but aren’t sure if you want to invest the time and money.

The question: Should I apply for an MFA program in creative writing?

The answer: It depends.

Instead of leaving it there, let’s examine this in detail and see if we can work through a process for making a good decision about whether or not an MFA program is right for you.

1. It will make you feel like a writer and identify yourself as a writer. (This may actually be the most important thing an MFA program can do for a writer.)

2. You will have time to write, and you will in fact have external and internal deadlines imposed on you – you will have to produce material.

3. You will learn to give and receive well thought out criticism of a piece of poetry, fiction or creative non-fiction (depending on your program orientation).

4. Your writing will improve – if you work at it – because you will focus on improving your skill as a writer and will receive continuous, close feedback on how you are crafting specific work.

5. You will likely make some contacts through the program that may help you in submitting polished work, and, if this is your objective, finding employment in teaching or publishing.

All of the above are good things, and I would not want to talk anyone out of going down the MFA route if that is what they want, but if your goal in not academia or publishing work, then an MFA may not be the right route for you. There are as many (or more) successful writers without MFAs as there are with MFAs. Now, let’s examine some other routes to improving your writing that do not result in MFA degrees.

First, you have to examine critically, and as objectively as possible, where your specific level of writing is at, and what your weaknesses are. This critical self-assessment will allow you to work to find training and mentorship outside of an MFA program to improve your skills. Options to improve your writing are many, but a few are:

Reading books on craft.
Attending short workshops and classes (either online or in person).
Attending a course in writing (this can be at a local college, community center, or a writing center.)
Finding a mentor who is a more experienced writer or an editor.
Joining or forming a critique group (this can be online or in person).
Write a lot and try and improve with each piece you write.

Graduation from an MFA program does not guarantee success, but no creative endeavors does. An MFA program (and I caveat this with saying, a “good MFA program”) will offer a pre-travelled path to improve your writing and gain the confidence and contacts to get you started as a writer. That said, in the end, you still have to sit down and write. An MFA program won’t do this for you. You have to get your butt in the chair and put words down on paper or up on your computer screen.

How to Begin a Story With the Technique Stephenie Meyer Used to Write Her Twilight Vampire Novels

Nov 21

Posted by Rocky Cole in Fiction Writing, Productivity, Writing 101, Writing Craft | No Comments

Twilight

Beginning stories and novels is always a challenge. Most beginnings are discarded eventually. Often, these ignoble starts bear no resemblance to the final product. This difficulty is, I believe, a direct result of the writer having an unclear idea of the story and of the characters who will populate their imaginary world. Stephenie Meyer, the highly successful author of the ‘Twilight’ series, offers a tip in the way that she began her first novel. Stephenie’s experience of beginning Twilight can be used to a writer’s advantage when starting a new story or novel project.

Stephenie, who had written very little and had no great ambition as a writer prior to the amazing success of Twilight, did not sit down initially to write a bestselling coming-of-age vampire novel series. She was a reader, a sporadic writer, and fan of the “vampire-genre” and of the “romance-genre”. Her compelling story that becomes ‘Twilight’ begins with a dream she had one night. This dream will eventually become the ‘meadow scene’ in her first book where Bella Swan, in the forest with Edward Cullen, discovers Edward is a vampire. This is a powerful, key scene in the novel, and Stephenie has described how jolted she was by the images in the dream. Stephenie awoke and wrote the dream down, and this became the key scene the entire book was written around.

We all have dreams and flashes of scenes and characters from time to time, but what Stephenie did with this dream is something that writers can use to begin to craft a story. Stephenie wrote outward from the key scene she devised from her dream to answer the questions posed by the scene:

Who were the two people in the dream/scene – a human girl and a handsome vampire?
And, why would she willingly give herself to him?

These two questions make up the key components of the story, and in answering them, Stephenie is drawing her readers into a detailed world where vampires and humans exist throughout a long and complex history.

How to use what Stephanie did with Twilight

1. Begin with a compelling image or character.

2. Free-write the scene you imagine, or as much detail as you can about the character that you see/imagine.

3. Step back and answer some questions about what you have written:

What came before this scene?
What is important about this scene and how did the character get to this place or in this situation?
Why does this particular scene matter to the character that is there?
What could make this scene or situation worse or complicate the issue or event?
What is the natural outcome of the event, and, what is the least likely outcome?

The key takeaway from what Stephenie did with Twilight is to find a compelling scene and then to seek to answer the questions about who is there and what is going on. You write both forward and backwards from the event, trying to give it a realistic (regardless of genre) past that got you to that point, and future, that the story and characters will inexorably move towards.

You may not know exactly where the story will end, but if you begin with a vivid character or scene you can write around it to tell a compelling story.

Try this technique on a short-story and see how it works. I’d love to hear how it comes out. Send me an email at info@colewriting.com and let me know how it went if you try this exercise.

How to Write original Content in Articles and Blogs

Nov 13

Posted by Rocky Cole in Freelance Writing, Non-Fiction Writing, Writing 101, Writing Craft | No Comments

silhouette of writer thinking
When you start to closely examine both print and electronic periodicals, it becomes apparent rather quickly that there is a lot of repetition in the material being published. It’s not plagerism, but the way the professional, commercial writing world works. What often happens is that a writer will come up with an original idea and will write a good piece and then numerous other writers will see that first piece and then have and “ah-ha” moment and work up a similar piece, often taking a slightly different angle or attempting to put their particular spin on the first writer’s idea.

Now there is nothing wrong with this per-se, but wouldn’t it be better to be the writer who comes up with the first, original idea? Of course it would, and if you can consistently be that original writer, then publishers and editors will start coming to you rather than vice-versus. Now being that original, highly sought first writer is an enviable position to be in, and the goal of every writer who wants to work consistently.

Here are three tips for writing original content for articles and blogs:

1. Come up with a good question and then seek to answer it. In other words, this is in opposition to the adage, “Write what you know.” You could frame this as “Write what you want to know.”

For example, “What is the benefit of funding a manned mission to Mars?” I’m not an expert on space exploration, but I do recall that there were many every-day benefits and things we use every day that came from the race to the moon. I could explore the history of those developments and then see what a new “Mars Race” might engender.

2. Come up with an intriguing headline and then seek to write around it.

In fact, if you don’t have time to write a story or do much research, just brainstorm some good headlines. Such as, “Race to Mars Brings Benefits to All”, or, “The Moon Brought us Saran-Wrap, What Will Mars Bring?”. I know that often I will come up with a headline and as I write the story I will discover new information that will fundamentaly change the piece I am writing. That is to be expected, even relished. It is a key part of the creative process.

3. Begin without doing much research – just write.

If you are going for original content or a new and unique perspective, then begin without coloring your view with someone else’s ideas. Once you have a premise and an angle that you are writing from, by all means go back and fill in blanks and change things based on subsequent research, but at the start, draft a framework based on your own thoughts and ideas. What we are trying to do here is come up with an original piece of content that reflects “your” unique writing style, voice, and perspective. If you immerse yourself too much in the words and thoughts of another writer up front, you tend to sound (or read) too much like the other writer.

Whether you are writing about yoga, politics, child-care, or the latest developments in neuroscience, you can craft original content by starting with your unique view of the world and then moving out from there. How would “you” say it. That is always an original place to begin.

If you want to bounce a writing idea off of me free of charge contact me at rocky.l.cole@gmail.com. I enjoy working with new writers and offering advice – be it sage or not-so sage.

Establishing a Successful Freelance Writing Practice in Five Steps

Oct 28

Posted by Rocky Cole in Freelance Writing, Productivity, Writing Craft | No Comments

WomanLaptop-main_Full Writing is something that is more than just a job for some of us… it is more of a calling. It has also been defined as a “craft”, meaning that there is a set of skills that can be learned and practiced. While this is true to an extent, the “art” of writing is more subtle and difficult to define. It is hard to put a finger on the specific qualities that make someone a great writer. Laying that hard-to-define something aside for a moment, here are some more tangible steps that will allow a writer to work more effectively and establish a successful freelance writing practice:

1. Before you begin, define what a successful freelance writing career will look like for you. Will you consider yourself a success if you are writing commercial copy, magazine articles, technical papers, books… or will success for you be paying the bills and earning a living? The measure of success will be different for each of us.

2. Write a business plan. Don’t be scared off by the term “business plan”. This plan can be loose and brief, but should include what you are doing to establish your writing space, market your services, and get your first clips as a writer. I’d also add a section on what you plan to do to continue your development as a writer.

3. Find a mentor. This can be done before you write the plan or after, but if you can find a mentor who is a freelance writer you can avoid some of the pitfalls every new freelance writer will come up against. I did this and it saved me a lot of time and wasted effort because I did not have to reinvent everything or learn freelance writing lessons the hard way.

4. Learn to write a great query and to apply for assignments. Queries are the bread and butter of freelancing, especially when you are starting out and do not have clips and samples of your published work. When you are first starting out queries seem intimidating, but you know what? The more you do the easier they get. Don’t get overwhelmed with the thought of writing a query. Do them one at a time and put in the research and work to refine your first query to make it as strong as it can be. Make sure it is perfectly tailored for the publication you are querying. Submit it, and then move on to the next one. And save every query – you will be able to use each one as a model. In other words, go for quality in queries not quantity.

5. When you land your first assignment focus all your energy to writing the best piece you have ever written and deliver it early to your customer. Exceed their expectation. Then, keep sending out queries and marketing yourself. As word spreads about your work – and it will – you want the word on you to be that you deliver on time and exceed expectations.

Freelance writing is a “practice” and a writer should always be developing their skills and tools and seeking to expand their repertoire of abilities. Trust yourself as a writer and keep setting goals to develop as a writer and you can have a long and successful career.