More on Building Stories

Went back to zero on the subject of diagramming. At first, I was trying to outline this thing like a college paper but it felt like I was taking all the creativity out of it. "This happened, then that happened, Plot A, subplot A1, A2...so on and so forth". More than one night I found myself staring at the outline going - "This doesn't feel right at all".

Another thing to deal with is what Steven King and other writers refer to as the 'fairy dust' - it's the part where the story stops being a grind and then almost leaps off of your fingers to the page. For me, I don't know how to engage it at will and it's still a surprise when it happens. I've also noticed that when I'm blocked it's not because there's nothing to say...it's more like "I have too much to say and I don't know where to begin".

My favorite stories are stories - not product catalogs. I'm finding myself less and less patient with people who create settings that look like something out of Sunset or Martha Stewart Living. My world view doesn't resonate with people who can afford to keep their homes that together...my world view is more about people who are on the rebound from mistakes they've made in the past or mistakes they're in the process of making. People like that are much more close to the nasty, prickly side of reality and I don't hate myself when I write about people like that.

I read the following from Elmore Leonard and thought it was worth passing on - 10 Rules for Better Writing.

Quick News - I've got a draft story I'm working to get published. If/when it does, I'll let you know.