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Right or Wrong? Just Write...
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| | Sometimes life falls apart, or looks that way, and what is there to do, but show up and write anyway?
After hosting and producing the point of view webinar last week, I kind of went into post-event daze.
For a few days, it was hard to do anything, except show up for appointments and previous commitments.
And, show up for my story.
Even that was at a slower pace than I'd been keeping. I got my edits done for my Early Reader team, but a day later than intended.
The cobwebs of the post-event slump finally cleared and now I clipping along with my creative work at a faster pace.
Looking back, I felt like I was letting down all other commitments. And I was.
It's a hard lesson for me to learn -- maybe you do this too -- I bite off too many things, because I can see lots of possibilities.
What I really want though is the space to create, think, daydream, noodle around, devour research, daydream some more...for my story and my business. What I really want is to stay focused on these two things.
To do that I need to give myself the time and space, and to say No to things that stretch me in ways that look fun, but take me away from nurturing my creative core.
How about you?
What shiny object do you need to say No to so that you can stay focused on feeding your creative fire?
Hit reply and let me know. I'd love to hear!
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| | You can still register to watch the replay...
Mastering Deep Point View with Alice Gaines was a big success.
Over 100 people registered and over 40 people attended live from all over the world.
Attendees said:
"Really great class. One of the best I've attended!"
"Thank you Alice and Beth. Great class. :)"
"Excellent class. Thank you so much!"
"I’ve read books on POV, but they can’t compare to a live class. TY!"
"Very helpful. Has given me a lot to think about!"
"Brilliant class! Many thanks from Macau!"
"Loved it! The one very valuable take away for me was the confirmation that I’m handling my chapters/POV shifts correctly. That worried me. Now I know. The part about verbs was great." -- Lea Kirk, Science Fiction Romance Novelist
The replay is up now and you can register for the training here:
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| | | On May 15, 2018, I'll be at the Fremont Library, Fremont, CA doing a workshop on:
7 Essential Keys to Planning Your Novel
In this hands-on free workshop, we’ll brainstorm the steps to create your novel—from character development to plot structure to story themes and world building—so you can start writing your novel prepared.
For beginning to advanced writers, especially for pansters, we’ll cover bite-sized exercises to help you stretch your imagination and get excited about the writing process.
This workshop is useful for you if you have never written a novel, have always wanted to, and still feel lost on how to go from brilliant idea to The End, or if you always hit that sagging middle and lose focus or interest. We’ll help you dream up exciting ways to torture, I mean challenge, your characters all the way to the resolution of the story.
Award-winning novelist, Beth Barany is a speaker, teacher, and coach, and co-founder of the Barany School of Fiction, with her husband, also an award-winning author, Ezra Barany. For a free Writer Discovery course, go here: http://bit.ly/WriterDiscoveryFreeMiniCourse.
Date: Tuesday, May 15, 2018, 6:00-7:30pm
Where: Fremont Main Library, 2400 Stevenson Blvd., Fremont, CA
More information: http://www.eventkeeper.com/code/friend.cfm?curOrg=ACL&tEvt=5520145&tfPopup=1
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| | | This week on Writer's Fun Zone...
I'm blogging a book on the spiritual life of a fiction writer and here's the latest installment: "How is the Question"
Read the post on my blog or read it here...
How is the Question by Beth Barany
As a young twenty-something, I went through an intense WHY phase. It didn’t seem to get me anywhere, just generated more guesses and more stories. A boyfriend told me that that asking WHY was a useless endeavor. I didn’t want to believe him, yet I was no closer to any satisfying answers.
Asking WHY got me searching for reasons.
THE POWER OF ASKING QUESTIONS
When I was in eighth grade, Mrs. Maffei taught us how to answer essay questions. Then she gave us three-hour essay exams, like I eventually had as an undergraduate student at UC Berkeley. My eighth grade teacher was preparing us for college, teaching us how to analyze questions, and threw us into muddling through answering them.
From that experience, I never forgot the power of asking questions. Mrs. Maffei instilled in me a menu of keywords that acted as a decoder for any essay question. I kept that list in a plastic sleeve with other important writing resources and eventually posted it on my blog here.
“Want better answers? Ask better questions?”
So ask yourself, “How can I ask a better question here?”
HOW… A great word you can use to open any tight-lipped topic, like prying open a can. Just apply a little finesse and a little pressure. And voila, you have an answer!
In other words, HOW questions — like any good questions — can focus your attention for an extended period of time and spur you into action.
How is a good question to ask, like:
- “How do I go from here to there?”
- “How am I feeling?”
- “How can I be ready?”
Asking HOW got my brain searching for solutions.
THE POWER OF HOW AND YOUR CREATIVITY What does any of this have to do with writing and our creativity?
When we’re stuck — when I’m stuck — it’s hard and it feels yucky.
When I remember that I can, I ask a question, like “What would I like?” Or “What am I trying to say here?” Or if I’m editing, I can ask, “How would I like this passage to go?”
Other HOW questions you can apply to your writing:
- How can I reach my readers?
- How can I convey this [specific emotion] in this scene?
- How do I best get into my creative flow?
- How can I honor my creative vision of this story and still meet the needs of my genre?
YOUR TURN What other HOW questions can you come up with that will help you with your writing, editing, or promotions?
Hit reply and let me know or share on the blog here. |
| Here's to your creativity! Happy writing!
Have a fabulous week!
Best,
PS. Coming soon mid-June... The live workshop intensive for Branding For Novelists (This link goes to the home study/DIY version. The same material will be taught in the live course, with new material, and the ability to get feedback on elements we teach: Author Branding Statement/Tag Line, Author Bio, Reader Profiles, Calls to Action, and more.) Registration opening soon.
♥
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| | | You have been reading the Creativity Sparks Newsletter!
Welcome!
You may share this content intact and with no changes with this attribution:
c. 2007-2018 Beth Barany, Creativity Coach for Writers, www.BethBarany.com
Not sure which program or course is right for you?
BTW, I'm a working novelist too, with two series published in two genres, and more on the way. :)
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| ABOUT BETH BARANY
Beth Barany is creativity coach for writers, a teacher, workshop facilitator, and speaker, who helps fiction writers experience clarity, so that they can write and polish their novels, and proudly publish them to the delight of their readers.
Owner of the Barany School of Fiction, an online training hub, Beth takes great interest in how humans learn, create, and grow, and includes all her students’ life experiences, including the ancestors, into the moment.
She's also a novelist and writes magical tales of romance and adventure to empower women and girls to jump into life with both feet and be the heroes in their own lives.
Check out her Henrietta series here (YA Fantasy) and her Touchstone series here (Fantasy/Paranormal Romance).
Support her mission to empower women and girls with her fiction on Patreon here.
Read her latest book for writers, Twitter for Authors, here.
beth@bethbarany.com
Barany School of Fiction
Writer's Fun Zone blog
Photo Credit: by c. 2018 Ezra Barany
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| | | In connection with the operation of this newsletter and business, Creativity Sparks features in the Newsletter affiliate links, including links to Amazon.com (“Affiliate Links”). Barany Consulting earns a commission from the Affiliate Links which commission is based on the number of sales that are made as a result of users of the Newsletter clicking over to the Affiliate Link and purchasing from the Affiliate Link a product and/or service. |
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