What About Tense?

Yesterday, one of my critique group members subbed a scene from the novel she's writing. It's a flashback highlighting the protagonist's mother. The author wanted to show the reader what kind of environment her protagonist grew up in, what her parents were like. And she also wanted to try an experiment.

The book itself is written in past tense, which is the most-used in short stories and novels. The scene mentioned above was written in present tense. The author wanted reaction to it being done that way from those who critiqued her submission.

Some people like present tense, feeling that it brings the reader right into the scene, the action, that you live it with the person. Personally, I find it distracting. I'm alright with it for a short time, but then it begins to annoy me. I prefer being a reader who watches from a distance, I guess.

Occasionally, a writer will mix past and present tense in one story or one chapter. That irritates me more than present tense. It's definitely a big no-no, so please select one or the other and be consistent. Child-rearing books all recommend being consistent when you discipline a child. Writing is the same. Discipline yourself to use one tense or the other per story or chapter.

Mixing the tenses from one chapter to another might be a unique approach, and maybe well-seasoned writers can pull it off. Most of us could not.

Random Words

Writers need exercise every bit as much as athletes, but ours is mental exercise. We need to do some of those body exercises, too. Think of what is happening as we sit hour after hour at the computer. It's not a pretty picture.

But back to writing exercises. One that my writersandcritters group offers on a weekly basis is called Random Word. We each take one month to be responsible for sending the exercise word to the group. There are various ways to select the words. Some people open a dictionary, close their eyes and point. Wherever the finger lands, that's the word for the week. Or they might use a novel. Any kind of book. Others choose a theme for the month. They might use words related to a season, a color, an emotion.

There is usually a single word, but occasionally two which go together quite naturally, such as soda fountain.
The writer looks at the word, sets a timer or notes the time, and free writes for a full ten minutes. It can be
pure gibberish, it can be a piece of fiction, it can be a memory. Whatever the word triggers in your mind. Some people start out with a memory and end up with a paragraph of pure fiction. The rule is that the word chosen must be used at least once. Most often, it gets repeated several times.

It's fun to read the various approaches writers take, all using the very same word. Most of us don't read the others until our own is completed. The biggest benefit is that quite often a writer will end up with something that can be the beginning of a story or essay. More than one full submission in our group started out as a Random Word offering.

We've had some pretty interesting words and some extremely ingenious responses. Freewriting is a terrific emotional outlet as has been evidenced in the offerings of our group members.

Try it yourself. Open a book, close your eyes and point. See where your finger lands, then write for a full ten minutes without stopping to think. Let it flow, even if some of what you write makes no sense at all. Do this on a regular basis and you're training your mind in yet another way, and it's also an emotional outlet. Have fun with this exercise. Do it with another writer or by yourself

Spiff Up Those Descriptive Words

One of the women in my critique group gave a critique on the revised version of a poem I've been working on. Sarah noted that I used some colors of the flowers in Monet's garden, which is the subject of the poem. I used purple, tawny gold and deep pink. She scolded me saying she knew I could come up with better than that. She agreed that the tawny gold was alright, but she thought the other two needed some work.

I had to agree with her. I hesitated over it when I wrote it but didn't know what else to use. When I wrote the first draft, I only used the colors, nothing to describe it. In the revision I added tawny to gold and deep to pink. I have to admit there is nothing very graceful and poetic about the adjective deep. So what will I do?

The first place I'll turn to for help is my trusty Thesaurus. Time and again, it's helped me find a better word than an ordinary one I may have used. How about blush-rose or roseate? I like the first, hate the second. How many people would even know what roseate is? I could change purple  to shades of lavender or violet or perhaps royal purple.


Maybe I could use something like rich purple and pleasing pink. And maybe using something like that smacks of either cliche or sickeningly sweet writing.

It all comes down to finding a trouble spot and attempting to find a solution. Believe me, it's not always easy. These are only a few little words in a fairly lengthy poem, but having it done right can make the difference in whether it's ever published or not. It's the same with an essay or short story. Picking the right descriptive words can make a difference. Forget the mundane. Forget the cliche. Go for something richer and memorable.

I'm going to sort out descriptive words for those colors all day and hope by this evening that I've found ones that are better. Whether prose or poetry, it seems the writing goes on and on. It shouldn't stop until the writer feels satisfied. My next job today is to send a thank you to Sarah for pointing out the trouble spot in my poem.

Out of the Forest

Jennie Helderman, author of As The Sycamore Grows

My friend, Jennie Helderman, is deep in the forest of self-publishing. You may remember Jennie as one of the writers I admire posts of several months ago. A few yearsa go, she took a writing class and wrote an article for an assignment, one that the instructor liked so much that he encouraged her to consider expanding the topic and making it a full book.

And so Jennie's trip into the forest began with these first steps. She spent many hours interviewing the once-husband-and-wife couple to learn the details of the horrific story they lived. She asked for and received permission from them to write the story of a woman caught in an abusive marriage who finally flees to an emergency shelter. Jennie wrote and wrote and wrote, and as the story grew, chapter by chapter, she began submitting them individually to our writers critique group. We gave her fair and honest critiques and she used our comments and suggestions in her rewrites. Sometimes, she rejected the suggestions, having strong feelings that it should be the way she wrote it in the first place. That's the nice part about critique groups--the writer always has the final say.

As the book neared conclusion, Jennie began looking for an agent to represent her. So many who had read the chapters she'd completed urged her to start working on getting the book published. She walked even deeper into the forest, feeling blindly as she went. At one of our wac conferences, she pitched her non-fiction book to an agent in front of the entire conference attendees. That cannot have been easy to do, and I can say that she did an admirable job. When she finished her near-perfect speech, all of the conference attendees let out a collective sigh of relief. We were with her on every word she spoke. The agent asked Jennie to send a few chapters and said she'd get back to her later. This particular agent did not accept the book nor did other pursuits for agents and publishers work out.

But giving up is not in Jennie's character, so she kept going. She looked into self-publishing, but she didn't want just anyone to help her do it that way. She researched carefully and approached a self-publishing group that she found to be one she could respect and trust to do a good job. Suddenly a glimmer of light showed up in that too-dark forest. She was exhilarated and determined to carry on.

That happened last April, once again at one of our wac conferences. At least, that is when she received word that the publisher was willing to work with her. She was so energized that she left the conference a day early to start the working process with the publisher. She contacted her attorney, a book cover designer and who knows what else? She's worked tirelessly for months with a number of people, but the road has not been smooth. She's run into several bumps along the way. And she's given great consideration to the marketing of her book.

As The Sycamore Grows by Jennie Helderman will be released early this fall. Book signing parties have been scheduled and friends have made requests for autographed copies. Soon, Jennie will be out of the forest and into the light. I'll let you know when the book is available. I'm looking forward to reading my autographed copy. You can read more about Jennie's baby--er, make that book, at http://www.asthesycamoregrows.com/

On A Poetry Kick Again

Every now and then, I get an urge to write poetry. Over the years, I've learned to listen to urges like that. My muse speaks loud and clear at times, while other times she's off taking a nap in some corner of my house. I can call and call to her, and she sleeps blissfully on. But when she wakes and begins to whisper sweet things to me, we're a formidable team.

When we were in France a few weeks ago, we visited Monet's House and Garden in Giverny, an hour and a half north of Paris. It's located in the heart of France's dairy country. The garden proved to be one of the most enchanting places I've been. I almost resented having to share it with other tourists. I wanted to be there all alone to savor the countless colorful blooms and green plants, shrubs and trees, as well as the famed lily pond Monet created.

The visit has been on my mind ever since we returned, so I knew I wanted/needed to write about it. But what? Would it be a travel essay? An article for a garden publication? Or a poem? Poem kept coming back to me while I emptied the dishwasher, folded laundry or watered the patio pots. It seems writers minds are never far away from writing.

The poem turned out to be a prose/poem that has several verses. I subbed it to my critique group to get a reaction and see what suggestions for improvement they might offer. The response proved to be helpful as I had a good number of critiques. Every one had good things to say and they also had suggestions where a word here and there bothered them. They suggested adding a bit more sensory detail.

Last night, I worked on the poem incorporating many of the suggestions given. I'm going to read it again this morning and see how it strikes me. Most likely, I'll change a few more words or lines before I'm satisfied and can call it finished. Once it's done, I may start working on a travel essay about Monet's Garden. I'm having a hard time letting go of this highlight of our visit to France. If you'd like to know more about Monet's Garden, go to http://giverny.org/gardens/

Do You Know About Book Page?

I feel most fortunate in frequenting a public library that provides Book Page free to all patrons. The library is able to offer it at no charge because of a generous donation for the subscription made by the library's Friends group. I look forward to each new monthly edition which highlights books either just released or about to be. The 32 page newspaper format is made up of departments and features, as well as ads from publishers promoting new releases.

I can go directly to the pages that interest me most or check out each and every one. I'm not a fan of the horror or science fiction genres, but I must admit that I do scan those areas in Book Page. Why? Maybe so that I can keep up with the newest trend and authors or so that I can look semi-intelligent when a comment about these books comes up at a dinner party or cocktail affair. Or maybe, it's only that I'm a curious person and want to know what's happening.

One section I read carefully is the Book Club section which highlights three or four paperback selections that would be good reads for book clubs. I also like to read the Romance section and the Historical Fiction, as well as the Non-Fiction. Oh, let's face it--I read every single thing in this paper. What can be better than reading about reading?

If your library doesn't offer Book Page, you can read it online at www.bookpage.com  I prefer holding the paper in my hands, but the online version is well worth reading on a regular basis for those who don't have access to the print copy. You can also encourage your library to subscribe. Included in their subscription fee is the use of the back cover page for information pertaining to their library. Look for subscription info on the website or call 800-726-4242 Ext. 34

On the Education Road

This is our grandson, Cole, who turned four last Friday, had a Pirate Birthday Party on Saturday, and today is taking his first step on the Education Road.

What an important step it is. It's the beginning of a long journey to graduation (hopefully) from college. It's made me think about the importance of our first school experience. Maybe pre-school teachers aren't given enough credit. They're the ones who set the tone for what is yet to come.

Cole went to an Open House at the school with his family one evening last week. He saw his classroom and met his teacher, who has the same first name as his mom. Now, that's got to be a positive. He said he liked Miss Karen, and he told  me he's going to go to school on the bus with his friends.

Cole has been with his friends, Macy and Roy, at the same babysitter for a long time. They are kind of like a second family to him, and his sitter, Chris, is most definitely a second mom to him. All three will be in the same class and ride the same bus. That has to be a comfort zone for all of them.

All three of these children are taking that first big step
today. They'll learn many things in pre-school, not the least of which is social interaction. They'll learn about following rules, and they'll do some kindergarten readiness work, too. Next year, it's on to the kindergarten and then first grade. The Education Road is long, filled with milestones, maybe a few bumps, and one of the most important roads we encounter in our lives.

May Cole and his friends, Macy and Roy, have a smooth journey.