When I was a child, the thing I wanted to buy most was a typewriter. I used to write poems (or at least what I thought were poems) and short stories on paper, and wondered when I would be able to type them out on a typewriter. The typewriter, to me, was that one thing that would complete my life. Of course, I had no idea about soulmates back then.

It was by mere chance that one day I got a chance to use a typewriter in my father’s office. Typing my first poem on that machine was one of the happiest moments of my life. But, I never bought a typewriter of my own, because by the time I had enough money to buy a typewriter, no one was buying one.

The typewriter had been replaced by the computer.

Times change, and with time people change too. We may not realise it but the way we did things ten years back was much different from the way we do things now. The way we write today is different from the way we wrote ten years ago. Maybe not in terms of style, but in terms of the tools we use.

The use of the latest tools, made available to us because of the huge strides made by mankind in the field of technology, is a huge advantage to us. We can be more productive than our forefathers ever were. But, for that, we need to keep abreast of the latest tools and gadgets that are available.

Not using the right tools for our writing, or any other creative work, is akin to using the typewriter when the computer is available. If you have used a typewriter, or ever seen anyone using one, you will know the difference.

This difference is what can make or break you as a creative person. As a writer, it is not easy to find time and energy to write often and write regularly. If our tools weigh us down further, then we may not be able to write anything at all. Therefore, it becomes imperative that we use the right tools for our writing.

So, have you used the Typewriter recently? I hope not, unless, of course, the typewriter is what brings out your creative best.

Yesterday, a friend said a strange thing to me. He said that he had read many of my blog posts, and some of my short stories,  but – before I could thank him – he added that he felt most of them were quite simple, as they were based on events and incidents that happened in my daily life.

My first reaction, naturally, was one of indignation. I felt that my friend was accusing me of lacking imagination and creativity. But, at the time, I decided to mull over the whole thing before reacting to what he said.

Eventually, I came to the conclusion that he was right. My ideas did originate in the events that were happening all around me. All I did was take these little, ordinary, incidents and weave a web of words around them.

But, isn’t that exactly what writing and creativity is all about?

 Creativity doesn’t exist in a vacuum, nor does a writer live in isolation. Creativity is definitely about creating new ideas, but the genesis of all new ideas lie in the old, existing ideas. To be different from the herd, you first need to recognise the herd and its ways.

Coming back to what my friend said, I realised that there was no need for me to feel bad about what he said. In fact, I realised, that in his naivety, he might have actually complimented me. After all, I had been able to derive inspiration from mundane, daily, events, and turn them into interesting stories, or blog posts.

I think this is exactly what all of us, as writers and creative people, should be aspiring for.

Totally new and inspiring ideas, when they come, are welcome. Such ideas, however, occur to a person only a few times in one lifetime. If we keep waiting for such ideas we may spend our entire life looking for them, and there is a good chance that when we eventually find one, we may not be prepared to deal with it.

It is, therefore, absolutely necessary to find your inspiration in your daily life, at least till such time your big idea comes to you. Don’t you think?

(Image courtesy: porah from sxc.hu)

They always say that writers should read. “They,” of course, referring to the infinitely famous and notoriously vague entity that determines what should and should not be done. Pronouns aside, the advice is solid. Reading enables writers to learn more about their craft by seeing what was successful for others. At the beginning, many writers start off their projects by imitating the styles of successful writers before they develop their own–imitation stemmed from reading the works of authors they admire. Along the way, writers can gain inspiration through reading the works of others in their genre, or gain insight into a new genre that writer is considering branching into.

I feel it’s safe to say that reading and writing go hand in hand. Hell, half of us were inspired to go into writing through our passion for reading. However, I would not say that “simply reading” is always enough. In order for a writer to truly gain anything (other than the enjoyment of a good story) from reading, she must read not like a reader, but like a writer.

1. Consider writing conventions

First and foremost, consider the “basics” of writing (and these basics, naturally, are not-so-basic at the end of the day). These basics are the building blocks of the story: grammar, semantics, organization, structure, and style. While reading a book, consider each of these elements–and any others you can think of, at that: there is no clear-cut rule. Different writers use these elements in different ways. Though some are standard, and a writer who uses atrocious grammar for the sake of “style” may lose a reader anyway, writer-readers should analyze an author’s specific usage of the basic writing conventions. Asking “why” an author used a certain convention in a particular way is a valuable method for readers to investigate the story and the writing itself.

• Grammar
Though grammar is typically one of the conventions writers should be consistent with (a writer who misuses “then” and “than” only loses respect, no matter what the reason for it), there are some weird exceptions. Consider things like this: is the writer using different grammar to denote the different voice in fictional characters? Why might he or she have used a double negative instead of simply an affirmative? What’s the reason?

• Semantics
Word choice is a major factor in writing. Most good writers have chosen the words they have used very consciously, determining the absolute best fit for the situation. Paying close attention to the specific words authors have used, understanding both the connotation and the denotation of these words, and seeing how they fit into the rest of the story, is a great way to consider it.

• Organization
While reading, consider the overall flow of the story. Does it fit together. Did the beginning scene prepare you for the following scene? Does anything feel clunky and incomplete? If it does, identify why it feels clunky and incomplete. Why were the scenes placed in the order they are in? What does their order accomplish as far as moving the story forward?

• Structure
Structure is different than organization. It’s not where the elements are put together–it’s how the elements are put together. Did the author use long or short chapters? Why? Is the dialogue attached to name tags or left alone? How are the sentences laid out? What’s the importance of the sentence structure? Does it convey a mood that matches that of the scene?

• Style
Style can get tricky. One of the greatest teachers I ever had said something brilliant about style: “A piece of work can be grammatically perfect but stylistically ugly.” Style is not above critique, though many writers seem to think it is. An author’s individual deviation from any of the above conventions can be considered a stylistic choice. Some of these choices work wonderfully. Some do not. While reading, identify these stylistic choices. Determine if they “work” for the story or if they do more harm than good. Why do they work? Why don’t they? What could have been done to save the sentence or scene?

2. Dissect the characters
A common trend of recreational readers is to blindly fall in love with characters. These readers latch onto the idea of a single character and ignore (or simply fail to notice) the things that make up that character. This is fine and dandy for the recreational reader. However, for the writer-reader, a character should be much more than a fictional human being with whom you develop bizarre emotional connection to. By all means, writer-readers can still fall in love with characters, but the beauty of it is they can also understand why (other than, of course, Lead Male’s bulging biceps–that goes without saying).

• Motives
Every character should have a reason for being in the story. As my novel writing professor told me, “every character needs a role in the story, even if his only role is to serve a cup of coffee.” In the real world, we interact with people every day who do not, and will never, play a significant role in our life-story. In a novel, it isn’t so. Characters without motives only take up valuable word-space. While reading, determine the motives of every character. Figure out why that character is in the story. What roles do the characters play? Why is this character assigned this role?

• Depth
Every story has deep characters and shallow characters, more commonly referred to as “round” or “flat” characters. The primary characters in the book should be round–they should have more depth to them. They should change throughout the course of the story. They should have to deal with conflict and resolution. Consider the main characters in the book. Are they visibly changing? Do they have to deal with conflict? At the end of the book, can you see a change in the character compared to the beginning? What about the side characters? Are some of the side characters too rounded while the main characters seem flat and boring? If you cannot relate to a main character, he is likely too flat. Identifying how an author develops a character’s depth is a valuable tool to determining how to develop your own round characters.

• Realism
In order for a reader to connect to a character, the characters must feel realistic. Do the characters in the book feel realistic to you? If so, what makes them realistic? Does their dialogue seem natural and normal? Do they handle conflict in a way that makes sense with their characterization? Do they have understandable relationships and connections to the other characters in the story? Ultimately, at the end of the day, can you think about this character and imagine them in the real world? Characters that you can believe would actually exist are characters people can relate to. If you find yourself struggling with a character you cannot understand, identify why you cannot understand them.

3. Identify the plot

The plot is the driving force behind a novel. Writer-readers should closely consider the elements of a successful plot line. This can help them understand the ways other writers are able to drive their readers through a story without losing their interest or confusing them. A well written plot should be easy to follow and engaging. When reading, try to figure out why a plot line is or is not working. Here are some useful things to consider:

• Plot flow
The plot line should be impelling and pull you through the story. If it doesn’t, there’s a problem. The flow of a plot line has a lot to do with whether or not it can keep a reader’s attention or not. If a plot line jumps around or is erratic (as in, it doesn’t follow the standard “exposition -> rising action -> climax -> falling action -> denouement” structure), or if it doesn’t make realistic, believable, or sensible transitions, not only do readers have a hard time following along, but they have a hard time caring. Think about the plot as you read through a book. Does it throw you into an erratic roller-coaster ride that has too many ups and downs? Is it well-structured? Can you identify the major plot points? Has it sucked you in or are you bored? Why?

• Subplots
Most novels have subplots beneath the primary plot line that are not essential to making the main plot run smoothly but definitely help build a compelling story. These subplots usually involve minor characters and have their own mini plot arcs. You can consider them as you do a primary plot line. Are they smooth? Do they make sense? But more importantly, they should add to the story. If a subplot feels misplaced or completely unnecessary, it probably is. Can you find any subplots? What makes them successful? If they aren’t successful, why don’t they fit in?

• Plot holes
Even published works sometimes have plot holes. Often, these holes are too small or insignificant to matter, but finding them and analyzing them can help writers avoid them in their own work. Did you run across a plot hole? Is it a simple mistake or something that could potentially change the way the work is interpreted? Perhaps the plot hole is intentional. Sometimes writers leave little gaps for their readers to fill in with their imaginations. Does this seem like one of those instances? If so, did it work for you or are you unsatisfied with the lack of information? What could be done to fix it?

4. Get inside the author’s head
It isn’t always easy to do, but understanding the writer’s motives for the choices he made can really help a writer-reader understand why certain elements were used they way they were. This can be a great insight to writers who have recognized the successful writing style of an author. By being able to think like the author himself, or at least read his work as closely as he did, you can better understand why certain techniques used or choices were made.

• Slow down
Throughout my undergraduate career, I was trained to get through a book as quickly as I could in order to be able to contribute to discussion in class the next day. Sometimes I was expected to get through over two hundred pages in a single night (this is, of course, counting all the literature classes I would take at a time). Many other people have been self-taught to read quickly. Sometimes we can’t help it when we’re sucked into a story and finish it in two days. However, for writer-readers, slowing down and taking the time to understand the time and effort put into a book is a valuable way to better consider the elements listed above. When we rush, we often forget to consider a character, or we don’t notice when a plot line makes a jump we don’t understand. By slowing down, we are better able to actually digest what we’re reading instead of swallowing it whole. To get a real taste for the author’s intention, we must take our time to savor the experience.

• Read carefully
Slowing down allows writer-readers to examine every minute detail. Writers are creatures of precision. It is very likely that every sentence you are reading has been very specifically chosen among a slew of other possible sentences. It is not a coincidence that the elements flow together the way they do: the author (at least, if he was a good author) thought all of that through ad nauseam. He likely spent years creating something it will take you no more than a week to read. How can you possibly get inside the writer’s head if you aren’t taking at least some time to actually consider what he was trying to do when he made the choices he made?

• Read it again
Remember, our hypothetical author wrote this book over a matter of years. Probably several years. He reread and rewrote the materials dozens of times to get it as close to perfect as he could (and, ultimately, he never got it “perfect,” and sent it off for publication anyway). Not only will slowing down help you better understand the author’s personal motives, rereading the work will, too. By revisiting a text you are already familiar with, you will be able to make connections more easily, read into the actions of characters with a better understanding of how it’s helping in their eventual development, and catch the subtle tricks the author is using to move you through the story. In fact, many people I’ve talked to have argued that the first time you read a book, read it as recreation. The second time, read it as a writer. That way, when you are considering the book as a writer instead of as a reader, you already know what’s going to happen and it’s easier for you to make the connections between the elements and the writer’s motives.

Reading like a writer isn’t always possible, and as a writer you don’t always want to read like a writer. Sometimes, it’s nice to just relax with a book and enjoy the ride. Ultimately, even with recreational reading, you are still gaining a little bit of insight on the writing itself. Personally, I can’t read a book without putting on my “writing lens” and thinking about it as an author–and for me, that makes it fun. Hopefully, by being able to consider these four things–and by adding other, personal criteria–other writers can help themselves grow by doing something they already loved in the first place.

Happy reading! Happy writing!

(This a guest post by Mary Hunton. Mary has been writing for the greater part of nine years. She excelled at it in high school, writing for everything from her school newspaper to literary magazines, taking part in the creative writing classes, workshops, and competitions. She won first place in her grade in the county-wide creative writing competition two years consecutively, the only two years she competed. She began working on her first novel when she was fifteen. Mary is now a copywriter for a technology company in Reno, Nevada. The first two books she wrote are currently being torn to shreds for a much-needed rewrite, and two more are are waiting for an outline reform.  She has a fifth novel in progress that she is seven chapters into, and a sixth that is in its outlining stage, and a seventh that she is preparing for query.)

(Image: pear83 from sxc.hu)

One of my New Year resolutions was to write something everyday. This shouldn’t be hard, I told myself. After all, writing is something I love to do. Yet, it hasn’t turned out to be all that easy either.

Why is it difficult to do something that we love, everyday?

The answer, I think, lies in this one word: Distractions. There is always something, or the other, that keeps us from doing what we want.

Our world today continues to have 24 hours in a day, but the number of things – useful as well as not so useful – we can do in these 24 hours has increased exponentially. Some of these things can be avoided easily, but some others seem absolutely necessary for our survival.

The way to avoid distractions, therefore, consists of three steps:

a) Identifying things that we should not be doing at all.

The first step in avoiding distractions is to identify what these distractions really are. Watching too much TV, chatting with friends, spending too much time online could be some of the things that are distracting you. Not only are these activities distracting, but they also suck valuable time from your day. You could add more time to your day by simply avoiding these activities.

I am sure if you pay close attention to the things you do everyday, you will easily be able to identify the things that you can easily avoid. These are typically things that you do just for the sake of doing them. You could add more time to your day by simply avoiding these activities.

b) Identifying things that are useful, and optimizing the way we do them.

There are many things that we do on any given day that are useful to us, but the way we do them ends up taking more time than it should. Thus we end up reducing the number of hours we have in our day.

For example, if I have to write a report on something, I would do it best if I do it when I am totally focused. If I am not focused, or I am multitasking, I may end up taking more time in completing the report than I ideally should have. Using Twitter and Facebook are two activities that most blogger and writers cannot avoid these days. These can, however, end up taking up huge amount of your time – time that you don’t have. So, we need to find the right tools that can help us in optimising the way we spend time on these sites.

c) Focusing on the absolutely essential.

The last step in avoiding distractions is to focus on the activities that we want to do, and that we need to do in order to make the most of the time that is available to us. Most of the time we go about living our day without paying deliberate attention to the things we are doing. This needs to be changed.

We need to pay attention to the things that we need to do so that we are able to do them without a miss. If we are not focused, it is quite probable that we are going to miss doing what we want to do most.

How do you avoid distractions?

There were a lot of things that I had planned to do in 2011, but most of them never happened. There was too much to do and it seemed that there was simply not enough time. I guess there never is enough time in our lives to do all the things that we want to do.

But, the funny thing is that when I look back at 2011, I can’t help but wonder: Did I do the best in the time that was available to me?

The answer is a resounding no. I might have been short of time, but there was definitely enough time to do more than I actually did. I hope that doesn’t happen in 2012.

One thing that most of us do on New Year’s Eve is make resolutions for the next year. Even though, many of my friends have given up making resolutions, thinking of them as an exercise in futility, I am not giving up.

So, here is my list of resolutions for 2012:

1. Read more. In 2011, I had set myself the target of reading at least 130 books in the year, but I could not do it. Since reading is something I enjoy, and is also important if one wants to write better, I am going to continue with this resolution. I am going to try and read at least 130 books this year.

2. Write more. Again, in 2011 I had set myself a target of writing for one hour every day. Of course, I failed. This year I want to continue writing more, and, therefore, I have set myself a target of writing at least 1,500 words every day.

3. Exercise. Over the years I have been working out regularly, so working out never featured in my list of resolutions. In 2011, however, I found that I was finding excuses to avoid working out. Therefore, I have decided to add it to my list of resolutions for 2012. I am going to try and take time out for exercising at least three times a week.

4. Balancing the real-virtual life. With social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook becoming an important part of our lives, the line between the real world and the virtual world begins to blur. The solution, I believe, does not lie in the complete shunning of either one, but in balancing the two. In 2012, I will try to make a deliberate effort to ensure that my online life does not affect my real life, and vice versa.

5. Killing procrastination. Procrastination is one of my biggest sins, and in 2012, I am going to kill it once and for all. This one I think is going to be a hard one to nail, but I think it is doable.

I guess this is about it. There are a few other minor resolutions that I don’t want to bore you with. What have you resolved for 2012?

Oh, and before I end this post, here is me wishing you a Very Happy 2012!