writing - Lightning Droplets

Dangerous Plants: A Writing Prompt for Character Development

August 22, 2021February 25, 2022 Jaclyn5 Comments

Find out how to create a dangerous character on the Lightning Droplets blog. Learn how to create a character-driven plot. This post includes the three most important questions to ask your character and how to turn those answers into a full plot.

You can use this writing prompt about deadly and dangerous plants to learn how to craft a character that will drive a meaningful plot for your story and help your fiction resonate with readers.

#fiction #writingtips #character #amwriting #writingprompt

There’s something about the lure of dangerous plants. The call of the Angel’s trumpet. The come-hither tendrils of poison ivy. The flashy blooms of oleander. Deadly plants have rich stories and lurid histories, and this makes them ripe for character development. This prompt walks you through creating a character based on a poisonous plant, and offers questions to ask your character that will get your plot racing.

Step 1: Start with a little bit of research.

Choose a dangerous plant. You can pick one of the most deadly, or one of the most poisonous, or the most dangerous. The descriptions in the links here might be enough to get the inspiration flowing, or you might want to use Wikipedia to do more research on a particular plant that speaks to you. Take notes about what strikes your interest. You might even let yourself go down the rabbit hole of research a little bit. Look into legends, history, and the biology of the plant. Often, poisonous plants have very interesting ways of interacting with humans, and of reproducing.

Step 2: Anthropomorphize!

Create a character based on the plant. Perhaps it is something about the way the plant kills. A lot of these plants have interesting historical tales surrounding them. Abraham Lincoln’s mother died from drinking milk tinged with white snakeroot. A Bulgarian dissident was killed with the chemical from castor seeds. What would this story look like from the plant’s point of view? Did Socrates deserve what the hemlock did to him?

What would this plant look like as a person? Would she be pale and unassuming, but deadly when you get close? Or would she be flamboyant and loud, luring everyone to her side? Is he spindly or robust? You could approach this question two ways: how would the physical characteristics of this plant translate into the look of a person? For example, does the character have eyes the color of wolfsbane? Or a rosary of rosary peas around their neck? Or you could think more about the personality of the plant. Are they sneaky? How would that look in a person? (But make sure to stay away from stereotypes!)

Once you are starting to envision your plant as a character, you’re ready to interrogate them!

Step 3: The 3 Most Important Questions to Ask Your Character

Think of this plant as a character. All characters have desires, needs, and a drive to be happy. But the trick is tying the desires and needs of the character directly to the plot. The way to do this is to ask the right questions. You don’t necessarily need to know all of the character’s favorite foods, bands and holiday spots, but you do need to know what makes them tick, how they are going to act, and, ultimately, how they are going to change.

These are the three most important questions to ask any character you create because these are the questions that are going to drive your character’s actions, and therefore also drive your plot. So let’s get digging!

What lie does your character believe?

The best stories have dynamic characters, which means your character needs to change. Maybe this is a small change, like realizing that they actually do like oranges, or maybe it’s a big change, like realizing maybe they don’t feel very fulfilled by poisoning people. Either way, we need to see some transformation, which means they need to change their mind about something. So, what are they going to change their mind about? What lie do they believe?

Another way to think about this is to think about it as a character flaw. What’s wrong with this character that needs to change? How are they acting/thinking/living in a way that does not actually make them happy? How does that relate to the lie they believe?

This is really the root of the matter.

What do they think will make them happy?

Give your plant-character a goal, a terribly misguided goal. This is especially powerful if their goal is based on the lie they believe. What are they pursuing because of this misbelief? What’s wrong with their life as it is, and what do they think they need to get/do/say/love/change in order to be happy?

Something to note about this question: it’s important that this is what they want which is wholly separate from what they need. This goal should be driven by the misguided belief that they hold. This is a goal that should change by the end of the story (even if it is the very last sentence!).

Then focus on what they are going to do to try to pursue this goal: What are they willing to do? What actual steps can they take to try to get there? But don’t forget, you, dear dangerous writer, are not going to let them achieve this goal.

What is going to change their mind?

Finally, what does your character come up against that makes them see the error of their ways? What is the tipping point, the pivotal moment that makes your character rethink their motives and their goals? What’s the event that makes them see the truth?

Of course, these are questions you can ask any character you make, whether they are based on a plant or not. These questions about your character’s personality are questions that specifically drive the plot of your story. You’ve got rich soil to work with.

Step 4: Plants into Plots

Now the plot thickens. (And yes, gardening puns totally intended.)

The real twist in this plot is that this dangerous plant is your protagonist. We know their flaws. We know what they are willing to do because of the lies they believe. So how does it all pan out? This is where the real world action meets the emotions within your herbaceous character. What steps are they taking in their life to try to pursue the lie that they think will make them happy? How does this plan fail? What stands in their way? And what eventually shows them (and your reader) the error of their ways?

Don’t forget, even as this plant is dangerous and believes this terrible lie, we still need to feel something for the character. Why are we rooting for this plant? We don’t have to like the plant, but we need to be interested. How does this dangerous, poisonous plant become a character that we can relate to and whose story we want to read?

Why this works

It might feel ridiculous to start a character with a plant. I mean, for a lot of people they are basically inanimate objects. But beginning the story by trying to find parallels between a human and a plant can help you see human stories from a different perspective. It frees you to think about different motivations and desires.

In terms of the questions to ask your characters, the power is in connecting the changes in your character and the events of the plot. If you allow your plot to be driven by the false belief of the character, the change that they undergo because of the incidents that happen in the story will have much more meaning. The character’s inner journey and outer journey will resonate, which means your story will resonate with readers also.

Finally, I want to give a very big shout out to Abbie Emmons on Youtube. The character questions here are loosely based on her very useful worksheets and videos about character-driven plotting. Definitely check out her channel for more in-depth info on these questions and more ways to think about characters and what drives them. She has short, punchy, informative videos on how to make your writing meaningful and I highly recommend checking them out! They are very good fodder for when you get stuck!

Have you tried this prompt? I would love to see how it comes out! Post a link or paste your results below.

Are you interested in trying more prompts? You might like this prompt using plot generators, this prompt setting myths in new places, or 30 days of writing prompts designed to get you through quarantine.

Enjoy!

A REVIEW OF PUBLISH AND THRIVE: A Course for Indie Authors

August 1, 2021January 26, 2024 Jaclyn4 Comments

How to Design a Writing Life : A Review of Publish and Thrive
How to Kickstart your Author Career: A Review of Publish and Thrive
How to Be an Indie Author : A Review of Publish and Thrive

Creating Your Author Career

Let me say from the start that I feel a little bit like a Sarra Cannon fangirl. I stan her, I guess you could say. And I am a zealot for a reason.

I want to share this course because it made me re-envision the possibilities for my writing career. I’ve been a teacher all my life. My husband often points out my Lisa Simpson tendencies (“Grade me! Tell me I’m good!”). I spent the entirety of my life believing that writing could only be the sidepiece to my day job, that I would always have to teach, that no one makes money as a writer. This way of thinking solidified in graduate school, where the traditional style of publishing is lauded as the only way and every “successful” writer is also a teacher.

I believed there was only one way to be a writer, and the road was hard and selective. That you have to cross your fingers and hope your book lands on the right person’s desk on the right day. That the only way to get your work out into the is to beg at the gatekeeper’s door and hope that each sentinel making decisions about your work would see the value in it.

Basically, it was incredibly disempowering to think about writing in this way.

And then, I took Publish and Thrive.

This course transformed the way I think about how writing fits into my life. It changed what I believe is possible in a writing career.

WHAT IS PUBLISH AND THRIVE?

Publish and Thrive is a five-week course for authors (especially indie authors!) who want to develop a writing career that will sustain them not only financially but also artistically. It walks you step by step through the process of developing your ideas into publishable books, marketing those books, and building a writing life that will bring more than money (but also money).

It’s been my dream for some time to find ways to help artists make money. Not because I am super interested in money (if you know me at all, you’ll know I am not), but because I believe that art is valuable. Books are valuable. Poetry and stories are valuable. And the way we show value in our current society is money. I want artists and writers to be able to support themselves and create more beautiful, valuable things. This showed me not only a way to do it for myself, but also a way to include others and bring them along.

The shape of publishing is changing. The democratization of technology of course has its good and bad sides, but the shifts in the publishing business are an example of the good. You don’t need to ask permission anymore. Of course, this means there’s all kinds of books of varying quality that are published and things that are super niche. But that’s great! It puts the distribution and production of the work in the hands of the writer. The writer no longer needs to be beholden to what an agent/editor/publisher/distributor/bookstore thinks will sell. Instead, the author just needs to find their readers, connect with them, and understand them.

This is exactly what Publish and Thrive teaches you to do.

The course is taught by Sarra Cannon. She is an indie author who has published more than 25 novels and has made more than a million dollars from her books. She has been self-publishing since 2010. She’s also a former teacher and this really shows in both her course design and her teaching style.

The course lasts five weeks, although honestly, it’s way too much information to fully absorb in that amount of time. Thankfully, you get lifetime access, including all of the updates and bonuses that Sarra adds each time (there have been a lot!).

WHAT MAKES PUBLISH AND THRIVE DIFFERENT?

This course distinguishes itself because it doesn’t just concentrate on your sales or popularity; it also teaches you about designing a writing career in which you can really thrive.

I have read a ton of advice for indie authors since beginning this journey. There are a lot of useful resources out there. However, a lot of these are prescriptive. They tell you what your career should look like and what you should do. It’s often really useful information that shows you what has worked for other people and their books. But the thing is, you’re not other people, and what works for them and their books is going to be different than what works for you.

This is not a course that tells you that you must learn to use Amazon ads and get a million Instagram followers. This is a course that lays out all the possibilities for publishing and guides you in picking and choosing which possibilities are going to work best for you, your books, and your career. Sarra doesn’t tell you what you should do. She shows you the things you could do. This teaching style makes all the difference.

This is a course that understands creative passion and artistic drive, and helps you take these things into consideration while also taking concrete steps toward your vision for your writing life.

WHAT TO EXPECT

Module 1: Gearing up for Success

This week contains several lessons on everything from developing a publishing strategy to writing your best book to your author website. Basically, it covers everything that you want to think about before you actually hit publish: the ideas, the writing, the editing, the cover art, the title, the blurb, and setting up your author platform. It’s a deep dive into bridging the gap between your creative ideas and the preparation it takes to put those ideas out into the world where readers can actually find them. In this first week, Sarra covers your author mailing list, social media, and your website.

Module 2: Publishing Your Novels

Week 2 gets into the nitty-gritty of actually hitting publish on your novel! There is a surprising amount to do,and Sarra walks you through all the ins and outs of publication. This week delves into how to find your ideal reader, ISBNs and how to get them, keywords and metadata, and formatting. There’s also whole lessons that walk you through the nuts and bolts of publishing on each of the major vendors, including Amazon, Apple Books, Barnes and Noble, Google Play, and Kobo Books. She also has lessons on how to publish in print and audio.

Listen, I said it was a lot of information, and it is. But it’s presented in bite-sized chunks that make each step seem totally manageable. It’s also set up so that when you reach each stage in your publishing journey, the information that you need at that point is easily accessible.

Module 3: Running Your Writing Business

This week is one that I know can be intimidating for lots of writers: the week of numbers! Thinking about money and yourself as a business can make an artist want to run screaming for the woods. Ahhh! But it’s important stuff, and the way it’s presented in Publish and Thrive makes it doable(and the spreadsheets are already made for you!). Week 3 includes lessons on structuring your business, pen names, tracking sales, taxes, and budgeting.

But the best lesson in this week is one that made me weep and ultimately changed the way I think about my writing: Cultivating an Entrepreneur’s Mindset. It was so helpful to see how another creative and sensitive soul thinks about this and it straight-up transformed the way I think about my art.

Module 4: Marketing Your Books

The module on marketing your books is by far the longest, with the most information. This is partially because there is a lot to know, but also because Sarra does not give you a marketing plan. Rather, she shows you the options, helps you weigh the pros and cons in your own situation, and helps you get the ball rolling. Week 4 explores pricing, ads, preorders, launching your books (with a few different launch plans), and reviews. There’s also special lessons about how to market your books if you are a slower writer or writing nonfiction or standalone books.

There is no one-size-fits-all-you-must-write-series-and-rapid-release advice here. There are lots of options!

Module 5: Creating Success That Lasts

The last week of the course is entirely devoted to creating a sustainable career and writing life. Sarra spends nearly 20% of the course talking about how to thrive, how to make a writing life that you can really live with, and how to find joy in the process. It touches on everything from time management to handling criticism to organizing your data. It also covers goal-setting, burnout, and planning. The range and depth of topics that this module covers shows the amount of thought that has gone into her lessons. This course recognizes that an author is not a machine, that writing can be a business but also be more than just business, and shows how to build a writing career that will really support you for the long term.

WHAT’S INCLUDED

For me, one of the most important (and very necessary!) perks of the Publish and Thrive course is the lifetime access. I was just drafting my first novel when I started the lessons, so I was definitely not ready to think about box sets or newsletter swaps, but I was glad that the information would be there when I was ready to delve deeper into those parts of the process. Also, indie publishing is constantly shifting and changing, and the course gets updated regularly. Since I took the course a year ago, five new lessons have been added, as well as new resources, like launch plans.

Each module of the course contains between three and five hours of video lessons, as well as four recordings of question and answer sessions with previous students. The Q and A videos are each about two hours long, so each module has 10 to 15 hours of information (3 to 5 hours of instruction and 8 to 10 hours of Sarra answering questions from previous students).

Each week, there’s also a new live Q and A session with Sarra where you can ask your own questions. I personally didn’t listen to the Q and A sessions from past rounds of the course in the beginning, because time was tight and I figured the questions were probably not relevant to me. Actually, these sessions are also packed full of information–it’s enlightening to hear about other students’ plans, challenges, and successes.

Each module also contains a workbook for that module, about 20-40 pages of information, links, and recommendations of other resources to check out. There are even bonus workbooks for plotting your novel, editing your novel, and sample launch plans. Finally, for those writers who are adverse to spreadsheets, there are spreadsheets already set up where you can track your sales, taxes, budget, etc.

Finally, enrolling in the course also gives you access to the Publish and Thrive Facebook group. This allows you to post questions any time, and Sarra is impressively responsive. But you don’t just get responses from Sarra. You also get answers from the other alumni, who are at varying stages of their career. The group is very supportive, and it’s useful to see the questions that others ask as well.

THE DRAWBACKS

I know I keep getting into infomercial territory. I am really trying not to, and I apologize.

I promised an honest review, and as much as I felt like the Publish and Thrive course really helped, there are some caveats.

This course is lot of information in a very short time span.

The biggest thing I found difficult about this course was that it was A TON of information in a very, very short amount of time. Maybe it’s just the university instructor in me, but I feel like this could easily be a semester-long course. That being said, I love that Sarra allows lifetime access to the materials, because honestly, you need it. I personally could not absorb all of the information or walk through the process in a matter of five weeks.

This course is spendy.

I definitely needed a nudge to justify spending this kind of money on a career that I am just starting. I am honestly lucky to have a supportive husband who is also a writer. He pushed me to invest in myself. Why is it easy for me to spend hundreds of dollars on a university course but I hesitated with this? I;m not sure. Because honestly, Publish and Thrive was probably a much better investment.

This course is time-consuming.

If you plan on following along week by week, participating in the weekly Q and A, and watching all the videos in five weeks, you definitely need to make some time in your schedule. There’s nothing that says you need to watch all the videos “on time”, but it sure is nice to be able to ask questions in the Q and A. That being said, this kind of deep dive into the business of indie writing is not possible in a tiny snippet of time. So fair warning, clear some time for yer learning.

THE FINAL VERDICT

I can’t tell you that Publish and Thrive is going to make you a millionaire. I can tell you that Publish and Thrive has shifted my mindset completely, from thinking of my writing as something that I needed to squeeze into the minutes between my real life to thinking of my writing as my purpose, my meaning, and the way I show up in the world.

This course helped me see that no matter how much time I have (it is often not much!) I can move in the direction I want my writing career to take, and that doesn’t have to look like anyone else’s. (Note: Sarra also has a course called HB90, which focuses on time management and goal setting that really helps if you feel pinched for time and are not sure where to start! You can see my review of that course here.)

It’s made me let go of looking to the gatekeepers for permission to get my words out into the world. Instead, I am just doing it, and I have a clear vision of how to get there. That transformation in mindset is probably the most valuable investment I have ever made in myself.

I definitely needed a nudge in order to go for it.

So if you need that nudge, let me be it. Creating a writing life that will sustain you is worth it. Living up to your potential is worth it. You are worth it.

This post contains affiliate links to Sarra’s courses, which means if you choose to enroll after clicking my link, I will receive a small commission at no extra charge to you. That being said, I am recommending this course because it really has changed my thinking on my writing career and what’s possible for writers and I want to spread the word!

Shelter and Write Prompt 5: Taking Comfort

April 6, 2020February 25, 2022 Jaclyn2 Comments

What is one small thing you are taking comfort in right now? Maybe it is a song, a person, seedlings, or the days getting longer. What is it that is bringing you a little bit of solace?

Describe this thing bringing you comfort in great detail. What does it look like, feel like? What does it remind you of? Why is it bringing you comfort?

Then draw connections between this thing and the current situation. In what ways are they similar? How could the thing that is bringing you comfort signify your current state? Can you turn the thing that is bringing you solace into an extended metaphor for your experience, or create a story centered around this comforting thing?

This post is part of a series I am doing that includes 30 prompts for 30 days of sheltering at home. You can read more about my reasoning and also find other prompts here. I would love to see what you come up with. Feel free to share here or to tag your work #shelterandwrite.

Shelter and Write Prompt 4: Start with an Interview

April 4, 2020February 25, 2022 Jaclyn4 Comments

Find someone who is affected by COVID-19 in a different way than you are. It might be someone who is taking a different approach to protecting themselves, someone who is quarantined, a local teacher, someone who had plans that have now changed.

Get their story. What is interesting or notable about the way they are handling the situation?

Use this interview as the inspiration for today’s writing. Perhaps you want to juxtapose your own experience with the interviewee’s experience. Maybe you want to take key words and phrases from the interview and use them in a poem. You could use one detail from the interview to base a story around, or something that was said as your first line.

Shelter and Write Prompt 2: Our Children’s Stories

April 2, 2020February 25, 2022 Jaclyn2 Comments

Think about the current time through a child’s eyes. It could be your child, a child you know, or even a fictional child.

You could write from the child’s point of view, or you could write about the child from an adult’s point of view.

How old is the child? What do they sense? What do they know? What do they see? How do they understand what is happening around them?

Then imagine this child in the future. How will they remember this time? What are the stories that the child will tell when they describe this time to their own children?

#shelterandwrite

This post is part of a series I am doing that includes 30 prompts for 30 days of sheltering at home. You can read more about my reasoning and also find other prompts here.

Shelter and Write Prompt 1: Create a Written Collage

April 1, 2020February 25, 2022 Jaclyn7 Comments

Create a Written Collage: Think of ten small, concrete things that are different in your life because of COVID-19. You want to choose some things that you can experience with your senses, and that you can describe in exquisite detail.

It could be empty hand-sanitizer bottles, a work project left unfinished, an unused plane ticket, the pile of books you now have time to read, etc.

Describe each one in as much detail as possible. How has this thing changed in recent weeks? What specifically has brought about these changes? How have you noticed this thing in a new or different way?

Arrange your descriptions to create a written “collage” of current life. Look closely at the small differences around you. Together, they tell a story. What’s yours?

This post is part of a series I am doing that includes 30 prompts for 30 days of sheltering at home. You can read more about my reasoning and also find other prompts here.

#shelterandwrite

Shelter and Write: 30 Journal Prompts for a COVID-19 Quarantine

April 1, 2020February 25, 2022 Jaclyn72 Comments

I don’t know what quarantine has been like for you, but I have spent the last several weeks huddled under the covers, unable to look away from the news, and sanitizing my child like crazy. There has been a great grief, a great helplessness, and the overwhelming feeling that I should be doing something — anything — other than just staying home. I understand that I’m doing my part by hiding under the covers. But it also seems like I should be doing a lot more.

There have been a lot of tears. I might have gotten in a non-verbal argument with my toddler. And the things I say to my plants these days makes me wonder if they think I am crazy. The anxiety is real. And I know it would make me feel so much better to do something for others, to connect with others.

Are you feeling this way, too? Both paralyzed by anxiety and seized with the need to do something useful, something helpful?

Maybe your situation isn’t right to make masks or adopt a grandma, but you do want to do something. I have been wanting to write. I have dealt for years with feeling like writing is selfish, and in this age of unease, it only seemed more so.

But still, I felt that nagging feeling deep in my chest that begged for me to write. Maybe you have been wanting to write, too. Maybe you have been feeling like writing is a luxury right now and something you shouldn’t be spending time on. But I want to push against that idea.

I personally could really only do the work that was absolutely necessary in the past few weeks, and that was teaching. So I started thinking about how I could be useful to the writers taking my course, which also led me to think about how we could be useful as writers.

As my students returned to our little online portal after an extended spring break, I asked them what would be useful for them as writers right now. Overwhelmingly, they wanted to journal about this time and overwhelmingly, they wanted prompts.

I wanted to make prompts that would really be helpful for my students. Prompts that encouraged them be present, to look at the little things, to imagine a better future. But also prompts that allowed them to voice their fears and stare down their anxieties. I wanted to make prompts that they could connect over, draw insight from, and use to document what they saw and experienced. Basically, I wanted to make prompts that were helpful in making my students helpful.

And I thought, maybe it will also be helpful for others, too. So I wanted to share it with you.

Here is the thing: you can help. You can help by writing. Think of all the ways that the writing is useful.

On the most basic level, it is important to have a historical record of this time, and multiple perspectives will be important to get the history right. We need to know what nurses were doing, what patients were doing, what it was like to go to work, and what it was like to stay home. The more information and perspectives that can be gathered will help those in the future see what worked and what didn’t, and how the world changed in response.

Also, taking care of your own mental health is helping. I can’t stress this enough. Look, no one is going to be served by letting anxiety, depression or any other mental health issue take over. Practicing isolation and social distancing are terrible for all kinds of mental health disorders, from anxiety to eating disorders. If writing is making you feel better, you should do it. If it helps you get through the day a little kinder or with a little more ease, it is important, and you are helping others by doing it. It’s also a great way to ease the sense of isolation (see below!).

Think about all the reading you are doing. We are all trying to make sense of what is going on right now. There are numerous conspiracy theories, constant live news updates, and people sure that this will change life as we know it forever. All of these things exist because people are trying to understand a situation so unlike what most of us have experienced. Writing about it is trying to make sense of it. Sure, you might not figure out the answer to the pandemic, but even coming to one little way of thinking about it that is helpful to you might be also helpful to others.

And if you aren’t writing about the pandemic, but are writing something totally unrelated, like ancient alien dinosaur erotica or whatever, you are helping too! People are looking to artists for distraction, for escape, because we can’t exist on high-alert all the time.

This brings me to a last way you can help: share your writing.

Share your thoughts and the ways in which you are dealing with it. There is a need for connection right now, and one of the ways we can connect and still be socially distant is to share our thoughts in writing. So share your writing. Even if it doesn’t have anything to do with COVID-19, it could help someone find a few moments of calm and connection. Maybe you send your mom a letter with one of your journal entries that you think she would like, maybe you share it on Facebook, maybe you share it completely anonymously on a forum. But let other people learn from your thoughts, and allow them to connect back with you. You will both be helped by it.

So this is my small way of sharing with you. You can use this with #NaPoWriMo or #CampNano or on your own, day by day, or when you feel moved. I hope you find this helpful and I hope you also know that you are helpful.

These are some of the prompts that I created for my students. I’ll post a prompt a day and you’ll find a little sneak peak below. I hope that you can use them to be helpful, to yourself and to others. I hope that you can use them to share your fears, your hopes, and your thoughts. And most of all, I hope you can use them to connect.

Thank you for connecting with me by reading this <3

#writethepandemic

How to Write a Story within a Story: Sucked into House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski

October 22, 2019January 14, 2024 JaclynLeave a comment

Reposting this book review of one of the scariest books I’ve ever read in honor of the approaching Halloween/Samhain holiday! Get lost in the literary haunted house that is House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski and enjoy a little bit of Reading for Writers to get you spooked and in the mood!

House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski is a stupefying maze of a book. It is a story within a story within a story which defies the conventions of traditional page formatting and linear narrative. The strengths of this book lie in the way that its strangeness and its narratives come together to leave the reader with some very strong overall impressions.

The main text of House of Leaves is a faux-academic examination of a non-existent film entitled The Navidson Record. The film is a documentary(?) that deals with the Navidson family, who moves into a house which begins to expand, shift, and change dimensions as they live in it. The academic exploration of the film is written by Zampanò, a blind man (yes, who is writing about a film) who dies while writing this treatise. The text is then found by Johnny Truant, who takes it on to try to complete it, inserting his own life as footnotes alongside the academic footnotes of Zampanò. Truant goes insane while working on the book, which is then found, edited and published by nameless editors, who also add their own footnotes. This is presumably the status of the text when it reaches the reader.

The theoretical examination of The Navidson Record is a clear riff on academic writing. It is written formal language and is footnoted with hundreds of academic articles to back up the theories that Zampanò espouses. The problem with this is that try as Johnny Truant might, he cannot find evidence that the film being theorized about even exists. Some of the footnotes come from sources that do actually exist (thanks to the comps list, I was familiar with Jon Krakauer’s Into Thin Air), but most of the sources do not. Danielewski (or Zampanò?) even goes so far as to quote actual people supposedly giving their take on The Navidson Record, including such well-known people as Anne Rice and Susan Sontag. This makes The Navidson Record seem like a notable film and the reader must constantly remind herself that not only are the theories and quotes mostly made up, the film itself does not exist.

This academic writing completely falls apart as the book progresses. The text itself spins out of control, the words of Zampanò’s theories literally turn upside-down, go down staircases, and run across the page. He begins writing nonsensical footnotes that appear in boxes in the middle of the page, run on forever in lists, and bleed through to the other side so that the reader is reading the text both forward and backwards. German and French litter the pages, sometimes untranslated. There is braille, musical notation, and ASCII pictures. Each time the word “house” is mentioned in any language, it appears in blue and slightly askew.

The footnotes also refer the reader to several “Exhibits” and “Appendices” in the back of the book. These contain photographs, lists of things that Zampanò plan to include but which are never found, and collections of poetry. The most notable of these contains a series of letters to Johnny Truant from his mother. She writes these while in a mental institution and they range from traditional-seeming letters to letters with scattered text to letters in secret code. The reader is referred to these letters early on and this helps the reader understand how to read other parts of the book.

The main reason that all this is tolerable is that it fits so well with the story itself. Like the house in The Navidson Record, the book folds in on itself, containing story within story. It is a maze, just like the house is, and the reader must navigate it in the same way that Will Navidson must navigate his house. It is impossible for the reader not to get lost in it. This mirrors the experience of both the people in The Navidson Record and Zampanò and Truant, who, as they are writing about the film, get lost in the darkness that the theoretical explorations suggest. Instead of being alienating gimmicks, the nuances of the book pull the reader in, making her feel like one more layer in the maze of stories that make up the book. The only way this effect could be more effective is if the book left space for the reader to footnote her own experience of researching the film (which I will admit to attempting, even knowing it didn’t exist) and reading the text. For my own part, I was so engrossed in House of Leaves that I felt nearly compelled to add footnotes that recounted what was happening in my world, that the leaves were falling, darkness was multiplying, and my house, like the Navidson house, seemed to be emitting a low growl.

*This post is part of a series on the craft of writing called Reading for Writers. This series examines a variety of authors to ascertain the choices they’ve made in their writing and the effects of those choices so that we as writers can make better decisions in our own writing. May contain affiliate links.

NaNoWriMo Prep for Pantsers

October 15, 2019February 25, 2022 Jaclyn47 Comments

National Novel Writing Month is quickly approaching. They say there are two kinds of NaNo writers, the plotters and the pantsers. Is it possible for Pantsers to prep for NaNoWriMo?

Let me get this off my chest right off the bat: I am the epitome of a pantser. My writing style is that I write a sentence or paragraph that belongs in one scene, and then my mind flits to another scene for just a paragraph, and then I get a flash of character description, and then I can see the setting so I need to get it down and suddenly I have 400 words, and they each belong in a different place in the book. This means that I end up printing everything out, cutting it up, and trying to sort it into some kind of order before having to fill in gaps that I missed or expand on scenes. Sometimes I even have to cut sentences in half in order to sort them. Here is what my writing process looks like:

Ugh. I have always hated those people (I am looking at you, Husband) who just sit down and write the next scene like they have a map of where their book is going. Writing is fun and easy, they say. Writing is my escape. Like a movie in my head. You just sit down and write what comes next.

Get out of my face, you people who can just write what comes next. My muse obviously has such terrible ADD that she can only tell me one image at a time, which leaves me swimming in beautiful words that I have to somehow make sense of.

Ok, rant over.

I am eager to do NaNoWriMo this year. I have done it a few times before and never won, but this year, I have no thesis to write, I am not moving to another country (that I know of), and I am not pregnant, so I figure this year is my year. (Friend me on the Nano site: I am JaclynMaryLuke! Let’s inspire each other!)

Because I am so gung-ho to actually follow through this time, I decided that I needed to do some Nano Prep. But guess what, I am not a plotter. How do you prep for NaNoWriMo other than plotting out your story, or developing your characters? To me, the things that most people do to prep for NaNoWriMo are things that I discover and uncover in my process of writing, so it feels like cheating to start those before the big November 1st kick off.

I have, however, tried a few things so far this month that have definitely helped get me in the mood, and so I wanted to share them in hopes that some other pantsers out there could use them too!

1. Sign up!

I don’t mean this to be an infomerical for NaNoWriMo, but it can be really helpful to sign up ahead of time, meet some other writers, and kick off the month with a bang. Community support is what NaNoWriMo is all about. You could choose to write a novel any month, perhaps an easier month than one which has only 30 days and several holidays. But doing it in November gives you the support of thousands of writers who are doing it along with you.

When I lived in Fairbanks, they had a midnight write-in on October 31st, so you could really get going from the moment the clock struck November. They also did word wars on Facebook that I found useful, and of course write-ins at coffee shops. This year, I’m in Anchorage, so I’m excited to see how it works differently in different places. The point is that you don’t want to spend your November writing time poking around the website, lurking on the forums, and stalking other NaNos. Do that now and get it out of your system!

2. Make a mood board

This is one I found on the NaNoWriMo Blog. Basically, the idea is to collect images that you can use to inspire your story. You can create a physical board out of newspaper and magazine clippings, or you can create a Pinterest board. Here’s mine, as an example. What I love about this prep is that it feels like I am steeling myself against future writer’s block. After just a little bit of time, I have inspiration for days. Author J.M. Ralley has a great post on using Pinterest for both inspiration and connection with readers. Suddenly, on my Pinterest feed, there are pictures that are reminiscent of my story, which both inspires me and also tells me that I should be writing and not on Pinterest. One word of warning, though. Pinterest is excellent procrastination, so be careful with how you use your time.

3. Create a writing space

If you are going to make room in your life for writing, you need to make physical room in your life for writing. This can be as big as creating a whole office for yourself, or as small as transforming your dining room table. In the summers, the hubs, the toddler, the dog and I live in a one-room, off-the-grid cabin that is 12 feet by 16 feet. You can image that there is not room for anyone to have their own writing studio in this situation. But for me, the space is important and so when it’s time to write, our little table transforms into this:

I have my special writing fabric, my special writing candles, my special writing mug (Thanks, Maeve!), and my special writing plant. They all come out and transform the little table where we eat into my own space. The point is to have a physical space that gets you in the headspace — and to make sure you have it set up before November 1st so that when NaNoWriMo comes around, you can just sit down and immerse yourself in your writing. Bonus points for also displaying your mood board from above!

4. Create a writing ritual

In a similar vein, I need to get in the mood for writing. I find it extremely helpful to have a writing ritual that helps get my head in the game. Personally, I make myself some coffee, set up my space, and water my writing plant, reminding myself that I am helping my creativity and my story grow. Maybe you put on some music to write to, make yourself some tea, watch a NaNoWriMo Pep Talk, read some poetry, meditate, pray, do yoga, or draw a tarot card to inspire your day. Whatever your ritual/routine is, you want to make sure that it’s short and sweet and that it actually supports your writing. I personally start to get sucked in if I meditate or watch a pep talk, so these are not for me. It can take time to find a routine that works for you, so now is the time to do it. Don’t wait to figure out what works, or you might spend half of November testing out routines.

5. Create a cover.

This can be as easy or as involved as you want. I’m not talking about creating the final, be all, end all cover with the blurb and everything. Put your name on it. Pick a working title. Heck, even tag it with some Pulitzer Prize or “Best-selling” stickers. The idea is just to have some visual representation of the book you are writing in its complete form. I used Pixabay to find appropriate photos (which can also go on your mood board!). Canva actually has book cover templates that are super easy to use and free! You can print it out and put it in your writing space, or leave it on your computer desktop. Just make sure that you see it often and let the inspiration of seeing your book (YOUR BOOK!) get you through those difficult days in November when the sun is slipping and writing feels too hard. You got this!

6. Plotting for Pantsers

This one comes straight from the NaNoWriMo Prep Workbook. They call it the Jot, Bin, Pants method. This is the first time I’ve tried this and it’s working well for me. The idea is basically that you find a little time each day leading up to NaNoWriMo to sit and conjure up the scenes in your book. You can do this by meditating, just thinking over a cup of tea, scribbling what comes to mind before you go to bed, working on your mood board: whatever gives you ideas for scenes and images. You DO NOT WRITE THE SCENE (this is the most difficult part for me, because I see details that I want to hold on to, so they have become sub-notes). Instead, you just write a one-sentence summary. And then, conjure more, and write another one-sentence summary of the next scene you see. Once you have 50-100 scene ideas, you can begin sorting them. Which scenes need to come first? Which scenes don’t belong? Which scenes really strike your fancy? This is a way to get some semblance of order and some ideas on the page before November starts, but still allows you to go by the seat of your pants!

What are you doing to prepare for NaNoWriMo? Do you have any advice on how to prep for fellow pantsers? Ideas are greatly appreciated!

Four Easy Ways to Revive Your Blog

September 29, 2019January 14, 2024 JaclynLeave a comment

Have you been neglecting your blog but want to get back in to it? How do you come back gracefully after years away? Here are a few tips to try!

Give it a facelift. Maybe you are excited about restarting your blog, but scared of that first post. What do you say after two years of radio silence? Maybe you spent hours updating the look of your blog months ago and you are just now ready to start writing again. But in those months since you redesigned your blog, it’s been swirling in your head, so that finally, you are able to write again.
Give some reasons. Or you could also call them excuses, I suppose. Maybe it’s been a really crazy two years. Maybe in those two years, you got married, moved to the Bahamas, got pregnant, moved to Florida, started a business, had a baby, had major surgery, spent six weeks in the NICU with your new baby, moved into a new house on the day you brought her home, drove across the continent with your new little family, and then moved back to an off-the-grid cabin in Alaska and started a blog about it. I mean, for example. Surely your readers can forgive you for not writing in the midst of all that chaos.
Give an apology. But are you really sorry? Maybe your readers were disappointed when your posts started trailing off, but that was years ago, really. They probably haven’t thought about it since. Maybe no one even noticed. But you noticed that your blog was going downhill. Maybe this form of comeback would be better phrased as I’ve missed you. Our connection has been important for me, and I hope it’s been just a little bit important to you. Can we reconnect?
Just jump right in. Or maybe you just want to get started. Maybe no one will even notice you’ve been gone. Maybe you can just pick up where you left off and act like there was no absence at all. Maybe if you start with a particularly useful blog post, something about writing and blogging and connecting with people. Something like, Four Easy Ways to Revive Your Blog. Because actually, something like that you could write very authoritatively about. You’ve been thinking about that very subject for the past two years.