Writers Archives - Lisi Harrison

WRITE ON

Lisi Harrison — Wed, 04 Feb 2015 21:37:02 +0000

I’m receiving a number of comments and messages from readers looking for help becoming writers. Some of them lead me to believe you haven’t been keeping up with the Writing Process section here on the blah-g. Check this out first in case any of your questions have already been answered in depth: Blah Blah Blah Writing Process

And a few of you have asked me for some tips and tricks. Tips and tricks for writing, huh? I wish, sisters. I’ve said this before, but there aren’t any tricks. You have to write every day. It’s that simple. Read books in the genre you are writing so you can see how other people do it. Stephen King says if you don’t have time to read, then you don’t have the time–or tools–to write. So do it. Read and write as much as possible. Keep a notebook with you and write down amazing details you stumble on during the day. It’s these details that will bring your writing to life. And read about writing. Books on the actual craft are very helpful and inspiring. Be sure to check out my Tumblr I devote entirely to writerly things (okay, okay, there are some pups and Internet memes thrown in there, too) that I update every Tuesday and Thursday. It’s full of great writing tips for character development, story structure, inspirational words, and anything else you need to spark your creativity while honing your craft.

Most of all don’t try to sound like anyone else. It’s your voice we want to hear because no one sees the world like you do. Neil Gaiman has my back on this one, albeit his version is a little more harsh:

Start telling the stories that only you can tell, because there’ll always be better writers than you and there’ll always be smarter writers than you. There will always be people who are much better at doing this or doing that — but you are the only you.

― Neil Gaiman

Which reminds me, developing a thick skin is step 1 in becoming a writer. Harper Lee agrees:

I would advise anyone who aspires to a writing career that before developing his talent he would be wise to develop a thick hide. — Harper Lee

Now hit it.

TTYW,

Lisi

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Grit or Get Off The Pot

Lisi Harrison — Thu, 29 Jan 2015 19:16:02 +0000

“Before you diagnose yourself with depression or low self-esteem, first make sure you are not, in fact, just surrounded by a**holes.” – William Gibson.

Have you ever shared your life’s grand plan with someone and in an instant your dreams were dashed with negativity? We all encounter discouraging naysayers on our path, but it’s particularly difficult to stay focused in reaching our goals when those closest to us can’t or won’t be our support system along the way. Danielle is experiencing this right now and commented about it on my Facebook page. Here’s her story: I’ve wanted to become a writer for quite some time. The only problem is my family doesn’t support me in my decision. They say things that really make me feel like I won’t be able to make it. I get tons of support at school with my teachers and I’m grateful for that, but my family makes jokes at my expense that make me feel self conscious for wanting to write. It’s gotten so bad that I don’t think I’ll be able to become a writer anymore. Any advice? People who try to talk you down from a dream are usually working from a place of fear. It isn’t necessarily their fault. They might be repeating discouraging words said to them long ago, or they might be too scared in their own life to follow their passion. It’s crucial that you keep this in mind. Remind yourself it’s their insecurity and like a virus, you will catch it if you don’t build up your immunity. Here’s how:

Shut them down.

Tell them to keep their negativity to themselves. If they keep this up you will never dedicate a novel to them. Ne-ver! You could also try giving them a taste of it. Crush their goals and dreams just for fun. See how they like it. Infect them with their own negativity. Then (wait for it…) write a short story about it. Everything you experience—better or worse—is material. At the very least take notes on their behavior. The sound of their voices when they judge. Their facial expressions. The sound of their laughter. Show them, with your writing, how antagonistic they are.

Become Boobs. Now Find Your Bra.

Like a pair of boobs you need support. So go find a few bras. By this I mean people who support you. Share your writing with the teachers who believe in you. Join or start a writing club. Become an online member of a writing community. Read about writers. Read about writing. Surround yourself with other people who share the vision. That’s the bug you want to catch.

Don’t dream it. Do it.

Right now writing is your dream, but you should make it your reality. Decide upon smaller tasks instead of focusing solely on the final work. Write them down, tack them up on a wall near your desk. Look at those reminder notes every morning and put at least one of them into effect. Maybe that means writing a short story, putting a book of poems together, completing specific writing exercises each week, studying two books on the craft per month. Your family will see you working at achieving your goal and hopefully will respect your vision more and more. Or they won’t. (See: Shut Them Down.) The most important thing a writer can have—more important that talent, skill, education—is GRIT! Stick with it. Thicken that skin. Shut out the noise. Cliche? Yes. But oh so true.

Now go kick some ass. TTYW, Lisi

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Writers Musing

Lisi Harrison — Thu, 18 Dec 2014 02:22:06 +0000

The aspiring writers who follow my blah-g often ask what I’m inspired by. The answer? A lot. Inspiration comes in any number of forms and if you pay close enough attention, most mundane aspects of life can spark the idea for a new character or a dramatic scene. But looking around with intention takes some effort and isn’t always a quick fix for when you need to feel inspired fast. The most fool-proof method in finding that creative spark when you need it is to simply pick up a book and read. Read everything: fiction, nonfiction, poetry. Read interesting blog posts and the inside of book jackets; read technical descriptions on boxes and definitions of scientific words. It will all inform you and may lead to something valuable in the next piece you’re working on. When I need that extra oomph on a particularly dry creative day, I turn to my journal where I store quotes by writers I respect. This always does the trick. And more often than not, these quotes are just as much about life itself than the act of writing alone. I’m sharing 25 ah-mazing quotes on writing, creativity and life by writers I love in the hope some of these words will help you the next time you sit down to create.

1. Anne Lamott from her book Bird by Bird

“Perfectionism is the voice of the oppressor, the enemy of the people. It will keep you cramped and insane your whole life, and it is the main obstacle between you and a shitty first draft. I think perfectionism is based on the obsessive belief that if you run carefully enough, hitting each stepping-stone just right, you won’t have to die. The truth is that you will die anyway and that a lot of people who aren’t even looking at their feet are going to do a whole lot better than you, and have a lot more fun while they’re doing it.”

2. Zadie Smith, author of White Teeth

“Try to read your own work as a stranger would read it, or even better, as an enemy would.”

3. Donna Tartt, Pullitzer Prize winner and author of The Goldfinch

“Storytelling and elegant style don’t always go hand in hand.”

4. Chimamanda Ngozi Adiche, acclaimed novelist, short story writer and speaker

5. Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat, Pray, Love and The Signature of All Things

“Creativity itself doesn’t care at all about results – the only thing it craves is the process. Learn to love the process and let whatever happens next happen, without fussing too much about it. Work like a monk, or a mule, or some other representative metaphor for diligence. Love the work. Destiny will do what it wants with you, regardless.”

6. Tina Fey, comedy writer and author of Bossy Pants

7. Kurt Vonnegut, author of Cat’s Cradle and Slaughterhouse-Five

“To practice any art, no matter how well or how badly, is a way to make your soul grow. So do it.”

8. Diane Ackerman, author and poet

9. Judy Blume, author of Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret.

“Each of us must confront our own fears, must come face to face with them. How we handle our fears will determine where we go with the rest of our lives. To experience adventure or to be limited by the fear of it.”

10. Joan Didion, author and essayist

11. Amy Poehler, comedy writer and author of Yes Please

12. Anne Lamott from her book Bird by Bird

“You own everything that happened to you. Tell your stories. If people wanted you to write warmly about them, they should have behaved better.”

13. Nora Ephron, journalist, essayist, playwright, novelist, all around ah-mazing creative force

14. Jim Thompson, author and screenwriter

“There is only one plot—things are not what they seem.”

15. James Baldwin, author of Giavanni’s Room

16. Joan Didion from her book Slouching Towards Bethlehem

“I have already lost touch with a couple of people I used to be.”

17. Ray Bradbury, American science-fiction author

“Let the world burn through you. Throw the prism light, white hot, on paper.”

18. Alice Munro, winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature

19. Raymond Carver, poet and novelist, author of What We Talk About When We Talk About Love

“You’ve got to work with your mistakes until they look intended.”

20. Mark Twain, American humorist and writer

“I didn’t have time to write a short letter, so I wrote a long one instead.” Ha!

21. Margaret Atwood, acclaimed novelist, poet, essayist and environmental activist

22. Zadie Smith

“Tell the truth through whichever veil comes to hand – but tell it. Resign yourself to the lifelong sadness that comes from never being satisfied.”

23. Jeanette Winterson, author of Written on the Body and Gut Symmetries

“If you continually write and read yourself as a fiction, you can change what’s crushing you.”

24. Ray Bradbury

“To sum it all up, if you want to write, if you want to create, you must be the most sublime fool that god ever turned out and sent rambling. You must write every single day of your life. You must read dreadful dumb books and glorious books, and let them wrestle in beautiful fights inside your head, vulgar one moment, brilliant the next. You must lurk in libraries and climb the stacks like ladders to sniff books like perfumes and wear books like hats upon your crazy heads. I wish for you a wrestling match with your Creative Muse that will last a lifetime. I wish craziness and foolishness and madness upon you. May you live with hysteria, and out of it make fine stories — science fiction or otherwise. Which finally means, may you be in love every day for the next 20,000 days. And out of that love, remake a world.”

25. Nora Ephron, Wellesley College Commencement Address, 1996

“Whatever you choose, however many roads you travel, I hope that you choose not to be a lady. I hope you will find som away to break the rules and make a little trouble out there. And I also hope that you will choose to make some of that trouble on behalf of women.”

The last two may have left me with a tear in one eye. Leave me with some of your favorite quotes on writing and life below in the comments.

TTYW,

Lisi

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Writer’s Roll

Lisi Harrison — Thu, 23 Oct 2014 00:36:40 +0000

Hi friends. I received a question from Rhema Joy recently on writer’s block. I replied to her directly, but it seems a lot of the aspiring writers who read my blah-g struggle with this so I’m elaborating to pass on what I know about getting the ball rolling and words flowing when you’re feeling stuck.

Here’s what Rhema said:

Dear Lisi,
I’ve been reading your books since I was eight or nine. I’m now fourteen and I love writing. I have a question though… more like a problem. I’ll have these amazing characters and plots and ideas; I’ll write bit, get writers block &and never finish it! It’s a sick cycle I’ve been on since I first started writing at age seven! Any ideas as to what’s my problem and how to fix it? Thank you x

1) The truth about writer’s block

Okay, Rhema, here goes: First, I don’t believe in writer’s block. There. I said. People give a lot of power to this term, but what I believe happens when they say they have writer’s block is that they simply are not interested enough in what they’re writing, or they haven’t given enough thought to where they want the story to go. I’m a huge supporter of OUTLINING first, as I’ve mentioned here on the blah-g. The outline can and will change, but you’ve got to give yourself a route to travel while writing, otherwise you’ll never make it to the final act. Some writers say they simply sit down and let it all flow out naturally, then edit later. It’s a very small percentage of writers who can successfully do that, and while you’re honing your craft I suggest you try to work from outlines first. Practice. Then be among that small percentage when you’ve developed the writing chops.

2) Give yourself a break

Got an outline and you’re still feeling stumped? Take a hike. Or a walk. Or just step away from your story for an afternoon and get some fresh air and eyes for the next time you sit down in front of your draft. Sometimes we think we have to dedicate every waking moment to our novel in order to get it done, but that isn’t always realistic or helpful to everyone’s process. Sitting in front of your story day after day can make it feel stale and cause you to lose inspiration and steam. Keep your perspective sharp by giving your draft some space when needed.

3) Don’t get too attached

Maybe that scene you had your heart set on writing simply doesn’t advance the plot. Cut it. Try something new. Don’t get bogged down by events or details that don’t drive the story forward. Remember, you are the ultimate creator of your fictional world. Your characters will tell you where they want to go, but you decide their fate.

4) Be imperfect

Avoid perfecting your early drafts. Your first, second, third, etc. drafts aren’t there to be pristine. They’re there to get down the story in all its gruesome form. Get the words down on paper and give yourself something to come back to and edit. You’ll never make it to the end if you keep stopping to fix details along the way. Trust me, I know this one from experience. Get the story down first, then polish it to perfection in your final drafting stage.

Rhema and all the other young writers reading this, I hope those tips help! If you have any advice to add, let us know in the comments section.

TTYW,
Lisi

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Building Books

Lisi Harrison — Thu, 02 Oct 2014 01:38:27 +0000

Hi friends. I promised I’d read you an excerpt from Judy Blume’s Forever…, my favorite banned book in continued celebration of Banned Books Week, but I’m holding off on that until next blah-g post. One of your comments on writing caught my eye and I’m addressing it today since I’m also neck deep in my own process finishing the Dirty Book Club.

Here’s what Lydia said:

Lisi you always give the best advice…
I’ve been writing a book since March and I’m only on Chapter 4. My process is pretty slow, but I want to get it moving a least a little bit. If I can’t think of anything for my current chapter, I write little bits and pieces in my notes. I also feel like my writing style is inconsistent. I try to use descriptive words here and there, but it seems too sporadic. Plus my witty retorts and personalities for the characters remind me of “The Fault In Our Stars” and feel too dated. How can I find my own style of writing without letting the books I read influence it too much?

Lydia, I feel your pain here. Based on what you explained is happening it sounds like you may not have started with an outline. WRITE AN OUTLINE FIRST. Is there a specific message or idea you want to explore? Is the book plot or character driven? Have you thought about how you want the story to resolve? Characters and some plot lines will probably end up changing along the way, but get down the basic skeleton of where you want the story to go. It’s a must. It will save you days if not months of agonizing over the turns you want to take in your book.

As for your descriptive words feeling a little sporadic, are you peppering in adjectives or are you fleshing out a scene based on the senses? Show, don’t tell. Give your reader a feel for the scene by describing the taste of air on a muggy day, the smell of a character’s home, or the texture of the worn-in hoodie she always wears.

Develop your characters as much as possible. Get to know their dark secrets, their driving motivations, their quirks, worries and fears. If it helps your mind to stay organized, create a doc for each character and include everything about him/her down to their favorite snacks, sayings and what nervous ticks they have. All of this will inform you while you’re fleshing them out. It will also make it easier to imagine what your characters might do in the situations you’re creating for them, which will help with your momentum.

I’d usually say to read as many books as possible by your favorite authors to get familiar with the tone and structure of stories you like, but you’ve mentioned you might be too closely mimicking another writer’s voice. While you’re honing your craft and finding your voice, this isn’t the worst thing in the world to do. You come with an entirely unique set of experiences and will approach TFIOS diferently than John Green did writing it. Even if you’re basing some characters’ personalities off of the ones he’s created, you’ll naturally insert your own twists, which will engender new variations. Play around with that. See which parts of them you like, which parts can be edited back and try to develop what will make your characters complex and memorable.

With all that said… four chapters since March? You’re doing great! Keep it up and let us know how the book is coming along soon.

TTYW,

Lisi

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Quit For Brains

Lisi Harrison — Wed, 26 Mar 2014 23:51:44 +0000

One of the biggest pieces of advice I give aspiring writers is to outline. And yet here I am completely free-styling this blah-g because I have nothing to say today. Don’t take it personally, my current manuscript is also feeling the chill. It’s just one of those weeks where I find myself struggling. Words are sticky. Ideas are hiding. My internal settings are on slo-mo and I can’t seem to get them back to kick-ass.

Do you think that makes me doubt my career choice? Question my ability to make my looming deadline? Make me wish I could get that clothing airstream I’ve always dreamed of and walk off the job?

YES! YES IT DOES.

And so I will quit. I will stop writing because I have nothing interesting to say. I will also stop because the word “interesting” is one of the least descriptive words in the world and I just used it. In public. So this is me quitting. Bye. Of course, I will be back at my desk tomorrow. Because I’m responsible and not the beneficiary of a trust fund? Maybe. Because I don’t have an airstream? Given. But mostly because talent doesn’t make a writer good. Desire does. And I have plenty of that. Starting tomorrow.

How was that for an off-the-top-of-my-head riff. Did I just compose jazz?

TTYW,

Lisi

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From Author to Awethor

Lisi Harrison — Wed, 13 Nov 2013 23:04:47 +0000

I heart book tour.

My world–a white office with yellow accents and a dirty computer monitor–expands. The influx of new sights and sounds fills me with inspiration and always teaches me something new. Here are some of those things:

On Being in Awe

– It’s official. I am no longer an author, I am awe-thor. I met so many incredibly talented YA writers in the past month. I am humbled and inspired.

– I spent a fortune on YA books.

On Starbucks

– Employees are not charmed by my refusal to say things like grande or venti.

– Starbucks in Columbia, SC does not offer yogurt parfait.

– Everyone standing in line looks anemic.

– I now drink tea.

On Airplanes

– I have restless leg syndrome.

– It’s possible to stare at the seat in front of you for six hours straight. The woman in 3B proved it.

– I do some of my best journaling at 35,000 feet.

Most Unusual Questions I Was Asked by Students.

– Is that your real hair color? (which one?)

– How much money do you make? (That’s up to you.)

– Do you think you look like Victoria Justice? (Who?)

– Do you eat chicken? (Only when it’s raw.)

On You

– Thank you for your hugs and letters and gifts and praise and support and literacy. There’s nothing more inspiring than meeting the people who read my books. It keeps me in my chair on 80 degree days like today and makes returning to the cone of silence a lot less lonely.

– S0 does Twitter.

Until we meet again,

@LisiHarrison

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EhMaFraud.

Lisi Harrison — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 16:37:07 +0000

Have you ever heard the term “Fraud Complex?” Nine out of eight writers are born with it every day. Symptoms include self-doubt, envying ‘real writers,’ and internal voices screaming, “You are a fake. You don’t know how to punctuate. Stop trying to fool people with your trite musings. And please stop kidding yourself!”

It’s painful. And what’s worse? Mine is spreading. I am about to address your questions, none of which have anything to do with writing. I will give my opinion and dole out advice. All while silencing the voices that keep telling me I have no idea what I’m talking about. Although these ones might be right.

Dreamerhogwartsbeliever on Tumblr asked: If you could cast any young stars on the Hollywood scene at the moment for the second Clique movie, who would you pick? (Not including the girls from the first movie).

Emma Roberts as Massie

Karley Scott Collins as Claire.

Selena Gomez as Alicia.

Bella Thorne as Dylan.

HELP!!!!!! I have spent the last HOUR trying to cast Kristen. ANY IDEAS???
A young Blake Livley is where my heads at.

Noah Cyrus as Layne. (LOVE THIS ONE!)

2. Lauren Hass on Twitter asks: What was the dream career that you wanted when you were a little kid?!

EhMaFraud: You’re looking at it. (When you’re reading one of my novels.)

3. Julia from my Blah-g comments asks: You and Kevy and married, correct? Or do you just live together and are in looovvee?

EhMaFraud: Yes we are married. But I prefer to call him my life-crush. It sounds more exciting.

4. From Kathy off my blah-g comments:

“On Sunday my grade went on a field trip for a couple days with kids from another campus my school is associated with. I know the kids from there, we were together in primary. One of the girls there (code name Anabelle) was one of my friends from the school. But during the trip she did something really mean to me and I have no idea why.
Here’ what happened. She was talking to all my guy friends and keeping them away from me just to piss me off and make me jealous (excuse my language in this comment, I’m just really mad at the girl). I don’t know what I’ve ever done to make her want to hurt me, but for some reason she did. We went out to dinner one night, and there was just one friend of mine who was making our table the best one to be at, it was soooo much fun!! But than Anabelle was like, “oh can I talk to you?” so he went over to her table. She kept him there for a really long time. Then when he left, she said “what else can I do to make Kathy jealous?” A friend of mine that was at her table told me about it.
I’ve never done anything to hurt her and it really pisses me off that she’d do something like that to me. I felt like walking up to her and telling her she was a b!tch, but I didn’t. I thought I’d tell her over e-mail but I decided no to. I want to get revenge over her but I know it would be wrong. I don’t know what to do. I know I’m mad and that she shouldn’t be able to get away with it that easily, but I don’t know how I can get back at her with out acting like a total b!tch myself. I don’t wanna sink to her level.

This is a REALLY long comment and it means the world to me if you read it.
Any advice? I’d love to hear your say in the matter!!”

EhMaFraud: Kathy, few things hurt more than a friend turning on you, especially when you don’t know why. I understand the urge to fight back and hurt her the way she hurt you. Believe me, I do. But even a fake advice giver like myself can see that she’s trying to get a reaction out of you. So the best way to get her back is to ignore her. Imagine an invisible bubble around yourself and don’t let her in. The more she tries to penetrate the thicker your bubble gets. It may seem like you’re taking the easy way out but ignoring takes more strength than calling someone names. And please do NOT email anything to her. Emails can be changed, forwarded, posted, and used for evil. Write everything you WANT to say to her in a private journal, then say nothing. And remember, bubble up for safety!

Please label all future inquiries to Ask EhMaFraud and I will do my best to answer them.

TTYW,

Lisi

Proud Fraud Complex survivor since 2001.

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ARTS & DRAFTS

Lisi Harrison — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 00:24:45 +0000

Hola! My body is back from Mexico but my brain has missed the connecting flight. This has been a week of nothing but Thursdays for me and I’m not sure why. Monday I was acting like it was Thursday. Yesterday? I made a dinner reservation for “tomorrow” thinking it was Friday. And today I showed up at a meeting that is scheduled for tomorrow–Thursday! Wishful thinking or permanent damage from my attempt to surf? Unclear. But it was worth it because I had a blast.

I hope you liked the pictures I Tweeted. Those are the only (appropriate) ones I had on my phone. The rest will trickle in as everyone uploads their cameras so I will share more as they come.

While I was away Office Elf Alisha did an ah-mazing job keeping things moving. Thank you for Blah-gging and for posting the cover of PRETENDERS. What do you think of the official name? After considering thousands, PRETENDERS was the clear winner. And it only took 11 months. (Gulp). More proof that writing is a “process.”

Developing, drafting, redrafting, deleting, loving, hating, loving again, editing… you really have to adore the ACT of writing because that’s what this is really about. The ACT. Once the piece is complete you are no longer writing it. It’s done. You have birthed the baby and the rush is gone.

Do you love your baby? Too bad. It doesn’t belong to you anymore. It belongs to the reader now. She may love it, she may hate it. She may think it’s meh. The only part of it that was yours and yours alone was the process. This applies to all artists, not just writers. It takes a lot of patience and passion to succeed because as every artist knows there are hundreds of no’s for every yes.

Don’t believe me? Look at these early versions of the book cover.

While they are no where close to being as fab as the final we never would have ended up here without them. So here’s to all of our rejects. Thank you for sucking. Without you the winners wouldn’t be possible.

Happy Thursday!

TTYW,

Lisi

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