Help with visualizing your characters

Sometimes when you are trying to write a story, it is hard to visualize your characters unless you have modeled them after someone you know or have met in real life. I’ve been trying to write my first fantasy/romance story, and I ran up against this challenge.

The solution is Hero Machine 2.5, a web-based application that allows you to make up your own hero character. (I'm putting a link to it in my sidebar as well.) You can choose from a startling array of skin colors, eye shapes, noses, mouths, eyebrows, hairstyles, clothing articles, and gear to put in their hands. You can give them wings or tails, if you so desire.

You can build your characters to match the image you have in your head, or you can simply use it to make your characters in the first place with no preconceived ideas. Either way, it is a lot of fun. Once you take a screenshot and save it to your character file, you’ll end up with an image you can reference so you don't make silly mistakes in character descriptions. (“What color was the king’s hair again? How long was his beard?”)

Just for grins, I am going to put up some heroes and heroines that I created, just so you see what is possible.

Do you love words? Eat your heart out!

A few summers ago when I was the only writing tutor working the ASU Polytechnic Writing Center, I got the idea to make some magnetic poetry words. I tried to gather all the best ones I could find. One of the wonderful things about using magnetic poetry is that you can come up with some truly astonishing lines that you never would have thought of otherwise. It becomes easy because you are choosing from a list or collection, rather than trying to pull something out of the air.

When I took poetry classes, I used this technique to help me generate ideas. I always had my computer's thesaurus widget and I always kept an online rhyming dictionary open because it was easier composing from a list of possibilities than to create out of nothing. Sometimes I would even go online searching for word lists of smells, shapes, tastes, and textures. Anything to give me a list to choose from. Dictionaries are fabulous lists of possibilities.

And now, without further ado, here is a lovely list of words that you can print out and make your own magnetic poetry out of. I've included a fabulous list of delicious nouns, verbs, adjectives, as well as the less exciting but just as necessary propositions, pronouns, articles, word fragments, conjunctions, and other useful words.

Nouns - din nub gild veil roil fire ebb eye sea god lair love gall mint junk luck love ring kiss skin gaze mate sun rose song gift glass fever light guile dove shard cheek honey throat finger nectar music pepper depth rhythm heart bully acumen scholar ennui sugar fantasy flame animals balance angel beauty faction vanilla melody moon paragon wave platitude beach domicile cloud paradigm voice paradise squid harmony hunger maggot synergy symbol missive passion evening diamond chocolate cinnamon ambrosia hurricane resonance sillhouette admonition miscreant

Verbs - was is be are were zip wry die ram rip run cry race sail skip yell arid deft burn ache spin trot leap soak weld wild soar ogle swat sing bolt drop rush hiss hum peep sigh snap eye jerk wine red ruby gold edge lift lope plod soar dart dash dive bend drag drift sway buzz hurl drive flick usurp patter rustle swish tinkle bleat chime faint gurgle gallop hurry creep droop propel loiter collide litter slouch stray clink crackle twitter giggle suffer waste spring sprint desire adore cuddle flicker create choke stride streak cherish stash swoop amble canter crawl saunter slink spurn eschew festoon delve devour haunt drench touch entwine linger heave lumber sneak stagger tiptoe waddle careen chase smash speed swerve swing dazzle smear groan guffaw plummet whisk scramble stalk murmur speak laugh scream weep snooze musical mutter slather secrete ponder stagger gossip smuggle lapse expunge tantalize laugh explore caress delight respose whisper bounce scamper shove escape worship combine stutter senses counsel blend converge rectify implore trudge question chisel squeeze lament alleviate abscond languish appease shimmer
enervate stammer endeavor submerge
caterwaul ameliorate vicissitude

Adjectives - shy wet jet icy sky worn old sad raw oily dry bold dark hurt dark dull drab blue ripe cold plum raw cool mad used dead sure worn near aqua navy thin rust sour warm pithy droll tinge silky lilac waxy sorry fiery fishy royal salty spicy fluid lime torpid empty rigid azure furry valid banal crass warm sweet fresh colors coral beige moist celery olive green acrid pearl snow white silver fuzzy gritty ivory sharp clear dingy sheer bitter tough milky steel sandy hairy cobalt crisp damp tawny black musty piney amber crisp lonely loved limpid turgid untidy proud marble bland mellow mute tepid glazed satiny sticky prickly putrid earthy tangy topaz grimy brown ebony ochre young happy lemon angry yellow canary dismal dotted garnet muddy rotted strong eternal careful gentle striped crimson fearful envious hostile mottled shabby flashy flowery absurd guilty coffee ecstatic glossy almond sandy textures elastic spongy woolly smells velvety rotten verbose tender luscious hazel inaudible briny cunning emotions - thick turquoise violet copper nutmeg metallic flavors pungent buttery leathery mushy smooth spotted opaque glowing puzzled excited orange anxious bashful curious cardinal sulpher savory platinum bumpy peacock bronze rubbery freckled surreal blotched bright rancid magenta glassy mulberry shiny sanguine purple mustard scented reeking jealous emerald walnut lavender fragile sapphire fleshy buttercup slippery steamy licorice gingery cream hopeful sounds tangerine nuanced delicious alienated annoyed cautious apathetic obscure helpless wrinkled relieved satisfied shocked negative paranoid peaceful regretful confident vermillion lukewarm nefarious profligate interested disgusted sparkling magnetic optimistic miserable frustrated surprised hysterical innocent thoughtful undecided withdrawn frightened iridescent patterned humiliated suspicious bittersweet mahogany exhausted depressed aggressive aggravated determined magnificent butterscotch aquamarine disappointed discouraged enthusiastic embarrassed mischievous appearance - love-struck shimmering translucent transparent psychedelic

Prepositions - for in of off on as at but by per to up via inside into like near onto over past plus save than until upon down from with along amid anti about above across after unlike versus around before behind below aboard during outside minus without within against among beyond despite through toward towards under between round regarding since besides beside opposite except beneath following excluding excepting underneath concerning considering

Pronouns - I it me he us we all its her his few any she one who you ours hers this each him they them mine that more both each other what many most much none some whom other these those which yours whose theirs himself itself others anyone either anything myself neither another herself nobody nothing several yourself anybody
whoever
ourselves
everyone someone whatever something everything whomever whichever somebody everybody
yourselves
themselves
one another
no one

Articles –
a an the
a an the
a an the
a an the
a an the
a an the
a an the
a an the
a an the
a an the
a an the
a an the
a an the
a an the
a an the
a an the
a an the
a an the
a an the
a an the
a an the
a an the
a an the
a an the
a an the
a an the
a an the
a an the
a an the
a an the
a an the
a an the
a an the
a an the
a an the
a an the
a an the
a an the
a an the
a an the
a an the
a an the
a an the
a an the
a an the
a an the
a an the
a an the
a an the
a an the

Word
fragments –
y d s o ed re y d s o ed re y d s o ed re y d s o ed re y d s o ed re y d s o ed re y d s o ed re y d s o ed re y d s o ed re y d s o ed re y d s o ed re y d s o ed re y d s o ed re y d s o ed re y d s o ed re es er ne ly ing es er ne ly ing es er ne ly ing es er ne ly ing es er ne ly ing es er ne ly ing es er ne ly ing es er ne ly ing es er ne ly ing es er ne ly ing es er ne ly ing ism est ist non
ism est ist non ism est ist non ism est ist non ism est ist non ism est ist non ism est ist non tion tion tion
tion tion tion
tion tion tion
tion tion tion
tion tion tion
tion tion tion
tion tion tion
tion tion tion
tion tion tion
tion tion tion

conjuntions - since but and since but and since but and since but and since but and since but and since but and since but and since but and since but and since but and since but and since but and since but and since but and since but and or or or or
or or or or
or or or or
or or or or
or or or or
or or or or

other words –
if too how who then what only than must soon when which could would almost should
if too how who if too how who if too how who if too how who if too how who if too how who if too how who if too how who
then what only then what only then what only then what only then what only then what only then what only
than must than must than must than must than must than must than must than must than must than must than must than must
soon when soon when soon when soon when soon when soon when soon when soon when which could which could which could which could which could which could which could which could

would almost would almost would almost would almost would almost would almost would almost would almost would almost
should
should
should
should
should
should
should
should
should
should
Extra pronouns
me he us I it me he us I it me he us I it me he us I it me he us I it me he us I it me he us I it me he us I it me he us I it me he us I it me he us I it we all its her we all its her we all its her we all its her we all its her we all its her we all its her we all its her we all its her we all its her his few any she his few any she his few any she his few any she his few any she his few any she his few any she his few any she his few any she his few any she his few any she one who you one who you one who you one who you one who you one who you one who you one who you one who you one who you ours hers this ours hers this ours hers this ours hers this ours hers this ours hers this ours hers this ours hers this each him they each him they each him they each him they each him they each him they each him they each him they each him they each him they them mine that them mine that them mine that them mine that them mine that them mine that them mine that them mine that more both each more both each more both each more both each more both each more both each more both each more both each more both each more both each other other other other other other other other

Blogging headline formulas—DO NOT ABUSE

Many people who want to increase traffic on their blog seem to have taken advantage of their search engines and have run across blogger-targeted articles, such as the fabulous “10 Sure-Fire Headline Formulas That Work” [http://www.copyblogger.com/10-sure-fire-headline-formulas-that-work/]. There’s oodles of advice out there about how to grab eyeballs, and it is clear that people are using these techniques. One formula type in particular is the one in this paragraph. It’s built like this: “[number] Things You Should Know about [topic]”.

Just remember, any time you use these formulas, make sure that you have great content to match them, otherwise you will let down your reader. It isn’t necessarily a conscious letdown, but it registers anyway, even if it is deep in the subconscious. Eventually, lots of those subconscious letdowns can add up and suddenly register in the conscious.

In the case of the formula “_____ Things You Should Know about _______”, if each thing in your list isn’t really great information, you actually risk two things:

1. You risk diluting your credibility as a provider of good content
2. You risk poisoning that particular formula
   

If everyone starts writing cruddy suggestions with this formula, then eventually readers will learn not to believe the headline formula. Suddenly the great formula no longer works.

How do you make sure that you don’t let down your readers? Don’t just give them lists; give them insight. Anyone can use Google and build a list off of someone else’s list, but you demonstrate real value by providing insight and penetration for each list item.

Don’t think that people won’t notice crud-writing attached to exciting headline formulas. I’m starting to notice it, and I really loathe having my time wasted by an exciting headline perched over drivel.

I could end this blog post right here, but I’m going to tell you a story that relates to this issue of misusing a formula. I think I will title my story, “How the TV news lost its hold on me.”

When I was a teen, I found TV news fascinating. I could watch it hour after hour. But gradually, after watching it often enough, I started to notice a pattern emerging. At the end of a news segment, the announcer would say something like:

Coming up next—Are chinchillas the next fashion in fur? Then, find out how one university has achieved an astonishing increase in graduation rates. And, are you paying more for your groceries than the people across town? All that and more, coming up after the break…

This kind of narration was accompanied by video footage that made it seem like a very exciting story. As a viewer, it piqued my curiosity enough that I was willing to sit through the commercials. But the more I watched, the more I started to notice the news story I anticipated so highly was never quite as interesting as it had been hyped. Nor was it as in depth as I expected. I don’t remember how many rounds of teaser-commercials-news I went through before I began to become cynical about the TV news form, but my cynicism developed when I was just a teenager. Once made cynical, I began to avoid TV news.

Why do I tell you this story about TV news when this blog post is about blogging headline formulas? Simply to make this point-- we don’t want to repeat those mistakes in the new, pristine medium of blogging. SUBSTANCE, people, we need SUBSTANCE!!

Why should I write multiple drafts?

I used to think that I didn’t need to write multiple drafts. I thought I could get it completely right the first time. I was a bit of a “bleeder”; writing was like opening a vein in my arm and then drip-drip-dripping onto the paper. Once it was on paper, it was there and THAT’S HOW IT WAS GOING TO BE.

So what changed me from a draft-averse writer to a draft-o-phile?

Short explanation: I started really caring about my writing.

Long explanation: I got an idea for a large writing project that turned out to involve a lot more research and thought than I anticipated. Here’s what happened. I would dash off an interpretation, and then a few days later, I would find myself dissatisfied with whole swathes of my writing. I really cared about the project, so it had to be good, it had to be crystal clear, and I wanted it to have the best insight I could possibly muster. When the writing was good, I was intensely exhilarated, but when it wasn’t good, I was profoundly frustrated. So here’s the point—revisiting my writing after I thought I was done made me see that I needed to do another draft. Really caring about my writing and wanting it to be the best made me want to do another draft. And because I was practically obsessed with the project, I revisited my writing often enough that I kept catching more things to fix that I hadn’t noticed before.

I started to notice a pattern in the drafts I was doing.

1. Adding material
2. Organizing material
3. Removing material
4. Adding citations
5. Checking meaning
6. Checking grammar and punctuation

Each step above does not represent a single draft. Sometimes I had multiple drafts at a particular step. (The stages of organizing material and adding material usually involved the most drafts.)

I learned that each draft would reveal problems, and each draft had to be totally fixed before I could move on to the next. I learned that the small problems wouldn't be obvious until the bigger problems got fixed.

This experience showed me better than any school writing project that procrastinating a writing assignment until the last moment means that not all problems are going to get caught if there isn’t time to do multiple drafts.

Writing a new draft used to be harder than it is now. Before word processors made it easy to type papers, people used to make all their notes on note cards. Then they would put all those note cards in order and make a draft out of them. Writing a draft took a long time, so it made sense to avoid it as much as possible. (I’m so glad this is not our reality now!)

Now the barrier to doing multiple drafts has been substantially lowered, so there is no reason to avoid it. We can type out our first draft, print it out, then start scribbling notes all over it. We can cross things out, write additional snippets in the margins, and draw arrows where we want to move sentences or paragraphs. This is one of my favorite methods of drafting.

When you start bragging about the huge numbers of drafts you've done, that's when you know you're becoming a real writer.

Be green while drafting: You can save trees when doing multiple drafts by reusing the paper and printing on the back side too. Then recycle it.

How to cut huge chunks from your writing

So you’ve discovered that large chunks of your writing are unusable for your assignment. DOH!! How do you bring yourself to delete them?

Don’t delete them; just move them to a different file.

Call it “essay junk” and keep it around, but don’t delete it. That’s your hard work, so it is hard to let go immediately. It might come in handy someday down the line. If anything, years in the future, you may go back to look at it just to see if it was as brilliant as you thought it was. Then, if you find it was really trash, you can delete it happily.

When I learned this trick, my writing quality jumped. Suddenly I didn’t have to keep the crud that was off-topic but too good to delete. Out it went, and new better writing could take its place.

For fiction writers: If you have junk scenes, put them together in a “crazy file” for your own amusement. If you ever have a bad day, you can read back through it and laugh at yourself, then go back and read your successful work with the satisfaction that you know a thing or too about what should go in and what should stay out.

The REAL reason for bad grammar

This is a secret I discovered while working as a writing tutor. When I’d run across bad grammar in a student’s writing, it was usually accompanied by some kind of unusual turn of phrase that made the whole thought of the sentence seem odd. I would ask them what they meant by it, and they would look at me like, “Huh?

As I thought about their questionable sentence, I would begin to see a number of different possible meanings that it might convey, so I would ask them. “Do you mean ______ or do you mean ______ or do you mean _______?” Then they would stare at me and one of two things would happen:

They would say, “No I meant _______.”
They would say, “I’m not sure…”

Bad grammar doesn’t necessarily happen out of ignorance. Usually it happens when we most struggle to express our thoughts.

Often the students I tutored didn’t know exactly what they meant by a sentence until I asked them. That’s when they discovered the way they rendered their sentence was not what they meant at all. Then they had to clarify, and I got to help them craft their sentence so that it said exactly what they meant. When we know exactly what we mean, it is easier to write with good grammar.

When the students didn’t know which of the optional meanings I rattled off was the one they wanted, that was usually a sign that they didn’t know exactly what they wanted to mean. In these cases, often they had just written what they thought would sound good to a teacher. (Their heart may not have been fully committed to the words on the paper.) When I told them the different ways that their writing could be interpreted, they learned (perhaps for the first time) how their writing affected a reader. I suspect that many of them had never had this experience.

Good grammar and punctuation arise out of being able to make our nebulous thoughts and impressions into words and by examining alternative ways of expressing ourselves. When you are determined to be understood, you want to make sure that the placing of your words exactly guides your reader, and you look for alternate ways your sentences might be read. Try to eliminate those possibilities when you don’t want them. Careful grammar and punctuation is the way you block out the host of unwanted alternative interpretations.

When you’re having troubles getting the words down

When you have to write something, do you have this trouble?

As a writing tutor, I worked with a particular student who felt so blocked that he simply couldn't write. When I probed him with questions about his writing process, he told me that his mind was actually flooded with words and ideas he could say. He was mentally overwhelmed and had no idea where to begin, so he would just freeze up. (I suppose that for him, it was like trying to push Niagara Falls through a garden hose; the hose would just burst.)

In these situations, the process of using a pencil and paper is too slow and ineffective. Other strategies must be employed. You may need to tell someone your thoughts and have them write them down for you. (Writing tutors will do this.) Or it may be necessary for you to talk out your paper as you type it. If you have this trouble, realize that you may be a verbal learner, one who thinks better talking. You could also get a tape recorder and talk out all your thoughts and then transcribe them.

In the case of the student that had trouble getting his thoughts down, we used the rest of the session in this way--he dictated his thoughts to me and I scribbled them down just as fast as I could. It was fascinating to see that his verbal organization was absolutely flawless; it was like a perfect outline. I pointed that out to him in the most enthusiastic manner. He was also excited about the idea of talking his paper out while typing it at the computer.

Take-away: When your mind is flooded, talk it out to a scribe.