Story Creation: How Creators Create

I was chatting with some friends the other day and I was sharing some ideas I'd recently had for my next book. One of my friends asked me how I did it. Um...did what? Sound crazy while talking about characters as if they were real people? Because yes, I definitely do that!

She wasn't asking about that. She wanted to know how I came up with my story ideas. Admittedly, they can get a little crazy because I like to dive deep into my characters, thinking about their internal motivations in addition to the external ones. But, at the end of the day it's more than that.

 My explanation to her was this:

I literally feel like it's all “out there” in my mind and I’m just pulling down these threads of the story, waiting and pulling, until they become clear.

Before you go and lock me up, I fully believe that the ability to have these ideas comes from the Lord. He is the ultimate Creator but He has created us to create (wow that was a lot of "create" going on there). Because God has a huge imagination--if I may be so bold--we have been given the ability for some of that creation because we are made in His image. How amazing is that?

I wanted to share some ways in which I go about "creating" things, whether that's plot, character motivations, setting, or ideas. These are by no means the only ways you can create or maybe even the best ones, but sometimes it helps to see another perspective.

5 Ways To Create

1. Visually
When I'm struck with an idea one of the ways I flesh it out is by taking it to the drawing board. The literal drawing board ;-) I have a way too small white board that hangs right above my desk area. I usually start with a time line then draw/write in things to help me visualize my plot arc. If that feels stiff, it's really not. It's just a way for me to see what's going on, not necessarily a way for me to write out everything that will happen. This usually covers the basics and I leave the gritty details to my notes.


2. Mentally
Never underestimate the power of a great walk. It may seem trivial, but taking that amazing idea and giving it room to breathe is essential. This is where I "see" those threads and start to pull. I will usually try and focus on one aspect of what I'm working through. For example, with my new book simmering just beneath the surface, I'll take walks with my characters. The other day my main character and I had a bit of a chat (in my head of course - don't want to look like a lunatic talking to myself). I found out some pretty deep and personal things about her during that walk. I'd call that a win!


3. Verbally
Talk. It. Out.
Make sure you have those friends who you can turn to who will listen to all your crazy ideas. I've got a few of them and there are times that I think back to what I've told them and am super thankful that they didn't turn me into to be evaluated. I'm not crazy...just imaginative ;-)

4. Physically
There are times we create out of what has already been created. We look at something and we think, "what if". Those are magical words. When you're formulating an idea, take in what's around you and think about it. For me, that looks like the field I've been walking through each morning near the house where I'm house sitting. I'm thinking...this is the perfect place for one of my characters to live near.

5. Coffee
Ha! I couldn't resist this last one. Honestly though...coffee plays a BIG role in my writer life and I have to give it a shout out every once in a while.

No, the coffee itself doesn't do anything, but I would say it plays a role in my creation on several levels. On one side it helps me stay awake to think things through BUT it's also great for socially connecting with others. I can sit down with a cup of coffee and discuss a plot idea with a friend.

What about you, writers? How do you create? 

For my readers out there, what "created things" (like plots, worlds, or characters) have stuck with you over the years? Why do you think they have?

A Look at Marketing for Writers

Writing. Reading. Creating....Marketing?

Um, one of these things is NOT like the other. Or is it? Why is the word "marketing" so scary? Why do we as writers (or, at least some of us--myself included at times) think that marketing is beyond what we're capable of?

Let's start with a definition. We're writers, we like words, right?

Oooo, that may be part of the problem. Words like "promoting" and "selling" don't feel creative (at least not to me). They sound more like work or self-promotion. What if we took a step back and first asked ourselves a few simple questions:

1) Why do I create?
2) What do I create?
3) What makes my creations different or unique?

The answers to those three questions are quintessential to marketing. It's easy to start to see dollar signs or people only out for opportunities and networking when we talk about marketing, but for Christ-followers I boil it down to this:

Marketing means showcasing your unique, God-given talents in a way that points to the Creator, not the created.  (tweet this)

Pinterest

Woah, I took it there, didn't I? I know, we try to make marketing this business-y thing (which it is) but we forget that, without creative inspiration from the Lord, we wouldn't have these great ideas in the first place.

Plus, as this quote points out, this life isn't just about us. It's about how God will use us and our talents, for His glory! How exciting is that?

Now, take a step forward with the thought that you are now sharing the beauty of God-given talent with others. It's not about you, it's not even about your product, as much as it's about owning up to the fact that you can point to the Creator through the act of marketing. Okay, back to the business realm (without forgetting what we just discussed, of course).

 The Other Side

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Marketing does require a type of self promotion, but the key thing to remember here is how you package your marketing ideas and materials. Your audience is who you're trying to reach with this. It will take some creative brainstorming and often help from professionals for materials or even print copy, but it can be done well without feeling overly "sell-focused".

My number one piece of advice for all forms of social media and any marketing you will do is to showcase who you are (this is technically your business). You establish your brand and then you promote, discuss, and talk about everything in reference to that brand (we'll talk about branding next week).

This looks like: 

Blogging: Choosing a theme that matches (or is complimentary) to your genre.
Facebook: Your author page interacts with you audience through fun posts in relation to your topic, shared posts from authors in your genre, questions that delve into a personal nature, giveaways focused around your novels/topic.
Twitter: You follower popular authors in your genre, retweet them, create tweets that focus around your genre, and post personal tweets in relation.
Instagram: Posting pictures of your life, your interests, and maybe your writing in line with your brand.
Guest Posting: Picking blogs that support your brand (ie: Historical blogs that offer guest posts if you are a historical author).

In all of these realms of social media, make sure you are consistent (to an extent) with the overall look and design of your platforms. I'm not the best example of this since I have varying passions of writing and photography (for example almost all my social media is @eahendry but my twitter is @eacreativephoto...*sigh* the perfectionist in me wants to change it but I probably won't ha!). But the more uniform you can keep your online presence, the better established your brand will be.

Flickr by asenat29

The last thing I'll say is marketing for writers a matter of balance (tweet this). You will easily find there is a bit of discrepancy between you and your brand. That's understandable since you aren't selling something tangible (aside from a book, of course). Plus, books cycle through very quickly in today's market and by the time you are talking about one, the next one is lined up and ready to go.

 

Marketing you will never go out of fashion or print. If you take time on anything, focus your effort on establishing solid connections to your readers. It's there that you'll strike marketing gold!

Your Challenge:

• Write out your answers to the questions above
• Tweet one of your favorite quotes from this blog
• Comment honestly: do you struggle with marketing? Why?

(Don't forget to use the hashtag: #ttmediachallenge when posting!)