Part 2.3 Preparing to Write
1 hr 30 mins
- Experiment with story beginnings
The Blank Page
Does the blank page daunt you?
I suppose it depends how “blank” you think it is. Forgive me for stating the obvious, but the issue is not with how many words a page has it, it’s whether you have something to put on it. I think the issue is one of timing. If we try to write before we have anything to say, then obviously a blank page will remind us of that. If we have a pressing thought and just need to get it down, then we don’t see the “blankness” of a page at all — we just see a space to record our thought.
I personally can’t do any thinking by staring at a page. I need to go into the middle-distance of my mind, and let the images play in front of me. I then record what I see on the page, even if it is sketchy. I am not talking about being “inspired”, necessarily — just having some idea of what I will say.
I also think that people feel pressured to write linearly; as if they need to start at the beginning, include everything, and get to the end. I see writing more like oil painting, where you begin with a base and layer up from there. Perhaps it would even be liberating to start in the middle of the page — actually half-way down — or in the middle or a sentence. Then build around from there. Let the idea gather material to it, rather than having to serve it fully formed.
However, a recent course I took suggested free-writing; moving pen or fingers over page / keyboard, and letting a stream of consciousness flow. It went against my habit — I usually like to have an idea before I write — but I did find it a useful addition to the writing toolbox. It took away the pressure of having to come up with an idea at all. You could just bash your fingers against the keys if you wanted. The point seemed to be to get the linguistic centre of the brain functioning, much the same way that you’d scribble a biro to get the ink flowing, or stretch your muscles before exercise. Nothing good needed to come of it. However, once started, the thoughts tended to form coherent or even meaningful structure. So, this is another way to approach the blank page.
The course talks about knowing the length and shape of the story before putting words to page, but this seems like a leap to me. Aren’t we still at the beginning stage?
Should I wait until I’m inspired?
. . . And in the next section, the course has a perfect way of advising us how to deal with the pressure of the blank page:
“think of your opening line as being simply like a doorway that you must pass through to get into the ‘room’ of your story. The doorway is much less important than what’s inside the room”
What a good metaphor! I agree entirely.
They also talk about “inspiration” as being similar to motivation: that it is the result of habit, rhythm, and determination. Having clear goals helps with inspiration. They advise us to know what we’re trying to do before we sit down to write.
I don’t think this is necessary, but I do think it is useful, especially if inspiration is an issue. Focusing on a clear mini-goal is a great way to progress, even if you doubt the quality. Whereas, the vague feeling that you need to write “something” can be overwhelming and hard to judge positively.
Finding a voice
Another great line of advice: “Writing is no more complicated than someone’s voice, telling a story.”
True. Here we have What Happened + Who Told It = the basic recipe for fiction.
If we are wanting to make “Who Told It” distinctive, then the course suggests this exercise . . .
Exercise
Write three lines that follow on from ‘Emma said that …’
‘Emma said that she couldn’t come tonight because she had a headache. Plus there was nowhere to park. Plus she couldn’t afford a meal out. But she could afford a holiday. So all I heard was I don’t want to.’
Then cut the ‘Emma said that’, to be left with a strong point of view.
This was a nice trick; I liked how it freed us up to take a strong point of view, one that feels natural because we are imagining a person’s limited and particular interpretation.
The other starting phrase suggested was “I remember…”, which would also be used as scaffolding, and then cut from the final sentence.
Ideas for a story
The course tackles a big question now: what if you can’t think of an idea for a story?
Now, I have problems writing. But finding ideas is not one of them. Rather, I am plagued by ideas, and do not know how to choose between them, or do each one justice. I only want to write because I have ideas. If I didn’t have ideas, why would I want to write? But obviously, some people want to write, but have no ideas, and some of those people may be excellent writers.
I would like to understand this better, because I’m not naturally tuned in to this particular issue. Perhaps it is indicative of my (current) unpaid status, of not having to write on-demand. Perhaps it’s normal to clam up once something is expected of you. Or perhaps some people can write very well, but find it hard to know what to write about, and that forms their central challenge for any project.
Either way, if you are clammed up, then this section is for you.
Exercise
Pluck the first thing you hear off the radio, link a character with it, and ask these questions:
- physical description
- thoughts and inner life
- personality
- where the character is located
- the character’s back story
- how the character acts in the world.
Now write the first draft of this story!
It doesn’t give word count, so I am going for a conservative 500, since we will be working on it in upcoming sections.
‘So I think as an overwhelming disposition we should have an exceptionally high bar for removing someone. What I worry about is that short-term decisions have long-term consequences.’
Oh god. Really? That is so hard! Well, anyway. We soldier on.
This radio-statement was in the context of removing controversial statues, but that is not what my story is about, so I will adapt it.
- physical description:
mid 80s, white hair, strong bone structure, which once hosted muscle, now the evidence of how fast he was used to moving is in the quick turn of the head and darting glance
- thoughts and inner life:
feeling that he never reached his potential, frustrated, in a pastoral position now, wants to advise, jealous of the people he is guiding even though he sincerely wants to help them
- personality
independent yet loyal, visionary and stubborn, brave, impatient, finds it hard to listen when told to, but can absorb lots of information and new ideas when self-motivated
- where the character is located
a Cambridge restaurant
- the character’s back story
a pioneer in his field, did much to link past work to the present, now that radical origin seems to be diluted, people see him as old
- how the character acts in the world
decisively, reliably, without an instinct for consultation, used to being a leader
Percival was talking about statues and public monuments. Even though the dinner table was round, he was sitting at its head. His corona of striking white hair rose and fell as he lifted himself up to build a point, then down to conclude it. ‘So I think as an overwhelming disposition we should have an exceptionally high bar for removing someone. What I worry about is that short-term decisions have long-term consequences.’ He looked at each of his dinner guests to confirm their agreement.
Percival put things so well that it was hard to disagree, until later, when your own muddy instinct floated up to the surface, and you began to see how you thought something different.
But there was no time for that now. Percival’s opinions came as smoothly and seamlessly as the wine refills and the new courses and the transition from evening to night.
He was paying for everything, so it didn’t feel polite for Angela to argue back, although Tom had a go, understanding that when Percival finished some points with raised eyebrows and a querying intonation, he was inviting one of his tutees to try to knock down his argument.
These were set-ups, though; he had led Tom to the counterpoints he had practiced defending.
Tom didn’t seem to mind being the fall-guy. He took it as a bit of sport. He was up against a superior opponent and that was fair practice. He nodded each time he was contradicted, the same way he did on the tennis court when his opponent struck a winning shot. Tom lived in a win-win world; his place was assured, and others prospering took nothing away from him.
But Angela’s place at this table felt more fragile. She disliked being used as a stepping-stone for someone else’s argument; she disliked the whole sport of debating. She cared about what was true, and it seemed a pointless exercise in ego to defend an argument for the sake of it. So she sat demurely, smiling at the allotted times, nodding and “hmm”ing, trying to enjoy the parts of the restaurant which were still untouched by this academic posturing. Her black velvet dress was cut diagonally across the chest and one shoulder was exposed. She started to feel cold and wondered if she went to the bathroom, and let her hairdo down for warmth, the others would notice.
She ran her fingertips over the glossy weave of the cream tablecloth. She savoured the texture of the panna cotta, and the tang of its raspberry coulis. She watched the candlelight dance through the glassware.
It was then that she noticed him consciously for the first time, although a shiver along her back informed her that he had been with them for much longer; a lone diner in a corner, perfectly still, staring unblinkingly towards Percival. He was dressed in suit trousers and a woollen jumper which had been just smart enough to get him over the threshold, but still seemed out of place in this display of finery.
Percival didn’t seem to notice the fanatical attention trained on him. He was less focused on his environment, than the effect he had on it.
But Angela was observant, always scanning for threats. And there was something in this middle-aged man’s neat, contained presence, contrasted with his unnatural stare, which made her want to run. Before he could turn his attention to her, she moved her eyes carefully back to her table, without changing her posture at all.
Tom had said something amusing which she didn’t hear; he turned his glowing face and happy brown eyes to her and she laughed collegially. She hoped she looked relaxed, because inside her heart was banging against her chest and throat tightening with fear. She realised where she had seen the stranger before, and she knew she needed to leave as quickly as possible.
Reflection
Like the first week, this part mixes its approach. We are invited to think about writing rituals, and how to combat fear of the blank page. We are also taught the important of observation; how to find it in the real world, as well as developing close reading of other novelists’ character introductions. The question of originality is answered with the view that it comes through applying a unique perspective to common words and situations.
So far, the course has an integrated approach to writing which is a good primer for the beginner. It doesn’t go into depth on particular issues or skills, so those looking for more dedicated areas of study might find the approach too shallow. The main benefit for me so far is the company of the other lovely adventurers who are also taking the course! It puts me in a great mood to know that other people care about writing and are open to sharing their progress.
Give the course a spin yourself!
www.futurelearn.com/courses/start-writing-fiction