Chuck Palahniuk Essay Collection

-Chuck Palahniuk

Greetings, readers! I have an interesting link to share with you today, especially my many fellow NaNoWriMo’ers. Some of you may know that Chuck Palahniuk began a series of essays on the craft of writing in 2005. He ended up posting 36 of these mini-workshops with his tips, advice, and lessons learned through his career. Now, his site no longer has the posts, and the only place they’re supposedly found is http://www.litreactor.com. However, I take pleasure in announcing that you don’t have to become a member of LitReactor-although the site does seem helpful for hopeful authors-because there’s a free version of Palahniuk’s collection here.

You’re welcome 🙂

I’m starting to read through his essays, and am already intrigued by the first one on establishing authority as a narrator. There’s homework at the end of each of his lessons, so I’ll probably post mine here. More prep for November! Let me know if you all try out Palahniuk’s suggestions; I’d like to compare results of the “homework” assignments and get some constructive criticism. How lucky are we to get a mini-workshop from a master?! Take advantage, folks.

lovelove
kembra.

The Game We Play

Well readers, I got a lot of pre-writing and planning done for my novel today! Some character development, introductory setting, basic outline and plot points all came together very well and gave me a strong sense of the story I’m going to tell. Here’s a short synopsis:

Harry Bleake, a young college graduate, finds himself out in the world with a Liberal Arts degree and not much else. To earn a living in a bad economy and fulfill a lifelong dream of travel, he picks up a job as a freelance writer for a little known American destinations website. After landing a gig visiting and documenting “The 10 biggest party schools of America”, Harry gets a second chance at the college experience he never had. Harry Bleake changes his name to Harrison B. and dives headfirst into a second life revolving around a world of sex and drugs. He gets very good at the game of pretending, but will he ever quit?

Let me know what you guys think! Mind you, it’s literally the first draft I’ve ever written for this book so don’t judge too harshly 🙂

Still, is it too cliche? Sound like something you could find in about 300 other self-published books floating around amazon? Be honest here-I know this isn’t going to be a bestselling masterpiece but it’s an idea; it’s a start. Plus, I think any story is as good as you tell it. Add a fast moving plot, realistic situations, and a wide range of emotions evoked from the reader, and a mediocre story can be great. At least that’s what I’m aiming for.

I think I’ve become a little obsessed over NaNo. I spent all day today reading forums on the site, checking out other webpages with writing tips that people suggested, and bought a $10 app just for writing novels. Yeah…I’m crazy.

In the meantime, I submitted my app to the grad school and went there in person to turn in a transcipt. I was literally breathless as I walked through the door. The administration building on Texas Tech’s campus is beautiful inside.

Anyways, got all that shizz turned in so now it’s just a waiting game.

And praying, if you’re into that kind of thing 😉

Last but not least, you’ll love these tips on how not to get shot in the depot district. Thanks to my buddy Big at KissFM for helping out my fellow Lubbockites who just can’t figure out how to avoid trouble. Apparently that’s an issue these days…

lovelove
kembra.

T-minus Twenty

That’s right…today is October 11th which means exactly 20 days until National Novel Writing Month. To start getting myself prepared for such a ridiculous task as writing 50,000 words in a month, I’m going to be completing short excercises on my blog through October. Today, I figured I’d start with something pretty basic, and all-too-obvious. It’s also something I think many amateurs don’t often consider when starting their first book: what do people want to read about? What keeps them interested? What makes people shut a book and forget they ever started it?

Here’s some of my opinions:

Format: I love a book that doesn’t follow a predictable, day-by-day, strictly chronological format. Rather, I find it more interesting when various character’s perspectives overlap through time. See the Game of Thrones series and Colum McCann’s “Let the Great World Spin” for excellent examples of character’s point of views intersecting over time. Keeping the perspective limited and specific helps to avoid repetition in events that both characters experience.

Description: I’m a wordy writer…too wordy probably. But I can really appreciate a vibrant description that pulls a reader into a scene. On the other hand, too much wordiness can do exactly the opposite: detract a readers attention. One thing I’ll try to keep in mind for November: write enough to make them feel like they’re actually there, but not so much that they get bored, and do it in a way that they can only experience the scene through you. Everybody has walked through a garden; it’s your job to point out the roses that the reader never stopped to smell. Let your audience discover the scene with you.

Introduction: This will probably be one of my weaker points, I fear. As if writing 50,000 words isn’t already a formindable task, beginning a novel in way that will not only capture the reader’s attention but also keep it for another few hours is equally as daunting. Where to begin?!?! I’m afraid I might panic at this point. I’ll probably (unsuccessfully) try to start in the middle or something. Let’s keep an open mind about my introduction at this point, and in the mean time check out the 100 greatest first lines of novels for inspiration.

Since I’m about to leave work, I’ll leave you with just those three topics for now. Maybe after my delicious fried pork chop dinner I will think of some more pre-writing tips for myself (and you guys of course). Or maybe my brain will turn to mush in a food coma. The latter is kinda what I’m hoping for, not gonna lie.

In the meantime, share your personal tips. What do you guys think about before you write? And what turns you on, or off, in literature and technique (no 50 Shades of Grey comments, please). Give me your advice!!

lovelove
kembra.

NaNoWriMo

I think I may have made a mistake. Yesterday, in the ecstasy of typing on my new keyboard and getting back to blogging, I also happened to sign myself for National Novel Writing Month. The purpose of this annual event, sponsored by The Office of Letters and Light, is to give everyday people the motivation, tips, and pressure it takes to sit down and write a novel-all on a 30 day deadline. People from all over the world participate, and there’s a kids version as well.

It sounds cool and is a great way to network with other writers in your community, but where in the world am I going to find the time to write a 50,000 word book?! If you finish the entire thing within the month of November-no head starts, either!-you get a certificate, web-badge, and after verification of your work, you are put on the “winner’s wall” of the official writing month website. Some winners have even been published. 

Various activities are planned in each community by a liaison; events may include all night “write-ins”, meetings to discuss plot development, and coffee shop dates to escape the dark and isolating cave that the writer’s office so often becomes. I doubt that I’ll make any of these activities, but who knows-with a little focus maybe I can finish my first novel. I already know the basic premise of the plot I want to write, so with a little more tweaking I can definitely have a solid foundation to build on come November 1st. 

Feel like supporting the cause? There’s a link to donate on www.NaNoWriMo.org. All profits go to support the non-profit foundation that puts on the program and pays for things like staffing and kid’s writing camps. Who knows, while you’re there maybe you’ll feel inspired to sign up and commit to this crazy contest. If you do, my username is kgerner….find and buddy me! There’s nothing to lose, save a month of sleep.

Also, you may support my personal NaNoWriMo cause by sending me copious amounts of sunflower seeds, Advil, and wine.

T-26 days until National Novel Writing Month!

lovelove.
kembra

Riches

Today in my English class we discussed the infamous short story “The Death of Ivan Ilchy”, by Leo Tolstoy (the guy who wrote and peace). It may be categorized as a short story, but the 40-page tale is woven with a theme of life and death that is heavy enough to serve as the basis for a novel. In short summary, an older Russian judge lives a life of wealth, prestige, and status. Upon fallin ill after a freak accident, he learns the true meaning of life from his servant boy and begins to pity the wife he once hated, realizing the life they led was one of artificial, shallow, money-driven happiness.
At the end of class and our discussion, my professor asked the class to write down their personal interpretation of the story’s theme and the goals that each of us have for our lives. The consensus of the theme of the story was easy for us to agree upon:

“Live life to the fullest.”

“Do what makes you happy.”

“Everybody will die someday, so live each day like it’s your last.”

The people who were called upon to voice their goals also all basically said the same thing:

“Graduate college.”

“Get married and have a family.”

“Live a stress-free life.”

These are all perfectly normal and admirable goals to have as a young adult. However, it wasn’t any of those statements that made me wonder what my fellow students were thinking, it was what every single one of them said last:

“Get a good high-paying job after I garduate, start a career, and be wealthy.”

WTF. Did you people listen to yourselves discussing the theme of the story we just read? Are you just that incapable of applying lessons from literature to your own life? Money won’t make you happy people, and neither will a 9-5’er when you’re 22. Sure we all want to be able to live without worrying about how we’ll pay for our next meal or stretching paychecks, but Tolstoy just tried desperately to teach us about the regret of growing old and laying on death’s doorstep looking back on a life that centered on a good job, accumulating wealth, and having good status according to whatever societal norms you subscribe to. Excuse me for ranting a little here, but it was so frustrating to listen to my peers talking like little American Dream robots. Granted, it is a little high and mighty of me to say that I know that achieving these goals would not make my fellow students happy later in life, and it would be absolutely hypocritical to insist they change their mindset to be more like mine. I guess in a way, this activity made me question my own perspective. Is it unrealistic of me to believe that we should all follow our own path rather than the one laid out for us by our social circles?
I could never honestly say that one of my goals in life is to have a lot of money. Sure it would be nice, but it seems to me that living for a good job and good money in turn would leave me with a very empty and unfulfilling life emotionally. I would rather have a life rich with experiences, love, and caring friends and family than one rich with money and materialistic things. But maybe that’s just me.