N00bish Delights pt.2
When I first started writing, I wasn't good at finishing things. But I was excellent at prioritizing.
A guided tour through my process, circa 6th grade:
First, draw the cover. If you get bored and don't want to finish your pic of the Grim Reaper, don't sweat it. That disembodied head totally gets the point across. Besides, the words are in the way.
Text reads: Sidestep: Danielle had managed to sidestep death every time it tried to take her. But the reaper wanted to dance ... Badly. The First Novel in the Immortal Trilogy.
Next, plan the trilogy. Make sure the titles are vague yet menacing. After all, you have no idea what the plot is. That would take effort, and any minute your social studies teacher is going to glance over and wonder why you aren't doing your classwork. Hurry!
Helpful Hint: It looks scarier if you extend one side of the letter allllll the way down the page. Like dripping blood, only not, because it's just a long M. Trust me, this trick has been used for centuries.
Now you have to write the story! Start with something bland and irrelevant. You're writing in pen, after all, so it will be hard to correct plot errors. Best to start without one.
Text reads: Danielle Andrews blew a tuft of her coarse brown hair out of her eyes and sighed. Spring Break was over, and she had nothing to show for it. While all her other
And if the bell rings, or the teacher starts making her circuit around the room to thwart your artistic endeavors, STOP MIDSENTENCE! You can always come back and finish it later.
Or not.
You are young, creative, and have zero attention span. It is probably better to start over ... and write it as a play!!!
This time make sure someone dies right away by writing the character list first, and including someone named "killer." For variety, it's best to include "a budding musician," "a mysterious transfer student," "a high fashion model," "old man," "girl," and "driver."
Then you can write Scene 1. That scene will no doubt write itself! I mean, look at all the conflict you cooked up in the character list alone!!
Scene 1
Setting: A park. Danielle and Marlee are walking along, the killer approaches them.
Killer: Hey, do you girls know what time it is? (Marlee and Danielle shake their heads) Time to die! (killer whips out gun and points it at Marlee. He shoots, and she falls down, wounded. Danielle kicks killer to the ground, and shoots him.)
Danielle: Marlee! Are you okay! Oh, my gosh! I have to get you to the hospital! (Danielle grasps her arm around Marlee's shoulders and drags her toward the road. A car stops near them.)
Driver: Do you kids need some help?
Danielle: Yes! We have to get to the hospital! My friend's been shot!
Driver: Hop in! (Danielle and Marlee climb into the car and speed away.)
Marlee: I'm gonna die, I'm gonna die! (shrieking hysterically)
Danielle: Hang on Marlee we're almost there!
(Driver beeps horn and mutters, Scene Ends)
And that is all that exists.
Helpful Hint: It's probably best NOT to kill the killer in Scene 1 ... unless you have another killer lined up. The old man and the high fashion model might have trouble providing an adequate amount of suspense. And you might find yourself without a Scene 2.
If you're wondering about the gruesome theme that runs through my early stories (someone is always getting shot! killers! psychopaths!), all I can say is that I read a lot of Christopher Pike and R.L. Stine back then. And was just generally disturbed. ;)
A guided tour through my process, circa 6th grade:
First, draw the cover. If you get bored and don't want to finish your pic of the Grim Reaper, don't sweat it. That disembodied head totally gets the point across. Besides, the words are in the way.
Text reads: Sidestep: Danielle had managed to sidestep death every time it tried to take her. But the reaper wanted to dance ... Badly. The First Novel in the Immortal Trilogy.
Next, plan the trilogy. Make sure the titles are vague yet menacing. After all, you have no idea what the plot is. That would take effort, and any minute your social studies teacher is going to glance over and wonder why you aren't doing your classwork. Hurry!
Helpful Hint: It looks scarier if you extend one side of the letter allllll the way down the page. Like dripping blood, only not, because it's just a long M. Trust me, this trick has been used for centuries.
Now you have to write the story! Start with something bland and irrelevant. You're writing in pen, after all, so it will be hard to correct plot errors. Best to start without one.
Text reads: Danielle Andrews blew a tuft of her coarse brown hair out of her eyes and sighed. Spring Break was over, and she had nothing to show for it. While all her other
And if the bell rings, or the teacher starts making her circuit around the room to thwart your artistic endeavors, STOP MIDSENTENCE! You can always come back and finish it later.
Or not.
You are young, creative, and have zero attention span. It is probably better to start over ... and write it as a play!!!
This time make sure someone dies right away by writing the character list first, and including someone named "killer." For variety, it's best to include "a budding musician," "a mysterious transfer student," "a high fashion model," "old man," "girl," and "driver."
Then you can write Scene 1. That scene will no doubt write itself! I mean, look at all the conflict you cooked up in the character list alone!!
Scene 1
Setting: A park. Danielle and Marlee are walking along, the killer approaches them.
Killer: Hey, do you girls know what time it is? (Marlee and Danielle shake their heads) Time to die! (killer whips out gun and points it at Marlee. He shoots, and she falls down, wounded. Danielle kicks killer to the ground, and shoots him.)
Danielle: Marlee! Are you okay! Oh, my gosh! I have to get you to the hospital! (Danielle grasps her arm around Marlee's shoulders and drags her toward the road. A car stops near them.)
Driver: Do you kids need some help?
Danielle: Yes! We have to get to the hospital! My friend's been shot!
Driver: Hop in! (Danielle and Marlee climb into the car and speed away.)
Marlee: I'm gonna die, I'm gonna die! (shrieking hysterically)
Danielle: Hang on Marlee we're almost there!
(Driver beeps horn and mutters, Scene Ends)
And that is all that exists.
Helpful Hint: It's probably best NOT to kill the killer in Scene 1 ... unless you have another killer lined up. The old man and the high fashion model might have trouble providing an adequate amount of suspense. And you might find yourself without a Scene 2.
If you're wondering about the gruesome theme that runs through my early stories (someone is always getting shot! killers! psychopaths!), all I can say is that I read a lot of Christopher Pike and R.L. Stine back then. And was just generally disturbed. ;)