Writers in the Storm

Writers in the Storm has always been a labor of love for everyone behind the scenes. Yes, it's work to keep up a thrice-weekly blog for more than a decade, but it usually doesn't feel like work. And the personal rewards are enormous.

I haven't taken a poll of all the other behind-the-scenes peeps, so this is a window into my own journey and my perspective on the magic of WITS, and of giving back to your fellow scribes in some capacity.

I do it for the love...mostly.

The Magic 6 Ingredients

When I sat down to think of why I've been happy to be a part of the WITS Dream Team for ten (coming up on eleven [eek!]) years, I boiled it down to six things.

1. Learning

Writers couldn't do what we do if we didn't love finding out about all the things. We are all about learning.

The writing wisdom of the contributors here at WITS has been mind-blowing. And just think, I get to see all their posts first and do my own small part in making them compelling. Score!

In April 2010, when this blog began, I was about a hundred months pregnant. (My daughter was born two weeks late, at the beginning of that May.) I was pretty beat up by that traumatic high-risk pregnancy and ready for a change of pace. I still had a foot in the technical training world and I needed a break from that too.

My work here at WITS (and at my own now-dusty blog, More Cowbell), kept me sane in the aftermath of that crazy pregnancy and during the early days of motherhood.

What I never expected was that blogging would change my life. That it would cement my writing voice. Or become my superpower. I would never have foreseen that blogging would be the gatekeeper to a successful copywriting career.

Takeaway: Just because it's your volunteer side hustle doesn't mean it can't also be the start of a new career.

2. Networking

Most of us extroverted writers know a LOT of other writers. We go to conferences and workshops and meetups, and start collecting writing pals. True fact: I met the entire current behind-the-scenes team via a Writers Digest Novel Writing conference in 2016.

Now fast-forward to the time of COVID...

There are no in-person writing conferences. However, there are wonderful online seminars and classes, and online writing sprints on social media, etc. Our own John Peragine has Zoom cocktail parties. And here at WITS, we have a rocking comment section.

Takeaway: Even if we don't ever see our online friends in person, their friendship is still deep and comforting and true. Be sure to spend time with your writing friends, even if it's only virtually.

3. Writing Focus

Writing focus is a sometimes unattainable goal for me. I'm an Attention-Deficit Writer in the best of times, and this last year was not the best of any time.

2020 was a year of 14-16 hour workdays in our house. My husband and I both have multiple day jobs, there was homeschooling (*shudders*), and the craziness of feeding a family multiple meals daily.

Yes, we know we're beyond lucky to have jobs, but writing focus poofed out of existence sometime in May.

WITS was a godsend for me through all this. Three times a week, I had to focus on writing, or at least get a post up. At least once a month, I had to focus on my own message to write my post.

Truly, I can't convey how important this community was to me in 2020. Y'all helped me remember: I am a writer (even when I didn't feel like one).

Takeaway: Do whatever you must to reserve time and space for your writing, even if sometimes that means: "volunteer in the writing world."

4. Teamwork

It takes a consistent team of four or more people to manage Writers In the Storm. Each of us "take over" the blog a few months each year and all of us pitch in when then anything goes wrong.

Illness. Broken networks. Late or missing posts. Storms.

All of those things can and will happen in almost 11 years. Year after year, the blog team rolls with it all and helps lift one another up.

Takeaway: It "takes a village" to make magic.

5. Supportive Readers

I shudder to imagine the loneliness of 2020 without the comments section here on this blog and in some of the other online spots I hang out in.

Y'all stop in and visit us each week, and share wisdom, tidbits, and links in the comment section. It fills lil' ole extroverted me right up.

The wonderful people I've met during my tenure at WITS just make me sparkle. And did I mention that the resources shared in the comments section are GOLD?

6. FUN

First of all, y'all actually appreciate those off-center posts I write. (Ex: The Bikini Wax Theory of Writing.) Plus, all of the elements above add up to a tremendous amount of fun. Many, many thanks to all of you - both readers and contributors. It says a lot about you that this endeavor has stayed fun for this long.

Do you do volunteer work of any kind? If so, what kind? How do you give back to other writers? Which of the six reasons resonates with you? Please share your stories with us down in the comments section!

About Jenny

By day, Jenny provides corporate communications and LinkedIn advice for professional services firms. By night she writes humor, memoir, women’s fiction, and short stories. After 18 years as a corporate trainer, she’s delighted to sit down while she works.

When she’s not at her personal blog, More Cowbell, Jenny can be found on Facebook at JennyHansenAuthor or at Writers In The Storm.

by Eldred “Bob” Bird

There’s no doubt 2020 has changed some of our writing habits. In the years BC (Before Covid), one of my favorite writing exercises was people watching. I’d tote my laptop to parks libraries, pubs, and a whole host of other public places. This is where I found inspiration when building characters or looking for new and interesting ways to represent human interactions in my writing.

I paid close attention to things like body language, facial expressions, and all the little nuances that set someone apart and made them stand out from the crowd. I listened in on conversations and tried to guess where the person talking was from based on their accent and use of slang. I made up stories about the couple whispering at a table in the dark corner of the bar. This was my creative playground.

But then things changed.

Bars and restaurants are now half deserted or closed, faces are covered, and social distancing and mask-muffled voices makes it difficult to eavesdrop for those little tidbits that helped me bring my characters and dialogue to life. This ‘New Normal’ was crippling my creativity. So, what’s a writer to do during a pandemic?

Adjusting to the New Normal

If there’s one thing we writers are good at, it’s using our imagination. It’s the bread and butter of our existence. I figured if I applied some of that imagination, I could find a new approach to people watching and get my character hunting back on track. Here are a few solutions I came up with.

 The Big Cover-up

Masked faces are one of the biggest game-changers, but instead of worrying about what I can’t see, I now pay more attention to what I can see. Not being able to focus on full facial expressions has made me much more aware of just how expressive the eyes alone can be. Cheeks elevating, eyebrows arching and scrunching, pupils dilating and shifting around the room, foreheads wrinkling—all tell me something about the emotional state of the person I’m observing. I’ve also noticed an increased use of exaggerated hand gestures.

How someone wears their mask may also give character clues. Is it below the nose? Are they wearing a cheap disposable mask, or a high-end reusable one? Is it colorful, or basic black? Maybe they’ve personalized it or refuse to wear one at all. These details speak to the personality of the wearer and help to develop characters as well.

Video Voyeurism

The proliferation of work-at-home and video conferencing has given us a peek in the windows of our coworkers, family, and friends. Instead of gathering in conference rooms, cubicles, restaurants, and bars, we sit in front of a screen with a camera pointed at our faces and into our private spaces.

Video conferencing has made me more aware of who has pets (and spoils them), who has kids (and how those offspring behave), and what kind of knick-knacks everyone has on their desks and tucked in bookshelves. Paying attention to what’s going on in the background has given me all kinds inspiration for personality quirks and created questions for my imagination to feed on. Even what virtual backgrounds someone chooses to display can tell me something about them. It also makes me wonder what they might be hiding (like the disaster area in my office).

Into the Great Wide-open

I’ve learned a lot watching how people handle the new normal inside. I’ve found it just as informative to observe how they act when they get outside. People watch in the parking lot of your local supermarket for an hour and you’ll see what I mean. Everyone has their own little quirks.

Some people don the mask before getting out the car, while others wait unit the very last second when they get to the store entrance. Then there are those who argue with the employee at the door because they don’t want to wear one at all. My favorites are the ones who rip off their masks as soon as they step outside. They scrunch it tight in their fist and draw in a deep breath, as if they’ve been deprived of oxygen and are about to pass out.

There are also those who wear the mask in their own car even when they are alone. I imagine these folks masking up before stepping out of the house and keeping it on until safely locked back inside. These are the people we used to make fun of for always have a bottle of hand sanitizer in their pocket. Who’s laughing now?

Some Final Thoughts

Just because we’re not currently allowed to get too close to other people doesn’t mean we can’t still watch them. We just have to watch in a different way. Pandemic or not, the world changes every day, and we are constantly changing with it. I’ll admit it’s usually a gentler curve rather than the left turn we’ve been dealt, but the bottom line is we will adjust and survive, as we always have.

Has 2020 altered your writing habits? How have you adjusted to the changes?

* * * * * *

About Eldred

Eldred Bird writes contemporary fiction, short stories, and personal essays. He has spent a great deal of time exploring the deserts, forests, and deep canyons inside his home state of Arizona. His James McCarthy adventures, Killing Karma, Catching Karma, and Cold Karma, reflect this love of the Grand Canyon State even as his character solves mysteries amidst danger. Eldred explores the boundaries of short fiction in his stories, The Waking Room, Treble in Paradise: A Tale of Sax and Violins, and The Smell of Fear.

When he’s not writing, Eldred spends time cycling, hiking and juggling (yes, juggling…bowling balls and 21-inch knives). His passion for photography allows him to record his travels. He can be found on Twitter or Facebook, or at his website.

by Ellen Buikema

One of the most valuable qualities of writing YA Literature is how it addresses the needs of its readers. Young adulthood is a tumultuous time of evolving, searching for self and identity, growing and changing, transforming from the world of childhood to that of adulthood. This rite of passage is a distinct part of life, marked by specific needs—emotional, intellectual, and societal.

Many adult readers enjoy YA novels in part because it allows them to travel back in time to revisit events of their youth, cheering for the protagonists and agonizing with them. There can be a sense of catharsis, following the protagonists on their journeys.

Modern civilization has left a gap. In many societies elders no longer lead their youth through a rite of passage or coming-of-age. YA stories can assist in fill that gap, helping young adults to experience these transitions through the written word.

Samples of YA novels in various genres

• Western: Shane, by Jack Schaefer
• Fantasy: The Queen of Nothing, by Holly Black
• Horror: Anna Dressed in Blood, by Kendare Blake
• Paranormal: Vampire Diaries, by Richelle Mead
• Crime: The Naturals, by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
• Steampunk: Leviathan, by Scott Lesterfeld
• Historical Fiction: Code Name: VERITY, by Elizabeth Wein
• Romance: Along for the Ride, by Sarah Dessen
• Memoir: Ordinary Hazards, by Nikki Grimes

There are many YA novels that cross over several genres. For example, The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins, covers fiction, romance, dystopian science fiction, fantasy, action, and adventure.

Rules of the YA Road

The kids are in the front seat.

Adults in Young Adult stories should take a backseat to the teens, as well as to the action. Adults may appear when needed, and then go away. The protagonists must make their own decisions, go forward with the plan, and figure out their dilemmas themselves. Otherwise the book will be unsatisfying. The struggle needs to be real.

Protagonists Need to be Relatable

Recognizing yourself in the pages of a YA novel sends the message that you are not alone.

Problems posed in Young Adult fiction don’t have to be limited to teen problems, although there are plenty of those. The teen protagonist may try to save the family by coming up with wild schemes to pay the mortgage, like composing a tune that allows for teleportation, or building a self-refilling refrigerator. Anything goes.

Many protagonists have issues in common.

• Struggling with the motivation to move forward
• A need to be accepted by peers, and parental acceptance at a deep level
• Determining who to trust
• Battling depression and anxiety
• Self-respect and standing up for what you believe in
• Intimate relationships
• Facing torment from peers
• Drug use and abuse

Every one of these problems creates stress for the characters and helps with relatability for the reader.

The themes in Young Adult novels are adult in nature, but not graphic.

Point of View

The story’s point of view determines how the tale will be received by the reader.

Most Young Adult novels are told from either first-person or third-person perspective. First-person adds intimacy. It brings the reader into the personal experience of the narrator. Third-person, particularly omniscient, allows the reader to catch any clues the characters miss.

There is no right or wrong.

Choose which perspective works best for you and the story. you might begin the first draft in third-person close past-tense, decide that doesn't work for you, and then go back to the beginning and write in first-person present-tense. If after a few chapters you feel you are unhappy with your choice, choose again. Experimentation is good.

Gritty vs Profane

When can I swear, dagnabit?

Generally speaking, swearing can be used to shock, for comic effect, to show mood, and can be a form of linguistic violence. Swearing in YA is frowned upon, so it should be kept to a minimum. Grit may be shown in character action and mood.

Language Use

Language will vary, especially if you are writing a series and the characters are aging, therefore, undergoing complex emotions. In J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series, Harry, the main protagonist, ages from an eleven-year-old boy to a seventeen-year-old young adult, with all the confusion hormones bring. His language changes as he ages to keep his character authentic.

Vocabulary will change due both to situations and maturity. A character may be a mimic and after a few days begin to speak as the locals do, or might use different speech around friends than with grandmother.

Personal Growth

YA fiction may be considered the literary category where characters achieve the most growth. Teens are in a constant state of change and so should the protagonist in a YA story. The protagonist needs to have new experiences and face roadblocks until the end goal, changing as a person along the way.

Lob on the conflicts to create tension—problems adapting to change, self-identity, relationships. More tension gives greater possibilities for personal growth. You are carving a unique soul. As far as I know, your characters can’t murder you in your sleep, so no worries.

About the Plot Points in Your YA Novel

Consider the following points for each scene:

1. What are my characters learning?
2. Is the conversation important for character growth?
3. What is driving the emotions?
4. Does the scene move the plot forward?

Most authors ask these questions of every scene in any novel. Remember, by answering these questions, you will keep the readers’ interest.

Finding Your Inner Teen

A tip for finding your teen voice: Revisit popular music from your teen years.

In a quiet space, close your eyes and listen to the music. Let your mind wander to a high school dance, music store, a friend’s house, driving in a car with friends, driving alone, hanging out at the pool during the summer, or being alone in your room.

Musical memory is deeply rooted in the mind. When you hear the music and visualize where you’ve heard it in your past, memories from that time will return, allowing you to reconnect with teen memories.

Do you have a favorite YA genre? What technique(s) do you use to reconnect with your younger self? Do you prefer a particular point of view for YA? Please share with us down in the comments section!

About Ellen

Author, speaker, and former teacher, Ellen L. Buikema has written non-fiction for parents and a series of chapter books for children with stories encouraging the development of empathy—sprinkling humor wherever possible. Her Works In Progress are, The Hobo Code, YA historical fiction and Crystal Memories, YA fantasy.

Find her at http://ellenbuikema.com or on Amazon.

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay