Writers in the Storm

by Gale Leach

Months ago, Ellen Buikema invited me to submit a post for Writers in the Storm. Honored, I agreed and began thinking about a suitable topic. Because I lack a history with this group, each time an idea surfaced, I’d search the WITS website and find it—posts on this site are very comprehensive—leaving me hunting for something else. Later, I reneged on my commitment. Ellen said she’d ask again.

The second time I fell short after committing to a blog post on WITS, I felt terrible, but I still hadn’t found a subject that hadn’t been covered. Also, this would be my first article, so I needed it to be good, to be worthy. As a newbie to the group, I felt somewhat intimidated. What made Ellen think I had valuable information to share, anyway?

Time went by, and she asked again. Feeling the trepidation of stepping into the limelight, I vowed once more to do it. I had a lot going on, but I knew the reason I hadn’t produced an article was something else. In the past, I’d always been reliable and could be counted on to come through on time with something extra.

What was wrong now?

1. Fear of the blank page? No. Give me a cursor, and I can write volumes.
2. Fear of failure? Possibly. My New England-ish upbringing’s strong work ethic drives me to be the best at whatever I do. When I fall short, I shame myself. 
3. The need to succeed/be respected? Also possibly. See #2, above.

Several approaches later, I settled on sharing what I’ve done while trying to conquer my problem—what stood in the way of producing this article. I believed others must share this issue, so solving it should be helpful.

After some self-psychoanalysis, I realized I have the same problem with other things I say I want to do but don’t: playing piano and hammered dulcimer, writing a new book, singing. I could go on. It’s a long list.

Yearning for Acclaim

For each of these pursuits, I discovered that I have in mind a target or goal that includes some element of acclaim. When I was young, I wanted to write the “great American novel”—a plain American novel wouldn’t do. I yearned to sing on stage to roaring applause and standing-room-only ovations—yet each time I sat to practice, my musicianship didn’t meet my expectations. I couldn’t get past not being perfect.

Then I thought back to a time when I once queried others in my writing critique group about why they wrote. A recent post on WITS by Jenny Hansen also examined this topic, and, like that post, the answers I received varied from “because I must” to “I want to headline the New York Times bestseller list.” My reasons fell between those camps: I’ve always needed to tell a story, and I wanted readers to love what I wrote. 

Sneaking Up on Myself

Yet I couldn’t embrace the notion that my early drafts, like musical practice, are not designed to be perfect but rather a means to that end. Ernest Hemingway wrote, “The first draft of anything is shit”—a reminder that writing is a process, not perfection—but I couldn’t embrace the notion that creating bad drafts was okay. Nevertheless, I began writing and continued reading.

(Let me note that sneaking up on myself has gotten me this far. Many sources say free writing loosens creativity, but it may have more to do with loosening the joints, preparing and following the ritual, so that muscle memory can take over and ideas begin to flow. In any case, I believe this blog post is shaping up.)

Caught in Our Own Headlights

In her wonderful book Bird by Bird, Anne Lamott says “Perfection … will keep you cramped and insane your whole life, and it is the chief obstacle between you and a shitty first draft. I think perfectionism is based on the obsessive belief that if you run carefully enough, hitting each stepping stone just right, you won’t have to die. The truth is that you will die anyway and that a lot of other people … are going to do a better job than you, and have a lot more fun while they’re doing it.”

Many of us seem to be caught in our own headlights. As a younger person, I had faith in my capacity to accomplish almost anything with determination and effort, and others had recognized my innate abilities. The concept of settling for less than my best was unfamiliar to me, as I’d been taught to strive for excellence. When could I be sure my work was good enough?

Cosmic Insignificance

As I struggled with this post, a newsletter arrived in my inbox. Oliver Burkeman describes his twice-monthly email, “The Imperfectionist,” as being about “productivity, mortality, the power of limits, and building a meaningful life in an age of bewilderment.”

His book, 4,000 Weeks, is also worth every penny and every moment. I highly recommend his work if you struggle with perfectionism, or if you yearn to be more present in the moment.

This particular newsletter was titled “No big deal: why your cosmic insignificance is a wonderful thing,” and it describes several principles that converged to liberate my thinking:

We matter little in the cosmic scheme. [This realization] is really relaxing, because it's a reminder that … nothing I do or fail to do matters much at all—a realisation with its roots in Stoic philosophy, and other wisdom traditions.

Later in the newsletter, he says:

The (conscious or subconscious) belief that what you do is incredibly consequential has the effect of making the stakes too high to enjoy life … To be reminded of your cosmic insignificance therefore isn’t just relaxing, but actively empowering … It recalibrates the yardstick with which you measure what’s important from your perspective.

Recalibrating Our Yardsticks

I believe Burkeman and Lamott are right, and others have written similarly. Voltaire quoted an Italian sage: “le mieux est l’ennemi du bien” (the best is the enemy of the good) Questions sur l'Encyclopédie [fr], 1770: "Il meglio è l'inimico del bene".^[1] The quote subsequently appeared in his moral poem, La Bégueule. And Winston Churchill said, “Perfection is the enemy of progress.” Widely attributed to Churchill, source unknown.

My reading and now my personal experience say that letting go of the need to be perfect—recalibrating your yardstick—will liberate your writing process. Since none of us can achieve perfection—at least, not in this lifetime—accept that your writing will improve with practice and with editing. Embrace imperfection, and just keep writing.

(Thank you, Ellen, for your gentle nudges that helped me cross this hurdle. This blog post isn’t perfect, but it’s done!)

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About Gale

Writing The Art of Pickleball in 2005 launched Gale Leach’s career as an award-winning author. From 2011 to 2020, she also created her own company, Two Cats Press, which published the works of six Arizona authors, including seven of her own fantasy adventure novels for children and teens. Currently, she’s at work on a fantasy series that involves technology and magic, multiple worlds, and creatures you only thought were mythological.

Gale and her husband recently relocated to Texas, accompanied by a rescue dog, two rescue kittens, and a bearded dragon. Her interests outside of writing include singing, playing music, genealogy, reading, crafting, and many types of puzzles and games.

You can connect with Gale on social media or her website.

Author headshot by Kenneth Johnson of Kenneth Johnson Photography, Surprise, AZ

Top Image: Gemini_Generated_Image_xplacxplacxplacx.jpeg (using prompt: “Image of bright car headlights coming straight toward you on a foggy road”) subsequently modified using Adobe Photoshop Elements 2022.

by Lisa Hall-Wilson

Backstory – how much of what’s happened before our stories take place, do readers really need to understand our characters? Many newer writers fall into the trap of using too much backstory, with the author voice summarizing and explaining. Those with more experience, understanding the pitfalls of too much telling, can find their writing too sparse and leave readers stumbling through the narrative trying to piece together why a character is thinking and feeling as they do.

If you’ve been around WITS for very long, you know that I talk about deep point of view exclusively. So, how do we take backstory and apply it to deep point of view?

Deep POV wants to remove the author voice entirely. There’s no outside voice to explain or summarize the past or what’s motivating a character. Rather, deep POV wants readers limited to what the POV character can see, hear, know, feel, understand, learn, etc. And that can feel pretty limiting, but if we can stretch our creativity to remain in deep POV, the backstory can enhance the story experience without boring or losing readers.

Memories And Past Experiences Must Come To Mind Organically

In real life, our brain makes myriad connections to past experiences to help us navigate present circumstances.

• What has happened in the past that will help us understand the stakes in a given situation?
• How did we handle that in the past?
• What outcome are we looking for?

Our brains mostly do all this in split seconds, so quickly that we might not even be able to articulate all that’s gone into a decision unless we sit down to unpick why we thought or felt a particular way.

But there’s always a thread that connects the thoughts, the memories, and the emotions. Make sure that thread is clear for readers. Give your character an organic reason to think of the past – what has brought it to mind?

If the reader needs information about a non-point of view character, think how the point of view character can give that info to the reader organically.

• Do they have some shared past together to draw upon?
• Is there body language that might hint there’s more going on than what they’re saying?

Sensory details are a great thread to pull to connect with past memories or feelings, especially sound and smell.

• Ask what’s similar about the present and the past experience you need the character to recall?
• Is it a feeling?
• Is there a thematic connection: vulnerability, affection, betrayal, fear?

Dropping in backstory without some thread for context feels like author intrusion and usually involves far too much telling to explain why you’re writing about that past experience.

Sally wrapped her fingers around the mug of hot tea. Her fingertips finally warming, she traced the hairline cracks running down the sides of the cup, over the yellowed glue adhering the handle on. Sally smiled. Grandma had never thrown anything away.

Drip In Backstory

Backstory needs to be dripped in a drop at a time. Only give the reader what they absolutely must know in order to keep the story moving while understanding the point of view character’s motivations and desires. Generally, readers need far less backstory than we want to give them.

Keep in mind that we rarely dwell upon our most painful memories. We skim over them, we ignore them, we intellectualize them – all sorts of things. Focus on how those past events felt, and how those feelings colour the present to influence decisions and attitudes.

Beta readers and critique partners are our best assets to know how much detail the reader needs to understand what’s going on right now. With deep POV, it’s very easy to fall down a rabbit trail that leaves the character navel gazing or monologuing.

By keeping the backstory brief, you keep the pace moving. My personal rule is to keep backstory to no more than a sentence, even a sentence fragment. I don’t always keep that rule, but if I find the backstory waxing on for a paragraph or two, that’s usually a sign I’m telling the reader what’s going on instead of having the character experience what’s going on.

Answer One Question And Leave Readers With More

One of the pitfalls of including backstory is that it has a tendency to strip away the suspense in a story.

Use backstory to answer one reader question, but then leave them with two more.

She reached her hand through the crack in the door and groped for the light. Her heartbeat pounding against her throat. This was just like last time.

This is cliché, but do you see what I mean? Don’t give the reader ALL the information they need, just give them enough to keep leaning in.

Felora leaned against a corner post with her back to the street, cleaning her fingernails with a small blade. Edric repressed a smile. Even as a child, she’d hated getting her hands dirty but never had enough sense to stay out of the mud.

I needed readers to understand that Edric and Felora had known each other a long time and that Edric thought her impulsive and rash. That he looked down on her. Why does he look down on her? They find that out later. This is pure backstory, but it doesn’t read like it. It’s all filtered through the point of view character.

Barric trailed his hand across his father’s empty desk. It should be covered in ledgers and read missives and a vase of fresh flowers. No—his mother had always brought in flowers. Lady Eadyth thought flowers wasteful and decadent.

I’ve used Barric’s interaction with the setting to organically spark a memory and filter it through his perspective. I wanted readers to know that he’s been away from his childhood home long enough that it doesn’t feel quite like home anymore. Readers already know his father remarried and was murdered (the events not related), but I needed them to know that Barric wasn’t a fan of his step-mother. I also wanted to give some insight into his character. A man who doesn’t think a vase of fresh flowers is wasteful. Hmmm… Drip drip drip.

Keep it short. Keep it totally relevant.

Remember to filter it through the point of view character’s perspective and priorities even if it’s about another character.

Using Backstory As Context

Context is a great way to remove telling in deep POV, and sometimes we can use backstory to create that context.

Uncle Pete would know what to do. He was a twenty-year veteran of the RCMP.

Here, the author voice is explaining who Uncle Pete is to readers who haven’t met him yet. Instead, keeping the same point of view character, let’s use context and backstory to get the info to readers that Uncle Pete is an experienced cop without using the author voice to summarize or explain.

The engine roared to life and Pete hit the gas so hard gravel hit the garage behind the car like scatter shot. He pressed a button on the steering wheel. Phone rang once.

“Hey Chief! What’s up? Thought you were cooking turkey—”

“Call everyone in.” His voice was matter-of-fact, flat, but he strangled the steering wheel around the corner.

“Uhhh…” Ivy stuttered. “Everything OK?” Her tone deepened a smidge.

“Just do it. Now. Get everybody in.”

“Got it.”

The rewrite drips in the backstory of who Uncle Pete is, doesn’t employ the author voice, and keeps the story moving. The first way seems efficient, and it is, but often there’s a workaround that doesn’t use the author voice.

How much backstory do you use in your writing, and is there room to tighten it up to keep the pace flowing?

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About Lisa

Lisa Hall-Wilson is a writing teacher and award-winning writer and author. She’s the author of Method Acting For Writers: Learn Deep Point Of View Using Emotional Layers. Her blog, Beyond Basics For Writers, explores all facets of the popular writing style deep point of view and offers practical tips for writers. 

She runs the free Facebook group Going Deeper With Emotions where she shares tips and videos on writing in deep point of view. 

Top Image by JPataG from Pixabay

by Kris Maze

Summer is the time when many writers slow down the pace of publishing and focus more on simply writing. This has been my secret sauce over the last couple months, working on a fun manuscript and making the magic happen. As I’ve been doing this, I realize many writing benefits to savoring this time. More focus, more enjoyment in writing, even more productivity as my work is better quality and needs less overall editing. 

In today’s post, I want to share some tips for making the most of summer writing. How do you best write during this season? Check out my top ten ideas for a productive and chill writing flow and add your suggestions to the comments below. 

Top Ten Ways to Enjoy a Writerly Summer

10. The 2024 Summer Olympics are Over – Get Back to Work

Whether you watched the drama unfold religiously, keeping a score of how many medals your favorite country won, or never turned on your television at all, it was impossible to ignore the fact that the Olympics were a big part of this summer. It dominated the news and social media. 

It brought joy and a thrill to watch skilled athletes at the top of their games. It inspired and encouraged us to be better humans. But the final ceremonies are finished, and the athletes are back to their respective homes, moving into new versions of their lives. We can take a cue to get back into our grooves as well. 

Some well-known athletes like Simone Biles, Andy Murray, Rafael Nadal, and Lebron James, for example, may have performed their last Olympics. And some, like Quincy Wilson, aged 16, is bemoaning heading back to high school. We can watch vicariously the lives of these inspirational athletes, but we also get back into what we do best – writing.

Get away from the television and back into the writing mode. Perhaps you can draw characterizations or plot ideas from something that piqued your interest. Consider how these summer stories captured the hearts of the public and see how it could weave into your writing as well.

9. Go on a News Diet

See Number ten and perhaps spend less time worrying about all the problems riddling the news feeds. The ever-changing political climate and world affairs can be stressful. And news about political shifts, wars, and natural disasters are everywhere we have electronics.

Consuming news is an important part of being an engaged citizen, but it can also be distracting from your writing goals. Be judicious about your news intake and discerning in how you let it impact your writing. Although it is important to know about the issues in society, be aware and careful of the news you mentally digest as it can influence your own works.

Write something into the world that you are proud of that sends a message you believe people should hear. Our words can be powerful influencers, write them. Use them carefully.

8. Hydrate!

Don’t forget that our physical bodies are made up of around 60% water, and it’s important to stay well hydrated. If you are finding that your writing routine isn’t going well or something hard to pinpoint seems a little off, try taking a drink of water.

One of my favorite writing tips is to have cool drinks around to beat the summer heat. I am a fan of simple ice water and use a metal straw. Many of my friends love the various options of flavored seltzer waters. On occasion, I’ll freeze some of the seasonable fruit and plop a few into my cool beverage. It adds a pop of color and a bit of tart sweetness.

There are many cups and thermos drink holders that can keep your drink frosty, but some writers claim that room temperature water is best for them. I tend to like my water chilled. Find a variant of water that works for you and keep your mind and body working well.

7. Visit Your Local Library

Libraries are sources of information, but also nice cool air. Visit your local library and browse their events. Community events around hobbies, movies, and game nights are commonly a part of their lineup. Many reading and writer groups meet regularly at most libraries. These events can help you connect with experts in an area you are researching as well.

Recently, I participated in a seed exchange at the library. It included an information session and provided an opportunity to talk to master gardeners about improving our growing. As research for a sci-fi novel, I had questions about the best ways to store seeds long term. Like far into the future long term, a hypothetical futuristic kind of way, and my conversations at the library helped me find new resources. Resources that can help my next novel have plausible aspects regarding seeds storage.

Remember our libraries this summer to fuel your writing journey. Find an open table and a quiet place to write if you need it. Also, most have free wi-fi available. Make friends with your librarian, they can help you find comparison titles and suggest places to share your books. There are many reasons to visit your public library. What will you discover there?

6. Browse Your Genre

Read what titles are new this summer in your genre. Research what is hot and what the top titles look like. Many authors have sophisticated ways to analyze which books are doing well in their niche, but usually a simple search in your web browser will be a good place to start. 

Stop by your favorite, major book distributor and look up what type of book you would like to read. A list of popular books should show up. Look over the covers and descriptions to note shifts in the market and in book design. Build up your awareness of what is current in your corner of the book publishing world as you write your next best seller.

This research can inform your writing, but hopefully not restrict your creativity. Maybe noting the hottest trend will validate what you are already working on, or maybe it will demonstrate that you are making something new and interesting. Regardless, whether you believe authors should write to the market, by crafting a book that people seem to buy, or that writers should write strictly what they are driven to put on the page, knowledge of what the public wants to read—which books are currently selling—is valuable to writers. Browse trends in your genre and see how your current work compares. 

5. Read, Read, Read

Writers tend to neglect their own need to feed their minds with good words. Reading is an excellent way to heighten your own craft. If you haven’t sat down with a good book lately, you may want to reconnect with why you are compelled to write stories. Remember how reading books makes you feel. 

Read widely or choose books that you want to emulate. It makes sense that getting quality writing in your head makes you a better writer as you surround yourself in stories that you would like to see more of in the world. Remind yourself why you want to write books. Here is a post by another WITS writer reminding us why we write HERE for more inspiration.

Read with purpose. Pay attention to clever turns of phrase and interesting wording from your favorite authors. Read for pure enjoyment and recall how the author you are reading accomplishes this. Reading stories you enjoy will translate into your own works and improve your writing as well.

4. Make Time to Visit Friends

Summer is a time to reconnect with friends, old and new. Take time to fill up your social well and enjoy the benefits of friendship. Invite a friend over for lunch or make plans to visit a local park. Keep it simple and focus on finding out what is new in someone else’s life.

Getting together with friends doesn’t have to be about writing, but it can help you be a more productive writer. Think about a part of your novel you are working on. Share your latest progress and talk about plot ideas.  Have fun and it will make your writing process easier and more enjoyable too.

3. Get Outside

It is common knowledge that spending time outdoors can shift our minds and emotions toward a positive trend. There is research supporting this idea. Being outdoors can add to your wellbeing. Studies show a strong correlation between time spent in green spaces, parks, yards, bike trails, etc. and better health. 

The physical and emotional benefits include better sleep, lower blood pressure, and less likelihood of chronic disease. This may be in part because being in green spaces also leads to more exercise and activity.  However it occurs, the connection exists. Feeling better can give you a writing productivity boost, so get outside and try it for yourself.

2. Music, Food, and Community Events

Summertime is full of summer events. Shake off the indoor cobwebs of our minds by attending something you enjoy. Live music is available at many restaurants and cafes, but also in many community parks for free. Concert tickets may seem astronautically expensive, but there are many local events sponsored by companies and organizations at festivals. Check your local activity boards on places like Facebook and see what events are happening near you.

Want more summer action energized by down-to-earth 4H level fun with a side of fried funnel cakes? Try your county or state fairs. Another source of local growing and fresh produce and goods can be found at a farmer’s market. Many creative folks set up stands and welcome a friendly chat about selling their goods. You could pair up with someone and find new ways to market your books while you find fresh salad fixings.

My recent visit to a Dahlia festival was a great combo of catching up with friends, good music, and amazing scenery walking through fields of perfectly symmetrical rows of Dahlias. It also has the lasting value of a flower arrangement I created and can enjoy for a few weeks. Find ways to turn your summer adventures into better writing, by getting out and discovering events near you.

1. Just Write

We are writers after all. And we don’t often take breaks, so using my summertime to relax and focus on my writing craft is very satisfying for me.

If you are struggling to regain that writing mojo, try scheduling writing time and setting goals such as a weekly or daily word count to keep you on task. The enjoyment factor should return as you get back into a writing habit.

Get the satisfaction of seeing your manuscript grow over time. Some writers like to plow through their whole novel before starting a second draft, others like to polish up their story as they go. Edit along the way or save it up for the end, just keep writing and enjoying the writing process.  

Final Thoughts on Summer Writing

How can you be sure to take time for your writing and keep yourself moving forward in your projects? What are your favorite parts of your writing summer? Do you find yourself productive in the summer months? Let us know below in the comments. 

About Kris

Kris Maze is an author, writing coach, and teacher. She has worked in education for many years and writes for various publications, including Practical Advice for Teachers of Heritage Learners of Spanish and the award-winning blog Writers in the Stormwhere she is also a host. You can find her horror stories and young adult writing on her website. Keep up with future projects and events by subscribing to her newsletter.

A recovering grammarian and hopeless wanderer, Kris enjoys reading, playing violin and piano, and spending time outdoors.

And occasionally, she enjoys taking pictures of Dahlias.

Photo credit: Top photo and additional photos by Kris Maze