PEN TO PAPER: Plotter vs Pantser
Have you heard of Plotters and Pantsers? Well, I’m a Pantser, with a touch of Plotter. A Pantser is a writer who flies by the seat of their pants, just sits down and writes without much detailed planning. A Plotter is a writer who plans out their novel before they start writing it. Most people fit more into one category, but really both processes take place during the writing of a novel.
For example if you’re a Pantser, you normally have at least a vague idea of where you’re going before you start. With my current novel, I was driving home from a writing conference when the concept came to me. I imagined the storyline, and made a storyboard with pictures that I cut from magazines and pasted along a timeline, to help me see where the story was going. So you might call this some minimal planning, but when I started the novel, I just sat down and wrote, unsure of where it would take me.
Now that I’m nearing the end of the book, I’m starting to look at what’s missing and am beginning to weave bits and pieces back into the writing. Last week I decided to make changes to the first chapter, so I went back and edited and edited and edited. Now I need to make adjustments throughout the book. It’s the first draft, so it’s simply part of the process. I worked this way when I wrote my memoir too. Of course I had a basic understanding of what was going to happen in the story, it was a memoir after all, but there were a lot of different directions that I could have gone, so it took a lot of writing and editing and reworking to get the story the way I wanted it.
When I’m […]
PEN TO PAPER: Audio Inspiration
I’ve been re-reading, or should I say listening to, my favorite books on writing. When I take my pup on his daily walk I put in my new AirPods (No more fighting with my tangled ear buds as I head out the door), load my audio book and go. While I stroll the sidewalks, the red and orange leaves that scatter my path help transport the words and their inspiration into my mind. Thoughts on how to establish a more consistant writing schedule, how I might make adjustments to a character, and even thoughts on a new twist for my ending, drift around in my head. I always walk away with new tidbits to chew on.
I’ve got three books going at the same time right now (probably not a great idea, but they’re all quite different), so I just continue on with whichever I’m in the mood for that day. One that I love is On Writing by Stephen King (I’m not into horror novels, but I totally connect to King’s thoughts on writing). I’m also listening to Save The Cat by Jessica Brody, which is helpful to me because I’m not a planner, I don’t start with a tight structure in mind. I started my novel with an overarching idea, wrote a lot of scenes and then brought them together. Her book is helping me, by getting me to look closer at the structure. And the third audio book that I have going is This Year You Write Your Novel by Walter Mosley. It’s got me putting my butt down in front of my computer more; hence my novel is into its final chapters.
I plan on listening to the rest of the books from my list throughout 2020. It’s been quite a few years since I’ve read some of […]
PEACELOVEBASKETBALL: Connect With Your Teammates
Is there a player on your team who drives you crazy? That is too serious or goofs around too much. Maybe teases you or doesn’t pass you the ball. Or maybe there is some other reason that you don’t see eye to eye. If you have one of those players on your team, it’s time to look for a connection.
You may not care to make a connection. You may think that you have nothing in common with the teammate, but I think you’d be surprised. You can often find common ground if you make an effort, and doing so is one of the best ways to make your team stronger. Hopefully your coach is helping you and your teammates to get to know one another better by doing teambuilding activities and spending fun time together, but if not, try reaching out to your teammates more and see what happens.
It doesn’t have to be a huge gesture; simple comments on the court can make a difference. Nice job. Thanks for the pass. You can do it. This type of communication brings players closer. Kindness goes a long way. You can ask them how their day went, or if the time is right and you’re feeling brave, delve deeper, into family and life experiences. You may find you have more in common than you think. Maybe you’re both Lady GaGa fans or you both love county music. You might learn you both have little brothers who drive you crazy or that you both have a parent from Italy.
As you get to know and understand one anther a change will happen, not only in your personal relationships with your teammates, but also in the way your entire team communicates. You might begin to understand that your teammate makes jokes or quits trying when […]
PEN TO PAPER: Deep Kindness
I recently read the book Deep Kindness by Houston Kraft. It made me think about my life and how I can be more kind. It made me look at what real kindness means and how it can effect others and the world. What a great concept to write about…
WRITING PROMPT #1: What was the last kind thing that you did? Write about it. How did it make you feel?
WRITING PROMPT #2: Put the word KINDNESS at the top of a blank page. Start writing.
WRITING PROMPT #3: The second Daniel sat down at his desk something was wrong. Every morning for five years now, a note from Ellie had greeted him. The swirly heart dotting the “i” in her signature always made him smile, but this morning there was nothing. Daniel looked around the room and…
Meet Sonya
Meet Sonya
Sonya Elliott’s memoir, Back on the Court: A Young Woman’s Triumphant Return to Life, Love & Basketball, is her story of finding hope in the wake of tragedy after she and her fiancé were hit by a train. She blogs about writing, basketball, and life and is currently working on a Young Adult Novel and a Non-Fiction Coaching book. Stories of her career as a fashion model are woven through her memoir, as both the Soloflex and Easy Spirit Shoes commercials were filmed during that time period, and this unique and intriguing business continues to be a part of her life.
Sonya played basketball at Eastern Washington University and was a starter for the Big Sky Champion team that went to the 1987 NCAA tournament. She coached for almost 25 years and was voted Seattle Times Coach of the Year, Seattle Officials Women’s Basketball Association Coach of the Year, and twice voted Metro League Coach of the Year. She loves the game of basketball and is thankful, not only for her husband and kids but for her ability to continue to get back on the court.
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PEN TO PAPER: Picture Not-So-Perfect Writing
I like to free-write from a picture. It doesn’t have to be perfect, just something that inspires you to sit down and put your thoughts on the page. The picture might send you down a personal path, bring back memories of the time you and your brother built mud houses for hours in the back yard or it might jump start your new novel. You never know. Just take a look at this picture or grab one of your own and get to work!
WRITING PROMPT: Use this photo or one of your own, set a timer and write!
PEN TO PAPER: Keep It Simple
Sometimes I want to do a quick free write, so I keep it simple. I grab the nearest book, open it up and put my finger down on the page. The first word I read is my starting point. Right now the closest book to me is The Everything Learning German Book (I’m working on learning more than just Hallo and Auf Wiedersehen). The word my finger hit is ALONE. Had it been a German word, I would have used that as my starting point. Occasionally I pick one or two more words to use as well. Do whatever feels right, just WRITE!
Another simple way to find a writing prompt is to act like a three-year-old and look around the room and then pick out an item that speaks to you. For example, looking across my kitchen right now, I see my daughter’s cactus sitting in the windowsill. I have […]
PEACELOVEBASKETBALL: The Art of Rebounding
The Art of Rebounding by Charli Elliott
“I’m hungrier than those other guys out there. Every rebound is a personal challenge.”
-Dennis Rodman
As a 5’8” power forward at Pacific University, I led our team in rebounding and our 4’11” point guard was often the 2nd or 3rd leading rebounder. You know what that means? Rebounding has a lot more to do with determination than with height.
REBOUNDING IS THE KEY TO VICTORY
Every rebound is a possession. Every possession is a chance for your team to score.
I’m sure you’ve heard your coach harping on it. I’m sure you’ve heard, “ […]
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