Writing

The end of August (sigh)

By on August 31, 2016   /   For Writers, Writing  

And here it is. The last, sweet day of August. In many places, kids have been back in school for a couple of weeks, but there’s something about this day that signifies the definite end of summer. Labor Day approaches, and soon after that, the first hint of coolness in the air. The first leaf to tumble from a tree, the getting dark earlier. The sigh of another season going by.

Back in June, my hopes were high and my bucket list was long. Things to do, places to go, foods to eat, house repairs to tackle, and of course, my plan to write under a shady tree, or at the beach, or any number of places I can’t write during a cold Midwest winter when I’m stuck inside.

I started out well enough, fleshing out an idea for a new story that had been simmering in my head for a while. Even though I have two middle grade novels coming in 2017 and 2018, there’s always the nagging tap on the shoulder for a writer: you must start something new. Get to it! Time’s a wastin’!

But I should know by now that summer’s not my best time to write. Summer, with her long lazy hours of daylight, is just too beguiling. trees & clouds

The very breath of the fleeting season grabs my senses and takes over. Shouts of kids jumping on a backyard trampoline, the trickle of watermelon juice down my chin, the sun on my face, the glorious smell of flowers mixed with burgers sizzling on the grill. My concentration fades like a pink sunset. My focus flits about like a dancing butterfly. I’ve forgotten how to put together a sentence that makes sense or let alone, is creative. The heat has undoubtedly melted my brain. Somewhere around the end of July, I give in, pushing my story notes to the corner of my desk. I’ll get back to it later, I think. But there’s an art fair to browse, or an outdoor concert in the park, and I don’t.

Weirdly though, with the turn of the calendar tomorrow to September 1, something happens. The change to the new month that’s so identified with fall, and suddenly, my brain seems to wake up from its summer snooze. And as the leaves on the tree outside my writing space begin to turn, my half-formed ideas usually start to come together too. Maybe this is a habit from all those years of going back to school? Who knows. Even though summer and all its sweetness is over, there’s nothing like the feeling of getting my butt back in the chair and doing what I love. Creating a world that didn’t exist before I wrote it.

writingHappy end of August and beginning of September. Apples. Football. Flannels. Time for a new bucket list.

 

 

 

Michele Weber Hurwitz is the author of The Summer I Saved the World in 65 Days and Calli Be Gold (both Wendy Lamb Books) and the upcoming Makers Vs. Fakers (fall 2017, Aladdin Books). Find her at micheleweberhurwitz.com.

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How to Create Complex Characters

By on August 24, 2016   /   For Teachers, For Writers, Writing  

Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about complex characters. You know—those memorable folks who inhabit our favorite books and keep us awake past our bedtimes. But what is it about these characters that makes them so memorable? What writing tricks have the authors employed to compel us to follow their characters from beginning to end, even if it means sacrificing our sleep?

These are questions I’ve asked myself as I’ve sought to improve the character development in my own stories, so I thought I’d share a writing tip that I’ve found helpful. However, even though it’s probably safe to assume that everyone who reads the MUF blog loves to read, I figured I’d give your reading-brain a 3-minute break today. So instead of an in-depth written post, I’m presenting my writing tip as part of my video series as The 3-Minute Writing Teacher.

If you’re a writer, I hope the video will prove useful as you continue to improve your writing craft. If you’re a teacher, consider using the video as a launch point for a writing mini-lesson. And if you’re neither a writer nor a teacher? . . . Well, maybe you’ll want to watch the video anyway, just to see what Luke Skywalker and a school bully could have in common.

How to Create Complex Characters

Do you have an example of a memorable, complex character from a book you’ve read? What was it that made that good character a bit bad . . . or that bad character a bit good? Feel free to post in the comments below.

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Writer’s Tools: Wisdom from a Third Grade classroom

By on July 15, 2016   /   Book Lists, For Teachers, For Writers, Writing  

UnknownOne of the things I love about school visits it that I get to go to classrooms all over the country and meet wonderful students and teachers. There are some comforting universals to a grade school classroom: a certain amount of clutter, a map, the alphabet along the wall. And then there are delightful surprises: a pet iguana, a stunning view of the wilderness, a reading loft, a tank of salmon fry to be released in a local stream, a flag flown by a student’s father over his army camp in Afghanistan. It’s a window into the thoughts and values of the community I’m visiting.

I recently visited a third grade classroom where I saw two student made posters on the wall. The first was titled Writer’s Tools in the Hand. Underneath was an illustrated list: paper, pencil, eraser, dictionary, word list, and illustration tools.Unknown-1
It was a good reminder to take a moment before I begin my writing session of the day to have all the tools I need at hand. I especially liked the word list idea. I know many teachers help their students brainstorm a list of likely words before they start a writing assignment to help them get started. Though I don’t need that technique, I have used a variation of it. Every writer has word habits, words or phrases that pop up more often than they should. I have about a half dozen that I lean on more than I should, so I make a word list of them and post it over my workspace to remind me to make stronger word choices and not lean over much on the familiar.
It was the second poster that really struck me though. It was titled: Writers’ Tools in the Head and Heart. The list included: thinking, good ideas, awareness, fun attitude, information, concentration, quiet or silence.
There are so many things to love about that list, and perhaps most importantly that writing well engages both the head and the heart. I love it that thinking comes before good ideas, an excellent reminder. Sometimes I have to think about a scene for days, even months, before I have a good idea about how to fix it.
    Awareness is a tricky idea, I asked a group of the third graders who had made the poster what they thought awareness meant. They said that it meant you should pay attention to all your ideas about a story not just the easy ideas that were in the last story you read. Excellent advice!
  images Fun attitude might just be the best advice of all though. If my writing isn’t going well, it’s almost always because I’ve lost the joy of it. Loss of joy may not be the cause of bad writing, but it is at least the reliable companion of bad writing. And when I change to a more positive and playful outlook, the writing reliably improves.
   Information and concentration are pairs I’ve been learning to use as a pair. I love research so much, I could spend all my time chasing the next dazzling fact and completely lose track of my story in my zeal to fill it up with the amazing details I’ve learned. But sometimes what I need is not more information but concentration on the research I’ve already done.
   Finally I love it that quiet and silence are not the same thing. Sometimes I need absolute silence for a particular task. Reminding myself to turn off the music for the duration of the task helps. Other times I just need the quiet of my brain focusing on just one thing, not email, not social networks, not housework or snacks but simply the quiet of letting myself be a writer and nothing else for a few hours–a true gift!
So how about you? Do you have a favorite tool of the hand, head or heart?  I’d love to hear about them in the comments.
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