Writing goals when you’re nearly 80

by Barbara McKay

My story

Since my husband died from metastatic cancer in 2014, learning to write creatively has been therapeutic.


‘Don’t you think I’m too old to be writing?’ I was speaking with a lovely author, Anne Hamilton at a Writer’s weekend in Brisbane early this year. She answered me ‘No’ she said,

‘You are showing cognitive plasticity’. I could have jumped for joy at those words, but I couldn’t because I’d broken my leg


My creative writing journey began when I saw an ad ‘Write your Memoir’ course by Cecily Anne Patterson. In 2018, I was 73, and a widow coping with grief and loss. I contacted
Cecily, and slowly worked through every session. Lots of new terminology, and eventually, I wrote my first chapter, getting to about 80,000 words.


In 2022, Vanessa Vankcom said ‘Why don’t you send 10,000 words into Omega Writers for the CALEB Unpublished Adult Nonfiction section? I did. I received an email to say ‘You are a finalist’. I cried all day. What was God saying to me?


I was 77. I faced my fears, and decided to go to the conference at Kingscliff. I met Cecily, and many other amazing authors. They weren’t scary, but normal human beings, fun and developing their writing to bless others.


After that weekend, Nola Passmore, the encourager who specialises in nagging us to write, invited me to join the Toowoomba Omega Writers – again, a scary experience but exciting. I told the group ‘I’m in Year 3 doing a subject titled ‘Creative Writing’. Some of them told me off. ‘No, you cannot say that. You are on a creative learning curve, just like all of us.’ Mazzy even said that with my life’s experience, I’d have plenty to write about from a mature perspective.’ She’s a great encourager.

Some Writing Tips

Tips for organising your writing goals when you’re nearly 80, when you feel you’ve left it too late. Why did I ask that question?


Firstly, the ageing process does bring deficits with chronic illness, hospitalization, loneliness, and discouragement. Those of you who have older members in your families see their decline.

Secondly, our lives do have an expiry date. I do feel a sense of urgency with my writing because none of us know when that time will come. What creative work is a priority? What do I leave undone? What stories do I tell? I am in the final season of my life. I’m in my 80th year – unbelievable. To think that I’m learning at this age is surely a gift from my loving Heavenly Father. I do lose heart and that’s why I love it when the apostle Paul says ‘Do not lose heart. Though outwardly, we are wasting away, yet inwardly, we are being renewed day by day.’ 2 Corinthians 4:16 NIV

Thirdly, the gift of encouragement. Why is it that many of us become discouraged and long for words of affirmation? How do I finish my life with few regrets?

What makes me a feisty nearly 80-year-old who feasts on life?  Many of your comments bring the sparks that light up my life.

1. Meredith said ‘my mother finished her memoirs at the end of last year. She was 85. She passed away four months after she finished writing them. ‘What a wonderful story, and no doubt Meredith gave her loads of encouragement. We need to get a rough draft down, even if it isn’t published.

2. Nola mentioned a lady who died at the age of 96. ‘She was writing a monthly column into her 90’s. She turned in her last column on the day she died.’

3. Sue Jeffrey is the one who said ‘you inspire me’ and called me ‘feisty’

4. Christine O’Malley said ‘build yourself a group of praying supporters who will laugh with you, cry with you…and keep on asking how the writing is going to make sure you don’t give up.’ Let’s do it. That’s not easy for some of us who live in rural places, but it is do-able. We have ‘zoom’ and a ‘mobile’.

5. One young author, Stephanie said ‘I want to keep on encouraging others. The gift of encouragement is such a kind, generous gift.

6. Anusha mentioned ‘I make writing goals each year’.

7. Recently, I read a letter from my aunt, Hilda North. She was writing to me to give instructions on organising her 90 th birthday’. God nudged me. ‘Look at that aunty of yours – cognitively, as sharp as a tack. She lived until she was 101.

8. I have learnt not to compare myself with others. The more I learn about creative writing, the more I realise there is so much that I do not understand. People have said to me ‘you have to start somewhere’.

Finally 

This year, I suffered, I broke my left leg badly – hospitalised for 77 days, moon boot for 11 weeks, and transition care for 12 weeks. ‘What was God trying to tell me?' 

Again, God placed wonderful people on my radar, surprising me with heavenly hugs. I wrote two stories about my suffering, and I’m pleased they are being published in Stories of Life - His love to me during the tough times.


Now I want to hear from you, stories about those who persevere when tempted to give up – stories from those who are in their 70’s and 80’s. What legacy are you leaving?

Brought to you by Barbara McKay 

A Spiritual Practice For Growing Healthier Writers

by Charis Joy Jackson

 Earlier this Autumn (or summer depending on which side of the world you’re in) I found myself stuck. It wasn’t exactly writers block per se but a paralyzing fear that kept me writing a sentence only to delete it and start over again.

And again, and again.

I’d been asked to write an article for a magazine read by missions leaders around the world and the topic was close and heavy, and out of reach.

One of the founders, Loren Cunningham, of Youth With A Mission, the movement I’ve worked with for over 15 years, and been around since I was six, passed away and they wanted someone, a YWAM leader specifically, to write an article about him. How I was offered this incredible honour, only God knows.

Every time I went to write though all these thoughts kept intruding and had me deleting every five seconds.

Who was I to have the authority to write about him?

What if I didn’t have all the information that would be best for this piece?

What if, what if, what if?

When these questions have come in the past, there’s always some part of me that knows I’ll get the piece written because I always find a way. But this time, one of the deepest and scariest questions was: what if I don’t this time? What if I have to pass the job to someone else?

In the end, I went back to my leader and told him I wasn’t sure I was the right person for the job. The magazine was looking for someone who was a Leader, with a capital ‘L’ and right now, I have limited responsibilities as a leader. And even my past experience as a full-on leader, lower case ‘l’, I felt, was still not the right type.

What was my leader’s response?

He shrugged his shoulders, and said, “So. You’re a leader.” I tried to protest with my lower case ‘l’ and he said, “Would it make you feel better if we co-wrote it?”

The relief I felt at having his covering was palpable.

And. It helped me get the article written.

An article, I might add, I’m pretty proud and honoured to have been a part of.

I share this story for a few reasons. One, because that pesky fellow, Fear, seems to constantly gnat away at me and I want to continue to expose him for the Liar he is — capital ‘L’. Two, writing really does flourish when we’re able to do it with other people’s help/advise/feedback. And three, the only way to get the job done is to persevere.

I feel a bit like a broken record as “fighting fear” and “recognizing that we need people around us as writers” tends to be something I often write for CWD. Maybe it’s just me that needs to process it through the act of writing about it,  but I don’t think I’m alone with these struggles and if my vulnerability can encourage you to keep going than it’s absolutely worth it.

When my leader offered to co-write the piece with me, it was such a blessing. Not only did I feel covered by him but his surprise that I wouldn’t think I could be that capital ‘L’ leader was a real boost too. A few years ago, I’d probably have seen this interchange as a failure on my part but I’ve been learning something lately about how God created us. And realising that Fear often doesn’t allow us to see ourselves the way God sees us.

Have you ever heard of something called the Tension Examen? It’s a spiritual practice I’ve been exploring over the last few months.

Imagine a string with a knot tied on both ends and another right in the middle. Each knot represents the tensions we hold every day between areas of giftedness, areas of brokenness and in the middle our natural limitations.

Giftedness ——————— Limitedness ——————— Brokenness

Giftedness — areas where you flourish. Ex. Writing, singing, art

Limitedness — areas where there is a natural limitation. Sometimes lasting for a lifetime, sometimes just a season in our life. Ex. sickness, finances, gravity ;)

Brokenness — areas where you need to see healing. Ex. How you view yourself because of lies said over you

You see, I’ve always felt my limitations were areas of brokenness that needed to be fixed/healed. But the truth is, limitations are a gift from God. If we didn’t have limitations we would be like God and, I’m sorry, but you and I would be horrible at that ‘job’.

But it wasn’t just limitations that I struggled to have grace for, it was also giftedness. It felt prideful to say things like: I’m a good writer or I’m a great teacher, etc.

I thought I was being humble by not saying those things. Even though I’ve often said that humility is being known for who you are, the bad AND the good. But I wasn’t living like that.

Anyway, as I practiced the Tension Examen, and learned to accept the areas I’m gifted in, and the areas of Limitedness, the less shame had room to condemn me for things like the above story. Does that make sense?

I’d like to encourage you, my fellow writers, to take a week (or more if you can) to explore the spiritual practice of the Tension Examen. Take 20 minutes every day and write down what’s causing you tension in your day and then ask Holy Spirit to show you where you’re limitations are, where your brokenness is and where your giftedness comes to play in that tension.

For me, it’s helped free me of that pesky ‘friend’ I mentioned earlier. I’m not done, by any means, but Papa God has definitely used the practice to help me peal another layer of fear away.

Let me finish with this … About a month ago, I was talking on the phone with a good friend about how much I hated thinking and mulling over past hurts and painful situations. I didn’t want those things to take any more of my time or energy but they just don’t seem to want to relent.

We talked about the analogy of the peeling onion and how these were layers that needed to be dealt with. Then my friend said she hated that analogy because once you’re done pealing away, there’s nothing left.

“Have you ever heard of the rainbow eucalyptus?” she said, and then went on to talk about the stunning process of how it grows. “It sheds sections of bark in order to grow taller, and when the new bark of trunk is exposed to oxygen it reacts by turning different shades of greens and reds. Even blues and purples!

You have to admit it’s a better analogy of a life of continual growth — we outgrow the layers and though it may require a bit of perseverance on our end, think of the vibrant life you’re growing into.

All this to say, keep going. As we get ready to celebrate Christmas and then look back at what we’ve done this year and start planning ahead for those New Years resolutions, keep making room to sit with I AM and grow in your understanding of what you’re good at, what areas you need healing, and learn to have grace for natural areas of limitations.

This doesn’t mean we use limitations as the excuse for Fear to be victor, but rather, it frees us us from Anxiety/Fear. And we won’t be kept back from the thing we were gifted and created to do — tell stories, write.




 

Charis Joy Jackson works as a full-time missionary with Youth With A Mission (YWAM), an international Christian missions movement. Currently located in a village north of London, she spends as much time in the great wide outdoors as the weather will allow. In her spare time she spins stories of speculative fiction, capturing her crazy dreams in print. Literally. You can read them in her anthology Too Bright

She has also begun a new initiative on Instagram called A Minute Of Stillness, where she reflects on what God’s creation can teach us about being still and slowing down. Her heart is to see it be a moment of peace for those who happen across her reels, and hopes it will help people to stop the endless hours of scrolling in the wee hours of the night. A recovering scrolling addict, she found the few accounts that had reels telling her to stop scrolling and go to bed helped give that extra nudge to turn off her phone and either get outside, back to work or, indeed, go to bed.

C h a r i s     J o y     J a c k s o n
Instagram || Facebook || Amazon








 

Writer's Life: Ebbs and Flows

 by Jeanette O'Hagan

In the last two out of three weekends, Lynne Stringer and I have fronted up to a Speculative Fiction Con - first Brisbane Oz Comic Con at the end of March and then Gold Coast Supanova last weekend.  This year was a little different as sadly Adele Jones couldn't be with us for the two events.  The three of us have being doing Cons together, first as Intricate Worlds, then as Rendered Realms since September 2017.

Both Supanova and Oz Comic are vibrant, entertaining, larger-than-life events that bring together fans, creatives and stars from just about every speculative fiction fandom and medium that you can imagine.  What makes these events special are the enthusiastic fans who put time and effort into their cosplay - costumes of their favourite characters drawn from movies, TV, anime, graphic novels, games, comics and books. And a good proportion of these fans are book lovers who want to support local authors and will often buy the whole series. And we as authors, not only experience all this creativity, not only interact with potential readers and sign our books, but have readers come back for more. Fantastic, right?

Yes, it is. That buzz keeps us coming back, full of excitement and anticipation for the next event. Yet, it's not all highs. The weekend requires preparation and stamina - standing in front of the book table for eight hours over two or sometimes three days, watching people stream past or, after seeming so close to buying, leave with a (usually) empty promise that they will come back. So it can also be exhausting and discouraging. 

On the first day of Oz Comic Con this year, I did not make a single sale - then more than made up for it on the second day.  At Supanova, sales came slowly, in dribs and drabs, until the last three hours, when suddenly things picked up (a great way to finish).

Sometimes, it's hard not to be discouraged. The hours drag (is it really only 11, another 7 hours to go) and the optimism fades. It's tempting to be competitive if one or other of us sells more books. 

In those moments, I make an effort to refocus on why I'm there - yes, selling books, it's nice to at least break even, better to make a profit, but the reason I write is not to pay bills (though that would be good) but so others will read hope-and-faith-infused stories.  Remembering that helps me give the time to God to redeem. And last weekend, instead of looking at the time as a countdown to when it would all finish - I tipped it on it's head - five more hours of opportunity for readers to discover our books. 

Despite slow starts and even barren days, despite both events being different - one smaller the other much bigger and more crowded - we both made decent sales, discovered new readers of our books and had returning customers.  Our books are out there in the wild, hopefully being read and enjoyed by others. 

It reminds me of the days when I plunged back in the world of writing in 2012. The steep learning curve and that long wait to see my work in print.  Positive feedback exhilarated, significant negative feedback could discourage, and watching others being published or winning prizes could lead to insecurity. The waiting seemed to go on forever. Though looking back now, I can see that I was learning and preparing. 

I still remember the buzz when my first short story was accepted into an anthology at the end of 2014. Not that it's necessarily got any easier since then. There is always another goal, something else to reach for, someone else to compare with.  Some years, I've had multiple short stories and poems accepted for publication and novellas or novels published. Other years, I've had more rejections than acceptances and few if any publications. And the elusive 'paying the bills' is like a mirage on ever receding horizon. 

I've realised that I need to trust God's provision and timing. I also need to accept the ebbs and flows. As at the Cons, hours or even a whole day may go by with a few nibbles and no takers - but then suddenly in an hour or two it all turns around. It's not necessarily anything I've done differently - wearing a more colourful dress or more eye-catching headwear as part of my costume, smiling more or being more positive. Each Con is different - sometimes everyone wants to buy a certain title, then next Con that one barely gets a look in, but another one or series becomes more popular. Of course, if we don't plan, prepare and turn up at all, nothing will happen. 

And maybe our writing life is like that too - with ebbs and flows, strong tides that can be beyond our control. And in the midst of those unpredictable currents, I can and will trust the one who made the oceans and directs the waves.

Jeanette O'Hagan has spun tales in the world of Nardva from the age of eight. She enjoys writing fantasy, sci-fi, poetry, and editing. Her Nardvan stories span continents, millennia and cultures. Some involve shapeshifters and magic. Others include space stations and cyborgs.

She has published over forty stories and poems, including the Under the Mountain Series (5 books), Ruhanna's Flight and Other Stories, Akrad's Children and Rasel's Song, the first two books in the Akrad's Legacy series - and new short story accepted for an upcoming Fantasy anthology.

Jeanette has practised medicine, studied communication, history, theology and a Master of Arts (Writing). She loves reading, painting, travel, catching up for coffee with friends, pondering the meaning of life.

Facebook |Jeanette O'Hagan Writes | Twitter | Instagram

The CPU of Publication and Beyond

 by Jeanette O'Hagan

The C's

Way back in 2012, when I launched back into my writing dreams, I was introduced to the 'Snowflake Man Randy Ingermanson. Randy developed a nonlinear system of plot development - the Snowflake method - but that's a post for another day (you can find out about it here).  He suggested three things are needed to get published - Content, Craft and Connections

Content

'What you know'. Randy says everyone has content that is unique to them. It might be your life experiences or story, or a skill or professional expertise, or it could be your imagination. No matter if you write fiction or non-fiction - who you are, your story, your personality, your life and your imagination will infuse your writing so that it is uniquely yours. 

Even so, it's important to refine and test your content. Make sure you have a story worth telling in a way that's compelling and impactful. 

Craft 

Knowing what you want to write is important, but so is knowing how to tell it. There's a joke about someone on a tour of (let's say) an aged care home. The director takes the guest to the recreation room where a group have gathered. One old woman shouts out 23 and the whole group falls about laughing. A man says 12 and by this time the group is in stitches. The guest turns to the director and asks for an explanation. The director says, 'This group have been together so long, they know each other's jokes, so they've assigned numbers to them to save time. A few more call out numbers, much to the merriment of the group, until a man stands up and mumbles, '34'. Dead silence - not a chuckle, not a snicker, not a smile. The guest turns to the director mystified. 'What happened there?' The director shakes her head, 'Ah, Sam could never tell a joke. He always gets the delivery wrong.'

It's not quite enough to have a good story, we also need to know how to tell it. That is the craft - learning the techniques, the strategies, the rules of writing. It includes knowing reader expectations and being aware of changes over time. If as writers, we want our stories to be noticed we need to hone the skills of the craft.

Connections

The next C is connections. This, I think works on a few levels. Randy mentions going to conferences to make connections with agents and publishers. Not that this is an invitation to stalk or hound or to button hole. Make genuine connections. 

I think connections can be much wider than that and include being part of the writer community - encouraging and supporting each other. Other writers are not the opposition. Rather, we are stronger if we support each other through many and diverse ways - maybe providing constructive feedback in critique groups or as beta-readers, buying, reading and reviewing other authors' books (especially those who write in a similar genre or area) or maybe through encouragement and prayer. 

And the other important group to connect with are readers and fans.

But it's not quite as simple as that in my experience. I would add three Ps and a U.

Add in the P's

Patience

If we plant a young mango tree today, we would be mad to expect it to provide us with a bumper crop tomorrow. Fruit trees take time to grow and often don't fruit at all for the first several years. Most authors do not experience instant results. So one of the most important tools in a writers' toolbox is patience. Allowing time for things to happen. it takes time to write a book - and then to rewrite it, to prune and polish it. It generally takes time to publish (whether traditionally or as an Indie). And it takes time to build an audience - and generally it takes more than one book. And the hardest thing is being patient when nothing seems to be happening, no one seems to be taking notice. 

Persistence

Being an author is not for the faint-hearted. It requires hard work. It can be a rollercoaster ride of excitement (typing 'The End' for the first time, holding the first book in our hands, reading a glowing review, the first royalty payment, having a bunch of sales, having a fan come back to buy the next book, winning a prize) but it is also packed with times of disappointment (getting negative feedback, receiving the umpteenth rejection letter - or no letter at all, having sales drop or getting no sales at all, discovering a scathing one star review, having hardly anyone buy your latest book, and 'crickets' - the long periods of silence). And there are so many things to juggle, so many things to spend money on for, often, so little (monetary) return. Moreover, there's a lot of trial and error - of working out what works for you and your books among the multitude of options and possibilities

If you see a successful author (however you define success) you see an author who persisted despite the setbacks and disappointments. 

Prayer

And as Christian writers, we should add prayer. Why do we write? What is our motivation? Whatever we do, we should do to honour our Lord. And in whatever we do, we should seek His guidance, His wisdom, and His provision. In the fallow times, when nothing seems to be happening, we can and should trust Him, rest on Him, wait for Him to do His work through us. And maybe, that's the hardest lesson of all. 

Then there's the U

What does U stand for? Unlimited? Unexpected? Unequalled? Ultimate? Unerring? 

It stands for YOU. 

Yes, you.  You have a unique story or stories to tell - even if it's the 1000th retelling of Beauty and the Beast - or Pride and Prejudice - you can put your own imprint on it, if told well. 

But it's more than that, because in the end, the buck stops with U.  No one else is responsible for your story. The world does not owe you a reading of your book, no matter how hard you worked on it.  

There's that saying 'If you build it, they will come.' (From the movie Field of Dreams). But just because you wrote a book, even a book the Lord has called you to write, doesn't mean you can stand in the field and wait for people to discover it. Don't stand around asking what others can do for you - rather, be proactive and consider what you can do, what you need to do to bring your dream and calling to fruition. 

Trust in God does not mean quiescence, standing still and doing nothing. It may mean waiting in active faith but it also means stepping out of the boat in the middle of the storm and walking on the waves.

Omega Writers Book Fair & the Omega Writers Conference

There are two upcoming opportunities - the Brisbane Omega Writers Book Fair (31 July) and the Omega Writers Conference and CALEB dinner (October) - opportunities to meet with other Christian writers, to learn from others and - with the Book Fair  - to connect with readers and, perhaps, sell some books. Even if your book is unpublished, it's still worth coming to the Book Fair to connect with other writers, to do the workshop or panel - and maybe to win a prize. Mark the dates in your diaries and - if you can - please come.

Jeanette O'Hagan has published and promoted two joint anthologies – Glimpses of Light and Let Sea Roar, and seven books in her YA epic fantasy world - Under the Mountain novella series, the first two books in her Akrad’s Legacy series - a Young Adult secondary world fantasy fiction with adventure, courtly intrigue and romantic elements, and a collection of short stories in Ruhanna's Flight and Other Stories. Her short stories and poems have also been included in over twenty anthologies - including Gods of Clay, Challenge Accepted and Tales of Magic and Destiny.

It's one thing to write the book, another to get it published and a whole new level to make it visible. It's a steep learning curve and can often feel overwhelming but there is nothing better than connecting with enthusiastic readers.

 
She will be one of the panellists on Marketing and Promotion for Writers at the Omega Writers Book Fair, along with Sally Eberhardt and Lynne Stringer and moderated by Nola Passmore. 11:30-12:15 am, Saturday 31 July 2021. Find out more here.

Back to Basics

 by Jeanette O'Hagan

The last few years, I've felt increasingly overwhelmed with all the things I'm supposed to be doing. Each year, I'd think once this major task or that major task is over, I'll have more time to slow down, to breathe. Instead each year I only seem to get busier, to get more behind. And then in 2020 a family situation took up most of my focus and I found myself even more behind than ever and even more exhausted than ever. 

I 

need 

to 

breathe

I realise, part of my problem is I find it hard to say 'no' or, when seeing something needs doing, often jump into the breech - and then find it hard to let go, not wanting to let people down. But then, when I'm so busy, sometimes things do fall between the cracks. 

Another slice of the problem is that there is so much to do as an Indie publisher, as a mother and wife, as a part-time worker, as friend, a member of a church, as admin or coordinator of this group or that, and as a daughter when my mother needs  me to be more involved in her affairs, and as a family historian (and then there is the housework and the garden so needy and demanding). 

I 

need

to 

refocus.

For me, 2020 was a big black hole for my writing and books sales due to the need to focus on family and not having the time or energy to put into getting that next book out or maintaining my social media platform or promoting my books. After so many years of effort, it felt discouraging -  to such an extent that I would at times question my calling. Am I being indulgent in  wanting to write, in wanting my books to reach a wider audience? Did I mishear God's promises, His call? Yet, over the last eighteen months, God has answered prayers in respect to financial needs and my mum's needs in ways far beyond what I imagined possible. I'm not sure what happens next, but I'm trusting in God's provision - for finances, yes, but also in terms of the future and impact my writing. 

I 

need

to 

hold

on. 

After much soul searching and prayer, I believe that God hasn't taken back the charge he gave me in 2011. I need to trust His timing - and maybe I need to go back to basics. To re-examine everything I'm putting my time and energy into. To test the advice about all the things authors 'should' be doing and all the things other people want me to do for them. Obviously, some things are non-negotiable like family responsibilities, my commitment to God, the need to encourage and upheld others, and yes the writing.

At the end of last year, I finally got back into writing - well, editing - with a major edit of Rasel's Song. It took way longer than I expected - from November to the beginning of February (but then my last look at this manuscript was six years ago).  Now, I'm researching a short story (and loving it).

As a Indie author, if I don't do it, it doesn't get done. But I can't do everything. 

I'm not sure what this will all look like and it may involve more experimenting, maybe cutting back on things that are time consuming but haven't fulfilled their promise, maybe being more intentional about what I do. 

At this stage, it looks something like this:

• Remembering why I'm doing this and who I doing it for.
• Publishing the next book (and the next one) - and focusing on writing and publishing.
• Being intentional about promotion - giving things a go, yes, but making sure I assess what works for me and my books and what doesn't - rather than trying to do everything because that's what this expert or that expert reckons all authors should be doing. 
• Maybe shedding or passing on to others some of my responsibilities (I'm still praying about what this might look like). 
  
• And maybe being a more patient with myself and relaxing into God's purposes.

How about you? Where are you in your writing journey? Do you need to breathe, refocus, hold on  - or maybe power on, take a sabbatical or at some other stage of the process?  

Jeanette O'Hagan has spun tales in the world of Nardva from the age of eight. She enjoys writing fantasy, sci-fi, poetry, and editing. Her Nardvan stories span continents, millennia and cultures. Some involve shapeshifters and magic. Others include space stations and cyborgs. She has published over forty stories and poems, including the Under the Mountain Series (5 books), Ruhanna's Flight and Other Stories, and Akrad's Children. She hopes to publish Rasel's Song in April this year. Jeanette lives in Brisbane with her husband and children.

Facebook |Jeanette O'Hagan Writes | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest

These Acting Tips Will Make You a Better Writer

When it comes to writing, we all have our own unique approaches. Some of us spend hours working on plot and theme. Then once satisfied with where they story’s going we begin to write.

Others, like me, have a rough idea of where we’re headed and let the characters take us on the journey.

What ever your approach, I’m sure your characters have gotten themselves stuck in places you don’t know how to write them out of, or they may take a completely different road than you ever imagined.

It can be tricky to figure out the solution and sometimes it can lead to “writers block”. Or it can increase our days of procrastination when we should be writing.

I’d like to do something a little different today and show you how an actor approaches a character, in the hopes it helps you get your character “unstuck” or help you to avoid days of procrastination.

The first question an actor asks themselves is, “What is my Super-Objective?”

A super-objective is the characters ultimate goal. The think they want most.

Figuring this out for every character in our novels can give us vital tools on how to write them.

It’s the thing that carries them forward. They may have several smaller objectives for each scene (in fact they should) but everything they say, every choice they make and even some of the random habits or mannerisms we give our characters will have a direct correlation to their Super-Objective.

Another question the actor asks themselves when preparing for a role is, “Where am I coming from and where am I going?

As much as our character’s are driven by their Super-Objective, there are other things that get in the way. And often it’s circumstantial. Even if we really want something we sabotage that want because of the kind of day or week we’ve had. Or the belief we have about ourselves.

Our characters can run into the same problem. We may not write about every scene of their life, but we should have an idea of where they’ve come from and where they’re going.

They will act differently depending on where they’ve come from and where they’re going. Even if it’s something small like they stubbed their toe on the way to answer the door. We may actually start writing the scene from the moment they open the door, but they’re gonna treat whoever is at the door differently depending on how sore their toe is.

Which leads me to another great question actors ask, “What is my relationship to the other characters in this scene?”

If we go back to the last example of knowing where your character has just come from, you know their reaction is going to be different depending on who’s at the door.

If it’s a good friend who they’ve known for years, they may bounce around on one foot while they yell at their friend to not just stand there, but to go get some ice.

Whereas if they were answering the door to the blind date their friend set them up on, they’re probably going to try to hide some of that pain and use some of those excellent habits and mannerisms we painstakingly gave to them to dodge any further embarrassment.

There are so many other questions an actor asks about their character, but this is the one I want to end on, “What obstacle is in the way and what action will I take to get what I want?”

When I studied acting, one of my teachers passed me a list of verbs and explained that we all try several different approaches to get what we want in life. Everyone does it. We try to coax a secret out of our friend and when we don’t get what we want we move to another approach. Perhaps we try to inspire them to tell us their secret and if that doesn’t work we may try something a bit more drastic like threatening to withhold the last piece of chocolate until they talk.

Our characters should be the same.

Every great story is rife with conflict, so our characters are going to need to try several different approaches to get what they want. I highly recommend you google “actors verb list” and use it to help you figure out the several different ways your character can approach getting what they want. Make them really fight for that want and you’ll hold your readers attention more.

These are just a few of the tricks I use in writing, what are some of yours?






Charis Joy Jackson is working as a missionary with Youth With a Mission (YWAM) a non-profit organization & is part of The Initiative Production Company. She loves creating stories & is currently writing a novel, which she hopes to create into a seven part series.

Here's to a life lived in awe & wonder.
Welcome to the adventure.

www.charisjoyjackson.com