Sprouting Ink: 2020

Collage

If you're like me, songwriting has always been an impossible art with some convoluted magical process that can only be executed by the musically gifted, some notable examples being famous artists like Shawn Mendes, Ed Sheeran, and Julia Michaels. But as Taylor Swift describes it, songwriting is like "a glittery cloud [that] floats in front of your face, and you grab it at the right time. And then you revert back to what you know about the structure of a song in order to fill in the gaps."

So this glittery cloud. What is it, and when is the "right" time to grab it? My brother explains it like this: the glittery cloud is an idea. Simply an idea. The action of grabbing it though, is your perspective of this idea at the moment. The right time simply means when you're able to find the words to best describe you viewpoint. Using the medium of music in addition to your words allows you to truly create a more in depth experience, which is both cathartic for you as you write it, and cathartic for your audience when they hear it.

So the second part of Taylor's process is applying this raw glittery mass of an idea to the structure of a song. This is a somewhat more formulaic process, but there is still plenty of room for artistic liberty.

To begin with, the parts of a song are:

Intro: typically one stanza, can do chorus in beginning (like a hook), instrumental (Ex: Shawn Mendes' "Intro")
Verse: deeper into idea (can set up song if w/o pre chorus), sets scene, either more descriptive or conversational
Pre Chorus: Sets up for chorus, musically builds up
Chorus: climax, the star of the show, point of the song, usually the most memorable portion
Bridge: provides contrast, more out of style with the rest of the song, another layer of perspective that will still lead up to chorus (Ex: Taylor Swift's "Lover")
Outro: overview of the song, repeat parts of chorus or verse, in a song with storytelling = the end, call to action, etc.

The basic structure of a song usually follows along these lines:

(Intro)
Verse
(Pre Chorus)
Chorus
Verse
(Pre Chorus)
Chorus
(Bridge)
Chorus
(Outro)

( ) = optional

Now, you don't have to have all of those parts, especially if you're trying to write more of a pop song. Pop songs like the ones on the radio are generally 3 minutes, give or take 30 seconds (of lyrics-- some have long instrumental intros & outros), and including this entire sequence would typically exceed those parameters.

Then again, most people also don't take out all the optional parts-- rather, songwriters might not have a bridge, but have a pre chorus (which is kinda the popular thing right now).

One commonality I've found all songwriters have noted that the actual unicorn idea that "comes out of your face", as Conan Gray says, is a phenomenon that happens spontaneously, and usually at the most random times. It's also important to not though that this glittery lightning bolt comes in different forms for different types of songwriters. Some people get a melody, some people find the lyrics, some get it all together.

Regardless though, it's important that you get it down. Because you will forget. I honestly can't tell you how many epic songs I've written in the shower and lost forever because it just leaves. So, Voice Memos, Notes, receipts, notebook, etc is definitely a must.

...and, that kind of sums up songwriting! It may feel intimidating at first, but like many other mediums of writing, it isn't exceptionally hard once you begin and start to make this generic process your own.

December 08, 2020

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Poetry

Technical Elements of Poetry & Editing

Although poetry is more than the words it's made of, there are methods you can use to better translate the image, emotions, or thoughts in your head onto the page and recreate the moment. So after you are able to transfer your poem onto paper, consider some of the following aspects of it to see if you can better convey what you mean to say (hey, that rhymed!).

Title

The title of your poem is always important, because it's kind of like the headline of your poem. It sets the entire tone. As such, there is also a lot of ways to pique interest in your poem and play around with your title. For instance, a haiku with a super long title. Or a poem where the title can serve as your first line. Have fun with it, and consider whether or not you would read a poem with your title.

Capitalization

It's been a trend recently, at least in the poems I'm reading, to strategically use capitalization to convey the state of mind of the narrator or the general mood of the poem. One of the most noticeable uses of it that I think is most meaningful is not capitalizing "I". It illustrates that the narrator isn't confident, and feels that they don't deserve to be capitalized. You can also use capitalization, like in the middle of a line, to emphasize a word. The reason the capitalization is meaningful is because poetry is also very visual, and details like that of this one can add to the reader's experience.

Archetypes

Archetypes are one of the things I learned in school from reading poetry and short stories, and the concept in itself is pretty cool. Essentially, it's how certains things (colors, numbers, seasons, time of day) have various meanings and connotations that can be utilized, and the knowledge of these symbols and what they mean is knowledge every person already has when their born. Neat, right? Some examples are winter symbolizes death, and light symbolizes knowledge. Perhaps not all of your readers will consciously notice these, but utilizing archetypes can add another dimension to your poetry, and using specific symbols can add undercurrents and depth to your poem. (I'll post a list soon & link it, but for now you'll have to look them up)

Punctuation

Punctuation is important in your poem, particularly because poetry can also become aural (the listen version of visual). As maybe your teachers have told you, you aren't supposed to pause at the end of each line-- it's at the punctuation. The use of punctuation, or lack of thereof, can be used to indicate states of mind, the cadence of the poem, etc.

Line Breaks & Form

This one relates back to the visual aspect of poetry. Line breaks give more air to your piece, which also adds to the form of it. I've seen poem in the shape of a lightning bolt, and created one with different justifications (left, right, center), so there's definitely a lot to fiddle with.

Flow

This one is kind of self-explanatory, but what I'm getting at here is the flow or choppiness of a poem. This is partially controlled by punctuation and line breaks (for phrasing), and really affects the way your (or the narrator's) voice will come through. The best way to determine if it flows the way you'd like it to is to read it aloud.

Poetic Devices

...yeah, this one encompasses a lot. And they affect everything above this. Similes, metaphors, repetition, alliteration, and rhyme are probably some of the main ones, or most noticeable ones, but there is also assonance, consonance, onomatopoeia, etc. Idioms aren't too common though, but it can be fun to put a spin on common idioms. I think it's important to look at what each poetic device does to it's reader as well. For example, the similes and metaphors affect the imagery of a poem. Repetition, alliteration, consonance, and assonance slow the reader down, making them move attention to the words. Rhyme gives the poem a certain cadence-y feeling to it. Most of these poetic devices should come naturally within the writing, and if it doesn't don't force it! Overdoing it with poetic devices can definitely detract from your poetry's original messages.

And I believe that concludes the technical elements! I like to think that the consideration of these elements should come in the editing phase, but you have the ultimate jurisdiction over that. Hope this helped, and let me know how it went + any questions down in the comments!

December 08, 2020

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Overview

Poetry

Poetry is one of my favorite forms of creative writing, and perhaps one of the most misunderstood. Now, you probably know a good amount amount poetic devices from school: rhyme, alliteration, metaphor, similes, idioms, personification, assonance, consonance, etc. Because of this, I won't go into detail on each. However, many times, the way poetry is taught in classrooms is through poems with more archaic language, and this results in lots of people believing that poetry is fancy nonsense.

If you can't tell, I'm somewhat irked with this method of teaching poetry, just because it's because of these misconceptions that were formed and nurtured that prevented me from writing poetry earlier on.

So, if poetry is not a crazy code created simply for the purpose of torturing innocent students, what is it?

The answer to this question is different for every poet. That is part of the beauty of poetry, I believe. According to the dictionary, it's "a literary piece with a special intensity". In my opinion, poetry is boundless. It can rhyme, it can not rhyme. It can be a sentence long, or a page. A poet can write for others, and they can write for themselves. Poetry is anything you, the poet, call poetry. In short, poetry is freedom.

At its core though, the one thing all good poems have in common is sensory details and emotion. Sensory details is a fancy phrase for tidbits that appeal to either your sight, touch, hearing, smell, or taste. These details are important because they serve as gateways to allowing the reader to experience what you are writing about, which lends itself to conveying emotion.

With those being the only two "requirements" really, poetry can be intimidating in it's vastness. What I mean by vastness is that there are so many artistic choices you can make, it's hard to know where to start. Thus, I think the first step to begin writing poetry is to sit down and try to write a poem. If you think it should rhyme, make it rhyme! Not sure? Maybe give a prompt a go. Whatever you do, just start writing. After you get down that first poem, you might you think it sucks. And maybe it does. But write another, and another after that. They will be better.

As you continue to write it, you'll find that poetry is not hard, and that anyone can write it. Is just a matter of whether you're willing to put your mind on the page.

December 04, 2020

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Poetry

Poetry Prompts

November 30, 2020

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Communities

Writing Communities

So... writing communities. If you're feeling a little iffy about the whole idea of joining one of these writing communities, I can assure you that these websites are overall very safe and will provide you with a sense of validation. Personally, I don't have that many friends that are writers, and so some of the wonderful people I found through these writing websites really encouraged me to continue writing even when I thought my writing sucked. Which, at the time, most of it did. It didn't matter though. What mattered is that I kept writing and learned from every piece I wrote. And through these websites, I continue to do so. So, without further ado, here are the writing communities!

Young Writers Project
YWP was my first writing community and I was definitely more than a little wary of being ignored, spurned, etc. Instead, I was welcomed with open arms, and in that first month alone I posted nearly every other day! Although they are based in Vermont (and many of the physical publication opportunities are only for VT'ers), they have a piece published as the Daily Read that's displayed on the front page of the website, the monthly The Voice online magazine, and the yearly anthology. In terms of safety, the site only allows users that are 13-18 years old. If you're younger than 13, you'll have to get your parents' permission to create an account. The community on here is very close knit, and if you do decide to make an account feel free to contact me on there!

NaNoWriMo YWP
NaNoWriMo was the second writing site I discovered, but I didn't enter the forums until much later. The idea behind NaNo is to rough out a whole novel during National Novel Writing Month, which is November. They also have additional camps in April and July. However, the forums are open year round! To be on NaNoWriMo YWP forums you also have to be 13-18, or else your account will be removed by the mods. The users are all very diverse and generally quite welcoming, but be forewarned that there is a large emphasis on being "iconic" and known throughout the site. Due to the large amount of users, lots of people make best friends on the site, and the discussions in the forums are some of the most interesting I've ever had/read. Besides noveling, there is also the Short Story Club, Poetry Thread, & I believe there are also threads for bloggers and playwrights!

Write The World
I'm no longer on Write The World because I felt that the three writing sites made me feel kind of stretched thin, but Write The World definitely has an amazing community of writers from all around the world. If you're looking for peer reviews, this is also a great place to get feedback. The main draw of the site for me are the contests held throughout the year that are quite interesting, and there are prizes! But remember that if you do decide to share on this site to get feedback, you should also pay it back to other users who are looking for feedback!

Now, here are a few others that I haven't personally become a part of (two communities is already a lot to juggle), but that you may want to check out:

Reedsy

This site looks to be a fantastic resource for people who enjoy short story writing or are working on a novel. It's free to make an account, there are a ton of short story prompts, and they run a contest every week. Definitely something to check out, especially if you want to try or enjoy short story writing. Do note though that this site is open to all ages, and isn't exclusively for minors.

Prose
I first found Prose through Write The World, when there was a huge upset over the banning of social posts in WTW. Many of the users at the time transitioned over to Prose, which is a place to post all kinds of writing and has various user created and sponsored challenges, some of which offer monetary prizes and publication to the winner. However, this is also a site open to all ages, meaning there is some sexual content included and there may be some extremely rude people. I personally quit Prose after about a month after an altercation involving one (they have since been deleted after being reported), so if you do decide to get a free account here, do exercise some caution. I do want to say though that there are definitely a ton of kind and brilliant writers on this site, so if you are interested in Prose try not to let my one experience dissuade you from giving it a go :)

Underlined

Run by the book publisher Penguin Random House, Underlined makes the list of a lot of top writing communities. By making an account, users gain the ability to access many articles on books and writing, post their pieces, read other users' work, and enter writing contests offered by the site. I couldn't find anywhere that states an age limit, but the content seems to be curated with teens in mind.

Wattpad

Wattpad, at least for me, is all about gaining recognition for ones' work. I personally have only used Wattpad to read others' work, but the site also claims to give its users 50+ writing resources, the ability to enter writing contests, and the chance to be granted a "Watty" award. This site is also for all ages, but is generally quite safe and has propelled plenty of stories to publication and/or movie adaptations.

Overall, when bonding with others on these online communities, be sure to use good judgement and common sense. As a rule of thumb, do get your parents' permission first, don't share personal details, and be sure to report to the site's moderators if anyone makes you feel remotely uncomfortable. You can find and contact me on the first few as "amaryllis" if you ever feel so inclined or are looking for a familiar name, or drop a comment below if you have any questions. Otherwise, have fun & be safe!

November 22, 2020

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Workshops

Workshop Slides

November 22, 2020

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Overview

Short Stories

So. Hello. This is the short stories post. Short stories sounds kind of official, doesn't it? I know that, at least for me, sitting down to write a short story can be pretty intimidating, especially with the added pressure you may put on yourself to make it *perfect*. But, as you probably know logically, there is no concrete definition of perfection. So, in an attempt to possibly relieve some of that apprehension, let's just dive into what a short story is and how to write one.

A short story is a short story is a short story. If you take a second to just let a short story be a short story (if that makes sense), then already this arduous task seems a lot simpler. As humans, our race been that of storytellers from the very beginning. Just take a look at how many stories exist in this world today. Fiction or nonfiction, old or new, heartwarming or sorrowful. These are the realities we gift one another with, pairs of shoes crafted for our experience. A story is a story. Now just make it shorter, also known as less than 7,500 words (any longer than that is a novelette). No biggie. Let's look behind the writer's workbench and see what we need.

Supplies:

an idea
a method of getting it down

Method of getting it down? Why, that can be practically anything. Crayon and scrap paper, a quick notes app on your phone, a haphazard recording where you say "um..." wayyyyyyyy too much. Although, for practicality purposes, I suggest sticking to an online medium, especially since some short stories can get rather lengthy. Plus, it also makes it that much easier to edit (which is VERY important).

Here's a how-to from an excellent short story writer and an acquaintance of mine, Ashlyn Hayes, also know as Fire_Hazard on NaNoWriMo YWP. You can read tons of brilliant stories on her blog, which is linked here.

I think she sums it up quite neatly here, but I'll just highlight a few points.

First, recognize when you have an idea, even if it doesn't seem that good, and GET IT DOWN. Of course, aim to flesh the whole story out right when inspiration hits, as that will likely yield the best results, but worst case scenario make a quick doc during school (doc.new is a lifesaver) and come back to it later. This method of trying to reheat the inspiration sometimes gives you icky results, but sometimes you'll get delectable microwave pizza. You never know until you try!

Along the same lines, if you're having trouble with the intro or "hook", skip it! Aim to pin down the bulk of the story, and you can go back and figure out you hook later.

Lastly, from my personal experience, try to stick with what you know, or do research first. For instance, I tried to write a truly awful murder mystery once, where a guy dies via choking on an eggshell. The next week, I lazily left some egg shell in my egg sandwich (which is really good, btw) and miraculously lived. Obviously. This isn't meant to deter you from fantasy or sci-fi short stories, but if you're going to write about it, make sure that before or after you flesh it out you do some research and make the effort to either get your world down pat (fantasy) or get your facts straight (sci-fi). Google was created for a reason, and the FBI joke is definitely a super relatable one within writing communities.

And.... I think that's a wrap for this short story overview! I know a lot of y'all out there are fantastic short story writers though, so feel free to comment or contact me if you think I missed something. Otherwise, go forth and write!

October 25, 2020

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Short Stories

Editing Short Stories

Hello again! In this post, we'll be discussing tips on how to cut down the word count and edit your short stories. This is one of the key steps of the whole writing process, and something you'll definitely want to do prior to sending it off for competitions and publications.

Before I start, I'd like to credit an acquaintance of mine on NaNoWriMo YWP for coming up with a great chunk of these.

1. Cut down on passive voice.

Passive voice makes your writing stronger, and often allows you to cut down on a few words. Passive voice is where the subject of the sentence is the one being acted upon. Here's an example:

"the apple was cut by the girl" (passive voice) VS "the girl cut the apple" (active voice)

You just cut down two words! Although this might not seem like a lot in the grand scheme of things, it's these small edits that can slowly help you pull down your word count.

2. Eliminate Adverbs

I quite like adverbs myself, but when your trying to cut down on your wc this tip is particularly applicable. Adverbs are often the ones that end in "-ly", like "thoughtfully" or "horribly". Sometimes, removing them can also propel you to use better vocabulary. For instance,

"he walked slowly" (slowly being the adverb) VS "he trudged"

In this instance, the word "trudged" also just paints a better picture with the connotation and feeling of the word that "walked slowly" doesn't elicit.

3. Cut down on excessive dialogue tags.

This tip can also be very useful in editing novels or any form of prose really. The idea is that when you have the characters converse, you don't have to use a "he said" or "she mumbled" after every single piece of dialogue. Often times it is implied who is speaking, and a lot of that is also the various personalities injected into your characters' voices. This will also make the section flow better, and your reader won't notice a thing. Do be careful of going overboard with this though, as you do want a few dialogue tags every now and then as to not confuse the reader (which is where proofreading by trusted mentors and friends can be helpful).

4. Combine phrases.

You can utilize verbs with "-ing" to combine clauses or phrases. This sounds a tad complicated, but can be as simple as turning

"May huffed and crossed her arms" VS "May huffed, crossing her arms"

In this way, you eliminate one word "and". Again, this may seem very minor, but every bit counts sometimes.

5. ~~Make use of~~ Employ Strong Verbs

This was slightly touched on in adverbs, but leveling up your word choice can help make your writing more concise and push it to a higher level. Thesauri are amazing for this, but beware of totally bombarding your audience with caviar and escargot when all they wanted was a good burger.

6. Metaphors > Similes

...when it comes to word count, really. Metaphors compare things more directly whereas similes are slightly more wordy with "like"' and "as". For example,

"her hair bounced like flower petals on her shoulders" VS "petals of hair bounced on her shoulders"

Again, 2 word difference, but a difference nonetheless.

7. Contractions
This one feels a little more obvious, but you can consolidate two words like "do not" into "don't". Of course, this rule doesn't always apply, as there are times you may want to emphasize these words, which is more effective when separated into "do not" because it forces the reader to spend more time on the phrase.

8. Skip the Small Talk

Your audience doesn't really care for small talk if it doesn't contribute to the storyline, so take out length dialogue purely concerning the weather or introductions if it doesn't add to or further your story at all.

9. Onomatopoeia

This is helpful when you only have a few words to cut down, but don't go overboard with it. Rather than

"a gunshot rang out, and we all looked up in fear" VS "Bang! We looked up in fear"

Too much of this is going to sound juvenile, but in moderation it's fine.

10. Avoid Tangents
In short fiction, there's a lot of objects, characters, and scenes, you can describe in lengthy detail. This can be dangerous for two reasons. One, your story takes forever to get to the point. Two, readers quickly lose interest as a result of all this description that seemingly doesn't have a purpose (*cough wuthering cough heights*). Does the reader really need to know Ruby was named after her mom's favorite gemstone? Thus, try to only include the details that will progress the story, rather than pulling the reader away from the story and allowing them to lose interest.

11. Inferences
Inferences are a huge part of short stories as a whole, but you can also utilize them with smaller details. So, instead of saying

"Samuel refused, shaking his head" VS "Samuel shook his head"

Too much is of this is going to sound juvenile, but in moderation it's fine.

10. Vary Sentence Length
Try to ensure, when reading it over, that there is good amount of sentence length variation. Too little, and you could easily lose your reader in a chunk of long sentences or sound super choppy. This can pretty much be fixed by a read through aloud, because if the story flows right off the tongue chances are you have a good amount of variation in sentence length.

So, I hope these helped, and happy editing. If there's anything you think I might've missed, feel free to drop a comment down below and I'll add it to our list. :)

October 25, 2020

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Overview

Flash Fiction

October 18, 2020

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Prompts

Short Story Prompts

October 17, 2020

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Opportunities

WriteGirl

September 20, 2020

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Journaling

What comes to mind when you think about journaling? A fancy super organized bullet journal you simply do not have the spatial awareness or time to create? A physical notebook that you are most certainly going to lose within the din you call Your Life? Or a girly diary that little kids write in?

Well, it can be those things. But it doesn't have to be. Among the genres of writing, I would say that journaling is by far one of the most flexible, and it can often inspire and take the form of other genres of writing, and often becomes a kind of free writing.

Let's talk medium. The three main ways of journaling are recording, physically writing, and typing. Some applications I use are Voice Memos (on my phone), my two physical notebooks, random untitled Google Docs, the Notes app (also on my phone), and the Pages portion of my personal writing blog.

Now, you might be thinking, what in the world does this girl need all those journals for?! A big factor in this is convenience. Whenever an idea strikes I am not always looking to journal, and inspiration can come from literally anywhere.

Another factor, especially if you're just beginning to journal, is routine. I first started journaling in 5th grade (for perspective, I'm in 11th now), and in those first few years, I struggled with starting my journal. So, after the first year of failure, I resolved to myself I'd write in it every month. And ever since then (with a few exceptions during the summer months), I've been able to stick to it.

I'd definitely recommend journaling to everyone, especially kids and teens. One of the reasons is that time flies, and as you begin to grow and change as a person, it is fascinating to look back at those precious first entries and marvel at just how much you've changed. Oscar Wilde once mentioned the time-capsule-ish nature of journaling when he said, "I never travel without my diary. One should always have something sensational to read on the train." A phenomenon I've noticed as an extremely forgetful person is that I tend to remember the events surrounding my entries with much more clarity than the periods I did not journal about. Which, if you're like me, is a major thing. Touching back on the more concrete aspects of journaling though, I would strongly advise that you put the date on the top of your entries, just so that when you look back you can construct a clearer timeline in your head and correspond them with memories you have of that time.

One issue I constantly run into is the fear of messing up the first page. I suppose I'm somewhat afraid of ruining like the "second cover"? Aloud, it does sound kind of ridiculous, but I assure you that the apprehension is very real. A solution I've had is simply skipping the first page, and coming back to it when I've run out of pages. Similarly, some people have trouble starting entries, with the mindset that they might "ruin" the blank page or "mess up". To remedy this, the ever famous "Dear Diary," is extremely helpful. It gets your pen (, voice, or fingers) moving, and jumpstarts the outpouring of one's thoughts.

After all, that's what journaling is at its heart. It is a conversation solely between you and the paper, and people have journals on everything from dreams to wacky anecdotes others have said. Most commonly though, people write about their days, plans, events that have just occurred, venting, etc. Some people also enjoy the inspiration of prompts, and you can seriously find a bazillion of them by searching "journaling prompts". A journal is a safe place, and a private home for all the random and deep thoughts or opinions you may have, socially acceptable or not. It is a safe place for your raging, your midnight meandering, your secret crushes. And as cheesy as this may sound, it is a safe place for your heart. The paper (or recorder, or doc, assuming you don't have autocorrect) doesn't judge.

So I hope you've learned something about journaling from this, or perhaps gained a new perspective. You may not think much of your entries when you write them, but your future self will thank you later. Plus, on a materialistic note, it prepares you for job and college applications by helping you get into the practice of writing about yourself. Whatever your reasons, I hope you'll at least consider starting (or continuing) to journal. Thanks for reading, and keep writing! :)

September 12, 2020

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Journaling

Journaling Prompts

September 12, 2020

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Happy Holidays!

Songwriting

Technical Elements of Poetry & Editing

Poetry

Poetry Prompts

Writing Communities

Workshop Slides

Short Stories

Editing Short Stories

Flash Fiction

Short Story Prompts

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Journaling

Journaling Prompts

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