Their problem demonstrates what happens when you try to represent something beloved and don’t do a good job: if you can’t completely reimagine it (make it your own) or do a pitch-perfect job, you will fall flat.

The same applies to other genres, particularly when novels get adapted into movies, and Baz Luhrmann’s The Great Gatsby is a perfect example of why you have to be careful doing so. Sadly, his film falls flat, in part because he makes the mistake several other filmmakers have made when handling Fitzgerald’s classic novel: by focusing on Fitzgerald’s plot (and even tweaking parts of it), he overlooked the most crucial element in making this story successful: the author’s language.

The film does get some elements right.  The party scenes are fun.  The costumes are great.  The music is used well. Daisy and Tim are well cast.  Some scenes are strong (the tense Plaza scene, the crash scene). But the problem is really the script.

If you want to know why the script fails, look no further than the crazy omission of one of the book’s most crucial lines: Daisy’s voice being “full of money.”

Huh?  Left out? Seriously?

What were the screenwriters thinking here? This line sums up character AND it explains why Gatsby was in love (or in awe, depending on how you read the book) with Daisy.  Maybe the writers skipped it because they didn’t think it necessary, that they had enough to depict this love story.  And here’s the other problem: the story’s focus becomes a love story, thereby shifting focus and attention away from what the book really is about: the chasing of the American dream, of which Gatsby’s obsession with Daisy is a part. But if you don’t delve into this part of the book, that might explain why you cut Gatsby’s father attending the funeral and the sharing of Gatsby’s copy of Hopalong Cassidy, on whose back cover Gatsby wrote out a schedule by which he would better his life.

Are there different ways to read the book? Sure.  And this is perhaps what hampers any adaptation: you have to figure out how to adapt a book with multiple interpretations, and when you go with one, you have to avoid others, thereby alienating people who feel the important part has been skipped. Books create room (usually) to allow for multiple interpretations.  When you adapt a book, you limit this, in part because you have to figure out how to frame certain plot points and character actions.  In doing so, you interpret the book, and this cuts out other interpretations.

But what Luhrmann also didn’t (and couldn’t) replicate is the language that carries this book.  Some books are plot driven.  This explains why (in part) an excellent book like The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo was a successful adaptation: the language doesn’t carry that book.  But in the case of Gatsby, all the fast and inventive camera shots in the world can’t create the same atmosphere that Fitzgerald mined through his use of language.

Ultimately, if people see something worthwhile in Luhrmann’s Gatsby, they may understand that they’re only getting a sense of the book, so they may pick up the novel.  The shame would be if people leave the theater and, having never read the book, don’t understand why people love the Fitzgerald’s classic so much. Some pieces of art—be they songs, movies, books—should be left alone.  Unless you’re going to reinvent a work or tell it in a fresh way that ADDS to the original, why bother?

A critique group can offer a new perspective on your piece, help you improve and polish it for submission. Ideally, your group will be made up of people you can trust to give you honest, yet considerate comments, practical input you can use, if you decide it works for your story. Ideally. We’ve all been in groups where our fellow writers were less than kind (or downright cruel!) or one person dominated the conversation, or another gave perfunctory or just plain ridiculous comments. If you get into a great writing group, you can grow as a writer and as a person. You might support each other for years. You become family. Some writers don’t belong to a group, but have one or two writer friends who will read and critique their work whenever they need an opinion.

Let’s take a look at the process of receiving feedback. Some groups meet monthly. The group I’m in meets every other week and we alternate which members who are up for critique. Also, we maintain a “reservoir” of work that we can discuss should a writer not be able to submit on time or if they can’t make the meeting.

When you submit to your group, you can simply put the work out there. If you’re having a problem with a particular aspect of your story, ask the group to pay attention that area. For example, “Do you think the dialogue on page 5 rings true?” Oh! And insert page numbers on your doc!

If you’re submitting prose, make sure the group knows whether it’s fiction or non-fiction. I was in a fiction workshop, once, and fellow student submitted a first person story. I strongly questioned the protagonist’s victim attitude. Later, I found out the piece was non-fiction, though it was presented to the group as fiction. If I had known this was about the writer, I would have been way more sensitive in how I made my remarks. I wasn’t harsh, but I would have viewed the protagonist through a different lens.

Critique Day: Enter the “Booth.”
Our stories are such a big part of us, it’s natural to want to defend them or explain sections others might not understand. But doing so prevents us from hearing comments that may be helpful. In a typical workshop, the writer, whose work is being discussed, sits in an imaginary booth. She is not allowed to speak or respond to the conversations going on about her story. I’ve seen some writers slap their hands over their mouths to keep from speaking.

A few things to remember when you’re in the booth:

• Breathe
• Actively listen
• Take notes (I write the name of the person and their comments. I also doodle )
• Write any questions you have for the group
• Be open to suggestions
• Have a sense of humor (discussions can spiral into some wacky places)

When the group discussion ends, you’ll be released from your metaphorical booth. Take a breath, gather your thoughts, and ask and answer questions. In our MFA workshops, we had to write our critiques. At the end of the session, we handed our critiques and marked-up manuscripts to the writer whose work we discussed. We don’t do that in the group I’m in now.

You’ll get a lot of comments. Some will be useful to you. Some might change your story in a way that’s not true for you. Just as you’re allowed to use anyone’s suggestions, you’re also allowed to reject them. Remember, it’s your story.

Giving Feedback
Offering your advice on a fellow writer’s work is a responsibility. What you say and how you say it will affect not only the story, but the person who wrote it. So choose your words carefully. One of the golden rules of any critique group is: be respectful.

Reading:

• First read the story as a reader, purely for entertainment
• Then read it as a writer, noting what you like, what works well, what you love
• Then read it again and note areas that can use improvement
• Make suggestions, if you feel you have a solution to a certain problem
• If called for (usually not), do a line edit

Strike a Good Balance
We all love to hear we’re brilliant! We’re a shoe-in for that Pulitzer! Truth is critiques that only gush praise, do nothing for the development of the writer’s craft. Surely, say what’s good, but balance your critique with helpful remarks. I’ve read many stories from colleagues where I was hard-pressed to find anything “negative” to say. I may have had questions about characters or plot, however. On the other hand, I’ve read stories that were a mess, but had stellar moments scattered throughout. A few tactful suggestions, hopefully, put those on a better track.

In workshop:

• Start with the good parts
• Give and take, allowing each other to speak
• Discuss the problem areas with compassion
• Offer constructive comments
• Give the kind of critique you expect to get from your colleagues
• Approach every piece with an open mind. You may not like to read a particular genre, but you can comment on story, character and other elements of good writing
• Have a sense of humor (are you sensing a theme, here?)

Having your work critiqued can be a tremendous benefit to your growth as a writer. But you also learn a lot by reading and critiquing the work of others’.

What are your writing group experiences? Feel free to share–with honesty and compassion, of course.

Dawn Frederick, Senior Agent, Red Sofa Literary

Dawn Frederick is the owner and literary agent of Red Sofa Literary, based in the Twin Cities.  Previously an agent with Sebastian Literary Agency, Dawn brings a broad knowledge of the book business to the table, with multiple years of experience as a bookseller in the independent, chain, and specialty stores. Red Sofa Literary was listed as one the 101 Best Websites for Writers in 2012 and 2013. Additionally, Dawn is also a co-founder of the MN Publishing Tweet Up, a networking group composed of writers and publishers, now completing its second year of bringing publishers and writers together over happy hours and at special bookstore events.

The Writing Platform – Finding Your Niche

Platform.  It’s a term often used in publishing that can come across as intimidating or confusing, many times for those writers who haven’t developed one yet.  When in actuality building a platform will open many doors for any writer, in addition to building a strong network before, during, and after the publishing process.  Growing a platform should be welcomed with open arms.

What IS platform?  The brief definition would be the audience a writer brings to the table, along with the potential readers not yet reached.  Being able to provide a window into one’s readership (grown already), along with a clear vision of additional audiences is a positive step in winning over editors and agents.  Writers who are able to clarify the commercial reading public for a book are already on good footing during the query process.  This confirms that each of them have a tangible business plan for their books and potential successes.

Of course one must always remember the most important aspect of one’s writing career, i.e. the ability to write – and to do it well.

Yet with today’s market, it’s equally important that we remember the bottom line; that any publisher or agent should be able to see the commercial profitability of a new book idea. In the bigger picture, platform + good writing = better odds of getting published.

Step #1

Define the book’s audience. 

Take a moment and consider why the book needs to be written.  Are you the person to write it? Is this a book just for you? Or is it a book that will appeal to readers of many backgrounds, on many levels?  Determining the initial readership should be accomplished well before writing the book.

Next step back and consider the specific audiences.  Does the book have cross-over appeal ?  What types of readers and groups will be interested in reading it? Is there a special hook that can be timed with the book’s release?  When considering the audience of any book, the necessary research needs to be thoroughly completed, especially for those hoping to find an agent and/or editor along the way.

Step #2

How does one gain the attention of these readers?

Without getting too pushy, it’s time to build a social media presence.  Join Twitter, start a webpage or blog, join established online groups within the book’s genre, participate in online forums and more.  It’s to your advantage to gauge the best tools for your book.

Ex: Is your book highly visual? Then it’s probably a good idea to implement Pinterest, Instagram, and Tumbler to your social media plan.

Ex: Did you write a children’s or YA book?  There are numerous forums and groups worth participating in that focus on these categories, where your book can be critiqued and a writing presence can be established internally.  Additionally there are Twitter chats for children’s and YA books that will grow one’s network, while educational too.  These include:  #kidlit, #mgkidlit, #YALit, #teenlit, #SCBWI & #pblit

Ex: Are you hoping to break out in the Sci Fi/Fantasy or Romance genres?  Then join online forums that specialize in the book’s genre.  One that I’d highly recommend is Book Country. 

It’s to one’s benefit to be strategic, to choose the most effective methods of interacting with readers.   With so many social tools available, choose the best applications that will help grow your presence as a writer.  Approaching social media a la carte style is the way to go, as there’s not enough time in the day to use all the available tools (at least from my perspective).

There’s also a book I highly recommend, titled GET KNOWN BEFORE THE BOOK DEAL by Christina Katz.  It’s the perfect book for any person hoping to grow a strong writing platform.  Katz’s book should be required reading for all writers, as she provides sage advice that will apply for anyone going traditional or self-publishing route.

Step #3

Building an effective writing platform takes time. 

As we all know, Rome wasn’t built in a day.  There are only a handful of writers who didn’t have to worry about the necessary time investment before getting published.  As for the rest of the writing world, everyone else will need to be prepared for the time commitment.

For anyone writing nonfiction, assume it will require a minimum of 1-3 years in growing a platform, possibly longer.  For fiction, this is less of an issue, but to any writer’s benefit when publishers consider a new book idea.

If one needs proof, look to Dan Brown. Five of his books were published before THE DAVINCI CODE hit the book shelves.  It wasn’t book #1, #2, #3, #4 or #5 that resulted in him becoming a recognized name in most households; it was book #6.  Yes, Dan Brown had many books under his publishing belt before he gained international notoriety.  What about the books he wrote that readers don’t know about?  How many revisions did Dan go through for each book, how many book ideas did he put aside, and how long did it take Dan to find his niche, audiences and agent? From book #1 to #6, eight years passed, which doesn’t include the years before book #1 was published.  i.e. Dan Brown’s success didn’t happen overnight, it took many years to reach.

An essential thing to remember are the specific parties (during the publishing process) who will appreciate a strong platform – this includes agents, editors, sales & marketing departments, publicists, bookstores, book distributors, and bookstores.

Ultimately any writer who takes the time to get to know the market and its readers will have a bird’s eye view of new, fresh ideas for future books.  Remember to write from your heart, avoid writing to trends, and choose the best social media tools that will grow a strong network and improve your writing skills.

My final words of advice:   Be yourself, keep it personal.  Be engaging with your chosen social media tools. Never speak at people, instead converse with them.  Building communication, sharing common experiences, and building a strong network will take a writer very far, both personally and professionally.

What has worked for you?  Are there other resources that have been helpful?

The Way, Way Back

This evening, I had the opportunity to attend an advance screening of the film The Way, Way Back, which will open in theaters everywhere on July 5^th. If you follow film news at all, then you probably know that this film was the biggest acquisition at the Sundance Film Festival and it was written and directed by Academy Award winning screenwriting due Jim Rash (yes, the Dean on Community) and Nat Faxon. You might also know that this film features a dream cast: Steve Carell, Toni Collette, Sam Rockwell, Amanda Peet, Maya Rudolph, Allison Janney, Rob Corddry and many more amazingly talented actors whose names you might not know but who will recognize at once.

Sounds impressive, doesn’t it? Fortunately for audiences everywhere, the film is good enough to deserve its glowing hype, and I truly feel fortunate to have seen it.

The Way, Way Back tells the story of Duncan, an awkward youth that journeys to a beach house with his mother, his mother’s boyfriend and his daughter to spend the summer. I could rave about many things in the film, but for this blog, I really want to commend the writers for their amazing screenplay. This was a subtle and often hilarious film that wasn’t afraid to trust the top-notch actors that were cast to do their jobs. These writers knew the power that a simple look or the slump of a shoulder could bring, and they didn’t feel the need to overwrite the action in order to tell their compelling and very human story.

Over the years, I’ve come across so many screenplays that proved that some writers are too terrified to trust actors to do their jobs. They feel like they have to give extra information through dialogue in order to convey their underlying message.

In The Way, Way Back, however, the writers knew that good actors have the ability to build a scene without saying a word. While many writers would feel some kind of impulsive need to front load their script with backstory and long stretches of dialogue, protagonist Duncan (Liam James) hardly says a word for at least the first 20-30 minutes of the film. When he does try to talk, he can barely string two words together. It is his lack of dialogue that helps to define who he is, and as his confidence grows, the character receives more and more dialogue in the screenplay. In other words, the writing reflects the character.

Later in the film, we see some other brilliant yet silent moments. With one look, Pam (Toni Collette) conveys that she not only realizes that her relationship may not work out but that her son knows it too. By wearing a simple headband, we see how threatened Joan (Amanda Peet) feels about Trent’s new girlfriend. Owen (Sam Rockwell) steps forward when introduced to Trent in such a way that we see how protective he has become of Duncan. These are all subtle yet forceful gestures that were included in the screenplay where a lesser writer would have felt compelled to include verbose dialogue.

But this screenplay doesn’t only shine when the cast is saying nothing. The film also succeeds when characters talk about something other than the main issue that they face. Because the writers recognize the power of subtext, they trust the actors’ performances to convey the deeper issues. One of my favorite examples of this comes in a scene where Duncan, his mother, her boyfriend Trent and his daughter all sit around the table to play Candyland. Duncan pulls a card and moves his token to the appropriate blue square. His mother encourages him to take a shortcut on the board in order to help him win the game. Trent, however, stops this from happening. He pulls out the rule book and insists that the game be played by the rules. While Duncan’s mother is adamant about the fact that they don’t have to play by the rules and that they can make exceptions in order to keep the game fun, Trent is strict and headstrong. The argument grows until it climaxes with Duncan’s mother yelling “Fucking Candyland” and leaving the room. Duncan, meanwhile, never tried to take the shortcut. He didn’t care. The power struggle exists only between his mother and Trent. In that one scene, we get a subtle and yet powerful glimpse of how and why the adult relationship is crumbling. It’s marvelous writing, brilliantly acted by Steve Carell and Toni Collette.

Steve Carell’s character Trent is probably the best-written character of the bunch. For the most part, if you just look at the words that he says, he doesn’t seem like such a bad guy. However, when you pair it with HOW he delivers the line, he becomes one of the biggest jerks in film history. For example, the opening scene of the film, which is partially shown in the trailer, features Trent trying to convince Duncan to use the summer to meet new friends and become more sociable. This sounds like something a good guy would do, right? But HOW he says the line makes us hate him immediately. Throughout the film, he asks for trust, but he never gives Duncan a reason to trust him. Duncan himself criticizes Trent to his mom, saying that Trent says that he wants to be a family, but he doesn’t do anything to support what he says. Trent’s character becomes even less likable when contrasted to Sam Rockwell’s Owen. Owen says a lot of stupid and ridiculous things, but what he does makes him the good guy. He admits when he is wrong, and he takes action to prove his worth to others. It’s complicated and realistic writing that makes Trent and all of the other characters so believable.

That’s not to say that the dynamic writers aren’t afraid to use more direct dialogue. If you watch the trailer (below), you’ll hear some great zingers. Everything that alcoholic neighbor Betty (Allison Janey) says should probably be put on t-shirts or turned into memes. But what makes these lines so powerful is not that they are slick and polished one-liners. It’s that they are supported by well-developed characters, portrayed by amazing actors who are, in turn, given a screenplay that allows them to do what they do best – act.

In the upcoming summer season, where super heroes and explosions are going to be opening each weekend, I’m genuinely afraid that this subtle yet powerful character based comedy will be overlooked at the box office. If you are reading this blog, then you are most likely a writer. As a fellow writer, I implore you to head to your local movie theater this summer, but instead of buying a ticket to Despicable Me 2 or The Lone Ranger, please support this gorgeous film created by writers who know how to tell a story by trusting their talented cast.

And yes, every writer should have some other writers to turn to, for several reasons.  But your community should not be limited to just this type of a support network; rather, you should make use of the Internet and engage with other writers (and readers) with whom you can share ideas about writing and reading, not just people who will read your work.

Form a writer’s group: You should cultivate a small circle of writers whose opinions you trust.  The temptation can be to form a social circle of writers you trust and with whom you like to drink.   Okay, maybe this is just MY inclination.  But seriously, you should look to align yourself with people you can work well with and who will bring out your best work as a result of this interaction.  Choose these people wisely, for their opinion will likely shape your work.

And don’t feel limited to the people local to you. The good thing about the Internet is that you can now do these interactions virtually, using tools like Google Hangout to get together. Do you have any writer friends you’ve met through Facebook? Put feelers out, swap work; see how you react to their work.  Is this someone who sees writing in ways you do?  Vastly different? You may want a similar point of view or a vastly different one.

One of the most important things to remember: Having people who say they like your stuff but don’t give thorough feedback aren’t doing you any favors.  If anything, they’re holding you back.

Also, a lot of writers function well with having deadlines to meet—and if you organize a group that meets regularly, you will need this.  You need to decide how best to establish the constraints which will help you best. You should also hold yourself to this deadline and hold the members of your group accountable. You should respect the work as much as you respect one another. One way to do this is to always be the writing partner you would want to have.

For a different take on the benefits of a writer’s group, check out my fellow 5Writer (Linda Price)’s post: http://5writers.com/2013/05/06/why-everyone-needs-a-volleyball/

But a writer’s group doesn’t have to be the only community in which you take part.  Online communities/forums can fill a different (and useful) need for writers. There are a number of social media outlets that can allow you to think about writing and reading in various ways.

Here you can be a little more liberal with your associations, in part because you’re just fielding comments, ones that would be unlikely tied to your specific stories.  I’ve joined some writing community forums on Linked In.  I occasionally comb through the message boards and engage with a posted topic that interests me.  The responses—from people I’ve had little to no interaction with—offer a wide range of attitudes about the craft.  Since the thoughts are not directed at your work, they can open up a few doors for you without shaping a particular draft.  Therefore, if you encounter bad advice (or un-useful advice), it might not directly impact your work (i.e. alter your work in a disastrous way). But it might give you something useful to think about, a new tool to try out. And at the end of the day, a writer can never have too many tools from which to choose.

Writing is a very solitary (and for some, lonely) activity.  At the very least, interacting with other writers is fun and healthy.  Best case scenario, your work will find its way into the world someday.  You can increase your chances of this happening if you reach out to others for help along the way. Plus, these people get to share in your success and you in theirs.

The Writer’s Social Life
One aspect of community is simply being around fellow writers who are supportive of each other. Friends who commiserate when the rejections roll in. Friends who celebrate acceptances together. Friends who talk about books, stories, movies, plays, poems. A few months ago three of my writer buds and I started talking about forming an “official” writing group in our small town of Tryon. We had no idea what that actually meant, so we met for coffee (a lot) and tossed around ideas. We threw it all on the table—from simply writing more to producing a weeklong literary festival, complete with workshops, readings, dinner and keynote speaker! Of course, eventually, we got a serving of reality with our lattes. Having a grand vision is great, but we didn’t want to be administrators. We wanted to write. We’ve grown to seven members and now meet for coffee every other week. We talk about publishing, books, classes and topics that have nothing to do with writing. On alternate weeks, we workshop our writing. To make it all “official,” we even have a name: Tryon Writers.

Critique Groups
You’ve probably heard it said that writing is lonely business. Often we’re so close to our work, it’s hard to see where it needs revision. And it sure is nice to get some encouragement for the parts that really shine. Joining or forming a writing workshop or critique group is a mutually beneficial way to improve your writing. However, and it’s a big however—the group must be supportive, yet honest, and above all you must know that you can trust the writers with your work. I’m not talking about people stealing your stories. Your writing is precious to you. You don’t want to hand it over to someone who won’t respect it. You want the kind of critique that offers constructive criticism, comments that are useful to you. I’ve gotten some very detailed and helpful peer critiques and others that I could tell were merely a passing thought because they had to write something. I’ll delve more into getting and giving feedback in a future post.

So where is this elusive community of writers?

Take a Class
I’m from New York, where as you might suspect, there are many vibrant writing communities and activities co-existing in an energetic, eclectic literary scene. But as I was taking my initial, tentative steps into flash fiction, my first real writing community experience was online in a four-week course taught by Pam Casto and then as a member of the flash fiction critique group that she had founded. I was a part of that group for several years until I moved south. Now, I live in a very rural area and I’ve met most of my writer colleagues through writing conferences, classes, weekend workshops, mutual introductions and the MFA in Creative Writing Program at Queens University of Charlotte. No, you don’t have to take a second mortgage on the house (like that’s even possible, these days!) and get an MFA just to meet fellow writers, but I’ve made some good friends (including my blogmates!) through the graduate program, and though I’ll probably be eating rice cakes for the rest of my life, it was worth it. See what types of classes are available in your city or town. Our local community college offers many writing courses. That’s a great way to kick-start your writing, meet other writers and get feedback on your work at a reasonable cost.

Attend a Writing Conference
Every year, I look forward to my summer splurge—a weekend in Spartanburg, SC. Say what? Spartanburg? What’s in Spartanburg besides Costco? Hub City Writers Project. In the eight years I’ve been acquainted with Hub City, it has grown from a simple non-profit that offered a weekend conference to a bustling community of writers, a publishing company, a bookstore and much more. Their Writing in Place Conference is an intense weekend of writing workshops, plus readings, craft seminars, critiques and lots of good food! Yes, food! And you thought I went for the writing! I’ve made quite a few friends at Hub City. Many live at a distance and I look forward to reconnecting once a year, not to mention, meeting new writers. So take the plunge and try a conference.

Take the Stage
Many bookstores and writing organizations hold open mic events. Speaking in front of an audience can be nerve-wracking for some writers, especially when you’re sharing work that is so much a part of you. It’s a big risk—and so exhilarating! Reading your work is a great way to socialize with other writers. The more you do it, the easier it gets and the more often your fellow writers hear you read the easier it will be to become part of the community. Many times the audience is made up of other writers and the atmosphere is supportive. On Friday night, the Upstairs Artspace Gallery here in town held their quarterly Literary Open Stage. I knew most of the writers, but it struck me how diverse our voices are and how much talent we have in this small town. So readings are also an opportunity for you to appreciate the work of others and learn from the experience.

Socialize on Social Media
You can connect with other writers in groups on facebook and Linked In. Though it’s not as personal as talking about getting an agent over a large iced mocha, there is a sense of community in cyberspace.

Read a Blog…Write a Blog
We are a community of writers. Thanks for reading, liking and commenting.

That one word sums up our human need for community.

When Tom Hanks lost Wilson in Castaway, his grief was palpable.  It wrenched the souls of millions of people.  In fact, I just watched the clip again in the middle of McAllister’s Deli and almost started crying at his pain.

And Wilson was a volleyball.

We don’t live a solitary existence even when we live a solitary existence.   No matter what anyone wants to tell you, writing is no different.  Yes, the actual process happens in a solitary fashion.  I sit and type – just me and my MacBook Air.   But the rest of it requires a community.  At least for me.

My first writer’s community was the Richmond Playwrights Forum.  Before I stumbled across this group I had written one play – which I had promptly stuck in a drawer since I had no idea what to do with it.  Through this group I learned about formatting and submissions and staged readings and a host of other important things.  They told me what I was doing right, what I was doing wrong, how I could do things better. After a few years, I moved on – both literally and figuratively – but I never lost the need for a community.

Recently my current writer’s group switched nights and I can’t make the meetings.  It has been devastating.  Not Wilson floating away on the waves devastating, but it has really thrown me into a funk.  I loved reading and commenting on their work.  I found their notes and insights invaluable.  I even enjoyed the deadline of having to turn pages in every other week.  But what I will miss most is the camaraderie of the group – the crazy stories they have to share, the collective energy, the feeling that I am not alone in the writing process.

If you don’t have a writer’s group, by all means find one.  But find a healthy one.  Make sure the writers are as serious as you are.  Make sure they are as good as you are – better than you is even better.   Make sure they are supportive people who can put their egos aside long enough to put your work first.

Make sure they are like my friend and stellar playwright Rob Koon and not another playwright whom we will call Joe.  Both Rob and Joe had plays in direct competition with mine with a substantial cash prize at stake.  Joe was a playwright I had known for years – someone who I looked up to, whose work I respected.  Joe knew his script was much better than mine.  I know this because he told me so.  Me and the producer of the competition and the directors of both of our shows.  After all, this was my first play, it was his umpteenth.  I won the contest.  Suddenly the rules weren’t fair, there weren’t enough judges, the audience members weren’t saavy enough to understand his play.  It was an awful experience.

Rob, on the other hand, was a playwright I met for the first time at FutureFest in Dayton, OH.  We have read and commented on each other’s work.  We have flown half-way across the country to see each other’s plays.  I helped support a Kickstarter campaign to get one of his productions off the ground.  He helped me get a reading at Chicago Dramatists.  He has opened his home to me on several occasions giving me a place to crash in Chicago.  He has been a sounding board, a source of humor in my dark moments and a cheerleader when I needed one.  Believe me, I won way more than a cash prize at FutureFest.

Writers grow by helping other writers grow.  By championing each other’s work.  By fostering a spirit of community.  Have I watched Rob’s work on stage or read one of his scripts and thought “Damn, I wish I had written that!”?   Oh, absolutely.  And the best thing I can do in that situation is make sure that everyone else has to chance to experience his plays and think the same thing.  (If you’re in the Chicago area, don’t miss the World Premiere of his brilliant play Homecoming 1972.)

Joe?  Frankly, I have no idea what he is up to.  I have not followed his work.  I have not asked an actor or director or producer to read one of his plays or consider his work for production.

So what’s next for me now that I have been set adrift from my writer’s group?  Just like Tom Hanks’ character in Castaway, I will build a raft and set out for places unknown.  And because of the world we live in, the remoteness of the island need not be a factor.  I will look and watch and wait for the right time – the right place.  An island populated with warm, welcoming friendly people not the boys from Lord of the Flies.

Because one thing is certain.   I need a community.  And when life takes away my volleyball, it’s time to start a new sport.  Tennis, anyone?

Fortunately, that egomaniac grew up, and I learned the most important lesson that any human being over the age of twenty needs to be taught – none of us know everything. True, some of us know more than others (sometimes a LOT more than others), but no one can ever expect to make it on their own when trying to succeed in a creative industry.

At first, I came to understand this lesson in a very academic sense. I need an agent that can help me sell my work. I need a proofreader to help me find my typos. Other writers can introduce me to a new book or recommend a great writing conference.  Other filmmakers can recommend a camera that I could use for my next independent feature that I am writing and directing, or they might recommend a great script consulting business.

Overtime, however, I realized that there is a much more important reason to reach out to other writers: Emotional support.

Whether we are writing screenplays, novels, comic books or whatever, the world of professional writing is a hard one. We will live the majority of our lives seeing our work rejected, regardless of how good we are. Even J.K. Rowling spent years on the British equivalent of welfare because of how long it took for the Boy Who Lived to make it to shelves. Regardless of how thick our skin is or how confident we are in our own abilities, sometimes, we just need to hear another writer say, “I know what you are going through because I’ve been there.”

“But-but-but,” you might think. “Aren’t those other writers just pretending to sympathize with you while secreting being grateful that your rejection means that there is one less writer out there that they have to compete with?!”

I may have thought that at one time, but I really don’t anymore. Sure, there may be the occasional over-competitive low self-esteemed jerk out there, but the majority of writers that I know are all looking for the same thing – someone to give them a hug and bring them a cup of tea when they start to doubt themselves.

Since transitioning into novel writing, I found this idea even truer. I’ve been attending a number of different writing conferences, and at each one I go to, I always find writers feeling the same emotions – they all want to be accepted as a professional writer and they all want validation of their ideas and dreams.

I was fortunate enough to find a group of ridiculously supportive writers here in the Orlando area. We meet once to twice a month, and we are always supporting each other’s work. We start each meeting talking about where we are, not only in terms of how far we have progressed in our work (some of us write faster than others, and that’s totally okay), but we also check in with each other emotionally. Do we doubt our abilities? Are we feeling really happy about something in our lives? Are we really impatient because it’s taking forever for our agent to sell our first novels (okay, that’s just me. I’m not a patient person and traditional publishing takes forever).  We make sure that we are emotionally supporting each other as well as giving whatever feedback on our creative work.

We are never in competition with other. Even if three of us are working on YA novels, we never see each other as a threat (because there are enough editors out there to publish all three of our books!). The truth is that, even if all four of us sat down to write a story on vampires (none of us are, by the way), each story would be unique because we have three different voices and experiences to bring to our stories. They might be related, but they aren’t competition.

Once I found the love and support that I needed as a writer, I realized how important the idea of community over competition should be to all writers. Since finding that support, I’ve grown so much as a human being as well as an artist, and now I do everything in my power to help other writers as well. I may not have time to read everyone’s work, but I post articles on my Facebook page and Twitter feed almost every single day to help other writers grow and learn. When I attend a conference, I always try to be on the look out for a writer that looks a little lost or in need of a friend, and I try to greet them with a “hello, how are you?” I attend book readings of my colleagues work, and I recommend agents to fellow writers. I give free workshops at conventions, and I always give my personal email address to anyone that might want to ask me questions later.

Yes, I know I sound a bit Pollyanna here, but I think that it’s important to realize that, in being kind to others, you get something too. For one, when it comes time to sell your work, the more that you have given to others, the more that people will want to help you out in return. When I landed my agent, she asked me for my pitch because I was pitching another writer to her (“See this beautiful writer? She totally has a collection of short stories that you would be interested in!”). This led us all to sitting down at lunch, and me making my “lesbian sex” joke that landed me my agent (see my previous blog). Because I’ve taken so much time to develop my platform online in a way that helps other writers, I know that, whenever my book finally gets released, I have a community of people that will want to support me by buying my book.

But more importantly, because I reach out and help others, I know that, the next time I start to doubt myself, they will be there to give me hug (even if it’s just a cyber hug) and encourage me to keep writing. And at the end of the day, that’s what a writer’s community should be about.

A Poet’s Perspective on the Use of Structure

Just as Alexander Pope once famously asserted that a poem’s “sound must seem an echo to its sense,” I believe that a poem’s structure should similarly inform a poem’s meaning. For poets, working with structure is different and, I daresay, more dangerous than it is for playwrights or fiction writers. Because the structure of a poem can be viewed and appreciated at a glance, readers can immediately respond to a poem’s shape on the page, rejecting or accepting it without nibbling at it for too long. If you’re a poet and you aren’t taking structure into account when you write, try working with forms to start. Forms like sonnets and villanelles establish a good working facility with structure and will certainly help you improve your poems.

For example, as much as I enjoy writing sonnets, I enjoy stretching the boundaries of sonnets even more. Generally adhering to the conventional 14-lines of iambic pentameter, I often play by experimenting with unconventional rhyme schemes: ABCCBA ABCCBA DD goes one sonnet. Another, ABBBBA CC DDEEFF. Nothing earth shattering, nothing revolutionary, just fun riffs on an old form resulting in neat little poems with uncommon—though recognizable—structures.

In “The Rothko Progression,” an ekphrastic piece inspired by the paintings of Mark Rothko, I decided that I would best serve the poem and its subject matter by emulating the color block paintings for which Rothko is so well known. I made sure that the lines of every stanza were comparatively equal while varying the number of lines in each stanza. In doing so, the poem’s structure calls to mind Rothko’s paintings, and goes far in establishing how structure can echo sense.

Finally, because I love using allusion and burying meaning in subtext, I wrote “The Boatman’s Wife” in such a way that an understanding of its complex structure will unlock deeper, hidden meanings, and, I hope, greater satisfaction for the reader. Written from the perspective of Charon, mythology’s famous ferryman, “The Boatman’s Wife” is a blazon that borrows ideas from Dante Alighieri and James Joyce to flesh out its structure. From Dante’s concept of Hell and its nine circles comes my poem’s nine stanzas. To mimic the idea of descent, I began with a single line and increased each stanza by one line, structurally deepening the reader’s progression. To flavor the poem as Joyce did his chapters of Ulysses, the language of each stanza alludes to a specific body part as well as to the sin and/or punishment found in the corresponding circles of Dante’s hell.

Is the poem successful? Up to the reader to decide, I guess. I think the idea works, but as I continue revising I know that there are still places where I can tighten things up. But that’s poetry. What’s important is that I’m taking structure into account when I compose a poem, knowing that things like enjambment and line integrity, white space, and caesura, and line length matter. In this way formal structures inform, but don’t define, my work.

Link to poem’s referenced in this post: http://www.ronhayes.net/ronhayes/5writers.html

But he’s already done that.

Then I thought, “I’m a playwright.  I should write about the changes in Act Structure.”

When I took my stepdaughter to Neil Simon’s Barefoot in the Park she was confused when the house lights came up at the end of Act Two because she thought the play was over – and it wasn’t a good ending.  She’d never been to a Three-Act show with two intermissions – a structure that has been phased out over the last couple of decades.  (Wait till I take her a Five-Act Shakespeare play!)  But since I’ve written a play that can be performed with or without an intermission I realized that structure is about more than how many bathrooms breaks or opportunities to buy M&Ms you have.

Then I pulled out Playwrighting Seminars 2.0 by Richard Toscan because I remembered he had a great diagram about structure.

But as I was reviewing the diagram I thought about Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot.  It doesn’t follow this structure.  Neither does his play Play.  Or probably anything Caryl Churchill has written.

So I began researching.  And examining plays I like.  And examining my plays.  And a funny thing happened.  A horrible thing, really.  I found myself unable to write.  For most of this month.  I would beat my head against the wall and scream, “How does this line build structure?”

As I continued to try to make sense of this structure issue, I kept going back to Google.  (After all, I wasn’t getting any writing done.)  Finally I stumbled across a great article about outlining vs. organic writing by novelist Steven James.  http://www.asktheauthor.net/2012/04/should-sop-writer-worry-about-plotting.html  And I realized that I find my characters, put them in the situation I have created and let them go.  Sometimes I have a good idea of where the story is going, sometimes I just want to explore what these people would do and find the story as they do.  Sometimes I have to remember what the story’s about and let go of some of the tangents.  Sometimes the story is in the tangents.  But never, never have I known the end of the play before I started writing.   Never have I looked at a diagram of structure and plotted points.  I just tell the story.

And I learned an incredibly important point about the craft of writing:

Sometimes we can get so caught up in how to tell the story that we forget to tell the story.*

Structure is something that either I don’t have or find instinctively.  All I know is that it is something I don’t sweat about.  Until I have to write a blog post.

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*This really doesn’t require a quote mark since I just made it up, but I like the way it highlights the text.