Storytelling Mentorship Group 4

in #story-mentor7 years ago (edited)

I have written before about how I write and I know that’s not really going to help you unless you can figure out how YOU write.

I can tell you to find your routine, but that’s not always possible.

I can say that writing what you know is the key, but how do people write fantastic epic stories if they stick to writing what they know?

The only thing that works for everyone (in my opinion) is to read and then to write every single day – at every opportunity, with whatever medium comes to hand (pen and paper, computer).

It doesn’t matter WHAT you write, it only matters that you do.

If I try to dissect my writing, it may help… (of course, it may not, but you’ll get a new story out of it).

I prefer horror. It’s the genre that I come back to. It’s the topic that fascinates me most and I enjoy reading it as well as creating stories in the genre. Yes, I fully admit my memoir stories Fact or Fiction series, I’m surprised I turned out as well as I did… series, Ash’s story and now Zack’s story don’t have anything supernatural or otherworldly about them, but I’m testing myself with those.

If any of you recall my 2 sentence horror stories, you’ll know that I do like to test myself from time to time – perverse though it may sound, I don’t like to think I’m a one-trick pony.

Jack of all trades, master of none springs to mind here, but as I’m never likely to win a Pulitzer Prize or the Mann-Booker Prize, I guess I could be happy with just writing – if I do make it to JK Rowling status, please feel free to remind me of this statement.

When I write, I’ve usually got a seed of an idea to plant and nurture and help to grow.

This morning, for example, I opened my laptop and saw an article from Creepy Catalog on FB


*Source

And a story started to edge its way into my imagination… the question:

What if? occurred to me.

Then other questions began to ask themselves...

What if that happened and I saw/experienced it?

How would it happen?

How would I tell the story?

What would it feel like?

Imagine…

The trick to all this is to write down EVERYTHING but the skill is to weave it rather than take all the facts and dump them in a box and expect your audience to sort through it for themselves.

You are the storyteller, that’s YOUR job!

You need to set the scene, tell the relevant facts the audience (your readers) need to know – and NO MORE THAN THAT!

Build your story, pull the reader in and let them experience it alongside you. Don’t tell them you’re scared, SHOW them and show them why.

You can go back and amend your story before you post it. Read it, love the story, caress and change the story where it doesn’t work.

You’re a sculptor and the blank paper is the clay with which you will build your masterpiece.

If the nose is in the wrong place, move it. The cheekbones are misaligned? – alter them!

If you think of a relevant fact (or fiction) that you missed, don’t just dog it on at the end as an ‘Oh yeah, and this too’ event, slip it into the correct place in your editing.

That’s why I write in a word doc to start with, because the urge to click POST is just too great when I’ve finished writing.

When you’ve finished telling your story, your work is NOT finished – not by a long chalk.

If there are parts of your story that suspend disbelief too much, are just too unbelieveable for the story – for example, if you write something that would jar the reader right out of the story because it doesn’t fit –

I looked at the mirror and I saw Ghostrider’s face…

Really? A comic-book hero came to call on you? Your audience will pull away from the story and it’s difficult to get them back once they’re withdrawn.

Even if you don’t believe you need a professional editor, that’s fine… but use your own editing skills to the best of your ability and read, re-read and re-read again.

If you can’t bear to read the story more than once because it bores you, how can you expect your readers to be excited about it? They’ll be bored too!

Read it out loud – read it to someone else – read it out loud to yourself, record your voice, listen to your story. If it doesn’t work, don’t just shrug your shoulders and think “oh, well,” CHANGE what doesn’t work!

Your next project for the Mentorship Group is to tell me something about where you live. No, not your town, not your street, think closer.

Tell me something about where you sleep – you can’t get more personal than that.

I don’t mind if it’s fact, fiction or a mixture, tell me as much detail about your bed, bedroom, sleeping quarters as you possibly can.

Tell me how you feel about the room, your bed, your bedcovers, your pillows.

Give me detail, make me think I’m there, seeing what you see, thinking what you think.

Draw your readers in. Take your time, make it interesting, not a list of what’s on your dressing table, textures, smells, thoughts.

Tell me… US

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@michelle.gent where do we post the link for the opening of a story we write/ I wrote? I began a story and posted it last night. I am not sure where to put the link or if I am supposed to put a link.

I did use the tag story-mentor and put a link for "Storytelling Mentorship Group 3". Is this the right link?
I like this current assignment btw.

Good questions!

Put your link absolutely ANYWHERE on ANY of my recent posts - spam the hell out of me! I really don't mind for this.

If you think I missed something, please re-post the link. If I've not upvoted or if I've not commented on something I've asked you to write for the group, please give me a nudge, drop your link on my recent blog posts and tell me.

This is important to me. I don't want to let anyone down, so if I seem like I'm slacking, crack that whip :)

Use story-mentor tag and mention me by name if you like.

Make sure I see it :)

thanks for getting back to me .. here is the link...I just posted it last night so no biggie... just looking for procedure lol... how you are ever going to keep up with this is beyond me... it is just starting
https://steemit.com/story-mentor/@rebeccabe/the-mausoleum-part-1

lol... I didn't want to ask, because you seem to have a lot on your plate, but considering this comment, let me go ahead... ;P ... My intro post... Actually, you must have read it, because you did upvote it, but I was looking forward to a small piece of feedback from you... Would you mind? =)

As for this new task, it's going to have to wait a bit. RL loves to interfere with my online life, and it's doing so now more than ever. I'm especially feeling guilty for not going and checking out my fellow group members' posts. Will dedicate some time to this soon!

I'm really sorry I missed that! I've replied and I hope I've given a little encouragement.

Do not be worried about my plate, if I've missed something, please let me know. I'd rather you tell me than miss it.

This sounds like an interesting assignment. Now let me go study my pillow!

Hello @michelle.gent
Like you said, the only thing that works is for us to read and write, that it doesnt matter what we write. I love that.
I also love horror stories.
So if we write finish, do we continue using story-mentor as tag??

Please use the story-mentor tag in your writing. I hope it will become more than 'just us' and 'our group' that uses it.

Wow. Another challenge.
I will set to work at it soon. I hope to create something you would like @michelle.gent
Once more, thanks for your tutorship.

Great task @michelle.gent Sleeping is my joy and my life-long struggle. I will gladly write on that topic.

Hello you!
I just came across your mentor thingy, and enjoyed reading it (as always).

I'm not sure my story qualifies as a bedroom description, but after reading you post, I was suddenly inspired to write it up this story..

https://steemit.com/story-mentor/@lucylin/memoirs-of-a-past-life-a-bedroom-description

Trying to catch up on writing this weekend. Behind on the story but Ceci is calling...

I read, did not listen yet, but may, your response to your lesson. I've said it before about your writing, you are good, i loved following along on Ash and the Favour man, and remember that you did not even have a title for it til nearly done. I wish I had more time to try and keep up with all you are doing, but lately I have been very busy. One of your "students" @brightex drops his post on occasion and that reminds me to stop by when i get time. 2018 truly looks like it is going to be a year of people helping people, thank you for spreading out your knowledge as a writer, because despite being busy I still get to read a lot of nice work.

Hi @michelle.gent
I mean that the popularity of the group is growing. This is primarily due to the fact that there was a chance to prove yourself.
My message to the previous task went unnoticed. Therefore, I would refrain from creating spam.
For me, first and foremost, it's important to get criticism to get better.
Thank you

I've not caught-up on everything yet. I'm not writing either the Zack or Dusty stories today, to give myself chance to catch up on everyone's projects.

I'll answer you, I promise.

Thank you for sharing these helpful tips but still, it's quite difficult transforming the medical experiences I have into captivating stories.
Can you give any helpful suggestions?

This is just a suggestion, but if you can find some "medical" shows on tv or netflicks or online somewhere, try watching a few of them and see how they "present" the medical aspect for their audience. I find that when these shows tell a story where people can relate in some way, it gives them a reason to watch it - the same holds true with writing. Hopefully that might give you some ideas.

This much is so true. I'm a med student and I try to share the funny and not-so-funny moments I have. They seem interesting to me but I don't know about the readers.

It depends on how you tell the story. Just any scenario can make a good story if you'd tell it well.