Writing is my Therapy

I'd found an old typewriter a long time ago... it looked like a bulky briefcase, but you flip the top up and inside was a typewriter.  I think that might have been the little thing in my life that sparked a passion within me.  I was ten years old and just returned from my first Taekwondo tournament.  I wrote as best a ten year old could... all lowercase letters in a single centered column down the middle of the page.  I talked about the experience and how my heart raced and how good it felt to win even if it was only a bronze medal.

To this day, writing has served a major purpose in my life and has helped to keep me sane in this world.  From then on I kept journals throughout my life.  The journals helped me through high school, college, the military, and life in general.

As a writer it is important to never stop writing.  Writing can be no different, in terms of art form and craft, as painting or playing a musical instrument in that if you don't use it, you lose it.  This is one of the reasons why I keep this blog, and the same goes for many other published and unpublished authors.  I find journal writing particularly helpful because I am unrestricted in every sense.  I don't have to focus on capitalization, punctuation, style, selling anything, or marketing anything... I just write.

So in a lot of ways writing has been a form of therapy for me.  Writing helps me to release a lot of tension and stress.  People may ask, "Really?  You write 300+ pages of a novel and then you write some more?"  Well, yeah, but like I said it is a different form of writing.  It has helped me a great deal in life and never gets old and boring because my life never gets old and boring... and I write about my life and those around me.  It helps me to keep my mind sharp and active in writing.  Some people even recommend just going outside and writing what you see, which I know is something that helps a lot also.

Aside from journal writing I also write poetry, essays, and long emails to that special someone.  I think they all serve a purpose, but again my favorite is journal writing.  Here in Los Angeles there are some really nice shops for writers that sell these beautiful leather bound journals.  When I was in the Navy I snuck one into basic training that had (in Kanji / Japanese) the word "Peace" on the outside... HA!  I wrote in the dark at night, when I was on bed rest from having my wisdom teeth pulled, and throughout the rest of my training.  There were a few times during the writing of The Mechanical Room that I referred to my journal because the Alliance of Defenders in the Starlight Queendom are a naval force and I had to reference some naval terms.  And though there are things I will never forget about the military... a lot of it is better preserved in my journals than in my memory.

(Recommended reading: A Handbook To Literature by William Harmon and C. Hugh Holman)

Ladies and Gentlemen... John Noah

Character Profile: John Noah

Age: 30

Height: 5’7”

Weight: 140 lbs

Eye color: Brown

Hair color: Black / Dark Brown

Birth Date: September 17, 2079

Birth Place: Los Angeles, California

Scars/handicaps: Inflicted with Miller’s disease – a terminal illness with a 100% fatality rate. Has a birth mark on the lower back of his neck.

Education: Barely graduated from high school and eventually received his degree from a two year before getting his Bachelors degree.

Work: Works for a large non profit organization that strives to relieve suffering from natural disasters, sickness, and diseases around the world

Best friend(s): His niece Rain, his cat Jack. In “The Mechanical Room” world- Penn Wolfgang

Marital status: Widowed

Enemies: His boss Monica. In the other world- the dwarves, cat people, imps, gremlins, and shadow stalkers.

Parents: His mother Alana and his father Walter

Present problem: John is suffering from a terminal autoimmune illness known as Miller’s Disease. He has lost most of his family to this illness except his niece. He is forced to endure the agony of life without his loved ones until the illness finally claims his life, which is a day that John looks forward to.

Character traits: John is a man of his word. He means what he says and he says what he means. He can be very direct, which often puts a lot of people off. He used to try and be tactful before his affliction, but after losing the love of his life John no longer saw the point. He has a soft spot in his heart for women and children and animals. John tries to respect nature but often he finds himself unable to sit still long enough to absorb it fully. He can be impatient at times and often tries to find the best solution to a problem though it might not necessarily be the easiest solution. He can also be very stubborn at times.

Humor: He has a sarcastic and dry sense of humor and is not afraid to make a joke at his own expense.

Ambitions: John looks forward to dying so that he can reunite with Jannike (his wife that passed away), and at the same time he wishes to live so that he can see his niece grow older and wiser in the world and have a family of her own some day.

Philosophy: John doesn’t care what others think of him. He lives for himself and no one else. He doesn’t believe in wasting time worrying about what other people think when the only thoughts and opinions that matter are your own.

Favorite colors: Red and Black

Pastimes: John is a fan of chess. He also enjoys people watching and often just staring out into the world. He loves rainy days and playing with his cat Jack.

Dress: John is usually business casual. He doesn’t wear a tie. His sleeves are often rolled up. His shoes are a bit scuffed, but he somehow ties it all together and looks presentable. People often mistake his slouched/hunched posture for laziness or that he doesn’t care when, to him, he’s trying to conserve energy from having to sit up or stand up straight.

Hobbies: Chess, reading, sitting in silence, and watching old Hayao Miyazaki animated films.

Wonderful Prose

"It was early spring, and the night was cool but not chilly.  There was a fragrance in the air, washing down over the city from the high meadows in the mountain behind Riva and mingling with peat smoke and the salty tangy sea."
- David Eddings' Castle of Wizardy: Book Four of The Belgariad

Wonderful prose!  One of my favorite descriptive passages from Eddings' series and this book.  I know it is not unusual for a writer to be his or her own worst critic.  I happen to like a lot of what I write or otherwise I wouldn't write it... right?  Right, well of course there are times when I get frustrated and seem unable to find the right words to describe the scene I have in my mind and in my imagination.  Usually I will then take a short break, take some conscious breaths, and sit in my setting without the stress of trying to describe it to someone.

If you really think about it we do this as human beings everyday practically.  Take a look around your current setting/environment and what do you see?  An office?  An apartment?  A bedroom?  A park?  A cave?  Whatever it may be, we see it and sit in it but hardly take the time to appreciate it.  Can you describe your setting?  Can you describe your setting with your eyes closed?

I know a few friends and family members who are writing but find trouble with this.  For me it is particularly challenging because my worlds and settings are not real and in fact stretch the limits of ones imagination.  Making it real and believable is as simple to me as touching back on some of those memories of places I'd visited as a small child, when everything was new and mysterious, and conjuring up that feeling:

John and the others awakened to the callings of the forest creatures along with the rising of the sun.  The morning dew did not penetrate the home of Waya but instead gave a hint of moisture in the air.  Within the towering sequoia tree was a sweet smell of wood and sap that provided a feeling of peace and protection.  Gawonisgi advised them to set out early so that they made it to the Starlight Queendom in time to catch the officials.  He said that they were diurnal in nature like most magically endowed beings.
 -The Mechanical Room by Nevada Wolf 

This is one of my favorite pieces of prose from my book The Mechanical Room.  I conjured up old memories of waking up in my great grandmother's home (may she rest in peace) on the weekend with daylight breaking through.  When I combined this memory with the memories of being in what seemed like a forest in her backyard (when it was actually just a backyard) and sprinkled it with a bit of magic... that was how I got my scene, and to me it was perfect.

I may not know what peat smoke is, but I know what smoke is and I can use my imagination for the rest.  Many might not know what a sequoia tree is (especially those outside of California), but I bet they know what a tree is and the imagination does the rest.  I try not to get caught up too much on writing for others and instead I write for myself, and what sparks warmth in my heart may touch the hearts of others around the world if I am lucky.

Happy Holidays to everyone!

A Unique Voice

Most of my work tends to focus on a few central characters, however never neglecting the characters that also move the plot of the story along.  Given that I tend to have a number of characters, I try to make sure that each one has a unique voice.

Sometimes this can be tricky for me particularly when the characters are related (i.e. father and son, brothers, etc.).  One thing I try to remember is how many unique people I've come across in my life.  I've worked at a college counseling facility, lived on the east coast, west coast, and in the midwest, and I've been in the military.  I had to have come across some distinct characters in my travels. 

I try to dig back and reference some of these characters.  Another good tip that I read was to go to a park, or restaurant, or somewhere with people in general and just listen to the dialogue and conversations.  I'm kind of a hermit and so I hate leaving the apartment unless it's for food, family, or work.  I have, however, kept detailed journals throughout my life that also help me keep a record of the people and places I've encountered.

My main character, John Noah, was easily unique in his voice from the opening of the book, but I tried to keep it in balance with the changes occurring around him.  My favorite character to write, however, was the father of my supporting character Penn.  Elder Manaster... very wise, knowledgeable, brave but also very rude, short tempered, impatient and sometimes even a bit childish.  He was my way of getting away with some of the technical things in the book.  Whenever a character didn't understand something, Manaster would try his best to explain (as politely as he could), but then inevitably he would get frustrated and resort to belittling the person's intelligence... ha!  Almost like the character Sheldon from CBS's The Big Bang Theory.  Great show by the way!

My first guitar!

Christmas came a little early this year for me.  It is my first guitar and so I am learning how to play it.  My fingers hurt!  Damn it!  No one mentions this when they talk about learning to play the guitar.  Does it skip their minds?  As I sit and type, I can't feel my index finger strike the plastic surface of these keys!  But it's okay... it's all part of the process right?

I believe that creativity truly comes from a place of awareness, and sometimes different creative arts can inspire others.

There are times when the mundane typical challenges of life can threaten your creative flow... arguing with your girlfriend/boyfriend or husband/wife (trust me, I know about this one all too well), your kids stress you out, family drama, work has you feeling more like a slave than an appreciated and valued team member, etc.  In these times I believe it helps to use a creative outlet to get you back into the mood to write, or in other words use one art to create a space for awareness, and in that space your creativity can blossom and grow.

I guess I better get back to practicing... I hope my fingers can hold out!

Chapter by Chapter Synopses

Some authors do them and some do not. In the 2010 Novel & Short Story Writer's Market Gregory Frost says the following in regards to outlining (making fantasy real):

"There are writers who stick to a form--who outline everything in detail and then stick to the outline right to the end.  There are writers who, like Raymond Carver, follow a sentence down a rabbit hole and don't know where it's taking them.  I fall somewhere in between.  I outline to ensure that I have a story, a structure, as a point of reference, and once I'm satisfied that's the case I abandon the outline and let the story run." 

I share a similar method.  I usually write a story synopsis and a chapter by chapter synopsis.  My story synopsis is usually just a brief, one page, summary of the book.  The chapter by chapter synopsis is sort of like my blueprint except I don't always follow it.  Like Gregory Frost, I create the outline of the chapters just as a guide to make sure I'm keeping on track, but then I generally just kind of let the story take me where it may along that path.

So this is a method I would recommend especially if there are a number of characters and perspectives or twists in the plot of the story.  Sometimes it just helps to have something to keep you on track, otherwise your story could end up heading in a direction that you definitely did not want it to go. 

Before writing The Mechanical Room I was working on a trilogy that was very complex and had many characters and twists in the plot of the story... I didn't outline for that one, and I got lost.  Now, I have to go back and map out things correctly before I can revisit it.  And that's okay... it's all a part of learning and growing as a writer right?  We each have particular things that we do that work for us, but may not work for others.  I share my experiences for that aspiring writer who is looking to know what may have helped others who have experienced something similar in their journey.

I hope this helps someone out there!

Dwarves

The Germanic / Norse mythical creatures have enticed and tickled my curiosity for a long time now.  When I decided to write my book, The Mechanical Room, I didn't want to focus on creatures that I felt were typically explored in fantasy and science fiction.  Instead, I wanted to focus on the little creatures that tend to be supporting characters to the taller races.  I also created a few creatures of my own based on the cells and tissues of the human body. 

Growing up, I was a big, huge, fan of the animated Nick Jr. series David The Gnome, in fact I purchased the entire series on VCD not too long ago.  It was only natural that I also included gnomes in my book.  The dwarves and gnomes are very similar to me.  In mythology the dwarves are known for their skills in metallurgy and the gnomes are often said to be tinkerers and adept with technology.

Dwarves typically live in mountains or underground and are separated into various clans.  My dwarves also live in mountains and are derived of two clans in particular.  The first clan being more akin to the physical features of the Germanic / Scandinavian people--pale skin, blond (or black) hair, etc (i.e. the above artwork by Ilia Ellion).  The second clan having features similar to Peter Jackson's depiction of Tolkien's Gimli--red hair, slightly tanned skin, etc.

My antagonist, Kade Strongarm, leader of the dwarves, wields an axe-hammer weapon named Blixt Mördare, which is Swedish for "Lightning Killer."  The weapon emits a surge of electricity along with a sonic pulse upon impact, which is where it derived its name.  Kade was an interesting character for me to explore.  He is the son of a tyrannical ruler, his father Berg Strongarm.  He despised the way his father ruled over their people, cold and callous, and decided to be a much more sympathetic ruler during his reign.  It is his undying compassion for his people that leads him to drastic measures to solve their problems including turning to the half dwarf / half spider demon Anakra'Qel.  She takes advantage of his compassion and manipulates him to do her bidding. 

I hope to be able to explore the dwarves again.  Kade Strongarm was easily one of my favorite characters to write, and bring to life.  

(SPECIAL THANKS to Ilia Ellion for allowing me to use your artwork of "The Dwarf" in this blog.  Thanks!  Love your work!)