Individual Writing Process (Scott "Jinx" Jenkins)

Individual Writing Process

By: Scott “Jinx” Jenkins

I witness a lot of debate over the validity of getting a creative writing degree.  One of my favorite authors, who strictly self-publishes, openly criticizes the process of university creative writing.  He makes valid points that force me into unprompted head nods.  The biggest issue, in my opinion, is validating creativity with a grade--creativity shouldn’t be judge.  But, I was lucky; the graduate experience never hindered my creativity—or judged it—instead, I was developed and judged off my prescriptive abilities.  However, the GREATEST benefit was learning my writing process—countless short stories and academic papers will do that.  Therefore, I want to share with you some of the key things I learned about my writing process, and in turn—hopefully--help you learn/develop your own.  I will break down my process into three categories: Time-and-space, distractions, and muse.

Time-and-space

I adore the constant memes from WaW prompting authors to…write.  Too often writers fall into a hole trying to juggle time—perhaps thinking ideas aren’t worth the time to write.  Putting time aside to write is crucial; however, knowing how to utilize time is equally important.  I put time aside as often as possible—unfortunately not daily—to write, but I have a full-time job and a family that deserve priority.  Moreover, I am extremely dedicated to the Military, often my career takes the forefront—enter my process.  I use micro amounts of time to ‘write’ by building upon characters, expanding on future book ideas, and brainstorming; all equally important to jamming out narratives.  I NEED a minimum of six hours to write, that is MY process, so I forecast leave from my job to work on my books in a space that fits my needs—such as, at home or coffee shops.  Managing my time-and-space increases my writing productivity and enjoyment.  Basically, you should play with managing your time; don’t go in without a plan; don’t go in without understanding YOUR needs for productivity.

Distractions

This one is easy; distractions suck!  However, like most things in life, people just go TOO far trying to avoid distractions.  I’ve learned there is a healthy amount of distraction for my writing process.  When I started writing academic papers I would stare at blank pages wondering how I would ever complete the tasks.  A simple paper would take hours—or days—and be a dreaded experience.  But when I learned about healthy distractions my process and productivity improved. My main distraction is Facebook.  Before long I was knocking out ten page papers in less than four hours—rough drafts, of course.  Find a distraction that aids your mind like a stress ball, and learn to lean on structured deviation from writing.  Now, I write for thirty(ish) minutes, or till my fingers stopped for several minutes, then pull up Facebook.  Browsing the ‘trends’ and newsfeed offers a mental break, and I don’t return till inspiration ignites.  

Muse

Creative minds need a muse.  I hate the mainstream idea of a person or specific item as a muse.  Instead, the source of inspiration should be fluid, always evolving, and adjusted to the project.  My muse is music.  With each paper, story, project, or event I create a special playlist.  Even in my professional life music is my muse:

Every fitness test I take requires a mile-and-a-half run.  Three weeks prior to the run I create a playlist that motivates me and lasts the exact amount of time I wish to complete—I never have problems with my run.  

I applied the same concept to my writing.  When I take leave to write the first hour is spent making a playlist, based on the scenes I plan to write.  This playlist repeats, for hours, as I pound out narrative.  Music has always motivated me, and I use that to improve the conditions for writing, and to maintain creativity.  Perhaps music isn’t your muse, but you need one; find something to pull emotion, drive, and creativity from your soul.  If you already have a muse, evaluate whether or not you are using it to the fullest extent to aid your writing process.

Successful writing is like physical fitness; doing something is always better than doing nothing--no matter the duration or complexity.  If you are a fan of this page then you have the drive to write and want to improve.  Take the next step, build upon your process and tailor your routine for success.  Above all else, remember that the process is independent for each of us, so if my categories don’t fit your situation find what does.  Your process should be personal, deep--almost ritualistic; if you don’t take the time to develop it becomes that much harder to achieve success.

Scott “Jinx” Jenkins

Scott Jenkins was born September 1986 into a military family. He developed a deep desire for writing at nine years old, comprising several one page stories for his parents and classmates. 'Goosebumps' and 'A Nightmare on Elm Street' solidified his desire for the darker topics. After a failed attempt at college, Scott followed in his father's footsteps and joined the Air Force. His military career is highlighted with a tour as a Military Training Instructor, two specialty codes, and several awards and decorations. The Air Force offered Scott a second chance at college, which he took full force; he holds four degrees: the highest is a Master's degree in Creative Writing—and keen desire to use it. Now, Scott spends his days fixing aircraft in the United States Air Force and spending time with his wife and children. However, he spends his nights in front of a computer carving his thoughts to page; occasionally with a glass of single malt scotch. Scott has developed several courses for the Air Force, written blogs for MaintainerNation.com, and acted as editor for MilitaryNations.com. His first book--The Devil's Assassins--was released for digital sale in July, 2016 and print in September, 2016. This was the first in his, 'A Bloody Hell on Earth' Saga which encompasses three independent series': 'The Devil's Assassins', 'The Widow Forest', and 'The Wicked'.

External links

Facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/JinxDaClown/

Amazon Author page:  https://www.amazon.com/Scott-Jenkins/e/B01I4IWKLG/ref=dp_byline_cont_book_1

The Devil’s Assassins:  https://www.amazon.com/Devils-Assassins-Book-I/dp/1535208082/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

If you would like to guest blog for Writing About Writing we would love to have an excuse to take a day off a wonderful diaspora of voices. Take a look at our guest post guidelines, and drop me a line at chris.brecheen@gmail.com.

Best Horror Novel/Novella (October Poll)

Image description: bats in a cemetery.

What is the best Horror genre Novel/Novella?

Our October/Halloween poll is live!  

Scariest? Most canonical? Best written? What is the best novel or novella in the horror genre.

I left out the two Poe nominations even though both got enough seconds. While I'm pretty generous about definitions, at only about 6000 and 7000 words respectively, both are definitely short stories, not novellas. (And I have an idea for something coming up to do with short stories.)

From your nominations we have put together nine titles. Everyone will be getting THREE (3) votes. Before you simply vote for your favorite six, consider that, as there is no ranking of those votes; each vote beyond one dilutes the power of your choices a little more. So if you have a genuine favorite–or pair of favorites–it's better to use as few votes as possible.

As always, remember that having no ability to cull shenanigans like double voting or calling in the troops, I encourage as much of it as possible. Vote early. Vote often.

The poll itself is on the left side, at the bottom of the side menus.

Face Flop (Personal Update)

Image description: Writer Chris looking a little tired.

Really Rough Draft  

Raw unfettered shit-  24,262 (Last week 19,084)[Just this week- 5178]  

Slightly polished turd- 12,402 (Last week 10,248)  [Just this week- 2154] 

I knew last week was going to be a tire fire, but it turned out to be a little bit worse than I even expected. As you can see, I got a little bit of raw copy punched out (and four out of five days of blog posts) but everything just kind of fell further into the dumpster fire as the week went on. I blew a post off on Friday and tried to get it up Saturday, I was sitting at my computer, after about five PM and thinking, "What am I doing? Even if I get this post up by sheer force of will, no one is going to be online to see it. Stop trying to make Fetch happen Gretchen! It's never going to happen!"

A few of good things came out of this spectacular face flop of a week.

1-  The Hall of Rectitude is through their crime fighting anniversary party. Nothing quite so "unexpected tag in" should be happening in the foreseeable future.

2- I learned that I cannot accurately gauge how bad a bad week is going to be. However bad I think it's going to be, it will be far, far worse, and I should prepare three times as much writing ahead as I think I'm going to need.

3- I have reorganized my writing time completely. The only time I'm reliably able to write at the same time every day is before noon, so my new writing time is from 6am to noon. Every. Single. Day. It means I'm not going to be the world's nightiest of owls (which goes against some of my personal highest productivity time), but I don't seem to be able to reliably walk in the door after a full day's work and put in more writing hours like I need to be doing to have a night schedule. Instead I'll walk in and flomph into bed, and the next morning will be the writing time.

4- I'm going to sit down with a date book and start planning out the posts of the week again. I got out of the habit of that when I was hanging onto life by one claw like a cat in a screen door, but now that time is coming back, this seat-of-the-pants shit is just disorganized. That'll probably mean we'll get much better about our posts conforming to a schedule around here.

5- Wrecking Ball has returned. It's probably time to finish up that story.

My "lesson" this week should be pretty easy to see coming and even easier to parse. Sometimes you have to be willing to completely overhaul what isn't working. If you don't have the financial clout to make your schedule do what you want, you might have to do what your schedule wants.

If you've got too much shit at night, write in the morning (even if night is your best time).  If life is just too unpredictable during the day, you carve out some time at night and write then. Wake up early. Stay up late. Claim that four hour spot from the time you get home until you have to cook dinner. Do whatever you have to do to set aside some time that doesn't get nibbled on by chores or work or social time or anything, and say, "This is for me. This is writing time. Stay away!"

And yes, even paid writers making money and even the professional working writers I know often come out of life shake ups with a different enough schedule that they have to work around it. (Especially when kids pop onto the scene. They ruin everything in the nicest ways.) All artists hit that point where they say "This is fucked and it's not self-correcting."  And the question is whether they will keep trying to jam that square peg into a clichè hole while they lose more and more productivity, or will they do whatever it takes to find the time to deliberately, consciously unfuck their creative time.

P.S. Our October poll for Best Horror Novel/Novella should be up in the next hour or so. Stay tuned.

Today's post tomorrow

Folks I'm writing the third part of my article about The privilege of writing daily (and the ableism of prescribing it).

It's going quite well, but it's longer than I expected, and I need to run and pick up the kid in a couple minutes. (I sort of knew this week was going to be hell, if you recall.)

Anyway, I want to do RIGHT by this article (and not put it up at 2am) so it will be going up tomorrow.

I should be able to get the Horror Novel/Novella nominations turned into a poll by this evening.

Best Modern Science Fiction (Poll Results)

Thank you to everyone who participated in our Best Modern Science Fiction poll. It looked like Ready Player One was going to sweep, but then The Martian came up from behind. And even though we had a couple of really close races, I had to call it eventually.

Thanks for a great turn out this month!

Tomorrow around this time our October poll will go live: Best Horror Novel/Novella.  And just to keep people appraised, none of the nominations will be going on to the poll if they don't have at least TWO "seconds." So if you've got any last nominations or just want to see something there make it onto the poll, please make your voices known.

Last Call: Best Horror/Best Modern Sci Fi

What is the best Modern Sci Fi Book or Series? Last chance to vote!

What is the best Horror Novel/Novella? Last chance to nominate.

Remember Wednesdays are always going to be a little light around here. The best thing I can hope for to make up for it is that once we're further in the groove (and not getting sick every damned week) there will be more "brunch posts" on Thursday and Friday and some weekend posts as well.   

But for today we have two orders of business:

Number one- Please don't forget to vote in our current poll for Best Modern Science Fiction.

RESULTS WILL GO UP TOMORROW as a brunch post.

While there's a clear front runner, many of the other races are tight. This is your last chance to find an upset. The poll is over on the left

Number two-

Nominate and second titles in our current call for Best Horror Novel/Novella.

RESULTS WILL GO UP FRIDAY as a brunch post.

Due to the popularity of this poll, the fact that we're not going to have time for semifinal rounds before the end of the month (the very spooky and scary Halloween, of course), and the large number of nominations with one second we will only take titles with at least TWO "seconds." So if you see your fave sitting out there with one second, better use your life line to dial a friend.

This is Not Real (Arielle K Harris)

This guy couldn't care less if you think he's real.
He's going through some stuff right now.
Image description: dragon perched on a mountain spire.

This is Not Real  
By Arielle K Harris

“I don’t read fiction,” someone once said to me, unwisely.  “I like to read things that are real.”

That’s bullshit, I thought, but I smiled and my chin made a movement that could have been a nod or maybe just some kind of involuntary nervous tick.  Either way I must have seemed harmless enough as I wrestled to keep my socially inappropriate rant to myself, and successfully avoided alienating said person.  I think I’m making progress in knowing how to talk to people.  (It seems like the key is not saying 75% of what I’d like to say, and then heavily editing the other 25%.)

Real.  It’s a term which I find unhelpful at the best of times.  What is reality if not perception?  What is perception if not totally and utterly subjective?  So why on earth do people make a point of reality, as if it were some objective timeline of events totally unaffected by outside influences?  Your non-fiction books are no more inherently trustworthy than my fictions.  Let’s not even begin to discuss the heartrending truths found in fantasy.

In fiction, I can explore my thoughts, my experiences (both factual and speculative) and fully actualize my wholly subjective version of reality through my characters.  I’ll write their human flaws, their triumphs and heartbreaks.  Maybe it’s set on the moon, or during the Siege of Jerusalem in 1099, or in the land of Fythelm of The Twinned Oaks.  It changes nothing about the reality of the human experience.  (Unless of course the characters aren’t actually human at all but in that case you just get to learn how Martians or Fythemians experience the world.  And sometimes the best way to discuss the complexities of humanity is by seeing it through the eyes of an outsider, or by the foil of the inhuman.)

I’ve told an utterly made up, fictionalized, perhaps fantastic story, and I own that it’s not fact.  But it’s a true story, and it’s real.  Real because I experienced it through the writing process, it’s part of me, and real for my readers because they experienced it themselves through the telepathy of my words.

Writing is telepathy, don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.  I have a thought and by writing that thought down you now have that same thought in your head, even though we never exchanged a single word.

I just made you think of cheese.

Through this intimate thought-sharing process we call reading, there’s a further unspoken communication between the author and the reader which almost bypasses word and thought altogether.  It can be summed up in the following exchange:

Author: I know, I know, but just trust me on this.

Reader: …OK.

There’s a quote I’ve always loved by Ursula K Le Guin, from her essay “Introduction to the Left Hand of Darkness” in which she writes:

In reading a novel, any novel, we have to know perfectly well that the whole thing is a nonsense, and then, while reading, believe every word of it.  Finally, when we’re done with it, we may find – if it’s a good novel – that we’re a bit different from what we were before we read it, that we have been changed a little.

I’d prefer the word “nonsense” be changed to “factual” but the message is true regardless.

The reader isn’t expected to believe that it’s a factual story in genre (how I loathe that terrible word!) and fiction writing.  The author isn’t asking the reader to believe that dragons exist on earth today or have ever existed here or anywhere else.  But they’re asking the reader to believe that in this story set on the ninth planet from the star in the Herak’n system that dragons exist and that this one right now in this moment is having an identity crisis.  Because that crisis is written so profoundly, so harrowingly real, the reader believes it.

This can be a true story because maybe the author has gone through their own identity crisis that they can tell through the narrative of a dragon on an alien planet.  Or perhaps they can imagine a dragon identity crisis without personal experience of either identity crises or dragons or alien planets and can internalize that conflict within themselves.  The success of either path is purely down to good writing, and upholding the trust of the reader who desperately wants to believe their story.  And maybe that reader will never look up at the night sky quite the same again.

As Albert Camus said, “Fiction is the lie through which we tell the truth.”

And after all, what a waste of literary magic if the only worlds you get to visit through an author’s mind is the one you already live in?


Arielle K Harris is the author of the novel Bestial as well as the ridiculous steampunk time travel drama short story The Adventurous Time Adventures of Doctor When.  She is responsible for one very opinionated toddler as well as a writer, poet, falconer, knitter of many half-finished scarves, drinker of tea, enthusiast for wine and sometimes has been known to have wild birds in her spare room.

She can be found online at her own website: www.ariellekharris.com as well as on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ariellekharris/ and her published work can be found on Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com/author/ariellekharris

If you would like to guest blog for Writing About Writing we would love to have an excuse to take a day off a wonderful diaspora of voices. Take a look at our guest post guidelines, and drop me a line at chris.brecheen@gmail.com.