Writercize #FlashbackFriday - Naming Babies

Last weekend I attended a baby naming party. For those who want input from friends and family leading up to baby's birth, it was truly genius. 

Mom and Dad collected names, and plugged 14 choices into brackets that both agreed were good names. The night of the party, attendees chose their top choices among several additional "pre-vetted" names - the top two were entered into the brackets, making a total of eight pair-ups of two names each. Think of it as the "Sweet 16" of baby names.

From there, friends and family compared and contrasted sets of names - there were debates galore about famous people, personal experiences with certain names, nicknames good and bad, positive and negative associations, rhymes, considerations of the last name. Aspects of pairs like Dexter vs. Pierce and Grant vs. George were picked over with a fine-toothed comb. 

"Presidential!" "Mass-murderer!" "Screams cowboy!" "Rough elocution!"

Lots of fun, but could be rough for sensitive parents-to-be with a true preference or affinity for a particular name.

Once the discussion for each pair wound down, they went to vote, with the majority vote moving on to the next round. The names were whittled down from "Sweet 16" to "Elite 8" - then the semi-finals and finalist.

Before anything went to vote, attendees filled out brackets and threw in five bucks to add intensity to the challenge. Winner took all - one point per winner in the first round, two points per winner in the second round, three points per winner in the third round, and four points for the overall winner - 26 points total up for grabs.

Throw in balloons, pink or blue chocolates, champagne, pizza and cupcakes, and you have a co-ed baby shower (or in this case, just plain old party) to remember.

I have to admit, when it came down to finals, I was torn between voting for a name that I liked a bit more than I was expecting and the name that I had put down as the winning ticket. Certainly added a bit of a twist. Vote for a potential payout with my original pick or vote for a name I was digging in the moment? The intensity! The drama! The FUN!

The hosts did include a clause claiming full legal authority to disregard the choice upon completion of the birth certificate. However, since they were 16 choices both liked, that would be highly unlikely. They also held onto the full right to pick a middle name all on their own.

When it came to naming my own girls, my husband and I immediately agreed on the names, and didn't share them with another soul until after they were born. Our families kept perking up their ears, hoping for us to slip and use real names rather than Baby A or Baby B, but we never did. And which name belonged to who was not chosen until after they were born, and the NICU staff wanted something to put on their beds. My husband randomly assigned the two names we'd selected while I recovered in Labor and Delivery immediately post-birth.

This was night and day from our selection process, and I loved being a part of it.

I also felt like it was time to do a flashback to an old writercize from several months ago, about playing with names. Read on! The sample is my original sample, but I have eliminated the lead-up. To see the entire post, click on "Inspired by a Phone Book."

Have fun with it! Look for #FlashbackFriday posts this fall, as well as a return to the #WeekendWritercize coming soon. Guest posts will also make a comeback and original writercizes are on the way! The girls are back in school, and this Mama is ready to WRITE!

writercize:  Grab a phone book (or name generator ... or name shake app).  Close your eyes and open to any random page.  Point to anywhere on the page.  Create a completely fictional character based on that name.  

(I would recommend against disclosing the location of your phone book for this exercise - make up a fake location, or leave it out.  It is legal to create a fictional story about a real name, provided you state it is fiction, but the less you reveal about a person's true identity, the better for everyone.)

Click "read more" for writercizer sample response about a Cecilia Guerra.

 

Quirky Characters - writercize #186 #AtoZChallenge

When creating a fictional character, it is of my humble opinion that one should always infuse a certain amount of quirkiness into the character's being. Whether you want to show your reader that character's quirky side or not is up to you, but if you truly know your character, you know the funky little things they do.

Why quirky?

Well, it certainly makes a person more lovable. I had a roommate once upon a time, whom I will not name, but state I no longer keep in touch with this person (just in case any of my old roomies are reading this and wondering if it is you - it's not!), who was a bit of a tight ass. She was polite enough, and smart enough, and honestly charming enough on the surface level, but she walked a bit of a tightrope between Debbie Downer and Serious Sue. She just couldn't let loose and laugh, and I always felt every word out of my mouth was being judged and calculated. She absolutely could not make a mistake and took perfectionist to the extreme. Oddly enough, talking to our other roommate years later, each of us had felt strongly that this particular roommate preferred the others' company and disliked us!

Anyway, one day as I was taking a long walk with this particular roommate, she opened up and told me something odd about her hands. I don't totally remember what it was anymore, but it had something to do with blue nails and cold fingertips and nerves and insecurities. And in that moment, knowing this odd quirky thing about how her hands reacted physically to any emotional insecurities she was dealing with, I decided that I really liked her. That tiny bit of insight made her human and real and vulnerable, and I adored her. She went from being this uptight, cold shoulder robot to a real person who was just as annoyed about hiding herself with her uptight ways as I was living with them.

Sometimes quirks do just that, make a person more human. Sometimes quirks make a person easier to relate to. Sometimes, quirks make people more charming, like Zooey Deschanel's character in Yes Man. Sometimes quirks make people annoying. Sometimes, quirks confuse people, like Claire Dunphy in Modern Family who inadvertently smiles when giving bad news.

We all have quirks, little things like tapping our toes or averting our eyes, or talking too fast when we meet people, or avoiding black cats and ladders. Some little thing that our conscious mind just can't quite control. Figure out what your character does, his/her "tell" as it were for poker players, and see how it plays out in the character's career and relationships.

Our quirks are often complex in relationship, those things that first attract and then repel. Classic things that first make us unique and then make us too different. 

Think of a guy with, say, a collection of old Hot Wheels. Maybe kind of cool at first, makes the girl dig his playful side and see the kid at heart, perhaps see a potential for some good cash from collectors on eBay when time comes to give up the bachelor pad. Then super annoying when dinner conversations turn to Hot Wheels makes and models and the cars that he wishes they had produced. Quirky.

writercize: Give your character something 2-3 quirks to work with, something to make them unique. It is best if it is a trait that has the power to both endear and annoy, depending on the relationship and circumstances.

You can do this to create a new character, or you can pick a character in your story to finesse.

Leave your writercize as a comment and be sure to leave your website so I can come pay you a visit! I am a bit behind on visiting blogs with A to Z and quite a bit of travel this month, but I will make it sooner or later and love to see your creative juices flowing!

Click "read more" for writercize sample response.

Myers-Briggs Personality - writercize #182 #AtoZChallenge

Please note the #WeekendWritercize is on hold until May. I love all the entries that come in and want to give them all the attention they deserve, and with 26 posts the month of April and nearly 2000 blogs to visit with the #AtoZChallenge, I have made the decision to place the weekly challenge on hold. Look for it to come back with a vengeance (hint, hint?) on May 6!

I do a lot of volunteer work and work on committees, and this week a discussion of the Myers-Briggs personality test came up, something I haven't thought about since my days in business school many years ago. 

The Myers-Briggs test is a personality test that divides people into sixteen (surprisingly accurate) groups. Corporations like to use Myers-Briggs to see if an employee will be a good match for a particular job, but it can also be used to understand overall strengths and weaknesses of a person and how they act in marriage, friendships, as parents, etc.

I am not sure which age a Myers-Briggs reading can be considered accurate, but I took it when I was 21 and I don't believe it has changed in more than a decade. 

Most writers supposedly test INFP, a.k.a. idealists. They are introverted, intuitive, feeling and perceiving. 

Here's the short list of INFP from PersonalityPage (linked above): "Quiet, reflective, and idealistic. Interested in serving humanity. Well-developed value system, which they strive to live in accordance with. Extremely loyal. Adaptable and laid-back unless a strongly-held value is threatened. Usually talented writers. Mentally quick, and able to see possibilities. Interested in understanding and helping people"

I do not test INFP or fit the writer profile. 

I test ENTP, a.k.a. visionary, and the description fits me like a glove. Switch that I to an E, and you get a (marginal for me) extrovert, and switch the F to a T and you get a thinker rather than a feeler. 

I am a person who loves to lead, but hates to control the way people do things. Loves to come up with ideas and the plan, but balks at following through. Time and schedules are flexible; structure freaks me out. I *need* surprise and spontaneity sprinkled into my life, or I wither with boredom and a lack of inspiration after. 

For me, life is all about shades of gray, vision and connections. It's about creating something new.  I would prefer to leave the details to someone else. I also have a very difficult time finishing things that I start, and daily routines drive me batty. 

I love debate, and my closest friends often have fundamentally different ideas politically or on select social issues. I appreciate the insight and opinion they can provide to give me a glimpse of the other side. I love big ideas and piecing together different bits of information and opinions to find the story. Perhaps a reason I am drawn to journalism, where I don't have to come up with the story, I just have to uncover what is already there.

Because repetition and finishing are tough, the A to Z Challenge is truly a challenge, and I do allow myself to slip a day here and there with the promise to myself that by April 30, I will have 26 posts reflecting each of the letters, and I will have visited at least one third of the blogs listed on the challenge sign up. It is a challenge, but it is a short-term challenge, and one that I relish.

I would love to know if you are familiar with your Myers-Briggs, or if you have assigned characters in your stories Myers-Briggs. I think it would be fascinating to take characters in your novels and take the test as your character, to see where they fall and some of the traits they may express. It could give you insight that you would not have otherwise considered! 

You can take some versions of the Myers-Briggs online for free, although they are not the real deal, so it may not accurately reflect your personality. Certainly for characters in novels, it could still offer valuable insight.

writercize: Use the Myers-Briggs finding to delve into a character study (of yourself or a character in a novel). 

Please share your personal story or character study and provide a link to your blog so I can come visit! I would love to hear what you have to say

Writercizer sample response coming soon!  (Yep, that whole finishing thing ... !)  ;)  But, until I do post further, consider my ENTP description above my character study.

Listed - writercize #168

What is in a name, and what does it say about a character?

A few months ago, I challenged readers to write a brief character study "Inspired by a Phone Book." Cecilia Guerra was the name that popped up for me, and I wrote a fictional account of a person whose real name appears in a local phone book.

Today, I am challenging you to a similar exercise with a slightly simpler task. No grammar or paragraphs necessary, just a list of things to know about your character. 

You can approach the list by stating facts, such as demographics and career, by acknowledging major events that have happened in a character's life, by compiling a list of adjectives to describe the character, by their passions in life, whatever you would like to do. You just have to list it. If you want to take it to the next level today or at some point in the future, you will have something to work off of!

writercize: Go to a random name generator. Get your random name and compile a list of 10-20 things about that character. 

(If you are currently working on a novel or short story, skip the name generator, and pick one of your characters who is giving you the most trouble. Use them for this exercise to get to know them better!)

Please share your results here, and feel free to leave your website if you'd like me to reciprocate the visit.  (This post inspired by the GBE2 Week 44 - "Make a List and Title It." GBE, aka the Group Blogging Experience, is open to membership and housed on Facebook.)

Click "read more" for writercizer sample response.

Branded - writercize #156

Before I move along to today's post about branding, let me take a moment to brand this blog. Did you see that I am a Top Writing Blog nominee through eCollegeFinder and voting is open through February 3? Yay! Click on the button at the top of the column to your right to cast your vote. Just scroll down to writercize, check it and hit submit. Reload and repeat. I'd love it if you voted for writercize, but seriously check out the list, there are some awesome blogs on there.

Now, onto branding and today's writercize... 

Think for a moment about the conclusions you draw about a person based on material images. Is there a difference between a Ford person and a Chevy person? How about a Hummer and a Prius? Do you make a judgment about what a person is like whether they are wearing Oakleys or aviator sunglasses? How about Levi's versus Guess, Starbucks versus Dunkin' Donuts, Whole Foods versus Walmart? Are there fundamental differences in who we are based on the branding decisions we make every day?

Like it or not, as humans we do use images of these brands to determine a person's character and values. As writers, we can substitute brands for characteristics, if used sparingly. We can also draw on brands to identify location without spelling it outright, by using local chains in a story. I understand this is a technique that Steven King sometimes utilizes in his novels, although I have to admit I have yet to read anything that he has written. Again, I would not litter my prose with brands, knowing that it could date the story quickly or feel more like an infomercial than a novel, but the occasional drop helps the reader understand a character's circumstances.

For example, rather than say a person is concerned about safety on the road and is always thinking about how to make the family safer, you can say she pulled her Volvo out of the parking lot. If you want to make a country boy feel out of place in the big city, have him walk up to a Saks wearing Wranglers.

writercize: Pick three to five adjectives you would use to describe the user of each of the following brands:

• Gatorade
• FUBU
• Pottery Barn
• Northface (or REI if unfamiiar)
• Toyota Prius

If you are up for an extra challenge, work at least one into a scene.

Click "read more" for writercizer sample response.

Day After Psychology - Return, Regift, Keep? - writercize #146

December 26 is generally considered the second busiest day of the retail year in the United States, between returns, purchases using gift card money and seeking deep post-Christmas discounts on holiday items and overstock.

It's also an interesting time to watch the shoppers.  There are the scrimpers out to save and the excited kids ready to spend holiday money on the gift of their choice, but there are also droves of people who hid disappointment over a gift with a wide smile and a polite thank you now ready to trade their unwanted wares in for something more their style.  I heard one woman state her first and last name on national radio and expose the gift she was rushing to the store to return.  Ballsy!

What do you do if you receive a gift you don't especially care for? Do you keep it, and stare at it in guilt for not using it? Do you keep it and use it, even though you don't like it? Do you regift or donate to charity? Or do you head straight back to the store for a return or exchange? If you are the gifter, would any of the above options offend you? What does the behavior say about the receiver, and what does the preference say about the giver? What would happen during the awkward moment when the person returning a gift runs into the gift-giver in line at the store?

writercize: Create a short character sketch of a person based on his/her solution to an unwanted gift.

Click "read more" for writercizer sample response about a woman who keeps ugly sweaters.

Inspired by a Phone Book - writercize #137

Names keep popping up lately.  

Pregnant friends considering baby names.  Photographs of names inspiring short stories in a book I'm reading, The Doorbells of Florence, by Andrew Losowsky.  Articles about selecting the perfect character name in writing magazines.  Discussions about how one of my daughters will have to correct people how to spell her name her whole life because we used her great grandmother's "i" rather than the more common "y" here.

Yes, my mind is swimming with names.  So, I figured, why not take a real name as inspiration and create a short fictional character study or vignette?  Hopefully you have a real, old fashioned phone book sitting around the house somewhere.  If not, you can apparently use a Name Shake app on your iPhone or you can google "random name" and use any of the name generators that pop up.

writercize:  Grab a phone book (or name generator ... or name shake app).  Close your eyes and open to any random page.  Point to anywhere on the page.  Create a completely fictional character based on that name.  

(I would recommend against disclosing the location of your phone book for this exercise - make up a fake location, or leave it out.  It is legal to create a fictional story about a real name, provided you state it is fiction, but the less you reveal about a person's true identity, the better for everyone.)

Click "read more" for writercizer sample response about a Cecilia Guerra.

The Inner Battlefield: Nature vs. Nurture - writercize #128

A few years ago, a good friend of mine posted a status update on his Facebook along the lines of: "Why can't we all just get along?"

I chuckled momentarily and headed to the park with my toddlers.  It took all of two seconds at the park to recognize the answer to his question.  

"Because we are programmed not to."

Every essence of our being is made to compete - for space, for attention, for affection, for food, for shelter, for the chance to say to everyone - "you see? I was right!".  

At the park, a swing set is a guaranteed war zone when the number of children exceeds the number of swings.  There is a battle to be first down the slide.  It is absolutely natural for a child to push, stomp, cry, scream or otherwise act in a completely unreasonable manner to get his or her way.  It is innate.  I know I did it.  And I'd bet money you did it too.  

By two, a child may be stubborn and throw a temper tantrum, but they ultimately know that they will eventually have to give in to society's whim and engage in civil interaction.  But between a year and about twenty months, heaven help the unlucky one who gets in the way of a full-on all-natural wild child.

Nothing natural tells us to work together, to cooperate, to accept and acknowledge one another's strengths and weaknesses.  That's all learned.  (And sometimes forgotten.)  Head to a playground at 10 a.m. any weekday morning, and you will see what mothers around the world work to nurture out of our truest nature.

Now, this is not to say that we don't also naturally crave warmth and love and human touch.  We do, but that comes from a rapport based on mutual recognition and trust ... and perhaps a few genes.  

The first six months, I was shocked to observe that my twins did not like each other.  At all.  They wanted my attention, only my attention, twenty-four hours a day, and not divided with one another or any other person in the world.  They wanted my smiles, my coos, my cuddles, my milk.  

When the second came home from the hospital two days later than the first, the first hit, kicked, pushed and even tried to lick her away.  They were two weeks old.  They would cuddle while sleeping and wanted to be close during the night, but in the day a glance at the other would set them off.  

At six months, something magical happened and they realized they did not have a choice in the matter, and started a friendship.  

When the were in that crazy toddler stage, they ganged up to support one another against all the other baby strangers at the park who might actually want a turn walking up the stairs or heading down the slide.  Not the proudest moment for a Mama, but hey, it's natural, and at least they could stand each other by that point, right?

Somewhere deep (or perhaps more shallow) inside of you, there is a natural instinct that wants to scream and shout and let it all out. You may work hard to nurture it away, and you may know that it's best to play and work with others, but a part of who you are is knowing who you are not, and that leads directly to a comparison with others and an enemy.  

It is natural to define ourselves as much by what we are not as by what we are.

That which we are not is at best unknown or confusing, and at worst an enemy.  This is especially true in societies, which are prone to reflect and magnify the weaknesses of our nature despite our attempts to civilize and nurture strength of character on a personal level.

Try to imagine the United States without an "enemy."  To feel as though we are a superpower, we need someone to defeat.  We have a long history of opposing forces, from the way we overpowered the Native Americans to the way we broke away from the British, fought North against South, worked to defeat the Germans, feared the Russians, fought in Vietnam and Korea and now wage war in the Middle East.  

How much better would the world be if instead of countries our enemies were poverty (in our own country and abroad), the oppression of women and trafficking humans and arms?  How much more could we do if we battled those injustices with the strength and force and resolve that we fight wars with nations, using science and education and agriculture and incentives over military power?

There is something in us that fights a constant battle between that nature that we have as members of the animal kingdom, and the nurture that we are raised with to set ourselves apart as human.

A glimpse into that battle within your character, whether it is a children's book, a journalistic expose' or the next great American novel, is fascinating.  It touches all of us on a level that we may not even want to admit to ourselves.

writercize:  Write a brief inner dialogue of a man or woman facing a personal battle of nature vs. nurture.  

This could be any situation you like - the beginning or end of a relationship or career, a pivotal moment in a person's morality building, a fight vs. flight response - your choice.

Click "read more" for writercizer sample response about a man and his ex who can't resist ignoring him.

This writercize created based on the prompt "nature vs. nurture" over at GBE2, hosted by the blog world's most popular hostess with the mostest, Ms. Elizabeth Grace.

Balancing Act - writercize #116

Did you catch the Guest Post yesterday by Beth Grace of Word Nerd Speaks?  It was a good one!  I double-dog challenge you to try out her 55-word writercize.  Leave your attempt as a comment, and then head over to visit Beth's blog for more of her voice!

Now, on to today ... I always love a simple character study, based off of minimal information.  It's fascinating how deeply writers can jump into a person's alleged psyche and personal life by watching small cues.  Often, the life invented is probably far more imaginative, exciting, tragic, romantic (insert appropriate adjective here) than the reality, but that's the fun of it all!

My challenge to you today is to take a simple bit of information and create a character and the situation that has driven them to this moment of time.

writercize:  A man stands on a ledge in the middle of a bridge, balanced just so that he doesn't fall.  There are witnesses positioned nearby.  He has closed his eyes for a moment and raised his head slightly to the sky.

What is his story?  Who is he and why is he there?

Click "read more" for writercizer sample response.

Measures of Importance - writercize #113

How do you tell if a person is important?  

I like to believe that there is equality in the worth and value of all people, but I also am realistic enough to see that it is not the general perception.  Money, status and power can boost a person's "importance" (generally relates directly to influence) in society.

One friend of mine from college would say that in New York City, you could instantly pick out who was important during their weekend walk through Central Park by what they wore.  His take was the reverse of what one might imagine.  The more powerful politicians and bankers were dressed down in sweats and old t-shirts, looking relaxed and comfortable, while the entry-level politicians and bankers would dress in a suit and tie, always ready to impress whoever they may run into.  I can't say if this is true, but the comment has stuck with me for more than ten years.

In the Old Testament of the Bible, importance was indicated by a person's age.  Adam and Noah were both over 900 years old at the time of death, Abraham was nearing 200 years and Moses was well past the 100 year old mark.  There are literalists who believe that is the actual age that these people grew to be, but the more commonly accepted notion is that the numbers were indicative of importance in the stories.  Here's one Bible Geek's (self-named; I did not give the nickname) take on the question: "Why are people so old in the Old Testament?"

You may choose to use age, shoes, clothing brands, where a person shops, how they eat, if they have servants, what car they drive, their title at work, height, how others refer to them (John or Mr. Matthews or dude or sir?), IQ or a myriad of other means to tell your reader how important your characters are without spelling it out.

writercize:  Choose a way to measure the importance of a person.  To illustrate, compare two characters in a very short scene.

Click "read more" to see writercizer sample response about shoes.

Meteoric Metaphors - writercize #112

Who doesn't love a good chat about the weather?  It's a brilliant topic - easy, impersonal and every person can relate.  A trite boring, perhaps, but nonetheless... a safe thing to fall back on when all else fails.

Today as I was on the road, I was watching the gray skies and thinking about how closely related weather is to mood, and, more to the point, how accurately we can describe the way we feel or someone's personality by comparing it to the weather.  A meteoric metaphor matches climate with mood for a way to describe your character's psyche at any given point.

Another tool for a writer?  Rather than writing about your character's mind, place your character in a scene where the atmospheric conditions match their situation.  (Confused and angry mind on a stormy day.)  Or, alternatively, place your character in a scene where the atmospheric conditions run exactly counter to their thoughts.  (Confused and angry mind under the bright sun of a summer parade route.)

writercize:  Describe your character's personality or mood using the weather as your inspiration.

Click "read more" for writercize sample response about a person who teeters between anxiety, calm and depression.

Most Likely To ... - writercize #111

Among the final pages of the yearbook from my senior year of high school, my name is right next to the "most likely to return as teacher" verdict.  I was satisfied, the title was a result of all the seniors free-writing names on a list of about 15 "most likely" awards, so I was glad to have been considered for anything at all.  

I am not a teacher, nor do I live in Portland, Oregon, where I'd have to be to teach at my old school, but I do visit nearly every time I return home to see my family, and it always feels good to walk down the hallways.  I am one of those people who always loved school, particularly when I was learning something new and given creative control over assignments.  I even liked studying and finals.  I was not a fan of anything that I deemed a waste of time, and I must admit I failed one quarter of Scripture (attended Catholic High School) with a perfect 50%.  I scored 100% on tests, and a big fat zero on homework assignments, which I refused to turn in on principle.  The instructor simply assigned us to copy pieces of the bible verbatim, and I figured I had better things to do with both my time and my brain than xerox passages by hand.  When he expressed regret over giving me a failing grade for the quarter, knowing that I understood the material, I looked him square in the eye, and told him that I was fine with the grade if he was.  If his methods didn't identify comprehension, perhaps he wanted to alter his grading or assignments, but if his goal was to identify who would blindly follow an assignment, his system was successful.  He changed a couple of assignments the following quarter, including a rewrite of the nativity story in the new testament, and I completed each assignment that bore some creativity and provoked thought.  I still skipped anything that required me to copy.  I believe that quarter I received a D.  Thanks to my understanding of the material and successful test-taking, and a final weighted at 1/3 of the semester grade, I finished the class with a C+ despite two very poor quarterly grades.

That was an exception, and most of my classes were in the A to B+ range.  I loved any assignment that stretched my mind.  I was still guilty of procrastination, as many other students, but I took a lot of joy in thinking about the world in different ways and learning from the students and teachers around me.

Even though I have not fulfilled my "calling" per the high school yearbook, I feel like the idea behind it was pretty spot-on.  After all, I love learning, research, school activities, community action and involvement, and, obviously, coming up with assignments and lesson plans!

writercize:  You have two options, both based on "most likely to" awards.

• If you are already working on a book and your character is an adult, give them a most likely award.  
• If you are looking to spark some fun writing, create a most likely award and create a character profile to go along with the award.

Note: You don't have to feel limited by the standard "most likely to succeed" or "most likely to become a millionaire."  We had "most likely to travel the country by train as a groupie" and "most likely to wear a lampshade as a hat" - get creative!

Click "read more" for writercizer sample response inventing a few most likely high school awards and their characters.  Leave your writercize response as a comment to share your results with the exercise!

Animal, Adopt Human Trait - writercize #108

Loyal as a dog.  Clever as a cat.  Skittish as a horse.  

Who hasn't heard a person compared to an animal?  Metaphors identifying animals with human traits, giving them broad characteristics, and comparing them back to humans, is a useful way to paint a picture of a person.  The metaphor evokes a natural association while inferring other characteristics of that animal back upon the person.

When I hear that someone is loyal as a dog, I also might assume they are obedient, or strike back when someone attacks a loved one, or defer to authority.  When I hear someone is clever as a cat, I may assume they are also a little sneaky, independent, selfish.  And skittish as a horse, well I'd assume they are strong-willed and would buck anyone off for getting in their way.

It's not that I've never come across a disloyal dog or a cat that's missing a few of its marbles, but that's the way generalizations are - they discount the exceptions.  Today you get to generalize away and play with an animal characteristic.

writercize:  Pick an animal and give it a human trait.  Now work that reference into a short scene.

Click "read more" for writercizer fictional sample response about a person prickly as a porcupine.  Leave your writercize as a comment!

Black, White and Shades of Gray - writercize #105

When we're young, we tend to see the world in black and white, right and wrong.  

As we grow older and gain exposure to nuances and ideas outside of our parents' world, we generally move along the spectrum towards a world that exists in funny shades of gray or vibrant hues of color.  The grays I'd classify as primarily pessimistic, the colors as primarily optimistic, but both have the ability to see complexities and shades and issues from different views.  A select few don't gain this type of vision and instead move further towards the extremes of coal and alabaster, defining themselves exclusively by one ideal or another.  

Yet, despite our ability to see many sides of an issue, we still represent ourselves to the outside world with singular definitions.  Middle-class.  Rich.  Poor.  African American.  Hispanic.  White.  Republican.  Democrat.  Male.  Female.  Laborer.  Manager.  Cop.  Writer.  Gay.  Straight.  American.  European.  Atheist.  Jewish.  Christian.  Muslim.  High school dropout.  College graduate.  Doctor.  Mother.  Father.  Sister.  Brother.  Husband.  Wife.  Eco-conscious.  Consumer.  Book smart.  Street smart.  Athletic.  Dumb.  Meat-eater.  Vegan.  Food addict.  Victim.  Survivor.  Lazy.  Go-getter.  Reliable.  Flaky.  Young.  Old.  Ugly.  Beautiful.

We string along a series of titles and tags for ourselves to connect with people who are similar, to save the time of explaining our belief systems, to avoid taking the time to evaluate our thoughts in front of another person, to oppose people we disagree with, to build a community, to simplify and make sense of what we can not fully comprehend, to gift ourselves with a faith or belief that might shatter under the scrutiny of ourselves or our peers.  

And we use these shortcuts to let the world know that we exist and we stand for something.  We mean something.  We have a point of view.  It's easier to use a singular definition than explain what we really mean

When you are writing and you want to know your character intimately, know which words they would use to define themselves.  Now dig deeper.  Know their doubts about those definitions.  Dig even deeper.  Get to know how they blatantly go against their said definitions and beliefs in particular situations.  Understand when they would abandon said belief or identity for self-satisfaction, survival, security, to fit in, to stand out.  

I've always felt that the better I got to know a person, the more difficulty I had defining who they were.  I could explain a person I met after five minutes using a series of labels, but I would get tongue-tied when asked to describe a best friend or a boyfriend.  No definition felt sufficient, so I would resort to small, seemingly mundane irrelevant stories that represented their core, and acknowledge that they were not one thing all the time. 

These complexities, the holes that eat at the words that we use to present ourselves to the world, the realities behind formation of such identities, are what make us interesting, and human.  They make us vulnerable, easy to relate to, stubborn and confusing. 

writercize:  Create a character in your mind by using 3-5 descriptive, labeling words to describe who they are, as they would describe themselves to the world around them.  Now tear it apart by exposing at least one way in which s/he does not fit into the self-inflicted label.

Click "read more" to see writercizer sample response.

I Name Thee - writercize #101

Before I continue - did you know there's a contest going on here at writercize?  Depending on where you live, a pizza meal or a cup of coffee is on the line - enter here: It's a Pizza - writercize (for a prize) #100.  Contest closes Tuesday, Sept. 13.

Ok, onto a fun little game, in honor of parents, children, simple word inspired games and the Group Blogging Experience.  

One of the most important things a parent will give a child, beyond the normal love, attention, food, shelter bit, is a name.  Expectant parents often put weeks, even months, into finding just the right name for their bun in the oven.  

My mom's parents and siblings squabbled for such a long time that she was born without a name and referred to exclusively as my Grandpa's nickname for her "Tuni" (from petunia) for most of her life.  After she was born, she was named "RoseAnne" but hates the name and never introduces herself as such.

My husband and I were luckier.  We chose family names for our twins - one is named after his favorite grandma, the other after mine.  We didn't tell a soul what their names would be until their birth; we just kept up with the doctor's "A" and "B" designation and never had to hear a word of dissent over their monikers.  It was a pretty good way to go about it, I think.

My parents gave me the unique name "Alana" and the ubiquitous middle name "Marie" so I have the simple with the rare which works for me.  They had some hurdles.  As two teachers, inevitably each name they considered came with an association of a previous student, whether they were an overachiever, troublemaker, lazy, bright, etc.  Makes things rough!

It's always amazing to me how many people compliment others on their name as if they had something to do with it.  I often get, "wow, that's a cool name" or "I really like your name."  I generally say, "Thanks, I like it too!" or "Yep, I'm lucky my parents picked a good one."

It's always fun to find out how people chose names - after mythological characters, family members, because their names are simple and they want something unique for their kids or vice versa, from name books, etc.  So, today you get to name an entire family however you like.  

In The Pocket Muse, a fun little book for writers, the author Monica Wood suggests that when a writer is totally stuck for inspiration, they should take advantage of their job which allows them to make up names all the time.  She points at that most people only get the chance when getting a new pet or a new baby, but writers can do it all the time!  You may even come up with a name you love so much it inspires a whole new story.  I like her train of thought and wanted to take it to the next level.

writercize:  Name a family of two parents and at least two children - any combination of sexes.  

Take into account who they are and what they are into.  Family history?  Pirates?  Literature?  Movies?  Geography?  Horoscopes?  Foreign languages?  Syllables, rhyming or first letters?  Run with it ...

Click "read more" for writercizer sample response about a family of nature lovers on the hippy side.

Listen In - writercize #91

I’ve written before about the sheer pleasure of writers to people-watch and construct the lives of strangers, but this writercize takes people watching one step further, right past the nosey line.  It’s listening in to tidbits of conversations from those around you, gathering random bits of information from strangers as they sit nearby at a restaurant or take a walk outside. 

It could be the pair of girlfriends out for a run while you sit on the bench to tie your shoe, the guys out to celebrate a victory game at the tavern, friends chatting over a cup of coffee at the local coffee shop, the couple in the waiting room at the doctor’s office. 

Although those being eavesdropped on may disagree, it’s a great way for writers to pick up on realistic dialogue and understand the psyche of a wide variety of characters.   People will sometimes share quite a bit – I once overheard an entire first date conversation between two middle-aged people who shopped at Costco.  They discussed at length how they would separate items out of the package and have to freeze portions so that the food wouldn’t spoil before they’d have time to eat it all alone.  The entire conversation oozed loneliness; it was a declaration of why they so desperately sought companionship, even that of a blind date who otherwise had nothing in common.  Good stuff.

I’ve heard juicy details about fights with roommates, nasty anecdotes about bugs and rodents that really just shouldn’t be shared anywhere near anything edible, women bemoaning their boyfriends, people being snarky about friends who have just departed or are soon to arrive, snuggly talks of amore, political debates. 

All of this is good because it is what we as humans think about and worry about on a daily basis, and while a good story focuses on the bigger events and conflicts scattered about, the insertion of true-to-life dialogue will give the reader someone to relate to.

writing exercise:  Listen in to a snippet of dialogue the next time you are out.  Use a sentence or two from the exchange to inspire your own creative conversation.  If you are terribly uncomfortable listening in, or if you do not have the opportunity to do so, turn on the TV and tune into a reality show or sitcom and grab a line of dialogue from that.

Click “read more” for writercizer sample response.

Road Warriors - writercize #87

If you've been driving for any length of time, no doubt you've experienced at least one frightful drive.  

I am preparing for an eighteen hour road trip to visit family, and while I am knocking on wood for a safe, uneventful drive there and back, the thought of so many hours on the freeway has me reflecting about past drives.

There have been slightly humorous yet grotesque accidents I've witnessed, such as the one where a semi swerved out of control in the rain in Tacoma, thankfully escaping damage to the driver or any other cars on the road, but popped open the hatch and spilled out thousands of chickens on the road.  Humorous sounds like a terrible adjective to describe the sight - grotesque and horrific may be more accurate, along with saddening since it showed just how many chickens are packed into a dark, cramped space during interstate travel - but at the time a chuckle slipped out unintended and unannounced.  I think it was relief that the blood smeared on the road mixed with a visual of what looked to be the most massive pillow fight on record was just that - many dead chickens and several more escapees running for their little lives.  It could have been so much worse, so what can you do when the road closes for thousands of chickens across the road?  Stop the car, reflect on the sight of it all and let out a little laugh at the absurdity of the traffic jam.

There have been times on the road that I've felt my heart race or my body tense, times that I've felt I narrowly missed what fate may have meant for me.  One day a couple of weeks ago I drove to visit my husband at work.  On the way, the car directly in front of me rear-ended the car in front of them.  On the way home, again, the car directly in front of me (different car, different light, same road) rear-ended the car in front of them.  I figured something was telling me to stay off the road for the rest of the day and hurried home, quickly parking my car in the safety of my garage.

I talk about driving and near-accidents (and those accidents you have been in) today because I think that those moments are full of fear, excitement, confusion, relief, surprise, anxiety, tension, wonder, frustration, anger, divine intervention.  These are all emotions that you want to tap into as a writer, and one of the best ways to do that is to close your eyes and relive a high-emotion moment from your own experience, then transfer that feeling into an emotion your character might feel.

writing exercise:  Reflect on a car accident or a near miss that you experienced as a driver or passenger.  Tap into the emotions and thoughts; remember the physical response if you are able.

Click "read more" for writercizer sample response about witnessing an accident in the rear-view mirror.

Guess What? I'm A Guest Today ...

... over at Misha's blog, "My First Book."  Here's the direct link to my post:  http://sylmion.blogspot.com/2011/07/hi-all-please-welcome-alana-to-my-first.html?

If you enjoyed my previous posts What's His Story? or Read Between The Lines where I presented you with a brief scene and asked you to provide the backstory, I think you'll like it.  Similar premise, slightly different angle and story.  Take a look and enjoy.  And writercize! 

While you're over there, scan through Misha's posts and her previous guest bloggers for lots of great writing information!

Stay tuned later on today or early tomorrow for a scent-filled prompt to come!

The Eyes Speak - writercize #80

It has been said, more than once, that the eyes are the windows to the soul.  I would imagine that even if we all wore straight jackets masking our body language, our eyes would deepen and confirm our truths and betray our lies.  We lock them in love, avert them in fear, wink them in flirtation, roll them out of disrespect and blink them to expose nerves.  

writing exercise:  Describe the eyes of a character in your story or those of a real person you have strong feelings towards - feelings of love or hate.  What do those eyes look like, and what do they tell you?

Click "read more" to see writercizer sample response(s) on her daughters' eyes.

What's His Story? - writercize #65

Sometimes the best source of inspiration for a writer means turning off the computer, closing the book and walking out the front door.  I've said before that I love people watching and creating a story, and even more so I love seeing what stories people can imagine from the same situation and clues, so I've decided to revisit a writercize from April.

The previous writercize, Read Between the Lines, gave a prompt of a woman walking into a jewelry consignment store silently sliding a ring over to the store employee.  A couple of brave writercizers took on the challenge to write her story, and I was so impressed and excited to see what they imagined had happened in her life.  If you like today's prompt, I invite you to try that one too.

writing exercise:  Imagine you see a man in the following situation and create his story.  

A young man sits on a park bench.  His head hangs between his knees and a single tear drops to the pavement between his feet.

Who is he? What is he doing in the situation?  As you look around the park, are other people involved in the story?  You may want to think about whether it is day or night, what neighborhood the park is in, or where he was prior to the park what sounds are nearby to complete the picture.

Click "read more" to see writercizer sample response.