Rules to Live By

by

Dr. Anastasia Trekles

There’s a lot of interest lately in the brain – how it works, how it keeps us thinking and doing stuff and being productive day after day. However, even after research from just about every angle imaginable, there are very few clear-cut answers. The brain, turns out, is pretty darn complicated.

The latest brain research does give us some pointers on how writers (and everyone else) can be more creative and productive. First things first: you can’t multitask. You might have heard someone tell you this already, and you probably ignored them. We have too much going on in our lives, quite frankly, and most of us are unable to turn off all of our distractions, even for a little while. Our phones are our lifelines to our families and our social circle. Our email is our link to the people who need us most, and it tantalizes us with ads and newsletters about various cool stuff. We just can’t turn these things off for an hour – think of what we could miss!

But all of those things wind up keeping us from our real work. Some scientists even think that all this multitasking we do as a society is having a long-term impact on our brain function. When we switch tasks and attention so frequently, it tends to have the effect of reducing our concentration in such a way that it temporarily lowers I.Q. by a few points, requiring about fifteen minutes before you can become deeply engaged in a task again. That means that when you’re writing that next chapter and an email comes in with that familiar “ding,” you just lost at least fifteen minutes of productive work.

Dr. John Medina gives us some concepts to help this all make sense. He calls them the “Brain Rules,” twelve things that neuroscience has taught us about how these valuable and mysterious things on the top of our shoulders really work (probably). In short, these rules include:

·       Survival: Our brain is wired to keep us alive, and that means that if something alerts us, it tends to draw our attention away from everything else. That’s great when the alert in question is a man-eating tiger chasing us across the plains, but not so great when it’s your son texting you to ask what’s for dinner.

·       Exercise: Take a brisk walk periodically. Do a yoga pose. Hope on the stationary bike. Your body and your brain will thank you.

·       Sleep: Yes, we all need to get more rest. Many of us have trouble with that, since those distractions from our daily life often seep into our nightly life, too. A great deal of research has shown that people who get more sleep are more productive. And before you ask, no, you can’t “catch up” on lost sleep.

·       Stress: Stressed brains don’t learn very well. When you’re feeling overwhelmed by thirty emails and texts to answer while simultaneously feeling guilty about working on your writing before you answer, you are less likely to be productive. So stop that.

·       Wiring: Everyone is different. What works well for me might not work well for you. Be your own judge when someone gives you new strategies to try to “do more, learn more, be better!” To that end, a companion Brain Rule, Gender, reminds us that men and women think differently. They handle stress and emotion differently, too, which can in turn impact attention.

·       Attention: As we’ve said already, we need to focus to be productive, but also tend not to pay attention to boring things. So if you’re not that excited about sitting down to work, don’t force yourself. Wait for a better opportunity

·       Memory: “Practice makes perfect” is an age-old favorite for a reason. Repetition can be extremely helpful in helping us learn and remember.

·       Sensory integration: Stimulating more of your senses tends to make you a better worker and learner. So, when you work, try lighting a scented candle and surrounding yourself with things that comfort you. You might even try another Brain Rule, Music, and play soft music in the background while you’re working. Research says it can increase your attention and productivity, but only if it is not so enjoyable that you find yourself distracted by it.

·       Vision: Pictures tend to be very helpful for learning. Writers can benefit by finding pictures based on their characters or settings, to help give those ideas a more concrete form. For example, I use an app called Sutori to create timelines for my stories, and insert concepts of characters from photos I find online. Pinterest is another great option.

·       Exploration: If you spend more time than you budgeted looking for pictures that match your hero, that time is not necessarily “wasted.” Sometimes setting daily page or word counts can be counter-productive and limit your creativity. Don’t be afraid to go where the journey takes you.

So what’s a modern writer to do about all this? Balancing your tasks and setting timers can be helpful to keeping yourself in touch with the outside world while staying productive. For example, set a timer for twenty minutes when you start writing, and at the end of your time, get up and exercise. Or go ahead and check that inbox. Then, start another twenty-minute timer and get back to work. Working in these short blocks of time may sound counter to how a lot of people operate, but in the long run, it is much more likely to be productive.

Have a problem with keeping those distractions away while you work? There’s an app for that! Many programs have “distraction free modes,” including popular apps like Scrivener and yes, even Microsoft Word. Or if you’re on the go or looking for something cheap, there’s the free ZenPen. Even WordPress has a distraction free mode for you bloggers out there. In each case, everything of “interest” on the screen is pulled away and you’re left with a full screen of your page, where you can type away without infiltrations from email programs, Facebook, Twitter, and even your writing program itself with all of its shiny tools, buttons, and notifications.

These programs won’t turn off your phone for you, of course, but if you can’t bring yourself to do that, try an app called Forest. You plant a tree and set a timer, and when you’re on task, your tree grows. But if you wander off and start looking at the latest cat video your aunt posted on Facebook, your tree will die. That’s right – multitasking kills trees. Think about that the next time your email dings in the middle of Chapter Three.

Tech Tools for Writers

by

Dr. Anastasia Trekles

Even if you are an author who abhors having too much technology clogging up your writing space – as many people do – we all know that computers, the Internet, and other devices can make our work a lot easier. What you may not know, however, is that there are some cool, specialized apps out there that can really save you time and effort. While there are literally dozens of products out there for writers, authors, and publishers, here are a few of my personal favorites that can address some of those troublesome writerly issues.

1.     Scrivener ($45 with a 30-day trial, Mac/Windows/iOS) is a tremendous app. You can write with it. You can arrange scenes and chapters with it. You can construct outlines, create character and setting profiles, and brainstorm with it. You can organize research with it. You can even work on the same file from multiple devices (like a computer and an iPad). Scrivener might stop short of cutting julienne fries, but it does pretty much anything you’d expect from a full-service writing suite. If you’re willing to spend a little money and are looking for something more than what a typical word processor offers, this is something to check out, particularly if you write novels or other long-form works. Scrivener is designed to help you sort out the chaos of developing things like books and dissertations in a relatively easy-to-use interface.

2.     Google Drive (free) is Google’s free set of office apps that includes Docs for word processing, Sheets for spreadsheets, and Slides for presentations. Now, while none of these apps has quite the same level of sophistication as their equivalents in the Microsoft world, they offer the ability to collaborate with other people very easily, and without cost. With Docs (or any of the other tools), you can share your document to others and allow them to add comments, edit, and assign tasks to one another. You can always track what changes have been made so that you can see how the document developed over time, and you can go back to previous revisions if needed. So, no work is ever lost forever in the digital abyss, even if your partner accidentally deleted those crucial last three paragraphs.

3.     Dragon speech-to-text products (pricing varies from free to $300 depending on product and device) allow you to boldly go where people in Star Trek and other sci-fi venues go when they work with their computers – speech-to-text. It’s a technology that’s been around for a long time and has progressed a lot over the years, yet outside of communities such as persons with disabilities, you still don’t see too many people talking to their computers. Maybe it’s because it’s still less than socially acceptable to have a conversation with your laptop in public. Or, maybe it’s because voice interfaces take a little getting used to. Either way, if you have trouble typing, don’t like to type, or just need to move around more when you have a really good idea brewing, Dragon NaturallySpeaking (PC/Mac, full-featured) or Dragon Dictation (mobile) can be lifesavers.

4.     Calibre (free, Windows/Mac/Linux) isn’t so much a writing tool as a formatting tool, but it can fit a special niche for many authors, especially those who self-publish. Calibre allows you to create e-books from any document in a variety of formats, including MOBI, EPUB, PDF, and Kindle, and gives you full control over all settings. You can set up tables of contents, manage your metadata, and even test everything out to make sure it works, all in a relatively simple user interface. I recently used Calibre for a textbook project I was working on, and it made short work of ensuring that the MOBI and PDF documents – with an extensive table of contents – were accessible to readers. A cool added bonus of Calibre is that it can read any e-book file, so if someone sends you a document in an unusual format, you can open and read it right there, no extra tools required.

5.     Grid Diary (free version or add Pro features like cloud sync for $4.99 – currently iOS only) came into my life recently when I was looking for a tool that would encourage me to write a little about something every day. Sometimes, looking at the expanse of my half-written novel in Scrivener is a bit overwhelming; on days like that, I need some extra motivation. Enter Grid Diary, a cute, innovative app that presents you with a series of blocks that ask you questions each day, such as: What are my goals for today? What would help me have a better day tomorrow? What am I grateful for?  You can customize your grid, or let Grid Diary provide you with a template for your daily diary, but either way, it’s extremely easy to use, and the unique configuration gives you a chance to step out of your normal “zone” for a bit and just write about whatever comes to mind in response to your prompts. Who knows, it might be just the thing to get you out of that pesky writer’s block.

So, there you have it, some neat tech tools that can ease the work of any author out there. Will they take the words out of your head and put them on the page for you? Nope, computers aren’t that smart (yet). But, even if you normally plug along with pen and paper – or a digital equivalent – these tools may help fill a niche. But keep in mind that these are just the top five that I use in my own work, so I can attest to their overall usefulness. There are many more out there that might be even better for your needs, and spending time doing a little research is highly recommended!

Creativity, Your Chakras, and You

by

Dr. Anastasia Trekles

Like a lot of people today, I like yoga. I actually like it a lot, and have been practicing actively nearly every single day (and sometimes twice a day) for over ten years. It’s the best form of exercise I’ve been able to find, as it makes me stronger (much stronger than I was with traditional weightlifting and cardio) and helps me focus. When you’re going through a yoga class, it’s tough to think about anything else – otherwise you’ll fall down! Yoga is both exercise and a means to help you forget about your problems, even if it’s just for a little while.

So what does yoga have to do with writing? Obviously, we need to concentrate when we write, and sometimes that means overcoming things that get in our way. The dreaded writer’s block comes in many forms, but even if you don’t practice yoga, its teachings can give you tools to help overcome your obstacles.

Take, for instance, the chakra system, which yogis believe governs how our bodies and minds work together to eventually help us connect to the “divine,” or whatever spiritual force you might believe is out there (you definitely don’t have to be a Hindu to be into yoga or benefit from the principles behind it). Even if you aren’t sold on the idea that our bodies have anything but blood and lymph and such moving within us, the concept of the chakras can teach us a lot about ourselves, our habits of mind, and how our bodies can help us tap into thoughts and feelings. That is, if you keep an open mind!

The seven chakras, very simply summarized, are as follows:

1.     The root chakra (“Muladhara” in Sanskrit) governs your instincts and connection with the physical body and earth below, and is located at the base of your spine.

2.     The sacral chakra (“Svadhisthana”) governs passion, emotions, and creativity, and is in your pelvis and hip area.

3.     The core chakra (“Manipura”) governs personal power, identity, and ego, and is in your solar plexus.

4.     The heart chakra (“Anahata”) governs love and compassion, and is in the center of your chest.

5.     The throat chakra (“Visuddha”) governs authentic voice, truth, and originality, and is in the neck and shoulders.

6.     The third eye chakra (“Ajna”) is all about clear thought, vision, and moving beyond the physical into the spiritual realm. It’s located right between your eyebrows.

7.     The final chakra (“Sahasrara”) can be thought of like a crown on the top of your head – the “thousand-petaled lotus” as it is sometimes called. It is all about unity with that force beyond ourselves (the word “yoga” means union, after all), peace, and going beyond your own ego and limitations.

Put into practical terms, exercises that help you align these key points in your body can help you clear your mind, spark creativity, and put you in the mood to write. Don’t believe it? Before you start your next writing session, try sitting on the floor in a simple cross-legged position, and just move your torso around in a circle for a minute. Big circles or little ones make no difference – do whatever is comfortable and feels good for you (this movement should feel very liberating!). Make sure to go the other direction at some point, and breathe deeply as you move.

This will help you connect to your hips, pelvis, and stomach area, the second chakra and the home of creativity. It’ll literally “get your juices flowing,” and if that’s not enough for you, try some of the other poses noted by the Chopra Center to help you activate your creativity. You can also try some of the advice offered by Katrina Pfannkuch, who offers a lot of ideas about creativity and all of the chakras in her blog.

Once you’ve spent some time moving that second chakra around, your hips might feel a little looser, you might be able to breathe a little easier, and maybe, just maybe, you’ll be encouraged to get past that hurdle that’s kept you from the next leg of your writing journey. For some of us, it might seem like a stretch, but your body and your mind are inherently connected, and what affects one, affects the other. Writing may be an exercise of the mind, but it needs your body to be on board in order for you to get the most out of it. So, give it a try! You might be amazed at what a few minutes shaking your hips might be able to do for your creativity. 

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Dr. Anastasia Trekles is the new president of Indiana Writers' Consortium. She is also a clinical professor and the Director of Learning Technologies at Purdue University North Central in Westville, Indiana. Dr. Trekles has an extensive background with educational technology, including design and pedagogical strategies as well as the effective integration of various technologies into teaching. Her specialty area is instructional design for online learning and technology integration, and in addition to providing professional development and mentorship for other faculty, she has taught a wide array of undergraduate- and graduate-level courses in these areas, both in-classroom and via distance education. Additionally, Dr. Trekles holds a BA in English, and has taught undergraduate courses in writing for Web and electronic publications. 

Dr. Trekles is the author of the textbook, Putting People First: Human Issues in Instructional Technology, and has spent much of her career working toward understanding and teaching others how to employ universal and accessible design practices into online learning materials. In her spare time, she enjoys nature, photography, charity work with animals, and writing fiction.

She also recently published the first of a planned series of novels focusing on the mysterious and magical world of "M'Gistryn", entitled Core.This book is available at Amazon.com in both print and electronic formats. More information is available at http://www.zelda23publishing.com.

Making Your Characters Say the Right Things: Tips on Writing Effective Dialogue

by

Dr. Anastasia Trekles

 

You may have heard lots of advice on the subject of dialogue-writing. Indeed, you may have sought out all of that advice because it’s just so darn tricky sometimes to capture your characters’ voices in text. After all, it’s tough to capture the subtleties of language through the written word alone, so as writers, we often compensate by throwing in little tidbits to help the reader see the nuances of tone, inflection, and diction along with the words the characters say. There are lots of ways to do this well, and some ways to . . . well, overdo it. Let’s look at three basic tips you might try to practice.

 

1.      We don’t always speak grammatically.

 

Have you ever noticed the way people actually talk to each other? Our sentences run on and on, and sometimes they simply don’t end at all. We string phrases together in odd ways, and unless you’re the Queen Mum, you have probably thrown in some outright grammatically incorrect colloquialisms when talking to your friends from time to time. This is normal in today’s American English-speaking, Facebook-using, 140-character Tweeting society (and it holds true in lots of other languages, too).

 

However, many times when we write, we feel we must adhere to standard grammatical conventions, even in dialogue. This isn’t wrong, of course, but, your characters definitely don’t need to sound like the Queen Mum, and in fact, you can build a lot of characterization into the way they speak.

 

Consider these two lines:

 

·         “I’m going to the store. I need to get out of here for a while.”

·         “I’m going to the store . . . got to get out of this place.”

 

They both convey the same essential idea. But the second item arguably has more punch just based on word choice and the use of ellipsis to hold the phrases together. Often in writing dialogue, an ellipsis can emphasize speech that is trailing off, indicating the person may be “daydreaming,” feeling out of sorts, sad, or searching for the right words in a difficult situation. Other helpful punctuation you might not use that often includes the em-dash and the semicolon, such as:

 

·         “They didn’t state the reason – at least, not to me.”

·         “I miss my kids so much; they were my whole life.”

 

Note that while these tools are available, don't feel like you have to use them all the time. Too many dashes, ellipses, and semicolons can make for a difficult read.

 

2.      You don’t always have to announce the speaker.

 

As mentioned in last week’s blog post, dialogue tags aren’t always necessary. Many writers feel obliged to ensure we know who is speaking, each time they say something, but typically, as long as we have context, you don’t have to tell the reader over and over again. For example, when you have only two speakers in an exchange, once the order of their speaking is established, there’s no point in continuing to say that he said this and she said that. Instead, you can get straight to it, and the reader is unlikely to be confused.

 

            David and Martha looked at each other as David put Martha’s hand in his.

            “Look, I’m really sorry,” he told her, trying hard to maintain eye contact.

            “Well, you really hurt my feelings. Why would you do that?”

            “I just . . .  I wasn’t thinking. Can you forgive me?”

            “I don’t know – let me think about it for a while.” She snagged her hand back and rested it into her lap.

 

Note the avoidance of adverbs in this exchange as well. Sometimes we use them to help emphasize how a speaker says something (i.e., “he said passionately”). This is all well and good but again, there is such a thing as too much.

 

3.      Pay attention to diction – but don’t go off the deep end.

 

Word choice, slang usage, and dialect can help place your characters within a historical or geographic context. However, a character’s use of diction doesn’t have to be relegated to whether he or she says “ain’t” or “isn’t,” and in fact, you can make a character’s voice very difficult (or even offensive) to read if you try too hard. Something as simple as using shorter sentences or simpler vocabulary for a more direct, rude, or less educated speaker might be just as effective as trying to convey an accent or heap on the slang.

 

Consider To Kill a Mockingbird. American Southern diction is found in much of the dialogue, such as this early statement from Jem:

 

"Shoot no wonder, then," said Jem, jerking his thumb at me. "Scout yonder's been readin' ever since she was born, and she ain't even started to school yet. You look right puny for goin' on seven."

 

For those of us not used to this speaking style, it can be difficult to fully understand in one read. On the other hand, we also get an instant and vibrant picture of young Jem based on his words alone. You don’t even have to have read the book to get something more than just what was said from that one line of dialogue. So, in this case, Harper Lee’s use of diction is very effective. Yours can be, too; just be mindful that your word choice is not so alien to the reader that they need a slang dictionary to understand your work.

 

There are many other ways to refine your dialogue, of course, and there is no perfect science to it. As long as the moods and personalities of your characters shine through when they speak, you can play with language and structure as much as you like. Practice. Have fun with it. In fact, the best advice that anyone ever gave me was very simple: read it out loud to yourself. If you can hear your characters leaping out of the page, and they don’t sound like they’re in a bad B-movie, then you’re on the right track.

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Dr. Anastasia Trekles is a clinical professor of education and English at Purdue University Northwest. Somewhere amongst the various academic works she has published, she also has a few works of fiction available, including her recently released novel, Core, available at http://www.zelda23publishing.com.