My puppy Andy does many things well, such as chewing windowsills and the legs of antique tables. One thing he doesn’t do well, though, is taking risks without coaxing. I can’t tell you how many months I had to carry him down the stairs into the backyard to go potty before he finally worked up the courage to go down them himself.
Jack and Cleo have proven to be quite helpful with this on occasion. It was playing a game of stair fetch with Cleo at my parent’s house that got Andy to brave the dreaded steps. Watching Jack leap from the arm of the couch into my mom’s lap on the recliner encouraged Andy to do the same as well.
Not long ago Andy, after watching Jack and Cleo both do it, finally, for the first time, jumped up into the car on his own without needing to be lifted. Ever since he’s been jumping up there like he’s been doing it for years. Of course Andy’s jumps aren’t the same as Jack and Cleo’s, but watching them gave him the confidence to develop his own car jump.
This got me to thinking today on how writers often need a push, or to see someone else succeed at something, before we’re willing to take a leap. And about how many of us never get the push we need because we’re embarrassed to take a class, or go to a workshop, or visit the craft panels at conferences.
Writers have egos (yes, even yours truly) and none of us likes to admit when we need help or need to improve in order to take the next step in our development. Many writers stay mired because they never seek out the catalyst that will bring about the change they need.
As Andy shows us, change isn’t that hard if you’re willing to look at what those who have come before have done, learn from them, and adapt it to your own needs. To that end, I’ll link to some resources below that might get you started if you need some growth. But first let’s sum up today’s lesson.
Canine Writing Lesson #6: He who learns new tricks from old dogs will get to the park sooner.
Human Translation: When you need a change in your life or career, try going to someone who has been down your path and learn something new.
Some resources for growth, if you need them:
“Sometimes the Magic Works: Lessons from a Writing Life”
This awesome book by Terry Brooks (yes, I realize using “awesome” and “by Terry Brooks” is redundant, but still) is a truly inspiring, yet pragmatic view of life as a writer. Terry doesn’t sugarcoat how difficult the business is, but he presents his honesty in such a way that you walk away from this title feeling empowered and ready to try new things and reach new heights. The industry has changed significantly since this title was released, but it’s still one of the few books I reread regularly.
“The Negative Trait Thesaurus” and “The Positive Trait Thesaurus“
These two handy resources can help if you’re developing a character and become a bit stuck.
One of the best investments I made as a writer, this handy guide can help when you’re trying to figure out ways to show rather than tell and need to personalize it to your character. Just don’t make it a crutch.
A solid book on building a character’s arc and not just the character themselves. There’s nothing groundbreaking here but I still recommend it as a good craft book.
Upcoming Workshops from Lindsay Schopfer and Terry Persun
In addition to some online courses through the Romance Writers of America, Lindsay and Terry are getting ready to offer a comprehensive workshop on novel writing tailored toward fantasy and science fiction writers.
The “Life in the Realm of Fantasy” Blog
Penned by Connie J. Jasperson, this daily blog takes a look at many writing questions for authors. Everything from mechanical issues like when to use hyphens, to social and growth issues like choosing the right writing group.
Panels from Virtual FantasyCon
The relatively new event “Virtual FantasyCon” offers panel discussions where fantasy authors discuss various aspects of the business, the genre, and writing.
