But today I am compelled to share this link to a wonderful article on censorship according to Charles Bukowski.

a href=http://www.lettersofnote.com/2011/10/charles-bukowski-on-censorship.html?m=1This blog/a offers the complete text of Bukowskis response about having one of his books pulled from a library.

I detest censorship. And Bukowskis response is simply elegant. One I will share with my writing students. I encourage you to read the letter.

Fight censorship.

Click on the link which takes you to my site where you’ll be able to click on the link to the video (located on the right).

Rain fell through everywhere.

Paperwork on my desk was ruined, books were damaged, a computer monitor is no longer functional, a bookshelf was broken because of the janitors having to hastily move everything.  Student projects were ruined, the carpet is totally soaked. The greenscreen I use in theatre arts was soaked (hopefully it’s not stained, we’ll see).

But probably what has me saddened most of all is the loss of 4 ceiling tiles upon which some former students of mine had painted a wonderful rendition of John Steinbeck’s novel Of Mice & Men.  I’ve had these tiles for 7 years, they’re an homage to my all time favorite author–the tiles are irreplaceable. You can’t see the water-logged tiles as they are beneath the blue tarps.

I’m working on uploading a video to show you the totality of the rainfall in my classroom.  And mine was one of an entire department suffering from various degrees of water damage.  So…say a prayer that we weather the rest of Tropical Storm Lee as it passes overhead tonight into tomorrow, bringing more leaks but hopefully no more losses to property and memories.

It shies away from the light, hides under crumpled drafts, and generally doesn’t play well with others.

Getting Plot under control takes patience, a cowboy-style wrangling, and a little understanding of The Tree Method.

One: develop your character. (That’s going to end up in a different post). I will elaborate more on character later, for now consider making your character interesting to more people than yourself…your spouse…your mom.  Quick Tip:  Start simple with something like there’s a man standing on a street corner holding a sign.

What does his sign say?  If it’s something like, HOMELESS, NEED FOOD, PLEASE HELP that’s not very interesting.

Try this:  GARY, I CANNOT STAND BEING YOU

That is interesting and helps put your reader on the path to Worry.

Alright, more on character later–back to the Plot Tree.

Two: put this interesting character into a Tree. Either literally, or more certainly figuratively, this can be accomplished by simply making the Tree appealing to the character.  Call it the inciting incident, motivating factor, the threshold of no going back–there are plenty of euphemisms–just get your character into the Tree.

Three: Throw rocks at your character while she’s in the Tree.  These rocks can be anything from divorce to interstellar space travel, those details are entirely up to you.

Four:  Get your character down from the tree.  She could be dead, she could be more powerful, or she could simply have found a new way out of the same old tree she keeps getting into.

The Plot Tree isn’t new–in fact, I know I’ve read about it in another book on writing so I can’t take complete credit for it.  But if you are struggling with Plot perhaps thinking of it in this manner will help you get through a tough spot.

I hope you’ll come back for Worry Part II and more on Character.

Thanks for reading.

This Movement isn’t a fad. It. Is. A Revolution.

It began with a dude named Guttenberg and it continues through history into today’s digital realm.

If you don’t believe it then perhaps this article by Brian Meeks will convert you into New Member of The Movement.

http://extremelyaverage.com/2011/06/john-lockes-how-to-changed-my-life

Hear the truth.
Read the truth.
Write everything.

Empowering.
Smart.
True.

The cover.
The author’s name.
Price of the book.
Recommendation of a friend.

But there is only one thing that makes us keep reading. That magic ingredient is worry.

Worry is magical for a variety of reasons I will divulge in Part Deux. For now I want you to know why worry is essential to a great read.

Plot basics for any story are a clear beginning middle and an end. It works like this: take your character(s), put her in a tree, throw rocks at her, get her out of the tree.

Worry seeps in to the plot at every opportunity if we as writers let it. Getting your character into the tree, for example, may engage the reader in worrying such a change of circumstances may never happen.

An when it does, it may be a WHAM to the literary-face. Or it may only be setup for the rock throwing that happens (quite unexpectedly) a bit later.

Worry is a universal emotion not bound by culture, ethnicity, age, or gender. A good writer can introduce it and control it. Great writers use it to manipulate readers, fueling their page turning into a frenzy at some points. At others, the worry thickens into a viscous paste we fear we may never escape.

But when a reader does escape or out-think the writer’s careful application of worry what happens?

They want more.
They crave worry in a way that borders on unhealthy and we as writers need to take hold of that by the spleen and squeeze it. Exploit it. Use the reader’s desire for worry to keep them invested in your story.

How do I do that? You might ask?
And I’m glad you are.

Next time: the magic of worry and how to grab the spleen.

Thanks for reading.
Write well.

http://mikewellsblog.blogspot.com/2011/07/discover-independent-authors-we-try.html?m=1

Because that’s what good writing is supposed to do: distract. For whatever reason a reader has chosen to read, the motivating factor notwithstanding, what they want is a distraction from something else. And my job as a writer (regardless of what I write) is to provide an immersive, satisfying, worthwhile distraction.

I love being someone’s distraction. I get to do it anonymously, even if my name is printed right on the front cover. They don’t know me and a reader doesn’t need to know me to enjoy the distraction. My hope is that my distraction is enough to warrant a repeat performance, of course. So into that distraction I must pour all the necessary figments of imagination, caltrops of worry, and baubles of fresh-metaphor I can possibly fit into a single distraction. Without over doing it, of course.

If you write then write to satisfy the reader’s need for distraction. If you read, then don’t feel guilty reading, even if it’s not a New York Times bestseller. Sometimes, all we need to get through whatever it is we’re dealing with is a little distraction.

Next time: the power of worry.

What happens when the only thing you have to call your own are your observations?  How long does it take before what you see and what you imagine become one in the same?

Who is the Sad Man and what is he waiting for?

Learn what secrets are kept in the culdesac from the girl in the window.