Yes folks, Voice Week is back—and we’ve got less than two months to get ready for it.
What is Voice Week?
Voice Week is the time the InMonsters (and anyone else who wants to join in) all step outside the voices we are used to and try writing something new. We’ll each write five different 100-word pieces—each piece told in a different voice. We’ll post a piece a day, Monday through Friday, in the first week of October. Then we’ll hop around to each other’s blogs, reading, commenting, learning, and offering constructive criticism. There’ll also be a prize or two awarded to randomly-selected voice writers (exact prize(s) to be announced soon).
What is voice?
Voice is the personality infused into your writing—from the words you choose, to the structure and rhythm of your sentences, and other little details, like whether you add accents or grammatical errors on purpose…
After waiting for it all week, you’re finally settling in at your computer with a giant mug of tea. You open your novel-in-progress. You scroll to the blank space at the end. You stretch your fingers.
And nothing happens.
You don’t feel like writing. You’re still tired from the mad work week. Your brain hasn’t woken up yet. You need to start the laundry, balance the checkbook and scrub out the tub. And this scene is boring. And you’re not really sure what happens next. Well, you know what happens next, but you don’t know how to get from here to there and it’s just not coming!
No use in wasting time staring at your computer (or, more likely watching YouTube videos and checking Pinterest). Here are 23 fun things you can experiment with to make your novel better while you wait for inspiration to strike.
Giselle stamped out of the room and slammed the door. Hamm was pretty sure this was the first time he had ever seen a dame actually stamp her way from a room so effectively while wearing six-inch heels. Sure, some had tried but it’s kind of hard to take a mad woman seriously when she’s waving her arms around like a ceiling fan trying to keep her balance. Read more…
The other day while looking around the internet for some research I took a break and cruised some blogs…just to see what other folks are doing. I have the great pleasure of knowing one particular blogger/writer/speaker/photographer, L. Diane Wolf, in person and her blog, Spunk on a Stick, is one of my usual stops when I do a bit of blog surfing.
That’s when I discovered that Diane is doing a Sad Songs Blogfest today (March 30). I’ve recently had several conversations with other writers about music and its role in our writing process so this fit right in with the discussions. I thought, “Why not?” The Blogfest is for sad songs, so I can list my top picks of what I listen to while writing something that needs to be sad.
So here goes….Enjoy!
Top 5 Sad Songs as chosen by DBJohnson at The Charred Tree
#5 My Immortal by Evanescence
Since I first heard this song, it has always evoked strong emotions. The lyrics pair exceptionally well with the music and Amy Lee’s vocals are perfect for this song. Quiet, introspective, contemplative, moody scene? This music helps the writing flow.
#4 John’s Walk from the Inksoundtrack
Ink is a low-budget, high production value film that is a finely crafted story. It is extremely well done and is a visual and audio feast. You can tell when I’m impressed with the music when I buy the soundtrack before the movie is even over. The point in the move where this music is used is a keystone of the plot and this music is critical to the emotional impact of the scene. Desperate hope, making a stand, hard decisions–these types of scenes are covered.
#3 The Fisherman’s Song
I originally heard this song on a collection of Celtic music CD. The story told by the lyrics and and heart-rending music makes this song what I listen to when writing a scene involving loss or grief.
#2 Underneath The Weeping Willow by Grandaddy
I discovered the music of the group Grandaddy from two different friends on opposite sides of the globe at about the same time (so neither gets full credit). Their work evokes a range of emotions and this is one I can listen to on repeat for hours (I have). What I get from this one is being emotionally drained and just wanting to sleep and retreat from the problems that haunt you.
#1 Flirted With You All My Life by Vic Chesnutt
Vic Chesnutt was plagued by depression for much of his life after the accident that left him mostly paralyzed from the neck down when he was 18. While many (most?) of Chesnutt’s songs are heavily emotional, Flirted is by far the most touching and crushing look at his take on depression. This song is one I listen to while writing scenes involving hopelessness, depression, and weariness.
Hope you have enjoyed this list. It was interesting going through my collection to find which pieces of music are my favorite sad songs.
The Charred Tree is a dedicated site to publish my writing. Most of the work will be short stories but at times I will post vignettes and scenes from longer stories. I make no guarantees of the tales’ quality, but they are my own and I share them here for you to enjoy. Whether you enjoy my work or not, please take a moment to leave your thoughts. All comments and critiques are very much appreciated.
The Charred Tree 