Discover new writing and artwork in Issue 17 of Northeast literary journal Pushing Out the Boat!
Make yourself a brew, curl up in your comfy chair, and lose yourself in a great story! With gorgeous artwork, poignant poetry, and inventive prose, Issue 17 of Pushing Out the Boat takes you on an imaginative journey from cover to cover. This issue is the result of tons of hard work by the volunteer team and the incredibly talented creators who submitted. I love editing for Pushing Out the Boat because I feel really privileged to access such high-quality work and contribute to putting it out into the world.
This week I’m working on Chapter 17 of my WIP first draft. It’s a YA gothic novel and is currently at about 50,000 words with the aim of getting to 100,000. I’m already planning all the ways I’ll rewrite it. I’m thinking of changing the setting, fleshing out the main character more to add more conflict, and including a new baddie. The other characters and most of the basic plot structure are being pinned down in this first draft though.
My plan is to write the whole first draft in chronological order with some plotting but also allow myself freedom to see where the story goes. Although I was worried that this approach would lead to the plot petering out, planning the ending gave me something to aim for and having multiple characters and perspectives meant that the plot gained momentum quite organically. More characters mean more action: more action means more plot.
I have also tried to look at things in a structural way, thinking more about what a scene is meant to convey rather than getting too attached to the actual events in the scene. So, if a scene aims at developing chemistry between the romantic leads, I can be flexible with exactly how this happens but still try to keep the underlying purpose of the interaction. Thinking about the characters as being on an emotional journey has also helped me to keep things moving for them. I understand where they are ultimately going as people and my job is to come up with events that show how this development is realised or how their reactions to things change over time.
One piece of writing advice I have been using comes from K. M. Weiland’s book, Creating Character Arcs, which describes a crucial part of character development as finding ‘the lie your character believes’ or the ‘specific belief, which you should be able to state in one short sentence.’ This may sound oversimplified, but a key thing about people is that we tell ourselves stories about ourselves. Like most good, convincing stories, these narratives that we spin about ourselves are often simple and punchy, but they are also terribly, terribly inaccurate.
Giving fictional characters this same habit is a great way to inject them with life and give yourself an arc to work towards. Whatever fundamental belief you have chosen for your characters, create events that get them to believe the opposite by the end of the book. Some examples from my WIP are a boy who believes no one wants him and who discovers a found family and a girl who thinks she can solve the world’s problems but learns that some things are beyond our control.
When we read, we want to be taken somewhere and the writer is in the driver’s seat. Planning out character arcs in this way leads to genuine interior transformation, which is mirrored by events in the plot. This then leads to fiction with a satisfying conclusion, where the readers feel that their investment in a character has taken them on both an internal and an external journey.
Since finishing my PhD, I have worked for several content agencies, writing for websites, blogs, and producing brand copy. Some of this content is editorial, and some is more SEO focused. Before I started working as a content writer, I wasn’t sure if this type of writing would be compatible with my aim to write fiction. My PhD was in Creative Writing and I have wanted to be a novelist since I can remember.
However, in my (ongoing) quest for literary greatness, I kept nudging up against the same problems. I couldn’t commit to the grind of writing. I would lose interest as the fun, making-stuff-up part was over. I also needed a job and was staring into the abyss of post-PhD unemployment. Looking to try something new, I applied for a content writing job. This, in hindsight, was a great decision. Not only has it allowed me to gain new skills – and write on topics I could never have imagined being interested in – it has also helped me improve my writing. So, I thought I’d use this blog to share some of the technical skills I’ve picked up from content writing and some ways that these can be applied to fiction.
1. Don’t Avoid Research
Research comes easily to some writers. Before I started content writing, this was not me. When it comes to fiction, I am not a planner and I enjoy the organic process much more than the nitty gritty stuff. Although research had been a large part of my PhD thesis, I avoided it when it came to fiction.
This approach, however, leads to certain limitations. If you can’t integrate research into your writing, you can only really write about what you experience first hand. I know people say “write what you know” but I think the diary of someone who works from home during a pandemic might tip readers over the edge. Besides, part of the fun of writing is expanding your knowledge about the world and research is a vital part of that.
Content writing forced me out of my research comfort zone. It is part of my job to research unfamiliar topics and write about them. Even getting a superficial feel for a subject can help you sound more confident in your writing. After all, isn’t that half of what fiction is about? Convincing your reader to believe in the world you create because you are so immersed in it yourself? Research will help you with this.
2. Vary Sentence Openings
“Attention magnets” are commonly used in content writing. The term refers to dynamic or descriptive words that grab the reader’s attention. You’re also encouraged to vary sentence openings, all in the hope that your readers will keep scrolling. Surprisingly, after a few weeks content writing, I noticed that I started instinctively applying this stratagy in my fiction. Before, I was guilty of starting every sentence like this:
“She moved to the door. She couldn’t see anyone there. She went back inside.”
Functional, yes, but boring!
Now I would probably write something like this:
“Moving to the door, she peered outside. No one was nearby and she crept back into the house.”
The prose here is more dynamic and varying sentence structure gives a greater sense of flow. Although, like anything in writing, it can become formulaic if you rely on it too much, being conscious of your style and repetitive habits is useful.
3. Develop Discipline
One of my content writing jobs expected me to turn in roughly 50,000 words of content per month. That is a lot of words. Honestly, it was a real grind but I think it is what I needed. It helped me truly understand that writing is a job and, at the end of the day, it’s about putting words on the page.
Stephen King often talks about writing as a muscle and, as a natural couch potato, I’d always avoided exercise of any kind. But having forced my way through hours of content writing, I now feel that writing is a natural part of my day. Whether its content or fiction, I get up and I write. It feels natural. On top of this, writing fiction feels like a privilege rather than a chore. If I’m going to be writing anyway, it’s a lot more fun when it’s all under my control.
4. Say Goodbye to Perfectionism
When it comes to writing, I tend to be a bit of a perfectionist. If I can’t phrase something perfectly or write the perfect conclusion, I tend to feel defeated. Striving to be great is fine, but striving to be perfect can lead to procrastination. Writing my thesis, I was allowed to work at a somewhat leisurely pace. Content writing leaves almost no time for perfectionism and, of course, there’s the added incentive of being paid when you finish a piece of work. Usually, I have time for a quick edit but that’s about it.
This has been a good thing for me. Again, it forces me to put words on the page and not to obsess. Of course, I still strive for quality but within reason. Nothing you produce will ever be perfect and placing that level of expectation on yourself can often stop you from trying at all. Of course, I still procrastinate but I do it less now.
Overall, the main thing I have learned from content writing – aside from the many random Wikipedia facts I have absorbed – is that all writing is good writing. All writing develops your senses and skills and gives you more control over how you use language. Don’t be afraid to write outside your bubble – you might be surprised what you find!
Nothing is more exhilarating than having your writing published for the first time. I had my first short story published inNorthwords Now in 2013 and it was one of the most exciting moments of my life. Since then, I’ve also worked behind the scenes as on literary journals and seen some of the most common reasons why editors reject writing. Some of these may seem obvious, but it’s amazing how often you’ll see these errors repeated – they really can take the shine off otherwise good work. So, if you’re wondering how to get writing published in magazines and journals, check out this guide for some essential tips!
Plan Where to Submit Your Writing
One of the main things to think about before you submit writing to journals or magazines is suitability. You’re not going to get the response you want if you send a chapter of your novel to a journal that specializes in Irish poetry. Do some research before you start sending out work. Small, regional publications are often a great choice for new writers. They tend to receive fewer submissions and can be more likely to offer feedback – the holy grail of any rejection! However, if you’re feeling ambitious, Google a list of national and international literary publications and see which ones are open to submissions. Writing competitions can also be a great way to gain notoriety as a young writer. Keep in mind that they tend to receive a high volume of entries and can usually only choose one winner. Competitions often also charge a small fee for submission, whereas most journals are free, but competitions usually offer some prize money if they charge.
Edit Your Work
The importance of editing before you submit your writing cannot be exaggerated. Even with the closest proofread in the world, mistakes slip through the cracks. This, in itself, is not going to put most editors off. We understand that you’re human and that, sometimes, grammar rules are subjective. However, if your work is sloppy and feels unedited, you will almost certainly be rejected. Triple check work before sending and have a friend read it over if you can.
Make Sure Your Work is Readable
Weird fonts, single spacing, semi-colons all over the place. When it comes to getting your fiction published, there is a fine line between experimental and unintelligible. Try and think about an imaginary reader when you write. This is a good trick to improve your writing (most writers write in the hope of being read) and will also help you impress editors. Before you submit something, look at the document and ask yourself how you would feel if someone sent it to you to read. If the font is tiny or it is generally messy, you probably wouldn’t enjoy it and neither will an editor.
Read the Submissions Guidelines
Submissions guidelines are there for a reason and every journal takes a slightly different approach. While it’s tempting to just fire off a batch of submissions to several different places at once, reading the submissions guidelines is crucial. Some editors will completely disregard pieces of work that don’t follow them. The submissions guidelines will also help you discover if a magazine is right for your writing. Submissions guidelines tell you things like the accepted word count, whether they accept prose, novel chapters, or poetry, what details you should include on your submission and the house style rules. Although it may seem unimportant whether you use size 11 or size 12 font, it can make or break an editor’s decision to publish you. Reading the submissions guidelines also demonstrates that you’ve familiarized yourself with the magazine and that you’re likely to be a good fit. While some publications take a relaxed approach and just include a few, basic pointers, others have meticulous guidelines that you should follow to the letter if you want to be considered.
Write Polite Emails
Although editors generally try to be impartial and let the work speak for itself, rude emails alongside submissions can be offputting. If you’re asked to send a cover letter or personal statement with a writing submission, try and refrain from making bold statements. The editor doesn’t need to know that you’re the next Shakespeare and that they’re an idiot if they refuse to publish your writing. Even if they do accept your work, any further contact you have with them will likely be met with an eyeroll. Not exactly what you want when you’re trying to make connections in your chosen profession. Instead, keep emails polite, concise, and professional and approach submitting your writing to magazines and jourals the way you would approach applying for a job. Coming across a little formal is better than the alternative.
Accept Rejection Gracefully but Don’t Give Up!
Again, file this under polite email conduct and do not send rude or abusive emails to editors who turn you down. This will do you no favours and will probably make you feel embarrassed later on. Rejections happen and, if you’re serious about writing, it’s something you’ll have to get used to. That said – try to think of your rejections in a positive way. Although it can disheartening, a rejection is evidence that you’ve been brave enough to put your work out there. Use rejections as motivation to reread pieces of work and see if you can improve – a general rule I was given is that if something is rejected six times it probably needs reworking. The best kinds of rejections even come with feedback from editors. Take on board all of it – you don’t have to change anything you don’t want to, but getting a professional perspective on your work is always helpful!
Announcement!!
Scottish literary journal Pushing Out The Boat is now open for prose, poetry, and artwork submissions:https://www.pushingouttheboat.co.uk/submissions/Follow the link for submission guidelines and information!
The common adage states that everyone has at least one book in them. Everyone has a story to tell and most people, if pressed, can come up with at least one colorful anecdote. Storytelling is a natural human impulse. We do it all day, every day. We tell stories consciously (when we narrate our dash round Lidl avoiding non-social-distancers) and unconsciously (our memories are basically story-generating machines.) Storytelling is as effortless as breathing – it’s when it comes to writing these stories down that most of us start to struggle.
It’s no secret that writing is hard, and writing well is nearly impossible. It challenges you mentally, demanding your time and attention, usually for little financial reward. But, beyond this, writing challenges you emotionally. It demands that you cast aside self-doubt, brush off perfectionism and fear of failure, master your self-control, and develop the discipline to actually sit down and work.
There are endless compilations of writing tips and advice from famous authors who all take a vastly different approach. One thing’s for sure though, writing is a habit that requires consistency. As someone who has written for a long time, and who struggles to stick to routines, I have often battled with this basic principle. How do you come up with the perfect, productive writing routine? Well, honestly, I don’t think you ever do and, besides, no one can tell you what will work best for you. But, in case you need a little inspiration, here are 5 tips for writing that have helped me along the way!
1. Figure Out Which Time of Day Works Best for You
For a long time, I struggled with the notion that, if I wasn’t in 9-5 writing routine, then I wasn’t really working. This was especially hard to think my way around during my Creative Writing Ph.D. Writing was my full-time job and every advice column said that, if you’re not up and going by 9, your day is basically ruined. While this may be true for some people, this attitude caused me to waste time because, when I invariably slept in, I felt like a failure and focused on that instead of using the time I had productively.
If you’re in a rut because of what you feel you should be doing, take the pressure off. Experiment by writing at different times of the day and see what sort of schedule works for you. If you’re a night owl, put aside a couple of hours in the evening when you know you’ll feel awake and productive. Or, if you’re an early riser, try and fit some words in before you start your day. You don’t even have to write every day – start with every other day or three times a week and plan these sessions around the rest of your routine. Give yourself a pat on the back when you do get some writing done and, remember, the key to productive writing practice is consistency, not an arbitrary number of hours a week.
2. Develop a Writing Routine, Then Change It Up
So, you try out some writing times and you discover that you work best in the mornings. You do this for a few weeks, and you find yourself getting bored. You sit down to work each morning and your imaginative flow feels sluggish, your fingers drag on the keys. You start to feel guilty and writing feels like a chore. Switch it up!
Writing inspiration can feel temperamental and it’s easy to get a little superstitious. You start to feel that if you don’t stick to your routine the whole thing will fall apart. Again, ease the pressure and, if you’re getting bored, try writing at a different time or in a different place. A change of scenery can work wonders for your creative powers and a different time of day can bring fresh energy to a piece that’s rapidly going stale.
It’s tempting to just sit down and crank out words. This can work if you have the whole thing mapped out and you just need to get to the end. However, if you’re feeling stuck, or you want to start something new, just starting anywhere can lead you to a dead end. I’m not saying its a waste of time (writing is never a waste of time), but you might feel disappointed if what you start doesn’t develop.
Instead of jumping right in, take some time to mull over what you’re going to write, and think about the headspace you want to be in for this. Many writers rely on music to set the mood or create playlists for different parts of their stories. Others are heavy planners and need to get all their ideas down in note form before they start. It’s easy to write or time spent planning or pondering as a waste of time, when, really, it’s essential to growing your writing ideas.
4. Take Time Off Social Media
No matter what you’re working on, writing requires you to develop your own voice. I’m not saying you shouldn’t research or use other people’s opinions for inspiration, but nothing kills a productive writing session like hopping on Facebook or checking the news. Although social media can be a useful tool to connect with other writers and to publicize yourself, in many ways social media is the opposite of writing. Social media bombards us with thousands of other people’s thoughts and opinions, while writing requires us to draw deeply upon our own. In order to do this, you need to be able to listen to your own voice and hear it above all the background noise. You don’t need to go cold turkey, just make sure that you turn social media off when you’re actually writing and give yourself social media breaks to daydream/plan your work.
So you want to write a novel but you’re stuck for ideas. Try starting a diary instead. When it comes to writing, anything that unsticks your creative mind is of value. Make notes about how you feel – remember, many good novels start out as written meditations on writer’s block – or write a detailed account of your day. Try and develop a voice and think about the type of character who might think like this. Give yourself a short daily word limit (300-500 words) and try to always make time for this. You’d be surprised where ideas can spring from.
Some Final Positive Thoughts
If you’re getting down on yourself about your writing productivity, remember that consistency is something that develops over time. You’re (probably) not going to become a best-selling author if you practice every day for six weeks, but if you practice every other week for ten years you could be in with a shot. You should also not feel pressured to be productive all the time. Writers take time off – sometimes they take years off! – and putting pressure on yourself and feeling like a failure will likely cause you to be less productive in the long run. Remember, writing is hard – go easy on yourself and try to enjoy it!
So, it’s 2020 and we’re all in lockdown due to Covid-19. There’s no better time than the present to revive my attempts at blogging!
When it comes to blogging, it’s not so much the actual writing that phases me. I’m perfectly happy tapping away, getting all my thoughts down to share with the internet world. However, it’s the technical side of things which defeats me. Jamie often finds me curled up in an angry ball on the sofa, battling with my WordPress settings and completely lost in a technological rage spiral.
Still, this pandemic has put a lot of things in perspective. At the beginning of the lockdown, which here in Scotland started on March 23rd, Jamie and I both lost our jobs, abruptly, and (in my case) without hope of financial remuneration. This drove me to watch every film that Tom Hardy has ever appeared in (no matter how briefly) and then to start searching for jobs online with little to no expectation of actually finding anything. After all, we were on the brink of a global recession and the entire world had literally ground to a halt around us. Still, after a bit of internet rummaging, I did find something – a Shanghai based content writing farm that needed marketing blogs stat. I also realized something – I had given up a lot of my perfectionist tendencies during this process.
The world as we knew it was essentially coming to an end and yet we still had to pay rent, so what was the point in stressing about whether my CV was perfect or whether or not I was qualified for a job – just fire the CVs out and hope for the best. And so, this is the attitude with which I return to this blog. The new me, if you will. So follow along, if you’re interested. I’ll be posting blogs about my experiences as a fledging freelance writer, updates about fiction writing, and possibly even the odd educational literature post!
On the 1st of May 2018 I entered the final five months of my PhD. My PhD is in Creative Writing. This involves producing roughly 60,000 words of fiction (short stories, in my case) and a literary component of around 40,000 words in the space of three years. I wanted to start my blog here because I think it would be useful to have a record of what goes into the final stages of a long piece of written work, and the process of deciding what to do with myself once I’m finished and (horror of horrors!) once my funding runs out. Hopefully I can also share some insights, study tips, and wordly advice that have helped me along the way! I’ll also include some information about PhD life, applying for funding, the dreaded viva, what the job market and the academic world look like on the other side of a PhD, and some of the non-academic things that I’ve done in the course of my three years to help myself get through – stick around for that, it involves me joining an intermediate ballet class with hardly any dance experience!
So, at this stage, I’m pretty much just hoping that I get my PhD finished on time. Because I love writing fiction, more than I love writing academic theory, with five months left to go, my research looks like this: I have around eleven complete short stories… and one finished thesis chapter. This is not as dire as it sounds – I’m only splitting my work up into four chapters so to have one finished at this stage is ok. I’m going to be honest though, forcing your brain to concentrate on academic writing day in and day out is not easy. Especially if you’re a bit (A LOT) of a daydreamer like me. One of the hardest things about tackling a Creative Writing PhD in particular is the combination of creative fiction with academic work. Academic writing is rigorous, painstaking, detailed, and precise. And writing fiction is exactly the same. BUT the process of organising fiction, for me at least, is very different. George R. R. Martin describes writers as fitting roughly into two categories: the ‘gardeners’ and the ‘architects.’
‘The architects do blueprints before they drive the first nail, they design the entire house… But the gardeners just dig a hole and plant the seed and see what comes up.’
This resonates with me because I, like George R. R. Martin, am definitely more of a gardener. The PhD has refined my writing process. I no longer approach short stories impulsively; spit out a first sentence and crack my knuckles waiting for the Carver-like-inspiration to flow only to be bitterly disappointed when I end up with a bunch of unfinished stubs. Now I approach short stories as though they are a complete picture and I don’t start them until I know what the ending is going to be. But my planning style is still organic. I still feel, to an extent, that I am feeling my way through a story when I write. Having an ending in mind gives me a point to aim for but I rarely plan the details; I develop them around the characters and events that make up the bones of the plot. When I’m stuck for an idea, I usually put on some music, daydream, and see what comes up. The details, the rigour, comes later, with the editing process. With academic writing, the disciplined slog and raking through the details comes in the research, before you even set pen to paper. This can be hard when you’ve been in a creative mood and you have to abruptly reign yourself in. It reminds me, a lot, of writing when you also have a day job. The thesis is something I have to do to support the writing, but the part I really enjoy is making stuff up.
One of the things you learn writing fiction is that you can’t have your own way all the time. This can be a surprising and abrasive shock to a young writer. After all, where do you have more autonomy than in your own, totally invented world? Well, the truth is, if you want that world to come alive to anyone else, beyond you and your immediate family, your precious, unspoiled prose has to interact with some external forces. Reader response, criticism, plausibility, time constraints, and (best case scenario) the editing eye of a publisher. Dealing with these things teaches you discipline and it helps you learn that if you’re serious about writing you’ll do it and continue with it under any conditions. Still, balancing the two can be a struggle. So, here are some of my tips for getting down to work:
Just start. If you look up writers block online (which I have, many times) a host of articles come up explaining that it’s not even a thing! This is very annoying when you’re trying to justify not writing, but it might be true? Whether it’s true or not, if you’re not feeling it, start with half an hour and see if you can get interested in your subject.
Reward yourself every few hours. Academic work is a slog. I give myself Youtube breaks when I’ve done an hour or two of work – I almost called this blog ‘Watching Donut Eaters’ because I’ve spent so many hours watching fitness vloggers have cheat days! They eat so many donuts…
Recognise when you’re really not in the mood. A friend of mine who was doing a PhD a year ahead of me told me that PhDs are made up of very small wins. You wrote five hundred words – you win! You read a chapter – win again! You went to your office. You didn’t do anything there except drink coffee but you went and this is very important – you win! Go you! But seriously, she was right. Negative self talk will do NOTHING for you in this situation. If you constantly berate yourself for everything you haven’t done you’ll never recognise all the hard work you’ve done and are doing. Because doing a PhD is hard and you wouldn’t be there if hadn’t at least tried a little bit. Also, they’re very long so all these little things build up over time.
Learn when to be hard on yourself too. Get to know your moods with time. If you’re exhausted and sad, recognise it and give yourself a break. But if you feel fine, give yourself a push and see what happens.
Try and build a consistent schedule so that you’re working a little bit everyday. For me, I’ve found there’s no point trying to treat a PhD like a 9-5. If I’d wanted a 9-5 I’d have got one. The nice thing about a PhD is it lets you work to your schedule. Stay up late, work in the evenings, work the weekend and take Monday and Wednesday off, work from your bed if you want to – it’s your life! Again, don’t guilt yourself because you’re not doing what you think you should be or what other people are doing – they’re not going to write your thesis for you.
Try not to have too many days off in a row (unless you’re exhausted.) Really, I find taking a whole string of days off makes it sooo much harder to get back into work. I’ve made that mistake many times and lost the thread of what I was doing. Its so much harder to pick it up again after even a short break.
Talk to someone about your subject. I understand it can be hard to find people who are interested, especially if your area is really specialized. But even if you know someone who has a general understanding of anything connected to your area, a chat can be a real enthusiasm boost if you’re feeling bored.
Of course, the really hard thing about doing a PhD is that no one can do it for you. It’s just you against a whole heap of words and information. And since I haven’t finished mine yet, I can’t say for sure whether or not these tips will help you complete on time! But when I’m stuck and I look up self help tip lists like this on the internet it makes me feel better, because, even if you’re alone with your research, you’re not the only one!
Lily Greenall 