It’s been a while since we’ve
done an update on what we’re all up to with our individual writing. Mark
decided to take it easy this month and interviewed the 5 writers who make up the Scribblerati—their
answers wrote this blog. It's a long post, but we hope it's worth you while. For you fellow writers maybe there is even some shared wisdom here you can use. All is revealed--thanks for reading!
Our Current Writing Projects
Claudia Hankin: I’m still struggling through the 3rd draft of my novel, Ursula
Evermore and the Case of the Man Who Wasn’t. At this point, sadly, there are more hash marks in the ‘challenge’
column than the ‘enjoy’ column. I just want to be done and onto the next step
(finding and agent, a publisher). I think every author goes through this, or a
version of it. I have so many ideas for new projects, but, I’m stubborn. As Neil Gaiman advises - “'Whatever it
takes to finish things, finish. You will learn more from a glorious failure
than you ever will from something you never finish...” The question is, when is
it time to let go?
Shawn Enderlin: I’m currently working on two projects: finishing up my final round of
edits on To Kill the Goddess and working on the first draft of the sequel,
which has a working title of Moon Sister. Both are exciting in different ways.
On the one hand, I can’t wait to be finished with To Kill the Goddess! On the
other I’m having fun exploring and tackling new challenges.
Jon Hansen: I've started a new WIP that I'm about a third of the way through on
the first draft. I've got another one waiting for me to start its 2nd draft and
a third on the backburner while I think about the intent of the story, plus its
goals, purpose, and approach. Right now, at least with the new WIP, I'm really
enjoying the freedom and the focus. It's flowing really easily. I have a good
idea what I'm going to do for the whole thing and a pretty good half-formed
idea of what I'm specifically doing at the end that I'm letting simmer for now.
All in all, I'm feeling confident about the final product. I anticipate having
a 1st draft done by summer. The most challenging part is just the usual stuff
right now: Specific words and a general fear of whether or not it will all come
together. (Jon)
Lisa Bergin: I'm working on a series of related short stories that I think of a
post-apocalypse utopia. They are my response to a common philosophical position
I hear from students: that people are at core egoistic and just out for
themselves. I've never really bought that view and this is my attempt to
explore it, putting people in a bad situations and thinking through what
decisions they would make. And they are always making decisions based not
(only) on their own well-being, but the well-being of others.
Mark Teats: I am balancing the polarity of being an MFA creative writing student
and being an independent writer these days. The thing I'd most like to work on
is my vampire-apocalypse novel, Sunlight.
It’s not getting as much attention as I’d like these days. Simultaneously I’m
also working on a new required short story for my class, working title Encounter. This has been
fun/challenging/different because each week so far we have been asked to
rewrite some aspect of the story (including doing a complete re-write from
scratch without looking at the original). It’s being both fun and challenging.
It’s making me think a lot about aspects of story and how to approach a story
differently than I might usually.
Where We Find Inspiration
Other art. Any kind. It
all inspires me to make my own creation. (Shawn)
I just like to do it. I
also don't wait for inspiration, I think it's a trap. Dedication and discipline
are more important, I think. I believe that if you want to get it done, you
just have to get to it. Some days are harder than others, sure, but mostly I
just sit down and start somewhere and sometimes it leads to something and
something it doesn't. Other times I see/read/hear something that I liked the
idea, but not the execution, so I try to write my version. (Jon)
This series started with a
dream. So that's one place. Also: other stories, science reporting on NPR. I
think I often find inspiration just in the act of writing from the perspective
of a character. (Lisa)
Lately, reading lots of
really phenomenal short stories by other writers (lots of class reading).
(Mark)
Claudia: Many sources. I
once wrote a play based on a dream. Another play came from a chance encounter
with a transvestite. I am a huge movie and TV buff, and even when I see a bad
film, I like to rearrange it in my head and make it better. With good movies
and television, I pay attention to the writing - I’m not often surprised, but
when I am, I take note.
I also am the
administrative manager for a theater company, The Moving Company (for you Twin Citians, it’s
made up of former members of Theatre de la Jeune Lune). It’s inspiring to being
around people who are that powerfully talented. They’ve been creating art so
well and for so long, that making something extraordinary is the least of their
worries. It’s hard to wallow in Writer’s Blockdonia when you’re around that
kind of energy.
On “Sacred” Writing Spaces and/or Ritual(s)
No. Sometimes I write at
the dining room table. Sometimes at this little TV table in front of the TV.
Sometimes at the coffee shop. Mostly I just need to be left alone and sit at a
table/counter comfortably, then I'm all right. (Jon)
Not sacred so much - but
I'm usually sitting cross-legged on my couch with my laptop.
Tho' when I'm first trying
to find my way into a story I often have to write with pen and paper.
(Lisa)
Sacred is too strong a
word, but I do have a bit of a ritual. I like to write in the mornings, which
means I start out by making a cup of coffee and then sequestering myself away
in my room, with my standing workstation, iTunes banging out some good
house/trance, and my voice translation software listening to me ramble away –
and doing the typing for me! (Shawn)
Not really. I flit around.
Maybe I should get myself one of those! (Claudia)
My writing space is in my
man-cave, nick-named "The Fortress of Solitude." Most Friday and
Saturday mornings are mine for writing, so on those days I head to my writing
desk (framed in by walls of books, fantasy arts and loads of D&D and other
gaming figures), light some candles, incense and write in the dark with all but
my computer and a couple desk lamps turned on. If I'm editing/re-writing
sometimes some heavy metal music is needed to set the tone.
Favorite Writing Tools We’d Recommend
…voice translation software. I
loooove not having to type! (Shawn)
Laptop (Jon)
Scrivener!
(Lisa)
... computer? (Claudia)
My Mac computer, a paper notebook I keep near
me at all times, and for managing larger manuscripts, Scrivener. (Mark)
Authors We Admire
I love Joe Abercrombie's
imagination and storytelling. I love Cormac McCarthy's prose and descriptive
powers. I love Stephen King's easy flow. And I love Truman Capote. But then, I
try not to emulate anyone in particular. (Jon)
I default to my favorites,
Ray Bradbury for his poetic descriptions, Dean Koontz for his pacing and
Stephen King for his ability to write characters that I want to know and spend
time with. Harlan Ellison can craft some damn fine sentences and short stories
with loads of attitude. (Mark)
F. Scott Fitzgerald is
kind of the gold standard for me. His use of language is exquisite- but
honestly, I’ve never aspired to be the Great American Novelist. I love authors
who effortlessly ground the
fantastical in solid characters and stories. I’m fond of wit. Jonathan Lethem,
Connie Willis and Michael Chabon leap to mind. And P.G. Wodehouse makes me
laugh until I snort. True confession. (Claudia)
There are a lot of authors
I admire, but none I really want to write like. I want to forge my own style
and my own way, to have people like my writing for itself, not because it
reminds them of someone. However, if I may be so presumptive, I like to think
my writing style is most like a blend of Dan Simmons, Judith Tarr, and Stephen
King. That sounds totally snobby! (Shawn)
Ursula K. LeGuin. I've
been reading a lot of her lately. I've always liked authors who on the surface
write very sparsely and without a lot of flourish and yet manage to convey more
depth than seems possible with that seemingly spare language. (Lisa)
Something That Advanced Our Writing We’d Recommend
to A Beginning Writer
Writing group! Just doing
it. Reading great fiction. (Lisa)
The thing that’s most
helped my writing in the last few years is hiring a professional editor – hands
down. But I wouldn’t recommend that to a beginning writer. What I would
recommend is sharing your work with other writers, to get their feedback. It’s
tough to learn how to see your own flaws, much less accept them. (Shawn)
Take some classes and some
workshops and interact with some successful smart writers in real life. Find a
supportive and healthy writing group. Learn to listen to criticism. But mostly:
sit down, shut up, pen to paper, repeat. (Jon)
Classes at The Loft are great, if you live in the Twin
Cities. If nothing else, it’s a
terrific way to meet other aspiring authors, and start a writing group, which I
can’t recommend strongly enough. The Scribblerati is the best thing that’s
happened to my writing. (Claudia)
Form a critique group.
Having to submit my writing to a group of like-minded peers and also reviewing
their work regularly has helped me grow a lot as a writer. Also (as a student)
I'd be a hypocrite if I didn't say, “Take a writing class” or attend a writing
conference. The Loft is great. All these things have helped me grow my writing
skills. (Mark)
Which (of our) Characters We Are Most Like:
I'd like to say Black
Magic Jack, but Noelle Easter's sarcastic voice is probably the closest to my
own. Also, I'm expecting Bill the Minotaur might hit a little close to home.
(Jon)
All of my characters are a
part of me, but I can’t say that I’m really most like any one of them in
particular. (Shawn)
Because of my cancer
thingee I guess I'd have to say I'm most like my character, Clayton Jaeger.
Granted, he has brain cancer vs. my neck/throat cancer, and I did write him
years before I ever got sick. But getting sick really made me question a lot of
things in my life and made me come to terms with what it is to be mortal. I
think this is a big part of Clay’s character. Unlike Clay I have not started to
see angels. Yet. (Mark)
Hmmm. I think I'm like
them all. Especially the protagonists. I think I'll have matured as a writer
when I can stop doing that. (Lisa)
Hmmm... The first play I
ever wrote had two main characters, and they really represented two sides of me
at that time. Confident, cynical wit; and
shy, romantic doormat. I
think as my writing matures, my characters become less like me. I wonder if
that’s true for most writers. Of course there’s a piece of me in every
character, even the nasty ones. (Claudia)
When Not Writing, We’d Rather Be…
Fishing, reading, seeing
an action/fantasy movie. (Mark)
Listening to live traditional jazz.
Watching movies, reading, playing games. I’m crazy about any group game that
utilizes intelligence, creativity and humor. (Claudia)
Reading a book or watching
a movie. I like my stories. (Jon)
I can’t remember a time
when I wasn’t writing, at work, or hanging with the Lovely Leann. But I’ll go
with drinking beer at Republic or Dangerous Man, or going to a Minnesota Golden
Gopher football game. (Shawn)
Reading, doing yoga,
crafting, cooking, working in my garden, (those are the g-rated answers....)
(Lisa)
Why You Should Check Out Claudia Hankin’s Writing
and Characters
She’s the berries.
Everyone’s going to say MacGreggor, aren’t they? All of my beta readers liked him a lot. I’m thinking he’s
going to need more scenes, to keep up with his fan base. I hope it doesn’t go
to his head. (Claudia)
Her vocabulary (that's
mostly just a joke). She's got an amazing handle on humor and dialogue. Ursula
of course - time-travelling, dixie-land jazz aficionado. (Lisa)
Claudia does a fantastic
job of blending the old and the modern. (Shawn)
Claudia has done some
exceptional research to make her 1920's setting come alive. From clothing,
music, terminology, she provides enough details--and the fun, interesting
details--to create a world that I believe and want to hang out in. Her
vocabulary and word choices are superb--even if I do give her grief about that,
sometimes. I think Ursula is my fav character of Claudia's: tough, sexy, funny and
quirky in just the right ways. (Mark)
Claudia has a great sense
of humor and scene and can really draw distinctive characters. Ursala is my
favorite. She's a classic hero. She's both smart and quick and capable, but she
often ends up in situations a bit over her head because of her own stubborn
nature and fiery temper. She's fun to read. (Jon)
Why You Should Check Out Jon Hansen’s Writing and
Characters
Jon’s writing is clean and
to the point. Most of his stories have a "gritty" quality combined
with humorous observations. He brings the horror and the visceral reactions. His
main characters are great, and often his secondary characters are just as much
fun and easy to visualize. “Noelle” from his Gunslingers’ novel is my favorite of Jon’s characters. She’s witty
with lots of spirit. She copes well with the tough and terrible world around
her. (Mark)
Jon’s writing is vivid.
You can see everything as if you were standing there yourself. (Shawn)
Oh man... so many to
choose from. He's my favorite writer, so I don't know if I can pinpoint any one
thing, all I know is: That guy is pretty awesome. And he has impeccable taste.
Good kisser too. (Jon)
Jon’s descriptions:
working with all 5 senses and his characters, all unique yet recognizable.
Favorite character is hard
with Jon - he's got so many great ones - of the recent ones, I really liked
Juniper Silverbell. (Lisa)
Jon is a superstar. He’s
great at description, and uses sound really well - also, funny. Very, very
funny. Perhaps my favorite thing
is that he writes terrific female characters, which sadly seems to be a rare
gift in a male sci-fi/horror writers. I like the combo deal of Jack and Noelle,
from his zombie novel. They have a believable and touching relationship, very
down-to-earth, lots of clever banter in the midst of, you know, the apocalypse.
(Claudia)
Why You Should Check Out Lisa Bergin’s Writing and
Characters
Lisa's writing is very
lyrical and smart. Plus, she has such a unique imagination, but such a clear
and consistent vision. I really enjoy the way she'll decide to portray things.
Beryl is an easy choice for favorite, a close second for me, but my favorite
characters are the three philosopher kids: Tommy, Momo, and P Boy. They were
good stuff. (Jon)
Lisa makes you think. It’s
not just the obvious allusions to her philosophical background, but rather the
style and tone, which challenges you to pay attention to something altogether
special and different. (Shawn)
Lisa is the Queen of
voice. Her characters all sound unique, and use words, terms that show (not
tell) what is going on in her world(s). This is more apparent than ever in my
favorite character of hers, Beryl, the girl lead in her novel, Once We Were Bears. Beryl has a charming
voice that is both endearing and thoughtful in the way she approaches a world
of humans that she is trying to understand. (Mark)
Lisa has an incredibly
unique voice. I couldn’t emulate her folk tale/fairy tale/post apocalyptic
style if I tried. Her stories are very warm, but take place in very harsh
worlds. Her characters at first glance are very simple, but ultimately are
nothing but. I love the animal characters from her books. She captures what a
goat, bear, chicken and squirrel would say, what they’d sound like, their
senses of humor (or not) - and it all somehow makes perfect sense. (Claudia)
Why You Should Check Out Mark Teats’ Writing and
Characters
Heart. Mark’s writing has
heart, even when the subjects are thousands of years old demons. (Shawn)
Mark was my first fellow
writer I met who shared a similar vision/interest and was also going through a
lot of the same situations as I was. I like how Mark's writing usually concerns
darkness and horror and blood and all that, often in some pretty cool ways, but
it is also full of heart. For all of its edge, there's still a classic sense of
good and evil. I like that. My favorite characters are probably Blackheart and
Noel, especially when they're together. I love their chemistry. (Jon)
His skill at pacing - and
making sure the reader always knows what's at stake -
Blackheart, because he
gets built back from death by creature's carrying his bits in their mouths -
he's invulnerable, and yet is dependent on these tiny animals. (Lisa)
In my latest writing class
people critiquing my work said that they thought I was imparting a lot of data
in short, descriptive sentences, and that I was clearly a genre writer. I was
happy with this summary. In the past I've always felt some of my descriptions
have been "too thick" (I've been working on it) so maybe I am making
progress? Blackheart is hands down my favorite character. I think I've spent
the most time with him. He is probably the toughest yet most sympathetic
character I have. When I write him I can always hear his voice. (Mark)
Mark has a way with a turn
of phrase, he rocks at the similes - and he creates striking visuals. One of my
favorite of Mark’s creations is the Psychopomps. When his main character dies,
whatever little creepy creatures happen to be around - scorpions, crappies,
etc., travel to Hell to retrieve his flesh, one little nibble at a time, and
reassemble his body. Horrific and
terrific.
My favorite character of
Mark’s is Blackheart, definitely Blackheart. Cursed for eternity in a human’s
body, unable to die - a character worthy of his own Dark Horse Comics series.
Why You Should Check Out Shawn Enderlin’s Writing
and Characters
Shawn is a great world
builder. He is not afraid to take on a huge host of characters, and a vast
world (worlds!) with a long history. His mythology and use of magic are excellent
- he takes some of the great tenets of high fantasy and makes them his own, as
well as adding to the genre.
I love Kaytlyn in To Kill
the Goddess. She becomes possessed by an evil entity, and her struggle to free
herself is very intense. What she becomes after the struggle is even better.
(Claudia)
Shawn thinks big and
complex. His stories are epic. I like how he balances lots of different
plots--all full of interesting characters and all in their own exciting
stories--and how he keeps them all moving and brings them together. I also like
the way he mixes science fiction, horror and fantasy. He has a lot of good
characters, but I think Cassondra and Colt are my favorites. (Jon)
My favorite thing about my
writing is that it is so fucking much better than it ever used to be. Way to
go, me! (Shawn)
The scope of his work -
spanning worlds and multiple points of view. It’s a lot to balance and he's
done impressive work at it. I’ve always had a soft spot for Tea Leaf - even tho’
she's a minor character. I’ve always loved her - I think her name really
clinches it for me. (Lisa)
Shawn is the King of world
building. Faeries, unicorns, saurians, druids, lasers, elves and space travel
all in the same story? Shawn does it and does it well. Mana-use in his TKTG series is awesome! My vote for his
best character is Katelyn (who has to deal with some dark shit, like being
possessed by and alien being). She is compelling and convincing (a great female
character written by a male). Second place goes to Tea Leaf the faerie. Best. Faerie.
Ever. (Mark)
~ Mark/@manOwords on behalf of Shawn, Lisa, Jon and Claudia
aka The Scribblerati
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