RamblingVerses Newsletter – Episode II – August 2008

Welcome to the second Story Institute newsletter. No time for wasting…let’s rambling on through the storylines…

During the autumn of inspiration, it is important for the belief to change colors, but remain attached to the base from which it sprouted. You read it correctly…the autumn of inspiration…Belief is an important part of any story. If you don’t truly believe in your characters, your story fades and falls just like leaves as the dye before winter. As you write, read, or just ponder your ramblings, take a step back and ask if you believe enough to be engaged for the duration of your piece. If it is just a temporary sprinkling of tasty water for the tree, reconsider where your thoughts are planted and move on.

Believe in More Than The Words…

Saint Augustine – De Libero Arbitrio:
Unless you believe, you will not understand.

David Dale:
If you believe in your characters, they will be believable to your readers.

Robert Fulghum:
I believe that imagination is stronger than knowledge — myth is more potent than history — dreams are more powerful than facts — hope always triumphs over experience — laughter is the cure for grief — love is stronger than death.

D.H Lawrence shares some basic, though powerful and connected thoughts on what it takes to believe…read carefully, and re-read it. We all miss something the first time…

Belief
By: D.H.Lawrence
Forever nameless Forever unknown Forever unconceived Forever unrepresented yet forever felt in the soul.

Engaging the Beast of Belief

So, you have invested much time in coming up with the plot, character names, and even the house that your grandfather Jack built. You begin writing. You get through chapter 1, move to chapter 2, and reach chapter 3 when that moment hits…the moment, during a normal dream when your characters your characters are sitting in the corner booth at the local diner and look up at you and have a conversation with you on their past, their future, and better yet, ask to be written out of the scene that you left them in for the last month. If you reach this point, you have stared into the beast of belief and entered the conquering stage. If you are still waiting for an insight other than what you have outlined, keep looking. Once you start to believe, engage yourself in the storyline. Bring your thoughts and passion back to the ramblings your characters and readers will thank you.

Children are the greatest source of belief. They not only make up good, simple stories, but they believe them. They believe in their imagination so much, it is difficult to avoid being pulled in yourself. When you are within the inner confines of belief, stay there for a while and watch the children. Watch how they play and interact with their imagination. Watch and listen to the conversations they have in their own little world. Then, step back a little. Watch other people interact with each other. When you return to your writing share what you observed with your characters. This will allow you to continually breathe life into your story and shake the tree just enough so that some of those beliefs fall and become replanted in the minds of your readers.

Clouded Resources – Belief

Here are some of the many resources found on the web for keeping your belief engaged…Good luck…
Getting to Know Your Characters – Marg McAlister
http://www.writinginfo.org/Getting-Know-Characters/196

Visit us at Story Institute for other ideas and ties to belief…
http://www.storyinstitute.com/

To take RamblingVerser with you or read it offline, download the PDF version here:
ramblingverses-episode-2-august-2008