My Writing Process & How to Overcome Story Blocks

This is my process for outlining and completing chapters (and eventually books).

I also reveal my SUPER-SECRET (not really) strategy for overcoming all blocks.

My graphic novel The Red Talon: Lights and its prose novel adaptation have consumed me heart and soul.

April 2011 I completed the rough draft for The Red Talon: Lights (graphic novel). It was beautiful, messy, and beautiful. This year I was finally able to print out the entire script and make notes on it. Although, I’m more interested in prose writing than anything, so the novel adaptation at this moment is my top priority. But, that doesn’t mean that I can’t use my graphic novel draft. In fact, I’d be lost without it. 

There are major story differences that I have to account due to the different media, but I am still able to use most, if not all of the graphic novel scenes. It’s more that I need to bulk up the story and give room for more description and story development. Otherwise, my story is still a story with all that a story needs.

In the past, people have been interested in my writing process. Of course, that may just have been because of the speed at which I was finishing things. The Office of Letters and Light is really good at kicking your ass like that… not to mention they offer SO MANY RESOURCES to get you started. 

My work on The Red Talon: Lights is a little different this time around because I have all the bones laid out. So, in some ways this is the process for a first draft. (When you first write a book, your work is called a “zero draft”. That’s how bad your writing is.)

My first step was to do a retrospective outline. That’s breaking down every scene in every chapter and writing a synopsis on a card. From there, I decided which scenes to cut out, cut out and replace, or add. It was so much fun! I printed out the synopses, cut them up, and glued them to little cards! I got to color-code them too! It’s like kindergarten, but with responsibility. Best kind for someone as obsessive as me.

 

I also made digital copies of these cards in Scrivener. It’s great because the card is actually attached to the scene I’m writing. The whole process of outlining this novel did take time, but not as much as you might think. Actually, if you’re writing a zero-draft it should take LESS time than this did for me. That’s because in a zero draft, ideas flow freely and you should roll with them. Now, this really only works if you are working on your project consistently. Stopping and starting tends to make your flow clog. You forget what’s going on in your story and it’s a mess. Don’t do that.

ANYWAY. When I’m writing, I write a short blurb of what’s going on in the chapter. Then, I’ll start writing it. Sometimes I get it out quickly and without any hiccups. More often than not, though, I’ll hit some kind of a wall. That’s when my ultra-obsessive outlining comes in.

In order to get past this wall, I’ll break down what’s happened in the chapter by:

1) Plot Events

2) Character Motivations (For multiple characters)

The key is to find the conflict. From there you are merely problem solving with your characters. Once conflict/response/motivation was discovered, the rest of the plot points fell out naturally. It would only take 10 − 30 minutes, which is pretty good, considering you’re overcoming a block.

I used to do this in MindNode Lite.

However, yesterday I got Scapple! So as I write my chapter today, that’s what I’m going to be using.

Now, I’m really nervous because I haven’t written much in a while. College is like that. So, I’m going to go ahead and use this outlining process from the get-go.

Step 1:

Import all plot cards to Scapple. I’m not going to bother with the prologue. That’s been written and I’m fine with it.

Step 2:

Figure out plot and any relevant character motivations. Narafre is the main character, and the story is told from her POV, so the main focus is on her motivations.

Step 3:

Color and connect!

Step 4:

I’m done!

The final project! It’s a doozy.

I can't believe that I got this program yesterday and can already do this.

If you are interested in being able to read this outline click, here.

Now that I have all this planned out, I’m going to go finish this chapter! 

So, You Want to Write a Graphic Novel?

A couple of years ago I decided to attempt Script Frenzy for the third time. The first two times I wanted to write a screenplay for a feature-length movie. I read dozens of screenplays, studied Save the Cat!, and got a ton of advice from a teacher/filmmaker. It was fun, but in the end, screenwriting was not my calling.

Everything changed when I discovered the graphic novel script option. Now, I never read graphic novels growing up. To me, a graphic novel was a picture book.

To make up for this, I spent a month studying to prepare for Script Frenzy. By the end of April, I had won three times over and had two complete graphic novel drafts under my belt. It was fortunate that I was also preparing a portfolio for art school because I was able to switch to sketching whenever I needed to.

Unfortunately, Script Frenzy had to shut down due to lack of funding. BUT THERE IS HOPE! To make up for this loss (a bit), The Office of Letters and Light has added a Script option to Camp NaNoWriMo… which starts up again in July. That gives you a bit less than a month to study up.

Here is a tiny guide for writing your own graphic novel script. There are snippets from multiple guides, including the Script Frenzy archive, and plenty of resource suggestions at the end.

Beginning

SAVE OFTEN & BACKUP.

Okay, got that out of the way.

I’m writing this for a friend who is new to graphic novel scripts. Well, new to graphic novels. This friend is not an artist, has never studied art, and will not be illustrating this graphic novel.

This guide is for him: the writer.

Before you write a script, you have to have characters, a story, and a plan. You can’t go into it loosey-goosey because of the structure you have to impose from the beginning. It’s not necessary to get too anal with outlines upon outlines, but you should always know where you are going before you write your script. 

Going into your script, you’ll soon find out that you are going to have to keep a continuous image of layout as you write. You’re working toward something visual, and will need to set it up so that the reader can follow these visuals clearly. This is a composition where space and specific content are key. Each page needs to be its own, but is own with its sister page, its chapter, and the whole story.

Guidance:

“The format of the comic book presents a montage of both word and image, and the reader is thus required to exercise both visual and verbal interpretive skills. The regimens of art (eg. perspective, symmetry, brush stroke) and the regiments of literature (eg. grammar, plot, syntax) become superimposed upon each other."

-Will Eisner Theory of Comics & Sequential Art

Here is the Intro to Graphic Novels page in the Script Frenzy archives with some of my notes.

This is where I started when I first looked into writing graphic novels. So, that’s where I’ll start here.

One, teeny, tiny, itty, bitty… major flaw to point out here is this:

A comic book and a graphic novel are not the same thing. They DO both go into the “sequential art” category. Aside from that, they are different animals. 

A graphic novel is an independent, contained story with all the elements of a usual story plot arc. [Novel]

A comic book is an installment in a story. They are episodic, but not a whole.

You can think of it as a movie vs. a TV show if you really need to.

The person who wrote this obviously thinks that these two VERY DIFFERENT things can be used interchangeably. Don’t worry, I’ll point it out where it causes confusion. 

1. 

[Most “splash pages” take place on even numbered graphic novel pages (i.e. the page on the other side of the page you turn). This is to keep the element of surprise in tact.]

Keeping in mind your odd/even pages and how they fit together to represent your layout as a whole is very important, albeit tedious at first. 

See, Jason Brubaker.

His articles are great to look through! He focuses on building the story through art, but you don't have to be an artist to learn from this technique. Everyone is capable of creating art in your head. Don't feel pressured just because YOU YOURSELF CANNOT DRAW.

He talks about designing pages in spreads here.

It's good to think of the odd and even pages together as a whole composition. Always remember that this is a visual medium. I cannot stress this enough.

Confused about how to lay out these spreads by page number?

Okay. Pull a book off your shelf. The page numbering starts after the copyright page (a filler page doesn't add to the count). Your odd numbers will be on the right side of the page. The first page will be on an odd page (1) alone.

Personally, I prefer to place my chapter title pages on an odd page. It can be awkward because, if there's material on the even page, it doesn't give a real sense of a break. I like it because I want the introduction to appear before you see what's going on.

Play around with it.

?:
 I don’t understand the “even numbered graphic novel pages” comment, because I don’t see how it keeps the element of surprise in tact… 

If someone is willing to explain this to me… great.

2. 

[Most graphic novels range anywhere from 21 to 30 pages in length.]

This is a nice “fact”. However, this person is talking about comic books, not graphic novels.

Honestly, make your graphic novel as long as you need to in order to tell a clean and coherent story. You do have to keep in mind that illustrating a graphic novel is a time-consuming process. The length of this kind of novel is going to have to be much shorter than a prose novel, in that, space is your guide and your constricting overlord.

*At least in terms of writing, not number of pages.

However, don’t think of this as limiting! There are many other ways you can convey all the details of the story without long, rambling descriptions or dialogue. 

Illustrate it. (Well, point these things out to the illustrator).

Mannerisms, weather, settings, facial expressions.

If some kind of food smells good, you don’t have to point it out with dialog. The food could have delicious trails of steam coming off it that entices a character. That same character can still continue the scene without bringing up how good the food is. It’s all in the face, the body’s position, and atmosphere.

3. 

[If you are creating new characters, you have to write every detail you want the artist to convey. If you are writing established characters, the only time you need to write the details out is if there is a change to their appearance or behavior in that scene.]

Remember, you don’t have to do this IN the script. I find it’s better to keep most character details out of descriptions, unless it is relevant to what’s going on in the panel, or if there has been a significant change. Your artist should have all the character’s basic information laid out for them separately.  

4. 

[Lastly, there is no right or wrong word processing program to write your script in. Personally, I love and use Final Draft because of its automatic character pop-up capability in all of its script-based formats. But there is no “industry standard” that will make or break getting someone to read your script if you get so lucky.]

Final Draft

I have looked at Final Draft. It has a bit of a learning curve, but I’ve heard that it is fairly easy to use. It certainly has more conveniences than other programs. Something that I really like about final draft is that it offers a variety of script formats.

There’s also a handy plot outline template (or “stationary”, as it’s called). “Handy”. It’s very easy to do this yourself in literally any word processing program, but it lays out a guide for how to plan out your graphic novel.

It’s also $250 for Final Draft.

Celtx

I use Celtx, which has the same character completion feature and offers many ways to keep your files organized. You don’t have to worry about manually changing styles or anything like that. In Celtx, you can just hit enter for a new panel and tab for new dialogue. The speed is amazing. 

It’s also free. So free.

You can find the application on CNet. (Or, “program” if you’re a Windows user… which I am not). 

BUT MAKE SURE YOU ARE GETTING THE FREE CNET ONE! Celtx has changed over the years.

Scrivener

Don’t get me wrong… Scrivener is my God. I write this blog in Scrivener. I write my novels in Scrivener. I do everything in Scrivener (well…). Sometimes I open Scrivener for companionship. It’s no question that, no matter what happens, I will die happy with Scrivener (and Scapple). I want to be buried with the Literature and Latte logo. I want it tattooed onto my body like some maniac lunatic freak.

I actually use Scrivener while I use Celtx just to keep everything organized. Someone created a graphic novel template for Scrivener, which Literature and Latte has made “official”. Personally, I don’t like the layout, the organization (lack), the learning curve, and the lack of speed. In Celtx, I can move between script elements faster than I type (paradox), and the different elements are very clear to see.

Of course, a lot of people swear by Scrivener for their graphic noveling needs. So, study up and see if it’s something you’re interested in.

It’s kind of worth it, anyway. Hands down, it’s the best software I’ve ever come across. Literature and Latte is SUCH a caring and generous company. 

It’s $45 for TEN licenses of Scrivener. 

Formatting

Of course, there IS no industry standard formatting. However, there are common elements to every comic/ graphic novel script.

I’ll demonstrate all of these elements in Celtx, while also going over the basics of the program. There are so many features that this program offers, but I only use it for its efficient scriptwriting capabilities and beautiful catalogs.

Note that this is not a program for exporting your script into a final format. The Type Set/ PDF function creates this horrific format. You’re better off saving your script as an .html file and converting THAT into a PDF later.

Actually, this isn’t a professional program in any sense of the word. But it is free and super, super fast and easy.

First Step: Open the program…

This is your workspace:

Just about everything in the workspace is self-explanatory. Celtx only allows you to have the most basic formatting freedom. The program expects you to be working off its template.

The only “fancy” features of Celtx require money. Which, are not generally worth it. Not for these simple purposes, anyway.

ONE thing I did buy that was worth every penny is called A Beginners Guide To Comic Books by Wallace Ryan. It’s a good resource for learning how to write scripts in Celtx, and also walks you through the rest of the artistic process. The basics, anyway. However, it is a great starting place. Unfortunately, I’m not sure that it’s available anymore.

Now, the script & formatting. 

Click the picture to expand.

Page:

There is a lot you can do with this section. You can name your page, establish a setting for the page, establish a time, etc. You can even leave it blank. What you DON’T want to do is include too much information or any information that should be put into a panel instead.

Panel:

Panel descriptions are where you want to include all of the description for the panel. Be as detailed as you need to be.

I stole this quote from a Final Draft Template (or “stationary”):

“The most important thing to remember: if it isn’t in the script, don’t expect to see it in the art.”

Oh, and one thing, if you’re going to have a character speaking off-panel, you might want to note his or her absence. Otherwise, put “off panel” in the Balloon Type area with his or her dialogue. 

Caption:

Captions are places for narrations, voice-over narrations, continued dialogue, or explanations (editorial captions). 

The text in captions is quoted or unquoted.

Captions always need to be in quotation marks when a character is narrating the story as a reflection (past tense), usually accompanying a flashback, or when a line of dialogue is being continued from a previous scene. 

Narrations in the present tense are not quoted.

Explanatory captions occur when something going on needs to be… well, explained. 

See below:

Character:

This denotes which character is speaking the following dialogue. This is not the place for descriptions.

As far as I know, there is no “general rule” for capitalizing character names. BUT, it is the standard for other script formats. I’d say do it, for the sake of clarity. 

Balloon Type:

What kind of speech balloon is your character “using”?

A regular dialogue balloon need not be specified. However, if your character is thinking his lines, you’ll want a thought balloon. If someone is yelling, you’ll want a burst balloon. 

Speech balloons communicate different states of being, volumes, and tones of voice. Above are just basic balloons. There are also balloons for electronics, voices over the phone (or other electronic doo-hikeys), telepathy, weak and ghastly voices, etc. 

In the example script above, I called for an “angry bubble (balloon)”. There I meant that I wanted a jagged balloon, like a burst balloon, but not so exaggerated. Personally, I love to include dozens of different types of balloons, each representing an emotion or physical state of being perfect for that ONE moment. Of course, there’s no need to be as complicated as me.

It’s true, I’d never use a “drunk” balloon without first making it very clear that a character is drunk. They aren’t meant to be clear, but fun. Someone told me that the “angry” balloon would also work for someone who was very cold with clattering teeth. I agreed. There’s no reason that balloon can’t serve a dual purpose. 

Two types of balloons not shown in this example are the shared dialogue balloon and the split balloons. I’ll give the visual example as well as the script example so you can see the different uses.

Balloon (dialogue):

Of course, this is the most self-explanatory script element of them all. Here is where you write dialogue. This is also an alternative place to put sound effects. 

Dialogue in foreign languages should always be bracketed with arrows (< >). This indicates that a foreign language is being spoken, but translated for the reader.

Remember that it is up to YOU to write in any emphasis or alterations in the dialogue. Your graphic novel will be lettered exactly as it is written. That means all bolds, italics, punctuation, etc. are your responsibility.

Dialogue for graphic novels does have its own grammar that should be written into the script. See Blambot.com <http://www.blambot.com/grammar.shtml> for more information. 

Now, I haven’t read many comics/graphic novels/ webcomics that follow these rules to a T. For instance, the two ellipses in a split balloon don’t seem to be necessary. You could just put in the first one. The same meaning comes across… with a shorter pause. However, to me, not including both ellipses shows a lack of reflection on the character’s part. 

It is a good idea to try and follow the grammar rules Blambot lays out as best as you can. For the sake of clarity if nothing else.

Sound Effects (sfx):

Sound effects should always be onomatopoeic. That means, “BOOM!” instead of “an explosion”. And always be conservative in the number of letters you use for your sound effects. SPACE is your overlord in graphic novels. You need things to fit inside the panel in an uncluttered fashion. You need things to fit. period.  

Also, make your sound effects stand out in the script. I bold mine.

Advice:

No matter what program you use, make sure that you have an easy-to-read and well organized script. Keep consistent formatting. Separate the script elements clearly. Plan ahead. Enjoy yourself, your story, and your life.

Graphic novels are an extreme artistic endeavor that are SO rewarding. It is the perfect medium for pure immersion into your story and world.

Resources:

There isn’t a lot that I can cover in one blog post. However, I can offer some suggestions for further reading.

• Understanding Comics by Scott Mccloud
• Making Comics by Scott Mccloud
• Drawing Words & Writing Pictures by Jessica Abel and Matt Madden
• Beginner’s Guide to Comic Books by Wallace Ryan. 
• This used to be a part of the Celtx Learning Series, but I cannot find it anywhere. Not even for pirating. I might contact Celtx at some point and ask for permission to upload it, or find a place where it’s still available. I bought it for only a few dollars and it was completely worth it.
• Theory of Comics & Sequential Art by Will Eisner
• This is a bit old, but is worth at least skimming. I think it has a lot of useful tips. At times it can also be insightful in a way that tickles my inner philosopher. 
• Script Frenzy Archives
• Writers on Comic Scriptwriting by Mark Salisbury
• Jason Brubaker’s RemindBlog - Articles

It goes without saying that you should also be reading graphic novels, right?

Quick Tips on Paper and Pens

This article is an extension of the one I wrote on Journals. It's important to know your tools!

Paper

The paper you choose to write on is very important. You want to be able to write clearly and quickly. That means: beware of paper that will slow down your pens and not pick up all the ink. Don’t use paper that’s so thin that your pens will bleed and be visible on the opposite side. Be skeptical about expensive papers. You have to check the manufacturer, where it’s made, not just the label. 

For instance, Moleskin journals give the illusion of being these fancy, Italian, high quality journals. False. Moleskin used to be top-notch… then their paper factories moved to China. The paper is horrible. The journals are expensive.

Rhodia has a great paper and well-made journals and pads. They aren’t the prettiest things out there, but the paper is amazing.

Five-star journals are fine, but be wary of dark pens. There will be bleeding.

Just shop around, you’ll find something you like.

Don’t feel obligated to buy really expensive paper. It’s easier to be intimidated by nicer paper because you’re afraid that your dumb thoughts will tarnish it. 

Pens

Your pen quality is more important than your paper quality, by far. Make sure the pen you use will get its ink out as you write! Otherwise, only parts of your letters will come out of the pen. You want a rollerball, or other quick-gliding pen type that will write quickly and clearly. No ballpoints. Uniball pens write quickly and come in lots of colors, but tend to bleed. Sarasa Zebra pens also come in a lot of colors and won’t bleed. However, the Zebras lose their umph with age and certain colors don’t want to write at all. Pilot pens are terrible. They will not write.

Gel pens are cool, but expensive. You can get really glittery pens and there is a larger variety of colors.

Be wary of the fountain pen. There is a reason why we switched to ballpoint and rollerballs. The more modern styles of fountain pen, like the Lamy Safari, will write very well. They even do well on lower quality paper, whereas the fancier pens always need high quality paper.

Some fountain pens refuse to write at all, and are also extremely expensive. I got a $100 Bexley for my first anniversary (not marriage) and it slowly stopped writing. I’ve taken it in to get cleaned and fixed at least five times and nothing helped. Now it sits on my vanity like a depressing prop. It’s a pain in the ass because most fountain pens will write well in the store, but there’s no telling how they’ll write after a bit of use. Buy at your own risk.

Worldbuilding Guide Part 2: Original Settings

World Building Guide Part 1: Creating Original Languages

Original Settings - Basics

#1: Write from experience.

• You can take entire cities, countries, and other broad places as you’ve experienced. You can use buildings, rooms, and furniture you know in your stories. Go as broad or as small as you want.
• Change whatever you want and as much as you need.

Example: My second-favorite city in my world is called Ewel (e-well) and was inspired by my hometown Boulder, CO. 

outsideonline.com

Even though I was inspired by an entire city, a city I know extremely well, there are only a few details that I use. The first is that Ewel is by the mountains in a high valley. The buildings are all very low in order to maintain the natural beauty, there are a lot of red-rooftops, and it likes to snow. 

archdaily.com

There is also an amphitheater that inspired an entire city district. A district of art, education, and religion.

casterockphotography.com

The amphitheater of Ewel is in a park that is adjacent to a large square that really defines the downtown. The square is HUGE. All the finest shops, theaters, museums are around it. It’s the perfect place to hold festivals and make public addresses. 

This one tiny amphitheater was enough to build an entire downtown area of a city. Its functionality was enough to define the mood of this downtown.

And… that’s it. Out of all of Boulder, I ended up using five details for the major capital of a Kingdom. The heart of Boulder remains in Ewel, but I couldn’t just copy the whole of Boulder. It wouldn’t work for a capital city that is many, many times larger than my dinky hometown. (~25 sq. miles). Plus, there’s a lot to large cities that Boulder just doesn’t understand.

Keep a travel log (physical or in your mind). Really take in the places you visit.

There was this one road of shops in Annapolis, MD that I visited while I was on my college tour.

civicartsproject.com

They were something like the picture above, but more colorful. Although, my mind has probably changed the details to fit what I found most charming about it. The line of boutiques and cafes that fit together with similar architectures and patriotic colors turned into a row of pastel artisan shops and restaurants that line a drop-off by a salty bay. The patios built onto the rear of the fictional shops have stairs that wind right onto the sandy beach instead of some dank alley.

destination360.com

These fictional shops are just a short stretch that face a similar low and rounded road, but much flatter. And, dear God, there is not as much brick. 

civicartsproject.com

This fictional city I’ve made is called Sable, so named for the rare black-barked trees that grow around the bay. The main industry of Sable is glass-production. They have a large-scale trade business that sells glass to the surrounding cities, whose industry is lacking. This trade makes Sable one of the wealthiest cities in the area. This provides its citizens with a comfortable lifestyle.

Once again, one little place, a simple line of shops, was enough to inspire the creation of an entire city for my world. 

#2: You don’t always have to write from experience.

Use pictures, articles, and stories of places you’ve never been. It’s okay. You want variety in your settings, and it’s unreasonable to say that the only way you’ll get it right is by traveling the world. Whatever you find from places you’ve only ever seen in a picture or heard about from a friend that intrigued you or inspired you belongs in your story.

Here’s Machu Picchu:

archaeology.about.com

I have a large temple complex in my world that sits on a mountain outside of a city called Divinheigh. Machu Picchu wasn’t what initially inspired the temple, but it is a good reference when I get in the mood to write about the temple. The complex sits on a much larger and flatter section of a mountain, but the bricks are similar enough, and there is a very large cliff on one side (it’s not a steep slope you can walk down, but close enough).

famouswonders.com

The green scenery and the large mountains are also the inspiration for the city Divinheigh (di-vin-high). The grey-bricks are great contrast to the green and blues of the mountains. My mountain city is cradled by giant mountains where it is sheltered, but also bombarded by trapped winds. The ocean that traces the curves of the mountain range keeps the city warm and wet. Moss encroaches the oldest ring of the city, creating a gradient of green up to the foothills. There is no way to catch a glimpse of the temple in the constant fog around the mountain tops.

Divinheigh is probably the least realistic setting I have in my world (I make up for it with a great, magical excuse). What’s important is the imagery and uplifting spirit of tall, green mountains and the grey bricks of historic buildings.

I’ve never been to Machu Picchu or a temple complex. My mountains are nothing like the ones around Divinheigh They are much smaller, and follow the city on one side only.

It’s important to draw on as many sources as you can.

Of course, all of my settings are made of more than one experience and memory. Dozens. Dozens of dozens. I couldn’t list the number of images and cultures I use for Divinheigh and Ewel.

It’s the variety of details I use that keep my settings interesting, both for me and my readers. Boring is boring. You want to fall in love your settings - that way, other people will too.

Make sure you get a good selection of the amazing natural wonders around the world. A lot of them are mind blowing, and usually overlooked. Having a setting in a really special place would set you apart, even if it’s not your main focus. 

Of course, your characters probably don’t live in these places, but they are good to keep in mind as your write.

seemorepictures.blogspot.com

crossingislandnature.tumblr.com

Also, architecture.

bluepeublo.tumblr.com

Tiziano

And both.

topdreamer.com

#3: Do NOT go on huge rants to describe everything about your setting. 

Break it up. Take a moment to describe where you are. That means, get your imagery in order - clear and accurate - so you can use fewer words. Then, move on. 

Focus on important details and general impressions as you go. 

One of the WORST habits a fantasy writer can have is the need to explain everything about their creations. They give it all up, all at once, and completely tear down their story in the process.  Authors like J.K. Rowling and Phillip Pullman didn’t need to get everything out all at once in order to communicate their amazing worlds. Look to your favorite fantasy books, you’ll see it.

Just an amazing reference.

The Bookshelf Muse. A.K.A “heaven”.

For those of you who haven’t discovered The Bookshelf Muse, it is a blog that offers a thesaurus for settings, physical attributes, colors, etc. The Settings thesaurus will help you describe your fictional places, especially if you’ve never been to any place similar to your setting. It can help with a place as small as a room or a place as big as a forest. Check it out. It’s awesome.

Worldbuilding Guide Part 1 - Creating Original Languages

Worldbuilding Gude Part 2 - Original Settings

Original Languages - Basics

My friend Robin is in the process of creating his own language - Korasian. He’s worked out his basic grammar structure and a few key phrases.

“Jaemaiga vai,” he says before we part ways. It means “I love you” in the romantic and committed sense.

“Jaemohta vai,” he says when a friend of ours is feeling down (or when he’s particularly friendly). It means “I love you” in a platonic sense.

When we watch an Iron Man movie and all the girls are gushing over Robert Downey Jr., he might say, “Ashohta gahvoi bahda ezai.” Or, “I want to be like him.” And, let’s face it, who doesn’t?

We’ve both been influenced by Attic Greek and Latin, and it comes through in this language.

The phrase “ashohta gahvoi bahda ezai” if translated word-by-word says, “I want like him, who is not present, to be.” 

The word order doesn’t matter because Korasian is a declined language. All of the cases and tenses are built directly into the words with prefixes.

The diphthongs and monophthongs that appear in these phrases are pronounced as follows:

‘Ae’ - ‘a’, as in “the letter 'a'”, or how a Canadian ends a sentence. "Good day, eh?"

‘Ai’ - ‘I’, as in “I got your damn Pringles.”

‘Oi’ - ‘oy’, as in “oy vey!”

An ‘h’ after a vowel signifies that the vowel is long. The rest should be natural for an English speaker.

Korasian does not use the Roman Alphabet, nor can a direct transliteration be applied. The diphthongs and monophthongs are built into one letter each, and so are consonant sounds like ‘th’.

Robin's Vocabulary Page (nouns)

I’ve created my own “dialect” of Korasian, as Robin calls it, that IS a direct transliteration. I did this so I could take “notes” in class without anyone knowing what I was really writing down. That required some new letters that I created.

My In-class "Notes"

Having an original language in your writing makes your world very rich indeed. It’s a great way to show off your investment and explore the cultures of fictional societies. I’ve been involved in a couple of attempts to create an amateur language, and here are some things I’ve learned.

First. There are some things you need to do.

Option 1: Be a linguist. 

Option 2: Learn a couple of languages, then follow Option 3.

Option 3: Just try your best.

Descending order with 1 being the best strategy and 3 being the worst.

I understand everybody can’t be a linguist and not everybody has access to language classes. Yet, everybody should know English. It’s the least helpful language for figuring out grammatical constructions and cognates, but it’s a start.

For Linguists:

Don’t even bother reading this article, you should know what to do. Also, give me corrections on whatever I got terribly wrong (if you bothered to read this article).

For Language Students: 

As someone who has studied five languages (including English) and dabbled in a few others, this is where I’ll be the most helpful.

I’ve studied English, Middle English, French, Latin, and Attic Greek.

#1: 

Decide how old your language is. The older a language, the more the culture, history, and texts have shaped it over the years. A translation might not make much sense to English-speaking people. 

“Why does the word for chicken also mean bucket?” 

“I dunno, this language is weird.” 

Don’t worry about this sort of confusion. It’ll make your language much richer - as long as you can explain it.

For instance, there may have been a classical writer who once made a pun that compared a chicken to bucket. If it stuck, those words may have become synonyms. Or, maybe there was an influential man that made a mistake, and it stuck. 

Why do you think we have butterflies and not flutterbys? Let me tell you, that one was just some jackass that really liked spoonerisms. 

Newer languages are fresh and straightforward. Very few people have had time to change it, bastardize it, and help it evolve.

I don’t know if there’s anyone here who has learned Esperanto. If you have, you’ll know that there are constant attempts to reform the language. It’s also so young (born in 1887) that it’s easy to see its evolution (slight evolution). The way it’s structured allows people to create words as they go along in order to express their thoughts as clearly as possible. It’s complete enough to teach as a real language, but is still incomplete.

#2

Figure out who’s speaking it. Is it a vulgar language? Does no one speak it because it’s a dead language? Do only the highest members of society have enough education to speak this language?

The more vulgar a language is, the looser you can be with your grammar. A lot of things will be colloquial and folksy. That means, the more sophisticated a language is, the more tight-assed and formal the language is going to be. While the latter is the easiest for a beginner, it’s also a lot less fun. 

Dead languages have the opportunity to combine the vulgar and sophisticated, especially if there’s dialogue. In prose and poetry, a lot of colloquialisms will be cut out, and grammar suddenly becomes the most important aspect.

#3

Now, a lot of languages are more structured than English. Many, many, many, many, many languages are more structured than English. Conjugations, genders, and sometimes even declensions exist in other languages (this includes Middle English [a bit], funnily enough). Your language will be much easier to create if you impose these structures.

#4

In fact, just take your language textbook and make a very, very condensed version (of your language) to start. All of the grammar chapters will guide you through what’s in a language. It’ll get you far. Also, having the influence of an “actual” language will make yours seem much more realistic.

You can, of course, just create the parts of the language that you’ll need. Maybe you only need some nouns. That’s fine. It’s not necessary to go all-out.

((Hey, you should read the next section as well.))

For Those Who Have to Wing It:

There are many things in English that can help you. Track the Etymology of words (if your school gives you access to the online O.E.D, start there). Otherwise, etymonline.com is a perfectly respectable source. English is a jumble of foreign languages and grammatical structures, so you’ll be able to find some linguistic variety if you put your mind to it. Linguistic variety is important if you want a selection of styles for your own language.

Study the words that have Germanic roots, then words with French roots (which is where our Latin roots come from), etc. This way you can get a feel for how many ways your own made-up roots can fit together and take on different, yet similar meanings. Maybe use those roots to create your own alternate-English (which is what I’m doing, but with Middle English).

Keep in mind how you want your language to sound. Try to give it a continuous flow, which means use common sounds and inflections. Both of those should come naturally. Make a list of key vocabulary and their etymology. From there, you can sew together words like a linguist Frankenstein. Your language will not be top-notch and will have a lot of holes, but it will be much better than others in the same situation as you.

No language has a one-to-one translation into English. There will always be many different translations for a foreign word. 

For instance, envie (fr.) does not just mean “envy”. It also means “wish”, and can be used to demonstrate jealousy. It’s like synonyms in English, but more contextual. The specific meaning comes from what word(s) it’s combined with, what adjectives are used with it, and the form of the word itself.

A more complicated example is, kaputt (ger.). Kaputt means “bust” and “broken”. But when talking about automobiles, it means something more like “smashed up”. It can also indicate a ruined marriage, or laughing one’s head off. 

When designing your language, you have to think about the subtle meanings of your words. The context that can change “broken” to “laughing one’s head off” generally stems from the culture (folklore, social customs, etc.). In Latin, there’s a word that means “gift” or “funeral games”. That’s because in Roman culture, gifts were given at funeral games as prizes.

Closing words: create a language that is beautiful to you, even if you just make up a few words. 

Journals!

Also see, quick tips on paper and pens.
I’d like to start off by apologizing for the low picture quality. I don’t own a good camera, and these were taken on the floor of my dormitory’s hallway. 

My journals. Covers designed by me.

I learned the benefits of journaling in high school. Senior year creative writing was all about journals to keep our assignments. The writing exercises and in-class reflections weren’t so important. The real benefit of the journal was the “daily lines” assignment. The point of “daily lines” was to keep the writing juices flowing. We were only required to write one line, but one sentence is generally not enough to get a thought out. So I would write one line. Then another. Then another.

And if we wanted to, we could also stop writing and throw random things into the journal as well. Thoughts, sketches, guest quotes, and research quickly filled up the journal alongside the writing. Before long, I was filling out ten pages of journal a day.

I’d even tape in things I picked up from my favorite establishments, or even things I found on the street. One day, while waiting for the bus, an abandoned page of story blew over to my feet. It was very enjoyable to read.

My journal stayed with me at all times (as well as my growing collection of colorful pens, glue, and tape). Now, this is important: I never had an idea for my writing that I couldn’t write down immediately. My brain never got a break from my story. Even if I was only able to write down a quick idea once a day, I was never out of shape. That meant that when it was actually time to sit down and write on my computer, my writing was richer, fresh, and rarely hit a wall. This process got me through Script Frenzy 2011.

Plans, research, even chunks of the script itself was right there in my journal, by my side, ready for me to reference.

All for graphic novel and novel adaptation.

And now that I’m in college, I can sit down and write out/ plan out my essays while I’m in class or at a meal. Or, I can doodle.

It's the Monster Mash!

Journals are just a really useful tool to keep me going when I’m not glued to my computer. 

They all have names that came from something significant that happened while I was working on them. It’s a shame, though, because once they acquire a name, I have to get a new one. Whether or not it’s finished. It’s like the era of my life they document is over once something significant happens.

There was something beautiful about the chaos. The only real organization that appeared were the dates. Sure, I labeled different sections as they came, but it’s not like every section went into its own tab. I could find things through memory if I really needed them. “That’s right, it was by the map and pizza sauce stain.”

Everything else is just there waiting for me to come back and read it. It’s beautiful, chaotic history. Even the little things bring back vivid memories. I can flip to a page and find what was going on that one time when I had a laser fight with a gerbil. Right? That sounds accurate.

Time Management for Writing in College

A disclaimer:

The most important thing is to not fall behind in school. I spent all of high school indulging my own hobbies. The horrible truth is: I didn’t get very good grades in high school. It worked out for me because I was active with extracurriculars, volunteering to help out with office work/ tutoring, and did very well on tests. But the lack of focus I showed in class and on homework caused more damage than it was worth. 

Doing this in college is a death sentence. Your professors expect you to be in their class because you care about your education. You are paying for you education. You are making a dedication because you care about your future, parental approval, or learning. If these tips do not work for you, find your own strategy, or deal with the fact that your vacations will be your writing time.

But don’t worry, these tips usually work.

Break Down Your Schedule

The first tip of time management is to figure out what you do with your time. Once you’ve mapped out your days, you can start cleaning them up. You’ll be amazed by how inefficient you are. Why do you need ten minutes to brush your teeth? Step 1: cut down on the amount of time you stare at yourself in the mirror. Step 2: look in the mirror after you get dressed. That way you don’t have to run back to your room to change your outfit after you’ve seen how ridiculous you look in some window.

After you’ve cleaned up your time a bit, try to find a common down time and make that your writing period. Writing at the same time every day is the best way to get it done. Having an irregular schedule makes it too easy to procrastinate.

Don’t Expect to be Able to Write for Large Periods at a Time

Set aside a small chunk of time every day (1-2 hours). This is also the practice of many professional writers who have to juggle jobs or children… or who can’t bring themselves to devote their entire lives to writing. A couple of hours every day also has the benefit of not killing your social life.

Take a Creative Writing Class

This is a temporary strategy, but it will fill up your hobby tank for a long, long time. It also has the added benefit of teaching you how to write. Optimally, it will also teach you discipline, but it’s not guaranteed. Classes force you to get your work done, and constantly keep your writing gears going. They might get going well enough for you to be able to keep up the pace after the class is over.

Sacrifice a Minimal Amount of Fun-Time for Writing-Time

College is stressful. There’s a reason why so many of us find leisure in partying and goofing-around. We’re working so hard that hard playing is almost necessary to cope. Personally, I find writing to be very fun, but it doesn’t usually contribute to a colorful social life. It is possible to make writing a social activity, and you should find a way to make it so. But remember that too much is the easiest way to get burned out.

So, go out. Exercise. Make friends. Be happy.