Learning to Question Your Elephant Child: Who, What, Where, When and Why
Having problems writing? I don't know why. San Francisco Chronicle columnist Jon Carroll writes up to five columns a week. After all, if he can write five columns, you should be able to write a five-lined poem-but that does not seem to be the case.
How does he do it? Carroll claimed to recite lines from Rudyard Kipling's "The Elephant Child":
"I have six humble serving men
They taught me all I knew
Their names are what
And where and when
And why and how and who."
I'm more than sure that two incentives for Jon Carroll are 1.) Creating deadlines and 2.) His salary! Yes, we writers DO get paid every now and then!
Basing my philosophies on those few lines of Kipling's "The Elephant Child", my advice is to "Simply Ask Questions". Rummage through some old work (whether it be poetry, nonfiction, or fiction) that you've written and use the following techniques to enhance your skills. And, then, ask yourself the follow questions.
WHAT is the underlying theme?
Try to come up with a single-word or phrase to describe your story. Perhaps one reason your story has not been effective in the past is that you have too many intertwining stories. This, in turn, can cause confusion for the reader. So, ask yourself, "What is my story about?" And, give yourself answers such as: Desolation, Lost Hope, Self-Confidence, Racism, Attained Dreams, etc. If you can KISS (keep it simple stupid), then your readers won't MISS your point.
As practice, read some of the great contemporary writers and ask yourself the same question-"What is the underlying theme?" Describe the book in one word or one phrase, instead of using a high school book-report technique.
WHERE does your story or poem take place?Knowing the setting can allow you to be a bit more descriptive with your work. Does your poem or prose take place in Alaska? Florida? China? Yugoslavia? Hawaii? Kentucky? Each of these places is, perhaps, equal opposites of the next. To know your setting you have two choices-- 1.) Be a good researcher; collect pictures and read as much as you can about the location, or 2.) Take a road trip! Nothing can be grander than to spend your weekend visiting unknown territories.
WHEN did the events take place in which you are writing?If you're doing factual reporting-this is especially a MUST-DO. For instance, if you read a news article a reader wants to know when Ms. Johnson's house was burglarized. Did it happen June 20, 2001? June 20, 1984? Did the events take place when it was winter with ten inches of snow? Or, better still, did the events take place at Virginia Beach mid-August?
WHY did the events take place?Is there a conflict within your character? A lot of times character's (and real people too) have problems only because their conscious is "eating them away". Is this the case? If so, why does your character feel so guilty that he made such decisions? Perhaps the events that take place are only cause-effect. Most always people cause their own mental downfall and breakdown. Always know why your characters complete every task and why the events take place.
How did the events happen?Too often people will say, "I had a car wreck today?" But, do they leave it at that? No, no, no. You must always tell how the events happened. Were you driving in the incorrect lane, but still feel it's not your fault? Did you skid uncontrollably on a patch of ice? Maybe, you wanted to avoid the slow-moving tortoise that crossed your lane? If other characters are involved, it's important to get their perspective in dialogue. Maybe they feel the events happened differently.
Who did the events happen to?Who your events happen to is one of the main focuses. You have to choose your characters carefully. Why? Well, it would change a story completely if you wrote of a 68-year old cheerleader. Your work would be a different story if the character were an autistic adult. How would the events change if, let's say, the main character was indeed the Elephant Child, child of the deceased Elephant Man? Be creative with your characters and allow their personalities to work well for you when creating your piece.
Sometimes writers can use techniques that allow them to disregard some of these steps. Oh, Really? -You question. Yes. For instance, a writer may know the intentions of a character, a location-but you may not want to put it in print. My suggestion is that you KNOW all the answers to the above questions to make the work have more substance. By knowing all the answers you can create images, people, and scenarios by using symbols and customs of a particular area.
About The Author
Stephen Jordan has five years experience within the educational publishing industry. Stephen was a freelance editor with such educational foundations as Princeton Review, The College Board, New York University, and Columbia University. Away from the office, Stephen promotes his creative writing with his home-freelance business OutStretch Publications and his artwork. Stephen holds two Bachelor of Arts degrees in writing and literature from Alderson-Broaddus College of Philippi, West Virginia.
MORE RESOURCES:
'Becoming Americans': Immigrant writing San Francisco Chronicle ... short stories, novel excerpts, poems, letters and bits of memoir that this anthology of "Four Centuries of Immigrant Writing" collects. ... |
Local man wins prize in writing competition Iowa City Press Citizen A local man has won a runner-up prize in an international competition for writing. Zach Falcon, 37, of Iowa City, earned the recognition for his story "The ... |
Writings left behind by Vonnegut Philadelphia Inquirer As for writing left behind at his death, here we have Look at the Birdie, a collection of previously unpublished works that Vonnegut wrote in the 1950s or ... |
 guardian.co.uk | Steven Tyler Is Just Writing A Book! No Drugs (Allegedly) PerezHilton.com (blog) A spokesman for Steven Tyler has said that the Aerosmith frontman is just taking a quick break due to a shoulder injury and he is working on his ... TYLER IS WRITING HIS MEMOIRS |
 Hindu | 'Writing is a solo pursuit' Hindu I really believe what happens in the writing experience happens in the reading experience. If there is velocity in the writing, then there will be the same ... |
Prof finalist for fiction writing Sioux City Journal Tricia Currans-Sheehan's "The River Road: A Novel in Stories" was named a finalist in fiction and received Honorable Mention in the Nashville Book Festival ... |
 Baltimore Sun | An appreciation for Sister Maura Baltimore Sun Here's an excerpt: Sister Maura considered writing to be work, and if nothing else, I was going to learn the value of that work during my numerous courses ... |
Texting infecting writing The Spokesman Review “I've caught myself using texting shortcuts in regular writing. I just correct it when it happens,” said Scott Hickey, as he sent a text message before a ... |
Cruz's record label wants him to stop writing hits Ireland Online He said: “I kept writing them and the record company kept shouting at me because I kept giving all the songs away. “I'm not really precious like that. ... |
 Jamaica Gleaner | Writing like a Jamaican, in Morocco Jamaica Gleaner Jamaican-born writer and teacher Jacqueline Bishop's philosophy is that great writing can be taught. It is a skill that can be mastered, ... |
Common Writing Mistakes
Most books aren't rejected because the stories are"bad." They're rejected because they're not "ready toread.
Need a Book Coach, Ghost Writer, or Editor? Part 2
If you either want to write a book to help others create a better life and boost business or you already have your book nearly finished, you may need book coaching to answer all of your questions "What step to take next?"Know Your Editing ChoicesLine editing. Use this final professional edit after you have already revised your work three times.
Four Easy Ways to Get a Book Written (Especially If You Dont Like to Write)
Becoming an author is probably a lot easier than you think. It's time to get that book out of your head and onto the printed page.
Do The Unfamiliar To Keep Your Writing Going
One of the best ways to blow someone's winning streak during a tennis game is to comment on how great they are doing. Your comment will kick in their left brain's inner critic which will zap their flow and change their focus.
Mixing and Mingling: The Door to Publication?
Mixing and mingling with industry professionals is an opportunity that you should NEVER let slip by. Here are some tips from my own experience to help you make the most of your conference:1.
Writing Business Letters That Get The Job Done
Despite the widespread use of e-mail in commerce today,traditional business letters are still the main way that the majority of businesses officially communicatewith their customers and other businesses.This is especially true when businesses want to formalizean agreement or an understanding.
9 More Writing Tips for Successful Email Marketing
A few months ago, I wrote a guide entitled: 101 Writing Tips for Successful Email Marketing. In fact, many COPY TIPS subscribers have a copy.
Keys to Characterisation
Far too many inexperienced writers create flat, stereotypical characters: the brave fireman, the damsel in distress, the strict schoolmistress. The best characters are those who evoke emotions within the reader - fear, admiration, affection, laughter, horror? If the writer fails to make us care about the characters, no matter how ingenious the plot, we will toss the story aside without a second thought.
What You May Not Learn In College... (Part Two)
If you become a writer for any publication, private business, public entity, non-profit organization and/or large corporation that employs more than one editor, you may find that your job description, expected contributions, desired writing style and similar "guidelines" for your position - are subject to change daily/weekly/unpredictably - according to each editor's mood and/or personal preferences. It takes time, but eventually you will learn how to satisfy everyone to the best of your ability.
Mexican Living: Lets Be Perfectly Clear
Readers often send me interesting and exciting e-mails about the op-ed pieces I write and manage to publish. As a writer, I get all sorts.
Italics Part 2 - Using Italics to Show Thoughts
Way back in your early school years, you were probably taught to use the tag "he thought" in your stories, to tip readers off that someone was thinking. If you substituted something more innovative, like "he pondered" or "Harry deliberated", you might even have scored a big red tick.
Hero's Journey - The Herald
Beyond three and four act story structure, lies the Hero's Journey.The Hero's Journey is the most usable story structure consisting of at least 106 stages and the template for successful contemporary stories, from Star Wars to Al Pacino Scarface to The Incredibles to War of the Worlds to The Dirty Dozen to Midnight Cowboy.
Mexican Living: Pasatiempo
It occurred to me one day that I needed something to do with my time when I wasn't writing. You know--something to divert myself so more writing ideas could come to mind.
Do I Have To Be A Good Writer to Market My Own Business?
Many of the most effective low-cost marketing strategies require writing. What can a small business owner do if they're not much of a writer? Can they still market their business themselves on a shoestring budget?Marketing is a form of communication.
Writing Made Them Rich #2: Charles Dickens
Charles Dickens was born in Portsea, England, in1812. His father was a clerk in the Navy Pay Office,stationed at Portsmouth.
Permission NOT To Write
Quite a few years ago, I enrolled in a Degree in Criminal Justice. My main reason for doing so was my interest in reading and writing crime and mystery fiction.
When Getting Stuck Goes Amuck
Many of us have always wanted to write. We have all gotten writer's block.
An Introduction to Self Publishing Material
Any article, report or book which is bought or sold with reproduction rights is generally referred to as self-publishing material. Most commonly, this material consists of reports or articles varying in length from 1 to 20 or more pages.
The Blank Mind
Many writers stare at the blank page or clean computer screen and wait for inspiration with a feeling of hopelessness. That white page or screen is always a struggle to fill, and it probably will always be for most writers.
Top Ten Tips (Part 1)
The following rules are essential if you want people to take you seriously.Be yourself Know your subjectBe interested Punctuate proudlyRespect the apostropheGet great grammarSpell well Keep to the pointRead and reviseSleep on itPay attention to detailBe yourselfWrite from the heart or the head or the gut, depending upon the type ofwriting you are doing.
