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Dynamic Creative Writing

WordPress as a platformfor a literary Work in Progress

Craig Spence Writer

January 14, 2012

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What am I talking about?

January 14, 2012

In September, 2011 I posted the first episode to The Cosmic Chicken web site, launching what has become for me an experiment in Dynamic Creative Writing.

This presentation will talk about:

• What the term Dynamic Creative Writing means.• Why WordPress makes a superb Dynamic Creative Writing environment.• Who might want to engage in Dynamic Creative Writing.

The Cosmic Chicken is located at www.cosmicchicken.ca. Although I was pleased to acquire the domain name, I wasn’t really surprised to discover no-one else had claimed it!

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First, a little bit about me…

January 14, 2012

Published Author• Josh & the Magic Vial (2006, Thistledown Press)• Einstein Dog (2009, Thistledown Press)• Three novels in progress

Supporter of Arts & Letters• Langley Arts Council Board Member• Community Arts Council of Greater Victoria member• Federation of BC Writers President

Retired Journalist & Communications Manager• Community Newspaper Journalist (1981- 1996)• School District Communications Manager (1996 – 2012)• Full time writer from January 2012 on…

My last board meeting ever!YEEHAW!

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More telling images…

January 14, 2012

The first inkling of the writer in me stirred in a Grade 5 classroom in Parkdale Elementary School. Call it a blessing or a curse, a vocation is unavoidable. You live and breath it and build your life around it.

Hmm? This is a bit of a game changer!

Daddy, you ain’t got a clue!

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Fast forward to real time…

January 14, 2012

WHAT IS DYNAMIC CREATIVE WRITINGImagine yourself in a department store display window on a busy downtown street. You are sitting at your desk clattering away feverishly on the next episode of your work in progress. Your computer console is wired to a second screen that shows passers-by your every keystroke. A big sign welcomes them to text, email or phone if they want to comment or make suggestions.

Someone taps on the window. You look up…

That’s Dynamic Creative Writing.

What Craig means to say is: “Involving audience while a work is still in progress.”

Original artby Diana Durrand

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Why get Dynamic?

January 14, 2012

CREATIVE WRITING AS EVENTWe live in a networked, collaborative world. Dynamic Creative Writing derives authenticity by opening itself to the chatter of the network. The novel evolves in its audience’s mind as a work-in-progress, allowing readers to influence outcomes. The act of writing-as-event challenges the author to become a guide through real time story-telling toward an uncertain conclusion along undefined pathways.

Perhaps what Craig really means is he just didn’t know where to begin.

Flickr, MJM Photographie,

Melissa M

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OK, let’s get practical…

January 14, 2012

WHY WRITE DYNAMICALLY?• Build audience as a novel is written.• Make the outcomes of your story relevant.• Extend context by including ‘outtakes’.• Build a process of self-evolution and growth.• Develop momentum.• Incorporate graphic and media elements.• Provide links to supplementary resources.• Position WIP for alternative modes of publication.• Achieve global reach.• Build creative relationships.

OK. Maybe he did know where to begin, but does he know how to finish.

Flickr, MJM Photographie,

Melissa M

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WordPress as Dynamic space…

January 14, 2012

SOME FEATURES OF WORDPRESSTHAT MAKE IT A RICHDYNAMIC WRITING ENVIRONMENT?

• Browser accessed web authoring• The Blog• Comments• Categories• Social media plug ins• Media imports• Drafts/Published lists• Menus• Full Screen Mode

Well, wouldn’t any web authoring program allow you to do that stuff?

Don’t know, but I do know WordPress works for me.

Flickr, by narghee-la,

Joana Cocarelli

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Browser accessed web authoring…

January 14, 2012

Most users appreciate browser accessed web authoring because they can work on their pages anywhere without having to buy web authoring programs. I really appreciate that my WordPress workspace is just another web page on my open pages bar. The walls to the writer’s room have becometransparent. Information Flows in and out.

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The Blog…

January 14, 2012

Blog tends to an episodic, sequential style of writing. They also tend to a plot oriented structure. Not every novelist can work within those constraints.

However, the blog’s timeline makes it effective for dynamic creative writing. Readers can follow characters and events, with the current episode always at the top of the stack.

The blog has evolved as a medium for the exchange as much as the presentation of ideas, which will encourage audience participation in the emerging story.

WHAT’S NEXT!

Flickr imageNightFall404Richard Hopkins

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Comments…

January 14, 2012

The comment function of the blog works two ways for the dynamic creative writer. Readers interacting with the work in progress can post their ideas for the writer and others to see. The author can also respond to readers ideas.

As important is the potential for the author to post his own ideas by initiating comment threads. This makes the process of revision overlap with the process of creation. It also makes the author’s revision notes public and open to comment.

Comment? I’ll give you a comment: Just write the damned book and forget about all this palaver. Cosmic Chicken indeed!

Original art by Diana Durrand

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Categories…

January 14, 2012

As a work of fiction progresses the author has more and more information to keep track of. Maintaining consistency with regard to character, setting, plot and metaphor can become a challenge.

More importantly, maintaining tension and pushing emotional and intellectual boundaries means revisiting ideas repeatedly, and not leaving any threads dangling.

The ability to call up categories and tags instantly and review storylines and trends quickly is one of the most useful tools WordPress provides me as novelist.

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Media imports…

January 14, 2012

A great novel doesn’t need photographs or illustrations, just as great paintings don’t require a whole lot of words.

That said, the judicious use of graphics can cue readers, giving them visual elements to build a scene around. WordPress’s Media functions make it easy to place images and video clips into a story.

The Cosmic Chicken was inspired by the art of my partner Diana Durrand, and the main character in the story echoes my own fascination with portraits of Gallus Domesticus – the domestic chicken.

Lovely, I’m sure, but is

it art, dear?

Original art byDiana Durrand

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Drafts/Published lists…

January 14, 2012

As an organizational tool WordPress ‘Drafts’ and ‘Published’ lists provide an intuitive context for story development. The writer can review his list of episodes (posts) at a glance. He can switch out of the episode he’s working on to create a new one, then switch back in an instant. He can storybuild unpublished episodes over time, based on his growing familiarity with the novel in progress. He has a breakdown of drafts and published episodes and an organically growing roadmap of his entire novel all laid out.

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Menus…

January 14, 2012

A thoughtfully developed menu to a web-based work of dynamic creative fiction invites readers to explore beyond the storyline of the novel. It can even become a standing reference for readers who want to gain perspectives into a published work that would otherwise remain part of the back story.

The Cosmic Chicken has navigation links to a ‘Glossary’; a page that describes ‘The Cast’; and a page about ‘Places’ in the novel. Readers can also learn about the author. The interested reader can access layers of information that are outside the book proper. Flickr image by Mary Margret, Double-M

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That’s Dynamic Creative Writing

January 14, 2012

Is Dynamic Creative Writing a method that might be used by others? Or is it a one-off experiment that will result in a single work of speculative fiction?

If Dynamic Creative Writing does become a useful mode, is WordPress the best environment for engaging in it, or is there a better context? Wikis for example?

I don’t know at this point. But my experience so far makes me think I will be writing more novels using WordPress as my creative medium.

Flickr image by o5com