3 Paths to Holistic Writing

The past two weeks, I have been reading articles on holistic approaches to psychology, martial arts, lifestyle, and medicine. So of course I decided to explore what people said about holistic writing on blogs, Facebook, LinkedIn, and the web in general.
I found near silence.
So I decided to tackle the idea myself.
Holistic comes from the noun holism,which is most commonly used in three ways. Below are three holistic approaches to writing based on these definitions.

#1

• Unity. In one use of holism, the parts can only be understood as they contribute to the whole. If you wish to use this approach, then look at your target section as a whole unit instead of as a lot of pieces because those pieces interact to form the whole piece.

Example 1: A scene often includes dialogue or monologue PLUS action PLUS description. You can certainly look at each element individually but to gauge the effectiveness of the scene, you probably should look at how these elements interact to form the whole. In this approach,we do not just look at the dialogue, action, description, etc, in isolation but in terms of how it/they contribute to the entire section. And we look at the section (be it a beat, scene, or chapter) not in isolation but in terms of how it contributes to a greater unit (the beat to the scene, the scene to the chapter, the chapter to the book, the book to the series).

#2

• Synergy. In a similar yet distinct usage of holism, the whole is more than the sum of the parts. To clarify, in the first definition, the pieces interact to make a whole unit. In this second definition, the parts synergize to form a whole that is greater than the parts.

Example 2: This holistic approach requires getting into your "reader mind". A reader does not analyze each part of a beat, scene, or chapter. the reader absorbs the entire experience presented by a blending of all the writer's techniques. Ask an uncritical reader and s/he hopefully say  "awesome", "couldn't put it own to sleep", "totally engrossing". What writing technique causes this? No single technique but the synergy created by every tool in your arsenal.

 #3

• Integrity. In this third use of holism, I use "integrity" not in the moral sense but in the structural sense -- specifically the broader structure of our lives.

Example 3: While some people try to live their lives in compartments, a more integrated life-style can greatly benefit your writing. First of all, by not compartmentalizing ("this is office time, this is family time, and this is writing time"), your writer mind will be more alert. You will have an easier time drawing on experiences that occur outside your "research and writing time".
Example 4: Healthy life-style practices definitely  affect your ability to function as a writer (especially in terms of creativity, productivity, and stamina). Making priorities of physical, mental, and spiritual health -- integrating healthy practices into your lifestyle -- is an important part of taking care of yourself as a writer.
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There you have it. Three different paths to holistic writing! I enjoyed writing this post and hope you find it helpful.

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Has this post prompted any ideas of your own? We'd love to hear about your ideas and experiences in the comments section!
Have a question or topic you'd like to see addressed? Drop me a line!

One Common Mental Mistake Writers Make

(Phot Credit: Frank Camhi)
      “Writing” is a broad term. Everyone specializes to an extent. Before you look at a piece and ask “does this work?”, you need to know where you want it to work. Professional, personal, or among friends? Academic or steam-punk? Novel series or flash fiction? What age is the audience? The problem is that discussions of “what works” can be completely meaningless if we do not first establish the context.

      In my experience, learning to write is similar to training in a martial art. Each discipline of writing has its own flavor and even with in a particular art you can have different objectives (hobby, social, professional, practical, etc.)

      To help make things clearer, let's take a couple of scenarios and see how their effectiveness changes when we change the writing context. Let's use... a long descriptive passage. Would this work in any or every context?

      In surreal fiction a fairly long descriptive passage might be necessary in order to ground the reader. In academic writing, same goes. But in flash fiction you may have just consumed half your word count with that long descriptive passage. If you are writing for very young readers, the kids may have wandered off. And if an agent or editor is reading it... they may have their doubts.

What about have use of slang? Context matters. In academic articles ya'll prob'ly won't ge' away wi' it. Young readers (who read your work themselves) also might struggle. But with right amount, right age group, and right genre... go ahead and try it.

      We could go on and on.

      Instead, let's just say that defining context is essential to determining what works and what does not work. Knowing the “what works where” is important so that you – the writer – can figure out where to invest your effort. What skills to develop and what can be safely less-developed.

      Even if you do write in multiple areas, I suggest that your training be 100% relevant to the contexts for which you wish to “train”. Specific training leads to specific results. Unfocused training leads to unfocused results. And unfocused results can result in missing the target agent, publisher, or audience.

More Than Conflict

A story's power is not created by conflict but through conflict. This distinction is important. Conflict is the most popular tool for giving power to a story but it is a tool that should with other tools. When used alone, the result is not power but impotence.

That's right. You may think that readers revel in conflict but what the reader really wants is an interesting progression of events. Conflict that goes nowhere will sap the health, potency, and vigor from your storyline. This is because readers are easily bored. To fight boredom, you need to introduce new developments. Developments of plot is only one sort of progress – development of character, world, or relationships works too.

In many powerful stories, desire is more important than conflict. This is because only so much progress can be made purely through conflict. I would argue that one or more desire, need, or lack is the power behind the story. These allow the reader to relate, generate interest, and provide a comparison point for progress throughout the story. They give meaning to conflict.

Your Writing Horoscope

Aries: You need to develop your protagonist's romantic opportunities. You need a fun and fresh romantic adventure. Don't neglect the possibilities inherent in your character's work life.

Taurus: You need to develop a supporting character's home life. Don't forget that realistic characters seek (or have found) a balance between work, play, diet, and exercise. It's time to review your supporting character's habits to see what could be fodder for a internal or external conflict that impacts the protagonist, antagonist, or both.

Gemni: You need to work on dialogue. Try adding an attempt at flirtation or seduction. Create a social setting that ups tension, such as a cultural event (music, arts, or festivals for example).

Cancer: Remember that your main character is influenced by spending habits. Consider using a need for money as a motivating factor to get your character to try something or go somewhere new.

Leo: Consider a scene in which a character needs to convey a message. While writing the scene, remember to generate conflict by introducing characters with needs that conflict with your herald and balance the antagonists' needs with the needs of your plot.

Virgo: Consider writing a scene where your character jumps to a conclusion (maybe even accuses someone) before all the facts are in hand. Remember that the presence or absence of witnesses affects the magnitude of the consequences.

Libra: Your character has a passionate side. This character may sometimes be too aggressive towards people who are on the same side as that character. Many times, empathy suffers when passion rises.

Scorpio: Consider placing your character in the spotlight or a position of importance to make it more difficult for your character to keep certain things private (such as an opinion, relationship, or vice).

Sagittatius: Remember the physical elements of your scene. Go beyond a sensory description of the environment and remember that the body reacts to that environment. Doing so may pull your readers closer to your character.

Capricorn: A choice between two beneficial options is also a dilemma. And it can be a set-up for failure. Consider having your character try for both (or all) that I good and therefore loosing all.

Aquarius: Your character craves peace-of-mind. This quest manifests differently in romantic, business, and friendly relationships. Remember that the feeling of tension often energizes that character to discharge the energy – with mixed results.

Pisces: Strong emotions may divert your character, encouraging a premature showcasing of skills and abilities that are not fully developed. Short-term emotions may also have long—term consequences in professional, financial, or interpersonal situations.