Today, we're going to discuss repetition, especially where it fits in with details while writing your scene.
I'm sure you've read it before. I'm sure you've written it before. Heck, I certainly have!
You write a beautifully descriptive sentence about a character's actions. Then, you explain it.
Don't know what I'm talking about? Here's an example:
Wanda fiddled with her pen. She looked from me to the bundle of fur in my arms and finally rested her eyes on the dusty ceiling fan. "You found it, huh?" she said skeptically.
You've already shown us through Wanda's actions and her words that she's skeptical about the story the protagonist has told her. Repeating this skepticism by writing, "she said skeptically" is redundant.
Why shouldn't we explain details in our writing?
1) It's Unnecessary: You've just shown us through action and dialogue that a character feels a certain way. No need to beat us over the head with the emotions.
2) Showing is Better Than Telling: We've heard it since the fifth grade, folks. Show don't tell. If you can show through stage direction and action how a character feels, why would you instead choose to tell your readers? It's so much more real and immersive when they're involved in the scene.
3) It Insults the Reader: When you repeat information twice in the same paragraph - sometimes in the same sentence! - you're basically telling the reader that they're too thick to understand from your subtle actions what your characters are feeling, so you're going to write it down in plain English for them to grasp. Your readers are smart. You are smart. No need to repeat what's already been conveyed.
So the next time you're editing or even writing your scene, try not to explain what's happening. If you're properly conveying stage action and details as they unfold organically from your characters, there's no need to go back through and tell us that Benji feels slighted, Amanda is frustrated, and the entirety of Wisconsin is hip-deep in snowfall.
Showing posts with label Conventions and All That Jazz. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Conventions and All That Jazz. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 24, 2016
Tuesday, April 19, 2016
On The Art of Pacing a Scene
Pacing is one of those illusive elements of the writing craft. You don't want to forge ahead at such a breakneck pace that your readers are gasping, but you also don't want to bore them on such a long amble that they put your book down and move on to the next one.
It seems like some writers are naturally blessed with the ability to perfectly pace a scene. They know when to slow down, when to speed up, and when to make time stop and hang in midair.
If you're not naturally blessed with pacing genius, how in the world is it something you can develop? This week, I'll share with you a few examples of ways to get your pacing under control.
First, my ultimate and overarching advice is to urge you to read. Read in your favorite genre, read outside it. Read anything you can get your hands on - whether it's a newspaper article or a five volume novel. Reading allows you to learn the pacing techniques of other writers firsthand. Some will be spot-on, others way off, and more still somewhere in the middle. If you read them all, you learn what works, what doesn't, and how to fix that in your own piece.
The second piece of advice is to understand your scene. If you're writing a romantic scene or a developmental moment in the plot, you'll want to slow down. If you're writing a chase scene with the killer, or a heated argument, you'll want to turn the pace up a notch.
Understanding what each particular moment in your novel needs is crucial. After you've identified, however, you then need to know what to do to get the desired slowing or quickening pace you're after.
Here are some ideas:
If you're slowing down - 1. Back up. Give readers descriptive passages of the setting, the characters, and what's happening. It's like panning the camera wide in a movie. We're able to see more of the surroundings so the shot can stay on the screen longer. There's more to hold our attention. 2. Get in their heads. Make sure you check in with your main character or other characters in the room and get their feelings, thoughts, and ideas on the page. This can be used to break up dialogue or to give readers a moment to digest the new plot information with the character.
If you're speeding up - 1. Get in the thick of it. Focus on the here and now in the scene. This is not the time for your protagonist to notice how long McFarlan Street is or to think back on the girl he met last night. Adrenaline is high, things are happening, and that's what your character and your reader care about right now. 2. The senses matter. Allow us to taste the blood of a split lip. Let us hear the roar of the approaching train. Give us the smell of the burning fuse. These concrete sensory images bring readers closer to the scene, and when you highlight the right sense with the right piece of information, the tension soars and your pace quickens.
One final snippet of advice: Write with your scene in mind. If you're in the middle of a fight scene, stick to short sentences - yes, even fragments. Strengthen your verbs and ditch all adjectives and adverbs - yes, all of them - to keep things moving.
On the flip side, for a slow scene, use longer, more fluid sentences and paragraphs. You can get away with more details and more adjectives and adverbs (though please try to cut as many as you possibly can. Remember the advice of the great Stephen King, "The road to hell is paved with adverbs".)
Above all, make sure you picture your scene while you're writing. If you're in tune with your characters while you write, they usually reveal the details, thoughts, senses and verbs you need at that given time. Remember, all you need to be a great writer is within you. You simply have to uncover it.
It seems like some writers are naturally blessed with the ability to perfectly pace a scene. They know when to slow down, when to speed up, and when to make time stop and hang in midair.
If you're not naturally blessed with pacing genius, how in the world is it something you can develop? This week, I'll share with you a few examples of ways to get your pacing under control.
First, my ultimate and overarching advice is to urge you to read. Read in your favorite genre, read outside it. Read anything you can get your hands on - whether it's a newspaper article or a five volume novel. Reading allows you to learn the pacing techniques of other writers firsthand. Some will be spot-on, others way off, and more still somewhere in the middle. If you read them all, you learn what works, what doesn't, and how to fix that in your own piece.
The second piece of advice is to understand your scene. If you're writing a romantic scene or a developmental moment in the plot, you'll want to slow down. If you're writing a chase scene with the killer, or a heated argument, you'll want to turn the pace up a notch.
Understanding what each particular moment in your novel needs is crucial. After you've identified, however, you then need to know what to do to get the desired slowing or quickening pace you're after.
Here are some ideas:
If you're slowing down - 1. Back up. Give readers descriptive passages of the setting, the characters, and what's happening. It's like panning the camera wide in a movie. We're able to see more of the surroundings so the shot can stay on the screen longer. There's more to hold our attention. 2. Get in their heads. Make sure you check in with your main character or other characters in the room and get their feelings, thoughts, and ideas on the page. This can be used to break up dialogue or to give readers a moment to digest the new plot information with the character.
If you're speeding up - 1. Get in the thick of it. Focus on the here and now in the scene. This is not the time for your protagonist to notice how long McFarlan Street is or to think back on the girl he met last night. Adrenaline is high, things are happening, and that's what your character and your reader care about right now. 2. The senses matter. Allow us to taste the blood of a split lip. Let us hear the roar of the approaching train. Give us the smell of the burning fuse. These concrete sensory images bring readers closer to the scene, and when you highlight the right sense with the right piece of information, the tension soars and your pace quickens.
One final snippet of advice: Write with your scene in mind. If you're in the middle of a fight scene, stick to short sentences - yes, even fragments. Strengthen your verbs and ditch all adjectives and adverbs - yes, all of them - to keep things moving.
On the flip side, for a slow scene, use longer, more fluid sentences and paragraphs. You can get away with more details and more adjectives and adverbs (though please try to cut as many as you possibly can. Remember the advice of the great Stephen King, "The road to hell is paved with adverbs".)
Above all, make sure you picture your scene while you're writing. If you're in tune with your characters while you write, they usually reveal the details, thoughts, senses and verbs you need at that given time. Remember, all you need to be a great writer is within you. You simply have to uncover it.
Thursday, March 3, 2016
I Believe, I Believe, I Believe! (AKA Weak Words You Need To Cut Now)
You may think that your editing ceases with punctuation and passive voice. Think again. There are many writer pitfalls that are acceptable in the real world, but not so in fiction. Take a look at my compilation of weak words and phrases you need to cut from your writing right NOW to take it to the next level.
(P.S. don't know what I mean when I say passive voice? Check out this previous post.)
#1: I feel/ I believe/ I think
Reason: It Kills Tension
These are extraneous words we use in dialogue so we don't sound too arrogant on a day to day basis. Women especially have problems over using these words in writing because we're taught not to be "bossy" by our society. However, the best and most tense fiction is bossy. The reader picked up your book because they want you to be the boss of your story and to share that story with them.
Solution:
If you had: "I believe that's an excellent point"
Change it to: "That's an excellent point."
Note: The only acceptable reason I feel/ I believe/ I think should enter your word count is if it's in dialogue and it is used for characterization. So, if you're making an insecure character who is unsure about sharing her thoughts, having her constantly say I feel/ I believe/ I think would make sense. Just make sure it's done enough that it doesn't seem like a sloppy mistake.
#2: Very
Reason: Useless
Prolific author Florence King once said, "“Very” is the most useless word in the English language and can always come out. More than useless, it is treacherous because it invariably weakens what it is intended to strengthen. For example, would you rather hear the mincing shallowness of “I love you very much” or the heart-slamming intensity of “I love you”?" (http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/341956-very-is-the-most-useless-word-in-the-english-language) That sums it up nicely. "Very" not only is completely unnecessary for your fiction, but it may even lower its quality.
Solution:
You can simply cut "very" from your piece entirely like Ms. King suggests or pull out your thesaurus. Did you write "very afraid"? Switch it to "terrified". How about "very large"? Change it to "enormous".
#3: Really
Reason: Useless
So there might not be a quote with this one, but "really" falls under the same trap. It's vague and, quite frankly, doesn't serve a purpose.
Solution:
Rather than writing: "Amanda really did well in the spelling bee."
Write: "Amanda did well in the spelling bee."
Same impact, better execution.
#4: People
Reason: Vague
Could anything be more unspecific than "people"? With all the shapes, sizes, genders, races, ethnicities, and smells we come in, why confine yourself to the vaguest of vague pronouns? You can do better.
Solution:
See your scene and your characters. Rather than writing, "A person walked past the window" say "A squat man walked past the window" or "A weeping child that smelled of porridge walked past the window".
I can hear you protesting already, "I used the word 'people' because that person isn't a main or supporting character, they're just passing through." After I ask you to seriously consider why you even have this tidbit of info in your scene if that's the case (seriously. Think...), I would still implore that "people" is unacceptable. Write, "a girl walked past the window." Or "a shadow passed the window." Resorting to "people" is like saying "Shakespeare had a thing on his desk." A thing? A THING? What thing? It's distracting in its vagueness. Your readers deserve more.
Now that you're armed with the tools to cut out tension killers, as well as vague and useless words, get back to it. After you're confident seeking them out in finished work to destroy them, it'll become second nature not to use them in your first drafts as well.
(P.S. don't know what I mean when I say passive voice? Check out this previous post.)
#1: I feel/ I believe/ I think
Reason: It Kills Tension
These are extraneous words we use in dialogue so we don't sound too arrogant on a day to day basis. Women especially have problems over using these words in writing because we're taught not to be "bossy" by our society. However, the best and most tense fiction is bossy. The reader picked up your book because they want you to be the boss of your story and to share that story with them.
Solution:
If you had: "I believe that's an excellent point"
Change it to: "That's an excellent point."
Note: The only acceptable reason I feel/ I believe/ I think should enter your word count is if it's in dialogue and it is used for characterization. So, if you're making an insecure character who is unsure about sharing her thoughts, having her constantly say I feel/ I believe/ I think would make sense. Just make sure it's done enough that it doesn't seem like a sloppy mistake.
#2: Very
Reason: Useless
Prolific author Florence King once said, "“Very” is the most useless word in the English language and can always come out. More than useless, it is treacherous because it invariably weakens what it is intended to strengthen. For example, would you rather hear the mincing shallowness of “I love you very much” or the heart-slamming intensity of “I love you”?" (http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/341956-very-is-the-most-useless-word-in-the-english-language) That sums it up nicely. "Very" not only is completely unnecessary for your fiction, but it may even lower its quality.
Solution:
You can simply cut "very" from your piece entirely like Ms. King suggests or pull out your thesaurus. Did you write "very afraid"? Switch it to "terrified". How about "very large"? Change it to "enormous".
#3: Really
Reason: Useless
So there might not be a quote with this one, but "really" falls under the same trap. It's vague and, quite frankly, doesn't serve a purpose.
Solution:
Rather than writing: "Amanda really did well in the spelling bee."
Write: "Amanda did well in the spelling bee."
Same impact, better execution.
#4: People
Reason: Vague
Could anything be more unspecific than "people"? With all the shapes, sizes, genders, races, ethnicities, and smells we come in, why confine yourself to the vaguest of vague pronouns? You can do better.
Solution:
See your scene and your characters. Rather than writing, "A person walked past the window" say "A squat man walked past the window" or "A weeping child that smelled of porridge walked past the window".
I can hear you protesting already, "I used the word 'people' because that person isn't a main or supporting character, they're just passing through." After I ask you to seriously consider why you even have this tidbit of info in your scene if that's the case (seriously. Think...), I would still implore that "people" is unacceptable. Write, "a girl walked past the window." Or "a shadow passed the window." Resorting to "people" is like saying "Shakespeare had a thing on his desk." A thing? A THING? What thing? It's distracting in its vagueness. Your readers deserve more.
Now that you're armed with the tools to cut out tension killers, as well as vague and useless words, get back to it. After you're confident seeking them out in finished work to destroy them, it'll become second nature not to use them in your first drafts as well.
Tuesday, February 16, 2016
BONUS POST: Where Are You Taking Me? (AKA the "But When" method)
Here it is, the bonus post. Earlier today we talked about setting in this post and right now, we're going to do a short rundown on plot.
One of the biggest reasons agents and publishers turn down beautifully written work is because the characters don't go anywhere or do anything. There's no external conflict. Nothing HAPPENS. What all this boils down to is - there's no plot.
Often, the easiest time to see whether or not plot exists is when you're writing a query. Here, you have a scant three sentences - a single paragraph if you're pushing it - to tell an agent why they should take on your book in their limited roster. Ideally, you should be able to summarize the main plot line in your novel in a single sentence.
When you do this exercise, it's very easy to discover if you've got plot or if it's sorely missing. If your sentence reads something like this, you may be in trouble:
Peasant Gretchen wants more than anything to be a knight, even though she's a woman, so she sets out on a quest to prove her bravery.
Okay, we know this story is about Gretchen, a peasant with lofty goals, but we know little about the conflict she will face. This story could easily get lost wandering in circles in the enchanted forest.
Instead, employ the "but when" method. Take a look at this plot line:
Peasant Gretchen wants more than anything to be a knight, even though she's a woman, so she sets out on a quest to prove her bravery, but when a dragon attacks her home, leaving her father crippled, she must decide between following her dreams or doing what is best for her family.
Now, we know the character: Gretchen the peasant.
We know her deepest desire: To be a knight.
We know the inciting incident: A dragon attacks Gretchen's home.
We know the conflict: She must decide between going home to help her crippled father or committing to becoming a knight.
What we also know is that a plot line exists - at least the beginnings of one - and most likely agents and readers will want to read more to figure out how this conflict resolves.
Try the "but when" method with your own novel in progress and see if you've got a plot worthy of publication or if you're still meandering around the same safe enchanted shrub.
One of the biggest reasons agents and publishers turn down beautifully written work is because the characters don't go anywhere or do anything. There's no external conflict. Nothing HAPPENS. What all this boils down to is - there's no plot.
Often, the easiest time to see whether or not plot exists is when you're writing a query. Here, you have a scant three sentences - a single paragraph if you're pushing it - to tell an agent why they should take on your book in their limited roster. Ideally, you should be able to summarize the main plot line in your novel in a single sentence.
When you do this exercise, it's very easy to discover if you've got plot or if it's sorely missing. If your sentence reads something like this, you may be in trouble:
Peasant Gretchen wants more than anything to be a knight, even though she's a woman, so she sets out on a quest to prove her bravery.
Okay, we know this story is about Gretchen, a peasant with lofty goals, but we know little about the conflict she will face. This story could easily get lost wandering in circles in the enchanted forest.
Instead, employ the "but when" method. Take a look at this plot line:
Peasant Gretchen wants more than anything to be a knight, even though she's a woman, so she sets out on a quest to prove her bravery, but when a dragon attacks her home, leaving her father crippled, she must decide between following her dreams or doing what is best for her family.
Now, we know the character: Gretchen the peasant.
We know her deepest desire: To be a knight.
We know the inciting incident: A dragon attacks Gretchen's home.
We know the conflict: She must decide between going home to help her crippled father or committing to becoming a knight.
What we also know is that a plot line exists - at least the beginnings of one - and most likely agents and readers will want to read more to figure out how this conflict resolves.
Try the "but when" method with your own novel in progress and see if you've got a plot worthy of publication or if you're still meandering around the same safe enchanted shrub.
How to Craft An Engaging Fantasy World
Sorry about the radio (or blog) silence last week, faithful scribes. I had my wisdom teeth and a molar removed and lost track of my regular life for a little while.
However, I'm back! And for your patience, I'm doing two posts this week to make up for it. The Bonus Post will follow this post shortly, so keep your eyes peeled.
Now, to get down to the real reason you're here. Do you love fantasy novels?
I sure do. I remember falling in love with them as a middle schooler when I read a plethora of fantasy and magical realism novels. Some of my favorites that still stand out to this day include:
The Skull of Truth by Bruce Coville
Harry Potter series by JK Rowling
Inkheart by Cornelia Funke
The Wayside School books by Louis Sachar
The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart
...and many many more that I read and that are no doubt stuck back there in my subconscious, guiding me everyday.
Have you ever coveted the ability of these books and others to stick so strongly in the minds of readers? How do these authors make everything so vivid, so readers never want to leave the lands they've discovered there? What makes a novel worth reading again and again?
Characterization, plot, and description all have a little something to do with it, but especially in the fantasy genre, setting reigns key. So, today, I'm going to share with you a few ways to improve your fantasy world and make it more engaging so readers are immersed and never want to leave.
1. Draw a Map: You've probably seen maps in the front or back of epic fantasy novels (think LOTR) to help characters know where everything is placed and how it fits together. Maps are especially important if your characters are going journeying through the land and the reader needs to keep track of many locations and cities. However, maps are also great for stand-alone novels that take place in a single town. You don't have to be an artist, a simple, sloppy stick-figure map is great so you can look back at it and remember where the grocery store is, the blacksmith, and especially how to get back to the enchanted sword the protagonist buried in chapter 6.
2. Write a Bible: The best story worlds are so engaging because there are clear rules that the characters must follow or there will be consequences. Now, you can't have consequences if you don't first know the rules of your own world. Sit down and write a bible for your land. What are the steadfast rules that cannot be broken? Who has magic and who doesn't? Why? Explore every possibility back to the Old Testament where wars were waged and won and lost to shape the world your protagonist inhabits now. One word of warning, though; if you write your bible before your begin your first draft, make sure you're flexible to changing it. Some rules might be tweaked or made more rigid in the writing process and you'll need to be able to change your bible to fit accordingly. You can do this because YOU are the god of this fantasy world. YOU make the laws. No one will come and smite you unless you do it yourself.
3. Info Dump: After you've drawn your map and written your bible, go ahead and open a new blank page. Info dump all over the place there. Tell us the history of this holy site and all the smells, feels, and sights of your protagonist's bedroom. Get all the exposition out of the way here, too. Really go nuts. Now that you've gotten it out of your system, open a completely different blank page and begin your first draft for your novel. Allowing yourself to have that info dump moment allows you as the writer to get familiar with the fantasy world and its characters before you bring readers into the mix. Now, you can pick and choose sparingly which details you're going to include where - so the story unfolds naturally and the reader meets and acquaints himself with your world in due time. You'll be able to write more freely because you won't be worried about forgetting some detail or leaving out too much because you've got it all saved in a separate document that will never see the light of day.
4. Steal From the Real World: If you're writing a novel with integrated fantasy elements or magical realism, this is a no-brainer. Your story could be set in Indiana or Scotland or some other real tangible place. Go ahead and steal that. Even if you're writing an epic fantasy in a new world of your creation, think of places you've been that may give you concrete details from our real world. The supermarket, for example, or the doctor's office. Maybe you have a favorite stream in your hometown your protagonist goes to think by. Steal from the real world because it gives readers something familiar to relate to. However, even if you are basing your setting in a real world place, remember that you're writing a fantasy novel. Go ahead and infuse the fantastical. Make up a new and interesting coffee shop where the cups float to you when your order's ready. Have dragons and rainbow colored goats walking the London streets. Take from the real world and the usual and make it something amazing.
So, that's it! My steadfast rules to helping flesh out a fantasy world. Even if you don't employ them all, using just one or two will help you to better understand your world and its rules and history. It will help you write better, deeper material, even if you're writing a picture book. It may also help you to uncover avenues of adventure you'd never thought of before.
Before long, yours could be the next book causing people to stay up way past their bedtime, engrossed in your world.
However, I'm back! And for your patience, I'm doing two posts this week to make up for it. The Bonus Post will follow this post shortly, so keep your eyes peeled.
Now, to get down to the real reason you're here. Do you love fantasy novels?
I sure do. I remember falling in love with them as a middle schooler when I read a plethora of fantasy and magical realism novels. Some of my favorites that still stand out to this day include:
The Skull of Truth by Bruce Coville
Harry Potter series by JK Rowling
Inkheart by Cornelia Funke
The Wayside School books by Louis Sachar
The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart
...and many many more that I read and that are no doubt stuck back there in my subconscious, guiding me everyday.
Have you ever coveted the ability of these books and others to stick so strongly in the minds of readers? How do these authors make everything so vivid, so readers never want to leave the lands they've discovered there? What makes a novel worth reading again and again?
Characterization, plot, and description all have a little something to do with it, but especially in the fantasy genre, setting reigns key. So, today, I'm going to share with you a few ways to improve your fantasy world and make it more engaging so readers are immersed and never want to leave.
1. Draw a Map: You've probably seen maps in the front or back of epic fantasy novels (think LOTR) to help characters know where everything is placed and how it fits together. Maps are especially important if your characters are going journeying through the land and the reader needs to keep track of many locations and cities. However, maps are also great for stand-alone novels that take place in a single town. You don't have to be an artist, a simple, sloppy stick-figure map is great so you can look back at it and remember where the grocery store is, the blacksmith, and especially how to get back to the enchanted sword the protagonist buried in chapter 6.
2. Write a Bible: The best story worlds are so engaging because there are clear rules that the characters must follow or there will be consequences. Now, you can't have consequences if you don't first know the rules of your own world. Sit down and write a bible for your land. What are the steadfast rules that cannot be broken? Who has magic and who doesn't? Why? Explore every possibility back to the Old Testament where wars were waged and won and lost to shape the world your protagonist inhabits now. One word of warning, though; if you write your bible before your begin your first draft, make sure you're flexible to changing it. Some rules might be tweaked or made more rigid in the writing process and you'll need to be able to change your bible to fit accordingly. You can do this because YOU are the god of this fantasy world. YOU make the laws. No one will come and smite you unless you do it yourself.
3. Info Dump: After you've drawn your map and written your bible, go ahead and open a new blank page. Info dump all over the place there. Tell us the history of this holy site and all the smells, feels, and sights of your protagonist's bedroom. Get all the exposition out of the way here, too. Really go nuts. Now that you've gotten it out of your system, open a completely different blank page and begin your first draft for your novel. Allowing yourself to have that info dump moment allows you as the writer to get familiar with the fantasy world and its characters before you bring readers into the mix. Now, you can pick and choose sparingly which details you're going to include where - so the story unfolds naturally and the reader meets and acquaints himself with your world in due time. You'll be able to write more freely because you won't be worried about forgetting some detail or leaving out too much because you've got it all saved in a separate document that will never see the light of day.
4. Steal From the Real World: If you're writing a novel with integrated fantasy elements or magical realism, this is a no-brainer. Your story could be set in Indiana or Scotland or some other real tangible place. Go ahead and steal that. Even if you're writing an epic fantasy in a new world of your creation, think of places you've been that may give you concrete details from our real world. The supermarket, for example, or the doctor's office. Maybe you have a favorite stream in your hometown your protagonist goes to think by. Steal from the real world because it gives readers something familiar to relate to. However, even if you are basing your setting in a real world place, remember that you're writing a fantasy novel. Go ahead and infuse the fantastical. Make up a new and interesting coffee shop where the cups float to you when your order's ready. Have dragons and rainbow colored goats walking the London streets. Take from the real world and the usual and make it something amazing.
So, that's it! My steadfast rules to helping flesh out a fantasy world. Even if you don't employ them all, using just one or two will help you to better understand your world and its rules and history. It will help you write better, deeper material, even if you're writing a picture book. It may also help you to uncover avenues of adventure you'd never thought of before.
Before long, yours could be the next book causing people to stay up way past their bedtime, engrossed in your world.
Tuesday, January 26, 2016
How to Integrate More Detail and Imagery In Your Scenes
I used to be so good at including strong imagery and detail in my scenes. Perhaps as I age, I take these aspects in a scene for granted, just as I know the smell of my quilt at night or the sweat of a faux leather couch in summer. It just seems common place.
However, it's these common place elements that create concrete settings for your readers.
Today, I'll share with you a little technique I've started using so I make sure not to forget to add these all important details.
It's actually quite simple:
For every new scene, write down these five things:
What can my character see?
What can my character hear?
What can my character touch?
What can my character taste?
What can my character smell?
It's so rudimentary, it's almost like the worksheets they used to give us in first grade when we were still learning how to identify our own feelings. But I promise you that if you take the time for each new place and setting to write down a few things for each category, you'll feel more confident as a writer, and you'll have a better sense where your characters are standing.
Let's say you have a conversation between a father and his daughter's new boyfriend taking place in the garage. Now, this scene could probably go down with little information and be just fine. Let's say the only thing your reader knows of the space is that the floor is cement and the family car is parked inside.
Can the scene be written well with this little detail?
Of course. But if you want to add layers of depth to your writing and make your reader feel immersed, consider the advantage of concrete detail.
For example:
Your characters can see an old neon Budweiser sign flashing on and off in glowing red light.
They can hear the father lighting his pipe with a suction sound.
They can touch the unfinished walls and the metal tools that are cool due to the fall weather.
They can taste the tobacco and the crispness of fall leaves coming through the open garage door.
They can smell used oil and the citrus scent of the father's grease cutting hand soap at the sink.
Now, it's important I point out here that you don't need to use all five of the senses to achieve a realistic and immersive scene. In fact, it's better that you don't overwhelm your reader with a million little comments about the setting and take away from the dialogue and stage action.
You may choose to include the sensory elements that best characterize the father in this situation or that are most glaringly obvious to the boyfriend.
So, the boyfriend will probably hear and make note of the father's pipe and the suction sound it makes while he lights it because it causes an uncomfortable lull in conversation. He'll probably also notice the Budweiser sign flashing like a warning light in a sinking submarine. He may even smell the citrus soap under the reek of tobacco.
He will most likely not include the taste sense, and if he does include touch, it will be subtler than the other elements already presented.
Remember too as you write that these details should be splattered through the text as the scene progresses rather than as an "info dump" or "exposition" at the very beginning when the duo enters the garage.
All it takes is a little detail to ratchet your scene up another notch. Try it in your next piece of writing and see how much you learn about the place and characters within it just from the senses they experience.
However, it's these common place elements that create concrete settings for your readers.
Today, I'll share with you a little technique I've started using so I make sure not to forget to add these all important details.
It's actually quite simple:
For every new scene, write down these five things:
What can my character see?
What can my character hear?
What can my character touch?
What can my character taste?
What can my character smell?
It's so rudimentary, it's almost like the worksheets they used to give us in first grade when we were still learning how to identify our own feelings. But I promise you that if you take the time for each new place and setting to write down a few things for each category, you'll feel more confident as a writer, and you'll have a better sense where your characters are standing.
Let's say you have a conversation between a father and his daughter's new boyfriend taking place in the garage. Now, this scene could probably go down with little information and be just fine. Let's say the only thing your reader knows of the space is that the floor is cement and the family car is parked inside.
Can the scene be written well with this little detail?
Of course. But if you want to add layers of depth to your writing and make your reader feel immersed, consider the advantage of concrete detail.
For example:
Your characters can see an old neon Budweiser sign flashing on and off in glowing red light.
They can hear the father lighting his pipe with a suction sound.
They can touch the unfinished walls and the metal tools that are cool due to the fall weather.
They can taste the tobacco and the crispness of fall leaves coming through the open garage door.
They can smell used oil and the citrus scent of the father's grease cutting hand soap at the sink.
Now, it's important I point out here that you don't need to use all five of the senses to achieve a realistic and immersive scene. In fact, it's better that you don't overwhelm your reader with a million little comments about the setting and take away from the dialogue and stage action.
You may choose to include the sensory elements that best characterize the father in this situation or that are most glaringly obvious to the boyfriend.
So, the boyfriend will probably hear and make note of the father's pipe and the suction sound it makes while he lights it because it causes an uncomfortable lull in conversation. He'll probably also notice the Budweiser sign flashing like a warning light in a sinking submarine. He may even smell the citrus soap under the reek of tobacco.
He will most likely not include the taste sense, and if he does include touch, it will be subtler than the other elements already presented.
Remember too as you write that these details should be splattered through the text as the scene progresses rather than as an "info dump" or "exposition" at the very beginning when the duo enters the garage.
All it takes is a little detail to ratchet your scene up another notch. Try it in your next piece of writing and see how much you learn about the place and characters within it just from the senses they experience.
Wednesday, January 13, 2016
Mastering the Slight of Hand
Writers often have to be many different people when they're in writing mode. There's your creator hat, your editor hat, your researcher hat...the list goes on and on.
Today, I am going to ask you to don yet one more personality. The Magician.
Being a magician when you write is very important for one essential aspect of a good story: the slight of hand.
With this method, you introduce important plot information in one hand, but as the magician, you distract the reader's attention with your other hand. It's the good old, "look what's happening here and don't be distracted by the curtain to my right."
When the slight of hand is played correctly, it plants the seed of information in your reader's mind without causing them to focus on it and figure out the plot way before your protagonist does. It keeps the story from become too linear, predictable, and boring.
What's great about slight of hand is it doesn't only need to be utilized while giving giant clues into the major plot of the novel. Slight of hand can also give great depth to characterization of both major and minor characters. It can also be used to describe setting and time period.
Let's look at an example:
Plutonimus, your main character, is a banking man at Crooney Credit by day and a Slim City drag queen by night. However, the reader doesn't know the drag queen character in the book is Plutonimus until later in the narrative. To plant the seed of information in your reader's mind, slight of hand will be a great ally.
In this scene, Plutonimus is getting lunch with his coworker from Crooney.
In this example, the reader is focused on the conversation between Plutonimus and his coworker. They're worried over what the consequences will be for the protagonist's mistakes. However, there are two slights of hand in this scene as well.
First, the pink fork. With an array of colored cutlery in his reach, Plutonimus selects what would be considered a strange color for a man in his profession to gravitate towards. Sure, he could have simply grabbed without looking, and that's what Gregor undoubtedly thinks, but our narrator makes a point of saying the fork was pink. So we know he chose the color consciously.
Then, though he works and banks at Crooney Credit, Plutonimus hands Gregor a pen from Slim Street Banking. Is this simply a pen a customer of his left behind on his desk? Of course not. This is where Plutonimus puts his drag queen earnings so he can keep his second job a secret from his daily life.
So, as you can see, slight of hand not only adds depth and interest to a scene, but it also allows you to reveal info early in the story without being so transparent and giving everything away.
It's a method employed in mystery and thriller novels for decades, but there's no reason YA, MG, inspirational, women's lit, and fantasy shouldn't have it either.
The next time you write, remember to bring your magician's hat along and create some slight of hand magic.
Today, I am going to ask you to don yet one more personality. The Magician.
Being a magician when you write is very important for one essential aspect of a good story: the slight of hand.
With this method, you introduce important plot information in one hand, but as the magician, you distract the reader's attention with your other hand. It's the good old, "look what's happening here and don't be distracted by the curtain to my right."
When the slight of hand is played correctly, it plants the seed of information in your reader's mind without causing them to focus on it and figure out the plot way before your protagonist does. It keeps the story from become too linear, predictable, and boring.
What's great about slight of hand is it doesn't only need to be utilized while giving giant clues into the major plot of the novel. Slight of hand can also give great depth to characterization of both major and minor characters. It can also be used to describe setting and time period.
Let's look at an example:
Plutonimus, your main character, is a banking man at Crooney Credit by day and a Slim City drag queen by night. However, the reader doesn't know the drag queen character in the book is Plutonimus until later in the narrative. To plant the seed of information in your reader's mind, slight of hand will be a great ally.
In this scene, Plutonimus is getting lunch with his coworker from Crooney.
"Why in the world would you approve that home loan?" Gregor asked, sliding his tray further down the line.
I selected a pink plastic fork from the rainbow colored cutlery bucket. "They seemed like they understood the repercussions of taking on such a large sum-"
"If I said I understood what it meant to jump off the Golden Gate Bridge, would you sign off on my suicide note?"
I shrugged, considering it.
Gregor groaned. "Give me a pen."
I pulled a Slim Street Banking pen from my pocket and clicked it open. I extended it toward him, then pulled it back. "How were they supposed to know he was going to lose his job, huh? How do you plan for that?"
"You don't take on a loan you can't repay." Gregor snatched the pen from me.
In this example, the reader is focused on the conversation between Plutonimus and his coworker. They're worried over what the consequences will be for the protagonist's mistakes. However, there are two slights of hand in this scene as well.
First, the pink fork. With an array of colored cutlery in his reach, Plutonimus selects what would be considered a strange color for a man in his profession to gravitate towards. Sure, he could have simply grabbed without looking, and that's what Gregor undoubtedly thinks, but our narrator makes a point of saying the fork was pink. So we know he chose the color consciously.
Then, though he works and banks at Crooney Credit, Plutonimus hands Gregor a pen from Slim Street Banking. Is this simply a pen a customer of his left behind on his desk? Of course not. This is where Plutonimus puts his drag queen earnings so he can keep his second job a secret from his daily life.
So, as you can see, slight of hand not only adds depth and interest to a scene, but it also allows you to reveal info early in the story without being so transparent and giving everything away.
It's a method employed in mystery and thriller novels for decades, but there's no reason YA, MG, inspirational, women's lit, and fantasy shouldn't have it either.
The next time you write, remember to bring your magician's hat along and create some slight of hand magic.
Tuesday, November 17, 2015
A Recipe For Descriptive Phrases
There are two ways for you to describe your characters: through direct description and through indirect description.
Ultimately, the best novels utilize both direct and indirect description in combination with each other. Think of it like cooking. You need a cup of this, a pinch of that. Description works best when the concoction is mixed throughout the story.
First, let's define our methods of description:
Direct description is a clear explanation of what the character looks like/act likes etc.
Whereas indirect description is the characterization of the character through actions or implied thought.
In the first example, we get a picture of Suzie's physical characteristics in a concise descriptive sentence. Nothing is happening other than the narrator telling the reader what Suzie looks like. We learn that she has blue eyes and silky hair.
However, in the second example, readers are in the action, watching Suzie slink and exit in a timid manner. We learn that Suzie is shy and possibly embarrassed to interact with her classmates. She gets what she needs and she's out of there.
I once had a creative writing teacher boil it down for me and say, "Direct description is telling, and indirect description is showing."
If you've been writing fiction long enough, you know that showing is always better than telling. We've had this drilled into our heads from our first high school writing course.
But wait! Before you go to your work in progress and delete every instance of direct description, hear me out.
We need both direct and indirect description to make a novel work.While, yes, indirect description keeps the reader in the action of the story and is more authentic to how we meet and interpret people in real life (we're not going to get a paragraph about their likes and dislikes spelled out for us before we meet a new person - however nice it would be!), sometimes important descriptive information needs to be conveyed in a concise manner.
For example, let's say the narrator of the above story notices Suzie's shoes:
This is a direct description of the shoes Suzie is wearing. We know they're Chuck Taylors, they're worn out, that they have mismatched shoe laces, and initials on the left sole. However, the description continues and morphs into indirect description as well. Suzie wears pre-worn shoes. This could say something about her socioeconomic status and could be contributing to her lack of self confidence.
So, as you can see, direct description is needed to make sense of indirect description. You can't have nameless, faceless characters acting on a blank set and expect your reader to understand it. Both must work in tandem to create the perfect story.
Your personal writing style will determine how much of each descriptive technique you put into your stories.
However, as a good rule of thumb, I like to use this recipe:
Add no more than one sentence of direct description for every page of indirect description utilized.
Ultimately, the best novels utilize both direct and indirect description in combination with each other. Think of it like cooking. You need a cup of this, a pinch of that. Description works best when the concoction is mixed throughout the story.
First, let's define our methods of description:
Direct description is a clear explanation of what the character looks like/act likes etc.
Suzie had blue eyes and silky black hair that always slipped from her braid before third period was even over.
Suzie slunk through the cafeteria, her eyes glued to her tray as she weaved between tables and ultimately exited through the doors to the field house.
In the first example, we get a picture of Suzie's physical characteristics in a concise descriptive sentence. Nothing is happening other than the narrator telling the reader what Suzie looks like. We learn that she has blue eyes and silky hair.
However, in the second example, readers are in the action, watching Suzie slink and exit in a timid manner. We learn that Suzie is shy and possibly embarrassed to interact with her classmates. She gets what she needs and she's out of there.
I once had a creative writing teacher boil it down for me and say, "Direct description is telling, and indirect description is showing."
If you've been writing fiction long enough, you know that showing is always better than telling. We've had this drilled into our heads from our first high school writing course.
But wait! Before you go to your work in progress and delete every instance of direct description, hear me out.
We need both direct and indirect description to make a novel work.While, yes, indirect description keeps the reader in the action of the story and is more authentic to how we meet and interpret people in real life (we're not going to get a paragraph about their likes and dislikes spelled out for us before we meet a new person - however nice it would be!), sometimes important descriptive information needs to be conveyed in a concise manner.
For example, let's say the narrator of the above story notices Suzie's shoes:
They were wore out Chuck Taylors with mismatched sets of shoelaces. But Suzie hadn't been the one to give those shoes their scuffs. Those were Goodwill shoes. I knew because I'd donated them last week and my initials were still scrawled in Sharpie on the left sole.
This is a direct description of the shoes Suzie is wearing. We know they're Chuck Taylors, they're worn out, that they have mismatched shoe laces, and initials on the left sole. However, the description continues and morphs into indirect description as well. Suzie wears pre-worn shoes. This could say something about her socioeconomic status and could be contributing to her lack of self confidence.
So, as you can see, direct description is needed to make sense of indirect description. You can't have nameless, faceless characters acting on a blank set and expect your reader to understand it. Both must work in tandem to create the perfect story.
Your personal writing style will determine how much of each descriptive technique you put into your stories.
However, as a good rule of thumb, I like to use this recipe:
Add no more than one sentence of direct description for every page of indirect description utilized.
Tuesday, November 3, 2015
The Morsel
Whether you separate your novel by chapters or your short story with asterisks or pound signs (let's face it, they're hashtags now. Forever hashtags.), there's one thing you need to remember before offering your reader a break. It's what I call The Morsel.
The Morsel is some tiny bit of information or foreshadowing that makes it impossible for the reader to stop reading at the intended break.
You give them a whiff - just the tiniest peek - at what you have to offer next, chances are they'll stay to read the next section and the next and the next, and before they or you know it, they're finding you on Twitter and Facebook and writing on your blog that they NEED the next installment of your work or they'll explode.
The Morsel is what makes people read past their bedtimes. It's what makes us fly through giant tomes in two days. The Morsel is the great locomotive of the story.
For example, let's say your chapter ends like this:
The Morsel is some tiny bit of information or foreshadowing that makes it impossible for the reader to stop reading at the intended break.
You give them a whiff - just the tiniest peek - at what you have to offer next, chances are they'll stay to read the next section and the next and the next, and before they or you know it, they're finding you on Twitter and Facebook and writing on your blog that they NEED the next installment of your work or they'll explode.
The Morsel is what makes people read past their bedtimes. It's what makes us fly through giant tomes in two days. The Morsel is the great locomotive of the story.
For example, let's say your chapter ends like this:
"He'll never know anything about it," Chester assured, winking. He then turned his back on me and sauntered out of the room.
It's okay, right? The scene itself is over in that particular destination. The information has been relayed and we know that Chester is keeping a secret. There's plot here and character.
But now read the chapter with the inclusion of The Morsel:
"He'll never know anything about it," Chester assured, winking. He then turned his back on me and sauntered out of the room.
It was the last time I'd see him alive.
That's so much better, right? Now the reader wants to know why it's the last time the protagonist sees Chester alive. They want to know how Chester dies and where, and if "He" who Chester is keeping a secret from has anything to do with it.
The Morsel is what makes the reader turn the page and skim the beginning of the next chapter. It's what tricks them into reading "just ONE MORE." If you're good, your whole book will feel like this to the reader. One Morsel after another after another.
Because, when you boil it down, The Morsel contains one very essential aspect of storytelling: tension.
It's what makes us stay tuned during the commercial breaks and the chapter breaks and the hashtag pauses. Because we know something is happening or going wrong and we need to find out how and why.
So, go through your latest project. Could your story be aided by some Morsels? Sprinkle them in. Have your betas take a read. Ratchet up that tension.
Monday, October 12, 2015
Indirect Speech (AKA: "What could you possibly mean?" "Why, let me tell you." "Oh, please do." "With pleasure.")
Early post this week because I start my new day-job tomorrow (wish me luck!).
This week I want to discuss something with you that often gets overlooked: Indirect Speech. Sure, we spend loads of time talking about successful character development, dialogue, and setting, but what about some of the more subtle tools in the writer craft box?
Indirect speech is one of those tools.
To put it simply, indirect speech is the method of paraphrasing your character's actions and dialogue when the information is already known to the reader.
For instance, if your protagonist just learned the evil plot of the antagonist in a long chapter with tons of wonderful dialogue, when she teams up again with her sidekick, she doesn't need to repeat the entire plan because the reader just heard it. Instead, the writer may write something like:
This week I want to discuss something with you that often gets overlooked: Indirect Speech. Sure, we spend loads of time talking about successful character development, dialogue, and setting, but what about some of the more subtle tools in the writer craft box?
Indirect speech is one of those tools.
To put it simply, indirect speech is the method of paraphrasing your character's actions and dialogue when the information is already known to the reader.
For instance, if your protagonist just learned the evil plot of the antagonist in a long chapter with tons of wonderful dialogue, when she teams up again with her sidekick, she doesn't need to repeat the entire plan because the reader just heard it. Instead, the writer may write something like:
Protag launched into the revelation of Antag's plan as soon as she saw Sidey-Man.
"But why would he rob Starbucks?" Sidey-Man asked.
This way, the protagonist relays the important information to a supporting character without taking up valuable page-time. (Also note that directly after the indirect speech, the writer flows right into the necessary dialogue in the new scene without any breaks.)
Indirect speech is also important to help cut out common human interactions that your character may think are necessary, but that your reader doesn't want to continuously get stuck reading.
For instance, if you introduce your character as a polite person, they may begin their third conversation in the book like this:
"Hello, Mr. Johnson."
"Hello, Anvil, how's your day going."
"Just fine, how is yours?"
"Splendid. How can I help you?"
"Well, I don't want to alarm you, but I'm looking for a serial killer and I wondered if I could have a peek at your security camera footage?"
This will get mighty tedious mighty fast for your reader. Instead, employ indirect speech:
Anvil greeted Mr. Johnson warmly, then said, "I don't want to alarm you, but I'm looking for a serial killer and I wondered if I could have a peek at your security camera footage?"
This way, Anvil is true to his kind personality and the reader recognizes who this character is, but only the important need-to-know info is given the mighty distinction of quotation marks.
So, the next time you're writing and find that
1) you're writing the same information over and over again
2) you need to cut word count, or
3) you receive critiques that say there is a lot of repeating information or phrases in your text
have a thought for indirect speech. It may be the subtle, underutilized writing tool your novel needs to kick it up a notch.
Happy Writing this week! I'm going to try and keep up a schedule, but with new jobs and training it's always difficult. Ah, the life of the poor scribe ;)
Tuesday, October 6, 2015
How to Write a Strong Female Protagonist
Making sure our female leads are strong, confident, and capable is something extremely important for writers (like me) who want to promote feminism and gender equality across the board. And while most writers have good intentions when they set out with their "strong female character" to conquer the world, I've read a number of stories and novels that go about portraying her the wrong way.
While it's great to show your protagonist in a predominantly "male" employment - like kicking butt, taking names, crunching numbers, and leading tech companies - this does not instantly make her "strong". Her body count racking up higher than the man's does not mean you've succeeded at writing her as a real, tangible character. Do you know why? Because that woman is normally portrayed through a lens of masculine characteristics.
She's an island without a single friend or family member. She's generally rude and terrible to be around. She swears to feel tough. She drinks to fit in. She's all around overly aggressive.
Why is this hurtful to women? Because it prolongs gender inequality by saying that woman can only be considered strong if they portray overtly masculine qualities.
Your character can in fact know that she is beautiful. This is not vanity. This is called not promoting body dysmorphic thoughts.
Your character can be confident with aspirations and goals and still be kind and have friends. This is reality. This is being a good person. This is not called being feminine and weak.
Your character needn't sit like a man, dress like a man, think like a man, belch like a man, and drink like one too...all while not falling over in her seven inch heels. This does not make her more confident or strong. This is called transforming her into the "tough guy" or even more insulting the T-U-F-F "tuff guy".
So, if none of this names a strong female protagonist, what does?
The answer lies in the most basic forms of story writing : character and plot.
Your character must make decisions, have desires, and affect the plot. The action of the story will unfold because of how she acts on the plot not on how she reacts to it. She must be the active driving force.
A woman who hates her job but does nothing about it but hope and pray that it gets better as she lives her day the same as she always does is being reactive.
Whereas, a woman who is unhappy in her marriage crashes her car and decides to fake her own death is being active. The plot now unfolds from her decisions and motivations rather than the things that happen to her. She's made the choice to do something about her situation. She's a fully fledged character.
It doesn't matter if your female character is a computer programmer or a preschool teacher. It doesn't matter if she wears high heels or flat shoes. It doesn't matter if she can take a person three times her size down in a parking garage or gets anxiety when she holds a gun.
The only way you can write a strong female protagonist is by making her the catalyst through which the plot flows. Make sure she has desires and motivations. Make sure she DOES stuff and doesn't just let stuff happen to her. And above all, make sure that she's strong because she has desires and gets things done, and not because she portrays the most stereotyped of masculine qualities.
While it's great to show your protagonist in a predominantly "male" employment - like kicking butt, taking names, crunching numbers, and leading tech companies - this does not instantly make her "strong". Her body count racking up higher than the man's does not mean you've succeeded at writing her as a real, tangible character. Do you know why? Because that woman is normally portrayed through a lens of masculine characteristics.
She's an island without a single friend or family member. She's generally rude and terrible to be around. She swears to feel tough. She drinks to fit in. She's all around overly aggressive.
Why is this hurtful to women? Because it prolongs gender inequality by saying that woman can only be considered strong if they portray overtly masculine qualities.
Your character can in fact know that she is beautiful. This is not vanity. This is called not promoting body dysmorphic thoughts.
Your character can be confident with aspirations and goals and still be kind and have friends. This is reality. This is being a good person. This is not called being feminine and weak.
Your character needn't sit like a man, dress like a man, think like a man, belch like a man, and drink like one too...all while not falling over in her seven inch heels. This does not make her more confident or strong. This is called transforming her into the "tough guy" or even more insulting the T-U-F-F "tuff guy".
So, if none of this names a strong female protagonist, what does?
The answer lies in the most basic forms of story writing : character and plot.
Your character must make decisions, have desires, and affect the plot. The action of the story will unfold because of how she acts on the plot not on how she reacts to it. She must be the active driving force.
A woman who hates her job but does nothing about it but hope and pray that it gets better as she lives her day the same as she always does is being reactive.
Whereas, a woman who is unhappy in her marriage crashes her car and decides to fake her own death is being active. The plot now unfolds from her decisions and motivations rather than the things that happen to her. She's made the choice to do something about her situation. She's a fully fledged character.
It doesn't matter if your female character is a computer programmer or a preschool teacher. It doesn't matter if she wears high heels or flat shoes. It doesn't matter if she can take a person three times her size down in a parking garage or gets anxiety when she holds a gun.
The only way you can write a strong female protagonist is by making her the catalyst through which the plot flows. Make sure she has desires and motivations. Make sure she DOES stuff and doesn't just let stuff happen to her. And above all, make sure that she's strong because she has desires and gets things done, and not because she portrays the most stereotyped of masculine qualities.
Tuesday, September 22, 2015
What's In a Cover (Letter)?
The job search continues here in North Carolina as I look for steady employment to pay the bills. It means that most of my day is dedicated to writing. Some of it to stories and poems and (yes) even this blog.
But mostly, I'm writing résumés, applications, not-so-subtle pre-interview 'what would I do?' questionnaires, and above all, cover letters.
Writing these cover letters got me thinking: Is there a difference between writing a cover letter for the job market and writing a cover letter to submit a story to a lit mag?
Answer: Ah, hell yes!
Job market cover letters are longer (though never longer than one page) because they have to dance to the tune of many songs. A job market cover letter must at once hit keywords from the job description so you get picked up by the computer sorting and rejecting people before humans view the possible candidate, as well as convince the hiring manager that though you have no relevant experience or degree in their field, you'd be a great hire because of reasons a,b,c,x,y,z.
Whereas, a cover letter to a lit mag should be a very simple thing. Cover letters for your story should NEVER give a summary or synopsis of the story itself. Instead, follow this simple template:
1. Start your cover letter with a salutation. ("Dear Editor," works if the fiction editor's name is not listed on their site.)
2. Let them know what you've attached (either as a .docx attachment or in the body of the email) including the story title, word count, and genre (if the magazine publishes more than one).
Example: I have pasted my story, "Awesome Apes Five" (4,000 words, Fantasy) in the body of this email for your consideration.
3. List any significant publishing credits. No, that newspaper article you wrote freshman year doesn't count. Only include contest entries you won or placed in, or pieces that appeared in magazines published by people who are not related to you and who you do not know. No favors from your magazine owning uncle, and usually, no self-published material unless it got really really big on Amazon. (Note: if you're a new writer with no significant credits, no problem! Simply skip this step and go straight to #4.)
4. Close the letter.
Example:
Thank you for your time,
Super Writer
999 Publication Way, New York, NY
555-I'm Awesome
superwriter@imthebest.com
The main difference between a cover letter for the job market and a cover letter for a lit mag boils down to this:
To get a job, you want to prove that you're the best candidate for the position by smart talking and sweet talking your way to an interview. Flourish it up.
To get a story considered for publication, you need to not screw up your chances before the editor takes a peek at your story itself. Keep it simple. Don't make them dislike you before they read your first sentence.
Don't get bogged down thinking you need to write a full page. And don't - whatever you do - ever think that you should explain why you're the best person to write this story.
You're the best person to write this story because you wrote it, not anyone else. End of discussion.
So, next time you want to submit, remember that simple is always better. Relay important information in the cover letter and let your story do the heavy lifting. It is, after all, why you created it.
But mostly, I'm writing résumés, applications, not-so-subtle pre-interview 'what would I do?' questionnaires, and above all, cover letters.
Writing these cover letters got me thinking: Is there a difference between writing a cover letter for the job market and writing a cover letter to submit a story to a lit mag?
Answer: Ah, hell yes!
Job market cover letters are longer (though never longer than one page) because they have to dance to the tune of many songs. A job market cover letter must at once hit keywords from the job description so you get picked up by the computer sorting and rejecting people before humans view the possible candidate, as well as convince the hiring manager that though you have no relevant experience or degree in their field, you'd be a great hire because of reasons a,b,c,x,y,z.
Whereas, a cover letter to a lit mag should be a very simple thing. Cover letters for your story should NEVER give a summary or synopsis of the story itself. Instead, follow this simple template:
1. Start your cover letter with a salutation. ("Dear Editor," works if the fiction editor's name is not listed on their site.)
2. Let them know what you've attached (either as a .docx attachment or in the body of the email) including the story title, word count, and genre (if the magazine publishes more than one).
Example: I have pasted my story, "Awesome Apes Five" (4,000 words, Fantasy) in the body of this email for your consideration.
3. List any significant publishing credits. No, that newspaper article you wrote freshman year doesn't count. Only include contest entries you won or placed in, or pieces that appeared in magazines published by people who are not related to you and who you do not know. No favors from your magazine owning uncle, and usually, no self-published material unless it got really really big on Amazon. (Note: if you're a new writer with no significant credits, no problem! Simply skip this step and go straight to #4.)
4. Close the letter.
Example:
Thank you for your time,
Super Writer
999 Publication Way, New York, NY
555-I'm Awesome
superwriter@imthebest.com
The main difference between a cover letter for the job market and a cover letter for a lit mag boils down to this:
To get a job, you want to prove that you're the best candidate for the position by smart talking and sweet talking your way to an interview. Flourish it up.
To get a story considered for publication, you need to not screw up your chances before the editor takes a peek at your story itself. Keep it simple. Don't make them dislike you before they read your first sentence.
Don't get bogged down thinking you need to write a full page. And don't - whatever you do - ever think that you should explain why you're the best person to write this story.
You're the best person to write this story because you wrote it, not anyone else. End of discussion.
So, next time you want to submit, remember that simple is always better. Relay important information in the cover letter and let your story do the heavy lifting. It is, after all, why you created it.
Tuesday, June 23, 2015
Character Blueprints: Building Your Best Person (AKA the super-late post of June)
So here I thought I was right on track. Logged in early to get my blog post done.........and then I noticed that I completely missed posting last week.
WHOOPS!
Sorry gang. It seems that an entire week has passed without me even realizing. Where did that time go? How is it I'm moving in less than a month? Why is nothing feeling complete yet?
Anyway, I'm filing this post under the super-late category. But I don't want your patience and dedication to my blog to go unrewarded. That's why, this week, I want to talk about character blueprints.
You've probably heard of them before. Most writers and coaches call them "character sketches", but as an artist, I consider a "character sketch" to be a pen and paper drawing of a physical character. So, I call them "character blueprints".
I believe "blueprint" to be a better term because it is through your blueprint that you're truly realizing who and what your character is. For example, when you look at a blueprint of a house, you get to see the dimensions of the rooms, the layout, and the overall feel. It is by looking at the blueprint that you can begin planning which bedroom you'll sleep in, determining if your dining room table will fit, considering which walls to knock down, and figuring out just where in the dickens those bunny cages will go. The blueprint is where you start from. The blueprint causes you to plan out your entire home life from square foot number one.
Why is this important for your protagonist? Because it is only through the blueprint (whether you actually write it down or simply have it memorized in your head) that you categorize what your protagonist looks like, what their flaws and strengths are, what their innermost desire is, and the disconnect between who they think they are and who they truly live to be.
Since you've had to be extra patient with this post, I'm going to sweeten the deal. Not only will I tell you what a character blueprint is and convince you why it's important, I'll also offer a WORKSHEET so you can keep this blueprint at your side for any story you write, and I'll do a REAL-TIME blueprint with you for the story I'm working on currently.
Exciting, right?!?!?!? I'm excited!
Let's get down to business-
I wrote a sci-fi/fantasy short story a little over a year ago when the premise for the world popped into my head. The first draft flew onto the page, but I never touched it after that. I recently found it in my laptop's documents folder and remembered just how much I loved the world and the protagonist. But, upon reading through it, I knew it needed a major overhaul.
This is daunting to me, especially since the first draft didn't possess an outline, character blueprint, or even any real direction. I knew that one aspect of the story was going to turn out a certain way, but I didn't know how it'd get there. And it was apparent in my draft that I was writing this thing from the seat of my pants. Realizations come too quickly, the dialogue is wooden, no one is properly described. To be short - it's a mess.
Trying to revise it from it's current state with only the current information would be like trying to order furniture for a home by only seeing the realtor pictures online.
Impossible.
So, I've decided to write a character blueprint right here and now, on this blog, to help me navigate my short story.
CHARACTER BLUEPRINT
Name: Malena Cyder
Age: 31
Race/Ethnicity/Species: Human, Mixed-race
Location: Chicago, USA, Earth
Year: 4104
Physical Characteristics: Medium brown skin tone, dark eyes, straight hair, normal weight range, Scars (faded with laser surgery, but most prominent around the left eye) on left half of face.
Occupation: Co-Founder of [tech company], Advocate for inter-species peace
Family: Mother - alive, but left Earth for the Moon Colony when Malena was fourteen, sending her to boarding school, where she met other co-founders of [tech company]
Childhood: Malena was burned in a planetary invasion by unfriendly aliens when she was a preschooler, which thrust her onto a negative public service announcement towards aliens
Mental Image: Malena believes herself to be cordial to the alien species inhabiting Earth, though she doesn't particularly like or associate with any of them.
Greatest Fear: Becoming someone who runs from her problems/fears like her mother. [Note: On a nightmare level, being harmed by the invading aliens of her youth.]
True Mental State: Though Malena is an advocate for inter-species peace, her true motivation isn't fueled by the hope that all species can coexist, but by the fear that if they don't, she could be harmed again by another unfriendly species.
Innermost Desire: To live a life where she isn't constantly afraid she'll be recognized as the little girl from the announcement, and where she no longer fears the aliens living around her. AKA, no longer a prisoner to her past - free to move forward.
So that's it! Malena Cyder in a blueprint image. Notice that not all the information has to be known right at the time you fill out the blueprint. Can't think of a proper last name? Don't know the name of the company your protagonist works for? Not a problem. Simply place the info in brackets like I did above with [tech company].
Notice that the character blueprint doesn't reveal everything about the story world or the conflict of the story itself. It is meant only to describe and maintain consistency within your character. So, we know Malena's physical attributes like age, race, and uniquely identifying marks. We know where she lives and in what time period. We know about influential family members/connections in her life and about her childhood. We also know Malena's inner blueprint: how she views herself, what is truly going on in her mind, her greatest fear, and her innermost desire.
All the major conflict in the story world will now flow from this information.
Ready to try it for yourself? I'll post a blank worksheet at the end of this post for you to copy-and-paste and work on for your own story. Feel free to doctor some of the categories, especially is you're not writing sci-fi/fantasy and don't need to specify what species your protagonist is.
After you finish the blueprint for your protagonist, consider also filling one out for your main antagonist and any influential people in your protagonist's or antagonist's life (like, for me, Malena's mother).
Utilize your blueprint as often as you can, and remember to always keep it close. You can't possibly know where to install those bunny cages if you don't know where the walls are.
(Worksheet)
CHARACTER BLUEPRINT:
Name:
Age:
Race/Ethnicity/Species:
Location:
Year:
Physical Characteristics:
Occupation:
Family:
Childhood:
Mental Image:
Greatest Fear:
True Mental State:
Innermost Desire:
WHOOPS!
Sorry gang. It seems that an entire week has passed without me even realizing. Where did that time go? How is it I'm moving in less than a month? Why is nothing feeling complete yet?
Anyway, I'm filing this post under the super-late category. But I don't want your patience and dedication to my blog to go unrewarded. That's why, this week, I want to talk about character blueprints.
You've probably heard of them before. Most writers and coaches call them "character sketches", but as an artist, I consider a "character sketch" to be a pen and paper drawing of a physical character. So, I call them "character blueprints".
I believe "blueprint" to be a better term because it is through your blueprint that you're truly realizing who and what your character is. For example, when you look at a blueprint of a house, you get to see the dimensions of the rooms, the layout, and the overall feel. It is by looking at the blueprint that you can begin planning which bedroom you'll sleep in, determining if your dining room table will fit, considering which walls to knock down, and figuring out just where in the dickens those bunny cages will go. The blueprint is where you start from. The blueprint causes you to plan out your entire home life from square foot number one.
Why is this important for your protagonist? Because it is only through the blueprint (whether you actually write it down or simply have it memorized in your head) that you categorize what your protagonist looks like, what their flaws and strengths are, what their innermost desire is, and the disconnect between who they think they are and who they truly live to be.
Since you've had to be extra patient with this post, I'm going to sweeten the deal. Not only will I tell you what a character blueprint is and convince you why it's important, I'll also offer a WORKSHEET so you can keep this blueprint at your side for any story you write, and I'll do a REAL-TIME blueprint with you for the story I'm working on currently.
Exciting, right?!?!?!? I'm excited!
Let's get down to business-
I wrote a sci-fi/fantasy short story a little over a year ago when the premise for the world popped into my head. The first draft flew onto the page, but I never touched it after that. I recently found it in my laptop's documents folder and remembered just how much I loved the world and the protagonist. But, upon reading through it, I knew it needed a major overhaul.
This is daunting to me, especially since the first draft didn't possess an outline, character blueprint, or even any real direction. I knew that one aspect of the story was going to turn out a certain way, but I didn't know how it'd get there. And it was apparent in my draft that I was writing this thing from the seat of my pants. Realizations come too quickly, the dialogue is wooden, no one is properly described. To be short - it's a mess.
Trying to revise it from it's current state with only the current information would be like trying to order furniture for a home by only seeing the realtor pictures online.
Impossible.
So, I've decided to write a character blueprint right here and now, on this blog, to help me navigate my short story.
CHARACTER BLUEPRINT
Name: Malena Cyder
Age: 31
Race/Ethnicity/Species: Human, Mixed-race
Location: Chicago, USA, Earth
Year: 4104
Physical Characteristics: Medium brown skin tone, dark eyes, straight hair, normal weight range, Scars (faded with laser surgery, but most prominent around the left eye) on left half of face.
Occupation: Co-Founder of [tech company], Advocate for inter-species peace
Family: Mother - alive, but left Earth for the Moon Colony when Malena was fourteen, sending her to boarding school, where she met other co-founders of [tech company]
Childhood: Malena was burned in a planetary invasion by unfriendly aliens when she was a preschooler, which thrust her onto a negative public service announcement towards aliens
Mental Image: Malena believes herself to be cordial to the alien species inhabiting Earth, though she doesn't particularly like or associate with any of them.
Greatest Fear: Becoming someone who runs from her problems/fears like her mother. [Note: On a nightmare level, being harmed by the invading aliens of her youth.]
True Mental State: Though Malena is an advocate for inter-species peace, her true motivation isn't fueled by the hope that all species can coexist, but by the fear that if they don't, she could be harmed again by another unfriendly species.
Innermost Desire: To live a life where she isn't constantly afraid she'll be recognized as the little girl from the announcement, and where she no longer fears the aliens living around her. AKA, no longer a prisoner to her past - free to move forward.
So that's it! Malena Cyder in a blueprint image. Notice that not all the information has to be known right at the time you fill out the blueprint. Can't think of a proper last name? Don't know the name of the company your protagonist works for? Not a problem. Simply place the info in brackets like I did above with [tech company].
Notice that the character blueprint doesn't reveal everything about the story world or the conflict of the story itself. It is meant only to describe and maintain consistency within your character. So, we know Malena's physical attributes like age, race, and uniquely identifying marks. We know where she lives and in what time period. We know about influential family members/connections in her life and about her childhood. We also know Malena's inner blueprint: how she views herself, what is truly going on in her mind, her greatest fear, and her innermost desire.
All the major conflict in the story world will now flow from this information.
Ready to try it for yourself? I'll post a blank worksheet at the end of this post for you to copy-and-paste and work on for your own story. Feel free to doctor some of the categories, especially is you're not writing sci-fi/fantasy and don't need to specify what species your protagonist is.
After you finish the blueprint for your protagonist, consider also filling one out for your main antagonist and any influential people in your protagonist's or antagonist's life (like, for me, Malena's mother).
Utilize your blueprint as often as you can, and remember to always keep it close. You can't possibly know where to install those bunny cages if you don't know where the walls are.
(Worksheet)
CHARACTER BLUEPRINT:
Name:
Age:
Race/Ethnicity/Species:
Location:
Year:
Physical Characteristics:
Occupation:
Family:
Childhood:
Mental Image:
Greatest Fear:
True Mental State:
Innermost Desire:
Tuesday, May 12, 2015
The Modern Pronoun
I've noticed in many online profiles where it is asked you identify your gender, that the options are changing. Gone are the "he" and "she" of the past, replaced with more modern and understanding pronouns.
The one I especially want to talk about today is "they".
Much like the use of alright (if you missed it, check out this post to learn about my alright crusade), I've always had trouble attributing gender specific pronouns to anything.
Maybe it's because I was raised post-modernly. Maybe it's because I want to be politically correct. Maybe I want to respect everyone's life choices and lifestyles.
Maybe I was just never taught proper English. Who knows!
What I do know is this emergence of non-gender-specific pronouns has led me to start another crusade against the modern English language.
In my opinion, "they" should not only be allowed to replace a plural noun (like ducks). It should also be appropriate for "they" to replace a singular noun of unknown gender identity (like writer).
Let me throw out some examples:
In the sentence, "The protagonist has a major flaw", we should not have to choose between assigning "the protagonist" a male or female pronoun (He has a major flaw; She has a major flaw), but rather, it should be acceptable for "the protagonist" to be abbreviated as "They have a major flaw."
It's always bothered me having to choose one gender pronoun over the other, and so many times on this blog I've used the he-slash-she (he/she) cop-out or just gone with "they" as my pronoun, ignoring the previous lectures I've had from professors.
But no longer! Today I can say, "The protagonist has a major flaw. If it isn't corrected they will seem flimsy. The reader will see right through them", not because I don't know that "they" is traditionally only used for plural nouns, but because I simply won't prescribe to this notion anymore.
I'm wholeheartedly embracing the modern pronoun.
From now on, I will not be ashamed to use "they" in my blog posts - especially when talking about protagonists, artists, or writers of unknown gender. I'm taking off my tutu, throwing it to the wind, and running naked and wild through these posts. Who's going to join me?
The one I especially want to talk about today is "they".
Much like the use of alright (if you missed it, check out this post to learn about my alright crusade), I've always had trouble attributing gender specific pronouns to anything.
Maybe it's because I was raised post-modernly. Maybe it's because I want to be politically correct. Maybe I want to respect everyone's life choices and lifestyles.
Maybe I was just never taught proper English. Who knows!
What I do know is this emergence of non-gender-specific pronouns has led me to start another crusade against the modern English language.
In my opinion, "they" should not only be allowed to replace a plural noun (like ducks). It should also be appropriate for "they" to replace a singular noun of unknown gender identity (like writer).
Let me throw out some examples:
In the sentence, "The protagonist has a major flaw", we should not have to choose between assigning "the protagonist" a male or female pronoun (He has a major flaw; She has a major flaw), but rather, it should be acceptable for "the protagonist" to be abbreviated as "They have a major flaw."
It's always bothered me having to choose one gender pronoun over the other, and so many times on this blog I've used the he-slash-she (he/she) cop-out or just gone with "they" as my pronoun, ignoring the previous lectures I've had from professors.
But no longer! Today I can say, "The protagonist has a major flaw. If it isn't corrected they will seem flimsy. The reader will see right through them", not because I don't know that "they" is traditionally only used for plural nouns, but because I simply won't prescribe to this notion anymore.
I'm wholeheartedly embracing the modern pronoun.
From now on, I will not be ashamed to use "they" in my blog posts - especially when talking about protagonists, artists, or writers of unknown gender. I'm taking off my tutu, throwing it to the wind, and running naked and wild through these posts. Who's going to join me?
Tuesday, April 7, 2015
The Snapshot Vs. The Masterpiece
Every history and art history book I've ever encountered shows images of famous artworks. Perhaps the most populous is the Mona Lisa. But no matter how many times you see the image, and no matter how well you can admire it in print or online, the image pales in comparison to the real masterpiece, right?
Why do I bring this up? Because often on this blog, when we talk about characterization, we talk about creating the masterpiece. I've shared multiple worksheets and exercises to get you thinking about the whole human your protagonist is. Their backstory, religion, food preferences, family, friends, likes and dislikes - these are all big-picture/masterpiece type questions to ponder.
But what happens when we get to actually writing the scene itself?
The scene is a snapshot - an image of the whole, if you will. And within that snapshot, the whole masterpiece can never exist. They're different entities entirely.
So, when you write a scene you must approach it differently than you do the worksheet or characterization exercises. Instead of trying to fit everything you know into one moment, think about who the protagonist is AT THIS VERY MOMENT. What does he/she want? What is most important in his/her belief system right now? What does he/she need to get across to another character?
The backstory - the masterpiece itself - must exists before the snapshot can be taken. But when the snapshot is viewed, it needs to be whole in and of itself. The lighting needs to be right, the angle accurate. Otherwise, not only will your scene not make sense, but the masterpiece will suffer as a whole.
Don't let all your hard work go to waste. Know what to include in your scenes and what is spoken more profoundly by being left out entirely.
Why do I bring this up? Because often on this blog, when we talk about characterization, we talk about creating the masterpiece. I've shared multiple worksheets and exercises to get you thinking about the whole human your protagonist is. Their backstory, religion, food preferences, family, friends, likes and dislikes - these are all big-picture/masterpiece type questions to ponder.
But what happens when we get to actually writing the scene itself?
The scene is a snapshot - an image of the whole, if you will. And within that snapshot, the whole masterpiece can never exist. They're different entities entirely.
So, when you write a scene you must approach it differently than you do the worksheet or characterization exercises. Instead of trying to fit everything you know into one moment, think about who the protagonist is AT THIS VERY MOMENT. What does he/she want? What is most important in his/her belief system right now? What does he/she need to get across to another character?
The backstory - the masterpiece itself - must exists before the snapshot can be taken. But when the snapshot is viewed, it needs to be whole in and of itself. The lighting needs to be right, the angle accurate. Otherwise, not only will your scene not make sense, but the masterpiece will suffer as a whole.
Don't let all your hard work go to waste. Know what to include in your scenes and what is spoken more profoundly by being left out entirely.
Tuesday, November 11, 2014
When To Cheat On Your Writing
Have you ever read more than one book at a time? You start one from your to-read shelf, then find another lying around you had promised the next read, and then when you pass a book store an unexpected fantastic book just pops out at you and you have to buy it and read it immediately. Before you know it, you're reading five books at one time.
And you feel like a cheat don't you?
I always do. It's like I've committed myself to the first book, then the second, now the third and after a while I feel like I'm having affairs on all of them. I'm a dirty reader.
I never used to have this problem when I was younger and had hours of reading time on my hands. But now that jobs, cooking, cleaning, snow removal, and writing have taken up so much of my time, it feels like I never read fast enough. Perhaps that's why I crave to start new books all the time. My body and mind are used to the newness every few weeks, and even though I can't keep up, I start new ones anyway.
I'm trying to break this habit, but there are so many good books out there that need to be read. So many authors I would adore and stories I need to fantasize about.
And now this bad habit of reading too many books at once has leaked into my writing. I've got a YA manuscript that needs massive revision, a memoir I'm rewriting, a short story in progress, a YA series that's unfinished and sitting in a cluster of outlines on my desktop, and I feel the need to add in a new MG book to write. All these open projects have made writing daunting. Where do I start? Which novel gets my attention today? Do I want to write or revise? Both? Neither?
Much like the reading of too many novels in tandem, writing a wide variety at the same time can be troublesome. But I've also found that it can help, too. For instance, if I know I need to write but the words just aren't coming, I pop over to a revision project and work on that for an hour or so until I'm in a writing frame of mind. On the flip side, if I'm frustrated with how many keys my fingers have pounded today, I can always sweep through an already written chapter and improve it.
Just like reading, writing in tandem can be just as beneficial as you feel it is detrimental. So don't feel like you're cheating on those other books or your other stories. In a roundabout way, they're all getting help. As long as you promise to write every day, eventually everything will get finished.
Will they all have the same dedication each day? No.
Will they all be completed on a set deadline? Probably not.
Will you be a writer? Definitely.
Will you one day finish them all (and then some more)? Heck yeah.
And you feel like a cheat don't you?
I always do. It's like I've committed myself to the first book, then the second, now the third and after a while I feel like I'm having affairs on all of them. I'm a dirty reader.
I never used to have this problem when I was younger and had hours of reading time on my hands. But now that jobs, cooking, cleaning, snow removal, and writing have taken up so much of my time, it feels like I never read fast enough. Perhaps that's why I crave to start new books all the time. My body and mind are used to the newness every few weeks, and even though I can't keep up, I start new ones anyway.
I'm trying to break this habit, but there are so many good books out there that need to be read. So many authors I would adore and stories I need to fantasize about.
And now this bad habit of reading too many books at once has leaked into my writing. I've got a YA manuscript that needs massive revision, a memoir I'm rewriting, a short story in progress, a YA series that's unfinished and sitting in a cluster of outlines on my desktop, and I feel the need to add in a new MG book to write. All these open projects have made writing daunting. Where do I start? Which novel gets my attention today? Do I want to write or revise? Both? Neither?
Much like the reading of too many novels in tandem, writing a wide variety at the same time can be troublesome. But I've also found that it can help, too. For instance, if I know I need to write but the words just aren't coming, I pop over to a revision project and work on that for an hour or so until I'm in a writing frame of mind. On the flip side, if I'm frustrated with how many keys my fingers have pounded today, I can always sweep through an already written chapter and improve it.
Just like reading, writing in tandem can be just as beneficial as you feel it is detrimental. So don't feel like you're cheating on those other books or your other stories. In a roundabout way, they're all getting help. As long as you promise to write every day, eventually everything will get finished.
Will they all have the same dedication each day? No.
Will they all be completed on a set deadline? Probably not.
Will you be a writer? Definitely.
Will you one day finish them all (and then some more)? Heck yeah.
Tuesday, October 21, 2014
Short Stories, Novellas, Novels, Oh My!
Sometimes it's difficult to know into which category your writing will fall. If you're like me, you allow your first draft to unfold organically or with an outline, paying little attention to the word count at the bottom of the screen. So, you don't stop at 3,000 or 5,000 or 30,000 words just because you've hit the word count stop point. You let the story happen as it needs to, with as many or few words as it needs to be.
That's the easy part, right? Then you revise, edit, and revise again. You read it out loud, give it to critique partners and file it into a drawer for three weeks so you forget about it.
After all this - when the work is done - how do you know what to call it?
I'm not talking title, I mean when someone asks you what you wrote, do you say it's a novel, novella, or short story? What makes each of these categories?
Well, traditionally, a short story is a piece under 12,000 words.
A novella is a piece from 17,000 to 50,000 words.
And a novel is a piece from 65,000 to 120,000 words.
But traditional guidelines are not always the norm. I've found that many lit mags won't take short stories over 5,000 words. There are a few that accept up to 7,000 words, a slimmer section that take up to 9,000 and only a handful who want stories under 12,000.
Similarly, agents and publishers like to see (in adult works) novels from 70,000 words to 90,000 words. Any less and you don't have enough plot or conflict or characterization. Any more and you can't edit yourself. (One exception, of course, is fantasy or Sci-Fi, when the novel can be up to or over 100,000 words.)
And novellas? Well, where can you send those other than to contests with steep entry fees or to a self-publishing company?
When your work falls outside the norm, what do you do?
1) Revise and edit. Get your short story down under 7,000 words or bump that novella up to novel status.
2) Hope. Send your work off to agents or lit mags and pray that they love the story enough to look past your word count. Of course, this method only works if you've gone through your manuscript with a fine toothed comb and can justify every sentence, every word and its existence.
3) Try untraditional. Is your story too good to not share, but not the norm for publishers? Think about posting it online or in a blog in increments. You probably won't make money or have any pub credits, but you may get a lot of hits on your story. And one of those could be an agent who is now watching your incline as a writer.
Those are the facts of piece lengths and realistic expectations in this industry. But if you're doing something new and interesting that needs to be seen, don't be discouraged if it isn't the norm. Power on until the story you need to tell is out there.
That's the easy part, right? Then you revise, edit, and revise again. You read it out loud, give it to critique partners and file it into a drawer for three weeks so you forget about it.
After all this - when the work is done - how do you know what to call it?
I'm not talking title, I mean when someone asks you what you wrote, do you say it's a novel, novella, or short story? What makes each of these categories?
Well, traditionally, a short story is a piece under 12,000 words.
A novella is a piece from 17,000 to 50,000 words.
And a novel is a piece from 65,000 to 120,000 words.
But traditional guidelines are not always the norm. I've found that many lit mags won't take short stories over 5,000 words. There are a few that accept up to 7,000 words, a slimmer section that take up to 9,000 and only a handful who want stories under 12,000.
Similarly, agents and publishers like to see (in adult works) novels from 70,000 words to 90,000 words. Any less and you don't have enough plot or conflict or characterization. Any more and you can't edit yourself. (One exception, of course, is fantasy or Sci-Fi, when the novel can be up to or over 100,000 words.)
And novellas? Well, where can you send those other than to contests with steep entry fees or to a self-publishing company?
When your work falls outside the norm, what do you do?
1) Revise and edit. Get your short story down under 7,000 words or bump that novella up to novel status.
2) Hope. Send your work off to agents or lit mags and pray that they love the story enough to look past your word count. Of course, this method only works if you've gone through your manuscript with a fine toothed comb and can justify every sentence, every word and its existence.
3) Try untraditional. Is your story too good to not share, but not the norm for publishers? Think about posting it online or in a blog in increments. You probably won't make money or have any pub credits, but you may get a lot of hits on your story. And one of those could be an agent who is now watching your incline as a writer.
Those are the facts of piece lengths and realistic expectations in this industry. But if you're doing something new and interesting that needs to be seen, don't be discouraged if it isn't the norm. Power on until the story you need to tell is out there.
Monday, October 6, 2014
Bonus Post! (Active Voice vs. Passive Voice)
I'm sorry I didn't post last week at all. My entire attention and time was devoted to my health.
However, as a thank you gift for being so patient with me, here's a Bonus Post for this week!
I'd like to talk about Passive Voice vs. Active Voice. This is such a subtle topic that it's rarely taught in writing classes and even in college. Yet, it is the unconscious abuse of passive voice that holds many talented writers back from publication.
First, let's describe Passive Voice and Active Voice. Now, these terms have nothing to do with perspective. You could be writing in first person, third, or even second and still be vulnerable.
Passive Voice is when the noun or phrase that should be the object of the sentence, appears as the subject. For example, The map was found by Joseph.
Whereas Active Voice allows the object of the sentence to be just that - the object. Example, Joseph found the map.
Need more?
Passive: Amy was sitting in the corner, next to the washing machine.
Active: Amy sat in the corner, next to the washing machine.
Passive: The sword was wielded by Kash.
Active: Kash wielded the sword.
Passive: Leonard was holding the labels I needed.
Active: Leonard held the labels I needed.
Do you see the difference? Passive Voice does nothing but add extra versions of the verbs "be" or "get". The meaning of the sentence stays exactly the same.
Why, then, are we all so prone to using Passive Voice? Because, we speak most often using Passive Voice. Call it politically correct. Passive Voice softens the statement, whereas Active Voice delivers the message clearly and succinctly. As humans, when we need to communicate a message, we most often do so in Passive Voice to soften the blow of our words on the listener. But the last thing you want to do in writing is soften any blows. What do we want? Tension! When do we want it? Always!
So, even though they never taught it to you in school, do your best to delete as much Passive Voice as possible. Not only will it aid in the tension of your writing, but it will also severely decrease your word count to a passable amount.
Extra Bonus Bonus Post:
Do you understand the difference between Passive Voice and Active Voice, but once you go to your novel, you can't seem to find the Passive Voice you know is there? Here's a way to weed it out. Do a Find or Search for the word "was". Normally, this is the word with the most Passive Voice offenses. (If you're writing in present tense, search for "is".)
It might take you a while before you start noticing all the Passive Voice in your writing because it's so commonly the way we talk. It blends. But once you spot it and really get it, you will never be able to ignore it again. And I promise you, agents and publishers know it.
However, as a thank you gift for being so patient with me, here's a Bonus Post for this week!
I'd like to talk about Passive Voice vs. Active Voice. This is such a subtle topic that it's rarely taught in writing classes and even in college. Yet, it is the unconscious abuse of passive voice that holds many talented writers back from publication.
First, let's describe Passive Voice and Active Voice. Now, these terms have nothing to do with perspective. You could be writing in first person, third, or even second and still be vulnerable.
Passive Voice is when the noun or phrase that should be the object of the sentence, appears as the subject. For example, The map was found by Joseph.
Whereas Active Voice allows the object of the sentence to be just that - the object. Example, Joseph found the map.
Need more?
Passive: Amy was sitting in the corner, next to the washing machine.
Active: Amy sat in the corner, next to the washing machine.
Passive: The sword was wielded by Kash.
Active: Kash wielded the sword.
Passive: Leonard was holding the labels I needed.
Active: Leonard held the labels I needed.
Do you see the difference? Passive Voice does nothing but add extra versions of the verbs "be" or "get". The meaning of the sentence stays exactly the same.
Why, then, are we all so prone to using Passive Voice? Because, we speak most often using Passive Voice. Call it politically correct. Passive Voice softens the statement, whereas Active Voice delivers the message clearly and succinctly. As humans, when we need to communicate a message, we most often do so in Passive Voice to soften the blow of our words on the listener. But the last thing you want to do in writing is soften any blows. What do we want? Tension! When do we want it? Always!
So, even though they never taught it to you in school, do your best to delete as much Passive Voice as possible. Not only will it aid in the tension of your writing, but it will also severely decrease your word count to a passable amount.
Extra Bonus Bonus Post:
Do you understand the difference between Passive Voice and Active Voice, but once you go to your novel, you can't seem to find the Passive Voice you know is there? Here's a way to weed it out. Do a Find or Search for the word "was". Normally, this is the word with the most Passive Voice offenses. (If you're writing in present tense, search for "is".)
It might take you a while before you start noticing all the Passive Voice in your writing because it's so commonly the way we talk. It blends. But once you spot it and really get it, you will never be able to ignore it again. And I promise you, agents and publishers know it.
Tuesday, September 16, 2014
Diction (a peek at the longest word ever)
I'm feeling better - thank you. Let's get back to where we left off. Blogging!
Today I'd like to touch on the subject of word choice - diction.
Whether you're searching for the correct word for verbs, adverbs, or adjectives, word choice is one of the most important aspects of your story. The right word can elevate your tension, or kill it.
The more I read, the more I understand that word choice is also governed by audience. Who is your story intended to reach? If it's other writers - break out that thesaurus and scribble obscure words to your heart's content. This is most common in literary novels or works for literary magazines.
However, if you're writing a mainstream adult novel, you might want to pull back a little. Because (be honest with yourself now) how many times have you read a current novel and come across a word you weren't familiar with? Probably once or twice per book, right? With so many words out there, we can't possibly know them all - all the time. Now, did you stop your progression of reading and look up that vocab word like they made you do in third grade? No, of course not. You don't have time for that. You skipped the word, the context of the situation being enough to just ignore it.
And if you've read children's writing (YA, MG, picture books) lately, you know the vocab is even more accessible because words that are old hat to us are just being learned by them.
Now, I'm not trying to suggest that we lose our diction. I'm not suggesting we resort to using just the words that we say in a normal work day. Heck, we'd be limited to a slim thirty or forty vocab words forever.
Instead, keep your audience in mind when writing. Will the word you just chose be more of a stumbling block for your reader rather than a helpful hint? Will they have to skip it and figure out the scene from the rest of your words? Is that what you want?
To leave you this week, I have found the longest word in the English language. It has 189,819 letters (enough alone for its own series of books) and is the chemical name for the element titin.
Want to see this word? Check out the YouTube video here. But be forewarned, it takes three and a half hours to pronounce.
Today I'd like to touch on the subject of word choice - diction.
Whether you're searching for the correct word for verbs, adverbs, or adjectives, word choice is one of the most important aspects of your story. The right word can elevate your tension, or kill it.
The more I read, the more I understand that word choice is also governed by audience. Who is your story intended to reach? If it's other writers - break out that thesaurus and scribble obscure words to your heart's content. This is most common in literary novels or works for literary magazines.
However, if you're writing a mainstream adult novel, you might want to pull back a little. Because (be honest with yourself now) how many times have you read a current novel and come across a word you weren't familiar with? Probably once or twice per book, right? With so many words out there, we can't possibly know them all - all the time. Now, did you stop your progression of reading and look up that vocab word like they made you do in third grade? No, of course not. You don't have time for that. You skipped the word, the context of the situation being enough to just ignore it.
And if you've read children's writing (YA, MG, picture books) lately, you know the vocab is even more accessible because words that are old hat to us are just being learned by them.
Now, I'm not trying to suggest that we lose our diction. I'm not suggesting we resort to using just the words that we say in a normal work day. Heck, we'd be limited to a slim thirty or forty vocab words forever.
Instead, keep your audience in mind when writing. Will the word you just chose be more of a stumbling block for your reader rather than a helpful hint? Will they have to skip it and figure out the scene from the rest of your words? Is that what you want?
To leave you this week, I have found the longest word in the English language. It has 189,819 letters (enough alone for its own series of books) and is the chemical name for the element titin.
Want to see this word? Check out the YouTube video here. But be forewarned, it takes three and a half hours to pronounce.
Tuesday, July 22, 2014
Why Yes, Novels Do Have Souls
You've read those books. The writing is, well, fine. The characters are fine, sure. And the plot is, you guessed it, fine.
Then why don't you feel anything for it? Why don't you have one of those novel hang-overs (the ones where you're so enthralled with the world you just read, you can't possibly move on to any other book/movie/family gathering because it doesn't fit into that world)?
It's because the book you just read had no soul.
This is the term I've come up with to define those books that grab you. The ones you can't possible stop reading. The ones that you want everyone else in the world to read, but also want to keep for just you.
Lack of soul is why many popular, bestselling, novels just sometimes don't do it for you (or me).
So how do you make sure your novel has soul? I've thought long and hard about this. I used to think it was voice, but that didn't quite pin it. No, it's concrete details.
Details in and of themselves are everywhere in writing. She wore a red hat. He ate a cheeseburger. The dog was spunky.
But when you make a detail concrete, it cements the reader (<see what I did there?) into your story. It makes us feel. It gives the story soul. This is even scientifically proven. You've felt it. Details evoke a response from the upper part of the brain (if you want real medical terms, you might want to consult WebMD. I work with medical terms all day and looking them up at home too might kill me.). Whereas, when a concrete detail is presented, it activates the bottom part of the brain - the part that makes your heart race, your nose remember the smell of tomatoes, your soul ache. The part of you that we often call "the heart". It's where you feel the first time you fall in love, where grief makes your lungs squeeze.
So, when you want your story not only to sell, but to hold people in novel hang-over, remember to include concrete details. Make them laugh, make them obsess so much they will forget how long their lunch break is. Make it soulful.
Then why don't you feel anything for it? Why don't you have one of those novel hang-overs (the ones where you're so enthralled with the world you just read, you can't possibly move on to any other book/movie/family gathering because it doesn't fit into that world)?
It's because the book you just read had no soul.
This is the term I've come up with to define those books that grab you. The ones you can't possible stop reading. The ones that you want everyone else in the world to read, but also want to keep for just you.
Lack of soul is why many popular, bestselling, novels just sometimes don't do it for you (or me).
So how do you make sure your novel has soul? I've thought long and hard about this. I used to think it was voice, but that didn't quite pin it. No, it's concrete details.
Details in and of themselves are everywhere in writing. She wore a red hat. He ate a cheeseburger. The dog was spunky.
But when you make a detail concrete, it cements the reader (<see what I did there?) into your story. It makes us feel. It gives the story soul. This is even scientifically proven. You've felt it. Details evoke a response from the upper part of the brain (if you want real medical terms, you might want to consult WebMD. I work with medical terms all day and looking them up at home too might kill me.). Whereas, when a concrete detail is presented, it activates the bottom part of the brain - the part that makes your heart race, your nose remember the smell of tomatoes, your soul ache. The part of you that we often call "the heart". It's where you feel the first time you fall in love, where grief makes your lungs squeeze.
So, when you want your story not only to sell, but to hold people in novel hang-over, remember to include concrete details. Make them laugh, make them obsess so much they will forget how long their lunch break is. Make it soulful.
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