You're writing a mystery novel. Even if no corpses or cops show up in your novel, it's a mystery novel nonetheless.
Why do I say this?
Because every good novel is at its core, a mystery. The tension of an hidden affair, an alien ship hanging over the backyard swimming pool, or a set of rare and valuable records vanishing - they're all full of tension. And the main goal of tension is to keep readers guessing. When they keep guessing, they keep flipping the pages.
Your job as a writer is to keep the mystery alive by laying clues down, but not solving them until the climax of the story.
So remember, even if you're writing for children, a literary romance, or a sci-fi stumbler, you have to keep the mystery alive to keep readers engaged.
Showing posts with label Making a Better Plot. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Making a Better Plot. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 4, 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.
Tuesday, March 22, 2016
Grabbing Readers by the Throat
I finished writing a new novel earlier this month. After letting it sit a week or so, I started rereading it, revising, and sending preliminary drafts out for critique to my writing group.
Now, you must know that the idea for this novel came to me years ago - when I was only a junior in high school. However, all the pieces didn't click together until now, when the book came rushing out of my fingers and pounded in the keys of my laptop.
When I started writing just a few months ago, I began with a sentence (like all of us do). Let's call that Sentence A.
However, when I looked over my notes, I found another beginning sentence I'd written back in high school. This is Sentence B. Not only was it completely different, but it started me almost two chapters prior in the day than what I wrote in Sentence A.
So, naturally, I decided I'd play out what happened between Sentence B and Sentence A. Five thousand words of exposition later, I had a first and second chapter cluttering up the most important part of my novel - the beginning.
It's not like that information is bad, or not useful, or even boring. Things happen. Important characters are introduced. The world is set up.
But it isn't the RIGHT information. It's not the stuff that readers need to know about the protagonist and the inciting incident right from the very first page.
In fact, one of the women in my writing group said, "It's not like Sentence B didn't grab me. It did. It took me by the hand. But Sentence A grabs me by the throat and doesn't let me go."
The strange part about all of this is that I knew that Sentence A was better. I knew that I had to start my novel there all along.
And you know too.
You know when you read through your draft that that verb is too flowery or that sentence isn't right. You know when your protagonist's monologue that stretches for three pages is way too much dialogue and not enough action. You know that you had to start with Sentence A rather than Sentence B.
That's the beauty of being a writer. All you need is within you. You can feel the self doubt creeping in, whispering "that doesn't work." You hear it, even subconsciously, and it puts this seed inside you that makes you show your work to others and ask, "Hey, what do you think of Sentence B?"
Every time (if they're not lying to save your feelings), your readers and critiquers, and yes, your agents, know that you should cut Sentence B and all that precedes it.
The power lies within you. The hard part is learning to listen to it.
The reward, however, is great. I'd much rather grab a reader by the throat and have them tearing through my novel than lead them timidly by the hand.
Now, you must know that the idea for this novel came to me years ago - when I was only a junior in high school. However, all the pieces didn't click together until now, when the book came rushing out of my fingers and pounded in the keys of my laptop.
When I started writing just a few months ago, I began with a sentence (like all of us do). Let's call that Sentence A.
However, when I looked over my notes, I found another beginning sentence I'd written back in high school. This is Sentence B. Not only was it completely different, but it started me almost two chapters prior in the day than what I wrote in Sentence A.
So, naturally, I decided I'd play out what happened between Sentence B and Sentence A. Five thousand words of exposition later, I had a first and second chapter cluttering up the most important part of my novel - the beginning.
It's not like that information is bad, or not useful, or even boring. Things happen. Important characters are introduced. The world is set up.
But it isn't the RIGHT information. It's not the stuff that readers need to know about the protagonist and the inciting incident right from the very first page.
In fact, one of the women in my writing group said, "It's not like Sentence B didn't grab me. It did. It took me by the hand. But Sentence A grabs me by the throat and doesn't let me go."
The strange part about all of this is that I knew that Sentence A was better. I knew that I had to start my novel there all along.
And you know too.
You know when you read through your draft that that verb is too flowery or that sentence isn't right. You know when your protagonist's monologue that stretches for three pages is way too much dialogue and not enough action. You know that you had to start with Sentence A rather than Sentence B.
That's the beauty of being a writer. All you need is within you. You can feel the self doubt creeping in, whispering "that doesn't work." You hear it, even subconsciously, and it puts this seed inside you that makes you show your work to others and ask, "Hey, what do you think of Sentence B?"
Every time (if they're not lying to save your feelings), your readers and critiquers, and yes, your agents, know that you should cut Sentence B and all that precedes it.
The power lies within you. The hard part is learning to listen to it.
The reward, however, is great. I'd much rather grab a reader by the throat and have them tearing through my novel than lead them timidly by the hand.
Tuesday, February 23, 2016
Cutting Out the Excess for Success
I've been thinking a lot about excess. It all started this past Thanksgiving. As many faithful blog readers know, I moved from Wisconsin to North Carolina this year, and Thanksgiving was the first holiday we had the chance to celebrate in our new home.
However, if you follow me on Pinterest you also know that I've been a dedicated vegan since 2014. So, needless to say, Turkey Day being the killing and eating of turkeys rather than a day to celebrate their individuality really put a damper on my mood to begin with. Then, I learned that my family was planning to serve not one but TWO 15+ pound turkeys, plus a spiral ham and five pounds of pulled pork barbecue. When only 10 out of our 11 guests ate meat, and two of them were children, this seemed like a ludicrous amount of food (not to mention the 12 sides and 5 types of desserts) to feed less than a dozen people for one meal.
I kept asking, "Why do we need so much? Why can't we do with one turkey or one type of pork instead of causing so much waste and death?" And the only answer I ever got was, "Because it's Thanksgiving."
Directly after Thanksgiving follows Christmas, where again the talk of giant amounts of food reigned supreme. More turkeys, pork tenderloin, beef brisket, potatoes and stuffing and green beans and cheesy mac, one yellow cake, one cheesecake, one gluten free pudding cake, two pies, three different kinds of sugar cookies and four other types of candies and cookies were made and served to not 11 people, but 6.
And directly following dinner, there were presents - mounds and mounds of things we really didn't need to survive, which filled two black garbage bags of torn wrapping paper and ribbons all destined for the landfill.
Something within me shifted this past holiday season. For New Years I made a personal resolution (separate from my writing resolution, which you can find here) to cut back on how much trash I produce and to really think about the food I consume and waste.
I urge you to do the same, if not in your life, then at least in your writing. As I write my new novel, I've employed a minimalist mindset to my words. Why use three words to describe something you can say in one? Why use two scenes to farther the plot when condensing them is possible and allows for a faster tone of pace for your novel, ratcheting up the tension?
If you think about it, what do all your favorite books have in common?
They keep you interested!
The plot moves and the characters sizzle and the tension keeps you wound tight into the pages like the curly ribbon on a Christmas present.
One way you can achieve this same interest is by cutting back the excess in your work. Take out dialogue tags that aren't needed. Use only one simile in this paragraph rather than two. The concept applies to every aspect of the craft.
I've found that cutting back the excess in my life and only keeping what functions or what makes me really happy has helped me to relax more and be more creative. I no longer feel like I'm wasting time or things. I no longer have anxiety that I need to clean and tidy and straighten all the time because there are fewer things that can get out of place.
Why wouldn't you want the same feeling for your novel?
So, the next time you write - condense, condense, condense - and the next time you throw a party, how about cutting out one excess meat option just for me and animals :)
However, if you follow me on Pinterest you also know that I've been a dedicated vegan since 2014. So, needless to say, Turkey Day being the killing and eating of turkeys rather than a day to celebrate their individuality really put a damper on my mood to begin with. Then, I learned that my family was planning to serve not one but TWO 15+ pound turkeys, plus a spiral ham and five pounds of pulled pork barbecue. When only 10 out of our 11 guests ate meat, and two of them were children, this seemed like a ludicrous amount of food (not to mention the 12 sides and 5 types of desserts) to feed less than a dozen people for one meal.
I kept asking, "Why do we need so much? Why can't we do with one turkey or one type of pork instead of causing so much waste and death?" And the only answer I ever got was, "Because it's Thanksgiving."
Directly after Thanksgiving follows Christmas, where again the talk of giant amounts of food reigned supreme. More turkeys, pork tenderloin, beef brisket, potatoes and stuffing and green beans and cheesy mac, one yellow cake, one cheesecake, one gluten free pudding cake, two pies, three different kinds of sugar cookies and four other types of candies and cookies were made and served to not 11 people, but 6.
And directly following dinner, there were presents - mounds and mounds of things we really didn't need to survive, which filled two black garbage bags of torn wrapping paper and ribbons all destined for the landfill.
Something within me shifted this past holiday season. For New Years I made a personal resolution (separate from my writing resolution, which you can find here) to cut back on how much trash I produce and to really think about the food I consume and waste.
I urge you to do the same, if not in your life, then at least in your writing. As I write my new novel, I've employed a minimalist mindset to my words. Why use three words to describe something you can say in one? Why use two scenes to farther the plot when condensing them is possible and allows for a faster tone of pace for your novel, ratcheting up the tension?
If you think about it, what do all your favorite books have in common?
They keep you interested!
The plot moves and the characters sizzle and the tension keeps you wound tight into the pages like the curly ribbon on a Christmas present.
One way you can achieve this same interest is by cutting back the excess in your work. Take out dialogue tags that aren't needed. Use only one simile in this paragraph rather than two. The concept applies to every aspect of the craft.
I've found that cutting back the excess in my life and only keeping what functions or what makes me really happy has helped me to relax more and be more creative. I no longer feel like I'm wasting time or things. I no longer have anxiety that I need to clean and tidy and straighten all the time because there are fewer things that can get out of place.
Why wouldn't you want the same feeling for your novel?
So, the next time you write - condense, condense, condense - and the next time you throw a party, how about cutting out one excess meat option just for me and animals :)
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.
Wednesday, February 3, 2016
Three Ways to Improve Stale Dialogue
There's a couple of bird feeders out my window by my desk. All day I stare out and watch the hierarchy of birds congregate.
First, the feeders are mostly taken over by chickadees and finches. Mourning doves flutter from the trees to the ground, catching and plucking seeds and nuts cast out of the feeders. Then, the cardinals wake and they take over, scaring away all but the bravest and most camouflaged small birds. But, as we learned from Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, there's always a bigger fish...I mean bird.
A giant woodpecker flutters in during the hottest part of the day and scares every bird - even the bullying cardinals. He's so big, he has to hang from the bottom of the feeder and lift his head up and around to get to the seeds.
This hierarchy is fascinating (and sometimes distracting) to watch. However, it also reveals a lot about character. The little birds line up along the bird feeder pole, waiting for an open perch. They peck at each other and squawk to get the other birds to move out of the way. Sometimes, there are even mid-air fights for perches.
Of course, you've always got your quiet mourning doves at the base of the feeders, eating contentedly from the ground.
All this witnessing of wild birds got me thinking about dialogue. It is arguably one of - if not the - most important aspect of fiction writing. Dialogue allows you to characterize your main and sub characters. It reveals setting and plot and red herrings. It can do it all -- including go horribly, horribly wrong.
If dialogue is stale and uninteresting, chances are people are going to put down your book and agents won't offer representation.
No one wants that. So, here are three ways to improve your dialogue and make it more dynamic and interesting:
1. Sub-context: Using sub-context is one of my favorite dialogue hacks. Basically, you make the conversation about what isn't said. So, your characters could be discussing a family trip they're planning, but the conversation is actually about how dysfunctional the family is and how absent the father has always been.
Ex:
Sam: I'm glad you're actually going to make this camping trip. That's a first in, what, six years?
Dad: It's the first time you've planned something interesting.
Sam: Niagara Falls, sharp shooting practice, crystal caves - those weren't interesting?
Dad: How about we stick to the important stuff this time? A real RV. Running water that isn't from a waterfall. Being together.
Sam: If we don't kill each other before this is over.
2. Make it funny: Humor is one of those illusive but essential parts of novels. Agents always say they want it, readers crave it, but it's difficult to nail. However, humor can really punch your dialogue to the next level. Usually, it works best if one of your characters is the sarcastic one-liner. Think Han Solo in Star Wars. It keeps things interesting and gives the other characters ideas off which to springboard important plot information.
Ex:
Bodhi: I can't believe Sir Hangnon turned Minen into a pig.
Josh: It fits him.
Rocky: If only he kept the snout when he came back. It would have helped him keep his long nose out of our business.
3. Shut your characters up: Believe it or not, there's more information conveyed by what isn't said than by what is. Readers are perceptive because this is most often the type of dialogue we experience in real life. Humans keep their emotional cards close to their chests and they rarely say everything that they mean. Your characters should do the same. So, rather than revert to stale dialogue, try having your characters emote through action.
Ex:
Hannah: See? Carving pumpkins wasn't so bad. Now we just have to do the other one for the second stoop-
Gill: I've really got to get going.
Hannah traced her fingers over the side of the pumpkin. She sighed, then laid the plastic carving tool on the table and picked up her purse.
Most importantly, never use dialogue to tell your reader anything. Dialogue is a tool meant to show, and that's when it's at its most magical. Allow your characters to speak freely, and to hold back what they might want to say instead. It allows your reader to uncover the character naturally without being told what to feel and who to believe.
It also makes the story much more interesting - think of the misconceptions that could come about from things left unsaid. Think of the mid-air fights for feeder perches. Dialogue reveals the inner most depths of a character, and when done correctly, allows for insanity to ensue.
First, the feeders are mostly taken over by chickadees and finches. Mourning doves flutter from the trees to the ground, catching and plucking seeds and nuts cast out of the feeders. Then, the cardinals wake and they take over, scaring away all but the bravest and most camouflaged small birds. But, as we learned from Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, there's always a bigger fish...I mean bird.
A giant woodpecker flutters in during the hottest part of the day and scares every bird - even the bullying cardinals. He's so big, he has to hang from the bottom of the feeder and lift his head up and around to get to the seeds.
This hierarchy is fascinating (and sometimes distracting) to watch. However, it also reveals a lot about character. The little birds line up along the bird feeder pole, waiting for an open perch. They peck at each other and squawk to get the other birds to move out of the way. Sometimes, there are even mid-air fights for perches.
Of course, you've always got your quiet mourning doves at the base of the feeders, eating contentedly from the ground.
All this witnessing of wild birds got me thinking about dialogue. It is arguably one of - if not the - most important aspect of fiction writing. Dialogue allows you to characterize your main and sub characters. It reveals setting and plot and red herrings. It can do it all -- including go horribly, horribly wrong.
If dialogue is stale and uninteresting, chances are people are going to put down your book and agents won't offer representation.
No one wants that. So, here are three ways to improve your dialogue and make it more dynamic and interesting:
1. Sub-context: Using sub-context is one of my favorite dialogue hacks. Basically, you make the conversation about what isn't said. So, your characters could be discussing a family trip they're planning, but the conversation is actually about how dysfunctional the family is and how absent the father has always been.
Ex:
Sam: I'm glad you're actually going to make this camping trip. That's a first in, what, six years?
Dad: It's the first time you've planned something interesting.
Sam: Niagara Falls, sharp shooting practice, crystal caves - those weren't interesting?
Dad: How about we stick to the important stuff this time? A real RV. Running water that isn't from a waterfall. Being together.
Sam: If we don't kill each other before this is over.
2. Make it funny: Humor is one of those illusive but essential parts of novels. Agents always say they want it, readers crave it, but it's difficult to nail. However, humor can really punch your dialogue to the next level. Usually, it works best if one of your characters is the sarcastic one-liner. Think Han Solo in Star Wars. It keeps things interesting and gives the other characters ideas off which to springboard important plot information.
Ex:
Bodhi: I can't believe Sir Hangnon turned Minen into a pig.
Josh: It fits him.
Rocky: If only he kept the snout when he came back. It would have helped him keep his long nose out of our business.
3. Shut your characters up: Believe it or not, there's more information conveyed by what isn't said than by what is. Readers are perceptive because this is most often the type of dialogue we experience in real life. Humans keep their emotional cards close to their chests and they rarely say everything that they mean. Your characters should do the same. So, rather than revert to stale dialogue, try having your characters emote through action.
Ex:
Hannah: See? Carving pumpkins wasn't so bad. Now we just have to do the other one for the second stoop-
Gill: I've really got to get going.
Hannah traced her fingers over the side of the pumpkin. She sighed, then laid the plastic carving tool on the table and picked up her purse.
Most importantly, never use dialogue to tell your reader anything. Dialogue is a tool meant to show, and that's when it's at its most magical. Allow your characters to speak freely, and to hold back what they might want to say instead. It allows your reader to uncover the character naturally without being told what to feel and who to believe.
It also makes the story much more interesting - think of the misconceptions that could come about from things left unsaid. Think of the mid-air fights for feeder perches. Dialogue reveals the inner most depths of a character, and when done correctly, allows for insanity to ensue.
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.
Monday, October 19, 2015
Why It's Important To Ride Out The Storm
I recently wrote a short story with a pretty great plot (as long as my writing group isn't lying to me) that all stemmed from one simple thing: Brainstorming.
Remember in elementary school when your teacher would set aside ten minutes a day for you to brainstorm new ideas for your writing journal or so you could come up with a slightly more creative approach to your essay on the Underground Railroad? I sure do. A good 80% of the time, it worked, too.
And yet, very few writers brainstorm daily or even when they're out of ideas.
Instead, we wait around for inspiration to strike. We do laundry, we go to the store, we sit and stare at a blank screen at the coffee shop. We think, "It'll happen. I'll just ignore it and it'll come forward like a shy deer." When a smidgen of an idea does finally come, we usually stop it before it grows to its full potential. We outline it and worry about the characters to fill the idea, but we never let the idea grow crazy and wild before trimming it back. We wish it to grow inside our defined little box of "my genre" and "things I write".
But if brainstorming proved to be so beneficial as children, why do we so easily turn our backs on it?
The answer is, because it can be difficult.
It's scary to go unbridled into the lightning and thunder. It's dark most of the time. What if we can't come up with any ideas? What if we come up with a ton and they all suck?
These are questions everyone has asked before brainstorming.
And it's true: sometimes, nothing happens.
However, other times bad ideas turn not so bad. They grow and shift and change with each strike of lightning - illuminating themselves a little more to the writer.
I've personally set a goal to brainstorm at least once per week. Rather than getting stuck on my writing and going off to make cookies, grocery shop, or watch Project Runway (admit it, you've been there), I force my creative muscles to flex. I sit down with a timer, gluing my fingers to the keys and my butt to the seat.
And you know what? It works. Pretty soon ideas come and characters show themselves and plots unravel. Pretty soon my brain stops procrastinating and shrieking like a tired two year-old and it starts to have some fun.
That's why we got into this in the first place - it's why we do what we do - because we find writing intoxicatingly fun and we can't stop.
So, next time you're at your rope's end and you want to throw your hands up in frustration, try brainstorming. It may give you a new idea for a poem or novel, or it may help you riddle through the portion of your work-in-progress that has you at a standstill.
Need a new idea? Brainstorm.
Can't think of a title? Brainstorm.
Have an extra ten minutes while the soup boils? Brainstorm.
Incredible things happen when you give your creativity slack like that. You'll bring up things you never thought imaginable. They're all right there in your head, waiting for you to get out of the way so they can be seen.
Remember in elementary school when your teacher would set aside ten minutes a day for you to brainstorm new ideas for your writing journal or so you could come up with a slightly more creative approach to your essay on the Underground Railroad? I sure do. A good 80% of the time, it worked, too.
And yet, very few writers brainstorm daily or even when they're out of ideas.
Instead, we wait around for inspiration to strike. We do laundry, we go to the store, we sit and stare at a blank screen at the coffee shop. We think, "It'll happen. I'll just ignore it and it'll come forward like a shy deer." When a smidgen of an idea does finally come, we usually stop it before it grows to its full potential. We outline it and worry about the characters to fill the idea, but we never let the idea grow crazy and wild before trimming it back. We wish it to grow inside our defined little box of "my genre" and "things I write".
But if brainstorming proved to be so beneficial as children, why do we so easily turn our backs on it?
The answer is, because it can be difficult.
It's scary to go unbridled into the lightning and thunder. It's dark most of the time. What if we can't come up with any ideas? What if we come up with a ton and they all suck?
These are questions everyone has asked before brainstorming.
And it's true: sometimes, nothing happens.
However, other times bad ideas turn not so bad. They grow and shift and change with each strike of lightning - illuminating themselves a little more to the writer.
I've personally set a goal to brainstorm at least once per week. Rather than getting stuck on my writing and going off to make cookies, grocery shop, or watch Project Runway (admit it, you've been there), I force my creative muscles to flex. I sit down with a timer, gluing my fingers to the keys and my butt to the seat.
And you know what? It works. Pretty soon ideas come and characters show themselves and plots unravel. Pretty soon my brain stops procrastinating and shrieking like a tired two year-old and it starts to have some fun.
That's why we got into this in the first place - it's why we do what we do - because we find writing intoxicatingly fun and we can't stop.
So, next time you're at your rope's end and you want to throw your hands up in frustration, try brainstorming. It may give you a new idea for a poem or novel, or it may help you riddle through the portion of your work-in-progress that has you at a standstill.
Need a new idea? Brainstorm.
Can't think of a title? Brainstorm.
Have an extra ten minutes while the soup boils? Brainstorm.
Incredible things happen when you give your creativity slack like that. You'll bring up things you never thought imaginable. They're all right there in your head, waiting for you to get out of the way so they can be seen.
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.
Wednesday, July 22, 2015
The Power of Negotiation in Dialogue (Late Post)
Two years ago, I started a job at a medical facility in appointing. I'd lived my entire professional career in customer service, so I figured it'd be nothing new. However, I was now not only dealing with ornery doctors and overworked nursing staff, but angry, upset, and sick patients. I knew to expect that people would be short-tempered (we all are when we feel crappy, am I right?) but I didn't know just how volatile people could get. If I didn't diffuse their anger at having to wait 45 minutes to get through to me on the phone, or their frustration that they didn't get a refill of pain pills, or their downright pessimism onto how likely it would be for them to get to a doctor's appointment prior to two in the afternoon, then I was often called terrible names or even found myself dodging pens and other throwable objects.
I joked with my coworkers then that I needed a course in hostage negotiation to get through my day.
It seems that when it comes to writing, the same course would be very beneficial.
And I'm not just writing this post to those who write thrillers or detective novels. I'm talking to all you picture book authors, sci-fi scribes, and inspirational writers, too.
All of us need to better hone our negotiation skills to write one of the most important aspects of a story or novel: Dialogue.
Think about why dialogue exists in fiction. Yes, it's to spice it up so we're not only reading narration. Yes, it exists so readers better understand your protagonist's (and antagonist's) voice and inner thoughts. But what is common in the most effective dialogue? Answer: it allows characters to negotiate.
A child will talk to their mother in order to obtain the cookie they so desperately want.
A terrorist will talk to his victim in order to explain his side of the story.
A new love interest will talk to the shy girl in class in order to better understand her.
And why do the other characters respond?
The mother will want the child to do a chore to help her workload before the cookie is eaten.
The victim will try to talk the terrorist out of killing him so he can go home and see his family.
The shy girl will talk because she likes the attention she's getting from another human being and doesn't want it to end.
All of these stories, and all of these characters produce dialogue so that they can negotiate something. Characters want the outcome they've been hoping for. They want to convince everyone else that their way of viewing the world is the way that makes the most sense. It's the same motivation behind why we talk to our family members or roommates.
I remind my roommate before she leaves to get the cruelty-free dish detergent because it is the one that I want. She tells me to get it myself because she doesn't want to go out of her way just for that item. I offer in a free home-cooked meal in return. She reluctantly accepts.
It's negotiation through and through.
And it never fails. We communicate to negotiate our way. Your characters should be doing the same.
Homework: Go through your work-in-progress and reread your dialogue. Ask yourself what is being negotiated in each scene. Cut any dialogue that doesn't further each side's case towards that end negotiation.
I joked with my coworkers then that I needed a course in hostage negotiation to get through my day.
It seems that when it comes to writing, the same course would be very beneficial.
And I'm not just writing this post to those who write thrillers or detective novels. I'm talking to all you picture book authors, sci-fi scribes, and inspirational writers, too.
All of us need to better hone our negotiation skills to write one of the most important aspects of a story or novel: Dialogue.
Think about why dialogue exists in fiction. Yes, it's to spice it up so we're not only reading narration. Yes, it exists so readers better understand your protagonist's (and antagonist's) voice and inner thoughts. But what is common in the most effective dialogue? Answer: it allows characters to negotiate.
A child will talk to their mother in order to obtain the cookie they so desperately want.
A terrorist will talk to his victim in order to explain his side of the story.
A new love interest will talk to the shy girl in class in order to better understand her.
And why do the other characters respond?
The mother will want the child to do a chore to help her workload before the cookie is eaten.
The victim will try to talk the terrorist out of killing him so he can go home and see his family.
The shy girl will talk because she likes the attention she's getting from another human being and doesn't want it to end.
All of these stories, and all of these characters produce dialogue so that they can negotiate something. Characters want the outcome they've been hoping for. They want to convince everyone else that their way of viewing the world is the way that makes the most sense. It's the same motivation behind why we talk to our family members or roommates.
I remind my roommate before she leaves to get the cruelty-free dish detergent because it is the one that I want. She tells me to get it myself because she doesn't want to go out of her way just for that item. I offer in a free home-cooked meal in return. She reluctantly accepts.
It's negotiation through and through.
And it never fails. We communicate to negotiate our way. Your characters should be doing the same.
Homework: Go through your work-in-progress and reread your dialogue. Ask yourself what is being negotiated in each scene. Cut any dialogue that doesn't further each side's case towards that end negotiation.
Tuesday, May 5, 2015
The Witchdoctor Scenario
Sorry about the late night post this week, fellow scribes. All day, my rabbit was acting strange, then she stopped eating and stopped moving her bowels. As a mother to any type of living creature knows, no poop = a massive problem.
Rabbits especially are prone to something called GI Stasis, where the gut stops moving so food and waste sit inside the stomach/intestines. It's extremely painful and can lead to death in a matter of days or hours if left untreated.
So, most of my day was spent worrying myself to death, sitting quietly and talking sweetly to a grumpy bunny, and trying to coax food and water into her as much as possible.
It took almost all day, but right now she seems to be improving. She is eating voluntarily (mostly junk foods like seeds, alfalfa hay, cardboard, and a wicker basket - but she does sneak in some good baby kale and grass hay to keep mama happy), and she came out from her hiding place to run around (yes, run) and even do some bunny binkies! If you've never seen a bunny binkie, please look it up on YouTube. They are the best display of rabbit happiness ever and so dang cute.
She even produced a few, albeit minuscule, poops that were either rock solid or a little soft, but hey, that's improvement, people!
Today has definitely been a test on my nerves - a test I sincerely hope is over for now. But all this stress got me thinking: I would give anything for my bunny to get better.
Was it going to take all my money for her to not die? Done. All my time suddenly gone - no sleep before my early shift tomorrow morning? No problem. Would I have to drive two hours to the vet? In a heartbeat. Sell one of my own kidneys to a witchdoctor? Where do I sign?
This terrible, gut wrenching, I'll-do-anything-to-just-make-it-all-right-again feeling was what all of the characters in my stories should be feeling. If not, the stakes weren't high enough.
If their hands and feet didn't go numb with panic. If their vision didn't blacken with dread. If they didn't vomit with worry - the stake's simply weren't high enough. I wasn't putting their absolute most precious thing on the line, and of course, they wouldn't truly care (nor would the reader) unless the stakes were so high, they would do anything.
So, the next time you write an outline, revise a scene, or get an idea for a novel, I want you to ask yourself one simple question:
Would my protagonist sell his/her kidney to an evil witchdoctor - no questions asked - if it meant his/her situation improved or reversed?
Because, really, when it comes down to it, if it isn't really that important, then it's not enough to hang an entire story on.
Rabbits especially are prone to something called GI Stasis, where the gut stops moving so food and waste sit inside the stomach/intestines. It's extremely painful and can lead to death in a matter of days or hours if left untreated.
So, most of my day was spent worrying myself to death, sitting quietly and talking sweetly to a grumpy bunny, and trying to coax food and water into her as much as possible.
It took almost all day, but right now she seems to be improving. She is eating voluntarily (mostly junk foods like seeds, alfalfa hay, cardboard, and a wicker basket - but she does sneak in some good baby kale and grass hay to keep mama happy), and she came out from her hiding place to run around (yes, run) and even do some bunny binkies! If you've never seen a bunny binkie, please look it up on YouTube. They are the best display of rabbit happiness ever and so dang cute.
She even produced a few, albeit minuscule, poops that were either rock solid or a little soft, but hey, that's improvement, people!
Today has definitely been a test on my nerves - a test I sincerely hope is over for now. But all this stress got me thinking: I would give anything for my bunny to get better.
Was it going to take all my money for her to not die? Done. All my time suddenly gone - no sleep before my early shift tomorrow morning? No problem. Would I have to drive two hours to the vet? In a heartbeat. Sell one of my own kidneys to a witchdoctor? Where do I sign?
This terrible, gut wrenching, I'll-do-anything-to-just-make-it-all-right-again feeling was what all of the characters in my stories should be feeling. If not, the stakes weren't high enough.
If their hands and feet didn't go numb with panic. If their vision didn't blacken with dread. If they didn't vomit with worry - the stake's simply weren't high enough. I wasn't putting their absolute most precious thing on the line, and of course, they wouldn't truly care (nor would the reader) unless the stakes were so high, they would do anything.
So, the next time you write an outline, revise a scene, or get an idea for a novel, I want you to ask yourself one simple question:
Would my protagonist sell his/her kidney to an evil witchdoctor - no questions asked - if it meant his/her situation improved or reversed?
Because, really, when it comes down to it, if it isn't really that important, then it's not enough to hang an entire story on.
Tuesday, April 28, 2015
Pertinent Details
I once had a professor who, when he critiqued my work, would always want more. More adjectives, more description, more characterization, more detail, etc. I didn't understand why he would do this, especially since my pieces were always the longest in the class. Recently I came across a few old stories he had critiqued while packing up some more of my stuff for the (hopefully soon) upcoming move. Nearly four years later, I finally grasped that what he had been trying to do was exhaust our writing abilities. He wanted us to expand, to pour out everything we had onto the page. He wanted us to give up every word we could think of, detail every event and blade of grass, explain every aspect of our characters' appearance, countenance, and inner thought process.
His class, I understood, was like a giant brainstorming session. Put everything out and don't hold back.
Occasionally, I run into similar situations with beta readers and critique buddies. Someone will latch onto a passing detail and not let go.
"I'm really interested in this coffee machine," they'll say. "When the protagonist sees it, is it something she recognizes? Is it a single cup machine, or is it brewing great quantities at a time? And what about this steam coming from behind the counter? Does she know it's normal for the machine to steam or is she worried that this giant chrome machine is going to explode? Really, if you're not going to focus on the coffee machine, I'd skip it entirely. Otherwise, the reader's mind will be pulled out of the story."
In your mind, the coffee machine was nothing but a grounding detail in the coffee shop. A little sight detail, maybe some smell, sound, and taste. Nothing more.
You never thought it'd be so important to some people.
As the writer it's your job to discern which details require your and the reader's attention. Whether it's a pushy professor or a detail oriented critiquer, ultimately, it's your job to find the pertinent details.
Are those limbo poles going to resurface later in the story in an important way? No? Then cut their half a page description.
Is it going to matter whether the coffee machine can brew one cup or multiple at a time? No? Don't mention it.
Will your protagonist's hair color really make or break this murder investigation? No? Don't sweat plopping it awkwardly into the text.
Toss the things (whether they be details of your own creation or comments from a critiquer) that aren't pertinent details. Only keep what characterizes your characters, advances the plot, or adds tension. Everything else,
yes, everything,
must be deleted.
His class, I understood, was like a giant brainstorming session. Put everything out and don't hold back.
Occasionally, I run into similar situations with beta readers and critique buddies. Someone will latch onto a passing detail and not let go.
"I'm really interested in this coffee machine," they'll say. "When the protagonist sees it, is it something she recognizes? Is it a single cup machine, or is it brewing great quantities at a time? And what about this steam coming from behind the counter? Does she know it's normal for the machine to steam or is she worried that this giant chrome machine is going to explode? Really, if you're not going to focus on the coffee machine, I'd skip it entirely. Otherwise, the reader's mind will be pulled out of the story."
In your mind, the coffee machine was nothing but a grounding detail in the coffee shop. A little sight detail, maybe some smell, sound, and taste. Nothing more.
You never thought it'd be so important to some people.
As the writer it's your job to discern which details require your and the reader's attention. Whether it's a pushy professor or a detail oriented critiquer, ultimately, it's your job to find the pertinent details.
Are those limbo poles going to resurface later in the story in an important way? No? Then cut their half a page description.
Is it going to matter whether the coffee machine can brew one cup or multiple at a time? No? Don't mention it.
Will your protagonist's hair color really make or break this murder investigation? No? Don't sweat plopping it awkwardly into the text.
Toss the things (whether they be details of your own creation or comments from a critiquer) that aren't pertinent details. Only keep what characterizes your characters, advances the plot, or adds tension. Everything else,
yes, everything,
must be deleted.
Tuesday, April 21, 2015
Do You Have The Time?
Whether you're writing a mystery novel, literary, or an adventure story, time matters. The sun rises, the sun sets, and humans for as long as we've known that, have measured the time between.
The same care you give time in your daily life has to be given to the time in your story. Your characters must wake, get to work on time (or not), make their scheduled appointments (or not), and do this for weeks, months, or years.
But, being writers, we can manipulate time.
Go on, you know you've always wanted to....
That murder in your mystery novel? What was the time of death? Where were the suspects during that time?
Your literary story. Is the main event or character constrained to a timeline? How about the project he's managing? Is it still on track? Or perhaps there's too much free time in his life and he gets into trouble before anything productive can be accomplished.
And your fantasy or adventure story? How much time should pass between the inciting incident and charter 3? Is it minutes - expanded with fight scenes and description and exposition - or years due to an incredible foot journey?
Manipulate time to your advantage. Give your protagonists a limited amount of time in which to complete their task. Give them consequences if they're unable to accomplish it. Ratchet up the tension as the minutes slip past.
If you can control every aspect of it, why not play that to your advantage? Why not harness time and make it slave for you?
Go on, you know you've always wanted to...
The same care you give time in your daily life has to be given to the time in your story. Your characters must wake, get to work on time (or not), make their scheduled appointments (or not), and do this for weeks, months, or years.
But, being writers, we can manipulate time.
Go on, you know you've always wanted to....
That murder in your mystery novel? What was the time of death? Where were the suspects during that time?
Your literary story. Is the main event or character constrained to a timeline? How about the project he's managing? Is it still on track? Or perhaps there's too much free time in his life and he gets into trouble before anything productive can be accomplished.
And your fantasy or adventure story? How much time should pass between the inciting incident and charter 3? Is it minutes - expanded with fight scenes and description and exposition - or years due to an incredible foot journey?
Manipulate time to your advantage. Give your protagonists a limited amount of time in which to complete their task. Give them consequences if they're unable to accomplish it. Ratchet up the tension as the minutes slip past.
If you can control every aspect of it, why not play that to your advantage? Why not harness time and make it slave for you?
Go on, you know you've always wanted to...
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, March 10, 2015
Planning The Perfect Routine (or, when bunnies are bound to attack)
It was a whopping 50 degrees here in northern Wisconsin and felt downright hot outside. Such a departure from the previous -20 degree nights and 5 degree days. We actually popped a window and felt warm, fresh air for the first time since September.
Spring, for me, means the arrival of warmer weather, puddles, and happier dispositions. It also marks my annual "getting out of here" vacation.
I'll be gone all next week (hint, hint: no new blog post next week - take a break for yourself, too) catching some much needed warmer temps in the southern portion of the USA.
To prepare for this trip, I had to write something new. A care instruction sheet for the person watching my rabbit while I'm away.
It was not more than a page and consisted mostly of bullet points detailing her morning, afternoon, and evening routines, and yet, it was one of the most important pieces I'd ever written. Without this care instruction sheet, the bunny-sitter would have no idea how to properly care for Bun. Without being able to read through her routine, the sitter would not understand why Bun was biting his ankles profusely at seven o'clock in the evening. Without a perfectly understandable and direct care sheet, the unneeded stress inflicted upon the sitter and my Bun would be immense.
And it hit me that something so mundane as writing out a daily routine could mean a great deal if done improperly.
In the moment I reread the care instructions before printing a few copies (in case the first copy was lost, then the backup lost, and the backup's backup lost) I thought of my protagonists daily routines. No doubt he/she has one. Perhaps it's like my rabbit's and takes up, in single spaced font, an entire page. Perhaps their routine is less of an all-day occurrence and more of a morning ritual and bedtime custom.
Perhaps your protagonists lives are so unpredictable that they are reduced to single days in a week - I do laundry on Saturday...I eat fish on Fridays...I get coffee the first Monday of every month...no post on Sundays.
Whatever it is, your protagonists, like my Bun, expect their daily routine to go uninterrupted. And it is when there is an interruption that we have a story on our hands.
So, here's the steps I want you to take:
1. Write down your protagonist's daily routine. If it was the best, most predictable week of their lives, what would they do in the morning, afternoon, and evening of every day? What would their "normal" look like.
2. Implement your inciting incident. What throws the routine out of whack?
3. Document how this will interrupt the protagonist's natural flow of their routine. How will they react to this? What will they do to get things back to their normal?
Trust me, it's one thing to think you know their routine and quite another to have it sitting in front of you. When writing out Bun's routine, I'd thought it'd be simple: feed her this food at this time, clean her soiled litter box, give her cuddles, etc. But actually writing it out in detail caused me to truly focus on how much of a scientific method we have to our coexistence. Your protagonists will have this as well if you intend to make them real, tangible, believable people.
As the weather warms and you air out your house, take the time to stop and air out your novel and its main characters, too. Dive deep into what makes them them. If you do it now, it'll save you a lot of headaches down the road when you're revising for the umpteenth time and still can't get Janet's reaction to event X down pat, or when you're on a twenty-hour car ride to another state and the rabbit sitter can't find the correct bag of veg in the fridge to feed your starving Bun.
Do your planning now. Reap the rewards and relaxation later.
Spring, for me, means the arrival of warmer weather, puddles, and happier dispositions. It also marks my annual "getting out of here" vacation.
I'll be gone all next week (hint, hint: no new blog post next week - take a break for yourself, too) catching some much needed warmer temps in the southern portion of the USA.
To prepare for this trip, I had to write something new. A care instruction sheet for the person watching my rabbit while I'm away.
It was not more than a page and consisted mostly of bullet points detailing her morning, afternoon, and evening routines, and yet, it was one of the most important pieces I'd ever written. Without this care instruction sheet, the bunny-sitter would have no idea how to properly care for Bun. Without being able to read through her routine, the sitter would not understand why Bun was biting his ankles profusely at seven o'clock in the evening. Without a perfectly understandable and direct care sheet, the unneeded stress inflicted upon the sitter and my Bun would be immense.
And it hit me that something so mundane as writing out a daily routine could mean a great deal if done improperly.
In the moment I reread the care instructions before printing a few copies (in case the first copy was lost, then the backup lost, and the backup's backup lost) I thought of my protagonists daily routines. No doubt he/she has one. Perhaps it's like my rabbit's and takes up, in single spaced font, an entire page. Perhaps their routine is less of an all-day occurrence and more of a morning ritual and bedtime custom.
Perhaps your protagonists lives are so unpredictable that they are reduced to single days in a week - I do laundry on Saturday...I eat fish on Fridays...I get coffee the first Monday of every month...no post on Sundays.
Whatever it is, your protagonists, like my Bun, expect their daily routine to go uninterrupted. And it is when there is an interruption that we have a story on our hands.
So, here's the steps I want you to take:
1. Write down your protagonist's daily routine. If it was the best, most predictable week of their lives, what would they do in the morning, afternoon, and evening of every day? What would their "normal" look like.
2. Implement your inciting incident. What throws the routine out of whack?
3. Document how this will interrupt the protagonist's natural flow of their routine. How will they react to this? What will they do to get things back to their normal?
Trust me, it's one thing to think you know their routine and quite another to have it sitting in front of you. When writing out Bun's routine, I'd thought it'd be simple: feed her this food at this time, clean her soiled litter box, give her cuddles, etc. But actually writing it out in detail caused me to truly focus on how much of a scientific method we have to our coexistence. Your protagonists will have this as well if you intend to make them real, tangible, believable people.
As the weather warms and you air out your house, take the time to stop and air out your novel and its main characters, too. Dive deep into what makes them them. If you do it now, it'll save you a lot of headaches down the road when you're revising for the umpteenth time and still can't get Janet's reaction to event X down pat, or when you're on a twenty-hour car ride to another state and the rabbit sitter can't find the correct bag of veg in the fridge to feed your starving Bun.
Do your planning now. Reap the rewards and relaxation later.
Tuesday, December 30, 2014
Raising Those Stakes
I live a pretty mundane life. My normal day includes sitting in front of my laptop, writing or illustrating, going to work, playing with my rabbit, maybe trying to cook a new vegan recipe or two.
Raising the stakes in my own life includes picking up extra work hours, forgetting that I left on a stove burner, sticking a broom behind the entertainment center to get the rabbit out before she chews the cords, and maybe trying to fit a doctor's appointment in on my lunch break.
Exciting, right? No.
It's especially boring if this is all your characters do.
Sure we're all pretty mundane in real life, but when we read fiction, we can escape the mundane for an adventure. Whether you're writing a giant fantasy or a literary shocker, the stakes for your characters need to be higher than a broken TV cable.
I used to scoff at articles that plead with writers to raise the stakes for their novels. "Pff, I've already got a weird setting," or "Come on, this character is mentally or physically unstable," were things I'd often throw out in my defense.
But I was wrong.
My characters were DOING things, sure. But they weren't filled with enough tension or the consequences of their failures really didn't matter.
Your character can be described as unstable as you want, but if it's never shown - if nothing ever happens with that instability - does it really matter?
So, the next time you have your protagonist yelling at the boss, don't just make his dilemma whether or not he'll be fired. Make it life or death. Make it the difference between his happy marriage or a divorce. Make him feel the consequences and force him to make a decision one way or the other.
Readers will feel more engaged, they'll definitely care more, and they'll keep reading.
That's all we hope for.
Raising the stakes in my own life includes picking up extra work hours, forgetting that I left on a stove burner, sticking a broom behind the entertainment center to get the rabbit out before she chews the cords, and maybe trying to fit a doctor's appointment in on my lunch break.
Exciting, right? No.
It's especially boring if this is all your characters do.
Sure we're all pretty mundane in real life, but when we read fiction, we can escape the mundane for an adventure. Whether you're writing a giant fantasy or a literary shocker, the stakes for your characters need to be higher than a broken TV cable.
I used to scoff at articles that plead with writers to raise the stakes for their novels. "Pff, I've already got a weird setting," or "Come on, this character is mentally or physically unstable," were things I'd often throw out in my defense.
But I was wrong.
My characters were DOING things, sure. But they weren't filled with enough tension or the consequences of their failures really didn't matter.
Your character can be described as unstable as you want, but if it's never shown - if nothing ever happens with that instability - does it really matter?
So, the next time you have your protagonist yelling at the boss, don't just make his dilemma whether or not he'll be fired. Make it life or death. Make it the difference between his happy marriage or a divorce. Make him feel the consequences and force him to make a decision one way or the other.
Readers will feel more engaged, they'll definitely care more, and they'll keep reading.
That's all we hope for.
Tuesday, November 18, 2014
Revision: focus not on what you're losing, but on what you're bound to gain.
I had one of those moments the other day - you know the ones where you're dealing with two completely different problems and then BAM! they both have surprisingly the same solution. Here were my dilemmas:
1. A friend of mine was told by her writing group that the beginning of her story needs major revision. She had me read the first chapter as well, and I agreed that a change would be for the better. However, she confided that the thought of revising what she already had (and which was, as she pointed out, fine) sent her into hour long bouts of petrified terror. How did I convince her that revision would not ruin her story but make it great?
2. I've been living a vegetarian lifestyle for over a year, and now am making the transition to veganism. We're talking no milk, eggs, butter, cheese, honey, or any beauty or home products that aren't cruelty free. Having grown up in a traditional steak-and-potatoes type of family, I needed a way to counteract their questions as to why this lifestyle was right for me. Especially when my mother looked at me with glossy eyes and said, "But...cheesecake!" How did I convince them that I was passionate about my decision, even though it went against what they had taught me growing up?
Over a bowl of oatmeal, the answer hit me - focus not on what you're losing, but on what you're bound to gain.
That's right. Instead of saying, "I really miss that cheesecake and I can never eat it again," think instead, "I'm going to eat this delicious vegan double chocolate smoothie!"
And for that revision-stuck friend of mine, I told her not to focus on a few beautiful sentences she'll lose by revising chapter one, but on the possibilities of what she could gain. A better insight into her protagonist, a well paced first chapter, a first sentence that kicks the breath right out of the agent that sets eyes on it, etc.
Because if you're too scared to change what you have, you'll never know if something else - even if it's difficult and takes a lot of your time - is infinitely better.
So I urge you this week, take a chance within your writing or your life (both, perhaps?)! See what kinds of wondrous new possibilities are out there that can propel you in the direction you wish to go.
1. A friend of mine was told by her writing group that the beginning of her story needs major revision. She had me read the first chapter as well, and I agreed that a change would be for the better. However, she confided that the thought of revising what she already had (and which was, as she pointed out, fine) sent her into hour long bouts of petrified terror. How did I convince her that revision would not ruin her story but make it great?
2. I've been living a vegetarian lifestyle for over a year, and now am making the transition to veganism. We're talking no milk, eggs, butter, cheese, honey, or any beauty or home products that aren't cruelty free. Having grown up in a traditional steak-and-potatoes type of family, I needed a way to counteract their questions as to why this lifestyle was right for me. Especially when my mother looked at me with glossy eyes and said, "But...cheesecake!" How did I convince them that I was passionate about my decision, even though it went against what they had taught me growing up?
Over a bowl of oatmeal, the answer hit me - focus not on what you're losing, but on what you're bound to gain.
That's right. Instead of saying, "I really miss that cheesecake and I can never eat it again," think instead, "I'm going to eat this delicious vegan double chocolate smoothie!"
And for that revision-stuck friend of mine, I told her not to focus on a few beautiful sentences she'll lose by revising chapter one, but on the possibilities of what she could gain. A better insight into her protagonist, a well paced first chapter, a first sentence that kicks the breath right out of the agent that sets eyes on it, etc.
Because if you're too scared to change what you have, you'll never know if something else - even if it's difficult and takes a lot of your time - is infinitely better.
So I urge you this week, take a chance within your writing or your life (both, perhaps?)! See what kinds of wondrous new possibilities are out there that can propel you in the direction you wish to go.
Tuesday, October 7, 2014
Pondering Lit Mags and some Advice from Doug of Pixar's UP
You know when you go to a favorite literary magazine's submissions page and read their guidelines? About two paragraphs in there's a page-long rant about how you NEED, DEAR GOD, NEED to read their magazine at least for a good year so you understand what they like and accept. So you understand what kind of story they'll publish. Then you'll understand that if your story isn't a carbon copy of these previously published stories, you shouldn't waste their time and your own by submitting it to them.
I often find myself turned off by these rants. Even when it's a literary magazine I've subscribed to in the past or one I really look up to. It can sometimes feel that the literary community has turned against us as writers. If they want nothing new and inventive - if they want us to write only what's already been published - then why are we here? What are we striving toward?
This is something I've been grappling with for years. The American culture puts so little value into the arts. If you're a creator or an innovator, whatever you make had better generate its own cash-flow or you're worthless.
However, other cultures, like Japan, can see the value in the arts, and they respect things that are beautiful and innovative not solely from a basis of profit but from the aspect of a cultural advancement.
Because, really, what are we without art? Will we ever grow as a species if no one thinks outside the confines of what we already know and accept? Why do we put so little heft into the words or pictures brought forth by artists that wish to broaden our definition of humanity? Why do we ridicule the artist herself so?
These questions are the ones that boggle me. They are even more boggling when the community that is supposed to be supportive of the artist and his work turn against him.
Unfortunately, I don't have an answer for these questions, or a reason that America seems to dislike those who wish to allow us to grow and see things through new eyes. Perhaps it will not be within my lifetime that our thoughts switch and we value art.
Most humans, after all, dislike change.
But we keep doing it, why? Because we love it, and we can't stop. Even when no one else believes in us or shows us any support.
To keep you rolling with your writing, even when the haters get you down, here's a list of 22 tips on better storytelling from Pixar:
http://www.pinterest.com/pin/191403052888669266/
I often find myself turned off by these rants. Even when it's a literary magazine I've subscribed to in the past or one I really look up to. It can sometimes feel that the literary community has turned against us as writers. If they want nothing new and inventive - if they want us to write only what's already been published - then why are we here? What are we striving toward?
This is something I've been grappling with for years. The American culture puts so little value into the arts. If you're a creator or an innovator, whatever you make had better generate its own cash-flow or you're worthless.
However, other cultures, like Japan, can see the value in the arts, and they respect things that are beautiful and innovative not solely from a basis of profit but from the aspect of a cultural advancement.
Because, really, what are we without art? Will we ever grow as a species if no one thinks outside the confines of what we already know and accept? Why do we put so little heft into the words or pictures brought forth by artists that wish to broaden our definition of humanity? Why do we ridicule the artist herself so?
These questions are the ones that boggle me. They are even more boggling when the community that is supposed to be supportive of the artist and his work turn against him.
Unfortunately, I don't have an answer for these questions, or a reason that America seems to dislike those who wish to allow us to grow and see things through new eyes. Perhaps it will not be within my lifetime that our thoughts switch and we value art.
Most humans, after all, dislike change.
But we keep doing it, why? Because we love it, and we can't stop. Even when no one else believes in us or shows us any support.
To keep you rolling with your writing, even when the haters get you down, here's a list of 22 tips on better storytelling from Pixar:
Tuesday, August 19, 2014
Write Like a Child - Even If You Aren't Writing For Children
You know those play castles erected for children at restaurants, parks, and (most brutally) water parks? The ones equipped with slides, ball pits, water cannons, and monkey bars. Basically everything short of an actual cross bow?
And you think - whether as a parent or as a bystander - wow, those kids must really be having fun.
No. They're killing each other. It's like the Hunger Games in there.
How do I know this? Because the mini getaway I had last week took place at a water park in the Wisconsin Dells, where one of the best slides outside had a line that wove through the kid's play castle. I'm sure their goal was to cut as far back on the line as possible by drowning out 90 percent of the guests that attempted entry. But not I. I stayed even though some jerk of a child blasted a high pressure water gun at my head for five minutes, moving the flow back and forth across my scalp, so I was drenched both down my face and down my neck. Breathing became an exercise done solely through the mouth.
When he finally turned the gun to spray another slide hopeful, I spun around to see who this kid thought he was. And there, on level three of the castle, a sadistic, pudgy little nine year-old was the culprit. I was being tortured by a third grader. It didn't take long for him to tire of the other person ignoring his water jet, and his eyes set on me again. We stood off for about half a second and then he shot the gun right at my face.
I think I still have water behind my contacts.
What could this possibly have to do with writing? Well, other than making a good story, I want to use this barbarous child to prove a point about story structure and plot. (I guess I should thank him for making my wait in line so terrible, but, I just can't.)
Your characters need to unleash their inner sadistic third grader in EVERY scene. They need to take chances and do things unexpectedly - things we wouldn't do in normal life. That's why people read stories: to see how the characters react and then how they justify those reactions.
Have you ever seen a dog left in a parked car on a hot day? Did you call the ASPCA or just shake your head and walk on? Ever been to a wedding with a really good favor like an entire bottle of wine or movie tickets? Did you want to take more than one, but restrained yourself?
Make your characters push the limits. Have them call the ASPCA and break into the locked car to free Fido. Make them stuff four bottles of wine in their suit jackets or nick the entire roll of free tickets.
If your character was in my water park situation, have her chase the kid down through the watery torture dungeon, or maybe have her flip the kid off (and of course, his mother would be within the vicinity and then a whole 'nother can of worms can open).
Unleashing your characters' "inner child" will up the stakes of the scene and therefore create more tension. Not only that, but if your character acts predictably in every scenario, wouldn't you put the book down? Boring, right?
Push the limits and your plot will improve, your characters will be more dynamic, and you'll have more fun writing.
But, Alyssa, you say, I've been within the clutches of modern society too long, and I can't think of a way to push my characters to their inner heartless happy place.
My advice: go talk to your nieces and nephews. Take your friend's kids to the Burger King play center or, worse, add water. Just remember to bring extra padding and a snorkel before you leave. It's brutal out there.
And you think - whether as a parent or as a bystander - wow, those kids must really be having fun.
No. They're killing each other. It's like the Hunger Games in there.
How do I know this? Because the mini getaway I had last week took place at a water park in the Wisconsin Dells, where one of the best slides outside had a line that wove through the kid's play castle. I'm sure their goal was to cut as far back on the line as possible by drowning out 90 percent of the guests that attempted entry. But not I. I stayed even though some jerk of a child blasted a high pressure water gun at my head for five minutes, moving the flow back and forth across my scalp, so I was drenched both down my face and down my neck. Breathing became an exercise done solely through the mouth.
When he finally turned the gun to spray another slide hopeful, I spun around to see who this kid thought he was. And there, on level three of the castle, a sadistic, pudgy little nine year-old was the culprit. I was being tortured by a third grader. It didn't take long for him to tire of the other person ignoring his water jet, and his eyes set on me again. We stood off for about half a second and then he shot the gun right at my face.
I think I still have water behind my contacts.
What could this possibly have to do with writing? Well, other than making a good story, I want to use this barbarous child to prove a point about story structure and plot. (I guess I should thank him for making my wait in line so terrible, but, I just can't.)
Your characters need to unleash their inner sadistic third grader in EVERY scene. They need to take chances and do things unexpectedly - things we wouldn't do in normal life. That's why people read stories: to see how the characters react and then how they justify those reactions.
Have you ever seen a dog left in a parked car on a hot day? Did you call the ASPCA or just shake your head and walk on? Ever been to a wedding with a really good favor like an entire bottle of wine or movie tickets? Did you want to take more than one, but restrained yourself?
Make your characters push the limits. Have them call the ASPCA and break into the locked car to free Fido. Make them stuff four bottles of wine in their suit jackets or nick the entire roll of free tickets.
If your character was in my water park situation, have her chase the kid down through the watery torture dungeon, or maybe have her flip the kid off (and of course, his mother would be within the vicinity and then a whole 'nother can of worms can open).
Unleashing your characters' "inner child" will up the stakes of the scene and therefore create more tension. Not only that, but if your character acts predictably in every scenario, wouldn't you put the book down? Boring, right?
Push the limits and your plot will improve, your characters will be more dynamic, and you'll have more fun writing.
But, Alyssa, you say, I've been within the clutches of modern society too long, and I can't think of a way to push my characters to their inner heartless happy place.
My advice: go talk to your nieces and nephews. Take your friend's kids to the Burger King play center or, worse, add water. Just remember to bring extra padding and a snorkel before you leave. It's brutal out there.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)