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/

Bonus Post! (Active Voice vs. Passive Voice)

I'm sorry I didn't post last week at all. My entire attention and time was devoted to my health.

However, as a thank you gift for being so patient with me, here's a Bonus Post for this week!

I'd like to talk about Passive Voice vs. Active Voice. This is such a subtle topic that it's rarely taught in writing classes and even in college. Yet, it is the unconscious abuse of passive voice that holds many talented writers back from publication.

First, let's describe Passive Voice and Active Voice. Now, these terms have nothing to do with perspective. You could be writing in first person, third, or even second and still be vulnerable.
Passive Voice is when the noun or phrase that should be the object of the sentence, appears as the subject. For example, The map was found by Joseph.
Whereas Active Voice allows the object of the sentence to be just that - the object. Example, Joseph found the map.

Need more?
Passive: Amy was sitting in the corner, next to the washing machine.
Active: Amy sat in the corner, next to the washing machine.
Passive: The sword was wielded by Kash.
Active: Kash wielded the sword.
Passive: Leonard was holding the labels I needed.
Active: Leonard held the labels I needed.

Do you see the difference? Passive Voice does nothing but add extra versions of the verbs "be" or "get". The meaning of the sentence stays exactly the same.

Why, then, are we all so prone to using Passive Voice? Because, we speak most often using Passive Voice. Call it politically correct. Passive Voice softens the statement, whereas Active Voice delivers the message clearly and succinctly. As humans, when we need to communicate a message, we most often do so in Passive Voice to soften the blow of our words on the listener. But the last thing you want to do in writing is soften any blows. What do we want? Tension! When do we want it? Always!

So, even though they never taught it to you in school, do your best to delete as much Passive Voice as possible. Not only will it aid in the tension of your writing, but it will also severely decrease your word count to a passable amount.

Extra Bonus Bonus Post:
Do you understand the difference between Passive Voice and Active Voice, but once you go to your novel, you can't seem to find the Passive Voice you know is there? Here's a way to weed it out. Do a Find or Search for the word "was". Normally, this is the word with the most Passive Voice offenses. (If you're writing in present tense, search for "is".)

It might take you a while before you start noticing all the Passive Voice in your writing because it's so commonly the way we talk. It blends. But once you spot it and really get it, you will never be able to ignore it again. And I promise you, agents and publishers know it.

An Important Blog Update

Hi All!

You know that recently I've had my share of time being under the weather. What you might not have known is that this has been an ongoing issue in my life for the past 8 years.

Next week, I will be traveling to a larger city and better hospital to hopefully get a diagnosis and treatment plan so I can go back to my regular writing schedule and happy-go-lucky self. I am sharing this information with you because it may impact my ability to garner new posts every Tuesday for an indeterminate amount of time. Next Tuesday, especially, is the first day of my appointments. While the hotel I am staying at has Wi-Fi, I'm not sure if I'll remember or be up to blogging.

Know this, I will try my hardest to stay on schedule for you guys. I have made this commitment to myself and to you and I will not break it without a fight. But life doesn't always go smoothly, so I wanted to warn you all in advance that posting may be sporadic for the coming weeks, or sometimes, nonexistent.

But don't fret! In the meantime, let me share with you a few of my favorite writer-geared email subscriptions that you can check out.

First, Dictionary.com's Word of the Day. I chose this subscription because we've recently been talking about diction. It is also a fun way to learn archaic or quirky words to share with your friends.
What happens: Every day, Dictionary.com emails you a new word with a definition, the origin, and that word used in context. If you're not up to subscribing to the free email subscription, you can also check out the Word of the Day on their website. To discover the Word of the Day, go here.

Next, The Ripples Project is something I learned about two years ago when Paul (the founder) spoke at my college orientation. His emails filled with inspiration and quotes come out every Monday morning (when you need the push to get through your week). The quotes are awesome for writers to know and most often make you leave feeling all warm and fuzzy inside.
What happens: Every Monday, a new Ripple appears in your inbox. They all have themes that then include a short quote, long quote, and inspirational message from Paul the Ripples Guy himself. To sign up for Ripples, go here.

Hopefully these email subscriptions will keep you inspired to write, even if I fail to offer a new post every week until my health is back on track.

And remember: Write Every Day: even if it's simply a sentence, a word, or a punctuation mark. You are the only one who can write your book. You are the only one who will.

Diction (a peek at the longest word ever)

I'm feeling better - thank you. Let's get back to where we left off. Blogging!

Today I'd like to touch on the subject of word choice - diction.

Whether you're searching for the correct word for verbs, adverbs, or adjectives, word choice is one of the most important aspects of your story. The right word can elevate your tension, or kill it.

The more I read, the more I understand that word choice is also governed by audience. Who is your story intended to reach? If it's other writers - break out that thesaurus and scribble obscure words to your heart's content. This is most common in literary novels or works for literary magazines.

However, if you're writing a mainstream adult novel, you might want to pull back a little. Because (be honest with yourself now) how many times have you read a current novel and come across a word you weren't familiar with? Probably once or twice per book, right? With so many words out there, we can't possibly know them all - all the time. Now, did you stop your progression of reading and look up that vocab word like they made you do in third grade? No, of course not. You don't have time for that. You skipped the word, the context of the situation being enough to just ignore it.

And if you've read children's writing (YA, MG, picture books) lately, you know the vocab is even more accessible because words that are old hat to us are just being learned by them.

Now, I'm not trying to suggest that we lose our diction. I'm not suggesting we resort to using just the words that we say in a normal work day. Heck, we'd be limited to a slim thirty or forty vocab words forever.

Instead, keep your audience in mind when writing. Will the word you just chose be more of a stumbling block for your reader rather than a helpful hint? Will they have to skip it and figure out the scene from the rest of your words? Is that what you want?

To leave you this week, I have found the longest word in the English language. It has 189,819 letters (enough alone for its own series of books) and is the chemical name for the element titin.

Want to see this word? Check out the YouTube video here. But be forewarned, it takes three and a half hours to pronounce.

Pinterest Will Heal Me...Right?

I've been a little under the weather these past few days, and so this week's blog post is going to be short and sweet (like my writing time lately). To keep you going, even when you can't type or sit up straight, here's a quote.

I found it, where else? Pinterest. http://www.pinterest.com/pin/476326098062726632/

Happy Writing!

What's Hiding Behind That Beautiful Prose? (Why I Write YA)

When people ask me what my current novel is about and I tell them it's YA, they often look at me sideways. This one's not right in the head. She never grew up. Why would she write for children when she could write for adults?

The criticism is harshest from other writers (especially those who harbor disdain for anything that isn't "artistic" "insightful" or "literary").

They never seem to ask me out loud why I love writing YA (and am considering a new fantasy MG idea - I'll keep you posted). But, I'm going to answer them anyway.

I write YA because as a writer, you can't hide behind beautiful metaphors or long strings of gorgeous prose. You guys know what I'm talking about: Those novels where every stinking sentences is a metaphor (most obscure) and the beautiful prose flows unbounded from overly-long chapter to overly-long chapter. Now, adults will read this. Millions of books like this sell every year. Adults will sit there and think, "There must be some artistic reason this character has done nothing for 150 pages but look at a stain on his favorite coffee mug. It must mean something!" or "I know I've already read 500 pages and nothing has happened other than me following this character to and from work, but in the 548 pages to go, I know this boredom is going to be revealed as something amazing and insightful."

Adults will ponder your philosophy. They'll say it's existential or Darwinian.

Teens don't care. They don't have time for that, and they definitely won't read 500 pages just hoping that eventually they'll figure out the meaning.

Teens want a good story with fast pacing and connectable characters. They want to feel, smell, and taste what your characters are experiencing. And they want it every chapter, every sentence, every word. No where in a YA novel can you hide behind your good writing. No where is there room for brainy dribble. Because teens don't care about it and they definitely don't want to read it.

To write YA you need both great writing and fantastic storytelling ability.

So, my answer to those sideways glances and bulging, judgmental eyes is this: I write YA because it forces me to be a better writer. It forces me to cut the crap and keep only the things that propel the story. I can't keep a paragraph of useless but fantastic writing - I must save that for my journal and my eyes only.

I write YA because everything counts.

Does that make me juvenile?

Maybe. Think what you want, but I still make a wicked frozen pizza.

YA/New Adult Reading List

I've been fervently writing the first draft of a new YA novel. It's taken up all my time and brain power. My thoughts are planted firmly in the plot and characters of that world, but I still find time to read. It gives me a break from my own head. Also, it helps me understand the market I'm trying to break into. What's being published in YA? What works? What doesn't?

Here are a few of the books I've recently read:

Winger by Andrew Smith - it's vulgar and hilarious. Told from the POV of a 14 year-old boarding school boy. You will laugh, you will cry (I mean it), but most importantly, this stand-alone novel will stay with you for the rest of your life. It's so good. Check it out here on Amazon for a full description: http://www.amazon.com/Winger-Smith-Andrew/dp/1442444932/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1409072397&sr=1-1&keywords=winger+by+andrew+smith

The Rithmatist by Brandon Sanderson - this was an accidental find at my local book store. I went in in search of the second novel in a series, but found this instead. It's the first book in a series by Sanderson but he hasn't gotten very far on book two (hint, hint, Sanderson). I highly recommend this read. It's gearpunk (not normally a genre I read, even in YA) and is at once suspenseful and beautiful. You will not see the twist coming at the end (or shall I say, the double twist?). I won't give away more. Here it is on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Rithmatist-Brandon-Sanderson/dp/0765338440/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1409072433&sr=1-1&keywords=the+rithmatist

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell - I must admit, this is the first Rainbow Rowell novel I've read. I'd seen her novels in bookstores, but never picked one up. While researching agents, I saw that everyone wanted "a Rainbow Rowell" for their YA roster. So, if it works, read it, right? I was not disappointed. Rowell's descriptions are killer and spot on. She's funny and poignant and heart breaking in this New Adult novel. I haven't finished this novel yet, so no notes on the ending, but the first half (Fall Semester) has me hooked. It pulls me away from writing my own YA novel when I need a break. I now understand why all agents want their own Rainbow Rowell. Check her out for yourself here: http://www.amazon.com/Fangirl-Rainbow-Rowell/dp/1250030951/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1409072613&sr=1-1&keywords=fangirl

Happy Reading, fellow scribes!