It doesn’t matter where you are in your writing career, the doubt monster will strike.
You read books by your favorite authors and decide your writing will never measure up.
While you’re in queryland, a friend lands an agent and you start questioning if that will ever be you.
While your book is out on submission, someone you know dances around and screams that she’s signed a 3-book deal with a major publisher, and you wonder if you’ll even get a one-book deal with anyone. Period.
You self publish your book and look longing at the list of NYT and USA Today bestsellers, many who are self published in your genre (NA contemporary romance authors, I’m looking at you). Heck, you do this if your book is traditionally published, too.
You start freaking out as doubts slither in as to whether or not you’ll meet your publisher’s deadline.
As you approach your book’s launch date, you go through emotional outbursts similar to those experienced during pregnancy.
You book does better than expected, but now you worry that you’ll be a one-hit wonder and your publisher and agent will dump you after the sequel turns out to be lame.
No matter where you are on your publishing career path, the doubt monster will strike. Don’t be afraid of him. Embrace him. Let him help you push your writing to a new level.
And while you’re at it, sign up for the monthly support group hosted by Alex Cavanaugh. The Insecure Writer’s Support Group meets the first Wednesday of each month (I’ll be joining it in the fall).
GIVEWAY NEWS: Adventures in YA and Children’s Publishing blog is doing a HUGE giveaway (well, several actually) for both readers and writers. The giveaways run this past Saturday and Sunday and next weekend. You’ll want to check it out!
Belief in oneself is one of the most important bricks in building any successful venture. (Lydia M. Child)
As anyone who has queried knows, sending out queries is akin to ripping a knife through your vein. You bleed. You hurt. You wonder if you have the strength to keep going.
You start with great optimism, and end up with anything but hope.
At least until your next book is finished, and the process starts again.
The next time you get feedback from your critique partner or beta reader, even if it’s just an email or DM on Twitter telling you how much they love your book so far, save those comments. Copy them onto a Word document and post them by your computer. And when you’re ready to query, read those comments. They’ll remind you during those darkest days that there are people who loved your book even if it wasn’t quite right for the agents you queried.
Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm. (Sir Winston Churchill)
Do you refer back to your betas’ and CPs’ positive comments when you’re querying? Do you let rejections get your down or do you find a positive to them?
Justine Dell has just released her latest book and is here to chat about writing from the gender opposite to what you were born. A topic I’m always excited to read about. Thanks, JD!
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There are lots of girls out there writing from a guy’s perspective. And there are lots of guys writing from a girl’s perspective. So there are plenty of examples of where it works.
On the flip side, I'm sure there are some examples of where it doesn't/wouldn't work.
YA, MG, Picture Books, General Fiction, Sci-Fi, Thriller, etc, etc, can all be written from either a man or a woman--no matter who the MC is.
Romance is the only genre where this question is...well, questioned. Let's face it—men don't really know what women want. HOWEVER, there have been some very successful MALE romance writers (most of which wrote under a female pen name because of gender bias). Leigh Greenwood, Gill Sanderson, Sylvain Reynard…are just a few.
There is a lot of room for people to argue this point one way or another. I, however, don't base anything on gender. This world is diverse, WE are diverse. So instead of wondering if a boy/girl could write a good perspective from the opposite sex, ask yourself:
CAN YOU WRITE ANY PERSPECTIVE WELL?
If you're a girl, can you write a girl? At any age? If you're a guy, can you write a convincing guy? At any age? So the same is asked if you are writing from a different perspective.
Can you be convincing in any perspective? You're a writer, you're creative, you develop people from scratch. It's not a gender issue—it’s a creative issue.
CAN YOU BE CREATIVE?
You've written characters who are professional race car drivers, chefs, killers, tech freaks, etc. I'm pretty sure you aren't any of those people. Well, I hope you aren't a killer.
Back on point... if you did write characters that are nothing like you how did you write those convincingly? You researched, right? So now the question is:
CAN YOU BE AUTHENTIC?
Your gender doesn't matter. Your mind does.
And in the end, if you are still second guessing yourself, do MORE research. Or have someone who knows about it read it. Let me know if you are able to catch Jeff Gordon on the racetrack or Charles Mason during visiting hours. But seriously, if you are worried about writing from a different gender POV, have that gender read it to see what think. Or research it. And read it. Lots of reading helps.
Do you peeps have any good examples of male writing female and vice versa? Do you have any specific examples (of your own struggles/successes) you'd like to share?
~JD
BLURB:
At the age of thirty, with two failed marriages and a tanking writing career, Samantha Moore deals with the world with the only tool she had left: anger. And she’s tired of it. When her grandmother's near-death sends her rushing back home to Vermont, she hopes for the chance to overcome the rage ruling her life.
Once she’s home, Lance Cummings becomes a constant source of indigestion. Lance is a single father who learned first-hand the devastating effects of a damaging relationship. He sees through Samantha’s nasty temper—straight to her cry for help. He wants to help her, but he also wants to know why Samantha ran from him—and their future—twelve years before.
Taking care of her Grams, dealing with an alcoholic brother, and getting Lance to remove his annoyingly attractive nose from her business is draining on Samantha. And she’s only got three weeks to finish her stagnated novel or her publisher will drop her. No pressure. To top it off, pretending to hate the man she actually loves makes each day in Vermont harder than the last. Especially when Lance turns up the heat.
BIO:
Justine lives in the Midwest, happily catering to her family, which consists of a horse-obsessed teenage daughter, four dogs, and a husband who is too good to be true. She's never moved from her hometown, but hopes to grow old in a much warmer climate.
During the day she works a normal job with college students who try their best to keep her young. They've done a good job thus far. At night, said teenage daughter and her horse require mounds of love and attention. The weekends belong solely to her and her writing. That's when she morphs into a sticky bug, unable to leave the confines of her computer chair.
She started writing four years ago after seeing a movie that set off a chain reaction she couldn't have stopped if she'd wanted. It's not a hobby for her; it's an obsession. One she loves and one she loves to share. Her debut book, Recaptured Dreams and her newest release, All-American Girl, are available now on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and wherever book are sold.
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Don’t forget that I am giving away a copy of the ebook at each blog tour stop. I will also giveaway an AAG postcard and Vermont Maple Candy (together). Please let me know if you want to enter to win from Stina’s blog. I am also hosting my own giveaway for the tour.
Last week, I watched Sleeping with the Enemyas research for one of my WIPs. In it, “ayoung woman fakes her own death in an attempt to escape her nightmarish marriage, but discovers it is impossible to elude her controlling husband”.
During one scene, the abusive husband hits Laura (Julia Roberts) and she falls to the floor. Laura pushes herself up to a sitting position, her long red hair spilling around her shoulders, legs bent to the side. At that moment, she reminds me of Ariel from The Little Mermaid. When Laura tries to stand, after her husband leaves, her legs are shaking so badly, she looks like Ariel after the sea witch turned her into a human, and Ariel takes her first steps into the new world. In Sleeping with the Enemy, this image is symbolic foreshadowing. What her husband doesn’t know is that Laura has been learning to swim, to overcome her fear of the water. She is a mermaid, so to speak. Soon after, she fakes her death in a drowning accident and escapes to a new life.
That evening, after Laura’s husband hits her, he gives her red roses and red lingerie. They are supposed to represent his “love”, but they really symbolize the physical and emotional abuse (blood, danger) she suffers at his hands.
After Laura escapes, she takes a Greyhound bus to a small town in Iowa. As it arrives, we see Laura looking out of the bus window and the reflection of the American flag waving in the breeze. The American flag symbolizes freedom and the home of the brave. A perfect symbol for Laura’s courage and her new life.
Movies are a great place to learn about symbolism, since the director, writers, set designers look for ways to insert it. Most of the time, we don’t notice it at a conscious level. It impacts us subconsciously. But when done well, it adds to the emotional satisfaction we get from watching the movie.
Do you watch for symbolism in movies and books? Do you pay attention to it in your stories?
Many athletes have bizarre rituals they follow, because at one time they ate a certain breakfast or wore a particular T-shirt, and won their event. Not wanting to risk bad luck, they have to eat the same breakfast, wear the same outfit, grow a beard. Every. Single. Game. Or in the case of the beard, they refuse to shave during the playoffs (NHL, anyone?).
I have rituals. I always wear my yoga pants when I write. No, I don’t consider them lucky. Just comfortable. I’ve heard that writers should write (or at least read) poetry, because it helps them strength their writing by making it less flabby. So, that is now part of my writing ritual. Before I start writing, or after I’ve been writing for awhile, I read some pages out of one of Ellen Hopkins YA novels in verse. Why? Because I LOVE her edgy YA, she’s the master of emotion, and it has make a big difference with my writing. Wow, who knew?
Now I just need a ritual for querying and checking my inbox. Hmmm. Wonder what I was wearing the last time I landed a request.
Do you have any rituals you have to do before writing, querying, opening an email from an agent?
Typically, I blog about writing craft books I love. Today I want to review SmartEdit, a free editing software program that I recently tried out.
After I copied and pasted my manuscript into the document window, the program generated several lists, including clichés and adverbs used, and words and phrases used more than twice (you can adjust the frequency setting). While I checked out each cliché and adverb indentified, I limited my search of crutch words and phrases to those that were overly used or were unique enough to be noticeable when mentioned more than once or twice. Otherwise, I could have spent a year trying to fix something that wasn’t a wreck, or end up writing out my voice.
I didn’t use the program quite as suggested. I identified what word or phrase I wanted to search for in my document. After using the FIND function in Word, I then edited the word or phrase in my document (instead of in SmartEdit). It made more sense doing it that way.
I had trouble loading my document onto SmartEdit. According to the website, you save your manuscript as a text file and load it onto SmartEdit. It didn’t work for me. I had to copy and paste the entire document into the program for it to work. What the website also doesn’t mention is that you have to open your analysis in Word after you close SmartEdit. You can still use the lists in SmartEdit after you generate them, but you have to copy and paste and generate the list again if you close the program without saving the analysis first. Another thing I recommend doing is after you open the text file, save it as a .doc or .docx file. That way you can place a bookmark at the last place you were at when you have to stop working on your edits. You can’t bookmark a text file.
Overall, I loved SmartEdit and recommend it to anyone who writes.
Have you tried SmartEdit or one of the other similar editing software programs available?
(edit: two writers have mentioned that their virus protection software won't allow them to download the program. This is a recent issue. I use the same security software and it didn't have an issue with it at the time I downloaded the program.)
A few weeks ago, I received an email from a publisher asking if I would review Arthur Plotnik’s newly revised and expanded book, The Elements of Expression. Being the craft-book junkie that I am, I said, “Hell yes!” (Okay, I might have put it a little more politely than that). I have Arthur’s book Spunk and Bite: A writer’s guide to bold, contemporary style, which I loved. I knew I had to read The Elements of Expression.
Right away I’m going to admit this book isn’t for everyone. If you love the study of language, definitely pick it up. If you want to write with eloquence and wit, this is the book for you. If you prefer a book that gets straight to the point, you might want to skip on it (though you are missing a treat if you do). And if you easily suffer from writer’s envy, well, this book is going to be painful. Though if you read it, you might become the author others get jealous over because of your style. Get my point? I hope you do.
The book is written for everyone. Fiction writers. Non-fiction writers. Bloggers. Tweeters (yes, seriously!). And if you’re planning to do public speaking (i.e. if you’re planning to make extra income by conducting workshops), you’ll want to check out the book. There is a chapter called ‘Speaking Louder Than Words: Oral Presentation’. It has great advice and exercises for becoming a powerful speaker. If you have to do presentations for your job, you’ll want to pick up this book. It certainly couldn’t hurt.
What you won’t find is a discussion on grammar. It’s a book on style and expression. A book for picking the right words and imagery for forceful writing. And forceful writing gets noticed by agents, editors, readers. Isn’t that what we want?
Fortunately, being a book on expression, it isn’t dry. The Elements of Expression is filled with wit that left me laughing at the most inopportune times. In other words, this isn’t like those much dreaded high school English textbooks. I don’t remember any of them having a chapter on ‘Make My Day: The Power of Tough Talk’.
Have you read any craft books that deal with style and expression?
It’s our passion for writing that keeps us sane through plot problems and rejections. Without that passion, our work became tired, void of emotion. Passion helps us through the good moments and the not-so-great ones. But what about your other passions in life? In your pursuit of publication, have you neglected those passions that once gave you great joy, but you pushed them aside so you could finish one more scene, one more chapter, one more book?
I did this with my photography. Don’t get me wrong. I was still shooting photos, but I wasn’t putting the same level of passion into it that I once did, before writing took over my life. I used to study craft books, magazines, photos in order to challenge my skills further (much like I do with my writing). I recently decided to welcome photography back into my life on a daily basis. I love editing my stories, and now I’m applying the same love to my photos (as I have been doing in the last few weeks).
Have you pushed aside a previous passion because of your writing? What non-writing passions exist in your life (sorry, spouses and kids don’t count here. They’re a given).
A few weeks ago, I attended a workshop with Michael Hauge (Writing Screenplays That Sell). He pointed out the most common problem he sees are stories that are too complicated. A complex story with multiple layers is good. One that is so complicated it confuses the reader should always be avoided.
This can happen when writers cover too many genres in their story, or when they try to cram in too many issues. I made this mistake with one of my WIPs. I changed the story premise, but didn’t remove one of the issues the protagonist was dealing with. I thought it made her multidimensional. It didn’t. It just meant too much was going on and it removed the focus from the main storyline.
In order to simplify, ask yourself if the story element is really necessary for advancing the plot. What would happen if you remove it? Will doing that weaken or strengthen the story?
Do you tend to writing stories that are too complicated?
If you have a chance to see Michael Hauge present, definitely go. It’s definitely worth the time and money.
Weak writing fails to make an impact. Powerful writing grabs your reader’s attention and keeps them reading.
You don’t have to be a super hero to write power words. You just need to know a few tricks.
1. Never use two words when one word is better. Typically, the two-word issue arises when you abuse adverbs. Dash, bolt, sprint are power-loaded words. ‘Runs quickly’ is for wimps.
2. Use words in an unexpected way to add power to the sentence. These are typically your theme words or scene-related words. (e.g. if your scene deals with death, your power words would be related to death).
Example: . . . he watched the light bleedslowly out of day . . . . (Whispersby Dean Koontz)
3. Use words to show a shift in the emotion and mood of the scene.
Example: skip, sunshine, rose-scented, trudge, stench of rotting corpses, spiraling down
4. For the most impact, put your power words at the end of the sentence or paragraph. It’s not always possible, but sometimes all you need to do is rework the sentence.
Before: I’m the one who came home to witness the body bag being wheeled out of the front door, Nate covered in blood, and the flashing of emergency lights lighting up the afternoon sky. After: I’m the one who came home to witness the flashing of emergency lights lighting up the afternoon sky, the body bag being wheeled out the front door, and Nate covered in blood. (WIP) Noticed the difference in how I ordered the phrases between the two sentences. In the second one, they go from least important to the one with most impact (Nate covered in blood).
This is also a great trick for emphasising something or hiding information. If you want to emphasize it, place it at the end of the paragraph. If you want the reader to find out about the information, but not realize it’s important, then bury it in the middle of the paragraph. It’s foreshadowing without screaming foreshadowing. Cool, huh?
Do you use consciously use power words in your writing? Do you have any other suggestions?
We’ve all done it (even J.K. Rowling, I bet). We’ve all written those sentences that sound great in our head, but they don’t necessarily say what we think they do.
The best way to avoid dangling modifies is to read over your sentence and ask yourself: what noun is the clause modifying (describing), and does the sentence makes sense when I modify it? The noun is the one closest to the clause. By asking yourself these questions you might realize that you placed the clause (or modifying word) next to the wrong noun. The result is a confusing or hilarious sentence.
In the above example, yawning is referring to my foot. Well, I don’t know about your feet, but mine don’t possess the ability to yawn. The correct subject of the sentence is missing. It should read:
Yawning, I kick the covers off the bed.
And what about the sign in the photo? When I first read it, I thought it was telling me that mentally delayed children or children who aren’t very fast are playing in the street. (Okay, I’m not really that dumb, but the sign did make me laugh).
Do you take the time to make sure your sentences say what you think they mean?
What other grammatical errors have made you laugh?
(Note: In Canada they don't have the 'slow' part. The yellow sign indicates a warning. It's warns you that children play here. Here, we assume the driver is smart enough to know that you need to slow down when you see the sign. Okay, not everyone is smart enough to know that. )
Inspiration can hit anytime. Many of my writing ideas come while I’m running. From time to time, they’ve find me in the shower (very embarrassing, I might add). What’s a writer to do when this happens?
AquaNotes
Not only is this nifty notepad close at hand when that amazing idea strikes, you don’t have to worry about the paper going soggy. It’s waterproof! What a brilliant idea.
Have you ever had an idea while in the shower? What did you do? When do most of your ideas stalk you?
<<<3
On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me, Margie Lawson’s awesome lecture notes.
(Yeah, yeah, I know it’s not quite the same as the original song. I never claimed to be a song writer or poet. *grins*)
Some people love collecting clutter *nudges basement door shut with foot*, but for photographers and writers, this is usually a big no-no.
When taking a photo, check the view finder or LCD screen to make sure everything in the picture is there for a reason. If it distracts from the subject, then remove the unwanted object, or move to a different location or angle so the object is no longer visible. You can also adjust the depth of field (aperture) so everything behind the subject is blurry.
During WriteOnCon in August, an editor* shared two questions to ask yourself to ensure your writing is clutter free. You ask these questions for each sentence, paragraph, scene, and chapter:
1. Why are you telling me this? (relevance)
2. Why are you telling me this now? (placement)
Also, go through your manuscript word by word, and ask yourself if the word is necessary, if it can be cut, or if it should be changed to a stronger word that will establish voice. For example, by changing ‘ran fast’ to ‘sprinted’, you’ve replaced two weaker words with a strong one. By changing the words to dashed or bolted, you’ve tweaked the voice.
How are you when it comes to clutter? Do you have any other suggestions for keeping your photos or writing clutter free?
*sorry, I went back to find the session, but couldn’t find the one I wanted. The one I think it was, isn’t linked to the schedule anymore.
<<<3
Since I have tons to do before my upcoming trip (like finish beta reading a project I’m in love with), today is my last post until my return to the blogosphere on November 21st. I miss you all already.
If you haven’t heard, Heather McCorkle’s book, The Secrets of Spruce Knoll, is now available. I love love love the cover and can’t wait to read the book (it’s on my iPod).
I asked Heather to share with us some of her favorite writing tips.
<<<3
Thank you for having me over Stina! As you know, I love helping writers in any way I can and I'm thrilled to share my writing tips in hopes that they may help others. I'll jump right in.
#1. In the beginning set small daily goals for as many days a week as you feel you can handle. Do your best to stick to them, whether they are a sentence a day, a paragraph, or a few pages. Small accomplishments help keep me motivated and moving forward.
#2. Give yourself permission to write a first draft that is truly rough. No one but you should ever see the first draft anyway so go for it, let it all out and don't be afraid of how good or bad it is. You can fix it later, that's what editing is for!
#3. This is a big one because it is what stops a lot of people from ever finishing: Write straight through the first draft. You will change so much once it's written that who knows what you'll keep or cut. This advice has helped propel me forward when I would have stalled out and quit writing a book altogether.
#4. When it's time to edit try to read through it as though you're an acquiring editor or an agent who is looking for a reason to reject it. Look for character arcs, story arcs, plot twists, plot holes, grammar, sentence structure, voice, and flow. Break it down into a few different editing passes over the entire manuscript. Yes you'll end up reading it until you can almost recite it, but it will be better for it if you can focus on one issue per read through.
#5. Share you work with others! Join a critique group and/or find a beta reader or two. If this makes you nervous think of it this way, the critiques you get will help develop the tough skin you're going to need to be able to approach agents, and it will make your novel better. A secret tip I'll throw in with this one: Read your novel aloud. It will shock you how much more you'll catch by doing this!
~Heather
Book blurb: It’s hard enough being a teenager under normal circumstances; imagine being orphaned, sent to live with an unfamiliar aunt—and learning that there really is magic in the world. Following the tragic death of her parents, Eren Donovan moves to Spruce Knoll to live with her aunt. Little does Eren know the entire town of Spruce Knoll is filled with “channelers”—a magical group of people who immigrated to the small Colorado town when they were driven out of their own lands.
Channelers are tied to the fate of the world. As the world slowly dies, so do they—and they alone have the power to stop the destruction of Earth. Now, Eren learns she not only lives among them, but she is one. When she meets local boy Aiden, his charm convinces her that being a channeler may not be all bad.
As Eren and Aiden’s relationship blooms, so too does a mystery in Spruce Knoll. The town holds many secrets—and many enemies. It soon becomes apparent that the untimely death of Eren’s parents-and Aidens-was no accident and that her life might be in danger, too. Only time will tell if Eren has the power to protect the people she has come to love.
Several months ago, I read a post that caused a lot of controversy within the writing community. I’m not going to mention the individual’s name since she left a not-so-nice comment on one of my friend’s posts, and I don’t want to deal with that attitude here. Blogger Alert, anyone?
So what was this controversial topic? This individual felt that non-published writers shouldn’t write about, well, writing. In her view, only those who are published are qualified to talk about it. Apparently the rest of us, because we aren’t authors, don’t know how to write.
I disagree.
I don’t follow author blogs, with a few exceptions. At this point, the only way authors can grab my loyalty is to write kickass novels. Do that, and I’m all yours. I don’t care if your blog is the most awesome thing on this planet. If your book doesn’t meet my expectation, I’m not buying the next one.
The blogs I do follow are by unpublished writers. These are the individuals whose books I hope to see on my bookhelf one day. Many of them are agented. Others aren’t. A number of them have something in common. They blog about writing. They blog about tricks they’ve picked up in how-to books on writing (and give credit where credit is due). They blog about things they’ve learned through critiques and from conferences. And they share their advice in bite-sized pieces.
To those of you who blog about writing, I applaud you. My writing is a hundred fold better because of you. Although I showcase a lot of great blogs during my Cool Links Friday, I wanted to give a shout out to the following blogs/bloggers:
The Bookshelf Muse Christina Lee Laura Pauling Creepy Query Girl (Katie Mills) Paranormal Point of View (Lisa Gail Green. She’s published but I’m still including her here.) Adventures in Children’s Publishing Operation Awesome YA Stands Oasis for YA Lydia Sharp
Question: Do you feel that only published authors can blog about writing? Have you ever shared writing tips on your blog?
This post is a continuation of Monday’s. I’m going to list the elements that make up each section of the act, and illustrate them with examples from the movie Tangled. Laura Pauling is also continuing her post on structure and Tangled.
(Warning: there are spoilers in this post)
Act Two—continued
(This is part two of the second act)
Pages 55 to 65:
• Emotional defeat
• Loss of faith
• Most vulnerable
• Bonding with co-protagonist (commitment)
• Emotional union
• Changes begin
• Growth is painful
With each conflict, Rapunzel and Flynn find out more about each other. For example, Flynn reveals his real name, and Rapunzel tells him her hair has magical properties (perfect timing for this revelation, which ends up saving their lives).
Each conflict supports the notion that the world is a scary place, just like “Mother” said.
Rapunzel realizes her growing feelings for Flynn. But Mother finds Rapunzel and tells her that he’s only interested in the crown (which Rapunzel has hidden). Once he gets it back, he’ll turn his back on her. Because Rapunzel and Flynn have revealed a lot about themselves to each other, they are both at their most vulnerable.
When Rapunzel refuses to go back home with her, Mother challenges Rapunzel to test Flynn’s feelings for her by giving him the crown and seeing if he sticks around.
Rapunzel and Flynn spend the afternoon together and their feelings for each other deepen. They go out on the water to watch the lanterns being released into the sky (naturally there’s a love song at this point to emphasize this).
Seeing the lanterns makes Rapunzel realize that the world is not how she originally thought. She isn’t scared anymore, and both her and Flynn realize their new dream—a life together.
Pages 65 to 70
• Deepest fears are tested
• Emotional set back
• Break up and give up
• Willing to lose
Rapunzel gives Flynn the crown. He leaves her for a moment to give it to the bad guys. He’s no longer interested in it. He wants to be with Rapunzel.
Flynn doesn’t return. Instead, the bad guys go over to where Rapunzel is waiting and point to him floating away on a sail boat. It looks like he’s leaving, when in reality, he’s tied up and unconscious.
Rapunzel believes he betrayed her trust in him, and returns with Mother to the tower, thus giving up her dream.
Pages 70 to 80
• Rebuild or die
• Higher purpose
• Alone again but aloneness is sad—no longer a comfort
Alone again, Rapunzel knows she can no longer be happy knowing about the beauty and good that’s out in the world.
She realizes that she’s the missing princess. She also realizes that she spent her life hiding from people who would use her for her power, when it was her “Mother” she should have been hiding from.
Pages 80 to 85
• Facing death
• Commit to love
• Faith defeat fear
• Climax
Flynn realizes Rapunzel is in danger. With the help of his ruffian friends, he escapes from prison (where he had ended up when he was captured by the palace guards) and races to the tower, only to find Rapunzel tied up. Mother stabs him as he climbs through the window.
Rapunzel makes a deal with her mother. If her mother lets Rapunzel save Flynn, she’s stop fighting against her and won’t try to get away.
Act Three: “Life as it was” (Pages 85 to 110)
• The climax
• Victory over the antagonist
• Physical euphoria
• The resolution
• Letting go of old self completely
• Embracing co-protagonist
• The emotional battle is finally won
• Honestly facing feelings
• Honesty creates trust
• Trust creates love
• Boy gets girl
Flynn cuts Rapunzel’s hair, knowing it means he’ll die. Anything to save Rapunzel. With her hair cut, the power will die.
With the restorative powers of the hair gone, Mother turns into an old hag (because she was hundreds of years old, as told in the prologue). The old hag dies.
Rapunzel attempts to save Flynn. She sings, trying to get her hair to save him, but he dies. But of course, this being a Disney movie, her tears have restorative powers and Flynn lives.
Rapunzel returns to her family—the king and queen—and the kingdom rejoices, and all the loose ends are tied up.
<<<3
So, there you go, two different take on the movie Tangled, based on two different screenwriting books on story structure.
Emotional Structure also talks about the emotional journey of the story. Using Tangled as an example, I’ll be talking more about it in July.
Juxtaposition involves placing objects close together for a contrasting effect. For example: weathered/new, rough/smooth, dark/light. It’s used a lot in photography, and is a great technique for heightening the emotion within a scene of your story.
For example, in my WIP, one scene takes place in the high school hallway on Valentine’s Day. The place is decorated with red and white balloons to symbolize the joyous occasion (for some teens, I guess). As my protagonist and her potential love interest approach his locker (the meaning of the day not lost on them), she notices the principal and a cop standing next to it.
All hell breaks loose and the guy is arrested, further causing my protagonist to question a few things regarding their relationship. I’ve juxtaposed a joyous event with a negative one.
Now, I could have written the same scene, but instead of placing it in the hallway on Valentine’s Day, it could have taken place outside (on a regular school day). In the rain. The protagonist is already grumpy due to the weather. This is your standard cliché setting: bad weather foreshadowing negative event.
Which one do you think will stick out in your reader’s mind? Which one will have the greatest emotional impact?
(I didn't take this photo.) Are you ready to get your butt ready for bikini season manuscript in peak shape for querying?
Are you ready to sweat and feel the burn?
Then I have the workout for you. It’s guaranteed* to whip your butt manuscript into shape and leave agents drooling. And a drooling agent = The Call.
First, you’re going to need some equipment:
• Donald Maass’s Writing the Breakout Novel Workbook. You don’t have a copy, you say? Then stay tune. It will be one of the prizes in my upcoming contest to celebrate reaching 500 + followers. (note: if you don’t want to bother with the workbook (though I highly recommend it), you can still do some of the workout. Adjust accordingly).
Workout
Warm up:
1. Characterizations
2. Outline
Some people (also known as pansters) prefer to skip the warm up. I’m not going to make you do twenty push-ups if you do. Just remember, you may need to do more work to get your manuscript into shape compared to the outliners.
Donald Maass’s workbook has some great exercises to do for the warm up (found under Character Development and Plot Development). However, I did them after I finished the first draft of my current WIP. With my next project, I’ll do them during my preplanning, to make sure my characterizations and outline are properly warmed up before I start my first draft.
Light Aerobic Exercise:
1. Write your first draft. I don’t care if you speed through it or if your internal editor is peeking over your shoulder (like mine). Just do it!
2. Read through your manuscript and write notes about things you want to fix (like inconsistencies) or things you’re questioning. Go back and deal with them now if necessary.
Intense Aerobic Exercise:
1. Go through your WIP using the exercises in Donald’s workbook under the section Character Development. With my WIP, I went through the entire manuscript doing this step.
2. Go through the remainder of the workbook (Plot Development and General Story Techniques), completing as many of the exercise as you can. Some will have to wait until you analyze the WIP at the scene level (next step).
3. Now we’re going to do interval training. Divide your WIP into chunks, each containing about three chapters (depending on the length of the chapters). Why? Because after each chunk has gone through the interval training, it’s send off to your CPs. Of course, you don’t have to do it this way. But this is how I did it.
a. Go through each scene doing the exercises in the workbook (under Plot Development and General Story Techniques). Not all exercises will be necessary for each scene. Only you can decide which ones apply to a given scene.
b. After editing the scene according to the above step, do a dialogue pass. I talked about this last week on my Query Tracker Blog post (Strengthening Dialogue).
c. The final step is to Toss The Pages. Okay, I don’t actually toss anything. I randomly select the pages. But the main point is I don’t edit these pages sequentially. This enables me to focus on the writing and not on the story. I also use the RWA handouts list under ‘equipment’ during this part. Doing it this way helps me deepen the layers of the story (setting, emotion, etc). Check out the handout, From First Draft to Final Manuscript, and you’ll see what I mean. Really push yourself on this step. Don’t gloss over it, thinking the page is fine. I bet you can make it better.
d. Continue the above three steps then read through the chunk of chapters you were working on and edit if necessary.
e. Send to CPs (optional but recommended). Edit based on their suggestions.
f. Repeat steps a-e for next chunk of the WIP.
Cool Down
1. Once finished—and after you’ve given it some distance—read through your manuscript and deal with any areas you feel could be further improved on (like pacing).
2. Send to beta readers. Edit as needed.
Celebration
(I didn't take this either)
Yay! You are now ready to query. Just make sure you’ve put your query and synopsis through their own intensive workout.
Good luck!
Any other suggestions? How do you usually edit?
* Fine Print: 1. I’m using this workout with my current WIP, so I don’t actually know if it will work when it comes to querying it. But it has made MAJOR improvements in my manuscript, hence why I’m sold on it. Of course, both the writing and a unique concept are important too. This workout won’t help you there. Sorry. 2. I lied about it being a twenty-minute workout. But it got you to look, didn’t it? ;)
I don’t know about you, but I LOVE IT when published authors share their writerly wisdom with aspiring writers (though I’m sure other published authors appreciate it, too).
Janet Gurtler has a YA contemporary novel coming out this month from Sourcebooks, so I asked her if she would share with us her favorite writing tips. In addition, I have a copy of Janet’s book, I’m Not Her, to give away (OMG, I so want this book, but I'm going to have to wait until my copy is shipped to me). Just let me know if you want me to enter your name, and include your email address in the comments. Sorry, this is only open to Canadian and US addresses.
Okay, Janet, my blog is now yours . . . .
I’M Not Her
“For the first time in my life, I didn’t feel envy…”
Blurb: Tess is the exact opposite of her beautiful, athletic sister. And that’s okay. Kristina is the sporty one, Tess is the smart one, and they each have their place. Until Kristina is diagnosed with cancer. Suddenly Tess is the center of the popular crowd, everyone eager for updates. There are senior boys flirting with her. Yet the smiles of her picture-perfect family are cracking and her sister could be dying. Now Tess has to fill a new role: the strong one. Because if she doesn’t hold it together, who will?
<<<3
Confession. I find giving writing advice a little tough because I think every writer has their own way of creating stories. Some writers need to plot and outline and develop graphs and story boards with different color highlighters before they even begin their first drafts. Personally the thought of doing that gives me hives. If someone told me I had to do that, I would get a stomach ache and run away.
Not hard to guess then that I am a panster. Usually. The book I`m currently working on, I’ve done more outlining and plotting than others. Mostly I come up with ideas usually characters first, and then start to write. Plot as I go. My method would probably give many writers hives. So I guess that leads to my first piece of advice.
1. Try to work out what kind of writer YOU are and then be true to that. Don’t let other people tell YOU what you have to do. If you want to storyboard and plot, do that. If you want to sit down and write do THAT. But pay attention to what works for you and keep an open mind to new techniques or strategies. Take what you can use from books and other but listen to your gut. Guts are usually pretty honest with us.
2. On the other hand, be flexible with your instincts. I’ve found that some books come out different than others. Some books need hours of research, some books need more revisions and plotting. Some books are really hard to write. Some fly on the pages. Learn to trust each book’s individual process.
3. Read. Read within your genre. Try to see what other writers have done to make things work. Read for pleasure but also read with a writer’s eye. Why does something in a scene or a character resonate so well with you? How does the author use pacing etc. to heighten the reader’s experience?
4. Try to write every day. Make it a small goal if that’s what suits your lifestyle. I make it a goal to write 500 words a day. 2 pages. It doesn’t sound like much but it keeps me inside a story I’m working on. And for a 60,000 page book that’s only 120 days for a first draft. (And yes. I did have to consult a calculator to figure that out) On days when you’re in a good writing groove or involved in a particular scene and want to write more, that’s perfectly acceptable too.
5. Try not to edit as you go. It’s usually better to get that first draft on the page and go back and finish it after. That said, I usually re-read at least a few pages before I continue on so I can get my head back in the story. And I did hear one author speak who basically edited the entire thing as she went along so by the time she was finished-- it was a final copy. But in general, getting out the first draft is the most important part. Revision comes next.
6. Find someone (or someone’s) you trust to read your story before you madly send it off to an agent or an editor. I have patience issues and one of the mistakes I made (over and over) when I first started writing was being in a hurry and sending my writing off too soon. Even with an agent it’s still a good idea to get feedback from trusted beta readers before a manuscript goes off. I believe that critiques are really important from someone you trust. Another set of eyes can see things that you are too close to see.
7. This leads me to the next piece of advice. You don’t have to take every piece of advice you receive from someone critiquing your work. Someone else can give you outside perspective and help to pinpoint pacing problems or plot flaws or weaknesses. You also have to learn to trust yourself and your gut feeling about your story. Try not to let others have TOO much influence. Don’t let others re-write for you. Stay true to your own voice.
8. Use craft books and take from them what works for you. My favourite book is still Donald Maass’s Writing the Breakout Novel workbook. I love the hands on exercises and usually use the book after I’ve finished a first draft. Another book I found really great was, The Weekend Novelist by Robert J Ray and Bret Norris.
9. If you can afford it, go to conferences or workshops. If you can’t afford it, don’t stress over it. The online writing community is blooming with writing advice. Agent blogs, author blogs, editor’s blogs, they all contain a wealth of the information.
10. Nurture your inner writer. Talk to other writers. If you don’t know writers, try to find some in your community. Seek out groups like the SCWBI or try to connect on The Blue Board. Most writers are pretty passionate about the craft and man there’s nothing quite like sharing writing experiences with people who truly GET what you’re talking about. It`s hugely rewarding and great for your motivation.
Finally remember there are always exceptions to every rule. Try to remember it`s not a race and it`s not you versus another author. Each of us has our own journey, our own path to publication. Someone is always going to get an agent faster, or get a better agent, a quicker book deal or a bigger advance. There`s not one way to get to the finish line. And anyways, who even knows what the finish line is.
It`s hard, but try to enjoy your own process. In the end, the only thing we truly control is the writing. Have fun with it!
Janet lives close to the Rocky Mountains, in Calgary, Alberta with her husband and son and spends most of her days with her laptop on her lap.
I’M NOT HER is her first YA release with Sourcebooks Teen Fire. It will be followed by IF I TELL in October, 2011.
When it comes to grabbing the reader’s attention, a great first page is vital. With agents, if they don’t make it past the first page, well, you know what happens.
With my current WIP (YA contemporary), I knew there was something not quite right about the beginning. But I couldn’t put my finger on it. It had voice, but there was no real connection with the main character. I knew it needed something more, but what?
Then I heard that agents Joanna Volpe and Suzie Townsend are critiquing the first 250 words of volunteers’ novels and posting the feedback on their blog, Confessions From Suite 500. The one rule: You have to study the first page of several novels from your genre. Great. That sounded simple enough.
Four hours later, and a huge stack of novels on my floor, I had studied the first two paragraphs of 38 YA contemporary novels, 15 YA paranormal novels, and 16 winning YA entries from past MSFV Secret agent contests. I compiled the data into tables (did I tell you I’m analytical?) and indicated which first two paragraphs hooked me. Based on the results, I came to this startling conclusion:
The first two paragraphs that made me want to read more involved a combination of introspection and action.
When I say action, I’m talking maybe a sentence or two just to break up the introspection, and it wasn’t big action. And, of course, the introspection wasn’t rambling or long. It got to the point within the first paragraph and was loaded with voice.
My findings also supported what Donald Maass wrote in his Writing The Breakout Novel Workbook. In his workshops , he has the participants read their first lines. After each line is read, the participants put up their hand if they would keep reading:
“Weather effects, descriptions, and scene setting never get a strong response. Neither does plain action—unless there is something puzzling about it. The best first lines make us lean forward, wondering, What the heck does that mean?”
Now remember, these results are based on the beginnings that hooked me. Try this exercise for yourself and see what kinds of openings appeal to you the most. You might be surprised.
(Edit: I've had requests for me to publish the tables. Just click on this link if you want to see them.)
