Every Friday, I link up with Lisa-Jo Baker, the Gypsy Mama, for Five Minute Friday. Lisa-Jo gives a one word prompt, you write (simple). The problem is that you only have 5 minutes (obviously-- I have an issue with adverbs I'm finding... after 4 hours of edits last night!), no backsies, and no edits. It's raw, it's from the heart... it's full of typos ;)
Today's topic is: STORY
GO
I love to write stories. Picturing the places and mapping out the location are some of my favorite things about writing stories. Coming up with new characters and 'watching' their lives being told is fun for me. The 'imperfect' ones are my favorite to write. They have so many layers and can be used to advance the story so easily. Thinking about that reminds me about God (the author of our lives) and how he uses imperfect ones to advance His story.
A few months ago, I read the Bible in 90 days (it's a program and you can find the link in my tabs). Reading the Bible like that made me focus on it more as a connected story instead of just a few random verses thrown together. People, places, circumstances relate, intertwine, and feed off each other. If anyone thinks the Bible is boring, you should read it as a story.
Of course, the Bible is more than a story. It is a chronicle of true events and is the written word of God (so yeah, much more than a story), but did you know that the people in the Bible were just people? They weren't superheros or anything like that. The Bible is written about people just like you and me: people with stories to tell.
What is your story? Can you relate to the people whose stories are told in the Bible? They were imperfect, just like we all are, and God used them. Don't think he can't use you!
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www.lisajobaker.com
Much Love,
Kelly
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If you have time, please check out my other 2 blogs: *It's Faith Fiction Friday #4 at Faith Filled Fiction. This week's picture is a beautiful waterfall. What 100 word story can you write about it?
*And Stacy's first 'Friday's with Stacy' post is up at: Encourage 365. Please head over and give her some love :)
As writers, our goal is to create stories with intricately woven layers that keep the reader on the edge of her seat. But how do you do that?
In his non-fiction book, Writing the Breakout Novel Workbook (which I highly recommend), Donald Maass talks about the plot layer and the subplot. The plot layer is specific to the main character; whereas, the subplot is specific to the secondary characters. Yep, that was news to me, too.
Ideally, your main character has more than one plot layer. The more the better. So if you only have two, you’d better start brainstorming for some more. One will, of course, be the main story problem. Others, for example, could deal with the romantic storyline and the storylines dealing with the interactions between your main character and various family members, friends, teachers.
Because all our characters are dimensional (right?), each has their own interests, values, secrets, etc. Maybe the potential love interest is training hard to make the high school swim team. Great. As long as his goal somehow interconnects with the main character’s story. And if it somehow interconnects with other secondary characters’ stories, too, even better.
This means the more you know about your characters before you start the first draft, the easier it will be to make sure you have enough plot layers, and that your plot layers and subplots interconnect in as many ways as possible. Even if you’re a panster, it’s worth it to brainstorm first to make sure your story is as rich as possible before you start writing. It will mean fewer headaches down the line—even if you haven’t fully developed each plot layer and subplot beforehand.
Another thing you can do is analyze the novel you’re working on, and see if there are any subplots or plot layers that can be removed without damaging your story tapestry. If the answer is yes, then it hasn’t been woven into the story and is probably unnecessary.
Be sure to check out the exercises in the workbook. They really are worth taking the time to do no matter where you are in the writing process (preplanning, first draft, later revisions).
Note: I’m not getting any compensation for this. But you know, Donald, a ms request would be nice. I’m just saying, yanno. ;)
That’s right. My new best friend is a corkboard, and it’s become my savior when it came to restructuring my WIP. I love it so much, I’m going to use it this summer to plot out my next novel. This is how it works: · Each index card represents a scene. · On one side of the card, write a sentence or two about the scene. · On the bottom, indicate what emotional change(s) your POV character goes through during the scene. · On the back, write the GMC (Goal, Motivation, Conflict) for your POV character. If you want, you can write them for all the characters in the scene, too, though you might have to do this on additional index cards and pile them underneath the main one. Now comes the fun part: · Pin the index cards in the order you think the scenes should go. · Play around with them, and see if there’s a better way to sequence the scenes to make your story stronger. · Don’t be afraid to toss away scenes that aren’t working the way you first envisioned. Obviously, this is ideally done BEFORE you write your first draft. But even if you’ve written your first draft (or your third or fifth draft), you can still use this tool. When Laura Pauling (the queen of story structure) told me I should move a few scenes around in my WIP, I thought she was insane brilliant. But after playing around with the corkboard, I not only moved those scenes around, I moved several others and tossed a few in the recycle bin (but this is only because my story problem/goal had changed). While moving a scene might sound daunting if you’ve already written the first draft, after plotting things out on the corkboard, it’s not so scary after all. You can see how much better the story will be, and the rewrites won’t be so painful (at least that’s what I keep telling myself). You can’t see it in this picture, but the cards are organized according to Act, and the key element of the act (e.g Catalyst, Debate, or Dark Moment*) are indicated on the appropriate card. Have any of you used a corkboard (or the software equivalent) for plotting out your story (either before the first draft (plotters) or afterwards (pansters)? And if so, do you have any other tips to share? (* refers to the elements in Save the Cat by Blake Synder) <<<3
Next week, I’m going to NYC for the RWA conference (and family vacation). Since I have a gazillion things to do before I leave, this will be my last post until July 11th. After that, I’ll be posting Mondays and Wednesdays until September 5th.
As some of you know, Laura Pauling loves to analyze novels and movies using the screenwriting book, Save the Cat, by Blake Synder. And as you might also know, in addition to being a fan of STC, I love the screenwriting book, Emotional Structure: Creating the Story Beneath the Plot by Peter Dunne. So we decided to analyze the movie Tangled using our fav screenwriting books so you can see the difference and similarities between them, as well as see ways to improve your own stories.
Notes:
1. The breakdown is based on the typical script length of 110 pages. For novels, you have to adjust the numbers based on the length of your manuscript. We have more flexibility than screenwriters do.
2. The points are from the charts in Emotional Structure.
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Act One: “Life as it was” (pages 1-25)
Page 1:
• Meet the protagonist: Rapunzel
• Establish point of view: Even though the movie is predominantly from Rapunzel’s point of view, and it’s mostly her story, the co-protagonist, Flynn Ryder, introduces Rapunzel’s backstory in the prologue.
• Establish emotional state and theme
• Great, gripping opening (no, duh!)
Pages 1-10: State problem. Life is boring with the same daily routine. Rapunzel wonders when life will begin.
Page 10: 1st problem: Rapunzel asks “Mother” if she can go see the floating lights that are released every year on Rapunzel’s birthday. She wants to know what they are. The answer is ‘no’. Mother reminds her that the world is a dangerous and scary place.
Between pages 10-20: Clash with co-protagonist. Thief Flynn Ryder escapes the “bad” guys by climbing into Rapunzel’s tower. She bashes him on the head and he passes out.
He wakes up. Rapunzel panics and knocks him unconscious again.
She wants to show him to Mother, to demonstrate that she’s strong enough to go outside without getting hurt (Apparent solution to 1st problem (page 20)).
Mother gets mad at Rapunzel for suggesting that she wants to go outside. Rapunzel decides not to show Mother unconscious man in closet (Solution disappears).
New Solution: Rapunzel asks Flynn to take her to see the lanterns and then return her home safely. If he does this, then she’ll give him back the satchel with the crown in it (she doesn’t know the crown is stolen).
Pages 20-25: Problem worsens and Major crisis. I was stuck on this one. Maybe it’s when he initially says no.
Goal must be set by mentor: Again, I was stuck on this one. I believe it was when Pasquel, her pet chameleon, wants her to leave the tower (he makes this clear at the very beginning of the movie).
Page 25: Moral Dilemma: As Rapunzel walks away from the tower, she’s tore as to whether she’s doing the right thing or not. Should she go back to the safety of the tower, or should she go against her mother’s wishes and continue her journey.
Act Two: “Life torn apart” (pages 25 to 85)
• Physical action helps create risks and danger
• Emotional resistance
• Fears are revealed and challenged: Flynn takes Rapunzel to a tavern—The Cuddly Duckling—which is filled with a bunch of scary ruffians. Of course after they break out into song and dance about having dreams (’cause this is Disney, you know), Rapunzel realizes not everyone is dangerous. This goes against what Flynn is after. He wants Rapunzel to give up on her dream so that he can get the crown and leave (co-protagonist feud)
• Suffer loss
• Route altered: Palace guards (who are after Flynn because he stole the crown) chase Flynn and Rapunzel. The two bad guys, who were chasing Flynn at the beginning, join forces with Rapunzel’s “mother”.
Page 55: Tent pole Scene. Flynn and Rapunzel escape the guards and ‘bad’ guys, but are trapped and almost drown. (Middle of movie)
Part two of the post (i.e. the second half of the movie) will continue on Wednesday.
Question: do you have any favorite books on story structure, or is this something you haven’t thought about much (like me until a few weeks ago)?
As you may remember, a few weeks ago I won a blog contest. My prize was a ten page crit and a five minute phone conversation with Joanna Volpe (agent). This is NOT a transcription of the phone call. I scribbled some notes and as soon as I hung up, I was typing the answers like crazy.
1. What are your biggest pet peeves when reading the first chapter? (Note: Joanna doesn’t request sample pages with the query. Her manuscript requests are based on query alone.)
• When the writer starts at the wrong point in the story. Maybe she should have started on page three or on chapter two.
• When the story starts with forced back story. In other words, the back story doesn’t have to be there for the reader to get what’s going on. It can be delayed until later, if it’s needed at all.
• When a character has powers and the beginning opens with her using the powers just show she has them. It comes off sounding forced, and that’s a big turn off.
2. If you have key background information but don’t want to reveal for awhile to create suspense, how can you do this without driving your readers crazy?
(I’m going to use an example here without naming the book. I was stunned when Joanna knew which book I was talking about. Turns out she had been involved with the project when she was an editorial assistant.)
Example: In the YA book, the main character has witnessed her best friend being raped. She’s the last person to see the friend alive. The main character was drunk at the time and doesn’t report what happens. Her friend goes missing. Near the end of the book, her body is found. However, even though the mc knows about the rape from before page one, the reader doesn’t find out the truth until the climax. (If you want to know which book I’m talking about, send me an email. It’s a great book.)
Joanna’s answer: You have to determine what the main focus of the story is. In this case, it was the main character coming to age, not the rape and disappearance of her best friend. The latter part was the inciting incident, but the story was really about how the main character grew as she dealt with her guilt. Pacing, storytelling, and tension also play a role.
3. What should a writer do if they query an agent and land a request, but before they receive the request, they win a critique from a different agent for a portion of their manuscript? The feedback resulted in substantial changes. Should they mention this to the requesting agent?
If the agent is responding to a query alone, the answer is just send the requested material. But if the writer sent sample pages with the query, she should mention to the requesting agent that the writer won a critique in a contest, which resulted in rewrites to the sample pages.
4. When someone participates in a conference pitch session, how long should the pitch be?
It depends on the length of the session. Basically, the pitch should be half the length of the session. If it’s ten minutes, then your pitch should be five minutes long. It gives time for the agent to ask questions, but it’s also long enough so the agent isn’t still left wondering what your book is about. And it should definitely be longer than a one liner.
Can the writer reader her pitch? Yes. Agents don’t expect you to memorize them. [Remember, you’re selling your book, not auditioning to play a role in a movie.]
5. What do you wish writers would ask you during THE CALL?
She didn’t have any specific questions, though she likes it when potential clients ask how she works so they know if they’ll mesh together as a team. If she’s calling the writer, it means she’s passionate about the book and really wants to represent it. She’s trying to sell herself to the writer.
6. Do you have advice for writers who want to write in different genres, for example MG and YA, or different subgenres within YA (paranormal, contemporary, and thrillers)?
Write what you want to write. It really depends on the writer, and it’s something that the individual and her agent would discuss. It certainly isn’t a problem. Published authors are doing it all the time. For example, Suzanne Collins had a successful middle grade series before The Hunger Games trilogy was published. Joanna pointed out that maybe because Suzanne had the successful series first, the violence in The Hunger Games wasn’t as much of a problem as it might have been if she had been a new author.
She also said that if you write a middle grade fantasy series, writing a YA one makes sense. Your readers will eventually outgrow the middle grade series and will move onto your YA one. Bonus for you.
I hope you found the answers helpful. If you’re interested in querying Joanna (and I highly recommend it. She’s super sweet), check out these sites for more info about her. And make sure you’re querying what she’s looking for.
Mother. Write. Repeat
Literary Rambles
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I’m not a big fan of blogfests. But Steena Holmes is having one you don’t want to miss out on. Why? Because there’s an ultra cool prize for the best logline.
That’s right. Steena is hosting a logline blogfests/contest on Monday (which means there’s no photography post next week) to help us prepare for the MSFV December auction.
“The story is the journey for truth. The plot is the road it takes to get there.”
This quote comes from the nonfiction book, Emotional Structure: Creating the Story Beneath the Plot—A Guide for Screenwriters, by Peter Dunne. But don’t let the part about it being for screenwriters turn you off. It’s an amazing book for fiction writers, too.
In it, Peter discusses the three-act structure, and breaks it down according to story (emotion) and plot. But unlike other books dealing with structure, his approach to the characters is different. There are three types that he uses. The protagonist and antagonist you’re familiar with. What’s different, and doesn’t necessarily apply to all types of stories, is the co-protagonist. Peter describes this individual as:
“The co-protagonist usually starts off in the piece as someone who is not fond of the protagonist. The co-protagonist almost immediately challenges the protagonist on every level. The protagonist can’t wait to solve his problem quickly and put this person out of his life forever. But, boy, that is so not going to happen. . . . Revealing themselves, exposing vulnerability or weakness just makes things worse. But while they fight on one level, something else is happening on an internal level. And it scares them.”
The book shows you how to effectively translate this into the plot and story. It doesn’t work for every type of story. If you’re writing a James Bond style novel, then you can skip it. If you’re writing one with a strong romantic element, then it’s the perfect book for you. But it doesn’t necessarily have to have romance in it. The key focus of the novel will be the development of trust between the protagonist and co-protagonist. This could be mother and daughter. Sisters. Two individuals who become friends. The main thing is they’re after the same goal, even if their motives are different.
Another thing I loved about the book is that Peter includes a script for a movie that was never made (too bad!). I wasn’t going to read it at first. I’m a novelist not a screenwriter. But it’s worth studying along with Peter’s comments. And the best part is I couldn’t put the book down. I had to know what happened next. I can’t say that about most nonfiction books.
There’s so much more to Emotional Structure than I could explain here. The post would be too long if I tried. Overall, I highly recommend it if you’re writing the type of story I described.
One of the workshops I attended during the RWA (Romance Writers of America) national conference dealt with adding emotion to your story.
Author Jennifer Greene explained that not all conflicts will give you an emotional story. When you create conflict, make sure it’s not one your character can escape or walk away from, and make your character as miserable as possible. Only then will your conflict have the greatest emotional impact.
For example, a tornado isn’t a conflict if your characters can hide in a tornado shelter. In the movie Where the Heart Is, a severe storm rapidly approaches Natalie Portman’s home. She and her three-year-old daughter rush over to the neighbor’s house to hide in the storm cellar. However, Natalie’s friend (the woman who took Natalie and her newborn baby in when they had no place to go) left a short while ago to deliver soup to a sick friend. Natalie’s frantic and stays above ground, waiting for Stockard Channing to return. And then the worst happens: a tornado develops. Natalie waits for as long as she can before she has to seek cover. But as she climbs down the stairs, before she has a chance to close the storm door, the wind tries to suck her away. Natalie is left clinging to the railing.
Scared and upset at what’s happening to her mom, Natalie’s daughter tries to go to her, despite the neighbor’s attempt to stop her. The strong wind catches her and pulls her out of the storm cellar. Her mom manages to grab hold of her at the last second. Fortunately, the door then slams shut, saving them both.
But that’s not the end of the heart pounding moment. Stockard Channing is still missing. Unfortunately, the news is not good. She doesn’t survive. The emotional moment is brought to its climax with Natalie taking photos of her daughter holding onto the skinny trunk of the (symbolic) buckeye tree while surveying the devastation. The award winning photo is a heartbreaking reminder of what was lost that day.
Now, that’s emotional conflict.
(And yes, I cry every time I watch the move.)
How about your story? Can your protagonist escape/walk away from the story problem or conflict? If so, maybe now’s the time to brainstorm ways so she can’t.
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.
I was recently editing Lost in a Heartbeat for voice when I came to the following flashback:
“So where’s your boyfriend?” he asked. “How do you know I have one?” I did, of course, but Liam wasn’t there. There were only a few weeks left of summer vacation then he’d be leaving for college, so I didn’t think there was anything wrong flirting with this guy. Neither relationship was going to go anywhere, either way.
But I realized the main character, Calleigh, wasn’t the kind of girl to flirt with another guy when she had a boyfriend. Even if the boyfriend was going away to college and she'd no intention of having a long distance relationship. So I tweaked it:
“So where’s your boyfriend?” he asked. “What makes you think I have one?” Liam and I had broken up only a few days before that. Or rather, I had dumped a Blue Raspberry Slurpee on his lap after Alejandra told me the latest gossip. He’d been caught getting all hot and steamy with a junior varsity cheerleader at a party just the week before. We hadn’t officially broken up, but I figured the Slurpee incident pretty much said it all.
Great except for one problem. Yep, you guessed it. It caused a snowball effect. Other sections then had to be rewritten because of this one little change.
Yes, it was a lot of work, but it was worth it. The result was a domino effect that started with Liam cheating on Calleigh, and which resulted in the story problem. Now you see why I love editing. *grins*
Has this happened to you? Has one little change in your novel led to a snowball effect that you were excited about? One you never expected when you wrote your first draft—or edited your fifth?
Okay, this is a tad bit embarrassing. I'm not sure why, but it is. For a long time, I wrote fan fiction. I LOVED fan fiction (okay, I still do). What did I write fan fiction over? Well... Twilight (I know!), The Mentalist (seriously!), and The O.C.
And where did I put these gems?
At www.fanfiction.net.
(I can't believe I'm telling you all this... )
I met a great friend there, though, Kathi-Ann who still writes awesome fan fic! I'm not embarrassed of fan fic... just some of the stories *I* wrote ;) Head-hopping... OH the head-hopping.
BUT, I believe that those stories got me where I needed to be to write novels. Were they perfect? (oh... suuuuuuuure they were ;) ), but did I learn from them? ABSOLUTELY!
I learned:
Negative reviews are par for the course
Did I mention head-hopping?
They didn't call me the 'Queen of Cliffhangers' for nothing..
Trust your Beta
USE a Beta
Rough drafts are your friends, as long as you don't publish them
Not to be afraid to let others read my stories... because it's very scary the first few (hundred) times you do it.
So... as a late Christmas present (or an early April Fool), I thought I'd post a story I wrote for the Mentalist (CBS). I chose this because it's short (I used to love writing "one shots") and it's funny (I re-read it today and laughed). If you've never seen The Mentalist, Jane is a fake psychic, and Cho is a straight-laced CBI agent. I made no money on this story and it's for entertainment purposes only.
Enjoy (BTW, this was originally published in 2009... and I edited it a bit for this blog... I had to do it ;) )
Flight Plan Kimball Cho leaned back in his cushioned seat and closed his eyes tightly. He was trying to hide the fact that he was terrified of flying, but it wasn't seeming to work. Normally before trips, he would take a pill to help him calm his nerves. Unfortunately, that morning he had grabbed the wrong bag, and as an effect was without his little helpful aides. It was annoying. He was Kimball Cho. Serious. Calm. Not afraid of anything Kimball Cho... so he had gotten on the plane, his insides screaming for him to run like a little school girl, and had found his seat. Now all he had to do was keep it together on the short flight between Sacramento and an airport in Northern California. There had been a murder (wasn't there always) and the CBI team had been assigned to it. They could have driven, but Minelli said they had to arrive within the day. So there he sat, eyes clinched, hands gripping the seat, praying that the flight would be over soon. Hoping that no one would... "Cho, looks like we're seat buddies." Oh for the love of... "Jane. I'm a little busy here." "Yes, I can see. It's hard work being terrified." Cho heard Jane sit down in the seat next to him and settled himself in. "I'm not terrified." "No. No, of course not. But you can see how I would make such a grievous error. Your eyes are shut tightly, or they were before I pointed it out. Your hands are clammy. There is a bead of sweat trickling down your forehead--" As Jane prattled on, Cho hoped that if he ignored him, he would leave him alone. He knew that would never happen, but still.. it was worth a shot. "I can help you, you know?" Jane's voice said, still invading his preferred darkness. "No thanks." "I can." "No." "You're be ing unreasonable, Cho." "I am not. I'm being very reasonable. If I were unreasonable, I would elbow you in the stomach right now." Cho deadpanned, making Jane wonder if he was kidding. "I'm not kidding." he said as if reading the 'mindreaders' mind. "Ok, fine. Don't accept my help. Have a fear of flying for the rest of your life." Cho felt Jane's elbow so he knew he'd crossed his arms and he heard him whistling a happy little song softly. He opened one eye to him, just to see what he was doing. Jane was sitting arms crossed, like he had suspected, eyes scanning the plane with a joyful expression on his face. "What can you possibly like about flying?" Jane looked at him, amused. "All these people. Stuck together. They can't get out. They can't leave. They can't hide. If you are on the same flight long enough, you can figure them out. Learn their entire life story." Cho raised a brow. "You're lying." Jane shrugged nonchalantly. "You'll never know. You just sit back and shut your eyes like a scared kitten again. It's ok. Go ahead." "I am not a scared kitten." "Could have fooled me." Cho huffed agitated and leaned his head back against the seat. He had been afraid of flying as long as he could remember. Even when he was in the army, it took lots of medication to get him onto the plane. His comrades nicknamed him Mr. T in reference to the mohawked man's character, B.A. Barakus, on the A-Team and his fear of flying. "You don't want to be Mr. T forever do you?" Jane asked, causing a reaction from Cho. "How do you do that?" All he got in response was a chuckle. "Come on, let me help you." He knew what that meant. What 'help' it would be. Hypnosis. He cringed at the word. He also cringed at the thought of being on the plane without any medication. Cho sighed and nodded defeated. It would be a long flight if he had to deal with Jane pestering him, and actually, he did want his help... or thought he did. He did until he saw Jane's childlike glee at the prospect of 'helping' him. Then his stomach just knotted in dread. "Fine." he rolled his eyes. "But don't make me do anything stupid." "Like what?" "Like you did Rigsby and have me kiss Grace." Jane's brow raised. "Do you want to kiss Grace?" "What? No." "Then it won't be a problem." Jane shifted in his seat so that he was facing Cho. "Just close your eyes and relax." he said in his most soothing voice. "The others are at the front of the plane. We are back here. They won't see you. They won't know what we are doing. So just sit back, relax, take deep breaths." Cho tried to comply. It was harder than he imagined, though, to relax in the fuselage of a crowded plane shooting through the sky. "Now, imagine you are at a fair. It is nearing sunset. You can see the sky changing from a light blue into a mix of reds and oranges. There is a slight breeze blowing around you. There are people, but you aren't crowded. No one is in your personal space. You are walking up through the entrance. You see the Ferris wheel. To the left is the Cleopatra boat swinging up and down. Up and down. Underneath is a line of people that snakes all the way through the midway. In the midway are games. Shooting games. Throwing games. Dart games. People selling cotton candy. Walk through the midway now." Cho imagined the place Jane described and walked through the midway. To his left he saw a woman breathing fire and to his right a man throwing baseballs at little milk jugs. "Good." Jane's voice was hypnotic. "At the end of the midway is a tent. The tent is tall and red. There is a man outside like a ringmaster beckoning you to come in. You go inside. The tent is empty except for a few gray folding chairs and a large movie screen in front of you. Once you sit down, the screen starts to play. There is a spinning picture like an old flight control monitor. In the middle is a countdown starting with five. Then four... three... two... one. The screen changes and you see yourself. You are on roller skates and going down a long road---" "I can't picture that, man." Cho's eyes flickered open and he sat up. "I would never be on roller skates." "Well, would you ever be in the midway of a small town carnival either?" Cho thought a minute. "No." "Well---" "Fine." he leaned back against the seat and closed his eyes. "No need." Jane said. "You're already hypnotized." Cho's eyes opened and he looked at Jane confused. "Am not." "Are too." "Am not." "Are too." "Am--" Jane held his hand up to stop him. "Do you feel fear? Right now, do you feel fear?" "Right now I feel frustration." he admitted, agitated that he'd let Jane mess with him. "Frustration, but not fear." his companion pointed out. Cho opened his mouth to speak then shut it. Jane was right. He didn't feel fear any more. He must really be hypnotised. "Hm. How long will this last?" "As long as you want it too. I've embedded a suggestion that every time you see a plane, it will automatically kick in. You won't need medicine any more and you won't be afraid." "Hm.. Thanks man." "Anytime." It was Jane's turn to lean back and close his eyes. He couldn't help himself as a wide grin crossed his lips. Sometimes people didn't need to be hypnotized.. they just needed to think they were.
Let’s see a show of hands. Who here enjoys writing the first draft?
I’m more of a revision-loving girl, but I do love the surprises that happen while I write the first draft, even though I spend time outlining my novels first.
One problem I have while working on my first draft is that I’m easily distracted. The other problem is I love to do research. This means when I stop to do “quick” research (e.g. look for a tattoo that would be symbolic to the story and scene), I end up wasting more time than I should and my writing flow is lost.
So, now I don’t do that anymore. When I need to stop to research something, I make note of it in the manuscript and keep typing. The only exception is if it’s something vital to the plot, and it could result in extensive revisions if I don’t do the research now. Once I’m finished with the draft, I’ll go through it and do the necessary research and edits.
Because I use Scrivener, it’s easy for me to make the notes in my manuscript. They show up in a separate window next to my manuscript. That means I just have to click on a chapter to see what research I need to do. It’s really easy, and it’s one of my favorite features in Scrivener.
When you write your first draft, do you power through it and research details later once you’re finished, or do you research them as you write?
Note: Scrivener is 20% off until June 14th. So, if you’ve been thinking about getting the program, this is a great time to do so.
So rare, I can't think of the last time this event occured.
I went shopping... Alone! (I know!!) The hubs volunteered to watch the girls so I could go to Wal-mart... (Ok, it was because he was stinky and out of soap and needed some for a shower, but the idea remains the same... Mama got out of the house alone!) Without the girls with me, I bought them SO much more than I ever do normally! When they are with me and ask for things, I always tell them no... today when they were home, I kept picking up things and thinking, "Awww... (insert kid's name) would love this!" But that's not the moral of this story... (though it would be a good one.. you know, about God giving us things we don't even ask for... ) As I was paying, this family came up behind me. I couldn't tell if there was one or two kids running around, but there was also another baby in a carrier in the buggy. I've been in that situation. And the couple were really fussy (I've been there too... ) The husband and wife looked pretty ticked anyway (probably due to having to maneuver with small kids through a store doing everything they can to make said kids ask/yell/scream for everything... but that's not the point of this story either). Anyway, the husband asked the wife where the eggs were. She got all huffy and said, "They're right there on the counter." And he said, "Well, I didn't see them." And she said, "Well, you need to start looking. It's like this every time! You don't look!!"
) They were frustrated. And probably had every right to be. I've been there... I'm sure you have too. Here's the problem... I watched this family interacting at Wal-mart, not being their best selves and it was like looking in a mirror. There have been times when I've been so upset/frustrated/overwhelmed that I know I got talked about in the 'good' people's cars on the way home. I remember once... On my husband and my anniversary... I was SOOO mad at him (I can't remember why now)... that I refused to smile our entire date night! I was trying to make *him* look bad (how dare he do whatever it was he did... I almost think it was because he didn't get me a present... or a card.. or something, I don't remember now) But in the end, it was Me that looked like a baffoon and I'm sure people felt bad for him being married (or probably at the time tethered) to *that*. So... what I learned at Wal-mart is to always show *LOVE* (my word for 2012). because you never know who's watching. And not only because other's see you... but because God sees you... and your kids see you. (Your kids only get your good qualities... right?) What do people see when they see you with your family? pray about it... don't just pretend to be calm, gentle, loving really try to feel that way inside. We ALL get frustrated (OH, don't I know it). But when we do, we need to try our hardest to pray and ask God to keep our nerves (and our temper and our frustration) in check. Much Love, Kelly
Linked with Women Living Well, On Your Heart Tuesday
I write edgy YA stories about broken characters. Because of this, today I’m focusing on a topic that most parents and kids hope they never have to deal with, but is a sad fact for many kids: bullying.
Last year, my ten-year-old son was a victim of bullying. His once best friend (C) convinced another kid in their class to write a cruel comment on my son’s school project. The parents were contacted and C’s mom apologized to me, but made it clear her son wasn’t guilty since he wasn’t the one who wrote the words. Two weeks ago, my son and C were involved in another situation. This time the “bully” was a different kid (M). I spoke with the boys’ mothers, since they’re friends of mine. M’s mom was concerned. C’s mom shrugged it off as peer pressure. M’s mom had a long talk with M and he felt bad about what happened. Last week, C and yet another boy were playing with my son on the bus. Things got too rough and the other boy started hurting my son. They were also calling him a baby because he didn’t want to play Bloody Knuckles with them. M stood up for my son and told them to stop.
M told his mom what happened and all the mothers were contacted. The other boy felt bad about what had happened and apologized even before he learned his mom (who is an assistant principal for a high school) found out. C was a different story. He did what he excels at: he lied. And his mother believed him. When I pointed out that C was the common denominator in all the situations (including last year), the mother acted like her son was the victim*, though she did admit he wasn’t completely innocent. She pointed out that guys play rough, and my son should man it up and then there wouldn’t be a problem. That’s like saying guys like sex, so they have the right to rape and the girl doesn’t have the right to say no. Sorry, it doesn’t work that way. No one has the right to hurt anyone.
The sad thing is, last year C’s mom left her husband after years of emotional abuse. Neither she nor her kids have sought therapy.
And so the vicious circle continues . . . .
Bullying still continues in our schools, but what can we do when the parents refuse to acknowledge there’s a problem? What can we do when we know someone needs to face the truth, but we don’t know how to help them see it?
Do you feel that parents, schools, and kids are doing everything they can to stop bullying? Has anyone else had to deal with bullying through one form or another (including domestic abuse)?
Helpful Links
Kids’ Help Phone: This is a Canadian organization, but the website has information on bullying. Kidpower: Information on bullying and abuse Helpguide.org: Information on domestic violence and hotline contacts for numerous countries.
* C is an indirect victim of his father’s bullying (the direct victim was the mother). He is not a victim when it comes to how he’s treated my son.
I'm supposed to do this on Wednesday, but I forgot. My hands have been super busy and my eyeballs are going to fall out of my head. I decided (after writing 10,000 words on my Nano) that I wanted to submit a novella for my publishers call for Valentine's day submissions.
The problem?
The deadline for the (at least) 15,000 words story is Nov. 15th!
So... Tuesday (during the election coverage), I cranked out 8,000 words (my highest EVER daily word count). Yesterday, I did 5,000 words (I know... slacker ;))
I'm sitting on 13,000 words right now. I'm thinking it will be around 20-25K when it's all said and done, then I have to edit. Like I said, my eyes... oh my eyes... lol
But I LOVE this story. Truly love it! Its one of my favorites and is just flowing. Maybe... maybe because it's 'kinda' autobiographical ;) (You'll see when it comes out).
NOW, after all of that, I'm going to get into my Insecurity for the month.
'What if' my book (any of them really, but right now, specifically Crossing the Deep) tanks. It's gotten amazing reviews, both on good reads and Amazon (lowest is 1 3 which I actually love bc that person doesn't even read YA Christian Inspirational books and she still liked it). But I'm a new writer... I see sales for other books (not in my genre mind you) and I get nervous/anxious (and yes)/ the worst of all writer sins... Jealous.
Here's the thing, though. I need to get over that lol. If I wanted to write for money, it wouldn't be in the YA/Christian/Inspirational field. It would be in something more broad.
I honestly feel I have a calling to write this type of fiction (and maybe more romantic adult fiction someday... you know, when I grow up ;) ). Otherwise, I don't see how I could even begin to write 13,000 words in two days with 3 kids, a husband, and a full-time job (Okay... so, who needs sleep? ;) )
If God wants it done, it will be done. (And I 100% believe He does :) ).
On a side note, I'm still going to give to the Red Cross. The plan was to donate $1.00 from every book I sold this week, and I still will... of course I'm going to pad it some since while it's not selling bad at all, I want to give more. The book sales/royalties will just help (like I said, 3 kids to feed lol). If you want to donate to the Red Cross yourself and would like a chance to win a free copy of Crossing the Deep, CLICK HERE :) **PLEASE ignore the typos in this post. It's early. I have to get my kids up in a few minutes. My eyes are puffy (like I'm sure you Nano's are lol), and I'm pretty sleepy. I'm sure there are mistakes... see 'Insecure Writer' ;)
I’ve almost finished week #2 of my YA writer’s workshop, so I thought I’d share with you some of the stuff I’ve learned so far. I’ll admit most of what I’ve studied isn’t new to me. I’ve already read a zabillion books on writing. But sometimes it’s nice to get a little reminder or two of the important stuff to pay attention to.
For obvious reasons, I’m not going to print off the lecture notes. I will, though, share a few things I’ve noticed while critting my classmates’ assignments, plus include some important stuff covered in the course. Last week the focus was on POV. This week it’s dialogue.
1. What your character doesn’t say is as important as what they do say. This is known as subtext, and a whole chapter is dedicated to the topic in one of my favorite books on writing: Getting Into Character by Brandilyn Collins.
2. Make sure you know proper dialogue mechanics . . . unless you want an agent to reject your novel based on the first page. There’re a lot of books on writing dialogue, and they all cover this important topic. Please don’t fudge it. These are the rules you can’t ignore.
3. Please pay attention to your character’s point of view. One of the assignments I critted had the main character jump into another character’s head. Sorry you can’t do that--unless it’s a paranormal novel. Another writer was also confused by POV. She asked me, since the main character’s mom’s name is Bonnie Tyler (not the real name), if she can alternate between Bonnie and Mrs Tyler in the narration. The answer is no. Because the POV character’s a teen, she would refer to Mrs Tyler as either ‘her mom’ or ‘Alyson’s mom’ (the novel is in third person) in the narration. There are, of course, exceptions to this.
If you find yourself struggling with POV, check out The Power of Point of View: Make Your Story Come to Life by Alicia Rasley.
4. Skip on the clichéd characters. Slush piles are already loaded with tons of them. I critted one assignment in which the secondary character was the geeky team manager of the high school basketball team. And guess what? He was bullied by the jocks. Yawn. Not. Original. Fortunately, there are ways for writer to improve the characterization and strengthen the story.
In case you’re wondering, no I haven’t made any of these mistakes. Have I received tons of feedback to make my novel better? Uh . . . well . . . no. From my classmates’ perspective, I handed in another kick-ass assignment. My instructor’s comments made me realize the drawbacks to the course. She doesn’t know what happened in the preceding chapters, so what she perceives might be a problem, isn’t. There are things at stake in the scene. My main character does have a motive. And both the characters have opposing scene objectives (okay, the instructor didn’t bring up this point, but it's in my favorite book on writing).
Regardless of these drawbacks, I’m happy with the feedback in the workshop. And at least I know my teen dialogue is authentic. Believe me, that’s a huge deal. Plus I'm editing those excerpt of my novel like crazy, and focusing on my "issue." That in itself is worth it.
I hope that helps. Next week’s lesson is on writing YA emotions. And we know what a roller coaster ride that can be.
Last summer, I bought the YA novel Forbidden, mostly out of curiosity, but then didn’t have the guts to read it:
She is pretty and talented - sweet sixteen and never been kissed. He is seventeen, gorgeous, and on the brink of a bright future. And now they have fallen in love. But... they are brother and sister.
First, there was the Ewwww factor, which made me wonder why I bought the book in the first place. Second, based on the full blurb, I knew there wasn’t going to be a happily-ever-after ending, and those are the ones I prefer.
But last week I decided to finally read the book, and ended up loving it. The problem is I couldn’t stop thinking about it once I was finished. I started to wonder, when I wasn’t sobbing, what made it one of my favorite books, and how could I write such a brilliant story, too. A story that left me an emotional wreck long after I finished reading it. So, I analyzed it with the hopes of applying what I learned to future projects.
Characters You Ache For
This book is told from both the point of view of Lochan and Maya. They are the oldest of five children (the youngest is only five years old). Their father left to be with another woman when Lochan was twelve years old. Their mother turned to alcohol and slowly started to distance herself from their lives. And at one point in the book, she is no longer living with the children. So right away, you empathize with the characters due to the strong backstory.
In addition to raising their siblings, Lochan and Maya do everything possible to ensure social services don’t find out about their situation. If it’s discovered their mother has abandoned them, then their family will be torn apart. This powerful backstory explains why Lochan and Maya never felt like they were siblings, and it provides the motivation behind what happens in the climax. Like the two characters, you don’t see them as sibling, but rather two individuals who fell in love.
Great Writing
But the void yawns open like a cavern inside my chest. I feel so damn lonely all the time. Even though I’m surrounded by pupils, there is this invisible screen between us, and behind the glass wall I am screaming—screaming in my own silence, screaming to be noticed, to be befriended, to be liked.(Lochan’s pov)
The writing in Forbidden is beautiful and the emotion intense. Lochan is extremely shy, to the point that he has anxiety attacks when called on in class. This means he’s treated like the class weirdo. You feel his pain, which makes you want to keep reading.
The writing also helps the reader feel Maya’s and Lochan’s pain as they struggle with their love for each other when they know it’s wrong, and when they make sacrifices to keep their family together, while most of their peers are out having fun and being normal teens. And you feel their pain when their secret is discovered. The writing is rich with symbolism and imagery but is true to who they are as individuals. It’s compelling and makes for a great page turner—even when you’re afraid to turn the next page.
Do you strive to write a book that makes people think about it long after they’ve finished reading it? Have you analyzed a book to see how the author achieved this goal?
Part Two of the post will be go up Wednesday. And then you'll see why the book affected me.
E is for Extremely Nice People (Ok, so I might have stretched that a bit... ) Picture if you will: A woman with long, blond locks strolling into a restaurant with her three perfect angels in tow. The woman has on a red dress (because she's supermodel thin) and her kids listens to every word she says... Ok, yeah, I'm lying----
For the real story... Picture if you will: A kinda chubby, graying, tired mama walks into McDonald's with her three kids in tow. Now, these kids are like any other kids (good, but hard of hearing at times). Got the picture? So, my oldest two kids had soccer practice yesterday and when that happens we go to McDonald's for supper. I had gotten all brave and had taken all 3 of them by myself (I've done it before-- but only once). Yesterday, I decided to be all 'good' and order my kids water... three of them. It wasn't until the tray was loaded up (and my hip was full of a heavy 20 month old) that I saw the problem. I didn't really have a hand to carry the tray. Last time, I didn't have water so it was easy to carry-- but with three spillable waters? Um... I had options of course. I could have put my 20 month old down (and let her run amuck, gone behind the counter, and terrorized the cooks). I could have put her in her high chair at the table and went back to get the tray (but I was kind of afraid to leave them unattended). So that left, balancing the tray and walking. Deep breath... I was about to do it... had the tray (almost) in my hand when this angel appeared. Actually, it was a UPS man, but he was an angel to me. He took my tray and carried it to the table for me. *GRIN* If you are a mama, you know how rare that is! I've had to learn to do lots of things one handed (or even no handed) because a lot of times I'm by myself and it just has to be done. So, when someone actually comes to your rescue, you remember it (and apparently you blog about it). If you see a mama who needs help, go help her (ask first of course so she don't get defensive and think you are trying to rob her or steal her kids... we mama's are like that). But if she says its ok, you will really make her day. One act of kindness goes a long way. Much Love, Kelly Linked with: www.a-to-zchallenge.com
As some of you know, I’m currently enrolled in two writer’s workshops through Writer’s Digest. For one of my recent assignments, I had to submit 1,000 words from my novel in which I had complicated my main character’s path to achieving her goal.
The excerpt I chose involved my main character, Calleigh, who was desperately searching for her friend and potential love interest, Aaron. He was planning to show up at the Fourth of July party on the beach but never did. Calleigh becomes worried for good reason. The excerpt begins with Calleigh finding him in the forest alone and unconscious. Beside him is an empty bottle of whiskey. Her cell phone battery went dead (of course) while she was looking for him. It’s a forty-five minute drive to the nearby town. And this is a forest, which means, you know, hungry animals like black bears and cougars might be searching for their next meal.
Because it’s impossible for Calleigh to drag Aaron to her car—it’s a long hike—she has only two choices: stay with him or drive back to town to get help. If she leaves, he could stop breathing and die. She decides to stay. The added bonus is that she used to be a lifeguard so she knows CPR. Also, it’s a popular hiking spot, so someone will show up the next day and can help them if necessary.
My instructor had some concerns, but they weren’t a big deal because I had dealt with them before the excerpt, only she didn’t know that. The problem came when I checked out the feedback from my classmates. One wrote: I worry that this part of your book might stir up some flack w/parents re: Calleigh not seeking help in a potentially deadly situation.
Now my first, second, and third response was great! Bring it on. One of the reasons I wrote Lost in a Heartbeat was to generate discussion among teenage girls, and hopefully reach out to someone who’s suffering through something similar to what Calleigh went through. If parents get upset about aspects of the story, such as the scene dealing with alcohol poisoning, then that’s a good thing. Maybe that will lead to a discussion within the family and school setting about the warnings signs of alcohol poisoning and what to do if you suspect it. Too many students have died because no one helped them when they passed out at a party. No one checked to make sure they were okay.
So here’s my question for you: Should writers of YA novels write stories that avoid upsetting parents, even if it means missing the chance of helping just one teen going through the same issue as our character? Or should we write realistic stories that deal with issues that are important to teens regardless of how some parents might react?
Now for some contest news. In case you haven't heard, and I'm sure every blogging writer in the blogosphere has, Sarah Wylie is having a contest to celebrate the sale of her novel. And the prizes are awesome. *runs off to enter*.
With the growing number of self-published writers and the dwindling marketing dollars for traditionally published books, authors have to be creative if they want to grab the attention of potential readers. This is probably how blog tours first came to be. The problem is everyone jumped on the idea. Each week at least two hit my dashboard full force.
Here are some blogging tips to get your book (or a book you love) talked about:
Targeting Blogs
The first bloggers to ask are your friends. But don’t feel bad if they say no. Not everyone wants to host a blog tour. If you approach someone who isn’t a good friend, please make sure you send them a personalized email. One author sent me a link to a form to fill-in if I wanted to participate in her tour. That’s all that was sent and it wasn’t personalized. It was instantly deleted. #blogtourfail.
Face it, most of us recognize each other’s names and avatars from the blogs we most commonly visit. Reach out and go beyond this group. Only then will more people find out about your book and won’t suffer from blog tour fatigue (especially since not everyone is a fan of them). This is why it’s vital to start growing your network early and not just before your book launch.
Look for blogs that deal with topics approached in your book. Maybe someone has a special interest in horses and would be interested in your novel situated on a ranch. And this means the blogger’s followers might be interested in the story, too.
Be Unique
Try to come up with something that hasn’t been done before. Okay, you can stop laughing. I know this is challenging. Everyone can do the same old thing, but that won’t necessarily grab bloggers’ attention as the market becomes saturated with traditionally and self-published books. Maybe you can tie it into the theme of your book. Lisa and Laura Roecker had great success with their launch because everyone knew about the pink-hair theme they had going, which was inspired by the cover of The Liar Society. The theme even ended up on Twitter.
Timing
We can all appreciate how much work blog tours are for the author. My suggestion is to not cram your tour into one week (maybe spread out over a month) and to save some posts for a few months AFTER your book is launched.
Repetition
The books I tend to buy are the ones I hear about again and again, over the several months (but not in the same week as with the typical blog tour). This is why I loved Christina Lee’s spotlight on debut authors last week. It was a chance for those who participated to remind you about the debut books we loved this year. Books you might have forgotten about since their launch.
Does anyone else have any suggestion as to how to make a blog tour rock or to create interest in a book months after it’s been launched? What has made you want to read a book (and actually do so) after seeing it mentioned on a blog?
(note: Wow, who knew my sales and marketing background as a pharmaceutical sales rep would be so useful?)
Do you hear voices in your head when you write? I’m not talking about your characters (though mine definitely won’t shut up) or your internal editor.
I’m talking about your critique partner’s or beta reader’s voice.
It’s happening to me. Last week I was editing a chunk of my manuscript to send to my crit partner (okay, she thinks she’s a beta reader, but she’s more awesome than that). In my head, she was telling me that it was too convenient that this guy just happened to show up (convenient for me, not my main character). This stemmed from a comment she had made on a previous chunk on my WIP. Naturally, I listened to her voice and fixed the problem. And I’m glad I did. The story is much better now and the change increased the level of suspense.
So has this happened to you? Has you crit partner/beta reader told you something in your head while you’re editing, or does my crit partner has some paranormal abilities I don’t know about?
Note: The picture DOES NOT look like any of my fabulous crit partners or beta readers. It’s the look I get when I hear the voices. :)
