Fiction 101 - the Art of Plot Line Q & A

     Recently, I started watching the TV show Terra Nova on Netflix. It follows a futuristic family (22nd century) who are among many to travel back in time and establish a colony in the 'prehistoric' past. The show, though only one season long, has so far proven to be full of suspense, plot twists and dazzling eye candy shots of a beautiful world - and lots of dinosaurs (which is where it really gets fun).
   

   
     Now, this post isn't about the show or its actors or even the fact that I haven't noticed any plot holes thus far (a great discovery in this era of action-only-ditch-the-good-plot-part movies). It's about the main frustration I've felt in watching this show, one that I've noticed I also tend to feel in a lot of novels for teens and kids. And that frustration is simple: faulty plot line Q & A.

     What is Plot Line Q & A, you may ask? That, my friend, is the element of a novel that makes the reader HAVE to turn the next page, HAVE to read the next chapter, HAVE to finish the book tonight. It's not that difficult to incorporate, either. In fact, as most stories invent themselves in a writer's head (for those of you who aren't writers, stories have a tendency to do that) they develop their own system of Plot Line Q & A.

     This is because all good stories are based not on action but on a question - how is the main character going to fight this/survive/win the girl/figure this out/etc. The subsequent development of both character and plot are meant to advance that question to a definite and satisfying answer. How a writer develops the SUB questions, however (the questions that underlie the big, easy-to-see-one), is what will make the reader continue reading.

     In Terra Nova, the writers did an excellent job of asking lots of questions. How is the dad going to travel back with them? What is this Commander Taylor guy really doing here? Where did these strange markings come from? Who are the Sixers?

     The trouble was with answering them - or rather, with not answering them. The point to asking somebody a question and then giving a dramatic pause is to make them REALLY want to know what the answer is. Usually they start guessing; then they start to get antsy. Finally, they get impatient - and that's when you know you've waited too long. In Terra Nova, the writers didn't give the audience a chance to get to the antsy stage. In fact, I myself barely got to the guessing stage. They asked the questions in one episode and then answered them at the end or in the next episode. And it was really, REALLY disappointing not to get to guess the answers myself or be made to HAVE to watch the next episode so I could find out.

     Again, the questions were good ones, and they were asked subtly enough. To add to that, the action and drama surrounding the questions were such a good distraction that the audience could have gone on for several episodes being asked new questions without getting to the impatient stage about the first ones. But the writers didn't do that. They went ahead and answered them - through some rather cheesy plot exposition dialogue, too, I might add. And that's what spoiled it for me.

     So how do you get the Plot Line Q & A right without either disappointing your audience (answering too quickly) or driving them nuts (making them wade through 25 episodes of junk to find the answers)?

     That part just takes practice. And a little keen observation as you read books and watch TV. (Yes, believe it or not, TV and movies are an EXCELLENT way to learn how to and how not to develop plot line, characters, etc.)

     One good way to gauge how well you're doing with Q & A is to sit next to somebody while they read your manuscript and have them give you their honest opinion about it. (You can just have them read it and report back to you, but it's much funnier when you're sitting next to them.) When my sister-in-law was reading through my most recent manuscript for critiquing purposes, she did this part really well. Once every chapter at least, she'd look at me and say, "Wait - why is such and such happening?" Then (without fail) two or three sentences later, she'd go "Oooohhhh, I get it." At the end, she told me that she had noticed I had done a good job of asking a question and making the audience wait just the right amount of time before answering it - all while adding new questions to the pile.

     No, in case you're wondering, this is not another plug for my book or my own personal writing skills. It's simply that I thought of that incident as I was watching this TV show because I realized just how important it is to ask and answer the right questions at the right moments for the ultimate experience of suspense and intrigue.

     My litmus test for good Plot Line Q & A? Look at your manuscript and ask yourself the following questions. (The answers should be written down somewhere for you to look over as your edit.)

     1) Am I immediately answering all questions as I get to them, or am I leaving a few answers at least until later?

     2) Am I asking my questions directly (as in through dialogue or narrative) or am I just sort of leaving a situation unexplained, in which case the audience is asking the questions? (A good combination of both makes the audience feel like they're not being taken advantage of or having all the work done for them.)

     3) How many times have I asked this question, and do I need to take out a few references to it so the audience doesn't get tired of being asked and shut the book?

     4) Contrarily, has the audience been so distracted by subplots that they've already forgotten I asked this question, in which case do I need to a) ask it again or b) take out some distraction?

     5) Am I rushing to explain situations by having other characters talk about them early on (plot exposition dumps are REALLY annoying to a reader), or am I letting the situations explain themselves as the pieces of the puzzle start to come together?

     In the end, how you ask and answer questions is something only you have control over. But remember always - an audience appreciates good suspense, and Plot Line Q & A (done right) is how you get that. My challenge to you is to look over whatever you're writing now (seriously, take a break from the internet and look over that huge document sitting in the Microsoft Word file) and ask the questions listed. Then keep those questions in mind as you continue writing and see how it turns out. Have fun! And good luck.

     Sincerely,

          Yours Truly

Author's Bio 101

     Today I had to write an author's bio for the back of my book. I also had to take a picture to be sent in, which isn't an easy thing to do given that I am currently four months pregnant and starting to really look it. I'm all in the groove for writing at the moment, and decided that while in this groove I might as well write a blog post. And this is what I have to write about.
      Most people think an author's bio would be the least of their worries when it comes time to publish. Au contraire, mom ami! An author's bio is what they will live up to for the rest of their known life! It is that small glimpse into our world people all over the globe may read. And if it doesn't sound just right, it doesn't sound professional. Too long? Unprofessional. Too short? Why did you put it in there?! Too trite? You sound like a fourth-grader writing up an "all about me" paper for school.
     See? Not so simple after all.
     The best tip I can give is this: READ AUTHOR BIOS FROM NEW YORK BEST SELLERS! The answer to most questions of professional quality is simply to see how the professionals do it. And this is exactly what I did. The results were comforting. I can add in some personal, non-writing-related interests; and I don't have to put down the name of the city that I live in given that it might be changing soon. All in all, a very gratifying tour of the professional world, and one that makes me feel incredibly professional myself.
     How did it turn out? Well, buy the book when it comes out and you'll see!...Okay, maybe I just wrote this post to promote my book. Can you blame me?
     As always, I remain sincerely,
                                           Yours Truly

How to Get Your Audience Back in 5 Easy Steps

     My first novella is finished (as in actually, literally finished; no more writing on it allowed!) so I have naturally moved on to the next project. And this one will be considerably more involved than the last. Mainly because the original 'finished' version was well over 100,000 words instead of a mere 25,000. But it is also because there are a lot of important characters, complex backgrounds and interwoven subplots that are vital to the story. So this novel is, as I said, more involved. It will also, however, be more exciting as I begin the process of making it an interesting novel instead of just a mediocre novel, as it is now.
     I'm going to relay to you some of the fascinating things that I discovered as I reread the material and began outlining the changes I wanted to make in this new version. And these are things that I believe every writer should look at as they prepare to do any kind of rewrite.

1. Cut to the Chase
     The first chapter of the original version took my character from Scene 1 to Scene 2 in about 2,000+ words - the amount of words I now use to cover an entire first chapter, and it wasn't anywhere near done yet. It used up 1,000 of those words just to get around to introducing another character and including actual dialogue. And all of those 1,000 words were used to explain the situation the character found herself in.
     In the new version, my character broods for a grand 520 words (literally half that of the original) and spends less time explaining so that the audience, instead of being bored, has their curiosity aroused. Contrarily, I added over 100 words to the dialogue sequence - a part of the narrative that the audience actually would find interesting. My goal in this destroy-and-add-words binge? To skip all the gobblety-gook (as my grandmother would put it) and just tell the story.

2. Cut to the Important Characters
     Let's talk reality here. In real life, we meet up with dozens (even hundreds) of people that we'll never meet more than once or twice. We might politely exchange names; we might chat about school, work, the weather, even politics; we might say "see y'all soon". But we'll never actually see those people again. It's just how life works. So it makes sense to assume that to make a novel reflect real life, we have to have our main characters intermingle with at least a few nonessential characters here and there. The more, the merrier, right?
     Eh, WRONG! While unnamed nonessential characters do add a sense of reality to the novel (something important in a fantasy), they can become "those characters" that annoy the reader because we read about them once and never read about them again - especially if you already have two dozen essential characters floating around. The audience will never know whom they're supposed to keep track of. (And a well-laid-out glossary does NOT help in these instances!)
     The first step in this second step (pardon the repetition) is simple. Replace all nonessential personnel (particularly the named ones) with the minor characters your story is filled with. And voila! Your audience is instantly introduced to people they actually do have to keep track of, and they will inherently care more about what is going on in the story. If and when a nonessential could help you out a little (such as a random villager yelling "fire" or a bank teller being obnoxious), simply remember to keep them unnamed and their part in the story brief.

3. Cut the Narrative
     While briefly telling the audience what happened is important so we don't spend the whole six years in the dungeons, it can equally be frustrating if that's all the audience ever reads. For example, the first half of the original version of my novel spent well over 80% telling the audience what happened rather than letting them find out as the characters experienced it. It seemed important at the time; after all, nothing of significance was happening. Then I thought of something - if nothing of significance was happening, why am I boring my audience with this section?
     Easy way out - tell the audience. Challenging way - SHOW the audience. In this instance, it seems best if I try the challenging way so that my audience will actually want to get past the boring section of story to where the adventure REALLY begins. And that leads to Number Four...

4. Cut the In Between
     So the guy has to spend four years in college to get him to that final road trip across Europe. So what? Everybody has a dry spell in their life wherein nothing of importance happens. If we have to live through those spells, what makes us think we'd want to read about those spells? A writer's first instinct is often to "shorten" the boring sections by narrating what happens briefly. But if the time that elapses is long in any way, shape or form, the audience is going to fall asleep by paragraph two. We aren't being paid by the word like Charles Dickens, people! We can afford to - gasp - skip over the boring parts and launch right into the important stuff.
     "But what happens in the middle is what sets up the character for that road trip! It's essential to the story." Our whole lives are about us being set up for what takes place next. If we used that excuse every time, we never would get around to the actual ending, would we? The way to find a balance between not telling enough and telling way too much is to focus on the main conflict and its resolution. Not EVERYTHING that happened to this guy set him up for that road trip.
     Pick out the biggest, most memorable things that happened (even if he doesn't get how they all connect yet; let the audience figure that one out and they'll love you for the intrigue). Let the character experience them through dialogue and action rather than narrative. And go through it as briefly as possible.

5. Cut the Insights
     Speaking of the things that will happen to our characters...Our audience will know from the moment they pick up the book that something is going to happen to this character. So why bother them the whole way through by giving those "insights" that something is going to happen? They came for a surprise, not a teaser trailer!
     Sentences like "Little did she know what was inside" or "If he could only have known what was about to happen next" or (heaven help us) "this was going to change his life forever" have their place. Used sparsely (read: ONCE) they can add a hint of intrigue. It's when you use them at the end of every chapter (read: more than once) that the audience tires of them.
     Instead, make the audience ask the questions themselves throughout. And that will build up their curiosity. Answering those questions in a timely fashion will serve you much better than FINALLY telling the audience whatever it was that the character (duh!) didn't know.

     Well, that's it, folks - my five-steps-to-getting-your-audience-back lecture. I'll be using it a LOT as I write a new version of this old story. I hope you do, too, as you go through your own rewrites. Remember, your audience is a lot smarter than we authors give them credit for. Don't push them away by being boring and trite. Give them something that will make them share it with their friends (and pay good money to read the next one).

     Sincerely,
          Yours Truly

My Writing Process Blog Tour

   
Today, I opened my Facebook account and found my name tagged in a post by a fellow writer and blogger. Her challenge? To join her in the writing process blog tour. At first, I didn't know what on earth it was. Then I read another person's blog entry on the same topic and found myself very much liking the idea of following suit. So, here I go. For those of you who know me personally, please enjoy the glimpse into my writer's mind. For those of you who don't - if you're a writer, you should consider writing this out for yourself, even if you don't have a blog, just for the fun of it. And to get a clear view of what you're doing, how you're doing, and (most importantly) why you're doing it.

What am I working on?

     This week, I finally picked up the pages of my printed manuscript and began editing yet again for the third rewrite of what I hope will be my first published work. The book is a novella (short novel). Genre: fantasy - or more specifically fairy tale. It takes the Hans Christian Anderson fairy tale Little Golden Hood (a variation of the well-known Little Red Riding Hood) and expounds on it, adding life to the characters and depth to the story. I'm about halfway through the manuscript right now. And after I finish this rewrite, I will begin the final editing stage.

How does my work differ from others in its genre?

     The first thing that is different about my novella is that, while all modern fairy tale retellings alter the story, characters or themes in some way, this one doesn't. Like, at all. I literally took the original story and just elongated it. I like to call it the extended edition. Do I add to it? Of course! The original story, while fascinating, did what all fairy tales do - left out the details so as to get the main story across. I merely fill in the details to help tie all the loose ends together. 

     For instance, why does Little Golden Hood not get freaked out when the wolf talks? For that matter, how can the wolf talk? And why would he go all the way to grandmother's house to eat her first when he could have eaten Little Golden Hood right then and there and saved himself the trouble? I also add names so that I don't have to overuse the pronoun system. And I add subplots to a) explain the unexplained and b) make the story more interesting to audiences that expect that sort of thing.

     This novella also doesn't seek to impose post modern fairy tale tropes on the audience or follow the most recent character stereotypes. Little Golden Hood isn't a rebellious teenager or a curious college kid. The wolf isn't really a human in disguise and he has no romantic interest in the main character. And the main villain isn't a parent or (who'd a thunk?) a religious leader. Furthermore, the main character isn't seeking desperately to alter her own future (or if we're going Disney, to 'follow her heart' and 'find her destiny').  Nor is she the only one who can change the course of events because of something that's just different about her. 

     Overall, this novella will be pretty by-the-book (literally) and will be very classical in its telling. (Note to anyone interested: classical does not mean boring; just ask my sister-in-law who couldn't put this book down:)

Why do I write what I write?

     This question is really too complex to answer in a short blog post, but I'll do the best I can. The first thing I have to clarify is WHAT I write. That is - well, everything. While fantasy is my favorite genre, I also indulge in a good deal of historical fiction, the occasional modern fiction, and even come up with some half-decent science fiction once in a while. Recently, I dove into the very popular dystopian/apocalyptic genre and had a lot of fun. So to answer the question? I write all of these genres and the stories in those genres because God gave me an overactive imagination that simply can't help itself when it comes to inventing stories. 

     I write fantasy first and foremost because it is the closest we will ever come to the spiritual world outside of the Bible. (The Pilgrim's Progress IS the most widely-read book among Christians after the Bible, you know.) Fantasy gives us a glimpse of the supernatural, heightens our sense of moral conflict, and illuminates the ultimate battle between good and evil that will one day culminate in the victory of Christ over Satan. Add to that the fact that when it comes to fantasy, you're options are quite literally limitless - why wouldn't I want to write fantasy?

     It is something that has become a part of my soul, and, I believe, has drawn me closer to God. In writing fantasy, I encounter myself in a setting where the petty problems of a materialistic world are outweighed by the great moral peril. Allegories abound, even when it is unintentional. Spiritual truths unfold as we never see them in other genres. And we can feel the magnitude, catch a sense, of the true war - the spiritual war of which we are a part, we mere mortals.

     Okay, so maybe I get a little carried away when I talk about fantasy. But when it comes to writing, fantasy is my first love. So let's move on to other genres.

     I write historical fiction because I love history. I love reading about other times and places, events that really took place, heroes and villains who really lived. I like to look at something and imagine myself there - and historical fiction does that. It gives us a chance to wear the shoes of people from a world that has passed us by and is now only memory. (Sorry for the sappy sentiment; I get a little romantic sometimes.)

     Other genres I love for the same reason - imagining myself in other places, other situations, other people groups. It's something that not only stimulates the imagination but leaves me feeling deep respect for people who actually live those lives. 

     And all of it I write for the glory of God - because He's the one who gave me the imagination, the inspiration and the ability to write in the first place.

How does my writing process work?

     The writing process is different for many people. Some are able to set a time each day to write a small amount and then just walk away when they're finished. Not so with me! I write when inspiration hits me - and that in itself is an extremely unpredictable occurrence. Sometimes it happens when I read an article; usually with historical fiction it happens as I read through history textbooks or come across interesting documentaries and movies about a specific time frame. Often I am struck by a theme, a character, or a plot line in a film (most likely a poorly written screenplay that just begs me to write something better). And sometimes I just see something or someone in real life that inspires me to ask the question "what if". 

     Once the idea has formed, it's like a disease (in the best possible sense) that takes over my mind. I think on it; stew over it; play out different scenarios in my head. Then eventually (as soon as possible really), I sit down and write out a summary, a character list, and a title. The next part of the process is filing those papers away while waiting to decide if I really want to focus my efforts on that story or one of the other six dozen all waiting for me to pull them out and write them. Usually I stick with a story that I've been working on for a few years and write it up around NaNo time. 

     Depending on what's going on in my life, I may or may not get it finished; I may or may not get around to the revision, the rewrites and the editing. But once I do, the book will finally be completed and I'll send it off to CreateSpace.com and have it printed! (This last part has only happened twice, and both times it was just for me or for a friend. We'll see how it goes this time!)

     

     Well, there you have it, folks. And there I put it! It's good to be reminded on occasion of all of those things, see myself go off on tangents, etc. I think all writers should do it at some point every year (or even every season). If you are a writer, you know how important it is to always keep inspired, always keep on writing. Well, this little challenge - this tour - has helped me to do that. I suggest you try it, too. And if you have a blog? Post it! Nothing like knowing other people will read what you write to make you double check why you're writing it. This is a great way to do that.

     Until next post, I remain,

              Yours Truly

Announcing a Book Giveaway! (And trying desperately to win it...)

     Well, this week I'm not going to write a profound post about things only a writer would get. I'm going to be a rat fink and use my blog to get a chance at winning my friend's amazing book giveaway! No judging people, please. When finances are tight, we all do crazy things. Besides, this not only gives me a chance to win but exposes my friend's blog to more people - and I'm all about sharing her blog. Elaine Dalton's poetry is melodic and inspiring; and it often drifts away from the oh so boring every-other-line-rhymes type poetry that we all tend to write when trying our hand at poetry. I haven't read the completed compilation yet, but I'm going to do everything in my power to get that book. If you don't beat me to it...
     Sincerely,
          Yours Truly

The Dark Side of Writing - Villains, Villainesses and My Obsession With Everything Evil

     Earlier today, I saw a preview of the film Maleficent and shared it on Facebook. I was so excited; it literally chilled me to think about seeing my favorite villainess of all time brought to life on the big screen (not to mention Angelina Jolie's timeless beauty matched the old cartoon version perfectly, and the voice, and the total awesome evilness...I could go on, but I digress). Lately, I haven't had too much writing inspiration myself. But something about that preview sparked something inside of me, a spark that led to me sharing that video with great enthusiasm.

     Then I sat back and wondered about what I had just done. I was promoting a film based on the story of a Disney bad guy - and that's the part that I was promoting, the fact that it was about that bad guy (girl). And it suddenly dawned on me...What must people think?! When they see a conservative, Christian, homeschooled, housewife type like me sharing all over Facebook how awesome I think this movie is gonna be (a movie all about this evil character), what must go through their minds? They have to think I'm some kind of nut! Who wouldn't? 

     That's when I decided to write this post. I think it's high time I addressed a subject that I have for some time been very passionate about, and that subject is fictional villains and my obsession with them. Part of it is explanatory; but part of it is defense, too. I don't want people to think I'm a nut or that I'm some sort of 'dark arts' fanatic who's going over the deep end. I want them to understand that I am genuinely fascinated by villains in literature, why I find them fascinating, and why I would defend myself for it.

     Let me start with the explanation - defining my obsession and giving some history on it. (If you are already totally bored, go ahead and skip a few paragraphs; if you want someone to sympathize with in your own villainy-obsession, read, read, read!) I say obsession quite liberally and by no means with its real definition in mind. When I say obsession, I really mean passion. I'm not the sort of person who spends all their time studying villains (not even literary villains). But when it comes to writing my own stories or reading someone else's, the main villain and their evil plot to destroy the hero is what I find the most interesting.

     As a kid, my younger siblings and I played out stories together a lot. And my two favorite characters from fiction to play in those stories were the White Witch from C. S. Lewis' The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and the Wicked Witch of the West from L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Classic villains from some of the best in children's fantasy. My mother worried about my preference to playing the villain every time, but she never mentioned it to me until years later. At the time, she just let me enjoy my "obsession". I grew to love finding the best villains in other books, as well, even though I hardly knew why. And I focused much of my early writing on simply the hero and the villain. I wanted to have the best villains in my stories, the kind the audience loves to hate.

     Now that I'm all grown up and starting to write real books, I've found that this fascination is something that many other writers enjoy, as well. There's just something about having a good villain (if the term can be allowed). Without them, why bother having a hero? And that's where the defense comes in - why should such focus on villainy be acceptable, let alone something to promote?

     I once knew a girl who was taking a writing class. And when the teacher asked the students to "step into the shoes of the villain" so as to better write that part, this girl went nuts. She thought that such an endeavor was downright Satanic, and she wasn't afraid to say so. I'm afraid that many parents have taken a similar stance. Evil is evil; it's not something we should promote. Why should we allow it in our children's writing? Why should we watch movies where the main character is a villain?

     Simple: without a villain, there would be no hero. I mean, think about it - if there hadn't been a Goliath, who would David have fought? And if he couldn't fight someone, how would he have proved himself to a nation that needed a warrior for its leader? Without the Dark Lord Sauron, how would the brave and noble Frodo have ever shown his true character? How would Faramir have proven himself to his father and his nation? How would Samwise the brave have ever had a chance to be brave?

     There was a time once, back before the Fall of Man and the Curse, when the world was perfect, mankind was perfect, and there was neither hero nor villain, nor a need for either. But we don't live in a perfect world anymore. We live in a world that is falling apart, filled with villainous characters. The Bible never shied away from that fact; history hasn't shied away from that fact. Why should literature? After all, isn't literature supposed to be a reflection and illumination on real life?

     Our world is dying for a hero. But without a proper villain for our hero to face, how would our hero ever grow strong enough to fight for what is right? Who would challenge that hero and cause him to make those tough choices? A "good villain" forces not only conflict and decision but also the building of character. As humans, we tend to just let go of things, to be content with what we have and ignore the deeper problems of life thinking they'll just take care of themselves. Villains force us to make decisions, take sides, know what we believe and either stand or fall for it.

     If Hitler had never risen to power, a good many people would've gone on thinking that there was no reason to worry about the people of Europe. Germany was in a state of extreme despair and desperation. Hitler merely brought that to light. He also brought out the other villains that were already doing despicable things in the dark. Because Hitler went to war with Britain, because the Japanese joined in and attacked America - we were forced to destroy an evil that we might well have ignored until it was too late.

     My final defense? God Himself has written out for us in His Word the greatest example of hero versus villain, and He by no means lightens up the villain or skirts the issue. Jesus Christ, our savior, has an arch enemy - Satan, the devil. Do we ignore that? No! So why should we ignore literary villains? Without our even meaning to, our stories reflect what we believe about good and evil, and the world and about God. Thus it naturally follows that our stories should reflect that ultimate conflict between Christ and Satan. If we don't provide a worthy opponent for our heroes, why should our heroes bother fighting?

     Well, maybe I haven't convinced you that it's okay to let your kids write elaborately about their villains. And maybe you still think I'm a nut. But I've made my case. Whether or not it's worthy of consideration is entirely up to you. Just remember one thing about villains - it's okay to get excited about them when you realize that the main point of having a villain in the first place is to challenge the hero. The harder the challenge, the deeper the hero will become. (And in the second place, the bigger the villain, the greater the relief when he/she falls.)

     So, I'm going to go see Maleficent when it comes out. I might not like it. But I'll go in good conscience knowing that my obsession with this master of villainess-ery is totally fine. What can I say? It's a Writer's Thing.

     Sincerely,

          Yours Truly

Original Musical Score - Or Not So Original

     I don't know about you, but I find that I do my best writerly thinking with music playing. Can't think of an idea? I flip open my lap top or plug in my mp3 player (yes, I still haven't upgraded to an iPod yet) and start going through my favorite inspirational pieces. Music has always been an art that moves us emotionally, that stirs us up somehow (though we hardly know how) and inspires us. When it comes to writing, it's no different. Writers need a good musical score to write to, and that's a fact.


     The wonderful thing about writers, though, is that unlike a lot of other people we don't tire of music very quickly. For instance, I usually buy one or two songs at a time and then proceed to listen to them over and over and over again. I will literally put a song on repeat so that I can spend the next ten to fifteen to twenty minutes (sometimes even up to an hour) listening to the same piece with no variation. If my husband had to do that, he'd most likely go insane by the fifth time it had played.


     Another oddity that many writers enjoy is listening strictly to movie soundtracks. Neither my mother nor my husband get that. But to the writer, a soundtrack is like the background music of our own creations. In fact, many friends of mine who are writers do the same thing I do - create playlists from many different soundtracks with songs selected and arranged to mirror their own stories; like making a soundtrack for your book. (Note: this is not illegal provided it is solely for you to listen to and you don't try to pass it off as your own. Just putting that out there.)


     Now, maybe I'm a little different than other writers, but something tells me I'm not. You know that one song that just fits that particular character or even a particular scene so perfectly? Maybe it's a hard rock piece or a Celtic ballad. Maybe it's a soundtrack selection or a piece from a hit musical. Maybe it's even classical, from Mozart or Vivaldi or Beethoven (I created a playlist specifically for when I'm writing historical fiction that is made up entirely of classical pieces and soundtracks that sound classical). There's just something about certain pieces of music that are so fitting to our worlds, our stories and our characters. And nothing else can quite compare to the thrill of music when it comes to writing.


     Why is that? Why is it that, whether with words or without words, and regardless of genre, music is so essential to the work of a writer? Victor Hugo, author of Les Miserables, put it this way (and I totally agree with him): "Music expresses that which cannot be put into words and that which cannot remain silent." What else can we say about it? Music describes the soul of the writer in a way that no amount of writing can. Our musical selections help us see our worlds as we create them, define our characters and their personal challenges, set scenes and describe action sequences in ways that make it possible for us to see them clear enough to write them.


     This post is basically just an excuse to get to talk about what inspires me most as a writer (which is really what this whole blog is about:). But I hope it gives you something to think about, too. My favorite of the week (and new obsession) is by Lindsey Stirling and Lzzy Hale - "Shatter Me". Reason for the obsession - it is a hauntingly beautiful melody filled with both the delicate art of strings and the heart-pounding thrill of dubstep beat. Besides this, the words are chilling, the concept brilliant, and the balance of all elements impeccable. (Seriously - I think I wrote this whole post just to get to share this song:) So get out there, find your musical inspiration, and start writing!


     What songs inspire you? Leave a note in the comments! And remember - "After silence, that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music." (Aldous Huxley)


     Sincerely,
          Yours Truly

Life Issues

     During the past three weeks, my life has been altered drastically by a new set of circumstances. That tends to happen when you live in the real world. (And in fictional worlds; just ask Frodo Baggins or Oliver Twist!) So what happens to writing when life changes? It gets shoved to the side in favor of important things. You know, like relationship changes, moving to a new house, an addition to the family, a promotion at work (or even a demotion). What can we say? Stuff happens.
      The doom it spells for our writing, however, shouldn't be permanent. In fact, if anything a break from writing should only give us more enthusiasm for our work. So...what do we do when that doesn't happen? What do we do when the enthusiasm just doesn't come back?
      The first thing is: DON'T DESPAIR! My first instinct is usually to assume that I'm some sort of terrible writer because I can't be consistent. But hey, consistency problems affect everybody - ESPECIALLY when you have a new interest that you have to devote your time and efforts into. When I first got engaged, writing was the first thing to go. Now, a full year later, I'm only months away from publishing my first novel. See? Just give it time.
       The second thing is: DON'T FIGHT PROCRASTINATION. Work with it. You don't feel like writing right now? You have something else that you'd really, really rather be doing? Fine! Do that other thing. Enjoy what you feel like doing for a little while; then get back to the writing later. Unless you're bound to an impending deadline, the writing will wait.
       The third thing is: MINIMIZE GOALS. Something that will almost literally kill your writing is setting enormous goals for yourself. It will sound logical; it will seem like the only option left. After all, you're way behind now. But the last thing you need when you have a busy schedule is a massive writing project that you wanted to be fun and now just...isn't. Keep it as a fun project (no matter how seriously you want people to take your writing). Set small, feasible goals, I'd say half of what you normally do. Then as you check off each section, you'll find yourself regaining momentum.
       I chose not to despair when I ran out of steam for blogging; I refused to fight the procrastination and let life take its coarse. My only goal just now is to get something posted this weekend so that I can say that I did. And here it is - I just had to make myself sit down and do it when nothing else was going on. See, folks? Not that difficult. Now, YOU go out and do it!
       Sincerely,
             Yours Truly

Update

Given that this heroes series is more in-depth than I originally thought it would be (and given that life has been throwing some random curves at this writer), I'm gonna have to hold off on that third post for a while. Sorry for the inconvenience! Keep an eye out for in-between articles as I try to get this one finished.

Heroes & Heroines: Part II

       Okay. Now we can get into the fun post – types of heroes and why they are heroes. (I’m dealing with the basic contrasting stereotypes; if I miss an essential one, please feel free to add it in the comments below.) For sake of convenience I’ll be referring to them as “he”, but these definitely apply to heroines, too.

 

1. The Everyday
   WHO: This hero could be your next-door neighbor, or he could even be you (she if you’re a girl). The qualities that make him up are the simplistic qualities you’d find in just about anyone else – with the exception that, because he’s the good guy, he usually has a strong moral conscience.
   WHY: He is a hero because he is just like us – an ordinary person who chose to take the initiative because it was the right thing to do.
2. The Exceptional
   WHO: This hero is the sort of person you don’t usually meet up with. Talented, skilled, full of potential that your average Joe wouldn’t even understand let alone have. Sometimes this hero looks down on others for not being as gifted; other times, this hero feels self-conscious about how different he is.
   WHY: He is a hero because he chooses to use his extraordinary gifting for good, rather than just sit by and watch.
3. The Superhero
   WHO: This hero is the sort of handsome, sophisticated, usually physically strong hero that has a commanding presence and is VERY pleasant to look at. Oftentimes, this hero is incredibly muscular (usually has fantastic abs) and thus is able to do a lot of hard things most other people can’t.
   WHY: He is a hero because he can take out the bad guy when no one else can, although if his only role in the story is to beat everybody up, he’s a pitiful hero.
4. The Plain Jane
   WHO: This hero is the exact opposite of the superhero – weak, clumsy, unattractive. He commonly is the victim of a chronic illness or disability and is often overlooked by people around him
   WHY: He is a hero because he is the most unlikely choice for a hero of all – someone that most people discredit, who has huge obstacles to overcome, and yet does it all for the cause of right or for those he loves.
5. The Diva
   WHO: This hero is that charismatic socializer that fits in anywhere. No matter where he is or whom he is with, he will inevitably become the center of attention. This kind commonly starts off as a more villain type character, experiences extreme dramatic setbacks, and has to start over again as the Black Sheep kind.
   WHY: He is a hero because of his journey,  whether he is always the popular kid and has to deal with the repercussions and dramas of that position, or because he suddenly is lowered in status and has to learn how to be normal.
6. The Black Sheep
   WHO: This hero is extremely common in YA novels because it is a hero most teenagers relate exceptionally well to. He is the sort of person who never fits in, who always does or says the wrong thing, who is surrounded by people who have found their place in their world and is desperately trying to keep up with them.
   WHY: He is a hero because he refuses to conform to what others try to make him be, instead following his beliefs of right and wrong and allowing himself to just be himself (which is usually how he saves the day).
7. The Silent Warrior
   WHO: This hero is a contemplative hero. He doesn’t talk much. He doesn’t smile much. He simply works hard and listens. He’s the sort who surprises everyone with how smart he is or by how good a plan he has configured just by thinking things through first. When he does talk, he has something important to say.
   WHY: He is a hero because when the time comes to act, he is ready. He doesn’t stand around talking; he doesn’t waste time boasting. He just goes in, does his job, and comes out again.
8. The Dragon Slayer
   WHO: This hero is the exact opposite of the Silent Warrior. He talks all the time, laughs a lot and tends to launch straight into things without thinking twice. He is well-known for his elaborate stories and ludicrous adventures, but half of what he says is highly exaggerated.
   WHY: He is a hero because he will not delay to take up any challenge laid before him especially if it’s a matter of right and wrong.
9. The Homebody
   WHO: This hero leaves home only because he has to, and usually spends half the book fighting to get back. His main goal is to preserve the land he loves and the people he loves. He’s usually known as patriotic and is generally a peaceful hero – unless you mess with his home.
   WHY: He is a hero because he will fight to the death to protect his homeland and his family.
10. The Wanderer
    WHO: This hero doesn’t have a home, and if he does he never visits. Instead, he’s constantly moving about, touring the world, usually in search of adventure. Thus he usually is the first to get into trouble or stumble upon international intrigue. His highest quality is his knowledge – he’s been everywhere so he knows everything.
    WHY: He is a hero because lacking a home gives him nothing to fear losing, and so he can do what he needs to and go where he has to go without worrying for anybody else’s safety.
11. The Dark Warrior
    WHO: This hero is haunted by his past, a lingering collage of memories that usually surface in flashbacks or a lot of conversations with his new friends. He is commonly running away from his past, sometimes from someone in his past, and always from his past – and present – self.
    WHY: He is a hero because he has come out of a life of darkness and now lives for the sake of all that is good.
12. The Happy-Go-Lucky
    WHO: This hero doesn’t relate well to the Dark Warrior because he hasn’t experienced that kind of pain and trauma. He’s lived in relative peace and happiness his whole life, had family or friends to take care of him, and has been raised to live for good. Usually this kind of hero finds his life suddenly shattered and ends up with the Dark Warrior as a sidekick to help him realize not all of life is sunshine and rainbows.
    WHY: He is a hero because he knows what good is, he fights for it and he is incapable of succumbing to despair.
13. The Loner
    WHO: This hero is most often seen in the corners of taverns with a hood pulled over his face and nobody at his table. Usually he doesn’t relate well to other people, so he doesn’t bother hanging out with them. He does things by himself, he’s always in charge, and that’s how he prefers it.
    WHY: He is a hero because single-handed he can take out the entire army of bad guys, and that is something the bad guys dread.
14. The Side-Kick Collector
    WHO: This hero doesn’t like being left to do things himself. He prefers to designate, to have multiple people around to back him up, even someone else he can back up. His closest friends are also his co-conspirators. He works well with people and likes to let them see their full potential.
    WHY: He is a hero because he pulls those around him together and makes them into a fearsome fighting force.
15. The Man with a Plan
    WHO: This hero is task-driven. His whole purpose in life is to create elaborate, complex schemes and see them through to completion. His genius is usually unparalleled as he outwits the villains and brings about his purpose with a well-thought-out plan. He’s rarely the most likeable of heroes, but he is irreplaceable in their ranks.
    WHY: He is a hero because his incredible brains give him the ability to counter the evil genius of master villains.
16. The Man of Spontaneity
    WHO: This hero drives the Man with a Plan crazy almost all the time. He doesn’t think before he acts; he doesn’t strategize. His way of doing things is to leap straight in and take it as it comes. He usually comes with a temper. While often a troublemaker, his ready-fire-aim mentality allows him to immediately take on situations without wasting precious time on them.
    WHY: He is the hero because he doesn’t sit around and wait for the enemy – he goes after the enemy.
17. The Moral Conscience
    WHO: This hero is someone who knows what he believes and lives that out. He isn’t afraid of the jokes of others; he knows that he has a higher calling, and he chooses sides accordingly. There is never a doubt in his mind as to what he should do – unless he faces a gray area, and even then it doesn’t take him forever to decide what he can and cannot do based on that conscience.
    WHY: He is a hero because of his shining character and the goodness of his heart, which allows him to fight for what he believes without wavering.
18. The…Lack of Moral ConscienceWHO: This hero is full of himself. He is best described as licentious, sarcastic, and disrespectful. He always gets the girl and doesn’t usually care enough about her to take her on a second date. While at first he sounds like the opposite of a good guy, his extreme liberalistic mindset is often the groundwork for excellent character development as he faces choices that cause him to second guess himself and his lifestyle. (NOTE: a hero is the person we look up to in the story, so if you don’t want to encourage your audience to live life as perverts you’ll have to write about this hero with delicacy.)WHY: He is a hero because he is a good fighter. Otherwise, he isn’t really much of a hero and is more annoying that inspiring.

       In my third post in this series on heroes and heroines, I’ll be bringing out examples of each of these hero types I looked at in this post, and in the following I'll list ways that a writer can combine these traits to create a believable, well-rounded hero or heroine. Keep an eye out and be ready to comment!

      Sincerely,

            Yours Truly

 

Heroes and Heroines: Part I

All dressed in white. All dressed in black. Lace, frills and a bejeweled rapier. Hot leather and a laser gun. A memory of a time when things were beautiful and an urgency to return the former glory. A deep, dark past  filled with regret and a list of moral debts to pay. Compassion, patriotism, humility. Sarcasm, narcissism, an ego-driven save-the-world agenda. Timid but determined. Not a fear in the world.

Each characteristic is something that has come to define heroes in both literature and cinema for the western world. Some call them stereotypes; others call them classics. But whatever you call them, they are to the American culture the top qualifications for a true hero or heroine, whether in historical fiction, crime investigation, or high fantasy. We all love reading about that hero who saved his world from utter destruction, the heroine who sacrificed everything for those she loved. It’s what gives us hope to face a world full of sorrow, suffering and terrible injustice.

But what is it exactly is it that makes a person a hero? Is it just their outfit, attitude and background? Or is it the depth of their character, the quirks of their personality, their strong moral conscience, the way they laugh in the face of danger?

When it comes to writing, it is ESSENTIAL that you not only know your hero but also that you know why he’s the hero.

Looking around at the myriad of books and movies based on the hero’s journey, it’s easy to single out the qualities of the literary hero. But basically, the hero is the hero because he or she is the good guy in the story and in the end helps defeat the bad guy.

Webster’s online dictionary defines a hero this way: “A person who is admired for great or brave acts or fine qualities.” Succinctly put, and yet full of meaning. Under this definition, a hero doesn’t necessarily mean a good person. Instead, a hero is just somebody who did something extraordinary or has a character others look up to.

Now, most people see the “hero” as being the good guy (although there is a large movement toward making the bad guy the hero, too). So in our writer’s eyes, a hero has to be more than just somebody who did something and everybody cheered. A hero has to follow certain structural guidelines, embrace certain foundational beliefs about his or her calling in life. While there are a number of hero stereotypes, there is one basic rule that all heroes follow:

A literary hero must be a leader.

Whether they are born to lead or find out in the second chapter that they had a kingdom they didn’t know about left to them, the hero must always at some point take the lead and have others follow him or her. That is what makes a hero different from a sidekick.

In the next post, I'll be making a list of kinds of heroes, and following that giving samples and examples of each of those kinds. Stay tuned!

Sincerely,

          Yours Truly

The "Well-Read Author"

Everybody says that the best author is the well-read author. But what does it mean to be a well-read author? Automatically images come to mind of a pious reader sitting in a pristine bedroom devouring literature like a washing machine devours socks – someone who strictly reads “the Classics”, who looks down on anyone who hasn’t read “the Classics”, who despises all literature not a part of “the Classics”. Is that image really what we should be aiming for as writers? Or is the true meaning of the phrase “well-read author” being overlooked?

My mom was big into reading. She felt that words were important, that they expressed beauty, emotion and wisdom like nothing else. And she was entirely right. She encouraged us to read on our own as soon as we could, gave us lists of good books, talked with us about them as we read. She also read aloud to us children all through our growing-up years (even after we ceased being children).

And yes, she read us some of “the Classics”. But her reading list wasn’t limited to Dickens, Austen and Tolkien. She also read us Mark Twain, every bit a classic despite being the polar opposite of Dickens in style. She read Lassie Come Home, The Borrowers, The Boxcar Children for heavens’ sake! She even allowed us girls to read a little romantic fluff on the side (the kind that wasn't all mush, mind you.)

Her goal wasn’t to load up our systems with only the great masterpieces published from 1899 or before. She encouraged us to also know our times, to appreciate comedy and tragedy, to take in a variety of authors, genres, styles, topics…In short, my mother’s main goal was to give her children a widely diverse and richly developed foundation in quality literature so that when we were no longer under her care we’d be able to tell a good book from a great book, an ‘okay’ mediocre book from a book whose best description, sadly, is crappy.

What am I trying to say here? That variety and quality are the key to being “well-read”. You can immerse yourself in “the Classics” and come away unable to write anything that a postmodern Young Adult reading audience would really get that much out of. You can go the other way and only read modern books. But in that case you cheat yourself out of the rich vocabulary, deep plotlines and superb characters of “the Classics”.

Best description of a well-read author? A writer who has a foundation of various author styles and genres, the kind of foundation that good writing is bound to come from.

So I have here a checklist of the things that make up a well-read author based on that description:

1. Has read a variety of books from different time periods (Ancient Classics as in the Odyssey, Norse Mythology, Fairy Tales, etc.; First Classics as in Milton, Spencer, Bunyan, etc.; Historic Classics as in Dickens, Austen, Henty, etc; Modern Classics as in Tolkien, Lewis, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, etc;); Modern Literature (anything published after 1950).
2. Has read a variety of author styles (both George MacDonald and Carolyn Keene; both James Fennimore Cooper and Frank Pereti etc.)
3. Has read a variety of genres (contemporary fiction, historical fiction, mystery and spy novels, thrillers, fantasy, science fiction, romance, adventure, poetry, satire, etc.)
4. Has read mostly truly good books but has also kept up with what is currently being published and widely-read.

Being well-read isn’t easy. It’s a process. And for those of us who aren’t really great readers (as in it takes a good deal of effort to read consistently), it’s an extra challenge. However, it’s never too late to start. Just remember that what you read is what you will write. If all you read is cheapy fluff novels, than that’s all you’ll be capable of writing. If you all you read is steampunk or graphic novels, you can’t expect that you’ll be able to write the great American classic.

Having a good background in QUALITY and VARIETY is the key to being a good writer, a writer who will not only write well but who will be taken seriously by publishers, critics and audiences (keeping in mind that most people who don’t write read avariciously; they’ll know a mediocre book when they see one).

So there you have it – what it means to be a well-read author. Now it’s your turn – go and think about what you’ve read and decide if you really are a well-read author or if you don’t believe a word I just said. Whichever you end up deciding on, just remember that the best authors of our time or any other time got to where they were or are by reading.

Leaving You Something to Think About,

                                                            Yours Truly