A. G. Carpenter

Write 1, Sub 1 Blog Chain - Interview with a Character

2012-01-20T20:24:00.000-05:00

Turns out the MC (Keira Fennel) of my steampunk novel (Gaslyte) doesn't have time for interviews. Being the sneaky author that I am, I slipped an extra scene into the story and got a few answers from her anyway.

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The corridor below The Bell andBurrow is cold enough to beuncomfortable. Doors open on the right, dim rooms beyond that smellof copper and whisper of velvet and silk. Keira stuffs her hands inher pockets and limps a little faster. The hall has been empty sofar; if she's spotted that could change, quick.

Glyphs on the wallindicate she should turn left. The new route is darker, smaller,colder. “Pox.” Head down, she doesn't see the glim in the air'til she smacks right into it. Magic flexes and pushes her backseveral steps.

“What the hell?”She puts her hand out, takes a cautious step forward. Her fingerstouch nothing, but she cannot move any further down the hall. Aglance around for a sign of a lock, but there's nothing. She thumpsher fist against the invisible barrier and lyte swirls, solidifyinginto a small, dark figure.

“Before youcontinue, you must answer a few questions.”

Keira rubs herfingers through her hair. “Great.” She points her chin at thegatekeeper ward. “Go on, then.”

“What do youconsider your greatest achievement?”

“Fuck me mam.”She paces a few steps. “What kind of a riddle is that?”

“Not a riddle. Aquestion. There is no correct answer.”

Keira looks at theshadow-thing, suspicious. “Right.”

“What do youconsider your greatest achievement?”

“I'm still alive,aren't I?”

“Survival is yourgreatest achievement?”

“Yes.”

The gatekeeper-wardtilt's its head. “Interesting.”

“Can I pass?”

“Not yet.” Theward looks down, as though consulting a piece of paper. “What isyour idea of perfect happiness?”

“I don't haveone.” She fingers the buttons on her coat.

“The answersdon't matter in and of themselves, but they must be honest.”

“To have the onesI love safe and sound away from this damned city.”

“Ones? Plural?”

“That's right.”

“Who are they?”

Keira chews herlip. “My da. And Lowen.” The last comes out, reluctant.

“Who is Lowen?”

Her cheeks flush.“A friend.” She presses her lips together tight.

Thegatekeeper figure leans closer. “Who do you love more?”

“Idon't.” She thumps her fist against the magic blocking her way.“What kind of ward are you anyway?”

“Onewho isn't done asking questions.” A pause. “If you had to choosebetween saving your father and saving your friend who would youpick?”

Keiraspreads her feet a little wider on the floor, arms crossed over herchest. “I'd save them both.”

“Whatif you couldn't? What if trying to save both meant you'd all perish,what...”

“We'dall die.” She's white around the lips, hands knotted into fists.

“Areyou afraid of that, then? Having to choose between them?”

“Banjaxy.”

“I'mnot sure I'm familiar with that term. What does it mean?”

“Itdoesn't mean anything.” She rakes her fingers through her hair. “Itmeans your questions are fucked up.”

“Soyou are afraid of that.”

“Whowouldn't be afraid of losing someone they love?” Keira's almostleaning against the barrier.

“Ah.True. Let's see.” Again as if checking a list. “Is that yourgreatest fear, then?”

Shepauses. “I guess.”

“There'ssomething else you're more afraid of?”

“Banjaxy.”

“That'snot an answer.”

Keirakicks the barrier and lyte glims, wall to wall. “Are you going tolet me pass?”

“Youhaven't answered all my questions.”

“I'llfind another way around.” She turns, stomping back down the hallthe way she came.

“Whatif there isn't one?” The gatekeeper's voice drifts after her.

“I'llmake one.” She rolls her shoulders to unkink muscles that havelocked up. If I have to tear the whole place down.

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The previous link in the blog chain can be found here - Cas Webb's Interview - and don't miss the next link in the chain over at Defcon's Blog.

How To Feel Miserable As A Writer

2012-01-03T11:22:00.002-05:00

(Or, What Not To Do. Underline Any That Apply)

1. Constantly Compare Yourself to Other Writers
2. Talk to Your Family About What You Do and Expect Them To Cheer You On
3. Base The Success of Your Career On One Project
4. Stick With What You Know
5. Undervalue Your Expertise
6. Let Money Dictate What You Do
7. Bow To Societal Pressures
8. Only Do Work That Your Family Would Love
9. Do Whatever the Client/Editor/Publisher/Magazine Wants
10. Set Unachievable/Overwhelming Goals. To Be Accomplished By Tomorrow

(NOTE: This is adapted from a post on The Violin Channel on Facebook - How To Feel Miserable As An Artist. All credit due to original (unnamed) author.)

Plan of Attack

2011-12-10T08:00:00.000-05:00

A few days ago I posted my goals for the coming year. Then the group sponsoring the Write 1, Sub 1 Novel Challenge suggested doing a blog chain discussing our plan of attack for the coming year.

Making goals and figuring out how to meet them are two different animals. Making goals is easy. Two years ago I wanted to write 500k in a year. Saying that was easy. Doing it? Not so easy. (In fact, I failed to meet that goal.)

I have my list of goals for the year, now I have to figure out how I'll meet them.

Let's start with the basics. When it comes to meeting writing goals the biggest step forward is to write. Every day. That's one reason why I made goal number four: Write 15k each month. Because when words are going down on paper, that's always a good thing. Setting a specific amount helps me. (I've tried the whole "chapters" or "pages" goals and they don't work as well. I wind up with short chapters and pages of dialogue. Well, that happens anyway but it gets worse if I'm trying to write five chapters a week instead of 3.5k words.)

The next challenge is producing words that are all in order. By that I mean, working toward the end of a single project. That's where goals two and three come into play (Write and submit a longer length project and Polish and submit the unfinished/unedited shorter work from this year). I suffered from a ten year stretch of Shiny-New-Idea-itis, jumping from one project to the next without finishing much and not even attempting to sell the few things I did complete.

If I were simply writing for fun that wouldn't matter. But I'm not. I want to get paid. That means writing. Every day. Then revising and editing. Then hitting up every editor with the finished story until they cry mercy and publish my story.

That just leaves goal number one: Finish and submit the novel-in-progress. This is a huge deal. I've finished drafts of novels before. I've finished four drafts of this particular novel already and they were not up to par. Not for the publishers I want to query. But polishing a 70k manuscript is a big task. (Again, see goal number four.) And once the novel's done, I still have to write the other submission material - query letter, synopsis, etc.

These are all brand new territory for me. And I'm terrified. But I still have a plan. I will write. Every day. Then revise and edit as necessary (this includes the query letter, etc). Then send that sucker out to every publisher (in order since most don't allow sim-sub) until they cry mercy and publish my novel.

If there's one thing I've learned this past year, writing short stories and submitting them over and over again 'til they find a home, it's to never take "no" for an answer. There is a home for my work. There's a home for your work. All you have to do is find it.

In the meantime, write. Every day. Then revise and edit until your story is as good as you can make it. Finally, submit it to any editor who publishes your genre/content and don't stop until they cry mercy and publish your story.

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If you want to read more about planning an attack on the publishing world check out Alex Shvartsman's blog post HERE. Up next is Michael Haynes with his own take on making a plan of attack.

Goals

2011-12-02T11:32:00.001-05:00

Well, it isn't the official beginning of the new year. But I started the Write 1, Sub 1 Novel Challenge in November and thought now was as good a time as any to assess my goals for the coming year.

I've set a number of different writing goals over the past few years: writing a certain number of novels, writing a certain number of words in a year, (and this last year) writing and submitting at least one story per month. Some of these goals I've met, others I've failed miserably.

That is the thing about goals - they need to be something you may not be able to reach, otherwise why set a goal in the first place. So this year, I'm setting writing goals that reflect a number of personal commitments.

Goal Number One: To finish and submit Gaslyte - the novel-in-progress I've been working on since 2008 - by the end of the year.

Goal Number Two: To finish and submit at least one longer length project - 15k or more - by the end of the year.

Goal Number Three: To polish and submit the handful of stories I wrote this year but have languished in my pile of "to edit" projects.

Goal Number Four: To write a minimum of 15k per month.

Even with a limited schedule for writing these are all completely doable, but challenging. They will require me to stay focused on the work at hand - writing.

As you head towards the beginning of another year of writing, what are you planning to accomplish?

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T13:32:00.001-05:00

Well, it's the kick-off to the traditional American holiday season. In addition to wishing my readers a restful and productive end of the year - I know, there's still a month or so to go, but we all know how it will GO - I figured I should make an official announcement. Just because.

Kidding. I'm (slowly) moving my how-to-advice articles over to wordimonki.blogspot.com. This blog will continue to exist but will focus more on my personal writing updates and less on the indispensable wisdom I like to ~~inflict~~ share with you.

Current schedule over at Word Monkey is about two articles per month, give or take, with additional emphasis on seeking publication, as well as continued blahblahblah about writing and editing.

Have a safe and happy holiday season, chickadees!

A Quick Update

2011-11-11T18:48:00.001-05:00

I have been submitting stories regularly all year. The current bibliography can be found over on the right of my blog. Despite frequent rejections, I am determined to find homes for all my short stories.

Additionally, I have sold two short stories this fall. Insomnia was bought by Daily Science Fiction (publication date forthcoming). And The Weather's Always Fine in Paradise was bought by GUD Magazine for their forthcoming Issue 8.

Recent Twitter publications include: Summer Day @ Trapeze Magazine and Survivor @ One Forty Fiction.

On Sunday, November 13th, Microcosms will be publishing several of my Twitter stories as part of a special, month-long fiction issue. Make sure you check it out.

Lessons Learned Writing Micro-Fiction

2011-07-27T15:37:00.000-04:00

There are many different types of micro-fiction - flash: a story under 1k; Twitter: a story in 140 characters or less; drabble: 100 words exactly, just to name a few. But they are all similar in that they try and tell a story in a space that most would consider challenging if not downright impossible.

Having written a few pieces of flash and over a dozen of Twit fic, I can safely say that it's not impossible. And there are lessons to be learned in writing with few words. Here are the two that impressed me the most.

1. Backstory/Worldbuilding Are Not as Important As You Think

This sounds counter-intuitive, I know. Every story needs some glimpse into the foundation of the characters, where they come from, what their world looks like, etc. But there is a lot to be said for not telling us that information and, instead, implying it by how you tell the story. Word-choice. Rhythm. Emotion. All of these elements can tell a backstory better than you think.

2. No Story is Too Short To Edit

You might think that a story that is only 140 characters long couldn't get any shorter. Or couldn't use different words than the ones you wrote first. This is not the case. Any story can be edited, no matter how short and sweet you think it is to start off with. And most stories should be edited. Because we all get lazy or have a bad day and use the wrong word in place of a better one.

3. It is Possible to Say Something Important Without Being Long-winded

I say this, because too often we get bogged down in trying to SAY SOMETHING. We use too many words. We beat the reader over the head. We meander. We get stuck on our own ability to weave words in a magical way. But this is not necessary. Important things can be said in few words. And they will stick with the reader more than a convoluted passage might.

We can all learn to write more cleanly, even if we aren't all writing in microscopic forms.

Always and Never

2011-07-20T14:02:00.000-04:00

Just a quick note regarding my previous post.

It is perfectly true that not every rule applies to every situation. The fun part of being a writer is figuring out when you should stick to the rules and when you should ignore them.

With the "rules" I listed last time I would like to make the following observation.

"Always" rules are generally things that are best practice. Sure you can ignore grammar and spelling and tension and building interest in your character, but chances are you won't want to MOST of the time.

"Never" rules are generally things you should avoid because they are A) cliche or B) the product of lazy writing (even if it's inadvertent).

That is all.

Learning the Rules

2011-07-17T15:51:00.000-04:00

There's always debate about the "rules" of writing and how strictly they should be followed. I, for one, tend to be in the "Egh, if I feel like I'll do it" camp and I'm not much of a stickler for anything. (Well, except maybe Beginning, Middle, End and Outlines Are Not Your Enemy.)

But two things about these debates always strikes me.

1) Less experienced writers tend to assume they are more advanced than they actually are and proudly flout rules they would be better off following.

2) Less experienced writers tend to cling to the more absurd rules while ignoring the tried and true.

(Of course, on any given day I still fall into the "less experienced" category. That is not meant to be derogatory, simply a statement of fact. As I have gotten better at what I do, I have found more (not less) merit in some of the rules that I used to think were stupid.)

The big question, naturally, is what are these rules? Every writer probably has their own list of Writing Rules. Here's a look at some that I have run across.

1) Grammar/Spelling/Basic Sentence Construction
This is probably the ONLY rule I consider absolutely necessary. Nothing ruins a good story faster then rampant spelling errors, obvious misuse of punctuation and/or parts of speech, or sentences that leave the reader wondering whether it was the mirror that was frightened or the girl staring into it.

2) Never Start a Novel with a Prologue
There are many good reasons to not use a prologue. Take a serious look at them before deciding to go with that "introduction to the plot/MC/MV/world/whatever before the beginning of the story".

3) Never Start a Story with a Description of the Weather
Again. There are very good reasons to avoid this. Research what they are before you write that prologue to the epic fantasy that has a two page description of the storm cloud lingering over the Mountain of Death.

4) Never Start a Story with the MC Waking Up
Good reasons here too. They boil down to: most times this indicates a false start to the story and lazy writing.

5) Never Have the MC Look at Him/Herself in the Mirror in Order to Describe Them for the Reader
Yes. Lazy writing. And character appearance is rarely as important as you think.

6) Don't Write in First Person/Omni/Present Tense
This is mostly personal preference, but certain forms of writing are more difficult than others and should be approached with caution and a good bit of research into what makes them work and what doesn't.

7) All Chapters Must be a Certain Length
This one is just, well, stupid. But certain parties seem to think it's law. You should probably ignore them.

8) Never Start a Story with a Dream Sequence
This is actually a good one. Especially if the dream is one that results in deliberately misleading the reader. ("What? OMG! He's a serial killer? Oh. He just had too much pizza for dinner.")

9) Always/Never Give Your MC a Trendy/Cool/Symbolic Name
This one is stupid only because naming characters is hardly a thing of absolutes. HOWEVER, it isn't a bad idea to think twice about having a moody, dark-haired MC named Raven.

10) Always Start With Something Interesting
The main flaw with this rule is that it is frequently misunderstood. Interesting does NOT mean things have to explode/people have to die/MC discovers he's an alien/whatever on the first page. It DOES mean that however your story starts it should make us interested in the character and curious about their situation. Even if it's ABSOLUTELY ORDINARY.

There are, of course, more rules than this. These are the ones I run across most frequently. Some I keep and others I break. But that's a story for another day.

Write Like A Professional

2011-06-28T19:36:00.000-04:00

Last year I had a revelation about writing. I realized that if I ever expected to reach professional status - that is actually writing full-time as a career - I was going to have to treat my writing in a professional way.

This doesn't mean I don't shake my fist at my inner editor and call her unsavory names now and again. It doesn't mean I have conquered the mysterious world of spreadsheets and databases that some employ to track their progress. It doesn't mean when I sit down to write I wear my interview clothes. (Not that that wouldn't be kind of fun.)

Writing like a professional means finishing what I start, even when the story truly sucks.
It means setting goals about how much I write each week.
It means gritting my teeth and skipping a rerun on TV (even if it is The Good Wife) and working on the edits to that story that should be sitting on an editor's desk right NOW!
It means subbing to the hardest markets first, even if they are the hardest markets.
It means accepting criticism and rejection and continuing to write anyway.

I used to have this idea that if I wrote on my own time there was no need to set strict goals. There was no point in holding myself to deadlines. Once I was published I would start changing my writing habits.

Then I began to realize what an impact writing habits have on my writing. I would not be able to achieve professional publication unless I was acting like a professional.

None of this means that I don't sometimes blow off writing in favor of an evening vegging in front of the TV. Or that I make every one of my goals and deadlines. Or that I don't sometimes write something short and sweet and sub it to an easy market because I get tired of the "Sorry, it's not what we want" emails.

But I am working on making a habit of writing every day. Of finishing every story. Of polishing as many of those finished stories as possible. And then subbing those polished stories 'til the spec-fic publishing world is crying mercy. Because that (I think) is how the professionals do it.

People Are Stupid. Get Over It.

2011-06-19T14:18:00.000-04:00

At some point every author runs up against someone who, for reasons unknown, just dislikes something we've written. Perhaps they say the main character is unsympathetic. Or they don't like the fact that you've used "adult" language. Or maybe they just find your story unsettling.

Here's a quick heads-up. People are stupid. (They are also entitled to their opinion, but that's a different story.) They have biases and dislikes that have nothing to do with how well your story is written or what the plot is or whether or not your MC is a misogynistic ass.

And, there is nothing you can do about it.

So get over it.

I know it's hard to ignore the patronizing critique or the scathing comments left on your blog. But obsessing over one or two people who happen to not like your story won't get you anything but a bad case of heartburn. And responding in kind will make you look bad.

So get over it.

There is, naturally, an exception to this sage piece of advice.

If you are beta-ing a story (either in a critique group, writers forum or via email) you should at least consider even the most outlandish criticism. Especially if you see the same type of comments coming from all your readers. This may be a sign that your precious story is not quite the piece of gold you thought it was.

If, however, we're talking about something that's already published you should ignore the detrimental comments and go about your business.

That is all.

A Quick Note

2011-06-03T12:12:00.000-04:00

My flash fiction romance (Apology) is now published on Every Day Fiction.

Focus

2011-06-01T21:09:00.000-04:00

I'm the kind of writer that works best when I have more than one iron in the fire. Sometimes I have a lot of irons in the fire.

Just a glance at my In Progress widget over there on the right margin and you'll see a portion of what I'm working on. And those are just the ones that have a significant portion written. (There is a folder on my laptop entitled The Trunk and another one called Bits of Tripe for things I've either set aside for the time being or started before realizing they stunk.)

But there is a point at which I start to lose my momentum and the Today I... list sits quiet for weeks at a time.

Beginning writers always want to know "How many projects should I be working on at one time?" As with everything else, there are countless answers. A portion of authors work on one project at a time. Others juggle three or four or a dozen at once.

The true answer, the only one that remains true for everyone, is this: Work on however many projects you want, as long as you continue to make progress on at least one.

For me the number of stories I can write simultaneously varies from week to week and month to month. Sometimes even day to day. And that's okay.
It's okay if one day I can only work on the sci-fi western and have to put the steampunk day-in-the-life and the alternate high fantasy aside for a while.
It's also okay if I work on all three side by side for a week or so.
As long as new words are being put down on paper (or laptop) every day I can work on however many projects I want.

But when the words start to die off, it's time to cut back and refocus.
Because finishing one story is better than working on, but never finishing, a dozen.

Just Hit Send

2011-05-26T22:10:00.000-04:00

Submitting a story of any length - I include everything from Twit Fic to novels in the "story" category - is daunting.

In fact, sometimes it's downright frightening. But there is a "cure". It's called Just Hit Send. This is how it works.

1. Write a story.
2. Edit with a machete or any large bladed tool of choice.
3. Polish remaining lean, mean story to a mirror finish.
4. Run spell check.
5. Format according to the guidelines of the intended market.
6. Attach to an email with a polite but brief note to the editors of said market.
7. Hit send.
8. Repeat.

Step seven is the part that tends to be problematic. I've written and edited and polished stories, even written the cover email and then deleted it without sending anything off. Even when I know a story is as good as it's going to get I still waffle about submitting.

We all know the excuses.
Maybe I need another beta reader to look it over.
Maybe I should let it sit for a few more weeks, just in case I've missed something.
Maybe this isn't the right market.
Maybe the market is oversaturated with this type of story.
Maybe, maybe, maybe.

What we should really be doing is clicking the send button.
Because beta-readers are useful but in the end, only you can decide if a story is ready or not.
Because if you thought it was ready for submission last night, then it's still ready today.
Because you won't know if it's the right market or not until you send it in.
Because if your story is as good as you think it won't matter how many vampire/zombie/pirate stories they've already seen.
Because, because, because.

Doubt is just another name for procrastination.

Talent, Luck and Hard Work

2011-05-15T13:14:00.000-04:00

I wrote a post last year some time addressing the debate over Talent vs Work. (It's an old argument. Probably even older than Outline vs Pantsing or Character vs Plot.)

Now that I'm digging back into the submission game I've a bit more to add.

There are, in my opinion, three factors that determine whether or not a story sells.

1) The talent level of the writer. Whether talent is learned or innate, some writers are better than others. Just like some athletes run faster than others. I'm not saying this as a "You suck!" argument. Simply pointing out that there is a certain skill level that is required to achieve professional publication.

2) Luck. This boils down to hitting the right market with the right story on the right day while the editor is in the right mood. Unless you're consulting a ouija board or the spirits of your ancestors there is probably not much you can do about this aside from hit every possible market as often as possible with everything you've got.

3) Hard work. I've said before that hard work will trump talent every time. I still think that. In order to nail that sale you have to work hard. Work hard at writing. Work hard at editing. Work hard at submitting what you've written and edited.

Now. Of those three factors, which do you (and I) actually have any control over? (I'll bet you see where this is going.)

That's right: Hard Work. This is the only part of the magic formula for story sales that you can actually do anything about. Because talent is A) something you have or you don't and B) only gets better with practice. And luck... well, luck is what you make of it.

My point?

Too often we get caught up in the "Am I good enough?" trap. This is the mental block where we (and by "we" I really mean "I") start doubting whether what I write is any good at all. Do I have real talent? Will I ever be successful as a writer/author/scribbler on napkins? The answer, of course, is to work until you prove the talent is there.

Usually, once I get past the previous trap I get stuck in the "I must find the perfect market" trap. This is the one where I start spending all my time trying to find that one perfect market for a specific story. The one where it will sail through the slush pile and amaze and move the editor(s). Of course, the only cure for this mental glitch is to keep writing and submitting even when there doesn't seem to be a "perfect" market. Again, hard work is the answer.

Because talent is great and luck is amazing, but the nitty gritty of actually doing the work, well, that's tangible. And that's what's important.

Lessons Learned Cutting a Tree

2011-05-06T17:35:00.000-04:00

1. Know your structure.
And, no. I'm not talking about writing an outline. I'm talking about being familiar with the structure of what you write. From the basic beginning, middle, end to more complex sub-plot arcs, character development and so on. Short stories are simpler than novels. Not necessarily easier, but certainly simpler. They contain fewer characters, fewer plot points. A novel is a gargantuan thing that if you start at it willy-nilly is likely to twist and break and crush you under the weight of there's-so-much-here-I-didn't-take-into-account.

2. Know your limitations.
The adrenaline rush of starting a new project tends to make me jump in with both feet. And that's all well and good, but it's important to know one's limitations. Even at my most excited and fastest typing speeds, I can't write a novel in a day. I'm lucky to get a rough draft in a month. This is one reason why goals are important, they tell you where you're going and keep you from burning out by running full steam all the time. In other words, work hard, but don't work too hard.

3. Getting the big stuff down is only the beginning.
A common misunderstanding among newer writers is that the purpose of editing is simply to look for typos and maybe tighten up a few sentences here and there. We've all felt that initial rush of Thank-god-it's-done that comes when we complete a rough draft. But if you're like me, you're also beginning to realize that the rough draft is just the beginning. Then comes cutting out the dead stuff. Killing those darling that just don't fit with the rest. Filling in plot-holes. Smoothing out character arcs. And so on. The rough draft is the easy part and once that's done the real work (of revising and rewriting) begins.

Lessons Learned at a Funeral

2011-04-26T17:38:00.000-04:00

1) Not having a plan benefits no one.
It is scary to have a plan. Making a plan predicts a certain outcome. When it comes to publication having a plan means either dealing with success (whatever that word may mean to you) when it comes or facing the bitter eventuality that this career is not for you after all. It is easy to write. It is harder to set goals, stick to them, and refine or change them when the results are not what you wanted.

2) There is nothing to be gained by being fearful.
Seeking publication is frightening. There is a fear of being judged for what you write. The fear of rejection. The fear that you aren't as good as you think you are. But not doing something because it might turn out badly guarantees it won't turn out well. Taking risks means facing failure. It also means pursuing rewards.

3) We don't know what will happen tomorrow.
It is a particular flaw of many writers (myself included) that we want to take one last look at that story, let it percolate a little longer, tweak it just a little more. And then I realize I've been working on a short story for months and months and it's no longer getting better it's just getting different. No one wants to send a story out too soon, but there is no benefit from sitting on a story 'til you're dead.

In short, make a plan, then write (and send those suckers out for consideration) like there is no tomorrow.

Thick Skin

2011-04-08T21:37:00.000-04:00

When I first started looking for advice on how to write, I quickly ran across the admonishment that I must grow a thick skin or I wouldn't last long.

I thought that meant that eventually I wouldn't care any more whether an editor said a piece wasn't right for their publication or a beta-reader didn't understand an integral plot point or thought my characters were flat. I thought that meant the eventually the criticism would just bounce right off and I'd continue on my merry writing way.

Maybe I've not been at this long enough, but that still hasn't happened. I still get a little hurt when a beta-reader tells me I still have issues with the middle or that chapter is just fluff and needs to go. (Yesterday!) And the rejections still make me a little blue for an hour or two.

But I'm beginning to think that maybe thick skin shouldn't imply letting it all roll off, like water on the proverbial duck's back. Or displaying Rocky-like masochism in the face of an editorial beatdown by way of a rejection letter for every day of the week.

I think that "thick skin" means you don't let the negative slow you down. Because once I get past my hurt feelings and blue moments, I keep going. I try harder. I work harder. I take risks. (If no one likes the story now, why shouldn't I try something unorthodox? They can't hate it any more than they already do.)

And about those "not for us" rejections. The form letters that don't really say anything except "we don't want this story at this particular moment". An acquaintance today said "It's not the rejections that matter." (Well, I paraphrase because I'm too tired to look it up and quote with precision.) But she's right.

It's not the rejections that matter.

Believe me, it's hard to remember that when there are bills stacking up and just one sale would really make a difference.
It's hard to remember that when every story I send out is coming back "no".
It's hard to remember that when I really want to be able to say "Look what I made. Someone else thinks it's worth something."

But in the end having a thick skin is not about not feeling the hunger (literal or figurative) or the disappointment. Thick skin is about being stubborn enough to stick it out, to say "My work is good and it is worth something and one of these days I'll find someone who agrees with me." Thick skin is not about not feeling, it's about not stopping even when you do feel it.

So here's to another day of living like John McClane. Well, maybe it's not been that bad. But for those days when it has been and you're standing there beaten up but not beaten down, let's all raise our glasses and salute the indomitable spirit that lives in action heroes and writers.

Yippeekaiyay...

The Basics

2011-04-07T18:33:00.000-04:00

It's funny where we find inspiration.

This afternoon I was watching Arthur (the children's TV show) and one of the characters wanted to know how to become a writer. She sent a letter to her favorite author (who was a clear homage to Lemony Snickett) asking for advice.

These are the three "dreadful tips" he sent her in response.

1) Read.

This is the one that as a grown-up writer I have the most trouble with. It's hard to fit in the time to not only write but also to read. Somehow it feels wasteful, sitting down with a book. A little voice in the back of my head always whines about how I'm "not being productive". But the truth is that we learn how to write by reading what other people have written. Like an apprentice painter copying the works of the Masters in order to understand how to mix color and use vary brushstrokes to create light and shadow on a canvas, reading allows us to study "how it's done".

2) Write. And most importantly, rewrite.

This is probably the easiest of the three tips for me. I love writing. I can write really fast. And I've learned how to kill my darlings and edit with a machete so that only the best parts survive from one draft to the next. But rewriting is still a challenge. I start to feel frustrated that I'm writing a particular chapter again. Or reworking an opening I thought was perfect on the previous draft. But successful writing is rewriting. The more I do it the less stressful it is. (And, since I'm continuing to write by keeping myself rewriting, it all improves. A win-win.)

3) Look for opportunities to publish your work.

This falls in the middle of the three points for me. More challenging than writing, less challenging than finding time to read. It is also, by far, the scariest part of the path to writerly success. Publication means other people will see my work. They can make their own judgments about whether it is good or bad or simply boring. But that's only if I am published. First I have to "look for opportunities" and that's the real bugger.

Seeking publication means facing the inevitable rejections. It means telling someone else (even if only via email) that I think my story is good enough for them to publish. (And not just publish, but pay me for. Yikes!) My palms are getting sweaty just thinking about it. But this is the risk we take in order to share our stories with the world. Even if it's only editor's desk at a time.

I truly believe that sticking to these three points will eventually get me that "Yes" I've been waiting for. And if it never comes I'll have spent my time doing things I enjoy (reading and writing) and challenging myself to have faith in what I produce.

No matter what, that's a win.

Steampunk Mammoths: excerpt

2011-04-01T17:06:00.001-04:00

When the men from the west first breached our mountains they promised many things – technology in exchange for the use of our animals; finished goods in trade for our raw materials; and peace. Most of all they promised peace.

Naturally, that was the first oath they broke.

Even now, as they continue to encroach on the foothills - taking the only land that is capable of providing our food – they bring goods: fabrics that are rough and do nothing to keep the chill of the snow at bay, and beads and baubles that are too cheap even to glitter. They bring these things and they pass them out with smiles on their faces and guns in their hands, as if they are making a fair exchange.

They bring technology, as well. Pressurized guns capable of firing hundreds of rounds in a minute, capable of reaching far up the slopes of our mother mountains. And machines that tear up our fields, devouring fertile soil and leaving behind ruin and waste in the search for the metal and stones they call precious.

I adjust my long-gun in the crook of my arm. If they will not bring peace, then I will take it to them. I will forge an alliance the same way my mother-ancestors forged it in the deep times. I will hunt among their settlements until I find a husband. Once I make him mine, we will have peace.

I will cross their borders above the snow-line. Far above the gates and the guns they use to protect the pass. It is cloudy, I doubt they can see me even with their telescopic scanners, but just in case I put on my snow-cloak and cover Ye'var as well. He protests, mild, because it is not truly cold enough for him to wear the extra blanket, but it is necessary. His fur, mottled brown and black, stands out against the blue-white glare of the snow plains.

"Just for a little while," I say. "'Til we have passed the gates, then we will come down and you may walk free."

He harumphs like an old man, but reaches up with his trunk to pull the hood over his massive head. Only his feet are visible under the edge of the blanket. From a distance they will be nothing more than moving black dots against the mirror of the snow, much like the spots one gets from staring at the sun. No one will notice us.

I put one foot in the curl of Ye'var's trunk, grip the braided forelock with my free hand and climb up his broad forehead to settle on his back. "Go on. The sooner we're past the gate the sooner you can uncover."

He flaps his ears in agreement and I lay low, holding tight to his blanket and the thick fur underneath. The westerners make such an ordeal out of beast-riding. They have harnesses and platforms and safety belts to keep from falling. All of it proves useless when the animals refuse to move. It is the one reason we still have a foothold in the mountains.

The machines the men of the west have brought are terrible, but they cannot survive above the snow-line. Their joints freeze and their fires go out or melt through the snow and leave the mechana buried in ice. A few attempts have been made to scale the peaks on foot, but the altitude sickens them and the cold is too intense. No army can match us on the snow-plains.

Not as long as we have the mammoths.

Despite their size, they move swiftly through the snow and the cold has no effect, unable to pierce their thick fur or the layer of fat beneath their skin. They are the reason the Ka'nesh conquered these mountains in the deep times. They are the reason we still rule the peaks.

But with our fields all but gone, taken by men who want only what is under the ground, it has grown more and more difficult to feed our beasts. Every year there have been fewer calves born. Every year we lose a few more of the elders, and some of the adults. This year we lost one that was barely two hands old.

For this reason above all else, we must have peace. For this reason I am headed into the lowlands to hunt a husband.

We must have peace.

Winding Down

2011-03-31T16:57:00.000-04:00

The beginning of the month was hot for me, writing-wise. I wrote a lot and subbed more stories for consideration than I've probably subbed ever. (My stats on this are limited, but I think prior to this point there were only about three shorts I'd ever sent out. Shame on me.)

Now, at the end of the month, things are winding down. Duotrope says I have six pieces under consideration (two are Twit Fic), four pieces that were rejected, and two Twit Fics that were accepted. That's not too bad, considering. (Though I would really like to be able to sell something longer than 140 characters. Maybe even get paid.)

My own stats say that I also have four short stories in progress. (This means either I've begun a draft or the story is waiting on edits before it hits the world outside my laptop.) One of those (The Collection's Agent) has a deadline to meet tomorrow. The others just need me to get my butt in gear and get them written and polished.

The point of all this is: I've not worked this hard in a while. Sure, I've had intense months whilst working on the novels, but they didn't have the same kind of energy demands. (For me anyway. A novel doesn't require the same kind of mental switching that a series of short stories does.)

I view all this as a good thing. My typing speed is back up. My editing machete is getting sharper. And I'm slowly gaining some of the discipline I tend to lack when it comes to getting things finished. Oh, yeah. And my skin is getting thicker.

Of course, April 1st marks the beginning of Script Frenzy so we'll see how I manage writing short stories and cranking out a one hundred page screenplay. Whatever happens I'm sure of one thing.

I will be writing.

Quality VS Quantity

2011-03-23T21:28:00.000-04:00

Now and again I see someone on a message board grandly proclaim "I prefer to focus on the quality of my writing rather than the quantity." This is a comment usually pointed at someone else who is celebrating having finished a draft of a novel in a month or written 10k words in one day or otherwise having worked hard and fast.

First let me say, we should all think about the quality of our writing. But I think it's rather obvious that no one intentionally writes poorly and the vast majority of us seek to improve our skill set rather than maintain whatever level we started at.

Now. Here's the plain fact of the quality vs quantity myth.

You will not get better at writing if you aren't actually writing. This means writing every day. This means setting challenging goals. This means producing fiction (or non-fiction if that's the way you swing) in quantity. The more you produce, the better you will get. End of story.

Writing is how you get better at writing.

Of course, there are things you can do to help improve the quality of your writing. Identifying flaw/weaknesses and trying to eliminate them as you write is always a good idea. (I would suggest only focusing on one or two at a time though, otherwise you'll be overwhelmed.) Reading books that are well-written and figuring out why you like them is a good idea. Reading books that are poorly-written and figuring out why you don't like them is a good idea. Making notes on words you aren't familiar with, pulling down the dictionary to see if that word you've never used before really means what you think, is a good idea.

But the best idea of all, is to write.
Every day.
As much as possible.
Write. Write. Write.
Because quality comes from quantity. Not the other way around.

Exhaustion and Fear

2011-03-21T10:52:00.000-04:00

At some point every writer hits what we generally term "writers block." I've blogged about it before and put forward the idea that it isn't actually a block, but sheer exhaustion.

Today, running on five hours of sleep and a stiff cup of coffee, I've been thinking about it further.

Writers exhaustion is very real. It could be a minor didn't-get-enough-sleep-last-night issue that keeps you from putting words on the page for a day or two. It could be a mind-numbing months-long ordeal. (The latter is usually triggered by outside forces like being sick, stress in our non-writing lives, eating poorly, family drama, etc.) Whether it's short or long term exhaustion there's really only one solution - rest.

It's frustrating to not be working on something you love but severe exhaustion is crippling, not only to your writing but to the rest of your life as well. Don't try and push through it. Just take a break. Everyone needs a vacation now and then, even writers.

But, I've also been thinking about the idea of "writers block". I have reached the following conclusion. The only "block" to my writing is me.

Because sometimes I sit down to write and I'm not tired or hungry or depressed or angry and the words just don't want to come out.

I believe there is only one source of this block - fear.
Fear of trying something new. (Writing a horror novella for instance.)
Fear of not achieving my goals. (I said I'd finish this by the end of the week but I don't think it's possible.)
Fear of not doing the story justice. (It's so perfect in my head, what if it's crap when it hits the paper?)

"Oh, that's not my problem," you say.

Let me just say, bull-shit.

None of us likes to admit to being afraid of doing the thing we love. And sometimes we won't know what it is that scares us, but fear is the only constant explanation for writer's block.

There are other reasons thrown out there. "My story just isn't working." "I don't have any ideas." "The wind isn't blowing from the east." "I've run out of pretzels." But the fact of the matter is we write every day. We write emails. We write blog posts. We write on forums complaining about how the words just don't want to come and we can't write ANYTHING. Except of course, everything we are writing.

The only thing stopping me from writing my novella is me and my fear that it won't be scary or horrific or that the ending will suck. It is not some mysterious plot hole or the stars being in the wrong alignment.

It is fear.

And the only way out is through it.

So I will keep working on the novella. Even when I only write a couple sentences a day. Even when I doubt every single plot point. Even when I'm certain it will be the biggest piece of crap ever.

Because eventually I'll remember that writing is what I love. And I'm good at it. And really and truly I already write horror with the label torn off. So why am I worrying about it?

Inspiration

2011-03-19T23:03:00.000-04:00

I don't remember exactly how old I was when I first found a volume of Ray Bradbury's short stories. I do remember being absolutely stunned at the depth of work I found between the covers. (Admittedly, I was probably twelve or so at the time and easily stunned by literary prowess.)

That sense of wonder is something that never fails to return when I pick up one of Bradbury's books. Something Wicked This Way Comes remains at the top of my all time favorite books. Closely followed by From the Dust Returned, The Illustrated Man, and Dandelion Wine.

But I have a very special place in my soul for the novella Somewhere A Band is Playing.

A few years ago I had put Now and Forever on my wish list at Amazon.com. And one of my family members bought it for me for Christmas. I was excited (never having read it before) but busy and put it on the shelf. Last summer I pulled it down and read the first of the two novellas in the book (Somewhere a Band Is Playing). It starts off with a mystery, a quaint little town where everyone lives and is happy but no one ever seems to work.

I know how Bradbury loves the bizarre, the horrific, so I wonder: Is it a ghost town? No. It's something far stranger - a town full of writers. Oh, it makes me laugh. It's a beautiful, and funny, little story. It's a story every writer should read.

When I first read Bradbury I wanted to write like he did. I tried to write like he did. And failed, miserably, I might add.

Now, I think, I'm finally beginning to realize that it's not about writing like a master (even one like Bradbury or King or Williams or Peake). It's about writing until you are a master in your own right.

That only comes when we put in the effort to learn our craft by writing every day.

Telling Stories

2011-03-15T18:01:00.000-04:00

Ever been talking with a friend and they say something like: "You'll never believe what happened to me the other day. It was the funniest thing." Usually this is followed by an anecdote about being unable to find the car keys ("In the freezer! Would you believe it?") or the dog being stupid ("He turned around so fast he hit his head on the wall! Would you believe it?") or something else that somehow doesn't strike you as being funny at all.

The problem is not that your friend is boring. (Or easily amused.) The problem is this: telling stories takes practice.

There are many things to learn about the craft of writing. One of the most important is how to tell a story. This goes beyond knowing that it has to have a beginning, a middle and an end. It is more than understanding that the action has to rise and fall and slowly build to a climax. It does involve knowing how to make your characters compelling. And it will certainly require developing interest in the situation in which those characters find themselves.

Learning all of these separate skills is important, but the only way to really learn how to tell a story is to do it.

"But I write all the time," you say.

That's fantastic. But how many stories do you actually finish? Because learning how to tell a story means starting at the beginning and following through to the end.

Even when the middle sucks.
Even when the ending blows.
Even when every word is like pulling teeth.
Start at the beginning, slog through the middle and finish the damn thing.

Because telling a story takes practice.

So go and practice.
Every day.

Organization

2011-03-13T22:08:00.000-04:00

It is easy to lose track of things when you're writing.

Like what time it is. Or the cup of coffee getting cold on the corner of the desk. Or which project needs your attention next. Which is closely tied to, which stories have I subbed and where?

This last one is a real bugger. I spend a lot of time worrying about it. Have I subbed to the right market? Have I subbed to a market that doesn't take simultaneous subs and is going to bring the wrath of the editor Powers-that-Be down on my head? (I hear they are more deadly than my own fearsome editing machete.)

I've tried a bunch of different things to organize what I'm working on and what I've done with it: spreadsheets, index cards, a text file, a piece of paper thumbtacked over my desk. So far, I have had only middling success with any of them.

Of the things I've tried, index cards have been the most useful. (Spreadsheets get complicated and I always wind up with invalid commands and BS that I just don't have brainspace for.) I write the name of the story at the top of the card. Immediately underneath I write [Drafting] or [Revising] or [Subbed] depending on which stage of the process I'm at. Underneath that I write a logline. It doesn't have to be perfect, but it should tell me at a glance what the story is about. (Willa must choose between her hatred of the British Empire and her love of the Queen's son.) On the flip side of the card I write down any potential markets.

It works pretty well. (Until the cats knock the stack of cards under the desk and the next time I find them they're soaked in pee.)

But the thing I've learned most this week has been simply to keep working. Even if it isn't organized. Even if I don't have a master plan about where to submit the next short story I write.

Because sometimes organization is another word for procrastination.

Breaking a sweat

2011-03-07T16:48:00.000-05:00

I recently added that "Challenges and Contests" box over there on the right hand margin. One of the "challenges" is the Write1 Sub1 challenge. Basically the idea is to write a story and submit a story either every week or every month throughout the year.

I was in a bit of headfunk during January and although I wrote a story I didn't sub it. Shame on me. Then last month I wrote a story and subbed it, but still wasn't really thinking about Write1 Sub1 in concrete terms.

Then, last Friday, I figured I might as well get my butt in gear and start really playing the game.

With that thought in mind, I will now also be adding elements to the blog to both track what I'm writing and where they are being submitted, and also a list of markets (paying and non-paying) where you can join me in the quest for publication.

My goal is to write and submit somewhere between 12 and 52 stories over the course of the year. (Most of them will be shorts but I have a few longer projects that may see the light of an editors desk as well.)

So, what are your goals? Do you have a specific number you want to write? To submit? To have published?

Goals for a New Year

2011-03-03T22:19:00.000-05:00

This is the sort of thing that should normally be posted at the beginning of the year. As usual, I'm a little behind.

I have, however, been thinking hard about what I want to accomplish this year. I still have a novel in revisions that's this close to being ready to submit. And another novel that's waiting for a rewrite. Plus all the stuff in the Unfinished Trunk.

It's all going to have to wait.

This is not to say that I won't be working on the novel-in-revisions this year. Only that my goal this year is publication. Yeah, I know. That was my goal last year. But last year I was determined to write newer better stuff and get it published. This year I'm setting my sights on taking what is already written, giving it a little bit of polish, and finding markets for it.

Simple, yes?

I've already been pulling out some older short stories and dusting them off. There's a lot of dust. And a fair amount of work that needs to be done before they will find a new home.

But no one said this writing thing was easy.

Outbound - intro sketch

2011-02-23T10:56:00.000-05:00

Sela wrapped her good hand around her tea mug and took a careful sip.

The salon was crackling with noise and activity; passengers readying themselves for the charge down the iron gangway and the resulting jostle for primacy in the luggage line, the customs line and the cab line. Mother of the Deep, I hate traveling. She tucked her feet further under the bench as a cluster of children galloped past, each declaring primacy at the curved viewing windows.

“Scuse me, miss. Spare some change for a fellow cripple?”

Sela looked up into a pair of stunningly blue eyes sunk deep in an otherwise unremarkable face. “Cripple?” She straightened. “Fellow?”

The young man, barely old enough to be called a man but too tall to be a boy any longer, shrugged. “Not sympathetic, eh? Can I interest you in some flowers?” He opened his coat, revealing three pence posies, each threaded through a hole cut in the lining of his jacket.

The 'ship bobbled and there was a vague roar as the steam-thrusters kicked in. Over the heads of the milling children, Sela could just make out the curve of the planet below.

“Come on. Just five pence and these lovely flowers are yours.”

“Just five pence. For three-penny flowers?”

He grinned. “Hard work for me, hobblin' around. And I've been told my charm's worth the extra tuppence.”

“Hardly.” She dug in her pocket and produced a five-pence. “Better not to call strangers cripple and expect them to give you something for it.”

“Sorry 'bout that. I saw your hand and thought we had summat in common.” He slapped the brace around his leg with one hand and held out a drooping posey with the other.

She looked down, almost unwilling. The black leather brace covered her right hand from the first joint on each finger to the midpoint between wrist and elbow. That part was hidden under the sleeve of her coat and the long cuff on her shirt was meant to hide as much of the gold wires and tiny gears that meshed across the back of the leather glove. She guessed it didn't do that as well as she had hoped.

The flower seller was already limping away, smily and bright-eyed.

Sela tucked the flowers into the top buttonhole on her coat, knowing full well they would be dead and colorless by the time she got where she was going. The viewing windows turned milky red as the 'ship descended through the atmosphere. She flexed her hand and the wires glinted, pinkily, in the eerie light.

Summat in common. Clenching her fist so tight the brace pinged in complaint, she took another swallow of tea. I doubt that.

-- Outbound Screnzy project in development

Naming Your Cats. Er... I Mean Characters

2010-10-29T14:24:00.000-04:00

A common question from beginning writers is: How do you come up with names for your characters? (This question is matched by a predisposition to name characters things like Raven, Jet or Hiro.)

There is no right or wrong way to name your characters. Really. But here are a few things you might consider during that creation process.
First. Most people are named by their parents. That means that whatever name the parents of your MC think is cool or apt is the name that they will have. This means, know your MC's background and culture and name him/her accordingly. (Because that's what his/her parent's would have done.)

Second. Names might be descriptive or trendy or just weird. That's okay. But don't pick something just because you think it's unique.

Third. Sometimes names are just a bunch of sounds put together that sound nice.

Fourth. Certain names become trendy, both in real life and in the world of fiction. Be careful about naming your character something similar to an already existing character in a similar world/story to your own. (Especially if the other story is popular.) This does not mean you could never call a character Harry or Edward, but try not to name your vampire hero/villain after another (now famous) fictional vampire.

I have a lot of cats. They all have names. Some of them my husband named. Some of them I named. Let's look at a few of the names I gave my cats to demonstrate how you might go about naming characters.

Rosie was originally called Tiger because she was tiger-striped. But every time I looked at her I thought "Rosie." I don't know why. She's not pink. She's not girly. Nor is she part of the womens manufacturing effort at home. But she's definitely Rosie.

Then there's Nona. A quiet little lady who doesn't get in trouble or have any distinguishing marks (she's solid black). At first I thought of her as "no name" but that seemed kind of rude so I shortened it to "Nona".

When I name my characters I try and look at who they are and where they come from. By the time I get finished getting to know them a name usually pops into my head. If it doesn't I turn first to their cultural roots, then to the characteristics they might have displayed as a baby. (Dark hair, cheerful, whatever.) Eventually I figure something out.

The point is, they are your characters and you can name them whatever you like. Despite my cautions there really is no right or wrong way to pick a characters name. Just let you imagination go. (And, when it doubt, peruse a site like babynames.com for inspiration.)

That Special Time of the Year

2010-10-25T12:24:00.000-04:00

Well, my darling sparrows, it's almost that time of year again. No, not the winter holidays with rampant consumerism, depression and stress. November 1st marks the start of the National Novel Writing Month 2010.

I know I've talked about NaNoWriMo before, but for those who aren't familiar with it here's the overview. The goal is to write 50k words in 30 days (about 1700 words a day) and produce a "novel" in a month.

"That sounds awesome," some of you say.

Yes, it is.

"That sounds stupid," a few of you think.

No, not stupid. Just masochistic.

"Fifty thousand words in one month? Do you think I'm a robot?"

Maybe.

However you look at NaNoWriMo, here are a few reasons to consider participating.

1. Writing with a group can be very motivating. NaNo is basically a personal challenge. But, there are thousands of people all taking the same challenge and plenty of friendly rivalry to go around.

2. NaNo is what you make of it. Although it's called the National Novel Writing Month, the fact of the matter is you can write pretty much whatever you want. As long as it's 50k words or more. Short story collections. Novellas. An epic poem. They all count.

3. Remember how I'm constantly saying you should write every day? NaNo is the perfect time to try it out. Even if you don't meet the overall goal you'll get a better sense of how easy it is to work writing into your every day schedule.

4. You have nothing to lose. Even if you only write 10 words by the end of November that's still 10 words more than you had at the beginning of the month. This is a situation where you will not be worse off if you make an effort.

Still not convinced? Or maybe you're curious. Click on over to NaNoWriMo.org and check it out for yourself.

I can guarantee that if you try NaNo you're in for a wild ride. There will heartbreak, tears, joy, anger, dancing and chocolate. And then there's actually writing your novel.

Come join a few hundred thousand aspiring writers and challenge yourself to do more, more quickly.

Sweating the Small Stuff - The Creative Process: Part Eleven

2010-08-22T21:28:00.000-04:00

Revising means more that looking for spelling errors and misplaced commas. It's more complicated than simply fixing a rough plot. Revising means polishing characters and finding (and keeping) a consistent voice for the whole novel.

Everyone always wants to know how to edit for voice. I can't tell you exactly how I do it. But I can give you some examples and maybe a few pointers.

Here's a line from a short story I'm working on. First, the rough draft version. Dust and heat hit like a wall as I take my first steps on Malachee.

After a bit of thinking about how that "hit" confuses the tense (which is first person present), I came up with the following solution. Dust hits like a fist as I take my first steps on Malachee; heat is a sucker punch behind.

Not necessarily the perfect (or permanent) solution but now I'm thinking along a better train of thought. And I have more creative options about how to expand or diversify that opening.

Here's a bit from a sketch for a potential novel. Centurion was about ten hours ahead of her internal clock which meant she’d be coming on duty about the time she normally went to sleep.

And the revised version. Stretching and pretending to yawn didn’t trigger any feelings of sleepiness. Her internal clock was not in synch with life on the ship. Yet. In the meantime she would have to deal with a duty shift that coincided with her normal sleep cycle.

Again, it's not necessarily a perfect solution but it certainly has more movement, more in common with the POV character, than the first version. (And let's remember that, for better or worse, I work through several drafts before I'm satisfied.)

I like to write my narrative as close to the POV characters "voice" as possible. I've been told that narrative voice (in third person) can never exactly match a character's voice. But I'll be damned if I don't try. That means that every description, every observation, every word choice is informed by the POV character. If they are poorly educated, I don't use big words and may even opt for less smooth sentence construction to stick more closely in their head.

This is not a choice that every author will want to make. I find it works well for me. In part because once I find the main character's "voice" I've also found the book's voice. Learning how far to push it... that's an ongoing process.

For me, the small details are really what holds the story together. A character describing something a particular way. An image that is beyond typical. Making sure those details come through is part of the revision process. It doesn't matter how brilliant the plot is if the characters seem flat or the action is stilted by failing to show those little nuances that say "This is someone you've not met before."

Right now I'm in the middle of a fourth draft of a novel. There's a lot of fiddling with little things. But less now than there was in the previous draft. And that's the way it should be.

What about you? Do you have a method for finding voice? Or a way to compare one chapter to the next as you aim for consistency? Or maybe your "small details" are something else entirely? How do you polish the little things in your novel?

Begin at the Beginning - The Creative Process: Part Ten

2010-08-22T20:57:00.000-04:00

Once I get a better idea of what needs to be fixed plot-wise in my rough draft, I start rewriting. Usually I have a stack of scribbled-over, post-it splattered pages, a new outline, and a bunch of pages in the trash. This is because A) I like to work from an actual paper copy when I make revisions, B) the original story/outline has undergone major reconstructive surgery, and C) a lot of the rough draft turned out to be useless. (At least for the moment.)

When I start rewriting I start from scratch. Using my outline to keep me on track and my scribbled-over pages to give me something to work with I open up a brand spanking new document, label it "Big Shiny Idea - Draft Two ver 1". Then I begin with sentence one (even if for some miracle I decided to keep it the way it was in the rough draft) and start typing. All of it. From scratch.

I can type 2k in an hour if I absolutely have to. If you are a slow typist you might want to consider improving your typing speed or use an alternate method for revisions.

Before you say "Screw that. I'm not retyping the whole damn book." let me explain my madness.

I noticed a while back that when I went through and made revisions (especially in longer - novel length - work) that I could tell which sections had been in the rough draft and which were revised. Sometimes it was just a shift in voice or tone. But most of the time the revised sections simply did flow with the rest.

Maybe I'm the only one with this issue. Maybe every other writer on the face of the planet has no trouble in making revisions flow seamlessly into the rest of the story. But I, apparently, struggle with this.

After a bit of flailing trying to rectify the problem I discovered a simple solution. Write it all as one piece. When I started at the beginning and wrote through to the end (not all in one sitting if we're talking about a novel) my brain ironed out the seams and tweaked the notes I had made so that everything actually fit together.

I'm not sure why it works like that for me, but it does. And I always recommend that you try and actually retype as much as possible when you revise a draft. This also helps smooth out changes in voice or writing skill that may have developed over the course of writing the novel.

Whether I'm rewriting everything or filling in chunks I do find it works best to start at the beginning and work through to the end. It just helps me keep the story moving forward, the character arcs arcing and the tension moving gradually toward the climax.

What about you? Do you revise beginning to end or hop around until it's all finished?

Trimming Back the Shrubbery - The Creative Process: Part Nine

2010-07-26T12:46:00.000-04:00

Once my rough draft is done it's time to start revising and editing. Those two words do not mean the same thing. (At least, not in my world.)

Revising is the work of tightening up plots, fleshing out characters, cutting out dead chapters, filling in the gaps and rewriting those passages that spewed forth at the end of a caffeine binge. It is the process of polishing "the big picture" of your novel.

Editing is the nuts and bolts of your writing. Checking spelling, punctuation, grammar, formatting. Editing should only be done once the revisions are done. (This doesn't mean ignore glaring errors. But don't waste time angsting over whether a comma is needed in a particular sentence until you are damn certain that sentence will be going out to agents/publishers.)

I point this out because it seems to be a common mistake among beginning writers that the purpose of a second draft is to clean up the minor errors (spelling, grammar, etc) that occurred in the rough draft and that once the editing is done the manuscript will be ready to submit. First, let me take a moment to laugh hysterically.

All right, now let's talk about the basics of revising your rough draft.

It's very important to be able to look at a story with "fresh eyes". This means you shouldn't remember every twist and turn, every plot point or all the clever dialogue. This will help you recognize the dead stuff. It will also enable you a few moments of pleasant surprise. Many will suggest (and I will repeat as well) setting aside a manuscript for a period of time in order to gain some perspective. For some that means putting something aside for a week. For others it may take several years. From what I've read the average is usually 6 - 8 weeks.

Once you've let your manuscript age or percolate or however you want to think about it, you need to print it out. "But that's expensive. And what about the environment?"

Screw the environment, you're writing a masterpiece. Dig that change out of the couch cushions, buy a ream of paper and print that sucker out.

I actually despise proper manuscript formatting and never print my stuff that way until it's ready to send off. I like 11 point, Times New Roman/Courier, single spaced with normal margins. Personally, that's plenty of room to make correction marks and I use post-its for any detailed notes about revisions. (And the margins. My manuscripts get kind of messy when I'm revising.)

The point is, figure out how you like to read your MS and then print it out that way. Now that you have the whole thing in your hot little hands read it through from beginning to end. Do not stop to correct spelling errors. Do not make notes about how to change Villain B into Antagonist H. Do not change the lame dialogue into something witty. Just read through from beginning to end.

After you've finished it's okay to cry a little. Or hit something. You are not allowed to throw away said manuscript, shred it, burn it or otherwise destroy it. (That's what the revision process is for.)

Trust me. When I read through a rough draft again for the first time I walk away thinking "What the hell? I wasted a month writing that shite?" Then I eat something and drink a cup of coffee and resolve to rip the guts out of the thing and put something better in it's place.

Which brings us to step two of the revision process: figuring out where to start. The beginning is always a good place, but if you're having doubts about whether the story starts in the right place then you should start somewhere else.

I begin by taking a red pen and drawing brackets in the margins with the words "fix this" next to every section I think needs to be fixed. Anything that seems to be not working at all I mark through and put "Cut" in the margin. And any place where I think I have an idea about how to expand or fix a section I either scribble it in the margin or on a post-it. At this point I'm trying to think about the story as a whole. Is the beginning too rushed? Is the final confrontation half the book? Does the romantic subplot help or hinder the story?

Once I've gone through the whole thing again, I open a new document, label it "Big Shiny Idea draft 2" and start making revisions.

"But what," you say, "do you revise? How exactly do you turn that pile of poo into a golden masterpiece?"

That, my little lollipop is the next blog entry.

In the meantime, think about your current WIP and try to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the plot and pacing.

The Daily Grind - The Creative Process: Part Eight

2010-07-23T15:03:00.000-04:00

Sitting down to write every day is sometimes more fiction than fact. But on the days when it does happen there are certain things one must be prepared for.

The key thing is this: Writing is work.

While you might have days when writing is fun and words just seem to flow, chances are they will be outnumbered by the days when every word is a struggle. Having a routine can help put you in the proper "space" to write.

My routine goes something like this.

First, turn on the computer. While it's booting up (several minutes if I'm using the laptop, just under a minute if I'm using the desktop) I get something to drink. Coffee. Tea. Ruby grapefruit pomegranate juice. Whatever. This means I won't have to get up for a while.

If I plan to write for an extended period of time I find a snack too. (Usually potato chips or half a chocolate bar or something that will satisfy the "must-snack-and-thereby-procrastinate" urge. Once I have my provisions I open up my document and take stock of where I am.

I do NOT edit what I've previously written. (Unless, of course, I'm working on a later draft and then only if I'm in the "editing" phase.) I MIGHT read through what I wrote during the previous session to see what I haven't gotten to yet. This is usually unnecessary if I'm actually writing every day. When I've been busy with more pressing concerns (feeding 19 cats and finding them loving, caring homes) I have to refresh my memory before my fingers hit the keyboard.

Once I'm up to speed I start writing.

Rough drafts are just that. Rough. I include every nitpicky world-building detail that strikes me. I ramble. My characters smile and shrug and whirl a lot. They look tense and shove hands in pockets and slam books onto shelves. I spend an entire paragraph describing a desk in a room that is otherwise undescribed. But the story gets onto the page.

I also change names part way through the manuscript (with a note in [brackets] to indicate I will have to edit accordingly), skip scenes that seem boring and throw in twists that may or may not make it into the next draft. But the story gets onto the page.

Bit parts turn into sidekicks. Friends turn into villains. Mysteries are rather dubiously solved and the final conflict takes up a much higher percentage of the draft than is proper. But the story gets onto the page.

After I've spent an hour or two (if I'm lucky) writing, I save my work, back it up on an external drive and resolve to finally reach the end of that chapter tomorrow.

It is not rocket science. The simple thing about writing is that you just have to write. Every. Day. Whether you feel like it or not. Whether you know where the story is going or not. Whether the words seem golden or not. You just have to write.

"But," you say. "The stuff I wrote yesterday was pure shite!"

Yeah, me too. Here's the secret that keeps me sane. When it's time to edit I can cut any damn thing I like back out.

And the second thing is this: Your story-writing self is smarter than you think.

As I've been working my way through the fourth draft of Gaslyte I've discovered a marvelous thing. Things that I wrote in the first draft, things I then scrapped because I thought they were terrible, now make sense. Of course, some of them come in far different places in the story than I'd first envisioned. And some had to be reincarnated a little. But the whole of the story has been there all along. It just needed to be unearthed (or as the professionals like to say, developed) a little more.

With that thought in mind I drink my (now cold) cup of coffee and eat my stale potato chips and make an appointment with my cramped little desk for the same time tomorrow.

Roughing It - The Creative Process: Part Seven

2010-07-09T14:29:00.000-04:00

Now I'm at the stage to finally start writing the novel that goes along with my Shiny New Idea. At this point I've thought about my story and my Main Characters and I either have an outline or I don't.

Now all I have to do is take the Idea, start writing at the beginning, slog through the middle, and finally reach the end. It sounds simple enough, right? The truth is the rough draft is probably the easiest and the most difficult draft to write.

The easy part is this: it's all unexplored territory. Yes, even if you have a really detailed outline there are plenty of surprises still waiting for you to uncover them. And, at least for the first 20k or so, there's probably a lot of enthusiasm for the story. This is your new baby, you want to see it to completion.

The hard part is in keeping the momentum going 'til you get to THE END. There is no magic formula, just a lot of hard work.

Here's how I approach the task.

1) I set daily/weekly goals (usually about two to three hours worth of writing per day) and do my best to meet them. Every. Day. Things will come up to prevent you from making every session. Not feeling in the mood to write is not a good excuse. (I know it's hard to write when you don't feel like it, but the more you do it the less you find you don't feel like writing.)

2) I use a simple word processing program to write in. Usually Q10 (which has some drawbacks) or OpenOffice. There are plenty of programs that will help track characters and give you all sorts of options about how to file notes and link documents together, etc. If they help you write more effectively that's great. I find they tend to distract me from the actual process of writing.

3) I write in sequence from beginning to end. Or I don't. It depends on the story, how developed my idea is, whether the wind is blowing from the east... You get the picture.

4) I write every day whether I feel inspired or not.

5) I write every day whether I feel inspired or not.

6) I write every day whether I feel inspired or not.

I think you get the picture.

Some authors edit as they go. I find that is not helpful during the first draft process. I do tend to read through the last couple of pages I wrote before I start each session. This helps me keep track of where I am in the story, how relationships are developing, and so forth.

I do not worry about whether I'm putting chapter breaks in the optimum location (although I do put in chapter breaks just because I feel like it). I do not worry too much about pacing. I do not worry about if my descriptions are too light/too heavy. I do not worry about whether or not my dialogue is snappy enough.

The rough draft is the one version that doesn't have to be better than a previous version. That doesn't mean you should deliberately make it terrible. But don't sweat the small stuff.

Remember: Some words is better than no words.

A Map to Hidden Treasure: Creating an Outline - The Creative Process: Part Six

2010-06-08T12:17:00.000-04:00

So, I talked about Pantsing your novel. Now it's time to discuss the idea of an Outline. The big complaint about outlines is that they "restrict" an author's creativity and produce a stale story.

I once attended a (really fantastic) screen writing conference. While I was there I attended a class on writing adaptations. The man hosting the class said something very important that I have consistently applied to my use of outlines (and not just my approach to adapting novels into screenplays). He said when he started an adaptation he would read the book over and over, at least five or six times, making notes about the themes that really appealed to him, getting to know the characters and their motivations inside and out, learning the twists and turns of the plot like the back of his hand. Then he would put the book on the shelf and write his screenplay without looking at the book again until the first draft was done.

I do the same with my outlines. Why? Because just like screenplays and novels are different creatures, outlines and novels are different creatures. An outline is a tool that is part of a method that builds a Plot gradually. As a tool it should be used when it is useful and ignored when it isn't.

"Well," you say. "I guess I could try it. But aren't outlines complicated?"

Sometimes, but they don't have to be. Here are the components of a successful outline: a Beginning, a Middle, and an End. That could be a single sentence for each part or a paragraph or a detailed twenty page bulleted list of every important plot-point. The key here is: whatever works best for you.

I like to sketch out the main beats of each chapter in my outline. Here's an example.

1.
Keiran Fennel comes to the zeppelin port seeking passage to London
Despite the threatening weather he sets off with the crew of The Hind
Part way through the crossing the weather turns violent
Captain Hart enlists Keiran's help stoking the engines in the hope the ship can outrun the storm
While in the engine room Keiran sees his father's shade
The shade indicates that he (Keiran should go out on the upper deck)
Captain Hart tells Keiran it's dangerous and he's likely to go over the edge
Keiran insists, says it may the only thing that will save the ship
Hart is reluctant but is not in a position to argue
Keiran goes out on the upper deck
A brief conversation with the shade who points out a shape in the storm that is not natural
Keiran struggles with the monster (aerolis?) and succeeds in driving it away before being overcome with exhaustion

2.
Keiran wakes to find that The Hind has reached London
Captain Hart talks with him a bit, says he saved the ship and the crew
Three other zeppelins were lost in the storm
Keiran tries to play it off, pretend that he had nothing to do with the safe passage but Hart tells him he saw the storm monster
Hart wants to know if Keiran knows why the monster was there in the first place but Keiran tells him he has no idea
He does say that The Hind was likely not the target as they were only on the outer edge of the storm and the monster retreated quickly when attacked
Hart agrees and he tells Keiran that when he wants to return to Eire he should seek them out and The Hind will give him free passage back
Keiran thanks him for the offer but says he doesn't know how long he will be in London, perhaps a day or so, perhaps weeks
Keiran collects his bag and departs The Hind

In total that outline was about nine pages. Every chapter was sketched out and it took me about three days to work through the whole thing.

"Nine pages! Three days! But that's too long," you say.

True, three days is a big chunk of time. Especially when the Big Shiny Idea is banging on the door begging you to just start writing already. But that three days saved me countless hours of staring at the screen trying to figure out how to get my Plot back on track. For me, it's a sacrifice I'm willing to make. Because I've tried it out and I know that having an outline saves me more time in the long run. If it didn't, I wouldn't keep using them.

"All right. I see your point," you admit. "But what about that organic energy you mentioned about Pantsing? Doesn't the outline kill that?"

Now we come back to my opening anecdote. Outlines can be restrictive. But they don't have to be. If you get to a point where it seems like the story wants to go in a different direction you have a choice: keep writing according to the outline or follow the new path. This is not any different than writing without an outline. You will always have moments where you realize the story could go differently. And you have to make a choice about which path you want to take. Whether it's the one highlighted on your map/outline or just a fork in your mental road.

An outline shows you one way to get from Point A (the Beginning) to Point C (the End) while passing through Point B (the Middle). But it doesn't show you every way.

So. If you feel like trying something different, here's the way to begin an outline. Figure out where the Plot starts (remember this may not be the same point as the beginning of the Story) and write that down. A good Beginning should give the reader some sign or clue about your MC's normal life plus drop them into a situation that is outside their normal experience that presents them with a problem.

Next, consider how that situation (usually referred to as The Inciting Incident) will effect your MC's life. What will they do next? Is there a possible resolution to the problem they are facing.

FREX: Your MC is framed for murder. A possible resolution is that they find the true killer. Now you have a Beginning and a possible End. How do they get from Point A to Point C? Hire a detective. Investigate the murder themselves. There are a number of possibilities about what happens in the Middle. Write them all down. Then see if any sort of pattern or order suggests itself.

The amount of detail you put into the outline depends on how much you feel is necessary for you to start writing your rough draft. I find lots of detail helpful. You may need only a paragraph to get the gears turning.

Remember what I said about digging the Story out of your head? Well, just like asking questions about your characters, the outline is meant to get you thinking about how the characters will solve their big dilemma and what's at stake if they fail. As you figure out how they'll try and make things right you'll start to see how the story can progress.

One final thought about outlines. I like to think of them as a very rough draft. It's like the draft of the story before I start adding all the frills like dialogue and narrative and description.

What about you? Do you like to spell out every chapter? Hit the main turning points? Maybe your outline is just a logline that says "Punk girl discovers industrial conspiracy and teams up with washed cop to reveal the truth before the whole planet starting mutating into frogs." Or something. What do you need to know about a story before you start writing?

Pantsing: Not just for bullies - The Creative Process: Part Five

2010-06-07T16:51:00.000-04:00

There are two basic ways to develop the Story part of your Big Shiny Idea. The most basic is to simply sit down and start writing. Typically this is called "pantsing" i.e. writing by the seat of your pants.

Here are the advantages and short comings of this method.

Writing as the inspiration hits is a wonderful thing. But it can also be problematic. The big advantage is that it lends itself to more organic plot-development. A number of authors just like to write and see what happens next. It also can provide quicker turnaround between projects because a lot of the "preproduction" is put aside in favor of writing to see what the story is about.

Personally, I've written two novels and most of a novella this way. It's... all right. I also tend to spend a lot of time going back and inserting scenes and deleting massive chunks when it becomes obvious that the plot has taken a wrong turn.

But that's me. Writing in the moment may be the way to go for you. If it is, that's great. If it's not, never fear, I'll be addressing Outlines next time.

One word of caution regarding the pantser method. A lot of beginning authors seem to think that in order to be a "real" writer they need to write without an outline. I can't tell you how many years I spent thinking that I shouldn't need an outline to write a novel. (Well, I could but it's embarrassing so I won't.) During that time I started novel after novel and wallowed around trying to find the core of the plot, the characters driving motivations, before finally chucking the whole thing and starting something different. There is nothing wrong with using an outline.

There is nothing wrong with not using one either. You need to do what works for you. My caution is that I don't want you dismissing something without trying it out first.

As I've developed as a writer I've found that I have gotten better at pantsing. However, I still outline short stories and novels when I feel I don't know the plot/characters well enough to just write. Which method works best for me varies from project to project. It might for you too. And that's okay. The only real rule we need to adhere to is "Do what works for you."

Do you find as you write more that your pantsing ability gets better? Or do you crave the outline more?

Plot and Story: The Creative Process - Part Four

2010-06-05T23:32:00.000-04:00

So, you have a Big Shiny Idea. You might even have some idea of the characters that go with that idea. Now it's time to start considering the story. (Noting again that sometimes the story comes up first. No big deal. Story and characters are like yin and yang: neither can be fully developed without having a bit of the other in the mix.)

In order to truly discuss the development of story I'm going to look at the eternal Outline vs Pantsing debate. But not in this post. First I want to discuss the (somewhat semantic) difference between Plot and Story.

For some of you, Plot and Story may be the same thing. That's cool. But in order to maintain my own sanity I separate the two. So, to make it clear in further discussions about my creative process what the hell I'm talking about, I'll explain.

Story is the... story. But in terms of a novel the story means all the stuff that happens before page one. The backstory for the characters. The history of the world. It also includes all the stuff that happens between chapters; the stuff that may not be interesting enough to make it into the Plot, but still has a bearing on how/what the characters are doing what they're doing.

Plot is the series of events that begins on page one and ends at THE END. It is all the stuff that is in your novel but none of the stuff that is not.

Confused? Yeah, me too. (Kidding.) The point is this: Plot and Story are not necessarily the same thing. Plot means that every word has a purpose and moves your characters forward to the climax of a specific series of events. Story is all of that, plus the villain's story, what your MC had for lunch with his girlfriend, where he was born and all the bits that make up the world in your head.

Of course, the trick is figuring out where the Plot separates from the Story. The general rule of thumb is that anything that doesn't move the characters forward (and that doesn't necessarily mean they keep moving toward their goal, but they have to keep moving) shouldn't be part of the novel. But the specifics get muddy. We'll talk about that in more detail once we get to the mechanics of writing drafts.

In the meantime, how do you distinguish Plot from Story?

No Internet Makes for Bad Blogging

2010-05-31T18:36:00.000-04:00

As the title suggests I've been without internet for close to a week now. Which has meant no blog updates. I'm going to try and get the next few done so I can post next time I find a connection, but if I'm not around do not worry. I'm just waiting to find the internet.

I hope everyone in the U.S. had a lovely holiday weekend. It rained buckets here.

It's All You, Baby - The Creative Process: Part 3

2010-05-25T11:12:00.000-04:00

I'm sure you were expecting me to talk about outlines or The Story next. Quite frankly, that was my plan. But I touched on something last post I thought should be expanded.

As writers we like to talk about the creative process as if it's something that happens to us. The characters "act in ways I didn't expect". The story "goes off on a tangent I never saw coming". (If this hasn't happened to you yet, trust me - it will.) We say these things because that is usually how it feels. But the reality is different.

For better or worse every aspect of our stories/books/novels are all in our heads. The characters, setting, plot, story, all the twists and turns and reveals; they're all in there. There is no outside entity whispering in our ear, no muse gracing us with inspiration.

There's just us talking to ourselves.

Here's the tricky thing. Our brains our complex and teasing something out of our subconscious (where our stories like to sleep) can be difficult. I have offered the one method that works really well for me: asking questions. But for various reasons that method might not work so well for you.

You might get stuck in "I don't know what questions to ask"-ville. Or you might ask a lot of questions and just get silence in return. This is because training your subconscious to let go of the ideas percolating in the depths takes time. And not everyone has the same triggers.

With that in mind let me mention a few other things that may help with the creative process.

1) Music

This one can be tricky because it's easy to get sucked into finding "inspirational" music and ignoring the actual work of writing. However, music is powerful. Finding a track that reflects a character or a scene or the story in general may be just the thing to get the gears turning. (I tend to find this tends to work best when it happens spontaneously. When I hear something on the radio and think "OMG!!11! That would be the perfect theme song for so-and-so!!1!" When I spend writing time searching for music I'm not nearly as successful at finding something appropriate.)

2) The Interview

This goes back to asking questions of your character. But sometimes the formality of it is enough to shake things up. I will say this method doesn't work too well with strong silent types. Or anti-heroes. They tend to not give answers that are easily interpreted.

3) Free-writing

There are different ways to go about this. One is to just start writing at what you think is the beginning of your character's story and see what happens. Or you can write about the characters childhood. Or take a character and put them in a situation where they have to do something they wouldn't normally. For instance, tell your villain he has a save a child. Or tell your hero they have to kill a child/family member. These things may have nothing to do with the actual story but writing the scene can give you insight into why and how your characters do what they do. (Does the villain have a soft spot? Or maybe he only saves a child because he thinks it has some future use.)

4) Journaling

This is a little different than free-writing because it's less narrative oriented. I started developing a space-opera idea a few years back and I wrote extensive journals trying to figure out what all the moving parts were. I had a main character. I had the inciting incident, but I didn't know what happened after that. So I wrote page after page of journals, talking about Cecily and her background and motivation and where she was and what she might do from there. Some days I kept going from where I'd left off the day before. Some days I started over from the beginning. Eventually a story began to emerge. The difference between journaling and free-writing (for me) is that journaling is mostly me having a conversation with myself about what I have to work with. Free-writing is more like flash fiction - hammering out a little scene/story with only a basic prompt.

Now we come back to my main point: everything you need to know about your story is in your head. You don't have to have the wind blowing from the east or your desk arranged in perfect Feng Shui balance or the precise balance of sugar and caffeine coursing through your bloodstream. It's all there.

I know, all too well, that it doesn't always feel that way. But it is. And once you know that, the rest is simple. (Not easy, just simple.) Get the idea onto paper.

What methods work well for you?

It's All About the Characters - The Creative Process: Part 2

2010-05-21T17:47:00.000-04:00

Probably once a week over on Absolute Write there's a thread in the Novels or Basic Writing forum asking "Characters or Story First?" As a result there is a heated debate about plot-driven vs. character driven and after a while the thread balloons to fifty billion posts and either slinks off and dies or gets so hot it gets locked. But as interesting as the plot vs. characters debate is (running a close second to the ever popular Outline vs. Pantsing debate) it doesn't answer the original question.

Should you come up with characters first or the story? And the fact of the matter is (I'll bet you can see this one coming) it doesn't matter. "But," you say. "There should be an order to things! A pattern that I can follow to become the next Stephen King." First let me say that if you find that pattern, please let me know what it is. Secondly, let me repeat: it doesn't matter whether the story or the characters come first.

Here's why.

Sometimes my Shiny Idea is a bit of dialogue. Sometimes it's an image of a character or scene. Sometimes it's a concept for a story. (And by concept I mean something like "Ooh, steampunk zombie apocalypse." Yes. I am writing a novella/novel that hit me in that form. Guys aren't the only ones who write about zombies.) The point being, the creative process is not always predictable. Your Shiny Idea may not come at you the same way every time.

"Oh noes," you say. "That sounds like chaos."

Well, chickadee. It kind of is.

Here's the good news. Whether you're writing plot driven or character driven novels (and no, the two don't have to be mutually exclusive) your characters and story are connected. You will not be able to effectively develop one without the other. (You can develop characters outside of a story and vice versa but the result is frequently a big mess.)

"But this blog is clearly titled "It's All About the Characters," you point out.

Yup. That's partly me being snarky. (Imagine.) And partly because sometimes the Shiny Idea is a character. No story, just a character. Which means you have to know how to develop the character in order to know their story.

Last time I said that developing an idea was all about asking questions. That advice is still the same. But here are some specific questions you should consider when developing characters.

First, an important principle. (Insert standard disclaimer about how this is not an absolute rule.) Books are not about things happening to people. Books are about people who do things. This doesn't mean your character has to know it all or be a superhero. It does mean that good protagonists are active, not reactive.

Now. On to our questions.

The basics:
What is your character's name?
How old is he/she?
What gender/sex?
What socioeconomic niche?
What kind of demeanor does he have?
What kind of grooming/appearance?

These are things you need to know. Me telling you to ask yourself these questions does not give you permission to info-dump the answers when you first introduce the character. But those answers should help you, the author, answer the following set of questions.

What is the character for? What does he do in the story?
How will he grow? Change? Heal old wounds? Defeat his demons?
What are his flaws?
What are his strengths?
What does he know about himself?

"Wait just a flaming minute," you sputter. "How can I know what my character does in the story if I don't know what the story is?"

Let's look at that first set of questions again. When I started developing the character from the little excerpt I posted last time I started with those basic questions. Here are the answers I got.

Name: Jonas Green
Age: Late 30s
Sex: Male
Socioeconomic status: Joined the military because he was dirt poor and wanted to get out of Alabama and see the world.

Bing! Let's stop right there. See that last answer? It's got a bit of story in it. It tells me that the military was better than Jonas' prospects at home. It also told me that there was something going on that would pretty much guarantee that he left the United States.

"Well," you say. "That's just lucky. You happened to ask the right question and think of the right answer."

No. And yes. Here's the really sweet part about writing. We call this process "developing" an idea, but in reality it's more like digging for it. When you get an idea, the rest of it - the characters, the setting, the story, the conflict - is already there, buried in your subconscious. All you have to do is dig it out. And you do that by asking questions. Your brain will supply the answer. (Now, sometimes the information comes out in little chunks that you have to piece together. But that's why we call it "the creative process" and not "the easy process.")

Having a good set of questions makes a difference. But the more questions you ask the more answers you get. And I know you're thinking "This can't work all the time," but it can. Take your character and start grilling them. Find out what their fears are, if they're superstitious, if they believe in God or ghosts or aliens.

Jonas turned out to be so afraid of death (because he's a pretty horrible bastard) that he agreed to let the military reanimate his body after he died. And that right there was my story.

So. There it is. My current answer to everything is: ask freakin' questions.

Look at Me and My Shiny Ideas! - The Creative Process: Part One

2010-05-19T12:46:00.000-04:00

I don't know exactly what it is about writers that makes us all a little narcissistic. But I have yet to run into a writer who doesn't like to talk about how they write. I am no exception. I love to talk about not just what I write but how I get there. All the little tricks and motivators that keep me moving forward on a project.

I haven't yet gone through the whole creative process beginning to end. So, I figured now was as good a time as any and what better place to start than at the beginning or The Shiny Idea.

There are two main questions that beginning writers ask about ideas. 1) How/where do I get an idea from? 2) How do I turn my idea into a story?

The simple answer to the first question is: you get ideas from everything. And I mean everything. Every piece of music you listen to, every TV show or movie you watch, every book you read, every billboard you see, it all goes into your brain and gets stirred around by your creative self. Eventually something will spit itself out. Maybe it's an image or a piece of dialogue or a setting or a concept. These are all ideas and they are all formed when you absorb "stuff" from the world around you.

Some beginners fall into the trap of thinking that they must cut themselves off from outside influence in order to have "original" ideas. Here's the skinny on that concept: there are no "original" ideas. Every story has already been told a thousand times over. It's all about how it's told that makes one story unique compared to the next. Unless you want to shut yourself in a blank room with nothing to look at and nothing to listen to for the rest of your life then the world will impress "stuff" on your subconscious and you will eventually process that into an idea. Get over it and move on.

"But," you say. "Surely I should avoid anything that might be like the story I'm trying to write right now."

Wrong, cupcake. Avoiding similar material will only mean you don't understand the genre you're writing for, the strengths of the type of story you're writing, or the weaknesses and overdone elements.

"But I might absorb someone elses story and mine will just be a ripoff of theirs!"

No. Because your brain doesn't work the same way as any other persons. Period. You are unique. They are unique. Even if you latch on to something someone else has written by the time you filter that through your creative process and work it into your story it will be something different. (Not "new" or "original" because there isn't any such thing when it comes to telling stories, but certainly different.)

"All right," you say. "But how do I turn my idea into a story?"

This has a simple answer too. Ask questions. Last year I had an idea. Just a single line that popped into my head. First person POV, an opening line to what I thought might be a short story. It was this: The real drawback to being dead is the smell.

Right away I was interested. I don't know where the idea came from, why that line popped into my head but I was promptly hooked. So I started writing, trying to figure out what came next. And that meant asking questions. Who is thinking this? Why are they dead? How are they able to talk about it? The more I asked questions the more the idea grew. And grew. And grew. Until finally I had an idea for an entire novel.

"It can't be that simple. How do I know what questions to ask?" you splutter.

Ask questions about whatever you don't know about your idea. What time period is it in? Is the MC wealthy? Poor? An outcast? Is there magic? Are there gods? Is there a war going on? General conflict over a political movement? What does your MC want? What is preventing them from getting what they want? And so on.

Sometimes it takes asking questions, writing a bit, asking more questions, writing a bit before you really start to see the whole picture. With the example above I eventually wound up scrapping the line that started the idea in the first place. I replaced it with this one: They say dying's a bitch.

I then followed it with these:I can tell you right now they don't know what the hell they're talkin' about. In my experience dying is easy, even when you die messy like I did; the smell of gunpowder and hot dry dust in my nose as I tried to breathe through a chestful of blood. Painful? Fuck yeah. But easy. Like falling down.
It's the coming back that's the bitch.

Which brings me to my third point. No idea is so wonderful that it can't be better.

I liked my first idea, my first line. But once I really worked through all my questions, all the "What ifs?" implied by the initial idea, I came up with something better. (And yes, in my case "better" usually means darker, more violent and filled with swearing.) Ideas are wonderful things, but just like any other part of the creative process (rough draft, second draft, outline, whatever) they can almost always be made better.

Don't be afraid to kill off stuff that doesn't work. Even in the very beginning stages. Cut out the dead stuff and the rest will grow.

A Killer Logline...

2010-05-12T20:38:00.000-04:00

...makes a great query letter.

The trick, naturally, is writing a logline. And, yes, even if you're preparing a query for a novel, spending the time to develop a logline (essentially a one or two sentence summary of your story) will be worth the effort.

I cannot guarantee I can tell you how to write the best logline. But I can give you some pointers on what you need to look for.

Approach number one. Break it down by components. (NOTE: this method I only have partial notes regarding the example given by the speaker. It's a wee bit rocky in transition but should give you the basic idea.)

Title: The Matrix is an...
Genre: action-thriller about...
Character/Protagonist: a computer programmer by day, hacker by night...
Storyline/Setup: who discovers reality is just an elaborate deception...
Complications: and when pursued by agents of the the machines who control humanity...
Theme: he must find the courage to become the hero he was destined to be.

So, that's pretty straight forward. Of course figuring out your own logline is the real bitch. But trust me. Breaking it down into the individual components like that is not quite as hard as you think. The real trick is to focus on each element individually. Find the phrase that really sums up the protagonist. Figure out the essence of the complications facing him/her. Then, once you have all the parts laid out, work on fitting them together into a cohesive whole.

Remember, you want to have one or two sentences total when you're finished. And when you're finished you should have the core of your story right there. Which makes writing the rest of the query letter (I'm unpublished and seeking representation for my 80k book, etc, etc.) not nearly as difficult. At least, that's the idea.

All right. On to approach number two.

(NOTE: This info is taken from the brilliant book Save the Cat! The Last Book on Screenwriting You'll Ever Need by Blake Snyder. The genius in this approach is entirely his. Go buy his book.)

Snyder believes there are four must have elements for a killer logline.

1) Irony. This is the hook in a really good logline. Look at the example in approach number one. Neo is a computer programmer living in cubicle-ville who turns out to be a bad-ass superhero. Ironic, yes? That's the idea.

2) A compelling mental picture. The logline needs to give the reader a strong visual. Again, it's all about finding the hook. Give them something they can see. You might also think about this as giving them something to identify with, a common ground with your protagonist.

3) Audience and cost. Again, this really boils down to giving the agent/editor something to identify with. You want them to recognize your protagonist and know that he/she will appeal to a specific readership. This means finding the right details to communicate who your protagonist is and what they're about. "Cost" - which is really about location - in this case can help you pin down genre/setting. Is it a drama taking place in a small town? A thriller that covers all five continents? An action-adventure in space? Pin it down and fit it into your logline.

4) A killer title. You need to include the title in the logline and it needs to say something about the project in question. A good title will really make the logline. Why? Because a good title will likely include/accent one of the other parts of the logline.

Finally, you'll need to test your logline. Snyder tested his loglines on strangers. Seriously. Anytime they would start to lose interest, start checking their watch he'd make a mental note that was an area he needed to work on. Not all of us are that bold (although it sure beats testing them on family) but the principle is sound. Find someone and ask them if this would make them want to read the book. If they say no, ask why not.

If you can get your story wrapped up in a single sentence or two that's all you'll need for the query. (I know they say you can do a small paragraph, but remember, less is usually more when it comes to a query.) Fill in the other information, insert the logline where appropriate and there you go.

Simple, yes? Let me know how it works out.

Writing as a Calling: Preserving Passion

2010-04-28T11:26:00.000-04:00

Most of us started writing because we loved it. Of course, now we want to be the next J.K. Rowling (well, I do) but we didn't start because we thought we could make money at writing. It was because something about putting words on paper fanned a spark somewhere inside.

Most of us started out writing for ourselves. Then, somewhere along the way, we decided to try and improve our skills and learn how to write for others - i.e. seek publication. Which sounded like a wonderful idea until this thing that we did for fun suddenly turned into work.

Last time I wrote about how I try to stay disciplined and approach the creative process with a work ethic. This time it's all about the love. Here's what I do to maintain that inspirational spark that first drove me to write.

Writing is work. There is no way around that fact. But the most important thing in writing passionately is to write what you love.That may require research into trunked stories, the "shite" folder on your hard drive, or even (horrors) your middle/high school novels. (Yes, I have one of those. And no, it's not pretty.) Find something from the point when you wrote just for the joy of writing and figure out what it was about those stories you loved so much.

Michael Franti has a song with the line "I don't wanna write a love song for the world, I just wanna write a song about a boy and a girl" which I find particularly interesting. Because some authors do want to write the next Great American Novel. And some, like me, just want to write stories about characters that engage our readers and leave them with a feeling of satisfaction at the end of the book. Both of those are valid reasons to write. Knowing your reason will give you insight into why certain things you thought you wanted to write, just don't seem to be a good fit after you start.

So, here's the list of things I do to keep my passion alive.

1. Write down your reasons for writing.

You can stick these up over your desk or put them in a drawer, it doesn't matter. Write a couple of sentences (or a couple of pages) laying out your motivation for writing in general. (If you're a real organizational nut you could do this with every project but that's not necessary. I always try to figure out what I want to get out of any book I write because it helps keep me focused on the heart of the story. But not everyone is wired like I am.) It is important to WRITE THESE REASONS DOWN. Eventually you will hit a point when you want to burn everything you ever wrote because you feel it sucks. (Been there way more than I will ever admit.) At that point you need something concrete to look at. Trying to keep your inspiration in your head will fail you at that point because (and trust me on this) it will all seem too stupid for words. WRITE IT DOWN. It may still seem stupid but at least you won't forget in the heat of the moment.

2.Remind yourself of your reasons for writing on a regular basis.

Just like reviewing daily/weekly/monthly goals, you should revisit your reasons to write on a regular basis. And I don't mean just glance down the list and say "Oh, yeah. Great American Novel. Sure." Really think about it. Find that excitement that drew you to writing and hold on to it.

3. Enjoy every bit that is enjoyable.

Not everything about writing is enjoyable. Editing, kind of a pain in the butt. Trudging through the second act - like cleaning your teeth with sandpaper. But, even in the less pleasant aspects there are plenty of "This is awesome!" moments. Enjoy those. I know, it sounds a little crazy, but perspective is important. When you finish up a chapter that really had you in knots and feel like celebrating - do. Even if it's just a cookie and a cup of coffee before you tackle the next chapter. Or giving yourself an extra thirty minutes of reading time.

Writing is work but that doesn't mean you should hate it. In fact, quite the opposite. You should put in the effort because you love it. And just because you're constantly striving to be a better writer and hone your skills and sell that manuscript you've been polishing for years now doesn't mean you can't love every second. Even the ones spent editing. (Okay. Maybe not the editing part - although I've learned to love editing/revising - but all the rest of it.)

What are your reasons for writing? How do you maintain excitement when the work starts to get the best of you?

Writing as a Craft: Developing Discipline

2010-04-26T14:12:00.000-04:00

I mentioned the other day that I view writing as work. (So far everyone seems to agree with me.) And as such that means if we're serious about being "writers" - pursuing publication, honing out skills, etc - we need to know how to keep working even when the muse isn't smiling at us.

This means developing habits and strategies to get you through the "dry spells". Here are the ones that work for me.

1. When in doubt, outline.

It's true that I don't always outline before I start a project. But once I see what kind of shape the story is taking I do like to sketch out my ideas. This might be just a paragraph summarizing the story-arc. Or it could be a detailed 3 page bullet-pointed breakdown of all the key plot points. Or a stack of index cards containing notes for each proposed chapter. It just depends. But when the creativity gets thin I have something to look at to remind me what should come next. That has proved invaluable on many occasions when I've opened up my document and just thought "I don't know what to say now." It's not foolproof, but it gives me a way to see where I'm at and where I should be going.

2. Set measurable goals.

I've mentioned this before, but it's really important. Set a goal that you can measure. This means number of words (or pages) per day/week/month. Giving yourself a specific amount of time to write every day/week is good too, but it won't produce the same results. Set a goal that can be quantified, something concrete. "I will write 500 words every day."

3. Keep your goals in mind.

Once you have set your goal, keep it in mind. When you sit down to write review what your goal is and how much you have already achieved that week/month. (This is important because some days you simply will not reach your goal. Other days you will write as much as you normally write in a week. By having goals that are not just daily but also weekly and monthly, you can see the overall progression even when a cold destroys the daily wordcount.) If you are ahead on the weekly wordcount at the beginning of a writing session congratulate yourself. "My typing ability is improving" or "That day off to sleep really paid off" or whatever. If you're behind, figure out how much needs to be done to catch up. (Maybe slipping in an extra session or adding a hundred words to the daily goal for the rest of the week.) If at all possible make it something achievable otherwise you may start to feel overwhelmed.

4. Write every day.

Not all of us can do this. But if you can, you should. If you can't then find the time to write as frequently as possible. Trust me, it helps.

5. Write to the limits of your capability.

An online acquaintance recently asked how much he should be writing every day. (He's in college and usually busy with schoolwork.) Unfortunately that answer depends on the individual. When my story is firmly in my head I can write 1500 words in an hour. (When it's not, well, let's just say the number isn't that big.) And I can normally find an hour a day to write. (Sometimes it's more but I try to be realistic.) So, for me, 1500 words a day is a good goal. For someone else it may seem an impossible dream. The point is you should figure out - given the best possible circumstances: gotten enough sleep, no unexpected crisis, etc - how much you can write a day. Then set that as your goal. Don't try and make some impossible to achieve and ultimately momentum killing goal that is way beyond you. And don't settle for something easy. Best case scenario is you write at the upper edge of your capability. When that starts to get easy then you raise the goal. (Or if life gets difficult, you bring it back down a bit.)

So, there are my methods for staying on track and writing even when I don't want to. What habits do you develop to keep the words flowing onto the paper?

Live Well. Write Well.

2010-04-22T19:23:00.000-04:00

Today's advice is brought to you courtesy of several days of exhaustion/mental burnout over the past two weeks.

I'm sure we've all hit that point where the words just don't flow onto the page. Maybe it's just a sticky plot point. Maybe it's a "boring" stretch in the book. Or maybe it seems that for no reason at all your creative energy is gone.

Frequently this is termed "writers block". A misnomer at best. And potentially deadly if accepted at face value. Because (and here's the difficult part) writing is work. That means one has to learn to write even when the muse isn't whispering in ones ear. Even when you don't really want to. Even when you don't know how you will fit those seventy pages of remaining screenplay into twenty.

If you accept the fact that you can be "blocked" then you take a passive stance in regard to your craft. That is a mistake.

However. There are "outside" forces that can influence the effectiveness of your writing routine. The big three are sleep, stress and food.

It's hard when you're like me and counting the days until you can have something ready for submission and then (oh, please) publication. You want to use every possible second to write, write, write. And, if you're like me, you find that some of that time you wind up staring numbly at the half-a-sentence you managed to hammer out before the need for rest drove your brain into wordfail. Getting up a little bit earlier to get in thirty minutes extra writing is fine. Unless the thirty minutes less is effecting your ability to function as a writer. If you need more sleep then take it. Trying to soldier through exhaustion is NOT productive.

Stress is usually caused by family or work. There is only so much you can do to control it. (If it's a serious problem then some sort of settling technique might prove useful - whether it's a walk around the block or a few moments sitting quietly.) But when stressful things happen don't try and write anyway. (You might be that rare type that thrives on conflict. In that case, ignore this advice.) Just like trying to write on not enough sleep, writing while worked up over something else is NOT productive.

Food, well, this one is obvious. Trying to write when hungry/overfull/or full of junk food is... that's right, NOT productive. I'm not saying you have to eat all organic non-meat meals or anything. But slamming down half a pepperoni pizza and buffalo wings is probably not the best idea. Heartburn will kill productivity.

Smaller things you may also want to consider.

Limiting caffeine intake. You don't need to cut it out but chugging coffee by the barrel eventually results in shaky hands and anxiety attacks. (At least, it does for me.) You can either opt for something less caffeinated (like tea) or just limit the amount of coffee or soda you drink.

Not snacking while writing. I believe James MacDonald once said that you should never engage in any activity while writing that when taken away will "kill the muse." (I'm paraphrasing, but you get the point. This goes double for things that are addictive like smoking or drinking alcohol.) I do keep a stash of candy in the shelves over my desk. They are there are incentive to help me keep going. I promise myself a square of chocolate once I get 2k written. But I try to avoid eating constantly while writing. Before you know it you've downed the whole damn bag of candy fruit slices.

None of these things are rules and the "Big Three" should certainly not be used as an excuse to not write. But no matter how much we want to be, we are not writing machines. We are people. (Hey, writers are people too.) We get tired. We get stressed. We eat bad food. All of that impacts our ability to write.

So, take a nap one day instead of drudging through the never ending chapter from hell. Or eat a salad instead of fried chicken for dinner. Your brain will thank you. So will your novel.

That Which Doesn't Kill Us...

2010-04-16T09:41:00.000-04:00

... will make us stronger. Eventually.

I'm not dead. Just been way too busy with real life to post anything meaningful. I have written 70+ pages on my Script Frenzy screenplay. It's awesome. Too much story to fit into 120 minutes/pages but still awesome. When I rewrite the novel it'll knock your socks off. (That being a general "you". In specific I'm hoping it will impress a certain publisher and land me an offer of publication.)

I have not yet finished my long lamented novella (which would, now that I think about it, been a much better candidate for a script-length project) but I've not yet given up hope. I have enough time to get it finished and away to the editor I intended it for. Whether I actually will or not, I don't know yet.

I also wanted to give a heads-up that this is likely my last day of constant internet access for a while. Which is going to limit my blog posting even more than it already is. But never fear, I have several "articles" in the making. Once they are written I shall get them posted.

In the meantime, good luck to everyone with their writing. I shall return (later if not sooner) hopefully with good news about works-in-progress and such.

Here's a bit of something to read in the meantime. Making Something out of Anything

Script Frenzy: Day Two

2010-04-02T17:54:00.000-04:00

Never fear. I will not be posting daily updates regarding the Script Frenzy.

But I had a couple of things I wanted to share.

The first is this article about how to write a kick-ass protagonist. It's funny and insightful and, even if he's talking about movies and screenplays, it's still good advice for novelists.

Secondly, I have now written 16 pages in two days. It's brilliant. Not the screenplay necessarily, just the fact that I'm that far along and it's not even the end of the second day. (A quick reminder that the daily goal for Script Frenzy is 3 and 1/3 pages.)

I'm stoked. And I'm sticking with my plan to get ahead on the screenplay and then turn my attention to finishing the novella which must be finished soon or I won't meet the deadline. *boo*

So.

Oh, yeah. Only one person tried to guess which two facts were true. Thanks, Jaydee. You were half right. The correct answers were 2. and 7. Yes, the horror movie incident is true. Someday I'll figure out a way to write about it without slandering any living person. :P

'Til next time. Keep writing. (I know I will be.)

Lies, Lies and... All Right, Some of It's True

2010-03-31T16:36:00.000-04:00

Jaydee, over at Jaydee Morgan, has passed the "Creative Writer" Blogger Award my direction. Below you'll find a list of eight facts about me. Only two of them are true. If you'd like to guess which of them are not false, feel free. I'll add another post in a couple of days to let you know if you were right.

1. In college I worked briefly as a catalog model.

2. My parents named me after a lobster boat they saw during their honeymoon in Maine.

3. I have a cardboard standee of Christina Aguilera in my closet.

4. I make all the cards I give to people for birthday/Christmas/Halloween including writing all the little "card poems".

5. If I could have any job in the world (besides this one) it would be designing toys for kids.

6. I'm terrible at repairing things around the house.

7. I once had a horror movie moment involving a group of people I'd just met, a lonely stretch of woods in the Deep South and dude having a mental breakdown.

8. My favorite colors are pastels.

Script Frenzy

2010-03-27T17:00:00.000-04:00

April 1st marks the beginning of Script Frenzy. No joke.

If you don't know what Script Frenzy is, think the National Novel Writing Month only for screenplays/stageplays/graphic novel scripts. The goal is 100 pages in 30 days.

In a number of ways this is much simpler than NaNo. The number of words required is about half (or less). There is usually a lot more white space on a page of a screenplay than a page of a novel so the 3 1/3 page daily goal is not nearly as overwhelming as the almost 2k words required to complete NaNo.

However, there are plenty of challenges too. Less space means... less space. And one can't sneak in adverbial dialogue tags. The dialogue has to convey tone in what is said and how the scene is set up. Then there's setting the scene. In a single paragraph of description. Format is a challenge if you don't have a template but I've got one that should work out fine. In college I just used a basic Word template and it was more than good enough for what I was doing. This is one for OpenOffice and after checking it this morning it looks like it will suit my purposes quite nicely.

The big thing about screenplays in particular (which happens to be what I'm writing) is that structure is very important. And that means outlining and knowing what I'm going to do ahead of time.

Thank goodness I have a novel from November that is in desperate need of replotting. So I'm going to turn it into a script, then (later) rewrite the novel to fit the new improved story arc. I've never written a script based on my own work before - though I've done adaptations a couple of times previously - so it's going to be quite an experience.

I'm excited. (Even though it means putting an even bigger helping of I'm-crazy-to-think-I-can-handle-all-this on plate.) New territory is always a challenge and things that challenge can only help me get better.

A Note about Excerpts and "Publishing" via Blogging

2010-03-26T12:55:00.000-04:00

I like to post excerpts from my novels as I write the rough draft. It's fun and I feel encouraged to know that someone besides me may be reading and enjoying what I've written.

You might notice that I don't post more than two or three chapters from a given book or I post only a paragraph or two from a handful of chapters. There is a reason for this.

Most publishers now consider that any piece of fiction posted on a blog or "public" networking site has used up its first publication right. (As of this point, password protected forums do not count as "public". Facebook, MySpace, etc do.) This is especially true to publishers of short fiction. Which is why I do not post even excerpts of shorts online.

Now. Some people will say posting any excerpt is not a good idea. They may be right. I figure I've not put enough out there for anyone to steal. And, I only post early drafts, not polished versions. Given my writing method the bits posted here are unlikely to be exactly like the final (hopefully) published version.

I point this out because some of us writer-types don't research our markets before we start writing. *raises hand* That would be me. I had several short stories written and posted on Facebook before I realized I was killing my chances for getting them published. I won't be making that mistake again.

And, just in case it isn't obvious, publishers nearly always want first publication rights. (Editors for anthologies are a bit different. They are usually looking for already pubbed work. But, they tend to not pay as well.) It is difficult for them to try and sell anything that is already available for free. So, nothing pubbed on a blog is eligible for "first publication."

Will any of this stop me from posting snippets from my rough drafts? Probably not. At least not until I get an agent or publisher who tells me different.

Should you be wary of posting snippets on your blog? That depends on what your goals are. And just exactly how paranoid you are. ;)

A Quick Note RE: Writers' Commandment #4

2010-03-24T16:11:00.000-04:00

I did say one should not obsess on the negative feedback one gets. This should not be taken to mean that you should ignore everything that isn't glowing praise.

That would be stupid.

Here's the difficult task you are faced with. Take the objective parts of the criticism you receive and apply them as necessary. Let go of the rest.

Now, it can be hard to find the objective point in the criticism. Say, frex, that someone says your story is dull. They might just be a talentless hack who is determined to discourage you so they have a better chance at publication. Or they might be trying to say that there's a lack of conflict or the pacing is just too slow.

Writers tend to be a cranky bunch. Even when we're trying to be helpful sometimes we take the ~~short~~ curt way out. Trying to find that objective criticism in a hurtful comment is hard, but it can be done. And, if it seems valid, it is something to be applied as you make edits/revisions and so on.

Not every comment will yield that kind of fruit. Some people are just mean and they say stupid hurtful things to make themselves feel better. But some just had a long day or not enough sleep or are trying meet a deadline and don't have time to be polite and spell things out.

Learn to read between the lines. If all you see is shit, then let it go. If there's something of substance there, something constructive beneath the patronizing tone, then do something about it.

Writers' Commandment Number Four

2010-03-24T15:42:00.000-04:00

I've been struggling to make progress on the various projects I piled onto my plate all at the same time. And progress has been made, just not as much as I had hoped. But I have managed to think through my next couple of "commandments".

Here is Number Four.

Thou shalt not obsess over the negative response thou receives in regards to thy writing.

This means exactly what it sounds like it means. Let the bad stuff roll off like water off a duck's back.

I know that a lot of us *cough* me *cough* are very attached to what we write. And that's the way it should be. If you're not attached to what you're writing then you probably shouldn't be trying to write it. But the practical truth of being a writer seeking publication is this: there are people out there who will not like what you have written. There are even people out there who will hate what you've written.

That sucks. But here's the thing, if you get all bruised and emotional over every negative remark to come your way, you'll just spend all your time angsting over why nobody likes your brilliant novel. Trust me. I've been there. In fact, I've been there far more recently than I would like to admit.

It is natural to want everyone to love what you write. But it's not going to happen.

Your time (my time) is best spent working on the things you can control in regard to whatever you're writing. Learning how to pace a story, develop characters, build worlds - those are all things you can control. Even the more mundane things like studying how to properly use a comma (don't ask me - by the way - the little buggers are the bane of my existence), vary sentence structure and knowing when to use affect/effect.

These things are what make up the craft of writing fiction. If you practice them, you'll get better at them. The better you get the fewer rejections you'll receive. The less negativity you (and I) will have coming back to us and the more love for our project (which we all know richly deserves it).

If someone is giving your story the brush-off, just let it go. (Yeah, I know. It sounds so easy when I write it.) Nothing good comes of hanging on to the crap people try and throw at you. Let it go, practice your skills and move on.

Working on the Work Ethic

2010-02-22T15:09:00.000-05:00

Life always gets in the way. I like to complain and say "If only I didn't have to deal with X I'd be published already."

But the fact is that even if I do get an offer of publication the rest of my life will stay crazy. Either I can learn to work despite the distractions and commitments or I can just assume I don't have the chops to do this professionally.

I think I am made of sterner stuff. So, I'm working on my work ethic.

Even though I haven't made a lot of my daily/weekly goals I am still plugging away. I sent a piece out for consideration today. Now, I'll wait for a response. In the meantime, I'm still working on everything else I'm trying to get accomplished.

There's a novella in the works. A couple of novels that are clamoring to be written. A handful of short plays for a local theater group. It's all there. All I have to do is get my butt into my chair and start writing.

One that note. I have an article on my other blog about my next possible novel projects. If you feel like throwing in your two cents then you can check it out here.

Now. I must get my butt into writing gear. I'll try and get the next Writer's Commandment up soon. I've got it rolling around the back of my mind too. Just haven't had two seconds to sit down and straighten it out.

A Note About The Links to Useful Writing Stuff

2009-12-31T14:21:00.000-05:00

Just a quick note about the Links to Useful Writing Stuff. Not every method works for every writer. But these are links to info that should (at the very least) give you something to think about as you explore which methods work best for you. I am a firm believer in trying out what works for other people. Even if it doesn't work for me I usually learn something along the way about how I work best.

Here's a quick breakdown of the links I've provided.

One Pass Manuscript Revision
Holly Lisle has been writing for a long time and this is her best practice method for revising a rough draft in a single pass. I, personally, don't do it this way but the individual techniques laid out are very useful whether you apply them in one sitting or over the course of several drafts.

The Snowflake Method for Writing a Novel

Randy Ingermanson has written a great article on how to develop novels from the initial idea into a rough outline into a detailed outline and then into a rough draft. Again, while I don't use this method verbatim, there are many useful techniques in here. And the article may help you to answer the question "I have an idea, how do I make it into a novel?"

The Absolute Write Forums

Absolute Write is a massive writers forum. They have subforums on just about anything writing related and the membership ranges from published authors to those of us still in the "aspiring" category. Even if you never post any questions yourself, just reading the conversations about writing (including genre-specific forums), agents, formatting, etc will give you an invaluable education.

NaNoWriMo Follow-up

I included this because, while The National Novel Writing Month occurs only once a year, there are other challenges that happen year round and include everything from months to edit existing novels to posting on your blog every day for a year. Check out the bottom of the page I've linked to for info and links to a bunch of inspirational challenges.

Testing. Testing. 1... 2

2009-12-21T18:23:00.001-05:00

Currently I'm looking for a new layout for the blog. Bear with me as we work through the technical difficulties.

Writer's Commandment Number Three

2009-12-16T13:51:00.000-05:00

James MacDonald, in giving advice to new writers, has said many times over that it is important to give yourself permission to write crap during the first draft. (He has a lot of really wonderful advice on writing commercial fiction, most of which can be found here.)

My third writer's commandment is inspired by that gem of wisdom.

Writer's Commandment Number Three: Thou shalt remember that some words is better than no words.

That sounds cryptic and ungrammatical. But here's the thing. Whether you're writing a first draft or a fifteenth draft at some point you will get caught up on some point that you don't know how to overcome. Maybe it's how to reveal a key piece of information. Or working out the snarls in a love/hate romantic subplot. Maybe it's just getting your MC out of the hole in the ground where he is determined to hide until the whole damn thing is over with. The fact is, at some point you will get stuck.

This is frequently (and erroneously, in my opinion) termed writer's block. The only way around it is through it. And by this I mean, in order to get unstuck you will - at some point - have to write yourself out of the hole in which you have landed.

And when it comes to getting stuck - and then unstuck - the best thing to do is NOT to stop writing. Some words is better than no words. Even if they are "bad" words. "Worthless" words. Even, dare I say it, utter crap.

Sometimes what you need is momentum. When I get stuck I start off my next writing session working on something else, usually a short story. I write for about 30 minutes. That's enough time to get the creative engine warmed up and all the processes necessary for writing engaged. Then I go back to the "block," the whatever-it-is that has me stumped and I try again. I don't attempt to spew forth polished prose. Instead I start with something simple.

"James walks out the door."

Good, now he's outside and no longer hiding in the safe house. Then what?

"He has decided to go to the train station and catch the first thing headed for the buttcrack of nowhere. All of this, the prophecy, the heroic posturing, the love and manipulation, will be left behind. They can burn in hell for he cares. He will be somewhere else, living a normal life.

"Reaching the corner, he stops and looks to see if there is a bus in sight. He could walk, but his backpack is heavy and the sword, which he hasn't quite been able to leave behind, strikes the back of his leg with every step. There is no bus. In fact, there is no traffic at all.

"The ground shivers and a crack skitters across the pavement trailing smoke and pale flames and the scent of brimstone. Looks like the demon is doing what it set out to do. Suddenly James realizes that Emmy and John and the rest of them will burn in hell if he doesn't do something."

And there you go. Suddenly, I've moved past the sticking point and the words are flowing again. It is not always that simple. If I try to just hammer something out and I get nothing, the next best thing is to free write about the problem. I need James to leave the house and see exactly what fate awaits his friends. But he's determined to stay in hiding. So something must make him leave. Maybe he decides not just to hide but to leave town alltogether. Etc, etc.

Then I move on to the next scene. Even if that one is still very rough. Even if it's still incomplete. That's tricky, because the little voice that always tries to suck the life out of your creative momentum will say "But what if this chapter/scene doesn't make sense with the rest of the story?" The answer is simple. You, being the kick-ass writer that you are, will fix it.

That's it. Fix it later. You have the skills to do that. If you don't, you will learn them. Not every scene is going to flow smoothly from one to the next on the first pass. Maybe not even the second or third pass. But you will be able to fix those bumps in the road. And when you hit one the first time don't stop writing and wait for the hole to fill itself in.

Some words is better than no words. The best cure for "writer's block" is writing. The best solution to a problematic plot point is working through it. Even if you have to skip over it and come back later. I highlight crappy sections in my manuscripts (as I write them) and put in a tag like this. Then I move on. Eventually something in my brain will turn over and I'll think "That's how that scene should go." And I fix whatever wasn't working.

In the meantime, I keep writing. Because I can't fix anything if I'm not putting words down on paper.

Writer's Commandment Number Two

2009-12-14T09:32:00.000-05:00

A few days ago I laid out what (to me) is the primary writers "rule." Not comparing yourself to others and then moping around because you can't produce as many words or your prose is not as polished on the first draft or whatever it may be. (And most importantly, not hating those that are more skilled in any area than you are. I don't care if they type faster than you do or have a fucking thesaurus in their brain, no hating. It only makes you look shabby.)

Before I go on to commandment number two I thought I would clarify one point that was raised by Scarlett.

If you are in a mutual writing partner or beta-reading situation you may find that it is beneficial to make some comparisons between your work and your partners. That is a different kettle of fish. A) You are making the comparison to someone you know on a somewhat personal level. B) You are both striving to make the other person a better writer/help them strengthen their weaknesses.

My caution is against that general "S. King is a best seller and writes three books a year and I don't understand why I can't do that. I bet he has a group of writers that draft his books for him and then he just puts a little polish and his name on them." You can insert the name of any author (published or unpublished) in there. Don't do that. It's destructive.

Now, for commandment number two.

Writers Commandment Number Two: Thou shalt not compare thyself to another writer for the purpose of making thyself feel better about thine own writing.

This is the one that really gets me. Because I know that I'm good at what I do. (And I'm not saying to adopt false humility about your skills. If you're good, you should say so. Maybe not all the time, but it's okay - more than okay - to own the fact that you do something well.) But I tend to start looking at other work, especially that of other unpublished authors or newer authors, and I think "Hey. I am so much better than they are."

The problem with this is that when you think you are better than everyone else, it is a very small step to the thought "I don't need to work as hard because I'm already good."

Any writer, every writer can always be better than they are now. I can be better than I am now. No matter how much more vivid my prose already is, no matter how cool my characters are, there is always room for improvement.

Don't let yourself get lazy. Don't get caught in the "Well, I'm already better than author X and they're published so I don't have to worry about improving my craft any further." And I know that there are very few who would consciously say/think something like that, but unconsciously is a whole different story. It all starts with looking at something someone else has written and thinking "Dude, they suck."

So, write. Be confident. Don't judge.

Peace.

Writer's Commandment Number One

2009-12-10T15:59:00.000-05:00

One of the first things you hear as a writer is that there are no rules when it comes to writing a novel. This is true. However, I have come to the conclusion that there are certain rules that apply to the writer or the practice of writing that have nothing to do with how-to-write-a-novel.

Before I confuse you any further I shall demonstrate by laying out my first rule of writing. A Writer's Commandment, if you will.

Commandment #1: Thou shalt not compare thyself to any other writer for the purpose of beating thyself up regarding personal writing practices.

An online acquaintance (Scarlett Parrish) just wrote a rather long rant about authors/writers who criticize her for the amount of words she is able to write in a single day. For the most part, I agree with her. But the thing I really started thinking about was how deadly it can be (creatively, of course) to start comparing what one does writing-wise with what someone else does writing-wise.

I type pretty fast. Not super-fast, but still fast enough that when the thoughts are flowing I can put 1500 words on the "page" in a little under an hour. This is partly because I have taken the time to actually learn how to type. While typing (or writing - if one does this by hand and not on computer) is not the most important skill in becoming a successful writer, it is a very useful tool. My speed is also do in part to the fact that many times I have run through scenes in my head while I'm doing other things and when I sit down I am prepared to put all of it on paper. (Doesn't always come out that easily, but most of the time I'm typing out something I have already mentally "written.")

So, given the amount of time I am able to scrape together for myself I can usually turn out around 3k a day. If I sit down with a good idea of what to write. And I'm not tired. Or hungry. Or otherwise distracted. (And yes, I chose to have a family. It is not an excuse it is merely a fact. I do not have the same amount of free time now as I did when I was single.)

3k a day is a very respectable number. At that pace I can (theoretically) finish a first draft in a month.

But it's still hard not to get frustrated when I look at other writers I know (like Lori Witt) who due to less strenuous demands on their personal time and (probably) a lot more discipline when it comes to writing can write an entire first draft in eleven days. (And we're talking a whole first draft. Not just a NaNo-like challenge of 50k. But the whole damn thing. Beginning. To. End. I get tired just thinking about it.) It's hard not to get frustrated when I see people say they only need one, maybe two, passes editing a rough draft to get it ready for submission.

I think I am not alone here. Others must feel this frustration too.

The solution is not (as Scarlett has pointed out) to deride those who do better than we do. It is not to accuse those who can churn out 5k a day of being hacks or to say "Oh, well I prefer to focus on quality." That is cheap. It only makes the ones saying it look petty and insecure. (And I would like to point out that while I've never been accused of producing volume at the expense of content, I have been exposed to the "I don't know why anyone would write about vampires. That's so overdone. And unoriginal." argument. And all I can say is, once you read my book you'll eat your damn words.)

No, the solution to the problem is to stop comparing how you write to how anyone else writes. I am all about getting people to write every day, to learn how to reach daily word count goals, and produce rough drafts in a month instead of a year. But not everyone writes that way. I have learned (through much blood and tears) how to turn off the filters and write. But not everyone writes that way. Not everyone can write that way.

That is okay.

I don't want someone looking at what I do and feeling bad about how they produce a book. If you are writing you are doing it right. If you put words on the page, one after another until you have a sentence and then a paragraph and finally a chapter, you are doing it right. Whether it's 5 words a day or 50 or 5,000, you are doing it right.

Don't look at someone else and let their accomplishments get you down. That is counterproductive in so many ways. If you want to compare yourself to someone, look at your own work. Anyone who writes every day will improve month to month and year to year. That is what counts.

Talent and Hard Work

2009-09-11T11:01:00.000-04:00

Like many things related to the world of writing there is much debate over the importance of talent versus hard work. Many a beginning author (myself included) has spent needless hours worrying about whether or not they have the required talent to write at any sort of professional level. Others feel cheated when they hear that the important thing is working hard, not whether you have oodles of talent to begin with.

The dilemma, here, is in the definition. How do we distinguish “talent” from “skill”? Guess what? In the end it doesn’t matter.

Here is the skinny on "talent" versus "hard work". Look at something you wrote today. Now compare it to something you wrote a year ago. Or ten years ago. Have you improved?

"I have," you say.

Great. Now, tell me: did you improve because your natural talent blossomed or because you were busting your butt practicing your craft?

"Well," you say. "I don't know. How can I tell?"

You can't, so stop worrying about it and write.

Knowing When to Take a Break

2009-07-25T14:28:00.000-04:00

Last time I made a Big Point about finishing what you start.

This time I want to stress that it is okay to stop working on a project for a few days (maybe even a few weeks) and do something else. Make no mistake, I am NOT advocating "project hopping." That's when you let your muse lead you around by the nose, starting a million projects and never seeing any of them through to the end. But, in our drive to write every day and finish all our novels, most of us (I include myself here) overlook the fact that writing is work. Enjoyable work most of the time, but still... work.

In most professions we get weekends and holidays off. As writers we are expected (and seem to expect of ourselves) that we go all the time with no breaks or vacations or stopping our forward momentum for any reason.

This is wrong.

Our brains need time to rest. Our creativity needs time to refresh. Our hands need time to recover. In general, taking a break for a day or two every few weeks will not kill your writing discipline nor will it make you any less committed as a writer. I do not want to encourage laziness. Writing is work and should be approached as such. But, since it is work, it can be put aside for a "weekend" or a "vacation" to allow yourself time to breathe and relax and remember why you're so excited about this project in the first place.

I still think that writing every day is important. Setting concrete goals (words per day, pages per day, chapters per week, whatever works for you) is important. Knowing when to take a break is equally so.

Don't write yourself into exhaustion. (Writer's exhaustion is, I believe, the all-too-common cause of so-called "writer's block".) Take a break. Read a book. Take a walk or go on a picnic.

Then come back and write your ass off.

Finish What You Start

2009-07-08T12:50:00.000-04:00

There are many skills you will employ as a writer. The most important is finishing what you start.

It doesn't matter how brilliant your prose is or how likeable your characters are. It doesn't mean a thing if your story is the most creative idea ever or your dialogue is stunning. If you don't finish it won't matter.

It sounds simple. It is not. Starting at the beginning of a story and working through to the end (whether you're writing a 5k short or an 80k novel) is hard. Start developing that skill now.

Too many writers get “I-got-a-better-idea-itis”. Been there and done that. I spent over ten years starting various projects, getting stuck and then starting something new. As a writer you have to learn to push through the difficult parts. Sometimes that will mean skipping over something until you figure out why it's not working. (That approach is easier when the project in question is a novel.) Sometimes it will mean sitting and staring at the computer screen (or piece of paper if you prefer to write things long-hand) for hours until the words flow out again.

Finish what you start. It will do wonders.

Preparation and Productivity

2009-06-27T18:32:00.000-04:00

Every author wants to be more productive when they write. I have already talked about two things that will help increase productivity.

First, write every day. If you are not yet writing for a living it can be hard to make time to write, but it is worth the effort.

Second, set daily word count goals. Give yourself something to aim for at every writing session. It doesn't matter if it's 250 words or 2000, set a goal and strive to reach it.

And third, be prepared.

This means several things. As mentioned in the post on writing everyday when you sit down you should have the TV/cellphone/and-preferably-the-internet turned off, be in a space that is reasonably quiet and have whatever you need (laptop, notebook, glass of water) readily available.

I am not saying that if you get thirsty you can't get up and get something to drink. But it is (usually) better if you can anticipate such a need and be ready for it. It's a lot easier to stay in the flow of writing when all you have to do is reach over and grab the glass rather than get up, go into the kitchen, find glass, get water and return to your desk.

This also means you should have some idea what you're going to write. This does not mean knowing every single word you write before you write it. But you should have a task in hand for the day. Maybe it's tackling the next chapter of your novel. Or polishing that short story you banged out last week. Or brainstorming about your next project. Having a good idea of what you want to accomplish before you start will put you one step closer to achieving that goal.

There are many daily tasks that can be done while thinking about something else. If you are writing seriously I would suggest that “something else” be the current WIP. I frequently work through plotholes, figure out hidden facets of my characters while doing mundane chores like cleaning the bathroom or washing dishes. (Personal experience says that cooking dinner is not a good time to contemplate one's WIP. Unless one likes the biscuits a little more like charcoal and less like something appetizing.)

Lastly, this does not mean that if you don't know what you're going to write about that you should skip your prearranged writing session. I sit down plenty of days and try and reach that daily goal without knowing exactly what I'm going to write until I sit down to write it. But I find I get further when I have a good idea about where I want to go (even if there are detours along the way.)

Daily Word Count

2009-06-12T20:49:00.000-04:00

Setting a daily word count goal will help productivity.

There are two main factors to consider when deciding on an appropriate goal.

1. Does your project have a deadline?
2. How fast are you capable of writing/typing?

Deadlines, whether external or self-imposed, are a great motivator. They provide structure for your creative goals. If you want (or need) to produce 50k words in 30 days (the basic premise of Nano) an ideal daily word count would be 2k words. This gives you a little flex room for the days when you don't meet the goal or can't write at all. The basic idea can be applied to any length work inside any deadline. (Of course, 100k words in 10 days is probably unrealistic for the majority of us.)

Your overall typing speed plays a role in determining daily word count as well. I am capable of typing 60 WPM. When I'm writing, however, my speed is usually closer to 30 WPM. (Thinking about what I'm writing, analyzing word choice, etc slows down the overall speed.) Usually I can churn out 1500 words an hour in first drafts. With later drafts (requiring more thought/analysis) it is closer to 600 words an hour.

On a normal day I have around 2-3 hours available to write. My daily word count goal is 2k.

It is important to remember that not every writer is capable or inclined to write several thousand words every day. And some churn out work with enviable speed. It is not important what everyone else does. Find what works for you and stick with it until it stops working. (Then you find something else and do it.) It is also important to recognize that, even with goals, not every day will be productive. If you only get one sentence written pat yourself on the back and keep going. If you get 5k words pat yourself on the back and keep going. The important thing is to keep at it.

Writing every day

2009-06-10T10:41:00.000-04:00

If you want to write seriously you need to write every day.

This will require the following.

1) Setting aside time to use only for writing. Try to get a block of time rather than a few minutes here and there throughout the day.

2) Writing whether you feel inspired or not. If you think you're stuck on a current project then open a blank document and write something unrelated. The important thing is to get in the habit of writing for X amount of time every day.

3) Turning off or shutting out whatever might distract you. If it's the internet then disconnect your computer (or set up one with no internet connection). If it's the TV then shut it off or move it into a separate room. Same with cell-phones and video games. The time you set aside to write is for writing only. The rest can wait.

4) Being willing to sacrifice lazy habits. Setting aside time to write sometimes means getting up an hour earlier (or staying up an hour later). It may mean not spending as much time watching TV or surfing the web. Writing is more productive and (in the long run) more fulfilling than spending three hours watching TV shows you probably don't even like. Give up the non-productive in favor of the productive.

5) Sticking with it. Writing every day takes discipline. It may take a while to make it a permanent habit, but once you get in the habit you'll never have to complain about never having the time to write.

The Big O (and by "O" I mean Outline)

2009-06-09T20:23:00.000-04:00

The debate always rages whether it is better to outline or just wing it. Many authors complain that outlining stifles creativity and prevents the organic growth of their storytelling. Others (myself included) find that trying to keep track of a novel-length work without an outline leads to millions of subplots and no resolution to our Main Character's story.

The heart of the problem lies in a misconception about what an outline for a piece of fiction should look like. We've all learned the numbered/lettered/bullet-pointed outlines taught in high school. And for most of us trying to apply that framework to a novel idea seems awkward.

However, that doesn't mean an outline of your story is useless or impossible. We simply need to start thinking about a fiction outline differently than a non-fiction outline. Personally, I prefer to think of outlines as a road map. I highlight the route I think I should take, but make notes about possible detours and side-trips that may prove useful. Nothing is set in stone.

Writing an outline is a bit like writing a very rough draft of your novel, a pre-draft if you like. The outline shows you the most important points of your story, gives you some idea of its structure and helps you plot the growth of your characters. When you write the next draft you can always revise, adding material where it's needed and cutting out parts that are redundant or just plain don't work.

This “pre-draft” should help you organize your ideas into a cohesive whole so that when you begin the rough/first draft of your novel you can let the imagination run wild and not worry about forgetting some important point or that clever bit of dialogue that popped into your head whilst weeding the garden.

“All right,” you say. “I'll give it a shot. But how do I write an outline for a novel?”

Like pretty much everything else writing related, do what works for you. You might have to try a few (or a lot of) different things before you find the right method for you. And you may find that the “right” method will vary from project to project.

Here are a few ideas to help you get started.

Index Cards
Every plot point gets a card. Cards are then laid out in order from beginning to end of story. This is especially useful if you have ideas for scenes but no clear notion of which should come first because the cards are easy to shuffle. Additional notes can be written on the card as well. For example:
John Receives a Letter From Nina ← plot point
He realizes he still loves her. This is what prompts him to take pack up his stuff and go find her.

Summary
Write a page or five summarizing the story from beginning to end. Include as many details as you feel are pertinent. You might try a paragraph per chapter. Or a single paragraph for the beginning, middle and end, respectively. This method is good if you prefer a more stream-of-consciousness approach to developing your story idea.

Bullet-point/Numbered
Make a list of the most important points in your plot. Add points as necessary to fill in gaps so that the beginning of the story flows into the middle which flows into the end. Subpoints may be added to clarify more complex actions. In general, one action (or beat) should be one point. This method allows you to see the bones of the story very quickly and if you already have a good idea about how the story will flow usually takes only a very short time to write out.

There are other methods to be explored (mind-mapping, napkins, spreadsheets) but, in my experience, they are mostly variations on these three. Each method has advantages and each will appeal to different writers in different ways. I usually go with the bullet-point approach, but I've used both the summary method and the index card method as well depending on the situation.

A little bit of experimentation and you should find a method that works for you.

Experimenting with the opening

2009-05-26T13:34:00.000-04:00

I usually go through several opening sequences when starting work pages. Sometimes I'm just trying to find that perfect moment to start the story off and running. Other times I'm also experimenting with tone, vocabulary, rhythm. The results are not always very good, but frequently interesting to look back at.

The following three segments are from one of those sessions. They are, in some ways, remarkably different. But they also show why I tend to have consistency problems from day to day.

a.g.c.
--------------

It was a small port; quiet and generally well-mannered. One of the few places Simon had no expectations of trouble. Yet somehow it was the place he found himself a prisoner in his own ship, facing two deranged individuals apparently bent on cutting him into disgustingly small pieces. Or perhaps that should be small and disgusting pieces. Whichever, he would be in pieces and therefore dead.

He did not fear death. Rather he did not fear the state of being dead. It was the process of becoming that was unsettling. Especially the process being proposed by the strangers facing him with knives in their hands and a certain madness in their eyes.

“I’m sure,” said the one on the right, “you’ve heard of us.” She paused, twisting her head to and fro to allow him the opportunity to recognize her.

“Er…no,” Simon said reluctantly.

The one on the left gasped in a theatrical manner, fairly staggering in his amazement. Simon frowned again. If the figure on the left were actually a he. The clothing was that of woman, there were even curves in the places appropriate for a woman, but the inordinate amount of hair visible between the cleavage suggested maleness.

****

“Are you not curious to learn the true depravity of your fate?”

Simon murmured incoherently, the two gaudy figures swimming hazily in front of him. The stunner had not been kind and the pain he was in now did nothing to improve his mental faculties.

“Good,” said the figure on the right. “We shall be delighted to tell you.”

“First we are going to cut you into disgustingly small pieces,” said the figure on the left.

“Small and disgusting, yes.”

“It will be a delicately executed procedure in order to keep you alive as long as possible.”

“Long and delicate,” the woman, and he was sure this one was a woman, said eagerly.

“Then,” said the man, and he was fairly certain, despite the slinky dress and suggestion of cleavage, that this one was a man, “and this is the part I’m sure you’re most curious about for at this stage you will be quite dead.”

“Painfully dead, but quite dead, yes.”

“Then,” the man continued, “we will make a fantastic pie from your disgustingly small remains and send it to the governor with our most sincere regards.”

Simon looked up at them, momentarily speechless. The ache in his head, the numbness in his limbs was beginning to fade, but the sharp pain between his shoulder blades was growing more persistent. “You’re quite mad,” he said finally.

“Yes, yes!” The woman clapped her hands together delightedly. “Oh, my darling, he’s figured it out!”

“Most of them do,” the man said with an attitude of satisfaction.

****

Night air lay thick in the streets, tendrils of mist creeping from the drains to cloud the wan light from the streetlamps. The murmur of voices rose and fell as tavern doors swung opened and closed, spilling patrons into the damp street in a fume of smoke to stagger on to the next bar.

Here and there a pale flash of skin marked a girl-for-hire, propped languidly against a wall or peering out of the privacy of an alley. Passersby would be gripped for a moment or so with a questioning hand and then released or pulled deeper into the wet and clinging night depending on their answer; yea or nay.

Two men strolled the uneven pavement, already listing slightly from the first few stops on their route, but not so deep in their cups they stumbled or babbled or fought. Dressed in the fashion of shiphands, loose-legged pants, soft shoes and woven shirts, they still had the uneasiness of those only recently come to ground; their gait anticipated the pitch and roll of the deck and made their steps awkward as the ground remained solid and unmoving. One eyed the mysterious women in the shadows curiously but made no sign of interest in the services being offered.

“How do you feel?” one said to the other. “One more?”

His friend considered, eyes still probing the darkness idly. “Sound about right.”

They walked a bit further, stopping at a corner to consider their options.

“Pardon.” The voice was light, a woman’s. “I’m looking for the docks.”

“Eh?” The two looked at the stranger thoughtfully.

Tall and slim, with silvery strands of hair slipping free from the knot wound on the back of her neck. She was dressed like someone familiar with port life, breeches tucked into tall boots, woven shirt with lace at throat and wrists, a neat vest and long coat, but there was a keenness in her eyes that spoke of a different purpose.

Drafts and more

2009-05-25T10:33:00.000-04:00

Gaslyte is well into a third draft. It looks good so far, though it will still need further polishing.

In addition I've started roughing out a second novel, Necrotek. It's so rough I'm not even certain about the best order for the chapters so the excerpts are just posted in the sequence that they're being written.

This new project is a big departure from the style of Gaslyte. I love writing in first person but it is a bit difficult to do well. And these characters are tough and cynical. So far, writing it has been a thrill.

I'm also working on a couple of "instructional" entries on how to develop characters and one on writing fight scenes. They should be up soon.

A new month, a new outline.

2009-02-04T14:04:00.000-05:00

In November of 2008 I participated in The National Novel Writing Month. In short it is an exercise in prolific-ness. (Yeah, I know that's not a word.) The goal is to write 50,000 words between midnight November 1 -30. (Preferably words which make up a novel in part or in whole.) Which I did.

After not getting much done in December I started rewriting the rough draft a little more earnestly in January. However, it was not long before I realized there were some incredibly dull parts and a few big plot holes.

So, I sat back to consider how I might fix those issues. Finally, as I worked on fleshing out the storyline for a supporting character, I realized that the new direction his story was taking me was fixing up the storyline for my main character. Brilliant!

I now have twenty chapters outlined and have started roughing out the new version. It sucks having to start over nearly from scratch but this version is much better. Not perfect but the plot holds together and flows much more naturally.

I'll post updates and excerpts as they become available.

a.g.c.