So okay, I said I wouldn't be back for about a month. But I'm so bored that I'm going to brave the one-handed writing and try to do this post...even if it takes me all day.
Have you heard of the writing concept, The Hero's Journey? It's a concept that came to life many years ago, but has been renewed recently by Christopher Vogler. It was written primarily for fantasy stories that are character driven, as opposed to being plot driven. However, I discovered that if your story is character driven, you can fit your main character into the Acts, Stages and Character Arcs that compose the Hero's Journey, even if it is a contempory or even an historical novel. I've just done that with Ben, my 'hero' in my historical fiction novel, and it's working out very well.
The Hero's Journey is divided into three "acts" which correspond to our beginning, middle and end. Acts One and Two have five stages, Act Three has two stages, and all have character arcs to correspond with each stage.
Act One begins with the hero realizing that some problem exists in his sphere of life, but has very limited knowledge or awareness of it. As the stages of Act One continue, the hero progresses from having increased awareness and knowledge of the problem to being reluctant to attempt to change or rectify the problem to finally overcoming his reluctance and being commited to trying to change things.
Act Two continues with the hero going through stages where he decides gradually to try different things to change the problem, then prepares for his final decision, faces his drawbacks and all the things that seem designed specifically to prevent him from achieving his goal of change, and finally sees him as totally committed to making the change or achieving his goal.
Act Three is the climax, where he finally accomplishes the change or the goal that he set out to do.
Look, we all know that there are NO new stories. Every story in the history of mankind has already been told. As writers, all we can hope to do is to put a different spin on an old story, to make it unique because of our voice, our characters, our settings, our dialogue, and etc. But this way of looking at our main character(s) makes things easier. What is it we are always told about writing fiction?
1. Our mc wants something.
2. There are forces ( situations, experiences, people) who are going to try to keep the MC from getting what she wants or achieving her goal.
3. How does she deal with these forces?
4. She either gets what she wants or achieves her goal, or she doesn't.
5. How does #4 affect her in the long run.
The hero's journey addresses all these points, but in a more concise way. I guess you can call it a type of outline, but for someone like me...who absolutely hates to outline...it just works better.
I'm going to give you two websites to check out. The first is the one I printed out originally, and worked Ben ( my historical fiction MC) into. The second is one I found recently, which has a good explanation of each of the Three Acts.
For the "questionnaire":
www.darkcloudpress.com/blog_files/Death_Percept_Heroes_Jrny_Quest.pdf
This is where you will find the outline of Acts, Stages, and Character Arcs.
www.hotnottowrite.com/big-huge-book-reviews/the-writers-journey-by-Christopher-Vogler/
This is a good explanation of each act, although it is written a bit differently than the 'questionnaire' above. Still worth reading, however.
Take a look, and see if you can't use it in your own work. If you want to see how I worked Ben into each act and stage, let me know and I'll email a copy to you.
Hope it works for you. Let me know.
Subscribe To
Posts
All Comments
Friday, May 21, 2010
Saturday, May 15, 2010
OOOPS!
OOOPS! I made a big mistake in my last post. In giving you some of the 101 Best Websites, I left out a letter in one of them and it goes to something that has nothing to do with writing.
The website is: www.authonomy.com. The one I gave you is "autonomy.com" and it is some kind of technological website. The correct spelling is above, and it is the Harper-Collins site. It's pretty interesting if you've written a book, or have a finished manuscript that isn't published yet...you can upload it to this site and have registered users of the site read it. There's also a possibility of having Harper-Collins actually pick it up for publication.
That's all for now...still having to type with one hand, which is slow and annoying, but I wanted to correct this mistake when I realized what I had done.
I hope to be back on a half-way regular basis in another couple of weeks.
The website is: www.authonomy.com. The one I gave you is "autonomy.com" and it is some kind of technological website. The correct spelling is above, and it is the Harper-Collins site. It's pretty interesting if you've written a book, or have a finished manuscript that isn't published yet...you can upload it to this site and have registered users of the site read it. There's also a possibility of having Harper-Collins actually pick it up for publication.
That's all for now...still having to type with one hand, which is slow and annoying, but I wanted to correct this mistake when I realized what I had done.
I hope to be back on a half-way regular basis in another couple of weeks.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Websites Part Two
I promised you some more websites that I found in the latest issue of Writers Digest, so here they are.
Duotrope's Digest: http://www.duotrope.com/
There are over 2,000 markets at this site for fiction writers and poets.
Absolute Write: http://www.absolutewrite.com/
A forum for freelancers, novelists, bloggers and more.
Autonomy: http://www.authonomy.com/
This site was developed by the book editors at Harper Collins, and it allows you to upload your manuscript for free and have others look at it. HarperCollins editors read the most popular manuscripts and have even signed a few for publication.
Backspace: http://www.bksp.org/
This site features articles, columns and news from indudtry insiders. You have to pay a small annual fee for access to the forum, but it hosts literary agents, editors and authors, and it could be worth the money, as 47 of the original 110 have been publshed.
Author Tech Tips: http://www.authortechtips.com/
This site breaks down everything in social networking, blogging, and podcasting into basic explanations and advice for everyone who is a non-techie. ( Like me.)
Mystery Writing Is Murder: http://www.mysterywritingismurder.blogspot.com/
This mystery-writing mom talks about good guys, bad guys, plot twists and more.
WOW! Women on Writing: http://www.wow-womenonwriting.com/
This is a great site about women writers supporting other women writers throughout the whole writing process.
Well, that's it for web sites. There are a lot more in the May/June issue of Writers Digest, but you will have to buy the magazine or take a subscription to see them all. It's worth it!
This will be my last post for awhile. I'm having surgery tomorrow and will have my right shoulder/arm in a cast/sling for 4 weeks...if I'm lucky, only 4 weeks. So I apologize for being gone for about a month, but typing with only one hand is definitely for the birds.
Be good and play nice. See you later.
Duotrope's Digest: http://www.duotrope.com/
There are over 2,000 markets at this site for fiction writers and poets.
Absolute Write: http://www.absolutewrite.com/
A forum for freelancers, novelists, bloggers and more.
Autonomy: http://www.authonomy.com/
This site was developed by the book editors at Harper Collins, and it allows you to upload your manuscript for free and have others look at it. HarperCollins editors read the most popular manuscripts and have even signed a few for publication.
Backspace: http://www.bksp.org/
This site features articles, columns and news from indudtry insiders. You have to pay a small annual fee for access to the forum, but it hosts literary agents, editors and authors, and it could be worth the money, as 47 of the original 110 have been publshed.
Author Tech Tips: http://www.authortechtips.com/
This site breaks down everything in social networking, blogging, and podcasting into basic explanations and advice for everyone who is a non-techie. ( Like me.)
Mystery Writing Is Murder: http://www.mysterywritingismurder.blogspot.com/
This mystery-writing mom talks about good guys, bad guys, plot twists and more.
WOW! Women on Writing: http://www.wow-womenonwriting.com/
This is a great site about women writers supporting other women writers throughout the whole writing process.
Well, that's it for web sites. There are a lot more in the May/June issue of Writers Digest, but you will have to buy the magazine or take a subscription to see them all. It's worth it!
This will be my last post for awhile. I'm having surgery tomorrow and will have my right shoulder/arm in a cast/sling for 4 weeks...if I'm lucky, only 4 weeks. So I apologize for being gone for about a month, but typing with only one hand is definitely for the birds.
Be good and play nice. See you later.
Friday, April 23, 2010
Best Websites for Writers: Part One
How many of you get the Writers Digest? I just started getting it, and was amazed at so many of the articles that pertain to writing for children/young adults. I took the magazine years ago, and seldom saw anything I could use. This last issue had 101 best websites for writers, so I thought I would pass some of them along ( not all 101, however.)
The first ones are on "Writing Advice." A couple I already have listed but I'll share them again, anyway.
Editorial Anonymous: http://www.editorialanonymous.blogspot.com/
An unnamed children's book editor gives practical advice about everything from rejections to book promotions, and does so with a bit of wit.
Evil Editor: http://www.evileditor.blogspot.com/
A straight-talking editor dispenses tough-love advice on queries, snyopses, and the first pages of books, and does so humorously.
Long Story Short: An E-zine for Writers: www.alongstoryshort.net
This e-zine gives excellent writing tips and also offers a personal touch that most others don't. The editors of Long Story Short reply personally to every author who queries for advice on how to improve their work.
Novel Journey: http://www.noveljourney.blogspot.com/
There is great advice here from the sites 12 contributors, who offer a collection of interviews with authors, editors and freelancers.
Plot Whisperer for Writers and Readers: http://www.plotwhisperer.blogspot.com/
The always inspiring Martha Alderson helps you work out your plot problems.
That's all for now. I know, I know, 5 out of 101 isn't very much, but if you want to get them all, you'll just have to subscribe to Writers Digest !
I'll be back later with a few more.
The first ones are on "Writing Advice." A couple I already have listed but I'll share them again, anyway.
Editorial Anonymous: http://www.editorialanonymous.blogspot.com/
An unnamed children's book editor gives practical advice about everything from rejections to book promotions, and does so with a bit of wit.
Evil Editor: http://www.evileditor.blogspot.com/
A straight-talking editor dispenses tough-love advice on queries, snyopses, and the first pages of books, and does so humorously.
Long Story Short: An E-zine for Writers: www.alongstoryshort.net
This e-zine gives excellent writing tips and also offers a personal touch that most others don't. The editors of Long Story Short reply personally to every author who queries for advice on how to improve their work.
Novel Journey: http://www.noveljourney.blogspot.com/
There is great advice here from the sites 12 contributors, who offer a collection of interviews with authors, editors and freelancers.
Plot Whisperer for Writers and Readers: http://www.plotwhisperer.blogspot.com/
The always inspiring Martha Alderson helps you work out your plot problems.
That's all for now. I know, I know, 5 out of 101 isn't very much, but if you want to get them all, you'll just have to subscribe to Writers Digest !
I'll be back later with a few more.
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Thoughts on Wintergirls
When I first began reading Wintergirls, by Laurie Halse Anderson, I almost returned the book to the library. It is morose, it is chilling, it is frightening because it strikes so close to home in its truth.
Lia and Cassie have been friends forever. In high school, they enter into a pact to see who can lose the most weight the quickest. However, by the time both are totally caught up in the throes of anorexia, they have a falling out, and refuse to speak to each other. Before long, Cassie is found dead, alone, in a motel room...where she had called and texted Lia 33 times, but Lia refused to listen or read the calls until after she found out that her best friend was dead.
Cassie's death sends an already fragile Lia into a morass of painful self-destruction. Cassie ( who died as a result of a ruptured esophagus, in turn a result of violent bulima) becomes a ghost who haunts Lia and tries to draw her even further down into self-destruction. Lia's parents and step-mother are too busy and self-involved to really see what is going on with her, especially since she convinces them she is gaining weight...merely by adding clothing before she weighs. Finally, it is her art teacher who begins to slowly nudge her back from the edge of death.
This is not a story for the faint-hearted, nor should it be read in the midst of feeling "blue." But it is a marvelous book, written with understanding, sensitivity and passion from a first-person present-tense point of view. It is a book to be read by any parent who knows or believes that her/his daughter in involved in anorexia or bulimia. It is a book to be read by any teen who is considering trying to be "the skinniest person in school" or who, perhaps, is already experiencing the mentality of anorexia...where every bite of food is not to be thought of in terms of name, type or nutrition, but merely as a caloric number...the lower the better. It is a book to be read by every teen who believes that self-perception is tied to being thin, the thinner the better, and who is already exploring the caverns of self-starvation and the painful disconnection between perception and reality.
A hard-to-read book, but one which is even harder to stop reading.
Lia and Cassie have been friends forever. In high school, they enter into a pact to see who can lose the most weight the quickest. However, by the time both are totally caught up in the throes of anorexia, they have a falling out, and refuse to speak to each other. Before long, Cassie is found dead, alone, in a motel room...where she had called and texted Lia 33 times, but Lia refused to listen or read the calls until after she found out that her best friend was dead.
Cassie's death sends an already fragile Lia into a morass of painful self-destruction. Cassie ( who died as a result of a ruptured esophagus, in turn a result of violent bulima) becomes a ghost who haunts Lia and tries to draw her even further down into self-destruction. Lia's parents and step-mother are too busy and self-involved to really see what is going on with her, especially since she convinces them she is gaining weight...merely by adding clothing before she weighs. Finally, it is her art teacher who begins to slowly nudge her back from the edge of death.
This is not a story for the faint-hearted, nor should it be read in the midst of feeling "blue." But it is a marvelous book, written with understanding, sensitivity and passion from a first-person present-tense point of view. It is a book to be read by any parent who knows or believes that her/his daughter in involved in anorexia or bulimia. It is a book to be read by any teen who is considering trying to be "the skinniest person in school" or who, perhaps, is already experiencing the mentality of anorexia...where every bite of food is not to be thought of in terms of name, type or nutrition, but merely as a caloric number...the lower the better. It is a book to be read by every teen who believes that self-perception is tied to being thin, the thinner the better, and who is already exploring the caverns of self-starvation and the painful disconnection between perception and reality.
A hard-to-read book, but one which is even harder to stop reading.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Book Review
I mentioned in my last blog that I was going to do a book review. And so I am. The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate, a debut novel by Jacqueline Kelly, is one of the best books I've ever read, for adults or children. I definitely encourage all of you who are writing for kids 10 and over to read this book, and see how Ms. Kelly brings to life her young heroine, Calpurnia.
Calpurnia Tate is eleven years old, going on twelve, in 1899 Fentress, Texas. She is the middle child of seven, three older brothers and three younger ones. She is expected to grow up learning...and liking...the humdrum skills of cooking, baking, sewing and handiwork. All of which she not only hates, but is definitely not good at. She loves the outdoors, animals and the nearby river which holds all kinds of secrets and fascinations. Calpurnia, surprising herself, creates a bond with her grandfather, a crusty amateur naturalist who prefers the solitude of his library, and his "lab", ( just a shack outside of the house), to the noisy and often boisterousness of his six grandsons. Grandfather gives Calpurnia, unbeknownst to her parents, his copy of Darwin's Origin of the Species, and Callie immerses herself in the discovery of the scientific method and the theory of evolution.
As Callie works with her grandfather in collecting the different species of nature, they discover a new species of vetch, which they immediately send to Washington, D.C., in an effort to have it officially recognized. While this provides one dramatic issue, the real issue is that of Callie's gradual self-realization that life as her mother wishes for it to be is definitely not to Calpurnia's liking.
It isn't long before Callie's mother realizes that Callie's progress in the skills of being a "lady"...cookery, sewing and handiwork...is severely lacking, so she curtails her free time and insists that she spend more time in the kitchen and in developing all the trappings of young womanhood which will lead eventually to her debut in society.
Interwoven with the scientific theme of the story are all the ups and downs of living in a large family, and of being the only girl among six boys. We read about the romantic inclinations of Callie's oldest brother towards two different young ladies, the heartbreaking story of Travis, Callie's just-younger brother who has made pets of the Thanksgiving turkeys and tries to convince the family not to kill and eat them, and of J.B, the baby of the family who clings to Callie.
Calpurnia Virginia Tate is a wonderful young girl who is happy, curious, intelligent and thoughtful. She will appeal greatly to those girls today who see themselves as "different", and don't want to be stuck in the "average" mold by either parents or society. Callie takes a different journey to self-discovery, trying to overcome her confusion and despair over what she sees as an impossible dream...the belief and hope that she can to go university and become a scientist, instead of having to give in to society's expectations of the "homebody" who struggles with corsets and spends her days cooking and sewing.
The conclusion brings both humor, pathos, and excitement to the arrival of the new year 1900, and leaves Calpurnia's future somewhat up in the air. What is not up in the air is the fact that this book is written with both sensitivity and humor, and tells a true story of what life was like for young girls at the turn of the century.
I really encourage all of you to get this book and read it. Written in first person, it is a very appealing story of a young girl's struggle to develop her own identity, in the face of what both parents and society expect of her.
Read it! Let me know what you think.
Calpurnia Tate is eleven years old, going on twelve, in 1899 Fentress, Texas. She is the middle child of seven, three older brothers and three younger ones. She is expected to grow up learning...and liking...the humdrum skills of cooking, baking, sewing and handiwork. All of which she not only hates, but is definitely not good at. She loves the outdoors, animals and the nearby river which holds all kinds of secrets and fascinations. Calpurnia, surprising herself, creates a bond with her grandfather, a crusty amateur naturalist who prefers the solitude of his library, and his "lab", ( just a shack outside of the house), to the noisy and often boisterousness of his six grandsons. Grandfather gives Calpurnia, unbeknownst to her parents, his copy of Darwin's Origin of the Species, and Callie immerses herself in the discovery of the scientific method and the theory of evolution.
As Callie works with her grandfather in collecting the different species of nature, they discover a new species of vetch, which they immediately send to Washington, D.C., in an effort to have it officially recognized. While this provides one dramatic issue, the real issue is that of Callie's gradual self-realization that life as her mother wishes for it to be is definitely not to Calpurnia's liking.
It isn't long before Callie's mother realizes that Callie's progress in the skills of being a "lady"...cookery, sewing and handiwork...is severely lacking, so she curtails her free time and insists that she spend more time in the kitchen and in developing all the trappings of young womanhood which will lead eventually to her debut in society.
Interwoven with the scientific theme of the story are all the ups and downs of living in a large family, and of being the only girl among six boys. We read about the romantic inclinations of Callie's oldest brother towards two different young ladies, the heartbreaking story of Travis, Callie's just-younger brother who has made pets of the Thanksgiving turkeys and tries to convince the family not to kill and eat them, and of J.B, the baby of the family who clings to Callie.
Calpurnia Virginia Tate is a wonderful young girl who is happy, curious, intelligent and thoughtful. She will appeal greatly to those girls today who see themselves as "different", and don't want to be stuck in the "average" mold by either parents or society. Callie takes a different journey to self-discovery, trying to overcome her confusion and despair over what she sees as an impossible dream...the belief and hope that she can to go university and become a scientist, instead of having to give in to society's expectations of the "homebody" who struggles with corsets and spends her days cooking and sewing.
The conclusion brings both humor, pathos, and excitement to the arrival of the new year 1900, and leaves Calpurnia's future somewhat up in the air. What is not up in the air is the fact that this book is written with both sensitivity and humor, and tells a true story of what life was like for young girls at the turn of the century.
I really encourage all of you to get this book and read it. Written in first person, it is a very appealing story of a young girl's struggle to develop her own identity, in the face of what both parents and society expect of her.
Read it! Let me know what you think.
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Blogging and Platforms
Today I've been thinking a lot about the art of blogging. At least, I think it's an art. Do you 'follow' many blogs? I have some of my favorites listed on this blog, but then I go to a lot of others just to see what is going on with them. Most of the ones that interest me the most are professional blogs...professional in terms of the writing community: other writers both published and not, editors and agents.
But have you ever thought about the differences in the blogs that you read? Differences in appearance, in what they blog about, in the kind of professionalism ( or not) they display. No two ever seem to be similar. One I go to has lots of personal photos, contests...most that are made up by the blogger...personal thoughts, etc. Another one is almost nothing but interviews and book reports, all about the writing world. A third is just...umm, well, silly. Nothing professional at all, yet she is a professional.
What does all that mean? Or does it mean anything? I keep hearing about how we are supposed to build a "platform" in blogging, if we are or are trying to be professional writers. I don't know about you, but the only "platforms" I know about ( that aren't the kind you walk on) are political, so I'm not real sure what a "platform" is supposed to be in writing.
So I blog about the things that are important to me, as a writer. Oh, and I guess I can't forget the 'teacher' part, because being a teacher is something that never leaves me. I blog about things all writers need to learn, and hope...very sincerely hope...that the writer who reads about them will "learn something new." Or, if it's not new, perhaps it is just explained in a way that will be easier to comprehend.
I blog about plots, dialogue, characters, setting, research...the things we all need to know and perfect. ( Not that I have perfected ANY of those things !). A friend told me that I was "predictable"...hmmm...okay, maybe I am predictable, but maybe that's also my "platform?" Is that good or bad? I have no idea. I don't think there is a right or wrong way to blog if you are a professional. I think you have to write...blog...about what's important to you, and what you'd like for others to take away from your blog.
At least, that's how I feel about my blog. What about you? Do you have a "platform?"
Think about it. Let me know.
But have you ever thought about the differences in the blogs that you read? Differences in appearance, in what they blog about, in the kind of professionalism ( or not) they display. No two ever seem to be similar. One I go to has lots of personal photos, contests...most that are made up by the blogger...personal thoughts, etc. Another one is almost nothing but interviews and book reports, all about the writing world. A third is just...umm, well, silly. Nothing professional at all, yet she is a professional.
What does all that mean? Or does it mean anything? I keep hearing about how we are supposed to build a "platform" in blogging, if we are or are trying to be professional writers. I don't know about you, but the only "platforms" I know about ( that aren't the kind you walk on) are political, so I'm not real sure what a "platform" is supposed to be in writing.
So I blog about the things that are important to me, as a writer. Oh, and I guess I can't forget the 'teacher' part, because being a teacher is something that never leaves me. I blog about things all writers need to learn, and hope...very sincerely hope...that the writer who reads about them will "learn something new." Or, if it's not new, perhaps it is just explained in a way that will be easier to comprehend.
I blog about plots, dialogue, characters, setting, research...the things we all need to know and perfect. ( Not that I have perfected ANY of those things !). A friend told me that I was "predictable"...hmmm...okay, maybe I am predictable, but maybe that's also my "platform?" Is that good or bad? I have no idea. I don't think there is a right or wrong way to blog if you are a professional. I think you have to write...blog...about what's important to you, and what you'd like for others to take away from your blog.
At least, that's how I feel about my blog. What about you? Do you have a "platform?"
Think about it. Let me know.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)