I am shamelessly taking this blog post from a wonderful blog by Anne R. Allen, who wrote The Slow Blog Manifesto. Anne begins her blog by saying that the average life of a blog is three years. I didn't know that, did you? I thought that once you started blogging, you just kept on until you had nothing more to say! And what writer does that happen to? LOL
To be honest, I've sorta fallen in love with this Slow Blog Manifesto, because it says what I've been thinking about for the whole time I've been blogging... and that is that you DO NOT have to blog every single day, and in fact, it's much better if you don't. That may come as a surprise to some.
I've felt many times like it was some kind of "requirement" of being a writer that you must blog, you must be on Facebook, and you must Tweet or Twitter or whatever it's called. I don't know about you, but I don't like feeling I am forced to do something when it concerns my writing. I would much, much rather spend time writing on my WIP that spend time posting something on my blog just for the sake of doing so, or going on Facebook to make some innocuous comment. Oh, and I DON'T Tweet, and hope I'm never forced to do so. For one thing, I'm much too long-winded when I do post to write anything coherent in only 137 characters!
But I digress. Are you a sprinter when you blog? Do you blog every single day of the week, or even 4 or 5 times a week? Really? Do you honestly...come on, now, tell the truth...do you honestly have something so important, something so worth while to say every single day that your followers will fall off the face of the earth if they don't read it? Hmmm...
Anne talks about "blather-blogging"... posting something every day because you've been told you HAVE to blog every single day. But you don't really have anything important to talk about, so you end up posting about how mad you are at your editor because she didn't go along with your last revisions. Your editor will read your blog, get mad at your comments, and refuse to work with you, so you'll end up not getting the next Great American Novel published.
If you spend all your time blogging, how much time does that leave you in a day to work on the above: The Next Great American Novel? Seriously, how much? Most writers have a day job: working outside the home, working inside the home raising kids and taking care of hubby, or, BOTH! Realistically, it's almost impossible to do all of the above, blog sensibly every day, AND spend time writing something interesting, entertaining, exciting, mysterious, frightening... you know the drill.
So all of this...the above... relates to the Sprinter Blogger, the one who blogs every day or at least 5 days a week because she or he believes that is the way to do it, and that you'll never be known or recognized for the great author you are if you don't do it.
Oh, all right...there ARE some people who can blog successfully every day, do it brilliantly, work an 8 hour-a-day job, come home and take great care of the house, the laundry, the husband, 5 rug rats all under the age of 10, and STILL find the time to write 3,000 words on her novel every single day. And I mean that sincerely. Almost. But I was never able to fit into that Superwoman outfit. It was always too tight, and all it did was make me squirmy.
So back to the Marathoner. This is the person who blogs once or twice a week, and does a thoughtful, thought-provoking, entertaining, educational, or humorous post each time. Any one of the above, or even occasionally, all of the above in one single post. This is the kind of blog that brings people back, time and time again, because they know there will be something of value on that blog. Besides that, if you only blog once or twice a week, the people who are really busy writing ( well, or being Superwoman) are going to come visit your blog much more often. Most people don't want or don't have the time to visit someone's blog every single day, especially if all they are talking about is their latest recipe or how their boss is really down on all the women in the office because she blatantly prefers the men .
Your blog is supposed to allow people to get to know you, what you write, and how you write. It lets them know who you are and how you think. It's not
supposed to be a substitute FOR your writing, but it you spend all your time blogging, it eats up your creativity so there's none left for that next Great American Novel! It's better to blog more slowly to get your message out, and have more people take the time to visit you, than to be a Sprinter with not a lot to say every day of the week. There's nothing wrong with being a Marathoner, and probably a great many things right about being one.
In fact, do you remember the late, great, pseudonyminous agent, Miss Snark? She always said that no matter how great the pressure was to "build a platform," a writer's job was to always put their writing first. "Your job is to write...Focus...Nothing replaces that." ( paraphrased from Anne R.Allen.)
Write every day. Blog once or twice a week. Be a Marathoner, not a Sprinter!
Until next time,
That's a wrap.
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Wednesday, June 13, 2012
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Monsters In The Closet
No, this is not a post about a children's book, or anything concerning fantasy or even science fiction. It's about those Monsters our characters keep... or want to keep... in the closet.
Now, some writers call them flaws... character flaws. Some might even call them fatal flaws. I don't think it matters much what you call them, just that you and your characters...and your readers... know they are there. Because even if they are hiding in a closet somewhere, they're going to come out, usually at the most inconvenient time and throw a strike ball into your story.
We all want our characters, particularly our main characters, to be as perfect as possible. But therein lies the trouble. We're not perfect, so how can our characters be? If your character doesn't have any kind of flaw, or even flaws, how can your readers relate to him?
Do you remember the original stories about Superman and Batman? Clark Kent may have been an inept news reporter, but as Superman he was invincible. No matter what kind of crime or criminal he took on, you always knew he would come out on top because there was nothing that could hurt him. Well, until Kryptonite came along, anyway. But even then, you were already convinced that he would succeed in destroying that power in the end. You liked Superman, but how invested in him emotionally were you? Probably not at all, because he was super-human, and had no flaws.
Batman was different. He was a real human, a millionaire with time on his hands and nothing more to do than invest a few million in some outrageously wild and weird toys. He fought crime, sure, but he could get hurt... actually, I think in some episodes he actually did get hurt... because he was not superhuman. He was just a guy who believed wholeheartedly in JUSTICE, and sometimes his methods of obtaining it were not what you would call completely...umm...legal? So we could become attached to him emotionally, because he was a good guy like so many other good guys, just a little psychologically "off." In other words, he was human like the rest of us.
That's why your characters MUST have those monsters-in-the-closet...flaws. Just like us. I mean, most of us know what our flaws are: we lose our tempers, often when we absolutely should not; we are perfectionists, and therefore impose our "standards of perfection" upon everyone else, which in turn causes all kinds of problems; we are jealous or envious, which can cause us to lose friends and hurt the people we love the most ( and are the most envious of); we're selfish, we're overly critical, we're egotistical and prideful... you get the idea, right? We are HUMAN, which means we don't always do the right thing, say the right words, act in the most appropriate way. And that's why ( partly!) our family and friends love us, because they can relate to us.
This is why you cannot, must not, create the perfect character. She has to have flaws that will somehow impact the way she talks, acts, relates, and responds to people, places, and situations in your story. Those flaws can be something physical... my MC in my WIP is a beautiful girl with an ugly scar down one side of her face, and a slight physical hip deformity which causes her to limp. You think those aren't going to impact her and others around her in some... perhaps many...ways? Of course they are, and sometimes in a way that could get her hurt or even killed.
Flaws can be physical, psychological, or moral. The point is, they make the character someone the reader can relate to and/or identify with. As the character goes along in the story, the flaws help to create the emotional arc of the story, because we need to see how the character uses them to grow and change throughout the story.
We talk about external conflict and internal conflict. A character's flaws help create, or perhaps are the sole reason for, her internal conflict. She must strive to overcome them, but at the same time, these very flaws can make her and the story strong. You see, these same flaws can also be the impetus for the external conflict of the story.
AND! DON"T forget your villian! He or she should not be ALL bad, no more than your MC should be all good. To make your story more interesting and compelling, give your villian some of the good qualities of human behavior. Maybe he displays those qualities at the most inopportune times, which will cause your reader to scratch her head and think, But I thought HE was the bad guy!
See what you can do with those monsters-in-the-closet, for both your heroine and your villian, and decide for yourself if your characters aren't more realistic, more human. I think you'll see that it makes your story more interesting, exciting, and a more compelling read.
Until next time,
That's a wrap.
Now, some writers call them flaws... character flaws. Some might even call them fatal flaws. I don't think it matters much what you call them, just that you and your characters...and your readers... know they are there. Because even if they are hiding in a closet somewhere, they're going to come out, usually at the most inconvenient time and throw a strike ball into your story.
We all want our characters, particularly our main characters, to be as perfect as possible. But therein lies the trouble. We're not perfect, so how can our characters be? If your character doesn't have any kind of flaw, or even flaws, how can your readers relate to him?
Do you remember the original stories about Superman and Batman? Clark Kent may have been an inept news reporter, but as Superman he was invincible. No matter what kind of crime or criminal he took on, you always knew he would come out on top because there was nothing that could hurt him. Well, until Kryptonite came along, anyway. But even then, you were already convinced that he would succeed in destroying that power in the end. You liked Superman, but how invested in him emotionally were you? Probably not at all, because he was super-human, and had no flaws.
Batman was different. He was a real human, a millionaire with time on his hands and nothing more to do than invest a few million in some outrageously wild and weird toys. He fought crime, sure, but he could get hurt... actually, I think in some episodes he actually did get hurt... because he was not superhuman. He was just a guy who believed wholeheartedly in JUSTICE, and sometimes his methods of obtaining it were not what you would call completely...umm...legal? So we could become attached to him emotionally, because he was a good guy like so many other good guys, just a little psychologically "off." In other words, he was human like the rest of us.
That's why your characters MUST have those monsters-in-the-closet...flaws. Just like us. I mean, most of us know what our flaws are: we lose our tempers, often when we absolutely should not; we are perfectionists, and therefore impose our "standards of perfection" upon everyone else, which in turn causes all kinds of problems; we are jealous or envious, which can cause us to lose friends and hurt the people we love the most ( and are the most envious of); we're selfish, we're overly critical, we're egotistical and prideful... you get the idea, right? We are HUMAN, which means we don't always do the right thing, say the right words, act in the most appropriate way. And that's why ( partly!) our family and friends love us, because they can relate to us.
This is why you cannot, must not, create the perfect character. She has to have flaws that will somehow impact the way she talks, acts, relates, and responds to people, places, and situations in your story. Those flaws can be something physical... my MC in my WIP is a beautiful girl with an ugly scar down one side of her face, and a slight physical hip deformity which causes her to limp. You think those aren't going to impact her and others around her in some... perhaps many...ways? Of course they are, and sometimes in a way that could get her hurt or even killed.
Flaws can be physical, psychological, or moral. The point is, they make the character someone the reader can relate to and/or identify with. As the character goes along in the story, the flaws help to create the emotional arc of the story, because we need to see how the character uses them to grow and change throughout the story.
We talk about external conflict and internal conflict. A character's flaws help create, or perhaps are the sole reason for, her internal conflict. She must strive to overcome them, but at the same time, these very flaws can make her and the story strong. You see, these same flaws can also be the impetus for the external conflict of the story.
AND! DON"T forget your villian! He or she should not be ALL bad, no more than your MC should be all good. To make your story more interesting and compelling, give your villian some of the good qualities of human behavior. Maybe he displays those qualities at the most inopportune times, which will cause your reader to scratch her head and think, But I thought HE was the bad guy!
See what you can do with those monsters-in-the-closet, for both your heroine and your villian, and decide for yourself if your characters aren't more realistic, more human. I think you'll see that it makes your story more interesting, exciting, and a more compelling read.
Until next time,
That's a wrap.
Monday, May 28, 2012
Monday's Musings: Breaking The Rules
Remember the old adage about the rules of writing: Write What You Know? And the tagline to that is: Write Only What You Know. Now, I ask you, why would we confine ourselves to that old saw? Don't we write because we are imaginative? Creative? Speculative? Inquisitive? Curious? Oh, and don't forget just plain ole' nosy! So if we write only about the things we know, things that are absolute, you know what happens? We get boring. We get stale. We get predictable. We get a yawn, a ho hum, an "Oh, she wrote another one of those books, huh" from our readers...who actually aren't our readers any more because we are...boring and stale and predictable.
Let's think about some different ways to break the rules, to stop writing only what you know. Historical fiction is one of my favorite genres to write, but many writers don't like it because it takes too much time to do the research. Well, what about Speculative Fiction? Take an historical event or person, or even place, and write a "what if" story about it. Example: What if the South had won the Civil War? How would that have changed the course of history, and changed our society, maybe for all time? What if President John F. Kennedy had not been assassinated? How would the world have changed under another four years of his leadership? There are many events and people in our history that have made an indelible mark upon American society, so why not take one of them and write a speculative fiction novel about it?
What are you afraid of? Seriously. That is not a rhetorical question. Me, I'm afraid of bugs, nasty, stinky, crawly little bugs. And spiders of all kinds, shapes, sizes, and colors. Ditto snakes. Make that Double Ditto snakes. I know nothing about any of the above nasties, don't want to know about them, don't want to see them or read about them, and for heaven's sake, I don't want to watch them on Animal Planet! BUT: The very first non-fiction article I published in a national magazine for kids age 9 to 14 was about bugs...namely, Dung Beetles. On our ranch, we had horses, horses mean lots of manure ( poop for those of you who prefer colloquialisms), and poop means dung beetles. They clean up the poop ( I won't go into the gory details of how they do this), and help keep both horses and their environment clean. So I wrote about dung beetles. Even though I hate bugs.
The Point? What are YOU afraid of? Bugs, diseases, fire, burglars, strangers on the street? Climb down from that ladder, come out from under the bed, and write about what you fear the most. What does that fear do to you? What kinds of feelings do you have? If your fear is something tangible... bugs, snakes, cancer... do some research, find out what you didn't know or even want to know, and write about it. Use your imagination, your curiosity, and, let's face it, your courage to break a dominant rule of writing. Then, give yourself a HIGH FIVE!
One of the most important ways we have of breaking the rules is to come out of our comfort zone and write about something we don't know and perhaps don't even like. I'm in the process of doing that now. My comfort zone is historical and contemporary fiction. I'm not big on fantasy... some kinds I like, but usually not the kind where it's built around a whole fantasy world that never existed. I don't like science fiction or paranormal. I would never write paranormal stuff, because I don't read it or watch it on TV or the movies. Uh huh. Then how come I'm writing a paranormal novel at this very moment? Well...uh....this character came out of hiding and demanded I write her story. So okay, no problem. Except that she would not fit into my safe little contemporary world that I wanted to put her into. Nope, no box for her. Her story begins in 1940, around a traveling carnival her family owns. She's hears voices, sees images, learns she is the only one who can solve a monstrous murder, and she's only 16. It's really a historical paranormal mystery. How's that for writing out of the box? But, no vampires or werewolves. They are old hat. There are other paranormal creatures, but I won't spoil the story by telling you what they are!
The Point? Sometimes our "comfort zone" can backfire on us, and put us into a rut, in life as well in our work as authors. I think we get lodged into our comfort zones, and we get rusty, we get lazy, we lose creativity, curiosity, and even some of our imagination because we KNOW what we are doing and where we are going, and we are comfortable doing it. So come on, get out of that zone and put a big fence around it. Take a step forward...okay, a baby step at first...and open yourself up to new ideas and new experiences. Go places and do things you've never gone to or done before, let yourself embrace the feelings you get and bring them home with you. Sit down and write. And keep that comfort zone under lock and key for the next millennium, and see what happens!
Until next time,
That's a wrap.
Let's think about some different ways to break the rules, to stop writing only what you know. Historical fiction is one of my favorite genres to write, but many writers don't like it because it takes too much time to do the research. Well, what about Speculative Fiction? Take an historical event or person, or even place, and write a "what if" story about it. Example: What if the South had won the Civil War? How would that have changed the course of history, and changed our society, maybe for all time? What if President John F. Kennedy had not been assassinated? How would the world have changed under another four years of his leadership? There are many events and people in our history that have made an indelible mark upon American society, so why not take one of them and write a speculative fiction novel about it?
What are you afraid of? Seriously. That is not a rhetorical question. Me, I'm afraid of bugs, nasty, stinky, crawly little bugs. And spiders of all kinds, shapes, sizes, and colors. Ditto snakes. Make that Double Ditto snakes. I know nothing about any of the above nasties, don't want to know about them, don't want to see them or read about them, and for heaven's sake, I don't want to watch them on Animal Planet! BUT: The very first non-fiction article I published in a national magazine for kids age 9 to 14 was about bugs...namely, Dung Beetles. On our ranch, we had horses, horses mean lots of manure ( poop for those of you who prefer colloquialisms), and poop means dung beetles. They clean up the poop ( I won't go into the gory details of how they do this), and help keep both horses and their environment clean. So I wrote about dung beetles. Even though I hate bugs.
The Point? What are YOU afraid of? Bugs, diseases, fire, burglars, strangers on the street? Climb down from that ladder, come out from under the bed, and write about what you fear the most. What does that fear do to you? What kinds of feelings do you have? If your fear is something tangible... bugs, snakes, cancer... do some research, find out what you didn't know or even want to know, and write about it. Use your imagination, your curiosity, and, let's face it, your courage to break a dominant rule of writing. Then, give yourself a HIGH FIVE!
One of the most important ways we have of breaking the rules is to come out of our comfort zone and write about something we don't know and perhaps don't even like. I'm in the process of doing that now. My comfort zone is historical and contemporary fiction. I'm not big on fantasy... some kinds I like, but usually not the kind where it's built around a whole fantasy world that never existed. I don't like science fiction or paranormal. I would never write paranormal stuff, because I don't read it or watch it on TV or the movies. Uh huh. Then how come I'm writing a paranormal novel at this very moment? Well...uh....this character came out of hiding and demanded I write her story. So okay, no problem. Except that she would not fit into my safe little contemporary world that I wanted to put her into. Nope, no box for her. Her story begins in 1940, around a traveling carnival her family owns. She's hears voices, sees images, learns she is the only one who can solve a monstrous murder, and she's only 16. It's really a historical paranormal mystery. How's that for writing out of the box? But, no vampires or werewolves. They are old hat. There are other paranormal creatures, but I won't spoil the story by telling you what they are!
The Point? Sometimes our "comfort zone" can backfire on us, and put us into a rut, in life as well in our work as authors. I think we get lodged into our comfort zones, and we get rusty, we get lazy, we lose creativity, curiosity, and even some of our imagination because we KNOW what we are doing and where we are going, and we are comfortable doing it. So come on, get out of that zone and put a big fence around it. Take a step forward...okay, a baby step at first...and open yourself up to new ideas and new experiences. Go places and do things you've never gone to or done before, let yourself embrace the feelings you get and bring them home with you. Sit down and write. And keep that comfort zone under lock and key for the next millennium, and see what happens!
Until next time,
That's a wrap.
Friday, May 18, 2012
The A-To-Z Challenge: H = Historical Fiction
The A to Z Challenge was supposed to be started and finished in April, but as happens so often, life got in the way, and not in a good way. I'm going to finish the challenge, but it probably won't be on an every day basis.
The letter for today is H. For me, that means Historical Fiction. This is a genre that is not for everyone, no more than Science Fiction or Fantasy is for everyone. But that doesn't mean you can't or shouldn't write it. Sometimes it's good for all writers to stretch themselves and get out of their comfort zone, so let's talk about historical fiction.
You can always choose a famous person from history... meaning at least 50 or more years before your time... and write about them. But most historical fiction is just that...fiction. You can take a particular time in history, say the 1930s, a particular event in history, say the Civil War, even a particular person in history, say the painter Vincent Van Gogh, and you can write a very fictional story about any of those.
But no matter which one you choose, the 1930s were the 1930s, an era without computers, cell phones, email, or FaceBook, and you had better make sure your research, and your story, supports what was actually happening in the '30s. You can't take the Civil War and make it about something other than slavery, because that wasn't what the war was about. If you are going to change history, write a new version of the actuality, then it's called speculative fiction, and that's a whole 'nother ball game with very different rules. If you write a fictional story about Van Gogh, make sure you read as much about him as you can, to at least get the details right. You can't make him a writer living in Germany during the 18th Century, for example.
Historical fiction requires research...lots and lots of research. I know that is a 4-letter word for a lot of writers! But it's a requirement for this genre. First, you have to know what or who you're going to write about, and then the era you're going to set the story in. You can start with a character that's been bugging you to write about her; you can start with a great idea for a plot and story line; or you can start with a specific period in time that interests you.
But once you've decided how you are going to start, you MUST decide when you're going to start: for example, suppose this is a story set in Kansas during the Great Depression, which started in 1929. You want the story to begin in the 1930s. But the year 1930 was far different during the Depression than the year 1937, so you must be specific about the year in the era you've chosen to write about.
The next thing you must research is the kind of society your characters are a part of. Are they wealthy landowners whom the Depression won't make much of an impression on? Are they a family of farmers who can no longer sell their beef cows to market? Or are they some of the 250,000 teenagers who "rode the rails" trying to get away from poverty and near-starvation during that time?
Once you have these elements solidified in your mind, here are some of the other things you MUST RESEARCH:
1. What were the current events of the time? If it was during the Depression, what was going in in terms of the government, hand-outs, work programs, and so on. What was going on in real life at that time that would have had an effect upon your characters?
2. What was the speech and vocabulary of the time? How did people talk, what kind of slang, expressions, colloquialisms were in use? You don't need to drive your reader crazy trying to figure out what every sentence in dialogue means, if there is a lot of "dialect" used at the time, but dropping a few phrases or words once in awhile is enough for the reader to get the picture. One thing about slang: be very wary of using that, it's much better to put in a colloquial word or short phrase every so often... it still gets across the idea that the vocabulary was different!
3. What kind of clothes did men, women, teens, and kids wear during that time? If teachers wore suits and dresses to teach in, don't put them in jeans or "capri" pants. If teens wore overalls, or homemade dresses, find out what materials these were made of, and don't have them in khakis and skin-tight short skirts.
4. What kind of houses, buildings, offices, shops did they have during this time? You don't want to have a glass-and-cement wall 10-story building when all the shops were wooden frame and on one floor, or an eight room "open-floor-plan"house when all the homes were two or three rooms built of hand-made brick.
5. What was the physcial world like, did they live in a city, small town, out on a farm? were there forests or rivers or mountains near by? what kind of animals did they have, both as pets and wild animals? You don't want your character to hear a wolf howing at night when she lives in a part of the country that has never had a wolf population.
6. What about things like transportation, jobs, schools, education? You can't put your character on a fast-speed train or a 747 airplane when all that was available was a 5 car train pulled by a wood-burning engine, or a 20-passenger Greyhound bus. The type of jobs available, the schools kids went to, the kind of education most people got in that particular era are all very important elements of your story. If very few people ever went to anything but a 1-room schoolhouse and never beyond the 8th grade, you don't want to put your teens or middle-graders in a big middle or high school, or going straight to college.
All of the above elements, plus many more, are the things you must research to make your historical novel ring true. It doesn't matter how "fictional" it is...that's the creative part that will hold your readers' interest... what matters is that you got the little things, those little picky details, correct for the time period you set the story in.
However, having said all of the above...all of which is very true...you still don't want to overburden your reader with a lot of historical "facts." You're writing a story, not an article for an encyclopedia. But you need to have these facts straight, so that the full setting of the story rings true, in time, era, dress, speech, and so on. It's what is called the old saw we all know: suspension of disbelief... our readers are willing to believe that what we are telling them is true... until they read something they know can't possibly be true for that time period: the girl is caught texting to her boyfriend by her mother...when it's 1935. Then it's all over for that story, and quite possibly, for that author, at least as far as that reader is concerned.
Don't be afraid of historical fiction. It takes time. It takes that nasty word Research. But the end result is worth it. History is full of wonderful times, hateful and frightening times, exciting times, perilous times, each of which is equally full of wonderful, exciting, hateful, frightening, threatening, funny, lovable, and even miraculous people. Read about it, research it, relive it, and savor the moment in time.
Until next time,
That's a wrap.
The letter for today is H. For me, that means Historical Fiction. This is a genre that is not for everyone, no more than Science Fiction or Fantasy is for everyone. But that doesn't mean you can't or shouldn't write it. Sometimes it's good for all writers to stretch themselves and get out of their comfort zone, so let's talk about historical fiction.
You can always choose a famous person from history... meaning at least 50 or more years before your time... and write about them. But most historical fiction is just that...fiction. You can take a particular time in history, say the 1930s, a particular event in history, say the Civil War, even a particular person in history, say the painter Vincent Van Gogh, and you can write a very fictional story about any of those.
But no matter which one you choose, the 1930s were the 1930s, an era without computers, cell phones, email, or FaceBook, and you had better make sure your research, and your story, supports what was actually happening in the '30s. You can't take the Civil War and make it about something other than slavery, because that wasn't what the war was about. If you are going to change history, write a new version of the actuality, then it's called speculative fiction, and that's a whole 'nother ball game with very different rules. If you write a fictional story about Van Gogh, make sure you read as much about him as you can, to at least get the details right. You can't make him a writer living in Germany during the 18th Century, for example.
Historical fiction requires research...lots and lots of research. I know that is a 4-letter word for a lot of writers! But it's a requirement for this genre. First, you have to know what or who you're going to write about, and then the era you're going to set the story in. You can start with a character that's been bugging you to write about her; you can start with a great idea for a plot and story line; or you can start with a specific period in time that interests you.
But once you've decided how you are going to start, you MUST decide when you're going to start: for example, suppose this is a story set in Kansas during the Great Depression, which started in 1929. You want the story to begin in the 1930s. But the year 1930 was far different during the Depression than the year 1937, so you must be specific about the year in the era you've chosen to write about.
The next thing you must research is the kind of society your characters are a part of. Are they wealthy landowners whom the Depression won't make much of an impression on? Are they a family of farmers who can no longer sell their beef cows to market? Or are they some of the 250,000 teenagers who "rode the rails" trying to get away from poverty and near-starvation during that time?
Once you have these elements solidified in your mind, here are some of the other things you MUST RESEARCH:
1. What were the current events of the time? If it was during the Depression, what was going in in terms of the government, hand-outs, work programs, and so on. What was going on in real life at that time that would have had an effect upon your characters?
2. What was the speech and vocabulary of the time? How did people talk, what kind of slang, expressions, colloquialisms were in use? You don't need to drive your reader crazy trying to figure out what every sentence in dialogue means, if there is a lot of "dialect" used at the time, but dropping a few phrases or words once in awhile is enough for the reader to get the picture. One thing about slang: be very wary of using that, it's much better to put in a colloquial word or short phrase every so often... it still gets across the idea that the vocabulary was different!
3. What kind of clothes did men, women, teens, and kids wear during that time? If teachers wore suits and dresses to teach in, don't put them in jeans or "capri" pants. If teens wore overalls, or homemade dresses, find out what materials these were made of, and don't have them in khakis and skin-tight short skirts.
4. What kind of houses, buildings, offices, shops did they have during this time? You don't want to have a glass-and-cement wall 10-story building when all the shops were wooden frame and on one floor, or an eight room "open-floor-plan"house when all the homes were two or three rooms built of hand-made brick.
5. What was the physcial world like, did they live in a city, small town, out on a farm? were there forests or rivers or mountains near by? what kind of animals did they have, both as pets and wild animals? You don't want your character to hear a wolf howing at night when she lives in a part of the country that has never had a wolf population.
6. What about things like transportation, jobs, schools, education? You can't put your character on a fast-speed train or a 747 airplane when all that was available was a 5 car train pulled by a wood-burning engine, or a 20-passenger Greyhound bus. The type of jobs available, the schools kids went to, the kind of education most people got in that particular era are all very important elements of your story. If very few people ever went to anything but a 1-room schoolhouse and never beyond the 8th grade, you don't want to put your teens or middle-graders in a big middle or high school, or going straight to college.
All of the above elements, plus many more, are the things you must research to make your historical novel ring true. It doesn't matter how "fictional" it is...that's the creative part that will hold your readers' interest... what matters is that you got the little things, those little picky details, correct for the time period you set the story in.
However, having said all of the above...all of which is very true...you still don't want to overburden your reader with a lot of historical "facts." You're writing a story, not an article for an encyclopedia. But you need to have these facts straight, so that the full setting of the story rings true, in time, era, dress, speech, and so on. It's what is called the old saw we all know: suspension of disbelief... our readers are willing to believe that what we are telling them is true... until they read something they know can't possibly be true for that time period: the girl is caught texting to her boyfriend by her mother...when it's 1935. Then it's all over for that story, and quite possibly, for that author, at least as far as that reader is concerned.
Don't be afraid of historical fiction. It takes time. It takes that nasty word Research. But the end result is worth it. History is full of wonderful times, hateful and frightening times, exciting times, perilous times, each of which is equally full of wonderful, exciting, hateful, frightening, threatening, funny, lovable, and even miraculous people. Read about it, research it, relive it, and savor the moment in time.
Until next time,
That's a wrap.
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
Your Novel's Setting: Does It Have Soul?
I've been gone for a month, and I apologize to my followers. My family has been, and still is, going through some very traumatic times right now, and writing of any kind has been difficult. But I'm back, and I'll try to begin posting regularly again. Thanks for bearing with me.
In ancient times, when people were superstitious, or spiritual, or probably a little of both, they believed that "places" had a soul. That soul gave that place... a town, a forest, a special gathering place for the people...its own unique identity, something that set it apart from everywhere else. The people even believed that the soul of a "place" could influence the behavior and attitudes of the people living in or near it.
When we write, we set out novel in a place: a town, a city, a desert or forest, an alien planet... somewhere. We don't have to be writing historical fiction to research the time era and the place that we are writing about. We should be doing that for every place we write about, no matter how contemporary the story is, or even if it is fantasy or science fiction. After all, even fantasy and sci/fi have to be believable.
Here is an exercise for you to do, and right now, it's all mental. Think about the town or city you live in: first, think about the downtown: the office buildings, the streets, the hub of the commercial area, the bars and restaurants, the shops, the freeways if there are any. Now think about what distinguishes these places, these areas, from the outlying or suburban areas. What goes on during the day that doesn't go on at night? what are the activities at night that can affect these places, such as the office buildings, the bars, the streets? Is there gang activity? Who owns the streets in the downtown area at night? Is there crime during the day, or only at night?
What are the lonely places, the places where the homeless congregate, the dangerous places? Are these only within the downtown area, or do they also spread out into suburbia? If they are also in suburbia, where are they, what are they? Are there empty, desolate buildings? Run-down parks the city can no longer afford to keep up? Where is the cemetary? Is it well-kept, or in disarray through lack of care? Is it a dark and scary place, or instead, a quiet, gentle place for contemplation, a place to go to grieve privately?
Where do the children play? Where do teens go for amusement and/or excitement? Are there places where elderly men gather to play lawn-bowling or checkers or chess? Where do the women gather for morning coffee after seeing the kids off to school?
What is the soul of the city? Is it somewhere, or something, within the city itself? An historical monument, a dedicated park or building, perhaps even a museum dedicated to the original founders of the town, or an ancient tree in a close-by woods that commenorates a time when the only inhabitants of that woods wore loin cloths?
When you think about and answer these questions about your own town, it brings you closer to the soul and the spirit of the town... the very essence of the place where you live. And when you give this some long and careful thought, perhaps you realize that this town, this place you know and love, has helped in its own way to create the individual that you are today.
To bring this back to writing: doesn't the place your novel is set in deserve the same thought and consideration that you've just given your own town? Even if your setting is totally and completely fictional, even if it is set in a fantasy world of your own making, or on an alien planet, you will still have the elements of place that every novel setting should have.
Ask some of the same questions of your fictional place that you've just answered above. Find the soul of your time and setting, and see if it doesn't enrich your story, inspire your writing, and create greater depths of behaviors and actions in your characters.
Until next time,
That's a wrap.
In ancient times, when people were superstitious, or spiritual, or probably a little of both, they believed that "places" had a soul. That soul gave that place... a town, a forest, a special gathering place for the people...its own unique identity, something that set it apart from everywhere else. The people even believed that the soul of a "place" could influence the behavior and attitudes of the people living in or near it.
When we write, we set out novel in a place: a town, a city, a desert or forest, an alien planet... somewhere. We don't have to be writing historical fiction to research the time era and the place that we are writing about. We should be doing that for every place we write about, no matter how contemporary the story is, or even if it is fantasy or science fiction. After all, even fantasy and sci/fi have to be believable.
Here is an exercise for you to do, and right now, it's all mental. Think about the town or city you live in: first, think about the downtown: the office buildings, the streets, the hub of the commercial area, the bars and restaurants, the shops, the freeways if there are any. Now think about what distinguishes these places, these areas, from the outlying or suburban areas. What goes on during the day that doesn't go on at night? what are the activities at night that can affect these places, such as the office buildings, the bars, the streets? Is there gang activity? Who owns the streets in the downtown area at night? Is there crime during the day, or only at night?
What are the lonely places, the places where the homeless congregate, the dangerous places? Are these only within the downtown area, or do they also spread out into suburbia? If they are also in suburbia, where are they, what are they? Are there empty, desolate buildings? Run-down parks the city can no longer afford to keep up? Where is the cemetary? Is it well-kept, or in disarray through lack of care? Is it a dark and scary place, or instead, a quiet, gentle place for contemplation, a place to go to grieve privately?
Where do the children play? Where do teens go for amusement and/or excitement? Are there places where elderly men gather to play lawn-bowling or checkers or chess? Where do the women gather for morning coffee after seeing the kids off to school?
What is the soul of the city? Is it somewhere, or something, within the city itself? An historical monument, a dedicated park or building, perhaps even a museum dedicated to the original founders of the town, or an ancient tree in a close-by woods that commenorates a time when the only inhabitants of that woods wore loin cloths?
When you think about and answer these questions about your own town, it brings you closer to the soul and the spirit of the town... the very essence of the place where you live. And when you give this some long and careful thought, perhaps you realize that this town, this place you know and love, has helped in its own way to create the individual that you are today.
To bring this back to writing: doesn't the place your novel is set in deserve the same thought and consideration that you've just given your own town? Even if your setting is totally and completely fictional, even if it is set in a fantasy world of your own making, or on an alien planet, you will still have the elements of place that every novel setting should have.
Ask some of the same questions of your fictional place that you've just answered above. Find the soul of your time and setting, and see if it doesn't enrich your story, inspire your writing, and create greater depths of behaviors and actions in your characters.
Until next time,
That's a wrap.
Monday, April 9, 2012
The A to Z Challenge: Today's Word: Genre
"Genre." Most writers know exactly what that word means, right? Or... do we? Do you really know exactly what genre you're writing in, all the time? Do you ever wonder if your non-fiction article is "creative" non-fiction, "narrative" non- fiction, or just factual non-fiction? What about fiction itself? Are you writing a mystery or a thriller or a detective story? Is it contemporary or historical? Is it fantasy or science fiction?
Until I did some research into the concept of "genre", I had no idea of all the kinds of genre there are. I can't go into a description of every one, so I'm just going to give you an idea of the multiple genres that do exist in today's literature. Figuring out precisely which one you're writing in is up to you. And all I have to say to that is...Good Luck!
First, a definition. As you might have guessed, there are also a variety of definitions for that word, so I'm only going with one: In literature, a genre is a specific type of literary composition that possesses all of the distinctive characteristics of that genre consistent with a particular theme or subject.
When I started reading about genres, the kinds and types, what they entailed, how they were divided by theme and/or subject, I was amazed at the number of genres that actually exist today. So now I'm going to share that amazement with you, and let you come to your own conclusions about whether these are all, in fact, true genres in today's writing world. At the same time, I can't give every single one, because there are far too many for this blog. It's just a sample to whet your curiosity!
FICTION:
Adventure: Epic, Imaginary voyages, Lost World
Comic novel: Black comedy, satire >political satire, parody
Cyber punk: Diesel punk, atom punk, nano punk, postcyberpunk ( ????)
Dystopian: Political (Brave New World), Post Apocalyptic ( Hunger Games), and
Social (Soylent Green) > to name a few
**Fantasy: Comic, magic realism, paranormal fantasy, superhero fantasy, sword
and sorcery, epic/high fantasy, prehistoric fantasy, historical fantasy,
urban fantasy, romantic fantasy
Historical: Romance, mystery, prehistoric, Civil War
Speculative: Science Fiction> hard science fiction, soft science fiction, space,
alternate universe
Steampunk: Clockpunk
Suspense: Crime, detective, mystery
Thriller: Conspiracy fiction, legal thriller, medical thriller, political thriller>spy
fiction, psychological thriller, techno-thriller
Westerns
** Fables, fairy tales, and folklore were also listed under Fantasy, but since most of these stories are historically based on cultural facts, myths, and legends, I think they belong in a category by themselves, and should not be listed so simplistically as "fiction."
As I said, the list of "genres" doesn't stop with what I've written. I leave it to you to decide where, when, why, and how to describe your own written work in terms of its genre.
Until next time,
That's a wrap.
Until I did some research into the concept of "genre", I had no idea of all the kinds of genre there are. I can't go into a description of every one, so I'm just going to give you an idea of the multiple genres that do exist in today's literature. Figuring out precisely which one you're writing in is up to you. And all I have to say to that is...Good Luck!
First, a definition. As you might have guessed, there are also a variety of definitions for that word, so I'm only going with one: In literature, a genre is a specific type of literary composition that possesses all of the distinctive characteristics of that genre consistent with a particular theme or subject.
When I started reading about genres, the kinds and types, what they entailed, how they were divided by theme and/or subject, I was amazed at the number of genres that actually exist today. So now I'm going to share that amazement with you, and let you come to your own conclusions about whether these are all, in fact, true genres in today's writing world. At the same time, I can't give every single one, because there are far too many for this blog. It's just a sample to whet your curiosity!
FICTION:
Adventure: Epic, Imaginary voyages, Lost World
Comic novel: Black comedy, satire >political satire, parody
Cyber punk: Diesel punk, atom punk, nano punk, postcyberpunk ( ????)
Dystopian: Political (Brave New World), Post Apocalyptic ( Hunger Games), and
Social (Soylent Green) > to name a few
**Fantasy: Comic, magic realism, paranormal fantasy, superhero fantasy, sword
and sorcery, epic/high fantasy, prehistoric fantasy, historical fantasy,
urban fantasy, romantic fantasy
Historical: Romance, mystery, prehistoric, Civil War
Speculative: Science Fiction> hard science fiction, soft science fiction, space,
alternate universe
Steampunk: Clockpunk
Suspense: Crime, detective, mystery
Thriller: Conspiracy fiction, legal thriller, medical thriller, political thriller>spy
fiction, psychological thriller, techno-thriller
Westerns
** Fables, fairy tales, and folklore were also listed under Fantasy, but since most of these stories are historically based on cultural facts, myths, and legends, I think they belong in a category by themselves, and should not be listed so simplistically as "fiction."
As I said, the list of "genres" doesn't stop with what I've written. I leave it to you to decide where, when, why, and how to describe your own written work in terms of its genre.
Until next time,
That's a wrap.
Sunday, April 8, 2012
Easter and The Sunshine Award
Happy Easter everyone! I received a great Easter present this morning. I was given The Sunshine Award, passed on by my friend and co-conspirator-in-writing, Katrina De Lallo. Thank you, Cat, I appreciate this very much!
Easter... a happy day, I think. I'm not going to talk about the religious aspect of Easter, as we all have different ways of celebrating that part of this day. But I am going to reminisce a bit. My husband and I lived on a ranch for 25 years, breeding, raising, and training Appaloosa horses. Almost every Easter, he would bring me a present... one with two wings, or four legs. Sometimes it was a bunny. We had one I named Reginald Rabbit-Rabbit, who absolutely did not stay "little" for long. Reggie outgrew one rabbit run after another, until finally we put chicken wire around the botton rails of one of the corrals and kept him in there until he died.
One Easter I received a tiny little Pygmy Goat we named Tiny Tim ( I know, don't say it, I just couldn't come up with a name right away.) Timmy had a big problem: he couldn't... or wouldn't...stay away from the horses. And the horses didn't like him. We would've put him in a pen, also...maybe with Reggie...but have you ever tried to pen up a goat, Pygmy or otherwise, when they don't want to be penned up? HA! Unfortunately, his love of the horses ended tragically. We had several mares and their new foals down in the big arena, and I was trying to round up Timmy. He escaped me, ran down to the arena and started chasing the foals. One mare didn't think this was funny at all, and she reared up and stomped him. We buried him on the ranch, and I painted him and one of the foals on his cross. Maybe it was the wrong thing to do, but I liked to think that at least one of his lifelong loves would have ended up his friend.
Another Easter, my husband brought home two fuzzy little goslings, whom I named George and Priscilla. George was a love, Priscilla was havoc on wheels...er, webbed feet. Anything she could get into, she would. Anything, or worse yet, anyone, she could chase, she would. She would spread those giant wings ( when she was an adult goose), open that orange beak, and come squawking at you full speed ahead. Priscilla HATED our equine vet, and the minute he drove in the gate, quite a ways from the house, she was chasing his truck for all she was worth. He would pull up to the barn, and she was on him as soon as he opened the door. One day she simply would not stay away from him or the horse he was working on, so he pulled out a head switch ( something you put on recalcitrant horses to make them behave) and let her have it on top of her head. Priscilla went sailing clear to the other side of the barn and lay there. Poor Mike thought he had killed her! No such luck. After a couple of minutes, Pris was alive and well, and totally pissed off. Luckily, Mike was through with the horses, so he was able to make it into the truck and close the door just seconds before Pris would have pounced on him. As it was, she jumped against the door and beat her wings, honking as loudly as she could. Several months later, we had had enough of Priscilla, and even George, and we gave them to a friend of ours. Rumor has it that while George was quite juicy, Priscilla was tough as a board.
Sadly, all good things must come to an end, and we retired from horse training and moved to the California coast. We love it, but I miss the ranch, my horses, and even all the little critters I used to get for Easter!
Now, back to the Sunshine award! A lovely picture, and a lovely gesture, thanks again, Cat. The rules are pretty simple: 1) You must thank the person who sent it to you; 2) you must answer 10 questions about yourself; 3) write a post about it; and 4) pass it along to ten bloggers. Okay, here are the questions, and my answers... hope you enjoy them!
1. Favorite Color? Lavender, all shades as long as they have blue overtones, I don't like the 'too red' lavenders at all.
2. Favorite Animal? For real, my beautiful Corgi, and my fantastic World Champion Appaloosa mare, and my National Champion Cutting Quarter horse mare...when I had them. In fantasy, always the mystical and magical Unicorn.
3. Favorite Number? Umm...I'm not into numbers. They are just what they are supposed to be ( numbers) and don't mean anything to me. But if I had to select one, it would be 2, because my husband and I were married on the 2nd of June.
4. Favorite Drink? For everyday, a Starbucks Caramel Marchiatto ( I have no idea if I spelled that right or not), and for special occasions, with GOOD Mexican food, one Frozen Marguerita.
5. Facebook or Twitter: Ugh. I hate both. I'm on Facebook...very seldom...and I refuse to Twitter or Tweet or whatever it's called.
6. What is your Passion? My husband, children, grandchildren, Corgi, and writing. Not necessarily always in that order.
7. Getting or giving? Honestly? a little of both. I LOVE to get presents, especially from my husband because they are ALWAYS different (!), and I love giving, especially when I can do so for no apparent reason.
8. Favorite pattern? Sorry, I don't like patterns. Maybe occasionally something with a butterfly or two scattered around, but no checks or stripes or plaids or whatever...yuck!
9. Favorite day of the week: That's easy. Monday, because it's the start of a brand new week and who knows what it will bring!
10. Favorite flower: That's not fair because I have so many! Oh, all right... roses, because my husband brings me some at least once a month...yes, even after 34 years...then there are pansies, Manzanillas, Wisteria...okay, so that's not a flower, but I have one that covers one whole side of our garage, and it's beautiful. Umm, too many more to mention.
Now for the ten bloggers I've chosen to pass this award along to:
Claudette: http://claudsy.woodpress.com
Miranda: http://mirandapaulbooks.blogspot.com
Kelly: www.kellyhashway.blogspot.com
Ruth: www.outonalimbshywritergoessocial.blogspot.com
Anne: www.anneejohnson.blogspot.com
Allyn: www.allynstotz.blogspot.com
Angelia: www.angeliaalmos.blogspot.com
Courtney: www.ctnyrene.blogspot.com
Claudine: www.carryusoffbooks/blog.html
Angela and Becca: www.thebookshelfmuse.blogspot.com
A looong post, but I hope you enjoyed it.
Until next time,
That's a wrap.
Easter... a happy day, I think. I'm not going to talk about the religious aspect of Easter, as we all have different ways of celebrating that part of this day. But I am going to reminisce a bit. My husband and I lived on a ranch for 25 years, breeding, raising, and training Appaloosa horses. Almost every Easter, he would bring me a present... one with two wings, or four legs. Sometimes it was a bunny. We had one I named Reginald Rabbit-Rabbit, who absolutely did not stay "little" for long. Reggie outgrew one rabbit run after another, until finally we put chicken wire around the botton rails of one of the corrals and kept him in there until he died.
One Easter I received a tiny little Pygmy Goat we named Tiny Tim ( I know, don't say it, I just couldn't come up with a name right away.) Timmy had a big problem: he couldn't... or wouldn't...stay away from the horses. And the horses didn't like him. We would've put him in a pen, also...maybe with Reggie...but have you ever tried to pen up a goat, Pygmy or otherwise, when they don't want to be penned up? HA! Unfortunately, his love of the horses ended tragically. We had several mares and their new foals down in the big arena, and I was trying to round up Timmy. He escaped me, ran down to the arena and started chasing the foals. One mare didn't think this was funny at all, and she reared up and stomped him. We buried him on the ranch, and I painted him and one of the foals on his cross. Maybe it was the wrong thing to do, but I liked to think that at least one of his lifelong loves would have ended up his friend.
Another Easter, my husband brought home two fuzzy little goslings, whom I named George and Priscilla. George was a love, Priscilla was havoc on wheels...er, webbed feet. Anything she could get into, she would. Anything, or worse yet, anyone, she could chase, she would. She would spread those giant wings ( when she was an adult goose), open that orange beak, and come squawking at you full speed ahead. Priscilla HATED our equine vet, and the minute he drove in the gate, quite a ways from the house, she was chasing his truck for all she was worth. He would pull up to the barn, and she was on him as soon as he opened the door. One day she simply would not stay away from him or the horse he was working on, so he pulled out a head switch ( something you put on recalcitrant horses to make them behave) and let her have it on top of her head. Priscilla went sailing clear to the other side of the barn and lay there. Poor Mike thought he had killed her! No such luck. After a couple of minutes, Pris was alive and well, and totally pissed off. Luckily, Mike was through with the horses, so he was able to make it into the truck and close the door just seconds before Pris would have pounced on him. As it was, she jumped against the door and beat her wings, honking as loudly as she could. Several months later, we had had enough of Priscilla, and even George, and we gave them to a friend of ours. Rumor has it that while George was quite juicy, Priscilla was tough as a board.
Sadly, all good things must come to an end, and we retired from horse training and moved to the California coast. We love it, but I miss the ranch, my horses, and even all the little critters I used to get for Easter!
Now, back to the Sunshine award! A lovely picture, and a lovely gesture, thanks again, Cat. The rules are pretty simple: 1) You must thank the person who sent it to you; 2) you must answer 10 questions about yourself; 3) write a post about it; and 4) pass it along to ten bloggers. Okay, here are the questions, and my answers... hope you enjoy them!
1. Favorite Color? Lavender, all shades as long as they have blue overtones, I don't like the 'too red' lavenders at all.
2. Favorite Animal? For real, my beautiful Corgi, and my fantastic World Champion Appaloosa mare, and my National Champion Cutting Quarter horse mare...when I had them. In fantasy, always the mystical and magical Unicorn.
3. Favorite Number? Umm...I'm not into numbers. They are just what they are supposed to be ( numbers) and don't mean anything to me. But if I had to select one, it would be 2, because my husband and I were married on the 2nd of June.
4. Favorite Drink? For everyday, a Starbucks Caramel Marchiatto ( I have no idea if I spelled that right or not), and for special occasions, with GOOD Mexican food, one Frozen Marguerita.
5. Facebook or Twitter: Ugh. I hate both. I'm on Facebook...very seldom...and I refuse to Twitter or Tweet or whatever it's called.
6. What is your Passion? My husband, children, grandchildren, Corgi, and writing. Not necessarily always in that order.
7. Getting or giving? Honestly? a little of both. I LOVE to get presents, especially from my husband because they are ALWAYS different (!), and I love giving, especially when I can do so for no apparent reason.
8. Favorite pattern? Sorry, I don't like patterns. Maybe occasionally something with a butterfly or two scattered around, but no checks or stripes or plaids or whatever...yuck!
9. Favorite day of the week: That's easy. Monday, because it's the start of a brand new week and who knows what it will bring!
10. Favorite flower: That's not fair because I have so many! Oh, all right... roses, because my husband brings me some at least once a month...yes, even after 34 years...then there are pansies, Manzanillas, Wisteria...okay, so that's not a flower, but I have one that covers one whole side of our garage, and it's beautiful. Umm, too many more to mention.
Now for the ten bloggers I've chosen to pass this award along to:
Claudette: http://claudsy.woodpress.com
Miranda: http://mirandapaulbooks.blogspot.com
Kelly: www.kellyhashway.blogspot.com
Ruth: www.outonalimbshywritergoessocial.blogspot.com
Anne: www.anneejohnson.blogspot.com
Allyn: www.allynstotz.blogspot.com
Angelia: www.angeliaalmos.blogspot.com
Courtney: www.ctnyrene.blogspot.com
Claudine: www.carryusoffbooks/blog.html
Angela and Becca: www.thebookshelfmuse.blogspot.com
A looong post, but I hope you enjoyed it.
Until next time,
That's a wrap.
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