We went to our clubhouse for a 4th of July barbeque, and met some new people who happened to sit at our table with our four friends and my husband and me. In talking to them, I found that their granddaughter was a big sports fan, and a wonderful basketball player in high school. When I asked if she was playing in college, I was told, No, she quit. Being the nosy...er, curious...kind, I asked why she quit if she was really good. The short version is that she quit because she failed at getting the most baskets and winning the most games, and therefore, considered herself a failure. Hmm...
That, of course, suggested a blog post for me.
As writers, we fail a LOT. Really, we do. Think about it. How many times do you write a couple of chapters in your fantastic WIP, edit them, and then send them to your critique group, fulling expecting rave reviews. Only... you are shattered when they come back to you with remarks like: Your characters are one-dimensional; you have too much telling and not enough showing; your descriptive narration about the setting is too long and too boring, enough already. Oh My.
We failed. Of course, this was only our third or fourth rough draft. It wasn't polished. But still...my characters are one-dimensional? But I LOVE my characters! And so on.
So we start again, determined not to fail again. Well, maybe we do this 4 or 5 or 8 or 10 times, and we fail each time. In some way. Maybe our characters have become fully rounded, and now our critique partners also love them. We've cut out almost all the narration. But nothing is ever perfect, so we "fail" again. And again.
Finally, our critique group says, Okay, try submitting. We're excited beyond control! Of course we're going to get accepted the first time out of the starting gate. NOT. We get to the point where we can paper our office with rejection letters. Those we actually get, that is. What about all those agents and publishers who have rejected us, but not bothered to tell us after 6 or 8 months? Now we really are failures. Oh? Really?
Of course not. Failures Quit. Writers Don't. Therefore, it stands to reason we're NOT failures.
Seriously...I've heard that the "pathway" to success can be compared to a superhighway or better yet, one of today's freeways. What do you find on a freeway? Traffic. Roadblocks. Bumps in the road. Signs indicating "This lane is closed, merge left." All of which lead to slowdowns and frustrations. Isn't that what writing is all about? Rewrites and editing slows us down. Waiting and waiting and waiting some more for either a rejection or an acceptance is the most frustrating and disappointing event we can go through.
But we are WRITERS. And we WILL become AUTHORS. Because we know that in order for us to succeed, we have to fail. And fail. And fail some more. It's the nature of the beast, and since we can't kill the beast, we learn to live with him and we learn from him. We may have to feed him a heck of a lot more than we'd like, but eventually, he's going to get full. And THAT'S when we get that treasured and oh so precious acceptance !
Writers have to have that personality trait known as "sticktoitiveness"...and yes, that's a real word! Perserverance, intestinal fortitude, whatever you want to call it, but I call it sticktoitiveness. We keep on writing in the face of failure because we never call failure defeat. That's a whole 'nother ball game, and one we refuse to play in. We know that in order to have success, we have to accept failure. We can't have one without the other.
General George Patton said, "I don't measure a man's success by how high he climbs, but by how high he bounces back when he hits obstacles." I think that's a good quote to live up to. As writers, we're always hitting obstacles, but to finally be successful, we have to bounce back... and the higher we can bounce, the better we can write, and the sooner our success will come.
Here are a few success stories...AFTER their failures:
Mark Cuban, billionaire owner of NBA's Dallas Mavericks: parents wanted him to have a "normal" job so he tried carpentry, hated it; short order cook, but a terrible cook; waited tables but didn't know how to open a bottle of wine. He says: "I've learned it doesn't matter how many time you fail. You only have to be right once."
Stephanie Meyer, author of the Twilight series, made into movies: wrote the first Twilight book from a dream, and never intended to try to publish it until a friend encouraged her; nine literary agents rejected her, ONE gave her a chance, which led to EIGHT publishers auctioning for the right to publish Twilight. Today she is reported to be worth $40 million.
Stephen King: first book Carrie was rejected 30 times and he threw it into the trash...his wife retrieved it and demanded he resubmit it; he's sold more than 350 million copies of all his books.
Vincent Van Gogh: only sold one painting during his life time, yet he painted over 800; today his most valuable painting is worth $142.7 million.
John Grisham: took 3 years to write his first book, A Time To Kill, and it was rejected 28 times before he got a "yes"; he's sold over 250 million copies of his books.
If you don't try and fail, you aren't going to be able to try and succeed.
Until next time,
That's a wrap.
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Saturday, July 7, 2012
Saturday, June 30, 2012
Building Your Plot: Conclusion
This was supposed to be Friday's post, but little things like physical therapy, errands, and going out to lunch with my husband got in the way. When we finally returned home, our Corgi needed his walk. Badly. Or so he thought, and he was determined that we should know that. Even enticements like playing ball couldn't convince him otherwise, so another hour was gone! After that, I gave up and read my email, then curled up in my rocker with my Kindle and a new YA book I'm reading. More about that another time.
I've talked about Gabriela's problems, A and B, and the complications and twists with each. Let's go on to Problem C:
PROBLEM C: Gabriela's supernatural powers become stronger, and she's not sure she can deal with it. She learns she can intuit certain things about individuals simply by touching something that belongs to them. Remi keeps popping up out of nowhere, and finally she learns he is not all human. She feels her powers are going to control her, not the other way around, and she seeks advice from two of the "Freaks."
COMPLICATIONS:
1) The Sheriff has become her number one suspect in the children's murders, but she discovers that she cannot use her abilities against him: somehow she is blocked from his mind.
2) Remi asks for her help: his human side is attracted to her, but he needs to be released from his gargoyle form. If she tries to help him, how much will that detract from her finding the killer?
3) Remi insists upon helping her get information from the townspeople about the murders. But why is it that each time he offers his help, someone in the carnival gets hurt... or dies?
4) Mr. Rutherford's attentions to Gabriela become even more insistent: he seems to be everywhere Gabriela is, and insists on helping her gather information about the murders that will lead to capturing the killer. But is it the right information, and what is his real intention towards her?
PLOT TWIST:
Gabriela discovers one of her powers is limited by certain elements, and these elements exhibit themselves at exactly the wrong time. What kind of danger does that put her in?
PROBLEM D: Gabriela finds herself almost surrounded by Kathryn, her new friend ( supposedly) from school, Remi, and Mr. Rutherford. All three seem to be at odds with one another, and Gabriela doesn't know whom to believe or whom to trust or what leads to follow that each of them present to her. Are they real leads what might lead to solving this crime, or are they nothing more than Red Herrings? She feels she is being followed, but no one is around. She feels eyes upon her, and whispers between 2 or more 'beings,' but there is never anyone... human... there. She hears the fluttering of wings... very large wings... but no bird... or whatever... is visible.
COMPLICATIONS:
1) Sheriff McCray confronts Gabriela and demands to know what she is doing and why. He is angry but doesn't appear threatening. If he is the killer, what does that mean?
2) The parents of the slain children meet with her, but plead for her to go away and leave things as they are. Why don't they want the killer of their children caught and punished?
3) The townspeople hold a Town Meeting and demand that the carnival leave immediately, regardless of the fact that their vehicles are still disabled... and why is that? Is the entire town held in the grasp of someone... or something... evil?
4) The one who is the Shape Shifter meets with the gargoyles. When Gabriela accidentally discovers who the Shape Shifter is, will this put her in danger that her powers cannot get her out of?
FINAL PLOT TWIST:
Gabriela learns that Sheriff McCray is not the murderer, nor is he the person who attacked and cut her face when she was ten years old. She discovers who the real murderer is, but he...or she...is neither human, witch, nor gargoyle. Will her powers be sufficient to overcome this being and save her, the carnival, and the town?
And that is the end! At least, of this novel, the first in a trilogy about Gabriela and the carnival. Beneath the Possum Belly: Night Cries is the name of this novel, the 2nd in the series is Beneath the Possum Belly: Night Sounds, and the third is Beneath the Possum Belly: Night Spells.
Building the plot in this way has been a great help to me, the original I HATE OUTLINES writer, and I hope that it has at least given you some new ideas about how to build your plot, or how to outline your story.
Until next time,
That's a wrap.
I've talked about Gabriela's problems, A and B, and the complications and twists with each. Let's go on to Problem C:
PROBLEM C: Gabriela's supernatural powers become stronger, and she's not sure she can deal with it. She learns she can intuit certain things about individuals simply by touching something that belongs to them. Remi keeps popping up out of nowhere, and finally she learns he is not all human. She feels her powers are going to control her, not the other way around, and she seeks advice from two of the "Freaks."
COMPLICATIONS:
1) The Sheriff has become her number one suspect in the children's murders, but she discovers that she cannot use her abilities against him: somehow she is blocked from his mind.
2) Remi asks for her help: his human side is attracted to her, but he needs to be released from his gargoyle form. If she tries to help him, how much will that detract from her finding the killer?
3) Remi insists upon helping her get information from the townspeople about the murders. But why is it that each time he offers his help, someone in the carnival gets hurt... or dies?
4) Mr. Rutherford's attentions to Gabriela become even more insistent: he seems to be everywhere Gabriela is, and insists on helping her gather information about the murders that will lead to capturing the killer. But is it the right information, and what is his real intention towards her?
PLOT TWIST:
Gabriela discovers one of her powers is limited by certain elements, and these elements exhibit themselves at exactly the wrong time. What kind of danger does that put her in?
PROBLEM D: Gabriela finds herself almost surrounded by Kathryn, her new friend ( supposedly) from school, Remi, and Mr. Rutherford. All three seem to be at odds with one another, and Gabriela doesn't know whom to believe or whom to trust or what leads to follow that each of them present to her. Are they real leads what might lead to solving this crime, or are they nothing more than Red Herrings? She feels she is being followed, but no one is around. She feels eyes upon her, and whispers between 2 or more 'beings,' but there is never anyone... human... there. She hears the fluttering of wings... very large wings... but no bird... or whatever... is visible.
COMPLICATIONS:
1) Sheriff McCray confronts Gabriela and demands to know what she is doing and why. He is angry but doesn't appear threatening. If he is the killer, what does that mean?
2) The parents of the slain children meet with her, but plead for her to go away and leave things as they are. Why don't they want the killer of their children caught and punished?
3) The townspeople hold a Town Meeting and demand that the carnival leave immediately, regardless of the fact that their vehicles are still disabled... and why is that? Is the entire town held in the grasp of someone... or something... evil?
4) The one who is the Shape Shifter meets with the gargoyles. When Gabriela accidentally discovers who the Shape Shifter is, will this put her in danger that her powers cannot get her out of?
FINAL PLOT TWIST:
Gabriela learns that Sheriff McCray is not the murderer, nor is he the person who attacked and cut her face when she was ten years old. She discovers who the real murderer is, but he...or she...is neither human, witch, nor gargoyle. Will her powers be sufficient to overcome this being and save her, the carnival, and the town?
And that is the end! At least, of this novel, the first in a trilogy about Gabriela and the carnival. Beneath the Possum Belly: Night Cries is the name of this novel, the 2nd in the series is Beneath the Possum Belly: Night Sounds, and the third is Beneath the Possum Belly: Night Spells.
Building the plot in this way has been a great help to me, the original I HATE OUTLINES writer, and I hope that it has at least given you some new ideas about how to build your plot, or how to outline your story.
Until next time,
That's a wrap.
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Building Your Plot
This post may not apply to those of you who are organized enough to make thorough and complete outlines of your stories. But for pantsers like me, knowing how to build a plot is a great help. Now I know there are all kinds of ways to build a plot, but this is one I found in a great book by Nancy Kress, an award-winning author of more than twenty books.
Step One is building the Conflict. We all know that the protagonist has to have external conflicts...as well as internal... to get the story going. And the more problems that confront the MC, the more conflict she is going to have. You start out with Problem A, which should be the main problem she wants to solve. She is working on solving Problem A when Problem B shows up. Now she has two different problems, creating two different kinds of conflict, and before she had actually solved either of them, Problem C arrives. Since A is her main problem, this is going to be the center of the plot, so obviously she can't solve it any time soon. But she can try to solve B, so she is juggling A,B, AND C when Problem D arrives. By this time, she might have managed to solve B or C, but probably not both of them. And now she has D to consider.
Confused? Ok,let me take examples from my current WIP.
Problem A for Gabriela is the voices of the murdered children she hears in her head, calling for her to help them. She doesn't know who these children are, or how she is supposed to help them, so she must discover who they are, how they were murdered, and who murdered them, all in order to put their souls to rest.
However, problems alone don't make for a good plot. Along the way you need to have Complications arise.
Complications:
1. Gabriela meets Remi, tall, handsome, and not at all who or what she believes him to be.
2. Henri, the carnival cook, meets with an accident...but was it actually an accident?
3. Josie, the Fat Lady of the Freak Show, suddenly dies. Everyone thinks it's because she was so terribly obese...but was it really natural causes? And what will happen when the roustabouts have to Red Light her body?
Then, of course, it's always nice to have an unexpected Plot Twist: the police come snooping around, wanting to know what happened to Josie... they know of her death, they also know the townspeople wouldn't allow her to be buried in their cemetery... so what has happened to her body?
Problem B: Gabriela enrolls in the high school, since the carnival is stranded for several weeks in town. She immediately becomes the object of bullying: because of her limp and the scar on her face, the kids treat her as just another "freak." How will she deal with this, when she wants to make friends in order to learn more about the dead children?
Complications:
1. Her history teacher takes more than a normal teacher-to-student interest in her. Where will this lead, and is he really a friend, or something else?
2. One of the students, Kathryn, becomes Gabriela's friend... or is she?
3. Melvin, the 'chief bully,' attacks Gabriela twice. Kathryn comes to her rescue the first time, but the second is so violent Gabriela has to use her powers to defend herself. How will Melvin react to this?
4. Gabriela sees Kathryn talking secretly to the Sheriff. What is that all about?
Plot Twist:
Kathryn is secretly involved with the Sheriff. She is actually his daughter but no one knows this but the 2 of them. She had befriended Gabriela and pretends to help her with information about the dead children, but she is really keeping an eye on her for the Sheriff. She will lead Gabriela in the wrong direction, and finally, will be an ally in the last-minute attempt by the Sheriff to kill Gabriela... but is he really trying to kill her?
I hope this has been enough to whet your interest in one way to build your plot. I will have more about Problems C and D, and the complications and plot twists that go along with them, in Friday's post. Stay tuned!
Until next time,
That's a wrap.
Step One is building the Conflict. We all know that the protagonist has to have external conflicts...as well as internal... to get the story going. And the more problems that confront the MC, the more conflict she is going to have. You start out with Problem A, which should be the main problem she wants to solve. She is working on solving Problem A when Problem B shows up. Now she has two different problems, creating two different kinds of conflict, and before she had actually solved either of them, Problem C arrives. Since A is her main problem, this is going to be the center of the plot, so obviously she can't solve it any time soon. But she can try to solve B, so she is juggling A,B, AND C when Problem D arrives. By this time, she might have managed to solve B or C, but probably not both of them. And now she has D to consider.
Confused? Ok,let me take examples from my current WIP.
Problem A for Gabriela is the voices of the murdered children she hears in her head, calling for her to help them. She doesn't know who these children are, or how she is supposed to help them, so she must discover who they are, how they were murdered, and who murdered them, all in order to put their souls to rest.
However, problems alone don't make for a good plot. Along the way you need to have Complications arise.
Complications:
1. Gabriela meets Remi, tall, handsome, and not at all who or what she believes him to be.
2. Henri, the carnival cook, meets with an accident...but was it actually an accident?
3. Josie, the Fat Lady of the Freak Show, suddenly dies. Everyone thinks it's because she was so terribly obese...but was it really natural causes? And what will happen when the roustabouts have to Red Light her body?
Then, of course, it's always nice to have an unexpected Plot Twist: the police come snooping around, wanting to know what happened to Josie... they know of her death, they also know the townspeople wouldn't allow her to be buried in their cemetery... so what has happened to her body?
Problem B: Gabriela enrolls in the high school, since the carnival is stranded for several weeks in town. She immediately becomes the object of bullying: because of her limp and the scar on her face, the kids treat her as just another "freak." How will she deal with this, when she wants to make friends in order to learn more about the dead children?
Complications:
1. Her history teacher takes more than a normal teacher-to-student interest in her. Where will this lead, and is he really a friend, or something else?
2. One of the students, Kathryn, becomes Gabriela's friend... or is she?
3. Melvin, the 'chief bully,' attacks Gabriela twice. Kathryn comes to her rescue the first time, but the second is so violent Gabriela has to use her powers to defend herself. How will Melvin react to this?
4. Gabriela sees Kathryn talking secretly to the Sheriff. What is that all about?
Plot Twist:
Kathryn is secretly involved with the Sheriff. She is actually his daughter but no one knows this but the 2 of them. She had befriended Gabriela and pretends to help her with information about the dead children, but she is really keeping an eye on her for the Sheriff. She will lead Gabriela in the wrong direction, and finally, will be an ally in the last-minute attempt by the Sheriff to kill Gabriela... but is he really trying to kill her?
I hope this has been enough to whet your interest in one way to build your plot. I will have more about Problems C and D, and the complications and plot twists that go along with them, in Friday's post. Stay tuned!
Until next time,
That's a wrap.
Thursday, June 21, 2012
How Do You Describe Your Characters?
How do you describe your characters? We're told over and over again that we should never spend paragraphs telling our readers what our characters look like. Yet, how many times have you read a story where the MC, at least, is vividly described: "Her hair was the color of fresh honey with lighter streaks of pure gold. Her beautiful eyes reminded him of pools of liquid amber, surrounded by long, curling lashes, while her sweet lips were red and perfectly heart-shaped." And on and on, ad nauseum.
Then there's the old mirror trick, where the MC stands in front of a mirror, and sees herself... sometimes as she really is, sometimes as she would like to be: She combed through her blonde hair, and spent thirty minutes carefully arranging it so that it would look wind-blown and casually unkempt. She blinked her brilliant blue eyes, moving closer to the mirror to apply layers of mascara to her exceptionally long lashes. Next, she moved slightly away, examining herself minutely as if to prove to herself that her black silk dress fitted her full and natural curves, emphasized her tiny waist, and swirled softly around her graceful legs...etc. etc. etc.
Boring! When I get to a passage like that... although it's often a full page or more...I simply turn the page and move on to something more interesting...hopefully. Yet I've found that kind of character description in both MG and YA stories, more often in YA, but I'm sure it's enough to turn teens off, too.
To be honest, I recently used "the old mirror trick" in my current WIP. Well, sort of. Here is the way I used it:
The mirror shimmied in front of her, emphasizing the jagged scar on her face. Her torso was fat and mishappened, her dark curls shriveled up, and her legs seemed ten miles long. It was a distortion mirror straight out of the Fun House, and she hated it, but it was the only mirror her mother allowed.
You do get a sense of what she looks like: she is slim, has dark, curly hair, and a scar on her face. But you also know that she still doesn't look exactly like what the mirror shows, because it is a distorted image. What else does that passage tell you? Doesn't it suggest that her mother is controlling? Doesn't it make you want to ask: WHY is that the only mirror her mother will allow?
There are many ways to describe our characters, without reeling out a litany of their many attributes. Here are a few:
1. Kiley stormed into the classroom, spurs ( which weren't allowed in school) clanking against the tiled floors. He slapped the dust from dirty jeans, slammed his Stetson hat down on the desk, and slid into the seat. His brown eyes glittered, and his hands balled into fists. He was ready.
What does this tell you? Hmm...spurs, dusty jeans, Stetson hat. He's a cowboy or ranch hand, rides a horse, and works ( or his jeans wouldn't be dusty and dirty.) But he's not ordinary 'hand,' because a Stetson 'cowboy' hat is one of the most expensive you can buy ( true statement, remember I was a rancher for many years), so that suggests he probably owns or his family owns the ranch. He has brown eyes that glitter so he is angry. His hands are balled into fists, he is 'ready.' Obviously, he is expecting trouble to walk through that classroom door.
That is a great opening sentence, because it a) introduces the character; b) describes the character; c) gives you a good first impression because right off the bat you know that whatever is going to happen, he is ready and waiting; and d) makes you start asking questions right away: Who is Kiley? What kind of 'cowboy' is he, working hand who happens to own an expensive hat, or son of rancher owner who is wealthy? Why is he expecting trouble, in school of all places? And who is going to come through that door bringing trouble with him?
2. Let's try describing our MC from the POV of 3 different people who happen to know her well:
A) Her Best Friend: "Oh, Kenzie is just wonderful! She has this great sense of humor, and she's so smart she makes straight As all the time. I just love her blonde hair and those beautiful green eyes. She's friendly to everyone, and she is the captain of the Cheerleading Squad. She wears all those gorgeous clothes that really show off her figure, and she's even offered to loan some to me that she doesn't wear any more!
B) Her Former Best Friend Who Lost The Competition for Captain of Cheerleading: "MacKenzie is a snob. She flaunts her looks around by wearing all those designer clothes her mom buys for her, and thinks she's better than everyone else. She is shallow and selfish, and she's not any better at cheerleading than I am. She just got to be captain because she agreed to go out with that dorky son of the coach. She's not funny at all, she just makes snarky remarks that all the boys think are funny. And besides, her blonde hair is bleached, because in real life, her hair is almost the same color of brown mine is."
C) The Boy Who Used To Be Her Boyfriend: "MacKenzie is two-faced. She shows the world this wonderful, talented, smart person, which she can be when she wants to, but in private she is egotistical and arrogant. She wants everything to be exactly the way she wants it, and she wants everyone to do exactly what she says. She IS beautiful and smart and all the rest, but she knows it, and she feels like she's entitled to do anything or say anything she wants, even if it hurts someone else. She wants you to be where she can reach you 24/7, and if you're not there to do what she wants, she starts screaming at you... in private, of course. She broke up with me because I told her I was going to my sister's birthday party on the same night as a party one of MacKenzie's friends was throwing. She demanded I go with her, and when I didn't she broke up with me.
Here you have 3 different but descriptive mini-portraits of the same person. Is any one of them completely true? Probably not, but instead, you have bits and pieces of one person that, collectively, make up a whole multi-dimensional character. If you interviewed her parents, her siblings, perhaps the 'nanny' who took care of her when she was young, you could add to those mini-portraits until a whole, conclusive picture emerged.
These are just a few of the ways you can go about describing your characters. You don't have to list their physical attributes in some long and boring monologue, which will do nothing but turn your readers off. In using some of the above ideas, you not only introduce your reader to your MC and give them some idea of what their physical appearance is, but you also give them a glimpse into their personality, their emotional make-up, and maybe even a peek into what their home life is like. You set the stage for a first impression, and/or you set the reader up to expect something specific from your character... which may or may not be or come true. Either way, you have your reader hooked.
Until next time,
That's a wrap.
Then there's the old mirror trick, where the MC stands in front of a mirror, and sees herself... sometimes as she really is, sometimes as she would like to be: She combed through her blonde hair, and spent thirty minutes carefully arranging it so that it would look wind-blown and casually unkempt. She blinked her brilliant blue eyes, moving closer to the mirror to apply layers of mascara to her exceptionally long lashes. Next, she moved slightly away, examining herself minutely as if to prove to herself that her black silk dress fitted her full and natural curves, emphasized her tiny waist, and swirled softly around her graceful legs...etc. etc. etc.
Boring! When I get to a passage like that... although it's often a full page or more...I simply turn the page and move on to something more interesting...hopefully. Yet I've found that kind of character description in both MG and YA stories, more often in YA, but I'm sure it's enough to turn teens off, too.
To be honest, I recently used "the old mirror trick" in my current WIP. Well, sort of. Here is the way I used it:
The mirror shimmied in front of her, emphasizing the jagged scar on her face. Her torso was fat and mishappened, her dark curls shriveled up, and her legs seemed ten miles long. It was a distortion mirror straight out of the Fun House, and she hated it, but it was the only mirror her mother allowed.
You do get a sense of what she looks like: she is slim, has dark, curly hair, and a scar on her face. But you also know that she still doesn't look exactly like what the mirror shows, because it is a distorted image. What else does that passage tell you? Doesn't it suggest that her mother is controlling? Doesn't it make you want to ask: WHY is that the only mirror her mother will allow?
There are many ways to describe our characters, without reeling out a litany of their many attributes. Here are a few:
1. Kiley stormed into the classroom, spurs ( which weren't allowed in school) clanking against the tiled floors. He slapped the dust from dirty jeans, slammed his Stetson hat down on the desk, and slid into the seat. His brown eyes glittered, and his hands balled into fists. He was ready.
What does this tell you? Hmm...spurs, dusty jeans, Stetson hat. He's a cowboy or ranch hand, rides a horse, and works ( or his jeans wouldn't be dusty and dirty.) But he's not ordinary 'hand,' because a Stetson 'cowboy' hat is one of the most expensive you can buy ( true statement, remember I was a rancher for many years), so that suggests he probably owns or his family owns the ranch. He has brown eyes that glitter so he is angry. His hands are balled into fists, he is 'ready.' Obviously, he is expecting trouble to walk through that classroom door.
That is a great opening sentence, because it a) introduces the character; b) describes the character; c) gives you a good first impression because right off the bat you know that whatever is going to happen, he is ready and waiting; and d) makes you start asking questions right away: Who is Kiley? What kind of 'cowboy' is he, working hand who happens to own an expensive hat, or son of rancher owner who is wealthy? Why is he expecting trouble, in school of all places? And who is going to come through that door bringing trouble with him?
2. Let's try describing our MC from the POV of 3 different people who happen to know her well:
A) Her Best Friend: "Oh, Kenzie is just wonderful! She has this great sense of humor, and she's so smart she makes straight As all the time. I just love her blonde hair and those beautiful green eyes. She's friendly to everyone, and she is the captain of the Cheerleading Squad. She wears all those gorgeous clothes that really show off her figure, and she's even offered to loan some to me that she doesn't wear any more!
B) Her Former Best Friend Who Lost The Competition for Captain of Cheerleading: "MacKenzie is a snob. She flaunts her looks around by wearing all those designer clothes her mom buys for her, and thinks she's better than everyone else. She is shallow and selfish, and she's not any better at cheerleading than I am. She just got to be captain because she agreed to go out with that dorky son of the coach. She's not funny at all, she just makes snarky remarks that all the boys think are funny. And besides, her blonde hair is bleached, because in real life, her hair is almost the same color of brown mine is."
C) The Boy Who Used To Be Her Boyfriend: "MacKenzie is two-faced. She shows the world this wonderful, talented, smart person, which she can be when she wants to, but in private she is egotistical and arrogant. She wants everything to be exactly the way she wants it, and she wants everyone to do exactly what she says. She IS beautiful and smart and all the rest, but she knows it, and she feels like she's entitled to do anything or say anything she wants, even if it hurts someone else. She wants you to be where she can reach you 24/7, and if you're not there to do what she wants, she starts screaming at you... in private, of course. She broke up with me because I told her I was going to my sister's birthday party on the same night as a party one of MacKenzie's friends was throwing. She demanded I go with her, and when I didn't she broke up with me.
Here you have 3 different but descriptive mini-portraits of the same person. Is any one of them completely true? Probably not, but instead, you have bits and pieces of one person that, collectively, make up a whole multi-dimensional character. If you interviewed her parents, her siblings, perhaps the 'nanny' who took care of her when she was young, you could add to those mini-portraits until a whole, conclusive picture emerged.
These are just a few of the ways you can go about describing your characters. You don't have to list their physical attributes in some long and boring monologue, which will do nothing but turn your readers off. In using some of the above ideas, you not only introduce your reader to your MC and give them some idea of what their physical appearance is, but you also give them a glimpse into their personality, their emotional make-up, and maybe even a peek into what their home life is like. You set the stage for a first impression, and/or you set the reader up to expect something specific from your character... which may or may not be or come true. Either way, you have your reader hooked.
Until next time,
That's a wrap.
Monday, June 18, 2012
Do Your Characters Make Good First Impressions? Part Two
In Part One, I talked about naming your characters, and how that name might affect the first impression they make. Today I'm going to talk about ethnicity, religious affilliation, and socio-economic status, and how your character's name will suggest to your reader any one or all of these elements. All part of that important first impression.
Suppose when the reader meets your MC, she is told the MC's name is Caitlin O'Hallahan. This immediately sets her up in the reader's mind as both Irish, and most likely, Catholic. So now we have ethnicity and religious affiliation as part of the first impression... all because of the name. If the story bears this out, all is well and good. The first impression has been made, it's correct, therefore we can trust this author to not deceive us later on.
Now we have Milana Giordano and Rebeccah Feinstein. Can we correctly make the assumption that the first girl is Italian and the second is Jewish? We can...IF the story bears that out. Another MC is named Jamila Raboud...probably Arab, probably Muslim. But again, the story must bear this out for us to be able to trust that the author knows what she is doing when it comes to her characters' names.
Naming a character can also give the reader a first impression of the family's background and socio-economic status. For example, what do you think about this character's background: Nicholas Alexander Wainscot III? Wouldn't you think that a) this young man comes from a wealthy family; b) the family is from a long lineage and proud of it; c) he is likely to be an arrogant and self-entitled snob who looks down on his peers. Maybe he is most of those things, but maybe "c" is undeserved and uncalled for. Be sure that your character "lives up to" his or her name, or that you have a very good reason for him not to. And if the latter is true, don't keep your readers in the dark for very long as to that reason.
On the other hand, let's say you had twin girls named Ima and Ura...and their last name was...drum roll...Hogg. Yes, I said...Hogg. Ima Hogg. Ura Hogg. Okaaay...no, I'm not way out in fantasy land somewhere. There were actual twin girls, once upon a time way down South in Texas, named Ima and Ura Hogg. What do you think your reader's first impression of these characters would be? Poor? Uneducated like their parents? ( Surely educated parents would never name their girls like this...) Living in some hobo camp or some kind of urban slum? That first impression...so important...would be all wrong. Ima's name is pronounced Ee-mah; Ura's is Oo (rhymes with "coo")-rah; and Hogg is pronounced Ho ( like "hoe")-gug ( rhymes with "jug"). In the 1800s, they were from a very wealthy family, and their father was Governor.
Now are you getting it? Naming your characters is a very important part of your story, and you have two options when you name them: 1) make the name a true and realistic part of their personality, of who they are, and make sure throughout your story that the name continues to be indicative of that; 2) surprise the reader with a twist to your MC's name, something that he would never think of with respect to the name, BUT have a very solid and realistic reason for that twist. AND don't keep the reader in the dark for very long, before that reason becomes obvious. You need to keep the reader's trust in you, trust that you actually do know what you are doing when it comes to naming your characters, and making that name be an essential part of the first impression.
Until next time,
That's a wrap.
Suppose when the reader meets your MC, she is told the MC's name is Caitlin O'Hallahan. This immediately sets her up in the reader's mind as both Irish, and most likely, Catholic. So now we have ethnicity and religious affiliation as part of the first impression... all because of the name. If the story bears this out, all is well and good. The first impression has been made, it's correct, therefore we can trust this author to not deceive us later on.
Now we have Milana Giordano and Rebeccah Feinstein. Can we correctly make the assumption that the first girl is Italian and the second is Jewish? We can...IF the story bears that out. Another MC is named Jamila Raboud...probably Arab, probably Muslim. But again, the story must bear this out for us to be able to trust that the author knows what she is doing when it comes to her characters' names.
Naming a character can also give the reader a first impression of the family's background and socio-economic status. For example, what do you think about this character's background: Nicholas Alexander Wainscot III? Wouldn't you think that a) this young man comes from a wealthy family; b) the family is from a long lineage and proud of it; c) he is likely to be an arrogant and self-entitled snob who looks down on his peers. Maybe he is most of those things, but maybe "c" is undeserved and uncalled for. Be sure that your character "lives up to" his or her name, or that you have a very good reason for him not to. And if the latter is true, don't keep your readers in the dark for very long as to that reason.
On the other hand, let's say you had twin girls named Ima and Ura...and their last name was...drum roll...Hogg. Yes, I said...Hogg. Ima Hogg. Ura Hogg. Okaaay...no, I'm not way out in fantasy land somewhere. There were actual twin girls, once upon a time way down South in Texas, named Ima and Ura Hogg. What do you think your reader's first impression of these characters would be? Poor? Uneducated like their parents? ( Surely educated parents would never name their girls like this...) Living in some hobo camp or some kind of urban slum? That first impression...so important...would be all wrong. Ima's name is pronounced Ee-mah; Ura's is Oo (rhymes with "coo")-rah; and Hogg is pronounced Ho ( like "hoe")-gug ( rhymes with "jug"). In the 1800s, they were from a very wealthy family, and their father was Governor.
Now are you getting it? Naming your characters is a very important part of your story, and you have two options when you name them: 1) make the name a true and realistic part of their personality, of who they are, and make sure throughout your story that the name continues to be indicative of that; 2) surprise the reader with a twist to your MC's name, something that he would never think of with respect to the name, BUT have a very solid and realistic reason for that twist. AND don't keep the reader in the dark for very long, before that reason becomes obvious. You need to keep the reader's trust in you, trust that you actually do know what you are doing when it comes to naming your characters, and making that name be an essential part of the first impression.
Until next time,
That's a wrap.
Friday, June 15, 2012
Do Your Characters Make a Good First Impression? Part One
As an educator of Sociology, I can tell you that sociologists believe we form lasting impressions of the people we meet within the first ten seconds. That's pretty fast, and I've found, often wrong. The impression, that is. But isn't it funny how that first impression sticks with you, hiding its sometimes nasty little face in the recesses of your mind, even after you've gotten to know a person, and realized that your first impression was wrong?
With our characters, it takes a lot longer than ten seconds, but it doesn't mean that the first impression is not important. As writers, we need to be very sure that our characters begin to initiate a good first impression, even if we intend to have that impression change later on. But "good" is relative, isn't it? Think about it... 'good' doesn't have to mean your MC is Miss Wonderful... it could also mean Miss Wonderful is actually a 16 year old high school witch... and not in the dictionary's definitiion of "witch," either. But your first impression could be 'good,' or perhaps a better word would be 'correct.' Keep in mind, however, that as your character grows and changes, your readers' impressions of her will change, also, so don't mislead them with a too-far off first impression.
So... how to form that first impression? I think the very first thing you have to do is give her a name, because let's face it, people's names will almost always dictate how others perceive them... correctly or incorrectly. Now sometimes that means you have to do your RESEARCH...I know, that's a 4-letter word, but you better get used to it!
The reason for research? It depends upon what era you are writing about, and no, it doesn't have to be a historical novel as such. For example, some of the most popular names in 2012 are: For Girls: Emma, Sophia, Chloe, Madison, Taylor; For Boys: Mason, Ethen, Aiden, Lucus, Alexander. But go back just a few years to 1980: most popular names then were Jessica, Amanda, Ashley, and Megan; Michael, Matthew, Joshua, and Ryan. Even further back to the 1920's: Mary, Helen, Mildred, and Gladys; Robert, James, Edward, and Earl.
If your story setting is in the early 1900's, even up to about 1960, you are going to be hard-pressed to find a girl named Madison, or a boy named Aiden. By the same token, in today's world, you run the risk of having your novel put down by the first page if you name your MC Mildred. First names should be indicative of the era, without question.
Besides the era, another assumption your reader is going to make about the MC's name, right out of the starting gate, is that of Ethnicity. However, that is a post for another day! Part Two is coming up!
Until next time,
That's a wrap.
With our characters, it takes a lot longer than ten seconds, but it doesn't mean that the first impression is not important. As writers, we need to be very sure that our characters begin to initiate a good first impression, even if we intend to have that impression change later on. But "good" is relative, isn't it? Think about it... 'good' doesn't have to mean your MC is Miss Wonderful... it could also mean Miss Wonderful is actually a 16 year old high school witch... and not in the dictionary's definitiion of "witch," either. But your first impression could be 'good,' or perhaps a better word would be 'correct.' Keep in mind, however, that as your character grows and changes, your readers' impressions of her will change, also, so don't mislead them with a too-far off first impression.
So... how to form that first impression? I think the very first thing you have to do is give her a name, because let's face it, people's names will almost always dictate how others perceive them... correctly or incorrectly. Now sometimes that means you have to do your RESEARCH...I know, that's a 4-letter word, but you better get used to it!
The reason for research? It depends upon what era you are writing about, and no, it doesn't have to be a historical novel as such. For example, some of the most popular names in 2012 are: For Girls: Emma, Sophia, Chloe, Madison, Taylor; For Boys: Mason, Ethen, Aiden, Lucus, Alexander. But go back just a few years to 1980: most popular names then were Jessica, Amanda, Ashley, and Megan; Michael, Matthew, Joshua, and Ryan. Even further back to the 1920's: Mary, Helen, Mildred, and Gladys; Robert, James, Edward, and Earl.
If your story setting is in the early 1900's, even up to about 1960, you are going to be hard-pressed to find a girl named Madison, or a boy named Aiden. By the same token, in today's world, you run the risk of having your novel put down by the first page if you name your MC Mildred. First names should be indicative of the era, without question.
Besides the era, another assumption your reader is going to make about the MC's name, right out of the starting gate, is that of Ethnicity. However, that is a post for another day! Part Two is coming up!
Until next time,
That's a wrap.
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
Blogging: Do You Sprint or Do You Marathon?
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.
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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