A last word on the Harlequin/Thomas Nelson vanity publishing thing. A personal testimony. Read two stories and the impact on those writers of forays into vanity publishing here.
The last "last word" comes from Jane Friedman at Writer's Digest in a thought-provoking, considered post that reminds us that no matter what we think or want, publishing is definitely changing.
Wonder if your male characters are authentic? Take a look at these four men on the "Man Panel" offered by Romance University. These four guys--and yes, they're real people--provide interesting insights into the male psyche in their posts, but this one in particular I found quite illuminating. Notice how their personalities coalesce and shine through the sum of each one's answers.
If you were planning on buying a Nook for a gift (or present to self), Barnes & Noble announced earlier this week that the latest e-reading gadget is sold out. Pre-orders are still being taken for orders that will ship on or after January 4th.
The ten dirty words in publishing, ten words you never want an editor to think when reading your submission.
I've stumbled on another helpful blog about writing craft, From Plot to Punctuation. This one comes from writer and technical communicator Jason Black who not only blogs about writing topics but offers editorial services. Here's an article he wrote on "How to Make a Great Novel Out of a Cheesy Premise". I can't read or keep up with all these blogs, but when I find good ones, I like to bring them to your attention.
Hope you enjoyed your Thanksgiving and you're having a great weekend. 26 more days until Christmas!
Peace & Blessings,
Patricia
Tampa Bay Writing Examiner
Stay focused. Be deliberate. Believe.
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Featured Book: A Novel Idea by ChiLibris
First, a little housekeeping. Jennifer Shirk wins the copy of Susan Meissner's White Picket Fences since she was the only commenter for that giveaway. Jenn, send me your mailing address!
Today's featured book is a combination writing craft and writers' inspiration book that is already helping me to see my wip in a different light. Although I've hopped around a bit to get a feel for the various offerings, I'm stuck in chapter one (which you can read below), wherein author Angela Hunt's talks about the bones of a good plot.
It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old...or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!
You never know when I might play a wild card on you!
Best-selling Christian fiction writers have teamed together to contribute articles on the craft of writing. A Novel Idea contains tips on brainstorming ideas and crafting and marketing a novel. It explains what makes a Christian novel “Christian” and offers tips on how to approach tough topics. Contributors include
Jerry B. Jenkins, Karen Kingsbury, Francine Rivers, Angela Hunt, and many other beloved authors. All proceeds will benefit MAI, an organization that teaches writing internationally to help provide literature that is culturally relevant.
Product Details:
List Price: $14.99
Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. (November 1, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1414329946
ISBN-13: 978-1414329949
AND NOW...THE FIRST CHAPTER:
Peace & Blessings,
Patricia
Tampa Bay Writing Examiner
Stay focused. Be deliberate. Believe.
Today's featured book is a combination writing craft and writers' inspiration book that is already helping me to see my wip in a different light. Although I've hopped around a bit to get a feel for the various offerings, I'm stuck in chapter one (which you can read below), wherein author Angela Hunt's talks about the bones of a good plot.
It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old...or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!You never know when I might play a wild card on you!
Today's Wild Card authors are:
Various Best-Selling Authors
(contributions from best-selling authors including Jerry B. Jenkins, Francine Rivers, Karen Kingsbury, Randy Alcorn, Terri Blackstock, Robin Jones Gunn, Angela Hunt and more)
(contributions from best-selling authors including Jerry B. Jenkins, Francine Rivers, Karen Kingsbury, Randy Alcorn, Terri Blackstock, Robin Jones Gunn, Angela Hunt and more)
and the book:
Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. (November 1, 2009)
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Best-selling Christian fiction writers have teamed together to contribute articles on the craft of writing. A Novel Idea contains tips on brainstorming ideas and crafting and marketing a novel. It explains what makes a Christian novel “Christian” and offers tips on how to approach tough topics. Contributors include
Jerry B. Jenkins, Karen Kingsbury, Francine Rivers, Angela Hunt, and many other beloved authors. All proceeds will benefit MAI, an organization that teaches writing internationally to help provide literature that is culturally relevant.Product Details:
List Price: $14.99
Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. (November 1, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1414329946
ISBN-13: 978-1414329949
AND NOW...THE FIRST CHAPTER:
Chapter 1: Plot
The Plot Skeleton
Angela Hunt
Imagine, if you will, that you and I are sitting in a room with one hundred other authors. If you were to ask each person present to describe their plotting process, you’d probably get a hundred different answers. Writers’ methods vary according to their personalities, and we are all different. Mentally. Emotionally. Physically.
If, however, those one hundred novelists were to pass behind an X-ray machine, you’d discover that we all possess remarkably similar skeletons. Beneath our disguising skin, hair, and clothing, our skeletons are pretty much identical.
In the same way, though writers vary in their methods, good stories are composed of remarkably comparable skeletons. Stories with “good bones” can be found in picture books and novels, plays and films.
Many fine writers tend to carefully outline their plots before they begin the first chapter. On the other hand, some novelists describe themselves as “seat-of-the-pants” writers. But when the story is finished, a seat-of-the-pants novel will (or should!) contain the same elements as a carefully plotted book. Why? Because whether you plan it from the beginning or find it at the end, novels need structure beneath the story.
After mulling several plot designs and boiling them down to their basic elements, I developed what I call the “plot skeleton.” It combines the spontaneity of seat-of-the-pants writing with the discipline of an outline. It requires a writer to know where he’s going, but it leaves room for lots of discovery on the journey.
When I sit down to plan a new book, the first thing I do is sketch my smiling little skeleton.
To illustrate the plot skeleton in this article, I’m going to refer frequently to The Wizard of Oz and a lovely foreign film you may never have seen, Mostly Martha.
The Skull: A Central Character
The skull represents the main character, the protagonist. A lot of beginning novelists have a hard time deciding who the main character is, so settle that question right away. Even in an ensemble cast, one character should be featured more than the others. Your readers want to place themselves into your story world, and it’s helpful if you can give them a sympathetic character to whom they can relate. Ask yourself, “Whose story is this?” That is your protagonist.
This main character should have two needs or problems—one obvious, one hidden—which I represent by two yawning eye sockets.
Here’s a tip: Hidden needs, which usually involve basic human emotions, are often solved or met by the end of the story. They are at the center of the protagonist’s “inner journey,” or character change, while the “outer journey” is concerned with the main events of the plot. Hidden needs often arise from wounds in a character’s past.
Consider The Wizard of Oz. At the beginning of the film, Dorothy needs to save her dog from Miss Gulch, who has arrived to take Toto because he bit her scrawny leg—a very straightforward and obvious problem. Dorothy’s hidden need is depicted but not directly emphasized when she stands by the pigpen and sings “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.” Do children live with Uncle Henry and Aunt Em if all is fine with Mom and Dad? No. Though we are not told what happened to Dorothy’s parents, it’s clear that something has splintered her family and Dorothy’s unhappy. Her hidden need, the object of her inner journey, is to find a place to call home.
Mostly Martha opens with the title character lying on her therapist’s couch and talking about all that is required to cook the perfect pigeon. Since she’s in a therapist’s office, we assume she has a problem, and the therapist addresses this directly: “Martha, why are you here?”
“Because,” she answers, “my boss will fire me if I don’t go to therapy.” Ah—obvious problem at work with the boss. Immediately we also know that Martha is high-strung. She is precise and politely controlling in her kitchen. This woman lives for food, but though she assures us in a voice-over that all a cook needs for a perfectly lovely dinner is “fish and sauce,” we see her venture downstairs to ask her new neighbor if he’d like to join her for dinner. He can’t, but we become aware that Martha needs company. She needs love in her life.
Connect the Skull to the Body: Inciting Action
Usually the first few chapters of a novel are involved with the business of establishing the protagonist in a specific time and place, his world, his needs, and his personality. The story doesn’t kick into gear, though, until you move from the skull to the spine, a connection known as the inciting incident.
Writers are often told to begin the story in medias res, or in the middle of the action. This is not the same as the Big Incident. Save the big event for a few chapters in, after you’ve given us some time to know and understand your character’s needs. Begin your story with an obvious problem—some action that shows how your character copes. In the first fifth of the story we learn that Dorothy loves Toto passionately and that Martha is a perfectionist chef. Yes, start in the middle of something active, but hold off on the big event for a while. Let us get to know your character first . . . because we won’t gasp about their dilemma until we know them.
In a picture book, the inciting incident is often signaled by two words: One day . . . Those two words are a natural way to move from setting the stage to the action. As you plot your novel, ask yourself, “One day, what happens to move my main character into the action of the story?” Your answer will be your inciting incident, the key that turns your story engine.
After Dorothy ran away, if she’d made it home to Uncle Henry and Aunt Em without incident, there would have been no story. The inciting incident? When the tornado picks Dorothy up and drops her, with her house, in the land of Oz.
The inciting incident in Mostly Martha is signaled by a ringing telephone. When Martha takes the call, she learns that her sister, who was a single mother to an eight-year-old girl, has been killed in an auto accident.
Think of your favorite stories—how many feature a hero who’s reluctant to enter the special world? Often—but not always—your protagonist doesn’t want to go where the inciting incident is pushing him or her. Obviously, Martha doesn’t want to hear that her sister is dead, and she certainly doesn’t want to be a mother. She takes Lina, her niece, and offers to cook for her (her way of showing love), but Lina wants her mother, not gourmet food.
Even if your protagonist has actively pursued a change, he or she may have moments of doubt as the entrance to the special world looms ahead. When your character retreats or doubts or refuses to leave the ordinary world, another character should step in to provide encouragement, advice, information, or a special tool. This will help your main character overcome those last-minute doubts and establish the next part of the skeleton: the goal.
The End of the Spine: The Goal
At some point after the inciting incident, your character will establish and state a goal. Shortly after stepping out of her transplanted house, Dorothy looks around Oz and wails, “I want to go back to Kansas!” She’s been transported over the rainbow, but she prefers the tried and true to the unfamiliar and strange. In order to go home, she’ll have to visit the wizard in the Emerald City. As she tries to meet an ever-shifting set of subordinate goals (follow the yellow brick road; overcome the poppies; get in to see the wizard; bring back a broomstick), her main goal keeps viewers glued to the screen.
This overriding concern—will she or won’t she make it home?—is known as the dramatic question. The dramatic question in every murder mystery is, Who committed the crime? The dramatic question in nearly every thriller is, Who will win the inevitable showdown between the hero and the villain? Along the way readers will worry about the subgoals (Will the villain kill his hostage? Will the hero figure out the clues?), but the dramatic question keeps them reading until the last page.
Tip: To keep the reader involved, the dramatic question should be directly related to the character’s ultimate goal. Martha finds herself trying to care for a grieving eight-year-old who doesn’t want another mother. So Martha promises to track down the girl’s father, who lives in Italy. She knows only that his name is Giuseppe, but she’s determined to find him.
The Rib Cage: Complications
Even my youngest students understand that a protagonist who accomplishes everything he or she attempts is a colorless character. As another friend of mine is fond of pointing out, as we tackle the mountain of life, it’s the bumps we climb on! If you’re diagramming, sketch at least three curving ribs over your spine. These represent the complications that must arise to prevent your protagonist from reaching his goal.
Why at least three ribs? Because even in the shortest of stories—in a picture book, for instance—three complications work better than two or four. I don’t know why three gives us such a feeling of completion, but it does. Maybe it’s because God is a Trinity and we’re hardwired to appreciate that number.
While a short story will have only three complications, a movie or novel may have hundreds. Complications can range from the mundane—John can’t find a pencil to write down Sarah’s number—to life-shattering. As you write down possible complications that could stand between your character and his ultimate goal, place the more serious problems at the bottom of the list.
The stakes—what your protagonist is risking—should increase in significance as the story progresses. In Mostly Martha, the complications center on this uptight woman’s ability to care for a child. Lina hates her babysitter, so Martha has to take Lina to work with her. But the late hours take their toll, and Lina is often late for school. Furthermore, Lina keeps refusing to eat anything Martha cooks for her.
I asked you to make the ribs curve because any character that runs into complication after complication without any breathing space is going to be a weary character . . . and you’ll weary your reader with this frenetic pace. One of the keys to good pacing is to alternate your plot complications with rewards. Like a pendulum that swings on an arc, let your character relax, if only briefly, between disasters.
Along the spiraling yellow brick road, Dorothy soon reaches an intersection (a complication). Fortunately, a friendly scarecrow is willing to help (a reward). They haven’t gone far before Dorothy becomes hungry (a complication). The scarecrow spots an apple orchard ahead (a reward). These apple trees, however, resent being picked (a complication), but the clever scarecrow taunts them until they begin to throw fruit at the hungry travelers (a reward).
See how it works? Every problem is followed by a reward that matches the seriousness of the complication. Let’s fast-forward to the scene where the balloon takes off without Dorothy. This is a severe complication—so severe it deserves a title of its own: the bleakest moment. This is the final rib in the rib cage, the moment when all hope is lost for your protagonist.
The Thighbone: Send in the Cavalry
At the bleakest moment, your character needs help, but be careful how you deliver it. The ancient Greek playwrights had actors representing the Greek gods literally descend from the structure above to bring their complicated plot knots to a satisfying conclusion. This sort of resolution is frowned upon in modern literature. Called deus ex machina (literally “god from the machine”), this device employs some unexpected and improbable incident to bring victory or success. If you find yourself whipping up a coincidence or a miracle after the bleakest moment, chances are you’ve employed deus ex machina. Back up and try again, please.
Avoid using deus ex machina by sending two types of help: external and internal. Your character obviously needs help from outside; if he could solve the problem alone, he would have done it long before the bleakest moment. Having him conveniently remember something or stumble across a hidden resource smacks of coincidence and will leave your reader feeling resentful and cheated.
So send in the cavalry, but remember that they can’t solve the protagonist’s problem. They can give the protagonist a push in the right direction; they can nudge; they can remind; they can inspire. But they shouldn’t wave a magic wand and make everything all right.
For Dorothy, help comes in the form of Glenda the Good Witch, who reveals a secret: The ruby slippers have the power to carry her back to Kansas. All Dorothy has to do is say, “There’s no place like home”—with feeling, mind you—and she’ll be back on the farm with Uncle Henry and Auntie Em. Dorothy’s problem isn’t resolved, however, until she applies this information internally. At the beginning of the story, she wanted to be anywhere but on the farm. Now she has to affirm that the farm is where she wants to be. Her hidden need—to find a place to call home—has been met.
In Mostly Martha, the bleakest moment arrives with Lina’s father, Giuseppe. He is a good man, and Lina seems to accept him. But after waving good-bye, Martha goes home to an empty apartment and realizes that she is not happy with her controlled, childless life. She goes to Marlo, the Italian chef she has also begun to love, and asks for his help.
The Kneecap and Lower Leg: Make a Decision, Learn a Lesson
Martha realizes that her old life was empty—she needs Lina in her life, and she needs Marlo. So she and Marlo drive from Germany to Italy to fetch Lina and bring her home.
You may be hard-pressed to cite the lesson you learned from the last novel you read, but your protagonist needs to learn something. This lesson is the epiphany, a sudden insight that speaks volumes to your character and brings them to the conclusion of their inner journey.
James Joyce popularized the word epiphany, literally the manifestation of a divine being. (Churches celebrate the festival of Epiphany on January 6 to commemorate the meeting of the Magi and the Christ child.) After receiving help from an outside source, your character should see something—a person, a situation, or an object—in a new light.
When the scarecrow asks why Glinda waited to explain the ruby slippers, the good witch smiles and says, “Because she wouldn’t have believed me. She had to learn it for herself.” The scarecrow then asks, “What’d you learn, Dorothy?” Without hesitation, Dorothy announces that she’s learned a lesson: “The next time I go looking for my heart’s desire, I won’t look any farther than my own backyard.” She has learned to appreciate her home, so even though she is surrounded by loving friends and an emerald city, Dorothy chooses to return to colorless Kansas. She hugs her friends once more, then grips Toto and clicks her heels.
The Foot: The Resolution
Every story needs the fairy-tale equivalent of “and they lived happily ever after.” Not every story ends happily, of course, though happy endings are undoubtedly popular. Some protagonists are sadder and wiser after the course of their adventure. But a novel should at least leave the reader with hope.
The resolution to Mostly Martha is portrayed during the closing of the film. As the credits roll, we see Marlo and Martha meeting Lina in Italy; we see Martha in a wedding gown (with her hair down!) and Marlo in a tuxedo; we see a wedding feast with Giuseppe, his family, and Martha’s German friends; we see Martha and Marlo and Lina exploring an abandoned restaurant—clearly, they are going to settle in Italy so Lina can be a part of both families. In the delightful final scene, we see Martha with her therapist again, but this time he has cooked for her and she is advising him.
Many movies end with a simple visual image—we see a couple walking away hand in hand, a mother cradling her long-lost son. That’s all we need to realize that our main character has struggled, learned, and come away a better (or wiser) person. As a writer, you’ll have to use words, but you can paint the same sort of reassuring picture without resorting to “and they lived happily ever after.”
Your story should end with a changed protagonist—he or she has gone through a profound experience and is different for it, hopefully for the better. Your protagonist has completed an outer journey (experienced the major plot events) and an inner journey that address some hurt from the past and result in a changed character.
What Next?
Now that we’ve reached the foot of our story skeleton, we’re finished outlining the basic structure. Take those major points and write them up in paragraph form. Once you’ve outlined your plot and written your synopsis, you’re ready to begin writing scenes. Take a deep breath, glance over your skeleton, and jump in.
Taken from A Novel Idea by ChiLibras. Copyright ©2009 by ChiLibras. Used with permission from Tyndale House Publishers. All rights reserved.
The Plot Skeleton
Angela Hunt
Imagine, if you will, that you and I are sitting in a room with one hundred other authors. If you were to ask each person present to describe their plotting process, you’d probably get a hundred different answers. Writers’ methods vary according to their personalities, and we are all different. Mentally. Emotionally. Physically.
If, however, those one hundred novelists were to pass behind an X-ray machine, you’d discover that we all possess remarkably similar skeletons. Beneath our disguising skin, hair, and clothing, our skeletons are pretty much identical.
In the same way, though writers vary in their methods, good stories are composed of remarkably comparable skeletons. Stories with “good bones” can be found in picture books and novels, plays and films.
Many fine writers tend to carefully outline their plots before they begin the first chapter. On the other hand, some novelists describe themselves as “seat-of-the-pants” writers. But when the story is finished, a seat-of-the-pants novel will (or should!) contain the same elements as a carefully plotted book. Why? Because whether you plan it from the beginning or find it at the end, novels need structure beneath the story.
After mulling several plot designs and boiling them down to their basic elements, I developed what I call the “plot skeleton.” It combines the spontaneity of seat-of-the-pants writing with the discipline of an outline. It requires a writer to know where he’s going, but it leaves room for lots of discovery on the journey.
When I sit down to plan a new book, the first thing I do is sketch my smiling little skeleton.
To illustrate the plot skeleton in this article, I’m going to refer frequently to The Wizard of Oz and a lovely foreign film you may never have seen, Mostly Martha.
The Skull: A Central Character
The skull represents the main character, the protagonist. A lot of beginning novelists have a hard time deciding who the main character is, so settle that question right away. Even in an ensemble cast, one character should be featured more than the others. Your readers want to place themselves into your story world, and it’s helpful if you can give them a sympathetic character to whom they can relate. Ask yourself, “Whose story is this?” That is your protagonist.
This main character should have two needs or problems—one obvious, one hidden—which I represent by two yawning eye sockets.
Here’s a tip: Hidden needs, which usually involve basic human emotions, are often solved or met by the end of the story. They are at the center of the protagonist’s “inner journey,” or character change, while the “outer journey” is concerned with the main events of the plot. Hidden needs often arise from wounds in a character’s past.
Consider The Wizard of Oz. At the beginning of the film, Dorothy needs to save her dog from Miss Gulch, who has arrived to take Toto because he bit her scrawny leg—a very straightforward and obvious problem. Dorothy’s hidden need is depicted but not directly emphasized when she stands by the pigpen and sings “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.” Do children live with Uncle Henry and Aunt Em if all is fine with Mom and Dad? No. Though we are not told what happened to Dorothy’s parents, it’s clear that something has splintered her family and Dorothy’s unhappy. Her hidden need, the object of her inner journey, is to find a place to call home.
Mostly Martha opens with the title character lying on her therapist’s couch and talking about all that is required to cook the perfect pigeon. Since she’s in a therapist’s office, we assume she has a problem, and the therapist addresses this directly: “Martha, why are you here?”
“Because,” she answers, “my boss will fire me if I don’t go to therapy.” Ah—obvious problem at work with the boss. Immediately we also know that Martha is high-strung. She is precise and politely controlling in her kitchen. This woman lives for food, but though she assures us in a voice-over that all a cook needs for a perfectly lovely dinner is “fish and sauce,” we see her venture downstairs to ask her new neighbor if he’d like to join her for dinner. He can’t, but we become aware that Martha needs company. She needs love in her life.
Connect the Skull to the Body: Inciting Action
Usually the first few chapters of a novel are involved with the business of establishing the protagonist in a specific time and place, his world, his needs, and his personality. The story doesn’t kick into gear, though, until you move from the skull to the spine, a connection known as the inciting incident.
Writers are often told to begin the story in medias res, or in the middle of the action. This is not the same as the Big Incident. Save the big event for a few chapters in, after you’ve given us some time to know and understand your character’s needs. Begin your story with an obvious problem—some action that shows how your character copes. In the first fifth of the story we learn that Dorothy loves Toto passionately and that Martha is a perfectionist chef. Yes, start in the middle of something active, but hold off on the big event for a while. Let us get to know your character first . . . because we won’t gasp about their dilemma until we know them.
In a picture book, the inciting incident is often signaled by two words: One day . . . Those two words are a natural way to move from setting the stage to the action. As you plot your novel, ask yourself, “One day, what happens to move my main character into the action of the story?” Your answer will be your inciting incident, the key that turns your story engine.
After Dorothy ran away, if she’d made it home to Uncle Henry and Aunt Em without incident, there would have been no story. The inciting incident? When the tornado picks Dorothy up and drops her, with her house, in the land of Oz.
The inciting incident in Mostly Martha is signaled by a ringing telephone. When Martha takes the call, she learns that her sister, who was a single mother to an eight-year-old girl, has been killed in an auto accident.
Think of your favorite stories—how many feature a hero who’s reluctant to enter the special world? Often—but not always—your protagonist doesn’t want to go where the inciting incident is pushing him or her. Obviously, Martha doesn’t want to hear that her sister is dead, and she certainly doesn’t want to be a mother. She takes Lina, her niece, and offers to cook for her (her way of showing love), but Lina wants her mother, not gourmet food.
Even if your protagonist has actively pursued a change, he or she may have moments of doubt as the entrance to the special world looms ahead. When your character retreats or doubts or refuses to leave the ordinary world, another character should step in to provide encouragement, advice, information, or a special tool. This will help your main character overcome those last-minute doubts and establish the next part of the skeleton: the goal.
The End of the Spine: The Goal
At some point after the inciting incident, your character will establish and state a goal. Shortly after stepping out of her transplanted house, Dorothy looks around Oz and wails, “I want to go back to Kansas!” She’s been transported over the rainbow, but she prefers the tried and true to the unfamiliar and strange. In order to go home, she’ll have to visit the wizard in the Emerald City. As she tries to meet an ever-shifting set of subordinate goals (follow the yellow brick road; overcome the poppies; get in to see the wizard; bring back a broomstick), her main goal keeps viewers glued to the screen.
This overriding concern—will she or won’t she make it home?—is known as the dramatic question. The dramatic question in every murder mystery is, Who committed the crime? The dramatic question in nearly every thriller is, Who will win the inevitable showdown between the hero and the villain? Along the way readers will worry about the subgoals (Will the villain kill his hostage? Will the hero figure out the clues?), but the dramatic question keeps them reading until the last page.
Tip: To keep the reader involved, the dramatic question should be directly related to the character’s ultimate goal. Martha finds herself trying to care for a grieving eight-year-old who doesn’t want another mother. So Martha promises to track down the girl’s father, who lives in Italy. She knows only that his name is Giuseppe, but she’s determined to find him.
The Rib Cage: Complications
Even my youngest students understand that a protagonist who accomplishes everything he or she attempts is a colorless character. As another friend of mine is fond of pointing out, as we tackle the mountain of life, it’s the bumps we climb on! If you’re diagramming, sketch at least three curving ribs over your spine. These represent the complications that must arise to prevent your protagonist from reaching his goal.
Why at least three ribs? Because even in the shortest of stories—in a picture book, for instance—three complications work better than two or four. I don’t know why three gives us such a feeling of completion, but it does. Maybe it’s because God is a Trinity and we’re hardwired to appreciate that number.
While a short story will have only three complications, a movie or novel may have hundreds. Complications can range from the mundane—John can’t find a pencil to write down Sarah’s number—to life-shattering. As you write down possible complications that could stand between your character and his ultimate goal, place the more serious problems at the bottom of the list.
The stakes—what your protagonist is risking—should increase in significance as the story progresses. In Mostly Martha, the complications center on this uptight woman’s ability to care for a child. Lina hates her babysitter, so Martha has to take Lina to work with her. But the late hours take their toll, and Lina is often late for school. Furthermore, Lina keeps refusing to eat anything Martha cooks for her.
I asked you to make the ribs curve because any character that runs into complication after complication without any breathing space is going to be a weary character . . . and you’ll weary your reader with this frenetic pace. One of the keys to good pacing is to alternate your plot complications with rewards. Like a pendulum that swings on an arc, let your character relax, if only briefly, between disasters.
Along the spiraling yellow brick road, Dorothy soon reaches an intersection (a complication). Fortunately, a friendly scarecrow is willing to help (a reward). They haven’t gone far before Dorothy becomes hungry (a complication). The scarecrow spots an apple orchard ahead (a reward). These apple trees, however, resent being picked (a complication), but the clever scarecrow taunts them until they begin to throw fruit at the hungry travelers (a reward).
See how it works? Every problem is followed by a reward that matches the seriousness of the complication. Let’s fast-forward to the scene where the balloon takes off without Dorothy. This is a severe complication—so severe it deserves a title of its own: the bleakest moment. This is the final rib in the rib cage, the moment when all hope is lost for your protagonist.
The Thighbone: Send in the Cavalry
At the bleakest moment, your character needs help, but be careful how you deliver it. The ancient Greek playwrights had actors representing the Greek gods literally descend from the structure above to bring their complicated plot knots to a satisfying conclusion. This sort of resolution is frowned upon in modern literature. Called deus ex machina (literally “god from the machine”), this device employs some unexpected and improbable incident to bring victory or success. If you find yourself whipping up a coincidence or a miracle after the bleakest moment, chances are you’ve employed deus ex machina. Back up and try again, please.
Avoid using deus ex machina by sending two types of help: external and internal. Your character obviously needs help from outside; if he could solve the problem alone, he would have done it long before the bleakest moment. Having him conveniently remember something or stumble across a hidden resource smacks of coincidence and will leave your reader feeling resentful and cheated.
So send in the cavalry, but remember that they can’t solve the protagonist’s problem. They can give the protagonist a push in the right direction; they can nudge; they can remind; they can inspire. But they shouldn’t wave a magic wand and make everything all right.
For Dorothy, help comes in the form of Glenda the Good Witch, who reveals a secret: The ruby slippers have the power to carry her back to Kansas. All Dorothy has to do is say, “There’s no place like home”—with feeling, mind you—and she’ll be back on the farm with Uncle Henry and Auntie Em. Dorothy’s problem isn’t resolved, however, until she applies this information internally. At the beginning of the story, she wanted to be anywhere but on the farm. Now she has to affirm that the farm is where she wants to be. Her hidden need—to find a place to call home—has been met.
In Mostly Martha, the bleakest moment arrives with Lina’s father, Giuseppe. He is a good man, and Lina seems to accept him. But after waving good-bye, Martha goes home to an empty apartment and realizes that she is not happy with her controlled, childless life. She goes to Marlo, the Italian chef she has also begun to love, and asks for his help.
The Kneecap and Lower Leg: Make a Decision, Learn a Lesson
Martha realizes that her old life was empty—she needs Lina in her life, and she needs Marlo. So she and Marlo drive from Germany to Italy to fetch Lina and bring her home.
You may be hard-pressed to cite the lesson you learned from the last novel you read, but your protagonist needs to learn something. This lesson is the epiphany, a sudden insight that speaks volumes to your character and brings them to the conclusion of their inner journey.
James Joyce popularized the word epiphany, literally the manifestation of a divine being. (Churches celebrate the festival of Epiphany on January 6 to commemorate the meeting of the Magi and the Christ child.) After receiving help from an outside source, your character should see something—a person, a situation, or an object—in a new light.
When the scarecrow asks why Glinda waited to explain the ruby slippers, the good witch smiles and says, “Because she wouldn’t have believed me. She had to learn it for herself.” The scarecrow then asks, “What’d you learn, Dorothy?” Without hesitation, Dorothy announces that she’s learned a lesson: “The next time I go looking for my heart’s desire, I won’t look any farther than my own backyard.” She has learned to appreciate her home, so even though she is surrounded by loving friends and an emerald city, Dorothy chooses to return to colorless Kansas. She hugs her friends once more, then grips Toto and clicks her heels.
The Foot: The Resolution
Every story needs the fairy-tale equivalent of “and they lived happily ever after.” Not every story ends happily, of course, though happy endings are undoubtedly popular. Some protagonists are sadder and wiser after the course of their adventure. But a novel should at least leave the reader with hope.
The resolution to Mostly Martha is portrayed during the closing of the film. As the credits roll, we see Marlo and Martha meeting Lina in Italy; we see Martha in a wedding gown (with her hair down!) and Marlo in a tuxedo; we see a wedding feast with Giuseppe, his family, and Martha’s German friends; we see Martha and Marlo and Lina exploring an abandoned restaurant—clearly, they are going to settle in Italy so Lina can be a part of both families. In the delightful final scene, we see Martha with her therapist again, but this time he has cooked for her and she is advising him.
Many movies end with a simple visual image—we see a couple walking away hand in hand, a mother cradling her long-lost son. That’s all we need to realize that our main character has struggled, learned, and come away a better (or wiser) person. As a writer, you’ll have to use words, but you can paint the same sort of reassuring picture without resorting to “and they lived happily ever after.”
Your story should end with a changed protagonist—he or she has gone through a profound experience and is different for it, hopefully for the better. Your protagonist has completed an outer journey (experienced the major plot events) and an inner journey that address some hurt from the past and result in a changed character.
What Next?
Now that we’ve reached the foot of our story skeleton, we’re finished outlining the basic structure. Take those major points and write them up in paragraph form. Once you’ve outlined your plot and written your synopsis, you’re ready to begin writing scenes. Take a deep breath, glance over your skeleton, and jump in.
Taken from A Novel Idea by ChiLibras. Copyright ©2009 by ChiLibras. Used with permission from Tyndale House Publishers. All rights reserved.
Peace & Blessings,
Patricia
Tampa Bay Writing Examiner
Stay focused. Be deliberate. Believe.
Monday, November 23, 2009
A Response from Thomas Nelson's Michael Hyatt
Michael Hyatt, CEO of Thomas Nelson, the company that recently announced it's own "self-publishing/vanity" imprint, Westbow Press, responded to all the furor that came raining down after Harlequin launched their Horizons imprint.
Mr. Hyatt's response is here.
He makes some good points but I think he's got it wrong on at least three accounts:
First, all the complaining is not coming primarily from agents. It probably seems that way in his chair, as CEO of a major publishing house, but the vast majority of what I've seen has come from writers, both published and unpublished. And that's just the ones who were bold enough or cared enough to speak their minds on the Web. I'm guessing he doesn't read too many unpublished writer blogs.
Second, no one complains on behalf of the publishers because the publishers have historically chosen a business model in which one big seller, a Harry Potter, makes up for all the books that don't earn out. That's why they're always looking for the next one. They expect to have one. It's really a risk model that centers on how often they can afford to lose money--and how much--while they wait for the next big thing. Trust me, if they didn't think the probability of finding a book even one-tenth as successful as the Harry Potter series every now and then was reasonable, they wouldn't do what they do. Publishers could elect at any point in time to stop paying advances, or lower them, as they've been doing of late, in favor of higher royalty rates. Sure, they lose money on individual books, but as a whole, they're making money or they wouldn't be in business. Sorry, Mr. Hyatt, that argument doesn't wash.
Third, he misses the point relative to the concern for writers. It's not "paternalistic" at all. The fact remains that many writers, particularly those who haven't trolled the Internet for years and benefited from the wisdom of other writers, agents, and editors, will be sucked into spending what could amount to hundreds, if not thousands of dollars, in order to see their name in print. Thomas Nelson and Harlequin both have the right to offer this type of publishing service. However, they should call it exactly what it is, and not in any way suggest that this might lead to a traditional publishing agreement with their companies.
With regard to writers possibly being pulled from the self-publishing submissions, Mr. Hyatt says, "Time will tell. However, I can tell you that we are actively looking even now at the early submissions. We know for a fact that we miss lots of opportunities. So do agents. This is a way for the cream to float to the top where it can get our attention."
No offense, but I was under the impression that publishers in particular were downsizing. Wouldn't their staff having to read all these submissions, in addition to the ones they were already receiving, multiply their workload significantly? Maybe we should check to see whether Thomas Nelson and Harlequin are advertising editorial or reader openings as a barometer of whether that's truly the case.
I'm optimistic that someone will find a way into a lucrative writing career through this alternative door. I just hope they don't have to pay through the nose to get there.
Peace & Blessings,
Patricia
Tampa Bay Writing Examiner
Stay focused. Be deliberate. Believe.
Mr. Hyatt's response is here.
He makes some good points but I think he's got it wrong on at least three accounts:
First, all the complaining is not coming primarily from agents. It probably seems that way in his chair, as CEO of a major publishing house, but the vast majority of what I've seen has come from writers, both published and unpublished. And that's just the ones who were bold enough or cared enough to speak their minds on the Web. I'm guessing he doesn't read too many unpublished writer blogs.
Second, no one complains on behalf of the publishers because the publishers have historically chosen a business model in which one big seller, a Harry Potter, makes up for all the books that don't earn out. That's why they're always looking for the next one. They expect to have one. It's really a risk model that centers on how often they can afford to lose money--and how much--while they wait for the next big thing. Trust me, if they didn't think the probability of finding a book even one-tenth as successful as the Harry Potter series every now and then was reasonable, they wouldn't do what they do. Publishers could elect at any point in time to stop paying advances, or lower them, as they've been doing of late, in favor of higher royalty rates. Sure, they lose money on individual books, but as a whole, they're making money or they wouldn't be in business. Sorry, Mr. Hyatt, that argument doesn't wash.
Third, he misses the point relative to the concern for writers. It's not "paternalistic" at all. The fact remains that many writers, particularly those who haven't trolled the Internet for years and benefited from the wisdom of other writers, agents, and editors, will be sucked into spending what could amount to hundreds, if not thousands of dollars, in order to see their name in print. Thomas Nelson and Harlequin both have the right to offer this type of publishing service. However, they should call it exactly what it is, and not in any way suggest that this might lead to a traditional publishing agreement with their companies.
With regard to writers possibly being pulled from the self-publishing submissions, Mr. Hyatt says, "Time will tell. However, I can tell you that we are actively looking even now at the early submissions. We know for a fact that we miss lots of opportunities. So do agents. This is a way for the cream to float to the top where it can get our attention."
No offense, but I was under the impression that publishers in particular were downsizing. Wouldn't their staff having to read all these submissions, in addition to the ones they were already receiving, multiply their workload significantly? Maybe we should check to see whether Thomas Nelson and Harlequin are advertising editorial or reader openings as a barometer of whether that's truly the case.
I'm optimistic that someone will find a way into a lucrative writing career through this alternative door. I just hope they don't have to pay through the nose to get there.
Peace & Blessings,
Patricia
Tampa Bay Writing Examiner
Stay focused. Be deliberate. Believe.
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Reader/Writer Tidbits -- November 21, 2009
With the revised Google settlement, which has received preliminary approval for the judge overseeing the case, and the recent announcements by Harlequin (see yesterday's and earlier posts, if you haven't already), it's been an interesting week in publishing. I'm going to stay away from that stuff today.
Literary agent Scott Eagan explains the difference between conflict and complications in writing. Too many books are filled with complications, he says, and not enough conflict.
Agent Rachelle Gardner continues to educate us with a primer on Sell In, Sell Through, and Earn Out, publishing terms every author should be familiar with.
In light of the recent announcements by Thomas Nelson and Harlequin about their new vanity press imprints (see, no hyperlinks!), author Robin Lee Hatcher does a very eloquent job of explaining why authors need editors.
The RT BookReviews Booklovers' Convention full agenda is out. For five days next April, hundreds of booklovers--readers and authors--will descend on Columbus, OH to learn, laugh, and share a love of books. Get the details here.
Shopping for books online and want to compare prices without a lot of effort? Try a new search tool, BookAse, which searches by by title, author, ISBN, or keyword to compare the prices on over 150 million books.
Finally, anyone who's ever wanted a front-row seat to an author's brainstorming should pull up a chair and read the transcript (post and comments) of the "live" Seekerville brainstorming session this past Tuesday by authors Cheryl Wyatt, Camy Tang, and Danica "Dream" Favorite. (The outcome is for Cheryl's first book in her new Love Inspired series, The Heart of Refuge.) Warning: There were 176 comments. I copied and pasted the whole thing to a Word doc for future reference. It filled 73 pages.
Only two weekends remain for those of us who are NaNo-weekending. I've got a basketball game to watch today, and then some planning for the Thanksgiving holiday. But I'll get some writing done too. Will you?
Enjoy the weekend!
Peace & Blessings,
Patricia
Tampa Bay Writing Examiner
Stay focused. Be deliberate. Believe.
Literary agent Scott Eagan explains the difference between conflict and complications in writing. Too many books are filled with complications, he says, and not enough conflict.
Agent Rachelle Gardner continues to educate us with a primer on Sell In, Sell Through, and Earn Out, publishing terms every author should be familiar with.
In light of the recent announcements by Thomas Nelson and Harlequin about their new vanity press imprints (see, no hyperlinks!), author Robin Lee Hatcher does a very eloquent job of explaining why authors need editors.
The RT BookReviews Booklovers' Convention full agenda is out. For five days next April, hundreds of booklovers--readers and authors--will descend on Columbus, OH to learn, laugh, and share a love of books. Get the details here.
Shopping for books online and want to compare prices without a lot of effort? Try a new search tool, BookAse, which searches by by title, author, ISBN, or keyword to compare the prices on over 150 million books.
Finally, anyone who's ever wanted a front-row seat to an author's brainstorming should pull up a chair and read the transcript (post and comments) of the "live" Seekerville brainstorming session this past Tuesday by authors Cheryl Wyatt, Camy Tang, and Danica "Dream" Favorite. (The outcome is for Cheryl's first book in her new Love Inspired series, The Heart of Refuge.) Warning: There were 176 comments. I copied and pasted the whole thing to a Word doc for future reference. It filled 73 pages.
Only two weekends remain for those of us who are NaNo-weekending. I've got a basketball game to watch today, and then some planning for the Thanksgiving holiday. But I'll get some writing done too. Will you?
Enjoy the weekend!
Peace & Blessings,
Patricia
Tampa Bay Writing Examiner
Stay focused. Be deliberate. Believe.
Friday, November 20, 2009
Harlequin, Vanity Publishing, and RWA
Forget the furor. The gloves are out and the battle is on!
Harlequin launches what is now a to-be-named self-publishing imprint, originally called Harlequin Horizons.
Romance Writers of American (RWA) calls a balk. (That's a baseball term for those who are unaware. Hey, the Yankees' World Series win is still fresh.) It seems Horizons is really a vanity press, meaning you pay to have them print your book and then you pay them again by splitting your earnings, in this case, 50-50, with them. (With true self-publishing, you keep 100% of your profits.)
The way their fee for service structure is set up, an willing author could easy put out in excess of $10,000 for editorial and marketing services. Before selling anything, from which they'd only get a 50% return anyway.
So RWA removes Harlequin from its approved publishers list. And Science Fiction Writers of America and Mystery Writers of America follow suit.
The absolute best summary of all this volleying is over on author Jackie Kessler's site so I won't even try to recreate it here. Just read her post.
What I don't understand is why everyone is in such an uproar about Harlequin and not about Thomas Nelson who just did the same thing by way of its Westbow Press? They're even using the same partner, Author Solutions. Somehow this feels more egregious coming from a Christian publisher who went so far as to use the exact same imprint name as a prior traditional imprint they once had.
Unfair maybe, but I do expect companies that tout themselves as Christian companies to use a higher standard of morality in business while still achieving a profit. If they want to have a vanity press, fine. Call it what it is, and don't try to make unsuspecting writers feel as though they might have some type of inside track by spending money with you at the back of the house while other folks, albeit decidedly a smaller number, get the same services at the front door for no money.
Shame on Harlequin, Thomas Nelson (and any other traditional publishers even considering something like this)! If you want to offer self-publishing, let authors purchase your services at reasonable prices and keep their profits, and do this by way of a fully separate, wholly owned subsidiary with a clear, dividing line. The shame is in suggesting you're doing one thing--offering self-publishing services--when you're really not. To be clear, publishers have the right to expand their businesses in whatever way makes sense for their business and owners or shareholders.
Who really gets hurt by these deals, the writers, the publishers, or the readers? Do readers care?
Peace & Blessings,
Patricia
Tampa Bay Writing Examiner
Stay focused. Be deliberate. Believe.
Harlequin launches what is now a to-be-named self-publishing imprint, originally called Harlequin Horizons.
Romance Writers of American (RWA) calls a balk. (That's a baseball term for those who are unaware. Hey, the Yankees' World Series win is still fresh.) It seems Horizons is really a vanity press, meaning you pay to have them print your book and then you pay them again by splitting your earnings, in this case, 50-50, with them. (With true self-publishing, you keep 100% of your profits.)
The way their fee for service structure is set up, an willing author could easy put out in excess of $10,000 for editorial and marketing services. Before selling anything, from which they'd only get a 50% return anyway.
So RWA removes Harlequin from its approved publishers list. And Science Fiction Writers of America and Mystery Writers of America follow suit.
The absolute best summary of all this volleying is over on author Jackie Kessler's site so I won't even try to recreate it here. Just read her post.
What I don't understand is why everyone is in such an uproar about Harlequin and not about Thomas Nelson who just did the same thing by way of its Westbow Press? They're even using the same partner, Author Solutions. Somehow this feels more egregious coming from a Christian publisher who went so far as to use the exact same imprint name as a prior traditional imprint they once had.
Unfair maybe, but I do expect companies that tout themselves as Christian companies to use a higher standard of morality in business while still achieving a profit. If they want to have a vanity press, fine. Call it what it is, and don't try to make unsuspecting writers feel as though they might have some type of inside track by spending money with you at the back of the house while other folks, albeit decidedly a smaller number, get the same services at the front door for no money.
Shame on Harlequin, Thomas Nelson (and any other traditional publishers even considering something like this)! If you want to offer self-publishing, let authors purchase your services at reasonable prices and keep their profits, and do this by way of a fully separate, wholly owned subsidiary with a clear, dividing line. The shame is in suggesting you're doing one thing--offering self-publishing services--when you're really not. To be clear, publishers have the right to expand their businesses in whatever way makes sense for their business and owners or shareholders.
Who really gets hurt by these deals, the writers, the publishers, or the readers? Do readers care?
Peace & Blessings,
Patricia
Tampa Bay Writing Examiner
Stay focused. Be deliberate. Believe.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Are You Up on the Harlequin Hoopla?
The noise level on this one is so loud across the blogosphere, I couldn't ignore it.
And why would I? This is good stuff. The publishing world is evolving/transforming/morphing before our very eyes.
Last week, Harlequin Enterprises announced the launch of Carina Press, a digital-only publishing entity.
Authors were mostly okay with this. Ebook reading is growing, and digital-only provides another market opportunity.
This week, Harlequin announced the launch of Harlequin Horizons, a self-publishing entity.
Authors were not with this. At least not the traditionally published ones.
The furor rang out loud and wide.
Popular blog, Dear Author, did three posts on this venture already this week, including this one featuring Harlequin's Malle Valik answering questions about Horizons.
A lively debate arose on the main discussion loop of the American Christian Fiction Writers, many disparaging this new venture, at least until some self-published authors came out of lurkdom. Some wondered about the amount of venom that tainted the discussion; others questioned whether it was right for Christian writers to judge this venture or any other avenue that another writer might choose on their publishing journey.
Most of the concerns have to do with Harlequin's partner, Author Solutions.
Then, I see on my author friend Jennifer Shirk's site that Romance Writers of America has taken a hardline stance on this, hereby revoking Harlequin's eligibility for RWA-provided conference resources. I'm not sure exactly what that means beyond Harlequin paying its own way (and since they, more than other publishers, have posted an increase in earnings this year, maybe that's not a big deal).
I have to admit I was a little surprised by Harlequin. Maybe because they were one of the few publishers not complaining about sales and revenue, I thought they'd stay away from the self-publishing fray. But hey, this is a growing segment of the writing community, so why should they let others, like Thomas Nelson and Random House, have all the fun?
I think the jury will be out for a while on these new self-publishing imprints owned by traditional publishers. If they don't publish books that have a decent overall level of quality, it will be a bust for them and for the authors. But if they can change, and maybe even erase, the perception that self-publishing more often than not means inferior product, then they will be a welcomed addition to the publishing world.
What do you think?
Should traditional publishers launch self-publishing imprints? If they do, should their cost structure be less prohibitive than other, independent self-publishers? What would make this possibly a viable option for you as a writer?
Peace & Blessings,
Patricia
Tampa Bay Writing Examiner
Stay focused. Be deliberate. Believe.
And why would I? This is good stuff. The publishing world is evolving/transforming/morphing before our very eyes.
Last week, Harlequin Enterprises announced the launch of Carina Press, a digital-only publishing entity.
Authors were mostly okay with this. Ebook reading is growing, and digital-only provides another market opportunity.
This week, Harlequin announced the launch of Harlequin Horizons, a self-publishing entity.
Authors were not with this. At least not the traditionally published ones.
The furor rang out loud and wide.
Popular blog, Dear Author, did three posts on this venture already this week, including this one featuring Harlequin's Malle Valik answering questions about Horizons.
A lively debate arose on the main discussion loop of the American Christian Fiction Writers, many disparaging this new venture, at least until some self-published authors came out of lurkdom. Some wondered about the amount of venom that tainted the discussion; others questioned whether it was right for Christian writers to judge this venture or any other avenue that another writer might choose on their publishing journey.
Most of the concerns have to do with Harlequin's partner, Author Solutions.
Then, I see on my author friend Jennifer Shirk's site that Romance Writers of America has taken a hardline stance on this, hereby revoking Harlequin's eligibility for RWA-provided conference resources. I'm not sure exactly what that means beyond Harlequin paying its own way (and since they, more than other publishers, have posted an increase in earnings this year, maybe that's not a big deal).
I have to admit I was a little surprised by Harlequin. Maybe because they were one of the few publishers not complaining about sales and revenue, I thought they'd stay away from the self-publishing fray. But hey, this is a growing segment of the writing community, so why should they let others, like Thomas Nelson and Random House, have all the fun?
I think the jury will be out for a while on these new self-publishing imprints owned by traditional publishers. If they don't publish books that have a decent overall level of quality, it will be a bust for them and for the authors. But if they can change, and maybe even erase, the perception that self-publishing more often than not means inferior product, then they will be a welcomed addition to the publishing world.
What do you think?
Should traditional publishers launch self-publishing imprints? If they do, should their cost structure be less prohibitive than other, independent self-publishers? What would make this possibly a viable option for you as a writer?
Peace & Blessings,
Patricia
Tampa Bay Writing Examiner
Stay focused. Be deliberate. Believe.
Monday, November 16, 2009
NaNo Groovin'
Groovin'...on a Sunday afternoon.
That old Young Rascals tune came to mind as I started this post.
Friday, I was looking forward to a really big writing weekend. NaNo all the way!
Only one problem. I left my flash drive in my office.
Now, I don't write at work. Really. My mind doesn't work that way. But I always have my flash drive with me because I keep other files on there that I use to capture things like craft articles I stumble across, books I'd like to read, etc.
Imagine my consternation (always liked that word!) when I discovered that I'd left my thumbdrive with my current wip in my office.
Waaah!
The little critter on my shoulder that always is there with a word of discouragement said, "Oh well. No writing this weekend. Anything you do will be a waste of time without your plot outline and at least the last chapter."
To her, I said, "Stuff it!" or "Be gone!" or some other such directive. smile
It took me a little while, but eventually I remembered not only where I'd left off but also exactly what was supposed to come next in my story.
So I wrote.
Feelin...couldn't get away too soon (and hole up with the laptop to tap out those words).
3,164 words. All on Sunday. (Which made me feel a little better after we overslept and missed church because Hubby and I were up late--or rather, very early--sharing about faith and our relationship.)
My NaNo total to date? 12,818 words.
I feel pretty good about that. I've squeezed in every single one between work, grocery shopping, personal appointments, drop offs and pick ups, high school basketball practices, meals, cookie baking, biscuit making, and a host of other things I'll never remember.
How's your NaNo month coming? What's been the biggest obstacle to moving your writing forward?
Peace & Blessings,
Patricia
Tampa Bay Writing Examiner
Stay focused. Be deliberate. Believe.
That old Young Rascals tune came to mind as I started this post.
Friday, I was looking forward to a really big writing weekend. NaNo all the way!
Only one problem. I left my flash drive in my office.
Now, I don't write at work. Really. My mind doesn't work that way. But I always have my flash drive with me because I keep other files on there that I use to capture things like craft articles I stumble across, books I'd like to read, etc.
Imagine my consternation (always liked that word!) when I discovered that I'd left my thumbdrive with my current wip in my office.
Waaah!
The little critter on my shoulder that always is there with a word of discouragement said, "Oh well. No writing this weekend. Anything you do will be a waste of time without your plot outline and at least the last chapter."
To her, I said, "Stuff it!" or "Be gone!" or some other such directive. smile
It took me a little while, but eventually I remembered not only where I'd left off but also exactly what was supposed to come next in my story.
So I wrote.
Feelin...couldn't get away too soon (and hole up with the laptop to tap out those words).
3,164 words. All on Sunday. (Which made me feel a little better after we overslept and missed church because Hubby and I were up late--or rather, very early--sharing about faith and our relationship.)
My NaNo total to date? 12,818 words.
I feel pretty good about that. I've squeezed in every single one between work, grocery shopping, personal appointments, drop offs and pick ups, high school basketball practices, meals, cookie baking, biscuit making, and a host of other things I'll never remember.
How's your NaNo month coming? What's been the biggest obstacle to moving your writing forward?
Peace & Blessings,
Patricia
Tampa Bay Writing Examiner
Stay focused. Be deliberate. Believe.
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