Riley Adams's Blog, page 216

On Critiquing—When to Offer Suggestions

I've never thought of myself as a good book reviewer. I'm definitely not a good critiquer—my technique is really just an overwhelming desire to rewrite a problem area in someone's manuscript. I can tell when something isn't working…I have a hard time pinpointing why it's not working. I just want to fix it. (No, I'm not in any crit groups now.) :)

My son was working on a literary criticism project for his English class. He's a competent writer, although he's usually not enthusiastic about doing it.

This time, he handed me his paper. "Take a look at this!" he said, smiling.

He'd written a good thesis. He'd come up with several pages to support it…except there were two paragraphs that didn't tie into his thesis at all. The paragraphs were on how the author's word choice created a certain mood.

Well….the author's word choice did create a somber mood. He was right about that. But he hadn't tied the examples into his thesis at all.

I was about to say, "Hey, it looks great. But you might want to look at these paragraphs here and see if you can find a problem…" But then I stopped.

He was excited about writing. He hadn't finished his essay yet. Right now he was enthusiastic and productive. Why mess with momentum?

So I brought it up after he was finished writing the paper. He was glad I'd pointed out that he should make sure that everything tied into his thesis, but he'd rather have fixed the problem as he'd gone along—and he'd continued making the same error a couple more times after he'd finished writing the essay.

Pros to biting your tongue--
The writer might continue writing with confidence and enthusiasm.

Editing can happen just as well in the second draft.

Pros to pointing out a potential problem with a manuscript--
The writer has an opportunity to decide if it is a problem…and correct it before they go on any farther.

Does the critique you give depend on the writer looking for advice? And how do you feel about constructive criticism…would you rather have it during your first draft, or after?

Twitterific

Here are writing links that I've posted to Twitter for the past week.

If you're looking for a particular topic, just plug in your keyword into the search box at the top left-hand corner of the blog (on the black header right above my blog name…next to the Blogger symbol…the small search window is next to the magnifying glass) and the roundup with your subject will come up. To narrow your search down on the page, do a CTRL+F, type your subject, and hit enter.

I'm also archiving these posts in what I hope is an easily searchable format—if you look at the Twitterific tabs under the blog's heading, I'm posting the links there, too.

Why complications and setbacks are good for police procedurals and other crime fiction: http://dld.bz/EJtv @mkinberg

The importance of context: http://dld.bz/EEEV

Changing Format to Increase Impact: http://dld.bz/EHTK

Pronoun peeves: http://dld.bz/EEEA

A bit on emotional structure: http://dld.bz/EHTu

Choose-Your-Own-Illustrator! or Don't. No, Really, Don't. : http://dld.bz/EEE2

How to speak publisher - B is for Bologna: http://dld.bz/EEEu

To be a better writer, you've got to write...a lot: http://dld.bz/EJqp @camillelaguire

Writing Memoir: Art vs. Confessional: http://dld.bz/EEEq

Want to keep your book timeless? Avoid these areas that might date it: http://dld.bz/EJs7 @mkinberg

Is E-book Lending Bad News for Authors and Publishers? http://dld.bz/EEEd

New Worlds: Stranger than Fiction: http://dld.bz/EHTg

The 15 Best Speculative Fiction Books of 2010: http://dld.bz/EEEb

Huckleberry Finn: The problem of that word (Globe and Mail): http://dld.bz/EEDZ

Myst. Lov. Kitchen: WHAT COLOR IS SWEET? http://bit.ly/foahKi @CleoCoyle

11 Free Resources About Creativity: http://dld.bz/E7RR

4 steps to turn a writing dream into reality: http://dld.bz/E7Rv

The essence of attraction: http://dld.bz/ECCH

The Writer as multi-tasker? http://dld.bz/EC9t

Suturing: Making Our Readers One With the Story: http://dld.bz/EC8R

Outlining the first draft: http://dld.bz/EC8y

Creating tension in your novel: http://dld.bz/EC8q

Taking on the Procrastination Pixies by…Eating Frogs? http://dld.bz/EC5D @KristenLambTX

Impressive, organized link roundup of writing craft links (including POV and syntax): http://dld.bz/EC5d @4kidlit

How Authors Can Use Facebook Pages for Their Book Marketing: http://dld.bz/E7UV

Publishers losing confidence in Borders' survival: http://dld.bz/E7UP

Friends, Romans, Librarians: Lend Me Your E-books (Part 2): http://dld.bz/E7U8

The importance of subplots: http://dld.bz/E7Uy

3 ways writers evolve over time: http://dld.bz/E7Uq

Interested in writing or illustrating graphic novels? A little on the process: http://dld.bz/E7TR

Criminal forensics resources for writers: http://dld.bz/E7T3

How To Create A Book Trailer: http://dld.bz/E7QW @thecreativepenn

Huck Finn Expurgated And Other Censored Books (Photo essay--Huff Post): http://dld.bz/EzFg

How to Write a Good Blog Comment: http://dld.bz/EyHN

One writer's 7 point plan for a better writing year: http://dld.bz/EzHb @charmaineclancy

Symbolism Thesaurus Entry: Evil: http://dld.bz/EyHE

4 free data tools for journalists (and snoops): http://dld.bz/EyH7

Getting Defensive Over Your Work Isn't Always Bad: http://dld.bz/EyHv

Myst. Lov. Kitchen: Cheese Slices (Dessert!) and a Contest! http://bit.ly/fl6ZTe @CleoCoyle

Perspective, Opinion, and Point Of View — Distinctions That Matter To Writers And Readers: http://dld.bz/Exv4

8 Sentences to Immediately Cut From Your Twitter Bio: http://dld.bz/EyB3

How to Get More Mobile Visitors Onto Your Email List: http://dld.bz/EyBs

Outlining and series: http://dld.bz/EyBe

Who is That Guy? Discovering Your Characters: http://dld.bz/EyA8

Friends, Romans, Librarians: Lend Me Your E-book (Part 1): http://dld.bz/EyAm

Skype interviews for writers: http://dld.bz/Ey9Z

13 Reasons Why You Didn't Get Followed Back: http://dld.bz/Ey9J

How to punctuate quotations: http://dld.bz/Ey9F

2010 Tax Rules Freelancers Should Know: http://dld.bz/Exwf

Nice agent interview, covering market trends in publishing and thoughts on author platform: http://dld.bz/EzDk @ChuckSambuchino

Making books do things e-books can't — and vice versa (LA Times): http://dld.bz/Exvm

Have you backed up recently? http://dld.bz/Exur

Slow and steady wins the race: http://dld.bz/Exna

The Creative Road to a Great Book Title: http://dld.bz/Esvh

Interviewing characters? Interview yourself: http://dld.bz/EsuX

Should agents stop taking emailed submissions? http://dld.bz/ExtK @RachelleGardner

10 Rules for a Literary Feud: http://dld.bz/EsuS

Tips for proofing your own work: http://t.co/gT6KYdF @camillelaguire

11 New Year's Resolutions for Writers in 2011: http://dld.bz/Esu6 @victoriamixon

Two Authors Talk About Virtual Book Tours (Huff Post): http://dld.bz/Esux

The balancing act of pacing: http://dld.bz/Esum

Myst. Lov. Kitchen: Football Frenzy - Potato Salad http://bit.ly/dJtiTi @CleoCoyle

Name your fictional character: http://dld.bz/EstZ

A writer's top 10 New Year's Resolutions: http://dld.bz/EstV

A Thought From A Reformed Pantser: http://dld.bz/Est7

2010: The Year Self-Publishing Lost Its Stigma (PBS): http://dld.bz/Estr

Myst. Lov. Kitchen: A Sweet Start to the Year--Chocolate Pecan Bark http://bit.ly/fklrma @CleoCoyle

Motivation and writing: http://dld.bz/EnrR

Thanks to Joanna @thecreativepenn for a great interview this afternoon. Looking forward to tweeting the link. :)

Top Ten List of Advice for Aspiring Writers: http://dld.bz/EnrF

PR Success – PR Failure: http://dld.bz/Enr2

Writing teen angst: http://dld.bz/EnqV

The Counter-intuitive Nature of Social Media Influence. Sometimes Up is Down & Down is Up: http://dld.bz/Enq8

Don't get bogged down in research...write your book: http://dld.bz/EnnU

16 Must Have Elements For a Successful Novel: http://dld.bz/Ennm

Ten Surprising Ways to Thrive as a Freelance Writer (Huff Post): http://dld.bz/Enmw

Does your pitch make sense? http://dld.bz/EnkB

Revisionist Attitude: Mentally Preparing for Revisions: http://dld.bz/Enqb

Getting published--goals vs. strategies: http://dld.bz/EmRq

Best Literary Magazines of 2010: http://dld.bz/Ennv

Selling readers short--why we shouldn't state the obvious: http://dld.bz/EmPQ @hartjohnson

Digital Lending: How it works and who allows it: http://dld.bz/EdF9

Momming and Writing: http://dld.bz/EdFw

Mystery writer's guide to forensic science--poisons: http://dld.bz/EdFe @clarissadraper

Researching Your Novel: Setting: http://dld.bz/EdEX

Thoughts on the Unreal, Part 1: Anticipation: http://dld.bz/EdE4

How to avoid getting an agent: http://dld.bz/EdDV

What matters to our characters: http://dld.bz/EdhS

Creating Unforgettable Settings: http://dld.bz/Edhy

11 Tips for Getting the Most out of "Writer's Market": http://dld.bz/Edhv

Resources for Authors Traveling To Book Clubs & Schools: http://dld.bz/Ec9Z

Creating An Author Brand: Why It's Not Really About the Book: http://dld.bz/EaBf

How To Start 2011 Off Right: http://dld.bz/EaAf

Struggling Borders to Meet With Publishers (NY Times): http://dld.bz/Ec8W

20 people who rocked science fiction and fantasy in 2010: http://dld.bz/Ea9B

The Changing Role of Libraries in the Digital Age (Huff Post): http://dld.bz/Ea95

A Writer's Plot Board: Getting organized: http://dld.bz/Ea55 @4kidlit

Master This Skill Before Setting New Writing Goals: http://dld.bz/Ea5w

Eight Writing Lessons from Larsson: http://dld.bz/Ea4Y @jammer0501

How to Bring Sexy Back to Book Signings: http://dld.bz/DRyZ

Writing sins that scupper a story Part 3: Salt: http://dld.bz/DQKN

Putting Life Back Into Overly Revised Novels: http://dld.bz/DQK5

How To Be The Person You Want To Be: http://dld.bz/DQKv

7 Ways to Kick Start Your Day: http://dld.bz/DQKa

You might be a writer if... http://dld.bz/DQJ6

Kindle kicks Harry Potter out of top-selling spot on Amazon: http://dld.bz/DKdj

Real authors writing fake books (Globe and Mail): http://dld.bz/DQHP

The Borders death spiral: http://dld.bz/DQHE

Blogging--the future is now: http://dld.bz/DQHc

10 Writing Resolutions You Can Fulfill: http://dld.bz/DQGQ

Writing sins that scupper a story--part 2 (Dr. Who, Runaway Bride): http://dld.bz/DQG2 @dirtywhitecandy

Plotting From the Antag's POV: http://dld.bz/DQGj

Finish It! 5 Simple Tips to Make More Time for Writing: http://dld.bz/DRyA @matthewschulz

How to Create an Engaging and Effective Bio Page for Your Blog or Website: http://dld.bz/DQGd

3 Tactics for Battling Procrastination: http://dld.bz/DK9g

Writing sins that scupper a story--part 1: http://dld.bz/DK8M @dirtywhitecandy

How to Set Goals That Make Sense: A Writer's Perspective: http://dld.bz/DK8v

Brainstorming: Give the People What They Want: http://dld.bz/DK8t

What first lines *should* do: http://dld.bz/DK8r

See you at the goal line: http://dld.bz/DKev

How A Spreadsheet Can Save Your Manuscript: http://dld.bz/DQTN @matthewschulz

Can Authors Now Do It Digitally Themselves? http://dld.bz/DKed

Are We Being a Responsible Novel Parent or a Deadbeat Book-Daddy? http://dld.bz/DKeb

Writer's Laryngitis - Getting Your Voice Back Again: http://dld.bz/DKdX

Deadlines are meant to be broken: http://dld.bz/DKds

Cooking up a character: http://dld.bz/DKdf

Should We Finish Writing a Bad Book (If it's our First Novel?)

I've forgotten a lot about learning new skills as a child. Riding a bike? Roller skating? Swimming? I learned how to do those things, but my memory is shaky on it. It comes back to me in flashes, though, when I see my kids mastering new skills.

It took my daughter years to even want to ride a bike. When she finally agreed to have me help her learn, she was terrified the whole time. A couple of times she asked me to put the training wheels back on her bike.

But—once she got it, she got it. And all she wanted to do all day long was ride a bike. She felt completely confident and triumphant and she wanted to practice (and show off) her new skill as much as she could.

Same with my son and ice skating. And my daughter with roller skating.

I was really the same way with writing a book. I messed around with manuscripts in my twenties. I'd get an idea, fall in love with the idea, fervently start writing the idea.

Then I'd get to the point where I lost faith in my ability to finish the book, or I'd fall out of love with the idea, or I'd get a shiny new idea that seemed a lot better.

I think there were three unfinished manuscripts.

The writing I did was still helpful to me. I got a lot of practice and a better feel for my voice.

But I didn't feel confident. I still thought I might fall off the bike. I hadn't been able to follow a book through to completion.

If I had finished one of those books, it would still have been a book that needed a lot of work. And one of the unfinished manuscripts would have been a real stinker of a bad book.

At least, though, I'd have had the confidence that I could finish the book. And that would have gotten me writing more and more. Writing more and more would have made my writing better, quicker.

It would have been like my kids, mastering their new skills and then skating and biking like crazy—reveling in the skill.

Is it worth it to finish a bad book? I think it is. Unless you get a shiny new idea that comes into your head almost fully-realized. I think it's important to prove to ourselves that we can finish a book. Even if it's not marketable, even if it's just for ourselves. Because the second book will be better.

What do you think? Finish a bad book…or start working on a better idea? How many manuscripts do you have in your manuscript graveyard (I've admitted to three…) :)

The Importance of Subplots

In my role as Mommy, I drive a carpool with another neighborhood mom to the elementary school and the middle school. I drive mornings, and she drives afternoons.

The carpools are early, with the elementary one running at 6:45 and the middle school one at 7:15. The kids are sometimes a little bleary-eyed. The traffic is heavy and slow. Occasionally, conversation drags a bit.

I'll try to get their brains moving in an academic direction. "So, it's Friday. What's going on at school today?"

I'll usually get a desultory recitation from one of the kids about Algebra or P.E. or the new book they're reading in Language Arts and sometimes the other child will chime in with more information or to dispute the facts the other is offering ("No, the test is on Tuesday.")

It's sort of the running main plot of our carpool: What's going on at school today and are you prepared for it? The kids would be shocked if I didn't ask, I'm sure. I also do a little monologue on the weather…that's always popular. :)

Then I move onto other things and it's interesting how both carpools come to life.

With the elementary carpool (all girls) we have a sort of running fascination with the way the food service truck tries to cut through the extremely backed-up carpool line to get to the loading dock at the back of the school cafeteria. Why does he always come at 7:00 a.m.? If he always runs into the same problem, why not come earlier or later? Does he actually enjoy this daily dose of frustration? Will the carpool allow him to cut through or will it be a sort of automotive Red Rover game? The girls could speculate over all these things endlessly.

With the middle school (boy) carpool, we have another running storyline. It involves the lunchroom ladies and their wretched attempts to park their cars each day. One lady, driving a minivan, takes up four spaces, with one tire in each spot. Two other lunch ladies take up two spaces apiece. We speculate on this, too. Why do they park so poorly? Can't they tell they're not in one spot? Is it all a special plot—for lunch ladies only-- that we just know nothing about? Do they have plans for taking over even more parking spaces…maybe by adding a trailer to their cars or dangling a long ladder out the back?

It's very idle, silly, talk—but these topics provide a serial story for my bored carpoolers each day.

I think that's the part that subplots play. They offer some relief from the main plot. Some variety.

Sometimes subplots show a steady progression toward a conclusion when the main plot still seems hopelessly entangled and rife with setbacks.

Sometimes a subplot can give the reader another reason to keep reading the book….will Joe and Mary ever go out for that coffee together? Will Frank ever quit that dead-end job and tell his overbearing boss off?

Subplots can be a way to do a little genre blending on a minor level for maybe some crossover appeal (romantic subplots, etc.)

Maybe there's a really appealing supporting character that gets his moment in the spotlight with a subplot.

As a reader, I always get especially excited if the subplot ties into the main plot in some way. It's major bonus points for me and my enjoyment of a book. (As I'm sure the kids would be dying to get home and let me know if the lunchroom ladies ended up in Algebra class for some reason.)

Do you enjoy subplots as a reader or a writer?

Skype Interviews for Writers

Yesterday, I was interviewed by Joanna Penn of The Creative Penn for an upcoming post on a new video blog she's launching soon.

I'm on Skype, but pretty new to it. After tinkering around with it a little, though, I think it's a great way to promote your book or do virtual interviews, especially if you can't travel or don't want to.

This article on Galley Cat pointed a couple of helpful sites to help connect writers with readers, including the Skype an Author Network.

I'm never wild about seeing myself on video or hearing my own voice, taped, but I was able to minimize some of my discomfort by a little preparation (and the knowledge that Joanna will be doing some editing on the video before it runs.)

Lighting—From what I was able to find out online, it's best to have a light at about the 2:00 spot, a small light behind you, and a small light at the 9:00 spot. I've seen some videocasts that were poorly lit, and noticed that shadows can be really unkind to anyone over the age of twenty.

Camera—I have a separate web camera, which cost under $100. It's nice to be able to move the camera around, instead of having it as part of the laptop. I set the camera up to be almost shoulder height to me and angled it to get the picture waist-up. I put a sticky note with a smiley face on it to remind me to look at the camera, not at Joanna's face on my computer screen.

Sound—My microphone is attached to my webcam. I ran a test with the Echo Sound Check Service that's free on Skype to make sure I could be heard. Also, I tried to eliminate background noise. I asked the kids to stay upstairs and be quiet, put the dog in the backyard, took the phone off the hook, silenced my cell phone, and put a sticky note on my front door.

Since Skype can be a little jerky in sound and video, I spoke slowly. Also, I spoke slowly knowing that I have an accent and wanting folks to be able to understand me. Actually, our segment should be called "The Accent Show" since Joanna is Australian. :)

Make-up—Joanna mentioned that she recommended wearing a good deal of make-up for Skyping. So I went out to buy some (the tiny amount that I wear wasn't going to work.) Unfortunately, the eye liner was liquid instead of pencil and I didn't know how to apply it, so I ended up looking Goth. :) I had plenty of time to fix it, though.

Water—Same advice as being on a panel…good to have water nearby, just in case.

Clothing—I heard that patterns were a no-no, and so was wearing white. I put on a black top and some jewelry.

Background—I just chose a corner of my downstairs. The idea was for it to be pretty uncluttered. I made sure the table behind me was dusted. :)

Books—You might be asked about your books. You'll want to have them close by, just in case you need to hold them up.

Preparation—I think it's the fear of losing my train of thought that's the worst. If I can just know that I have something available to glance at if I'm stuck, then I'm a lot more relaxed. I jotted down some notes on a white board and put the white board on a stand behind the camera.

Test your video image: Want to see what you look like before the interview goes live? Log on to Skype, click "tools" and "options" and then "video settings" on the left-hand side to see your image.

Skype to Skype is free and it's a very easy application to download and use. Have you ever done a Skype chat?

Multi-tasking Authors and Characters by Lois Winston

Today I'm welcoming fellow Midnight Ink author, Lois Winston, to my blog. Lois' book, Assault With a Deadly Glue Gun, has recently released to strong reviews. She talks a little here about multitasking…something many writers are acquainted with! :) As a side note, I'm guesting later today at Burrowers, Books, and Balderdash.

Welcome, Lois!

I recently learned of a study regarding multi-tasking, especially as it concerns today's youth. The radio report made it sound like this was a new phenomenon, something invented by Gen Y kids who are simultaneously plugged into their iPods and surfing the 'Net while they're Twittering, texting, updating their Facebook pages, and doing homework.

I laughed out loud. The scientists running that study had to be all guys. Multi-tasking is nothing new. Women have been multi-tasking since the beginning of time. That's why we have two X chromosomes. We're born as clones of ourselves, able to multi-task from the moment of conception.

Sigmund Freud hypothesized that the reason men became the hunters and women stayed back at the cave, tending the fire, was because males had an uncontrollable urge to pee on the flames. Women may have wanted to pee on the flames, too, but their physiology kept them from doing so. This was back before our ancestors learned how to make fire. All they could do was keep the home fires burning. So it was really important to make sure the cave guys stayed beyond peeing distance of the flames. Hence, the division of labor.

Freud got it all wrong, though. The reason men went off in search of saber-toothed tigers and other gastronomic delicacies while the womenfolk stayed back in the cave was because the women could tend the fires, tan the hides, sew the clothing, look after the little ones, and tidy up the cave all at the same time. Men are incapable of doing more than one thing at a time because they have no double "anything" chromosome.

Most writers don't have the luxury of being able to support themselves on their writing alone. I know New York Times best-selling authors who can't afford to quit their day jobs. So like most other writers, my life is all about multi-tasking. I'm both an award-winning author and a literary agent who has never given up her "day job" as a needlework designer. In addition, I teach online workshops on writing. People (usually of the male persuasion) often ask me how I manage to juggle so many careers. It's easy.

I am WOMAN -- W-O-M-A-N.

So when I set out to write a new mystery series, having my protagonist juggle all sorts of complications in her daily life seemed far from a stretch. After all, she's a W-O-M-A-N.

Anastasia Pollack, the amateur sleuth protagonist of ASSAULT WITH A DEADLY GLUE GUN, is a recently widowed magazine crafts editor who makes me, with my three jobs, look like a slacker. When her recently departed husband permanently cashed in his chips at a roulette table in Las Vegas, her life crapped out. You know that old saying about the wife always being the last to know? Well, Anastasia had no clue her husband was a closet gambler until she discovers he's left her with debt up the wazoo and his loan shark breathing down her neck. Karl owed Ricardo fifty thousand dollars, and as far as Ricardo is concerned, Anastasia has inherited that debt.

She's also inherited her crotchety communist mother-in-law and Mephisto the Demon Dog, her Russian princess mother has popped in for an open-ended stay, and her two teenage sons aren't very happy about the belt-tightening that means giving up cable TV and the Internet. Then there's Ralph the Shakespeare quoting parrot. As if all that weren't enough, Anastasia's life gets even more complicated when she discovers the body of her magazine's fashion editor glued to her desk chair, and she's fingered as the prime suspect in the murder.
And I thought I juggled a lot in a day!

ASSAULT WITH A DEADLY GLUE GUN is the first book in my new Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mysteries series from Midnight Ink. Kirkus Reviews called it "North Jersey's more mature answer to Stephanie Plum." I recently turned in the second book in the series, and I'm now back juggling the writing of Book Three as well as design deadlines and agency responsibilities. But I have to say, my multi-tasking is a breeze compared to Anastasia's. At least I don't have to find a killer to prove I'm not a killer.

* * *

In celebration of the release of Assault With a Deadly Glue Gun, Lois is doing a blog tour throughout January. You can find the schedule on her website, http://www.loiswinston.com, and at Anastasia's blog, http://www.anastasiapollack.blogspot.com. Everyone who posts a comment to any of the blogs over the course of the month will be entered into a drawing to receive one of 5 copies of Assault With a Deadly Glue Gun. (If your email isn't included in your comment, email Lois privately at lois@loiswinston.com to let her know you've entered.) In addition, Lois will be giving away a collection of crafts books on selected blogs during her tour, so look for those as well.

What Matters to Our Characters

So it's the day after the big snow and my son wants to join all his friends at a house in another neighborhood.

They're playing video games and watching movies and having a blast—and the only thing separating him from the party is his parents and their determination not to drive in the snow.

"But Erik's mom drove him!"
"And she's from New Jersey."
"But Wesley's dad drove him!"
"And he's from Canada."
"But Jacob's dad drove him!"
"He's from upstate New York. And your dad is from Alabama and your mom's from South Carolina. When it snows, we stay inside and don't operate motor vehicles."

I can remember what it was like to be a teenager and have cautious parents who seemed bound and determined to foil my every fun idea. Although my idea of a good time in bad weather isn't driving over to another neighborhood and hanging out with a bunch of teenage boys, he made me feel how badly he wanted it.

It was the winter of his discontent. And he was definitely letting me know it.

As Kurt Vonnegut said in Bagombo Snuff Box: Uncollected Short Fiction, "Every character should want something, even if it is only a glass of water."

The reader may not want the same thing. But they need to feel like it's of vital importance that the character gets the thing they want. And understand some of the character's motivation and desire for it.

It's the perfect set up for conflict—establish what the character wants and then put obstacles in the way of his getting it.

Like a snow-covered road and reluctant parents.

What does your character want most? Have you made the reader feel the urgency, too?

Hope you'll visit again tomorrow when I've got author Lois Winston guest posting! And I'll be visiting Burrowers, Books, and Balderdash . :)

Unusual Weather

Hope everybody had a great holiday and New Year celebration. I missed the blogosphere while I was gone!

I also hope y'all got home safely, if you were traveling. There has been bizarre weather over much of the break here in the States. Tornadoes, blizzards, earthquakes, massive amounts of rain…it's been a real mess.

It actually snowed on Christmas Day—the first time this had happened in North Carolina in any measurable amount since 1947.

We do usually get snow in Matthews, but it's in February, which is our coldest month of the year.

Snow in the South is unusual enough that we don't have a lot of snow plowing equipment here. And the snow melts during the day—and freezes at night as ice. It's beautiful here when it snows…but treacherous.

It made me think of all the unusual weather in books that I've read. The weather in the books stands out because it was so striking to the characters in the book or because it made a difference in the plot. As a reader, it stood out to me, too.

The heat in New York while the group is at the Plaza Hotel in The Great Gatsby. The Tempest and the storm that Lear suffers through in King Lear. The Grapes of Wrath. Just about anything in Dickens. The Wizard of Oz. Tennessee Williams' play, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.

Depending on how it's treated, weather can be an important element in the book. It can create stress or discomfort for the characters, or causes them to act out of character. Murder mysteries frequently use weather to cut the characters off from the rest of the world (and law enforcement) and isolate potential victims with a killer.

Weather can be overdone, of course, too. If there's a big storm during a character's moment of personal crisis, I'm probably going to roll my eyes a little bit.

What seems to work best in books is either for weather to either add a little background ambience for a scene or else for the weather to take more of a center stage role—times when the weather is something really unusual. Something that the characters will remember as striking weather, even years later. Something the reader will remember as striking weather.

As a reader, can you remember times the weather really set the mood in a book? Do you use weather in your own writing, and how?

Best Wishes for a Happy Holiday and New Year

Merry Christmas to all who celebrate and a Happy 2011 to all!

Taking the lead from many of the blogs I follow in my Google Reader, I'm taking a week off from blogging and will be back in 2011. Traffic slows to a crawl online this time of year during the holidays. :)

Hope everyone has a wonderful New Year!

Twitterific

Here are writing links that I've posted to Twitter for the past week.  The list will be a little shorter this week because I'm going on tweetcation (most bloggers seem to be taking a break until New Year and the content is pretty scarce.)

If you're looking for a particular topic, just plug in your keyword into the search box at the top left-hand corner of the blog (on the black header right above my blog name…next to the Blogger symbol…the small search window is next to the magnifying glass) and the roundup with your subject will come up. To narrow your search down on the page, do a CTRL+F, type your subject, and hit enter.

I'm also archiving these posts in what I hope is an easily searchable format—if you look at the Twitterific tabs under the blog's heading, I'm posting the links there, too.

Resist the Urge to Explain: http://dld.bz/Cn8j

Darkly Developing Dexter-A Lesson In The Literary Anti-Hero: http://dld.bz/Cn7F

Amazon.com Kindle Sales Are Said to Exceed Estimates: http://dld.bz/Cn6U

Writers Rally To Support Novelist Charles Bock & His Family: http://dld.bz/Cn8u

Tips for Writing Verse Novels: http://dld.bz/Cn5h

"Traditional" publishing – let's just change the definition, shall we? http://dld.bz/Cn46

Keep it real, only more interesting: http://dld.bz/Cn4s

Get Over Overstating: Trimming Unnecessary Words: http://dld.bz/Cn4q

Key elements of strong fiction: http://dld.bz/Cn4f

10 ways to finish that danged first draft: http://dld.bz/Cucg @elspethwrites

Setting writing goals, step 3--finding time to write and writing: http://dld.bz/Ct6x

A case for villains: http://dld.bz/Cn3W

Using defense mechanisms for characters: http://dld.bz/Cn3K

J.K. Rowling and Plot Planning: http://dld.bz/Cn3C

A writer's impressions of Twitter: http://dld.bz/CtWj and http://dld.bz/CtWk @authorterryo

A little word play fun: http://dld.bz/CtU5 @MermaidHel

Six Pet Hates of An Editor: http://dld.bz/Cn3a

The Simple Software That Could -- but Probably Won't -- Change the Face of Writing (The Atlantic): http://dld.bz/Cn2N

29 literary films to fill your holidays (LA Times): http://dld.bz/Cn2s

Your To-Do List: Knowing Where to Start: http://dld.bz/Cbbx

Myst. Lov. Kitchen: http://bit.ly/h8zhNg @CleoCoyle

E-readers breed fondness for other e-readers (LA Times): http://dld.bz/Cn5t

The Twelve Days of a Writer's Christmas: http://dld.bz/CbcG

WikiLeaks' Julian Assange will write memoir: http://dld.bz/Cn6A

When (or Why) Social Media Fails to Sell Books: http://dld.bz/Cbc6

Writing Ebooks: Top 3 Ways to Make Sales: http://dld.bz/Cba7

Balancing the Scenes that Make Up Your Novel: http://dld.bz/Cbcn

4 Reasons Every Novelist Can Benefit From Writing a Screenplay: http://dld.bz/CbbP

Setting writing goals, step 2--links to conferences, blogs, and resources to help you improve: http://dld.bz/Cjmb

Modeling Protagonists After Real Life Heroes: http://dld.bz/Cbb3

Your To-Do List: Knowing Where to Start: http://dld.bz/Cbbx

Top 75 Apps for Enhancing Your Facebook Page: http://dld.bz/CbaU

Prologues – this side of hell: http://dld.bz/CbaC

Author Turns Going-Out-of-Print into Act of Charity: http://dld.bz/Cba8

Nice list of writers' conferences in North America for 2011: http://dld.bz/CjnY @Jodie_R_Editing

Getting to the Point with Tom Cruise: http://dld.bz/Cbcx

Tailoring Submissions (part 2): http://dld.bz/Cbax

Tips for Reposting an Older Post: http://dld.bz/Cbak

Myst. Lov. Kitchen: Shrimp and Rice Casserole http://bit.ly/gRn2dA @CleoCoyle

Words That Sound Like What They Mean, but Aren't Onomatopoeia: http://dld.bz/BVv4

Great Writers Rescue Obama (Daily Beast): http://dld.bz/CaYr

Will all good writers be published? An agent's thoughts: http://dld.bz/CaYf

Google eBooks: a Refresher: http://dld.bz/CaXQ

Writing a prologue: http://dld.bz/CaXP

A Gathering of Literary Christmas Cards: http://dld.bz/CaXJ

Setting writing goals--step one: http://dld.bz/CaXx

10 Rules of Social Engagement That Will Make or Break Your Blog Readership: http://dld.bz/BVwX

Finding Your Unique Blogging Voice: http://dld.bz/BVwJ

Writing with style sheets: http://dld.bz/BVwB

Underlying Motivation – Getting Through the Rough Spots: http://dld.bz/CaVA @joanswan

The Relevance of YA for Adults: The Harry Potter Effect: http://dld.bz/BVw7

This figure of speech isn't dead – it's just resting: http://dld.bz/BVwf

Top 10 Ways To Improve Your ReTweetability: http://dld.bz/BVvD

10 best tweets of 2010 (Jane Friedman): http://dld.bz/BZPa

How to be a great writer: http://dld.bz/BVuX @jammer0501

The Inanity of the Erudite: http://dld.bz/BVuW

An agent on whether you should post your writing online: http://dld.bz/BVuP

Konrath's Resolutions for Writers 2011: http://dld.bz/BVu6

2010's Best Nonfiction For Winning Family Arguments (NPR): http://dld.bz/BVur

Myst. Lov. Kitchen: Pfeffernüsse (Gesundheit!) Gingerbread Snowballs for Santa from Cleo Coyle http://bit.ly/go4qmZ @CleoCoyle

Your characters offstage: http://dld.bz/BVbk

The Writing Life: How to Thoroughly Abuse Caffeine: http://dld.bz/BPgA @GeoffreyCubbage

Social media: Literary luvvies come over all aTwitter about tweeting (Guardian): http://dld.bz/BJPH

New Year's Inspirations for Writers: 10 Creative Writing Websites: http://dld.bz/BJPC

5 ways to hone your blogging skills: http://dld.bz/BJPw

Your dialogue can do more: http://dld.bz/BJPs

Reading with Android 101, a reading app guide: http://dld.bz/BJNv

Writing is its own reward: http://dld.bz/BJKb

Are Your Verbs Showing or Telling? http://dld.bz/BJJW

8 Easy Things To Do BEFORE You Start Your Novel: http://dld.bz/BJJP

Villain Stereotypes: http://dld.bz/BJJN

Writers in prison: when having an opinion becomes a crime (Guardian): http://dld.bz/BJHW

How To Write A Home Run Story in 2011: http://dld.bz/BJHJ

Last minute gift ideas for writers: http://dld.bz/BJH8

On 'show, don't tell': http://dld.bz/BGga

The art of pacing: http://dld.bz/BGfN

The art of creative writing goals: http://dld.bz/BPfh @storiestorm

Six things they don't teach you about writing: http://dld.bz/BGfe

Don't tag your emotions: http://dld.bz/BGeV

Simplify your life in 10 steps (and free up time to write): http://dld.bz/BFNW

How to Shop for Your Neurotic Writer: http://dld.bz/BPd3 @GeoffreyCubbage

Myst. Lov. Kitchen: The Diva Roasts A Goose http://bit.ly/f94okw @CleoCoyle

Beyond the Printed Page: Robert Sabuda is the superstar of the modern pop-up book: http://dld.bz/BFXp

From Story Pantser to Story Planner: One Writer's Journey: http://dld.bz/BFWf

The One Thing About Social Media That Most People Don't Think About: http://dld.bz/BFRG

Holiday Gift Ideas For Writers: http://dld.bz/BFRE

8 "Moments" You Absolutely Need to Deliver to Your Readers… And One That You Should Hope For: http://dld.bz/BFQX

7 Creative Principles of Pixar to apply to writing: http://dld.bz/BFQz

Blogger Becomes iPhone and Droid-Friendly: http://dld.bz/BFQu

The 12 Days of Christmas In The Land Of Urban Fantasy: http://dld.bz/BFQp

Creating Consistent Artist Brands: http://dld.bz/B9Fg

Twitterific--the week in tweets: http://dld.bz/BGf8

I got THE CALL! ... Um now what? http://dld.bz/B9EC

On euphemisms (Ntl. Post): http://dld.bz/B9Ej

Best articles this week for writers: http://dld.bz/BGfn

5 Tips For Working from Home: http://dld.bz/B9Ee

10 of the best alps in literature: http://dld.bz/B9Eb

Myst. Lov. Kitchen: Welcome guest Janet Rudolph! http://bit.ly/fjmR9F @CleoCoyle

New Year's Inspiration for Writers: Progress, Goals within Reach, and Bad-Ass Ambition: http://dld.bz/B9DD

One children's book illustrator's design process: http://dld.bz/B9D4

Don't Write the Obit For Picture Books Yet: http://dld.bz/B9Dw