Ginger Simpson's Blog, page 38

More from the Dynamic Class Given by Cheryl St. John #writingtips

It's not writer's block, per se...

Today I've going to address the middle of your book...you know the time when you avoid continuing?  As Cheryl said in her handouts, "You make excuses for not going to your desk  You read email and do research.  You might even be compelled to clean the garage or paint the kitchen.  Your desk needs to be clean before you sit.  The laundry needs to be folded or else you can't concentrate.  When you actually stop and think about your story, you're confused or discouraged.  Oh my gosh, is this ever a panic mode.  Your synopsis was so good.  You've been totally stoked about this story from the get-go.  You love these characters, but now...you look at your synopsis or your note cards and tally your page count and the only thing a sane person could do is panic."

What exactly is the middle of your book?  "The middle follows the part where your character's motivations were established, their goals were set in place, and where your character decided to go after what he/she wanted or to fight some something he/she believed in...to reach a destination or prevent something from happening."

I've eliminated a few words for conciseness, but the meaning is still Cheryl's. In other words, "The middle is simple a series of events that gets your character from the beginning of the book to the end."

People who plot have it over those of us who don't.  Most use plot points (an event that takes place and forces the character, willing or not, into new circumstances or direction.  Things like:

The villain appears.
A letter arrives.
Someone dies.
A love scene,
An accident.

You're usually halfway when your character's goals change.  Whatever your main character started out wanting should have changed direction by now, or he/she has come up with a new plan to get what they want.  A complication makes it look like they will never achieve their goal.  Don't make the mistake of not being mean enough to your character.  Conflict is good, but remember,  a delay in reaching a goal is NOT conflict.

Help yourself by making a list of 25 things that could happen and review when need be.
Make sure to keep the tension strong and heighten it when necessary.

Keep the outcome in doubt.  Use a time limitation, but give the reader flashes of hope.
 Change POV and leave your main character's fate hanging (a suspense technique), or add an action scene, but make sure you intersperse action with scenes of less tension for pacing's sake.

End every charter with a hook, to keep the reader turning pages.
Question the purpose of every scene.  Is it really needed to move the story forward?
Make sure you haven't revealed too much about your characters.
Can the reader identify?  Are you making the story believable?
Is the conflict escalating?  Things should be worse than they were to start with.
Don't let your story become predictable.
Have you paid attention to pacing?
Is the sexual tension still high?  If not, punch it up.
A good example comes from the movie, "Shrek."  Characters are like onions...reveal them one layer at a time.  If in reviewing your work, create a use later file, cut and paste into it to prevent telling too much too soon.

These are just a few suggestions from Cheryl's book.  I urge you to check it out on Amazon.  I don't plot, but I still found this an enormous help.

Constant Reader

 Amazon Author Page As a kid, I read to escape a less than ideal reality. I read behind sofas, in closets with a flashlight, under the covers with flashlight, in tents at the summer camps to which I was sent. I wasn't choosy as I am now. I read everything--even the otherwise  forbidden comic books on rainy days at camp. I was amused and thrilled, too, when I discovered how much Marvel had ripped off from Greek mythology and from the thousand page book called Fairy Tales of All Lands which I had plowed my way through during my bout with the German Measles. Later,  my parents assured me that I had "ruined my eyes" by doing so--along with all that "reading in the dark"--although, the fact was my father couldn't see his hand in front of his face without his glasses. Heredity probably had more to do with my nearsightedness. 
 

I read in corners of bars, out of the way of the staff and the feet of patrons, in the West Indies, where my mother went for her health during the winter. I fished books out of wastebaskets in the sitting room of the Hotel St.Lawrence, which has probably fallen into the sea by now, or been replaced by a mega-story Sheraton. That was how I found The Tales of Hoffmann, The Daughter of Time, and many books by Georgette Heyer, mother of the fan fic Jane Austen, and Jean Plaidy, who wrote many, many historicals, which even at thirteen I found rather dull, but read because they were historical. There were also books which scared me to death, like Something of Value, full of race hatred, murder and torture. (Don’t think ETA Hoffmann didn’t scare me, too. I was as frightened by the idea of a young woman who would die if she sang, as I was by the real-life Mau-Mau.)
 We had one used book store in my small home town with a grumpy old proprietor and his even grumpier fat old gray cat, who mauled me every time I tried to pet him. Despite the efforts of both owner and his cat to discourage me, I haunted the place, poking through the shelves, sitting on the bare boards and reading. I found Victorian and Edwardian novels. Their slow pace, elegant descriptive paragraphs and carefully crafted world creation drew me down like quick sand.     My parents both brought their childhood libraries with them, and I read Tom Swift and An Indian Boyhood by Charles Eastman which belonged to my father. The Water Babies by Charles Kingsley and Kidnapped  and all those Twin books (Colonial Twins, Scotch Twins, Cave Twins ad infinitum) which had belonged to my mother.
 I still read in the bathtub. Did you know you can take an e-reader into the tub if you plastic bag and seal it? A long time ago, I had a Rocket with a back light, so I've continued the practice of reading while others sleep. I like to read at night, which I do more and more as I grow older. It's a perfect time, quiet, and with no interruptions except for the cats, who can still drop their fannies unerringly upon the one paragraph I'm trying to get through. Still, a cat in lap, a cup of chamomile tea and a good book in hand are just about perfection.

In the '90's, with my sweet Hammie
Thanks so much, Ginger, for hosting me on Dishin' It Out, and, from my Possum Tracks blog,  on your Sunday Snippets & Stuff blog.  Maybe we'll all work together again, us BWL writers. In the meantime:

Onward, Into the Fog!


~~Juliet Waldron

https://www.facebook.com/jwhistfic
http://yesterrdayrevisitedhere.blogspot.com/

Sunday Snips & Stuff #sundaysnips

Today, I'm doing a cover reveal for my upcoming novel, Sarah's Hope.  The manuscript is currently with editors, and I'm hoping they don't find much since I had my beta reader, Diane Scott Lewis go through it.  She made some wonderful suggestions and I believe I'm officially the queen of missing closed quotes.  *lol*

I'm currently working on another historical western, and I'm really excited about it.  Desperation's Bride is due to be finished sometime this year.

In the meantime, check out Sarah's Hope and Passion.  Although Sarah's Hope is a stand alone novel, it always helps to know backstory and there's a lot to read in the preceding book.

So...here are two beautiful covers.  I'm just sorry the girls don't look one and the same, because they are...at least in my mind.

TA DA!!!!!


Now, if you don't mind....hop on over to the following blogs and see what's being offered up this week.  Don't forget to come back next week.




http://connievines.blogspot.com (Connie Vines)
http://yesterrdayrevisitedhere.blogspot.com/ (Juliet Waldron) 
 http://triciamg.blogspot.com (Tricia McGill)

How Plotting and Pedicures Can Work for You by Connie Vines

We've all heard it said that writing is a solitary art.  Is that why we find ourselves creating such deep bonds with other writers who share our passion/obsession?  For whatever the reason, my closest friends are fellow writers.  In fact, we're not so much friends as soul mates caught up on a similar life journey.

While many of my writing friends are cyber friends, conference friends, and RWA Chapters friends, I am fortunate to have several local friends.  One of which I have know since my salad-days when I served on the board of the Pomona Valley Writers' Association.

Several years ago the three of us decided to take a brain-storming retreat in order to take our writing and careers a step further.  We also wanted to reward ourselves for hard-won accomplishments, to to celebrate our successes.

I kept a journal of what went on.  I can't say the structure (or lack there of) will work for every critique group, or circle of writing friends, but it worked for us.

Creating your own Writing Getaway.

Divide up the duties.  The location, schedule, food, and spa, All  require planning.  There were three of us.  We each emailed each other with update and choices.Secure the location.  The room needs to be large enough but must also fit everyone's budget.Rough-out a schedule.  One person should be a time keeper.  We worked in two-hour increments with breaks in between.  That way we could focus on one person's story.  This helped because discussions can become rather tense and we needed a break.Parameters and Goals. Everyone should state what she/he needs to come away with.  There will be homework.  I plot using The Writer's Journey, Pam is a GMC devotee, and Bev is a seat-of -your-pants writer.  Of course there were empty spaces in our plots but we all had the Beginning, Middle, and End sort-of figured out.Be honest--not brutal.  Enjoy.  Life is all about the journey.So were did we meet up?  Since we all live in southern California, we took a discount flight to San Francisco (an hour away) and stayed in a quaint little hotel down town.  We were able to walk a couple of miles to a cafe with great local fair (minus the tourist prices).  The next morning, hopped a cable car to the Fisherman's Wharf to gain some some plotting time while view the bay. 











Our weekend was the most rewarding getaway I've done for myself since I sold my first novel.  I recommend a retreat to anyone who can find the time.  You don't need to fly to get there.  Though I am not an enthusiastic camper, I can pitch a tent and unwillingly sleep on the ground.  Or, book a room at a local bed and breakfast during off season.


End result?  We each finished the plotting out our novels and had a good working knowledge of our characters quirks and goals.  And a deeper friendship too.
Happy Writing & Reading!
Connie  
The Franciscan--our final night in town.
Remember, I'm not a 'camping' kinda girl :-).

THE GOOD OLD DAYS ~~ NOT SO MUCH

All my Historical Novels
One thing I’ve learned through my study of history is that times were tough in the past. We’re such softies, us 21st century Americans! (Maybe that’s why all these “reality” shows are so popular.)  We really don't have a lot of contact with our environment—unless we are campers or hunters—and maybe, with our 4 season camping equipment and our RVs, not even then. There have been so many improvements in textiles—from Polartec© to Cordura© and Kevlar© -- as new methods of fabric production arrive and are marketed to the out-of-door minded—that it takes someone who has lived through the transition to remember.  Personally, I remember wet wool and frozen fingers inside frozen mittens, and so many stiff heavy garments in snow season, that, like Ralphie’s little brother in A Christmas Story , I could fall down and then be darn near unable to get back on my feet again because I couldn't bend. Plastic pants to be worn over diapers--before disposables--arrived during my childhood, but I still remember holding a friend's little brother on my lap who wasn't wearing those "new-fangled" things and the inevitable which soon followed. Oh, and nobody offered me a clean pair of jeans, either. It was summer, after all, and I'd soon dry out playing  in their yard.  As an only child, this "anointing" was a new experience, but hey, when in Rome...I didn't complain.  Baby wearing knit "soakers" 1945
Get into those old B&W movies and you’ll have another sort of glimpse into the past. For instance, I’ve always wanted to sit down and spend time with a class room full of kids while watching something ancient, like the Our Gang comedies, especially the silent ones, made in the early twenties. Here, you’ll see kids in cut down, rolled up adult clothing because “children’s clothing” was only for the rich.  These movies also show old time remedies—goose grease for a sore throat--and a world in which kids could jump up on a handy mule and ride downtown along dirt streets. It's a place where for comic effect, you can wipe whipped cream from a pie on a dog's face and then have a laugh while the adults run because they think the poor creature's got rabies. Some of the kid’s escapades are likely, others not so much, but those broken down sheds and holes-in-the-plaster walls of run-down houses with no screens and open windows, those wash tubs in the back yard and chases that involve chickens, show us a world that our shiny suburbs with their manicured lawns have replaced. And here's the saddest part of the past, in the days before women had competent health care and the ability to get their health back before embarking upon another pregnancy--this is something you can find in any old cemetery. The adult gravestones that went with these three "infant" graves had been broken down, eroded by time, but the mother is usually right beside them. The little lamb, is quite old. Again, the names and those on the tombstones nearby, too, are washed away, but the innocent figure remains.

I wonder what melancholy tales are attached to these, all found in the oldest part of a local cemetery, in a place/time where English was not yet widely spoken, and where "born and died" was still "geboren und gestorben." Frau Mozart in Mozart's Wife, buried four of her six babies before they were a year old. When I wrote that story, I found myself thinking long and hard about what she must have suffered. 
 

 
~~Juliet Waldron
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B004HIX4GS
 
 

I failed miserably - Ginger Simpson

I admit it....I failed at staying off FB.  I actually deactivated my first page, started a new one, being more selective in my friends, and promised not to be political..I lied.  So, I deactivated my second page and tried to wile away my time doing other things  With two other people in the house on FB, asking me if I saw such and such, I pirated my mother's FB and masqueraded as her in order to spy on the posts.  I actually even left a few comments in my mother's name...until my brother mentioned that whoever hacked his mother's page should find her own.  Can you spell G-U-I-L-T?

So...I miss interacting with my friends and being me,  so I'm back.  I've decided I will comment only on posts that are non-political, and even when I share political posts or Memes from others, I won't comment.  I've decided that's the best I can do to avoid arguing my viewpoint.  I'm saving POV issues for my current work-in-progress.

All in all, it's my page and the opinions I express are my own, and I'm not looking for agreement, so if I tick you off....see ya.  :)

Sunday Snips & Stuff #snipsandstuff

Today, I'm confessing.  It took a lot of courage, but I removed myself from Facebook. I was starting to feel like I needed a twelve-step program.  Why you ask?  You probably didn't, because you already know I can't keep my political opinions to myself.

  When I was younger, I didn't really pay much attention to politics, and I'm sure someone like Bernie would've grabbed my attention with all his claims of free stuff.  As one grows older, political viewpoints become important, especially if you aren't satisfied with the manner in which the future of our country is headed.  See...I told you.  Even in my disclaimer, I still managed to insert my viewpoint.  Sorry about that.  It's an illness I'm trying to overcome.

So...to cut to the chase, as the saying goes, I've decided to find another way to occupy my days and nights.  FB has become a giant time-suck that lured me into unintended squabbles, ,made my blood pressure rise when I couldn't get someone I continued misguided to see the light, and was my only excuse for lots of time wasted.
Maybe after the election is over, I will return as a more contented person, or I'll come back to keep from committing suicide over the choice of the POTUS.  Anyhow...I'm still out here, but you just won't find me on FB.  I'm wasting time doing something else because I'm retired and I can.
Now....please visit my friends and see if they have better self-control than I do.  *lol*


http://connievines.blogspot.com (Connie Vines)
http://yesterrdayrevisitedhere.blogspot.com/ (Juliet Waldron)
http://triciamg.blogspot.com (Tricia McGill)
If Tricia isn't participating, it's because she has an ailing sister at the moment.  Prayers welcome!
Hope to see you again next week. , 

Important Tips to Writing a Good Novel #writingtips

There are certain ingredients a writer should use in order the achieve the elements of good writing.  Here, through the grace of Cheryl St. John, I'm sharing  few:


CONFLICT - INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL

Use internal narrative to trigger emotions that make your character memorable, but know that some people prefer  text instead of italics.  If using internal thoughts, limit your italics.  What your character contemplates defines him/her as a person, making him/her either sympathetic or not.  Think carefully before you decide because everything in your character's brain will determine how your reader perceives him/her to be.  If you prefer, you can demonstrate conflict by personality.  Does he/she like to fight, argue, is the person fair in dealing, honest, dishonest.  You decide, but remember, most leopards don't change their spots.


CARING

The reader has to care about your story in order to make it past the first chapters.  Remember, perfect and uneventful lives are boring.

How do you make the reader care:  Begin your story with a hook, and spoon feed the character's backstory a little at a time.  DON'T cram too much backstory into the beginning of the book and bore your reader to death. UNRAVEL the backstory an inch at a time.   Make your reader want to know more about your character by hinting at things...in other words, taunt, tease and tantalize.


DEFINE YOUR CHARACTERS

Make your characters real and believable.  Insecurities are part of life, and most readers appreciate being able to identify with your hero/heroine.


USE EMOTIONS

Tigger emotions.  No one sees an Amber Alert and doesn't wonder how the parents must be feeling.
Cheryl uses Method Writing, which puts her readers in the leads shoes.  She gives her characters goals, fleshes out the people about whom she writes, and makes them real.  She becomes them to know how they feel or react.

********************************************

Next installment, we'll talk about the middle of the book and the importance of keeping up the pace, writing style, and fulfilling your goals.

Don't forget, if you can't take a class, Cheryl has made all her knowledge on writing with Conflict, Tension and Emotion available in her book.
 http://amzn.com/B00G8OIFYU

Happy St. Patrick's Day! By Connie Vines

"The first recorded St. Patrick's Day parade was held not in Ireland but in New York City in 1762, and with the dramatic increase of Irish immigrants to the United States in the mid-19th century, the March 17th celebration became widespread."
Since everyone visiting ' Dishin' it Out' today, has general knowledge of the celebration, I thought I'd share my often baked soda bread recipe.  I serve the bread warm and search slice is smeared with Irish butter and a dollop of orange marmalade.
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour2 Tablespoons caraway seeds1teaspoon baking soda1teaspoon salt1 1/2 cups buttermilk
Directions:
1.Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit2. Mix flour, caraway seeds, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.3. Mix buttermilk and stir until large minister clumps form.4. Gather dough into a large ball and lightly flour outside.  Place dough into a ball and kneed until dough becomes smooth and hold a together.5. Roll into a large ball and lightly flour the outside.  6.Place the dough ball in a non-stick baking sheet and shape into a 6-inch diameter ny 2-inch tall mound.7.Cut a 1-inch deep X across the top, extending the edges.8. Bake approximately 35 minutes, until bread is golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom.9.Remove from the baking sheet and allow to cool completely.10.Cut into 8 wedges.

Deep Point of View as taught by Cheryl St. John #writingtips

Today, I'm continuing with more information I gleaned from an on-line class I took from Cheryl St. John.

The term "Deep POV" confuses many writers..I know it did me.  First of all, when you write, you don't want to intrude into the story with words that remind the reader they aren't experiencing everything first hand.  If you are deep into a point of view, the person engaged in your work, will know who is thinking, seeing, feeling, etc.

A few terms that jerk the reader out of the narrative are:

He/she thought

She/he wondered

He/she believed

He/she realized

He/she remembered

His/her thoughts wandered to...

He/she thought to himself (who else would your character think to?)


Another thing that many find distracting is he use of italics which indicates internal narrative.  Often these can be done as plain text and the general rule is to use them sparingly, if at all.

Cheryl St. John provided her class with a great example of how a paragraph can be improved.  What do you think?

He wondered where she'd hidden the deed to the house.  He believed it was probably hidden in that old trunk upstairs.  Travis saw several photographs on the table as he passed through the kitchen and he picked one up.  It was a picture of the two of them, taken the summer they'd rented the house on the lake.  She was smiling at him the way she used to.

Better?

Where the hell had she stashed the deed?  Lydia's predicability was one of the things he'd always loved about her.  She kept everything from old cancelled checks to her birth certificate in that trunk upstairs.  On his way through the dining room, a scattered pile of photos captured his attention.  The one on top was most recognizable, even as he held it to the late afternoon light slanting through the blinds.  That summer they'd spent at the lake had been one of the best times of his life.  Back then they'd still smiled at each other like silly teenagers, still held hands on the beach...still had dreams.

(Notice writing the paragraph like this also increased you word count?)

Note from me:  I'm annoyed by the use of "it" because I often have to read back in the story to discover again what "it" is supposed to be.  I prefer hard nouns rather than the pronoun, but that's just me.

I would have written He believed it was probably hidden...as The paper was probably hidden in that old trunk upstairs, and It was a picture, would become:  He picked up one of him and Lydia, taken in the summer they'd rented the house on the lake.

More to come from Cheryl St. John's awesome book:

 http://amzn.com/1599637588