C.L. Walters's Blog, page 6

Book Lovers by Emily Henry Buddy Read

The first week of July, Lavinia (on Instagram as @instaraygram) and I decided to buddy read Book Lovers by Emily Henry. Given how much both of us loved Beach Read and People We Meet on Vacation, we were confident we would love this story. We weren’t wrong. Seriously. Probably my favorite Emily Henry to date.

What’s it about? Here’s the official blurb, but basically Nora Stephens is a cut-throat literary agent in New York City and she adores what she does. She knows that IRL, she’s not the most loveable but with her clients she gets to be the hero. When her sister, Libby, suggests they go on a vacation together for a small-town sisters’ getaway inspired by a book written by one of Nora’s clients, Nora agrees if only to make sure she can take care of Libby who hasn’t seemed like herself lately. Only when Nora gets to Sunshine Falls, said small town, she repeatedly crosses paths with Charlie Lastra, a bookish and intolerable editor she’s had run-ins with in New York. The more time she spends with Libby, the more she realizes something is definitely wrong with her sister and the more time she spends with Charlie, the more she realizes she wants to spend with him meaning something is definitely wrong with her, but can Nora get out of her own way to figure both of those issues out?

In the back matter of Book Lovers is a set of reading questions for reading groups (and I highly recommend this book for a reading group. DO it!). Lavinia suggested we do them… so here are my answers (I don’t think there are any spoilers, so you should be able to read them and still enjoy the surprises in this book).

Nora sees herself as a villainess in someone else’s love story. Who are some of your favorite villainesses—whom you either outright love or love to hate.

The villainess who popped into my head immediately is Lauren Weisberger’s The Devil Wears Prada, but I’m thinking specifically of Meryl Streep’s characterization of  Miranda Priestly. She was so amazing in that role. I loved to hate her. If you’ve read Queen of the Tearling, the Red Queen is pretty amazing as a villainess, and I’m reading Claire Legrand’s Furyborn trilogy, and Rielle, the Blood Queen, and Eliana, the Sun Queen are amazingly complex characters that embody both hero and villain qualities.  

Nora reads the last page of a book first. Libby likes to go in knowing as little as possible. How do you prefer to read?

I WILL NOT read the last page first (*shudders), but I do like to read the blurb on the back. One thing I will do is DNF a book I don’t like. I give a book 100 pages to hook me. If I’m still struggling to be interested (or am frustrated by an aspect of the writing), I abandon it. 

What was the book that made you fall in love (or fall in love again) with reading?

Truthfully, I don’t remember not reading. I know my mom read to me when I was little and books have always been so important to me, but three books really stand out as formative in my youth: Beverly Cleary’s Ramona the Pest, Jean E. Karl’s  But We Are Not of Earth, and Susanna by Candice F. Ransom. I then jumped into Christopher Pike horror books, Sweet Dreams and Sweet Valley High Books. By the time I was in high school, Stephen King, Thomas Harris, Lavyrle Spencer and Judith McNaught were favorites.

Would you rather spend a month in Sunshine Falls, or in Nora’s New York life? Why?

As much as I would love Sunshine Falls, I feel like small-town living has been my life for the most part. Therefore, I would love to experience Nora’s New York City life, especially in the bookish world.

Have you ever felt like different places brought out different parts of you?

I’m not sure I’m different when I go to a new place, but I do think traveling outside of my comfort zone makes me a bit more adventurous than what I would normally be at home.

As Libby and Nora grow, they have to accept that life is carrying them in different directions. Have you ever been through something like that with a friend or family member?

I think I’ve been through this with friends, but I think that is probably true for many friendships. It certainly makes me appreciate the friendships who have weathered those changes even more.

Nora and Libby grew up together, and yet they experienced their childhoods very differently. Why do you think that is? Have you ever had this happen with a family member or friend?

I can completely relate. I have two sisters. One is an older half-sister who was put up for adoption and we were recently able to find one another, and my younger sister is special needs. All three of our experiences have been so different.

Charlie initially set out to write and wound up editing. Nora wanted to edit and became an agent instead. Have you ever pursued something that led you in a different direction?

When I was in college, I wanted to break into the publishing industry as an editor. I thought for sure I would be living in a big city like Nora, pursuing my writing life. Then I met my now husband and life took a 180 degree turn. I became an English literature and writing teacher. I’ve come back to my dream of a writing life, but it definitely looks different.

As children, Nora and Libby would change the endings of stories if they didn’t like them. If you could change the ending of one book, what would it be and how would you change it?

The Queen of the Tearling Trilogy by Erika Johansen. That series was so freaking good . . . until the end, which ruined it. I never recommend this series for that reason alone, but I sure wish I could because the series up to that end was fire. There are so many books that I would edit more—popular books that are just over-written and I think: goodness, this needed some serious cutting.

All of Nora’s exes have ended up with partners who were seemingly totally different from them. Nora and Charlie, however, are peas in a pod. Do your favorite fictional couples tend to fall in one category or the other? Do you feel the same about real-life relationships?

If the author is able to explore and develop relationships in a way that make sense and showcase healthy relatability, then I’m all for the grumpy-sunshine, the two-peas-in-a-pod, or even the enemies to lovers. I just can’t do the bullies, the co-dependency, or the hyper-alpha stuff that sets up younger readers  ill-equipped to recognize the unhealthy anecdotes that often exemplify abusive relationships. No thank you on those.

One of Nora’s biggest struggles is finding the balance of how much to compromise in her life for those she loves. What role do you think compromise plays in love? What, to you, is uncompromisable?

I think love is often about compromise, but compromise should be done by both people, not just one, and in a way that makes sense for them as a couple (not based on external expectations). I don’t think someone should ever compromise their boundaries or their identity for someone. But things like what to eat for take out, who’s washing the dishes or cleaning the bathroom, your place or mine, our jobs are in different places, how should  we proceed are healthy ways to explore the give-and-take compromise. Compromising your needs shouldn't be negotiable.

What is your idea of a happy ending?

Nora and Charlie’s happy ending was pretty wonderful. I want an ending that gives me hope and makes me smile so when I close the book I press it to my heart and think: that was perfect. Well done Ms. Henry.

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Processing Post

I’ve had a hard time concentrating, a difficult time writing. The SCOTUS overturning of Roe v. Wade along with the Clarence Thomas quote about reconsidering other cases has me shook. In my nearly five decades on this planet—though I should probably limit that down to thirty years more diligently aware of civil liberties, political landscape, and argumentative fallacy—I can think of a few occurrences that have shocked me and rocked the foundation of my belief in my country.

Only this one has me rocked to the core. This can’t be real, right? Only it is.

A quick google search, and I discovered there is precedent for the Supreme Court overturning their own decisions. Since 1810, the Supreme Court has overturned 233 of its own rulings (this is tracked by the Library of Congress and I found the information on Constitution Center [dot] org.) As I read through the twenty highlighted case, it became clear to my critical but inexperienced eye why the overturning of Roe v Wade was so different. In the twenty cases listed, the courts overturned cases in which the original decision impeded a person’s constitutional rights. From separate but equal, to due process, and even to bodily autonomy rights, the court overturned prior decisions that reinforced, upheld, or violated the individual’s freedom protected by the constitution.

Overturning Roe v. Wade and the decision on July 4, 2022 to negate native peoples tribal rights to prosecute non-tribal members who commit crimes on tribal lands reverting the jurisdiction to federal or state systems both exemplify a disregard for people. With comments made to review gay marriage and other cases related to race, it’s no wonder people are afraid. When the institutions created as a means of “check and balances” and the “founding documents” we’ve all be propagandized to believe protect freedom and the individual rights from the tyranny of the masses, the tyranny of the rich and powerful, and the tyranny of government aren’t holding up, what are we to think?

So maybe it isn’t a wonder that writing has been difficult. I’m working on the second book for my other pen name (it’s an adult romantic fantasy) and at the heart of it is the subjugation of women at the hand of it’s government… yeah. That’s been tough.

I’m processing.

Hopefully, I’ll have a more coherent blog post for you next week, but for now, this is where I am… trying to stay afloat.

4 Things You Should Know about The Messy Truth About Love Before Reading

This book feels different to me somehow. I’m not exactly sure why, but for those of you who’ve followed the books since the beginning, maybe you’ll be able to tell me why this one feels different? And maybe it’s just me being insecure. (LOL).

Here’s what I think you need to know walking into it:

It’s a Second Chance Love Story

I enjoy the idea of getting a do-over. This one isn’t like the later in life do-over in The Letters She Left Behind with Adam and Alex who are in their forties. Instead, this is a retry between two characters—Seth and Hannah—who had crushes on one another in high school, but didn’t really have the opportunity to see where it might take them. That’s where the do-over happens, because now they are both in college, they’ve had some real-world experiences to teach them new lessons and they can try this again (and hopefully get it right).

It’s a Slow Burn

I wouldn’t want you walking into this book thinking: Oh. Since it’s a new adult college book, there’s probably lots of sex. There is some, but it takes a while to get there, my friends, and it isn’t overtly explicit. Think The Stories Stars Tell or In the Echo of this Ghost Town level rather than the typical “new adult” kind of book you might have read. I would rate it as an 18+ but I think it’s appropriate for a 16+ audience.

There are Trigger Warnings

If it’s a book by me, then chances are it’s got a trigger warning or two. This one isn’t any different. Here’s the trigger warning letter if it’s important for you to know.

I’m Proud of this Story

This was a difficult story to write. It wasn’t because of the content so much as it was writing a story about characters I already knew and were growing up. It feels like there’s a lot more pressure attached to getting that right because unlike new characters in which readers don’t have any preconceived ideas, these characters already have people who love them.

I think I did it. Seth still feels like Seth to me, only four years older. Hannah is still Hannah only more developed. Abby and Gabe make an appearance, and they also feel true to who they would be on this timeline.

The thing is: I was afraid to write this book. And I did it anyway. So that’s something to be proud of.

And there you have it. Four things… Four weeks and counting.

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5 Things I Love About The Messy Truth About Love

I love writing stories. LOVE. IT! And this story isn’t the exception. It just reiterates the point. Why? Well here are five reasons I love this story (without giving away any spoilers)...

It’s a love story with a HEA!

You all know I love a good love story. Each and every one of my stories has some type of love story whether it's a central part of the plot or a small thread. I am in love with love. The first inklings of attraction, the tension of wonder, the acceptance of that sort of call to adventure and the eventual understanding of “I love you.” The power of those feelings are beautiful and make me happy. While I know that not all love stories end “happily”, my stories always find a way to resolve in a way that’s redeeming and enjoyable (if not happily-ever-after).

Seth

In the Cantos Chronicles (Swimming Sideways, The Ugly Truth, and The Bones of Who We Are), the loudest of those characters was Seth. He nagged and nagged me to finish the stories which was why The Ugly Truth was written first (even though it’s second in order). I think that’s probably why he is one of my favorite characters. He didn’t give up on me even when I’d given up on myself. He kept talking. So when he started talking again, I had to listen.

Friends to Lovers & Second Chances

I’m not a huge fan of the insta-love trope. I think insta-attraction is a thing, but not love. So many of my books are the slow burn friends to lovers. If they aren’t, then there is often a pre-established relationship, like in The Stories Stars Tell, Emma and Tanner have known one another since freshman year, even if they don’t get together until senior year. There is an established history and context to that relationship to avoid the “insta-love” dilemma. The Messy Truth About Love could seem like insta-love, except that Seth and Hannah have known one another since kindergarten, and though they lost touch, this story gives them the opportunity for a second chance when the first one didn’t end so well.

Set in college with recurring characters alongside new ones.

I love college stories. Maybe because I enjoyed college? Not sure, but there’s something enjoyable about this time period. So I love that The Messy Truth About Love takes place in college. The joy of that is also that I was able to revisit some prior characters (Abby and Gabe, Jack and Kate) but also introduce new characters (Jewel, Trace, Sebastian, and Marco). I am so excited for readers to meet them and to tell me who they love.

I’m so excited to share this story with you! It publishes July 26, 2022.CLWalters Blog RSS

5 Things About The Messy Truth About Love

1.

I didn’t know I was going to write another book in the Cantos series. I thought I was done with these characters. It’s just that Seth started talking to me again. I figured I better check in because knowing Seth, he wasn’t going to shut up. He’s kind of a nag (and I adore him for it). Though The Messy Truth About Love is a stand alone, it can also be read as a continuation of Swimming Sideways, The Ugly Truth and The Bones of Who We Are. 

Swimming Sideways, The Ugly Truth, The Bones of Who We Are

2.

When I first wrote the story, I thought I was just going to jump into the new adult college romance category. Except the characters wouldn’t let me just write a fun romance story. I fought them on this, but they wouldn’t cooperate with me until I gave into the deeper threads. So is it a college romance? Yes. But note trigger warnings (you can find those here if you want to see them but beware…spoilers).

3.

Some of the locations in the book are real places reimagined and renamed, some are complete fabrications. Oregonians will definitely be able to pick these out. For my non-Oregonian readers, the towns are fake (like Cantos) except for Portland, and the college names are also made up. The college that Seth and Hannah attend is inspired by my alma mater, Western Oregon University in Monmouth, Oregon. Another of the places patterned from a real one is a place Seth and Hannah go on a date, fictionally called Oregon Science Museum, but Oregon has a real museum in Portland called Oregon Museum of Science and Industry. It’s a staple in my family’s visitation schedule when we travel home.

4.

The Messy Truth About Love is my tenth published book! Oh my! I didn’t know I’d even reach that milestone.

5.

My editor told me this week: “This [story] NEEDS to be out there.” That always makes me happy.

I hope you’re as excited as I am.

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Read Along: Relatability

I remember when Lavinia (an amazing beta reader) finished reading The Stories Stars Tell and said, “What about Griffin?” and I knew exactly what she was talking about. There’s this scene (I’ve mentioned it before) where Tanner and Griffin exchange a moment and we get to see Griffin’s vulnerability. It’s a flash and so understated, but enough that I agreed with her. “Yes. Now I’m thinking about Griffin.” And I wrote the opening chapter of In the Echo of this Ghost Town—the fight scene that’s also in The Stories Stars Tell from Griffin’s point of view. The thing that made the whole endeavor difficult, however, was that Griffin wasn’t very likable, which meant, I had to look at how to address that, otherwise people would throw the book at the wall rather than read it.

After this week’s fifty page reread for the read-along, I noted 3 ways I worked out Griffin’s relatability.

He’s vulnerable (to the audience):

In that opening chapter, Griffin is drunk. He’s not very nice outwardly to Tanner or Danny showcasing his stubborn streak and demonstrating what a jerk he can be. For example, when Danny offers Tanner a ride home, Griffin says, “He isn’t our friend.” Wow. Okay. Jerk move. But in contrast, there are these inner thoughts he shares that showcase how vulnerable he’s feeling. Specifically when he shares that he’s split in half with angry Griff “who adds scar tissue to protect the softer parts.” 

Vulnerability, as a human trait, is very relatable as is the innate need to protect oneself. When considering my own life, I have the tendency to hide it to protect my sensitive heart. I would venture a guess that many of us do. That commonality connects us and allows us to look at Griffin then, with compassion and understanding (even if he’s a jerk).

He’s reflective:

The further we travel from that opening scene, Griffin opens up his thoughts to the reader. That second chapter in July starts with a dream where he’s adamant to both his brother Phoenix and his father that he “isn’t a good guy” and when he wakes from that dream, he looks up at the ceiling in his room and likens it to being stuck in a box. Throughout these first fifty pages, Griffin seems to have a sense that he’s messing up, but he also doesn’t demonstrate he has any tools to really understand why yet or even how to go about fixing it. 

One of my favorite sections is when he initially arrives at the house he’s going to be working on with Cal. He describes it as “a dump.” This house and its journey throughout the story is a symbol of Griffin and his journey. When he gets the job and shows up, he doesn’t have any tools to work on the house, and is provided tools from Cal. Griffin’s lack of emotional and behavioral tools is understandable, and in a way, his ability to look more closely at himself, even if he isn’t ready to admit his failure yet, makes his journey toward complete self awareness more palatable to a reader. 

His relationships with his mom, Cal and Max

While Griffin in these first fifty pages can be awful at times—like when he gets angry at his mom for bringing up his father—there are small moments when he shows a different side in relationship to others. For example, when he helps his mother make her lunch for work so she can rest. Or when he wants to do a good job for Cal even if he isn’t sure he can, or when he compares Max to a puzzle after considering he likes puzzles. The way Griffin acts outwardly is often incongruent with his internal thoughts, except for when little moments get highlighted with others. Just like that moment with Tanner in The Stories Stars Tell that sparked Griffin’s story.

For those of you reading along with me, I can’t wait to hear what you think. What stood out. What makes Griffin relatable if not likable?

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Read Along with Me: In the Echo of this Ghost Town

Join me for a read along next month! We’ll be reading In the Echo of this Ghost Town.

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4 Things I've Learned About Writing Reading Historical

It is already known that I love romance. Historical romance is my jam, especially Regency period stuff, though it must be said that I minored in history for my undergraduate degree because I loved it so much. Which means, I just like history. Period books—when done well—are wonderful and have the potential to be powerful. And as a writer, here are a few lessons I’ve take from reading in this category:

It all comes down to R-E-S-E-A-R-C-H!

Research comes up over and over—in every category. And if a writer is writing historically, they better take the time to really understand the world they are building around true events (or a time period). That research becomes the roots from which every element of literature grows: setting, characters, conflict, and theme. Get those roots wrong and intelligent readers will be able to sniff out those inconsistencies. Look, like readers of every category, historical readers are, in many circumstances, voracious readers of specific time periods (i.e., Regency romance anyone? WWII? Civil War & Reconstruction? The Wild West?). They know! They are smart. Treat them that way. Talented historical writers trust their readers. And that’s a critical lesson.

Because here’s the truth there are some major strikes that move a book toward my DNF pile (and I don’t think I’m alone here): 

Information dump in the first chapters. There is a better way to tell the story . . .

Inconsistencies (language, behavior, details)

I’m bored. If I can’t get into the story by page 100, I’m out.

Whether a book is historical or not, inconsistencies in setting or character behavior, anachronism, or colloquialism that doesn’t fit, misrepresenting a job, missing important details take a reader out of the story. And that’s why research is so important. It is the roots from which the story grows.

Because let’s face it . . .

The Devil’s in the Details.

Details can get a writer mired in information dump or they can elevate the work to the perfect escape. They can also get you in trouble with readers who are in the know, so getting those details right is crucial. The key is knowing how to use those details and when. Good historical writer’s do this, but so do good writers of any category. Understanding how to drop in those details is a balancing act.

Because there’s a perfect dance between: 

Too Much Versus Just Right

Have you read In the Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruis Zafon? Or Morning Glory by Lavyrle Spencer? How about The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. Or To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee? I highly recommend these reads. Why? Because they pull this dance off to perfection. It is a “Just Right” kind of presentation of details that immerse the reader in the world but still hold true to the forward movement of a story. *chef’s kiss.

Which brings us to…

Narrative Awareness 

 

Forward movement is key. That plot line that moves a reader from the beginning to the end at a pace that’s perfect for the tone and intention is what keeps the reader invested and turning pages. When a writer gets mired in the backstory, the details, the plot stalls out. Instead of the story being about the narrative, it becomes about the research. And that’s where the reader stalls out, disconnects, closes the book, and never picks it up again.

And now we’re full circle, back to the beginning: Research is the roots of a good story.

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4 Things I've Learned About Writing Reading Nonfiction

I’m going to admit to you my reading weakness: nonfiction. I’m not crazy about long form nonfiction. I’ll read short form (essay, articles, etc.), but I will only pick up a nonfiction book if someone recommends it to me or I’m in the midst of researching a topic for my own work.

Why? I prefer fiction for its juiciness and drama. I love to use my imagination. Nonfiction, in many ways, is rooted in the cut and dry of informative writing. There are exceptions to this of course: Ta-Nehisi Coates Between the World and Me, Tara Westover’s Education, Trevor Noah’s Born a Crime or Michelle Obama’s Becoming name a few. When I come across a work of nonfiction I like, I pay attention because there’s a lot to be learned between the covers of a well written work of nonfiction.

These are 4 of my lessons:

Research . . . Obviously.

Look, unless it's a narrative memoir, the amount of research that goes into conveying the nuts and bolts about a topic from a particular framework has to be rooted in research. Two of my favorite books, both written by Peggy Orenstein Girls & Sex (2016) and Boys & Sex (2020) are rooted in years of anecdotal evidence, a plethora of interviews, and a literature review to hold up any particular claims. 

Research is the bread and butter of the nonfiction genre. And this skill, while perhaps not as utilized in text as a fiction writer, is equally important to understanding context around topics. One example was writing Griffin Nichols from In the Echo of this Ghost Town. I am obviously not a male, nor am I one grappling with his male identity or his understanding of male culture. I needed more perspective, so I turned to books written by men (and Peggy Orenstein who interviewed hundreds of young men) about the topic. Though the books weren’t used as source material for my work, I heavily relied on the themes and suppositions offered to help me understand the topic on a deeper scale.

Language 

One thing that all fiction writers can gain from reading nonfiction is the absolute necessity of clarity in conveying meaning. Often the brevity and pithiness of the work conveys a wealth of meaning. This is a strong lesson about making the words, the short scenes, the chapters work harder with less words. Hemingway anyone?

Narrative Structure 

Just like with language and clarity, stellar nonfiction relies on the inclusion of content that adds to the work in its entirety. Anything extraneous is left out. There is reliance on the condition that if it is text, it is worth paying attention to. Fiction writers get this wrong a lot, adding details and flourish that aren’t important for a particular scene or in the broader context of the work’s structure. There is a lesson in recognizing that not everything should be included, and often, less is more just as there is a perfect dance between showing and telling.

Chapter Pay Off

Finally, another lesson I have been able to attribute to my own writing is the section “pay off”. When reading nonfiction, each section, each chapter provides the reader with a takeaway of sorts. Whether it’s a small textual morsel to chew on intellectually or an actual nugget of information about the topic, nonfiction writer’s know that their reader needs to walk away from reading having gained something meaningful. This keeps readers invested and reading, and eventually contributes to what’s beyond the book.  

Fiction writers don’t always recognize this in the smaller context of scene to scene. Sure, we might recognize that the scene contributes to the next, which adds to the next, which leads us to the final battle, but what keeps the reader reading from scene to scene? It’s the emotional takeaway, the payout a fiction writer offers in little nuggets or morsels about character growth, relationship teases, momentum shift, or one more clue. Every scene should matter in the broader context of the development of character and narrative, but not at the detriment of becoming a play-by-play. While this might be obvious to the author, it needs to be intuitively sensed by the reader to keep them invested.

I vow to be a better nonfiction reader. And if you have a recommendation for me, drop it in the comments!

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5 Things I Learned About Writing Reading Contemporary

Contemporary is my jam. Obviously. I’ve written and published 7 contemporary titles. Love them. That also means I read a lot of them. Who am I kidding? I read a lot of everything. But if you were to look at my bookshelves, contemporary takes up a lot of the shelf space. 

Not Pictured: The Letters She Left Behind

To avoid redundancy from previous blogs, I tried to keep the points salient and fresh. And while there is some overlap, I’ll explore the topic as it relates to contemporary even though the hope is to examine how the tools work across categories. 

Dialogue

Contemporary writers have dialogue down. The whip-snap of witty repartee between characters, the one liners that have me laughing out loud, and the pacing of oral language is often the bread and butter of this genre. For example, Mhairi McFarlane, contemporary romance writer, does this so well. Her ability to showcase not only the words that capture the dialogue, but also showcase characters in their language and interaction with one another is clever and wonderful. 

Dialogue is important in any story and can either be a major selling point or a horrific drawback. Dialogue that lags, like excessive passive voice, adverbs, and underdeveloped elements, can break a story. It’s crucial to get it right.

Tip: Reread your favorite author and pay attention to dialogue. Study the “sound”, the rhythm, the dialogue tags. 

Secondary Characters 

I haven’t mentioned secondary characters in any of my previous posts in this series, though I should have. Here’s the thing, they are SO FREAKING IMPORTANT! Sometimes I wonder if writer’s just set up cardboard pieces to stand up in scenes for the protagonist to bounce off of (because this is how they are written sometimes: flat and static). 

A secondary character that is developed as much as a main character with their own motivations and desires adds layers to the story. Why? Because when the protagonist or villain or love interest is interacting with the character, their motivations are at stake in the interaction even if the reader isn’t focused there. The author has the ability to add this nuance for added depth. And that’s the difference between a good secondary character and a great one!

Want an example? Frederick Backman. Need I say more? Go read Anxious People. With a cast of characters, each one is developed to add depth and layers to the overall tapestry of the whole story. Read A Man Called Ove. Ove is the main character, but in the secondary characters we find the threads of a story. Another master at this, and one of my favorite storytellers, Markus Zusak. Bridge of Clay is spectacular.

Situational Awareness

Fantasy, science fiction and dystopian writers often talk about their world building bibles. Here’s the thing, contemporary stories require some level of world building, though not in the same way. If I choose to set a story in London, I better know what’s happening in that city and get that representation right, or Londoners are going to wreak havoc in my reviews. Likewise, if I make up a small town, I better flesh that world out so it’s clear. Authors have to know where and when and how, but without dropping the information bomb. So it’s important to have these details clear. One of my favorite recent reads that did this well was If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio. This dark academia, atmospheric piece developed a very clear world that contributed to the overall structure of the contemporary work. 

A step beyond the world building is the situational awareness that defines movement within the scene. Being clear on the definitions of time, space, attitudes, environmental constructs in relationship to the character must remain believable in the contemporary setting, but this is a great lesson for other kinds of categorical writing as well. With contemporary specifically, readers will know when something doesn’t fit or work. Their suspended disbelief will come to a screeching halt. 

Psychology

Psychology, like situation awareness, is one of those areas in writing that adds layers to the story. In contemporary stories, characters behave due to motives and interactions. Their reactions and responses are informed not by plot needs alone (hopefully, because if they are, then the reader will see through the author insertions), but by characterization which is often informed by the psychology of the character.

One of my favorite writers, Jeff Zentner, does this really well as does Jennifer Niven along with Mary H.K. Choi. The development and movement of their characters through the prose is guided by the underlying wants/needs/fears/struggles of their character which develop that realism and relatability of a character. This doesn’t mean you need a psychology degree, of course, but doing some research might help, which brings me to my final point.

Research 

Look, all authors research and this will come up again when I touch nonfiction and historical stories in upcoming posts. Rather than the nuts and bolts of deep dive research with historical or topic driven constructs, contemporary writers must take time to understand contemporary issues that will run interference against and impact their characters. If I’m tackling September 2001 in my book, I better understand the nuance of 9/11 and its impacts on various groups. If I’m tackling the #metoo and subsequent movements, I need to dive into the issue to understand the context, the intersectionality, and the impact on various characters within the narrative. Failing to do the research and offer perspective is a failure in due diligence as an author to tell the truth. 

Here’s a personal example. I have a new contemporary novel coming out later this year called The Messy Truth About Love. I’ve had to research several topics, two of which were childhood abuse and trauma and its effects on children as adults and narcissism and its impact on relationships. These topics reflect real people’s experiences (as will your fantasy hero or your dystopian villain), and it’s important to get them as right and accurately reflected as I can.

Got a favorite contemporary title you think I should check out?

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