Angela Ackerman's Blog: Writers Helping Writers, page 103

Two Great Tools To Help You Win NaNoWriMo

[image error]Everyone ready for NaNoWriMo? I won’t lie, I am super envious of all you NaNo Warriors. I love this event and the creativity that comes from it. How I wish I could join in the fun…but it’s not in the cards this year.

However, Becca and I want to support all of you who are leaping into the sleep-deprived & coffee-fueled madness of NaNo, so here are two deals you may not know about that can help you get those 50,000 words on the page.

A FREE Month Subscription at One Stop for Writers

[image error]When you’re heading on month-long journey into a world of imaginative chaos, you want to make sure your writer’s backpack is well stocked. We know your gummy bears and pretzels supply is ready to go but what about the creative tools that will help you actually get those words written?

If you haven’t tried One Stop for Writers, now’s a great time to sign up. Imagine having all 14 of our thesaurus description databases at your fingertips during November. And if you hit a wall and need a secret for a character, a plot complication or something else, our Idea Generator will help you leap out over it. Need to plot out a timeline or storyboard a new subplot? Yep, we’ve got you covered there too.

If you’d like to claim your free month, visit our Checklists & Tip Sheet page and scroll to the bottom for your one-time code.

The Emotion Thesaurus is Amazon’s Kindle Monthly Deal ($2.99, October only!)

[image error]Maybe you’ve heard buzz about The Emotion Thesaurus and are wondering why people get so excited about it. Well, our books are a bit unique in that they contain helpful brainstorming lists to ensure you never get stuck on what to write next. (Sounds sort of great for NaNoWriMo, right?)

The Emotion Thesaurus looks at 75 different emotions and lists out the body language, thoughts, and visceral sensations for each so you can also figure out exactly HOW to express your character’s emotion.

If you need a copy, please grab it before November. It’s only $2.99 at Amazon.com and ₹153.60 at Amazon.in during October and we like saving you money.

TIP: If this is a book you’d like to give as a Christmas gift to a writing friend, you could buy it now and set it to deliver in December.

All right, guys–you’ve got this. We’re cheering you on!

Occupation Thesaurus Entry: Mechanical Engineer

Jobs are as important for our characters as they are for real people. A character’s career might be their dream job or one they’ve chosen due to necessity. In your story, they might be trying to get that job or are already working in the field. Whatever the situation, as with any defining aspect for your character, you’ll need to do the proper research to be able to write that career knowledgeably.

Enter the Occupation Thesaurus. Here, you’ll find important background information on a variety of career options for your character. In addition to the basics, we’ll also be covering related info that relates to character arc and story planning, such as sources of conflict (internal and external) and how the job might impact basic human needs, thereby affecting the character’s goals. It’s our hope that this thesaurus will share some of your research burden while also giving you ideas about your character’s occupation that you might not have considered before.

[image error]Occupation: Mechanical Engineer

Overview: Mechanical Engineering involves the study of motion, force, and energy. Engineers call upon their knowledge in this area by researching, designing, building, and maintaining mechanical tools, engines, machines, and large-scale plants and facilities. The  products and systems created and developed by mechanical engineers is vast, from space shuttle vehicles to escalators to biomedical devices to power plants.

Their skills are needed in a variety of industries, including aerospace, automotive, pharmaceutical, robotics, construction, oil and gas, utilities, and more—meaning there are many employment options for someone in this field.

Necessary Training: To work in this field, one must acquire a four-year mechanical engineering degree. Coursework leans heavily on advanced mathematics, calculus, chemistry, and physics.

Useful Skills, Talents, or Abilities: Mechanically inclined, repurposing

Helpful Character Traits:

POSITIVE: Analytical, cooperative, creative, curious, decisive, efficient, enthusiastic, focused, industrious, intelligent, meticulous, observant, organized, proactive, resourceful, responsible, sensible, studious

Sources of Friction: Working on a team with uncooperative or unmotivated members, racial or gender prejudice, being unable to find the solution for a particular project, being led by someone lacking sufficient knowledge or experience, dealing with paperwork and red tape that keep one from doing one’s job, working within unrealistic deadlines, losing funding in the middle of a project, unknowingly working with inferior parts (resulting in machines breaking down or not working), one’s machine malfunctioning and causing an injury, being passed up for the projects one is excited about, being pigeon-holed into only working on certain projects, being great with machines but not so good with people, one’s ideas being stolen (by a boss, team member, or client), one’s project being sabotaged by a jealous or competitive co-worker, a physical injury (such as a traumatic brain injury or one affecting the hands or fingers) that makes it difficult to work

People They Might Interact With: Clients, a boss, office personnel, team members and co-workers, project managers, construction foremen and general contractors, other engineers

How This Occupation Might Impact One’s Basic Needs:

Self-Actualization: Because this career field is so vast, people may enter it with different goals. If a character was passionate about working in a certain area but gets stuck working on certain products or in one space, they may become dissatisfied, feeling they’re not able to do what they really want to do.
Esteem and Recognition: Someone who is always being out-performed by co-workers or is bypassed repeatedly for promotions may begin to doubt himself or lose esteem in the eyes of his peers.
Safety and Security: A mechanical engineer involved in the manufacture and testing of machinery may find herself in danger if something goes wrong.

Common Work-Related Settings: Big city street, boardroom, break room, construction site, elevator, factory, office cubicle, parking lot, parking garage

Twisting the Fictional Stereotype: 

Engineers have typically been drawn as nerdy, bookish types. What about a sexy, adventurous, engineer?
While it’s true that mechanical engineers spend a lot of time in the office, spice yours up by giving them a project that requires them to visit interesting locations or places that are strategic to your plot.

Visit the other Occupations in our collection HERE.

The post Occupation Thesaurus Entry: Mechanical Engineer appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®.

CRITIQUES 4 U

[image error]

It’s Fall, y’all! Which has absolutely no bearing on this month’s critique contest. I’m just so excited that the temperatures are finally dropping and the leaves are turning :).

If you’re working on a first page (in any genre except erotica) and would like some objective feedback, please leave a comment. Any comment :). As long as the email address associated with your WordPress account/comment profile is up-to-date, I’ll be able to contact you if your first page is chosen. Just please know that if I’m unable to get in touch with you through that address, you’ll have to forfeit your win.

Two caveats:

    Please be sure your first page is ready to go so I can critique it before next month’s contest rolls around. If it needs some work and you won’t be able to get it to me right away, let me ask that you plan on entering the next contest, once any necessary tweaking has been taken care of.

    I’d like to be able to use portions of winning submissions as illustrations in an upcoming presentation I’m creating on first pages. By entering the Critiques 4 U contest, you’ll be granting permission for me to use small writing samples only (no author names or book titles).

Three commenters’ names will be randomly drawn and posted tomorrow. If you win, you can email me your first page and I’ll offer my feedback. Best of luck!

The post CRITIQUES 4 U appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®.

What Can Flash Fiction Do For Novel Writers?

Are you familiar with flash fiction? Have you dismissed it because you write novels or screenplays or something significantly longer? Well, don’t give up on it just yet. Writing and publishing flash fiction can help in ways you probably weren’t aware, as Gila Green is here to explain.

Book publishing is a tough, competitive business. Still, there’s no reason to make the road harder to travel. Enter flash fiction—an excellent way to break into both fiction and nonfiction book publishing.

[image error]

Flash fiction pieces are very short stories that still include their own character development and plot. Other names for flash fiction include nano fiction, micro fiction, postcard fiction, and sudden fiction. Usually anything under 1,000 words is considered flash, but it can be as brief as fifty.

If your goal is to publish long, you may be thinking that writing short is a waste of time. I’d like to share five ways writing and submitting flash fiction can shorten the road to novel publication.

Practice Working with Editors

In publishing you absolutely cannot have enough contacts. When you publish flash fiction you will be dealing with an editor—at least one, and sometimes two. Occasionally, you’ll correspond with an acquisition editor who accepts your work and directs you to the editor of that specific genre, or that specific issue. No matter how short your pieces are, that experience working with editors is valuable. You will be that much more polished when communicating with a potential novel editor one day.

Contacts, Contacts, Contacts

If you get particularly lucky, there will be a well-established guest editor for that issue, and you’ll have that editor’s direct contact e-mail and a reason to communicate. This happened to me recently. Imagine my delight when my piece was accepted and I received a personal email from Alicia Elliott with her comments on my work.

[image error]

You might ask yourself how connecting with editors on very short pieces can really make a difference to you. First, remember that most editors of literary magazines and anthologies are published writers. When your book is under consideration and you receive that all-too common email asking about your marketing plans, you can include that editor’s name as a potential contact.

Second, if you send that editor a polite and personal email, he or she might in future consider giving you a blurb for your novel or a recommendation for a writer’s retreat, advice, or news about industry events.

Examples of a light, personal touches you might include in such a message:

“It was a pleasure working with you and I hope we have a chance to work together again soon in future.”
“Please add me to your mailing list for future issues and events.”
You might also join the publication’s social media and interact in a positive way. I have continued to ‘like’ magazines that have published my work and to communicate with editors on LinkedIn, briefly sharing news. You can also expand your writer’s community this way, far beyond the editor who accepted your piece.

Another point to consider is that flash doesn’t stop at magazines; there are also flash anthologies. Some of those magazines and anthologies are linked to small presses like Akashic Books—a publisher who asks for themed flash fiction and then puts out themed story collections.

This means one short piece could land you as an author in an anthology from a respected press. Not only will that be on your bio, but all of the writers published with you will be pushing that anthology. That’s a lot more marketing partners than you’d have on your own, and it is great exposure for a future novel.

Versatility

Contrary to popular belief, flash isn’t always associated with fiction. Writing a memoir? There’s a micro-memoir online magazine waiting for your submission. There’s nonfiction flash essay and flash event writing, too. Erika Dreifus has put together a fantastic list here. The wonderful versatility of flash applies to genre as well, including crime flash, romance, horror, and most other categories.

Practical Experience

Finally, flash fiction is an excellent way to develop your skills as a writer. You have to make the reader fall in love with your story very quickly, and that takes ability and talent. It’s worth practicing and will improve your novel writing, making it that much more publishable.

Flash Writing as a Dress Rehearsal

I’ve met more than one novelist who told me her novel started with an admired flash piece that she decided to expand. Don’t be surprised if you end up ditching the novel you’re struggling with and stretching out your flash piece to full-manuscript size once you see the micro version of it up on a popular site. There’s nothing like applause to stir up some imagination and motivate you to write more.

In conclusion, no matter what novel genre you’re writing, flash fiction can help you break into publishing your longer works. The most prestigious magazines, including The New Yorker, are big flash fans. If the biggest names in literature are excited about it and publishing it, it’s worth a second look.

[image error]

Canadian Gila Green is an Israel-based writer, editor, and EFL teacher. Her collection White Zion is forthcoming from Cervena Barva Press (April 2019). Her novel Passport Control is published by S&H publishing (August 2018). Her first novel is King of the Class (NON Publishing, 2013). Her short stories have been published in dozens of literary journals. Her fiction has received seven award nominations. She teaches flash fiction at WOW-womenonwriting. Please visit Gila at www.gilagreenwrites.com.

 

The post What Can Flash Fiction Do For Novel Writers? appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®.

Occupation Thesaurus Entry: Dog Groomer

Jobs are as important for our characters as they are for real people. A character’s career might be their dream job or one they’ve chosen due to necessity. In your story, they might be trying to get that job or are already working in the field. Whatever the situation, as with any defining aspect for your character, you’ll need to do the proper research to be able to write that career knowledgeably.

Enter the Occupation Thesaurus. Here, you’ll find important background information on a variety of career options for your character. In addition to the basics, we’ll also be covering related info that relates to character arc and story planning, such as sources of conflict (internal and external) and how the job might impact basic human needs, thereby affecting the character’s goals. It’s our hope that this thesaurus will share some of your research burden while also giving you ideas about your character’s occupation that you might not have considered before.

[image error]Occupation: Dog Groomer

Overview: Dog groomers maintain a dog’s physical appearance using various shears, trimmers, scissors, brushes, shampoos, and other products. They will bathe, dry, cut, and shape a canine’s coat to the specifications of the owner as well as cut the dog’s nails, brush their teeth, clean their ears, and be on the lookout for illnesses or problems such as area swellings, cuts, thrush, ticks, or other parasites. Some groomers may offer additional services such as fur dying and designer cuts.

Groomers typically work at shelters, kennels, pet stores, in a mobile unit, or out of their own homes. Some may also have a practice as part of a larger veterinary clinic that serves many dog owners.

Necessary Training: Most employers require a high school diploma when hiring a groomer, and in addition to on-the-job training and censorship, may also require a certification from a recognized grooming school or post-secondary school apprenticeship program.

Useful Skills, Talents, or Abilities: A knack for making money, a way with animals, basic first aid, charm, empathy, enhanced hearing, enhanced sense of smell, exceptional memory, gaining the trust of others, multitasking

Helpful Character Traits:

POSITIVE: Adaptable, affectionate, calm, centered, charming, easygoing, efficient, empathetic, focused, friendly, gentle, industrious, nurturing, observant, professional, responsible, talented, thrifty, tolerant

NEGATIVE: fussy, stubborn, workaholic

Sources of Friction: Developing an allergy to dogs or dog grooming products, a groomer suddenly quitting leaving one with far too many clients to handle, demanding pet owners (who expect perfection, who want cuts outside one’s experience, who wish to have their dog’s coat treated in a way that will be painful for the dog or dangerous), dogs that are unsocialized and difficult to work with, animals with a history of abuse that bite and scratch, dog owners who refuse to provide paperwork that shows the dog’s shots are up to date, a dog getting loose and taking off because a gate is left open, dog owners who are cheap and complain at the price or don’t tip, accidentally clipping a dog and causing injury, discovering animal abuse and having to report it, trying to pay one’s bills on a dog grooming salary, a dog having an allergic reaction to a product, a pet owner not disclosing a condition or allergy, pet owners requesting a full shave when it is not needed or it is dangerous to give one (exposing them to possible sunburn or other dangers), Pet owners who don’t respect the window of time needed to groom the animal and show up too early

People They Might Interact With: dog owners, pet sitters, pet store employees or veterinarian staff (if past of a pet store or vet clinic), other groomers, delivery people

How This Occupation Might Impact One’s Basic Needs:

Esteem and Recognition: Characters in this job may struggle with recognition as customers sometimes only see the price tag and don’t always appreciate the time and energy that goes into caring for their pet.


Love and Belonging: In some cases groomers can be overloaded with appointments, and the long hours and tiring work can leave little energy left over for loved ones, causing resentment


Safety and Security: As this job is lower pay, it can be difficult to have financial security unless other members of the household ate also contributing

Common Work-Related Settings: vet clinic

Visit the other Occupations in our collection HERE.

The post Occupation Thesaurus Entry: Dog Groomer appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®.

How to Nail the First Three Pages

[image error]

Let’s face it, talking about writing the first pages of a novel is stressful. It can strike terror into the heart of even the most seasoned writer, because as writers we all know how scarily narrow the window is, and yet we must reach through it, grab the reader, and yank them into the story.

The problem is that writers often think that what pulls readers in is that perfectly written first sentence. The one that proves you’re a wordsmith. Because, of course, being a “wordsmith” is what defines you as a writer.

No, no, no.

What makes you a writer is the focused ability to relentlessly dig deep into your protagonist’s past, unearthing the specific material from which the story springs organically. Because it’s the story itself that makes the words potent. Not the other way around.

In other, um, words, it’s not the words. It’s what the words are saying that yanks the reader in. And what they’re saying comes from the story, NOT from writing technique, reader manipulation, writing rules or, heaven forbid, “love of language,” whatever that means.

The focus on wordsmithing is heartbreaking. It not only keeps writers from getting out of the starting gate, it keeps them from getting into it. Because if you can’t write a perfect opening sentence, what’s the point of writing a second sentence?

Here’s a welcome newsflash: The brain is far less picky about beautiful writing than we’ve been lead to believe. And that’s as true in literary fiction as in commercial novels.

So what does yank the reader in, what hijacks the reader’s brain on that first page, catapulting readers head first into the world of the story?

There are four things we’re wired to look for on the first pages that, in concert, create the world of the story, make the reader to care, and so — biologically — have to know what happens next. Because story isn’t for entertainment. Story is entertaining so we’ll pay attention to it, because we just might learn something we need to know about what makes people tick, the better to navigate this mortal coil without getting clobbered too often.

Here are the four elements that — even when the writing IS lovely, lyrical and beautiful — are what your reader is actually responding to.

What’s the Big Picture?

[image error]As readers, we know that a story is about how someone solves an unexpected problem they cannot avoid. That’s WHY we’re drawn to story – we want to see how someone will deal with the kind of problems we so studiously avoid in real life. We crave the “uh oh” that yanks us in. Not a mere momentary “uh oh,” but one that has legs – one that kicks off an escalating row of dominoes. Which is why we need a glimpse of those dominoes, of where this is going.

As one editor brilliantly said recently, “The first paragraph is a promise you make to your reader.” In other words: What is the overarching plot problem?

Here’s what that opening paragraph (sometimes only a sentence!) should convey:

What’s the Context? What arena will this play out in? Think of it as our yardstick, our score card. If we don’t know what the specific ongoing problem is, we can’t make sense of what’s happening. We’re wired to look for causality in everything. If this, then that – it’s how we humans turn the chaos around us into a world we can kind of, sort of, navigate. Plus, without a clear context, we can’t anticipate what might happen next, giving us nothing to be curious about, and so no reason to read forward.
Where’s the Conflict? Where is the specific conflict? Why is the problem hitting critical mass right now? We want to feel that jolt. That’s what gets our attention (not beautiful writing). Surprise rivets us. Don’t mute it, don’t make it “tepid,” don’t make the reader guess what you really mean – instead, let there be blood. Writers shy away from this, thinking it’s “over the top.” Here’s the truth: Over the top is what we come for. Whether in events, or in the depth of emotion seemingly mundane events can trigger.
What’s the Scope? Where will this end? What is it building toward? What is the journey you want me to sign on for? The biggest problem writers have is that they hold back the specifics for a reveal later, thinking that will lure the reader in. Instead it locks the reader out. First, it implies we already care enough to want to know what’s going on. We don’t. Letting us know that Something Big is happening, but keeping it vague, implied, unclear, doesn’t make us curious. It makes us annoyed. Like the writer is toying with us. We can’t imagine what might happen next because we have no idea what is happening now. Or why. So why would we care?

The irony is that writers withhold the very information that would lure us in. Consider these very specific, utterly revealing opening lines:

Lydia is dead. But they don’t know this yet. From Celeste Ng’s debut literary novel Everything I Never Told You

It was a weirdly subtle conversation. I almost didn’t notice I was being blackmailed. From Becky Albertalli’s YA Simon vs. The Homosapien’s Agenda

Joel Campbell, eleven years old at the time, began his descent toward murder with a bus ride. From Elizabeth George’s thriller What Came Before He Shot Her

Lucy runs away with her high school teacher, William, on a Friday, the last day of school, a June morning shiny with heat. From Caroline Leavitt’s literary novel Cruel Beautiful World

The Takeaway: GIVE IT ALL AWAY! TELL US WHERE WE’RE GOING. TELL US WHAT’S HAPPENING. BE SPECIFIC. BE CLEAR. BE CONCRETE. And yes, I’m yelling, not at you but at that pesky voice in your head that often tells you to hold back, that says somehow holding back makes you a more sophisticated writer. Here’s the truth: giving it all away is not “unliterary.” It’s not clunky. It’s not over the top. It’s not too obvious. It’s the key to grabbing the reader.

The job of the first paragraph is to hook the reader by stoking that delicious sense of urgency. Now you have to follow through in order to hold them.

What Is Happening?

[image error]Once we know what the story problem is, we expect that first domino to topple, starting a chain reaction that we’ll ride all the way to the end. So, let the problem begin.

I’m betting that’s a piece of advice you’ve already heard. Leap into action! The problem is it implies that objectively “dramatic” action in and of itself is engaging. Couldn’t be less true.

I remember years ago reading the first pages of a manuscript – it was a historical novel set in the wild west. It opened with a woman trapped alone in a runaway stagecoach. The driver had been shot, the horses were running wildly, madly, the woman was screaming, and did I mention they were galloping along a sheer cliff edge, so at any minute the stagecoach could plunge to the valley below and . . . who cares?

The irony was that the more “specific” sensory details she threw in, the more beautiful her metaphors, the more intricate her rendition of the horror on that poor trapped woman’s face, the more it alienated the reader. I mean, with all those details it started to feel like there was going to be a test or something. Not that the reader wants that woman to die, but sheesh, you don’t actually know her, so your mind wanders toward things you do care about like, hmmm, I wonder if that brownie is still in the fridge, maybe I should just go check?

And here’s the thing, without the aforementioned context and scope, the above is dull, boring, and . . . a brownie did you say?

The Takeaway: Yes, immediate action is required. Something must be happening, absolutely. But action alone – regardless how objectively dramatic – won’t pull the reader in. It needs to be the action that kicks off the overarching problem that we’ve already been made aware of, and as important, it needs to be someone’s problem – which brings us to the next thing the reader is searching for on the first pages . . .

Who Is the Protagonist?

After all, the protagonist is the reader’s avatar in the story, the person in whose head the reader will reside. This is the person who the reader will be rooting for, whose point of view everything will be filtered through.

Make no mistake: everything that happens in the plot gets its meaning, and therefore its emotional weight, based on one thing and one thing only: how it affects the protagonist. Does it get her closer to her goal or further from it? Does it help her or hurt her? And — this is where your story really lies — what specific, subjective meaning is she reading into what’s happening, given her agenda?

The Takeaway: Without a protagonist, nothing means anything, and even the most “objectively” dramatic action falls flat because there’s no story, just a plot — otherwise known as “a bunch of things that happen.” Which is why as readers we want to meet the protagonist on the very first page.

Now comes the fourth element, the one that brings these three elements together and binds them in meaning:

Why Does What’s Happening Matter to the Protagonist?

Right now you could be thinking, Hey, that woman trapped in the stagecoach—I sure know why plunging over the cliff mattered to her. It’s because she doesn’t want to die. Duh! And that’s precisely why that isn’t what the reader is after. Because the reader already knows that no one wants to plunge to their death. So there’s nothing we can learn from that. It’s generic. Ho hum.

Rather, the answer to this question stems from something that writers often don’t focus on, let alone develop: What is the protagonist’s overarching agenda, the one she steps onto the page with?

All protagonists enter the story with an agenda — whether they’re conscious of it or not — and the plot is going to mess with it. The reason what’s happening on page one matters to the protagonist is because it’s going to throw a monkey wrench into their well-laid plan.

Want an example of an overarching agenda? Let’s circle back to the first two lines of Simon vs. the Homosapien’s Agenda: “It was a weirdly subtle conversation. I almost didn’t realize I was being blackmailed.”

[image error]

That starts with a bang. We have a notion of where it’s going, the scope and the conflict. But the real question is how does being blackmailed affect the agenda Simon had before his dorky classmate Martin threatened him?

Here’s the story: Simon is gay, he’s in the closet, not because he’d get clobbered by anyone if he came out, he just doesn’t want things to change right now, because change is uncomfortable, even good change, and as a sixteen year old he already has enough inherent change in his life, thank you very much. But . . . he’s also fallen in love with a mystery boy, who he met on the school’s online message board. Neither knows the other’s real name. The boy, also in the closet, is Blue; Simon is Jacque. This is the first person who Simon has been able to open up to, and it feels amazing. His goal is to find out who Blue is and hopefully fall into his arms. THAT is the agenda Simon stepped onto page one with, already fully formed.

Martin accidentally discovers Simon’s email chain with Blue and decides to use it to his advantage. Martin wants Simon to help him get the attention of Abby, a girl Simon is friends with. Put in a good word, maybe invite him along when they get together. No big deal.

So why does the overarching plot problem – that Simon is being blackmailed – matter? Because it threatens to derail Simon’s agenda. If word gets out, it might not only spook Blue, but hurt him. And that’s the last thing Simon wants to do. So why not help Martin? Abby will never have to find out . . . right?

And there you have it, hooked and held!

The Takeaway: What’s the real secret of nailing the first pages? It’s this: All stories begin in medias res — Latin for in the middle of the thing, the “thing” being the story itself. So page one of your novel is actually the first page of the second half of the story. Because you can’t “give it all away,” unless you have “it” in the first place.

Which brings us back to where we started. Writing isn’t about starting on page one and wordsmithing forward. Being a novelist is about digging deep long before you get to page one and creating the first half of the protagonist’s story. Only then will you have a story to tell.

[image error]Lisa Cron is the author of Wired for Story and Story Genius. Her 6-hour video course Wired for Story: How to Become a Story Genius can be found at CreativeLive.com, and her TEDx talk, Wired for Story, opened Furman University’s 2014 TEDx conference, Stories: The Common Thread of Our Humanity.

In her work as a private story coach, Lisa helps writers of all ilk wrangle the story they’re telling onto the page. For a library of her free myth-busting writing tips, and information on how to work with her one-on-one, you can find her at: wiredforstory.com

 

 

The post How to Nail the First Three Pages appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®.

Occupation Thesaurus Entry: General Contractor

Before we launch into today’s Occupation Thesaurus entry, let us hopefully save you some money! Christmas is coming, and when you buy ebooks, you can set them to deliver on a specific date. Like December 25th. And we think that’s pretty neat, especially for all the critique partners and writing people who we usually buy a little something for.

[image error]Right now, the Amazon Kindle Deal Gods have The Emotion Thesaurus ebook on sale at two different stores: it’s $2.99 at Amazon.com and ₹153.60 at Amazon.in (India!)

So if you know someone who doesn’t have this book, or you don’t have it, we hope you’ll grab it. And there are a lot of other books on sale too, so even if you don’t choose ours, we hope you’ll keep your TBR pile growing and support authors.

Happy writing, and we hope you find today’s entry really useful!

Representation in Literature: Why It’s Important & How To Handle It

Happy to welcome Deborah Dixon, a passionate author, editor, and racial justice activist to talk a bit on Representation in Literature, a topic of importance and something I think many of us want to understand better so we can encourage the right sort of discussions and help bring about change. Please read on!

[image error]

[image error]The issue of representation has become an important one in literature and throughout the entertainment industry. As an author and publisher of color, I am often asked to offer insight on how best to include characters of diverse backgrounds. Specifically, this means characters from minority or underrepresented groups, such as ethnic minorities, LGBTQIA+ persons, religious minorities, those with disabilities, and to some extent, socioeconomic minorities. In this article, I will use the term “minority” to refer to members of all of these groups.

First, my credentials: I am Jamaican, neurodivergent, and simultaneously a citizen of and immigrant to the United States, among other things. These credentials do matter, because the basis of a person’s regard for your opinion on these sensitive matters starts with your background. It isn’t the whole picture; not every minority person has the same breadth of experiences, and many majority members have been exposed to the problems that minority members face. Also, like anything else, background and privilege are nuanced. Even I have some sources of privilege: I am cisgender and not physically disabled.

Also valued is the nature of a writer’s privilege. I won’t discuss privilege and entitlement too much here, as there are plenty of resources on both, such as this exploration of the different elements of identity.

[image error]

There are two primary reasons why representation is important: inclusivity and perception.

Seeing people who look, act, and experience life like them in media makes a person feel included in a society, and it reinforces positive views of themselves and what they can achieve in society. Also, members of other groups, especially majority groups, base their ideas of groups on what they see in the media. For example, a hiring manager who watches too many police procedurals might view candidates of minority races as having criminal tendencies.

For people who exist outside of these marginalized and underrepresented groups, it can be hard to imagine life with the experiences and hardships that minorities experience. Without those experiences, writing characters of diverse backgrounds can seem daunting.

A good start is to be cognizant of the problems that your character would face and when those problems would have to be addressed. People of minority groups are still people; we have similar needs and similar motivations. The main difference is in the ways that society and its structures are arrayed against any particular group.

[image error]

Therefore, in some situations, it will be perfectly acceptable to write a minority character just as you would any other. If a character’s romantic relationships are never brought up, then their sexual orientation might be little more than a footnote. Likewise, a black student’s college career might be just like that of a white student if the college itself is diverse and tolerant.

However, if the character is placed in a situation where their identity would be a factor, then it would be irresponsible to overlook it. For example, a black character being pulled over by the police should be described as feeling exceptional anxiety over their possible treatment by the officers. Whether the writer feels that this is a legitimate fear is irrelevant; it is what black people experience, and it is a problem that we continue to battle. Any work that included a black character getting along famously with the police would be soundly ridiculed by the black community.

Also, it might be tempting to fall back on stereotypes, but these are harmful images that still negatively affect members of those minorities. Take, for example, the common use of Middle Eastern characters as villains, or the portrayal of Native Americans as oversexualized savages. If these are the characters that are being written, then we would rather not have them at all!

Remember that minority characters are not there to be “exotic” ornaments for your plot. One striking example I encountered as an editor was a white writer using an almost all-white cast who included an Asian woman as a manicurist. It was meant as a cheeky observation, but in practice, it supported yet another harmful stereotype, and it would have reinforced to readers that Asian woman are only fit to run nail salons.

Always Do the Research

There is plenty of first-hand material about the situations that minority groups face, and many companies, including mine, offer research specific to fiction writing. If you happen to know someone from the group that you are interested in writing about, then ask that person if they can offer any insight, and be prepared for them to possibly turn you down.

Finally, remember that this is a cultural exchange; you must offer something in return. Consider promoting minority authors. Don’t just tack on characters to be “diverse,” and don’t borrow elements from a group without context, such as European knights using scimitars because they’re “cool.”

For a well-known example of what not to do, observe J. K. Rowling’s approach to including Native Americans in the Potterverse. She combined the hundreds of Native American cultures into one homogenous “community,” reappropriated important cultural touchstones, and supported harmful narratives of Natives accepting white colonialism. Although she was called out , she has not publicly apologized or changed her approach.

[image error]The best recent example of representation being done right is a film: 2016’s The Accountant, in which the main character, played by Ben Affleck, is high-functioning autistic. While the character is written in a very predictable fashion—aural oversensitivity, emotional vacancy—Affleck’s performance provides nuance that elevates the entire story. It’s clear that he and his supporting cast did the research, and while the movie’s overall effect on the autistic community is debatable, many of us saw pieces of ourselves in its protagonist.

Although the entertainment industry at large is welcoming more content written by minority members, most stories that reach the mainstream are still ones written by the majority—white, straight people. The majority still has a much stronger voice. Use it to amplify positive portrayals of the people who need them the most.

As with anything else, when in doubt, ask.

Look for editors who specifically offer sensitivity reading as part of their processes. Many editors, like those at Shalamar, offer diversity feedback as a matter of course. Here’s an additional resource to check out if you are incorporating diversity in your work:

Writing Diversity Checklist
We welcome respectful discussion–if you have questions or comments, Debra is here to discuss!

[image error]Shalamar is a book publishing and author advocacy company based in New Orleans, Louisiana. Created in 2016 by a trio of writers, Shalamar aims to break down barriers to entry in publishing by offering accessible and affordable services to new and undiscovered writers.

The company also supports initiatives to amplify voices from underrepresented and marginalized groups. They can be found at @shalamarllp on Facebook and @ShalamarNOLA everywhere else.

[image error]Deborah Dixon is a cofounder, author, and editor at Shalamar. She has published two novels, seven novellas, and numerous short stories of her own.

She is a digital rights and racial justice activist, and her opinions on social issues, the publishing process, and Saints football can be found on Twitter at @Deboracracy.

The post Representation in Literature: Why It’s Important & How To Handle It appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®.

Create Killer Twists: Learn How to Redeem Your Villain

[image error]

You might think a villain can’t be redeemed. After all, they’re sinister and twisted and think killing people is a post-dinner dessert choice. But even villains are people, and, no matter how coal-crusted it gets, they have a heart buried somewhere inside their ribs. Besides, readers love a good twist and what’s better than a villain suddenly seeing the light?

What is a Villain Redemption Arc?

A character arc defines the change a character goes through during your story. Typically a hero or protagonist will start from a lower point (flawed) and then, as the story tests them, they’ll build up to overcoming their flaw and defeating the villain.

A classic villain will spend the entire plot descending into the pits of evil, where eventually he’s defeated – in other words, it’s a straight-shot into the hell mouth. But a bad guy on a path to redemption doesn’t follow the same arc path. [image error]Note the diagram above is illustrative, not literal. Arcs will vary depending on your individual stories and plot points.

So how do you create a redemption arc?

 

If your villain is going to do a 180 and become good, then there should be a reason. Humans don’t do things without reasons, and in order for your readers to swallow such a significant change, you need to ensure you’re clear on why he’s doing it.

There are two things you need to know to create a realistic redemption arc:

Why your villain is evil in the first place
Why your villain is trying to redeem himself

Realism is derived from a multitude of factors, but one of the most important is having authentic motives. Villainy is a dark path for a reason – it’s hard to come back from – which is why you need a super-bright ‘why’ torch to help your baddie see the light.

The best way to create a ‘why’ (or a motive) is to understand where it comes from. For example:

Maybe your villain wants a bigger pay off and this is how he thinks he will get it
He could be taking an order from someone more powerful
A more emotional reason might be that the hero appeals to his heart by saving someone the villain cares about
Or perhaps the villain just wants to right a wrong or past mistake

Quick Tip

Whatever the plot point for justifying your villain’s redemption, you can create added depth to their motive by linking it to an old wound in his past (you can use Becca and Angela’s Emotional Wound Thesaurus to help with this).

Types of Redemption

[image error]

Life-or-Death Redemption

There are lots of outcomes to a redemption arc, but the two most common are ‘life’ and ‘death’. Either the villain dies in the course of redeeming himself (often to prove he’s become ‘good’), or he lives because the heroes see the change in the villain and do the right thing and save him. Regina, The Evil Queen from the hit TV show Once Upon a Time, is a good example of this. After spending several seasons as a villain, she endeavours to right the wrongs she caused by using her powers to delay the explosion of a device that will kill everyone. As a result, Henry (one of the heroes) says, “You’re willing to die to save everyone, that makes you a hero.” And he and several others work together to save both their town and Regina who is redeemed by her willingness to sacrifice herself.

Epiphany Redemption

Sometimes we don’t realize we have bad habits until someone tells us or we suddenly become aware of them. One of the most famous epiphany redemption examples is Scrooge from A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. The entire plot revolves around Scrooge going through an awakening. With the help of Christmas ghosts, he’s shown the impact of his actions which causes him to see that he’s been a leading a terrible life. The end of the story shows him as a changed man, being kind and charitable to others.

Quick Redemption Tips:

It takes time. Just as a hero takes an entire novel to overcome her flaw, it will take some time for a villain to make this monumental change. Don’t let them flip-flop like a beached fish between good and evil – the change needs to build slowly throughout the book.
Foreshadow, foreshadow, foreshadow. Readers don’t like to be cheated. You need to drop breadcrumbs throughout your story to let your reader know subconsciously that the villain is going to change, otherwise they’ll feel cheated. It doesn’t take much—the occasional soft glance from the villain, a nicely spoken sentence, an action that is ‘good’ rather than evil. Tiny clues.
Don’t make it easy. It’s hard for the hero to overcome her flaw and likewise, it should be hard for a villain to overcome his. A quick way to make it harder for the villain to redeem himself is to catch him between two of his values. For example, while this character isn’t a villain, it still illustrates the point: Ned Stark in Game of Thrones values loyalty and wisdom – his wisdom tells him if he helps his King it will inevitably lead to his death, and yet, his loyalty forces him to help the King anyway.
Don’t let them go soft. Villains are villains for a reason. Keep them authentic by retaining some of their sharper personality edges. Just because their actions are good doesn’t mean the whole of them will be.

Redemption arcs create killer twists because a villain doing a 180 is unexpected. But there’s lots of pitfalls you can fall prey to. Make the change of heart genuine by giving your villain a solid motive, let the change grow with the story, and remember that foreshadowing is key to bringing your reader along with you.

[image error]Sacha Black is the author of the #1 bestseller for writers, 13 Steps To Evil – How To Craft A Superbad Villain. Her blog for writers, www.sachablack.co.uk, is home to regular writing, marketing and publishing advice sprinkled with dark humour and the occasional bad word. In addition to craft books, she writes YA fantasy, and her first series, Keepers, is due out in November 2017.

Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram |  Goodreads.

 

The post Create Killer Twists: Learn How to Redeem Your Villain appeared first on WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®.

One Stop for Writers Turns 3: Grab Your 50% Discount Code!

Has it really been 3 years since One Stop for Writers first opened its doors? Yes!

Coming from the land of books, it was a big leap for us to enter the world of custom tools & resource design with Lee Powell of Scrivener. But together we’ve helped thousands of writers dig deeper into their characters and stories and watched as many have gone on to produce some of their very best work to date. Not only is this unbelievably rewarding, it confirms we made the right decision three years ago.

Each year One Stop for Writers has grown as we add more of our unique description databases and new, powerful tools to make storytelling easier. Our goal is twofold: build stronger writers & provide the resources they need so they spend less time staring at the screen and more time actually writing.

[image error]Many of you have tried One Stop for Writers, and some of you have been with us since the very beginning. We’re so honored! To say thank you, we have a 50% off coupon code that can be applied to any plan, new or existing. Act fast, though–this code expires on October 12th!

How new users activate this code:

Register at One Stop for Writers
Click on the link that comes in your confirmation email. Then sign in and go to the My Subscription page.
Enter the code THREEYEARS in the box provided and follow the instructions to activate it.
Attach a credit card to your account and then choose any plan. Boom, a 50% discount will show up on your first invoice.

Regular prices apply after and you can cancel at any time. If you have any questions or need help signing up, just reach out! We’re always happy to help.