Corrine Jackson's Blog, page 7

Tuesday Writing Tips: READER FATIGUE

READER FATIGUE: WHAT IS IT?

Have you ever been reading a mystery and simply tired of trying to figure out who the killer is because the story stretches on and on? Or maybe you’re reading a drama and the ongoing sadness gets old, so you put the book away thinking you’ll come back to it someday. You may have been suffering from reader fatigue.

Tension, stretched to the max, without a break. Sadness without a single moment of comic relief. Pain without a moment of release. Any emotion sustained for a long time can wear on a reader. The person may not be able to pinpoint the exact moment that they lost interest in your work; it’s more an overall sense of getting tired. Perhaps they even liked what they were reading…until they didn’t. Too much of a good thing is still too much. That, my friends, is reader fatigue.

EXAMPLE

The most accessible example I can think of comes from a TV show, though the term for TV would be ARC FATIGUE. Same idea. Think of the show LOST. The overarching mystery is why these people have been put on island. It’s the question the characters ask themselves, the mystery that propels the story forward. Until one day when I simply stopped caring. That big mystery? It was still a mystery, but I was tired of waiting for the answer, exhausted by how long it took for the writers to give me the clues. They had me for three seasons, and then I was out of there. As far as I’m concerned, the characters are still lost on that island, floundering for answers. The reason why? Every episode the danger increased. The romantic tension increased. But the tension that seemed to escalate without a break or moment of respite. Hell, even the background stories added to the tension.

Everyday life is about more than moments of high anxiety. There is also a lighter side to life. I can’t remember any episodes where the characters laughed for more than two seconds or had lighter moments without it being a setup to drop a rock on their head. Maybe that’s my faulty memory, but even on an island, humanity would find a way to reassert itself. I bet those islanders joked around (especially once they found the beer), flirted, and experienced moments of joy (that were not immediately undercut by someone dying, getting kidnapped or a mystical beast appearing. I got tired of the show because every week was another dose of tension without a break. Great writing, but not enough variety.

HOW CAN I APPLY THIS?

Even Shakespeare had the fool, and I keep this in mind. My books are emotional, sometimes called tearjerkers. Bad things happen to my characters and things get increasingly worse as the plot moves forward. With that said, I plan for moments of respite. In IF I LIE, Quinn is intensely sad, but she spends time with George, an old veteran who has the ability to make her laugh. Those scenes with George offer a reader a break from the sadness. They also make Quinn a more complex main character. George is often called out as a favorite character in IF I LIE, and that’s one of the reasons.

If you are writing a book with sustained emotion of any kind, think about how you can counterbalance this with other emotions. A comedy can be made funnier with a few well-placed moments of drama. (ELF is a great example of this. It’s a funny movie, but there are dark moments.) A drama needs lighter moments. A suspense novel can use pauses to reevaluate clues or even laughter to make the characters relatable (DIE HARD comes to mind). Think through your arc and ask yourself if you’ve given your reader enough breaks, especially during the second act when the rising action is leading toward the climax.

WANT MORE TIPS?

Tuesday Writing Tips are a recurring feature on this blog. Every Tuesday I will be offering up a different editing or writing tip.

Have a topic you want to see here? Let me know in the comments!

It’s My Birthday

Hopefully, I am off doing fun things.

While I’m off having a grand time, enjoy this random preschool picture of me.

Yes, I had strawberry blond hair to my waist…

I’m wearing a Strawberry Shortcake dress. I rocked it…

My mom did my hair for picture day, but I’m pretty sure I hit the playground right before they took this…

And last, a look that screams “MISCHIEF MANAGED.” Nailed. It.

 

 

 

Debut Author Survey

Have you had a MG or YA book debut in the last four years? Please help me out by filling out this short survey. Thanks in advance! Note: the survey is anonymous and the data will be used in a social media presentation. I will also publish an analysis on my site.

Bookanista Review: BREAKING BEAUTIFUL

To be completely transparent, Jennifer is a fellow Class of 2k12 classmate. I purchased the book.

Here is the official blurb from Goodreads:

BREAKING BEAUTIFUL by Jennifer Shaw Wolf

Allie lost everything the night her boyfriend, Trip, died in a horrible car accident—including her memory of the event. As their small town mourns his death, Allie is afraid to remember because doing so means delving into what she’s kept hidden for so long: the horrible reality of their abusive relationship.

When the police reopen the investigation, it casts suspicion on Allie and her best friend, Blake, especially as their budding romance raises eyebrows around town. Allie knows she must tell the truth. Can she reach deep enough to remember that night so she can finally break free? Debut writer Jennifer Shaw Wolf takes readers on an emotional ride through the murky waters of love, shame, and, ultimately, forgiveness.

****

Allie is devastated. Her boyfriend is dead, but she managed to make it out of the accident alive. Everyone thinks that she’s taking his death hard – but there’s more to the story here. Trip abused Allie, and she can’t remember the details around his death. And with the town mourning his death, Allie feels isolated. No one can understand what she’s going through because no one knew how he treated her.

As the novel unfolds, Allie’s memories begin to return. We get flashbacks that show how her relationship with Trip began and devolved.  As she slowly opens herself up to an old friend – and potential new love – Allie slowly realizes that others did know what she went through. Countering this slow growth, the mystery of the novel – what really happened the night Trip died – adds increasing tension. The police question Allie and it feels as if a noose is closing around her, even as she comes to grips with what she’s been through.

One of the strengths of the book is Allie’s relationship with her brother. Confined to a wheelchair by cerebral palsy, Allie and Andrew are best friends. She loves him and is protective of him. Their relationship is changed by Trip and the secrets she keeps, but the caring between them is clear. The moments between them were some of my favorite, especially viewing Andrew’s illness through Allie’s eyes.  I also loved the growing romance between Allie and Blake.

Overall I found this book an emotional read (I cried more than once). Added to that, the mystery and tension were really well handled.

A great read for fans of emotional contemporaries with a touch of mystery.

Find it on Goodreads.

***

Lenore Appelhans  is blown away by REBOOT by Amy Tintera

Carrie Harris adores BEYOND DINOCALYPSE by Chuck Wendig — with giveaway!

Tracy Banghart  & Debra Driza join THE GIRL GUIDE by Christine Fonseca book blitz!

Nikki Katz  wonders at THE GRAVE WINNER by Lindsey Loucks

Gretchen McNeil talks TRUTH OR DARE by Jacqueline Green

Elana Johnson admires INSOMNIA by Jenn Johannson

Tracey Neithercott celebrates THE YEAR OF SECRET ASSIGNMENTS by Jacqueline Moriarty

Katy Upperman fawns over FINNIKIN OF THE ROCK by Melina Marchetta

Rebecca Behrens is wowed by THE FIFTH WAVE by Rick Yancey

Wednesday Writer’s Vocabulary: BILDUNGSROMAN

BILDUNGSROMAN
BILDUNGSROMAN: THE COMING OF AGE NOVEL

Bildungsroman is a very long, intimidating German word for a type of book that many of us know and love – the coming-of-age novel. M.G. Scholtz says the Bildungsroman, a novel genre made popular in the Victorian era, “tends to focus primarily on the change in the protagonist (from youth to maturity) who, by the end of the novel, has developed a distinct personality and has become sufficiently mature to cope with life” (qtd. in Noomé 127). Typically, the YA novel focuses on this same kind of growth. Frequently, the protagonist must overcome some type of obstacle in order to develop into adulthood or gain wisdom.

Bildungsroman has evolved into a generic term that has been applied to a range of works, and the definition of the genre has continued to evolve over time from its German roots to later English adoption and so on.  In “The Bildungsroman Genre: Great Expectations, Aurora Leigh, and Waterland,” Susanne Hader outlines the most common characteristics of the English version:

A Bildungsroman is, most generally, the story of a single individual’s growth and development within the context of a defined social order.
To spur the hero or heroine on to their journey, some form of loss or discontent must jar them at an early stage away from the home or family setting.
The process of maturity is long, arduous, and gradual, consisting of repeated clashes between the protagonist’s needs and desires and the views and judgments enforced by an unbending social order.
Eventually, the spirit and values of the social order become manifest in the protagonist, who is then accommodated into society. The novel ends with an assessment by the protagonist of himself and his new place in that society.

As noted, YA novels are “coming of age” works that frequently feature teens struggling to discover how they fit into the world. Parents, teachers, and other authority figures may represent social order as Hader describes it. Teen protagonists “clash” with and struggle to find their place in the hierarchy of this social order. Many YA novels come to some type of resolution when the teen matures and understands how they fit into society. Ideally, a Bildungsroman is a novel of self-growth, in its loosest terms.  It is only fair to note that Bildungsroman have typically referred to novels that see a single character grow from childhood to adulthood. Most YA novels would not be classified as Bildungsroman in the strictest sense due to the shorter passage of time – most of them end before we see the teen become an adult. Instead, we are left with the impression that the teen knows what kind of adult they want to be. However, the spirit of the Bildungsroman has many similarities to contemporary YA novels.

Essentially, the Bildungsroman genre demands internal movement in its protagonist – from innocence to maturity, from ignorance to knowledge. This internal movement is mirrored by external movement, as the protagonist is compelled (or expelled) from the safety of home to the world at large. The external movement acts as a catalyst to introduce the protagonist to obstacles and challenges that teach the rules of society. Martin Swales describes the English version of the Bildungsroman as “the English novel of adolescence [which] operates with a precisely articulated and documented sense of the specific pressures—societal, institutional, psychological—which militate against the hero’s quest for self-fulfillment” (34-35).

Teen readers find meaning in this journey of “self-fulfillment.” Cairns points out that “teens in our culture who wish to have power and agency in the world, but are often trapped by many forms of dependence, especially economic, may relish identification with a fictional subject who moves from passive stasis into dynamic agency” (60). The Bildungsroman subverts this dependence by requiring its hero be pushed out into the world. Without a security blanket of home and family, the hero must find their way in the world in a solitary fashion. The physical journey into a new world mirrors the internal “quest for self-fulfillment.”

BREAKING IT DOWN

So to break it down in its simplest terms, a Bildungsroman novel features:

A hero or heroine who will grow and develop within the world they live in.
A hero or heroine is pushed out of the nest to take on some kind of journey – can be emotional or physical. (Campbell’s Hero’s Journey, anyone?)
The hero or heroine is tested when what they want isn’t what the world gives them. Maturity sucks, but it’s a quest.
At the end of the day, the hero or heroine comes to terms with the world they live in and finds their place in it.

Does any of this sound familiar? Check out yesterday’s post on Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey.

WHY IS THIS HELPFUL?

When you are writing in a genre or working with a certain type of literature, it can be helpful to know the customs. Essentially, the majority of YA novels share the spirit of the Bildungsroman novel and, while the YA novel is relatively new, coming-of-age stories aren’t.  Understanding the history of the coming-of-age novel has informed my writing and impacted how I approached my novels.

And YA writers, consciously or not, are using this as a backbone for their stories. Think of Stephanie Perkins’ ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS. Anna has an understanding of her world in the US and her relationships with her parents. She is sent to a boarding school in Paris, and embarks on a journey of self-discovery. She is tested by the relationships she has with her friends, the boy she likes, and fitting in at a foreign school. And, at the end of the story, she figures out what she wants and what her place is at the school and with her friends. Coming of age novel? I would say an emphatic “YES!”

WORKS CITED

NOTE: Some of this post was taken from a research paper I did for my MFA program entitled “The “Parent Problem” in YA Literature: Three Bad Parent Archetypes Give Rise to the New Orphan.”

Cairns, Sue Ann. “Creative Imagination and Subjective Agency in Wynne-Jones’ The Maestro.”

Children’s Literature in Education 40 (2009): 59-74.

Hader, Suzanne. “The Bildungsroman Genre: Great Expectations, Aurora Leigh, and

Waterland.” The Victorian Web .

5 January 2009.

Noomé, Idette. “Shaping the Self: A Bildungsroman for Girls?” Literator 25.3 (2004): 125-149.

Swales, Martin. The German Bildungsroman from Wieland to Hesse. Princeton: Princeton U,

1978.

WANT MORE TIPS?

Wednesday Writer’s Vocabulary are a recurring feature on this blog. Have you ever found yourself struggling to offer critiques because you don’t know the lingo? Every Wednesday I define a writing or editing term and provide practical examples from novels and short stories.

Have a term you want to see here? Let me know in the comments!

Tuesday Writing Tips: THE HERO’S JOURNEY

WHO THE HELL IS JOSEPH CAMPBELL?

Joseph Campbell (1904-1987) was a teacher, lecturer, author, editor, and translator. Why should you care? Because he was a very smart man who analyzed some of the greatest myths and narratives in literature from around the world, and he discovered some amazing commonalities. He used his learnings to outline the stages that a character must go through in order to be the hero of the story – hence, the Hero’s Journey. His work has had a huge impact on storytelling, from novels to movies. You don’t believe me? George Lucas used the Hero’s Journey to map out Star Wars. Christopher Vogler wrote about it and influenced several famous Disney movies like The Lion King. You can read more about the influence of his work here.

WHAT IS THE HERO’S JOURNEY?

After studying myths from around the world, Campbell plotted out the similarities that appeared in the narratives of heroes. He calls out 17 distinct stages that a character goes through when they embark on an adventure to become a hero.

DEPARTURE

The Call to Adventure – The hero is called to leave home in order to embark on an adventure.
Refusal of the Call – The hero practices denial and turns his/her nose up at that call. Few people like change, after all.
Supernatural Aid – A mentor or protector gives the hero the tools he/she will need for the quest (amulets, a wand, etc.).
The Crossing of the First Threshold – The hero finally leaves his/her pad and heads off into the unknown.
The Belly of the Whale – Uh oh. There’s no turning back once the hero crosses this line. And then he/she crosses it.

INITIATION:

The Road of Trials – The hero is tested by lots of trials and tribulations. He/she will be changed
The Meeting with the Goddess – The hero finds his/her love, faithful companion or both.
Woman as the Temptress (updated to Temptation because, you know, women can be heroes and men can be the temptation) – The hero is tempted by some force to stray from his/her path.
Atonement with the Father – The hero confronts the thing they fear most – it is a symbolic death of self.
Apotheosis - A major character dies influencing the hero’s path, or a time of peace/rest before the character moves on.
The Ultimate Boon – The hero achieves their goal and gets a reward.

RETURN:

Refusal of the Return – The hero is used this life of adventure. He/she doesn’t want to return home.
The Magic Flight – Something gets in the way of his/her return home.
Rescue from Without – Our hero is worn out from his/her quest. He/she needs a little help.
The Crossing of the Return Threshold – The hero is changed by his/her quest, but he/she has to figure out how to fit into his/her old life.
Master of the Two Worlds – The hero accepts his/her new life and all the weighty responsibility that comes with it.
Freedom to Live – Life moves on, and the hero chooses how he/she wants to go on.

THAT’S GREAT. BUT WHAT DO I DO WITH THIS?

Are you writing an adventure story? Think about applying using Campbell’s outline as a narrative spine to structure your story. (Note: Christopher Vogler offers up a succinct version of the Hero’s Journey in a 3-act structure.) Not sure how to apply this to a story? Check out how Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone fits this model.

DEPARTURE

The Call to Adventure – Harry is invited to Hogwarts!
Refusal of the Call – Harry thinks it’s a mistake – he can’t possibly be a wizard.
Supernatural Aid – Dumbledore is manipulating things in the background to get Harry to Hogwarts.
The Crossing of the First Threshold –  Harry enters Diagon Alley into the world of wizards.
The Belly of the Whale – Harry makes it to Hogwarts.

INITIATION:

The Road of Trials – Think about all the trials Harry undergoes to find the sorcerer’s stone.
The Meeting with the Goddess – Hermione serves in this role (or you could even say Ron does since “goddess” is symbolic). Either of these characters serve as companions to Harry on his journey.
Temptation – Two possibilities come to mind. The Mirror of Erised tempts Harry by offering him glimpses of the life he’s never known. But Voldemort also tries to tempt him in their final confrontation.
Atonement with the Father – Harry confronts Voldemort.
Apotheosis – Harry comes to in the hospital and has time to recover.
The Ultimate Boon – Harry’s house wins the cup due to his bravery and actions on his quest!

RETURN:

Refusal of the Return – I can’t blame Harry for not wanting to go back to the Dursleys.
The Magic Flight – N/A in this book.
Rescue from Without – Time to head home on the Hogwarts Express.
The Crossing of the Return Threshold – Harry has changed during his year at Hogwarts, but he will have to figure out how to adjust to returning to the Dursleys.
Master of the Two Worlds – N/A
Freedom to Live – N/A

The last two steps are N/A to the first book in the series because Harry has a larger journey over the course of the seven novels. He won’t achieve these last two steps until the end of the series.

Pick a favorite adventure movie or novel and try applying this. You’ll see a definite pattern emerge. Understanding the pattern can help you to plot out your own story.

RECOMMENDED TEXTS

THE HERO WITH A THOUSAND FACES by Joseph Campbell

(Goodreads)

THE WRITER’S JOURNEY by Christopher Vogler

(Goodreads)

Vogler breaks down Campbell’s Hero’s Journey and applies the three-act structure to it. He abbreviated the

WANT MORE TIPS?

Tuesday Writing Tips are a recurring feature on this blog. Every Tuesday I will be offering up a different editing or writing tip.

Have a topic you want to see here? Let me know in the comments!

Marketing Monday: Getting Teens to Your YA Launch Party

First off, I wanted to say thank you. The response to my new Marketing Mondays feature has been phenomenal. If you like what I’m doing, please be sure to like the post, share it, and comment below.

Teens: The Elusive Launch Party Guest

If you’re debuting a YA book and planning your launch party, you are probably making an invitation list of friends and family. Unless you are a buzzed about author, you can pretty much forget getting teens out to your party, right?

Not necessarily.

Library Packets

This suggestion takes a little bit of work, but it can pay off nicely. When I was planning the launch party for IF I LIE, I found myself with a lot of leftover invites because I went WAY overboard. And these were gorgeous invites that I designed and put together. I even used ribbon, people. So it broke my heart to see them go to waste. On a whim, I decided to do some outreach to my local libraries. I live in a big city, and San Francisco has numerous branches – several of them with thriving teen centers. Here’s what I did.

Hit the web to gather the addresses of your local library or library branches, especially those with teen centers. This could also work for the library at your local high school(s). If possible, get the names of the youth librarians or a specific person who works with teens.
Prepare a one-page press release that includes the information about your book launch, the party info, key review quotes (if you have them), and a short author bio.
Write a cover letter to introduce yourself to the youth librarian, explaining what is in the packet. Be sure to ask them to distribute the invites to teens who love books like (insert description) and include your contact info. If you’re having cake or giving away prizes, tell them so.
Stuff an envelope with the press release, your cover letter, 5-10 invites to your party, and swag that the librarians can use. Bookmarks are great for this! Since I had dozens of bookmarks from fellow Class of 2k12 and Apocalypsie members (we exchanged swag), I included these, too.
Hand deliver the packets (to cut cost on postage) or mail them off.

The success rate I had for doing this was awesome. I had two librarians contact me to ask about events, and two teens wrote me to ask about the party, very excited to attend. I had a lot of teens attend my launch party – some due to these invites and some there because a very supportive local teacher offers extra credit to the kids to go to book signings. I’m happy to say that every chair was full, and I had standing room only. I would do this again just for the contacts I made, and the minimal cost to make myself known to my local youth librarians.

Good luck!

MARKETING MONDAYS

I’ve worked in marketing for ten years, and prior to that, I was a graphic designer for eight years. The first Monday of each month I will discuss different marketing tactics for publishers and writers. Some weeks I will be preparing case studies of new releases and offering up launch solutions to help spark ideas for authors. If you are a debut young adult author and would like to be considered for a Marketing Monday case study, please use my contact form to let me know.

Have a question? Let me know in the comments!

Bookanista Review: BRUISED

Here is the official blurb from Goodreads:

BRUISED by Sarah Skilton 

When Imogen, a sixteen-year-old black belt in Tae Kwon Do, freezes during a holdup at a local diner, the gunman is shot and killed by the police, and she blames herself for his death. Before the shooting, she believed that her black belt made her stronger than everyone else — more responsible, more capable. But now her sense of self has been challenged and she must rebuild her life, a process that includes redefining her relationship with her family and navigating first love with the boy who was at the diner with her during the shootout. With action, romance, and a complex heroine, Bruised introduces a vibrant new voice to the young adult world — full of dark humor and hard truths.

****

Imogen can take care of herself. In fact, she’s almost arrogant about it. And why shouldn’t she be able to? She’s been studying Tae Kwon Do for years and has a black belt. Then the unthinkable happens. She’s at a restaurant when a shootout happens between the police and a suspect, and someone dies. Imogene is left wondering if she could have done more, and not knowing sends her spinning.

The illusion of control is a strong theme in the book. Imogen thinks she can control the things around her and that she knows what to expect of her life. The shootout destroys her world view, especially when she can’t remember everything that happened. Add to that her father’s illness (which she partially blames him for perceiving him as lacking control), and Imogen has a difficult time readjusting to a world where violence seems senseless. Her black belt is useless in her eyes if she can’t use it to protect herself or others.

The one person who gets what she is going through is the boy who was also in the diner. Ricky and Imogen begin training together when he asks her to teach him some fighting moves. Their sessions are a coping mechanism to help them feel more in control, and the romance slowly evolves. Imogen’s faulty memory and increased realization that she wasn’t as brave as she thought causes a lot of tension between them, though.

Imogen eventually devolves to a place where she begins to seek out violence. She puts herself in dangerous situations – thereby freaking out the people who care about her – to prove to herself that she isn’t helpless. She wants proof that she won’t freeze again. This led to a forced confrontation with Ricky that I didn’t believe would happen. It was the only sticking point for me. Imogen seemed to have reached some resolution or acceptance, but this moment happens (don’t want to spoil it for you) and I didn’t see the point of it. Did she really need this moment to provide to that she can take care of herself? That scene bothered me because it didn’t feel necessary, not because of the violence but because the emotional gauge of it didn’t feel right in the context of the story. Other than that, I loved the romance and the family dynamics.

A great read for fans of Courtney Summers.

Find it on Goodreads.

***

Christine Fonseca  marvels at MILA 2.0 by Debra Driza – with giveaway!

Elana Johson  buzzes about STUNG by Bethany Wiggins

Stasia Ward Kehoe fawns over THE FIFTH WAVE by Rick Yancey

Jessica Love raves about THE RULES FOR DISAPPEARING by Ashley Elton

Shannon Messenger  shares an exclusive excerpt from INSOMNIA

Tracy Banghart  swoons for THE NAME OF THE STAR by Maureen Johnson

Lenore Appelhans celebrates 17 AND GONE by Nova Ren Suma

RT Convention Recap

I returned from the RT Booklovers Convention on Sunday, and I had a great time. My voice was a little thrashed from all of the talking and laughing I did, and I spent long hours catching up with other writers, many of whom I’d only met online. Here’s a little peek at what went down.

Wednesday

I roomed with Tamara Ireland Stone and Lenore Appelhans the first night. My roomies had driven from a signing in St. Louis and were crashed out when I arrived, but they only yelled a little when I woke them. Seriously, both of these ladies are awesome. After checking email, I ran down to the Kensington event, SPOOKY SOIREE: LOVING THE THINGS THAT GO BUMP IN THE NIGHT. The room was separated into groups of 10-12 people, and authors were placed with each group. We were given a worksheet, chocolate for fuel, and tasked with coming up with our group’s idea of the perfect paranormal hero. I got to lead an imaginative group and loved who we came up with, including the very important detail that our hero have “nice teeth.” Sadly, we lost to another team when it came time for the judging, but I doubt any of us really minded when the judge was a former Mr. Romance. Lucky me, Kensington had made little signs for each of our books, and I happily stole this sign for PUSHED. LOVE.

PUSHED Sign and Cookie

After the event, I was off to my room to edit (yes, I had edits due while at RT) and order room service. Then it was an early night for me since I hadn’t slept a wink the night before.

Thursday

The next morning I woke up to do more edits before heading off to the Kensington social where I shared a table with Jennifer Estep. I signed copies of TOUCHED and there were these awesome cookies with the cover of PUSHED on them. Yes, you guessed it. I stole one of those too.

Kensington Party Signing Table

After the signing, I headed back to the room to – wait for it – do more edits! Our newest roomie, CJ Omololu, arrived. Then, a huge group of YA authors gathered for dinner. Sadly, there is no pictorial evidence, but I did keep track of who attended because (a) I was so excited to meet everyone and (b) hello, this list blows my mind.

Natalie Parker

Suzanne Lazear

Tessa Gratton

CJ Omololu

Zoraida Cordova

Tamara Ireland Stone

Liz Czukas

Jessica Souders

Anne Greenwood Brown

Josephine Angelini

Amy Plum

Victoria Scott

Brodi Ashton

Kiera Cass

Tara Hudson

Colleen Houck

Caitlin Kittredge

Beth Revis

Gennifer Albin

Rachel Vincent

Jeri Smith-Ready

Cynthia Hand

Gretchen McNeil

Leigh Bardugo

Aprilynne Pike

Justina Ireland

Anna Carey

After dinner, we headed back to our room to get ready for the RT Formal Ball.

My roomies all dressed up for the ball. CJ Omololu and Tamara Ireland Stone

Dressed for the RT Formal Ball

At the ball, I turned into a total fangirl, geeking out as my favorite romance authors were recognized for their achievements. Jude Deveraux, Laura Kinsale, and Karen Robards were my particular favorites, and I wanted to gush my gratitude at them for the wonderful books they’d written.

At the RT Ball with CJ Omololu, Zoraida Cordova, Victoria Scott, Brodi Aston, Me, and Tamara Ireland Stone. (Source: Tamara Ireland Stone)

The RT Formal Ball

YA Rebels Reunion (Sarah was also at the convention, but I missed getting her pic)

After a very late night (early morning), I headed back to the room to edit some more. My roommates didn’t think I would, but I showed them. Or rather, I would have if they’d been awake.

Friday

Tamara Ireland Stone and I spent the day editing in our room until we couldn’t stand it anymore. We finally headed off to the cafe to work there. I was less than productive once I realized that JUDE FREAKING DEVERAUX was having lunch at the table next to ours. I did not interrupt her meal, but I so, so wanted to. I’m still sad that I didn’t meet her. I managed to make it to the Avon party, where they gave away lots of free books. Then it was back to work. I was still editing (and missing all the panels – sadface) when I got a call asking me to join a panel. I had three minutes to get there, and found out that I was a late addition, filling in for one of my favorite authors, Sara Zarr.

As if that wasn’t enough to blow my mind, the panel was on “issues” books, and my fellow panelists included CJ Omololu, Jennifer Brown, Jackie Kessler, and Gayle Forman. Melissa Marr moderated. It was such a huge opportunity, and the response from the audience was great. I’m still on Cloud 9 that I got to do that panel.

Issues Panel. Pictured here: Me, Jennifer Brown, and Gayle Forman (Source: Erica M. Chapman)

Then I went back to the room where I FINALLY finished my edits. Another group of authors went off to dinner and then it was time for bed. Here’s half the group cramming into an elevator.

How many YA Authors can you fit in an elevator? With CJ Omololu, Tamara Ireland Stone, SR Johannes, Rachel Carter, Debra Driza, and Cynthia Hand

Saturday:

Saturday was the giant book fair with a signing in YA Alley. I spent a few hours doing one of my favorite things – talking to readers – and I got to sign a Kindle cover.

Teen Day Signing

After the signing, I went to a panel (yay!), and then I was part of the Author Speed Reading. Then, everyone gathered for the Teen Day Party, where scads of teens ran around getting books signed by their favorite authors. There were cake pops, lots of people dancing, and a good time had by all. After that, we had one final dinner.

YA Dinner After the Teen Day Party (Source: Beth Revis)

Here’s a list of the people who were at the dinner. MIND BLOWN.

SR Johannes

Kimberly Derting

Beth Revis

CJ Omololu

Victoria Scott

Jill Hathaway

Cole Gibson

Kate Hart

Justina Ireland

Lydia Kang

Lea Nolan

Jeri Smith-Ready

Rachel Carter

Erin Brambilla

Kiera Cass

Veronica Roth

Gretchen McNeil

Tara Hudson

Gayle Forman

Debra Driza

Liz Czukas

Josephine Angelini

Amy Plum

Zoraida Cordova

Anna Carey

Gennifer Albin

Bethany Hagen

Brodi Ashton

Myra McEntire

Natalie Parker

Suzanne Lazear

Dawn Rae Miller

Sunday

I was up early to fly home. Of course, my flights were delayed due to San Francisco fog, but I was glad to finally return home and unpack all of the lovely books I scored. Plus, I spent the waiting time starting another contemporary.

Tuesday Writing Tips: CHAPTER ARCS

CHAPTER ARC

Writers frequently talk about the story arc. In fact, it’s one of the first things we learn about story structure. Every plot must contain:

Exposition
Inciting Incident/Conflict
Rising Action
Climax
Falling Action
Resolution

How many times have you seen a diagram that looks like this one?

These elements make up the backbone of any story. But did you know that a chapter also needs an arc? A chapter needs to move the story along toward your overall story goal, or your plot will stall. If you are sensing that nothing is happening in your chapter, or your beta readers tell you that the chapter is slow or lacking in conflict, a lack of a chapter arc may be your problem.

Think through the structure of your chapter. Here are some questions to ask yourself:

Does my chapter have a conflict and an inciting incident?
Is there a sense of rising action or increased tension?
Does the end of one chapter draw me into the next?

I typically end my chapter on the inciting incident (ie. a cliff hanger), and pick up the next chapter with rising action. The idea is to get people to turn the page in order to read the next chapter. To that end, my chapter arcs look more like this:

Chapter A:

Ends on Inciting Incident

Chapter B:

Rising Action
Climax
Falling Action
Resolution
Inciting Incident

Nothing kills your pacing faster than a big block of exposition, so I sprinkle it throughout a chapter as needed. Let’s break this down using a chapter from a book a lot of us know and love.

EXAMPLE

From HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER’S STONE by J.K. Rowling:

Chapter Three

In this chapter, the Dursleys have taken Harry to a remote island in order to hide from letters that the owls keep delivering. The chapter ends on an inciting incident.

 Inciting Incident – Ominous knocking on the door while a storm rages outside – the Dursleys have been discovered on the island!

Chapter Four 

Rising Action – a giant man shows up and breaks down the door; he is angered at the Dursleys keeping Harry in the dark about who he is
Climax – Harry gets his invite from Hogwarts and discovers he is a wizard
(Exposition) - Hagrid explains who he is, how Harry’s parents really died, and who Voldemort is
Falling Action – Harry confronts his aunt about keeping the past from him; Hagrid gives Dudley a pig’s tale
Resolution – Harry decides to go with Hagrid to Hogwarts
Inciting Incident – Hagrid and Harry take their leave of the Dursleys

As you can see, that cliffhanger ending on Chapter Three “incites” a reader’s interest in the next chapter. There is a sense of rising tension and a climax when Harry makes the discovery about who he is. Then we have a bit of exposition as Hagrid fills in the gaps about Harry’s past. The fallout from the climax is that Harry and Hagrid are angered by how the Dursleys have kept things from Harry. At the end of all this, Harry resolves to go with Hagrid. Then, to get us reading on to the next chapter, we’re left on another cliffhanger – Hagrid and Harry leaving the Dursleys to go off to a world of magic.

There’s a definite pattern here and an ebb and flow of tension with calmer moments. You need this to keep your story moving toward its end goal. Try to break your chapters down and see if you have a definite arc for your chapters. You may find that you need more conflict or that you could be ending your chapters on more pivotal moments.

ANOTHER METHOD

Another way of planning your chapter arc is to use the Scene and Sequel Method. This method helps you figure out the heart of your scene and see how it works in coordination with other scenes. This process also touts helping you stay in touch with your character’s motivation/desires throughout your work. How it works:

Examine your scene to figure out a) what your character wants in scene, b) what is in their way, c) what conflict pops up to stop them, and d) how is the conflict resolved.
After the scene (steps a-d), you have a sequel (which is really a scene that doesn’t have a climax). The sequel asks you a) how does your character feel about what happened?, b) What do they think about what happened?, and c) what will they decide to do moving forward?

For more information on this method, check out the text below.

RECOMMENDED TEXTS

TECHNIQUES OF THE SELLING WRITER by Dwight V. Swain

(Goodreads)

This book breaks down the Scene and Sequel Method.

WANT MORE TIPS?

Tuesday Writing Tips are a recurring feature on this blog. Every Tuesday I will be offering up a different editing or writing tip.

Have a topic you want to see here? Let me know in the comments!