H.B. Berlow's Blog, page 18

THE CRAFT, PART 3 – EXPOSITION AND DESCRIPTION

“Show, don’t tell!”

There’s not a single writer who has not heard this expression, mandate, dictum, requirement, absolute, steadfast rule before. I think it’s the first thing they teach in Creative Writing courses. It gets emblazoned in our minds like a cattle brand. I mean, after all, in presenting a story, we should create a sense of character without revealing their background like a book report or police blotter. We should focus on in medias res and allow the reader to infer prior history.

While I agree with this classic phrase to some degree, I do not abide by it like one of the commandments come down from Mount Sinai. I think the development of fiction over the last fifty years has shown us there are other forms and other styles that can be considered valid. After all, if any person were to tell a story, they might provide background information to have their tale make more sense. First person narratives should allow for the speaker to tell the story in their own fashion.

This relaxing of an old axiom is not meant to imply a writer should discuss the exact science behind a crime scene investigation laboratory or delve into the other businesses that inhabit a particular locale for the sake of “historical resonance.” However, if a private investigator needs to identify his background because a client needs to know who they are hiring, it is a lot easier to tell than show.

The other thing to determine is how you as a writer will go about providing description of either characters, places, or environments. There are some who will describe in elaborate detail facial features and wardrobe in an effort to fully humanize a character. Others might simply comment on a quirk or facial gesture to imply an emotional state.

Color and texture of a pastoral setting, sonic or other sensory details of an urban location, may create the mood inherent for the reader to feel immersed. This is important only if the setting is in essence a character in and of itself.

As for me, I prefer subtle comments that imply how the speaker feels about the described person or location. As a great deal of my work is first person, I want my readers to relate largely to the main character.

NEXT: THE CRAFT, PART 4 – DIALOGUE

THE CRAFT, PART 2 – PLOTTER OR PANTSER. OR…

Dogs vs. Cats. Stones vs. Beatles. Vanilla vs. Chocolate.

Too often, divergent styles seem to come down to only two choices. As we have seen in life, this is not necessarily so. However, such a rigid choice structure is supposedly designed to identify disparate groups. I’m sure the people who have a fish tank, listen to Led Zeppelin, and prefer Cherry Garcia feel as though their preferences do not matter.

Sadly, this is true as well of writers. For quite some time, there has been a clearly delineated comparison of two distinct style of writing.

Plotters are those who intimately and in great detail plot their forthcoming work. Biographies are created of characters, whether they are main or minor. The story arcs are outlined. The three-act structure is created like an architect designing a building. The work is done in advanced, much as a person preparing a stir-fry would meticulous cut the vegetables and the meat and then simply throw everything together.

Pantsers, as the name clearly implies, fly by the seat of their pants. Maybe they have a story outline or maybe they don’t. Character sketches? Well, perhaps the names and ages. The story arc and three-act structure? Nah. That’s much too complicated. Let’s let the story tell itself, almost with the benign implication of divine inspiration. However, in essence, the Pantser is familiarizing themselves with the characters and allowing them to act in a fashion that is suitable for them.

For a long time, I have participated in the ritual of explaining myself and how I write. Was I strictly a Pantser or did I evolve into one? Am I against detailed outlines and the work involved in creating them, BEFORE I have even put the first word down in the first paragraph of the first chapter?

The truth is that, as a writer of historical crime fiction, there is a great deal of research required before the first word. Accordingly, the characters are specified in terms of who they are, in general, allowing for them to act out of turn if the situation requires it.

That being said, I do not stick to a strict script. A revelation based on research or something inherent in a characters personality may require a change in the course of action. I have hardly altered a resolution previously determined but it might happen someday.

I guess I could call myself a hybrid but even then, further explanation is required. The notion of having to describe the method by which you write often completely undermines the instinctual process buried deep within the writer. The answer for this question is for others, not writers themselves.

NEXT – THE CRAFT, PART 3 – EXPOSITION AND DESCRIPTION

THE CRAFT, PART 1 – INSPIRATION

You can say you write because it is a compulsion, because you believe in your innate talent and ability, or that you are moved by the idea of artistic creation. The reasons you write pale when considering the most important aspect which is the craft of writing itself.

There have been very few prodigies in literary history. While few have been as diligent as Flaubert has in terms of le mot juste, most writers have paid scrupulous detail to the semantics and logistics of the written word, regardless of genre or style. Hemingway differs considerably from James Joyce, and yet both were craftsman within their writing environment.

I would like to take the opportunity to discuss my views of craft in a series of posts and certainly welcome discussion and feedback. The first concept is Inspiration, as in where those ideas come from.

Writers need to be attuned to any and all incoming stimuli, as there is a vast resource just in that alone. News articles, historical anecdotes, unusual factoids can all jump-start a story. I read once where dieffenbachia, also known as dumb cane, can cause swelling of the throat if consumed. Certainly an intriguing notion to anyone who writes murder mysteries. Current events can easily be used for a heart-racing thriller. In my own case, stories of the history of a small town in Kansas led to the creation of a four-book historical crime fiction series starting with Ark City Confidential.

At times, through casual conversation, a unique perspective will create a “What if?” moment. It is up to the writer at that moment to extrapolate a story. It can all be as simple as having a desire to create a tale centered on something unique and personal to the writer. Maybe it is a wish to include a 1970 Corvette Stingray or have a scene take place in a Bob’s Big Boy in the 50’s.

While I do not fully accept the notion of “writer’s block”, I am pretty certain such occurrences take place while working on a piece as opposed to finding ideas to write about. Most writers I am acquainted with are typically filled with more ideas than they have time to write.

It is very difficult for most readers to grasp the notion of where writers find inspiration due to being enraptured by the book they are reading. It is due to the writer’s attention to craft that allows the fantastical to come to life.

NEXT: THE CRAFT, PART 2 – PLOTTER OR PANTSER. OR…

Working backwards

Every writer has a different style, a different method of writing. Some listen to music. There are Plotters and Pantsers and hybrids to boot. Some research more than others. There are writers who focus on character development, scene description, or dialogue. There is no right way or wrong way.

One thing you may have heard (even if you are not a writer yourself) is that, during the editing, most writers comment about whittling down what they have written. Their initial manuscript may be 500 pages and 150,000 words. Their job now is more like a sculptor, chipping away to get the piece into some final form.

I work backwards.

First, I’m a hybrid Plotter-Pantser. I outline the story, do brief bios of the major and recurring characters, and know the start and the finish. Then, the characters take over and wind up telling me their story. I follow their dictates.

However, rather than lingering, I practically rush to tell the story. There re often logic errors (i.e. a character is here at one location but then winds up a hundred miles away without any explanation). There is little description of location. Sidebar commentary, such as would be found in first person narrative, is not as deep or intriguing. I barely get to 50,000 words.

That’s when I build up the story. The first thing I do is make sure there is a logical progression, often using a calendar to mark the sequence of events. The research I had done meticulously prior is now inserted in key moments. The dialogue is fleshed out and filled with the color of the characters speaking it. The retrospective interior monologues give us a pause to allow the reader to catch up with mood.

It’s a rather unique process because I talk to so few writers who do this. But, as anyone will tell you, it’s important to write for yourself. Choose your genre that captivates you, create your story that intrigues you, and write in a manner that is comfortable for you. In the end, the final work will reflect you truly and, hopefully, be inspirational to readers.

No, I have not stopped writing!

I wouldn’t blame you if you have stopped following me or, even with your own busy life, stopped wondering where I’ve been. There are too many other things clamoring for your attention. So it is with me. Between starting a new job in May and seriously pushing forward on downsizing and continued planning on retirement (yeah, I’m THAT old!), even I have had my attention pulled away a bit.

But NOT when it comes to writing.

Look, I’m a writer. I’ve stated that innumerably in the past. Writers write. I always did and always will. It’s the whole social media and platform thing that has gone temporarily dormant. I haven’t been engaging others as much, haven’t posted or responded like I did around the time of the OWFI conference. Yeah, I’ve been around but not forward.

Yet in between the work and home responsibilities and the future planning, there has been baking and sausage-making and, yeah, writing. I’ve taken my first non-self published novel (now no longer in print) and re-worked it into a 1938 historical crime fiction. I got through the second draft of my new historical crime fiction series (set in post WWII Wichita) and found a great place for research. (The folks at the Midwest Historical and Genealogical Society were very gracious and welcoming. One session of 90 minutes with the 1946 Polk City Directory gave me more information about life in Wichita than I could have imagined.)

You see, we have gotten to a point where our writing is inextricably tied up with our social media. YOU don’t think I’m writing because my presence is not as prevalent. I’m here to reassure you this is not the case. Writers write. And I don’t have the wherewithal to stop. I just don’t have as much time to post about it.

So, if you were at all worried, everything’s fine, I have not stopped writing and all is right with my world.

Time, as it relates to fiction writing

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If we as writers had the luxury of time and could complete an entire first draft in one sitting (like Jack Kerouac hopped up on amphetamines and coffee with a roll of typing paper), we could likely avoid mistakes associated with time sequences. Assuming, of course, we were hopped up on amphetamines and coffee.

The truth is that we write in spurts, in blocks of time, whenever we get up early, or after dinner when the dishes are cleared. We write when there is time available. You have to be very meticulous, have excellent notes, and perhaps even re-read what you previously wrote in order to avoid mistakes in the logical progression of time within your story.

When I wrote the first draft of Ark City Confidential, I recall having to go back and add a few paragraphs to indicate the early part of the story took place about a year prior to the main events. My mind told me how the story went; my fingers didn’t type the correct words. There were also historical markers that were referenced that forced me to follow a stricter sequence of events.

For example, when gangster ‘Crazy’ Jake Hickey reads about John Dillinger’s death, it was imperative to reference the date and make sure elements of the story worked within those confines. As I approached the chapter in question, I had to make sure enough had occurred prior to July 22, 1934 and that there would be enough time to get to October but before the 22nd when Pretty Boy Floyd was killed.

Writing historical fiction is about more than correctly identifying clothing and automobiles and product brands. It’s about keeping the action of your fiction story within the actual context of recorded history. In Lost in the Plains, General Hap Arnold is scheduled to make an inspection of Strother Air Field just north of Arkansas City, KS. While this event did not actually occur, I researched enough to determine when the General was making inspections and when he might have been in or near the state at all. Additionally, that time frame had to work within the rest of the story.

I tried something different on a new series I’m working on. I downloaded and then printed a complete calendar for 1946. I knew the action started on or around the beginning of spring. It was easy with online almanacs to determine that. (I also found a great website associated with The Old Farmer’s Almanac that provides weather info for zip codes as far back as 1945. This allowed me to reference sunny day, rainy day, windy day.) I wound up using the calendar more in the writing process than in the editing process. Unlike an old film noir that squeezes perhaps several days into seventy-five minutes, I was able to control the flow of the action.

Time seems to wander when I’m writing. Which is ok for the writer. But in order to maintain anything approaching a logical sequence, time must be accurate for the reader.

Oh, it’s Transition Time again!

By strict definition:

noun

movement, passage, or change from one position, state, stage, subject, concept, etc., to another; change:

But, as we know, the dictionary does not EXACTLY replicate Life. What is referenced here are two positions or states or stages and the movement or passage from one to the other. There is often, as you may have experienced yourself, the brief stagnation in that movement. It’s not always fluid and smooth and complete without repercussion.

And, oh, have I (as have you) gone through them on numerous occasions. You can’t avoid it if you: grow old, and live somewhere other than in a monastery. While my life HAS been relatively stable for quite some time, certain life events have placed me in that all-too-familiar position of transition.

That’s right: It’s Transition Time again!

It starts with a change of employment. You all understand THAT concept. You do something you know how to do and go to something you’re not quite sure about, until you eventually know how to do THAT, and wonder why you ever wondered about it. Maybe your schedule (work and life) has changed. In my case, for the first time in 24 years, I will not be required to work nights, weekends, holidays, and won’t have to worry about my schedule changing every three to six months.

Let’s talk about the real important stuff. The stuff I talk about here in this venue. Writing. The craft of writing and the passion for it. I had already completed the Ark City Confidential Chronicles series and had been developing a new series. A first draft was completed. Initial editing was done. Ok, time to take a breather. Then, I got the brilliant idea to take an out-of-print contemporary crime fiction and convert it into historical (given my passion for it), had researched everything (or just about) that I needed, and started writing. Three chapters in. Good, right?

Sure, but there’s the new job and with it, a re-examination of benefits. And since I’m close enough to retirement (anywhere from three to six years), there is further evaluation on finances, savings, investments, downsizing by moving from a beautiful (but BIG) Victorian home, the utter stress of the moving process (which hasn’t been done in 23 years, now in a house with far more sh–, um, STUFF!), and I guess you could definitely say it’s Transition Time.

As a matter of fact, for the last three nights, I’ve gotten home, made dinner, and hopped immediately onto the computer — to research medical plans, dental plans, FSAs, HSAs, homes in the area, etc. This is the first opportunity to just sit and chat with you folks. And, well, it’s kind of nice.

Look, my life is no more or less stressful, harried, busy, panicked than anyone else’s. I’m just talking about it, largely as a way to remind myself of that banal comment “And this, too, shall pass.” Just so long as I can get back to writing (you know, The Happy Place), it doesn’t matter how long it takes to get from one side to the other.

That One Brief Moment of Silence

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You can sense it at the beginning of a horse race, or a sprint in track and field. When a diver is about to show their moves. Or a conductor moments away from starting a performance of a symphony. Any sound is a distraction. When an audience member coughs. When a tennis fan calls out in excitement before match point.

It is that one brief moment of silence that precedes something spectacular and creative. It is a pause, perhaps to gather thoughts or consider a sequence. It is the last moment before an expression of unbelievable and, hopefully, exceptional brilliance.

Writers feel it as well. Sometimes it is right before sitting at the keyboard. Other times, it is far away from anything literary. Just now, for example, while changing clothes. The sky is overcast. Perhaps it will rain. My cat jumps up on the bed, wanting attention in the form of an ear scratch or belly rub. He is not mewing. There is nothing moving outside.

Shortly, I know I will be heading to my office to work on…something. But in this smallest of moments, I run a gamut of ideas and images through my mind. Perhaps a tune from the 1930’s is swirling in the back of my head like a low volume soundtrack.

We write to clear our heads of the clutter that accumulates from the day-to-day musings of all that is thrown at us. There is often an incessant desperation clouding our way like a heavy thunderstorm. And the windshield wipers have a heck of a time keeping up. But then the clouds clear and for one brief moment there is that silence.

Then, it is time to begin.

The jigsaw puzzle of writing

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Ok, try this on for size:

Take a work of contemporary fiction and then set it back in time. The challenge there is to ensure you are eliminating references from the modern story that won’t fit in with the historical one. Perhaps certain elements of the story itself won’t match, so some alteration is necessary. You wonder if the basics of the story, the fundamental elements, work in a different time. Perhaps it is a lesser retelling; hopefully, it is as good or better.

Or, take a concept that hasn’t lent itself well to any story you wish to tell but can now be put into another work you are thinking of doing. Maybe you have in mind something akin to the Aristotelian unities, a tale taking place in one city over a prescribed period of time, a short period of time in order to condense all the action.

Now, take those two puzzle parts previously described and combine them. This is the jigsaw puzzle of writing. I mean, after all, as writers we take elements from several locations, inspirations, and sensory inputs. Why can’t we take two notions and create something greater than the sum of the parts?

I had this idea to do a piece in which a mob enforcer came down by bus from Kansas City to Wichita to clean up a mess created by two warring factions. It would be 50’s/60’s/70’s, something influenced by late film noir and hard-boiled aspects. There would be Yojimbo/A Fistful of Dollars sensibilities. The main character would come by bus to be inconspicuous but have a duffel-type bag for clothes and weapons. He would arrive and depart over the course of, let’s say, 36 hours. There were notes taken and a couple of chapters written many years ago. I put it aside in the To-Be-Written pile.

My first published piece (no longer in print) was a variation of that story but contemporary. Disgraced former cop gets phone message indicating his brother is in trouble. Races down from a pathetic job as head of security at a casino in Minnesota. He finds a bunch of unsavory characters. There are chases and shootings and a good deal of violence. Very Peckinpah-ish.

But, after writing and publishing Ark City Confidential and the subsequent three books in that historical crime fiction series, I started to get a few ideas relating to the old ideas. Could I revise a previously published work as an historical piece AND condense the action into a span of, for example, two and a half days? After doing a LOT of research on train schedules for 1938, the answer was a resounding “yes.”

Therefore, with a tentative title of “63 Hours in Wichita”, I have started on a new project. It feels very much like figuring out what’s for dinner by rummaging through the refrigerator for scraps and leftovers. It fulfills my desires to continue within the historical fiction genre. And it is yet another challenge needing to be met.

So, when you look through your old files and notes, or inside your fridge for that matter, consider putting together something you never dreamed was there before.

The Kitchen and the Keyboard

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Everyone has at least one passion. Some are into sports; others, religion. Some parents are totally dedicated to their families. There are gamers, role-players, binge watchers, influencers, photographers, workout fanatics. Some focus their attention on saving rescue animals, the environment, society, or the world at large. Whatever it is, I think it is good to have a passion, something you can dive into with your complete heart, soul, and mind.

For me, it is the kitchen and the keyboard.

I have been fascinated with cooking as early as my teenage years. Granted, I had no meaningful knowledge of cuisine or cooking implements. Simply the act of cooking was enjoyable, to say the least. Over the years, as I became a homeowner, I picked up bits and pieces along the way. It has been invaluable knowledge that has allowed me to focus on creating meals that might be varying combinations of healthy, exotic, unique, and worthwhile. I was proud to purchase an Instant Pot and slowly determined all the uses for it (some of which I have yet to explore). Just recently, I made Paneer and then found a recipe to make Spiced Pan-Fried Paneer. This is an appetizer I would never have thought of in the past.

I was thrilled to buy a KitchenAid stand mixer, giving my soon-to-become arthritic hands a much needed rest from kneading dough. And instead of making just two loaves a year (a Challah for Thanksgiving and Grandma Dorothy’s Dill Bread for Christmas), I made a Seeded Irish Soda Bread for St. Patrick’s Day, an Olive Oil and Herb Bread (with Herbs de Provence), and a Crusty Artisan Bread. I have made muffins of all kinds with the silicone molds I got for a present.

Not to stop there, I got a pasta extruder and meat grinder and have been making and stuffing sausages and thin spaghetti and rigatoni and bratwurst. Yes, there is still a great deal of effort, but the end results are well worth it.

My other passion (which should be obvious) is writing. The keyboard. Whether it was the “portable” Smith-Corona typewriter or the Brother word processor or any one of a number of desktop or laptop computers. From writing short stories as a kid to attempting to learn screenwriting as a college student, then segueing into poetry and finally fiction. And then, from contemporary crime fiction to historical crime fiction.

These are my passions.

Look closely and you will notice some similarities. There is a need for the proper tools. For the kitchen, it is obvious and some have previously been described. For writing, there is a great deal of research necessary for the historical aspect. Books on writing, whether it’s Strunk and White’s Elements of Style or something more personal, like Stephen King’s “On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft.” There are web sites and chat rooms and message boards. There is the local writer’s group, like the Kansas Authors Club, or a conference such as OWFI. We have scrap paper and a printer and ink, tons of pens and pencils, paper clips and staplers, maybe a cork board or whiteboard to have ideas readily available. In my case, I have a map of Wichita pinned to my wall.

Your passions require creativity, not just if they are associated with the arts. There needs to be something unique and different about YOUR particular passion. After all, what makes it special to you? You need to be dedicated to it. Some people, even yourself, might think it is only a hobby. That’s fine. But in order to fully enjoy it, committing yourself to it will amplify your pleasure.

There are, of course, limits. As we age, we may lose our abilities in these passions. In both cases, I worry about what will become of my hands. Forming sausage patties, pouring and measuring ingredients, and typing for extended periods of time could become an issue. Failing eyesight could prevent me from seeing a recipe or editing my work. These are not things to worry about or concern ourselves with now. At this moment in time, once you have been fortunate enough to find your passions, you continue on, knowing that your life has been made fuller by those things that bring out the best in you.

What are your passions?