Judith Post's Blog, page 130
August 25, 2012
Waiting & Writing
I write almost every single weekday. It’s the way I keep the ongoing story in mind and keep my focus. But writing’s more than that. It grounds me. If I go too many days in a row, where life happens, and I don’t write, I start going into withdrawal. I miss it. Need it. I love to write.
That said, I should clarify that I love the actual writing process–making character wheels, plotting, writing and rewriting–putting words on paper, rearranging them, then adding more words since I usually write too lean–taking care where my scenes are too skimpy with descriptions or I made the action too fast. Then I love sending my polished draft to the friends I trust, who tell me what I missed, where I went wrong, and how to fix it. And their comments lead me to my final, finished product. But eventually, the day comes, when I’ve made every change I’m going to make and it’s time to send my spiffy manuscript into the cold, cruel world…and wait.
Waiting’s a part of writing. A part I’m not fond of. Sometimes, the wait’s short. My agent gets back to me in two or three weeks. Sometimes she’s swamped, and the wait’s longer–maybe two or three months, maybe more. But long or short, it’s always miserable. My mind can’t stop wondering, Will she like it? Did it work? Even when I push those thoughts away and start a new project, the ugly head of doubt squirms out of its hiding place late at night when I’m brushing my teeth for bed, or in the morning while I sip my coffee. Not that Lauren has ever been anything but supportive and wonderful, but still….maybe this is the time I blew it. Silly? Maybe. The truth? Unfortunately, yes.
And then, when I hear back, and Lauren says the story’s ready to go, that it’s time to load it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble and smashwords and more…. then I wait to see if anyone wants to read it and if they like it when they do. And I think about how I can make the next book or story better. And I love that story, the new one, the one I’m working on…until it’s time to send it out into the world.
I’m glad kids aren’t like stories. I loved them when I raised them, and I loved them when they spread their wings and flew away. I wish I could think of my writing that way. Maybe someday… if I made the New York Times top ten list…if I sold a kazillion copies all over the globe…but I doubt it. I’d still know the things I could have done better. If I’d had more action, faster pacing, a stronger theme…. But there aren’t too many perfect books. And I’m pretty sure mine will never qualify. Still, I’m awfully happy with my favorite authors, imperfections and all. So maybe I need to cut myself some slack. Besides, the story I’m working on right now is going really well…it’s one of my best…until it’s time to send it.
August 19, 2012
Do you ever feel like Eeyore?
When I was young and naive, I always thought that doing your best and aiming for what’s right guaranteed success. Not so. It wasn’t until I started teaching that I discovered that sometimes your best isn’t enough. You can’t stuff a funnel into a kid’s head and pour information into his little brain–even if he doesn’t want it. I learned that if a kid doesn’t want to learn or want to succeed, you can’t make him. And like Enoch, I learned that things aren’t always black and white, and that there are many shades of gray. (Sorry, no play on the new bestseller. There are probably a lot more shades than fifty).
Anyway, Enoch’s biggest problem is that he’s friends with Caleb. And in essence, Caleb should be the novel’s villain. He’s what’s blocking Enoch from achieving his goal. But talk about opposites attracting. Enoch loves the Light, and he loves Home. Caleb finds it restrictive and boring, so when Caleb joins up with Lucifer to overthrow the One, Enoch tackles him and pins him down until Lucifer and his band of angels are thrown into the pit. Enoch thinks he’s won a serious moral victory and saved his friend. Caleb doesn’t agree…and says so…and gets himself thrown to Earth, banned from the Light.
That’s when Enoch’s problems really begin, because Caleb loves living on Earth. He loves his freedom. He doesn’t have the Light, but he discovers that human blood works just as well–gives him the energy he needs and craves. Of course, his bite infects mortals with his immortality, so that they become vampires, but what of it?
I don’t know about other people, but I have friends who don’t hold the same opinions I do, friends who look at the world and life from a completely different filter than I see, but that’s part of why I love them. Enoch and Caleb are like that. So Enoch is sent to Earth to clean up after Caleb, and he can’t return Home until he brings a willing Caleb with him….
You know the old saying, “Until hell freezes over?” Caleb never wants to leave Earth. That means that no matter what Enoch does, no matter how many bad vampires he hunts and slays, he’s still stuck here. And like Eeyore, he’s not happy about it. But no matter how much he resents Caleb, he still doesn’t want him to be eternally punished. So the gray areas just multiply. When he finds GOOD vampires, the gray gets even grayer. He likes them. He starts to work with them. Nothing is as simple as he hoped it would be. Until he meets a female vampire that he’d do anything to protect, and then gray looks crystal clear because all of his moral boundaries begin to blur. He’ll never purposely do something wrong, but there are lots more options that look acceptable to him day by day.
Enoch, like Eeyore, resonates with me because–for me–even when I try, it’s hard to be happy with myself, it’s hard to find the right path. It’s easy to feel guilty about the good I can’t get around to. It’s easy to see my shortcomings. Enoch never feels like he does enough. A few critics have said that readers don’t have to worry about him in a battle, that he’ll always survive. But I’m not worried about his safety. I’m more drawn to his inner struggle.
August 10, 2012
The Three Fates & Writing
I saw a quote on twitter a few days ago that I’ve had taped over my computer for a long time. “We are not human beings on a spiritual journey. We are spiritual beings on a human journey.”
I first saw Stephen Covey’s words on Jonathan Cainer’s horoscope site years ago, and they struck a chord with me. If you really believe that there’s life after death, then we’re already immortal, right? Of course, my friends who are atheists would disagree with me. Maybe my Jewish friends too. They’d say that when we die, our energies are converted into something else useful for the universe, and we are no more, that we live on in the good works we leave behind. I’m not bringing this up to argue the point, it’s just that–for me–Greek and Norse myths sneak into my writing more than I realize. And I wrestle with the idea of Fate.
My dad, who was an atheist, believed that a man’s days were, indeed, numbered. I’m not sure how he could argue that point if we’re randomly conceived, but mortals aren’t always rational, are they? Otherwise, he’d say, how could one man be hit by lightning three times while plowing his field and survive, then trip on a curb and break his neck? And he’d finish with, “It was his time.” The Greeks would agree. The three Fates foretold your destiny when you were born. Clotho spun your thread of life. Lachesis measured it out, and Atropos snipped it when your days were finished. Horoscopes hint at the same thing. How the planets are aligned on the day of your birth foretell the ups and downs of your journey through life…and some say, the time your journey is finished.
I bought a book once–9 Chances to Live a Happy Life–(which, of course, I loaned to someone and no longer have), but the author contended that before we (spirits) come to earth, we choose our date of birth, our own name, and our parents to preordain each step of our journey here. That’s pushing it a bit for me. Who, in their right mind, would choose abusive parents on purpose? But I liked the general idea of the book–that every step here is to make us grow. The old idea that Life is a Classroom.
The truth is, I still have more questions than answers when it comes to Life. But I still like the idea of some sort of plan, some reason for us to hang out here. (But that might be the teacher in me. My husband rolls his eyes and says, “You can take the teacher out of the classroom, but you can’t take the classroom out of the teacher.” He might be right). But I fret with those ideas in novels here and there. So I decided to simply make it a major part of the novel, FABRIC OF LIFE. In that story, the world’s population has grown too much for the Fates to keep up, so special mortals are chosen to help with the load. Thea Patek is the weaver for the area she lives in. She dutifully races to her studio before each new soul comes to earth and weaves a bookmark for them, the threads colored by the position of each planet at their birth.
Anyway, it was fun to write about Thea and the mystery person who sneaks into her studio and unravels the knots at the end of choice bookmarks, causing victims to die before their allotted time. But as usual, when I finished writing, the same, old questions remained. No brilliant inspiration sent me celestial answers, but I had a good time pondering the questions.
August 5, 2012
Ingredients of Writing
I started a new novel by an author I’ve never read before. And so far, I love everything about Unholy Ghosts by Stacia Kane. But I think the thing that’s hooked me the most is the author’s voice. It’s unique. Her take on characters and plot points is different than I’m used to. She goes places I don’t expect her to. Her female protagonist is addicted to pills. It’s the only way Chess can deal with battling ghosts from her past and ghosts in real life. But she’s no downtrodden victim. No one in this novel is. The drug seller and his enforcer both feel real. They are what they are because they’ve worked their way up the ladder. They’re at the top of their food chain. Their dialogue, their take on life, their way of handling problems all feel practical, necessary. And it gives the novel an edge that I like. But it’s made me think. What is it, when I really think about it, that makes me love one novel more than another?
Unholy Ghosts has plenty of action, and I like that, but it’s not necessary to make me love a book. It’s why I love Ilona Andrews. There’s always a battle, a conflict that tests Kate Daniels’ mettle. But I love Patricia Briggs too, and her Mercedes Thompson novels have as much character building as world building and action. There’s always danger, of course. That’s what urban fantasy is all about. But I’m a huge fan of Elizabeth George and Sarah Allen Addison–and their conflicts are every bit as internal as external. So action, in and of itself, isn’t necessary to win my devotion. As a matter of fact, I don’t even finish some action-packed novels because I don’t care what happens to the characters. So action, alone, doesn’t guarantee a good book.
When I think about it, Ilona Andrews, Patricia Briggs, Elizabeth George, and Sarah Allen Addison aren’t all that similar. They each know how to balance all of the components of a great novel–tension, pacing, emotional impact, characterization, and plot. Their pages aren’t filled with misspellings or bad grammar. They know the basics. But what makes a novel soar above those basics? What makes a novel stand out?
I think, part of it, is voice and language. Les Edgerton wrote a how-to book on VOICE, because it’s so important to the feel and texture of a novel. It takes an author time to find her voice. That’s why it’s so important to just write, to find yourself, when you’re starting out. A writer can learn the basics from books/reading, but voice is his way of encompassing all of those ingredients. Voice is the thing that makes one writer unique from the next. It’s part of why I loved Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman. Her language was almost lyrical, at times. Sarah Allen Addison’s voice can feel whimsical to me, almost poetic, at turns. Elizabeth George’s language just blows me away, like a literary novel and a mystery whirred in a blender. Ilona Andrews uses a sort of kickass, smartass voice and some authors–like Shirley Jump, Dorothy Cannell, or Janet Evanovich–use humor to distinguish themselves from others. But each author has his own take on life, and that carries over into his writing. And that becomes voice. And that, I think, is what makes me choose one author over another.
What about you? What makes you like one writer more than the next?
July 27, 2012
Adversaries Aren’t Necessarily Villains
Every novel starts with a protagonist and a problem. It can’t be just any, old problem either. It has to be life changing, something the main character wants so much that he’ll spend the entire novel trying to get it. In romance, it’s boy meets girl. He wants her. She doesn’t want him. Or she does want him, but life gets in the way, and they have to work through all sorts of misadventures and misunderstandings to be together. In mysteries, there’s some kind of crime that needs to be solved. In fantasies, there’s a quest or a battle between good and evil.
In many novels, the protagonist has to face and defeat a villain. Villains take all shapes and sizes. They can be vampires and fae gone awry, as in Patricia Briggs’ novels. They can be nice, elderly ladies who offer you tea, as in Agatha Christie’s mysteries. Or they can be brilliant, memorable monsters like Hannibal Lecter in Silence of The Lambs. Villains put a face on the hero’s problem. But villains aren’t always enough. Adversaries add depth and texture to a novel. The fun thing about adversaries is that they don’t have to be “bad.” They just have to get in the hero’s way, to be a thorn in his side, and to trip him up while he tries to achieve his goal.
Sometimes, adversaries can be as memorable as villains. In Silence of the Lambs, Dr. Frederick Chilton creeped me out more than Lecter did. I despised his smarmy smugness, his cowardly taunting. But an adversary could be a good guy (or girl)–like the New Orleans female cop who keeps vampire hunter, Jane Yellowrock, on a tight leash in Faith Hunter’s series. Adversaries and heroes butt heads, and sometimes it’s because two good guys both believe they’re right. Or, in a romance, it can be because one of the protagonist’s best friends is attracted to the same person the protagonist’s fallen for. Weather can even serve as an adversary in a plot. Jack London used storms or blizzards to great effect in his novels.
Lots of things can create tension in story lines. Heroes have to jump many hurdles before they reach a satisfying ending. Great villains can crank up the conflict, but so can great adversaries. How the hero responds is what makes us turn the pages.
### Thought I’d list a favorite blog post of mine (and I hope it works) that states really well how a hero handles conflict. http://lesedgertononwriting.blogspot.com/2012/03/character-actions.html?spref=fb (If this doesn’t open, Les Edgerton’s blog, in general, gives great writing advice.)
July 19, 2012
Writing Puzzles & Mysteries
I used to write mystery short stories. I’m a lifelong fan of Agatha Christie. And my daughter, Holly, used to read most of my manuscripts before I sent them off. She still reads a lot of them, and she enjoys my stabs at urban fantasy, but she started to bug me to write a good, old Agatha-style cozy again. She said she missed reading the types of stories I used to create.
The thing is, since I’ve started writing urban fantasies, I yearn for a touch of magic in my plots, so I squirmed and protested. But she wouldn’t take no for an answer, so I played with the idea of adding supernatural elements to a nice, cozy murder. And not just any murder. I decided to try my hand at a locked room mystery. Nothing mundane like a latch that automatically falls when the killer shuts the door behind him, either. I wanted a murder where the crime is committed and solved by a paranormal.
I have to admit, killing an evil warlock in his own living room was a lot of fun. Trying to decide how someone got past all of his magic wards was even better. And doing it all in a short format–I gave myself 40 pages–was the icing on the cake. Holly was right. I’d missed writing short, and I’d missed writing mysteries. So this summer, I’ve given myself permission to write as many 40-page stories as I can get done. It’s my treat to myself. And to Holly. And hopefully, other readers might like them too.
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/one-less-warlock-judith-post/1111504307?ean=2940033249435 (It’s free).
July 12, 2012
If I were a new writer:
I belong to a wonderful writers’ group. I’ve belonged to it for a long time. The thing that makes us special, I think, is that we encourage each other. For each meeting, three people sign up to read, and we always say what we liked about the pages we hear and what we think would make them better. But to us, each person has potential, and we do what we can to nurture that.
Aside from having a group like Scribes, I’ve thought about what I wish I knew when I first started writing. And the thing is, there are no magic bullets. It’s like learning ballet. You just have to do it and practice, practice, practice. But there are things that will make the process easier and better.
The first is to read, read, and read more. Read what you enjoy, but also read what you want to write. If your dream is to write romance novels, then read as many of those as possible, and not just randomly. Read the exact kind of romances that you want to write, so that you know the market and you sense the innate rhythms and tones that belong to that genre.
I wish I’d have read Jack Bickham’s book Scene and Structure after I wrote my first novel. I’m not sure I would have understood it before I tried my first book. That was a lesson in and of itself. I started out writing short stories. Trying to stretch an idea to 60,000 words was beyond me. I celebrated when I reached 20,000 words. It took blood, sweat, and tears to make it to a full-length novel. One of the things that helped me was thinking of my book in smaller sections. Now, I divide my plots into four parts, and that’s been a big help to me. The first fourth is set-up: writing the inciting incident, the hook, the book’s big question, the main character’s outer and inner motivations, and introducing important minor characters, and the setting. For 60,000 to 80,000 words, I also introduce 2 subplots that have a similar theme or are related to the main plot.
The second fourth of the book starts with the main character struggling to find a fix for his problem–the thing that he has to solve before the novel’s last page. He comes up with a plan and works at it until the middle of the book when he realizes that what he’s doing isn’t working.
The third fourth of the novel, the protagonist comes up with a new plan, but the harder he tries to fix things, the worse things get. Someone or something (his reputation/his future/etc.) is in jeopardy by the end of the third fourth of the novel.
The last fourth of the novel is do or die time. The protagonist pushes for the final fix until the novel reaches the final showdown. I solve the smallest subplot of the novel first, then the bigger subplot, and then, near the end of the novel, the book’s big question. All that’s left is the wrap-up or resolution. I keep this short, because the tension of the story left when I fixed the protagonist’s problem.
Dividing a novel this way makes it so that I can start writing as soon as I know my characters and can hear them in my head. I use character wheels for that. Shirley Jump teaches online classes on how to do those, and her classes are worth taking. But I draw a big circle with a little circle inside it. Inside the small circle, I put the character’s name, hair color, eye color, physical description, and age. From that small circle, I draw 7 “rays”–like sunbeams. On the first, I list the character’s family–mother, father, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, anyone who’s been important while he’s growing up and what they’re like and why they were important to him. On the second line, I list his education. Was he a good student? A class clown? Or too shy to raise his hand? On the third, his job. Is he passionate about it, or does he just put in his time just to make money? Is he happy there? Does he want more? On the fourth line, I put where he lives and what kind of car he drives. Does he have an apartment he crashes in, but doesn’t care about, or is he fixing up an old farm house? Does he drive a rusted pickup or a Mercedes? On the fifth line, I list his present and past relationships. Is he monogamous? A player? On the sixth, his friends (at least 2), and his relationship with them. On the seventh line, his adversaries or enemies. By the time I’m finished, I see what’s important to him and why.
I do a character chart for every important character in the novel, and I try to devise the characters so that they “bump” each other, so that there’s friction between them, so that they approach the world differently from each other.
Then I go back to the plot. All I really need is the inciting incident, three plot twists, and an ending. And I’m ready to go. I can add details as I write. But I know I’m heading in the right direction.
Every writer is different. No one thing works for all of us. This is my method, what works for me. You’ll have to find what works for you. These are just ideas to play with. And as you write, you’ll find your voice–the distinctive style that makes you–you. That’s what readers really relate to. Your view of the world and the way you see your characters and their circumstances. So, enjoy yourself. Play with characters and ideas, and happy writing!
P.S. If anyone has any specific questions for me about writing, I’ll try to answer them. I can only tell you what I’ve learned on my journey as a writer, but I’ll be happy to share what I know.
June 28, 2012
Worthy Villains
Every writer knows that a strong villain makes for a strong story. The higher stakes, the faster the pages turn. There are the obvious, fictitious, bad guys–like the evil stepmothers in Snow White and Cinderella, the enticing Hannibal Lecter, and the over-the-top Cruella de Vil, who’ll kill cute puppies to have a one-of-a-kind, fur coat. But no villain declares his motives as clearly as Shakespeare’s Richard the III, who declares in his opening soliloquy “…And therefore, since I cannot prove a lover To entertain these fair well-spoken days, I am determined to prove a villain And hate the idle pleasures of these days.” And prove himself he does (at least in the play).
I believe that one of the reasons Harry Potter was such a success is that Voldemort was such an excellent villain. He was twisted and powerful…and fascinating. In lots of myths and fantasies, the battle comes down to good versus evil. Look at Lord of the Rings and the Dark Lord Sauron, who commanded the Orcs. Here’s a link to 50 of the best villains in literature: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/3560987/50-greatest-villains-in-literature.html They come in all shapes and sizes. Some of your favorites might or might not have made the cut. But sometimes, villains can be more subtle. Moriarity plays mind games with Sherlock Holmes, and the villain smiles and welcomes us in many an Agatha Christie mystery. Annie Wilkes is an author’s biggest fan in Stephen Kings’ Misery.
In my novel Fallen Angels, I tried for a few kinds of villains–the serial killer who preys on women; Vlad, the favored, spoiled vampire who constantly breaks the rules; and the hero’s best friend, who’s also his most dangerous adversary. But all the while, as Caleb creates and sanctions vampires, he stays committed to thinking of Enoch as a “brother.” It’s a complicated relationship, and hopefully, Caleb makes for a complicated villain. But whatever your taste in bad guys, a good book depends on them. Which would you call your favorite?
http://www.judithpostswritingmusings.com/index.html
June 23, 2012
Planets And Runes
I’m hooked. I’m an astrology junkie. I faithfully read Jonathan Cainer every day and Susan Miller once a month. And I know that astronomers think of the planets’ movements in a scientific way (to the point that they demoted Pluto, drat them), and I know that science would snort in disdain that I think of the planets as influencing my life, but I don’t care. Science aside, if our Creator positioned planets and their movements to exert influences over the ups and downs of my destiny, I can only admire Him for that…even though I’d like a lot more ups and a few less downs. I mean, if Life is growth…and that’s a big IF, (I haven’t figured out anything better yet), then having it programmed with challenges and blessings seems like a great idea to me. And each planet rules something different, so when my finances hit the skids, the planet of love might make my home life warm and fuzzy. When Mercury is retrograde, Venus might transit the sun.
I’m always happy when I read my weekly horoscopes and get happy predictions. Not so thrilled when I found the horoscope that said, “Well, too bad, but you seem to have a crappy twelve year cycle coming up.” …And the damned thing was right. But at least, forewarned is forearmed, right? Either that, or it’s just easy to get depressed. Anyway, the thing is, even though I say that I don’t want to know the future, a tiny part of me does. Or at least, the trends of the future, because everyone’s specifics are different.
But when I go to my sites to get my horoscope fix, most of them have all sorts of other things available too. Tarot readings. Now, I am transfixed by the beauty and mysticism of Tarot cards. I bought a deck once, but I was too afraid to try them. What if they told me something specific that I didn’t want to know? What if I need to cling to a small bubble of hope to hang on to my dream? And the Tarot tell me that I’m never going to achieve my goal. Do I want to know? Or do I want to keep trying? And what if I give up, and I misinterpreted the hand I was dealt? Aaargh.
Anyway, long story short, the Tarot and I Ching and palm reading, etc. made me think about runes. One of my favorite movies (and now you’re going to know what a genre junkie I really am) is The Thirteenth Warrior. I make someone watch it with me once a year. And I love the scene where the old woman throws the bones and chooses the thirteen men who will fight the “fire worm.” Come to think of it, this movie is probably what got me back on my Norse binge too. But besides studying the skies, lots of early cultures tossed bones and studied entrails to predict the future. Entrails don’t appeal to me all that much, so bones were my weapon of choice. And that’s how I came up with my goddess, Diana, tossing her runes to discover her destiny. And it felt right. She has runes. I have planets. And we both believe in them, even when we don’t like what they tell us.
Planets & Runes
I’m hooked. I’m an astrology junkie. I faithfully read Jonathan Cainer every day and Susan Miller once a month. And I know that astronomers think of the planets’ movements in a scientific way (to the point that they demoted Pluto, drat them), and I know that science would snort in disdain that I think of the planets as influencing my life, but I don’t care. Science aside, if our Creator positioned planets and their movements to exert influences over the ups and downs of my destiny, I can only admire Him for that…even though I’d like a lot more ups and a few less downs. I mean, if Life is growth…and that’s a big IF, (I haven’t figured out anything better yet), then having it programmed with challenges and blessings seems like a great idea to me. And each planet rules something different, so when my finances hit the skids, the planet of love might make my home life warm and fuzzy. When Mercury is retrograde, Venus might transit the sun.
I’m always happy when I read my weekly horoscopes and get happy predictions. Not so thrilled when I found the horoscope that said, “Well, too bad, but you seem to have a crappy twelve year cycle coming up.” …And the damned thing was right. But at least, forewarned is forearmed, right? Either that, or it’s just easy to get depressed. Anyway, the thing is, even though I say that I don’t want to know the future, a tiny part of me does. Or at least, the trends of the future, because everyone’s specifics are different.
But when I go to my sites to get my horoscope fix, most of them have all sorts of other things available too. Tarot readings. Now, I am transfixed by the beauty and mysticism of Tarot cards. I bought a deck once, but I was too afraid to try them. What if they told me something specific that I didn’t want to know? What if I need to cling to a small bubble of hope to hang on to my dream? And the Tarot tell me that I’m never going to achieve my goal. Do I want to know? Or do I want to keep trying? And what if I give up, and I misinterpreted the hand I was dealt? Aaargh.
Anyway, long story short, the Tarot and I Ching and palm reading, etc. made me think about runes. One of my favorite movies (and now you’re going to know what a genre junkie I really am) is The Thirteenth Warrior. I make someone watch it with me once a year. And I love the scene where the old woman throws the bones and chooses the thirteen men who will fight the “fire worm.” Come to think of it, this movie is probably what got me back on my Norse binge too. But besides studying the skies, lots of early cultures tossed bones and studied entrails to predict the future. Entrails don’t appeal to me all that much, so bones were my weapon of choice. And that’s how I came up with my goddess, Diana, tossing her runes to discover her destiny. And it felt right. She has runes. I have planets. And we both believe in them, even when we don’t like what they tell us.
