Elizabeth Spann Craig's Blog, page 161
January 27, 2013
Time Saving Tip When Writing Series
by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
Unfortunately, I wasn’t blessed with the best memory. And, the busier I get, the worse it gets.
Writing more than one series means that I frequently have to jump from writing a book in one series to a book in another. I need a refresher to pick back up with the other series.
Style sheets are, obviously, very helpful for this.
Penguin has been great about sending me style sheets for each book (hoping, of course, that I will use them to eliminate errors and inconsistencies from book to book in a series.) The style sheets are emailed in a separate attachment from my edits, and sometimes include the email address of the copyeditor on them, in case I want to make changes to the document.
Penguin’s style sheets usually look like this (with the page reference next to the item):
people
Ash Downey 22
Beatrice Coleman (60s, silvery ash-blond hair) 9
Jo Paxton (black hair with white streaks, small, stout) 10
Miss Sissy (old, cadaverous) 18
places Blowing Rock 34
Blue Ridge Parkway 49
Bub’s Grocery 104
Dappled Hills 12
Additionally, the sheets lists actual style: serial comma use, treatment of unusual contractions, how to handle direct thoughts in the book, word choice, etc. It always amuses me when Penguin adds the word y’all’s to the style sheets they send to me. :)
I’ve also used series bibles that go into greater detail….including things like character traits, habits, hobbies; setting details and any details of recurring subplots. This is useful too, but I still like to have the brief descriptions and the characters’ first and last names on the style sheet for a basic, quick reference.
The sheets were so helpful that I duplicated them for my self-published books. I found, though, that style sheet creation after finishing the first draft, was a time-consuming process.
This might seem obvious, but it wasn’t to me…create the style sheet while you’re writing the book. It only takes a minute to jot down a character description or the name of the local coffeehouse so you’re not scrambling later trying to remember what you called the coffee shop and whether your character has a moustache or not.
Now, if you decide to change the character’s name, appearance, or the name of the coffeehouse, then you’ve got to remember to change the style sheet or you’ll have a real mess.
So…the style sheet helps while you’re writing the book—by offering a succinct reference that you can click over to as you write the first draft. The style sheet also helps with edits and consistency. And the style sheet helps with future books in the series. I’m a fan.
Although this tool is especially helpful for series writers, I think it would also be helpful for writers who are drafting standalone books. When you’re editing your book, you’ll save time while checking for consistency in the document.
Another helpful cheat for the forgetful writer or the writer who writes multiple books a year: long synopses of each book. I heard from a teacher last week who wants me to Skype with her class about Delicious and Suspicious. Not a problem…except that I wrote that book four years ago. Fortunately, I have a long synopsis that I put together that should refresh my memory enough to speak with some intelligence (ha!) about a book I wrote.
Do you use style sheets or other memory crutches? Do you have any other time-saving tips while working on a book?
Image: xenia
Unfortunately, I wasn’t blessed with the best memory. And, the busier I get, the worse it gets. Writing more than one series means that I frequently have to jump from writing a book in one series to a book in another. I need a refresher to pick back up with the other series.
Style sheets are, obviously, very helpful for this.
Penguin has been great about sending me style sheets for each book (hoping, of course, that I will use them to eliminate errors and inconsistencies from book to book in a series.) The style sheets are emailed in a separate attachment from my edits, and sometimes include the email address of the copyeditor on them, in case I want to make changes to the document.
Penguin’s style sheets usually look like this (with the page reference next to the item):
people
Ash Downey 22
Beatrice Coleman (60s, silvery ash-blond hair) 9
Jo Paxton (black hair with white streaks, small, stout) 10
Miss Sissy (old, cadaverous) 18
places Blowing Rock 34
Blue Ridge Parkway 49
Bub’s Grocery 104
Dappled Hills 12
Additionally, the sheets lists actual style: serial comma use, treatment of unusual contractions, how to handle direct thoughts in the book, word choice, etc. It always amuses me when Penguin adds the word y’all’s to the style sheets they send to me. :)
I’ve also used series bibles that go into greater detail….including things like character traits, habits, hobbies; setting details and any details of recurring subplots. This is useful too, but I still like to have the brief descriptions and the characters’ first and last names on the style sheet for a basic, quick reference.
The sheets were so helpful that I duplicated them for my self-published books. I found, though, that style sheet creation after finishing the first draft, was a time-consuming process.
This might seem obvious, but it wasn’t to me…create the style sheet while you’re writing the book. It only takes a minute to jot down a character description or the name of the local coffeehouse so you’re not scrambling later trying to remember what you called the coffee shop and whether your character has a moustache or not.
Now, if you decide to change the character’s name, appearance, or the name of the coffeehouse, then you’ve got to remember to change the style sheet or you’ll have a real mess.
So…the style sheet helps while you’re writing the book—by offering a succinct reference that you can click over to as you write the first draft. The style sheet also helps with edits and consistency. And the style sheet helps with future books in the series. I’m a fan.
Although this tool is especially helpful for series writers, I think it would also be helpful for writers who are drafting standalone books. When you’re editing your book, you’ll save time while checking for consistency in the document.
Another helpful cheat for the forgetful writer or the writer who writes multiple books a year: long synopses of each book. I heard from a teacher last week who wants me to Skype with her class about Delicious and Suspicious. Not a problem…except that I wrote that book four years ago. Fortunately, I have a long synopsis that I put together that should refresh my memory enough to speak with some intelligence (ha!) about a book I wrote.
Do you use style sheets or other memory crutches? Do you have any other time-saving tips while working on a book?
Image: xenia
January 26, 2013
Twitterific
by
Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
Twitterific
is a compilation of all the writing links I shared the previous week.
The
links are fed into the Writer’s Knowledge
Base search engine (developed by writer and
software engineer Mike Fleming) which has over 19,000 free articles on
writing-related topics. It's the search engine for writers.
Sign up
for our free newsletter for monthly writing tips and interviews with top
contributors to the WKB or like us on Facebook.
Try “My
WKB”--a way for you to list and sort articles, view your read articles, and see
your search history. Read more about it here: http://bit.ly/S9thqS.
The free My WKB page is here: http://bit.ly/PV8Ueb. And check out Hiveword to
help you organize your story.
Tips for motivating yourself to write: http://bit.ly/V4NKfo
@ollinmorales
Is Hubris Holding You Back? http://bit.ly/X5hgPL
6 Warning Signs That Your Blog Is Deflating: http://bit.ly/V4OlxD
@problogger
Synopsis writing tips: http://bit.ly/X5ht5E
@mythicscribes
Writing And Publishing In 2013: Survive And Thrive: http://bit.ly/V4OOzU @woodwardkaren
Using Meyers-Briggs to Keep Your Characters in Character: http://bit.ly/X5hFlc @booklifenow
How to Create a Strong Dramatic Premise: http://bit.ly/V4Pg16
@SHalvatzis
How pay-what-you-like ebooks sell [infographic]: http://bit.ly/X5hRAS
The Secret Writing Rule Book…and Why to Ignore It: http://bit.ly/V4PF3I @annerallen
4 Ways to Wake Up Your Creativity: http://bit.ly/WSJ60S
@bookemdonna
How to Use Fiction Techniques when Writing Nonfiction: http://bit.ly/ZY1vR7
How (and When) to Give Yourself a Break: http://bit.ly/WSJhte
@ava_jae
Should You Slam Your Story's Brakes? http://bit.ly/ZY1Gfk
@kmweiland
Legal Issues in Self-Publishing: What Authors Need to Know: http://bit.ly/ZY1OeS @passivevoiceblg
Script To Screen: "The Elephant Man": http://bit.ly/WSJr3A @gointothestory
The Difference Between Appositives and Descriptions: http://bit.ly/ZY1Xij @writing_tips
Why Side Characters Steal the Spotlight (and How to Steal Some Back): http://bit.ly/WSJT1X @susanjmorris
Adding tension to crime fiction with non-physical threats: http://bit.ly/SqmVCT @mkinberg
How to speed up your writing by not writing: http://bit.ly/141Hbyw @goodinaroom
What writers want from publishing: http://bit.ly/TmWz6s
@Porter_Anderson @EdNawotka @psexton1
Choosing a Story Idea: 4 Questions Every Romance Writer Should Ask
Themselves: http://bit.ly/X5AQ0h
@writersdigest
The New World of Publishing: How To Keep Production Going All Year: http://bit.ly/ZY2DnY @deanwesleysmith
13 Ways to Exorcise Wordiness: http://bit.ly/ZY4Kbb
More On Writer/Agent Etiquette, How to Approach Agents With Multiple
Genres & More: http://bit.ly/WSMb19
@breeogden
Fight Scenes That Sizzle: http://bit.ly/WSQqtq
Scandalous: 8 Reasons Intelligent Writers Must Read Twilight: http://bit.ly/ZY90rl @robdyoungwrites
Process vs Outcome: What Motivates You? http://bit.ly/WSQGIV
@yahighway
The All-Important Fan Base: http://bit.ly/ZY9bCQ
@kristinerusch
A Book Cover's Evolution: http://bit.ly/WSQU2I
@jfbookman
3 Twitter Tips for Writers: http://bit.ly/WSRa1y
@wherewriterswin
A Goodreads success story: http://bit.ly/WSRjlJ
@AuthorTWard
5 Podcasts for Writers: http://bit.ly/TAMIYo
@jeanoram
An agent on board books: http://bit.ly/101fk1h
@literaticat
Yearly reading goals for writers: http://bit.ly/UYI31x
@ava_jae
Writing Tips for Getting and Staying Organized: http://bit.ly/UYI8m4 @melissadonovan
Using Wordpress to build your author website: http://bit.ly/101fO7r @janvbear
Quotes about Writing from Game of Thrones Author George R.R. Martin: http://bit.ly/UYIfhw @io9
5 Parallelism Problems in Sentence Structure: http://bit.ly/UYIGIE @writing_tips
5 choices you face when a minor character decides to steal the show: http://bit.ly/101kTwI @Fictorians
Elements of Southern fiction: http://bit.ly/RUCQJz
@xymarla
Should Writers Let Reader Expectations Influence Artistic Judgement? http://bit.ly/V0a9cO @woodwardkaren
Writing With a Touch of Madness: http://bit.ly/V0cbtv
@tianawarner
How to Apply the Advice to "Show, Don't Tell": http://bit.ly/RUGpiO @nickdaws
Your Author Business Plan: Compare, Contrast And Conquer: http://bit.ly/V0chRL @susanspann
Literature suffers as the pub. ind. shifts focus to digital revolution: http://bit.ly/W2pFX0 @Porter_Anderson
@EdNawotka @jenniecoughlin
How to Write a Story Like Les Miserables: http://bit.ly/RUGtPw
@joebunting
4 Tips for Fixing the Infamous "Info Dump": http://bit.ly/V0cqoi @jamigold
Tips for Pacing Your Novel: http://bit.ly/RUGHpP
@fictionnotes
13 Resolutions To Make You A Better, More Productive Writer In 2013: http://bit.ly/V0cAfy @kimber_regator
Great scene: Citizen Kane: http://bit.ly/10wbOwU
@gointothestory
Discover Your Hidden Book: http://bit.ly/W527OA
Self-Discipline for the Distracted Writer: http://bit.ly/W52f0v
@JulieEshbaugh
10 Incredibly Stupid Ways Superheroes and Villains Have Died: http://bit.ly/10wchiD @io9
10 things 1 writer wishes she had known before getting published: http://bit.ly/W52MQb @bookviewcafe
Do You Hide Your Writing From Friends & Family? http://bit.ly/10wdg2p @turndog_million
Tips for getting your ebook noticed: http://bit.ly/10wduqo
What Magic Realism Has to Offer Horror: http://bit.ly/W53htq
@mybookishways @manuscriptgal
How Long Should You Keep Trying to Get Published? http://bit.ly/W53psO @janefriedman
Failing your 2013 writing resolutions? Top 10 Strategies for Making Your
New Year's Resolution Stick: http://bit.ly/W53uwI
@lifehacker
New Adult: Marketing? Age? Accessibility? What makes it different? http://bit.ly/10weieV @wordforteens
Symbolism Preliminaries: http://bit.ly/10weoTB
When you should write a sequel to your novel–and when you shouldn't: http://bit.ly/W53H2P @dirtywhitecandy
Options for Conflict in a Scene: http://bit.ly/10weIC1
@kmweiland
How 1 writer fast-drafts: http://bit.ly/10weTgw
@LeighAnnKopans
How To Write A 1-Page Synopsis: http://bit.ly/W54bGa
@stdennard
Self-publishing--Planning for the Long Term: http://bit.ly/10wfIpE
Writing a Book Series from a Blog Series: http://bit.ly/10wFhXI
@laurahoward78
Writing Nowadays–Observations on Ambition: http://bit.ly/W5kDX7
@StevenPiziks
Finding your tactical plan for writing this year: http://bit.ly/10wFEkV @livewritethrive
Screenwriting Advice From The Past: The Denouement: http://bit.ly/W5l5of @gointothestory
6 things writers taught an editor: http://bit.ly/W5kPWi
@ruthharrisbooks
5 Online Dictionaries: http://bit.ly/10wGA98
@writing_tips
Understanding the Story Climax: http://bit.ly/W5lxTp
@SHalvatzis
How to Stay Loyal to Your Writing Schedule: http://bit.ly/10wGVIO
@ollinmorales
A free directory of cover designers, formatters, freelance editors, and
more: http://bit.ly/nolbXq
The Search Engine for Writers: http://hiveword.com/wkb/search
13 point blog checklist: http://bit.ly/VOOS4l
@HeidiCohen
3 Problems of Nonparallel Interjections: http://bit.ly/Y97S3V
@writing_tips
Non-American spelling: http://bit.ly/13CRUy9
A warning to screenwriters: http://bit.ly/Y97Vwz
@cockeyed_caravan
Should you use a pen name if your real name is difficult to spell or
pronounce? http://bit.ly/13CSmfX
@KgElfland2ndCuz
Easy Ways to Build Your Novel's Character: http://bit.ly/Y98cQ0
@Lindasclare
Scene Goals: what your characters want: http://bit.ly/13CSDQ1
@woodwardkaren
3 tips for dealing with critiques: http://bit.ly/Y98oyI
@writersdigest
Why Every Author Should Be On Goodreads In 2013 [Infographic]: http://bit.ly/13CTjoq @jonathangunson
The 48-Hour Sulk Rule & the Creative's Occupational Hazard: http://bit.ly/XHWj3r @MarkMcGuinness
Learn to Be a Better Writer By Reading Fanfiction: http://bit.ly/13CW9ty @io9
10 Grammar & Usage-Related Resolutions: http://bit.ly/13CWkoD
@writerscramp1
Book Cover Trends That Have Oversaturated the Market: http://bit.ly/Y99MBr @deadwhiteguys
How to pitch: http://bit.ly/13CWMDm
How a paradox can help you to warm to your protagonist: http://bit.ly/Y99VVn @donmaass
The Magic of Stephen King: The Opening Paragraphs Of The Dead Zone: http://bit.ly/13CX3X4 @woodwardkaren
The infodump scene: http://bit.ly/WffDzG
9 Ways To Stay On The Writer's Fast Track Once You're On It: http://bit.ly/13EO2Ob @ollinmorales
40 Ways to Develop and Protect Your Writing Brand: http://bit.ly/13EO7Bq
25 Writer Resolutions For 2013 (And Beyond): http://bit.ly/13EOdsL {lang}
Publishing--What to watch for in 2013: http://bit.ly/WfgxfK
@MikeShatzkin
Script To Screen: "Double Indemnity": http://bit.ly/13EPhwT @gointothestory
Vowing to blog more? 7 shortcuts for fast blog posts: http://bit.ly/WfgXCV @publicityhound
Right Now Is the Best Time Ever To Be a Writer (if you work for it): http://bit.ly/13EPzUk @danblank
Writing Rules and Fantasy: Kill Your Darlings: http://bit.ly/Wfh94W @VickyThinks
1-Star Amazon Reviews from Readers Who "Haven't Read It Yet": http://bit.ly/10fMY3m @ddscottromcom
Why Writers Should Use the My Healthy Habits App: http://bit.ly/10fNbU7 @jasonboog
A list of top 10 villainesses: http://bit.ly/10fNxtV
@emeraldfennell
12 Tips for Recovering from Writing Burnout: http://bit.ly/10fNBtF @jamigold
An Agent on The Editorial Process: http://bit.ly/USi1vo
@stevelaubeagent
Why do so many villains get caught on purpose? http://bit.ly/10fO1Ar @io9
The Starburst Method of Plotting: http://bit.ly/USifCD
@woodwardkaren
Stop obsessing over your numbers: http://bit.ly/10fOdQa
@kristinerusch
6 Effective Ways to Inspire Yourself: http://bit.ly/UWZqkh
@write_practice
Dialogue Tags Are Annoying: http://bit.ly/13lvdhH
@mooderino
The Business of Screenwriting: Anatomy of a Deal: http://bit.ly/UWZnoN @gointothestory
What's the Most Important Moment in Your Character's Arc? http://bit.ly/UWZ512 @KMWeiland
Starting a New chapter: Defeating the Blank Page: http://bit.ly/WAfqIn @fictionnotes
Developmental Editing: http://bit.ly/10hmlev
@kcraftwriter
Standalones, Trilogies, and Series: http://bit.ly/10ho03J
@Suzanne_Johnson
Brain "Rules" for Writers: http://bit.ly/UT6n3m
3 Ways to Supercharge Your Writing This Year: http://bit.ly/10hoyGF @jfbookman
How To Combat Book Piracy This Year: http://bit.ly/UT6z2z
@galleycat
15 Great Vintage Book Covers: http://bit.ly/10hoO8P
@publisherswkly
6 Tricks For When You Don't Want To Write: http://bit.ly/UT6Mmh
@joebunting
How Much Detail Should Writers Use? http://bit.ly/UT6Qm0
@kristenlambtx
Classic Books On The Craft Of Writing: http://bit.ly/10hplr4
The Business of Screenwriting: Anatomy of a Deal (When the Project Isn't
Made): http://bit.ly/10hpA5s
@gointothestory
Let Characters Be Wrong: http://bit.ly/UT7aBt
@mooderino
Give your book a theme: http://bit.ly/XkOHOk
@karalennox
Dealing With the Passage of Time Between Scenes: http://bit.ly/XkPmj0 @janice_hardy
Why Your Characters Should Be "Gray": http://bit.ly/VxA9xr @kmweiland
The Secret to Writing a First Novel: http://bit.ly/XkPLBU
@JCBaggott
Jane Dystel: Agents Unwilling to Adapt Won't Last: http://bit.ly/XkPTkJ @passivevoiceblg
How To Modify A MS Word Paragraph Style: http://bit.ly/YfSDpJ
@woodwardkaren
Testifying for Fan Fiction: http://bit.ly/UFNa75
@PeterDamien
Summarizing in Books: When it's Good and When it's Bad: http://bit.ly/YfSLFN @AmericanEditing
7 things 1 writer has learned so far: http://bit.ly/UFNEtP
@ARScattergood
Data tracking and book recommendations: http://bit.ly/10RRQvT @Porter_Anderson @jwikert
Physical Attribute Entry: Fingernails: http://bit.ly/YfT4QU
@angelaackerman
Crafting a Strong Beginning With a Young Narrator: http://bit.ly/UFNMcQ @janice_hardy
The 10 best Jane Austen characters – in pictures: http://bit.ly/YfT8QE @guardianbooks
Great Scene: "Citizen Kane": http://bit.ly/UFO2Zx
@gointothestory
13 Ways To Kickstart Your Writing in 2013: http://bit.ly/YfTp6e
@ajackwriting
Writing is Pain, Learn to Take a Hit: http://bit.ly/UFOpDn
@kristenlamb
Data tracking and book recommendations: http://bit.ly/10RRQvT @Porter_Anderson @jwikert
‘Legitimacy’ and Traditional
Publishers: http://bit.ly/10SEM9s
@Porter_Anderson @jennienash
January 24, 2013
Blogging for Writers
ByElizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
Recently, I’ve noticed a shift in writers’ opinions
on the importance of blogging as part of a writer’s general platform.
Popular blogger Jody Hedlund expressed it well inher post, “Blogging News,” stated:
I think the nature of blogging is changing.
While blogging was once considered essential to a writer's platform, most of us
are beginning to understand that a blogging platform for fiction-writers
doesn't translate into significant sales (at least for the average blogger).
In a day and age with limited time and resources, writers are realizing their
time is best spent writing books—including eshorts and enovellas. Getting our
stories in front of readers does much more for furthering our careers than blogging.
I definitely see where Jody is coming from. I’ve read other posts by other writers lately
stating that they think writers should bring their focus back to their
writing.
What I’ve done was to cut back the number of days
that I’m blogging. I blogged every day, religiously, for a couple of years
before my schedule last year got out of control. I cut back last year…at first temporarily so
that I could handle a few deadlines that were happening at once. Then I decided
to make it permanent. I was getting
more writing done—and not just writing. I was getting a lot of writing-related
activities done (required outlines, Twitter promo, edits, emails, etc.)
What
I get out of blogging:
I still feel that blogging is an important part of
my platform. I’ve gotten to know a good number of writers through blogging, and
the blog has even received some recognition.
The blog provides a good home base for me, helps me
interact with other writers (writing can be a lonely job), and provides me with
encouragement and support. And…it’s hard
to explain, but I feel more of a part of the writing community with my blog
than I do on Facebook and Twitter. This is probably because I don’t interact on
Twitter except through DM (leaving my tweet stream clean) and because I have a
fan page on Facebook instead of a regular profile. It’s harder for me to interact through those
platforms.
Blogging serves as a good writing warm-up…sort of a
writing prompt.
Blogging
challenges:
Sales. If you’re blogging to see a direct impact on
your book sales…you’ll probably be disappointed. I can’t say I’ve seen a direct
correlation. Let’s just say that this isn’t why I blog.
Time. As
always, writers are juggling a lot of promo and their stories. There are only so many hours in the day.
Connecting with readers. Do readers visit author blogs? I think they
do if the bloggers create blogs specifically with readers in mind. Writer Roni Loren changed her
writing-related blog to focus more on readers. She explains why in her guest
post “Social
Media Overload: How Do You Reach Readers?”
on Anne R. Allen’s
blog:
… I chose to go a slightly different route because
(a) I get tired of writing about writing at times and (b) I wanted to provide
my readers with something fun to if they happened to stop by.
Roni gave suggestions for reader extras in her post,
“ Author
Websites: Layering Yours With Sticky Extras .”
Ways
to lessen the impact of blogging challenges:
Accept guest posts. (While still keeping an eye on
quality control.)
Reduce the number of days a week you’re blogging.
Find other ways to connect with readers. I’ve found there are more readers on Facebook
than other social media platforms (much as I dislike Facebook.)
The
problem with group blogs:
A word about group blog challenges. As a link curator (I share writing-related
links on Twitter that archive to the Writer’s Knowledge Base), I’ve noticed a
widespread problem with group blogs—attribution. The reason most writers are on group blogs is
to increase their reach and help develop their platform. If you’re not getting
credit for your post or if your byline isn’t linking back to your blog,
website, Twitter page, etc….then what’s the point?
As unbelievable as it sounds, sometimes I can’t even
tell who wrote particular posts on group blogs.
The byline will just mention “posted by Group Blog” or something
similar. That author got absolutely nothing in return for the post. No promo
value from the time spent writing the article.
The best group blogs immediately identify post
authors with a byline hyperlinked to contact info, an author headshot, and
short bio at the end of the post.
Now I’d love to hear from y’all—because most of you
are bloggers, yourselves. How many days a week do you blog? Do you have trouble
finding time to blog? Thought about cutting back on blogging? Ever considered trying to connect more with
readers than writers? What are your thoughts on group blogs?
January 22, 2013
Characters Who Surprise Us
by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
For my daughter’s entire life, I’ve watched with amusement as people have made the mistake of judging her by her appearance.
She’s diminutive, doll-like in many ways. Very odd, since I’m 5’10” and don’t have many memories of the brief time I was small. But my daughter is frequently mistaken for a second grader, although she’s in middle school.
People don’t expect is how tough she is. She knows her own mind…and speaks it. She can certainly take care of herself. And I wouldn’t advise calling her cute.
I think that’s one aspect that makes my daughter interesting—that dichotomy between her appearance and her personality. She’s a surprise.
Characters who surprise readers are also interesting…and provide realism in a story.
Ways that characters can surprise readers:
Characters who pretend to be different than they actually are. Common in mysteries, but useful in other genres, too. We can all play nice for short periods of time, can’t we? The opposite is true, too—the person who plays the tough guy, but is actually very sensitive or timid.
Characters who change during the course of the story. Directly related to plot events, these characters change for a variety of different reasons: death of someone close to them, change of health, change of circumstance, change of marital status. Might be a good idea to see those changes happen gradually to a character…but if it is abrupt, it needs to be believable.
Characters who differ from what their physical appearance suggests (see above.) This could encompass a Napoleon complex…someone who has a particular personality as a result of their appearance or size.
Characters who experience a change of heart. Sometimes I’ll see this in films where the bad guy has the opportunity to save the good guy (usually when the good guy is hanging off the side of a cliff.) Again, there’s got to be something there in the plot to make the readers believe this abrupt change of heart. Has the protagonist saved the antagonist in the past? What’s the backstory here?
What other ways can characters surprise us? Which ways are your favorites to read or write?
Image: Flickr: A. Currell
For my daughter’s entire life, I’ve watched with amusement as people have made the mistake of judging her by her appearance.She’s diminutive, doll-like in many ways. Very odd, since I’m 5’10” and don’t have many memories of the brief time I was small. But my daughter is frequently mistaken for a second grader, although she’s in middle school.
People don’t expect is how tough she is. She knows her own mind…and speaks it. She can certainly take care of herself. And I wouldn’t advise calling her cute.
I think that’s one aspect that makes my daughter interesting—that dichotomy between her appearance and her personality. She’s a surprise.
Characters who surprise readers are also interesting…and provide realism in a story.
Ways that characters can surprise readers:
Characters who pretend to be different than they actually are. Common in mysteries, but useful in other genres, too. We can all play nice for short periods of time, can’t we? The opposite is true, too—the person who plays the tough guy, but is actually very sensitive or timid.
Characters who change during the course of the story. Directly related to plot events, these characters change for a variety of different reasons: death of someone close to them, change of health, change of circumstance, change of marital status. Might be a good idea to see those changes happen gradually to a character…but if it is abrupt, it needs to be believable.
Characters who differ from what their physical appearance suggests (see above.) This could encompass a Napoleon complex…someone who has a particular personality as a result of their appearance or size.
Characters who experience a change of heart. Sometimes I’ll see this in films where the bad guy has the opportunity to save the good guy (usually when the good guy is hanging off the side of a cliff.) Again, there’s got to be something there in the plot to make the readers believe this abrupt change of heart. Has the protagonist saved the antagonist in the past? What’s the backstory here?
What other ways can characters surprise us? Which ways are your favorites to read or write?
Image: Flickr: A. Currell
January 20, 2013
5 Tips to Create a Page-Turning Plot
Guest Post by J.E. Fishman, @JEFISHMAN
Purchase Here
Last
year, when I was visiting a library book club to discuss my first novel, Primacy,
a woman told me she kept flicking the bedroom reading light back on because she
wanted to know what would happen next.
A
couple of months ago, a fellow writer whom I’d met on Facebook sent me a
message about my second novel that began: “I just read the prologue to Cadaver
Blues. Wow. Straight into the story and already hooked.”
Both
of these interactions — and others like them — have left me smiling over the
past eighteen months. They’re gold for an author. More important than money,
almost on par with food.
Regardless
of genre, the greatest compliment one can pay to a writer is the turning of a
page — followed, of course, by the turning of another and another.
Beautiful,
compelling prose can do that — what editors often refer to as “voice.” But
voice alone can’t carry an entire novel, and it certainly won’t carry a
mystery. People who read mysteries want more than character, great writing, and
peppy dialogue. They want to be challenged to figure something out. The puzzle,
if it’s intriguing enough, can propel much of a story forward. But if you can
also create suspense — a sense that the character faces peril — so much the
better.
The
No. 1 way to build suspense is to instill in your reader a sense of danger
without paying it off right away. Suspense ends the moment anticipation ceases.
That anticipation might be relieved by assured safety, of course, but it also
expires along with your character the moment that the knife goes in. Keeping
them waiting for that knife is the heart of the matter.
Thrillers
frequently have more suspense than traditional mysteries, but these lines have
blurred, which is all to the good. Thriller writers often introduce a mystery
element when they need to complicate their plot. And mystery writers introduce
suspense to quicken the pace.
Ah,
the quicker pace. The thing about knives is they can’t threaten on every page
or the reader becomes inured to them. So what other techniques might we use to
keep those pages turning? Here are five that I find effective both as reader
and writer.
1. Make us care.
Perhaps
it should go without saying that we need to care about the protagonist, but how
does one make the reader care? First of all, bring the character to life
through particular elements of characterization — appearance, tics, manner of
speech, etc.
Second,
give the character something or someone to care about. People who care about
something are more interesting and sympathetic than people who just float
through life. The target of that caring could be a person, a pet, a possession,
or a cause — any number of things. It doesn’t matter what, exactly. We root for
people who have a stake in life.
Least
important, I think, is for your character to be likable. Some will argue with
that statement, but I think we ultimately care more about a character who is
interesting than one who is nice.
Once
you have that interesting character sketched out — or even before — introducing
a sense of foreboding is a great way to get us behind him.
Phillip
Margolin begins Chapter One of The Burning Man as follows: “On the day
the gods chose for his destruction, Peter Hale ate his breakfast on the terrace
of his condominium.” What an effective opening! I don’t know about you, but I’d
personally allow Margolin to bore me to death for the next thirty pages just to
learn how the gods plan to destroy Peter Hale.
2. Limit the field.
The
closer your protagonist gets to the source of danger, the greater the suspense
and the faster the pace.
Proximity
is a powerful source of suspense, even when danger isn’t involved. Think about
your last trip to somewhere you really looked forward to going. Maybe it was a
visit to a national park or a play in the big city. Most of us start out at a
leisurely pace, but as we get closer we speed up to meet the anticipation.
The
protagonist of a mystery isn’t closing in on the theater; she’s closing in on
the truth. But the truth is dangerous because a murderer will be exposed.
In
a thriller, the protagonist is closing in on the antagonist (or vice versa).
The closer he gets, the greater the pace, because a physical threat is most
easily carried out in close quarters. When the antagonist is halfway around the
world, we may be willing to set the book aside. When the antagonist is in the
back of the car, those pages will turn.
3. Raise the stakes.
This
one may seem like a contradiction to Nos. 1 and 2, but they can all complement
one another.
Even
if we already have a sympathetic protagonist who’s in danger, we feel more
strongly for that character’s fate if she willingly risks her life for
something bigger.
First
of all, seeking out danger shows moral fiber — something the character cares
about bigger than herself. As the business guru Tom Peters wrote (quoting Texas
Bix Bender), “You can pretend to care. You cannot pretend to be there.” Risking
your life for something bigger than you is a sign of authenticity.
Second,
bigger stakes are...well, BIGGER. If Asia is threatened with obliteration,
that’s four billion people, which is a lot more than one.
But
here’s the caveat about those stakes. Notice I didn’t say, “Have big stakes.” I
said, “Raise the stakes.” If Asia will be nuked, who cares? Don’t know
any of those people. If, on the other hand, the protagonist I’ve come to know
and love may be nuked while trying to save Asia, now you’ve got me.
Fiction
— even when it has broad themes — always goes from the specific to the general.
Never the other way around.
4. Keep us hanging.
Remember
that knife. The moment it falls, the suspense dissipates.
As
a storytelling technique, the cliffhanger used to get a bad rap. It was said to
belong in the realm of hack writers who relied on cheap tricks. Bull-dingy!
Everyone uses cliffhangers, even literary novelists. Why? Because they work.
The
cliffhanger is nothing more than a cutaway employed when something important is
about to happen to the protagonist. If your protagonist is suspended over a pot
of boiling oil at the end of Chapter 35, why pay off the scene right in Chapter
36 when instead you can go to a completely different location and character and
get your reader to keep turning pages to see what happens?
Best
of all, have the intervening chapter (or chapters) focus on someone who cares
about that character. Maybe he doesn’t know what’s happening to her — or maybe
he’s racing to save the day.
5. Leave something out.
If
you’re a reader or writer of mysteries, you have to love the phrase, “The
mystery deepens.” It’s an invitation into the abyss, isn’t it? Something was
missing. Now, suddenly, even more is missing!
When
it comes to suspenseful storytelling, what the author leaves out is as
important — perhaps more important — than what he puts in. Say the maid found
the butler dead in the library. The mystery, of course, is who killed
him and why. But what if we also don’t know how? Doesn’t that add
to the intrigue? You bet it does.
All
novels complicate the plot as they go along. In page-turners, each revelation
both advances our understanding and, at the same time, raises further
questions. And fresh questions keep readers turning pages.
Storytelling
is a form of manipulation, but the more the reader feels manipulated, the more
you run the risk of losing her. So use these techniques as artfully as you can.
Combined with the core of a great mystery, they’re guaranteed to keep your
readers up at night.
J.E. Fishman, a former Doubleday editor and literary
agent, is author of the thrillers The Dark Pool and Primacy, as
well as the mystery Cadaver Blues: A Phuoc Goldberg Fiasco. With his
friends at Shelton Interactive, he also administers The 1000-Word CliffhangerProject.
He
divides his time between Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania, and New York City. Follow
him through his website at http://jefishman.com .
Purchase Here
Last
year, when I was visiting a library book club to discuss my first novel, Primacy,
a woman told me she kept flicking the bedroom reading light back on because she
wanted to know what would happen next.
A
couple of months ago, a fellow writer whom I’d met on Facebook sent me a
message about my second novel that began: “I just read the prologue to Cadaver
Blues. Wow. Straight into the story and already hooked.”
Both
of these interactions — and others like them — have left me smiling over the
past eighteen months. They’re gold for an author. More important than money,
almost on par with food.
Regardless
of genre, the greatest compliment one can pay to a writer is the turning of a
page — followed, of course, by the turning of another and another.
Beautiful,
compelling prose can do that — what editors often refer to as “voice.” But
voice alone can’t carry an entire novel, and it certainly won’t carry a
mystery. People who read mysteries want more than character, great writing, and
peppy dialogue. They want to be challenged to figure something out. The puzzle,
if it’s intriguing enough, can propel much of a story forward. But if you can
also create suspense — a sense that the character faces peril — so much the
better.
The
No. 1 way to build suspense is to instill in your reader a sense of danger
without paying it off right away. Suspense ends the moment anticipation ceases.
That anticipation might be relieved by assured safety, of course, but it also
expires along with your character the moment that the knife goes in. Keeping
them waiting for that knife is the heart of the matter.
Thrillers
frequently have more suspense than traditional mysteries, but these lines have
blurred, which is all to the good. Thriller writers often introduce a mystery
element when they need to complicate their plot. And mystery writers introduce
suspense to quicken the pace.
Ah,
the quicker pace. The thing about knives is they can’t threaten on every page
or the reader becomes inured to them. So what other techniques might we use to
keep those pages turning? Here are five that I find effective both as reader
and writer.
1. Make us care.
Perhaps
it should go without saying that we need to care about the protagonist, but how
does one make the reader care? First of all, bring the character to life
through particular elements of characterization — appearance, tics, manner of
speech, etc.
Second,
give the character something or someone to care about. People who care about
something are more interesting and sympathetic than people who just float
through life. The target of that caring could be a person, a pet, a possession,
or a cause — any number of things. It doesn’t matter what, exactly. We root for
people who have a stake in life.
Least
important, I think, is for your character to be likable. Some will argue with
that statement, but I think we ultimately care more about a character who is
interesting than one who is nice.
Once
you have that interesting character sketched out — or even before — introducing
a sense of foreboding is a great way to get us behind him.
Phillip
Margolin begins Chapter One of The Burning Man as follows: “On the day
the gods chose for his destruction, Peter Hale ate his breakfast on the terrace
of his condominium.” What an effective opening! I don’t know about you, but I’d
personally allow Margolin to bore me to death for the next thirty pages just to
learn how the gods plan to destroy Peter Hale.
2. Limit the field.
The
closer your protagonist gets to the source of danger, the greater the suspense
and the faster the pace.
Proximity
is a powerful source of suspense, even when danger isn’t involved. Think about
your last trip to somewhere you really looked forward to going. Maybe it was a
visit to a national park or a play in the big city. Most of us start out at a
leisurely pace, but as we get closer we speed up to meet the anticipation.
The
protagonist of a mystery isn’t closing in on the theater; she’s closing in on
the truth. But the truth is dangerous because a murderer will be exposed.
In
a thriller, the protagonist is closing in on the antagonist (or vice versa).
The closer he gets, the greater the pace, because a physical threat is most
easily carried out in close quarters. When the antagonist is halfway around the
world, we may be willing to set the book aside. When the antagonist is in the
back of the car, those pages will turn.
3. Raise the stakes.
This
one may seem like a contradiction to Nos. 1 and 2, but they can all complement
one another.
Even
if we already have a sympathetic protagonist who’s in danger, we feel more
strongly for that character’s fate if she willingly risks her life for
something bigger.
First
of all, seeking out danger shows moral fiber — something the character cares
about bigger than herself. As the business guru Tom Peters wrote (quoting Texas
Bix Bender), “You can pretend to care. You cannot pretend to be there.” Risking
your life for something bigger than you is a sign of authenticity.
Second,
bigger stakes are...well, BIGGER. If Asia is threatened with obliteration,
that’s four billion people, which is a lot more than one.
But
here’s the caveat about those stakes. Notice I didn’t say, “Have big stakes.” I
said, “Raise the stakes.” If Asia will be nuked, who cares? Don’t know
any of those people. If, on the other hand, the protagonist I’ve come to know
and love may be nuked while trying to save Asia, now you’ve got me.
Fiction
— even when it has broad themes — always goes from the specific to the general.
Never the other way around.
4. Keep us hanging.
Remember
that knife. The moment it falls, the suspense dissipates.
As
a storytelling technique, the cliffhanger used to get a bad rap. It was said to
belong in the realm of hack writers who relied on cheap tricks. Bull-dingy!
Everyone uses cliffhangers, even literary novelists. Why? Because they work.
The
cliffhanger is nothing more than a cutaway employed when something important is
about to happen to the protagonist. If your protagonist is suspended over a pot
of boiling oil at the end of Chapter 35, why pay off the scene right in Chapter
36 when instead you can go to a completely different location and character and
get your reader to keep turning pages to see what happens?
Best
of all, have the intervening chapter (or chapters) focus on someone who cares
about that character. Maybe he doesn’t know what’s happening to her — or maybe
he’s racing to save the day.
5. Leave something out.
If
you’re a reader or writer of mysteries, you have to love the phrase, “The
mystery deepens.” It’s an invitation into the abyss, isn’t it? Something was
missing. Now, suddenly, even more is missing!
When
it comes to suspenseful storytelling, what the author leaves out is as
important — perhaps more important — than what he puts in. Say the maid found
the butler dead in the library. The mystery, of course, is who killed
him and why. But what if we also don’t know how? Doesn’t that add
to the intrigue? You bet it does.
All
novels complicate the plot as they go along. In page-turners, each revelation
both advances our understanding and, at the same time, raises further
questions. And fresh questions keep readers turning pages.
Storytelling
is a form of manipulation, but the more the reader feels manipulated, the more
you run the risk of losing her. So use these techniques as artfully as you can.
Combined with the core of a great mystery, they’re guaranteed to keep your
readers up at night.
J.E. Fishman, a former Doubleday editor and literary
agent, is author of the thrillers The Dark Pool and Primacy, as
well as the mystery Cadaver Blues: A Phuoc Goldberg Fiasco. With his
friends at Shelton Interactive, he also administers The 1000-Word CliffhangerProject.
He
divides his time between Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania, and New York City. Follow
him through his website at http://jefishman.com .
January 19, 2013
Twitterific
by Elizabeth S. Craig,
@elizabethscraig
Twitterific
is a compilation of all the writing links I shared the previous week.
The links are fed into the Writer’sKnowledge Base
search engine (developed by writer and software engineer Mike Fleming) which
has over 19,000 free articles on writing-related topics. It's the search engine
for writers.
Sign up for our free newsletter for monthly writing tips and interviews with top
contributors to the WKB or like us on Facebook.
Try “My WKB”--a way for you to list and sort articles,
view your read articles, and see your search history. Read more about it here: http://bit.ly/S9thqS.
The free My WKB page is here: http://bit.ly/PV8Ueb. And check out Hiveword to
help you organize your story.
Making Money From indie Publishing: A
Guide For the Hopeful, the Optimistic and the Doomed: http://bit.ly/12GlIKO @sarahahoyt
How to Cut the Filler and Tighten Your
Book: http://bit.ly/XYvJxy @kmweiland
Goal-Keeping from the Greats: http://bit.ly/X6oYuN @diymfa
Marketing Your E-Book: Making The Most Of
Your Time: http://bit.ly/TBpt0j
The New World of Publishing: Goals and
Dreams: http://bit.ly/X6p8m1
@deanwesleysmith
Resort settings featured in crime fiction: http://bit.ly/100VtPG
@mkinberg
Grammar: Know the Rules Before You Break Them: http://bit.ly/UYHPYj
@suspense_writer
Cautious and adventurous personality types in crime
fiction: http://bit.ly/13CNfMN @mkinberg
A preview of today's DBW conference: http://bit.ly/13CPMXk
. Twitter updates: #DBW13 @Porter_Anderson
Top 10 Things One Writer Learned About Social Media
Marketing: http://bit.ly/13DePcB @colbymarshall
The DBW con: kid lit goes digital, issues for trad. pubs,
piracy, more: http://bit.ly/10hxkVc @porter_anderson .Follow con #DBW13
Can You Tell ‘Male Writing’ from ‘Female?’ http://bit.ly/W9lRRg
@Porter_Anderson @MykeCole @TeresaFrohock
A "Dear Abby" Writing Exercise: http://bit.ly/VvjiLP
@LAMysteryWriter
Whoever Told You Editing Was Easy is
Nuts: http://bit.ly/TBpy45 @behlerpublish
Writing Horror: What Makes A Story Scary?
http://bit.ly/UjgGjq @woodwardkaren
The Science of Storytelling: Why Telling
a Story is the Most Powerful Way to Activate Our Brains: http://bit.ly/10aEVEE @LeoWid
Writing a better climactic scene: http://bit.ly/10aEDOb @Lindasclare
When to shut down a creative life: http://bit.ly/10aE9HT @emergentpublish
Starting a New chapter: Defeating the
Blank Page: http://bit.ly/WAfqIn
@fictionnotes
Why we don't write: http://bit.ly/TBNVi8 @write_practice
Great Scene: "Casablanca": http://bit.ly/X70nGh @gointothestory
Great Character: Buddy ("Elf"):
http://bit.ly/TBO1Gs @gointothestory
Freelancing--the writer's portfolio: http://bit.ly/X70ul3
Real Life Diagnostics: Using the Journal
Format in a YA Novel: http://bit.ly/TBO9Ge
@janice_hardy
The Structure Of Short Stories: The
Elevator Pitch Version: http://bit.ly/X70Rfv
@woodwardkaren
Writing Religion in Fantasy: http://bit.ly/TBOoAY
Create Your Own Storybook App: http://bit.ly/X7142l @JulieFHedlund
Should you re-query an agency? http://bit.ly/VHqG4A @rachellegardner
Tips for writing a book proposal: http://bit.ly/XyukTJ @GillianMarchenk
Managing Story Conflict: http://bit.ly/VHqVfY @SHalvatzis
Tips for authors for getting their books
into local bookstores: http://bit.ly/XyuI4G
@bizauthor
The Three Building Blocks of the Scene: http://bit.ly/VHr8jc @kmweiland
How Do Authors Reach *Readers*? http://bit.ly/Xyv3UV @annerallen
How to add jeopardy to your story before
the main conflict starts: http://bit.ly/VHrciW
@dirtywhitecandy
Writing Goals Versus Writing Dreams: How
To Get From One To The Other: http://bit.ly/XyvnTJ
@woodwardkaren
How much do ebooks cost to create? http://bit.ly/VHruGH
Trying to place more of your stories in
anthologies and ezines? Use a lower word count: http://bit.ly/XyvKNS
@BryanThomasS
Using the Real World in Fantasy Fiction: http://bit.ly/VHrGWg @fantasyfaction
1 writer reports on a KDP Select
experiment: http://bit.ly/XyvVZx
Lessons From 'The Godfather' On Sticking
To Your Creative Vision: http://bit.ly/Ut6nKB
@danblank
e Business of Screenwriting: Withdrawing
screen credit and pseudonyms: http://bit.ly/VZuqNq
@gointothestory
Editing & Critiquing: http://bit.ly/V4uo8r @woodwardkaren
How Writing Helps Us Heal: http://bit.ly/VNSP9w @write_practice
Toothless Writing Goals? Try These Tools:
http://bit.ly/VNSZh3 @Jan_Ohara
Clothes in books: "A black dress,
and a jewel the size of a trouser-button": http://bit.ly/117SaGF
@clothesinbooks
7 Elements of an Effective Landing Page
Designed to Increase Your Mailing List: http://bit.ly/117RMIb
@karencv
The Psychology of Rejection &
Criticism: http://bit.ly/VNTjwq
@markmcguinness
9 Tips For Finishing That Novel: http://bit.ly/117SN37 @annastanisz
How to Edit Your Own Writing: http://bit.ly/117T2Lq @cbmcmillan
Writing Worldbuilding Into Our Books: http://bit.ly/119bgMG @davidbcoe
Why we need beta readers: http://bit.ly/VOGNN4
Dealing with Rejection: http://bit.ly/119bALt @avajae
Effects Of Stress On Creativity: http://bit.ly/119bPpM @TheArtofMind
A writer reports on using CreateSpace: http://bit.ly/VOH42u
Male Authors, Discover Your Feminine
Side: http://bit.ly/119pjSq
@turndog_million
Problems for writers as readers: http://bit.ly/VOP83o @suzanne_writer
When Your Schedule Changes And Writing
Suffers: http://bit.ly/VOPbMw @yahighway
Fight your censor: http://bit.ly/119qt0b
Keeping track of your characters: http://bit.ly/119ra9E
How you should treat edits on page
proofs/pass pages: http://bit.ly/VOQ4Vt
Mistakes with metaphors: http://bit.ly/U0vEtV @robdyoungwrites
Character Development: What Do They Want?
http://bit.ly/XHWJ9M @ava_jae
Blending Sex and Suspense: http://bit.ly/U0vPFD
How to Choose a Creative Writing Course: http://bit.ly/XHX3Fy
The InfoDump Scene: http://bit.ly/U0warJ
Tips for using dashes: http://bit.ly/U0whDN
Promotional Techniques for Authors: http://bit.ly/U0wxCK @ashkrafton
Finding the Balance Between Action and
Character: http://bit.ly/XHXFLq
@janice_hardy
Stupid Characters vs. Stupid Decisions:
They're Not the Same: http://bit.ly/UWYegU
@ava_jae
16 villain archetypes: http://bit.ly/UWYoF2 @tamicowden
Know the Dramatic Question of Your Story:
http://bit.ly/ZsqAi5 @cockeyed_caravan
What's the Most Important Moment in Your
Character's Arc? http://bit.ly/UWZ512
@KMWeiland
Writing bloopers to avoid: http://bit.ly/ZsrLy8 @Lindasclare
3 Reasons Why You Need a Mailing List as
an Author: http://bit.ly/Zss3oM @fcmalby
The Business of Screenwriting: Anatomy of
a Deal: http://bit.ly/UWZnoN @gointothestory
6 Effective Ways to Inspire Yourself: http://bit.ly/UWZqkh @write_practice
9 ways to shatter genre boxes: http://bit.ly/13ltLfp @io9
Learn to Use Keyboard Shortcuts Like a
Ninja: http://bit.ly/VndFA1 @kingthor
5 things to remember about writing: http://bit.ly/13lurBu @theresastevens
Scene-stealing Antagonists: http://bit.ly/Vneede
Art first, commerce later: http://bit.ly/13luEVh @kristinerusch
Write badly: http://bit.ly/VnfXiH @selfpubreview
Dialogue Tags Are Annoying: http://bit.ly/13lvdhH @mooderino
7 Great Book Dedications: http://bit.ly/Vngml2 @johannthors
An agent on the year of self-pub: http://bit.ly/13lvuBs @sarahlapolla
Romance novels that read more like
categories: http://bit.ly/WFQWLo
@heroesnhearts
Finding Your Audience and Branching Out: http://bit.ly/WFR8tT @booklifenow
*Is* Writing Creative? http://bit.ly/TNwMSR @lilylefevre
Attracting Reader Responses on Your Blog:
http://bit.ly/WFRtwB) @auntyamo
Semicolons: http://bit.ly/WFRNM4
@WriteJoMichaels
Striving to Be a Better Writer by Writing
More: http://bit.ly/TNx4sU @karencv
10 Elements of Reality Not Allowed in
Fiction: http://bit.ly/WFS5T1
Should novelists be bloggers? http://bit.ly/TNxmQq @jfbookman
Fantasy: Manipulating the Mythos: http://bit.ly/WFSKnr @rmriegel
Blogs For Writers: http://bit.ly/13kAlDX @woodwardkaren
Dramatic Situation Vs. Dramatic Scene:
Win the Fight Against Poor Form: http://bit.ly/XojFal
@cdrosales
WIP feedback: When, How Often, How: http://bit.ly/13kAx63 @fictionnotes
How Music Affects the Writing Process: http://bit.ly/XojVGn @KMWeiland
Kobo Becoming a Player for Self-Published
Ebook Authors: http://bit.ly/13kAY0h
@goblinwriter
YA--beyond wizards and vampires, to sex: http://nyti.ms/13kBj33 @nytimes @leslieNYT
5 Ways to Optimise Your Facebook Author
Page: http://bit.ly/XokM9V @fcmalby
Starting a Podcast: What You Need to Know
to Succeed: http://bit.ly/13kBwTH
@smexaminer
3 steps to hosting a giveaway: http://bit.ly/Xol6p6 @TweetTheBook
Why Do We Bother?: The Quest for
Accuracy: http://bit.ly/13kBRFW @davidbcoe
7 Ways Twitter is a Writer's Endless
Holiday Party: http://bit.ly/WHGbus
@NinaBadzin
All about book trailers (and resources
for making your own): http://bit.ly/10ygukI
@PBRWriter
Whys & Hows of Co-Writing a Novel: http://bit.ly/UxZFSJ @LauraHoward78
Ebook pricing: http://bit.ly/ZOPXR0 @goblinwriter
8 Books for Writers: http://bit.ly/WfHKxI @raimalarter
"People forget years and remember
moments." http://bit.ly/12YXJGS
@gointothestory
Smooth Out Your Novel's Scene Writing: http://bit.ly/10pUvhd @Lindasclare
Designing character interviews that
really matter: http://bit.ly/VUGgu6
@juliettewade
The benefits of long-writing: http://bit.ly/10pULfU @woodwardkaren
3 Cheap Promo Ideas for Self-Published
Authors: http://bit.ly/10pVa1W
Exploring Tortured Heroines in Romance
Novels: http://bit.ly/VUHeq1 @heroesnhearts
How 1 writer used Kickstarter to reboot a
series: http://bit.ly/10pVAoY
@tobiasbuckell
Turning Passive Plots into Active Plots: http://bit.ly/VUHsgT @susanjmorris
7 Ways to Add Subplots to Your Novel: http://bit.ly/10pW7rh @BrianKlems
Different Characters, Different Beliefs: http://bit.ly/VUHYvA @mooderino
Stephen King Gives Screenwriting Advice: http://bit.ly/10pWkdN @galleycat
Writing across the media: http://bit.ly/VUIcCX @tordotcom
"Platform" Doesn't Have to Be a
Four-Letter Word: http://bit.ly/10pWHVN
@AuthorTedFox
5 Famous Authors Who Became Infamous: http://bit.ly/VUIxFJ @jtjarzemsky
Why 1 writer decided not to self-pub his
stories: http://bit.ly/10pXmXd @jamietr
Do You Follow Yourself Around The Web? http://bit.ly/VUMo5x @novelrocket
13 Types of Writers' Blogs – Pros and
Cons: http://bit.ly/10q182S @VeronicaSicoe
Unleashing the Internal Editor: A
Self-Editing Checklist: http://bit.ly/VUMytG
@jodyhedlund
An index of helpful writing guides for
writers: http://bit.ly/10q1eaV
How To Measure Your Writing Success: http://bit.ly/VUMIkF @originalimpulse
Some questions for interviewing your
characters: http://bit.ly/10q1qaa
Successful Query Letters for Literary
Agents: http://bit.ly/VUMVEB @galleycat
Protect Your Wrists: Exercises for
Writers: http://bit.ly/10q1wOR @jamigold
Tips for breathing life into your
fiction: http://bit.ly/UHCC5t @JanalynVoigt
The Universality Is in the Details: http://bit.ly/10qj51l @livewritethrive
4 Simple Ways to Track Your Book
Marketing Progress: http://bit.ly/UHCHWZ
@duolit
How To Give Your Story a Better Middle: http://bit.ly/10qjctT @storyfix
Fun With Foreshadowing: http://bit.ly/UHCSl9 @cockeyed_caravan
TED Presentations from Writers: http://bit.ly/10qjmBh @galleycat
The Value of Google+ As A Writer's
Platform: http://bit.ly/UHCVgI
@woodwardkaren
The Intersection of YA and Dystopian: http://bit.ly/10qjwZs @lkhillbooks
How to Embed a Twitter Tweet Into Your
Blog Post: http://bit.ly/UHD3g1 @jfbookman
Your Optimal Creativity Time May Be the
Opposite of Your Optimal Cognitive Time: http://bit.ly/TJN91k
@lifehackorg
Assume Reader Resistance: http://bit.ly/TJN7qo @mooderino
The Cure For Perfectionism: http://bit.ly/10qkZik @woodwardkaren
Don't Hide Your Harlequins: In Defense Of
Romance: http://n.pr/X5gwtQ @howtowriteshop
@npr
The Importance of Knowing Your Ending: http://bit.ly/V4MYyX @yahighway
Retellings vs. fanfiction -- where do you
draw the line? http://bit.ly/X5gGl6
@wordforteens
5 Ways Writers Should Approach Criticism:
http://bit.ly/V4Nr4c @cerebralgrump
Tips for running a blog tour: http://bit.ly/X5gYIz @beth_barany
January 18, 2013
Considerations When Choosing Our Author Name
by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
I read an interesting post recently by Chris Gerwel:
A Question of Identity
.
Chris stated that his last name was actually Modzelewski. He explains why he chose to write under his middle name:
Other reasons I’ve seen authors use a pen name:
Their names are already famous…because of a different author. (If your name was Stephen King, for example.)
They write material that might anger or upset their family or close friends.
They write books to appeal to the other gender (J.K. Rowling for the Harry Potter books, for example.) Porter Anderson, in his most recent Writing on the Ether, covered a very interesting experiment that writer Teresa Frohock made in his post Can You Tell ‘Male Writing’ from ‘Female?’
Their publisher asks them to. This would be why I have one series written as Riley Adams. As a side note, the publisher did allow me to choose my pen name and I went with family names. When I asked the publisher if they had a preference among several family names I offered, they immediately chose Adams for shelf-placement. I think shelf-placement is rapidly becoming less-important, however.
How big of a deal are author names? I think they’re very important for getting readers to find us for the first time. But after they’ve bought one of our books, online retailers like Amazon make it very easy for readers to find more books—they’ll pop up as recommended reads whenever they log in to the bookseller.
Writing under more than one name:
It can be tough writing under more than one name. Readers may find it difficult to keep up with the books that you write under other names, although sites like Goodreads can lessen the impact.
Technically, I’m writing under three different names: Riley Adams, Elizabeth Craig (the quilting mysteries), and Elizabeth Spann Craig. Goodreads allows me to add Elizabeth Spann Craig as a second author to the other two series so that all of my books are listed on the same page.
Amazon works a little differently. There I’ve got two separate author pages: one for Riley Adams and one for Elizabeth Spann Craig. Thank heavens they don’t make me have a third one for Elizabeth Craig. Oddly enough, if you search for my full name on Amazon, the Memphis Barbeque mysteries do pop up.
Have you had any author name challenges? Multiple genres? Difficult last name? Do you write under several names?
I read an interesting post recently by Chris Gerwel:
A Question of Identity
. Chris stated that his last name was actually Modzelewski. He explains why he chose to write under his middle name:
How will a difficult-to-pronounce name affect word-of-mouth recommendations? How will a hard-to-spell name affect search-driven sales on Amazon? How will a tough name affect the likelihood of bloggers and online reviewers writing up my books? Will a tough name diminish booksellers’ propensity to hand-sell my titles? Will signing my super-long name on stock give me carpal tunnel syndrome?
A difficult name is not, of course, a deal-breaker for any of these concerns... But there’s a way to forestall any and all of these concerns, and that is to adopt a pen name.
Other reasons I’ve seen authors use a pen name:
Their names are already famous…because of a different author. (If your name was Stephen King, for example.)
They write material that might anger or upset their family or close friends.
They write books to appeal to the other gender (J.K. Rowling for the Harry Potter books, for example.) Porter Anderson, in his most recent Writing on the Ether, covered a very interesting experiment that writer Teresa Frohock made in his post Can You Tell ‘Male Writing’ from ‘Female?’
Their publisher asks them to. This would be why I have one series written as Riley Adams. As a side note, the publisher did allow me to choose my pen name and I went with family names. When I asked the publisher if they had a preference among several family names I offered, they immediately chose Adams for shelf-placement. I think shelf-placement is rapidly becoming less-important, however.
How big of a deal are author names? I think they’re very important for getting readers to find us for the first time. But after they’ve bought one of our books, online retailers like Amazon make it very easy for readers to find more books—they’ll pop up as recommended reads whenever they log in to the bookseller.
Writing under more than one name:
It can be tough writing under more than one name. Readers may find it difficult to keep up with the books that you write under other names, although sites like Goodreads can lessen the impact.
Technically, I’m writing under three different names: Riley Adams, Elizabeth Craig (the quilting mysteries), and Elizabeth Spann Craig. Goodreads allows me to add Elizabeth Spann Craig as a second author to the other two series so that all of my books are listed on the same page.
Amazon works a little differently. There I’ve got two separate author pages: one for Riley Adams and one for Elizabeth Spann Craig. Thank heavens they don’t make me have a third one for Elizabeth Craig. Oddly enough, if you search for my full name on Amazon, the Memphis Barbeque mysteries do pop up.
Have you had any author name challenges? Multiple genres? Difficult last name? Do you write under several names?
January 15, 2013
Top 10 Things One Writer Learned About Social Media Marketing
Guest Post by Colby Marshall, @ColbyMarshall
In my (very brief) career as a writer, I’ve learned a few things about self-promotion on social media sites and in the blogosphere. I’m not an expert by far, but marketing is a work in progress. Just like writing, it’s something I’ve tried to learn and grow in, and like writing, I’m constantly revising what I know based on what I see that works…and what doesn’t seem to work. So far, these are the top ten things I’ve learned about social media in book marketing:
1. Social media doesn't create a fan base--it keeps one. The people who come to your twitter or facebook pages have most likely already bought, plan to buy, or are at least interested in buying your book. Therefore, they don’t want to be told to buy your book every ten seconds. They want to interact with YOU.
2. When it comes to interacting with you, the key word is WITH. One thing I’ve noticed over and over again about authors with rabid fan bases is that they don’t just post on their social media pages and leave. They talk back. If someone replies to a tweet, replying back is important. If someone comments on your facebook page or blog post, respond. While it might seem “cool” to play it cool, the bond of being able to talk to an author of a book you like will keep you interested in your favorite authors’ books far longer than if they feel distant.
3. Speaking of getting close, on your social media pages, blog, and website, fans dig content they can’t get in the book. It's why J.K. Rowling has done something so unique in Pottermore—readers can get even more of their favorite characters, stories, and the writers behind them.
4. While personal and book-related posts are great, content that is fun, informative, or relevant will always be enjoyed, too. Links to articles you enjoyed, websites you like, or even a fun fact you learned during research will keep posts fresh.
5. And on the subject of fresh posts…followers are far more likely to keep following if you spend most of your time posting about things other than your book. My rule of thumb: nine out of ten posts shouldn’t be directly related to self-promotion. Something you learned while researching doesn’t count, but that link to your newest review on Amazon or details about your next personal appearance? Yep. It’s your 1/10.
6. When you first release a book, you get to cut some slack on the 9/10 rule. Maybe 1/5. But don’t abuse it. No one likes a hog. (Unless it’s tame and wants to be my steed. Then I love a hog.)
7. Don’t hog the attention. If you want some love from fellow writers or even artists in other mediums, don’t spend all of your time posting about yourself and none sharing others’ work. Karma counts for something, but so do people’s memories. Don’t expect a favor if you don’t do any.
8. Another don’t: don’t get angry. If someone doesn’t like your book, don’t argue with them. Thank them for reading, and move on. Arguing with someone who says your book isn’t their cup of tea won’t make them suddenly fall in love with it, and it won’t make you look so classy, either.
9. Don’t go off half-cocked. You know what they say: the internet is forever. As I’m sure Mitt Romney and his binders full of women will tell you, even if it’s easy to put a sound bite out in the amount of time it takes to type 140 characters, it doesn’t mean you should. Think before you post about something controversial, when you’re angry, or after a couple glasses of wine. Tact is always better than throwing words around. As writers, we should know words are powerful. Use them as such.
10. Above all, be yourself. If you try too hard to find a “voice,” it’ll always come across as stilted, and you’ll think too hard about what to post. Keep the tact from the previous statement, but real is relatable. Keep it real.
These are just a few things I’ve discovered on my journey as an author so far, and I’ve still got loads to learn. My debut novel, Chain of Command, is a thriller about the simultaneous assassinations of both the President and Vice President that rocket the very first woman—the Speaker of the House—into the presidency.
What about you—what gets your attention on social media in a good way? What types of posts drive you nuts?
Writer by day, ballroom dancer and choreographer by night, Colby is a contributing columnist for a local magazine and a proud member of International Thriller Writers. She's active in local theatres as an actress and choreographer.
She lives in Georgia with her family where she is hard at work on her new thriller.
**********
Chain of Command: The road to the Oval Office is paved in blood...the simultaneous assassinations of the President and Vice President catapults the Speaker of the House into the White House as the first female President of the United States. Evidence points to a former Navy SEAL as one of the assassins. Young journalist McKenzie McClendon must unravel a dangerous web of lies in a search for the truth.
Purchase:
Amazon
Nook
In my (very brief) career as a writer, I’ve learned a few things about self-promotion on social media sites and in the blogosphere. I’m not an expert by far, but marketing is a work in progress. Just like writing, it’s something I’ve tried to learn and grow in, and like writing, I’m constantly revising what I know based on what I see that works…and what doesn’t seem to work. So far, these are the top ten things I’ve learned about social media in book marketing:1. Social media doesn't create a fan base--it keeps one. The people who come to your twitter or facebook pages have most likely already bought, plan to buy, or are at least interested in buying your book. Therefore, they don’t want to be told to buy your book every ten seconds. They want to interact with YOU.
2. When it comes to interacting with you, the key word is WITH. One thing I’ve noticed over and over again about authors with rabid fan bases is that they don’t just post on their social media pages and leave. They talk back. If someone replies to a tweet, replying back is important. If someone comments on your facebook page or blog post, respond. While it might seem “cool” to play it cool, the bond of being able to talk to an author of a book you like will keep you interested in your favorite authors’ books far longer than if they feel distant.
3. Speaking of getting close, on your social media pages, blog, and website, fans dig content they can’t get in the book. It's why J.K. Rowling has done something so unique in Pottermore—readers can get even more of their favorite characters, stories, and the writers behind them.
4. While personal and book-related posts are great, content that is fun, informative, or relevant will always be enjoyed, too. Links to articles you enjoyed, websites you like, or even a fun fact you learned during research will keep posts fresh.
5. And on the subject of fresh posts…followers are far more likely to keep following if you spend most of your time posting about things other than your book. My rule of thumb: nine out of ten posts shouldn’t be directly related to self-promotion. Something you learned while researching doesn’t count, but that link to your newest review on Amazon or details about your next personal appearance? Yep. It’s your 1/10.
6. When you first release a book, you get to cut some slack on the 9/10 rule. Maybe 1/5. But don’t abuse it. No one likes a hog. (Unless it’s tame and wants to be my steed. Then I love a hog.)
7. Don’t hog the attention. If you want some love from fellow writers or even artists in other mediums, don’t spend all of your time posting about yourself and none sharing others’ work. Karma counts for something, but so do people’s memories. Don’t expect a favor if you don’t do any.
8. Another don’t: don’t get angry. If someone doesn’t like your book, don’t argue with them. Thank them for reading, and move on. Arguing with someone who says your book isn’t their cup of tea won’t make them suddenly fall in love with it, and it won’t make you look so classy, either.
9. Don’t go off half-cocked. You know what they say: the internet is forever. As I’m sure Mitt Romney and his binders full of women will tell you, even if it’s easy to put a sound bite out in the amount of time it takes to type 140 characters, it doesn’t mean you should. Think before you post about something controversial, when you’re angry, or after a couple glasses of wine. Tact is always better than throwing words around. As writers, we should know words are powerful. Use them as such.
10. Above all, be yourself. If you try too hard to find a “voice,” it’ll always come across as stilted, and you’ll think too hard about what to post. Keep the tact from the previous statement, but real is relatable. Keep it real.
These are just a few things I’ve discovered on my journey as an author so far, and I’ve still got loads to learn. My debut novel, Chain of Command, is a thriller about the simultaneous assassinations of both the President and Vice President that rocket the very first woman—the Speaker of the House—into the presidency.
What about you—what gets your attention on social media in a good way? What types of posts drive you nuts?
Writer by day, ballroom dancer and choreographer by night, Colby is a contributing columnist for a local magazine and a proud member of International Thriller Writers. She's active in local theatres as an actress and choreographer.
She lives in Georgia with her family where she is hard at work on her new thriller.
**********
Chain of Command: The road to the Oval Office is paved in blood...the simultaneous assassinations of the President and Vice President catapults the Speaker of the House into the White House as the first female President of the United States. Evidence points to a former Navy SEAL as one of the assassins. Young journalist McKenzie McClendon must unravel a dangerous web of lies in a search for the truth.
Purchase:
Amazon
Nook
January 14, 2013
Character Development Tips
Guest Post by Victoria King-Voreadi, @VAKingVoreadi
There wasn’t much cloak & dagger mystery involved in researching our tale Interrogation Tango. Our anti-hero Georg Elser did it; there was never any doubt about that. He didn’t do it in the parlor with the candlestick – he did it at the Burger Braü Keller with a primitive yet nonetheless effective explosive device.
The GESTAPO blew a gasket because it was totally unacceptable for an Aryan German Lutheran worker to want to kill Hitler – the champion of the German working class. The second blow to any semblance of reason was that this nobody, with no specialized military training and no formal higher education, very nearly succeeded in assassinating Adolph Hitler just as he was reaching the apex of his national popularity.
Two specific questions intrigued Donald Schwarz and I about this story:
1) What was the personal motive and impetus that drove Elser, at great personal sacrifice and discomfort, to conceive of and execute his plan with no regard whatsoever for his personal safety or future?
2) Why was such effort invested by the powers that be to ensure that very few ever learned about this man’s quite successful failure?
Those questions made Elser and the men who spent a great deal of time interrogating him fascinating characters, to us at least.
Ideas for stories are everywhere and as writers we tend to observe those around us a bit more intently than many others. People watching had always been an absorbing past time for me but it took on new meaning when I began my studies in Dramatic Arts. Every social and professional group has its own code of conduct, its own unique patois, and each member adapts to and applies those elements in their own unique way within the group.
Some characters have internal or external conflicts with that social assimilation process which may stem from their ethical or moral canons, from mixed loyalties, or from their own uncertainties. Others may rebel against the “law of the jungle” thus creating a catalyst for conflict around them – this is often the crux of great love stories. The only certainty is that the more conflicted an individual is the more interesting and realistic their appeal as a character is to the reader.
Spectacular events may get our attention, but what keeps us turning pages is the human factor. The way characters react to situations, how they deal with the emotional impact of events are the elements that engage us deeply in any story. A factual account of any historic event alone has an encyclopedic interest at best. But when we are allowed to experience the event through the eyes of a well rounded character the story stays with us and instills within us a new found respect for those notable and unknown individuals that actually lived it!
Even “bad guys” have human motives for their choices and their actions on some level. Members of the NAZI hierarchy were passionately convinced that they were serving the best interests of their fatherland. It is essential that you allow your characters opportunities to show their depth. Even seemingly “easy” decisions are wrought with potential pit falls. Megalomaniacs are not aware of their self obsession but see themselves as the great protector. Our man Elser is considered a terrorist by some, a people’s hero by others, his action killed and injured many yet he had no sense of the potential “collateral damage”.
Whatever your genre great characters are what can elevate a piece of solid writing into the realm of master storytelling. Sometimes the keys to unlocking your character’s potential can be found in unassuming details, quirks that foreshadow other aspects and dimensions. Allowing your characters to reveal themselves to you is a mind-blowing experience!
Victoria King-Voreadi is the co-author of Interrogation Tango, a film noir anti-detective tale recently released by Iguana Books.
******
Victoria lives in the city of Herákleionon the island of Crete, Greece with her husband and two beautiful daughters. A freelance writer and translator in Greece since 1992 she has received two screenwriting grants from the EEU Media Programme for both original and commissioned feature scripts, has worked on local and foreign productions. Victoria met her co-author Donald E. Schwarz in 1994 while visiting New York and the two instantly struck up a creative partnership.
Connect with Victoria here:
LinkedIN
Twitter -@VAKingVoreadi
Facebook -
There wasn’t much cloak & dagger mystery involved in researching our tale Interrogation Tango. Our anti-hero Georg Elser did it; there was never any doubt about that. He didn’t do it in the parlor with the candlestick – he did it at the Burger Braü Keller with a primitive yet nonetheless effective explosive device.The GESTAPO blew a gasket because it was totally unacceptable for an Aryan German Lutheran worker to want to kill Hitler – the champion of the German working class. The second blow to any semblance of reason was that this nobody, with no specialized military training and no formal higher education, very nearly succeeded in assassinating Adolph Hitler just as he was reaching the apex of his national popularity.
Two specific questions intrigued Donald Schwarz and I about this story:
1) What was the personal motive and impetus that drove Elser, at great personal sacrifice and discomfort, to conceive of and execute his plan with no regard whatsoever for his personal safety or future?
2) Why was such effort invested by the powers that be to ensure that very few ever learned about this man’s quite successful failure?
Those questions made Elser and the men who spent a great deal of time interrogating him fascinating characters, to us at least.
Ideas for stories are everywhere and as writers we tend to observe those around us a bit more intently than many others. People watching had always been an absorbing past time for me but it took on new meaning when I began my studies in Dramatic Arts. Every social and professional group has its own code of conduct, its own unique patois, and each member adapts to and applies those elements in their own unique way within the group.
Some characters have internal or external conflicts with that social assimilation process which may stem from their ethical or moral canons, from mixed loyalties, or from their own uncertainties. Others may rebel against the “law of the jungle” thus creating a catalyst for conflict around them – this is often the crux of great love stories. The only certainty is that the more conflicted an individual is the more interesting and realistic their appeal as a character is to the reader.
Spectacular events may get our attention, but what keeps us turning pages is the human factor. The way characters react to situations, how they deal with the emotional impact of events are the elements that engage us deeply in any story. A factual account of any historic event alone has an encyclopedic interest at best. But when we are allowed to experience the event through the eyes of a well rounded character the story stays with us and instills within us a new found respect for those notable and unknown individuals that actually lived it!
Even “bad guys” have human motives for their choices and their actions on some level. Members of the NAZI hierarchy were passionately convinced that they were serving the best interests of their fatherland. It is essential that you allow your characters opportunities to show their depth. Even seemingly “easy” decisions are wrought with potential pit falls. Megalomaniacs are not aware of their self obsession but see themselves as the great protector. Our man Elser is considered a terrorist by some, a people’s hero by others, his action killed and injured many yet he had no sense of the potential “collateral damage”.
Whatever your genre great characters are what can elevate a piece of solid writing into the realm of master storytelling. Sometimes the keys to unlocking your character’s potential can be found in unassuming details, quirks that foreshadow other aspects and dimensions. Allowing your characters to reveal themselves to you is a mind-blowing experience!
Victoria King-Voreadi is the co-author of Interrogation Tango, a film noir anti-detective tale recently released by Iguana Books.******
Victoria lives in the city of Herákleionon the island of Crete, Greece with her husband and two beautiful daughters. A freelance writer and translator in Greece since 1992 she has received two screenwriting grants from the EEU Media Programme for both original and commissioned feature scripts, has worked on local and foreign productions. Victoria met her co-author Donald E. Schwarz in 1994 while visiting New York and the two instantly struck up a creative partnership.
Connect with Victoria here:
Twitter -
Facebook -
January 13, 2013
Grammar: Know the Rules Before You Break Them
Guest Post by Terry Ambrose, @suspense_writer
Purchase Book Here
I admit it; I do get some sort of perverse satisfaction from driving the Grammar Cops (GCs) crazy. It’s not that I’m a rebel by nature, but more that, as Polonius said to Hamlet, there’s a method in my madness.
Know the situation
Before I go any further, I want to point out that I am definitely not advocating throwing out the grammar books completely. In fact, I’ll probably stop reading a book with frequent typos, spelling errors, and bad grammar. However, I like writers who are flexible enough to break the rules when the situation demands it. The GCs in my critique group are fond of reminding me about the importance of proper grammar every time I stray from the righteous path. And I’ll be the first to admit that once in a while they catch me in a mistake. However, often the grammar they’re criticizing is in dialog. My response in those cases is that people don’t necessarily speak in grammatically correct sentences and my primary concern when writing dialog is first, last, and always, character voice.
Differentiating characters with voice
In my current WIP, I have two characters who are at opposite ends of the spectrum. One is a staid Englishwoman striving to maintain appearances, the other, a 12-year-old street kid. Obviously, Mrs. Montgomery, with her perfect grammar and diction, never has a problem with the GCs. The street kid, whose name is Lily, is always in trouble because she says “duh” and “like” far too often, uses street slang, and doesn’t take grammar seriously. The point is that no matter which of these characters are speaking, their voice always comes through.
Using voice to cut attribution
As writers, we have a variety of tools available to help readers easily identify our characters. How will word choices reflect the character’s background and culture? How will their grammar distinguish them? For me, breaking the rules is another tool in my writing tool belt; it’s definitely not akin to cutting off an appendage. And as a reader, if I can easily distinguish between characters based on voice alone, I’ll need less attribution and will enjoy the story more.
Voice makes dialog interesting
When I read a novel where all of the characters begin to sound alike, I get bored very quickly. I find myself starting to skim not only the unimportant descriptions and backstory, but also the dialog. At that point, I start wondering why I’m bothering to read that particular book. The real problem is that if I give up on the book, I may also be giving up on that author. Like many writers, I get very little time to read. When I do, it will either be a new author I haven’t read before or one I know will deliver. Part of that delivery is a good plot, but much revolves around the characters and their dialog. Make those character conversations sharp and snappy and I’ll be hooked and turning the pages to see what happens next.
About the author
Terry Ambrose started out skip tracing and collecting money from deadbeats and quickly learned that liars come from all walks of life. He never actually stole a car, but sometimes hired big guys with tow trucks and a penchant for working in the dark when “negotiations” failed.
In Terry’s new release, License to Lie , a criminologist and a con artist learn that with $5 million and their lives on the line, you can never trust a soul…even your own. T. Jefferson Parker, author of The Jaguar and The Border Lords called License to Lie “fast and well written, almost sure to satisfy discerning readers of thrillers.”
Learn more about Terry on his website at terryambrose.com or on his Facebook author page at facebook.com/suspense.writer.
Purchase Book Here
I admit it; I do get some sort of perverse satisfaction from driving the Grammar Cops (GCs) crazy. It’s not that I’m a rebel by nature, but more that, as Polonius said to Hamlet, there’s a method in my madness.
Know the situation
Before I go any further, I want to point out that I am definitely not advocating throwing out the grammar books completely. In fact, I’ll probably stop reading a book with frequent typos, spelling errors, and bad grammar. However, I like writers who are flexible enough to break the rules when the situation demands it. The GCs in my critique group are fond of reminding me about the importance of proper grammar every time I stray from the righteous path. And I’ll be the first to admit that once in a while they catch me in a mistake. However, often the grammar they’re criticizing is in dialog. My response in those cases is that people don’t necessarily speak in grammatically correct sentences and my primary concern when writing dialog is first, last, and always, character voice.
Differentiating characters with voice
In my current WIP, I have two characters who are at opposite ends of the spectrum. One is a staid Englishwoman striving to maintain appearances, the other, a 12-year-old street kid. Obviously, Mrs. Montgomery, with her perfect grammar and diction, never has a problem with the GCs. The street kid, whose name is Lily, is always in trouble because she says “duh” and “like” far too often, uses street slang, and doesn’t take grammar seriously. The point is that no matter which of these characters are speaking, their voice always comes through.
Using voice to cut attribution
As writers, we have a variety of tools available to help readers easily identify our characters. How will word choices reflect the character’s background and culture? How will their grammar distinguish them? For me, breaking the rules is another tool in my writing tool belt; it’s definitely not akin to cutting off an appendage. And as a reader, if I can easily distinguish between characters based on voice alone, I’ll need less attribution and will enjoy the story more.
Voice makes dialog interesting
When I read a novel where all of the characters begin to sound alike, I get bored very quickly. I find myself starting to skim not only the unimportant descriptions and backstory, but also the dialog. At that point, I start wondering why I’m bothering to read that particular book. The real problem is that if I give up on the book, I may also be giving up on that author. Like many writers, I get very little time to read. When I do, it will either be a new author I haven’t read before or one I know will deliver. Part of that delivery is a good plot, but much revolves around the characters and their dialog. Make those character conversations sharp and snappy and I’ll be hooked and turning the pages to see what happens next.
About the author
Terry Ambrose started out skip tracing and collecting money from deadbeats and quickly learned that liars come from all walks of life. He never actually stole a car, but sometimes hired big guys with tow trucks and a penchant for working in the dark when “negotiations” failed. In Terry’s new release, License to Lie , a criminologist and a con artist learn that with $5 million and their lives on the line, you can never trust a soul…even your own. T. Jefferson Parker, author of The Jaguar and The Border Lords called License to Lie “fast and well written, almost sure to satisfy discerning readers of thrillers.”
Learn more about Terry on his website at terryambrose.com or on his Facebook author page at facebook.com/suspense.writer.
