Elizabeth Spann Craig's Blog, page 216

The Sparkle in Our Writing

I have a neighbor who is interested in my writing and frequently asks me questions about it. She's from South America and expresses herself in refreshing ways sometimes.

One day this week she called me on the phone around lunch to ask me something about our girls' drama class. "Elizabeth," she said, "I'm sorry to have to call you! Did you have the inspirations and I am interrupting them?"

Sadly, no. I was actually writing when she called, but I was definitely not having the inspirations. Being on a schedule, though, means writing every day—and not just when I'm inspired. The story comes out just as easily, even when the muse is silent. But the words don't sparkle as much.

I've gotten over the lack of sparkle in the uninspired days because I know I can add the sparkle later, in revisions.

The sparkle to me in a book is the feeling I get when reading it that the author was enthusiastic. And, maybe, that the characters themselves are enthusiastic and vibrant as they face whatever challenge they're up against.

Sometimes it's hard to put my finger on exactly what makes for sparkle. But this is what I've been able to find that helps:

Strong verbs—Usually they show instead of tell. And sometimes if you look for 'to be' verbs like is, was, been, you can find passive construction that could be written stronger.

Vivid imagery-- adjectives that go the extra mile (using all the senses.) Words that add texture.

Clever metaphors and similes. Just a dash. Too many and I tend to see the puppet's strings.

Precise nouns—Try not to overuse pronouns. And name things—"the diner" is Bo's Diner. "The chair" could be a rocking chair, an armchair, or a recliner.

Varied sentence structure—Something a little different than a subject-verb start. And both short and long sentences.

Characters that are animated instead of stagnant. And that can be both literally animated—they're in motion—or that their speech is lively.

What do you do to bring the sparkle back to your writing?

Panels

Panels are usually pretty easy, even for those of us who aren't crazy about public speaking. Usually you're seated (and frequently behind a table.) You'll need to remember to bring a book and a plate stand to put the book on (or else prop the book up with a couple of other books.) Bring water, just in case they don't provide it…my mouth gets dry when I'm nervous.

I'm an early bird anyway, but I always try to arrive at a panel especially early. That way I've got a chance to put my promo things out on the special table they've usually got out, find out how the venue is handling book sales (is there a volunteer from Friends of the Library helping? Is there a bookstore that has a table and is selling them? Am I responsible for selling my own books?) I always bring lots of ones and fives in case I need to make change…just in case.

Arriving early also means that I have a chance to get acquainted with the audio equipment, find out where I'll be sitting, and greet and speak to attendees as they come in (which, although I'm introverted, makes me less nervous about speaking to a roomful of people.)

Occasionally, I've had to apologize and ask the panel moderator to repeat a question. Either I won't hear the question or the author who answered it before me got off track and rambled and I forgot the question. It's better than making up my own question to answer and not having it be germane.

If you're stumped by the question or need an extra minute to consider your answer, then you can always ask the question to be repeated to give yourself extra time.

There are a couple of things that I've noticed are considered bad etiquette on panels. If you've written seven or eight books? That's terrific, but don't put them all on display in front of you. Other authors get irked. Usually the venue has a table along the conference room wall where you can display books, bookmarks, etc. Pick your last couple of releases.

Also, watch your time when you're speaking. Sometimes authors get overly-enthusiastic and the audience warms to them and they tend to get verbose. This cuts into everyone's time and makes the other authors think unkind thoughts. This can be dangerous when the other authors write murder mysteries. :)

Sometimes panelists look like they're zoning, I've noticed. I think it's a good idea to at least look like you're attentive when another panelist is talking, even if you're planning what you're going to say.

Consider limiting the number of times you give the name of your book during the panel. Some folks tend to get a little carried away.

Depending on the panel, you might want to contact the panel moderator and offer to send him or her a bio, and even a copy of your book ahead of time.

Practice summing up your book in a few, interesting but pithy sentences. Prepare for common questions like "are you anything like your protagonist?" "What's your writing process like?" and "What are you working on now?"

It's nice to write a note to the moderator or the event organizer to thank them for the appearance.

Although I'm not someone who enjoys in-person appearances, panels are my favorite public speaking venue.

I know I've got some panelists out there…and moderators, too! Any additional tips?

Interviews

I've had two interviews in the space of a week, and I'm headed to a conference next month to speak on a panel---so I thought that a post on interviews might be timely. :)

Radio—I've done a couple of radio interviews. I had a great interview with Sheila Redling from WKEE yesterday…and she's a writer, herself, so all the better!

For some reason, I seem only to be able to do radio interviews when the children are home. :) Yesterday was a snow day because of icy conditions. Here's a tip for parents who do interviews while the kids are home: explain everything. Explain that a radio interview means that the phone will ring and they don't need to get it, that they only need to interrupt you if it's a true emergency (and clarify what a true emergency is), and explain that if the dog starts unexpectedly barking, to put her outside in the back yard. Trust me. It's better to be over-prepared. Put a sticky note on your closed door to remind them you're on the radio/on the phone…they'll forget. They were very good yesterday. I've had problems in the past, though. :)

Other tips for radio:

Use your land line and don't use your speaker phone or a headset.

Turn call-waiting off

Know the station's call letters and use them in the interview.

Make sure you know the demographic for the station.

Have water nearby.

Jot down your interviewer's name and use it. Silence your cell phone.

Make notes for yourself—even with your website info in case you suddenly draw a complete blank under pressure.

Be prepared to sum up your book in a couple of sentences.

Know how long the interview will last so your answers won't be too long or too short.

Emailed Interviews

Most of the interviews that I do are emailed interviews…which, of course, I love. Easy peasy for writers to do email interviews. And they turn out so well!

Telephone Interviews with Newspapers

I've done a couple of phone interviews for the newspaper and those make me a little anxious because they usually don't submit the questions in advance…and because I don't like being on the phone. And because sometimes news people (not all news people…maybe just the reporters that I happen to have dealt with) are a little more challenging to talk to. I've found, though, that you can be really thoughtful :) and, when you get the interview request from a newspaper, you can offer to provide them with questions or with ideas for questions. You're only thinking of them, naturally. The reporters are frequently short on time and are grateful for the help…and I'm grateful to prepare in advance.

My radio interview is going to be playing Friday on WKEE 100.5 at 8:35 and 8:50 EST and as soon as it uploads on their website as a podcast, I'll link to it. :)

My Skype interview for Joanna Penn's new Mystery TV show is here and I talk about writing mysteries (and you can see a summary of the interview below the video player.) As a note to women writers out there—y'all, I wore a ton of makeup (enough for my husband to blink at me when he came in from work and wonder who the heck I was), but you can't even tell. So definitely make up more.

I'll add the proviso that it's difficult for me to see and hear myself on video and audio, but I take comfort in the fact that so many of you said that you didn't like to see or hear yourselves, either! There's room for improvement for me, but thank goodness for video and audio editing.

Tomorrow I'll post a little on panels and preparing for those. I lumped everything together in this one post and it was too long, so I'll tackle that topic tomorrow. :)

Anyone with any additional tips for interviews? Which type of format do you like best?

On Starting Out Your Writing Blog

I've recently gotten a couple of emails from writers asking for tips on starting out with blogging, and gaining blog followers.

I'm definitely not an expert, but I'll share what I do know and offer some tips that might help with starting out.

There are definitely some elements that you'll want on your blog. The design of the blog doesn't matter very much (except that some of us have trouble reading white words on black backgrounds). But there are some widgets and elements you might want to think about including in your sidebar.

Blog roll: Not only is this a great way to direct traffic to your blogging friends' sites, but it's also helpful to writers who are looking for other writing blogs to follow.

RSS feed button: RSS is basically just an easy way for someone to add you to their blog reader by just a couple of clicks. If you put it near the top of your sidebar, it will help encourage folks to follow you.

A follower widget. This could be Networked Blogs (a 3rd party application of Facebook) or the Google follower widget. People like to feel like they belong…I know I look for a follower widget as soon as I visit a new blog.

Are you on Twitter or Facebook? You don't have to be, but if you are, then add a button to your sidebar to increase interaction with your readers.

Besides blog widgets and buttons, there's another important area to consider—readers. Be sure to visit others' blogs and comment. Many will return the favor with a visit to your blog.

I know that folks who participate in blogfests and blog carnivals also find new readers. It's boggling my mind right now, but I looked for an online dictionary definition of blogfest to link to…and I can't find one. Bizarre! I'll give it a go myself, then—a blogfest is a group of blogs who post on a particular topic (usually on one particular day, unless specified for longer) and link to each others' blogs.

A quick tip—don't bite off more than you can chew. If you won't be able to post every day, then don't. Better to post once a week on a particular day (that you note in your sidebar) or three times a week and be able to keep up with the pace.

I'd also recommend having a good number of blog posts in draft form that you can pull from if you need to. It would be fantastic if you could have an emergency supply of posts before you start your blog, but it's easy to do a marathon blog-writing session and build up a backlog of them at any time.

I learned a lot from the Blog Book Tour class that Dani offers…and she's just about to start another one in February, I see. Here's the info on the class (I got a ton out of it when I took it in 2009): http://blogbooktours.blogspot.com/2011/01/in-with-new-class.html .

Most of y'all who comment here have been long-time bloggers yourselves. Got tips? Please share!

More Thoughts on Using Lists to Write

I love making lists. I make lists of things to do, things to get at the store, and things I want to accomplish for the year.

And, as I mentioned in this post in September, I frequently use lists while writing, too. To recap that post, I've found that making lists can help me advance my plot when I don't have much time (I can list all the ways I can think of…from zany to useful…to approach the next scene), or to make my setting come alive (a list of one particular setting, using each of the five senses to describe it), or to develop my character or my understanding of a character (top 5 things my character cares about, top 5 things that keeps my protagonist up at night.)

My writing friend Jemi Fraser of the Just Jemi blog posted recently on her frustration with her lack of writing time lately. She's frequently getting only twenty minutes a day or fewer to work on her book.

The nice thing about lists is that you can keep a small notebook with you and even if you only have 5 minutes to write, you can make some short lists of things like your character's traits, ways the character can grow during the course of the book, possible subplots, etc.

I've also found that making lists has made me a less-tentative writer. I used to obsess a little over my book's beginning and ending. I would write several different options for the first chapter and the closing chapter of the book, then choose which I liked best.

When you make lists of your possibilities instead, I've found that somehow it puts my anxiety to rest—and I can more quickly explore the different options and see which is better.

You can also curb your desire to stop writing and research part of your book by listing the different things you need to look up. Not happy with a character name or the name of your fictitious town? You don't have to fix it right then…just start a list called "names" and add to it when you come across them. You can always call a character A or B and fill the names in later.

Making lists also comes in handy when you have plot holes. My editor emailed me last week and pointed out a problem area with the third Memphis Barbeque book. Somehow I hadn't noticed it during my revisions, but it was definitely something that needed to be fixed.

I made a list of all the different ways I could think of to work my way out of the mess. When I thought I'd come up with all of them, I kept on going and found some additional solutions. It was easy to come up with the strongest solution when I saw the possibilities together.

Are you a list-maker, too? Have you tried using lists to help write your story?

On Critiquing—When to Offer Suggestions

I've never thought of myself as a good book reviewer. I'm definitely not a good critiquer—my technique is really just an overwhelming desire to rewrite a problem area in someone's manuscript. I can tell when something isn't working…I have a hard time pinpointing why it's not working. I just want to fix it. (No, I'm not in any crit groups now.) :)

My son was working on a literary criticism project for his English class. He's a competent writer, although he's usually not enthusiastic about doing it.

This time, he handed me his paper. "Take a look at this!" he said, smiling.

He'd written a good thesis. He'd come up with several pages to support it…except there were two paragraphs that didn't tie into his thesis at all. The paragraphs were on how the author's word choice created a certain mood.

Well….the author's word choice did create a somber mood. He was right about that. But he hadn't tied the examples into his thesis at all.

I was about to say, "Hey, it looks great. But you might want to look at these paragraphs here and see if you can find a problem…" But then I stopped.

He was excited about writing. He hadn't finished his essay yet. Right now he was enthusiastic and productive. Why mess with momentum?

So I brought it up after he was finished writing the paper. He was glad I'd pointed out that he should make sure that everything tied into his thesis, but he'd rather have fixed the problem as he'd gone along—and he'd continued making the same error a couple more times after he'd finished writing the essay.

Pros to biting your tongue--
The writer might continue writing with confidence and enthusiasm.

Editing can happen just as well in the second draft.

Pros to pointing out a potential problem with a manuscript--
The writer has an opportunity to decide if it is a problem…and correct it before they go on any farther.

Does the critique you give depend on the writer looking for advice? And how do you feel about constructive criticism…would you rather have it during your first draft, or after?

Twitterific

Here are writing links that I've posted to Twitter for the past week.

If you're looking for a particular topic, just plug in your keyword into the search box at the top left-hand corner of the blog (on the black header right above my blog name…next to the Blogger symbol…the small search window is next to the magnifying glass) and the roundup with your subject will come up. To narrow your search down on the page, do a CTRL+F, type your subject, and hit enter.

I'm also archiving these posts in what I hope is an easily searchable format—if you look at the Twitterific tabs under the blog's heading, I'm posting the links there, too.

Why complications and setbacks are good for police procedurals and other crime fiction: http://dld.bz/EJtv @mkinberg

The importance of context: http://dld.bz/EEEV

Changing Format to Increase Impact: http://dld.bz/EHTK

Pronoun peeves: http://dld.bz/EEEA

A bit on emotional structure: http://dld.bz/EHTu

Choose-Your-Own-Illustrator! or Don't. No, Really, Don't. : http://dld.bz/EEE2

How to speak publisher - B is for Bologna: http://dld.bz/EEEu

To be a better writer, you've got to write...a lot: http://dld.bz/EJqp @camillelaguire

Writing Memoir: Art vs. Confessional: http://dld.bz/EEEq

Want to keep your book timeless? Avoid these areas that might date it: http://dld.bz/EJs7 @mkinberg

Is E-book Lending Bad News for Authors and Publishers? http://dld.bz/EEEd

New Worlds: Stranger than Fiction: http://dld.bz/EHTg

The 15 Best Speculative Fiction Books of 2010: http://dld.bz/EEEb

Huckleberry Finn: The problem of that word (Globe and Mail): http://dld.bz/EEDZ

Myst. Lov. Kitchen: WHAT COLOR IS SWEET? http://bit.ly/foahKi @CleoCoyle

11 Free Resources About Creativity: http://dld.bz/E7RR

4 steps to turn a writing dream into reality: http://dld.bz/E7Rv

The essence of attraction: http://dld.bz/ECCH

The Writer as multi-tasker? http://dld.bz/EC9t

Suturing: Making Our Readers One With the Story: http://dld.bz/EC8R

Outlining the first draft: http://dld.bz/EC8y

Creating tension in your novel: http://dld.bz/EC8q

Taking on the Procrastination Pixies by…Eating Frogs? http://dld.bz/EC5D @KristenLambTX

Impressive, organized link roundup of writing craft links (including POV and syntax): http://dld.bz/EC5d @4kidlit

How Authors Can Use Facebook Pages for Their Book Marketing: http://dld.bz/E7UV

Publishers losing confidence in Borders' survival: http://dld.bz/E7UP

Friends, Romans, Librarians: Lend Me Your E-books (Part 2): http://dld.bz/E7U8

The importance of subplots: http://dld.bz/E7Uy

3 ways writers evolve over time: http://dld.bz/E7Uq

Interested in writing or illustrating graphic novels? A little on the process: http://dld.bz/E7TR

Criminal forensics resources for writers: http://dld.bz/E7T3

How To Create A Book Trailer: http://dld.bz/E7QW @thecreativepenn

Huck Finn Expurgated And Other Censored Books (Photo essay--Huff Post): http://dld.bz/EzFg

How to Write a Good Blog Comment: http://dld.bz/EyHN

One writer's 7 point plan for a better writing year: http://dld.bz/EzHb @charmaineclancy

Symbolism Thesaurus Entry: Evil: http://dld.bz/EyHE

4 free data tools for journalists (and snoops): http://dld.bz/EyH7

Getting Defensive Over Your Work Isn't Always Bad: http://dld.bz/EyHv

Myst. Lov. Kitchen: Cheese Slices (Dessert!) and a Contest! http://bit.ly/fl6ZTe @CleoCoyle

Perspective, Opinion, and Point Of View — Distinctions That Matter To Writers And Readers: http://dld.bz/Exv4

8 Sentences to Immediately Cut From Your Twitter Bio: http://dld.bz/EyB3

How to Get More Mobile Visitors Onto Your Email List: http://dld.bz/EyBs

Outlining and series: http://dld.bz/EyBe

Who is That Guy? Discovering Your Characters: http://dld.bz/EyA8

Friends, Romans, Librarians: Lend Me Your E-book (Part 1): http://dld.bz/EyAm

Skype interviews for writers: http://dld.bz/Ey9Z

13 Reasons Why You Didn't Get Followed Back: http://dld.bz/Ey9J

How to punctuate quotations: http://dld.bz/Ey9F

2010 Tax Rules Freelancers Should Know: http://dld.bz/Exwf

Nice agent interview, covering market trends in publishing and thoughts on author platform: http://dld.bz/EzDk @ChuckSambuchino

Making books do things e-books can't — and vice versa (LA Times): http://dld.bz/Exvm

Have you backed up recently? http://dld.bz/Exur

Slow and steady wins the race: http://dld.bz/Exna

The Creative Road to a Great Book Title: http://dld.bz/Esvh

Interviewing characters? Interview yourself: http://dld.bz/EsuX

Should agents stop taking emailed submissions? http://dld.bz/ExtK @RachelleGardner

10 Rules for a Literary Feud: http://dld.bz/EsuS

Tips for proofing your own work: http://t.co/gT6KYdF @camillelaguire

11 New Year's Resolutions for Writers in 2011: http://dld.bz/Esu6 @victoriamixon

Two Authors Talk About Virtual Book Tours (Huff Post): http://dld.bz/Esux

The balancing act of pacing: http://dld.bz/Esum

Myst. Lov. Kitchen: Football Frenzy - Potato Salad http://bit.ly/dJtiTi @CleoCoyle

Name your fictional character: http://dld.bz/EstZ

A writer's top 10 New Year's Resolutions: http://dld.bz/EstV

A Thought From A Reformed Pantser: http://dld.bz/Est7

2010: The Year Self-Publishing Lost Its Stigma (PBS): http://dld.bz/Estr

Myst. Lov. Kitchen: A Sweet Start to the Year--Chocolate Pecan Bark http://bit.ly/fklrma @CleoCoyle

Motivation and writing: http://dld.bz/EnrR

Thanks to Joanna @thecreativepenn for a great interview this afternoon. Looking forward to tweeting the link. :)

Top Ten List of Advice for Aspiring Writers: http://dld.bz/EnrF

PR Success – PR Failure: http://dld.bz/Enr2

Writing teen angst: http://dld.bz/EnqV

The Counter-intuitive Nature of Social Media Influence. Sometimes Up is Down & Down is Up: http://dld.bz/Enq8

Don't get bogged down in research...write your book: http://dld.bz/EnnU

16 Must Have Elements For a Successful Novel: http://dld.bz/Ennm

Ten Surprising Ways to Thrive as a Freelance Writer (Huff Post): http://dld.bz/Enmw

Does your pitch make sense? http://dld.bz/EnkB

Revisionist Attitude: Mentally Preparing for Revisions: http://dld.bz/Enqb

Getting published--goals vs. strategies: http://dld.bz/EmRq

Best Literary Magazines of 2010: http://dld.bz/Ennv

Selling readers short--why we shouldn't state the obvious: http://dld.bz/EmPQ @hartjohnson

Digital Lending: How it works and who allows it: http://dld.bz/EdF9

Momming and Writing: http://dld.bz/EdFw

Mystery writer's guide to forensic science--poisons: http://dld.bz/EdFe @clarissadraper

Researching Your Novel: Setting: http://dld.bz/EdEX

Thoughts on the Unreal, Part 1: Anticipation: http://dld.bz/EdE4

How to avoid getting an agent: http://dld.bz/EdDV

What matters to our characters: http://dld.bz/EdhS

Creating Unforgettable Settings: http://dld.bz/Edhy

11 Tips for Getting the Most out of "Writer's Market": http://dld.bz/Edhv

Resources for Authors Traveling To Book Clubs & Schools: http://dld.bz/Ec9Z

Creating An Author Brand: Why It's Not Really About the Book: http://dld.bz/EaBf

How To Start 2011 Off Right: http://dld.bz/EaAf

Struggling Borders to Meet With Publishers (NY Times): http://dld.bz/Ec8W

20 people who rocked science fiction and fantasy in 2010: http://dld.bz/Ea9B

The Changing Role of Libraries in the Digital Age (Huff Post): http://dld.bz/Ea95

A Writer's Plot Board: Getting organized: http://dld.bz/Ea55 @4kidlit

Master This Skill Before Setting New Writing Goals: http://dld.bz/Ea5w

Eight Writing Lessons from Larsson: http://dld.bz/Ea4Y @jammer0501

How to Bring Sexy Back to Book Signings: http://dld.bz/DRyZ

Writing sins that scupper a story Part 3: Salt: http://dld.bz/DQKN

Putting Life Back Into Overly Revised Novels: http://dld.bz/DQK5

How To Be The Person You Want To Be: http://dld.bz/DQKv

7 Ways to Kick Start Your Day: http://dld.bz/DQKa

You might be a writer if... http://dld.bz/DQJ6

Kindle kicks Harry Potter out of top-selling spot on Amazon: http://dld.bz/DKdj

Real authors writing fake books (Globe and Mail): http://dld.bz/DQHP

The Borders death spiral: http://dld.bz/DQHE

Blogging--the future is now: http://dld.bz/DQHc

10 Writing Resolutions You Can Fulfill: http://dld.bz/DQGQ

Writing sins that scupper a story--part 2 (Dr. Who, Runaway Bride): http://dld.bz/DQG2 @dirtywhitecandy

Plotting From the Antag's POV: http://dld.bz/DQGj

Finish It! 5 Simple Tips to Make More Time for Writing: http://dld.bz/DRyA @matthewschulz

How to Create an Engaging and Effective Bio Page for Your Blog or Website: http://dld.bz/DQGd

3 Tactics for Battling Procrastination: http://dld.bz/DK9g

Writing sins that scupper a story--part 1: http://dld.bz/DK8M @dirtywhitecandy

How to Set Goals That Make Sense: A Writer's Perspective: http://dld.bz/DK8v

Brainstorming: Give the People What They Want: http://dld.bz/DK8t

What first lines *should* do: http://dld.bz/DK8r

See you at the goal line: http://dld.bz/DKev

How A Spreadsheet Can Save Your Manuscript: http://dld.bz/DQTN @matthewschulz

Can Authors Now Do It Digitally Themselves? http://dld.bz/DKed

Are We Being a Responsible Novel Parent or a Deadbeat Book-Daddy? http://dld.bz/DKeb

Writer's Laryngitis - Getting Your Voice Back Again: http://dld.bz/DKdX

Deadlines are meant to be broken: http://dld.bz/DKds

Cooking up a character: http://dld.bz/DKdf

Should We Finish Writing a Bad Book (If it's our First Novel?)

I've forgotten a lot about learning new skills as a child. Riding a bike? Roller skating? Swimming? I learned how to do those things, but my memory is shaky on it. It comes back to me in flashes, though, when I see my kids mastering new skills.

It took my daughter years to even want to ride a bike. When she finally agreed to have me help her learn, she was terrified the whole time. A couple of times she asked me to put the training wheels back on her bike.

But—once she got it, she got it. And all she wanted to do all day long was ride a bike. She felt completely confident and triumphant and she wanted to practice (and show off) her new skill as much as she could.

Same with my son and ice skating. And my daughter with roller skating.

I was really the same way with writing a book. I messed around with manuscripts in my twenties. I'd get an idea, fall in love with the idea, fervently start writing the idea.

Then I'd get to the point where I lost faith in my ability to finish the book, or I'd fall out of love with the idea, or I'd get a shiny new idea that seemed a lot better.

I think there were three unfinished manuscripts.

The writing I did was still helpful to me. I got a lot of practice and a better feel for my voice.

But I didn't feel confident. I still thought I might fall off the bike. I hadn't been able to follow a book through to completion.

If I had finished one of those books, it would still have been a book that needed a lot of work. And one of the unfinished manuscripts would have been a real stinker of a bad book.

At least, though, I'd have had the confidence that I could finish the book. And that would have gotten me writing more and more. Writing more and more would have made my writing better, quicker.

It would have been like my kids, mastering their new skills and then skating and biking like crazy—reveling in the skill.

Is it worth it to finish a bad book? I think it is. Unless you get a shiny new idea that comes into your head almost fully-realized. I think it's important to prove to ourselves that we can finish a book. Even if it's not marketable, even if it's just for ourselves. Because the second book will be better.

What do you think? Finish a bad book…or start working on a better idea? How many manuscripts do you have in your manuscript graveyard (I've admitted to three…) :)

The Importance of Subplots

In my role as Mommy, I drive a carpool with another neighborhood mom to the elementary school and the middle school. I drive mornings, and she drives afternoons.

The carpools are early, with the elementary one running at 6:45 and the middle school one at 7:15. The kids are sometimes a little bleary-eyed. The traffic is heavy and slow. Occasionally, conversation drags a bit.

I'll try to get their brains moving in an academic direction. "So, it's Friday. What's going on at school today?"

I'll usually get a desultory recitation from one of the kids about Algebra or P.E. or the new book they're reading in Language Arts and sometimes the other child will chime in with more information or to dispute the facts the other is offering ("No, the test is on Tuesday.")

It's sort of the running main plot of our carpool: What's going on at school today and are you prepared for it? The kids would be shocked if I didn't ask, I'm sure. I also do a little monologue on the weather…that's always popular. :)

Then I move onto other things and it's interesting how both carpools come to life.

With the elementary carpool (all girls) we have a sort of running fascination with the way the food service truck tries to cut through the extremely backed-up carpool line to get to the loading dock at the back of the school cafeteria. Why does he always come at 7:00 a.m.? If he always runs into the same problem, why not come earlier or later? Does he actually enjoy this daily dose of frustration? Will the carpool allow him to cut through or will it be a sort of automotive Red Rover game? The girls could speculate over all these things endlessly.

With the middle school (boy) carpool, we have another running storyline. It involves the lunchroom ladies and their wretched attempts to park their cars each day. One lady, driving a minivan, takes up four spaces, with one tire in each spot. Two other lunch ladies take up two spaces apiece. We speculate on this, too. Why do they park so poorly? Can't they tell they're not in one spot? Is it all a special plot—for lunch ladies only-- that we just know nothing about? Do they have plans for taking over even more parking spaces…maybe by adding a trailer to their cars or dangling a long ladder out the back?

It's very idle, silly, talk—but these topics provide a serial story for my bored carpoolers each day.

I think that's the part that subplots play. They offer some relief from the main plot. Some variety.

Sometimes subplots show a steady progression toward a conclusion when the main plot still seems hopelessly entangled and rife with setbacks.

Sometimes a subplot can give the reader another reason to keep reading the book….will Joe and Mary ever go out for that coffee together? Will Frank ever quit that dead-end job and tell his overbearing boss off?

Subplots can be a way to do a little genre blending on a minor level for maybe some crossover appeal (romantic subplots, etc.)

Maybe there's a really appealing supporting character that gets his moment in the spotlight with a subplot.

As a reader, I always get especially excited if the subplot ties into the main plot in some way. It's major bonus points for me and my enjoyment of a book. (As I'm sure the kids would be dying to get home and let me know if the lunchroom ladies ended up in Algebra class for some reason.)

Do you enjoy subplots as a reader or a writer?

Skype Interviews for Writers

Yesterday, I was interviewed by Joanna Penn of The Creative Penn for an upcoming post on a new video blog she's launching soon.

I'm on Skype, but pretty new to it. After tinkering around with it a little, though, I think it's a great way to promote your book or do virtual interviews, especially if you can't travel or don't want to.

This article on Galley Cat pointed a couple of helpful sites to help connect writers with readers, including the Skype an Author Network.

I'm never wild about seeing myself on video or hearing my own voice, taped, but I was able to minimize some of my discomfort by a little preparation (and the knowledge that Joanna will be doing some editing on the video before it runs.)

Lighting—From what I was able to find out online, it's best to have a light at about the 2:00 spot, a small light behind you, and a small light at the 9:00 spot. I've seen some videocasts that were poorly lit, and noticed that shadows can be really unkind to anyone over the age of twenty.

Camera—I have a separate web camera, which cost under $100. It's nice to be able to move the camera around, instead of having it as part of the laptop. I set the camera up to be almost shoulder height to me and angled it to get the picture waist-up. I put a sticky note with a smiley face on it to remind me to look at the camera, not at Joanna's face on my computer screen.

Sound—My microphone is attached to my webcam. I ran a test with the Echo Sound Check Service that's free on Skype to make sure I could be heard. Also, I tried to eliminate background noise. I asked the kids to stay upstairs and be quiet, put the dog in the backyard, took the phone off the hook, silenced my cell phone, and put a sticky note on my front door.

Since Skype can be a little jerky in sound and video, I spoke slowly. Also, I spoke slowly knowing that I have an accent and wanting folks to be able to understand me. Actually, our segment should be called "The Accent Show" since Joanna is Australian. :)

Make-up—Joanna mentioned that she recommended wearing a good deal of make-up for Skyping. So I went out to buy some (the tiny amount that I wear wasn't going to work.) Unfortunately, the eye liner was liquid instead of pencil and I didn't know how to apply it, so I ended up looking Goth. :) I had plenty of time to fix it, though.

Water—Same advice as being on a panel…good to have water nearby, just in case.

Clothing—I heard that patterns were a no-no, and so was wearing white. I put on a black top and some jewelry.

Background—I just chose a corner of my downstairs. The idea was for it to be pretty uncluttered. I made sure the table behind me was dusted. :)

Books—You might be asked about your books. You'll want to have them close by, just in case you need to hold them up.

Preparation—I think it's the fear of losing my train of thought that's the worst. If I can just know that I have something available to glance at if I'm stuck, then I'm a lot more relaxed. I jotted down some notes on a white board and put the white board on a stand behind the camera.

Test your video image: Want to see what you look like before the interview goes live? Log on to Skype, click "tools" and "options" and then "video settings" on the left-hand side to see your image.

Skype to Skype is free and it's a very easy application to download and use. Have you ever done a Skype chat?