Konn Lavery's Blog: Posts from konnlavery.com, page 58
November 1, 2015
5 Inspirations for Your First Chapter
November is here, now it is time to write that story you have had in mind. Previously, I spoke about pre-planning your novel for NaNoWriMo. Now, no more planning, it is time to start typing.
Facing the Blank Page
You’re about to write out the first words in your new novel, this can be either discouraging or create an instant roadblock. As a fellow writer, I find writing down the first several words can be challenging. It is like moving a massive boulder, and like one, just needs the right leverage to get rolling. So what do you type? Below are some ideas that can help inspire you:
1. Avoid Common Beginnings
As a precautionary you will want to try and avoid common beginnings to novels such as “The sky was cloudy and rain fell to the ground”. Explaining the weather, someone doing chores or the narrator introducing themselves are stale and will discourage people from continuing to read your novel. This is not to say it doesn’t work. If you are to go this route, come back and edit it to creatively explain the scenario so it does hook the reader in.
2. Begin with the end of an action scene
Why not start the novel off at the end of an argument between two characters? Or introduce the book at the climax of a fight, or a tragic circumstance. The reader will begin to wonder what the argument/fight was about. It will also give incentive for the narration/characters to explain what had just happened, providing background as a part of the story and not for the sake of explaining.
3. Introduce the villain
Beginning your story by introducing the villain can come across as out of place if it is written out of character. Remember the character sheets? Keep the introduction in tune with the villain and write from his/her perspective. What drives them to do the evil they do? Or perhaps they aren’t that evil and it is a matter of perspective. Starting the story with the villain’s motives will set an instant premise for the novel, giving the reader some tangible information to keep reading.
4. Start at the End or Midway of the story
This does require the understanding of your whole story arch, and some pre-planning. Launching the first chapter with the end will need backtracking with the story when moving onto chapter 2. The benefit of starting at the end will give readers mystery. How did the protagonist end up here? You could also start midway in the book. Write the first half to guide the story back to chapter 1 then the second half is into the unknown.
5. Defining Character Moment
Your first chapter could also be something in the past that has defined the protagonist to be who they are in the story. Perhaps your main character has a chip on their shoulder and the reason for it takes place years ago.
Start writing now!
Most importantly, don’t get hung up!
NaNoWriMo is only a month and you need to average out 1,667 words per day. Second guessing will just chew away at your valuable time. If you have an introduction paragraph or even a full chapter that you are questionable about – who cares? Writing it will give you a better grasp of why the scene will not work in the story. If that section of the manuscript really bugs you, keep a separate document with notes of all the sections you want to come back to and revisit after NaNoWriMo. Hit that 50,000 word goal first, editing come second.
5 Inspirations for Your First Chapter in NaNoWriMo
November is here, now it is time to write that story you have had in mind. Previously, I spoke about pre-planning your novel for NaNoWriMo. Now, no more planning, it is time to start typing.
Facing the Blank Page
You’re about to write out the first words in your new novel, this can be either discouraging or create an instant roadblock. As a fellow writer, I find writing down the first several words can be challenging. It is like moving a massive boulder, and like one, just needs the right leverage to get rolling. So what do you type? Below are some ideas that can help inspire you:
1. Avoid Common Beginnings.
As a precautionary you will want to try and avoid common beginnings to novels such as “The sky was cloudy and rain fell to the ground”. Explaining the weather, someone doing chores or the narrator introducing themselves are stale and will discourage people from continuing to read your novel. This is not to say it doesn’t work. If you are to go this route, come back and edit it to creatively explain the scenario so it does hook the reader in.
2. Start at the end of an action scene.
Why not start the novel off at the end of an argument between two characters? Or introduce the book at the climax of a fight, or a tragic circumstance. The reader will begin to wonder what the argument/fight was about. It will also give incentive for the narration/characters to explain what had just happened, providing background as a part of the story and not for the sake of explaining.
3. Introduce the villain.
Beginning your story by introducing the villain can come across as out of place if it is written out of character. Remember the character sheets? Keep the introduction in tune with the villain and write from his/her perspective. What drives them to do the evil they do? Or perhaps they aren’t that evil and it is a matter of perspective. Starting the story with the villain’s motives will set an instant premise for the novel, giving the reader some tangible information to keep reading.
4. Start at the End or Midway of the story.
This does require the understanding of your whole story arch, and some pre-planning. Launching the first chapter with the end will need backtracking with the story when moving onto chapter 2. The benefit of starting at the end will give readers mystery. How did the protagonist end up here? You could also start midway in the book. Write the first half to guide the story back to chapter 1 then the second half is into the unknown.
5. Defining Character Moment.
Your first chapter could also be something in the past that has defined the protagonist to be who they are in the story. Perhaps your main character has a chip on their shoulder and the reason for it takes place years ago.
Start writing now!
Most importantly, don’t get hung up!
NaNoWriMo is only a month and you need to average out 1,667 words per day. Second guessing will just chew away at your valuable time. If you have an introduction paragraph or even a full chapter that you are questionable about – who cares? Writing it will give you a better grasp of why the scene will not work in the story. If that section of the manuscript really bugs you, keep a separate document with notes of all the sections you want to come back to and revisit after NaNoWriMo. Hit that 50,000 word goal first, editing come second.
October 28, 2015
Pre-Planning Your Novel for NaNoWriMo
National Novel Writing Month is almost here. If you are unfamiliar with the event, it is a month-long participation of writers from around the world who write full manuscripts of at least 50,000 words. This can include fiction, non-fiction or short story compilations. The goal is to have a finished script by the end of the month.
If this sounds like something that would interest you, it is not too late to sign up. You can get going today. If you already have an account, then you might be as anxious as I am to get going on your novel. A question that might be coming to mind is – where do I begin?
What do I write for NaNoWriMo?
This is arguably the most difficult question with writing and it expands beyond NaNoWriMo. The better question would be, what inspires you to write? (Coming up with a premise is not an easy task and will be tackled in a future blog post.) If you have some ideas lingering in the back of your mind or in a notebook, this is the perfect opportunity to experiment with it. NaNoWriMo is only a month-long dedication and gives you enough time to test out a story concept without investing months, if not years, on a novel. There is also nothing stopping you from going back and editing the novel after NaNoWriMo has finished. Revise the plot and improve on the storyline and polish the concept.
Should I do any pre-planning?
That is a matter of personal preference when it comes to your writing process. If you are more of a “grab the bull by the horns” person, then pre-planning might not be for you. As long as you have the initial concept in your mind, give it all you got!
If you prefer to do some pre-planning, the objective is to create a roadmap of the story and ease some of the potential creative blocks that you could run into. There are three sections I’d recommended for pre-planning NaNoWriMo:
Write a Story Synopsis
Draft a summary of the whole story from start to finish (I know, not easy to sum up a whole novel that you have in your brain without explaining too much).
Do not extend too much further than three or four paragraphs.
Think of it as a 10,000 foot view of the story. What are the main plot points that move the primary storyline forward? That is what you want to focus on.
Here is another perspective to view the synopsis draft – how would you explain the story to someone in person within 30 seconds? Outlining the whole story will help you visualize the whole plot and generate new ideas. Remember, nothing is permanent. The synopsis can be altered once you start writing chapters. You can also use the story synopsis for your novel’s description on the NaNoWriMo website. It will give people something to talk about.
Food for thought in regards to getting your metaphoric hands dirty with your writing. Go ahead, be wrong!
Postcard taken from the EDAC (Edmonton Digital Arts College) booth during Eek! Fest 2015.
Draft Character Sheets
Keep character sheets simple and focus on key defining features for each character. The concept behind these sheets is to ensure that your characters stay within character. If they are to do anything drastic beyond their behavior, make note of it in the character sheet and develop a reason for the sudden switch in action during the story. For the sheets themselves, keep note of:
Character name
Their background/history
Their involvement with the plot
What their motive(s) is
What they love and hate
Notable physical features
Chapter Outlines
This is the most challenging aspect of the three steps, yet it is also the most important.
Chapter outlines should be key points that move the plot forward.
Each chapter outline should complement the story synopsis and elaborate it in further detail. Any sub-plots, change in scene, character development or action that progresses the story should be explained in each chapter outline.
The length of outlines will vary and can contain as much information as you see fit. Keep them in bullet point form and in short statements. Save the detailed descriptions for when writing the chapters. Treat the chapter outlines as a roadmap to move the story to the final conclusion. They don’t need to be perfect either. Remember, cranking out the first manuscript in a month is an achievement in its own right. You can come back and edit/revise the synopsis, character sheets, chapter outlines and manuscript afterwards.
Each of the three key points could have an article written about them individually. They all serve an important role for pre-planning your novel. The point for pre-planning in NaNoWriMo is to have a basic guide to help you when diving into the intensive month of writing.
Spend no more than an hour on each of the three points. Invest your time during NaNoWriMo.
The next blog post will expand on finding inspiration for the first week of NaNoWriMo. Facing the blank page can be daunting, they are your first words for your new novel. If you have any additional pre-planning techniques for writing, share your thoughts in the comments.
October 20, 2015
Breaking Into Writing Horror: Part 2 – Avoiding Clichés
When I decided to participate in 2014’s National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), it was the prime opportunity for me to try writing a brand new novel and a new writing style. NaNoWriMo forces writers to crank out 50,000 words in 30 days. Having to dedicate myself to writing at least 1667 words a day, I frantically typed out the first draft of my new novel, Seed Me, now in the editing phase.
After reading the first draft the month after, all I could do was shake my head.
The combination of fast typing and a tight deadline caused me to produce my worst work to date. Bravo! I gave myself a sarcastic pat on the back. Not to fear though. Now that I had a full manuscript completed, I had the ability to backtrack, cut, revise and add to the story.
Revamping the manuscript while listening to Witch House music. Spooky stuff.
From December of 2014 to August of this year, I spent a lot of time cleaning up weak plot points, adding depth to one-dimensional characters and fixing grammatical/syntax errors. Inevitably, it led to deleting the second half of the story, replacing it with a new story arc and adding entirely new backstory about the antagonists.
During the past year, I researched how I could improve on the mess of a story that I created. My investigation led to learning the pros and cons of writing past tense, fact checking about Alberta to build a back story ( by visiting the Edmonton Archives) and avoiding horror clichés. I found a few great articles that helped me with my process.
Photo Credit: edmonton.ca
Darwin, E. (2014, February 17). Past and Present Tense: Which, Why, When and How [Blog post] Retrieved from www.emmadarwin.typepad.com
“Past Tense: Creating suspense is much easier, because we know there is a future to this story (because it’s being told from there), so the future is a mystery, not a blank, as in present tense. The narrator can even tell bits of it, or hint”, Emma Darwin advises.
Meikle, W. (2007, November 1). Horror Fiction – Ten Cliches to Avoid [Web] Retrieved from www.ezinearticles.com
“Splitting Up: Everybody knows that the monster is around somewhere, but someone says, “We’re off to explore that dark place. You go the other way and we’ll meet up later.’ “
Horror is littered with clichés and it is quite tough to avoid them when writing initial drafts. Try not to get caught up worrying about them.
Writers tend to write about what they know and I’ve watched plenty of horror movies. That’s why I reproduced these clichés in the first draft. But, as I brought up in the last post, “Write poorly and edit beautifully.” And that’s what I did.
The plot for Seed Me takes place in Alberta and features several plants as the antagonists, something that, I’ve found, is not exactly easy to do in horror. How frightening can plants be? Sure, you can make them supernatural, but then you start to lose the believability of the scenario and the fright is lost. As with my fantasy horror series, I turned to movies for inspiration. Cinema was, and is, the primary inspiration for my writing. I wanted to recreate the awe that movies give me into the stories I wrote.
Reading the article 5 Best Killer Plant Movies [2011, August 29], and watching these movies gave me some insight as to how murderous plants were tackled by other directors. It opened a door that I did not consider before – adding humour to the story. Horror isn’t always dark, serious and gloomy. Horror is meant for entertainment and sometimes, that includes some laughs.
Seed Me is well on its way to being completed.
A handful of beta readers have already previewed the pre-edited manuscript.
My editor and I are currently revising the plot and pushing it to be top notch. This story is still quite new and fresh to me. Right now, I have the difficult task of forming a quick summary without giving too much of the plot away. But for the time being, the plot will remain in a shroud of mystery for you interested parties.
October 15, 2015
Breaking Into Writing Horror: Part 1 – Where to Begin?
In 2011, I began pursuing my professional writing career by working on a fantasy horror series titled Mental Damnation. The original manuscript was written in high school and required a massive revamp of the story arch, characters and the overall writing style.
The plot needed to magnetize people and capture the reader’s attention to leave them wanting more, a common goal every author has.
Through many months of editing, the third person style that appeared in the first novel, Reality, had developed in the two novels that followed, Dream and Fusion and the fourth installment (yet to be titled) keeps this tense for consistency.
Working only on this series as my introduction into the writing industry turned out to be a major learning curve. Three years later, in 2014, I was still working on the same storyline. This brought me to a conclusion that it was time to broaden my abilities. As much as I enjoyed working on Mental Damnation and will continue to add to the series, it was time to branch off from the roots of my writing and try something new. I haven’t working on a new storyline since the high school manuscript.
The perfect time to embrace this growth happened in November, 2014, with the coming of NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month). The objective of the writing month is to hammer out 50,000 words in 30 days. Tough, yet do-able. It was an opportunity for me to try out a new genre, new setting and writing tense.
Being a fan of horror in pop culture, I decided to tackle this genre. During October, I did a bit of pre-planning in preparation for November with basic story and chapter outlines, including character sheets of the three main characters. From the outline, the plot was very much a creature feature and was destined to evolve once I started writing. I also researched the work of H.P. Lovecraft and Clive Barker for inspiration and guidance into different horror-writing processes.
Two articles stood out from the rest. This is the first.
Jones, J. (2014, October 9). H.P. Lovecraft Gives Five Tips for Writing a Horror Story, or Any Piece of “Weird Fiction”
[Blog post] Retrieved from www.openculture.com
Lovecraft advises, “Write out the story—rapidly, fluently, and not too critically—following the second or narrative-order synopsis. Change incidents and plot whenever the developing process seems to suggest such change, never being bound by any previous design.”
Clive Barker also gave some insight.
Houghton, G. (1989). Writing Style
[Blog post} Retrieved from www.clivebarker.info
“I think one of the things I try to do is constantly try to do something different. If I constantly do something different I have succeeded. I don’t like to repeat myself because I feel once I’ve got the trick of doing something, I’m certain that the second time I try to do the same type of material it would not be as good” explains Barker.
These quotes expressed two key points that provided major clarification on how to proceed. I wasn’t sure how to start wring on a blank page because I had been involved with editing and revising an old manuscript for years.
The saying, “Write poorly and edit beautifully” came to mind during these revisions.
From encouraging words of horror greats, November rolled around and I begun to write the first draft of my new horror novel, Seed Me.
Novel Cover Thumbnail Sketches for Seed Me
I was well on my way to a new book, new characters and a completely different writing experience. Still rooted in horror, I was ready for the challenge of a new stand-alone novel. From this background research I was well equipped to dive deeper into writing horror.
Read Breaking Into Writing Horror: Part 2 – Avoiding Clichés
September 30, 2015
Damnation at the Edmonton Comic Expo
Marvel superheroes, internet trends and movie references, all mashed up in a buzzing weekend at the Edmonton Comic and Entertainment Expo. This was the second year I had a booth at this thrilling event. Each year proves itself to be unique and rewarding in its own. Despite not having a strong knowledge of more well-known areas of pop culture, I found it easy to mingle. I gained appreciation for visuals of the Expo’s booths and cosplay.
Day 0 – Pre-Setup
Thursday was an opportunity for vendors to set up early where I ran into a number of people I knew from 2014. This year, I took a new approach by deciding to downgrade to the Artist Alley. It was an experiment of a cost to margin ratio where previously I had a regular booth size.
Set up was quick and easy. Minus the over-analyzing of the booth to ensure symmetry among the display, a designer’s quirk (or OCD) kicking in.
Day 1 – Catching Up and New Faces
The first day of the Expo, sweaty palms and second-guesses about the booth’s layout, I was eagerly anticipating meeting new people and seeing familiar faces. I manned the table on my own, which proved to be a success. I chatted with the nearby vendors in the area, caught up with folks from previous Expos and met like-minded, quirky/enthusiastic people who dropped by.
Through conversation, I met Matthew Gillies (his debut novel being The Electric Coma Dream), a fellow author of horror novels. Matthew, like myself, is also a graphic designer. Not exactly a regular mashup of trades. With this common background, we exchanged ideas and thoughts about the directions we have taken with our passion for writing.
Day 2 – Costumes!Bright and early, the longest day of the Expo began with rushing out the door to join the SANE Clothing crew to partake in their photo shoot at Blues on Whyte. After laughs, poses and getting charged up on coffee, we all returned to the Expo.
I was thankful to have assistance at the table on the busiest day. After a short discussion, we rearranged the layout of the booth to have the books as the center of attention. No more second- guessing the layout.
The energy in the venue intensified up as the day progressed. The Expo was packed with people of all ages dressed up in their top-notch cosplay. My table helper and I were constantly informing the eager attendees about Mental Damnation and sharing in their experiences.
I reconnected with a fan of the book Dream who shared her artwork of what also happens to be my favourite scene in the series. It was a touching surprise that someone was willing to make artwork influenced from my work and share it with me. A moment of awe and reminded me as to why I enjoy writing – inspiring others to think and do something.
Even with help, the majority of the day was spent at the booth with a few breaks to grab food and say hi to a few other vendors. I took note of fun cosplay like Towelie from “South Park” and a handmade R2-D2 toque/onesie on a baby. The only downtime was the last hour, thanks to the costume contest, which gave us a moment to catch our breaths.
Day 3 – Coming to an End
On the final day at the Expo, it was rewarding to see the energy was still high, a constant over the weekend. It also hit me that it would take another year for the Expo to return. This was the first day I was able to get a good look around at the whole exhibit and see the new activities offered at the event. Sunday was slower than the Saturday, but I had an opportunity to say my goodbyes and call it a day.
Until Next Year
The Expo was a pan inspiration for me to bring my writing to similar events in various cities. New events are continuing to pop up all across Canada. Something else that caught my attention was friends that were vendors in previous years were just there as attendees this year. They had decided not to partake in the show and just appreciate the whole event, as opposed to being glued to their booths the whole time. This provided them a fresh perspective on the Expos. As a whole I have only been an attendee once at the Calgary Comic Expo. They it was good to get that perspective from past vendors
Future ideas to ponder on. The Expo once again, was well worth the time. I look forward to what next year will bring. It was astonishing to see the amount of people who I met last year returning to the Mental Damnation booth, asking what I had been doing since we last met. Seeing this has motivated me to get my fingers typing away for the finish the new book and aim to feature it at the 2016 Expo. Keep your eyes open and keep reading the blog for devopments on the new book!
Hello world!
I have started up my blog site! After years of having a landing page for the domain konnlavery.com, it has finally been converted into a place where my thoughts, adventures, inspirations, projects and more will be shared.
Blogging has been a foreign concept to me and I have been unaware as to how I should approach it or what to even write about. Through research and informative advice I’ve decided to take a stab at it. Look forward to sharing and starting up conversation.
The featured image for this post has been made a dinosaur, just because I’m a fan. No actual reference.
June 17, 2015
Mental Damnation now available! #reddeer
Mobile Uploads
I am super stoked, and very proud, to be able to share this awesome novel series by Edmonton author, and old school pal of mine, @[100000919471691:2048:Konn Lavery]! Parts 1 and 2 of the "Mental Damnation" series, "Dream" and "Fusion" respectively, are now available at The Rishi Maze! — at The Rishi Maze - Geek Emporium.
June 13, 2015
Come down to Sonic Radio's Tradio event at Blackjacks Roadhouse to grab copies o...
Booth 13 with the googly eyes!
June 12, 2015
Got a shiny new review on the prequel Reality.
"whether you're looking for a da...
"whether you're looking for a dark ride exploring the labyrinth of the psyche, or just looking for a good fantasy novel with relatable characters, this book will take you six layers deep."
Check out the full review!
"Loved it" a review of: Reality (Prequel of Mental...
www.amazon.com
amber says: Konn Lavery has taken me into his mind and carried me on a richly woven tapestry of metaphors for the human condition. Beginning his tale with a comprehensive explanation of the world you are about to enter, His story is intricately laid out on a backdrop of history wrapped in legend...
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