Amy Sue Nathan's Blog: Women's Fiction Writers, page 7

Days 16 & 17 – When Inspiration Comes From The Past #31DaysofInspiration

I guess my inspiration comes in big crashing waves.

Today I had two sources of inspiration. The first hit because I needed to know about flashlights in 1951. I couldn’t very well have a character carrying one if they didn’t exist. What did they look like? How did they turn on? Voila! I present the Big Beam Lantern. It’s perfect for the scene. Wouldn’t fit in my kitchen junk drawer, but this isn’t about me.

This image is property of Twisted Lola Designs on Etsy.

This photo led to things happening in the scene that I didn’t intend. The light is bigger and stronger — what will my characters see they wouldn’t otherwise see? This flashlight/lantern can stand on it’s own. Where might they use it? I have the perfect answer.

My second bit of inspiration was a snippet of memory from watching a video on FB with author Beatriz Williams (one of my favorites). I remember Beatriz saying (I’m paraphrasing, I don’t recall exactly)…When all else fails, throw in a murder. Now I don’t write murderous stories but this popped into my head when one of my character revealed a dark family secret. What if there was the possibility of violence or murder? What would that do to the story? What if simply believing someone is guilty of a crime changes the course of your characters’ lives — even if there was no crime at all?

Have you ever been inspired by an object like this old flashlight? I wonder who owned this one and what they looked for. I hope they found it!

Have you ever remembered a snippet of advice and allowed it to lead you down a whole new path in your story? I’d never considered this before, but I think that the twist of possibility might just do enough harm to do good by the story!

What’s inspiring your writing today?

xo Amy

Days 14 & 15: How to Write Suspense When You’re Not Writing Suspense #31DaysofInspiration

To uncover the plot of your story, don’t ask what should happen, but what should go wrong. –Steven James

One of the best lessons I learned when I was editing my first novel (thanks to my editor), was not to resolve conflict in a page and a half.

It’s something I share with my writer clients and friends, if I’m reading their work. It’s easy to want to solve a problem or mend a rift quickly, because we can. This is where writers play God, because in the world of our novels, we are the supreme beings.

The problem is, resolving conflict quickly doesn’t allow for the reader to have enough time to process what’s going on, or to have the emotional and physical reaction necessary to connect or worry. You needn’t put your character in physical danger, I never do (or haven’t, yet) because emotional peril is just as riveting, right? You know that knot in your stomach you get when you just have to know what happens next? That’s your goal. To create discomfort.

These are things I know and work hard to remember and incorporate into my writing.

I’ve been thinking about this a lot since I attended a session at WDCon with author Steven James. I’ll be honest, I’d never heard of him. He writes serial killer novels and was running a session on adding suspense no matter the genre.

I got the last seat in the room.

I won’t say that the content was all new to me (some was) but he did present all of it in a new way, and reminders are our best friends. How are we supposed to remember everything about writing a novel for every single page of our writing it? That’s where reminders come in, and why I am always reading books and blogs and websites. So if this is a reminder to you — revel in it. (And I don’t know Steven James but I’d bet his book, Story Trumps Structure, is brilliant. I’m going to buy it. You can find him on stevenjames.net.)

I think that adding a real element of suspense is often overlooked by WF writers because emotional journeys don’t necessary scream the need for it — but it’s there. For as long as I can remember I’ve framed the idea of writing suspense, conflict, and tension as MAKING THE READER WORRY. That’s the terminology that works for me, maybe because it’s so familiar to me in real life.

I’m going to share my notes with you — because I believe that adding different kinds of suspense to women’s fiction is the difference between mediocre and best seller. And I want us all to write best sellers!

Notes from an iPhone (with commentary)

Suspense lies in apprehension (to me this means the reader’s got it all figured out, except she probably doesn’t. if she does, then “I knew it” can be satisfying too)
Suspense lies in stillness (you know, the moment everything stops and you drag out a short time with detail that drives up that worrying)
Mystery = curiosity — but Suspense = concern (to me this hearkens back to WORRY)
Create reader empathy – what we want for them is what they want (this made me think of my WIP that includes a love story. The reader MUST want them together because that’s what my protagonist wants.)
A wound we all share creates empathy. (think: grief)
Impending danger to something valuable creates suspense. (this can be one’s sense of self, family, a friendship. doesn’t have to be a diamond)
Way to add tension and suspense: character must be in two places at the same time (made me think of Hermione)
A decent creates more tension than an ascent (I’m not sure about this one)
Suspense and tension: isolate the main character, remove tools, helpers, mentors (lightbulb moment for WIP)

I’d typed more notes but they’re undecipherable! I hope these tidbits about how to (and why to) add suspense to you novel are as helpful to you as they are to me.

I’m inspired to write with these in mind!

What’s inspiring you to write today?

xo Amy

 

Day 13 #31DaysofInspiration

Over the past few days I’ve come down with SHINY NEW IDEA SYNDROME. That’s when in the middle of writing one book, a brand new idea invades your brain.

Ever happen to you? It’s inspiring but it’s also annoying.

Best and most inspiring thing that happened today? I received an email from a writer I worked with through a one-day workshop in 2017. Writers had the opportunity to have 10 pages critiqued prior to the workshop, and then to meet with the editor that day. Here’s the email I received out of the blue (names removed):

Dear Amy Sue,

You critiqued 10 pages of my novel at the Philadelphia Writers Workshop 2017.

I am happy to tell you how much your critique taught me.

It opened my eyes to the flaws in my structure. Your comments were simple, direct, and taught me how to set up my introductory pages.

I won’t bore you with details of your help.

Enough to say: I haven’t been the same since I read them.

Thank you. You probably don’t need to hear you’re an excellent editor, but if my praise and thanks make you happy, that’s enough for me.

You didn’t stunt in your work on my 10 pages. I felt respected, helped, and encouraged by your response to my work.

So, Amy Sue, enjoy your days, and be proud of your integrity.

I love working with writers — but rarely is there feedback at all, let alone something like this. So yes, it inspires me to keep doing that job. And that definitely trickles over to my fiction writing.

What inspired your writing today?

xo Amy

Days 9, 10, 11, 12 – #31DaysofInspiration

I’m not a slacker, I promise! I spent the last 4 days at the Writer’s Digest Conference in New York City with 800 aspiring writers and about 100 published authors, agents, and editors.

Talk about inspiration!

This is a writing and publishing oriented conference with pitching opportunities. Everyone there means business! Everyone wants to be a published author. Everyone wants to rise to the top of their game.

It is a diverse conference — in every way. Some writers want traditional publishing, some want to self-publish. There are men and women of all ages and colors — and that goes for the presenters and the attendees.

Plus it’s in midtown Manhattan! And there is a Bluemercury right outside the lobby. Attached to the hotel. In four days I only bought two lipsticks. This, my friends, is what’s called self-control.

On Friday I was on a panel of authors and we discussed — you guessed it — women’s fiction. I still find myself defending the label, and that bothers me. Readers don’t care what we call our books, but agents need to know how to pitch a book to a publisher. Publishers need to know how to market book. And for the writers are the querying stage, they need to know which agents to target. Genre labels make this unscientific process as precise as it can be (which isn’t very precise).

On Saturday I led an hour-long session on how writers can silence negative self-talk, and how to deal with unsupportive friends and family. I’ll go into that in more detail with its own post this week. The workshop ends up being 30 minutes of me talking and 30 minutes of 100-author group therapy.

Saturday night I went out for dinner (at 8pm — so late for me) with three of my favorite author friends and talked about publishing (until we didn’t) and books and families and just plain old stuff. It was the most inspiring time for me, because these women do what I do with spouses and very young children! Some have full-time, fancy jobs! Plus, they’re all a lot younger than I am, which doesn’t matter until I realize I was years away from being ready to or even interested in writing a novel when I was their age. Again, doesn’t really matter but did cross my mind.

Authors and Tall Poppy Writers: Kate Moretti, Jessica Strawser, Heather Webb

Now I am ready to turn that inspiration to words on the page this week. It’s a busy one coming up–but I’m back on track.

Catch me up! What inspired you to write these past few days?

Amy xo

PS I also had two meals and time to visit with my son — which is the best part — but not the writerly part!

 

 

Day 8 #31DaysofInspiration

Guess what? I didn’t write today and I’m preoccupied with leaving for NYC tomorrow — where I imagine I’ll be very inspired! I’m heading to Writer’s Digest’s Annual Conference where I’m on a Women’s Fiction panel and doing a one-hour session on how to silence all the negative self-talk writers are known for, as well as how to deal with dismissive friends, family, and strangers. That session is always popular. Maybe the fact that I give out candy is no longer a secret!

It’s time for me to pack — and it is not my forte. I don’t overpack but let’s just say I require a lot of supplies! That’s the downside to all this — but once I’m on the train I’ll be in getaway mode. I’m also taking my laptop so I can grab time to write, work on my writers’ pages, and keep up with the blog.

I love the buzz of New York. I love to read books set in NYC and always think I’d like to do that one day. It’s daunting though. It’s NEW YORK.

What inspired your writing today? Where inspired your writing today?

Amy xo

NYC with my son; he lives there! So guess who I’m seeing this weekend (2 or 3 times!)?

Day 7 #31DaysofInspiration

Today I was inspired by a project I worked on for a long time. (See below)

I created the content for this six-week Writing Women’s Fiction workshop I’m teaching this Fall through Writer’s Digest. I was flattered to be asked and can’t wait to introduce this genre to new writers, and help established writers find their footing.

A few of you have mentioned being inspired by kind comments about your work and I guess that’s how I feel about this. It was a compliment to be asked to do this.

I know that teaching this workshop will inspire me — it’s why I keep teaching and working as a book coach. Meeting new writers reminds me when I was starting on this journey and what I needed. It reminds me how far I’ve come in the past 12 years and what I need now — and it’s not so different at all.

What inspired your writing today?

Amy xo

                                   bit.ly/FallWFWorkshop
                                     JOIN ME THIS FALL!

Day 6 #31DaysofInspiration

This weekend I RELAXED. I napped, I read, I hung out with my BFF and her family at the New Jersey shore. I didn’t take a lot of pictures (just a few, below) And you know what this weekend off did for me? It made me super excited to come back to my story. I missed it.

Time away is inspiration of its own.

I’m reading an advance copy of The Lighthouse Keeper’s Daughter by Hazel Gaynor, one of my favorite historical novelists. Accidentally I was reading about the sea while sitting by the sea, for a multi-sensory experience.

What inspires me about Hazel’s writing in this story is the intricately woven stories and timelines. Once I found my reading rhythm, it was seamless.

I feel challenged in addition to inspired when I read a good book. It challenges me — not to write like the other author — but to accomplish the same things. Make sense?

What inspired your writing today? (or over the weekend?)

Amy xo

                            Reading with a view. You’d be inspired too!! 

Day 5 #31DaysofInspiration

Yep! Still at the beach for the weekend without my laptop!
Catch #31DaysofInspiration on Twitter @AmySueNathan!
Tomorrow’s post will be right here on WFW!
xo

Day 4 #31DaysofInspiration

#31DaysofInspiration
I’m not flaking so soon — just leaving my laptop at home and spending the weekend with my BFF and her family. You can find me on Twitter as @AmySueNathan where #31DaysofInspiration will continue!
I’ll post photos and thoughts throughout the weekend.
xo

Day 3 – #31DaysofInspiration

This morning I finished up a scene I’d rewritten four times and sent it off to my critique partner. That always inspires me because one accomplishment tends to lead to the next. There’s a private “you can do it” moment and off I go.

This was a bit of organic internal motivation instead of something external. It also big picture and somewhat vague, instead of the times I’m  inspired specifically by one thing as how it relates to one thing in my story or my writing. Like the time I was waiting in the carpool line (many years ago) and saw a woman dressed just the way I envisioned one of my characters dressing. Talk about inspiration.

But even these less impactful moments matter.

I’ve learned, over time, not to overthink it. To let the story lead me and to go back later and make changes to what I don’t like. Not to write to the market, though perhaps with the market in the back of my mind (I want to sell books, not just write them). Overthinking can stall creativity and it can also allow you to sabotage yourself. So don’t do it.

Use any kind of inspiration to inform something in your writing or your story ideas!

What inspired your writing today?

xo Amy

I thought of this uncomfortable scene (starting at 0:46) when wrapping up mine today. The discomfort yes, but mostly the uncertainty. I wanted to slather it onto my page!