Michelle Proulx's Blog, page 20
February 11, 2014
So I ran the first chapter of Chasing Nonconformity by my critique group …
… and they didn’t hate it!
It was a fairly nerve-wracking experience — after all, despite how much we writers talk about loving it when people read our work and tell us what they think, in truth we’re absolutely terrified at the idea. What if they hate it? What if they think it’s the worst thing they’ve ever read, but are too polite to tell us to our face? Etc. But I persevered!
Going into the reading, I asked my group to look out for certain things (feel free to steal these if you’re working on your own first chapter):
Do you get a good sense of who the characters are? Can you picture what they look like? Do they have a distinctive voice when they’re talking?
Do you get a good sense of the setting? Is it interesting? More description or less?
In terms of plot exposition, too much or too little? Do you know why the characters are here and what they want? Is it over-explained? Is it under-explained?
(And now for the most important question …) Does the first chapter make you want to keep reading the book?
Overall, they enjoyed it. They suggested a bit more description in some parts, and less in others. They agreed that I over-explained the characters’ purpose (I think I mention it like 5 times over the course of the chapter), so that’s something I’ll need to cut down and work into the flow of dialogue a little bit more seamlessly. And, thank God, they said it was intriguing and that they’d like to read more.
Success!
I was actually so nervous about sharing the chapter that my stomach went completely nuts and started … well, we won’t go into that. Long story short, I had some tea, took a few deep breaths, shared the story, accepted all criticism with thanks and a smile, and got out alive. What more can a writer ask for?
Unrelated media of the day:
February 5, 2014
How to write a best-selling supernatural YA novel
I’ve recently been inspired to start a series of “How to write _____” posts. We’re going to kick off today with “How to write a best-selling supernatural YA novel”.
Be warned: the advice presented below is terrible. Do not, for the love of sandwiches, follow this advice.
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How to write a best-selling supernatural YA novel
Decide which dangerous supernatural creature from mythology you’re going to transform into an attractive, brooding teenage guy who acts dangerous but really just wants someone to “get” him. Options include, but are not limited to, vampires, werewolves, mermen, demons, fallen angels, elves, dragon-people, and yetis.
Set the story in a small town where everyone knows each other and nothing exciting or supernatural ever happens. Props if you can give the town a seemingly-ordinary name that is actually a metaphor for the female protagonist’s life journey.
Start the story off in the traditional “new kid comes to school, everyone loves/fears them” manner. Your “new kid” can be either the female protagonist or the love interest, depending on if you want your heroine to start off with friends and then gradually abandon them as she gets wrapped up in the love interest’s far more interesting life, or just make her a loner right off the bat to simplify the process.
The plot should revolve entirely around the female protagonist being pursued by the supernatural love interest. If you really want, you can get all fancy and introduce an outside threat (or something that actually resembles a traditional plot), but it’s really best if you just stick to the “boy meets girl, boy scares girl, boy desires girl, boy gets girl after inflicting severe mental, emotional, and physical trauma on her” approach.
The female protagonist needs a fatal flaw that frequently incapacitates her, allowing the supernatural love interest to swoop in and save the day (preferably in a mysterious and brooding manner). Extreme clumsiness is one of the most widely-used flaws, as it allows the female protagonist to remain lovely and intelligent while still forcing her into otherwise totally-avoidable situations.
Introduce a love triangle, and make it as heart-wrenching for the female protagonist as possible. Remember, the secondary love interest is exactly that — secondary. He’s never going to get the girl, regardless of whatever evils befall the main love interest. Still, don’t let that stop you from character-developing the heck out of the secondary love interest — make sure he shows up everywhere, especially at awkward, totally inappropriate times, to mess things up. And remember the cardinal rule: never admit that he’s the secondary love interest. You know he’s never going to get the girl, and so do your readers, but it’s a huge faux pas to actually admit such a thing.
The female protagonist needs a female friend, but they should only ever talk about the supernatural love interest. Since you’ve definitely set your story in high school (and if you haven’t, change it right now!), your characters might occasionally slip up and talk about school instead of boys. That’s okay. It happens. The most important part is to make sure the conversation gets back on track ASAP.
The female protagonist’s single parent must be bumbling, well-meaning, and totally oblivious to what is going on with her life. Extra points if your single parent decides to “take an interest” in the heroine and ground her, thus preventing her from going out to meet her supernatural love interest at a key moment and nearly getting them all killed.
Don’t be afraid to wax poetic about the supernatural love interest for a good three or four paragraphs per chapter. This handsome, brooding gentleman is, after all, the man of your heroine’s dreams. If she’s not obsessing over every detail of his physical makeup at all times, you’re not doing it right.
Keep the ending melancholy, but hopeful. You definitely want to set up for future sequels — no YA novel worth its salt ends after just one book. Obviously you can’t resolve whatever is keeping the heroine and her supernatural love interest apart, but you can drop hints that they might just get around to working out how they can be together three or four books down the road. Whatever you do, do not give them a happy ending. Once your characters get a happy ending, that’s the end of the story — and you need to milk this series for all it’s worth!
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Unrelated media of the day:
Source: http://imgur.com/gallery/WbldtTb
January 31, 2014
Do you have control over your characters?
I had a very interesting conversation a few weeks ago at my writers society meeting. The topic of discussion was “Why do you write?”, and … well, here’s basically what I said (in bullet points for your convenience!):
I first really got into writing when I read Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and was absolutely devastated that Sirius Black died
This prompted me to pen a 300k word fanfiction in which Sirius and James come back to life and get up to all sorts of shenanigans with Harry
This prompted me to try my hand at writing original fiction, since I discovered that writing was actually something I really enjoyed doing
The writers society president summed this up as “You like to have control over your characters and their fates”, which is true. Of course, I have other reasons for why I write — I love to entertain people, I love the act of writing itself, stories pile up in my head and take up way too much brain space if I don’t get them down on paper, etc. But the fanfiction anecdote was what I went with for the meeting.
Anyway, after the president’s “you like control” statement, another lady at the meeting spoke up. Her speech essentially boiled down to:
You can try to control your characters all you want, but they’re going to do whatever they want, regardless of what you try to make them do
It’s an interesting suggestion, but … I’m not sure I agree with her. I mean, yes, sometimes my characters do things I don’t want them to as I write a scene, but it’s not because they’ve magically taken control of my fingers and are forcing me to change the direction of the scene. Usually it’s because I imagined the scene playing out one way in my mind, but when I actually get down to writing the scene, events just flow in a different direction. But that’s writing — what you see in your head and what you put down on paper rarely match up perfectly.
Then again, I’ve spoken to writers who feel that stories are living things — or, sometimes, even supernatural messages from the beyond — and that the writer is just the conduit to get that story down onto paper. They make it sound like writing is an almost spiritual experience. For me, though, stories are just … you know, stories. I love writing them, sure, but it’s not like I’m going to suffer some sort of psychological or emotional torture if I don’t get them out of my head. Well, as my mother likes to say, different people are different. I kind of envy the people who are so driven to write that they feel possessed … but at the same time, I can’t help but feel that would be a terrifying way to live, not being in control of your own mind. I don’t know.
What do you guys think? Does the story control you, or do you control the story? Who determines the fate of your characters — you, or them?
Unrelated media of the day:
Two guys play one cello and it’s sort of awesome. No, they’re not gay. But the seated guy’s expression is nevertheless fabulous.
January 25, 2014
My publishing plan for 2014
Now, let me preface this post by stating that this is an extremely tentative plan, cooked up in the shower yesterday, and now delivered via the magical power of the internet to your computer screen!
Step 1: Finish writing Chasing Nonconformity
This is the most important step, as this sequel is the pivot point around which the rest of the plan turns. I’m about halfway through the re-write right now, and will hopefully get it done by the end of February. Then begin the rounds of editing and beta readers and general headaches … so I’m hoping that if I buckle down and really put my nose to the grindstone, I can maybe eke out a finished manuscript by September?
Step 2: Get covers for Imminent Danger and Chasing Nonconformity
Of course, I already have a cover for Imminent Danger, but that cover is technically owned by iUniverse, and I don’t really feel like paying them several hundred dollars to come into possession of a cover to which I’m not particularly attached. The plan, you see, is that I’m going to re-publish Imminent Danger on my own (i.e., not through a vanity publisher), which will give me much more control over the fate of the book. So I’m going to need covers for both books 1 and 2.
I was in talks with a cover designer last year, but things didn’t really work out — I didn’t know what I wanted, and the designer had a particular style that, while lovely, just didn’t mesh with what I had in mind (despite me not actually knowing what I had in mind). See the problem? Indecision abounds in my world. Anyway, I’m now messing around with cover design on my own, and have tentatively acquired a new designer … more on that story as it unfolds!
Step 3: Break from iUniverse and re-release Imminent Danger via Amazon KDP
So this is actually two steps in one. Basically, I kind of like the idea of trying out the Amazon KDP program, but that of course means I can’t have my book for sale on other websites. Since iUniverse is currently distributing Imminent Danger to every website under the sun, that will mean that I’m going to break from them at some point. I don’t know when, but … it’s definitely going to happen. I mean, unless I can find a way to re-publish Imminent Danger on Amazon KDP and still leave the iUniverse version up and available … maybe call the new version the “Deluxe version” or something? If anyone knows about this sort of thing, by all means send your wisdom my way!
And then the second part of the step is, of course, to re-release Imminent Danger on Amazon KDP. I don’t know that I’ll stay in the KDP program forever, but it seems a good way to start. My tentative plan for this is to re-release the book sometime in September. I’m thinking of doing the Kindle Countdown Deals program for the first three months, and then switch over to the 5 free days option just in time for …
Step 4: Release Chasing Nonconformity for Christmas!
This is, of course, assuming I’m actually able to come up with a finished manuscript by the fall, which is … let’s just call it an extremely optimistic plan. But I’m nothing if not optimistic! So assuming everything goes according to plan, I’ll release Chasing Nonconformity around the start of December … and at that point Imminent Danger will have gone into the “5 free promo days” program, so I can offer it for free for a few days in December/January to drum up interest and encourage people to give the series a shot.
I am obviously a complete “n00b” at marketing, so any thoughts/comments on my plan are greatly appreciated!
Unrelated media:
Source: http://imgur.com/gallery/GrN3m
January 22, 2014
Please Help a Fellow Author Who Has Suffered a Serious Stroke
Reblogged from "CommuniCATE" Resources for Writers:
The greatest gift blogging and social networking has given me is the people I have met, some of whom are very dear to my heart. This post is an appeal to help Rags Daniels, a fellow Author who has suffered a stroke. He is in his early seventies and has a long road to recovery ahead. Obviously, he is offline, so I am asking all of you to help out by sharing / tweeting about Rags' books and/or buy some to help him with the medical costs his family are undoubtably inundated with.
January 19, 2014
Spam comments are the best!
Quick Sunday check-in time! I found this comment waiting on one of my posts when I logged in this morning … and as far as spam comments poorly translated into English go, this one’s pretty fantastic. Read and enjoy!
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As near as I can tell, the individual in question enjoyed the rhythm of the post, he is seeking an apprenticeship in the lucrative field of blogging, he recently got a very good deal from “The Account” (supervillain?), and he feels my ideas are very clever, but also rather see-through.
What’s the best spam comment you’ve ever gotten?
Unrelated media of the day:
Source: http://imgur.com/gallery/YnX33
January 17, 2014
Cover Reveal! Danielle Taylor’s “Falling For You”
Technically I was supposed to post this about twelve hours ago, but better late than never! Without further ado, I present to you the cover for Danielle Taylor’s new romance novel, Falling For You.
Julia Burns can’t remember a day in her life when she didn’t have to work. So the ad in the paper sounds perfect to her – even if she does have to marry a complete stranger.
Nicholas Steele isn’t used to being around people since the accident that left him disfigured. Having a permanent house guest isn’t his idea of fun, however, the press would have a field day if they found he and his new wife weren’t residing together.
On paper, their ‘fake’ marriage fits both their needs, giving Nicholas a wife and Julia the security she’s always dreamed of having. In reality, every moment Nicholas and Julia spend together brings them closer to falling for each other.
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About the author:
Danielle Taylor is the author of the Captive Hearts Series and the WattPad sensation Falling for You , which broke 100,000 reads in less than a week.
You can find Danielle on:
Blog
January 16, 2014
Book Review: The Amber Ring (A.L. Walton)
The Book
The Amber Ring
The Genre
Fantasy Novella
The Author
A former network administrator and software developer for the U.S. Department of Defense, A.L. Walton (otherwise known as Piscis – or simply “the fish”) currently resides in Boise, Idaho, where he spends a good chunk of his time making stuff up and putting it on paper. And writing music. But mostly the other thing.
The Plot
At the age of ten, Sofia Corona saved the Fairwoods from the malevolent grasp of the Cedar Witch and her goblin army.
Two years later, she drowned unceremoniously in the lake behind her Oregon home.
In the months following the Heroine’s death, when the Fairwoods face a resurgence of goblin attacks, they are forced to turn to Sofia’s cynical twin sister, Maya, for help. Although she wants nothing more to do with her sister’s fanciful adventures, Maya comes to realize that this one last favor could give her the closure she needs to put Sofia’s memory to rest and move on with her life.
With her twin’s magic ring and faithful gryphon companion, Maya embarks on a reluctant journey of whimsical antics and unwitting self-discovery in this stark but humorous fairy tale.
The Review
I loved this novella. It’s short, it’s sweet, and it does a glorious job of turning the traditional “hero” story on its head. One of the things I loved about this book is that there’s your classic heroine destined by fate to save a magical world of zany fantasy creatures … except that she drowns in a pool, and suddenly it’s up to her emotionally detached sister to save the day instead.
The character of Maya is so fun, precisely because she is so far removed from what a heroine is supposed to be. She’s rational and cynical, so rather than reacting to a whimsical forest creature with delight, she gives it this “you’ve got to be kidding me” look and then tries very hard to be polite while inwardly bemoaning the ridiculous situation she’s in.
The novella is packed with a variety of whimsical forest creatures, my personal favorite being a tribe of trolls who consider themselves expert hat makers (they’re not), and are convinced the rest of the world are set on stealing their hats (they’re not). Sometimes the “whimsical encounters”, as I like to call them, seemed a bit tightly packed together, but it’s a novella, not a rambling 100k word fantasy novel, so allowances must be made!
All in all, a delightful little read!
The Rating
Five out of five stars
Links:
Check out the book on Goodreads
Unrelated media of the day:
Source: http://imgur.com/gallery/7FNBr
January 12, 2014
Opinion time! Near-invulnerability in a protagonist?
I’ve been kicking around a new story idea for a while, and while I won’t give too much away, I can reveal that it’s going to be a middle-grade fantasy story with lots of comedy, adventure, etc.
Right now, I’m working on fleshing out the main character – who we will call MC for ease, as I haven’t worked out a name yet. The concept with MC is that his father is a sorcerer, but MC himself is absolutely incapable of doing magic — not just that he has no talent for it, but he literally has no access to magic whatsoever.
Now, MC needs a “shtick” — you know, that one element that makes him special, that gives him the edge he needs to be a hero. For example, Harry Potter may not have been a very good wizard (at least in the first books), but he was an excellent flyer, which he uses to navigate many obstacles through his various adventures.
The first “shtick” I thought up was invulnerability. MC’s father is called the “dragon sorcerer” — not because he’s a dragon, but because he just really, really likes dragons. My thought is that the sorcerer did some dragon-magic-funtimes to MC when he was a wee babby, and this ended up burning the magic out of MC, but in return gave him skin as hard as dragon scales. Note that his skin doesn’t actually look like dragon scales — it’s just magically tough.
Now, near-invulnerability … that has some serious pros and cons. The main con, of course, is that he’ll be invulnerable (or close enough) — which means that, whilst on his adventures, readers will never really worry about his safety, due to the aforementioned invulnerability. On the pro side, though, there’s lots of fun stuff going on here — he’ll be reckless, because he knows he can’t be hurt, which will get him into all sorts of sticky situations. He’ll have a hard time connecting with other people, because his dragon-scale-strong skin has always made him different, singled him out from his peers, and they might even resent him. And he’ll also have a sort of superiority complex — an aloofness, if you will — because on some level he knows he’s superior to others, at least in that one aspect, and that’s a dangerous thing for a 12/13 year old to think.
So I guess my question is — do you think that fairly major con outweighs all the pros?
Take Our Poll
Unrelated media of the day:
Source: http://derlaine.tumblr.com/
January 9, 2014
Fun group writing activity
Okay, I totally stole this from the treasurer of my London Writers’ Society exec board. But it’s a really cool writing activity, so hopefully she’ll forgive me!
What you need:
A few people, some paper, some pens, and lots of imagination!
How it works:
Each person writes down one element of a story, completely separate from everyone else so that no one else knows what they’re writing.
Person #1 comes up with the main protagonist
Person #2 comes up with a secondary character
Person #3 comes up with a setting
Person #4 comes up with an inciting incident (meteor crashes to Earth, protagonist loses car keys, etc.)
You can always come up with additional job roles if you have more people (e.g., person #5 comes up with a plot twist).
Once everyone’s done writing, share your part with the group. As a group, your task is now to figure out how to fit these disparate elements together into something resembling a story. Group bonding and side-splitting hilarity will ensue — guaranteed!
The purpose:
A lot of people are really good at coming up with the kernels of an idea, but actually turning that idea into a story is a lot harder. The point of this exercise is to practice that crucial step — turning ideas into stories. In all likelihood, the story you come up with will be ridiculous … although maybe you’ll hit the jackpot and everything will come together!
Note: If you don’t have a group on hand, you can always tackle this activity on your own. I shall proceed to do so now …
Michelle’s solo attempt at the group writing activity:
Protagonist = Sylvia Longbeach, a private detective from Malibu who specializes in canine-related murders
Secondary character = Cynthia Cornwallis, intergalactic lawyer and lead prosecutor in the famous “Betelgeuse Quintuplets Double Homicide” case, which she lost
Setting = A post office
Inciting incident = The president’s mistress is kidnapped
Story:
Sylvia is picking up a package at her local post office, and opens it to find a dog biscuit caked in blood. Immediately suspecting the worst, she rushes outside, only to crash into Cynthia. Cynthia is on Earth by accident — after losing the Betelgeuse Quintuplets Double Homicide case, she was not able to pay rent on her space yacht, so she had to take a public teleporter instead to get to work — which inevitably malfunctioned, as public services tend to do, sending her to Earth. Because of her alien origins, Cynthia has an excellent sense of smell, and immediately recognizes the scent coming off Sylvia’s dog biscuit as human blood. She tries to convey this information to Sylvia, but Sylvia unfortunately does not understand Universal Common.
They proceed to Sylvia’s lab (located behind the pet store Sylvia owns), and Cynthia’s suspicion is confirmed–the blood on the dog biscuit is human. That’s when Sylvia turns on the television to see if the daily news mentions any murders or kidnappings in the area … and they find out that the president’s mistress has been kidnapped on her way to zumba class. Hilarity ensues as these two unlikely friends team up to find the president’s missing mistress! Will Sylvia’s old nemesis and ex-husband, the Basset Hound Burglar, make his long-awaited return? Will Cynthia ever get back to Arcturus in time for her big comeback case? Find out in Michelle Proulx’s zany new mystery novel, The Paws-itively Puzzling Kidnapping!
Unrelated media of the day:
Introducing the “sexy sax man”, who brings his saxophone to random public places and plays George Michael’s Careless Whisper to the unsuspecting shoppers, security guards, etc.
