Alec Peche's Blog - Posts Tagged "stephen-king"
Bouchercon 2014 Author Focus Session
I am one of many authors honored to be given twenty minutes on the agenda at the Bouchercon conference in Long Beach. I’ll be in Harbor B on Saturday November 15, 2014. The instructions say that the twenty minutes is ours to do what we want - we can discuss writing, demonstrate a craft, or do a Q & A. As I am a more a sports playing newbie author than one with crafting talents, the vision of demonstrating a craft I barely have skill at is a scary proposition. So I gave more thought as to what I can bring to the table for fans or fellow authors. I have decided to talk about the joy of being a pantser since it seems very counter-culture to most of the writing world.
When I began the journey of writing rather later in life, I approached it from the traditional angle. I downloaded an app to my iPad. I dutifully tried to fill out all the questions - what was the point of the story, who were the characters, what was the plot, what would happen in each chapter, etc. I must have spent a week trying to fill it in, but mostly I drew a blank. I knew I wanted a political corruption story, set in California, and the title of the book would be Vials. Literally, where do you start for that first word you place on paper with the intent of having a murder mystery at the end of it? In the end I thought, let me figure out the first paragraph and I did. Then I had enough of a story in my head for a second and a third paragraph then a full page, and then a 1,000 words. I went back to the outline even after 1,000 words and I still couldn’t complete the book outline. I wouldn’t even admit to being an author, as I felt in my head that without the story board, or story outline on some writer’s software package that I must not be a real author. I would see other blog posts from writers with a picture taken of the author standing to the side with sticky notes all over it proudly showing this as the foundation of their latest story.
I was about three quarters of the way finished with writing my first book’s draft, when I had the infinite pleasure of listening to an audiobook written and read by Stephen King - On Writing. He managed to describe and give me a fabulous picture of his approach to writing which had for the most part mirrored my own approach. Hallelujah!
While I have collected a total of four college degrees, not one of them was awarded for anything remotely connected to English, Writing, or Literature. I have never taught English or grammar and consider myself a novice at both unlike Mr. King who is an expert and has taught English. I don’t remember any of the classics, although I do have favorites in the more recent novels of Pride and Prejudice and Lord of the Flies. As a mystery writer, it is likely that the heavy (I don’t know what else to call it) writing of centuries past would put the reader to sleep before they solved the crime.
Still, having diagnosed myself as a pantser (def: a writer who flies by the seat of their pants), I have still tried to reform my style. For book three - A Breck Death ,I downloaded a sample of the most popular writer’s software that you can use for any thirty days for free. I have managed to use it one of my thirty days so far. Again I threw in the towel and reverted to my pantser ways. In book four, I’m not even trying to eliminate the pantser side of my personality.
So what are the downsides to be a pantser? With each story, I have a range of characters in my head each acting and behaving according to their personalities. I have on occasion let the character behave in an inconsistent manner. My female protagonist is a very strong willed character and occasionally I have written something more suited to a general commanding an army than to her showing her love for her main man in the story. Fortunately, my beta readers pick up on those inconsistences and I have the opportunity to fix them.
I understand from doing more research into the pantser style that about 25% of writers are pantsers, and 75% are outliners. I haven’t yet attended a writer’s workshop, so I don’t know if there is a “test” that a new writer could take to figure out their style. I see if I can find the answer to that question before November’s meeting. It sure would have been a confidence builder for me if I had known early in my writing journey that I was a pantser.
I like complexity in my stories and I need to write about 15,000 words before that complexity begins to appear in my head. My imagination builds on itself, so while I can’t envision the twists and turns that the plot is going to take at the very start of the story, I know that in time those twists will reveal themselves. With my current WIP, I have just over 16,000 words written, and I have laid the groundwork for two of the characters that wanted my victim dead and their motives, but I know as the story goes along that I will dream up additional plots. I rarely experience writer’s block. If I do, I stay away from writing for a few days, come back to the story, re-read a part of it, and then get a new idea for the direction of the story.
Along the way in all of my novels, I perform internet searches on topics in my books. In Chocolate Diamonds I studied the diamond industry extensively and wrote that into my story. Often, doing a little more research on a particular piece of the story gives me a direction to go next with my writing that I can’t imagine at the start.
At Bouchercon, I plan to share my journey as a writer with the hope of giving back to that attendee that has tried to start their writing journey but is not getting anywhere. Maybe their style is in conflict with their present approach. Perhaps that person is a pantser and hasn’t figured it out yet and I can offer a little help.
Cheers and see you in Long Beach,
Alec Peche
When I began the journey of writing rather later in life, I approached it from the traditional angle. I downloaded an app to my iPad. I dutifully tried to fill out all the questions - what was the point of the story, who were the characters, what was the plot, what would happen in each chapter, etc. I must have spent a week trying to fill it in, but mostly I drew a blank. I knew I wanted a political corruption story, set in California, and the title of the book would be Vials. Literally, where do you start for that first word you place on paper with the intent of having a murder mystery at the end of it? In the end I thought, let me figure out the first paragraph and I did. Then I had enough of a story in my head for a second and a third paragraph then a full page, and then a 1,000 words. I went back to the outline even after 1,000 words and I still couldn’t complete the book outline. I wouldn’t even admit to being an author, as I felt in my head that without the story board, or story outline on some writer’s software package that I must not be a real author. I would see other blog posts from writers with a picture taken of the author standing to the side with sticky notes all over it proudly showing this as the foundation of their latest story.
I was about three quarters of the way finished with writing my first book’s draft, when I had the infinite pleasure of listening to an audiobook written and read by Stephen King - On Writing. He managed to describe and give me a fabulous picture of his approach to writing which had for the most part mirrored my own approach. Hallelujah!
While I have collected a total of four college degrees, not one of them was awarded for anything remotely connected to English, Writing, or Literature. I have never taught English or grammar and consider myself a novice at both unlike Mr. King who is an expert and has taught English. I don’t remember any of the classics, although I do have favorites in the more recent novels of Pride and Prejudice and Lord of the Flies. As a mystery writer, it is likely that the heavy (I don’t know what else to call it) writing of centuries past would put the reader to sleep before they solved the crime.
Still, having diagnosed myself as a pantser (def: a writer who flies by the seat of their pants), I have still tried to reform my style. For book three - A Breck Death ,I downloaded a sample of the most popular writer’s software that you can use for any thirty days for free. I have managed to use it one of my thirty days so far. Again I threw in the towel and reverted to my pantser ways. In book four, I’m not even trying to eliminate the pantser side of my personality.
So what are the downsides to be a pantser? With each story, I have a range of characters in my head each acting and behaving according to their personalities. I have on occasion let the character behave in an inconsistent manner. My female protagonist is a very strong willed character and occasionally I have written something more suited to a general commanding an army than to her showing her love for her main man in the story. Fortunately, my beta readers pick up on those inconsistences and I have the opportunity to fix them.
I understand from doing more research into the pantser style that about 25% of writers are pantsers, and 75% are outliners. I haven’t yet attended a writer’s workshop, so I don’t know if there is a “test” that a new writer could take to figure out their style. I see if I can find the answer to that question before November’s meeting. It sure would have been a confidence builder for me if I had known early in my writing journey that I was a pantser.
I like complexity in my stories and I need to write about 15,000 words before that complexity begins to appear in my head. My imagination builds on itself, so while I can’t envision the twists and turns that the plot is going to take at the very start of the story, I know that in time those twists will reveal themselves. With my current WIP, I have just over 16,000 words written, and I have laid the groundwork for two of the characters that wanted my victim dead and their motives, but I know as the story goes along that I will dream up additional plots. I rarely experience writer’s block. If I do, I stay away from writing for a few days, come back to the story, re-read a part of it, and then get a new idea for the direction of the story.
Along the way in all of my novels, I perform internet searches on topics in my books. In Chocolate Diamonds I studied the diamond industry extensively and wrote that into my story. Often, doing a little more research on a particular piece of the story gives me a direction to go next with my writing that I can’t imagine at the start.
At Bouchercon, I plan to share my journey as a writer with the hope of giving back to that attendee that has tried to start their writing journey but is not getting anywhere. Maybe their style is in conflict with their present approach. Perhaps that person is a pantser and hasn’t figured it out yet and I can offer a little help.
Cheers and see you in Long Beach,
Alec Peche
I should be able to win at Trivia!
I wrote a post last year on research that I do for my books. Perhaps because I began a new series, it seems like there are many more questions to be answered. One of Stephen King’s basic seven requirements of writing is to TELL THE TRUTH and so I’m using Google several times a day to find the answers as the story unfolds.
Over a two day period last week, I kept a log of the questions I looked up on Google as it pertains to my current work in progress, Red Rock Island. See if you know the answers:
What are the top African-American first names?
How do you built a smoke-bomb?
What is the favorite gun of retired cops?
Who are the Aryan Brotherhood?
What is the San Jose Police department organization?
What happens with currents in San Francisco bay?
What was mined on Red Rock Island?
What are the ferry paths in the bay?
What are the traits of Portuguese water dogs?
Is it illegal to read prison inmates letters or emails?
Who are the enemies of the Aryan Brotherhood?
Which prison houses the leaders of the Aryan Brotherhood?
Can hair fibers be used as evidence?
Once a car goes to a junkyard, does the junkyard notify the state of the presence of that car in their salvage yard?
If you don’t have a victim, can you use DNA from siblings to compare to DNA at the scene?
What's the smallest horsepower motor engine for a boat?
Can you buy beer on Amazon?
You may wonder what some of these questions have to do with a murder mystery, while others are obvious. For example, I needed a dog for the story that played in the water and decided upon the Portuguese water dog, but then I had to TELL THE TRUTH and make sure the breed loved to swim; and they do!
The answers to these and other odd questions are found in Red Rock Island which should be available for pre-order in June or July.
Over a two day period last week, I kept a log of the questions I looked up on Google as it pertains to my current work in progress, Red Rock Island. See if you know the answers:
What are the top African-American first names?
How do you built a smoke-bomb?
What is the favorite gun of retired cops?
Who are the Aryan Brotherhood?
What is the San Jose Police department organization?
What happens with currents in San Francisco bay?
What was mined on Red Rock Island?
What are the ferry paths in the bay?
What are the traits of Portuguese water dogs?
Is it illegal to read prison inmates letters or emails?
Who are the enemies of the Aryan Brotherhood?
Which prison houses the leaders of the Aryan Brotherhood?
Can hair fibers be used as evidence?
Once a car goes to a junkyard, does the junkyard notify the state of the presence of that car in their salvage yard?
If you don’t have a victim, can you use DNA from siblings to compare to DNA at the scene?
What's the smallest horsepower motor engine for a boat?
Can you buy beer on Amazon?
You may wonder what some of these questions have to do with a murder mystery, while others are obvious. For example, I needed a dog for the story that played in the water and decided upon the Portuguese water dog, but then I had to TELL THE TRUTH and make sure the breed loved to swim; and they do!
The answers to these and other odd questions are found in Red Rock Island which should be available for pre-order in June or July.
