David Estes Fans and YA Book Lovers Unite! discussion
Author Q&A
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C.J. Redwine (author of the Defiance trilogy) Q&A Event--Jan 19-22nd
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39. Cindy--what is the best writing advice you could give someone who is feeling uninspired?That depends on why you're feeling uninspired. If you're simply uninspired to sit down and write, then ask yourself some hard questions to figure out why. Is it because your well of creativity has run dry? Go do what fills it. (For me, that's watching an amazing fantasy or sci fi movie) If it's because you don't feel committed to the story you're working on, either switch to what feels exciting to your imagination (this advice only works if you aren't under contract/deadline), or dig deeper into the story you're working on. Ask yourself how things could get worse, make a list of possibilities, journal about the hero/heroine from a secondary character's perspective, write a synopsis about the story as if it were a movie ... etc.
If you're feeling uninspired because you've faced rejection, or because your doubts are getting the best of you, or because you've bitten off a chunk of that rotten apple we call comparison, then I can simply tell you that the only person in the entire world who can stop you from writing the story you want to write is you. The only person who can keep you from seeing your dreams come true is you. It might take longer than you want or expect. It might come with a healthy dose of humility on the side. But you are truly the only person who can stop you. Give yourself permission to suck because we all start there (and my first drafts LIVE there). Give yourself permission to learn your craft--I'll be perpetually learning my craft until I die. And for your own sanity, keep your eyes on your own test paper. No one's path toward publication looks the same as anyone else's, and our success has to be measured in small milestones because so much of it is out of our control.
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Thank you so much C.J. for being so a awesome and answering our questions!
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My other question is a bit silly but I'm curious (and have been thinking of candy all day lol) What is your favorite candy? :)
C.J. wrote: "38. Harlee--In just five words, how would you describe your series?Inventions, Sword-fights, Dragons, Treason, Kissing =D"
Hmm, the dragons and sword-fights DEFINITELY catches my attention!
40. Michelle--Is there a set schedule that you follow when you write?Kind of. I have 5 kids who range in age from almost 3 to 17, so to say that my home is generally at a Defcon 3 for noise and chaos would be an understatement. :) I have my own office space, and I write every afternoon for 2 hours while my toddler is napping, and then again at night for an hour or so after I get everyone off to bed. When I'm on deadline, though, I have to work longer hours, so I will take some evenings and weekends and go to the local bookstore and work while my hubby takes over the helm.
However, there have been times when my hubby (who produces and dj's a morning radio show and also does movie reviews for radio and tv, which means he leaves EARLY and then also is gone several nights a week for movies) just can't cover enough bases, so I've been known to sit in the living room while Frozen plays for the 93857382012 time and write with my earbuds in while my younger two treat me like a jungle gym. I know, I know ... the glamour, it BURNS.
41. Michelle--It must get complicated keeping all those minute character and world-building details straight from one book to the next. How do you keep track of all those small details? Do you use spreadsheets? Files? Some other method entirely? Thank you.I am allergic to spreadsheets. True fact. I use notebooks. The pretty, glittery kind because even something as epic as office supplies are improved with turquoise glitter. I keep pages for character notes, pages for world building notes, and pages for location/map notes. I also keep pages on the etymology of names/architecture/customs/clothing etc if applicable (as it is in my upcoming series). It's not rigidly organized, though I think if I were to tackle a longer series (Heeeey, JK Rowling, how you doing?) I would make it super organized and buy those fun little dividers with tabs because again ... OFFICE SUPPLIES. I geek out over Staples, you guys. I know you feel me.
Also my publishing house (and most, if not all, pub houses do this) gave me a style sheet after the copy edits were done on Defiance. A style sheet is a list of places, people, and important items within the story, along with a brief sentence describing each thing/person. I found that helpful as I was writing Deception and had to remember little things like "Oh hey, what was the name of that tavern Thom owned?"
42. Katie--What do you think is the most important thing you’ve learned from writing, especially with this trilogy?To take risks.
Writing Defiance meant taking a lot of risks for me. I was jumping from a genre I was comfortable with to one that felt big and bold and a little scary (because seriously, there are so many great YA books out there). I was attempting a story that was bigger and more complex than anything I'd ever written, with several major story arcs, several minor story arcs, and an entire cast of complicated characters, many of whom had arcs to resolve even though they weren't the main characters. And I was going to look trauma, grief, self-destructive rage, and the aftermath of those in the face without flinching, which meant I had to be very vulnerable on the page. All of that felt so risky to me, but it paid off. I want to keep challenging myself with every new story I write. I want every story to have an element of risk in it for me, because it keeps my edge as a writer and forces me to keep getting better at my craft.
43. Jess--Would you ever consider writing in another type of genre?I am working on middle grade stories and two different series for adults, but all of them are speculative fiction. They are very different projects, ranging from contemporary superhero/humor to light sci-fi, but I am still writing speculative fiction, no matter what age range I'm writing for. :)
44. T.A.--Do you have a set word count you like to hit each day? Do you have any tips on managing both a family and a writing career?My daily word count is 2k unless I need more. Managing a family and a writing career can be tricky. My family comes first, but I also treat my writing like a job (and I did that long before I ever got paid to write), and I expect them to treat it like a job too. It doesn't come last on the list of things I have to do today. When you see that your writing time keeps getting whittled down to nothing, it's time to see what is taking its place and figure out what you can do about that.
When I wrote Defiance, I was working a 30 hour a week job as a corporate trainer, homeschooling two of my boys, and had just returned from China with a baby. I had so little free time, I can't even begin to describe how little I had. But I knew the only way out of a job I was starting to hate and the only way to relieve my tremendously stressful schedule was to write until I sold, which meant I had to find a way to make it happen. Here's what I did. Hopefully something in this list helps you.
1. I gave up tv. Completely. I figured anything I really wanted to see would be on Netflix later, and I could reward myself after I finished the manuscript with a binge session.
2. I only interacted online for a few minutes a day, and then I turned the internet off for my computer. Completely off.
3. I gave myself a few "hell" days where I worked long hours both at home and at work because then it freed up Wednesdays and Saturday mornings. I spent that freed up time writing.
4. I wrote hard and fast because I knew that was the only window I had. No time to waste!
5. I did the non-typing part of writing during other windows of time. The daydreaming about scenes and convos I did in the car on the way to and from work. The jotting of notes about scenes, characters, and worlds I did on my lunch break or while cooking dinner.
6. I got everyone in the family on board. I delegated things I couldn't take care of or chores that the kids could handle to free up little pockets of time for me.
7. I laughed at the idea of a full night's sleep. I still do, but my laughter sounds a bit hysterical and slightly on-the-edge-of-maniacal now so take this as you will. I stayed up late getting 500 words before bed. Which meant I usually went to bed around midnight and then had to get up at 5:30 the next morning to get my oldest out the door to school and to set up the homeschool stuff for my next two kids.
Basically, you treat yourself like a professional, you trim back and sacrifice things you might otherwise do (like tv or 8 hours of sleep), and you get your family involved and delegate so that you can force pockets of time open. And then you use those pockets of time like the writing ninja that you are. No Twitter. No Facebook. No falling down the Wikipedia rabbit hole.
45. Catherine--Do you have any strategies for breaking writers block?1. Take a walk or a drive, by yourself, and let the scenes/characters play around in your head until something begins to crystallize.
2. Back up and see if you took a wrong turn with either a character or the plot. Often we get stuck because we KNOW on some level we've gone off course, even if we can't quite see how yet.
3. Write the scene from a different perspective. Either show the scene from another character's POV or change the scene's location.
4. Sit down and list 25 things that could happen. By the time you get to 15, you'll start seeing where the plot goes next.
5. Write anyway. This is really the biggest answer. WRITE ANYWAY. Maybe every sentence feels like you're chiseling it out of the rock hard obstinate thing that is your brain at the moment, but it doesn't matter because you're a writer, and this story needs to be written. I don't have the luxury of long bouts of writer's block, and I've found that I don't need it. The above strategies take minutes to accomplish. If that still hasn't unlocked anything, I just write it. Even if it takes forever. I will tell you a secret: when I finish a book, I can't tell a difference between the scenes that flowed easily and the ones that made me want to kill the entire story with fire. So make yourself WRITE.
46. Angie--I would love to see your trilogy be made into movies...what are your thoughts on seeing your books on the big screen? Who would you like to see play the characters from the trilogy? Are there any plans even being mentioned to turn this amazing trilogy into a movie trilogy (or into 4 movies as many of these trilogies end up being)? It would be fun to see the trilogy on the big screen if a studio was willing to commit the amount of $$ it would take to do it right. (The CGI alone, y'all. Seriously.) I have a film agent, but I have zero control over whether any studios decide to take a chance on the series.
I don't have super firm ideas about casting except that I really, REALLY think John Noble (Fringe, Sleepy Hollow, LOTR) would be the perfect Commander. Other possibilities are Vanessa Hudgins for Willow, Kiowa Gordon for Quinn, and Jeremy Irons for Melkin. Maybe Danielle Panabaker for Rachel, but I don't have someone in mind for Logan. :)
Harlee wrote: "My other question is a bit silly but I'm curious (and have been thinking of candy all day lol) What is your favorite candy? :)"Hot Tamales!!
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Inventions, Sword-fights, Dragons, Treason, Kissing =D"
Love this, and YES, this is a good description! :)
Thank you for answering my questions and doing this q&a for the group! :D
Hi! :) First off, I just wanted to say that I absolutely LOVED the Defiance Series (and may or may not have cried when I finished Deliverance because I didn’t want it to be over)! Ok, now for the question: I was wondering what your writing process is like—how you develop your characters and their world, etc. Also, what do you do to sharpen your writing skills? Thanks! I've always wanted to be an author and your work has inspired me SO much!
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Karen wrote: "Thank you so much, C.J. for this wonderful Q&A! I love how much thought and care went into every single answer! I met you in Nashville at UtopYA and treasure my signed copy of [bookcover:Defiance..."You're so welcome, Karen! I'm honored to have been invited to do this, and I loved meeting you at UtopYA con. I'll be there again this year and hope to see you!
48. Lee-- I was wondering what your writing process is like—how you develop your characters and their world, etc. Also, what do you do to sharpen your writing skills? My writing process:
1. Idea begins to take shape in my head. I let it breathe and play and wander for however much time it takes until the pieces start to come together. For some projects, that takes a few hours or a few days. For some, it takes years.
2. Once I have the main pieces (the hero/heroine, the world, and the main conflict), I start working on a detailed synopsis (usually about 7k long) where I flesh out the characters' back stories, the world, the main and secondary conflicts, the pivotal turning points, and the resolution. This can take days to write or it can take months, depending on how much time the idea needs. I ask a lot of questions and make sure that I have a very solid grasp on everything of importance.
3. I begin writing and take an abysmally long time to write the beginning. No really. This takes me ages. My drafting process is very much sloooooooooow as Christmas for the first 20k and then sprint to the end.
4. It generally takes me about 4 months to draft a 100k manuscript. I keep a sheet of paper next to my laptop and list all the fixes that come to mind as I draft. Unless it's a major fix that will change everything going forward, I don't take care of it until I've typed The End.
5. I turn in the rough draft to my editor (I used to turn it over to my CPs) and let the shine of finishing a manuscript wear off while I wait for her thoughts. By the time she gets back to me, many of the flaws are already apparent to me, and I've been thinking about how to fix them.
IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER: Writing a story is really the art of revising until the story on paper is as close to the story you meant to tell as you can possibly get it.
6. I revise, and revise, and revise until I want to kill the book with fire and am convinced I am a hack who has completely forgotten how to write a story. And then ... it all comes together, and I can finally stop revising.
7. I sit down and look at the ideas in my head (all of which also have files on my computer so I can dump facts, insights, dialogue or whatever else I know about that story) and choose the next synopsis to write.
Rinse and repeat.
How do I sharpen my writing skills?
I take an attitude of constant learning. I welcome tough feedback from my editor, agent, and trusted critique partners. Even if it stings, I let it sit with me for a while until I've adjusted to it and can think rationally about how to fix it. How to be better at my craft.
Also, whenever I read a book (which is often) or watch a movie, I'm always looking at the man behind the curtain. I analyze pacing and character development. If I love something, I try to pinpoint WHY. If I'm disappointed, I also look for WHY so that I know how to do it better.
Case in point: my upcoming novel is a direct response to my utter and complete loathing of the film Snow White and the Huntsman. I so wanted that film to be amazing, and I was SO disappointed and angry with it. I ranted all the way home about the injustice they did to the Snow White fairy tale and blah, blah, blah until my husband looked at me and said "So do it better." And I did. I took everything I'd hated about that film and looked for ways to do the opposite. To deliver the story I'd really wanted to see.
Finally, I improve my craft by practicing often. Story-telling requires a set of tools that have to be used often to keep sharp.
Harlee wrote: "Thank you for answering my questions and doing this q&a for the group! :D"You're so welcome! It was my pleasure. :)
David wrote: "This Q&A has been SO epic! Inspiring, entertaining, and a whole lot of fun. Thank you so much, C.J.:)"You're welcome. Thank you so much for having me. These were great questions, and I appreciate the chance to be here!
Thank you soon much C. J.! I always love author Q&As, and this one was great!
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Thanks again, C.J. for hanging out with us all week, it was awesome to get to know you!
And thanks, amazing members for your fun questions! You guys rock :)
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David Estes Fans and YA Book Lovers Unite!
Books mentioned in this topic
Defiance (other topics)Defiance (other topics)
Deception (other topics)
Deliverance (other topics)
I've always wanted to write SF/F but every time I end up with a contemporary or historical. Because apparently, my brain doesn't want to do world building. ;-)
C.J. wrote: "28. M. Andrew--In addition to fantasy, do you have any other genres you are interested in writing or wish you could write in?
My wheelhouse is speculative fiction. I write YA fantasy and adult urb..."