What Makes You Stop Reading a Story?

It's hard to say what is actually wrong enough to make a reader stop reading. Is it a moment you can pinpoint? Or is it a myriad of "no-no's" that chip away at your tolerance for forgiveness? After all, much can be forgiven, or at least off-set by the good. A setting or premise you enjoy, sympathetic characters...any number of strengths will do. I tend to think it's largely about forgiveness.

For that matter, I like to think I'm a forgiving reader. I'm a writer too, after all. So does that make me more or less forgiving as a reader?

The question may be unfair, or at least an unfair burden. We like what we like. It's not about wondering if you've become jaded or nit-picky. Being a writer only means you have a built-in desire to analyze the why. Why did it happen? What went wrong? Or, in other words, what made it a DNF - Did Not Finish.

Granted, there are levels of DNF. As a writer, I try to remember not all DNF's are a personal statement of disliking the writing - or the writer. Thank goodness, knock on wood, I have not had a DNF review, but I'm sure it has happened - that act itself of someone not finishing my story. I would hope it is for one of the "lesser" reasons, such as "not in the mood." That is the #1 reason found in this blog post here:

The Different Types of DNF

I can live with that -- the reader simply not being in the mood or even the #2 reason, "I gave it a real chance & didn't convince me."  These are the soft, undeclared types of DNF, the types I think  unlikely to prompt a DNF review -- much different than the strong feelings that fuel a 1 star DNF.  Those are a different animal altogether, and the reasons for the DNF are also much easier to identify. Something very specific about the book hurt you or made you angry. 

It is the lesser reasons of a DNF that are most valuable to study. But how? They are largely undocumented, which is perhaps a good thing for the emotional well-being of the writer, but consequently, this makes it much harder to define the capricious nature of what exactly lost the interest of the reader. Temporarily? Perhaps. Or perhaps not. Who is to say if a reader will get back to the story they abandoned to their TBR pile out of boredom or simply not being in the mood? In this sea of mediocrity, how do we pinpoint why the reader stopped reading? 

I don't think we can -- exactly, that is. The source of disconnect lies somewhere within the reader's opinions and tastes. Yes, it is a broad spectrum, but one you are a part of -- you're on the spectrum too.  Hopefully the reader has a visceral response to the writer's opinions and tastes -- or in other words, the writer's voice. Take a moment to remind yourself what that is:

Writer's Voice: What It Is and How to Find Yours

Personality, tone, rhythm. All of the things to keep a writer interested. Is it any wonder if the majority of the soft DNF's may come from a reader not connecting to a writer's voice? 

Reading contributes to voice. We like what we like. We know what we forgive and do not forgive.

Reading also reminds us that there is much more that is forgivable than we think when wearing our writing hat. It's not about punctuation and many other rules as we know them. We know this, but we forget. It takes reading to feel how the imperfections of broken rules, if you will, add to the readability of the book as a whole. In fact, I recently felt the need to tell a writer friend about it in an email...

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I read a really good book last night – stayed up well past my bed time! This one was another Harlequin Presents, but an old one from the 90’s. It’s called Tainted Love by Alison Fraser. Wow. So different in style from the new ones. I wouldn’t say there was no POV from the hero exactly, more like a consistent slip that somehow worked. LOL Like, “he spoke more gently as he saw the color drain from her face,” but stays in her POV. Only once, for a few paragraphs in the entire book, does it go clearly into his POV – sort of. Okay, indulge me, but I’ve got to type it out:

She stirred a little, but did not wake when Fenwick entered her attic bedroom. He touched her hair, lightly brushing it back from her face, but she felt nothing. He covered her still clothed body with the quilt.

He watched for a while as she slept and wondered that she who seemed so strong could look so vulnerable in sleep.

He stared at the picture that had slipped from her grip and barely recognized the girl in it. She looked a decade younger and happier. She was beautiful with her dark red hair and flashing green eyes.

He looked back down at the bed. It was the same face but too thin now, and scarred by grief. He wanted to wipe away her tears but couldn’t without waking her. He wanted to take away the pain but couldn’t, because he didn’t know how.

He was no good with people. He’d realized that a long time ago. Normally he didn’t care, but this girl…

So what the heck was that? Lol How is that allowed? Even this, in his POV, has “but she felt nothing.” It all makes me think I worry too much about what is and isn’t allowed. LOL But shouldn’t I? I don’t see this anymore, so was this allowed then, but it isn’t allowed now?

I don’t know. All I know is I liked it – the book. Heck, it made me cry. It’s messy, but not confusing messy – you know? Maybe even a necessary messy.

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Forgivable. That's what it was. The one thing I didn't like, by the way, was how rushed the ending felt. Other readers, I noticed, felt the same way. They wished for more. They dinged a 5-star read down to a 4-star. Hmm. Not a bad problem for a writer, wouldn't you say?

So what is forgivable or unforgivable? It depends. (Remember that Scruples game? I always said "it depends.") It takes thought. As writers we should want to think about it. We want to learn. You may even take solace in knowing a writer wrote badly because it gives your own writing some leeway to be bad as well! Yep, I said it. But of course, you don't want that. You tell yourself you wouldn't do that, whatever that may be. Yes, a 1-star DNF of a train wreck can be averted. But maybe...just maybe, it's just as important to captivate with voice. Without that connection, a reader can lose interest long before the train wreck. With it, they can forgive when it happens.


So what makes you stop reading? Is it one thing or a combination of several things? Are you a "forgiving" reader? Do you have personal writing "don'ts" or lines crossed that come to light from what bothers you as reader?

Solved Worries

.What do you do when...

..different characters find out the same piece of information, but at different times?  How is it re-presented?

...you set your characters in a familiar setting, such as a city, but still get lost?  How exactly do you get from A to B and how long does it take? 

...you select a book cover for your story, but the deal falls through.  You have to search again, but your brain doesn't want to move on.  What do you do?

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I've asked myself each of those questions quite recently while working on my work in progress, Ghost of a Promise.  Fortunately, I've come up with some answers!  This is a good thing, because there's always another set of situations, inside and outside of the story, waiting to be figured out.  New worries.  But it's encouraging, I think, to look back on how the old worries were worked out. 

For the first situation, re-presenting the same information to a different character (or more), I worried about repeating myself to the reader.  I've run into this situation before actually, and I'm sure I will again.  There are just times when a character doesn't know a piece of information that the reader does -- because you've already told her that information in some different way.  When put that way, this can be a good thing...even a very good thing.  It's like realizing you've blundered into suspenseful storytelling.  So you go with it.  But intentional or not, it can feel awkward to re-present information.  For a long period of trial and error, I think I have to start at the beginning to bring a character up to speed.  Maybe I do.  Only, maybe the retelling is to get myself up to speed on how the character reacts to something new to them.  The information might be the same, but how a character sees it, through their point of view, will alter the retelling.  Eventually, I can see how to build on what has already been revealed...and yes, even cut what doesn't need to be revealed again.

For the second situation, getting my characters lost, I realized I didn't know the city I set my story quite as well as I thought I did.  I may have lived and worked in Washington, D.C. for more than a dozen years, but I didn't get around the city quite the way my characters do.  I took the Metro and I didn't drive.  For another thing, it's been several years since I lived there and my memory needed a refresher.  But I realized, other than going back for a visit, I remembered more than I thought...with a little prompting.  With internet map resources I could zoom in until it was almost like being there.  Eventually I resolved not to be intimidated by what I didn't know...or remember...at first.

I'm happy to say that situation number three is the best solved worry of the bunch! A few months ago I had chosen a cover for my story.  I admit, to date I haven't been too fancy, but I'd resolved this would change!  Only, to make a long story short, the cover I'd chosen became unavailable.  But in the meantime, I'd grown attached.  It really helped inspire me to keep writing while I thought of my hero and heroine as the cover depicted them.  Could I "replace" them?  Well, I had to try!  The new cover and the experience I had working with a wonderful custom designer exceeded my expectations.  I'm in love...and I can't wait to reveal the new cover very soon! 

Unsolved questions are always worrisome, but don't give up!  Eventually, with lots of trial and error, they can become solved worries.

Have you experienced any of my unsolved questions or something similar?  How did they become solved worries for you?

A Year-End Grab Bag of Writing Miscellany

Grab bag:  1) a collection of miscellaneous things; 2) a bag from which gifts are drawn at random.

At year end we often reflect on what we accomplished over the year.  And, rightly so, we celebrate the goals and milestones we have finished.  But in-between the milestones we all have amassed a collection of miscellaneous things -- a grab bag of ideas and projects that have been started and stopped, or perhaps regretfully discarded along the way.  In the end, these discarded ideas are like handfuls of mismatched costume jewelry.  They are pretty to look at and sparkle like the real thing if the light catches them just so.

This, in fact, is how I wind up with many unfinished blog posts!  The light catches the idea and then it fades before something else catches my eye.  But maybe, just maybe...you might catch a glimmer.

Grab Bag Item # 1:  A dose of positivity.

We pretty much know that writers need a  regular dose of positivity.   Here are lots of ways to assure and reassure ourselves we can and will manage both the must-do and want-to-to items on the horizon.  These are soooo easy, you might not even realize you're doing them.  But stop doing them and there might be trouble.  So for a dose of stating the obvious...

1.  Think small.  Whether you have a physical list or a mental list of what's coming up, break it down further. I've heard this before, and  this is item #1 in a great post at The Positivity Blog: Mark Twain’s Guide to Living an Awesome Life: 7 Essential Tips by Henrik Edberg, who suggests remembering Mark Twain's advice:

“The secret of getting ahead is getting started. The secret of getting started is breaking your complex overwhelming tasks into small manageable tasks, and then starting on the first one.”

The other six tips are pretty good too. 

For thinking small, I tell myself it's like folding my entire "list" like an accordion to show the first item and "hiding" the rest from my view.  The week ahead or the whole project will unfold.

2.  Sleep.  Yes, really.  It sounds obvious, but it's hard to think of one thing that will slow you down more than lack of sleep.  Try for that eight hours a night. 

3.  Let your dreams do some of the work.   This one's little less obvious than sleep.  You'll either be on board with this idea or think it sounds kooky. But give it a try. If something is not coming easy, tell yourself to "sleep on it."  Sometimes when I am frustrated with trying to memorize or grasp concepts (or work out plots) I just give in (not the same as giving up).  After sleeping on it, I'm often amazed at how much is within my grasp the next day of what confused and/or eluded me only yesterday.

4.  Double-dip.  This is the best one.  You can't not like getting a 2 for 1 deal.  Like sleeping and dreaming.

***

Hmm...I must have taken a nap at this point.

***

Grab Bag Item #2:  The Federalist Era (historical post)

Of course, I adore the Regency setting and all things English, but I hadn't quite realized the extent of how drawn I was to the time period until I found myself working the style of the early 19th century into my contemporary American setting.  Both the Regency and Federalist eras occur roughly at the same time, occurring on different sides of the pond.

Here is a description of the Federalist era.  According to an exhibit item description from the Star of the Republic Museum:

The Federal style was developed when the Federalist Party led the American government between 1790 and 1828. Federal-style furniture emphasizes straight lines and simple ornament. It tends to be light and delicate with Neoclassical elements, such as fluted or reeded tapering legs, classical figures, and eagle ornaments.

 I thought I'd share some of my research (okay, some days I just like to look at pretty pictures) on my setting for my work in progress Ghost of a Promise.  In working on this contemporary story, my Pinterest board on Federalist Era Architecture and Interiors is a collection of my visual inspirations for the suburban Washington, D.C. house my characters renovate. 

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I believe I became distracted looking at pretty pictures!

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Grab Bag Item #3:  Immortality brainstorming questions, questions, questions...

Age.  Yes, just three little letters. A-G-E. We try to ignore it, but at some point (if only by the mirror) we all get reminded that time has passed.  But what if you are immortal?   I wondered about this and other hypotheticals when I envisioned an immortal character.   

The downside of immortality:

1)  Boredom.  Well, really.  Eventually haven't you seen it all?  No wonder immortals get into mischief and create mischief!  (Thinking of the mythological gods.)

2)  Immortality could be seen as a curse.  Yes, it would seem that way if you outlived your loved ones.

How much does the outside affect who you are on the inside?  Because one looks eternally young, does this necessarily mean a character relate to youthful pursuits?  Or does he/she become an old soul in a young body?  Or would how others respond to his/her youthful appearance, in turn, keep him/her young in mind as well as body?

How about the differences of being born an immortal vs. becoming an immortal?

If born an immortal, it's in his/her genes.  Immortality, and for that matter, mortality, would be an inheritable trait?  For example, if a character's father is an immortal and her mother is mortal.  What are the chances she would be either?  How might a character "lose" immortality?


What if...a character doesn't know if she is immortal? 

***
I think I got a headache.  But I will revisit this one!

***

I hope you enjoyed  a few items from my "grab bag" of miscellaneous ideas.  What would be in your end of year "grab bag?"

Eccentric Characters: What I Learned from Elaine

This was one of my favorite older blog posts that I had a lot of fun writing because it deals with one of my favorite parts of a story -- crafting eccentric characters.  Yep, I kept the comments too, but I'd love any new input! 

I caught a Seinfeld episode the other day and that explains the title. The gang was at a party where they didn't know anyone and neither Jerry or Elaine were thrilled to be there. The two had a signal of tapping their head to get the other to rescue them from a conversation, but it never worked. So, "poor" Elaine was sitting on the couch while a woman talked and talked in a nasal voice with the phrase "my fiancée" liberally sprinkled throughout. Finally, the quiet Elaine looks at the woman and says in a thick Australian accent, "maybe the dingo ate your baby."   (Click here for the YouTube video of this scene.)

I'm still cracking up, even though I've seen this episode many times. The woman says, "what?" and Elaine repeats her famous line. The woman gives Elaine the "you're crazy" look and walks off. Elaine gives a self satisfied smirk. Mission accomplished.

Now, two things interest me about this. Obviously, I'm amazed at the nerve, but when I think about it, I want to break down what makes this scene so great. How did she pull it off? What could I learn for creating my own outrageous character?

First, there is NO APOLOGY. In no way does Elaine regret her words. She doesn't clasp her hand over her mouth in a "did I say that out loud?" moment. She doesn't run to Jerry and say, "you won't believe what I just did." Nope. What she does is smirk. It was a purposeful tactic. Premeditated, with the eye on the result.

Now, we've all wished to say something like this or at least thought of something outrageous to get us out of a conversation, but it's not likely it would actually happen. Like most people, we suffer through party chatter and nod politely. If, by some stretch of the imagination, the words escaped, there would have to be an excuse.  What kind of excuse would you come up with?  Maybe alcohol loosened inhibitions. Maybe it was "the last straw" kind of thing. (This one gives Elaine a possible excuse, but her fuse was very short!) Or maybe it was as simple as accepting a bet to do something outrageous.

But for a truly outrageous character, this is over thinking. This is giving the character something he/she doesn't have; the embarrassment gene.

Second, there are NO WITNESSES. Elaine did not do this to impress her friends. The only participants were herself and the annoying woman. Okay, granted, the audience - US! - were the witnesses, but her character did what she did for her own amusement. And just as she didn't tell Jerry out of embarrassment, she didn't tell Jerry to brag.

A truly outrageous character follows his/her own agenda.

I'm going to keep these two things in mind for creating outrageous characters. There is something so liberating about writing a character who seems to be lacking the embarrassment gene. And besides, I've always been a little jealous that my son seems to be missing this gene!  Somehow, I get to be the one to face the consequences and that's really not fair.  So I need to create those characters to act on my behalf.

And while I think my hero or heroine might need more reasons/excuses for blurting out "the dingo ate your baby," I'll always aim for a secondary character that can get away with it. I can't say I understand them, but maybe the key is not to over think their motives and jump to the end result. Ask simply if they would do what they do with no apology and no witnesses except the reader.

Do you write outrageous characters? Who are they performing for?

Subplots and Primary Plots...or why "and" really is better than "or"

Today I read a very interesting article (link provided below) on subplots, and also subtext, that gave me some great food for thought.  Not just the garden variety food for thought that is like the good intentioned plan for the produce I throw into the shopping cart, like this...

but food for thought I wanted to munch on right away...more like this.

Yum!  I do mean both of them, but you know which one gets reached for first as soon as you get home!

What does this have to do with subplots and subtext? Maybe not a lot, but when I read about how main events and secondary events sometime switch places as the big draw in a story, it struck my fancy how it's a lot like how we accommodate our craving for certain foods.  It's kind of a "now or later?" philosophy or maybe more like the current commercial (it's a car commercial, right?) that points out various ways "and" is better than "or."  I'll agree with that...we want "now AND later."

It's why we watch movies and television shows that provide suspense AND romance or comedy AND romance, or...well, you get the idea.  But does that mean one OR the other is relegated to being a subplot?  How does the subtext, which is even more subtle and yet deeply intrinsic to the story than the subplot, connect the two? 

As an example provided in the article I read, the primary plot of Titanic could be arguably either the sinking ship or the love story.  Consequently, depending on the opinion of the viewer or possibly their preference, the leftover choice could be the subplot.  But the point I found interesting was that the subtext saturated both plot lines.  That subtext was the social class distinctions that both made the love story forbidden and determined the fate of nearly everyone on the sinking ship.  It's an element that couldn't be pulled out of the story...even if it were fictional.

But I do think the subplot can "go away," or be put on the back burner, so to speak, for a while at least.   The subplot can move quite comfortably between now or later. This is why we can watch crime/romantic dramas (or whichever you want to put before or after the "slash") like Castle or Bones or, as a personal favorite, Fringe.  I recently watched four seasons on Netflix and at times it drove me nuts when the relationship got put "on hold" for the plot-of-the-day.  The subtext, however, did not go away, and that is what kept me involved. 

Of course, I often think about how film and television examples get us only so far when talking about writing a romance.  We understand that the reader trusts the choice has been made to focus on the relationship.  And yet, we still add a lot of "stuff."  We can do that, because the subtext saturates whatever subplot we add.  It keeps the reader from skipping pages.  It keeps all kinds of stuff interesting that we might not have chosen to read if it were a this OR that kind of story.  The subtext is why "and is better than or."

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Without any mention of vegetables or candy read more about how primary plots, subplots and subtext work together...

How to Improve Your Writing: Subplots and Subtext - guest blog at Writer's Digest by Larry Brooks, author of STORY PHYSICS: HARNESSING THE UNDERLYING FORCES OF STORYTELLING

Print Resource Link (I haven't yet, but I'm going to check this out!):

Secondary Characters: The Sidekick

I love secondary characters. The more the merrier. Family, friends, acquaintances. Anonymous crowds and mysterious strangers. Ah hem. This tendency, especially in a romance, can definitely get me in trouble. To state the obvious, the relationship between the hero and heroine is the central concern. Too many distractions, including secondary characters, will dilute the emotional connection the reader feels with the love story. Understanding this, I still find I have many secondary characters. There is no escape. I imagine even if I put the hero and heroine on a deserted island there would be people in their memories and dreams. Instead of trying to avoid secondary characters, I let come who may but try to look at the role they play to enhance the hero or heroine.

For me, the secondary characters seem to initially appear like paper characters in a pop-up book. They are exactly that, cardboard figures whose purpose is known but they're not fully fleshed out. Eventually, I know I need them for tasks large and small. Especially the sidekick. I can't imagine not having one for either my hero or heroine or both.

I think of a sidekick in dueling terms; the hero's second. A true friend. Faithful and loyal, the second has the hero's back. Or the heroine's. Heroines need seconds too. The sidekick might also be comic relief; a needed contrast to a brooding hero. The sidekick can also shine a light on the hero or heroine. Friendship says a lot. It means validation. The hero or heroine must be a true friend to have a true friend. And the love interest of the hero or heroine might need to prove to the sidekick how worthy he or she is of the hero or heroine. This makes for an excellent source of conflict. The sidekick's opinion says a lot that the hero or heroine's own introspection and dialogue might not accomplish.

In my current WIP, I find the sister of the hero a helpful sidekick. Who knows the hero better than his sister? He's the big brother who slayed dragons for her. By showing her belief that the heroine is worthy of her brother's love, I hope it gives a boost to the heroine.

Beyond the characterization, she really come in handy for the plot. Heroine needs to be broken out of a mental hospital? Bring in the sidekick. Need a computer expert? Bring in the sidekick. Yes, she's a useful character to have around! When I delve deeper, the sidekick has a huge purpose.

So does your hero or heroine have a sidekick?

P.S.  Announcements coming up!  Not one but two! 

Writing Process: A Walk in the Park

Happy New Year!  I've ended the old year and begun the new with a lot of R & R ...including another "R" of reading.  These "other R's," by the way, are my low key alternative to that big "R" known as making Resolutions.  (Really...what is with this tradition of jumping up for more as soon as you've fallen over the finish line of the previous year? Just say'n.)

With all this taking it easy though, I realize it's been a while since my last post!  So here's one on "writing process" I wrote a while back. It kind of fits with my R & R frame of mind.   

Even if I've long ago discovered that "a writing process" will change with each story, I still have this fantasy about finding a method to my madness.  I imagine how nice it would be to have a process as easy as a "walk in the park."  And by this, I mean a very well designed park, with minimal backtracking.

Writing Magic into a Romance and World-Building

Magic.  We've been charmed by magic in our romantic stories since the fairy tales of childhood.  Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast, Snow White...these stories are the classics at the core of our love affair with romance. 

The line of whether it is a traditional or paranormal romance is constantly shifting.  Whether we realize it or not, it's often the promise of a classic theme, such as forbidden love, with its roots traced back to fairy tales that draws us to both. We don't have to have talking mice or a fairy godmother with literal magical powers to recognize a Cinderella theme of class barriers and of wishing for a rags-to-rich miracle to change the future. Magic, in a fairy tale, is necessary to break down such a barrier and accomplish the rags-to-riches miracle.

Once we've all grown up, however, we might feel that Cinderella deserved more than magic. 

Choosing a Book Title

Picking a title for your book is difficult for some and extremely easy for others.  I pretty much land on the difficult side.  How do you name your "baby?"  Just like new parents, one writer might latch on to the PERFECT title right away, while another settles for a WORKING title.   It's "good enough for now."  Hopefully, when the time comes, you'll just know.  Choosing a title is one of those decisions that can land on either end of a continuum or somewhere in between.

So just how much energy should go into this decision anyway? 

Proofreading and the Importance of Fresh Eyes

This is a post I wrote long ago when I'd finished  my first completed manuscript.  Wouldn't you know it, that manuscript is back in revision, but I still think this "last" step holds true...

Recently I gave a copy of my finished manuscript to a couple of friends to read. I wasn't expecting a full critique and neither of the two friends who were reading felt comfortable providing a critique. So, in this instance, we (myself and my friends) were in harmony with our expectations.

I was amazed at the twenty or so small comments each of my friends provided. They read something like, "PG 136, Took the fight out "of" Ashby, 1/2 way down page." This meant, my reader had spotted that missing word "of" in this sentence. Or, "PG 230, "has" accomplished a miracle, 4th line from bottom." On looking, I realized I had left off the "h", making "has" read "as."

Small things, but they add up.

Now, I can tell you with 100% certainty that I could read my work countless more times and NOT see these small, but pesky errors. Even with my reader's notes, I had a hard time spotting the error; my eyes ran right over it and "corrected" it in my mind like a tricky word game. You can spell check, read it out loud or read it backwards (I haven't found that very helpful), and still those errors slip through.

The answer is fresh eyes. Granted, your critique partner may catch these errors also, but it boggles my mind in a frustrating, pound your head on the table kind of way how these little things slip through with each revision. Even more frustrating is realizing that the error may have been added after a critique. And, as tempting as it may be to ask your CP for "one more look," there are only so many times you can give your manuscript back for a critique! There comes a time to move on.

As shy about showing your work as you may be, the last step in preparing your manuscript is handing it off to a proofreader. Vastly different than a critique, you aren't looking for major mechanical difficulties or plot holes. If those exist, you aren't at the final step. But when all is as clean as you can make it, a proofreader will relieve your mind you've done all you can to find those errors you can't "see" anymore.

I think there are two important criteria to keep in mind when offering your manuscript to a proofreader (rather than a critique):

1. Your reader must like the genre of story you are telling. (Similar to looking for a critique partner, you still want a friendly audience!)
2. Your story must be finished and as polished as you feel it can be.

If these two things are met, then ask away! But a final trick to remember is not to use the word "proofread." Essentially, that is exactly what you are looking for, but most readers and friends will be intimidated if they feel expected to proofread. So, just ask them to "read." And, as I've found, "untrained" proofreaders do just fine with finding those small errors that made them stumble when reading. Your "reader" has accomplished a lot with this favor!

Secrets and Lies: Forgive Me

How do you feel about the hero or heroine keeping secrets from the other? Or lying?  The romance writer takes a gamble with secrets and lies. She knows that just because a character forgives another character, this is not a guarantee of reader forgiveness.

Generally, I'm instinctively ambivalent to betrayal in both my reading and my writing. I don't want the hero or heroine to break the trust of the other. I simply don't like that sort of conflict in real life so why would I search it out or create it? My patience for misunderstandings is relatively short.  Heck, life is too short!  And, in my writing, I want my hero and heroine to be liked. That's personal as well. If you like my characters, you like me. Why gamble with characteristics or actions that are going to risk that with the reader? After all, there are other conflicts available, either internal or external, and I don't think there has to be a lie or a secret. 

So, as a reader with that ability to see all sides of a situation, the reasoning for the betrayal is weighted heavily with a sense of what is right.  I must be convinced of the validity of the mitigating circumstances.

That's what my rational mind tells me, anyway. But somehow, in both my novels to date, a secret or a lie sneaks in.  Actually, that's not accurate.  It doesn't sneak in, it enters boldly as the only logical option to a human -- aka messy -- situation.  Once I get to know those two imperfect people, it seems almost inevitable that a secret or a lie becomes a possibility real and imperfect people would consider.  Then, it grows as a valid reason for character change for both characters; for the one perpetrating the betrayal and also the one on the receiving end.

When I think about the heart of the matter, this secret or lie evolves out of what one of the main characters wants most. What that has been in both my stories has been the hero's desire to protect the heroine. His method of doing so, whether or not somewhat misguided by his sense of knowing what's best in the long run, has involved a lie or a secret.

So, there it is.  After much soul searching, a betrayal has been reasoned out to be necessary.  We're "on board" for all sorts of  hypothetical "no-no's."  Isn't it amazing what we can justify?  With the proper motivational understanding, we can say...he had to do that because of such and such and some how, it makes sense.

So just how do we define "some how"?  This challenge is not for the faint of heart.  How much betrayal can a reader can stomach,  what is forgivable and is reader sympathy maintained in the midst of a betrayal?  A writer may wonder and worry if the bases were covered.  In my opinion, here are a several possible emotional tools of the trade, so to speak, when delving into the realm of "secrets and lies":

1. Guilt. This one I think is very effective. Guilt implies that the character is aware of doing something wrong. Is it tearing them up inside and are they on the brink of confession? It can be overplayed, of course. Feeling guilty but continuing bad behavior or rationalizing it away too long is risky.
   
2. Intend to Tell. Is it a matter of bad timing? Perhaps the character comes around to the error of his/her ways and the reader sees this.  But, wouldn't you know it, he/she waits a bit too long, and, bam!, the betrayal happens anyway-- the secret is leaked in the worst possible way. It might be an overused ploy, but it's effective because the blame isn't really placed solely on the character.  Good intentions should count for something, right?
   
3. Sacrifice. What is more honorable than a sacrifice; the act of putting another's needs before your own? The downside is that it's possible that the character on the receiving end will feel betrayed by a sacrifice. This could happen if, for example, a heroine doesn't want the hero to sacrifice if it means losing him! But the reader may be sympathetic.
   
4. The"For Their Own Good" clause. Perhaps this is a bit of a God complex. The character knows best. I'm guilty of using this one quite often for my hero. I guess that's part of the package for an alpha hero to believe he is right and he is protecting the heroine with a secret or lie for her own good. Guilt can be smothered and actions rationalized with the For Their Own Good clause. There is a line that can be crossed with this one, and many a villain has walked over it. But when used for good, I can't help get a bit of a gooey feeling that the hero cares so much to take such an active role for what he truly believes is protecting the one he loves.

When it goes wrong.  What is unforgivable? I think the answer to this can be either an absence of the above or perhaps the excess of the above. For me, what it comes down to is if the betrayal leads to character change for the good and if it's not an interchangeable betrayal. Could this scene be plopped down in a different story?  If so, it didn't really seem like a necessary plot that that evolved from the circumstances.  I've heard that advice for love scenes and I think it applies for betrayal as well. In other words, what counts as a forgivable betrayal is different for every person and every character.

What makes betrayals forgivable or unforgivable in your opinion? Do you ever write conflict that in your own life, or reading, you'd shy away from?

Because I said so and we'll see...

Have those phrases ever come out of your mouth? That's okay, you don't have to answer. No one really wants to admit to them. They are also the words, along with "we'll see," I promised myself I never would say. My goodness, I hated when Dad would say "we'll see." Why not just say no? But now, I know why these phrases sneak into a parent's vocabulary. I've inherited the code book for what to say when you don't know what to say and it seems to apply equally to both real life and to writing a novel.

"We'll see" means I'm stalling. It means I haven't figured out a good explanation yet. "Because I said so" has a duel use. It could mean I've explained why toys don't belong in the toilet one too many times! In this case, it's a cry of frustration, a last resort effort. (Thankfully that was in my son's younger years.) It can also be used too early, when I ignore the voice in the back of my mind that says, to be fair, I should give some sort of an explanation. But sometimes I don't. Sometimes I am the dictator to save either time, sanity or both.

For writing, I think "we'll see" is probably a trick that readers will see through and might mean more work is required. However, "because I said so" can come in handy. It isn't as arbitrary as it may seem and the author and reader can be on the same page. I have certain assumptions for why no further explanation is necessary. When I use it I feel, to the best of my ability, that the groundwork has probably been laid down with previous explanations or experience.

Because I said so…there will be a happy ending.

Because I said so…my heroine can time travel and teleport.

Because I said so...my hero is a ghost.

How much of an explanation we give is really up to us. We know we should explain to make the situation believable, but how much? Is there such a thing as too much? Sometimes, I think there is if we forget what the reader is already predisposed to accept when they pick up your book. Two of those things are the happy ending and suspension of disbelief. Ever consider if you explain too much and you might diminish your power? Let's look at these two:

The Happy Ending
As a romance writer, the Happily Ever After (HEA) is the number one assumption, and it’s always been fascinating to me how that promise of a happy ending is unique to the romance genre. Millions of readers read romances because of that promise and writers choose to write one to deliver that promise. Outside of the romance genre, the HEA promise is often ridiculed or thought to “give away” the ending. Ha! Don’t get me started in the defense of HEA. I could write a book (ha ha) going on in defense of the HEA. I love it for so many reasons. But “because I said so” is perhaps my favorite.

Only when I finished my first novel (so long ago now and hopefully an experience to be repeated) and attained the “expected” HEA did I appreciate it as the driving force to why I write in the first place. I was doing it all for the HEA - - that hugely personal satisfaction to know that “because I said so” the hero and heroine, after all their struggles, would STAY together and I can imagine their future as happy. We might touch on that golden future in an epilogue or even revisit them in a sequel, but they will stay happy…because I said so.

In REAL life and all it’s uncertainty, we know things can change. We get hurt, we get older, we have little control over events. Even a soap opera wears on us because the “happily ever after” is not a sure thing. Not so for the hero and heroine in a romance novel.

Suspension of Disbelief
Why does a reader believe my heroine can time travel and teleport? Well, umm, it might be because it says so on the back cover blurb. Because I said so, it’s not a secret the reader is about to read a paranormal, just as the HEA is not a secret. Before they open the pages, a reader is preconditioned to accept a certain level of suspension of disbelief.

In many ways, it’s up to you to destroy the suspension of disbelief. It's not a goal you want to attain, of course, but it’s all about remembering what the reader already accepts. One thing I've learned is that a little goes a long ways. It's best to be in some ways sparse with the details that have to make factual sense and any concept that seems out of the ordinary applies. Less is more. If my setting is historical, stating the date and location goes a long ways to give the reader an immediate sense of place.

I’m talking about writing a romance here, of course, and it’s not a substitute for filling in needed details. But if I go overboard in describing the technical or other worldly aspects, then I might as well write science fiction.

The same applies to intrigue. I've recently read a story where a huge plot point is that the hero finds out that the villain is in the country and planning to steal his unborn babies. He calls Interpol and, in less than paragraph, he (and we) finds this out. We're not even shown the conversation in a scene. In my opinion, if we'd been shown this conversation it would have been tipping the scales toward an intrigue novel. Are we wondering how our hero has Interpol connections? Do I care about who he's talking to? No, not particularly, to either question. I know the hero is a billionaire and, in a romance novel, that's pretty much enough for me.

Is it cheating? Is it lazy writing? Is telling rather than showing? No, it’s a tool we can use and part of being wise enough to know what the majority of your audience will accept. Just like a parent, the decision is not always clear.

“Because I said so” is both useful for being a parent and also as an author "perk" to “play God.” In the broadest sense, being a writer does require a certain amount of confidence to make the rules and decide how much explanation is required. We create new worlds and direct our characters’ lives as we see fit. In what ways have you used “because I said so” in your writing?

Just for Fun: Writing Prompts

Writing prompts are for when you need a new beginning right? Sure. But they are also for when you're knee deep in a story but need to reconnect with your characters. In fact, as I discovered with a little web surfing for writing prompts, they're much more versatile than I expected and can be customized to fit every stage of writing. Whether stuck in writer's block or just need a routine of daily warm-ups, dare I say it, there's a writing prompt for that.

Finding the right one can feel kind like being Goldilocks looking for the "just right." And when you know what you want, usually you find every thing opposite first! For instance, yesterday I wanted specific writing prompts to get me reaquainted with my current characters after an absence. Eventually I found a couple of ideas.

These are from Eliza's Writing Jug, http://www.writingjug.com/2010/03/creative-writing-prompts.html:

#39. You have a most unexpected visit. The good guy and the bad guy in your story come to visit. Neither is pleased with the role you have given them. Put yourself in their shoes and try to imagine what they would have to say. Try to convince them you made the best choice for them.

#41. Write an interview with your [favorite] character.

Are these too broad in scope or not really seem like writing prompts at all? Maybe but that's the thing about writing prompts; they are meant to fit what need, when you need it. Sometimes you don't even know what that is until you come across it.

A couple others instantly intrigue me:

#19. Ghosts in a bottle. (How could I resist that one?)

#35. Answer this question: What is life all about? (Just kidding. I can't tackle that one!)

Other interesting sites for writing prompts include these:

• This one has hundreds of VISUAL prompts in pictures and videos. Easy Street Prompts:
  
  http://www.easystreetprompts.com/search/label/writing%20prompts
• These include plot twists for the writer that has a soft spot for fairy tales:
  
  Creative Juices Books/Writing Prompts: http://www.creativejuicesbooks.com/writing-prompts.html
  
  Writing Prompt 8: Rewrite a Fairy Tale
  
  Fairy Tale Writing Prompts
  
  100 Fairy Tales - Prompts

 

• This one has single word and short phrase prompts. Too short? You might be surprised.
  
  365 Writing Prompts for Creative Writing Inspiration: http://hubpages.com/hub/writing-prompts-for-creative-writing-inspiration

Speaking of short prompts, I came across an outdated Writer's Digest Prompt contest with the three words: "lucky" "charmed" and "calamity."

Wouldn't you know it, those three words took me down a path that had nothing to do with my current stories. You know how it goes!

What kind of writing prompts do you enjoy? Does it depend on your needs? Any favorites?

In Defense of...Good Telling

I have to say, the idea for this blog topic came about the hard way -- after receiving a critique of my work that made me wince and say, "ouch." You know, the kind of critique where, in the perspective of the critiquer, she's found numerous instances of breaking a writing "rule."

This rule in question is the grand daddy of them all: Show, don't Tell.

When receiving a critique that seems to reveal an overarching problem, I have a mixed response. I think we all do when we receive criticism. We weigh the comments against our personal confidence in what we're trying to do, while at the same time, we try to objectively judge the validity and the source of the opinion. For instance, is it a common thread problem seen amongst several critiquers or the personal taste -- or, distaste, as the case may be, of an individual? Good advice says to downplay the one discordant voice. But even one voice, especially if it echoes your own self-doubt, is tricky to ignore. And when it nags at me long enough, my gut reaction is to look for a defense.

The defense is for myself, the harshest critic of all. I must evaluate for myself if there were or still are good reasons why I decided to use the words I chose in the way that I did. And in deciding if or what I might change, I also look for and often find reassurance in breaking a rule by finding examples of when others have done so.

I looked long and hard, but I believe I've found it -- an article that gives some credit and balance to "telling" in the maxim "show vs. tell." I highly recommend reading the article, When to Tell Instead of Show. In this article, Mary at Kidlit.com thoughtfully explains a pattern of Good Telling using examples from Scholastic editor Cheryl Klein's speech, "A Few Things Writers Can Learn from Harry Potter." Excellent advice and some good insight in the many comments too!

I needed this after a critique of too much "telling." Although it certainly doesn't make all my "telling" instances okay, it does help give a common sense balance to show vs. tell to evaluate my choices.

Another part of my "defense" I've been considering is also the First Person POV of the critiqued chapter. Right or wrong, First Person tends to seduce the writer to tell. It's such a confessional style that it almost seems natural to tell the reader with simple directness how the character feels and what she sees. But perhaps this is in the "old" style of Jane Eyre, who would sometimes even directly address the reader. There is an honesty in this telling I adore, such as in this passage which gives a clear description of Mr. Rochester and Jane's devotion:

And was Mr. Rochester now ugly in my eyes? No, reader: gratitude and many associations, all pleasurable and genial, made his face the object I best liked to see; his presence in a room was more cheering than the brightest fire.

Bronte's paragraphs are also much longer than today's modern reader is used to reading. This same paragraph continues:

Yet I had not forgotten his faults; indeed, I could not, for he brought them frequently before me. He was proud, sardonic, harsh to inferiority of every description; in my secret soul I knew that his great kindness to me was balanced by unjust severity to many others. He was moody too; unaccountably so; I more than once, when sent for to read to him, found him sitting in his library alone, with his head bent on folded arms; and when he looked up, a morose, almost malignant, scowl blackened his features. But I believed that his moodiness, his harshness, and his former faults of morality (I say former, for now he seemed corrected of them) had their source in some cruel twist of fate. I believed he was naturally a man of better tendencies, higher principles, and purer taste than such circumstances had developed, education instilled, or destiny encouraged. I thought there were excellent materials in him; though for the present they hung together somewhat spoiled and tangled. I cannot deny I grieved for his grief, whatever that was, and would have given much to assuage it.

This is the Truth According to Jane and she is sharing her deepest thoughts. Do we like her better for it? Do we pity her? I confess, I am jealous of Charlotte Bronte and the Good Telling of her time.

However, while First Person POV is not THE most popular choice to the modern publisher and reader, it is still a strong second. In any case, whether for Third or First Person, I think there are many instances of Good Telling to be found.

For my own modern story, my defense in "telling" is not yet complete. I may yet decide the First Person POV should be changed to Third Person POV, as I seem to be more aware of the need to show and not tell in Third. Or, I may may decide to move the First Person sections to later sections of the book if Third Person makes a "showier" and more exciting beginning. There are many options and considerations I'll have to make with a guarded sense of protectiveness when considering outside input.

Still, it's hard to shake the comments of a critique and the negative ones do tend to stick. Is my heroine annoying in the First Person? Apparently so if I went by the comment, "If I were her husband, I'd dump her in the woods and drive off." Ouch.

But perhaps this critiquer would be also be annoyed with Jane Eyre. Who knows? Some people cannot enjoy First Person POV, while others appreciate it more. I also have other crits with "loved it" and a "highly believable heroine" so I'm not totally crushed! And something to consider is part of the believability just might be in the telling.

I'm curious. Do you think there is more license to tell in First Person or is it only a natural tendency that should be controlled and First Person POV follows the same "rules" of show vs. tell as Third Person? And, have you found you enjoy Good Telling?

Writing Yourself into a Corner

Here we are in the new year and, with this post, I'll be consigning another year's blogs to the archives. It's kind of a nostalgic feeling and I couldn't help revisiting a few of my older posts. There is the risk in revisiting the past in discovering not much has changed, but sometimes this is also the reward.

Dusted off from the archives, from 2009 actually, here's a post on what I think is either one of the most exciting or frustrating experiences of writing: Writing Yourself into a Corner.

***

At some point I always seem to write myself into a corner, a plot situation where I wonder, how in the world are they going to get themselves out of this one? This is a good thing when reading someone else's story, but unsettling when, as the writer, I just don't know where they go from here. It feels like I've pushed the limits of plausibility and taken the advice "make it worse" to the point of burning my bridges for the characters.

And I always wonder, from a writer's perspective, if the writer KNEW the solution beforehand and only gave the masterful illusion of writing themselves into a corner or if they, like me, felt like they'd created a monster; written themselves into a corner with problems so big there is no way a happy ending can be achieved. I wonder, how long did the writer agonize over finding the answers? How many alternate scenarios did they experiment with before finding gold or giving up?

I did a google search on "writing yourself in a corner" and found an interesting mix of opinions. Of course, I'm hoping to find reassurance that my "I don't know" method isn't hopeless, so I picked what supports what I wanted to hear. :) Here are a couple:

http://ravingdaveherman.blogspot.com/2008/06/why-writing-yourself-into-corner-can.html

This one embraces "writing yourself into a corner" as a deliberate and purposeful way to work. I like that. After all, impossible situations are by their nature intriguing. I love the quote this blog uses by Ethan Cohen of the Cohen brothers on an impossible situation.

“That stumped us for a while,” says Ethan, “and we had to resort to the ridiculous extreme of, you know, stopping time.”

"Stopping time" doesn't seem like an easy fix, but this reinforces to me that nothing is impossible to get out of and rediculous extremes may be necessary. Next, I went to:

http://wyrdsmiths.blogspot.com/2007/04/writing-yourself-into-corner.html

This one speaks of "writing yourself into a corner" as a fear. I hadn't really thought of it that way, only as a frustration. Great, now I'm frustrated and afraid. lol This blog suggest that the trick is to back yourself out of the corner, but that isn't what I want. Eliminating the corner isn't an option. I went there with a purpose, ignorant of the way out, but brave in having faith it would be, could be found. So I loved the comment from a reader to the post:

If the writer doesn't see a way out of the corner when they get there, chances are good that the reader won't either, and that's what you want, a reader who doesn't know what's going to happen next, but who wants to know. Writing yourself into a corner is an opportunity to heighten reader impact.

It doesn't get much better than that.

The writer's mind is a strange thing. Sometimes the well of ideas and imagination seems to run dry, and then suddenly, it's as though a geyser erupts. It might take a lot of "what if" playing by either brainstorming or writing it out, but suddenly that "click" can happen. A big part of the negotiation with yourself is keeping not just the possibilities, but the impossibilities on the table .

Do you dare to write yourself into a corner? Do you do it on purpose? When it happens, do you back your way out or search for the impossible? Has the process changed over time?

First Page Woes

I'm posting again before the last post has had time to settle in! This is what happens when on vacation. Fall semester finished and a nice long break until the Spring semester starts January 10. Yay!

I had to post again because of finding two very interesting blogs of note dealing with my Achilles heel -- first pages. First, Writer Unboxed has a great blog about this in a Q & A: First-page problems. Greatest problems cited: back story, info dump, exposition, throat clearing and setup. No big surprises in the culprits, but some good advice that may click when heard a different way.

Second, by the same author, Ray Rhamey, there is a link from this article to the author's information packed blog Flogging the Quill, where he has a Flogometer Challenge: Can you craft a first page that compels me to turn to the next page? You can vote yourself on whether you'd read on, see the results to the poll, and read Ray's insightful input. I think it's kind of fun to see how my opinion rates against others.

I'm not so sure I'll take the challenge by submitting, but the examples are interesting to read and learn from. As usual, I can see from the work of others what works and doesn't much more clearly than I can in my own.

Currently, I'm still having a nagging voice in my head say I should revise and rearrange my first chapter(s) -- again. Has anyone ever tried the trick of moving up a later portion of your book (such as the third chapter) for the first and find it works?

What's New?

As I notice the calendar says November 11 and it's my first blog of the month, I realize I have plenty of options for topics. After all, lots of "really interesting things" have been happening over the past few weeks. Really! They must have been, or why wouldn't I have been here, right? Like...

*a clock ticks away the seconds as I think about interesting past events. I know they happened. Tick...tick...tick...

Wow, ever notice how a clock can sound really loud in a quiet house? Tick...tick...tick...*

Oh, yes, interesting stuff.

*tick...tick...tick...turns on radio to drown out ticking*

Well, stuff did happen. I just can't remember the most interesting "stuff" off the top of my head! Or if I do, it's not as interesting in the remembering. It's kind of like writing a letter (or an email) to a friend you haven't talked with for a while. What do you choose to say to sum up past events that are old news? Maybe you give up on the letter because everything you start to talk about has a certain "you kind of had to be there" distance to it.

Okay, it's a little different for a blog. Here, if I wrote a blog based on "a funny thing happened today" (that actually happened two weeks ago), nobody is going to call me on embellishing the truth. I don't think so anyway! But to make it interesting, I'd have to be acting like it just happened. And if I succeeded in being exceptionally generous, I'd involve the recipient. I'd make it a story about something not just about me, but something the reader also could relate to as something that has or could happen to them.

This brings up an interesting thought. In just about all cases, we want our writing to be immediate and in the moment. But two fleeting things are at play here; both the interest level of the giver and the interest level of the receiver of information. As a giver, we quickly forget or lose interest -- and it shows. And in the recipient's shoes (the one hearing the information), we don't particularly want to hear about what happened weeks, months or years ago to someone else. True, "old news" can be very interesting -- especially if we were there or know the people involved. But generally it's simply not natural to want to hear about old news. People don't typically ask "what's old?" They ask, "what's new?" -- even if what they get is going to be old. But why do they ask what's new? Because they want to be part of the new story -- the current interaction.

This, of course, has a lot of implications for a writer to think about. However, most implications I realize I routinely ignore because this is a writing paradox of sorts; while it's natural to ask what's new, it's also natural to tell what's old. But it's a tendency I think we need to overcome. If it isn't new -- and really, everything is old the second after it happens -- we need to try and make it seem new and proactively give the recipients what they want. That's not so easy. If we accept the premise of natural tendencies, it goes against the grain.

In fiction writing this whole "making old news seem new" situation comes up often in the many decisions necessary for relaying what happened in the past. It also explains a little what the big deal is about using the word "was." I must love that word because I use it so much. Why is that word picked on so much? Possibly, it's because the little culprit tempts you tell a story as if responding to someone who has asked about "old news." I don't know why they'd do that, but I think it would make a difference in the response.

What's old, you ask? Well, I had a play writing exercise in my theatre class. It was about writing a missing scene for the play The Crucible. It was a lot of fun to do and I learned a lot about... *losing steam in my enthusiasm* Sorry, I realize I may have lost your interest there and I'll partly blame that little word "was."

Instead:

What's new, you ask? Oh! I have a fun new writing exercise! It gives you the freedom to write dialogue without worrying about "telling" character actions. You have permission to "tell" and I think it can work as a form of a rough draft blueprint for non-play writing.

I could be off and running with that blog topic, but it's been a while and I'm letting it go. LOL The point is, it's not easy to make the "old" seem new in our writing, but I think we always have to give it a shot.

Do you ever think we're writing at cross purposes with our natural communication tendencies?

(Btw, a not-so-perfect example of this play writing exercise is posted.)

Scene Building: Been There Done That -- Or Have I?

On Monday morning, the assignment in my intro theatre class was announced to the reception of groans and pained expressions. We were to write a "missing" scene to Arthur Miller's play The Crucible. 5 to 8 pages or so and due on Friday. Not everyone was groaning, however. On hearing this task, I perked up as quickly as the dog in the movie UP! who heard, "Squirel!" I thought, how fun! I loved this play! Instantly, I know the perfect "missing" scene. I can hardly wait to start.

I cannot not start now, however. It's Monday morning at 10 a.m. and I have classes until 5 p.m. Darn it anyway. So, seconds later, still in the class and hearing the details of this assignment, I 'm starting to worry. More than worry. I nearly panic. Oh, no. There goes my week. I know what writing can be like, you see. From my novel writing experience, I've known the act of creation has meant time. It's meant hours of agonizing over sentences and the obsession with getting it right to the exclusion of, well, everything else. It's meant having to force myself to stop and start. So far, in fact, in my return to college, I've deliberately avoided creative writing classes. I've tried to, anyway. I've had a couple of classes requiring journals, and they did indeed almost put me over the edge into creative oblivion. This assignment could be dangerous territory.

"Don't worry," the professor says to the class. I try stop my inner monologue and pay attention. "I'm not expecting you to be a playwright or Arthur Miller. This is merely an exercise."

An exercise? What in the world is that? I'm mystified. Does he mean, not perfect? My scene in my head is already building, the ideas bursting at the seams. Then he begins to give pointers on what this scene should have. The advice is familiar (to a writer), and I almost have a (excuse how this sounds) "been there done that" tuning out response, like a cook would have if he/she had to sit through a demonstration on how to boil water. But the wording is slightly different. He describes the vital components of the scene as:

1. Compression
2. Intensity
3. Economy

I pay attention, interested in the new spin on basics:

Compression is the sense of urgency. It's driven by adding characters who are in conflict with other characters. An example from The Crucible is the opening scene of one small room being filled to the brim with other characters. The character, Reverend Paris, literally has no room to think and is pressed into actions. Compression also has a time constraint, circumstances that limit the outcome, and escalation.

Intensity is the consequences. Ask, what is at stake for each character? In The Crucible, the stakes are high; soul, honor, life.

Economy is balancing the resources given to something against the profit returned.

I'm not sure if I already had an instinctive idea of these elements for my envisioned scene, but they certainly are helpful as a "checklist" of sorts. With this, we were sent off and advised that class on Wednesday would be a "working session."

I'll tell you how that went...and how the "worries" of writing my scene played out in the next blog. (Now, off to the dentist. Writing and life interrupted. LOL)

Do you ever hear the "basics" in a different way that strikes a chord?

Are You Qualified?

"Proficient in observing human nature and in recognizing writing rules in order to break them."

What the heck is that, you ask? It's uhm, my qualifications. My skills. You know - - to be a writer.

It's an odd set of skills a writer has. Unusual not just for their characteristics, but because they don't often get written down. When would they? It's not like they are are the kind of skills that go on either a resume or go in a query letter. Unlike a pitch for a 'normal' job, where people want and expect you to tell them your skills (a different sort of skills), pitching writing is more about providing proof.

What if conventions were switched around? In a reverse situation, it strikes me as interesting that summarizing a writer's qualifications or skill set in a few sentences that say "I can do this. I'm qualified because I have these skills," would look decidedly odd written on a resume. It would feel odd to write them too.

It occurs to me that this inability to define a skill set and speak it out loud goes a long ways toward explaining writers being tentative for claiming 'writer status.' Putting those skills down in black and white is part of what gives you confidence. For instance, bear with me, but I have a "summary of qualifications" section on my resume (in my former life):

Proficient in law firm procedures such as filings with courts, client file maintenance (opening, closing and dead storage tracking), working with vendors (travel agencies, catering services, copy services, court reporters, etc.), attorney time keeping, expense report preparation and dictation. Software proficiency with Microsoft Office applications, Docs Open, MacPac legal.

This list of facts says I can do the job. I could even read this out loud without feeling too silly. Sort of. LOL It also gives pretty obvious clues as to the identity of my job. It shouldn't be too hard to guess legal secretary.

But how do I summarize and declare my writer skill set? How about ignoring convention and writing your own "short list" of writing qualifications?

I actually believe my short list is true as a basic skill set for a writer. When I think about what a writer must be skilled in, I do think, he/she must be:

1. Proficient in observing human nature. This seems obvious, but we are writing for humans, even if that human is ourselves. Our number one task is simply to write about what other humans can identify with and relate to as a shared experience. Then, because it is human nature, the reader will "need to know" more - - page by page. Sometimes it seems like a psychology degree is a pre-requisite, but a finely honed skill of observation is all that's required. Not all of us pay attention to this talent, but a writer is trained to observe not only the reality, but to also see the possibilities or contradictions of every situation. Donna Cumming's blog says it best on the her site All About the Writing with the blog: Observing Humans in the Wild

2. Proficient in recognizing writing rules in order to bend them. Yes, bend them. First, you have to know what conventions you're bending, but it's in the choosing to bend known rules that your voice comes through with the most clarity. The blog from Edittorent In Defense of Modifiers gives some great examples of breaking a few rules with a purpose. As for knowing the rules in the first place, that's a longer journey.

* * *
That's it. Only two skills are necessary to 'qualify' as a writer. I can claim these two skills as much as another legal secretary can claim my legal secretary skill set. It doesn't make me 'special' but it does make me a writer. And, in a business of 'proof' before skills are acknowledged, it's important to feel a part of the occupation.

What I do with the skills is a choice - - the same choice as any other job. That's not to say that being a writer or not being a writer is a choice (some days it's a curse), but the question of skill shouldn't be one of the doubts holding a writer back.

I think when we figure out a way to believe in our skills and even say them out loud, then it's a step to claiming 'writer' status with more confidence.

If you had to write a short summary of only two skills necessary to be a writer, what would they be? And...do you meet them?

You're Out of Order!: Using Flashbacks

Here's a blog post from the archives on a topic near and dear to my heart: flashbacks. 

In looking over my stories, I can't help but see a trend. I confess: I'm a flashback junkie. I'm all over the place in time; days, months, years, decades and even...*ah hem*...centuries.

Granted, there is a difference between time travel and flashback. You don't have to have flashbacks in a time travel novel and you certainly don't have to be writing a time travel novel to use flashbacks. But, in a way, flashbacks are time travel. According to Dictionary.com, flashbacks are:

a device in the narrative of a motion picture, novel, etc., by which an event or scene taking place before the present time in the narrative is inserted into the chronological structure of the work.

Yep, sounds like time travel to me. Furthermore, in writing flashbacks you likely slip briefly from the standard past tense (what we generally already write in) to past perfect (like "had done") to transition to and from the flashback time. Or, you use devices like chapter beginnings, italics or asteriks to offset the flashback.

Yes, flashbacks can be clunky in many ways. And it does get confusing to consider when or how to use a flashback. Personally, I think their "bad name" stems a bit from a case of mistaken identity and misuse. For instance, I've noticed that flashbacks are often tied to other topics like "backstory" and "prologues." This is something I've confused as well.

The question is, isn't there enough to worry about in your chronological story then to bring in complications? It's no wonder writers - - beginning writers especially - - are warned off from flashbacks. You only have to do an internet search (see list of links below -sorry, I lost track of where I found what!) to get plenty of warnings (basically, "avoid at all costs" and "almost always a mistake") and explanations of the disadvantages --and advantages, but they get pushed to the end. It's like everyone is interested (tons of articles attest to this) but feel obliged to say a few words of caution first. So, to follow the pattern...

The disadvantages of flashbacks:

• lacks immediacy;
• old information/already over;
• distracts from the present or interrupts forward momentum (I think of as the "meanwhile, back at the ranch" syndrome);
• could have a "tennis match" effect (multiple flashback confusion - think the TV series Lost);
• or the advice that it doesn't fit the romance genre; "In the romance genre in particular, the current storytelling style calls for streamlined text mostly free of "she remembered the time-isms."
• or, interestingly, can be a writer's way of "running away from [writing the] conflict" in the present.

Hmm. Lots of problems. But, guess what? Some of those disadvantages have appeal. I like tennis. I liked the back and forth of Lost. And I suppose I might not be writing a traditional romance. As for "running away from conflict"...well, moving on (*LOL*), I think a common thread in my writing is that my kind of writing (time travel and suspense) goes together with flashbacks like peanut butter and jelly. I'd go so far as to say I'm on my way to embracing flashbacks as part of my writing style.

So, I'm not swayed by the warnings, but I am considering where I've gone wrong a time or two (or many!). I think the main thing I'm going to have to work on is checking that my flashbacks are integrated into my story, which I found to be a common theme for what makes a flashback work. A few of the ways to integrate (from the articles):

• Never start a flashback too early in the story. Let the present get a firm foothold. (Which makes me rethink prologues as well. It's taken me a while to be a convert, but consider: do you really want to build the beginning of the story twice?)


• Lead into flashback from a strong scene in the present story time; no standing at the window remembering the past; includes use of triggers in the story time present that link to the flashback.


• Flashbacks can drive a plot twist. Again the word integrated comes up, such as in integrated clues for for suspense. Something new each time is learned; which can include shocking secrets.


• Remember the lapse of time in the story time present while in the flashback past; is it just weird to spend hours or days in a flashback remembrance when it only took a few minutes in the present? (exception: actual time travel, of course!).

And that's just the beginning! In fact, I'm looking into a method of writing flashbacks that is similar to a "formula" or "frame" that begins into a present but repeatedly goes back in time with flashbacks until a certain point when time catches up. (Did I not say I was a flashback junkie?)

So, how about it? How do you feel about flashbacks - - both writing them and reading them?

Related links:

How to Write Flashbacks into Fiction - from eHow.com

3 Tips for Writing Successful Flashbacks - Writer's Digest by Nancy Kress

The Art of Flashback - pdf. from the Colorado Springs Fiction Writers Group

On Flashbacks - by James N. Frey

Novel Writing: Dealing with Flashbacks and Repressed Memories - Lawrence Ez's blog

Flashback: Backstory told in Scene - from blog Through the Tollbooth

Time, Chronology, Flashbacks - Explore Writing (UK)

Flashback or Backstory? What's the Difference? - Timothy's Thoughts Blog

Writing the Flashback in Fiction - Ezine article by Joy Cagil

Flashbacks - Leaping and Posturing with mystery author Meg Chittenden