Author Liesel K. Hill's Musings on Fantasia...
Showing posts with label Write Tip. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Write Tip. Show all posts
Monday, January 15, 2018
Ax Those Crutch Words: BUT
Picture Source
Good morning, lovely readers! Welcome to my series on crutch words and passive voice, as I know this is something we all struggle with.
If you've ever read your writing and thought it sounded sub-par or unprofessional, but just didn't know how to fix it, chances are you're leaning on crutch words or using passive voice. I'll show you how to fix that.
The truth is that writers don't have enough of a science behind fixing this sort of thing. Sure, most of the really great writers out there stay away from crutch words and passive voice, but most of that is instinctual for them, after a lot of hours of writing and learning and honing.
Even most other authors you'll find may be able to tell you that something is lacking in your writing, but even they may not know exactly what it is or how to fix it. Or even if they can pinpoint it, it's hard for them (for any of us) to give actual, definable steps toward fixing our weak writing.
Saying, "Do it better," really doesn't help much. Especially newbie writers who really want to write better, but simply don't know how.
Here's where I'll start giving tips to help you out with this. Because there are many MANY offenders when it comes to crutch words, and they nearly always lead to passive voice. So if you cut out your crutch words, 99% of the passive voice in your writing automatically goes away. Isn't that amazing? And you get the added benefit of tighter, more grounded writing. The kind readers love to read and publishers love to publish.
Today's offender: BUT
|
| Picture Source |
Good morning, lovely readers! Welcome to my series on crutch words and passive voice, as I know this is something we all struggle with.
"She wanted to help, but didn't know how."
I use this format in my writing a lot. I compare two things and separate the clauses with the word
"but." It's certainly not a bad thing. Especially if you don't do it
and need a way to change up your sentence structure, try it. But (hehe) I do it
too much. I also start too many
sentences with the word "But."
So for this, I go through and read each "but." If
I can separate the two clauses into two sentences without changing the meaning,
I do. If the "but" must be there, and I can't find any other way to say what I
want, then I leave it. Again, I find I can always get rid of most instances of
this without changing the story at all. At least, I can easily get down to the
1% rule.
Example 1: It felt cowardly, but confronting him would have
to wait.
The Fix: It felt cowardly. Yet
confronting him would have to wait.
Example 2: He needed to
get in line, but tied his shoe first.
The Fix: He needed to
get in line. He tied his shoe first.
(Of course, you should change up your sentence structure
here as well, so it doesn’t feel so repetitive. You get my drift, though.)
Last Resort Synonyms:
1. And - "But" should
only be used if differentiating something. Showing how something is different
than what you said in the first clause. Often it's interchangeable with
"and."
Example 1: He went to
the store but couldn't find what he needed.
The Fix: He went to the
store and couldn't find what he needed.
2. Except - This works in a case where
"but" is being used to show a remnant of something.
Example 2: He took all
the cookies but one.
The Fix: He took all the
cookies except one.
Again, these are "last resort" because you're
substituting one filler word for another, even if the one you swap for isn't a
crutch for you. Use with caution.
Check out Ax Those Crutch Words: Part 1: Was and Part 2: Had.
Also, check out my other books at: www.authorlkhill.com.
How about you? Is HAD a culprit in your writing?
Friday, January 5, 2018
Writing Advice NOT to Heed: Strong Female Characters
Lately I've been thinking about all the advice newbie writers are given. Some of it is good. Other pieces are great. But as is the case when learning any craft or industry, you end up getting a lot of advice that simply isn't worth heeding. Of course you often don't know it until years later.
When I was shopping around my first book, Citadels of Fire, to traditional publishers, what I heard over and over again was that I needed a strong female character and to sell the book, I needed to capitalize on her strengths in the description.
The problem with that is that my female character, Inga, isn't what most people would consider traditionally strong. In fact, I sort of wrote her to be weak in the beginning so the audience could see the dynamic change in her over the course of the trilogy. Even though I thought she was a compelling character, I couldn't think of any particular strengths she had that I could capitalize on, so I had a hard time selling the story to traditional publishers and agents.
Part of the problem was being so new and not understanding how to frame my story in a way that readers and others in the industry can latch on to. That's a skill that comes over time
But my point is that if you listened to traditional publishing advice, it starts to sound like every story must contain a tough-as-nails, leather-wearing, Laura-Croft-type kickass character or the story won't sell.
That's simply not true.
I'd venture to guess that any character you write will have strengths. They just may not be the traditionally "strong" female characters that the industry likes to rave about. Anything can be a strength. Even things that are low key. Look at Jane Eyre. On the surface, she appeared quite plain and boring to most people, but she's one of the most beloved female characters of all time. Decide what your character's strengths are and play them up. A lot. Just don't assume they have to fit into any particular mould.
And don't get me wrong: kickass characters are great and they do tend to be fan favorites. But there are other fish in the sea. And there's a lot to be said for starting your character off in a place of weakness and letting your audience watch her/him grow. My audience has connected with Inga in a way that has pleased me immensely. They love her because they can see her growing stronger from one book to the next.
I'm gonna go out on a limb here (sarcasm) and say that it's less important for your character, male or female, to be "strong" (what's the definition on that anyway; it's a total umbrella term) than to be relatable. It's the characters unique traits that will connect your audience to them.
Let's take a look at a couple of character examples who tend to be fan favorites: Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley.
Hermione definitely kicked butt with her spells various times over the series, but she wasn't exactly a leather-wearing martial arts expert. Her strength was in her goodness and her academic smarts. She wasn't strong in a physical or conventional sense, but because everyone either knew a girl like her, or WAS a girl like her during their school days, she's very relatable.
And how about Ron? He doesn't have any tangible qualities to point to. He's your average every-boy. His strengths are in the non-tangible: humility, kindness, and loyalty to his friends and family. But because he's just so human and boyish, he's someone every single one of us can relate to.
See what I mean? So pick your characters' major traits (the less like other characters, the better, in my opinion) and just bring them across in a strong way.
Ignore the hype that suggests every successful story must have a strong female character, a vampire or werewolf, an exotic setting and a pornographic love scene. Because if that's all we had to read, well...that would be awful. ;D
How do YOU bring across strength in your characters?
The problem with that is that my female character, Inga, isn't what most people would consider traditionally strong. In fact, I sort of wrote her to be weak in the beginning so the audience could see the dynamic change in her over the course of the trilogy. Even though I thought she was a compelling character, I couldn't think of any particular strengths she had that I could capitalize on, so I had a hard time selling the story to traditional publishers and agents.
Part of the problem was being so new and not understanding how to frame my story in a way that readers and others in the industry can latch on to. That's a skill that comes over time
But my point is that if you listened to traditional publishing advice, it starts to sound like every story must contain a tough-as-nails, leather-wearing, Laura-Croft-type kickass character or the story won't sell.
That's simply not true.
I'd venture to guess that any character you write will have strengths. They just may not be the traditionally "strong" female characters that the industry likes to rave about. Anything can be a strength. Even things that are low key. Look at Jane Eyre. On the surface, she appeared quite plain and boring to most people, but she's one of the most beloved female characters of all time. Decide what your character's strengths are and play them up. A lot. Just don't assume they have to fit into any particular mould.
And don't get me wrong: kickass characters are great and they do tend to be fan favorites. But there are other fish in the sea. And there's a lot to be said for starting your character off in a place of weakness and letting your audience watch her/him grow. My audience has connected with Inga in a way that has pleased me immensely. They love her because they can see her growing stronger from one book to the next.
I'm gonna go out on a limb here (sarcasm) and say that it's less important for your character, male or female, to be "strong" (what's the definition on that anyway; it's a total umbrella term) than to be relatable. It's the characters unique traits that will connect your audience to them.
Let's take a look at a couple of character examples who tend to be fan favorites: Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley.
 |
| Source |
Hermione definitely kicked butt with her spells various times over the series, but she wasn't exactly a leather-wearing martial arts expert. Her strength was in her goodness and her academic smarts. She wasn't strong in a physical or conventional sense, but because everyone either knew a girl like her, or WAS a girl like her during their school days, she's very relatable.
And how about Ron? He doesn't have any tangible qualities to point to. He's your average every-boy. His strengths are in the non-tangible: humility, kindness, and loyalty to his friends and family. But because he's just so human and boyish, he's someone every single one of us can relate to.
See what I mean? So pick your characters' major traits (the less like other characters, the better, in my opinion) and just bring them across in a strong way.
Ignore the hype that suggests every successful story must have a strong female character, a vampire or werewolf, an exotic setting and a pornographic love scene. Because if that's all we had to read, well...that would be awful. ;D
How do YOU bring across strength in your characters?
Tuesday, January 2, 2018
Ax Those Crutch Words: HAD
 |
| Source |
If you've ever read your writing and thought it sounded sub-par or unprofessional, but just didn't know how to fix it, chances are you're leaning on crutch words or using passive voice. I'll show you how to fix that.
The truth is that writers don't have enough of a science behind fixing this sort of thing. Sure, most of the really great writers out there stay away from crutch words and passive voice, but most of that is instinctual for them, after a lot of hours of writing and learning and honing.
Even most other authors you'll find may be able to tell you that something is lacking in your writing, but even they may not know exactly what it is or how to fix it. Or even if they can pinpoint it, it's hard for them (for any of us) to give actual, definable steps toward fixing our weak writing.
Saying, "Do it better," really doesn't help much. Especially newbie writers who really want to write better, but simply don't know how.
Here's where I'll start giving tips to help you out with this. Because there are many MANY offenders when it comes to crutch words, and they nearly always lead to passive voice. So if you cut out your crutch words, 99% of the passive voice in your writing automatically goes away. Isn't that amazing? And you get the added benefit of tighter, more grounded writing. The kind readers love to read and publishers love to publish.
Today's offender: HAD
1. Get rid of multiple past tense instances. "Had" shows up the most when you're
writing in past tense. "She had gone downstairs to find her shoes."
The thing is, you only need one instance of "had" to show you're
talking about something from the past. After the first instance, you can use
regular past tense. Observe the difference:
"She had
gone downstairs to look for her shoes. She had
gone into the bathroom. They weren't there. She had
then gone into her room, and had searched
every nook and cranny. Not finding them, she had
gone back upstairs to search the living room."
See how many "hads" there are? It becomes a
headache. Now let's take out those crutch words, leaving in only the first
instance to establish past tense.
"She had gone downstairs to look for her shoes. She
searched in the bathroom. They weren't there. She went into her room, searching
every nook and cranny. Not finding them, she went back upstairs to search the
living room."
See the difference?
2. Cut Filler. If
it makes sense without the "had," get rid of it. If the sentence only
makes sense with the had, then obviously keep it. I find that 50% of my hads
are filler and can be cut without affecting the sentence in the least.
Example 1: “Who’s Gabe?”
Jane had
demanded.
The Fix: “Who’s Gabe?”
Jane demanded.
Example 2: The phone
screen had
shown the number clearly.
The Fix: The phone
screen showed the number clearly.
Example 3: She had not
gotten any groceries.
The Fix: She didn't get
any groceries.
Example 4: He had come
to see the game.
The Fix: He came to see
the game.
Example 5: They had to
be mistaken.
The Fix: They must be
mistaken.
Example 6: She'd had to
learn the spell.
The Fix: She'd learned
the spell.
Check out my other books at: www.authorlkhill.com.
How about you? Is HAD a culprit in your writing?
Monday, December 18, 2017
Ax Those Crutchwords! The Worst Offender: Was
 |
| Source |
If you've ever read your writing and thought it sounded sub-par or unprofessional, but just didn't know how to fix it, chances are you're leaning on crutch words or using passive voice. I'll show you how to fix that.
The truth is that writers don't have enough of a science behind fixing this sort of thing. Sure, most of the really great writers out there stay away from crutch words and passive voice, but most of that is instinctual for them, after a lot of hours of writing and learning and honing.
Even most other authors you'll find may be able to tell you that something is lacking in your writing, but even they may not know exactly what it is or how to fix it. Or even if they can pinpoint it, it's hard for them (for any of us) to give actual, definable steps toward fixing our weak writing.
Saying, "Do it better," really doesn't help much. Especially newbie writers who really want to write better, but simply don't know how.
Here's where I'll start giving tips to help you out with this. Because there are many MANY offenders when it comes to crutch words, and they nearly always lead to passive voice. So if you cut out your crutch words, 99% of the passive voice in your writing automatically goes away. Isn't that amazing? And you get the added benefit of tighter, more grounded writing. The kind readers love to read and publishers love to publish.
We'll start with what I consider the worst offender of them all: WAS
Was is a word that is an integral part of the English language. You can't write a book without using the word was a few hundred times. It would be impossible.
There are many sentences in which the word is absolutely necessary, and that's fine. But this pesky little 3-letter word often makes its way into sentences where it doesn't belong, and serves absolutely no purpose, except perhaps to remove the reader a bit from the action, and that's never good.
Because was is such a huge problem in our writing, it can be used wrong in MANY ways. Below are some fixes for the most common over-uses I've found:
Friday, September 9, 2016
2 Techniques for Coming Up With Premises
 |
| Source |
So about a week ago, I had a friend ask me how I come up with story ideas. This is a friend I talk to often and so she knows I always have way more stories in my head than I actually get around to writing. So her question was really more about how I can come up with so many things that can potentially turn into books. We also briefly discussed how to fill out a plot.
For me, it's not very different from coming up with full premises. I have ideas for certain things--often they're situations without full stories attached, or lines of dialogue I think are awesome and want to incorporate. There are hundreds of these little nuggets floating around in my head or in various untidy notebooks that litter my work space. So when I need to round out a plot or character, I often draw on these little idea. Generally I have to find some way to mold them to the story I'm already telling, which can change them a lot from what I had in mind at their inception. But I'll tell you, lovely readers, this is often where the magic happens.
So how to come up with these premises or little idea nuggets? In my mind, there are two major ways to do it. Either on purpose (sort of forcing it, if you will) or just paying attention to the things that you find interesting. Let me explain.
1. On Purpose - I talked about this a lot in THIS POST and it's a technique I learned from the wonderful Clint Johnson. I know from my description above about forcing it, many people will balk. But I don't mean "forcing it" in the sense you're probably thinking. This is really just about being creative on purpose.
 |
| My prowling wolf painting. |
You'll find once you get started that you can go until your hand cramps (or your kids jump on you, your alarm goes off, whatever yanks you unceremoniously out of the Zone). It's such a great exercise for getting the creative juices flowing. Even if what you come up with in any given session doesn't turn into a best-selling novel, you can still come up with nuggets to sprinkle into your writing. Fill in gaps. And occasionally round out stories that win Pulitzer Prizes. (Disclaimer: Have I ever used this technique to win a Pulizter?...No. Other awards yes, but the Pulitzer no. ;D)
 |
| (Blurred some plot stuff out. ;D) |
So my friend asked me to give her an example of something I thought was interesting that might turn into a story. Well, I think most of my books have at least something that would qualify, but the example I gave her has to do with a book I'm currently reading and a story I'm not actually writing at present.
As most of you who follow me know, I'm just a little bit fascinated by serial killers.
 |
| Just a little bit. ;D Source |
Some time ago--I'm not even sure when or where I first heard it--I learned a little something about the Butcher of Kingsbury Run. He was a prolific serial killer in Cleveland, Ohio in the '30s. The book I'm reading is a non-fiction about the case (In the Wake of the Butcher by James Jessen Badal). But I'm honestly not interested in the Butcher solely bc he was a serial killer (I've read about tons of those) or even because he was never caught (though that does up the interest factor a bit). What REALLY made me interested in the case was finding out that Eliot Ness--yes THE Eliot Ness who brought down Capone and founded the Untouchables--presided over the case. And this was years after his success with the Chicago mob.
Ness was known for being traditional to a fault, extremely moral, and unrelenting in both his strictness and effectiveness at rooting out police corruption. So what would a man like that do with a case that involved an elusive serial killer? How would he handle body parts bobbing in the river every few months, and not being able to stop it. A case like this isn't something you can control or predict. I think it would be an interesting character sketch to explore how a man like Ness (ladybug to Capone's aphid) would react to a situation like that. And then there's the fact that it was never solved. Unlike in Chicago, Ness never got his man.
THAT'S the kind of stuff that fascinates me. THAT's the kind of stuff I want to learn and write about.
Now, chances are EVENTUALLY some piece of writing will come from my research on this, but I have a lot more to do, especially on Ness himself. (The book I'm reading is really more about the facts of the case.) But the point is, I just read a single line about how Eliot Ness eventually presided over the Butcher case and went, "Huh. That's kind of interesting." Boom. A story is born. Don't underestimate the power of tiny tidbits that catch your attention for a few seconds. Write them down, or you'll never know the potential they could have had.
So, what techniques do YOU use to come up with story premises or fill out already-existing plots?
Monday, August 22, 2016
3 Ways Poetry Can Enhance Your Novel
 |
| Source |
I know, right? I'm as shocked as you are. I've never been much of a poet. I mean, I rhyme couplets with the best of them, don't get me wrong. But I took a poetry class in college, thinking it'd be a breeze for me, and found out I sucked.
And granted, that was a college level poetic forms class. Really what I discovered is that I hate conforming to rigid rules in my writing. Some people flourish. I just feel like it stifles my creativity. There are certain genres I don't write for the same reason.
As with anything in life, if I really wanted to be good at poetry--form or otherwise--and I put my mind to it, applied myself, practiced, I could become good at it. I don't have the drive or patience. Basically, I just don't wanna.
But lately I've noticed several different works that have used some kind of poetry--poems, songs, prophecies, if we're talking high fantasy--that really enhance the story.
 |
| Source |
Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Something about the juxtaposition of those two things was just so compelling. The first time I watched that film was on a small screen with a terrible internet connection, but I was still completely entranced by it.
So why does adding poetry, lyrics, limericks, etc work so well when they're done correctly?
1. It can be used as a contrast. It's hard to show high-action drama but also bring across a calm, emotional theme. If you stop in the middle of your action scene to philosophize about theme, it's gonna kill your story. Editors will gleefully take a red pen to that crap. But using poetry accomplishes both at the same time. (Okay, it's harder to do it at the exact same form in book format than in film form, but you get the idea. It's easier to insert a few lines of poetry in an action scene without disrupting the flow of action. Or you can put it right after the scene to reinforce the theme you wanted to get across without being preachy or "telling" your reader something.)
2. It can bring theme across in a more obvious way. Building on #1, you may have a theme you want to bring across, but of course you can't just tell the reader what it is. This is a great way to actually put the theme into the story in a more-obvious way. Some writers may feel that this isn't subtle enough, but I think if done correctly, it can be very powerful.
3. Reinforcement. I keep mentioning theme, but you can use poetry to reinforce anything. Character arcs, symbols, conflicts, foreshadowing. Anything you want. In short, it's another tool writers can use to help not only tell their story, but bring it across in a powerful way.
I've already started employing this method in my WIP, which is a high fantasy. It kind of opens up a whole new world of exciting possibilities.
Have you used poetry, lyrics or something similar in any of your stories? How did it go for you?
Wednesday, July 6, 2016
Insecure Writers Support Group (IWSG)
Good Morning, All! I hope everyone had a very fun and safe holiday weekend. Mine was fantastic. It's the first summer I've spent in my new place (been here about 4 mos) and I kid you not, I had a 360 degree fireworks show. Some of the big ones were going off directly over my house. Place sounded like a war zone. It was awesome! :D
Okay, so it's IWSG day (the day brought to us by the wonderful Alex J. Cavanaugh, where we can vent, swap stories, encourage, and help guide one another through this crazy journey called writing) and I'm actually co-hosting this month. (Yea me!) To be honest, it's the first IWSG post I've done in a LONG time (and that's partly bc I've been kinda neglecting my blog off and on for the past year) but this is the perfect way to get me back into it.
So today I wanted to talk about something I know a lot of us are nervous about, and that we'll all have to deal with at some point in our writing journeys:
So here's the thing. The internet isn't going anyway. Online bullying--be it nasty reviews, body shaming, or just other forms of negativity--is a big problem and one that will continue to grow. As artists that put our work out there for others to see/read/experience, we can pretty much count on some negative feedback at some point. (Even J.K.Rowling has haters. I know. I feel ya. I don't get it either--they must be insane--but it's true.)
Over the past year or so I've actually become a fairly strong presence in the TWD online community. That stands for The Walking Dead, for those who don't know. Anyone who's followed me for a while knows I'm a total TWD junkie and consider myself a mega-fan. Just a guilty pleasure for me, though I'll admit that while the show airs (Oct-Nov, Feb-Mar) I get a whole lot less of my own writing done because I'm consumed with, you know, other things. Hehe.
While gaining quite a few followers in this community, I became a target of some pretty heinous hate. And it wasn't just a random, hating troll I could write off as a side effect of the internet. No, it was a woman from my own fandom who just decided to be threatened by me and started hurling all manner of insults and accusations, every one of which was unfounded. I won't go into the whole drama but suffice it to say, it was pretty bad. And did I consider leaving the online fandom? Meh. I think it goes through every person's mind in my situation, but overall no. I'm with the amazing Jeffrey R. Holland who said, "We are not of them who draw back..." (Source)
But I learned some valuable lessons from my experience and wanted to share them. To be honest, most of us writers don't get TOO much hate unless we see a great deal of success. But since we'll all sell at least a billion books in our lifetimes, we'll all have to deal with this eventually, right? ;D
So here we go (sorry that was a lot of intro):
1. Learn the difference between hate/bullying and expressing an opinion. If people are simply saying that they disagree with something, or your book just wasn't for them, that's not hate. That is simply a difference of opinion. And while this might be hard to wrap your head around the first time someone says they couldn't stand your protagonist, you should actually be happy about differing opinions. You're still getting reviews and publicity, and it shows that you've written a character that someone has opinion about. At the very least, if your character got under they're skin, your character was NOT forgettable.
2. If you are in fact dealing with a bully rather than just a (obviously misguided) opinion, learn to distance yourself from the hate. I don't mean in a denial sort of way, but rather take a step back and see the bullying for what it really is. Check out this quote:
And it's really true. If someone is attacking you personally without actually knowing you, or even attacking your story without giving any valid reasons for their dislike, they're argument immediately becomes invalid. So shrug it off. This kind of negativity is generally a form of projection. Those who watch Dr. Phil probably know what that is. It's psychology 101.
And in my case, I found out months later that most of the things this hater had accused me of (me: "Where is she getting that from? It's ridiculous!") were things that she actually struggled with herself. Ah. Suddenly makes sense. And validation for me. (Yea!) So look at the negativity for what it really is and don't take it personally.
Truest words ever. (Source)
3. Finally, be confident. Even if you aren't confident, be confident. This is the fake-it-til-you-make-it part. Because what you think about and dream about eventually comes about. So be confident, develop a thick skin so negativity literally slides right off your back. Be positive, encourage, and always buoy people up, no matter the situation or their reaction.
And remember, people. We are the writers of our generation. We are creating the stories and inspirations of tomorrow. And we are not of them that draw back.
Happy IWSG Day, Everyone! Hope it's a great one!
P.S. Voting for the IWSG Anthology Contest genre runs through 7/8. Click HERE if you're interested in participating. ;D
So today I wanted to talk about something I know a lot of us are nervous about, and that we'll all have to deal with at some point in our writing journeys:
Dealing with Negativity, Hate, Bullying, and Specifically for Us Writers, Bad Reviews.
So here's the thing. The internet isn't going anyway. Online bullying--be it nasty reviews, body shaming, or just other forms of negativity--is a big problem and one that will continue to grow. As artists that put our work out there for others to see/read/experience, we can pretty much count on some negative feedback at some point. (Even J.K.Rowling has haters. I know. I feel ya. I don't get it either--they must be insane--but it's true.)Over the past year or so I've actually become a fairly strong presence in the TWD online community. That stands for The Walking Dead, for those who don't know. Anyone who's followed me for a while knows I'm a total TWD junkie and consider myself a mega-fan. Just a guilty pleasure for me, though I'll admit that while the show airs (Oct-Nov, Feb-Mar) I get a whole lot less of my own writing done because I'm consumed with, you know, other things. Hehe.
While gaining quite a few followers in this community, I became a target of some pretty heinous hate. And it wasn't just a random, hating troll I could write off as a side effect of the internet. No, it was a woman from my own fandom who just decided to be threatened by me and started hurling all manner of insults and accusations, every one of which was unfounded. I won't go into the whole drama but suffice it to say, it was pretty bad. And did I consider leaving the online fandom? Meh. I think it goes through every person's mind in my situation, but overall no. I'm with the amazing Jeffrey R. Holland who said, "We are not of them who draw back..." (Source)
But I learned some valuable lessons from my experience and wanted to share them. To be honest, most of us writers don't get TOO much hate unless we see a great deal of success. But since we'll all sell at least a billion books in our lifetimes, we'll all have to deal with this eventually, right? ;D
So here we go (sorry that was a lot of intro):
1. Learn the difference between hate/bullying and expressing an opinion. If people are simply saying that they disagree with something, or your book just wasn't for them, that's not hate. That is simply a difference of opinion. And while this might be hard to wrap your head around the first time someone says they couldn't stand your protagonist, you should actually be happy about differing opinions. You're still getting reviews and publicity, and it shows that you've written a character that someone has opinion about. At the very least, if your character got under they're skin, your character was NOT forgettable.
2. If you are in fact dealing with a bully rather than just a (obviously misguided) opinion, learn to distance yourself from the hate. I don't mean in a denial sort of way, but rather take a step back and see the bullying for what it really is. Check out this quote:
And it's really true. If someone is attacking you personally without actually knowing you, or even attacking your story without giving any valid reasons for their dislike, they're argument immediately becomes invalid. So shrug it off. This kind of negativity is generally a form of projection. Those who watch Dr. Phil probably know what that is. It's psychology 101.
And in my case, I found out months later that most of the things this hater had accused me of (me: "Where is she getting that from? It's ridiculous!") were things that she actually struggled with herself. Ah. Suddenly makes sense. And validation for me. (Yea!) So look at the negativity for what it really is and don't take it personally.
Truest words ever. (Source)
3. Finally, be confident. Even if you aren't confident, be confident. This is the fake-it-til-you-make-it part. Because what you think about and dream about eventually comes about. So be confident, develop a thick skin so negativity literally slides right off your back. Be positive, encourage, and always buoy people up, no matter the situation or their reaction.
And remember, people. We are the writers of our generation. We are creating the stories and inspirations of tomorrow. And we are not of them that draw back.
 |
| Source |
Happy IWSG Day, Everyone! Hope it's a great one!
P.S. Voting for the IWSG Anthology Contest genre runs through 7/8. Click HERE if you're interested in participating. ;D
Monday, February 8, 2016
Pixar's 22 Rules of Storytelling
 |
| Gif Source |
This is going up a bit late today, but what can I say? Super Bowl Sunday means that, naturally, I'm gonna get less done than usual. :D (How did everyone like the game, btw?)
So I cam across these rules a while ago, courtesy of Pinterest, and I thought they had a lot of depth and value to them, so I thought I'd share them. And actually I'd say they're less rules and more like 22 pieces of writing advice from a very successful story-telling company. Keep in mind these are applied to mostly children's cartoons, but each and every one can be adapted for writing novels or any other kind of story you may be working on. My commentary is in the blue font. (Obviously, as they're from Pixar, I didn't make them up myself. Just for the record.)
1. Admire characters for attempting more than what their successes have been. Push them. Give them challenges.
2. Keep in mind what's interesting to you as an audience, not what's fun to do as a writer. They can be very different.
3. Trying for theme is important, however you won't see what the story is about until you're at the end of the story. Got it? Now rewrite. I personally don't think there's anything wrong with trying for a particular theme, but don't force it. If you let the story and characters take you where they want to go, the theme will emerge naturally. And it may not be the theme you were originally trying for, which is often kinda cool.
4. Once upon a time there was ___. Every day___. One day__.Because of that___. Because of that___. Until finally___.
5. Simplify. Focus. Combine characters. Hop over detours. You'll feel like you're losing valuable stuff, but it sets you free. In other words, tighten, tighten, tighten.
Wednesday, September 23, 2015
7 Tips for Making a Living With Your Writing
 |
| Dean Wesley Smith (Picture Source) |
As it turns out, Mr. Smith has been a working freelance writer since the seventies. He told us he has dozens of pen names, and most people who have read things he's written have no idea that he's the authors. But the world is changing and he had lots of great insights and tips.
Here are some of the things he had to say.
If you want to make a living on your writing:
- Keep your expenses low and have as few as possible.
- Productivity - defined as increasing the amount of product you put out over a given time. The more productive you are, the easier it is to make a living. This is definitely true. Though I'm not as productive as I'd like to be, I know the authors who make the most money are the ones who churn out ebooks every month or two.
- Write to your passion. Don't chase trends. By the time you do, they'll be over.
- Be a hybrid author. (Yea! Great to know I'm doing something right.) He said that the authors who are still here, writing and producing in twenty years will be the hybrid authors.
- Learn Business. I think this is a major problem for lots of authors today. They want to write, but don't want to learn how to market their books. Unfortunately, if you want to move books, you've got to be an enterpreneur today. Smith suggests we all learn cash flow (where the money comes from, where it goes, and how to cover expenses), cash streams (have multiple streams on each book/product and never look down your nose at even small ones), returns on investment (think long-term), and stay away from exclusivity (Exclusivity used to be big in the writing industry, but if you're thinking of your writing in the long term, exclusivity can work against you. Make sure you always maintain at least some rights to your books.).
- Everything is changing. We must keep up. It's part of the job!
- Continue to learn your craft. Always keep learning and become a better writer. The instant you say, I know everything about writing," you've just stunted your own career and your own potential. Entertainment has VALUE in our society. Take advantage of that, but never take it for granted.
 |
| Picture Source |
He also said he thought people like editors and formatters, etc. are superfluous. Kind of like agents, now. It's just something else to pay for that you don't need. I thought that was interesting. I kind of liked it as I do a lot of that stuff myself. (I format my own ebooks and have a writing group that does the majority of my editing for me.) To be fair, he did say copy-editing and proofreading for errors is a necessity, but he was talking about having editors for story, character, plot, etc. Just thought it was kind of interesting. But as I don't actually (and never have) paid for that type of editing, I do kind of agree. :D Of course I don't do my own cover art and we all know that you need an awesome cover, but that's something you an hire out on a case-by-case basis. And if I really wanted to be independent, it wouldn't be hard to learn to do digital cover art so I could do my own. (Honestly, I probably won't do that. It would just take too much time and I have too much on my plate right now, but I'm open to it for the future.) The point is, in this new world of digital publishing, it's possible to learn to do everything for yourself. As long as the finished product is high quality, your book will sell. Just something to keep in mind.
Some other great nuggets he had that I wrote down:
"Act like a writer, think like a publisher."
"Luck is not a business plan."
 |
| Picture Source |
He was also very knowledgeable about the history of publishing. He talked about how everyone is so scared about the upheaval in the industry right now, but it's really not any different than what's happened in the past. He told stories about when printing first came about, when novels first were mass-produced, how back in the day, every author by definition was self-published. Our big publishing house model is actually a relatively recent (last 50-80 years, depending on how you look at it) thing. And this is just the cycle repeating itself again. I thought his stories were fascinating.
I talked to him afterword and told him he should write a history of publishing. He seemed to consider it but said it would take a hella lot of work. I said I was sure it would, but I would totally read it. He kind of got this smile on his face and thanked me for the suggestion.
I don't know if he will, but I hope he does. Maybe only nerdy authors like me would be interested in reading that, but I'd totally be the first in line. He's the kind of guy that's a wealth of knowledge, only a portion of which has ever been written down.
So if you ever get the chance to meet or listen to Dean Wesley Smith, totally do it. He's a fascinating guy and very knowledgeable about the industry.
Monday, September 21, 2015
12 Tips for Handling Cliches in Writing
 |
| Picture Source |
First let's define what we're talking about here.
Cliche: A pattern of meaning that loses meaning through repetition rather than gaining meaning. When you see a part of the pattern, you can predict the whole, and that prediction detracts from the impact.
A couple of things to consider:
- Patterns of any size and/or complexity can become a cliche.
- Believe it or not, a cliche is not defined strictly by how often it is used. It's defined by how often an audience is exposed to it. So to avoid cliches, you MUST understand your audience.
- Understand that we, as human beings use and gravitate toward cliches because they are associations that make sense to us. They're familiar and comforting. But of course they become a liability in our writing.
 |
| Picture Source |
Cycle of Cliche Formation - We'll use an obvious example: Twilight.
- Innovation - The first time someone associates the cliche. (Example: Twilight, the first time anyone described vampires as sparkly, unavailable romantic figures, hits the air waves).
- Adoption - The idea is adopted by others and begins to proliferate. (Twilight becomes more popular.)
- Saturation - When the cliche has reached it's limit for finding a new audience. (Everyone has read or at least heard in detail of Twilight.)
- Satirization - The only way to make it effective again is to make fun of it. (Vampires Suck, anyone? Also more general stuff like pop culture jokes, SNL, etc.)
- Rejection - It's so ubiquitous that you can't even make fun of it anymore because the jokes are old and dry, and no one wants to hear even them anymore. (This is pretty much the stage we've reached with Twilight, now. Everyone is sick of hearing about sparkly vampires.)
- Reinvention - Will take the cliche and do something different with it that blows people's minds and the cycle begins again. (Not sure we've reached this with vampires in general, but Fifty Shades of Grey, which started as Twilight fanfic, could qualify.)
So this is the general cycle of cliches. By knowing it, you can use it to adopt, avoid, or make good use of cliches.
 |
| Picture Source |
Techniques for Avoiding Cliches:
- Understand the difference between a trope and a cliche. A trope should increase the experience. Because a trope has been used before, it adds to the way you use it, which is opposite of a cliche, where the prediction diminishes the impact. Example: love triangles. Really, because we're all different people depending on who we're with, what we're really asking a potential heroine to do is choose who she's going to be. So if you have well-rounded, three-dimensional characters and situations that haven't been done a million times, a love triangle is actually NOT a cliche. The idea of the love triangle becomes a trope and enhances the story. However, if the characters have been done (they just so happen to be a lot like Edward Cullen and Jacob the werewolf) or the plot/world/scenes have been done a million times, then it becomes a cliche VERY quickly.
- Be Specific. Specificity forces the characters, through conflict, to reveal who they are. If they feel like real people then you've been specific enough to use the trope without it being cliched.
- Don't use archetypes in drafting. Only in revision. Figure out your story first, then you can go back and decide if and how you want to use any possible tropes or cliches that pop up.
Techniques for using cliches to your benefit:
- Repackage the cliche for an audience that hasn't been exposed to it. Example: Prior to Twilight, the only people reading vampire lit were those who liked the horror and high sexuality of Ann Rice. Vampires had never been pitched to teen girls before. And boy did that repackaging have some success.
- Use cliches to inform the audience about your characters. Anyone who uses a lot of cliches in their dialogue or narrative thoughts automatically comes across as having a lower IQ than those who don't. So you can use it as a character-builder.
- Keep in mind that the younger your audience, the more you want to use cliches. If you're writing for children, you SHOULD be using cliches. They're too young to have been overly exposed to them yet and the cliche itself will teach them about the world.
How do you take cliches into consideration in your writing?
Wednesday, September 16, 2015
11 Tips for Formulating a Powerful Premise
 |
| Picture Source |
Actually, I think he said some of the most powerful, memorable things I heard at the conference.
"Originality is the sum total of a man's thinking or his writing."
So he talked about how the brain works and what is actually happening in our brains chemically when we come up with a new writing idea. He says that when we think of something, our brain recognizes it as something alien; something we never thought of before. Almost instantly there's the maybe-that's-a-stupid-idea-and-no-one-else-will-like-it backlash. But that's just because it went from being new and alien to us, to being something our brain recognizes now as part of our universe.
"The fact that you want to tell a story means that it's a story worth telling. There are no stupid premises."
We also all know that there's no such thing as an original story. All stories can be boiled down to their component parts and really there's only something like six individual stories. The rest is all in the details, the world-building, the characters, and the overall execution of the premise.
"Law of the Premise: Success is a matter or execution, not premise."
Formula for a Powerful Premise:
Specific + Authentic + Meaningful = Powerful Premise
Specific: Refined to a the particular, rather than the generic. God is in the details, people.
Authentic: Reflects lived emotional reality. You know that saying, "write what you know?" Clint talked about it and I agree with what he said. "Write what you know" is a good place for first time authors to start, but more seasoned writers will branch out to write what they don't know. It's a natural part of the creative process. So how do you still make it authentic? By extrapolating emotions from the reality you HAVE lived and infusing them into the fiction that you haven't. If you can do this, you can make your story feel as real as if you really had lived it, whether it's a coming of age story, a murder mystery, or a world full of dragons and warlocks.
Meaningful: Write what you care about. It will come through your writing and grip people. If you don't care, they won't either.
 |
| Source |
11 Points for Where/How to Find Good Premises
1. A premise starts as a seed. Just a thought. It simply what stands out to YOU, what is meaningful, and what you care about. Record these stray thoughts as they may develop into compelling premises.
2. A good premise is made up of several seeds all put together. Look for patterns, rather than points, and don't rush the formulation of a premise. (Sources can include: life's meaning, otherness, paradoxes, etc.)
3. Craft your story BEFORE writing.
4. Invest time in your creative thinking. Even if you don't hit word count, don't be negative. Judgement and creativity come from opposite sides of the brain. Too much judgement strangles creativity. (I'll talk about an exercise for this below.)
5. Build a base that's specific, authentic and meaningful. Only once you have this should you start writing.
6. At some level, even if it's unconscious, every story is character-driven. The soul of your story is about the emotional change of your characters from beginning to end.
7. Don't struggle with whether it may or may not be good. Clint talked about the "inevitability of disappointment." Basically at some point we'll all doubt our stories and whether they're good enough. That doubt will keep you from writing; will keep you from completing your story and reaching your goals and dreams. (Basically, tell the Inevitability of Disappointment to go to hell, and keep writing.)
8. Identify themes and archetypes AFTER your first writing and flesh them out in revision drafts. Theme is an emergent property and will reveal itself as you kick out your story. Not before. (I actually do a presentation on Plot Points. I'm a major believer in plot points, but I do agree with Clint that they are more useful as tools AFTER the story has been crafted, rather than a template to use to craft the story. If you use them that way, you may well end up writing to a cliche, which is not a good thing.)
9. Craft your story AFTER writing. Now, #3 says before, which is the opposite of this. Just do it again. Get your story written, then identify themes and archetypes, and use plot points to craft your story after you have the initial draft kicked out. Continually craft your story until it is awesome.
10. Make the story more of what it is. Identify strengths and weaknesses. Have you ever heard doctors or dietitians say that, when someone has high cholesterol, it's actually more effective to up their good cholesterol than to lower their bad? Well it's true. Improving the good is actually more effective for overall health than just blocking out the bad. That's true of all things in the universe. So by all means, compensate your story's weak points. But it'll be even more effective to make your strong points stronger.
11. A great premise is the product of man premises, so produce A LOT of them. Embrace and gather every idea.
 |
| Source |
So basically he just told us to start writing whatever came into our heads. Go from subject to subject, association to association and just let the words/ideas flow. Don't think too hard. Don't reject anything. Just write as much as you can as fast as you can. Time it. When you're done, extrapolate your premise or plot from your thoughts.
I've started doing this even for things like writing chapters. I know the general things I want to have happen in a chapter, but I do this exercise where I just write and let things flow for anywhere from 5-20 minutes. By the time I'm done, I have enough on the page to write up a detailed outline of the chapter. This can also be done for fleshing out characters, backstories, fantastical worlds, or entire premises.
Try it. It's very effective!
Anyone have any other thoughts on crafting premises?
Subscribe to:
Posts
(
Atom
)