Quotable Quotes

I always have a breakdown about 3/4ths of the way through a book. When I get to the point where I need to begin to tie threads together it never seems to work out how I originally thought it should. Then this leads to me overthinking things and finding something that I believe is crucially wrong with the book and OMG!!! Why did I even start writing this? It is so wrong!!!!

~Stephanie Kuehnert, YA author
quoted from "Things I've Learned About My Writing Process"

Guest Post at Writer Unboxed

Today marks my first of three guest posts at Writer Unboxed for 2011. Unlike here, on our personal writing blog, where we tend to be more casual/informal in our articles, Writer Unboxed hosts a panel of industry professionals, including bestselling novelists, literary agents, and editors. The WU blog has received many awards in years past, the most recent of which was the 2011 Top 10 Blogs for Writers. I'm truly honored to be one of their regular guest contributors.

Click HERE to read my new article, 7 R's of Positivity for the Unpublished Novelist.

Click HERE to browse my archived posts on WU.

Thanks!
~Lydia

Tuesday Tunes

Lydia's pick:



The above song was one of the inspirations for my sci-fi short story, "Chasing Dreams", which is currently on sub. The lyrics couldn't be any more perfect, and the vid they selected shows snow and cold--my story is about cryogenics. Don't you just love when a song totally FITS?


Joe's pick:

What's The Rush?

 photo credit

One of my writing mentors, Therese Walsh, who is also the president of the women's fiction chapter of the RWA and co-founder of the award-winning blog, Writer Unboxed, became my mentor for a very specific reason. Not only is she one of the kindest and most unselfish people I've ever met, and she was the person who first rec'd Blake Snyder's Save the Cat! to me (of which I can never repay her for, not in a gasquillion* years), but she also has a level of endurance I've rarely seen in others. She worked on her first novel for six years before it was accepted for publication.**

Six years. Let that soak in for a minute.

She didn't give up when most in her situation would have. She rewrote that sucker until it shined brighter than the sun. She didn't say, I've been working on this too long. Time to let it go.

Because really, what time limit is there? Who determines what is "too long", "not long enough", or "just right"?

I've been working on my current novel since December, so that's what-- four months? Sometimes it feels like things are progressing far too slowly. I fall into a mental trap of "You should have finished this by now!"

But by who's standards? Where does this rush, rush, rush line of thinking come from, anyway? Is a novel that took the author three months to finish really any better than one that took three years? Or vice versa?

This will be my fourth completed novel once it is done, and since writing my first, I've learned that each story sets its own pace. I started a novel over two years ago that is stuck somewhere around page 100 because one day I sat down to write and it told me it needed a break. I started a novel six months ago that I realized needs a complete reworking--I'm totally dumping the original plot, keeping all the characters, and starting the story over from scratch. I started a novel a year ago that I could very well have finished by now if I'd focused solely on IT instead of starting a new one. But the new one became my third completed novel and got me closer than I've ever been to getting an agent. So how is that a loss?

Number three came fast and furious, not because I wanted it to, it just did. The one I'd started right before it? Even now, a year later, it is content to sit on its haunches while I focus on other projects. I'm confident it will let me know when it's ready to be worked on again. I haven't given up on any of these--some of them just don't care to be bothered right now.

So if you're current WIP happens to be a Lazy Lily, don't chastise it for being what it is. Don't force it. Don't prod it on days that it doesn't want to be prodded. Antagonizing your creativity will only hinder your progress further.

And seriously... what's the rush? Stop stressing over things that aren't worth stressing over. Lighten up. Enjoy your weekend.

See ya on the flip side,
~Lydia

*I also have to credit her with the term gasquillion. I'm not kidding, you guys. This woman totally rules my writing world.

**If you haven't read her debut novel yet, The Last Will of Moira Leahy, do it now. It's available in hardcover and trade paperback, wherever books are sold (both brick-and-mortar and online). And I wouldn't doubt it's also available at most libraries. You now officially have no excuse not to read it.

Quotable Quotes

The professional aspiring writer approaches the writing as a craft,

a complex, challenging set of skills they must develop

as fully as humanly possible in the short lifespan they’ve been allotted,

in the context of art—that extraordinary impulse to put into words

aspects of life that have never been given words before.

~Victoria Mixon, quoted from this article on StoryFix

Diving Into the Deep End

This post has been removed by the blog author. Thank you to everyone who read it and commented when it was originally posted.

One Way Motherhood Has Improved My Writing

My son has a form of PDD (pervasive developmental disorder). He does not have Autism or Asperger's, although those are forms of PDD. His case is milder than that, but it is definitely noticeable.

The hardest thing for him is comprehension and communication. Something in his brain is not connecting all the wires in the right places. He has trouble conveying his thoughts sometimes. It visibly frustrates him. He knows what he wants to say but he just can't seem to say it, even if it's something he has said before without difficulty. And he can understand what others are saying, most of the time, but might need a bit more explanation than the average seven year-old, or might need you to say the same thing in different words.

Because I now have years of practice doing this with him--saying the same thing in different words--I truly believe it has made me a better writer.

How?

One of the most common issues I see in the work of new writers is lack of clarity. The writing is too vague. Confusing. Unintentionally ambiguous. Blurry.

It's the difference between saying: "Shut that off." and "Turn off the TV."

It's the difference between saying: "It's time to go." and "We're going to grandma's house now."

It's the difference between saying: "The bus will be here soon." and "Put your coat and shoes on and get your backpack."

It's the difference between saying: "No, that's hot!" and "Don't touch the pan, it will burn you!"

It's the difference between saying: "It's raining." and "Find the umbrella."

According to my son, there is a difference between "shouting", "yelling", and "screaming." And you know what? He's absolutely right.

I never realized how unclear we can be with each other and still understand what is meant, based on the context, until I lived with someone who cannot always grasp context and implied meaning. This isn't to say that we must spell everything out for our readers. Just be careful not to fall into a routine of knowing what you mean in your head, but not ensuring it is clear on the page.

This is why beta readers are priceless. Any time one of my beta readers makes a comment to the tune of "I didn't quite understand why..." or "I'm not exactly sure what you mean by this..." or flat-out "This confused me..." I take their reactions seriously. I note that area for revision and do whatever I can to REWORD things.

You can always reword anything you write. There is never just one way to say something, whether it be a phrase, a sentence, a paragraph, or an entire scene.

And many times, clarifying your meaning is as simple as replacing the word "it" or "that" with whatever the "it" or "that" is specifically referring to. Other times you may have to write several different options before you find the one that works best. Either way, you're helping your reader see the story as close to the version in your own head as you possibly can.

Happy writing,
~Lydia

Quotable Quotes

You'll go a lot farther as a writer if you

compete with yourself more than with others.

~James Scott Bell, author

The Evolution of Plot Through Understanding Characters

When I first begin writing a new story, no matter how much pre-planning I've done, it is overwhelming to think of how much work I have ahead of me. My adult novels average 90-110K. My YA novels average 70-80K.

That's a lot of K.

But more crippling than the number of words I must produce is the actual words themselves. What am I going to write about? How will it compose a complete story? Is anyone going to want to read this drivel?

I talk a lot about character on this blog, because I feel that character is just a smidgen above plot in terms of creating an engaging read, even in speculative fiction. I'm sure some may disagree with me. However, I said smidgen. Character and plot are nearly equal, in my opinion. They drive each other, hand in hand, from the inciting incident to the ending resolution.

At the beginning of a first draft I have a line of events that I know must take place. This is the basic plot. As that draft grows, I learn more and more about the characters who are involved in these events. And as I learn more about the characters, I sometimes realize that certain events aren't usable anymore.

Not because they don't make sense for the plot. Because they aren't consistent for the character who is carrying out the actions of the plot. For me, a plot is easier to change than a character, so once my characters are solid, the plot evolves around them.

This is why when I near the end of a novel my writing sessions become messy. Chaotic. The first half of a novel is a platter of cupcakes compared to the second half.

In my current WIP, I thought I had a dramatic/tragic revelation set-up for the MC near the end of Act II. I jotted down my notes. I thought it was brilliant--this is going to knock the reader's socks off! But the closer I got to writing that scene, the more I hesitated.

Something felt off.

I realized that the pre-planned events didn't make sense for the characters involved anymore (and this can happen even if you don't pre-plot, so don't think you are immune just because you are a pantser). I actually said to myself: "That character would never do something like that. Ever." So then I thought I was stuck. I thought I was going to have to change my entire ending--again--to keep my characters consistent.

But then I dug deeper. I laid out all my options. And after much deliberation, I was ecstatic to find out that I only needed to change one tiny/huge detail. It was minor, yet major. It changed everything by only changing a little. It creates a whole new story while keeping it the same.

Changing plot details, however small, is going to affect the previous threads. This is where a keen eye for revision is necessary. When you forget that everything in your story affects everything else, like a distrubance that spreads ever-growing ripples across a water's surface, you end up with plot holes.

No one likes plot holes. They are one of the top 10 ways to garner a bad review of your work (not official stats).

As writers, words are our tools. A reader will find inconsistent character behavior much harder to grasp than a plot twist. The plot is more made up of words, whereas characters, I feel, are more made up of emotions. Emotions are difficult to change once they are deeply rooted inside of us. But words are just words. You can easily change the plot, just by changing a word or two.

Jonathan discovers a medical breakthrough.

vs

Jonathan uncovers a medical mistake.

Those are two very different things. Which one is more likely for Jonathan? As the author, you know your characters best. In the beginning you might think it's the first option, but as you get to know Jonathan better through the course of writing your first draft, you realize the second option is more likely. Or vice versa. And this inevitably changes your plot, yet it keeps your character consistent. Which, in my opinion, is exponentially more crucial to telling a story that readers will connect with and enjoy.

Consistency through change? Ironic, but it works.

Happy writing,
~Lydia

Tuesday Tunes

Lydia's Pick:





Joe's Pick:

Lydia's Writing Journal, Entry #11: Note To Self

This is a weekly feature in which I share a day in my writing life from the week before.
---

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

When I near the end of a first draft, my brain is already subconsciously jumping ahead to the next step: revisions. Post-It notes and index cards litter my writing space. Some are notes for the few remaining scenes left to write in my first draft. Some are revision notes for my second draft. I have to write these things down as I think of them (and sometimes, if I'm lucky and the thought happens to hit me while I'm writing, I type them into the document), or I might forget them. Even if I decide against using one or the other later, I don't want to miss the chance that an idea might actually be good, just because I forgot about it by the time I sat down to write.

I jotted down a new "note to self" today on a bright orange Post-It, which read:

Nikki's tic --

she's a blinker

blink
     blink
blink

Of course, this means nothing to anyone but me. But just by looking at it I know exactly what I was telling myself... which is SO much more than what you see there, trust me.

I tossed this Post-It on top of the scattered stack, and then realized just how ridiculous some of these notes (including the typed ones in the document) might seem to someone besides myself. They don't make sense when taken out of my head and out of context.

Which is why I'm going to share them with you today and hope that someone will tell me I'm not alone. Or crazy.

On an index card in which I also have scribbled some notes from "the awesome" contest and a couple of character name options for a short story, I have added, quite messily:

she forgets her locker combination after winter break and he assists
have to bump this up - too much other stuff going on in January - maybe after Thanksgiving break?

Another bright orange Post-It note reads:

Want + Obstacle = Tension

On another index card (in which the writing gets pretty smooshed by the end):

act III, hospital scene: subtle closure or acceptance of the [redacted] issue; nothing blatant or huge
never mind, I changed the ending again - not using that scene

--first Nikki scene - confrontation and dialogue, then she runs out (also need to fix her first email)

--fix the "smack" scene - 3 betas have said it feels off/forced

--fix the "park" scene with Brody - draw out his reaction more (as is, it happens too fast)

--emphasize Jasmine's love of/knowledge of the stars the first time she is at Rocky's house and looks up at the sky - subtle hints of her intelligence, she isn't a science nerd

--[redacted] okay, let's just say this particular note is a paragraph long and trails up the side of the index card because I ran out of room, aka it's too detailed in story events to reveal here on the blog

On yet another index card:

the hardest question to answer is WHY?
must have realistic/believable character motivation
must have a plot that makes sense through natural cause and effect
work backwards and note the errors

On yet another bright orange Post-It:

don't forget:
-Mom stuff
-Dad stuff
-dress rehearsal - Miss Hodgekiss
-no car
-snowstorm

In the document, at a place that seems random, even to me (I think I just typed it wherever I happened to be writing when the thought struck me):

need to add [redacted] to the scene where they are [redacted], and Jasmine asks what it's all about… but Rocky doesn't tell her--this should enhance the conflict already in that conversation, and hint at future events, just weave it in

Another note, later in the document:

next chapter jumps to [redacted]. Also, use part of the original scene between Rocky and Candy about [redacted] and shift it forward

(When I say "original scene", I mean one of the scenes I'd previously written and have since cut. I never delete things completely. There are usually bits and pieces I can salvage and reshape into something useful.)

Looking at this now, it's all very "behind the scenes", isn't it? When we talk about our writing in public, you don't see this kind of stuff. Our CPs see it, though, usually through emails or IMs. And our families see it, too. Sometimes I wonder what Joe thinks of all these notes lying around. Or if he even notices them. He has an entirely different approach to the writing process than I do. Which is kind of good, when I think about it. Otherwise our notes to ourselves might get confused or lost in the shuffle.

Hey, whatever works, right?

xoxo,
Lydia

How Well-Read Are You?

Every month my son's teacher sends home a reading log that has to be filled out and returned at the end of the month. He is graded on reading. This week at my son's school was Read Across America week. Every day the kids in different grades took a chunk of time out of their regular curriculum to just sit and read. Today my son's kindergarten class is doing a camp-style reading with make-shift tents and flashlights.

No one is going to argue the benefits of encouraging children to read. But what happens as we age? Should we stop being prolific readers because "life gets in the way"? My answer is a resounding NO, especially if you choose writing as your career.

A literary agent once said that you should read at least 100 YA novels before you even think about trying to write one. (Forgive me for not remembering who said it or where I saw it quoted.) Although I haven't been keeping track of the exact number, the more YA novels I read, the more I understand where my writing fits. Because YA is not a genre--it is more like a type--there is a wide variety of content and style within.

Paranormal is popular, but I don't read or write paranormal. It's just not my thing. Never has been, never will be. And paranormal is just a sub-genre of fantasy, so this still leaves quite a bit available. There is historical, contemporary, fantasy, and science fiction, and within each of those, there are sometimes romance and mystery. Historical is broad--so many different time periods can be covered. Fantasy has about a gasquillion sub-genres. So does science fiction. Contemporary also has it's own unique sub-category of "issue books."

There are plenty of all of these available to read.

I've seen far too many aspiring YA novelists complain that there is not enough to read in their area of interest. How is that even possible? Have you even set foot inside a bookstore or library? Or are you just going by what you see being "talked about" the most online?

The more I read, the more I see what works and doesn't work. More importantly, I see what makes a story YA. And therein lies the reasoning behind the above literary agent's advice. YA is not just about having a teen protagonist. A lot of mistakes could be avoided if the new writer read more books before attempting to pen his/her own. A lot of the questions I see asked by new writers could be answered just by reading more.

My recommendation? In addition to visiting your library on a regular basis and browsing the shelves and never leaving that place without a stack of books in-hand... join goodreads, and follow YA book blogs.

Those are the top places I get my book recs from. On goodreads, not only can you browse the shelves on their database and look-up titles by author, but once you connect with others you 1) see what they're reading or plan to read, and 2) see what they thought of the books once they've finished.

It's all about exposure. And the same goes for book blogs. These are the two best forms of digital word of mouth. This is why I keep a "what we're currently reading" slot in the sidebar. Just seeing a book cover is sometimes enough to pique someone's interest and get them to check out the book.

And if you say you don't have time to read 100 books, then consider this. If you make the time, you can read 100 books in a single year--read just two books a week and you'll surpass that goal. This is especially attainable for YA novels. By nature they are fast-paced, and some are only 200 pages in length. The novel I finished yesterday is 360 pages and I read it in two days. The two novels I read before that were even longer (one was over 400 pages) and I read them in three days each. 100 books in a year is not an impossible goal if you're reading YA.

Still don't think you have enough time? Start recording how much time you spend on twitter, or watching TV, or playing xbox, or reading blogs that essentially have nothing to say, or socializing on a writers' forum, or browsing YouTube, or creating fake book covers on photoshop, or whatever you might spend your time doing that isn't helping you improve your skills as a writer. Reading published works in your area of writerly interest will always help you become a better writer.

Schedule time to read. Every day.

I propose a challenge to every writer who sees this: Start reading a new novel today with a goal to finish it over the weekend. Take note of what you "sacrificed" to make the time to read. Based on that, change one thing in your routine that will allow for more reading time.

Happy reading,
~Lydia

Creating Multi-Faceted Characters

One of the best ways to keep a reader engaged in your story is to create multi-faceted characters, ones they can connect with and have sympathy for. Much easier said than done. This is something that I continually work on, and am always seeking out ways to improve. Here are a few tips I've picked up along the way.

Avoid Stereotypes and Cliche' Character Traits (most of the time)

I had to add that parenthetical phrase because sometimes stereotypes and cliches can work for your story. But for the most part, it is best to avoid them.

Regarding this, here is a vlog from literary agent Mary Kole at WriteOnCon 2010. She explains it far better than I ever could, since she sees a lot of manuscripts that are both good and bad examples.




Shades of Gray Are More Realistic Than Black vs White

Meaning, in an attempt to keep a character from appearing cliche', oftentimes writers will flip the stereotype completely on its head--present the exact opposite. For example, the stereotypical "dumb jock" is fashioned into "a valedictorian jock." Not that this isn't a character we could see in the real world, but it's so obviously trying to avoid a stereotype that it garners an eye-roll. At least from me it would. Especially if the character is presented as a dumb jock in the beginning and then discovered to be the complete opposite. Rather than being the huge twist that the writer envisioned, it's more like a...

*yawn*

See. I couldn't even finish the sentence I was so bored.

To be realistic, you need subtlety. Put your characters in situations that will show the reader different aspects of their personality, while still keeping them uniquely who they are as a whole person. These are often traits that the character does not want to outwardly show, but there are times when these traits can't be kept hidden. For example, a teenage girl who is constantly at odds with her younger sister can be put in a situation where she must help her sister, even if she goes right back to "hating" her after the fact. It can be a big event, or something small. Either way, the reader will pick up on your subtlety and appreciate the new side of this character you've shown them.

A great resource for applying this particular tip is The Fire In Fiction by Donald Maass, which includes writing exercises at the end of each chapter.

Keep Your Characters Active

This is the most simplistic advice on this topic, yet it is sometimes the most difficult to apply. While writing, we can get caught up in inward exposition. The character thinks a lot, just sitting (or standing, or lying on the beach, or whatever), mulling over things that happened or will happen or that they want to happen or...

*yawn*

Sorry, excuse me. I can't seem to stay awake this morning.

When I sit still and do nothing, I tend to get sleepy. The most effective way to put your readers to sleep is to have your characters do nothing but think all the time (or discuss things with other characters but rarely do anything). Thinking is okay, to a point. But don't wait too long before you put the characters in motion again. You cannot show all facets of their personality without throwing them into situations they must react to, tossing them curveballs they must catch or duck away from or hit out of the ballpark, forcing decisions upon them they cannot avoid while constantly raising the stakes.

Julie Kagawa's Iron Fey series is a superb example of how to do this effectively. In my opinion, her books have the highest un-put-downable factor I've ever seen. Why? Because her characters are constantly in motion. In the world of Meghan Chase, inaction = death. And at the same time the characters are facing these extremely dangerous situations, they are forced to show how these things make them feel, both inside and out. Forced to expose all aspects of their personality to get the job done. It's unavoidable, and so the reader sees it and connects.

As Your Plot Has Outer Turning Points, Give Your Characters Inner Turning Points

In other words, the character must have clear growth from beginning to end, and the reader should be able to see this develop as they move through the story. Some outstanding examples of how to do this well are in Lauren Oliver's BEFORE I FALL and in Stephanie Perkins' ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS.

There are several ways you can show growth in a character. Some subtle, some outright--a good story has a combination of both, and also keeps these character changes relevant to the plot. If a reader cannot discern how or why a character is changing, they will disengage. Keep it relevant.

Those are just a few of the things that can help you create multi-faceted characters. Does anyone else have tips on this subject?

Happy writing,
~Lydia

Tuesday Tunes

Lydia's pick:





Joe's pick:

Lydia's Writing Journal, Entry #10: My Sometimes Chaotic Writing Process

This is a weekly feature in which I share a day in my writing life from the week before.
---

Friday, March 4, 2011

I don't think I've ever written a story, of any length, from beginning to end without jumping ahead at some point. And then going back. And then jumping forward again. And then going back. And then revising what I already wrote once I get up to it so it flows with what came before it.

Confusing? Maybe to someone else, but it makes perfect sense to me. As I write a first draft, I don't always envision details of the story I haven't written yet. I usually envision the major turning points, and once the events and emotions of that turning point are clear in my mind, I have to strike the keyboard while it's hot.

Even though I know it will need revising later. But... what doesn't? Everything you write in a first draft is going to get tweaked later, so why does it matter whether you write the story linearly or not? My second drafts almost always include scene-shuffling. You can't always see where something fits best until you step away and look at the whole picture from afar.

The first draft of my current YA novel is moving along so quickly, all of the sudden, that I have no choice but to write things out of order. Epiphanies, both about the plot and the character arcs, have become a daily occurrence. It is exciting, yet at the same time... overwhelming. Because every new snaztastic idea I discover equals more revisions later to make it work with the parts of the story I've already written.

It's hard not to let those things niggle at your brain. It's hard to ignore the little whispers, constantly saying, It's too much work. Don't bother.

But  it isn't too much. I know from experience that once I type END on my first draft that there is still a LOT more work to do before I can declare the project DONE. Rather than discourage me, though, this motivates me to keep going and finish the first draft so I can move on to the next step. And then the next step. And then the next step. I know that as long as I keep working toward a goal, I will eventually reach the finish line.

I've done it before. I can do it again.

Today I wrote a chapter of my WIP and I don't even know exactly where it's going to fit into the stream of things. All I know is that it will fall somewhere between the midpoint and the end of act two. The next scene in my head that feels "ready" is just before act three. Just before the protagonist's major decision to move forward with a real plan to fix everything that seems unfixable (if you follow Blake Snyder's 15-beat structure, this would be during the beat of the "dark night of the soul"). But linearly, my first draft is floating just after the midpoint turn, which (I'm guessing) leaves a good 50-page gap between that and the scene I wrote today (the all-important "big squeeze" in the second half of act two).

By the time I fill the gap I'm sure that scene will need a few changes in order to flow seamlessly with the rest of the story. No matter how you write your first draft, you will always have to revise for your second draft.

This is work, yes, but for me, shuffling the deck and finding the right hole for each peg is part of the fun of creating a story worth telling. It is a sometimes chaotic process. And that's okay.

xoxo,
Lydia

What's Your Style? More Lessons Learned From American Idol

My apologies to those of you who absolutely hate American Idol. I can't help but see these things when I watch it, though. Anything related to the business of art and entertainment--and this, of course, includes writing fiction--is going to pique my interest.

This week American Idol ran for three straight nights, competing for the top 10 (which is actually the top 12... and this year they threw us for a loop and had 3 wild card picks instead of 2, making it a top 13... got all that?). All the songs in the American Idol competition are COVER SONGS, meaning, they are singing someone else's work.

But they still have to "make it their own", as the judges repeatedly emphasized after each performance. They also pointed out that some of the contestants didn't select the best song to show their personal style. "You need to show us what makes you you," they said. "And that song didn't do it."

How can they say this? The AI judges have been watching these contestants perform for weeks now, which is plenty of time to pick up on the subtleties of each person's individual style. Enough so that every time they get on stage, the judges can quickly discern whether or not that singer is being true to their style.

In other words, BE YOURSELF. But at the same time, the judges can also list other artists who are similar to them, in an effort to show them where they fit in.

The same thing applies to novelists. We are unique, yet similar. Some of us hate being "pigeon-holed" into a category. Well, I'm sorry, but that's how books are sold. Sometimes our work doesn't fit neatly into any one category, but it has to be filed somewhere. You should have a specific audience in mind when it comes time to sell your work.

Have you ever noticed that virtually EVERY BOOKSELLER, whether they be brick-and-mortar stores or online, will have a "if you like THIS, then you might enjoy THIS" section, or, "customers who viewed THIS, also viewed THIS" section? They do this because it works. It exposes books to their target audience, which results in sales.

Even Twitter and Blogger have "similar to you" suggestions. Just saying.

This is why it is so very very important to read the types of books you want to write. You should be able to list a few authors who are similar to you in either style or content or both. If you can't, then you simply haven't read enough books. Period.

You cannot be self-centered in this business. You cannot say, "I am like nothing you've ever seen before", because it just won't be true. And there is no shame in this.

When the AI judges told one of the contestants that she was a mix between Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood, she was flabbergasted. And rightly so. It's a compliment to be compared to great artists who shined before you, or perhaps who are still traveling the career path you're just now stepping onto.

And at the same time, this girl has a bit of her own flair to add to the mix.

Style is one of the most effective ways to build a fan-base. For example, Lauren Oliver. She has a clearly defined writing style. No matter what she writes, I can see it, even if the story content is vastly different (as is the case with both of her currently available works, BEFORE I FALL and DELIRIUM).

And even though I adore her writing style as a reader, I would never put myself in the same category as her as a writer. I simply don't write like that. She is very descriptive and fluid, whereas my style is more akin to Hannah Moskowitz--punchy, lean, and gritty. Neither is wrong or right. Each has a place in the market.

This is not the same as saying, "I'm the next J.K. Rowling," which is understandably frowned upon. It's okay to recognize that you write in a similar style to someone who is successful, but not okay to make a prediction that you will garner the same success. Those are two very different things. I would never be so bold as to say, "I am the next Hannah Moskowitz." Hannah is Hannah and I am me. I imagine readers who enjoy her novels will be the same ones who enjoy mine, but that does not mean that we will have the same career path. We simply have a similar target audience.

Do you recognize and appreciate the writing styles of different authors? Do you recognize your own style? Who would you say you write like? Where would you put your work on a shelf?

Happy writing,
~Lydia

Quotable Quotes

Originality comes not from your genre, setting, plot, characters,

voice, or any other element on which you can work.

It cannot. It isn't possible.

Originality can come only from what you bring of yourself to your story.

~Donald Maass, literary agent, quoted from his book

The Fire In Fiction (Writer's Digest Books, 2009)

Writing a Compelling Second Half

The second half of a story, no matter what the length, is exponentially more difficult to write than the first half. You'd think the opposite would be true. You already have all the elements in motion. Now all you have to do is tie them together and finish them off.

That's actually what makes it so difficult, though. When I get to the second half of a story, that's when I start to realize all the errors I've made in the first half. Maybe I have too many subplots started that can't reasonably be finished. Or maybe I haven't been emphasizing the main conflict enough to make a satisfying ending. Or maybe I've somehow derailed the plot... gone in a completely wrong direction than I'd originally intended.

These obstacles will come up, even if you've outlined or followed a strict structural guideline, like I do. Why? Because you never really know how things are going to play out until you type them onto your screen in story form.

In addition to all of that, this section of the story is always emotionally taxing to write. Everything that happens between the midpoint and the resolution at the climax must continually get worse, like a snowball that starts out small at the top of a hill and then builds and builds and builds as it rolls down, until it becomes a monstrous force to be reckoned with at the bottom.

It's called the Snowball Effect. And it singlehandedly carries your reader through the second half of your story. Without it, you have reactions such as, "I lost interest", "The middle sagged", "I just got so bored I had to put it down." Even with a perfectly set up story and a stellar first half, without the Snowball Effect you lose your tension, and ultimately, lose your reader.

By the time you're half-way through writing your story you have a pretty good idea of what you're headed toward--the ending. But you still have a lot of space to fill between the midpoint and the climax. Not only does the plot have to move forward, but it must now move with an ever-increasing speed. Like a snowball rolling downhill, it spins and intensifies as it goes.

The key to intensity is complexity. You must make things increasingly more complex for the protagonist -- make it seem impossible to achieve his/her goal. This is why, when the protagonist does achieve the goal, it is all the more satisfying as an ending resolution, because it seemed like it would never happen.

Blake Snyder explains it this way: "More must be revealed along every step of the plot about your characters and what all this action means. To that end, you, the writer of this plot, must show how it affects your characters as you go along. You must show flaws, reveal treacheries, doubts, and fears of the heroes -- and threats to them. You must expose hidden powers, untapped resources, and dark motivations for the bad guys that the hero doesn't know about." (Save the Cat!, p. 151)

The best place to find what will make things the most complex in your second half is in your first half. Use this as a guideline on how to make things the worst they can possibly be. Even before a first draft is complete, you often inadvertently leave clues to yourself on how to finish the story.

Which is why I'm about to offer a bit of advice that I've recently gained as beneficial through my own experience, even though it kind of goes against what a lot of writers swear by...

When you get to the middle of your story, stop writing. Go back and read what you have from the beginning. Revise if you need to (major things only, though, or you might get caught in the editing trap). Take notes on what you already have in place -- both plot points and character traits -- that can possibly assist the story in the second half. What will make it more complex, more intense, and accelerate the plot toward the climax?

It can save you from the headache of rewriting later in an attempt to pump up a flat ending.  But only if you're organized, and can keep an objective view of your own writing while still in "first draft" mode. Many writers can't do the latter, which is why they suggest you just write, write, write! until your first draft is done, then go back and look it over. Well, sometimes when you do that, you realize that you supremely goofed up on, say, page 50 and now you have to completely rewrite the 250 pages that follow in order to fix it.

And it could have easily been avoided if you'd stopped to gauge your progress.

Compelling second halves don't happen by accident. They don't come about because the writer had a good momentum going for their first draft and "just went with it." The second half takes more planning, more deliberate writing/ less pantsing, and more well-thought out ideas. You must explore all your options and then select the most intense path that leads to the most satisfying ending.

It is no surprise that many people start novels and then don't finish them. Only the most dedicated writers have the skill and the stamina to see a story through to the end, and present it in the best way possible.

Happy writing,
~Lydia

Tuesday Tunes

Lydia's pick:




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