On Writing: The Essence and Passion of a Story

Last year Pixar storyboard artist Emma Coats tweeted 22 rules of storytelling. Now that I’m knee-deep into a first draft again (writing the sequel to my m/m/m menage MORE), I keep going back to some of those tips she mentioned when it comes to the basics of storytelling.

Two of my favorites are:
 

“Why must you tell THIS story? What's the belief burning within you that your story feeds off of? That's the heart of it.” -- Emma Coats

“What's the essence of your story? Most economical telling of it? If you know that, you can build out from there.” -- Emma Coats

 

I think these go hand in hand when writing a first draft. I have to know the basics of what I’m trying to say and I have to be driven to share that story. I believe if the author lacks a passion for writing any particular story, the readers can tell.

When first starting a novel-length book, if I don’t have a firm grasp on the core concept of the story as well as the passion to tell that story, I stumble my way through the first draft, going back over the plot outline and who the characters are at their core until I land on the truth of what I’m trying to say.

Some questions I ask myself:

- Who are these men? What do they believe about love? What goals do they have in life? What are their biggest dreams? What are their biggest fears? All of these can help drive the plot.

- What are the basics of the plot in one sentence? One paragraph?

- What is the ending of the story? What happens just before the ending? How are the characters emotionally impacted by the conclusion of the plot?

- What in my own life (what experiences, dreams, hopes, imaginations) is influencing me to write this story?

- What is it about my own beliefs and passions about living life that stirs me to write this story about these characters?

For me the journey of discovering all this is what makes storytelling such a powerful, enjoyable experience. It may stretch out the process of writing that initial draft, but I think my stories would not be the same (and neither would I) without it.

You can read the full list of Coats’s tweets here:
The 22 rules of storytelling, according to Pixar
 


Award-winning author Sloan Parker writes passionate, dramatic stories about two men (or more) falling in love. Sloan enjoys writing in the fictional world because in fiction you can be anything, do anything...even fall in love for the first time over and over again. She lives in Ohio with her partner and their neurotic cats where her greatest moments in life are spent with her family, her friends, and her characters. You can learn more about Sloan and her writing at www.sloanparker.com.

The Big Picture: Some Things Do Get Easier

With the start of 2011 came the revising phase of the two erotic romances I’ve been working on for the past few months. One is a suspense featuring Walter Simon from MORE; the other is a friends-to-lovers story, and both include a passionate romance that steams up the e-reader (or so I hope).

Since revising is where most of my energy is focused lately, that’s what today’s post is all about.

I’ll be editing these manuscripts for a while before I dig into a new project, but that doesn’t bother me. I enjoy going over and over a story, adding in the little details that build stronger characters and increase the emotions and sexual tension.

One of my writing goals for this year is to write faster, which means producing fewer drafts for each project. I thought I did pretty well on these latest “first drafts” until I started reviewing one of the manuscripts. There are more plot and pacing revisions needed than I had expected.

It’s not a bad thing, though. With one day of frustration and three productive days of making revision notes, I’ve figured out some of the issues. I feel good about that. There are many times I’m too close to my work and can’t see the big picture. I’m hoping this means I’m getting better at objectively examining my writing.

Working out these issues has taught me a few things:

1) It gets easier to cut scenes.
Not sure if it’s because I’m cutting scenes early in my self-editing process or because after working with Loose Id on two books, I’m able to see issues more clearly and accept that the story will be stronger if I make the cuts. Whatever the reason, I’ve spent the last two days cutting and combining scenes, and I can see the improvements at a higher level.

2) Listen to my internal reader.
When writing a scene, I shouldn’t focus solely on whether the scene is right for the story (is it moving the plot along, is it building characterization, etc.) but also ask myself if it’s a scene readers will find interesting. The most important scene for the story’s plot may very well be the most boring, non-essential scene for a romance reader.

3) Listen to my gut.
If my gut tells me to veer off the planned outline, I should do it! Many writers who plot out their books beforehand will admit this is an important point to accept when it comes to effective plotting, and I was reminded of that this week. Sometimes even the best laid plans need to be revised once they are put into action.

4) Magical things happen after that first draft.
As I took note of the necessary revisions and locations for adding details, I could see the story strengthening and was reminded that layering in emotions and characterizations is what makes a story unique. This is the part where I love being a writer.

So yeah, it might take some time to get these books ready to submit to my editor, but I feel like I’m on the right path and that’s a great place to be.

Sloan Parker
www.sloanparker.com

How do Authors Write?

Ever wondered just how your favourite authors... well, write?

Take a look over at Teddy Pig's blog. He's previewing screenshots from authors using Scrivener as their writing tool of choice.

I've used Scrivener for a while now and LOVE it. It's so easy to bring everything together - research, links, images (even sound I think) so it's always in one spot just waiting for the moment you need it.

It's an OCD planner/outliner's wet dream, but still perfect even for a pantser like me for helping me stay on track. Check out some of the things 2.0 can do. I know I barely touch the surface of what I could do with this software.

For $45 Scrivener is so worth the money, it's not funny.

5 Things You Can Do to Boost Your Writing Career Now

As the year winds down, inevitably we begin to assess the old year and make our resolutions for the new. This pause for reflection is -- as Martha would say -- a good thing. At least I think it is. As someone who gets asked a lot for writing and publishing advice I thought I would direct my post today to the writers among us.

I was going to say to the "frustrated writers" among us, but that's a given.

So here they are. Five little things you can do right now with guaranteed results to boost your career and slim your wais--er. Sorry. I got carried away. Five little things you can do that will serve you well in the remaining years of your career. (Now that sounds like the Ghost of Christmas Future pointing a skeletal finger at the headstone...)

Five little things you ca -- never mind. Just read them.


1 - Stop bitching about your writing career.

In public. Key word is public. Knock. It. Off. Stop the kvetching about the bad reviews, the incompetent publishers, the indifferent readers, your selfish and overrated fellow writers. Turn off the faucet, you're wasting water.

What happens when you post these moans on the lists, blogs, and discussion groups you belong to? Ten other equally frustrated writers jump in with their own moans and horror stories. Does anyone EVER have a practical fix for the problem? Any problem? No. Of course not. These things are a fact of publishing life. They are the downside to what is a pretty cool job, after all.

I'm not suggesting you keep a stiff upper lip about the slings and arrows and outrageous misfortune of your publishing career. I'm suggesting you save it for your writer friends. Why? Because a lot of success -- any success in any field -- is about image. If you announce to the world that you're not very successful or not as successful as you want to be...what image do you think you're projecting?

2 - Analyze the data.

You've got data. You've got your royalty schedules, you've got your Amazon sales figures, you've got your website tracking, Facebook and Twitter algorithms...you've probably got more data than you know what to do with.

Well, here's what you do with it. Sit down and study it. You want to see steady incremental growth everywhere. In most businesses, three to five percent annual growth is pretty good. Maybe it's not as fast as you'd like, but it's solid, real growth.

Next, start figuring out what the variables are. What did you do differently on the weak months? Try and narrow it down. It's not just as simple as I wrote BDSM that month and BDSM always kicks ass. Consider titles, covers, who else had a book release that month, your promo efforts, whether you had multiple titles releasing, how close you were to holidays, etc.

Really look at those figures. Make a note of what worked and what didn't seem to work as well. And moving forward, track it. All of it.


3 - Update your website.

I'm as guilty of this as anyone. If you don't offer fresh content, readers won't continue to return, and if they don't return on a regular basis, it could be weeks, even months before they notice you've got a new release out.

Make sure your website is up to date and easy to navigate.

What kind of content should you have on your website? Cover art and excerpts -- and the preorder link as soon as you get it. Review snippets -- and don't forget to reward the better reviewers with name mentions and/or links. If you've got a blog, link it. If you belong to Twitter, put that up on your news page like so. (Actually, it's too far down on that page -- I need to talk to my weblord).

Have a news page where you post where you're appearing and what you're doing -- and update it often.

4 - Stop directing your promo efforts toward other writers.

Yes, we do buy and read and review each other's work, but we are NOT our target audience. Why? Because as much as I love your books -- and I do love many of your books -- in my hardscrabble struggle to survive in this jungle, I don't have the time to read that I once did. I read maybe a book a month. Your average ebook reader (the human kind) reads a book or two or three a week.

Quit talking to the other writers and start seeking out that rarest commodity -- the reader who has no desire to become a writer. This leads us back to 5TYCDtBYWCN #1. Whinging in public. Readers don't like it. They don't understand half of what you're talking about (nor should they) but they do get that you sound negative and angry and frustrated.

Now, lest I be misread, I'm not saying ignore other writers -- thank God for other writers and their friendship as they help keep us sane -- but look at the composition of your Twitter followers and Facebook followers and etc. If they are largely other writers, then those numbers are misleading.

Also misleading (painfully misleading, apparently) are those gigantic lists of strangers that some people "friend." Puhleaze.

You want quality not quantity. I know when I see a lame-ass writer with 3000+ friends that 3000+ people are not buying his books. (Which is why he whines in public about poor sales!) You want to build a focused fan base of folks who really do love your work and really will buy everything you write as quickly as they can afford to do so. Three hundred people who buy everything you write is waaaay better than 3000+ people who are talking at the same time and didn't even notice you had a new book out.

A key way to appeal to readers? Talk to readers about things of interest to readers. Quit showing off for other writers. Quit talking about stuff readers don't care about. And don't...how can I say this kindly. Censor the personal information. I'm sorry you have toenail fungus. I'm sorry your husband left you. I'm sorry your employer fired you for writing porn on company time. But this is not information to share with your reading public. When you're a venerable publishing icon of eighty, do you really want some of these posts dug up? It's like getting a tattoo. Sure, it's cool right now, but once your butt is sagging and your breasts are down to your knees, do you really want that misshapen butterfly as a reminder you were twenty once?

I don't know. Maybe you do. I don't.

5 - Say please and thank you.

Not a week goes by that someone isn't asking for my advice on...you name it. Everything from a definiton of cozy mysteries to my experiences with a particular publisher. And with the exception of the guy who recently asked how I first got published (seriously?!) I always answer to the best of my ability. And do you know how many people bother to thank me for taking time out of my schedule to answer their questions? A handful. What am I? The Encyclopedia Britannica? I've got my own problems, folks. I expect at least a polite, Thanks, Josh!

Manners count in this business as in everywhere else in the world. Yes, I know. We've become a society that blabs our most personal, private business on the phone in public, but manners are all part of networking, and part of how you get ahead in this business is networking. I don't forget slights and I am loyal to my friends.

And I am not unique in any respect.

Don't make enemies where you don't have to. Be polite -- treat others as you would wish to be treated -- and do the obvious basics. Don't demand, ask nicely -- say please. Say thank you. Be patient. Be fair-minded. And when someone wrongs you, destroy them. Wait! That just slipped out. Don't destroy them. Walk a mile in their fuzzy slippers. Cut them slack. We're all busy, overworked and underpaid, we're all worried that we're not where we need to be, we're all...human.

Don't forget the human element in all this. We're none of us perfect, we're all of us learning as we go along. We're all doing the best we can with the tools that we've got. That's probably the number one lesson.

Happy Holidays! Health and happiness to you and yours. May 2011 be a productive and successful year for you.

Rituals

Recently, an interviewer asked me if I had any rituals before I started writing. I can't really remember offhand what my answer was; mostly it had to do with finding a quiet spot away from the normal distractions of our household. Maybe a little meditation to get me focused, but that was pretty much it. I can sit down and start writing cold, pretty much anytime or anywhere.

Well, that was a lie. Not an intentional one, but still, events of this night and morning have brought home to me just what a obsessive/compulsive person I am about writing. You see, I believe that writing is a craft that is powered by discipline. Yes, it's a creative art, but unfortunately, I don't run off inspiration 24/7. I'm moody and a bit lazy, and there are times when I'd much rather be outside playing than inside facing my computer. So I believe in discipline. But what I believe about myself isn't always true.

In November, I participated in NaNoWriMo, the big writing marathon that runs through the entire month. I did well, I believe I ended a bit over 52 thousand words. I completed 2 novellas and got a healthy start on a novel. Once I cleaned up one my novellas and submitted it last week, that left me facing some decisions on what to do next.

After a few days I picked my project, the sequel to Belle Starr. Fortunately, I did some early work on the book many months ago, so I'm not starting from scratch. I've got my story plotted, my characters developed and really, it should be a breeze.

Well, it isn't being easy.

I sit down, open the document and scan the work I've done. Then I take a break. That can be time on Facebook or Twitter. Maybe I'll catch up on email or write to my daughter. I'll do some "research." Usually that has to do with another project completely. I'll open another file and work on something unrelated, or go read a book. Then I return to the manuscript. This process continues for days. In the middle of the night, I get up and make muffins or go in the bathroom and search for grey hairs. Maybe take a bath and give myself a facial.

Anything...anything to avoid the manuscript that's waiting.

I finally figured out that there's not really a problem, this is simply a method of preparing my mind to turn itself over to the new book. Once I've finally submitted to the task at hand, I'll sit down and work steadily. Those hours and days that I've dithered haven't really been a waste; on some subconsious level I've been organizing my thoughts and diving into the characters. I'll go searching for music on You Tube or sorting through photos on stock photo sites. Sometimes I'll grab onto a line of poetry or a comment that someone makes in a movie. This is all fodder, setting the mood for the time to come.

Thankfully, these rituals don't always last for days on end, this is generally when I'm letting go of one story and family of characters and embracing the next project. As I sit here at 3:00am, I think that I'm nearly ready to let go of the last book and move on to the next. Of course, I'm writing a blog about my ritual of avoidance, so maybe I'm not as ready as I thought. But maybe tomorrow I will be.

Visit Belinda at her website: http://www.belindamcbride.com

Keep on trying

I sat down today and had a time coming up with a topic. I kept bouncing around first sentences.

But, I didn’t give up.

And that’s when I decided what my topic should be on. Perseverance.

Goodness knows, in this business, you need it. Very few people have it easy. Most have rejection notes. Enough to paper their walls. Most have times where their careers do not run smoothly.

Sherrilyn Kenyon once couldn’t sell a thing, to the point, she almost gave up. The key is almost. She scrounged money for a stamp on one last proposal to send out, and that was the one.

Stephen King threw Carrie in the trash. He was almost to the point of throwing in the towel, but he didn’t. That’s the book that got him started.

And, look at where both of them are today.

There are days I really don’t want to answer mail, do promotions, or even some days, write. But I keep at it. I have a Snoopy figurine on my desk. He’s sitting on his doghouse, pounding away at the keys. That’s my inspiration to be perseverant. If Snoopy can do it, so can I.

Whatever your dream, keep on pursuing reaching it.

Mechele Armstrong aka Lany of Melany Logen
www.mechelearmstrong.com
www.melanylogen.com

The Eyes Have It

"Dammit!" Dr. Raoul Martinque’s eyes spat fire.


Unless you’re penning Fantasy, Horror, or Alternate Universe, you should never write anything about someone’s eyes spitting fire.

Or shooting icicles.

Or turning to liquid pools.

Or dropping to the floor, or flying to someone else’s face, or flashing, snapping, crackling or popping.

Well, maybe I’ll give you popping. Because sometimes people’s eyes really do seem to pop open. That one’s arguable. But I’ve never seen anyone’s eyes spit fire or shoot icicles -- or even daggers.

Granted, I know what you mean by these descriptive phrases -- I think we all know what you mean -- but this is beyond cliché, this is just plain old bad writing. So why do inexperienced writers (and a few hacks) keep latching on to them?

Well, partly because these kinds of descriptives used to be popular in the days of pulp fiction -- and, unfortunately, are still popular in the kind of romance fiction that gives romance writers a bad name.

By the way, for a really entertaining, and ultimately instructive book on writing, get hold of a copy of GUN IN CHEEK by Bill Pronzini. It’s one of the funniest things I ever read.

Also these phrases have a primitive effectiveness about them. We understand what the writer means by “eyes spitting fire.” We know it’s not meant to be taken literally, and people’s expressions do change when they’re angry or affectionate or amorous. Good writing is precise writing, so it’s natural to want to capture these expressions and emotions.

I think there’s a lot of truth to the idea of eyes being the window to the soul; you can read a person pretty accurately when you’re able to look her in the face. Which is one reason why eyes are so important in writing romance -- if someone meets someone else’s eyes, it should signify A Moment. It shouldn’t be there just because the author thought it was time to throw in some stage business.

Eyes narrow, they widen, and…I’m going to regret saying this, I bet…they do sometimes seem to darken, lighten, even…uh…sparkle. They don’t really sparkle, but writing is a delicate balance between realism and symbolism. So to an extent readers understand that characters in romance novels have sapphire eyes or emerald eyes or even topaz, silver, golden, or jade eyes that sparkle -- all of which I personally really, really hate, but here I know I’m outvoted by many romance readers who like these artistic liberties. In fact, these descriptions seem to function like code. Which means they’re a useful shorthand between author and reader.

And even I have to admit that there are people who have a certain glint or shine in their eyes -- a liveliness that for lack of better word could be called “sparkle.”

My personal thought is you should always try to capture the physical reality of what you’re trying to describe. Faces tighten with anger, they soften with tenderness, brows draw together in thought -- these are clichés too, but they more accurately capture the physical possibilities of the human face. You can get away with a bit of this if you use it sparingly.


What you want to do, if possible, is describe things in fresh ways, but there’s a limit. You can strain a metaphor too far, and any description that brings the reader up short, is not effective. Anything that yanks the reader out of the story, makes her or him go…huh? Or, worse, laugh, is a mistake. You want the reader in the moment with you -- with the characters. Not squinching his own face in an effort to figure out whether something is anatomically possible.

Now where you can get away with using some of these hokey descriptives is if they show up in the internal dialog or thoughts of your POV character. A certain smart-ass tone of voice allows for observations that in flat narrative would be cliché, but in that character’s head become “voice.”

The point of writing romance is…it’s supposed to be romantic. So you have a certain amount of artistic license. Use discretion. Use moderation. Use common sense. Don’t make me flash my eyes at you.