'Ello, loves.
I've been having such fun with the Spelunking Speculative Fiction series. Meeting and chatting with these authors has been...all sorts of things. Enlightening. Hilarious. Challenging.
Today, I'm introducing you to someone new to me. Jackie Castle, freelance writer, novelist, illustrator, educator. This woman has such imagination.
And here's what she's got to say about engaging your readers.
Showing posts with label writing tips. Show all posts
Showing posts with label writing tips. Show all posts
Kurt Vonnegut's 8 Rules for Writing
Were I to have the privilege of sitting somewhere in time past and listening to Kurt Vonnegut, I'm sure I would leave unsettled.
Shocked probably. Maybe irked. Moved, I think.
But I guarantee you this.
I would be uncomfortable with Things as They Are.
Shocked probably. Maybe irked. Moved, I think.
But I guarantee you this.
I would be uncomfortable with Things as They Are.
Spelunking Speculative Fiction: High Fantasy Rules!
High fantasy vs. low fantasy.
Nah, we're not watching them wrestle. We're talking about the difference. For many writers, low fantasy - fantasy that takes place in our world, whatever time period - is fun. You can focus on the plot twists and character, toss in paranormal details or magic, without having to come up with something other than Newton's laws.
The world was designed for you, and only the story - maybe a few other races of beings - are yours to create.
But in high fantasy, the world is yours. And so are the rules.
Nah, we're not watching them wrestle. We're talking about the difference. For many writers, low fantasy - fantasy that takes place in our world, whatever time period - is fun. You can focus on the plot twists and character, toss in paranormal details or magic, without having to come up with something other than Newton's laws.
The world was designed for you, and only the story - maybe a few other races of beings - are yours to create.
But in high fantasy, the world is yours. And so are the rules.
Get Your Grammar Fix(ed): Participles
Last week, I talked about verbs which masquerade as other parts of speech. For the sake of being thorough and keeping things together for our new readers, I'm bringing Perry Participle back for another round. If you read this last year, you're free to decide whether the refresher will benefit you or no.
When Verbs Go Incognito: Participles, Gerunds, and Infinitives
'Ello, loves.
Today's Get Your Grammar Fix(ed) features three infiltrators.
Sometimes, verbs be sneaky. They masquerade as other parts of speech, sneaking into adjectival and adverbial roles, relishing the danger and inherent risk of undercover work. They look like verbs, but they play other roles:
Participles.
Gerunds.
Infinitives.
I won't take long.
Participles are verb forms with either progressive -ing endings or past -ed endings. They function as adjectives.
Watch a transformation.
Short Son's imagination enthralls me.
Simple present active verb
Short Son's story-telling is enthralling too.
Present participle acting as an adjective, describing his story-telling
Enthralled, I listen to Short Son as he describes Sky Dancers.
Past participle, describing me as I listen
Enthralled by the depth of character and back story his nine-year-old mind can generate, Giant and I take notes.
Past participle introducing an entire participial phrase. These can be useful, but participial phrases can also be weasels. Don't say I didn't warn you.
Gerunds are verbs used as nouns. They end in -ing, and they can do just about anything a noun can do. I mean, they aren't going to function as a noun of direct address unless some Hollywood star names their child Believing or Dancing or I'm-Not-Wise-about-Naming, but I digress.
Brainstorming story ideas with my Giant is a favorite pastime.
But with hours on our hands, our family enjoys walking, playing board games, and re-watching favorite episodes of Doctor Who.
Infinitives consist of "to" plus the most basic form of the verb. Anything nouns can do, they can do...in a similar fashion. But they can also act as adjectives and adverbs, so look out. Since fiction writers are not oft called on to diagram sentences, I'll spare you the gory details.
One day, I want to live (noun)in a log cabin where I have a cozy space to read (adj), an energizing place to write (adj), a kitchen big enough to feed (adv) a family full of grandkids. But for now, I'll settle for a tiny cozy office in a crowded house full of love and noise.
All three of these--participles, gerunds, and infinitives--can add a little diversity to your writing. When you notice that your sentence structure feels and sounds repetitive, try replacing some common phrasing with one of these. But--as with any phrasing and wording combos--too much is too much.
Variety is the spice of fiction. You don't have to be a grammar nerd like me, but know the rules well enough to make a conscious decision about what's best for your sentence, paragraph, page, tone, mood, character's voice...I could go on ad nauseum.
PLAY with words.
Thanks for swinging by,
And thanks to Emory Allen, Caden Crawford, and Miles Harrison for the excellent images!
Today's Get Your Grammar Fix(ed) features three infiltrators.
Sometimes, verbs be sneaky. They masquerade as other parts of speech, sneaking into adjectival and adverbial roles, relishing the danger and inherent risk of undercover work. They look like verbs, but they play other roles:
Participles.
Gerunds.
Infinitives.
I won't take long.
Participles are verb forms with either progressive -ing endings or past -ed endings. They function as adjectives.
Watch a transformation.
Short Son's imagination enthralls me.
Simple present active verb
Short Son's story-telling is enthralling too.
Present participle acting as an adjective, describing his story-telling
Enthralled, I listen to Short Son as he describes Sky Dancers.
Past participle, describing me as I listen
Enthralled by the depth of character and back story his nine-year-old mind can generate, Giant and I take notes.
Past participle introducing an entire participial phrase. These can be useful, but participial phrases can also be weasels. Don't say I didn't warn you.
Gerunds are verbs used as nouns. They end in -ing, and they can do just about anything a noun can do. I mean, they aren't going to function as a noun of direct address unless some Hollywood star names their child Believing or Dancing or I'm-Not-Wise-about-Naming, but I digress.
Brainstorming story ideas with my Giant is a favorite pastime.
But with hours on our hands, our family enjoys walking, playing board games, and re-watching favorite episodes of Doctor Who.
Infinitives consist of "to" plus the most basic form of the verb. Anything nouns can do, they can do...in a similar fashion. But they can also act as adjectives and adverbs, so look out. Since fiction writers are not oft called on to diagram sentences, I'll spare you the gory details.
One day, I want to live (noun)in a log cabin where I have a cozy space to read (adj), an energizing place to write (adj), a kitchen big enough to feed (adv) a family full of grandkids. But for now, I'll settle for a tiny cozy office in a crowded house full of love and noise.
All three of these--participles, gerunds, and infinitives--can add a little diversity to your writing. When you notice that your sentence structure feels and sounds repetitive, try replacing some common phrasing with one of these. But--as with any phrasing and wording combos--too much is too much.
Variety is the spice of fiction. You don't have to be a grammar nerd like me, but know the rules well enough to make a conscious decision about what's best for your sentence, paragraph, page, tone, mood, character's voice...I could go on ad nauseum.
PLAY with words.
Thanks for swinging by,
And thanks to Emory Allen, Caden Crawford, and Miles Harrison for the excellent images!
Perfect Progressive Verbs
I hear Mike Myers--er, Linda Richman--in my head, hosting Coffee Talk, with the thick NY accent. "Perfect Progressive verb forms are neither perfect nor progressive. Discuss."
We'll hit this one fast and hard, because honestly? There are only a few legitimate reasons to use the perfect progressive verb form. And there's probably a better, simpler way to say the same thing. But for the sake of follow-through, here you go.
Just like the perfect form, you'll use a form of "have," to indicate that an action has ALREADY been completed before the time in question.
And just like your progressive forms, you'll use "-ing" to show CONTINUOUS action in that time frame.
Unless you have an absolutely legitimate reason to indicate that, up until the time in question, someone will have either a) continuously, b) frequently been performing some act, RESIST.
By the time you get to this example, you will have been reading for a solid minute, so it's time for me to sign off.
Thanks to the Roosevelts and Julie Edgely for the images.
We'll hit this one fast and hard, because honestly? There are only a few legitimate reasons to use the perfect progressive verb form. And there's probably a better, simpler way to say the same thing. But for the sake of follow-through, here you go.
Just like the perfect form, you'll use a form of "have," to indicate that an action has ALREADY been completed before the time in question.
Perfect: I have laughed.
I had laughed. I will have laughed.
And just like your progressive forms, you'll use "-ing" to show CONTINUOUS action in that time frame.
Progressive: We are discussing.
We were discussing. We will be discussing.
Only with perfect progressive, you combine them, clunkifying your sentence in an abhorrent fashion.
Present perfect progressive:
"has" or "have" + "been" + (verb)-ing
I have been telling my boys to go to bed for the last thirty minutes, so I am justifiably aggravated.
In fiction, I'd much rather read, "I already told them to go to bed. I'm done. It's on now." Of course, that is clearly fiction, because my children are perfect, and I am a mother who always does the right thing. (Oh, wait. I'm confused. One is fiction, one is non-fiction. You decide.)
Past perfect progressive: "had" + "been" + (verb)-ing
The unpredictable weather in those mountains endangered everyone without partiality. Rafe had been kayaking the day before the blizzard. He wasn't prepared, and the blinding snow kept him from the safety of the cabin.
There are times when this is necessary. If a writer chooses to tell the story in simple past tense and needs to indicate that something happened earlier--a memory, a flashback--this might be a good option. But don't overuse them. You can segue into the memory sequence or flashback and--once it's well-established--revert back to simple past. Just be sure it's clear when you come back to the main story timeline itself.
Now future perfect progressive:
"will have" + "been" + (verb)-ing
By the time you get to this example, you will have been reading for a solid minute, so it's time for me to sign off.
Thanks to the Roosevelts and Julie Edgely for the images.
Verbs: Keeping It Simple
Happy National Grammar Day, peoples. Let's get our Grammar Fix(ed)!
If you missed the bird's-eye view of verbs, check it out here. Today, we're going to home in on the simple forms of a verb.
The simple form indicates that an action occurs and usually implies that it wasn't repeated.
Or else what? Maybe the story will end badly. #SadTimes
Let's move on.
Every verb has five principle parts. I'll give a shout out to Kristen Brandsema Lowery and use "sprinkle" and "fall" as examples.
These five parts are used as building blocks for verbs in the English language. In many other languages, if a verb changes from singular to plural, or from first person to third, or from present to future perfect, prefixes and suffixes are added. The verbs themselves get longer.
In English, we like to make the WHOLE sentence longer. So how does this affect our writing? (C'mon. I'm an editor. You know I have an ulterior motive).
Listen, it takes effort to keep sentences tight. Tossing in a helping verb here and there is as easy as breathing. We're often careless. It's cutting back that challenges us.
Here's an important rule: As much as your story will allow, stick to the simple forms. They're uncomplicated, concise.
So quickly, the basics:
For all simple forms, you use either the present or the past principle part.
SIMPLE PAST: past
SIMPLE FUTURE: "will" + present
In fiction, most stories are told in the past tense, whether they're in first person or third person. But there's still one thing I see too often.
Thanks to Stuart Miles and allesmist for the images.
If you missed the bird's-eye view of verbs, check it out here. Today, we're going to home in on the simple forms of a verb.
The simple form indicates that an action occurs and usually implies that it wasn't repeated.
I choked on frozen Reese's pieces once.
Erynn stared in numb disbelief.
Now, we remember.
We joke.
But she will perform the Heimlich next time. Or else.
Or else what? Maybe the story will end badly. #SadTimes
Let's move on.
Every verb has five principle parts. I'll give a shout out to Kristen Brandsema Lowery and use "sprinkle" and "fall" as examples.
Infinitive: to sprinkle, to fall
Present: sprinkle(s), fall(s)
Past: sprinkled, fell
Present participle: sprinkling, falling
Past participle: sprinkled, fallen
These five parts are used as building blocks for verbs in the English language. In many other languages, if a verb changes from singular to plural, or from first person to third, or from present to future perfect, prefixes and suffixes are added. The verbs themselves get longer.
In English, we like to make the WHOLE sentence longer. So how does this affect our writing? (C'mon. I'm an editor. You know I have an ulterior motive).
Listen, it takes effort to keep sentences tight. Tossing in a helping verb here and there is as easy as breathing. We're often careless. It's cutting back that challenges us.
Here's an important rule: As much as your story will allow, stick to the simple forms. They're uncomplicated, concise.
So quickly, the basics:
For all simple forms, you use either the present or the past principle part.
SIMPLE PAST: past
Kristen sprinkled cinnamon on her hot cocoa.
I fell on the ice. #NotReally
SIMPLE PRESENT: present (See how easy these are?)
Freezing rain sprinkles the window sill and glazes everything I can see.
It seems like I fall once every year. #SoFarSoGood #MiraclesHappen
SIMPLE FUTURE: "will" + present
Boyfriend-Who-Is-My-Husband will sprinkle salt on the sidewalk, but I'm pretty sure I'll fall anyway. #Seriously
In fiction, most stories are told in the past tense, whether they're in first person or third person. But there's still one thing I see too often.
Simple past plus the infinitive. I didn't start to choke. I choked.
That grizzly doesn't begin to slip. He busts it. #FullRecovery
Though they exist, times when it's necessary to show something starting to happen are rare. Always look for ways to tighten the verbiage when you see those wind-ups.
Now...tell me some one-sentence stories in the comments. Use simple forms only.
One last CRUCIAL thing: Do NOT miss next week's Spelunking Speculative Fiction post from Susan Kaye Quinn, rocket scientist and indie author phenom just in time for her new release (on sale even now for $0.99). She'll give us the lowdown on worldbuilding in The Legacy Human (Singularity #1).
One last CRUCIAL thing: Do NOT miss next week's Spelunking Speculative Fiction post from Susan Kaye Quinn, rocket scientist and indie author phenom just in time for her new release (on sale even now for $0.99). She'll give us the lowdown on worldbuilding in The Legacy Human (Singularity #1).
Thanks to Stuart Miles and allesmist for the images.
Verb Tenses: A Bird's-Eye View
Get your grammar fix(ed) in a minute or less. For the next four Grammar posts (tucked in between our Spelunking Speculative Fiction posts), we're gonna get down and dirty with verb tenses.
Why? Because it's important to writing. Writing comes across as weak if your characters are only BEING instead of doing. Or if they're THINKING about their next plan of action. Honestly, even if they're STARTING to get to it.
They need to do it. Act.
Nobody wants to read about the windup. They want to watch the pitch. They want to trace the arc of the bat on the swing and the follow-through. See the ball rocket through the blue, clear the fence.
Is the windup important? Of course. But that doesn't mean it needs to own the page.
It gets a mention. It's the setup.
So let's figure out how to master the verb tenses. When we talk about verb tenses, we're actually discussing two different things:
I'll give you the bird's-eye view today, and then over the next four Get Your Grammar Fix(ed) posts, we'll land on theforms one at a time and take a look around.
We'll see how it applies to writing.
So hop on the back of this Middle Earth eagle with me, and let's get up there. See what's what.
(Yeah, that's a cool pic. I'll let you pause for a second.)
Okay. There are three verb tenses, and I think they require zero explanation. I'm sure you'll agree.
Why? Because it's important to writing. Writing comes across as weak if your characters are only BEING instead of doing. Or if they're THINKING about their next plan of action. Honestly, even if they're STARTING to get to it.
They need to do it. Act.
Nobody wants to read about the windup. They want to watch the pitch. They want to trace the arc of the bat on the swing and the follow-through. See the ball rocket through the blue, clear the fence.
Is the windup important? Of course. But that doesn't mean it needs to own the page.
It gets a mention. It's the setup.
So let's figure out how to master the verb tenses. When we talk about verb tenses, we're actually discussing two different things:
tense and form
We'll see how it applies to writing.
So hop on the back of this Middle Earth eagle with me, and let's get up there. See what's what.
(Yeah, that's a cool pic. I'll let you pause for a second.)
Okay. There are three verb tenses, and I think they require zero explanation. I'm sure you'll agree.
present
past
future
For each one of those tenses, there are four options to express the action. Each form implies something different.
simple
perfect
progressive
perfect-progressive
SIMPLE. The action happens (or doesn't, if you toss in "not"). Once. That's it.
Beat, Quinn sank into the chair.
PERFECT. The action already happened, before the time referenced in the rest of the sentence or paragraph.
Sandy didn't give a rip how tired he was. She had waited hours for news.
PROGRESSIVE. This is used when you need to indicate that the action continues during the given time frame.
"So," she said. "Spit it out. I'm listening."
PERFECT-PROGRESSIVE. Not as common, this form combines the perfect and the progressive forms. The action was happening continuously (or used to happen) before the time frame in the rest of the scene. If you write fiction, you better have a good reason to utilize this baby. It's cumbersome.
Quinn rolled his eyes.
"Don't. Don't do that. While you've been out there in the thick of this, I've had to sit here and wonder. My mind has been creating the worst possible scenarios. You need to fill me in."
Got it? These verb tenses and forms all get combined, and you use the combos to communicate exactly what you intend. In the weeks ahead, we'll discuss which work the best in fiction, and we'll talk about when the others could be argued as necessary.
But in general, it's best to keep it simple.
Here are all 12 tense/form combos in all their glory:
simple present
simple past
simple future
present perfect
past perfect
future perfect
present progressive
past progressive
future progressive
present perfect progressive
past perfect progressive
future perfect progressive
See? Even in a list, some of them look tiresome. You won't use all of these in your writing, but it happens.
It has happened.
It will be happening.
Occasionally.
Comment below with a sentence of your own imagination and tell me what tense and form the verb of the main clause is (if you dare).
Fist bumps and my respect if you get it right.
Lest you think I forgot, guess who won her choice of Seek and Hide or Found and Lost by Amanda G. Stevens?
Mary Beth Dahl.
That's who. Mary Beth, Amanda will be in touch.
Thanks for swinging by.
Thanks to Mutant Surfing, Brandon Dierker, and Chrisjtse for the images.
Quick Editing Tip: Confusing Words
Words can be confusing. As writers, we never want that.
It's not a good thing when your readers make this face: Wha?
Say whatcha need to say.
And DON'T let the spell check be your guide. It's not keen enough to discern subtle differences like these.
into vs. in to
onto vs. on to
apart vs. a part
Often, these words are tricksters, playing roles they were never meant to play. But those who know words well can recognize the impostor.
Both "into" and "onto" imply movement toward an object.
Those who stroll into the T.A.R.D.I.S. are stymied by the fact that it's bigger on the inside than the outside.
The Doctor jumped onto the megalith as he warned the insanely diverse alliance of enemy aliens.
See? Movement toward the T.A.R.D.I.S. or the megalith is implied. There's a difference in these sentences. While there might still be movement, rather than being toward an object, it's usually for some reason or result. That, or the "to" is part of an infinitive.
Everyone was snowed in to their delight (or to their frustration, as the case may be).
We're not snowed into our delight. That would be odd.
The runners pressed on to finish the race.
They didn't press onto the finish. They pressed on in order to finish. Unless you're dealing with stickers or fake nails, you're probably not going to be pressing onto anything. Think about the whole sentence. What are you truly trying to say?
Another quicky:
Ginny blinked, trying to regain her composure. "It's just, I can't stand to be apart. You're always gone so long."
Ginny blinked. Was he serious? "Not a chance. I can't stand to be a part of something so useless. I don't have much spare time as it is."
You'll find that there are several other words that play this trick on tired minds, and Spell check will fail you most of the time. Across, away, amid...Not only that, but who has the wherewithal or time to waste doing a Find and Replace on "a"?
Not a soul. Not a soul.
It's best if you cement this little lesson into your mind and remember it as you type. Look for it as you revise. Watch for it in anything you read. Double-check your Facebook status before you hit Enter.
Learn to be bothered by it just enough that it doesn't creep into your writing.
Then, you can go on to pour your words onto the page without the worry.
By the way, thanks for not giving up on us while we were down. It's a good thing to finally be able to sit in a chair without wincing.
And it'll be good to go on from here.
Thanks for swinging by,
Photo credit: snigl3t
It's not a good thing when your readers make this face: Wha?
Say whatcha need to say.
And DON'T let the spell check be your guide. It's not keen enough to discern subtle differences like these.
into vs. in to
onto vs. on to
apart vs. a part
Often, these words are tricksters, playing roles they were never meant to play. But those who know words well can recognize the impostor.
Both "into" and "onto" imply movement toward an object.
Those who stroll into the T.A.R.D.I.S. are stymied by the fact that it's bigger on the inside than the outside.
The Doctor jumped onto the megalith as he warned the insanely diverse alliance of enemy aliens.
See? Movement toward the T.A.R.D.I.S. or the megalith is implied. There's a difference in these sentences. While there might still be movement, rather than being toward an object, it's usually for some reason or result. That, or the "to" is part of an infinitive.
Everyone was snowed in to their delight (or to their frustration, as the case may be).
We're not snowed into our delight. That would be odd.
The runners pressed on to finish the race.
They didn't press onto the finish. They pressed on in order to finish. Unless you're dealing with stickers or fake nails, you're probably not going to be pressing onto anything. Think about the whole sentence. What are you truly trying to say?
Another quicky:
Ginny blinked, trying to regain her composure. "It's just, I can't stand to be apart. You're always gone so long."
Ginny blinked. Was he serious? "Not a chance. I can't stand to be a part of something so useless. I don't have much spare time as it is."
You'll find that there are several other words that play this trick on tired minds, and Spell check will fail you most of the time. Across, away, amid...Not only that, but who has the wherewithal or time to waste doing a Find and Replace on "a"?
Not a soul. Not a soul.
It's best if you cement this little lesson into your mind and remember it as you type. Look for it as you revise. Watch for it in anything you read. Double-check your Facebook status before you hit Enter.
Learn to be bothered by it just enough that it doesn't creep into your writing.
Then, you can go on to pour your words onto the page without the worry.
By the way, thanks for not giving up on us while we were down. It's a good thing to finally be able to sit in a chair without wincing.
And it'll be good to go on from here.
Thanks for swinging by,
Photo credit: snigl3t
Oh the conflict!
Helllloooooo, dear readers! We're back. Well, I (Erynn) am. Hope you had a lovely Christmas and a happy New Year. Between the two of us, we traveled 1,500 miles, battled morning sickness, laryngitis, and double pneumonia, probably ate two dozen cookies (if by two you realize I mean six), and packed and unpacked an entire house.
But we're back. And we're going to put our Decisions, Decisions series on hold until we're both back up and around and more unpacked.
So, today I'm going to drop a couple pointers on conflict. The first is simple.
HAVE IT. Every story needs conflict. In fact, every scene needs it. Even in picture books, the bunny wants the carrot in the angry farmer's field, or the child's doll has a broken arm. In every story, someone has to want something they can't have (or at least they think they can't). Give your characters obstacles. Be it an antagonist, their own personal/emotional issues, or nature itself. Heck, why not all three? Nothing is more boring than a conflict-less story. No one wants to read a book about a bunch of happy people that never argue and who never have anything bad happen to them. Snooooore.
The second pointer is . . . MAKE IT WORSE. This is especially true for suspense writers, but a good tip for all writers. Make sure the problems you throw at your characters aren't all just silly and superficial. You see this sometimes in romance novels where you're thinking, "Oh come on! Just have a conversation, and this would all be over!" The romantic dithering.
At several points along the way, especially near the climax of your story, you should ask yourself, what's the worst thing that could happen to my character right now? Then make that happen. Then . . . do it again. Keep making it worse until it feels like there's no way out. Then find a way out.
Ronie Kendig is the queen of this. Her books are all, "Oh no, I'm surrounded by venomous snakes in a cave that's running out of oxygen. And I'm severely claustrophobic. Wait! I hear someone coming. I'm saved! No! It's the Taliban. I have to find a way to escape them. Maybe if I . . . AVALANCHE!!!" She never gives the reader a chance to breathe before the next crisis. And that's what you want.
When you lose conflict, you give the reader a chance to put your book down and walk away. Your goal should be to keep 'em up all night. And how do you do that . . . ?
CONFLICT.
Now go forth and make it worse!
But we're back. And we're going to put our Decisions, Decisions series on hold until we're both back up and around and more unpacked.
So, today I'm going to drop a couple pointers on conflict. The first is simple.
HAVE IT. Every story needs conflict. In fact, every scene needs it. Even in picture books, the bunny wants the carrot in the angry farmer's field, or the child's doll has a broken arm. In every story, someone has to want something they can't have (or at least they think they can't). Give your characters obstacles. Be it an antagonist, their own personal/emotional issues, or nature itself. Heck, why not all three? Nothing is more boring than a conflict-less story. No one wants to read a book about a bunch of happy people that never argue and who never have anything bad happen to them. Snooooore.
The second pointer is . . . MAKE IT WORSE. This is especially true for suspense writers, but a good tip for all writers. Make sure the problems you throw at your characters aren't all just silly and superficial. You see this sometimes in romance novels where you're thinking, "Oh come on! Just have a conversation, and this would all be over!" The romantic dithering.
At several points along the way, especially near the climax of your story, you should ask yourself, what's the worst thing that could happen to my character right now? Then make that happen. Then . . . do it again. Keep making it worse until it feels like there's no way out. Then find a way out.
Ronie Kendig is the queen of this. Her books are all, "Oh no, I'm surrounded by venomous snakes in a cave that's running out of oxygen. And I'm severely claustrophobic. Wait! I hear someone coming. I'm saved! No! It's the Taliban. I have to find a way to escape them. Maybe if I . . . AVALANCHE!!!" She never gives the reader a chance to breathe before the next crisis. And that's what you want.
When you lose conflict, you give the reader a chance to put your book down and walk away. Your goal should be to keep 'em up all night. And how do you do that . . . ?
CONFLICT.
Now go forth and make it worse!
Decisions, Decisions Part I
When you first sit down to write your novel, and that blank page is staring you in the face, you have several decisions to make before you ever start writing. Over the next couple of weeks, we'll walk you through these choices.
This week we'll start with tense and POV. First, tense. Should you write in past or present? Past is by far the most common. Usually your POV character (or narrator) is telling the story of something that has already taken place: "He strode into the room and fired a warning shot into the ceiling. Bits of plaster fell like snow."
Sometimes you want a stronger sense of immediacy, or you want the story to seem to unfold as it's happening. Maybe something is going to happen at the end that you don't want the characters to know about, or the narrator is going to die (which obviously you can't tell about in past tense). Then it's fine to use present tense. It's most often used along with first person. "I steal down the hall, avoiding the creaking floor boards. When I reach the door, I hold my breath as I turn the knob."
Just be sure you know WHY you're making that decision, and above all STAY IN THAT TENSE. No changing back and forth once you've decided.
Of course, there's also future tense, but I don't know of any books written in future. That would be . . . weird. Awkward. "He will caress her face with the back of his fingers. She'll lean into his touch." Yeah . . . don't use future.
This brings us to Point of View. You've got first, second, and third. First is the I/me/we perspective. We see this most often these days in Young Adult novels or Chick-Lit. It works best if you have only one POV character.
Third person is the most common because it works for multiple POVS. He/she/they. Most often each chapter is written in third person limited (no head hopping--only one POV character per chapter). There's also third person omniscient, where the narrator is not one of the characters, but an outside force who sees and knows every character's thoughts and feelings. This is NOT the same as head hopping and is tricky to do well, but when done well, can be really awesome.
Then, there's second person. You. This is the "Choose Your Own Adventure" POV. Outside of that genre, I don't recommend it.
So . . . questions? Have you written or read a book in any of the "uncommon" tenses or points of view? What effect did it have?
Sometimes you want a stronger sense of immediacy, or you want the story to seem to unfold as it's happening. Maybe something is going to happen at the end that you don't want the characters to know about, or the narrator is going to die (which obviously you can't tell about in past tense). Then it's fine to use present tense. It's most often used along with first person. "I steal down the hall, avoiding the creaking floor boards. When I reach the door, I hold my breath as I turn the knob."
Just be sure you know WHY you're making that decision, and above all STAY IN THAT TENSE. No changing back and forth once you've decided.
Of course, there's also future tense, but I don't know of any books written in future. That would be . . . weird. Awkward. "He will caress her face with the back of his fingers. She'll lean into his touch." Yeah . . . don't use future.
This brings us to Point of View. You've got first, second, and third. First is the I/me/we perspective. We see this most often these days in Young Adult novels or Chick-Lit. It works best if you have only one POV character.
Third person is the most common because it works for multiple POVS. He/she/they. Most often each chapter is written in third person limited (no head hopping--only one POV character per chapter). There's also third person omniscient, where the narrator is not one of the characters, but an outside force who sees and knows every character's thoughts and feelings. This is NOT the same as head hopping and is tricky to do well, but when done well, can be really awesome.
Then, there's second person. You. This is the "Choose Your Own Adventure" POV. Outside of that genre, I don't recommend it.
So . . . questions? Have you written or read a book in any of the "uncommon" tenses or points of view? What effect did it have?
You're Better Than That. Avoiding Clichés in Your Characters and Plot Devices
’Ello, loves! We’re back for the final Stay-Away-from-Cliché-Installment. We’ve covered phrases and idioms, overused gestures and descriptions. Today we bring you…
Story and character clichés.
You can’t come up with a truly unique plot, because only ten exist (depending on whose list of tropes you use). But you
can put a unique spin on the pieces of the puzzle.
First, character clichés. Stay away from stereotypes in general, but there are several character clichés that creep into otherwise good stories. Watch out for these guys when you're crafting your main characters.
(If you want to write REALLY well, keep them out of your supporting cast too).
You know who I mean:
- The Big Oaf
- The Cheerleader/Athlete
- The Warrior Princess
- The New Girl
- The Bad Boy
- The Geek
- The Sage
- The Chauvinist
- The Mustache-Twirling Villain
- The list goes on…
If you want to use a variation on any of these characters, give them a paradoxical quality. Otherwise, they’re about as interesting
as…anything you’ve already seen a million times before.
Surprise people.
I saw a novel once about a narcoleptic detective. What the what?
There’s NOTHING cliché about
that possibility.
Take the normal, and brainstorm like mad.
- Gregory House, MD. The brilliant medical-puzzle-solver...and egocentric drug addict.
- Jason Bourne. Robert Ludlum’s CIA-programmed black-ops human weapon who is capable of love and regret.
- Valkyrie. Steven James’s villain genius who values both “the game” and the sanctity of life.
- Ron Swanson. The steak-devouring man’s man who hates the government but works a government job—and who’s as loyal a friend as you could ever need.
- Samwise Gamgee. A quiet gardener and trustworthy friend with more courage and faith than Sauron sees coming.
- Miss Skeeter. Kathryn Stockett’s spunky red-headed writer who cares more about befriending the help than finding a husband in 1960s Jackson, Mississippi.
- Abbey Sciuto. Ridiculously kind and naïve Goth who lives with nuns, sleeps in a coffin, and is both artistic and science-minded.
- Rogue. X-Men’s compassionate and insecure mutant who has the power to suck life from anyone.
- Bones (Temperance Brennan). Brilliant, socially awkward, intensely rational FBI consultant, majorly lacking people skills--but close with her co-workers and capable of strong emotional connection.
- Angela. Christopher Paolini’s quirky herbalist who follows no one’s rules but her own and is FAR more important than anyone thinks. With a weapon cache Chuck Norris would envy.
Let’s go in a
different direction now. There are plot devices
that have become cliché, too. They pop up all over, but they honestly
amount to lazy writing. You’ll recognize them, I’m sure.
- The moment of waking. Sure, your main character will have to wake up sometimes (every morning, no doubt), but don’t feel like you need us to begin every day with her. And if you can, have her wake up in a different setting. Once or two "wake-ups" are more than enough. Choose wisely.
- Introspection while looking in the mirror. I get it. I do. What better moment for your character to take stock of her life? I mean, if she’s already scrutinizing her outward self, why not gaze into the depths of her own soul and analyze who she’s become? (Easy answer: Because someone has to stop the madness.) Let her pick up an old photo or a keepsake. Or use dialogue to trigger her inward journey.
- It was all a dream. Please. Just, no. ESPECIALLY not in the first chapter. Your readers will feel like they've been lied to …because they have. The characters, the world, the motivations—everything they’ve latched onto wasn’t even the real story. You can occasionally use a dream sequence later in the novel, but do it well, and for the Pete of Sake, make it worthwhile.
- Literally bumping into the love interest. He, of course, helps pick up the items she dropped in the debacle. Your couple-to-be can meet a million other ways. Be creative.
- Finding a bomb with only seconds to spare. As soon as you read this, you're picturing the big, red, digital numbers showing the countdown. Am I right? Whether the bomb gets defused or everyone dives for cover, it's been done so many times that even Bruce Willis would have a hard time making it unique. (Which makes me wonder, how many times has he acted this scenario out?) Maybe that also explains why I gave up on his movies long ago. Too much the same...
- The prologue. It used to be new and intriguing. A hint of back story in the beginning. These days, it's rarely necessary. Ask yourself whether you can weave in the same details bit by bit as the story progresses. If you can, then the prologue is just lazy. If there is no other way to make the audience aware of something crucial, then go for it. Perhaps a character who has no other POV opportunity wants a moment to speak.
- Flashback. Remember what I said about the prologue? Same deal. Weave in what you can organically, using dialogue, deep POV, or internal thought. And if you must, make sure your transitions to and from are clear and un-clunkified.*
You want to be a writer. You ARE a writer. Have fun coming up with your OWN nuances, gestures, and descriptions. Be creative.
We do this because we love words, right? So even when it's daunting, tackle it. Sculpt your words into a work of art.
This week, we've got another free-edit contest--but this time I'm the one doing the editing. Anyone who comments with another character or plot cliché will be entered to win a five-page edit!
Looking forward to hearing from you! Thanks for swinging by.
Thanks to Rileyroxx and Jusben for the pics.
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