Friday, 29 July 2016

Story Prompts

If your brain is not as full as mine and you need ideas.

I have many pinned many images on Pinterest that fire the neurons in my brain and start a story flow. Today I wandered around a small town on the edge of Lake Como and found my own.

I hope they add to a story you are writing or begin a new one.



Where do these steps take you?
Who lives at the bottom?
Would your main character dare to find out?



The tree root has melted? 
Or is is eating the stone?
Or is it morphing into something else?


Thursday, 28 July 2016

Plot so simple.

The writer's brain never stops.

At the time I usually write this blog I was having a picnic lunch with my hubby in Italy, having just crossed the mountains from Switzerland.




But my writing brain was not idle on the journey. I read a YA book with the simplest of plots. 
A girl wants to attend the best music school in the country to play guitar. She loses a finger on her fretting hand.
That's it.
There are sub plots and romance. Its an entertaining story and kept me occupied for much of the six hour journey.

Made me think about 'The Finder' and understand why the agents said to simplify. The original version s like a giant onion, far too many layers for the reader to eat. I am removing some of the plots. They may be used in a sequel or a parallel story. 

Does your plot have too many layers?

I leave you with the view from a window in my work/holiday apartment in Lecco.
This is part of the mountain range which surrounds Lake Como. 


Earlier, dragon-shaped clouds lifted free from the mountain top, and dispersed into the blue sky...


Wednesday, 27 July 2016

Weeding your Characters


Too many characters may choke your story.



Continuing IOWA course learning.
I tend to keep to a main character and a few secondary ones. maybe one day I will try a large cast.

If you are brave enough to write a story with a large cast these ideas may help.

First question is WHY?
Why is it important to the story to have so many characters? 
Who really supports the main characters and the plot?
How does each character contribute to the narrative?
How does each character bring a different view to the story?

As a writer you need to be clear as to who is the most important and who is only adding some colour. If you are clear about this then the reader will be too.

Weeding - 

Try creating a family tree with the primary character at the top. Link via relation ship to main character. If too far removed , maybe unnecessary.

Divide your characters into Primary, Secondary and Tertiary

Primary- 
You will know this character. their past, thoughts, flaws and secrets.
They will have conflicts which are raised at the beginning of the story and continue throughout.

Secondary - 
You will know relevant information about the present story line, may have flashbacks to past but generally no past info is needed to support the role.
may have some conflicts which last for a couple of scenes and are resolved- often in relation to the primary character.

Tertiary - 
These characters are used to throw light or views on other characters, or the plot- especially the Primary.
No big conflicts, may have some issues but not to be dealt with, only to move the plot on. May have some issues with the Primary, but not personal ones.
It is a good idea to give a tertiary character a tag- an accent / relationship / food or clothing / attitude so the reader is clued in when they appear infrequently.


As usual read -
Read stories with large casts and analyse how the author has used them. 
Notice if there are characters you skip over as you read- why? Are they needed?

Good luck.


Tuesday, 26 July 2016

Art of Dialogue

A short burst of words from me today.

A little more from the IOWA course.

Good dialogue reveals the character's voice 
It advances the plot without being obvious.
Dialogue needs to be natural, but not realistic.
Dialogue can be basic, while the narrative is complex.
It can convey emotional and psychological information - through the way words are chosen and the tone.



How to achieve it-
Listen to conversations and note how many times' er, um, yeah' is used. This would annoy a reader.
Avoid too much dialect.
Don't overuse punctuation.
Read your dialogue aloud- or get someone else to read it to you.
Sometimes what is not said it as effective as what is.
Do not use dialogue to info dump.
Do not let your character explain the use or presence of something they would see as normal or everyday. Find another way to convey this information.
A huge amount of our dialogue is conveyed through body language, add it rather than a dialogue tag.

'You are completely mad.' He backed up against the wall, his hands raised in front of his face.

'You are completely mad.' She threw herself into his arms and kissed him.

Avoid dialogue tags. If in doubt use said and asked - they are more invisible to the reader.


My blog will be sparse over the next week as I am going to Italy for work and pleasure.


Monday, 25 July 2016

Plot Snob?

I am a Pantser. Does this make me a Plot Snob!

Writing up the festival talks has helped me to understand the information and ideas. 
I now want to do the same for other information gleamed from others.

Over the next few blogs I am re-looking at an online course run by IOWA university.
It is free and very good.
It is time consuming, last year I did it alongside Nano ! Not sure how.

One of the weeks dealt with Plot. Are you a Plotter or Pantser?

Plotter
Boris Fishman says - 'Don't be a plot snob.' It is a vital ingredient for your story.
Some writers spend months plotting their story before writing the first draft. They may create the main plot and leave subplots to emerge, or make a framework for everything.
Brandon Sanderson plots backwards and writes forward. He begins with the awesome ending of his story and then works out how to get there.

Pantser 
'It's like driving a car at night, you can see as far as the lights allow.'
Steven Lumley  believes in trusting the writing. The writer learns about the characters while writing freely and the plot thickens. It is only after the first draft that you understand the plot. 
This is me - the first draft story generally comes from a character, My plots often end up too complicated. I am now refining. So not a plot snob after all, just an after the draft plotter! 


It doesn't matter which way you create your plot as long as -
It drives the story onwards, encouraging the reader to turn the pages.
Plot is a combination of tension, conflict and resolution.
It is not always dramatic- it can be a human drama - a character development plot.
It is not the who did it, but the why?
The plot gives the reader a question, drops clues, and ultimately answers.
Plots are full of twists, a discovery is made but it creates more questions not less etc.
Johnathon Lethan says a plot is juxtaposition and causality. An interesting plot takes two un-related ideas and puts them together with a because.
The plot helps the reader to understand the character's motivation.


Each week we had a word limited writing assignment, this was commented on by other writers.
An external force demands all the characters react, but there needs to be a separate unrelated force which the main character is dealing with.

Here is mine -

It took Mary a few seconds to realise that she wasn’t holding hands with Fabian on the bus. It was not a police siren forcing its way through the traffic, but a persistent fire alarm.
                ‘Nobody panic,’ said Steven. ‘It’s probably a false alarm, but we will have to leave the room, go down the corridor and out the main exit.’ He said all this is a loud clear voice and immediately began to help the artists to stand.
Mary’s body protested at her sudden movement, but there was no time to stretch and restore circulation gently. Her hastened on her numb legs to George who continued to draw, oblivious to the noise and chaos erupting around him.
‘George,’ she touched his arm gently, but he flinched.
‘Mary,’ he shouted, ‘am I getting an up close view tonight?’ His eyes twinkled beneath raised bushy white eyebrows and his face crinkled as he smiled.
‘No George,’ she replied and slapped his hand away.’ There is a fire in the building. We have to leave.’
‘Fire? Where?’
‘Somewhere in the building. We have to go George. Now.’
‘But I need my coat, and blanket, and my stick.’
The volume of his voice made Mary wince, but she calmly said, ‘George, I will help you. We can walk out together.’
‘You will walk out with me? Looking like that?’ His eyes flicked up and down her body.
‘Yes, you dirty old man, like this. You won’t get another chance.’ She bent her knees and slipped her arm under his and helped him stand. Most of the other artists were near or through the door. She could see Steven arguing with Margaret who wanted to take all her art materials with her, and go to the room where they left all their belongings.
‘It’s the best I have ever done, I can’t leave it here,’ Margaret had tears rolling down her cheeks.
‘Give it to me,‘ said Steven. He placed the art pad on the nearest table and carefully removed the top page, rolled it up and handed it to Margaret.  ‘Follow the others to the main door.’ He said firmly, she nodded and left. Steven continued his head count, saw that George was ok and hurried out to ensure that they had all remembered the way out.
Mary heard him shout Margaret’s name with a hint of frustration as she replied that she needed her bag for her bus pass, how would she get home without it. That was when she remembered the ring, it was still in her purse as she hadn’t given Andrew an answer yet. It was a hard decision, she did love him, but …
‘Vi, you’re in the bloody way woman. Move.’ George shouted and jerked Mary back to the room.
‘Violet, are you alright? Do you have a pain in your chest?’ Mary felt her heartbeat increase. She had come to love all the wonderful rich characters who attended this life drawing class, and couldn’t bear the thought of one of them having a heart attack because of the alarm.
‘No my love,’ Violet replied while continuing to fiddle and rub the front of her cardigan.
‘Vi, move ut of the way. If you want to burn that’s fine. But I am walking out with Mary. And Mary is…’
‘I know who Mary is, George, and there is no need to shout. I’m not the deaf one.’’ Violet shook her head.
‘No, you are the daft one.’
‘Violet, what are you doing?’ Mary asked as she firmly removed George’s hand from her hip.
‘I am trying to take off my cardigan.’
‘You are daft,’ said George. ‘It is freezing outside, you need to keep it on.’
‘It’s for Mary, you selfish bugger.’
George looked at Violet and then at Mary, ‘You said bugger!’ He shook with mirth, and Mary smiled. Trust George to focus on that aspect of Violet’s speech.
‘Violet, don’t worry about me. I will be fine. We do need to get out as quickly as possible. Take George’s other arm and we will go together.’

‘I’ll keep her warm,’ said George. Violet’s lips pursed together.






Saturday, 23 July 2016

We are not alone.

The festival wasn't just about the talks, courses and agents, it was about meeting other aspiring writers.

Most were woman, age ranged from 20 - 80 years. Different background, different experiences, different jobs, different lifestyles.
Some were published, some just starting out. many like me were somewhere on the way, still trying to decide which route to take- self publishing or traditional, but all linked by the power of story.

One weekend and three hundred people shared a dream. How many more attend similar conferences and festivals throughout the year? How many more never attend? There are so many of us. we are not as alone as we feel.



The official number of attendees is three hundred, but to me it felt like thousands. I am not good in a crowd.
I was nervous before arriving, and nervous again in between talks. I found empty spaces to stand or sit. Often near another quiet person. One of us would have the guts to say 'Hi, what genre do you write?' or 'Did you find that interesting?' Suddenly we were swapping writing experiences, ideas and problems.
Everybody had something in common here, I was not alone. many confessed to being unnerved by the number of people around them. 

The conversations anywhere else would have had people being taken away -
How many people have you killed?
Are you a plotter?
Do your characters talk to you?
How many stories do you hold in your head?
Are there dragons in your world?
What magic do you use?

We all had problems to overcome, nerves about agents to settle, and truths to face, there are many people travelling the same road as me, 
Meeting other writers regularly  is not possible for me because of my physical isolation of living in a quiet area of France,  but I had different experiences to share - websites, online writing communities, places to find readers, podcasts and free writing courses.
Where ever we are in the world it is possible to link with other writers.

I have kept in contact with a few people I exchanged emails with, it is nice to share how we are progressing after the festival.

The end of my weekend is not the end of my experience - this festival opened my eyes to the huge task I have ahead. Daunting, challenging, but possible.


The blog does not end here either- I have more to share. 




Friday, 22 July 2016

Cliche or not to cliche?

Thanks for coming back to read more about magical writing.

John talked about what to avoid -

Cliches such as the prophecy- if you use it disguise it!
McGuffin - justifying the existence of everything in your world- not necessary, the reader has an imagination.
Over describe - let the reader's imagination fill the gaps- focus on a tiny detail rather than describing everything.
Backstory is NOT story it is info dump - avoid it . I had a 'oh' moment here as I recognised the first three chapters of my story were backstory. They have gone now.
Silly names - avoid names with apostrophes or no vowels, the reader will stumble.
Made up words - it slows the pace and can jolt the reader from the story. I use the word wristie for a electronic device, it seems to work because it is a variation on a theme rather than a new word.
Heavy handed allegory - it may feel like a lecture
Unrealistic science - if it is there make sure it is needed.
Inconsistent magic system - it needs to be logical and internally consistent. 
Magic with no cost - magic needs a cost or consequence, Often used is energy, but to avoid this cliche maybe it takes energy from the ones you love. Think about the reluctance to use magic if this was the case.

Phew- you got all that? Yeah that is how my head felt too. Some of these issues I will blog in more depth another day. :) 



As John is an agent he talked about current market trends - still within one hour - impossible. 
There are specific publishers for core sci-fi and fantasy. 
But this core exclusiveness has diminished over the last 5 years, so many of these publishing houses are rethinking their lists.
The cause of this is because  many crossover books  are published by mainstream publishers- The Finder is a cross over YA and Sci-fi/ fantasy for example, 
Also the core is dominated with games, movies, apps, large stories such as Star Wars and Game of Thrones.
It is hard to be accepted as a core sci-fi fantasy writer BUT if it is a good story anything is possible.

At the Festival John said his agency http://zenoagency.com/ was open for submissions BUT the website says differently. I guess many people took him up on his offer, especially as they are branching out into other genres.
Good one to watch. 


Thursday, 21 July 2016

Write well and Prosper

Last talk of the weekend for me -Magical Writing - John Berlyne 


Magical writing in more ways than one.

Not only did he talk about the genre, he also talked about his viewpoint as a Literary Agents for a publisher exclusively for sci-fi and fantasy.

His frequent answer to our questions was - 'Is it a good story, written well?' 
I asked him a question at the end, then paused and answered it for myself. He smiled.

Fantasy / sci-fi  is a diverse genre. It includes high literary works, commercial stories and comics.



What makes a well written story?
Believable worlds, events and characters.

How can we create a well written story?
Consider the audience - it is as diverse as the stories -The reader must become immersed.
Practise.
Balance of fast paced action and quieter moment.
Show the reader, not tell. 
KISS re number of protagonists- especially if it is your first story.
Clear Point Of View changes 
Personal characters with flaws.
Strong opening - the first words needs to encourage the reader to read the second, the first sentence...you get the idea?
Awesome ending - with a quiet moment after.

Most of the above are needed for all genres, here are the extras -
- consider the reader, they may be heavily invested in the culture of Sci- fi / fantasy and as such have high expectations as to what the story contains or is about.
-Know the conventions to avoid the pitfalls. 
-Reinvent the conventions.  'The meal will taste the same but the experience will be different.'

How?
Know the genre and reader by READING 
- read the history - Bradbury, Heinlein, Arthur C Clarke, Dan Simmons etc
- read books about writing - Steven King  / Dan maas / Orson Scott Card ( website -http://www.hatrack.com/)

John packed a huge amount into an hour- so much so that I believe he stretched time! 

I will continue tomorrow with What to avoid and Current market trends.

Write well and Prosper. 








Wednesday, 20 July 2016

What on Earth is YA?

Saturday afternoon, after a tasty lunch. I had heavy eyes and an advice stuffed head.

Luckily Stefan Mohamed was entertaining and interesting.

What is YA?
"It is not a genre, more of an audience." 
This surprised me, I thought YA was stories about young adults as opposed to an audience. I love reading YA. Maybe I am young at heart?

In general (there always a few stories which break the norm) Young Adult books -

Deal with coming of age issues - good because my YA fits. :)
Have likeable characters. - I like Gracie.
Banter humour- but not too cynical. - humour is something I need to work on.
Sensitive issues are placed with care.
Need to be respectful not patronising.
Some violence - it can be dealt with and explored in fiction - not glorified.
The character makes progress.
There is hope and optimism- we are living in a confusing, scary world - YA stories can show a better version of ourselves.
There is a balance between darkness and how it is not the only option. 

As a YA writer you need to realise what we read in our teenage years does inform our world view as an adult.

He talked about his own book and the process of first draft to published book.  'Bitter Sixteen' contained more swear words than traditional publishers wanted to publish. We had a good  discussion about this. We all carefully said  'the f- word', which was funny :).


 I have issues with writing swear words, and reading them, but for many young adults they are part of their language and do not hold the same meaning as they do to me.
I do not have swearing in my story, Stefan assured me it is not a requisite, and as writers we have to be true to ourselves. 

Stefan finished with the Four P's which helped his writing career to launch.

Prizes- enter competitions, this ensures people recognise your name, opens doors, winning goes on your book cover.

Preciousness - loose it and become more objective. We all love parts of our story, but sometimes changing it makes the story better.Even after finding an agent Stephan needed to change his story for publishers. He said it was hard work, but ultimately created a better story.

Patience - yep its here again. Waiting for agents, publishing dates etc. 

Published - good to have a presence on networks such as twitter to support your published work BUT writing should be your focus. 

He wished us luck with our journeys.










Tuesday, 19 July 2016

Submission submitted ...now what?

Dig out your patience, sit back and wait.

I have submitted in the past - before I set out on my mountainous learning adventure - the waiting game is hard.

Scott - full of realism- said - 
'Oh did I say creating your submission was the hard part ? The next stage is worse!'  
Thanks again Scott.

You have to be patient because Agents are not Superheroes. 


Until they have chosen your story, then they are your personal Superhero. 

Can you imagine how many submission are sent every day? And reading them is a small part of the agents job.

Most agent sites I have perused say they do aim to read all submissions and often they will give a realistic time span of at least two months. 
DO NOT pester before this time has elapsed. 

After 3 or 4 months sending a polite enquiry letter about your submission is fine. Then wait again. If you do not receive a reply cross them from your list and continue the process with another company.

You can send to more than one agent at a time, just keep track of who you have sent to, they do not appreciate the same submission twice.

Be aware of Book Events such as the London Book Fair. Agents tend to be busy with important trade events, so will take longer to read their ever growing pile of submissions. If you are watching them on twitter you will be more aware of holidays, festivals and events the agent is attending.

Ok. You have waited and after 3 months a standard rejection letter arrives, sending you into despair. DO NOT send a reply tot he agents. Accept with grace and move on.

Sometimes you will be rejected with advice- Take it and use it to improve.

My advice - While waiting write your next book :)

Sunday, 17 July 2016

'Writing it will probably do your head in.'

The title of this post is Scott Packs encouraging comment on writing a synopsis. Thanks Scott.

My synopsis was torn to pieces at the Winchester Writer's Festival.



The brief was two pages, I wrote three, and then cut out a third. It was confusing, the plot jumped around and had gaps, there were too many sub plots, the agent was left with too many questions.

Some agents ask for one page, others allow three, some ask for 250 -500 words. 
But they are guidelines and two agents on the weekend said if you need a little more that's ok, but not much. Scott said, 'Do not go over 500 words - ever.' 
Clear as mud? yep.
Read their synopsis guidelines carefully.

How the hell can you reduce your story to 500 words?
Scott Pack gave us some ideas -
Summarise your story into 10 bullet points and take the main character(s) through each point. 
Summarise your story in one sentence. (I wish) - increase to 50 words, 100 words etc. Maximum 500.

A synopsis is a simple summary of the story. Ok- sounds easy? You are kidding, I am going round in circles here.

If your synopsis is confusing there is a problem with your plot. - Yep, that became apparent over the weekend. It seems my plot is too complicated. In fact, do I know my plot?

The synopsis should contain spoilers, it is not the cover blurb with a hook - do not leave the agent wondering what something is. Oops.

Concentrate on the central plot, you can leave out sub plots- ah, my problem. This simplifies things. many blogs and books I have read say do not leave anything out of your synopsis - but you should.

Unemotional - most agents read the sample pages you have sent before the synopsis. The sample pages show your writing voice, style, and pace. The synopsis show the agent how the story progresses.

I think I understand how to write mine now. 
I am glad the agents were honest, they have saved me many future rejections.

Good luck to you all. 












Saturday, 16 July 2016

The perfect cover letter, without Glitter

How can you create a sparkling, stand out cover letter and not pack the envelope with glitter?

Ok so most cover letters are sent via email, but no gimmicks is a good start. The agent may be reading your at the end of a long week, with a headache. 
KISS.

I am not going to sugar coat- writing a cover letter is hard and there will be no perfect example out there for you to copy. What one agent wants to see is not the same as another. Sorry.

If you want the agent to look like this after reading your letter



and not this -



Read the guidelines. Most agent or publisher websites will have guideline for submission. Some in more detail than others.

Be personal- politely. use the agent's name spelt correctly. Scott Pack- not the most difficult of names to spell, but some people have. They did not get a request for a full manuscript!) If you have met them at a festival, read their blog, or chat to them on twitter,  mention something. Not too long and always positive. But saying why you have chosen them.

Be succinctNO LONGER THAN ONE PAGE.
What do you want for what? Representation for my 'genre' novel 'Name of novel'.
Completed at 'number'words.
Pitch- what is your book about (see previous blog)
About self- relevant info only. Agents do not care how many cats you have. 
You might include why you have written your story.

One agent praised this in my covering letter -
'The story idea formulated while my youngest son was travelling in Nepal at the time of an unexpected avalanche. He had not begun the trek, thank goodness, but I imagined what it may have been like. Through my tears a ‘What if?’ snuck into my head. What if someone could sense people beneath the snow?  Gracie, the finder, was born.'

I will not share the rest of the letter. I am working on it.

Finally - 
Use spell check.
Send it to someone else (or yourself) to make sure all attachments are attached, that you have remembered to write your name at the bottom, that the font is readable....

Have fun and good luck.









Friday, 15 July 2016

You want to be paid for your story?

If you want to be paid- treat your submission like an interview for a job.

Do your research on the book trade.

Read the Book Trade Press - 

Poor Scott Pack was shocked - 



when no-one indicated they regularity read trade press such as The Book Seller . 
I didn't. I do now, although nothing yet has been relevant to my story- it might be in the future.






Publishers and Agents Websites - read them. Are they taking submissions? Do they represent authors who write in a similar genre as your story? Do they represent fiction? - yep - people send fiction to non-fiction publishers and vice versa! Crazy peeps, do you want to be rejected?

Read books which are selling well in the same genre as your story. Know what is similar. Note who the author thanks - this will link you with agents and publishers relevant for you.

Mingle with agents in the virtual world of Twitter and discover which stories excite them. Another shock for Scott when only a few of us raised out hands to his question, ' Who has a twitter account?' 


Don't do what I did -click follow on  agents and publishing houses and expect them to look at your page.  Now I make the effort to look on their pages and interact. They may remember my name when I submit- hopefully in a good way.

Writers’ & Artists’ Yearbook - buy it or read online. I don't, maybe I will when my story is presentable.

Writer's festivals, conferences , talks etc. Great way to meet agents- to have a personal connection and know what they like to receive. I am trying to keep links I made at Winchester going. 
Hopefully Scott won't be too cross at my version of his talk. I am sure he'd rather you bought his book- it is more detailed and from the horse's mouth.


All of the above takes time. 
Are you serious enough about this publishing path to invest the hours ?
At the moment I am, Check back in six months and see if I am still enthusiastic.










Thursday, 14 July 2016

Submission - the road to hell or paradise?


Saturday morning I opted for Scott Pack's talk- How to Perfect Your Submission.

Very good choice. He is funny, knowledgeable and interesting. We didn't need to take notes as he sent a script to us- It is published now so you could buy that and not bother to read my next few blogs. 

Not taking notes means I do not have as many memories of the talk, except - Scott does not want to know how many cats you have, how cute they are or if they have helped you write your story. (More about this in a later post)



He was brutally honest about the process of publishing and asked us to think hard about if we really want the stress, hassle and hard work it entails. At the moment I am saying yes.

Questions to consider-

Why are you writing? Is it for fun or do you want a new career? For when you submit your work, you are  applying for a job.You will need to set time aside for research and be as professional as possible in your approach.

Who are you writing for? Yourself, your children? Are you content with a few people reading your work? Or do you want to aim for the bestseller market? Only choose the submitting to publisher route if you are strong, patient, and believe you have a fantastic story. (Which, of course, we all do.) 

Do you have a strong self-esteem? I pretended I had one of these and managed to hear the publishing route  as challenging, rather than depressing.

Can you cope with changing your story to create something marketable? I nodded, but it is hard to change your beloved story, to dare to make it different, when you thought it was fine as it was. I know, that is what I am doing with The Finder.

Pinch your arm - How thick is your skin? The route to publication is paved with rejection and littered with criticism. 

Not a pretty street. Do you want to continue?







Wednesday, 13 July 2016

Using Your Metaphorical Scissors

Warm up and cool down.

As with most human endeavours we warm up to optimal performance and cool down when our energy flags.
Writing is not an exception. 

Think about when you sit to write, when do the words flow? 
If you are anything like me it takes a few minutes, or a few sentences to settle into writing mode, then it flows faster sometime than my fingers.  When I find myself faltering, questioning my words, backtracking it's time to  take a break.

Your best performance is after the warm up and before the cool down.

An exercise  Adrienne advised us to try -
Copy and paste your story into a new document and save it with a new name..
Find your metaphorical scissors - or real ones if you work on paper.
Take a deep breath, and ...
Cut the first two chapters and last two chapters entirely.
Cut the first and last paragraph of each chapter.



Read your story- does it need the words you have cut?

I know this sounds drastic, but it is worth trying. When I write a first draft I do not have chapters, but applying this exercise now to my forth draft is enlightening. I have not cut it all, but it has helped me to focus my mind on relevancy. 

Be brave and have a go.




Tuesday, 12 July 2016

Pay Your Characters


Does your story need all the characters you have crammed in ?

The reader can get confused and bogged down by too many secondary and minor characters. How can you as the writer slim the character field? 
Adrienne's idea is -

Pay Them

You have a limited budget- maybe £100,000

List all your characters and pay them according to- 
-how many scenes they are in, 
-their contribution to conflict and resolution. 
-their contribution to the overall plot.
-their contribution to the main character's development.
-how proactive they are.

Don't spend too much time doing this, but be fair- do not give more to a character because you like them.




Have you overspent? Who can you cut?
Can you incorporate two characters together if they have minor roles?

You may have a character you love, they are funny, quirky, smart, sexy- but they are not pulling their weight- sorry it's time to kill a darling. Cut them out- you can use them in another story.

I do not have  a huge number of  characters in The Finder, but this exercise helped me to focus on the secondary and minor  roles. I have not cut anyone, but I will be increasing one character's role and appearance.

When you have tried this let me know what you think? Does it work for you? Is there another way to reduce the number of characters?




Monday, 11 July 2016

KISS

Keep It Simple (meant to have stupid on the end- but you are a writer- so not stupid.)
Today's blog covers many small points.


Use simple straightforward words.Readers are not impressed by long, complicated words which they have to keep looking up for the meaning. It stops the flow.

Search and remove -a bit, little. quite, rather, begun,..the list is longer but I am sure you get my drift -they are not needed.UNLESS they are in dialogue.

Adjectives - better to use a strong noun. She carried the long, brown, short-legged, soppy- eyed, floppy-eared dog. She carried the Dachshund.



Dialogue tags- use said and ask if you need to. Otherwise indicate body language - it is 35% of communication. 

Michael Angrily and Sarah Sadly do not have a place in a well told story - a slammed door, clenched fist, falling tears etc is more effective - it shows the reader the emotion.

Sentence length - Short for drama. Long for description.

If you place an object in the story - use it. If the story is not enhanced by the talking teapot - kill your darling.

These are all points to hold in your head when editing and redrafting.

Any short but sweet points I have missed?







Saturday, 9 July 2016

Take your viewpoint character out for the day


Ok, so this title sounds a little crazy? Believe me it isn't. 

Take your character outside the story - take them shopping, or to a cafe, or visit a museum or art gallery together. 

When Adrienne said this I thought she meant 'imagine', but she meant for real!
You can use modern technology to 'socialise' with your character, without being arrested!

Wear earphones and act like you are chatting on your phone to a mate. Ask which dress they prefer, how they like their coffee- or maybe they drink herbal teas. Would they buy a red rose or yellow if they had a garden? How about wandering around a car show room?  Warning - technology is not advanced enough for your character to test drive. 


This information will feed into your plot, creating a character who is believable.

If it is not possible for you to physically socialise , use your wonderful imagination, or try filling in  a character sheet - there are loads on the internet for you to choose from. They usually contain general info, physical appearance, speech/ communication, habits, past, family, relationships, personal beliefs, likes and dislikes. 

This may seem time consuming when you are itching to write the story, but it means less time spent editing, or pausing your writing flow to decide which toasted sandwich they want.


Try it and let me know how this advice works out for you.


Friday, 8 July 2016

Difference between scene and event

Events and Scenes

When Adrienne asked if we know the difference between and event and scene my brain halted for a second and I frowned.
Of course my story needs events,things that happen to change the course of the story. 
She continued-

'Life happens in events. 
Fiction happens in scenes.'

Ah - something is beginning to make sense.
Events happen in the background of the story, but it is not necessary to describe them. The reader needs to know about them through scenes.

Scenes are not a report or description of an event. They are the emotions, how the event effects the characters.

John's death in his sleep is an event. You could describe his last breath... but 
a scene in where the reader experiences Mary's reaction to his death is more powerful. 



Human emotions demonstrate the characters flaws, and make them accessible to the reader.

The reader needs to see scenes to become immersed in your story.

She asked us the think about our story and be aware of the events which cause problems for the characters. 
Am I showing the reader how the events change the character's path? I think so.
I am now keeping this idea in my mind as I re-write, If I find I am describing events I stop and think about how to show them from a characters' viewpoint instead.

There is much to think about if you want to write a compelling, interesting, captivating story.

Thursday, 7 July 2016

Where to begin your story?


Deciding where to start the story is a dilemma for many writers. 
Do you begin at the beginning? The middle? or even the end?

Adrienne told us a story to illustrate how where you start sets the tone.

It was John and Mary's twenty-fifth wedding anniversary and John had booked a table at Mary's favourite restaurant. 
They had a wonderful romantic meal, they drank champagne, held hands  and talked about everything they had done together. The candle flickered and a fairy appeared.
'Mary and John, you have had a perfect marriage, caring for each other in sickness and when times were rough. You are an example and we would like to reward you. You can have anything you want.'
'You go first, love.' John smiled at Mary.
'Anything?' 
'Yes.' The fairy fluttered closer to her.
'I'd like to go on a five star world cruise.'
The fairy waved her wand and two tickets landed on Mary's plate. Her eyes shone with happiness.
The fairy turned to John. 'Your turn.'
'I am happy with the cruise. I do not need anything else.'
Mary frowned at her husband. 'John, you must ask for something. It would be rude not to.'
'Anything John. What is your hearts desire?' The fairy held up her wand.
John took a deep breath. 'I'd like to be married to a woman thirty years younger than me.'
Mary gasped as the fairy waved her wand.
An eighty-seven year old man sat opposite Mary.


After our laughs of surprise died away she began another story -

John sat on the dock in his wheelchair, a blanket tucked around his legs. Tears blurred the sight of a cruise ship pulling out of the harbour.

Point made.

Same story, different beginning.
The first version is funny, the second poignant.

In a Podcast - Writing Excuses- one of the authors said he would generally discard the first three chapters of his first draft- they were the warm up to the story. 

I am rewriting The Finder, beginning in a different point in the story.

Could you start your story in a more dynamic place? Would it change the tone?









Wednesday, 6 July 2016

What is your story about?


Adrienne Dines ran a master class called Polished to Perfection
As it lasted a whole day I will write several posts on what I learnt from her.

Her first question to us was

                                             'What is your story about?' 

Immediately I began running through the story in my head. I stopped at her next words.
'Not what happens, but what basic human emotion are you exploring in your story?'
Ah... now that had me thinking. What is The Finder about?

She gave us some examples 
Chocolate (the story, not the yummy, sweet, writer's essential food) - A woman who wants to belong because she never has. - yep, powerful.
Where's Spot - oh we chuckled, but she is right - basic human emotion - maternal instinct. What is the story about? A mother searching for her child. Very powerful, read it and notice the story arc too.












Ok, so I think I understand and then my stomach clenches as she asks us to consider our stories- for about 30 seconds I think - and one by one tell everyone what our story is about. I am the lucky one, the last to be asked -

'It is a Young Adult book about a girl who wants to be normal, but isn't.' Phew- I managed the first task of the day, my hands can stop shaking now.

 And if that is what my story is about then I understand why the plot is too complicated.

My question for you today is - 'What is your story about?'


Tuesday, 5 July 2016

Meg Rosoff - Writer's Voice

Keynote speaker Meg Rosoff

Meg Rosoff is a great speaker as well as a wonderful writer.

If you ever have the chance to attend one of her talks or courses, drop everything and go. We laughed and chuckled at her stories and applauded her thoughts.
Thoroughly inspiring.

This is my understanding of her talk on the writer's voice.






Yep - a colander.


Our brains accept every experience in our life, but in our brains there sits a colander. Most of our experiences sift through the holes, but the memories which stick and gather in the colander are who you are.


A shared experience will be viewed and remembered differently by everyone who attends it. Some people remember smells, sounds, and music. Others remember colours, shapes, faces. I remember scenes, emotions and the occasional conversation.


These memories are your perspective - it is what creates your voice.


But we cannot easily access all the memories we hold in this colander. Most is stored in our subconscious, the brains ingenious method for keeping us sane.

Can you imagine remembering everything ? You would have too much swirling in your head, and normal life would get in the way. This may sound familiar to you.  Probably why many writers are perceived as a little crazy?

Fear not, there is a narrow bridge between our conscious and subconscious mind and as writers we  use the bridge to freely access our hidden memories, We find our voice.

 I am sure you have all experienced the moment of inspiration and ideas whilst falling sleeping, or as you wake, Many people write best in the early hours of the morning or late at night. I find walking in the countryside works for me - not for writing on paper or screen, but for ideas, plot problem solving, character issues - writing in my head.

Experiment and find what works for you,

Practise crossing the bridge and become aware of what aspects of your life you focus on. The more you use the bridge the stronger your unique writer's voice becomes, the more it will resonate with the reader.

Thank you Meg for this food for thought.


I bought two of her books - 'There is No Dog' and 'Jonathan Unleashed' - and she signed them :)



There is No Dog is a humorous tale aimed at YA, but I loved it.
There is a thought provoking message woven into the paper.







I am saving Jonathon Unleashed - her first published adult story - for another day. I look forward to savouring every word.









Monday, 4 July 2016

Welcome and Meeting the Agents


Hi everyone.

The Festival was all and more than I imagined. My head was crammed full of information and I am still trying to absorb it all.

I will post my thoughts from the weekend, including info from talks as I understood them.

Meeting the Agents -

My hands shook before my first meeting with an agent. Despite telling myself I was going for help, there was a tiny piece hoping for a 'I'd be happy to look at your manuscript in full' moment. It didn't happen, and a faint green mist seeped out as I congratulated others on their good fortune.
The Fifteen minutes passed too quick, there was no time to write and listen. Most had written comments and I sat down immediately after and wrote everything I could remember them saying.
Great feedback and help on how to improve the story. I did get 'unique idea', and no problems with writing style.

At the end of the weekend  I was emotionally confused with conflicting opinions from three agents on the same story, but since I have untangled the mess and come to the conclusion they all meant the same.
My problem? The plot is too complicated.

I am now re-writing a simpler version of The Finder and posting it on Write On for comments alongside the original.
And
I will be re-writing The Eye at some stage too.

Please add your comments if you have attended this or similar festivals.