Leave A Little Mystery

"Reality" shows, Twitter, FB posts, and Kanye West rants have taught us every thought that pops into our minds should be verbalized in public -- to as many people as possible.

What happened to keeping some things to ourselves?

Sure, I'm writing a blog entry that expresses my opinion. An opinion that some things should be kept in our own minds. That's what an internal editor is for: to stop the stupid stuff from coming out.

Same with writing. You can write all the things that pop in your head, but it doesn't go directly to the public. I don't hit the POST or SEND button until I take a breath and reread the message. Is it something to be shared? Can it benefit the reader?

Back in the 1980s, e-mail was mainframe-based, and once I pushed the keyboard's F10 button, the message was gone. I learned early to consider exactly what was written, what was shared, what my name was attached to.

Maybe that's why writing a manuscript takes me so long -- well, that and having to make a living writing other things. 

A first, I thought I would love the freedom of blasting off a thought on movies, music, politics, books, or gee, even television. But then I read what others posted and realized my opinion is really only interesting to me. 

So, like writing a book, life can use a little mystery, a bit of suspense, or some subtlety.

Wait, weren't the 50 Shades of Grey books big sellers -- those must have been coy and demure to have captured so many people's imagination.

Rush to Publish

I'm reading a mystery that is exquisite in its writing, plotting, characterization, and I'm willing to bet that most people have never heard of it. Okay, he was a 2006 Pulitzer Prize finalist for the book, so that's not a great bet.

I read a lot of unpublished manuscripts as a representative for a small publishing house, the organizer of a book festival, and the presenter of workshops on writing and publishing. I talk to publishers and agents and writers and readers. We agree that the technology boom that introduced the ease of self-publishing has created a segment of books that aren't crafted.

Crafted means the writer learned the mechanics of writing, spent time going through multiple revisions honing the elements of a well-told story, worked with an editor to get a fresh set of eyes on everything from the plot's structure to the placement of each comma.

As I read Lee Martin's The Bright Forever, I'm amazed by his skill and his art of storytelling.

When I read query letters from agents and aspiring writers, I'm less amazed by some of the samples pages submitted. I admit there are gems among the rocks, but just a few.

I guess it has always been that way. I cringe when I think of the things I submitted ten years ago. Then, self publishing was around, but it was very expensive – like $10,000 expensive. Today, a manuscript can be made into a book $300 - $4,999 depending on services the author buys.

These lower costs mean more people jump into self-publishing.

Why self-publish a novel?

You have a story you want to share that may not have a wide appeal, but is worth telling. Yes.

You wrote a manuscript, tried to query agents and publishers without success, and now want – really want – to have a finished product in your hand. Frustration in the process of traditional publishing is not the best reason to self-publish.

Writing is not about the physical book and informing your dry cleaner that you're a published author.

Writing is a verb. It's the process that is important. Results may vary, but an author must love writing.

The rush to publish is a waste of time, energy, and money.

Self-publishing companies decorate their websites with accounts of authors making millions and landing on the New York Times Best-Sellers list. Why? To entice an aspiring writer into the dream of fame and fortune, and to collect as many upfront fees as possible. IT'S A BUSINESS.

Readers become disillusioned by poorly-crafted novels. So, they tend to stick to the name-brands in novels because new authors have burned them in the past. That's a disservice to all serious writers.

Big names and personalities gather crowds. I see this at book festivals and conferences. The authors with cleavage, the 1970s sitcom actors, and the writers with the game show host personality draw crowds. The writer/craftsman sits alone. After the books are written, edited, and published, it's marketing – a completely different skill set than writing – that's important. So, yes, those highlighted CreateSpace authors may sell well.

I realize that not every writer produces a Pulitzer Prize finalist-worthy book – I know I don't. But I'm working on the craft by writing constantly.

For those of us who are not celebrities, not pretty or sexy, or not followed by 80,000 Twitter citizens, we stay in front of our computers, writing and searching out opportunities to improve our skills.

Today, I'm looking at ways to bring serious learning opportunities on the craft and art of writing. I'd love to hear where other authors struggle. Set aside the topics of publishing, marketing, selling books for a while – that's the business side. I want to learn more about the art of writing, because that's why I do this.

Top Five Ways an Editor is Worth the $$

As the publisher for a small independent publishing house and as an editor for a magazine, I see drafts of manuscripts submitted by writers that illustrate the need for an editor.

Writing is a solitary pursuit, but editing is a collaboration – and an essential stage in the publishing process.

Nothing screams "amateur" more than a meandering, error-ridden manuscript.

An editor is important for authors trying to land a literary agent or a publishing contract, but for a self-publishing author, hiring an editor is vital. Agents and publishing houses will edit the incoming manuscript several times including using the in-house editors to make sure the work is the best it can be. A self-published author shouldn't go through the process alone.  A professional editor is a partner in crafting the story for a novel you will be proud to have your name on.

Here are the top five reasons to engage a professional editor:

1 – Developmental editing

No matter how many times you read and edit your book, there will be omissions in the plot structure. You know the characters and their motivations and where they need to be in the next chapter, so if you failed to write it, your mind supplies it for you. All the thinking and dreaming about the story, the advanced planning and the backstory plotting work against you in editing.

While developing the initial drafts, critique groups are great. Once you feel the manuscript is perfect, that's when you need the experience of an editor to bring a fresh look to the development of the storyline and the character arcs.

This is not a job for spouses or friends. You need someone who understands the mechanics of creating strong plots and the characters who move it forward.

2 – Kill your darlings

The phrase "kill your darlings" is usually credited to William Faulkner, but I have heard it from fine art painters, fiction writers, poets and even architects.

As a creator of a work, you will find some parts that are your favorites: a cleaver turn of a phrase, a saucy metaphor, an ingenious character name, or a whiplash plot twist. Writers fall in love with their own creations.

When that happens, you are reluctant to change it (or worse, delete it) when it doesn't contribute to the whole work. An editor will see these elements that may be fabulous on their own, but not pulling their weight in the manuscript.

3 – Revision reassurance

You decide to add a subplot or delete a darling character. Did it work? Did your revisions mess up other parts of the book? It could be one last minute change that cascaded throughout the work.

I saw this many years ago by a New York Times best-selling author who claimed she didn't want editors changing her books.  In the jungles of Brazil, a character was called Jack.  Jack? What happened to Christopher? One hundred pages into the story and suddenly Jack is walking in another character's footsteps. Three pages later, Jack was gone and the character was once again referred to as Christopher.

Revisions need to be checked for their effect on the unchanged sections.

4 – Line editing: grammar/punctuation

You know that you make fun of people on Facebook who post things like: "Between you and I,…" or "Leah and me offer good advice."

Do you know the difference between: there, their, they're or two, to, too? Not every great storyteller is a grammar king/queen.  If you're not, engage an editor who is. Nothing will put off a reader like finding a word usage mistake. After all, you represented yourself as a professional. The reader paid hard-earned money for the book.  You wouldn't tolerate a plumber who left a few leaks behind, just because they're so hard to find.

5 – Education

Doing is learning. Every time I have had one of my own books edited or worked with an editor to edit another writer's manuscript for Cherokee McGhee, I learn. I learned to use a semicolon successfully. I learned that a character cannot laugh a sentence ("You're not serious," Jean laughed). I learned that a mystery novel's sleuth cannot pull clues from thin air – the clue must be mentioned (or planted) before she discovers it. 

The process of revising a manuscript under the guidance of an editor is one of the best writing classes you will ever take.

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An editor is an objective person who wants the manuscript to be the best it can be. She will tell you if it is ready for the public or if it still needs some polishing. Authors accepted for publication with a publishing house will have an editor assigned to them. Self-published authors can choose an editor.  Either way, the editor has the same goal as you: developing, revising, and perfecting your work for the enjoyment of the reading public.

Novel structure & pace via Kindle

I'm reading a book I wouldn't ordinarily read. This author is a NYT Best Seller. I wasn't drawn to the story, but I wondered what it was that made him soooo popular -- a bit of story analysis on my part.

Here is the Kindle progress bar:

Since I'm only 13% in, I can't say how I like the story. But the thing I noticed was the chapter lengths of the book, which can be a clue to pacing.

Kindle's progress bar shows a graphical representation of the book's length with a dot at the beginning of each chapter.

For a "big picture" person like me, this is great.

I see that the story has a fairly uniform length of chapters up to middle. [The part of the story where plot and characters are being established.]

Then things get quick. [Building to the main conflict.]

The chapter lengths vary after that until nearing the end when the chapters get shorter (and probably the pace speeds up). [The plot climax and resolution.]

This is a handy tool for writers to analyze plot construction from the masters.


My field guide to the writer's life has more on plot:

8 Query Letter Mistakes & How to Avoid Them

8 Query Letter Mistakes & How to Avoid Them

Along with writing my own books, I work with a publishing house that publishes novels of experienced, award-winning authors along with emerging authors. Part of being a small publisher is helping new writers sharpen the craft of writing and allowing them to experience the art of storytelling.

To get to that point, a writer has to introduce the manuscript to an agent or publisher with a query letter. This is one area where most writers struggle – the query letter is a business sales letter.

Writers use it to introduce their work to an agent or publisher, and hopefully, to get a commitment to send more of the manuscript for evaluation.  Both experienced and novice writers struggle with this. Like any good business letter, there are aspects that should be avoided.

Here are eight mistakes that I’ve seen in just the past three months (along with some real-life examples).

1.    Don’t start with what you want.

You are offering something that the publisher/agent will discover that they want.

NO: “I am interested in having my recently completed a 74,000-word mystery titled Deathly Deadbeats published by Cherokee McGhee Press.”

YES: “My recently completed a 74,000-word mystery Deathly Deadbeats features an off-beat amateur sleuth who tracks down men behind on their child support payments, but…”

2.    Don’t query your first novel outside your country. 

I have received several queries from South Africa, Israel, India and the United Kingdom.  Small publishers, who usually take first novels, have so many queries that the added complexities of working with foreign authors make them an easy rejection. Not fair, I know – but it’s a business.

3.    If you receive a rejection from a publisher, don’t turn around and send a query for another manuscript. 

This makes it look like you have a computer full of old manuscripts – even if you do, always query with the one that best fits the publisher/agent’s list.

4.    Don’t re-query a year later thinking the agent/publisher won’t remember and maybe accept the exact same manuscript this time around. 

I read all the queries. I have a process of tracking what comes through the mail. This shows that the author is not working on his craft and a new manuscript; he just keeps shotgunning the same manuscript to every e-mail address he can find.

As in dating, the same in publishing: “No means no.”

5.    Watch for wishy-washy lead sentences. Start the query with confidence.

“I’m seeking a publisher who is willing to consider publishing my first novel, Dancing Trees.” A publisher “willing to consider” would be the first logical step, but don’t put that as the focus. If the publisher is taking query letters, it is willing to consider manuscripts.

6.   Don’t query a manuscript that’s not appropriate for the list. Know the agent/publisher’s genres.

I receive queries for books on business or textbooks or poetry – we publish fiction. That’s not hard to decipher; it’s in the submission guidelines.

7.   Don’t describe yourself. It’s the manuscript that is being evaluated.

“I am a Paul Newman/Kirk Douglas looking Jew with long hair and beard that is observant and has done serious time.”  Am I supposed to be impressed, afraid, cautious, or introduce him to my sister?

8.   Do not query a self-published book (that includes a book that has been an eBook)

Self-publishing or subsidy publishing a manuscript in paper or eBook format is considered a published book. The “First” Worldwide, North American, or whatever print rights have been used. We have found a book’s original publication usually taps out its initial sales potential, and that first period of sales is when the book recoups the publisher’s investment.  Most paper and/or eBook publishers only consider unpublished works.

So, if you decide to self-publish, that book is technically published. Most publishing houses will not consider it.

That last one is a big one as aspiring authors have more opportunities to self-publish.  Even something like SmashWords makes your manuscript “published” and not eligible to be considered for original publication by another publisher.  This is usually in the contract and could become a legal issue if you try to conceal the fact.

These are just a few of the things to watch. More information on creating the perfect query letter to snag a publisher is in my new “field guide to the Writer’s Life” – SUNSETS & SEMICOLONS.

The “Next Big Thing” blog hop

This idea of linking together authors and asking the same questions about their current works-in-progress (WIP) sounded like a lot of fun.

I was asked by two authors on the same day, so I’m tagged from the first e-mail I received – Keith Pyeatt (http://keithpyeatt.blogspot.com/). But also go see Kris Neri (www.KrisNeri.com).

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These are the rules/questions:

Rule details:

• Answer the ten questions about your current WIP (Work In Progress)
• Tag five (or fewer) other writers/bloggers and add their links so we can hop over and meet them.

It’s that simple.
 

Ten Interview Questions for The Next Big Thing:

What is the working title of your book?

Gee, I feel like a slacker because I don’t have one.  Me and titles – we’re complicated.  I tend to brainstorm titles at the last minute.  I’m calling the project WitchDuck as I work on it.  That’s where the kernel of the idea started…which leads me to the next question.

Where did the idea come from for the book?

There is a road in Virginia Beach called Witchduck Road; I hear it referenced in the traffic reports in the mornings.  The name intrigued me. I did some Goggling and found it refers to Grace Sherwood who was the only Virginian to be convicted of witchcraft. 

Back in 1706, Grace was tested for innocence by being dunked (or ducked as they said back then) into a pond to see if she would float.  Float = guilty of witchcraft.  Sinking below the surface of the water = innocence (but too bad because you would probably drown).  Grace floated.

The witch trials and accusers went after people who were different.  Three hundred years later, people who seem different are still persecuted in one way or another.  Even towns that refuse to accept the influx of sameness from the big box and chain stores, restaurants, hotels, and office parks lose tax money and traffic from the hordes of people who crave the numbing sense of sameness.

Each town seems to have a Wal-Mart, Lowes, and Home Depot with an Appleby’s and Olive Garden at the edge of the parking lots.  Sometimes I have no idea which town I’m in. I’m a big supporter of local independent businesses.

The idea was born to construct characters who are chastised for not fitting in. They lose things important to them because they do not comply. I’m using an ancestor in the 1700s accused of witchcraft to parallel the lives of her contemporary descendents.

What genre does your book fall under?

Good question…I would probably set it as historical or maybe a mystery since the main plot is a cross-generational mystery.

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?

I list these like I have thought about it.  But, I’m trying to list people I like and who seem to have some of the character’s personality.  I don’t keep up with pop culture, so my answers may be a bit dated – hopefully these actors are still working.

• Anna (the witch): Michelle Pfeiffer or Julianne Moore
• Taliesin:  James Franco
• Cliodhna:  Reese Witherspoon (love her because she reminds me of my niece Whitney)
• Brigid:  Kirsten Dunst (love her because she reminds me of my niece Courtney)
• Finn:  Colin Farrell (had a drink with him in Jerome, Arizona – he doesn’t know that since we were ten feet away from each other)
• Granny:  Shirley Maclaine or Frances Fisher

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book? (Really it is three sentences – I can’t comply)

Struggling musician Taliesin searches for the reasons his father vanished one night 26 years ago. The disappearance leads Taliesin and his cousins to discover parallels between themselves and their ancestors of over 300 years before. As it was then, and now, being an outsider can be murder.

Will your book be self-published, sent to an independent publisher, or represented by an agency to a large house?

I plan to have this published through Cherokee McGhee as were the last two books.

How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?

Hmmm, still haven’t finished the draft.  Once that’s done, I can have it ready for an editor in about five months. After that, it takes about a year to hit the shelves.  2014??

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

There are no other books like this one!!  It has bits of family saga, history, mystery, and mythology.  I think I aspire to be a mix of Lee Smith, Bobbie Ann Mason, and Tony Hillerman.

Who or what inspired you to write this book?

People who know me and my family will see the Lillys here: my father, uncles and aunt, along with my grandparents.  I get a lot of inspiration from family history.

What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?

If a reader knows Irish mythology, there will be multiple layers revealed in the symbolism. If you don’t then it will just be a damn good story – that may spur you to dig deeper into the tales and legends of our ancestors before us.

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The following writers will pick up "The Next Big Thing" thread and answer the 10 questions about their WIP.  Go ahead and visit them today to learn a little more about the writers and their work.
 
They will post next Wednesday, December 5, about their Next Big Thing.

Tag – you’re next week’s posts:

Narielle Living

Narielle Living is the author of the novel Signs of the South, a novella in the collection Chesapeake Bay Christmas, and the upcoming novel Past Unfinished.

Blog: NarielleLiving.blogspot.com

Website: www.NarielleLiving.com
 

Michelle Moore

Michelle Moore is a North Carolina writer inspired by quirky characters; she has written of cats and criminals with a work in progress set in the Great Dismal Swamp.

Website: www.MichelleAMoore.com

 

William Torgerson

William J. Torgerson is an assistant professor in the Institute for Writing Studies at St. John's University in New York. In addition to novels and screenplays, William writes short stories and articles on teaching and writing.

Website: http://thetorg.com/

John Bray

John Bray is a retired attorney, member of Chesapeake Bay Writers, author of THE BALLAD OF JOHNNY MADIGAN, THE CONFIDENTIAL and CODE NAME: CALEB, the sequel to Johnny Madigan, all published by BeWrite Books.

Work-in-progress working title, OPERATION REBOUND, sequel to Confidential.

Blog: www.poppa10sblog.blogspot.com

 

Pamela K. Kinney

Journey to worlds of fantasy, beyond the stars, and into the vortex of terror with the written word of Pamela K. Kinney.
Website: http://FantasticDreams.50megs.com Blog: http://PamelaKKinney.blogspot.com

 

 

 

A brilliant flash of the obvious…

I’ve been struggling on the new book because it incorporates several different characters’ points of view – different stories that converge, one storyline that comes from 400 years ago.

Last night as I read some research on the witch trials in Virginia from Colonial Williamsburg, I realized in a “brilliant flash of the obvious” [as my former boss, the VP of technology, used to say] that I didn’t have to write the draft in the order that I want to eventually structure the story. Duh.

Working on the Anna storyline set in 1690s was difficult when I would then jump to present day and write scenes on her descendents. I’ve always been structured, logical, and synchronous. My other four books, I started with chapter one and wrote through until the end. The structure was linear. The process was linear. Once finished, this book will be linear, but with parallel storylines across time. I have increased respect for science fiction and fantasy writers who move around in time and place.

Scenes, chapters, POV segments are my components, my strategy. Once I have the building blocks, I can construct the story for next draft. Gee, it’s freeing to allow yourself to do things in a different way.

A Novel Approach

I attended and presented at the Virginia Writers Club’s “Navigating Your Writing Life” – A Symposium for Writers of All Ages & All Stage this past weekend. What an inspiring and informative day! All writers discussing the craft and art of writing…and the business.

Thriller writer and author of the new James Bond novel Jeffery Deaver presented the keynote. He talked about how he writes a novel a year, used to write two a year when he “was younger.”

I’ve had some distractions and paid work that have kept me from the new novel. Jeff Deaver has convinced me incorporate his processes.

First, he said that writing is a BUSINESS. A writer needs to keep a product in front of his customers. This means I need to get my ass in the chair and write this novel.

His second rule was that since writing is a business, a writer needs a business plan. He used the example of mint toothpaste versus liver toothpaste. Know your readers and what they want to read and what you like to write. Pâté may be popular, but no one wants it as a toothpaste flavor.

Next comes the idea – an idea that “grabs the reader and drags him through the book to the last page.” That’s a page-turner.

Jeff Deaver spends eight months of his 12 month schedule working out a detailed outline of the structure and plots of the story. This is the time he tests and confirms that he has a great idea (not a liver-flavored toothpaste idea) and that the structure and plan are sound.

After this, he writers and re-writes the book.

And finally after the book is out, like all good business people, writers need to gather feedback. He doesn’t rely too much on critics, but more on sales, reader e-mails, and fan comments at events.

Some of this I have done over the years, but the outlining is a tale of two camps in the writing world. Creatives usually rally against outlines because we recall the high school English teachers making us use Roman numerals and hierarchies of indention. Other writers, usually non-fiction writers, outline heavily and see it as the only way to finish a book that is worth reading.

I always tell my writing classes that I know where I want to start and where I want to end and then let the characters take me there.

Well, it ain’t a-working this time.

I think I’m going to try outlining the structure of the new novel, not as extensively as Jeffery Deaver, but enough to know that I have a firm architecture in which my characters can live and interact.

I’ll let you know how it goes.

Comma, comma, chameleon

On Twitter, I saw this post from APStylebook:

We do not put a comma before the "and" in a simple series: The flag is red, white and blue.

A follower had asked about the use of a comma in a series. There were plenty of comments, recommendations, and accusations (see I just broke the AP Style rule by putting that comma before the word and).

Some posters were almost mean about the proclamation that the extra comma is not used. I think I read a thinly-veiled threat to the Associated Press Stylebook team – guys check your cars’ brake cables before driving home today.

I had to learn these rules when I first started writing and editing for a magazine. You see, non-fiction writing tends to follow AP Style. Fiction writing follows The Chicago Manual of Style. I do both, so I’m always confused.

Chicago says the sentence structured would be: The flag is red, white, and blue.

As an editor, I just want consistency.

For some reason, I’m partial to using the comma in front of the and in a series – maybe as Lady GaGa says, I was born that way. Although, I think my elementary school English teachers must have taught that.

My suggestion is that fiction writers buy a copy of The Chicago Manual of Style for reference when in doubt about how to punctuate something.

For magazine and newspaper writers, refer to the Associated Press (AP) Stylebook. Either way, watch those commas. Wars have been started with less passion.