A Villain to Remember
Posted on May 9, 2008
Filed Under Characters | 4 Comments
I love villains. Some of my most favorite characters in literature are villains. I’m using the term literature loosely here so that I may include protagonists like Dr. Doom (Marvel Comics), Darth Vader (Star Wars), and Ernst Stavro Blofeld (James Bond’s nemesis). What makes a villain memorable? Why do we love to hate certain bad guys? Why did JR Ewing make us smile in delight while at the same time we yearned to see him fail (I’m dating myself with this one).
Because we all have a bit of the villain inside of us.
Did you gasp? Of course not because you know it to be true. Search your feelings, Luke. We all have a “devil inside” (remember the INXS song of that name? - dating myself again). So what makes a good villain?
Their “Good Side” - The villains we love the most all have one thing in common. A soft side. They all portray a spark of humanity that we can identify with. While we cannot condone their actions we sympathize with the person inside that they all reluctantly reveal. Remember Spike from Buffy the Vampire Slayer? And Ebenezer Scrooge? Scrooge is an interesting example in that he was both the stories villain and hero. Can you think of any others? Here’s a hint…Dr Jekyll.
They have limits - Nobody sympathizes with Hitler or Governor Tarkin but we knew Vader couldn’t kill Luke.
They have a motive - Serial killers do not make sympathetic villains. The Frankenstein monster does. The poor guy. Bad Dr. Frankenstein. His monster only wanted to rest in peace (and a mate).
What would the world of literature and entertainment be without a good villain to remind us that we all have a dark side.
Photo Courtesy of Frogmiller
Annual Writer’s Digest Competition
Posted on May 4, 2008
Filed Under Selling Your Work | 2 Comments
It’s that time of year again. The annual Writer’s Digest Writing competition is entering its 77th year. The Grand Prize is $3000 as well as a trip to New York city where the lucky winner can meet with editors or agents. Manuscripts can be submitted online. Hurry up though. The entry deadline is May 15th, 2008!
Photo by Jen Chen.
Point of View Leaping
Posted on May 1, 2008
Filed Under Writing Style | 3 Comments
Not too long ago I sat down to begin work on a novel. It was one of those projects that captured my imagination to the point of excitement. I couldn’t wait to get started. After the first chapter I sat back and smiled. Then I read the last few pages. My smile faded. Something wasn’t right. It took me a long sleepless night to figure out what the problem was. It wasn’t the writing or the story. It was the point of view. I realized that writing the story from one character’s point of view wasn’t going to work. To achieve the intimacy I needed with the reader I had to allow two characters to speak through me. I had to perform a literary leap frog back and forth between them. They both needed to tell the story… together. That was how my novel Milenka was born.
Try this the next time you write, or are planning a story. I wouldn’t suggest leap-frogging between character’s POVs, but I do suggest this experiment. Write the first three pages in two different ways.
Third Person - Imagine your following your character around and describing what you see. This “over the shoulder” perspective is very popular and a vast majority of what you read is in the third person. You can either do this as if you were invisible in the same room as the character, only knowing what your character knows (third person limited), or you can do this as an omniscient being who can also see things your character can’t (third person omniscient).
First Person - You are the character. You can see through their eyes. It doesn’t matter if the character is of the opposite sex (think Quantum Leap!).What do you see, feel, do?
If your familiar with this you may have noticed I left out the Second Person point of view. That was done on purpose as I feel it is a very awkward style of writing for both the writer and the reader.
So after performing this little exercise, which were you more comfortable with?
Photo Courtesy of 10 Ninjas Steve
A Writer’s Greatest Sin(s)
Posted on April 28, 2008
Filed Under Writing Style | 4 Comments
Actually I am going to list 3 of them. Are there more sins that are writer is capable of? Of course. But for the sake of those of you who are guilty of all 3 I’d rather not burden you with more.
Being Passive - As I’m writing this sentence I can feel my fingers typing merrily away as I hope of creating the most beautifully perfect phrase. What???!!! Ugh. I think I’m going to be sick. Avoid using unnecessary words at all costs. This screams amateur and shows that you are trying to impress us. Avoid the excessive use of passive verbs that end in “ing”. And adverbs. Especially those that end in “ly” unless needed.
Spelling - Let’s try that sentence again. As Im writing this sentance I can feel my fingers typing merily away as I hop of craeting the must beautifuly perfect phrase. There’s a reason almost every program out there has a spell-check feature. Use it please.
Quitting - Perhaps the deadliest of all sins. Do you think Charles Dickens produced the perfect first draft every time? What if he looked at A Tale of Two Cities in its raw form and declared it utter trash and tossed it into the fire? What if every author lit a match to work they weren’t happy with at first glance? We’d have nothing to read. A society of imbeciles. If someone tells you that your writing leaves a lot to be desired so what? You can fix it. After all - you’re the creator. Study and practice always makes perfect.
So back to our phrase. How does this sound? As I write this sentence I have high hopes of creating the perfect phrase.
Needs work but it’s a start.
Photo Courtesy of annecentral
What Makes Your Characters Stand Out?
Posted on April 25, 2008
Filed Under Characters | 2 Comments
Have you ever read a book and found that you were having a hard time telling one character from another? These “vanilla” characters have peppered novels for ages. Yet there are those characters who stand out from the crowd. And why is that? What makes them so special? Why do we remember Lemmy from Of Mice and Men, or the main character with the stutter from Stephen King’s IT (William Denbrough)? That’s because they have a distinctive trait. They have something about them that makes them both human and memorable to the reader.
How can you do this? By getting into the head of your character and the head of your reader. Let’s try this by creating one now. How about “Sheila”?Visualize our character. What does Sheila look like? How does she walk? What does she think when she enters a crowded party? Or a small dinner party? How does she react? Does she initiate the conversation or does she sit quietly, smiling and nodding and wishing the night was over? Let’s say Sheila hates socializing so she constantly fidgets when she is put into that situation.
Ok. We now have a detail about Sheila we didn’t have before. She can’t stop fidgeting when placed in a social situation. Now let’s convey this to the reader. Put Sheila in a dinner party and describe her actions to the reader. Notice I say “actions”. Instead of telling the reader how nervous and awkward Sheila is, show it in her actions and reactions.
“Do you feel the table shaking?” Mike asked the group. Sheila immediately stopped all motion in her legs. She could feel the heat rising to her cheeks. The room suddenly became much smaller. Lydia was staring at her. Was anyone else? Why did she ever agree to come?
“Sheila. Are you ok?” The words floated to her as if from a distance. Now they were all looking at her. Now she’d have to say something…
If your reader sympathizes with her in some way they will remember her. Trust me. If I bring Sheila up in another post you’ll know who I’m referring to.
Photo Courtesy of elaine55
To Outline or Not to Outline
Posted on April 23, 2008
Filed Under Writing Style | 4 Comments
You’re sitting down to write the next blockbuster novel that you’re sure Oprah will want her audience to read. You’ve got the premise in your head, a character you love, and an ending that will blow them away. The first fifty pages fly from your fingertips like magic. Then you stop. What next? You reread the last ten pages and realize you are straying from your storyline. You get a sinking feeling that you’re not quite sure how you’re going to connect the excellent beginning you envisioned to the ultimate ending you planned. Uh oh…
Should you have started with an outline? Ask any writer this question and you will receive a wide range of responses that can be boiled to two and two only. Yes and No.
It would be fair to say that the true answer is actually “Yes”. Some writers will deny it vehemently and proclaim that an outline stifles their creativity. They are not lying to you when they say “no” but they are momentarily blind to the fact that they do work from an outline. It’s simply that the outline in question is in their head. The whole story has been gradually mapped out for them before ever putting pen to paper. They give their characters some liberties but their paths are predestined. It’s easy to get lost in a forest of words when the only breadcrumbs available are commas and periods.
An outline can be extremely helpful. The level of detail you dedicate to it is up to you. Just remember that it is only an outline and you can take as many detours as you want to. There is no commitment here except to your creativity.
Photo Courtesy of Alec Longstreth
Make Time to Write
Posted on April 21, 2008
Filed Under General Thoughts | 4 Comments
When the Muse has stopped to spend some time with you - how do you make time for it? Can you ask it to come back later because the present moment isn’t convenient? I’ve tried that only to discover that my Muse is very impatient. When she decides to visit I’d better put her first or she will move on to whatever it is Muses do in their “spare” time. So how do you make time in this world of constant distractions and fire alarms?
Block the Time - If you only have 30 minutes a day within which to write, then train your Muse to acknowledge it. Believe me, your Muse wants you to write despite how fickle or impatient they may be. If you are able to set more time aside than that, then I’m personally jealous and your Muse will love you for it. Don’t worry if you have less time. Your Muse will understand (although they will never admit to it).
Ritualize - Create a ritual that will both attract your Muse into visiting and lull him or her into a state of patience and helpfulness. I usually sit down in my favorite chair with a cup of coffee and reread what I wrote the day before. I try to do this at the same time everyday.
Ignore the World - That’s right. Forget the outside world. Leave your email program closed and your cell phone off. Your Muse will thank you for it and will also be very impressed that you’ve put them first.
Be Selfish - You’re time with your Muse is your time. Allow yourself some selfishness. Politely let others know when your writing time is. You don’t need to pull a Jack Nicholson (i.e. The Shining) but this bonding time is important.
And most important? Compliment your Muse. They can be very vain…
Photo Courtesy of Write From Karen
Earn A Portion of a Book Advance…
Posted on April 20, 2008
Filed Under Selling Your Work | 2 Comments
Huh? What is that? Earn a portion of a book advance? Whose book? How much is the advance?
Well - let me start by saying that the full details are available at Sell This Novel.
Book advances come in all shapes and sizes. It would be nice to earn a portion of one right? So if you’re at all marketing inclined, and would like to earn some money visit Sell This Novel.
What Time of Day to Write
Posted on April 18, 2008
Filed Under General Thoughts | 4 Comments
At this very moment it’s approximately 10:30am as I write this sentence. But this is unusual for me. It’s not a typical time for me to write. If this were a chapter in a novel I can almost say with 100% certainty that I would eventually trash the entire chapter and start over. Why is that? Because I do my best writing before the sun comes up. I’ve tried different times of the day as necessity permitted and I’ve found that the only time I am completely happy with my work is when it was written before the day commenced. Perhaps that’s because my mind is fresh and free from the clutter that a busy day inevitable brings? It’s no secret to those around me that I’m a virtual zombie in the morning when it comes to anything practical - like work. I need my first huge cup of coffee to get me going. It’s funny that when I’m in my zombified state is when my creative juices are at their peak. If I try the write later in the day when my mind is firing on all cylinders, the words that come out sound stale and forced.
As I get further and further from the early morning hours I can feel my creativity ebbing. So what about you? What time of day lends itself to your most creative writing?
Photo Courtesy of mark78_xp
Write to Win $3000 !
Posted on April 16, 2008
Filed Under Selling Your Work | Leave a Comment
Have you written a book and decided to run with it on your own along the route of self-publishing? If you have then you may be interested in a contest the good folks at Writer’s Digest are holding. The grand prize is $3000 along with some other amenities (not to mention the exposure this will garner). There is a cost for your first submission (the entry cost drops with subsequent submissions if you have more than one). They are looking for entries in a myriad of categories also.
Instead of getting into all of the details here all you need to do is visit their site to review the writing contest rules. If you do enter the contest and either win (imagine!) or receive some sort of recognition please let me know and I will be sure to spotlight it here. Good Luck!
Photo Courtesy of Hitomi Mokusei
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