A New Challenge

So, that's right. I have a new challenge for those of us who love to write. Pick someone, a random stranger. Don't speak to them, just passively observe them. Make mental notes of everything about that person. What they are wearing, their demeanor and overall appearance. It could be any one. Perhaps someone in a restaurant check-out line or even in the car next to you. Do they seem to you affluent or a normal-Joe?

Then, when you've cataloged all you can, go home and close your eyes and let the magic happen. Create a fictional tale of the person based on what you took note of. Add in all the elements you've noticed and weave that into a story with a good story arc and plot.

Here's a plot line I imagined the other day in response to a question that was poised to me. I was asked how do I come up with the stories, where does the imagination come from?

It is of a tired looking woman who was in the twilight of her stellar career as a literary agent. Long gone are the big contracts and big paydays. Each night, after another day of failure, she drowned her memories of being one of the premier agents in cheap wine until the bottle is as empty as her stable of competent writers.

She was desperate to possess her former status in the industry when she reviewed a query letter of a suspense novel full of high stakes intrigue and conspiracy. She requested a full manuscript.

It had all the elements to be a trendy best seller. A good looking studly Senator as a main character, a beautiful damsel of ulterior motives and a mistress of even darker ambitions. It had an air of opulence and an uncanny behind-the-scenes feel of powerful politicians and hated wives. It was a ravishing tale of sex and murder, blackmail and compromises. It was the kind of tale the reading public would clamor for.

During her peak, she could get a hansom seven-figure offer from a major publishing house with little or no effort for a book like this. As she put the manuscript down, she wasn't so sure. She was a has-been and a subject of water-cooler gossip. She needed an edge. Something, anything that would get her noticed and back on top.

All she needed was... a murder.


And there you are. I thought this up in the span of three minutes. Perhaps, one day, I'll actually put it down on paper and begin building a project from it. I think it would be a fun book to write.

Now, its your turn! Let me know what you come up with. Remember, we are vessels from which a character's life flows to paper. Be true to their story. Don't worry about what people may think of you. Once you inject your outward concerns, you defile the life story your characters have chosen to entrust to you.

Tumbleweeds and Coyotes!

Whew! It's hard to believe it's been a couple of weeks since my last post! I just got back from my first time in Texas where their food portions are about as large as the state! I guess its time to hit the treadmill!

Anyway, I travel from time-to-time and those trips take me through major airports across the country. If you want a good cross-section snapshot of differing cultures and personalities - a major airport is the place to do it!

Texas wasn't any different. I got to meet all kinds of people. I got to see two Texas Rangers at a BBQ joint we were eating lunch at. I wanted to ask them about Chuck Norris, but decided it would have been unwise. Instead, I learned of the One Riot - One Ranger story and much more. My colleagues and I spoke about how life was in Texas, where poisonous snakes are as common as the squirrels in my back yard in GA. I even learned what life on a south Texas ranch is like! I was enthralled.

Now to tie this in with writing. I was reminded how one person's reality is impacted by geology and where they live. For me, hearing about life on a south Texas ranch was the stuff of old John Wayne movies. A series of Hollywood props and one-liners. But, for folks living in South Texas, ranch life is a here-and-now reality. That night in the hotel room, my mind wandered, replaying every detail of the stories. I found myself wondering what ranch life in Texas was like. I soon found myself constructing an elaborate fantasy land in my mind of modern ranch life where rattlesnakes, coyotes and the cartel danced among tumbleweeds and dust devils. It was a world where cats and dogs, our feline and canine companions, would chase down and kill a snake quicker than a wheel gun toting cowboy. Fearless. Unrelenting.

Characters. All our stories have them. Traveling reminded me how diverse our world is. It reminded me how our environment shapes and molds our individual realities and each person has their own bubble of individualism and set of experiences that make their reality very different from our own. When writing, I have difficulty conveying that diversity, that individual character. Sure, they have different names and genders and have their own place in a plot line, but sometimes they lack depth.

When you are embarking on a new project, take time to research and flesh-out all the main characters that will appear in your book. Develop a background, life experiences and understand them - get to know them. Even if those details never make it into the book, they will weave their way into minds of readers via good character development. Only then will you truly be able to write about them and tell everyone what it is like being them! It adds character depth and adds strength to your book. If a reader doesn't care about your characters that are driving the plot, they almost certainly will care even less about the book.

So, when writing, don't neglect your characters. They need as much, if not more, attention than the plot itself.  And remember, as Will Rogers once said, always remember to drink upstream from the herd.

The Count that Counts

From my other posts, you know I'm a big fan of having a word count goal with each writing session. Over the holidays I had a brief conversation with a writer friend of mine on how to find that comfortable amount of words to settle into.

So, the first thing we need to agree to is that writing a novel isn't easy. It takes time, patience and dedication. It's a commitment of endurance and a commitment to your characters.

There are many reasons for setting a daily word count goal. One, it keeps you on schedule and focused. Without it, your project may linger and ultimately be pushed aside completely! Like I told my writer friend, "Motivation and devotion, no mater how pure, has a shelf-life. The longer you take to complete a project, the less likely you will!" Again, this is where a word count comes to the rescue. It keeps you moving down the road of completion in a steady and measured way.

There are a couple pitfalls to watch out for. To begin with, temper your expectations. A goal is nice, but it can also be a source of discouragement. If you set your count to high and you constantly miss your mark, it can impact the energy that drives your writing. However, setting it to low and you risk a jerky/choppy story arc and underdeveloped plot lines.

When deciding on a word count goal for a project, there are a few factors you should think of. When do you plan to have your writing sessions? Yes, it's important to have a set time slot each day. What is your targeted length of your book? Do your fingers dance across the keyboard or do they peck like a blind and deaf woodpecker with rheumatoid arthritis? Do you have any experience in writing novel length stories? Finally, you must be honest with yourself when evaluating your enthusiasm for your project.

For me, I set my goal at 1,500 words per day. There are days when I struggle to hit that mark. But, there are many days that I far exceed it. Use it as a guideline to keep you moving in the right direction. Never use it as a stopping point. If you're in the middle of a suspenseful part of the plot, or a budding romance between your superhero and arch villain, don't stop just because you hit word count quota! Keep going! Writing isn't a hold-that-thought activity.

Now, what happens on those days you don't hit your goal? This happens. For me, if I don't write, I begin experiencing anxiety and the slow burn of guilt. A condition I can only reverse by writing. I also have some favorite blogs I follow and read myself. It all helps to keep me focused and motivated.

I know some who claim they don't need a word count. I'm sure there are exceptions. For the vast majority of us, however, not having one leads our projects to the dusty shelves of neglect.

Good Luck! I know you can do it! Just remember to have FUN! You're already doing something most have only dreamed about - WRITING!

Another Round!

So, you've done it! You've done what so many people say they want to do, but never do. Finished your first Book! Congratulations! Now, the real work starts. Editing. Editing. Editing. Now, there are some folks that love the editing portion of writing. They love refining and making that diamond in the rough sparkle. They analyze every nook and cranny of the manuscript.

Then there are those that loath the editing process. They approach it as a necessary evil, a thorn that needs to be removed. They slug through the whole editing process at glacial speed.

It's about attitude! Change it if you fall into that second camp! Your characters deserve the added attention.

But what needs to be remembered, is that just because you finished your draft, it doesn't mean you've finished your novel. A novel isn't finished until it is in fit-n-trim shape. Think of the editing process as cross-training for your manuscript. Conditioning, strength training and cardio are going to be needed for the marathon your manuscript is going to have to embark on. It is going to be going through the process of finding an agent, a publisher and getting published. It needs the training to stand on its own. You won’t be there to hold its hand. The editing process is where you set aside your personal affinity for your work and scrutinize. Does that story arc, regardless of how much you like it, really, really, really work? Or is that character that you love so much really pulling their weight? If not, well, it’s your job to shape them up!

So, fellow pen-warriors, drop down and give me 50! Don’t stop until your manuscript is a lean, mean, rousing machine! Then, refine it, drop it in a tuxedo and send it out in the brutal publishing world.

Distractions

There are days I sit down at my computer and, simply, struggle. I have a lot to write about. From my other posts, you should know I feel there are stories to be told everywhere. Sometimes getting the creative flow flowing can be a challenge. Today, even as I post this, is one of those days for me as we deal with an instance of identity theft.

Distractions.

They're everywhere. They lurk in the shadows of the over occupied mind. They hide in our overstuffed email inboxes. Sometimes, they use those closest to us to carry out their diabolical subterfuge. Their objective is to keep writers from shedding the light on those untold stories. They want to silence our characters' voices.

Distractions act to disrupt the flow of creative energy. It is that energy that acts as the window of our imagination. The incessant ringing of the phone, the constant blip tones of new emails and the daily to-do lists all serve to fog that window.

One day of not writing leads to another. Before you know it, you've gone a whole week, perhaps more, without one keyboard stroke. The characters you have been writing about, who you had grown to love, are now strangers on a yellowing page. Your connection with them, severed, lost - DEAD.

When I decided to start writing, I was fortunate enough to read ON WRITING by Stephen King. In it, he explains how important it is to write everyday, among a host of other important insights. Writing is a craft that needs to be practiced.

Keeping his advice and the obligation I owe my characters as my guidepost, I write everyday. My goal is 1,500 words a day. There are days that getting to 1,500 is a Herculean effort. But, then there are those days that I'm skipping happily to a prolific 5,500 words.

So, as King suggests, set out a routine and block time for writing and practicing the craft. For me, it's in the morning before the pressures of the day set in. Having a designated place to write helps a lot too. Have a goal each day. It could be completing a particular plot line, added depth to an otherwise flat character, something that keeps you moving forward. For me, I pair a specific goal with my word count target of 1,500 words.

Then - read. I've said it before. You learn from reading. All those mechanics we sometimes get mired in are demonstrated in a good book. Pay attention how its written. The structure, the flow, character development, everything is there for you to learn from. Oh, yeah, you kinda should enjoy it too. That's important.

So, now you have some basic suggestions. Get the glass cleaner out, clean off that window and get to it soldier! Before long, you'll find your fingers dancing across that keyboard to the beat and rhythm of what writers are called to do - writing.