What Is Your Story About?

by Scott Rhoades

What do you say when somebody asks what your story is about? Chances are, if you're like most of us, you give a brief synopsis of the plot. But is that really what your story is about?

A story is about people. Chances are you mention your main character and maybe your antagonist when you tell people what your story is about, but you probably focus on what they do. It's OK, in a summary, you probably have to focus on events.

But as you write, you have to remember that the story is about the reactions of your characters to the events. There should be nothing in your story that is not about the people. The coolest event, the most vivid description, the funniest words--none of that matters if they have no effect on your characters.

Every scene is about your protagonist trying to accomplish a goal, and being foiled by the antagonist. The antagonist, on the other hand, isn't getting in the way just to be a moustache-twirling villain. The antagonist has his own goals that just happen to run counter to those of the protagonist. It's not that the bad guy is evil, necessarily. It's just that he either wants the same thing the protagonist wants only he wants it first, or he wants something that's the opposite of what the main character wants. In the antagonist's mind, it's the protagonist who's the villain. This creates conflict, and conflict makes story because conflict causes the characters to react.

And it's those reactions that the story is about. It's all about the characters.

This is why some of the common problems in fiction are problems. Let's look at a couple.

Weak Opening

If you start your story with the weather, even if it's the best description of weather ever written, so real and so vivid that the reader can feel the raindrops bouncing off the page and splashing on his own face, the opening might fail to hook the reader.

Why? You know what I'm going to say. The character is absent. Even if the character is watching the rain and reacting to it, the opening might fall flat--unless the rain puts the character in peril and the description is crafted thoroughly from that character's point of view in a way that makes us feel the character's reaction, preferably a reaction where we feel that there's real danger, an intriguing problem. Weather can affect a story, but only by affecting a character. Without the character's reaction, there's no story in the weather.

This is also why opening with dialogue often doesn't work. We don't know the people yet, so we don't know why we should care about whoever is saying something.

Same thing if you start with the character waking. There's no reason to care yet, and waking up is normally not very perilous or mysterious, so it doesn't hook the reader.

Point of View Filters

"Johnny felt upset. He saw Jane walk around the corner with Tommy."

There's a lot wrong with this. It tells us what Johnny is doing, but it doesn't show us. We all get tired of the show-don't-tell cliche. Sometimes you just want to get to the important stuff, so you summarize. Summary is always telling, and sometimes it's necessary.

But why is showing better than telling? When you tell, like I did in the example, you take away the characters. Yes, it's true that there are three characters mentioned in those two sentences, but the characters are still absent, because you're being told about them instead of watching them.

Anytime you run across a "filter" verb as you revise, look at it closely and make sure you're getting what you need out of it. A filter is a verb that pulls you out of the characters point of view. These are verbs that tell you what the character is doing rather than letting you experience them. They include words like saw, heard, imagined, and probably the worst of all, felt.

If you are firmly in the character's point of view--where you want to be if you want to engage the reader by letting her live vicariously through your character--these filter verbs pull the reader away and put unwanted distance between her and the character.

If you tell me that Johnny felt sad, I can't experience it. If you show Johnny being sad from within him, by showing the symptoms of sadness, we'll feel it more deeply and we'll care more.

Likewise, if you tell us what he saw, we don't see it. If we're firmly within Johnny's POV, then everything described in the story is seen through his eyes. "Jane walked around the corner with Tommy" means that Johnny saw it. Why add the extra layer, the filter, by telling us he saw it when everything you describe is already what he sees? By putting in the filter saw, you take Johnny out of the real action, and you set yourself up for a weak description of what he's seeing.

If your story is about the characters, then everything that happens in the story is really about your character's reaction to events. He might walk into a crowded room, but he's not going to see everything. He's only going to see the things that cause him to react as he tries to accomplish his goal for the scene. The scene is not about all the stuff that is happening in the crowded room. It's about the character's reaction to the things in that room that help him or hinder him in his quest to achieve the goal of the scene, and preferably the things that create conflict by keeping him from his goal.

One of the problems we run into is that our initial story idea is often about a situation, so we think the story is about that situation. We create characters to fit the situation we want to write about. But once the story begins, it's really about the characters and how they react to the situation. If you want to engage a reader, the story is about the people, not the situation the people find themselves in.

If you remember that as you write and revise, you'll make sure that every word applies to the character and his motivations and reactions. And then you'll have an interesting story.

Nathan Hale's take on the Publishing World

He mapped it out to make it simple for the rest of us! Great job, Nathan.

Check out his blog post:

http://spacestationnathan.blogspot.com/2010/02/land-of-doompicture-book-marathon-2828.html

And good job on writing 28 out of 26 days for the Picture Book Marathon.

Where do you get your ideas?

I've spent the last two hours at a city coucil meeting. Why? Because an incompetent mayor and city council ended up creating a fiasco in our city. So now my neighbors and I have decided we're not going to ever be uniformed about local politics again.

So what do you do when you're stuck doing your civic duty? Catch up on your email. Brainstorm ideas for the book you're writing. Anything to keep from falling asleep in a public place (that happens to me way too often--disturbing I know).

Where do you get your ideas? Some authors claim dreams as the source of their inspiration. Others life experiences.

Me, I get my ideas in those moments before I fall asleep. And sometimes in loooong city council meetings. Leave us a comment and let us know the source of your inspiration.

Tiffany Dominguez
Freelance Writer, YA Fiction

"Ten Rules for Writing Fiction" by various authors

I really enjoyed this article. Each author has a different take on writing, and some of them are hilarious! But all of them are insightful.

Part One:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2010/feb/20/ten-rules-for-writing-fiction-part-one

Part Two:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2010/feb/20/10-rules-for-writing-fiction-part-two

It's Friday and I'm in the Mood for some Laughs

Mark Parisi has a great website: www.offthemark.com If you have some time to kill or just need to tickle you're funny bone, then check it out.

Bad Auditions and Confidence

We've all seen it (or heard about it) the bad auditions for American Idol:

And then Simon inevitably asks "Who told you could sing?" The answers are usually the same: "my parents" or "my friends" or "my family." And then you wonder how on earth someone could tell them they could really sing?!? Were they just trying to be nice? Are they tone deaf?

When I'm having a hard writing day, when my confidence is shot, I find myself thinking "who told me I could even write?" And, ironically, my answers are the same: "my parents, my friends, and my family."

Uh-oh. Because I always think of those bad auditions and wonder.....

It's a daily struggle for writers to keep their confidence up. We pour our hearts onto paper only have them torn apart by critiquers (yeah, I know, it's called editing, but sometimes it feels more like blood letting!). Is it really worth it? Do we really have writing skills? Or did we fall victim to the compliments by someone who just really didn't want to hurt our feelings? And with each question our confidence sinks a bit lower.

We then may look at the other writers around us and imagine they never struggle with confidence issues. So why is it just us? Well, that's the good news. It's not just us. Everyone who shares the work they've created risks having their work (and themselves) criticized. It's part of the profession. It is part of the process that helps us to grow and develop our talent (necessary evil though it is!).

So when it feels like our mom/spouse/best friend may be the only one who actually thinks we write well, then take that support and keep slogging forward. You'll get there. The only true failure is when you quit. Writing-- actually putting pen on paper or fingers on keyboard-- is a success. Celebrate those little successes and you'll find your confidence level start to perk up.

Historical Fiction: How Historical Do You Need To Get?

by Scott Rhoades

It's a little later than I usually post on my days, but it's still today, plus there was a great bonus post earlier.

I have a question for all of you: How historical do you need to be in historical fiction? How historical is historical?

I love reading and writing stories that are based in a particular time and place, and I try to be as historical as possible when I write historical stories. But how much do readers expect.

Let's use a common example: the Middle Ages. The Middle Ages are a popular period for historicals, whether in fantasy, romance, or plain old historical fiction. It's also a period that I know a little about, as a lifelong student of medieval literature, especially from the Germanic areas. It's also one where people get things wrong. The reason is simple. The period we call the Middle Ages lasted more than a thousand years. There's not just a medieval period where people lived in castles and ran around in armor rescuing fair damsels from castles.

So, when I read a book set in the Middle Ages, I want to know when. The 13th Century seems popular in my readings, both in print and on Authonomy. So seeing things like plate armor, words like "mayhap" and "sire," and other things not authentic to a specific century or even half century, especially when they're stereotypes, make me distrust the author's research. I recently read a manuscript where Vikings were attacking a massive stone castle in England.

There are ways around it, of course. A fantasy set in a world based on medieval Europe can use whatever rules it wants, as long as it's consistent within itself. A romance set in an unspecified medieval period (suddenly, I'm thinking of Bill & Ted: "Dude! We're in Medieval!") is probably acceptable because, most likely, the reader wants the romance and likes the romanticized period of Medieval, and doesn't really care about the actual history. A book that purports to be a historical novel in a specified time with historical characters--well, I'll be pickier about that one.

It's not that I want to get all weird about it. It's just that, if I'm reading a book set in any historical period, it's because I want to feel how it was to live at that time. I trust the author to give me that experience, especially if I don't know the period very well.

Am I nitpicking? What do you think? How do you feel when an author of a historical novel gets the history wrong? How picky should we be?

Picture Book Marathon

I've made it more than halfway through the Picture Book Marathon. It's been a lot more fun than I thought it would be. It's also been a lot tougher. Thankfully, so far I haven't written anything that I've thought "Boy, that's trash!!" Some stories are better than others, and some may never see the light of the laptop monitor, but they are my stories. I created them, thought them up, gave them a life on paper. It's a rewarding feeling.

In the beginning I worried about not having enough inspiration of what to write. That hasn't been a problem at all. My biggest struggle has been feeling "not in the mood" to write. I usually wait to the end of the day to write my stories down and by then I'm normally exhausted. But I still write! That's what is amazing about pushing myself in a writing marathon-- I learn I can write under terrible circumstances. I wrote through the cataclysmic meltdowns of two very close friends a few weeks ago. I am still writing through my husband's last (and worst) writing stretch of his dissertation. And as of today, I'm writing through having a toddler with RSV.

But I'm writing. For three years, I had lots of excuses why I couldn't write. Looking back, I can honestly say they were all lame (super lame!) Last year's NaNoWriMo got me out of a long writing funk. This Picture Book Marathon is helping me to keep the momentum going. I'm always on the look out for more "marathons" to join. It's about time I used the talent I had instead of letting waste away while I make excuses about the children being too needy or not having an adequate writing area or....

March Writing Marathon

From the Fabulous Blog "Throwing Up Words" (be sure to follow the blog so you can learn more about the marathon in the next few weeks-- and really, you should be following it anyways because it's fabulous-- I think I mentioned that already!)

So here’s the proposal.

1. Three days in the blustery month of March (days will be announced soon). A month when nothing really happens.

2. We will decide the time to start and stop.

3. Write as many words–for your work-in-progress–as you can.

4. Two GRAND GRAND prize winners

a) most words written in during the marathon.

b) most people who joined the marathon/blog because of you (we want this to be a record breaking marathon. Like the Boston. So we can build our community and have more discussions and support. Tell your writing or non-but-wish-they-were-writing friends and have them mention you when we have the formal post/sign up).

5. A group prize for everyone who reaches the set goal word count (to be determined soon).

6. GRAND PRIZES (and these are HUGE baby): Books and a five page critique.

7. Group prize will be determined by the group. Or the individual. We can discuss this further. Like if we reach our word count, we could all go out and buy our most beloved candy bar or decadent treat and take a picture of our enjoyment of the prize (because we know that food is the best and most healthy motivator. Pictures will be posted on the blog). OR we can pick prizes other than food. A pedicure. A babysitter so we can go sit at Barnes and Noble and read all by ourselves. A massage. A piano lesson. A day at the beach. A new pony. You get the idea. OR everyone who meets the goal gets to send their favorite book to someone else who met their goal. Then we all get favorite books in the mail. But maybe we should do that anyway someday. Hmmm. We will have to decide.

8. We will post periodic prompts and encouragement throughout the marathon so none of us will be alone. Because that’s important right?

9. What do you think? Are you excited? This will be the big push. Get prepared it’s going to be fantabulous!

What Inspires You to Write?

I'm having a bad case of the February blahs...and I'm badly needing some inspiration from all those wonderful writers out there.

What inspires you to write? How do you get unstuck? When you get halfway through a book and feel like it might be your worst work yet, what helps you wade through the muck? Most importantly, when you're out there querying and getting more than a few rejections, how do you not throw your novel away?

So far, the most rewarding part of writing for me has been becoming a part of this quirky, supportive writing community. You can meet a total stranger, discover that they have a writing hobby and feel instantly connected. You know they've gone through the same wonderment in discovering new characters, discouragement when the book isn't perfect, nervousness at sending out queries, and euphoria at getting positive feedback as you have.

Drop us a comment. Inspire us! Help us turn around the armpit month and make it the best writing month of the year.

Man! I wish I wrote that!

I just started reading the Fire series by Chris D'Lacey. I'm almost through "The Fire Within" and am loving it! I can tell I'll buy the book series-- provided they don't take a weird turn like the "Pure Dead Magic" series.

I keep finding myself thinking "I wish I had thought of that!" "What a great idea!" "Can I use that idea without copying it fraudulently? (lol)"

Do you ever feel that way? For what books? And not just for books because you wish you were making the millions of dollars that say.... Stephanie Meyer is. But because it's a fantastic idea?

Leave your comments below!

You can follow this blog on Facebook now!

http://apps.facebook.com/blognetworks/blog/utah_childrens_writers/

Or see the link at the right.

A Glimpse at the Slush Pile

by Scott Rhoades

Greetings from lovely San Francisco. I grew up near here, so it's always fun to "have" to take a business trip back. I'm getting some good work done, and catching up with friends I haven't seen in far too long, and this weekend I'll see family and at least one more friend before heading back for Utah County. Orem's not a bad place to live, but I always hate leaving California.

But that's not what I came to tell you about. I came to talk about the draft. (I'm sure somebody will get the reference...)

What I mean is, this week I wanted to write about a way to get a glimpse into the slush pile.

Some of you might remember that a while ago I wrote about my adventures on authonomy.com, a place to review manuscripts by other writers, sponsored by The U.K. arm of HarperCollins. One of the things I mentioned was that it gives us a chance to look at what other writers are writing and submitting. This is important. It's a rare look at our competition, and to learn what they are doing right or wrong. It's as close as most of will ever come to looking over an agent or editor's shoulder as they slog through their submissions. And you don't even have to sign up to be able to read what people are writing.

Here are a few lessons I've learned.

Wake-Up Call
I've read on a few blogs that agents don't like to see books that open with a character waking up. I understand why. In one recent stretch of about fifteen manuscripts, I saw six that started with a character waking up. About half of those characters woke up with hangovers or other effects from a hard night of drinking, partying, or getting beaten up after drinking and partying. Two of the remaining three were awoken by loud noises. The last one was kind of interesting. The character woke up, but then there was a series of things the writer said the character didn't do, written in an interesting way that actually kind of worked. But if you're starting with your character waking up, chances are pretty good you're not this last guy. If you want to catch an agent's eye (or a reader's), probably the worst thing you can do is start with an unoriginal opening that makes the agent doubt that the rest of your story will be any better. Oh, and don't trade your wake-up opening for the weather. That's just as common, and is probably even worse because there's not even a character involved. Being woken up in the gutter by rain while sleeping off a night of drinking...not a good idea.

Too Good For This World
Every once in a while, probably a couple times a week, I come across a book that is written in a strange, unusual way. Usually, the author thinks he or she (but it seems to usually be a he, for some reason) is writing something of high literary value. When commenters mention rules of writing, such as using standard punctuation or capitalization, or making the story actually make sense, these authors reply indignantly that they are creating High Art(tm, patent pending) and that the conventional rules don't apply, and if the commenter had a brain, they would recognize this fact. This is just plain juvenile. It reminds me of the "deep" poetry written in high school and college English classes that doesn't make any sense but would if the reader understood the poet's sensitive soul. Don't do this. I have nothing against literary writing, or even experimental writing. I was an English major, and a good portion of my reading is classics, even now, long after my school days. Oh, and it's surprising how many people who do this are attempting to write literary Sci-Fi. More on that in a minute. Unless you're James Joyce, don't write like this. And I can pretty much guarantee you're not James Joyce. I suspect that these are the same people who reply to rejections with nasty notes telling the agents or editors that they wouldn't know a good book if it bit them in the a--ah, hold on while I get the phone.

I'm back. Where was I? I forget. Might as well go on to the next point.

Know Who Thou Art
When a writer posts their work on Authonomy, they label it with the genre. It surprises me (and probably shouldn't) how many people list their books as both literary fiction and science fiction or literary fiction and fantasy or literary fiction and romance or--you get the idea. If you do this in a query or submission, I can almost guarantee that it will mark you as an amateur. Know your genre. There's no reason why genre fiction can't be literary (look at Ray Bradbury's best work); in fact, it will have a better chance if it has some literary value and is well written. But that doesn't make it literary fiction. If an agent reps literary fiction only, do not send him your literary science fiction. In the publishing world, genre fiction is not literary fiction. They are different animals.

The Font of Knowledge
Non-standard fonts are hard to read. It's not clever to submit your manuscript in a crazy-looking script font, in a deep red of course, because your story is told as the journal of an insane ax murderer. Medieval fantasies do not have to be told with a medieval font. Readers want to be able to read the thing. If a publisher likes your work and wants to do something interesting with the fonts, they'll know how to do it so the book can still be read. Unusual fonts do not make you creative. They make you unread.

Strunk & What?
Before you put your work out there, whether submitting or giving the public access to it on Authonomy, check for errors. Check again. Have a knowledgeable friend check. Then check again. Yes, it's true that several blogging agents have said that they don't get too upset if there's a typo or two in a manuscript, or a couple missed commas, or whatever. That doesn't mean you can put your work out there packed with errors and expect an agent or editor to recognize your genius and help you fix it after signing you. If you were too busy playing with the gum stuck to the bottom of your desk in school, it's not too late to start learning the mechanics now. It's expected of a professional writer.

I could go on forever (and some of you might think I already have). I've seen a lot on Authonomy. Still, my total reading on that site doesn't equal what many agents see in a day, which means they see these problems far more often than I have. But don't take my word for it. Whether you participate in the Authonomy site or not, there's a lot to be learned from browsing it.

A Little Trick I Learned

Years ago I read a book by George Durrant called "My Best Day So Far." From reading it, I've learned a little trick I've used for my life and am now teaching my kids. Every time I do something I tell myself "Well, that was the best I've done with that."

When my daughter, who takes after my hubby & I with her perfectionism, gets frustrated her craft projects turn out poorly (according to her high standards), I ask her "Have you ever done it before?" The answer is always "No." "So," I tell her, "then it's the best you've ever done." Slowly she's getting the idea to celebrate her attempts rather them condemn them.

Whether or not it's your first write or your third rewrite, if you look at the facts, it IS the best you've ever done simply because you've never done it before.

Sometimes you may need to get a bit creative: "This is my best picture book today/this afternoon" or "This is the best story I've written on South American dragons." When you narrow your focus, you can honestly pat yourself on the back for doing the best you could. Will it be the best you can ever do? Who knows?!? That forward focusing viewpoint can only lead to frustration.

Today is the day you are living in and your current project is what you are focusing on and since this is all you have truly in your control, it is the best you have ever done!

So when those doubts come creeping in and you can't help but think of someone else, stop yourself and acknowledge the success of what you are doing, right here, right now.

And feel free to apply it to all areas of your life. Heaven knows you need more acceptance and approval and less criticism! Enjoy it!

2010 Writing & Illustrating for Young Readers Conference

We're letting you know that you can now register for The 2010 Writing and Illustrating for Young Readers Conference!

This year's conference will be held June 14-June 18, 2010, and promises to be an exciting week. Our new venue in Sandy, UT, is large and full of light. And we're working with the wonderful bookstore
The King's English! As usual, we have an amazing, award-winning faculty, too.

Our faculty includes:
Rick Walton and Cheri Earl--who will team-teach the Beginning Class www.rickwalton.com
Bonny Becker--who will teach a Picture Book class www.bonnybecker.com
Kristyn Crow--who will teach a Picture Book class www.kristyncrow.com
Mike Knudson--who will teach a Chapter Book class www.mikeknudson.com
Kevin Hawkes--who will teach the Illustration Class www.kevinhawkes.com
Emily Wing Smith--who will teach the Beginning Novel Class www.emilywingsmith.com
Ann Dee Ellis--who will teach the Contemporary Novel Class www.anndeeellis.com
Alane Ferguson--who will teach an Intermediate/Advanced Novel Class www.alaneferguson.com
Sara Zarr--who will teach an Intermediate/Advanced Novel Class www.sarazarr.com
Brandon Mull--who will teach a Fantasy Class www.brandonmull.com
Dave Wolverton (Dave Farland)--who will teach a Fantasy Class www.davidfarland.net

Editors * and Agent:
Jennifer Hunt from Little, Brown
Mary Kole from Andrea Brown Agency

If you can't spend the whole day with us, look into attending the afternoon sessions.
Additional speakers will include Will Terry, Guy Francis, Ally Condie, Jennifer Grillone, Kirk Shaw, Matthew Kirby, Sydney Salter

For more information, and to register, please go to www.foryoungreaders.com

* We're still waiting to hear back from one editor

Please forward this information on to your writing and illustrating friends. Thank you!!!

Picture Book Marathon

Join us as we "run" a Picture Book Marathon in February. Basically this is a Nanowrimo for picture book writers. You may have seen our article in the Nov/Dec issue of SCBWI's Bulletin.

There is no cost to join, we won’t release your email to anyone, and you won’t need to publicly post your work. The marathon is designed as a motivational tool and to jumpstart your writing.

Each person will write 26 picture books during the month, one per day. Since February has 28 days, this leaves you two rest days. We suggest you save at least one of those to "treat" yourself during the last week.

In January we've been sending out "training" tips for folks who signed up for the marathon. Once we start "running" on February 1st, we'll all communicate via the blog which will be only available to other "runners." So far over one hundred writers are "marathoning," some from as far away as Australia and Moscow, Russia!

Visit our website for more details and to sign up. The deadline to join is January 29.

www.picturebookmarathon.org.

Happy writing!

Jean Reagan and Lora Koehler

How to Get the Most Out of A Critique Group

I've been in a dedicated critique group, consisting of a former publisher and a published authors for the past year and a half. There have been amazing benefits, not only for my writing but also in enjoying the works of others.

So here are a few things I've noticed maximize the critique group experience:

1. Avoid Explanation/Defending Your Writing. The more you have to explain to others, the more editing you have to do. We have one member of our critique group who just nods when we pose questions and takes notes. The group also feels more open to express opinion.

2. Come Prepared With Questions. Kickstart the discussion with one or two thoughtful questions about character, plot or pacing. Help steer the discussion towards the weaker parts of your writing. It also doesn't hurt to ask what your fellow group members think you are doing well.

3. Critique Strengths & Weaknesses of Others. Authors come to critique groups for several reasons, but gaining support from fellow authors is one of them. Of course positive critique is essential, but helping your group members understand what they do well can help them play to their strengths.

4. Ignore Punctuation/Copyline Editing. This will inevitably be a waste of time. Each publishing company has it's own way of doing things.

5. Sleep On It. Wait overnight, or at least a day before tackling the suggestions you brought home from your critique group. Initially, if you've got a good group and you've listened well, you'll come home pretty wounded. But after you've had a good night's sleep, you'll start to get excited about the changes you're going to make.

What suggestions do you have for members of critique groups?

Tiffany Dominguez
Freelance Writer
Young Adult Fiction

Other Hobbies

What do the rest of you do for fun? What are your hobbies?

Post a comment below to share!

An Interpretation of a Recent Rejection Letter

NOTE: Regular font is what the letter actually said; Italic font is my own idea about what they were trying to say. Hope that clears it up.

[Date]

[Name & Address]

Dear Sarah,

Thank you for submitting your manuscript ______ to _______ for consideration for publishing. We appreciate you giving us the opportunity to review your work

(This is just standard practice and is built into the letter template. Don't take it personally. We aren't really thanking YOU; we are simply being nice.)

We receive a great many submissions and we review each one.

(The corners of our offices seem bare without the stacks of slush pile manuscripts, and we often use them to prop up uneven tables and chairs. One employee prefers to use manuscripts for reusable coasters for her coffee mugs. In fact, we probably wouldn't have even noticed yours except for the fact she ruined a pile by spilling an entire coffee pot on it, and we had look through them to see which ones were soaked and might attract bugs. Yours was okay, and, since it was almost time to go home, we read it.)

We take into consideration where our particular segment of the market is going and what our customers are looking for when we review items for publishing.

(We are interested in making a lot of money. Our customers want books, and we want money to make the payments on our new boats/cars/RVs/summer cabins-- it's a mutually beneficial relationship; too bad you're not a part of it.)

After careful consideration, our new products committee has decided to decline the opportunity to publish your work.

(Though we all had a great time laughing over your manuscript. We all placed bets on how many typos we could find! I lost that's why I ended up writing this letter.)

Please let us know if you would like your manuscript returned or destroyed. If you would like it returned you will need to cover the postage costs. Let us know by ____ or we will have it shredded.

(If you don't take it back, we will have a great time destroying it with all the other unwanted manuscripts we receive. It's a quite a party: shredding first, then a bonfire where we roast marshmallows and hotdogs. These parties really build company morale.)

We would be happy to review any future projects you may wish to submit for publishing/distribution.

(We haven't laughed so hard in years!)

We wish you the best of luck in your future endeavors.

(May we recommend taking up another profession? Soon.)

Sincerely,

_______

"Finding Your Voice" by Carolyn Sloan

"...I was searching for something outside myself-- some sound that did not belong to me, that was not a part of me and was never to be created by me. And all the time I could have spent investigating my own instrument was instead trying to imitate and recreate [the] "perfect voice"... Remember your true voice can only be arrived at with a relaxed concentration and careful attention to individuality."

I read this quote during a brief time when I had delusions of actually being a good singer. I loved this quote and it has stuck with me, even if I'm still an off-key, toneless singer.

Too often when we start to develop our writing talents and skills, we immediately look to see how everyone else is doing it and we attempt to imitate them. We all have a true writer's voice that is uniquely ours; when we find that individuality, we can truly excel. That's when we don't just write, we create.

Writing Scenes

by Scott Rhoades

Today I thought I'd give some practical writing advice.

Don't do it.

Just kidding. Definitely do it. I couldn't stop you anyway. You write because you can't not write, even when you don't really want to do it.

So, since you're going to write anyway, let's talk scenes. You probably know that scenes are the backbone of story telling, but you might not know what makes a good scene. Chances are, you go purely by instinct. You have a certain thing happen, and that's a scene. But there's a tried-and-true formula you can use to create scenes. This will be old hat to some of you, but for others, it might make the difference between a lackluster plot and a page turner.

I know, we're artists, and as artists we're naturally predisposed to dislike words like "formula." But think about how music would sound if it didn't follow the expected formulas or rhythms and chord structures and all of that musical stuff. A story is the same way. be as creative as you like within the scene, but if you follow the established structure of a well-crafted scene, your scenes will sing and will keep your readers engaged as they move from one scene to the next.

I'm not going to go into a lot of detail. My posts tend to run a bit long as it is. But, I'll provide links to places where you can get a lot more information presented in a much better way. And maybe if there's interest I'll dive in deeper in future posts.

The basic formula is defined by writing guru Dwight Swain as "Scene and sequel." Other writers use similar, if not identical, terminology. It goes something like this.

You have a scene. A scene is followed by a sequel.

A scene consists of three elements: goal, conflict, and disaster. Your character has a goal. When trying to achieve that goal, conflict arises. Ultimately, the conflict results in a disaster that usually prevents your character from achieving the goal. Or, if he achieves it, some other disaster happens to make things worse than they were going into the scene. Your character's life gets worse and worse as the disasters pile up from scene to scene. That process creates plot.

A scene is followed by a sequel, which also contains three elements: reaction, dilemma, and decision. The character reacts to the disaster, recognizes the dilemma the disaster puts him in, and makes a decision. The decision creates the goal for the next scene, and it starts all over again.

My novel was floundering until I discovered this principle. Interesting stuff happened, but it wasn't very exciting. I edited with scenes and sequels in mind, and all of a sudden it was a lot more interesting. The plot hung together better, my protagonist was in greater peril, and the story became more fun to read.

So, when you write, instead of thinking in terms of chapters, think about scenes. As you begin each scene, make sure there's a clear goal and plenty of conflict, and remember to end with a disaster. Then, have your character react, recognize the dilemma, and make a decision to try to solve the dilemma. You'll notice a big difference.

You can read more about this on several Web sites, but i recommend the following books. I've read them all, and found them all worth the money. The first two are the best known, but the last two are more recent, and I think I actually enjoyed reading them more.

• Techniques of the Selling Writer by Dwight Swain


• Elements of Writing Fiction - Scene & Structure by Jack M. Bickham


• Make a Scene: Crafting a Powerful Story One Scene at a Time by Jordan E. Rosenfeld


• Plot & Structure: (Techniques And Exercises For Crafting A Plot That Grips Readers From Start To Finish) by James Scott Bell

"The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate" by Jacqueline Kelly

Over the Christmas holidays, I finally got a copy of "The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate" by Jacqueline Kelly. I had seen the book in one of my daughter's book orders and thought it looked interesting.

I LOVED it! The character, Calpurnia, was so lovable and I found myself rooting for her as she struggled against what her mom wanted her to be (a lady) and what she wanted to be (a scientist.) I recommended the book immediately to my niece who has always been a bit of a tom boy, preferring dogs to dolls.

I highly recommend this book. Plus, I love the fact that the author is a first time novelist who is also a doctor AND a lawyer. Whoa! Talk about your high achieving woman! I can't wait to read more by her.

Here's one of the starred book reviews I found on Amazon.com:

From School Library Journal

Starred Review. Grade 5–8—A charming and inventive story of a child struggling to find her identity at the turn of the 20th century. As the only girl in an uppercrust Texas family of seven children, Calpurnia, 11, is expected to enter young womanhood with all its trappings of tight corsets, cookery, and handiwork. Unlike other girls her age, Callie is most content when observing and collecting scientific specimens with her grandfather. Bemoaning her lack of formal knowledge, he surreptitiously gives her a copy of The Origin of Species and Callie begins her exploration of the scientific method and evolution, eventually happening upon the possible discovery of a new plant species. Callie's mother, believing that a diet of Darwin, Dickens, and her grandfather's influence will make Callie dissatisfied with life, sets her on a path of cooking lessons, handiwork improvement, and an eventual debut into society. Callie's confusion and despair over her changing life will resonate with girls who feel different or are outsiders in their own society. Callie is a charming, inquisitive protagonist; a joyous, bright, and thoughtful creation. The conclusion encompasses bewilderment, excitement, and humor as the dawn of a new century approaches. Several scenes, including a younger brother's despair over his turkeys intended for the Thanksgiving table and Callie's heartache over receiving The Science of Housewifery as a Christmas gift, mix gentle humor and pathos to great effect. The book ends with uncertainty over Callie's future, but there's no uncertainty over the achievement of Kelly's debut novel.—Jennifer Schultz, Fauquier County Public Library, Warrenton, VA

Susan Powell: Missing

I hope you will all grant me a few minutes’ indulgence…I’m going to go off-topic a bit here and talk about my dear friend, Susan Powell, who has been missing for a month. 

I’m sure many of you have heard her name and story by now.   But if you haven’t, here’s a quick summary:

Sunday, December 6, I walked home from church with Susan and her two little boys, ages 4 and 2.  She seemed happy and fine and nothing was out of the ordinary.

The next morning I got a frantic phone call from Jenny, Josh Powell’s (Susan’s husband) sister who lives here in Utah.  She was very worried and upset because neither Susan nor Josh were answering their phones, had showed up at work, or taken their kids to daycare.  She was at the house with police and when they broke a window to get in—fearing the family had suffered carbon monoxide poisoning—no one was there and the family car was also gone.

Her husband and boys returned that night, raising more questions than answers.

That was the beginning of the nightmare.  My life and the lives of everyone closely tied to Susan have changed in every way imaginable since then.  Her family and I are trying everything we can think of to find Susan…keep her name in the news…get her story and picture into every home in the country in the hopes that someone, somewhere, knows something that will help us find her.

To that end, yesterday we started a massive social media campaign that will run for 72 hours, ending on Thursday morning at 8 a.m. MST.  If you are interested in helping us spread the word, here’s some things you can do:

* Spread Susan’s YouTube channel and videos everywhere…share on your FB wall, e-mail to friends, anything.

* E-mail five friends with the subject line “Please forward to 5 friends” and include all the relevant links (which you can find here).

* Blog about Susan and her story.  Any pictures or video posted to the Friends and Family of Susan Powell Facebook group are freely available to share as needed in the effort to find Susan.

* Join the Friends and Family of Susan Powell Facebook group.  This group’s purpose is to gather news clips/videos/articles in one place, offer a place the family can go for words of comfort and hope, and act as “search central” for any topics that will help find her.

* Consider downloading/printing some fliers and posting them at your workplace or anywhere you go. 

* If you are on Twitter, follow @findsusan and tweet about her, using the hashtag #findsusan.

* Wear or display a purple ribbon to symbolize one of Susan’s favorite colors and bring awareness of her story to even more people.

This campaign is already working.  E-mails are flooding inboxes all over the country, the Facebook group has doubled in size in less than 24 hours, and…most importantly…tips have come in to the police.  THAT is what this is all about—hoping someone will remember something, just enough to help us find her.

Her family is suffering terribly.  The waiting is the worst part, not knowing where she is or what’s happened…it’s hard to describe the rollercoaster of emotions we are all on.

Any and all prayers, help, and support are appreciated more than we can say.

Thank you for allowing me this indulgence and now…I return you to your regularly scheduled blog. :)

Kiirsi Hellewell is a stay-at-home mom who, in a previous life (before December 2009), lived quietly at home, enjoying homeschooling her children and dabbling in a few creative pursuits.  She lives in the Salt Lake City area.

Three Books by Pseudonymous Bosch

By chance, I picked up an interesting book months ago from a shelf in my public library. The cover and title intrigued me. "The Name of This Book is a Secret" by Pseudonymous Bosch.

The book was fantastic-- a mix of Lemony Snicket's narration (without the dreariness) with fabulous characters and an interesting plot. After I was done, my 9 year old daughter read it and became a instant fan.

Next we found the second book: "If You're Reading This, It's Too Late." Another great, humorous read. I love his narration and warnings he gives to the readers to prevent them getting involved in the struggle-- which of course just makes you want to know more!

The third book came out late last year with another intriguing title: "This Book is Not Good for You." I'm about half way through it now.

While trying to find pictures for this post, I found his website! What a wild ride. He encourages kids to decode his secret messages and learn his secret. My favorite: "The password to this website is Secret." And below that is a box for entering the password. I will admit it took me a bit to figure out what the password was.

His website: http://thenameofthisblogissecret.typepad.com/secret/

So while this post may not give you lots of details and plot lines for the books, I hope it intrigues you enough to check out the books. If you liked "Series of Unfortunate Events" but want something more peppy and if you like Alcatraz in Brandon Sanderson's "Alcatraz versus the Evil Librarians" series, you will enjoy these books.

Don't just take my word for it! My 9 year old is a big fan too!

Happy New Year!

by Scott Rhoades

I thought I'd be totally original and write a New Year's Day post about some goals for 2010. Honestly, I'm not big on resolutions because they often just set us up for failure, but I thought I'd list a few ideas that might help writers in the new year. I hope most of these are new ideas you might not have thought of. Feel free to pick and choose from this list and take any ideas you like, and modify them if you want.

* Act like a child for a little while every day. Be silly. Play with play dough (and I don't mean making fancy adult-like creations--enjoy the pure joy of making simple snakes and other shapes you loved as a kid). Sing a nonsense song. Color outside the lines. Play with toys. Read a picture book, not as a writer but as a child, soaking in the words and the pictures. Take some advice from Woody Guthrie, who said, "I don't want the kids to be grownup. I want to see the grown folks be kids."

* Make more time for writing.

* Keep track of all of the books you read this year. I've done it two of the last three years, and it's really fun to look back and see how I fed my mind.

* Create or improve your writing space. It doesn't have to be a room. It can be a corner, a desk, or a personalized desktop on your computer. Make it fun and comfortable so it helps you feel creative and makes it easier to get your work done

* Read the biography, autobiography, or journal of a favorite author, one that talks about the challenges the writer faced so you realize that even famous authors struggle to get their words down. Some of my favorites include Twain's autobiography, Steinbeck's Grapes of Wrath journal, and a biography of Douglas Adams.

* Commit to reading a certain number of local authors and other writers from your extended writing circles. While you're at it, extend your writing community.

* Join a critique group, either a face-to-face group or an online group.

* Read this blog regularly.

* Make every day an adventure. Go somewhere you've never been. It doesn't have to be far away. It can be in your town. Do something you've never done. Listen to a different kind of music. Eat something weird or scary. Every new experience is an adventure, and every adventure can lead to a story.

* Pick an author and make a plan to read everything he or she ever wrote, then do it

* Most importantly, be healthy and happy.

And have a great year!

A New Christmas Standard?

by Scott Rhoades

I wrote a little thingy this morning, and thought I'd share. You don't get any of my homemade Lebkuchen, so you'll have to settle for this. Merry Christmas!

L.A. WINTER WONDERLAND

Wintertime, sun is shining
Freezing cold, so we’re whining
How can people survive
When it’s just 65
It’s an L.A. winter wonderland

Jacket's on, hands in mittens
Designer clothes, so nice fittin’
I bought a great tan
So glad I’m a man
In an L.A. winter wonderland

On the beaches surfers don their wet suits
Children building castles in the sand
Sun reveals a pretty blonde’s dark roots
Male movie stars stroll hand in hand

Keep your snow, we don’t want it
‘less we went out and bought it
Feel like Eskimos
When the ocean breeze blows
In our L.A. winter wonderland

This Space Left Unintentionally Blank

'Tis the season for being behind on everything and trying to remember so much at once--did we get Kyle that one thing (what was it again?), and how can we get Ryan something from Zumiez without actually going to the mall?--that nothing sticks. So imagine my horror when I woke up this morning and realized it was my day to blog, and of course it's on a day when I have to be at work an hour earlier for an end-of-year marathon all-day meeting.

So for all of my minions who wait anxiously for my next posting, sorry about not having anything today. For the rest of you, the normals ones who know what I'm saying, stay tuned. If something pops into my mind in the next few days, I might just blog out of turn.

And to all of you, have a GREAT Christmas week, the busiest, most hectic, most stressful, but also the most joyous, week of the year.

My NaNoWriMo Experience by Yamile Mendez

Is it December already? Really? Because I feel like on November 1st I boarded the NaNoWriMo train, and I've missed my stop. My experience with Nano this year was completely different from last year's for several reasons. Last November I hadn't ever written a full novel. This year I worked on my third. Last year I let myself be taken over by the words; this year I had a plot and a plan I was working on. I set the rules for my story and tried to follow them.

Last November I wrote 51,000 words that showed me I had reached my goal. This year I didn't only reach my goal but exceeded it, and guess what? Even though November is over, my story isn't. This means more writing, but now that I have the habit of writing everyday--or almost-- I plan on finishing shortly.

This year I also used several tools that I didn't even know existed last year. For example, the Utah Word words: Utah County against Salt Lake against Elsewhere.

Through twitter I found out authors Scott Westerfeld (Leviathan, http://scottwesterfeld.com/blog/) and his wife Justine Larbalestier (Liar, http://justinelarbalestier.com/blog/) blogged daily with wonderful tips for Nanowrimoers.

I didn't attend any of the write-ins taking place across the valley, but next year I will for sure.

Now that Nano is over, I found another wonderful site, http://plotwhisperer.blogspot.com/, that gives a plan for revising your novel, with daily tips and directions.

This year I felt I was part of a writing community, and even at home I had my 9 year-old working on his own project. He got sick the last week in November, and unfortunately didn't reach his goal, but only for a couple of hundred words. He set himself another goal for the end of the year, and I don't doubt he'll reach it.

My novel will not be even close to perfect when I finally finish it later this month, but I'm proud of it because it was created from a tiny idea that I fertilized everyday without fail. I hope it will become the tree it is meant to be. If it doesn't, there's always next November for a new opportunity.

POV Experiments-- "Schooled" by Gordan Korman

I picked up "Schooled" off a library reshelving cart and was intrigued by it's bright yellow cover complete with a large peace sign and a school bus. The inside cover description was appealing so I checked it out. I read it yesterday and wanted to share the unique twist on the story. Here's part of the summary on the book:

"Capricorn (Cap) Anderson has never watched television. He's never tasted a pizza. Never even heard of a wedgie. Since he was little, his only experience has been living on a farm commune and being homeschooled by his hipped grandmother, Rain.

"But when Rain falls out of a tree while picking plums and has to stay in the hospital, Cap is forced ot move in with a guidance counselor and her cranky teen daughter, and attend the local middle school. While Cap knows a lot about tie-dyeing and Zen Buddhism, no education could prepare him for the politics of the public school.

"Right from the beginning, Cap's weirdness makes him a moving target at Claverage Middle School (dubbed C Average by the students). He has long, ungroomed hair; wears hemp clothes; and practices tai chi on the lawn...."

The first chapter is told from the perspective of Cap himself and you see what he's thinking and feeling as he takes care of his grandmother immediately after her fall. The second chapter is from the POV (point of view) of the guidance counselor who takes him in; the third from the school big man who targets Cap as the 8th grade whipping boy; the fourth from Cap again. Throughout the entire book, the POV shifts from person to person all the while centering around Cap and how the school views him and his antics. By the time you get to the climax point, you know Cap better than you might have if you had only ever saw him through his own eyes.

The more I read this book, the more drawn I became to all of the characters. It was like watching an exciting sports game and rotating spots every few minutes so I could get a different perspective on the action. I loved it! I will admit that I was disappointed by the ending. It seemed to cut short this well-woven story, like finishing off a rug with some staplers or duct tape! But I loved the idea of switching back and forth between the first person perspective for each charcter. Gordan Korman pulled it off really well.

So how can this apply to you? Do you have a spot in your story that seems to be stuck or be excessively ridgid? Try writing the scene through the eyes of another character, whether major or minor. Hopefully it will give you new insight as to what's going on in the scene in a more three dimensional way. If you are trying to decide how to construct a novel out of an idea in your head or scratched out on paper, consider a different approach to the POV.

And, of course, to read a good example of alternating POVs, pick up "Schooled" by Gordan Korman. I highly recommend it, despite the weird ending!

Tidbits from the Internet

Hi, folks.  I’m sorry I won’t be coming up with anything more creative today…I’ve had a day from you-know-where and it doesn’t look to be getting better anytime soon.  So I shall just give you a few links you can peruse at your leisure.

First, author Sarah Rees Brennan shared (back in August) a thoughtful post about fictional ladies. 

Next, prolific writer Jennifer Crusie blogged about the important Turning Points in your story.  (An awesome post…I really enjoyed it.)

Last but not least, married writers Scott Westerfeld and Justine Larbalestier have a month full of blog posts on writing tips (specifically for NaNoWriMo but certainly applicable to all writers!).  I highly recommend them…they know what they’re talking about.  (See their November posts.)

Where I live by Shauna Leggat

I live in Mirlo Beach, North Carolina.

I live right by the Rodanthe House in Gere's movie, Nights in Rodanthe, and it was under water our last storm. Beautiful photos, though.

By the way, Nights in Rodanthe (Nicholas Sparks) was a terribly written book, and we were flooded for the movie premiere, so I never saw it! Was here through all the filming, though.

City & State Roll Call

I love the fact that our Utah Children's Writers group has members from all over the country. Will you take a moment and post your city and state (if not UT) in the comments section?

Thanks!

BIG Blocks of Text or "How to overkill your book with prose"

I read a book last night that had no more than 25% of its pages as dialogue, and even then the dialogue was a brief sentence followed by several sentences of description. One chapter I found had almost no dialogue in it at all. Now, mind you, the main character did a lot of talking and there were A LOT of other people in the book, but they rarely spoke for themselves. Instead most dialogue was filtered through the lens of the main character.

For example: Most of the primary grade teachers were planning the usual art projects along with having the kids bring valentines to give to everyone in the class. Alicia Despain, who taught fifth grade, plus environmental science to anyone who would let her, argued that it was a terrible waste of paper to throw away all those valentines every year, but most of the primary-grade teachers defended the practice. "The kids like it," said one of our first grade teachers, and someone else added that it really helped the students with practicing their letters and their handwriting coordination.

There are times when it is safe to let the main character describe everything from his/her point of view (POV), but it tends to make the rest of the characters seem like lifeless talking heads. We are never able to hear what they have to say for themselves. You may want to create a dominant POV, but it is a fine line between dominant (primary) and domineering (tyrannical).

Dialogue is essential to break up the flow of your writing and to provide some variation in what you are saying. No one likes to pick up a book and find massive blocks of text and little white space-- especially when it's a child/teen picking up that book. White space is visually appealing and less intimidating than BIG blocks of description, no matter how beautifully or cleverly writtent that description might be.

Finding a balance between dialogue and description is one that every author must create for themselves. I know great authors who struggle with description and end up adding it in through the final editing process to break up their scenes. Authors like myself are exactly the opposite. When I'm editing, I have to add in description to "fluff" out my scenes. The balance line between the two is different for every author and, I believe, for every story.

Now for some homework. If you want a description-heavy book, try anything by James Michener. He'll show what thorough description is, plus he may help you fall asleep at night! ;o) If you want a book with ALL dialogue, pick up "This is What I did" by Ann Dee Ellis. Her book is a remarkable example of a book with NO prose. Everything is a thought or statement by the main character or his friends/family.

Find your own balance. If you are not so good with description, then write a scene that is entirely dialogue with an occasional "he said sourly" or "she said tearfully" so you can keep track of who is speaking. If you are great with dialogue but are weak in the description department, then try writing a scene where two characters are interacting with each other but no one says anything involving " " " ".

Experiment. You may find you're the next James Michener or you may find your characters can pack a punch in what they say. You never know until you try.

Dialogue vs Description

by Scott Rhoades

A recent thread on the Utah Childrens Writers mailing list touched on preferences between dialogue and description. Like the title of this post, the discussion was framed as if it's an either/or question. It's not, of course. Both are necessary.

However, some people go description-crazy. When I look at a book and see nothing but a solid mass of gray text, I assume the following:

* The book has a lot of description, which is almost always telling, not showing, no matter how good the descriptions are.
* The pace is slow.
* I'll get tired reading it because it'll be kind of thick and heavy.
* Focus is on plot or theme, not character.

On the other hand, if I see a lot of white space mixed in, it's a sure sign there will be plenty of dialogue. And so I assume the following:

* The book will pull me into the scenes by showing me the interaction between the characters.
* The pace is faster.
* My eyes will get less tired because there's white space and there are more breaks.
* Focus is on characters.

Three guesses which book I'm most likely to buy.

To be sure, there is such a thing as too much dialogue. Some non-spoken prose is necessary. A good writer strikes the right balance between descriptive text and dialogue, controlling the pacing and action like a conductor controls an orchestra.

Some people struggle with dialogue. It's not that hard to copy the way people talk, but good dialogue does much more than that. Good dialogue is action. It moves the story forward. Like any good fiction, it is driven by conflict and heightens the tension.

And here's the thing: good dialogue often includes lively description. I don't mean it is expository, like:

***

"Hi, Joan. That's a nice blue sweater."

"Thank ya, John. I bought it at Sweatuh Emporium foah $100. Ya know ah don't have a lotta money, so it was moah than I could affoahd. But I lak it."

***

I mean something more like:

***

"Nice sweater," John said. Joan never did look good in blue. Blue washed out her pale face and clashed with the phony purply-red of her hair.

"You know Sweater Emporium has always been my personal Disneyland," Joan said without looking at him.

Probably cost more than a book of E-Tickets. She obviously hadn't gotten any better at controlling her spending. Maybe if she had, they might have had a chance. Whatever it cost, it wasn't worth it.

"Yeah, well, it's nice," he said.

***

There's a lot more that can be said about dialogue, and I suspect that you'll read more about it here soon. You might also want to check out Dialogue by Gloria Kempton, from the Writer's Digest Books "Write Great Fiction" series.