Who cares about the details?

Over this past week, I’ve been revising a few chapters of my Red WIP.  Now that I’ve finished writing the Blue WIP, I’ve switched gears.

 

Writing a first draft can be a rush – pen frantically scribbling, trying to keep up with the inner muse.  It’s probably one of the most exhilarating experiences I’ve ever had.  Each day, I can’t wait to find out what happens and to watch the characters leap from the page.

But for me, the slow, methodical process of editing and revising is even more rewarding.  It’s like practicing the piano.  After hours of practicing, hitting all the wrong notes, playing hands alone, at an excruciatingly slow page, and wondering if the song will get any easier.  (Trust me.  I have experience with this, just ask my piano teacher.)  There’s nothing like finally being able to sit on the bench, open the music and feel my fingers moving automatically.

And that’s exactly how I feel about editing.  It’s the moment to roll up my sleeves and put in the work that can be enjoyed at a later point in time.

It’s all about the details.  Watch passive tense, show don’t tell, create believable dialogue, making sure character’s personalities and motivations are consistent, watching POV, no head hopping, delete unnecessary adverbs, limit dialogue tags, vary sentence length… really, this list could keep going for quite a while.

And to be honest, I feel that I’ve mastered several of the above.

However, there is still one area that still eludes me.  And that’s the details.

I’m never quite sure when the reader wants to know more.  It’s only when my wonderful betas tell me that a scene is lacking.  

I’ve never been a particularly observant person.  In fact, one of my coworkers told me (repeatedly) that I have an appalling lack of curiosity.  I don’t need a detailed explanation for everything.  In fact, most of the time I don’t even need an explanation.  That’s how my brain’s been wired and often, I don’t notice when I leave the details out because I don’t think they’re necessary.

So after forcing myself to expand on the miniscule, I noticed an improvement.  Here’s a before and after:

BEFORE

A small giggle sounded and Aydra whirled around to stare at Rose, whose face held the first smile they had seen since her arrival.  Temar also stared at Rose before looking up at Aydra with bright eyes.  Aydra wanted to laugh and cry and cheer, at the sight of Rose’s smile and it somehow gave her the strength to stand up to her aunt.

“He will only be here a few weeks,” Aydra reminded Sasma.  “We need his help.”

AFTER

At the sound of a small giggle, Aydra whirled around, almost unable to believe it wasn’t a trick of the wind. For the first time since she’d arrived, Rose’s lips quirked upward, the beginning of a smile evident on her face. Temar stared down at the young girl before pulling her in close and kissing the top of her head. Aydra wanted to laugh, cry and cheer at the sight. It made all of the early mornings, the sleepless nights and confrontations with her uncle worth it.

She glanced back toward the kitchen, surprised to see her aunt leaning against the door’s frame. In the shadows of the dusky light, the wrinkles around her eyes deepened. For just a moment, Aydra’s mind tugged on memories best forgotten. The curve of her aunt’s cheeks, as well as the high cheekbones reminded her of her mother, and a longing rose in her chest.

“He’ll only be here a few weeks,” Aydra reminded her aunt. “We need his help.”

What do you think?  Better?  Worse?  How do you add details?

The Writing Ritual - Guest Post by Taylor Lavati

Today, we are privileged to hear the thoughts from Taylor Lavati, author of The Thousand Year Curse.  Be sure to check her book out, as well as her blog: http://thecursebooks.blogspot.com. 

Read on!

To make your writing the best it can be, you have to get into the writing zone. Well, how do we do this? What even is the writing zone? 

The writing zone is the mentality when you produce the best writing you possibly can. The writing zone is when your brain is focusing one hundred percent on the task at hand. If you’re anything like me, you know that it’s hard to block out the rest of the world and focus on only one thing. 

BUT YOU HAVE TO!

As I was coming near the end of my current project, my brain started to wander to other things, like how will I market it, what should the cover look like, what should the title be, how will audiences react... etc. 

This is not a good thing, especially when you’re supposed to be writing your book! So how do you get your brain to shut up and focus? Simple. 

Environment is everything! For me, I hate working in a cluttered room and on a cluttered surface. Your desk should be the most sacred place in your house. Make it creative and inspiring and where you can feel comfortable. 

Know where your writing is going! To get a good novel going, you have to know where the book is leading. For example, create an outline where you know the beginning, middle and end. The reason I say this is because a lot of times writers start writing hoping it will go somewhere but this is actually counterproductive. You’ll be deleting so much and it’s much better to know where the story is going. 

Find the ritual that makes you calm! My ritual for writing is, I have to eat first. I prefer writing in the morning versus at night. I just end up writing better in the morning. I also like to have a cup of coffee and tea to keep me energized. BUT not too much because then I’ll have to take a bathroom break and that sucks since it breaks up my thoughts.

Sooo... Moral of the story? Find what makes you focus and keeps your mind calm. To get into your writing zone, you need to find a ritual that works for you. Whether it’s wearing your special undies, or writing outside, your ritual is special to you and only you will know what works. Find that ritual because one you do, you’ll be writing better than ever!

Who am I?

Taylor is a twenty-two year old student in her small town in Connecticut. Studying early childhood education, Taylor wants to be a kindergarten teacher but has always had a soft spot for English. The Curse Books were Taylor's first writing venture that spiraling into hopes of a career in writing. The Thousand Year Curse is now available on amazon. She focuses on running her blog, writing new books and enjoying time with her dog, Beau and boyfriend, Chris. 

Be sure to check out my post on her blog about writer's block: http://thecursebooks.blogspot.com/2013/08/wednesday-writing-advice.html

Bad Guys: As Told by Wreck it Ralph

Bad guys have one job.  They create conflict and force the protagonist to overcome some kind of obstacle.  Often in writing, especially for children and youth, the bad guy has no real motive.  They just want the good guy to suffer.  And I admit, there have been the stories when I’ve created antagonists without bothering to ask what motivates them, why they fight so hard to thwart the MC.

Last fall, my husband and I went to watch Disney’s Wreck it Ralph, mainly because my husband loves video games.  I was less than interested, but I went to support him.  Within only a few minutes, I was enraptured.  It’s very rare to find a movie where the main characters’ motives are so clearly stated.

Spoilers ahead!

Each character has one desire, and wants one thing.  Each desire directly contrasts everyone else’s, creating the natural conflict.  Ralph wanted to be with everyone else, up in the penthouse.  That cost one medal.  Vanellope wanted to race.  That cost one coin.  Even Turbo had a desire: to be the best racer ever. 

None of their goals were bad, necessarily, but there was only one coin/medal, and for Turbo to race, he had to keep Vanellope from doing so.

I watched the movie again recently, and I was struck by the opening scene.  Ralph was a classic bad guy.  If the story had been from the point of view of Felix, we might not have been so sympathetic to Ralph’s situation. 

In everyone’s story, there is going to be someone or something that gets in our way.  Everyone has goals and desires that directly conflict.  Two or more people may apply for the same ‘dream job’.  There may be multiple people interested in dating someone.  Life is full of natural conflict, but it’s important for us to always remember that we are neither the good guy nor the bad guy.  We can only be ourselves and focus on our own goals and aspirations, remembering that everyone else is doing the same.

Ralph was created to be the ‘bad guy.’  But he learned how to keep that from controlling his relationships, and his life.  And we can’t allow situations to control who we are.

And as writers, we need to remember that there’s always another side of the story. 

Questioning the Characters

Where are you from?

How many times have you been asked that?  Every time two people meet, it’s a standard question.  When meeting someone, we want to know where they’re coming from, where they were before.

But after answering that question, how many of you are asked this:

Where did you come from before that?

This question is incredibly familiar to me.  I’m from Colorado, but I don’t look it.  Even after telling them where I was born, I get asked where I’m from before that.

Or I get a puzzled look, and “But where are you FROM?” as though I didn’t understand the question.

Of course, I understand why.  I have Japanese ancestry that makes people assume I’m oriental.  But that’s not the culture I most identify with.  I was raised in Colorado.  I even associate more with the Hispanic culture than the Japanese one.

Dressed up in a family performance of Mulan

But again and again, I’m asked the same question.

And when that happened again this week, I began to think about what this question could really mean.

Do we as writers ask our characters where they’re from?  I’ve heard advice to “interview” our characters, asking them what their likes and dislikes are.  I’ve read some amazing interview questions where the character is probed – even down to their favorite ice cream flavor.

I think we can learn everything about our characters by asking this one simple – but very loaded – question.

If I know where a character comes from, I would know the experiences that molded and changed them.  I would know who, what and where is most important in their lives.  I would know exactly how they would react in any situation, because I know their personality and how they’ve acted in the past.  I’d understand their driving force.

Right now, I’m struggling with one of my MC’s because she’s starting to feel like a piece of cardboard.  I have a fantastic beta going through the WIP currently, but I know that my real work will be in finding out who she is by learning where she is from.  In order to do that I’m writing character sketches of her life – interactions with family members and outsiders.  In the numerous drafts I’d written of this WIP since high school, it never occurred to me to investigate this character further.  As I explore her childhood, learn how she was raised and how she interacted with her brother and cousin (2 more main characters), I learn more about where I went wrong.

What about you?  How do you learn more about your characters?  Do you use interviews?  Character sketches?  What advice do you have for creating rounded characters?

Diagnosing the Problem

Many of us may not realize it, but one of the things that we know better than anything else is our bodies.  From birth, we spent every moment of our lives in our bodies.  Because of that, we should know when something’s not right.  There’s always the little clues, the telltale signs that we sometimes ignore.

It could be that we’re just feeling more run down than usual.  It could be that a certain muscle is sore or that we can’t move as easily as we used to.  Or maybe it’s a strange odor coming out of our urine.

But more times than not, we ignore the symptoms, excusing them for something else.  I’m tired?  Well, maybe I just didn’t get enough sleep.  I’m sore?  Well, it’s probably because I made a funny movement, or because I’m not used to exercising.  Urine?  Probably ate something different.

And many times, it’s probably true.  But what happens in those rare moments when it’s something more serious?  When do we realize it?

As a nurse, I’ve seen patients who have ignored something until it becomes much more serious than it could have been.  I’ve also seen patients who worry about every symptom when they can be easily explained.  How do we tell the difference between a heart murmur and just lack of exercise?  What if we mistake forgetfulness as old age when it may be dementia? 

Doctors and nurses have different tests that they use to zero in on specific problems.  Yes, there are CT’s, MRI’s, but those aren’t used until the basics are used.  Basics like blood pressure, pulse, temperature.  Sometimes the smallest things can give the greatest clues.

I think that sometimes as writers, we do the same thing.  We know our stories better than anyone else.  We’ve been with it since its inception, and there might be those moments when we think that something might be wrong.  A word, a sentence, a scene, but we brush it off.  How could anything possibly be wrong?

But if we continue without stopping to fix the problem, it may grow.  It may develop into something more serious.  Suddenly, instead of a simple infection that needs antibiotics, suddenly we’re in the hospital with sepsis, and all of our organs are going into failure. 

How do we know when it’s something serious? 

1. Always follow your instincts.  If you feel that something’s wrong, it probably is.   

2. Get a second opinion.  When we feel sick, we go to a doctor.  We get someone to look at it, and we go to someone who has medical knowledge.  Writers don’t have doctors, but they do have critiquers and betas.  They are our doctors.  And if you have a good beta, they can also be the nurse, helping through all the difficult healing process after the diagnosis has been made.

3. Do your research.  If your doctor tells you that you have several diseases and puts you on a diet of peanut butter and celery only (I’ve had that happen), do your research.  Go to another doctor.  One critiquer may hate one section, want you to change your style or even a major plot point.  Before tearing your work apart, ask someone else.  I think having at least three critiquers is best.  If the majority agrees, then it needs to be looked at and fixed.

4. Be compliant with the prescription.  This can be one of the most difficult.  It’s like when the doctor says to take an antibiotic for 10 days and you feel better after 5.  Do you keep taking it?  (As a nurse, I have to say YES!  Take it for the whole amount of time!)  For writing, if your betas tell you to watch passive voice in a section, does it mean that it’s the only section that needs it?  It’s probably what’s needed in the entire work. Your doctor tells you to cut down your sugar intake?  Is it easy?  No.  Will it benefit you in the long run?  Of course.  Likewise, if your betas tell you to cut down the back story and info dumps, it's probably not just to make you suffer.  They want your story to be better in the long run.

5. Don’t give up.  Even if the doctor gives you a poor prognosis, that doesn’t mean that it’s impossible.  It may mean that you have to fight harder, but it doesn’t mean that you should give up.

Any personal experiences getting your writing diagnosed?

Writer's Rant

Recently, I’ve been noticing a trend that has really started to drive me crazy.  I don’t like to talk about controversial subjects, but this one has gotten to the point that I can’t keep my mouth shut.

I’ve been reading/watch a lot of hate toward Twilight.  Well, no, let me correct that, I've been reading a lot of hate toward Stephanie Meyer.   I wouldn’t call myself a fan of her works, but I have read all four books, and I found them an enjoyable escape. 

For some reason, I’ve seen authors, artists, writers take her writing and tear it down, criticizing the story, the writing, the characters, and even the author herself.  Sure, we all have different opinions, and we’re entitled to them, but I don’t understand why we as artists take it upon ourselves to tell others when their art isn’t up to par? 

If we were to compare writing to art, look at all the different forms that exist?  If Monet were to ‘critique’ Picasso’s work, would he approve of it?  Even if he were to say that it was trash, unbelievable, the work of a three-year-old, that’s not to say that there aren’t people who prefer Picasso over Monet.  Picasso is one of my favorite artists, but I also like Van Gogh, but one of my sister hates both of them.  (Something I learned after taking her to the Prada for a special Van Gogh exhibit and the Reina Sofia to see Guernica.)  

Is she entitled to her opinion?  

Of course. 

Am I entitled to mine?  

Yes.

But we don’t fight over who’s right, over which artist trumps over the others. 

So why do we do that as writers?

Just as every artist is entitled their own style, and subject, writers do as well.  If an adult horror writer were to read a MG fantasy, wouldn’t there be some aspects that he doesn’t approve of?

And yes, I know that many people state that Meyer’s writing in and of itself isn’t refined, or she uses too many adverbs, etc.  But my question is, will the reader notice that?  Who is it to say what works and does not work for a novel?  Is it our responsibilities as writers to criticize all other authors?

Meyer has done something that most writers would probably love.  She’s created a world, a story and characters so vivid that they created a small band of fanatics.  And ultimately, isn’t that the whole point of writing?  Even if a person writes something that’s considered some of the best writing by the greatest literary critics but has no audience, then does the author truly accomplish their goals?

I've also heard that they don't approve of her stories.  Are writers expected to give positive, uplifting, completely nondestructive relationships?  If so, I have to say that there are many writers who would fit into the same 'condemnation.'

Beyond that, shouldn’t we also cheer each other on?  We’re all working toward the same thing, and when someone makes it, we should be happy for them, not tear them apart.   In nursing, it’s said that nurses eat their young.  Is that true in the writing world as well?  Do writers feel threatened by upcoming new writers when they hit it big almost immediately?  Or is it that they don't think that the new author has anything to contribute until they have experience?  And what are people looking at when they say "bad writing?"  Is it the syntax?  The characterization?  The plot?

I honestly have no answers.  Do you?  Someone please explain this to me! 

Writing News for the Week

Time to do a happy dance!

Yesterday, I finished the first draft of my Blue WIP, and I must say there were quite a few surprises at the very end, leaving another opening for another story.

So is this the end?  Have I finished my manuscript?

No!  Of course not!  There are several things that are very unique about this WIP.  Like I said before, I wrote this one without any sort of outline, which is quite a first for me.  I’ve never been able to finish a WIP without knowing where I’m going.  And that will create much more work for me in the next revision.  There were plot points I’m almost positive that I deserted halfway through.  I also have a character who just stood on the sidelines as the other characters ignored him. I think he needs to do a little bit more in the next draft.

For now, I’m going to leave it alone for now.  I’ve sent it off to my Alpha, the one person I trust with everything I’ve ever written.  In fact, she’s read everything, whether she wanted to or not.  And she’s not afraid to tell me what she really thinks. 

Then the revising begins.  Going through and rewriting just about everything.  

My first drafts are like very detailed outlines, I don’t focus on the wording or if I’m using passive tense.  I only focus on the story that needs to be told.  Now I'm going to have to focus on the syntax, the verbage, all of the stuff that I ignored while frantically scribbling away.  This is where the real work begins.

Fortunately for me, I love revising and editing.  It’s probably my most favorite part of writing.  I can use colors to focus on different points.  Green for dialogue, red for descriptions, purple for themes.  I love printing out a draft and crossing out the words, making it messy and crazy, knowing that eventually, the mess will become something even more beautiful.  It's kind of like deep cleaning.  The messier it gets when you first start, the better it looks in the end.

So while I let that WIP sit, I’ll begin working on revising my Red WIP.  I’ve received several critiques and reviews that I think will help me create a much stronger draft.  While I do that, I have someone beta reading my White WIP, for when I finish with the Red WIP's revisions.

What are you working on now?  How do you edit?  And which do you prefer, editing or writing?