While I was on vacation, one rainy afternoon I pulled up the draft of the first 7 chapters of the new novel I'm working on. I read through it, did a little rewriting, rethinking, but I didn't really get into it. I didn't have a big block of time, I wasn't in a situation to build any momentum, but I wanted to be back in touch with my characters and I hoped I'd have a clear idea of where to go next in the story. That didn't arrive.
Tomorrow is Writing Friday and I'm out of excuses. I've also committed to producing at least one new chapter before my writing group meets next Tuesday and tomorrow will be the day to do it. I have to admit my acquiring of an agent has set me back a little. The stakes seem higher. I find myself no longer in the writing-for-fun mindset and that's got to change, because what I need now is to retrieve my zero draft mentality. That anything goes, that it doesn't matter if I write a chapter that won't be in the final book or if I take a character down a deadend street or if the writing is marginal. I just need to get back into it and trust that the characters, my imagination, and my muse will all come through for me.
The truth is, I love to be in the middle of a writing project and I haven't been since July. I need it to happen and so tomorrow, I'm writing something, anything, to get me going again.
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Monday, September 26, 2011
Thoughts on writing well from Joseph Epstein
"Learning to write sound, interesting, sometimes elegant prose is the work of a lifetime. The only way I know to do it is to read a vast deal of the best writing available, prose and poetry, with keen attention, and find a way to make use of this reading in one's own writing. The first step is to become a slow reader. No good writer is a fast reader, at least not of work with the standing of literature. Writers perforce read differently from everyone else. Most people ask three questions of what they read: (1) What is being said? (2) Does it interest me? (3) Is it well constructed? Writers also ask these questions, but two others along with them: (4) How did the author achieve the effects he has? And (5) What can I steal, properly camouflaged of course, from the best of what I am reading for my own writing? This can slow things down a good bit."
Taken from the October 2011 online magazine: Vocabula Review
Taken from the October 2011 online magazine: Vocabula Review
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Cruisin' for characters
This past week I was on a cruise that went from Seattle to Juneau and Ketchikan, Alaska. It is a great way to vacation. I went on the Holland America line, which had been recommended to me by several friends. Great food, excellent accommodations, and seeing Alaska and the coastline of British Columbia were wonderful. We did have some bad weather and didn't see everything on the original itinerary as we had to skirt even worse weather but the trip was till great. And I have to say, a cruise is an amazing place to people watch and find characters for your writing.
There are numerous options for meals. Many of the people seem to continually opt for the all-day buffet. The food there was good and it was convenient and the Lido deck, where the buffet was, had big windows and you could sit and watch the sea and the view. I ate up there for breakfast once and lunch twice and saw a few interesting characters. But the best experience for my writing was in the Vista Dining Room.
Most days we ate all 3 meals there. Many of the tables are for 4-8 people and we were 2, so they always asked before seating us if we'd like to share a table and we always said yes. It's not very often that I get to spend an hour over a meal with complete strangers, listening to their accents, their speech mannerisms. Or getting an opportunity to watch their physical quirks and gestures, their manner of dress. It isn't staring excellently but there is an opportunity to study several people in that intimate a setting.
There was a bit of sameness. They were mostly couples, mostly middle-aged and older, mostly white. But there were at least two couples who really intrigued me, who just might show up in a book soon. In his book Weekend Novelist, Robert Ray recommends spending a lot of time in public places, like a shopping mall, to scope out potential body types, mannerisms, affectations. And I've done some of that but those experiences are more fleeting.
For character studies, cruise ships are a better deal. And way more fun!
There are numerous options for meals. Many of the people seem to continually opt for the all-day buffet. The food there was good and it was convenient and the Lido deck, where the buffet was, had big windows and you could sit and watch the sea and the view. I ate up there for breakfast once and lunch twice and saw a few interesting characters. But the best experience for my writing was in the Vista Dining Room.
Most days we ate all 3 meals there. Many of the tables are for 4-8 people and we were 2, so they always asked before seating us if we'd like to share a table and we always said yes. It's not very often that I get to spend an hour over a meal with complete strangers, listening to their accents, their speech mannerisms. Or getting an opportunity to watch their physical quirks and gestures, their manner of dress. It isn't staring excellently but there is an opportunity to study several people in that intimate a setting.
There was a bit of sameness. They were mostly couples, mostly middle-aged and older, mostly white. But there were at least two couples who really intrigued me, who just might show up in a book soon. In his book Weekend Novelist, Robert Ray recommends spending a lot of time in public places, like a shopping mall, to scope out potential body types, mannerisms, affectations. And I've done some of that but those experiences are more fleeting.
For character studies, cruise ships are a better deal. And way more fun!
Friday, September 16, 2011
Stepping in to the writer self
I'm leaving today for a cruise up the Inland Passage to Alaska. While I'm definitely on vacation and plan to take advantage of lots the cruise will offer, I am taking my laptop and planning to spend a few hours working on the new novel or writing poetry as I expect splendiferous scenery.
One of the things that getting an agent has done for me is validate my ability to write well and to tell stories, something even 5 years ago, I would have said I wasn't good at. Now I have encouragement to step fully into my writer self, and that means writing. Not talking about it or reading about it, but doing it. So while this won't be a writing retreat per se, I want writing to be so much a part of my life that I can't imagine travelling without a way to write.
And just in time to boost me further, my agent, so cool to be able to say that, sent me yesterday a list of the first 8 editors she plans to submit my book to. The publisher names were very familiar to me (big ones) but the editor names weren't. Then I looked them up on the web and saw that these are very heavy hitters, with substantial clients, including the editor for John Grisham. I'm thrilled that Andrea thinks my book is worth sending to these top-notch people.
One of the things that getting an agent has done for me is validate my ability to write well and to tell stories, something even 5 years ago, I would have said I wasn't good at. Now I have encouragement to step fully into my writer self, and that means writing. Not talking about it or reading about it, but doing it. So while this won't be a writing retreat per se, I want writing to be so much a part of my life that I can't imagine travelling without a way to write.
And just in time to boost me further, my agent, so cool to be able to say that, sent me yesterday a list of the first 8 editors she plans to submit my book to. The publisher names were very familiar to me (big ones) but the editor names weren't. Then I looked them up on the web and saw that these are very heavy hitters, with substantial clients, including the editor for John Grisham. I'm thrilled that Andrea thinks my book is worth sending to these top-notch people.
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Making revisions at the agent's suggestion
Fortunately, my new agent only had a few suggestions for revisions to the manuscript she is going to shop for me. It's been an interesting experience to consider them (they were my call, she said) and then work on the chapters with those specific ideas in mind.
In one chapter, I had written the two segments from two different points of view. It worked okay but she pointed out that both points of view were from minor characters and neither one of them ever got the point of view again in the book. I'd been uncomfortable with this before she said anything but I liked how the POV revealed what I wanted the reader to know about these two characters, one of them a new character who would play a strong supporting role to my detective.
So I went in and read the chapter and reread it and realized that I could take Andrea's suggestion and get my main detective into the scene. I lost a few pieces of information about one of the characters but not enough to be problematic.
I fixed the other two ideas pretty easily (mostly by dropping out sentences that weren't crucial).
Lastly, she wanted a different take on part of the ending but I didn't want to lose the last reveal so we've agreed to leave that as is and see if editors balk.
I sent off my signed contract, so now the ball will get rolling. So excited!
In one chapter, I had written the two segments from two different points of view. It worked okay but she pointed out that both points of view were from minor characters and neither one of them ever got the point of view again in the book. I'd been uncomfortable with this before she said anything but I liked how the POV revealed what I wanted the reader to know about these two characters, one of them a new character who would play a strong supporting role to my detective.
So I went in and read the chapter and reread it and realized that I could take Andrea's suggestion and get my main detective into the scene. I lost a few pieces of information about one of the characters but not enough to be problematic.
I fixed the other two ideas pretty easily (mostly by dropping out sentences that weren't crucial).
Lastly, she wanted a different take on part of the ending but I didn't want to lose the last reveal so we've agreed to leave that as is and see if editors balk.
I sent off my signed contract, so now the ball will get rolling. So excited!
Friday, September 9, 2011
My adventure with traditional publishing begins
In early August, I attended the Willamette Writers Conference and pitched my novel, Fog of Dead Souls, to three agents. I'd chosen them because they represent authors writing thrillers and women's fiction and my book is a hybrid of both. If you've read this blog a while, you know that two years ago at the conference, I pitched my first novel and got very discouraged as I was chided by two of the three agents for not writing to genre (my women's fiction novel has a male protagonist). I didn't know enough at the time to just think that these were not the right agents for my book. I took it all too personally.
This time I went in with different expectations. I was well prepared, had written a great pitch, which I practiced and practiced and practiced. And I approached the agents not with hat in hand but looking for a champion. I actually said that to them: I'm looking for someone to champion this great book and I'm wondering if that's you.
Two were enthusiastic about the story; all three wanted pages. I worked on the manuscript another two weeks, incorporating changes from a police expert, and sent it off Aug 22. On Aug 29 Andrea Somberg, the most enthusiastic of the agents and who had asked for 50 pages, asked for the rest of the manuscript. On Sept 1, I got an email telling me she loved it and wanted to talk. Last Friday we started the agent/client conversation, Sunday I said yes, and now the ball is rolling.
I was high as a kite on the good news for days. Now I'm settling in to understand the contract and today I'm working with the revisions she wants (minor and not deal breakers). She's also reading my memoir and novel #1 and I'm thrilled to see what can happen next.
This time I went in with different expectations. I was well prepared, had written a great pitch, which I practiced and practiced and practiced. And I approached the agents not with hat in hand but looking for a champion. I actually said that to them: I'm looking for someone to champion this great book and I'm wondering if that's you.
Two were enthusiastic about the story; all three wanted pages. I worked on the manuscript another two weeks, incorporating changes from a police expert, and sent it off Aug 22. On Aug 29 Andrea Somberg, the most enthusiastic of the agents and who had asked for 50 pages, asked for the rest of the manuscript. On Sept 1, I got an email telling me she loved it and wanted to talk. Last Friday we started the agent/client conversation, Sunday I said yes, and now the ball is rolling.
I was high as a kite on the good news for days. Now I'm settling in to understand the contract and today I'm working with the revisions she wants (minor and not deal breakers). She's also reading my memoir and novel #1 and I'm thrilled to see what can happen next.
Monday, September 5, 2011
Writer's block vs. writer's blank
I've been thinking this weekend about why I don't plunge back into the new novel. Do I have writer's block? Do I have writer's blank? What's the difference?
I suffer very little from writer's block, which I define as a psychological state of discouragement, boredom, or restlessness. I suffer very little from this perhaps because I keep a variety of projects going. I enjoy writing short fictional prompts and anything can serve as a prompt; a line of poetry, a physical object, a phrase overheard in conversation, a band name on a poster on a telephone pole. I enjoy writing poetry and keep a running list of poetry subjects. And I can always read about writing. I count that as writing work because it not only keeps me informed but usually energizes me to try out some new ideas of my own.
Writer's blank on the other hand is when we don't know where to take the piece next. And I think that's what's happened to me on the current project. My practice is to always leave an obvious next step in my writing so that when I sit down to work on it, I can move right in. Sometimes that's an unfinished scene, sometimes it's a list of revisions or expansions to work on, sometimes it's a kernel of an idea for what is next.
Unfortunately, this isn't what happened the last time I was on writing retreat. I finished the chapters I had in mind and I had one day of retreat left. Knowing I was coming home to a full-tilt work week, I took that last day off and didn't make any notes to myself or leave myself any ideas. So I'm stuck in writer's blank and will need to remedy that with a list of possible new chapters, some verbal character sketches, maybe some discussion with a trusted writing colleague. And I'll start with reading what I have written.
I suffer very little from writer's block, which I define as a psychological state of discouragement, boredom, or restlessness. I suffer very little from this perhaps because I keep a variety of projects going. I enjoy writing short fictional prompts and anything can serve as a prompt; a line of poetry, a physical object, a phrase overheard in conversation, a band name on a poster on a telephone pole. I enjoy writing poetry and keep a running list of poetry subjects. And I can always read about writing. I count that as writing work because it not only keeps me informed but usually energizes me to try out some new ideas of my own.
Writer's blank on the other hand is when we don't know where to take the piece next. And I think that's what's happened to me on the current project. My practice is to always leave an obvious next step in my writing so that when I sit down to work on it, I can move right in. Sometimes that's an unfinished scene, sometimes it's a list of revisions or expansions to work on, sometimes it's a kernel of an idea for what is next.
Unfortunately, this isn't what happened the last time I was on writing retreat. I finished the chapters I had in mind and I had one day of retreat left. Knowing I was coming home to a full-tilt work week, I took that last day off and didn't make any notes to myself or leave myself any ideas. So I'm stuck in writer's blank and will need to remedy that with a list of possible new chapters, some verbal character sketches, maybe some discussion with a trusted writing colleague. And I'll start with reading what I have written.
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