Tip O'Day #433 - Surprise!

Guest blogger Edward McKeown on how your characters can catch you unawares.

The Fenaday Trilogy was a constant source of surprises to me. The first and biggest was that it was a trilogy. I set out to write one book, the story of as ordinary a man as I could plausibly use to accomplish the adventure I was setting before him. Something immediately became apparent; if he was an ordinary man, he would need motivation to leave his homeworld and plunge into danger and death.

He was not a professional hard case, a military officer or true mercenary, not a thug or an adrenaline junky. So why would he do this? The thing that struck me as being the most believable motivator for such sacrifice was love. His wife, a naval officer, had gone missing and his love for her was such that he would throw aside any security he had and search the stars as a privateer for her. So now we had Robert Fenaday, son of a wealthy merchant family, with the resources and know-how to start this adventure.

How would my everyman survive the adventures of Was Once a Hero, Fearful Symmetry and finally Points of Departure? He was not born to, or well-suited to the quasi-criminal world he was descending to. The answer came in the first of many surprises, a genetically engineered woman warrior named Shasti Rainhell. She was fleeing her past and her own homeworld. They would shelter each other, he with his ship for her, and she with her deadly skills with him. Together they would run the Starship Sidhe through its initial perils.

More surprises awaited me. Shasti demanded to be more than a sidekick. She was a powerful voice with her own realities. This demanding past became the backdrop to Fearful Symmetry, the second book. Fearful was a book of intrigue, adventure and self-awakening as Robert and Shasti sought to free themselves of their pasts so they might embrace a future that held each other.

But the past has a way of reaching out for you and some ghosts are not easily laid to rest. That gave rise to the third book, Points of Departure, which is due out later this year. As for that tale…well, no spoilers here. Hope you enjoy the work.

Saying for Writers #138 - Hemingway

A Quote which Might (or Might Not) Inspire You to Write:

“We are all apprentices in a craft where no one ever becomes a master.” — Ernest Hemingway

Dixon says: It's comforting to read biographies of famous authors we admire, and to discover they also wrote crappy first drafts, struggled with clunky passages during rewrites, and despaired of writing something good enough to publish. We all slog along a muddy path where the greatest joy comes not from writing, but from having written.

The photo above was taken this morning by my friend Sue Haugen, an avid photo bug and fellow soccer nut who lives in my hometown of Kalispell, Montana. Winter has come to our quiet little valley entirely too soon.

Tip O'Day #400 - Books on Writing

Guest blogger Seeley James on some writing books that were very helpful and others – well, not so much.

I’ve read many books about the craft of writing. Some I cherished and underlined and marked up. Some I abandoned after a few pages. Each of them taught me something. A few were amazing. Oddly enough, the highly recommended books were not that good. I jotted down my thoughts about the three I found most helpful and two that made me think, what happened here?

First, understand my slant: I like to read and write thrillers. My goal is to entertain as many people as possible. If your goal is to write character-driven, world-changing literature, or romance or epic Sci-Fi, these reviews may or may not mean as much to you. However, I think good advice transcends genre.

Second, I like to read books that tell me how to be a better writer. How to improve my action sequence. How to pace my highs and lows. Why no one feels my main character’s pain. When to do this instead of that. I like to read a book and immediately launch into notes for improving my manuscript. If the book I’m reading doesn’t stimulate my creative process, then I’m not enamored.

Third, on my blog, I’ve written my ideas on the craft of writing in a series called The Architecture of Writing because the one thing all these books have in common: they’re too freaking long. The points made in each could be summed up in a PowerPoint deck and dropped on us to take or leave as we wish.

Two popular books that taught me far less than I expected:

Writing the Breakout Novel by Donald Maass -- While Mr. Maass is a top agent who cites great works of literature and describes why they were great, it rarely says anything about how to actually write a breakout novel. I found myself nodding and thinking, ‘yeah, he’s right, that was a great book.’ But only jotted down two or three notes to follow up on later. My takeaway: some writers wrote some really good books.

On Writing, Stephen King -- Yeah, blasphemy, I know. I’m a heretic. It’s a great book about a literary celebrity. I was fascinated by his story and his life experience. He has one passage about his editing process. And he railed against plotting. Otherwise, it was a memoir. (OK, so he’s been writing since he was 10 and he plots intuitively. Does that mean the rest of us are pond scum?) My takeaway: Always have a book in your hand.

Three books that drove my imagination and made me take notes:

Techniques of the $elling Writer, Dwight Swain (1965) -- Yes, I am recommending an obscure writer who taught at the University of Oklahoma fifty years ago. The references to starlets long gone are amusing and younger readers will have to study some of his literary references but he explains technique at the sentence and paragraph level. With right way and wrong way examples, no less. Read this and you will have a much better grip on why your last story flopped and how to make your next sing. My takeaway: Tactics.

Self-Editing for Fiction Writers, Renni Browne and Dave King (1991) -- Another oldie but goodie. And I mean goodie. This one explains story structure and pacing with a little more meat on the bones than Swain’s work. Where he gives you paragraph tactics, this offers concepts for story strategy. At the same time, this book picks nits that will have you running for your editing notes. And the best part is — the authors formed a company offering indie authors professional services. Their story was so compelling that I’ve hired The Editorial Department to handle my editing, artwork, layout, and marketing. My takeaway: Strategy.

The Writer’s Journey, Christopher Vogler (1998-2007) -- This is the most important book a novelist can own. Mr. Vogler presents it as the foundation for every story ever told. Not true. However, it is the most comprehensive explanation of classic stories like Star Wars and Wizard of Oz. You do not need to follow his example. You do need to understand the structural underpinnings that have formed classic stories from Odysseus to Harry Potter. My favorite author, Lee Child, has never applied this method. My second favorite author, James Rollins, always applies this method. Whether you use it or not, knowing how it works helps you form a stronger story. My takeaway: Structure.

There are many more good and not-so-good books out there. I’ve only listed three of my many faves. What books taught you the most about the craft?

Seeley is the author of short story collection Short Thrills, and his novel Geneva Convention will be released later this year. He was a Finalist for the DeMarini Award in fiction, and was short-listed for the Fish Publishing Award and the Debut Dagger Award.

Saying for Writers #123 - Lawrence Block

A Quote which Might (or Might Not) Inspire You to Write:

“One thing that helps is to give myself permission to write badly. I tell myself that I’m going to do my five or ten pages no matter what, and that I can always tear them up the following morning if I want. I’ll have lost nothing. Writing and tearing up five pages would leave me no further behind than if I took the day off.” — Lawrence Block

Dixon says: This sounds much more sophisticated than the advice I received years ago from novelist and screenwriter Dennis Foley: "Allow yourself to write crap."

Lawrence Block has experienced two towering achievements in his life so far: he was named Grand Master by the Mystery Writers of America, and he and I became friends on Facebook. I imagine he's most proud of the Grand Master designation but maybe not...

This is a photo of Indian Paintbrush taken by a friend somewhere in northwest Montana, and has nothing to do with today's literary quotation.

Tip O'Day #367 - Where Ideas Come From

Here is guest blogger Tim Reynolds, with an excerpt from an opinion piece taken from his blog “My Opinion, Love It or Leave It – The Tao of Tim” (originally posted on Jan 14, 2012 - used with permission).

Cross-Pollination in Writing…

I spent six years playing in the open mic night amateur scene in Calgary. As a comic I would watch the entire world just beyond my finger tips, looking for weird shit and finding a way to comment on it and make people laugh. I’d hear a conversation between two teens that his mother is spreading rumors that her father got the mother pregnant. The boy said “I know, sorry about that.” It would have been simply interesting eavesdropping except that the two teens were boyfriend and girlfriend. The kids were dating and their parents were screwing!

I saw a sign on a subway car advertising the benefits of seeing the local philharmonic live. The poster was a bunch of middle-aged philharmonic fans posing like rock concert fans with ‘Rock-on’ hand signs (looks like the sign for ‘bullshit’ with the thumb sticking out) and screaming faces. The word on the top was “LIVE.” It was a cool ad until I shifted my position and saw it reflected behind a woman sitting on the train. Because it was backward in the reflection, the word “LIVE” became the word “EVIL” and the rock-on hand sign became finger-shaped horns behind this woman’s head. Was the universe telling me she was evil? Maybe. Will I use it in a story? Read on.

My point is, the joke that came out of it didn’t get a lot of laughs but the incident became integral to the concept behind my short story “Shut Up and Drive,“ about a man driving a bus full of relief aid workers who turn out to be demons when he sees them in the rear-view mirror.

My novel, The Broken Shield, came in part from a moment I shared with a complete stranger while I was driving a bus (the day job). She was waiting to cross the street and she looked up at me the moment I looked down at her. Then we both smiled, not because we were flirting, but because we somehow knew each other and had known each other for centuries. It was a “Oh hi - There you are” moment. And then she was gone, never to be seen by me again. I can’t explain the reality behind it, but because I was so used to grabbing at moments for my comedy, I remembered the feeling and the moment and gave it to my characters to play with. I asked “What if?”

I was at a meeting of the Imaginative Fiction Writers’ Association (IFWA) last week and the guest speaker for the first hour was poet Bob Stallworthy. He was fun and entertaining and talented and then my epiphany moment occurred. Even though my book of poetry, The Cynglish Beat sold only two copies, the work that went into the writing of an entire tome of cynical, beat poetry has coloured my fiction writing as I break the prose rules and write for the emotions and not for the brain.

I have writing friends who have been working on the same short story for two years or more. Yes, I have stories that sit unfinished or unpolished, including a fantasy novel I started in 1981, but I have written novels and screenplays and short stories and self-help guides and poems by the pound since that first novel. At any given time I can find three things in the world around me and at least find a premise for a short story in there. Sometimes an entire novel springs forth, or a twist to a project already under way. I can’t wrap myself up in my own little world and expect to produce anything without lifting my head up from the keyboard and actually seeing what’s out there and then thinking about it like a comic, a poet or even as a photographer, which I am.

Great writing does not happen in isolation. Writers of every ilk must be sponges, absorbing whatever the universe throws in our path at that moment. Like all writers, I get asked, “Where do you get your ideas?” The simple answer? They find me. And I’m waiting with open arms.

Tip O'Day #364 - Defeat the Blank Page

Guest blogger William D. Hicks has ten tips to overcome writer’s block.

If you’ve written long enough to have experienced writer’s block, you know how frustrating it is to sit in front of that computer with a blank screen staring back. Hopefully, one of these ten tips will help you start writing again.

1. Write now. Though writing through the block doesn’t seem rational, sometimes it works. Keep writing. I know it’s coming out wrong. So wrong you want to shred the paper, even though it’s on a computer screen. But don’t. Wait, keep writing. It’s an old writing technique. If you can’t think up anything to write, try doing a mind-dump. Just write everything in your mind, a stream of conscious dump, and see what comes out. Try this for a half hour. Is the block gone? If not, keep doing it. Eventually, you will have written something. While this something might look like what the cat coughed up it might also give you some great ideas for a story.

2. Be creative. Instead of writing, try painting, or drawing or playing music. Don’t worry about writing for now. You can write tomorrow.

3. Do the Opposites. Try an old actor’s trick and focus on not doing something. This often becomes the thing you want/need to do. Try telling yourself, “I don’t want to write.” Say that ten times out loud. Then do something else for a half hour. See how much you want to write afterwards. Try writing.

4. Exercise. This will pump blood into your brain and distract you from worrying. Plus it’s good for you. Once done, try writing.

5. Do a writing exercise. There are specific exercises available to spur different types of writing, e.g. poetry and fiction. Either buy a book or look online for exercises. It’s amazing the stories that have started as writing exercises.

6. Listen to music. Really listen to the words. How are they stitched together? Why? What do they mean? Try writing a song.

7. Go to a movie. Often this triggers an “I could have written that line better” thought. Write some thoughts down about the movie. Maybe even start a story from those thoughts.

8. Read a book. This often triggers the same response the as #7. I sometimes read a sentence and think, “Why did the author write it that way? I would have done it this way.” Again, that line might spur you onto writing a great story.

9. Review old unfinished manuscripts. You have them. We all do. Try to rewrite one. Editing might also spur you onto writing. Even if doesn’t, you’ll feel like you’re writing which should stop you from beating yourself up.

10. Ask writer friends how they’ve beaten writer’s block. If they have no answers, tweet/blog for suggestions. Most everyone has a trick that has worked for them. Try something that sounds appealing to you. If that doesn’t work, try something different.

In the end remember the famous Monty Python line, “And now for something completely different.” Cut yourself from slack and do something that doesn’t resemble writing. Go grocery shopping. Deposit your coins at the bank. Get your hair done. Take a leisurely bath. Don’t get hung up on the fact that you’re not writing. Everyone needs a vacation from time to time, even from what they love most.

Check out e-books by William D. Hooks on Amazon: Twist and Killer Flies.

Tip O'Day #363 - The Secret Is...

Guest blogger Troy Lambert divulges the Writing Secret.

There is some belief that what a writer does is somehow mysterious. That there is some secret formula, some secret ingredient you get when you join the author club (secret handshake and decoder ring included) that somehow makes you a better writer than the rest. I am going to share with you the secret. No club dues needed. Free, today only, right here.

The secret is to sit down and write. Not tomorrow. Not the next day. Right now. I am sure you have read enough books about writing—we all did in the beginning and we still do from time to time. We need to refresh and to hone our craft. These books have value, and reading them should be a part of your writing life. It is like continuing education for a nurse or a doctor. Without it, progress passes you by. But the one thing you must do every day without fail, no matter where you are, is write.

I used to teach skiing and I had a saying: “There is no substitute for time on the snow.” We talked about skiing, we watched movies about it, and we studied it in books. Sounds like writing, huh? (Have you seen Misery or Bag of Bones?) Writers attend conferences and seminars (even the dreaded webinar from time to time). Like skiing though, there is no substitute for time at the keyboard. It doesn’t matter if you are writing a letter, a short story, making progress on your novel, or even writing a blog post. (Yes, this counts.)

Between technical writing and professional research (some for my day job, yes I am a lucky guy) and the fiction writing I do, I average about five hours of writing every day. That does not count marketing, education, or anything else writing related. Add those in, and being a writer is a full time job and then some. I work an average of 70 hours a week. I also made three times what the average writer does last year.

Am I getting rich? Nope, even though my novel Redemption is doing rather well (you really should check it out). My short story collection Broken Bones continues to sell also and I am being hounded by fans to finish the sequel to Redemption titled Temptation. I am working on another research contract and will be at the Pacific Northwest Writer’s Association Conference in Seattle at the end of July (if you are coming you should drop me a line or stop in and say hi).

Meanwhile, you have spent enough time reading this post. Get back to writing. After all, that’s what writers should do most.

Troy released Broken Bones, a collection of short stories, in 2011 and a new thriller titled Redemption came out earlier this year. You can learn more about this writer at his Amazon page or his blog.

Tip O'Day #338 - Can’t Take Criticism?

Dixon says: “There’s a word for folks who can’t handle constructive criticism.”

I realize there are critique groups, both local and online, that can be brutal. Groups where, if someone starts by saying, “Let me be perfectly honest…” you’d be smart to jump the sofa instead of running around it on your way to the door. Groups that enjoy taunting newbies. Groups that will kick you when you’re down. Groups where Don Rickles would feel right at home.

Thankfully, these are not the norm – and my critique group does not resemble them in the slightest. We put the emphasis on “here’s something you might try to eliminate that problem” instead of “well, that’s the worst thing I’ve ever read.” Which isn’t to say we sugarcoat the truth. We simply feel it’s not necessary to poke you with a sharp stick to get your attention.

However, some people cannot handle constructive criticism. Despite the fact they’ve been invited to check out a CRITIQUE GROUP, they never grasped the concept that people would be passing judgment on their precious little words. They’re not looking for input about what’s wrong. They want a pat on the back, and the assurance they’d already have book contracts if not for the jealousy and incompetence of editors and literary agents.

Sometimes you hear of a solitary fellow who sneaks off to a cave in the woods to write the Great American Novel, and produces an extraordinary work of genius. I’m not a believer. Since my kids have all grown up, I no longer pretend I believe in the Tooth Fairy or the Easter Bunny, either. Sorry, but I believe the very best writing is – to some degree, at least – a collaborative effort. Sooner or later, even the most brilliant author needs to hear somebody say, “but what if…” Maybe you accept the suggestion and maybe you reject it, but your work is stronger for having considered it.

Returning to our fellow writers who can’t stand to hear constructive criticism, we don’t need to ask them to leave our critique group. They drift away after a few sessions, looking elsewhere for that elusive pat on the back. I feel bad for them because it's unlikely their craft will improve much beyond its current state.

There’s a word for these people – they are called unpublished.

Tip O'Day #321 - A Young Author’s Advice

Guest blogger Zack Wall on his writing journey.

As a new author just barely out of my teen years, I found writing my first novel to be anything but traditional. Inceptum began as an assignment in college, but quickly developed into a passion I wasn’t aware I even had. I’ve learned much along the way. My biggest lesson was to never self-publish, except as a last effort to see your book in print. If you feel your story is worthy of being read by the public, then seek out a literary agent, or a small publishing company to get you on your feet.

There are thousands of agents across the country, and chances are high that at least one or two will show an interest in your book, provided it has been professionally written and edited. One way to achieve this for free is to contact professors at a nearby university, and ask if they’d be willing to review your book for grammatical errors. Many in the education field would be glad to offer their services for free or inexpensively.

Another mistake first-time authors make is with scheduling their writing sessions. If you feel you’re an “inspired writer,” that’s great, but you still need to balance time spent in front of the computer, or you will burn out from overexposure. After I completed my book, I was so sick of reading it that I didn’t even touch it for several months. Make time for yourself during periods when you won’t get distracted by anything, and sit down for at least an hour to create your story.

If you’re having trouble finding the inspiration to write, consider sitting back and ask yourself why you’re writing this particular book. What inspired you in the first place? Is the story going anywhere, or is it dead in the water? Don’t be afraid to delete a chapter here and there if they aren’t contributing to the overall flow of the book. My story was science fiction, so to find inspiration I would watch my favorite science fiction movies.

The best advice I have ever heard is to write a story you will want to read over and over. It shouldn’t matter if you never sell a single copy of your book. If you are happy with the finished product, then any sales are an added bonus.

I plan on writing many more novels in the future, as well as working on a sequel to Inceptum.

You can find Zach’s book at his website, download the Kindle version on Amazon, or follow him on the novel's official Facebook page.

Tip O'Day #285 - One Writer's Process

How guest blogger Aleksandra Zaric created a book.

The only way to complete your book is to “just write.” Consistently write on a daily basis, with goals in place. I would set my alarm at 4.00 am and go straight to my computer to write for a couple of hours. Whenever a thought would pop into my mind during the day, I would immediately write it down to include it in my book later on. If you don’t do that, you’ll forget it.

I set myself a goal to complete the manuscript by a certain date, no matter what. Despite becoming constantly sleep deprived, I found this was my only way to stay consistently motivated. It doesn’t matter how poorly written the first draft is; you can always polish and edit at a later stage. Geez, the amount of time I read and re-read the book and tweaked it here and there…hundreds of times until I couldn’t stand it anymore.

Once that stage is done, get a manuscript appraisal – a professional to critique your work. For me, this was well worth the investment of $400-$500 for a 60,000 word manuscript. Still, I was nowhere near finished. I used the appraisal to improve my work even further, a process that took longer than writing the original draft. I then got another manuscript appraisal which was much better. Finally, I submitted it to an editor who helped me fix it even more.

Check out this author at her website.