NaNo Day 9, Goals and Motivation Revisited

Current Project: NaNoWriMo 2009
Status: 7816 / 50,000 words

I've been blogging daily about my NaNoWriMo experience in my personal blog. Yesterday's post (NaNo Day 8, On Which I Hatch A Cunning Plan) was about trying to figure out why, at 7427 words, I suddenly experienced the dreaded "now what?" syndrome. While the post was meant to be a bit tongue-in-cheek, the topic was serious. (And I wasn't lying about the directed dreaming--I really did that.)

You see, I'd been chugging along writing scenes, getting to know my characters beyond descriptions on a worksheet, thinking we were all having fun, when wham! I came to a wall. A blank wall, at that. What the heck was wrong? I'd worked on plot (boy, had I worked on plot!). So why couldn't I figure out what came next?

Over the course of the day--spent mostly away from the computer--I came to realize that while my characters had strong personalities, their goals were weak and their motivations, tepid. I'd made the fatal mistake of confusing the huge world building of the story (i.e. the setting/framework for the story) with the, actual, you know, story of the story. Confused? Yeah, me too.

The "world" of my story is huge. It's set in the "multiverse" (an infinite number of alternate universes) -- and you can't get much bigger than that. But the story itself, I think, needs to be more intimate, at least, the story that I want to tell does. The problem is, I made it too small. Small enough to be resolved in a chapter, maybe two chapters if I dragged things out. Thus, the wall I hit.

Part of the problem is my inexperience. I know that I'm still learning and until I actually complete a book, I'll continue to grope my way along. I understand that, tough as it is for me to admit ("I've been voraciously reading books all my life. You'd think I'd just know how to put one together!"). But another part of the problem is my personality. I dislike conflict in real life and I go out of my way to avoid it when possible. I like the characters I've created and I've discovered a blind spot I didn't know I had. I have a tough time making their lives difficult. Who knew?

My advice to myself? Get over it!

What I did on NaNo Day 9 was go back to the character drawing board and really examine character goals and motivation. I'm not quite done with that. I'd say I've raised the motivation temperature from tepid to warm and put a little pudding into the jello of their goals (ew! I really need to come up with a better visual for that!). Still, it was a realization worth having and changes worth making.

What about you? Do you (or did you) ever find yourself making things too easy on your characters? How did you get over it/solve that problem? A newbie (really!) wants to know.

Co-Writing

Current Project:For A Sister's Love
Status: 80 pages

I've been working on a project with another author. She approached me several months ago with an idea of two sisters who crossed the plains in a wagon train and their parents were killed. The girls were adopted by different families and our book takes place with the journey of the two young women trying to find one another. She is writing the journey of the younger sister, and I'm writing the journey of the oldest sister. Her thought was the sisters were different to start with and then being raised differently the stories should be told differently.

Anyway, after the initial, "yeah, this sounds like fun", we instant messaged three times, discussing the family background of the girls, what each girl would be like and the heroes that they would encounter on their journeys. After each discussion we'd both think about our story and characters and then we'd get together again and do more brainstorming.

What I've found interesting in this process, is the other author started her story first. The catalyst that starts that sister looking for her sister has to do with the hero my sister encounters. And what she writes about that character I have to know to make my story work with hers. So in a way, I'm writing to a synopsis in that I have to make sure the information that she imparts is incorporated into my story. Very little of what I write pertains to her story, until I write the epilogue when they find one another. (the other author wrote the prologue about how they became adopted)

I'm finding I like this corroboration. It makes me think ahead more in my writing and gives me more points I have to make work in my story. I'm finding it challenging and fun. I hope our efforts pay off.

Could you work with another writer on a project that is interconnected? Do you think it would be fun or hard?

SATURDAY CHECK-IN/NANO UPDATE

Current Project:The Baby's Bodyguard
Status: last chapter

Welcome updaters and Nanoers alike. Hope your past week was productive and satisfying.

You know how when you write a book you have a last chapter in mind, a last scene, say? That's how I do it, anyway. I write forward knowing where I want to end. It's like completing a gymnast move, it's the dismount. No matter how brilliantly you twist and turn in the air, it's how you hit the floor that will make or break you.

That's where I am -- only this week I realized the last two scenes I had planned for the ending weren't really going to work and that leaves me with one week to think of a better way. I also need to figure out who was responsible for each act inside the book -- there is more than one bad guy and truthfully (I can't believe I'm admitting this), I am not entirely sure who did what. I need to write it all down and make sure it fits and I need to do that before I go on. This book has been an interesting learning experience.

So, how is it going with you? I know we're all hoping our Nanoers will check in with an update but there are many of us with other kinds of goals, as well. It looks like a yukky day out there, a perfect day for writing. Have fun!

TOO MUCH OF A GOOD THING?

Posted by: Genene Valleau
Current Project: nine-book series
Status: Ideas leap-frogging!

Can you have too much of a good thing? Writing? Chocolate? Promo opportunities?

Ask an author on deadline who has gained twenty-five pounds and has a book coming out in two weeks and you'll get a different answer than if you talk to pretty much anyone else on the planet. DISCLAIMER: Said writer is a composite fictional character and any resemblance to a real person is simply coincidence. :)

Most of the time when we become overwhelmed, it's with negative events. We're chugging along pretty well with life and the kids get sick or the spouse needs emergency surgery or the washing machine dies or a variation of all these things happens in the same week. At least we can count on some sympathy from friends and family.

But what if your writing project is going so well that you want to work on it far into the night? Or some freelance jobs come in that will pay your property taxes and buy Christmas presents? Then a couple friends send e-mails about opportunities that will be perfect for the promotion you wanted to do with your books? And by the way, we get sunny weather for a few days in a row so you can squeeze in another yard project you thought would have to wait until spring. Is it sympathy or sarcasm when a friend or family member says, "You poor dear, your life is too wonderful"?

I hit Overwhelm Mode last year after my first three books were released within a ten-month period, promo was in full swing, and a number of other good things were happening. This year good things are hoppin' again. But I'm prepared for them! I read an article about how quantum physics says you can slow down time. I'm not sure that means I can sleep an hour longer and still get as much done, but it's worth a try. I've also had a year to practice focusing on priority projects and not become so distracted by shiny new ideas. And I'm headed into the end of the year with a Thanksgiving Attitude of being grateful all these good things--even if they are sometimes disguised as challenges.

How about you? Have you ever been overwhelmed by good things? If so, please share your survival suggestions. Chocolate and recommendations for good books are welcome--no sympathy needed!

PSST... THERE'S A DEAD FISH IN YOUR PUNCH BOWL

Current Project: THE BABY'S BODYGUARD
Status: page 263

A couple of days ago I had a little down time with my WIP. I just couldn't seem to go forward so I went back. I fussed with scenes. I rewrote dialogue. I beefed up action scenes and love scenes. I changed a character's name and gave another character a complete make-over. Too many blue cars, make one a white van. Stuff like that. I busied myself for days fixing the details, cleaning up many of the little snags I knew were back there such as time jumps and characters without a purpose and red herrings that didn't belong.

Then I sat back, confident that I was now ready to go forward again.

Only I couldn't. Wait. Maybe it wasn't the distant past of the book that was halting progress, maybe it was what I had just written. So, I went to work on that. By the end of the day, the last scene was tight, the dialogue snappy, everything was set to go. Launch time: the next morning.

Next morning: well, the scene was still good and I was still dead in the water. About that time, it occurred to me I had killed the wrong man. Back in my novice days of writing, something like that would have tickled me to death. In fact, I can still recall a call from a good friend who informed me (with wonder in her voice) that she'd had the wrong the villain through the whole book, that she'd just changed to another man and it was perfect. We both thought her mistake was wonderful -- it was like an affirmation of her subconscious imagination.

But now it just struck me as careless. I went downstairs and talked about it with my puppy. First I explained victim A -- who killed him and why. Then I started in on victim B and realized there was no one who would actually murder this guy. That cut to the chase, victim A won. Bye-bye.

Which leads me to the title of this blog. I had been racing around the house getting ready for the party. Fluffing pillows. putting out trays of canapes, arranging flowers and choosing music and all the while, there was a dead fish in my punchbowl. The reason I am telling you all this is because I realized that I do this all the time. Somewhere in my subconscious, the internal editor that we all are told is an evil accomplice at best, KNOWS when I have screwed up. I picture her stomping down the hall and busting open the muse's door. With a stranglehold, she demands the muse stop work right that moment. And the muse, who doesn't give up easily, then flutters around trying to fix the unbroken while the fish in the punch bowl goes belly up.

Have you done this? Have you refused to face the big picture, or perhaps not understood you should? Have you spent time working and reworking details in an effort to make things work when a good look at the punch bowl might be in order? Try this -- the next time you get stuck, examine what you just wrote and not for how lyrical the prose is or how much you liked the dialogue. See if you haven't written yourself right out of the tension of the story or taken a one way street to nowhere when the interstate exchange is just another few miles along. I have a feeling a lot of books lose momentum when excited writers take a wrong turn and don't know it.

What did I sign up for?!?

Current Project: Derby book
Status: First draft

I signed up for NaNoWriMo. EEEEEK! It's November 2 and I'm already behind, but that's not a surprise. If I can get caught up today, it won't be as big of a hill to climb. I've done NaNo several times before and "won" it twice. Those two times I reached 50,000 words, I never picked up the book again to finish it. Let's hope that won't happen a third time, shall we?

I'm quite nervous about hitting the goal. I'm hopeful, excited, motivated and all of those other words that could be inserted - but, is it just me or is November a horrible month for NaNo? Work is always busy in November, it's right in the middle of the term (and fall term is always tough). I'd much rather do NaNo in January, once the holidays are over. Or March, before the weather gets really nice. I've tried to do my own NaNo in other months, but the motivation isn't there. It's the fact that I have friends doing it across genres, which makes it an easy bandwagon to jump on to. The fact that you can see it in the media, random mentions on facebook and online. It's everywhere this month - you can't escape it. It's a good reminder to get writing!

Finishing books is clearly not my strengh, but I'm especially determined to finish this one. I think the topic (roller derby) is hot enough to sell right now, even in the tight contemporary romance market. And the fact that I'm actually going to be doing roller derby gives me inside knowledge and and a good promotion opportunities. Hopefully there aren't a lot of romance-writing roller derby girls out there ;)

These are my 10 strategies for finishing NaNo:

1) Write every day;

2) Never get more than one days' word count behind (1,667 words per day);

3) Try to write 2,000 words per day so I can get some free days when homework is too heavy or I'm too tired;

4) Write throughout the day so I don't have 1,667 words looming over me at the end of the day after I'm exhausted from work, homework and derby practice;

5) Think of some rewards for meeting weekly goals, or for getting significantly ahead of my word count (but not food rewards!);

6) Take Scrivener full-screen so I'm not distracted by IM, email, Twitter, etc;

7) Turn off my cell phone if I become desperate for word count - no texting;

8) Make a music playlist that keeps me entertained so I don't feel tempted to turn on the tv while writing;

9) Keep in touch with others doing NaNo to rejuvinate my enthusiasm;

10) Just write, darn it!

Any strategies you can think to add?

SPOOKY, SCARY SATURDAY SELF-SNITCHING

Current Project: The Baby's Bodyguard
Status: page 246

I have officially entered the phase called "Egad! There's not enough pages left to finish the book!" This happens EVERY SINGLE TIME. You'd think I'd be prepared but you would be wrong. My plan is to stop worrying about it and just finish the book and find the extra pages I need somewhere in the middle where they can be cut without harming the story. Two weeks left...

I know a few of you are going to do the November NANO. I'm not going to join in because getting a volume of words down right now is not the issue. I've kind of usurped the Saturday blog, but I would be happy to hand it over to someone doing NANO if there is one of you who would like to do it. Might be more fun. Anyone?

So, on the unofficial NANO list we have Lisa, Bethany and Debbie. Did I miss someone?

Good luck, ladies!

Halloween!

Current Project: Derby book
Status: First draft

Completely off the topic of writing...Is it just me, or are you pumped for Halloween? I'm super duper pumped. I'm thrilled it's on a Saturday and I'm quite excited for it. I'm a 70s disco Medusa. Yup, you read right. I'm going with a dear friend who made an elaborate Marie Antoinette costume, even had a professional sew the dress. We've rented a room at McMenamin's Edgefield and are making a huge event out of it.

It's also a huge weekend for Duck fans. We are playing USC tomorrow and ESPN's Game Day will be there. It's a huge deal, huge game. I'm bummed I'll miss it, but my college roommate is going in my place as a wedding gift and I know he'll have a fantastic time. He's the biggest Duck fan I know. In spirit of Halloween, and pumpkin carving, Go Ducks!

What are some of your fondest Halloween memories? Any great costumes that stick out in your mind? Any plans for the weekend?

The End

Current Project: Entwined (new title)
Status: At the big reveal

There are so many topics spinning in my brain these days that I can talk about. Deadlines, being behind on deadlines, edits, what happens to your brain when you stay up past 2 AM working...but I don't want to talk about any of those. I want to talk about The End.

My first series is coming to a close in January with the release of the third Stolen book, STOLEN SEDUCTION. I love this book and these characters, and I love how the story - all three stories - came to an end with this one. There was a time I wondered if I'd ever publish one book, so to see my third hitting the store shelves is a truly euphoric time for me. But at the same time, it's also bittersweet. I've devoted 3+ years to these characters and their lives. In some ways, I feel like they are alive. In my head they're as real as my neighbors, or my kids' teachers or the news anchor I see every night on TV. And even though I have new characters to keep me busy, and new stories to tell, letting these characters go is definitely harder than I thought.

As I was setting up the blog tour for the release of STOLEN SEDUCTION, one interviewer asked if I'd write something about the end of the series and how I knew STOLEN SEDUCTION would be the last book. Many series these days go 4, 5, 6+ books, often, it seems, their longevity spurred on by book sales rather than on story. I'll admit, as a writer, I struggle with this question - when is a series done, and how many books is enough?

Every series is different, and originally when I wrote STOLEN FURY I didn't set out to write it as a series. But - as often happens - new characters popped up and I thought, you know, it would be fun to write his/her story. STOLEN HEAT and STOLEN SEDUCTION were spawned from that idea. But because these books are connected by characters and an art gallery in Miami - not an overarching series plot - I knew I didn't want this to be an ongoing series. I also knew that every series has a lifespan, and I never wanted to get to a point where writing these books was a chore or they lost the magic that made them special in the first place.

How do you really know when a series is done? I think the author knows. Yes, I left some secondary characters hanging throughout the Stolen Series that could pop up in new adventure books, and yes, their stories would be fun to read. But those characters were never part of the core main group in these books, and as such, I knew writing those books within this series would be stretching it. And I never wanted to stretch it. Not with these books. Not with any books if I can help it. As a reader I have stopped reading authors when it became clear they were more interested in stretching a series for the numbers rather than on letting a series end when it naturally should.

I talked about something similar earlier in the week over at the RomCom blog - specifically about movie series and sequels and how they're very often never as good as the first. You don't see that so much with book series. Often times the 2nd, 3rd, even the 4th books are as good if not better than the first. But readers aren't dumb. They know when a series has reached its ending, even if publishers don't.

There's a Josh Groban song that always makes me think of my Stolen books. In it he sings,

Remember
I will still be here
As long as you hold me
in your memory

Remember
when your dreams have ended
Time can be transcended
Just remember me

I'm with you
Whenever you tell
my story
For I am all I've done

Those words always make me feel better when I think of this series coming to an end. Yeah, it's sad. And yeah, I'll miss them, but the great part about books is I can dive into these characters' worlds anytime I want. The pages are always right there and they're never really gone. And even if I'm not writing their continuing sagas, the characters do live on. In a back corner of my mind. With all the other characters I've been lucky enough to share some time with. In that respect it's kind of fun. Makes me think they're having a party back there. And the guest list is very, very elite.

How about you? What do you think of series' time spans? How many books is too many books? And how/when do you know enough is enough?

In case you're interested, this is a link to that Josh Groban song. I'd have pasted it in, but I couldn't find the artist's video and this link has images from major movies. But you can at least listen to the song if you want.

Wherein I make you do my job . . .

Current Project: NMMNG
Status: Creating Believable Characters (Thanks Debbie for sending me back to my reference books! Go check out her post below if you didn't catch it yesterday!)

No, don't worry, I'm not going make you tackle stacks of grading, wrangle a toddler, or outline a YA novel. (Although, if you want to toddler wrangle . . . ) Part of the Vice-President's job in our chapter is finding speakers for our meetings. Lisa, Barb, and I have been doing a little brainstorming, but I want a larger sample size. We all come to meetings for different reasons--some for the social networking, some for the goals and inspiration, some to glean new skills, and some to advance an already flourishing career. I know we have a few lurkers on the blog who may be contemplating joining, and I'm hereby declaring this Delurking Day because I want to hear from you too.

First, think back on meetings and conference presentations that you have particularly enjoyed. If you remember names, please share! Was it just that the speaker was particularly entertaining or did it make a real difference in your process. For me, Jennifer Crusie's presentation at 2005 nationals on conflict changed EVERYTHING for me. A light bulb went off, and I saw everything wrong with my first WIP, and I suddenly "got" every book I read hence forth. Of course, the goddess Crusie is unlikely to come west, but this is my personal gold standard. At the same conference, the Sure-Fire Six Step Pitch (by an author with the last name McKnight, thank you vague conference materials) got me started on the road to synopsis writing. And the incomparable Cherry Adair and her presentation on goal setting changed my outlook forever--I still have my little index card of goals from that workshop.

More locally, every time Alice talks synopsis and pitches, I come away so inspired. When Terri Reed spoke on critique groups, I discovered an important part of the writer's journey that I was not aware of previously. Elizabeth Lyons changed my mindset about editing and selling (I may have seen her as part of Willamette Writers--my memory is a tad fuzzy). Mary Buckingham made pacing finally make sense to me. In four years with the chapter, there have been so many speakers who have come along at just the right moment for me--inspiring me, keeping me going, illuminating parts of the process, and it would be impossible to list all of them. I am intensely grateful to past Presidents and Vice-Presidents for finding such valuable speakers for the group. I have a lot to live up to!

In addition to knowing what speakers have made a lasting impression on you, I also want to know where you are right now in your career. What sorts of presentations would be the most helpful for you? As I go forth and track down speakers, I want to make sure that I'm hitting areas that are relevant. Do you prefer writer speakers or have you enjoyed our meetings with non-writer speakers like the forensic anthropologist? (I wish we had had three more hours with her!) Have you seen other speakers elsewhere (nationals, Portland, other conferences etc.) that you wish you could share with the group?

I'm trying to assemble a wish list of speakers to reach out to because the worst they can do is say no, right? So dream as big as you want!

*Of course the flipside of great speakers is ones who fall a little flat, and if you want to discuss less than helpful speakers, please don't use names on the blog here--just mention the things that made it less than helpful for you (I do want to know this too!) and feel free to email me privately.

Desperately In Search Of Inspiration

Current Project: The Space Between
Status: S-l-o-w Progress!

I'll admit it -- I struggled to come up with an idea for a post today. In desperation, I finally turned to a resource that's never let me down before: my reference books (the acquiring of which, I'll confess to a, er, slight addiction). I still couldn't figure out a single topic from within one of those books, so I thought I'd talk about my top 10 favorite reference/research books. These aren't "how to write" books (though heaven knows I have plenty of those, too). These are books I turn to frequently, no matter what genre I'm writing, for information, for ideas, and for plain old inspiration when I'm blocked.

Without further ado, I present my Top 10 Reference and Research Books. The top three were chosen because I've used them so often that I've got those post-it tabs stuck to various pages. The rest are in no particular order.

1. New Larousse Encyclopedia of Mythology
I have the 1978 edition, purchased sometime around 1980. What have I marked that was so interesting? Let's see, mostly marked are pages for Egyptian and Greek mythology -- Osiris, Wepwawet, Judging the Dead, Bast, Athena, Apollo, and the Cult of the Heroes. (Eli -- I really can't wait to read Marked!)

2. Hyperspace by Michio Kaku
And now we jump from the ancient to the age of science! The subtitle of this book is: A Scientific Odyssey Through Parallel Universes, Time Warps, and the 10th Dimension. I free admit that most of this book is over my head, but I've tried to understand some basic concepts. I love the idea that there are some incredible thinkers out there who are seriously researching this stuff. What passages have I tagged in this book? Only three: a section on the Einstein-Rosen Bridge in the chapter on Black Holes and Parallel Universes, Chapter 11 To Build a Time Machine, and Chapter 12 Colliding Universes. Fascinating stuff!

3. About Time by Paul Davies
The book I consider a companion to Hyperspace. My favorite passages in this book are: Chapter 7 Quantum Time, a particular section of Chapter 7 about an actual experiment done at UC Berkeley that relates (loosely) to erasing the past, and a section in Chapter 10 Backwards in Time regarding the theoretical existence of an infinite number of parallel universes.

4. The Timetables of History by Bernard Grun
A fascinating tabular look at what was happening at the same time in history all over the world. The book I have goes from 4500 B.C. to the 1990s. Each table lists information in the following categories: History/Politics, Literature/Theater, Religion/Philosophy/Learning, Visual Arts, Music, Science/Technology/Growth, and Daily Life.

5. The Silk Road by Frances Wood
I originally bought this book because I planned to write a fantasy set in an alternate world. The plot would take place along a trade route similar in many ways to the Silk Road. I've never started writing that story (still on my list of future ideas), but this book is so fascinating I'll thumb through it at times just to kick start my imagination.

6. Oxford Dictionary of Celtic Mythology
You wouldn't think a book in dictionary format could be fascinating, but I've found myself unexpectedly lost in its pages more times than I care to admit.

7. More Latin for the Illiterati by Jon R. Stone
Sometimes you just need that snippet of Latin, you know?

8. Trauma and Recovery by Judith Herman, M.D.
I think almost every suspense/thriller writer could benefit from having a copy of this book. I've only been able to take reading it in small doses, but everything I've read has made an impact on me.

9. Mean Genes by Terry Burnham and Jay Phelan
Another fascinating book that I bought for a specific purpose and keep around for general ideas.

10. A Field Guide to Demons, Fairies, Fallen Angels, and Other Subversive Spirits by Carol Mack and Dinah Mack
A light hearted look at demons and spirits from cultures world-wide and how to capture or banish them.

Whew! Well, there you have it -- my favorite reference books. It's funny how reading something that has absolutely nothing to do with what I'm writing can sometimes jar loose an idea for moving forward with my current story.

How about you? Do you have a favorite reference work (or two or three or...)? Please share! I'm always on the lookout for good books to add to my collection!

What is your trigger?

Current Project:For a Sister's Love
Status:Page 21

I finished up edits last week on Doctor in Petticoats and returned to the book I'm co-writing.

Well, I tried to return to the book. I read what I had written (ten pages) twice, then all the information I'd gathered- twice - and then I read through the IM chats I've had with the other author and I was still having trouble gaining any momentum on the story.

I sat staring at my computer trying to figure out what was wrong. I was only ten pages into the story and it couldn't be going wrong already. And it dawned on me. Music!

I listen to instrumental bluegrass when I work on the Halsey brother books, Shania Twain and Reba MacIntyre when I wrote the Nanny book(every time I hear them Brock and Carina pop into my head), Native American music when writing the spirit books (which helped me get a cadence to the writing), and Chris LeDoux (ex-rodeo rider turned musician) for the rodeo book(Holt and Gina always surface when I hear LeDoux), and I listened to insturmental Christmas music on Pandora while writing the soon to be full length Christmas story.

I hadn't found the music for this story. I didn't like anything on Pandora, so I rummaged around in my cd's and found three(that's what my cd player holds at a time) I turned the player on, returned to the loft, and sure enough words started flowing. I added ten pages in the last two hours I had left to write. Now I know what I have to do to get into the book and keep the words coming. Turn on the cd player.

I know I've talked about his before and most of you like quiet to write, but I'm sure there is some trigger that puts you into the book or the writing mood. What is your trigger?

SATURDAY CHECK-IN

Current Project:The Baby's Bodyguard
Status:page 226 (I think)

Hey everyone, it's that time again, time for (drum roll....) Saturday Check-In!!!!

I had a real productive streak at the beginning of the week, then production fell off as sleep issues (thank you Uber Puppy) set in. By the end of this weekend, I'm hoping to have another twenty pages or so. I'm not worried about finishing the book on time as it's gathered its own head of steam, but I do have a few, er, chasms behind me that are going to need a little tender tough love to figure out. Quite by accident this week (while talking to a friend), I thought of a more meaningful way to impart an important piece of news between the characters and then in the middle of the night woke up with what will follow the reveal. Don't you love this stage? It's challenging and very fulfilling when the characters assume dimensions that make them stand out. You all know the feeling.

Hope your week was a good one; I'm anxious to hear if you're happy with what your accomplishing. If you are getting ready for November Nano is there something you do in preparation? I was just curious if you try to have the plot of scenes or characters firmly in mind before the month begins.

Happy writing!

Friday Free-for-All: Speak to Me of Outlining

Current Project: NMMNG
Status: Outlining (what else?)

Our Chapter's November Online Workshop is on the "W Plot" method of outlining (this looks like a fabulous offering!). And since Debbie, Piper, and I (and several others, I think) are all in the midst of outlining and plotting, I thought it might be a timely topic to discuss favorite methods, systems, and tricks for outlining. I'm interested in books you've read, workshops you've attended, and tricks you've learned. What works for you? What doesn't? What steps do you go through before you start drafting that first chapter? After you draft the first couple of chapters?

BARE IT AND GRIN!

Posted by: Genene Valleau

Current Project: nine-book series
Status: going great!

Ack! I was going to do a fun post about bare-chested guys on covers. Got totally wrapped up in plotting my series of books and didn't get it done. 

Soooo... I'm asking for your help. Please post or provide a link to your favorite book that has a bare-chested guy on the cover. Yes, this is probably a very politically incorrect and sexist blog post and my apologies in advance to anyone it might offend. 

And a question: does a hunky hero on the cover help sell books?

Here's my hunky hero, actually the second cover for FEATHERS ON THE FLOOR (the first cover had only the cuddly teddy bear):

And I'm going to be away from my computer most of the day, so I'm looking forward to what you come up with!

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Current Project:The Baby's Bodyguard
Status: page 216

I love the children's book called THE SECRET GARDEN. Every couple of years I reread it. It's a book of change and hope and understanding and the power of a child to overcome herself and awaken those around her. Who doesn't crave a secret spot, a garden to bring back to life and to hold close and secret and in which to blossom as surely as the roses do?

But I also have a secret agenda with this book. The little girl, raised in India, catered to on every physical level, knows nothing of making her own way. Her first friend is a local boy, as barefoot and independent as she is spoiled and rotten. And as he teaches her the wonders of nature, he also teaches her how to build a fire at the "end of the garden" (don't you love that phrase, the "end" of the garden -- is your garden large enough to have an "end?" Mine sure isn't...) and in which to "roast" eggs. Yep, he puts the eggs in the ground, I believe or in the smoldering coals (time to reread) and cooks these eggs; it's an empowering wonder to her. And it's a wonder to me, too. I love this part of the book and every time I read it I have the overwhelming urge to hard boil an egg. Do I read the book for this scene? No. But it's part of the enjoyment. Excuse me while I go boil an egg....

That was yummy. This author (whose name I can't spell and I hate to navigate away from this site and have to start over, but you all know who she is, her first name is Francis the next two start with a B and a H) also wrote THE LITTLE PRINCESS. There's a scene in the movie -- I haven't read the book -- where the heroine is banished to attic with another little girl to live as a slave. She is always cold, she is always hungry. The grils become fast friends as they share their misery, and it's the stories of India our little heroine shares with her new friend that keep them warm. But one morning, they awake to a magical golden room with silk robes and Indian slippers, courtesy of the man from India who lives across from them, and in the middle of all this golden splendor is a table laid with the most succulent fruit and juices, meats and muffins. The children eat to their hearts' content.

This is an old part of fairy tales, you know. The magical table. The soup pot that is always full. So many people were hungry -- scrapping for food was practically a full time occupation. The thought that one could procure it by settling a special cloth over a rock and the dishes would appear hot and steaming was one of the most compelling fantasies of the times.

Off to my next food type encounter in a literary sense. THE LORD OF THE RINGS. If you are one of those acquainted with Tolkein's work by virtue of the movies and not the books, you may have missed one of the most memorable experiences (or a bevy of them) found within the pages and they have to do with -- food. Mushrooms: sauteed, fried, steamed... those Hobbits love them. But all along the way, it's food, from bacon rashers (I always crave bacon after reading this) to honey to apples to everything imaginable. Imagine the elfish bread that satisfies every need and comes wrapped in a leaf; or the sausages. Every place they land, they eat. And the beer! And the wine!

I also read a Bed and Breakfast cozy mystery series written by Mary Daheim. Her main character battles a few extra pounds though every day at 5:00 o'clock she fixes canapés for her guests. Crab wantons, stuffed this and that. Salmon. It's her cousin, though, who really brings the food to life. Her cousin and partner in (solving) crime is a high maintenance tiny woman who can eat anything and never gain a pound. It's a bone of some contention between them at times as the cousin is also a sloppy slob. Every time they go to lunch or stay at a death-haunted house or help out a soon-to-be murdered relative, they eat. And the author describes the food. It's the Pacific Northwest, so there's plenty of seafood, sorry Becky, but there's everything else as they travel the world and the country. One book took place with them both in the hospital for separate operations (SUTURE SELF). The main character ate whatever the hospital gave her without much appetite. But the cousin brought a huge bag full or apples and cheeses and crackers and her stash of Pepsi, slung the hospital trays into the garbage and then began importing things, having Chinese delivered during a snow storm, fried chicken snuck in by another patient... and it was the introduction of food from outside that figured into all three murders that happened around them so the food even got tied into the plot. And often, as I read these books, I find myself yearning for prime rib or crab cakes or even a hamburger -- the food is huge in the books. Every so often, the cousin takes up smoking and stops eating and the books suffer for the change. Who doesn't dream of having the income and the appetite to go to a very fancy restaurant and order three drinks, an appetizer (ooh, prawns) and dinner. Oh, and an aperitif and a desert? Where do they put all that food? It's a mystery.

My point : food matters. We all eat. Most of us watch cooking shows or read cookbooks even though we'll NEVER actually fix the actual dishes. With me, all I have to do is read that a character eats a bacon, tomato and avocado sandwich and it's a pretty sure bet one will show up for dinner at my house very soon. Are there books you read that demand you go cook a bacon and tomato sandwich or go out for really good Mexican food like the deep Molé sauces in the last mystery I read?

And how about your own books? Do you use the communal opportunity of food to share thoughts between your characters or expand the plot? Do the choices in their food help define their personalities? I know for myself that I tend to write books where everyone is under a lot of tension and seldom do more than scramble an egg because that's what I do when I'm really stressed. Sometimes, I forget to have people eat. I've had heroines pick at meals for days. My current hero was a captive in the fictional South American country of Tierra Montañosa for several months -- he didn't get a lot to eat. When he sits down for the first time to fish and chips in Northern California, he can't believe the taste -- or the crisp salty air, the cool ocean breeze, the beautiful woman across from him. That meal for him represents all the facets of freedom.

And now, because I am the world's worst promoter in the world (but trying to change--website improvements coming along soon, I hope), here I present my current release, AGENT DADDY:

For me, the food that stands out in this book is the fragrant bubbly stew in the ranch-style kitchen cooked by the Irish housekeeper and served with chucks of bread for dipping. There's a child in there, as well, who doesn't want to miss school because another child is bringing cupcakes. There's also hot chocolate....

Is there a book you can point to where the food became almost a character or just enhanced the pleasure of reading? And how do you introduce one of the very basic things we all do -- eat?

Another Post on POV

Current Project: Untitled RS
Status: On hold

There have been several blogs on POV in the last few weeks. Here is one more. I need to write a prologue for a finished manuscript and get the MS to an agent who requested revisions. For some reason I'm struggling to pick which character would present the strongest POV for the scene.

Quick background: The scene is during turbulence on a very small aircraft that is about to crash. Characters present are two pilots, a Federal Marshal, and a convict. The Marshal is terrified, the convict is rather calm, and the pilots are nervous but intent on their job. The convict is my villain in the story and has many POV scenes. The other characters die in the crash and have no POV scenes.

I have several choices. From a pilot POV, the reader would see the technical aspects of the plane's eminent demise and the pilot's observations of the praying Marshal and the serene convict.

From the Marshal's POV, the reader would learn of his current crime, his gambling issues, and his family. The reader would see the convict from the Marshal's POV, and I could drop some teasers about the convict to hook the reader. I like this angle, but I'm a little concerned that it could be confusing as the Marshal dies and has no other scenes.

From the villain's POV, I could drop a little back story that I've placed in a later chapter and give the reader a taste of his character.

Another idea I've tossed around is placing the prologue in first person. Either the villain or Marshal. The rest of the book is in third, but I've read some terrific first person prologues that reveal fascinating bits of character. Diana Gabaldon does this.

What's your favorite POV to write in and what are your thoughts on moving from a first person prologue to a third for the rest of the story?

Web sites, Web sites and more Web sites!

Current Project: Derby book
Status: Developing characters, about to start writing

At our chapter meeting this past Thursday, our fabulous and amazing treasurer, Debbie Wright, presented a talk on Web sites. She took us through the good, the bad, and the ugly of Web design and presented a useful resource list for those of us who have little to no Web experience.

It got me thinking a lot about the Web sites I'd been working on. I took down my old writing site when I began using a pseudonym. I had planned to develop three new sites: my writing site, a site for my crafts, and a site for my PR/editing/copywriting. I went to Istock photo and purchased a few patterns and built the sites around those, using them as the basis for color schemes.

When I chose the patterns, I tried to keep the reader in mind, but I didn't fully succeed. I chose the one I liked the best for my crafts, thinking it needed to represent me and my craft style. Then I chose a more neutral one for my writing because I'd been going back and forth between wanting to write paranormal and contemporary. I knew I'd need to change it when I was published, but I figured that what I had developed would be a good placeholder.

I've changed my mind... Now that I've started the roller derby book, I think the template I had used for my craft site should be my writing template. It's a cool pink and brown damask pattern, bright and spunky. Just like a derby girl ;) So I think I'm going to do some switching around, tweaking of the header (I think it's too big) and try to finally make them live.

It was difficult to find a starting point with these sites. I saw a template somewhere that used a pattern (like the damask one I downloaded) as the basis for the site and I liked that idea. It also enabled me to create one easy template and just switch out colors and patterns for the three sites I planned to create, saving lots of time.

What do you think of your own site? Any plans to redo it? How did you choose what you have now?

Thanks again, Debbie! It was a wonderful presentation! I would also like to congratulate Bethany Gabbert for being elected our new vice president! She's in the middle of redesigning her Web site, so keep an eye out for a new link. And please help me congratulate her in the comments :) She's going to be fabulous!

SATURDAY CHECK-IN

Current Project:THE BABY'S BODYGUARD
Status: pg. 180

Egads! I hoped to be twenty pages further along by today but here I am. Well, I have excuses ranging from sick days to, well, sick days, but in the end it's the inevitable stop and go traffic pattern of writing that slowed me down as I figured out this and that and the other thing.

Properly humbled, I will do the math -- hang on a minute, please....

Okay, for me personally, I need one hundred pages in four weeks. Twenty-five pages a week. More if I plan to have time to let it sit a couple of days and polish. I've been heavily rewriting as I go this time, going back and forth a lot to even things out and correct oversights, etc... Other than writing in a mother for the heroine (and then quickly shipping her off to Greece for a romantic honeymoon with husband number four) I'm pretty set. My dh told me he wishes I wouldn't speed through action scenes. I'm working on how I feel about adapting his comments. Feedback is nice.

And now I turn the stage over to you with a leading question: Is anyone doing the write the book in a month thing that I can't recall the name of? And what is that called?

Paradise Found

Current Project: Deceived
Status: 53,000 words and counting...

News flash: The sun is not shining here. When I left on vacation, it was 70 degrees and sunny in Oregon. When I came home it was 50 and rainy. I'm not sure what you all did while I was gone, but I'm not liking this burst into fall as much as I normally do.






This is Secret Beach on the eastern shores of Kauai. One of the most beautiful places I've ever been to. It's called Secret Beach because it's hidden off a dirt road, and you have to hike down a cliff to get to it. These pictures don't do it justice but let me tell you, it's a secluded paradise, rimmed by palm trees and rocks and million dollar mansions that look down from above.

We spent most of one day here on our vacation. The sun was strong, but there was plenty of shade to keep us cool. The surf was a bit rough, but my kids found some gentle coves to play in and had a ball. I walked up and down the beach with them, finding shells and pulling them out of rip currents (yeah, that was one bad part about this beach this time of year), while the DH lounged and read STOLEN SEDUCTION.

You see, my idea of the perfect vacation is sand, surf, a drink in one hand and a good book in the other. This time around, because we took the kids, I didn't get to read as much as I normally do, but I wanted to give the DH a chance to read my upcoming release. I knew if he didn't read it on vacation, he'd never get around to it.

Unfortunately, the kids distracted him too (in a good way). I think he got through half the book. He says he's going to take it with him hunting next week and finish the rest. Of course, I'm his wife - the center of his world and his *hopeful* ticket to retirement - so he has to like everything I write, but it's becoming a real kick to watch him read my work and know he's enjoying it because he truly likes it...not because he has to.

He and I went out to dinner alone one night while we were there (gorgeous restaurant at the Marriott, btw) and spent almost the entire meal talking about my books. He's very interested in the option proposal I put together and sent my agent, and it was fun brainstorming ideas and getting the male perspective on my adventure plots. Usually we talk about my books after they're written. And while I never have a problem discussing them with CPs during the process, I've never thought much about discussing them with him until now.

Some writers I know rely on their spouse as their first reader. I don't, mainly because my hubby is not a huge reader. But he does have some good ideas and I'm discovering brainstorming with him might be beneficial.

What about you? Do you brainstorm ideas with your spouse? Do you talk about books together - yours or others'?