Weaving Plot and Character Together in Story Beginnings

If you've worried about how to formulate a story, worry no more. It doesn't matter if you start with character or plot first, according to Liesl Shurtliff in her WriteOnCon article on how character and plot work together. Just get those ideas going. Eventually they have to work together and the sooner the better. "If I have a great dynamic character in mind," Shurtliff says, "that character is sort of worthless if nothing interesting happens to them, or they don't make interesting choices. The same goes for plot. I might think up a great scenario, but that scenario will only be as interesting as the characters I develop to carry it out. The very best books take plot and character and work them together in order to build the most resonant stories."

To weave the two together, ask your characters what they want. Shurtliff tells, "The strength of your plot is held in the desires of your characters. Your main character should have an overarching goal and then several mini-goals along the way, which all drive toward the main goal in one way or another." She explains that character desires and motivations; their history, time, and culture; and external forces all affect character and plot. "Plot forces a character to make choices only they would make because of their motivations and personal history, for example. When you develop character and plot together, constantly asking how one affects the other, then you're more likely to develop a story in which readers are willing to completely immerse themselves--both the characters and the plot."

When you think about it, the following great ways to start your story--which I stole from Canda Mortensen--involve both plot and character:

• Start on the day when everything is different in the world you've created or for the main character.
• Start when your character must make a life changing decision.
• Start when your character is avoiding a change.

Now get started without the worry and let those ideas come from your fingertips! You can always revise later--just don't think about that part yet.

Agent Perspective on Query Letters

You've got one minute to impress an agent. What do you say about your story? There is a lot of info out there on writing queries. Sometimes it's nice to know what the agent is thinking. 

I listened to an interesting perspective at WriteOnCon.com from an agent who shared what she looks for in a pile of query letters. Carlie Webber of C K Webber Associates went through Sixty Queries in Sixty Minutes. If she was interested in spending more time on a submission, it would go into it's own pile that she would come back to later--the 'yes' pile. Here's a summary of what she noticed in that short amount of time:

Describes emotional development instead of plot--No
Describes each main character and tells what they have at stake--Yes
Genre and idea is appealing--Yes
Author knows market and mentions comps--Yes
Plot not given, query overwritten--No
Characters are not compelling, low stakes--No
Not right genre for this agent--No
A self-published novel wants to go traditional, no sales info was included--No
Lacks info on the main character and plot--No
Introduces character, gives background, presents the major problem simply and how it can complicate the MC's life--Yes
Author has professional background in the subject--Yes
World not mentioned in a sci-fi story--No
General dislikes: Rhetorical questions--No     First person POV query--No     Word count low, high, or missing--No

I've never written a query letter. What I've written is more like a summary or back cover blurb. Familiarity with queries helps for those of us who submit to editor/publishers instead of agents (check requirements) because we still need to give a description of our book. Writing my description out for my Book of Mormon novel helped me to figure out and fix some plot problems. It let me identify the overall goal from the stakes and goals that changed. For this reason, I recommend writing your query or description before revisions. It just might keep you on track.

Here's the blurb I came up with for The Seventh City. I'd love your feedback!

If Lamanite princess Karlinah can return to her father’s kingdom before the truth of her abusive husband's murder is discovered, she just might get her safe, pampered life back. Surprises await her at King Lamoni's household. Karlinah's younger sister, Hepka, is betrothed and tradition requires that the eldest be married first. Matched with Japethihah, the lascivious high priest, she dreads her imminent wedding.

Karlinah is saved from becoming Japethihah’s property when missionary Ammon converts many of the king's household—but not herself. Relief is short-lived after dismantled foolish traditions give Karlinah freedom to choose. She just might tear her beautiful hair out when no one but Japethihah wants a non-believer. Karlinah struggles with loneliness and new beliefs, unable to trust the Nephite missionary when repentance means confessing the secret that could get her killed. 

Finding strength to overcome doctrinal misconceptions, Karlinah aims to show the handsome stone artisan the heart of a believer before Cumroth’s work on the synagogue is completed. But Japethihah has plans of his own and will stop at nothing to make Karlinah his. 

Diversity In Writing

An article from Ellen Oh in the recent WriteOnCon set me thinking about how I handle diversity in my writing. 

calabarboy.com

One of my projects is a YA contemporary suspense set in a fictional Southern California high school. This setting practically screamls diversity. Yes, my white main character has a mix of race in his friends and the humorous sidekick is Latin. Though I've included it, have I 'done' diversity right? Have I avoided stereotypes and treated each character with respect? I hope so, but it will be something to check in revisions. One thing I have not done is to reach out to minorities for help in properly reflecting their world. There are probably realistic elements I should add once I become aware of them.

One last thought on this topic concerns writing what you know. Is this why I naturally think of white main characters? We often use the familiar because the whole craft of putting together a story is complicated enough on its own. Or is that a cop out? Maybe it's time to think more outside the box. For me it's a stretch that my MC is male. That takes some 'getting it right' during revisions as well. 

We live in a diverse world. Fantasy worlds should also reflect diversity. How do you use diversity in your writing? Or what have you read that struck you as using diversity well?
Y'all have a great week!

Receiving Editorial Feedback

Do you need a spoonful of sugar to help those truthful/opinionated critique group comments go down? Keep reading. I loved this WriteOnCon article on How to Handle Editorial Feedback by author Dianne Salerni. Basically, Salerni says she goes through the following six stages when she reads feedback on her manuscript.

Stage 1: No! She’s wrong! She is absolutely and completely wrong about this!

Stage 2: Crap. She’s right.

Stage 3: But I can’t fix it! Changing this will have a domino effect and make the entire plot unworkable. It cannot be fixed!

Stage 4: Oh, wait. I see how to fix it.

Stage 5: You know, this change is pretty good. I’m liking it.

Stage 6: This is brilliant! Why didn't I do it this way in the first place?!

I've never analyzed it into stages like this, but yeah. Changes are either easy-fixes where I instantly see the improvement or I follow these steps to some degree. Here is more wisdom from Salerni: “I have come to accept these stages. I also understand that it’s not possible for me to skip the scary and upsetting ones, even though I know the later, more positive stages are coming. The trick is NOT to respond to the critique while you are in the throes of Stage 1 or Stage 3!”

We newbie writers need a lot of things divulged to us and a multiplicity of readers to compare which spots they keep pointing out. Feedback is our friend. It's a valuable learning tool. It lets us perfect our craft. The already mentioned article includes a great quote from Neil Gaiman. “Remember: when people tell you something’s wrong or doesn't work for them, they are almost always right. When they tell you exactly what they think is wrong and how to fix it, they are almost always wrong.” 

YOU are the one who best knows your story and how to work the magic it needs to bring your manuscript to the next level. Bring the feedback on.

When Is My Manuscript Ready? Part 2

"My advice to writers would be to aggressively seek the truth--forget about your ego--and do one more draft than your agent tells you to."

          --Jonathan Karp, EVP and Publisher for Simon & Shuster 

If you don't believe writing a book is both hard work and hard to do right, see if this post doesn't enlighten you. Why? Because there is more to getting a manuscript ready than meets the eye and so much to think about. In this continuation of getting a MS ready to submit or query, the focus is on content.

Agent Lara Perkins shared at writeoncon what she looks for in new manuscripts:
A good, interesting Hook includes: 1) Unique and Compelling World-building, or complexity, originality, a sense of fun and wonder. 2) Great Voice, or confident, clean writing,with personality and a unique perspective. 3) A Page-turning Pace, or an engaging plot and tight pacing--high stakes, believable obstacles, unexpected but earned twists and turns. 4) A New Twist, or how the book fits in the market and is different enough from what is out there, freshness.
High-level Work. "An agent-ready manuscript does not have to be perfect, but the story, the voice, and the characters need to be very strong and compelling. So what I mean by 'working on a high level' is that all of the important, big-picture elements are there and are developed, unique, and gripping.  . . . it does need to be a manuscript that an agent-reader will not be able to put down (because of the characters, story, and pacing)."
Finally, Perkins asked good questions that can be used in both plotting and revising. She says, "Have I asked myself the following Big-Picture Questions about my manuscript--and revised if the answer is no?" Here's a content checklist:
                      Does my story have a clear beginning, middle, and end?
                       Do my characters have interesting and relatable goals in which a reader can invest?

·                                 Are the stakes high?

·                                 Are my characters unique and differentiated from one another—in the way they speak, in the way they act, in the choices they make, in their goals/hopes/dreams?

·                                 Do my characters change throughout the story? Do they have character arcs, with definite beginnings, middles, and endings?

·                                 Are the obstacles that keep my characters from achieving their goals believable and interesting?

·                                 Are all the scenes and characters necessary to the story?

·                                 Is the action moving at a page-turning pace?

·                                 Do my chapter endings and beginnings fit together in a way that propels the reader into the next part of the story?

·                                 Am I the only person who can tell this story and is that reflected in the voice?

·                                 Is the voice consistent and well-matched for this story?

·                                 Is my story different from what’s out there? (Hopefully, this is the easiest question to answer because you’ve been reading constantly in your genre and age group…right?)

Lara Perkins is an Assistant Agent and Digital Manager at Andrea Brown Literary. Lara jointly represents select clients together with Senior Agent Laura Rennert, with a focus on picture book, middle grade, and young adult children’s fiction. Lara has a B.A. in English and Fine Arts from Amherst College and an M.A. in English Literature from Columbia University. She has been on faculty at various California writers’ conferences, including Book Passage and the Big Sur Writers’ Conference.

When Is My Manuscript Ready? Part 1

I’m getting ready to submit mt YA LDS historical fiction, The Seventh City. So close I can taste it. Like playing Hide and Seek and announcing “Ready or not, here I come!” Am I as ready as I think I am? Nobody wants to be obsessive, yet we don't want to submit too early. I've already made that mistake.

Revisions are a must and can be overdone, but I’m not talking about revision lists today. I’ve done those, blogged about those. We’re talking content here. Perhaps the most important readiness test comes from letting others read it, someone besides your mother. This takes courage for some, but I've always enjoyed letting others find and point out what may be hard for me to see. It makes my work easier. Through experience we learn to find trouble spots on our own.

Agent Lara Perkins wrote on this subject for the 2012 WriteOn Con. She says, “Have I shown my manuscript to at least 3 people and seriously considered their feedback?” She goes on to highly recommend joining a critique group. Check. My group helped me scene by scene, and I am indebted to them. Since that doesn’t allow for one’s memory to connect all the dots and tie the lose ends, it was important for me to seek beta readers who could read through a fairly polished MS in a short time. Again, I would suggest at least another 3 people. 

I have found a variety of depth in the feedback and am grateful for those who questioned everything they noticed. A writer has more in her head about what is going on than the reader and one reader will notice something different than another. Cherish and consider all feedback. Don't feel locked into it but make sure you have sound reasoning not to follow it. Occasionally you might get negative feedback that is not constructive. Not everyone states it in diplomatic, helpful ways. If one person has made you feel badly, consider the source and compare it against other feedback. We improve with practice and education. For those writers finding multiple layers of problems in their MS, hiring a content editor might be the way to go. 

Ms. Perkins also wants to see a hook, if the story works on a high level, and have her big-picture questions answered. We’ll take a look at what this means next week. For now, I’ll be waiting for what those final readers have to say. 

So how do you know when your MS is ready to submit to an agent or publisher?

Jennifer Voices A Riddle

I loved this article from Jennifer A. Nielsen at writeoncon.com on a tricky subject I'll let unfold. I especially loved her description of said subject. Enjoy!

Here’s a WriteOn Con riddle for you: Publishers want it, readers love it, authors seek it. Nobody can define it, but everyone can recognize it.

Okay, I admit it. That was a terrible riddle, completely unsolvable unless you read the title, in which case you know this is a discussion on voice.

Voice is the sound of your writing; your unique use of dialogue, description, characterization, and syntax. If it were a song, voice is the music, the rhythm, the beats upon which each sentence rises and falls.

A common mistake for beginners is writing the way they think will sell their story. Some browse the thesaurus for fancy words, others bloat their sentences with filler words, and occasionally a writer lifts scenes from her favorite authors but changes out minor details. Ultimately, these strategies betray the writer as an amateur, because none of them lead to the authentic voice all editors crave.

Okay, you say, I sorta get it. Sorta. Here are six tips to help you identify your voice.

1.                  Study other voices. As you read, try to distinguish the unique sound of the author’s words. Why does Kristen Cashore sound different from Scott Westerfield who sounds different from Dan Wells? The better you are at spotting voice for others, the more clearly you’ll see your own.

2.                  Learn all the writing rules. And then forget them. All writers should know the rules of grammar, punctuation, syntax, and rhythm. Learn the rules of your genre, the conventions of characterization and exposition, and the common pitfalls in a story. You must know these rules, so that you know how to break them. If everything you write conforms to a standard English textbook, you’re probably doing something wrong.

3.                  Know your characters. Just as each writer has a unique voice, every character in your story should have their voice too. The better you define your characters, the stronger your writing of them will be.

4.                  Try a different genre. I once had a critique partner who wrote adult crime novels. They were okay, but not publishable. Then one day he heard an old frontier story and decided to fictionalize it. His YA historical had a brilliant voice, and might’ve been the story that broke him into the market, but in the end, he gave up because he insisted he was a crime novelist. Maybe you are exactly the writer that you think you are, but there is no shortage of examples where someone finds their voice in a very different place than where they thought they would be.

5.                  Know your stuff. Personally, I’m not much for the “write what you know” philosophy. I prefer, “write what you love” because when you love a topic, you want to know all about it. Voice often suffers in a manuscript when the author doesn’t have a firm grasp on the details. For example, if the character is riding a horse, the author should understand enough about horses to bring authenticity to the scene.

6.                  Write for yourself. In the wake of any big novel, editors are flooded with copycat manuscripts. Many of them are brilliant books in their own right, but many are quickly rejected because it’s obvious the writer is only offering a cheap imitation of the original. Write the story that is in you, the way only you can tell it.        (Skipped book examples of voice next.)

Exercises to Help Find Your Voice:

1.                  Write a brief description of someone you know as if you were a psychiatrist, a criminal, and an artist. Then write their description as yourself.

2.                  Write the scene you’ve always secretly wanted to write. Not to be published, edited, or even seen by anyone else. Just let the self-indulgent words flow and see what comes.

3.                  Read your work aloud, and try to feel when your words are not authentic. If you’re forcing out the words, then you are not staying true to your natural voice.

And finally…

Remember that “voice” doesn’t develop in your first month, and in most cases, not your first manuscript. The more you write, the closer you come to finding it. So get writing!

 Jennifer A. Nielsen was born and raised in northern Utah, where she still lives today with her husband, three children, and a dog that won’t play fetch. She is the author of The Ascendance trilogy, beginning with THE FALSE PRINCE; of The Underworld Chronicles, beginning with ELLIOT AND THE GOBLIN WAR; and will write the sixth book of the Infinity Ring series. She loves chocolate, old books, and lazy days in the mountains.

Boundaries

Boundaries. They need to become visible, definable at times. A librarian, stocker, or customer needs to know where to shelve or find what book they want. Publishers label in genres to fit our expectations. Marketers use genre to advertise to their target audience. Boundaries make good reference points but can become muddy or inconsistent in the book world. Writers need to guard awareness of their intended genre as they write. Perhaps that is why there were so many genre questions at the writeoncon workshop. Agents and editors answered many questions to define the differences between Middle Grade (MG) and Young Adult (YA). A few mentioned New Adult (NA), a bridge between YA and Adult books. You can read all the great articles, but, since you’re here, enjoy my summary on the topic.

1. The agents were especially asking to see more manuscripts in MG.

2. Basic Differences between MG and YA are seen in both the voice and sentence structure. The voice of the MG story shows kids discovering, learning how they fit in their own world, being part of a group, growing up is the main experience. The YA voice shows youths who are learning to stand out in their world, learning to fit in a world that it bigger than themselves, they can look back on growing up experiences because they’ve already lived them.

Author Claire Legrand gave us a list of things to consider in MG vs YA:

  Age: Tweens or Teens? Avoid that between age of 13. Another boundaries problem.

  Romance: Kissy-Kissy or Kissy-Kissy? Innocent discovery of romantic feelings, no lust vs undertones of     sexual awakening.

  Swearing: Darn or Damn? Swearing doesn’t fit the MG voice, even if real life might. Don’t insert just to be edgy, needs a purpose like fitting the tone, setting, or emotion. Remember, schools and libraries buy books too.

  Violence: PG or PG-13?

  Experience: Internal or External? How they experience or perceive the world.

  Journey: Only just begun or Finally getting somewhere?

  Awareness: Observing or Analyzing?

  Language: Simple or Complex? Both in dialogue and sentence structure.

  Voice: 3^rd Person or 1^st Person (Or Does it really matter)? Do what works best for the story.

3. New Adult generally contains college-age or post-high school characters for high school and beyond readers. NA isn’t big enough yet for its own category, causing the headache of where to place it—YA or Adult? Yeah, that’s a Catch 22 situation.

4. When querying or pitching, an author needs to give her book’s genre. Pick the biggest one that fills the bucket. Don’t name it a YA futuristic paranormal romance with a western flare. Which one dominates? Who is the core audience? Let the other elements come out in the story without mention.

5. Don’t write specifically for the new trend you see. Chances are agents have searched through hundreds of manuscripts in that genre’s theme to find one or two they love enough to take on. By the time a book is sold and published, the trend will be worn out. Just write a great book! Strong voice, strong characters, emotion, high stakes—all that good stuff. Yeah, no one said it would be easy.

Making Your First Page Sing

Ah, that elusive special something. Do I have it? Can I get it? In hopes that it would instantly magnetize to my fingers over the keyboard (or at least in hopes of becoming a better writer), I participated in writeoncon—an online writers conference that spurred me on once again. You can still head there to check out what you missed. Today I’ll share some things discussed about those first few lines, including through the first page.

I loved this analogy: Sarah Davies (Greenhouse Literary Agency) on writer potential and quality:
“I often know very soon – like a few lines in – whether a new writer has that ‘something’ or not. Obviously I have to see how the story/characters will develop, but that sense of voice and the moment is often there from the start. It’s like listening to a young musician. You can hear the musicality even if they just play a simple scale of C.”

Voice. The character’s voice, not the author’s. That’s a tricky one to define and a hefty topic I’ll cop out on and save for another post. “A good first page has an engaging voice, an introduction to the character, with hints of what type of story is to come.” – Sarah LaPolla (Curtis Brown)

Honing the writing craft to the ‘musicality’ level typically starts with a first draft that sucks. Some parts are salvageable. Then comes multiple revisions. It takes practice and hard work. With perseverance we can achieve what agents, publishers, and readers are looking for. Go for it!

Let’s look at what is NOT wanted in those first few lines: Don’t start with a dream. Agents repeatedly put this as one of their pet peeves. Readers want to know the real world as it exists for the main character and dreams don’t give that. Same thing for flashbacks. Don’t start with a car crash either. They get that one a lot, too. Think fresh, unique. Oh, and don’t start off with dialogue in the first line. It assumes we understand a character and voice that we haven’t yet met.

Take a look at some Dos: Do give readers something unexpected. Like the orphan getting shipped off to live with her great aunt whom the girl hopes is mean and ugly. We would want to know why the orphan didn’t wish her future caretaker was kindly. We would want to read more to find out why. Surprises don’t need to be action-packed. Action impacts readers stronger when they know something about the people who are about to be blown up, for example. Start setting up a simple conflict where questions tug at a reader’s mind, willing him/her to read further to find the answers. Do use something specific rather than generic to the main character or the story. Do make a quick connection with the reader through something familiar but stated in a new, interesting way. Do make it the best that you can. Write that first page until it sings!