If you're reading this post, then you read blogs. (Or at least you read this one.)
Why?
Yes, I'm asking a direct question. Responses to this question can be entered in the comments section. (You might as well scroll down there, anyway, because there's juicy stuff in the Do it Now section this week.)
Still not sure? Well allow me to answer the question.
Why do I, personally, read blogs?
(1) To catch up on my writer friends' lives.
My circle of writer friends live all over this lovely planet. One big cluster in the Toronto area (since Toronto is fairly close to where I live), many scattered across Canada (which is a huge geographical area), several scattered across the United States (because they are our big neighbours to the south), and a few scattered across Australia (because I attended Clarion in Australia).
Since visiting all of these people is financially and logistically impossible, I see them at occasional conventions, and keep up between cons via social media (Facebook, Google+, Twitter, LiveJournal, Blogger, and the like).
Five years ago (pre-Facebook), LiveJournal was more active and I would read my friends' blog posts on a regular basis. Today, I catch snippets via Twitter or Facebook and then search them out via links to their blogs. Back then, having a blog presence was more important for a writer.
Now, most writers have a presence on as many social media as time permits them to update on a regular basis.
What if all of your friends live close by? Or you simply don't want to endure the nuisance which is posting all of your personal crap onto the internet?
Post anyway. Even if the process feels a bit silly, or makes you a tad uncomfortable, or you don't seem to have the time.
Do I have to?
Short answer: Yes!
Which leads me to the second reason I read blogs:
(2) To learn.
If you're a writer then you have information in your head about how this whole writing thing works. You understand on a fundamental level How To:
- put words on paper
- express ideas
- stay motivated
- endure rejection.
I've learned what I know (currently) about my craft from:
- workshops
- books on writing
- writing and receiving critiques
- reading other writers' blogs
- writing.
Notice how reading other writers' blogs is in the list. Writers write about the process. They whine when they're in the middle of the book and full of doubt. They jump for joy when they submit a round of edits to the publisher. They brainstorm when they're toying with a particularly difficult concept.
I find it comforting to share these moments with others. Hearing about their activities gives me hope that I might also experience these joys and frustrations. If not, (or if my experiences are slow in the making) then I can enjoy them vicariously in the mean time.
The old adage: Misery loves company is true. Especially when the majority of your work as a writer is done alone, in a quiet (or loud) place, butt-in-chair, pounding away at a keyboard.
So how else would you love all of that misery-company if not by reading blog posts (or posts on Twitter, Facebook, Google+, etc.)
Which leads me to the third reason why I read writers' blogs:
(3) As motivation.
During NaNoWriMo, when all of my friends are posting their word counts, I get a little competitive. (Okay, a LOT competitive!)
At the end of the year, as people post their summaries of number of words written, number of stories sold, number of rejections received, etc. I also reflect. And my competitive juices flow like a river in spring.
Reading about how hard other writers work, gets me to thinking about how hard I will need to work to (hopefully) be at least as successful as they are.
Have I convinced you to read blogs?
Have I convinced you to start your own blog?
The cool part is that blogs are free to set up. (And it looks as though Blogger is winning over LiveJournal on the popularity/ease of use front.)
If you are a writer, and you've ever considered starting a blog, there's no time like the present.
You've got 19 days left in 2012 to come up with a good name for the blog and then set it up so that you can begin 2013 as a blogger.
You might not blog much at the beginning. You might not be able to think up a topic every week (or every month, or every day, whatever frequency you decide to aim for).
Keep blogging.
Keep writing.
And one day soon, you might find you have a following.
Or not.
What matters is that you try blogging. Even if only for a few days/weeks. Blogger does allow users to delete a blog if you feel as though the exercise wasn't right for you.
You'll never know unless you try.
Do It Now:
Like last week, write down the names of two authors who inspire you. (Yes, get a pen and paper and write them down if you skipped this part last week, or find the piece of paper if you did write them down.)
Now Google the authors to see what sort of presence they have on the web.
If the authors have blogs, read a few entries. If they don't, you might want to check out the following "popular" blogs for writers:
Neil Gaiman's blog. Need I say more?
John Scalzi's blog . Search on "taping bacon to cat" and you will not be disappointed. :)
Jane Espenson's blog archives . Although she is no longer an active blogger, you can find a ton of great writing advice in the archives here.
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Wednesday, December 05, 2012
Finding Your Voice
In my post on Beginnings, I defined voice as:
The tone or feel of a story, portrayed via word choice.
Voice is like the "flavour card" in front of the ice cream selections at Baskin Robbins, a few words that describe to you how the ice cream will taste.
Why is voice so important?
Let's face it...there are only so many stories to tell. Boy meets girl, hero saves the world, person follows existential journey to enlightenment, space ships explode, blah, blah, blah.
I've also heard the three main archetypes of stories described as: (pardon the somewhat sexist word choices)
- Man vs man
- Man vs nature
- Man vs himself
What sets your spaces ships exploding story apart from all of the others is a combination of your unique characters in your unique situation solving your unique twist, and told using your distinctive voice.
How is voice constructed within the prose?
As I said before, with the choice of words, and the order they appear on the page.
Usually, the sections of descriptive prose are the essential elements of the voice.
The description passages in your story are the places where you truly develop your own style or voice. Ultimately, your goal is for a reader to read a passage of your work, and then say, "Wow, that reads like a typical [author name] story."
I don't want to break any copyright laws, so I will provide examples from public domain works.
Easily Recognizable Voices:
"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness,..." Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities.
Despite the fact that this man breaks my total over-use of the "it was" construct, this opening is considered archetypical of Dickens' style of linguistic creativity mixed with satire.
But, soft! what light through yonder window breaks?
It is the east, and Juliet is the sun.
Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon,
Who is already sick and pale with grief,... William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet.
This has to be one of the most famous romantic moments in written history. Shakespeare's style is a mix of the rhythm of speaking in the sixteenth century and his profound poeticism. His prose is rich and unmistakable.
Voice is tough to pin down, but I hope you're getting the idea.
If you review my post on Point of View I discuss how sticking tightly to the Point of View of your protagonist can affect the voice of the story.
If you re-read my post on Editing Dialogue, I point out that each character must have their own distinctive voice. Because character voice is also a crucial element of voice in general, I give you an example:
Dialogue Example:
A space ship explodes. Three characters in your story watch this explosion and each one of them comments on the event.
Person A: Emily, whose mother is on the ship:
"Oh my God! Mom!" Emily bursts into tears.
Person B: Gus, who set the explosives:
"That's how we do it in Bravo company, boys," said Gus.
Person C: Gus's talking robot sidekick, Planki:
Planki beeped, then said, "Sir, I suggest we leave orbit before the galactic police arrive."
In each example, the speaker has a different reaction to the explosion. Emily is crushed, Gus is proud, and Planki is worried.
Good dialogue should have a distinctive voice for each character, so that even if the dialogue tag isn't included, you should be able to tell who is speaking from tone and context.
Regardless of the specifics within dialogue, your voice is your calling card.
I've heard enough editors speak on panels at conventions who all suggested that the voice of the story is what piques their interest enough to purchase that short story or novel for publication.
The only way to truly find your own voice is to write.
And write.
And then write some more.
As you collect stories and plots and passages of description, a pattern will emerge. You will discover that aspect of your own voice, what makes you distinctive.
For most writers, this voice is a bit of a task master, compelling us to write. Often.
So get your butt in that chair and write some words down. And then write some more words. With any luck, your voice will surface.
Do It Now:
Write down the names of two authors who inspire you. (Yes, get a pen and paper and write them down.)
Now write three words to describe each of their voices. (No peeking in one of their novels for clues.)
Now write three words that describe your voice.
Keeping in mind those three words, write 100 words of throw-away fiction that encompass what you consider your voice.
Revel in the joy of naming your voice.
The tone or feel of a story, portrayed via word choice.
Voice is like the "flavour card" in front of the ice cream selections at Baskin Robbins, a few words that describe to you how the ice cream will taste.
Why is voice so important?
Let's face it...there are only so many stories to tell. Boy meets girl, hero saves the world, person follows existential journey to enlightenment, space ships explode, blah, blah, blah.
I've also heard the three main archetypes of stories described as: (pardon the somewhat sexist word choices)
- Man vs man
- Man vs nature
- Man vs himself
What sets your spaces ships exploding story apart from all of the others is a combination of your unique characters in your unique situation solving your unique twist, and told using your distinctive voice.
How is voice constructed within the prose?
As I said before, with the choice of words, and the order they appear on the page.
Usually, the sections of descriptive prose are the essential elements of the voice.
The description passages in your story are the places where you truly develop your own style or voice. Ultimately, your goal is for a reader to read a passage of your work, and then say, "Wow, that reads like a typical [author name] story."
I don't want to break any copyright laws, so I will provide examples from public domain works.
Easily Recognizable Voices:
"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness,..." Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities.
Despite the fact that this man breaks my total over-use of the "it was" construct, this opening is considered archetypical of Dickens' style of linguistic creativity mixed with satire.
But, soft! what light through yonder window breaks?
It is the east, and Juliet is the sun.
Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon,
Who is already sick and pale with grief,... William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet.
This has to be one of the most famous romantic moments in written history. Shakespeare's style is a mix of the rhythm of speaking in the sixteenth century and his profound poeticism. His prose is rich and unmistakable.
Voice is tough to pin down, but I hope you're getting the idea.
If you review my post on Point of View I discuss how sticking tightly to the Point of View of your protagonist can affect the voice of the story.
If you re-read my post on Editing Dialogue, I point out that each character must have their own distinctive voice. Because character voice is also a crucial element of voice in general, I give you an example:
Dialogue Example:
A space ship explodes. Three characters in your story watch this explosion and each one of them comments on the event.
Person A: Emily, whose mother is on the ship:
"Oh my God! Mom!" Emily bursts into tears.
Person B: Gus, who set the explosives:
"That's how we do it in Bravo company, boys," said Gus.
Person C: Gus's talking robot sidekick, Planki:
Planki beeped, then said, "Sir, I suggest we leave orbit before the galactic police arrive."
In each example, the speaker has a different reaction to the explosion. Emily is crushed, Gus is proud, and Planki is worried.
Good dialogue should have a distinctive voice for each character, so that even if the dialogue tag isn't included, you should be able to tell who is speaking from tone and context.
Regardless of the specifics within dialogue, your voice is your calling card.
I've heard enough editors speak on panels at conventions who all suggested that the voice of the story is what piques their interest enough to purchase that short story or novel for publication.
The only way to truly find your own voice is to write.
And write.
And then write some more.
As you collect stories and plots and passages of description, a pattern will emerge. You will discover that aspect of your own voice, what makes you distinctive.
For most writers, this voice is a bit of a task master, compelling us to write. Often.
So get your butt in that chair and write some words down. And then write some more words. With any luck, your voice will surface.
Do It Now:
Write down the names of two authors who inspire you. (Yes, get a pen and paper and write them down.)
Now write three words to describe each of their voices. (No peeking in one of their novels for clues.)
Now write three words that describe your voice.
Keeping in mind those three words, write 100 words of throw-away fiction that encompass what you consider your voice.
Revel in the joy of naming your voice.
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Rejection: The Necessary Evil
By the power of the people (via last week's poll), this week I will discuss rejection.
Rejection sucks.
Goes without saying, right? We all know how horrible it feels to be rejected...by a pretty girl/handsome boy (depending on what floats your boat). But fiction rejections are a little different.
When someone rejects your story, they are not rejecting you (like the pretty girl/handsome boy did). They are rejecting your story.
Say it with me. Raise your right hand, and in a confident and determined voice say, "I am not my story!"
Feel a little better?
I know it's only a little, but bear with me.
When a market (an agent, editor, magazine, anthology, whatever) rejects your story, they are simply stating that your story is not right for their particular needs at this particular time.
For instance, (I love this example...I tell this story all the time) once I saw on ralan.com a call for submissions to the anthology, Requiem of the Radioactive Monkeys, and I thought to myself, how cool would it be to write a story for that anthology?
So I wrote a piece of flash (they were calling for a maximum of 500 words) and sent it to them. They didn't buy my story. Sad face.
Things first got worse. I faced the dilemma...now there will be a flood of rejected radioactive monkey stories and no one will buy mine because they will be so sick of reading about the lives of radioactive monkeys.
So I waited.
And waited. But trust me, good things happen when writers wait.
When enough time had passed, I re-worked the story to about 1,000 words and started shopping it around and bam! Sold it to Doorways Magazine. Unfortunately, I don't think Doorways is still in circulation, but it was cool horror magazine while it lasted.
In this case, being rejected by one market opened up the opportunity to be accepted somewhere else, and to refine my story to a more comfortable/appropriate length. Trust me, often the next market might even be better than the one where you were rejected.
That has happened to me several times. And I know it breaks the rule of sending to the best markets first but sometimes, depending on when markets are open or closed and where you have other stories in queues, you can't always submit top-down. (But you should when possible.)
And now for some personal rejection-bragging... As of this morning, I have accumulated 314 rejections for my short fiction & poetry and 15 rejections from agents and/or publishers for my novels. (I honestly thought the numbers were higher...so that's making me feel a teeny bit better this morning.)
These rejections are like badges of honour. You should flaunt them, because it shows that you're trying. That you're sending your work out there.
No one will buy your story and publish it if the story sits on your hard drive and never experiences the opportunities out there in the world.
Writers must treat their stories like baby birds. Once they're ready we shove them out of the nest and hope they can fly.
Even if sometimes they hit the ground with a painful thud!
As I mentioned in my post on submission trackers you must keep detailed records of the places where you've sent your work.
For two reasons.
Reason 1: Bragging Rights
If you're going to brag about your acceptance and rejection rates, then you must keep accurate records of where they have been submitted.
Reason 2: Double Submissions Are Embarrassing
In the publishing business, editors really don't appreciate you sending a story back to a place where it has already been rejected (even if you've made substantial changes). Believe me, in three or five years, you might forget that at one time you sent that story to Magazine X.
So, are you still sitting at your computer (or reading your tablet), wringing your hands, feeling overly terrified/uncomfortable/some other yucky emotion at the notion of sending out your story?
You are not alone!
As a matter of fact, for one of the writers' groups that I belong to, some of our members find the task of submitting to be completely overwhelming.
But we have a collective cure (or at least a deterrent) for this affliction.
At our annual group dinner, if any member has gone one calendar year (since the last group dinner) without submitting a single story/query then they must wear a corset or bustier to the dinner.
No exceptions. (Seriously, even if you're a guy!)
So, you probably guessed it, we don't have a lot of guys in our group!
And to be honest, I've been known to wear a corset to the dinner simply because it's fun. But that's besides the point.
So if you're having real trouble fretting about rejection, set yourself a horrible punishment for not submitting.
Rejection is part of the gig.
If you choose to be a writer, you must develop a thick skin for rejections.
Remember, chocolate can be a strong ally in the battle against the rejection blues.
Do It Now:
Go to Ralan.com or Duotrope to find a market for a work that is sitting on your hard drive, ready to be thrown into the world.
Found one?
Great! Now send that puppy out into the world.
Don't forget you must send it out in a professional manner. For details, read my post on Market Listings.
Good luck, to you and your story. Let it fly and be free!
Rejection sucks.
Goes without saying, right? We all know how horrible it feels to be rejected...by a pretty girl/handsome boy (depending on what floats your boat). But fiction rejections are a little different.
When someone rejects your story, they are not rejecting you (like the pretty girl/handsome boy did). They are rejecting your story.
Say it with me. Raise your right hand, and in a confident and determined voice say, "I am not my story!"
Feel a little better?
I know it's only a little, but bear with me.
When a market (an agent, editor, magazine, anthology, whatever) rejects your story, they are simply stating that your story is not right for their particular needs at this particular time.
For instance, (I love this example...I tell this story all the time) once I saw on ralan.com a call for submissions to the anthology, Requiem of the Radioactive Monkeys, and I thought to myself, how cool would it be to write a story for that anthology?
So I wrote a piece of flash (they were calling for a maximum of 500 words) and sent it to them. They didn't buy my story. Sad face.
Things first got worse. I faced the dilemma...now there will be a flood of rejected radioactive monkey stories and no one will buy mine because they will be so sick of reading about the lives of radioactive monkeys.
So I waited.
And waited. But trust me, good things happen when writers wait.
When enough time had passed, I re-worked the story to about 1,000 words and started shopping it around and bam! Sold it to Doorways Magazine. Unfortunately, I don't think Doorways is still in circulation, but it was cool horror magazine while it lasted.
In this case, being rejected by one market opened up the opportunity to be accepted somewhere else, and to refine my story to a more comfortable/appropriate length. Trust me, often the next market might even be better than the one where you were rejected.
That has happened to me several times. And I know it breaks the rule of sending to the best markets first but sometimes, depending on when markets are open or closed and where you have other stories in queues, you can't always submit top-down. (But you should when possible.)
And now for some personal rejection-bragging... As of this morning, I have accumulated 314 rejections for my short fiction & poetry and 15 rejections from agents and/or publishers for my novels. (I honestly thought the numbers were higher...so that's making me feel a teeny bit better this morning.)
These rejections are like badges of honour. You should flaunt them, because it shows that you're trying. That you're sending your work out there.
No one will buy your story and publish it if the story sits on your hard drive and never experiences the opportunities out there in the world.
Writers must treat their stories like baby birds. Once they're ready we shove them out of the nest and hope they can fly.
Even if sometimes they hit the ground with a painful thud!
As I mentioned in my post on submission trackers you must keep detailed records of the places where you've sent your work.
For two reasons.
Reason 1: Bragging Rights
If you're going to brag about your acceptance and rejection rates, then you must keep accurate records of where they have been submitted.
Reason 2: Double Submissions Are Embarrassing
In the publishing business, editors really don't appreciate you sending a story back to a place where it has already been rejected (even if you've made substantial changes). Believe me, in three or five years, you might forget that at one time you sent that story to Magazine X.
So, are you still sitting at your computer (or reading your tablet), wringing your hands, feeling overly terrified/uncomfortable/some other yucky emotion at the notion of sending out your story?
You are not alone!
As a matter of fact, for one of the writers' groups that I belong to, some of our members find the task of submitting to be completely overwhelming.
But we have a collective cure (or at least a deterrent) for this affliction.
At our annual group dinner, if any member has gone one calendar year (since the last group dinner) without submitting a single story/query then they must wear a corset or bustier to the dinner.
No exceptions. (Seriously, even if you're a guy!)
So, you probably guessed it, we don't have a lot of guys in our group!
And to be honest, I've been known to wear a corset to the dinner simply because it's fun. But that's besides the point.
So if you're having real trouble fretting about rejection, set yourself a horrible punishment for not submitting.
Rejection is part of the gig.
If you choose to be a writer, you must develop a thick skin for rejections.
Remember, chocolate can be a strong ally in the battle against the rejection blues.
Do It Now:
Go to Ralan.com or Duotrope to find a market for a work that is sitting on your hard drive, ready to be thrown into the world.
Found one?
Great! Now send that puppy out into the world.
Don't forget you must send it out in a professional manner. For details, read my post on Market Listings.
Good luck, to you and your story. Let it fly and be free!
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Let's Take a Poll
The right time to poll your followers, friends, family, whoever is anytime.
Maybe I'm exaggerating a little.
The great thing about a poll is that you can receive feedback on a difficult question. Especially if that question (or dilemma) is preventing you from moving forward.
Yes, I am referring to the dreaded Writer's Block, henceforth referred to as WB.
I've been whacked by WB more than once. I can only speak for my own experience, but I'm guessing that other writers feel similarly lost when:
- every idea you have seems hollow/lame/thin
- every writer around you seems to be as prolific as a bunny in heat
- every time you sit in your writing chair you have a sudden need to vomit (or snack, or drink, or make an important phone call, or shave the rabbit)
Sometimes trolling for feedback can help to re-energize your spirit, get you past the WB and back into a writing rhythm.
Okay, you've been convinced to poll. Which leads to: What question should I ask?
Here's where I admit that I have a degree in Mathematics, and that half of what makes for good OR horrible statistics is asking the right question. (Experimental design is hugely important, but I don't have the room for a full-on lesson here.)
Ask The Right Question
Examine and determine what you really want to know.
Because if you ask the wrong question, then your poll might make you feel worse than you did before you asked in the first place.
Poll Prompts:
- Once you establish situation blah, what should Character X do next?
- My ending could go one of two [or more] ways (spoiler alert!!). Which one will make you wish me dead and which one makes me look like a Pulitzer-eligible genius?
- I have five ideas, but only enough time to write one. Which one grabs your interest?
- I'm using a placeholder for my protagonist's name. Which possible name resonates with plot line Y?
Of course, numerous great poll questions exist. Feel free to Google your favourite blogging writers to see what sorts of polls they've set in the past.
Allow for Outside Answers
On both of my blog platforms (LiveJournal and Blogger) the built-in polling features only allow for either write-in answers OR choose-a-bullet answers (not both). That's what the comments section is for!!
If you're so stuck with WB that you're needing some outside inspiration, then allowing for answers outside the box is hugely helpful in the brainstorming department. Others might come up with a unique angle you were too blocked to consider.
Then again, too much choice can lead to feeling overwhelmed, blocking your ability to move forward.
Include a Deadline
Let's face it, sometimes deadlines are the only motivators that work for many of us.
Would you pay your Hydro bill if you didn't have a deadline? (Especially when they have the power to cut off your electricity if you don't pay by a certain date.)
Make sure your poll has a clear cut-off date. Then you'll be sure to get the feedback you need within a reasonable amount of time.
The Fun Factor
Maybe I'm weird (okay, I know I'm weird), but I love to fill out polls. Clicking those buttons can be exciting. Especially when I believe my opinion will matter.
And hey, don't we all assume that our opinion matters all the time.
It does matter.
So if you're feeling the itch to fill out a poll today, feel free to answer our poll to the right.
Yep over there---->
Still itching? Visit my choose-a-title poll on my personal blog.
Do It Now:
Please consider answering our poll, or visiting my choose-a-title poll on my personal blog..
It's NaNoWriMo. Get back to work and write another thousand words. :)
Maybe I'm exaggerating a little.
The great thing about a poll is that you can receive feedback on a difficult question. Especially if that question (or dilemma) is preventing you from moving forward.
Yes, I am referring to the dreaded Writer's Block, henceforth referred to as WB.
I've been whacked by WB more than once. I can only speak for my own experience, but I'm guessing that other writers feel similarly lost when:
- every idea you have seems hollow/lame/thin
- every writer around you seems to be as prolific as a bunny in heat
- every time you sit in your writing chair you have a sudden need to vomit (or snack, or drink, or make an important phone call, or shave the rabbit)
Sometimes trolling for feedback can help to re-energize your spirit, get you past the WB and back into a writing rhythm.
Okay, you've been convinced to poll. Which leads to: What question should I ask?
Here's where I admit that I have a degree in Mathematics, and that half of what makes for good OR horrible statistics is asking the right question. (Experimental design is hugely important, but I don't have the room for a full-on lesson here.)
Ask The Right Question
Examine and determine what you really want to know.
Because if you ask the wrong question, then your poll might make you feel worse than you did before you asked in the first place.
Poll Prompts:
- Once you establish situation blah, what should Character X do next?
- My ending could go one of two [or more] ways (spoiler alert!!). Which one will make you wish me dead and which one makes me look like a Pulitzer-eligible genius?
- I have five ideas, but only enough time to write one. Which one grabs your interest?
- I'm using a placeholder for my protagonist's name. Which possible name resonates with plot line Y?
Of course, numerous great poll questions exist. Feel free to Google your favourite blogging writers to see what sorts of polls they've set in the past.
Allow for Outside Answers
On both of my blog platforms (LiveJournal and Blogger) the built-in polling features only allow for either write-in answers OR choose-a-bullet answers (not both). That's what the comments section is for!!
If you're so stuck with WB that you're needing some outside inspiration, then allowing for answers outside the box is hugely helpful in the brainstorming department. Others might come up with a unique angle you were too blocked to consider.
Then again, too much choice can lead to feeling overwhelmed, blocking your ability to move forward.
Include a Deadline
Let's face it, sometimes deadlines are the only motivators that work for many of us.
Would you pay your Hydro bill if you didn't have a deadline? (Especially when they have the power to cut off your electricity if you don't pay by a certain date.)
Make sure your poll has a clear cut-off date. Then you'll be sure to get the feedback you need within a reasonable amount of time.
The Fun Factor
Maybe I'm weird (okay, I know I'm weird), but I love to fill out polls. Clicking those buttons can be exciting. Especially when I believe my opinion will matter.
And hey, don't we all assume that our opinion matters all the time.
It does matter.
So if you're feeling the itch to fill out a poll today, feel free to answer our poll to the right.
Yep over there---->
Still itching? Visit my choose-a-title poll on my personal blog.
Do It Now:
Please consider answering our poll, or visiting my choose-a-title poll on my personal blog..
It's NaNoWriMo. Get back to work and write another thousand words. :)
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
Titles - AKA the Bane of My Existence
Titles are crucial.
Titles set the stage.
Titles grab the reader, enticing them to read more.
Coming up with a title sucks.
Serious, epic, suckage.
To be effective, a title must:
- capture the reader's interest
- say what the story is about
- establish the story's voice
Yes, that's right, I'm repeating myself. You might have noticed that the three items above are exactly the same requirements of the beginning of a story, as discussed in my post on Beginnings.
The reality is that a title must work as hard as the beginning of a story. Because if the title doesn't catch your reader's interest, then they aren't going to read the beginning, are they?
Capturing the Reader's Interest: The Hook
The title should have a "hook" that reels the reader in, like a fish on a line.
Sometimes irony provides the hook. Title example: Calm Chaos.
How exactly can chaos be calm? You want your reader to jump into the story to find out.
Sometimes an intriguing quote provides the hook. Title example: Destiny Lives in the Tattoo's Needle.
What sort of destiny can be inside a tattoo's needle? The title essentially poses a question or theory that the reader will want to explore.
Feel free to read about other types of hooks in my post on Beginnings.
Saying What the Story Is About
Often, the title of a story or novel will give the reader a good idea of the upcoming plot and/or theme of the work.
Including this aspect in a title makes the marketing department sigh with relief.
Librarians will be able to remember in a snap what your book was about and recommend it to potential readers.
Establishing the Story's Voice
I know, I promised to do an extended post on "voice", but still have not delivered.
Quick definition: Voice is characterized by the tone or feel of a story, portrayed via word choice.
Voice is like the "flavour card" in front of the ice cream selections at Baskin Robbins, a few words that describe to you how the ice cream will taste.
Wherever possible, the title should illustrate to the reader a sense of how the story will feel. Will the tone be sarcastic or literary? Is the main character a pill or a logic-crazy savant? Will I flip through the pages like candy in a state of insane tension or will I pause and reflect on the lyrical prose after each rich chapter?
At this point, you're probably wondering why titles are the bane of my existence, my nemeses. And they really are.
As a matter of fact, over the last few months I have been agonizing over the title for my upcoming short story collection. We're talking multiple brainstorming sessions, emails back and forth with the editor (and the copy editor), long car rides with my partner, sessions with the Stop-Watch Gang, dinners with fellow writers, the whole enchilada.
Do I have a title yet?
Not a freaking chance!
***This is where you come in, my dear readers/audience/friends/enemies/others.***
I need a title for my collection. SOON!!
For a list of the titles of the twenty stories in my collection, check on my personal blog (maybe not tonight, because it's getting late) but in the next few days (assuming I hit my NaNoWriMo targets each day).
I would appreciate any and all suggestions from the ether.
If/when/once I manage a short list, I will post a poll, probably on my personal blog.
***Thanks in advance for all of your help.***
Titles are essential. You need to rock them, big time! Even if you want to kill them at every opportunity.
Which I do.
Pretty much.
Do it now
Skim through your current work-in-progress for the coolest sentence that would make a great title.
Think about some titles for my collection and post them in the comments section.
Titles set the stage.
Titles grab the reader, enticing them to read more.
Coming up with a title sucks.
Serious, epic, suckage.
To be effective, a title must:
- capture the reader's interest
- say what the story is about
- establish the story's voice
Yes, that's right, I'm repeating myself. You might have noticed that the three items above are exactly the same requirements of the beginning of a story, as discussed in my post on Beginnings.
The reality is that a title must work as hard as the beginning of a story. Because if the title doesn't catch your reader's interest, then they aren't going to read the beginning, are they?
Capturing the Reader's Interest: The Hook
The title should have a "hook" that reels the reader in, like a fish on a line.
Sometimes irony provides the hook. Title example: Calm Chaos.
How exactly can chaos be calm? You want your reader to jump into the story to find out.
Sometimes an intriguing quote provides the hook. Title example: Destiny Lives in the Tattoo's Needle.
What sort of destiny can be inside a tattoo's needle? The title essentially poses a question or theory that the reader will want to explore.
Feel free to read about other types of hooks in my post on Beginnings.
Saying What the Story Is About
Often, the title of a story or novel will give the reader a good idea of the upcoming plot and/or theme of the work.
Including this aspect in a title makes the marketing department sigh with relief.
Librarians will be able to remember in a snap what your book was about and recommend it to potential readers.
Establishing the Story's Voice
I know, I promised to do an extended post on "voice", but still have not delivered.
Quick definition: Voice is characterized by the tone or feel of a story, portrayed via word choice.
Voice is like the "flavour card" in front of the ice cream selections at Baskin Robbins, a few words that describe to you how the ice cream will taste.
Wherever possible, the title should illustrate to the reader a sense of how the story will feel. Will the tone be sarcastic or literary? Is the main character a pill or a logic-crazy savant? Will I flip through the pages like candy in a state of insane tension or will I pause and reflect on the lyrical prose after each rich chapter?
At this point, you're probably wondering why titles are the bane of my existence, my nemeses. And they really are.
As a matter of fact, over the last few months I have been agonizing over the title for my upcoming short story collection. We're talking multiple brainstorming sessions, emails back and forth with the editor (and the copy editor), long car rides with my partner, sessions with the Stop-Watch Gang, dinners with fellow writers, the whole enchilada.
Do I have a title yet?
Not a freaking chance!
***This is where you come in, my dear readers/audience/friends/enemies/others.***
I need a title for my collection. SOON!!
For a list of the titles of the twenty stories in my collection, check on my personal blog (maybe not tonight, because it's getting late) but in the next few days (assuming I hit my NaNoWriMo targets each day).
I would appreciate any and all suggestions from the ether.
If/when/once I manage a short list, I will post a poll, probably on my personal blog.
***Thanks in advance for all of your help.***
Titles are essential. You need to rock them, big time! Even if you want to kill them at every opportunity.
Which I do.
Pretty much.
Do it now
Skim through your current work-in-progress for the coolest sentence that would make a great title.
Think about some titles for my collection and post them in the comments section.
Monday, November 12, 2012
Masked Mosaic Cover
Here is the accompanying blurb:
Thrilling Tales of Canadian Superheroes… and Villains!
75 years ago Canadian cartoonist Joe Shuster co-created the
world's premier superhero: Superman. Over the decades the genre has gone from
camp to counter-culture, from pop art to postmodern, from noir to new wave. Today's
superheroes feature in bestselling novels, hit TV shows, Hollywood blockbusters
... and Masked Mosaic: Canadian Super
Stories.
Mexican luchadores wrestle primordial evil in Vancouver …
The Intrepids battle Nazis in Nova Scotia … A mysterious masked man rescues an adventuring
heiress in a steampunk Gold Rush–era Yukon … Zombies and ancient Viking magic
are unleashed in downtown Toronto … A godlike oracle wanders Calgary with her
cyborg handler … The fearsome Iron Shadow stalks the streets of Kingstonia …
The Coachwhip and Cat-Girl fight crime in lurid wartime Montreal …
In these 24 all-new tales Canada's most daring writers
reimagine the super genre from its outer limits to its pulp origins, exploring
the diverse landscape of Canadian identity and geography.
With stories by:
Marie Bilodeau ~ Chantal Boudreau ~ Kristi Charish ~ E.L.
Chen ~ Michael S. Chong ~ Kevin Cockle ~ Emma Faraday ~ Patrick T. Goddard ~ Alyxandra
Harvey ~ David Nickle ~ Silvia Moreno-Garcia ~ D.K. Latta ~ Michael Matheson ~ Derryl
Murphy ~ Jonathan Olfert ~ Rhonda & Jonathan Parrish ~ David Perlmutter ~
Lisa Poh ~ Jason S. Ridler ~ Rhea Rose ~ Mike Rimar ~ Jason Sharp ~ Emma Vossen
~ A.C. Wise
Featuring
an Introduction by Mark Shainblum, creator of Northguard
Tuesday, November 06, 2012
Just Because You Can Write, Doesn't Mean You Can Read
In the title, I'm not referring to the act of reading to yourself. I'm speaking about reading your fiction out loud to an audience.
I spent this past weekend at World Fantasy Convention (WFC) in Toronto. By the way, I had a fantastic time and thought the Toronto organizing committee put on a fabulous show!
At WFC, I attended several readings. Some readers were up-and-coming authors, others long-standing, renowned professionals, and other writers fell somewhere in between with respect to their careers.
After sitting through several good ones, an absolutely brilliant one (Robert Shearman - if you have the opportunity to go to one of his readings, you must attend.), and one during which I fell asleep, I thought I had better share my two cents on the best way to rock a reading.
Five Steps to An Awesome Reading
5. Choose Wisely
Truly sage advice.
Even though you might be working on the most brilliant novel of your career so far, and you would really like your loyal fans to hear a glimpse of the words that will be separating them from their hard-earned money, think before you select what section of this brilliant work you will read to them.
Wise Choice (A) - Impulse Buying
I can't recall who said so, but one important criteria when choosing what to read is to pick something the audience can run out and buy as soon as your reading is over. Because if they loved your reading, then they will be eager to hear the rest of the story and the dealer's room is conveniently located steps away.
Hey, there's a reason they put the candy bars right beside the checkout at the grocery store.
Wise Choice (B) - Snappy Dialogue
Choose a section with some fabulous dialogue. With the caveat that too many accents can be a problem. I stink at accents, so I tend to deliberately NOT choose sections of dialogue that involve my pathetic attempts at foreign accents.
As you read the back and forth between your two amazing characters, the audience will be more involved, as though they're overhearing a conversation full of juicy gossip.
Wise Choice (C) - Less Description, More Action
Don't select the section that involves four pages of description of a tree. Those might be your most lyrical and critical-acclaim-worthy words, but without some forward momentum, your audience might sleep through your brilliance.
Better to choose a scene involving some action. Death, dismemberment, comedy, explosions, whatever makes the audience sit up and say, "Wow." Think about the sorts of moments that are often chosen for movie trailers. These are the moments you should select for your reading.
4. Practice First
Before you ever read that section of your novel/story/poem aloud to an audience of your peers/fans, you should read it aloud to a safe audience. Inflict this first-pass torture on your partner, your kids, your writers' group, your stuffed animals, whatever.
Last weekend, I had one reading of my story, "Death Over Easy," from Danse Macabre: Close Encounters with the Reaper at the EDGE Science Fiction and Fantasy Publishing party.
I had never read that particular story to an audience before. So I did a quick practice run with the Stop-Watch Gang at our group's dinner. Not only did I figure out where to stop reading, but I also worked out the voice I would use for Death.
3. Less is More
I have used this phrase before, especially when writing dialogue. Well the less-is-more philosophy also applies to readings.
The last thing you want is for your audience to get bored. Who doesn't loathe the glassy-eyed, I-stopped-listening face?
I prefer to read short excerpts from several stories during a half-hour reading slot.
This snippet approach provides several advantages:
- the audience will get a sense of the breadth and depth of your portfolio
- short breaks between stories prevent glassy-eyed-boredom sickness
- you can entice them with snippets of fiction available for purchase as well as pieces that will be coming soon
The disadvantage to excerpts is that you will disappoint those audience members who wanted a complete story. Then again, they might be more inclined to buy the book/magazine/anthology to see how it all turns out, and that will fill you with the warm-and-fuzzies.
2. Wear Your Actor Hat
The audience members know you're a writer. It says so on the invitation/flyer/pocket program. But the writer-persona part of you that sits silently at a keyboard for hours at a time living in your own head is not all that entertaining.
So sorry, hate to break the bad news.
Let's face it. We've been spoiled by the over-abundance of entertaining actors/action all around us via television, movies, live theatre, even YouTube. When our readers absorb our words, all of that action, all of those voices come to life in a myriad of ways inside their heads.
If your reading isn't half as interesting as the inside of their brains makes you out to be, they might be so disappointed in you that every time they read your fiction, from that point forward, a piece of them will remember that you are not all that interesting.
And that's the kiss of death.
Take an acting class. Study news anchors and actors to figure out what makes them so compelling. Attend other authors' readings. Not only to see what the other authors did right but also to commit to memory and then avoid what they did wrong.
Of course, the practice aspect that I mentioned earlier works hand in hand with wearing the actor hat.
1. Be Yourself
Giant, unrelenting gobs of yourself.
Those audience members have come out to see an author. You have one cool job. You earn money to make stuff up.
You have the dream job. You make people happy. They look up to you.
Dig down, deep, to that piece of you that is so enthusiastic about writing that you are willing to sit with your butt in that chair for hours every day, simply to put words out there.
Be Shakespeare and Dickens and King all wrapped into one amazing package.
The more you give them, the more you rock their socks off, the more they will seek out your fiction. The more likely they will become regular readers.
This is your moment to shine. Do not let them down!
Do it now
Read one of your stories out loud to someone you trust. Watch them to see where the glassy-eyed-I'm-bored look begins.
Tonight spend five minutes watching something (anything) on television. Make a note of what the actor/news anchor/dude in the commercial did to either grab your attention or lose it.
I spent this past weekend at World Fantasy Convention (WFC) in Toronto. By the way, I had a fantastic time and thought the Toronto organizing committee put on a fabulous show!
At WFC, I attended several readings. Some readers were up-and-coming authors, others long-standing, renowned professionals, and other writers fell somewhere in between with respect to their careers.
After sitting through several good ones, an absolutely brilliant one (Robert Shearman - if you have the opportunity to go to one of his readings, you must attend.), and one during which I fell asleep, I thought I had better share my two cents on the best way to rock a reading.
Five Steps to An Awesome Reading
5. Choose Wisely
Truly sage advice.
Even though you might be working on the most brilliant novel of your career so far, and you would really like your loyal fans to hear a glimpse of the words that will be separating them from their hard-earned money, think before you select what section of this brilliant work you will read to them.
Wise Choice (A) - Impulse Buying
I can't recall who said so, but one important criteria when choosing what to read is to pick something the audience can run out and buy as soon as your reading is over. Because if they loved your reading, then they will be eager to hear the rest of the story and the dealer's room is conveniently located steps away.
Hey, there's a reason they put the candy bars right beside the checkout at the grocery store.
Wise Choice (B) - Snappy Dialogue
Choose a section with some fabulous dialogue. With the caveat that too many accents can be a problem. I stink at accents, so I tend to deliberately NOT choose sections of dialogue that involve my pathetic attempts at foreign accents.
As you read the back and forth between your two amazing characters, the audience will be more involved, as though they're overhearing a conversation full of juicy gossip.
Wise Choice (C) - Less Description, More Action
Don't select the section that involves four pages of description of a tree. Those might be your most lyrical and critical-acclaim-worthy words, but without some forward momentum, your audience might sleep through your brilliance.
Better to choose a scene involving some action. Death, dismemberment, comedy, explosions, whatever makes the audience sit up and say, "Wow." Think about the sorts of moments that are often chosen for movie trailers. These are the moments you should select for your reading.
4. Practice First
Before you ever read that section of your novel/story/poem aloud to an audience of your peers/fans, you should read it aloud to a safe audience. Inflict this first-pass torture on your partner, your kids, your writers' group, your stuffed animals, whatever.
Last weekend, I had one reading of my story, "Death Over Easy," from Danse Macabre: Close Encounters with the Reaper at the EDGE Science Fiction and Fantasy Publishing party.
I had never read that particular story to an audience before. So I did a quick practice run with the Stop-Watch Gang at our group's dinner. Not only did I figure out where to stop reading, but I also worked out the voice I would use for Death.
3. Less is More
I have used this phrase before, especially when writing dialogue. Well the less-is-more philosophy also applies to readings.
The last thing you want is for your audience to get bored. Who doesn't loathe the glassy-eyed, I-stopped-listening face?
I prefer to read short excerpts from several stories during a half-hour reading slot.
This snippet approach provides several advantages:
- the audience will get a sense of the breadth and depth of your portfolio
- short breaks between stories prevent glassy-eyed-boredom sickness
- you can entice them with snippets of fiction available for purchase as well as pieces that will be coming soon
The disadvantage to excerpts is that you will disappoint those audience members who wanted a complete story. Then again, they might be more inclined to buy the book/magazine/anthology to see how it all turns out, and that will fill you with the warm-and-fuzzies.
2. Wear Your Actor Hat
The audience members know you're a writer. It says so on the invitation/flyer/pocket program. But the writer-persona part of you that sits silently at a keyboard for hours at a time living in your own head is not all that entertaining.
So sorry, hate to break the bad news.
Let's face it. We've been spoiled by the over-abundance of entertaining actors/action all around us via television, movies, live theatre, even YouTube. When our readers absorb our words, all of that action, all of those voices come to life in a myriad of ways inside their heads.
If your reading isn't half as interesting as the inside of their brains makes you out to be, they might be so disappointed in you that every time they read your fiction, from that point forward, a piece of them will remember that you are not all that interesting.
And that's the kiss of death.
Take an acting class. Study news anchors and actors to figure out what makes them so compelling. Attend other authors' readings. Not only to see what the other authors did right but also to commit to memory and then avoid what they did wrong.
Of course, the practice aspect that I mentioned earlier works hand in hand with wearing the actor hat.
1. Be Yourself
Giant, unrelenting gobs of yourself.
Those audience members have come out to see an author. You have one cool job. You earn money to make stuff up.
You have the dream job. You make people happy. They look up to you.
Dig down, deep, to that piece of you that is so enthusiastic about writing that you are willing to sit with your butt in that chair for hours every day, simply to put words out there.
Be Shakespeare and Dickens and King all wrapped into one amazing package.
The more you give them, the more you rock their socks off, the more they will seek out your fiction. The more likely they will become regular readers.
This is your moment to shine. Do not let them down!
Do it now
Read one of your stories out loud to someone you trust. Watch them to see where the glassy-eyed-I'm-bored look begins.
Tonight spend five minutes watching something (anything) on television. Make a note of what the actor/news anchor/dude in the commercial did to either grab your attention or lose it.
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