Monday, June 30, 2008

BYU WIFYR #8: Brandon Sanderson

BYU WIFYR #8: Brandon Sanderson, “Fantastic Fantasy: Making Worlds and Settings that Feel Alive”

[Note: I almost didn't go to this session because I don't think of myself as writing fantasy. But I'm really, really glad I did because it has got me thinking a new direction that has led to some breakthroughs on my novel. Very, very helpful session.]

Treat your setting like it is a character. It will interact with characters. It will change their actions and reactions. It should have quirks like characters.

A good setting should have Quirks, Conflict, and Blend of familiar and strange.

Conflict: look for places of intersection. Points of conflict in that setting are places to position characters. That provides plot.

Blend: something familiar with strange: “My Fair Lady meets Jackie Chan” “Pigs in Space”

Examples of elements that you could make strange:
1. Religion. What about a religion that worships handicapped people? What if deaf was considered best?
2. Economy. What is it based on? (Dune=spice. Farland=gifts.)
3. Government.
4. Gender.
5. History.
6. Geography.

Once you come up with two or so new concepts, start interconnecting things. These things influence character and plot. Example: Since, in Dune, spice is center of economy, it becomes center of religion.

There’s a continuum of magic, with rule-based on one end and wonder-based on the other. (Wonder-based means that the characters themselves don’t really understand the magic. Example: Lord of the Rings, Wizard of Earthsea.)

Rule based: characters understand it and, knowing the rules, can use it. They use the magic to manipulate things and solve problems.

Your ability (as author) to use magic to solve problems is directly proportional to how well the reader understands the rules behind the magic.

Rules:
1. ability: what is it?
2. Cost: what is the price of this? (example: after using magic, character is “stupid” for a period of time)
3. Visuals: how can I describe it in interesting ways?
4. Limitations. (Most interesting! Example: boy can fly, but only when in the company with his brother)

Sunday, June 29, 2008

BYU WIFYR #7

Stacy Whitman, Editor, Mirrorstone. “Passion or Practicality—Writing for Love or the Market”

Plot can be taught so I look for voice.

The business person ties up the artist in a little room until she can churn out a book that he can sell.

When you write what you love:
you enjoy the process more
you write what excites you
you take more time
but . . . you might not hit the market.

Should you follow the trends? The market is not going to be hot by the time you get published.

Ann Cannon, “Hallelujah! I Can Write Again” (about Writer’s Block)

What stops us? Fear. Humans are hard-wired to be afraid.
List of things other authors do with writer’s block:
give yourself permission to write really badly
exercise faith that at some point you’ll figure out how to make it better.
start before anything else can interfere (first thing), then look at it again right before bed
freewrite first thing
read or write something else for a while
step back and look for patterns in the story instead of at words
get up, walk around. Dance for 15 minutes.
Go to the section you know you can do something with.
brainstorm, cluster, outline, research
set it aside when necessary.
keep a notebook in the car (movement helps)
think of the goofiest thing you can and make it happen to your character. It either works or you think of what would.
did you take a wrong turn in the story? go back and be willing to try another direction
www.poynter.org
do other writing: blog or e-mail
“just write for 15 minutes”
I read something I’ve written before.
rewrite, trying something new
“I ride trax with pen and paper and wait for something to come”
write different places, different times, with different instruments
Put scenes on notecards and lay them out and move them around
outline
follow a routine
word list: free-associate words to do with topic
relax

Eudora Welty always stopped herself while she still wanted to write, when she knew what the next sentence was going to be. That made it easier to start up.

Janette Ingold (notes copied from someone else)

1. Write one sentence: how does protagonist see herself?
2. How do others see her?
3. What strong belief controls her behavior?
4. What is character’s goal—the big thing? (concrete and specific)
5. Make the goal a question: Will she ____?
6. What are the stakes if she doesn’t get it?
7. Define antagonist’s goal, too.

Chris Schoebinger from Shadow Mountain

Elements of a bestseller:
Pitch (your pitch to the publisher) See www.manuslit.com. Turnaround time is 6 wks to 3 months. Contact them after that. Sometimes a call can push a ms. over the edge.
Hook. Very important. Part of the pitch letter. Four lines max. Wide audience is good.
Differentiate: what makes your book unique?
Title: should sound interesting
Read-aloud test, ESPECIALLY for middle grade. Would teacher feel comfortable?
Feedback: have I let five honest people give me feedback? Ask: Did you care about the characters? Was the dialogue believable? Am I hitting the right audience? Were the characters the right ages? Were you compelled to keep reading? How did you feel at the end?
Cover: important
Marketing Plan: How are you going to sell this?


(Question to self: why does Shadow Mountain seem to be interested in only fantasy/sci fi and gift picture books?)

Friday, June 27, 2008

BYU WIFYR #6

Plenary session, Martha Mihalick, editor at Greenwillow.

She looks for books with a strong voice, unusual plot and/or exciting concept. She asks, “Is it fresh?”

Encountering a book is like going on a first date . . . You don’t want the person to tell you their entire life story in the first few minutes. The opening line is the first date.

A good beginning creates expectations. There’s just enough info so that you care, but you have to keep reading in order to get your questions answered. It includes the whole story without giving anything away.

Different elements may be dominant in a work (voice, plot). Which is dominant determines the type of story.

Example: Lily books. The situations and emotions are universal, but it is told with such great specificity that it can be only Lily that it is happening to.

Your beginning is your chance to connect with readers.
Ask, have you begun in the right place?
Know what makes your story interesting and make sure that that’s in the opening.
Ground your reader while intriguing them without over-explaining.
Begin with authority.
Create expectations.
Be specific: tell YOUR story.
What is your point of connection?
Go beneath the surface.

Ann Dee Ellis, “How to Find Your Voice, or, in the Words of a Rejection Letter, How Not to Write Like an Adult Trying Very Hard to Sound Like a Teenager”

Rule #1. Stop Worrying about:
rules
your mom
the teenage kid you know
your editor
how bad the last sentence was
yourself

Just get lost in authentic story. Just write. Let yourself go. Readers connect to honesty and openness.

Rule #2. Know your main character. How?
put them in scenes
character sketch

Rule #3. Use details. Concrete, solid.
Much more useful than current slang.
Go through ms. and trim, trim, trim. Show, not tell. Less is more.

Rule #4. Believe in yourself and have fun.

Thursday, June 26, 2008

BYU WIFYR #5: author Claudia Mills

FROM "MINGLE" SESSION WITH CLAUDIA MILLS:
Subject matter and age of character determine the format of the book (chapter book, etc.)

“I thought, ‘What is my strongest memory of third grade?’ Then I wrote about that.”

“I decide on a structure ahead of time, such as ten chapters of five pages each, then stick to that.” (These are ms. pages, and will make a chapter book.)

Shorter chapters force a peppier pace.

FROM HER CLASS, “Inch By Inch, Row By Row: How to Succeed as a Writer in an Hour a Day”

Make a goal to write just one hour a day. It’s amazing what you can get done.
How to find it: cut corners and lower your standards. In any job, there are many aspects of it. You don’t need to excel at all of them.

It’s a bad use of your time to spend time trying to compensate for your weaknesses. Sharpen your strengths and pay someone else to do the rest.

Let your own kids share the process. Talk about and show your rejections, for example.

Use an hourglass! Then you can start your hour anytime. [Darlene adds: and then the kids can see when you’ll be available.]

What to do in your hour:
Not complaining.
Not doubting yourself.
Yes start with a creative ritual, which triggers your body to be creative (herbal tea).

Madeline L’Engle: “If you leave your work for one day, it leaves you for two.”

Keep a notebook of “nice things and accomplishments.” (She has a section that says, “Things to worry about.” Another section, “Ways to be my own creativity coach.”)

Writing shortcuts:
Have a good critique group.
Trust the process.

(She told an interesting story of when she writes scholarly articles. She never refers to other sources. Then, when it goes through peer editing, people scream, “Why didn’t she refer to Expert Y and his famous research entitled Z?” So when she gets the article back, she goes and reads all the things they referred to.)

How to judge a critique group: Listen to and judge the validity of the criticism that others give to others. Then you’ll know the quality of the feedback you’re getting.

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

BYU WIFYR 4: More from Janette Rallison

Characterization
What is your character’s defining quality? (Do this with even minor characters.) I. E. Fear, control freak, etc.
Main characters: what is their defining strength? Defining Weakness? Yearning?

Other ideas for characterization:
write a bio
do character webbing
interview them
write a journal entry in their voice
take an event from your own life. Write, in character’s voice, about that event as if it happened to them.

Give characters more than one dimension.
Exercise: write 10 characteristics about yourself. Write 10 characteristics about your main character. They can be contradictory. (We all are.)

Inner Conflict: have your character want mutually exclusive goals.

Character growth: make sure she has changed throughout the story.

Perfection (in people) is for the next life, not your novel.

Don’t make a character an idiot.

Characters must be likeable.

Add Heroic characteristics:
think of a personal hero
write down six qualities they have
what makes her heroic?
What was the moment you became aware of that characteristic?
Assign that quality to your hero. Find a way for her to show it in the first scene.
Find six more points before your climax to show that quality.

Characteristics of heroes (James Frey):
Courage
Clever and resourceful
Has a special talent (then you must make sure she uses it somewhere)
Lives by their own laws
Good at what they do for a living
Takes the lead in a cause or action at some point in the story
Has been wounded (hurt, disgraced, grieving for a lost love)
Motivated at some point by idealism
Attractive or has sex appeal.

It is the characters that people remember. “No one ever wrote me a fan letter about a plot line. It’s always a character.” (Someone else said that.)

WHEN ALL ELSE FAILS, WRITE.

Tuesday, June 24, 2008

WIFYR 3: More from Janette Rallison

Exercise:
Make a list of qualities of your main character. Now go through your first chapter and mark evidences of these traits. They should show up, especially the good ones, in your first chapter.

[Emotion in writing handout]

Exercise:
Get four different colors of pens. Go through your manuscript and mark 1) dialogue, 2) action, 3) inner thoughts and 4) narration. Then, find an author you admire, photocopy a 3-page section from the book, and do the same. Are you writing in the same proportions?

Description: make it show more about the character who is viewing it. How would your POV character SEE the wheatfield?

Idea: take the cliché’d character and throw in some bizarre characteristics.

Try to introduce only one new character at a time. Limit group scenes because it’s hard for readers to keep track of who is talking.

In romance, the heroine has one goal. The hero stands in the way of it.

If the conflict can be cleared up with a two-minute frank conversation, there isn’t enough conflict.

Make sure they have opposing goals.

The story questions should be answered in the climax.

Main character wants two different things and she can’t have both. In the climax, she has to choose one.

Exercise: Determine both external and internal Goal, Motivation and Conflict.

Main characters need to have their own agenda.

A person can be her own antagonist. If that is the case, how must she change to reach her goal?

(The 3 big themes are man vs. man, man vs. nature and man vs. himself.)

If you think of a plot first, ask yourself what kind of character will get the most mileage out of this plot? If you come up with character first, what plot will get the most mileage?

On getting more various characters:
Try making a list of the ten people who have influenced you most in your life. Then make a list of characteristics, quirks, traits.
Think of an actor or acquaintance you know, and “cast” your them for your characters (model character after them).
Cut out pictures from magazines.

The climax scene is where the protagonist and antagonist come together to fight it out.

Exercise: Write a chronology of your scenes.
Exercise: Write a description of your climax.

The McGuffin: the character’s goal, but it doesn’t have much to do with the book. (The lady’s stolen money in Psycho.)

WIFYR 2: Janette Rallison, Teacher Extraordinaire

WARNING: For the next several days I will be posting notes from the conference. (That's what I meant by "Free admission"--get it? It's free for YOU. Not me. Oh, my, no.)

My workshop this year was with Janette Rallison. I’ll admit right here that I didn’t choose her particularly. When I was signing up, I hadn’t been particularly thrilled about any of the faculty listed. None seemed to have written anything like my novel. Just because I knew Ann Cannon, I sorta tried to get into Ann’s class, but it was full. So I took Janette Rallison, not knowing anything about her. I did a little research before I got there, though, and found that she writes cute, humorous teen romances for girls. Hmmm. Seems pretty far away from what I’m doing. Would she be any help to me?

Short answer: Yes.
Longer answer: Yes, definitely.

So I’m going to try to dump out (maybe I’ll even put in a little effort and sum up . . . nah) what she taught us in five four-hour sessions. Wish me luck.

Because her instructions came out of what we were sharing with each other and the discussions our writing generated, they seem a little random. Here goes:

Inciting Incident: when did the universe change for this person? Start your story here.
First chapter: write it, get the book done, then come back to it and make it shine.
Prologue: beware! Lots of readers skip over it. Sometimes it can show prehistory.

Don’t start with a dream.
Don’t start with a flashback.
Don’t give info that the characters already know.

[Fantastic handout on plot.]

First chapter should include the character’s goal.

Scene: present action.
Sequel: the part that comes after the scene. Summarizes. Ties from one scene to the next.
Every scene should have a goal.
Plus obstacles to that goal.
Plus something at stake.

[Fantastic handout on scenes and goals.]

When you want to switch POV: Make sure there is still a reason for the scene (not just to give equal time to another character).

Whose POV should it be told in? Whoever has the most to lose.

Try not to have too many being verbs. Avoid “started to,” “began to.”
[Handout on being verbs.]

When writing a synopsis, keep it to one page.

How to get an agent: conferences, especially pitch sessions. Literary Marketplace. agentquery.com.
Questions to ask an agent: How often do you go to NY? How many authors do you represent? Can I get recommendations from them? How many books do you place per year? What is the average advance for your clients?

***
Besides all of the fantastic instruction I got from Janette, my experience in her workshop was helpful in other ways. The other writers in the class had great ideas when I asked them to brainstorm with me. I loved hearing their stories and many of them showed a lot of promise. I also just really LIKED these people. Writers are just cool people, y'know?

Friday, June 20, 2008

WHY I HAVE NOT BEEN POSTING MUCH LATELY, or FREE ADMISSION TO BYU WIFYR!!!!!

Continuing my tradition, I now present to you the second annual (or is it third? I lose count) Notes on Darlene’s Experience at BYU Writing and Illustrating for Young Readers Conference!

Yes, I scrounged up the money (read: emptied my Writing Account to the bare dregs—money I had worked and sweated to earn by writing Friend magazine articles) and hit the conference again. I believe I said I wouldn’t. I think I felt done last year. But this year I had a novel manuscript, and I need to keep racking up credits for maintaining my now current teacher’s license, so . . . off I went. (Really, the decision was rather difficult. You see, I hate, despise and loathe my novel manuscript. What it got down to was that I felt I would always wonder if I didn’t give novel-writing a real try. It would be useful to really find out whether my ms was any good at all.)

So I went. And I am very, very, very glad I did.

First of all, I felt pretty darn good all week! I was so blessed! It was really a surprise to me. I remember being so darn tired last year, dragging myself through the classes. This year my energy held up pretty well, and my spirits just as high. I came home so happy at having had the chance, and also very happy to see my kids. I’ll never be one of those moms who goes around saying, “My family is better off because I work outside the home,” but I have to say that my psychological health really improves when I feel like I’m getting time to work hard at something I can control, and when I get away from home a little. It didn’t hurt that I had a FABULOUS caregiver standing in for me. She was so fabulous that I honestly think my kids wish the conference had lasted longer. It helps immensely to know that they are happy while I’m gone. (Thanks, Mom Y.)

So [and here I was going to say, “without further ado,” but I strongly suspect there will be much more ado throughout the report], here is my report. And since I have heard tell that some of my loyal readers do NOT like long posts, I will try to break this up a little.

Rather than going chronologically, I’ll tell you the most interesting part first. As you may recall from my report last year—or the year before—it is tradition that the teachers of the workshops are invited to pass along promising manuscripts to the visiting editors and agent. I knew about this because my ms. was passed my first year (in Rick Walton’s class). But this time I didn’t really care because, as I said, I hate my novel. And even if the idea is good (and, believe me, it is), and the first few chapters (which is all we workshop) are impressive enough for my teacher to pass it along, I have a lot of changes I want to make. So, really, having an agent or editor get excited about it while we’re at the conference isn’t much different than if I waited to send it to them in a few months when I think it’s ready. Either way, they ask for the rest.

So, as you have probably picked up by all the foreshadowing here, my ms did get passed. (And I spent an afternoon really stressed about preparing it for him. I hadn’t brought a clean hard copy to hand out, so I had to go print one up. Which means, of course, “tweaking” it a little. And then the printer ran out of toner. Much stress and panic.) Anyway, after reading it, the agent who was there invited me to meet with him. Here’s basically how the conversation went.

A Short Scene. Setting: Small Classroom in Conference Building at BYU.


Agent 007: So, I’m very intrigued about this. Tell me how the rest of the book goes.

Me: Well, as I indicated in the cover letter I [so cleverly] included [and you obviously didn’t read], I plan on making some changes based on what I’ve learned here. But here’s how it goes, generally. (Vague description.)

007: Is it done?

Me: Well, I do have a complete draft. Actually, this is draft three. But I want to change it.

007: I really like this first part. Will the rest of it be heavy and dark, or sort of witty and cool? Is it funny?

Me: [Really wishing I could say “witty and cool.” Wondering, suddenly, whether I would hate it less if I lightened it up and quit trying to make it some heavy newberry Literah-ture] Um, well, not really. It’s sort of heavy and dark, I guess. It sounds like you would like it more if it were the other kind?

007: Well, personally, yes. But that doesn’t mean I couldn’t sell it if it were a different kind of book, if it’s good. I’d definitely like to see the rest of it, when you feel ready.

Me: OK.

007: So, do you have any other finished ms’s?

Me: Well, I have a whole bunch of ideas for chapter books, but none written. I also have several picture book manuscripts, a couple of which have received personal rejections or invitations for rewrites.

007 [really likes hearing “chapter book,” I can tell]: Can you tell me some of your ideas for chapter books?

Me: Well, one is (insert idea here).

007: And any others?

Me: Honestly, my mind has gone completely blank. I’ve been so full of this novel at this workshop, you see.

007: That’s OK. What about your picture books? What kind of books are they?

Me [very impressed with myself]: Well, I happened to bring some with me.

007 [panicking]: No, no, I can’t take any manuscripts with me right now. Just tell me what they are about.

Me [Calm down, dude, I wasn’t going to force them on you!]: Oh, I know. But I wanted to show you that they are all over the place in terms of theme and style. Like this one is a lyrical bedtime story in rhyme. And this one is about a girl’s first piano lesson. And this one is totally silly, about some monsters at a produce market—see, “jicama hiccup and celery slurp, [something and something] and broccoli burp.” [Yes, I did actually read this line to him.]

007 [looking excited--really!]: Actually, I will take this one. [Picks it up.] I can read it on the plane.

Me: OK [trying not to smile]. So anyway, you can see I’m all over the place in terms of what I’m writing. That’s why I’m interested in an agent, and I really liked what you said in your presentation about wanting to be able to help authors craft their careers. I could use some help with that.

007: Well, I’ll take a look at this and e-mail you next week. In the meantime, finish up the novel and I’d love to see it when it’s done.

The End.

So now I must sort out for myself whether I am tempted to rewrite my entire novel to be “witty and cool” because I am being blinded by flattery/the prospect of pleasing this particular agent, or whether I am tempted because I don’t like what it is now and might like it more if I did change it. Hopefully, I’ll get that sorted out in the next month or so.

That’s enough for today, I suppose. Stay tuned for more reporting.

Friday, June 13, 2008

Yes, it really is coming . . .



I've told some of you that some of my poetry will be out in a book from Deseret Book. I originally thought it was coming out for Mother's Day, but in actuality the DB people had it targeted for the "Time Out for Women" thing-y that they do around General Conference time. (Still, it would be a great Mother's Day gift for next year, right?) Anyway, we have a cover and here it is. I think it will be fantastic, because the Segullah women who have contributed to it are fantastic thinkers and women (and mothers, too). But I haven't read it all yet--I'm saving that experience for when it comes out! This will be my first time being published in a real book (rather than magazines). Hurrah!

Tuesday, June 03, 2008

Giving and Receiving

I have a friend--well, someone whom I hope to make a friend--who is making this endeavor difficult because every time I invite her kids over to play with my kids, or visit her, or call to see how she's doing, she drops off a thank-you note with cookies! How can I get her to see that I am trying to move into the level of friendship in which we do these things because we want to and not as a favor??? Don't thank me any more! Let's be friends!

On the other hand, I have someone else in my life who is very generous to us with time and resources but who requires so much constant acknowledgement and gratitude that sometimes the price is too high and we'd rather not receive anything from that source, rather than try to figure out what's expected in return. Total opposite of the first problem but the result is the same: impossible to move the relationship to the level of friendship!

Maybe I should get the two of THEM together . . .