In response to a post on my personal blog about rejection, a reader suggested I publish a series of interviews in which editors "list, in excruciating details, all that each editor desires in his/her stories." Wow. What a great idea. Not only does this provide authors with specific information about what editors are looking for in the submissions they receive, it offers editors a venue for advertising their publications and getting the word out about what, in their opinion, constitutes "good writing."
To support this effort, I created the Six Questions For . . . blog. You can learn more about this project by reading the Welcome message and first posting, Six Questions For Nathaniel Tower, Founder and Editor, Bartleby Snopes, at http://sixquestionsfor.blogspot.com/. A new set of responses will be posted every Monday and Thursday (except 12/3, 12/24, and 12/31).
A sampling of other participants includes: Anderbo, Apollo’s Lyre, Black Velvet Seductions (publisher of romance novels), Boston Literary Magazine, Camroc Press Review, dcomP, Dew on the Kudzu, Flash Me Magazine, Grey Sparrow Journal, Toasted Cheese, and Vanilla Heart Publishing.
If you're involved with a magazine, publisher, or literary agency and would like to participate; or if you have a question or would like to suggest a publication, publisher, or agent for me to include, contact me at sixquestionsfor@gmail.com
Please consider sharing this news with your writing friends. I’ve learned a lot from reading the responses received so far. I’m certain other writers will too.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Editors and Writers Hats
(Note: repost from The Writing Jungle)
Writers have a hard time wearing their two distinctive hats:
• The writer’s hat
• The editor’s hat
Writing is all about creation, getting the story out of your head, and putting it down on paper or computer.
Editing is all about cutting, dissecting, and removing excess ‘word’ baggage.
A writer should first adapt writing freehand, allowing thoughts to be moved from the inner head and hop out to the exterior for some playtime. As experience settles in the editing will come naturally as you write. Just remember that a first draft is allowed to look as though an elementary student wrote it. It’s the subsequent drafts that will pull the whole story together. So avoid editing in first draft and simply allow your Muse free reign. That's what it means to wear your writer's hat.
The editor's hat comes after the first draft when you go back in and begin sculpting your work, fleshing out your characters, strengthening your sentences, building your world deeper with a rich background, checking for consistency.
Although many writers first build an outline, there are those - like me - who prefer to write what pops out of our heads. There is no right or wrong way - just your way, the way that will work for you. So experiment first by writing freehand, and then outlining your storyline and see what works for you.
Writers have a hard time wearing their two distinctive hats:
• The writer’s hat
• The editor’s hat
Writing is all about creation, getting the story out of your head, and putting it down on paper or computer.
Editing is all about cutting, dissecting, and removing excess ‘word’ baggage.
A writer should first adapt writing freehand, allowing thoughts to be moved from the inner head and hop out to the exterior for some playtime. As experience settles in the editing will come naturally as you write. Just remember that a first draft is allowed to look as though an elementary student wrote it. It’s the subsequent drafts that will pull the whole story together. So avoid editing in first draft and simply allow your Muse free reign. That's what it means to wear your writer's hat.
The editor's hat comes after the first draft when you go back in and begin sculpting your work, fleshing out your characters, strengthening your sentences, building your world deeper with a rich background, checking for consistency.
Although many writers first build an outline, there are those - like me - who prefer to write what pops out of our heads. There is no right or wrong way - just your way, the way that will work for you. So experiment first by writing freehand, and then outlining your storyline and see what works for you.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Follow your writer's instincts - to a point
I think a lot of writing is done subconsciously. While you’re hammering out on the keyboard the words that make your story happen, your subconscious is at work, leading you (hopefully) in the right direction.
I was recently working on my novel-manuscript-in-progress (I don’t feel comfortable calling it a “novel” until it’s a little farther along) and that notion was brought home to me. Without going into the plot (which I never share with anyone until the thing’s done), I’ll just say that I started with a scene in which my main character was doing something, well, characteristic. I wasn’t sure why I wanted to start with this scene, especially since it put off the real start of the story until the second chapter, but it just felt right.
Now, 60K+ words into it, I’m outlining the ending. And my ending scene turned out to be a perfect (I hope) bookend for that first scene.
I don’t believe that is a coincidence. I believe it was all decided in my subconscious, by my instincts, before I got nearly to the end.
I can’t say that, in my case, the instincts are writer’s instincts, but something honed from the many novels I’ve read. I’ve certainly read a whole lot more of them (thousands, probably) than I’ve written (two novel-wanna-be’s).
I think instinct is how developing a theme for your novel happens, too. You know “themes.” It was one of those nightmare terms high school English teachers liked to torment their students with. “Write a short essay on the theme of ‘Grapes of Wrath’.” That kind of thing.
But I think most, if not all, successful novels have themes. They may not be overt, but they’re there. And, they may not be something the writer planned from the beginning, but the writer’s subconscious helpfully supplied while the book was being written.
Just keep in mind that not every idea you come up with, or every word you pen, is your instinct at work. I also believe that, if you go with the first thing that pops into your head, you may have a common, predictable idea.
So if you think you know where your novel is going, if you think some of those plot twists popped into your head a little too easily, brainstorm for the unpredictable, for the surprising. Then use your instincts and go with what feels right for your characters and your plot.
I was recently working on my novel-manuscript-in-progress (I don’t feel comfortable calling it a “novel” until it’s a little farther along) and that notion was brought home to me. Without going into the plot (which I never share with anyone until the thing’s done), I’ll just say that I started with a scene in which my main character was doing something, well, characteristic. I wasn’t sure why I wanted to start with this scene, especially since it put off the real start of the story until the second chapter, but it just felt right.
Now, 60K+ words into it, I’m outlining the ending. And my ending scene turned out to be a perfect (I hope) bookend for that first scene.
I don’t believe that is a coincidence. I believe it was all decided in my subconscious, by my instincts, before I got nearly to the end.
I can’t say that, in my case, the instincts are writer’s instincts, but something honed from the many novels I’ve read. I’ve certainly read a whole lot more of them (thousands, probably) than I’ve written (two novel-wanna-be’s).
I think instinct is how developing a theme for your novel happens, too. You know “themes.” It was one of those nightmare terms high school English teachers liked to torment their students with. “Write a short essay on the theme of ‘Grapes of Wrath’.” That kind of thing.
But I think most, if not all, successful novels have themes. They may not be overt, but they’re there. And, they may not be something the writer planned from the beginning, but the writer’s subconscious helpfully supplied while the book was being written.
Just keep in mind that not every idea you come up with, or every word you pen, is your instinct at work. I also believe that, if you go with the first thing that pops into your head, you may have a common, predictable idea.
So if you think you know where your novel is going, if you think some of those plot twists popped into your head a little too easily, brainstorm for the unpredictable, for the surprising. Then use your instincts and go with what feels right for your characters and your plot.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
More World's Worst Book Proposals
Angela Hoy of WritersWeekly.com and Booklocker.com occasionally publishes a list of the World's Worst Book Proposals. Every time I read them I can't decide if I should laugh or shake my head in dismay. If you would like to know how not to present a proposal, check out the current World's Worst list here.
Monday, November 9, 2009
Tolerating Uncertainty
“Since you have no choice but to begin in uncertainty, you must learn to tolerate uncertainty and, if possible, to turn it into excitement.” -- Stephen Koch in The Modern Library Writer’s Workshop.This is an appropriate quote for NaNoWriMo. I imagine there are a number of authors out there (I’m not participating) who are uncertain about a number of things at this stage, with many questions that still need answering. For all you WriNoMo enthusiasts, I have one piece of lame advice: Keep on keeping on. And let uncertainty drive your story, instead of being a roadblock to its completion.
Good luck, everyone.
Friday, November 6, 2009
The Force Behind the Book
Writers are also readers and have a great opportunity to study other authors, to figure out what it is about the book that drew them into the storyline. Figuring out the force behind the book that pulled you in will help define your own writing. Every book needs two things at least: memorable characters and a strong storyline.
Characters are the parts of the engine that move the storyline. When you create memorable and long lasting impressions of them into your readers then you’ve hooked them. As soon as a reader ‘feels’ for your fictional character then their emotions, trials and tribulations, and quests belong to the reader because now they care about them. Develop stick people and you lose a reader.
Besides characters, your storyline needs delicate paint strokes to bring your fictional world alive. Descriptions using the five senses sculptures a realistic and believable world.
The point of no return for a writer is the beginning. The opening (beginning - first chapter) should captivate and keep your reader’s attention. That initial hook is the difference between writers who understand the importance and those who don’t. Remember you are competing with thousands of writers…your work should stand apart from all the rest. That ‘hook’ will not only capture a reader, but possibly an agent or publisher when submitting your manuscript.
Besides characters and descriptions you need a solid plot, not one that jumps from one subplot to another without any connection to the overall theme of the book. Each subplot needs to connect in some way and tie in at the end, or help define and allow your character to grow with each obstacle thrown in their path. This entices your reader to find out the conclusion, to see how the protagonist will overcome, if at all. This is called building suspense, taking your reader for a neat roller-coaster ride. Surprise them with a twist ending but make sure that twist fits in and not something blended in out of the blue with no meaning.
Create a vivid fictional world with memorable characters and you’ll have a reader for life.
Characters are the parts of the engine that move the storyline. When you create memorable and long lasting impressions of them into your readers then you’ve hooked them. As soon as a reader ‘feels’ for your fictional character then their emotions, trials and tribulations, and quests belong to the reader because now they care about them. Develop stick people and you lose a reader.
Besides characters, your storyline needs delicate paint strokes to bring your fictional world alive. Descriptions using the five senses sculptures a realistic and believable world.
The point of no return for a writer is the beginning. The opening (beginning - first chapter) should captivate and keep your reader’s attention. That initial hook is the difference between writers who understand the importance and those who don’t. Remember you are competing with thousands of writers…your work should stand apart from all the rest. That ‘hook’ will not only capture a reader, but possibly an agent or publisher when submitting your manuscript.
Besides characters and descriptions you need a solid plot, not one that jumps from one subplot to another without any connection to the overall theme of the book. Each subplot needs to connect in some way and tie in at the end, or help define and allow your character to grow with each obstacle thrown in their path. This entices your reader to find out the conclusion, to see how the protagonist will overcome, if at all. This is called building suspense, taking your reader for a neat roller-coaster ride. Surprise them with a twist ending but make sure that twist fits in and not something blended in out of the blue with no meaning.
Create a vivid fictional world with memorable characters and you’ll have a reader for life.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Web resource: Successful NaNo Writers Speak
Web Page: Successful NaNo Writers Speak.For those of you planning to participate in NaNoWriteMo, this web page contains interviews with three published authors discussing their NaNo experience.
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