Harness the Power of Words

In April, I took part in a fun challenge put on by Robert Lee Brewer to help build a writer's platform.

It turned out being so much more than I expected as I met some wonderful friends, one being today's guest Julia Tomiak. Julia does a fun weekly challenge on her blog that I encourage you to check out-- The Word Nerd Workout!

Creating Sexual Tension with Patricia Paris

Patricia Paris was a name that I heard early in April when I decided to really take this publishing thing seriously. It seemed everyone online was friends with Patricia, but not only that, Patricia was always promoting and helping authors in all the different writing circles I was following.

Chunking Your Revision

I have about five writing blogs that I subscribe to that I simply must read when they arrive in my inbox. Dear Editor, with Deborah Halverson, is one of those blogs. 

Editing isn't something that comes naturally, to me at least, so her tips will leave you feeling less daunted and ready with the red pen!

Stick around til the end, because Deborah is offering a copy of Writing Young Adult Fiction for Dummies to one lucky winner!

Ten Tips for a Stellar First Chapter

Today's guest post is by my friend Lauren Clark. Lauren is the author of Stay Tuned and Dancing Naked in Dixie.

She writes contemporary novels set in the Deep South; stories sprinkled with sunshine, suspense, and secrets.

Write Every Day with Shannon Mayer

Shannon Mayer started her publishing journey back in September of 2011. Since then she has released a total of eight books, which is pretty impressive by anyone's standards.

I am very glad to have had the chance to interview her, and you'll love what she has to say about her publishing experience.

Passive Voice with Elizabeth S Craig

Amazing blogger and author Elizabeth S Craig joins us on Finding Bliss to share her tips on Passive Voice.

Welcome Elizabeth!

Playing By the Rules with Ciara Ballintyne

Today's post is brought to you by fantasy author Ciara Ballintyne.  Ciara is a writer I discovered on Twitter, where she tweets out remarkable writing advice. 

She has a lovely, gripping writing style, which is showcased at her blog Flight of the Dragon.

Workshopping 101 with Mel Jones Walsh

Today's post is by a friend I met in April during Robert Lee Brewer's
Platform Challenge. 

Mel is a seasoned writer and blogger. It seemed like the perfect fit when I learned she was going to a writing retreat this month- I knew my readers would love to learn about workshopping!

Workshopping is an integral part of the writing process-
a part often overlooked by novice writers. 

It’s the part seasoned writers often find most valuable. Hollywood has painted the picture of the lonely writer in his or her tower churning out masterpieces. 

Think Shakespeare in Love.

But it doesn’t work that way. There is an ongoing, fairly substantial debate about whether or not Shakespeare wrote his plays. I’m in the camp that believes he did, but I think he workshopped…

Hey, Will, we go live tomorrow, what’cha got?

The girl is talking on the balcony, “Where could he be? Oh, I’m so lonely. What should I do?”

Ouch, not very catchy. How about, Romeo, Romeo, where for art thou, Romeo?

Yes, yes! That’s it!

Did that happen? I don’t know. But with the depth and breadth of his work, I assume so, because no one is that perfect a writer all the time. Writers need other writers. Tolkien workshopped with C. S. Lewis – makes ya think about Middle Earth and Narnia in a completely different way, doesn’t it?

I have been actively workshoping my writing since the early 80’s. When I can’t find a viable group, I create one. I am currently working with The Midlothian Writers’ Workshop, which I founded three years ago. We meet every two weeks and talk writing, we write, we critique. 

Recently, I organized a writing retreat; a wonderful trip to the mountains of Virginia with a group of (mostly) seasoned writers and workshoppers. People I had worked with in different places in my life. When Laura asked me to write an essay about the workshop experience, what better to use? It was going to be an amazing experience. Well, except that the weather didn’t cooperate—at all. We were without power and water, off and on, for three days. You should read that as no coffee or air conditioning. No working toilets. Not ideal conditions. After the first workshop session, I wondered how I would compose this essay at all.

As a seasoned workshopper, I know the rules. Two of us in the group facilitate workshops on a regular basis. We could do this.

But we couldn’t.

We assumed everyone was on the same page. We didn’t take into consideration, the weather, the Derecho, wildfires, emotional baggage and the prejudices each of us brought with us.

Without first discussing the appropriate protocols, we plowed into the first piece on the table. We made a lot of assumptions. Someone who was at a very vulnerable place in her life wrote the piece. And we hadn’t laid any groundwork. She exploded twice in the course of that one workshop. She felt violated and lashed out. The rest of us felt violated and retreated.

Lots of eggshells to walk on.

There are several approaches to workshopping and any group needs to decide which method they will use. And then the protocols need to be laid out at each meeting. The two primary methods I have been exposed to are the Iowa approach, and Amherst Writers and Artists philosophy, formalized by Pat Schneider.

Almost every writer has heard stories about writing workshops at Iowa State. It’s a negative approach. The first story I heard was about an instructor throwing a chair at someone. Really. It’s the slash-and-burn-you-suck-at-this-give it up approach. It’s the man-up approach. I’ve been in groups like that, briefly.

Amherst, on the other hand, presents the idea that we all have talent and the desire to write, that’s what brought us together. We find the positive in the text, what’s working and then discuss anything mitigating. The writer remains silent throughout this discussion. At the end, the writer has his or her say.

We weren’t quite Amherst, but not quite Iowa either. We vacillated.

The end result of our lack of definition was almost disastrous. 

People were attacked (beyond the scope of the writing on the table), egos were bruised, and friendships compromised. People lost sleep, thought about leaving. Cried. I thought, nope, I won’t be able to write that essay.

We didn’t workshop the next day. We were all nursing our hurt.

Three days later, we decided to try again.

We came together in the parlor. We discussed what was acceptable behavior, and what was not. Talking points:

¨      Each workshopped piece will have a facilitator – someone to direct the conversation and keep the group on task, and be aware of the writer.

¨      The writer will be silent. However, if the writer thinks we are beating a point to death, he or she should make the group aware.

¨      Readers/critiquers will not address questions to the writer, but rather have a group discussion about the work. Exceptions are made to this rule occasionally.

¨      Readers will not assume that the piece is about the writer, and will refer to “the narrator” or “the character” thus offering some distance between the writer and the work.

¨      We will discuss strengths first and then anything mitigating.

¨      We will refrain from personal attacks and remain focused on the words on the page.

One writer made the comment, “You don’t get to say stuff about my work, it’s mine.” I wasn’t sure how to interpret this statement, because that, for me, this the whole purpose of the workshop, to have people talk about my work, offer opinions and suggestions.

Successful workshops are based on both philosophy and group dynamic. Finding a group of writers, with whom you share common ground, and similar ideology is important. Some groups are genre based, and that’s good for some groups. Some people need that. For me, diversity in a group is important. Having poets and fiction writers read my nonfiction essays gives me a completely different perspective. It gives me the ability to see my work in a way I never would have on my own. And that’s a good thing.

Probably the most important thing to remember about workshop groups is that the other writers are really there for you. It’s a selfish act. My writing needs this, my creativity needs this connection. I need this and it is up to me to find what I need from the group, and take it.

Workshopping is one of the most vital steps in the writing process (draft, workshop, rewrite, submit, rejection, workshop, draft—it’s a cycle), so if you’re not in a group, log on to Meet-up and find a group. 

Be sure to ask a lot of questions. Try several groups until you find a group that works for you. If you find yourself walking on eggshells, walk away. Or, the group might be too touchy-feely for you, again- walk away.

Dialogue Tags

Have there been times where you read writing advice that you knew in your gut was just plain wrong? At least, wrong for you.

I once read an article about writing dialogue that, for the most part, was brilliant. Until I came to this piece of advice:

Don't use tags for your dialogue. Ever.

So, I decided to try a little exercise. Take an ordinary piece of dialogue and leave out any tags:

How was your day?

It was fine.

Did you see Lindsay?

No, why would I?

Now, let's take this same dialogue and put some context and tags in:

She smiled up at him. "How was your day?"

He kissed the tip of her nose. "It was fine," he said as he ran his hands up her arms.

She shivered with delight. "Did you see Lindsay?"

He chuckled as he bent down to kiss her jawline. "No," he whispered into her neck, "why would I?"

It might just be me, but that changes things, doesn't it? Okay, let's change things around and see what happens:

"How was your day?" She asked nervously, looking around to see if anyone was in earshot.

He sighed as he removed his jacket. "It was fine," he answered without meeting her eyes.

She bit her lip, trying to think of a way to frame her question. She took a deep breath, "Did you see Lindsay?"

His back was to her as he hung his jacket on the peg. She thought she noticed his back stiffen, but she couldn't be sure.

"No," he said slowly. "Why would I?"

I did this a few more times, but you get the idea.

I'm curious about what you think. Can you pull off dialogue with few or no tags?

For fun, take the original conversation I posted up top, and shake it up! 

In the comment section post a completely different scenario- male or female, lovers or friends- whatever... just show me what different tags do to this dialogue.

Getting Bendy with Hart Johnson

It's Friday, and that means we're talking about Writing. I am honored to present you with the talented and sweet Hart Johnson, whose novel The Azalea Assault was released under the pen name Alyse Carlson. Hart is serving up a wonderful post on the ever-intriguing art of The Plot Twist!




First, I want to thank Laura for having me. I'm thrilled to be here. When I asked if she had any requests on topics, she suggested I could talk about plot twists and I jumped at the chance. You see... I'm really twisted. But in addition to being twisted, I also LOVE twisty plots—those that turn back on themselves and surprise you, but that maybe you could have spotted earlier, or that make total sense once you have full information. These are NOT to be confused with the 'out of nowhere moments' that are just for shock value—that's cheating. Real life is allowed to do that to you, but not fiction. 

So how does one get bendy without cheating?

Relationship Maps

One of the things I like to do, and I definitely did it for The Azalea Assault, is to draw a diagram of how people are connected to each other—connections the reader isn't going to learn for a while, necessarily, but that as a writer, you can drop hints about (or at least not contradict) earlier in the story. 

This is CRITICAL for suspects (how are they connected to the victim and how are they connected to people our sleuth cares about (or the sleuth herself)—for maximum impact and tension). [just as a tattle on myself, in plotting, I decide SET-UP first, VICTIM 2nd and SUSPECTS 3rd—so these come early—they are primary building blocks] I figure each suspect should be connected to the victim and at least one character that is only one degree of separation from our sleuth so we have a reason to care or be suspicious—or at least have reasonable source for information about them. 

But to be connected, there needs to be some history. Maybe it is current history—simultaneous with the plot—or maybe it is history history. One of the reasons this is so important is because, while our sleuth will now and again question people she finds suspicious, most real suspects don't have a reason to be forthcoming—and if they lie, there needs to be a way to uncover that, eventually. Someone who knows the suspect (or sees them do something) can act as an informant (sometimes worried and protecting, sometimes suspicious and accusing).

Clues and Herrings

In addition to informants, there are honest to goodness clues—things found at the crime scene or on the suspect, or in the suspect's space that connect them to the victim or a reasonable motive [this is my 4th 'plotting' step—connect EVERY suspect to the victim in some way or other]. 

Some of these clues are really part of the mystery and the OTHERS are called red herrings—clues laid so the reader (and sleuth) is misled... This just makes for a story that keeps delighting and surprising. Think of the mystery shows you may watch (my contemporary favorite is Castle, though I've been watching since Murder, She Wrote or Hart to Hart and Magnum PI)--there are ALWAYS clues that lead to the wrong person in the mix. It just makes for better story-telling. It helps engage the reader/viewer—keep them guessing.

UN-Cluing... 

This is an important piece of solving the mystery—one-by-one each of the FALSE clues and suspects needs to be debunked, unveiled or... um... murdered... *cough* Yes... often there is a second death and typically it changes the landscape—either it is the prime suspect, or it is a person who really isn't CONNECTED to the prime suspect, so makes the sleuth rethink matters entirely.

Getting Caught

Another trick to really increasing the tension is to make our SLEUTH not particularly stealthy... When your sleuth gets caught snooping, she has to talk fast, and SOMETIMES somebody dangerous catches on to what she's up to, putting her in danger. I don't do that (only) to be rotten, but because it tightens the screws and makes the story have more tension. Somebody who is ALWAYS good at their job is fabulous and all, but not that interesting. Have you ever watched a no-hit baseball game? I by far prefer minor league baseball for the same reason—errors make it more interesting to watch.

Time-lining 

My final trick, and I do this in all my fiction, not just mystery, is timelining. Some writers can fly by the seat of their pants and still end up with a great story, but I don't believe in pants. They are binding and uncomfortable (and have allowed me to write myself into a corner on more than one occasion)--I write a timeline. And as I look at the main events that HAVE to happen to solve the mystery, I think about 'what is the most interesting way from A to B? Or... What might happen between A and B that will then pay off at E? And I add those little details to my timeline. I am not a true outliner. I'm a statistician by day and too much structure just makes my voice sound clinical, but knowing the details to hit before they come up again feels like I can then create a little treasure hunt for readers without having to plunk in all the hints on the rewrite, which can seem contrived. So there you have it... Bendy Plotting A-La-Tart



The Azalea Assault Cam Harris loves her job as public relations manager for the Roanoke Garden Society. It allows her to combine her three loves, spinning the press, showing off her favorite town, and promoting her favorite activity. She's just achieved a huge coup by enlisting Garden Delights, the country's premiere gardening magazine, to feature the exquisite garden of RGS founder, Neil Patrick. She's even managed to enlist world-famous photographer Jean-Jacques Georges. Unfortunately, Jean-Jacques is a first-rate cad—insulting the RGS members and gardening, goosing every woman in the room, and drinking like a lush. It is hardly a surprise when he turns up dead. But when Cam's brother-in-law is accused and her sister begs her to solve the crime, that is when things really get prickly.

 

Alyse Carlson is the pen name for the author some of you may know as Hart Johnson.

She writes books from her bathtub and when she isn't writing, does research for a large,
midwest University or leads the Naked World Domination Movement (your choice).

Links 
Barnes & Noble Paperback or Nook
Amazon Paperback or Kindle

Creating Tension with Jen Zeman

Happy Friday! I am so thrilled to present a post by my Twitter and Writer Unboxed pal, Jen Zeman. Like me, Jen is not yet published, but we have a great time talking writing and are a prime example of the relationships you can create by nurturing your Social Media community.

The Core of any Story

Tension within your plot is known as conflict and it is the core of any story.  Without conflict, a story will fall flat and readers will lose interest quick.  The more conflict you have in your story, the more your story will grab readers’ attention and have them clinging to the pages for more.


Simply put, conflict is a problem arising to challenge your protagonist to act in some fashion.  Literary agent Don Maass, in his book WRITING THE BREAKOUT NOVEL, states once you have conflict in your plot, the next essential element is to complicit the conflict.  Make it worse – for your main character, for everyone.  Maass states:  “What makes a breakout novel memorable are conflicts that are deep, credible, complex and universal enough so a great number of readers can relate.” 

Make the Conflict Feel Familiar

 An example would be a wife discovering her seemingly perfect husband of thirty years has had a second family on the side for the past twenty years.  To make this conflict even more spectacular, up the ante but still make the conflict feel familiar to readers.  

Sure, you could have the wife hide in her bedroom for a week crying her eyes out, but how exciting is that?  Your readers will close the book and never pick it up again.  

Have Tension on Every Page

Increase the tension instead – have tension on every single page.  Increasing the tension means the wife uses her secret assassin training by driving her car through the front door of the second family’s house (while the husband is there, of course), and her shooting up the place like a fireworks factory on fire!  

Okay, this was extreme, but you get the point.  The wife’s anger will seem familiar to the reader because surely most would be equally unhinged if they were in the wife’s position.  Your readers will excitedly turn the pages when the tension is piled this high.  

So look at your story again.  Find at least ten places within your manuscript where tension can be increased and do something unexpected in each instance.  Your readers will thank you.

Jen is a YA author working on her debut novel.

Other Donald Maass books I've read and recommend include:

Writing the Breakout Novel Workbook

The Fire in Fiction