Seeing the World Through New Eyes

One of the things I'm always striving to do is to continue growing as a writer. 

I've been burned by a few bestselling authors who, after they achieved fame and fortune, stopped growing as writers.  (They certainly seemed to think they didn't need an editor anymore, given the length of some of their tomes.)  It's like when an actor wins an Academy Award and then makes Ghost Rider.

So one of the challenges I've given myself is to introduce a new point-of-view (POV) character in book two of my trilogy.

It's freaking hard.

I've been writing my main character for three years.  I've been inside her head, lived in her skin, seen the world through her eyes, for three years.  So now, to jump into another character's head, and see the world through her eyes, is a pretty monumental task.

This is a character who plays a pretty important supporting role in WINTER FALLS.  So I knew that she was an intriguing character.  When I plotted out book two, I gave her a bigger role, and as I looked at some of the scenes, I realized that they would just be so much better from her POV.

So I did a little exercise.  I wrote a scene - just a little free-writing - from her POV to see if I could slip into it.  I wouldn't say her voice came completely naturally to me, but I could hear it in my head, which is a good sign.  She's a lot tougher, more jaded and sarcastic than my MC, and writing in her POV is kinda fun.  She swears...a lot.  And it feels a little naughty, like I'm cheating on my MC.  In a good way.

For the last week, I've been working in her POV.  Some of it has come out way too similar to my MC.  I've had to stop and ask myself, "Would she really say that?  Or would she just give them the finger and walk away?"

I'm still not 100% certain that I'll use her POV in the book, and I have yet to run this whole idea by my editor anyway.  But even if I don't use it, at least I'll have stretched myself by dipping into her head.  At the very least, I'll have a better handle on this character, and that's always a good thing.

So what about you?  What are you doing to stretch yourself as a writer as you start your next WIP?

Friends Along the Way

Writing is a very solitary profession.  And not all of us are J.D. Salinger types.  Some of us love the company of other people.  Some of us need the validation of our peers.  And despite what we might want to believe, some of us do not spew perfection onto the page in the first draft.  Some of us need the advice, guidance and constructive criticism of other writers in order to turn that shitty first draft into published gold.

That's where critique groups come in.

Joining a good critique group is one of the greatest gifts you can give yourself as a writer.  I am very fortunate to belong to two groups that have helped me immensely as a writer.  One of my groups is solely online, with its five members spread across the country.  My other group is a face-to-face group that meets every other week.  Both fulfill my needs in different ways.

And that's the most important thing to find in a critique group.  They must fulfill your needs as a writer.  You may find a group with great people, but if you're not getting what you need as a writer, it might not be the right group for you.  Here are some things I think are helpful to keep in mind when looking for a critique group:

- Everyone is in a similar place with their writing.  That doesn't mean that everyone is published or pre-published, or agented, or has even finished a book.  It just means that everyone has the same level of seriousness about their writing.  If you're just starting out, a group full of multi-published writers probably isn't going to work for you.  Likewise, if you're on the publication track, a group filled with people who "maybe want to write a book" is not going to help you.  For instance, in my local group, I'm the only writer who has a publishing contract, but everyone else in the group is uber-serious about their writing and so talented that I have an enormous amount of respect for each of them.

- Genre understanding.  This doesn't mean that everyone needs to be writing the same genre.  In fact, I actually think it's better when there's a mix of genres in a group.  That way, you get a broader understanding of outside of your own genre.  But everyone in the group should understand each other's genres.  Someone who only reads and writes non-fiction might not be the best person to critique your paranormal YA.

- Consistency is key.  My online group is pretty free-form, but my local group meets every other week like clockwork (barring any major schedule conflicts).  What I love about that is that every two weeks, I know I will have an afternoon filled with writing, talk about writing and brainstorming.  We don't make it mandatory to submit something at every meeting, but even if I'm not receiving a critique, my writer-self,  my wild mind, is being stimulated and challenged.

- You get out of it what you give in.  The more you contribute, the more you will get out of your critique group.  And I don't just mean submitting your own writing.  You can learn so much from critiquing others' writing, and from listening to other critiques.  Often a critique will turn into a full-blown brainstorming session, and these are invaluable. 

- Learn to give good critique.  This is crucial.  Critiquing is a skill.  It requires a fine balance of positive and constructive.  Notice I did not say negative.  There should never be anything negative in a critique.  Writing is subjective.  Even if you hated something, chances are someone else in the group loved it.  Phrases like, "I felt this didn't work" or "the tension lagged here" are more constructive than "that part really sucked" and "your hero is lame."  Writers tend to have fragile egos.  Our writing is part of us and to lay it out there for others to see is really hard, even when it's only five or six other people who we really like and whose opinions we value.  Always start and end your critique on a positive note.

- Learn to take criticism.  Being objective about your own writing is one of the hardest things I had to learn.  And even now there are times when I get a critique and I want to hide under the covers for days.  To prevent that, there are a couple of important things to know.  First, be sure you are really ready for others to see your work.  Sometimes a story is still too new and it's better to keep it to yourself for a while.  There is nothing wrong with that.  When I first changed WINTER FALLS from a 16th-century setting to a contemporary, I didn't show it to anyone for months.  It was like there was a fragile glass ball holding the story in, and to hear anyone else's voice would shatter that glass.  I needed to hear only my own voice until I really felt confident about it.  

When you are ready to show your work, receive each critique gracefully.  Don't be combative.  Even if you disagree completely with someone's notes, thank them for the critique all the same.  It takes time and effort to do a critique and when someone just blows you off, it feels like you wasted your time making all those notes.  That's frustrating.  And it also isn't going to help you the next time they critique your work, either.

If you do disagree about something, discuss it.  Get everyone else's opinion in the group.  Sometimes you'll change your mind about a note and realize it will work better, after all.  Which leads me to...

Take a day or two to mull the notes before you disregard them or change your whole story to suit them.  There have been several occasions where I've gotten a note, said "absolutely not" right away, and then a day later realized it would make the story a hundred times better.  Remember that your critique partners are more objective about your writing than you are; sometimes they can see things more clearly than you can.

Lastly, remember that in the end, this is YOUR story.  You can change, or not change, anything you want.  If you really disagree with a critique there is no law saying you have to implement all those notes.  Pick and choose what's helpful for you, and disregard the rest.

I am very, very blessed to have several critique partners (CPs) whose guidance, advice, ideas, and encouragement have been invaluable to me.  But I want to take this opportunity to give a shout-out to one of them in particular, since it's her birthday!  Linda Gerber is a writer that I have known for over a decade.  She and I met on the literary board of a Diana Gabaldon fan site and right away I knew she was a writer to watch.  We were writing completely different genres at the time, but we recognized each other's seriousness about writing right away.  A couple of years later, we formed our online group with a couple of other members who were also on the publication track.  Linda is a tireless supporter of me and everyone in our group.  I'll never forget when I first met her face-to-face, at the Surrey International Writers Conference in Vancouver.  She pushed me to pitch to so many agents that when I came out of one pitch she'd say, "Good for you!   Now who are going to pitch next?"  Linda was the first one of our group to get a contract, for her two fabulous S.A.S.S. books.  Then she sold her Death By trilogy, which is one of the funnest reads out there.  She also has a stand-alone, TRANCE, that is fantastic.  AND she has a MG series coming out next year.  Can you say prolific?  Her brain never stops working.  And she has four kids.  And even with her incredibly busy life and career, she has time to be an amazing friend and CP.  Linda, I love you to pieces.  Happy happy birthday, dear friend!  And readers, I have one question for you - if you haven't read a Linda Gerber book, what the hell are you waiting for?!

Plotting Along

How do you plot two books at once?  I'm still discovering the answer to that question.  On the advice of my editor - very good advice - I'm plotting out books two and three simultaneously before moving on to actually writing book two.

When I first started writing WINTER FALLS, it didn't take me long to realize it was a story that I couldn't tell in one book.  So early on, I was already planning a trilogy.  But the current story is quite different from that first (and even second) draft, and so my original direction for the story has changed dramatically.

In the original version, Alessia leaves Twin Willows and goes to Italy to be with the Benandanti Clan there.  I had planned for the second book to be set in Italy.  Ok, so my motivation for this wasn't entirely story-conscious.  If the book was set in Italy, well, I would just have to take a research trip there...

Alas, my agent wanted the entire series to take place in Twin Willows.  So no research trips to Italy for me.  I'm hoping the book will sell in Italy and they'll want me to come over and do a book tour.  I've told my agent to get on that...

Going in this new direction, I changed my vision for the entire trilogy.  If Alessia cannot go to the mountain, the mountain would come to Alessia.  New characters arrive in Twin Willows in both books, so the small-town setting gets expanded.

But how do you look ahead over an entire trilogy, creating an arc for all three books while still keeping each book as its own individual story?

When I plot, I rely heavily on The Hero's Journey.  Every story has a hero's journey inside it, with the exception of some literary fiction.  (Although I recently read THE HELP by Kathryn Stockett - a-mazing! - and there was a clear hero's journey through-line for each of the characters.) 

Although I recommend reading Christopher Vogler's book THE WRITER'S JOURNEY that breaks down each step of the journey and uses examples in film, the journey can be summed up with the classic movie, Star Wars - Episode IV: A New Hope.

Stage One: Ordinary World.  Luke is bored living with his aunt and uncle and wants to get out to see new worlds.

Stage Two: Call to Adventure.  Luke sees the message from Leia in the R2-D2 unit.

Stage Three: Refusal of the Call.  Uncle Owen reminds Luke that his familial responsibilities are more important than chasing after a hologram.

Stage Four: Meeting the Mentor.  Luke finds Obi-Wan and shows him the hologram.  Obi-Wan tells him about the Jedi.

Stage Five: Crossing the First Threshold.  Luke returns home to find his home burned and his aunt and uncle dead. 

Stage Six: Tests, Allies & Enemies.  Luke and Obi-Wan hire Hans Solo and Chewbacca.  They fight in the bar and encounter Imperial Stormtroopers.  The Millenium Falcon is drawn into the Death Star.  They find Leia.

Stage Seven: Approach to the Inmost Cave.  With all the characters in place, they each go after their goals on board the Death Star.

Stage Eight: Ordeal.  The battle between Darth Vader and Obi-Wan; Obi-Wan's death.  

Stage Nine:  Reward.  The remaining characters escape the Death Star and Luke finds solace with the other rebels.

Stage Ten: The Road Back.  Luke rededicates himself to his journey by joining the rebel cause.

Stage Eleven: Resurrection. The destruction of the Death Star; Luke identifies himself as a Jedi.

Stage Twelve: Return with the Elixir.  Luke is awarded for his bravery and deeds.

Each Star Wars movie has this arc, and then there's a greater arc over all three movies (yes, I know there are six movies, but I only count Episodes IV, V and VI).  The same is true of the Harry Potter books, which are another classic example of the Hero's Journey.  Each book has its own journey and then there's a journey arcing over all seven books.  Seven books!  J.K. Rowling is a goddess.

I'm happy to report that I have my hero's journey completed for book two in my trilogy and am working through book three.  Book three is a little more nebulous since I'm sure things will change once I actually write book two.  And so I continue, plodding...plotting...along...

Plotter Vs. Pantster: The Age-Old Dilemma

During the course of your writing career, especially when you're pre-published, you get a lot of writing advice (some of solicited, some not).  And one of the issues that splits many writers is plotting a novel out versus writing it by flying by the seat of your pants.  Aka, Plotter vs. Pantster.

I remember taking a workshop with the best-selling author Terry Brooks several years ago in which he spelled out his meticulous way of plotting out a novel before he ever writes a word.  I also remember thinking, "if I had to write a book that way, I would kill myself."  

I'm a Pantster by nature.  I like taking the journey of the characters and being surprised along the way.  I think plotting it all out takes out some of the fun.

But pantsing can also cause its own set of headaches.

When I wrote my first novel, which was a rather epic historical, I pantsed my way through it.  Of course, I was learning how to write a book, so there was bound to be a lot of revision anyway.  But when I finished the first draft, I had 750 pages that were an utter mess.  It then took me more than a year and a half (and the help of an independent editor) to shape it into something submittable.  

A lot of that time and work could have been avoided if I had given myself a road map to follow before spewing out 750 pages.  But when I started my next novel, another historical, I still hadn't learned this lesson.  That book remains unfinished because I never figured out where exactly it was going.

So when I started writing my next book, I plotted it all out before I had much written.  I had a complete scene list.  I knew exactly what I needed to write.

The problem was, I couldn't write it.

I had plotted it TOO much.  I was bored.  There was no spontaneity, no mystery, no freedom.  This book was the precursor to WINTER FALLS, which I had conceived as an historical novel.  When I realized that it needed to be a contemporary story, I decided not to plot it out, but write a rough draft (what I call, after Anne Lamott, a shitty first draft) in a set amount of time.  I gave myself four months, in which the last month I would do NaNoWriMo and write 50,000 words all in one month.

By the end of those four months, I had 80,000 words that I had written by the seat of my pants.  And writing it was FUN.  Then I put on my Plotter hat and used two different plotting methods to shape it into a submittable draft.  (Tune into Thursday's blog to find out more about those methods.)

Now I'm wearing my Plotter hat again to plot out both books two and three of The Benandanti Trilogy.  I think it's a good approach, but it's in reverse of how I usually work.  What I have to remind myself is that these outlines are written in sand.  That way I can allow for spontaneity and unexpected turns when I'm pantsing my way through the first draft.

I also find it helps me to free-write at least several thousand words before I can plot a book out.  That way, I have a feel for the characters, the story, the setting.  With books two & three of the Trilogy, that's not so much of an issue since I've been living with the characters and the setting for a long time already.

So no offense to Terry Brooks (whose work I adore), but meticulous plotting just doesn't work for me.  And neither does completely pantsing it.  I've found a way that combines both that seems to work.  Every writer is different.  It may take some trial and error (and 750 pages) to figure out what works for you.

Apocalypsie Cover Reveal Friday!

It's Cover Reveal Friday over at the Apocalypsies!

Jennifer Wolf's BREAKING BEAUTIFUL, out in April 2012 from Walker Books.  Here's a blurb about the book:

Allie lost everything the night her boyfriend, Trip, died in a tragic car accident - including her memory of the event.  She doesn't remember driving on the cliff road.  She doesn't recall jumping from the truck just before Trip lost control.  All she has left are the scars and a sneaking suspicion that the crash wasn't an accident after all.

When the police reopen the investigation, it quickly turns on Allie and her best friend, Blake, especially as their budding romance raises eyebrows around their small town.  As the threats begin and the survivor's guilt sets in, Allie's memories collide with a dark secret about Trip she's kept for too long.  Caught somewhere between her past and her future, Allie knows she must tell the truth.  Can she reach deep enough to remember that night so she can finally break free?

Check out her evocative cover - and her husband took the photo!

http://wolftalez.blogspot.com/2011/06/cover-reveal-and-outside-story.html

And...

Sarvenaz Tash's Middle Grade novel THE MAPMAKER AND THE GHOST, also out in April 2012 from Walker Books!  Here's a blurb about the book:

Eleven-year-old Goldenrod is starting her summer vacation grounded. Not only that but her best friend, and usual partner-in-exploration, has moved away and left her to deal with the upcoming ordeal of middle school all by herself. Determined to persevere in the face of such tragic adversity—and become a Legendary Adventurer like her heroes Lewis and Clark—Goldenrod sets out to make the most accurate map her town has ever seen. What she doesn't bargain for is a true blue adventure involving a gang of brilliant troublemakers, a mysterious and very ugly old lady, and an exceedingly unexpected questmaster.  

And here's her fabulous cover:

http://sarvenaztash.blogspot.com/

Big congrats to both Jennifer & Sarvenaz!  I know what I'll be reading next April...

And coming up on Monday on The Apocalypsies blog - my interview with Karyn Henley!

Is YA Too Dark?

The YA world has been up in arms since this article appeared in the Wall Street Journal on Saturday:

"Darkness Too Visible."

The author of this article feels that the YA genre has gotten too dark of late, with a spate of books out about rape, incest, cutting, eating disorders, and abuse.  You know, all those things that older generations just didn't have to deal with.

Actually, they did.  They just weren't talking about it.

Jay Asher is an acquaintance of mine.  His moving and emotional bestseller 13 REASONS WHY is about a young man dealing with the aftermath of a classmate's suicide.  Jay gets countless letters from teens telling him that his book literally saved them from committing suicide.  Likewise, if you read Laurie Halse Anderson's blog, you know that she, too, gets countless letters from girls saying they finally garnered the courage to report being raped after reading her book SPEAK.  (Incidentally, LHA has a terrific post up about this article over at her blog, too.)

These books have changed lives.  Should they be kept off the shelf (and SPEAK is regularly banned from libraries) simply because someone thinks teens shouldn't be reading about "dark" topics like rape and suicide?  Well, then maybe we should keep teens from reading the newspaper.  Or watching the news.  Or walking the halls of their schools where they have to deal with these issues every day.

Authors such as Asher and Halse Anderson have given voice to a generation of teens who previously didn't have one.  That might make some older readers uncomfortable.  I suspect the parents who are uncomfortable with their teens reading these books are the parents who can't bring themselves to talk about these subjects, either.  

But just because it makes us uncomfortable doesn't make it wrong.  Or too dark.  We live in a dark world.  A good writer is influenced by the world they live in, and their stories reflect that.  The very best stories are the ones that change us and become part of who we are forever.  I remember reading GO ASK ALICE as a teen.  That book scared the hell out of me.  I never, ever wanted to do drugs after reading it.

I think that even the dystopian trend in YA is a reflection of the world around us.  We are uncertain of our future.  There are a lot of forces moving in this world, some of them bad, some of them good.  Writers are feeling those shifts, and it's coming out in their stories.  And I bet that if you were to urge teens to put pen to paper, it would come out in their stories, too.

And the bottom line is, if you don't like a book, simply put it down and pick up something else.  We all have that power.  But don't take away someone else's power to make that decision for themselves.

An In-Between Post

I'm still in Revision Hell.  But I'm coming up briefly for air to post links to a few other YA-centric blogs.  And stay tuned for a Big News coming down the pike...

If you haven't met The Apocalypsies, what are you waiting for?  This is a group I belong to of other 2012 debut authors.  I cannot WAIT for 2012 because there are so many awesome books coming out from this group!  And coming in June I'll be posting an interview with Elevensie Karyn Henley on her upcoming June release A Breath of Angel.

Fellow Apocalypsie Leanna Renee Hieber just revealed the cover of her upcoming release Darker Still.  What a gorgeous cover!  I'm a big fan of the girl-in-a-poufy-dress cover.  It's the whole reason I read and fell in love with the Luxe series.

Linda Gerber is one of my closest writing friends and has been a huge supporter of me over the many years that we've been friends.  We've been part of the same online critique group for over a decade!  If you haven't read her Death By trilogy or her latest release Trance, run do not walk to your local bookstore and buy them today.  Then kick back in your favorite chair and enjoy!  Her blog is always wonderful, especially her For Writers Tuesdays when she has guest authors share their secret writing tips.  Look for me to share mine soon!

Back to the Tenth Circle for now!