·
Publishing vs publishing a best-seller—1 in 300
becomes a bestseller.
·
Exercise—write down your daydreams
·
Secrets (theme/hook gets you word-of-mouth, gets
readers to share your book)
o
What is your favorite genre?
o
The “what’s it about” question.
o
What secrets have been buried on your journey?
o
Does your hook connect with your theme?
·
What compels people to share a story?
·
Entertainment
o
Theme and entertainment (the book needs to be
entertaining!)
o
Readers want romance, mystery, thrillers, YA,
and sci-fi
o
Formulas (rules) of genre fiction can stretch/flow
free
§
They have a positive and negative energy
§
They inspire character (flawed), plot, depth,
interest
·
Read other writers in your genre to get ideas.
·
Challenge is to give publishers what they want
to sell. Stretch the rules!
·
Goals
o
Do your stories have a moral?
o
Exercise: write one sentence that would make
someone buy your book (keep it simple, create emotional appeal)
o
The
pre-eminent theme of great literature is the human heart in conflict with
itself. – William Faulkner
·
What is different and unique about your book?
·
Wisdom is based on doubt, don’t be too full of
certainty.
·
Voice
o
Theme links voice/imperfection. You find the voice through imperfection (idiosyncrasies). Let a little imperfection in, it’s a good
thing.
o
Why do you write? To kill old enemies? Without an emotional desire to write, it will
be difficult to sustain for the long-haul.
What drives you?
o
Repressed emotions/dominant emotions (you can
edit your own life!)
o
Writing helps us understand and rewrite
o
Themes are universal stories with appeal
·
Stick to the point, don’t meander.
·
Tone
o
Theme in your tone?
o
“If writing has a morality it is expressed
through tone.” – Philip Gerard
o
Word choice, what’s between the lines, insight,
not easy judgment and “a great humanity.”
o
Steinbeck—“Then the hard, dry, Spaniards came
passing through.”
·
Assume your readers are more intelligent than
you, don’t explain everything to them.
Cut out excess. Let tone do the
work.
·
Spine
o
Theme is the spine of your story.
o
Write with courage
o
The ghost in the machine—are we whole/part?
o
Primitive theme—inner struggle. Which is the better path?
o
Exercise 2: what is your main character’s
problem? (make it short and sweet)
·
Nesting
o
Are you’re themes nesting (themes inside each
other/subplots)?
o
Big picture themes are plot driven
o
Character themes need an arc
o
Endings need a payoff
·
Theme-Tension
o
Start with the ending in doubt
o
What is your favorite use of tension?
o
Four types—task, relationship, mystery, surprise
o
Which fits your theme?
·
Cohesion
o
Does each chapter matter?
o
Does the ending twist? (element of surprise)
o
Does the twist reflect the theme?
o
Can we sense something coming?
o
Write down a twist that reflects the theme.
·
Mood
o
Everything’s related to theme
o
Dialogue, action, exposition
o
Cover, website, title, marketing online/off
o
What is the mood of a novel?
o
Hopeful, sad/tragic, romantic, exciting,
mysterious
·
Endings
o
The final battle provides answers to the story
questions
o
The denouement ties up the loose ends.
o
Should endings serve the theme?
o
Does your climax prove your point?
o
Consider outer problems and inner problems
·
Beware!
o
Surface gloss does not a bestseller make
o
Overload your theme and it will break apart
o
Lurid language lacks power
o
Subtext provides needed depth
o
Resist the urge to explain!! (“RUE”)
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