SCWC: World-Building

My notes from the Southern California Writers' Conference.

• Applies to memoirs and nonfiction, too!

• The more abstract the idea is, the more world building you have to do

• Difficult to go against known laws of physics unless you come up with a damn good reason

• Top-down (big picture, create world around larger concept) or bottom-up world building (world built around a specific character)

• Non-fiction—build the world for people that have never been to the locale. Show what is different and new.

• If you’re not familiar with it, be general unless you want to do the research.

• Manipulate the world into pushing the character where you want

• History doesn't have to be a large component, but helps establish the world

• Real-world influence helps

• Even in fantasy, it still needs to be consistent (rules/laws)

SCWC: What to Expect from Your Agent—And What She Expects from You!

My notes from the Southern California Writers' Conference.

• Main thing—look for authenticity (on the part of both author and agent)

• Passion—important for agent to be passionate about your work. Crucial for their pitching.

• Honesty in author/agent relationship. Editorial feedback, valuable critiques

• Ethics—agent should be following AAR guidelines. How do they earn their profits? You shouldn’t have to pay to get your work evaluated! Follow your instinct, avoid red flags.

• Communication—sometimes writers are afraid to ask questions about their work. Ask your agents questions, you have a right to know! Follow-up with agent and make sure they follow-up with you.

• Agent should have a plan (proposal package), should know editors/people that would be interested in your work.

• Agents can secure advance for you, negotiate contracts, review royalties, make sure publisher sticks to their deadlines. Handles foreign rights. Works as a middle man to resolve issues between writer/publisher

• Agent should be open-minded, creative, and flexible. Be open to new possibilities/change and grow with the times since the publishing industry is always changing.

• Is agent committed to your work? How persistent and dedicated are they? Do they know when to cut their losses and move to Plan B?

• Make query letter short/brief. Give an idea of command of language.

• What is author’s plan? Do you want to have a career? Do book tours?

• Contract red flag—excessive bias/favor towards publisher, publisher tries to take all the rights

• Ask agent for references, check to see who they have published, what books they represent

• 10%-15% commission for agents

SCWC: The Road to Publication—Theme and Genre

My notes from the Southern California Writers' Conference.

·         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”)

SCWC: Self-Publishing Savvy: Why, How, Where, What You Need to Know

My notes from the Southern California Writers' Conference.

• Why self-publish? Just because you can, doesn't mean you should.

• What is your project? Self-publish if it’s hobby writing; you like telling stories but don’t expect to make a living; a personal record meant to be shared by family

• When you start treating your books like business, then you’re a career writer.

• Self-publish if you are you a perfectionist and an outgoing person who likes things your way and doesn't mind doing all the work if it means you’re control.

• Make sure you build up an internet/social media presence (blog, website).  Are you involved in your genre’s organizations? Learn from them, get involved in their activities.

• Write a damned good book, be in a critique group, get beta readers, hire a professional editor…create a damned good book cover!  Pay for it unless you’re a graphic designer, make sure it looks good as a thumbnail.

• Release plans: build anticipation on website/social media/blog, do giveaways, have a release party (online or in person)! Café press/zazzle

• ISBN makes your book unique since titles can’t be copyrighted. Createspace will assign one for free, but the publisher will always be “Createspace”.

• Formatting books: booknook.biz, other companies, Createspace. Lulu.com does hardcopies, Createspace does not.

• Smashwords formats for multiple e-readers

• Multiple books require structure—brand each genre (consistent cover schemes), consider creating your own publishing imprint if you write a lot of books.

• You must learn to market without marketing—no one wants to hear “buy my book!” Everyone wants to hear, “How are you today?”

• Resources: createspace.com, kdp.amazon.com, smashwords.com, bowker.com, booknook.biz, mobipocket.com, APE: Author, Publisher, and Entrepreneur

SCWC: Plotters vs. Pantsers: To Outline or Not?

My notes from the Southern California Writers' Conference.

• Plotting can help alleviate excessive re-writes.

• Set milestones to hit (road trip analogy)

• Build plot twists into each milestone, build empathy for characters

• Pantsing enables you to get it down as fast as possible

• Backstory (side trips) helps fill in ‘road trip’

• Turning the characters loose can change the course of a book (despite your best outlining/planning)

• If you want someone to read your book, you have to be willing to hear what they have to say about it

• People can teach you how to write, but in the end you just have to write.

• Risks to both plotting and pantsing—plotting can create too much structure, make the story seem too pre-planned. The ‘life’ of free thought disappears in structured thought. How do you amble while staying on track and not wandering off?

• Conflict drives the story, not the characters.

• Story-telling “beatsheet” in Excel

• Writer’s block – keep a positive outlook. Write through it or work on another story. Just KEEP GOING!

• Figure out what works for you. Beat sheets, flash cards.

• Take risks—don’t worry about what the reader thinks

• Don’t neglect your fact-checking, people live to nitpick. But don’t include TOO much. Just make it sound plausible.

Andrew E. Kaufman on Writing through Recovery (Pt. 1)

Author Andrew E. Kaufman discusses his journey to publication success with the novels While the Savage Sleeps, The Lion, the Lamb, the Hunted, and Darkness and Shadow at the Southern California Writers' Conference.

Secret Plot-Plot-Plotting!

Christ. Christ.

I showed up at the ‘opening hook’ workshop at the SoCal writers' conference not realizing that I was going to have to actually, yanno…*read* the first two pages of a manuscript. I thought I was going to die.

But my buddy saved my ass. My buddy that was not even in attendance, lol. BUT SHE BETTER SHOW UP NEXT TIME.

I chose the story on which I’ve been collaborating with noustewfu. It's the tale of a 19th century voodoo acolyte who accidentally resurrects a Revolutionary War-era privateer. Mae and Simon must learn to work together to stop a corrupt Haitian vodou priest. It is a work in-progress.

The feedback was extremely positive, and I received a couple good tips as well. I was thrilled. Awesome kudos to my collaborator and friend, you kick ass!!! I ordered room service to celebrate.

Lesson learned - you better damn well be able to snag your reader within the first two pages. And remember to SHOW, not TELL!

SO. Since there seemed to be some interest generated in the story, we created a Tumblr for it. HERE IT IS!!!

And, uh...yes. Relevant crap will be added to it. Eventually.

SCWC: Writing Sex Scenes that Serve the Story

-        There is a time and a place for everything, make sure it's in context.

-        Reveal some emotional vulnerability

-        There needs to be a reason for a love/sex scene.  It needs to be crucial for the plot.  It needs to serve a purpose.

-        Does it create internal/external conflict?  Both?

-        Does it create purposeful tension?

-        How does it play into a characters motivations?  Devious or honest motivations?

-        Does it move the plot forward in ways other elements would not?

-        Is there a better device I could use to make my point?  If yes, then lose the sex scene.

-        Focus on the emotions, what the characters are thinking/feeling.  The act itself is a vehicle, not necessarily the road.

-        Character's mental state can affect the sex

-        Keep your characters IN CHARACTER when they're having sex (as it relates to the plot), otherwise it would distract from the point.  Know your characters so you know their parameters.  How would they react in this situation?

-        It's not always what they do—it's what they don't do.  You don't have to explain every little thing.  Readers are smart enough to read between the lines.  Mounting sexual tension/seduction can be better than the act itself.

-        Is the character having fantasies?

-        Consider the possibility of teasing the reader a little bit.  It's okay to leave the audience wanting more

-        Purpose of the scene: is the character trying to manipulate another character?  Is it love?  Is one in love, the other not?  Filling unidentified emptiness?  Failed judgment?

-        How long is the act?  How many details are revealed?  Can be genre-dependent (sex in a thriller might be  more hurried than in a romance/erotica).  Beware of overkill, don't say the same thing over and over again.

-        Write the sex scene first with as little detail as possible, then add in details later.

-        You don't have to name every body part!  (if you don't want to).  Body parts are distracting. Focus on the emotions/thoughts.  What does the act mean to the character(s)?  How does the character interpret what's going on?

-        Length – plot/genre dependent (sex in a flashback/memory would not go on and on and on)

-        Consider taboo subjects.  Be aware that many publishers/sellers will not accept certain acts (rape, incest, children-involved acts, bestiality)

-        Safe sex—is this practiced in the book?  Consequences if it's not?  Disease, babies, etc. Consider the characters' circumstances (will dictate a lot of decisions).  Religious beliefs, length of relationship, personal morals, time period/era, etc.

-        What will the characters bring to the bedroom?  Emotional baggage?  How will this affect the sex?  Conflict in the bedroom?  Sex addiction?  Unfaithfulness?  Independence vs neediness.

-        THE ORGASM.  Do they happen in the story?  Do you want it in your scene?  Is it important for the connection?  Does it occur in realtime, or does it occur as a flashback/memory.  Do they both experience it?  Does one or both fake it?  If so, why?  This could be a plot element/device. Was the sex an obligation?

-        Post-orgasm.  Do the characters engage in pillow-talk afterward, or do they go cold?  Is there an argument?  Discussion?  Disconnection?  Bonding?

-        A sex scene is like any other scene.  Don't be afraid to leave your comfort zone a bit.

SCWC: Happily Ever After - Make Them Earn It

-        Conflict; driving toward a black moment that sticks with people

-        A black moment is a pivotal turning point where all seems to be lost and the hero might not win. Lead up to this with conflict (what are consequences?).  Make the stakes high enough to make the reader give a crap.  Moment of change for hero.  Can't be easily solved.

-        Transformation/growth must occur in character(s).  Worst fears/secrets must be realized, confronted, and overcome.  Character must not be the same person they were at the beginning (ex: Pretty Woman).

-        Black moment needs to be a scene that has been building since the beginning of the book (otherwise it won't be as believable).  Deepens as danger or conflict mounts and culminates in final climax that leaves the reader wondering what the heck will happen next.  Will the hero win?!

-        Difficult to sell a tragedy nowadays.  People like happy endings.

-        If the black moment is solved too easily, readers will be pissed.  Don't come up with a magical solution to fix it.

-        All the good guys don't have to live.  Kill off characters even if you don't want to (if it serves the story, if it helps transform the hero).

-        Characters should have great depth so that readers will care about them

-        Black moments can be risky (killing children in Hunger Games).  Necessary to make the character's progression/evolution more believable.

-        Even if the hero doesn't “win,” the ending still needs to provide some sort of satisfaction

-        Life isn't about how hard you can hit, it's about how hard you can get hit and continue on

-        Hero could lose everything, but does the right thing anyway.

-        Black moment has to be the character's absolute worst fear.  And why is the character so terrified of this?

-        Black moment should be so huge that you as a writer should be asking yourself “Holy crap, how am I going to fix this?”

SCWC: Keeping 'Em Hooked - Writing for Today's ADD Readers

-        Your story must: entertain, educate, enlighten

-        Bite-sized chapters are preferable for today's ADD/strapped-for-time readers.  People have short attention spans nowadays.  Despite the shortness of the chapters, the author's job is to get the reader to turn the page and start the next chapter.

-        Don't let the facts get in the way when it's a page-turning suspense.  Page-turning suspense is for EVERY genre.

-        Everyone needs editing.  Everyone.  The scene needs to move the plot!

-        Use critique groups like a salad – choose what fits.  Pay attention of multiple critiquers bring attention to the same issue.

-        Put your first draft away for a month and then review/revise it with fresh eyes.

-        Everything that is real must be right.

-        1 twist for every 2 characters.  3 characters – 2 twists

-        “The palest of ink is better than the best memory” - write stuff down whenever you can!!  Don't try to retain too much in your head.  Get it on the paper.

-        Difference between thriller and mystery – reader knows who the villain is near the beginning in a thriller.  How it's done vs who done it? (mystery)

-        Engage the reader with the main character – with the character reach his/her goal???

-        Mysteries and thrillers are popular because people are naturally problem-solvers.

-        Don't trick the reader, give them an “ah-ha” moment.

-        Raise the stakes.  Something awesome is about to happen—but under certain conditions.  (Ex: (amazing possibility)You can have a million dollars...(condition)but only if you can get to Catalina by noon.)

-        Good suspense depends a great deal on backstory.  But don't use backstory up front!

-        Write the whole story first (try to first plow through to the end, don't agonize forever on the first chapter)—you can always go back later and change/move around/delete things.

-        Use prologues sparingly.  Start off with chapter one.  You have to hook the reader in the first 2 pages.

-        Make the reader care about something, then put it in danger.  Make the stakes high enough to make people care about the character/character's goals.  IF this happens, THEN this happens...

-        If you want to increase the tension, shorten/clip the sentences

-        Create a ticking time bomb—something that must be accomplished, or all is lost!  What is the obstacle?  Throw rocks at your characters.

-        Use senses/setting to generate tension and anticipation (ex: The telephone is off the hook.  A broken window.  Water left running in the sink, etc).

-        Use longer sentences to slow down time

-        Break tension by having something happen (ex: the phone rings)

-        The twists must be more believable than what was previously thought/suspected.

-        If you're going to pull the rug out from under your reader, then give them a place to stand