Calling all Opinions!! (...on Protags & Antags)

[Photo Source]

The obvious:

The Protagonist is the main character of the novel.  What the protagonist WANTS should be clear from the beginning.

The Antagonist is the character that (usually) represents the PROBLEM of the novel, that which the protagonist must ultimately conquer in order to get what she wants.

Now let's move on to the less obvious.

(For argument sake, let's imagine a hypothetical story where whole chapters are told from the third person POV of either the protagonist or the antagonist.)

The author's job the first time he introduces the protagonist is to make her likable and/or create reader empathy for her, while expressing what she WANTS.  This hooks the reader and makes him want to turn the page.  But, does this mean the first chapter must open with the protagonist?

What if the PROBLEM in the story is the antagonist's mental breakdown, the backlash of which sends him on a collision course with an unsuspecting stranger (the protagonist)?  Can the novel open with the first chapter about the antagonist?

I guess the question I put up for discussion is this:  Do you think it's always better to open the novel by introducing the protagonist; or, does every story need its own formula for success, even if that means opening with the antagonist?

Bonus question:  Can you think of a book you enjoyed that opened with the antagonist?

Can't wait to read your opinions on this topic!

!00% Satisfaction

The key to satisfaction in life is achieving what you set out to do.  Set goals, and work hard to reach them.  Sounds simple, right?

It can be, if you keep a couple things in mind:

1.  Dream big, but keep your goals realistic.  What can you manage to accomplish in a day, given all the responsibilities you shoulder?  Set goals that will challenge you, but which can be met with hard work and motivation.

2.  Track your goals.  Write them down or create an electronic file where what you 'planned to do' and what you 'did do' are logged.  It is amazing how concrete your progress become when it is "official" and documented.

3.  Turn off FaceBook and Twitter while you work towards your goals.  How can you put 100% of your effort into a task when TweetDeck is chiming a new tweet every 15 to 30 seconds?  Each time your eye strays to the FaceBook tab and you see parenthesis signaling a notification, you disengage from your primary task.  Cell phone and land line should be silenced too.


Working toward your goals means budgeting your time and concentrating all your effort on the task at hand.  Factor in your downtime, when  you will check in with your social media and visit blogs.  Remember to eat and exercise -- those things are important too!

And when you achieve your goals, the sense of satisfaction is immense.  You feel like you're in the driver's seat of your life, in charge, going to that place where you've always pictured yourself.

Go on.  Become that person you dream about.  Get those goals!


[Thanks for reading!  I'd like to recommend your next blog stop:  Vicki Rocho at Rambles & Randomness shared a short, must-see video about a most unexpected brilliant mind.  I promise you, you won't be able to turn it off.  Click here for the link -->  Grab Your Tissues....AMAZING]

Have a wonderful weekend!

She Said What??

I'm tightening up chapter one of my WiP this week.  The opening scene is pretty intense, introducing the main character in the grips of a frightening moment.  I feed the reader glimpses of what's transpired in the twenty minutes leading up to the first sentence, by weaving short, past perfect paragraphs into the action.

During one of these flashes, she has a quick verbal exchange with a woman in the store.  The woman addresses her, MC makes a comment, and the woman responds.  Then on to the action.

It has occurred to me that the MC's comment is important.  Yes, it's just one line of dialog that serves the purpose of establishing her guard is up, that she senses imminent danger, but it's more than that.  It's the first time the reader will hear her speak.

What she says, and how she says it, will leave an impression on the reader.  Her comment must reflect the person she is, and it must have a clever, larger-than-life quality that attracts her to the reading audience.   It's gotta have zing.

Auditioning possible lines has been a great exercise in character development.  When I found the right one, it clicked.  It felt right.  First time readers won't know her intimately after reading her first line, but I hope her comment works on them like a tantalizing smell coming from the oven, promising something delicious is about to be served.

How important to you, or to your story, is your main character's first line of dialog?

The Heroine Within

Artwork by the talented Marsha Maklaut

The protagonist has to be more than the main character of the novel.  She must be the heroine.  She needs to conquer her fears, rise above all adversity, and succeed despite insurmountable odds.  By the end of the novel, the protagonist should contrast significantly with her pre-evolved self, introduced in chapter one.

When the protagonist steps onto the book's stage in her opening scene, she will be riddled with the conflicts upon which the plot is launched.  It's important to present her in a way that makes the reader want to embrace her.

What happens in real life when you meet someone who is depressed?  Or bitter?  Or openly hostile with the world?  Does she make you want to hang out with her, get to know her better?  Probably not.  Unless...you see yourself in her.  If you can identify with her suffering, understand it in a way that generates a sense of camaraderie and puts you in her camp, then a relationship is born.  The same is true in fiction.

Craft the protagonist with at least one heroic characteristic.  No matter how damaged, afraid, prejudiced, or beaten down the character is, plant in her the quality she will need to succeed in the book's ultimate climactic scene.  Find at least one way, in the first chapter, for the protagonist to show a glimmer of this quality.

We want to read about heroes and heroines.  Hell, we want to be heroes and heroines.  Give the readers a main character to cheer on.  Let them see a little of themselves in the protagonist, a little of the hero inside.  Believe me, they will keep turning the page.  

How Many Words Does It Take...?

Graph borrowed from Writer Services (dot) com

I'm a firm believer that "everything happens for a reason."  For example, I intended to open my WiP as soon as I got home from the gym this morning.  I was willing to weather my own stink, forgoing a shower while the kids were in school so I could write in a quiet house.  But for some reason, I didn't.

Instead, I started reading the blogs on my blogroll.  Roni at *Fiction Groupie* had posted within the hour.  I clicked.  And there it was, the "reason" I hadn't jumped right into Overcome.  Roni's post, featuring Justine Dell.

It was as if Justine were looking right at me as she spoke.  Her topic on how to write effective back story -- including getting all of it (ALL back story) out of chapter one, couldn't have been more pertinent.  If you haven't read the post, please do.  Here's the link:  That Sneaky Backstory

In her discussion, Justine shared Donald Maas' advice from Writing the Breakout Novel Workbook.  His Number One tip that grabbed me by the shoulders and shook hard was this:  "In the first fifty pages of your novel, find any scene that establishes the setting, brings the players to the stage, sets up a situation, or that is otherwise backstory.  Put brackets around the material, or highlight it in your electronic file.  Cut and paste this material into chapter fifteen. Yes, chapter fifteen."  (The whole post is so good -- I hope you read it!)

Besides being eye-opening advice, for me, this led to several other questions.  For example, how long is fifty pages of a novel?  How long is one page?

I'm a novice novelist, so I know lots of you writer-readers are shouting the answer at me through your screens.  You've already been down this stretch of the path.  Since it's my first time, I'll share what I learned.

According to the first five websites Google suggested, industry standard preferred length is 250 words per page. Just to test this, I grabbed a recent book acquisition off the to-read pile, opened to a random page, and typed.  I found there were 247 words on that page.  Cool.

However, the text only covered ½ of the page.  You see, my preferred font has always been Calibri, size 11, with line spacing at 1.5.  I only double space between paragraphs.

When I changed the document to Times New Roman, 12 pt., double-spaced throughout, the text covered the page, exactly.

Now, I have a better idea how to gauge how far into my MS I am, and I can think more specifically about where the backstory, and other plot elements, should go.  I'm excited about the insight!

Here are some interesting articles regarding this topic:

Fiction Factor

Writing Fiction

William Shunn -- (Short Story Guidelines, but still applicable)

I know submitted manuscripts should follow each agent or publisher's specific guidelines.  But I'd love to know how you work with your manuscripts.  What font and size do you write your drafts in?  Do you reformat when sending your work to critique partners, for easier edit inserts?


Thanks, in advance, for sharing with me!

  

Cyber BFFs in REAL life -- and a Blog Hop

Me, DL, and Summer

I had the enormous pleasure in meeting up with DL Hammons (Cruising Altitude) and Summer (...and this time concentrate!) for brunch on Saturday.  Summer and I had met once before, a couple weeks ago, but this was our first time meeting DL in person.  I was sooooo excited -- and we had a great time together!

Each of our significant others joined the party.  I hope Kim, Evan and Christian don't mind me putting their pics up.  (Call or email me, quick, if they do!)

Evan and Summer -- such a great couple

DL and Kim -- In town for the LSU game.  Sooo glad they proposed we get together while they were in ATL!

Christian and me -- I took this...we have a LOT of pics like this, taken of us, by us :P

We talked writing, about our lives, our kids, our jobs.  We shared many laughs.  I was so happy to be there, with them.  What a day!  And, DL gave me a copy of his MS, bound with a hardcover and awesome cover art.  I'm a chapter in already and loving it.  What an amazing souvenir for the day!

If you are new to my blog, or haven't met DL or Summer yet, please shoot over and follow them.  I've known both are talented writers, having read excerpts of their work on their blogs.  Now I know they are wonderful people, too!  Here are their links again:  DL's blog  and  Summer's blog. 

Can't wait until we get together again!!

Psst!  Do you know about Karen Gowen's blog hop this weekend?  If you've come here today by way of her blog, hello!  Welcome!  Anyone else, click HERE to get in on the action!

Happy Labor Day, everyone!!

Paranormalcy Conest Entry & Book Recs Galore!

[My entry for Kiersten White's At Home with Paranormalcy Contest is at the bottom of this post!]

Last night as I was cooking dinner, I realized it was September 2nd.  Normally, I know the date earlier in the day!  But this has been another busy week that's left me reeling in its wake.  (That's my story, at least, and I'm sticking to it.)  So why was I suddenly excited, as September 2nd seeped into my overloaded brain?  That's the date Amazon said my order would arrive.  I rushed out to the mailbox.

And there they were.  Not just a box from Amazon, but also an envelop from Shannon Messenger!

In Shannon's envelop was the ARC of Kathy Reichs' newest book, Virals, with a release date of November 2010.  I won this in one of Shannon's recent contests, which totally rocked my world -- and I didn't even know at the time that it was SIGNED.  Yes!  I'm a big Kathy Reichs fan, so having this ARC is sooo cool.  Thanks, Shannon!!!!

In the Amazon box was Nightshade City, by the lovely Hilary Wagner.  I have been anxiously awaiting this book.  Hilary is the kindest blogger/writer out there, and her artistic energy is evident in everything she writes.  As many of you know, Rick Riordan, author of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series endorsed this book with a praising testimonial on the back cover.  How exciting for a debut author!!!  Way to go, Hilary, and I can't wait to read you book!

And the second book in my Amazon box was Kiersten White's breakout novel, Paranormalcy.  The buzz surrounding this book across the blogosphere and in major bookstores is incredible.  I read four pages of chapter one as I cooked dinner, and I was immediately hooked by main character Evie's voice.  She's funny, confident, bold, and exactly the kind of heroine I want to get behind and root for to the end.  I can't wait to read this one, as well!

Kiersten is having a contest on her blog (you can enter, too. HERE's the link).  In her words: "...until September 12th, you can enter the At Home with Paranormalcy contest! It's pretty simple. Buy Paranormalcy, take it home, and take a picture of yourself doing something with the book."  (And she gives hilarious examples to help inspire you)

So, here is my entry for Kiersten's contest! 

Me, cooking dinner with Paranormalcy!

And, don't miss out on the great prizes in these contest:

Theresa Milstein at Substitute Teachers Saga is giving away a SIGNED copy of Mockingjay!!  Seriously!  How awesome is she to share the spoils of her two-hour wait in line and let us help her celebrate her first blogging anniversary with this awesome contest??  CLICK HERE to enter before September 6th!

Jamie Burch at Dancing Down Serendipity Street is hosting the Moon Chasers Contest, with a prize package you won't want to miss (it includes chocolate, fyi).  CLICK HERE to enter before September 7th!

And Sarah Ahiers at Falen Formulates Fiction is celebrating her 200+ followers with a contest offering beautiful handmade journals for prizes.  Enter a poem for extra entries!  CLICK HERE for details before September 17th!

Do you know any contests I haven't mentioned?  Pimp them in the comment section.  Thanks in advance!

Happy Labor Day weekend, y'all!

Tick, Tock, Write a Lot

Just when I think life can't get any busier, I succumb to the urges of my sisters' long-standing, near-failed campaign to get me on FaceBook.  Reconnecting with my family at last week's funeral and baptism melted my resolve like ice cream in Georgia sun, and I can't seem to get enough of them.  Plus, I'm finding my college sorority sisters, who I haven't chatted with since before my Peace Corps years.  Okay, I admit it: I'm loving FB.  (Let the ridicule begin.)

It's never been more important than now to schedule my time, so that the writing rope I've been swinging on doesn't fray and snap.  Jessica Bell (The Alliterative Allomorph) to the rescue!  Jessica and I are newly formed critique partners, and I'm ecstatic about our partnership.  I've read some of her fiction and her poetry, and I "get" her. Probably because I write like her.  Our styles are similar, our preferred genres are in the same family, and our positions along our journeys are comparable.  (Except she's "more published" than I am :D)

We've discussed how much we can read/critique at a time and set up a regular schedule when we'll swap chapters.  This is good for me on so many levels.  First, it gives me much-needed deadlines.  I've always worked most efficiently and effectively with a looming deadline.  Second, it propels me into the revision stage with the chapters I've written, while pushing me to write the chapters I've outlined but haven't reached yet.  Since this is my first experience with a writing project of this magnitude, I've tried to listen to the advice of many successful authors and pen the entire first draft, before beginning the revision process.  But in all honesty, I don't think that's the best approach, for me.  I reach a certain point and just can't seem to move forward, for want of revising the early plot and character groundwork that isn't right (enough) for later chapters.

And, did I mention how excited I am to start reading Jessica's book??  I know the premise and have read excerpts.  Her characters are authentic and people I want to cheer on, my kind of people with tormenting inner conflicts and a support system that contributes to their problems more than helps them through.  She's brilliant, and if you don't follow her blog yet, here's the link again *wink* --->  The Alliterative Allomorph

In addition to my new writing schedule, I'm going to schedule time in every day for social networking and housework (in that order, LOL).  Otherwise, I'll sit here and converse on FB and tweet and read blogs, all day long.  Which I'd love to do, of course, but Overcome isn't going to write itself, is it?

What about you?  How do you schedule your time?  Do your writing/crit partners play a role in how you manage your time?  

Pumping Legs and Arms, but Gaining Speed Slowly

I have a New York hangover.

As some of you know, the weekend plans to attend my nephew's baptism changed last week when my cousin Ryan passed away from a brain tumor.  He'd outlived his 2-3 month prognosis and survived 18 months past the initial diagnosis.  One of the many blessings throughout his journey.  Being reunited with my extended, Upstate New York family was one of mine.

I flew to Syracuse on Wednesday night, arriving at my parents' house after midnight.  The funeral was the next day, and the reception that followed took place at another cousin's restaurant, which was closed to the public for the night.  As dusk fell, the sound system cranked, and Ryan's favorite band, Tragically Hip, blared through the speakers.  Drinks flowed, lyrics were shouted, glasses were raised over and over, to Ryan.   Perhaps not a traditional send-off, but one Ryan would have appreciated.

The next day, two of my sisters and I hung out, looking at old family photos and enjoying my nieces and nephews.  On Saturday morning, my sister and her son, and my parents and I boarded a plane for New York City.  The regularly scheduled weekend program kicked in, and we celebrated yet another sister's baby's baptism.  (For those of you wondering, I am the oldest of five sisters.  No brothers.  Yep, estrogen and drama -- we have plenty of both in our family.)

The most excellent story line for fiction is playing out in one of my sister's real life.  One day, I hope to write it.  Now isn't the time, of course.  Inner conflict is no laughing matter.  But I took notes...just in case.

I arrived home at 1:30 Monday morning.  Needless to say, I took a couple naps yesterday.  Today, I'm trying to get back into the swing of things, but it seems no matter how hard I pump my arms and legs, I feel like I'm trudging through water.  Leaning on caffeine to carry me through.

I'll leave you with a pic from the baptism of my beautiful sisters:

Natasha (the christened baby's mama), Noelle, Nadine, Natalie, and me

Have a wonderful day, all!

Joyful, Yet Unplugged

I'm coming off a great weekend and streaking into this Monday with ample amounts of energy and purpose.  If only every Monday felt as vigorous as this one!

We had more rain than sunshine over the weekend, but the kids and I stayed busy with a new project that's got our creative blood pumping.  In addition, I learned I won two blog contests -- an Amazon gift card from Amy Holder and an ARC from Shannon Messenger -- and I've been doing a goofy happy dance since.  Hubs and I cooked together, amazing meals both Saturday and Sunday nights, so I have a food buzz on top of everything.

In short, life is good.

Thank goodness, too, because I have quite a week in front of me.  I'm coordinator of the Student Store at my daughter's school, and this is the last week of planning before we open our doors next week.  Lots to do with that.  And, I'm leaving on Friday for NYC, where my family is reuniting for my baby sister's son's baptism.  He is her first baby, and we are all so excited to celebrate this event with her.  Not only do I have to organize myself for the trip, but I have to help prepare hubs and the kids, who are staying behind but enjoying the weekend at Callaway Gardens, in the Black Mountains of GA.  All this, while I WRITE -- 'cause the muse is back in the house!

All this to say: with all that's going on this week, I'm going to unplug and jump in with both feet.  I have the energy and motivation to make great things happen in the next couple days, and I'm going for it!  I hope you have a great week and reach all your goals, too!!

Remember...

Enjoy it!!

(Brought to you by an annoyingly bubbly and optimistic blogger, for a Monday anyways...!)

Guess That Character Blogfest -- The Reveal

Day Two of Jen's from Unedited's Guess That Character Blogfest is the reveal of my spotlighted character!

Julie Knotts is a young woman in her mid-twenties who is living on her own for the first time, without family or room mate.  It's a scary time for her, because unresolved issues from a childhood tragedy compromise her sense of security in the world.  Most of the time, she's just plain paranoid that the worse case scenario is destined to play out.  She's carefree by nature, so the forced conditioning her personality suffers from fear is her greatest inner conflict.

So, without further ado, here is Julie:

 

She's highly artistic, but lacks the self-confidence to pursue her talents (What if no one thinks I'm any good? What if I can't pay my bills? What if I have an accident and hurt my hands, or my eyes, and can't paint or play music anymore?  What if...?  What if...?)

Thanks everyone who visited my blog and made a guess.  There were a lot of participants!  I wasn't able to visit everyone's entry.  I think I fell short by about 15.  I'm going to try to get around to those I missed yesterday!!

A LOT of you guessed correctly!  I was very impressed :D

Thanks, Jen, for the fun time! *hugs*

Guess That Character Blogfest!

Thanks to Jen at Unedited for hosting one of the most enjoyable blogfests evah!  Her ingenious idea is this: Based on the character's voice as you read the short excerpt below from my current WiP, tell me in the comment section what you imagine the character looks like.  Tomorrow I'll post her "photo," and we'll both get a kick out of learning: how closely you guessed her physical characteristics; and how successful I was at infusing her essence into the writing.

Keep in mind this is rough, rough, rough -- first draft, for real!  Not a lot of literary magic in there (YET) :D  Okay, disclaimer aside, here goes:

When the digital clock alarm sounded the next morning, Julie was already washing her face in the bathroom.  Early morning was her favorite time of day.  The air always smelled fresher, and her energy was always the highest, just after the sun came up.  If reincarnation was real, and she suspected it was, Julie was quite certain she was once a bird who soared across dawn skies, heralding each new day with twitters and chirps.

She switched the alarm to off and changed out of pajamas and into a cut-off pair of jean shorts and boxy white tee shirt.  She gathered the bottles and tubes from the ledge around the bathroom sink in her one laundry basket, lay the towels from the racks on top, and placed the framed mixed medium collage she’d done in a college art class on top.  She spent the minimum amount of time necessary to prep the room, mostly running a dust rag along the baseboards and window sash.  She prided herself with having a steady hand, plus she’d be armed with the ten dollar detail paintbrush, so she skipped taping off the trim entirely.

When she pried off the paint can lid and stirred the Toasted Pine paint, her excitement grew.  Pouring the thick paint into the roller pan doubled her elation.  But when she drew the roller across the middle of the wall, a swathe of silvery moss-colored paint covering the uninspired perfection of beige, her heart sang.  Within minutes, she was lost in her project and her joy.

So what do you think Julie Knotts looks like? 

Swing by tomorrow when I'll post her photo!  

Also click HERE to read all the excerpts by Guess That Character Blogfests participants!

Look Who I Met!

Summer and me, at Starbucks

Yesterday, I had a GREAT day.  I met Summer (...and this time, concentrate!) for coffee!  Not cyber-coffee, either.  Actual hot beverages, enjoyed face-á-face, outside the blogosphere in the land of flesh-and-blood.  Those of you lucky enough to have met with writer/bloggers know how thrilling it is to sit across from a 3-D version of your blogger bud's profile photo, to hear her voice, and to talk in depth about writing and about life in general.  It was nothing short of awesome!

I don't have a great deal of support of my writing in my life.  English is my husband's second language, and he has no desire to struggle through my stories.  He's fine with me writing, as long as I don't do it when he's home.  I can live with that.  My kids are very proud of my accomplishments, but they complain incessantly if they are home and I'm "on the boring computer."  Friends listen when I bring up my writing, but very soon their eyes glass over, and I know it's time to change the subject.  It was really, really nice to sit with Summer (for two and a half hours!!) and talk about our projects, our short and long term goals, what it would mean to be published, or not.  I'm looking forward to many more chats!

And, I feel energized to get writing.  Thanks for that, Summer:)

I hope everyone's enjoying their week so far.  Happy Hump Day, everyone!

Have You Heard?

The super talented, extremely generous, and all-around gorgeous Shannon Whitney Messenger has announced the first part of her Mega-Epic-Contest-of-Awesome.  She has SO much prize swag to give away, she had to break her contest up.  That means more chances for us to win!

So what's up for grabs now, in M.E.C.A. Part One? 

FIVE ARCs by awesome authors, whose books release next month!

You must be a Shannon Whitney Messenger follower to enter, so if it's your first time visiting her, please mention I sent you :D  (Enter before August 21st)

Click HERE to enter today!

I'm doing a lot of writing this week, so I'll appear absent.  I will be reading your blogs, but I'm going to restrict my commenting time.  You know how it is: sometimes, you have to just write! :D  Thinking of you and hoping you have a fab week!

The Truth Is in the Eye of the POV

I'm a fan of stories told from multiple viewpoints.  

(Note: To clarify, I do not enjoy omniscient POV.  When I say multiple viewpoints, I'm referring to novels where there is a clear shift in POV, ie: at the beginning of a new chapter or scene.  Head-hopping causes me to throw the book across the room.)  

For me, a central conflict is infinitely more interesting when I'm able to sympathize, or at least understand, different characters' interpretations of the situation.  In the end, there are very few truths in life.  Perceptions, ideologies, right verses wrong: all are highly subjective and relative notions.

I was thinking  this morning about it while watching Good Morning America.  The show highlighted yet another side to what's becoming the multi-faceted story of "modern folk hero" Steven Slater.  He is the Jet Blue flight attendant who lost his cool on August 9th, cussed out the entire plane of passengers, grabbed his carry-on luggage and a couple brew-skis, deployed the inflatable emergency exit slide, and used it to deplane.

The original story, told from Slater's POV, alleged that upon arriving and taxiing to the gate, a passenger stood and opened the overhead luggage bin before the fasten seatbelt light was turned off.  According to Slater, the passenger argued with him and her luggage fell from the bin, striking him on the forehead.  He snapped, fed up with a career of dealing with rude, unruly passengers, and acted out the climactic scene of his original production "Take This Job and Shove It."

Today, Good Morning America interviewed a passenger from that flight, who told a different story.  As the GMA website recapped, "Witnesses have also told police that it was Slater who was rude to passengers, and the cut on his forehead came at the beginning of the flight, not during an altercation with a surly passenger after the plane landed, as Slater has claimed."

What's fascinating about this story is the incident took place within the tight confines of an airplane, yet it's very difficult to sort out what really happened.  How could one person claim the suitcase conked Slater on the head, and others claim it didn't happen?

And around the globe, news audiences are interpreting this unfolding story according to their own past experiences and  personal codes of ethics.  Flight attendants have been quoted as applauding Slater's actions, understanding how much they have to put up with in their service-oriented careers.  Others feel dealing with rude customers is part of the job and those in service industries have to handle themselves with professionalism, at all costs.  Whether Slater is a hero or a villain is becoming a lively debate.

In fiction, we should remember that no conflict exists in black and white.  Life is like that: complicated, subjective, and messy.   By allowing the reading into the minds and hearts of different characters, we explore the shades of gray in every incident.  In turn, the emotional impact on the reader will elevate, and the story with ring true with authenticity.

So what do you think?  Is Steven Slater the hero or the villain of his story? 

A Method For Every Madness

[Awesome artwork by the talented Leon Harmon. Visit his blog and DeviantArt gallery!]

I once read that it takes a writer ten years of work to learn to write.  I scoffed at that.  If your creative mind is brimming with story ideas and you have natural word-smithing talent, I reasoned, what's there to learn?

Three years and approaching 100 short stories later, I am humbly aware of how much I still have to learn.

Case in point:  What's the best way for me to approach a new story?

The first couple of stories I penned were by the seat of my pants.  I had ideas and I went with them.  As if by magic, the beginnings, middles and endings emerged as cohesive tales with rich exposition and suspenseful climaxes.

A funny thing happened as I delved deeper into the craft.  The magic started to fade.  Not in the end result, but in the process.  Was I thinking too hard?  Did trying to finesse the story damped the creative kindling?  I didn't have any answers.  All I knew was the honeymoon phase was over.  And the real work began.

I've attempted outlining my stories with various tried-and-true methods touted by published, award-winning authors.  I've tried working a story out from start to finish in my head before sitting down and banging it out.  Once, I began with the ending and worked my way back to the beginning.  (Not my favorite experience.)  I prefer working at a snail's pace and editing as I go, but I have tried writing a fast draft and then spending weeks editing paragraph by paragraph, sentence by sentence.

And here I am, with a new story idea ready to go, stuck because I don't know how to approach it.

Then last night, I had an a-HA moment during Curriculum Night at my son's middle school.  We were in a session with the Language Arts teacher who was talking about her approach to teaching creative writing.  Her students outline their idea, sketch the scene, write the first draft, then edit and revise until it's finished.  Writing 101, right?  So why the a-HA moment?

This new story is stalled because although the basics are worked out in my mind, I haven't decided the order of events.  Open on the balcony or in front of the computer?  Climactic moment happens in the apartment or out on the street?  Is the character involved in the twist a sideline character or will she join the others center stage?

If I sketch the scene first, screenplay style, I'll have the freedom of auditioning different scenarios.  Sort of like thumbnail images before the brush strokes canvas.

It's worth a shot. Who knows, maybe I'll learn this is the method that works best for me.

Or, maybe the real lesson is every project calls for its own process.  A different method for every madness.  If the opening statement holds truth, I still have seven years to figure it out.

What about you?  Do you approach every new story in the same way?  Or do you find your process changes with every project?

  

    

Sweat, Tears, and Story Ideas

There's a creative writing contest I'm interested in entering which calls for a short story with a maximum word count of 2000, inspired by this quote:

"The key to change...is to let go of fear."

-- Rosanne Cash

I've been chewing on the quote for a couple days now, but no characters have whispered to me and no story lines have wiggled their way into my imagination.  Until this morning.

There I was, on the treadmill for the first time since before my trip to France, going at a much slower pace than what's "normal" for me but getting my sweat on just the same.  (How come it takes so long to get INTO shape, and such a short time to fall OUT of shape??)

And a story began to reveal itself, a tight skein of fiction unraveling with each quarter mile into a colorful pile of plot and character threads, ready for sorting and weaving.  I was so inspired, I almost pushed the 'end workout' button and dashed for my car.  But how ungrateful would that have been?  My faithful writing partner, the treadmill, deserved a full visit, especially since it's been so long since we last enjoyed each others company.  So I finished the program, happy, my heart rate elevated and skin glistening with sweat.

And then I dashed for my car.

I'm off to bang out my first draft of the new short.  (*raises arm and sniffs pit*)  ...And then I'll really need a shower.

I'm often inspired to write when I'm on the treadmill.  Where are you when story ideas frequently come to you? 

High Drama Blogfest!

     My entry for DL Hammon's High Drama Blogfest was originally written during a two-week long challenge I took earlier this year.  Inspired by a different photograph prompt each day, I was to write for exactly fifteen minutes.
     On this particular day, the prompt was a manipulated photographic image of a seductive woman stood poised, as if dancing, at stage right. She was almost in silhouette from the glare of stage lights.  But dead center was (obviously Photoshopped in) an enormous pair of heavily made-up eyes.  The immediate impulse was to write a voyeuristic piece of erotica, but the contest asked us to look deeper into the photo, up our bars, and find an unexpected story.  That's what I tried to do.  You decide whether I was successful. :)

Mama

By Nicole Ducleroir

My hand pauses midair, inky mascara wand quivering.  I stare at my eyes in the mirror, but all I see is the photograph of my mother, wedged into the upper corner of the mirror's frame. In my peripheral vision, she seems to be moving, swaying her hips in slow figure eights of seduction. When I shift my eyes up to it, she freezes, arms stretched over her head, her body’s curves exaggerated.

The photo is old; Mom could have been my age in it. The photographer captured her during some performance, in some city, during some tour. I don’t even remember when it came into my possession. It feels like I’ve always had it. 

I think of my mother and chords of emotion tangle up, choking my heart. She is a loving woman, angelic even. The scrapbook of my mind falls open to a random page, of her singing softly to me when I had the chicken pox, to distract me from tearing at my itchy skin. Mental fingers rifle through more pages; memories surge of us lying on a blanket in the shade of a tree in the park, tickling each other until our laughter lost its sound and we gasped for breath. Or the summer nights neither of us could sleep, when we’d crawl out the upstairs window and lie on the hot roof, counting stars. 

The tangle tightens, reining in my nostalgia.

Darker pages divulge… The mornings, too numerous to count, when I’d wake up in my frilly, pink bed and stumble to the kitchen, dragging my teddy bear by the arm, to silence broken only by the ticking clock over the sink. No smell of brewing coffee. No boxes of cereal laid out on the table for a little girl to choose. No sign of an adult, anywhere.

Or the late night jam sessions and long-haired musicians.  Flashes of frightening tattoos and the strangers who flaunt them, given free range of our house. And me, cowering in the shadows of the stairwell, listening to the sound of glasses clinking and smelling smoke, its various perfumes wafting together in a haze. I learned curse words I knew where vile even at that young age. And when I wanted Mom to tuck me into bed, she’d stare at me with black eyes that should have been blue, as if she didn’t recognize me.

More often than not, she didn’t.

A knock at the door startles me.  Mom resumes her dance in my peripheral vision, and in the mirror I see the door behind me open and Ted stick in his head.

“You’re on in five.”

I thank him and he closes the door. I go to stand, but my head spins and I grip the dressing table to steady myself. One hand strays to my still-flat tummy, rests on the coarse, sequined material. I wait for the nausea to pass, but it won’t. I glance once more at Mom as I turn and rush to the toilet.

(499 words)

l'd love to hear what you think!  Also, click this link check out all the participants in today's

High Drama Blogfest!

Happy Writing the Weekend!

This Newbie's Twitter 911 Call

My Twitter 911 call is below, but first off: Don't miss uber-awesome Lola Sharp's epic give-away contest.  Her recent vacation in Maine inspired the prizes up for grabs, including Stephen King's On Writing, the scariest fridge magnet you've ever seen, featuring that freaky clown from It (the movie), a bottle of Lola's signature scent (Marc Jacob's perfume sharing her name), AND a surprise prize from Maine, (I'm hoping it's a lobster, but that's just me :D).

You have to be a Sharp Pen/Dull Sword follower to enter (and she's one of the wittiest, most creative bloggers I know, so you "win" just by following!)

Contest ends August 20th!  Enter HERE!

Now...I need your help.

I joined Twitter...and I'm a little confuzzled and would love some help figuring it all out.

Anyone with answers and/or tips regarding the following, please feel free to comment below or email me at heftynicki(at)writing(dot)com:

*  Is there some sort of main page where everyone's tweets stream in real time?  Or do you only see what's on your home page timeline, ie: the tweets by the people you follow?

*  If I search in Twitter, do I have to know the hashtag, or can I type any subject/keyword in there?

*  Is there a place on my Twitter homepage where I can store people's usernames, so I don't have to go to their page to remember their @username?

*  And if so, how do I add their @username at the end of my tweet?  (Gawd, I'm such a Twitter newbie *blush*)

*  What in the hell is #FF????

*  ANY tips on Twitter etiquette are greatly appreciated, including:
-- Do I thank people who follow me?  ...how?
-- Do people direct tweets at other people, or only respond to general tweets people send out?
-- What's an example of being rude on Twitter?
-- What's the general "follow back" policy?

Okay, that's enough questions, for now.  If these spark ideas in areas I didn't cover, don't hold back!  Share your thoughts in the comment area!

Huge shout-out to everyone who's already noticed little me over there and clicked the follow button.  I appreciate you so much!!

To find me on Twitter, just click here:  NicoleDwrites  Hope to see you there!