Three Questions: Getting to Know Your Setting

Location, location, location!  In real estate, they say that location is everything. In your writing, SETTING plays a significant role.

1)  Real or imaginary?  If your location is a real place, have you actually been there?  If not, best be planning a road trip or else some serious research.  You need to truly know a place in order to write about it so that your readers believe it. You don’t want to be called out on your descriptions by the locals – that’s something that could completely blow your credibility. Conversely, if the town you write about is entirely fictional, you need to describe it so your readers will believe that it actually exists or possibly could.


2) Big city lights or down-home hospitality? In some instances, your location actually becomes a supporting character. Think of Sex and the City or The Andy Griffith Show. In Sex and the City, New York plays a major role. The show would not have been the same if it were set in Detroit, for example. Same thing with The Andy Griffith Show. Mayberry has a flavor, a texture, a feel so that not only do you believe it is real, but you can actually imagine what it would be like to visit, or even live there yourself.


3) Past, present or future? The Help would be a very different novel had Kathryn Stockett set it in 1942 or 2012. Instead, the setting is 1962, in the midst of the Civil Rights Movement. How would your story be different if it were set in the 1980’s? (Just think how much technology has changed since then!) What if it were set 10 years into the future?

Setting is too often neglected in discussions on good story telling. However, a little extra attention to this detail will reward your audience with a deeper reading experience!

If you don't find Beth here, come look out back in the garden.

Three Questions: Getting to Know Your Character

So, here's a quick quiz for you.  How well do you know your character?  Can you answer these three questions about him/her?


1)  What kind of underwear does your character wear?  Tighty whities?  Boxer briefs?  Bikini?  Commando?  Underwear choice says a lot about a person. 


2)  If your character saw a penny laying on the ground, would they stoop to pick it up?  Would they pick it up only if it were "heads up" because they are superstitious?  Would they pick it up because they were so broke that they needed a measly penny?  Would they step over it?  Would they miss it completely because they have their head in the clouds?

 

 3)  Who would your character take a bullet for?  Their family?  A friend?  What about their boss?  How about a complete stranger?  Nobody? 

Obviously, your reader doesn't need to know your answers. (Unless you are writing romance, in which case, question number one may be of paramount importance.)  However, the better able YOU are to answer these things then the more rich and complex your character will ultimately be!

Happy writing!!

Some days, you can find Beth here:  bethnbijoux

What's Your Favorite Book Store?

With the rise in popularity of e-books, there has been a corresponding bust of "big box" book stores.  At the same time, however, it seems something else is going on... independent book sellers, book resellers, and on-line book stores have continued to survive - some might even say thrive! - in this tight economy.  When an e-book won't do, and you just have to have that good, old-fashioned book-in-hand experience, who do you turn to?  What's your favorite book store?

Here in Columbus, Ohio, we have a nice selection of book stores to choose from. 
The Village Bookshop in Linworth is one of my favorites!

The Village Bookshop inhabits an old church building.

It's a treasure trove of good reads...and bargains!!!

Take a seat.  Stay and read for a while.

So, What Type of Work Do You Do?

As I hope you all know by now, Fiction Flurry is busily preparing for COSTOWRIMO (Columbus Area Story Writing Month) – our very own version of NANOWRIMO (National Novel Writing Month)! To that end, we are planning both on-line and in-person get-togethers and write-ins.

During the preparation for one of these write-ins, a group e-mail was circulated with ideas and suggestions for meeting places. One of our very own writers, Colleen, wrote that we should consider having one of our gatherings take place at Panera Bread. Colleen wrote, “I’ve been working there most Monday evenings.” This piqued my interest! I love Panera and wrote back to tell Colleen this.

Here is my confession: it took me an embarrassing amount of correspondence before I realized that Colleen was not working as a barista, a cashier or a “sandwich artist.” Nope. In fact, Colleen – who is a marvelous and gifted storyteller, I might add – was “working” on writing!

This is not the type of “work” in the sense that I believe most of us think of. You know, spending 40+ hours per week residing in Cubicle 107F, Soulless Mega Company, USA. This is work that is done out of passion, as a choice, not out of obligation or necessity to pay the electric bill. This is taking your writing seriously, realizing that it is “work” and should be honored and respected as such. It is realizing that in order to go from writer to published author, you must dedicate yourself and a portion of your time to this endeavor – in other words, work!

So I wonder, what type of work do you intend to do on your journey to publication?

PLEASE BE SURE TO JOIN US FOR COSTOWRIMO

OUR FIRST WRITE IN WILL BE ON

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2012

FROM 11:30 TO 2:30

AT THE MARYSVILLE PUBLIC LIBRARY

231 S. PLUM STREET, MARYSVILLE, OHIO 43040

And please come visit me at:  bethnbijoux

Writing for the Ear

I recently submitted a piece to the group for critique. As the comments came back, they contained much of the standard fare:

“This is a run-on sentence.”

“Fragment, delete.”
“Consider rewording.”

And that is when it dawned on me for the very first time in my entire writing life: I do not write for the eye. I write for the ear. Whenever I read – or write – a story, in the back of my head I am constantly hearing the hum of the words as they lift from the paper and zing between my ears. I can hear my characters speak; I can feel their frustration, their angst, their undiluted joy held within the pauses, the stops, the crescendos of the words. Sometimes it’s not pretty. Because it exists in a place beyond the eye. The world is not shaded merely by black and white, and neither should our writing be.

This got me into considerable trouble when I was younger. No, Mom, I actually didn’t hear you calling me to dinner. You see, I was lost in the mist with Carl Sandburg as he ominously informs me:

The fog comes
on little cat feet.


It sits looking
over harbor and city
on silent haunches
and then moves on.

Can’t you hear that delicious alliteration? Can’t you feel the darkness deepening around you as it silently overtakes you, as it settles down around you, before you’ve even taken note?

Sure, you can write: “Mary ran outside to play.” That’s a fine sentence. Nothing wrong with it. Our gal Mary just wants to head on out and get some fresh air and sunshine. But if you write: “Mary ran outside. To play.” Hmm, now we’ve got ourselves a whole new situation. Was there another choice besides playing? Don’t you wonder: what was she doing before she ran outside? Why does the author feel he must inform us that she went out to play? There’s an implication in breaking the Rules for Writers contained in this sentence. There is more here than a sweet little girl and a dreamy day. There are things unsaid.

Conversely, run on sentences can be used to show enthusiasm, breathlessness, an overabundance of anxiety or anticipation. It’s called poetic license, and I utilize it liberally. I think Encyclopedia Britannica has captured the essence of it quite succinctly:

…The pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables, and the sounds and modulations of the words themselves all affect the subtle meanings and feelings that the poet may be trying to convey or evoke. Poets may distort normal prose patterns for the sake of form and therefore assume poetic license…

Writing is about more than what meets the eye. Writing should encourage all of the senses to join in. When you read about a field of lavender, you should see the royal purple tide swell before you, smell the subtly spicy fragrance as the tender leaves succumb underfoot, feel your boot solidly moving amongst the stalks. And yes, hear the words as they fall down upon you, a sudden, unexpected but oh-so-sweet spring shower.

Writing for the ear may not be pretty on the page. But then again, it shouldn’t be.

http://www.bethnbijoux.blogspot.com/

Gee, I Hope the Feds Never Confiscate My Computer

Research and writing go hand in hand. Last year, I was fortunate enough to attend a short series of classes on the topic taught by local author Alicia Adams (Bathroom Book of Ohio Trivia). One vital lesson she drilled into us was: never let the internet be either your sole or primary resource! Get out there and be sure to get your facts right.

Incredibly enough, I have even heard some anecdotal tales about folks basing their information on works of FICTION (and I’m not just talking WIKIs). Here is a word to the wise: don’t do it!

Now, having said all that, your Home Computer or Laptop is a great place to START your research, however. Call it the tip of the research iceberg, if you will.

Here are a few of the things I have looked into for my fiction over the last couple of years:

“Totally Pedestrian and Not at all Suspect” Searches:

Native Flowers of West Virginia
Carnegie Libraries
Ladies Fashion in the Early 20th Century

“Possibly Suspicious, But Hopefully Under the Radar” Searches:
How to Make Moonshine
Drowning

“Momma, I’m Gonna Need Bail Money” Searches:

How to Detonate a Home Made Still

How to Prepare a Corpse for Burial

Using Arsenic to Embalm a Body

How about you?

What interesting/unusual/weird things have you researched while writing?

A Brief Word on Writer's Block

What would you have to say if I were to tell you that there’s no such thing as “writer’s block”? Hey! Hey you in Poughkeepsie, I heard that! Geez, I haven’t been called that since ninth grade.

Just hear me out. Like you, I endeavor to write. And like you, sometimes I feel like I simply cannot write. There have been days when I have been too sad to write. Or too anxious. Or too preoccupied. Too tired, too busy, too overwhelmed. Even too bored! Too, too, too.

But on any one of those days, was I able to open my e-mail and jot off a note to a friend? Text my brother? Update my Facebook status? Tweet to the entire free world? Well, sure! Er, uh, what I mean is, I guess I wasn’t actually incapacitated or anything. I mean I could write; right? So what was it? What was stopping me?

It was me.

Likewise, you are stopping yourself.

To write or not to write is a choice. Always remember this. Writing, be it for a job, a hobby, or “just for fun” is an activity. Like jogging or watching TV or playing a round of golf, writing can only be accomplished when you pursue it. Nobody needs “inspiration” to sit down and watch the boob tube. The “golf muse” doesn’t tap you on the shoulder and encourage your choice of clubs.

Hey, I am not saying it’s easy. Some days, it’s not. But what I am saying is that there is only one person who can write that story knocking around within the gray matter between your ears. That person is you – because it’s your story and no one else’s.

So push “too this” to the side and sweep “too that” out of the way. Choose to write that story today!

Come say "hi" to Bijoux (she's irresistible):

http://www.bethnbijoux.blogspot.com/

Because Santa Said So!

Back when I was five years old, my best friend in the whole world was a little boy who lived down the lane named Teddy. We had practically everything in common. We both had tag-along little brothers who were the bane of our existence and whom we tortured endlessly. We both loved to play outside, all the more so after our mothers had called us in and we feigned temporary deafness. We both adored going barefoot in the warmer months. Essentially, all the most important qualifications for a childhood friendship.

But, alas. One day a terrible rift surfaced in our relationship.

For, you see, Teddy’s birthday fell in the languid summer months, and mine fell in the cool autumnal season. And so that September, I watched from my second floor bedroom window while my friend, Teddy, climbed the black, rubber-treaded steps of the yellow Indian Run School bus. Tears of the unfairness of it all, the blistering envy that I felt, puddled in the corners of my eyes. Teddy had started Kindergarten, and I would have to wait an entire year until I could go.

My greatest desire in the whole wide world at that tender age was to learn to read. I would sit upon my father’s lap while he read to me in the sinking light of the evenings, wondering in awe at the hieroglyphics that tap danced from their inky residence on the page and sprang to life with my father’s tenor voice.

Do you know a child like this? Is there a little bookworm in your life?

This Christmas, in addition to the bikes, the Disney movies, the action figures and the Wii games, I urge you to buy a child in your life a BOOK. (More than one is even better). Give a child the greatest possible gift – the gift of endless imagination. Reading is the foundation of learning, so encourage children this holiday toward achievement. Support their desire to read.

There are many fabulous choices out there. Here are but a few:

Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst

Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak

Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder

The Lion, The The Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis

Charlotte's Web by E.B. White

What about you?
What book will you be giving to kids this year?

http://www.bethnbijoux.blogspot.com/

Interview With Chuck Sambuchino (Part Two)

Do you know Chuck?

You should!  Chuck Sambuchino is the editor of Guide to Literary Agents (GLA).  In today's agent-driven marketplace, this is an absolutely indispensable tool in the writer's arsenal.  GLA has been updated for 2011, and you can find this latest version with one click.

Today we are talking with Chuck about the Guide to Literary Agents, his journey to becoming a published author and his thoughts for all the rest of us following him down that dusty road.  You can also check out the first part of the interview here.

What was the hardest part of completing your first book, Guide to Literary Agents (GLA)?

It took a lot of time to figure out how to update such a big book like that. Plus, when I first took over the book, I quickly discovered that there were many literary agencies in existence that were not in our database. So I aimed to get 50 new ones in my first edition of the book. I ended up adding something insane like 120.

Does it get easier with the second book? Third?

Oh yeah. Writing gets easier every year. You get better and learn quicker. You get more work—get paid better. Relationships you develop pay off later. It gets easier, but you have to be willing to put in at least two tough years.

Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

Focusing on one project and finishing it. I enjoy delving into an article or story and doing the first draft—creating something exciting and new. I do not enjoy the whole process of polishing and revising and rewriting. To me, that is a necessary evil that I just have to forge through.

Where do you get your ideas? And more specifically, I would especially love to hear the story behind your new book, How to Survive a Garden Gnome Attack.  How on earth did you come up with the idea for that?

It was a rainy weekend afternoon in early 2009 and I was thinking about The Full Monty (the 1997 film). In it, there is a scene with a garden gnome. I started to think how creepy gnomes were, and it occurred to me that if garden gnomes touched a nerve with me like that, surely they would touch a nerve with others. And that was how the proposal came to be. I pitched the idea to a bunch of friends and no one thought it was funny. Thank God, my agent (Sorche Fairbank) saw the potential and helped me.

Do you have any advice for other writers?

Geez Louise—how much time do you have? My blog (www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog) is a huge blog on publishing & writing that has more than 1,000 posts on it. It talks about queries, synopses, fiction, agents, submissions, platform, new agents—just about everything. Plus, I talk on writing and agents all the time at writers conferences across the country. Come out and meet me, or at least head to a local one in your area.

Any words to our readers on how to get published?

Educate yourself on how the publishing process and industry works. Write a lot. Read a lot. Attend writers conferences. Join writers groups. (And when you need an agent, consider the 2011 Guide to Literary Agents!)

What surprises you the most about the publishing industry as it stands today?

How slow everything works. Answers take weeks or months. Books take years to come to fruition. That’s the benefit of working on multiple projects at the same time—you are always busy with something, so the “slowness” doesn’t get to you.

What would your ideal career be, if you couldn't be an author? I understand you play guitar in a cover band. Are you still doing that? Where can we see you strut your stuff?

We play all around Cincinnati. You know—just last night—I was at a bar with my wife and friends, and a cover band was playing. So I did exactly what you think I’d do: I told the band it was my birthday (possibly untrue) and asked if I could play a song. They said yes and it was a bunch of fun. To answer your original question, there’s nothing I want to do more than writing and couldn’t imagine a full-time job doing anything else.

What are your current projects (writing or otherwise)?

Working on a proposal for my second humor book. Working on a screenplay with my buddy at work. And I was just named the new editor of Children’s Writer’s & Illustrator’s Market for the 2012 edition. So that is an important challenge for me in the coming months, to say the least.  (Click here for the 2011 edition.)

Do you have any final thoughts to share?

No, I’ve blabbed enough. A big “thanks” to Fiction Flurry for featuring my book.

Chuck Sambuchino (www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog) is an editor and a writer. He works for Writer's Digest Books and edits two annual resources: GUIDE TO LITERARY AGENTS as well as CHILDREN'S WRITER'S & ILLUSTRATOR'S MARKET. He is also a humor book writer, with his first book, HOW TO SURVIVE A GARDEN GNOME ATTACK, released in Sept. 2010.

Hey people!  Did you know that there are only 71 days until Christmas?  Yikes!  But I've got you covered!  You know those relatives on your list that are especially hard to shop for?  Chuck's new book, How to Survive a Garden Gnome Attack is the perfect answer for everyone this year!  I mean, everyone likes to laugh; right?  And even better, you don't even have to leave your chair to get it.  Just click here. 

AND A BIG THANK YOU TO CHUCK FOR SHARING HIS THOUGHTS AND TIME WITH US!!!

Interview With Chuck Sambuchino (Part One)

Chuck Sambuchino is a funny guy. He’s the kind of guy that you’d like to sit and have a beer with, or wish to have for a next door neighbor. If life were a sitcom, Chuck would be the best friend character – the one that, in the end, always gets all the laughs.

What makes me think this? Well, for one, I had the opportunity to interview Chuck for today’s Fiction Flurry post (part one today, part two to follow on Thursday). And secondly, I have read Sambuchino’s latest offering, How to Survive a Garden Gnome Attack. This is good stuff, people. If you have ever had a garden gnome, or know somebody who has, or even if your only experience with gnomes is that little Travelocity dude, then you need this book. Really. Protect yourselves, get the book, and exercise your right to laugh out loud!

Interview with Chuck Sambuchino (Part One):

I’d like to start with your background. Tell us a little bit about yourself. Where are you from?

Grew up in Erie, PA and went to college at Xavier University in Cincinnati. I live in Cincinnati now with my wife and super-flabby dog, Graham, who enjoys contributing nothing to society all day.

Do you recall how your interest in writing originated?

For as long as I can remember, I have loved telling stories to friends. If something happened with my buddies one night, the next day they would always ask me to tell the story—because I could tell it the best. I guess that was how it all started. In high school, I was writing fan fiction for myself—unaware that it was even called fan fiction.

What inspired you to write your first book?

My first book, technically, was the 2008 Guide to Literary Agents, and that was/is part of my full-time job at Writer’s Digest Books. Once you see your name on the spine of a book, it casts a spell on you. You want to write more. (You can find the 2011 version here.)

Did you just sit down one day and say “I’m going to write a book to be published?”

I’ve always wanted to write, but the type of writing was never an issue. In other words, I just want to write. I’ll write books, articles, plays, screenplays—whatever—it all is a joy.

Do you have a specific writing style?

I don’t know because I don’t really like to dissect my own style (if I even have a “style”), but I would say my writing is kind of sarcastic and dry, and also contains a bunch of pop culture references, even if some are very obscure.

Do you ever experience writer's block? If so, how do you get through it?

I explain my problems to friends at work (who are also editors). We kind of brainstorm how to get through an area. In return, I help them with their books if need be. That’s why it’s important to have writer friends you like and trust.

What were the challenges in bringing this new book, How to Survive a Garden Gnome Attack, to life?

Finding the right blend of humor and seriousness in what was going to be, essentially, a ridiculous, ridiculous survival parody. Also, I was responsible for providing all the garden gnomes that appear in the book’s many color photos. Gnomes aren’t cheap, so I ended up having to drive into a small town in Indiana where a man had a collection of 80 gnomes and was willing to lend us as many as we wanted for several months. He was a godsend.

Have you ever had to put a project away because you couldn’t write it?

Lots. A buddy and mine at my work have come up with 6 ideas for screenplays, but it was the sixth one before we could finish it beginning to end. An idea for a concept of a book or story or article is one thing. Actually filling in the 1,000 blanks in the middle is its own mini-nightmare. My first YA novel is something I had to stop writing—20,000 words in. I just realized the finished product would not be worth it. But all this is what makes writing so rewarding. The fact that it’s so hard is what makes it so sweet when success comes.

Have you ever hated something you wrote and why?

In my years writing, I have written plenty of magazine articles simply for money. For example, I’ve written about golf, Cessna jets, and the layout of new homes—all for a paycheck. I disliked every moment of those articles, but one thing I have learned over the years is that if you want to make a living as a writer, you will write some things for love and you will write some things for money—and that is OK. You need a healthy blend.

Please come back on Thursday for more with Chuck, when he will discuss a little about the Guide to Literary Agents, the publishing industry, and his advice to new writers.

Chuck Sambuchino (visit his blog here) is an editor and a writer. He works for Writer's Digest Books and edits two annual resources: GUIDE TO LITERARY AGENTS as well as CHILDREN'S WRITER'S & ILLUSTRATOR'S MARKET. He is also a humor book writer, with his book, HOW TO SURVIVE A GARDEN GNOME ATTACK, released in Sept. 2010 from Ten Speed Press / Crown. His first book was writing-related: the third edition of FORMATTING AND SUBMITTING YOUR MANUSCRIPT.

He is a produced playwright, with both original and commissioned works produced. His work has appeared in national and regional magazines, with recent articles in Watercolor Artist, Pennsylvania Magazine, The Pastel Journal, Cincinnati Magazine, Romance Writers Report and New Mexico Magazine. During the past decade, more than 600 of his articles have appeared in print. Sorche Fairbank of Fairbank Literary Representation (http://www.fairbankliterary.com/) is Chuck's literary agent. To read his blog, visit www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog.

Besides that, Chuck is a husband, cover band guitarist, chocolate chip cookie fiend, and owner of a flabby-yet-lovable dog named Graham.

Banned Books Week: Judith Krug's Legacy

Banned Books Week is an event that is observed every year during the last week of the month of September. This year, Banned Books Week runs from September 25 to October 2.

In 1982, librarian Judith Krug helped establish the first Banned Books Week. At the time, Ms. Krug was the director of the American Library’s Association Office for Intellectual Freedom. Ms. Krug is quoted as saying, “…libraries serve the information needs of all of the people in the community — not just the loudest, not just the most powerful, not even just the majority. Libraries serve everyone.”

In fact, Ms. Krug argued that books even she herself found offensive should not be banned from the public at large, and that “My personal proclivities have nothing to do with how I react as a librarian.”

In 2002, Krug related this humorous story to The Chicago Tribune, acknowledging her parents as the people who first instilled in her an appreciation for freedom of speech:

At about the age of twelve, young Judith was caught late one night by her mother with a flashlight and a sex education book.

“It was a hot book; I was just panting,” Krug recalled.

When her mother walked in and asked what she was doing, Krug was forced to show her the book.

“She said, ‘For God’s sake, turn on your bedroom light so you don’t hurt your eyes.’ And that was that,” Ms. Krug said.

Judith Krug died of stomach cancer on April 11, 2009 at the age of 69, but she left a lasting legacy – Banned Books Week celebrates our freedom of expression and our right to read whatever we, as individuals, should so choose.

Writing Dialogue

You can walk the walk, but can you talk the talk?

You do it every day. Women do it more than men. You probably started doing it in you crib. What is it? Talking! All of us speak, but we probably give the question “what’s for dinner” more consideration than we do to our ability for speech – or at least we spend more time talking about it, anyway! We simply take conversation for granted. So why is it, then, that creating believable dialogue is such a conundrum for so many talented writers? Ever pick up a book, get enchanted by the plot, then completely lose interest the moment the character opens his or her mouth? Sure, it happens all the time. You can imagine the setting in your mind, feel the scene unfolding – then wham – out of nowhere, the character’s tone or style of speech or stilted language jolt you right out of the story.

Here are some ideas for winning dialogue: 

If you have taken the time to really get to know your Main Character (MC) then you should also take the time to listen to how he/she speaks. Does he/she have a dialect? Use a lot of slang? Talk with the Queen’s English or use more street lingo? Make the dialogue match the MC.

Beware of the “information dump.” Sure, it seems easy enough – you’ve got to work that back story in there somewhere; right? Why not just have your MC give a grand soliloquy and fill all that boring stuff in? Because it is boring is why. It’s a chore to read through a big clump of information. If it’s that important for the reader to know, find a more creative way to weave it into your story.

Limit the adverbs. Yes, your MC might say things “softly,” “loudly,” “proudly,” “bravely,” and a whole host of other “-ly” ending ways. Some editors will advise you to remove all such tags. I come from a poetic background and can’t quite help myself when it comes to adding color. Just watch that you don’t abuse the adverbs. 

A lot of authors read their work out loud. To themselves. Okay, that’s great and all, but honestly, you just don’t hear yourself the way others hear you. Have you ever caught yourself on an answering machine or voice mail, for example, and thought, “Geez, who the hell was that? Oh yeah, that’s me!” Well, it’s like that. So have someone else read your work to you. You get an added bonus from this one – stuff that sounds good/makes perfect sense in your head may not translate so great after you hear it from someone else’s lips.

Be careful not to limit your character. You are not your MC. This is probably the most important thing I can say, so I will repeat it:  You are not your Main Character.  Your MC may say things that offend you – or that you (as an author) are afraid may offend others. Stay true to your MC and let their character unfold through their speech. Give your MC freedom of speech and you will be surprised at how much growth your entire work will receive in return from this.

Lastly, have fun writing! Writing anything – dialogue included – should never be something that you fear or worry over. Submerse yourself in your story. Close your eyes. Let the time and place wash over you, and then open your ears. What do you hear? What are they saying? Write it down! You will soon find that Main Characters have quite a unique way of telling you exactly what they want to say!

World Building

Both in fiction and nonfiction writing alike, your work should – in some form or another – answer the “big six”:

*Who?

*What?

*When?

*Where?

*How?

*Why?

Like a good recipe, you should add a splash of character, a dollop of plot and a dash of descriptive detail. We have discussed a number of these “ingredients” previously here at Fiction Flurry. Today, we are going to focus on the where.

As fiction writers, we have far greater latitude on this particular point than our fellow nonfiction writers who must stick to “just the facts, ma’am.” Rather than simply confining ourselves to the basic relaying of information like a police blotter (the event occurred at 1:00 p.m. on 123 Main Street), we have the license to create entire universes for our characters to play in, for their lives to unfold in.

However, when creating a brand new world, as a writer you must make the rules and norms of this foreign land familiar to your reader. If all the residents of Land Xulu are purple, for example, then you must show your reader this fact and reinforce it often enough so that Xulu soon becomes equated with blueberry-tinted folks in the reader’s mind. Ultimately, the imaginary world that you have created should be very much real in the mind’s eye of your reader. If you cannot achieve this from the outset, you lose credibility – and ultimately, your reader will be less likely to follow you into the land of make believe. The technical term for this is the suspension of disbelief. When you create a new universe with unique facts and laws of nature, a place that would not otherwise exist in reality, then your reader must pause, set down their preconceived notion of what is and what is not possible, then follow you as you guide them on this voyage.

Let’s look at an example from modern literature. If I were to say to you "Hogwarts," then the majority of you would be able to immediately conjure a fantastical place populated by Wizards, Muggles, and Dementors; with lessons on Divination and Occlumency; and where games of Quidditch break up the long days of studying. If any of these foreign words sound familiar to you, then you know I am talking about the world of Harry Potter as brought to life by author J.K. Rowling. Of course, none of these things exist in real life, yet within the pages of Ms. Rowling’s novels, we are immersed in a new and exciting universe that takes us away, and we go happily along for the ride. This is the wonder of the suspension of disbelief, and what is possible when you invest in solid world building.

World building is just one more tool in the writer’s kit. Even if you are not creating an entirely new universe, as an author you should make sure and certain that your characters, plot and storyline are all feasible within the confines of your particular novel, short story or poem. Immerse your reader into this world, and just see where the imagination can take you!

BookMarks: What (and HOW!) Our Writers are Reading

Like Fiction Flurry contributor Colleen Scott says, “One of the best parts of being a writer is that you get to read!” Absolutely true! In order to improve your craft and also just for the sheer joy of it, all writers should be readers, too. That is why every couple of weeks we like to TALK BOOKS. We like to share what we are reading – from the inane to the profound – and hear what you are reading. I have found many of my favorite books simply by word of mouth from friends and colleagues. (And the flip side to that is plenty of the titles I haven’t enjoyed quite so well have been lifted straight from “best of” lists.)

When I sent out my “what are you reading” email to everyone this week, I got a very interesting reply from Rachel. She wrote she would have to get back to me, as she was in the process of reading three books simultaneously: one in the traditional written form; one as an audio book; and one on her Nook! It’s not that unusual to be reading more than one item at a time, but her answer really resonated with me, and how different our industry is today than even a scant ten years ago. (Rachel even blogged a little about it, and you can read that post here.)

So in addition to sharing what we are reading with you, I’d like to pose this question to everyone: how do you read? Do have an e-reader? Do you “read” in your car using audio books? Are you not ready (or willing) to put down your ink and paper copy quite yet? Let us know your thoughts! In the meantime, here are some books you might want to consider (no matter how you choose to read them):

Michele Downey: Eight Days To Live by Iris Johansen

Why I choose this book: I have read a few Iris Johansen books in the past - she used to write straight romance, then veered into romantic suspense - this book is straight mystery, part of a series about a forensic sculptor who reminds me of the character from Bones. It wasn't what I was expecting, but it is a good read.

Rachel Dilley: I'm currently reading Crafting The Personal Essay: A Guide for Writing and Publishing Creative Non-Fiction by Dinty W. Moore. Besides the fact that the author's name reminds me of canned stew, I chose this book for pretty obvious reasons -- I want to learn to write better essays. My only publishing success thus far has been in the personal essay market, so I'm going with what works!

Annie McElfresh:   The Eternal Ones by Kirsten Miller:  Haven Moore can’t control her visions of a past with a boy called Ethan, and a life in New York that ended in fiery tragedy. In our present, she designs beautiful dresses for her classmates with her best friend Beau. Dressmaking keeps her sane, since she lives with her widowed and heartbroken mother in her tyrannical grandmother’s house in Snope City, a tiny town in Tennessee. Then an impossible group of coincidences conspire to force her to flee to New York, to discover who she is, and who she was.

 

Friday Review: Blast from the Past!

I thought it would be fun to take a look back in time at what were the most popular novels of ten, twenty, even fifty years ago.

Did you know, for example, that in 1963 the best selling book was The Shoes of the Fisherman by Morris L. West? If you happened to drop into your local bookseller’s back in 1991, you were most likely looking to pick up a copy of Scarlett by Alexandra Ripley. In 1979, everyone was clamoring for a copy of The Matarese Circle by Robert Ludlum.

What’s that? You say you’ve never heard of some of these books – let alone read them? As with any consumer-driven product, the world of literature is subject to trends. Just like fashion (bell bottoms or low rise jeans), hair do’s (the Farrah or the Dorothy) and color schemes (brown and gold or pink and green), what’s hot today will more than likely be cold as the arctic tomorrow.

Sure, vampires may be all the rage this year, but I kind of doubt there will be the same fervor for them ten, twenty or fifty years from now.  To predict the future, just look to the past.

Of course, there are the marvelous exceptions: The Grapes of Wrath, The Scarlet Letter, Pride and Prejudice – all the stuff that makes up the curriculum of Freshman Lit. These are the timeless classics and their messages translate well beyond their own eras. Sure, it’d be great to leave a legacy like that. But let’s face it – most of us would be thrilled simply to see our name on the cover of a book at the local Wal*Mart.

In the end, if vampires are your thing, then by all means, write about vampires. Otherwise, it would probably be prudent to follow this sage advice: write where your heart leads you.

Bestselling Books from
Ten, Twenty, Fifty Plus Years Ago

(How many of them have YOU read?)

1950 – The Cardinal by Henry Morton Robinson: This novel traces the development of one man's vocation from young Roman Catholic priest in New England through his elevation as cardinal in the early part of this century. Along the way, he faces many moral dilemmas and heartbreaks.

1960 – Advise and Consent by Allen Drury: A political novel which explores the Senate confirmation of a controversial figure.

1970 – Love Story by Erich Segal: Oliver Barrett IV is a rich jock from a stuffy WASP family on his way to a Harvard degree and a career in law. Jenny Cavilleri is a wisecracking, working-class beauty studying music at Radcliffe. Opposites in nearly every way, Oliver and Jenny immediately attract, sharing a love that defies everything ... yet will end too soon.

1980 – The Covenant by James A. Michener: Adventurers, scoundrels and missionaries. The best and worst of two continents carve an empire out of the vast wilderness that is to become South Africa. For hundreds of years, their rivalries and passions spill across the land. From the first Afrikaners to the powerful Zulu nation, and the missionaries who lived with both--all of them will influence and take part in the wars and politics that will change a nation forever.

1990 – The Plains of Passage by Jean M. Auel: The saga continues the cross-continental journey of Ayla, her mate Jondalar and their menagerie to his homeland. En route, they encounter a variety of problems, yet manage to find panaceas for each. Their enlightened compilation of skills, inventions, therapies and recipes transforms the voyagers into spirit-like personas providing The Others with constant awe.

2000 – The Brethren by John Grisham: Three former judges, doing time at a federal prison in Florida, concoct a lucrative mail scam that goes awry.

5:00 A.M.? Must Be Time To Write…

When I first had the idea for this post, I thought I would simply go out to the web and poke around into writer’s routines. I wanted to excavate what specific daily agenda they set for themselves in order to be productive, get published, and be successful. What I discovered, however, was something entirely different. You see, no such formula exists. Finding time for writing is something that most writers must consciously create. Much like the way in which we devise our stories, plots and characters, we must purposefully work to carve out that precious slice of time from our daily lives to practice the number one tenet of writing: BIC (butt in chair).

Thomas Hardy worked in architecture and wrote from 6:00 p.m. to midnight; Kafka’s government position left little time for writing or for family, and he often began writing at 11:00 p.m., sometimes working through the night until 6:00 a.m. and heading back to the job by 8:30; attorney John Grisham could only write from 5:30 a.m. until he had to hustle off to the courthouse; both Alice Monro and Toni Morrison wrote while raising young children (the most demanding job of all!)

The flip side to all of this are those authors who have risen to the level of “full time” writer: William Styron, Stephen King and Roald Dahl are all examples of those blessed to be able to pursue this profession as their official occupation. Then there is Emily Post, who would lounge, writing, in bed until noon or later.

As for me, I will continue to daydream about the time when I get to spend my days and nights doing the one thing I love most – writing. Until then, I will continue to steal snippets from the stopwatch at irregular intervals – and enjoying every single second of it.

 So what about you?
What would your ideal writing day look like?

Beth Zellner

http://www.bethnbijoux.blogspot.com/

Rare Opportunites (Win a Susan Enan CD)

Tall and willowy as a reed, Susan Enan takes her seat. Her dark hair pulled back into a snug ponytail, she shows no amount of pretentiousness but is, perhaps, the slightest bit self conscious. She picks up her guitar and gently eases into an acoustic number off her first CD, entitled Plainsong. In a long, hot summer chockfull of family health crises and personal disappointments, Susan Enan, it seems, is my proverbial drink of cool water. If ever I should find myself trapped on earth, I only pray that my remaining time be spent thus: on a comfortable summer’s eve, in a candlelit room, a fragrant glass of wine at hand, with the melodic, lilting melodies and haunting lyrics of such a fine singer/songwriter as this to soothe me.

Through a fortuitous unfolding of events, this past Sunday I was invited to attend a House Concert. These intimate occasions are popular in certain parts of the country and are (rightfully so) gaining in popularity. It was a welcome, rare opportunity for me. This evening was attended by perhaps two dozen or so people, and was hosted by a writer acquaintance of mine, Julie Nelson. Julie has been raving about Susan Enan for months, and will quickly tell you that Enan’s music is at the top of her play list. Julie creates a unique play list for each of her works of fiction, and from the first moment she heard one of Enan’s songs, was enraptured with the music of this gifted “new” talent. In point of fact, Enan worked on her album for five years, and jokes that she hopes to have the second one out within the next five years from now.

Perhaps you have heard of her. One of Susan Enan’s songs, "Bring on the Wonder," was recently featured on the hit television series, Bones.  If you are not yet familiar with Susan Enan, then I predict that you soon will be. She is an artist whose passion for performance has not been adversely affected by what she herself will tell you is the perversion of the business: the labeling, packaging and auctioning off of the arts – as well as of the artists themselves.

Eschewing the bright lights – and nail biting negotiations – Enan has taken on the music world on her own terms. To date, she has logged over 8500 miles plus on this “tour” giving concerts in the homes of individuals. After a total of twenty-two stops, she estimates she will have seen about 11,000 miles of the United States and Canada – all by car!  From here, Enan will continue on her pilgrimage with dates booked across numerous countries well through 2011.

I have to say that I fully and completely concur with Julie: Enan’s evocative and thought-provoking music is indeed a fine accompaniment to writing. And so here is your rare opportunity: you can experience the wondrous sounds of Susan Enan for yourself just by following the Fiction Flurry blog. Every follower will be entered to win an autographed copy of Susan Enan’s CD, Plainsong. Even better, answer the following with a comment and you will receive TWO entries to win:

So, I want to know: what’s on your play list? Who are you listening to right now? And who do you turn to when you need to get your creative juices flowing?

(Contest will remain open until midnight EST 8/6/10. Winner will be announced here on 8/7/10.)

For more information on Susan Enan, or to view her upcoming House Concert dates, you should check out her official website.

Special thanks to Julie Nelson for graciously opening her home and sharing with all of us her inspiration (you can visit Julie's blog here). Julie, your house is, indeed, a place beset by positive energy, creativity, and welcoming muses. I wish you much success on your writing journey!

Beth Zellner

http://www.bethnbijoux.blogspot.com/

What's In YOUR Beach Bag?

Summer is officially here, and it is HOT HOT HOT! We hit 100 degrees in Central Ohio yesterday. The only thing to do? Head straight for the beach (or nearest municipal pool) with the “have-to-have” accessory of the season: a great summer read! So, what’s in YOUR beach bag this year?

To me, the essence of a great summer read is that it is fun, casual, and not too taxing on my poor little brain cells. C’mon, they are already working overtime trying to keep me cool! Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for the great literary classics, but sometimes it’s fun just to kick back and not have to think too hard. With that in mind, here are three of my favorites:

Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons by Lorna Landvik. This novel follows the five neighbors of Freesia Court through forty years of friendship, laughter, and the tribulations of life – and death. The gals meet each month to read a book and eat dessert. Landvik does a great job of bringing all the women to life, without any of them falling off into the land of caricatures. Plus, there is a huge BONUS – each chapter begins with the title of the book the women are reading, so it’s a little like having a built-in reading list (the recommendations are top notch!)

Good in Bed by Jennifer Weiner: Plus-sized Cannie Shapiro opens the pages of Moxie magazine only to find that her ex-boyfriend has written a piece for their “Good in Bed” column entitled, “Loving a Larger Woman.” About her. Ouch! Not to worry, as we follow Cannie through her heartbreak, we are soon rooting both for her and with her – and you can be sure that this full figured gal will come out on top by the end of the story!

ANY of the Stephanie Plum Numbered Mysteries (One for the Money all the way up to the most-recent release, Sizzling Sixteen) by Janet Evanovich: Evanovich’s prose is witty, fast-paced and truly laugh out loud funny. Not really the best bounty hunter out there, Stephanie tirelessly pursues her folder of FTAs (Failure to Appear) with her sidekick Lula (a former ho). It doesn’t hurt matters that she’s got two hot men in her life to assist her – Detective Joe Morelli and co-worker and Bounty Hunter extraordinaire, Ranger. Be prepared – Evanovich is irreverent and potty mouthed, and absolutely hysterical. You don’t need to follow these books in sequence, as each one is a stand alone title, with enough information and background that you won’t be left guessing – except as to which guy Stephanie will end up with!

So, now’s your chance to share. What will you be reading this summer? What’s on your list?

Happy Reading!

For more from writer Beth Zellner, please visit:

http://www.bethnbijoux.blogspot.com/

Hunting Wabbits

Be vewy, vewy quiet. I’m hunting wabbits.      

                                                                                     - Elmer Fudd

Two remarkably simple lines of dialogue. And yet, you have immediately imagined a character; haven’t you? A man short in stature with an impossibly tall forehead, and not enough hair for a respectable comb-over. Wearing a brown tweed suit with a shotgun slung across his shoulder: one Elmer Fudd.

Would you have had the same mental picture had the character said, “Hush, for I seek to capture a hare”?

Nah, just not the same zing. Not only that, but the fellow who might say that sounds like he might have a hair up another place, so utterly unlike our daffy, befuddled Fudd.

One way to capture the essence of a character and really bring them to life for the reader is through the use of realistic dialogue. You’ve got to get into the character’s space and “talk the talk.” A character in medieval England will speak differently than one from the streets of present day Chi-town. A character living in New England will have a different dialect with different emphases than one that lives in New Mexico. Even here in Ohio, we can tell the difference between a Portsmouth native and a Clevelander.

A great master of dialogue of our time is Stephen King. In fact, in his book, On Writing, he talks about receiving letters, even hate mail, from people who mistake his characters and/or their opinions for his own. He has so thoroughly stepped into the persona of his literary players that some readers have a difficult time establishing fact from fiction.

Are you writing your dialogue truthfully? One way to help determine if you are is to have someone that you trust read your dialogue aloud to you. When I write, I constantly hear the words as they are being put on the page. I love the lyrical quality of language, the allure of alliteration. Still, in someone else’s mouth, the same beautiful passage that sounded so perfect in my mind may not translate into a realistic monologue or discussion between characters. No matter how lovely the words, if they don’t fit my character, if they do not resonate with what he or she would honestly say, then they are simply no good.

Language is one way in which to take a two dimensional character off the page and into three dimensions. Too many times, a truly gifted author will make the mistake of crafting an engaging story, plotting the action, even showing the reader the character up close and personal. But just as soon as he/she opens their mouth, the magic is over. Poof, gone up in smoke, all because you know the character really wanted to exclaim, “Holy shit,” but the author has cleaned their mouth out with soap.

Trust your characters to talk to you. Just be sure to listen carefully to them when they do.

Happy Writing!

For more from writer Beth Zellner, please visit:

http://www.bethnbijoux.blogspot.com/

It's Sunday Snippet Time!!!

Humble Creek Holler
(WIP)

Beth Zellner

Chapter One

I lingered on the bank of the creek. The cold water slapped the soles of my feet. The ground was cool, too, though the places where the sun kissed me – my shoulders, one knee, an elbow – were warmed and so balanced the chilling effect, and I felt quite comfortable standing there. The birch leaves had yet to fully fill out the spring canopy, and through their patchwork pattern, I could see out across our mountain, many miles distant. Slowly, I inhaled the deep green air.

This was the place I came everyday to draw our water, and I should not have been dawdling. Still, my thoughts hung heavily in the bright spring morning, and I didn’t much feel like returning to our homestead. The watering hole rested upstream of our place, and small bits of the day’s festivities were carried up to me, wafting by on the breeze. I could faintly hear a child’s cry of glee, a parent’s reprimand. I could smell the pig that turned on the spit, and despite my foul mood, my mouth watered at the flavorful scent. I sighed. I hefted up my buckets and began to weave my way back down the well-tramped path to our cabin. My feet, often bare as they were today, knew well the path home, the feel of each pebble under each toe.

I passed beneath the “thinking tree,” the place Daddy would send me or Sis to consider both our childhood indiscretions, as well as our earthly sin. It was an enormous white cedar tree that stood proudly alone in a small clearing between stands of other, less self-assured varieties. Some folks called the cedars the tree of life, and the trees often dotted the landscape within our local cemeteries, intermingled among the squat square tombstones, equal signs of both hope for the departed, and last ditch desperate attempts to make amends.

Mam had no use for Daddy’s tree, however. Sin or the overzealousness of a little girl were both exactly equal reasons for the switch. I had learned – probably somewhere around my fifth or sixth year, as I recall – that the more slender the sapling, the more memorable the punishment. Mam would send us, me or Sis, off to choose our own stick, you see, then apply the necessary punishment. The slightest wisp of a twig could leave a raised welt that prevented sitting, or sitting comfortably, at least. But a more substantial branch provided more wallop. In the end, we discovered, it was really a losing argument either way one went in their choice.

Off in the thick underbrush somewhere behind me, I heard a twig snap. Too loud to be merely a squirrel, or even a deer, yet I thought little of it. I assumed it was Montrose, and continued on. We still thought him to be harmless back then. Folk do love a good story, and there were plenty surrounding Montrose. He had lived here - out here - in the seclusion and wildness for all of my years on earth. Some said he had lost his mind when his mother died and left him an orphan. Others whispered it was the shame of not having a father that drove him finally mad. And there were a scant few who blamed his condition on a woman, some unknown, unnamed vixen who had stolen his heart and possibly his sanity. Somewhere in there truth might be found, or not. But the known facts were simply that one day Montrose arose, like any other seemingly normal day, packed himself a bedroll, and strolled out of his house, never again to know the feel of a soft goose down pillow under his head, or the glow of a welcoming hearth at his feet.

A group of my young cousins, the infinite offspring of my father’s four sisters, played in the side yard. They had, in the center of the group, a chipped yellow pottery bowl full of soapy water. With a small wooden hoop, they made large and small luminescent bubbles, which now floated lazily in all directions, and lended preciousness to the scene. I remembered playing the same game when I had been their age. Percy, one of the especially naughty little boys, ran around with a stick, trying to harpoon as many innocent orbs as he could. A great wail went up from one of the girls, and one of the aunties dispersed the group, rambunctious children running in all directions away from the interloping adult, and reforming in smaller groups at the edge of the lawn. The family gathering had officially begun.

For more from writer Beth Zellner,

Please visit:  http://www.bethnbijoux.blogspot.com/