One of the things we're taught to watch out for as writers is a sagging middle. (Fingers plugging ears and singing, "nah, nah-nah-nah, nah.")
As a suspense novelist, I try to write a tremendous beginning, fraught with danger and tension and questions, because I know that's what will hook my readers. I also know that writing a killer ending is important to get that reader to want to pick up another book I've written.
But what about those middles? What causes a middle to drag? Here are a few thoughts that recently came up in a discussion:
* The map gets put down, and the writer gets lost. He veers away from the plot and follows a distracting route before finally coming back to the real story.
* The action is replaced by cerebral junk/boring legwork/mundane travel/basic reality.
* Action for action's sake.
* Important things are stalled. The protag's advancement toward the goal/the stakes/subplots. The pacing suffers when these things aren't propelling the story forward.
* Either there's no Central Crisis to create tension, or there's no organic connection between the Central Crisis and earlier challenges the protag encountered.
One suggestion was to use the middle of the story for character development while using the subplots to ramp up the action.
Another suggestion was to take Mary Buckham's online course for pacing. I checked, and it's being offered as a month long course through Writer University in March.
The way to succeed is never quit. That's it. But really be humble about it. ~Alex Haley
CR: Still reading the Koontz. It's definitely different from The Good Guy, but I'm withholding comment until I finish.
It's all better with friends.
Friday, January 9, 2009
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Starbucks or Sludge?
Usually I'm pretty good at telling my Starbucks from my sludge. Which words are keepers and which ones should be tossed down the drain.
Feedback from moi comes after letting the words sit in the pot for a few days. If (after a cooling off period) I can pour myself a cuppa, and the aroma is evocative, I can fall in love with them all over again. If, however, there's a grungy film sticking to the side of my cup, they need some attention . . . or deletion.
Once everything's been filtered properly, I'll ask trusted critiquers to sample my brew.
But even then . . . I've been known to become unreasonably attached to a scene, a paragraph. Even a phrase or a word. Some things are worth fighting for. Some aren't. If something enhances the scene, or the plot, or a character, and without it a crucial element will be lost, I'll fight. If not, I'll stick it back in the pot to simmer a few more days . . . and usually dump it out.
We are cups, constantly and quietly being filled. The trick is, knowing how to tip ourselves over and let the beautiful stuff out. ~Ray Bradbury
Currently reading: Your Heart Belongs to Me by Dean Koontz.
It's all better with friends.
Feedback from moi comes after letting the words sit in the pot for a few days. If (after a cooling off period) I can pour myself a cuppa, and the aroma is evocative, I can fall in love with them all over again. If, however, there's a grungy film sticking to the side of my cup, they need some attention . . . or deletion.
Once everything's been filtered properly, I'll ask trusted critiquers to sample my brew.
But even then . . . I've been known to become unreasonably attached to a scene, a paragraph. Even a phrase or a word. Some things are worth fighting for. Some aren't. If something enhances the scene, or the plot, or a character, and without it a crucial element will be lost, I'll fight. If not, I'll stick it back in the pot to simmer a few more days . . . and usually dump it out.
We are cups, constantly and quietly being filled. The trick is, knowing how to tip ourselves over and let the beautiful stuff out. ~Ray Bradbury
Currently reading: Your Heart Belongs to Me by Dean Koontz.
It's all better with friends.
Monday, January 5, 2009
Strong Emotions
The very best deep POV experiences are . . . well, deep.
Gene Fowler said, "Writing is easy. All you do is sit staring at a blank sheet of paper until the drops of blood form on your forehead."
That blood on the forehead? It's the first step of deep POV. Terrible, but true. Deep POV requires turning yourself inside out, exposing raw nerves and deep wounds. Self-censorship is a killer when the story calls for something emotional.
When I used to write a taut scene, I blocked emotions and whisked through it, laying down the bare bones and calling it done. I trusted that readers would understand, and get what I meant without any superfluous words.
And then, in addition to my critique partners pushing for more, I started studying the writers I love. They don't use flowery, purple prose, but they do take each thought, each emotion, step by step. One word at a time. They draw out and prolong the incredible fear, or the ripping loss.
It's become easier now to fall into deep POV. I've learned I'll survive. But initially, I had to say a prayer and consciously move deeper into my own blocked psyche. I've come to consider it a wonderful kind of therapy—and it's free.
Balance is important. As much as I need fresh, sweet air, so do my readers. But I never let them catch their breaths for long . . .
And since it's the beginning of the year:
Goals can be energizing—when you win. But a vision is more powerful than a goal. A vision is enlivening, it's spirit-giving, it's the guiding force behind all great human endeavors. Vision is about shared energy, a sense of awe, a sense of possibility. ~ Benjamin Zander, Conductor, Boston Philharmonic Orchestra
Currently reading: I think I'll start the new Koontz tonight. I deserve it. Oh yeah, and a nice hot bath. Yeah.
Working On: Learning about this wonderful writing program for Macs . . . Scrivener. I think I could be falling in love.
Gene Fowler said, "Writing is easy. All you do is sit staring at a blank sheet of paper until the drops of blood form on your forehead."
That blood on the forehead? It's the first step of deep POV. Terrible, but true. Deep POV requires turning yourself inside out, exposing raw nerves and deep wounds. Self-censorship is a killer when the story calls for something emotional.
When I used to write a taut scene, I blocked emotions and whisked through it, laying down the bare bones and calling it done. I trusted that readers would understand, and get what I meant without any superfluous words.
And then, in addition to my critique partners pushing for more, I started studying the writers I love. They don't use flowery, purple prose, but they do take each thought, each emotion, step by step. One word at a time. They draw out and prolong the incredible fear, or the ripping loss.
It's become easier now to fall into deep POV. I've learned I'll survive. But initially, I had to say a prayer and consciously move deeper into my own blocked psyche. I've come to consider it a wonderful kind of therapy—and it's free.
Balance is important. As much as I need fresh, sweet air, so do my readers. But I never let them catch their breaths for long . . .
And since it's the beginning of the year:
Goals can be energizing—when you win. But a vision is more powerful than a goal. A vision is enlivening, it's spirit-giving, it's the guiding force behind all great human endeavors. Vision is about shared energy, a sense of awe, a sense of possibility. ~ Benjamin Zander, Conductor, Boston Philharmonic Orchestra
Currently reading: I think I'll start the new Koontz tonight. I deserve it. Oh yeah, and a nice hot bath. Yeah.
Working On: Learning about this wonderful writing program for Macs . . . Scrivener. I think I could be falling in love.
Friday, January 2, 2009
Backstory and Koontz
I just finished reading a great book by Dean Koontz. The Good Guy maintains a driven pace. There are no flashbacks whatsoever, and you really only get a good dose of backstory at the very end of the book.
Wanting to know is one of the mysteries that keeps the book riveting.
Backstory is dangerous in unskilled hands. It interrupts the now-story. There isn't as much drama and tension with stuff that's already happened. The outcome is known. It's very tricky to build anxiety when everyone is still breathing, and you know there's no chance of that changing.
I'm wary of writing backstory. The only reason to use it is to help anchor the present situation. If I can show things about my character over time (like Koontz does in The Good Guy), rather than tell things about my character, I'm not only not interrupting the pace, but maybe I'm adding to it.
I treat backstory like a strong spice. Too much and the flavor I'm going for is ruined and there's nothing to do but start over. (Well, with writing I've got the Delete key. I love that key, don't you? It gives me such a sense of freedom.)
I wish all of you a remarkably wonderful 2009, filled with spiritual, personal and professional growth. A year that includes amazing-good reads, and contracts galore.
Currently reading: Can't Wait to Get to Heaven by Fannie Flagg. (I know it's not a suspense, but we all need dimension in our lives. Plus, just seeing her name cracks me up.)
Working on: I asked for and received a Mac laptop for Christmas. I think I'm going to love it, but during this setup phase? Oy.
It's all better with friends.
Wanting to know is one of the mysteries that keeps the book riveting.
Backstory is dangerous in unskilled hands. It interrupts the now-story. There isn't as much drama and tension with stuff that's already happened. The outcome is known. It's very tricky to build anxiety when everyone is still breathing, and you know there's no chance of that changing.
I'm wary of writing backstory. The only reason to use it is to help anchor the present situation. If I can show things about my character over time (like Koontz does in The Good Guy), rather than tell things about my character, I'm not only not interrupting the pace, but maybe I'm adding to it.
I treat backstory like a strong spice. Too much and the flavor I'm going for is ruined and there's nothing to do but start over. (Well, with writing I've got the Delete key. I love that key, don't you? It gives me such a sense of freedom.)
I wish all of you a remarkably wonderful 2009, filled with spiritual, personal and professional growth. A year that includes amazing-good reads, and contracts galore.
Currently reading: Can't Wait to Get to Heaven by Fannie Flagg. (I know it's not a suspense, but we all need dimension in our lives. Plus, just seeing her name cracks me up.)
Working on: I asked for and received a Mac laptop for Christmas. I think I'm going to love it, but during this setup phase? Oy.
It's all better with friends.
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
On the . . . Bunch of Other Days Before Christmas
Writing is a solitary way to spend my time. For the most part, any collaboration is between the disciplined Peg and the goof-off Peg. The grown-up Peg has had to settle some nasty disputes.
So this gift is for gentleness. Feel the excitement of the trip and let the ride happen. Gentleness helps to keep eye twinkles twinkling.
It's also for companionship. If you don't belong to a writers group, find one. Find more than one if you can. For me, these groups are my little trips to the water cooler. A place to retreat to talk to others who are on the same path and willing to share.
Wrap it all up with someone who believes in me. Someone outside of me who thinks I can do this. Someone who encourages and affirms me. That's a hard job because I need it daily and the words need to be sincere.
I hope that each of us can create some writing gifts for ourselves this season. Gifts that will carry-over and not wear out.
Remember, when you drop a dream, it breaks.
Happy Hanukkah and Merry Christmas.
Finished reading: Never Tell a Lie by Hallie Ephron
Starting: The Good Guy by Dean Koontz
It's all better with friends.
So this gift is for gentleness. Feel the excitement of the trip and let the ride happen. Gentleness helps to keep eye twinkles twinkling.
It's also for companionship. If you don't belong to a writers group, find one. Find more than one if you can. For me, these groups are my little trips to the water cooler. A place to retreat to talk to others who are on the same path and willing to share.
Wrap it all up with someone who believes in me. Someone outside of me who thinks I can do this. Someone who encourages and affirms me. That's a hard job because I need it daily and the words need to be sincere.
I hope that each of us can create some writing gifts for ourselves this season. Gifts that will carry-over and not wear out.
Remember, when you drop a dream, it breaks.
Happy Hanukkah and Merry Christmas.
Finished reading: Never Tell a Lie by Hallie Ephron
Starting: The Good Guy by Dean Koontz
It's all better with friends.
Friday, December 19, 2008
On the Eighth Day, Seventh Day . . .
What is one of the most ethereal qualities for a writer to grasp?
Sheesh! The candle on my desk almost blew out with the collective shout-out. Or maybe it was just me.
Voice.
It's that thing about writing that makes what I write different than what John Sandford, or Karin Slaughter, or (heaven forbid) Dean Koontz writes.
A couple of unoriginal thoughts on voice that have come across my desk in the last year or so:
Style and voice are virtually the same.
Each innovation in style must be intentional.
The goal of finding your voice is better expressed as shedding the Novice Writers Voice.
And then shed all the false voices that take the place of the Novice Writers Voice.
And then these were added from The Sisters in Crime Newsletter in an article written by John Morgan Wilson:
Voice is your fictional prose persona, and it may differ with each non-series book you write. and
Developing our voice is like raising children—we need to accept natural predilections. - Naomi Hirahara
It's like a muscle: The more you write, the stronger it gets. The less you write, the weaker it gets. - John Morgan Wilson
So, with the gift of voice, we're back to . . . what else? Writing.
And that brings me to the next gift . . . a quiet place to write.
It might be at a kitchen table (where Mary Higgins Clark got her start) with some earplugs from at Wal-Mart. Or parked on the side of a street in a quiet neighborhood. Or maybe a cozy chair in front of a roaring fire.
A moment with no distractions, no errands or chores to do. Just the words and a vehicle to transport them.
Just finished reading A Whole New Life by Betsy Thornton.
It's all better with friends.
Sheesh! The candle on my desk almost blew out with the collective shout-out. Or maybe it was just me.
Voice.
It's that thing about writing that makes what I write different than what John Sandford, or Karin Slaughter, or (heaven forbid) Dean Koontz writes.
A couple of unoriginal thoughts on voice that have come across my desk in the last year or so:
Style and voice are virtually the same.
Each innovation in style must be intentional.
The goal of finding your voice is better expressed as shedding the Novice Writers Voice.
And then shed all the false voices that take the place of the Novice Writers Voice.
And then these were added from The Sisters in Crime Newsletter in an article written by John Morgan Wilson:
Voice is your fictional prose persona, and it may differ with each non-series book you write. and
Developing our voice is like raising children—we need to accept natural predilections. - Naomi Hirahara
It's like a muscle: The more you write, the stronger it gets. The less you write, the weaker it gets. - John Morgan Wilson
So, with the gift of voice, we're back to . . . what else? Writing.
And that brings me to the next gift . . . a quiet place to write.
It might be at a kitchen table (where Mary Higgins Clark got her start) with some earplugs from at Wal-Mart. Or parked on the side of a street in a quiet neighborhood. Or maybe a cozy chair in front of a roaring fire.
A moment with no distractions, no errands or chores to do. Just the words and a vehicle to transport them.
Just finished reading A Whole New Life by Betsy Thornton.
It's all better with friends.
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
On the Ninth Day of Christmas . . .
Okay, so this is gonna sound weird . . . the gift of goal setting?
Blick.
I have to remember not to confuse goal setting with New Year's Resolutions. The latter are the things I break, the former the things I don't achieve.
Oops. Time for a mindset change, don't you think?
Actually, as I look back on my goals for 2008, I didn't do too bad. Definitely not great, but considering I'd hidden them out of sight sometime during the course of the year, I accidentally accomplished the spirit of a couple of them.
Does that count?
I went back and read what I'd posted last year about goal setting. Maybe I was smarter then, but I think it's possible I'm wiser now.
I think one of the purposes of goals is to inspire. Framed positively, they lift me up and help me believe things are possible.
Goals are dreams that are written down.
The trick comes with planning the action steps to realize those dreams. And you know what they say about getting a laugh out of God . . . tell Him your plans.
When I put my goals together last year, they were inspirational and even seemed reasonable. Then my mother went into the hospital on January 2nd and died on April 5th. What would have worked at one point in my life needed serious tweaking to work for the next point in my life.
I will set goals again. But I also plan on putting a reminder on my calendar every three months or so, to pull them out and review. I'll gauge my progress and see if any tweaking needs to be done. I want to keep me working toward my goals as long as my goals are working for me, and we're not going in disparate directions.
Still reading the Betsy Thornton.
It's all better with friends.
Blick.
I have to remember not to confuse goal setting with New Year's Resolutions. The latter are the things I break, the former the things I don't achieve.
Oops. Time for a mindset change, don't you think?
Actually, as I look back on my goals for 2008, I didn't do too bad. Definitely not great, but considering I'd hidden them out of sight sometime during the course of the year, I accidentally accomplished the spirit of a couple of them.
Does that count?
I went back and read what I'd posted last year about goal setting. Maybe I was smarter then, but I think it's possible I'm wiser now.
I think one of the purposes of goals is to inspire. Framed positively, they lift me up and help me believe things are possible.
Goals are dreams that are written down.
The trick comes with planning the action steps to realize those dreams. And you know what they say about getting a laugh out of God . . . tell Him your plans.
When I put my goals together last year, they were inspirational and even seemed reasonable. Then my mother went into the hospital on January 2nd and died on April 5th. What would have worked at one point in my life needed serious tweaking to work for the next point in my life.
I will set goals again. But I also plan on putting a reminder on my calendar every three months or so, to pull them out and review. I'll gauge my progress and see if any tweaking needs to be done. I want to keep me working toward my goals as long as my goals are working for me, and we're not going in disparate directions.
Still reading the Betsy Thornton.
It's all better with friends.
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