Put Baby in the Corner

I'm about to suggest something that many folks will point to and say, "No! Bad advice, don't listen to her!"

In many ways, they'll be right, because this is something that not every writer is going to want to do. It's not even something every writer can do. But for some of us, it works really really well.

Writing yourself into a corner.

I do this all the time, because I like to get my characters into as much trouble as possible and I don't like to worry about how they'll get out of it. For me, this makes the story more unpredictable, because if I don't know how they're going to get out of it going in, how can the reader figure it out?

It keeps me very in the moment and close to the protag's head. I get to decide things as they would based on the information at hand, and I'm not unconsciously (or consciously) nudging them toward the solution the entire time. I've found that when I know exactly how my protag is going to get out of trouble when I start the scene, I let my bad guys slack off and only do what's needed to fit plot. The tension drops off because the bad guys aren't really trying.

But when I don't know, then I have this wonderful back and forth going on. My protag does X, so my bad guys have to counter with Y. Then my protag has to do A, which gets thwarted by B. Both sides keep trying to stop or evade the other, and they're doing everything they can to achieve that goal. My bad guys really are trying to stop them, not just go through the motions.

This does have its drawbacks, however. I've run into scenes where it took me several days (or longer) to figure out how to get my protag out of it. Sometimes that comes from studying the scene, but others I've had to go back and add a few things to help out my protag. If you're the kind of writer who gets frustrated with being stuck for days at a time, this might not be a good technique to try.

I've also run into scenes where there was no way I could figure out how to get them out of it and I've had to scrap the whole thing at start over. If you get frustrated trashing large chunks of your novel, not a technique for you.

But if you like a challenge of getting yourself into situations just as tough as your characters, and you can plot from both the good guy and the bad guy's perspective (important so you can make things get tougher and tougher), and you don't mind some scenes taking a long time to work themselves out, you might have fun writing yourself into a corner.

And if you're not sure which side you fall on? Try it and see how it works for you. If you start to get annoyed, stop and do it your way. While I'm all for trying new things, you should never feel forced to do something that makes you want to pull your hair out. There are a million ways to write and they all work just fine for lots of writers.

Don't be afraid to try new things, but also don't be afraid to say, "nah, not for me."

A Drumroll Please...

Okies, since the Harper's catalog is out there and y'all are actually telling me about my own cover, I guess it's time to spill the beans. So here it is, making its debut on the blog, the one, the only,

Shifter 2...


Rocks doesn't it?

This cover is near and dear to my heart, because I got to do something very few authors ever get to.

I designed my own cover.

No, I didn't draw it, that's the abundantly talented Brandon Dorman, but my editor asked me way back when if I had any ideas for the cover. And I got to do some clip art mock ups to show the things I had in mind. Brandon took one of my ideas and ran with it, creating the cover you see above. He naturally changed it and made it better, but the concept was mine, and I'm so thrilled that I was lucky enough to have this opportunity.

My publisher is made of solid awesome. With chocolate filling. And sprinkles. She's that fabulous.

So, you wanna see my ideas? Keep in mind that they're just mock ups using clip art, stock photos, and some PhotoShop filters. The goal wasn't to produce a printable cover, just convey ideas of what we might do for the cover illustration.

This was the one he went with, obviously. I love how he swapped the hands around (I thought this felt to Twilighty, but that's how the stock photo was) and moved the city to the top. He also did cool things with the flames and I love the way Brandon did the pynvium and flames to draw you into the center.

This is the same idea, but I tried purple instead of the red. I think the red is much stronger, don't you? Maybe purple for book three, or perhaps green. I think green might work.

Next, I tried it with just one hand and darker colors. Way too Twilight. It also doesn't have that same "trying to contain the power" feel the cupped hands did.

Here I tried just the pynvium and the flames. This looks like some killer asteroid from space movie poster, so that wasn't gonna fly.

Last, I tried using a person (this isn't what I think Nya looks like, she just had the right wistful gazing off into space look I wanted). It didn't really work, and I loved the idea of using the hands again as a theme for the series more.

However, I did just get mock ups for a totally new re-packaging of the series for the UK edition, and they are uber-cool. Totally different feel and tone than the US ones, and vastly different from the UK hardcover look. I can't wait to show you those, but it'll probably be a while since they're still in the mock up stage. They're using Nya on the cover and I love they style they're going with. (I love the original PM cover, too, bu the way)

So there you have it. Blue Fire is the name of book two, hitting the bookstores October 5, 2010.

Oh, I guess a blurb would be nice, too, huh?

Part fugitive, part hero, fifteen-year-old Nya is barely staying ahead of the Duke of Baseer’s trackers. Wanted for a crime she didn’t mean to commit, she risks capture to protect every Taker she can find, determined to prevent the Duke from using them in his fiendish experiments. But resolve isn’t enough to protect any of them, and Nya soon realizes that the only way to keep them all out of the Duke’s clutches is to flee Geveg. Unfortunately, the Duke’s best tracker has other ideas.

Nya finds herself trapped in the last place she ever wanted to be, forced to trust the last people she ever thought she could. More is at stake than just the people of Geveg, and the closer she gets to uncovering the Duke’s plan, the more she discovers how critical she is to his victory. To save Geveg, she just might have to save Baseer—if she doesn’t destroy it first.

Oh, Before I Forget...

It just dawned on me that I forgot to tell y'all I was doing a book signing tonight! (bad me)

So if you're in the Georgia area, come stop by tonight between 6 and 8pm at The Avenue Forsyth Barnes & Noble.

It's Exceptional Child Week this week, so there are lots going on with the local schools, and they'll be other events at B&N as well.

-We now return to your scheduled blog post, already in progress-

Oh, That's Subtle: The Little Things Holding a Story Back

Subtlety can sometimes mean the difference between a passage that works and one that falls flat. One word change, one shift in perspective, and everything's different. These are really hard to spot sometimes, which only adds to the frustration. If you're struggling with a story right now, getting good feedback but just not quite landing the book anywhere, (or having folks tell you it's good, but just not great, or lacking something they can't put their finger on) perhaps take a closer look and see if there's a subtle reason that's holding the work back. 

Premise
Take a hard look at what your story is about. Are you writing a romance with a mystery subplot, or a mystery with a romance subplot? Both books can look quite similar, but what one genre expects is different from the other. There might be little things you're doing that nudge it toward the wrong side that make it feel off, even though no one can tell you why. Check your plots, structure, tone, look at the tropes of your genre and make sure you're in line with the norm for that genre. Make sure that the story you want to tell is the one actually being told on the page. 

Narrative Drive
Sometimes there's a fine line between narrative that's in your protag's POV and the author describing what's happening to a character. Look at how you offer information to the reader. Is it technically accurate and well written, but feels as if anyone could have said it, or does it sound like your POV character? Do they sound as if they're experiencing these events as they happen, or simply relaying them as if they were describing a movie or sporting event? 

Tension
Since you know how events will play out, it's easy to write a scene that shows your protag doing all the things they need to do to succeed in that scene. This can sometimes give the scene a sense that there's no actual opposition to the protag's goal. All the pieces are there, but the feeling that the antag is really trying just isn't. You're not showing how the protag struggles to win, you're showing how they overcome obstacles to win. One leaves you with a sense of uncertainty (they struggle, and they might lose), the other leaves you with the sense that they're just going through the motions (here's how they overcome this problem). 

Telegraphing
Check your descriptive action scenes. Are you having your protag state their motivations before they act? This can give the text a detached feel, as if the protag is explaining things after the fact and not actually participating in them. Look for sentences like...

But when she tried to run for the door, Bob stopped her.

Make the subtle change to...

She ran for the door. Bob stopped her.

Tiny change, but see how the second example feels more active and immediate?

Stating, Not Showing
The tiny word "to" can do a lot to steal the sense of immediacy from a line. In most cases, "to do" something is telling the reader what a character intends to do, but doesn't actually show that character doing it.

Bob stepped out on the balcony to check for zombies.

Bob stepped out on the balcony and checked for zombies.

In the first example, Bob doesn't act. The author is telling you Bob plans to act. Second example shows him acting.

There are, of course, exception to this and places where this is perfectly acceptable, but this is a good word to check on to make sure you're not inadvertently telling when you want to show.

Other words to check on...

Bob could see the zombies in the distance.

Try... Bob saw the zombies in the distance.

Bob was expecting zombies to come out from every corner.

Try... Bob expected zombies to come out of every corner.

Bob noticed the bushes behind the car were trampled.

Try... Bob spotted trampled bushes behind the car.

Bob watched the zombie rip George's face off.

Try... The zombie ripped George's face off.

There are more words like this, but hopefully this is enough to give you the idea of what to look for. Search for things that describe action and turn them into phrases that show action.

Change of Subject
Check your sentences for places where the subject of the sentence isn't the person you're talking about. This can make a sentence feel flat.

The footprint gave Bob the feeling that a zombie was close by.

The footprint is the subject here, but the footprint isn't doing anything, so the sentence just lies there. A subtle shift to Bob, and suddenly the sentence has new life.

Bob saw the footprint and shivered. A zombie was nearby.

Little things can make a big difference, and sometimes they're so small we don't even know they're there. But we often instinctively sense them and know something's wrong, even if we can't say exactly what. Look for the subtle things and train your eyes -- and ears -- to pick up them and make them do what you want them to do.

Must Have! Must Have!

I must find a way to convince the hubby that we can put this in the front flowerbed...

Living on the Wall: Not Knowing What Happens Next

If you're lucky, you've never run into this, but most of us at some point will hit a wall in our writing. We know where we need to go, but not sure how to get there. Or we just flat out don't know what to do next.

Hitting a wall can feel a lot like writer's block. It can freak us out and make us panic. But most of the time, it's your subconscious telling you you're missing something you need to move forward.

When I hit a wall, these are some mental things I do to get past it.

1. Take a Break
Sometimes you need to walk away from your writing for a bit and let your brain recharge. You've probably been struggling to plot or write and your frustration level is high. Go do something fun.

2. Read
Reading great books is a terrific way to free your mind and get back into the writing groove.

3. Take a Shower
There's something about hot water, washing my hair and rubbing the brain that always seems to help. This might not work for everyone, but I can't tell you how many times I've figured out what to do while in the shower.

Of course, these are non-writing ways. There are also some writing things you can do to get past the wall:

1. Re-Examine Goals and Motivations
Often, when I get stuck, it's because I don't know why my characters are supposed to do what I want them to do. Plot says do X, but there's no way the protag would do that and my subconscious knows it. So look at your character motivations. What do they want? Maybe they've lost sight of what they're trying to accomplish and that's making it hard to go forward.

2. Examine Your Back Story
I know, sounds crazy, but sometimes you can't move forward because you haven't laid the right foundation for it. You might need to add more information to provide the drive needed to move your protag to the next step.

3. Look Where You're Going
Your plot says you have to go to X, but maybe that's no longer the right move for the story. Maybe you need to adjust a plot point or change a set piece.

4. Look Where You've Been
Is there something in the story so far that contradicts what you want to do next? Are you duplicating something? You mind be spotting a problem with repetition without realizing it.

5. Look Around
Maybe the setting is wrong, or the location. Would the next scene work better if you moved it? Either the place in the story or the place in the book itself?

6. Talk to Your Bad Guy
Have you been spending so much time on your protag that your antag's goals and motives are now weak and unbelievable? Maybe you need to shore up the villain's plan to get back on track.

7. Sum Up
Try sitting down with a blank page and just write out what you feel is supposed to happen. Describe it like you were telling a friend -- no pressure, just all casual like. Sometimes writing it down before you "write" it down helps jar the sticky points loose. At the very least, it gives you a good framework to work with to see how you can fix it.

8. Just Do It
When all else fails, just grit your teeth and write, knowing that it's more than likely going to suck. You have to get through it, and sometimes the only way is to just dive in. Take heart in the fact that it probably won't be as bad as you expect it to be, and you'll be able to revise once it's down. It'll be a lot easier to revise actually, because you'll have something concrete to work with and not just be staring at outlines or notes.

Hitting a wall is perfectly normal, so don't let it worry you. Just step back, take a breath, and find the way to climb over.

Hey, I Missed a Birthday!

I just realized the blog is officially a year old. My first post was February 24, 2009.

I'm going to get a little sappy here, so bear with me. I wasn't sure about the whole blogging idea when I first started. Did I have enough to say? Would anyone care what I had to say? But I was a big blog fan and wanted to give it a try. And since the only thing I knew well enough to talk about on a daily basis was writing, I tried that.

Here we are a year later.

148 followers, and I get several more every week as you guys talk about the blog and share with your friends.

257 posts.

Over 20,000 visitors.

Over 30,000 pages read.

Lots of fun discussions in the comments sections, and a great community of commenters. You're all so helpful and respectful of each other, and I've never once had to delete anyone's comments or moderate. (Okay, that one spammer from China, but they don't count)

Thank you all so much for coming back to discuss writing with me, for sharing the blog and linking me to other blogs. For picking up my posts elsewhere and sending friends to read what I have to say. I am grateful, I am honored, and I am humbled.

It's been a great year, and I look forward to seeing where we are when 2011 rolls around.

Who knows? I might even remember the anniversary date.

Be Flexible: Working With Plot Events

There's an event in Shifter 3 that's key to the whole novel. It's something that the entire series has been building toward, and it really cranks up the stakes and starts a white-knuckle thrill to the end of the book. (or at least I hope it will)

Problem is, I'm not exactly sure when this event is going to happen.

I know from my outline that it will happen, and I've had several places where I thought it could happen, but the story keeps evolving and I'm just not sure where this pivotal event is going to fall in the book.

Although it would be very easy to freak out over this, I'm not stressing. Nya will get there when she gets there and the stuff that's happening prior to this is working out just fine. But I have noticed that this key event isn't the only place this is happening. Lots of moments are sort of up in the air and I'm finding myself writing a lot more fluidly than I have in the past.

And it's interesting.

I can understand the pantsers a little better now, and see how not knowing how things will work out has a certain thrill that's a whole lot of fun. (I also think that this is happening because it's the third book in a series, so it's easier to kinda wing it) I also trust that whatever I don't like in the end I can cut out. After writing 250,000 words for Shifter 2 before I got it right, the idea of a few rewrites doesn't scare me one whit. (and it shouldn't scare you, either)

Flexibility is something I think every writer can benefit from, no matter what kind of writer you are, be it an outliner or a pantser. Creativity is an organic process and when we allow ourselves to let process happen, we get some really cool stuff.

I've mentioned before that while I'm a structure gal, I never let my outline bind me. If I go off script, I let it run and see where it takes me, because you never know what your subconscious mind is going to come up with.

And often, my subconscious is closer to my characters than I am. I think it channels them, and that's why they do unexpected things (that are more times than not the perfect thing) and develop lives of their own. All these bits and pieces of plot and world are swirling around in my head and my subconscious is the one choosing which piece to throw at me. I can either take it and run, or toss it aside and do what I planned all along.

Having stories suddenly head off in new directions can be scary. You can feel like you don't have control over your story, that you don't know where you're going, even that you aren't a "real" writer because you're not following some perfect format or expectation in your mind. And getting scared is a good way to block yourself or second guess what you do.

What you should be doing is take a deep breath, and just look at what's going on on the page. Even when your characters get out of control, you still are in control of them. The trick is knowing when to let them run and when to buckle down and break out the whip. For that, you just need to trust your instincts and give yourself the freedom to explore a little. Does this new direction feel like something real developing, or just something you need to work out? Is it leading you stray or toward a clever revelation?

You're gut is a pretty good compass. If it feels wrong, chances are it is, but if it feels right, then trust yourself to go with it. Be flexible and let your story reach for the heights you may not have realized yet it has.