The Long and The Short of It

by Janis Susan May

Whenever I am asked to blog, I start to panic. My gracious host/hostess tries to be reassuring and says, “Oh, it’s nothing – just two or three hundred words, that’s all.”

Two or three hundred words? That’s ALL? There are days I can’t convey “Good morning, I would like some coffee please,” in two or three hundred words. Two or three hundred words are nothing.

I suffer from hyper-verbosity, and someday someone should host a telethon for those of us who can’t say anything succinctly. It’s a curse. I had sold two full-length novels before I ever sold a short story – and then it was almost six thousand words long! Give me seventy five thousand words and I start to feel comfortable. One hundred thousand and I’m as happy as a… well, whatever is the happiest you can imagine.

I never cease to marvel at those writers who can condense a world, a story, a relationship and unforgettable characters into just a few thousand words. Category romance writers leave me open-jawed with admiration. Give us both the same characters and set-up; they create a tight little story focused on two people and the flowering of their relationship in just fifty thousand words. I take the same information and eighty thousand words later I’ve woven in not only their love story, but the feud between their grandparents, the history of how their town was settled, why the mayor is a crook and the best way to do laundry in hard water, and am just really getting started! Novellas? I call them chapters.

Someone once said that short stories were miniatures, limned with tiny delicate strokes and that novels were murals, painted with broad brushes. What does that make me? A paint sprayer?

Whatever it is, I like it. I like making the big gesture, telling not only the big story, but all the little stories that make up the big story. Why do certain characters feel that way? It isn’t enough just to state that the hero hates the color purple; to make him real to us we have to know why he hates the color purple. (Make up your own reason for this example – my current hero has no prejudice against purple, at least, not that I know of!)

I’m not saying that writing short is easy; quite the opposite. I’ve tried and I’m not very good at it. I admire people who can, and I know how hard they work at it. One of my dearest friends writes children’s books that run from a thousand to fifteen hundred words. Once I wrote a seventy-five thousand word mystery in just about the same amount of time as she wrote one of her children’s stories. Certainly I typed harder and faster, but I don’t know which one of us worked harder. She is amazed that I can produce so many words and create complex worlds. I am amazed that she can do so much with so few.

See? I told you. This short little blog entry (“… just two or three hundred words, that’s all…”) has already grown to almost six hundred, and I haven’t even begun to write about what I really wanted to say. However, out of consideration to you, I’ll let that wait for another day. Besides, I really do have to research why my heroine’s town’s mayor is a crook and why she has to do her laundry in hard water!

Hyper-verbosity. Someone really does need to do a telethon for us.

Making characters real: problems and crises

One of the ways you can make characters 'real' to yourself and to your readers is by giving them problems: real issues they have to struggle against and which readers can appreciate, empathise with and care about. To add to conflict and interest, characters can have more than one problem or issue to contend with.

Here are some problems characters can have:

1. Divorce - getting one, being divorced, starting over.

2. Being widowed - guilt, grief and starting over.

3. A child dying - for an added twist, the theme of a child given away at birth to adoption or who’s lost touch with parents through separation or divorce. Feelings of a the feeling that parent when that child dies or is killed. For child given away to adoption, now that child will never get in touch.

4. Identity - race, class, families. Who parents, sister, brother, grandmother, etc., are or were. Also what were their true natures?

5. A stranger who claims to be a relative getting in touch for first time or after a gap of many years. A missing relative suddenly appearing out of nowhere.

6. Loss of a job, parent, family member, home or lover.

7. Guilt - real or imagined.

8. A secret - it's being discovered, having to tell it, needing to keep it, having to overcome it.

9. Emotion - jealousy, possessiveness, inability to feel, coldness, anger, blinding hated, feelings of being unfairly treated or victimised, resentment, smothering love, fear of being left alone.

10. Time - juggling lives, fiting everything in, deciding when to have a child, deciding when to change jobs or when to move.

11. Neighbours or others’ dislike and resentments. Possibly some active and dangerous hatred.

12. Nature and environment - storms, fire, flood, dangerous animals, dangerous seas and skies. Quieter problems of nature - for instance for a sculptor: will this stone or wood crack? Or for a photographer: will this light or scene last?

13. Relationships - older man and younger woman, younger man and older woman, different faiths or cultures, different classes. The relationship of young man or woman with a stepchild older or as old as himself or herself. The relationship of a stepparent to a stepchild, or between new step-siblings - a sudden new sister, for instance, or brother.

14. Ill health - the character's own, or the illness of a parent, brother, sister or lover.

Lindsay
http://lindsaysbookchat.blogspot.com

Book Trailers And Other Ways To Promote

To start with I'll say I'm weeding my way through all of this and finding I really like making bookmarks and things like that. My newest venture was to have a book trailer made.


I think it came out good. I still have question like:

Will this help me reach readers?

Will they like it?

Does this type of promo and mailing out bookmarks help increase sales?

Another thing is I have a short story out with http://shadowfirepress.com and a novella out with http://pinkpetalbooks.com, should promoting them be any different?

So chime in and let me know what type of promo works best for you?

What as a reader do you like to recieve as promo items?

Making Time to Write

Where did April go?

Or for that matter the first three months of the year?

Maybe it’s a sign I’m getting old but time seems to fly by faster with each passing year. I know it’s my imagination because there’s the same amount of time in each day and month every single year…nevertheless, sometimes it gets me into a panic. How can I find more time to devote to my novels?
I stopped writing fiction (well, other than short stories) for almost ten years so these days I feel more compelled to make up for my lost time.
So here are some ways I’ve found to squeeze in more writing time. Hope some of them will work for you too.

Make It a Priority
If you’re serious about writing, it shouldn’t be too hard to put it on your ‘must do it’ list. Look at it as a chore you have to do, no questions asked.

Give up Something Else
One of my hobbies is gardening and as I live in an area where the growing season is short, I tend to get carried away once it’s time to head outside again. However, now my fiction writing is back in full swing, I’m looking for ways to cut down on garden chores. Now I can still enjoy my hobby but it doesn’t compete with my writing time.

Push Yourself
Back in the old days, I used to work on one project at a time but I’ve changed my approach. Right now I’m working on contemporary romance and three novellas. If you don’t think you can do it…and I didn’t, give it a try. It’s easier than you really think.

Write Anywhere
I was once the sort of writer who needed complete silence or I couldn’t write a word. Now I like either music playing in the background or I’ll even watch TV as I write. Train yourself to write just about anywhere and you’ll get more done. And be sure to take a notebook with you wherever you go. Pull it out when you’re waiting at the dentist’s office, even getting your hair colored.

Dinner in a Dash
I love to cook, but when I’m in the middle of writing a new book, I don’t want to be stuck in the kitchen. I also use the time after we eat supper to write fiction so I don’t want to waste time washing dishes either. My answer; plan a week’s worth of meals at a time and stock up the freezer or even pull out the slow cooker.

And here’s a book I highly recommend The Everything Meals for a Month by Linda Larsen. Believe me, it’s a writer’s best friend.

If you’ve found some more ways to squeeze in more time for writing, leave a comment. I’d love to hear your tips.

Susan Palmquist is a freelance writer and author of A Sterling Affair, Death Likes Me, and The One and Only. A Sterling Affair will be released in print by The Wild Rose Press on June 5th. Her newest book, Sleeping with Fairies, will be released August 3rd by The Lyrical Press. Read excerpts and learn more about Susan at www.susanpalmquist.com

Emotion and empathy

Emotion and empathy are two vital ingredients that can really add to writing and to reader involvement. A scene written without the reader being truly embedded in a character's viewpoint, feeling what the character feels, can be distant and non-involving.

To show you what I mean, here's a scene from Blue Gold in two versions. The first has all the action and speech but misses the emotional reactions of the viewpoint character, Aweserre. In the second version of the same scene, I've put back Aweserre's emotions. I think it's more immediate as a result.


Version one - without emotion:

Sweat ran down Aweserre’s fingers and he slithered and almost fell.
The second passageway ran upwards at a steeper angle than the first passageway ran down. The slippery paving stones had grooves cut into them, yet even with these footholds it was a very tough climb.
And all the while that they climbed, the pounding somewhere above their heads continued relentlessly.
Up ahead, climbing one-handed, Ramose seemed to have a rhythm going. He moved smoothly, black muscles glistening in the torchlight.
'Amazing,' breathed Ramose suddenly. 'Truly amazing.'
The priest shot out of the end of the passage. Torchlight flickered on the roof of the passageway as Ramose apparently straightened.
'Give me light!' called Aweserre.
A black arm, slipping towards him like a shadow, caught him by the scruff of the neck and lifted him out. He was set carefully on his feet.
'Look at this, 'Serre.' Ignoring the sounds of hammering that drifted and echoed through the pyramid like the sound of an angry sea, Ramose lifted the torch.
Aweserre sucked in a long breath and stared. They were in a huge hall, the like of which he had never seen before and doubted that he ever would again. As long as one of the smaller wings of his own palace at Avaris, with a central passage broader than a man's outstretched arms and a superbly executed corbelled roof, the whole room was a marvel.
One by one, his men climbed out of the narrow passageway and straightened. No one spoke.
Aweserre began to run up the smooth rise of the chamber. It was not the space which drew him but the lights which were emerging from the narrow corridor at the far end of the long hall.
The two Pharaohs, Aweserre and Sekenenre, were about to meet each other face to face.


Version two - with emotion:

I'm going to be sick, thought Aweserre. Sweat ran down his fingers and he slithered and almost fell.
The second passageway ran upwards at a steeper angle than the first passageway ran down. The slippery paving stones had grooves cut into them, yet even with these footholds it was a very tough climb.
And all the while that they climbed, the pounding somewhere above their heads continued relentlessly.
Up ahead, climbing one-handed, Ramose seemed to have a rhythm going. He moved smoothly, surprisingly easily for a man of his size in such a narrow space, black muscles glistening in the torchlight.
He's enjoying himself, thought Aweserre, taking in another gulp of clammy air. He was jealous of the priest's urgency: he felt only fear.
'Amazing,' breathed Ramose suddenly. 'Truly amazing.'
Pausing as though in wonder and then going forward again, the priest shot out of the end of the passage. Torchlight flickered eerily on the roof of the passageway as Ramose apparently straightened.
'Give me light!' bawled Aweserre, clinging desperately to one of the grooves cut into the steep and slimy paving.
A black arm, slipping towards him like a shadow, caught him by the scruff of the neck and lifted him out. He was set carefully on his feet, as though he were some squalling toddler. Deeply humiliated, Aweserre forgot about being sick.
'Look at this, 'Serre.' Ignoring the sounds of hammering that drifted and echoed through the pyramid like the sound of an angry sea, Ramose lifted the torch.
Aweserre sucked in a long breath and stared. They were in a huge hall, the like of which he had never seen before and doubted that he ever would again. As long as one of the smaller wings of his own palace at Avaris, with a central passage broader than a man's outstretched arms and a superbly executed corbelled roof, the whole room was a marvel.
One by one, his men climbed out of the narrow passageway and straightened - And kept on raising their heads, tilting astonished faces farther and farther back. No one spoke.
Perhaps this is what it feels like to be born, thought Aweserre. First the darkness, the cramping walls of the mother's vagina and then release and space. Here too, the arching stones of the corbelled roof seemed to hold them in a loose embrace, no longer suffocating.
Lifted out of his fear in a rush, Aweserre began to run up the smooth rise of the chamber. It was not the space which drew him but the lights which were emerging from the narrow corridor at the far end of the long hall.
The two Pharaohs, Aweserre and Sekenenre, were about to meet each other face to face.

If you ever have a scene that doesn't seem to be 'working', then putting more emotion into it by way of the viewpoint character could be the answer.

Best wishes, Lindsay
http://lindsaysbookchat.blogspot.com

Romantic Times 2009

Hi Everyone,


Down in sunny Orlando FL for RT convention. Meeting lots of people and learning a lot, which brings me to todays question.

How much of what you learn at conferences and conventions do you really remember when you get home. I mean it hectic and fun, but I'm taking notes because I know once my butt hits the plane seat for the ride home I'm not going to remember anything. Mostly because I've found out I'm not a good flyer. Getting on and taking off okay, Landing I want to barf each time.

Not that anyone needed to know that. Anyway I'm enjoying my time here.

Few editors and other authors have planted seedlings in my mind and I can't wait to get home and write. We're leaving Monday the 27th and should be back in Maine late that night.

Hope everyones having a nice spring so far,


Rita Sawyer
Giving You It All
Romance Passion Laughter
http://www.RitaSawyer.com

Are You Talking To Me?

Ever given up on reading a novel because you didn’t like it but didn’t quite know why?
Was the pacing slow, the characters flat? Or maybe the dialogue didn’t sound real enough.

My work’s been rejected for lots of reasons, but I’m happy to say I’ve never got negative feedback about my dialogue. I’d say that dialogue is probably what I do best. For me, what separates an okay book from a great one is natural sounding dialogue. If you keep getting feedback about poor dialogue, here are some tricks that have helped me.

Become An Eves Dropper
My background in psychology has given me a natural curiosity about listening in on people’s conversations. (Okay, I’m nosey too). But being nosey is an essential trait if you want to be a writer. Listening in not only garners ideas, but it lets you hear how real people talk and interact with one another. And what better way to create a great book than offering readers real characters that live on long after they’ve read the final page. My rule for dialogue, people shouldn’t only be reading what your characters are saying, they should be experiencing too.

Eves drop in the line at the supermarket, in the coffee shop…even next time you ride on a bus or a plane. Close your eyes and listen to how people speak. What type of words do they use? Do they use slang? Words or terms you haven’t heard before? And yes, it’s okay to write down snippets of conversations to use in future work.

Read Screenplays
When you watch a movie it’s hard to believe it was created from a script that was mostly dialogue. If you want to get a feel for top notch dialogue, buy a screenplay (try http://store.scriptbuddy.com/browse/screenplays/ and read through it. Even read it aloud with a couple of people playing various parts. Listen to the rhythm and how characters respond to one another.

Read the Good, The Bad and The Ugly
No, not the screenplay but if you want to create great dialogue you have to read both good and bad so you know the difference. So try this.
Pick a book, read through it until you get to a good chunk of all dialogue.

Did you like it?
What did you learn from it?
How did it add to the plot?
What did it reveal about the character who was talking?
What if you didn’t like it?
What was wrong with it?
Rewrite it yourself and see if you can improve upon it.

One of my favorite mystery writers is Peter Robinson. If you ever get a chance, pick up one of his books and study the dialogue. Even if Robinson didn’t write great mysteries, I’d read his books just for their natural sounding dialogue.

The Two Rules
Okay, I can’t close this blog without mentioning the two rules of great dialogue. Remember them and you’re 50% of the way to creating sparking dialogue. One, dialogue should further the plot. Two, dialogue should reveal something about the character who’s talking or one of the other characters in your novel. If you can achieve both with one piece of dialogue, you’re on a roll.
Next time you sit down to write, spend a few minutes going over the dialogue you’ve already created. Read it aloud, does it follow the two rules? If not, toss it out or rework it.

Susan Palmquist is the author of A Sterling Affair, a paranormal romance published by The Wild Rose Press. Death Likes Me and The One and Only both published by Hearts on Fire Books. And the upcoming paranormal romance, Sleeping with Fairies that will be published by Lyrical Press.
She also writes a monthly interview blog with writers and editors at Between the Lines.