Conversations with a Self-Publishing Writer – Page 27

Conversations with a Self-Publishing Writer, Royalene Speaks, Uncategorized

Friday Conversations With A Self-Publishing Writer 03/27/15

CREATING THE MOMENTS OF EXPERIENCE

In the study of Philosophy, the term “empirical knowledge” refers to knowledge based on experience. As professors and students dig further, they discover that experience is also the processed and unprocessed thoughts perceived after an event occurs. From those thoughts, wisdom is gained as people/characters reflect and/or interpret the actions and events of their lives. German Philosopher, Friedrich Nietzsche once said: “To live is to suffer; to survive is to find some meaning in the suffering.”

What I’ve just described is the heart of and the “act” of writing and reading fiction. In the course of our lives, we will never be able to experience what it is like to live in all the societies/cultures around the world—or all the times/eras. However, through fiction novels we can imagine it. Some might argue that non-fiction facts provide a clearer picture and understanding. I politely disagree because it is in the EMOTION of the moments of life that we are able to truly grasp the essence of what has happened.

Back when I was teaching, we did a week-long exercise in Emotion, Mood and Motivation. My question was, “Which comes first?” Does the mood of the moment create the emotion that motivates the action? OR…does a character’s deep-seeded motives create the mood that then creates the emotion and action? OR…(well, you get the idea). Here comes the really fun part of writing fiction. Writers get to jump into those motives, moods and emotions of each of their characters and discover new experiences for their readers to experience. Here are some ideas to help you in developing your skills and abilities in this area.

Fiction author, Orson Scott Card suggests focusing on motivation: “Instead of writing about feelings, write about WHY your characters are doing the things they’re doing.”
If your readers need to know that the main character is “full of fear,” stay away from telling that fact—show the emotion. Example: the house is quiet and peaceful…the cat knocks over her water dish…the main character JUMPS into the corner of the room behind the couch and bursts into tears.
Mood music. The world of movie-making uses this element to the max and we’ve all experienced it. This can be—and must be—accomplished in fiction writing, too. Much like an artist paints a masterpiece, the use of description (yes, adjectives) is an art to itself. READ the master-authors who utilize this gift and you will develop it, too.

Folding these elements of Mood, Motivation and Emotion into your characters will greatly enhance your ability to give readers exactly what they are looking for in Fiction Novels—their subconscious (and often conscious) need to experience life from another perspective. No two characters (or people) will react to events and circumstances in the same manner. And, as the character experiences more of life, they may not react as they did previously.

The excellent Fiction Author will grasp these elements of writing and never let them go, but continue to develop them throughout their writing lifetime. That is my hope for every reader of this blog, that you will write and publish the very best quality of Fiction Novels and reap all the rewards!

ABOUT ROYALENE DOYLE: Royalene Doyle is a Ghostwriter with Outskirts Press, bringing more than 35 years of writing experience to authors who need “just a little assistance” with completing their writing projects. She has worked with both experienced and fledgling writers helping complete projects in multiple genres. When a writer brings the passion they have for their work and combines it with Royalene’s passion to see the finished project in print, books are published and the writer’s legacy is passed forward.

Conversations with a Self-Publishing Writer, Royalene Speaks, Uncategorized

Friday Conversations With A Self-Publishing Writer 03/20/15

A BIT MORE ABOUT THE PLOT

When I was still in the high school classroom (teaching advanced writing), I borrowed the Science and Biology teacher’s skeleton for a day. I found it to be a very useful visual in my efforts to explain the importance of actions and events when building the storyline (plot) of short stories and novels. This illustration is from the free ClipArt files and I especially like that the figure is IN MOTION…as the plot should be.

There is an ongoing discussion among writers as to whether Characters drive the Plot or the Plot drives the Characters. I’m in the first camp—because it is the re-actions of the characters (to the plot action/events) that keep Readers turning those pages. The skeleton illustration demonstrates that the brain (character thoughts, emotions) send the signal to the other parts (plot action/events) in order to move forward.

I can, however, acknowledge the other discussion position because if there was no “hand” to send a signal to (no planned plot event or action) then nothing would happen. Ah…the conundrum!

So it is that I focus on the concept of MOTION—moving forward toward my desired conclusion—when developing a plot for any length of fiction. Here are a few ideas to help with that…

Start with “The End.” Have you seen the TV commercial (mini-short-story) where the cowboy rides off into the sunset and is knocked off his horse by the words THE END? Knowing how you want your story to close should provide many ideas for the characters to “act out” in order to get there.
Think dialogue. Some writers don’t consider dialogue to be part of the definition of PLOT. However, I offer this thought using the above scenario. The cowboy is knocked off his horse—injured—so there will be some type of re-action to that event and (for humans) it usually includes LOUD WORDS. What they say usually leads to the next step in the storyline.
Consider HOT and COLD, never TEPID. Lukewarm, half-hearted plot points usually cause a reader to close the book and not pick it up again. Again, I’m NOT saying that there needs to be an explosion in every chapter. Cold/cool moments are very necessary in order to give readers a chance to consider what has happened, and what they “guess” might happen within the next pages.
Take a look at the skeleton’s CENTER of gravity. The dynamics of motion rely on balance. It is the same with the fiction novel. Protagonists and Antagonists (and their supporting characters) need to be vitally present, active, and positioned throughout the story in a balanced manor.

I hope this running skeleton helps someone better understand the concept of PLOT—actions and events—necessary for excellent fiction writing. Just the “look” of those running bones should spur us all forward just to escape IT! Smile….and enjoy many inspired hours of creative writing and publishing!

Conversations with a Self-Publishing Writer, Royalene Speaks, Uncategorized

Friday Conversations With A Self-Publishing Writer 03/13/15

SPRINGING INTO ACTION

S.I. Hayakawa (English professor, president of San Francisco State University, and U.S. Senator) is also known to have stated that writers of fiction must be aware that readers will demand a constant increase in the number and “variety of life experiences” they will experience in novels. For me, this means that I need to have a solid PLOT in place—the actions and events—that my characters will walk through. These are also actions, events, circumstances and scenarios that will provide the changes within the characters (as mentioned in last week’s blog).

Here are a few questions to ask while developing YOUR storyline/plot.

Does the story interest you? If you’re working too hard to develop a plot that you think is good—or that someone else told you is “great”—STOP. Some writers I know literally break their story elements up (on 3×5 cards) and re-set (reposition) them. If it’s still not working, don’t hesitate to file it away for another day. Often, good pieces will find their way into other manuscripts.
How is the story unfolding? Is it fast-paced enough to keep readers turning those pages? Or is it putting them to sleep? Unlike movies, you don’t need an explosion or car chase in every scene. However, the steps the characters are taking do need to offer the reader something, such as intrigue, mystery, curiosity or hope, to nudge them along.
Are there enough complications and/or twists to drive the character development and cause your readers to consider what they would do in that situation? Once you’ve engaged a readers involvement to this level, you’ve captured an audience base for future novels.
Is your plot “cliché,” predictable or a formula format? We’ve all “suddenly” found ourselves writing such a story because many of our early reading favorites have been just that—the basic “hero gets the girl” plot. As you’ve probably noticed in today’s multiple TV Marvel series, this genre/plot development remains a valid and profitable one. Happily, they are also mixing in a variety of actions and events that develop the characters in interesting and believable ways.

SO…bottom line…start with the basics of plot development. Remember the book reports you had to do in high school? Most suggested the same outline for discussion as used by the authors to build their stories. If your geometry teacher were illustrating this, it would look a little like stair-steps with an occasional drop downward—then climb upward—showing crisis and recovery moments. Somewhere toward the middle a discovery would be made that demonstrated the change in the way a specific character thinks and/or reacts. And so it would continue until the dramatic, climactic end.

The development of the storyline/plot is often felt within the writer, too. That’s actually a very good thing because it relates to point #1—Does the story interest you? If writers fail to become involved with what is happening in their stories TO their characters, the novel will most likely fall flat. IF you’re just starting your writing career, connecting with a trusted “reader” or ghostwriter can make all the difference in productive marketing after your book is published. Don’t hesitate to seek (and accept) good advice.

Conversations with a Self-Publishing Writer, Royalene Speaks, Uncategorized

Friday Conversations With A Self-Publishing Writer 03/06/15

MARCHING INTO SPRING

This month I want to especially encourage my Fiction writer friends. A very famous author and professor—S.I. Hayakawa—once said, “Fiction is a tool to increase one’s experience of life experiences.” I wholeheartedly agree. I’m just now realizing (in my adult years) that the main reason I’ve always enjoyed reading books of fiction is because I learn so much—without the tedious work and/or study of history, psychology, sociology, cultures, governments and laws, etc. One well written Fiction Book exposes me to all those elements of life, expanding my knowledge and often adding the component of mystery or adventure.

It seems that I have very little time for pleasure reading these days, so I’m becoming quite selective in what books I purchase, not wanting to be disappointed in them. If you’ve read previous blogs, you’re probably aware that I’m a big fan of author Lloyd C. Douglas, most specifically his novel THE ROBE. From the very first page I walked back in time and became part of the events in the lives of those characters. The first time I opened this book I wasn’t far from my teen years and immediately identified with the main character’s little sister. She (and I) matured together, dealing with lost loved ones, questions about “proprieties,” ethics, faith, war and much more—all elements pertinent to my own present-day life.

For the Fiction/Science Fiction enthusiasts, another book that I would re-read IF I had the time is titled The Mote in God’s Eye by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle. The basic info statement about it reads: “In 3016, the 2nd Empire of Man spans hundreds of star systems…. Intelligent beings are finally found from the Mote, an isolated star in a thick dust cloud. The ancient civilization (at least one million years old) are welcoming, kind, yet evasive, with a dark problem they have not solved in over a million years.”

BOTH books present readers with “real life” experiences IN unique settings of time and place. Although the plots of these stories may seem dramatically different, they are basically quite similar. But we won’t discuss that today. Instead, I offer you the following Creative Writing for Fiction Readers pointers for your consideration.

Does your novel immediately engage the reader in the mind-set and emotions of the characters?
Are you providing enough background information (woven throughout the pages) that allows readers to understand why the characters DO what they do?
Can readers describe the relationship dynamics between characters (friendships, siblings, marriages, co-workers, etc.)?
Fiction readers want to know the characters well enough so that they can form an opinion about who they are and whether (or not) they admire them, dislike them, respect them or want to leave them on a deserted island somewhere because they are not fit for human companionship. Are your characters that well-defined?
Do the characters—at least the main characters—evolve during the timeframe of your novel? (Suggestion: Watch the TV series Downton Abbey and observe the personalities as the development of these characters unfold.)
Will your readers be able to discern whether a character’s actions were justified or unwarranted?
Will your readers be able to “live” the lives of these characters?

Writing Fiction novels is quite possibly one of the most enjoyable of writing careers. The character types you create will come alive in the minds of your reading Fans and bring you—Author! Author!—acclaim in the publishing and literary realms. Film makers are also actively seeking the amazing characters only you can write-into-reality.

Conversations with a Self-Publishing Writer, Royalene Speaks, Uncategorized

Friday Conversations With A Self-Publishing Writer 02/27/15

LOVE CAN SHINE A LIGHT

Not long ago I caught the end of a conversation in a grocery store parking lot. In a very animated voice, the woman was saying, “…but you just can’t do that to someone who depends on others to do the right thing by them.” My imagination flew into action as the group—two ladies and two gentlemen—got into a van and drove away. The sign painted on the side door read: HELP For Disabled Children Is Here. I wondered.

Do you remember Mother Teresa? She passed from this earth in 1997. However, while on the planet she taught us a lot about LOVE. “I am not sure exactly what heaven will be like,” she is quoted saying, “but I know that when we die and it comes time for God to judge us, He will not ask, ‘How many good things have you done in your life?’ rather He will ask, ‘How much love did you put into what you did?’” How will I answer that question? Will examples of what I’ve written become evidence?

Back in 1996, I watched a TV movie titled: THE BOYS NEXT DOOR. It was adapted for film from a stage play by playwright Tom Griffin. The story centers on a social worker (Jack) who found himself in a “job” that basically made him the “house-father” of four mentally challenged men living “regular” lives (to the best of their abilities) in a neighborhood house. At one point in the story, there is a State Senate hearing that will decide the sustainability of this group home. Jack and one of his charges (Lucien) are seated at the defendants table. In this formal setting, the writer developed a short soliloquy, spoken by Lucien who steps aside from his mental illness for a few brief moments and speaks to the senators as if he were a “normal man.” This superbly written dialogue is forever etched in my memory. I would like to share the whole scene, but with limited space I will offer one quote.

Lucien stands up from the defendants table, straightens his rumpled suit and says: “I stand before you a middle-aged man…whose capacity for rational thought is somewhere between a five-year-old and an oyster. I am retarded…damaged…sick inside from so many years of utter and profound confusion.…But I will not go away.…Damaged though I may be, I shall not wither, because I am unique and irreplaceable and part of you all.…Civilizations are judged by the way they treat their most helpless of citizens. I am that citizen…and if you turn away from me, you extinguish your own light.”

Do you have such thoughts—such words—in your collection of BOOK ideas? Are those concepts tossed about on scraps of paper or organized neatly in files? PLEASE! Don’t waste another minute! Get your stories written! The human condition of our world NEEDS to be encouraged! There are too many lights hidden away under self-doubt and the fear-of-success. You’ve been given the GIFT of writing—the skills and inspiration—to make a difference. GET TO IT!

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