TREAT YOURSELF!

 

When I’ve been particularly disciplined with my word quota, or if I just need a pick-me-up, I head to the nearest stationary store. There’s nothing like a stack of brand new recipe cards, a fluorescent highlighter or a fresh stack of yellow legal pads to make me feel that the life of a writer has its perks! And the post it notes! Need I say more? They come in every possible size, colour and shape and are guaranteed to brighten up any writing corner! (And they are surprisingly useful!)

On the subject of yellow legal pads, I was amused to see they rated several pages of discussion in one of my favourite writing books, Page Fright by Harry Bruce.

Here are some thoughts on yellow legal pads from Page Fright . . .

Susan Sontag called them “the fetish of American writers.”

They had the undying loyalty of writers such as Beverly Cleary (the creator of the beloved Ramona Quimby books for kids), and Nelson DeMille  (whose thrillers have sold more than thirty million copies.)

Louis Auchincloss (who at 98 years old was still writing) wrote 47 books of fiction and 17 books of nonfiction on yellow legal pads.

Margaret Mitchell (Gone with the Wind) spent 10 years writing on yellow legal pads.

William Styron was a fan and often brought one to the dinner table.

 

John Irving wrote 11 novels and 2 books of non-fiction with a fountain pen on yellow legal pads

Lawyer John Grisham wrote his first novel A Time to Kill in longhand on yellow legal pads, working often on the steps of the courthouse.

What is it about yellow? It seems that many writers choose yellow paper, even if it’s not a legal pad.  Poet Conrad Aiken said, “I preferred yellow paper because its not so responsible looking.” Woody Allen, Elmore Leonard, Isaac Asimov and Malcolm Lowry all wrote on yellow paper.

Alexandre Dumas wrote his poetry on yellow paper, his non-fiction on rose coloured paper and his historical novels on blue paper.

The idea is that white paper can be daunting. Cheap yellow paper (or napkins) is friendlier and less intimidating. I once took an art course for non-artistic people and the instructor had us draw with black felt pens on printed newspaper for the first month for that very reason (it was also impossible to erase anything!

Rose-coloured paper? Sounds interesting. I think a trip to Staples is next on my list!

Favourite Kid’s Book of the Week:

The Higher Power of Lucky By Susan Patron

A winner of the Newbery Medal!

This heartwarming book is the first in a trilogy. 

Amazon: Lucky, age ten, can't wait another day. The meanness gland in her heart and the crevices full of questions in her brain make running away from Hard Pan, California (population 43), the rock-bottom only choice she has.

It's all Brigitte's fault -- for wanting to go back to France. Guardians are supposed to stay put and look after girls in their care! Instead Lucky is sure that she'll be abandoned to some orphanage in Los Angeles where her beloved dog, HMS Beagle, won't be allowed. She'll have to lose her friends Miles, who lives on cookies, and Lincoln, future U.S. president (maybe) and member of the International Guild of Knot Tyers. Just as bad, she'll have to give up eavesdropping on twelve-step anonymous programs where the interesting talk is all about Higher Powers. Lucky needs her own -- and quick.

But she hadn't planned on a dust storm.

Or needing to lug the world's heaviest survival-kit backpack into the desert.

It’s interesting to note that the book caused a bit of a scandal in some circles because it has the word scrotum in it! I believe some schools considered banning it!

FRIEND OR FOE?

 

 

I’ve been writing long enough to remember typing my first manuscripts on a manual typewriter. Progressing to an electric typewriter with a limited capacity for memory was an exciting day! Now I look back at that and shudder. Like most writers today I treasure my word processing program. Revising on a typewriter was difficult. Even a small change meant retyping the whole page. And cut and paste was quite literally done with scissors and glue.

In Page Fright,  Harry Bruce says that writers who turned to the word processor in its early days were like religious converts, their eyes gleaming with wonder. He quotes novelist Frank Conroy who said, “God looked down at the writers and said, ‘I haven’t done anything for these people for a long time, hundreds of years, so I’m going to make up for it.’  “

There were skeptics too. The American writer William Zinsser wondered why he should change from equipment that had served him well for decades. He said, “Why risk writing into a humming winking box that, owing to one slip of one finger, might destroy his entire masterpiece-in-progress?”  He changed his mind quickly though when he tried one. “Real sentences began to appear on the screen, one after another. Then I had a real paragraph. Then I started another paragraph. Soon I had a second paragraph! I was writing!”

He went on to say, “There’s no kind of tinkering that you can’t do – and undo – instantly. When you finish your revisions, the machine will paginate your entire article and the printer will type it while you go and have a beer.”

Leon Edel, American biographer, said, “I didn’t like the machine’s insolence. It tried to make me its slave.”

Tom Sharpe agreed. “That bloody cursor blinking at me on the word processor screen is awful. I mean it’s blink, blink, blink. Well, screw this bastard.”

Novelist Josephine Hart said, “The machines seem to have a mind of their own.”

Martin Amis said, “The little cursor, or whatever it’s called, that wobbles around the middle of the screen falsely gives you the impression that you’re thinking. Even when you’re not.”

Humorist P.J. O’Rourke said he refused “to have some pubescent twerp with his mom’s earring in his tongue, who combs his hair with Redi-Whip and has an Ani DiFranco tattoo on his shin, come show me how a computer works.”

I think any writer that uses a computer has at least one story of losing a day’s or even a work’s week. There is no more hideous feeling. We all know the cardinal rule – back up, back up, back up but somehow mistakes happen.  (I save my manuscript in two places and at the end of each day email it to myself as well. I figure my lap top and memory sticks could break down but I can always access my email.)

Journalist Robert Fulford has told a story of an “American novelist who switched on his computer one morning and discovered to his horror that the fifty thousand words he’d spent months writing had simply vanished. When he tried to recover them, happy faces invaded his screen. Enraged, he punched a wall and broke his knuckles.”

Would I go back to a manual typewriter? Never. But I try to stay on the good side of my computer!

Favourite Kid’s Book of the Week:

Turtle in Paradise by Jennifer Holm

The opening drew me in: “Everyone thinks children are as sweet as Necco Wafers but I’ve lived long enough to know the truth. Kids are rotten. The only difference between grown-ups and kids is that grown-ups go to jail for murder. Kids get away with it.”

Who could resist reading more?

Amazon: In Jennifer L. Holm's New York Times bestselling, Newbery Honor winning middle grade historical fiction novel, life isn't like the movies. But then again, 11-year-old Turtle is no Shirley Temple. She's smart and tough and has seen enough of the world not to expect a Hollywood ending. After all, it's 1935 and jobs and money and sometimes even dreams are scarce. So when Turtle's mama gets a job housekeeping for a lady who doesn't like kids, Turtle says goodbye without a tear and heads off to Key West, Florida to live with relatives she's never met. Florida's like nothing Turtle's ever seen before though. It's hot and strange, full of rag tag boy cousins, family secrets, scams, and even buried pirate treasure! Before she knows what's happened, Turtle finds herself coming out of the shell she's spent her life building, and as she does, her world opens up in the most unexpected ways. Filled with adventure, humor and heart, Turtle in Paradise is an instant classic both boys and girls with love.

THE MIGHTY PEN

 

I’m trying something new with the current book I’m working on – I’m writing it long hand!  I’ve always typed my first drafts on the computer so this is a big mental change for me. So far, it’s going better than I thought!

I’ve always struggled with that whole concept of writing “crappy” first drafts – just letting the ideas flow, not being judgmental, allowing the characters to take over and not to polish etc etc etc.  I tend to labour over my first drafts, trying to perfect as I go along. I wanted to see if I could free myself up.

So – longhand. I’m using a very fat exercise book, writing on the right hand side, single spaced (to reduce my desire to edit and change things), leaving the left hand side blank (so if I really have to I can edit and change things!) It’s working for me. I reach my daily word quota without too much difficulty. I’m writing in the first person so sometimes I pretend I’m writing a letter. 

My original idea was to write the whole draft before I went to the computer but the thought of doing all that typing at the end is depressing! So every morning I type up yesterday’s work, not allowing myself to do any major editing. That way I can check the word count and get a better feel for pacing.

I love the fact that it is so portable – I can take my exercise book and pen anywhere. This is probably the worst first draft I’ve ever written but it’s also the most fun – and I’m finding that ideas and new characters and plot turns are popping up everywhere.

Some thoughts on writing in long hand (taken from Page Fright by Harry Bruce):

“You have to communicate sensation, the belief in what life is, what it’s about, and you do it through learning how to handle a pen. That’s why I have always felt uncomfortable having some piece of machinery between me and the paper – even a typewriter, let alone a computer, which just gives me the horrors!”   (Joseph Conrad)

“I’ve got to feel the pencil and see the words at the end of the pencil.” (Faulkner)

“I do not go near a word processor, or even a typewriter. I cannot imagine how thinking can take place on these awkward machines. . . Why not use one’s mind in the old way with pens, paper, notebooks etc. instead of dazzling one’s eyes staring at a glass square which separates one from one’s thoughts  and gives them a premature air of completeness?”” (Iris Murdoch)

“It’s fatal to get ahead of yourself. Typing, you can take a wrong turn. But if you do it slowly, writing a foolscap page or two a day, in a year you are all done – you can’t rush it.” (Paul Theroux)

“I like the slowness of writing by hand.” (Susan Sontag)

“I used to work entirely on the typewriter. But this last book I did sitting in a lawn chair and writing by hand. Then I typed it out. Much slower of course. But I think it’s a pretty good method. It does pretty well.” (P.G. Wodehouse)

As soon as all this snow melts and spring comes, I’m going to give that lawn chair a try!

 

INSIDE OUT

                                         

 

You need to know your character inside out. You need to know what he thinks, dreams, fears and loves. You need to know if he has red hair or brown hair. You need to know what he eats for breakfast.

One way is to fill out a character profile or checklist. There are lots of forms available on the internet or in books. Some writers like to fill them out before they begin writing. I’ve tried it but, to be honest, get bogged down and bored pretty quickly. But I do find a profile very useful to fill out as I go along and even more so after I have finished the first draft.

I’ve borrowed from several different profiles and created my own, in the form of questions. It’s what I use when I create a character who is a child (an adult profile looks a little different.) I’ve written it with “he” but of course this can be used with girls too.

What is his name?

Where was he born? How old is he? When is his birthday?

What does he look like (height, weight, hair and eye colour etc.)?

What is his ethnic background?

Who is in his immediate family (the family he lives with)? Who is in his extended family?

What is his relationship with members of his family?

What other significant adults are in his life?

Who are his friends? What does he like to do with his friends? What do he and his friends fight about?

Where does he live? Does he like where he lives? Who are his neighbours? Does he know his neighbours?

What grade is he in at school? Does he like school? What are his favourite subjects? What subjects does he disike? What kind of marks does he get? Who is his favourite teacher? Why?

Is he ever in trouble at school? What for?

Does he like to read? If so, what kind of books?

Does he like music? If so, what kind of music?

Does he like sports? Which sports? Does he belong to any teams?

Does he take lessons outside of school?

What are his favourite TV shows? Movies?

Does he have any pets?

What are his chores? Does he get an allowance?

Has he ever travelled to another country? Where?

Is he outgoing or shy? Friendly or aloof? Bold or fearful? A risk taker or cautious? Social or a loner? Selfish or thoughtful? Kind or mean? A leader or a follower?

What does he dream about?

What embarrasses him?

What frightens him?

What impresses him?

 WHAT DOES HE WANT?

The last question is key to developing motivation in your character. You’ll probably think of lots more questions to add.

Gillian Roberts says in You Can Write A Mystery that “a character can do anything you like if he has a reason and the reason comes out of his history.”

A character profile is one way to develop that history.

WHO'S TELLING THE STORY?

 

 

Point of view is the camera lens through which the story is told. Behind the lens is a character, typically the protagonist.  Everything the character sees, hears, feels, thinks and reacts to makes up his point of view.

The two most common choices for point of view are first person and third person. First person (using "I") is the most intimate and can put you right into the character's head. But it is also restrictive. You can only write scenes in which the point of view (POV) character is present. Third person gives you a little more freedom. Chapters and chapters in how-to-write books are devoted to developing point of view. It's a huge topic and it's important that it's handled well. Point of view can also be fun to play with.

Typically in a childrens book you will find one point of view character. The reader stays with that character throughout the whole book. It's easier for a young reader, rather than having to make leaps and bounds as the story moves from the mind of one character to another. On the other hand, an adult book may have six or more POV characters, adding richness to the story.

Can you put more than one POV character in a childrens book? Yes!

(Shelley Hrdlitschka's Sister Wife is a great example. It tells the story of life in an isolated religious community through the points of view of three girls.)

It's challenging. Each time you change point of view you need to give the reader a little bit of help. A new chapter or at least a break between scenes is a good idea. The rule "One scene, one point of view" is a good rule to follow. More importantly, you need to make the voice for each point of view character different. If all the characters sound and think the same way, what are you accomplishing besides confusion?

One of the biggest benefits you can gain from more than one POV character is enhanced suspense. You can stop the action in one POV character at an exciting part, move to another POV character and then make the reader wait until you return to the original character.  (A great quote on my bulletin board is "Never take the reader where the reader wants to go!" - multiple points of view can help accomplish this.)

Suspense is the reason I chose to use two points of view in my novel The Way Home. Tory and her beloved pony Lucky are separated because of a forest fire. By going back and forth between their points of view (often leaving Lucky in dire circumstances at the end of a chapter) , I built suspense.

My teen novel If Only began as Danny's story. Danny and his twin sister Pam are victims of an assault on the way home from school. Pam is attacked by a stranger in a mask while Danny "hugs a tree." Danny's guilt was what intrigued me originally (this story is based on a true story of a girl and her two brothers that I read in the newspaper.) As I wrote from Danny's point of view, Pam kept asking for her voice to be heard too. Her reaction to the assault is different from Danny's and the book quickly moved into two points of view.

I helped the reader by starting each new section (there are no chapters) with the name Danny or Pam in bold. Danny's sections are told in the third person (suiting Danny's more reserved private personality) and Pam's sections are told in the first person (she is a much more outgoing and demonstrative child.)

It was a little riskier to write The Way Home in two points of view because it is geared toward much younger readers than If Only. But in both books, it added richness and suspense. I'll definitely explore point of view more!  

Some advice from Simon Wood in Crafting Novels and Short Stories  ...

Managing multiple POV characters is a tough act but don't make it a juggling act. By making clear switches from one POV character to another and creating a hierarchy of key storytellers with distinctive voices,  you can create a multifaceted story that no one will forget.

 

 

WHO'S TELLING THE STORY?

                      

 

Point of view is the camera lens through which the story is told. Behind the lens is a character, typically the protagonist.  Everything the character sees, hears, feels, thinks and reacts to makes up his point of view.

The two most common choices for point of view are first person and third person. First person (using "I") is the most intimate and can put you right into the character's head. But it is also restrictive. You can only write scenes in which the point of view (POV) character is present. Third person gives you a little more freedom. Chapters and chapters in how-to-write books are devoted to developing point of view. It's a huge topic and it's important that it's handled well. Point of view can also be fun to play with.

Typically in a childrens book you will find one point of view character. The reader stays with that character throughout the whole book. It's easier for a young reader, rather than having to make leaps and bounds as the story moves from the mind of one character to another. On the other hand, an adult book may have six or more POV characters, adding richness to the story.

Can you put more than one POV character in a childrens book? Yes!

(Shelley Hrdlitschka's Sister Wife is a great example. It tells the story of life in an isolated religious community through the points of view of three girls.)

 

It's challenging. Each time you change point of view you need to give the reader a little bit of help. A new chapter or at least a break between scenes is a good idea. The rule "One scene, one point of view" is a good rule to follow. More importantly, you need to make the voice for each point of view character different. If all the characters sound and think the same way, what are you accomplishing besides confusion?

One of the biggest benefits you can gain from more than one POV character is enhanced suspense. You can stop the action in one POV character at an exciting part, move to another POV character and then make the reader wait until you return to the original character.  (A great quote on my bulletin board is "Never take the reader where the reader wants to go!" - multiple points of view can help accomplish this.)

Suspense is the reason I chose to use two points of view in my novel The Way Home. Tory and her beloved pony Lucky are separated because of a forest fire. By going back and forth between their points of view (often leaving Lucky in dire circumstances at the end of a chapter) , I built suspense.

My teen novel If Only began as Danny's story. Danny and his twin sister Pam are victims of an assault on the way home from school. Pam is attacked by a stranger in a mask while Danny "hugs a tree." Danny's guilt was what intrigued me originally (this story is based on a true story of a girl and her two brothers that I read in the newspaper.) As I wrote from Danny's point of view, Pam kept asking for her voice to be heard too. Her reaction to the assault is different from Danny's and the book quickly moved into two points of view.

I helped the reader by starting each new section (there are no chapters) with the name Danny or Pam in bold. Danny's sections are told in the third person (suiting Danny's more reserved private personality) and Pam's sections are told in the first person (she is a much more outgoing and demonstrative child.)

It was a little riskier to write The Way Home in two points of view because it is geared toward much younger readers than If Only. But in both books, it added richness and suspense. I'll definitely explore point of view more!  

Some advice from Simon Wood in Crafting Novels and Short Stories  ...

Managing multiple POV characters is a tough act but don't make it a juggling act. By making clear switches from one POV character to another and creating a hierarchy of key storytellers with distinctive voices,  you can create a multifaceted story that no one will forget.

 

 

CUT CUT CUT

     

 

                   2nd draft = first draft minus 10 %

 

Someone scribbled that on the bottom of a manuscript that Stephen King sent out when he was a teenager. He thought it was important enough to copy onto a piece of cardboard and tape to the side of his typewriter. He claims that when he followed that advice, good things started to happen for him. 

I've also heard that 75% of revision is eliminating words that you have already written and 25% is improving the words that remain.

I've tried it with a manuscript that I am currently working on. I finished the first draft at the end of August and it ended up a whopping 45,000 words (whopping for a juvenile novel.) My goal was to cut it back to 39,000 which is actually a reduction of about 13% . Hey, I was up for a challenge. Before I started, I knew I could get a lot of words out of the first chapter which was far too long, but I was nervous about where the rest of the words would come from.

 I tackled it in two parts. The first time through I tried to be ruthless and deleted large chunks -  whole paragraphs and sometimes entire scenes. I cut way back on my flashbacks. To make myself feel better, I cut and paste them into a file and told myself I could always put them back. They're still in that file. The pace of the story picked up and that felt exciting.

A key question to ask yourself is "Does it move the story forward?"

If  the answer is no, it has no business being there.

I still had a couple of thousand words to go. That's when I looked for unnecessary speaker attributions  - the "he said's" when it's obvious who's speaking.  I cut out a lot of adverbs (not all) and a lot of physical reactions - she took a big breath, his stomach tightened, the back of his neck prickled. (I've been much more aware of those ever since I read a complaint by an agent who said a lot of novels read like anatomy textbooks!) Other places I hunted for unnecessary words were when I repeated a thought or an idea - sometimes helpful for emphasis but usually not needed.

I kept a running tally using my computer's word count and felt like celebrating when I hit 39,362  (where I sit now.) Did I make the story better? Absolutely. Do I miss those scenes that disappeared? Not any more.

I'm not finished with the manuscript. Remember,  25% of revision is improving the words that remain. All my energy can go into that now, knowing that I have "killed my darlings" and nobody suffered!

Some advice from Theodore Cheney says in Getting the Words Right . . .

It's time to slash out the underbrush. The reader will get lost in the tangle of words and won't see the beauty of your forest if you don't go in with brush hook and machete. A first draft almost always suffers from the tangles.

My favourite kids book of the week:

Whatever by Ann Walsh

 

This young adult novel is new out this year and a super read! Sixteen year old Darrah has to participate in a Restorative Justice Circle and her sanctions involve helping out an old lady. The secrets in the book keep the reader guessing to the end.  I also highly recommend Ann Walsh's well known and well loved Barkerville series.