I read a really good story premise today. Sadly, it was rejected.
Hero and heroine were together pretty quick. For nearly 20 pages, she was unconscious or barely coherent (car accident victim). Oh, they talked. She remembered nothing the next day. So basically, everything written was a non-event and not necessary to the progression of the developing relationship. I’ve decided to create a list of rules for that first meeting of the hero and heroine.
1. They must be sane, sober, conscious and in their right minds. If they are unconscious or nearly so, this is not “keeping the hero and heroine together.” When your common sense is compromisd, the relationship isn't real. The decisions and judgment of the character is off-kilter. The hero and heroine, by their very definition, must choose a partner wisely, and well.
2. They must feel the awareness of each other as a potential partner in marriage – it can be off-hand, such as her noticing his shoulder is just the right height to lean on, or him noticing that she smiles at babies in strollers. This awareness should be played up each time they meet. It is romantic tension. By using their senses, actions and thoughts, the author can build a terrific couple whom the reader will want to get to know.
3. No instant anger upon meeting. I have no idea why this is so popular. When a heroine is instantly angry upon meeting a man, the reader’s subconscious hackles go up, thinking this is the villain. That negative connotation immediately puts the reader, who is identifying deeply with the character, on the defensive. “That man might be the bad guy, I’m not trusting him until he proves otherwise.” In a mystery or an intrigue, this might be a good conflict, in Christian fiction, it must be handled carefully. I’m not saying you can’t write edgy Christian stories, simply be careful about painting your hero or heroine with negative emotions right at the start of the story. The reader does not warm up and begin rooting for this couple to make it...which leads that reader to find something else to read if the author doesn’t hold their interest.
4. Spending 15 pages describing the heroine’s fear, terror, pain, screaming, shock, repeated prayers to God, horror, etc. is too graphic for most romance readers. They are exposed to reality on the nightly news and sometimes in their daily lives. Most people read to escape for a little while. Romance allows them to feel good, and know that happy endings can lighten a burden. A few paragraphs will suffice in explaining the heroine or hero’s horrible plight.
Now that we’ve covered some basic rules, let’s move to the burning question in every author’s mind. How do I create romantic tension?
Use their senses. Use their thoughts. Use their actions. Blend these elements into the hero and heroine.
Jane reached for the door just as it swung open. The man holding the handle smiled. “After you.” He pulled the door wider, making the bells tinkle.
A young boy charged out before Jane could take a step.
“Thanks, Dad!” the child said, as he skidded to a stop at the edge of the curb.
“My son,” the man said wryly. “Someday, I may even be able to teach him some manners.”
“Mommy was teaching me manners before she went to heaven!” The boy swung around to look at his father and Jane. “I learned to say please and thank you. And to wash my hands.”
“Those are good manners,” Jane said, smiling.
“Thank you,” the man murmured.
“No, thank you, for showing your son that politeness counts.” Jane felt warmth creeping into her heart. Maybe today would be a good day after all.
“Would you like to have ice cream with us? I can show you some more manners. I’m Chase and Daddy’s name is John and now we’re not strangers anymore, either.”
“I’m sorry...he doesn’t know…” The man began.
“Oh, please, Daddy?”
Jane saw a flash of sorrow in the man’s eyes and knew he was having difficulty saying no to the boy.
“I’d love to have some ice cream.” She hoped the man caught her understanding look. “And I’m Jane.”
He stared at her for a moment and then flashed a grateful smile.
The boy looked at his father and gave a loud whoop. “Yeah! We’re gonna have ice cream with the pretty lady!”
“Chase…”
“Daddy, is this a date?”
Jane and John are reacting to each other. They’re communicating through the child, but the looks, the implied understanding is pure adult. The child is a foil, a way for the hero and heroine to continue talking. In most cases, a secondary character should only act as such, not truly relating to either one. The nuance is between the two older characters. The reader feels Jane’s understanding, her cares slide away, and her empathy with the man. The reader feels the man’s politeness, his love for the child, his awareness that the child only has him and his acceptance of the child’s plea. And if that’s not enough, the cliffhanger, the clincher and the surprise is the child’s last statement.
The reader now KNOWS who the hero will be. The reader understands that Jane has had a tense day. The man is out and about with his child (one loving relationship already in place). The child acts with confidence. And two people who would’ve otherwise simply passed each other through a door, are suddenly together. What will happen? I have no idea. You, the author, will need to build that romantic tension to a satisfactory conclusion.
I’m waiting for a good book. And so are your future fans.
26 January 2010
15 January 2010
Writing tip: Fleshing out a scene
Sometimes when we write, we have experience a bombardment of images that we want to get out on the page. When that happens, writing usually flows well. We click along, pouring out everything that’s in our heads. We’re so in tune with the viewpoint character (VPC) that we see and experience the things they are, and can convey them readily interspersing dialogue with perceptions and feelings as experienced by that VPC.
Other times, we have a scene in mind where all that can come to us is the dialogue. We know the scene is necessary to move the plot forward, but we just can’t seem to grasp the setting. So, what do we do? Here’s a trick. Write the scene with dialogue only. Don’t even worry about who your VPC is going to be. When the scene is “complete,” go back and flesh it out, deciding then who your VPC will be. (Remember, your VPC should be the person who has the most to lose. They will bring the most emotional baggage to the scene and will be most engaging to the reader.) Here’s a short example.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Jane said.
“Oh, sure you don’t,” John said.
“I told you where I was.” Jane said.
“You want to try telling me the truth now?” John said.
“So you’re accusing me of lying? What about you?” Jane said.
“I’ve never lied to you.” John said.
“Right.” Jane said.
Now, this is clearly an argument, but it’s devoid of any context. What are Jane and John arguing about? Why? Who’s really lying?...and the story –killing question: Who cares?
Next, I’m going to decide where this conversation takes place. Giving the reader that information alone will put a different context to the scene. Think of what automatic ideas come to mind if I choose one of the following:
A park next to a playground where children are playing.
A diner on the outskirts of town
An upscale restaurant with crystal chandeliers lighting the atmosphere, and people dressed in evening gowns and tuxedos.
John’s living room.
Jane’s living room.
John and Jane’s living room.
How will the tone of the dialogue change based on these settings? What interruptions can/will/need to occur? Is the writer in you already working out all these things just based on that?
Once you’ve chosen the setting, now think about who has the most to lose. (You’ll know this based on the rest of your story.) Then continue to flesh out the scene. First by replacing the he said/she said with some action beats, then with more that will make the setting come alive.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Was she really going to play that game? He leaned across the table. “Oh, sure you don’t.”
“I told you where I was.” Her voice squeaked, and the couple at the table next to them turned to gape.
He gave them an apologetic smile and then turned back to Jane. “You want to try telling me the truth now?” He took a deep breath and willed his heartbeat to slow. He’d seen her going into the hospital. He knew she was there.
“So you’re accusing me of lying? What about you?”
Her words hit him hard, and for a moment, response eluded him. “I’ve never lied to you.” He dropped his gaze to the cold steamed carrots on his plate. Not exactly, anyway.
“Right.”
The chair legs scraping across the marble tile sounded like the ominous cock of a gun, each click of her heel bullets to his heart.
From simple dialogue, we can flesh out a scene. Now we know whose point of view we’re in. We know the setting, and we know that both John and Jane are hiding something. This technique may help you figure out where a scene needs to go, and it may also help unblock writers block if you’re experiencing that, making it easier to push through a scene you may be uncertain about. Remember, the idea is to get that first draft down on paper. Perfection happens later. :)
Other times, we have a scene in mind where all that can come to us is the dialogue. We know the scene is necessary to move the plot forward, but we just can’t seem to grasp the setting. So, what do we do? Here’s a trick. Write the scene with dialogue only. Don’t even worry about who your VPC is going to be. When the scene is “complete,” go back and flesh it out, deciding then who your VPC will be. (Remember, your VPC should be the person who has the most to lose. They will bring the most emotional baggage to the scene and will be most engaging to the reader.) Here’s a short example.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Jane said.
“Oh, sure you don’t,” John said.
“I told you where I was.” Jane said.
“You want to try telling me the truth now?” John said.
“So you’re accusing me of lying? What about you?” Jane said.
“I’ve never lied to you.” John said.
“Right.” Jane said.
Now, this is clearly an argument, but it’s devoid of any context. What are Jane and John arguing about? Why? Who’s really lying?...and the story –killing question: Who cares?
Next, I’m going to decide where this conversation takes place. Giving the reader that information alone will put a different context to the scene. Think of what automatic ideas come to mind if I choose one of the following:
A park next to a playground where children are playing.
A diner on the outskirts of town
An upscale restaurant with crystal chandeliers lighting the atmosphere, and people dressed in evening gowns and tuxedos.
John’s living room.
Jane’s living room.
John and Jane’s living room.
How will the tone of the dialogue change based on these settings? What interruptions can/will/need to occur? Is the writer in you already working out all these things just based on that?
Once you’ve chosen the setting, now think about who has the most to lose. (You’ll know this based on the rest of your story.) Then continue to flesh out the scene. First by replacing the he said/she said with some action beats, then with more that will make the setting come alive.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Was she really going to play that game? He leaned across the table. “Oh, sure you don’t.”
“I told you where I was.” Her voice squeaked, and the couple at the table next to them turned to gape.
He gave them an apologetic smile and then turned back to Jane. “You want to try telling me the truth now?” He took a deep breath and willed his heartbeat to slow. He’d seen her going into the hospital. He knew she was there.
“So you’re accusing me of lying? What about you?”
Her words hit him hard, and for a moment, response eluded him. “I’ve never lied to you.” He dropped his gaze to the cold steamed carrots on his plate. Not exactly, anyway.
“Right.”
The chair legs scraping across the marble tile sounded like the ominous cock of a gun, each click of her heel bullets to his heart.
From simple dialogue, we can flesh out a scene. Now we know whose point of view we’re in. We know the setting, and we know that both John and Jane are hiding something. This technique may help you figure out where a scene needs to go, and it may also help unblock writers block if you’re experiencing that, making it easier to push through a scene you may be uncertain about. Remember, the idea is to get that first draft down on paper. Perfection happens later. :)
Labels:
writing how-to,
writing tips
12 January 2010
Follow The Yellow Brick...er...Guidelines...
Most publishers, White Rose included, have guidelines on their website. These guidelines address how to format your story for submission, what elements we prefer to see in a story we may consider and general questions that come up frequently (usually known as a FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions).
Although a poorly formatted story will not immediately get tossed into to the virtual trashcan, it is hard on the eyes. If you want a fair chance at getting my attention quickly, a properly formatted manuscript begs to be read further than one that isn’t correctly done. When the formatting is sloppily done, it gives the editor the feeling they are dealing with a newbie author who hasn't researched enough. I generally will look over the first 20 pages, even if its not well-done, but its tedious to do so.
Editors have specific criteria for our published books, and we cannot consider anything outside that genre. We look for these specific details and have been rigorously trained to find the elements that further our publisher’s message of Inspirational novels that Christians can read without compromising their moral standards.
What do I look for as an editor of the genre?
1. Christian Inspirational romantic fiction must contain Christian aspects. They cannot be outside the basic tenets of the faith. The criteria is stated on our website. The story must be God-centered in some way.
2. Developing romantic relationship. I want to see stories where a man meets a woman, and when they feel that tug of the emotional heartstrings, they act to further the relationship until it ends in a Happy Ever After. The more scenes they are together, without other people, the more likely I am to keep reading.
3. Conflict. No relationship is without conflict. The conflict can be belief vs. unbelief in Christianity, man vs. woman, conflicting lifestyles, or anything where it seems they can never get together, but then miraculously, they do.
4. The Happy-Ever-After. No romance is complete until a man and a woman realize they cannot live without each other, or God, in their relationship. That is the culmination of what every reader wants to see in a Christian romance. An equal partner who respects God and is willing to live by the guidelines God has established in the Bible.
Reading the guidelines and adhering to them give the editors a chance to look at your hard work and evaluate the content of your story without having to read through poorly scripted text. Please bookmark Guidelines to keep handy so when you submit, your manuscript is the best it can be.
Although a poorly formatted story will not immediately get tossed into to the virtual trashcan, it is hard on the eyes. If you want a fair chance at getting my attention quickly, a properly formatted manuscript begs to be read further than one that isn’t correctly done. When the formatting is sloppily done, it gives the editor the feeling they are dealing with a newbie author who hasn't researched enough. I generally will look over the first 20 pages, even if its not well-done, but its tedious to do so.
Editors have specific criteria for our published books, and we cannot consider anything outside that genre. We look for these specific details and have been rigorously trained to find the elements that further our publisher’s message of Inspirational novels that Christians can read without compromising their moral standards.
What do I look for as an editor of the genre?
1. Christian Inspirational romantic fiction must contain Christian aspects. They cannot be outside the basic tenets of the faith. The criteria is stated on our website. The story must be God-centered in some way.
2. Developing romantic relationship. I want to see stories where a man meets a woman, and when they feel that tug of the emotional heartstrings, they act to further the relationship until it ends in a Happy Ever After. The more scenes they are together, without other people, the more likely I am to keep reading.
3. Conflict. No relationship is without conflict. The conflict can be belief vs. unbelief in Christianity, man vs. woman, conflicting lifestyles, or anything where it seems they can never get together, but then miraculously, they do.
4. The Happy-Ever-After. No romance is complete until a man and a woman realize they cannot live without each other, or God, in their relationship. That is the culmination of what every reader wants to see in a Christian romance. An equal partner who respects God and is willing to live by the guidelines God has established in the Bible.
Reading the guidelines and adhering to them give the editors a chance to look at your hard work and evaluate the content of your story without having to read through poorly scripted text. Please bookmark Guidelines to keep handy so when you submit, your manuscript is the best it can be.
07 January 2010
Can Inspirational Romance Serve a Dual Purpose?
Over the past few posts, we've been talking about infusing God into your work. I think this is a great time to iterate that--at least with White Rose Publishing titles--we want our work to serve a dual purpose. We want to entertain, of course, but we also want to glorify the Lord through that entertainment, and touch readers' heart. As inspy authors, we have to recognize first that He is the source of our talent. He is the source of our plot inspirations. Sure, the conversation we had with the stranger at the grocery store may have been the catalyst for that romantic suspense plot, but ultimately, He put us at the grocery store at just the right time to run into that stranger and have that conversation.
I'd have to say that currently, my favourite music band is Kutless (does it sound as though I'm off-topic? Hang in there; there is a point. :)). This group of guys is talented. The lead singer has a set of pipes that won't quit (even live and unmixed, I might add), and the songs they record tell wonderful stories of faith, hope and love.
This Christmas, we bought our daughter Kutless's latest release, It is Well (OK, we said it was for her) and the songs are beautiful. Well, I popped over to Kutless's website to look up the title of a song on a different album (because it was going to take too much time to walk into the other room and look at the actual jewel case), and I found this video of the guys talking about their experience while recording It is Well. It really illustrates what Jamie & I have been trying to convey about God having to be a personal influence in the life of an inspy author, and not just "someone" that's plugged in to make a story fit a Christian audience. But it also illustrates something that I also think is vital: the realization that when we do something for Him, we get infinitely more back--more time, more inspiration, more faith, more success, and a greater ability to touch others with that talent He's entrusted to us.
Below, I've embedded said video, but I couldn't close this post without giving you a link to a video of my fav (if I have to pick just one) track on It is Well. It's the song entitled, What Faith Can Do. You may not fancy Kutless's style of music, but even if that's the case, check them out and read some of their lyrics. If you can do with words and ink what they can do with lyrics and instruments, you will touch readers' hearts as you entertain them with your story.
I'd have to say that currently, my favourite music band is Kutless (does it sound as though I'm off-topic? Hang in there; there is a point. :)). This group of guys is talented. The lead singer has a set of pipes that won't quit (even live and unmixed, I might add), and the songs they record tell wonderful stories of faith, hope and love.
This Christmas, we bought our daughter Kutless's latest release, It is Well (OK, we said it was for her) and the songs are beautiful. Well, I popped over to Kutless's website to look up the title of a song on a different album (because it was going to take too much time to walk into the other room and look at the actual jewel case), and I found this video of the guys talking about their experience while recording It is Well. It really illustrates what Jamie & I have been trying to convey about God having to be a personal influence in the life of an inspy author, and not just "someone" that's plugged in to make a story fit a Christian audience. But it also illustrates something that I also think is vital: the realization that when we do something for Him, we get infinitely more back--more time, more inspiration, more faith, more success, and a greater ability to touch others with that talent He's entrusted to us.
Below, I've embedded said video, but I couldn't close this post without giving you a link to a video of my fav (if I have to pick just one) track on It is Well. It's the song entitled, What Faith Can Do. You may not fancy Kutless's style of music, but even if that's the case, check them out and read some of their lyrics. If you can do with words and ink what they can do with lyrics and instruments, you will touch readers' hearts as you entertain them with your story.
06 January 2010
Write What You Know...
I’m sure most of you have heard this advice at some point during your writing career, but never is it more important than when infusing God into inspirational fiction. Writing what you know affects characterization to the Nth degree. In Jamie West’s most recent post, Bringing God into the Story, she makes the point that God should be infused into the story in a non-preachy manner, and not plugged in as an afterthought. At its most basic level, this means write what you know. When we construct a scene, we want to pull the reader into the story so deeply that she forgets she’s reading. We want the reader to empathize, laugh, cry—feel every emotion our viewpoint character is feeling, but how can we do that if we remain outside the character ourselves? We have to envision ourselves as the viewpoint character. We need to roll the scene in our mind’s eye as though we were actors in the play we are creating with our words. What do we see, feel, smell? And then, we need to draw upon our own similar experiences—or experiences that produced the same emotions—to recreate that same emotion in our scene. When we become the viewpoint character, our writing is more active than passive, more show over tell. (active vs. passive, show vs. tell, and write what you know are all intertwined.)
To that end, if we’ve never been to the beach, felt the grittiness of sand, tasted sea spray, had our eyes burn from the salt water, how can we bring that scene to life with such vividness that we can take the reader to that place? I’ll admit it can be done with much research and input from people who have had the experience, but it’s exponentially more difficult than if we’ve experienced those things first-hand. Thus it is with infusing God into our stories.
How can we adequately convey a devout heroine who is so close to Our Lord that she feels His presence with her in the ordinary and automatically relies on him in times of strife, if we have not experienced that intimacy with God? How can we believably convey the heartbreaking catalyst for our Doubting Thomas of a hero if we’ve never experienced heartbreak or a moment of doubt in our own faith? Take these two examples:
In each of these sets of examples, the same concepts are put forth in paragraph within the set, yet the first paragraphs are all tell (rather than show). They leave the reader outside looking in. They serve the purpose of the scene OK, but God isn’t “real” because the character isn’t real; and the character isn’t real because there is no emotional tie.
The second paragraphs show rather than tell. God is real to Jane, so He is real to the reader. Joe is in pain. He feel abandoned by God and that comes across in the paragraph much more vividly than in the first paragraph.
If we know God, He will show up in our writing without any effort, just as recreating emotion we've personally experienced doesn't pose as much of a challenge as trying to write about something for which we have no point of reference.
To that end, if we’ve never been to the beach, felt the grittiness of sand, tasted sea spray, had our eyes burn from the salt water, how can we bring that scene to life with such vividness that we can take the reader to that place? I’ll admit it can be done with much research and input from people who have had the experience, but it’s exponentially more difficult than if we’ve experienced those things first-hand. Thus it is with infusing God into our stories.
How can we adequately convey a devout heroine who is so close to Our Lord that she feels His presence with her in the ordinary and automatically relies on him in times of strife, if we have not experienced that intimacy with God? How can we believably convey the heartbreaking catalyst for our Doubting Thomas of a hero if we’ve never experienced heartbreak or a moment of doubt in our own faith? Take these two examples:
The sky was beautiful. White puffy clouds gave the bright blue backdrop a softness that warmed Jane’s heart. Truly God was present here. She could feel Him with all her being, and all the stress from yesterday faded away and she felt at peace.
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Jane closed her eyes to imbibe the beauty of the morning. Jesus, thank you for this day. Tranquility washed over her, all the stress from yesterday draining away as she languished in the presence of the Lord. Her breathing slowed and her heartbeat became a steady rhythm that sang a hymn of praise as the Holy Spirit rejuvenated her soul.
Sure God existed, Joe thought. He existed all right. He just didn’t give a flying flip on a trapeze about what happened to people. Joe’d learned long ago not to trust in a God who ignored prayers and relished in seeing people suffer, after all, he’d prayed for David to be OK. David was dead. He’d prayed for the nightmares to stop. They still came every night. God didn’t care. Joe wanted to believe He did. But, He didn’t.
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Joe awoke in a cold sweat, images of his brother’s lifeless body still vivid. He squeezed his eyes closed. Please God, let it stop. It didn’t. David’s body, glistening with sand and seawater, flashed through Joe’s mind. Dead eyes stared at him. His heart shattered anew. Joe tore open his eyes. He wrenched back the covers and got out of bed. “Why?” he screamed. “Why?” he whispered. Sobs rose in his throat, choked him as collapsed to the carpeted floor. Why did he even continue to pray? God had made His decision plain: You’re on your own, Joe. Spent, he dragged himself off the floor and crawled back into bed.
In each of these sets of examples, the same concepts are put forth in paragraph within the set, yet the first paragraphs are all tell (rather than show). They leave the reader outside looking in. They serve the purpose of the scene OK, but God isn’t “real” because the character isn’t real; and the character isn’t real because there is no emotional tie.
The second paragraphs show rather than tell. God is real to Jane, so He is real to the reader. Joe is in pain. He feel abandoned by God and that comes across in the paragraph much more vividly than in the first paragraph.
If we know God, He will show up in our writing without any effort, just as recreating emotion we've personally experienced doesn't pose as much of a challenge as trying to write about something for which we have no point of reference.
05 January 2010
Bringing God Into The Story
Part of every Christian romance is the presence of the Lord. He is a third character, embued into the soul of our hero and/or heroine, and standing guard over their thoughts, actions and deeds.
Writing His presence can be a daunting task. You want to give the reader a sense of God, but not get preachy about it. You want the reader to know that God is always present, but that he never interferes with free will. You want to quote Scripture, but not make it sound stilted or out of context.
When writing, we tend to want the story to be just so, and will often create a scenario where God is there, but out of sight. Instead, let God fill the scene naturally, as a character, rather than the ghostly presence of the hero/heroine’s conscience. Rather than writing about her/his faith and belief, write how they see God in everyday things or events.
Showing God’s majesty, in song, Scripture or prayer, will create the foil that allows characters to come before Him and accept His will in their lives. The characters should not just turn to God when there is a crisis. They should be interacting with Him on a daily basis, thanking, praising and worshiping the Creator of all things.
When an unbeliever crosses the path of the believing hero or heroine, they should get the sense of God that makes them wonder and become curious enough to explore their options, eventually discovering God themselves.
Shoe-horning God in as an afterthought is like inviting a clown to a funeral. The negative connotation sticks out like a sore thumb. Draw on your own relationship with God and make His presence fill your pages with the glory that is within yourselves. Bring the real, living God to life in your words, and use His Word to reinforce His character.
Writing His presence can be a daunting task. You want to give the reader a sense of God, but not get preachy about it. You want the reader to know that God is always present, but that he never interferes with free will. You want to quote Scripture, but not make it sound stilted or out of context.
When writing, we tend to want the story to be just so, and will often create a scenario where God is there, but out of sight. Instead, let God fill the scene naturally, as a character, rather than the ghostly presence of the hero/heroine’s conscience. Rather than writing about her/his faith and belief, write how they see God in everyday things or events.
Showing God’s majesty, in song, Scripture or prayer, will create the foil that allows characters to come before Him and accept His will in their lives. The characters should not just turn to God when there is a crisis. They should be interacting with Him on a daily basis, thanking, praising and worshiping the Creator of all things.
When an unbeliever crosses the path of the believing hero or heroine, they should get the sense of God that makes them wonder and become curious enough to explore their options, eventually discovering God themselves.
Shoe-horning God in as an afterthought is like inviting a clown to a funeral. The negative connotation sticks out like a sore thumb. Draw on your own relationship with God and make His presence fill your pages with the glory that is within yourselves. Bring the real, living God to life in your words, and use His Word to reinforce His character.
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