The View from My Mind

5 Steps to Writing a Killer Historical Novel

2012-02-09T12:30:00.000-08:00

I am a fan of historical novels, both writing them and reading them.

Actually, that's not an entirely true statement. I am a fan of good historical novels, both writing them and reading them. Unfortunately, there are far too many examples of bad historicals that have put a bad taste in the mouth of many readers. I'm hoping to help you fix that with the same five steps I've used in writing historical novels.

1. Research. I'm guessing that, if you're interested in writing a historical novel, it is because of your immense love of history. However, I must warn you, loving history and a certain period or event in history isn't going to be enough for you to write a good historical novel. You have to know your history. And, much as I hate to say it, Wikipedia will only take you so far. You need to dig and dig and dig, like an archaeologist seeking to unearth an ancient civilization, trying to understand the period that you will be writing about. Read everything you can get your hands on, and read from every angle. Magazines, books, old newspaper clippings. Listen to the music of the times, collect the art, read other books from the same era. Immerse yourself into the world of the past and you will be able to successfully replicate it in your book. That brings us to the second step...

2. Build. Just like any other book you may write, world building is a very important prelude to actually writing your story. Don't let the fact that you will be writing in a real time and place, you are writing fiction and you'll be creating a world to put your characters in. It's important for you to establish the rules, know the mindset, and have the language in your back pocket. The greatest historical novels are ones where the author doesn't lecture the reader on the times, but (are you ready for this?) shows the reader the times through fantastic writing. Yeah, show don't tell. Who'd a thunk it would come up yet again.

3. Ask. In my opinion, every great novel begins with a question, and a historical is no different. In fact, historical novels may beg more questions than others. What would happen if the Lindbergh kidnapping was a meticulous cover-up? What if King Henry VIII was actually gay? What if a southern girl's father in the 1930s was forced to defend a black man accused of raping a white woman? (Yes, that's To Kill A Mockingbird, and I try to throw that in as often as possible.) You have to ask the right questions to get your story moving, and you have to ask the sort of questions that others may not have asked but will want to know the answer to.

4. Answer. I know there's always the argument of Pantsers vs Plotters, but I think that you have to have some element of plotting when you write a historical novel, simply because you don't have as much freedom to roam wherever you may please. You should probably know the end from the beginning and have a general idea of how to get there. I'm not saying you should necessarily do the snowflake method or anything (it works for some people, doesn't for others) but you should put some thought into it before you start.

5. Write the darn thing. Yeah, you have to put in a lot of work before hand, but it will pay off, I promise you. Just dig in and take all the foundations you've laid, and make a phenomenal piece of literature we can all be proud of. Easy right?

Excelsior!

Happy 200th to Dickens and Me!

2012-02-08T09:33:00.000-08:00

Happy 200th Birthday, Charles Dickens! (A day late, but whatever.)
Happy 200th Blog Post, Isaiah J. Campbell!

It has been a while since I last posted, perhaps because I wanted to make the 200th post something extra special. At least, that's what I'd like you to believe. Rather, it has been due to an increased workload of writing, which bodes better for me than for you.

It has also been due to a great amount of soul searching about my purpose as a writer, the sort of brand I want to establish, and the sort of impact I want to have. I would recommend every writer take some time to ponder these topics as well.

I've realized that I write Middle Grade books in historical settings, and I do so to inspire kids young and old to study history and embrace the less told stories from our past. I do so because I believe there are some things that ought not be forgotten.

Because of that, I want to partner with those who passionately work to remind us of what we so easily forget. Teachers, Librarians, Scholars, Journalists, I want to be your advocate and ally in the quest to help our future leaders check their rear-view mirrors.

This is who I am, this is what I do.

(Oh, and on the less serious, more parenthetical side of things, I'm on pinterest now, posting images from my historical research for future stories. And also of superheroes. Because I can.)

Excelsior!

A Challenging History

2012-01-12T10:45:00.001-08:00

Choosing what to write is always a challenging experiment. Usually there will be several ideas that, for whatever reason, garnered my attention and inspired a "that'd be cool" when I first thought of them. Selecting which one to devote my attention to is a bit like a beauty pageant, only the most attractive, Passion inspiring contestant will ultimately win out. And what, pray tell, has given my current WIP the edge?

It's simple. Out of all the options I had, this story seemed to be the most challenging one to write. How so?

Well, for one, it is an illustrated novel. That means that I am pulling my longtime hobby of drawing cartoons out of the closet and opening it up to professional criticism.

Also, it is about 50% inspired by my own life. That means that there are a lot of memories from my Middle School days, like the loneliness of homeschooling or the pain of being a nerd, that are being fleshed out. And, as it turns out, many of the painful memories are still just as painful today, twenty years later.

Another challenge is that the other 50% or so of inspiration comes from one of my best friend's life, and a time of family crisis I was with him during. My best friend is African American, and the unique family dynamics and cultural roles he experienced during this time helped craft such a wonderful, unique story, I wanted to retell it (with his permission) so that others can experience it as well. As such, my main character and his family are African American, and that presents another set of unique challenges for me as a caucasian writer. (hopefully someday I will wrote a blog post on the importance of writing stories about non-white people that aren't centered around race or racism. If we ever want to overcome racism and stereotypes, we have to paint the world with a broader brush and a more inclusive palette. But I digress.)

It was these challenges and others that made my current WIP, The Power of Zucchini, rise above the others. I think it is immensely important that writers, no matter where they are in their writing life, be on the lookout for the most challenging project. When you have set as your goal to overcome challenges, your success rides on your own shoulders. Even if you're never agented, published, or profitable, if you are willing to take on the challenges, you've exemplified courage and character.

And that, to me, is the measure of success.

Isaiah
www.isaiahcreates.com

Is that all you've got?

2012-01-10T13:54:00.001-08:00

I watched a documentary on Harper Lee and the legacy of To Kill A Mockingbird recently. One of the topics discussed was the singularity of the novel, as Lee never again released another work of fiction. They speculated of reasons for this, whether it was the pressure of a debut novel winning the Pulitzer and attracting the attention of Hollywood, or perhaps this was evidence of a different author of the novel (some speculate Truman Capote, a longtime friend of Lee and the inspiration for the character Dill). The reigning belief was that Harper simply never wanted to be a public figure, a celebrity, and thus wished to retreat from the fame she had begrudgingly won.

In the back of my mind, this discussion raised a question that I had been avoiding for some time. How many good books do I have inside of me that I can write?

Granted, I currently have one book with an agent, another being written, and a folder on my computer with five or six more embryos working steadily toward maturation. I also have a notebook of scribbled loglines, some good,some not-so-good, that haven't been fully conceived yet, which give me a measure of hope.

But what after that? I want to be a career writer, and that inevitably means writing more books than I have ideas for at this point, at least I hope that's what it means. How will I maintain creative integrity, avoid recycling plots and characters, and still generate appealing stories that are worth telling? Should I even be worried about that right now?

The answer is, no, I shouldn't be. Even with only one book to her name, Harper Lee is still one of the most successful writers in recent history. More than that, she was happy with what she had done. Truly, at every stage of the writer's life, that is all that matters.

Be happy with where you are right now, and let the future take care of itself.

Isaiah
www.isaiahcreates.com

The Days of Christmas

2011-12-26T10:47:00.000-08:00

My family started a new tradition this year. We are celebrating the 12 Days of Christmas, which will effectively extend our Christmas Merriment into 2012. (Up to January 6, to be exact) Why would we do such a thing?

1. Because Christmas (Dec 25) isn't really Christmas any more. It's Christmas!® Thus, we are resisting the commercialization of what should be a family/faith filled holiday by embracing an older custom. So, take that Macy's!
2. Because the best sales for Christmas!® presents is AFTER Christmas. Seriously, there is a whole lot of price slashing going on.
3. Because there are so many Christmas!® specials that we've DVR'd, we need 11 more days to watch them all.
4. But, most importantly, because the 12 days of Christmas have so many great lessons to teach the kids, we'd be foolish parents to let the teachable moments slip away from us.

So, to all my wonderful friends in the blogosphere, I hope you had a Merry Christmas!® and I hope the remaining 11 days of Christmas are as blessed as mine, if not more.

I'll end with a quote from Dickens (of course):

It wasalways said of [Scrooge], that he knew how to keep Christmaswell, if any man alive possessed the knowledge. May thatbe truly said of us, and all of us! And so, as Tiny Timobserved, God bless Us, Every One!

Dry Erase Holiday Goodness 4

2011-12-24T09:22:00.001-08:00

Welcome to Sterling Cooper Draper Price. Merry X-mas Eve!

Dry Erase Holiday Goodness pt 3

2011-12-23T10:05:00.001-08:00

Happy Christmas from Hogwarts!
(in case you haven't been informed, I draw pictures for my wife and kids on our kitchen dry erase board. This is today's. The others are here and here)

Dry Erase Holiday Goodness 2

2011-12-22T11:54:00.001-08:00

Vulcan Holidays.

Some dry-erase, Sith Lord cheer.

2011-12-21T10:09:00.001-08:00

Happy 20/12!

2011-12-20T12:26:00.000-08:00

If there was ever a dumb reason to write a blog, I have just discovered it.

Today is December 20. In the majority of the world, today is written 20/12/2011.

If that's not a reason to celebrate (sure, it may be marginal. Who cares?) I don't know what is.
Oh, you still need a reason?

Ok, it's also Hortense Calisher's 100th birthday! Google her, you'll be glad you did.

Oh, and in the land of palindromes (a land I salivate over quite frequently) it's been 151 years since South Carolina attempted to secede from the union.

So, there. Happy 20/12/2011 everyone! I'll send you X-mas cheer later. That would be too much glee for one day.

20/12 20/12 20/12!

So Wrong So Write 2: Write What You Know

2011-12-13T16:57:00.000-08:00

Here's another comic I made. Hope you like it!

Let the Nerds Arise!

2011-12-09T13:45:00.001-08:00

This should come as no surprise to anyone, but I am an incredible nerd about a lot of things.

I'm a music nerd. Specifically, I'm a jazz/classical music nerd. I can literally spend hours listening to and dissecting the mechanics of a Tchaikovsky piece, or the techniques of Herbie Hancock. See my post on the Tristan Chord for example.

I am also a history nerd. Specifically, I'm a 19th-20th century history nerd. (although I do enjoy a good yarn about Roman conquests, or Revolutionary War Era hunting techniques) I find the era familiar enough to keep me surprised when I find oddities and differences. And, yes, I love historical fiction, writing it and reading it.

I'm a comic book nerd. I can argue Superman vs Batman, or X-men vs Justice League with the best of them. There isn't a superhero movie I haven't seen. I also adore the Archie Comics. They were my first comics, and there's a special place in my heart for them. It's like your first kiss, it stays with you forever.

I'm an art nerd. Plop me in a good museum and you can go shopping all day, I'll be entertained for hours.

I'm (and I can't believe I'm admitting this) a Disney nerd. Truly, animation in general, but Walt Disney is my hero. I own every Disney animated movie that's been released, and I've watched every minute of special features on the DVDs. I may or may not know where all the hidden Mickeys are in Tomorrowland. I'm that guy.

I am a writing nerd, but I'm not (and here's the point of this whole blog post) a publishing nerd. I only peruse blogs about publishing, agents, querying, trends, etc to be informed of my professional obligations and expectations as a career author. But, trust me, I don't keep track of the who's who, what's selling for how much, who changed jobs, which bookstores are closing, or any of that rot. I did for a few months, and it just gave me an ulcer.

That's why I'm thankful for my agent.

Now, I'm not implying that Marietta IS a publishing nerd. But, she's a heck of a lot more integrated into the system than I am. She handles the nitty gritty business side of my writing so I can manage the other side. The creative side. The giddy nerd creating historical fiction about superheroes side.

And I know that there are a lot of voices decrying the agent system as an unnecessary, oft times degrading, part of the publishing system. And, sure, there are probably some crappy agents out there. But, thankfully, I don't have one of those. Instead, I have a smart, wise agent who leaves me to my creative practices, gives graceful comments and critiques, and wades through the publishing world so I don't have to.

Nerds helping nerds save the world through literature. Huzzah!

Cute-o-pie!

2011-12-05T00:18:00.001-08:00

Sarcasm!

2011-12-03T23:53:00.001-08:00

Be A Better Writer: Writing Prompt.

2011-11-28T22:42:00.001-08:00

One of my favorite exercises in Creative Writing class was the Writing Prompt, where you'd take a picture, song, clip, or poem and use it as a prompt to write a story. The only rule was that you had to incorporate the prompt into your story, somehow. So, just for the fun of it, here's a writing prompt. Let your creative juices flow!

Write at least a half a page scene based off of this picture:

Multi-Media: He Writes, He Sings!

2011-11-26T22:45:00.001-08:00

I sometimes hesitate to tell people that I'm a writer. Not because I'm embarrassed, or feel unworthy to give myself that title, but rather because I feel like it's limiting. Writing implies that I only work with the media of words on paper, and that's not the case at all.

I'm a story-teller.

I tell stories in many different media, whether in writing, or in drawing/painting, or in music. Telling stories is what I do.

And, to that end, I'd like to invite you to hear some of my music. Here's a way to download one of my songs:

You can also go buy the full live album on itunes.If you want to. No pressure.

I also composed a Christmas medley: Songs for Shepherds
So, don't ever limit yourself. Yeah, that's the lesson here.

Excelsior!
UPDATE: If you are reading this in an RSS reader, there's a good chance some of the embedded objects above aren't showing up for you. If so, just click here.

So Wrong So Write #1: The Blockhead

2011-11-21T21:20:00.000-08:00

Here's my very first comic. Made by me!

MMGM - Backlist Edition: The McGurk Mysteries.

2011-11-21T00:30:00.000-08:00

Shannon Whitney Messenger has done a fantastic service to the reading/writing community by highlighting Middle Grade books every Monday in Marvelous Middle Grade Monday!!! (Exclamation points my own, though I assume appreciated by Shannon.) I've decided to contribute in my own quirky, history nerd fashion by highlighting a series that is out of print, but can still be purchased online. (At the screaming rate of $.01 per book.) This series was one of the very first that I ever fell in love with, and one that pulled me out of the Bobbsey Twins/Boxcar Children stage and planted me firmly into the Isaac Asimov/Graphic Novels stage of my reading maturity. That series is the McGurk Mystery Series by E. W. Hildick.

One of my favorite books in the McGurk Series.

The books follow the adventures of McGurk and his friends as they solve age-appropriate mysteries. I say age-appropriate because, for the most part, they investigated missing lawn ornaments, kidnapped cats, or other fantastically minute yet intense crimes within the 12-year old community. There was one book that involved an investigation into insurance fraud, but in that case they worked within the normal limitations of children. (Brilliantly done, I must say)

The first book, The Nose Knows, came out in 1974 and the last, The Case of the Wiggling Wig, came out in 1996, thus there was a time span of 22 years and 24 books. Over that time, the team was comprised of McGurk (the leader and eccentric supersleuth), Joey (the Watson to McGurk's Sherlock), Willy (who specialized in smelling clues), Wanda (the tomboy gifted regarding trees, both identifying and climbing them), Brain (the boy genius and inventor), and Mari Yoshimura (the ventriloquist from Japan who was a human lie detector). They were incredibly diverse, considering the time they were written, and incredibly entertaining.

I'd recommend picking up a few of these and reading them, if for no other reason than to give some love to an author that hasn't gotten a lot of attention in a while.

I've been interviewed!

2011-11-19T19:45:00.001-08:00

Well, folks, I've been interviewed over at QueryTracker by Patrick McDonald. Go read it for more info on the journey I took to get my agent.

Guest Blog: Bill Shakespeare

2011-11-17T00:07:00.001-08:00

Decided to let somebody else write for me today. Here's Bill Shakespeare with a Sonnet, he calls it Sonnet 27.

Weary with toil, I haste me to my bed,

The dear repose for limbs with travel tir'd,

But then begins a journey in my head,

To work my mind, when body's work's expir'd;

For then my thoughts, from far where I abide,

Intend a zealous pilgrimage to thee,

And keep my drooping eyelids open wide,

Looking on darkness which the blind do see:

Save that my soul's imaginary sight

Presents thy shadow to my sightless view,

Which, like a jewel hung in ghastly night,

Makes black night beauteous and her old face new.

Lo! thus, by day my limbs, by night my mind,

For thee and for myself no quiet find.

Excelsior!

Over/Under Selling

2011-11-15T14:21:00.001-08:00

Salesmanship is one of the essential non-writing tools for your writing toolbox. But how do you do it?

If you've perused many agent websites, you've heard the complaint about those query letters that say, "This is the next great American classic" or "I guarantee a massive movie deal with this book" or some other nonsense like that. It makes me think of the Snake Oil salesmen of the old west, who claimed their concoctions could cure rheumatism, headaches, neuralgia, toothaches, earaches, backaches, sore throats, chest colds, swellings, sprains, cuts, bruises, baldness, and deafness. Unfortunately, it was usually just urine in a jar.

Which is probably what a lot of those books are, too.

At any rate, those of us who have read those claims from writers have become gun shy. At least, I know I did. We're so afraid of Over-Selling our work and ourselves that we Under-Sell instead.

Oh, sure, you might craft a query letter that is formatted correctly, and is devoid of error, and so sanitary you could eat off it. But, where's the pizazz? Where's the bells and whistles? Where's the juice that'll get them begging for more?

It's all about salesmanship.

And, even beyond the query letter, you have to keep selling as a writer. Whether it's in phone interviews with agents or editors, or whether it's in booking and attracting events, or whether it's in your social marketing skills, you have to be a good salesman.

So, how do you do it?

Know your product. If you're talking about your book, you had better know your book like you know your own face. You need to recognize its good qualities, and know how to feature them above all else. It's like when a woman puts on makeup, she knows that her eyes are her strong feature, or her lips, or the mole with the hair on it, or whatever. And she knows that she needs to highlight that in order to be attractive.
Ensure your product. There's an old saying, "Under-Promise, Over-Deliver." When it comes to selling, the only way you can effectively sell something and still Over-Deliver is if you have a darn good product. So, seriously, make sure that your book is edited, revised, and as good as you can get it on your own. Make sure that you, as a product yourself, are free from scandalous twitter pics, or vicious tirades on your ex-spouse. Make sure that you know how to avoid the f-bomb in normal conversation. And please, oh pretty please, make sure that you actually HAVE a book before you get everybody all worked up over it.
Pitch your Product. You have to be able to sell your product in one sentence. Yeah, it's hard. But, if it's your book, that's what the logline is all about. And, if the product is you, that is when you learn how to say, "I used to be a diagnostician, but now I'm a writer of Middle-Grade fiction which gets kids interested in medical diagnostics, and I'd love to present an assembly to your school. Where can I send you more information?" (yes, I'm imagining Dr. Gregory House as a MG writer of Medical Mysteries. And, yes, I would advise him to be silent on his Vicodin addiction.)

Selling is such an important component of succeeding as a writer (and as anything, really) that I hope you'll take the time to practice and prepare to be the best you can be at it.

Excelsior!

How to put on a great presentation!

2011-11-11T07:00:00.000-08:00

If you are going to be giving a presentation, the biggestpriority in your mind should be entertainment.

That’s not to negate the importance of information, oreducation, or any of the other goals that you may have assigned to your publicappearance. But, trust me, the single distinguishing factor of any presentationis the entertainment value. Do you capture the attention of the audience, keepit through out, and leave them happy that they gave you the last 45 minutes oftheir life? If not, it won’t matter how pristine your content was, you havefailed.

And, you want the entertainment to be intentional, notaccidental. Yes, there is a sick pleasure to be found in watching someone crashand burn on the stage, like observing the sinking of the Titanic or the mostpainfully awkward moments on The Office. But moments like those will not helpyou sell your book. And, really, that’s what it’s all about, right?

So, how do you create the most entertaining presentationpossible, while still staying true to yourself and your goals as a writer?

Here’s my way:

1. Grab theaudience from the start. Maybe you open with a joke. (Of course, tellingjokes can be one of the most terrifying activities in public speaking) Maybeyou give them a video. How about a quote, or a riveting fact. You say you wrotea paranormal Romeo and Juliet parody, starring Zombies from the Appalachiansand from New Orleans? And the reason you picked those two locations was becauseof the voodoo tradition from New Orleans, mixed with the Rip Van Winkle folkloreof Appalachia? How about opening like this: “Rip Van Winkle was a zombie. Youall knew that, right? He was a brain eating, flesh skewering, never showeringzombie. What, you don’t think that’s true? Prove it.”

2. Escalateyour momentum. Now you give them the story. Not the story of your book, butthe story of you writing the darn thing. Of course, this isn’t the flowerystory you’ve shared with your friends and family, the one where you were sofrustrated you wanted to quit and take up professional crocheting. Save thatfor your blog. Instead, give your audience the truncated, Reader’s Digestversion. Take out all the boring parts. Make it easy to follow. Let theaudience feel like anyone could do what you did, but there’s no way anyonecould do it the way you did it.

3. Slap themwith substance. You know all that crap about theme and archetypes you triedto keep from being too obvious in your book. Now’s the time to make it obvious.And, even more importantly, it’s time to make them relevant. So, your Zombieromance dealt with cultural differences, grief, and vegetarianism? Give it toyour audience, with details of why those issues are important to them. But,remember, it’s a sin to be boring. So, give them stories relating to the theme.Real life stories, and then weave in the story of your book.

4. Leavethem wanting more. One of my favorite movies is That Thing You Do. In that movie, there’s a band that is on tour,and their manager tells them to bow, smile, and leave the stage as soon as thesong is over. That’s what you need to do, too. Don’t give them everything you’vegot, give them enough so they want more from you. If you want to have aquestion and answer time, that’s awesome. But, limit it. Let everyone know thatyou’ll be happy to answer one question per person at the signing lineafterwards. And if there aren’t anyquestions? Leave them with one final story, the kicker, that piece that willhave them salivating to talk to you. It can be funny, sad, or exciting.Whatever you do, leave them asking for more.

I hope that you all have a wonderful career of publicspeaking in front of you, especially if you are a children’s and young adultwriter and you are hoping to make school appearances.

Excelsior!

Say It, Don't Spell It! The Writer's Guide to Public Speaking

2011-11-09T08:43:00.000-08:00

We've all heard this Seinfeld quote, right?

“According to most studies, people's number one fear is public speaking. Number two is death. Death is number two. Does that sound right? This means to the average person, if you go to a funeral, you're better off in the casket than doing the eulogy.”

And, to so many writers, that rings true.

Now, let me preface my little advice here with some info. Before I was really a writer, I was a professional public speaker for 15 years. I was a teacher, a motivational speaker, and a program director. I've spoken before audiences with numbers into the thousands, in venues from California to Tennessee, and also internationally. And (here's the kicker) I still get nervous before every presentation.

So, how do you do it? How do you get over the butterflies (or in some cases, the vampire bats) and get up there, wow audiences, and give your book and career the best shot possible?

Have Something to Say. Yeah, this seems like a no-brainer. But, you'd be surprised how many times people get up and plan on spontaneity taking over. After all, you're talking about your book, right? How hard can that be? Pretty darn hard, if you don't have a plan of what you're going to say. So, what should you plan?

Your inspiration for writing. Why did you decide to write what you wrote? What life experience gave you insight into the world you created?
The writing process. How long did it take for you to write your book? Where were you living when you wrote it? Did you write daily, off and on, or what?
Your life. Why did you decide to become a writer? What were you before you started writing?
Themes in your book. Your book has a subtext about cruelty to snails. Where did you come up with that? Why are you passionate about that? What are some real world applications to this topic?

Practice, Practice, Practice. I still run through every single presentation at least twenty times before I give it. In the car, in my house, while I'm doing laundry, I memorize my presentations like a script. Now, I've been doing this for a while, and I generally adjust and improvise when actually giving my presentations, but when I was first starting out, I memorized until I could do it in my sleep. Videotape yourself, talk in front of a mirror. Don't leave anything to chance. What, you hate hearing yourself talk? Not as much as your audience will if you don't hammer out the kinks! Practice, practice, practice, and then practice some more.
Give Yourself the License to Screw Up. The biggest reason people are afraid of public speaking is because they fear what the audience will think of them. And, trust me, it can SUCK to know that you screwed up royally. But, you WILL screw up royally. It's going to happen. It does to everyone. Prepare yourself, forgive yourself ahead of time, and push through it.
Expect the Unexpected. One time, I had a heckler in the audience. An ACTUAL heckler. Another time, there was a child that ran up onto the stage and started crying. And then there was the time the fire alarms went off. Oh, and that time someone stormed out, screaming profanities. Yup, weird things can happen. Get ready for them. In fact, enjoy them. Trust me, there's nothing better than telling your friends about the guy that started undressing in the middle of your presentation. (Happened to a friend, not to me.)

So, have I succesfully scared you off? Hopefully not, because as a writer, giving presentations in front of your readers can solidify your career. And, trust me, you CAN do it. In a couple of days, I'll give one more piece of advice about public speaking: "Planning An Amazing Presentation"

Excelsior!

Non-Writing Tools for your Writing Toolbox

2011-11-07T08:23:00.000-08:00

Ah, being a writer. Isn't it wonderful to have a job whose title and job description are basically the same? It's not like being a cashier, who barely handles cash these days, or being a bank teller, who never tells anyone anything worth hearing. Nope, being a writer is simple. You write, right?

Well, yes and no. Yes, your job as a writer is to write your book. But, if you want to be a successful author (wait, there's no job description in that title!), you need to develop some skills beyond pounding the keys on your preferred writing utensil.

What skills? I'm glad you asked.

Public Speaking: I think I just heard a collective wretch coming from all the writers reading this blog. Indeed, the very reason you became a writer might be because you're more comfortable typing in your jammies with a steaming cup of Earl Gray than you are speaking in front of your family reunion. (Heck, you might be more comfortable exfoliating with a cheese grater than with public speaking.) But, if you want to promote your book, learning how to speak in public is a necessary skill you can't afford to ignore. In fact, I feel this skill is so important (and, after 15 years as a professional public speaker and musician, I should!), I'm going to be writing two more blogs about it this week (Pt 1 here, Pt 2 here). So, fear not, glossophobics, I'm here for you.
Selling: I used to hate sales. Every time I tried to sell anything to anybody, I felt like a used car dealer, laying on the BS so I could swindle a poor, unsuspecting person out of their hard earned cash. Then I realized two very important facts: (1) If you feel like Snidely Whiplash you're probably doing it wrong, and (2) If you want your book to sell, you'd better be ready to start selling.

Negotiating: But, wait, isn't that why I'm getting an agent? (Or, isn't that why I'm self-pubbing, so I don't need to negotiate with anyone?) Sure, it's pretty darn important that you let your agent do their job of negotiating for you, but there does come a time when you have to make some decisions on your own about your work, your income, and your future as a writer. A lot of writers either are as hard headed as a ventriloquist dummy and make no concessions whatsoever, or they're doormats and wind up miserable because they didn't stand up for themselves. Finding the balance between what you want and what you can sacrifice to move ahead is a skill not naturally born. Read a book about it, and you'll see what I mean.
Booking: Yeah, it'd be great if your Google Calendar was suddenly filled with speaking engagements, school assemblies, book signings, library visits, interviews, and TV appearances. It'd be nice if the publisher came along and handed you the perfect book tour. But, guess what? It's not going to happen. Inevitably, you need to learn how to call venues, set dates, find cheap hotel reservations, get the best flights, negotiate rental cars, and fill your calendar on your own. And, for the love of all that is literary, write things down! Double booking is a sin, I tell you.
Accounting: Ok, before I even get into this, let me put a disclaimer: The most important, beneficial person you will ever team up with will be a bookkeeper/accountant. The headache and hassle of filing Self Employment taxes, estimated quarterly taxes, etc. etc. etc. will drive you to finding a job at McDonald's. However, even after you partner with a brilliant accountant, you still need to take care of your own dadgum finances. Here's why: Nobody, not even your accountant, is going to tell you how to spend your money wisely. Not when it comes to the day-to-day operations of your life. So, you need to learn how to budget, how to keep receipts, how to determine your weekly paychecks out of your lump income, and on and on.
Self-therapy: How many writers in history were alcoholics? Or drug addicts? Or committed suicide? How many divorces have stricken writers? How many kids turned out screwed up? How many spouses committed adultery? Too many, far too many. You need to learn how to see the signs of impending danger and how to ask for help. Just like with the financial side of your life, having someone you can trust with your mental and emotional health is also an essential part of your writing life. (And, yes, my wife is a therapist, so I am a little biased) Remember, writing can be a lonely exercise, but it doesn't have to be.

I'm sure there are more, and if you can think of any, leave them in the comments. Coming up in a couple of days: "The Writer's Guide to Public Speaking"

Excelsior!

Wait for it... (The Author's Life Post-Agent, pt 1)

2011-11-05T13:18:00.001-07:00

I've read a TON of blog posts about seeking agents, querying, pitching, etc. I've read far fewer about what to expect after you've signed with an agent. Thus, I decided to start writing as much as I safely can with advice on this stage of the game. And so, my first bit of advice is this: Learn how to have patience. Lots and lots of patience.

Certainly, it's a long, grueling process finding an agent. It's nerve wracking to send out query letters, wait on your haunches, receive rejections, lather, rinse, and repeat.

And I wouldn't want to go back to that, to be sure.

So, if you're in that stage, press on. It does get better. I'm not even going to insult you by saying, "enjoy it while it lasts." No, embrace the discomfort of the agent-finding stage and use it as motivation to get better at writing, make your book better, get that query letter pitch-perfect, and find every avenue possible to advance your career.

That is the ONLY nice part of the pre-agent stage. Everything, for the most part, is truly in your control.

Once you've signed with your agent, you're in a joint venture. The revision process takes place together, you work together to understand the pitchable qualities of your book. And then...

Then you take your hands off your baby and let your agent do their job. You've done your revisions, and you're waiting to hear what the next step will be. Will there be more revisions? Is the book ready? Does she want to go ahead, or does she think there's still more work to be done?

If you can learn how to hibernate for the winter, do it.

If not, then you need to find a way to occupy your time so you don't (a) Go Crazy and (b) Drive Your Agent Crazy.

But, what to do?

Write your next book. Sure, you'll feel like you're cheating on the other one. And you'll still keep thinking of things about your first book. But that's ok. Consider this the only infidelity that's permissible.
Get a hobby. My wife and I have taken up puzzles. Then we talk about my book while we do them. Ok, it's not the most effective. I've also started cooking more (as my twitter feed should inform you). With lots and lots of bacon.
Spend time with your family. You know those people you've been neglecting for the past few months. How about making a family day? Or week? Go for a trip, do a picnic, whatever. Time with your kids is truly time well invested. Plus, they have no idea what advances against royalties are. It helps.
Get caught up on TV. That's what Hulu and NetFlix are for, really. Depending on how long I'll be waiting, I'll be watching Private Practice, Vampire Diaries, Archie's Funhouse, and Sabrina the Teenage Witch. In that order.
Blog more. Hence my blog has been injected with adrenaline. Maybe this time I'll make it a habit. Or, you know, maybe not,

Excelsior!

Bring on the crazy

2011-11-02T16:29:00.000-07:00

Well, I wasn't going to do it. Nope, I had too much on my plate to take part in NaNoWriMo. I had revisions to do, I had to work on other projects. Nope, not this time.

But then my revisions got finished. And my projects either (a) got completed early or (b) fell off my radar.

Soooooooooooooo...

NaNoWriMo here I come!

Admittedly, I'll be rewriting a novel I already completed, so I'm cheating a little. But, I have well over 50,000 words of writing ahead of me. So, I think I'm ok.

At any rate, time to post the badge and wear it with pride:

Happy National Author's Day!

2011-11-01T14:52:00.000-07:00

A little late in the day, but let me wish you all a Happy National Author's Day!

To celebrate, here is a list of some of my favorite authors:
1. Mark Twain.
2. Isaac Asimov
3. C.S. Lewis
4. Alexander Dumas
5. Donald J. Sobol

Who are some of yours?

Take Me On A Journey So I Don't Stop Believin'

2011-10-25T17:35:00.000-07:00

As I've previously stated, I believe that the only common element in (almost) all writing success stories is the writing of an incredible book. The avenue to publishing is a little different for everyone, some through writing conventions, some through cold querying, some through incredible turns of events, but every single one had a pretty darn good novel that they were peddling.
And what, exactly, does it take to make a good novel? Well, in my opinion, a good novel is the sum of the following equation: captivating voice + engaging plot + compelling characters + creative setting = amazing novel. (now, as anyone who took Algebra ((or in my case, retook Algebra)) will tell you, in an addition equation, it doesn't matter what order you put things in, as long as they're all there, you'll be fine.)
Well, I covered voice (or touched on it at least) in this post, so I want to get right into the next value of the equation.
Engaging Plot
There have been plenty of great blog posts out there about different plot structures, pantsers vs. plotters, plot driven vs. character driven, etc. so I'm not going to dwell on any of the nitty-grittys. I'm going to come at it from a different perspective.
First of all, what is a plot? Well, to put it simply, the plot is the journey your story takes from beginning to end. It may be a 3-Act Structure plot, it may be a 5 Major Points plot, it may be a divergent storylines plot, a reverse timeline plot, or a multiple POV, massive collision of characters in the final chapter plot. Any of those will do.
Your options of plotting your novel are as wide and varied as your options of going from your house to New York City. You could drive, fly, walk, swim, take a train, go in a UFO, or whatever you want. But, you have to get there, and to get there, you have to leave from somewhere.
So, in my humble opinion of course, the first rule of your plot is this:
1. Your Plot Must Exist.
Like I said, I don't care if the journey of your story is a 100MPH race down the Autobahn or if it's a meandering pony ride in the Applachians, as long as we're going somewhere, I'm willing to invest in it. But, if your book is nothing more than a treadmill, a whole lot of effort without any payoff at the end, then I'm going to jump off ASAP. That's just my nature, and that's the nature of your readers, too.
Speaking of "jumping off", that reminds me of another very important, oft ignored rule of a story's plot:
2. Don't Throw Momma From The Train.
The best illustration of this comes from one of my daughters' favorite movie, Barbie Fashion Fairytale. (I know, I know, I can rent my masculinity back in 15 years.) In this movie, Barbie is an actress playing the princess of the princess and the pea story. The set up is great, the setting perfect. Then, out of nowhere, there comes some Zombie Peas, lifesize, rapping about how much they hate the princess and being peas. Barbie throws a fit because her movie is ruined. They threw momma from the train.
How many times have you been reading merrily along, and then you got thrown off the train? Out of nowhere, the steely detective becomes a buffoon, the strong female protagonist becomes a bimbo, or some other horrific crime is committed against the story we have invested ourselves in. Don't let that happen to your story.
And, speaking of investing in your story, here's the last rule for this blog:
3. The Bigger the Risk, the Bigger the Reward.
I'm reading your book, and you've been feeding me some great writing. The plot has been captivating, and I'm getting more and more antsy to see the end. Then, we get there, and it all turns out to have been a dream inside your main character's head. Or I find out that you're just going to destroy the world and start all over. Or some other nonsensical, disappointing ending that doesn't pay the reader off for all the time and energy they invested in the story.
That's the biggest complaint I and many others had about the final book int he Twilight saga, the payoff was disappointing. We were all set up for an epic war between vampires and werewolves, and instead it turned into a UN Summit. It was terrible.
I don't care about your structure, but if you don't have a climax to your book, you don't have a plot. End of story.
A great example of a great plot comes to us, not from the storybook world, but from the music world. Think of the Journey song, "Don't Stop Believing". We all can get on board with the chorus of that song, but think about this: That song is 4:11 long, yet the chorus only comprises the final :50 of the track. That's 3:21 of preparation for the incredible climax, which is why we all buy into the song. We love being teased, especially when there's a reward at the end.
So, go write an amazing plot.
Excelsior!

Last Night was Good TV

2011-10-24T11:13:00.000-07:00

Well, in the world of things you probably don't know about me, (that includes the My Little Ponies I played with when I was a kid. Ok, that's out there. Crap.) one of the easiest facts to learn is that I am an avid TV watcher. Even more than movies, I eat and breath television shows. Ok, not quite that obsessive, but television is by far my favorite form of entertainment. (wait, aren't I a writer? Shouldn't I be pimping reading when I say stuff like that? Ok, uh, I love reading a lot, too. There, I said it.)

Last night was, to me, one of those nights that lets you know the days of good television haven't been sucked up in the wake of Snooki and the Kardashians. And, the crazy part was, all but one good television experience was on ABC. Wonder of wonders. Here's what I watched:

1. The World Series Game Four. Yes, I know, it was a snooze fest. But, as a Texas Rangers fan from birth (my very first ballgame experience was at the old Arlington Stadium). And, as a comeback to the humiliating Game Three, it was a pretty powerful statement. Plus, my wife is a die-hard Cardinals fan. So, every game has a high level of intensity.


Nachos were awesome. Thinking I was going to fall to my death through the bleachers? Not so much.

2. Once Upon A Time. I know, I know, as a guy, shows that are about the Disney Fairy Tales getting thrown into suburbia shouldn't interest me. (Although, see the My Little Pony statement before) But, this show was really good. It has a nice twist on the fairy tales (the seven dwarfs were a pleasant surprise. And Jiminy Cricket? Classic.), plus the acting is high caliber. Overall, a pleasant experience.

3. Desperate Housewives. Made me laugh. Could have been the euphoria of Game Four plus Once Upon A Time, but still, I did in fact laugh. That's about all I'm asking of this show this season.

4. PanAm. This is my favorite new show of the season, bar none. And, last nights blend of espionage, mystery, 60s pop culture, and scandal made for a savory bit of goodness. If you aren't watching PanAm, you are missing out.

Tonight, we have Game Five and House. Another good night of TV.

Excelsior!

Domo Arigato, Mr. NaNoWriMo

2011-10-22T10:36:00.001-07:00

So many of my friends are gearing up for nanowrimo, it's really exciting. For the uninformed, nanowrimo is national novel writing month, where authors feverishly work to get an epic tome completed inside of 30 days. It's quite an impressive undertaking. While I haven't officially partaken, I did use the principles of nanowrimo to complete my novel this summer, and plan my own little nanoREVmo for the next few weeks.

The danger of nanowrimo is that your focus as a writer can become more on quantity than on quality, with daily word count goals looming and forcing you to settle for subpar prose. Still, especially for writers without the first novel under their belt, nanowrimo can be an amazing benefit.

So, with that in mind, let me give you my three tips to have an effective writing month:

1. View writer's block as your dinner bell. When you're pushing your brain to churn out 100,000+ words in a month, it's going to get tired. Give yourself the occasional break, but try to push til your body demands it.

2. Flag Your Crap. You're going to right some pretty horrible pieces of literature. Don't fret over it. Flag it in your favorite word processing software so you can fix it next month. The only reason to revise as you go right now is if you screwed up your plot. So don't.

3. Cherish the feverish writing episodes. Everything else in publishing is SLOW. So, enjoy the intensity of this time, cause all slows down after this.

To writing!