Today's random question is for you.
Who are your favorite authors?
What genre books do you gravitate toward?
Have you recently read a book that blew you away?
I've devoured the backlists of my favorite authors. Help! I'm looking for fabulous fiction books to read. Please recommend your favorites. (Thank you, Keli Gwyn, for your help with the inspirational historical market!!) The romance genre is my favorite, but I enjoy any well-written book. Surprise me!
Join me on Friday for one goal!
Showing posts with label random questions. Show all posts
Showing posts with label random questions. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Monday, May 24, 2010
Why is Your Character There?
Today's random question helps you decide if a scene, or portion of a scene, is necessary.
Read through the scene and ask yourself, why is this character here? In this scene? Right now? Is it vital for the reader to know what the character is doing?
Unfortunately, sometimes it isn't important the reader know what the character is doing right then. If it shows your character's daily routine, you can probably cut the information.
Example:
You write three pages describing the heroine waking up, popping a few slices of bread in the toaster for breakfast, flipping on the Today show, and walking past a rumpled bedspread on the way to her closet.
Why would the reader need to know this? The heroine goes through these motions every day. This information isn't new, it isn't revealing, and it isn't moving the story forward. Now, if she normally shoots out of bed, skips breakfast, and rushes out the door, but you're showing an upset in her normal routine that is vital to the plot--leave the information in. Otherwise, cut it.
The character should always have a reason for acting out the scene. A routine is not a reason because she'd be doing it anyway.
However, sometimes your character will be mentally working out the events in a previous scene--this is called a sequel--and you might not want an action-packed setting for this. Try to show the character's mental state through his actions as he's mentally wrestling what to do. I think it's a good idea to avoid lengthy routines even in sequels. Occasionally, you can pick one "comfort" habit and work the thoughts around it. This gives more bang for the buck.
Let's use the previous scenario. In the previous scene, the heroine found out her father may or may not be cheating on her mother. The heroine is a neat-freak. Instead of walking through her morning routine while she's trying to decide if she should confront her father or not, consider having all of the thoughts take place while she makes her bed. Be specific about the exact way she smooths the sheets. Her precision with folding the blanket just so. The way she uses two hands to place each sham and how she tilts the accent pillow to a ninety-degree angle.
This uses the setting to show her need to be in control. She's comforting herself through her confusing thoughts by rendering precision to something she can control. Also, this grounds the reader in the time and place as she thinks. The act of making a bed can become important if you approach it with care.
Have you been guilty of writing "the boring parts" of your characters' lives? (I have!) How hard is it for you to cut instances where she's brushing her teeth, sipping a cup of tea, or deciding which pajamas to wear?
Join me on Wednesday for another random question, this time for you!
Read through the scene and ask yourself, why is this character here? In this scene? Right now? Is it vital for the reader to know what the character is doing?
Unfortunately, sometimes it isn't important the reader know what the character is doing right then. If it shows your character's daily routine, you can probably cut the information.
Example:
You write three pages describing the heroine waking up, popping a few slices of bread in the toaster for breakfast, flipping on the Today show, and walking past a rumpled bedspread on the way to her closet.
Why would the reader need to know this? The heroine goes through these motions every day. This information isn't new, it isn't revealing, and it isn't moving the story forward. Now, if she normally shoots out of bed, skips breakfast, and rushes out the door, but you're showing an upset in her normal routine that is vital to the plot--leave the information in. Otherwise, cut it.
The character should always have a reason for acting out the scene. A routine is not a reason because she'd be doing it anyway.
However, sometimes your character will be mentally working out the events in a previous scene--this is called a sequel--and you might not want an action-packed setting for this. Try to show the character's mental state through his actions as he's mentally wrestling what to do. I think it's a good idea to avoid lengthy routines even in sequels. Occasionally, you can pick one "comfort" habit and work the thoughts around it. This gives more bang for the buck.
Let's use the previous scenario. In the previous scene, the heroine found out her father may or may not be cheating on her mother. The heroine is a neat-freak. Instead of walking through her morning routine while she's trying to decide if she should confront her father or not, consider having all of the thoughts take place while she makes her bed. Be specific about the exact way she smooths the sheets. Her precision with folding the blanket just so. The way she uses two hands to place each sham and how she tilts the accent pillow to a ninety-degree angle.
This uses the setting to show her need to be in control. She's comforting herself through her confusing thoughts by rendering precision to something she can control. Also, this grounds the reader in the time and place as she thinks. The act of making a bed can become important if you approach it with care.
Have you been guilty of writing "the boring parts" of your characters' lives? (I have!) How hard is it for you to cut instances where she's brushing her teeth, sipping a cup of tea, or deciding which pajamas to wear?
Join me on Wednesday for another random question, this time for you!
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
What Basic Need Can I Withhold From the Character?
Often in our writing, we know what needs to happen in a scene so we write it. But what if the information being conveyed is on the boring side? It needs to be written in order for the book to make sense, but the material is a bit dry? I recommend a combination of things to spice up these scenes.
First, brainstorm a plausible way for the information to be given through dialogue.
Second, withhold a basic need from the character who is on the receiving end of the information.
For example: (Genre: Historical romantic suspense) You need to give information to the reader about the weapons that just arrived on a ship. They'll play a key role in your plot later on, but for now, you need to plant them and their purpose in the hero's mind. His uncle is filling him in on the affair.
Write the scene from the hero's point of view. Let his uncle start spouting off about the weapons. Now, a reader is going to get bored of weapon talk pretty quickly, so this is where the fun random question comes in. What basic need is our hero lacking right now?
Is he hungry? Thirsty? Exhausted? Winded? Any of these qualities will distract him--and the reader--from the boring information, while allowing the information to still come out. Make sense? With each morsel of information, break into the hero's focus on his own needs. Have him barely listening to his uncle because he will fall down if he doesn't have a drink/sandwich/bed immediately.
How do you sneak boring information into your books?
Join me on Friday for One Goal!
First, brainstorm a plausible way for the information to be given through dialogue.
Second, withhold a basic need from the character who is on the receiving end of the information.
For example: (Genre: Historical romantic suspense) You need to give information to the reader about the weapons that just arrived on a ship. They'll play a key role in your plot later on, but for now, you need to plant them and their purpose in the hero's mind. His uncle is filling him in on the affair.
Write the scene from the hero's point of view. Let his uncle start spouting off about the weapons. Now, a reader is going to get bored of weapon talk pretty quickly, so this is where the fun random question comes in. What basic need is our hero lacking right now?
Is he hungry? Thirsty? Exhausted? Winded? Any of these qualities will distract him--and the reader--from the boring information, while allowing the information to still come out. Make sense? With each morsel of information, break into the hero's focus on his own needs. Have him barely listening to his uncle because he will fall down if he doesn't have a drink/sandwich/bed immediately.
"The Brittania set shore earlier," Uncle Bart said.
"You don't say?" Robert's stomach growled. He hoped Uncle Bart wasn't going
to be long-winded but knew the hope was in vain. Maybe he could summon
Jeeves with a tray of biscuits?
"The navvies pulled in the usual, but one pallet interested me. I had my
boy check it out. Guns. Guns like I've never seen before..."
Every other week Uncle Bart found something unusual on one of the
ships. Robert licked his lips, the idea of roast beef and potatoes gelling in
his mind. If he didn't get something to eat soon--
"...and strange markings on the barrels..."
How do you sneak boring information into your books?
Join me on Friday for One Goal!
Monday, May 17, 2010
What Does the Town Busy-Body Think?
You're writing a revealing scene, trying to convey the urgency in the conversation your characters are sharing, but are you nailing it?
Chances are--yes--you are nailing it, but if you want to double-check, step back and view the scene from another point of view.
Pretend you're the town busy-body. You're strolling along, minding your own business (with one ear, okay, both ears open) when you notice a hushed conversation between two people. You slow, scan the area for a convenient bush to hide behind, and sidle as close as you dare to eavesdrop. Luck is on your side since the bush has a hole just big enough for you to view the entire exchange.
What do you see?
What do you hear?
What are the whisperers conveying with their body language?
This exercise can help you determine if you need more action beats dispersed in your dialogue. This is also a great way to "show instead of tell" the reader what a character is feeling. The character isn't going to say "I'm devastated," but her slumped shoulders and the way she's aimlessly tracing her finger along the tiles of the table will.
Do you ever approach a scene as if you're eavesdropping on it? What are your secrets to "show not tell"? And please, someone slap me upside the head to stop using the same, tired actions? Every time I revise, I'm bombarded with the characters smiling, shrugging, and sighing. You'd think I'd learn...
Join me on Wednesday for another random question.
Chances are--yes--you are nailing it, but if you want to double-check, step back and view the scene from another point of view.
Pretend you're the town busy-body. You're strolling along, minding your own business (with one ear, okay, both ears open) when you notice a hushed conversation between two people. You slow, scan the area for a convenient bush to hide behind, and sidle as close as you dare to eavesdrop. Luck is on your side since the bush has a hole just big enough for you to view the entire exchange.
What do you see?
What do you hear?
What are the whisperers conveying with their body language?
This exercise can help you determine if you need more action beats dispersed in your dialogue. This is also a great way to "show instead of tell" the reader what a character is feeling. The character isn't going to say "I'm devastated," but her slumped shoulders and the way she's aimlessly tracing her finger along the tiles of the table will.
Do you ever approach a scene as if you're eavesdropping on it? What are your secrets to "show not tell"? And please, someone slap me upside the head to stop using the same, tired actions? Every time I revise, I'm bombarded with the characters smiling, shrugging, and sighing. You'd think I'd learn...
Join me on Wednesday for another random question.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
What Would Grandpa Think?
The random question for today is what would grandpa think? This question adds internal conflict for your characters and keeps them likable during a scene where they're either behaving badly or need to make a tough decision.
Now, most of you instinctively know how your character will react to any given question, but sometimes we want our characters to surprise us. Not act out of character--just surprise us.
Let's use Monday's scenario except we'll switch the point of view from Tessa to John.
Setting: John's farmhouse, Saturday 11:00am, springtime
Players: Tessa and John
Scene Question: Will John agree to attend a wedding with Tessa?
Set up: John is anti-social and Tessa is nervous Nelly, desperate to have a date to a co-worker's wedding. And for some reason John is the only person on the planet she can ask.
So John doesn't want to go the wedding. He's gruff with her and tries to dismiss her, but she wedges her black heel into the door frame and won't be dismissed. He's getting panicky, which means he's not the nicest person. To keep John from being a complete jerk, this is a good idea to ask "What would John's grandpa think about the way he's treating Tessa?"
Hs grandpa treated his grandma like a prize rose. Now John has to let her in and hear her out. He lowers his voice, tries to find a kind way to let her down. And ultimately, he agrees to attend the wedding. Grandpa taught him right.
This works wonders at provoking a guilty conscience. You could also go the other way and have his grandpa be a worthless bum. No matter, your character will be affected by memories of him.
I realize these light questions won't cure everything, but they're a fun way to clear up confusion on how and why your character will react in a scene.
Don't you love sloshing guilt on your characters?
Join me on Friday to review and set one goal!
Now, most of you instinctively know how your character will react to any given question, but sometimes we want our characters to surprise us. Not act out of character--just surprise us.
Let's use Monday's scenario except we'll switch the point of view from Tessa to John.
Setting: John's farmhouse, Saturday 11:00am, springtime
Players: Tessa and John
Scene Question: Will John agree to attend a wedding with Tessa?
Set up: John is anti-social and Tessa is nervous Nelly, desperate to have a date to a co-worker's wedding. And for some reason John is the only person on the planet she can ask.
So John doesn't want to go the wedding. He's gruff with her and tries to dismiss her, but she wedges her black heel into the door frame and won't be dismissed. He's getting panicky, which means he's not the nicest person. To keep John from being a complete jerk, this is a good idea to ask "What would John's grandpa think about the way he's treating Tessa?"
Hs grandpa treated his grandma like a prize rose. Now John has to let her in and hear her out. He lowers his voice, tries to find a kind way to let her down. And ultimately, he agrees to attend the wedding. Grandpa taught him right.
This works wonders at provoking a guilty conscience. You could also go the other way and have his grandpa be a worthless bum. No matter, your character will be affected by memories of him.
I realize these light questions won't cure everything, but they're a fun way to clear up confusion on how and why your character will react in a scene.
Don't you love sloshing guilt on your characters?
Join me on Friday to review and set one goal!
Monday, May 10, 2010
Mentally Switch from Day to Night
Today's random question can help the tone of a scene. If you're in the middle of your first draft and worried the scene you're writing resembles an earlier scene, imagine the current action taking place twelve hours later. If the scene takes place at noon, imagine it playing out at midnight or vice-versa.
The time of day affects our moods. Things can seem darker, heavier at night or they can glimmer with excitement in a way they wouldn't during the day. Mentally switching times can add a little sparkle to a blah chapter. Of course, you're not rewriting the scene, you're just imagining how it would play out.
Let's throw a quick scenario out there.
Setting: John's farmhouse, Saturday 11:00am, springtime
Players: Tessa and John
Scene Question: Will Tessa convince John to attend a wedding with her?
Set-up: John is anti-social while Tessa is a nervous Nelly, desperate to have a date to a co-worker's wedding. And for some reason John is the only person on the planet she can ask.
The time, 11:00am, evokes thoughts of sunshine and innocence. Maybe a breeze plays through her hair as she waits for him to answer the door. Butterflies flutter. She's a bundle of nerves, but it's sunny and there's a bunny hopping nearby, so she'll be fine. Happy times, right?
Switch it to 11:00pm. The front porch looms in darkness. The sound of owls and possibly coyotes taunt her as she waits. The wind lashes at her hair. Her gaze falls on a huge, ugly spider, and she shivers as she waits for him to answer the door.
The entire mood of the scene shifts when you use this exercise. Maybe the first scenario fits your book best, but if you're worried your scenes are becoming one-note in the tone or mood, try this. You might be surprised at the depth it adds.
Do your middle scenes ever seem repetitive because of their tone?
Join me on Wednesday for another random question!
The time of day affects our moods. Things can seem darker, heavier at night or they can glimmer with excitement in a way they wouldn't during the day. Mentally switching times can add a little sparkle to a blah chapter. Of course, you're not rewriting the scene, you're just imagining how it would play out.
Let's throw a quick scenario out there.
Setting: John's farmhouse, Saturday 11:00am, springtime
Players: Tessa and John
Scene Question: Will Tessa convince John to attend a wedding with her?
Set-up: John is anti-social while Tessa is a nervous Nelly, desperate to have a date to a co-worker's wedding. And for some reason John is the only person on the planet she can ask.
The time, 11:00am, evokes thoughts of sunshine and innocence. Maybe a breeze plays through her hair as she waits for him to answer the door. Butterflies flutter. She's a bundle of nerves, but it's sunny and there's a bunny hopping nearby, so she'll be fine. Happy times, right?
Switch it to 11:00pm. The front porch looms in darkness. The sound of owls and possibly coyotes taunt her as she waits. The wind lashes at her hair. Her gaze falls on a huge, ugly spider, and she shivers as she waits for him to answer the door.
The entire mood of the scene shifts when you use this exercise. Maybe the first scenario fits your book best, but if you're worried your scenes are becoming one-note in the tone or mood, try this. You might be surprised at the depth it adds.
Do your middle scenes ever seem repetitive because of their tone?
Join me on Wednesday for another random question!
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Add a Monkey
Some scenes practically jump out of our minds onto the page. They're written quickly and we glow with satisfaction when finished. Other scenes confuse us, stall us, make us wonder if we're headed in the right direction or veering off course.
For the head-scratching scenes, I sometimes ask myself random questions to unlock an unexpected response.
Today's question:
What if a monkey enters the scene but only one character can see it?
This works wonders for a serious scene. I don't know why. Maybe it's because I know it has to be serious, but a monkey just swung in.
Since I write romance, it's important to string the main character's feelings out. The heroine cannot realize and declare her love for the hero in chapter one. If either character is in danger of falling too fast, the other character's reaction to a monkey in the room can mislead the other.
Join me on Friday to set one goal.
For the head-scratching scenes, I sometimes ask myself random questions to unlock an unexpected response.
Today's question:
What if a monkey enters the scene but only one character can see it?
This works wonders for a serious scene. I don't know why. Maybe it's because I know it has to be serious, but a monkey just swung in.
Since I write romance, it's important to string the main character's feelings out. The heroine cannot realize and declare her love for the hero in chapter one. If either character is in danger of falling too fast, the other character's reaction to a monkey in the room can mislead the other.
Betsy wanted to believe the promise in John's eye, but maybe she was fooling herself, the way she had with Sam. After all, John treated her like one of the guys. She needed to stop reading into his actions. So he'd put his arm around her yesterday and whispered a compliment. Big deal.Since John can't get serious and mushy yet, because both characters still have a long way to go before they can act on their feelings, it helped to give him a distraction. This mislead Betsy and solidified her earlier reasoning. Of course she's wrong, and the reader knows it, but isn't that the fun of reading about love? Later, in a sequel, John would ruminate on why he'd chickened out in the cafe, and we'd learn his true motivation.
"Do you have a minute?" John asked. His lazy grin should have set her at ease, but
the slight clench in his jaw made her pull her shoulders back. "Let's grab a coffee so we can talk."
"Okay." Betsy fell in beside him as he started walking along the sidewalk. What could he want to talk about? Did he realize she liked him? Maybe he was going to let her down easy. Why hadn't she hidden her feelings better?
(Enter the monkey. Only John can see it. He really likes Betsy, but he's a nervous wreck--a far cry from his normal flirty self. Betsy hasn't given any indication she likes him, but he's ready to take a chance.)
She followed him into the cafe. After ordering coffees, they sat a table near the window, and she gave him a shaky smile. "What did you want to talk about?"
His forehead crinkled as he stared beyond her shoulder. She turned to see what captured his attention but didn't notice anything unusual, which could mean
only one thing. He knew she liked him and was trying to let her down gently.
"I think I know why we're here." She lowered her eyes and wrapped both hands around her cup.
"What? You do?" His distracted tone didn't bolster her courage. When she glanced at
him, his eyes wouldn't meet hers. And she didn't know what to make of his strange expression. Boy, she must have really embarrassed him.
He kept peering over her shoulder, and although she didn't want to, she couldn't stop herself from taking another peek. A cute blonde sat at a table behind her. Great. Now she had not doubt why he brought her here. Well, she didn't have to put up with it another minute.
"Okay, John. I got it. I'll leave you alone."
Join me on Friday to set one goal.
Monday, May 3, 2010
May: A Month of Random Questions
As I brainstormed possible topics for this month, I kept getting stuck. Nurturing ideas? I've touched on that subject before. Celebrations? Not feeling it.
For the last few weeks, I've had the most random thoughts. I'll be smelling the apple blossoms in the park and think what if Darcy thinks she's acting out of compassion, but in reality she's acting out of desperation? (Darcy is the main character in the book I just finished revising.)
Now, this happens to me a lot, and if you're a writer, it surely happens to you too. You can't turn off the book you're writing. Little bits and pieces come to you at inconvenient times, like when you're in the shower or stopped at a traffic light. And some of the stuff that comes to you seems out of place. Maybe you're trying to figure out why your hero just freaked out about something, when you realize a secondary character acted incorrectly a few chapters back.
It's puzzling trying to figure out if I've nailed a scene. Some I know I did, and others I wonder about. For the troubling scenes, I find it helps if I unlock the worry grip and ask myself random questions about the scene, characters or plot. If I can look at what's happening from a silly or foreign perspective, I can narrow down the correct way for the scene to flow.
Join me all month for random questions to help push you through tough scenes.
For the last few weeks, I've had the most random thoughts. I'll be smelling the apple blossoms in the park and think what if Darcy thinks she's acting out of compassion, but in reality she's acting out of desperation? (Darcy is the main character in the book I just finished revising.)
Now, this happens to me a lot, and if you're a writer, it surely happens to you too. You can't turn off the book you're writing. Little bits and pieces come to you at inconvenient times, like when you're in the shower or stopped at a traffic light. And some of the stuff that comes to you seems out of place. Maybe you're trying to figure out why your hero just freaked out about something, when you realize a secondary character acted incorrectly a few chapters back.
It's puzzling trying to figure out if I've nailed a scene. Some I know I did, and others I wonder about. For the troubling scenes, I find it helps if I unlock the worry grip and ask myself random questions about the scene, characters or plot. If I can look at what's happening from a silly or foreign perspective, I can narrow down the correct way for the scene to flow.
Join me all month for random questions to help push you through tough scenes.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)