Archive for August, 2011
Stop aspiring and be yourself
Posted by victoriacollins1 in Featherfoot on August 29, 2011
This blog post by Ollin Morales gave me a “hell, yes” moment and an oddly enjoyable kick up the backside. I’m compelled therefore to spread the wisdom and share the love.
Actually, the post is about writing blogs but I reckon points 1-3 apply to creative writing of all kinds, and I’m taking them on board for my novel.
In a nutshell: For as long as we identify as “aspiring”, we send the message even to ourselves that we’re not yet there. Ollin says, “Stop holding yourself back.
“Stop aspiring and be yourself. Follow your passion. Follow your love.”
The blog post “Stop being an aspiring writer” appeared as a guest spot for Jane Friedman at http://janefriedman.com/2011/08/19/stop-being-an-aspiring-writer/
Ollin’s own fab blog is here: http://ollinmorales.wordpress.com/just-get-me-started/
Enjoy!
Start where the story starts
Posted by victoriacollins1 in Featherfoot on August 22, 2011
I was once told there’s difference between being a good writer, and being a good storyteller.
It makes sense, and it helps me understand why, when I’m so please with my writing effort, I remain unsure where the book should begin. That’s the storytelling part.
In a guidetoliteraryagents.com blog, Dan Lazar says “Start where the story starts”. It’s one of those “well, duh” bits of advice that in practise aren’t nearly as obvious as they seem. (Thanks, Dan!)
(I had trouble with the original link, but found a copy of the blog post here: http://www.write4kids.com/blog/2011/02/08/1046/)
For me, it wasn’t until I began writing query letters that I realised from where I needed to start the story (another “well, duh”). In my queries I said, “The story begins with a young girl watching the sky…” etc etc. But my novel didn’t open at that scene.
I had my reasons but now I’ve realised I’m not in love with my opener, I’m going back to starting at this inciting incident and I have to say it feels much better.
There’s almost always an inciting incident – something that happens that sets the story in motion, or initiates the protagonist’s personal challenge. That’s where the story starts, really.
Not all storytellers choose to start there, and I’m not convinced it’s the only way to go – but what I have learned Is that drafting a query letter can be a very useful exercise in clarity.
If there’s any advice I might share its to draft a query letter very early in the piece (like, waaaaay before you’re ready to send the MS). It will help you get clear on the crux of the core conflict and where it’s come from. Reading my own words “the story starts when…” tells me clearly where my rewrite needs to begin.
What is this “voice” thing agents keep asking for?
Posted by victoriacollins1 in Featherfoot on August 19, 2011
So many agents are asking for “voices” – authentic voices, fresh voices, distinctive voices, strong voices, the exciting new voices in literature…
Am I the only one willing to admit I’m not sure I really truly get it?
I mean, I have just had an epiphany about rewriting my book in a new voice which I’m VERY excited about and I CAN see how it’s going to transform, but, you see, what I don’t like about many books with really strong voice is at some point the voice drops away and the zing of the openers fizzle; or it becomes all about the voice and the writing starts to listen to itself and say “see what a great writer I am” when I’m trying to get a hold on the story.
How do I find the balance? Can classic, straight up third person prose have strong “voice”? JK Rowling did it and made a motza. Dan Brown did it and made millions… I’m not sure there are really distinctive writers’ voices in there yet I loved those books.
I mean, we all have a writing voice, just like a speaking voice, if we relax and allow ourselves to be natural. But what makes a voice so fresh and distinctive?
Is the current trend for first-person characterised prose that totally stands out (I’m thinking Markus Zusak’s The Book Thief, for eg, or Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer), or is it enough for my voice to just be my voice (because mum told me I’m special)?
Really… let’s talk. (I won’t tell that you didn’t get it either.)
Query queries: Does my submission have to go through the Reader first?
Posted by victoriacollins1 in Featherfoot on August 17, 2011
Like many things literary agencies put on their websites, I thought I’d better do as asked or my submission would go straight to the bin. They said every submission must be generically addressed, and every one goes first to their Reader.
The Reader actually sounded like a good guy (he posted chatty guidelines) but I wasn’t completely comfortable with not being able to send my query to the particular agent who most appealed to me.
Perhaps I should trust the agency to know the best fit, but I tried breaking the rules again.
I did send my hard copy sample chapters, synopsis and cover letter to “submissions” as the agency’s website requested. But then I cheekily sent a “heads-up” email direct to my chosen agent, and included my query letter.
Interestingly, this agent replied straight away to say she was interested and ask that I email the whole submission direct, to bypass the Reader! (Sorry, Reader.)
There’s no way of knowing at this point if what I did was a good approach for posterity, or I just got lucky and something was going on that afternoon in the black hole that is agency offices. Maybe it was a quiet week, maybe there’d been a jolly boozy lunch (maybe my query was actually truly good!?).
Maybe we can all relax just a little. If the black hole hasn’t swallowed me yet, I’m good with that.
Fantasy writer’s research fantasy
Posted by victoriacollins1 in Featherfoot on August 15, 2011
As a fantasy writer, I have found my ultimate research source and favourite bookstore in one: The Haunted Bookstore, in Melbourne CBD.
This is the kind of bookstore that features in opening scenes of YA fantasy movies – I even stumbled into it while escaping a sudden thunder storm! Fabulous. It’s an adventure to walk into, a story in itself to browse.
This blog is not an advert for the store (I doubt they’ll ever know). It’s just the best collection of supernatural, magical, mythological and occult resources I’ve seen – I had to share it.
I’m not going to give spoilers (except maybe the coffin) but I will say this is a store clearly tended with great care and great respect for the knowledge held within. I have never met a bookstore owner more passionate about his stock than Drew Sinton.
If you’re a fantasy writer, browse these amazing shelves online – the research resource is to die for.
How an mp3 can help tighten your book, and your pitch
Posted by victoriacollins1 in Featherfoot on August 12, 2011
Say out loud what your novel is about, and you’ll very quickly hear where you’re not confident.
Preferably, do this well before attending writers’ conferences or any other place you might have to say it to a publisher. Do it before the first or second draft.
To write my first draft, I took a sabbatical from my home office in Canberra to Adelaide – mostly just because Adelaide is a long way from anything. Faced with entertaining myself on a 2-day solo drive of 1300km, I used the time to practise answering the awful question: “what’s your book about?”.
I spoke into an mp3 recorder. The playbacks showed painfully clearly at which points my voice faltered, where I “ummed” and pretty much made things up. Oh, god, is that what I really sound like at dinner parties?!
I quickly heard the falters came around the same place each time – and this showed me fundamental issues with my own clarity on the central conflict and theme, which was affecting the whole writing process.
Soon the Melbourne Writers’ Festival loomed. I had my MS in a really strong place. I needed the perfect pitch with which to wow publishers – ground by desperate young writers with far too much to say about themselves, and I would swoop in with witty conversation and a one-line pitch that would be the breath of fresh air for which they longed.
Out came the mp3 again, until I had my pitch memorised to a fine performance. When I came face-to-face with my chosen publisher, champagne elegantly in shaking hand, my words fled my mind in a sheepish flock. But just wait ‘til they get my letter!
How do you know when the book is finished?
Posted by victoriacollins1 in Featherfoot on August 10, 2011
I saw this headline (“How you know when you’re done”) on this month’s cover of The Writer, and it spoke to me – grabbed my by the collar, in fact – because I thought I was finished… until last week.
How do I know I’m not finished?
Because I’m really really excited by this new idea I have to strengthen its voice (see blog entry “The second best piece of writing advice I ever got”).
And until now, even though I’ve been querying and felt good about it, something in me didn’t feel 100% ecstatic. I convinced myself it was just nerves – just facing that time when I have to let go of something I’ve invested in for so long. Honestly, I was hoping an editor might pick it up and know how to help me get it to that place where I love love love it.
Maybe an editor will. Maybe they’ll read this and decide we can work together. Maybe they’ll keep writing back, “I just didn’t love it enough”. I know how they feel.
I could save myself the embarrassment of having queried a novel that I now want to keep working on. I could save myself the humiliation of agents seeing this blog. I could save myself the work – possibly years – of rewriting the rewrite of the rewrite.
But, as a wise friend said, “If you don’t change the book will it play on your mind for the rest of your life…… So do what you have to do”.
Other blogs on this topic:
http://theliteraryman.com/2011/08/01/how-do-you-know-if-your-book-is-finished/
https://nailyournovel.wordpress.com/2010/12/14/how-do-you-know-when-your-book-is-finished/
