A Change of Plans

I will never be happy with my work, but I believe that I recognize when I'm just being insecure and when my thoughts are accurate. I have done a lot of thinking about my novel and have found that my dissatisfaction has merit.

I frequent several blogs that are hosted by agents and publishers of various genre's. In reference to book length, or story length, there is a common guideline: Your debut novel needs to be a stand alone story. This is where my problem lies.

My story of Devon Coth, the Dalth family, and the Salinosti valley is an epic tale. From conception it has been an epic tale. In an effort to write a salable novel, I cut the story short. In the process of cutting word counts down, elements of a story get short-changed, including the climax.

While I felt like I covered the ending well, at first, after reading a tenth time I realized that the end was abrubt. It lacked true closure; a closure that just didn't exist in my head because of what the story was meant to be.

I also lacked conflict in key parts of the story. Conflict drives a story, keeps the reader engaged, but it also adds to the word count.

I'm not going to toss the novel, nor will I shelve it. I will continue to edit it, and make it into the epic that the characters demand. While I am doing that, I will write my debut novel. This one was intended to be a single book from the beginning, so keeping it that way will not be an issue.

So, now it is time to let Condr's tale be heard.

Don't be a lazy American

This topic gets me wound up; well, as wound up as my personality allows. The subject of immigration, legal and illegal, is a polarizing topic filled with misconceptions, half-truths, and outright lies. Much of which is propagated by the media and politicians.

Let me make one thing clear, before I move on; illegal is illegal. People come to this country for reasons that most of us take for granted. Many come by following the proper, legal channels, while many come here by skirting our laws. Those that come here illegally know that they are breaking laws, and they know that if they are caught, they will be sent back to their homelands. I don’t have a problem with deporting people who are here illegally. Until we change our laws, this should happen. What some people fail to recognize is the fact that we do not enforce these laws with any kind of consistency.

I encourage you to do your due diligence and research the truths of immigration. In most cases, what you read in your paper, see on the news, or hear from your politicians, is not fact. You have to dig to find the truth. You have to be able to recognize propaganda, from either side of the argument. Do not bombard me with stereotypes. Do not try to impress me with generalizations. You will only make me laugh at your ignorance.

Illegal aliens take jobs from Americans that need them. Really? Americans do need jobs, but we Americans have come accustomed to making more money than what some of the industries that illegal’s work in are willing to pay. I’m not sure that we, as consumers, are ready to pay American wages for these jobs. How much are you willing to pay for that tomato? Do your research. Give this subject due diligence. Don’t just go off what MSNBC or FOX is telling you. YOU must find the truth.

Illegals are a drain on the economy. Again, do the research. What you find may surprise you.

So, what is the answer? If I knew that, I wouldn’t be wrestling to survive from paycheck to paycheck. I do know that Alabama’s recent actions are not the answer. Of course, coming from a state with a heritage of racism, their new laws are hardly abnormal.

The answer can be found through intelligent discussions. A solution that does not adversely impact your well-being, because that is what most concerns you, can be reached. Do not approach this topic in ignorance. Do not approach this topic armed only with the knowledge gleaned from the national media and politicians who want your vote. Learn the facts. Find the truth. Arm yourself with the knowledge to make your own decision. Don’t be the stereotypical Lazy American.

Until you have actually researched the topic beyond the six o’clock news and talk radio, please keep your ignorance to yourself. You will appear much smarter for it.

First Impressions

So, it has been almost a month since my last post. Let's just say that what has been on my mind would not be appropriate to share. So be it. Time to move on.

Much is made about first impressions. A lot of us even go out of our way to ensure that we present ourselves in a positive light when encountering another human for the first time. Then we get home and criticize ourselves and the botched initial meeting.

First impressions are few and far between for myself, because, well, I just don't like people. (This is a generalization, so please don't take it as I don't like you. You are awesome!) This week we had someone new start work:

The first thing I noticed about him was his pressed, pinstriped, long-sleeve shirt; it was going to reach 100 degrees that day. His khaki pants had a crease that ran down the front of each leg. There was a folded Wall Street Journal folded beneath his left arm. His curly black hair was cropped tight around his young Middle Eastern features. There was a wary smile on his face; this was his first day on the job after all.

We stood and introduced ourselves, one at a time. His voice bordered inaudible, even when he spoke to me. He didn't hear my name. His eyes were glazed when he shook my hand and he turned his back to me before I finished. I wondered what he didn't like about me. I knew what I didn't like about him.

Now, imagine this new guy as a character in your story. Was this first impression a correct image of who this man is? Was he just so overwhelmed with the situation that he fumbled? Will he go home and beat himself up for coming off in a bad light? Will he go home and beat himself up for taking a job with a bunch of rednecks?

Will the other characters hold this first impression against him? If they do; how long? What will this character have to do to overcome that first botched encounter?

Or, was it a true representation of his personality?

Once again; pay attention to the real world when you are writing in your fantasy world. The world around you has so much to offer your writing. If you lock yourself away in a room, you miss out on countless ideas.

I'm not listening

Conversations take place on a daily basis, whether they are the traditional face to face, or the more recent social media venues. In these conversations you have the one who is speaking, and the one who is not. Notice I did not refer to the non-speaking person as the listener. Listening is a skill that few have put into practice.

Take a controversial subject, such as immigration, politics, religion, whether or not elves have pointy ears, or the origin of dilithium crystals. At each point in the conversation you will have the one arguing their point, and one formulating their counterpoint. At some point, the not-listener will hang on something that is said, forget the words that fell before and never hear the words that follow. The priority becomes formulation of an argument against that one thing that was said. Never mind the fact that the words following or preceding may agree with that very argument being formulated.

The not-listener walks away thinking the speaker is an idiot, the speaker walks away knowing that their words fell on deaf ears. Understanding, of course, that both parties in the conversation will play the two roles. So, I suppose, arguments inevitably result in the production of two idiots.

Tension. It is one of the elements that will drive a story. It keeps the audience involved. There are several tools available to the writer to bring tension into play; the interaction of two characters in an argument is one of these tools.
The next time you are witness to a discussion over politics, etc. take a moment to listen. Listen to the words being said. Pick up on the elements that were ignored. Watch the speaker’s body language. Pay attention to the inflictions used to enforce a point. Watch the not-listener. Do the eyes glaze over, or wander? Do they even put up the front of listening? Finally, write it all down. Construct a scene.

Is this a tool that can be put into play? Is it a thread that can be used for the weave of your tale?

Guidelines Part 3

A line in the sand has been drawn by writers, publishers, editors, agents, and readers. You are instructed to follow that line. Sometimes it is necessary to step off the line to pursue a better path, not easier, just better. And, of course, those lines that have been drawn don't always follow the same paths.

I have had the opportunity to watch a friend enjoy The Lord of the Rings in written form for the first time. He's made several comments about the writing style, which brought to mind a few things Tolkien did that are well off those lines in the sand. Considering those lines were different in the 1950's, it really brings to light to ever-changing world of our language.

He screamed. She screamed. It screamed. They screamed.

"Oh my gosh! If one more person screams, I'm going to!"

It has been a few days since I read that classic series, but apparently, the father of modern fantasy was quite fond of that speaker attribute. It is a practice that breaks two of the guidelines that I follow:
1 - Try not to repeat phrases, words, etc. multiple times.
The reason is clear, just from my friends reaction to the screaming fellowship.
2 - Construct the exposition and dialog in a manner that, in most cases, speaker attributes can be dropped altogether.
That is so easy to say.

One of those dreaded catch-words in the writing industry "voice". That word annoys me almost as much as "muse", unfortunately it applies to this discussion. If your characters have distinctive voices, such as dialog mechanics unique to him or her (or even it), then the reader will have an automatic sense of who is speaking. At that point the speaker attribute becomes moot.

I know; easy to say, hard to accomplish. I suppose this would force some of us to step away from our tablets, keyboards, or typewriters, and actually (gulp) engage real, living, humans in conversation. Pay attention to how people speak. Some will use "proper Kings English", other's litter their speech with and's, but's, well's, like's, and slang, and then there are those that are walking Webster's and Thesaurus's. How can you use these real world examples and infuse them into the voice's of your characters?

Read your dialog without the attributes. Can you tell who is speaking? Can you tweak the dialog so that you can?

He screamed. Wow, you want the reader to understand that Jorge screamed, don't you need that attribute? Maybe. Maybe not. Remember what I have said about guidelines. This can be more difficult than giving your character a voice, but in a lot of cases it can be done, but keep in mind that sometimes it just can't be avoided. If your antagonist is standing on a dingy in a gale wind with quarter sized raindrops pelting his yellow raincoat, the reader expects them to speak at an elevated level. The "he screamed" then becomes a "duh" moment for the reader.

Does the exposition that leads to the dialog lead the reader to expect the character to scream? Can this be done? Should this be done?

Sometimes she needs to scream. The key for the writer is to recognize when the scream is already inferred. Speaker attributes can either hinder, or help the rhythm of the story. Read your dialog aloud. Listen to yourself and you should recognize when that attribute has gotten in the way.

He said.

The Genesis of a Story

Have you ever watched the news and thought; wow, there's a story?

Did you write it down before you forgot it?

I bought a blue, hard-bound journal just for this purpose. When a story idea comes to mind, I write it down in that journal. Sometimes a passage comes to mind; I write it down. The world is filled with characters. I write those down also.

So what good is this blue journal?

When I sit down to work on my novel, or one of my short stories, sometimes I just hit a point where the characters in my head refuse to guide my fingers. Instead of arguing with them, I open up my blue book and look for another story. Sometimes that news story inspires the imagination, other times it is that grimy little girl from the convenience store that causes the words to fall upon the page. Either way, more often than not, a story is revealed and a new cast of characters raise their voices and demand to be heard.

Eventually, the characters from my novel become jealous and the brawl ensues. That little blue book helped fend off a morning of staring at the dreaded blank page.

I'm not crazy, but the voices in my head may be.

Heart of a Child

I fumbled through some old photographs and this one caught my attention. It was a hot Florida day some eleven years ago. My wonderful wife, hair astray from the humidity, was the object interest (as usual). There is a story in those eyes and mischievious smile, and the Princess is soaking that tale in.

My three children, my niece, and two of my nephews have had the joy of growing up with that elfin grin. You see, my wife has the heart of child. Don't get me wrong, she can be a mom when the situation calls for it, but she will also get right there on the floor with a child and join them in their fantasy worlds and wonderful games.

I don't know if these kids realize just how lucky they are to have someone in their lives like her; I do. Just one glance at that photograph tells you more than I could ever put into words.

The heart of a child, the love of a mother. And I was smart enough to marry her.