Toxic Feedback. We've All Received It. Joni Cole Tells Us What to Do About It

We’ve all experienced it. A brutal critique of our writing that has sent our little hearts a-fluttering and our self-esteem plummeting to the floor.

It is every writer's hope to find a supportive community in which to nurture our writing. Joni B. Cole, a writer, writing teacher, essayist and a 2011 Pushcart Prize nominee, wants to help writers find this creative utopia by learning to give as well as get better feedback. She hopes to achieve this through her book, Toxic Feedback.

Why did you decide to write Toxic Feedback?


About twelve years ago, in one of the writing workshops I teach, I learned that several of the participants were either refugees from previous classes where they had experienced toxic feedback, or were closet writers terrified to go public.

At that first meeting, I did a timed writing exercise and then invited participants to share what they had written. As usual, the panic was palpable. I remember one fellow in particular whose hands and voice shook as he read his exercise aloud.

Where was this fear coming from? Years of doing my own workshop had taught me that feedback doesn’t have be something writers dread or endure. In fact, when the process is managed properly, feedback is nothing but positive, even when it’s critical.

Seeing that writer’s hands shake as he read his piece aloud, I didn’t exactly think in that moment—hey, I’m onto a good book idea here. But it did register that this issue was real and really mattered. Almost every writer in that room, including me, had experienced toxic feedback at some point. And that’s when it hit me. This isn’t right. I wanted to do something about it.

What kind of a resource do you hope Toxic Feedback can provide for writers?


The general goal of the book is to raise people’s consciousness about how we give and receive feedback in the writing realm, and the world in general. Put another way, my goal, lofty as it may sound, is to help writers write more, write better, and be happier.

When does feedback get toxic?


My definition of toxic feedback is anything that undermines the writer or the writing. Which is not to say that negative feedback (or constructive criticism, to put it more nicely) is inherently toxic. In fact, far from it. Writers actually want to hear what they are doing wrong in order to fix it. But constructive criticism can easily turn toxic if the feedback provider gets lazy, or forgets that the exchange is all about what the writer needs right then, to move her work forward.

For example, writers can handle specifics; it’s the generalities that bring them to their knees. Yet too many feedback providers toss off easy (and dismissive) responses: “I don’t get it…” “This is boring…” Another example: red-penciling a manuscript to death—even if your heart is in the right place—usually comes across as toxic. Remember, some writers can choke on a crumb, so don’t get carried away with your brilliant insights. If you deliver your feedback in measured quantities, and with appreciation for what the writer has already achieved on the page, then she is much more likely to actually hear your feedback, and process it more effectively.

What are your tenets for providing feedback?


Here is the most important one: spend as much time (if not more) on positive feedback. What specifically is working in the text? Where were you blown away in the story? What passages exemplify good writing? Obviously, this kind of positive feedback is lovely for the writer to hear, and for that reason alone it’s important. But more to the point, positive feedback is hugely instructive in helping the writer build her story from its strengths up with confidence and direction.

***

Joni B. Cole is the author of the forthcoming book, Another Bad-Dog Book: Tales of Life, Love, and Neurotic Human Behavior (PublishingWorks), Toxic Feedback: Helping Writers Survive and the anthology, Water Cooler Diaries: Women Across America Share Their Day at Work.

Three Examples of Great Hooks

I've written some about story hooks in previous posts. Here are three wonderful examples of excellent story hooks from the winners of Narrative Magazine's Winter Story Contest.

Now I know why these stories won...

Read the hooks for yourself:

FIRST PLACE
Christmas Eve
by Kevin A. González
“TWO DAYS AGO, my father was making French fries and started a fire in her kitchen. It didn’t spread too bad, but the cabinets all melted and the stove was a total loss. When I heard the sirens from the pool, I knew it was my father: it’s not the first place he’s burned down.”

SECOND PLACE
Maine Night
by Debra Spark
“IN NORMAL FAMILIES, a late-night phone call means only one thing: tragedy. A drunken mishap. A car crash. A heart giving out. Maybe a decapitation or a roadside bomb, the twenty-first century offering an escalating range of horrors. But the Pearlmans are not a normal family.”

THIRD PLACE
Fatherland
by Viet Thanh Nguyen
“EVEN AFTER A WEEK in Saigon, Vivien would appear no more of a native than on the day she arrived. On the streets, she was easily mistaken for a Korean businessman’s frazzled wife or a weary Japanese tourist, her frosting of makeup melting under the tropical glare.”

Brainstorming Consequences for Your Characters

Here's a really wonderful post I found on Jurgen Wolff's Time to Write blog about mapping out different options for consequences to your character's actions.

http://timetowrite.blogs.com/weblog/2011/06/need-ideas-for-your-novel-or-screenplay-plot-try-consequences-mapping.html

How to Write a Scene with Cecilia Russell of How Movies Work

Writing compelling scenes is the basis of any good screenplay, novel or short story for that matter. But how does one do this?

Practice, practice, practice

According to Cecilia Russell of How Movies Work, the only way to get better at writing scenes is to practice. 

“It’s like playing scales for a concert pianist, or practicing a putt for a golfer," says Russell.

“One of the things that used to mess up my ability to write was the idea that I needed to 'know' what I was writing in order to write something. So not true. Writing characters, dialogue, conflict, subtext, action narration doesn’t require a story. It doesn’t require a reason to write. You don’t wait to practice your craft when you are in a situation where you have to perform. You practice so you can perform. Big difference.

“Also, there’s something magical about practicing writing without an intended product. For so many of us, especially those who are producers and professional copywriters, we’ve been to school in structure, [told to] outline heavily before you start writing. For some, it shuts down another avenue for accessing your story – writing purely through character.

“When you let your characters speak, roam around and find their internal direction you can often find your story that way too. The characters are more liberated to act when they aren’t constrained by your roadmap.”

The tennis match

In order to practice writing scenes, Russell came up with all the different types of scenes that she typically reads in scripts. 

One of these basic conflict scenes between two or more people Russell calls the “tennis match.”

“One character serves up the problem, the other character answers, deflects, lobs, changes the problem or loses the point. There’s two people NOT talking about the conflict. Then there’s pure action. There’s a scene that creates tension and suspense. A scene that introduces and reveals character. Another where a character is challenged to change his/her core wound (what we call the internal character flaw that’s the core of the hero’s journey). As a writer, you want to know how to do every one of these scenes artfully. It’s so much easier if you practice before you are ‘in the game.’ "

What are the components that need to be in each scene?

According to Russell, each scene needs change.

“Something needs to change or be different between the beginning of the scene and the end of the scene, whether that’s emotional, informational or physical. Sometimes it’s all three.”

Also:

- Every character has to have a desire or a motivation.

- They need a willingness or lack of willingness to reveal their desire or motivation.

- Conflict must occur. Either as a result of the characters’ actions or differing desires or as an outside conflict (a bomb explodes).

- The end of the scene reveals a new conflict that will need another scene to resolve it.

Other tips for showing more in scenes and telling less?

Russell advises:

1. Imagine having to write your story without dialogue. How would that change your scenes?

2. Play with character who lie and missing information. When a character lies or has limited knowledge, the writer has to SHOW how they are lying. The story tends to reveal itself in action, not words.

3. Remember the audience is smart and looking for story connections. If you show a gun, you assume someone’s going to use it. If a character says they are happier than they have ever been in their lives, you assume that something bad is going to happen. 

Learn more about the workshops that Cecilia Russell offers on her website www.howmovieswork.com. Her next scene writing class starts next Wednedsay night, June 22cd, 6-9pm. It's online, $279 for 9 weeks. Click here: http://wp.me/P1hbAr-fm to get a 20% discount: $237!

Who Says Fiction Authors Can't Be Great Marketers?

Let’s face it, as fiction writers we can be some of the worst businesspeople on the planet. But we don’t have to be. With a savvy marketing campaign, you can even learn to market your fiction writing.

I listened to a great webinar last night by Emily Craven of E-Book Revolution. I will blog some of the other things she said about e-publishing in another post. But for now, here are some of her tips about marketing your book as a fiction writer.

Facebook

Join interest groups and promote your work there.

My two cents worth: Don’t abuse this or you’ll come off as spammy. You have to become part of the community, comment on others writer’s work too. It can’t be all about you (even though many of us narcissistic writers would love it to be).

Free stuff

Yes, everyone likes free stuff. With the purchase of your novel or short story collection, why not include a free short story? Once you create a fan base, your fans will be dying to get their hands on more of your work.

Why not also give away free audio copies of your book? It’s a great way to create a buzz around your work.

And when you’re writing that new book, consider also giving away a free chapter online that people can read.

Trailers

Shoot a trailer of your book or pay someone to do it for you. Then post that trailer on youtube.

Engage your audience

I just found something interesting on author Jim Brown's website. Brown offers turning you, the reader, into a character in his next novel if you sign up for his newsletter before he’s done with the book.

These are all but a few of the ways for us as fiction writers to market ourselves.

More About the Hook and Plot Structure With Story Deconstructionist Larry Brooks

I recently discovered writing coach Larry Brook's website, Storyfix. Brooks offers some great tips about the hook, which you, if you read my blog, might have deduced I've been studying a lot about lately.


Says Brooks: "The mission of a hook is to grab the reader early – very early – by establishing dramatic tension or posing a question (a can of worms) that compels further interest and promises a rewarding ride.  Sometimes it’s huge, sometimes more subtle."

Brooks continues to deconstruct other aspects of plot as well as the hook, utilizing Kathryn Sockett's The Help as a model. http://storyfix.com/the-help-structure-from-10000-feet


I recommend Brook's site as a great resource for writers who want to learn more about plotting.

Give Your Characters At Least a Few Good Qualities

In response to a post I wrote yesterday, I have an example of yet another film that has very poor character development because the characters have no redeeming qualities.

It's a French film called Student Services -- or  Mes Cheres Etudes (en français) -- written by Emmanuelle Bercot. This movie chronicles the life of a student who gets into prostitution in order to pay the bills. I watched the film as I am always interested in what Europe is producing in terms of movies on topics such as the sex trade, as I wrote for magazines such as Playboy while I lived in Spain, and so I was immersed in this sort of writing myself.

Well... The characters are not likeable in the least. The main character's boyfriend is awful. I suppose Bercot wanted to show what an ass the boyfriend was as a reason for the main character's turning  to amateur prostitution to make ends meet.

In my opinion, however, if Bercot would have made the boyfriend just a little more likeable, instead of just a boor who demands his hashish and turns away from his girlfriend while she is trying to pleasure him because she didn't pay the electricity bill, Bercot still could have gotten the viewer on the main character's side. It would have been just a bit more lurid to watch a girl who actually had a tolerable boyfriend get into hooking. Or more deep and twisted. What if they were truly in love with one another? Perhaps the main character even could have had the misguided desire to use prostitution as a means to make her relationship with her boyfriend work.

While I lived in Europe, I was constantly being told how only Europeans have the huevos to delve into the dark side of life, as we Americans just can't go there. Our American movies are only happy, while European movies are deep.

Okay....

Now that I have more understanding about what it really takes to make a good story, I think one can still journey through the dark side of life while making the inhabitants of the story more three-dimensional, with, dare I say, some good characteristics, not just depressing ones.

None of us are totally good -- nor totally bad. Even the crazy man who lives across the street from me and sometimes yells obscenities... He still has some redeemable qualities. (Of course, I have to be in an evolved state of mind to see them.)

Give your characters some good qualities, or suffer a one-dimensional story.

The Importance of Creating Characters Who Are Flawed Yet Likeable

I know I've written about this before.

Probably because I have no trouble creating flawed characters.

What I do have trouble with is making them likeable.

A likeable character is just what it sounds like: your character possesses at least some attributes that are positive.

A character who has a flaw, of course, provides him or her with something to overcome during the course of their journey.

But a character who is too flawed also can be nauseating to spend too much time with.

I love Lars von Trier, who creates amazingly flawed characters, but if you’ve seen his last film, The AntiChrist, you will understand what I mean.

I personally couldn’t stand either character in The AntiChrist, which was not the fault of the wonderful actors who interpreted the roles (Willem Dafoe and Charlotte Gainsbourg), but the awful script.

Creating likeable characters means that you create characters who are sympathetic.

What is one way of doing this? Allot your character with at least something positive:

- Your character is capable of love –  and is loved by someone.

- They do something well. They have a talent.

- They do at least something that is good/selfless to/for another person. They give.

Creating selfish characters who only take, who we are expected to “like” only because we pity them, well… Hard to get on-board with a character like this. 

I saw God of Carnage a couple of days ago. One thing that was really brilliant about this play was how the writer, Yasmina Reza, made a “villain” out of each character, but also negated what was “bad” about each character by showing what was also negative about the others.

What I mean by this is— imagine you’re watching a couple fight. You want to side with one of the members, probably with the individual who is being least aggressive, whom you see is at least making an attempt to quell the fight and get along.

Well, what if both sides are equally aggressive (in their own time), but also equally sympathetic?

Both sides make some attempt to appeal to the other, even when they are being aggressive.

Or they show humor.

Suddenly, you see the reason one side might be snide. It's because they really do have to put up with actions that are so annoying and/or outlandish from the other characters.

I happen to be teaching a workshop today that deals with this very issue. I will most likely either video this three-hour workshop in parts so that I can feature it on this blog, or I will feature it as an entry.

Self-Publish or Rot in the Slush Pile... See What One Aspiring Writer Has to Say About It

Just read an awesome post from aspiring author Stacy Green's blog, Turning the Page, about the pros of waiting around for the one-percent chance you'll actually will get published in the traditional way -- or of just getting that book of yours out there so people can read it, via self-publishing.

What's your opinion?

Which way do you want to be published?

Traditionally or the self-publishing route?

Let me know -- and read the Turning the Page post.

How NOT to Pitch Your TV Show

Mark Simon from Sell Your TV Concept Now explains how not to pitch your TV concept.

Mistake #1 - The Groaner

We dare you to open a pitch to network executives with any one of the following:

* "It will make us all millions!"

* "There's never been a show like it in the history of TV!"

* "It will be bigger than American Idol!" 

The sounds you'll hear will be groans of despair from pitch-weary execs who have heard these phrases so often their ears will bleed. We strongly suggest you hold the sizzle until last, or not at all, and lead with what your show is. One of the strongest and most compelling ways is to engage your listener is with a story that might be told by your show that gets them to feel something. This is the way Hollywood insiders, like super- producer Mark Burnett, pitches his shows - with a story. 

 

Mistake #2 - Crashed

We know this next bit of advice will sound crazy, but here it goes - don't memorize your pitch. We've done it and, trust us, it doesn't work. You'll spend way too much time to get every word, pause, and gesture just right only to have it work against you. 

The big meeting comes and you get half way through your pitch when the exec asks a question, or a phone rings, or someone comes into the room. Your brain registers ERROR and your lips freeze. You have officially crashed and to get going again you have to reboot! Nothing will suck the life out of a pitch than having to start over. 

Think of a pitch as a two-way give-and-take rather than a one-way download from you. You'll know a pitch is going well when the execs care enough to make suggestions or ask questions.

 

Mistake #3 - Bait and Switch

Execs assume that when they schedule a pitch meeting with you that you'll be trying to sell them a show. All too often though, pitchers attempt to WOW execs with how many stuffed animals, lunch boxes, or back packs they claim the show will sell before the execs are sold on the show. 

Pull a bait and switch by pitching merchandise before the concept and you'll not like the consequences. You'll look like a complete amateur. You will not sell your show. You will have killed any future chances of pitching to these people ever again.   

Networks have entire departments whose prime directive is to make massive amounts of money with merchandise once a show has a following. Leave it to the professionals.

Mistake #4 - Ignorance is Not Bliss

You'd be surprised how many people pitch shows to networks while they watch few shows, if any, on that very network. Woe to the person who pitches a show that is either just like a show that a network is currently airing or one that in no way fits within the network brand.

Network execs are intimately familiar with their own network's programming and nearly as equally familiar with the shows on competing channels. You are not expected to be as well informed as they are, but you will score big points if you can pinpoint the exact spot in a network line up for your show and be able to explain why your show is different, backed up by examples of competing shows.

Mike Moon, Vice President , Animation Development for Disney Channel and Jetix, had worked on the Cartoon Network series Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends. A producer pitched Moon a show called A Home for Abandoned and Forgotten Imaginary Friends. 

Needless to say, that pitch didn't go too far and Moon was not too eager to hear another pitch from that producer.  

Mistake #5 - Diva Disaster

A good pitch can go bad quickly when you won't even consider a suggestion from an exec. Don't let a death grip on the details of your concept make you come across like a difficult diva.

In a pitch, almost anything should be up for negotiation within limits. Why not consider a female host or a change in location from Hawaii to Miami? If the execs want to change your show from a feel-good show about how little people have lives too, to mud wrestling midgets, then you may want to shop it elsewhere. 

In conclusion, a great pitch is all about the story. Let your enthusiasm and passion sweep listeners up for a ride they will never want to end.  

Mistake #6 - Fatal Error 

The confidence you have about your show will be infectious in a pitch, but tearing down the shows of the very network you pitch...is sure to be fatal.  

Linda Simensky, PBS Kids V.P. of Development, has had her fill of critical creatives. She told us about one of her more memorable encounters. 

"This other producer started trashing all our programs while explaining how his show was going to save our network and all our other shows were crap. Sure, that completely makes me want to work with him," said Simensky.

The would-be savior was escorted out of the building by security and Linda made sure he was blackballed by all other networks as well. Ouch! 

Mistake #7 - Deer in the Headlights 

You make the pitch and the networks like it, they really like it. They ask you to leave behind your treatment. If your response is the "what-ment?" you and your show are cancelled before anyone sees the first episode.  

You need different tools to pitch each different genre of TV: reality, animation, sit-com, drama, sci-fi, or game show. When you pitch with these tools, and they've been professionally executed, you'll be confident the execs will be impressed and you could be well on your way to signing a contract.

 

 

You Never Get a Second Chance at a First Impression

Of course you want every pitch to be a winner. You also want to have an open door to be able to go back and pitch other ideas to the same executives. A burned bridge destroys the chances of not only your current idea, but your future ones as well.

Sell Your TV Concept Now!

I just had a wonderful chat with Mark Simon from Sell Your TV Concept Now. Simon is an expert pitch master, with many TV shows under his belt (I think he said 3000.) If anyone can help you put together your TV pitch -- and get it sold -- he can.

Anyhow, Mark had some interesting things to say about pitching for TV.

To begin with:

Are you worried about someone ripping off your idea so you don't tell anyone about it?

Get that idea out of the head. According to Simon, if you aren't prepared to talk about your idea to just about everyone, it's not going to sell.

In the full interview I am going to do with Simon for my new radio show for writers called the Writers' Radio Resource, we will be looking at:

- How to protect your work.

- The secrets to pitching.

- How to find the right people to pitch to.

- How to pitch correctly.

The last point is so important because, according to Simon, if you don't know how to pitch correctly and go into an executive's office at a network, and blow it -- you can lose your chance to pitch again at the network FOREVER!

Simon will tell me the red flags that execs look for when you pitch.

- What are the things that can turn an executive off?

According to Simon, the networks do keep lists! So you'd better have your pitch down before contacting executives.

Finally, Simon told me that the tendency for writers to complain that they're just not good in a room is "bullshit." (His words.)

"Anyone who has passion about an idea can pitch," says Simon.

I'll let you know as soon as the show is up for your listening pleasure. We are recording on Friday.

The Writers' Radio Resource is produced by Julia Flucht, an NPR producer.

Wonderful Site I Stumbled Upon About the Querying Process

Here's a wonderful post I found about... Well, the "link through" says it all.... BooksEnds, LLC produces a great blog about the querying process. I suggest you check out their site if you are in the midst of querying agents for publication.

BookEnds, LLC — A Literary Agency: Submissions 101: "Almost daily new readers are discovering the blog and many of these new readers are also new to the submission process and have lots of ques..."

Writing the Perfect Query Letter -- Before You Quake in Your Boots, Read What Writer Luanne G. Smith Has to Say About It

I recently read a very interesting entry on Luanne G. Smith’s blog, Prophets and Bards, which outlines the process Smith is taking toward querying her unpublished, debut fantasy novel, The Hearts of Dragons, to agents. I thought it would be interesting to hear about Smith’s process, since I am sure that so many of you aspiring writers out there will benefit from what she has to say.

Find Agents Who Deal With Your Genre

It sounds so obvious, doesn’t it? But I bet there are a lot of writers out there who make the mistake of just blasting out a bunch of queries to whatever agent, without taking into consideration first whether or not the agents they are contacting are even open to their particular genre.

In Smith’s case, her genre is speculative fiction. The Hearts of Dragons takes place in a futurist society and chronicles the tale of Cira Conway, a queen without an heir, in a primitive, post-apocalyptic Wales.

Smith thus targeted agents who were open to stories “that went beyond the paranormal and urban fantasy that is so popular today.” Smith used Querytracker.net, Agentquery.com, and Publisher’s Marketplace to “triangulate my way through the information and pinpoint agents I think would be interested in what I write.”

 How Does One Query?

In Smith’s experience, querying in “small batches” works best. “Five to ten queries at a time seems to be a good number to have floating around. Even though there are well over a hundred agents who claim to represent fantasy, really only about forty percent are viable agents. That means I have to carefully evaluate feedback, including the number of form rejections, to determine if my query letter is as strong as it could be. Doing this in batches means I don’t blow all my chances in one big shotgun blast of queries. Once a rejection comes in, that’s an opportunity gone; so it pays to go slow and constantly reevaluate not only the query but the work itself.”  

 Resources to Write the “Perfect Query Letter” 

According to Smith, one of the best places to study query letters online is at Queryshark.blogspot.com, which is a blog run by agent Janet Reid. “There are two hundred queries on the site with specific feedback about what works and what doesn’t. It’s brilliant. Also, Nathan Bransford’s blog has some basic ‘query mad libs’ advice about how to piece together the necessary components of a good query letter. Beyond that, getting feedback from other writers on forums and blogs is a great way to test the query before it has to actually go into battle.”

Attendance at Writing Conferences is Important

Attending writing conferences is another way Smith has been able to access agents.

“I’m fortunate to live in [Colorado], which has an active writing community. Both Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers and Pikes Peak Writers of Colorado host annual conferences, and I usually go to both. In April, I pitched to an agent at the PPW Conference and got a request for my full manuscript. Both groups also sponsor writing contests with agents and editors serving as final judges. This past fall, my story, The Hearts of Dragons, won the fantasy category at the RMFW Conference, which resulted in a full manuscript request from the agent/judge. My story is also a finalist in the Crested Butte Writers Contest, another great writing organization here that has a conference.”

Querying, a Soul-Sucking Experience? 

Of course, no one likes rejection, and much less writers, who have often poured their hearts and souls (and hours of their life!) into their novels and short stories. Smith has something to say about what she calls the “soul-sucking experience” of querying.

“Querying can feel like a soul-sucking experience, especially when you start to measure your worth as a writer by the number of rejections you receive. It’s so important to remember that it only takes one yes, and if you stop querying at number twenty-one, and agent twenty-two is the one who totally would have ‘got’ your story. Over and over again, you’ll hear successful writers say at conferences that the only thing separating most of the published from the unpublished is perseverance. I have to believe that’s at least partly true.”

Great advice, Luanne!

Free Los Angeles Writing Seminar This Weekend!

Your Plot Thickens Writing Workshops has two free writing seminars on offer this weekend. If you live in the L.A. area, I recommend you take advantage of them.

First off, we have an Intro to Story Structure Seminar happening on May 14th -- that's Saturday -- 2-5pm, in San Pedro.

Secondly, on Sunday, we have the same free seminar taking place, also at 2-5pm, in Culver City: The Mary Pickford Studio, 8885 Venice Blvd., #102, LA. 90034.

Email me at lara_sterling@hotmail.com to reserve your space.

In this seminar, we will be examining the basics of story structure and also that of character development.

Hope you can make it.

--Lara Sterling
(424) 209-8521

When Writing Fiction, Be Specific

I have been blogging a lot about short stories, probably because I am writing a collection of my own right now. I am also consulting on the short-story collection of one of my writer friends. Thus, I have some pointers for writers in terms of short stories – and in terms of fiction in general.

Be Specific

I cannot urge this enough. With the short story especially, you have little time to get across a lot of information. You don’t have time to be coy. Just spit it out: What are you talking about, who are you referring to. If you are introducing a character who is the main character's mother, don’t call her something else, like “confidante” the first time we meet her. She might be the main character's confidante, but why not give us more information? Don't just make up a bunch of metaphors that only allude to who she is -- why not just tell us who she is. I know this might seem “on the nose,” but, in a sense, it needs to be. And if this character isn't just the main character's mother, but her step-mother, then please tell us that too, from the get-go. I know a lot of writers want to build a kind of mystery around their characters, surprising the reader later, but unless you are a very experienced writer, this is probably not going to work. State the facts.

Name Your Characters

I know there are writers who have lived on this planet, who are capable of creating these wonderfully dreamy worlds in which characters don’t actually have names but are only spoken of in terms of pronouns and nouns. “She went to the store.” “The girl didn’t like the boy.” I think Marguerite Duras, who is one of my all-time favorite writers, probably did this. But remember, Duras almost won the Nobel Prize for Literature. Most of us are not Duras. So please name your characters. Don’t try to create a wistful story by leaving out the names. It doesn’t make the story wistful, just confusing and vague. Give your characters names! This not only makes it easier for us to sort through the information, especially if there is more than one character with the same gender. “He needed to speak to him about his problem.” Huh? Which guy has the problem? Tell me!

Names also tell us a lot about a character. A character named Tracie has a different personality than one named Sloane, or one named Persephone. Names are important. Names make us relate to the character more when we're reading. We want to sink our teeth into details.

Location

Same thing, writers: be specific. Location can tell us a lot about your characters: what kind of social status they have, what their interests are... Don’t expect readers from different parts of the country (or world) to  comprehend the idiosyncrasies of the boroughs or parts of your city, even if you are writing about New York or Paris. You are still going to need to describe the part of town or the neighborhood in more detail than just stating the place.

And if you are talking about mountains, why not tell us which mountains? Vermont or Colorado or Aspen? Think about the different kind of people who live in those different mountainous places. See how it makes a difference?

The same goes for locations within locations. So your character is sitting in an office. What is the office like? Describe it! Is it an opulent office, or a run-down one? A real-estate agent's office... Well, is this agent successful or not? This isn’t a screenplay. We need description here. You and only you, as the writer, have control over what the reader feels when they read your piece. Why not make it as easy as possible for the reader to understand the world you are trying to create for them?

Jobs and Age

Again, I am advising that you be as descriptive as possible. What kind of job your characters have describe to the reader who they are. Of course, we are not the sum total of our jobs, but let’s say all you do is write that your main character works at a club. We need to know what kind of club it is: a Kiwanis club, a dance club, a country club, a casino?

In terms of ages, think about how things mean different things to people of different ages. The stakes can be raised or lowered by a significant degree, depending on age. A single 20-year-old is different than a single 40-year-old. A married 20-year-old is different than a married 40-year-old. If you don’t come out and state the age, then you need to allude to it – a lot. You need to be very specific. X character is in college. Or she’s just graduated. Or she just recently celebrated her X birthday. 

Relationships

Also, be specific about relationships. A son-in-law picks up his wife’s mom from the airport, and he’s late. Don’t let this just escape us. This is the perfect time to launch into some back story, even if this is a short story. Have the mother- and son-in-law always gotten along? Does Mom approve of him? Does she hate his guts? This is going to determine how she feels about him being late. And don’t let that confrontation escape us either. Let's see it!

Objects

Again, be specific about objects, stuff. If your main character has just packed a lamp because he is moving, what kind of lamp is it? A lava lamp is very different from an antique lamp given to you by your grandmother, which is very different from a lamp purchased at Z Gallerie or one purchased at a thrift shop.

I'll will include more tips later, so stay tuned.

Pick One Flaw and Keep Your Journey Simple

While reading a really interesting essay by Neill D. Hicks, author of Screenwriting 101, on none other than writer’s block (hmmm, we writers don’t know anything about that), I came across an issue that Hicks describes as the problem writers often have of injecting too much of themselves into their own work so that it actually impedes the writing process.

We regularly tell ourselves that we are basing a character on Cousin Charlotte or Uncle Max… but the truth is, all characters are you. Who else could they be? You, the writer, are probing your own soul to touch the vulnerabilities until you discover that the real-life stingy Cousin Charlotte becomes an eccentric millionaire as a character; and the real-life, good-natured Uncle Max evolves into a screenplay psychopath.

It can be delightful to give life to those quirky parts of your personality that you rarely show in public. But discovering that part of your essence that is angry, demented, wounded, or just desperately confused, can [also] suck the spirit right out of your soul.

Why, of course, I think all writers can benefit from a good dose of cognitive behavioral therapy. The issue comes when, unable to solve the problems of our own dark places, we find ourselves unable to solve our main character’s problems either. Hicks warns: “You aren't required to solve your complex inner needs, but [only] the character's relatively uncomplicated hurdle."

Hicks and I essentially had a discussion about this exact topic the other day before a presentation he was doing on a new book he is writing on genre. While we often want to create very complex characters who are very flawed, as that makes better drama, it’s actually necessary to, say, select one flaw from that mix, and that’s the particular problem the character comes to terms with at the end of the story.

The reason this is so crucial deals with another issue: that of the importance keeping your journey simple. The second-act journey, essentially, is the journey you hand-select to be the path that is going to be best-matched to your main character’s flaw. Case in point: If you have a character who suffers from commitment phobia, you are going to choose a second-act journey that puts them into a situation where relationships are everywhere. This is why romantic comedies that are focused around marriages often have main characters who suffer from commitment phobia. If I recall, The Wedding Planner with Jennifer Lopez, was about a wedding planner, who spent her waking moments planning weddings, although she was terrified to be in a relationship herself. Or, if you have the story of an ordinary man, who is pulled into a high-stakes situation in which he must take action, it is helpful to set up a main character who has trouble committing to anything. He can’t finish his book; he doesn’t want to look for a better job; if he sees someone getting hurt on the street, he’s the person who just keeps walking. He doesn’t want to get involved. That is, until he's forced.

It's ultimately very important to keep your second-act journey very simple in screenplays. You only have 110 pages for your main character to save the world and solve his inner issues, so that he can become a new and better-fuctioning human being. Unless you're trying to write a three-hour epic, I advise you keep your story simple. And I wouldn't advise you produce that three-hour epic screenplay unless you're Francis Ford Coppola. For all you aspiring screenwriters out there, who are actually hoping to get a screenplay sold some day: keep that story new and fresh, yes, but also simple!

Setting Up the Rules of the World

Movie audiences -- and the readers of many novels, for that matter -- are cool with writers transporting them to new and different worlds -- worlds that are far-fetched and which would never exist in real life -- as long as there are rules to that world. The way to lose a viewer or a reader very quickly is by not properly setting up the rules of that new world. What I mean by this is that it's fine to ask a viewer or a reader to suspend his belief for the duration of a novel or movie. But there are rules in that world that must be adhered to -- just like we have rules in our current world. Newton discovered some of the basic laws of physics a long time ago. You can change those laws in a sci-fi world, but then you make create new ones. And once you set up those new rules, you need to stick to them. Set up the rules of the new world as soon as the main character crosses over the threshold, as Christopher Vogler calls it, but once you've set up those rules, you must not diverge from them. You cannot change the rules of the world whenever you like. Your main character can't just discover a new, magic way to get out of every situation he encounters. Even in fantasy worlds, there have to be obstacles. Yes, your main character might discover a new power midway through the story. But he must work to do so, or else your story will come off as unrealistic.

Even in stories that have nothing to do with fantasy, you must often set up the new rules of the world. I was reading a script yesterday where the main character was in a situation that was totally unrealistic. The main character had just boarded a plane in the U.S., which had originated in a foreign country. Crazy shit was happening on that plane. It immediately came to mind that the writer hadn't spent enough time setting up the rules of this new world, as the plane ride represented the crossing over of the threshold scene.

One way I thought that the writer could fix this was by first having individuals from the "old world" commenting on how weird the stuff that happened on that plane was. Then the writer needed to also have characters from the new world (the pilot, the stewardesses, the other passengers) explaining the new rules to the main character.

This scene then would function as the "we're not in Kansas anymore" scene. Here, the main character realizes that he has crossed over from one world to another, and that the powers he had in the old world don't work anymore. In this writer's case, his main character was a rich kid. But on this plane, and in the country the main character was now traveling to, his wealth and status were no longer going to serve him.

I thought it would be helpful for the writer to create a particular "friend" character who would then be on hand to explain the new rules to the main character. That "friend" character is typically the catalyst/mentor character (and is sometimes also the love interest). In this writer's case, the new rules of the world were that there actually weren't any rules; this new world was lawless. Nevertheless, I was sure that, as soon as the main character landed in the foreign country, the new rules of the lawless land were going to be established, and that would create even more drama.

Your “Pet the Dog” Scene

The late Blake Snyder called it “saving the cat.” Other screenwriting mavens just call it your “pet the dog” scene. But the fact of the matter is that, if you are going to ask your audience to come along with you on a one-hundred-and-ten-page journey, there had better be something dazzlingly likeable about your main character, who should be flawed, yes, but not irrevocably so.

Of course, in order to make their main characters likeable, many screenwriters do, in fact, do just that – make their main character pet a dog at the beginning of the film, which is perhaps why the Jack Nicolson character in As Good As It Gets was so notorious, as he actually threw a dog down the trash chute on page one.

Other ways to get us on board with a main character is to show them with some special power. Yes, your main character should do some things poorly (this is what will humanize her) – but is there something that she does really well, some incredible talent she also has, which will make her irresistible?

Besides functioning to create a main character who viewers will actually be interested in watching the whole film through, a special power can also work alongside a flaw to help your main character get out of trouble. This is often the case in action-adventure films. Say, the main character is great at martial arts, which helps him (or her) get out of trouble, even if this flaw might be what actually leads him into trouble in the first place.

Another way to play with a main character’s special power, is to actually make your main character’s flaw into their talent or gift. This is especially important to do at the end of the movie. Think of Elle Woods in Legally Blonde. Here, you have this character who is so superficial and appearance-oriented. But it was her obsession with beauty that actually provided her the edge to crack the legal case in the end of the film.

I have heard script consultant and author of The Coffee Break Screenwriter, Pilar Alessandra, call this “synthesis.” What this means is that the main character begins the movie with a flaw, they overcome that flaw over the course of the second act, the final battle occurring at the end of act three – but it is actually the evolution of that flaw into something good, something the main character can use, that makes them fully formed, complete.

To E-Publish or Not to E-Publish

Your Plot Thickens Writing Workshops will soon be adding a new department to the slew of classes and activities we already offer: Internet radio. Your Plot Thickens' radio program is entitled On Writing, and can be heard on our website http://www.yourplotthickens.com/ as well as archived on The Public Radio Exchange.


Our first radio interview will be with a self-published author named William H. Johnson, who wrote the epic adventure novel, The Dark Province. Of course, we will be querying Johnson about the plot line of his book. But we are also interested in why he decided to self-publish his novel instead of taking the traditional route, and, of course, because he did so, what are the benefits of self-publishing -- and what are the disadvantages.


The world has changed. Today, we live in a world where anyone can blog, anyone can produce a webseries and anyone can self-publish a book. So does this help the quality of what we are reading (or watching in independently produced web programs) -- or hurt it? Skeptics argue that blogs et al are bastardizing the craft of writing. I argue that no, self-publishing, etc., has only made publishing one's work a more democratic process, and less hampered by formula-addict entertainment executives, target-market strait-jacketing, and the general watering down of content in order to placate the advertiser. Sure, you also might have to sift through a lot of detritus to get to the gems, but don't we already have to do that on TV, at the movie theater and in the big-name newspapers?


Anyhow, I wanted to get the opinion of Linda Lavid, the author of many self-published (and traditionally published) books, among them which is her how-to-write primer, On Creative Writing, the proceeds of which Lavid is donating to a clean well-water project in Niger, Africa.


So opines Lavid on e-publishing in general:

E-readers are proliferating due to cost and ease of use. Now e-publishing is a full-fledged operation that expands not only the types of e-files, but where e-books can be distributed and sold. In other words, I no longer have to have my electronic files on my website but can upload them to sites/stores where they are distributed globally. And the cost is free! A writer can manually upload books to places like Apple (must have a Mac) or Amazon's Kindle or Barnes and Noble's Nook. Each site has specs for how to format the native file. There's also a site, Smashwords, that takes one document and converts it into multiple formats for various e-readers then also distributes the e-book. Again the cost is free. Distribution charges are made after an e-book is sold. E-publishing is paperless and there is none of the expense of making and distributing a paper/hard-back book. This translates to more money in royalties, over three times more. E-publishing is easy, free, quick and a great way to get your work published. Of course, you still have to put out a great product and market it aggressively.
 

E-Publishing According to Author Linda Lavid, Part 1

We’re back with Linda Lavid again, author of On Creative Writing, a how-to writing guide, among other novels and short stories. Lavid is a pro in the field of e-publishing; so we at Your Plot Thickens decided to quarry her knowledge with an interview about the subject.

On Creative Writing, which is available in e-book form, is actually the first half of Lavid’s print book (and e-book) Composition: A Fiction Writer's Guide for the 21st Century. Composition has two parts: part one deals with writing fiction and part two, with self-publishing.

“I extrapolated On Creative Writing for marketing purposes," explains Lavid, "and placed it as a free PDF/TXT download from my website and several other free e-book websites. In the past three years, it was downloaded 50,000 times. I received e-mails from all over world thanking me for passing along some practical advice in regards to writing stories. Placing On Creative Writing, as a free download drew a lot of traffic to my site. The cost was free, and I did sell other books because of it."

This in part answers my other question -- why Lavid titled her blog, Confessions of a Shameless Promoter. I found this so ironic as, in my opinion, writers are some of the worst networkers out there. Writers tend to be introverted, self-critical folks (takes one to know one), who have difficulty in social situations. Hey, I’m not saying all writers are like that, but, let’s face it, many of the best writers I know are eccentric and aren’t exactly people persons.

But as Linda Lavid has demonstrated, it’s important to network to get known. I mean, you do want people to actually read your book, right? And if you think the marketing team of your publishing company is going to do all the work for you, you’re sadly mistaken. They will dedicate about a month of their time to sending out press releases and getting you interviews. After that, you’re on your own. And if you've decided to take the self-publishing route... You'd better learn to network!

Lavid explains that, though her blog's title is Confessions of a Shameless Promoter, the subtitle is: Tips on Selling Books and Artwork from a Reluctant Promoter Turned Shameless. "The operative word being reluctant", says Lavid.

It's rare to find a writer who's willing to go out there and market. After all, what we do is solitary. And I was quite reluctant in the beginning. Selling locally (bookstores, markets, fair, groups) helped me immensely in building my marketing style. Turns out I love talking to people and giving presentations. Who knew? These skills were then easily translated to the Internet...social networking, blogging etc. The key to marketing is figuring out how to make it enjoyable, then doing it relentlessly.

In part two of this interview, we will discuss more issues regarding e-publishing.

A Great Blog Entry About the Hazard of Rewrites by Mark O'Bannon

Rewriting - How Many Times? This is a great blog entry about getting the structure of your story right the first time...

Author Linda Lavid Donates Proceeds from E-Book to the Niger Well Water Project

Meet Linda Lavid, the author of no less than eight books that cross the genre divide.

I came across this author on Linkedin. Above all, I was interested in how she was donating the proceeds from every copy sold of her e-book, On Creative Writing, to a clean-water project in Niger, Africa.

Why Linda decided to do this? 

The lack of clean water dramatically affects the quality of life in Niger, Africa. It's been curious how serendipitous events got me to pair the selling of my book to building wells in Niger.

First, I read an article about a local couple [in Western NY], who came back from a trip to Africa. It sounded interesting so I contacted them to speak at a local community group meeting. I didn't know anything about Rotarians or the problems in Niger. When they came and spoke, I was deeply moved. The story could have ended there, but then last month I had record-breaking e-books sales. And I began thinking...what if I sell On Creative Writing and donate every cent to the Niger Water Well Project? (A well only costs $400.) And I dove in.

In the past week, I've made arrangements to donate the money to the local Rotarian Chapter earmarked specifically to the Niger Water Well Project, created an e-book of On Creative Writing with full distribution through Smashwords, and set up a website. I already sold one copy!

Learn more about The Niger Well Project here: http://confessionsofashamelesspromoter.blogspot.com/2011/04/niger-water-well-project.html

To purchase Linda Lavid's e-book, On Creative Writing, go to: http://www.lindalavid.com/#creative_writing_freeebook. All proceeds go the Niger Well Water Project.

You'll Like On Creative Writing if you:

are interested in writing fiction

like to hone creative writing craft

want to get unstuck 

have trouble with writer's block

don't understand why you lose interest

feel you have little talent

don't know where your story is going

need some editing help