Allow me to share a challenge almost as painful as writing the dreaded synopsis.
In the querying trenches, I’ve discovered agents expect a writer to have a logical and well researched answer to the question;
Who is your target audience?
Initially, I had naively answered—everyone! Of course, my book is for everyone; for all people, for all women, for all daughters, for all readers.
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For a fiction writer, I’ve been spending an awful lot of time lately reading biographies.
First it was Sally Field’s autobiography In Pieces. Now I’m almost finished reading Julie Andrews’ second book in her autobiographical trilogy, called Home Work. Next in my reading pile is a brand new biography of Janis Joplin, called simply, Janis.
I’m not sure why I’m on this little non-fic reading kick. I like to read a biography or two a year, but three in a row? Not typically. Nevertheless, as a writer who enjoys focusing on character development, reading biographies and memoirs provides a tremendous resource for learning about other people’s lives straight from the horse’s mouth. They’re also invaluable for researching a character you might write in the future.
Autumn in our part of the world is upon us again.. That lead me to thinking about making soup and that lead me to thinking about what goes into soup, and that made me think of good ingredients and then that lead to my thinking about what ingredients go into making a good story.
Soup
starts off reasonably simple: you make a stock, you add your chosen
ingredients based on the kind of soup you want, and then you add some
seasonings. And from that basic start, one can veer off to anything
from a spicy Thai broth to a comforting potato and leek chowder. One
is limited only by one’s imagination and personal taste.
And this brings me around to writing.
I
am fascinated by the choices of genre that appeal to my fellow
Ascribe writers. Some are writing thrillers, some romance, some
fantasy. Some have elements of all of those plus other seasonings, as
it were, such as placing their stories in settings of times long
past, or times far into the future.
But whatever genre you’re
writing, if you think about it, there are also basic ingredients to
a successful novel, regardless of genre. These are the elements that
we writers want to have in the mix of the stories our imaginations
cook up:
Likeable characters, – or at least interesting if they’re not likable. Easy-to-follow structure. Engaging plot. Interesting subplot(s). Effective but not overused dialogue. Visual description.
Each author brings their own measurements of these ingredients to their work, as do I. I seem to find myself writing more character-driven plots, and then I have to figure out a way to get some interesting subplots going to keep the story from becoming an alternative for a warm glass of milk at night.
One of the best things about us getting together is not only to have the wonderful support and encouragement in one’s writing from the group, but also to have the opportunity if we want it to brain storm.
And still using the soup analogy, in the same way you can learn tricks for making a good soup from watching a really good cook, I have picked up some methods to help me make the plot issue become more manageable. I watched someone presenting a storyline on a series of big writing sheets and realised one of the ways I could get a better idea of how to make my sub – plots move along was if I could literally visualise them. And I have been using a large whiteboard at home to do just that. Now we’re cooking with gas!
The
great thing about our writing, – and mine, and yours – is we really
are the top chefs and with our own words can dish up the book we want
to read; be it spicy, thrilling, heartbreaking, romantic, haunting,
or all of those elements listed above in different measures.
Bon
appetit!
I bought an antique mantle clock recently. I’ve always appreciated old clocks and have been toying with the idea of one for a while, and finally pulled the trigger on a little 1938 beauty made of walnut.
My clock was made in England by manufacturer Smiths-Enfield, and would have come on the tail end of a fairly productive period for clock making in England. When war broke out in 1939, most if not all of these companies turned their attention to the war effort. Clock making continued in the war years, but at a trickle. Read more
Dear Reader,
If you’ve been perusing these blogs over the years, you have pretty much figured out that we Ascribe writers are always keen to flex our writing muscles. That there are all sorts of opportunities for writing exercises – if you keep your eyes and mind open.
The opportunities I’ve had for practicing what I call guerilla writing forays have come from the most mundane moments: riding the bus to work; crossing a street in an unfamiliar city; hearing an exchange while standing in line in the bank; walking up rickety steep stairs in an old lighthouse. I’m sure you have had similar “aha!” moments where you think, ‘ I want to describe this experience, or that little scene would add to a story….’
Writing can be a solitary place.
But it doesn’t have to be.
In pondering topics for this blog, the same thought kept floating to the surface.
I am so thankful for the writers in my life.
Yes, you!
(As I suspect, at this time in my writing career, most of my readers are writers.)
Read moreBecause we’re such a curious bunch, writers are always on the lookout for material to inspire, educate, fascinate. Cafes, restaurants, concerts, sporting events — any place where people congregate — is a great source for material.
But the best place? Go sit in a hospital emergency room for a while, because these places are teeming with humanity. An ER is a window to the world of how people respond, cope, survive (or not), how they give and take, how they communicate and, well, everything in between.
Recently I made the trip to the ER because I had an excruciatingly painful flare-up of a shoulder condition, and I wasn’t sure exactly what was causing it. The pain was making me nauseous and spiking my blood pressure, so off my partner and I went for the long wait to see a doctor.
On the days when I simply cannot buckle down and work on my novel, I want to at least write something by the end of the day.
So I look for writing prompts. I’ll shamelessly eavesdrop on conversations, trolling for a line of humorous dialogue or at least a good pun. I am not sure if a grocery receipt in a pocket or the back of an old flyer on the floor of my car count as writing tools, but they are great for recording stolen snatches of conversation or a new idea for a character’s next move.
the weirdest idea came to me
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