Review: The Price by Alexandra Sokoloff

Shock horror, I've not only read something, I've reviewed it!

And it was good.

The review is over at HorrorScope for your viewing pleasure.

Glimmers

As promised, at least to myself and mentioned on this blog, I was going to go back after finishing the first draft of IV to compile all the bits and pieces I've learned over the past couple of years into my own form of writing bible.

I was reading some pointers on how to set your premise and had to relate it back to my manuscript. I now have a new bit to write in the first chapter - which will extend that out nicely, introduce the antagonist earlier and allow a 'penny dropping' moment for the reader later on - cool!

The point I was reading pretty much boils down to introducing the bad guy to your reader as early as possible, even if it's only a quick walk-on/walk-off type of thing. When s/he comes back later the reader will sit up and go 'hang on, wasn't that so-and-so from earlier!' and probably something like 'I knew there was something fishy about that one' - and they will feel smug and happy - and then they will realise that the writer allowed them to achieve that - and then they will be in awe as the penny drops - maawahh (cough, cough, splutter, splutter), sorry. Back in control now.

This morning I've been playing around with loglines as prompted by Alex (again - you really should read her blog). This seems like a fairly natural continuation of the premise stuff I was reading yesterday so I gave it a go.

A resourceful teenager with a knack for electronics and chemistry tries to foil a case of industrial espionage instigated by his dad’s professional rival, win the girl and complete a difficult school assignment – it’s going to be a busy weekend.

Using the breakdown headings supplied by Alex it looks something like this:

Who’s the story about: A resourceful teenager. Nathan Steele is a 15yo boy from a fairly well off family (not rich, but doing ok) who loves playing with electronics and has a natural flair for chemistry. He is much more comfortable soldering capacitors than talking with girls.


Setting: Not so clear. Not sure how to depict this within this sentence. The setting is a local suburb, but it could be anywhere in the world. The scenes switch between his home, school, a motel, his dad's work, and the protagonist's condo (pretty much). Everything happens within a couple of hours drive of each other. As this isn't specfic, maybe the setting isn't as important?? Not sure. What do you think?

Who’s the antagonist: His dad’s rival. I had to mention professional rival because this guy isn't trying to steal the wife, or the family or anything else. He's after a powerful computer program module.

What’s the conflict: Internal and external. He has the very real threat to his safety from criminals who get more desperate as things progress. He also has the complications of first love to deal with, normal growing up insecurities, tension between his parents, saving for a car, being dominated by other social outcasts at school, and a difficult homework assignment with a tight deadline. Lots of conflict :c)

What are the stakes: his dad’s career, physical (life and death for him and those he cares for), emotional (will his heart get broken/will he get to first base), his school grades (will he get the assignment done to maintain his grades).

Genre: YA thriller/action.

I'm not sure about it though. I had to add in the 'Instigated by his dad's professional rival' to be able to answer the antagonist question but I think it throws off the flow of the sentence too much.
 
Well, there you have it. What do you think? Would you consider reading it, or getting it for your favourite young male relative?

Slowing Down

I have once more reached a strange place in my writing journey. This writing caper seems to be full of such oubliettes.

With the decision to withdraw from my studies, I suddenly feel like all the pressure is off, and I'm now moving along at a very mundane pace, as if sludging through molasses up to my knees. (Having done nothing but edit for the last three weeks hasn't helped)

It's only to my knees because my head hasn't switched off. I'm still mulling over what I want to write for my New Bedlam submission, and I'm still pondering bits about my possible serial short story, but I'm not actually writing. I'm just doing a lot of thinking about it.

To give me a kick in the pants, this is my plan of attack:

I'm going to absorb Alexandra Sokoloff's brilliant breakdown of Act One of The Mist. Then I'm going to watch the movie with a pen in hand, pad poised, and pull it apart for myself.

I also need to read Jeremy's book which I've been carrying around for days now and not made time for. And write the review for it. I think I need to rededicate one day a week to nothing but reading. At the moment, I seem to do it in huge chunks. Feast or famine, instead of a steady continuation.

Then I'm going to work hard on the first installment of my serial story.

By that time, July will be here and I can read the second installment of the New Bedlam zine. This should solidify what I need to accomplish with my submission idea. I will then work hard at getting that right.

I'm not planning any further than that, because I have no idea what will come up between now and then. I still have lots of books to read and review so that will be in there somewhere, and I need a stand-alone short story to submit to Necrotic Tissue - but the two stories I submitted to the AHWA competitions should be back by then, and if God's Piscatorial Church doesn't gain publication through that avenue, then it would be a good candidate for NT.

So tell me, when things slow down in your writing, apart from just sitting in the chair and making yourself work, what do you do to get the creative juices flowing? Do you hike like KC, build like Jamie, or surf YouTube for Korean Boy bands like Nat? Maybe you have another suggestion?

By the by, I was reading through old emails sent to me by Wordsmith (an excellent resource). At the bottom of the email, they include a thought for the day. Many emails ago, this one seriously appealed to me and once more jumped up and down in the front of my brain when I reread it:

Don't tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass. -Anton Chekhov, short-story writer and dramatist (1860-1904)

Great advice to write by.

So fill up the comments with how you rekindle the flame of inspiration, and keep Chekhov in mind as you write.

Good luck with your submissions

BT

Reviewing Responsibility

This post is inspired by this post over at Rachelle Gardner's blog.

Lately I've been more proactive in making contact with recently published authors in an effort to gain new books for me to review on HorrorScope and here. In talking with one such author it has become apparent I need to do separate posts for each review (including separate posts on this blog with the links in, to make them easier to find), and a separate post for my review scale (this might be moved to my website and a link placed here on the blog. This will make it easier for me to maintain.)

My latest review, of Alexandra Sokoloff's The Harrowing, is posted here on HorrorScope. You'll also find recent reviews for Promise Not To Tell by Jennifer McMahon and Envy the Night by Micheal Kortya. Of course these, and all my other reviews can be accessed from my review page.

But enough about me. The reviews highlighted by Rachelle show how appalling many reviewers can be, so I thought it might be time to revisit what a reviewer should be trying to achieve.

Any reviewer needs to remember that their number one responsibility is to be honest without being hurtful. You are providing a review, you are not a critic - and this is not a critique. The easy way to remember is a critic is an arsehole who likes to be critical, nobody wants that label so don't do it. A critique is where constructive feedback is provided to a writer.

You are running interference on the reader's behalf. It matters nought if you know the writer. If you are not able to give an honest opinion of someones work for fear of upsetting them, then decline to do a review. Amazingly, I've done, what I've considered, harsh reviews in the past and authors have only picked out the good bits and ignored the rest. Fair, honest, and thorough are common descriptions of my reviews. I couldn't care less if the words, excellent, good, crap, or terrible are associated with them, as long as honest makes the list.

Being a writer help, I think. No book, regardless of how badly written or put together I believe it to be, should be resoundingly ripped apart in a review. A writer somewhere out there has invested countless hours in its creation. Editors have done their bit, and then publishers, etc, etc. It takes a lot of people to get a book onto the shelves and therefore, if it doesn't appeal to you as a reviewer, that doesn't mean it won't appeal to others. Yes, you are to give your opinion, but you should also have a broad an open mind. I've read a few books which I haven't liked very much. Anything which gained a 2 or less on my scale would fall into this category, and yet, I try to be honest and open minded in my view. I tell those who read my review what the good points of the book are, and I tell them what the bad points are - and why I think it has bad points. You must provide reasons, not just slander the book because you can.

If the book is considered in most circles as a classic, like the examples in Rachelle's post, then try to understand why, do some research before you make a fool of yourself. If you do the research you will be able to make comment on why others thought it was good, and then mount your counter arguments as I did here with The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson. You'll note I mentioned a longer review to come - well it never did. But you'll also note, I mention lots of good points about the book, and quantify what I considered the bad points.

In the end, a reviewer must remember a couple of points. Your first responsibility is to the reader, not the author, but in doing so, you must be honest in your appraisal and not just scathing of the author's work (or overly profuse in your praise for that matter). Have tact, learn diplomacy, and find good and bad points with the work, and report accordingly - particularly if you didn't like the work (there is always something good to say about something, even if it's just a nice cover.) Balance and honesty need to be the words to live by.

Good luck.

Buffet Time

Lots of stuff to click on and an answer:

Seems like award season has seriously hit the literary arts. Here's just a few of the award finalists mentioned around the place.

http://hellnotes.com/hwa-announces-stoker-finalists/
http://www.thehugoawards.org/
http://ozhorrorscope.blogspot.com/2009/03/news-arthur-c-clarke-award-2009.html

The reason I'm happy to list these awards is because they help build reading lists writers should be reading. Not only do we need to read what's come before (an incredible backlist in any chosen genre which will fill a lifetime of reading on its own), but we need to stay in touch with what is considered really good at the moment. Do yourself a favour and scan the lists, and then pick one to buy. Remember that buying a book helps the industry you want to be a part of.

Below I have some links I saved a little while back because I thought they were useful to writers whether they new, emerging (got to love that title - it's like labelling a sportsperson with 'potential'), or seasoned veterans. Some really good points made here - go read.

http://nathanbransford.blogspot.com/2009/02/more-story-less-you.html
http://pubrants.blogspot.com/2009/02/art-of-synop.html
http://cba-ramblings.blogspot.com/2009/02/lets-lighten-things-up.html

Last link for this post - Alexandra Sokoloff has been at it again, producing writing lesson posts on her blog which are insightful and extremely educational. Go have a look at the latest one here. At the bottom of the post are the links to all the other writing lessons, but she has recently done some scene and character breakdowns of much loved and hugely iconic films - worth checking out.

Now - the answer - specifically, Ben's answer:

Ben - how much writing are you actually getting done at the moment? I may be way off the mark, and if I am with any of this, I apologise up front, but unless every weekday needs to be used to do something different in your writing, or you spend much of your work day doing writing instead of your real job (guilty as charged on both counts), then you have time to go to uni.

Is the issue writing time, or commitment to better time management to allow you to do study, write, and have a life?

It all comes down to how much you want something, and what you're willing to sacrifice for it - and we all know how much writing is about sacrifice.

My comments on study impinging on my writing is because I have no wish to totally disregard my family. They have shown an unbelievable amount of support for what I'm trying to accomplish - which in the end, is a very selfish thing. So I want to make time to do things with them. I still don't do as much as I probably should, and I feel guilty more often than not because of that, but we all know how writing is a disease, not a whim.

Like you, I work full time at a normal day job. I'm lucky because I have plenty of autonomy to get my job done and get some writing in. If I didn't, I wouldn't be studying because I wouldn't have enough writing time. Of an evening I write most of the time, but sometimes I sit and watch TV with my wife, or simply by myself (or do some reading) so the rest of the family has some computer time. I'm trying to make time to spend with my kids. I play console games with my youngest or discuss homework or whatever. I give her lots of hugs and kisses if I can't manage any other time. I think she knows how much I love her - I hope she does anyway. I want to go and kick the footy with my lad - and I will if he ever manages to get a ball from the coach - or I might just have to go buy one. He's a bit old for hugs and kisses, but I want to share time so he knows I still love him. I take time to listen to my wife's day and occasionally do jigsaw puzzles with her. We always wind up the evening by watching a little TV together - if I can drag myself away from the keyboard before she goes to sleep. I love her more now than the day we meet, but I feel I take her for granted sometimes and that's not a good thing. (Now I'll probably be in trouble for revealing too much personal life...)

The point is, I have to share myself around a number of individuals. I don't really have friends other than those online. None of the other people I know in real life have the same writing interests. I play sport during summer and have friends there, but I don't have contact with them outside of the sporting arena - that's my choice. I'd rather have that time to write.

I allocate a couple of days a week to getting coursework done. I've made a commitment to it, both financially, professionally, and personally. I hate starting something and not finishing it. So I've sacrificed some writing time to get it done. I rearrange my schedule so I still get some writing done and some reading in - otherwise why bother, but if I couldn't write a little at work as well, then I wouldn't do it.

So, for you, it comes down to what you can give up of your social life. I know you can't write at work due to them locking everything down. You may not have the freedom I currently enjoy either. I believe you have a partner, who you must not take for granted, and who is currently supportive of your writing (which is great).

So you need to decide on how much you want to continue with your current social schedule, because that is where the sacrifice must come from - and that probably includes your political involvement. I know you're passionate about that side of things, but it becomes a question of how many passions you can support and be totally committed to. It's great for successful writers to support politicians or animal rights groups or any other cause they deem worthy, but it's a lot harder for an up and comer.

Now I know this comes across as a lot of telling rather than suggesting, but then sometimes things just need to be laid out. If we want to write, we must make sacrifices. If we want to study as well, then more sacrifices need to be made, otherwise we will not finish what we start. We still need to work a day job, and we still need to care for our loved ones. I whinge about the study, but I am learning, but at the same time it isn't for everyone.

Ask yourself:

Why do you want to study?
Can you give up some things to make the time, and not resent giving them up three or four years down the track?
Can you give your partner enough time?
Will you still have enough time to maintain your current writing output (and you need to be honest here)?

If this lengthy answer is stepping over the boundary of friendship, or even that of faceless advisor, then feel free to tell me so and I'll happily delete this section of the post and never go there again, but I thought if my rambling is having an effect on your decision, then I should address it and put some real light on things.

That's more than enough from me for today.

Another Lesson From Alex

Alexandra Sokoloff has posted another lesson.

Elements of Act One - Breaking Down the Harry Potter story As if in a classroom environment, Alex now goes into detail on how to recognise different elements within each section. This first example breaks down the famous first film in the Harry Potter series. Alex intends to provide more examples from different genres in the near future (which I'll link to from here). A very detailed post full of great examples of what the types of things you need to put into your manuscript.

I've also added this to the single post where I'm keeping all of Alex's lessons together. I cannot wait until she actually produces this as a book. I'm hoping it'll be in PDF format so I can use works printer to print the thing out in its entirety on A4 pages with plenty of room for notes. I can then keep it handy in a folder.

I kid you not, this could easily become the "new writers" bible (as opposed to a new bible for writers, although it wouldn't hurt all writers to read through these.).

Alex's Writing Lessons

Each time Alex posts a new lesson or discussion, I'll repost the whole series I'm keeping track of.

Many of the writers who pass by here are looking at commencing a novel this year for the very first time, or looking at revamping a manuscript which has been sitting around for a while. The advice contained here after should be very beneficial for all concerned. Over at The Dark Salon, Alexandra Sokolff's blog, she has been doing a huge series on writing tips. Enjoy.

• Sage Agent Advice
  Why Do I Need An Agent - This is in reverse order than shown on Alex's blog but then I think this needs to be answered first. Once convinced - and you will be - then you can find out how to get an agent.
• How Do I Get A Literary Agent - A frank discussion on getting an agent and some tools to help you in your search.
  

Writing Tips

• Screenwriting Part 2: Craft - This is just for the screenwriters out there and for me as I know I have a screenwriting module within my diploma and I'll need this resource later. The link for Part 1 is at the bottom of this post if you want to start from the beginning. There's a Part 3 as well.


• Whats Your Premise - Excellent advise on the creation of the single sentence premise you'll need to sell your story to others. When someone asks you what your book is about, this will give you the structure you need to provide a killer answer.
  
• Story Structure 101: The Index Card Method - Alex teaches screenwriting workshops but the formula discussed fits into writing a book. If you're like me and prefer a structured, methodical format to outline your writing - this could be for you. I'm definitely going to give this one a go.
  Personal note: When I outline, I do it in a word document but it is similar to the index cards - just on smaller scale. It works. Alex now gives me the vital information of what I need to put into those scenes.
  
• Fairy Tale Structure & Your List (08-01-09) Late on adding this one. Alex originally posted it back in Nov 08. I remember reading it but just never linked it to this series of posts. I'm putting this up front because creating your list is important. Thinking about the types of movies, settings, scares, love scenes, etc which you have found appealing in movies is central to writing the type of story you - and other movie lovers - would want to read. It also helps you break down what's important and when to place those important pieces. Learn this list - it helps.
  
• The First Act - (Get the Hero Up A Tree) After learning about the index card method, now you can learn what to put on the cards in greater detail. There are great examples to help clarify things. And there are a lot of things you need to squeeze in here. While reading the second act, you see that some of these things can drift over, but there are still a lot of things to get done.


• Elements of Act One - Breaking Down the Harry Potter story (Added 04-03-09) As if in a classroom environment, Alex now goes into detail on how to recognise different elements within each section. This first example breaks down the famous first film in the Harry Potter series. Alex intends to provide more examples from different genres in the near future (which I'll link to from here). A very detailed post full of great examples of what the tyoes of things you need to put into your manuscript.
  
• The Second Act - (Throw Rocks At The Tree Bound Hero) The big theme here according to Alex: "[The] continual opposition of the protagonist’s and antagonist’s plans is the main underlying structure of the second act." Alex also discusses 'Plants & Payoff'. I've recently started to invest more revision time in this and include comments about it in my critiques, pointing out when things first need to be mentioned (planted) so they come into play later (the payoff). This is also referred to as shadowing , but I differentiate between the two. Shadowing is all about the premise from my POV where as plant's and payoffs are more about making the story move along seamlessly. Shadowing has a bigger importance in my book, the little clues which foretell things to come. Same thing but different.
  
• Creating Suspense - Good suggestions on recognising the type of suspense you want to create and how to go about deconstructing it into a formula you can then use to build it into your own writing. This post also looks at "the STAKES" within a story and how telling the reader straight out what the big stakes are, will help create suspense. So in Act One, tell the reader what the stakes are while introducing the scene, characters and premise, and then begin to create a scenario where those stakes are at risk. Hopefully you've also allowed your reader to begin caring about your main character. In Act Two you put all the obstacles in the way of your character and ramp up the threats to the major stakes. This can also include the introduction of the ticking clock. This post also makes the point between suspense at the overall level and at a scene level - two very different things which need to be succeeded at.
  
• Creating Suspense Part 2 (Added 06-01-09) this post lit a light bulb for me on more than just suspense creation (although it's great information on that as well). Writing your WIP in layers, specific layers. You write out the story in the first draft, get it out of your system. You know all the bits you want to include, the emotions you want to provoke, but don't worry about that on the first pass. You can come back and ensure you get what you want on subsequent dedicated passes. Need more suspense? Do a dedicated pass over your story with suspense in mind. Need more warmth from your main character's second sister? Do a dedicated pass through your WIP concentrating on her and her interactions with others. Need more information provided to the reader on the setting? Do a... you get the picture. For people like me who are very methodical after the first draft, I found this idea to be brilliant.
  
• The Second Act: Part Two - The Midpoint! Part two, of part two, goes into great detail about this very important event with great examples. With all the hints dropped to this point about the different posts still to come, and all the books and movies given as examples so far, I could be reading or watching TV for a long time to come.
  
• Visual Storytelling - I've seen writers (okay, one writer) develop this technique as they evolved from unpublished to aspiring professional. It makes a huge difference in story telling. Alex again goes into great detail and provides good examples to help make this clearer. Using the visual aspect to mirror the theme, or the characters state of mind within a scene makes good story telling sense.
  
• Visual Storytelling Part 2 (added 13-11-08) Alex continues her discussion on writing imagery. This post is a little different from the rest of the series being more a discussion of where you can see thematic imagery used rather than how to build it into a story. If you've read the other posts then it'll become self apparent. Still worth the time to peruse.
  
• What Makes A Great Climax (added 18-11-08) Alex skips to the creation of the end, but it's something we need to think about way before we get there. The details may evolve a little differently as we write and revise our story, but how we come to the climax and what that climax is, will be the last thing your reader/audience remembers. And if it's a let down, you may flush away your chances of landing that agent/editor/future longtime reader.
  
• Elements Of Act Three - Part 1 (added 2-12-08) The first installment on crafting a great third act, particularly the parts which go into making a memorable, impact full final quarter of your story.
  
• Elements Of Act Three - Continued or Part 2 (added 15-12-08) And the good advice keeps on coming in Alex's continuing series of brilliant writing tips. Much of this post is confirming things we have already read; things Alex has already touched on but with new examples to drive home the previous lessons. Oh, and if you haven't already made your list of the ten best films, 10 best midpoints, 10 best endings, etc - then you had better get stuck into your homework otherwise you won't gain full benefit from this series.
  
• What Makes A Great Villain? (AKA Villains part 1) (added 20-01-09) This lesson is the opening gambit on creating a believable counterpart to your story's hero/ine. Rather than specifically telling you how to do it, Alex uses the make your own list method to get to the bottom of what you enjoy in a good villain and how to use that in making a great villain for your own story. It also leads into a great article by Allison Brennan with some gems of advice on the topic.
  
• Forces of antagonism (AKA Villains part 2) (added 20-01-09) Carrying on from the first villain lesson, this post continues a good grounding on how to create the antagonist including some great examples.
  
• Plants & Payoffs (added 04-02-09) extremely important tool all writers need to become adept at when writing and revising. Alex gives great and in depth examples. You'll also find a long comment from yours truly which provides additional examples.
  
• What is "High Concept" (added 04-02-09) This is an important topic. If you can't define this about a piece you're trying to sell, whether in the long of short version of writing, then chances are your readers aren't going to get the gist of your story either.
  
• Meta-structure (22-02-09) It had to happen eventually. Alex touches on a technique which completely baffled me in the beginning. I had to go away and have a look at many of the suggestions and examples she puts forward to get a grasp on it. I thing I understand what she is trying to convey now, but I don't agree with it. Little old barely published me, not agreeing with a published author who's books I really like. Well, on this occasion I simply have a different opinion on what she is trying to define. However, I think if a story can be fitted into the definition Alex proposes, then I believe the chances of the story being exceptional are high. If the story resonates with a large percentage of people as being - 'Hey, I think that's the only way that type of story, and that story in particular, should be, or could have been told', then I think you are definitely on the way to a comfortable life as a writer. Personally, i think if you write a great story which resonates, then you haven't set out to fit into this category, but you could be slotted into it. Which comes first: The chicken or the egg? Go have a read and decide for yourself.
  

Other Useful Stuff

• Internet Resources For Writers - Lots of information about lots of different things - includes a lot of stuff I've already told you to go look at, but if you don't believe me, maybe you'll believe Alex.

If you haven't bookmarked this lady's blog yet, do yourself a favour.

Straight To The Classroom

While doing my feed reading this morning, I stumbled across a new blog. I can't give credit to the blog I found it on as I opened the link in a new window and then forgot to check it until sometime later. I've since closed all my feeds so I'm not sure where I found the link and I couldn't be bothered, while I'm at work, looking for it. So thank you to whoever sent me over there. Feel free to jump up and down in the comments section and make yourself known.

So while I wanted to share this great resource with everyone, I figured I may as well throw up a couple of other links aspiring writers and unpublished authors should know about. So go have a read of all of these:

Alan Rinzler's Blog is full of information, advice and wonderful stories about the industry. Everything you need to know as a writer about what happens behind the scenes, tips on catching the eye of the editors and publishers, even advice on how to improve your advance offer. I linked to the home page because you should go and read all of the posts.

Stuart Neville's Blog tracks his journey in getting published. Like many of us, Neville began this blog as an unpublished writer in 2006 and posts regularly on how he's gotten to where he is today. His path may be a little different, maybe a little faster, but he's where we all want to be, so read this blog from the beginning and work your way to the here and now.

Alexandra Sokoloff's Blog: for regular visitors here, you all know how much I think of Alex's advice. I would go so far as to say I've learned more from this one blog than I have from any other, although I will now be an avid reader of Alan Rinzler's blog as well. If all new writers followed these two blogs to start with, there would be a lot less people ripped off in this industry and they would all be better writers to boot.

Do yourself a favour, set some time aside and catchup on these three blogs - outstanding!

More Writing Lessons

For those of you who have not yet gotten onto the gravy train, Alexandra Sokoloff has posted more writing tips/lessons to help you improve in the use of the craft.

Plants & Payoffs - extremely important tool all writers need to become adept at when writing and revising. Alex gives great and in depth examples. You'll also find a long comment from yours truly which provides additional examples.

What is "High Concept" - not sure if I supplied this link last week when Alex posted it so I'll do it again now. If I've posted it twice, so be it. This is an important topic. If you can't define this about a piece you're trying to sell, whether in the long of short version of writing, then chances are your readers aren't going to get the gist of your story either.

Here's an interesting DVD release - and a place to get it cheaper. Dark Dreamers - interviews with some of writings great modern authors. (Thanks to Hellnotes)

Just because: Its a catastrophe for the apostrophe in Britain - oh dear... (thanks to Janet Reid)

Link Salad

It is still way too hot over here to do anything really constructive. For dinner tonight we'll be having cold meat and salad rolls - that is cold meats, fresh salad on just-from-the-bakery rolls - very nice. We are having this as no one wants to cook in 43C and no one wants to go back outside get take away or eat at a restaurant - even if we could afford it. So cold meat and salad rolls it is.

And for the blog today, I'm also going to cut a few corners and add a link salad. Get it? Cold meat and salad...link salad...sorry...I did say it was hot, didn't I?

In no particular order:

Speakeasy has a good post on improving the craft, which contains good links to other stuff writers should read.

Litmatch dishes out some worthwhile encouragement

The wonderfully named Ms Sin hands out a reminder on confidence and exactly where it should be placed.

And lastly Alexandra Sokoloff has posted an article about "The High Concept" within your story.

Speaking of Alex, I contacted her the other day for some information regarding the Australian release dates of her books and passed on my overall thoughts after reading her first book "The Harrowing". Her response was, apart from providing me with the requested info, and being humble in response to my praise, was to encourage me to write quicker so she could then read my work.

A nice sentiment, but it awakened a stronger need in me. I don't need to write quicker, I need to learn quicker on how to write well. And it is happening.

Over the past few months, I've been learning what makes up a good story, both in print and in film. Alex has prompted everyone who goes to her site, to start thinking about the films they like for specific things. I'm reading some excellent writing books. Websites and blogs of quality information have been offering up brilliant suggestions. Interaction with other writers has shed light on things all writers should know.

I am now beginning to take books and films apart automatically. Not every scene as I still wish to enjoy what I'm watching or reading, but I do mentally bookmark bits to come back to, or add a post-it note to a book. On second viewing or reading, I start to seriously pull things apart. I can now recognise what makes me think something is good, and just as importantly, recognise what is missing for me to think something is not-so-good.

I'm thinking in layers. I'm thinking about how I can better convey theme through additional layers. I'm thinking how I can better describe individual things and relate things back to character, setting, or theme. I'm thinking this way in both the short and long form of story telling.

I'm still improving in my writing - which is timely because Too Late the Rain has just gathered another rejection. The current version of this story was written in August last year. It has garnered two rejection since then. The first came after it was passed around for a second read, so it was in the running. The second came back with a very long and detailed response. Food for thought.

Both markets were in the flat payment, semi-pro, market range. I think I currently have 22 other markets of similar prestige and market positioning listed on the AHWA market database. Not all of these will be interested in this type of story, but the point is, I'm not finished sending this out yet. And then there is the lower paying and exposure markets.

I may have a play with the suggestions from the latest rejection, or at the very least, give it another going over to see if I can improve the writing, but as sure as I know these days of 40C+ temperatures can't last forever, this story will continue being sent to market and this story will find a home one day.

Go read the links and good luck with your submissions

BT

News

My writing has slowed down to a crawl but that's okay. I'm working on two short stories:

Dreaming: For the Apex anthology

Digging up the past: For the Devil's Food anthology

Last week I listed all the current anthologies within Duotrope and went through them one at a time. A couple sparked a minor creative thought but quickly petered out. The Apex anthology gave me an idea that grew and the Devil's Food anthology gave me an interesting idea which prompted a little bit of research, which led into a full blown idea.

I'm going to work slowly on both. We'll see how it goes.

Next: The preliminary ballot phase for The Stoker Awards has been announced. I'd like to congratulate Alexandra Sokoloff for being nominated in the "Superior Achievement in a Novel" category for "The Price" along with such mainstay notables as Stephen King, Jonathon Mayberry, and Brian Keene.

All AHWA members have just been mailed a member's badge to place on their websites and blogs. It has been created by the very talented David Schembri. David is also the Art Director for AHWA own magazine Midnight Echo. I purchased the first issue of the magazine in print so I can testify to David's genius. If you happen to be in the market for artwork for anything, do yourself a favour and contact David to discuss how he can bring your visions to life at rsc55468@bigpond.net.au.

Cheating

Rather than write about the mundane time which makes up my non-existent writing life at the moment, I thought I'd bump the writing lessons post Alexandra Sokoloff continues to add to.

Many of the writers who pass by here are looking at commencing a novel this year for the very first time, or looking at revamping a manuscript which has been sitting around for a while. The advice contained here after should be very beneficial for all concerned.

Over at The Dark Salon, Alexandra Sokolff's blog, she has been doing a huge series on writing tips. Enjoy.

Sage Agent Advice

• Why Do I Need An Agent - This is in reverse order than shown on Alex's blog but then I think this needs to be answered first. Once convinced - and you will be - then you can find out how to get an agent.
• How Do I Get A Literary Agent - A frank discussion on getting an agent and some tools to help you in your search.
  

Writing Tips

• Screenwriting Part 2: Craft - This is just for the screenwriters out there and for me as I know I have a screenwriting module within my diploma and I'll need this resource later. The link for Part 1 is at the bottom of this post if you want to start from the beginning. There's a Part 3 as well.
• Whats Your Premise - Excellent advise on the creation of the single sentence premise you'll need to sell your story to others. When someone asks you what your book is about, this will give you the structure you need to provide a killer answer.
• Story Structure 101: The Index Card Method - Alex teaches screenwriting workshops but the formula discussed fits into writing a book. If you're like me and prefer a structured, methodical format to outline your writing - this could be for you. I'm definitely going to give this one a go.

Personal note: When I outline, I do it in a word document but it is similar to the index cards - just on smaller scale. It works. Alex now gives me the vital information of what I need to put into those scenes.

• Fairy Tale Structure & Your List (08-01-09) Late on adding this one. Alex originally posted it back in Nov 08. I remember reading it but just never linked it to this series of posts. I'm putting this up front because creating your list is important. Thinking about the types of movies, settings, scares, love scenes, etc which you have found appealing in movies is central to writing the type of story you - and other movie lovers - would want to read. It also helps you break down what's important and when to place those important pieces. Learn this list - it helps.
• The First Act - (Get the Hero Up A Tree) After learning about the index card method, now you can learn what to put on the cards in greater detail. There are great examples to help clarify things. And there are a lot of things you need to squeeze in here. While reading the second act, you see that some of these things can drift over, but there are still a lot of things to get done.
• The Second Act - (Throw Rocks At The Tree Bound Hero) The big theme here according to Alex: "[The] continual opposition of the protagonist’s and antagonist’s plans is the main underlying structure of the second act." Alex also discusses 'Plants & Payoff'. I've recently started to invest more revision time in this and include comments about it in my critiques, pointing out when things first need to be mentioned (planted) so they come into play later (the payoff). This is also referred to as shadowing , but I differentiate between the two. Shadowing is all about the premise from my POV where as plant's and payoffs are more about making the story move along seamlessly. Shadowing has a bigger importance in my book, the little clues which foretell things to come. Same thing but different.
• Creating Suspense - Good suggestions on recognising the type of suspense you want to create and how to go about deconstructing it into a formula you can then use to build it into your own writing. This post also looks at "the STAKES" within a story and how telling the reader straight out what the big stakes are, will help create suspense. So in Act One, tell the reader what the stakes are while introducing the scene, characters and premise, and then begin to create a scenario where those stakes are at risk. Hopefully you've also allowed your reader to begin caring about your main character. In Act Two you put all the obstacles in the way of your character and ramp up the threats to the major stakes. This can also include the introduction of the ticking clock. This post also makes the point between suspense at the overall level and at a scene level - two very different things which need to be succeeded at.
• Creating Suspense Part 2 (Added 06-01-09) this post lit a light bulb for me on more than just suspense creation (although it's great information on that as well). Writing your WIP in layers, specific layers. You write out the story in the first draft, get it out of your system. You know all the bits you want to include, the emotions you want to provoke, but don't worry about that on the first pass. You can come back and ensure you get what you want on subsequent dedicated passes. Need more suspense? Do a dedicated pass over your story with suspense in mind. Need more warmth from your main character's second sister? Do a dedicated pass through your WIP concentrating on her and her interactions with others. Need more information provided to the reader on the setting? Do a... you get the picture. For people like me who are very methodical after the first draft, I found this idea to be brilliant.
• The Second Act: Part Two - The Midpoint! Part two, of part two, goes into great detail about this very important event with great examples. With all the hints dropped to this point about the different posts still to come, and all the books and movies given as examples so far, I could be reading or watching TV for a long time to come.
• Visual Storytelling - I've seen writers (okay, one writer) develop this technique as they evolved from unpublished to aspiring professional. It makes a huge difference in story telling. Alex again goes into great detail and provides good examples to help make this clearer. Using the visual aspect to mirror the theme, or the characters state of mind within a scene makes good story telling sense.
• Visual Storytelling Part 2 (added 13-11-08) Alex continues her discussion on writing imagery. This post is a little different from the rest of the series being more a discussion of where you can see thematic imagery used rather than how to build it into a story. If you've read the other posts then it'll become self apparent. Still worth the time to peruse.
• What Makes A Great Climax (added 18-11-08) Alex skips to the creation of the end, but it's something we need to think about way before we get there. The details may evolve a little differently as we write and revise our story, but how we come to the climax and what that climax is, will be the last thing your reader/audience remembers. And if it's a let down, you may flush away your chances of landing that agent/editor/future longtime reader.
• Elements Of Act Three - Part 1 (added 2-12-08) The first installment on crafting a great third act, particularly the parts which go into making a memorable, impact full final quarter of your story.
• Elements Of Act Three - Continued or Part 2 (added 15-12-08) And the good advice keeps on coming in Alex's continuing series of brilliant writing tips. Much of this post is confirming things we have already read; things Alex has already touched on but with new examples to drive home the previous lessons. Oh, and if you haven't already made your list of the ten best films, 10 best midpoints, 10 best endings, etc - then you had better get stuck into your homework otherwise you won't gain full benefit from this series.
• What Makes A Great Villain? (AKA Villains part 1) (added 20-01-09) This lesson is the opening gambit on creating a believable counterpart to your story's hero/ine. Rather than specifically telling you how to do it, Alex uses the make your own list method to get to the bottom of what you enjoy in a good villain and how to use that in making a great villain for your own story. It also leads into a great article by Allison Brennan with some gems of advice on the topic.
• Forces of antagonism (AKA Villains part 2) (added 20-01-09) Carrying on from the first villain lesson, this post continues a good grounding on how to create the antagonist including some great examples.
• Plants & Payoffs (added 04-02-09) extremely important tool all writers need to become adept at when writing and revising. Alex gives great and in depth examples. You'll also find a long comment from yours truly which provides additional examples.
• What is "High Concept" (added 04-02-09) This is an important topic. If you can't define this about a piece you're trying to sell, whether in the long of short version of writing, then chances are your readers aren't going to get the gist of your story either.
• Meta-structure (22-02-09) It had to happen eventually. Alex touches on a technique which completely baffled me in the beginning. I had to go away and have a look at many of the suggestions and examples she puts forward to get a grasp on it. I thing I understand what she is trying toconvey now, but I don't agree with it. Little old barely published me, not agreeing with a published author who's books I really like. Well, on this ocassion I don't. However, I think if a story can be fitted into the definition Alex proposes, then I believe the chances of the story being exceptional are high. If the story resonates with a large percentage of people as being - 'Hey, I think that's the only way that type of story, and that story in particular, should be, or could have been told', then I think you are definitely on the way to a comfortable life as a writer. Go have a read and decide for yourself.

Other Useful Stuff

• Internet Resources For Writers - Lots of information about lots of different things - includes a lot of stuff I've already told you to go look at but if you don't believe me, maybe you'll believe Alex.

That's it so far, but there's so much more to come. If you haven't bookmarked this lady's blog yet, do yourself a favour.

New Lessons

A new post from Alex concerning the three act structure, on which she has based her lessons.

Personally, I thought this bit of explanation obvious, but then I'm one who has trod the boards in front of the footlights. Only semi-professional or for local amateur groups, but it means I have read my fair share of scripts to know the structure.

It also means I have a love for theatre, and have paid for a ticket to be an audience member for more than a few plays in my time.

But Alex alerts us to the three act structure and why we should use it for our own writing. And she is correct.

The form is one we all need to harness and perfect. I'm a student of history and find learning from the past a great thing. In this latest lesson, Alex combines the past history of story telling with the modern version you are trying to master to give comprhensive reasons as to why you should be looking to excel in the three act structure.

Combine this with all the other lessons offered so far, and you'll have to go a long way to find a more comprehensive set of instructions on how to write a good story.

I Prompted A Post From Alex

On Murderati, Alex has posted an expanded response to a comment I made on her blog. Go here to read the full post and go here to read the initial post, comment, and response.

It's got me thinking, which could also come under the title of procrastinating.

I'm thinking about what stories, books and movies, are in my all-time favourite list, and more importantly why.

I'm going to have to go back and rewatch/read these again to better break them down but so far my pathetically short list goes something like this:

Somewhere In Time

This has always been number one for me. An emotional sci-fi flick with a beautiful musical score and wonderful characters - particularly Jane Seymour (although I had a huge thing for her so I may be biased).

Misery

Both the book and the film but for different reasons. In the book, I felt a kindred spirit for the writer, but in the movie I was more strongly attracted to Anne Wilkes. Not in a physical sense, but as the character who made a bigger emotional impact on me.

Highlander

Only the first movie. A classic good versus evil with lots of dark undertones for both characters throughout.

The Return of Count Yorga

This was released in 1971 but I didn't see it until 1982 when I was an impressionable 14 year old. A friend and I were only just beginning to get into horror books and our parents allowed us to stay up and watch a horror marathon. It was the first film that really scared me.

Bram Stokers Dracula

Again full of sexual undertones, dark topics, larger than life characters, and good versus evil conflicts.

Titanic

Yes, I mean the big Hollywood flick with Leonardo and Kate. My wife and I love it. Yes, I guess I can be just a big softy at heart. But I also love the underlying conflicts between Jack and Rose, Jack and Rose's mother, between Rose and her mum, between Rose, Jack and Hartley, and then there's the whole issue of knowing the ship is going down at some point in the flick and then all the action and emotion when it does. And the screen shot of the woman in the white dress floating under the central dome just after the priest finishes his sermon as Jack and Rose rush toward the back of the ship: "Jack, this is where we first met", gets me every time with its calmness and beauty in the middle of such chaos and destruction.

Romeo & Juliet

The linked to movie version, the original play, and a version I saw the state theatre company do where the only set was a couple of huge red curtains. The play on words, the classic love found and lost, the conflict between families, the humour, the tragedy.

So there's my first seven, but I need to expand things. I am very much a person who picks up a book or enters a movie theatre ready to be entertained and willing to immerse myself into the story to allow that to happen. In other words, I'm willing to put in a little effort to ensure I enjoy the experience, I'm not someone who grabs a book or goes to a movie and expects to be entertained, kind of like a heckler in the front row of a comedic performance.

But now I have a start to a list, I need to be able to break down the titles on it. It seems to me I enjoy conflicts at different levels within a story, both within a scene and at the over all plot level. I like it to be relatively fast paced but not break-neck. I want to be able to digest what's going on.

I like a little bit of humour and probably a little bit of irony.

I like a sexual undertone - preferably subtle. Occasionally in your face type stuff but I'm a big believer that a woman should only hint at her womanly charms.

Now surprisingly in this initial list, there is no children specific stories. True the women in Dracula would be teenagers, but in that day and age, they were regarded as adults. Rose was only 17 but again classed as an adult. Same again with Romeo and Juliet.

I considered books by John Saul, but have found on rereading them. I didn't get as much from them as I did when I read them as a teenager. Other books under consideration would be: Carrie; The Omen; Books of Blood; Pet Semetary. (Yeah, I like horror - is that really a surprise?)

I gained some enjoyment from other blockbuster movies such as MIB, Final Destination, SAW I, Nightmare on Elm Street I, Armageddon, and lots of others, but I'm looking for books or movies which have had a lasting effect on me, because that's what I want to do with my books - have a lasting effect on my readers.

Lets see of you can help jog my memory. What books and movies are in your top ten lists? And more importantly, why?

More From Alex

Alex continues her discussion on writing imagery.

This post is a little different from the rest of the series being more a discussion of where you can see thematic imagery used rather than how to build it into a story.

If you've read the other posts then it'll become self apparent.

Still worth the time to peruse.

Visual Storytelling Part 2

Big Plug For Alexandra Sokoloff

I am getting no kick back for this. I started out putting together a link salad for your benefit and mine. While doing it, I thoroughly went through each post so I could comment on it or bypass it altogether.

I started listing a large number of links from a single blog, and really enjoying what I was learning as I read. Credit where credit's due, here I provide a single post touting the benefits of one writer's blog.

Over at The Dark Salon, Alexandra Sokolff's blog, she has been doing a huge series on writing tips. I've heard lots of people talk about writing to a formula and always scoffed at the thought of being so uncreative. Excuse me as I cover my mouth and cough (D!ckh3@d). If you can discover a set method for producing well written books, and then insert your creativity into that method, wouldn't you churn them out? As sure as the sun comes up in the morning and we will always have bills to pay - damn right you would.

Sage Agent Advice

• Why Do I Need An Agent - This is in reverse order than shown on Alex's blog but then I think this needs to be answered first. Once convinced - and you will be - then you can find out how to get an agent.
• How Do I Get A Literary Agent - A frank discussion on getting an agent and some tools to help you in your search.

Writing Tips

• Screenwriting Part 2: Craft - This is just for the screenwriters out there and for me as I know I have a screenwriting module within my diploma and I'll need this resource later. The link for Part 1 is at the bottom of this post if you want to start from the beginning. There's a Part 3 as well.
• Whats Your Premise - Excellent advise on the creation of the single sentence premise you'll need to sell your story to others. When someone asks you what your book is about, this will give you the structure you need to provide a killer answer.
• Story Structure 101: The Index Card Method - Alex teaches screenwriting workshops but the formula discussed fits into writing a book. If you're like me and prefer a structured, methodical format to outline your writing - this could be for you. I'm definitely going to give this one a go.

Personal note: When I outline, I do it in a word document but it is similar to the index cards - just on smaller scale. It works. Alex now gives me the vital information of what I need to put into those scenes.

• Fairy Tale Structure & Your List (08-01-09) Late on adding this one. Alex originally posted it back in Nov 08. I remember reading it but just never linked it to this series of posts. I'm putting this up front because creating your list is important. Thinking about the types of movies, settings, scares, love scenes, etc which you have found appealing in movies is central to writing the type of story you - and other movie lovers - would want to read. It also helps you break down what's important and when to place those important pieces. Learn this list - it helps.
• The First Act - (Get the Hero Up A Tree) After learning about the index card method, now you can learn what to put on the cards in greater detail. There are great examples to help clarify things. And there are a lot of things you need to squeeze in here. While reading the second act, you see that some of these things can drift over, but there are still a lot of things to get done.
• The Second Act - (Throw Rocks At The Tree Bound Hero) The big theme here according to Alex: "[The] continual opposition of the protagonist’s and antagonist’s plans is the main underlying structure of the second act." Alex also discusses 'Plants & Payoff'. I've recently started to invest more revision time in this and include comments about it in my critiques, pointing out when things first need to be mentioned (planted) so they come into play later (the payoff). This is also referred to as shadowing , but I differentiate between the two. Shadowing is all about the premise from my POV where as plant's and payoffs are more about making the story move along seamlessly. Shadowing has a bigger importance in my book, the little clues which foretell things to come. Same thing but different.
• Creating Suspense - Good suggestions on recognising the type of suspense you want to create and how to go about deconstructing it into a formula you can then use to build it into your own writing. This post also looks at "the STAKES" within a story and how telling the reader straight out what the big stakes are, will help create suspense. So in Act One, tell the reader what the stakes are while introducing the scene, characters and premise, and then begin to create a scenario where those stakes are at risk. Hopefully you've also allowed your reader to begin caring about your main character. In Act Two you put all the obstacles in the way of your character and ramp up the threats to the major stakes. This can also include the introduction of the ticking clock. This post also makes the point between suspense at the overall level and at a scene level - two very different things which need to be succeeded at.
• Creating Suspense Part 2 (Added 06-01-09) this post lit a light bulb for me on more than just suspense creation (although it's great information on that as well). Writing your WIP in layers, specific layers. You write out the story in the first draft, get it out of your system. You know all the bits you want to include, the emotions you want to provoke, but don't worry about that on the first pass. You can come back and ensure you get what you want on subsequent dedicated passes. Need more suspense? Do a dedicated pass over your story with suspense in mind. Need more warmth from your main character's second sister? Do a dedicated pass through your WIP concentrating on her and her interactions with others. Need more information provided to the reader on the setting? Do a... you get the picture. For people like me who are very methodical after the first draft, I found this idea to be brilliant.
• The Second Act: Part Two - The Midpoint! Part two, of part two, goes into great detail about this very important event with great examples. With all the hints dropped to this point about the different posts still to come, and all the books and movies given as examples so far, I could be reading or watching TV for a long time to come.
• Visual Storytelling - I've seen writers (okay, one writer) develop this technique as they evolved from unpublished to aspiring professional. It makes a huge difference in story telling. Alex again goes into great detail and provides good examples to help make this clearer. Using the visual aspect to mirror the theme, or the characters state of mind within a scene makes good story telling sense.
• Visual Storytelling Part 2 (added 13-11-08) Alex continues her discussion on writing imagery. This post is a little different from the rest of the series being more a discussion of where you can see thematic imagery used rather than how to build it into a story. If you've read the other posts then it'll become self apparent. Still worth the time to peruse.
• What Makes A Great Climax (added 18-11-08) Alex skips to the creation of the end, but it's something we need to think about way before we get there. The details may evolve a little differently as we write and revise our story, but how we come to the climax and what that clmax is, will be the last thing your reader/audience remembers. And if it's a let down, you may flush away your chances of landing that agent/editor/future longtime reader.
• Elements Of Act Three - Part 1 (added 2-12-08) The first installment on crafting a great third act, particularly the parts which go into making a memorable, impact full final quarter of your story.
• Elements Of Act Three - Continued or Part 2 (added 15-12-08) And the good advice keeps on coming in Alex's continuing series of brilliant writing tips. Much of this post is confirming things we have already read; things Alex has already touched on but with new examples to drive home the previous lessons. Oh, and if you haven't already made your list of the ten best films, 10 best midpoints, 10 best endings, etc - then you had better get stuck into your homework otherwise you won't gain full benefit from this series.
• What Makes A Great Villain? (AKA Villains part 1) (added 20-01-09) This lesson is the opening gambit on creating a believable counterpart to your story's hero/ine. Rather than specifically telling you how to do it, Alex uses the make your own list method to get to the bottom of what you enjoy in a good villain and how to use that in making a great villain for your own story. It also leads into a great article by Allison Brennan with some gems of advice on the topic.
• Forces of antagonism (AKA Villains part 2) (added 20-01-09) Carrying on from the first villain lesson, this post continues a good grounding on how to create the antagonist including some great examples.

Other Useful Stuff

• Internet Resources For Writers - Lots of information about lots of different things - includes a lot of stuff I've already told you to go look at but if you don't believe me, maybe you'll believe Alex.

That's it so far, but there's so much more to come. If you haven't bookmarked this lady's blog yet, do yourself a favour.