I've heard and read all the hub-bub about authors self-publishing and making lots of money and earning a lot of fame in the process. And of course, there's the household author names both in the national market and in the LDS market that make huge waves and lots of people know and talk about their books.
What about the other authors out here like me? I'm not a household name and my name is not a big draw for a book signing. Does that mean I'm not successful. I guess that depends on your definition of success.
Sure, I'd love to sell 10,000 or 100,000 books because, to me, that would validate what I'm doing with my time and would also mean that many people shared in a story that I created from nothing. And, with The Upside of Down, that would mean that many people read my message about trusting in God and seeing trials as blessings.
But, I've learned that astronomical sales don't necessarily indicate success, at least not for me. Success for me is when someone says he or she enjoyed my story, was moved by the message, or came away with a new vision of something.
This week I wanted to share a couple of experiences. The first is from one of my daughters. She doesn't enjoy reading and she rarely reads novels. Instead, she reads non-fiction about gospel principles. I've been after her to read The Upside of Down since I'm her mom and wouldn't it be nice if my children read my books. So she decided to start reading it. Yesterday she called me and I could hear the emotion in her voice. I was worried she was upset or hurt or stressed. Turns out she'd just finished my book and was crying because she was "so happy." She said she'd cried throughout the book and she loved it (of course, she is my daughter so she'd have to love it) but I was pleased that she'd had such an emotional response to it. She listed all the things she thought I did right which made me feel very good.
Another experience was with my son's speech therapist. She'd purchased my book on Kindle and had just finished it. She isn't LDS so I was interested to get her reaction. She said that she didn't understand a few things (we do have our own lingo) but she really liked learning more about what we believe. She also liked the message about Down syndrome. But, what she got most from the book was how self-centered she is and how she needs to look beyond herself and do more service. In fact, she's doing a retreat this weekend and part of her message came from what she'd learned from my book. Wow! I was stunned because I didn't purposely write the book with service in mind, but that's what she took from it. I'm very happy with her reaction to my book--she even asked if I was planning to write a sequel.
Several weeks ago someone on an online site said that she'd never thought of Down syndrome as anything but a trial, but after reading my book she can now see it as a blessing. Her comment actually brought me to tears because she "got it." Someone has a new attitude about Down syndrome, one person has changed her attitude! Wahoooo!!
A young woman, not LDS, emailed me to say she was on Amazon shopping for books and she ran across mine and was very excited to read it. We exchanged a few emails and I was so happy to meet her. Of course, I believe in the book, but it's wonderful to hear from people who are excited to read it or who have read and enjoyed it.
For me, this is what defines success. Yes, there are those who don't like this book, but that's okay. Knowing there are people out there who've been touched by what I wrote is the validation I need. Sales may be the publisher's validation that publishing a book wasn't a mistake, but comments from readers are my validation for writing.
I may never win any awards or be a household name or make a million dollars, but the fact that someone changed her mind about Down syndrome or someone now considers doing more service or someone was moved emotionally by what I wrote is what matters to me.
This is why I write.
Friday, April 15, 2011
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Write Here in Ephraim
I'll be participating in an awesome author event "Write Here in Ephraim" this Saturday, April 9th, 8:30 am-5:00 pm, at 105 East 200 South, Ephraim, UT. 20 authors will be participating. We'll have door prizes throughout the day, refreshments, a meet and greet, writing classes, a literature game show, and lots of fun. No pre-registration is required and the first 50 people to walk through the door will receive a free novel.
If you love to read or write this is an event you won't want to miss. And it's FREE. That's right, no cost to attend. The event is sponsored by Ephraim Library.
Participating authors:
Abel Keogh, Linda Garner, Karen Hoover, Michael Young, Jewel Adams, Berin Stephens, Heather Justesen, Rachelle Christensen, Julie Bellon, Shirley Bahlmann, Gregg Luke, Tristi Pinkston, Cheri Chesley, Joan Sowards, Cory Poulson, Don Carey, Clint Johnson, Michael Knudsen, Bron Bahlmann, Carole Thayne Warburton, and Rebecca Talley.
Come see us! It'll be a fantastic day filled with writing, reading, and fun, fun, fun.
Here's the schedule and list of classes:
8:30 registration
9:00 A.M. WELCOME – PRIZE DRAWING
9:15 A.M.
E-Books - JEWEL ADAMS Welcome to the wonderful world of E-books! Got a great novel you want to publish but can’t find a publisher? Or would you like to have full control of your novel an make it available to purchase until you find a publisher? Or do you just plain not care about finding a publisher and want to fly solo? - E-books aren’t just the future of book reading or a temporary fad, they are here to stay. Learn why you should give publishing E-books a go and take advantage of the wide open market. Come to understand that an E-books isn’t “just an E-books,” they are just as important as traditionally published books. Get tips on how to market your E-books and learn about the numerous outlets in which to sell your books and share your work with the world.
Memoirs: How to Tell Your Story - ABEL KEOGH- Writing a memoir is a great way to share a personal experience. Learn how to bring your story to life in such a way that will wow readers and keep them engrossed from page one to the end. In addition we’ll cover the dos and don’ts of memoir writing as well as how to know whether you have a story that agents, publishers, and readers will want to read
Fish Slap: What’s your writing motivation? - BRON AND SHIRLEY BAHLMANN Many people say they want to write a book but never follow through. Yet if, say, a fish slapped their face every time they missed a deadline, the result might be the opposite. In the absence of raw fish, what separates the sayers from the doers?
A humorous and informative look at various motivational strategies for writing.
10:00 A.M.
"A Serious Look at Comedy" – BERIN STEPHENS
Essential Elements of Suspense – GREGG LUKE: A brief overview of each element and how each contributes to writing nail-biting suspense. Q&A to follow. Key Points covered: Characterization, Pacing, Anticipation, Detailing, Resolution.
Finding Time for our Talents– JULIE COULTER BELLON - Have you ever wished there were more hours in a day? Wondered how you can fit it all in? Is being a writer a dream you have yet to accomplish because you just don't have time? This class will give you some insight, tips, and inspiration on how to maintain that balance of developing your writing talent with the other demands on your time. Julie Coulter Bellon, the author of seven books, a mother of eight children, and a teacher at BYU, will share all her secrets for how to have it all.
10:45 A.M.
My Journey as a Writer and How I Got That Book Published – CHERI CHESLEY
Writing Mystery – JOAN SOWARDS - There is nothing more fun than losing yourself in a great mystery novel than writing one! Every story can have a touch of mystery. Learn the tools, terms, and how to diagram a story, along with basic plotting and good writing elements, no matter if your mystery is a cozy or hard-boiled.
Blog Tours and Book Promotions – It's a Piggyback Ride – RACHELLE CHRISTENSEN - Learn the secrets of effective Internet marketing for you and your products/books including author promotion, blog tours, blog hops, giveaways & more. How can you increase your blog readership and followers? Find out how Rachelle promoted her blog, increased her followers to over 500 in one year and got paid to do it.
11:30 A.M.
Author Panel – Habits of Published Authors –Heather Justesen, Berin Stephens, Rachelle Christensen, Tristi Pinkston, Clint Johnson, Karen Hoover
12:15 –MIX AND MINGLE with guests
1:45 P.M.
Story Construction 101- REBECCA TALLEY - A story needs a strong foundation and certain building blocks to be successful. Learn what you need to include in your blueprint to begin building your story. After we learn what essential materials we'll need, we'll use our tools to begin construction as a class. Come prepared to share your creative ingenuity.
Writing for the Peanut Butter Crowd: Essentials of Picture Book Writing – LINDA GARNER - In this Picture Book Primer you will learn that writing picture books is not necessarily kid stuff. All the rules for good writing apply to picture books but with less margin for error. If you’ve ever wanted to write a picture book, you’ll love this class. “You have to write the book that wants to be written. And if the book will be too difficult for grown-ups, then you write it for children”. Madeleine ‘L Engle
The Long and Short of It: Writing and Selling Short Fiction – MICHAEL YOUNG - Writing and selling short stories is a fun and rewarding way to improve your writing and to gain a readership. Writing short stories, however, takes a different skill set than writing longer works and also are sold in a different way. Learn some of the techniques you'll need to craft quality short fiction and the ins and out of getting it in print.
2:30 P.M.
"Chuck the Junk - Self-Editing for Word Hoarders" – MICHAEL KNUDSEN - Most writers are terrified when they read through their first draft --it can be rough, ugly and bloated with excessive verbiage, lame adverbs, and entire scenes that go nowhere. But there's hope! We'll look at rough text at all levels and toss the dingy bathwater while keeping your baby!
Fragile--Handle With Care: Writing on a Sensitive Subject - LINDA GARNER- -Death, suicide, divorce, abuse, war, depression, drugs, pornography, religion, eating disorders, bullying, hate. Do you have an interest in a subject that is hard to talk about? Just because it’s a sensitive subject doesn’t mean we shouldn’t talk about it. The walls are coming down. Lots of people are talking about subjects that used to be taboo. You can write about anything, if you handle with care.
How to Become and Idea Factory- KAREN HOOVER
3:15 P.M.
Author Panel in the Big Room – The Path to Publication: Panelists – Carole Thayne Warburton, Mike Knudsen, Julie Bellon, Rebecca Talley, Abel Keogh, Gregg Luke, Cory Poulson
4:00 P.M.
Children's Literature Game Show – CLINT JOHNSON Simple, Strange, Sophisticated, and Stupid Questions for Smart Kids (and Kids at Heart)--The game show that teaches more than you ever wanted to know about writing and writers, some of which you will certainly regret later.
Prove your superiority in a humorous and educational contest that explores the world of children's literature, from its comical quirks to personalities and events that profoundly shaped our world. Numerous participants of all ages are selected from the audience and given the chance to compete for fun and glory and prizes!
5:00 P.M. END
If you love to read or write this is an event you won't want to miss. And it's FREE. That's right, no cost to attend. The event is sponsored by Ephraim Library.
Participating authors:
Abel Keogh, Linda Garner, Karen Hoover, Michael Young, Jewel Adams, Berin Stephens, Heather Justesen, Rachelle Christensen, Julie Bellon, Shirley Bahlmann, Gregg Luke, Tristi Pinkston, Cheri Chesley, Joan Sowards, Cory Poulson, Don Carey, Clint Johnson, Michael Knudsen, Bron Bahlmann, Carole Thayne Warburton, and Rebecca Talley.
Come see us! It'll be a fantastic day filled with writing, reading, and fun, fun, fun.
Here's the schedule and list of classes:
8:30 registration
9:00 A.M. WELCOME – PRIZE DRAWING
9:15 A.M.
E-Books - JEWEL ADAMS Welcome to the wonderful world of E-books! Got a great novel you want to publish but can’t find a publisher? Or would you like to have full control of your novel an make it available to purchase until you find a publisher? Or do you just plain not care about finding a publisher and want to fly solo? - E-books aren’t just the future of book reading or a temporary fad, they are here to stay. Learn why you should give publishing E-books a go and take advantage of the wide open market. Come to understand that an E-books isn’t “just an E-books,” they are just as important as traditionally published books. Get tips on how to market your E-books and learn about the numerous outlets in which to sell your books and share your work with the world.
Memoirs: How to Tell Your Story - ABEL KEOGH- Writing a memoir is a great way to share a personal experience. Learn how to bring your story to life in such a way that will wow readers and keep them engrossed from page one to the end. In addition we’ll cover the dos and don’ts of memoir writing as well as how to know whether you have a story that agents, publishers, and readers will want to read
Fish Slap: What’s your writing motivation? - BRON AND SHIRLEY BAHLMANN Many people say they want to write a book but never follow through. Yet if, say, a fish slapped their face every time they missed a deadline, the result might be the opposite. In the absence of raw fish, what separates the sayers from the doers?
A humorous and informative look at various motivational strategies for writing.
10:00 A.M.
"A Serious Look at Comedy" – BERIN STEPHENS
Essential Elements of Suspense – GREGG LUKE: A brief overview of each element and how each contributes to writing nail-biting suspense. Q&A to follow. Key Points covered: Characterization, Pacing, Anticipation, Detailing, Resolution.
Finding Time for our Talents– JULIE COULTER BELLON - Have you ever wished there were more hours in a day? Wondered how you can fit it all in? Is being a writer a dream you have yet to accomplish because you just don't have time? This class will give you some insight, tips, and inspiration on how to maintain that balance of developing your writing talent with the other demands on your time. Julie Coulter Bellon, the author of seven books, a mother of eight children, and a teacher at BYU, will share all her secrets for how to have it all.
10:45 A.M.
My Journey as a Writer and How I Got That Book Published – CHERI CHESLEY
Writing Mystery – JOAN SOWARDS - There is nothing more fun than losing yourself in a great mystery novel than writing one! Every story can have a touch of mystery. Learn the tools, terms, and how to diagram a story, along with basic plotting and good writing elements, no matter if your mystery is a cozy or hard-boiled.
Blog Tours and Book Promotions – It's a Piggyback Ride – RACHELLE CHRISTENSEN - Learn the secrets of effective Internet marketing for you and your products/books including author promotion, blog tours, blog hops, giveaways & more. How can you increase your blog readership and followers? Find out how Rachelle promoted her blog, increased her followers to over 500 in one year and got paid to do it.
11:30 A.M.
Author Panel – Habits of Published Authors –Heather Justesen, Berin Stephens, Rachelle Christensen, Tristi Pinkston, Clint Johnson, Karen Hoover
12:15 –MIX AND MINGLE with guests
1:45 P.M.
Story Construction 101- REBECCA TALLEY - A story needs a strong foundation and certain building blocks to be successful. Learn what you need to include in your blueprint to begin building your story. After we learn what essential materials we'll need, we'll use our tools to begin construction as a class. Come prepared to share your creative ingenuity.
Writing for the Peanut Butter Crowd: Essentials of Picture Book Writing – LINDA GARNER - In this Picture Book Primer you will learn that writing picture books is not necessarily kid stuff. All the rules for good writing apply to picture books but with less margin for error. If you’ve ever wanted to write a picture book, you’ll love this class. “You have to write the book that wants to be written. And if the book will be too difficult for grown-ups, then you write it for children”. Madeleine ‘L Engle
The Long and Short of It: Writing and Selling Short Fiction – MICHAEL YOUNG - Writing and selling short stories is a fun and rewarding way to improve your writing and to gain a readership. Writing short stories, however, takes a different skill set than writing longer works and also are sold in a different way. Learn some of the techniques you'll need to craft quality short fiction and the ins and out of getting it in print.
2:30 P.M.
"Chuck the Junk - Self-Editing for Word Hoarders" – MICHAEL KNUDSEN - Most writers are terrified when they read through their first draft --it can be rough, ugly and bloated with excessive verbiage, lame adverbs, and entire scenes that go nowhere. But there's hope! We'll look at rough text at all levels and toss the dingy bathwater while keeping your baby!
Fragile--Handle With Care: Writing on a Sensitive Subject - LINDA GARNER- -Death, suicide, divorce, abuse, war, depression, drugs, pornography, religion, eating disorders, bullying, hate. Do you have an interest in a subject that is hard to talk about? Just because it’s a sensitive subject doesn’t mean we shouldn’t talk about it. The walls are coming down. Lots of people are talking about subjects that used to be taboo. You can write about anything, if you handle with care.
How to Become and Idea Factory- KAREN HOOVER
3:15 P.M.
Author Panel in the Big Room – The Path to Publication: Panelists – Carole Thayne Warburton, Mike Knudsen, Julie Bellon, Rebecca Talley, Abel Keogh, Gregg Luke, Cory Poulson
4:00 P.M.
Children's Literature Game Show – CLINT JOHNSON Simple, Strange, Sophisticated, and Stupid Questions for Smart Kids (and Kids at Heart)--The game show that teaches more than you ever wanted to know about writing and writers, some of which you will certainly regret later.
Prove your superiority in a humorous and educational contest that explores the world of children's literature, from its comical quirks to personalities and events that profoundly shaped our world. Numerous participants of all ages are selected from the audience and given the chance to compete for fun and glory and prizes!
5:00 P.M. END
Friday, April 1, 2011
The Winner Is . . . .
Congratulations to Lexie@BookBug, you are the winner of The Upside of Down. I hope you enjoy it!
Thanks to everyone who commented and played along.
Thanks to everyone who commented and played along.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
"Bees in My Butt" Blogfest
Wanna have some fun? Join in on this blogfest! You'll get free ebooks and a coupon for the print copy of Bees in My Butt. How can you lose? And, what about that title? Anyone guess what it means?
I'm excited to read this book and my fourth-grader can't wait to get his hands on it!
I'm excited to announced the first ever Smartboys Club Blog Fest to celebrate the release of Bees in My Butt in paperback. Everyone who participates will get the first 4 Smartboys Club books for free as ebooks and a coupon code to buy the paperback Bees in My Butt for only $3 instead of the list price of $6.99. In addition, for every hundred people that join us in the blog fest we'll have a drawing to give away a Kindle.
For details on how to participate, visit the Wonder Realms Books website. I look forward to seeing you there.
Take Monkey, a literary genius with flatulence; Bean, a science and math guru; Vinny, a computer whiz who can't keep her mouth shut; and Art, an artist who can shoot a basketball like a pro, confront them with a mess of fourth grade trouble, and watch the fun explode.
In Bees in My Butt, the first book of the Smartboys Club series, the members of the Smartboys Club use their skills to battle a group of crazed Ninjas that take over the school. And it happens on a day when Monkey has the worst case of flatulence imaginable.
I'm excited to read this book and my fourth-grader can't wait to get his hands on it!
I'm excited to announced the first ever Smartboys Club Blog Fest to celebrate the release of Bees in My Butt in paperback. Everyone who participates will get the first 4 Smartboys Club books for free as ebooks and a coupon code to buy the paperback Bees in My Butt for only $3 instead of the list price of $6.99. In addition, for every hundred people that join us in the blog fest we'll have a drawing to give away a Kindle.
For details on how to participate, visit the Wonder Realms Books website. I look forward to seeing you there.
Take Monkey, a literary genius with flatulence; Bean, a science and math guru; Vinny, a computer whiz who can't keep her mouth shut; and Art, an artist who can shoot a basketball like a pro, confront them with a mess of fourth grade trouble, and watch the fun explode.
In Bees in My Butt, the first book of the Smartboys Club series, the members of the Smartboys Club use their skills to battle a group of crazed Ninjas that take over the school. And it happens on a day when Monkey has the worst case of flatulence imaginable.
Monday, March 28, 2011
Contest Giveaway
In celebration of the release of Laura Bingham's newest novel, Wings of Light, I am giving away a copy of my book, The Upside of Down.
To enter the contest:
1. Visit Laura's blog and leave a comment on one of her posts
2. Become a follower of my blog
3. Subscribe to my newsletter (under my photo)
4. Add my book on Goodreads
5. Add Laura's book, Wings of Light, on Goodreads
Each one receives an entry into the contest, the more you do, the more chance you have of winning! You have until midnight March 31st to enter. I'll use http://www.random.org/ on April 1st to draw a winner--no joke for any of you April foolers.
You can leave a comment on this post to let me know what you've done.
Thanks for participating and good luck!
To enter the contest:
1. Visit Laura's blog and leave a comment on one of her posts
2. Become a follower of my blog
3. Subscribe to my newsletter (under my photo)
4. Add my book on Goodreads
5. Add Laura's book, Wings of Light, on Goodreads
Each one receives an entry into the contest, the more you do, the more chance you have of winning! You have until midnight March 31st to enter. I'll use http://www.random.org/ on April 1st to draw a winner--no joke for any of you April foolers.
You can leave a comment on this post to let me know what you've done.
Thanks for participating and good luck!
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Book Signing at Seagull Book on Saturday
If you missed me last weekend, great news: I'll be back in UT this weekend. I'll be signing books at Seagull Books, 2250 N. University Parkway, Provo, UT, on Saturday 12:00-2:00 pm for the "Celebrating Sisterhood" event. It's the Seagull next to Shopko and behind Olive Garden on the BYU diagonal.
I'd love to see you if you're in the neigborhood. Please, help me pass the word!
Thank you!!
I'd love to see you if you're in the neigborhood. Please, help me pass the word!
Thank you!!
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Interview with Larry Brooks
Larry Brooks is a successful novelist and a popular writing guru. His blog http://www.storyfix.com/ has a huge readership and has won awards for its outstanding advice and tips. Larry is a personable guy who's always willing to answer questions. I've read his ebook Story Structure and his newest book, available in Kindle and print formats, Story Engineering. Excellent resources. His advice and explanations are easy to understand and have enlightened and empowered me to, hopefully, improve my fiction.
Larry Brooks is also the keynote speaker for the LDStorymakers Conference May 5-7 at the Salt Lake Sheraton, http://www.ldstorymakers.com/, a conference you definitely don't want to miss if you're serious about writing. I am so excited to hear him speak because I've been reading his blog for some time now and his take on writing really makes sense to me. Be forewarned, though, that he is not LDS and his language can be colorful at times on his blog and in his books.
Larry has agreed to do an interview. Be prepared to learn a ton just from this interview.
Why is story structure so important?
Because structure is actually more than structure. Like a building, structure has a role: it bears weight, it provides safe access, it provides efficiency, it becomes the foundation for aesthetic beauty (think Effiel Tower on that one, yet the design is all engineering).
Structure is the machine that dictates pacing and dramatic tension. Without it, too much or too little is revealed too soon or too late. A cynic might ask, "who says?" The answer is proven by the marketplace -- publishers don't buy books and readers don't read books that don't have that solid pacing and dramatic tension.
Certain things need to happen in a certain order, and at certain places within a story that works. There is some wiggle room, but very little. This disappoints those who thought they were getting into some kind of "free-form no rules do-what-you-want" craft... but the contrary is true. At a professional level of writing and publishing, structure is the foundation of story.
How did you come up with the Six Core Competencies?
I was looking for a new, clearer and more accessible way to wrap my head around the craft of storytelling. I'd hear this grad-school rhetoric, like, "You hero's quest is dictated by the sub-text of his subliminal need as demonstrated by the backstory, and in context to the agenda of that antagonist who is merely a catalyst for the hero's exposition and the ultimate denouement of the dramatic arc."
All of that is true, by the way. But it's pretty much elitist mumbo-jumbo, too, leaving newer writers cold and frustrated. There had to be a better way.
The model of the Six Core Competencies was developed over many years of teaching fiction at writing conferences. It began as "the four pillars of story," which later became a sub-set of the 6CC when I added two "executional" (my word, spell check doesn't like it, either) core competencies to the list.
Virtually anything and everything you can come up with pertaining to the goal of writing a story falls into one of these competency "buckets," each of which has its own standards, criteria and techniques.
What are the Six Core Competencies?
Four are elemental, two are executional.
The four "elements" of story are: concept, character, theme, and structure (plot exposition).
The two "executional" core competencies are scene development and writing voice.
A weakness in any one of these will kill the story. You have to be solid in all six to get into the game.
Can you explain the difference between idea, concept, and theme?
A good challenge that, and an important one. Because when a writer doesn't know the difference they may head down the wrong road. It is made all the more challenging because an "idea" actually can be one of the other two.
An "idea" is the initial germ or spark that begins the search for story. It can be generic, such as: "I want to write a mystery that takes place in a military academy." Is that a concept? No, not yet, the criteria for concept asks more of us. Same with premise, there isn't enough to it.
Then again, an idea can be more specific. "Write a mystery that takes place in a military academy involving the son of a controversial senator." Better. The idea is heading toward conceptville. But it doesn't get there until...
... you add a "what if?" component. Something that asks a dramatic question that sets the stage for a story. Such as: "What if the son of a senator attending a snooty military academy is killed when it is revealed he's been dating the wife of the head master?" Juicy. And conceptual. There's a story there. There was no story at the "idea" level, but now there is.
As for premise, this becomes an expansion of the concept through the addition of character arc and agenda. Just as concept uses a "what if?" tool, premise uses this: "this is a story about..." and goes on to overview the dramatic landscape, with the inclusion of theme and character. In this example: "This is a story of a young man trying to live out from under the dark shadow of his disgraced senator father, who falls for a woman who needs his help to rescue her from her abusive husband, who happens to run the military academy he attends. The story is about the murder of the young man and the ensuing coverup, plumbing the depths of the lengths people will go to in order to avenge a broken heart and protect a false legacy at all costs."
You could say it's a matter of degree. But really, it's story planning at its highest level. If a writer begins writing with only that first idea, the story will have no focus, no pace and no arc. It's a recipe for a rewrite, because all that draft could ever be is a tool in the search for the story.
What are the five elements that each story must have? Can a story be successful without them?
A hero who must achieve something, with whom we can empathize and root for.
An antagonistic force that blocks the hero's quest, thus summoning the heroic core of the protagonist.
A hero who becomes just that, conquering inner demons and ultimately becoming the primary catalyst and instrument of the story's ending. The hero can never be rescued, they must achieve something, even if it isn't what he/she set out to accomplish.
A story must have a solid structure. Four sequential parts, each with a succinct narrative mission. Each separated by a prescribed (non-negotiable) narrative milestone (shift, twist or new information) that speeds things up, deepens stakes, empowers context and fuels the forward motion of the exposition.
A combination of vicarious reader experience (they must be taken for a ride), thematic weight (they feel it as they read it), character arc (the hero's rewarding journey) and a sweet writing voice that doesn't seek to become a distraction to the story it tells.
And no, a story cannot be successful without all of these thing in play.
You're not only a successful novelist and a popular presenter at writing conferences, but you also offer a manuscript critiquing service. What is the most common mistake you find in the manuscripts you critique?
A violation of all of the above princples is commonplace, and understandable. Writing a great story is really hard. REALLY hard. Most mistakes can be assigned to the writer not yet wrapping their head around what I call the six core competencies, they leave something unclear and unexecuted in that regard. The idea and the resultant concept isn't strong enough. The character/hero isn't three dimension. The story doesn't matter, it elicits a "who cares?" response. And most of all, the structure is off, usually by way of far too much expositional description, side-trips and lack of scene focus.
That last one is the stuff of professionals, and it's the best writing tip I know: each scene you write should have a clear, efficient and compelling mission to fulfill. A piece of narrative exposition to deliver. This isn't characterization -- that is incumbent upon every scene to delivery. Rather, each scene needs to propel the story forward. Not with a bunch of stuff, but with one compelling piece. We should build our scenes around what chunk of narrative information, whatever it is.
This is the art of it. Where do you start within a scene? How do you know when and how to cut to it? What makes a scene dramatic, keeps it from lagging? What details are important, what aren't?
Always the writer's call. Those who get it, who develop a sensiblity in this regard, go on to write successful stories and possibly have a career.
You get to that point by internalizing the six core competencies, which ultimate blend together and depend on each other, and, when done well, become a sum in excess of their parts.
Hope this stuff helps excite you and propel you toward even better storytelling! Thanks for having me.
Thanks, Larry for dropping by. Great information!
I told you this was AMAZING stuff. I LOVE it. Visit his blog http://www.storyfix.com/ for more info on writing. His book Story Engineering, is available at Amazon as well as bookstores.
If you want to see him in person and learn from a master, come to the LDStorymakers Conference. You won't regret it!
Larry Brooks is also the keynote speaker for the LDStorymakers Conference May 5-7 at the Salt Lake Sheraton, http://www.ldstorymakers.com/, a conference you definitely don't want to miss if you're serious about writing. I am so excited to hear him speak because I've been reading his blog for some time now and his take on writing really makes sense to me. Be forewarned, though, that he is not LDS and his language can be colorful at times on his blog and in his books.
Larry has agreed to do an interview. Be prepared to learn a ton just from this interview.
Why is story structure so important?
Because structure is actually more than structure. Like a building, structure has a role: it bears weight, it provides safe access, it provides efficiency, it becomes the foundation for aesthetic beauty (think Effiel Tower on that one, yet the design is all engineering).
Structure is the machine that dictates pacing and dramatic tension. Without it, too much or too little is revealed too soon or too late. A cynic might ask, "who says?" The answer is proven by the marketplace -- publishers don't buy books and readers don't read books that don't have that solid pacing and dramatic tension.
Certain things need to happen in a certain order, and at certain places within a story that works. There is some wiggle room, but very little. This disappoints those who thought they were getting into some kind of "free-form no rules do-what-you-want" craft... but the contrary is true. At a professional level of writing and publishing, structure is the foundation of story.
How did you come up with the Six Core Competencies?
I was looking for a new, clearer and more accessible way to wrap my head around the craft of storytelling. I'd hear this grad-school rhetoric, like, "You hero's quest is dictated by the sub-text of his subliminal need as demonstrated by the backstory, and in context to the agenda of that antagonist who is merely a catalyst for the hero's exposition and the ultimate denouement of the dramatic arc."
All of that is true, by the way. But it's pretty much elitist mumbo-jumbo, too, leaving newer writers cold and frustrated. There had to be a better way.
The model of the Six Core Competencies was developed over many years of teaching fiction at writing conferences. It began as "the four pillars of story," which later became a sub-set of the 6CC when I added two "executional" (my word, spell check doesn't like it, either) core competencies to the list.
Virtually anything and everything you can come up with pertaining to the goal of writing a story falls into one of these competency "buckets," each of which has its own standards, criteria and techniques.
What are the Six Core Competencies?
Four are elemental, two are executional.
The four "elements" of story are: concept, character, theme, and structure (plot exposition).
The two "executional" core competencies are scene development and writing voice.
A weakness in any one of these will kill the story. You have to be solid in all six to get into the game.
Can you explain the difference between idea, concept, and theme?
A good challenge that, and an important one. Because when a writer doesn't know the difference they may head down the wrong road. It is made all the more challenging because an "idea" actually can be one of the other two.
An "idea" is the initial germ or spark that begins the search for story. It can be generic, such as: "I want to write a mystery that takes place in a military academy." Is that a concept? No, not yet, the criteria for concept asks more of us. Same with premise, there isn't enough to it.
Then again, an idea can be more specific. "Write a mystery that takes place in a military academy involving the son of a controversial senator." Better. The idea is heading toward conceptville. But it doesn't get there until...
... you add a "what if?" component. Something that asks a dramatic question that sets the stage for a story. Such as: "What if the son of a senator attending a snooty military academy is killed when it is revealed he's been dating the wife of the head master?" Juicy. And conceptual. There's a story there. There was no story at the "idea" level, but now there is.
As for premise, this becomes an expansion of the concept through the addition of character arc and agenda. Just as concept uses a "what if?" tool, premise uses this: "this is a story about..." and goes on to overview the dramatic landscape, with the inclusion of theme and character. In this example: "This is a story of a young man trying to live out from under the dark shadow of his disgraced senator father, who falls for a woman who needs his help to rescue her from her abusive husband, who happens to run the military academy he attends. The story is about the murder of the young man and the ensuing coverup, plumbing the depths of the lengths people will go to in order to avenge a broken heart and protect a false legacy at all costs."
You could say it's a matter of degree. But really, it's story planning at its highest level. If a writer begins writing with only that first idea, the story will have no focus, no pace and no arc. It's a recipe for a rewrite, because all that draft could ever be is a tool in the search for the story.
What are the five elements that each story must have? Can a story be successful without them?
A hero who must achieve something, with whom we can empathize and root for.
An antagonistic force that blocks the hero's quest, thus summoning the heroic core of the protagonist.
A hero who becomes just that, conquering inner demons and ultimately becoming the primary catalyst and instrument of the story's ending. The hero can never be rescued, they must achieve something, even if it isn't what he/she set out to accomplish.
A story must have a solid structure. Four sequential parts, each with a succinct narrative mission. Each separated by a prescribed (non-negotiable) narrative milestone (shift, twist or new information) that speeds things up, deepens stakes, empowers context and fuels the forward motion of the exposition.
A combination of vicarious reader experience (they must be taken for a ride), thematic weight (they feel it as they read it), character arc (the hero's rewarding journey) and a sweet writing voice that doesn't seek to become a distraction to the story it tells.
And no, a story cannot be successful without all of these thing in play.
You're not only a successful novelist and a popular presenter at writing conferences, but you also offer a manuscript critiquing service. What is the most common mistake you find in the manuscripts you critique?
A violation of all of the above princples is commonplace, and understandable. Writing a great story is really hard. REALLY hard. Most mistakes can be assigned to the writer not yet wrapping their head around what I call the six core competencies, they leave something unclear and unexecuted in that regard. The idea and the resultant concept isn't strong enough. The character/hero isn't three dimension. The story doesn't matter, it elicits a "who cares?" response. And most of all, the structure is off, usually by way of far too much expositional description, side-trips and lack of scene focus.
That last one is the stuff of professionals, and it's the best writing tip I know: each scene you write should have a clear, efficient and compelling mission to fulfill. A piece of narrative exposition to deliver. This isn't characterization -- that is incumbent upon every scene to delivery. Rather, each scene needs to propel the story forward. Not with a bunch of stuff, but with one compelling piece. We should build our scenes around what chunk of narrative information, whatever it is.
This is the art of it. Where do you start within a scene? How do you know when and how to cut to it? What makes a scene dramatic, keeps it from lagging? What details are important, what aren't?
Always the writer's call. Those who get it, who develop a sensiblity in this regard, go on to write successful stories and possibly have a career.
You get to that point by internalizing the six core competencies, which ultimate blend together and depend on each other, and, when done well, become a sum in excess of their parts.
Hope this stuff helps excite you and propel you toward even better storytelling! Thanks for having me.
Thanks, Larry for dropping by. Great information!
I told you this was AMAZING stuff. I LOVE it. Visit his blog http://www.storyfix.com/ for more info on writing. His book Story Engineering, is available at Amazon as well as bookstores.
If you want to see him in person and learn from a master, come to the LDStorymakers Conference. You won't regret it!
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