Life is a A Story: The Pros & Cons of Personal Experience (A guest Post by Eveyln Rocastle)4/26/2013 The line between fiction and reality isn’t always a steel wall - sometimes it’s more like the place where two oceans meet, distinguishable but not so easily separated. Neil Gaiman wrote the character Delirium into his Sandman series before meeting musician Tori Amos, but after they became friends things began to blur; Delirium became Amos who became Delirium. Most writers are familiar with the sensation that life can begin to mirror what they’re creating, but many begin with that mirror already firmly in place. High school English teachers tell students to write what they know, and there are pros and cons to that piece of advice. Before using personal experience in fiction, it’s worth thinking about what it can do to both real life and the story.
The Moral Line It’s one thing to write in a cameo for your childhood best friend, and it’s another to reveal a friend’s secrets to an unknown audience. All writers must decide where they draw the line; is it wrong to write about the secrets of a deceased aunt? What if you change enough of the details that even her closest friends wouldn’t know it was about her? One particularly volatile topic is whether it’s right to use information learned in sensitive situations like alcohol detox programs. AA, for example, is famously anonymous; despite challenges to the most famous program for alcoholics the rule still remains firmly in place. Detoxing and recovering from alcohol is made much easier by a supportive community, and nobody at their most vulnerable wants to worry about whether their moments of weakness will one day find their way into a book or a short story. Other vulnerable situations exist, but given the public’s voracious appetite for “addiction stories” this will continue to be a moral battlefield for quite some time. Think Carefully Make no mistake: the friends and family of writers have thought about how they’ll feel if they’re put in a story. Some might immediately assume the inclusion would be flattering and secretly wish for a cameo; some worry that they’ll be caricatured or that sensitive information will be shared; some don’t care one way or another, but have thought about it regardless. Before including a reference to someone you know, assume that they’ll notice immediately and think about how they’d feel - and whether you’re willing to live with that. Digging Deep There are several schools of thought about whether using personal experience in a story makes the finished story emotionally richer. On one hand, when delving into situations you yourself have experienced, there’s little guesswork involved. For those who are particularly introspective and willing to confront their own emotions, the end result can be a deeply moving account. However, it’s also easily to take it for granted that writing about a real experience will automatically result in a gripping story, resulting in lazy writing and a lackluster finished piece. When writing about real experiences, it’s important to treat them as any other form of fiction, and to put in the same amount of effort in bringing it to life. The Strangeness of Reality In the lying game Balderdash, the correct answer - that is, the truth - is usually whatever answer sounds the most absurd. Readers often cry that a story is “unrealistic” if it follows the natural progression that events often do in reality, making writing from personal experience a sometimes tricky endeavor The “stranger than fiction” effect is both an upside and a downside; while events almost always need streamlining and a narrative structure to make them a good or entertaining read, the spontaneity of real occurrences can help writers break out of stagnant or overused plot progressions. For writers who usually lean one way or another when mining their lives for story ideas, it’s an interesting exercise to try it the other way. Parting Thoughts If a writer chooses to fictionalize their life, it’s important to remember that what happened to them may not be precisely what happens to their character. What a car crash is like for a teenager will be different from how it feels for a 50 year old veteran, and personality and history will have a bearing on how the break-up of a marriage plays out. By accepting these differences and starting with a well-examined moral code, it’s possible to use real life in a way which is positive for all those involved: reader, writer, and any innocent bystanders.
0 Comments
Over on Facebook, MANY, MANY, MANY zombie authors are running a HUGE event, giving away zombie books left and right to zombie fans and enthusiasts. So if you like B-R-A-I-N-S, like I know you do, then click HERE to find out more. As part of the ZOMBIE FREE eBOOK FEST, I'm giving away a free ebook of WANTED: Dead or Undead (TODAY ONLY) just for stopping by my blog. Just leave a comment below with your email and your format choice (MOBI or ePUB). If you happened to enjoy reading WANTED: Dead or Undead, please be sure to leave a review on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Goodreads. We authors live for reviews and it means the world to us when you take the time to post one.
 This may shock you, make you gasp, shake your head in worry I’ve lost my mind or think maybe I’m lying to you. But it’s absolutely true: I write two books a month. Have managed three in that same time frame. Because I write mainly young adult paranormal, I’ve been accused of using access to the occult to make it possible. So why isn’t this post titled How to Sell Your Creative Soul to a Demon in Three Easy Steps? Makes me giggle, really. Because, in a way, I have sold my creative soul. But not to demons or darkness. To the voices in my head. And I’m loving every minute of it. When Angela invited me to write this post, I was excited to do so. The publishing world is changing so rapidly, so many paradigms shifting, it thrills me almost every day to see how many writers are crushing convention. Accepting their talent and gifts are theirs, to use as they best see fit, not under the rules and regulations imposed by traditional publishing—and the traditional thinking that came from publishing. One of those myths is quality vs. quantity. I was told over and over as a young writer there was no way I could write quickly and write well at the same time. That speed only meant my work was terrible, trash, needed extensive rewrites to improve it. Time was the only measure of talent. It broke my heart—and almost broke me. Because I’m a speedwriter. Have been one ever since I decided this was what I wanted at twelve years of age. And hearing my work had to suck because I was fast added to the pressure and anxiety of being a new writer. It wasn’t until I entered the world of journalism, escaping university and the confines of English literature, I learned the premise of quality vs. quantity wasn’t exactly true. Finally, I’d found a venue where writing fast and well went hand in hand. I didn’t have time to ponder the placement of each and every word, to disassemble and recreate what I’d written. I learned if I couldn’t write fast and well, I couldn’t do the job. Fast forward about a decade as I stumbled across screenwriting. And you know what? Same message. Writing for television, especially, requires so much speed, the pressure is amazing. And being able to revise on the fly, to come up with brand new material in an eyeblink is the norm, not the exception. So when I finally returned to writing novels, I threw my old beliefs out the window. Dove in as though I’d never heard anyone tell me I couldn’t, shouldn’t, wasn’t good enough because I was fast. Wrote my most popular novel, Family Magic, in two weeks. And haven’t looked back. Do I sacrifice quality for quantity? Never. But nor do I allow my fear of my speed to keep me from the joy of opening my mind to the voices and letting it all out. Which usually means writing a book in about six or seven days. No pact with the devil. No signing on the dotted line in blood. Just trust, training and faith in my talent and the characters who demand I tell their stories. About the Author: Patti Larsen is an award-winning middle grade, young adult and new adult author with a passion for the paranormal. Now with multiple series in happy publication, she lives on Prince Edward Island, Canada, home to Anne of Green Gables and the most beautiful red beaches in the world, with her very patient husband and five massive cats. You can find her: www.pattilarsen.com www.facebook.com/pattilarsenauthor www.twitter.com/#!/PattiLarsen And her books: http://bit.ly/PattiLarsen And her method for writing so fast: http://bit.ly/outliningcourse So what do you think? Quality vs. Quantity? Can you have both at the same time? As far as Patti is concerned, I think you can. Want to learn more about her process, then click the links above, but I may also bug her some more to learn the nitty-gritty of her writing process. Stay tuned. My Trip to the Desert Knocked me upside my head & gave me the writing inspiration I was lacking.4/16/2013 The night before my family trip to Las Vegas and Lehman Caves, I received a message from my publisher asking how my latest project (DEAD PLAINS, Book 3 The Zombie West Series) was going. This was April 1st. It was also my deadline. It was also 10:38pm of said deadline. Dread filled me as I was forced to respond and let him know I wasn't anywhere near ready. I'd hoped for a little more time and that I'd still be able to make the July publication date that had originally been decided. Nope. I missed the deadline and there were no extentions granted. If I now wanted my book published in September, my new deadline was May 20th. Still not enough time. Absolute panic set in. I couldn't sleep. I perhaps got one hour's worth even though I knew the next day I'd be driving a long distance with my kids in the car. I can't even explain how terrified I was. I HAD to make this deadline, and here I'd planned to take time off to go with my family on vacation where I wasn't bringing my laptop. Three days of no writing. I did something I'd never done before (complete fear pushing me to the brink of trying something new) and took a notebook with me. I began to write my ideas down and outline my novel. I'm a pantser, not a plotter, but I was desperate. But as we drove what was labled "The Loneliest Road in America," inspiration started to come to me bit by bit. I needed this vacation. I needed my writing mojo back, and who knew that in the desert was where I'd find it. So far, since my return, I've written seven chapters. A start, for sure. Now to keep going. (See pics below. I'll try and not bore you with too many, but I wanted to share). Where have you found your inspiration? 
Road from Lehman Caves to Las Vegas
Perfect. I have Indians in my book. This just may show up in book three.
Old abandoned homes out in the middle of nowhere. I mean NOWHERE.
Old telegraph lines in the desert.
Creepy cool formations inside Lehman Caves
It's me!! (Obligatory self picture in the cave). Remember, this is a very sleep, desperate me. Ignore limp hair :)
Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.--Winston Churchill We've become a society of instant gratification. We want it (whatever "it" is) and we want it now. As an author, I see this all the time in my fellow writers and authors. "There's not time for failure," I've heard one friend say. Another said, "My book has to launch big or else I'll be forced to quit doing what I love. This week is do or die for me." That's sad, really. Especially in a business where it's all about the long haul, hanging in there, pressing forward. If we based our successes on those few authors who sold millions of books within a short period of time (perhaps less than 1% of all authors out there), then good heavens, we should all give up now, because that's an ideal, not a reality. We're not launching movies here, where the first week in a box office either makes or breaks the movie and determines how many screens it will have the following week. This is novel writing. We no longer have to fight over shelf space. With online retailers the shelf space is unlimited. Our books can live forever. You know that quote, "This isn't a sprint, it's a marathon?" It's true! Success is a marathon. We don't have to define our success in days or weeks. An author's success is measured in years and decades, over a lifetime. Ups and downs in this business are temporary. We need to strive for lasting success, over a great course of time. If we treat our success as a sprint instead of the marathon that it is, we will fall short, guaranteed. I heard one author say (and boy, do I agree), "If you want instant validation, play the lottery." We have to continue writing no matter what. THAT is what a good author makes (Yoda talk). Despite rejections, despite first week book launch failures, despite marketing ideas that didn't work out as we'd hoped. That's okay. We have a lifetime to try other things. Perserverance is the key to all success. It's all about pacing. A novel's success isn't made in a day. A lot of people run a race to see who is fastest. I run to see who has the most guts. --Steve Prefontaine  Here you are. You've just completed your mega manuscript and now it's all come down to this: the writing of the book blurb.
This is perhaps the BIGGEST selling factor your book will ever have. It's the part that lets readers know what your mega manuscript is all about. It's the description, for goodness sake. How hard can it be to write it? Oh, it's hard. It's real hard a'right (There's a Steve Carell joke to made here, but I won't stoop that low). Anyhoo... A good cover is nice. Great editing is awesome. But if you can't even explain what your book is about in 200 words or less, you're pretty much screwed. Yep, 200 words. Sometimes even less than that (depending on the guidelines of certain online retailers). You have to take that 100K novel and condense it into a brief (and I mean brief) overview of what your story is about. And you have to make it compelling, hooking the reader and getting them interested without divulging everything. You have to give them a taste, entice them into reading more. Good freakin' luck, right? Writing the book description is a crucial element of selling your book and yet it is the most difficult. Ask any author and they'll tell you about all their hair pulling, their banging of heads on desks, and binge eating (or drinking, whatever the case may be). It's a frustrating process for sure. So I'm going to give you a couple of basic tips to get you started. Here we go: 1) This is a biggie. Go look at book blurbs on the backs of books. Simple, yet effective. Go to your local book store or library and pick books off the shelf, specifically in your genre. Look at examples and see which descriptions grab your attention. When I first started out, I did this exact thing. I was at a thrift store, thumbing through the used books when I happened upon the novel DEARLY DEVOTED DEXTER. Click that link and take a look at that book blurb. Seriously, it's good. I bought the book, took it home, and it sits on my shelf as a reminder of what a book blurb should be. 2) Think of a movie promo. Movie promos are like less than a minute long. They have to grab the viewer's attention and make them want to stand in line to see the new release. Did they tell you everything about the movie? Nope. Did they set the scene? Yep. Did they tell you who the main character or characters were? Yep. Did they tell you the outcome? Nope. You'll have to watch the movie to find that out. Keep that in mind when writing your book blurb. 3) Remember the main arc or plot of your story. Remember the main character. Stick to that in your description. Forget subplots or minor chracters. You don't have time or enough words to include all that. 4) Run it past your beta readers, your friends, your online author buddies, run it by someone, anyone! Ask them this question: Does reading this make you want to run out and buy this book? Why or why not? 5) And last, but not least, edit it! Oh my gosh! I can't tell you how many times I've picked up a book or looked online at book descriptions to see misspellings and grammar errors. That's the worst. Yikes! Make sure that thing is as polished as ever or you'll be turning readers away left and right. Good luck writing that book blurb. Believe me, I completely understand what you're going through. I'm in the process of writing my 5th book blurb for my upcoming novel and the process doesn't get any easier. Maybe it's not supposed to :) Leave a comment and let me know about your book blurb writing process. Pass on some tips and tricks of your own. Let's help each other out, because boy, we can use all the help we can get. |
My Face...Enjoy!
Ahh, the fruits of my labors...
Blogs & Websites You Should Visit
Click for more info about Mallory Rock, Cover Designer
Click for more info about Megan Harris, Editor
Blog AwardsCategories
All
FUN STUFF  
 
 |
