Saturday Mornings Should Belong to You! Coffee & Critique

85,000 Words & Revising

2011-12-19T19:51:00.000-08:00

Okay, I guess it's time to finally update everyone on the SFD* manuscript I roughed out in October as an experiment to see if it's even feasible to write 50,000 words in one month. If so, I planned to wholeheartedly endorse the increasingly popular NaNoWriMo marathon to my writing and journaling students as well as my writer friends. As you know from previous posts, I did it! And then some.

The best part of all this is it got me out of the writing funk and back into the writing groove.

I have been working on this manuscript ever since. I reached over 85,000 words during November, probably closer to 85,650 words, and during my daily revision process, cutting, switching paragraphs and sentences, deleting, adding, etc., the word count fluctuates but remains at about 85,000.

Word count, of course, is not important. What's important is that I am having a blast working on this project, one that took off once I found my POV narrator.

Here are a few more things I've learned about the writing process during the past three months:

It's important to be so in tune with your POV narrator that he or she takes over and just tells the story. This often doesn't happen so the way to force it to happen is to analyze the story idea from the viewpoint of different characters in the plot. The one you first thought might tell the story might not be the best one to choose. You need to know your narrator well. YOU are the author, not the narrator. Remember that.

It's important to continue to write daily, to live and breathe the story, so that you don't lose continuity. I found that my story holds together better this time because I took it in one huge plunge rather than spreading it out over years. I could more easily remember what happened earlier in the story and had a bead on what would happen later.

It's important to continue to read good books to stay inspired by the best that's out there. You aren't competing with these authors. You're being inspired to improve the level of your game. Just when you think you've got a perfect scene, you read a far better one in a novel and yearn to improve your own.

It's important to revise, revise, revise. As you do, you may discover the real story you are writing. To write, we must risk and make mistakes and that's why it's called the SFD*. Over and over, we must start again. Writing is RE-writing. As a sentence is retyped, it is often rephrased for the better or simply deleted. One word leads to the next, and every word must count and gleam. Writing is an art form and we must think like artists. Every sentence leads to the next. Nouns must be concrete; verbs must be active and appropriate; adverbs and adjectives must be scarce.

*SFD=Shitty First Draft

50,000 Words & Counting!

2011-10-31T05:41:00.000-07:00

Yes,it can be done!

I decided to try the NaNoWriMo challenge a month early to see if it's even feasible to get 50,000 words written in 30 days. I wanted to do so before I urged my writing students to sign up. I am happy to report that it is not only possible but highly recommended for any writer needing to get that rough draft in the can.

As of this minute, I have 52,057 words on my desktop in one long document or sixteen solid chapters or 200 pages. I'm not finished with the manuscript, but getting close to the resolution. I predict I will have 20 chapters when finished.

The experience has been:
1) Grueling
2) Enlghtening
3) Challenging
4) Addictive
5) Motivating

To celebrate my success, I booked a manicure, pedicure, and massage. No, the masseuse could not get that huge knot out of my shoulder from being at the computer too many hours. There are some other side effects of taking on this challenge you should know about before you plunge in.

You won't eat right. Your dog won't get enough exercise and neither will you. Your laundry won't get done. Your car won't get washed. Your house won't get vacummed or dusted. Your emails will pile up. And forget any social life.

There's a positive side to all this:

You'll have an excuse to not eat right and to having a messy house. Your dog will love you anyway. And for an obsessive-compulsive me, you will get that rough draft over and done with so you can get to he fun part of writing which is sculpting all those words into something resembling art.

Tips for NaNoWriMo:

1) Get the POV narrator right. Once you've figured that out, the POV narrator will tell the story. Simply stay out of his/her way.

2) When you take a bathroom break and come back to the computer, get started again by rereading the last five pages and plunge ahead.

3) Take your laptop to so when you wake up in the middle of the night, you can put down those words in your head.

4) Stay out of the way and let your characters tell the story.

5) If you get stuck, play the "What if" game and throw in another obstacle or complcation.

And now, you'll have to excuse me because I've got more writing to do on this future best seller. My POV narrator is talking to me and even though she's an unreliable narrator and I have no clue where she's taking me on ths remarkable journey, I'm hooked and eager to get to Chapter Seventeen.

Good luck to you during the official NaNoWriMo month!

NaNoWriMo

2011-10-24T11:37:00.000-07:00

November is National Novel Writing Month and anyone needing to get a kick in the pants and that first rough draft of a novel, or 50,000 words, finished in 30 days might want to enter this popular marathon for writers. Founded by Chris Baty who claims you don't need plot or research, NaNoWriMo has risen in popularity each year. All you need is to turn the computer on and start writing. In his book No Plot? No Problem!, a guidebook and companion for "those looking to undertake the madcap National Novel Writing Month in November" as well as anyone else willing to hurl caution to the winds, he offers inspiring advice, lighthearted anecdotes, great tips, and recounts his own writer's journey.

Before I recommended this writing marathon to our SMCC group or students of all ages in my writing classes, I figured I'd give it a try and and climb into the writer's worst crucible with no plot, no characters, no map to structure my story, only a blank screen.

I started a month early, fortunately a month with 31 days, just in case I needed an extra 24 hours.

As of Day 24, I'm happy to report I have accumulated 42,668 words and am still going strong. My goal of 50,000 by Day 30 is in sight. There's light at the end of the tunnel and it just might not be that proverbial train. I'll keep you posted.

Of course, I have no clue how this adventure will end, how the story will be resolved, how I'll tie up all the loose ends and answer all the questions since the draft is filled with loony characters who are running away with my story and an unreliable POV narrator I can't trust and is set back in time before high tech changed everything including making a phone call.

But that's part of the fun.

Joyce thinks so, too. She's tried NaNowriMo and is considering doing it again!

The whole idea is to get that first rough draft in the can, the "shitty" first draft as Anne Lamott, Ernest Hemingway, and I, myself, have called it, and move on to the real art of writing, the revision process where we sculpt something of value.

So, whole-heartedly, I endorse Baty's pep talks in No Plot? No Problem! as well as NaNoWriMo. Go ahead and throw yourself into this month of literary abandon. Just be sure to stock up on fast snacks, microwave dinners, and be prepared not to vacuum, socialize, or respond to every text and email. Take your laptop with you everywhere – to work, the coffee shop, restaurant, on the train, plane, or in your car. Abandon your significant other and sleep with your laptop, so when you awaken at three a.m. you can get down what those characters are saying in your head in the middle of the night.

If you want to dig up some rough, raw material and get started on your next project and feel like you're making some real progress, NaNoWriMo will help you do the heavy lifting.

About Creativity

2011-09-22T20:52:00.000-07:00

We are born to be creative. Creativity is the most life-affirming traits of being human. Arthur Koestler says "True creativity often start6s where language ends.

As adults, however, we tend to lose our creative edge, to be fearful about beginning a work of fiction or any other kind of art.

We are perfectionists. This perfectionism leads to procrastination. We wait for inspiration. We wait until we do all the research. We wait until we're in the mood. We wait while we have another cup or coffee and that only prolongs the process as we postpone getting started or completing what we set aside too quickly.

Postponement leads to paraylis, otherwise known as writer's block. We forget that we are innately creative. In the process of growing into adulthood, we were forced to adapt to our surroundings, our parents and teachers, and we got stymied somewhere along the way.

Erich Fromm says "Creativity requires the courage to let go of certainties," and for adults this is very hard to do.

We must force ourselves to begin and beginning can be the hardest part. We must stop waiting and put pen to paper. "I was in a queer modd," Virginia Woolf once said, "thinking myself very old; but now I am a woman again-as I always am when I write."

To be a writer, it isn't necesary to make a pile of money or be on the bestseller list. To be a writer is to live life open to all that's around us, aware of our senses as we absorb every detail, to pay attention, to collect experiences and form them into story.

Most of all, making art is an act of faith. We take a leap and risk. We must think of writing as a process, not a product. We need to sit down and just do it.

Love Your Life

2011-08-28T15:44:00.000-07:00

In order to become better writers, we need to appreciate the fact we ARE writers and love what we do. For many of us, we feel writing is a guilty pleasure. We've been told to get a "real job" or to find something more "worthwhile" to do.

Julia Cameron understands this well. In her book, "The Right to Write," she says, "Seeking to value ourselves, we look to others for assurance. If what we are doing threatens them, they cannot give it. If what we envision is larger than what they can see, they cannot give support for what it is we are doing."

We have the right to love our lives. It's time to start doing more of what we love and less of what we hate.

Here's how we do it:

We get organized, set writing goals, and get up out of bed with a specific goal in mind. It might be an Artist's Day, a journaling project, developing a story outline or elevator pitch.

Time is limited. We need to take control of our schedules so that we know when our creative energy is the highest. Is it in the early morning or late at night? By figuring out personal rhythms, we won't waste time. We'll know the best time to journal, reflect, or work on a manuscript. The menial, boring tasks can be done during our "off" times when creative energy drops. We learn to multi-task, and we catch up reading with audio books or while waiting in the doctor's office or post office lines.

We try to remember that writing is a process and the process is more important than the product. We write for ourselves, not for others. No champion golfer or tennis player ever got good without practice so every minute we spend on writing is time is honing our craft and should be not only tolerated but applauded.

We should surround ourselves with other writers. They will support us.

We're wise enough to take time off from writing now and then to refuel, regroup, restore, recoup.

Whenever and wherever we write, we need to feel harmonious with our environment. Many people choose a coffee shop because life at home is chaotic. Others prefer a place in the public library or a park or the kitchen table. Some can write just about anywhere. One author I know wrote his entire book on lunch breaks. The writing provided an escape from the work day and the limited amount of time forced him to not waste a minute.

It's okay to love being a writer. Sure, we have responsibilities and obligations,but the first obligation should be to our creative selves.

Congratulations!

2011-06-28T13:35:00.000-07:00
'Those of us in Saturday Mornings • Coffee & Critique are proud of our recent accomplishments. Congratulations to Kristin Orloff on the release of her book "American Wings, Iranian Roots," the true story of Reza Abedi, a champion wrestler who found a home in America after great risk to himself and his family. Kudos go to Joanna Giangardella on her soon-to-be released "Girl From the Tower," her poignant story of coming to America from an idyllic Greek island through a UNICEF adoption program. Pat Jackson-Colando recently announced her flash fiction win, and Diane Bennett is in the final stages of editing her soon-to-be released picture book about earthworms, illustrated by artist Diane Daly, that's sure to delight children, parents, and teachers everywhere.

Way to go, Sister Writers!

To write we need to find pen or pencil, persistance, patience, and a band of writers. How lucky we are to have this "room of (our) own." Together we can accomplish anything! We are inspired by one another's successes.

To Market, To Market

2011-06-11T17:25:00.000-07:00
No one is going to come along and buy our books if we don't get out there and sell them ourselves. We thought putting words together in a unique way in a plot filled with conflict and fascinating characters would be enough.

Once the book is written and published, we must pass out those order forms, set up display tables, and get that website up and running with credit card capability.

So what do we do? It's not enough to write a worthy book these days. Even the most established publisher expects us to market our books, too.

Since several of us in SMCC have recently published books, we're considering options. Here are nine simple ideas on how to share the burden of marketing:

1. Linking websites.
2. Sharing tables at book festivals.
3. Reviewing one another's books.
4. Mentioning one another's books in printed material.
5. Inviting other authors to book clubs, writing classes, and any other appropriate groups.
6. Assisting one another with press releases, book trailers, online activities.
7. Tagging books and adding them to book lists.
8. Becoming more involved in social networking sites.
9. Suggesting one another as speakers or presenters in schools, churches, and organizations.

By turning your critique group into a marketing collective, it's a win-win situation. If your group, like ours, has a number of authors on the brink of publishing, maybe the focus should lean toward how to get those books sold. Why not launch those books together at one wonderful fete? With the help of our friends and sharing the wealth, we can accomplish anything,

The Hero's Journey

2011-05-06T22:37:00.000-07:00
One thing to keep in mind as we enter the writing life is that we are on a quest just as our protagonist or POV narrator embarks on a hero's journey. This can become a spiritual experience that enriches our lives. Our characters begin to speak to us once we are in the "zone" and then the synchonicity begins. We are informed by the characters we develop in fiction since these characters are bits and pieces of ourselves and everyone we've ever met. The deeper we dig to tell the "truth," the more we get in touch with not only our fictional characters but with ourselves.

This takes courage. Only the brave can put heart and soul onto paper and make others weep or rejoice. If writing a memoir, it takes an extraordinary amount of bravery.

The blessing of writing is it is a lifelong endeavor and learning process so it doesn't matter who you are or how old you are or where you live. As you write, you discover yourself and, in turn, develop and deepen your fictional characters.That's how universal truths emerge in good fiction.

So when we read about Christopher Vogler's writer's journey or Joseph Campbell's hero's journey, we must remember that we as writers are heroes on a journey, too. Our POV narrator or protagonist is changed, but we authors are changed as well.

Take a risk. Get started on your writing project today. Join us at Saturday Mornings Coffee & Critique in a friendly workshop environment that will inspire and enable you to continue even the most daunting journey. We're writers, too, and we've got your back during this sometimes grueling process.Together, we can accomplish anything.

Characters: Flat or Round?

2011-02-06T20:35:00.000-08:00
Characters can make or break your novel. Give us a great character who isn't stereotypical or simplistic, one with conflicting traits, someone complex and interesting, and you'll hook your reader and keep him hooked. In other words, give us round, not flat characters. Round characters are your stars. Flat characters are your sword carriers, the ones with only one line in a play, those who shift the props around. It's the round characters that give your story life. And your protagonist better be round.

Flat characters are okay in limited quantity. They have few traits, no real conflicts, and are more or less stereotypes. The cop who eats donuts, for instance, or the thief with the shifty eyes. Their purpose in story is to provide information and move the story forward.

A round characters is alive like you and me. As the author, you have to know your protagonist as well as you know yourself. You know how she talks, walks, eats lunch, flirts, dawdles, and you know what gets her angry or sentimental. In fact, you know exactly what song brings tears to her eyes and what sandwich gives her indigestion. You also know her secret desires and her flaws. Everyone has flaws and your protagonist better have some, too. Knowing your characters upside down and backwards will bring about something amazing - your very round, very complex character who is your protagonist will begin to direct your story. He or she will say, "Hey, I wouldn't do that. It isn't me." And the story takes a whole new direction. When you give birth to a round character, you create a partner in your writing process who will assist you in developing plot.

You'll hear that well-fleshed-out character's voice in your head, and as he or she helps you write your story, there's only one thing you must do...

Stay out of the way. There's nothing worse in a novel than author intrusion and readers can spot it every time.

Why Writing Is Important

2011-02-02T19:00:00.000-08:00
Writing can change your life. Writing can even save a life.

Writing helps you get in touch with your inner child. Writing your observations about people and places helps you notice and appreciate your surroundings.

"I must write it all out, at any cost. Writing is thinking. It is more than living, for it is being concious of living," Anne Morrow Lindbergh once said.

And Joan Didion said, "I write entirely to find out what I'm thinking, what I'm looking at, what I see and what it means - what I want and what I fear."

Roger Rosenblatt, in his recent interview on PBS, stated, "We write to make suffering endurable, evil intelligible, justice desirable and love possible."

We write because we must, loving the process rather than the product since we rarely become rich or famous in today's publishing world. Writing gives meaning to our lives and connects us to the universe. The process of writing becomes our personal vision quest.

"The writer is a person who is standing apart," Anne Lamont said.

Writing allows us to live like the artist who appreciates sensory details in the environment. It gives us perspective about our place in the world, where we've been, where we are, and where we're going; and it allows us to evaluate our lives in ways we wouldn't otherwise. It makes us much more observant, and this sense of wonder, of seeing things new, of taking notice of our world and ourselves changes us for the better.

There is enormous value in writing one perfect sentence. As a fiction writer or poet, we are painting a word picture to tell a story and these images have the power to make a difference in the lives of our readers.

Writing connects us to the world, to others, and to ourselves.

That is why we write.

Book Launch - March 3rd

2011-01-14T11:34:00.000-08:00
Reserve the evening of March 3rd for our the "She Writes" Athology book launch. The celebration will feature a champagne reception, light refreshments, and entertainment. Best of all, it's free. Join us for an evening of poetry reading, music, and networking with other writers. Guests are welcome. RSVP by email to: shewritesanthology@yahoo.com

When: Thursday, March 3, 2011, 7-9 p.m.
Where: Laguna Woods Clubhouse 7 in Laguna Hills
Why: To celebrate the release of our anthology

More details can be found at http://shewritesanthology.blogspot.com. Mark your calendars now.

Heart of the Matter

2010-12-30T11:57:00.000-08:00
Okay, let's get to the heart of the matter or, in other words, the premise.

What exactly is premise?

Some writing instructors call it theme or thesis or the root or central idea, the goal or driving force in story, the whole purpose, the fundamental emotion, the plot.

Every story has a premise. A good premise is actually a thumbnail synopsis. Without a premise, the writer elaborates, modifies, goes off in different directions, changes situations and winds up not knowing where she's going. As the author, you must have a premise that leads to the goal in your story. The premise is the heart of the matter.

Shakespeare knew this. Romeo and Juliet is centered on love, great love, but the lovers are thwarted by the family feud. In the end the star-crossed lovers reunite in death. Therefore, the premise is great love defies even death.

Jealously is the theme in Othello and the motivating force. Othello kills not only Desdemona but himself so the premise is jealousy destroys itself and the object of its love.

There's no right or wrong premise. You as the author decide what it will be and this will help you avoid wandering off into situations or scenes that do not move your story toward the ultimate goal.

Here are some premises to help you get started: Intolerance leads to isolation. Foolish generosity leads to poverty. Bragging leads to humiliation.Extravagance leads to destitution. Faith conquers fear.Jealousy destroys not only itself but the object of its love. Friendship saves the isolated. Great love defies even death.

Cormac McCarthy, author of No Country for Old Men, surely had a premise in mind when he wrote the story. It might have been evil cannot be overcome by goodness or it might have been even evil has a code of ethics or it might have been evil is always in the world. As you can see, there can be more than one way to state a premise. The more specific and close to the point your premise, the more focused you will be.

To get really simple, what about The Three Little Pigs. What is the premise of that story? It might be lazy pigs get eaten alive or it might be hard-working pigs survive or it might be a pig who builds a firm foundation does better than other pigs.

Start with an idea and convert it to a premise. Look at the situation in your story and figure out the main goal. Analyze stories and plays and even movies you like and figure out the premise. What is at stake? What is the story really about? Get to the heart of the matter right away and it will help focus your writing.

Using First Person POV

2010-10-24T18:33:00.001-07:00
There are many reasons for using a first person POV character-narrator. One of the best examples is Mark Twain's Huck Finn.

Without Huck as the POV narrator, the story wouldn't be a classic. It's his innocence about life that is part of the charm. Here are a few words the POV narrator (Huck) says right after composing a note about Jim, the runaway slave:

"I studied a minute, sort of holding my breath, and then says to myself?

'All right, then, I'll go to hell' - and tore it up.

It was awful thoughts, and awful words, but they was said. And I let them stay said; and never thought no more about reforming."

A kid narrator simply doesn't know all that's going on in the story and can't process what's happening the way adults do. That's the charm of child narrators.

Authors use first person POV for adult narrators, too, and this is done for a number of reasons.

1) The author wants some parts of the story to remain mysterious and the POV character-narrator doesn't know all that's going on.

2) The POV narrator is hiding something like a mental illness, a murder, a secret jealousy.

3) The POV narrator is unreliable and thus complicates the story further.

4) The POV narrator is recovering from some emtotional or physical disaster and healing from the inside out.

5) The author is revealing only one reality in a story that contains several realities.

6) The POV character-narrator is really the antagonist, the villain, the despicable Humbert Humbert in Lolita or one ot Poe's short story characters or the cuckolded husband who winds up murdering his cheating wife.

The POV narrator is telling the story from his or her point of view but is actually misinformed about the truth. Think of Poe's Tell-Tale Heart or Nabokov's Lolita, and it's easy to understand the brilliance of an unreliable first person POV character-narrator.

Allegory or Symbolism?

2010-10-12T22:12:00.000-07:00
As soon as we start writing something, we are most likely using symbolism whether we realize it or not. A symbol can be good or evil depending on the context. Rain, for instance, can symbolize rebirth or cleansing or a fresh start, but it can also, ironically, symbolize impending illness and even death. A flower can represent youth or love,but it can also symbolize the death of young men. (Example; "Where have all the flowers gone?")

Fire can symbolize light or life, but also hell or lust. Sky can allude to heaven pr fate; the sea can mean chaos, death, but also the source of life; a river represents life but can mean death when the river ends; a bridge, of course, represents a link between two worlds or life and death. When Amanda of "Sex and the City" crosses the bridge to meet her estranged husband, we know exactly what that symbolizes, and it's no surprise when they wind up reconciled and in bed having a great sex scene.

It's important to remember the difference between allegory and symbolism. Something that represents one thing only is allegory. Symbolism is much deeper and causes students to puzzle over the meaning. What exactly does that scene in the cave mean? What is the reason the color red pops up throughout a story? Why is it raining all the time? What is the meaning of that big fruit tree the characters are always sitting under?

Stories can have Biblical and mythical connotations. We like the new and different but we rely on the familiar. Rain, for instance, isn't just about rain. It could be Noah's flood type rain. It might be a blessing type rain. Rain can wash away sins and heal; rain can destroy cities, float arks filled with animals, or keep two people trapped in a cabin.

Sometimes symbolism can be found in characters' names or in characters themselves: the dark queen, the buffoon, the doppelganger, the wise old man.

The rosebud symbol in "Citizen Kane" represents Kane's lost innocence. Fog can represent confusion. Snow is the great equalizer in Joyce's "The Dead;" and it's a no-brainer figuring out the symbols in Hemingway's "The Old Man and the Sea." The sea. The old man. The boat. The fish. Hemingway never fails when it comes to symbolism and irony.

Movies have a great time with symbolism, too. So do the classic fairy tales. Once we're tuned in to that literary element, we can see symbolism in every poem or story we read and every film or play we see.

As writers, we mustn't go out of our way to put symbolism in our work; however, if there are certain images that seem to appear and dominate our thinking, it might indicate our story has a deeper meaning and truth that can be enhanced through a symbolic level.

Knowing Your Characters

2010-09-11T23:12:00.000-07:00
Before you plunge into writing a novel, it's a good idea to get acquainted with the stars of your story. You may have a general idea, a sorta, kinda, vague idea of who your characters are, but you might not know them well enough. Do you know what they stuff in their pockets, how they chew their gum, what really ticks them off, and what soap they use in the shower? Do you know what stores they shop in, the clothes they wear, and where they hide their secret stash of money?

What's under your protagonist's bed, in the backseat of her car, and under her pillow? What does she feed her cat, drink at the party, and make for the potluck dinner? How often does she call her mother? What's her entire name? What does her best friend call her? For example, your protagonist might be named Kathleen Louise Finnegan. Her mother calls her Kathleen, her father calls her Kate, her sister calls her Kathy, her brother calls her K.L., and her lover calls her Kay. How did her mother treat her as a child? Her father? What grades did she get on her ninth grade report card? How did she lose her virginity? Who has she betrayed?

What does she want more than anything else and what is she willing to do to get it?

You really need to know your protagonist as well as you know yourself and she must act "in character" to the conflict she encounters. For example, if you've established that she has a fear of commitment due to a childhood where she ed abandoned by her father, you're not going to have her fall head over heels in love immediately. If she can't swim and has a fear of water, you're not going to write scene where she dives into a pool to rescue a drowning child. That would be out of character.

Knowing your protagonist is only half the preparation. You must know the antagonist and hid backstory as well. What motivates him and makes him tick? What's on his computer desktop? What's his cell phone ring? Well, you get the idea.

There are several ways to get to know your characters better: 1) Ask them questions and listen to what they tell you 2) Have them write in your journal. In other words, journal as your character. 3} Have them write letters to one another. 4) Describe the way they celebrate their birthdays or Christmas or what they do on Sunday afternoons. 5) Describe their dreams. 6} Look at their family tree. 7? Check their horoscopes. 8) Let them tell you about their most embarrassing moments, their gnawing guilts, their sins. 9) How do they make love, keep a house, drive a car, do their laundry, treat an animal? 10) How do they talk?

Knowing your characters well before you begin writing the novel will enable the stars on your page-stage play their rolls better.

Outlining Your Work

2010-08-28T14:59:00.000-07:00
Kids do a lot of prewriting in school. As a teacher, I know there's an emphasis on outlining because it helps students develop a focus. With an outline in hand, writers know where they are going and what they want to accomplish.

Do we as adult writers do that? Heck, no. We want to write great blockbuster best sellers and have them made into movies. Why waste all that time outlining? After all, there are only so many minutes in the day.

For one reason, an outline is a road map. It will help establish clear motives or why things happen in your story. It's not just your hero going on a journey. You, the author, are going on one, too; and for this journey, you need a road map.

By outlining, you and I can get a distance from our projects and be better able to understand if our stories are plot driven or character driven. It will help us separate the major plot points from minor ones; and we'll learn to recognize events that actually move the story forward. In other words, an outline keeps us on the main road instead of wandering through interesting detours that take us to an impasse nowhere near our final goal.

A common pitfall we experience is winding up having to force our story characters to act illogically because we've taken them to that impasse or dead-end where they have to grow wings and fly to get out of trouble. Now, I'm assuming you've already developed those characters and that you know them as well as you know yourself and how they will act and react in every situation. With your character dossier and road map in hand, you have all you need for your story.

An outline will point out inconsistencies and off-the-mark rest stops in your plot. If you're driving from San Diego to Los Angeles with only a limited amount of time, it doesn't make much sense to take a detour to Scottsdale. If your character has a history of violence, he's not going to be meek and mild when assaulted at the border by bandits. If you have a dedicated nurse in your story, she's not going to stand idly by while child bleeds to death or mother gives birth at the side of the road.

An outline will make it easier to foreshadow events. Of course, we don't want the reader to know what's going to happen next, but it sure helps if we, the authors, have a general idea. A plot is intricate. or should be, and it's a lot like building an onion for the reader to peel later on. There are many places in plot where subtle hints can be inserted about something that will come to pass later on.

So why don't we outline? Because we're eager to follow that ever-alluring muse who often leads us astray through every dazzlingly delightful detour; and we're so bedazzled by our own brilliance at stitching together expository backstory that we forget where we're supposed to be going and wander through our forest of words for days, even years.

Lost? Frustrated? Stuck in story? Halfway through a novel and can't get motivated to finish? It's time to get out that road map to see where we're actually going. The experts say it saves a lot of effort and energy in the long run if we know ahead of time exactly where we want to go and how we're going to get there.

Your story characters will be forever grateful and so will your critique group and any editors receiving your submission down the line.

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Pam Muñoz Ryan, Avi, Agents on Submitting Manuscripts

Character Arc & Theme

2010-08-22T08:28:00.000-07:00
When a character is changed during the course of story, we are creating a character arc. Like our characters, we are changed because of life experiences and by how we face conflict. By the time we have finished a draft or two of the manuscriipt, we begin to realize the significance of theme.

The character most changed in the story is the protagonist. While others may experience change, the main character has the most dramatic and emotional transformation. Classic stories deal with universal themes like home is where the heart is or time heals wounds or strength comes from within. The protagonist may learn through the story conflict that he cannot trust his own limited view of himself and the world until he is better educated and has more experiences in life.

The overall universal theme of the story might be: coveting another man's wealth and position leads to destruction. By envying the richest man in town and desiring his gorgeous wife, fancy car, and big house, a determined young man does everything he can to become that man's confidante and friend. He lets the dog out of the gated yard and then feigns a rescue. He follows the wife until she runs out of gas on the highway and plays a hero in that scene. He steals he man's wallet and then returns it with credit cards and cash still inside. Trusted, he is welcomed into the family and begins leading the life he's coveted. He seduces the wife, drives the car, lives in the house where he drinks excessively with the husband. Soon he discovers that all is not what it seems. Wealth is a result of crime. The car costs a bundle to maintain. The wife is a gold digger and is looking for a hit man to kill her husband so she can go live in Paris. When he's asked to do something dishonest that will take money from the mouths of the orphans in town, the young protagonist realizes he is ill equipped to cope with these heavy handed players and cannot judge others until he has a better understanding of himself. In other words, he matures and sees things differently by the end of the story.

While Elizabeth Gilbert's popular Eat Pray Love is more telling than showing and also a memoir, the thematic significance of the main character (herself) is the search for life's meaning or truth and this determines her character arc. The universal theme might be: a dedicated spiritual journey can heal the broken spirit so that it is possible to find balanwce and love again.

Love is the focus of Gilbert's memoir. In the beginning, she's in a troubled marriage and then she's in a troubled affair. Desperate to find herself and life's meaning, she decides to go on a year's journey, a quest that takes her to Italy to learn the language, to India to meditate, and to Indonesia to find balance.

In Italy, she learns to let go and give in to the sensual pleasure of pasta and language. This heals her physically but not spiritually. She goes next to an Ashram in India where she has a more difficult time learning to meditate and to forgive herself and others. Finally, she goes to Indonesia where she finds balance and, of course, love. Now she is more mature and able to love herself as well as another.

As readers, we like this flawed POV narrator and go with her on the quest. The more challenging the journey, the more flawed the character, the more we are pulled into the story. At the climax, she helps a woman with a child of her own and two orphans she has taken in by raising money to build a house. Up to that point, Gilbert has been completely self-centered and obsessed about her own weaknesses. Now more mature, she is able to offer generosity to another. This metaphorical action shows her character transformation. If she had not gone on this quest, this never would have happened.

And so in the end, she is able to find love.

During every rewrite, we have an opportunity to improve the arc of our main character and connect the thematic components that add depth and significance to the story. We create a message for the reader so that the work is more meaningful and lasting.

Therefore, during revision, it's important to determine the real story protagonist and decide how he or she is going to be emotionally transformed. Then we need to come up with a thematic line that is oven throughout the story. What do all those scenes, all that action and dialogue add up to at the end? Through sensory detail and literary elements, our job as authors is to infuse the manuscript with thematic significance.

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Speaking of Subtext

2010-08-14T17:21:00.000-07:00
Fiction writers can make their work more professional and add emotional and intellectual depth to their stories through subtext.

I know what you're thinking - you thought you had this fiction writing thing wired and now I'm tossing in another obstacle for you to trip over. Unlike subtext, I'm not being too subtle about it either. Yes, you need subtext in your work. What is it? It's the underlying theme, the implied relationship between characters, the ideas or thoughts not explicitly stated, the text below the surface of the story, the something sensed, but not seen.

Subtext is what makes fiction great, and it helps avoid that "on the nose" dialogue we all tend to use from time to time. I'm going to give you some examples of subtext so you'll know where to find it, and I'm going to tell you how you can incorporate subtext in your own work.

The use of subtext will improve your fiction. Authors, playwrights, screenwriters, and poets all use subtext. It can change the quality of dialogue, bring stories and scripts to life, and make your writing more professional.

In the film As Good As It Gets there's some good subtext when the ornery Jack Nicholson shoves his neighbor's pet dog down the chute. In the movies American Beauty, Annie Hall, ET, A Space Odyssey, and Ordinary People there's some great subtext. Be sure to watch Revolutionary Road. Better yet, read the book! Rent some of these older films and figure out where things are said but not said, where there's an implied meaning, something sensed but not seen by the viewer or reader; you'll begin to understand what I'm talking about.

Shakespeare used subtext in Macbeth and Romeo & Juliet. Bronte used subtext in Jane Eyre. There’s subtext in newer films like The Kids Are All Right and Avatar. Discover your own examples of subtext. Subtext is the subliminal element in creative writing that hits the recipient right in the gut or tears the heart apart. Subtext is a way we connect with characters and plot and certain characters in certain movies. We feel we've been there, done that; we know these people and this situation, and we understand. Dialogue is where you find subtext the most often.

Once aware of this advanced writing technique, you'll be able to find subtext whenever you watch a movie or read a novel.

Dialogue between two characters should stimulate the reader's curiosity, create tension in scene, and heighten the conflict. Good dialogue is often oblique while plain, ordinary talk is quite boring. Good dialogue is carefully crafted so that what isn't said directly is still communicated. You've most likely used subtext in your own conversations with a significant other, avoiding a question, responding in a sarcastic manner, or saying something but meaning something quite different.

Practice writing some dialogue between two people using subtext. It's not easy. Perhaps the dialogue is between a husband and wife. He comes home late and her dinner is ruined. He's cheerful and has no clue she's upset. She's ready to hit him with the overcooked casserole. And she made that casserole especially for him because it's his mother's recipe. Or it's their anniversary. Or she's ready to announce that she's pregnant.

How would this dialogue go? What is the subtext here?

It helps to read your work aloud. Your ear will catch what the eye does not. It also helps to listen to dialogue. As you ride the bus or sit in a restaurant with an annoying couple talking too loud in the adjoining booth, use those moments to your advantage and take out that journal. As talk goes on all around you, jot down notes regarding conversations. "Oh, my gosh, what has she done to herself? She's a mere shadow of her former self!" tells us quite a lot. Does that imply she looks better? Or worse? Thinner, obviously, but healthier?

In a scene between a husband and wife, the words, "Oh, Henry, honestly, is that what you're wearing tonight? The Carlsons will be there" tells us a lot about the couple and about the Carlsons, too, without overexplaining or being "on the nose." This is showing, not telling.

The comment, "Your dinner's cold. I already ate" gives us a clue how this particular evening will wind up with the wife sleeping upstairs and the husband down on the sofa.

Our lives are filled with stories, dialogue, and subtext. Be aware and you'll soon have your journal filled with notes. Read film scripts. You can get them online or in shops. Read dialogue in novels. Watch movies. Screenwriters are very adept at using subtext and so are best selling authors.

Professionals and advanced writers use subtext in their writing, adding depth, underlying meanings, and more complication to their stories. We like stories on many levels and one reason we prefer certain stories over others is due to the clever use of subtext.

You can use this technique, too.

Dialectics Can Improve Writing

2010-08-07T11:09:00.000-07:00
Is it possible to apply an ancient process used by Socrates to our writing? Maybe so.

What is dialectics anyway? Remember studying Plato back in college? The questions and more questions? Socratic method, we called it.

Socrates discovered truth this way. He proposed something, found a contradiction to what he proposed, and then adjusted his thinking only to find a new contradiction.

First, a thesis is stated. This is the proposition. Then a contradiction emerges. This is the antithesis and the complete opposite of what was originally proposed. Now we have to compromise and correct our original thought and come up with a new proposition. This is synthesis, a combination of the original proposition and the contradiction to it.

What the heck does all this have to do with writing? Well, a lot because we're really talking about contradiction and change, and that's what story is about.

Day becomes night. Birth leads to death. Love becomes hate. The present becomes the past, and past and present determine the future. Right?

So in writing, we must concentrate on change. And this change is best shown in our characters. Human beings are complicated and our characters must be just as complex. That's why we develop character sketches and know our characters well. It is the contradiction within the human psyche that impels motion.

The good boy next door murders his employer for no reason. We read such stories in the newspaper all the time. A good boy gone bad. Ah, but within that good boy's character are the seeds of badness and we, as authors, must do our homework and develop the character traits so that we know exactly the reasons why a seemingly nice boy would do such a terrible thing.

The proper wife runs off with a poet, leaving her children to fend for themselves. Why? Because within her complicated past, her upbringing, her need for passion, her complex personal needs and makeup, there is an urgency to escape.

The thesis here is that the proper wife did the proper thing by marrying a proper but very dull young man. The antithesis is that this proper wife always wanted to travel the world, to paint and write poetry, and to never settle down and have children at all. And this desire burns inside her as she gives birth to one child after another in an effort to do the proper thing and please her husband who never reads poetry or takes her dancing or to art museums. The synthesis, then, is the resolution - the proper wife running away with a free spirited poet. It all makes perfect sense now.

So by understanding that change is what makes the universe what it is and contradiction is what makes for movement and action, we can better develop our stories.

Using dialectics we ask the "what if" questions of our characters as we develop them. What if the very nice girl's parents really want her to marry the very handsome and proper young man in town because he's well-to-do? What if he's duller than a sack of hammers, never reads a book, and doesn't know a metaphor from a metronome? And what if this very nice girl is really passionate inside, a poet, an artist, a free spirit? Well, you get the idea...

Analyze what successful authors do. Jodi Piccoult does it in 16 Hours. Elizabeth George does it in her Detective Lynley series. Their characters act and react according to who they are and where they've been and their entire detailed backstories contained in author notes and journals.

The very proper wife would never run off with a poet. right? It's not in her nature to do so? Ah, but the clever author has already established that this very proper wife is capable of doing that very thing. Change is what life is all about and the only quality we can predict about human nature.

Using the dialectical approach when developing your characters will enable you to provide more conflict, unique complications, and a much better story.

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Backstory vs. Story

2010-07-24T15:36:00.000-07:00
Too often we let backstory clutter up the actual story we're trying to write. Beginning writers, especially, have a difficult time figuring out what belongs on the page. We need to write and write and get all that backstory onto paper. Just because it's written down, however, doesn't mean it belongs in the story. Yes, we need to know everything about our characters, their entire histories and what they carry in their pockets and eat for lunch at the local diner. We need to know how they react in emergencies and what they think about as they're driving to work and where they went to school and who their friends are. Backstory belongs in our notebooks and journals and a desktop file. Backstory is in our heads as we write.

Backstory gives us everything we need to know so our characters act and react in ways consistent with the histories, personalities, fears, goals, desires, and traits we've created for them. A character terrified of water isn't going to jump into a lake to rescue a drowning child without fear and trepidation. But we might have established that he's the kind of guy who might be willing to give his life to save a child because his little brother drowned at the age of two in a swimming pool. A slut isn't going to fit in comfortably at an elegant tea party. But she might be daring enough to try since she's been taking a night school charm class. A nerdy kid isn't going to suddenly hang out with the popular preppies. But he might do so on a dare from his older brother. An athlete isn't going to feel comfortable discussing Aristotle unless philosophy is a hidden obsession or he's trying to impress a dazzling blonde poring over Plato's Republic at the library.

Backstory is the "telling" part of writing. Story is "showing" through action, conflict, and dialogue. As writers, we need to know the difference between backstory and story.

Backstory is what we write before we write the story. We get rid of a lot of our own personal drama and stay out of our own way by journaling. We write about everything and anything, and a lot of the time we're writing about ourselves. And once we get our own selves out of the way, we write about our characters, who they are, what they want, why they are the way they are, what their bedrooms look like, what music they listen to, what astrological signs they were born under, as well as, their ticks and habits, the annoying way they clutter the house, the irritating trait they have of talking incessantly about themselves, their utter unselfishness that drives us nuts because they spend hours fixing a neighbor's leaky toilet when our car needs the oil changed. We write specific details until we know our characters as well as we know ourselves and, once we can predict exactly how they will act, we set them into motion in story.

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"She Writes" Salon

2010-07-03T22:45:00.000-07:00
The elegant salon for women at the fabulous Montage in Laguna Beach promises to be a day to remember.

What could be better than gathering with our sister writers and readers to network, be inspired, and feel empowered?

The event includes an art exhibit by Robin Wethe Altman, a light champagne lunch, music by violinist Paul Mcintire, featured authors Jeri Westerson, Lynette Brasfield, Kathryn Jordan, Regina Louise, Barbara DeMarco-Barrett, poet Ricki Mandeville, and the opportunity to win two fabulous nights at Casa de los Sereñnos in the Baja gated Los Gaviotas! It can't get much better than that! You NEED this perfect day.

October 9, 2010, 10:30-2:30.

Doesn't this day belong to YOU?

Check out the "She Writes" site and reserve your seat at the table either online or by personal check to Windflower Press, Box 7089, Laguna Niguel, CA 92607.

Limited to only 100 women writers, readers, and their friends, seating will be at intimate round tables in the Studio, on the patio, and the grassy bluff overlooking the coastline. Guests will have the opportunity to stroll the lovely grounds following the fete and are welcome to enjoy the piano bar, spa, shops, and other resort facilities.

We're excited and want you there, too. Isn't it time you did something special for yourself?

Journaling

2010-06-09T15:52:00.000-07:00
Since I'll be facilitating a journaling bootcamp this summer, I decided I'd better get back to my morning pages as advocated by Julia Cameron in her book "The Artist's Way." I tried it before and was doing fine until my husband discovered my journal and confronted me. That took the energy away and I set journaling aside for awhile, too long of a time really, and now I am forced to start again. I even bought the workbook and there is good and bad about that because I love the thickness of the pages and the quotes throughtout but I find writing on the left hand pages to be awkward. Still, I'm glad to have it because of the messages and quotes included and sometimes it's a quote that keeps me going.

For my students, I'm preparing notebooks and I have a ton of paper so there's no excuse not to write, write write. If you're a writer, you are lonely and irritable when you don't write. When you journal, you can write and write and write with no censor or critic peering over your shoulder and, even though you acquire a whole lot of BS, you also acquire some knowledge and insight about yourself. Sometimes one word or a phrase will shimmer. New ideas begin developing in your head. The trick is to keep writing, to be faithful to those three morning pages. and to just do it. These pages are not to be read by anyone else or read aloud. No way! Hide the journal, if you must or warn others they will read at their own risk.

Why are morning pages important? It helps a writer get rid of all the emotional stuff and backstory and total junk that clutters up our writing projects. Writing those pages in the morning gets the brain functioning and soon it's like brushing your teeth, something you simply have to do. It's a lot like walking. Walking is not only good for the body but also for the mind.I have conversations in my head and work things out in my life and in writing. Julia Cameron recommends walking. She also insists on Artist's Dates, an hour or two or three doing something once a week you truly love or are curious about or want to do. It's been two weeks now of the twelve week program and by the time I start my summer class in July I'll be quite a way into the experiment. The trick will be keeping my students involved and inspired. Through writing, we discover ourselves or perhaps rediscover ourselves, those creative selves lost along the way. Try it. Just do it.

Have Fun With Dialogue

2010-05-17T00:19:00.000-07:00
A good way to get into writing is to begin with dialogue. Without thinking about it much, start with a snippet of conversation and write as quickly as you can some dialogue between two people. Jot down whatever comes to mind. Let your imagination take you wherever it will. This is great for journaling or for getting over writer's block.

Here is a first draft sample of such a dialogue scene without any corrections or changes:

At the Farmer’s Market

“Are these melons fresh?”

“Just picked, ma’am.”

“Ripe, I mean. Are they ripe?”

“Matter of taste. Some prefer ‘em firm. Others don’t.”

“I want them for breakfast. Andrew likes them fresh and ripe.”

“Melons on top’ll do then, ma’am. Here, take this one.”

“Too small. And sort of green, isn’t it?”

“Take a good whiff, ma’am, and you’ll get an idea of the sweetness.”

“What about that other man’s melons? The man with the hat. His melons look bigger. And riper, too.”

“Henry’s got good melons. Mine are cheaper though.”

“Cheaper? Why cheaper? Is it because they’re smaller? Or not as fresh? What’s wrong with your melons?”

“Nothin’ wrong with my melons, ma’am. My melons are organic.”

“What does that actually mean?”

“Small farm. No pesticides.”

“And that other man? The man with the hat? His are not organic? Is that what you’re saying?”

“No, ma’am. Henry’s got good melons. Mine are cheaper, that’s all.”

“And not as good, right?”

“Mine are better, ma’am. Here, let me cut one open for you. See? Smell. Perfect for breakfast. Have a taste.”

“I don’t like melon. It’s Andrew who wants melon for breakfast, not me.”

“He’ll like this melon, ma’am. Guaranteed.”

“But it’s all cut up. I can’t take a cut up melon back to Andrew. He’d have a fit, want to know if the knife was clean and how many hands have handled his fruit. No, thank you. I think I’ll get my melons over there with the man wearing the hat. The size is better, enough for more than one breakfast, don’t you think?”

“If that’s what you like, ma’am.”

“Are his organic?”

“No, ma’am.”

“Then how come your melons are cheaper? I thought organic cost more.”

“Just lowered my price an hour ago.”

“And why is that? What’s the catch?”

“Look, ma’am, I’ve been here since five a.m. and I’m tired. I’m ready to sell off what melons Ive got left and get back to the farm. I’ll sell you three for a dollar. How’s that for a bargain?”

“I don’t know. Something must be wrong with your melons if you’re selling them so cheap. How do I know they’re organic? And what are you doing? Why are you putting up a FREE sign?"

“I'm calling it a day.”

"Well, maybe I'll buy one. But you say they're free? Something must be wrong with these melons if you're giving them away. What's the catch?"

"No catch, ma'am. Perfectly good melons."

"I don't know. Well, maybe... such a bargain.. .on the other hand... but look...you don't have any left! All these people just came over and took your melons right out from under my nose. Now that isn't fair. I've been here the whole time and ... well, what kind of business are ou running, anyway?"

Interstices: An Anthology

2010-05-14T08:13:00.000-07:00
Congratulations to the members of Saturday Mornings • Coffee & Critique who appear as contributors in the just released Interstices: An Anthology that features stories, memoirs, essays, and poems. Several in the group took advantage of this opportunity from Windflower Press to showcase their work as they continue to build a platform.

And that brings us to the topic of networking. I suppose it's possible to create great work while isolated in a room somewhere and never getting any feedback on a work in progress and I guess some people become successful without any help from their friends but I'm realizing more and more the power of numbers.

In order to improve our writing, we need critique. That means networking. In order to put on an event, like a writing salon, we need to network too. The only way to produce an anthology is to gather together the most talented people you can think of and the only way to throw a book launch is to network, too.

Writers need other writers. The Orange County Anthology brings together writers in a unique and positive way through publication and events.

So congratulations again to those in the anthology. There is a network surrounding you.

The Downside of Up

2010-04-21T03:28:00.000-07:00
I want my Saturday mornings! April is a long month without my group fix at Paradise Perks. We have taken this hiatus due to special events - Literary Orange at UCI and the Festival of Books at UCLA. Observing one of the extremely successful author types leading the literary life we can only dream about, I have some thoughts on the downside of being way up there on a pedestal.

Observation #1: A certain keynote speaker has definitely had work done and is as much a work-in-progress as his current writing project. This outstanding, prolific, and well known author now has plenty of hair even though he was bald in earlier days. He claims to have been married forty-four years while appearing from a distance to to be about forty-eight.

I'll forgive him for that since this is Orange County, after all, and we've got to make that youthful look last as long as we can even though it's only a look. That's one downside of being on top of the heap. And he's got the money.

Observation #2: This same popular author has definitely kicked his lifestyle up a notch since he arrives in a lengthy limo with security.

Okay, I forgive him for that, too, since maybe his life's been threatened for some reason due to some aspect in his story-line or because he mentions actual places in OC. Maybe that's another downside of being rich and famous for what you write. Anyway, he's got the money.

Observation #3: This wealthy and very successful author doesn't have anything worth saying in a keynote speech. He stood before us and admitted that when he found out he was speaking for only a half hour he went through his files and had two stories that were thirty minutes long. Then he asked if any of us had been to the Mission Viejo Reader's Festival and when only a few raised their hands, he said, "Good. Then I'll tell that story." For a half hour we listened to how he could never take his wife out for a promised dinner in a really nice restaurant while on book tour because the lines of fans awaiting his signature stretched beyond belief. Sure, we laughed at times as we tried to imagine how upsetting it must be to have so many people clamoring for your autograph that you don't get dinner, but – I can't forgive him for this.

After all, this was a keynote speech. For writers, where was his mentoring advice, invigorating inspiration, and motivation to encourage us to continue past all those obstacles in the difficult journey? For readers, where was the big reveal about how he gets his plot twists, develops characters, and his clever tricks on how he delights and surprises us.

As both a writer and reader, I was disappointed that someone way up on top couldn't offer more. Writers need writers. Do those who succeed beyond anyone's wildest dreams forget where they started from? Readers want more, too, not anecdotes about dining on chips at midnight, but details about a writer at work. A keynote speaker should say something memorable since a lot of us forked over sixty bucks we couldn't afford just to be in this man's presence.

I didn't buy his book and I didn't wait in the line that went down the hall. It wasn't that long really, and I'm sure that stretch limo got him home in plenty of time for dinner.

Upside of Down

2010-03-19T23:05:00.000-07:00
With taxes looming, I'm really depressed. You would be, too, if you just discovered that two of your part time, low paying jobs, much treasured because they help pay the bills, FORGOT or NEGLECTED or ON PURPOSE did not take out state and federal taxes. That means I'm going to have to cough up a bunch of money I don't have on April 15th, and the only way I can do that is to beg, borrow, or steal to pay the government. This revelation did not make my day. Of course, any fool would have checked pay stubs carefully and noticed the error long before now, but people who know me will tell you I'm too busy for such things because I'm writing, reading, teaching and sometimes doing all three at once!

April 15th is a date that everyone dreads so to balance things out for struggling Orange County writers and to make my time even more impacted and crazy, I picked that date as the deadline for submitting to the upcoming Orange County Anthology. Oh, yes, I publish books, too, and this is the year I'm taking on a big expensive, time consuming project when I have no money due to the tax glitch mentioned earlier and I promise not to refer to ever again except perhaps in a slam poem or bitter character diatribe in fiction. Sure, we must answer to the government on that particular day and fork over the cash, but we can respond to our muse at the same time and offer up some of our best and most brilliant work that can be showcased in this anthology.

I've found there's an upside to every miserable moment. A few years ago, I visited an elementary school as an author and, after students cleared out of the assembly hall, I packed up my posters, realia, and books. As I was wheeling the load out, I tripped on the door jamb and fell flat on my face. Luckily, no one was around since making a fool of myself is not top on my list of fun things to do. To save face, no pun intended, I picked myself up, hurried to my car, and bled profusely all the way home. The result was a broken nose and two very black eyes that lasted for weeks. The upside came several years later when I had a character in a novel trip and fall flat on her face and break her nose!

One of my students lost his wife several years ago and still suffers from a broken heart. He writes poetry we swoon over and reads during open mic throughout the county. Another student is revising her miserable childhood in a stellar memoir. We can turn the negative into positive. Everything we do, see, or feel, every unhappiness, hurt, or grief can be developed into a story scene, poem, or screenplay. Misery makes for good story. Everyone can relate to owing taxes and broken noses, to grief and heartbreak and looking like a fool.

We are writers, after all, and that means we must be observers, too, even if our observations center around ourselves. As Anne Lamott said: "The writer is the person standing apart like the cheese in 'The Farmer in the Dell' standing there alone but deciding to take a few notes."

Working With the SFD

2010-03-13T16:35:00.000-08:00
Well, we know about the SFD since we've talked about it often enough after reading (and meeting) Anne Lamott. Rhonda even gave us all a stamp with SFD emblazoned and scented ink pads so we can imprint that first draft with SFD and the reminder of what it truly is. Before we flaunt that SFD all over the place and show our work to people, it's best to do some revision first. Where to begin?

Start with the big stuff.

Is the protagonist fully developed? Will readers really KNOW this character? Is the character's motivation clear? Is there a character arc? Does the character change in some way due to the events in the story?

Is there conflict? Without conflict, there is no story. Conflict, conflict, conflict! What is the main question being asked? Anything not pertaining to that question should be cut.

How's the dialogue? Does it sound natural? Is there a balance between exposition and dialogue? Do characters have their own voices and manner of speaking? Is there wasted dialogue that doesn't reveal character or move the story forward in some way? If so, cut. Is there clever subtext in some of the dialogue?

Is the point of view consistent? Change sections where there's head hopping or you switch point of view inappropriately.

What about the setting? Does it reflect the tone of the story? Does it match the story line? Is there something symbolic in the setting? Does it fit the story's theme or is it a metaphor for what's in the main character's heart and soul? ? Is setting established right up front? Do you use imagery and specific detail?

Is there a plot arc? Is there a clear, beginning, middle, and end? Does action move the story forward? Does the story build to a climax and satisfying resolution?

Next comes the small stuff.

We may not sweat the small stuff in life, but we must do so in revision. Every noun and verb is important. Every adverb is probably one too many. Every adjective must be carefully placed. Never use three when one will do. Proofread carefully. Check grammar and spelling and run-on sentences. Leave out the "to be" verbs like "was" and eliminate the past perfect problems like "once she had discovered she had had him for lunch, she had to uninvite him and the last time it had caused her problems that had gotten her into trouble and..." well, you get the idea.

Story People

2010-03-04T20:13:00.000-08:00
The people in your story can make or break your fiction. Readers want to know who they should cheer for right up front. Your first task as a writer is to develop a character we all care about. This fiction writing technique is equally important in a nonfiction work based on a real person.

As readers, we care because the protagonist is just like us. We care because she's in danger in some way. She's trying her best to live her life and be a good person, but trouble keeps getting in the way. Maybe she's got a stack of unpaid bills and credit card debt. Maybe she gets fired from her job or her husband walks out or a child is seriously ill.

Some difficulty in her life reminds us of our own, and we relate. We like her because she spills coffee on her silk blouse right before a job interview, and we recall how we also flubbed an interview. Maybe she has a fight with her best friend and gets so distracted she runs her car into a tree. More debt. More trouble. Sound familiar? Maybe her mother is getting forgetful and is stumbling down the stairs and shouldn't be living alone. Perhaps her daughter has an eating disorder or her son has been diagnosed with an atrial septal defect.

The sky is falling and, while disastrous in life, it's great in story.

The truth is, the bigger obstacles you put in your main character's way, the tighter you rein us in. As readers, we've got our own difficulties to face every day. Now, we have a new friend in the pages of a paperback novel who has even worse problems. While our plate is full, her plate is towering and about to fall. We love this woman for her sense of humor or her vulnerabilities or her klutziness and we want to help her. So we turn the pages, urging this soul sister on to victory or a new man or a lottery win. We can't put the book down because we want to make sure this particular character we've grown fond of makes it all the way though to the story to a satisfying resolution.

As writers, we need to put the WHO, WHAT, WHEN, WHERE, WHY on the first page so our readers know who they're going to cheer for throughout the story. The HOW is the plot or story arc. Who is the character? Where and when does the story take place? What's at risk? And how will she solve the critical problem? Conflict is story and right in the middle of all that conflict is your protagonist, the person your reader must care about.

By fully developing our story people, knowing how they walk and talk, what they carry in their pockets, and how they respond in a crisis, we do ourselves a favor as authors and, in the end, we please our readers, too.

Things Undone

2010-01-18T12:00:00.000-08:00
Our intentions are always good. We set goals and don't meet them. We establish personal writing rules and don't obey them. I hate to confess my double drawer file is still so stuffed I can hardly open it even after I promised to clean it out five years ago and every year since. Yes, best laid plans are torn asunder and, once again I've vowed to clean out that file.

I had a writing instructor years ago who told the class that if things are left undone, it's a good sign. If dust bunnies play beneath your bed, rejoice. If dishes are stacked in the sink, it must mean you have something more important to do.

When we're a hundred years old sitting on that long porch in our rockers, we won't remember how many days the bookshelves were dusted or the day the oven got cleaned. What we will recall is how some words came together just perfectly. What will stir our blood is remembering how a friend or an editor or a reader said, "You really nailed that character. I can't get her out of my head." You'll think back about the time you got an email from someone who actually went out and bought your book and read it. It might be as simple as "Read your charming book!" or it might be something as dramatic as "Your book changed my life!"

So let's resolve right now to not beat ourselves up so much about things left undone. Let's promise to keep on writing and love the process as much as the product.

As writers, we are doing good work. We are mining and shoveling and digging out story, and that's more important than cleaning out a file drawer, don't you think?

Voice in Memoir

2010-01-18T11:20:00.000-08:00
Voice is as important in memoir as it is in fiction. It is the tone that comes across when your words are read and helps author and reader connect. Whether your memoir is for family members or for the general public, finding the right voice will help you proceed and make writing your memoir easier.

When writing a memoir, you're looking back on incidents that happened long ago, and your reaction now might be completely different. Do you use the voice of the child or do you use your adult voice and an altered view? This is a choice you must make. If you're writing a series of childhood incidents that are related, you might want to use the child's point of view. Are you writing only about the teenage years? If you recall these years vividly and can transport yourself back, then you might try writing with that voice. If you're writing a life history that spans decades, it's probably best to tell your story from an adult point of view. It's difficult for a reader to jump from a child voice to a teenage voice to a young adult voice and on and on in the same memoir, so decide upon a voice that reflects you. It's a memoir, after all, so your authentic voice should come through. Will you sound serious? Upbeat? Comical? Emotional?

Keep in mind that your work-in-progress might wind up being a hundred or two-hundred pages. You must feel comfortable using the voice you've chosen. If you get stuck, try telling your story to someone or record your words and listen to how you sound. Then capture that voice on paper.

Sometimes you share intimate details or sensitive feelings in a memoir. Therefore, use the voice that makes the writing as well as the disclosures easier.

Whatever you do, keep writing. The further along you are in the process, the easier it will be to find your voice. There will be a moment in the narrative that miraculously sets the tone for the overall piece. It's the great "aha" moment when you know you've discovered your voice.

Stuck in Scene?

2009-11-08T07:30:00.000-08:00
Sometimes when writing a scene, we can't get out of our own way. If you're mired in a scene, try some of these ideas:

Write the scene from the POV of a secondary character. This will give you a whole new perspective.

Create dialogue using your non-dominant hand. Put a writing instrument in both hands and write dialogue that way. The dominant character speaks from the dominant hand; the subservient character from the non-dominant hand. Put a crayon in your non-dominant hand and become a child again.

Write your frustrated self a letter of congratulations from your more confident self, from someone you admire, or from one of your characters.

Write a journal entry from a character’s POV. It helps you get into the character's head.

Get up from the computer and walk around the block. Walk to the park. Walk alone and let your mind roam, too. As the blood moves through your body, new ideas will kick in and you'll have a breakthrough.

Draw the blueprint of the home where the POV character lives. Where does he/she sleep, keep secret documents, hide money, stash the diary?

Jot down all the things your POV character hates or fears and then add a couple of these things to the scene.

Change the scene’s setting. A different venue might help.

Add a narrow escape. Maybe things are getting too dull and predictable.

Delete the scene. If it can't be salvaged, dump it. Maybe it's not necessary. Perhaps it really doesn't move he story forward.

Add a new character in the scene. Sometimes someone new will add zest to the scene and the story.

Analyze the reason for the scene. Every scene, like every story, needs a beginning, middle, and end.

Is the scene to develop character or move the story forward?

Get up from your chair and act out the scene. Read the scene like a script.

Change the weather in the scene. A sudden bolt of lightning can draw attention, change the mood, or foreshadow something ominous. A good rainstorm can dampen or increase passion. A soaked protagonist must find temporary shelter somewhere. A flood can add danger. Sun breaking through dark clouds can change the mood and the scene.

Add dialogue to the scene, if there's only narration.

Put more action in the scene, if it's mostly dialogue.

Analyze the verbs. Are they active? Verbs make all the difference. Avoid the expected or trite verb.

Sprinkle in some more conflict. Every scene should have conflict, foreshadow conflict, or flash back to conflict. Conflict is story. Without conflict, there is no story.

Bring the scene to Saturday Mornings • Coffee & Critique for feedback!

The Writing Triangle

2009-10-11T08:56:00.000-07:00
At the conference last week, Melissa, Jann, and I learned a new strategy I want to pass along to everyone else.

The first leg of the triangle is "personal fulfillment." We often write for that reason and the book we've just written most likely can be categorized that way. We write to save memories, get revenge, change our history, or please ourselves, and we pay no attention to what we need to do to get published or make money. We write for the joy and the challenge and because we must when our muse calls.

The second leg of the triangle is "publication" and this might not be as much fun or as interesting or pleasurable, but it helps build our writer's platform. We write for magazines, journals, newspapers, newsletters, church bulletins or anywhere we can get our byline in print. It doesn't matter if it's for low pay or no pay because being published proves us credible as writers. When we query publishers, agents, or editors, we can say we've been published in this regional or that national magazine or wrote a column for such-and-so newspaper. It gives us a resume we can produce when seeking an agent or soliciting an editor for our larger and more important work.

The third leg of the triangle is "income" and this is the most tedious of all. This part of the triangle takes work, but writing is our job and we need to "go to work" now and then and dig up good sources that will not only publish our work but pay us royalties or an advance or a lump sum. When focusing on this leg of the triangle we dig through publications at the library, check out book series already sold in bookstores, museums and gift shops, and study websites. Many small publishers are seeking writers. Companies, too, need writers. So do franchises with a number of books out there and more to come. One author doesn't write all those books in the series. Here byline and/or personal fulfillment isn't addressed. Here, it's all about the paycheck. The best money I ever made writing was for a company developing audio learning programs. No byline to speak of and certainly no personal fulfillment, but that dependable check that came in the mail brought be through a financial crisis during the five years I received it.

Remembering that there are three sides to the writer's triangle, it's important to analyze where we focus much of our time. If you're like me, it's on that first leg because that's where I find the passion.

Perhaps that lengthy memoir you're writing right now has sections that could be turned into short personal essay pieces. Consider the magazines and newspapers you already read on a regular basis. You're familiar with the style of their articles and that saves you some time. After being a magazine editor, I know that print media is always looking for "fillers," extremely short pieces, poetry, how-to ideas that can be plopped on the page mock-up at the last minute. And what about e-zines and blogs and writing contests? Spend part of your regular writing time analyzing the market and it will pay off in the end.

The writer's triangle helps us structure our writing time. If we want to succeed as writers and develop a platform that's impressive, it's important to not only write for pleasure but to discover new ways to publish and make a bit of money.

Thank You, God and Girlfriends

2009-09-27T05:51:00.000-07:00
Saturday morning belonged to us!

After days of 110 degree heat (or what seemed that hot) God answered my prayers and allowed the shade to linger with even a cool San Clemente ocean breeze as we ate lunch and listened to our guest speaker – Mary Patrick Kavanaugh, author of "Family Plots." To recap the day's events at our SALON FOR WOMEN WRITERS, held 11:30-3:00 yesterday, we started off with mimosas and sparkling cider, and crackers and hummus; lunch included two kinds of quiche, zucchini bread, fruit and fresh vegetables, hummus and yogurt, and brownies with raspberries, chocolate syrup, and ice cream.

There are too many people to thank! First and foremost, Barbara – for her time and effort and the use of her home for the event, Jann, Melissa, Kristen, Diane, and Noosha – for their invaluable contributions and assistance. And the guests! What a pleasure to see women from various aspects of my life – critique groups, meetup, classes, life, and Saturday Mornings • Coffee & Critique – enjoying themselves, getting acquainted, and seizing the day to network and find common interests.

Mary asked us "What would you do if you were really brave?'"

For some, abandoning routine Saturday obligations to spend a day at our Salon was a brave step toward following a dream. For others, thinking about the infinite possibilities altered perspective or tweaked imagination. Oh, the possibilities! Melissa wants a barge cruise with all of us sharing an adventure, exotic food, and common interests. Kristen is considering options for her gripping book sure to be a best seller. Ann would like to wear a scarf and go to the desert like Georgia O'Keefe and write, write, write. Pat would choose Africa and help provide medical care. I admitted I felt ready to abandon youth novels awhile to finally get around to writing "Living with Disaster." Diana is determined to get her baby boomer guide to grandparenting into toy stores and other appropriate places. And Suzanne couldn't even stay seated a minute longer when she started talking about using her creativity in her own new business venture.

Being a woman writer takes bravery. It's easy to allow family, job, social obligations, guilt, regret, housework, caregiving and just plain personal maintenance get in the way of dreams, talent, and desire. Our salon was meant to inspire and motivate sister writers. I apologize to all those women I had to turn away. We reached our capacity about ten days before the big event. Many wanted to attend and were unable to join us since space was limited. Next time.

Mary sold all the books she brought after her marvelous talk and the YouTube video. Women writers connected, made new friends, and left with gift bags that included some wonderful surprises. Checked them yet??? Get out that journal and write! Treat yourself to a facial! Remain inspired.l

I think we can say THE SALON WAS A HUGE SUCCESS!

Thank you God! Thank you, Girlfriends!

Women Writers Networking

2009-08-21T09:00:00.001-07:00
We are pleased to announce our first salon for women writers. To be held the end of September, the event promises to be a wonderful opportunity to be inspired, partake of a delicious champagne lunch, and network with other writers. Guest speaker is Mary Patrick Kavanaugh, author of Family Plots.

Real writers praise Family Plots:

"Mary Patrick Kavanaugh tells her story with such unabashed honesty and rapier-sharp humor that she had me hooked from page one. This is one of those 'you couldn’t make this stuff up' kind of books that makes you think that’s awful, while you’re laughing out loud at the same time. But beneath the wonderful wit in this dark comedy is a layer of poignancy that takes my breath away. In the end, it’s about all the crazy things we do for love."—Lolly Winston, New York Times Bestselling Author of  Good Grief and Happiness Sold Separately

"…[It] reads like a thriller. I honestly couldn't stop thinking about it all the time I was reading it, and finally just took the phone off the hook to finish it." —Adair Lara, Author of  Hold Me Close, Let Me Go (among others)

"…Family Plots has a great story at its heart: the tension between the longing for security and the longing for excitement, played out in the narrator’s romance in which she increasingly sacrifices steady judgment and middle-class dreams to the power of her attraction toward a man whose charm gives him away as a con man and a dreamer. In a subtle way, this story also makes an argument for a compassionate understanding of human imperfection and of the possibility of healing, in small ways, our sins against one another."—Catherine Brady, Author of  Curled in the Bed of Love and The End of Class War

There’s even praise from the rejecters…
"Ms. Kavanaugh is a laugh-out-loud hilarious writer, one who uses cutting humor to get at the heart of a situation. I understand why Lolly Winston is so excited by it…" —Riverhead Books

"It was easy to ease into, and as I was reading, it really did remind me of a television sitcom. Ultimately, this read like good commercial women's fiction…" —Simon Spotlight

"Dark, funny and highly unique novel… fresh, interesting…" —Atria/Pocket (Simon & Shuster) "Good sense of humor, good writer…" —Bantam Dell

"Great comic timing…" —Berkley (Penguin) "I found the narrative voice to be engaging, and the mystery pleasantly quirky…" —St. Martin's "I was quite surprised and intrigued by the story…" —Harper "I really liked the premise for the novel—and I think (the author) is a smart and punchy writer…" —Plume

"Ms. Kavanaugh is a talented writer with a fresh and unique voice…" —Crown Books

"The writing is refreshingly accessible and everything from the plot to the intriguing cast of characters kept me guessing (and laughing) throughout…"  —The Doubleday Publishing Group

"I liked the humorous voice… great observations pierced by the author's sharp wit…" —Kensington

Electronic and Human Glitches

2009-08-21T07:50:00.000-07:00

Now that we've given up pen and paper in favor of electronic devices, we're making mistakes not common in the old days. At first, we writers didn't trust our fancy machines and were even a bit intimidated by them. Now we trust them unconditionally and assume spellcheck will catch all our grammar errors and typos. Not true!

Having written a major English course, I should have known better. My last book came out with 18 errors not caught by my spellcheck and not caught by any human either. Mostly me. I had to swallow my pride and go back and fix those errors. All were minor and didn't spoil the story, but I could have saved myself a lot of time and trouble if I'd just not trusted my spellcheck so much.

Watch for the following common errors:

1) Extra or duplicate words that are spelled right but perhaps out of order or not deleted. Homonyms or homophones that sound right but have different meanings.

2) Figure out if you should use "that" or "which" and correct your writing accordingly. Use "that" when whatever follows is essential to the sentence. For example: "Choose the coat that is thick and warm." The phrase "thick and warm" is essential to choosing the right coat. On the other hand, use "which" if the phrase is not essential. For example: "He chose the expensive coat, which was thick and warm."

3) Another common error in writing is confusing "it's" and "its" and simple way to remember is to realize that "it's" is the contraction of "it is" and not the possessive form of "it". If you can substitute "it is" in the sentence and the meaning is unchanged, then you can use "it's", but if you are talking about the scent encountered in an Italian restaurant, you would say "its smell is of garlic and basil."

4) "Affect" and "effect" are often confused. A good way to get it right is to try substituting the word "influence" for "affect" and "consequence" for the word "effect". For example: "The lack of money affected our plans when traveling in Paris." (The lack of money influenced our plans when traveling in Paris." And "The effect of the volcanic eruption was that the town was obliterated." (The consequence of the volcanic eruption was that the town was obliterated.)

5) Still another problem area is when to use "there," "they're", or "their". This can be easily corrected when the words are analyzed. "There" is a place or a situation. "They're" is the contraction of "they are." And "their" is plural possessive. Examples: "Put the book over there on the table." "They're coming to dinner at eight." And "Their brother is in charge of the family reunion."

An editor is supposed to catch these common mistakes. Spellcheck will do its best. But the bottom line is you are the author and should be willing to proofread your work and make it as clean as possible. Carelessness only leads to embarrassment. Believe me, I know.

Voice & POV

2009-06-28T11:25:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday we discussed the all important "voice" in writing and that leads, of course, to point of view. What captures the reader is the "voice" and this voice is a way to develop your point of view narration in fiction. The right voice will pull the reader into the story quickly and hold him or her throughout. Sometimes in straight narrative you might use your author voice. This technique distances the reader and is more of an omniscent approach.

I like the intimate approach. When you set a scene in a story in the more limited way, it should be depicted through the eyes of your point of view narrator. New writers get confused when it comes to voice and point of view. They assume by naming the characters and giving a bit of description about them they've done enough. Just describing all that's happening from a distance doesn't hook the reader unless you're an awfully good writer.

Be careful in choosing your POV narrator. Sometimes this character is a sidekick of the protagonist; sometimes it's the antagonist, but most often it is the protagonist himself or herself. If you're using the tighter POV narration where the entire story is seen through the eyes of one character, you're probably writing in first person or third person limited. Here the narrator has no way of knowing what's in the heads of other characters. The author must drop little clues through dialogue and action. Personally, I prefer this style of narration. It's much more fun.

A big mistake new writers constantly make is to jump from one point of view to another and that only confuses the reader. Changing your POV is fine in a chapter as long as the reader understands what you're doing. Be cautious though. Don't get us hooked via the narrator and then suddenly come on with your Godly author voice. It won't work. If you want to change the point of view in a novel, you might consider having a different narrator for each chapter.

Some writers take an acting class to learn how to get into the head of the POV narrator. Others get out of their chairs and act out the scene. Be true to your character. How does he talk? Act? Does he cuss or fidget or avoid conflict? Is she a total flake, clumsy, but clever? Know your characters! If you really know and understand your POV narrator, then you will remain true to the voice. This is important whether you're writing fiction, biography, and even memoir. Many in our group are writing memories of childhood. They are developing or becoming reacquainted with their childhood selves and voices. The charm and innocence and curiosity about childhood is coming through because of the "voice."

People think just getting all the facts down on paper is enough in story. It's good to do that because it "get's 'er done," but be sure to go back and analyze your point of view character. Have you captured the voice? If not, then you most likely don't know that character intimately enough and need to get better acquainted.

Characters become our best friends, our siblings, our lovers. We obsess over our characters. Once you know them well enough, you'll begin to hear their voices talking in your head. That's a good sign you're headed in the right direction. Writing comes alive through voice.

Enjoy the process and the product will be better.

Dig Deep

2009-06-21T08:26:00.000-07:00
Diane Ackerman said, "Creativity by its nature has to do with gambling, taking chances, insinuating yourself into darker corners that haven't been explored."

In order to write, we must dig deep into who we are. Journaling helps, but connecting on a regular basis with a group of other writers helps even more. If it's a setting where you feel comfortable and safe enough to express your innermost thoughts you will get your story down on paper. You are what you write. In fact, you don't know who you are until you write. Writing can change your life and can even save your life.

Highly recommended reading is "Vein of Gold," Julia Cameron's followup book to "The Artist's Way."

Saturday Mornings belong to YOU! What makes your story unique is YOU, not just the way you tell that story but what you have to say, the many layers, the shape, subtleties, subtext, the reality behind the fiction. You are your story. Make it the best it can be.

Question of the Day: How can you know what you think unless you see what you write?

Affirmations

2009-06-21T08:07:00.000-07:00

Whether you put them on sticky notes or in a journal, affirmations help. When the going gets tough, life gets hard, or when you get downright discouraged about yourself and negative about your writing, you can refer back to these entries and realize you're bigger and better than all that. If it's written down, you are more apt to pay attention.

Write 100 positive things about yourself, the obvious and the not so obvious, the major apparent aspects and seemingly inconsequential things. Start the list and continue to add until you get to 100.

Here are some affirmations for writers:

The time I spend creating is valuable and precious.

I am an artist and making art is an act of faith.

By writing, I am following my bliss.

Writing is a joyful, useful and constantly changing experience that enriches my life.

My work is worthy of whatever time it takes.

I have the right to have time and space to write.

Writing helps me become one with life.

I’m determined to give the artist within a chance.

I was born to create.

I am quiet, open, listening so I can hear my muse.

Writing allows me a deeper kind of seeing.

I trust my creative endeavors.

I believe in my dream.

I am creative in many areas of life.

I learn from my mistakes.

I surround myself with supportive people and blossom within that nurturing circle.

I am creating my life one day at a time.

I listen to others and learn by responding in a positive, constructive way.

I am committed to becoming the best writer I can be.

I share my work in progress with others.

I am perfect just as I am.

Mom Steps Out

2009-06-14T08:06:00.000-07:00
Mom storms my room. “Seen my sequin jacket? Did you borrow it?”

I adjust my iPod phones and nod to the beat in my head. Momma, Momma are you goin’ out tonight?

She slides open the long closet doors and rummages around. Hangers clatter to the floor. “What’s this? What did you do to my Prada?”

I shrug. “Grass at the park was wet.”

She shakes the jacket, a really hot number – black with gold sparkles. “This cost me two months alimony. Where do you get off taking my things? And what park? Where? When?”

I yank off the phones. “Just hanging out with some people.”

She sniffs the jacket. “Pot! You’re only thirteen.”

“No big deal.”

“Now what’ll I wear?” she asks. “I’ve got a date with this new guy.” She tries to brush out wrinkles and stains, but it’s hopeless and she tosses the jacket onto a chair. “Got anything worth wearing?” Sliding clothes back and forth, she finds my best denim. When she puts it on, she can’t snap it shut. “How do I look? Does it go with these pants?”

“Wear my leather,” I say, and I’m really trying to help her out.

It’s an improvement, but not much. Everything’s too tight – the pants, the jacket, the belt.

She rubs blush into her cheeks and runs manicured nails through her latest dye job. “I’m trying my best, sweetie. You could help me out once in awhile.” She glances around. “This room’s a pigsty. Aren’t you ashamed to let anyone see it?”

“Just don’t bring him home, okay?”

“I’m not getting any younger, you know.”

“It wasn’t all Dad’s fault.”

Her brows pinch. “What’s your dad got to do with anything?”

I look at tonight’s homework scattered across my bed. “If I don’t pass algebra, I won’t graduate.”

“Get someone to help you.”

Flipping open my cell, I speed-dial. “Dad’ll be right over.”

“Not tonight. I’ve got a date.”

“Same as every night.” I brace myself. “Guess my mom’s a slut-ho now.”

“What did you say?” When she slaps my face, it hurts so much it feels good. “That’s no way to talk to your mother.”

To keep from screaming, I pull the hood of Dad’s sweatshirt over my head and concentrate on the beat in my brain, the beat in my heart, the beat, beat, beat that goes on and on. I fiddle with my headphones, and then it comes at last. Her words.

“Love you!” She shouts as she goes down the hall. “Love you, sweetie.”

I wait until she’s at the front door. “Yeah, Mom,” I say to the soft flannel inside the hood of the shirt and turn on my iPod. “Love you, too.”

The timing’s right. Dad’s only blocks away. He’ll drive up in his Porsche about the time she gets her key in the ignition. And for a minute, we’ll be a family again.

The Power of Coffee

2009-06-13T15:57:00.000-07:00
Saturday mornings belong to YOU! Women develop writing skills through instruction, exercises, peer-coaching, and critique. An optional opportunity for professional editing of any work-in-progress is also available. Our new eight-week session has started and continues through the summer. Attendees can come to one or all eight session. An elegant late summer afternoon writing salon is planned. Saturday morning dates are: June 13, 20, 27, July 11, 18, 25, August 1, 8.

Question of the Day: What would you do in connection with your writing if you were really brave?

Quote of the Day: "Experience is one thing you can't get for nothing." – Oscar Wilde

Book of the Day: "Finding Jade Mountain" now available on www.amazon.com!

Our Critique Guidelines:

In order to assure everyone gets a turn to read aloud on Saturday mornings, we will:

1. Determine first how many plan to read. Each person gets a fair share.
2. Limit readings to five pages or less. Have copies for everyone.
3. Allow every member of the group to give feedback verbally.
4. Make written comments on samples for the writer to take home.
5. Ask the writer what type of feedback she wants or needs or trouble areas in the piece she needs assistance in improving. The writer should also inform us if it’s a first draft, later draft, or a final draft. A first draft will be rewritten a number of times so there’s no need to get too specific since we will be focusing on overall structure, voice, style, plot or story development, and content. A final or nearly finished draft will require more detail work. We will look for proofreading errors, word usage, where to eliminate unnecessary adverbs and adjectives, and where to use a more active verb, etc.
6. Take into account the genre of the work in progress, the type of feedback the writer wishes to receive (“Did I hook the reader in the first paragraph?” “Is the action scene believable?” Does the dialogue ring true?”). It is important to indicate where the writing is strong and where the piece really works. Give good comments first and then suggest ways to improve the piece.
7. In order to get feedback on your own writing, it is extremely important to give feedback to others. We learn about our own writing through analyzing the writing of others. Being able to thoughtfully edit another’s work, makes it easier to edit your own during revision.
8. Remember you are the writer. During critique, make notes, but do not defend your work. This will only waste your valuable time. Listen, make notes, and once everyone has critiqued, you can comment or give any needed explanation. You can use all suggestions or none or some. You, after all, are the author.

The Six P's

2009-02-05T08:50:00.000-08:00
As writers, we must remember the six P's:
Priorities, Planning, Preparation, Positive Attitude, Passion, and Persistence.

Persistence will pay off.

Planning and Preparation will save time.

Setting Priorities will provide a focus.

A Positive Attitude will bring success.

But it's Passion that drives the whole engine.

Jane Porter says, "Be shocking, be daring, be bold, be passionate." Follow her advice in writing and in life.

Writing Isn't Easy

2009-02-05T08:35:00.000-08:00
"Books aren't written - they're rewritten, including your own. It is one of the hardest things to accept, especially after the seventh rewrite hasn't quite done it." - Michael Crichton

"Success is a finished book, a stack of pages each of which is filled wih words. If you reach that point, you have won a victory over yourself no less impressive than sailing single-handed around the world." - Tom Clancy

"Don't TELL me the moon is shining; SHOW me the glint of light on broken glass." - Anton Chekhov

"We are cups, constantly and quietly being filled. The trick is knowing how to tip ourselves and let the beautiful stuff out." - Ray Bradbury

"You can't wait for inspiraion. You have to go after it with a club." - Jack London

"We tell ourselves stories in order to live." Joan Didion

Meeting of the Minds at the Salon

2009-01-15T20:00:00.000-08:00

Without a shred of guilt, Anne confesses she often finds
an unexpected and unexplained peace during her husband's absence.

I don't need a man to rectify myself, Shirley confides. The most profound
relationship I'll ever have is the one with myself.

Mahalia says it's easy to be independent when a woman's got money.

Yes, money and a room of her own, Virginia adds.

And Sophia says mistakes are part of the dues paid for a full life.

Martha thinks happiness or misery depends on disposition, not circumstance.

Anais says: We don't see things as they are; we see them as we are.

Janis says: Don't compromise yourself. You're all you've got.

Find out what you're good at, and then do that, says Katherine.

Sister Mary advises: To be successful the first thing to do is fall in love
with your work.

Any woman who writes is a survivor, Tillie announces.

I really only ask for time to write it all - time to write my books.
Then I don't mind dying. I live to write, the other Katherine says.

Gertrude scoffs: Everybody's life is full of stories. Your life
is full of stories. My life is full of stories. All very occupying.
Not really interesting. What's interesting is how the stories are told.

Joyce says great works deal with the human soul caught in the stampede
of time unable to gauge the profundity of what passes over it.

It's all in the art. You get no credit for living, V.S. says.

Vivian concludes: So what actually happens is only raw material.
All that matters is what we make of it.

And that's enough, Eudora says.

–By MaryAnn Easley with thanks to: Anne Shaw, Shirley MacLaine, Mahalia Jackson, Virginia Woolf, Sophia Loren, Martha Washington, Janis Joplin, Katherine Anne Porter, Sister Mary Lauretta, Tillie Olsen, Katjerine Mansfield, Gertrude Stein, Joyce Carol Oates, V.S. Pritchett, Vivian Gornick, Eudora Welty

Hanging Out

2009-01-15T11:03:00.000-08:00

As writers, we need to hang out with the right people.

"Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can be great." – Mark Twain

"He is able who thinks he is able." – Buddha

"Close the door. Write with no one looking over your shoulder. Don't try to figure out what other people want to hear from you; figure out what you have to say. It's the one and only thing you have to offer." – Barbara Kingsolver

"It's none of their business that you have to learn to write. Let them think you were born that way." –Ernest Hemingway

"Writing is a fairly lonely business unless you invite people in to watch you do it, which is often distracting and then you have to ask them to leave." – Marc Lawrence

"For women, writing is a revolutionary activity. Women's lives have been erased. Women have lived half of all human history but you would never know that by looking at literature." – Joan Drury

"To participate requires self-discipline and trust and courage because this business of becoming conscious, of being a writer, is ultimately about asking yourself, 'How alive am I willing to be?'" – Anne Lamont

"It's our authenticity, our originality that is pure. If I'm afraid, then I can't let you see who I am and then I'll do only the art you want me to do. Creativity is maintaining the balance between the heart and the mind; the dedication to the moment and the ability to stand by and surrender and let the stuff flow through." – Nancy Slonim Aronie

"If I have the belief that I can do it, I will surely acquire the capacity to do it even if I may not have it at the beginning." Mahatma Gandhi

"As writers we travel to other worlds not as mere daydreamers, but as shamans with the magic power to bottle up those worlds and bring them back in the form of stories for others to share. Our stories have the power to heal, to make the world new again, to give people metaphors by which they can better understand their own lives." – Christopher Vogler

Love in Laguna

2008-11-12T11:22:00.000-08:00

We slip into afternoon
scattered light to sip
wine-soaked strawberries
beside bougainvillea
the color of Merlot;

Sometime around noon
we slather marmalade
thick with orange rind,
and whip eggs smooth
like creamy meringue;

We loll on hot sand
in private beach coves,
finding a hundred reasons
to touch skin kissed
by salty sea spray;

Late lovers, we stroll,
arms around each other
tightly along St. Ann's
as the eight o'clock sun
infuses summer's sea;

Like spoons, we sleep
below an August moon,
while in the night sky
a droning plane
recalls September.

Last Roundup

2008-11-10T11:05:00.000-08:00

"Hey, pretty lady, what's a filly like you doin' out so late?" He ordered himself a doubleshot and one for her.
"Not many cowboys come through this town anymore," she said. "Pity, too." Then she smiled. "You out lookin' for some hog-killin' fun?"
He spurred her on. "Yep."
As the crowd thinned at two, she said, "Don't 'spect me to slide into that filthy pickup out front."
He lit her cigarette, ordered a last round. "Your call, ma'am. Sometimes you get. Sometimes you get got."
She caught him by the big brass buckle. He didn't mind. "I'm game," she said, and they climbed the stairs out back to the stars.

Thoughts On A Bagel

2008-11-09T12:56:00.000-08:00

Doesn't it make you wonder
how someone like Pat
can eat a bagel on a beautiful morning
at the harbor and then keel over
in the parking lot?
What's the point of saving face with Botox
to get that plastic deer-in-the-headlights look
if it's all down the toilet
anyway,
or skip desserts for a year
when there might not be a minute
to savor that last sweet sour taste
of cream cheese,
tomato and avocado
on a double-toasted sesame?
She never revised her manuscript.
Too many characters,
they said.
Like life, she said.
And instead of listening to critiques,
she skipped the meeting
to buy her favorite bagel
that beautiful morning
at the harbor.