In Order to Write

Doing Things Right

June 11th, 2008

Sorry it’s been a couple of weeks with no posts over here. I’ve been busy with school and work and some new work (that may now be old work) that I haven’t had, or made, time to be online and updating this website. However, I will try to be better and lets hope (fingers crossed) that being better also means updating more.

The reason for the post is the result of a couple of things:

First, Kristin Nelson of the Nelson Literary Agency fame, updated her blog a week or so ago with a post on what authors were doing right based off of millions of readers buying their books. Specifically, she was discussing The Twilight Saga series of books by Stephanie Meyer. What Kristin said is that it is important for people who want to achieve success in their own writing to read and find what makes something else successful. In the case of her argument, Stephanie Meyer has one of the hottest teen chick-lit book series out there with the currently existing three books: Twilight, New Moon, and Eclipse; recently published her first adult oriented novel (from what I hear, still chick-lit): The Host; and is about to publish the fourth book in The Twilight Saga series: Breaking Dawn; with an alleged fifth book that tells the first books story from the perspective of Edward. For some this is appealing, for many the books are absolutely have to reads; for me, I got about halfway and stopped.

Second, in a class on Deductive Logic we discussed J.K. Rowling and the Harry Potter series of books. The class was divided (though this division may have been three on one side and everyone else on the other) about the Harry Potter series as either good reading or bad reading. The professor indicated that a) he’d read all the books; and b) in his opinion they were fun to read but not that good. In the opinion of one of the classmates he, “…read the first couple of pages,” and then decided that all of the books were crap. Since Logic is taught, traditionally, through Philosophy departments, there was no consensus on: Is Harry Potter good or bad? which is all fine and good as I don’t think a group of people who’s collective purpose is to symbolize and then prove or disprove arguments is going to come to a consensus on something like that; but also where what Kristin Nelson had to say on success of a book or series is important applies.
What The Twilight Series and the Harry Potter series of books have in common is that both are written by female writers and both have, one more than the other, become rather large successes. The authors are rich. The books have been optioned and made into movies (or are being made). And people get very excited about the next book by either author that is being released. When J.K. Rowling releases another book, you can bet you kids bank account and college fund that it will be a media event; and you can also bet that it won’t be set in the world of Harry Potter.

(As an aside, I am actually quite interested in the kind of author J.K. Rowling is going to prove to be when she finishes and has published the next book. Though I enjoyed the Harry Potter series, I think the international success of those books clouds judgment on whether or not Rowling can really write well and compellingly.)

For most people, interest in and arguments for or against these series being good or bad won’t even register. If a book gets enough buzz, people will read it. Good and bad don’t play into the equation. However, for those who want to write, good and bad is important as is the question: What did the author do that was right?

In J.K. Rowling’s situation, she told an archetypal story where the hero (Harry) had to fight against Lord Voldemort and save the world. Quite literally, Harry plays the archetypal role of savior figure in the series of books, has to learn and grow into his powers - which literally manifest themselves through his being a wizard, and finally overthrow Voldemort through his skill, ingenuity, and humanity. What J.K. Rowling did was to take traditional story elements and import them into a well-imagined and vivid world with characters that fit into other archetypal roles and responsibilities. On top of which, she intermixed dark and lonely and the brooding of teenage angst with growth, light, humor, and humanity and the realization that in the end, though not always in the best way, things have a tendency to work out for the best.

Though Rowling never really put Harry in a literary situation where the reader was certain he would align himself with Voldemort or The Death Eaters; nor did she put him in situations where the reader had to really worry about him possibly dying or being turned forcefully; she did write a story set over seven books that told of his growth, education, humanity, and eventual success when it came to his goals in life. In that sense, J.K. Rowling told a truly magnificent story that also translated into a recognizable story throughout the world - and one that was compelling.

As a reader (or writer reader to mimic success), you can delve even deeper into the style, context, character development, story arcs, plot, sub-plot, and on and on to determine whether or not Rowling really wrote a great piece. What you will find, though, is that she wrote a timeless story, told in a compelling way, with distinctive artistic elements that passes the test of time.

As for Stephanie Meyer, she comes at the genre from a different direction telling a story of discovery that does not follow archetypal story telling patterns or practices. The hero, Bella, is not a savior character and the antagonist is as much Bella’s fears as the town, vampires (both good and evil), and her father from whom she’s been estranged, as well as her own desires, drives, and goals. In this context, The Twilight Saga is a series of books that are character driven, use a popular literary element (e.g. vampires), tells a compelling love story between two disparate individuals, and attaches itself to the heartstrings in a way that causes people to want to find out what Bella and Edward are going to do next AND whether or not Edward will turn Bella into a vampire.

Instead of a conflict of clearly GOOD and clearly EVIL (as in Harry is good, and Voldemort is Evil), what Meyer is doing is writing a story where what Bella wants, how she wants it, and the decisions that lead to the eventual and only conclusion (Bella becomes a vampire) inform who she is, what she becomes, and how that affects her mother, father, friends, and even Edward.

Again, you can dive into the books and nitpick, but the truth is that millions of readers in a wide variety of countries are not wrong about what is good and what is bad. The mass of readers indicates that the books, regardless of individual readers opinions, are good. Your responsibility is to approach the reading and then refine the content and context down to the elements that show what the author did right in order to determine what you can glean from it and apply to your own writing.

Posted in J.K. Rowling, Pub Rants, Stephanie Meyer, act of writing | No Comments »

What You Meant to Write

May 24th, 2008

A couple of years ago I took a Wilderness Writing class. In this class the group of freshmen and sophomore and I all had to write and critique each other’s writing. What seemed apparent in the class was that these kids, most between the 18 and 19, with the older set between 20 and 22, would start to write something and then become distracted in their writing, not sure of where the piece was going or what they were trying to do. The outcome was that after everyone else spoke I would begin with something like:

“I think you meant to say….”

With that, I haven’t been able to get Sarah Mlynowski’s book, Spells and Sleeping Bags, out of my mind.

It is not very often that I will pick up a book and begin reading it only to discover that the author didn’t know where he or she was heading. In Mlynowski’s case, she wanted to tell a story where her protagonist was meant to meet the principle antagonist and then convince her to switch bodies. However, the outcome was for Mlynowski to tell a rather vacuous story about… nothing; and only in the end and through exposition did the audience get to where the author was intending to go.

As a result of this, what Mlynowski intended to do was not what she did. Instead of going back and starting over (possibly as a result of a deadline or lack of desire on her part) the book ended up being significantly less than what it could’ve been. What should’ve happened, what Mlynowski wanted to tell was far more compelling that what she actually told.

The outcome is that the book would’ve been far better had she gone back to the outlining board and start the story from scratch.

Truth told, rewriting the story with my own characters - blatantly - would be an interesting test in writing.

Posted in On Writing, Sarah Mlynowski, act of writing | No Comments »

reprint :: Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie - review

May 14th, 2008

–This is a reprint from www.sw-c.com, originally published on March 3, 2005–

To begin, I have now read the book that J.M. Barrie based off of his famous play of the same name. You know the one. A forever boy, Peter, flies into the Darling children’s window, looking for his lost shadow, finds it, tries to put it back on, wakes up Wendy, who then takes up John and Michael, and they all fly off (with Tinkerbell) to Neverland where they have adventures, begin to forget about their families, Wendy plays mother, and they defeat Captain James Hook-n-crew before Wendy, John, Michael, and the Lost Boys all decide they want a real mother and convince Peter to take them back to the Darling’s home. (Taking a big breath here.) It’s an adventure book for children - or so I’ve been led to believe throughout my life.

What I liked about the book was that there was a book about Peter Pan. For some reason there seems to be a Peter Pan revival going on. The reason for the revival might be that the rights to Peter Pan, held by the Ormond Street Hospital for Sick Children, are about to expire, or have recently expired, launching Peter Pan into the public domain. There have also been a series of movies, “Finding Neverland” and “Peter Pan” which have gone back to the source material for the creation of this play for children and re-imagined how J.M. Barrie might’ve created such a wonderful world.

Regardless of the play or other adaptations (Disney) what caught my attention in the book, spread about randomly, were little phrases here and there that really caught my eye and made me wonder about J.M. Barrie. For example, at one point, once the children have reached Neverland, Peter orders the Lost Boys (and John and Michael) to build their new mother (Wendy) a home. After the home is completed, complete with a chimney (that had been John’s hat), Peter guards the house, with Wendy inside, from any animal, Indian, or pirate that might decide to attack. Eventually, as boys are wont to do, he fell asleep and then along come some fairies who were returning from an orgy. Don’t know about you, but I would’ve been scrambling for a dictionary were I young enough to be reading this without knowing what an orgy is; and then I might’ve started pleading for an orgy of my own - you know, just for the experience.

The other scene that really jumped out at me was much later in the book. Peter has become depressed with the game of “Mother and Father” he and Wendy have been playing with the Lost Boys and asks Wendy if the boys think he really is their father. She says, “No,” and that game ends. However, during the interchange she begins to ask Peter if he feels alright. The author has her place her hand below his chest and then implies that it is not his belly she is touching, but lower.

As I read through the book and started to think about the subject, Peter Pan, it occurred to me that the Pan character is out of mythology. Was half man, half goat (the upper half was man) and carried around a set of reed pipes - as does Peter. This creature was also well known for his sexual exploits.

Regardless of what J.M. Barrie added to the story, the plot, of Peter Pan that underscores what Peter is supposed to be, and the relationship he had with Wendy, the book was good. The story isn’t great and in the reading group guide for the book it describes Peter Pan as that generations “Alice in Wonderland.” Neither work is great, but both works have withstood the test of time and reader scrutiny. Like Peter Pan, Alice in Wonderland has been receiving a revival of sorts. It seems that ten years can’t go by without someone trying to adapt Alice in Wonderland to the big screen in a way that is fluid and doesn’t detract from the original story. Hollywood is trying their hand at it again with a release sometime this year or early next year. Both authors loved little children and based their principle characters off of the children they adopted as their own when they couldn’t, or wouldn’t, have children of their own. In J.M. Barrie’s case, he adopted six boys after their parents died (and his wife asked for a divorce).

In all, I would say that Peter Pan is worth reading, it’s about 156 pages long, isn’t hard to read, and throws out a word: embonpoint, which had to be looked up and reminded me, just a little, why it is I write.

Reprinted from:  http://www.sw-c.com/2005/03/peter_pan_by_jm_barrie_review.html

Posted in Book Reviews, J.M. Barrie, reprint | No Comments »

On the Heals of Greatness

May 10th, 2008

I am of the opinion that most people get into writing because they were inspired by something that could be considered great. For me, the impetus where I realized I wanted to write was when I could sit down and read, by myself, Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss. I didn’t know, at that time, that people spend their entire lives pursuing singular dreams, as that; nor did I realize that the competition is pretty fierce for shelf space, publishing schedules, agents, and readers.

And yet, I pursue the singular goal of writing.

I discovered an internal change the other day. You see, once upon a time I thought, “Any writing job I have will make me happy.” Not true. Several years ago I took my first full-time writing job with a company I was working for. I produced a lot of material in a short period of time. After fifteen months I realized I didn’t want to do that kind of work anymore, and not for that company so I requested that I be laid off when the company did another round… this would be the third.

What solidified, in my mind, that I could write compellingly enough for the outside world* was that another, larger, international software company almost immediately hired me up and I went back to work. I ended up writing one magazine article that may, or may not, have been published and then was, again, laid off due to the hiring practices of that company.

Since that time I have worked in various capacities as a writer from freelance to creative to poetry and have remained focused on my singular goal: writing fiction.

About eight years ago, I sat down and wrote a couple (okay, three) books. Two were submitted to a couple of local publishers and both were rejection. The rejection on the first book said, “We cannot accept for publication this book, but if you have other projects, we would like to consider something else by you.” The outcome was a first draft for a book I titled, Big Jim, Little Jim. Honestly, I never expect to see that story revisited.

What I did learn in the process was that I have a compelling writing style, though (back when) that writing style needed (and still needs, this is an ongoing process) more polishing. Though my goal was to write and be published in fiction, and though I thought I was pursuing that goal, I had not yet gotten to a point where I was telling a) a compelling story in b) a compelling way.

One outcome to this was that I pulled back. I took, on occasion, writing jobs and did them, but I discovered that a job where I am paid to write is not the same thing as writing what I want to be paid for. What I want to be paid for is fiction and the fiction I want to write is fantasy and YA.

So, writing for a living is a good thing. If nothing else were to come out of my life than that I was able to write, somewhere, somehow, I think I could find myself happy. Teaching writing for a living is another way for me to pursue a passion and desire that I have. Again, I think I could be happy. However, neither of these areas are what I want to be doing.

Time and experience has taught me that if I am patient, I work hard, and I learn all that I can and how to apply that education, I will find success in the areas I pursue. And to that end, I continue to write and work on fiction so that I can be successful where I want to find success.

–

*outside world is everyone outside of my own mind

Posted in Lessons From the Frontline, On Writing | No Comments »

What NOT to do to get an Agent

May 8th, 2008

http://theswivet.blogspot.com/2008/05/lessons-in-how-to-never-get-agent-part.htm

I discovered the previous link about a week ago… at least it’s felt like a week since I saved the link.

For those who are interested it is a (slightly edited) letter to an agent that goes into a great deal of detail about why the prospective author is right about his/her works of fiction and the agent was wrong to pass on reading sample pages based off of a one-page query letter.

I can imagine, from reading the parts of the letter that are available, that the prospective author was/is frustrated at receiving a lot of passes on queries. I can also imagine that he/she wanted to take it out on someone and chose to send a very terse and vulgar letter to someone he/she doesn’t know.

The outcome, without knowing the agent, is that the prospective author, regardless of how much he/she thinks of himself, will probably find it even more difficult to get representation. I don’t think there is an active list of people for agents to avoid; I do think that this person hit the unofficial, only between agents when they talk, list of people to politely refuse and then delete any emails and burn any mail that is sent to an agent from said individual.

Seriously folks, it doesn’t take someone with a PhD and MD in psychology to realize that you get farther with people by being polite and carefully stating your case, asking for clarification or reasons, and seeking feedback on how to improve than you will ever gain by going off the handle and ranting at someone you don’t even know.

When you are looking for an agent you are asking someone to help you succeed. Yelling at someone, no matter who, is not a way to influence people to want to help you. An agents greatest successes don’t come from people who think they are great, it comes from people who they can work with and who write well.

If you want help writing query letters, Kristin Nelson has a blog (Nelson Literary Agency) that offers a lot of usefully good advice on that process and she just finished with a whole series of entries on how to write that pitch paragraph to quickly entice prospective agents/editors by getting to the heart of the project.

nuff said.

Posted in General Entries | No Comments »