Pixar's 22

Mid last year, Emma Coats, Pixar storyboard artist and director, offered these 22 nuggets of advice on the art called story. Obviously, they're meant for film, but story is story, and certain things are universal.

PBJ Publishing produced a nice graphic to show these rules.

But I'll write them out for you as well.

#1: You admire a character for trying more than for their successes.
#2: You gotta keep in mind what's interesting to you as an audience, not what's fun to do as a writer. They can be v. different.
#3: Trying for theme is important, but you won't see what the story is actually about til you're at the end of it. Now rewrite.
#4: Once upon a time there was ___. Every day, ___. One day ___. Because of that, ___. Because of that, ___. Until finally ___.
#5: Simplify. Focus. Combine characters. Hop over detours. You'll feel like you're losing valuable stuff but it sets you free.
#6: What is your character good at, comfortable with? Throw the polar opposite at them. Challenge them. How do they deal?
#7: Come up with your ending before you figure out your middle. Seriously. Endings are hard, get yours working up front.
#8: Finish your story, let go even if it's not perfect. In an ideal world you have both, but move on. Do better next time.
#9: When you're stuck, make a list of what WOULDN'T happen next. Lots of times the material to get you unstuck will show up.
#10: Pull apart the stories you like. What you like in them is a part of you; you've got to recognize it before you can use it.
#11: Putting it on paper lets you start fixing it. If it stays in your head, a perfect idea, you'll never share it with anyone.
#12: Discount the 1st thing that comes to mind. And the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th – get the obvious out of the way. Surprise yourself.
#13: Give your characters opinions. Passive/malleable might seem likable to you as you write, but it's poison to the audience.
#14: Why must you tell THIS story? What's the belief burning within you that your story feeds off of? That's the heart of it.
#15: If you were your character, in this situation, how would you feel? Honesty lends credibility to unbelievable situations.
#16: What are the stakes? Give us reason to root for the character. What happens if they don't succeed? Stack the odds against.
#17: No work is ever wasted. If it's not working, let go and move on - it'll come back around to be useful later.
#18: You have to know yourself: the difference between doing your best & fussing. Story is testing, not refining.
#19: Coincidences to get characters into trouble are great; coincidences to get them out of it are cheating.
#20: Exercise: take the building blocks of a movie you dislike. How d'you rearrange them into what you DO like?
#21: You gotta identify with your situation/characters, can't just write ‘cool'. What would make YOU act that way?
#22: What's the essence of your story? Most economical telling of it? If you know that, you can build out from there.

Do you agree with all of them? Are there any you feel particularly passionate about?

It's a lot to digest in one sitting, huh?  That's why I'll be going over them (most, if not all) in their own individual posts. Hope you enjoy!

In the Field: Gilmore Girls and Not Getting It

Don't forget today is the final day to enter THE IMMORTAL RULES giveaway.

Today, I'm starting up another new series, "In the Field." So far this year, I've watched all 6 seasons of DAWSON'S CREEK and all 7 of GILMORE GIRLS. Additionally, I've watched/rewatched a few anime series. And then there are all the books. And since I've been reading so many craft books, I keep picking up lessons from the stories I watch and read. So I thought I'd share these lessons I learn from stories out "In the Field."

NOT GETTING IT

One of the things Gilmore Girls is known for is their reference-dropping. Let's say Gilmore Girls drops 100 references an episode. The average person gets about 20 of them. People with a special interest in movies or tv or rock music get about 40. Pop culture-aholics get about 60. Pretty much nobody gets every reference. And Gilmore Girls was still a hit. It still had a 7 year-run. It was powerful enough that, almost a decade after the fact, I bought myself the series.

New writers are often tempted to explain everything. But even more experienced writers may shy away from references that people may not get. Gilmore Girls teaches us that they don't always need to.

CONTEXT

Something I had to realise as a language learner, is that it's less important to understand every single word than it is to get the general gist. The same is true of stories.

A GG example:

Richard's mother, Trix, constantly puts down Emily, his wife, and Emily generally becomes a nervous wreck whenever she's around. Lorelai tells her that she has to find her own way to fight back. So one night, when they are having dinner at Lorelai's inn, Emily stages a coup. When Trix asks for the plates to be cleared, Emily declares that she's not done, and eats as slowly as possibly. Lorelai's response? "That'll do, Pig."

You don't need to know what movie "That'll do, Pig," originally comes from. Nor do you need to know where the updated, "That'll do, Donkey," can be found. All you need to know is that Lorelai is applauding Emily's defiance. And you get that.

Me, Personally

People not getting what I'm saying is a big worry for me. I lived in the US for 2 of my 30 years, but I've spent the majority of my life outside of "mainstream Western countries." My books are set in Barbados or Japan. They all feature Barbadian characters. I've always feared that there would be way too much that other people wouldn't understand.

Not to mention, I have lived in other countries, and even before I did, I lived a relatively multicultural life. So there are references I make that Barbadians and other Caribbean people might miss. Now, I realise that my readers are smart enough to get it from context. And if it can't be deduced from context, then it's probably superfluous - me showing off my "multicultural darlings."

In the book I'm working on now (which went on pause when I got gastro last week, and is now in a sad state of flux), some girls are talking about suicide. And the MC says something about carving the Broken Trident into your wrists. Now you don't have to know that the Broken Trident is the name of the Barbados flag, and the black shape in the middle. You get that it's about slashing wrists.

(Photo: Barbados Flag and I on top of Mount Fuji.)

SECOND LEVEL

One Piece

 

ONE PIECE is one of the anime series I follow. I really love that there are these things that I get, that I don't think most of the viewing public does. Like watching a Gilmore Girls episode and catching a reference to Casablanca or another old movie, it instills a weird sense of pride. I love the One Piece references because they're drawn from so many cultures, which is perfect for me. 

The ship's navigator/weather girl is called Nami. Nami means "(sea) wave"  in Japanese. Perfect name for a ship's navigator? Yups. Of course, all Japanese people can get that reference if they think about it for a second.  The ship's swordsman is Zoro, a clear reference to the Latino sword hero, and a reference I think all Westerners get. There's a cyborg called Frankie, as well. Reference: Frankenstein. And Usopp uses both Japanese and Western references. When his character was first introduced he was known for his wild stories."Uso" is Japanese for lie. Back that up with his ridiculously long nose, a clear reference to Pinocchio. Then there are the references which are outside English and Japanese, like Nami's adoptive mother, "Belle-mere", whose name is French for Mother-in-law. 

You don't have to get a single one of these references to watch the show, but I love them, and it makes the show exist on a different level for me. It's like when you watch Shrek as a kid and it's so cute. And then you watch it as an adult, and see all the perverted bits. 

Me, Personally

In one scene of my new WIP, the MC steps into the hallway, and everybody stops talking and just stares at her, like she was "covered in a vat of pig's blood." 

If you don't get the reference, then the meaning is still clear. But if you've watched or read Stephen King's CARRIE, then it calls up another level for you. It's the ultimate in high-school ostracism. And it might even signal to you that this chick is about to lose her shiz.

WRAP IT UP 

At the end of the day, I'd like to say a big thank you to Gilmore Girls for teaching me this lesson. It's an extremely relevant one for me. Since my references are so different, I was either going to have to bend myself to an American norm, tone down my voice, limit myself to Caribbean audiences or stop writing. And none of those choices felt right. Now I know I can make references, and it's fine if my readers can't see every level of the picture I'm painting, so long as they hear what I've said.

A writing lesson from Monsters Inc.

If you haven't watched Disney/Pixar's Monsters Inc. yet, you might want to go do that before you read this post. Go on, I'll wait.

In Monsters Inc., the scary beings that live in closets and under the bed really do exist. But they don't walk around scaring kids for the fun of it. The energy of screams is used to power their city. In recent times, children are becoming less and less frightened, and so everyone is worried about the future of energy. (Seriously how does Pixar do these films with deeper meanings like that?)

One day, a little girl accidentally slips into the monsters' city. Hilariously, they are more afraid of her than she of them, thinking that she's a contamination. Her being in the city brings about an incredible discovery. She laughs and everything shortcircuits. The monsters have never seen anything like it.

How's that for a writing lesson?

Remember that old school thought that people had to be Drunk, Drugged, or Depressed to write? We don't take it that far these days, but we do bend ourselves over backwards sometimes. At the end of the day,  if you're sadt, don't think it's your only option for generating a result.

In the same way that the power grid couldn't handle the little girl's laughter, there is tremendous energy in our happiness. If things are hard, take a break. Do something you really enjoy. Your writing won't suffer for you being happy. According to Sully, the main character in Monsters Inc., "Laughter is ten times more powerful than Scream."

Go ahead. Enjoy yourself. I dare you.


This post was inspired by a post by Elana Johnson. SURRENDER, the second book in her dystopian series, will be out soon.

You'll catch no fish with just a hook

I was poking around on Goodreads the other day -are you on Goodreads? If you're not you so should be. Find me as Claire Dawn and friend me!- and I saw a review which really struck a nerve.

"It just did not live up to it's potential."

What they really mean by potential here is "hook". A hook is, simply put, anything that's going to grab your reader.

The best (or worst, depending on how you want to look at it) example of a great hook gone to waste is the movie THE LAST AIRBENDER. It's hook (as is the hook of many movies these days) is that it first had a large following in another medium- in this case a cartoon called AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER, in my opinion, the best non-Japanese anime-style cartoon ever made. They started with a great plot, and a huge fanbase, and somehow managed to make a movie so bad that I found myself thinking, "Damn, this screenplay is aweful. I could do better!" DURING the movie. If you have time to think about screenplay (other than being a film student) during a movie, that is not a good thing.

Some books have hooks so individual that they sell on hook alone.

Many memoirs fall into this category. For example, if someone turned up a stack of previously unread letters by George Washington, and they were put in a book, it would be a best seller. The hook is that George Washington wrote them and it doesn't really matter if they're about his daily diet or his favourite vacation spot. The hook is that strong.

But there are also novels which work on hook alone.

- Some hooks work on originality. Twilight, when it was new, was a rare find of a teen falling in love with a vampire.
- Some hooks link a new tale to an older, more well-known one. Ella, Enchanted is a re-telling of Cinderella.
- Some hooks cater to a niche market. MG series tend to do this well: Baby Sitters' Club (for girls who babysit), Saddle Club (for kids who like horses), Royal Ballet School Diaries (for girls who do/like ballet).

But there is a danger in having a really good hook: the temptation to let the hook do all work.

I find it's most common (and even accepted) in niche movies. I love dance movies, but when I watch a dance movie, I suspend the part of me that cares about plot and character development. The same is often true of sports movies. But every once in a while, one will come along that does everything and it will be so, so good. (Watch THE BLINDSIDE if you don't know what I'm talking about.)

Ways to correct this problem:

1. Ask yourself- Would anyone like this book if:

the Love Interest were a regular guy and not a werewolf-fairy-ghost-of-Henry-III?
they didn't know beforehand it was based on Star Trek?
it wasn't about (insert obscure niche here) that never gets the time of day in novels?

2. Careful scene-by-scene editing.

A hook is a very high-level, overall concept. It is featured at every level, but is usually only the star when looking at the work as a whole. Keeping your individual scenes tight means you're not depending on hook alone.

3. Plot and character development.

There are several ways to do this. You can draw out the plot arcs, write out the major plot points, summarize every chapter, etc. You just need to make sure you have a plot, and it's not mundane or predictable.

For characters, you want to make sure they are more than pieces on the chess board. If your hook is that it's a re-telling, make sure that they bring something new to the page.

4. Add something unrelated.

Holly Thompson's ORCHARDS is about a girl trying to deal with the guilt of knowing that she might have been able to stop someone from committing suicide. But that's not all that is going on. Kana, the MC, is half-Japanese, and her mother sends her to Japan to reflect after the suicide. By adding this, ORCHARDS is no longer just another book about suicide.

What other ways can you think of to ensure that you're not just dependent on hook alone?

Perfect as can be

Don't forget to send your 10 books for inclusion in the 100 Books Every Writer Should Read. (See the ridicky looking jpg over there?----->>>>)

I'd like to thank author, Debi Alper, for being A.MAY.ZING. After the earthquake/tsunami combo prevented me from heading to York fo r my conference, the awesome Debi Alper- who I wasn't even signed up to meet with, but who knew me from the Festival forum- offered to look at the work I'd sent in.

Thanks, Debi!

Anyhow, this most recent critique has got me to thinking about perfecting your writing. I'm not really talking about the individual manuscript level. I mean as an author. I've 'completed' 3 manuscripts, and while the 3rd is leaps, leagues and light years better than the 1st, many of the same flaws exist.

According to Writing Fiction for Dummies, by Randy Ingermanson and Peter Economy, there are 5 pillars of fiction: Style (which I think is what we hear of as voice), story world, character, plot, and theme.

In my (very humble, unaccomplished)opinion, these things sell a book:
Something tiny,
Something huge,
Someone to feel,
Something to do.

In other words, hook, theme, characters, plot. The other two elements that a book needs (but that won't sell a book all on their own) are setting and voice.

So now, we've got 5 or 6 things that you need to polish. I think anyone interested in writing is probably good with 1 or 2 of these naturally. The rest we have to work on. But how do we know which is which?

A. FINDING THE FLAWS

1. Self-examination.

As writers, we're often pre-disposed to seeing our work as all unicorns and rainbows (unicorn-covered rainbows or rainbow-covered unicorns) even. On the other hand, we also swing into 'everything I touch turns to rust' territory pretty often.

BUT

Noone knows your work like you. Pick up an MS you haven't seen in at least 2 months, and re-read it. You'll immediately know which elements are hitting the mark and which make you want to drown yourself in a Strawberry Sundae.

2. Critique partners/beta readers

It's always recommended that you get other writers to look at your work. But in this case, I don't think that's absolutely neccesary. Yes, your friends won't know what to look for, and they won't want to hurt your feelings. Just ask what their favourite things were and what didn't gel so well for them.

You'll probably get answers like:
"I really like how the MC..." (character)
"I thought that it took too long for..." (plot)
"I love that it was about..." (theme)
"I felt like I was in..." (setting)

If you're fortunate enough to have writer-critiquers, then analyse their feedback and see where it fits. If all your criticisms are in the same area, then you've found your weak spot.

3. The pro's

Partial critiques

It's not that hard to have an industry professional do a partial critique of your work. There are lots of opportunities to win on agent and author blogs, you just have to keep your ears to the ground (or web). Also, if you're interested in conferences (which I think you should be- but don't listen to me, since it seems to be impossible for me to leave Japan for a conference), then look for ones which include a chance to have an author/agent/editor look at your work.

Full critiques

These are much harder to come by for free. Still, be vigilant on the web, and you may see a few ops. If you're willing to pay, there are thousands of freelance editors. Please check to make sure they are reputable, and that their credentials are relevant to you.

FIXING THE FLAWS
1. Literature

There are a million and one craft books out there for writers. It's good to get your hands on a general craft book, and probably also one for your genre. But you'll also want to read up on your weak spots. There are two wonderful-looking series on Amazon (ordered a few, but haven't read them yet): Write Great Fiction and Elements of fiction writing.

Also, blogs are not to be discounted. There are lots of authors who are amazing for offering free advice on their blogs. A few of my faves: Shannon Messenger, Angela Ackerman, Elana Johnson and Natalie Whipple.

2. Classes

If you prefer interactive learning (or live in an English-speaking country or a country where your daytime is not the middle of the night in the West) then you can take a class nearby or online. I recommend the Writer's Digest University. Classes are more expensive than literature (up to 10 times as much) but then, they're are more personalised and give you feedback.

Your call.

3. One-offs

Workshops, webinars, conferences etc. There are lots of events ranging from 1 day to 1 week, where you can focus on the elements of writing. Most conferences include a workshop on plot, one on character, one of theme, one on hook, etc. Some-times one-offs are more expensive than classes, sometimes they're less expensive. They are generally larger and less personal.

4. Write

Having identified the problem factors in your fiction, you can actually solve a lot by writing. Every element of your writing gets better with practice. In fact, you can not improve unless you write. (Please remember this and don't become one of those writers who lives on blogs and has read every craft book, but doesn't have a single complete first draft.)

Voice/style, moreso than any other element improves according to how much and how often you write. But with a little thought, and a whole lot of practice, you can improve any of the elements.

And, just in case you wondered, my strongest element- the one I am always complemented on, no matter how bad everything else sucks- is voice. Number 2 is character. Plot is a total washout, and I've never made any effort whatsoever with setting. (Sad, but true.) The next craft book I'll be reading is Plot & Structure by James Scott Bell.

Happy Fixing!

Crazy idea and I need YOUR help!

[Edited bits in bold]

I'm compiling a list of

100 BOOKS EVERY WRITER SHOULD READ

And I need your help.

I'm asking that each of you submit 10 books (by email only) that you think every author should read. They don't have to be fiction. For example, my neighbour read the whole Bible during Lent last year. And he says that everyone should read it because he sees so many more biblical references in Western entertainment now.

Also spread the word. I'd like this list to be representative, meaning I need a decent sample size. I'd prefer at least 1000 respondents, but I'll be happy with 200.

What's in it for you?

First, the obvious. You will be helping to create a list of 100 books (craft, other non-fiction, fiction across all genres) that authors (and hopefully other industry professionals) think that authors should read.

Secondly, a chance to win. I'll be giving a random contributor copies of the first 5 single volumes on the list. (If Nancy Drew comes in at number 1, you can rest assured, I will not be mailing the entire works of Nancy Drew. Even I am not that crazy.

Thirdly, I will be giving away another set of the first 5 single volumes to someone who spreads the word through their blog, their twitter, other social media, or face-to-face interaction at a writer's event. (I'm trusting you guys to be honest about this. Unless of course you want to pay for a shinkansen ticket to Tokyo and a plane ticket from there for me to see you word-of-mouth it.) Please leave a message in the comments.

QUICK SUMMARY and RULES
1. Please send your list of 10 books every writer should read to muchlanguage (at)gmail (dot)com.
2. You don't have to, but I'd love if you included nationality in your email. If you do, I'll use that info to tabulate the number one book for Brits v. Americans vs. Australians, etc. (This hinges on your nationality being represented by at least 5 people.)
3. Please spread the word on twitter, your blog, facebook, in person, etc.
4. Please comment when you spread the word. There is no limit to the number of entries you can receive for spreading the word.
5. I'll accept lists until December 31, 2011 (11.59 pm EST as usual). I have less than 200 respondents, I may extend that.
6. You can win the first 5 books (single volumes) by spreading the word or by entering.
7. I'll compile the list in early January (or a few weeks after I've stopped accepting lists) and draw the 2 winners.
8. I will ship books to any country serviced by Amazon.com or Bookdepository.com. If neither of those companies ships to your country, but you have a mailing address in another country that you can use, you are still eligible.

I'm really looking forward to seeing what this turns up!

All set?

You guys' comments always make me smile. Thanks for the wonderful responses.

Today we're talking setting. For an example of what I think was a perfectly done setting, read Stephanie Perkins' ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS.

The perfect setting is relative, and varies from reader to reader and writer to writer. For me, the perfect setting is somewhere between 'just a backdrop' and 'an extra character'. My favourite settings walk a thin line between influencing and staying out of the story.

STAYING OUT OF THE STORY

Setting is like the difference between a black and white movie and technicolor. Some black and white films were remastered to be in colour. It's the same film, but it's different.

A setting should be painted well enough that you see the colour. But it should not be so entangled with the story that it would be impossible to transpose the story to another place or another time.

Not having the setting too intertwined with the story helps to make it more universal. ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS takes place in Paris, but it could have happened anywhere. Take a few essentials- Anna being unable to understand the language, meeting a gorgeous boy who can, being afraid of cultural sterotypes- and you could lift ANNA right out of France and put her down in any non-English-speaking country. In fact, you could just as easily put her in an English speaking area with a thick accent or dialect (the Deep South, Yorkshire, parts of Africa).

INFLUENCING THE STORY

Even though the story should be transposable, I like a setting that once in a while crosses into plot/character territory. Take HARRY POTTER, for example. There are several times that Harry finds himself in the wrong place at exactly the right time. He hears things he's not supposed to, gets accused of things, discovers Fluffy, trains an army. These things would not be possible if it weren't set in a big confusing castle with moving staircases and secret rooms.

What's the point of setting a book in Japan if there's nothing 'Japanese' in it? This can be something stereotypical, like going to an anime convention; or it can be something only someone living here might think of, like always laughing at the jokes first at comedies in the cinema, since it takes the non-natives longer to the read the joke in the sub-titles.

There are lots of books set in anywhere, USA. And it took me about 20 times watching one of my fave movies to finally hear something that confirmed it's location. There's nothing to say you can't do this, but I'm not a fan.

THE DANGER OF OVERUSING YOUR SETTING

If your setting comes up ever 34.21 seconds, you may be overusing it. If a novel set in Japan spoke only of the fact that it was in Japan and the differences and similarities to the West, it would read like non-fiction. The closer an author gets to that point, the more he/she risks me getting fed up with the setting. The one exception is if it's a setting that I care about. For example, I might be more tolerant of an over-used Japan setting.

Another danger is mentioning the name of your setting too much. I say "Barbados" now much more than I did when I lived there. When you say schoolschoolschool, or FranceFranceFrance, or TokyoTokyoTokyo, it's like you've got something to prove to somebody. This is an important area to 'show not tell'. Remind us the character is in school with an annoying teacher, in France with macarons, in Tokyo with soba noodles.

WHERE THIS MAY NOT APPLY
Some science fiction, some fantasy, most historicals (and probably lots of other categories I can't call to mind right now) break these rules. For these authors and readers, the novel would not be possible without the setting. If you're writing one of these genres and/or extremely strong settings rock your world, then go for it.

But personally, the characters and the plot are more important to me. I don't think I'd have gotten through all 7 Harry Potters, regardless of the cool spells and creatures, if it wasn't for Harry, Hermione, Ron, Snape, Draco, Dumbledore, Dobby, etc etc.

What about you? How do you like settings? Just a pinch? Or drowning in it? Or somewhere in between?

Rhyme to write by

Don't forget to enter to win a copy of MATCHED by Allie Condie.

You remember that old wedding rhyme?

Something old,
Something new,
Something borrowed,
Something blue.

Well, apparently I'm in a poetic mood. Because I wrote 2 poems yesterday and, as I walking to school, another came to me. It's like the wedding rhyme, only it doesn't forecast a good marriage, but a good book. Here are the ingredients:

Something tiny,
Something huge,
Someone to feel,
Something to do.

Something Tiny

Your book is one of millions, but what makes a book stand out from the madding crowd? Details. A little over a year ago,(REALLY??? Have I been blogging that long?) I posted about the devil in the details. In that post, I talked about how people compared Avatar (the one with blue people, not the one with the benders of different elements) to Pocahontas and Fern Gully. They said it was the same story. But that's not true. There are people who love Avatar and aren't Pocahontas or Fern Gully fans. And vice versa.

Every story has been told before. What can you do to make your story stand out? Can you bring some innovation to the way it's told? (Whatever your feeling about Avatar, it brought advances in on-screen visuals.) Will you offer a new twist to an eternal plot? A new setting? A wildly different character?

Yesterday (or today, depending on where you are in the world) was Valentine's Day. I saw a lot of people on my facebook quarreling about it. Why should we get all up in arms, doing special things for one day, when we don't do anything else all year? It's easy to get caught up in the monumental, but don't forget, it's the little things that matter.

Something Huge

How can you need something tiny, but still need something huge?

Those little things that you tell the story with- they need to fit into a bigger framework. Because the big picture is where people connect with one another. For example, I like quirky books, and I like books that make me think (not at the expense of story), and I like books that make me warm and fuzzy. Now you may like your books dark; or with racing plots; or featuring ruthless, rugged heros. I like YA. Maybe you like sci-fi. But what brings us together is the love of books.

Let's take Twilight as an example. There are lots of little things that aren't my cup of tea in that book. Bella is a bit of a twat, to be quite blunt. And the writing itself is not the most graceful ever. But I love Twilight. And so do millions of others. Why? Prince Charming. Guy appears and whisks girl who was never going to get involved with anyone else off in a typhoon of pure love? Yup, that's as Prince Charming as it comes. We can talk about being practical women of the 21st century until the cows come home. There's still a little piece of most of us that yearns for the 'perfect' love.


A good book taps into one of these overarching ideas. Here are a few more big name examples, accompanied by the big picture idea I see in them:
Harry Potter - good vs evil
The Hunger Games - man vs the establishment
The Duff - self esteem
To Kill a Mockingbird - injustice
Th1rteen R3asons Why - death

Someone to Feel

Books and stories have moved from their earlier purpose of educating to entertaining. In order to entertain, they have to connect. They do that through the people in the story.

I'd like to point out that I said 'feel', not 'love'. Sometimes, you read a book, and you just despise someone. Draco Malfoy, for example - even moreso since the movies.

Also, these days, the people in books need to feel real. If they're not, we won't be drawn into loving or hating them, or pretending that Peeta just kissed us instead of Katniss.

Something to Do

Right-o, now we've got the little things, the big picture, and the people. But we can't just sitting around all day watching Disney movies. (Even if that would be awesome! Curled up against Wesley Rush-from The Duff- swoon!) Now we need to do something.

What we do depends on the type of book. In a murder mystery, we look for clues, and solve the case. In a thriller, or suspense, we might get stalked. Or do some stalking. (Us writer-bloggers are well practised in that art. lol.) In a romance, we'll fall head over heals in love.

At the outset it would seem impossible to mess this part up. But it's the hardest part for me. You see, it's quite possible to spend the entire time doing things, and still have nothing happen. It's like how you realise another year has come and gone and you haven't crossed anything off your list. It's not that you haven't done anything all year. You got out of bed, and showered, and ate, and went to the bathroom- at a bare minimum. But you've done nothing to advance your life.

This is true of books too. What is going on in the book, must advance towards the ultimate end. Would you read a murder-mystery where the detective spent the entire book eating, drinking and making merry and then the criminal turned himself in at the end, out of sheer boredom?

Probably not.

All together now

As I wrote this post, I purposefully avoided calling any of the parts by their technical names, but I'm sure you knew what they were.

Something tiny (hook)
Something huge (theme)
Someone to feel (characters)
Something to do (plot)

Together, I think these make up the list of things a book can do to sell itself. (There are two other major elements of a book. style/voice and setting, but I don't think they can sell a book on their own. You can't pick up on voice until you read the book, since cover copy isn't written by the book's author. And setting only sells a book when it's part of the hook, think Hogwarts.)

Did you find the rhyme useful? Do you agree/disagree? Which of these are you strong/weak on? Which of these, in the absence of recs from friends/bloggers, will make you pick up a book? And which makes you love a book?

Dance Battle Writing Lessons

Today was a holiday here, Culture Day. I went to a marching band show, but I got so caught up in the music, I only took two pics. Oh well.

On Saturday night, I went to a dance battle. When I walked in, the doorman was Vegeta from Dragonball Z, the barman was Crillon, and the MC was a breakdancing Pikachu (Pokemon).

As usual, my write brain was in full swing. And as I watched the dancers square off and rock da house, I thought of ways that we, as writers, can learn from them.

1. No matter how good you are, you might go out in the first round

The battle was one on one elimination style, with the audience judging. As with any audience judged contest, it's personal. The fact Dancer 1 does not make it past the first round, doesn't mean that they're a bad dancer. It just means that the audience happened to like Dancer 2's moves better.

Lesson:
When you're sending queries or synopses to agents, and piling up the rejections, it may feel like you're just not good enough. Maybe. Maybe you do need to work on your submission. But maybe, that agent just likes Dancer 2's moves.

Which is why...

2. You need to bring your A-game

In one battle, the better dancer was defeated. I saw this guy move before and after the battle. Guy 2 didn't hold a candle to him. But when Guy 2 got up on stage, he brought the stuff. And Guy 1 didn't.

Lesson:
The competition is tough and the industry is selective. You are not going to advance if you don't play your best cards.

But still...

3. You can't be a one-trick pony

In the first battle, Dancer 1 was a B-boy (breakdancer), and Dancer 2 was not. Now, breakdancing is always impressive (unless you really suck), but you can't expect that you can spend a minute and a half spinning on your back. That's not a dance, that's an overturned turtle.

Lesson:
Your book can't just have one thing going for it. An excellent plot doesn't mean you can completely sacrifice your characters, and your setting, and your dialogue, etc.

And remember...

4. Almost doesn't count

A couple of times, dancers (especially B-boys) went for a move and missed. In a freestyle contest, you really don't have a choice but to go all out. But when you miss, you don't score any points with the audience. In fact you might lose points.

Lesson:
If there's something you're not strong at, you have two choices. First, you can avoid it. If you're not good at creating worlds, then you don't write Science Fiction or Fantasy. But when you're not good at something unavoidable, or it's something you really want to do, you need to work at it. Put in your hours on the practice floor, before you bring it to the stage half-baked.

And no matter what...

5. Be ready for anything

When the dancers went up on stage, they didn't know what track the DJ was going to spin. They'd only hear a few bars before they had to start moving. And if the song was something they weren't really familiar with, they couldn't just throw in the towel.

Lesson:
The publishing industry is pretty unpredictable. Sometimes it's really, really slow. But sometimes it's super fast. Sometimes, you as an author, have X responsibilities, sometimes you have Z responsibilities. You never can tell. All you can do is to be prepared, and be professional.

And above all...

6. It's the 'tude, Dude

The entire reason I was at this dance off is because I recently joined a hip hop dance class that my town hires Y to teach. So Y and T (the other teacher) invited the whole class to the dance off. Y is a pretty good dancer, and he's just the sweetest thing, but he's not one for the battles. See, he's two sweet. I mean, there are certain fields that you're supposed to have "I'm a bada$$" written across your forehead: WWF wrestling, running a gang, singing or dancing reggae or hip hop. And there's absolutely nothing bada$$ about Y.

This kinda translates into confidence, and you can't dance hip hop if you're not "the best." I mean have you ever heard a rapper use a lyric like, "I'm no 2, and I'm cool with that?"

Lesson:
Writing is also all about attitude.You have to know you're a writer, because there are a lot of people around you that won't get it. They won't appreciate how much time you spend with your imaginary friends. Or they may not think you're a writer because they can't find you on a bookshelf. Yet.

To top that off, the writing community is awesome, but a large part of writing is solitary- well, just you and a cast of imaginary people. You have to know that what you're writing is good enough. You have to know that this plot will work, that this character will be loved (or hated), that what you're working on will mean something to someone. At the end of the day (and the beginning) YOU have to believe in you.

Hope you enjoyed these, and take something from them. :)