Posts on writing

I enjoyed Kelly's interview with the great Judy Blume over at Big A little a. My favorite part?

I find writing for any audience hard! Really hard, especially during the first draft. I dread first drafts. Second and third drafts are easier. After that it's usually fun. Doesn't matter what age group I'm writing for – it's equally difficult for me.

It's nice to know I am in very good company.

Gray weather, gray moods. On the bright side, I've been trying to clean off my desk at work—partly by doing things that need to be done, partly by stacking everything else in a tidy procrastination pile—and came across a paper scrap that's been sitting here since, um, January.

I kept moving it around because it resonated with me and I didn't want to throw it away. It's a quote from author Eva Ibbotson, from her wonderful interview on the Just One More Book podcast. She's talking about the value of writing novels, especially for children, in which everything comes out all right in the end—even though reality rarely treats us so. She says this:

I find it quite difficult to maintain happiness. It has to be fought for. (4:10)

Totally.

Anyway, now that it's here on the blog, I'm going to recycle that scrap. Yes! Four more square inches of desk revealed!

Here's another gem from The Day I Became an Autodidact, by Kendall Hailey, apropos in a week in which I've decided I've done enough banging my head against the wall on one project and must work on something else for a while:

The truth is, I don't know how I am to go on writing at all, since I am pretty well convinced it's all excrement. But who knows, there is always the vague chance it's just shit. The only thing is, I'm going to have to ask soon and if anyone tells me it's anything but brilliant, I'll die. I type with one hand and hold my nose with the other, but at least I feel I'm getting something done. (p. 73)

That about says it.

Saturday I attended a little workshop at my library, "How to Write Comics," presented by Russell Lissau. He's a Chicago-area journalist and also a writer for DC, notably the Batman Strikes series for kids. He had some interesting things to say, much of it applicable to writing in general as well as comics in particular. Here are my notes.

General process for big (non-indie) comics

- Writer writes script.
- Editor reviews script, works with writer to make changes as needed.
- Penciller draws the action of the strip... in pencil. Writer and editor proof pencil drawings, only requesting changes if there's something vastly wrong.
- Inker, a/k/a finisher inks the drawings, adding weight, depth, etc.
- Letterer adds dialogue balloons and "special effects." In most major comics today, lettering is done by computer.
- Colorist colors the art. This, too, is usually done by computer these days.

A comic book script is written like a movie script.

Panel by panel, writer sets the shot, describes the characters and action, and provides dialogue. Lissau's scripts run about 25 typed pages for a 22 page comic. He outlines before he starts writing so he can be sure to meet the page limit. He usually starts with a good idea of the beginning and the end and works out the middle as he goes.

Three-act structure: beginning, middle, end

The first act establishes character and ends with an "inciting incident" that puts the characters in danger. The second act is where all the "good stuff" (i.e., action, series of challenges) happens. The third act contains the finale and resolution.

Lissau challenged us to draw a three-act comic using just three panels. This was harder than you might think. He recommended checking out Mad Magazine's "Spy vs. Spy" as a perfect example of simple, three-act comics.

Comics, Lissau said, used to be like soap operas, "all second act" with no final resolution. This has changed over the years. The money is now in trade collections, so publishers are looking for finite plot arcs spread across 6+ issues.

Panel layouts

In the old days, pages had a rigid grid of panels so that as much action as possible could be crammed in. Now there's more variety. You might have four small panels across the width of a page, followed by a single "widescreen" panel, etc. Or you might even have a full-page "splash" (for something super-super-important).

Tips on pacing

A panel is a captured moment in time. It includes one or more more-or-less simultaneous (or at least rapid-fire) actions. Combine panel action/dialogue when you can. He cited Brian Michael Bendis, "enter a scene late and leave it early." (That's advice I, literal-minded writer that I am, can never hear too often.)

Lissau talked about building tension and momentum by varying panel layout. All page real estate, area-wise, has the same weight, so a big panel should contain a weightier/more important moment that the reader spends extra time with, while small panels contain quick action or dialogue that the eyes can skip quickly across.

He compared this to music: a widescreen panel is like a whole note, a series of narrow panels side by side is like staccato quarter notes, etc. Lissau attributed the "comics as music" analogy to Warren Ellis.

Cliffhangers should always be placed in the bottom-right panel, so the reader is compelled to move to the next page. It's even better if that cliffhanger is on the right-hand side of the page, so the reveal occurs after the page-turn.

You can also compel the reader forward by breaking dialogue with an ellipsis and continuing on the following page. This also works well for scene transitions. I wish I could explain this one better, but when I try it gets too complicated.

Also

Dialogue should be written in the order that the characters appear in the panel, left to right. If you need to switch that up, you should warn the artist that the characters' positions will need to be switched. Depending on the scene, you can see why that could be a tricky proposition.

Recommended reading

- The DC Comics Guide to Writing Comics, by Dennis O'Neil (Watson-Guptill, 2001)
- How to Draw Comics the Marvel Way, by Stan Lee and John Buscema (Fireside, 1984)
- The Complete Idiot's Guide to Creating a Graphic Novel, by Nat Gertler and Steve Lieber (Alpha, 2004)

I didn't have to work yesterday, which was great for several reasons. First, I'd been working since Sunday, so I was more than ready for a break. Second, I didn't have to come up with a Halloween costume. I'm still recovering from the Halloween I wore blue jeans, a Western shirt, and a cowboy hat to work. All day, people of all ages asked me, "Oh, you're a cowgirl! Or are you a cowboy?" Um... let's not make this harder than it needs to be, folks!

Anyway, third: the weather was absolutely gorgeous, so I went down to the beach and sketched for a couple of hours. I do love to draw and wish I did it more often. I wish I played music more, too. Actually, there's a lot of things I wish I did more. But the way I look at it, I've only got time for one obsession right now. And writing has won.

Here's the least embarrassing of my sketches. I'm still learning how to use colored pencils. Seriously, it's harder than it sounds! I've got more experience with acrylics and pastels, where you layer from dark to light. Colored pencils and watercolors, you have to go light to dark. Conclusion: Prismacolors on black paper cannot look anything but awesome.

One last thing before I pedal off to work: no National Novel Writing Month for me this year. After a lot of thought, I decided I need to focus on my newish project so I don't lose all momentum. I'm still in that rocky transition period between projects, where my mind is still half on the last one. I need to concentrate my focus.

But I know quite a few of you are tackling Nano, and I wish you the best of luck! In the words of César Chávez, "Sí, se puede!" Yes, it can be done.

(Speaking of which, has anyone else noticed the similarity between Chávez's slogan and Obama's "Yes, we can"? No wonder the rich bosses are worried!

"Sí, se puede!" was also the motto of the Chicago elementary school I spent the most days subbing, back in my crazy subbing days. What a great motto, huh? They said it every day, right after the Pledge of Allegiance. Made me smile every time.)

I spent this weekend in Racine for the SCBWI Wisconsin's annual retreat (really more of a whirlwind conference/sleepover). It was my first big writer-type event and totally worth it. Highlights:

• The usual assortment of inspiration, information, and encouragement you would expect from the presenters. OK, also some nausea-inducing assessments of the "toughness" of the market these days, especially now what with "economic downturn." And a nothing-to-fear manuscript critique from the gracious and funny Holly Black.
• Meeting my agent Steven Chudney and his Wisconsin clients Julie Bowe and Deborah Lynn Jacobs in person for the first time.
• Meeting many other (mostly Wisconsin) writers and illustrators, all of whom were incredibly friendly and supportive and reassuring and welcoming to this Illinois interloper. A special shout-out to Pat Schmatz and Jennifer Motl, who, in addition to the above folks, were my main buddies for the weekend.
• Getting only one hour of sleep the first night because I was so keyed up. Silver linings: finishing The Hunger Games (so now I know why everyone's talking about it), raiding the abundant snack table at 3 AM, and being up in plenty of time for...
• Walking the labyrinth as the stars faded and then going down to the beach to watch the sun rise and skip rocks. I got a few five-skippers! (i.e., Really good for me.)

  (Aside: it was funny, being as close to Lake Michigan as we were, because my apartment is only slightly farther from the shore. I could have dog-paddled 75 miles up the coast to get there if I'd wanted. It made me feel cozily at home. Of course, how often do I go to the beach to watch the sun rise? Um...never? Accursed writing time!)

• Cafeteria food that reminded me of (a) summer camp and (b) being a vegetarian at summer camp. No, I'm afraid there were no vegan biscuits and gravy waiting for me this morning, nor veggie and tofu stir-fry last night. I'm looking forward to ingesting protein that doesn't come in the form of cottage cheese!
• Not thinking about the presidential election for nearly 48 hours.

  (Aside: You know you're not in Chicago when you see as many McCain as Obama signs on people's lawns. I mean, my building's on the edge of an historic neighborhood of freakin' multi-million dollar homes, and they've all got Obama signs! Come on, Wisconsin... Gobama!)

Again, all in all, a really terrific time. Some people asked me, will I go again next year? If I had to decide right this second, I'd say yes! I'll just have see how life and finances stand when registration rolls around next summer...

One of my favorite author blogs, Shrinking Violet Promotions ("Marketing for Introverts"), has honored me by reprinting my post for authors on how not to meet your librarians. When Mary Hershey asked permission, the first thing I thought of was Julia Cameron's advice in The Artist's Way: say yes!

I recommend hopping over to Shrinking Violets and becoming a regular reader if you're a writer, musician, artist, or any profession that requires self-promotion. Actually, a lot of the tips are great for anyone functioning as an introvert in a culture that favors extroversion.

If that's not enough for you, there's also another cute picture of Carly over there, her ears at full mast.

Even though I'm not yet a published author, I love reading marketing advice on Shrinking Violet Promotions ("Marketing for Introverts"), mailing lists, and author blogs. It's great knowing that when the time comes, I'll have plenty of wisdom to take advantage of.

That's why I'd like to share some advice of my own, for all the writers out there. I'm always encouraging writers to introduce themselves to their local librarians (heck, I'm always encouraging everyone to do that), and I have, happily, met several highly personable authors in my time as a librarian. But I never knew how... um... special an experience it could be, until today.

Without further ado, here's my advice for authors on how to impress their librarians in all the wrong ways:

1. Stride into the department and demand (of the librarians) to talk to the librarians. You were, after all, informed that there were two librarians working today.
2. When informed by the bemused librarians that they are, in fact, librarians, immediately ignore the younger of the two. Obviously she knows nothing.
3. Admit that you haven't come into the library in the two years since your book was published.
4. Inform the librarians that you have donated your book to the library—your book which has, you brag, sold over 200,000 copies (yet is, strangely, owned by only four libraries in the consortium).
5. Don't pitch your book. Instead, launch into a lecture about a peripheral topic, e.g., the importance of a good night's sleep.
6. Never let the librarians get a word in edgewise.
7. Offer to do a program at the library, but, when informed that you will need to talk to the person who actually coordinates such programs, say (as dismissively as possible) that you already have that person's name.
8. Talk repeatedly about the "literally, thousands" of promotional posters the publisher gave you, and how the library could hang them up and give them away (i.e., advertise for you).

I wish I were making this up. I can think of three things that author did right: introduced herself, donated her book when she found we didn't own it, and expressed interest in doing a program at the library. Everything else—her disrespect, her pushiness, her unwillingness to listen—was wrong from beginning to end.

And, in the words of my husband, "Authors who never visit their library are not to be trusted."

Carlie at Librarilly Blonde has an interesting post about the role of parents in YA literature. She notes that, traditionally, YA lit parents are either out of the picture (dead, run off) and/or act as antagonists, giving the young protagonists the space/opportunity to grow. But lately she's seeing more books that portray more positive, close relationships between teens and their parents. Is it a generational difference, she wonders?

An interesting question. After some thought, I'm not sure it's so much a different generation of teens making the difference, but rather a different generation of writers.

I bet that, as the body of YA lit grows, more writers/publishers fear the absent/antagonistic parent motif is simply cliche. It's certainly something I worry about in my writing. I've got a deadbeat dad in one book and a dead mother in another. There's only so many times you can pull that off before it feels obvious and mechanistic.

In any case, I think parents will always be natural antagonists. They don't need to be abusive or negligent. Good parents can be some of the best/worst antagonists there are, because they butt into their children's lives with curfews and concerned questions and rules. These healthily antagonistic parent/child relationships aren't enough to build a novel on, of course, but they'll always be available to provide another layer of tension to the main conflict.

The fall issue of SCBWI Illinois' Prairie Wind is online, with the fourth installment of author Carmela Martino's series on naming characters, "What's in a Name?"

I'm all aglow because she cites a couple of my blog posts from a few months back about character-naming issues—and, amazingly, I don't sound like a complete idiot. Yes, sounding like a complete idiot is one of my big fears. For as often as I sound like a complete idiot, I'm still not quite used to it.

But read the article because, truly, it's not just about me. It's about how names' sound and connotation (etymological or personal) affect characterization. Carmela points out that depending on connotation can be an iffy thing because names may evoke different meanings for different readers. (Thinking of naming a character Rudolf? Are your readers going to think "red-nosed reindeer" or "Nazi war criminal"?)

While reading, I thought of the four March sisters in Little Women. Perhaps it's just because they are so familiar to me, but could the girls' names be more perfect? Meg, starting with that warm "mmm" like "mommy." Meg reminds me of nutmeg, the warm, sweet smells of baking, very domestic—and Meg, of course, often must act as mother to her sisters. Then there's Jo, an abrupt name, gender-ambiguous, evoking the brash, tomboyish character. Beth, a name that no matter how loudly you say it ends with a sigh, a whisper; sure enough, sweet, gentle Beth fades away. Finally, Amy, a stalwart, no-nonsense name with a bit of a whine from the long "a"; again, it suits Amy, spoiled baby of the family, to a tee.

I never could get over the name Laurie for the boy next door, though. That's a nickname that hasn't withstood the test of time.

Thanks to Carmela's article, I've also got a new blog to read now: author Darcy Pattison's Revision Notes. She posts frequently with ideas about how to approach different children's book genres, plus tips and information about the children's book industry—for example, What Kids Think Is Funny and 12 Picture Book Topics to Avoid. Looks like meaty reading!

(Regarding the post title: it's literal, of course, but tonight I also began watching the BBC's Brideshead Revisited. I'm enjoying it so far but am afraid it will all end in tears. No, I have not read the book. No spoilers, please!)

I hate thinking of titles for manuscripts. I'm terrible at it! When I'm working on a project, I generally refer to it in my notes as "So-and-So's story" or by something that figures into the plot, such as "goats!"

Eventually a phrase from the text pops out that encapsulates the story for me, and I go with it as a title. But that doesn't mean it speaks to anyone but me. It might be bland. Or obscure. Or boring-sounding. And I have to go back to the drawing board.

(Understand that I only obsess about this stuff after all the heavy lifting is done—when I've revised as much as I can revise and I'm about to send it out into the world.)

Anyway, when my latest manuscript's working title was deemed non-grabby (true, alas), I did lots of brainstorming and came up with dozens of titles that were even worse than the first one! I also futilely Googled for novel-naming advice—futilely because there's no magic Book-Naming Fairy that lives on the Internet and just tells you what to name your book.

I did turn up a few fun/interesting sites worth sharing, though:

• Naming Your Baby: How to Choose a Selling Title - Straightforward advice and techniques for brainstorming and choosing a title for your fiction or nonfiction book.
• What's in a Name? Titles for Your Novel - This article is tailored to fantasy novels, but the various techniques can be easily adapted to any genre.
• Title Your Novel in Three Easy Steps! or, The Abstraction of Abstraction - Why not name your novel something completely vague and abstract? Everyone else is doing it! (I owe this one a chuckle and the title to this post.)
• Lulu Title Scorer - This "scientific" web toy will predict the probability of your novel becoming a bestseller, based on its title alone!

As for my manuscript—well, I did think of a new title eventually. Unfortunately, I can't swear it's any better than the old one. But according to the Lulu Title Scorer, it has a 79.6% chance of being a bestselling title! (The old one? A lowly 55.4.)