Being Reductive

I've been thinking a lot about being reductive.

When someone boils down a complicated, nuanced concept into an oversimplified phrase, he or she is accused of being reductive. We rebuke the person who dares to rob issues of their complexity, rendering dialogue inauthentic or incomplete.

In fiction, reductive character development is the kiss of death. Who wants to read about a simple person? We want all the inner conflict and confusion we see in ourselves. We want to read about the person we love to hate alongside the person we're cheering for.

However I think being selectively reductive can play an important role in our writing, especially in middle grade and young adult writing, and I want to argue that case.

Let me be clear: I do not for one minute underestimate my readers. They are mature, sophisticated thinkers - much more so than I was at that age.

But some of the concepts we're writing about are things they're just discovering their own opinions about -- and I fear that sometimes in our zeal to be complete, we can try too hard.  There's nothing wrong with using universal terms that are easier to understand.

In television news, we tell very short stories. Usually about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. This includes sound bites from interview subjects.  We hone our writing craft toward the pithy, the simplistic, the reductive -- in order to keep it short.

Sometimes it's easy -- Snowmageddon coming! Prepare! Evacuate!
Weather is simple. We predict, we react. (WE ARE HYPER-DRAMATIC) Sometimes we get surprised.

People are not simple. They do beautiful and terrible things for nuanced reasons.

 Terrorists kill French satirists.

North Koreans terrorize the entertainment industry.

We connect with each other on a very simple, reductive level by slapping labels and hashtags on the news of the day.



I think there's value in this - in spite of the fact that the nuance gets flattened.

In books, we get to explore nuance. We get to have unreliable narrators and vulnerable villains, we can explore a troubled sibling relationship and allow for change. Or not.

Characters lie, change their minds, are achingly sincere, and stunningly oblivious -- and by the end of the book, we understand why, even if we don't like their reasons or agree.

Sometimes the best way to keep the author from getting in the way of his or her own narrative is to be simple -- even reductive -- in order to let the characters work things out for themselves.

What do you think?

First Conference - No Longer a Newbie

So, conferences!!

I finally attended my first SCBWI.

I awoke at an hour I thought I'd escaped when my youngest started sleeping through the night .... and drove to Scottsdale.

It was everything I'd hoped for. Nice people, smart and funny faculty, and I learned things -- lots of great things.

For example, here's something interesting: when you're querying, even if you've never been published, you should be clear that you're querying your 2nd (or 3rd or 4th or whatever) novel. According to John Cusick of Greenhouse Literary, this way an agent can see that you're working on your craft  -- especially if you're querying the same agents. And querying the same agents, he says -- even if they've declined your projects in the past -- is a good thing to do, because it shows you're actually interested in working with those agents.

Yay! Because I was under the impression that since I've never been published, I had to query each novel as my "first" -- even though I'm actually about to start querying my 3rd.

And I was delighted to hear that querying the same agents is ok too. I researched carefully but did not query my entire list with my first novel. I'm a fan of querying in small batches so I can see whether what I'm throwing against the wall will stick. Obviously my first novel needed work, which is why it garnered NO interest and why it is now in the TO BE REVISED pile.

 I was sad when I thought I'd no longer be able to try again with the agents I'd already queried, even though I think my second novel is better, and am hoping my third will be even closer to good.

Another glad tiding: it's ok to get dark with #MG. I've torn apart my current ms because I was afraid I had written too scary. In spite of the likes of Garth Nix and Neil Gaiman, I wondered whether a new author could really get away with don't-turn-out-the-lights stuff.

According to both Jaida Temperly of New Leaf Literary and Alison Weiss of Egmont USA, it's ok. Those of us writing scary and dark -- for Upper MG at least -- are ok. As long as it's good writing, of course.

Again, yay!!

Anyone else out there writing scary right now?

The Query Contest

I've been calling it the #querytrenchblues because the query process feels intimidating and sometimes a little dark. It can be a brain-melting loop of edits to sharpen and shine your ms, especially the first 10, along with endless attempts to encapsulate your brilliant novel in that one-page-come-hither flirtatious wink that is the query letter.

Of course, there comes a time when you have to just swallow hard and submit. Whether you're offering up the 4th or 5th or 20th revision, the act of hitting "send" feels like mustering the courage to fall in love again after your heart's been broken.

And this is why query contests rock -- because there's so much support here to help you find the courage to try again and - bonus! - provide crowd-sourced wisdom to help you make this next effort the one that will work.

A month ago, I never thought I would enter any contests because I felt nervous about sharing my work - even a query - with such a big group of people. I mean, betas, definitely, CP's, yes! But the WHOLE TWITTERVERSE???? Then I dipped my toe into  #Pitmad and discovered something wonderful. The online writing community and the amazing authors who host these contests are SO GREAT!!!!

I come from a gloves-off, casual-cruelty-is-the-norm business, so this kind of earnest, sincere support actually, literally brings tears of relief to my eyes. It's so civilized here in this world!! #Happy.

So for those of you still on the fence about trying one, like I was,  I wanted to tell you, go! go! go! Try one!! To make my point more elegantly, I am thrilled to share with you some comments from the hosts of #sunvssnow, Michelle Hauck and Amy Trueblood.

 Heather: How did Sun vs Snow come about?  

Michelle: 
I couldn't help noticing the contrast between the weather where I live in Indiana and the warmth of my friend Amy Trueblood's area of the country, Arizona. I wanted to do something to liven up the bleh of winter and a query contest taking advantage of the different winter weathers seemed perfect! Agents said yes and the rest is history.  :-)

Amy:

The contest is actually the brain child of Michelle Hauck. She approached me in late October, 2013 and asked if I'd be interested in hosting a contest with her. Michelle and I have known each other for a while and I respected what she did with both Query Kombat and Nightmare on Query Street, so agreeing to host was a "no-brainer" for me!

 

Heather: What are the benefits of participating in Sun vs Snow or any of the other query contests out there?

Michelle:

Querying is a daunting business. I mean even successful querying results in 80 percent rejection. Besides the expected benefit of getting some writers requests from agents, anything to add fun to the grim business is very welcome to my mind. Plus, contests help create a sense of writing community by bringing people together. That's a benefit that can last long after the contest is over. And Sun versus Snow in particular has the advantage of mentors helping writers improve their queries and first pages for the long haul.

Amy:

There are three benefits I think:

1) Getting great feedback from seasoned writers who can help you refine your work.

2) Networking within the writing community. Before Michelle and I even put up the submission details, there was already a group swapping queries and pages and working on their entries together. It's really cool to get to bring people together like that!

3) Getting the opportunity to stand apart from the slush pile which can be very helpful!

 Heather: What was the best  "learning moment"  for you that came out of this contest? 

Michelle:

There are always learning moments. Reading so many queries (212 this time) certainly teaches me what works and what doesn't stand out so much in a query and first page. It also gives me a taste of what agents experience on a daily basis and gives me that much more respect for them. 

Amy:

First, I love this question. Second, I think that all work is subjective. One person may LOVE your work, while another may not be so enthused. The key is to look at the feedback as a whole and decide what makes the most sense for your characters and plot.

 

Heather: Is there a "season" for query contests, or are they held year round?

Michelle:

They've pretty much become year round. I try to space mine out in order to draw new material with each contest.  I co-host Query Kombat in May/June, Nightmare on Query Street in October, and now Sun versus Snow in January/February

Amy:

I'd say most contests are year round. And there are some great ones out there:

PitchWars

Cupid's Blind Speed Dating

Writer's Voice

Pitchmas

Just to name a few.

 Heather: Any quick bits of advice for aspiring writers?  

Michelle:

Don't be afraid to try things out of your comfort zone. Don't hesitate to interact with your fellow writers and form friendships that will help you forever. Never quit.

Amy:

Don't send out your work until you've had it vetted by other writers in your category and genre. Another set of eyes can help you see where your plot is failing or where your voice is inconsistent. Nothing can replace having a great stable of beta readers and critique partners to help you polish your work.

Heather: Last question - do you plan to publish the "Alternates" that didn't make the teams?  

Michelle:

Actually Amy and I have permission from our two alternates to post their queries right after Sun versus Snow ends. Which opens a Critique Workshop opportunity for anyone who entered Sun versus Snow. They can comment with feedback on the alternates' posts and in return I'll post as many of their entries as I can manage. The success of the Critique Workshop will really depend on writers leaving feedback for each other. I'm sure I can depend on that. I've found that writers love to help other writers! 

Amy:

Yes. At the conclusion of the contest, Michelle and I are going to post our alternates and work with them on feedback.

Thanks so much, Michelle and Amy, for your time and for paying it forward by sharing your expertise with the rest of the community.

If you participated in #SunvsSnow and want to take part in the Critique Workshop, keep following the Twitter hashtag #sunvvssnow.

To get some great advice on what does and doesn't work in a query, I really recommend you read through the queries that have been mentored and are now being critiqued by agents on both Michelle's (#TeamSnow) and Amy's blogs (#TeamSun). And even if you're burned out on queries for now, read the blogs anyway. They each feature helpful agent and author interviews plus other great writerly thoughts.

Michelle: www.Michelle4Laughs.blogspot.com 

Amy: www.chasingthecrazies.wordpress.com 

 Also note that the ubiquitous Michelle is a Bouncer on the Cupid's Blind Speed Dating Contest, which is open for entries until tonight!

Good luck, everyone, and as always, 

Be Brilliant.

 

Trying Too Hard

I really truly do not want to sound like an old fart. But Miley? On last night's American Music Awards?

 Trying WAY too hard. Way too hard.

I get the imagery, symbolism, all the other attempts at artistic representation. The other words for "cat", the fact that it sticks out its tongue, the message she's trying to send to the "establishment", all of it.

But.

Seriously. If you have to go to such extreme lengths to make a point or get attention, isn't something off?  

I know, I've already Tweeted and Facebooked this, but I figured I'd make the trifecta with a post since I've neglected the blog so long.

What I was thinking as I watched the winking Universe kitty was, first of all, the song itself (Wrecking Ball) is decent and fun, sort of anthem-y, and Miley's voice is so strong, why did she want to distract from that power she held all by herself?

And I was also thinking, this is exactly the problem I am having with the first line of my WIP.

I am trying too hard.

But I feel driven, because my first line is really humdrum. I mean, REALLY. The definition of "meh".
And I just haven't been able to come up with anything better.
And I want to send out a new query.
So last week, I took a terrific query writing Webinar (WD : Beyond the Query, with Jennifer Laughran, whose blog is linked on my sidebar) and got some great advice for query writing. So THIS week, armed with a freshly edited query letter and some new (good, I think) edits on the first 10 pages, I am back in the first line trenches.
Argh.

But it's still just dogging me, and I write a new one a day, which a little crazy. (!!!).

Maybe I just need to let it sit, marinate, and stop trying to wink at the universe.  
Yah, right.
I'm too hyper to meditate on it for long, but Miley does give me pause (paws) .....  (sorry, couldn't help it)

NANOWRIMO

Kudos and salutations to all you brave people doing #NaNoWriMo right now.

I'm writing about it today because I'm new to this concept, as I am to most other things in this writerly world. So to learn more about it, I've been following Twitter to see what people are doing and what they are saying about what they are doing.

(For those who are where I was a few weeks ago: it means National Novel Writing Month. The deal is, you sign up, you agree to write at least 50K words toward a novel, and you get to "track" your word count every day plus chat online with everyone else doing it, plus take advantage of lots of encouraging advice and online help, plus weed through a lot of vendors who want to "help".)

And what I have learned is that I envy anyone who can take the time to set and work toward those amazing goals. Whether it's because they have no kids or no spouse or perhaps an amazingly helpful/understanding spouse who will care for the kids, or grown kids or flexible work hours or no work hours at all or whatever. Because that's what it takes to be able to set and live up to those goals, and again, I say, HOW GREAT!!

I mean that - I am not being snarky. Those who know me know that I am not a snarky person, for the most part. I mean, I do have my moments... but mostly I am kind of Polyanna (don't judge) about the whole thing and I say, let everyone who can, do. And bravo to them for doing.

But I am also just going to say, as an example of another way of doing things, that I set very fluid goals. My goals are based on completing scenes and certain developments within a certain time frame, rather than word count. Because let's be real, if I set specific word count goals, I will:

1) stress too much about the word count and then forget to hug my kids,

2) stress too much about the word count and then forget to feed my family,

3) stress too much about the word count and then be too stressed.

So #NaNoWriMo just doesn't work for me, practically or conceptually.

I'm the first to admit, I'm lucky. I don't do this for a living, I do this because I simply can't get through the day without telling more of the story. My actual ability to sleep at night is dependent on whether I got it out of my head onto paper. (OK, well, onto the computer. Showing my age here.) My WIP is a set of stories I can't keep inside anymore, and so I write. 

And I care for my children all day.

And I manage my home.

And I work on course design, etc. whenever I need to for my paying gig. (Graduate School USA)

And, I really want to be a writer. I mean a real one. You know, the kind with an agent and a pub date and cover art.

(No, I am not a privileged, moneyed Mommy who doesn't have to work and so I while away the long empty hours piddling away at a book. (NO MOMMY WARS ALLOWED HERE)

I am an at-home Mommy by choice who left a lucrative career in tv news where I had the same affliction -- I simply couldn't get through the day without telling the story as best I could.)

But I digress.

For those of you who can't or have chosen not to do NaNoWriMo, please do not stress. Do not use it as the litmus test for how real an author you are or how dedicated you are to your WIP.

If you're so moved, be glad for the success of those who are in the throes and enjoying the camaraderie right now, but PLEASE do not worry that you do not have the chops to be a good writer or won't ever finish your novel just because you can't find the GIANT BLOCK OF TIME you need to do this thing.

Push yourself, to be sure. I mean, REALLY push yourself to write. (And edit, edit, edit, revise, revise, revise) You can't do it if you don't have the fire in the belly, even on the days when you don't. 
But also: write what you can when you can, set the kind of goals you can live with, and - 

Be brilliant.

Writerly Tip #6: Prune Them and They Will Grow

Too true.
At the very beginning of my querying process, an agent told me my ms was too long. I had to cut at least 40-thousand words. 
It hurt, hurt, hurt, but the truth was, (And I secretly knew this) the cutting was a healthy, good thing. 
What she told me was, cut the first 50 pages. You probably don't need them. Actually, what she said was, you the author needed to write those first 50 pages because they helped you get to know your characters and their backstory. But the book itself, the story itself, really doesn't need them.
And of course she was right.
I cut the first 50 pages, bleeding profusely as I did, and discovered a better book within.
I love what Whedon says because it reminds me of the wisdom of the First 50 Pages rule. Plus, he's right.
I've done that before too - when I found myself looped endlessly in a scene trying to make it make sense, I finally cut it and tried something different.
Tada!!!!!!!
For those of you who garden, this analogy may work: prune them and they will grow.
Thanks to Buzzfeed for the list of 24 quotes from famous writers from whence this quote (and the inspiration for this post) comes.'

Writerly Tip #5: People Can Be Petty

A friend called today to vent about not-so-professional warfare going on at work. It's the old One Colleague Out To Get Another story. It goes something like this:

Colleague #1 is a decent person, cares about quality - and here's the rub - is better at the job than #2. BUT - Colleague #2 outranks #1, and thus is able to subject #1 to humiliating and professionally damaging experiences.  Most seem to agree #2 is the bully, but no one can - or will - do anything about it.

Didja follow all that? No worries. The synopsis: Insecure, bad people in the work place.

Anyone lived this story before? I know you have. Cause I've seen it.

My reaction when I hear a story like this is why in the world can't people learn how to do their jobs better rather than try to take down the competition? Isn't that a smarter way to compete than to kill everyone off? Then, in the end, you're ACTUALLY GOOD AT YOUR WORK.

Doh.


And because I am so painfully logical, I often struggle to allow my characters to be illogical. I don't want them to be mean/quixotic/spiteful/stupid/irrational/insecure!!! Because I don't want people in general to be that way.

But the thing is, no one wants to read about perfect people.

And, ahem, I guess in spite of my high flying ideals, I am still a work in progress myself. And so I listen to my friend, let him vent, and remember the lesson: people can be petty. And I can't clean it up, even for fiction, if I want them to be believable characters.

The Giver

Talking about THE GIVER today. Even though it was published in 1993, it's in the news a lot these days because it's being made into a movie. 
And because this young woman has been cast in said movie:

She's been cast in a role that has more emotional than actual presence in the book, so it will be interesting to see what they've done to expand that role.

AT ANY RATE, because this is mostly a blog about writing, I decided that instead of discussing the entire book and its many attributes, I will just note one particular thing about the way Lois Lowry crafted her story, a thing that has become a writerly tip for me and (I hope) for others:
 I aspire to her ability to reveal.

<SPOILER ALERT>

It isn't until page 94 (of a 179-page book) that we learn our main character Jonas and all his friends and family do not see colors. The Giver tells Jonas that the fleeting glimpse of a "mysterious quality" he has seen in an apple and in his friend's hair is the color red.
Wow.
And wow again.
Under less skilled hands, we would have learned that fact much earlier in the book. But Lowry deftly, patiently grows her world of "Sameness" for us, establishing the concept of a one-note society in which you are assigned your family, your profession, your home. And even though, as you read about this world where there are no real animals or cars, and you slowly become horrified by the lack of choice and personality and individuality, it never occurs to you (or it didn't to me) that these poor sods can't even see the color of each other's hair, much less the sky, grass, and trees around them. And there's a brief mention of an Aryan Empire-style attempt to breed away skin color as well so that everyone is the same.
Bu they can't see color. All they can comprehend is that some people - like Jonas - have light eyes. But those people are considered "different", and thus are shamed by that quality and no one talks about it for fear of embarrassment.

So I aim to reveal as well as Lowry, and I look forward to seeing the fun they will have putting this moment on film.

And as I have done before, I encourage all the writers out there to use this talent for revealing to make your own work better.

Be brilliant! (And colorful)


 

Writerly Tip #4: Write it Anyway

For a while, it was vampires, werewolves, angels, and zombies. And dystopia and paranormal. And dystopia. And vampires. Have I said vampires and dystopia yet?

But as always happens, literary agents for YA fiction began to sense a weariness in the publishers. So now, much is being made lately of the new trend in agent wishlists: contemporary YA fiction. Like THE FAULT IN OUR STARS, reviewed on this blog.

Where does that leave those of us would-be YA authors who do not have a contemporary novel burning in our imaginations or evolving on our computers?

Exactly where we are now.

The fact that agents are looking for fresh contemporary does not mean you should shelve your project. If it's good, they'll buy it. If it's good, and it catches their attention, which is a whole other subject, as you all well know. (Sweat pours off the brows of those of you thick in the querying process)

Listen, I'm not an agent, so I can't say I'm speaking from the horse's mouth or anything. But - like you - I read a lot of agent blogs and articles about what they want and what I am seeing is, they still just mostly want good writing. That's all any of us really want, right?
I mean, of course, they sense the trends and they are staying on top of those trends because that's their job, and we're grateful for the fact that they have their fingers in the wind.

But does this new trend mean you must now change your novel midstream? Should you shelve a great idea that burned in your soul for months before you finally decided to turn it into a book? 

No, I honestly don't think so. What I think is, Write the Book. And as I said before and of course it's a no-brainer (but not easy to accomplish), MAKE IT GOOD.
And they will come. I think.

Please note, I'm not encouraging you to buck the trend. Trends are important to pay attention to if you want to get published. But I am saying, if you're already writing, don't give up. It's not like the appetite for all the other stuff has completely disappeared.

(Well, maybe vampires really are played out. Except for the fact the The Vampire Diaries is like, the number one show on CW)

So there's that.

Anyway, I say, just finish writing the thing. If it's good, (sometimes even if it's not) people will read/watch it.  They just do - the genre never really seems to disappear completely.  Especially if there's a romance angle. (Again - Vampire Diaries. And Walking Dead, although the latter isn't YA)

 Anyone out there struggling with the fear that your ms is out of step with the current trends?

Writerly Tip #3: Foil the Freeze

This is what came up when I googled images of brain freeze. This and a whole bunch of icee- and slurpee-related things, but well, this was just so much better. 

I get brain freeze sometimes when I'm trying to find the right word. Or phrase something exactly, or describe a thing. I'll be happily trundling along, my story unfolding before me as I wish it to, and BAM. 

I can no longer articulate.

I spend some time on the Thesaurus; it helps a little but still, not quite. Because you know what? My brain sometimes protests. 
"What, you want me to come up with the perfect word/phrase/feeling all the time, exactly when you want it? In spite of the fact that you have a million things on your mind all the time and you're almost always very, very tired? "
 Well, yes.

But, as I said, my brain doesn't always cooperate in spite of how reasonably I talk to it.

Here's what I do then: put the word/phrase/concept in (parentheses) or italics and come back to it later.
Because otherwise the flow, the groove is interrupted by the search for the word/phrase/concept and I almost never actually find it at that moment.

So here's my tip: Foil the brain freeze. Just move on, keep writing, and come back to it later. Don't let it derail you. This is not the time to check Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, shop Zulily,  and then get a snack and then, whatever. Keep writing. Finish the section you planned to finish.

Then take that break.
And then come back to it.

*Cue Angels Singing* 

In spite of its protestations, your brain actually will keep secretly ruminating,and when you come back to it, the word/phrase/concept is usually right there, like there was never a problem in the first place. Along with a few more ideas for how to make that section perfect.

And let's face it, you're going to be editing a million times more anyway, so the idea really is just to get it down on paper as a place to start, right?

Writerly Tip #1: No Sledgehammers, Please

I am obsessed with clarity (perhaps a relic from the TV news days) - and thus sometimes I over share, over explain, overdo. 
Reveal, I must remind myself.
Too many facts all at once equals sledgehammer, not story telling.
I have to remember, and I think it bears consideration for others as well, that in real life we don't learn it all, all at once, right?
We reason step by step through problems - and don't always think of the right answers right away, or even come up with the right answers at all. We discover things about other people a little at a time.
Our lives happen one moment at a time, and while sometimes we reflect on past moments that brought  us here, most of us don't live in constant recap mode.
So, I say to myself and suggest to other writers, hold back a detail here and there - save it for later. Let characters and plots build block by block rather than laying it all out at once.

I love these writing rules from Elmore Leonard:

1.  Avoid detailed descriptions of characters.
2.  Don't go into great detail describing places and things.
3.  Try to leave out the part that readers tend to skip.

#writingtips, #cuewritingmuse