Adapting the Writing Process

I was thinking about doing a characterization this morning on a character I’m developing. That got me to thinking about my change as a writer over the years. It’s surprising to think how drastically I have adapted. Most think that writing is some sort of routine that we are somehow born with. But it really isn’t.

When I first started, it was all about the passion. I think that’s because I started writing as a teenager. I once had a friend say I write teenagers so well. That’s because everything is important, life/death, career-ending situations. The world is out to get them and they are on their own—that’s pretty much the mentality. I think I poured that passion into my writing. I was addicted to the flow of words and my emotion. Yet, very little was placed on where I was going with a story or who my characters were. 

There is something to be said for writing that way. It certainly radiates emotion from the page. But finishing a story was a struggle. I’d “write myself into a corner” or I’d fight with people who said the path wasn’t making sense. I was too invested in the experience that I wasn’t paying attention to what I was writing. 

As I moved into my twenties, I started looking at the plot. I wanted to be unpredictable, which meant I had to look at the journey a little more. For most of the time, I was still focused on the passion flowing within me through the words. But I had more of a focus. Yet, I still bucked the “planning” system, thinking it would stifle my creativity. 

As I move into my thirties, this view has started to change. I realized a lot of the issues with plot go away when there is a plan. I’ve discussed before that I had to gut the middle of The Lord of Nightmares after my first attempt at writing it. The main reason was because I really didn’t have a set idea of what I wanted to discuss. Was this a love story between The Lord of Nightmares and Madison?—believe it or not, that was the first idea. If not, then what was this? Who were these Nightmares? What was their purpose? What was I trying to say? Once I defined that, I took off with a new idea. 

I’ve seen the importance of research to answer these questions. I can define my civilizations more. I also have learned techniques for characters. I was having trouble with one until I analyzed them.  That character came alive. Writing his scenes became easier because I knew him. I knew exactly how he would respond and what he wanted to do. 

I wouldn’t go as far as to say in embrace all plot, character, and mapping outlines. But, I have started to identify the strengths of the basics. Who knows? Maybe my forties will be finally giving in to the entire outline. Writing is a process and as such is ever improving.

I Won't Reach My Goal...Maybe...

I am currently one book behind schedule according to my Goodread’s goal for this year. This isn’t all that surprising. I knew setting 20 books for 2014 was a bit of an overshot. I feel silly saying that because there are some who read twice—even three times—that number in a year. I contend they don’t write and they don’t have crazy jobs…but that’s probably just for self-preservation.

I had a discussion with a young, aspiring author this weekend at my latest book signing. Her parents expressed that she was an avid reader (as was I at her age). I said that was good. Writers should be readers. I have heard that belief from a number of well-known authors. I remember going through school and knowing some grammar just because it “looks right.” That’s from reading.

I had another discussion at the same event with a gentleman who was expressing his love for series. The three he listed I had never heard of—although, they are quite successful. This just proves the second point that I have always heard: don’t get into it for the fame and fortune.

I’ve discussed a lot about the series that I am currently reading. I know this is because I have been reading this 15 book series for about four years now. But, I am not a big series person. I love the concept of following characters I’ve invested time into. I also know publishers prefer this because it helps promote sales. However, as a reader, I have two problems with series.

One: it’s a huge commitment. I remember when the Left Behind series came out. I wanted to read it so bad. But, seven books…that are super huge….that’s a big commitment for a 14 year old, or at least that’s what I said. I never read Harry Potter (I’ll pause for the gasp here) because I knew it would be 7 books. By the time I was curious, it was too big. I felt like reading would equate to succumbing to a trend, and I try not to do that. So, to say that I am on book 10 of a series…I’m pretty proud about that.

But why do I love the Dresden files by Jim Butcher so much? I was talking with someone about the series at a writers meeting. I think I figured it out. One, the humor is just way too funny to hate. Two, this is basically a detective story that happens to have a main character as a wizard. I love the mock reality of that. And three, the main character is great and competent…but still flawed. It is the perfect combination in a character. I want to see how he survives…and sometimes there is doubt if he will.

So, I will continue to read. There are so many books still on my list. And, if I succeed in my goal of 20 books or not, I can say my life (and writing) is enriched through the experience.

Monday's Quote: Neil Gaiman

“Picking five favorite books is like picking the five body parts you'd most like not to lose.”~ Neil Gaiman

When I think about what my five favorite books of all time are, I can see where he comes up with this quote. There are so many great ones out there. It seems like each book I enjoy is for a different reason. However, they all come back to plot and characters. Did the books touch me in some way. Then, I really started thinking about it, and I discovered that most of my favorite books of all time come from childhood. I don't know if it's because the emotions of children are heightened so the books impacted me more or because the plots were so pure.

My favorite books are:
Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbit
Pretend You Don't See Her by Mary Higgins Clark
The Horse Whisperer by Nicholas Evans
Magic Bites by Ilona Andrews
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Then again, maybe there are others I haven't thought of. Like Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls, The Giver and Number the Stars both by Lois Lowry. Oh! Or Devils Arithmetic by Jane Yolen. Then from college, there's Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austin and A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens. And who could forget Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte--who is one of the only authors that completely shocked me with a twist I didn't see coming.

You know what, all books are fantastic! It is impossible to choose five. What are yours?

Favorite Scene in Zeus Defended

I decided to showcase one of my favorite scenes from Zeus Defended. It involves Jocasta, who is probably one of my favorite characters to write. I find this funny, because she is probably more of an “anti” heroine: she kills people for a living, she has questionable morals, and many of the people express fear of her. But, in her heart, she is trying to do the right thing and be the right way. She may not pick the right methods, but, despite her hardness and selfishness, she cares about her country. I think that makes her somewhat heroic…maybe just a flawed. So, here it is, my favorite scene. 

I cut out part of the reason this is my favorite. This is one of the first scenes I wrote after taking a writing class to help build my description abilities--although, for the sake of space, I didn't include the intro. The second reason it is my favorite is because it is where she decides to go against all training, to abandon what has been drilled into her in order to do the right thing: 

After a moment, Jocasta asked, “Do you ever question our duty?”

"In the Imperial Guard?”

Jocasta nodded.

Brasidas hesitated, looked around him, then said, “At times, but it is not my place.”

Jocasta nodded. “That’s what I used to say, too.”

“And now?”

Jocasta shrugged. “And now Alcaeus is dead.”

“He told me once that it was a citizen’s duty to question.”

“But we’re not citizens.”

The only sound in the room was new water rushing from the pipes to refresh the bath.

They were ghosts—sworn to protect the President to the death. Thinking was not in their nature. They acted. They acted for him. And yet they were soldiers of Zeus. Soldiers were ingrained with the instinct to defend the country to the death. Country before anything else—including life. Never did the two divisions of the army seem to serve separate entities. Yet, something had changed a month ago. A light had shown through a death. It illuminated a growing canyon between the army and the Imperial Guard. Did they in fact serve two separate objectives?

Jocasta didn’t like to look at her president through that kind of looking glass. She had lived in that distortion of a reality for the majority of her life. But something didn’t seem to fit anymore. Alcaeus’ death brought on too many unanswered questions. Why was he killed? Whose idea was it to lie and why did they lie? What did he want to tell her upon her return? He had said he wished to tell her something. Was it what she had suspected? Why would a man dedicated to serving his country suddenly find himself on the opposite side? But more disturbing to Jocasta was the final question. Would she join him?

Finally, Brasidas broke the silence. “No,” his voice echoing off the tile, “we are not citizens. We are Zeus.”

Their eyes locked for a moment. Jocasta nodded. “Yes, we are.”

Is There a Need for a Writing Filter?

I’m not sure what caused me to think about it this week, but I started pondering on the changes that the “independently published” movement would cause to the genres as we know it. In other words, people thought of agents and acquisition editors as roadblocks. They were the threshold guardians (a totally fantasy world term, but one that applies) who would deny passage to aspiring authors. They were the crushers of hopes and dreams on a purely exaggerated level.

But, what if they actually served a purpose? In other words, they had seen a lot and how audiences react. They’ve seen what books have “made it” in the market. I remember talking with an agent when I was first starting out about twelve years ago. He was angered because I killed a family in front of a small child in the first scene of my book. He said, “would you let your child read this?”—which was purely hypothetical because I was a teenager at the time. My answer was of course not because it is not “harry potter” children’s book fantasy. In fact, while most outsiders classify Atlantis Cursed as partly YA, I actually wrote it as “adult.” 

While he was off base on my intent, he had a valid point. If I was trying to sell to elementary school kids, then someone would need to say the scene was not appropriate. Even when blending genres, there are certain things we cannot do. For instance, we can’t say something is science fiction if it takes place in the past and has no scientific adaptations to our current reality. Likewise, we can’t sell a historical mystery if we want to write about a society living on mars in which there is no murder being investigated. Or, even worse, let’s look at a romance novel that has no love (or unfortunately lust with the trend at the moment) and instead is about a group of friends out camping. 

I know these are exaggerated to make a point, which is probably a logical flaw somewhere, but I think there is some merit for writers not to stay completely isolated. They need someone in the business to second guess some decisions. I may think something is great, but others may see it in a different way. And, if the entire market thinks so, then I have a problem. There is merit in seeking outside opinions. What will be the response? Will people interpret it in the same way as I intended? 

“Independently published” author is a little misleading. These authors should be anything but independent. They should be seeking outside sources more so than anyone else. They should seek beta readers and editors. I’m not a big component for critique groups due to my own experiences, but I have heard, when done right, these are also valuable. In other words, maybe we should make sure the response to our novels will be what we want or if we should address otherwise unforeseen issues.

Monday's Quote: Colum McCann

“Literature can remind us that not all life is already written down: there are still so many stories to be told.”~ Colum McCann

Photo taken from his goodreads profile

This was a popular quote from last week. I can see the appeal. I have always loved literature. I feel like it can truly open up someone's world. We can travel to different cultures and even worlds. We can dive into morality and social dilemmas. Literature grants access to some of the strongest debates, but in the safety of fiction.

Literature reminds us that life is not all written down. There is still things we can do. There are still experiences we can have. There are still discussions we can conduct. There are so many stories left to be told. In a world filled with movie re-makes, I think it is good to remember this. Literature is so rich and vibrant. Let us never forget that.

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Deleted Scene: Pandora Meets Pythagoras

In the original version of Zeus Defended, I showed Pandora meeting Pythagoras. In Atlantis Cursed, Pandora is credited for setting up a treaty with Zeus when she had fled the country. In later revisions, I felt it was better to start in the current Zeus and Jocasta's story instead of wasting time in this back story. Again, this is a little rough in the prose because it was cut early, but here is the deleted scene of Pandora meeting Pythagoras in the International Greeting Room:

"Make yourselves at home,” a deep voice said from behind. Thoricus and Pandora turned to see the President standing behind them. He wore slacks with a silk shirt and a matching sash tied around the waist. He looked young, despite his older age. His eyes reminded Pandora of something, but she couldn’t put her finger on exactly what. 

They all sat on one of the many chairs, Thoricus and Pandora on one side of the table, President Pythogoras on the other. Thoricus and Pandora sat on the edge of the chairs, their hands folded in their laps. Pythogoras, on the other hand, leaned back in the seat, his arms spread over the back and his legs crossed.

“I was surprised when I heard who was here to visit us today,” President Pythogoras said. By his demeanor, this could have been a casual conversation instead of a political agenda.
Pandora shrugged. “I thought it would be nice to see how our old friends were doing.”

Pythogoras smiled. “We’re doing better now. It was tough.” He paused, then added, “Nothing like your curse, I assure you.”

Pandora tried not to flinch. She forced a smile and shrugged. “The curse has been defeated. Now, Atlantis is trying to heal the wounds left behind.”

“I can understand,” Pythogoras said, trying to play the sympathetic role although the way he slowly tapped his fingers against the back of the chair suggested a lack of interest. 

“And what about your country? What have you overcome?”

Pythogoras shrugged. His attempt to belittle the problem failed, Pandora could see right through his politics. “Oh, nothing much. Right after the war ended, we discovered it was all in vane.”

“What do you mean?” Thoricus asked. 

Transferring his gaze to the captain, the president said, “The whole thing with the assassination of our princess not being the work of Aphrodite like we suspected. Turns out you all were right. A militia group within the country of Persephone claimed responsibility for her death.” Pythogoras laughed softly. “You’d think they could have mentioned it before we went into a four year war that devastated, as well as embarrassed, us.”

Thoricus shrugged. “I think that was their intention.”

Pythogoras studied him a moment. Pandora couldn’t tell if the president didn’t appreciate the comment or was just taking in the truth of it. Finally, Pythogoras nodded. “Yes, I believe that would fit them just right. Anyway, this news shattered an already broken nation. It didn’t take long for King Nike to be overthrown. Since then, we have had repeated troubles with the Persephone government. But I won’t bore you with the details. The point is, Persephone will soon learn their lesson and this whole thing will be over.”

Pandora smiled. “Well, I’m glad. Both our countries deserve to be happy. It was a mistake to go to war, but mistakes can be corrected.”

Pythogoras hesitated, then asked, “What exactly are you suggesting?”

“I don’t know if you are aware, but I am…” Pandora paused, her voice suddenly failing her. Quickly, she regained herself and corrected, “was married to King Sebastian. Since his death, I have taken control of Atlantis.”

Pythogoras smiled. “Ah, but I keep track of current events. Your country is in the middle of a civil war.”

“Yes, a civil war that the Senate will win.”

“And what weight does your word hold when the Senate regains power?” Pythogoras questioned with an edge of skepticism sharpening his voice.

“More than you think,” Pandora assured. “Look, Atlantis is wounded. From what I hear, so is Zeus. I think the best for both is to join forces once again and help each other gain back what was lost.”

Pythogoras thought about it for a moment then smiled. “Very well. I will sign a treaty with Atlantis as soon as the Senate regains power.”

Minutes later, President Pythogoras watched them leave. The second the door closed them out of the room, the picture belonging to Zeus swung open and an auburn haired woman with fierce eyes climbed out of hiding. She placed her shooter on a nearby table and approached him. 

“Why make a pact with them?” she asked with a frown.

Pythogoras’ smile widened into a smirk. He transferred his gaze to the young woman. “Because, Jocasta, Zeus can benefit from such a power. With Atlantis on our side, there is nothing stopping us from declaring war upon Persephone.”

“Even with Atlantis wounded?”

“Give them a year,” he assured. “They’ll be ready to prove to the world they are a top power once again.”