Category Archives: Writing

Dig Deep for a Story that Resonates

10 Friday Aug 2012

Posted by in Blake Snyder, Story, Writing

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What makes a story resonate? … The truth of its theme.

Simple, huh? Maybe for the Writing Pros, but when I first started on my writing journey? Not so much.

Theme Demystified

The THEME of a story relates to what the main character needs to become whole, happy, or fix a major character flaw.

How does that work, exactly? Glad you asked. The main plot (A story) focuses on the main character’s desire, what she wants. Then the subplot (B story) facilitates her coming to realize what it is she truly needs, and that changes her life.

Sound like gobbledy-gook? Yeah, I thought so too. I needed visual examples. Which is why Blake Snyder’s “Save The Cat!” approach to story works so well for me. Let me break it down for you…

Miss Congeniality

In Miss Congeniality, Gracie Hart (Sandra Bullock) is a woman in a predominantly male profession. She “wants” nothing more than to excel at her job and be taken seriously (A story). So much so that she shuns her femininity. The theme of this story comes out when Gracie states that she doesn’t need to worry about being feminine because she’s a FBI agent.  But is that true?

What Gracie “needs” is to realize that she will be more successful at her job by accepting her femininity, without dumbing-down. Through her interactions with the other beauty contest contestants (B story), she comes to realize that she can be tough and feminine. And it’s that combination that wins Gracie true respect from her fellow agents, along with the professional and personal success she’s been seeking.

“Wants” versus “Needs”

I’d like to say that I “got this” the first time Blake and Jose Siliero explained it to me. But, no. It took me a few stories and as many workshops for this concept to finally sink in. I’d be struggling with how to fix the story mess I had on my hands, when Jose would ask calmly, “What does your character want? What does your character need?” And as if by magic, I’d see the solution! (Hint, hint! Jose’s Beat Sheet Workshops are awesome!) Image credits: Miss Congeniality

Dig a Little Deeper

That’s what Blake Snyder would say whenever someone was stuck on a story beat that had to do with theme: “Dig a little deeper.”

So, it’s no wonder that I had another one of those “jump out of my seat in a packed movie theater” moments when the following scene from The Princess and the Frog  (Walt Disney Pictures) played across the screen. It was like Blake and Jose were the ones who were up there singing. Seriously.

Blake Snyder and Jose Siliero were story consultants on Princess and the Frog. Once again, it’s a testament to their contributions that this song was included in the movie. Image credits: The Princess and the Frog

Mama Odie tells the two main characters (who were turned into frogs by black magic): “You all want to be human, but you’re blind to what you need.” Then bursts into song…

Dig a little deeper, to find out who you are … When you find out who your are, you find out what you need…

This scene is hilarious, because it’s so true!

The “Save The Cat!” Giveaway WINNERS Are….

…..Drum roll…..

 *****Tosses Copious Amounts of Confetti *****

  • Tami Clayton
  • Janice Heck
  • Elaine Smothers

Yes THREE, count them THREE winners! BJ Markel, a long-time friend of Blake’s, is helping to support this Giveaway in Blake’s honor.

Inspiration or Envy? We Have a Choice

28 Saturday Jul 2012

Posted by in Ally Carter, Inspiration, Meg Cabot, Writing

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It’s conference time again, folks. And for me this is a benchmark-time-of-year. It’s when I assess the goals I made last year, and set new ones. You know…

  • Land “the” uber-agent
  • Lasso a ten-figure book deal
  • Out sell the Harry Potter series, by A LOT
  • Win the Pulitzer
  • Dance with the Stars (Hugh Jackman or Keanu Reeves, of course)

OK, I’m being a tad facetious. But that’s because this topic is usually charged with emotion. Whether we admit it or not, deep down we all want to succeed.

“Hitch your wagon to a star.” That’s what my dad always said. And he was right. If you don’t dare to dream big, you’ll never reach those heights.

Setting goals is good. But what happens when we got to a conference and meet up with writers we haven’t seen since the previous year’s conference, and they’ve landed “the” uber-agent, lassoed an umpteen-figure book deal, and are sharing the stage with J. K. Rowling on Friday night?

As I see it, we have two choices…

  1. Succumb to the Ogre of Envy and plummet into the Dungeon of Despair.
  2. Be inspired, recognizing their success as proof that our goals are attainable.

Hear me out…

Door #1: Follow the Ogre of Envy

Sure. It’s tempting to take the easy route and throw ourselves a Personal Pity Party. But before plunging to our doom, let’s look at what this option robs us of. Hanging out with the Ogre of Envy is the quickest way NOT to accomplish our goals. Nothing stunts motivation and creativity more than buying into negativity. What’s behind this door can only hold us back. Not to mention that if we stay in the dungeon long enough, we’ll end up looking like the ogre.

Not a good look on anyone. Just sayin’.

Door #2: Be Inspired

This choice may seem hard at first, but using the accomplishments of others as proof that our goals are possible is the only real way to win. The down low on this must do is … it’s the quickest way to be successful AND be happy along the way.

It’s no secret that inspiration opens the doors of possibility and potential. It helps too, if we to take “time” out of the (success) equation. How fast we get to the next milestone isn’t as important as accomplishing the goal to the best of our ability. Always remember: Measuring our progress against others stifles inspiration, and is a sure-fire shortcut to a permanent stay in the ogre’s dungeon. Don’t do it!

Staying Inspired

Being inspired for a few days or weeks is one thing. Staying inspired over the long haul can take serious determination. But it’s always worth the effort. In fact, it’s the best investment you can make in your writing.

One thing that’s worked for me is following authors whose work I admire on Twitter and reading their blogs. Invariably I learn the story behind their journey to publication, and see the truth in the saying: “There is no such thing as an overnight success.”

Ally Carter, author of the Gallagher Girl series, posted a wonderful letter on her blog recently, a letter to herself as a “baby author” circa 2004. It’s a wonderful piece filled with wisdom and inspiration for any writer, no matter where you are on your journey.

Meg Cabot, author of the Princess Diaries series, is another inspiration for me. Her web site has a page of frequently asked questions. There, she states that she queried agents for three years straight before landing her agent, and it was another year before she signed her first book contract. On a live Goodreads interview, Meg said she worked at a day-job for ten years before quitting to write full-time. Watch the interview by clicking these links:

When all else fails …

I read a quote from our 16th President that I have pasted on my wall:

Always bear in mind that your resolution to succeed is more important than any one thing. –Abraham Lincoln

What do you do to stay inspired in your writing?

Inquiring minds want to know!

Live or Die … by Your First Line

01 Friday Jun 2012

Posted by in Elizabeth Fais, Story, Writing

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Your life depends on one sentence … what would you say?

A little drastic. But you kept reading. Right? Which was the point. First lines matter. A lot. Especially for a young audience. Texting and tweeting has narrowed the overall attention span to 140 characters. Or less.

Which means you have to grab your reader on the First Line, hook them by the First Paragraph, and hold them captive by the First Page.

Richard Peck’s essay on the importance of opening lines (November 2006, Horn Book Magazine) changed my writing. He said that, “The most important secret of writing . . . you are only as good as your opening line.”

I thought that was kind of harsh at first. Then, I spent a lot of time going to bookstores and libraries and reading ONLY first lines. And I came to see that he’s right. The books that had amazing first lines I ended up reading.

A great opening line shouldn’t be just about shock-value. It should set the tone of the story, reveal character,  conflict, and theme. It’s the promise of the premise … in encapsulated form. Not easy to do. at all. I know (from first-hand experience). But when a first line is done well, it has an awesome effect on a reader! Something I also learned first-hand. Which is why, I now work on the opening line of a story until it has the grab-em-and-keep-em hook of a smash-hit movie trailer.

Gotta Love those “Firsts”…

From all those “one line stands” I fell in love with more than a few books

All from reading … one … single … sentence.

And if it can happen to me, I am sure it happens to young readers. When they read an opening line that takes their hand and leads them into a world of imagination and wonder.

Here are a few of my all-time favorite opening lines:

  • “If your teacher has to die, August isn’t a bad time of year for it.” THE TEACHER’S FUNERAL by Richard Peck.
  • “I come from a family with a lot of dead people.” EACH LITTLE BIRD THAT SINGS by Deborah Wiles.
  • “When the doorbell rings at three in the morning, it’s never good news.” STORMBREAKER by Anthony Horowitz.
  • “I witnessed the kidnapping of Betty Ann Mulvaney.” TEEN IDOL by Meg Cabot.
  • “Being dead became fashionable approximately forty-five minutes after Samantha ‘the Divine’ Devereaux came back from summer break.” DEAD IS THE NEW BLACK by Marlene Perez.
  • “My name is India Opal Buloni, and last summer my daddy, the preacher, sent me to the store for a box of macaroni-and-cheese, some white rice, and two tomatoes and I came back with a dog.” BECAUSE OF WINN-DIXIE by Kate DiCamillo.
What first line hooked you into reading the entire story?

Jumping In and Dialing Back

21 Monday May 2012

Posted by in Elizabeth Fais, Reality Check, Writing

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Yep, that’s me…

I’m jumping back in to my work in progress (WIP) for (hopefully!) a final revision. Why another revision, you ask?

Well … I enlisted the services of a terrific freelance editor for a professional perspective on my WIP, and there’s work to be done before I can seriously hop on the submission train with this project.

The reality of her comments, though less glamorous than my dream of instant best-sellerdom, was all-in-all delightfully encouraging. I’m 100% behind the changes she suggested, because I know they will make the story stronger. So, with leap-for-joy enthusiasm, I’m rolling up my sleeves and throwing myself in to revision-mode.

But here’s the thing…

While time is indeed relative, there’s only so much of it in a day. And since “the book” has to be my most important focus … after my day-job that is … I’m dialing  back on the blog posts until this revision is complete.

I know. A blog post a week is hardly enough to stay connected in the bloggasphere. And even that might be a challenge once I’m submersed in my manuscript and swimming in my story.

But an author’s gotta do what she’s gotta do.

Life happens. And for everything there is a season, as Kristen Lamb wisely stated in a recent post. I’m entering Revision Season … which will pass in time too. If I stay focused on my WIP and the work at hand, that is.

Trust me, this is NOT farewell. I’m just slowing down on the blog posts so I can increase my WIP revision speed. That’s all. I’ll give a shout out whenever I come up for air. That’s a promise!

So … what season are you in these days?
Inquiring minds want to know!