What? You Had Plans?

I had every intention of getting so much done yesterday. I knew I had to write the backmatter for the book that is due today. And I had to do a hard copy revision and enter the changes which need to include increasing the reading level. I had hoped to get a chapter or three done.

I got most of the backmatter done.

And that’s just the way that some days go. My son didn’t head into work at the usual time. I normally don’t see him from Wednesday early am through Saturday or Sunday dinner so this was a nice change. And my husband had the day off so . . . family time!

I know that I can get a hard copy revision done in a single day. I sit it the dining room with a cup of coffee and said hard copy. I make changes on one chapter. Then I come in here and make the changes on the computer. Then it is back to the dining room. Then back to the office. Then to the dining room, etc.

I have to admit that the back and forth irritates my husband endlessly. But I’ve also learned the hard way that if I try to do it start to finish on the hard copy and then start to finish entering changes, I get stir crazy. I start making careless mistakes. But even this little bit of movement helps.

This is something that I try to explain to my writing students. This is what works for me. Will it work for you? I don’t know. You’ll have to try and let me know, because each of us is different so what works for each of us is different as well. And what works for me today may not be what works for me next year. By then, I too will be a different person.

The important thing is to find what work right now. Speaking of which . . . back to the dining room.

–SueBE

Revising Is Like Feeding Toddlers

It just hit me this week that revising is exactly like trying to feed a picky eater. Or ten picky eaters! If I do X, then that won’t work. If I do Y, then this will be wrong. Z is just a bad idea!

At first, I thought that this was only the case when I’m revising for a committee. When I revise my work-for-hire, I’m usually working based on comments by my editor, the head editor, sometimes the series editor, and the content expert. It can mean reading through lengthy debates only to discover that it is fine as is, or it will be fine once I make this tiny, little change. It can also mean having to pick my way through 24 comments on one page. And, no, I’m not exaggerating. It may be rare, but it does happen.

But then I realized that this is still the situation when I am revising a piece without any editorial commentary at all. This paragraph doesn’t work right here. But if I take it out here, I have to work in the information somewhere else and there isn’t any place it will fit. Still, if I leave it out, I expect my editor to say something.

It is simply very true.

Ninety percent of writing is rewriting. I actually enjoy watching a manuscript come together but I have to admit that it is easier to enjoy once I’ve built up some momentum.

Until then, I know that broccoli won’t work, green beans are hateful, and who ever thought that tuna smells edible? Some days I just have to find the many things that won’t work until I’m left with the one that will.

Just like feeding a picky eater.

–SueBE

5 Elements Every Mystery Needs

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Yesterday I was reading an email that discussed mystery novels, and it used a term that I had never seen before. It referred to a certain group of mysteries as how-done-its. You know who they killer is, or you think you do, but you don’t know how they pulled it off. Noodling that one over, I realized that whichever aspect is most prominent, there are five elements that every mystery needs.

A Mystery or Crime to Solve

99.9% of the mysteries I read are murder mysteries so first and foremost you need a victim. If not a victim, you need another mystery to solve. Perhaps someone has been setting fires or releasing animals at the zoo.

If it is a mystery for young readers, it might be as simple as who at the last piece of cake. Or who took Dad’s birthday present? Or where did the class guppy go? Whatever the age of your reader, you need a mystery.

Who Done It?

You also need to know who did it? Who is it that everyone is trying to catch? I almost said “who is it that all the clues point to,” but in reality the clues need to point to who done it but also someone else if you are writing a mystery for tweens, teens, or adults.

If you are working on a picture book mystery, you may not need to have the character suspect someone else. It may be enough to have the character following clues. It will depend how young your readers are.

Recently, I discovered that not everyone knows who the culprit is when they begin writing their mystery. But I am a writer who needs to know from the start.

Why?

Whatever the crime is, your culprit needs to have a reason for committing it. Long gone are the silent movies in which the dastardly villain would tie the damsel to the tracks just because. There has to be a reason.

Again, if you are writing a picture book mystery, it may be pretty basic. Why did the culprit eat the cake? Do I need to explain that one? Because it’s cake!

How?

Last but not least, you need to know how your culprit did it. And how they planned to get away with it. If the crime is a crime of passion, and this is where I would slot eating that last piece of cake, the culprit may not have thought about how to get buy with it until after the deed is done. But even if they are scrambling to cover their tracks, they need to make an attempt.

A Detective

Last but not least, you need a detective. In a hardboiled detective novel, naturally, that person is a detective. In a cozy mystery, that person will be an amateur who is determined to solve the mystery. In a picture book, it might simply be the other kid who wanted that piece of cake. Often the detective is someone everyone else suspects.

A lot of writers focus their efforts on developing their detective and forget that they need a lot more for a winning mystery. It’s tempting especially if you really like your detective, but really? All of these elements are essential for the story to work.

–SueBE

Surprise! Make Sure Your Readers Know What to Expect

I request a lot of library books. No, really. I have approximately 50 items on request right this moment. Some are for work. Some are for fun. Some are books that aren’t even out yet. There’s some music.

But what it means is that by the time I get book, I often don’t remember who recommended it or exactly what it is about. That was the case with Midnight Crossroad. I read a lot of mysteries so somehow I had it in my head that this was a mystery.

When Manfred Bernardo shows up in Midnight, TX, he settles into his rental home. Bit by bit, he meets the new neighbors from his landlord, pawnshop owning Bo Bo Winthrop to Fiji Cavanaugh who seems to think she’s some kind of witch. Whatever. Manfred has a bit of power of his own which he employs as an online psychic.

Then he meets some more of the locals at the local dinner and realizes that one of them is siphoning his life force.

What? What the what?

I didn’t pause listening but swiped over to the cover. Oh, the author is Charlaine Harris, author of Sookie Stackhouse. Even if you don’t know who Harris is or anything about her character Sookie Stackhouse, a vampire in this book isn’t entirely surprising. Manfred is a psychic. Fiji “thinks” she’s a witch. Hint: She’s a witch and soon sets Manfred straight.

Without some hints that magic was in the air, a vampire would break the contract that Harris has with her readers. What do I mean by a contract? You can’t drop magic or fantastical creatures into a book that has no magic in it until page 50. Why? Because by page 50 you’ve set up expectations. As long as you’ve set up a world where magic exists, you are free to throw in whatever doesn’t break the rules of your magical world.

In Midnight Crossing, Harris has created a world with all kinds of fantastical possibilities. One character is a vampire. A host of other beings pass through town including a snake shifter and what I suspect was a succubus.

Yes, as the author you get to make the rules. But then you need to stick with them. It is part of the contract you’ve made with your reader.

–SueBE

What Happened to You? A Top-Notch Picture Book

Joe is playing at the park when a little girl comes up to him. She immediately points out that he only has one leg. Joe’s response is a little terse and right away you know this is a conversation that he does not want to have for the umpteenth time. Soon he is standing amid five children on the playground and they all want to know what happened. “What do you think?” asked Joe.

The guesses start off only marginally clueless but this isn’t what Joe wants to talk about. He wants to go back to his game. Finally, one of the kids asks, “Was it a thousand lions?” “Yes,” said Joe. “REALLY?” “No!” shouted Joe.

The next spread is wordless and Joe, clearly upset, is the focus. He goes back to playing pirates and soon the others are asking about that. “Is that a crocodile?” And before long the game is all that matters.

Flip to the back end page and it is clear that James Catchpole has the insight needed to write this book. Beside a list of tips on how to talk to your children when they demand to know “what happened” is a phot of Catchpole playing on the beach with his children. He is wearing his prosthetic leg.

What is also obvious is that Catchpole knows how to write a picture book. The characters are top notch. They are realistic children and fully realized and each of them has a personality.

There is plenty of room for Karen George to contribute to the story through her illustrations. At no point does Catchpole go into exhaustive detail about who is wearing what and what color their hair is.

Catchpole works in plenty of dialogue but it is clear that there is plenty going on. George shows emotions ranging from joy to anger to sadness on these young characters. When Joe is asked if he gets tired of asking about his leg, Catchpole doesn’t detail what is going on in terms of action. There’s no: They are eating fruit, grapes, bananas, clementines, etc.

I have to say that I love Karen George’s illustrations! Her characters are so expressive and playful. Her artwork bring so much to this book. This is definitely a book that both picture book creators and picture book writers need to check out.

–SueBE

#PictureBooks

Pomodoro: A Productivity Technique to Help You Focus

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I am swamped. I’ve got 4 books to write by the end of the year and one that I want to work on for fun. And I have to write the questions for Trivia Night. I voted against it because I knew I didn’t have time but most everyone else “just wants to have fun.” Grrr. Fitting everything I need to do in is, as they say, challenging. I spent two days floundering as I tried to focus. I knew I could do better but . . . but . . .

I’m not sure what brought the Pomodoro technique to mind. This time management system is based on the kitchen timer.  You set the timer for 25 minutes, work through that time, and then take a five minute break.  Follow this with another 25 minutes of work and another break, and so on.  Every three time blocks or so you get a longer 15 minute break. I say every three time blocks or so because I use an online Pomodoro timer. You can find it here.

Yes, you could just glance at your watch and take a break every half hour or so. But I tend to work harder when I don’t have to look the clock. I know that timer is going to go off in 25 minutes. I want to get something accomplished in that block of time!

I know it works because the two days I didn’t use the technique, I roughed something like 3/4 of a chapter. I used the technique yesterday and today. I roughed 2 chapters of 2140 words each. That’s a big difference my friends!

So if you’ll excuse me, this Pomodoro is nearly done. I need to get this post scheduled, take my five minute break, and then jump into my next Pomodoro. There are 3 more chapters to rough.

–SueBE

Choosing an Author Photo, Part 2

About three weeks ago, I asked for people’s advice on selecting an author photo. I had two that I liked fairly well. The photo above was the one that everyone liked best. Of course, there were also a fair number of people who didn’t like it at all. I should take a photo outside because that ALWAYS looks better. I did manage not to laugh when I read that. We did an entire extended family photo shoot outside and they were comically horrible because of glare and wind and the fact that it was COLD.

I was also told that the background in the photo above was simply too cluttered. I should blank out the names of the books. I should only be photographed in front of a blank wall.

I understood the point of this particular set of comments but I have to tell you that blank walls are rare things in my life. But I had an idea. I hung a white sheet on the front of a cabinet. The result is the photo below this paragraph.

I have to admit that I’m pretty happy with how this turned out. I just had to make certain that I had the camera high enough. It required a chair (wooden desk), a large cardboard box (borrowed from the cat), a sale shaker to lean the camera forward, and said camera.

Getting a good author photo is a lot like writing. It involves trial and error, a lot of feedback, careful selection of what advice to follow, and a can-do attitude.

–SueBE

He Said, She Said: Tagging your dialogue

Said or asked. Threatened, shouted, or begged. How do you tag your dialogue?

Just to make certain that everyone knows what the word “tag” means in this context, let me explain.

“When I clap my hands, you will awake,” he said, “And you will remember nothing.”

He said. That’s the dialogue tag.

I have to admit that the vast majority of time, I simply use said. My characters may shout and whisper, but I don’t say he shouted or she whispered.

I understand why an author would choose one of these fancy tags, but it isn’t necessary.  Said is seamless and non-threatening.  Add the character’s name — Melody said or Ryan said — and the reader knows exactly who is talking.  And, truly, that is the whole point of said.

Nope.  That’s it.  Said just keeps the reader on track.

You don’t need to use a better word so the reader knows HOW the character said something.  Think about it. Argued implies raised voices and drama but well-written dialogue will get the argument and the drama across. If you have to say “argued Melody,” what you really need to do is up the tension in your dialogue instead.

The other reason that people give for using something other than said is that using it again and again feels monotonous. For example:

“Where is Peter?” Melody said.

“He wasn’t in class,” Ryan said, “but he didn’t text anyone.”

“I hope nothing else has happened,” Melody said.  

“Exactly,” Ryan said.

See.  Boring and not necessary. Why? Because you only have two characters talking. That means that you can take some of the saids out and still know whose saying what.

“Where is Peter?” Melody said.

“He wasn’t in class,” Ryan said, “but he didn’t text anyone.”

“I hope nothing else has happened.”  

“Exactly.” 

Still seems a little ho hum doesn’t it?  You don’t need the he said she said tags but it doesn’t entirely get their worrry across.  Add some beats of action to do that.  They make it even easier to leave out he said she said.

“Where is Peter?” Melody looked around the crowded cafeteria.

“He wasn’t in class,” Ryan pulled out his phone and shook his head, “but he didn’t text anyone.”

“I hope nothing else has happened.”  

“Exactly.” Ryan slipped his keys out of his pocket.

If you can’t stand to leave it at he said she said, slip in some beats of action. That’s what that last one is when Ryan slips his keys out of his pocket. Your characters can pace or slam doors. They can run their fingers through their hair or stomp. All of these things tell the reader about the character’s mood. They help reveal tone and emotion. It may not be as easy as having your characters whisper, shout and exclaim but it will make for a much better story.

–SueBE

Time for Revision

This is a great depiction of the project I have due Friday. I roughed it out all the while knowing that there were big changes ahead. Such big changes. But you know how it goes. You can’t fix it until you’ve got it down.

I’ve worked with people who simply freeze up when it comes time to revise. They look at what they’ve got. They look at the mentor text or the list of fixes and . . . nothing. They just can’t get started.

I honestly believe that it helps to have a deadline. When you have to get it done, you only have so long to waffle. It also helps that I know what order I need to approach the fixes. This may not be the right order for other writers but it works for me.

1. Outline. I’m luck that my editor wants me to show him an outline before I get started. Why? Because I’m the kind of person who needs an outline. It limits the amount of time that I spend wandering off into the distance vs writing what I’m supposed to be writing. I love doing research so the tempting to wander off is always there.
2. Rough. I’ve gotten fairly comfortable with slapping down a draft. I don’t fuss with it. I don’t try for a perfect first sentence or paragraph. I just start. Sometimes I do pretty good. Other times? See the graphic above.
3. Fill in the Blanks. Sometimes I don’t feel like stopping to look something up while composing my rough. I’ll make a note for myself. WHAT DO YOU CALL THE TOOL THAT IS USED TO… This is the step where I look things up and answer these kinds of questions.
4. Logical Order. Next I look over everything and make sure I’ve arranged things in a the best possible order. I’d say that with an outline, 90% of the time I succeed at this. This time around? Nope. I had to shift a lot around.
5. Smooth Out the Bumps. I also have to go over things and make sure everything sounds good. I look for the places my word processor warns me that I’ve botched punctuation or word choice. This is also when I check the word count. Then, last but not least. . .
6. Reading Level. Since I am writing series titles for the school library market, my reading level has to match the level called for in the series. When I write for tweens and teens I can usually get it in one. This time I’m writing at a 3rd grade level vs an 8th grade level. Let’s just say that it took some fiddling.

It looks like a lot of steps, doesn’t it? But it keeps me from freezing up when I look at the mess that is a first draft. Today’s project didn’t require quite so many steps but with this plan I know how to approach things when my draft is truly an enormous mess.

–SueBE

National Literacy Month

Did you know that September is National Literacy Month?

This is the display case just inside the front doors of my local library. Nine times out of ten, when I pass it, I want to go find a librarian. “Can you get the key? I need the third book from the left. No, I don’t want it. I NEED IT.” My grandmother was a real stickler on the difference between wanting something and needing it. My work around was to insist that I needed whatever it was.

But truly? I cannot image not being able to read.

So how can you celebrate National Literacy Month?

If you have young readers in your home, read to them! And model reading. That means that you need to make sure that they see you read. If they have to read 20 minutes for school each night, that would be a great time to sit down and read with them. And make sure that they know you are doing this because it is a great thing to do!

Support your local library. Libraries are an amazing resource especially in communities where not every household includes books. This of course means that the library needs to have a wide variety of books. No, they may not all be to your taste or right for your child, but you don’t have to check those books out. Especially if you buy books, it may be hard to remember that not everyone prioritizes book buying for their children. I still remember how excited my son’s Parents As Teacher rep was when she came into our house and saw the books.

So you should support organizations like Parents as Teachers as well. Anyone who gets books into the hands of readers. It may not be a big deal for you personally but if a family is struggling to buy food or keep somewhere to live, books are going to be a low priority.

Do you have a different means of celebrating? Be sure to add it in the comments below.

–SueBE