For Boris: Writing Mary Sue

Boris said: As a writer, do you struggle with Mary Sue? If you are unfamiliar with the term, it arose from fan fiction, and means more or less that the writer will identify with the main character to such a degree that she/he will ultimately give more and more power to said character, until the story devolves into some kind of wish-fulfilment fantasy. Rampant in fan fiction of course, but professional writers have been known to fall prey to Mary Sue as well (coughLaurellKHamiltoncough). In my (very) limited experience as a writer, I have found that this can be a problem for me too, especially when writing in first person. Do you or your husband have the same problem? Who acts as the voice of reason?

This is a very interesting question, one that does not lend itself to a simple answer. At least with me. I did have to look up the term "Mary Sue" to get better definition so I could answer the question appropriately.

I don't write fan fiction. I do write fiction, particularly speculative fiction where magic and skills are quite common. I also tend toward larger than life characters. That tends to go with the territory, too. Additionally, I do identify with my characters and always have.

So, am I prone to this? Actually, I don't think so. First off, although I'm usually the seed of my characters, what I generally do is take a few of my traits and build a new characters with a different background. I play, what if someone with X,Y,Z traits was raised in this environment. I love what if. By the time I've tweaked this and that to fit the environment and the background, I usually discover that this character, based on me, is completely different from my other characters, even though they are also based on me. They have to have limitations (generally different ones than I do) because a character must have balance. Nothing I personally hate more than a character that can do no wrong, make no mistakes, never lose. They have to grow.

Many of male characters are actually a hodge-podge of characteristics that appeal to me. They tend to be funnier, though I'm not sure why. I love my male characters. But they have to have limitations, too. They can't be good at everything, never fail, never falter, either. I often have ensemble casts so that different people can bring their particular skills into play.

If I have a character that's "too good to be true," for instance, like Xander, my shapeshifter/telepath who can turn into a dragon, I make him insecure from mistreatment growing up, positive that his dragon nature makes him prone to violence. He doesn't trust himself and takes control to an extreme to overcompensate. And, under it all, he's human, which is why I'm giving him meningitis in the second book, making him inadvertently hurt the woman he loves.

I do that because he has to be limited. He can't be perfect. And, I admit it, it's my doing. My husband is more superhero prone. For instance, I wanted to give him PAM (amoebic meningitis and cure him via magic) but Lee absolutely couldn't stand the idea of parasites in him. But he'd tolerate a virus so that's what we did. So, Xander, star and nearly single-handed savior of the first book, is out for the count (as well as his healer girlfriend) in this one so all the rest have to find solutions without him.

Do I do wish fulfillment? Yes and no. Sure, it's fantasy and we play what if, if that's not living out wish fulfillment, I don't know what is. I also put my characters through things I'd never want to live through myself, with pain and hardship I wouldn't wish on an enemy.

For me, that's balance, good with the bad, responsibility with the power.

On the other hand, I'm hardly objective. :)

Update: I asked my husband. He said I didn't have a problem with it, that I was always adding imperfections and ruining their badassedness. He didn't say it like he approved either, so I'm clearly the one who keeps it from happening.

Read more...

Answers for Yesterday

I'm going to write such the good answer for Phyl who has patiently waited, now, about a week. I'll try to get it up by midnight (I did have plenty of time to think about it).

Here are the answers. Clearly my non-SF/F and non-classics are desperately eclectic, too eclectic for most. Oh well, here they are:

1. These Old Shades, the best of a positive pantheon of excellent Georgette Heyer classics
   
2. Artemis Fowl, by Eoin Colfer (I hope I spelled that right). Yeah, I'm charmed by sarcasm.
   
3. The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
   
4. Shogun by James Clavell
5. Watership Down by Robert Adams
   
6. Hawaii by James Michener
   
7. The Bourne Identity by Robert Ludlum I'm not much into mysteries but I do like these. I don't like Clancy, though.
   
8. The Red Dragon by Thomas Harris, my favorite of his books, though not the most well known.
   
9. Imitation in Death by JD Robb (aka Nora Roberts)
   
10. Murder Must Advertise by Dorothy Sayers
    

Now you know. I'm insane.

By the way, I forgot to mention that the bonus on the first one I did was All Things Bright and Beautiful by James Herriot. Undoubtedly, his books are my favorite non-novels.

Read more...

Carrying on the List From Yesterday

See, you all probably thought I'd give you all the answers today. Haha, not so fast. I'll be the first to say that I would have struggled to determine some of these books from the first line, but I do know my characters. And, besides, I got the idea from Relax Max. Again. So, for all the ones not guessed, I'm going to provide character names and let you try again. If there was a character mentioned in the first line, I'll assume it wasn't enough and add a second character.

1. Justin Alastair, Duke of Avon
2. Holly Short
3. Mary Lennox and Dicken Sowerby
4. Shogun by James Clavell
5. Fiver
6. Abner Hale
7. Marie Ste. Jacques
8. Will Graham and Francis Dolarhyde
9. Roarke and Niles Renquist
10. Death Bredon

And yes, though I should be addressing a space elevator, I'll be doing this on Ask Me Anything and Rocket Scientist.

Read more...

Other Favorite First Lines

And, yes, for completeness as I redo Relax Max' exercise from his blog (instead of answering Phyl's excellent question which I will get to tomorrow), here are more first lines from favorites that aren't necessarily classics and aren't SF/Fantasy. Wanna guess?

1. A gentleman was strolling down a side street in Paris, on his way back from the house of one Madame de Verchoureux.
2. Ho Chi Minh City in the summer.
3. When Mary Lennox was born, no one really wanted her.
4. The gale tore at him and he felt its bite deep within and he knew that if they didn't make landfall in three days they would all be dead. [I never before noticed that one of my favorite books of all times starts with a run-on].
5. The primroses were over.
6. Millions upon millions of years ago, when the continents were already formed and principal features of the earth had been decided, there existed, then as now, one aspect of the world that dwarfed all others.
7. The trawler plunged into the angry swells of the dark, furious sea like an awkward animal trying desperately to break out of an impenetrable swamp.
8. Will Graham sat Crawford down at a picnic table between the house and the ocean and gave him a glass of iced tea.
9. Summer of 2059 was a mean and murderous bitch who showed no sign of lightening her mood.
   
10. "And by the way," said Mr. Hankin, arresting Miss Rossiter as she rose to go, "there is a new copy-writer coming in today."
    

And here's a bonus, not a novel but a great book anyway...

• As I crawled into bed and put my arm around Helen it occurred to me, not for the first time, that there are few pleasures in this world to compare with snuggling up to a nice woman when you are half frozen.

I've done "classics" on Rockets and Dragons and science fiction/fantasy on Rocket Scientist.

Read more...

For Boris: What About Italics?

Boris Legradic asked: I am participating in the NaNoWriMo this year. Still going strong at day four, but one thing in my writing is starting to bug me:From time to time I will fill the need to use italics for emphasis, as in "Now I was curious."This I feel is a bad habit, much like using smileys in written communication, an unnecessary short-cut to something that could be better expressed through superior prose. Also, I just checked my most favourite fantasy book in the world, Rothfuss's "The Name of the Wind", and HE doesn't use any italics. Neither did Tolkien, or Shakespeare for that matter. Herbert does use italics to great effect in "Dune", but only to denote thoughts.What do you think? Do you use italics? And how could I re-write "Now I was curious." without italics, and be sure that it is read as intended and not as "Now I was curious.", for example?

Really? Cool. I have never been tempted to jump into NaNoWriMo, because writing when I'm not inspired inevitably leads to garbage (that's what happens when I do it - not saying it doesn't work for many people). Ironically, I started a novel 10/16 that does inspire me and I'm 32K+ words into it, which means that, inadvertently, I'm pretty close to doing the same thing (50K words in 30 days if the pace continues).

Do I use italics? Yes, for emphasis and to denote thought (several of my novels include telepathy). Although I've read several authors (especially classic authors when type was less readily manipulated) who don't use italics except to denote foreign languages and the like. However, when I take a survey of my favorite current authors, I don't have one that doesn't use italics for emphasis (and yes, sometimes for thought).

According to Wikipedia, emphasis is at the top of the list of "When to use italics" which argues that at least someone else advocates the use.

Are there authors who don't use it? I'm sure that there are. I'm sure there are authors who feel that it is "cheating" and that, if you wrote effectively, you wouldn't ever need italics (or adjectives or adverbs, etc - I've heard it all).

Could you stress "Now I was curious," without italics? Sure, you could say, "Before it didn't matter," I said, "Now, I was curious." (Though it should be noted that "now" with "was" seems somehow problematic). The comma, as a pause, can add a stressor but isn't always available. Dashes and ... can also emphasize a word and make the speech pattern more obvious. In the end, though, only you can decide if going down such a path makes the work better.

For me, the story's the thing. As an author, it's my job to tell the story as effectively as I can, communicate all the salient information in a way that the reader feels and experiences those things I want them to feel with as little conscious effort on their part as possible. That's my goal and I have to use the methods I think best to do so. For me, I tend toward things I like when I read.

What I'm saying is that, when it comes to your story, "rules" don't outrank your story. If you find a way to convey it within constraints you think are pertinent, great. But, if you can only do so at the expense of the story, you're not doing the story justice. So, if you like what you wrote better with the italics, I'd say, use 'em. If you don't, find an alternative.

In the end, you have to be the first and last one happy with what you've written. After all, it has your name on it.

Good luck.

Read more...

For Shakespeare: Why Is Publishing So Hard?

Shakespeare asked: Why is publishing one's writing so difficult (i.e. impossible), and what is the best way to improve the publishing industry?

Again, this is not an area where I'm an expert. I know a couple and they might wander in to put in their two cents, but, since you asked me, I'll give you mine.

There are several problems that make it hard for people to get their writing published and, the first problem, and, in my opinion, the worst problem is that most of the people who want to get something published have no business getting published. That probably sounds harsh, but it's a huge factor in how hard it is for quality first-time literature to be published and, ignoring that, doesn't do us any good. The bottom line, many more people think they have something that's worth publishing than actually do.

It is very hard to be objective about one's own work and many people can't do so effectively. Some think personal recollections will appeal to the masses (unlikely, but find out with a blog, why don't you), think they've got a "brand new" idea (which if they'd done their research, they'd see had been done to best or done definitively), think a spellchecker is all the editing necessary (Heaven help us!) or have no real understanding of how their work really comes across. What they write is so personal, so compelling to themselves that they are completely blind to all the things that are wrong with it. Some join writer's groups and that's certainly an advantage over working in a cave for objective opinions, but even they can become so focused on filling out the checklist (No "saidisms"-check) that they're still clueless about what makes a story compelling and successful or what makes a nonfiction book readable or accessible to the general public.

The truth is that a substantial proportion of the work offered to publishers and fielded to agents is pure dreck. It's not called a slush pile for nothing. Sometimes, there may be moments of brilliance, but their buried in so much clumsy dialog and painful description, that an editor, swamped with a pile of incredible proportions of stuff that is likely mostly garbage, is unlikely to sift through the nonsense to see if there's anything worth saving.

The problem for would-be authors who have reviewed and crafted their work, who have painfully excised favorite passages because they just didn't fit, who something original or thoughtful to say is that, unless they are incredibly lucky, they're in the pile with the dreck and, with expectations painfully low, it's hard for it to shine from the muck. The editor expects it to be garbage and it better impress early on or he'll never see it. Add to that the notion that even a fantastic writer can be a terrible marketer, and editors will often see little gems that might be snapped up if they had been sent to an editor that favors that sort of thing.

But it's more than having good writing - it has to be marketable. The editor is in business to sell books. The golden opus of perfection isn't going to make him a red cent if no one wants to read it. They aren't out to do beginning writers a favor; they are out to sell books and they don't want any manuscript, no matter how well it has been crafted, unless they think it will appeal to a market sufficiently to recoup losses. Lack of reknown for a new author makes this a bad bet under the best of circumstances.

And part of the problem also lies with the reading public. While books can appeal to a number of people for a number of different reasons, the truth is there is always a market for certain types of dreck under certain "genres" - romance is particularly prone. Additionally, people often gravitate to something that titillates rather than something with substance (i.e. Paris Hilton's tell-all biography vs. the magnificently written memoirs of a nameless Concentration camp prisoner.) And, of course, people can be fickle. Two books with similar stories or concepts and quality writing, but one will tickle the public's fancy and the other will languish. Some readers can fall in love with characters in a novel and ignore plot holes. Another segment of the reading populace will relish the detailed plotting and shrug at the cardboard characters. Perfection is rare, but finding the right combination is a real art. Predicting what will work and what won't probably gives many a publisher gray hair. But it's more than the quality of the writing.

What can be done to improve this situation? I'm not sure.

Can't change the public - I know people have tried, but we can spread the word on quality work we've encountered. We can try not to be part of the problem.

Can't change the editors here - if they are looking at unpublished authors, they're going to be slogging through the slush and their expectations aren't high.

But we can make sure our work is as good as we can make it. We can read it out loud to ourselves and be ruthless with things that stutter. We can have trusted friends or, even better, people we don't know in the target reading audience look it over critically and tell us what works and what doesn't. We can accept that sending garbage in desperation over and over won't buy us anything and just makes it that much harder for good stuff to get seen. We can resolve to be part of the good stuff. We can do our research to send it to the best possible editors for our work. We can look for agents that know the market better than we do. We can be patient. In fact, we have to be.

It isn't easy. I've never done it myself. But I believe I can do it. I hope I'm part of the good stuff, that I've done my homework, that I've written something that appeals. I'll do my best to learn and improve until it is if it's not.

One thing I'd LOVE to be adopted by the publishing business: A checklist rejection letter that would, by checking boxes, help a would-be author figure out what killed that particular offer.

A list that included grammar/syntax/spelling errors, or dull language, or clumsy wording or has potential but needs polishing, etc. All of these things can really make an author look at the aspects he or she hadn't realized were lacking. Or perhaps move on to something he or she is better suited to do. Or just self-publish.

Read more...

For MA Fat Woman: Agent or Editor?

MA Fat Woman asked: I'm been shopping around trying to get an agent to represent me and my proposed MA Fat Woman book, should I continue that or try what you are doing, perhaps to find an editor? What do the cards say?

There's an element of uncertainty in every question like this. Some people are successful without the "middle-man," many people aren't. But that's true of those with an agent as well.

I don't write non-fiction and I know the markets are different. I'm also unpublished (at least with books), so I'd take anything I say with a grain of salt. I urge you to get advice with some of the folks down at Agent Query or Writing World or Writer's Digest. I'm a relative amateur.

I think there is a distinct advantage, when trying to sell an idea or a finished work, to having an agent. Publishers tend to see you as prescreened. Some editors won't even look at unagented work, so you have more options. But there are still editors out there that will look at unagented work, or so I've heard. Marketing is sadly not my strong suit.

I will ask the cards for their opinion, though. Since this is a specific question, I'm changing things a bit.

Where you are now - 0 The Fool - Don't be fooled by the name. This card is all about beginnings, naivete rather than stupidity, innocence, great potential. It's a card that talks about taking chances and making changes, starting off on an adventure. Really, a propitious card.

Best course of action - Coins VIII - Coins VIII is all about craftsmanship and skill, building your work effectively. It also clarifies with leadership and career knowledge. What this argues to me is that searching for an agent is a good course for you, not only for their expertise in marketing but to provide you with the tools you'll need to write your best book.

End Result - Wands III - trade negotiations, agreement, travel, contracts. Clearly, the cards are thinking this path is the path that is most likely to lead you to what you seek. It's a path you're already on.

Ironically it mirrors my own advice (that should be taken with a grain of salt, remember) - keep looking for an agent, use reputable information and, when you find one, you'll have your best possible chance of success.

Read more...

For Davida: Writing a Novel

Davida asked: How long did it take you to write each of your books? What was your inspiration? Did you follow a particular format (like writing an outline or making sure each chapter was perfect before moving on to the next or some other method)? How many queries (I think that's right) did you send out and what happened? What would you do differently, as far as getting one published, the next time?

This is a nontrivial question and it deserves a nontrivial answer. But first, some caveats. First, although I've published three short stories and some technical papers, I am not a published novelist. I can point you to some directions for publishing advice, but I wouldn't put much stock in mine because, hey, it hasn't worked yet. I also am not qualified to answer that last question, but maybe someone who is published can chime in.

Secondly, I truly believe there is not one right answer, one right method, one perfect tool for writing a novel. Some people live and die by the outline. Others do it in fits and spurts. Others sit down and write a minimum number of pages whether they feel like it or not. Some write through and then revise. Others constantly revise and tweak as they write it. I'll be happy to tell you what I do, but don't throw out a method that's working for you because I do something differently. In fact, you might have to try a dozen or so different things before you find out what works and what doesn't.

However, there are some rules I think apply to darn near every writer (this is to write good stuff, not necessarily to get published - though it sure would be nice if those two synced up, eh?)

1. Write stuff you like to read. Many say write what you know - that's fine if it's what you like to read, but not if it's not. You will never be happy as a writer unless at least you like your own stuff.
2. Read stuff of the type you want to write. Mix it up, try a few more authors. Find what works for you (and no adopting a style that makes you uncomfortable just because a popular writer adopts it - you have to like it).
3. Read your stuff out loud (preferably with an audience that is willing to tell you if something sounds wrong). Not only can you catch more typos and grammatical errors this way than you ever though possible, you can find sentences and dialog that sounds awkward. And, if it sounds bad, it can almost undoubtedly be written better. I do this multiple times. Always.
4. Get someone to read it when you have a working draft and after each revision. Get someone willing to tell you what they really think. If they do nothing but gush (or just say, "not my style"), you need a different reader. No first draft is perfect.
5. When your reader has taken the time to read your novel, give them the courtesy of taking each suggestion and comment seriously. That doesn't mean you have to agree with it or change it, but think about it. Perhaps they are the only person on earth who would see it that way, but they might not be. If you can address their suggestion without changing your book essentially (or compromising your vision or your voice), consider doing so. Come up with a compelling reason for every comment you decide not to implement and if, at the end of the day, you've implemented none of them, either your reader was just not right or you need to reconsider (and I'd check you first). :)
6. When you think you've finished a draft or a revision, while others are reading it or not, let it lie for at least two weeks, preferably a month or two. If you jump right back into it when you've just finished it, it will either be perfect to you or it will be crap. You need a little distance to look at it objectively. NEVER send off a novel or a book the day after you finished a major rework. Wait, read it again and clean up small stuff, but, if you find you need major rework, you'll need another cooling off period.
   

Those are all recommendations I'd given any writer and that I follow myself.

Now, to actually answer your questions.

I have completed three novels, all while working full time. Cumulatively, they have taken me 20 years. However, the first one is in serious need of a major rework. One is only on the second draft and one has gone through several major revisions and is, I think, "done". The "done" one, with all the reworking, took me twelve years. The first one, I worked on for about six years, off and on. This last one, complete with its first draft, less than two years. During the first two books, I took off multiple years several times. Life happens.

Note also that I work on eight or so novels at one time. While I have three completed drafts, I have 5-15 chapters completed in at least five other novels. I grow stale on one, I'm quite likely to switch to something new (or, heaven help me, a new novel).

Note however, that the first novel, in serious need of a rewrite, taught me a great deal about character development and dialog. The second helped me with plot and world-building. And, with each one, the first draft improved immeasurably from the first draft of the book before. I'm actually quite pleased with my newest novel despite it being in first draft form. That one, by the way, I wrote the first half (~50,000) in one week. I was inspired. I wrote like five more chapters than Vista ATE the whole thing (OFF the hard drive; I'd backed it up) and I had to reconstruct it. It was so disheartening, I didn't touch it for a year (oh, and I had a baby and revised the other "done" novel and started another one and got 12 chapters in).

I write in spurts and don't write every day; for me, writing stale makes my work so bad I get disgusted and put it away, sometimes indefinitely. I don't use an outline, but think up characters in detail, then put them in situations that interest me than generally stand back. I sometimes make character cheatsheets, but usually to make sure I don't mess things up and change eye color or something. I often have ensemble casts so it's easier than you think to get mixed up. You will not be surprised to note that plot is still not my strong suit.

I tend to write along gangbusters until some plot twist comes along I didn't see (or I find a useful change) and then I'll stop moving forward and rework what I've already done to make it work. Many prefer many revisions, but only doing it as a whole. I really do both. I'm too anal to leave something I know is broken behind.

As for queries, there are many websites devoted to that kind of thing and it depends on whether you want to troll for an agent first or try your hand at publishers. There are advantages and disadvantages to both, but I think most publishers would tell you that, if you can get an agent, do so. Kinda like having a lawyer when going to court.

I hope that helped you. Remember, there are dozens of different ways and speeds to write. There are very successful authors that generate half a dozen books a year or more. Others take years for each. Pick your own speed.

Read more...

Someone Loves Me

Woohoo, another award. Man, I'm hot.

Although, living in Houston, that's not unusual.

In this case, a charming blog called Got Quads? about a mother and her adventures with her darling little quadruplets passed the "Let's Be Friends" award on to me. Really, I'm desperately flattered.

[UPDATE: I'm also a ditz - squared. Quadmama's blog is Got Quads (and I'd forgotten the link) and she was right - Oldwestmom of Forever Family also gave me this award on March 18. Ack! I'm so sorry I didn't acknowledge it in the midst of my move! Sorry, oldwestmom and quadmama!]

These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers. Deliver this award to those bloggers who then may choose at least 5 more and include this cleverly-written text into the body of their award.

Of course, the hard part about awards like this is picking just five superlative blogs to pinpoint. Really, it's all but impossible. After more than six months in the blogosphere I've been inundated with clever, charming, funny and/or remarkable blogs. How to pick just five?

*Sigh*

So, I'm going to go this time by pointing out five blogs I've found rather recently that nearly always induce me to comment because I find them charming (albeit sometimes in off-nominal ways). Sometimes they make me think. Sometimes they make me laugh. Always, I'm enticed to read. These five are NOT the extent of the charming blogs I know, by any stretch, but they are a worthwhile read. And I'd be honored if they'd be friends with me.

Observations of a Nerd
Clarity 2009
Predator Press (I know it's been around a while, but I've just really gotten involved)
Occult View
Blanca DeBree Blog (so I find excessive sarcasm charming. Sue me.)

Now I'll notify all the lucky recipients so that they can laugh at me for my presumption. Have a good one. And believe me, if you're in my blog catalog favorites or my blog list, I'm a fan. Seriously.

Read more...