By adgansky

2. Give the reader at least one character he or she can root for. –Kurt Vonnegut

I’m going to go ahead and say it. This is a rule that should never be broken. In fact, the simple brilliance of this line is so stunning, that I really wish I’d said it first. If ever there was a rule that had it’s finger on the pulse of fiction, this would be it. We could make cases and argue over the others, but this one I think we have to concede, there’s really no way around it.

Of course there will be naysayers. There’s always someone to assert their rebellious spirit and shout loudly that there are no rules in fiction, that rules were made to be broken, and that true genius can find away around the boundaries we mere mortals erect for ourselves. I have to believe that these people exist, because I used to be one of them. However, I think that even the most obstinate “freedom writer” out there must tip his or her hat to Vonnegut on this one.

To those of you who may still feel that there are ways around this, think of it this way: maybe there are. But why would you want to take them?

I’d also say that this rule does not mean that we must “like” the protagonist, but it sure does help. I’ll use Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse Five as an example. For those of you who’ve not read it, the book follows Billy Pilgrim, a World War II veteran and survivor of the Dresden fire bombings in Germany. The premise is that he’s come unstuck in time and he jumps back and forth to random points in his life.

What’s interesting about it is that Billy Pilgrim is far from what we would call a hero. Vonnegut even goes so far as to say that there are no heroes or villains in the book. And he’s right. Billy does not behave like a hero—especially not a war hero. He never kills anyone, never even handles a weapon. In fact, most of his time in the war is spent hoping that he’d simply just die. Nearly every moment of Billy’s life is mundane, boring, and often tragic. But it is the tragedy of Billy’s life that make us root for him. We want so desperately for something good to happen to him, even though he’s no Stallone or Schwarzenegger. He feels as much like a real person as you can get, even though he’s a bit of a loser. And thusly, he becomes sympathetic.

Rooting for a character does not mean you have to “like” them in the normal sense of the word. I’d never invite Billy Pilgrim over for dinner. But I sure don’t want him to die. I want something good to happen to him. I want him to find some moment of happiness. In several ways, the novel is about that—Pilgrim’s quest for contentment. He seldom finds it, but when he does, the moments are that much sweeter.

Take a moment to reflect on the novels you’ve read. Which stand out as the best? Which characters did you find yourself most pulling for? Do you recall any in which you didn’t care whether the character succeeded or not? Now think of what you’re currently writing. Who is the reader rooting for? Are there several, or only one? Are there any at all?

Aaron and I met at Antioch and co-wrote, Write To Be Heard (Lighthouse). Will let you know when we get a release date. And now, Aaron:

By adgansky

1. Use the time of a total stranger in such a way that he or she will not feel the time was wasted. –Kurt Vonnegut

I did something this weekend (while recovering from a minor surgery) that I haven’t done in years. I put a book down with the intention of never picking it up again. Maybe that makes me lazy, or maybe it makes me wise. I’ll let you decide.

The point is this—three pages into the novel, I knew I didn’t want to invest 300-400 pages worth of my time in a book I knew I wouldn’t enjoy. This is not to say that the book was terrible. I just recognized immediately that it was not going to be something I cared to invest in.

Call me a cynic. Go ahead, I’ll wait. Okay, now that that’s out of the way, there are some things that are clear. You may not be able to judge a book by it’s cover, but you can judge it by the first few pages. That’s why it’s so important to have an outstanding opening. If you don’t, people will understand that their time will likely not be well spent reading your novel.

“But my book has the greatest ending!” you may say.

It may. But, for the love of all things good, please get to it sooner than page fifty. If you don’t have a gripping opening, then I have no reason to believe you’ll have a compelling ending. That’s simple logic, harsh as it may seem.

Vonnegut understood this. No one likes to finish a book and think, “What a waste!” Being forced to read lousy stories and books is one of the primary reason fewer and fewer kids are reading.

So what can we do as writers?

Use the pages we have wisely. Make them matter. Make them count. Every page.

Seems like a good tool for analyzing your characters’ dialog. How often do they use the word “I”? If they are in a power position, do they use it at all?

It helps to look at your work in new ways; it also helps since you will have to go over the entire manuscript many times and that gets to be a grind. I’m taking an 8 week acting course through the Atlantic Acting School. I’m reading plays – very helpful for writing dialog because that’s about all they are – but more significantly, analyzing them in a new way (see A Practical Handbook for the Actor)

So, when you go back over your manuscript, do a revision just on the dialog, be precise with your word choice, and use the lessons and techniques from playwrights and Pennebaker.

UPDATE: here’s a link from a playwright on writing dialogue

I love Portrait of a Bookstore – loved it before I ever thought it possible to read there – and will miss it. Our community will miss it. I am so incredibly grateful to Lucia Silva who gave me that opportunity to “go public.” The staff is the best. And so goodbye to another independent bookstore…

From their blog:

After 26 glorious years, 14 of them spent happily inside Aroma Café, Portrait of a Bookstore is gracefully retiring. How could we say goodbye after 26 years of such success? In the words of Orson Welles, “If you want a happy ending, that depends, of course, on where you stop your story.” This is our happy ending. Our official closing date is May 17, 2012.

On May 17, 1986, Julie and Frank von Zerneck, along with their children Danielle and Frank, Jr.,  gave birth to this bookstore, which grew to be a haven, a home-away-from-home, for so many members of this community. One of the smallest bookstores in the world, “small but mighty,” as we’ve always been called, our selection of books was impeccably curated, worthy of the praise of any astute bibliophile.

Their last day is May 17, 2012 and everything in the store is 50% off.

My childhood friends describe the house I grew up in as a sub-zero refrigerator. Thank you Mark Twain, Charles Dickens, William Shakespeare, Leo Tolstoy, Fyodor Dostoevsky, Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, Victor Hugo, Ray Bradbury, Frank Herbert, John Steinbeck, and all the rest for taking me away when I needed to be transported. Even Joseph Conrad. I did not like Heart of Darkness (the horror, the horror!), but it has influenced so many other works that I’m glad I read it.

Until I thought about my old author friends in this way, I hadn’t really thought about the possibility of my writing providing refuge for someone else going through a hard time. I don’t know if it changes anything, but my next step is to write out my own story in more detail as Jen Grisanti recommends in her book, Story Line.

Look at what researchers at UCSD discovered!

“Our findings appear to add to a body of information suggesting that the composition of calories, not just the number of them, matters for determining their ultimate impact on weight,” said Golomb. “In the case of chocolate, this is good news –both for those who have a regular chocolate habit, and those who may wish to start one.”

Huzzah!  And be sure you’re a “chocolate reader” too! Buy Growing Chocolate today.

Do you use Pinterest for your writing or at all? Have you ever created an image board before or while you’re writing for inspiration?

Just as sensory details enrich your writing, they can also enhance your writing experience, so light candles, put on some music, maybe have some fragrant flowers or incense in the room and enjoy. Keep writing!

Photo Envy Hotel courtesy of TripAdvisor

A friend of mine just got a book deal. Am I jealous? Honestly, no. Well, why not?? Because I don’t believe in fixed-pie thinking. Success isn’t some giant pie with only 8, 12 or 16 pieces. There’s enough to go around, which isn’t the same thing as saying everyone will be successful in the way they expect. Maybe you have to adjust your expectations or reassess your gifts or expand your knowledge (read the classics, learn a new skill). Change markets. Maybe you aren’t a fiction writer, maybe you’re better suited to essays.

Disclaimer: easy for me to say because I’m really enjoying my life right now. Was nominated for the Pushcart Prize, getting some royalties, a little fan mail, just had a short story accepted, great trips ahead, etc.  But I felt this way even when things were bleak and I mean bleak. My first screenplay agent took my contacts to launch his own writing career. The head of that agency took over my career, then ended up in rehab and leaving the business… after her office manager tossed out all of the client scripts when he “cleaned up” the office! Oh yeah, I’ve paid some dues.

So, how to get past those awful feelings of envy? 3 suggestions:

1. I’m next! This is your new mantra. Something great happened to another writer? You’re next! See how that changes your perspective? No fixed pie thinking – think in terms of abundance, that there’s enough to go around even if it doesn’t feel like it. You cannot be ruled by your emotions or you won’t endure until the point of breakthrough. It takes persistence to finish something and even more to see it to market.

2. Create good karma. Everyone rises: help others, celebrate others and they will help and celebrate you. This isn’t always a direct result, but the more generous you are, the more things will come around to you. Plus it’s good for you on many levels. Be a good and kind person (added benefit: it makes the world better). Note: (shameless plug alert) Hitting “Like” on my FB Author Page will help create good karma. Well, in any case, I’d be grateful!

3. Keep writing! The more you produce, the better your chances of getting those wonderful acceptance letters and emails. And keep improving your writing with good impartial feedback, classes, workshops, the company of other writers and directed reading. If you can’t be happy for other writers or get past feeling crummy, then use any negative feelings as fuel to energize your ambition. Psychologists say “I’ll show them” is the most powerful force to overcoming obstacles.

Beat envy by being enviable and keep writing. Oh, and my friend? As soon as the contract is signed and I get the go ahead, I’ll be celebrating and publicizing.

UPDATE: Contract signed! Kate Maruyama’s novel, Harrowgate, will be published by 47North! Release date TBA. Congratulations, Kate!

Establish your goals for the next 5 months, including the books you want to read. These should be craft books or fiction that will help your own work. When I was working on my comic novel, WRESTLING ALLIGATORS, I read Nick Hornby, Carl Hiaasen, etc. List those books at the end. It will help your writing a lot if you annotate them and see what you learned, what could inform your writing or what you want to avoid. Then submit that annotation to AnnotationNation.com and let other writers know what you’re thinking, how you work, what you find valuable. Anyway, after you’ve decided what you’d realistically like to accomplish and the reading that will support it, then break it down month by month. Which book are you going to read each month, how many pages will you write either per day or week, include updating any blogs or websites you maintain, include how many submissions per month both to agents and journals to keep you circulating your work. Keep your activities to 4-6 monthly tasks. My list of objectives is longer than usual because I have some things in the works and because I’ve done a number of contracts. Start slow, but challenge yourself. Also, do not beat yourself up if you don’t meet a couple of your goals. Just adjust for the next time.

In case you’re wondering, I was in the Citron cohort (referred to below) while attending Antioch (one of The Atlantic’s top 5 low residency programs). We still check in with each other every Sunday and they’re a tremendous source of support for me.

Post MFA Project Period Contract

NAME: Diane Sherlock   

TERM:      Winter/Spring 2012

PROJECT PERIOD: From Monday, January 2, 2012 to Monday, May 30, 2012

Post MFA Objectives:

• Continue to produce works of fiction

• Write critical analyses of literature

• Reflect on the place of creative work in community, culture, and society via my blogs and websites

• Raise visibility as an author

• Continue to develop a professional literary career

Project Period Objectives:

1.  Finish the polish of African screenplay

2.  Read at least a novel/book a month

3.  Participate in the Citron post-MFA conference

4.  Continue with blog and branding ideas

5.  Continue with Annotation Nation

6.  Apply to writing residencies and other interesting opportunities

7.  Sell WRESTLING ALLIGATORS novel

8.  Develop marketing strategies; continue to submit novel excerpts, short stories and flash fiction to literary journals

9.  Finish volunteer commitment, continue support in Ghana and Kenya.

10. Draft notes for the next novel; travel for inspiration and research

11. Develop TV series

12. Finish co-written book with Y

Based on the learning objectives, identify the activities for this Project Period:

Finish African screenplay & register with WGA

Edit WILLFUL IGNORANCE, format, submit to Smashwords 

Edit GROWING CHOCOLATE, format, submit to Smashwords 

Develop TV series, write synopsis and character list, meet with X for background info

Read from personal book list; annotate THE FAMILY FANG

Give African screenplay to V 

Date:  January 31, 2012

(part of a goal above)           ________________________________________

   (ditto)        __________________________________________

Update websites           

    (another from above)       _______________________________________

    (and one more to achieve your goal)       _______________________________________

           _______________________________________

Date:  February 28, 2012

Check status of submissions           

Brainstorm new novel            

Read from personal book list            

Date:  March 30, 2012

Update websites           

Read from personal book list with 1-2 pg annotation           

Date:  __April 30, 2012

Date:  May 30, 2012

List readings to be completed:

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

(add more if you’re a fast reader)

 ______                                          _______________         

Signature                                              Date

What do you think? Will you try a contract? Please report back if it works for you. And feel free to post your objectives in the comments. Happy New (Writing) Year!