WRESTLING with WRITING

Getting the Frikkin Story on PAPER!

Okay, you have your characters set up and, you have your plot outlined. It's time to put the words on paper.

ACTION!

All Actions MUST happen in Chronological order.
The only way to write down any event in your story is in Chronological order. Seriously.
- Like this:

1. Something happened.
2. The POV Character's immediate physical reaction. (jump, scream, flinch, duck, gasp)
3. What the POV Character sensed. (saw, heard, smelled, tasted, felt)
4. The POV Character's Emotional reaction / introspection. (happy, sad, pissed, horny)
5. How the POV Character responded. (dialogue, action)
6. What happened next.

In that specific order. Every single time. Every single sentence.  

You can skip steps - but you cannot change the order without muddying the visuals for the reader.

More on Action?
Go To: Writing SEX Action - Technique & Structure

POV = ATTITUDE + ACTION

When you are in tight POV, everything the character sees and experienced should be flavored with that character’s Attitude.

If Oscar the Grouch is looking at a bed of roses, what is going through his head is not going to resemble what would be going through Big Bird’s head. If you are in Oscar’s POV, the way you would write the description of those roses would reflect how he saw them.

Attitude Alone (AKA - Internal Narration):

Oscar could not believe that someone had the gall to drop his comfy garbage can in the middle of a disgustingly bright mound of flowers. At least they were roses. He could almost stand something that closely resembled a heaped snarl of barbed wire, if it weren’t for those eye-searing explosions of hideous pink. To make matters worse their stench was overwhelmingly sweet. He just knew that it was going to take a whole week to get the smell out of his can. He seriously considered heaving, just to have something more comforting to smell.

Boring. NOTHING is happening.

BUT – Oscar would not sit there and Contemplate the roses, he would curl his lip and say something snotty.

Attitude + ACTION:

Oscar the Grouch popped out of his trash can. Serrated green leaves waved among slender and barbed branches around the mouth of his home. He gasped in horror. “What is this disgusting mess?”

He leaned out and looked around in disbelief. "Oh ugh, I'm surrounded. Somebody put my trash can in a revolting pile of... What are these? Roses?” He could almost stand something that closely resembled a heaped snarl of barbed wire, if it weren’t for those eye-searing explosions of hideous color. He curled his lip. “Pink, I hate pink.”

To make matters worse their stench was overwhelmingly sweet. “Oh, eww…the smell!" He slapped a fuzzy green hand over his fuzzy green nose. "It’s gonna take me a week to get that out’ta my can!” He felt his gorge rising. “I think I’m going to be sick. At least it’ll smell better.”

Not quite so boring this time.


Add some DESCRIPTION please?!
Go To: I want to SEE the Story-Damn it! ~ a RANT!
Go To: What's the Difference between SHOWING & TELLING?"

GRAMMAR Details

Separate each character’s actions.
The actions and dialogue of one character DO NOT belong in the Same Paragraph as another character's actions and dialogue - EVER!
 

The actions and dialogue of one character Do Not Overlap the actions and dialogue of another character in the Same Paragraph or visuals become muddied. It may look choppy on the page, but the reader has absolutely no doubt as to who is doing what.

The Reader's perceptions are more important than whether or not your type looks tidy.

A character's Dialogue stays WITH their Actions
- in the Same Paragraph!
 

It’s a cold and lonely world. Your dialogue should always be in the same paragraph as its corresponding actions; it shouldn’t be abandoned. You make a new paragraph for the NEXT character’s actions and dialogue.

(Where did that "abandoned dialogue" idea come from anyway? Does anyone know?)

Dialogue Tags - SUCK.
When you have an action with a line of dialogue

 – you DO NOT NEED DIALOGUE TAGS - AT ALL!
 

You already know, through the action, who is speaking. Dialogue tags are only ever needed when you don’t have any other way of identifying the speaker. If you have no other way of knowing who is speaking than dialogue tags, then you have committed the heinous crime of:

DIALOGUE IN A VACUUM
- also known as “talking heads syndrome”.
 

A book with nothing but reams of dialogue marked only by dialogue tags means that there is no action going on, there is no Picture. NOTHING IS HAPPENING. The mental movie has stopped and only the sound-track is playing in a vacuum, like a Radio Show with no sound effects. I don’t know about you, but when I go to read a book, I want to SEE what I'm reading like a movie, not listen to a radio show.

Action and body-language tags on dialogue are NOT just there for decoration.
 

Action tags keep the mental Movie rolling and the MEANING of what is being said crystal clear. A small simple action can tell you right away what's going through the speaker's head.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
She rolled her eyes and sighed dramatically. “I love you too.”
She dropped her chin and pouted. “I love you too.”
She glared straight at him. “I love you too.”
“I love you too.” She turned away and wiped the tear from her cheek.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dead give-away that dialogue is happening in a vacuum?
Look for dialogue tags, the word: SAID or any of its cousins: Spoke, Asked, Stated...etc.

Dialogue tags are a pet peeve of mine. I don’t use them. Ever.
Go To: Don't Need No Stinking "SAID" - a RANT!

Making Story HAPPEN

The fastest way to Start a story is...
– NOT at the Beginning.
 

Start your story within one page of Boy meets Girl (or Hero meets Trouble), with the story already in progress.

Don't bother with Back-story, also known as Info-Dumping. Use Dialogue to slip in clues to the characters' back-story and hints of what's going on in the world around them -- in the middle of all the action. This forces the reader to become an eavesdropper who MUST read on to find out: "What the heck is Really going on?"

The less you tell the readers, the more they'll want to read further to find out what's really happening. Make the reader WORK to discover why this vampire hunted this particular girl down, and why she isn’t running in screaming terror. Don’t give away the goodies until the reader is committed to your characters.

The saggy Middle...
- Is where the story’s REVERSAL goes.
 

Once you get to the middle, it's time for the Worst Case Scenario! The Middle is where Everything goes Terribly Wrong and the characters scramble to fix it, making everything WORSE.

Then comes the lowest point of the book, where they can’t possibly go any further. “We’re dead, we’re dead, we’re dead!” And then the Hero tries one last desperate thing…

Keep your Plot a SECRET until the bitter End!
- NEVER reveal ANYTHING until the Last Possible Moment!
 

The Easiest way to hide your plot -- and all your other shocking secrets, is by staying in ONE Point Of View (POV), rather than hopping from head to head.

When the main character - the POV character - is the ONLY character telling their thoughts to the reader, it's really easy to make the reader think one thing when in fact it's another!

(I don't care what other authors do, if you want to keep your plot a secret, you Don't put your readers in the heads of the characters plotting against your main POV character.)

The Final Battle!
- Shouldn’t be a total Win or a total Lose.
 

Winning should come with a cost, and Losing should come with an unexpected bonus. For some odd and unexplainable reason, a total triumph seems to be just as unsatisfying to the modern day reader as a total: “He dies, she dies, everybody dies…” Bittersweet seems to be the preferred flavor for an ending.

(I have no idea WHY the majority of my readers seem to prefer a balance of good and bad, but I do have the hate-mail to prove it.)

Where to End it?
- Where you began – back at square one.
 

Make the story a nice tidy loop. This tells the reader: “The next story is about to begin!”

• Sam Spade always ends up back in his office, ready to begin his next job.
• Alice comes back out of her rabbit hole – of course she’s being chased, but hey…!
• King Arthur sailed off in a tiny ship on the lake where he gained Excalibur, and his career as King began -- but he wasn’t dead. He could have come back. (Okay, so he didn’t come back -- but He COULD Have!)
• Even the classic Romances that end with a wedding party imply a new beginning.

What Don't I need in a Story?
- Only put in as much work as you Need To.
 

Think: SLACKER. 

 

The trick to knowing what to include in a story is whether or not you intend to actively USE it. If the character trait or object does not matter to the plot – skip it. If it doesn’t actively MOVE the Plot, (even a teeny bit,) you don’t need to use it -- or describe it.

The shorter the story the LESS room you have to work with, so the only details you need are what actually Changes the Plot. The same goes for character details. If the fact that your Hero's brother likes soccer a whole lot has no bearing on the plot, you don’t need to mention it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
That's the Quick and Dirty version of how to Write a Story. If you want more details, I want begging and pleading. And make it GOOD.

Morgan Hawke
www.dakerotica.net
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

What is a META For?

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If You Can't Take an Edit, Stay Out of the Publishing House

The Editor is Your Friend
Or
If You Can't Take an Edit,
- Stay Out of the Publishing House

Stefani V. Kelsey
Editor-in-chief of eXtasy Books

Back in the day...
...in order to see a book in print, you were forced to do it the old-fashioned way: submit to a major publishing house and use the rejection slips to dab your tears. Repeat the process until you either buried your dreams--and your manuscript--in the bottom of a trunk, or by God and by Golly...Hit the Big Time!

Now, the world is your publishing house.
If Doubleday is foolish enough not to recognize your genius, you can hit small press, or POD, or ebook, or even do it yourself, whether by paying someone to do it for you, or truly making it your own. With so many options, finding the right fit is worth taking the time.

A huge factor in the decision-making process is that of the most feared facet of the publishing world: The Editor.

One misapprehension that the editor is out to hack, twist, trash, or otherwise fold, spindle, and mutilate your work. The true job of an editor is to take what you have and make it the best it can be, not to rewrite it in their own image and likeness. Spelling, grammar and sentence structure are standard, as is consistency.

You may get a manuscript back marked with enough red to illustrate the St. Valentine's Massacre, and still find not all that much is changed, as far as the true heart of your work: the story.

An editor doesn't bake the cake, just decorates it.

Unfortunately, not all editors know their role.
Some want to rewrite a story in a way they like, regardless of author's voice. Others fail to understand the author's world building, and end up literally destroying the carefully wrought storyline. Still more take on the role with a minimum of training and experience, and end up putting in more mistakes than they take out.

Usually because of a bad experience such as this, the author goes into the publishing world mistrusting the editor, and the relationship is doomed from the start.

The trick is knowing the difference between a professional edit, and the evil alternative.

Editing can seem traumatic...
You just handed over your baby, and when you get that book back, you feel like you've been attacked. Sentences you labored over have been hash-marked. The quaint turn of phrase you spent a good amount of time getting just so has been designated "too passive", and there is a detailed note attached asking you all sorts of inane questions you thought were made perfectly clear in line 18 of page four.

What would bring an otherwise kind person to perform such brutality?

Oddly enough, they're doing it to help you.
If a publisher signs you, they think you have a good bit of writing that the public may enjoy. So their goal is to put out a book that people will want to spend money on.

Now, no matter how good you and your crit group are, things will be missed.
That's the editor's job.

What seems perfectly clear and right to you after fifty readings may not be so to a reader during their first. A certain turn of phrase may read as offensive, or it may just not fit the image the house wants to project.

And of course, two words to strike fear in any wordsmith's heart:
House Style.

Every publisher has their own style, terminology, and formatting methods. Which, in most cases, is nothing like yours.

But the end result is not intended to send you into a fit of weeping and bosom-rending, but merely to create a marketable product.

If it's not about the money, or you think your misspellings are creative, and should be left in for emphasis, or you truly fear the evil editor, don't go to a publisher.

Insane advice?
No, self-preservation.
You're better off going to a vanity press, or simply doing it yourself, because all it will result in is bad blood between you and the publisher.

If you sign their contract, you are in essence agreeing to do it their way. If you don't like their way, don't sign the contract.

And yes, an ebook publisher is a real publisher.

And a contract is a contract.

Going to an ebook publisher is not a "last resort."
It also does not mean you get the right to do or say whatever you like. An epublisher commands the same respect as any other.

If Doubleday signed you:

• Would you argue with and/or insult the editor?
• Would you ask the publisher after they spent hours editing and putting your book up for sale to dissolve your contract because you want to go to another publisher?
• More important, would they?

Straight up answer is no, on all counts. You wouldn't do it, and they wouldn't take it. So keep that in mind when you make your decision.

© 2005 Stefani V. Kelsey,
Executive Managing Editor, eXtasy Books
Also writing as Eppie Finalist and CAPA Nominee Rian Monaire Article Featured in Xodtica Magazine March 2005

Posted with Permission

Erotica without Sex?

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Being Clear as MUD - Showing & Telling

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Goal, Motivation & Conflict ~ SIMPLIFIED

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Building the Character Arc - Angst Glorious Angst!

PLOT ARC - The events that happen while the characters make other plans.

CHARACTER ARC – The emotional roller-coaster that the character suffers in dealing with the Plot.

The CHARACTER ARC
The Stages of Grief

Denial – Anger - Despair – Sacrifice –Acceptance

Why Grief? Because a story needs DRAMA to be Interesting,
and Drama = ANGST!

“That which does not kill me, makes me stronger.”
– Nietzsche

Stories are all about Characters CHANGING; about Adapting and Overcoming circumstancing that should take them down. The hero and the villain change and develop as the story progresses to allow the hero a toehold chance - and no more - to win.

The difference between the Hero and the Villain is
the Villain’s failure to change. 

The Villain fails to face his fears, which allows the Hero to take him down. The rest of the cast may or may not have personal growth, but the Hero and the Villain must. This is where dramatic tension is generated.

Changing takes suffering. Both the Hero and the Villain should suffer emotionally and physically to allow for their personal changes.

Think about how hard it is for YOU to change your mind about liking or disliking anyone. What would it take to change your mind? That's the level of suffering --of Angst-- you need.

Drama! Drama! Drama!
What causes ANGST?

Breaks out the text-book …

Angst is caused by a change of circumstance that produces a feeling of loss. This triggers the reaction of grief. The intensity of the grief depends on the importance of what has been lost. If the loss is perceived as minor, ("Oops, I forgot my keys!") then the moment of grief will be minimal and barely felt. However, unresolved and severe loss (a loved one,) can lead to mental, physical, and sociological problems.

Cool huh?

Everyone deals with one form of angst or another on a daily basis. Such as:

The Dead Battery

You're on your way to work. You go out to your car, put the key in the ignition and turn it on. You hear nothing but a grind; the battery is dead.

Think about how you typically react: What's the first thing you do?

DENIAL – “Oh no! No! No! No! Not the battery!” You try to start it again. And again. You check to make sure that everything that could be draining the battery is off: radio, heater, lights, etc. and then try it again. And again…

ANGER - "Screw you, stupid car! I should have junked you years ago." Perhaps you slam your hand on the steering wheel? "I should just leave you out in the rain and let you rust!"

DEPRESSION - "Oh no…it won’t start. What am I going to do?"

BARGAINING / SACRIFICE – What are you willing to do if only the car would start? "Oh please car, if you will just start one more time I promise I'll buy you a brand new battery, get a tune up, new tires, belts and hoses, and keep you in perfect working condition…”

ACCEPTANCE - "Okay, it’s dead. I had better go call a friend and see if they can get me to work."

Get it? Got it? GOOD!

Applied Angst
Story Stages of Angst

Plot Arc is all about what HAPPENS. Character Arc is all about how the characters FEEL. The Stage of Grief that character happens to be going through dictates how that character will React EMOTIONALLY to the event that is Happening.

If you plan it just right, every event will work Against the character’s Stage of Grief.

Denial – “This can’t be happening to me!”

An Inciting Event has happened to ruin the Protagonist’s blissful ignorance. Rather than deal with it the Protagonist keep going as though it never happened: “I’m busy! Go away!”

In The Thirteenth Warrior

Ibn Fadlan is an Arab noble literally pulled into a Viking adventure he wants no part of. They are to travel to a far away Great Hall and defend it from Monsters. Ibn, a man of education, does not believe in monsters.

Anger – “Screw You!”

Events hammer at the Protagonist, forcing them to admit that something must be done. Naturally, they want to deal with this problem as quickly as possible then get back home; preferably in time for dinner. The easy and most obvious solution is chosen and they take off to deal with the situation.

This is where the writer starts heaving alligators into the boat to get the Protagonist further and further away from home.

In The Thirteenth Warrior

Ibn has discovered the hard way, that there are indeed monsters. However they are Human. Horribly monstrous humans, but human all the same. The obvious way to deal with them is to fortify the hall and prepare for an attack.

Despair – “I have nothing left to lose.”

After dealing with monumental amounts of alligators, the Protagonist suddenly realizes that he is out of options. He can’t go back. He can only go forward.

This is DARKEST MOMENT in the story.

In The Thirteenth Warrior

Ibn Fadlin and the Vikings learn that the monsters are unbeatable. The Great Hall cannot be defended from them, there are just too many of them. Another solution must be found.

Bargaining / Sacrifice - “I’ll do anything, ANYTHING…!”

Out of options, desperation forces the Protagonist to make a Sacrifice and suffers an emotionally heavy ORDEAL. This is where the Antagonist has the best chance of strong-arming the Protagonist into getting them to do what the Antagonist wants by offering a quick solution – a bargain – that the Protagonist simply cannot afford refuse.

The Protagonist’s Sacrifice during their Ordeal transforms the Protagonist into something greater and gives them the inner strength to deal with their situation – and the Antagonist.

In The Thirteenth Warrior

Knowing that it’s a suicide mission and that they may be SACRIFICING their Lives, they sneak into the Monster’s Cavern home in the hopes of taking out the two leaders of the tribe. During this sneak attack Ibn Fadlen and the Viking face a number of their fears and conquer them.

Acceptance – “F*ck it – let’s go down kicking butts!”

The Protagonist finally gives up and commits himself to what needs to be done. Home is so far away, it no longer matters – the problem at hand matters. With nothing left to lose, they throw themselves into the fray.

In The Thirteenth Warrior

They have succeeded in taking out one of the leaders, but the other still survives. An attack is coming and there is nothing left to do but defend. Knowing that they are vastly outnumbered, they fully expect to die, leaving them nothing left to fear.

Putting it IN WRITING

EVERY main character has to fulfill each stage of their character arc. BUT...!

Only the VIEWPOINT Character
needs a completely visible Character Arc. 

You don’t need to show every detail for the other character’s arcs, you only need hints through dialogue and actions that they are going through one.

FAQ's

"Must I use 'Grief'?"
Does my character’s arc have to be so…depressing?”

In the Stages of Grief, the word "Grief” is actually misleading. The stages aren't strictly about crushing depression. They merely map the cycle of someone under emotional pressure created by conflicts - and story conflict SHOULD create emotional pressure for your characters.

Never forget: Stories need EMOTIONAL CONFLICT as well as PHYSICAL CONFLICT to be fulfilling. 

However...! The emotional conflict doesn’t have to be Horrific! The stages can be softened.

Denial can become Indifference
- "So what?"

Anger - Annoyance
- "Oh please..."

Despair - Exasperation
- "What do you mean...?"

Bargaining / Sacrifice - Aggravation
- "Fine whatever…! Just get out of my face!"

Acceptance - Relief
- "Oh, that wasn't so bad!"

Does every story have ALL these stages?

Yes. If they're written correctly.

Does every story have only 5 stages in the Character Arc, no more, no less?

No. There are only 5 stage of Grief, but a character can cycle back and forth through them over and over, at different speeds at different strengths to suit the author.

Do these stages go in EXACTLY this order?

Denial ALWAYS comes First, Acceptance ALWAYS goes Last. The other three can be juggled by the author. I listed the most useful and common order. Feel free to Experiment!

Can you Skip stages?

NO. People instinctively know what real angst and frustration looks like; mainly because most people have gone through it themselves. They will KNOW if you 'rush it' by skipping a stage.

How fast can you pass through all five stages?

Very. A character can go through all five stages in one conversation. (But that takes WORK.)

Where the heck did you find these...Stages?

Human Psychology. You can look it up on the Internet by typing : “stages of grief”, in your Google bar.

Are there Other maps for Character Arcs?

Absolutely! “The Stages of Grief” is NOT the Only Character Arc there is, merely the most easily grasped. It's also the most versatile to work with and can be found WITHIN most other character arc maps.

Most action-adventure movies and Walt Disney films, use Chris Vogler's Heroic Cycle pattern in his “Writer’s Journey” for their Character Arc. 

Most Romance authors use the “12 Steps to Intimacy”, outlined by Ms. Dixon for their Character Arc. 

There is also a Fairy Tale cycle, Freytag’s “Plot Pyramid,” and Aristotle’s “Elements of a Tragedy”. (Wanna find them? Google.com is your friend!)

Any human behavior pattern can be used as a Character Arc map! I use Gavin DeBecker’s excellent book on surviving psychopaths called "The Gift of Fear" to map out the character arc of my Villains because his book details the human behavior pattern of predatory Violence.

But Vogler's The Writer’s Journey uses 12 stages…?

Yes. it does. If you are familiar with Vogler’s 12 stages and you look carefully, you will see all five Stages of Grief mixed in there.

Why not just use Vogler?

You CAN! It’s where I started. But his system is specifically designed on the MALE Adventure Arc, (as outlined by Campbell.) If you are writing something other than pure adventure, such as a Romance or another high-Drama story, then his system will not work all that well. He only leaves room in ONE stage for Love.

What about Syd Field and his 3 Act Plot?

Mr. Field’s system is pure Plot Arc - ACTION – and something I use IN ADDITION to a Character Arc.

Action & Drama
“How does all this stuff go Together?”

In a story, each Plot stage has a corresponding Dramatic movement from the Character Arc.

• Normalcy – Character shown under normal conditions.
• Inciting event - Denial
• Crisis – Anger
• Climax / Reversal - Despair
• Ordeal – Sacrifice
• Confrontation – Acceptance
• Consequences – Character shown adjusting to new form of Normal.

Each dramatic stage of the Character Arc should govern –-or affect-– the characters’ Reactions to what’s happening around them in the Plot, depending on the INTENSITY of each dramatic stage.

ALL Three Main Characters; Antagonist / Protagonist / Middle-man - go through All 5 dramatic stages of a Character Arc, BUT~! ONLY the Viewpoint Character goes through this pattern Visibly. AND ~ they don’t all do it at the same time! The Character Arc (drama) pattern should be staggered between main characters.

If you have more than one View Point Character?

EACH View Point Character’s ENTIRE dramatic pattern should also be Visible.If you don't, it creates a PLOT HOLE.  

NEVER allow a Plot Hole to remain in your story! 

Why? Because the readers get pissy, that’s why. I have the hate-mail to prove it. “But what happened with…?” Woe betide the author that does not conclude all the issues raised with EACH Viewpoint Character - in addition to the Main Characters.

Now, Go Forth and Arc those Characters!

Morgan Hawke
~~~~~~~~~~~~
www.darkerotica.net