Busting Ghosts of Haunted Writers

I've been re-reading Anne Lamott's highly respected how-to for writers, Bird by Bird, and several thoughts really resonated with me.

First of all, the title itself is the first lesson any writer must learn. Anne describes a time from her childhood when her older (high school aged) brother was completely overwhelmed by the enormity of a school report on birds that he had put off the entire semester until the night before it was due. Anne's father, with words of wisdom that apply to all facets of life, advised his son that the only way to accomplish any daunting job was to break it down into small tasks.

"Take it bird by bird."

Wonderful advice for writers, of course - especially those facing the mind-boggling task of writing a book. I know when I've signed a publishing contract and the initial glee and jubilation has passed, I often find myself facing a blank computer screen with panic rising in my belly.

Where to start?
What topics to cover?
How to break the chapters up?
How not to break me up in the process?
I just can't do it! How could anybody do this?

It's ever so helpful to take my eyes off the humongous aviary flocking with thousands upon thousands of winged creatures and focus on one little wren. Ahh. Now that's do-able.

Anne also speaks of literally looking at your work through a 1" square frame in order to concentrate on one small section at a time. She actually keeps such a frame on her desk. It reminds her that the most giant puzzle (book) starts with tiny pieces that must be dealt with one by one. Bird by bird.

Another of Anne's statements really resonated with me. She was speaking about the voices in your head that distract you from writing, and called them "banchees and drunken monkeys." Oh, so extremely well said. I couldn't label them better - the screaming banchees of urgent interruptions that just can't wait (real or unreal).

The drunken monkeys that swing your fickle thoughts from tree to tree and everywhere in the jungle but where they're supposed to be. For people like me - a step beyond ADD - those darn monkeys are a huge challenge to productivity. It's amazing how much ground those monkeys can cover in no time, especially if you're fighting a deadline like I am now.

I really must get out my tranquelizer dart gun and pick off some of those drunken monkeys. Today.

And finally, Anne spoke of the "ectoplasm" of a fictional character - finding out what holds him together. His essence. Is it faith? Work? Hope? Relationships? Loyalties? Longings? (My contributions.)

I like that ... ectoplasm. The word alone dredges up visions of Bill Murray in Ghost Buster garb. I picture green goo dripping off chandeliers and globbed all over basement library card catalogs.

But the point is well taken. Ectoplasm is the internal make-up of people, real or fictional. The evidence of their presence. Not only is it important to discover the nuances and foibles of our fictional characters, but how about in real relationships as well? How often do we really study the ectoplasm of our potential friends or even foes? Not often enough, I fear.

So who ya gonna call?

Maybe Anne Lamott.

Sometimes You Just Have to Barry Your Soul!

These are two of my favorite people in the whole wide world - my sister Cindy flanking me on (your) left and my bosom-buddy-since-we-got-bosoms in the sixth grade, Jan, on (your) right.

Would you believe we're this cheerful in the nosebleeds at a Barry Manilow concert?

Yup. I'm a fanilow. Don't you dare smirk. What's not to like about mushy love songs? Or a 68-year-old heartthrob hobbling around the stage after a hip replacement?

Although he looked a bit like he was wearing a Barry Manilow mask from 20 years ago, he sang like he was 30. It was a magical night. The power of words and melody carried me right back to my youth when daydreams of dashing men on white horses sweeping me off my oxfords seemed incredibly possible. I found myself smiling inanely through many of the songs and singing along at the top of my lungs with the rest.

Don't know that I would've spent that much on a ticket if Jan hadn't twisted my arm, though.

But my point here is the amazing power of words to transcend reality, time, place, space, even earth suits to transport us somewhere we just can't get to any other way. As a musician (piano teacher for 20 years), I believe that melody certainly adds a depth and dimension to lyrics that is quite unique to the medium of music.

But books work in much the same way to stir emotion, jumpstart motivation, and soothe ruffled feathers. Words without melody are no less transcending.

So now my blood is perculating with excitement to make some magic that touches someone's heart through my writing. Can't wait to get started.

What motivates you to place derriere in chair and poise fingers over keyboard?

Are we on the Border of Book Extinction?

Books. Are they a dying art?

If you put a lot of stock in headlines, you might think so, with one of the three American mega-booksellers filing Chapter 11.

Yep, it's true, according to an AP online article I just read by Mae Anderson. Borders is filing Chapter 11 after 40 years as a trend-setting, latte-sipping, book-pedaling national icon. One third of Borders' 600+ stores will be closing within the next few months, all of them superstores which are now losing upwards of $2 million a day.

Apparently Borders lagged behind Barnes & Noble and perhaps BAM as well in hopping on the electronic bandwagon and has struggled for the past five years as online book sales grow and hard copy sales diminish. They owe millions upon millions to publishers and it seems everybody wants their dough. Now.

With the distribution of books now eeking out to Walmart, Target, Sams and Costco, people who still want hard copies have turned to the cheaper outlets, despite the lure of big box bookstore cappachino and triple chunk brownies while you browse. And we musn't forget the incipid monster, Amazon, which has gobbled up much of the online business for both hard and e-copies.

The statistic that made me saddest in the article was that book sales fell nearly 5 % in 2010 in all outlets, except Walmart, which wasn't included in the tracking system. I certainly haven't stopped reading; if anything, I'm reading more than ever before.

And you surely couldn't prove people aren't reading as much if you hang out at beaches, airports, or dentists offices these days. All you see is a sea of book covers. What gives?

Now, I've never had any special affinity for Borders (or Books-A-Million for that matter), because B & N has always been the most congenial in working with and encouraging new authors. When my first book came out, I naively called all three to inquire about getting my book on their shelves. BAM and Borders ignored me completely - even rudely - but B&N kindly took the time to explain the ropes (which meant they said in a nice way that the chance of first books landing on major bookshelves is about as good as big Bird becoming a congressman).

But at least they responded and treated me like a human being.

Anyway, despite the fact that I've never stepped food in a Borders or BAM since then, I still hate like heck to see them go under. I hate to see any bookstore go under, especially the dozens of small family-owned bookstores run out of business by the mega-stores when they first erupted on the scene. There are still a few indies still holding on by their fingernails and when I get the browse craving, those are the ones I head to. My business may be small, but it's still better than nothing and I'd sure like to see them stay open.

So what can a Kindle-owning, girl-turned-author do? Cry a tear and hold a candle at the brick and morter funeral, I guess.

Writer Celebrations

I believe people don't celebrate nearly enough. Life's too short not to cheer, leap for joy and get giddy over accomplishments, big or small.

We should get out the tiarras, bake chocolate cakes and throw confetti at every possible opportunity. After all, it's the little victories that makes life fun, right?

So in honor of yesterday's completion of my new book manuscript, More Beauty, Less Beast: Transforming your Inner Ogre, I decided to post some writer funnies that make me smile. Hope they do the same for you!

Writer: "I want to write in the worst way."
Editor: "You've managed to do just that."

I didn't become a writer for the money; I became a writer despite the money!

While watching a family of woodpeckers pounding a dead tree in our back yard one day, I commented to Spouse, "Can you imagine beating your head against the wall for a living?"

With a knowing grin, he replied, "Isn't that what writers do?"

Is Stealing Really Stealing?

In reading the recent issue of "Writer's Digest" (if you don't subscribe to a writer's trade journal, shame on you!) I came across a piece by David Corbett describing a writing exercise designed to develop "Originality."

I was fascinated by Mr. Corbett's statement, "The best advice I ever received on writing in general was Oakley Hall's two-word bomide: Steal Wisely."

This touched on a subject I'd been thinking about a lot lately.

How far is too far when "borrowing" ideas from other writers or for that matter, from you own previously published work?

It's long been a practice of writers - and encouraged at writing conferences and workshops - to glean material from the ideas of others. You should always read other authors' work in the genre in which you're writing, they say, to keep a steady flow of new ideas sparking your own creativity. Certainly don't plagerize, but take a basic concept and expound upon it using your own voice and flair. There is no copyright on ideas.

I've actually done quite a bit of this, and was delighted to run across Mr. Hall's wonderfully descriptive phrase.

Steal Wisely.

From a perspective of integrity, I don't think of this practice as stealing at all. I wouldn't do it if I did. It only makes sense to me that greater input produces greater output and heaven only knows when you're in the middle of a project, you need all the fresh input you can get.

For instance, I'm currently writing More Beauty, Less Beast, and am reading all the beauty-themed books I can get my hands on. The trick is to not lose your own voice in the voice of another author, but to extract a thought, marinate it in your own juices, and see if something worthwhile (printable) pops out of the pan.

Anyone care to share their thoughts or experience on this subject?

Don't Miss This One!

Hope you'll hop over to Suzanne Fisher's blog to catch the interview with award-winning author Debora M. Coty!

Suzanne Woods Fisher - http://suzannewoodsfisher.blogspot.com/

And have a happy and holy Christmas!

Head Hunting

So you're thinking of writing a book. You've got the storyline whirling in your head, your character profiles finished, and you're still toying with the ending. But that's okay. Many writers write organically and allow the story to bud and bloom as it grows, rather than following a strict outline.

What's your next major decision?

Simple yet oh, so important. Which voice are you going to use?

When I started my historical novel, The Distant Shore, I began writing in first person. After about six chapters, I realized it wasn't working - there were just too many details that couldn't feasibly be voiced through the eyes of my 6-year-old protagonist. A child that young wouldn't be able to perceive or compute all that I needed perceived and computed to bring the reader along on the journey.

So I did two things (at the suggestion of several editors): I went back and changed the story to third person, and I upped Emma Lee's age to nine, although the real life protagonist was indeed six when the story took place in 1904. Three years makes a world of difference in maturity level at that age, and enabled me to include deeper insights and more knowledge of how the world works for my character.

We're all pretty well acquainted with first person narrative voice. It has strong emotional connection with readers (they become the "I" in the story) and a level of intimacy not included as much in other POV's (points of view).  The format of tellling the story directly to the reader enables the writer to use quirky speech, idiosyncrasies, and share "secrets" unique to the first person voice.

On the flip side, the vocabulary is limited by the narrator's own vocabulary and life experience. In other words, a galley slave couldn't expound on the "detested inadequacies of the existing penal system," because he wouldn't normally use such words or lofty thoughts. Not could my Emma-Lee understand or describe the symptoms of familial abuse in her family as a 6-year-old.

In first person, the entire story is colored by only what is within the character's scope of knowledge and experience. Thus, the story may not be entirely objective, a quality some authors use as a literary tool to lead the reader in one direction throughout the book and then spring a surprise (objective) climax on them they didn't see coming until the protagonist's subjected bent becomes apparent at the end.

 Second person POV is rare in novels, although it's used more often in non-fiction. I frequently use second-person in my self-help books such as Mom NEEDS Chocolate and my upcoming Too Blessed to Stay Stressed. In these types of inspirational, humorous books, speaking directly to the reader lends an atmosphere of girl talk across a table while sipping mocha lattes.

Are you gettin' me, girlfriend?

Third person POV can be approached several different ways. Third person omniscient is a distant, overall perspective, as if viewing life on earth from an astronaut's viewpoint in outer space. Or God's perspective, which is, of course, all knowing, all seeing. The narrative moves freely in and out of character's minds. This POV isn't used as often as it was in, say, Dickins day, but it can work well with broad sagas of multiple characters and events.

Limited third person is a kind of compromise between first person and third person omnicient.Although the story is told about another person as in "he" or "she," the storytelling remains in the consciousness of a single character. It doesn't have to be the same character; in fact it makes for a rather boring book if the entire story is told in one POV. It makes for a more interesting plot and more thorough coverage if the POV shifts between 3-4 characters, but attention must be paid to smooth flow.

Above all, you must take care not to confuse the reader. That would create what I call an "eyeball wall" and you're in deep dung-doo if you do too much of that. They'll simply close the book and walk away.

Most creative writing programs teach that you shouldn't hop heads - shift POV from character to character - within the same scene. POV changes should occur naturally at chapter changes or with line spaces within chapters. However, I've noticed a growing trend to shift POV from paragraph to paragraph in some modern fiction, although I personally find it bamboozling at times. You begin to wonder, "Now who's thinking this?" and you have to go back and re-read to figure it out. Many editors would consider this poor craft or lazy writing.

Well, I hope this little head hunt is helpful in your publishing quest. Write on!