The Stories Unsaid

A friend suggested that I delve into a major character in my current ms (written in first person) by writing a chapter or two from the character's point of view. This is a great idea and I plan on setting to it. One important part of writing is understanding the whole story, not just the part that is written down, and knowing how each major character speaks, thinks and acts is a big part of that.

The title of this post comes from this quote:

"From Ernest Hemingway's stories, I learned to listen within my stories for what went unsaid by my characters."
-- Nadine Gordimer (South African writer)

If we don't know our characters from all angles, I don't think our readers will know them well, either. Readers will only know part of the whole story, only a fraction of what we know. I think this will help the flow of the story, the depth, and even keep away some of those moments when writing isn't going well. We should know what is said and unsaid by our characters.

Living In The Past

"The one charm of the past is that it is the past." ~Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray

Recently on Facebook a friend corrected someone's post to the proper form of past tense. My friend continued the lecture by calling the form Past Perfect Progressive. Nightmares of old English classes came back to haunt me like a gallows. Grammar was the least interesting noose anyone had managed to knot around my young neck. And as I read Facebook I knew that knowing the past tense was important.

The night my critique group first reviewed my pages they marked tense problems all over. Over time I improved, but most of the story takes place in the blessed present tense. Future scenes in my ms will be explanations of past events. Now the past is not the past. It's the present. The charm is gone. Armed with the weight of relearning English that had been covered thirty years ago, I began to research. (I should admit that now there is a need for knowing Past Tense it's not nearly as awful as it was in grade school.)

Here is a quick list of 9 forms of Past Tense:
1. Simple Past
2. Past Progressive
3. Past Perfect
4. Past Perfect Progressive
5. Past Habitual
6. Time-Specific Past Habitual
7. Past Intensive
8. Future In The Past
9. Past-Perfect Subjunctive

Time To Start Blogging Again

My poor blog. Forgotten like the runner-up in a contest. Languishing in the back of my mind but always on tomorrow's To Do list. But not anymore!

The list of things I've learned over the last two months could fill a year's worth of weekly blog posts. And I need to blog. I'm a born-again writer, father of three and happily married. After a long hiatus from writing I'm back at the craft and I want to put down what I learn for my own sake, and to help others in my position.

So, at least once a week I'll put a new post here, and I hope to hear from lots of people. The more we share the stronger we get. Everyone needs encouragement from time to time. Everyone has something to teach another writer. It's been a rocky, wonderful road to get where I am today, but the emphasis is on wonderful.

RLJ

Getting Comfortable

When I took up writing again conditions had to be perfect for me to write. Home had to be quiet. I needed a lot of time to get myself "in a groove." Any interruption killed the desire for writing. Since being at home meant the exact opposite of those things the library was my writing sanctuary.

Over Christmas I tried fixing that problem. I wrote even when I wasn't in the mood or the kids were loud (within reason). My laptop was left up in case a window for writing opened. The result was mixed but I learned a few things. If I kept my story in the back of my mind then even after an interruption I might get back into it. If the kids knew what was up they kept a little quieter. The experiment worked. To a degree.

The best help I've found it writing often. For my critique group I've been forced to write more often, and that has helped me write better when life around me is loud and complicated. I think it's because I can tune things out better but also, I know the story really well. It is often present, and so it's not hard to jump into it. Some days I'm so excited for the next part I just want to get writing, even if I only have fifteen minutes.

What tips do you have for keeping focused on your story in less-than-ideal situations?

Story Arcs

Four weeks ago I sat around a table with my critique group and listened to them talk about story arcs. With copies of my submission in hand they discussed how linear my story was. There should be an arc that carries through the book, but also short arcs across chapters and even paragraphs. Smaller achievements along the way help the reader feel that progress is being made. Everything they said made sense. I was sure that the next part would be better.

It wasn't.

On my way home from work almost two weeks after that meeting the dawn broke through. A book, The Hunger Games, broke down into short story arcs. I could see their conclusions like points along a line, extending throughout the main plot. Then another book unfolded and finally a third. While I'm still learning about them I can recognized the different story arcs that authors use.

So, thank critique group! I've had fun breaking down about some of my favorite books and setting up my own story with shorter arcs. You have helped once more to make my writing better!

Critique Group

Just three months ago I was invited to be part of a critique group, and after some hesitation I accepted. Now I can see what a great thing it has been. The other members have been together for a while and I wondered if I could keep up with them. They all had more experience and kept a weekly meeting schedule. Doubts about my ability crept in and I almost said no. But the opportunity was too good so I accepted. After about two months of meetings with them I'm so glad to be part of that group.

Having a critique group has helped me increase the quantity and quality of my writing. The find poor grammar. Random tenses. Lost thoughts. Garbled sentences. Rambling story lines. I'm amazed at the things the group can find wrong in my submissions. :-) Thank you for your help! As a result of  their help I have found more enjoyment and more time to write. I hope that I've been able to help them because they have boosted me to a better place.

I've heard lots of times how important a good critique group is and now I can see how. Thanks, group. You're great and I love being able to say, "I'm part of a critique group."

Need A Chuckle?

“Some editors are failed writers, but so are most writers.” —T.S. Eliot (1888-1965), poet


Thank you, Mr. Eliot. When measured against being published it is true but luckily most of us keep writing anyway. Even if I never get a book published I'll keep finding time to write. :-)

A New Year

Generally I'm not a fan of January resolutions. Everyone has something to say about the new year and usually it comes after overindulging ourselves in ways we don't any other time of the year. This year I do have a goal but it comes with some practice behind it, so I'm optimistic.

My goal is to write more often. It's a vague goal, I know, but those are easier to accomplish. During my Christmas vacation from work I took a couple of nights to try and write. It wasn't as easy as some of you may think. I can't always concentrate well at home, especially when all the kids are home. Even if I ensconce myself in the library and keep quiet, there are distractions and interruptions.

Even though there were some distractions I did manage some good writing time. This has given me hope that I can learn to write more at home. Not only will writing at home give me more time for my ideas, by sitting down in more frequent spurts, improve the overall story.

Time will tell but I appreciate the support of my family when they try and talk to me and don't get an answer quite as quickly as usual. It's a new year and maybe this year I finally have a real, achievable resolution. Oh, and I'd like to lose a few more pounds. And have world peace.

Quote For Today

"It is better to write a bad first draft than to write no first draft at all." --Will Shetterly

Don't stress too much if you aren't writing the perfect story, or if editing isn't going great. Just remember that you're doing something and that's better than doing nothing. Keep your chin up!

The last impression

Hook the reader early and often. I've noticed that writers and editors teach the importance of the early hook. In my writing group we've discussed how important that hook is, considering books that have no hook and evolve slowly. Indeed, editors who have spoken to our group insist that it is crucial to grab a reader's attention quickly.

In the main story I'm writing at the moment I came to the end of a scene and suddenly found that I couldn't end it. The intensity I try to build fizzles and the running scene lurches to an ugly end. With all the emphasis on setting up the scene my brain has tried to end it with the same energy and failed. Read it here.

This is only one example. Other times I've been writing and found the same problem: I'm on a roll, feeling the words come out just right, and then writing a lame sentence that leaves the whole feeling injured. Currently, what I do is edit it a few times to rescue it. If that fails then I leave it and come back later, but some things get so stuck in my head that I can't seem to think of anything else. Does anyone have any different ideas? What do you do when a word, phrase or sentence is out of sync with the rest of the scene?