How to Start Your Book

Okay, so recently, I turned in a novel I'd written to my agent. She read it (loved it--phew!) and gave me some feedback. Her only comment? It's going to blow your mind. Are you ready? Mind-blowing tarp all set up?

Really?

She said: "It starts too fast."

Okay, stop the pony. Starts TOO FAST?? Isn't that what we're always told? Toss the reader into the action? Grip them with the first word, the first sentence, the first scene??

Now, I'll admit that I'm very sensitive about the way my novels start. I don't like it when someone tells me to start my novels in a different place. Since I don't write in order, I don't write the beginning first, and I feel like I have a really organic process for finding the opening scene of my books.

So my agent told me this particular book was opening too fast. I re-read my first chapter, and saw her point.

Then I proceeded to write a different book for a different deadline. The problem of this other novel went into the notebook of Impossibilities I'm Going To Figure Out (see Monday's post)--which is really just my brain.

Then I finished the deadline novel. Sent it to betas.

And I had to face the opening-too-fast novel. So I read through it. Made some light edits, etc. Could not for the life of me see a different way to start it. So I did what any writer would do: I opened a blank document.

I was going to write a new first chapter, dang it!

And I did. Like 10 times. They all sucked. None of them were right. Or even close.

I could feel the haze coming, the need for sour patch kids and bacon and a good long vacay from writing.

Then the fabulous girls in my critique group gave me a book that changed my life. CHANGED MY LIFE.

I think they were skeptical that I would actually read the book. But I proved them wrong! Ha! I even filled out NOTE CARDS and MADE A FREAKING STORYBOARD.

That's right. Believe it (picture proof, FTW!). Now, those of you who've been here a while know that I simply don't do this. I don't outline. In fact, the mere thought of it makes me shudder and throw salt over my shoulder to ward off evil spirits.

Well, guess what? This book that changed my life? It showed me how to outline in a way that makes sense to me. MAKES TOTAL SENSE!

I know by now you're all screaming: How?! What book??! Spill, Johnson!!

SAVE THE CAT by Blake Snyder. It's about screenwriting--and there's something magical about relating outlining and story construction to movies. I can "see" it. I can watch a movie and "see" everything laid out in only a matter of hours. I can't do that when I read.

So I read SAVE THE CAT, and voila! Just like that, I realized the missing piece of my book: Beat One.

That's right. Out of 15 beats, I was missing the first freaking one! And since The Fabulous Blake Snyder tells you what should have in each beat, I could suddenly "see" how my book needed to start.

I wrote the first chapter the next day.

SAVE THE CAT people. It will save your sanity. Buy it for all your crit mates. Get it yourself. Read it. Love it. Cherish it.

And I made my own Blake Snyder beat sheet for novels using the resources Blake has on his website.

Do you have a book on writing that changed your life? Do tell. (This may or may not but definitely is the one I've read the most of... I don't like to read to learn. So sue me.)

Also, I wrote a letter to my teen self, and it's up on the Dear Teen Me blog today. I will seriously send you good karma and kiss your babies and/or critique your query letters if you'll go comment on it so I don't look like a complete tool. Deal?

Motivational Monday

This summer, my fabu crit partner, Sara, spent a bunch of time in London researching Winston Churchill. (Yeah, your summer just got worse, didn't it? Don't worry, mine too.) She brought us (the crit groupies) a bunch of stuff from England that we totally don't deserve. This postcard was one such gift, and one of the most inspiring things I've read in a long time.

I think I'll let it speak for itself.

But go check out what my CP's have to say about this motto.
Jenn Wilks
Ali Cross
Stacy Henrie

And you knew it was coming... What's a motto?

I don't know. What's the motto with you?

Haha! But seriously, do you have a motto that inspires you? It's Motivational Monday - lay it on me!

Oh!! And don't forget that we WriteOnCon organizers are doing a live chat tonight to get your feedback about the conference so we can make next year's event beltacular (don't know what that means? It'll blow your mind). So join us on the WriteOnCon site at 9 PM EDT.

Getting Critiqued Is Like...

...Flinging yourself out of a fast-moving airplane wearing only a parachute your novice boyfriend packed. That's right. ONLY the parachute. ;-P

*Insert own ending here*

That's me and my group. We are gorgeous. We dive out of planes on a bi-monthly basis. It is awesome.

My Getting Critiqued Toolkit:
1. Cheerios (for crying into)
2. Dragon hide
3. Twisted Sister
4. A strong sense of your story
5. Stock in Trust Your Gut, Inc.

How do you handle critiques? What's in your getting critted toolkit?

My Live Critique Group Rawks

That's Jenn, me, Stacy and Ali

We're meeting tonight. Jealousy allowed.

More Than You Want To Know...

I think I'm going to have every post next week have those ellipses in the title. I seem to do it A LOT. So sorry if that bugs you.

But I thought I'd share some stuff about yours truly in mostly pictures, cuz I'm crazy like that.

What I do for fun:


That's me in the blue jacket. I have a pitchfork. Don't ask. Mary Lindsey is the one with the Grim Reaper scythe-thing. Suzette Saxton is just trying to defend herself. Good times.

I love songs by people with food for their name:

No Rain by Blind Melon

Never There by Cake - dude don't you love Cake? I had their CD in high school, like, forever ago. I was kewl back then, too. *grins*



I like this song too:
Heartless by Kris Allen

And I still adore "Mad World" by this man:



Books I've Read For the First Time (don't judge) In the Past 10 Days:
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle (I had *panic face* for a chapter or two)
A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula Le Guin (holy world-building Batman!)
The City of Gold and Lead by John Christopher (utterly awesome)
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman (it is what it is)
The Roar by Emma Clayton (post-apocalyptic, what could be better?)
Gifts by Ursula Le Guin (loved it!)
The Giver by Lois Lowry (shut up)
Gone by Michael Grant (words cannot describe the awesomeness this book is)



I hit one of these this week:


My girl kidlet said, "Mom, you're scaring me." Yeah, I scare myself sometimes.


I had my first experience with one of these:

They're webcams, in case you didn't know. Critique group will never be the same.



My best picture to date:


That's Mary with me. Maybe I look good because she's so cute.


What I learned doing this post: It takes forever to insert pictures into blogger and move them where you want them. My advice? Put in the last one first, then you don't have to drag so far. Freak.

What I also learned: I am amazing when suffering from Avoidance. I tried to get a prescription, but apparently, there is no cure. Dangit.

Other random facts: I've been hovering at 99 followers for three days. I'm going nuts. Someone just follow so I can get on with my life. Please.

I updated my sidebar with Wicked Awesome Bloggers, i.e. people I love to read everyday. There were 39! Thirty-freaking-nine. And I wonder why I have to limit myself to an hour of online time. If I missed yours, let me know. I follow so many....


What I should be doing:


Yeah, I'm in a killing mood right now. It's Jag again. For some reason he brings out the homicidal tendencies I work so hard to repress.

Oh! Talking about Jag made me remember. This is what he looks like:

<--- David Henrie from Wizards of Waverly Place. Yes, I watch it.

Eddie ---> Gilbert from The Next Food Network Star. L-o-v-e the spikes. And the eyesbrows... totally Jag.





And now you know more about me than you should.

One more thing: This blog post took me two hours. I am just that lame.

Have a great weekend!

How Much Stock Do You Put Into What Someone Else Says?

(Strap on the life vest. I'm goin' in deep today....)

This question has always plagued me. When I first started with a crit group, I changed every single thing they told me to. I guess I just sort of assumed that's what everyone did who got feedback. Hey, I was a newb. Don't judge me. *wink*

Some people have been blogging about this this week. Beth Fleisher said it yesterday on the QT blog. Jessica Faust had something about writing what you know (and I added "love" Write what you love). I swear I scheduled and wrote this before I read their stuff. I've been to crit group this week. I've heard some stories lately from people who are changing everything because of a single suggestion. (Not people I've directly talked to, so this is all hearsay, but still. I know it happens.) And it got me thinking and asking myself:

How much stock do you put into what someone else says?

So way last summer, I was telling my DH about a crit suggestion I got (which is a miracle, cuz he doesn't much care for the writing gig), and I just didn't like it. And he said the words that changed my life. Seriously. He said, "Like I tell my sixth graders, just because someone tells you to do something doesn't mean you have to do it."

Whoa. Wait. What?

I don't have to change it? For real?

It was like I'd never thought of that before. Since then, I take every suggestion seriously, I really do. But sometimes they just don't work for my story. Or I've worded things the way I want to, and I don't care that it's not grammatically correct or that it repeating. It's deliberate.

My confidence has increased in this area since I've realized that just because my critmate doesn't like present tense, doesn't mean I have to change it to past. Or that if they don't like something, doesn't mean it has to go/change. Now when all three of them can't figure out what the heck is going on...well, then yeah. I have to rewrite whether I like it or not.

Don't get me wrong, all critiques are attention-worthy. That's why we're in crit groups, right? But changes are not mandatory. Over the last year, I've learned what kind of writer I am and what I'm trying to achieve. The critiques I get that fit me and my story are like drugs. I just can't get enough. And I usually do implement everything they tell me. The critiques I get that don't fit me and my story and my style get tossed. In private, of course, but tossed still the same.

This is why random crits by people I don't know are difficult for me. I know there are places to find critiquers (Critique Circle and OWW for example) and I've been to those places and left dissatisfied. My online groups are with people I have spent time getting to know and trust, even if we haven't met in person. I know they "get" me and/or they "get" my genre and my style. That's important to me, so I can get the best drugs, er, crits possible.

So I'm curious. How much stock do you put into what someone says about your story? Have you enjoyed Critique Circle or OWW? Where did you find your critmates? What about agents? Do you automatically buy what they're selling? Why or why not?

How much stock do you put into what someone else says? Especially someone you don't know that well. That's what I want to know. Here's why: I've seen some people in the past change everything everyone says. Their story gets lost. They get lost. They have no confidence. So I guess this is about YOU too. How do you get the confidence to toss the crits that don't work for you? How do you decide what kind of writer you want to be? Have you? Do you stay true to yourself and your story? How do you do that amidst the advice, critiques, and self-doubt?

Wow. Toldja it'd be deep. Hope you had the proper gear.

Talking Heads - Teaser Tuesday - Blog Contest

So my friends at critique group challenged me to write something only using dialog. I'm not really sure if it was a challenge or I just transformed it into one in my head. They said something about how they liked my dialog and I actually think one of them was tearing into me [with very sharp teeth] because I didn't have enough sensory details. Or something. And I was saying how sometimes I think it's okay to just let the characters talk without any blocking details or anything. I mean if they're sitting at the breakfast table and you've established that, I don't need the demise of every bite of bacon. I mean, another clue every little bit or so is okay, but not every line of dialog needs an action, internal thought...or sensory detail. (lol)

I just did a post on writing dialog, so you can check that out. Dialog should reveal things. Not only plot things, but character things too. I believe that through dialog, your characters live. Really live.

So I thought I'd write something with only (okay, MOSTLY) dialog. And I'm throwing down the gauntlet. That's right. This is a contest. I want you to submit a snippet of dialog (could be from your novel or something else you've written, or it could be something you specifically write for this Dialog Throwdown) in the comments on this thread. Maximum wordage: 250 words. Enter by say, Friday this week. That's the 15th.

I'll read them. Choose a winner. (Or should we vote? I'm all about a democracy, but I want everyone to play nice-nice.) The prize? I am sort of notorious for slaying queries, so I'll look at and help you privately with your query letter. If you don't need that because you're the query queen/king and/or I've already helped you, I'll shred, er, critique your first chapter.

So here's mine. Just so you know, this is a magic lesson between two humans (Jared and Annie) who don't know much magic and a group of magical beings (including Jon) who, well, know a lot of magic.

----------

"You didn't do your protections," Jon said.

"I did too," I snapped.

"I wasn't talking to you."

"Shut up, Jon," Jared said.

"Jon, so help me…." I threatened.

"Okay, I'll help you." He stood up and threw a purple disc with a long tail spiraling behind it.

I didn't know any spells besides how to protect myself, but Jared set up the lame no-good shield again.

"Jared, what good is that going to do?" I asked.

"Shut up! It's all I know."

"I know you learned more than one spell today. I saw you."

"How many did you learn, princess?"

"I learned protections. That's all I know. Freakin' take them out!"

"I'm using what I have for this damn shield! You have more magic than me, help me out here!"

"I would, but—ack!" Ice snaked over my legs up to my waist. Whoever had done this was so dead. And right now, I could commit Jon's murder, no problem.

"See if you can get out," Jon said.

"What the hell is this?" Jared looked at his encased legs. "I did the shield."

"Two feet off the ground," Jon replied.

I raised my eyebrows at Jared. "Well?"

"Well what? I don't know what to do."

"How about an Inferno?" Jon suggested. Black fire soared across the library in a funnel, licking at me and melting the ice. I couldn't help the scream that tore through my throat. Next to me, Jared cussed like he didn't know any other words.

"Jon," Edgar said, almost wearily. "Dude, do we really need to freak them out?"

-----------

So...given the little you know about Jon, Annie (she's the "I" in the story) and Jared, what do you think Jon would say to that? What about Jared or Annie? Do you get a little glimpse of who they are?

And now it's your turn! Lay it on me, baby!

Crit Group Commentary

Okay, so I meet with a live critique group every other Thursday. It's like the highlight of my existence. Well, that might be taking it a bit far, but I really enjoy it. I've gone when I have raging sinus infections (I'm sure the other members were thrilled about that), I've gone when my son has pack meeting (cuz let's face it. Pack meetings are like torture), and I've gone when it's snowing like crazy mad. I'm like the post office people. Rain, shine, sinus infection, I'll be there.

Ali, Jenn and Stacy are made of awesome. We have sooo much fun. So today, I thought I'd share some quotes from last Thursday night that had me rolling on the floor laughing. And we all know that laughter is the best medicine, especially when you've got three pirahnas tearing into your work. In person. And you have to look them in the eye and try not to feel like every word you've penned is complete and utter suckage.

So we laugh a lot. It's my coping mechanism. But hey, I like being critiqued. (And I still don't have a T-shirt for that, but all in good time.)

So here are some things that were said at the group. I paraphrased some of them so I hope Jenn and Stacy don't mind. I have a good memory, but I'm no Einstein. I totally get that you might not understand them, or why they're funny, but they really are. Really.

----------

"I can do dirty."

"The 'fill her up' freaked me out. 'Fill her up'? Fill what up? I mean, 'fill her up'?"

"I kind of like the idea of a chasm."

"Have you ever had your hair razored?" (To me! They asked me this! I'm nothing if not into razoring my hair.)

"You don't have to eat this if you don't want to."

"She's put out all this other stuff. I was wondering where the fishing line is."

"The basis of my experience with cattle ranching comes from City Slickers."

"What's with you and all your guys being obsessed with hair?"

---------

So here's my question for you: How do you deal with critiques? Maniacal laughter like me? Major stewage afterward? (I do this too.) Is it hard to have your writing critiqued? Why or why not?

BONUS: Would you wear a T-shirt that said, "I like being critiqued"? (lol)

Blog Chain - Shreddage

Okay, this round's topic was chosen by the ever-fabulous Mary Lindsey. Here's her prompt:

Are you in a critique group? If so, at what point do you send chapters to the members of your group? How detailed are the critiques you receive and give? Do all members in you group write the same genre?

I've been participating in crit groups for about 15 months. And I wrote a couple of posts for the QueryTracker blog on this topic (more on how to start and how to participate in crit groups). These questions are completely different, and I think, ones that every writer should answer and contemplate in their crit groups.

Whenever I post my work for critique, I think of it as going through the shredder. Sometimes I can't wait to see what's going to come out the other side, and sometimes I'm just plain scared. (Hey, I'm human, too.) Sometimes that shreddage can be scary--but it's almost always scary in a good way. (Not like those people up there. They're shredding lettuce. Yes. Lettuce. I guess it's uber-toxic lettuce because why else would they need the lab coats, rubber boots and face masks?? They take their shreddage seriously. As should your critters in your group. Man, this was a long parenthetical.) You need good shreddage to grow and stretch as a writer. But enough about that. Onto the questions!

1. Are you in a critique group?
Yes. More than one. I have a live crit group that I absolutely adore. I also own a forum at RallyStorm exclusively for YA authors. It's pretty much me and a dear friend, because we're not really sure about adding anyone else to the group and upsetting our uber-yen balance we've got goin' on. I love my fellow YA crit buddy. And I also have a precious group of friends who will read anything I want at any time. Their input is priceless.

2. At what point do you send chapters to the members of your group?
After I've looked at them so much my eyes are crossing, I can push apple+F and type in the exact line I'm looking for, and I'm about ready to select everything and hit delete. I believe that you should really look at your own stuff and make it as polished as possible BEFORE sending to crit buddies. There's nothing more annoying that trying to crit a first draft of someone else's writing.

Of course, one of the groups I'm in, we have to post 15 pages a week. Sometimes I'm not ready for that, but I do my best to get my pages out and pasted in a new document by Wednesday (I post on Friday). I look at them. Tweak. Change. Rewrite. Save. Thursday. Look again. Re-read. Tweak. Change. This only takes a few minutes. Friday. Email to self (can't post from a Mac, grumble). Read on PC (hey, it looks different). Tweak. Post. Read in post (different still). Tweak. Post.

I think this tweaking cycle is common among writers. (Please tell me it is, even if it's not...'kay?)

3. How detailed are the critiques you receive and give?
I think it depends. If the writing is strong, I usually just have "big picture" comments. Sure, I might have places where I think a stronger word would work better, or where the structure of the writing falls away. I'm a hugely character-driven reader, so I find that my critiques are geared toward the relationships in the story, how the characters are acting (or not acting), and making sure their dialog and actions are consistent throughout.

The crits I get vary from person to person. Because every person has something different they bring to the table. Literally. And that's what makes crit groups awesome. (Look at those bales of shredded paper. Isn't that...I don't even have a word for how super-stupendous that is. That's what my novel looks like after my crit group has laid their claws into it. And that's amazing too.)

4. Do all members in your group write the same genre?
No. My live group is varied. We have YA, historical fiction, romance, and LDS fiction. My online group varies too, from YA to MG to women's fiction to nonfiction to paranormal romance. I do have the YA group and that is obviously YA.

I don't necessarily think writing in the same genre is important. I think having knowledgeable, honest people is what really counts.

So don't fear the shredder. You need it. Crave it. Will be better for it. See what Abigail had to say and Terri will be up in this chain of madness tomorrow.

Critique Groups

So I figured out how to insert Yahoo! emoticons into blogger. Gah. It took me a couple of hours, but it's sweet!



And yes, now you all know how big of a geek I am.

<---And this is for the troops all over the world working to keep the disaster that happened seven years ago from happening again. To my email buddy, Sergeant Joshua Hammerling, currently stationed in the Philippines, thank you.


That aside, I've been thinking a lot about critique groups lately. Are they worth it? What if the advice isn't that good? Does my work really need to be critiqued?

I've been in a "live" critique group for five months now. We meet every other Thursday and critique the next segment in our novels. It's fun. I have a good time. And when two or three of them say the same thing, I know I have some work to do. I appreciate their insight, their fresh eyes. And we've become friends over the five months.

I've also been a member of online critique groups. My first one brought me down, and my heart would pound every time I posted. I just knew it was going to be ridiculed and torn to shreds. I ended up leaving, but it taught me one thing--how to have a thick skin. And that's essential in the publishing world. So I thank them for that.

I'm still in an online critique group. The people are fabulous, a couple of them actually write in my genre and their advice is invaluable. The best part: they're honest without being snarky about it. So I've come to the conclusion that critique groups are good--if you can find one that is filled with like-minded people. To me, that's people who care about good writing, helping others without expecting anything in return, and improving their own craft as well as yours.

My live crit group is fantastic. I love them all. My online crit group have become my support through good writing, not-so-good writing, personal drama, and most of all they make being in a critique group worthwhile.

Crit on!

Reading: STORM FRONT by Jim Butcher (The man can write!)