2023 - November - NaNoWriMo – NoNotMe

 

I am in the minority when it comes to NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month).

I don't do it. I don't even recommend it. Why? For a few reasons.

The biggest reason I don't participate is that I am a binge writer. I'm also a plotter. When I've got a story outlined in the broad brush strokes of characters and plot, I look at my calendar and see what whole days are completely free to sit at my keyboard and write that story. Most of the time, I write that new story all day (six, eight, ten, and sometimes twelve hours worth). Even on days where my schedule is free half a day, I put in a few hours. That story is my top priority, and I do complete the story.

Look at the NaNoWriMo breakdown— 50,000 words divided by 30 days equals 1,666 words per day. How can anyone write all day, every single day in November? What about voting in the elections? What about Veteran's Day and its parades? What about Thanksgiving Day? A funeral? 

For the curious, I do take days off for holidays, doctor appointments, go grocery shopping, attend my embroidery and craft guilds, do sewing, do the newsletter for my medieval group, visit friends, deal with family, celebrate holidays, and handle life's little hiccups and emergencies. Being retired isn't as easy as it sounds.

I was very surprised when I googled and discovered that only 10% to 15% of those taking part in NaNoWriMo actually complete their 50,000 words. Okay, so 50,000 words is the baseline for a novel, but most marketable novels are 80,000 to 100,000 words. When does a NaNoWriMo writer finish the other 30,000 to 50,000 words?

Not doing NaNoWriMo also means I am not under duress and suffering the feeling of being bullied by fellow writers egging each other on to make daily quotas or seeking kudos for achieving word counts. Truth is, I don't need reminders or a cheering section to keep me writing. The story I need to tell is driving me nuts to get it onto the page.

I also like to write as cleanly as possible, which saves on the self-editing and polishing time. For those doing NaNoWriMo, making word counts means speed typing and that proofreading goes by the wayside. And, as the saying goes, one error drags in its wake a thousand errors. Drafts become riddled with typos. Then there are the errors of grammar, syntax, diction, and logic. The plot strays, the characters go off on tangents, and more. No wonder fixing all those errors becomes a nightmare of a turn-off to self-editing for publication.

Be assured, I am not against NaNoWriMo or those that do it. To each their own. However, my curiosity being what it is, I was disappointed when googling anti-NaNoWriMo that I didn't discover a group of anti-NaNoWriMo'ers. Not that I'd join such a group, mind you, but it would be nice to know that I am not solely in the minority-minority.

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2023 - September - Developing Your Writer's Voice

To quote author James N. Frey: Having a strong voice is as important to you as a writer as knowing your craft.

Oddly enough, the beginning writer may strive to have a strong narrative voice but fail because they don't actually hear the voice that's on the page.

Why don't they hear "the narrative voice?" Because they've been taught to put facts down in a coherent manner and to use proper English diction, grammar, and punctuation. Simple but effective communication, but writing fiction is about emotions generated by a voice that resonates in a reader's mind. That voice will not be the reader's own voice but the actual voice of the narrator or multiple narrators.

Somewhere in my writer's journey, I came across the adage that it takes a million words to discover one's voice. Okay, so there are a few authors who have no problem putting a voice onto the page from the get-go. Unfortunately, the majority of writers will struggle writing those million words, and more, to find that unique voice of a narrator or narrating character and not achieve it. In my opinion, the failure lies in an inability to listen to how others speak and how the very words and the word order those speakers use nets their unique voice.

Another problem with voice is that the characters narrating the story may all sound alike because their voices are that of the writer.

I skipped half a million words getting to voice because I was a secretary who took dictation from many different bosses over the years. I not only put shorthand onto a page of what my bosses said, I also had to transcribe my squiggles. Then came the day one of my bosses said, write a letter telling XYZ the shipment will be delayed. Suddenly, I had to create the boss's voice. That turned out not to be a problem because I had listened to his voice for months. 

When I became a writer, I basically took dictation from my characters and that netted me their voices.

Here's a way to improve your ability to write character voices—  turn off the visual picture on your TV movie and listen to the characters talk. Really listen. You could even pick a TV or movie character that is similar to the one in your story and play the movie several times, intently listening to that particular character's speech pattern. 

Next, write a few pages of your story character's dialogue and narration. Then ask your writing group or partner if the voice coming off the page sounds like the character and not your voice. 

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SPECIAL NOTE: 

Screenwriting and Playwriting 101 with author Stephen M. T. Greene, on September 16, from 1-4 p.m. at the Cochranton Area Public Library, Cochranton PA. Free and open to the public. Hosted by Shenango Valley Pennwriters-Craftmasters, part of pennwriters.org. Flyer/information:

https://www.catherineemclean.com/shenango-valley-pennwriters-craftmasters.html 

Permission is given to forward and post on social media. Please tell others about this in-person event.

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2020 October - Character Tags & Traits

 

Part 10 of 12  of Job titles for Story Characters • © 2020 All Rights Reserved

Last month's blog was about psycholinguistics — how names resonate as positive, negative, or neutral and how that benefits a story. 

As you learned last month, imagery is tightly tied to the look and sound of a name. Writers should strive for an archetype name for their major story characters because, on a subconscious level, the archetype name triggers deep-seated recognition of tags and traits that go with that particular name.

But you may be wondering: What is a tag? What is a trait? 

They are defined as— 

TAGS are a descriptive detail, a label, repeated almost every time a character enters the story and which serves to identify and characterize him or her. Tags are concrete actions of cracking knuckles, drumming fingers on a table, biting nails, tapping a toe, etc.  Tags are "externals"— they are what can be witnessed, seen, heard, etc. Tags are concrete, specific, and credible (believable).

Now, a character's name is the most important TAG of all because it is THE TAG OF IDENTIFICATION. 

Names, particularly archetype names, come loaded with meaning and even character traits.

However, some tags label traits.  Such tags are physical clues to traits.

TRAITS are a character's characteristic habits, patterns of behavior, and mannerisms. The dominant impression is the trait that stands out the most and which should be shown to the reader from the get-go. Traits include: Is the character an optimist or pessimist? How does the character instinctively react when angry, happy, sad, etc.?

Traits are "internals" and abstracts— they involve the mind-set and personality of a character.  But here's a tip: Traits come in pairs: one is admirable and one is despicable (thus they are opposites, which helps balance out the character). For instance, at their best a character can be down-to-earth pragmatic but at their worst they can be very self-centered.

Traits come in the form of:

● a verbal tic (they repeat a common phrase, which peppers their dialogue passages. For instance, in the TV series, Detective Columbo often says,  Just one more thing.

● a particular way of speaking, like with an accent or dialect. For example Yoda of Star Wars' If no mistake have you made, yet losing you are . . . a different game you should play.

● a physical mannerism or a repeating behavior (they smoke when nervous or chew on a toothpick, they bite their nails when anxious, they crack their knuckles, or they may even fiddle with something (a lock of hair, a token, a coin, etc.)

● a way of carrying themselves, which can be their brisk stride, keeping a ram-rod straight spine, a mutinous set to their jaw, the meek hunching their shoulders, and so on.

● a scent (their cologne, perfume, bath soap, or after shave, even their body odor from uncleanliness, fear, sweating, etc.)

Even if you love your protagonist and hate the antagonist, keep in mind that nobody is 100% good or 100% evil. It is the balance, or out-of-balance, personality traits that make a character "human," realistic, and believable to the reader.

If you need help with traits, google "Images of Character Traits." Or check out the book, A WRITER'S GUIDE TO CHARACTER TRAITS by Linda N. Edelstein, PH.D. 

One way to get to know a character is to journal in the voice of the character: 

∙ to learn how they talk, speak, think

∙ to get a look into their philosophies on life and death, right and wrong, and what's their moral compass

∙ to learn about their education, job or sports experiences, etc.

∙ to learn about their social-economic upbringing and heritage

∙ to discover weaknesses and strengths of their character and what events in their life molded those

However, journaling is time consuming. Journaling also requires going back through what was written to locate tags and traits and sort them into which seem to dominate (likely three will for the story). And, of course, in the end, only 10% of what was in the journal is needed for the actual story. 

A quicker way to get to know a character is to use a "cheat sheet" called a Character Worksheet or a Character Questionnaire, which may include lists of tags and traits that the writer has collected over time or from various sources. In other words, as the writer goes down the lists they've developed, the subconscious will likely trigger a "ta-dah" or other positive response. Then the writer can look at the traits and tags and which fit will dominate.

Do remember that the only characters who warrant such journaling or character questionnaires are the story's major characters—Protagonist, Antagonist, and possibly the Second Major Character.

Which brings me to—   

Next month we'll look at Character Worksheets and Questionnaires. 

2020 - September - Naming Characters

 

Part 9 of 12  of Job titles for Story Characters • © 2020 All Rights Reserved

Your choice of monikers for heroes, heroines, and heavies often sets the tone for everything that follows, shaping audience perceptions of the characters before your people have a chance to hit their stride.  - Author Michael Newton 

Few writers know about psycholinguistics. The definition is mind-boggling in and of itself so let me give you the simplified definition: sounds affect the way we behave and act or react in the world. 

For instance, hear the hiss of a snake and our primordial conditioning that vipers can kill us has us instantly on alert and afraid — or terrified, or panicked to the point of immobility. On the other hand, if we hear a baby giggling, we have this feeling of contentment, that all is right with the world.

Such reactions to sounds happen instinctively, down on the subconscious level. But some name-sounds can also elicit a conscious reaction, like laughter at a person's named Katz Meow, or Iona Bra, which, by the way, are actual names of real people.

Another factor about sounds is reading words, i.e., seeing a name. When reading a name and in the process of looking at the letters in that name there is both a conscious and subconscious emotional reaction to those letters and the word they form. 

This is especially so when listening to the pronunciation by syllables of a name. Pronunciation affects the interpretation and sorts the name into a feeling that the name-word is positive, negative, or neutral. Here's a tip, the easier it is to see and sound out the name of the story's main characters, the more enjoyable the story becomes for the reader and writer. We're not talking Dick and Jane simple. We're talking James Bond versus Mister Mxyzptlk (of Superman fame).

Here's a secret to ensure a better story— heroes need positive names, villains need negative names, and all other characters in a story who have a name fall under the neutral name classification. This is another reason why having a Master Word List or Style Sheet for a story is important (refer to August's post about word lists or look at examples here.  https://www.writerscheatsheets.com/free-writers-cheat-sheets.html

Yet, far too many writers feel they can "make up a name" for their characters. The truth is that millions of names already exist. And do consider that every person has been exposed to thousands of names from the womb to school, on the job, at leisure, and in being exposed to hours of video, TV, movies, musicians, and print media (books, magazines, and newspapers). Such names are filed deep in the subconscious along with a reference to the name, or filed with the characteristics (archetype) of a person with such a name. 

Of course, there are name generators you can find online, but again, what is the psycholinguistics of such made-up names? Keep in mind that whether it's a person's name, an animal's, a place's, a thing's, a gizmo's, a weapon's, etc., all those names solicit (consciously or subconsciously) a reaction (a feeling) that will be positive, negative, or neutral. 

The most enduring of people names (those passed down through the generations) have imagery and characteristic associations (tags and traits), which makes them archetype names. For instance, these are powerful archetype hero/heroine names: James, Sarah, Jacob, Adam, Michael, Jillian.

Let me stress that it's not about stereotype but archetype.

Archetype names better resonate with readers. For instance, Margaret Mitchell first thought of calling Scarlet O'Hara of Gone With the Wind Pansy O'Hara. I'll bet when you saw Pansy, you envisioned a Milquetoast personality. But Scarlet? Didn't you see the fire and flare that goes with the resonance of the noise of her name?

Mitchell wasn't the only one who changed the name of their lead characters. How about— Sherringford Holmes changed to Sherlock Holmes and Luke Starkiller to Luke Skywalker? Which means, a writer should not entirely trust the source of a name, be the source their own subconscious or their conscious effort to invent a name. Every major character's name needs to be checked before writing the draft. That's right, before writing a draft. That will save hours of edits and rewriting to change the name. 

As a matter of fact, the appropriateness of all names used in a story should be analyzed — be it a machine, a street, an animal, a weapon, etc.  Ask: how does the "name" look? How is it spelled? How easy is it to sound out? Does the name come with tags and traits that make the character easily identifiable? Does the name have a positive, negative, or neutral vibe? 

Next Month  —October - Character Tags and Traits

2019 - November - Setting the Scene -- The Props

This is Part 11 of a 12-part series dealing with Story Settings ◆ © 2019 All Rights Reserved

The setting of a scene includes getting double or triple mileage out of the setting's props that characters handle or must navigate through.


Like limiting the number of scenes in a story to certain key settings, it's a good idea to limit the number of props that are handled or used in an individual scene. 

Of course, there should be little repetition of most props. The exceptions are for the props that are unique to a character's character. For example, a ring that the heroine will constantly turn only when under stress. Another example is a weapon that a character needs for their job. 

One caution—don't draw so much attention to any prop or object that will mislead the reader. For instance, if a shotgun appears in the opening of the story and it's used in the climax, that gun will be mentioned in the middle of the book (thus effectively utilizing the technique of The Rule of Three). That second mention in the middle of the story catches the reader's attention. Usually it's the subconscious that picks up on this type of repetition, which makes the reader look forward to seeing how the shotgun will be used in or near the end of the story.

Which means, if an unimportant prop is handled or used, you must relegate it to oblivion so the reader doesn't think it's paramount to the story. For example, that glass of whiskey The Heroine poured herself while she lamented the perfidies of a certain male (the Romantic Lead). She must do something with the empty (or semi-full or full) glass. Does she put the glass in the sink, throw and break it to release her frustration-anger, etc. Such action amounts to showing, not telling, the reader her emotional state. 

Now if that glass is left in limbo, ignored, never mentioned again, the reader subconsciously picks up on that. The reader is curious and remain curious about that item and wonders if there is significance to the item. When the reader finally realizes the item was insignificant, that irks the reader, who may decide the story is a one-star read.

Speaking of show versus tell, readers do not need to be told every detail or every prop in a setting—only the succinct ones, the important ones. After all, the more time a writer spends describing an item—a weapon, a machine, furniture, or the lay of the land or room, etc.—the more the reader will assume those things have importance. Besides, overdone descriptions bore  readers so they skip sentences and paragraphs to get to the good stuff of action or dialogue exchanges.

Which brings me to— Certain props can be included and mentioned because the prop is a red herring. A red herring is a clue, one that is specifically intended to be misleading. Or the red herring can distract the reader's attention away from what is a bonafide clue that solves the story problem.

As mentioned in the October post, it's always a good idea to diagram a scene and include the props for that scene. It's also a good idea that the specific props so necessary for the story's plot to be believable be placed on the story's Master Word List. Doing so insures keeping track of such things as weapons. After all, The Villain might have a Glock 357 and The Hero has a Colt 45  — or The Heroine has a Derringer. 

Remember, the idea is never to confuse a reader. 

Keep track of the story's significant props. Everything with a one-time or short-term use should be downplayed or relegated to obscurity as quickly as possible.


*** Next month, December 2019 — Sensory Perceptions


***It's NANOWRIMO - To all who are participating, I wish you words that flow like water onto the page and that you achieve your writing goal by November 30.

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