I Have A Writer's Voice

I just watched The King's Speech today and was so moved by the King's persistence and determination to overcome a speech impediment. In an impassioned discussion with his speech therapist, he emphatically declares ..."I have a voice!" He wanted to be respected. He wanted to be successful. He wanted to be heard.

Isn't that what we writers want? We want to be heard. We want our stories to breathe and speak. We want our voice to be heard through our writing.

We all have a unique voice, a voice that is entirely our own. Our voice is heard through our sentence structure, our vocabulary, our humor or lack of, our dialogue. It is heard through our description, or our fast paced plots. It is heard through so many facets in the writing world.

How do we find our voice? I have no idea. Perhaps our voice emerges when we keep putting pen to the page, becoming free and bold in our writing. When we let ourselves go and spin the stories of our heart, that's the ticket to our voice shining through. At least, that is what I've been told.

As a writer, how have you found your voice? Has anyone told you your writing voice is unique? If you've found your voice, how did you find it? What advice have you been given to find your voice?

Finish What You Start? The Internal Editor Doesn't Agree.

Okay – focus is not my strongest virtue.

In all honesty, I’m kind of like a caffeinated monkey with ADHD. Anyone who knows me probably will agree. This compulsion toward diverse and somewhat sporadic thinking is a plus for a working mom of multiple kids. Toss in a dash of insanity, and it makes for the perfect mix.

However, having these distractible tendencies does not always bode well for my writing life. There have been times where I’ve had four novels going at once. Did I make progress on each one? Yes, but so slowly that a turtle with arthritis could have beat me.

Not to mention, Mr. Internal Editor kept popping up like a Whack-a-Mole to further slow the process.

Right now, I’m working on a WWI historical romance that has been brewing in my head for over 10 years. Believe it or not, I finished the novel 8 years ago at 130K words. I picked it up three years ago and almost gagged.

Needless to say, I’ve learned a little bit about writing since then (praise God).

The plot was still good. I still loved the characters, but I needed to start over.

So…

I started a new rule.

Finish what I start and ignore Mr. Editor.


Write the book to the end! Finish the manuscript. And THEN edit.

And here I am. Trying to be focused and forging ahead to finish a novel I absolutely love.

With Mr. Internal Editor twitching like an unreachable mosquito bite.

This weekend Ruth Axtell Morren told me something fabulous.

“You cannot edit a blank page.”

What did she mean by that? If I don’t write it, then there’s nothing to edit.

For a somewhat erratic mind like mine, this is a tough thing to do, but good practice in self-discipline. I’ve already moved faster through the novel in a week, than I had the previous two months.

Ruth also sent me an article to read by Susan Wiggs from RWR 2003. It was a good ‘kick in the Internal Editor’ and another scream to FINISH THE BOOK!

Why do we celebrate when someone says they’ve ‘finished their novel’ and not when they say they’ve begun a new one? Because, finishing is the capstone of the process. It separates the writers from the wannabes.

But it’s also really hard. Not for the faint of heart. And DEFINITELY requires massive amounts of chocolate.

Wiggs says, “Writing a book is a journey you make alone.”

Now as Christians, we would say that God is along with us, inspiring us every tap of the computer keys.

But as far as bringing along a mom, crit partner, or best friend? It’s not something you can do. It requires YOUR fortitude, YOUR time, YOUR focus….sigh….and Mine.

Even if you get frustrated, bored, angry, distracted….

FINISHING IS THE KEY.

Mary Connealy summed it up like this:

I've always believed that there are two main skills to being a writer.

1) Writing skills


2) Writing mentality


The writing skills you can learn.


The mentality, the personality type that can sit alone for long hours makin' stuff up, I think you're either born with it or you're not. It's not exactly NORMAL.


No comments about Mary’s abnormalcy, okay? But her quote hits on the point I want to make.

That Internal Editor comes in really handy after there is a story in place.

But if you have a penchant for distractibility or long-term motivation loss, then start with page one and move forward. Switch off Mr. Editor, check tiny facts when you layer later on, but write! Write to the end.

Writing not only requires the skill to write, but the stick-to-itness to get to the end. So...moral of my novel-length post?

Finish what you start.

I need to do the same thing.

Believe me, it will be one of the most wonderful days of your life when you write that final word and know…

Your perseverance paid off.

(and hopefully it will lead to tangible payment someday too :-)

Anyone else have trouble with focus? Any rules or motivation that keep you going to the end?

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Pictures courtesy of:

www.cartoonstock.com

What's Up The Street For Next Week?

These are a few of my favorite things...

I've had the song running through my head this morning and it has me thinking about the things I love most. Writing, books, family, sunshine.

Spring.

We won't go there. Yet.

And some of my favorite things surround me everyday. And what a joy it is to count the things that I love and give thanks to the One who gave them to me.

What's up the street...

Monday is brought in with a bright and cheery smile from Pepper who will encourage you to Finish What You Start

Sherrinda is scheduled to hit the Alley on Tuesday with a whirlwind post!

You've written the book and now you just  need to get the news about it out there! Wednesday brings Mary's post on Trendsetting- What You Can Do To Get Your Book Noticed

You've got the manuscript right? But you don't know what to do with it? Casey has a condensed list of freelance editors and classes to take on Thursday that will take your writing to the next level.

It's the last day of  the work week and Krista will be here to entertain your Friday.

NewsStand

Julia hosts Roseanna White with a giveaway on her blog on March 16th and another giveaway on March 16th with Regina Andrews. Don't miss out. You can find her blog here.

Find out how a book cover is created.

Stop by Casey's blog for a chance to win Cara Lynn James's book, Love on Assignment

Win a phone call from Angela Hunt! click here for more details.

Jim Rubart is doing a book signing in Everett, Washington at the Family Christian Store. You can find a link to the store here

Jim will also be on Operation Encourage an Author next week, be sure and stop by!

Help Julie Lessman solve an issue with her next series to be pitched to her publishers!

What are a few of your favorite things?

Have a great weekend from those of us on the Alley!

Six Steps to a Successful Plot

We all know, in order to write a book, it's imperative to have a story. And not just any story, a good story. But where do we go from there? Even the most unique or intriguing idea has to be executed well, and that means creating a plot that appeals to readers--even agents and editors.

Though there's no perfect way to plot a story, here are six steps to use in writing in order to create a more successful plot:

1) Characters We Love

This is going to be one of the most important steps in creating a plot. We've all heard that writing relatable characters is so important. Whether it's spiritual, an occupation, or history, readers love to have something specific to relate to in a character. It's what draws them in, and since the story is all about the characters journey, you want your readers to be invested in your characters.

2) A Reason for Being

Now that you've created these lovable, or at least relatable characters, draw readers in even more by giving your character a goal. This is the reason why we introduce characters in the first place--because they have somewhere to go, something to offer. Give them something to strive for so readers can root for them.

3) Why They Can't Move Forward

At this point, it's not necessarily external conflicts that hold your characters back. It's their spiritual, internal or back story issues that challenge them from moving forward. This is your opportunity to show the status of your characters heart or their belief system. These will be challenges that enable your character to grow throughout the book.

4) Stopping Your Characters at All Costs

Now here's where you get to the conflict. The individual and external events, and hopefully there is more than one, that work as roadblocks to your character getting what they want. Not only that, they reinforce those issues from the step above, making it even harder for your character to move forward.

5) From Bad to Worse

This is the climax, the "black moment" as they say. This is the point when there's no turning back and your character or their situation reaches its low point. You get to show your readers that your character has a chance to learn and grow from this, or walk away. And since readers want winning characters, or at least a character who can grow and change, this provides that low moment where your character can spring back from.

6) A Lesson, Growth, and HEA

Here is the resolution. It might be a happily ever after or simply growth in a character or a lesson, but readers want a conclusion to the build-up you've created, and they want to see the main character in a different place spiritually or emotionally, etc. than they were in the beginning of the story.

There is no perfect formula to create a perfect plot. However, studying and following guidelines that have worked for others is a great way to get your plot off to a good start. What guidelines or tips do you use to create a successful plot?

Juggling Characters

When I was eight I begged my mom to take me to a tight rope walker audition after I found an advertisement in our local paper. Does this surprise you at all? Not if you’ve come to know me it shouldn’t.

I love to try new things, take on exciting adventures, and balance like no writer has balanced before.

But it’s tricky and now that I’m editing one novel while writing another, I find it’s rather easy to drop some balls.

What helps me keep my characters straight? Well, I whip out my handy dandy notebooks (thanks to Blues Clues I’ll forever have that etched in my mind) and I review my notes. But there’s more to juggling characters than keeping them straight.

Here are other aspects I need to juggle while taking on the complicated challenge of editing and writing two different works:

Tame InconsistenciesIn the unfortunate event I begin to tangle character traits and other such details between the two WIPs, I must find ways to domesticate this process enough to delineate what’s happening to whom.

Motivation StationI have to refresh my memory of my MC’s motivation in each scene. Doing this helps me balance better.

Acrobatic Ease & FlowJust as acrobats practice their swings in the air so they appear flawless and fluid, I have to cultivate a certain kind of flow with the work I’m tackling at present.

Mood Rings TrueEach MS has a mood I aim to capture. As I sit to either write or edit, I close my eyes and imagine myself in the scene. This injects me right into the mood of the piece.

No Clashing under the Big TopI confess, I can’t write and edit in one sitting. I usually need an hour between working on each project. My schedule right now consists of editing in the morning and writing in the afternoon.

Keep the Bears & Odd Characters DancingThere’s a certain mystery that brings each project together, a dance shall we say. And as all writers know, the editing dance is entirely different than the writing dance. An editing dance has sharp, calculated moves while the writing dance is free flowing and daring. The point is not to quit—to keep dancing.

Fire Swallowing Plots
With each work my ultimate goal is to have the reader feel the fire of the piece in their belly. In order to accomplish this, I need to douse each plot with an ample amount of conflict and seamlessness. Upon sitting to write or edit, I reengage with the plot, I reassess where I want my characters to move—the fires I want them to swallow.

Have you ever tried to juggle characters from two different WIPs—editing and writing at the same time? What helped the process go more smoothly for you?

*photo from Flickr

**this is the 300th post here at the Alley!

Self-Editing Checklist: Intro and Some Ground Rules

Does the word edit make you shudder like a mom with a pet snake on the loose? Or does the process of moving words around excite you?

It seems like most writers fall into one of two camps: We're either creators or we're editors.

I'll admit I've got a little bit of both in me. But when I'm creating, I usually have to smack my internal editor back into hiding. It's always itching to come out and spruce up the drivel I've created.

Like any good writer, I started out my first self-editing venture using the awesome book Self-Editing for Fiction Writers. I opened it up and went to the end of each chapter, using the questions to guide me through my edits.

The problem with this approach was that I kept learning new things on blogs, in books, and in classes that I wanted to add to the list. My solution? Create my own self-editing checklist. Over the next several posts, I'll share with you my 4-page checklist, piece by piece.
First, a couple ground rules.

1) This checklist gets down to the nitty-gritty details of your manuscript. Before you apply these points, I suggest you give your work a read-through and make sure you've hammered as much of your plot and characterization as possible.

2) I don't claim to be the originator of the content I'll be sharing with you. I want to give credit where credit is due. And I'll also urge you to follow up on the resources I share to get the full reasoning behind the points I mention. In fact, I'll purposely keep some things more generic for copyrighted materials so I don't get sued. :) There are some amazing teachers out there who can provide more a-ha moments than I can, and they deserve the money behind their price tags.

With all that said, here's your homework for the next two weeks. What? Did I just say homework? Okay, okay. It's homework if you choose to accept it.

If you have a completed draft that needs self-editing, read through it with an eye solely for the story. Whether you're a plotter or a pantser, make sure you're working with a story that doesn't require complete rewrites. Of course, sometimes self-editing reveals an issue that requires rewrites...That's okay. But our goal is to work with a solid story that's ready for a micro edit.

Got it? Okay. Go!

Where do you put yourself on the creator/editor spectrum? How do you currently approach the self-editing process?

Come back in two weeks for the first official piece of the self-editing checklist!

*Camp photo from FreeDigitalPhotos.net

**Checklist photo by Rawich / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Taking Their Crits with a Smile: Why Join a Face-to-Face Group?

There are so many great resources available online, have we forgotten to take advantage of opportunities for growth in our own hometowns?

As college students my husband (then boyfriend) and I spent hours sipping Caramel Macchiatos and analyzing the word choice of our poetry with two of my dorm mates. 

Over a decade later I rediscovered the lost (to me) art of the face-to-face critique group. 

This time it was slightly more intimidating.  I didn't have anyone to cuddle with over my Cherry Mocchachino.  My five pages weren't being critiqued by the friend with whom I had spent my high school summers biking.

Instead I sat staring into my Mocha praying that God would give me the grace to accept the critiques I was about to receive by a table full of complete strangers.

I rely heavily on the online community for help with my writing.  ACFW is a fabulous organization with many like-minded Christian writers and countless services available for the new and experienced writer.  Through this organization I found my invaluable critique partner.  I've also been able to take advantage of critiques offered by several authors.

However, I believe there are some special advantages offered by the face-to-face critique group.  I would encourage other authors to become involved in the local writing community, as well as the online writing community.

1) Multiple perspectives offered in a short period of time:
Where else can you have multiple people critique your story within a half-hour time frame.  I return home with a folder of marked up copies and several different perspectives.  Different editors have different strengths, it is wonderful when you can combine this in one group.

2) The ability to "hear" your word choice and dialogue.
Several times another reader read a piece of my dialect.  I immediately realized how unrealistic it sounded in several places.  I don't often take the time to read my work out loud and occasionally even when I do, the "wrong" word choice or dialect just slips past me.  Sometimes hearing your own work can be the most powerful correction.

3) Teaches how to respond with grace to criticism:
Let's face it, that little bug called criticism isn't something we always take well.  The online world gives us some time to process, then respond graciously.  There's something that seems easier about it, isn't there.  Its somewhat harder to smile immediately.  What a witness this can be, especially if we are involved in a writer's group with non-Christians.

4) Seeing our work through new eyes:
All of the people who have helped me with my writing online are Christian.  Many even write in the same genre I do.  However, a face-to-face group is often less homogenous.  In the group of four writers I met with last week, each writer has an entirely different profession.  Each is writing in a different genre.  And we each have differing strengths and weaknesses in our writing. 

Do you participate in a face-to-face group?  Are any available in your area?  What are some benefits you have experienced from a critique group?