Why Writers Should Read Part 4-Pacing

This morning while driving to work, I watched a high school girl run down the street toward the city bus, (the mode of bussing in our area). Her mouth was open, bookback sliding off her shoulders, her face reddened and strained, her eyes determined, and her pace, like the wind. She raised her eyes toward the bus sitting at the intersection and pumped her arms faster. The bus driver turned his head toward her and nodded. At that instant they communicated. She collapsed her pace to a stagger and walked the remaining steps to the bus. 

What changed her pace from a desperate push to a relieved  walk, (as much as one can when out of breath)? Did her forward movement change direction when she slowed her pace?

Today we'll look at pacing.

First, kudos to all who finished reading a book in the last two weeks. I had the privilege to read Just Between You and Me by Jenny B Jones for this challenge. And, as my reward, I will use a sample of Jenny's excellent writing skills. But first, a high five to my reading partner this time, Jeanne Takenaka who read the awesome book Wedding Dress by Rachel Hauck. She loved it!

Now back to pacing.

Consider the high school girl mentioned above who pushed a quick pace but then needed a break, so also will your readers.

Getting to the bus piqued interest and drew us in. However, wouldn't you like to know the rest of the story spilled to her classmates on the bus? What made her late? Did she oversleep? Did the car breakdown? What if a car driver made a mistake, ran a stop sign and plowed right into her family's living room window (not so far fetched, it actually happened to a home a few weeks before)?

What ingredients go into a well crafted pace? 

The key: First stir the pot then tell what's in it.

Let's take a look at an excellent example from Just Between You and Me.  I randomly opened to a chapter and found this fitting segment for pacing:

"Do you have an appointment?" the school secretary asks me...

"No." It takes everything I've got to pull my cheek muscles into some semblance of a smile. I feel like I just got off an all-night flight to Europe, missed my eight hours of sleep, and landed in a time zone where daylight shines and I must participate.

"No appointment," she repeats, like my appearance is the equivalent of standing on a tabletop and yodeling in the library.

"Danielle and I are old friends. She'll be totally okay with it. In fact." 

Jenny's opening statement plays several roles. Today let's look only at the pacing. 

1. Stir the pot- Right away the reader wants to know why the character wants to speak with the principal,who else would the secretary guard with a statement like that? Is the character angry? Maybe something urgent like the death of a family member, or a non custodial parent en route to kidnap her child prevents her from making an appointment? The opening line had me curious, ready to run the race/compelled to read more. 

2. Give the pace a jolt forward with tension- The main character says one answer to the secretary while thinking another. Notice Jenny B. Jones' skill in communicating inward voice after the one word answer. This technique keeps the reader in the know, but not the secretary which is essential for well crafted pace. Readers like to have the inside scoop and use it to scream orders at unknowing characters. Like a ping pong ball slapped to the other side of the table, this statement does not leave the ball in the main character's court.

3. Give the reader a break- A break does not mean stop/bore/drill/fill with mountains of backstory! This is the opportunity to answer questions sprouting from the fast pace. In Jenny B. Jones' example above the reader is given a break with the secretary's repeated line, "No appointment." Oh my. I can see a plump older lady with her glasses creeping down her nose and furrowing her brows. Then to amuse the reader more, the main character exaggerates, and thus adds rich color to the setting. Now the reader is primed to discover answers. They can see, hear, feel touch, breathe and understand.  

The answer to the questions are in the final comment.  The principal is "her" friend--whether the secretary thinks so or not. Friends get to come into a principal's office unannounced, voice their opinion, and ask for help in ways no other can.

Don't let the rest last too long, though. The reader likes this break, appreciates understanding what is happening and is now ready to move on.

4. What's next? More action. Crank up the pace again by stirring the pot.

There is much more that could be learned from pacing in our books. What have you learned in your writing journey about pacing? If you can, share a book that wowed you with its pacing.

This last week several people told me they looked deeper than entertainment in the book they read and found many great writing examples to study. Each said they had started marking passages with colored highlighters to refer back to. None will be giving their books away :) And neither will I.

If you've want to go back to read Parts 1-3 of this series: plot, flat characters, dialogue fluidity 

Soooooooooo who's willing to be my accountability partner for these next two weeks? I already picked my book: Love Starts with Elle by Rachel Hauck.


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Photos courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net

This blog post is by Mary Vee
Mary lives in Montana with her husband and loves to hear from her three college kids. She writes contemporary Christian fiction and loves to pen missionary and Bible adventure stories.

Come Step into Someone Else's World with Mary's writing

To learn more about Mary, visit her blog http://www.mimaryvee.blogspot.com/
Or email her at mimary_vee@yahoo.com

Castle Lessons: Irresistible

Sherrinda and I were watching Castle together on Monday night. Me in Tennessee, she in Texas. The together part was via Twitter.

There is just something about a show about a writer doing his research on a level the rest of us writers could only dream of, coupled with mystery and a bit of romance, that makes it irresistable.

And that's the key, isn't it. A show, or for us novelists, our books, should be irresistable. SO much so that people want to tweet it, talk about it, come back next time (next chapter or next book) for more.

But what is irresistible to one reader could be drab and boring to others. I'm sure there are many that roll their eyes at Castle and turn the channel. (crazy people...)

At least to Sherrinda and I, some of their prime audience members, they have succeeded.

So who do WE write irresistable fiction?

Here's the thing: There is no magic formula!

No one can really predict for sure how well a book will do. That's why you hear stories of famous authors getting a billion and one rejections before some obscure agent takes them on and they go on to make millions when the book goes viral.

Even though no abracadabra exists, here are some elements (Castle-Style) that can help in your quest to put pizazz in your work in progress that will help keep readers glued to your book and giddy at the thought of your next new release.

Tight Tension - Tension is what keeps readers/watchers biting their nails and holding their breath. It's when Castle watches Kate's current boyfriend kiss her, or when a case seems to be spiraling out of control and every lead ends up in a dead end, and time is ticking before the killer strikes again. Gotta have some good tension!


Colossal Conflict - Regardless of you genre, you need a killer main conflict. A mamsy-pansy one will NOT do. I write contemporary romance... which many thing of as having tamer plots, but I still try to up the ante and put a little kick in my main conflict.

Subtle Subplots - Subplots swirl with their own sets of conflict that feed into the main conflict. Done right, they don't create unneeded rabbit trails but actually up the irresistible-factor and create depth. A good example is Castle's mother and daughter issues that are constantly going on. While they aren't vital to the main crime, make Castle realistic and ground him in reality. They help us know his background, his backstory, and make him a deeper character with roots.

Rugged Romance  - Some may disagree with me on this point. And really, it IS a bit of a preference (and in my genre, an obviously requirement.) But I have this saying that goes, "Romance makes every book a little bit better." While romance is a genre in itself, it is also able to be incorporated in all genres, even if it is just a hint. This doesn't have to be a main plot, but a little romantic tension is never a bad thing in a novel!

Murderous Mystery - Another genre of its own, I know. And Castle himself is a mystery writer, and crime shows and novels have an required mystery element. But all books can be enhanced by an element of keeping-your-reader/watcher-guessing. It's a comment complaint I hear among readers, is that they finish the first chapter and know exactly what's going to happen in the book. Keep a few cards in your back-pocket for later.

Discussion: Name an author (or more!) that you think writes irresistable fiction... and why!

I'll start:

The below is a list of my fav authors that I keep an eye out on their next new releases with eager anticipation. (this is not all inclusive... but just a few examples, as I have a LOT of favorite authors!)

• Tamera Leigh (I've teased her that I MIGHT camp out at the bookstore the night before her release day wearing my TAMERA LEIGH FAN CLUB T-shirt--I don't really have one of those but wish I did!)

• Deeanne Gist (Love on the Line is on my short-list to get next!) 

• Jody Hedlund (WRITE FASTER, Jody... this once a year thing is killing me... although you homeschool 5 kids, so I understand...)

• Jenny B Jones (Save the Date was one of my FAVORITE contemp romances of all time!) 

• Francine Rivers (who needs NO introduction!)
  

ACFW - Post conference tips

Hey guys,
Pepper here - and I just got in from the airport at almost midnight, so I cannot promise my words are gonna make a lot of sense this morning.

Needless to say, ACFW was a blast! Exhausting, overwhelming at times, inspiring almost all the time - but definitely a blast!

As people return home from such a high, I wanted to remind us of five important tips AFTER a conference like this:

1. It is well with your soul - It's often the case that after such a great experience, we come back and 'crash'. When you're around such like-minded and like-spirited people, it's easy to feel a rush of encouragement and support....then we return to our 'normal' lives and things can feel a little less exciting.

Or perhaps the conference didn't fulfill the dreams you'd been hoping for.

Remember, there is a perfect time and season for your talent to bloom. God's call, God's timing - our perseverance.

2. Be faithful - If you received requests, SEND THEM IN. Now, editors and agents don't expect them by tomorrow. Polish, refine...and give yourself a little bit of time - but try to get them in within a month of the conference. 'Showing up' is 3/4 of the success.

3. Rejoice in all things - Giving up your time, energy, and money to go to conference makes quite an impression on the people there. They realize it's no small feat to come. So rejoice in the contacts you made. Meeting people is my FAVORITE part!!!!! Especially getting to meet the Alley Cats and RUTH LOGAN HERNE!!! There are so many things to celebrate! Seekers, Alley friends (waving to them now), and SO MANY MORE!!!  We can rejoice in the encouragement we recieved, in the power behind the Word that we heard, spoke, and sang.

Nothing is too small - and as Jenny B Jones said in her devotional. God says "You got nothin'? I can work with that." - so He takes our small and makes it great for His glory. That's certainly worth celebrating.

4. Be thankful - Don't forget the 'thank you' notes. Whether by snail mail or email, get those out! And not only in material form, but ask God to cultivate a heart of gratitude in you (and me). The more we see every aspect of our lives as handpicked by a loving Father - the easier it is to be thankful. I've GOTTA get mine in the mail. I met marvelous people like Julie Gwin from B & H, Karen Ball, Sandra Bishop, Allen Arnold, Tamela Hancock Murray, Amanda Luedeke, Jeff Gerke AND SO MANY MORE, not to mention my fellow writers - who just encouraged me along the way. It's time to visit Hallmark ;-)

5. Friendships are the spine of any conference - Do not forget that at the bottom of it all, a writer's conference helps us develop lasting friendships. What a blessing to show up somewhere once a year and find kindred spirits - not only those who encourage your for a weekend in September - but friendships that spill over into days, months, and years afterwards. That is the heartbeat of a CHRISTIAN writer's conference because whether those opportunities come from writers, agents, or editors, it's all about cultivating relationships.

And rooming with crazy people like Casey Herringshaw, Mary Vee, and Carol Moncado...well...there are stories that will NEVER be told there ;-)

Not all relationships will end in a 'dream come true' as far as publishing, but God provided the opportunitiy for you to meet each person that you did!
My conference experience was a total SUCCESS because of the relationships I built, deepened, and celebrated at ACFW.

I'll share more about ACFW in my next post - but as you come down from the heights of the conference, remember that God has you  right where He wants you to be and He rejoices over you.

Next time? Maybe I'll write about Post Traumatic Pitch Disorder :-) My friend Karen and I thought we might be suffering from it. (And I'll have MANY MORE Pictures - some you can check out at Words Seasoned With Salt tomorrow)

Any tips you want to share?

What's Up the Street For Next Week?

First things first –

BABY NEWS!!!

Another Alley Kitten joins the ranks of our growing litter. Author Cindy Wilson gave birth to Brooklyn Mae Thursday, June 16. Mom & baby are doing well – but Cindy and her family would love your prayers.

Well, we know how Cindy is going to be spending her ‘free’ time during summer now – but how about you? Do you have a summer reading list yet?

How are you doing with it? Are you ahead of schedule, staring at a book-free nightstand, or are you like most of us – where our pile of books bears a striking resemblance to the Tower of Babel?

Whatever the trip, The Alley Cats have a few books to add to your list. Here are some of their TOP recommendations:

Sherrinda: The Art of Romance by Kaye Dacus.

Julia: The Fine Art of Insincerity by Angela Hunt is a great women's fiction pick that was recently released.                                          

Casey: When Sparrows Fall by Meg Moseley

Mary: recommends Calvin and Hobbs--any one will do--to stir the thinking.

Krista: Save the Date by jenny b jones. It was fun and upbeat and I L.O.V.E.D it!

Sarah: Just Between You and Me by Jenny Jones.

Pepper: A Great Catch by Lorna Seilstad if you want a funny-bone tickler; Mine is the Night by Liz Curtis Higgs if you want a beautiful romantic drama.

So, what’s the lineup this week?

Monday: Pepper still has no idea what she is going to post about. You could vote! Answering the Call – writing & other priorities; OR The Basics of Characterization OR A Few More Tips from BRMCWC.  AHHHH! Decisions.

Tuesday: Sherrinda is having just as hard a time as Pepper – so it’s a surprise post for the day.

Wednesday: Mary’s post draws from the ‘masters’ of writing all around us, On Being Mentored.

Thursday: You can delete words?!? What? Well, check out Casey’s  post It’s Not About the Over All Word Count Walking the line between being aware of our total novel length and being willing to delete 1K of words.

Friday: Stop by to see what fun Krista brings to our Friday.

So…what books would you recommend for a summer reading list?

What's one of your top five books you've read within the past year? Why was it so great?

And come join us for another week of great info...even for those of us who aren't sure yet :-)

And the WINNER of Driftwood Lane from Cindy's post on Friday is....

Pam Kellogg!!

Congratulations and happy reading!!

Romance Through the Ages

Romance isn't the genre for everyone, but for those it appeals to, we love it! What's better than that first sight of a potential love, that first kiss, or a happily ever after? And that's part of the reason romances are so successful and endure the ages. From Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice to some of the contemporary romance authors of our time (some of my personal favorites, too) like Denise Hunter and Jenny B. Jones, these writers and their books follow a bit of a formula--a successful way of presenting a love story to a reader that fulfills what they're looking for.

The Connection

This is the moment the hero and heroine get their first sight of each other. It's either the first time they've seen each other at all, the first time their interaction is introduced to the reader, or a reunion of a hero and heroine who knew each other from the past somehow. Either way, it's that first moment the reader is waiting for. When the two people we root for to find love with each other and land on the page together. Sometimes there is breathlessness, sometimes there is a funny quip or humorous interaction like in Just Between You and Me by Jenny B. Jones, but no matter how it plays out, it's clear the hero and heroine feel something for each other and will be meeting again.

Physical Interaction

This can be anything from the touch of a hand or arm, to a hug or kiss. This is the moment the hero and heroine move into a new stage of their relationship. Where it's taken to another level and made clear that they are falling in love. The moment Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy touch is just as powerful as contemporary stories that express interaction with a passionate kiss. The story builds toward this moment and readers expect it.

The Conflict

Ahh...well, of course we want the characters to fall in love and live happily ever after but we don't want it to come easy. Where's the fun in that? No, we want to see the characters grow and change, to struggle and overcome. So there's conflict, something that keeps the characters apart--Denise Hunter is a master at this. These conflicts consume the characters and make it believable that to them, they truly cannot be together. Whether it's an internal, external, or spiritual conflict, or all three, we expect as romance readers that there will be something to keep the hero and heroine from expressing their love or making it to that happy ending.

The Resolution & Happily Ever After

And just as surely as we know the characters will be pulled or pushed apart, we know they will come back together. There will be a reconciliation and a happily ever after. Sometimes this is a kiss, an apology, a declaration of love or a marriage proposal, but no matter which, it's the ahhh or awww moment of the book. The point we've been waiting for that all is well and the hero and heroine will be able to move forward with the love and life we've been rooting for.

If you haven't read any of the authors above, I recommend it. But you know from the last several posts we've had here on The Writer's Alley that most of us are fans of these authors and they're excellent writers. So, if you read romance or have read a romance, what do you think? Has this genre endured the ages because it follows a certain kind of formula? When you pick up a romance novel, do you expect these aspects to be present in a story or would you rather see something different?

FAV Romance authors!

I LOVE FEBRUARY.


Why?

Well, for one, I have a really GOOD excuse to eat chocolate!

But really, Valentine's Day and my OWN Valentine's birthday month makes me think of love and flowers and romance and hearts.

It's hard not to smile when looking at a pink heart, let's be honest! Especially if that pink heart is filled with chocolate... but I digress!

So, our "theme" for this week and next, to celebrate the wonderful month of February, is romance novels.

I find it nearly impossible to tell you what my favorite romance novels are. Mostly because many of my other alley-cats are posting theirs and there is a TON of duplicates that would be on my list.

What's a cat to do?

Well, I stick out my tongue and post them anyway, of course!

Actually, no. What I do is instead focus on romance AUTHORS that I really like and just happen to name some of their books... It's my way of beating the system, although really, there is no system... Just my weird quirkiness that doesn't want to look stupid repeating things.

Hmmm... I think I might need therapy.

Anywho,

Fav Inspirational Contemporary Romance Authors (NOT all inclusive... and I'm excluding historicals because, well, there are a lot of them and I have a lot of favorites there, so this would be a VERY long post!):

Jenny B. Jones. She's new on my list... on my romance list anyway. Her contemporary romance novel, Save the Date, was OH MY GOODNESS hilarious. My mother even said after she read it that it was the first book she's read that is as good as mine. Okay, not saying this to say that my manuscripts are awesome, but if you can beat out a woman's own daughter, then it's pretty good.


Tamara Leigh. Okay, some might call these more "chick lit" however all her books have boy ending up with girl at the end, so I stick out my tongue at you and call it romance. NA NA NA! Seriously, these are hilarious, and I rarely take more than a day to read one. I just wish she would write faster... still waiting for newest one in her Southern Discomfort series (and Faking Grace is still my ALL TIME FAVORITE Leigh book.)

 Kaye Dacus. Kaye is fun because she has both contemporary AND historical romances out there. Love to get a fun flavor of both. I have a hard time picking a favorite of hers because I love them all, but I probably would still say that Stand-in Groom, her first, is probably my favorite. But urgh... I really liked them all. So yeah, just read them all and you're good:-)




Francine Rivers. Another conteporary and historical writer, and I think her books are probably most all Christian fiction reader's fav list. Scarlett Thread and Atonement child were both great, great books. It's been a while since I've read them... need to remedy that!





 
Lori Wick. Yes, I know she writes mostly historical, and she hasn't written anything new in a long time. But she was the main author who got me reading Christian fiction, so I can't leave her off the list! Sophie's heart was one of my favorite's for a long time though, and sometimes I still go back and read it again. It was sad, fun, and romantic all at the same time. Very much a "sweet" romance. She had some other really good contemporaries as well, but Sophie's heart is the one I could read many times over!

Susan May Warren. Another one where I can't list a favorite if I tried. I love her romances as they have a bit of suspense added as well, and she writes a metaphor like no one else I know! Favorite series would be the Noble Legacy Series, however loved her other ones as well too!





Okay, there are a ton more that I love, but I think this is a pretty good list to start.

So, who are YOUR favorite contemporary romance authors? If you are a historical fanatic and don't read a lot of contemporary, feel free to list those too:-)