A Little Bit Happy

by Ami Weaver


So as I was trying to decide what to post for today, I started thinking about things that make me happy. Not just raindrops on roses or whiskers on kittens (though those qualify!) but writing-related things that make my writerly little heart go pitter-patter.

1. Pens and notebooks. I am an office supply slut. Yes, yes I am. I heart all things office supply and I stockpile them not unlike a squirrel with nuts. I am picky about my paper and I usually only use fine point pens. (The reason for that? My handwriting looks like I gave the above-mentioned squirrel a pen and told him to have at it.) So back-to-school time is a double happy whammy for me--the kids go back and I can buy more pens and notebooks than one person can reasonably expect to use.

2. My iPhone. This one makes the list because it has my music on it.  (And, ahem, Twitter.) I usually put it on shuffle, or I have some playlists generated by the Genius thing that I use, too. Or sometimes, it's just one song I put on repeat. Interestingly, at the coffee shop where I go write, it's not the other people that throw me off track. It's the occasional weird song. So, iPhone and headphones.

3. My favorite table at the coffee shop. Oh, do I get territorial when I walk in and my table is taken! I like THAT ONE because I can see outside and if I stare off into space (which NEVER happens) there are no awkward moments where the person between me and the window thinks I'm staring at them. I have a backup table that's okay, if a little cramped. Of course, I can write at any old table. But it doesn't make me as happy.

4. The days my muse shows up. Now, I don't sit around and wait for the muse, because otherwise I'd never get anything done. But there are days when she shows up and everything just flows out, like my keyboard is connected to my brain. (Those are also the days where my writing needs the least amount of editing, too.) Those days are magic, but relatively rare--so I don't wait for them, but savor them when they hit.

5. When a favorite author has a new release. Yep, this counts as a writing happy. Because not only do I get the enjoy a fantastic story, I get to immerse myself in all things craft--world building, characterization, plot, the arcs, etc. So this is a complete win-win. And therefore, makes me very happy.


As a writer, what of kinds of things make you happy?

Capturing Lightning, by Natalie Charles

I read this on the Internet, so it must be true: when readers select a book, they first look at the cover, then the back copy, then the first chapter. That seems reasonable to me because that's how I buy my books. I'm a Kindle sample queen, and if a writer doesn't hook me with that sample, I'll probably keep looking. If a writer manages to get my heart racing in the first paragraph, I'm happier than a kid with an ice cream sundae, and I'll buy that book in no seconds flat. I confess to buying a selective few books on concept alone, most recently Michael Connelly's The Lincoln Lawyer. A lawyer who operates his law firm from the back of his Lincoln Town Car? Sold.

As a writer, I wouldn't say that I analyze market trends when plotting my next book, but recently I've been thinking about what readers look for when they select their reading material. I'd imagine genre plays an important initial role. Sometimes you're just in the mood for a contemporary romance or a thriller. Then, of course, there's name recognition. Certain authors consistently deliver excellent books. But aside from that, how can an author stand out from the rest of the crowd?

I have some thoughts.

Incorporate a high concept premise - I've seen "high concept" (not to be confused with high brow) described in terms of how easily a book concept may be summarized. But high concept is more than a hook, and it's more than being able to create a quick, down and dirty summary of your book. High concept plots appeal to something in our collective consciousness. A high concept premise delivers a promise to a reader, and the reader understands that promise almost immediately, and without a great deal of additional explanation.

For example, "A boy attends wizard school" is a high concept premise, while "A young girl comes of age and falls in love" is not. See the difference? Both can be easily summarized, but with nothing more, we have an idea of what the first book is about. It promises magic and incorporates something with which we all have experience: school. Except that wizard school promises to be awesome. The second premise is too vague -- "coming of age" and "falling in love" could describe a thousand different books in lots of different genres.

Basically, a high concept premise appeals to a pre-existing interest in the reader. It's that book that makes you not only think, "I've been wanting to read something like this for a while but didn't realize it until this moment," but, "Why didn't I think of that?"

Have a killer opening - If books sell based on samples and first chapters, then this is no place to slouch. You've got a few paragraphs -- pages at the most -- to draw your reader into your world. This is valuable real estate, and I like to avoid backstory and setting descriptions and cut right to the action. The first sentence should make someone want to read the second, and the second should make them want to read the third. If you're looking for some opening line inspiration, you could start here. My best advice? Make your opening the last part of the book you write.

Really, all of this boils down to concept and writing style, which sounds beautifully simple, doesn't it? "Hey, just find a great concept and make sure your writing is superb, and you'll have a bestseller! You're welcome." In truth, it's a bit like capturing lightning in a bottle.

So what is my list missing? What was the last amazing book you read, and what made it so amazing?

Adventures in Outlining, by Natalie Charles

Hello. My name is Natalie, and I am a pantser.

I blame it on my fourth grade teacher, who made me outline my social studies reading every. single. night. Night after night of Roman numerals and capitalized letters. The worst part of it was that she graded it. Let me say that again for emphasis: she graded my outlining, so misusing a subheading became a black mark on my report card, not a mere difference of opinion. Scarred? Why yes, I am.

I hate outlines. I hate the look of them. They are bloodless, soulless things, and they have no place in my fiction-writing life.

Well, until now.

The thing is, I hate outlines. But you know what I hate even more than an outline? I hate writing steadily and knocking up against a metaphorical brick wall because the muse I've been following has decided to do something more interesting. When I was writing my second book—a book that nearly killed me, but that's a post for another day—I pantsed it and encountered so many brick walls and roads-to-nowhere that I slammed my fist on a hard surface and vowed never again! I will outline, and I will spend more than five minutes on said outline, and in the end I will have a lighted path from word one to happily ever after, and life will be easier, flashbacks to fourth grade notwithstanding.

            

Here's another thing. I still hate outlines. I can't help it. So as I'm plotting my next novel, I'm trying to figure out a method that works for me but isn't quite so outline-esque. I plan every aspect of my life, but I like pantsing it because, hey, it's kind of fun to get those little surprises as you write! For instance, I had no idea when I set out to write The Seven-Day Target that the plot would involve a serial killer who left six signs over six days and killed on the seventh. That was pure pantsing, and it seemed to work out okay. I want to keep some of the joy of discovery, but maybe eliminate some of the frustration that comes when the muse goes off shopping.

            

I'm playing with a couple of different methods right now, including colored index cards and long synopsis-writing. I'm even toying with the idea of writing a bare-bones book and filling in the details later. I thought this might be a sneaky way to trick myself into believing I was pantsing it. I promise to update you further into the process to let you know if I can change my pantsing ways!

            

So tell me: are you a pantser or an outliner, and do you think it works for you?

How Do You Do It? by Jennifer Faye

Welcome to Mechanics on Monday…


Grab your coffee, tea or your choice of caffeine, pull up a comfy seat and join me.

With this being Monday, my favorite weekday, it marks the beginning of a seven day journey to see what we can accomplish. And for me, beginnings are always so exciting.

 

So now let's get down to business. How do you do it? How do you begin a story?

Have you ever taken time to contemplate your first step? Do you have a process that works best for you? Or do you just dive in and see what happens?

With my first contracted book firmly underway, it’s time to set my sites on a new adventure. I love this part of the writing process when everything is so sparkly and shiny. The possibilities are endless. And the way from A to Z has countless possibilities.

Hence the question: How do you do it?

I guess it’d depend on which camp you hang out in. Some writers call themselves a pantster and others plotters. I think most writers are a blend of varying degrees. I know I am. J

A long time ago, I started off writing as a total pantster. I followed my characters anywhere they wanted to lead me…even into brick walls. It didn’t take me too long to figure out that I’d get further along if I didn’t spend so much time bouncing off walls and taking timeouts to hunt down the aspirin for my invariable headache. LOL.

And I began creating a writing process for myself. Lots of trial and error. Eventually I found that my first order of business was to write a short synopsis and character background. I find it so much easier to write the broad strokes of a story before I get mired in the intriguing details of the story. Not saying it’s easy to pull a beginning-to-end synopsis out of thin air, but in my case, it’s worth the effort.

From there I move on to a detailed outline. I tried skipping this step with a book I wrote this summer. I was in a hurry and I figured I had the synopsis so how hard could it be. I did okay for a while, but I noticed my pace kept slowing every day until I hit that blasted brick wall again. I knew this wall. I’d definitely been here before.

So much for deviating from my process. I was paying the price.

Only this time I knew the solution. I had to back up and get with my process. I took a time out from staring at my stalled out draft and outlined the ending of my story. From there, my fingers had a hard time keeping up with my mind. And in no time I was typing “The End.”

Now don’t get me wrong, when I write the actual story, my H/h will take detours from my outline/synopsis, but it’s an easy fix to go back and update the synopsis. In fact, my synopsis gets lots of updating, but the basic structure pretty much stays the same.

Everyone’s process is different. And I’d love to hear about yours. As no process is set in stone, it evolves as the writer evolves. And I’m always on the lookout for something to add, tweak or change in my process.

So how do you do it? How do you get from the beginning to end?

How Do You Write Best? by Olivia Miles

I am always curious to hear about other writers’ habits and routines - in other words, how they write best. Some plot, some don’t. Some write from start to finish, others scene by scene. Whatever the approach, it works for them, but how exactly do you find the process that works best for you?

When I first started writing, I wrote when I felt compelled or inspired, and I let my ideas flow and be my guide. Somewhere along the line, I started to plot and outline, and then I learned I wrote better if I plotted, so from then on I did just that. Another experience forced me to write a lot of words in a short time period, and I then learned that if I started writing by a schedule, I worked more efficiently. I also learned that I could achieve X number of words per day if I set my mind to it, and I set that as my reasonable-yet-challenging daily goal. 

Some of my process has remained unchanged. I always write from beginning to end -  I have tried writing scenes out of order and that doesn’t work for me, so my first instinct was right there. I also don’t write well at night. I have tried, believe me, I have tried. It just isn’t for me. I would rather get up early than stay up late. I also don't write well with music playing in the background - too distracting!

I think when it comes to any job or responsibility, there is an element of trial and error, a learning curve where you work out the kinks and figure out how you work best. Usually once everything starts to click, other good things follow, and at the very least, the process feels more manageable.

So how about you? How do you write best?

Dude, that's so trope: by Tina Vaughn

Trope.

I just hate that word. I'm not sure why. To me, trope sounds like some kind of teenage slang. *shakes fist* “Get off my lawn, you pesky kids.”

Webster's Dictionary basically tells me that a trope is a cliché. I know. I know. Maybe that's why I have a problem with the word. Trope, by its very definition, implies both overuse and unoriginality. (Gasp. The horror!)

You know what's pretty awesome, though? Among the many synonyms for trope and cliché, you'll find the word truism–and that, my fellow writers and readers, is why we love tropes, especially in short and category-length romance. A universal truth. An undoubted truth. Some situation we identify with and/or intrinsically know.

Some examples of romance tropes include, but aren't limited to: boss/employee, makeovers, amnesia, secret baby, accidental pregnancy, blackmail or revenge, marriage of convenience, fake engagement, etc.

If it helps, you can think of your trope as the hook of your story, the idea that attracts readers. And just because an author uses a trope, or several, doesn't mean a book will be predictable, boring or lacking in excitement and creativity. It's all in what you do with your plot, characters and conflict.

Readers love certain types of stories. I will devour a marriage of convenience or fake engagement story in one sitting. I've read hundreds of them. Maybe even thousands. But I never get tired of that trope, and other readers who are fans of certain types of stories, won't get tired either…as long as the writing is strong and original.

Think of it this way. Two nights per week my family eats chicken for dinner, and I'm in charge of the cooking. What if I all I did was grill some chicken breast and leave it at that? That chicken's pretty good the first night. Okay the second night. By week four, I can guarantee you my family, and my own taste buds, are rebelling. That's why I change it up. We have stir-fry, fajitas, pasta, burgers, gumbo and anything else I feel like cooking. We're still eating chicken, but I've changed the other ingredients.

Everyone's full, happy and looking forward to more. Isn't that exactly what we writers and readers want?

What are your favorite tropes to read and/or write?

Can you share some book recommendations?