Anxiety keeps popping up with the members of my group and I’m not sure why - but it certainly seems to be catching. Perhaps it’s the time of year puts us in the dooms. So, today, it’s shrug off the worries and WRITE!
A lot on this list are repeats but since the angst keeps repeating it seems valid to keep covering the subjects.
How long should my book be?
I wish I had a fiver for the number of times I’ve been asked that. The obvious answer is, “How the hell should I know?” However word count is a constant worry to the members of my group. If a publisher states the size of books they are looking for, then adhere to it,
E.G: Little Black Dress require 60 -80,000 and they say strictly so they mean it.
Mills and Boon romances require 50,000
Mainstream anywhere from 90,000 to 180,000.
The point is if a book is good the length can be sorted out after. I would still suggest you simply write the book. In my experience, I’ve found that a book has a natural length, but, when a it is finished, it is easier to cut than to add. Don’t waste the energy worrying about it.
How many words should I do a day?
As many as you are comfortable with. There are those who thrive on goals but if you are a worrier then perhaps you should be cautious. If you set yourself a goal what happens if you are tired? The risk is that what you’ve done will be rubbish. And if you’ve set yourself a goal which you have not reached, knowing the angst that a lot of writers suffer from – guilt will creep in.
For me, word count shows me where I am in the book, it’s not a competition.
How long should a chapter be?
The length that your story dictates. There are passages that meander, need space. Others need a shortness perhaps to create tension, conflict, to surprise, to shock.
#
How often do I use a hook? Should I end a chapter on a hook? Should I start a chapter with a hook?
Excuse me but I feel a rant coming on. I don’t understand this obsession with hooks. Is it from TV with the producers conviction that we can only concentrate for five minutes and that like a soap opera we need to end on cliff-hangers? There is nothing wrong if they occur naturally but it is when a hook is contrived that I feel it does the work no favours.
What gets overlooked more than anything is that the most powerful, the most genuine, the most important hook of all is a good story, a strong plot, well told.
How many viewpoints can I have?
Again, it’s up to you. Too many and you make life difficult for yourself, controlling them. I don’t like rules about writing but there is one that if ignored can lead to difficulties - is the character you have chosen for the viewpoint strong enough to sustain a whole novel? And if multiple, can I write each one so that they are distinct one from the other.
How many parts should my book have?
A similar question was asked on Romna the other day and set up a big debate. It’s another useless worry. When writing a book you are creating your world, your dream, you’re not cooking, there is no magic recipe. All these worries destroy the flow, and worse even than that it destroys the joy which writing should be.
And last – write it, finish it, type The End. Then decide if it’s too long, too short, are the chapters complete as they are, is there enough to keep the reader reading, is the viewpoint working, is it better to divide in parts? And ENJOY!
Friday, 5 February 2010
Saturday, 23 January 2010
DIALOGUE
I’m sorry I’m so late with this but I’ve been laid up with a dodgy hip and could not concentrate on anything other then feeling sorry for myself. However, feeling better here are some notes on dialogue.
Dialogue is critical because it has so many functions within your novel. For some it is easy and others never get the hang of it.
The aim
We want to make the reader think it is real. Of course, like most things to do with writing, it is completely artificial. People in books speak in a different way to conversation in life. Normal conversation is full of waffling and rambling, ums and unfinished sentences – a lot of understanding comes from facial expression and body language which we don’t have in fiction. The aim is to make the dialogue appear real yet using it all the time to convey plot, information, characterisation and pace.
What can dialogue do for us?
It anchors us in time and place.
It reveals character.
It can be a vehicle for giving the back story in an easily digestible form.
It can explain the present and hint of the future
It moves the plot forward,
It can increase the pace.
It can remind the reader of events which might have been forgotten.
It can introduce, highlight or resolve conflict.
If you can’t identify any of these in the conversations you have given your characters then perhaps it would be better to start again.
He said, she said.
If you give each character a “voice” of their own which is recognisable to the reader then there is less need for the he, she said that worries lots of people. This is fine if there are two characters only. Less easy with three and impossible with four then names are needed.
Mistakes.
Often new writers make the mistake of loading the length of conversation and give the characters long speeches when people don’t talk like that. They also make them static. If you watch people talking they pause, look out of windows, scratch. If you use this then you give movement to your writing and make it more real – and get rid of a few he said.
E.g: “If I’d had the sausages . . .” Peter looked out of the window, remembering other sausages he’d enjoyed. “No point in regrets,’ he turned away but knew he lied.
As people have habits and tics in their body language so they do in language. Use this to your advantage for identifying characters. They may have phrases or particular words they use. Or use dodgy grammar for identification. And accents play a part too.
While thinking about accents you are better off if you imply it by word order rather than trying to write dialect which drives most readers mental.
How do I know if I’ve got it right?
The classic and best way is to read it out loud even tape it to listen to. If it’s easy to read and if it sounds right then it will be right
Dialogue is critical because it has so many functions within your novel. For some it is easy and others never get the hang of it.
The aim
We want to make the reader think it is real. Of course, like most things to do with writing, it is completely artificial. People in books speak in a different way to conversation in life. Normal conversation is full of waffling and rambling, ums and unfinished sentences – a lot of understanding comes from facial expression and body language which we don’t have in fiction. The aim is to make the dialogue appear real yet using it all the time to convey plot, information, characterisation and pace.
What can dialogue do for us?
It anchors us in time and place.
It reveals character.
It can be a vehicle for giving the back story in an easily digestible form.
It can explain the present and hint of the future
It moves the plot forward,
It can increase the pace.
It can remind the reader of events which might have been forgotten.
It can introduce, highlight or resolve conflict.
If you can’t identify any of these in the conversations you have given your characters then perhaps it would be better to start again.
He said, she said.
If you give each character a “voice” of their own which is recognisable to the reader then there is less need for the he, she said that worries lots of people. This is fine if there are two characters only. Less easy with three and impossible with four then names are needed.
Mistakes.
Often new writers make the mistake of loading the length of conversation and give the characters long speeches when people don’t talk like that. They also make them static. If you watch people talking they pause, look out of windows, scratch. If you use this then you give movement to your writing and make it more real – and get rid of a few he said.
E.g: “If I’d had the sausages . . .” Peter looked out of the window, remembering other sausages he’d enjoyed. “No point in regrets,’ he turned away but knew he lied.
As people have habits and tics in their body language so they do in language. Use this to your advantage for identifying characters. They may have phrases or particular words they use. Or use dodgy grammar for identification. And accents play a part too.
While thinking about accents you are better off if you imply it by word order rather than trying to write dialect which drives most readers mental.
How do I know if I’ve got it right?
The classic and best way is to read it out loud even tape it to listen to. If it’s easy to read and if it sounds right then it will be right
Friday, 8 January 2010
FAQs.
This is turning into a bits and pieces sort of week. Janice asked a FAQ -how long should a novel be? The true answer is how long is a piece of string?
The genre will affect the length, thrillers tend to be shorter at around 65-70,000. Literary ones also tend to be about the 70,mark. Below 60 and you are straying into novella land.
When I started you could safely say that a book has a natural length. But, times have changed and these days very large books are not encouraged, by that I mean 190,000 +. My first novel came in at 225,000 which was cut to 200,000 approx. For several books I was contracted to present with 160,000. This, I think, was done because the books were sold on an idea.
Now between 70,000 and 130,000 seems to be the norm. BUT and this is important, if a book is outstanding then there is unlikely to be any quibble over length.
My advice would be to forget the word count, write the first draft to its natural length then cut or increase as required which is much easier to do on a finished novel.
Then Mary Jon told of reading that “He quoted several agents as saying that having short works, fiction or not, published would help your cause.” This filled her with horror and I can’t say I blame her.
Presumably this is to show that you are serious but since most YUPs have to work to write when are these short works to be fitted in, let alone the submitting rituals? He makes it sound as if doing so is easy, it isn’t, ask any short story writer.
However, if you’ve had anything published there is no harm in mentioning this but I would avoid proclaiming you write for the Parish Magazine!
The genre will affect the length, thrillers tend to be shorter at around 65-70,000. Literary ones also tend to be about the 70,mark. Below 60 and you are straying into novella land.
When I started you could safely say that a book has a natural length. But, times have changed and these days very large books are not encouraged, by that I mean 190,000 +. My first novel came in at 225,000 which was cut to 200,000 approx. For several books I was contracted to present with 160,000. This, I think, was done because the books were sold on an idea.
Now between 70,000 and 130,000 seems to be the norm. BUT and this is important, if a book is outstanding then there is unlikely to be any quibble over length.
My advice would be to forget the word count, write the first draft to its natural length then cut or increase as required which is much easier to do on a finished novel.
Then Mary Jon told of reading that “He quoted several agents as saying that having short works, fiction or not, published would help your cause.” This filled her with horror and I can’t say I blame her.
Presumably this is to show that you are serious but since most YUPs have to work to write when are these short works to be fitted in, let alone the submitting rituals? He makes it sound as if doing so is easy, it isn’t, ask any short story writer.
However, if you’ve had anything published there is no harm in mentioning this but I would avoid proclaiming you write for the Parish Magazine!
Thursday, 7 January 2010
REJECTION
One of the group has had her book rejected by a publisher – always a horrible experience but what makes it more frustrating it came with the comment that she “. . . has an effortless, page-turning style . . .” Which makes me want to scream at them then what the hell are you looking for? Another publisher had earlier turned it down for being “not compelling enough.” The writer then asked me if I had any ideas to help with adding tension, drama.
My reply which I’m sure she feels is no help whatsoever, was to ask her what her inner voice is saying to her. I feel that given the book is finished, given that she felt confident enough to send it off – as did her agent - then to change it now is not the best time to do so. It probably doesn’t need altering but disappointment can make one do things which are not necessary. And deep down inner voice is probably saying the same thing.
Just look at those two comments. Effortless page-turning style and not compelling enough. Incompatible aren’t they? It is either one or the other. One is right and one is wrong. Knowing her work I’d go for the first. However, it illustrates how frustrating and complex publishing is. But given this I feel even more strongly that she should do nothing at this point.
And as a PS, two publishers saying no, is nothing. My first novel Distinctions of Class was, over four years, turned down by virtually every publisher in London. It’s a tough business and a painful one, but talent will out!
My reply which I’m sure she feels is no help whatsoever, was to ask her what her inner voice is saying to her. I feel that given the book is finished, given that she felt confident enough to send it off – as did her agent - then to change it now is not the best time to do so. It probably doesn’t need altering but disappointment can make one do things which are not necessary. And deep down inner voice is probably saying the same thing.
Just look at those two comments. Effortless page-turning style and not compelling enough. Incompatible aren’t they? It is either one or the other. One is right and one is wrong. Knowing her work I’d go for the first. However, it illustrates how frustrating and complex publishing is. But given this I feel even more strongly that she should do nothing at this point.
And as a PS, two publishers saying no, is nothing. My first novel Distinctions of Class was, over four years, turned down by virtually every publisher in London. It’s a tough business and a painful one, but talent will out!
Thursday, 31 December 2009
PACE TWO
If you remember, before the Christmas blow out, we were looking at pace. Now let’s discuss what slows it and what creates it.
Slowing Pace.
Nothing slows the flow more than over use of prose. It’s a shame for what writer doesn’t enjoy writing the descriptive sections? But admit it, if you skim a book, which parts do you choose to neglect?
In dialogue keep a beady eye out for characters making long speeches. People don’t in real life and it is even more so with fictional people. Whereas we can waffle, character in books don’t. There is no need for polite talk, what they say is only relevant to show character and to MOVE the story along.
The flow will stall if you use unfamiliar words or make references to little known facts. Your reader might even stop and look them up and perhaps not bother to go back. The same can be said for strange names.
Do watch out for repeated words, scenes and setting. If your plot is predictable then you will find the pace declining. There is nothing like a twist to get the steam up.
Watch out if you have been fiddling endlessly with work, the freshness and thus the pace can easily be deadened.
Encouraging Pace.
Remember the engine? Pulsating away with your strong plot with equally strong and believable characters.
Conflict is one of your most important tools. Conflict can take many forms. Large as with jealousy or war. But don’t forget that misunderstanding can add conflict too.
Wise use of causality creats pace. The happening that leads to another. And it can surprise the reader – making them hungry for more.
I warned about deadening your writing with muddied work, so it follows that good spare writing adds that elusive pace. As does good dialogue where you can give information quickly and with lack of artifice.
And you know that one of the simplest devices is to vary the pace and by doing so you add to it. Strong phases followed by weaker. Hysteria followed by peace. Tragedy followed by its kissing cousin comedy.
Above all that strong story line you have created nothing makes a reader hungry to know more than the NEED to know.
See, it’s not as hard as you thought.
Slowing Pace.
Nothing slows the flow more than over use of prose. It’s a shame for what writer doesn’t enjoy writing the descriptive sections? But admit it, if you skim a book, which parts do you choose to neglect?
In dialogue keep a beady eye out for characters making long speeches. People don’t in real life and it is even more so with fictional people. Whereas we can waffle, character in books don’t. There is no need for polite talk, what they say is only relevant to show character and to MOVE the story along.
The flow will stall if you use unfamiliar words or make references to little known facts. Your reader might even stop and look them up and perhaps not bother to go back. The same can be said for strange names.
Do watch out for repeated words, scenes and setting. If your plot is predictable then you will find the pace declining. There is nothing like a twist to get the steam up.
Watch out if you have been fiddling endlessly with work, the freshness and thus the pace can easily be deadened.
Encouraging Pace.
Remember the engine? Pulsating away with your strong plot with equally strong and believable characters.
Conflict is one of your most important tools. Conflict can take many forms. Large as with jealousy or war. But don’t forget that misunderstanding can add conflict too.
Wise use of causality creats pace. The happening that leads to another. And it can surprise the reader – making them hungry for more.
I warned about deadening your writing with muddied work, so it follows that good spare writing adds that elusive pace. As does good dialogue where you can give information quickly and with lack of artifice.
And you know that one of the simplest devices is to vary the pace and by doing so you add to it. Strong phases followed by weaker. Hysteria followed by peace. Tragedy followed by its kissing cousin comedy.
Above all that strong story line you have created nothing makes a reader hungry to know more than the NEED to know.
See, it’s not as hard as you thought.
Sunday, 20 December 2009
Apology.
Apologies everyone but Christmas has got the better of me. And then I thought I'm probably not alone and who wants to read about Pace with such important things as eating, drinking and pressies. So Happy Christmas every one. See you in the New Year.
Saturday, 12 December 2009
PACE
Jenny is confused by pace has she too much or too little? Katie wants to know how to sustain it. Mary Jon asks how to judge the balancing of pace?
Why is pace so important in commercial fiction? If you think page turnability instead, it makes it clear why it is. Without it the reader is more likely to give up. Without it you are unlikely to sell it in the first place.
What is pace? Pace is the engine of the book. It keeps us moving forward, it keeps us reading.
However, beware - too often pace is misunderstood and is regarded as a need for excitement, drama, cliff hangers, big events. The chapters are littered with hooks. Pace can be all of these things – in the right place, time and amount. If not treated with respect, if not controlled, then the opposite could happen and this pace will be killed off.
How? Overuse and exaggeration of pace reminds me of many of the singers on the X Factor – they belt out the songs, the louder they sing, the more noise they make the better they think they sound. We all know that is not the case.
The Engine.
Lets go back to my analogy of the engine. Humming away in the background, giving the book life and movement but unnoticed –that is pace. It is there all the time. It’s like the beating of your heart – rhythmic, stable, constant.
Suddenly the engine is revved up, just as hearts beat faster. As dramatic moments, thrills, dangers are added making us sit up, making us read.
And then the engine slows, a calmness is created. And what does that do? It highlights the drama you have just allowed to unfold, it does not diminish it.
Those singers need variation in their songs. We need variation in our writing. If there is too much drama or too much calmness then the work has a sameness to it which is the antithesis of pace.
Barbara Cartland.
Barbara Cartland is the mistress of pace. She wrote short, snappy paragraphs often of a couple of lines, which makes them easy to read, she uses hooks everywhere. There is pace in her books by the bucket load and she gets away with it.
So why can she but I advise that you don’t?
Because her books are short. If that form were used in a long book of over 100,000 words the reader would become exhausted by the relentless excitement, you would tire of it. .
I call this boom-boom pace.
Plot.
So often the most important tool of pace you have in your armoury is overlooked and that is the story itself.
A good strong plot with good strong characters which grasps the interest, holds it, leaves the reader asking for more. It is so obvious but perhaps that is why it is neglected.
Katie to sustain pace – a well structured story. Jenny a constraint on boom-boom isn’t a bad thing. And Mary Jon – you know, I think that the problems here are mainly because you are all worrying far too much. There is only one voice that will tell you honestly – dear old Inner Voice. And you can help IV by reading out loud, that will soon show up the bits that are dragging.
Once again this is a huge subject so we’ll do more next week when we look at what adds pace and what detracts.
Why is pace so important in commercial fiction? If you think page turnability instead, it makes it clear why it is. Without it the reader is more likely to give up. Without it you are unlikely to sell it in the first place.
What is pace? Pace is the engine of the book. It keeps us moving forward, it keeps us reading.
However, beware - too often pace is misunderstood and is regarded as a need for excitement, drama, cliff hangers, big events. The chapters are littered with hooks. Pace can be all of these things – in the right place, time and amount. If not treated with respect, if not controlled, then the opposite could happen and this pace will be killed off.
How? Overuse and exaggeration of pace reminds me of many of the singers on the X Factor – they belt out the songs, the louder they sing, the more noise they make the better they think they sound. We all know that is not the case.
The Engine.
Lets go back to my analogy of the engine. Humming away in the background, giving the book life and movement but unnoticed –that is pace. It is there all the time. It’s like the beating of your heart – rhythmic, stable, constant.
Suddenly the engine is revved up, just as hearts beat faster. As dramatic moments, thrills, dangers are added making us sit up, making us read.
And then the engine slows, a calmness is created. And what does that do? It highlights the drama you have just allowed to unfold, it does not diminish it.
Those singers need variation in their songs. We need variation in our writing. If there is too much drama or too much calmness then the work has a sameness to it which is the antithesis of pace.
Barbara Cartland.
Barbara Cartland is the mistress of pace. She wrote short, snappy paragraphs often of a couple of lines, which makes them easy to read, she uses hooks everywhere. There is pace in her books by the bucket load and she gets away with it.
So why can she but I advise that you don’t?
Because her books are short. If that form were used in a long book of over 100,000 words the reader would become exhausted by the relentless excitement, you would tire of it. .
I call this boom-boom pace.
Plot.
So often the most important tool of pace you have in your armoury is overlooked and that is the story itself.
A good strong plot with good strong characters which grasps the interest, holds it, leaves the reader asking for more. It is so obvious but perhaps that is why it is neglected.
Katie to sustain pace – a well structured story. Jenny a constraint on boom-boom isn’t a bad thing. And Mary Jon – you know, I think that the problems here are mainly because you are all worrying far too much. There is only one voice that will tell you honestly – dear old Inner Voice. And you can help IV by reading out loud, that will soon show up the bits that are dragging.
Once again this is a huge subject so we’ll do more next week when we look at what adds pace and what detracts.
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