Spaghettification: Making Up Words for Your Story

For those of you who are not familiar with black holes, spaghettification is a real-life term used to describe how the gravity of a black hole (or anything with a very strong gravitational pull) affects objects that get too close and are subsequently sucked in to their deaths or maybe transported to another place or time. Lots of sci-fi possibilities in black holes. If you want a more detailed explanation, you can find one here.

I'm not a scientist, so I don't know how frequently this term is used outside of television (I watch a lot of astronomy shows because I'm a huge nerd), but every time I hear it, it makes me laugh. And the last episode I watched on black holes had the black holes rolling around in space looking like space Roombas, so I don't think that helped.

And then at the end of that episode, the narrator said something to the effect of, "Black holes truly are the masters of the universe."

The use of the term spaghettification (and my amusement over it) got me thinking about how it applies to writing. Doesn't everything apply to writing?

If you write in the worlds of science fiction and fantasy, you've probably, at some point, had the need to make up words unique to your worlds. But how do you know what works and what doesn't? You don't want the reader to laugh because it sounds too ridiculous or totally made-up.

Personally, nothing pulls me out of a story like a made-up swear word. I know that most pretend worlds wouldn't have the same swear words that we do, but most of the made-up ones sound silly and we all know what they're supposed to replace so why not just use the real thing? Okay, so that may or may not be one of my pet peeves. ;) 

In my own writing, if I need to come up with a world-specific word or even a name, I'll usually turn to other languages and try to find something I can tweak to fit my world. Or I might type the meaning into a baby naming site and see if there's something I can use there, and not just for names. I've come up with at least one world-specific word using a baby naming site. Even then, I'm not always sure that what I've come up with is working. I just try to go with what feels and sounds right for the story.

And I always google the word to make sure it doesn't already exist. Except for when I forget to do that and one of my crit partners has to point out that one of my character names is a gelato flavor. :)

What about you? How do you feel about made-up words in stories? Have you made up any words for your own stories? If so, how did you go about it?

Blog Chain: Breakin' the Law

I get to start this round! Aren't you excited? Here's the topic I chose:

There are SO many writing rules, but sometimes we have to break one or two, just to keep things interesting. Is there a writing rule you've broken on purpose? Why did you choose to break it? And if you want to post a snippet of your writing as an example, even better!

Raise your hand if you've heard that piddly little rule about not opening with a dream? Everybody's heard that one, right? And it's a big one. I've lost count of how many agents have blogged that you just don't start with a dream. Bad, bad writer for starting with a dream. But that's exactly what I did.

Here's my reasoning, and I'd love to hear your thoughts on it, even if you disagree.

I didn't just pick some random dream to make the opening exciting. It's a dream the MC has had countless times and it's integral to many aspects of the story, most importantly, the relationship between the MC and the boy in the dream. And technically, my opening is a daydream of just a small part of that dream ('cause I like to make things complicated), so it doesn't really count as a dream, right? ;)

Oh, and I started with dialogue, which I've heard is also a no-no. Bad, bad writer. I know.

So, anyway, here are the first 250ish words, in all their rule breakin' glory. :)

*****

“Is this Heaven?” I asked.

My angel laughed, his eyes sparkling in the light from the two moons overhead. “Heaven? You’re messing with me, right?” A warm breeze rustled the field of glowing blossoms surrounding us and tousled his curls. He slipped his arms around my waist. “Okay. I’ll play. No, it’s not Heaven, but sometimes, it feels that way. Especially with you here.”

He leaned in, his scent filling the air around me. His lips brushed mine—

“Livy?” Patty’s quiet voice jerked me back to reality, from my attempt to escape to a happier place. Even if that world—and the boy I’d come to call my angel—existed only in my dreams. “It’s almost time.”

I glanced across the room at the casket—shiny black with silver handles. Elegant, according to Patty. Like that mattered. It would be buried underground, never to be seen again after today. And that wasn’t my mother in there.

Patty settled down on the arm of the loveseat and tucked my long bangs behind my ear. I resisted the urge to release them, so I could go back to hiding behind the auburn curtain they created.

“You sure you don’t want to see her?” she asked. “This is the last chance you’ll get.” She meant well. Just doing her job as my pseudo-grandmother and legal guardian. Well, that was what she would’ve been. If I hadn’t turned eighteen on the day my mother died.

Full first chapter here.

*****

So what about you, my bloggy friends? What rules have you broken? Why did you choose to break them?

Don't miss Kat's post tomorrow! :)

Blog Chain: The Good Stuff

Blog chain time again. This round was started by Michelle H. She wants us to:

Be positive! Name some of the positive aspects of your writing — be it a compliment from a mentor, friend or crit partner to anything special you learned concerning your writing skills.

This was way harder than it should've been. I could spend hours telling you the things I need to improve on, but to actually point out the positives is a whole other situation. Not that I think I'm a bad writer. If that were the case, I would've quit long ago.

Okay, I'll give this a try.

I've been told by several people that my dialogue is good and feels natural.  Also, after much research and experimenting I've started to feel like I have a handle on the concept of voice (not that I could explain it to anyone else) and I've had a few compliments on that.

Ummm....

I'm a very detail-oriented person (aka crazy perfectionist) so my writing is usually pretty clean when it comes to grammar and punctuation--even my rough drafts.

And I think that's enough about me. :)

What about all of you? What are some of the positive aspects of your writing? Don't be shy. ;)

Be sure to check out Christine's post from yesterday and Kat's post tomorrow.

Blog Chain: Genre Mindset

Margie started this round. She asked:

How do you get in the mindset of your genre? Do you research people or facts? Do you just reach into the recesses of your mind for events that would make a good story? Something else?

This isn't something I've ever really thought about so I'm having a hard time coming up with an answer. Bear with me. This might get kind of rambly. :)

Since I started writing, YA has always just felt like the right genre for me. There's a depth of emotion in YA books that I love and you don't really find it much in other genres. And since I'm a pretty emotional person, I guess that's why it feels so natural to me? I don't know. I was even more emotional as a teen (my poor mother), so there's a lot about those years that is still very vivid for me. I'm sure I draw on those memories and feelings a lot as I'm writing, but I don't know that I've ever used it to get into the mindset of my genre. Not intentionally, anyway.

As for the science fiction angle, I've always been fascinated with space and the universe and just science in general. That, combined with my husband's love for comic books--I think I've seen every comic book movie ever made--is probably why all my characters end up with some kind of superpower or ability, and why I keep wanting to put aliens in there, some way, somehow. So I don't know that it's a mindset so much as a compulsion. ;)

I'm pretty sure that didn't answer the question, but my writing process is pretty boring. I just need quiet and a general idea of where I'm headed, and then I sit down and write. Maybe I'm thinking about it too literally?

You all can probably answer it better. How do you get in the mindset of your genre?

Be sure to check out Christine's post from yesterday and Kat's post tomorrow.

Blog Chain: Writing Without a Map

Blog chain time! I got confused about my posting day so I'm late again. One of these days I'll get it up on the right day. Maybe. :) Eric started this round. He asked:

When was the last time you just sat down and started writing, with nothing but a whisper of an idea to guide you?  Did you find it easy to do or did you find yourself struggling for a more organized story?

I did this with the first half of the first draft of my first novel (which I was clueless then, so nothing was a struggle), but I don't think I've done it since. Honestly, just the idea of writing this way stresses me out. I'm not big on outlining, but I at least have to have a good idea of how the scene is going to go before I can sit down and write. Otherwise, I just end up sitting there, staring at my screen until I come up with a plan for the scene. And then, that's not really writing with just a whisper of an idea. ;)

I know it's something I should try, and it would probably help curb my perfectionism to learn to write like that. Just have to find the right motivation, I guess.

What about you? Do you ever write like this? Is it easy to do or do you struggle with it?

Be sure to check out Christine before me and Kat after. :)

And the last few days have been crazy busy and I haven't had a chance to pick a winner yet for the giveaway, but I'll try to have it up soon.

Writer's Angst

I don't remember who directed me there, but I read this post on Hillary Monahan's blog last week, and I think it's the most accurate description of the "Writer Crazies" I've ever read. ;)

A few gems:

All writers, even the ones that look balanced and happy, are insane.

Writers as a whole are insecure little egomaniacs....

We think we're both small gods and the gum at the bottom of your shoe. Possibly at the same time.

The full post is here. If you haven't seen it yet, it's definitely worth checking out. Just FYI, there is some rougher language, so if you're sensitive to that, you might want to skip it. :) Enjoy!

Blog Chain: Recharging

It's blog chain time, and I'm late. Again. My lack of blogging motivation lately is astounding. Oddly enough, where I lack the motivation to blog, I've been highly motivated to write and getting lots done in that area, so maybe it's good thing. Anyway, this round was started by Cole. She asked:

What hobbies, tips, or techniques do you have for keeping your writerly battery charged?

I didn't used to do anything. It was just write, write, write--more accurately obsess, obsess, obsess--all the time. Eventually though, this does burn you out. Now I know (and I had to learn this the hard way) that sometimes I just have to step away. Plus (and this one's huge) getting behind on my housework doesn't help. If my house is a mess, I can't focus, because I'm constantly worried about what I should be doing instead of writing. So, housework is definitely not a hobby, but it's important for me to stay on top of it.

I like to play around with graphic design. And along those same lines, I do a little digital scrapbooking, though not as much as I used to. I also like to doodle in the corners and along the edges of the manuscript pages I'm working on--this is how I procrastinate without my computer.

Also, watching movies with my husband. And just because I pick apart the plot lines and the character arcs and analyze the characterization does not mean I'm not recharging. Seems I can't help myself anymore and I do this without thinking. Just FYI, if your husband (or whoever you're watching the movie with) isn't a writer--and maybe if he is a writer--he doesn't want to hear your thoughts on these things during the movie and probably not afterward either. ;)

Hmm. That's all I've got. Maybe I should take up knitting again. :)

So what about all of you? What hobbies, tips, or techniques do you have for keeping your writerly battery charged?

Be sure to check out Christine's post from Tuesday and Kat's post today. :)

MUG Monday: The Blank Page

Hey, looky there! Abby wrote a blog post. A scheduled one even. Craziness. ;)

Okay, so some of you know I'm rewriting the first half of Embrol. Again. It really is never-ending. I cut 43,000 hard-earned words last week. Painful, but necessary. And I think it's getting better, closer to where it needs to be. Never mind that I've thought this before (more than once), and yet, here I am, doing another rewrite. *sigh*

Anyway.

I've been stuck for a couple of weeks on one scene. Of course, it's an action scene. For me, those scenes always require a lot of revision. I always put in too much emotion or too much detail or both and totally screw up the pacing in the first draft. My perfectionist brain can't handle this. Just the idea of writing an action scene makes it shut down and then, somehow, I'm checking my email. Or Facebook. Or anything besides working on that blasted action scene.

I tried to sit down and force myself to write it. I knew how I wanted it to go, so that wasn't the issue. It was just getting my fingers to type what I knew would be horrible, horrible words. I couldn't tarnish my previously "perfect" draft with such an awful scene.

The solution?

I opened a blank document and told myself it was okay if I screwed it up because it never had to touch the real document if I hated it. Three days later, I have a shiny new action scene that, at least for the moment, I think turned out pretty good. Such a simple solution. Too bad it took me so long to figure it out. :)

What about you? Any types of scenes that trip you up? What do you do to get unstuck?

And my Awesome Followers Giveaway is still going on! Don't miss it!

MUG Monday: They're Just Jealous of My Awesomeness

Having recently come to terms with a very honest critique, this post seemed appropriate, especially since I now feel like my story is going to be so much stronger because of that crit. Seriously, there is nothing more valuable than a critter who knows what to look for and isn't afraid to tell you exactly what isn't working. I am truly blessed to have received feedback from some of the best. :)

This is a pretty typical response pattern for me when I get one of those honest critiques. Okay, so maybe I exaggerated the experience, just a little. ;) Enjoy!

THE SEVEN STAGES OF CRITIQUEY GRIEF*

1. SHOCK
What?! But… but I’m AWESOME!!! How could they say such horrible things?

2. DENIAL
They’re wrong. It’s perfect the way it is. There’s nothing they can say that will make me believe it needs to be changed. I write beautiful words. Exquisite words!

3. ANGER
How dare they?! How. Dare. They! Pssssh! They’re just jealous they can’t be as awesome as I am. Pathetic. *flips hair and rolls eyes* Just pathetic.

4. GUILT
Wait. That comment kind of makes sense. And that one. Why didn’t I see that? It’s so obvious!! Oh, this is so humiliating. Now EVERYONE knows what a horrible writer I am. How will I ever show my face on the blogosphere again? I’m going to hide under my desk.

5. DEPRESSION
I suck! Big time. Nothing I write will ever be good enough. I should just give up now and save myself any more humiliation. Miss H.H. Writerlady is so much better than me, and she always leaves such encouraging and insightful comments. Why can’t I write like her? I’ll never get an agent. I’ll never get published. I’m just going to stay under my desk and listen to Evanescence’s My Immortal over and over on my iPod. Just leave me alone and let me wallow in peace. Sniff. Don’t judge me. You have no idea how hard it is to be a writer! WAAAH!

6. THE UPWARD TURN
Sniff. I’m hungry. I need chocolate. And Dr. Pepper. I guess I can sit in the chair. It’s more comfortable than the floor. *wiggles the mouse* Hmm. Maybe this isn’t all crap. Maybe I don’t totally suck. Sniff.

7. ACCEPTANCE & HOPE
I guess if I moved this section and tweaked that, it would all flow better. And that is kind of confusing, but I can fix that. No problem. Sorry, beloved scene, beloved chapter, beloved first thirty pages. Looks like we’re better without you. Don’t cry. I’ll miss you too. *wipes a tear* Huh. Wow. This is so much better than it was before. Thank you, critters! Without you, my work never could have been this great! I am a good writer. I will get an agent. I will get published. Because I’m AWESOME!! Of course. ;D

Who's with me? ;)

*pulled from this Sept 2009 post

MUG Monday: Breaking Through the Wall

Since I whined about it A LOT, many of you know how much I struggled with my internal editor on my rewrite of Embrol. She just wouldn't shut up about everything I was doing wrong--a misplaced comma here, not showing enough emotion there, blah, blah, blah--and it was totally holding me back. So much so, I started to think I'd never finish that stupid rewrite.

It was giving me a major case of writer's block. I tried everything I could think of. Muscling through, taking a break, working on something else, just to name a few, but nothing worked.

Until I found the perfect solution....

Are you ready for it? It could revolutionize your writing process.

Here it is. Try not to be too overwhelmed.

Paper...

and...

pen.

Okay, so it's not that spectacular or innovative, but it's amazing how much it has helped me shut up my internal editor. I wrote the last third of my draft in a matter of weeks after fighting with the internal editor for months. Apparently, it's more important to her that I get it perfect the first time when I'm typing it into a word processing program--where I can easily change anything with a few keystrokes--than when I'm writing with permanent ink on paper that can't be reused. I think there's something wrong with her. ;)

So, what about all of you? What do you do when you're stuck? Any tricks that work every time?

Making it Up as I Go (MUG) Monday: Letting Go

My first Making it Up as I Go Monday post! Henceforth, to be known as MUG Monday, because I'm lazy.

This post is about writing. Seriously. You’ll see. :)

I recently went to a parent teacher conference for my oldest child. He’s in junior high now, so I got the pleasure of knowing a week ahead of time that I would be meeting with not one, but seven different teachers at the same time. Terrified seems too mild.

Just to give you a little background, my son is a very intelligent boy, but he is a boy in the truest sense of the word and he's much too busy for silly things like studying and homework. Though, I will say (quite proudly) that he’s an avid reader. :)

First day of kindergarten 2003

So, even though I was nervous, I wasn’t really surprised by anything they had to say. I just nodded and explained that I was aware and we were working on it—an ongoing battle since his first day of kindergarten. The teachers were actually all quite genuine and I felt like they really want my son to succeed. Sadly, this hasn’t always been the case in the past.

As we were coming to the end of the meeting, his reading teacher said, “Thank you for understanding your son is human.”

What she meant didn’t sink in at first, but she repeated herself a few more times (I’m assuming this is a teaching technique for us slow folks) and my sleep-deprived brain finally caught her meaning. I wasn’t making excuses for my son and allowing him to continue on the dead-end path he was on. Not without a fight anyway. In other words…. Hey, look! I’m not totally failing as a parent after all. :)

Now for the writerly connection….

If you were lucky enough to be my closest crit partner and writerly friend, you would’ve been bombarded with several angsty emails over the last few weeks about the fate of my current (and only complete) brain child. And after her most recent email, where she told me straight out that I needed a break from said brain child, I had a major duh moment.

I’ve become one of those parents whose child can do no wrong. Not only that, I’m a helicopter parent—always hovering and tweaking, always thinking about what I can do to make my child better. Not always a bad thing, but I let myself get too close. I convinced myself she was perfect and any suggestion that required major changes couldn’t possibly be a good suggestion. Even worse, I haven’t allowed myself to see my brain child’s imperfections and accept them so I can do something about them. Bad book parent.

Of course, my crit buddy knew just how to say it so I would finally get it. I know. She’s awesome. No, you can’t have her. Don’t say you’ll fight me for her. You know I’ll win. ;)

So, though it’s extremely difficult after spending the better part of two+ years carrying my baby with me everywhere I go (if only in my head), I’m sending my brain child to space camp for a month or two. Yes, this makes me very sad, but it will be good for everyone. And if I’m a good book mama, when my first born gets back, she’ll have a new little brother to share my time with. :)

What about all of you? Have you had a project you became too obsessed with? Do you always send your brain children to space camp so you don’t get too attached? Does time apart help?

Blog Chain: Strengths and Weaknesses

Blog chain time! This round's question comes from Sandra. She asked:

What do you think your strengths and weaknesses as a writer are? Did you have to develop your strengths, or did they come naturally to you? How are you trying to overcome your weaknesses?

Well, based on my inability to get my posts done on time, I'd have to say that my biggest weakness is procrastination. But I think that's more of a character flaw and doesn't really count as a writing weakness. :(

Excluding things like not being able to write without editing and being easily distracted by shiny blog posts and emails, my biggest weakness as a writer is probably description. Any scene that is heavy on description is hard for me to make myself write. And I usually end up with too little description to make the scene clear. To overcome this, I read books and blog posts on writing settings and creative ways to show my characters. And I do a lot of rewriting. I don't know if I'll ever be totally comfortable writing description.

My biggest strength is probably dialogue. I think, to a point, this comes naturally to me. Sadly, this is most likely because I spend way too much time in my head coming up with awesome comebacks and more satisfying conclusions for conversations that have already ended. And I've had to work some to improve it and make it more realistic, but it's probably what I enjoy writing the most.

So what about you? What are your strengths and weaknesses as a writer?

Be sure to check out Christine's awesome post before mine and Kat's post after. :)

I'm Back! Really.

I'm not going to write a post about all my resolutions for 2011. The list would be way too long. But I will tell you what my plans are for the blog and my writing.

1. No more slacking. I got a little overwhelmed in 2010 for several reasons, most of them totally unrelated to writing. But new year, new me, right? Sure, Abby. Whatever you say.... ;)

2. I will blog regularly. I think I've got my head in order now (doesn't mean I'm sane), so I've set a schedule for the blog. I'll be posting three days a week.

Making it Up as I Go Monday: This will be the day I focus on writing topics. I'm far from an expert, hence the title. :)

Word Tip Wednesday: Since technology and I usually get along pretty well, I'm always finding new and exciting ways to use MS Word to make my writing life easier, so I thought I'd share a tip a week rather than keep it all to myself. I don't know how many posts this will produce, but I'll keep it going as long as possible. And I might throw in some spreadsheet tips for Excel while I'm at it. The spreadsheet I made for my WIP has been so helpful in keeping things organized, especially as I've been putting together outlines for the sequels to EMBROL. That's right, I said outlines. I, self-proclaimed pantser, made outlines. Yea! More on that in a minute.

Totally Random Friday: I think this one is pretty self-explanatory.

3. I will complete a new project that has nothing to do with EMBROL. I've spent the last two years focused on EMBROL--writing, revising, rewriting from scratch, more revising and rewriting. It's close to ready to query, so I need to start something new. And I need to prove to myself that I can follow through on something different without being sucked back into Olivia and Jack's world.

4. I will outline. I've discovered some new techniques for getting my thoughts in order before I start writing scenes, so I plan to implement those and hopefully have a little less chaos in my writing. Maybe I'll even do a post or two about how it works out, to maybe help some of my fellow pantsers out there. :)

Thanks, everyone, for hanging in there with me while I got my act together. I've missed all of you! I'm looking forward to catching up. :)

So, what are your plans for the new year? Anything huge? Any big news I missed?

Blog Chain: My Imaginary Friends

It's blog chain time again, and I'm starting this round! Exciting and scary at the same time. Okay, here's what I want to know:

Where do your characters come from? And once they've been introduced to you, how do you get to know them?

Most of my characters are loosely based on people I've known throughout my life. Or, more accurately, different traits from multiple people crammed into each character. I've also stolen a trait or two from characters I've liked in movies or on TV. And, of course, all my characters have a little bit of me in them--some more than others. But that’s just the beginning. My characters have to feel like living, breathing people before I can really get to the heart of the story, which, to me, is the characters. :) So how do I get there?

I've tried all sorts of things to improve my understanding of my characters. Those dreadful character interviews. Ugh. I don't even like filling those out for myself. And journaling from the character's POV, but it never lasts very long. I always want to get back to writing, which usually happens after I'm distracted by a bit of dialogue that I just have to write down. That leads to a reaction from another character and, before you know it, I've completely forgotten about whatever lame interview/journal thing I was working on.

It's taken a lot of trial and error to figure this out, but the thing that works best for me is just writing--scenes that usually don't end up in the finished product but help me understand how a character would react in a situation. The key is to go in with no preconceived ideas about how the scene should go. I just present a conflict--story-related or otherwise--and let the characters take over. This has worked for most of my characters. Sure, in the end I have a lot of discarded scenes, but it's what works for me.

So what about you? How do you get to know your characters?

Be sure to check out Cole's post tomorrow. :)

Guest Post: Fabulous Janice Hardy and a Giveaway!!

Exciting stuff today!!

Welcome special guest, Janice Hardy, MG author of THE SHIFTER (my review here) and its recently released sequel, BLUE FIRE! She has a great post for us today, and if you haven't checked out the awesomeness that is her blog, what are you waiting for? Her posts are always informative and entertaining. :) Also, I'm announcing a giveaway at the end, so stick around.

The End is Near

Some writers have troubles with beginnings, or more commonly, middles, but for me, it’s endings. I tend to rush them once I get close, summarizing instead of letting things build to the big bang. I always have to rewrite them, usually several times before I get them right. I’ve given up trying to figure out why I do this, and have just accepted it as part of my process. Maybe one day I’ll solve this riddle, but for now, I just follow the same revision plan each time. Which are really things I ought to do on the first draft, but it never seems to work out that way.

What makes a good ending?

Tastes will vary of course, but generally, readers want to see the problem the book has been exploring all along resolved in a satisfying way. They want to be surprised by something they didn’t see coming, but a surprise that still fits with the story – not something out of the blue they couldn’t have figured out on their own. They want to see the protag grow or change in some way that made everything they went through in the book matter in a personal and meaningful way.

Yeah, but how do you do that?

For me, endings start long before the actual climax, because that’s when you start laying the groundwork for them. You probably have some idea of how you want your story to end. There’s a good chance it’s part of your one-sentence “this is what my book is about” line. Everything in the story has been building to this moment. If it hasn’t? Then that might be why your ending is giving you trouble. Try looking back and asking:

What constitutes a win for your protag?

If you’re not sure, look at your beginning. What major thing happened that set your protag on their journey? What have they been trying to accomplish all along? That’s what you’ll need to resolve in some way in your ending.

What constitutes a win for your reader?

You’ve set up certain expectations throughout the book and your reader is going to want to see those expectations satisfied. What promises did you make? What problems did you dangle? What risks were taken that hinted at greater consequences?

Are you escalating the stakes?

The first draft of The Shifter had this problem. The ending was exciting, but it didn’t raise the stakes any from the major event at the end of the third act. Because of that, the ending was just kinda there. My agent had me revise it, and she gave me some advice that really changed my thinking. She said to go deeper, not wider, with the story, and to tie it in thematically to Nya’s struggle. At first, I didn’t understand what she meant, but then I figured out that it’s easy to add more stuff to make things harder on your protag, but the stakes aren’t really higher. More lives in jeopardy isn’t high stakes because readers don’t know those people. They care about the characters.

Look at what the protag has at stake on a personal level. Look at how that ties into the story from a thematic aspect, so the ending has more poignancy. For The Shifter, it was about being trapped, so feeling trapped factored into the climax. Same with the sequel, Blue Fire, but this time it was all about escape. Those ideas influenced what was done so it tied into the rest of the story.

What inner conflict has your protag been struggling with all along? How can you make that inner conflict butt heads with the outer problem in your climax? How might that inner conflict influence what the protag needs to do to solve the final problem? How might the theme be used to make the ending more powerful, and thus raise the stakes? What can you do to make the risk more personal for your protag?

You were saying something about a surprise?

Endings we can see coming a mile away bore us, but the fact is, we pretty much know the hero is going to win in any book we pick up. There is only so much mystery you can squeeze out of “will she win or not?” The tension and wonder will come from how they do it and what it might cost them. This is why personal stakes are so critical. But we also need to have our protag act in a way that is unexpected, so the way they solve their problem is a surprise.

One thing I like to do is look at the moral beliefs of my protag and have her do something she’d never consider doing otherwise. But the trick is, she still has to be true to herself. She can’t just throw out all she believes in. She has to make that choice, hard as it is, for reasons that fit who she is. Maybe it was a line she refused to cross before, or a risk she was never willing to take. Something that might even have been suggested earlier in the novel and rejected. But the stakes are higher now, and not doing it will result in something far worse than doing it. It’s a sacrifice she’s willing to make, even though it’s going to cost her a lot.

How do we get her to that point?

This is where the thrill building comes in. It takes time to heap enough horrible onto your protag so that she’s willing to throw it all away for the win. I like to start around the end of the third act, when your protag has just hit a wall or found a problem that seems insurmountable. She’s trying to solve it, really feels that she’s not going to be able to, but knowing she has no choice but to try.

Pacing is critical here, because speeding things up helps build that breathless on the edge of your seat feeling. Let your characters worry a bit more, think a bit less. Things start going wrong and cascade into more and more trouble. Everything tried fails or makes things worse. Put your protag on that slippery slope, and don’t give her a lot of time to catch her breath. Let her struggle, let things get worse and worse but she still manages to squeak by. Then hit her with the climax, and the start of the end.

Let her lose. Not “lose” lose, but force her into a position where she really has to think outside the box, find something unexpected and crazy that no one will see coming. For this to work, she has to be pushed beyond anything you’ve done to her so far. Feeling like it’s all of nothing, do or die, will put her right where she needs to be. And let you think up over the top, last ditch efforts for her to succeed.

Whatever your ending, remember that it’s only as good as what’s come before it. The entire story builds to this moment, and everything your protag has done will be put to the test in some way to solve this final problem. Look back and find things you can pull forward: stakes you can raise again, failures you can revisit, problems you can exacerbate. The ending is the climax of all of this, so it makes sense that all of this will provide the tools – and fodder – for your protag to save the day. Or not, if that’s the kind of ending you want.

Blue Fire

Part fugitive, part hero, fifteen-year-old Nya is barely staying ahead of the Duke of Baseer’s trackers. Wanted for a crime she didn’t mean to commit, she risks capture to protect every Taker she can find, determined to prevent the Duke from using them in his fiendish experiments. But resolve isn’t enough to protect any of them, and Nya soon realizes that the only way to keep them all out of the Duke’s clutches is to flee Geveg. Unfortunately, the Duke’s best tracker has other ideas.

Nya finds herself trapped in the last place she ever wanted to be, forced to trust the last people she ever thought she could. More is at stake than just the people of Geveg, and the closer she gets to uncovering the Duke’s plan, the more she discovers how critical she is to his victory. To save Geveg, she just might have to save Baseer—if she doesn’t destroy it first.

Janice's Bio

A long-time fantasy reader, Janice Hardy always wondered about the darker side of healing. For her fantasy trilogy THE HEALING WARS, she tapped into her own dark side to create a world where healing was dangerous, and those with the best intentions often made the worst choices. Her books include THE SHIFTER, and BLUE FIRE from Balzer+Bray/Harper Collins.  She lives in Georgia with her husband, three cats and one very nervous freshwater eel.

And now... The Giveaway!!

Enter to win a copy of BLUE FIRE! Just leave a comment on this post (1+), following is not required but it'll get you extra points (2+). Extra points for tweeting (1+), facebooking (1+), blogging (5+), and sidebar link (1+). Please leave me links with your comment. Ends Oct 31st, midnight PST.

So, what about all of you? What do you think is important in a great ending? What do you struggle with?

Blog Chain: When I'm Gone

I totally forgot it was my day to do the blog chain, so I'm a little late. This round's topic was picked by Shannon. She asked:

Imagine this: when you're gone, readers will remember your writing most for just one of these things: your characters, your plots, your settings, or your style. Which one (only one!) would you prefer over the rest? Why?

Being a perfectionist, you'd think I'd want to be remembered for all four because that would make me perfect, right? A literary genius... Okay, you can stop laughing now. I'm not crazy enough to think that's a possibility. Not yet, anyway. ;)

And though I strive for perfection in all areas, this was actually an easy one for me. I love a good, character-driven story. You know the ones that leave you longing for more when you hit that last page, and you wish could stay with them a little bit longer? That's what I want my readers to remember. Great characters—loveable or not—that come to life on the page and stay with you long after you've finished reading.

What do you want to be remembered for when you're gone?

Be sure to check out what Shaun wants his readers to remember and head over to Cole's blog tomorrow for her answer. And CONGRATS! to fellow blog-chainer and all-around awesome person, Christina Fonseca, on the release of her book, Emotional Instensity in Gifted Students!

Blog Chain: How Did I Get Here?

Blog chain time again! This one was started by Margie. She asked:

How did you come to write your YA genre (e.g. contemp, fantasy, etc.)? AND (yep, it’s a 2 parter), if you weren’t writing that, what genre would you be interested in exploring?

My current project, Embrol, is YA SciFi, though I don't think is falls squarely under that genre. And it's kind of a superhero novel, but it doesn't fall squarely under that either. The idea behind it has been brewing for as long as I can remember--even before I started writing seriously two years ago.

Growing up, I liked to imagine what I'd put in a world if I could create my own. I always thought at least some of the people should have superpowers, and I would go over and over in my head all the problems that might arise from that. And though I don't have any other completed novels, everything else I've started has ended up with the MC or the main secondary character having some kind of extra ability, even if I didn't start with that intention. I guess I just like my characters to be something more than human. 

And of course, there's always romance in there, no matter what I'm working on. :)

If I were to change genres, I'd really love to try horror, though that one really scares me. And not because it's horror. ;) I just think it would be a real challenge to write something that would scare someone else. Be fun to try though.

What about you? What drew you to your preferred genre? Is there anything else you'd like to try?

Be sure to check out Shaun's awesome post from yesterday, and I'm sure Cole will have some great stuff to share with us tomorrow. :)

Blog Chain: Challenges and Rewards

Blog chain time again already! This chain was started by Eric, who likes to ask hard questions. Just kidding. Eric's awesome! If you haven't checked out his blog yet, you should head over there now. He asked:

What do you find to be the most challenging aspect of being a writer? What is your greatest reward from writing?

I've been thinking about this one a lot, trying to narrow it down (lots of challenges in this business), and I'd have to say the most challenging thing for me is sitting down and making myself write. I know that makes it sound like I don't enjoy writing. I love writing and making up stories. Regardless of what I'm doing, I'm constantly distracted with thoughts about plot points or characters or whatever I'm working on. But when I sit down with the intention of writing, I always seem to find a million other things to do besides work on my novel. And sometimes, I feel guilty for writing, at least when I first get started, because there are always fifty other things I need to take care of, like laundry, dishes, going to the grocery store, and... It's a long list.

When I do write, though, that's the reward. I love when I finish a scene and I can say I did it. Even better when I can look back at it after a few days later and still love it, or love it even more. The best is when I hate it after I first finish it, but let it sit for a week and go back to find that it's actually pretty good, even if it needs a little tweaking. And I guess, the ultimate reward is typing The End, and knowing that even though it's not technically finished, it's all out of my head and ready to get shiny.

So what about all of you? What do you find the most challenging about writing? What do you find the most rewarding?

Be sure to check out yesterday's post about Shaun's challenging Ch Ch Changes, and don't miss Cole's post tomorrow.

The Pain of Being a Pantser

Writing to see what happens next can be very exciting. Some of my best work has come when I've really let go, not allowing myself to be tied down by outlines and other writerly restrictions. But there's a dark and painful side to that way of life. A tad melodramatic? Maybe. But it's still risky to write with no direction.

Nothing life threatening, mind you, but what if you run out of fuel before you reach your destination? Or maybe you didn't check road closures before you left and you ended up turning around and going back to the beginning more than once because the ways were blocked? It hurts when that happens.

Yesterday, I had to cut 3400 words from my ms because things were wandering off into boring territory. Not really my favorite scene, but it took time to write those words, and my time is very precious right now. And those were the words that pushed my word count over 60,000 and my page count over 200. I finally felt like I was in the home stretch. *sigh*

So far, I've cut over 11,000 words from this draft. And I'm sure I'll be cutting more before I'm done. These are the days I wish I was an outliner.

What about all of you? Pantser? Outliner? Do you find yourself cutting large chunks of text because things aren't headed in the right direction?

And since it's Friday, I leave you with this. Because it's awesome. :)

Blog Chain: Revision

It’s blog chain time again! This one was started by Sarah. She asked:

How do you handle revisions? Do you revise as you're writing, or do you wait until you've gone through beta readers and crit partners to revise? How soon after you finish do you begin your revisions?

If you’ve been reading the blog for a while, you probably already know this, but I love revising. That’s when everything gets all shiny and pretty. I’ll take that over drafting any day. In fact, drafting is so far down on my list of priorities right now, I had to make a rule that I can’t buy any new books until this draft of my WIP is finished. Granted, I can still get books at the library, but they never have the ones I want, including a few that just came out. This restriction is helping. A little. :)

It’s impossible for me to write without revising. I wish it wasn’t, because it makes the writing slow at times, but what I end up with is usually pretty close to the final product. Well, until my crit partners get hold of it.

And I revise everything again, usually until I’m sick of it, before sending it to my crit partners. Because what if I miss something and then I’ll be mortified that I missed it and everyone will die or something else super dramatic? Seriously. This perfectionist thing is really a pain sometimes.

So, yeah. I revise constantly, regardless of what stage of the process I’m in. Just like I’ll read through this post at least fifteen times before I publish it.

What about all of you? When do you revise? Do you need time away from your words before you can revise?

Be sure to check out Shaun’s post from yesterday and Cole’s tomorrow.