An Interview with Lenny Fultz
Published July 30, 2011 | 
Please join me in welcoming Lenny Fultz to the blog. Lenny is an old friend of mine (by “old” I mean I’ve known him a while, not that he’s…aw heck. You know what I mean. Movin’ on…). He’s also a very talented writer. I hope you’ll give him a warm welcome and read through the interview for your chance to win a brand new Kindle and other cool prizes. Without further jabbering on my part, heeeeeEEEEEEERE’s Lenny!
Welcome to the blog, Lenny. I have the advantage of knowing you. For those who haven’t met you, can you give a short biography?
Thanks for the warm welcome, Denise, and for allowing me to invade your part of the cyber universe. Where to begin? I grew up in a small mid-western town in Indiana, so I really am a misplaced Hoosier living in the Southeast. My wife, Connie, and I have been happily married for 30 years and on a good day, our cat, Ty, allows us to share a little of his living space. I’m a lover of all things fantasy. I especially like to collect wizards, dragons, and knights. If I had my way, I’d rather fly a Pegasus than drive a car. Anyone who might have followed some of my blogs or tweets on Twitter knows that my four favorite food groups are: popcorn, beef jerky, Skittles, and Diet Dr. Pepper (not necessarily in that order).
You know me—cut to the chase. J So let’s dive right in. When and why did you begin writing?
During my sophomore year in high school, I took an English composition/creative writing class. The class required that we write short creative stories. I enjoyed writing the stories so much I knew this was something I wanted to pursue, but as life would have it, I wouldn’t get the opportunity to fulfill my dream until many years later. I’ve been writing seriously now for over five years. I still have fond memories of that creative writing class. My first story was called: Love is a Many Splintered Thing. It was about a young man who fell in love with a chair, so they got married and had a velvet recliner. But the marriage fell apart and the chair eventually committed suicide by throwing herself into a fireplace, thus the name for the title. (I wasn’t your average writer!)
When did you first consider yourself a writer?
After I wrote my first full-length manuscript, I gave it to my wife to read. After she read the last word on the last page she looked at me and smiled. That’s when I knew I was a writer. That’s what writing is all about for me—entertaining readers.
Clearly you’re a fan of fantasy. What authors and/or books have most influenced you?
I had a feeling you were going to ask me that. *grin* I’ve read over a thousand fantasy books from about every famous author in the genre. But without a doubt, I’d have to say Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings series was my first and favorite. I’m also a big fan of Terry Goodkind, Raymond Feist, and David Eddings. And there will always be a special place in my heart for Stephen Donaldson’s Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever.
How did you come up with the names for both the book and the trilogy?
I think it was a logical progression of starting with an idea, and as that idea developed and expanded, the names just sort of evolved. When I came up with the idea of having a young female heroine, initially I thought it would be a standalone story. Over time, I kept thinking of more plots and subplots that I wanted to include, until finally, I knew the story had expanded far beyond what could be incorporated into a single volume. That’s when I got the idea of making it a trilogy. Originally, the story was going to be called “The Good Spirits,” but since the story centers around Indigo, the young heroine, and her struggle to fulfill her destiny, the name was changed to “Maiden of Destiny.” Since Indigo’s destiny is intertwined with the Gods, the series became: The Forgotten Gods Trilogy.
If you had it to do all over again, would you change anything in your latest book?
If you had asked me that question a year ago I might have said, “Do you want the list in alphabetical order?” However, at this point I’ve re-written and edited the story so much that I’m pleased with where it ended up.
Is there anything you find particularly challenging about writing?
Two things actually: finding the time to write and writing well. Having a full-time day job and the constant balance between writing and family time sometimes makes it rough to write as much as I’d like. As far as writing well, let’s just say there is so much more to writing than simply typing out words. Writing is a skill just like any other. The more you perform that skill, the better you become. Michael Phelps didn’t dive into a swimming pool his first time and set world records, just like Lance Armstrong didn’t take off his training wheels and win the Tour de France. Writing is the same. Plot, character development, proper grammar, POV, world creation, supporting characters, subplots, and remembering there are five senses that all need to be interwoven to make a rich, believable, and enjoyable story is difficult. The more one does it, the easier it becomes. But I don’t think any true writer will ever say they’ve completely mastered the art. There is always something new to be learned and each story brings a new set of challenges. (I think I just heard my tenth grade English composition teacher sigh in satisfaction.)
Given the previous question, what was the hardest part of writing Maiden of Destiny?
Re-writing as the plot changed. I’d be halfway through the story when a new idea would hit me so I’d have to go back and change things to make the new idea fit. I consider myself a plantser—meaning I’m halfway between a plotter and a pantser. I usually have a good idea where I want to end up; I just don’t always know how I’m going to get there. I guess that’s part of the fun, letting the story guide you where it wants to go and I get to go along for the ride.
Do you have any advice for new writers?
Practice and patience. As I mentioned before, the more you write the better you’ll get. Personally, I think I’ve come a long way from where I started, but I know I have a much longer way to go. And patience? Writing is one of those “hurry up and wait” endeavors. You write as fast as you can, edit (oh yeah, you’ll learn to hate the word edit) and then wait for feedback from your critique partners. Eventually, you’ll send out agent queries and wait forever for an answer (at least it feels like forever), and if you’re lucky/skilled enough to get one, you’ll wait for contracts, and more edits, and book covers and release dates and…you get the idea. That brings up another word of advice; join a writers group and/or get some good critique partners. Don’t rely on friends and family, they’ll tell you everything is great and wonderful all the while thinking: don’t give up your day job. That’s what friends and family are for. They love and support us when the world feels like it wants to swallow us whole and spit us out in small neurotic blobs of ink. I’m fortunate to have one the best critique partners a writer could ask for…she’s hosting this interview (Okay, I broke my own rule, but…we were critique partners before we became good friends. Does that still count?).
Tell everyone about your new novel.
My debut novel is called Maiden of Destiny, Volume I of The Forgotten Gods Trilogy—a YA epic fantasy adventure story filled with magic, monsters, mayhem and a little romance. The story centers on Indigo Frost, a young peasant girl, who must rise above her station and champion the gods and mankind against a dark sorcerer determined on annihilating the world of man with the help of a Demon Lord and his powerful army of monsters. Prophesized as the Chosen One, Indigo must learn to harness the power within her as she struggles to overcome personal tragedy and the threat of death at every turn. Can she do it? You’ll have to read the book to find out.
In celebration of Maiden’s release, I’m having a contest on my website. The contest runs from 1:00 am EST Friday July 29, 2011 through Sunday July 31, 2011 at 6:00 pm EST. To enter, all you have to do is leave a comment on my celebration blog post on my website (www.lennyfultz.com). Or you can simply click my link under blogs Denise follows on the left there. The Grand Prize is a Kindle e-reader. The other prizes are described in the celebration blog. No purchase is necessary to enter, but I hope you’ll take the time to look under my BOOKS tab for a more detailed description of the story and give it a try. If you’re a fan of epic fantasy, I think you’ll find the story entertaining and enjoyable.
I think that about wraps it up for me. I want to thank Denise for hosting this interview, and I look forward to hearing from each of you. Good luck in the contest, and for those of you who read my story, you have my sincerest thanks, and I hope it brings you many hours of enjoyment and exciting reading. If you like what you read, please tell a friend and all positive reviews are appreciated. Until next time, thanks for believing!
:Bye:
Magic 8 Ball Friday: Finding Faith
Published July 29, 2011 | Dear Magic 8 Ball: Are there any good people left on Earth?
I’ve been praying for one of these :Angel: for the last few days. It’s not worth going into all of the details, but I will say this. If bad things come in threes, I’ve had a double dose in the last ten days. It’s been frustrating beyond belief. Computer crashes, medical problems and more left me on my proverbial knees. I would have been there literally if I would have been able to get out of the floor without help, but that’s yet another story.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m not a whiner. I’m pretty tough. But even Optimus Prime (yes, I just watched Transformers 2) took a near-lethal hit that knocked him down, proving that even the righteous get smacked. Seeing as I’m far from righteous, it was inevitable. It was while I was down that an unanticipated hand reached my way. I know this person, we’ll call her Sam (for the hero in the movie). It’s not like she was a stranger. We’re friends, but we’ve never met. We chat on instant messenger, and we live on opposite coasts. It was on IM one day that she heard me break over into a fit of momentary insanity and…this is embarrassing…whine. I gave in to the urge and let loose with a slew of “poor me” that would rival the best and the worst ever heard. As soon as I hit “send,” I wanted to take it back. Sam was understanding, though. She said that evil crap befell everyone at one time or another and she encouraged me to keep my chin up. At the time it felt like that was just providing the opposition with a place to plant their next solid punch. I promised I wouldn’t let it get me down and we said our goodbyes.
A couple of days passed. I spent time on my newest project and received an email notification. I opened my inbox to find that my guardian angel had come to visit in a very familiar form: Sam. She had come to me with an offer she wouldn’t let me turn down. She helped me with a project I was working on and in return? She didn’t want anything. Now, I don’t know about you, but it’s rare for someone to offer to help me without asking for something in return. I know she must have seen my skepticism in my words, but she never let on. She was gracious beyond the telling of it. And I? I was humbled, thankful and so immensely grateful that someone like this had landed in my life.
So Sam, if you’re reading this, know that you’ve restored in me the faith that there are good people in the world. I believe again that there are people who do kind things without any expectation of reward or returned good deeds. Yes, bad things came in threes, but one good deed trumped them all.
With my most humble thanks,
Denise
The Value of Branding Yourself as an Author
Published July 27, 2011 | 
Let me start by saying this is the final draft of the logo for my first series, The Niteclif Evolutions. It accomplishes the three things I needed it to do:
1. Be Distinctive
2. Be Relative
3. Be Memorable
Why would an author need a brand? The answer is secured not only in the three points above, but also in the undeniable fact that authors must do something to stand out from the competition. The first and foremost thing they can do is write a memorable novel, one that has readers talking and looking for more. I’m operating on the assumption you’ve either done that or are going to do that.
The second thing an author must do is create a personal brand. This brand should be related to the author’s primary genre and should reflect a little bit about the storyline. I hired LogoNerds to create my logo for me. They are highly competitive in both pricing and quality. Another option is to hire a graphic designer. Independent graphic designers are amazing resources for authors and should be recognized as such. For example, my website was designed by Tuesday Dube, owner of Purple Ink Graphics & Design. Tuesday created a wickedly unique web page for me that reflects well the feel of The Niteclif Evolutions.
You can see how my logo and website cover my need to be distinctive and relative. But what about memorable? All of the designs I’ve incorporated follow similar color schemes: blues, greys, whites and black. In particular, the color blue has been proven to be a favorite color of women between the ages of 25 and 55. Is it ironic that this is my targeted reader group? No. Irony has nothing to do with it. I wanted to convey darker stories with elements of clear passion. The combined graphics and color scheme do this.
What about the logo? Again, a repeat of color choice and a reinforcement of my name first (because I’ll have other books) as well as the series title (because that’s what I’m selling right now). There are design elements that also reinforce my name. Do you see the “D” in the sword scrollwork? It’s the first thing the eye comes to, even if you don’t initially recognize it. Small details have the potential to pack a marketing punch. Neglect them at your own risk.
I believe my logo, website and marketing materials all reflect a distinctive flavor, one that the story will only reinforce. Does it all equal memorable? I hope so.
Leave a comment and let me know what your best marketing tactic has been so far. How have you reached out to your readers to ensure they remember your name in the ever-increasing world of published authors?
Merci, Gracias, Danke, Thank You
Published July 26, 2011 | 
This post won’t be educational in any standard way. I won’t be discussing traditional or nontraditional aspects of writing, publishing, editing or anything else. Nope. Today is for saying “Thank you” to the people in my immediate and extended circles. There will be people I miss, people who have contributed wildly that may not be in this blog post. Please don’t be offended. This post covers the last week only, so there are undoubtedly people who have influenced me that I’ll neglect to mention. There’s always next time. 
Amanda Alvarez: Author, critique partner, friend. She’s put in some long hours helping me edit Raising Cain and I owe her a debt that goes beyond traditional wine and chocolate. She’s an amazing author in her own right, too, so take a few minutes to check out her first novel, Hunting Human, with Carina Press.
Lenny Fultz: Author, critique partner, friend. Lenny has been there every time I’ve shot off an email. Every. Time. He’s crazy supportive, wildly encouraging and steadfast when things get shaky. His debut, Maiden of Destiny, comes out this week (digitally) on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
Tibby Armstrong: Author, critique partner, friend. Tibby pushes me to justify the story, filling in holes and rounding out characters like it’s second nature. She’s never more than a phone call away. Her second novel, No Apologies, is available through Loose Id.
Janna B.: One of my very best friends who just happens to be a premier critique partner and beta reader. Dually skilled, funny, supportive and just Janna. I wouldn’t be writing if it wasn’t for her. I owe her my career. No joke. How does one ever hope to repay that? I have an idea. We’ll see if she likes it. 
Larissa Ione: Her encouragement has pushed me to be the very best I can be. The woman is a Force of Nature. I want to be her when I grow up. That she has taken the time to bolster my confidence, particularly related to my submission to her editor (hi, Amy!), made me cry. I will always strive to be as cool as she is. You can find any of Larissa’s books, including her co-written series as Stephanie Tyler, at any book retailer as well as online.
Gina Lamm: Author, Twitter pal. Gina makes me smile. She’s unconditionally supportive and I appreciate her so much. Is it odd to include a person I don’t know well? Maybe. But I feel like I know her. She’s funny, and that’s a major must when I chat with people. I firmly believe one can never have enough smiles in their life. Gina has a new short story being published in a Decadent anthology. I’ll ask her to leave a comment and update everyone on its release.
Jay Tompkins: I’m eternally grateful for the support I get at home. He’s like a personal cheerleader without outfit (which is cool because the dude’s got some seriously white legs). Teasing aside, this man is my foundation, my rock, my buoy and my guide. He helps with aspects of my writing that often drift by without thanks. So honey? Thank you, thank you, thank you.
This list is FAR from all-inclusive, but it’s a start. A person never knows how much time s/he has, and if something were to happen to me today or tomorrow or ten years from now, I want this note of thanks to exist. I want these people to know they made a difference in someone’s life. And I want them to know they were recognized and appreciated.
Who would you thank?
First Pages, First Chapters and the…Rules?
Published July 21, 2011 | 
There are some things in life where a do-over would be nice. For Pete (left), seeing the inside of his cozy shell would be much appreciated. But if you harbor any illusions that an egg can be put back together again, you should check in with Humpty Dumpty.
Stretching for similarity, I’d be willing to bet that if you asked an editor or agent whether or not an author ever gets a second chance to make a first impression, the resounding answer would be, “No. Security!” There are a slew of submission guidelines and suggested formatting templates writers are encouraged to use, but what it boils down to is this: it’s all part and parcel of making a solid first impression.
If you’ve followed my blog for any length of time, you know I’m not a fan of hard and fast writing rules. Rather, I believe there are suggestions — some more flexible than others — that writers ignore at their own peril. This first suggestion, though, is close to a rule for me.
The most important page in a manuscript is the first page.
From the very first word to the last word of the last sentence, your first page should establish for your reader that you are the story’s authority and, as such, you’ll be taking very good care of him/her. You should immediately establish suspension of disbelief. You should present at least one hard, fast, irrefutable fact. Avoid vague statements, meaningless innuendo for which the reader has no basis to assign value. And avoid the use of cliches. It’s almost guaranteed that if you use cliches in the first five pages, your query or your synopsis, they’ll be used in the rest of the manuscript. Cliches translate to an easy pass for agents and editors. Let’s not make this so easy on them, okay? Continue reading
Posted in Agents, Critiques, Editing, Editors, Miscellaneous, Publishers, Random Ramblings, Writing | 
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4 CommentsSynopses, Kryptonite and Necessary Evils
Published July 19, 2011 | 
I have to write a synopsis.This is like putting Superman in a room full of kryptonite. Remember what would happen? He’d end up weak and nearly dead, dragging his tights-clad body around icy chambers of certain death only to escape at the last minute. It’s not much different for me (except for the fact no one wants to see me in tights).
Part of my problem in writing a synopsis is that I tend to find a thousand other, more pressing things to do. I feed my fish, reconcile my checkbook, squeeze the toothpaste so all the toothpaste is pushed to the front of the tube…you know, stuff like that. *sigh* I know. It’s just that I hate writing synopses. I’m always terrified I’m going to leave something out and it will ruin the story arc, make the character’s appear underdeveloped, or portray tension so flimsy it could be cut with a spork. But my current project requires that I write a detailed synopsis (detailed = approx. 5 pages), so into the breach go I.
The kicker is that I can write synopses. I’m definitely not the best at it, but I’m working on getting better. And while I imagine I’ll go to my grave disliking the process, I’ve developed a few tricks that you might be able to use in your own attempts to write the effective synopsis.
1. The Writer’s Journey This may be the single most effective tool I can suggest. Written by Christopher Vogler, this (kind of behemoth) book is full to overflowing with some of the best instructional advice a writer can ever lay her hands on. If you never buy another book on writing, make sure you get this one and read it. Make notes. Tag important pages. By following The Hero’s Journey (it’s a vicious-long section), I’ve been assured you can write an incredibly effective synopsis. I’m working on that myself for my latest novel, Raising Cain. (I’ll update you on the outcome next week.)
2. Create Your Tag Line and Elevator Pitch FIRST Again, this may seem like banal advice, but you’d be surprised by how difficult it is for a writer to sum up their story in a few lines. I’ll write my next post on developing your tag line and turning it into an elevator pitch. But by condensing your story to its most basic form, you can discover the core of what it is your synopsis should convey.
3. Read Jacket Copy This is the fastest way to learn how to effectively tell a story in 250 words or less. Read the cover of your favorite books, read the jacket flaps, read the inside blurbs of paperbacks, read blurbs on the web. Whatever you do, read. Get the feel for how a story is conveyed in short, concise language. This will help with the synopsis as well as the query letter (if you need one).
4. Re-read Your Story This is my fail-proof method. Grab some blank notecards and begin re-reading your story. At the end of every chapter, in chronological order, write three to four sentences that tell what the chapter was about: one for the hero, one for the heroine, one for the conflict, one for the resolution (if applicable). Keep these labeled by chapter and, when you’re done, transfer the notecards to the computer. (Scrivener and The Write Way are awesome tools for this.) There’s the outline of your synopsis. But you have to be disciplined in keeping your sentences short and to the point.
Writing a synopsis doesn’t have to be painful, and it’s not something I’ll ever enjoy. But in the world of writing and publishing, the synopsis is a necessary evil. For all the joy writing brings me, I suppose I can find a way to defeat this personal kryptonite and come out a winner. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got a synopsis to write.
What is it About a Writer’s Voice?
Published July 17, 2011 | 
We hear it again and again from agents, editors, other writers and readers. They want a strong, unique, clear, powerful, definitive, uncomplicated, articulate voice. Say whaaaaa? No kidding. You hear all these things that people want and it becomes intimidating to sit in front of the computer and try to pound out even a paragraph. Every word becomes suspect. Is it strong enough? Is it trite? Is it going to convey the strength of the character? Is there a better word?
Truly, it sounds ridiculous, but writers fret over these very questions and more. Okay, good writers fret. The others just…don’t. Regardless, that’s another post.
So what is voice? A writer’s voice is made up of many components. These include but are not limited to characterization, dialogue, syntax, punctuation, tone, vocabulary and more. All of these things go into the mix when considering how strong or complete a writer’s voice is. A great way to understand voice is to practice a simple exercise. Pick a topic, any topic–i.e. greatest vehicle on the road and why–and give it to five different people. They can be all male, all female or a general mix. They can be writers or non-writers. The point here is that if you give five different people the same writing assignment, the results will be five distinctly different responses with unique voice portrayed by the writing.
Agents and editors look for unique voice when considering whether or not to pick up a writer or offer a publishing contract. I’ve spoken to several editors who all asserted that a clear, unique voice was enough to encourage them to consider a manuscript that might require more editing than a cleaner manuscript with a less pronounced voice.
Can voice be taught? I believe it can, to a point. There are creative writing courses offered at post-secondary schools as well as through community classes. Books (and accompanying workbooks) are available to help a writer develop their style and, ultimately, their voice. And writers’ groups exist to help and encourage writers to look at a variety of different approaches to developing their voice by both reading other writers works and having their own critiqued. Little works as well for me as having someone point out in my own work-in-progress the pieces that work well and compare them to the pieces that don’t. So yes, I believe voice can be taught.
There are, of course, people who are innately talented and gifted with a natural voice that transfers itself to paper. We’ve all read authors whom we admire and wish heartily to emulate (I have a select few). But the key here is that voice is unique. Agents and editors want to discover someone who has something that hasn’t been heard or seen before. Don’t fret if your voice is exactly like Diana Gabaldon’s. Instead, focus on the strengths and build on them while working to either develop or discard the weaker points. Experiment with different styles until you find the one that best represents the genre you want to write in and the type of writer (and person) you are. There are no failures in experimentation, on opportunities.
Find a writer you absolutely love and decide what it is about that writer’s voice that draws you in and makes you want to read. Dissect the components of voice in that novel by Googling “writer’s voice” and then applying each component to that one novel, the one that you always have in the back of your mind as The One you’d write like if you could. Then try. Pick a topic and write, keeping the aspects of voice in the front of your mind. I’d love to hear how the exercise works for you!
The Funniest Thing Happened on Twitter Today…
Published July 13, 2011 | 
I was on Twitter when a writer acquaintance asked for recommendations for a new author. I quickly chimed into the responses and suggested a writer whom I immensely respect, Denise Rossetti. The Twitter friend thanked me for the rec and I went on about my business. Thankfully I thought to check my @ mentions before I went to bed because, well, Australia’s twelve or so hours ahead of my time zone.
Denise Rossetti must have either searched for her book mentions, her name mentions or had someone re-tweet my recommendation to her. I don’t know how it happened, but I was absolutely thrilled to no end when I saw she’d replied to me, thanking me for suggesting her book. I didn’t know what to do, or say, for a few minutes…so I muppet flailed around and got all worked up before trying to compose an intelligent, 140 character response. I think I managed.
Why would this author’s response thrill me so much? It’s a relatively simple answer, really. She’s someone I respect, she’s clearly talented, and she’s accomplished something I want to accomplish. These things put her on my list of admired writers, so it’s natural I’d be excited to hear from her. But even better is that she initiated the contact. She found out I’d tweeted (however she did that) and recommended her, and she reached out to thank me. This is what sent me over the edge.
As an author, debut or not, I’ve always planned on being accessible to readers, answering tweets and emails, and holding fun chats and just being around. But never has the value of that decision hit home like it did when Denise Rossetti sought me out. Maybe it had to do with the fact she’s in New Zealand on a surprise birthday trip with her husband. Maybe it’s because she stuck that post in there amid all the coolness of her trip. Maybe…who knows. I just know that it’s critical to me to uphold the same type of commitment to my readers as she does to hers. And maybe, just maybe, one day I’ll find my way to success just as she has.
Should you find this, Denise, please accept my eternal thanks for setting such a high bar of humanity for those of us coming up through the ranks.
Never (Usually) Start Your Novel with…
Published July 13, 2011 | 
(Quick note: This is a Bordeaux mastiff. I have a Bullmastiff. I can verify they sleep like this.
The dog is not dead. I repeat: the dog is not dead.)
If you’ve followed this blog for any length of time, you know I’m not a fan of rules, particularly when it comes to writing. There are a thousand artistic arguments I could make, but they’d be a crock. What it really comes down to is the fact that I’m not a big believer in someone saying you can’t do something. If these rules were actually suggestions, I’d be much more amenable.
The point, though, is that there are a few moderately hard, genuinely fast rules regarding writing. Former agent extraordinaire turned civilian author, Nathan Bransford, blogged about these rules on June 23, 2011. You can click here to read the blog post. He posits there are five openings to avoid when starting your novel. The very first one? A character waking up.
Why is this significant? Because I just finished writing a novel five weeks ago where the opening scene had the heroine waking up and having an inner monologue about her life. B-o-r-i-n-g. Yes, the dialogue was witty and very revealing regarding the character’s psyche, but geez! It’s been done to death, and unless it’s a truly remarkable opening, it leaves quite a bit to be desired. One of my brilliant critique partners, Amanda Alvarez (website), pointed out to me that the story would be stronger if it started ten or twelve pages later when some action was occurring. She encouraged me to give the character purpose, showing her in her own environment.
I balked. Not hard, but persistently. I fought her suggestions, trying to figure out how to keep the original opening and still incorporate her suggestions. I fought with this off and on for a couple of weeks before I threw my hands in the air and yelled at the computer. I just wanted it fixed, and I knew that if I was fighting it that hard, it wasn’t right. So I scrapped the chapter and started over. Clean screen, new document, new expectation. It happened so quickly I didn’t realize until it was over what had happened. I’d been sucked into my heroine’s world and had written a powerful opening that shows the character’s dilemma better than the original opening every could have hoped to do. Emailing it to Amanda was an act of faith and patience, but her response is one I’ll always remember. “You knocked it out of the park.” It didn’t say anything else, and I didn’t need it to. I knew what she meant, and I had the affirmation I needed.
So why was this such a bad idea, this original opening? In most cases, there is very little that is active about the act of waking up. You roll over, hit the alarm clock and start your day. My character did just this, her internal monologue running and painting a very thorough picture of who she is. But it was passive, not active. Nothing grabbed the reader and pulled them in. The new opening thrusts the reader right into the middle of a building tension that results in a climactic action scene before page five. There’s nothing passive about it.
This isn’t to say that opening with your character waking up can’t or shouldn’t be done. It’s that you risk using a cliché if you aren’t incredibly diligent in painting your opening as somehow unique, with some viable reason your character should open the entire story in bed. Is your story strong enough early on to run the risk? What if an agent or editor only asks for five pages? What if s/he asks for fifty but doesn’t get past page three because of the opening? Are you willing to risk it?
I wasn’t. And with the new opening, I knew Amanda had been right. She doesn’t require a formal apology (she’s not that type of lady), but I’m offering one anyway. Amanda? You were as right as right could be. Thank you for gently encouraging me to kill the opening that didn’t serve my story well. It was the best death of a little darling I’ve ever seen.
This is Your Brain on Revisions
Published July 12, 2011 | 
Strange things happen to writers when we begin to edit. Ear worms make certain songs from our manuscript playlists stick in our mind. Red underwear migrates into the load of whites without our notice. We pick up sour cream instead of vanilla yogurt (and die a small death from shock). Sentences are repeated over and over, out loud, and with different enunciation as we try desperately to find the right word to make the sentence pop. Above all, we forget how to write.
It’s true. Editing takes an entirely different set of brain cells than writing and, once empowered, they tend to take over as the dominant synapses sequence in the brain. All else falls to the wayside because the editing must be done. It’s frustrating and invigorating, debilitating and empowering. No, it doesn’t make sense when I write it. It makes even less sense when I live it.
The editing I’ve done on Raising Cain over the last couple of weeks has been the most intensive editing I’ve ever attempted. Because I tend to edit as I go, there wasn’t as much to do as I feared there might be, but still — chapter one was a doozy! I started the story in the wrong spot and it took the gentle but persistent prodding of a critique partner (CP) to point it out. It took a significant rewrite to make the first chapter work, and I had to cut things I absolutely loved. Stephen King’s statement that you “have to kill your darlings” has never been more real to me (taken from Stephen King’s novel, On Writing).
I learned a couple of hard truths, found a fabulous new CP who recommended an awesome new writers’ software package, and the project came together so well I want to share it with anyone and everyone who has time to read 49 pages of rockin’ urban fantasy.
Here’s the flip-side of that: my sleep schedule is screwed up (evidenced by the fact I’m writing this blog at 12:42 in the morning). I’m overly protective of words that will be put out for general consumption; not everyone likes everything, so their will be detractors. I’ve written the worst synopsis in the history of all synopses, and it doesn’t seem to be getting better. I’ve blown Query Shark’s rules out of the water and my query is so heavy (long) it’s taking on water at an alarming rate…sinking…sinking… But worst of all? I’ve started reading The Writer’s Joureny now, after writing the story. Join me in the chorus of, “She’s a Dumbass!” Just hum along if you don’t know the words.
The point of this post is to reinforce the fact that it’s apparently acceptable to walk the tightrope between sanity and insanity when you’re revising. You have to keep your creativity in check, temper your love of your own voice, reign in the word count, keep your storytelling tight and controlled, and not burn supper while singing “Iris” by The Goo Goo Dolls. In all of this, the one thing I failed to do was to take care of myself. What good is a brilliant manuscript (please, CPs, tell me it’s as strong as I think it is) if you’re too exhausted to appreciate it? Feel free to let a few things slide, particularly dinner–when you abandon it to jot down the perfect sentence that turns into the perfect paragraph which evolves into the perfect page. But don’t forget to schedule some down time for your brain to rest and your creative well to recharge. Thankfully, doing laundry doesn’t count. What I mean is schedule some quiet time to read, nap, watch a movie–whatever it is that helps you charge the creative battery that gives you the energy which makes tackling revisions possible.
It’s late. I’m exhausted. The fact that I’m on the verge of making no sense is clear to me. I have about thirty more seconds before I begin to babble nonsensically. If you take one thing from this post, let this be it: rest. Schedule it if you have to, but find time to close your eyes and recharge. I’m off to do that now. G’night.
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