A Map for That

Well, I made it. I've finished William Bernhardt's Level III Writing Seminar and I'm still alive. If only just.

In Level I, we covered the beginning third of our books and focused on structure. In Level II, we worked on the middle section and focused on plot and character arcs. In Level III, we finished the book.

I do feel reinvigorated about my ending. Until now, no one except my mother (and spectacular editor) had read it, and like I talked about in my previous post, I was a bit nervous about how it would be received. But on the last day of the seminar, as per tradition, Bill took us all out to lunch. There was something so final about sitting around a table eating fish and chips. Something melancholic. It was done. We'd made it.

Now what?

I've got a couple of scenes to write (or add to) in the middle of my book, but that's pretty much it. After I get those done, I'll be sending my manuscript off to agents and my beta readers. This book I started a year ago has come full circle and is ready to be sent out into the world.

I would like to say that my experience writing my first novel has been made infinitely easier thanks to Bill's seminars. When I first attended his Level I, I only had thirty or forty pages written. Because I had so little on paper and the Level I lectures focused mainly on structure and outlining, I was able to fix any major structure/plot issues before they happened. I also don't have much in the way of excess scenes. Neither I nor my editor (or readers) have run into any scenes that need to be deleted. In fact, I've got to add a couple in. My very thorough outline has given me an easy map to follow.

And now I've reached my destination. I've got a finished product and I'm preparing to send it out into the world.

I wish I had a map for that.

Violence in Young Adult Fiction

Hey, guys! I'm in the middle of William Bernhardt's Level III Small Group Writing Seminar and it's crazy intense. It's also the first time anyone aside from my editor has seen the more violent scenes in my book, and it has been interesting to say the least.

Whenever anyone talks about violence in the YA genre, most people immediately think of The Hunger Games. After all, what could be more violent than putting 24 teenagers into an arena and telling them to slaughter each other? But in many ways, The Hunger Games does a good job (at least in the first book) of having most of the violence be off-camera.

In my book, it isn't. It's up close and personal. It's intimate. And, yes, it is pretty graphic. The violent scenes weren't easy to write and they shouldn't be easy to read. I'm not condoning torture; I'm condemning it. I want my torture scenes to be harsh and realistic. Torture shouldn't be candy-coated.

My very wise teacher started a discussion about this in our class today. Is my book too violent for YA?

Overall, the answer was no. Yes, it's horribly violent. Yes, it's traumatic. But no, that shouldn't stop it from being considered YA.

Some people may not be able to handle the violence, and that's okay. I definitely don't think anyone younger than High School age should read it. But I'm not going to change it. It's part of the book. A very dark, terrifying part, but integral nonetheless. And I know people are going to tell me to change it, but part of being an author is standing behind your work.

What are your thoughts on violence in the Young Adult genre?

100 Writers: Inspired by Revision

Introducing Alexis Lantgen

One of the things that you discover when you're writing your first novel is that the internet is full of advice. Write quickly, they say. Self-Publish! No, find an agent! Be yourself! But write something marketable! Books are dead! All your stories should contain at least one vampire! Don't write about vampires unless you want to make an agent gag!

There are tons of lists everywhere you look on twitter and blogs. Top ten mistakes most authors make. Top ten things you should do to promote your work. Top ten reasons why your book isn't selling. Ten top ways to get a billion twitter followers. Blah.

This advice starts to get tedious, especially when you realize that it's all A) completely contradictory B) not your style and C) boring. I suspect that anyone who has a fascinating story buried inside them somewhere can't stand reading these goddamn lists after a while, much less writing one. So despite the mountain of advice out there for new writers, actually getting your book on paper for the first time feels like forging an entirely new path.

This probably shouldn't surprise anyone who knows about what actual writers are like. Ernest Hemingway probably never wrote anything until he'd had at least three glasses of scotch, while Jane Austin wrote on her dining room table. Douglas Adams wrote while listening obsessively to music like the Beatles. In other words, no one does it the same way, and what works for one writer may not for another (although I'd be curious to see what Jane Austin would write after three glasses of scotch). Maybe you write best early in the morning, and maybe there are no workable thoughts in your mind before noon. Maybe you work differently on some days then you do on others. Whatever feels like the right way to work, that is the right way to work.

So writing my first novel has ultimately been about discovering how I work best. Some of my discoveries so far? I can't NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month). I tried, I really did, but I...must...revise. I can't just write and write without fixing things. In fact, I get hopelessly stuck when I try it. On the other hand, revising my previous chapters inspires me to write more. Why? It helps me to remember some of the fine details I've included in my story thus far, and I can rewrite characters or scenes to give my later chapters more impact. Most important, it helps me keep my entire story in mind, so that every scene feels like a part of the whole. I understand that for some people, NaNo helps them get out their first draft, but it doesn't suit everyone, so don't feel bad if you're a NaNo dropout like me. It doesn't mean you can't still finish your novel.

So revision helps me find my inspiration. If that works for you, great. If not, try something else. No matter what anyone on the internet or elsewhere tells you, it only takes one thing to become a writer, and that's actually writing things. Find your story, and you find your core. That’s what’s worked for me--I love my story. I want to finish it, whether it’s published or not, or critically praised or not, or even if no one reads it but me. If you’re not in love with the story you’re writing, then write something else and keep writing until you find a story you love. Because chances are, if you love it, someone else will too.

Alexis Lantgen
Alexis Lantgen is a musician and writer who holds a master’s degree in music performance from Florida International University, as well as a Bachelor of Music in viola performance and a Bachelor of Arts in Letters (Magna cum Laude) from the University of Oklahoma. She performs on violin and viola in orchestras including the Wichita Falls Symphony and the San Angelo Symphony. She currently teaches private violin and viola lessons, and in the past taught eighth grade English and ESL in Dallas public schools. Her first novel is a YA Urban Fantasy about a young African American boy with special powers who must save his sister from an evil voodoo sorcerer and his demonic feathered serpent. She hopes to finish editing and revising her manuscript by this summer.

For more from Alexis, you can follow her blog or catch her on Twitter

If you are interested in participating in the 100 Writers Project, comment below or contact Grace Wagner on her Facebook page or Twitter.

100 Writers: The Black Hole After the Great American Novel

For our first installment of the 100 Writers Project, more information on the project here, I'd like to introduce Trisha Schmidt.

So I finished it. I did it. I finished my first ever novel. Now what? I’ve finished the second draft edits of my novel, but I need to set it aside in between edits to clear my head and come back with fresh eyes.  So the question is: what do I do now? I have other ideas. Quite a few of them, actually, but none seem to want to slide into place and get off the ground. Writing this first one was too easy. I sat down during Camp Nano last August and the words flowed. They really flowed. When I had struggled to get 2000 words on most days with other projects, I was kicking out 3k-4k words on most days during that month. Sixty-five thousand words in a little over 30 days. A complete rough draft.  And now? Now I stare at the screen.

What’s different now? What changed? I think the greatness of having that first one finished, for starters. That constant flow of words that happened almost every time I sat down to write was amazing and freeing. I would worry for a few minutes and then, when I started to type, it flew by. I would realize I had my 3 or 4 thousand and knew it was a good day. I’m not sure if I’m psyching myself out because those words flowed so easy. I also second guess my ideas. They’re boring or have been done before. I strive to be original and have stories that are different. There are only so many stories to tell out there before they have similarities. I just need to convince that part of my brain to let go and just write.

How does one let go of that first novel? I can’t 100% let go because it isn’t finished in the sense that it still needs a lot of editing, but I need to move forward with my writing. I have successfully written blog posts along the way. I’ve done plenty of rewriting with at least 10k words added to the first novel. I have written, just not a new story.

At this point in my writing career, I am still learning every day. I hope that I will always learn, but, being a newer novelist, I have learned so much in the last year. I’ve learned that I’m capable of finishing a novel. I’ve learned that editing is as awful as I first thought it was, but that it is also thrilling to see the first draft mutate to something else, something more. I’ve learned that publishing a book is even harder than I thought and that getting an agent requires more writing still.

All these things have more than likely added to my case of writer’s block. I keep learning and the more I know, the more I can overthink. I can really psych myself out now. What if I picked the wrong POV and that turns all the agents off? What if I don’t get the YA voice correct leaving teenagers not wanting to read it let alone anyone else? Now I really get what they mean when they say writing is hard. It’s hard to have faith that you wrote something fresh and new. That what you’ve written is the next big thing. And when you doubt the first, how can you move on to the second or third?

Thank goodness for the shower and its magical power of persuasion. I am working through my block. I realized that a great story is great no matter what POV you choose. Yes, I realized this in the shower. I’ve also come up with bits and pieces of the story I hope to turn into a novel in the shower.

Then there’s Nano. Camp Nanowrimo is again upon us and they have changed the rules. You can change your writing goals. For those who don’t know of Nanowrimo, www.nanowrimo.org. It is a crazy writing challenge where people sign up to write 50k (or whatever you choose for this lesser offshoot called Camp) and join other writers to accomplish this goal. The main challenge is to get you in the habit of writing consistently for 30 days and also to help people finish a project they start. Many don’t finish their story but hit the word goal and writing daily is a great start to finishing a project.

I am surrounded by plenty of writing friends who are also participating in Camp which helps me to move forward. Nothing like a little competitive spirit to get things moving. Nano believes in  getting the words on the page. No inner editor allowed here. Just write. I can work out the problems when I edit since all writing is really rewriting anyways, right? Who knows if I will finish my next novel during Camp or if I will abandon it to come back another day, but at least it is a goal and having a goal is the first step.

I know that I will get my mojo back eventually whether it is now or 5 months from now. I just have to relax and have a little faith that I can tell a story no one else can tell. I certainly like to believe my ideas are different. Regardless if they are different or not, I need to find the fun again, and maybe throw my characters into a bad situation or two. Who knows what will happen?

Trisha Schmidt

I'm a writer who is plugging away at my first novel and stumbling through the whole process as I do! Draft one is done and I am learning editing as I go with the drafts 2 and 3 and who knows what number I'll stop at! With a great love of movies, I also write screenplays. 

I can be random (as are my posts!) and my filter seems to be broken so I say what is on my mind. Exclamation points are one of my first loves!!!! Feel free to love them with me!

Becoming a published author is my goal so strap yourself in, it's gonna be a bumpy, crazy ride!

For more from Trisha Schmidt check out her blog seeredwrite or follow her on twitter @seeredwrite.

100 Writers Project

My last blog entry sparked an idea. The "100 Writers" Project. A project centered on documenting the experiences of first-time novelists. Writing can be such an isolating activity that it's terribly easy to forget that you are not alone. Every author started somewhere and they probably started with just as much doubt and uncertainty as you and I.

So here's the idea. I'm going to have a series of guest bloggers, all first-time novelists, talk about their experiences writing their first book. I plan on having at least one entry per week and anyone who is interested in participating can contact me here on my blog, Facebook, or on Twitter.

We want everyone who is interested to participate! If you are not comfortable talking about your experiences publicly, we can make it anonymous. All writers are welcome. The only requirement is that you have either completed your first draft of your book or are close to completion.

This project is all about creating a safe space to examine our fears, struggles, and doubts as we work hard to reach that ultimate goal: becoming a published author. It's about support and encouragement and realizing that while we may write at home in front of our computers, we are not alone. It's about community.

If you have any questions or are interested in participating please comment below.


Art by myself.

Just Keep Going

I'm learning that writing a book never really ends. When I started out about a year ago, determined to take my shot at writing a novel, I had the idea that, at some point, I would feel accomplished. Like I'd done something. Finished some wonderful story and could move on.

So far, that hasn't happened. 

My first (very naive) assumption was that I would feel this way after finishing the first draft. Yes, I knew intellectually that there would still be a lot of work, but the emotional centers of my brain insisted that I would feel done. 

I finished the first draft last November (thanks to some intense NaNoWriMo encouragement!) and instead of feeling accomplished, I felt overwhelmed. Overwhelmed with how far I had come. Overwhelmed with how much further I had to go. I felt like I'd spent ten months climbing a mountain, a mountain that was steeper and more dangerous than anything I'd ever tried, only to find out that there was a much taller mountain just behind it. One that I couldn't see while I climbed the one in front of me. 

I spent December in a haze of stunned lethargy. Really? I'd come this far and I wasn't even close to finishing? I would have to push harder and farther than I'd imagined and I felt like, maybe, I couldn't. Maybe I wasn't strong enough. Good enough. Brave enough. Maybe I just wasn't capable. 

But at some point I decided to go on. To take one more step. To pick up this burden, this book I'd worked so hard on, and carry it a bit further. 

And here I am, pushing towards the end of the second draft. And I know that when I do finish this draft, it isn't the end. It isn't even close. And I'm okay with that. 

And, maybe, just maybe, some day in the distant future when I finally hold a physical copy of my book. Maybe then, I will feel done.




image credit: burtn.deviantart.com

Nothing to Envy

As a writer of speculative fiction, I am a firm believer in reading non-fiction. How else can you create a believable world (sci fi, historical, or otherwise) without first reading about the world we live in? Our world and our history as a species is stuffed full of amazing stories and often unbelievable circumstances. Whether you draw inspiration from the current political climate, the oral traditions of native cultures, or the story of a prison colony formed 200 years ago, absorbing all you can about human societies and our history will enrich your writing to a degree that reading only fiction can't.

One of my favorite topics is the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, more commonly known as North Korea. As a lover of all things dystopic, how can I resist the only true example of a dystopia in the modern world? For those of you who may be less familiar with the concept of a dystopia, think of it as a utopia gone wrong. It may look perfect on the surface (and often whatever force is in control tries to convince everyone that it is), but in reality it is deeply corrupted. The corruption often comes in the guise of totalitarian control (George Orwell's 1984), dehumanization (Margaret Atwood's A Handmaid's Tale), or environmental disaster (The Maze Runner by James Dashner). And with the rise of The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, dystopic fiction has taken on a new popularity with the general public. 

But in the real world, there's only one example. North Korea. It can be hard to get information on this small, isolated country. The iconic image of a completely dark North Korea above the vibrant, capitalist South Korea, shows the extreme poverty of a nation where the citizens are told that they have "nothing to envy." Even though the government, now headed by the notoriously private Kim Jong Un, keeps a suffocating hold on all information going in or out of the country, there are some who manage to defect. It is through the eyes of these refugees that we can catch a glimpse of their struggle to survive and the difficulty of fitting into the world they escaped to. Studying the country and the people who live there has given me more insight into how to control people and the emotional response of those people than all of the dystopic fiction I've read combined.

One book in particular, Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea by Barbara Demick, is especially good at putting a human face on an inhuman society. She chronicles the stories, dangers, and emotional journeys of six North Korean defectors. What makes this book so compelling is the author's ability to weave objective fact with the subjective narration of the individuals involved. It reads like a novel. A novel more terrifying in its truth than any work of fiction. 

But my main point is to read. Read everything you can get your hands on, fiction and non-fiction alike. My bookshelf holds topics as diverse as Victorian London, a memoir of a slave girl, a biography of J. Edgar Hoover, examinations of why some societies conquered others, and many, many more. Everything will make your writing richer, but if you're unsure where to start, just pick a topic that interests you. History and anthropology are two of my favorites. Then READ!

What was the last nonfiction book that inspired you?