Conference & Conference

The League of Utah Writers Conference that was held this last weekend was phenomenal. Wonderful speakers, amazing workshops, and the food was fantastic too. I was only able to attend the Saturday afternoon and evening events, but it was still worthwhile. Keep on eye out on this site over the next few weeks as I post what I learned.

I have also heard that the American Fork, Utah Arts Council is sponsoring a Fall Writers Conference the beginning of October include the following authors - Josi Kilpack, John D. Brown, Annette Lyon, LeAnne Tolley and Caleb Warnock. Here is the information if you are interested.

Autumn Conference for Writers Date: Saturday, October 9, 2010
Time: 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Where: Historic City Hall
Cost: $39.00
For schedule, visit smashingstories.blogspot.com & click on conference link. TO REGISTER, CALL 801-763-3081 or email lori@afcity.net.

Fall Info & Updates

Wow, everyone, I apologize that it has been so long since I posted anything. I have been so involved with prepping stories for contest submissions, having family visit, and a nice old summer cold that won't go away that I allowed time to slip away from. Here is a brief list of suggestions or conferences that you might want to check out:

1) David Farland's Writing Group - Fantasy author David Farland has began an online writing forum for people from across the world to meet, critique, and to learn from each other as we strive to improve ourselves as writers. To check out this fantastic forum please click here: David Farland's Forum

2) League of Utah Writers Annual Fall Conference - If you live in Utah and are an aspiring writer than you might consider attending the fall conference to be held in Salt Lake City September 17 & 18th. For more information and a list of guest author speakers please click here: League of Utah Writers Fall Roundup.

3) Fabulous Reads - Looking for a good book to read? Then I recommend that you check out this website where books are only reviewed if they are loved, adored or are absolutely fabulous. All types and genres of books are reviewed. If you need a great weekend read or something new and different than click here: Fabulous Reads.

I hope everyone continues to seek after their dreams and has a blast doing so.

Self-Editing Your Writing (Continued)

The following is the second part of my notes from a class taught by author Kirt Hickman on how to self-edit. These are my personal notes and, even though a handout was provided, I did not reference it at all while writing these notes. For further detail on Kirt's suggestions on how to improve your self-editing please buy or checkout his book Revising Fiction: Making Sense of Madness from your local library.

First Draft

• Usually done with the right side of the brain (the muse)
  
• Revisions are done by the left side of the brain (the editor)

The best thing to do is to find ways to trick the editor side into silence until your right brain has finished the first draft. (See section below on Tips & Tricks)

Point of View (POV)
The following are the times that you should make sure to have a clear POV change:

• When there is a change to a different characters POV
  
• When there is a change in time
  
• When there is a change in location

There are three times that you should write from a different POV other than the main character:

• When there is another character within the story who has the most to lose
  
• When you have to convey some piece of info that the hero doesn't know
  
• When the hero is not in the scene

Note: If you are writing from someone elses POV, try to convey their opinion of the hero.

Before Writing the Scene
Every scene takes place in a setting.

• Find at least five characteristics of the setting that you can communicate at some point in the scene (using the 5 scenses - not all will make it to the scene, but you see it more clearly as the writer if you can personally identify the five scenses).
  
• What impressions do you want to make about the setting (i.e. dangerous)
  
• What meaningful actions from the character make the setting an integral part of the story

Tips to Trick the Editor to Allow the Muse to Write

• Write early in the morning
  
• Eliminate/seperate yourself from distractions
  
• Write by hand
  
• Don't stop to edit
  
• If you make a decision to change something, then write a note to later go back and change anything earlier in the story that may need changing
  
• Don't stop for research (write a note to remind yourself to research later)
  
• Relax
  
• Use unlined paper and a pen that won't slow you down
  
• Interestingly enough you can get the first draft done in one hour a day in three months time
  
• at the end of the day of writing, create a scene card (see Mr. Hickman's book for a template) that oulines what happened in the scene
  
  • include scene number
    
  • type (i.e. action, suspense, etc.)
    
  • who's POV
    
  • setting
    
  • who is in the scene
    
  • the conflict
    
  • anything that advances the plot
    
  • information revealed about characters
    
  • identify inconsistencies
    
  • other important information
    
  • any reserach questions
    
  • suspense elements (something that raises a question in the reader's mind)

After you are finished with the first draft, then do the research for the questions that you still need answered. Refer to the scene cards to remind yourself what those questions are. I hope that this information helps you with your writing efforts. Keep up the good work, and don't lose hope. Good Luck!!!!

Self-Editing Your Writing

The following is the first part of my notes from a class taught by author Kirt Hickman on how to self-edit. These are my personal notes and, even though a handout was provided, I did not reference it at all while writing these notes. For further detail on Kirt's suggestions on how to improve your self-editing please buy or checkout his book Revising Fiction: Making Sense of Madness from your local library.

Revising Fiction: Making Sense of Writing

• Not all advice fits every time, so adapt as needed
  
• There are no hard & fast rules in fiction writing
  
• Edit for one thing at a time in your writing
  
• Sequence matters
  

Where to Start (before the 1st draft)

• The World - understand what its like before you write
  
• Characters - know who they are
  
• Plot (optional) - try to determine a general plot before you write (doesn't work for writers who are character driven writers rather than plot driven writers

World (must mesh into a coherent hole) - Things to determine about the setup of your world

• Physical characteristics
  
• Moral codes for the society
  
• Economic state, money
  
• Local/world political structure
  
• Predominant religion
  
• Magic - how does it work?
  
• State of science
  
• Day-to-day life of characters & how it defers from our current world
  

Side notes:

• If the reader can't by into your world they can't by into your story
  
• If you’re writing historical fiction, make sure to do research on what life was like in that time period.

Characters

• Characters have to be consistent with your world
  
• make characters unique so even if the story has been told before it hasn't been told from your character's point of view.
  
• 3 dimensional characteristics - It's your character's past that brings that character to life for your reader
  
  • At least two unique physical characteristics for each character
    
  • Unique style of speech based on age, education, etc.
    
  • give each character a flaw (your character must have a flaw for your reader to be able to connect with them and the flaw should be introduced early in your story)
    
  • Hero should go through a life altering change in your story
    
  • leverage their flaw to make things more difficult for your character
    
  • make things as difficult as possible for your character
    
  • give each character a special skill that you will see at use during the story (establish early)
    
  • give them a definable personality (what do they get fired up about?)
    
  • How does your character face frustration (typically)
    
    • get angry, resourceful, depressed, get help, pray, etc.
      
  • give identifying line, mannerism, or prop (identify early and bring up frequently)
    
  • give them virtues as well as flaws for the reader to grasp onto and care about (even the villain needs a virtue)
    
  • know how they will change over the course of the story
    
  • make your villain stronger than your hero

To Avoid Common Pitfalls

• Characters need to be different from one another
  
• make sure your hero is strong willed
  
• make your character a doer rather than a watcher (put them in the driver seat)
  
• remove cliché characteristic traits (i.e. dumb blond, mad scientist, etc.). Instead do what the reader doesn't expect
  
• don't forget your secondary characters (If a character is not important or doesn't appear frequently then don't give them a name)

Character Profile (check out his book for a detailed example)

• To catch mundane details and keep them consistent throughout the story
  
• know more about your character than your reader will ever know

Plot

• Some writers start with a plot while others start with a character and find a plot along the way
  
• Will the plot carry the reader through the story?
  
• Is your plot any good?
  
• Every story is generally a three act story - introduction/setup, conflict, resolution
  
• Inciting Event
  
• What is providing conflict?
  
• resolve in a way satisfying to the reader
  
• make sure your main hero takes the main action to solve the problem
  
• Cause & effect
  
  • every thing that happens in your book must be a direct reaction to a previous event or person's action (not including a natural event such as an earthquake - which must be established early on in the story that it can feasibly happen in order to raise the stakes)
    
• Character must have a life altering change

Mythic Structure/Heroes Journey (demonstrated proven method)

• Within the three acts of your story there are usually 9 steps that occur over the course of the story
  
• Step 1: Establish character's ordinary life
  
  • give reason to reader to like your character
    
• Step 2: Story's starting point/inciting event (usually happens within the first chapter)
  
  • shows this is not an ordinary day for the main character
    
• Step 3: Heading the call (usually happens at the end of Act 1)
  
  • Character should be somewhat reluctant to go on the journey
    
  • Propels story into Act 2
    
• Step 4: Allies & Enemies
  
  • The hero starts to learn the rules of the new "world"/environment he has entered
    
  • Begins to identify who are the hero's allies and enemies (assessing loyalties)
    
• Step 5: Going on the Journey
  
  • Possibly seeing or finding a mentor
    
  • Approaching the Dark moment
    
• Step 6: The Dark Moment
  
  • Hero is faced with his most difficult challenge
    
  • Paint your character into a deep, dark, corner
    
  • Crisis doesn't have to be a physical one, a good emotional/ psychological crises works just as well
    
  • Reader must feel like all is lost
    
• Step 7: Return from Dark Moment
  
  • Hero trying to return home with the prize when the villain comes to try and take it away
    
• Step 8: Climax
  
  • Hero faces second life or death struggle
    
  • overcome lingering resentment or flaw
    
• Step 9: Permanence of the Change
  
  • Show the character has permanently changed
    
  • The hardest part of the Mythic Structure is Step 5 & 7, which will take up the majority of the book
  
  

Suspense Builders- Make one character a wild card (adversarial)

• Spring surprises (often used at end of chapter, but must be from natural evolution of the plot)
  
• Mislead the reader
  
• drop clues that may give the reader the wrong idea, but make sure to play fair and be consistent with the character
  
• Do your worst
  
  • What is the absolute worst thing you can make happen?
    
• Take away what is most important to the hero
  
• Past failure comes back to haunt them
  
• Turn environment loose on your characters (could be weather, earthquake, or at least something out of the main character's influence), but establish early that such event is possible, but not clearly expected to happen
  
• Phobias
  
  • make him face the object of his fear
    
• Never make anything easy
  
• Show danger is real
  
• Kill a good guy
  
• Impose a deadline (a.k.a. the ticking clock)
  
• Prevent hero from running away
  
  • make the need to stay greater than the desire to flee
    
• Make one final twist at end of book
  
• Stack these suspense techniques on top of each other

Side note: For good practice watch your favorite movie and identify where the mythic structure steps arise and what suspense builder techniques are used.


I will continue on with more of my notes from Kirt's class next week, so please stay tuned.

Results of Writer's Conference

This last weekend I had a fantastic time at the League of Utah Writer's Conference that was held at the Homestead Resort in Midway, Utah. I love being able to listen to the variety of keynote speakers, and to learn at the feet of a wide range of published authors.

I was able to take a way a lot of good information from the conference, but the best thing was to realize that I have already accomplished at least two-thirds of all the recommendations I was given. I did meet with an agent for New York and an editor from Maryland and, even though I realized before going into meet with them that we weren't a good fit, I was grateful for the chance to practice my pitch as well as get some great feedback.

So keep your eyes out of the next several days/weeks as I will post some of my notes & findings from this conference. I hope you will find this information as helpful/hopeful as I did. In the meantime, please keep up your efforts on writing and never give up the dream. Good Luck!

Countdown to Conference

I apologize for not posting in a while. I haven't been accomplishing much on the writing front the last month as I've been dealing with trying to buy a house, living in a hotel, having a visit from my stepsons, moving and dealing with morning sickness. Now with a personal deadline approaching I'm determined (no matter how sick this baby makes me) to meet our goal. Sometimes life does get in the way, and I've learned that you've got to forgive yourself, focus on life for a moment, then get back on track with things. Goals and a friend/co-author to keep you line definitely help to get back on the writing band wagon. Also what helps is realizing that I found another fellow writer just four doors down who will be attending the same conference. I'm not sure writers would survive the struggle of getting out a book without the helping hands of angels (other people in the same fight) that pop up in the least expected places.

So now that I'm moved in to my new place and my stepsons have gone back home I'm starting back on track tomorrow with my friend Stephanie as we begin the hectic task of completing draft nine of The Nedaran Prophecy in time for the League of Utah Writer's Conference scheduled for September 18-19. So wish us luck as we barrel into the editing process. I'm so looking forward to the changes that we've planned, even though some our drastic (we're re-writing the entire climax and I'm stoked about it). Keep up your efforts as well and if you ever need to vent about your writing frustrations or the publishing process please feel free to vent to me. I'll understand. Good Luck and keep on writing!