Limbo for a Prize

TK Richardson is having a party to celebrate the upcoming release of her book, Return the Heart! And everyone is invited! I know, and it’s happy hour AND it’s Friday. AND for Americans it is a long weekend. AND there are prizes. AND I am doing the limbo over there! I know! You didn’t know I could limbo, did you? So go on, go check it out! You could win some writerly yummies. And if you aren’t a writer, they are still yummy.

See you there!

The Unexpected (In Writing)

The biggest thrills… when do you get the biggest thrills as a writer? As a reader? As a movie watcher? What really makes you dive in that extra  little bit? Pay attention just a little bit more?

For me, it is the unexpected. I was watching The Hangover the other night (Loved it! Don’t watch the trailer if you haven’t seen as it gives away some of the unexpected. Doh!) and found myself getting right into it. What was it that sucked me in? The unexpected. Yes, it drove me a bit crazy in the beginning that these guys had had a huge room wrecker of a bachelor party and couldn’t remember a thing from the night before. But what truly made this story great was the unexpected. It was one big unexpected event after another. It was unexpected for the characters and unexpected for the viewer. Yet, it was all still believable. Tiger in the hotel bathroom–unexpected. Believable? Actually, yes!

The joy of discovering something unexpected is the same when I read. I think one of the reasons I loved The Flying Troutmans and The Glass Castle was the unexpectedness of events and character reactions. Yet, it all fit and that made it believable.

When I am writing, it is the same thing. I’m trucking along, putting it down and then ‘whoa!’ a character just got arrested. ‘Whoa!’ a character just revealed an 18 month long affair. It is invigorating and exciting. It surprises me and makes me pay attention. (This is actually how we humans are programmed–a change in patterns is surprising, which in turn, gets our interest. Survival instincts kick in and we assess that change for danger or reward.) Most times, the surprises that my muse presents are like little treats for the brain.

However, when seeking to add an unexpected twist in our writing, we need to ensure that this unexpected element will stay within character and fit the story. If we sensationalize for the sake of throwing our readers off balance, we may get their attention, but we’ll also leave them with empty, meaningless surprise and no message. And that’s no fun.

Has something unexpected caught you off guard and grabbed your attention lately?

Writing is Like an Army Campaign

Writing well can be compared to an army campaign. For example, the army *could* be quoted to say the following (or close to the following):

1) Do what you need to do and get the hell out.

Just like in writing. Don’t linger in a scene. Say what you need to say, briefly (don’t babble, use good, strong, appropriate words) and exit.

2) Prepare for any eventuality.

You never know where the story is going to take you–even if you plan it out ahead of time. Be prepared and go with it.

(Cool pen. It has a light in it, but really, it looks like you are writing something profound.
Hairy knuckles not included.)

3) Don’t shoot until you see the whites of their eyes.

Bring your reader in close to your work, then slam them with some emotion. Don’t go spouting off, assuming your reader is close enough to the story that your hits are going to land.

4) Too many men can be as much of a hindrance as not enough.

Too many words can be as much of a hindrance as not enough. Same goes for characters. Scenes. Chapters. Slang/Colloquialisms. Etc.

5) Always prepare for battle.

Always prepare for inspiration to strike. Don’t leave home without your notebook. If you are writing, always prepare for that essential conflict in your scene. There must be something, no matter how minor, that pulls your reader forward, deeper and deeper into the story. Keep them wondering what’s going to happen, how things will play out–really, it’s just a warm up for the main show.

6) In peace, always prepare for war.

Like above. Always build to that major conflict in your story. The reader may think it is peaceful times, but there’s a big conflict coming. Just. Around. The. Corner.

7) Victory through skill.

Need we say more?

Surmount all obstacles.

You can do it, writers. Don’t give up. If there is a will, there is a way.

The First Five Pages: Comparison Some More

January 15th, 2008–The First Five Pages: Comparison Some More
Why didn’t anyone ever tell me comparison could be so much fun? I am now comparing new desks to the president’s motorcade and taking tequila shots to, well…here:

She licked the salt off the back of her hand like it was ground up glass, knocked back the shot of tequila as if it were poison and bit and sucked the slice of lemon as if it were a week-old rat carcass.

So…that’s disgusting. I’m not sure what I will do with it, but it was fun. Fun enough to pull me out of bed to write it down when I was trying to fall asleep last night.

Now I wonder why I had that weird dream about drunk rats…?