Writers in the Storm

by James Preston

Remember that great scene in “Jaws” ¹ -– no, not “We’re gonna need a bigger boat” -- where Robert Shaw and Richard Dreyfuss are showing each other their scars? Well, I’m going to do that in this essay. (Forge on, gentle reader, to see how I’ve taken my lumps and lived to tell the tale.) Hopefully, my adventures will help illustrate who, in the final analysis, is responsible for your work.

I wrote the back cover “blurb” for my new book and I was really happy with it. It was funny, it described the story accurately, and I thought it would make people want to read the book. Hey, I got my start writing advertising copy while I was in college. I can do this stuff. Sure, I can. Then my publisher sent it out for comments.

More on that later. 

Let’s talk about feedback. 

When should you solicit it? 

Who should you ask to comment?

What should you do with the comments?

Creating a book-length story is a lot of work, a long process that can be lonely and discouraging. Getting feedback can be important — but...

When in the process should you solicit opinions? 

At the Concept stage. 

Talking about a story before it’s on paper comes in two forms. You can be doing the talking or you can be listening.

If you have been writing for any length of time you’ve probably had the following experience: somebody comes up to you and says, “I’ve got this great idea for a story . . .” They probably want you to do the actual writing.

It is not harsh to say that you should try very hard to discourage this individual, for two reasons.

• First, you have your own work and almost certainly don’t need another idea. Let them down gently but let them down.

• Second, and way more serious, if you do listen to their idea, decline the offer and years later the concept turns up even in a mutated form in your work, you are open to serious charges of, “You stole my idea!”

The other side of the equation is even worse.

Talking about an idea before you have worked it out in your head can cripple the poor thing. Get something down on paper first. I’ve done it (talked before writing) and the story survived but only because I chose the individuals to tell my idea to very carefully.

You can kill an idea by talking about it too early or — just as bad — you can get encouragement for an idea that you will be reluctant to change.

My advice: don’t talk.  

What about after your First Draft?

Probably not. Your readers can get distracted by nonessential features like misplaced commas. At the very least carefully proofread the manuscript before handing it out. 

Happy with it? Yes.

Then it's time! Which leads us to our next question. 

Who do you send it to?

The answer to “Who” falls into three main groups.

1.  A Critique Group

Very early in my writing career, I read all of the Matt Helm books by Donald Hamilton.

Side note: the novels are excellent, on a par with Fleming, and must never be confused with the silly, practically-unwatchable Dean Martin movies. Don’t believe me? He’s a singing spy.

In the novels, Matt Helm is a writer and when a young woman asks him to read her story he thinks, “Why do they do it? When I was starting out, I never asked for opinions from anybody who wasn’t in a position to buy the work.”²

That’s a bit extreme but you get the idea. Assuming you want feedback from other sources, the first is probably a critique group, other writers that share their work and comments.

I am not part of such a group at present, but my advice would be to choose carefully. Blanket approval is as useless as blanket criticism. If you are uncomfortable do not hesitate to leave the group. You can turn to . . . 

2. Beta Readers

Before my experience with my new book, I might well have said to choose carefully, but now I say widen the net of readers.

Other writers are your first source. They will look carefully at the story for characterization, plot holes, and ping-pong dialog. Now, about widening that net — try for some pure readers. They will look for different things and may well surprise you. Remember, they are your audience, not other professionals.

3.  Editors

The types of editors you might send to:

Editors you pay.

I use an editing group that is based in Great Britain. It’s not cheap, but for me it’s worth it. My particular editor is very good, likes my work, and provides detailed, insightful comments. The good news is that no feelings will be hurt over comments that you choose not to incorporate.

Then there is, of course, the cost, and the effort on your part. You need to very clearly explain the kind of edit you are looking for, and after the edits arrive you need to process them. 

An editor who is offering to buy the book.

Try to negotiate out of any changes you don’t like. If that fails, do it. For an example of this process, see the Introduction to the revised edition of Robert A. Heinlein’s Red Planet (1949).³

The editor, a lady named Alice Dalgliesh, took exception to parts of the book, like girls carrying guns. "Girls don’t do that!"

Side note: my mother was a Heinlein contemporary who grew up on a farm in Texas and I assure you she could handle weapons.

And Ms. Dalgliesh didn’t like the weird alien sleeping in the hero’s bed.

Heinlein didn’t like it but he made the changes. A writer of his stature made changes that are to my mind poor at best. Nevertheless, Red Planet was published, was a success, and is still read today (in Heinlein’s original version in some editions).

Who the feedback is from can be important. Once upon a time, my cat threw up on a manuscript I was editing. What does he know?

So now you have the comments from those you submitted to. Hopefully, the wounds are not too deep and will provide material for interesting stories like Richard Dreyfuss and the moray eel. Hopefully, you are continuing with the project. The next question is...  

What do you do with those comments?

There are some suggestions I can make. 

When two or more readers say the same thing

Take it seriously.

Do you remember that sparkling, witty, back cover copy that my publisher sent out for comments? I think nine individuals responded with thoughtful edits. 

They hated it.

• It was too long
• It gave away too much of the story
• It failed to communicate the nature of the book
• It wasn’t interesting

(At this point I wondered if the McPherson Driveline Dynamometer that I wrote about extolling the virtues of so many years ago ever sold.)

The writing rule is this:

If more than one person says the same thing, you should probably do it. 

Examine the nature of the comment 

A real comment from a beta reader on my new book was, “I had to read this three times to be sure who was talking.” Yikes! That has to be fixed. If a reader says they don’t understand something — fix it!

Your writer's mind fills in blank spots. You know more about your characters, what they are doing, where they are standing in a particular scene, and why they act the way they do. That’s a problem I have in action scenes. I tend to know where everybody is and what they are doing and neglect to spell it out on paper.

And in the End . . .

We can now answer the question we started with. Who’s in charge? You are. It’s your story. If you feel a comment from anybody at any time, regardless of what it is, is wrong, it’s up to you. Make the change or don’t and take the consequences.

I hope these guidelines help. Good luck!

How many beta readers do you have? How do you deal with their comments? Do you use a paid editing service? Have you ever talked about a story at the concept stage and did it work? C’mon, we’re all in this together - please share your experience in the comments.

Notes

¹ “Jaws” (1975) Steven Spielberg.

² Donald Hamilton, Death of a Citizen, 1960.

³ Robert A. Heinlein, Red Planet. Look for the Baen edition that restores the parts his editor removed. I have also seen references to an essay called “Red Planet Blue Pencil” but I have not tracked down a copy. It apparently tells the whole story of the revisions.

* * * * * *

About James

James R. Preston is the author of the award-winning Surf City Mysteries and two historical novellas set in the swingin' sixties. Kirkus Reviews called Buzzkill, one of the historicals, "a historical thriller enriched by characters who sparkle and refuse to be forgotten." The hat isRobicheaux's Dock & Bait Shop, New Iberia, LA. It was captured at Bouchercon Chicago.

 James' web page is www.jamesrpreston.com. 

Top image via Shutterstock.

By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy

When your story stalls take heart—it’s not the end of your novel.

It stinks, but every writer gets stuck from time to time. Some days, it’s a short stall and you struggle with a single scene for a few hours before figuring out how to move forward. Other days, the problem is bigger than a scene, and it keeps you from writing for days or even weeks at a time. You write a scene, scrap it, write it again, but it just doesn’t want to work. You get frustrated and that keeps you away from the keyboard.

Which can actually be a good thing.

Getting stuck is your writer’s subconscious telling you there’s a problem, and keeping you from making it worse.

Your brain knows there’s something not right and it’s putting on the brakes before you write nine chapters and then realize you have to scrap the whole things and start over. Yes, it’s hard, and de-motivating, but so is throwing out all that work—or worse—forcing it into the story when it doesn’t belong there.

Most often, getting stuck is due to a plot or story issue. Once you figure out what you’re missing, the words start flowing and you can get on with your manuscript.

Here are ten ways to get moving again:

1. Look at your protagonist’s goals and motivations. Is it the wrong goal or the wrong reason?

The wrong goal or motivation can keep a story from moving forward. Maybe the plot says the protagonist needs to do X, but your subconscious knows there's no way she’d do that and it doesn’t let you write in the wrong direction (and so you get stuck in that scene).

What does the protagonist really want? Forget what you think she ought to do for the plot, what does she want now, based on everything you’ve written? Sometimes characters grow as you write them, and their goals and motivations shift.

Why does she want it? Maybe the goal isn’t the issue, but she’s lost sight of why she’s pursuing that goal and that's making it hard to go forward.

Identify what your protagonist wants and why she wants it, then check if it’s still fits and works with the planned plot. If not, brainstorm ways to adjust either the plot, or the character.

2. Reexamine your external conflict. Do you have one?

Since stories are about overcoming a problem, not having an external conflict gives your character nothing to overcome.

Maybe the conflict is more of an idea than a physical challenge to resolve, and you need to focus on the specifics of how the protagonists solves that conflict. It’s hard to plot individual scenes with a concept.

Make sure the conflict facing your protagonist is an external problem he can physically interact with. For example, “finding loving” is impossible from a plotting standpoint. It’s too vague, and gives the protagonist nothing specific to do (and nothing for you to write about). But “asking friends to fix me up” is a task the character can physically do, and that specific action moves the story forward.

3. Double check the backstory. Is it serving the story?

Sometimes you can't move forward because you haven't laid the right foundation for the story. The protagonist’s backstory doesn’t support her reasons for acting, or maybe she doesn’t even have one. It’s possible something in her past is actually contradicting what she needs to do for the plot to work, so her actions feel wrong for the scene and trigger your “something’s not right” writer sense.

Try adding information that provides the drive needed to move your protagonist to the next step. Or maybe revise the character’s history so it fits what the protagonist is doing now, and supports her goals and motivations.

4. Reevaluate the story itself. Has it changed from your original idea and outline?

Plots can change when you write them, and what you thought was going to happen might turn out to be the wrong thing for the novel.

Review your plot objectively. Has it changed? Did it veer off to a more interesting direction? A less interesting direction? Has a subplot developed that’s drawing more attention? Is a character arc overshadowing the main story? Is the plot overshadowing the character arc?

Look at the story you’re actually writing versus the one you set out to write. Maybe it’s time to throw away (or revise) that original plan. If not, then maybe it’s time to start over, or find where you veered off track and begin from there.

5. Review what you’ve written. Is something wrong?

First drafts are brain dumps, and not everything you dump onto the page is a keeper. Look at the draft so far. Is there something in the story that contradicts what you want to do next? Are you duplicating an event or plot point? Has a character acted out of character? Have you written something that is going to mess up something else you have planned?

The subconscious is really good and noticing problems, and it might be trying to rein you in before you write any further in a direction that’s not going to work.

6. Check the setting. Is it right for the scene?

Not every location serves the story, and the setting in a scene might not work for that scene. Maybe it’s not creating the right emotion in your characters, or it’s not providing any conflict to add tension to the scene. For example, if it’s supposed to be a tense scene, but there’s nothing tense in the setting, that might be leeching the worry from the situation. Are there ways you can tweak the setting to support the emotion of the scene? 

Also consider if the scene would work better if you changed where it took place. If you need your character to feel uncomfortable, don’t set it where the character feels the most relaxed.

7. Rearrange the scenes. Do they flow better in a different sequence?

If a scene feels like it ought to work, but doesn’t, that could indicate it’s just in the wrong place. Maybe the protagonist needs to experience something before that scene takes place, or maybe he knows too much by then, so the scene falls flat.

What happens if you move it to another spot in the novel? What if it happened earlier or later? Pay particular attention to how the stakes and/or tension escalates. A low-tension scene right after a high-tension scene might not have the same impact, and could even kill the pacing instead of tightening it.

8. Check in with the antagonist. Are they all in or just going through the motions?

Sometimes the bad guy is bad for no reason, so their actions and “evil plans” feel two-dimensional and weak. A weak antagonist gives the protagonist nothing to struggle against, so all their actions end up feeling weak as well (which often stalls the story).

Have you been spending so much time on your protagonist that your antagonist's goals and motives are now weak and unbelievable? Maybe you need to shore up the villain's plan to get back on track.

9. Stop writing. Maybe you’re trying too hard?

It’s easy to get caught up in the text itself, so try sitting down with a blank page and writing out what you feel is supposed to happen. Describe it like you were telling a friend—no pressure, just casual. Sometimes writing it down before you "write" it down helps jar the sticky points loose. At the very least, it gives you the freedom to brainstorm and see how you can fix it.

Stepping away also gives your brain and that crafty subconscious time to work the problem. Go for a walk, take a shower, do some chores—anything that lets your mind work in the background. I can’t tell you how often I’ve solved a problem while washing my hair and not thinking about the problem.

10. Reconsider the scene. Do you really need it?

Sometimes a scene gives you trouble because deep down, you know it’s not necessary for the story. Something has changed, or the story unfolded a little differently, or the characters evolved beyond it, so the scene no longer works.   

Don’t be afraid to skip a scene if it doesn’t want to be written. Either you’ll discover you didn’t need it, or you’ll figure out why you couldn't write it later on in the story. Often, a missing piece turns up in later scene, and that piece fixes whatever didn’t work early on. This is especially true in opening scenes—it isn’t until you write the last chapter that you figure out what the first chapter needs to be.

When we get stuck in a story, it’s because we haven’t figured something out, and we aren’t sure what to write next. Most often, that “something” is a goal, motivation, or conflict issue, so look there first. Focus on “How can I fix this?” not “How can I force this back on track?” If the scene was working, you wouldn’t be stuck in the first place, so don’t try to “make it work” without identifying why is it’s working.  

Most of all…Don’t stress when you get stuck. It’ll be okay.

Getting stuck in your story is no fun, but there’s always a path out of the mud. Take a deep breath, step away from the keyboard, and approach the problem with objectivity.

What do you do when you get stuck in your story?

* * * * * *

About Janice

Janice Hardy is the award-winning author and founder of the popular writing site Fiction University, where she helps writers improve their craft and navigate the crazy world of publishing. Not only does she write about writing, she teaches workshops across the country, and her blog has been recognized as a Top Writing Blog by Writer’s Digest. She also spins tales of adventure for both teens and adults, and firmly believes that doing terrible things to her characters makes them more interesting (in a good way). She loves talking with writers and readers, and encourages questions of all types—even the weird ones.

Find out more about writing at www.Fiction-University.com, or visit her author’s site at www.JaniceHardy.com. Subscribe to her newsletter to stay updated on future books, workshops, and events and receive her book, 25 Ways to Strengthen Your Writing Right Now, free.

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Top Image by Ryan McGuire from Pixabay

by Eldred Bird

One of the most effective tools we have at our disposal for getting the word out about our books is social media. There’s also no denying that images get more hits than text alone, and videos garner even more attention. Videos and live streams served us well during the events of the last couple of years. They’ve allowed us to keep our faces in front of the reading audience while locked up in our private spaces.

Now that the world is opening back up and we’re starting to attend live in-person events again things are changing. It’s time to prepare ourselves to leave the house and take the show on the road. But how do we do that without breaking the bank? Let me introduce you to my mobile media kit.

Building a Mobile Media Kit

My mobile media kit is a small pouch stocked with a few basic items that make recording or streaming video easier and give things a more professional feel. Let’s take a look at what I keep in my little black bag of tricks.

The Camera

To record quality video on the go all you need are a few basic tools, one of which you may already have in your pocket or purse. I’m talking about your smartphone.  The quality of video we get off modern phones has reached the point where it rivals, and sometimes surpasses, dedicated camera devices.

While phone cameras do have some limitations, they’re perfect for our purposes. They have the advantage of allowing us to stream to social media anywhere you can get a signal. Experiment with your phone and get to know what it can and can’t do. Study your camera app to get familiar with all the settings and filters you have at your disposal. Some phones even have apps to edit your footage and add text and effects. The more you know your phone’s features and limits, the better your videos will look.

Camera Mounts

For the best results you need a way to keep your camera stable. Most of the time that means a tripod. I have two different styles in my media kit. Both are equipped with universal cellphone mounts. The first is a small tripod with segmented legs (Gorilla Pod) that can either free-stand or be wrapped around things like handrails or posts. The legs can also be bent to work on uneven surfaces.

My second pod is a little more flexible in its use. It can be extended and used as a selfie-stick or have the legs folded out to stand on its own. This unit came with a Bluetooth remote that pairs with the phone so I can stop and start recording without touching and shaking the camera.

A variety of other mounts are available as well. Depending on where and how you plan to shoot video, you may want to investigate suction mounts for smooth surfaces like windows, or clamp-on mounts. It never hurts to have options.

Whether you’re shooting video inside or outside, proper lighting is going to make a big difference. Brightly lit backgrounds and low light situations cause faces to disappear into the shadows. Harsh lights create hard shadows and washed out images. Both will give an unprofessional look to your videos.

Lighting

There are a lot of inexpensive portable lights on the market that can help you get better video. A quick search of Amazon will yield hundreds of USB powered choices including LED panels and diffused floods. My personal favorite is a USB powered ring light. They’re lightweight and usually come with adjustable brightness and color temperature. These types of lights deliver a soft, defused illumination that fill in harsh shadows on faces, even in bright sunlight. Mine also has a built-in phone mount in the center that swivels for both vertical and horizontal layouts.

Audio

When it comes to audio capture on the go, most of us rely on our cellphone’s built-in microphone. With the improvements in phone technology this will suffice in a lot of cases. The problem comes in public settings where background noise and echoes become an issue. Not being able to clearly hear and understand your voice can kill engagement and cause your audience to click away in a heartbeat.

One solution is a good set of mic-equipped earbuds (either wired or wireless), but they come with their own set of limitations. What happens when you want to interview someone like a fellow author? You may want to look into an external microphone. There are plenty available that will plug into your phone’s audio port. Many even come with a windscreen to reduce noise from fans, AC vents, and breezes.

Another good choice for quality audio is a lavalier mic. They are available in both wired and wireless models. The nice thing about this type of microphone is that it’s located on the person speaking. This not only ensures good voice clarity, but also cuts out most of the background noise as well. I carry two different wired setups, a single mic model and one with two mics. I also carry an extension cable in case I need to move the phone back for a wider shot.

Mobile Power

Using phones and lights on the go requires one more thing—power. This is an easy problem to solve. Portable charger packs for USB devices are available everywhere these days. Look for packs that have more than one USB port, as you may need to have both your phone and a light plugged in at the same time.

When it comes to power packs, size matters. The small 2500mAh packs are fine for giving your phone a quick boost, but when you’re running lights as well bigger is better. I carry a 10,000mAh pack in my kit. It can give my phone a full charge and still have enough left to run my ring light for several hours. I can also recharge it using the USB outlet in my car, if needed.

Putting it All Together

The whole point of the mobile media kit is right in the name—mobile. The idea is to have everything together in one easy to grab package when you’re on the go. Once you’ve made your choices and pulled your gear together, you’ll need something to carry it in. Find a vessel that fits your hardware and your esthetic and keep it handy. All of my gear, except the ring light, fits neatly into a 9”x5”x2” zippered pouch and is easily slipped into a backpack, suitcase, or under the seat of the car.

Some Final Thoughts

In this article I’ve only touched on a few of the tools available to help make better videos on the go. These are the pieces I’ve found that work for me. Before you invest in building a kit like mine, do your research and figure out what tools will help to enhance the kinds of videos you want to produce.

Do you do live streams and videos from remote locations? What tools and tricks have you found that work for you? Let us know in the comments.

About Eldred Bird

Eldred Bird writes contemporary fiction, short stories, and personal essays. He has spent a great deal of time exploring the deserts, forests, and deep canyons inside his home state of Arizona. His James McCarthy adventures, Killing Karma, Catching Karma, and Cold Karma, reflect this love of the Grand Canyon State even as his character solves mysteries amidst danger. Eldred explores the boundaries of short fiction in his stories, The Waking Room, Treble in Paradise: A Tale of Sax and Violins, and The Smell of Fear.

When he’s not writing, Eldred spends time cycling, hiking, and juggling (yes, juggling…bowling balls and 21-inch knives).

His passion for photography allows him to record his travels. He can be found on Twitter or Facebook, or at his website.

Image Credits

Top photo by Ivan Samkov, all others by Eldred Bird