Writers in the Storm

by Jenny Hansen

Over the last few years, I've thought a lot about genre. The differences between them and why and how we choose our preferred genre to write in. Some writers are solidly in a certain genre camp and others straddle two or more genres.

Examples of popular "straddlers" - The Hunger Games series, the Outlander series, books by J.D. Robb.

I believe one of the reasons many authors have moved to genres like young adult (YA) or women's fiction (WF) is that the definitions of those two transcend traditional genres. For example, in addition to the other straddling achieved by the Hunger Games series, it is also classified as YA because of the age of the main character. (YA protags are usually in the 14-21 range.)

Many of us behind the scenes here at WITS have participated in various NYC Midnight contests. One of the most unique factors about their contests is that your genre is assigned to you, along with a character and a story element you must use.

To give you an idea of what these assignments look like, here are the last three assignments I received in their short story contests:

• Genre - Mystery, Element - a collection, Character - a nomad
• Genre - Sci-Fi, Element - a career, Character - a tracker
• Genre - Sci-Fi, Element - a colony, Character - a lumberman

We flock to NYC Midnight's contests, year after year, because it's fun and it makes you stretch (so hard) as a writer. I'd written literary, romance, mainstream and women's fiction, but never mystery or sci-fi, until it was assigned to me through this contest. I would never have imagined I'd enjoy it.

Full-disclosure: Except for mystery. I didn't enjoy the mystery so much.

In trying to learn how to write a mystery (in a week), I learned how damn hard it is to write. In fact, while my finished story had some mystery elements, it really ended up being a literary tale about redemption. I love it to pieces, but it didn't fit the assigned genre.

My Genre Journey

As a baby writer, I fell in with a bunch of romance writers. They were talented and friendly and welcoming, and I still hang out with a lot of them. I love a good romance, so I believed I'd found my forever writing home. But there was a pretty glaring problem...

I don't really write romance.

Sure, I have romantic elements and sexual tension and "happily ever after" types of endings, but romance is a story driven by the love developing between the two main characters. Without the romance at the center, the story simply can't hang together.

My stories can almost always hang together without the romance, but they can't work without the eclectic cast of supporting characters. My books are all about the protagonist's journey, from the life they have to the life they could have. Only before they can have that shiny new life, they must earn it by unpacking their emotional baggage and letting go of the misbeliefs holding them back. Many times my story arcs include a love interest, but not always.

Basically, the closest I get to romance is "mainstream with romantic elements." What I actually write is called women's fiction, and it took me years to figure that out.

(More on women's fiction below.)

Why is genre important?

There are a variety of reasons why genre matters but these two are probably the main two:

Genre helps people find your books. It's how they search and it decides where your books are shelved in a brick and mortar bookstore.

Genre provides authors (and readers) with a roadmap. Every genre is guided by various rules - the couple in the romance will be in love and the mystery will be solved by the time the reader gets to The End. Readers of romance will pick up your book if all indicators tell them your book is a romance. (And they'll be peeved if it isn't.)

Funny story about genre fiction... Many years ago, that group of romance writers I mentioned hosted a day with Dean Koontz. He talked to us for almost three hours and it was incredible. One of the things he said that I never forgot: "Genre fiction is a result of the G.I. Bill." According to Koontz, when Roosevelt signed the G.I. Bill into law in June, 1944, more people attended college than ever before. English departments filled, writers were born and the flood of books that resulted had to be organized into some semblance of order...and genre fiction was born.

I don't know if that's true, but I loved hearing the story from Dean Koontz.

Genre Definitions

About those genres... How do you know which one you write?

The NYC Midnight's genre definitions page is a terrific starting point in understanding the differences between genres. Plus they include examples of books and movies that fall within each genre. The way they have their definitions laid out really opened my mind to different types of stories, and helped me to see that they could be possible for me. I've excerpted short versions below, but I highly recommend a deep read of their genre page (linked in the first sentence).

There are, of course, more genres than those listed below, but this is enough of a start for you to explore various types of story structures in your own writing.

Action/Adventure - A suspenseful story in which a mission involving risk and danger forms the primary storyline. The protagonist, who is typically operating outside the course of his or her daily life, embarks on a journey to confront obstacles and prove worthiness.

Comedy - A story that typically maintains a light, satirical, or familiar tone and features amusing characters and situations. Humor is the fundamental driving force.

Crime Caper - A lighthearted crime story in which the main characters perpetrate one or more crimes in full view of the reader or filmgoer. The plot focuses on the criminals and their attempts at escape or atonement.

Drama - A story that relies on the emotional and relational development of realistic characters. Themes are often drawn from intense, real life issues such as addiction, infidelity, race and class tension, disease, and corruption.

Fairy Tale - A narrative that often features folkloric characters such as fairies, elves, trolls, or witches engaged in fantastic or magical events that illuminate universal truths.

Fantasy - An imaginative story that typically weaves magic or other supernatural phenomena into a self-coherent plot or setting (e.g. magic spells, mythical creatures, fabled kingdoms, witchcraft, wizardry, medieval universes).

Ghost Story - A frightening story premised on the possibility of ghosts, which may appear by their own volition or through summoning by magic. Ghost stories are usually scary, leveraging suspense, a sense of the uncanny, and supernatural occurrences to elicit feelings of fear and foreboding.

Historical Fiction - A story that takes place in a setting drawn from history. Historical fiction is usually presented from the perspective of the historical characters, whose behavior is consistent with the manners and social norms of the time.

Horror - A story intended to provoke an emotional, psychological, or physical fear response in the audience. Horror stories frequently contain supernatural elements, though not always, and the central menace may serve as a metaphor for the fears of society.

Mystery - A story that frequently involves a mysterious death or a crime to be solved, though not always. The main character is often a detective who must consider a small group of suspects--each of whom must have a reasonable motive and opportunity for committing the crime.

Political Satire - A story that uses irony and sarcasm to expose human folly and vice in the political arena. Political satires often critique the status quo and, in doing so, offer alternatives and possibilities for improvements.

Romance - A story that revolves around two people as they develop romantic love for each other and try to build a relationship. Romance stories may explore love at first sight, forbidden love, or love triangles.

Romantic Comedy - A story that combines love and humor. Typically, these are stories with light, funny plotlines centered on romantic ideals such as fate and true love. Romantic comedies often feature couples that are polar opposites in terms of temperament, social status, or situation in life.

Sci-Fi - An imaginative story, usually set in the future or in an alternative universe, in which new technology, scientific principles, or political systems are developed or applied.

Spy - A story that involves espionage, secret agents, or secret service organizations as an important context or plot device.

Suspense - A story that slowly generates feelings of anxiety, anticipation and uncertainty in the audience. Typically the main character becomes aware of danger only gradually, thus exacerbating the audience’s discomfort.

Thriller - A fast-paced, gripping, plot-centered story that invokes an emotional thrill by mixing intense fear and excitement. Usually the protagonist is in danger from the outset.

And my favorite genre, which was not included on the NYC Midnight list:

Women's Fiction - The #1 rule of women's fiction is that the plot is driven by the main character's emotional journey. These layered stories can have suspense, action, fairy tales or whatever, as long as the promise of that first rule is kept.

Women's fiction has been growing over the last decade. There's now a writers group for it (it's awesome!) and next week on June 8th is the third annual Women's Fiction Day. All details are here, but there will be live programming on their Instagram channel with authors and agents all day. The popular hashtags will be #Womensfictionday and #WFWA.

Final Thoughts

So, as you can see, there are a freaking lot of genres! And yes, each genre has rules that can serve as a framework for both authors and readers. However, at the end of the day, the most important thing is to write a story YOU would love to read.

If you truly have no idea which genre you write (or which one you'd like to jump into), start reading. Browse libraries, Amazon, bookstores and fellow writers for recommendations, so you can make the most of whichever genre you have chosen.

Do you know which genre you prefer to write (or read)? Who is your favorite author to recommend in your preferred genre? Please let me know if covered your niche, and whether there are interesting genres that I missed!

About Jenny

By day, Jenny provides corporate communications and LinkedIn advice for professional services firms. By night she writes humor, memoir, women’s fiction, and short stories. After 20 years as a corporate trainer, she’s delighted to sit down while she works.

When she’s not at her personal blog, More Cowbell, Jenny can be found on Facebook at JennyHansenAuthor or at Writers In The Storm.

by Margie Lawson

Everyone needs to become an expert on body language. Misreading body language can lead to disgrace, disaster, and divorce.

Yikes!

How well do you read body language?

Take the 10 Point Quiz I created and find out!

What’s Your Body Language IQ?

1. Ninety-three percent of communication is nonverbal.  T    F
2. If people say the right words, it doesn’t matter how they say them.  T    F
3. Some people wait a few seconds before showing a nonverbal response.  T   F
4. Body language can only be interpreted one way.  T    F
5. People subconsciously mirror nonverbal behavior of others.  T    F
6. If the words and body language contradict each other, the listener believes the body language. T F
7. Facial expressions convey 85% of the nonverbal message.  T   F
8. People can cover up their emotions by keeping their face blank.  T   F
9. Lips carry more nonverbal messages than eyes.  T    F
10. When anxious, people touch their face more often.  T    F

STOP!  

Did you take the quiz? 

If not – TAKE THE QUIZ NOW.

I’m waiting.

And waiting.

You really took it this time. Right?

Give yourself 10 points for each correct answer.

Ready for those answers?

1.   Ninety-three percent of communication is nonverbal.  T    F

TRUE

It’s a monstrous percentage, which is why people should monitor their nonverbals. Let’s look at the number one phobia in the U.S., public speaking.  

If you’re nervous you may display a cluster of anxiety flags, e.g., rolling in lips, tightening mouth, evasive eye contact, halting gait, soft voice, modulated voice tones.

If your anxiety escalates, your nonverbals become more pronounced: collapsed chest, shoulders forward, respiration rapid and shallow, pupils dilated, voice pitched high, face tight.

Project more confident body language, and you’ll feel more confident. People will react positively to the new, confident you. 

Writers almost always need more subtext on their pages. Subtext shares the psychological messages behind body language.

How do you get subtext on the page?

Facial expressions. Dialogue cues. Spatial cues. Gestures.

2.   If people say the right words, it doesn’t matter how they say them.  T    F

FALSE 

An easy one. Vocal cues carry qualifying messages that support or discount the words. Americans are pros at sarcasm. Watch your inflection, rate of speech, volume, and tone. Be sure your vocal cues support your message—unless you’re telling a joke.

On the page, dialogue cues carry that all-critical subtext.

Don’t write overused, carry-no-power, blah-de-blah-blah dialogue tags. Share subtext and write fresh.

Taken, Rebecca Rivard, Virtual Immersion Grad

Before: “Calm down,” he said in a hard voice.

After Deep Editing: “Chill. Out.” His voice was don’t-mess-with-me mean.

Leigh Robinson, Immersion Grad (in Australia) and Multi-Virtual Immersion Grad

My voice had an unwavering, unyielding, refusing-to-be-cross-examined-by-Jacqui tone.

Trust Me, Romily Bernard, Margie-Grad

I can barely hear Lily now. She’s whispering softer than I am, probably close to tears, and I should try for comforting, but I’m barely holding down a scream.

Romily Bernard could have just written the first sentence and moved on with her story.

Look how much more interest and power she put on the page. Impressive.

3.   Some people wait a few seconds before showing a nonverbal response. T   F

FALSE

Nonverbal communication is continuous. It’s on-going. It never stops.

Pauses and hesitations are not your friend on the page. Why? Nothing happens. And nothing happening is not interesting.

Writers share what happens in real life. We pause. We hesitate.

But body language is happening then. Make your scenes stronger. Nix the pause and get fresh body language on the page.

Body language is interesting if it’s written in a fresh way. And it carries psychological power too.

Rebecca Rivard could have had her POV character pause in the following example. But she wrote this fresh amplified body language piece instead.

Taken, Rebecca Rivard, Virtual Immersion Grad

I touched the switchblade in my pocket for good luck and loosened my muscles—jaw, neck, shoulders, fingers. Tension distracted you. It wasted energy, added to your mental strain. When you were tense, you made mistakes.

And mistakes could get you killed.

4.   Body language can only be interpreted one way.  T    F

FALSE

An easy answer, with complex levels of application. Cognitively, people know there are multiple interpretations. Yet people interpret body language at a subconscious level and act on those feelings. 

Let’s imagine a wife asks her husband to go with her to visit her mother, and in the next nanosecond his gaze shifts away and back, he sighs, and his mouth tightens.

The wife reads his body language, assumes her husband doesn’t want to go, and reacts before he can say anything.

She says, “Forget it.  I’ll go without you.” Her tone is sharp enough to cut a diamond.

Her body language—stiff posture, flashing eyes, harsh tone—surprise her husband.  He stares at her, his mouth open (confused) or closed tight (mad). 

She turns, grabs the keys, and leaves.

The husband stands there wondering what the heck happened.

I know what happened.

Her question, asking him to go with her, triggered a thought. He remembered that the last time he drove the car it vibrated, and he wondered if the tires needed to be balanced. His split-second body language—shifting gaze, a sigh, and his mouth tightening—stemmed from thoughts about the tires.

Whoops.

The wife thought his body language communicated he didn’t want to go with her to visit her mother.

He has no idea why she got angry and left.

Situations like that play out too frequently with couples, friends, and coworkers. 

People misinterpret nuances of body language and react. Misreading body language creates conflict.

Having characters misread body language is an easy way to get more tension on your pages and complicate your scenes. Smart and fun too.

5.   People subconsciously mirror nonverbal behavior of others.  T    F

TRUE – and so fun!

When you’re in a restaurant, watch couples and friends. If they like each other, they both lean forward seemingly at the same time. One leads by a nanosecond. They may reach for their beverages and drink at the same time. They mirror posture, gestures, facial expressions, voice patterns. Their body language looks choreographed.

You could slip mirroring in your book a couple of times. It’s a universal truth. And universal truths cement readers in the POV character’s skin.

6.   If the words and body language contradict each other, the listener believes the body language.  T   F

TRUE

When the words are incongruent with the body language and/or how the dialogue is delivered, people always believe the nonverbals. 

Every book needs body language that shows the incongruence on the face, or between facial expressions and dialogue cues, or between a face or voice and a visceral response.

You need tension on the page. Write this incongruence and share it in a fresh way.

Leigh Robinson, Multi-Virtual Immersion Grad

Jacqui’s smile was encouraging, but her eyes revealed her doubts.

Trust Me, Romily Bernard, Margie-Grad

“You’re checking my stuff?” I ask, and I sound good. I’m all light and unimpressed even though my insides are splintering.

Morianna, Corinne O’Flynn, Virtual Immersion Grad

“Thank you, Mr. Albie.” I let my tone express exactly where I wished he’d stick his chivalrous gesture.

The reader gets the incongruence in all those examples. Smart writing!

7.   Facial expressions convey 85% of the nonverbal message.  T   F

FALSE

Facial expressions are key, but vocal cues (what I call dialogue cues on the page), posture, movements, spatial relationships, all contribute to the nonverbal message.

Depending on the research, faces carry 30 to 50% of the nonverbals.

Write more facial expressions and write them fresh!

Wild Women and the Blues, Denny Bryce, 7-time Immersion-Grad

Her expression was like the pages of the screenplay I never wrote. Blank with a heavy shot of I don’t care.

Most Likely to Succeed, Monica Corwin, Multi-Immersion Grad, NYT Bestseller

I forced a small smile. The one reserved for funerals and unexpected encounters with the inspiration of every fantasy I ever had.

Like Father Not Son, Kristin Meachem, Multi-Immersion Grad, Australia and U.S.

1. She has the same pleading look our last dog had lying on the table at the vet with broken bones, bleeding insides. Save me.
2. He stares at me with no smile, no pat-on-the-back fondness. He stares at me with eyes I’ve only seen in hidden photos. Eyes I will never forget. He stares at me with eyes Kaitlyn once loved.

8.   People can cover up their emotions by keeping their face blank.  T   F

FALSE

Faces are never blank. Lips twitch. Nostrils flare. Eyes narrow or widen almost imperceptibly. Mouths barely open or barely tighten. Pupils dilate. Tips of tongues show when people lick lips.

To a kinesics specialist, these are all diagnostic indicators. To a writer, these are cues to write what I call flicker-face emotions. 

Star-Crossed, Pintip Dunn, Immersion Grad, RITA Winner, NYT Bestseller

1.  Her eyes meet mine for a fraction of a second, and something I can’t read flits through them.

2. Hope lights up her face, and then, like a flickering candle, it dies. 

A School for Unusual Girls, Kathleen Baldwin, USA Today Bestseller

1. A flash of surprise lit her eyes but instantly vanished, followed by a frighteningly cold steel shuttering of her features. 
2. An emotion splashed across Jane’s face, but vanished so swiftly I couldn’t identify it. Was it anger? Sadness perhaps? Or pain?

Flicker-face emotions are fun to write. Dig in. Make them carry power.

9.   Lips carry more nonverbal messages than eyes.  T    F

TRUE

The lips do more, convey more emotion. Watch people’s mouths. You’ll have more insight into their reactions and decisions.

Writers need to remember, an open mouth, even barely open, usually means the person is thinking about it, and they may be open to that idea. A closed mouth usually means no way.

You’d write the mouth, then you might share the POV character’s interpretation. What that means to them.

Picture a teenager asking to use the car. And they see this look: Dad’s mouth went tight, and I knew I’d never get the car.

I shared how the POV character interpreted that facial expression. I shared what I call "impact on the POV character."

10. When anxious, you touch your face more often.  T    F

TRUE

Self-touch behaviors increase when people are anxious. They touch their faces (cheek, eyebrow, lip, nose, ear), or near their face (throat, jaw, back of neck, behind ear, hair), as well as their hands and arms. 

Self-touch behaviors accelerate when anxiety is high. They are body language polygraphs.

When people are in a job interview, when suspects are interrogated, when a guy proposes to his gal, self-touch behaviors significantly increase. The person who’s anxious may touch their face, throat, hand, or arm every 10 to 20 seconds, sometimes every couple of seconds, unaware of their self-touch behavior. 

More good info for writing characters who are anxious or scared. Just don’t overdo those self-touch behaviors.

How did you score? 

Did you make a 100?  90?  80?

Body language is fascinating in real life and on the page.

IN REAL LIFE you get to monitor and moderate your body language when you’re pitching to agents and editors, interacting with booksellers, doing a book signing, being on a panel, presenting a workshop or webinar or master class.

ON THE PAGE you get to explore the full range of body language, and challenge yourself to write it fresh, fresh, fresh! Look at the power you have with body language.  You can use faces and voices to add tension, complicate scenes, and drive plot points too.

Dig for the truth. Share the tension. Write those faces and voices in fresh ways.

Thanks so much for being here today. Please post a comment and say Hi!

Hellooo… I’m talking to all of you!

I can’t see your expressions. Click in and say Hi. I’d love to know you’re here.

Want to learn how to write fresh facial expressions and dialogue cues?

Take my Writing Body Language and Dialogue Cues Like a Psychologist class. It starts tomorrow, June 1. Don’t miss out!

My next Dig Deep Webinar: Expand Time, Intensify Power

• Thursday, June 17, 12:00 p.m. Mountain Time
• Friday, June 18, 7:00 p.m. Mountain Time

* * * * * *

About Margie

Margie Lawson left a career in psychology to focus on another passion—helping writers make their stories, characters, and words strong. Using a psychologically-based, deep-editing approach, Margie teaches writers how to bring emotion to the page. Emotion equals power. Power grabs readers and holds onto them until the end. Hundreds of Margie grads have gone on to win awards, find agents, sign with publishers, and hit bestseller lists.     

An international presenter, Margie has taught over 150 full-day master classes in the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and France, as well as multi-day intensives on cruise ships in the Caribbean. Pre-COVID, she taught 5-day Immersion Master Classes across the U.S. and Canada and in seven cities in Australia too. 

COVID Update: Immersion Master Classes are now virtual, taught through Zoom. Virtual Immersion classes are limited to six writers. They're two days long—and as always, writers get one on one deep editing with Margie. 

She also founded Lawson Writer's Academy, where you’ll find over 30 instructors teaching online courses through her website. To learn more, and sign up for Margie’s newsletter, visit www.margielawson.com.

Image by Usman Yousaf from Pixabay

Don’t forget about Lawson Writer’s Academy courses!

I’m so proud of all the smart classes we offer writers. Check out our powerful line-up for June!

1. Writing Body Language and Dialogue Cues Like a Psychologist
2. Dazzling Developmental Edits
3. Killing It with Conflict
4. Write Backstory with Confidence
5. Flying Write
6. Can We Talk? Dialogue the Write Way
7. Crazy-Easy Awesome Author Websites
8. Battling the Basics
9. Six-Week Author Mentoring Intensive
10. Profitable Facebook Ads

I’d love to cyber-meet you! Drop by my monthly “Get Happy with Margie” Open House, Tuesday, June 15, 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. Mountain Time.

Thank you again. See you in the comments section!

Fabulous first lines tend to stick with all of us. We ponder them, agonize over them, rewrite them, and rewrite them again. And more than once, we've actually purchased a book based on breathtaking first line or paragraph.

Plus, a good first line is quotable. Who doesn't remember these?

“It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.” – Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen

"Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way." – Anna Karenina, Leo Tolstoy

"Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again." – Rebecca, Daphne du Maurier

"Call me Ishmael." – Moby-Dick, Herman Melville

Also, our own Laura Drake has offered some great advice on writing a winning first line here and here.

But today, we invite you to share the opening lines of your current WIP (work-in-progress) or recently finished novel in the comments! Or share a favorite from someone else. Give us the title and genre, then your opening line(s). Feel free to comment on others' as well, and tag your writing friends on the post!

We'll get you started.

Ellen

"Jack Schmidt ambled into the main office of the lumber mill carrying his father's lunch pail. Sounds of rage poured through the inner office walls." – The Hobo Code, YA historical Fiction

"Chairman Meow, our feline ball of fluff, occupied my bedroom window seat." – Crystal Memories, work in progress

Jenny

"Computer work and the Pill almost killed me." – The Best Morning of My Life, a short story

"Boaz pushed open the door to the tiny shop and inhaled the magic that never got old." – Brotherly Love, a short story

"He’d been seduced by space travel. He'd testify on it if he had to." – What Comes After Doomsday?, a short story 

John

"It had been two days since we left the Ice Palace in the frozen tundra of Arctus." – Max and the Isle of Sanctus-Book 2, Secrets of the Twilight Djinn

Kris

"Ellie held Rocky's fishbowl on her lap, watching stars from the forest ridge overlooking their remote Earth town. This has been their nightly tradition during their furlough, but tonight she had business to discuss with him." – Star Tracker, a New Beginning, a sci-fi short story

Now it's your turn. Share your opening lines—or a favorite from another author below!

We hope this helps kick off a great weekend of writing!

Ellen, Jenny, John & Kris