Writers in the Storm

Kate Moretti

We writers spend a lot of time online. Facebook, twitter, forums, groups, message boards, I could go on. We debate. We talk about craft and commas and grammar and agents and publishers and eventually someone will bring up genre and everyone will silently groan because the only conversation that rivals genre is “Plotting vs. Pantsing”. Then someone will say “Why do we need genre? Why can’t we just write fiction? Why are there all these rules to my ART?” and he will adjust his monocle and twirl his cane,… oh wait, no….

And then there’s this other guy who inevitably jumps in and declares that his work is much too lit-rah-rary and even though his book has dragons AND spaceships, NO PUBLISHER WILL PUT HIM IN A BOX, DAGNABBIT.

The thing is, I sort of, kind of, totally get it. It’s constricting to say, well if you’re writing suspense you can’t spend ten pages on the description of a kitchen cabinet and all it’s contents, you just can’t (never do this anyway). It seems silly, all these little arbitrary rules that have no bearing on what we are writing, on the worlds we itch to create.

Here’s the thing, though. These rules don’t exist because of the writing. They exist because of the READING. Ultimately, we want our work to be read, not just written. To be read, it must be sold. To be sold, it must be readable to readers, NOT WRITERS.

We’re creating a product for someone.

I’ll give you a minute. I know this feels uncomfortable.

It’s so commercial! You say.

Yes. I’m sorry.

Genre is your friend, I promise. It’s here to help you. Let me explain.

1. Genre gives your story a framework. The very thing you loathe can be the thing that saves you (if you let it). Don’t know how to end the book? If it’s a romance, don’t even think about not getting the couple together. Make sure the hero accomplishes most of their goal. Make sure there is justice for the antagonist. In a fantasy, the world must be saved or at least saved for now (sequels sure to follow). You want to break the norms? That’s fine, but be smart and creative. Find a way to break the mold, while still maintaining reader satisfaction. Have the couple break up, but hint at a sequel. Leave the heart pounding for the next book. Make the genre work for you. You will stand out like a sunflower in a wheat field.
2. Genre gives you a built in audience. Whether we like it or not, readers come with preferences. Many people (non-writers) read only one kind of book. I know this because my grandmother would ONLY read Danielle Steele or Fern Michaels and, as a teenager, I would steal them. This feels foreign to writers, who are told almost daily to “read widely”. If you write high fantasy, you can market your work to “fans of Tolkien” and even George R.R. Martin. Is there anything hotter than GOT right now? You can hashtag your tweets, Instas, Facebook posts and use these popular phenomenons to your advantage.
3. Genre is less constricting than you think. Most people who lament genre do it because they revere the written word. They love a long winding sentence, bordering on the purple side. They enjoy a wide and colorful vocabulary and don’t want to keep their sentences short and sweet, even though their MC is being chased down a dark alley by a serial killer alien. I’m here to tell you that’s ok. I like a good sentence. I enjoy psychological depth, a clever use of language and some unique vocabulary. I also think I write suspense. The skill is in knowing how, and when, to use it. To use language to bolster a mood, or deepen a character, not to describe a fight scene or a chase sequence.
4. Genre sells a book. This is the biggest reason to embrace genre. It goes back to that thing you hate. We are creating a product for someone else. The sooner you accept this, the sooner you’ll find commercial “success” (whatever this means to you, but that’s a post for another day). Agents and editors pursue books of a certain genre ALL. THE. TIME. No exceptions. Is literary a genre? I think so (dodges tomatoes). They have a list that has x number of fantasy books, x number of women’s fiction, y number of domestic suspense. Domestic suspense is hot right now, they’ll float it out there: I want a DS pitch, stat. If you’re book is a wishy-washy middle ground, a romantic-urban fantasy-women’s fiction-horror-suspense hybrid, your manuscript will not get pitched. It’s that simple. Your agent (provided you get that far) will send in the sure thing because MONEY.

This is what your agent WANTS to do. Ahem, LET THEM.

So, tell me what you think. Do you agree? Does genre help or hurt the industry?

 

Kate Moretti is the New York Times Bestselling author of the women’s fiction novel, Thought I Knew You. Her second novel Binds That Tie  was released in March 2014. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, two kids, and a dog. She’s worked in the pharmaceutical industry for ten years as a scientist, and has been an avid fiction reader her entire life. Her latest book, The Vanishing Year is available for pre-order and will be out September 27.

She enjoys traveling and cooking, although with two kids, a day job, and writing, she doesn’t get to do those things as much as she’d like. Her lifelong dream is to buy an old house with a secret passageway.

Www.facebook.com/katemorettiwriter
Www.twitter.com/katemoretti1

 

 

 

 

Susan Spann

Whether you publish traditionally or as an author-publisher, it’s critical to understand the rights you own—and the ones you give away (even temporarily) by contract. Otherwise, it’s impossible to tell if you’re getting an excellent deal, an industry-standard arrangement, or an offer you should walk (or run) away from.

Today, let’s look at a few important facts all authors need to know about ebook rights, which normally cover not only “standard ebooks” but all digital and downloadable versions of the author’s work.

Ebook rights are usually licensed to publishers in a contract's "Grant of Rights" paragraph, as part of the Primary Grant of Rights.

The “Grant of Rights” or “Primary Rights” paragraph customarily appears near the start of a publishing contract (and within the first third of self-publishing terms of use).

This paragraph usually addresses a number of different rights, all of which belong to the author as part of the copyright in the work. (Remember: ownership of copyright, and all other rights in the work, belongs to the author until (s)he sells, licenses, or transfers them to someone else—by contract or otherwise.)

In most publishing contracts, the author will grant the publisher a license (legally defined as a "right to use") to the rights specified in the agreement.

Normally, "primary rights" include the rights to publish, distribute, and sell the work in print and ebook formats in certain specified languages and territories. (Be careful not to give a publisher broader rights than it can meaningfully exploit on your behalf!)

Ebook-only publishers shouldn't ask for print rights too, but print publishers normally expect to license ebook rights as well as the right to publish the book in print.

Contracts should never give publishers "Ownership" of copyright or any other rights (including ebook rights).

A license is not the same thing as ownership, and no good publishing contract will ever give a publisher ownership of the author’s copyright (or any other ownership rights in the work). Instead, the contract should give the publisher a license--normally an exclusive license--to publish the work in certain formats.

What is a fair royalty rate on ebooks?

The industry-standard royalty rate on ebooks is currently 25% of either list price (less common) or publisher’s gross receipts on sales (more common). However, some publishers try to persuade authors to accept lower figures (beware!) and some pay royalties as high as 50%. Even higher royalties are often paid on self-published books, where the author’s share of sales may be 75% or more.

What are “enhanced e-books”?

Most authors know what an ebook is (if you don't, I’d normally suggest you Google it, but if you don’t know about “ebooks” you’re probably not all that good with Google either). However, many authors don't know the difference between standard ebooks and enhanced ebooks.

An "enhanced ebook" is an ebook containing not only the text of the work, but also supplementary content designed to enhance the reader's experience. Examples include pop-up maps (that appear when you click a place name in the text), musical scores or other sound effects that accompany the reading, and hyperlinks that open web-based content.

Enhanced ebooks are currently rare, but several companies do now publish and sell enhanced ebooks, either as independent products or as enhanced overlays for publishers’ existing ebook content.

Standard publishing contracts contain an ebook clause that grants the publisher all rights to ebooks "in any and all digital, electronic, and downloadable formats now known or hereafter developed," which includes enhanced ebooks. Some publishers now include enhanced ebooks specifically in the grant of rights as well.

By granting enhanced ebook rights, the author surrenders the right to:

(a) Determine whether or not an enhanced ebook is made,
(b) Control the enhanced ebook content, and
(c) Request a higher royalty rate on enhanced ebooks—unless the contract specifies otherwise, the standard ebook royalty rate applies.

While some publishers may not be willing to negotiate on enhanced ebooks, or even to produce them since the format competes with standard ebooks, authors should be aware of enhanced ebook rights and make decisions about them consciously.

Like any publishing rights, only you--the author--can make the business decision about how (and whether) to grant your rights to a publisher, and on what basis. It’s a business decision each author must make after careful consideration of the contract and the author’s wishes for the book and his or her career. Before you sign, be sure you know where ebooks (and enhanced ebooks) fit into the contract, that you understand the terms being offered, and that you're making the decision you believe is best for you and your work.

Have you read an enhanced ebook? Do you have questions about author ebook rights?

Susan Spann writes the Hiro Hattori Novels, featuring ninja detective Hiro Hattori and his Portuguese Jesuit sidekick, Father Mateo. The fourth book in the series, THE NINJA’S DAUGHTER, will release from Seventh Street Books in August 2016. Susan is the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers’ 2015 Writer of the Year, and a transactional attorney whose practice focuses on publishing and business law. When not writing or practicing law, she raises seahorses and rare corals in her marine aquarium. Find her online at http://www.SusanSpann.com, on Twitter (@SusanSpann), and on Facebook (SusanSpannAuthor).

 

 

Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy

A lot of focus gets put on the core conflict of a novel--the main problem the protagonist has to solve to win. It's no wonder since that's the whole point of the book, but sometimes, when we look too hard at the external problems, we miss out on opportunities to let the internal problems muck things up. This is especially true in a character-driven novel, since that inner journey is what's driving the entire book.

If you've been struggling with a plot, or you're looking for ways to deepen an existing plot, try looking at how your protagonist's internal conflict is driving her external actions.

At the heart of every good internal conflict is a fear created by trauma. Something bad happened to that character at some point to scar her for life, and this fear affects how she makes decisions. This is usually the fear she must overcome by the end of the book to finally grow as a character and overcome whatever obstacle has been in her path.

Look at your protagonist and ask:

What's her greatest fear?

Look at the big stuff, the personality-shaping issues that color who she is and what she does. For example, being afraid of spiders won't cut it unless the novel is about defeating a giant spider. What are the fears central to who she is and why she lives her life as she does?

How did she get this fear?

Explore her backstory and determine what happened to cause this fear. This information may not even appear in the novel, but knowing it will help you understand this character. For example, if she was trapped in an elevator as a child, she might avoid any situation that puts her in tight spaces or requires an elevator trip (so much for that dream job on the 45th floor).

How does this fear cause her to make bad decisions?

Anything this influential on a person's life will have affected it before the book ever opens. What has she done to hurt herself because of this fear? What has she lost because she was too afraid to pursue it? For example, maybe a relationship went bad, or she didn't take a job she wanted. Maybe she didn't act when she should have and that mistake still haunts her.

Next, look at the core conflict of your novel and brainstorm how this fear might affect it.

What situations would cause her to face this fear?

Think about the situations that would cause the protagonist's internal fear to prevent her from achieving her external goal. If she's scared of elevators, force her to ride in one to get what she wants. If she doesn't trust people, put her life in the hands of someone she has to trust to survive. Make a list of possibilities and look for any situations that could build off each other and create a fun plot. Also look for situations that would cause additional conflict to your existing plot events and problems.

What critical decisions can she screw up because of this fear?

The first opportunity she has to face this fear will go very, very badly (because that's fun!). She'll screw it up, make the wrong choice, maybe even make the worst choice possible because she's afraid and not thinking clearly. This will get her into more trouble and the only way she'll ever fix it is to face that fear. Other things can and will happen, but this fear will be at the core of why she's in this mess. She did this to herself by her actions and choices, influenced by her fear.

Three is a magic plotting number, so create three choices her fear can mess up. Put one in the beginning of the novel, one in the middle, and one near the end. These will be your major character arc turning points, and they'll coincide with your major external plot turning points.

Where would this fear make her want to give up and walk away?

At some point she'll start overcoming her fear (usually after several mistakes made in the middle). By that third turning point, she'll think she can handle it and face that fear. But she's wrong. Oh so wrong, and she fails miserably. She'll want to give up and walk away, but she can't. The only way forward is to face that dang fear. This is commonly referred to at the Dark Night of the Soul or the All is Lost Moment.

How does overcoming this fear help her succeed?

Facing her fear is what will allow her to do whatever is needed to defeat the antagonist and resolve the main problem of the novel. It might be a small aspect of it, or it might be the single-most important aspect of the climax (it depends on the type of novel you're writing). She faces the fear, overcomes it, and is victorious.

Why this works

Playing the internal and external conflicts off each other creates a strong plot because the mistakes made come from someplace real within the character--they aren't just mistakes because plot said so. The internal conflict gives meaning to the external plot actions, and creates strong motivations for the protagonist to act. It also raises the stakes by making them more personal.

Understanding what a character fears also helps you narrow down the types of plot events to use, guiding your brainstorming sessions. Having a direction to go in makes it easier to find the right problems to throw at your protagonist.

When you use both the external and the internal conflicts to plot, you double your options and create more unpredictable outcomes. The more unpredictable a story is, the more likely it will hook your readers and keep them reading.

Do you use your internal conflict to plot with? Does your protagonist have an internal conflict?

Win a 10-Page Critique From Janice Hardy

Three Books. Three Months. Three Chances to Win.

To celebrate the release of my newest writing books, I'm going on a three-month blog tour--and each month, one lucky winner will receive a 10-page critique from me.

It's easy to enter. Simply visit leave a comment and enter the drawing via Rafflecopter. One entry per blog, but you can enter on every stop on the tour. At the end of each month, I'll randomly choose a winner.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Looking for tips on writing your novel? Check out my book Planning Your Novel: Ideas and Structure, a series of self-guided workshops that help you turn your idea into a novel, and the just-released companion guide, the Planning Your Novel Workbook.

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About Janice

Janice Hardy is the award-winning author of The Healing Wars trilogy and the Foundations of Fiction series, including Planning Your Novel: Ideas and Structure, a self-guided workshop for planning or revising a novel, the companion Planning Your Novel Workbook, and the upcoming Revising Your Novel: First Draft to Finished Draft. She's also the founder of the writing site, Fiction University.

For more advice and helpful writing tips, visit her at www.fiction-university.com or @Janice_Hardy.

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