It's the Holiday Season and here at Writers in the Storm we're looking forward to sneaking open some reader gifts early with a little "Pimp and Promote." Of course, this always costs us some money, because we have to go out and buy lots of books. But there will be awesome sales in a couple of days.
How does this work?
To quote the genie in Aladdin, “There are a few provisos, a couple of quid-pro-quos…"
Pimp out somebody else’s work – this can be a favorite author, blogger, post or book you’ve read, a wonderful teacher or just someone who had profound influence on you as a writer or a person. Please limit your comments to one work.
OR
Promote one of your projects that you’re excited about – a hobby, a blog, a book, or a new direction your writing is taking you. You decide. Just tell us about it in the comments! (Please restrain your enthusiasm to just one of your WIPs.) The rest of us will jump in and “ooooh and ahh” at you, and likely promote your project even further because we’re just so darn excited today.
Better yet, do one of each!
And please peruse the comments. You might find a few things you like in the plethora of pimping that’s about to ensue.
Thanks again for making WITS one of the top writer’s blogs! We appreciate you.
We have just experienced the longest night of the year, when keeping hope alive is a real challenge for those with seasonal affective disorder, those grieving losses, or those writers experiencing the Long Night of the Pre-Published Soul. It is hard to want something for so many years, so intensely, while working toward a distant goal. The yearning can become downright painful.
Others are getting published, we notice. Our Facebook feed is full of them. At first we cheer heartily from the sidelines—it bodes well for us that people are still getting offers of representation and book deals and prizes!—but after a few years, we can’t help but wonder when our turn will come.
If only the road to publication had belt rankings.
Watching my son rise through the rankings toward his black belt in Tae Kwon Do over the course of many years, I admired the clarity of the system. You knew exactly what to do to get to the next level. When you have completed the requisite tasks, a testing day is assigned when you get to prove your worth. If you pass, your mentor bows in respect and bestows the earned belt—and once you earn it, the belt is not taken away.
Wouldn’t it be nice if our journey as writers could have such well-defined tests and rewards on the way to the black belt of book publication, so we knew how we were doing?
I base the following on quotes obtained at the American Taewondo Association website. I love the descriptions here—as well as the following admonishment:
It is worth noting that achieving a belt isn't just a matter of "spending enough time" in a previous belt. In order to achieve their next rank, a student must demonstrate their proficiency in their current belt's techniques.
Hmm… Let’s see what the rankings can offer us.
White Belt
“Pure and without knowledge... As with the Pine Tree, the seed must now be planted and nourished to develop strong roots.”
We bring so much to the beginning of our writing journeys: a great story idea, life experience, college degrees, and perhaps even a career in journalism or another type of writing. Yet our slate is often emptier than we realize. We must humble ourselves for the journey.
Orange Belt
“The sun is beginning to rise. As with the morning's dawn, only the beauty of the sunrise is seen rather than the immense power.”
Ah, that first intoxicating day we sat down to write. Look at all those black marks on the page, where previously there were none! Creating a character can be as exhilarating as giving birth; putting her in trouble breaks our hearts. And that turn of phrase! We are ablaze with the emotional intensity of creative writing.
Yellow Belt
“The seed is beginning to see the sunlight.”
We start grasping the basics of the craft and its challenges. We want all the light we can get, and leave our lonely writing cave for workshops, conferences, and any other education we can gobble up.
Camouflage (Camo) Belt
“The sapling is hidden amongst the taller pines and must now fight its way upward.”
We look around and realize that everyone and her brother are writing novels, and seek to find our true place in what we now realize is a huge industry we must learn about. We seek our strengths so we can capitalize upon them; to define the type of story we are drawn to write; to develop our unique voice. We realize we will have to compete to earn our spot.
Green Belt
“The pine tree is beginning to develop and grow in strength.”
Our writing is developing power. The components of storytelling are beginning to work in unison. We see our shortcomings and seek the additional resources needed to rectify them. Dipping a toe into the competitive waters, we enter a few contests.
Purple Belt
“Coming to the mountain. The tree is in the mid-growth and now the path becomes steep.”
Through critique partners, short story submissions, early agent queries, and other means, we discover that telling a great story and marketing it effectively requires a much steeper learning curve than we had ever imagined. We enter a forest thick with rejection, but if we can just push through, we’ll find we are high enough up the mountain to look back and see how far we’ve come.
Blue Belt
“The tree reaches for the sky toward new heights.”
The air thins; many of our friends desert us by heading back down the mountain or self-publishing prematurely. Early supporters question our sanity. Keeping our sights on the summit will take inner resolve and discipline.
Brown Belt
“The tree is firmly rooted in the earth.”
Now grounded in self-confidence born of craft and self-awareness, we can better withstand the storms of criticism. Knowing we will not backslide, our education will be greatly supplemented by reaching back and mentoring others through their early climb.
Red Belt
“The sun is setting. The first phase of growth has been accomplished.”
Our craft is firm but inflexible; we need to apply it over and over to gain the resiliency required of a working author by testing it on new stories. We must keep in mind that if we reach the summit the first question will be, “So what else are you working on?”
Red/Black Belt
“The dawn of a new day. The sun breaks through the darkness.”
It is time to put our writing to the real test. Those of us already submitting are starting to get positive feedback from in-person pitches and requests for pages from emailed queries. We have the skills we need; now it’s a matter of aligning with just the right advocate.
Black Belt
“The tree has reached maturity and has overcome the darkness... it must now plant seeds for the future.”
Black results when all the colors of the light spectrum are absorbed into an object. We have taken control of the colors and retained them, and our agent and an acquiring editor will testify to our preparedness and mastery. We have reached the summit—of this mountain. You know the mountaineering continues, right? This is only a first-degree black belt. There’s a second, and third, and…
If you are still within the longest night of the pre-published soul, give yourself a belt to honor the path already traveled. What color is it? What do you need to work on to earn the next belt?
Her work as a developmental editor at Writing-Partner.com, specializing in storytelling structure and writing craft, follows a nineteen-year career as a dance critic. Long a leader in the southeastern Pennsylvania writing scene, she now serves as book club liaison for the Women’s Fiction Writers Association. She hosts lakeside writing retreats for women in northern New York State, leads workshops, and speaks often about writing.
Kathryn lives with her husband in Bucks County, PA.
Unless you're incredibly lucky, at some point in your writing life you're bound to fall into a rut. The novel you loved yesterday feels flat today, all your ideas sound "meh" and nothing really excites you about your current manuscript. It happens, and scary as it can be, there are ways to knock your muse out of her slump and get things moving again.
Sometimes the best way to get out of a rut is to look at the novel from a different perspective. It can shake loose preconceived ideas and allow you to see the story and characters in ways you hadn't considered before. These different views often spark ideas that breathe new life into a novel that needs it.
Years ago I read a hilarious description of The Wizard of Oz that was "accurate but misleading," that stated: “Transported to a surreal landscape, a young girl kills the first person she meets and then teams up with three strangers to kill again.”
Yes, this technically does describe the movie, but it's not exactly what the movie is about. It does, however, change the whole tenor of the film. Suddenly Dorothy's the villain, and that opens up all sorts of delicious possibilities and changes how other characters might react to her when they encounter her. The Wizard wasn't trying to be a jerk, he was just trying to get this murderer out of his city before she hurt anyone! (See if you can guess the movies below)
Besides being fun, the "accurate, but misleading" game is a great tool to look at your own novel in new ways. Think about how the various characters in the story might describe it--even if it's not how you would. Every character feels like the hero in their own story, and that affects how they see the overall plot or their role in it. What about their views might be accurate but misleading, and spark that sleepy muse? Ask yourself:
How would your antagonist describe the plot?
This can open up some new ideas on where additional conflict might work, or where the antagonist might appear more sympathetic. Bad guys readers can understand and even relate to are often the most compelling. It's also useful if the antagonist isn't "bad" or a villain, just a character in opposition to your protagonist's goal. Ethical gray areas can keep readers guessing what will happen next, or what they'd do in that same situation.
#1: "An imposter infiltrates the White House and attempts to push through his own agenda."
How would the secondary characters describe it?
This can reveal subplots that might bring in added conflict or tension, or be the perfect red herring for the core conflict. It can also show you where your other characters might disagree or how they might solve any of your current plot problems. Seeing how they view or fit into the story might even help you find more layered ways those characters can contribute to the novel.
#2: After his family is murdered, a young man runs away from home to avenge their deaths.
How would the supporting characters describe it?
Minor characters can have opinions, too. This can expose some currently helpful characters who might not want to help, but are doing it since the author told them to (and author is The Boss). What if they had a different view on the matter? What happens to the plot then? If readers never know who might be willing to help the hero, who might try to hurt them, or might have an agenda all their own, the novel will be that much more unpredictable and interesting to read.
#3: A security team fights off a group of hackers trying to destroy vital government infrastructure.
How would you describe the plot if you were trying to be as accurate, but misleading, as possible?
This can force you to look at your story from a variety of new perspectives and see connections, themes, or mirrors you hadn't noticed before. Maybe you always saw the love interest as being a good guy, but if you gave him ulterior motives it changes the entire dynamic of the novel for the better. Maybe a truth about the world or society isn't at all what you thought and could be a rich layer to draw subtext from. You could even discover questionable allies for the protagonist among the antagonist's crew.
#4: A mentally disturbed father goes to dangerous extremes in order to see his children.
Not every new perspective is going to work, and trying to fit them all in would probably ruin the story, but you're bound to find gems mixed in that will get you out of your rut.
How would you describe your novel that is accurate, but misleading? What about your favorite books or movies?
Answers: 1: Dave. 2: Star Wars. 3: The Matrix. 4: Mrs. Doubtfire.
About Janice
Looking for tips on planning your novel? Check out my newest book Planning Your Novel: Ideas and Structure, a series of self-guided workshops that help you turn your idea into a novel.
Janice Hardy is the author of the teen fantasy trilogy The Healing Wars, where she tapped into her own dark side to create a world where healing was dangerous, and those with the best intentions often made the worst choices. Her novels include The Shifter, Blue Fire, and Darkfall from Balzer+Bray/Harper Collins. The first book in her Foundations of Fiction series, Planning Your Novel: Ideas and Structureis out now. She lives in Georgia with her husband, one yard zombie, three cats, and a very nervous freshwater eel. Find out more about writing at her site, Fiction University, or find her on Twitter @Janice_Hardy.
