Writers in the Storm

by Tiffany Lawson Inman

Hello and Happy December! I’ve kept my blog a little shorter today because I know you all are busy busy busy with festivities writing. *wink wink* My hubby is currently wondering when I will put the laptop away and finish wrapping presents.

Here is Part One of my new series here at WITS: Crossing Physical Barriers. Enjoy!

The in-laws will be on your doorstep in 7 hours. The holiday meal must be unique-yet-likeable to nine adults (plus 4 kids) and, um, perfect!

Your house, marriage, holiday décor, life path, parenting skills, current and past weight and hairstyles will be under close scrutiny for the next week. And you are eight days away from the end of the year, realizing now, you are lacking in accomplishments.

Can you think of a better combination for stress, physical outbursts and acne?!?!?

Just from reading the above passage, did you have a fleeting awareness of your own holiday pressures?

Yeah, I did too.

That’s right. I am not on WITS today to talk about the warm n’ fuzzies that usually adorn holiday festivities. I am here to put the focus on writing physical violence.

What can prompt your character to want to physically lash out at another?

Well, let’s see, how many times can your mother-in-law remind you how she makes whipped potatoes before you dump the gravy on her head?  

Haha!

Oh, but seriously now, according to humanillnesses.com violent behavior stems from:

• genetics
• brain injury
• antisocial personality disorder
• alcohol abuse (other substance abuse)
• desensitization
• learned behavior

Yes, keep those in mind when you are developing characters, especially characters that you predict will be involved in some kind of violence in your novel.  Fabulous starting points for your character’s backstory. But today we are only going to look at the different levels of emotional intensity in fictional fight scenes, starting with the Moment Before the fight.

Why?

Because the Moment Before affects the intensity of action that will unfold.  (And because that is all I have time for in Part One!)

• Surprise attacker. Character has no time to think, just respond.

~ Usually results in high intensity level from start to finish as a result of the immediate adrenaline

• Lay in wait. Character knows the attack is coming and is at the ready with self and or weapons.

~ High or medium intensity depending on characters attack plan, if there is a plan.
~ High or medium intensity depending on level of threat: scare, maim, maim and capture, or all out destroy.

• Avoidance tactics. Character knows attack is coming and is on the run or hiding.

~ High or medium intensity depending on how big a head-start character has, decent hiding spot, and what they imagine will happen to them if they are caught.

• Verbal attack turns physical.

~ Low, medium, or high depending on argument, characters involved, and location.

Think about how these elements affect the action in the fight.

For example in The Princess Bride, there is a BIG difference between the emotional intensity of the fight scenes.

A great example of a low intensity fight is between Inigo Montoya and The Man in Black after they’ve both climbed the Cliffs of Insanity.  It’s not a personal fight. These two men do not know each other. They both know the fight is going to happen before it happens.

• One man is under orders to fight and kill (reluctantly)
• The other man is resolved to go ahead with the fight because he desperately needs to move forward on his journey and this man is in his way.

They start the fight with swords and end it with swords because that was the plan. The Moment Before is a somewhat relaxed discussion of fighting terms for their inevitable fight. Even when one loses his weapon, the other allows him to retrieve it before moving forward.

You will also notice the writer allows for some comedic banter between the fighting fellows.  Another way of showing the low intensity level of the violence.

An example of a high intensity fight involves Wesley (The Man in Black) in the Fire Swamp and a Rodent of Unusual Size (ROUS.)

The Moment Before happens without the antagonist. He is a surprise attacker; therefore the fight starts with a zap of adrenaline for the character and the viewer. Because of the shock of the Moment Before the level of intensity is much much higher than before.

ROUSs motivation is to kill and eat. Wesley’s motivation is to keep himself and his bride alive, preferably with limbs intact. The audience can feel the emotional intensity as Wesley and his bride struggle to survive in this fight. He goes through a variety of approaches. When one fails he is forced to scramble for another, and with each change the intensity rises. Hand to hand, big stick, fire, and finally sword.

And I will ask you to notice here as well, how much or really how little dialogue happens when the intensity is this high. There isn’t any time to talk when you are fighting for your life.

I could go through every fight in that movie and for each one we would get to see a different level of emotional intensity.

Why did the writer do that? Because the audience will get desensitized to your violence if it’s all at one level. There will also be a loss of meaning behind the altercations and the reader will probably question the characters in these fights.

What you need to consider for a fight scene’s Moment Before:

• Was there premeditated motivation going into the fight?
• What were the premeditated motivations?
• How long has your character been plotting this action?
• How big of a change is your character needing/wanting/going to get as the fight’s outcome?
• Was it a spur-of-the moment response to an emotional or physical attack?

Break down:

Was there premeditated motivation going into the fight? If there was, then your instigator probably knows a lot about where the fight will take place, giving him/her the upper hand or the element of surprise. Premeditated usually means there are many emotions backing it up.

What were the premeditated motivations? Fight can’t happen if you haven’t made it clear what the motivations or circumstances behind attack are.

How long have your characters been emotionally plotting this action? Easier to show emotion behind plotting from POV character, but is also nice to know the duration of opposite side of the fight.

What is the character need/want of the fight’s outcome? Sometimes this isn’t a blip on their radar yet and they might not have even registered that there could be a different outcome. But more likely than not, there is a need or want involved from beginning. If the reader knows what that need or want is, it’s easier for them to emotionally connect themselves to what happens in the fight as well. What could make it interesting is when the outcome is something opposite or contradictory to what character wants/needs.

Was it a spur-of-the moment response to an emotional or physical attack? I find these the most interesting and usually the highest emotional intensity because of the nature of the fight or flight response.  Primitive action. Survival mode. This is where you can push your character to the edge and over.

Coming up next month in Crossing Physical Barriers -- Part Two:

I will be dissecting fight scenes so you can see a few different ways to show the levels of emotional intensity.  I wonder which authors will be under my dramatic microscope... *wicked smile*

Till next month...I'm wishing you a healthy and safe holiday season. Thank you for reading. Toss me a "Hiya" in the comments.

For those of you drooling at the chance to get your name in the hat 2x for participating in the mini-challenge assignment, you will have to wait till January for that opportunity.

December is too busy with holiday, travel, wife-ing, momma-ing, editing, and teaching to dive in to a mini-challenge this week. SORRY!  I will of course be drawing a name from the regular comments below.

Today's comment winner gets...a free slot in one of my upcoming courses!

• January – Triple Threat Behind Writing a Scene (8 lectures and as always TONS of one-on-one feedback and edits)
• February- Action and Fighting in Fiction: Writing Authentic Choreography With Precision and Bite 
• or jump in and join December's - Method to Madness: Using Acting Techniques to Invigorate Your Writing and Make Each Moment Oscar Worthy

About Tiffany

Tiffany Lawson Inman claimed a higher education at Columbia College Chicago. There, she learned to use body and mind together for action scenes, character emotion, and dramatic story development.

She teaches Action, Choreography, Emotional Impact, Violence, and Dialogue for Lawson Writer’s Academy, presents hands-on-action workshops, and will be offering webinars in 2014.

As a freelance editor, she provides deep story analysis, content editing, line by line, and dramatic fiction editing services. Stay tuned to WITS to see Tiffany’s upcoming guest blogs, classes, contests, and lecture packets.

Check out her previous blogs on WITS.

You can also find her on Twitter – follow @NakedEditor.

by Erika Marks

Hello, friends! I hope this finds everyone ready for the holiday season—and by ready, I mean totally freaking out! (Just kidding. Well, sort of.)

I know this time of year is one during which we can’t help but be especially reflective, not on just this past year but the years before it, and, of course, the one ahead.

It also seems to be the time of year when the world becomes especially list-happy with everything from books to bagels getting put on a Best of/Worst of list somewhere in the world. So I thought, why not add a Best/Worst list of my own during this season of reflection?

Recently, I met with a great writing group and one of the students asked me—after I’d told them that I was 20 years writing and submitting before I got my first book contract—if I would have done anything differently along the way, and if so, what?

Today I'm sharing my list of the best and worst things I may have done on my writing journey.

And because I like good news first, let’s start with the best things I did for my writing in those years.

1. I wrote every day.

Now I’m sure—no, I KNOW—there were exceptions to this. Life steps in (or gallops or tramples or…you get the picture) but during those times when I was in a story, I never left its side. For me, when it comes to writing, distance does NOT make the muse grow fonder. Even a bad day of writing kept me connected to my characters—and that connection got me back to the screen the next day (even if it was only to delete every word I’d written the day before).

2. I moved on to a new story when a current one needed to be shelved.

It’s hard, I know. We write and we edit, we cut and we add. We nurture the darn WIP like a baby bird and we cannot bear the thought that it might be for nothing, which of course it isn’t, because no matter what comes of the novel, whether it’s sold or shelved, our craft is stronger for it. But all that said, it still stinks to bid it adieu and move on to a new WIP love. But it’s necessary. And I did it more times than I can count.

3. I kept a spreadsheet of the agents I queried.

I know it sounds goofy and anal, but when you query agents for as long as I did, a good memory doesn’t cut it. I wanted to keep track, really keep track, of who I had sent what to, if they’d offered to see my next project, if they’d offered advice. All those pieces of correspondence ultimately brought me to my current agent, a fabulous relationship that I truly believe was 20 years in the making, and every contact I made led me closer to it.

4. I listened to feedback.

I know this sounds obvious; so obvious, I almost didn’t add it to the list. But there was time when I DIDN’T listen to feedback, and I wish I had earlier.

*  *  *

Okay then! Boy, that was fun. Yay me, right?! Cheers on some good moves, Erika! High fives all around!!!

Well. Now it’s time to put down the toasting glass and get on to the NOT so good news…

So, deep breath. Some of the worst things I did on my writing journey (be warned, it’s not pretty):

1. I sent my work out too soon.

How soon is too soon? You know the scene in the movies where the writer pounds out THE END, bundles the fat stack of typewritten pages into an envelope and mails them off gleefully? Yup. That soon. I can’t honestly tell you the first manuscript I did a real round of edits on. (You think that’s an awful confession? Wait till you get to number 2.) Forget getting other readers, I didn’t even take the time to reread it MYSELF! Gah. DOUBLE Gah.

2. I queried before my novel was finished.

Now we’re getting to the really ugly confessions, friends. In the pantheon of dumb moves, this is a biggie. But hear me out! I was excited about the concept, I was positive the idea alone was so sellable that I just had to get it out into the universe before someone else declared it! So imagine my excitement when the requests poured in immediately…then imagine my panic. Same goes for the previous worst: When an agent requests a manuscript that isn’t finished or isn’t ready, nobody wins. The moral: For the love of Pete, JUST WAIT.

3. I didn’t read.

For a long, long time, I wasn’t a reader. And it showed in my writing. (And other places too, I’m sure.) Only when I committed to reading—and reading widely—did I truly begin to understand how to build/tell/shape story.

4. I tried to write to trends.

We’ve all been there. We write and submit our own original ideas. Meanwhile, we keep reading about yet ANOTHER debuting author whose (fill in the blank with popular trend of your choice here) novel is joining the ranks of the growing rage and collecting big bucks. We think how much easier it would be to just write one of those books instead, right? For me, it wasn’t. I had neither the passion nor the stamina for a book I had built on trend.

Which leads me to one of the most popular pieces of advice but still one of my favorites: Write the book you want to read.

*  *  *

So there we have it! Yet another Best and Worst List to add to the ranks. Thank you so much for letting me share mine, friends—now I’d love to turn it back to you. If someone asked you what the best and/or worst thing you did on YOUR writing journey was, what would you say?

Erika's previous post here at WITS: 7 Tips For Finishing The First Draft

About Erika

A native New Englander, raised in Maine, Erika has worked as an illustrator, an art director, a cake decorator, and a carpenter.

She now lives in North Carolina with her family and still rushes to the ocean every chance she gets. She is the author of Little Gale Gumbo,  The Mermaid Collector, and The Guest House.

Find Erika: on Facebook, her website, or Twitter.

by Susan Spann

Writers In The Storm is delighted to welcome back Susan as she kicks off her new series on copyright and rights clauses in publishing contracts.

Note: As always, Susan is open for questions down in the comments!

*  *  *  *  *  *

As 2013 draws to a close, I’m starting a brand new #PubLaw guest series here at WITS.

Many of you have commented about your desire to take charge of your writing careers in 2014 – to launch a new year with a brand new publishing outlook. For some, that means finishing a new novel. For others, finding an agent or a publisher. For others still, 2014 will mark the launch of an independent publishing career.

Some of you may look at this list and say “yep, I’m planning all of the above.”

Whatever publishing path you choose, and wherever you are along it, it’s critical that you know your legal rights. In particular, authors need to understand the ins and outs of the rights a copyright gives them – and the ways in which a publishing contract exploits and divides those rights.

In light of that, the shiny new #PubLaw series here at Writers in the Storm will be taking a look at the various rights which fall within the larger umbrella of “copyright,” and how common publishing contract language handles each.

WHAT IS A COPYRIGHT?

In general terms, a “copyright” is a form of legal protection which covers all creative works “fixed in a tangible medium of expression.”

Copyright protection is automatic, and begins at the time of the work’s creation. A work doesn’t have to be published to acquire copyright protection.

The requirements for a valid copyright include:

1. copyrightable subject matter (for our purposes, it’s enough to know that novels and short stories qualify), which

2. meets the minimum “threshold for protection,”  (generally, this means “it was actually written by the author claiming copyright,” it’s original, and it’s more than a trivial variation on someone else’s work),

3. is “fixed in a tangible medium,” (meaning it’s capable of being transmitted and/or reproduced--saving it on a computer is enough) and

4. was created, or is owned, by the person claiming the copyright.

WHAT DO I HAVE TO DO TO OWN A COPYRIGHT IN MY WORK?

Create it yourself and save it in a way that allows for transmission or reproduction to someone else. (A computer file is sufficient. So is a handwritten copy.)

That’s all!

Copyright automatically attaches to the work when you create it.

Registration with the U.S. Copyright Office is not required in order to own the copyright, but it is required in order to sue infringers and to obtain certain kinds of damages. For maximum protection, copyright owners should register published works within six (6) months after the initial publication date. (However, if that doesn’t happen, a copyright can still be registered at any time during its term—albeit with some potential loss of rights to certain claims and damages.)

HOW LONG DOES A COPYRIGHT LAST?

In the United States, copyright lasts for the life of the author plus 70 years, if the author is a “natural person” (meaning a human rather than a corporation or other business entity).

When the author is a business or other entity, copyright lasts for the lesser of 95 years from the date of the work’s initial publication or 120 years from the date the work was completed, whichever comes first.

WHAT RIGHTS DOES A COPYRIGHT GIVE ME?

The owner of a copyrighted work acquires a broad set of rights. The most important are:

1.         The right to control copying and publication of the work, in all forms and formats, as well as all languages.

2.         The right to create and control creation of all derivative works.

A “derivative work” is a work based upon the characters, plot, and (in the case of specialized worlds) settings created in the original work. Sequels qualify as derivative works, but so do film adaptations, stage plays, graphic novels, video games, apps, and merchandising rights.

3.         The right to control distribution (or to prevent distribution) of the work.

4.         The right to control performance and display of the work and any derivative works.

5.         Moral rights, defined as the right to prevent mutilation, modification, and alteration of the work, as well as the right to ensure the author’s name is displayed on or in connection with the work. Traditionally, we don’t pay much attention to “moral rights” in the U.S.A., but they’re a fairly big deal overseas.

6.         The right to sue for damages if someone violates these rights without permission.

Along with all of these rights, the author acquires the sole right to license, or grant permission, for other people or entities to exercise these rights on the author’s behalf. A publishing contract generally addresses all of these rights in one way or another—and it’s important that every author understand the various ways a publishing contract might address the different parts of the author’s copyright.

In the months to come, we’ll take a tour of common contract language and examine these various clauses in detail.

Thank you for joining me today, and thanks to Writers in the Storm for giving me the chance to share a little copyright cheer for the holidays!

If you have questions about this or any other copyright issues, please ask in the comments – I love to help!

About Susan

Susan Spann is a publishing attorney and author from Sacramento, California. Her debut mystery novel, CLAWS OF THE CAT (Minotaur Books, July 2013), is the first in a series featuring ninja detective Hiro Hattori. The sequel, BLADE OF THE SAMURAI, will release in July 2014.

Susan blogs about writing, publishing law and seahorses at http://www.SusanSpann.com. You can also find her on Twitter, @SusanSpann, or on Facebook.