By D. A. WATT

This is the second installment of a three part series. The first post focused on attitude.

"Prior and proper preparation makes for peak performance. Like creating a novel that takes readers somewhere, amazing."

There are only three places to go: somewhere, nowhere or somewhere else. Whether riding, writing, or reading, I wouldn’t want to go nowhere, would you? On horseback it’s my job to decide where my horse and I are going, and to focus on the task of taking us somewhere. How’s that?

First, I ASK, . . . then, I SHOW/TELL, . . . and finally, I PROMISE.

 "We are going somewhere."    

Let’s say, I want to canter the sandy trail along the creek. I focus on the trail ahead. My body energy and expectations ask, “Canter?”

Now if my horse doesn’t respond, I show/tell her. Showing/Telling is a little louder than asking, like squeezing my legs, and adding more pressure along her side.

If she still isn’t responding to my focus, then I respectfully promise her we’ll canter by rhythmically tapping (not whacking) her butt with my hand, reins or crop. I promise not to stop until she does what I ask, or I’ll lose her respect.

Yes you are!

And in horse sense that means I’m the jackass.

 First, I ASK, . . . then, I SHOW/TELL,
. . . and finally, I PROMISE 

ASK                         SHOW/TELL                    PROMISE

 As storytellers we also focus on where we going. We ask our readers to willingly suspend disbelief. “Trust me to tell you a story,” we ask and our readers will go along for the ride as long as we don’t break our promise. Not breaking our promise means we do not take our readers somewhere else--or worse--nowhere at all.

One of my favorite books, A Story is a Promise, by Bill Johnson, shows us how best to tell a story through the elements of effective storytelling. The knowledge of craft is in the telling. By seamlessly stringing sentences together, authors dream of creating a bestseller tweeted, blogged, and bought. Telling the story takes work, and it’s the little things that add the resplendent polish to make a story shine, for instance:

• Knowing when to show most important scenes, and when to tell other scenes as narrative or exposition, as explained by Dr. Vicki Hinze.

“Narrative and exposition (in contrast to scenes with action and dialogue) are essentially stagnant blocks of information inserted into scenes.  These blocks create psychic distance between the reader and character; remind readers they're reading.  Sometimes you, the writer, want that and sometimes you don't.”

• Tweaking scenes and sequels: Turning it ↑up and turning it↓down; tension, pacing, and emotion for both scene and sequel is broken down in  Randy Ingermanson’s (The Snowflake guy) great blog on Dwight Swain’s “must have” book, Techniques of the Selling Writer.
• Don’t forget the piece de resistance. It’s that all inclusive telling detail describing something utterly unique about a main character as demonstrated in James Scott Bell’s blog post (another favorite author on craft), The Geyser 5-Step Approach to Revision. You’ll cut your teeth on that one, I promise.
• Contrived deus ex machine, characters too stupid to live, gratuitous scenes and shock gimmicks can’t hide a lazy ending or a sagging middle. Fiction Editor Beth Hill  offers some great tips on fighting the bulge.

I’ve barely chipped the tip of the iceberg of story knowledge. If you’ve found that special book or blog that brings to fruition How to Write a Damn Good Novel, by James Frey, then please share your chips with us (not the buffalo kind).

As you can see, gaining knowledge is easy, but application of new material creates growing pains on the brain, because it's life changing. Most of us are expert at the “Do as I say, not as I do,” way of life, at least, I am.

Why is that? Because we learn in layers, from “ignorance is bliss” to the semi-enlightened block head who begins to see the light until finally--we get it. The newly wired pathways in our brain switch on, and . . . let there be light!

But it ain't always pretty.

Don't feel bad. Hindsight tells us the many mistakes were necessary to get somewhere.

Mistakes are mind manure, fertilizing the ground of knowledge. But watch for stinking thinking, and don't let rejection and self-doubt ruin you. To come out smelling like a rose, do battle. For instance, I might exercise to sweat out the negativity, rant to a trusted friend (as a last resort, no one needs more negative vibes), or repeat affirmations.

My newest affirmation comes from the bestseller, and movie, The Help.  I've memorized the maid, Aibileen's (played by Viola Davis) kind words to the chubby toddler, Mae Mobley,  in her care. Hoping to negate the hurtful remarks made by Mae's foolish Momma, Aibileen sits the little one on her lap and says,

 “You is smart, you is kind, you is important.”

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZimx1wHYcs]

It's as if she's talking to me. So when I’m feeling like a moldy buffalo chip, I sit myself down, look in my mind’s eye and say, “You is smart, you is kind, you is important.”

Who knows? Maybe I'll have a fighting chance for my novel to be tweeted, blogged and bought by my readers. Maybe even make the NY Times bestseller list?

So, if stinking thinking’s been getting you down, remember, “You is smart, you is kind, you is important.”

By the way, Kathryn Stockett, was rejected by 60 literary agents before her novel, The Help, was picked up by Susan Ramer (Bravo, Ms. Ramer, bravo!)

Join me next time for the last installment of 6 Key Lessons I’ve Learned From Horses.  I’ll cover Imagination and the three T’s; Tools, Techniques, and Time.

I leave you with Lorenzo, the flying horseman, and perhaps my next action hero:

(video not available)

Do you ever suffer from "stinking thinking?" How do you combat it?

by Jody Hedlund

We have a treat for you today. Thanks to Jenny Hansen at her More Cowbell blog, the amazing Jody Hedlund is stopping off here at Writers in the Storm during her blog tour for her new book, The Doctor’s Lady. She’s going to share some of her tricks for writing a riveting story.

Writers all have different methods for planning their novels. There’s no wrong or right way of doing it. With that said, I’ll share what I do with the hope that maybe you can glean something, even if only inspiration!

1. Establish Set Pieces.

The term set piece is a screenwriting term that means, “The big, audience pleasing scenes that deliver on the genre elements of the movie” (according to screenwriter Doug Eboch in his post Set Pieces Sell Scripts).

In fiction writing, set pieces are the unforgettable, major events that happen in our book. So after I finish brainstorming plot ideas and developing my characters (see my blog for my free Character Worksheet), I make a list of set pieces—the biggest and most critical events I want to include in my book.

I usually try to put them in the general order in which they’ll appear in the book—particularly into a basic 3-Act structure: a beginning with an inciting incident that pushes my character out of ordinary life; a middle crisis thatworks toward the black moment; then the final climax that eventually leads to resolution.

2. Develop a Three-Strand Conflict.

I give my stories three distinct strands of conflict. First, I look for an over-arching external conflict—a problem or obstacle that my character must face during the entire length of the novel, and it usually involves an antagonist of some kind.

Second, I give my characters internal conflicts—character weaknesses, flaws they must work through as the story progresses. Of course, they won’t become perfect, but they need to grow in self-awareness.

And third, I develop relationship conflicts—tension and problems that will keep my main characters emotionally apart for the entire book (which is especially critical in a romance).

My goal is to have all three of my conflict strands relate to each other. The more intertwined they are, the better. It’s my job as the story unfolds to braid all of the strands together as smoothly as possible, until by the end, the reader can’t easily distinguish where one starts and one stops.

3. Jot Down a Short Chapter-by-Chapter Outline.

Once I have my set pieces organized and my three levels of conflicts outlined, then it’s easier for me to think of the overall framework of where I need to go with the book. I generally determine approximately how many chapters I want and how many words per chapter. (Very roughly, mind you! It’s just a guide to help me stay somewhat on track!)

Then in my spiral notebook, I use my set pieces and three-strand conflict outline to make a few notes about what I hope to accomplish in each chapter—no more than a couple sentences.

4. Plan Scenes.

Over the years of writing, I’ve come to rely more and more upon the technique of writing by scenes. In fact, with the book I most recently finished, the majority of the book cuts from one scene to the next with very few transitional links.

As I’ve pondered why I like writing this way, I’ve realized that ultimately writing by scenes is one of the best ways to SHOW our story. We place our characters on the stage, have them act things out. When it’s over, we drop the curtain and open it again with the next scene. We’re continually showing the action of our story without having an intrusive narrator come out between acts and fill us in on what happens between times—as if we need to know every detail to be entertained.

Before I start the actual writing of each scene, I make notes on the scene including: Time/Date, Setting, POV (looking back to make sure I’m varying these well enough). Then I ask myself these questions: What is the goal of the scene? What am I trying to accomplish? How am I moving the plot forward?

Once I finish the outline of a scene, I write it (on my laptop). I try to end the scene with a Read-On-Prompt—something that will hook a reader into having to turn to the next page and keep reading.

There you have it. That’s a quick overview of my process for organizing a novel.

What’s your process? Do you follow any of my steps? Is there anything listed above that’s new to you? What else helps you in organizing all your plot ideas?

©Jody Hedlund, 2011

Jody Hedlund is an award-winning historical romance novelist and author of the best-selling book, The Preacher’s Bride. She received a bachelor’s degree from Taylor University and a master’s from the University of Wisconsin, both in Social Work. Currently she makes her home in Michigan with her husband and five busy children. Her second book, The Doctor’s Lady released in September 2011.

Visit Jody’s Website & Blog
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Next week D.A. Watt will give us Part Two of her "What I've Learned from Horses" series.  And Fae Rowen will follow up Laura Drake's list with her list of ten books to be marooned with on a desert island.

As we begin the Holiday Season, Writers in the Storm would like to take today to share what we're thankful for, but don't worry.  We are indeed thankful for an ocean of things, but we limited ourselves to gratitude as it relates to our writing.

And on Friday, we're excited (and grateful) to have as our guest blogger, Jody Hedlund with a post on  4 Steps For Organizing Plot Ideas Into a Novel.

Laura Drake:

• 
  
  My Crit group - Charla Rae, Fae Rowen, Jenny Hansen, and D.A. Watt. These beautiful ladies were the real start of my writing career - and they walk beside me every step, helping to weather the storm!
  
  
• 
  
  My Mom - for giving me my solid work ethic and British stiff upper lip.
  
  
• 
  
  My "girls" - no, not those! I mean the girls in the basement, cranking out ideas and solutions to insolvable plot problems!
  
  
• 
  
  My agent - Nalini Akolekar of Spencer Hill Assoc (still giggle inside when I type "my agent")
  
  
• 
  
  Sue Grimshaw - who helped me get my agent (giggle.)
  
  
• 
  
  RWA -  If you're a writer, and not a member, join. Now!
  
  
• 
  
  My amazing husband, who believed in me when I didn't, put up with the countless hours of my office time, and who is the core of every hero I write.
  
  

Jenny Hansen:

• I'm thankful to all of my family -- they are every writer's dream. No one more so than my hubby, who always keeps me going, and understands that dreams take time and love to achieve.
• Work and friends that fulfill me and help me "fill the writing well"
• An online writing community that has given me a brand-new lease on writing. Special thanks go to Kristen Lamb and all the WANA crews...there would be much less Cowbell in the world without you. :-)
• Finally, to my critique group here at at WITS who believe in my writing, opened my eyes to blogging, and don't complain very much when I drag them to new technologies. Y'all have some serious writing cowbell. :-)

Sharla Rae:

• My wonderful crit partners who keep me on the straight and narrow. Still don’t know why they insisted I couldn’t dump a bowel over the heroine’s head instead of a bowl.
• Thankful for all the writing support groups like RWA and all the on-line writing groups. Okay, so 6 chapters and various other groups is a bit much. What can I say, I need all the help I can get. :)
• Thankful for what my husband calls my kinky sense of imagination.
• I’m thankful I can make writing a full time job and that I can go to work barefoot and in sweats. A great office where I can drink a glass a wine at my desk while I write a hot love scene.
• Thankful for my family who understands my disorientation when they phone in the middle of a shootout behind the Last Chance Saloon. Thankful my family stopped asking me why I insisted on papering the lampshade on my beside table with post-a-notes at least once a month.
• Thankful that while many people look at me and say, “someday” I’m going to write a book, I’m actually doing it.

Fae Rowen:

• For the readers of this blog site and their comments.  I now get how you can build an electronic relationship.  I'm so grateful people are interested in what I have to share.
• For Laura Drake, Jenny Hansen, Sharla Rae, and D.A. Watt who have saved my b*** with the schedule when I'm blog mistress
• For my parents and husband who surrounded me with unconditional love and support for my writing, even though they didn't understand my need to write
• For my teachers--of writing and other disciplines
• For the friends and people (and animals) who have crossed my path and taught me the lessons that inevitably end up in my stories
• For my critique partners--past (Julie, Marie, Michelle) and present, who've praised and panned my work, and encouraged my craft to evolve and improve

D. A. Watt:

• For my inner creativity tuned into beauty and light, evil and darkness.  And for the desire to transform these images and experiences, orally and in writing to offer hope to others and myself with thanks to the great creator of all.
• For the support and love of my husband and parents who think I am all that, and my kids who I think are all that.
• For my huge extended family, my friends, and the eclectic mix of humans and animals crossing my path.  Without them my life, my writing, and my art would be hollow lacking inspiration, empathy, and richness.
• For my critique partners and for my readers who have taken the time to read my stories, offering help and hope.  YOU are all that, and more.

Happy Thanksgiving to you, our treasured readers!