Guest Blogger Vanessa Wester on: Ideas, Ideas and More Ideas!

Over the years, I have come up with many creative story ideas which I jotted down on the computer or paper.  Truth, I never saw them as anything other than silly scribbles.  When I watched an author interview back in 2010 a switch flicked in my brain.  I had permission to write – I was not being silly if I wrote.  Lots of people write, why not me?


My first novel was a chick flick type story, which I bravely posted on Booksie and then shared with a few friends.  To my shock and surprise they liked it!  I had a lot to learn though.  It took another year before I joined The Word Cloud and learnt about critique, prose, and the right things to do!

I wrote my debut novel, HYBRID, next.  It went from under 70,000 words to over 100,000 in a
few months and I published it in March 2012 via Smashwords (mainly to share it with friends).  I moved to Amazon in May, after demands from Kindle users.   

I published the second book COMPLICATIONS in November 2012.  The reason it only took 6 months was that whilst I edited Hybrid, I wrote Complications.

I joined Twitter and created a blog in the summer 2012, and realised I should have thought of that earlier… saying that, social networking is addictive and time consuming so I was relieved it took me so long to hook up.


I also started to publish short story anthologies, in aid of charity, from October 2012.  I have made friends and connected with many authors through this and I welcome new submissions.

I find it hard to believe that I have only been in the writing game for over 3 years.  I can’t imagine my life without it now.  My aim?  To share stories in the hope that some of you take something away from them.  A thought, a smile, a tear… an emotion!


I hope you all enjoy THE EVOLUTION TRILOGY, which will be completed this year (I am getting closer), and perhaps, go through some of the emotional journey I have experienced whilst writing it.


Smiles and best wishes,
Vanessa xx

Twitter  
@Vanessa_Wester
Main Blog

http://vanessawesterwriter.blogspot.co.uk/

http://vanessawesterwriter.wordpress.com/

The Evolution Trilogy Blog

http://theevolutiontrilogy.blogspot.co.uk/

Facebook

http://www.facebook.com/TheEvolutionSeries

A Reader’s Perspective

http://vanessawester.blogspot.co.uk/

Short Stories Group

http://shortstoriesgroup.blogspot.co.uk/

Amazon 

http://www.amazon.com/Vanessa-Wester/e/B0081KT43U

Writing Believable Characters - By Carol Holland March

Yes, it’s true. My characters talk to me.  

Sometimes they sit in my office. In a circle. Nodding yes. Shaking their heads no.

Yes, they have lives of their own. They go off on tangents I wouldn’t have expected. They do things I don’t always understand.  They have inexplicable needs. 

But, given all that, it doesn’t mean they come to me as completely formed and complex as they need to be to interest a reader for a whole story or a whole novel. Sometimes they have blind spots. Sometimes they’re too nice. Others are too angry. And heaven forbid, some are too much like me!

An interesting character has a point of view. Thoughts, feelings, opinions, prejudices. Blind spots. Weak spots. Things she doesn’t know about herself. 

But how do you know what makes sense for a given character? You don’t want a character whose actions are completely unpredictable or your readers will just shake their heads and put the book down. Internal consistency matters, especially in a long work. 

One method I’ve used to develop characters is a tool I’ve used for years in my day job as a career transition and life coach. The best personality tests can give great insight into how people behave in the real world. The one I use the most is the Meyers-Briggs Type indicator which gives information on four polar dimensions: 

• Intuition and Sensing
• Thinking and Feelings
• Judging and Perception
• Introversion and Extroversion 

When you look at the combinations of theses preferences, sixteen distinct personality types emerge. 

And no, introverts are not always shy. And thinkers do have feelings. Personality is more complex than the clichés and stereotypes. Nothing is more boring than the hero who is always stalwart or the heroine who is one-dimensional, so the more complex you can make your characters, the better.  

I’ve found it useful to figure out the personality types of my main characters. Not before I’ve written them. First I let them frolic, and tell me who they are. Then, after the first draft is done, and I’m working on character development and nuance, not just the basic plot, I map out what their preferences and needs are, their desires and blind spots. 

One element I’ve found helpful is the idea that every person has a predominant preference. And whatever that preference is, its opposite is often the weak link for that character. For a character who is primarily a thinker, that person can be most easily undone by emotion. So, an intellectual man is more susceptible to unresolved feelings aroused by in him by another character because he is not as familiar with his own emotional needs. 

A highly intuitive character, who can easily come up with new ideas and envision possibilities, may have serious deficits in dealing with the physical world. In the extreme, she may not know where her body is in relation to objects around her. The absent-minded professor comes to mind. 

A character who is highly attuned to emotional understanding can be fooled more easily by faulty logic because the thinking function is the opposite of feeling and hence less developed. Have you ever known anyone who was easily convinced by arguments that sounded logical but really made no sense?

The idea is not to come up with formulas for your characters, but to give you a tool to explore the complexity that is personality, so your characters will come to life on the page but also be consistent enough that your readers will relate to them as real people.

There are lots of resources, many free, where you can learn about the sixteen personality types derived from this system.

To learn more, check out the book Please Understand Me, by David Kiersey, which goes into character, temperament, and relationships. Full of great information and an easy read.  Two websites where you can take a short (and free) version of the test and learn about all the personality types are:

http://www. humanmetrics.com/
 http://www.keirsey.com

Carol Holland March writes speculative fiction that has been published in a number of magazines and anthologies. An excerpt of her novel, The Dreamwalkers of Larreta, has appeared in bosque (the magazine).  She blogs at carolhollandmarch.com or follow her @cmarch555

Prologue? Or not?

In a recent conversation with some other authors, the topic of prologues came up.  The comments about them were all over the map.  Some people in the discussion thought prologues could be beneficial as long as they were no more than a page or two.  

Others felt that prologues are okay if the info in them is useful to the reader but will not be revealed until the end of the book (or nearly the end of it).  

A few people pointed out that prologues can come in handy if the story is told in the first person and that it's inconceivable for the protagonist to come across the info. 

Overall, though, the general consensus was that prologues should be avoided, and I'm now leaning that way...

For The Lies Have It, the 3rd Sasha mystery, I originally did have a prologue, but it was chopped before going to the printer.  I am glad in the end that I got rid of it, but it took some convincing from my editor.

I'm presently working on book 4, and until recently, it also had a prologue, but it has now been axed. In the case of my current work in progress (which will be called Frisky Business), I think the prologue gave an indication of why someone might be prompted to act, or do, or say something that ultimately turns the book into a murder investigation for PI Sasha Jackson.  But the prologue felt clunky.  So, I'll just have to figure out another way to get that information across... and after many hours of thinking about it, I think I've figured it out.  I hope!  

Recent Reads: Corrections Miscellany Rotten

 

Meh... A knock-off of Updike's Rabbit series.  I got to page 244 (which is about halfway) and was bored.  The whole thing seems rather indulgent.  The characters don't provoke or inspire or elicit much reaction (except Chip).  As I was reading it, I kept thinking to myself: Who Cares?

I love books like this!  It combines two of my favourite things: books and trivia!  Lots of little literary gems here.  Nice layout, nice images.  The content flows nicely - it doesn't just feel like a "dump" of tidbits.

I kind of liked this... the content is right up my alley (see above), and there was much that was amusing and/or interesting, but there are two problems with this book:  no table of contents and no index.  Still, it's a good bathroom book.

Guest Blogger Elizabeth (Beth) Blake on Writing Nonfiction Versus Fiction

Strictly speaking, nonfiction books include “How-to” books, history books, or books about any topic you wish: fashion, cars, sports figures, etc.

Memoirs fit into the category of nonfiction, but in a different way because they also have many fiction elements, which the “How-to” books etc., don’t. Memoirs tell a story and therefore, require a plot, a story arc, a theme, character arcs, dialogue, a setting, all the elements of a fiction book except that the story is true.

I started my writing venture years ago by writing true short stories about my ancestors, my parents, my grandchildren. I learned how to write a query letter and sent them to various magazines and received a whole lot of rejections. Then one day I received a contract and a check for $100. Then I started selling a whole lot more of my family’s stories.

After that, I branched out to writing a memoir. After working in the medical field for twenty years, I turned to teaching high school science in an alternative school. My dramatic experiences in that school were like being in a movie. I started writing a memoir about those teaching days, joined a critique group, fixed my manuscript, paid $500 to a professional editor and rewrote the book. It was all worth it because I learned so much and my writing vastly improved.

There are publishers who are looking for memoirs but unfortunately, they want memoirs of famous people such as former presidents, famous actresses, or

well-known sports figures. So after trying and failing to get a publisher, I self-published my teaching memoir:  “No Child Left Behind? The true story of a teacher’s quest” by Elizabeth Blake. It’s in paperback and e-book form both and has done fairly well.

Then I decided to try my hand at fiction and wrote a romance. My critique group taught me a lot. I read and studied “The Writers Journey” by Christopher Vogler, along with other fiction writing how-to books. In my opinion, writing fiction is a lot harder. So much to think about. Setting, characters, secondary characters, plot development, etc. All those things seemed to come naturally when I was writing my teaching memoir. I essentially wrote what happened and there was enough drama in the real-life events to carry it through, along with a natural arc in my character development.

But the fiction didn’t come ready to be written down. I had to plot it all out and it was hard. I must have done well enough, though, because I found a publisher, Keith Publications, to publish my romance: “Shelter of Love” by Beth Blake. (I write nonfiction under the name Elizabeth and fiction under Beth.)

Now that I’ve written both nonfiction and fiction, I have chosen to write another memoir. This one is about my years working in the medical field—lots of interesting  stories. I finished it, then had my critique group go through it and I re-wrote it. I’m currently looking for a publisher.

Even though I prefer writing memoirs, I will eventually run out of interesting things in my life to write about! Then I’ll tackle another novel. And I’m sure (hope) each fiction manuscript will be easier to write.    

Elizabeth/Beth Blake  on Amazon:  Fiction  or  Non-Fiction

Check out her website HERE

Follow her on Twitter @ElizabethBlake

 

Guest Blogger Anne-Marie Klein and the Behind Blue Eyes series

Inspired by the Pete Townshend song made famous by The Who, Anne-Marie Klein's series is at once a nostalgic love letter to her hometown and to the music she listened to while growing up there. Let's hear a bit more from Anne-Marie about setting and inspiration...

In the late 1970s, I was a teenager in Toronto, madly in love with music and books. I read mysteries and thrillers, devouring anything by Ruth Rendell, Agatha Christie, and P.D. James, but couldn’t find novels with rock stars. So I did what I had to do: I decided to write one. I ended up with an ambitious, dramatic storyline, but I knew it lacked maturity and experience and made the conscious decision to shelve it until I could do it proper justice. Life went on for almost twenty years, and a series of events culminated with the re-discovery of the handwritten draft and a desire to bring it to the light of day. Armed with the knowledge and observational skills only time can give you, the time seemed right to redevelop my idea of helping to create a new genre in fiction.

Rewritten, edited, and polished into shape, the Behind Blue Eyes rock novels were published last year, with three of four planned books released. True to the original manuscript, the story begins in 1978, with The Who’s beautiful song as the inspiration for the main character, and Toronto and London as the backdrops. No longer a contemporary tale, the collection now falls into the category of historical or nostalgic fiction, shedding a light on what I fondly remember as a great era for my hometown.

The best part of having kept the first drafts is that I avoided the clichés of the 70s with accurate descriptions of the iconic locations that are featured in the story.  I have tried to evoke Sam the Record Man, the Terrace, the El Mocambo, and the Yonge Street strip with realism and affection, and have been touched by the response of readers who have identified with the landmarks. When I’m asked how to best describe the series, the standard labels always tempt me—rock novels, family drama, romance, and historical fiction. The most accurate answer always comes from the heart, though: it is my love letter to Toronto and to music.

 

Son of a wealthy, successful, and famous British designer, Ian was born into the world of the rich and shameless. He blames himself, and his father, for his mother's death, and has run far away to start a new life. Beautifully blond, musically talented, but emotionally troubled, he hides his pain behind pale blue eyes and drinks to numb the guilt that has followed him across the ocean. When he meets Sarah, the fiery-haired singer with all the connections to make their dreams come true, will the burdens of his past destroy their love and everything they ever wanted?

Ian Harrington is sober for the first time in years, happily married to Sarah with a child on the way, and their band Something is on the verge of major success. An opportunity to tour in his native England gives him the chance to further reconcile with his father, but his dad’s new romance interferes with his plans. In the middle of Ian’s family drama, a series of events beyond his and Sarah’s control threatens to destroy their happiness, their family, and the band’s future.

 It’s 1986. Ian Harrington is living the good life in Toronto: he is the lead singer of Something Else and is raising his six-year old daughter, Victoria. His life is busy and creatively satisfying, but he has not been able to hold a romantic relationship since Sarah. A chance encounter with a former flame offers the possibility of lasting love, but the liaison is fraught with conflicts and challenges both new and echoed. By following his heart, Ian risks having his world turned upside down. Standing still threatens far more…

Behind Blue Eyes is a four-part series following a young musician's turbulent life as he makes his rock and roll dreams come true in a city far from where he grew up. Equal parts family saga, love story, and rock and roll circus, this first novel will take you back to the late 70s in Toronto for a dramatic roller-coaster ride through the world of music.  Keep your eyes out for book four!  

Follow Anne-Marie on Twitter @BadmanSadman

Check out Anne-Marie's website HERE

Get the books on AMAZON
 

Nearing the End... with Alexis Lantgen

Here it goes: Nearing the End

Like many creative endeavors, writing is both agony and ecstasy. It's often slow, painful, and frustrating. Yet once you fight your way through the drudgery and the writer's block, it's incredibly satisfying, too. And sometimes, when the stars align just right, it's magic.

I felt magical when I first started writing my novel. Excited by my ideas, loving my characters, my first 20,000 words seemed to pour out of my mind with an urgent joy. And then...blah. I still loved my story, but the act of writing it seemed dreary. I had to struggle more for words. I had to adjust my outline. I started reading articles on “how to write more!” and “what to do when you're stuck in a your writing.” For the most part, not much helped until I just sat down and forced myself to write, even when I didn't feel like it.

I had been warned by other writers, of course, that if you only write when the mood hits you, you'll never accomplish much. But I was sure I would be different, and when my first chapters came so easily I thought I'd escaped the “hard work” part of writing. I was wrong. I spent the next few weeks ignoring my novel except when I felt “inspired.” I didn't accomplish much. 

Finally, I made myself start writing again, every day when possible. To my surprise, the writing I did when I worked hard seemed just as good as the writing I did when I felt inspired. I'd been afraid I wouldn't be able to create a compelling scene or rich characters without that creative buzz, but instead I found myself coming up with scenes and solutions I might never have imagined otherwise. I'm not saying it was always easy. I still got frustrated. When I just couldn't think of anything, instead of abandoning my writing, I took a short break to read excellent literature for ideas and inspiration. Dante's Inferno, in particular, got me out of a few hard spots.

Now that I'm close to finishing my first draft, I feel the excitement again. Remember, even if you're having a hard time, keep at it. Winston Churchill said, “if you're going through hell, keep going!” Writing a novel is a long journey, but I'm at a point now where I know I'm going to finish. You can get there, too. Trust me, it's an amazing feeling.

 

 Alexis Lantgen is a musician and writer who holds a master’s degree in music performance from Florida International University, as well as a Bachelor of Music in viola performance and a Bachelor of Arts in Letters (Magna cum Laude) from the University of Oklahoma. She performs on violin and viola in orchestras including the Wichita Falls Symphony and the San Angelo Symphony. She currently teaches private violin and viola lessons, and in the past taught eighth grade English and ESL in Dallas public schools. Her first novel is a YA Urban Fantasy about a young African American boy who must save his sister from an evil voodoo sorcerer and a demonic feathered serpent.

 

Follow her on Twitter  @TheWiseSerpent

Check out her blog:  http://thewiseserpent.blogspot.com/