Plot holes and a simple suggestion

These are my sweat pants. They're falling apart. (I folded one leg over so you could see the back, too.)

I didn't realize how full of holes my pants were until I was getting ready to fold them recently, and saw them lying on the bed. 

Whoa, I thought. Those are practically goners. 

It made me sad.

It also reminded me of my current WIP. With OTH releasing on Monday, I've been working on Flora stuff for months now. With the Flora things being officially out of my hands for a while (whew), I've been able to go back to Cozenage 2. 

It's like seeing the storyline for the very first time. Tons of issues are jumping out at me, demanding my attention. I love it.

A lot of times, we writers spend so much time getting comfortable with our works-in-progress, it's easy to get to a point where plot/character holes are completely missed. The stories or specific aspects of them might be falling apart at the seams, but because we've been buried so deep in everything and know how the WIP is *supposed* to be, we don't even see this.

There are varying pieces of advice on how to fix this (CPs, betas, et cetera), but I've personally come to learn that taking a few months (yes, months--not weeks) away from a project that might *feel* like it's done is really the best. I know that seems like a long time when you're chomping at the bit to get it finished and move on to another project, but believe me, it's worth it. You'll be looking at your work with a pair of fresh eyes and only will plot holes stand out, but it'll also be easier to come up with solutions when you're not burnt out on the storyline.

I like what Neil Gaiman says:

The best advice I can give on this is, once it's done, to put it away until you can read it with new eyes. Finish the short story, print it out, then put it in a drawer and write other things. When you're ready, pick it up and read it, as if you've never read it before. If there are things you aren't satisfied with as a reader, go in and fix them as a writer: that's revision.

How about you? Do you agree with this? If so, how long do you step away from WIP (or finished draft) before diving back in again? 

Deadline Junkie

I've always been one of those people who is more productive with a deadline looming over my head. I don't know why this is. And this seems to only apply to the writing side of my life. As a student, I was the type to get my homework done right away. While I occasionally left a paper until just before it was due, I was much more likely to go through the syllabus and do EVERYTHING on it well in advance of the due dates.

But when it comes to writing a book, I like me some deadlines ;)

I've tried setting goals and deadlines for myself, but while those are helpful (more so when I'm working with friends who help keep me going), those self-set deadlines don't really motivate me much because I know, at the end of the day, there are no real, hard and fast consequences if I don't meet those goals.

But give me a good solid deadline, esp one involving a contract with a specific date or an editor waiting for my ms to hit her desk? Oooo boy, watch me go! I turn into an obsessed little hamster, pounding out the wordage until the task is complete (often well before the deadline).

Speaking of deadlines, there is one looming over my head as we speak, so I'm off to write! :D

How about you? Do you work well under pressure? Do you like having a deadline, or do you prefer having things clear and open?

***Don't forget to send us your questions for the agent/editor panel for the New Year's Revisions Conference!!! Only a few days left to get them in!***

First Draft = Batmobile Golf Cart

source

Confession: I want this Batmobile Golf Cart. No, I don't play golf. No, I don't have the money to purchase a Batmobile Golf Cart.

BUT I WANT ONE.

Second confession: I reached 50k on my WIP a few days ago. While skimming through my 50k first draft, I realized two things. 1) It is in the Major League of OMG Suckage; 2) It is in said League because it has what I like to call the Batmobile Golf Cart Issue.

Batmobile Golf Cart Issue

--a first draft that consists of a bunch of stuff you want to include in a first draft, but ultimately, you sure as hell don't need. 

All my first drafts have the BGCI. Usually, I think Main Character should make This Decision. I also think Villain should take down Main Character using This Punk Move. I also also think Main Character and Love Interest should Make Out during This Scene where All The Giraffes Are Eating Bananas (disclaimer: there are no giraffes in my WIP, and I'm not entirely confident giraffes eat bananas at all). The thing is, when I come back to the WIP after some distance, I notice the level of suckage for what it truly is. 

You might want your giraffes to eat those bananas like total bosses, but if they do, what purpose does it serve your story? Do you need them to eat those bananas like total bosses at all? Or are you living out a childhood fantasy for the sake of living it?

Folks, I can't have the Batmobile Golf Cart. It hurts, but it's the truth.

Now if you'll excuse me, I must continue filling my first draft with Things It Doesn't Need But Will Disappear During Revisions.

Your turn: do your first drafts have the BGCI? If so, what's your most common offense?

Your WIP = Zombies. For reals.

So. There's this show I'm obsessed with. Actually, I'm obsessed with a lot of shows. But this post only works with this one:

AMC's The Walking Dead

Many people (writers included) suggest aspiring authors not to watch TV. The quality's terrible. It's filled with cliches/stereotypes/bad dialogue and plotting. As an avid TV watcher, I can safely say that yes, some shows are like that. But guess what? The opposite is also true. It's important to soak in as many stories as you can, especially if you're a writer. Even author Janice Hardy backs me up on this. And since she's a lot wiser and awesome-er than me, you should totally believe her.

Which leads me to The Walking Dead.

Sure, it's got zombies and blood and all that jazz. But the show, and the graphic novels it's based on, are about a group of people who're struggling to find hope in a dying world. They're also struggling to survive. Part of that survival is learning how to leave things behind. More importantly, leaving those we love behind. 

What the heck does that have to do with your WIP?

If you won NaNoWriMo, or if you didn't participate but are currently revising a manuscript, you have to think like the characters from The Walking Dead. 

Here's a timeline:

Stage One

Before loved one gets infected = Reaching THE END on your first draft = You are so happy it hurts and life is awesomesauce.

Stage Two

Loved one gets infected = You reread your first draft = O_O HOW DO I FIX THIS NOW????????

Stage Three

Loved one turns into a zombie + You don't want to kill them = Edits are going to be daunting + You don't want to start them = *does nothing*

Stage Four 

Loved one wants to eat you for dinner + Loved one is no longer the same person after infection, and is lost forever = First draft can't be queried/sent to editors because it will eat your career for dinner + First draft won't be the same after edits, but it will be so much better = Survival instincts kick in.

Stage Five

You off your loved one = You revise your first draft.

My point? In order to go from aspiring to the real deal, you have to know when to follow your heart, and when to follow your head. Revisions are a bit of both. It's up to you to figure out how to proceed from there. 

And remember, this is what your first draft looks like to you:

And this is what it really looks like:

Nuff said.

Now tell me: what's the infection/post-drafting experience like for you? Good? Bad? A bit of both?

The Story You Want vs. The Story You Need

Confession: I love writing funny scenes. The funnier, the better. And more often than not, they end up being my favorite scenes in my WIPs, as well as in published books. 

We all have our favorite scenes to read/write. Personally, I think this is super healthy. You either discover (and exploit) your strengths when writing, or buy books in the genre you enjoy the most. 

But not every scene you love is worth keeping.

You see, I believe there are two types of stories out there. They are:

1) The story you want

2) The story you need

#1 is easiest to spot. At the drafting stage, here's what this story will look like for me:

1) Witty banter 

(or an overload of sarcasm) (or both)

2) Lots of awkward internalization 

(Example: "I am a shy person. Parties make me anxious. Therefore, I stay home every Friday night and play Scrabble with my cat. It makes me very happy. Parties? Not so much. Because I am a shy person.")

3) Fast-paced action sequences 

(with lots of blood) (yes, I'm that girl...)

4) Zero backstory

Guess what? 99.9% of all that goes kaput during revisions. 

But they pave the way for Story #2, which should include three primordial things:

1) Your MC's goal

2) Your MC's conflict

3) How your MC resolves that conflict 

(or not)

To me, any scene is better when those three things are present. If your MC's goal is to defeat her nemesis, I'm pretty sure she won't do it with witty banter. Anything you find yourself loving to the point of obsession, cut it. You don't need something cute or witty or funny for the sake of something cute or witty or funny. You need something that makes sense for your story. 

And trust me, you'll end up loving the scene even more when it makes sense for the story.

Now tell me, blogging buddies: which scenes do you love writing/reading the most??

My Critiquing Stages a la Taylor Lautner's Body

So. A couple months back, I shared a post that I originally posted on my blog. That post was titled My Writing Stages a la Robert Pattinson's Hair.

Since my To-Do list is HUGE, I figured I'd share another post with a similar tone.

Folks, I give you...

My Critiquing Stages a la Taylor Lautner's Body

I know what you're thinking: "Amparo, stop looking for excuses to put up half-naked pictures of Taylor Lautner!" Believe me when I say this is not the case. There is a VERY VALID REASON, as you will see in a minute. *blushes*

All right. Let's get to it. Here are my critiquing stages a la Taylor Lautner's body:

Step One: My crit partners are very productive people. I am impressed by them. I am also jealous, but that revelation does little for this post. Anyway, my crit partners write their glorious manuscripts and send their latest babies to me. Once I am able to pry my face from Alexander Skarsgard's abs, I download their babies and read. In this first read, I simply focus on giving my uber-positive comments. Basically, I gush my brains out. Or make jokes. Sometimes both. The point is, I only highlight what makes the manuscript fun to read and easy to understand. My critique starts off a little on the light side, and sort of looks like this:

Step Two: I am a sucker for dialogue. Specifically, how it shows me who the character is. Voice is really important to me, and I'm super lucky to have crit partners with kickass voice. First, I focus on everything dialogue-related: whether what is said by Character A makes sense, does it clash with a previous action and/or interior monologue, is the scene dragging because the convos don't increase tension or give relevant info, etc. Then I dive in to the more style-related stuff, like whether there's too much passive voice, how well the words are flowing, the clarity of the setting/emotions/conflict. Little by little, my critique gets juiced up into something more meaningful. And, you know, a little thicker:

Step Three: After I read their pages, I give my overall impression at the end of the sample. I talk about what I loved best first, then I highlight the parts I think could be improved. By doing this, I feel like I'm giving my crit partners a more detailed version of what I scribbled on the Track Changes along the manuscript. But that's not the most important part, though. I find this Big Picture necessary because it gives me the chance to explain the Why better. Why I think some parts can be improved. Why I think the voice is awesome. Why I think the pacing should be tighter. Believe it or not, critiques are all about the Why. Without it, your partners will simply think you're a snob with no heart. The Why is what makes any manuscript better, folks. Use it. And when you do, you'll see that your critique bulks up to a point where it's fully fleshed out and uber-tight:

See? VERY VALID REASON for writing this post, right? Right???

Now fess up: what's your critiquing style?

Live Concerts = First Drafts

Original here

Confession: I love live concerts. The energy. The super loud music. Getting to see my favorite artist thisclose. *sigh*

I went to one last night, and as I swooned over the lead singer, I realized he and his band taught me more about writing than about electric guitars (to say I'm musically challenged is an understatement...). And since some of you are currently working on a first draft, I figured I'd share what I learned.

1) The stage/WORD document is your playground

During first drafts, it's okay to experiment. You don't have to write chronologically. You can switch between POVs till you figure out which one works best. If you've ever been to a concert, or seen one on TV, you know artists like to run around. Or jump. Sometimes both. That's because there are no boundaries on that stage. They can do whatever they want. They're free to be silly and make mistakes. So should you.

2) Singing live/drafting comes from the heart

You know how every song sounds absolutely perfect on a CD? Well, it's been edited to death. The singer's voice is flawless, with zero pitch problems. But onstage, that might not be the case. They belt out those notes without a second thought. Sometimes they hit them, sometimes they totally don't. Why? Because it's all about the moment. About how they feel, not what they think. First drafts are the place to sing from the heart. Your story is what matters--not how you tell it.

3) The audience/your characters cheer you on

The artist waves hello, people scream. The artist tells them to sing, people sing. The artist blows kisses, people die (actually, they faint, but you know what I mean...). It's these little moments of interaction that keep the artist going. Sure, they could play just fine without anyone watching them, but that's like not having great characters to write about--boring. That thirst to get your story down is the same as that audience cheering the artist on. It gives them a purpose to do what they do. It tells them that what they're doing isn't a waste of time. That it's worth it. Shouldn't your characters do the same for you?

So. There you have it. Live concerts = first drafts. 

Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go find my vocal chords. I think I left them at the arena...

Quick reminder: Don't miss our Mystery Agent Contest tomorrow!!! Polish those 25-word pitches and be ready to post them in the comments! Only 50 spots available, so make sure you stop by before we reach the limit. Winner gets a FULL MANUSCRIPT request :) AND there'll be something special lined up for the rest of the entries, so don't miss out!

Now tell me: what do you love most about writing that first draft?

Happy New Year! from a few awesome writers :)

As I am winding down from a long (though fun) Christmas vacation with my kids (filled with games of Sorry and Bananagrams and very few (aka no) new words in the WIP) and am gearing up for a whirlwind month of games and prizes leading up to my book release in a few short weeks (eep!) I thought I'd share with you a few favorite New Year's quotes from a few awesome writers :)

"We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year's Day."

- Edith Lovejoy Pierce

"Good resolutions are simply checks that men draw on a bank where they have no account." (hehe)

- Oscar Wilde

"We spend January 1 walking through our lives, room by room, drawing up a list of work to be done, cracks to be patched. Maybe this year, to balance the list, we ought to walk through the rooms of our lives... not looking for flaws, but for potential."

- Ellen Goodman

"One resolution I have made, and try always to keep, is this: To rise above the little things."

- John Burroughs

"For last year's words belong to last year's language

And next year's words await another voice.

And to make an end is to make a beginning."

- T.S. Eliot, "Little Gidding"

Happy New Year's Everyone :) May the new year bring you WIPs filled with usable words, requests or at least rejections filled with useful advice, helpful critiques that are blunt and truthful but never cruel, and above all, may you laugh, love, and WRITE! :)