Tell Me Lies

Let's face it:  Everybody lies.  Whether it's telling your mother-in-law her lasagna is the best in the world just as you're wondering how to swallow one more unpalatable bite, or agreeing with Uncle Joe's politics in order to avoid a pointless argument, we all have to glide over "the truth" once in awhile.  And it's exactly the same for your characters--with one big difference:  sometimes your characters have to go way beyond the social niceties.  Sometimes they have to tell whoppers;  big, huge, gigantic lies that could get them into so much trouble I don't even want to think about it.

Far from being the road straight to hell, lies in fiction are an invaluable tool for creating both external and internal conflict.  Untruths are also a great vehicle for "showing, not telling" who your characters really are at heart.  How they lie (blush, stammer, or look you straight in the eye), and the lies they choose to tell (tall tales, or deceitful rumors calculated to cause the most possible harm) can deliver more impact to your plot than pages and pages of truthful--and dull--good behavior.

While many genres routinely depend upon lies to provide the bulk and basis of the story, e.g.:

• Mystery fiction ("Wasn't me, guv.").
• Thrillers ("Tell them you are a visiting anthropologist from Bulgaria.").
• Romance ("I hate him!")

...any type of good fiction can benefit from a good dose of dishonesty.  For instance, with a few well-placed fibs you can:

• Establish tension:  Will the liar be found out?
• Create sympathy:  But he did it for his family!  I.e., when a "good" character tells a lie to serve a higher purpose, we'll be desperate for him to get away with it.
• Story justice.  Just as much as we want our hero's lie to save the day, we also want "bad" characters to get their comeuppance.  It feels good when villains and antagonists are found out as the evil-doers we know they are--and then receive their due punishment.
• Plot development.  Characters who lie will do anything to keep from being discovered.  Characters in search of the truth will risk all to reach their goal.  Put the two together and your scenes will practically write themselves. 
• Motivation, mission, and revenge.  Characters who have been lied to won't be happy campers...keeping those wily, no-good, double-crossing liars on the hop.

A good trick to see if your WIP will benefit from throwing in a lie or two is to simply try it out.  On a sheet of paper, take each one of your characters and give them three secrets.  Now give them three possible reasons for needing to keep those secrets.  Finally, invent three lies they could tell to keep those secrets private.  Even if you don't want or need to use any of these secrets and lies in your actual plot line, knowing what they are will go a long way to making your characters real and vivid--even when they're telling the truth.

Tip of the Day:  Make a list of some of your favorite books and movies.  Ask yourself:  What lies do the characters in these stories tell themselves and/or each other?  How did a lie maintain the story tension and keep the plot moving?  How were the lies resolved?  What can you learn from these examples to add more conflict to your own fiction?

Check-In: What's Happening at Dava Books

Big news:  the WIP is finished!  At 451 manuscript pages, it's a huge weight off my shoulders--for the moment, at least.  Starting this weekend, the book will be going into Phase II:  designing my cover and formatting the interior pages for publication.  A lot of people have asked me what program I use for formatting, and the answer is:  Book Design Wizard 2.0.  I love this program and I bought the company's poetry version, too.

The title of the book is Overtaken.  A literary gothic fairy tale for grown-ups, it's about a portrait painter named Sara Elliott who marries a stranger who then disappears.  In her search to find her husband, Sara learns more about herself than she ever could have imagined.  And it was lots of fun to write.

So now that the WIP is finished and seems more like "whipped cream" than "whip that book into shape or else," I'm feeling a little bit like a kid just let out of school.  Some of the projects I can now attend to guilt-free are:

• Play with my new camera.  Yes, I bought a camera at long last--and I can't leave it alone.  It's pink.  Here's my first picture:

• Work on my book trailer for Overtaken.  This time I hope to have my trailer released before the book.
• Design my marketing cards.  I love making--and sending--postcards based on my book cover designs.  I've always thought postcards are more cost effective than bookmarks because you can do so much more with them.  And they hold your place in a book just fine.
• Start blogging twice a week.  I've wanted to do this for awhile, and now that I have my camera I have some new ideas on new directions for my blog.   While I will still be sharing writing tips and experiences, I'll also be taking you into my art studio.  (Hint:  I'll be working on my first "altered book."  Hope you'll be as intrigued as I am by this new adventure.)

So that's what's happening here at Dava Books.  Stay tuned for more!  And as always, thanks so much for reading and leaving your kind comments. 

Tip of the Day:  Where are you right now in your writing or creative journey?  Freewrite and take stock of what you've accomplished, where you want to go, and how you plan to get there.  What new tools, classes, or supplies do you need to expand your horizons?

Manuscript Revision--Play Nice

When it comes to revising your manuscript, you want to be ruthless--to your pages, that is.  Being mean to yourself during the revision process won't make your writing any better or worse than it already is--I know because I've tried it too many times!

Right now I'm on the very last revision pages of my current WIP before typesetting begins next week.  There are days when it's felt like a never-ending chore--one that's taken much longer than I ever could have predicted.  Then again, there have been wonderful days when I want to jump up and down, shouting, "I love being a writer!"  Either way, here are some of the most important things I've learned over these last few months:

1.  Whatever else happens, do your best to keep to a schedule for revision, preferably choosing blocks of time when you're at your highest energy levels.

2.  It's a good idea to print out your pages for revision and then use a 3-step plan:  a) read through without a pen, but place small post-its where you think you need to make a change;  b) go through the manuscript again, and this time pencil in your changes; c) make your changes. 

3.  Take time off between the stages.  At least 24-48 hours is good for a short piece; a week or two can be better for a novel or book-length manuscript.

4.  Don't feel you have to over-reach to be a "disciplined writer."  Whether you are just reading through your manuscript, or you are in the final proofreading stage, divide your manuscript into workable blocks of pages.  When choosing the amount of pages to work on per revision session, be easy on yourself.  You'll be more inclined to work consistently on 3-10 page blocks, rather than those of 20-30.

5.  Create and use a style sheet right from the start:  e.g., characters' names and ages, foreign words or terms that can have multiple spellings, words that need capitalization and those that don't. 

6.  Read your work aloud whenever you can. 

7.  Acknowledge that revision isn't a "get it over and done with" part of your writing life.  It's about trying to do your absolute best.  If a certain page takes several days to "get it right," then that's how long it's going to take and your schedule will just have to change.  At the same time, you'll often find that some revision sessions speed by because there's not much, if anything, to change.  And just because the work is "easy" on that particular day, resist the urge to grab more pages.  Instead, take advantage of the extra time for some rest and relaxation.

8.  If you have to miss a day or two of editing, don't try to make up for lost time with a marathon.  It's too easy to gloss over important (and suspect) passages, declaring them "okay" in an attempt to cram a week's worth of work into an afternoon.  Marathons can also create burn-out, making you too tired or bored to continue with the next day's revision schedule.

9.  Reward yourself at the end of each session.  Even if it's something as simple as a cup of coffee, or allowing yourself some reading time, take it.

10.  If you feel stuck and can't find a solution to a manuscript problem--allow yourself a small break.  Go for a walk, take a nap, watch a movie.
 
11.  Another way to handle what feels like an insurmountable problem is to play with some freewriting or artwork.  Try this:  In your journal write the words, "What I really want to say in this scene (passage, chapter, piece of dialogue) is...  Then just talk it through.  You'll be amazed at how clear the solution will be.  Collage or doodling can help too.  Playing with some colored pencils or crayons, magazine cut-outs, or personal photos can bring you closer to the mood, theme, or emotion you're trying to evoke through your writing.

12.  Always have a journal or notepad ready to collect new ideas.  Rather than resist the urge to add a new idea because "it doesn't fit," at least give yourself the chance to experiment.  By keeping a new scene or character separate from your actual manuscript, but also ready for inclusion, you can decide whether it fits or not later on.

Tip of the Day:  We all have our own "comfort zones" for knowing exactly what is too much (or too little) writing or revision to achieve in one day.  Understanding your working style and needs before you start a project will keep your output consistent and your deadlines stress-free.

Writing the Children's Mystery, 12 Tips

Nancy Drew, Donna Parker, Trixie Belden--what would my childhood have been without these great junior detectives? Not only were they my role models as I was growing up, they also inspired me to eventually write my own mystery for young readers, The Great Scarab Scam. 

Writing The Great Scarab Scam was great fun, and sharing it with new readers--and writers--keeps me ever grateful for the world of children's literature. I also get asked a lot of questions about the writing process: Do I have any special tips for writing children's mysteries? Yes, I do. Here are my top 12:

1. Unlike mysteries for adult readers, mysteries for the middle-grades usually avoid solving an actual murder. The best type of crime to center on is what is called a "caper," e.g., a crime involving stolen goods, or some kind of fraudulent scheme.

2. There's an old adage that says girls will read about boys, but boys won't read about girls. I don't know how true this really is, but it's been my experience that boys WILL read about girls if the girls are fun, lively, and adventurous--exactly what's required to be the main character of a mystery. I've also been delighted at how many mothers tell me their sons enjoyed reading The Great Scarab Scam, which just happens to feature a girl named Lydia Hartley.

3. Boy or girl, your child sleuth should always be a "real kid," one who experiences all of childhood's highs and lows with a good deal of imagination and sense of curiosity.

4. Description and detail should be carefully thought out--too much of either and you've lost your young reader; not enough and you'll lose the flavor of your story. I've found the best approach is to always go for the child-oriented details: the little things that you want your reader to remember long after the book is closed.

5. Goals, rewards, and any prizes for solving the crime should also be kept to child-sized portions. For instance, a child might be more motivated to win a new bicycle rather than go after a million dollars.

6. To a child, the adult world can be a scary place, but the playground can hold even greater terrors. What might be considered trivial in the adult novel, e.g., fear of not passing a spelling test, or the humiliation of not being invited to a birthday party, can take on seemingly insurmountable proportions in the children's book. Make sure you balance crime-solving with real-life kid problems, too.

7. Speaking of real life, you want to make your junior detective act and sound real and far-from-perfect. Character flaws are vital for maintaining reader identification as well as for setting up your conflict and story set-backs.

8. That said, junior detectives do need some special gifts and traits to help them along their way. I found the best solution is to give your character a deep-seated interest such as Lydia Hartley's passion for archaeology. It also helps to add on a specific personality trait that will keep your character willing to stay on track. In Lydia's case that trait was loyalty to her family.

9. The best way to understand and use childhood dreams, wishes, fears and goals is to explore your own childhood and bring those emotions to the page. Take out your journal and ask yourself: What were my greatest fears as a child? List them all.

10. What kind of problems did you encounter as a child--and how did you solve them? Young characters in books have to do a lot of their own problem-solving, no adults allowed, and you want to keep solutions as realistic as possible.

11. What were your favorite games, toys, movies and television programs? What about vacations, food, your best friends? Despite the passage of time between then and now, the feelings you had about these things are what remain the same for today's new generation of readers.

12. Read, read, read. There are hundreds of great mysteries for children out there. Analyze, study, learn, and use a highlighter to mark your favorite passages (as well as the ones you didn't like). Take the best ideas and put your own fresh spin on them. And have fun--if you're not enjoying the stories, don't force yourself to write what you think is salable or "hot."

Tip of the Day: For the next few days or weeks, set up a journal solely for childhood memories. Start your entries with a simple "I remember" and start anywhere, don't worry about chronological order. When you're finished, take a look at which experiences could be the basis for the plot to a children's mystery, and which can be used to develop your main character.

Blog Awards!

Happy Thursday, and Happy Blog Awards Day!  The last week has been both busy and fun for me, and I have a lot of people to thank for that, starting with LadyD Books who sent me this super blog award.  I feel very honored to receive this one and I'm looking forward to sharing it over the next few months.  The conditions for acceptance are to list four "guilty pleasures" and to pass the award on to other blogs.  The number of blogs wasn't specified, so I'm taking the liberty of starting with three:

Holly Schindler

Journaling Journeys

Dawn Herring Journal Writer Freelance

As for my "guilty pleasures" list; oh, my goodness, where to start??  Here are my top four:

1. Food that is very, very bad for you.  Jelly doughnuts, potato chips, glazed doughnuts, eclairs, french fries...the list never ends.  I try to be good and indulge in moderation, but I do love these awful things.
2. Expensive writing and art materials that serve no other purpose other than I crave them.  I don't like ballpoint pens, thin paper, cheapie colored pencils, student quality spiral bound notebooks.  It's a little embarrassing, but I simply have to have Private Reserve fountain pen ink in Plum, or Waterman violet ink cartridges or my day is ruined.  Oh, and  Arches watercolor paper.  Legal pads with heavy chipboard backing.  It's silly, I know, but I feel my most inspired when I use top-quality supplies.
3. Books-on-sale.  I don't seem to be able to walk by any of those "discount" book displays without buying at least one book.  Whether it's the grocery store or a big chain bookstore, seeing that discount sign has me digging through the pile and yelling, "Eureka!" with each wonderful find.
4. Sleep.  Glorious sleep.  If I had my way I'd stay in bed forever, eating jelly doughnuts, doodling in my leather bound journal, and reading a 99-cent novel in between cat naps.  Life is so unfair.

So that's the "bad me"!

To round out my award list, I want to send out a special thank you and award to author, Man Martin who included me in a recent blog post about self-publishing.  I'm sending Man the Premios Dardo Award for Blog Excellence (award on my sidebar) and my sincere congratulations on his new novel, Paradise Dogs, to be published this summer by Thomas Dunne Books.

Thank you, everyone--for reading, for leaving comments, for following and subscribing.  You keep me inspired every day, and I appreciate you all.

Tip of the Day:  Do visit these four great blogs--you'll be glad you did.  Each of them is full of good information, ideas for further reading, and invaluable inspiration to help you pick up those pens--ballpoint, fountain, or quill--and get creative today!

Why Wait for Permission?

Waiting for permission to write your book?  Explore watercolors?  Wear good clothes?  What on earth are you waiting for?  Here are my top 12 reasons why you shouldn't wait a minute longer:

1.  No one is going to give you permission.  Only you can decide to attend a writer's conference, experiment with felt collage, or keep a dream journal.

2.  Every day spent waiting in line for your passport to creative freedom is a day wasted and lost--a day you'll resent and feel bad about.  And who wants to feel bad?

3.  My favorite quote from Julia Cameron's The Artist's Way: Q: "Do you know how old I'll be by the time I learn to play the piano?"  A: "The same age you will be if you don't."  I would rather look back on my life knowing I had attempted to follow my dreams--results aside--rather than wonder, "What if?"

4.  Waiting for anything is annoying.  The only way I can tolerate waiting is to do something else, like read a book or doodle in my journal.  Which means if you're doing something else you're no longer waiting--you're doing.  Hey, you're working on your dream without even knowing it!
  
5.  Waiting is passive--anyone can do it, with or without permission.  Action creates energy; once you start a project, it can take on a snowball effect.  One page leads to another...you'll be finished before anyone can stop you and say, "No--don't do that!"

6.  Waiting for permission can keep us stuck in creative professional ruts:  we've always written for children, or we've always written poems of exactly 17 lines each, and our editors and readers like it that way.  If you really want to experiment with a new form or genre, take a chance and break out of the mold without telling anyone.  You can always use a pseudonym or say the cat painted your latest masterpiece if it's completely different from your usual style.

7.  Waiting for permission provides too good of a pay-off to the nay-sayers and toxic playmates in our lives.  As long as you stay in the waiting mode, they'll never be threatened or have to compete with you.

8.  Remember when you wanted to do something or go somewhere as a child and the adults in your life said, "No!"  And you did it anyway?  Fun, wasn't it?

9.  Even if you did get grounded for a week, you're the grown-up now, and you can make your own decisions.  Art-making is rarely dangerous (unless you're working with fire).  It might get your clothes dirty, but it won't put you in bad company, ruin your grades, or rot your teeth.

10.  Admittedly, there are some things we do need permission for, such as spending the entire family savings on a trip to Italy to research that novel set in ancient Rome, or to rent a 5,000 square foot studio because all "real artists have studios."  However, even when choices can't be made without consulting others, there's nothing stopping you from saving up for a trip to a nearby museum, or clearing out a section of your garage to make room for a desk or easel.

11.  Even with no time, no money, and no support you can stop waiting and take baby steps.  Libraries are full of books on writing and art instruction.  Craft items can be found for pennies at thrift stores.  Connect with your creative friends via Twitter or Facebook to start an online support system.

12.  A common reason to wait for permission or for "the right time" is to simply protect our creative selves from the bullies of the world:  rejection, criticism, indifference, ridicule--it all hurts.  But a coddled child is an unhealthy child.  So kick off your shoes and let your creative self play in the dirt--one of the best ways known to build up the immune system!

Tip of the Day:  What creative dream(s) have you put on hold because you are waiting for permission to start?  Make a list followed by an action plan outlining the best way for you to begin doing, rather than waiting.

The Great Scarab Scam Book Trailer

Happy February! And Happy Book Trailer Day! Well, I don’t know if it’s officially “Book Trailer Day” for anyone other than me, but I’m delighted to present the new trailer for The Great Scarab Scam, my Egyptian mystery for young readers. I hope you’ll enjoy it and will want to share it with your friends and family.

At the same time, though, I must tell you that I had some questions about releasing the trailer. With Egypt currently undergoing political unrest and facing an uncertain future, I was torn—was this a good time to talk about a children’s mystery set in the Land of the Pharaohs? With perfect irony, the day the trailer was ready to upload was the day the protests began. For all of last week I dithered—should I release the trailer, store it away until Egypt stabilized, or maybe never show it at all? I asked some good friends for their advice and over and over I kept getting the same answer: Life is never stable—share your trailer! Kids still want to read mysteries and they want to read about Egypt. Go for it! 

I don’t think there was ever a time in my life I wasn’t fascinated by ancient Egypt: the tombs, the treasures, the mythology, and of course the enigmatic lives of both the royal and more ordinary families. Traveling in Egypt to research my book seemed like a dream to me. When I actually visited the pyramids it was difficult for me to believe that I was there—right there—as in, really there. I was also very sick, and something I remember most vividly is the friendliness and concern of the Egyptian people during my ordeals. Thinking of the young driver who insisted on buying me an ice-cold Coke when I knew he couldn’t really afford it, or the women who suddenly appeared and encircled me, spreading out their skirts to make a tent and rubbing my back when I was sick on the street, still brings tears to my eyes. The widespread poverty I saw was terrible, especially for the children, and I tried to portray some of that in my book. 

So I do understand why Egypt is in crisis, and it is my sincere hope that the country will find a way to improve the lives of all its citizens. And that’s why I think it’s important for me to talk about The Great Scarab Scam, especially now. If I can bring some of the culture, history, and excitement of being in a foreign land to young readers, then I will have done my job as a writer for children. 

Tip of the Day: What ancient era and culture has always called to you? For your next freewriting session, go on an archaeological dig through your childhood interests. With any luck there’s gold in them ‘thar hills—gold you can turn into a short story or nonfiction piece, if not a full-length book, for young readers.