TECH: Mix 'N Match Quotes?

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Original posting 9 February 2009

Mix-And-Match

Do you remember the old placemat games in family restaurants like Big Boy? This is almost like that...

Writers Digest, March 2006, page 11 has this handy little quiz. Just match up the authors with their writing advice. No fair googling!

Let's start with the list of writers:

1. Mark Twain
2. W. Somerset Maugham
3. Kurt Vonnegut
4. Elmore Leonard
5. Jan Burke

And now, the writing advice:

A. "There are three rules for writing the novel. Unfortunately, no one knows what they are."
B. "Don't write what the reader will skip over anyhow."
C. "As to the adjective, when in doubt strike it out."
D. "Take a famous writer to bed."
E. "Give the reader at least one character he or she can root for."

Go ahead. Which writer goes with which advice? Oh, and you might want to think about the advice, too.

After all, we all know the right rules for writing a novel -- don't we? And leaving out the boring bits let you concentrate on the good stuff, right? Those little adjectives sneak in whenever we give them a chance, don't they? And when you read good fiction and study at night, it helps (what did you think it meant?) And of course, last but not least, the reader really wants a hero, someone that they feel good about.

Now who said what?

Answers? You want answers? Well, they really should be upside down. That's the way they did it on the placemats and in Writer's Digest. But since I can't figure out how to turn your screen upside down, here they are: 1, C. 2, A. 3, E. 4, B. and 5, D.

Now can we have a maze, too? Or maybe a coloring picture? And fried mushrooms and root beer, 'cause I really like them. :-)

TECH: Is There An Agent In Your Future?

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Original posting 11 February 2009

Keeping the Reader on the Edge of the Page

Writer's Digest, January 2006, pages 30 to 33, has an article by Susan DeLay with the title "I Couldn't Put It Down!" Here four literary agents suggest how to make your story a page turner. "Transforming characters into real people can make the difference between a so-so novel and a page turner."

So what are the marks of a page turner?

• employs conflict, tension, and high drama
• has memorable characters
• generates an emotional response in readers
• tells a great story

There's a lot of quotes from the four agents. For example, in answer to the question, "what makes a book a page turner?" they responded:

• "a book that keeps the reader 'hooked'... the writer must create an exciting world where readers can easily lose themselves."
• "a page turner is a book I'll talk about to anyone who'll listen."
• "page turners have inwardly conflicted characters and layered, woven plots that build novels with memorable depth and power."
• "it's an interesting story told at a brisk pace with great dialogue and action, unresolved conflict, plot twists and fascinating characters placed in tense situations."

They also asked and answered the questions, "how can a writer take his book to the heights of a page turner?", "how can a writer create memorable characters?", and "how can a writer take the reader on an emotional roller coaster?" The sidebars suggest

Six ways to raise the stakes:

1. Give your protagonist insurmountable odds. Let him face a problem at every turn.
2. Add a time deadline. The protagonist has to solve a problem but in a very specific period of time, or else.
3. End chapters with a cliffhanger that will pull readers into the next chapter.
4. Crank up the tension in small ways. Is your character driving? Make it at night -- on a lonely, isolated highway -- in a blinding rainstorm.
5. Keep track of what's going on with the antagonist. If the readers know the hero's in danger, they'll hold their breath.
6. Keep things moving. If nothing is happening, your reader may nod off, or worse -- stop turning the pages and put down the book.

Six ways to create memorable characters:

1. Know your character inside and out. Forget the adage, "know thyself." Instead, "Know thy character."
2. Make your characters interesting, larger-than-life. Let your readers live vicariously through your characters.
3. Make the reader care about your character. Make the reader wonder if the character will ever overcome his impossible circumstances.
4. Make sure the character cares passionately about what's happening. Give her emotions. If she doesn't care, why should the reader?
5. Give your protagonist a weakness -- a fatal flaw. Everyone has one, including your reader. It will help the reader identify, and as a result they'll care more about what happens.
6. Base your character on a real person, not just a mystery individual you invented.

And since there's no sidebar about an emotional roller coaster, here are some quotes:

• "When the readers are wrapped up in the lives of the characters, it creates an emotional bond and they'll care more about what happens."
• "If you have something compelling to say and work hard to hone your craft, then I believe readers will be able to fuel your passion and power. Once the reader is passionate about what you've written, you're more than halfway there."
• "The best way to entangle the reader in your story and get her emotionally involved is to raise the stakes of your character on a personal level. The main problem for your protagonist should be relatively obvious. What can make the problem matter more? That's where you get to the guts of your hero or heroine. Getting inside the point-of-view character's head gives readers a chance to connect emotionally."
• "I love to pick up a novel and feel changed by it. For that matter I like to pick up a novel and feel anything. Too many novels don't move me toward knowledge, emotion or growth. I think every agent is on the lookout for the 'wow' moment, when your work smacks them as fresh, fun, well crafted and moving."

So . . . make it grab the reader, raise the stakes, add memorable characters, and take the reader on an emotional rollercoaster ride. Hum, sounds like fun?

Exercise? Take your work in progress, and look at the various checkpoints listed. How about it? Do you need to raise the stakes? Make the characters a little more memorable? And . . . is that dip in the tracks ready for the emotional crash?

Write!