TECH: On the Sunny Side of the Street

[mbarker]

Original Posting 2021/11/6

One of the tv shows here is the morning drama, 15 minutes a day. A recent episode ended with a twist, as the male main character looked at the female main character and decided that life was actually pretty good. To help drive that point home, as he looked at her, the radio in the background started playing a bit of Louis Armstrong singing On The Sunny Side of the Street. Just a few bits, and he picked up a flyer and read Louis Armstrong's name, and a few lines in English, which he translated into Japanese. A minute, maybe a bit more, and suddenly, we knew what he was thinking, and it had been reinforced by echoes of that song. Nice...  Life can be so sweet, on the sunny side of the street!

So... if you need to emphasize an emotional point or realization, think about a song that brings it out, and have your character reflect on that song. Maybe even toss in a line or verse or two. And voila... you get the benefit of background music, even without a soundtrack!

And just in case you're trying to remember that song...

Louis Armstrong - On The Sunny Side Of The Street Lyrics

Grab your coat and get your hat
Leave your worries on the doorstep
Life can be so sweet
On the sunny side of the street

Can't you hear the pitter-pat
And that happy tune is your step
Life can be complete
On the sunny side of the street

I used to walk in the shade with my blues on parade
But I'm not afraid... This rover's crossed over

If I never had a cent
I'd be rich as Rockefeller
Gold dust at my feet
On the sunny side of the street

[Instrumental]

I used to walk in the shade with them blues on parade
Now I'm not afraid... This rover has crossed over

Now if I never made one cent
I'll still be rich as Rockefeller
There will be gold dust at my feet
On the sunny 

On the sunny, sunny side of the street 

TECH: Yes-but, No-and, and Try-fail cycles?

[mbarker]

Original Posting 2021/11/12

(Hum, I started to sketch this out back on Nov. 10, and here it is Nov. 12, and I still haven't finished or posted it? Let's get on the ball!)

Let's see. 10 of 30... Yep, about one third. So that must mean...

Aha! Day 10 of Nanowrimo, and your potboiler is faltering? Well... you probably have some idea about the beginning, and maybe at least a thought about the ending, or where you're headed, but... how do you fill in the middle? Muddle through the middle? Yeah...

Okay, one suggestion that often comes up is try-fail cycles. See, at the beginning, your protagonist (aka the hero) gets some kind of challenge or goal in mind, and they are headed there. Towards the end, we get the dramatic climax, where things get worked out. But in the middle, well, fairly often, we have try-fail cycles. The hero is trying things, and failing! That's right, we don't want him or her to succeed the first few times. Which makes these good material for filling that middle. Just think of some things that the protagonist might try, and how they might fail.

Incidentally, those failures tend to come in two flavors. First is yes-but, and second is no-and. Let me see if I can quickly sketch those out for you.

Yes-but is sneaky. In this case, the protagonist seems to succeed, that's the yes part, but in the process, they learn that there is another challenge, more problems, something else that must be done. That's the but part. I'm going to climb the mountain! Yes, you climbed the mountain, but... there's another mountain behind that one, there's a monster at the top who challenges you with a riddle, or whatever new problem turns up.

No-and is a little more straightforward. In this case, the protagonist doesn't succeed, fails, which is the no part. Then, just to mix it up, they learn that there is another little bit to the problem. That's the and part. So, I'm going to climb the mountain. No, I didn't get there, and in the process, I broke my leg, I lost the jewels, or whatever added trouble you like.

Of course, you can also take side journeys, adding a new mystery, challenge, or whatever to the stew.

Whatever you do, keep writing!

TECH: How to Write and Sell 200 Novels (By Somone Who Has) (moldy oldie!)

[mbarker]

Original Posting 2021/12/16

Writer's Digest, July 1991, pages 38-39, has an article by Chet Cunningham with that title. It's broken into 14 little chunks, mostly with titles that summarize the points. So, let's walk through his ideas.

1. Want to write novels more than anything else in the world. Unstoppable! You gotta want to do it!
2. Create characters you can't stop writing about. Make them people you really know. He says he uses a big questionnaire to work through each of the main characters, including physical description, psychology, work, hobbies, dreams, etc. Make sure you know your characters!
3. Finish your first novel. Then keep on doing it.
4. Aim at a specific market. Probably not a "mainstream novel." Hit the genres. His idea -- pick the one you like, and read 20 contemporary novels in that genre. Take them apart. What's the story line, how does the writer make it work, what is the pitch. Check characterization, style, structure, viewpoint, suspense, twists... 
5. Specialize. Don't jump around, at least to start. Stick to one genre, build a byline. This also lets you reuse your research!
6. Write what editors buy. (hum, this may not be as much of a problem with indy publishing?) Anyway, he suggests analyzing what's on the bookstore shelves to see what the editors bought a year ago. Check the magazines that survey the marketplace (Publishers Weekly, Writer's Digest). Then plan your book for a specific publisher and a specific line.
7. Write series books. Continuing series do great in genre. One great character, one slant or idea, and push out that series.
8. Sell your books with partials. After you have a track record, sell new ones with a partial. 4 chapters and an outline of the rest of the book. 
9. Keep the pipeline full. While you are writing current books, send out queries for new books and new series.
10. Write more than you do now. If you do your daily quota, and there's time left... do some more! Write every day. Focus on writing, and keep that writing time first.
11. Have a work space where you write. Try to do your writing (and only your writing) in one place. Write, plan, plot, research. That's your work place.
12. Set a writing schedule. Lay out your calendar, including research and rests.
13. Join a novel writing workshop. Writing group interaction helps you and them. 
14. Enjoy the hell out of your writing. "Writing is the most wonderful and thrilling and satisfying job in the world." So enjoy it!

Write!