Words of Wisdom from author Meg Gardiner

I discovered Meg Gardiner’s Evan Delaney series a few months ago and liked it so much, I wrote her an email to tell her so. I also asked if she would be willing to share any of her writing wisdom with us. Meg very kindly — and quickly! — responded with the column below, which she had written for another publication. Thanks for your generous spirit, Meg! Looking forward to more books.

CREATING A SENSE OF PLACE

By Meg Gardiner

Novels can’t exist in a vacuum any more than people can.  Stories need a sense of place.  Without it, they seem to occur in a void, and readers feel unmoored.  With it, readers feel that they’re on the streets of a living, breathing world, sharing the characters’ experiences.

How do you create a sense of place?  You start by knowing the world of your story inside and out. It’s where your characters exist, and it shapes their lives. A novel set in New Orleans will differ from one set on the Arctic icepack. They may both deal with murder, love, and death, but will play out in different ways.

The most important thing in creating a sense of place is particularity: precisely observed details rather than generalities. Anchor your story in a specific place and time.  Setting a novel in “a city” or “Asia” is as vague and useless as setting it “on earth” or “in the past.” Bring descriptions to life by being precise.  Don’t mention “restaurant aromas.”  Mention curry, BBQ, or the yeasty smell of beer.

You don’t need to overwhelm readers with visual description—you’re writing a novel, not a travel guide.  Give readers a few vivid markers to spark their imaginations.  Their minds will fill in the rest.  And you don’t want description to be static. Don’t simply stick in a paragraph that lists sights like a tourist checklist.  Weave information about the setting into the story.  Put it to use. Make it affect what’s happening.  Is the night so cold the hero’s tears freeze?  So humid that sweat darkens the back of his shirt, making it impossible for him play it cool?  Are the alleys in Marrakech wide enough for a fleeing motorcycle, but not a Mercedes?

Describe your setting via all the senses.  Sounds: horns echoing between skyscrapers; steel drums; the murmur of waves on the beach.  Tastes.  Smells.  Dialogue can also define a place. Do cabbies say, “Thanks, dude,” or “Cheers, mate”?

My novels are set in California.  Crosscut opens in the Mojave Desert.  Here’s how I introduce heroine Evan Delaney’s hometown:

The wind skipped over me.  I stood in the parking lot, shielding my eyes from the setting sun.  The heat was a wall against my face.

“This was a bad idea.  Let’s get out of here,” I said.  

Out on the highway an eighteen-wheeler rumbled past.  Dust spun into the air behind it, blowing across the razor wire that marked the edge of the naval base.  

Jesse looked at me as if I’d blown a cylinder.  “Are you nuts?  You can’t back out now.”

I peered over the roof of the Mustang at the strip mall.  “Nuts isn’t backing out.  Nuts is going in there.”

He pulled off his sunglasses.  “Let me get this straight.  Evan Delaney is chickening out of her high school reunion?”

The invitation read China Lake’s brightest nightspot hosts our festive gathering.  The nightclub sat between the adult bookstore and the auto wrecking yard.  Beyond that was a million acres of absence: the Naval Air Warfare Center, where mirages hovered over the desert floor and the horizon flung itself up into mountains at every turn, purple and red against a huge sky.

The scene creates the sense of a place that’s isolated and foreboding, where a killer can easily hide out.  Your novel will be different. Distinctively so, if you create a vivid sense of place.

www.MegGardiner.com.

Magazine promotes romance

By Christina Rich

To see the hottest new item in romance, check out The Season, designed by author Beverley Kendall. The Season is so hot that Avon Publishing collaborated with Ms. Kendall in a massive book give away during the month of August. The Season is a quarterly e-magazine publication highlighting upcoming historical romances with a taste of contemporaries in every issue.

Oh, and you definitely don’t want to miss this page- The Season~October Debutantes, go KWI member Angela Johnson!  The Season’s fourth quarter edition will go live on September 12, 2009.

For more information about Beverley Kendall you can visit her website. You can also check out The Season’s third quarter here.

In the Words of Ace Ventura

By Shayne Sawyer

In the words of Ace Venture, “All righty then,” it’s time for me to get down to business and write my first blog. No pressure. No problem. And nary a succinct word in my head. The curser’s winking at me and if it had an eye, I’d poke it. It’s not that I don’t have any thing to say; I do! It’s finding the perfect beginning then resisting the urge to hit the ‘Backspace’ key. I can hear Hermione Granger in my head, “Honestly! How difficult can it be? Just do it. Besides, you have Quidditch practice at half past three and you don’t want to be late.”

There! It came to me as I wrote that. Writing fiction is all about the characters in your head. For me it’s about the endless conversations I overhear, the facial expressions I see, the grunts, snorts, snickers, the sarcasm, the turns of the head. You know – the real life stuff. It’s in us, all around us. We’re a part of it.

I’ve mooned over my characters, allowed them to act out their lives in my head, to process their own thoughts and feelings, to cry and laugh, and curse. I’ve learned as I’ve watched their stories weave in moody arcs and splashes of brightness. Like watching a favorite movie over and over and over (yes, I do this) until I can recite the dialogue. (You know what I mean! You do it too.) No matter how many times I watch ‘Waking Ned Devine’ on a sleepy Sunday afternoon, I never tire of the characters brought to life by the brilliant actors. I shout the dialogue with an Irish accent and laugh to tears at the end.

So dream your characters into being, let them live in your mind, let them lead you around, let them age like single malt Scotch. (Well, maybe not that long…but you get the metaphor.) Then give your characters the forum to reveal their personalities through dialogue. And my final tip: Read the dialogue out loud. No. Seriously! Out loud. Bark it in an Irish accent if you have to. Bark it until you grow tired of it. If it rolls off your tongue and makes you laugh, you’re on your way. If you have to catch your breath in the middle, then it’s probably too long unless your character’s a preacher or a politician.

Happy dreaming, my friends.

What’s that you say?

By Jean Wilson

I’d like to share some more of what I’ve learned from my Advanced Fiction Writing Courses, started this Spring, ending this late Fall.
I’m new at writing and recently learned a book, article, whatever, should have these components:
Act I                                   Act II                               Act III
Hook                                  Crisis                                Plan
Backstory                         Struggle                              Climax
Trigger                                Epiphany                          Ending

What is hardest for me is writing dialogue and letting the characters tell the story. My instructor, Steve Alcorn, a published author himself, has been told by some publishers, “Face it! Today, most readers want a fast read.” I see now that dialogue gets the reader’s interest, gets things moving, and keeps your story from sagging in the middle.

It also: 1) creates a great hook 2) creates your characters 3) condenses long passages of a back story 4) it shows instead of tells the story and 5) is useful to inject humor. Keep writing, and let us new writers get over the fear of using lots of dialogue. I finally am!

Open Your Mind to What’s Already There

By Morgan Chilson

When I was lucky enough to interview Mark Victor Hansen, co-author of the Chicken Soup for the Soul book series and numerous other books, he gave me some advice that set my mind skip-jumping through the writing universe. He said every author should have a list containing 100 or more book titles of books they’re planning to write.

That’s right. The books they’re planning to write. Mark learned this hint from Norman Vincent Peale, who was his minister. This much revered minister opened his briefcase and in it were 50 folders, one for each of the sermons Mr. Peale would give during the year. Throughout the year, he slowly filled those folders with sermon ideas.

It’s an idea that opens your mind up to the creative universe and prepares you to gather information that will push you forward.

Remember when you were pregnant and suddenly, everywhere you looked there were pregnant women? Or you finally bought that speedy black SUV and voila – the highways were bumper to bumper with that exact same car.

We take notice of the things that are bubbling in our brains, even if they’re just half-baked ideas or little squiggles of characters who someday may populate our books. When you write a list of book titles, you’ll be amazed how much information begins to come your way about your subject matter. You’ll meet people with the right expertise to help you out. I was just handily reminded that one of my good friend’s sons is a neuroscientist – exactly what I need for some writing I’m doing.

So start your list and don’t hold back. Include the crazy ideas, the books you think there will never be enough time to write, the simmering ideas that make you a smart, imaginative writer.

Then watch the opportunities present themselves.

Conference Bound!

By Renee Lynn Scott

My boarding passes are printed. Nails polished, brows waxed. Workshop handouts are printed, neatly hole punched, and placed into a binder. Suitcases are packed-laptop, business cards, flat iron, snack food for flight, headphones, pjs, business attire, toiletries and clean underwear.

I’ve known about this trip for quite some time. I committed in February when I paid my registration fee for the Romance Writers of America conference in Washington D.C., but somewhere in the back of mind I thought I might back out. The consequence of that thought-I’m far from prepared. Part of the reason is because I have no idea what to expect. I’m going as a writer looking to gain knowledge. As a writer looking to network with other writers, and as a writer praying for unimaginable opportunities. No matter how many scenarios I run through my head, no matter how many ‘what ifs’, I know that none of it will occur as I imagined. So, I’ll go, and I’ll soak it all up. And I’ll enjoy every moment of it like a wide-eyed kid in a candy store.

I hope to send tidbits from the hotel, but that all depends on how much down time I have, and of course, how much time I spend devouring the Smithsonian.

We’re all writers

By Ian Hall

We’re all writers.

Whether it’s a letter, an email, poetry or stories. Even if we never put pen to paper, or our fingertips to a keyboard, in our imagination we write the novel that is our lives, or what we’d like our lives to be. We wonder ‘what if’s’ and ponder possibilities of ‘going back and doing it differently.’

Some people dabble, and scribble through their ‘writing lives’ with nothing much to show; their emails are eloquent, punctuated and great to read, but there it ends. Some have such interests and pastimes that drive them to inspire others, to pass on to generations to come. I belong to my last category; the writers who have an unnatural urge to write, to create, to indulge their fantasies (or egos) and feel they are at their best when in front of a quickly filling page.

We’re all writers, but there are many different ways to write.

Some begin with an idea, growing it like a rolling snowball into a concept, then they mold a leading character, and plan the novel to the last page.

Some sow a novel into a formula, threading their story into a pre-arranged tapestry, and have the restraints of length, content, history and form.

Some throw those constraints to the wind, diving deep into foreign cities, alien worlds, or unknown futures, limited by nothing except their own imaginations, and the results are both weird and wonderful.

I am not any of the above.

I begin each story on a blank page, with no preconceived notions, no plan and no direction. My characters emerge on the page as they would in a movie, hidden from the viewer until they appear. I have started many short stories, and completed quite a few. Some have been well accepted, some even won prizes. But the best of them never stayed as short stories.

The best of them (in my own humble opinion, of course) only started life as short stories, then, sometimes weeks later, as my pen began the next idea, an unseen title appears at the top of the page; “Chapter Two.”

I have begun five novels from the same humble beginnings. A short story is the basis, but it soon becomes a novel as the possibilities shift and morph.

So, in closing, remember – we are all writers.

Never limit yourself, never give up, and never think anything is beyond you.

It’s not.

And if you finish a story, with the glorious final full stop, pause, and give it a afterthought…… what happens next? You never know; it may turn into a novel.

Not a solitary calling

By Cheryl Swayne

Thank you for taking time to read the Kansas Writers, Inc.  BLOG. If you are not a member yet, I would encourage you to join. I was hesitant to join because I didn’t know anyone in the group.  However, I found KWI to be welcoming and supportive.  In fact, the groups’ focus is about mentoring upcoming authors, regardless of their genre.  Each meeting has an educational section, usually in the form of a guest speaker.

 Writers and writing are portrayed as a solo entity. I don’t believe that is true. Writing jobs, such as scripting, advertising, corporate literature or news agencies, require a commute to an office and high pressure deadlines.     My favorite western author, Louis L’Amour, stated in his book jacket biography that he was not a fussy writer. He claimed that he could put his typewriter in the middle of the road and write a novel because he did not distract easily. 

A writer needs support from his or her family, a wide variety of contacts, a writers group, totally awesome editors and professional services.  Contrary to the vision of a writer sitting alone in a cabin in the middle of nowhere, this is work that takes time to complete.  It doesn’t matter if you are writing copy, the great American novel, your family history or a memoir. It doesn’t matter if you plan to publish or if this is a personal goal. Surround yourself with good people. 

I just turned 50 and was told to put together a PowerPoint presentation that represented my life. It was easy to come up with the embarrassing baby pictures and the names of all my pets. I often think of myself in terms of my work. I was a park ranger and am a farrier. But I never thought of myself as a writer, even though I am working on a novel. As I went through my collection of ‘stuff’ it made me realize how long I have been a writer. 

Polly Cleary, my literature teacher in high school, signed my yearbook in 1977.  She wrote that I was a good creative writer. I found a pin and certificate where I was awarded the National Quill and Scroll award for creative writing. That award put me in contention for a scholarship to a college in Boston. I found twenty years worth of letters with kudos from people because they saw an article of mine in a magazine and thought that was great. Then I realized I had over 40 articles published regarding boater safety, all kinds of trails, umpteen historical sites and countless community programs. 

By the time I finished assembling the slide show, I had a whole different perspective on myself and how much I had accomplished in 50 years. I realized that it is OK to call myself a writer. My work as a horseshoer parallels writing. Most people who go to farrier school quit after the first year. My mentor was fond of saying that ‘if horseshoeing were easy, anyone could do it.’  Writing a novel seems the same to me. Everyone has a novel in their head. But not everyone can be a novelist. It isn’t just about the idea, no matter how exciting that idea is. You still have to know the techniques to good writing. 

Our meetings are on the fourth Saturday of the month. We welcome new faces and new members. You can keep up with me on my personal BLOGS www.thereisnocryinginhorseshoeing.blogpsot.com or www.smokeywestford.blogspot.com.

Joining the Blogosphere!

By Susan Hollaway

 http://susans-sampler.blogspot.com

I’m officially a blogger now! Woo-hoo! Cartwheel! I have to admit I’m really excited about getting a blog. I’m thinking you figured that out though, eh? =)  Initially, I was excited and scared at the same time to go public with a blog. I’m still excited and a little scared, but I took the leap into the big blogosphere, as a new friend calls it, and it feels good. I feel as if I’ve accomplished something. I moved past my fears and inhibitions. I’m not saying those fears won’t try to creep back in sometimes. But I’m not going to borrow trouble. I love the saying, “Fear knocked at the door. Faith answered. No one was there.” 

Anyway, I’ll just say it……I am a writer. Granted, at this point, the only things I’ve published were news articles and photos in the area newspapers when I was a journalism student in high school, and that was a long time ago. I’ve wanted to write almost my entire life, but kept putting it off and not trying because I was afraid. Afraid of what, you ask? I mean, it’s just putting pen to paper or fingers to a keyboard….what’s to be afraid of?  Well, it stems from a lack of self-confidence and fear of failing. Go ahead, you know you want to do the eye roll thing. It’s okay. I know it’s ridiculous. In fact, my own daughter said to me, “You can’t fail if you don’t try, Mom. But you also can’t succeed if you don’t try either.” Wow! Wise words from a 13-year-old. 

I was annoying myself that I still had this desire to write, but was doing nothing about it. I was getting weary of fighting the inner struggle. I don’t know what took me so long, but I finally turned the whole thing over to God and asked that if it wasn’t in His will for me to write, then to just take away my desire to write altogether.  Well, He only made the desire stronger in my heart. So, I’m trusting in God and following His lead. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight.” (Prov. 3:5-6 NASB) 

All I know is that I have to write. And I have to give God the glory for it. I write inspirational romance and whatever else God puts on my heart.  I have no idea if God only wants me to write so He can teach me something or if His intent is for me to be published someday. Maybe both.  I’ll just have to wait and see where He takes me. In the meantime, I’m going to remember that, “I can do all things through Him (Christ) who strengthens me. ” (Phil 4:13) So, I’m writing. In a nutshell, I’m going to obey, pray, and hang on for the ride!

Excellent Class!

Hi! I’m an unpublished mystery writer with several fiction novels in the holding tank but no guts to publish. I lack confidence. Because of that, I took a class through Washburn University in Topeka. Below is the website, which I recommend highly. It cost $89. I have just started Part II in mid June.

http://www.ed2go.com/washburn

The class instructor recommend that we read these books, which were an excellent help to me! The 38 Most Common Fiction Writing Mistakes by Jack M. Bickham and How To Write A Damn Good Mystery by James N. Frey.

Keep your “keys flying” and keep writing! Jean