Wednesday, January 21, 2015

Writing lessons learned from COMPULSION


I read a lot over the Christmas break, so I'll share another post about writing lessons learned from great fiction! I had the pleasure of reading COMPULSION by Martina Boone, who just happens to be a friend and wonderful blogger. If you haven't stopped by Adventures in YA Publishing, you should. Martina's blog is packed with advice, giveaways, and workshops.

Before we get to the lessons, here's a bit about Compulsion:

All her life, Barrie Watson has been a virtual prisoner in the house where she lived with her shut-in mother. When her mother dies, Barrie promises to put some mileage on her stiletto heels. But she finds a new kind of prison in her aunt's South Carolina plantation instead--a prison guarded by an ancient spirit who long ago cursed one of the three founding families of Watson Island and gave the others magical gifts that became compulsions.

Stuck with ghosts of a generations-old feud and hunted by forces she cannot see, Barrie must find a way to break free of the family legacy. With the help of sun-kissed Eight Beaufort, who knows what Barrie wants before she knows herself, the last Watson heir starts to unravel her family's twisted secrets. What she finds is dangerous: a love she never expected, a river that turns to fire at midnight, a gorgeous cousin who isn't what she seems, and very real enemies who want both Eight and Barrie dead.

This book was beautifully written, with a setting authentic enough to be its own character. Here are my writing lessons learned from Compulsion (Alert! If you haven't yet read Compulsion, and don't want to know any plot points, stop! But please come back after you've read the book):

  • Show early signs of a special gift: if the story is paranormal, it's a great idea to show the reader the unexplained. If the story isn't paranormal, the author can still show qualities like the gift for gab, or a knack for not following directions. In Barrie's case, she's in a taxi early in the story when we learn she has a gift for finding lost things.
  • Introduce the love interest early, even if it's only for a moment: a staple for fans of romances, but even for YA readers who swoon over the adorable guy. Barrie meets Eight Beaufort soon after she arrives at her aunt's plantation. He lives in the neighboring mansion, and also has gifts of his own.
  • Leave a trail of unanswered questions: as questions are answered, new questions pop up, which kept me curious. For example, Barrie's mom was burned in a fire, and she allowed her family to believe she was dead. Why?
  • Just when the reader has it all figured out, change things up: just when I thought I had all these characters figured out, Boone added a new surprise about the curse, the feud, or a twist on mythology. It kept me on my toes.
  • Weave mythology in organically: I don't usually gravitate toward stories with mythology, but in this case, it was woven in the story in an interesting way after I'd already gotten to know the characters. The story first introduces a girl who's lost her mother, and then moves on to the boy, and the curse, and a family feud. Mythology wasn't dumped in like a textbook. It was woven in naturally through story events.
  • Make each scene work overtime: with each scene, there were multiple plates spinning. It wasn't just the main character going somewhere or doing something. There were interactions with other characters--real or not--as well as inner dialog and forward movement. Compulsion provides excellent examples of scenes earning their keep and working overtime.
Have you visited Martina's blog? Have you read Compulsion yet? Any thoughts you'd like to add? Please share!



22 comments:

  1. Martina was a guest at the IWSG last week!
    I don't add a lot of mythology to my stories. And what is there isn't really mysterious.

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    1. Alex, I missed Martina's post on IWSG! I'll have to check it out. Thanks

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  2. Glad you really liked Compulsion. Me too. And great tips that Martina did really well in her book.

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    1. Natalie, I can see why this book was a big deal for S&S. It was so cool!

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  3. Sounds like the kind of book that is really helpful, Julie.

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    1. Carole Ann, it was a great read. Bonus? Learning more writing lessons! Thanks for the visit.

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  4. Julie -- I so, so love this post, and I am so honored to have you do COMPULSION for this series. You know how much I love your insights, and honestly, it's really surreal to have COMPULSION on your blog like this. I still have trouble thinking of it like a "real" book. : )

    I especially love your last point. I love ALL your points, because they are things that I work really hard to include in my books. Making each scene accomplish multiple things is probably the thing where I spend the bulk of my time. I'm often working on multiple layers of the story simultaneously, not just in revealing information and moving the story forward, but in developing the emotional growth. I often wonder if I'm working scenes too hard, but if I didn't do it this way, my books would be twice as long. And they're already loooong.

    Seriously, sweetie, thank you, thank you, thank you! This post has made my day!

    Hugs!

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    1. Martina, it's such a pleasure to feature COMPULSION in my writing lessons learned. Your point about multiple layers in scenes is excellent. It's a great reminder to make each scene as impactful as possible.

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  5. I love this! We really do learn writing lessons when we're reading good books, which is why all writers should read.

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    1. Chrys, I tell ya, I learn so much from great fiction. I'm reading "Sharp Objects" by Gillian Flynn right now. Wow, this author is amazing.

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  6. I totally agree with you, Julie! I especially love the way Martina hinted at the mysteries of the Fire Carrier without revealing all. Leaves the reader wanting more!

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    1. Susan, you're right! There was a lot going on in this book, but it was written in such a beautiful, clever way. I loved it.

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  7. Excellent advice and though I don't write paranormal, I follow most of that advice.

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    1. Susan, I don't usually read paranormal, and I definitely don't write it! But I'm so glad I read this story.

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  8. I do want to read this alot- I love books set in the South!

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  9. Love the change things up method. And when they least expect it link two or three threads. That's fun, too! I can't wait to read Martina's book. I've heard amazing comments about it.

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    1. Oooh, great point about linking threads! I like that one. Martina's book is super good. You'll love it.

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  10. Leandra, this southern setting was so amazing! I live in So Cal, so I love to read books set in the south. This book definitely made me feel like I was "there."

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  11. I read and reviewed Compulsion last month. I agree that I really enjoyed how her story unfolded.

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  12. Excellent advice. I like the idea of weaving information in organically. If not, it feels rather text booky.

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  13. Excellent advice. I like the idea of weaving information in organically. If not, it feels rather text booky.

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  14. I disappeared into COMPULSION. Delicious. On top of all the fantastic story elements Martina's luscious language made my heart pound.

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