Using Classics to Deepen our Fiction

As I wrote in my last post, Writing lessons learned from A LESSON BEFORE DYING, I absolutely loved that book. I'd never even heard of it until my son was assigned to read it through school.


I was working on a revision at the time. My main character was a sophomore in high school, just like my son. I saw an opportunity to refer to a classic, and thought it would enrich my story. I was tempted to just refer to the book, but then I thought if I'm going to refer to a classic, I should read it. And wow, I'm so glad I did.


Referring to classics is not new, of course. In my post Writing lessons learned from THE PULL OF GRAVITY, I mentioned how the author, Gae Polisner, threaded in details of "Of Mice and Men." It added a cool element to the story, and hopefully encouraged teen readers to pick up a copy. Even "50 Shades of Grey" referred to a classic book, although I can't remember the title. I was a bit distracted ;)

Here are some ways in which I hope A LESSON BEFORE DYING enriched my story:

• Main characters look beyond themselves--sometimes our characters see only what's in front of them. Their lives, their problems, their happiness. When real and fictional people read classics, they realize the world is bigger than their own sphere. It sometimes allows them to think deeper. Using classics in our fiction offers an opportunity for our characters to grow. I had my character read the book as a school assignment, and then she related some pieces of it to her own life.
• Relatable conflicts--even though our characters, our worlds, and our story circumstances are different, there are plenty of similarities between classics and our world today. Betrayal, revenge, love, fear. Seeing the bigger picture helps. Even if our character is afraid of public speaking, like mine is, if she reads a story like "A Lesson Before Dying" she may realize there are worse things in life than speaking before a live audience (although people like me may see it as a sort of death!)
• Relatable emotions--frustration, helplessness, sadness, fury...these are common emotions in fiction, whether it's new or from a different generation. If our character resolves to make things better, she can think back to her favorite characters, and how they found the strength to carry on.

In "A Lesson Before Dying," one of the characters said, "We're all pieces of drifting wood until we decide to become something better." I'd like to think that classics can make our stories better.

What's your opinion on this subject? Have you written or read fiction that refers to a classic? Did it strengthen the story or distract from it? Do you like reading classics, or are they too slow for this day and age?

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Writing lessons learned from A LESSON BEFORE DYING

"A Lesson Before Dying" is one of the many classics I hadn't read yet. But now I'm so glad I finally got to experience this amazing book by Ernest J. Gaines.

From Goodreads:

A Lesson Before Dying is set in a small Cajun community in the late 1940s. Jefferson, a young black man, is an unwitting party to a liquor store shootout in which three men are killed; the only survivor, he is convicted of murder and sentenced to death. Grand Wiggins, who left his hometown for the university, has returned to the plantation school to teach. As he struggles with his decision whether to stay or escape to another state, his aunt and Jefferson's godmother persuade him to visit Jefferson in his cell and impart his learning and his pride to Jefferson before his death. In the end, the two men forge a bond as they both come to understand the simple heroism of resisting--and defying--the expected.

I'll probably keep thinking about lessons learned from this book long after I've written this post. But here's the writing lessons on my mind today:

• Have your main character fight multiple battles--Grant Wiggins fights epic battles against long-established cruelties, prejudices, rules, and perceptions. He fights battles against his aunt, who pushes him to help their friend. He fights battles with his aunt and the plantation preacher about religion. He fights battles within himself about leaving the south. This poor man needed an octopus with sledgehammers to help with his multiple battles. 
• Add deeper meaning to dramatic events--Jefferson's execution was scheduled around Easter, and this date was not lost on Grant Wiggins. Not only did he compare it to Jesus dying on the cross--Jefferson did too. This correlation brought deeper meaning to an already painful event.
• No need for a play by play--There's a part in this book where there's a play by play of a ... well, a play! It's a Christmas play, and several paragraphs are used to say who showed up, who's sitting by whom, and who brought what to the potluck. After two paragraphs, I skimmed through this section, making sure I didn't miss anything useful. Of course we can't get away with that now. Unless it matters to the story, that sort of thing must make a date with the cutting room floor.
• Give your main character an uncomfortable task--The plantation preacher was worried because Jefferson wasn't "saved." At this point in the book, Grant Wiggins was the only person who could really reach Jefferson. The preacher asked Grant to make sure Jefferson came to the Lord, but Grant knew he wasn't the right person for this task. He'd given up on religion long ago. When the preacher kept pushing, Grant squirmed under the pressure. Note: This push back on religion was established early. By the time the preacher started pressuring Grant, I already knew this would make him very uncomfortable
• Provide a window into another character's soul--"A Lesson Before Dying" was told in Grant Wiggins' point of view, so we only saw events through his lens. But during one of his visits to Jefferson's cell, he brought the condemned man a pencil and blank journal. He asked Jefferson to write down any thoughts or questions that came to mind. In the end, this journal is given to Grant. These journal entries broke my heart. We experience how Jefferson felt on the last days before his execution. We learn how he didn't sleep the night before, knowing he'd sleep for a long, long time. We experienced that final sunrise with him. Powerful, powerful stuff.
• Give characters unexpected outcomes--You'd think Grant Wiggins would be the hero of the story, and in a way, he was. But he'd also empowered Jefferson, and in the end, Jefferson was the character who carried the weight of surprising the town and walking tall to the electric chair.  Jefferson had helped Grant as much or more than Grant had helped Jefferson. It was a powerful twist. 

In my opinion, this book is a masterpiece. I read the final two chapters with a tissue in hand, and believe me, I needed it. Classics are classics for a reason, and "A Lesson Before Dying" was no exception.

Have you read this book? What were your takeaways? And do you like classics, or do you shy away from them? I'd love to hear your thoughts.

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Writers & Leaving the Nest

I recently heard how eagles build their nests. As the story goes, the eagles build their nests with stones and sticks, and then soften it with bits of feathers. Their babies grow in this nest, and as they near the stage when they're supposed to leave, the parents start pulling away the soft bits of feathers.

These babies aren't meant to stay in the nest. They're meant to fly.

I'm no expert on the subject of eagles' nests, and I don't know how true this story is, but I couldn't help but think about my own children. Like most parents, I hope my sons will be well-prepared when it's time to leave the nest.

But then I thought beyond that. I thought about the characters in our stories, and about us as writers, and how sometimes discomfort is the best thing for us.

When I think about writing fiction, I need to keep reminding myself to make my characters uncomfortable. Loving comfort the way I do, and the way I'm sometimes naive, it's not always easy to push the boundaries and make my characters squirm and take broken paths. I need to remind myself that my characters need to be pushed out of their nests so they can fly.

I love comfort. Who doesn't? Comfort food. Comfortable bed. Comfortable home. But one of the best things that ever happened to me was to be laid off from a comfortable job. It set it motion a string of events that would allow me to stay home with our children, and eventually pursue publishing. Had I not been forced out of my job, I probably wouldn't have left. In a way, I was pushed out of the nest.

As writers, it's intimidating to push ourselves out of the nest. We don't have someone picking away the soft feathers for us, nudging us to the edge. We must do it ourselves. It's not always easy to write from the heart and then send our work out to be picked apart or rejected by critique partners, agents, editors, or readers.

But we do it anyway. We summon our courage, hold our breath, and take that leap. Like eagles, and like our children and our characters, we too were meant to fly.

Is it hard for you to take leaps of faith? Do you stick with what's comfortable instead of taking risks? What nudged you to pursue publishing?

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Conquer the Synopsis Summit

synopsis |səˈnäpsis|noun ( pl. synopses |-ˌsēz| )-A brief summary or general survey of something: a synopsis of the accident.-An outline of the plot of a book, play, movie, or episode of a television show.

Like the query, a synopsis can be intimidating. Thankfully there's plenty of great advice out there for conquering the Synopsis Summit.

If you visit Elizabeth Craig's "Writer's Knowledge Base" and type "Synopsis" into the search bar, you'll find a treasure trove of resources. Here are some of my favorites:

How to Write a One-Page Synopsis, by Susan Dennard

(This is TOTALLY AWESOME!)

The Sum of the Parts: Writing a Synopsis, by Janice Hardy
(As always, her advice is spot on)

Back to Basics: Writing a Novel Synopsis, by Jane Friedman

(Nuts and bolts of a synopsis)

Five Tips to Make Your Synopsis Stronger, at the Writer's Alley

(Cool tips for making a good synopsis stronger)

The (Not So) Dreaded Synopsis, by Roni Loren

(Get it and get out, and don't lose your voice)

How to Write a Synopsis, by Nathan Bransford

(Cover the major plot points)

This time around, I tried something new. On a fresh sheet of paper, I wrote down each of Dan Wells' 7 plot points. Then, next to each plot point, I wrote one sentence summarizing that plot point in my book. Then I fleshed out each of these points.

My synopsis is still in its infancy, and there's a lot of smoothing, tweaking, trimming, and refreshing that I'll be tackling. But this system gave me a place to start. 

Do you have any tips you can share with us about writing a synopsis? Please share in the comments!

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Funny Book Titles

Ready for a good laugh? Me too!

There's a lot of pressure on writers to come up with impressive book titles. The following titles are memorable for their richter-scale-level-giggles.

First, my favorite:

Buy it here

Poor Pooh. We can't forget this one:

Buy it here

In the "huh?" category:

Buy it here

In the "I knew it!" category:

Buy it here

In the "check the closets I'm totally freaked out" category:

Buy it here

Aaaaaand, back to bodily functions:

Buy it here

Aren't these fun? Okay, okay, there's a theme here. But give me a break, I live with three boys! (Four if you count my husband)

Have you seen any fun book titles? What are your favorites, funny or not?

7 Point Plot System

In case you haven't seen these yet, Dan Wells, author of "I Am Not a Serial Killer," has a great Youtube series on his 7 Point Plot System. If you're planning your NaNoWriMo novel now, or if you've pantsed a novel and need to refine the structure, this series can help a lot.

Wells reminds us that this plot system is only a skeleton, and that we also need the following to flesh it out: round characters, rich environments, try/fail cycles, and subplots. Some books start with an "Ice Monster Prologue," which is discussed in Part 4 of the series.

I'll summarize Wells' points here, and then link to all five videos below. Here is his seven point plot system:

1. Hook--Or story idea. Under #7, Resolution, it's mentioned that if we know our story ending ahead of time we can then work backward to determine our opening. 
2. Plot Turn 1--This can be described as the call to adventure, or the first doorway of no return. This plot turn introduces conflict, and changes our character's world.
3. Pinch 1--A pinch is designed to apply pressure to our character. It forces the character to act, and sometimes introduces the villain.
4. Mid Point--This is when our character moves from reaction to action.
5. Pinch 2--Applies more pressure, and makes our character's situation seem even worse. Their plans fail, and everything goes wrong. At this point, it seems the bad guys have won.
6. Plot Turn 2--This carries our story from the mid point to the end. Wells calls this a "The Power is in You!" moment, or "grasping victory from the jaws of defeat." Our character gets the last piece they need to solve their problem.
7. Resolution--This is how our story will end, and everything leads to this moment. Once we know our resolution, we can then start our story in the opposite state. This defines our character arc.

It's cool how Wells applies the same structure to fantasy, romance, tragedy, and horror.

Do you recognize these plot points in your own work, or in your favorite books or movies? Does this help you define what should happen, and when? Do you have any plotting tips you'd like to share?

Dan Wells on Story Structure, Part 1

Dan Wells on Story Structure, Part 2

Dan Wells on Story Structure, Part 3

Dan Wells on Story Structure, Part 4

Dan Wells on Story Structure, Part 5

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Silver Lining

I wasn't even going to blog today, because the last couple of days have been a bummer. On Thursday, the motor in my mommy mobile went kaput. And as all moms know, when the mommy mobile goes kaput, it's Suburban Armageddon. We'll for sure work it all out, but man, I thought I was having a bad day.

And then...

Last night, just as my son's JV football game was about to begin, a car on a nearby freeway hit the rails and flipped several times. A woman and three kids were injured (my firefighter hubby helped on scene, and says they'll be ok). Then during the second quarter of the Varsity game, a player from the opposing team had to be carried off the field on a stretcher. Those people had a bad day. For real.

On Thursday, without even knowing about my car problem, my 15-year-old son had posted this on Facebook:

"Sit down, relax, close your eyes, and just thank God for keeping you alive and healthy in a free country with a roof over your head, no matter what you're going through."

Yes. He wrote that. So even though I didn't feel prepared to blog today, and even if this post might be riddled with poor grammar and sentence structure, I thought I'd share that with you.

If you're having a rough day, I hope my son's words of wisdom help you as much as they helped me.

Have you ever thought you were having a bad day and then, bam!, you realized your day wasn't so bad after all? Please share!

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