Irrational Fears #IWSG

Welcome, Insecure Writer's Support Group!

Do you have fears? Would someone else say your fears are irrational? Sometimes we can recognize that our own fears don't make sense. Like, when I was young and had Shaun Cassidy's album on display (showing my age) I feared he was watching me. Totally irrational.

But what if we have real fears--situations that truly scare us--but most people think they're irrational? How do we reconcile reality vs. perception?

For instance, I have a real fear of writing conferences. Is it the large group of people? After all, I have no problem going to a concert in the park or a football game. But lots of writers in a ginormous setting? Scary as heck for me.

Maybe it's the "club" vibe. Like, everyone is in the exclusive club and I'm on the outside trying to gain membership. Silly, I know, because SCBWI is an open and warm environment where everyone is welcomed and appreciated.

Last weekend was the annual SCBWI summer conference. Like last year, I didn't register for the event. I live within driving distance, so I buzzed down for my agency cocktail party and also had dinner with my lovely friend, Leslie Rose. Leslie introduced me to other super sweet writers, and I realized they weren't clubbish at all.

So...reality vs. perception? I need to get it through my thick head that this crowd of people isn't scary. This isn't a shi shi club I need to worm my way into. I'm a part of it already...everyone is. I can be a bit thickheaded, even slow when it comes to overcoming irrational fears. But I'm working on it. I promise. Even if Shaun Cassidy's watching me.

Here are a few quotes that help me when I'm feeling fearful:

"Many of our fears are tissue-paper-thin, and a single courageous step would carry us clear through them." -- Brendan Francis

"There are very few monsters who warrant the fear we have of them." -- Andre Gide

"To fear is one thing. To let fear grab you by the tail and swing you around is another." -- Katherine Paterson, Jacob Have I Loved

Have you attended a writer's conference? Are you comfortable with them? Inspired? Do you have other fears that may seem irrational?

(Me and my super sweet agent, Karen Grencik)

(Those super sweet writers: Leslie Rose, Monica Bustamonte Wagner, Evelyn Ehrlich, and Anna Shinoda)

Writing Short Stories--Interview with Author Leslie S. Rose

Friends, today I'm excited to have my friend and writing partner, Leslie S. Rose, share her wisdom about writing and publishing short stories. Her tale "The Shimmer in the Woods" recently published in Paramourtal, Volume 2 from Cliffhanger Books.

The Shimmer in the Woods by Leslie S. Rose

Out to avenge his sister Gretel's death, a grown Hansel encounters a luminous female spirit. She offers to help him vanquish the witch, but she demands a terrible price in return.

1. Where did you get the idea for "Shimmer in the Woods?" Please tell us the journey from idea to final draft.

Thank you so much, Julie for giving me the opportunity to chat with you and your wonderful followers. *waves*

My favorite assignment in playwriting class back at UCLA was to turn a fairy tale into a one-act play. That fond memory coupled with my obsession for fairy tale retells and a ridiculous sweet tooth, lead me back to Hansel and Gretel. *hands out sugary roof shingles* 

We all know childhood trauma colors the rest of your life. I played the “what if” game and wondered how screwed up Hansel would be if he’d escaped the witch, but Gretel hadn’t. SPOILER ALERT – I killed Gretel.

The Shimmer creature was born from my days as a lighting designer. I always loved playing and painting with light. I just took its energy and power one step further and added personality.

As for the process, my first draft was drastically over the word count limit set in the submission guidelines. I took a deep breath and sharpened my editing knife. Two revisions and a flurry of slashes later, I met the limit – to the word. The story went out to my solid gold critique partners. *take a bow, Julie and Lisa* More slashing and haggling down to individual word choice ensued. I was at the San Diego State Writer’s Conference when I got the happy news from Cliffhanger Books that “Shimmer” had been accepted into the Paramourtal 2 Anthology. We danced through two more drafts together until “Shimmer” was ready to rock and roll. 

Who knew during the road to pubbing there would be a slew of Hansel and Gretel revisits popping up. The series ONCE UPON A TIME brought the bro and sis back, as did the film HANSEL AND GRETEL WITCH HUNTERS. I was trending and didn’t even know it.

2. How has writing short stories strengthened your novel writing skills?

I went to a seminar on short story writing where an author on the panel characterized the form as a one-act tragedy. So true. You have to smush story arcs, world building, characters, plot, and conflict into a very tight package. It’s essential to grab your audience in the blink of an eye and send your character on a complete journey while a very loud clock is ticking next to your ear. 

Working in the shorter format sharpened all the story aspects in my novels. It forced me to define each element with heightened clarity in my planning phases. In fact, writing short stories morphed me from a pantser to a plotter. I had a tendency to meander in my storytelling and there’s no room for that in a short story. My latest long-form writing has a crisper dynamic that developed from the challenge of writing short stories.

3. When I read your work, your design background shines through in scene details and mood. What can writers do to improve that part of storytelling?

Ah, thanks for the kind words. The task of visualizing a world/setting is my happy place. I need to know what sensory rich – visceral environment exists before I plop the characters into it. 

That harkens back to my theatrical design process. Create the scenery and lighting that allows the actors to enter the world of the play. It’s also a wonderful way to monkey with subtext and imagery.

My advice would be to create a concrete visualization board. You can collage in the abstract or represent specific scenes or transitions.

Sketch or paint if you have those in your bag of talents. Collect or create pictures representing:

• Scenery/Setting - physical reality of environment – geography/climate
• Characters – who would play them in the movie
• Textures
• Character clothing
• Architectural treatments
• Natural world
• Aromas/Odors
• Colors – evoking mood from your reader (I’ve been known to raid the paint chips at Home Depot to create a color palette that maps scenes or overall arc progressions. Light to dark/warm to cool/contrast vs. harmony)
• Facial expressions
• Thematic images/symbols

It’s a rush when your imagination springboards off the concrete visuals you lay out. 

Try making a PowerPoint or iMovie, coupling images with music that expresses the mood of a particular scene or punctuates a dramatic moment. Liken it to storyboarding or the pre-viz phase of movie production - a book trailer for your pre-writing phase.

4. What advice can you give us for writing and publishing short stories?

As far as publishing goes…

Be a cyber hunter or huntress to ferret out opportunities. Hit Bloglandia (my term of endearment for the world of writing and publishing blogs), search short story anthologies on Amazon then research the publishers, and network with other writers for recommendations.

As far as writing goes…

Run, don’t walk to the book Ron Carlson Writes a Story. He takes you through his process of writing a short story. Brilliant teaching.

My humble advice would be to think of your entire story as a climax scene. Hit your reader with quick stakes, quick character investment, and then drop a bomb on their world.

And don’t be afraid to kill Gretel.

Isn't she awesome?

Leslie, thanks so much for sharing your wisdom with us! Folks, Leslie is giving away a print copy of her anthology to one lucky commenter (U.S. residents only). Leaving a comment automatically enters you in the drawing!

Story blurbs on Cliffhanger Site

Leslie's blog

Amazon link

What makes The Hunger Games so awesome?

(my niece is #teampeeta, so this one's for you, Amanda!)

The Hunger Games movie opened at midnight on Thursday night, and eager fans (my niece included) bought tickets early, waited in long lines, and packed crowded theaters to see their favorite story come to life on the big screen. Yes, it's Hunger Games hoopla time!

In honor of the movie release, I thought I'd join the frenzy and discuss one of my favorite books. Keep in mind, I'm not a huge fan of dystopian stories. But my buddy, Lisa Green, encouraged me to read this book, and I'm so glad she did. (BTW, Suzanne Collins is a genius, and if she could bottle that talent and sell it, I'd buy a truck load)

What made this story so awesome? Here are my thoughts:

Amazing Characters

No doubt Katniss, Peeta, and Gale are beloved characters who carry the entire series. Katniss is smart, strong, and rebellious. Peeta is sweet and protective. Gale is loyal. Add a love triangle, and we're hooked.

Sacrifice

Katniss sacrifices herself for her sister. Peeta sacrifices himself for Katniss. Gale helplessly watches the girl he loves and wishes he could sacrifice for her. These acts endear readers to the characters, and we root for them all the way.

Death

The threat of death is constant in the story, and all along we wonder how in the world Katniss and Peeta will escape death "this time." We learn early on that there can only be one victor, and we worry about these characters throughout the entire novel.

Live TV

In a sick twist, the Hunger Games play out for the nation on live television. This adds to the tension, but also affects how the main character plays the games. She knows people are watching, and she uses this to her advantage.

How about you? If you've read the book, what do you think made it so special? Are you Team Peeta or Team Gale? If you've seen the movie, did it live up to the hype? And if you haven't read the book yet, what are you waiting for??

And just for fun, my buddy, Leslie Rose, shared a cool link on Facebook. Click here to see what district you're from, and how you met your demise in the Hunger Games. Enjoy!

"May the odds be ever in your favor"

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Beauty Queens Extravaganza!

My critique partners and I thoroughly enjoyed Beauty Queens, by Libba Bray, and have joined together to do a Beauty Queens extravaganza! Be sure to stop by Lisa Green's and Leslie Rose's blogs for fun facts about them, and for another chance to win a signed copy of this awesome book.

First, the writing lessons I learned from Beauty Queens (I had total writer envy while reading this book, but that's a subject for another post--or a therapist):

• Brilliant covers help sell books. Seriously, look at that cover. A bathing suit criss-crossed with a sash and a lipstick bandolier? Totally awesome.
• Crazy, seemingly unrelated storylines intersect to create a unique and clever plot. Beauty queens crash land on a deserted island. Pirates arrive. The girls uncover a conspiracy involving an Elvis-loving dictator. Bray's mind must be a fun, scary, brilliant, intimidating place to visit.
• Fun footnotes are a cool diversion. John Green did it in An Abundance of Katherines, and Bray did it with Beauty Queens. For me, the footnotes didn't slow down the story. They added more hilarity, and again I marveled at the author's cleverness.
• Campy, fun books can have teeth. Sure, this book might seem like it's only about self-centered beauty queens, but it carried strong messages about self-esteem, tolerance, and inner beauty.

Throughout the book, readers were treated to the contestants' Miss Teen Dream Fun Facts Pages. In an effort to either entertain you or embarrass ourselves, Lisa, Leslie and I are sharing our own fun facts pages. Here we go!

Miss Teen Dream Fun Facts Page

Name: Julie Musil (although if you visited my home, you'd think it's "Mom, do you know where my ___ is?")

State: California, where you're never too rich or too thin, and everyone has an agent or sells real estate.

Age: Are you trying to be funny? Is The Corporation selling anti-aging pills or something? I should totally sue them. *checks wrinkles in mirror*

Height: I haven't grown an inch since middle school. What does that tell ya?

Weight: See answer to "age". *checks rear view in mirror*

Hair: Are we talking roots? Or after I've seen the colorist? Just checking.

Eyes: Fine--like Elizabeth Bennett's (Mr. Darcy, call me!)

Best Feature: It depends on the day--either my positive attitude or my well-shaped feet.

Fun Facts About Me

1. At a whopping 5' 1", I'm the tallest female in my family. Seriously. One sister is 4' 9", another is 4' 11", and our mom is just under 5' 1". At least we never had to worry about wearing high heels around guys (Sorry, Nicole Kidman. That had to be rough)
2. I won't eat meat off the bone, and won't touch any seafood. Like, never. I'm actually squirming right now just thinking about it.
3. I forget serious, important information, and yet I remember useless stuff. Like Seinfeld-isms (yada yada yada, soup nazi, close talker), the Gilligan's Island theme song (Just sit right back and you'll hear a tale...), and commercials (Remember this chant? Big Mac, filet-of-fish, quarter pounder, french fries. Icy Cokes, thick shakes, sundaes, and apple pies).

Ok guys, it's your turn. We're giving away a SIGNED copy of Beauty Queens! Please tell us at least one fun fact about yourself in order to be entered into our book giveaway. U.S. addresses only, and the deadline is Monday, October 24th, at midnight EST. Good luck!

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Performing Plot CPR

I recently finished another round of revisions. I had loosely plotted this story, but knew it was bloated and needed plenty of medical intervention. The thought of evaluating every scene overwhelmed me to the point of procrastination.

How can we revive a plot? Each writer has their own unique solutions, but for the sake of this post, imagine yourself wearing scrubs, holding electric paddles, and shouting, "Clear!"

Using combined advice from many sources, including my critique partner, Leslie Rose, and tips from Revision & Self Editing, I created a plot spreadsheet. I know, I know, I usually read spreadsheet and flee. But stay with me. These were my column headers:

• Chapter number
• Scene summary--just a couple of quick lines about the scene
• Setting
• Characters--which main players were involved in the scene?
• Conflict--I've learned each scene should have conflict. If there wasn't any, that gave me the green light to add friction or delete the scene.
• Goal of scene--what was my MC's goal? Again, if there wasn't any, that was a red flag.
• Antagonist/Opposition--in each scene, who or what stood in my MC's way of reaching her goal?
• Outcome--after each conflict, what were the consequences? If there were none, more red flags.
• Day/Time--this helped me make sure I wasn't goofing up on time sequence (unless that's your objective!)
• First line of the chapter
• Last line of the chapter--these two columns helped me judge the quality of my beginning and ending lines.
• Notes/Ideas--eventually this column moved next to my scene summary for easy reference. As I evaluated each scene, this is where I wrote my overall thoughts of the scene, how it could improve, or whether or not it could be deleted.

Does this mean I'm finished with revisions? No way. The book is now with trusted beta readers, and I know there will be heavy editing in the future. But spending time evaluating each scene provided me with clarity and focus.

Have you ever done anything like this, or does a spreadsheet make you run for the hills? What's your secret for administering plot CPR?

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Notes from a wannabe librarian

Like most school districts, ours has slashed the budget. Unfortunately, our elementary school librarian was let go. Our library stays open because of parent volunteers (including yours truly).

One of my duties as a wannabe librarian is putting away returned books. And boy, we can learn a lot from the books kids check out. I realize this information might differ by location, but here's what I've noticed in our little country school:

• Boys thrive on short books packed with humor. DIARY OF A WIMPY KID books are always checked out, and boys (and even girls) read them over and over again.
• Shorter books, like A-Z MYSTERIES and DEAR DUMB DIARY, are regular hits. They're fast-paced, and kids like to breeze through them so they can take their AR tests and move on.
• Mysteries are popular. GOOSEBUMPS books are constantly checked out. Kids enjoy reading about characters their own age finding clues and catching bad guys.
• Biographies are dragged out only when book reports are due. Thankfully, our books on Tiger Woods are outdated, if you know what I mean.
• Kids are fascinated by nonfiction books about creatures and how things work. They want to learn about spiders, horses, tractors, and motorcycles.
• Fifth graders, mostly girls, read YA. Maybe I shouldn't be surprised, but I am.

As a funny side note, when the class is walking to the library, boys chat about levels of their favorite video games while girls walk with their noses in books. It cracks me up.

For an excellent post about what middle graders like to read, check out Leslie Rose's post, Hooked on a Series. *waves to Leslie*

How does this list compare with what you've noticed?

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