A popular post from January 2008

by Annette Lyon

Right up there with what is probably the most touted rule about writing, "Show, don't tell" is another rule, one that pretty much drove me crazy when I was a young writer.

You'll remember this one: "Write what you know."

This is such an ingrained rule that my university creative writing professor even had us write down a list of 100 things we knew and could therefore write about.

My list had things like braces, camping, and growing up with three siblngs.

Oooooh. Exciting stuff.

Here I was, staring at my list as an aspiring writer, thinking that—crap—I didn't know enough of anything to write. I had a bit of panic as I looked over my list of 100 things. I had wanted to write since second grade. Maybe I just wasn't cut out for it, because, well, I lacked the interesting life, the angst, that came with being a writer.

I came from a family with two parents that were still married. I wasn't abused. No one I knew was drug-addicted or homeless or otherwise having a more "interesting" life.

What in the world could I write about when I knew about nothing?

Fortunately, I tossed my list into the trash just as soon as I could. That teacher, despite being a great writer himself, didn't have the slightest idea how to teach writing.

I've read far too many early novels from beginning writers that are nothing more than memoirs in disguise—all because they were trying to write what they "knew."

I've since learned to tweak that all-knowing rule. It should say:

Write what you're willing to learn about.

Isn't that freeing? Suddenly an entire new universe of writing possibilities opens up.

Writers are by nature a creative lot, which is in our best interest. We read up on weird things that may appear later in our work, or we seek out topics that we need to educate ourselves on so we can write about them.

Here are a few of many things I've written about that I didn't know before but researched so I could write about them:

• Profiling criminals
• Poisons
• Weapons
• The history of denim
• Horse illnesses
• Flora and Fauna in Arizona
• Boot styles in the late 1800s
• printing press history
• Early rock quarry tools
• Blacksmithing
• Police procedure
• International laws on restraining orders
• and much more

What would have happened if I had decided that gee darn, oh well, but I can't write about a house burning down because I've never been in a burning house? I wouldn't have written what became my break-out novel in my market.
Toss out "Write what you know" and pick up "Write what you're willing to learn about."
You'll be a better writer for it. Your work will thank you.

A popular post from March 2009

by Annette Lyon

I've talked about this before: how the old rule, "write what you know" is highly over-rated. (Read my rant about that here.)

In the last week, I got a great laugh when someone else wrote about the same thing in connection with my new release.

Regarding Annie is a blog written by a woman who is a fun writer in her own right. She's got a newspaper column of the same name that you can click over to on her sidebar.

Her blog post from last Friday was a bit of tongue-in-cheek journalism looking at my supposed in-depth experiences that helped shape the book: things like mine explosions, theft, rattlesnakes, 19th century printing presses, and horse training.

None of which I possess any firsthand knowledge of whatsoever.

All of which play important roles in the book.

If I'd clung to the adage of, "Write what you know," I couldn't have written it. Or any of my other books. In this case, I had a fun storyline and great characters, and I knew I could look up what I needed to and ask for additional help from experts. And that's exactly what I did.

Once and for all, toss out, "Write what you know."

Replace it with, "Write what you're willing to learn about," and (as a commenter said in my earlier post on the topic), "Write what you can imagine."

Then look up the rest.

Read Annie's post here.

A popular post from August 2009

by Heather Moore

No, I'm not talking about historicals. In a few weeks, I'll be teaching a couple of workshops at the League Of Utah Writers Conference.

My two topics will be:
1. The Science of Writing Your First Novel . . . and you thought it was a Creative Art
2. Your Rock-Solid Submission Package: Making it Fluid

As a presenter, I had to turn in my outlines in advance, which started me thinking. I'd like to compile a comprehensive list of websites/blogs for writing, editing, finding agents and publishers that will be something useful for our sidebar.

So let me know the sites you frequent and I can add them on.

Here is my list so far.

Non-Fiction Proposal Package: www.manuslit.com
Agent Research: www.agentquery.com (free)
Agent Bloggers:
Nathan Bransford
Kristin Nelson
Janet Reid
Rachelle Gardner
Agents/Publishers List: www.writersmarket.com (paid subscription)
Writing & Editing Blog: http://writingonthewallblog.blogspot.com
Writer’s Digest: on-line newsletter, or magazine subscription
Preditors & Editors: www.anotherealm.com/prededitors
Writer Beware: www.sfwa.org/Beware

A popular post from June 2013

by Annette Lyon

Last month at the 10th annual Storymakers Writers Conference, Sarah M. Eden and I taught a class about helpful software for writers. I thought a brief rundown of some of what we covered would be useful here.

Before I get started, I'll add that I was recently told about a piece on the Open Education Database, which features links to 150 different resources for writers. You'll find some of what Sarah and I discussed in that post, along with many more resources, including several I list in the back of the 2nd edition of my grammar book (available HERE). The link is definitely worth a look.

Now for highlights of our class:

Scrivener
The best writing software around, and it's a steal for the cost. I've seen it anywhere from about $25 to $65. Winners of NaNoWriMo often get a 1/2-off coupon. What is Scrivener? Imagine a word processor combined with note cards, binders, folders with all your research (even web pages), and so much more, all wrapped into one. Now add the ability to jump to any spot of your manuscript, switch the order of scenes by dragging and dropping them, and being able to see at a glance all the points of view (or settings, or any other identifier you choose) at a glance. And mark each scene as to do, a first draft, second draft, complete, etc. You can then export your document into several file types, including Word and other industry standards.

The program does have a bit of a learning curve, so do the tutorial and keep an eye open for blog posts and articles about it, as well as video tutorials to get the most out of it. I've written several books and novellas with Scrivener, and I absolutely love it. I learn something new with each manuscript.

Get it at Literature and Latte.

Back-up Software
Because if you haven't lost data, you will. Be sure you have more than one type of back-up, so that if the power goes out/your computer crashes/the house burns down you'll still have access to all your work.

Every type of back-up software will have pros and cons. Some require an internet connection to use and/or to access. Some cost, some don't. Some cost only when you reach a certain level of data.

Some back-up software to look at:

• Google Drive: Free, online storage. Formerly known as Google Docs. Share-able. Can still fail, like all backup systems. 
• Dropbox: Much like Google Drive. Free up to a certain data amount. More room available with a fee, as well as by getting friends to sign up. Files share-able. When working on files, they're seamlessly integrated into your software. Can work offline.
• Mozy: Backups automatically twice a day. Great for full system backups in cases of system failures. Note that it does not backup every few minutes, so in theory you could lose a day's work if you don't have alternate backups. Also saves past versions for about two weeks. Costs based on data amount.

Plotting Software
Some fun ways of brainstorming and outlining your next novel.

• Storyometer: This app has all kinds of functionality, from idea, character, and plot prompts to outlining, folders, and more. Definitely check out the tutorials to learn how to use it. One of the pricier apps, but lots of fun.
• Scapple: From the people who make Scrivener. A brainstorming "cloud" tool, currently only on Mac. Integrates with Scrivener.

A popular post from February 2010. 

By Josi S. Kilpack

Do you write JUST like Dan Brown? Is your next book the NEXT Harry Potter? If so, my condolences. We already have Dan Brown and Harry Potter, and no one needs a replacement. However, when you get the phase of querying agents/editors you need to help them identify who you are and what you write, which is where comparisons come in. But there is a right way and a wrong way to make those comparisons.

Wrong:

• I write exactly like Shannon Hale.
• My book is better than Lovely Bones.
• My book will outsell Twilight.
• Have you ever wished you'd published John Grisham's first novel? Well here's your chance to do even better!

Saying things like that sounds a little like Vincini in Princess Bride, and we all know how that ended:

"Have You Ever Heard of Plato? Aristotle? Socrates? Morons!"

But agents/editors DO want comparisons, they need to know how you measure yourself against other books, and the books you choose says a lot about what you write, who your target audience is, and whether or not you are paying attention to your competition. Which brings us to the other Wrong way of facilitating comparisons:

• My book is like nothing you've ever read before.
• My book is a fresh new genre.
• There's nothing like this on the market

Now, there are some books that really are unlike anything else out there, now and then someone does make up a new genre--but even THEY have something to compare to. Twilight was new to many of us, but vampire books have been around for a long time. The Firm was also unique, but there had been other books that used law as the backdrop to the story. Shannon Hale's adapted fairy tales were new and different, but they are based on fairy tales which have been around for a very long time.

Never mind that when you say you're "As good as...", or "The next..." you come across as arrogant and, probably, deluded. You are NOT Stephenie Meyer. You might write as well she does, and you might tell a similar story, but you are NOT her because you haven't sold 18 million books.

Is that horse dead, yet? Good, then we can continue.

In Real Estate, appraisers use other homes around you to estimate the value of your home when they work up an appraisal. Your home might be worth two million dollars...in Beverly Hills, but it's not in Beverly Hills. If homes similar to yours are selling for $300K, asking for 2 million will not get you the result you're looking for. Book comparisons are similar; you are pointing out the 'value' and 'market' and 'genre' of your book by comparing it to other books in the neighborhood.

The other benefit of comparisons is that it reflects your market saavy. You need to know the market you want to publish in, which is why when writers say "There's nothing like this in the market" industry people roll their eyes. There probably is something out there, similar in some way, you just haven't done your research. Agents/editors want to know that YOU know your market and your potential competition--comparisons show them that you understand this.

So, how do you compare the right way. Understanding why comparisons are important is the first step. Knowing your overall market is the next. The third step is finding the right comparisons. People (including me in this post) tend to go with very popular books most people are familiar with. This isn't bad thing, but keep in mind the people you are querying know that John Grisham isn't the only legal thriller writer out there, and Harry isn't the only kid with a wand. As you learn your market, look for books that might not be on the NY Times Bestseller list but have really good reviews. Look for books that might not have caught the spotlight in America, but sold well in foreign markets. Not only does this set you apart in that you're not the 39th writer that week comparing yourself to Angels and Demons, but it shows that you have really learned your market and that selling 400 million copies isn't your only goal; you also appreciate the power of good writing, and good reviews. Agents/editors know about the mid-list books out there, so you'll impress them in that fact that you're paying attention on a deeper level than most. And it's often in these mid-list layers where you'll find the best comparisons to your book anyway, better helping the agent/editor get a feel for what your book is about. NEVER say your book is "Just like" any other book, because if it's "Just like" another book, then why would they want to publish another one?

To find comparisons go to Amazon.com or your local library and peruse books by genre, ask a librarian, check out reader lists, or even google "Middle grade apocalyptic fantasy novel" and see what comes up. Be sure to read the books you choose to compare yours to. It would not do well for you to say your book was similar to a book is had nothing in common with. But don't overwhelm yourself. You should be able to find a couple books or writers that will work well for you--you don't want more than a few comparisons anyway because YOUR book is the focus.

In summary, the key to comparisons are:

• "My book is similar to...
• "but different in that...
• Read the books you are comparing yourself to.
• Be professional.
• Be humble yet confident.

Happy writing!

A popular post from May 2010

By Julie Wright

I watched a program on Google searches and what they indicate about the people doing the searches. One woman interviewed said, "People confess their darkest secrets to Google as they run searches for sexually transmitted diseases or porn, or ways to kill their neighbor's cat. They confess thoughts, addictions, and medical conditions that they wouldn't tell a random stranger, yet they are willing to confess it to a computer."

It got me thinking . . . what would my Google searches say about me?

Especially when I've searched for not just one sexually transmitted disease, but have Googled pretty much all of them, or when in my recent searches, I've Googled the words, "What does a meth overdose look like?"

This current book I'm writing has a respectable body count. People are dying in all sorts of diverse ways, but I swear I am not on drugs, an axe murderer, or a sociopath. My Google searches would lead people to believe otherwise.

At a writer's conference I spoke at a few weeks ago, I sat in on one of my friend's classes. She was talking about world building, and how even if you are setting your story in the world that we live in, you still need to world build. You still need to know if the spotted fawn is indigenous to upstate New York if you're planning on using them in your book in that location. She made the point that writing fiction doesn't mean you get to make EVERYTHING up. You do have to know certain things. You do have to do your research and get it right because someone in the world *will* know if the spotted fawn is indigenous to New York, and they will publicly denounce you if you get it wrong. The devil is in the details and as authors it means we must try to get every devilish detail right, even if it means my Google searches make me look like a psychopath.

If the police start thumping on my door, will they believe me when I tell them the search for how quickly various poisons kill a grown man was really just research?

You believe me, don't you?

A popular post from June 2010

I stumbled across this fantastic vlog made by Joanna Penn, writer, speaker, and aspiring novelist, as she chronicles her progress and lessons learned as she writes the first draft of her novel.

A popular post from January 2011

by Annette Lyon

A popular post from March 2011

by Annette Lyon

A popular post from December 2011

By Julie Wright

I've recently discovered the TV series Once Upon a Time. For someone like me, who is an avid junkie of all things fairytale, this is a delightful series. I only wish I'd discovered it when it had moved into its second or third season so I could buy the DVDs and watch at my own leisure.

While I was at ABC's website streaming the first few episodes (available for a short time only), I found the comments list. It was during the second episode. I was waiting for the show to buffer so scrolled down to see what else there was to do, because I am a chronic multi-tasker and really hate even a few seconds of idle time. One of the comments was,

"Inconsistency with the apples...she says honeycrisp tree then hands Emma a red delicious. I know, I know, it's small, but details like that are important to me."

There were several comments about the honeycrisp. Apparently a lot of people know their apples. I didn't actually catch the error, because I don't know apples, but I found the comments interesting--comments like, "I know it's small, but details like that are important to me."

There is power in getting the details right.

Don't get me wrong. I totally understand the frustration that research brings. I know what it's like to get to a place where I simply don't know how it really works. That's one of the reasons I set aside a book I'd felt very strongly about. I was lost in the research and realized that until I could commit to the research, I had no business writing the book. It's easy to let little details go while thinking, "How many people really know what a honeycrisp apple looks like anyway?"

The answer is: A lot of people.

And them knowing the right answer when the writer got it wrong yanks them out of the story. Some readers will roll their eyes and dive back into the story. Others will roll their eyes and TRY to dive back in, but they'll keep surfacing so they can do another eye roll, and the book loses some of its original excitement. And others will roll their eyes and walk away because they can't get past the fact that the writer got it wrong.

For them, a wrong apple turned into something toxic--poisonous to their ability to suspend disbelief.

It takes time to get the details right, but it takes even more time to try to win back readers who feel like you've failed them. Don't set a volcano in Sweden if you aren't sure about whether or not such a thing could exist. Don't trust to just Google or Wiki for your sources (though they are great resources). Take a moment and call the hospital to talk to their night shift nurse to find out a detail about how his/her shift works or what protocol is for seeing a patient. Call the post office to find out how much it would cost to mail a pot of gold back to Ireland. Call an STD hotline to find out actual statistics (though they might ask you what your symptoms are and think the "writing a book" is just a cover story). Go ride a horse, go rockclimbing, go  . . . DO whatever it is you have your character doing (within reason--if your character is jumping off the Empire State Building, you definitely should not do that).

I had a teenager who wanted to be a writer ask me for the most important bit of advice I felt I could give. I told him to: Go. Live. Life.

See, taste, smell, hear, touch life. Your own experiences are your best research.

Bite into a honeycrisp.
But make sure not to pick one from the tree where the queen used to live. Better to not take chances.

Welcome, Brian, to our writing blog. We’re excited to hear about your writing journey and how, as a history teacher, you decided to write informational non-fiction books for kids and adults.



Heather: First of all, congratulations on your review from the Washington Post for your most recent book, The Book of Bastards: 101 Worst Scoundrels and Scandals from the World of Politics and Power. The title alone pretty much describes what the book is about, but I loved this quote from the Post: “The wonder is that Thornton, a Seattle-based teacher who has stood before students at every level from sixth grade to college, finds only 101 bastards in our more than 200-year history. I smell a series.” So let’s talk about that first. Is there a sequel in the works?

BRIAN: The short answer is ‘yes, there is a sequel of sorts in the works for The Book of Bastards’. The longer answer is more complicated. The Book of Bastards deals solely with political corruption/economic villainy in American history, and while it would have been easy to populate the pages of several more books with American bastards, we’re doing something a little different with the follow-up, a book with a working title of The Book of Ancient Bastards. This one deals with historical bastards from the ancient and medieval worlds. Roman emperors and medieval popes alone give us a rich tradition of notorious bastardry on a much earlier stage.

Heather: As a history buff myself, that one sounds very interesting! Your latest release is for adults, but you also have a series you write for kids called Everything Kids Series. Tell us how being a history teacher led to writing these books.



BRIAN: I was actually brought in to write those two books after my publisher (Adams Media) had already established a readership with its broad-based Everything Kids series. The Everything Kids’ Book of the States and The Everything Kids’ Book of the Presidents constituted a two-book deal of the type that the publishing industry calls “work-for-hire.” So since it wasn’t my original idea, and I didn’t pitch the work to the publisher, I don’t receive royalties, ebook/foreign rights, or anything along those lines for these projects; just a straight fee for writing the two books.

What happened was that an acquisitions editor at Adams Media was casting about for a history teacher to write these books, talked to my editor/long-time contact there, and was referred to me. I was just wrapping up an extensive and exhausting project (Teacher Miracles) and didn’t initially have much enthusiasm for taking on anything new. But the subject matter appealed to me, and it was hard to say “no,” when they came back with another offer.

So I wrote those two books (40,000 words apiece) in eight weeks. They turned out quite well and I was very pleased with the end result (even though they were work-for-hire, I came up with the chapter layout templates and quick information pieces myself. That was also a fair amount of work.). 2006 was a busy year for me. I wrote those two books and edited another one, all while also working a full-time job.

Heather: Wow—that’s amazing. No more excuses for not finding time to write. The more I meet other authors, the more I realize how versatile they are. This includes you! Tell us about what led you to compile the inspirational book, Teacher Miracles: Inspirational True Stories from the Classroom.



BRIAN: That book was probably more work (acting as the collection editor, soliciting stories, editing and re-editing them, etc.) than the actual writing of any two of my other books combined. I’m very proud of the end result, and of the fabulous teacher/authors with whom I worked to put that volume together. Many of them were first-time authors, and you wouldn’t have known it to read the end-result.

Heather: Teachers are amazing, and I’m glad you did the work to bring that book to the public. Non-fiction, history topic books aren’t you only forte. You’re published in a Noir Mystery anthology centered on stories that take place in Seattle. Are you dabbling, or are you pursuing the mystery genre as well? After all, I did meet you at Bouchercon—a mystery writers conference.

BRIAN: I don’t know many writers these days who don’t wear many hats. You can’t afford not to in the current publishing climate, especially when you’re getting offered money up-front for doing it.

I actually started out intending to be a mystery writer. I began work on my first novel in 1998 and finished it three years later, after any number of many false starts and detours.

I learned a lot from writing that novel; most importantly, I learned how not to write a novel. I also learned that writing is hard work, and that I had a lot of company in having written an initial novel that was more instructive than publishable. Authors even have a name for it: your “mistake novel.”

But I kept at it, revising that first novel, and taking the advice of a friend who worked in marketing, began to network. In 2004 came the opportunity to publish my first piece of nonfiction. Nonfiction has kept me hopping ever since.

During all that time I haven’t stopped working on fiction. But eight books in six years takes a toll on both your schedule and your energy level, so most of the things I wrote to continue honing my fiction chops were short stories. A couple of publications in Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine led to my being asked by collection editor Curt Colbert (author of the Jake Rossiter novels) to submit a story for consideration for publication in Akashic Books’ Seattle Noir.

I dusted off an idea I’d had about back in grad school, while doing research on the Immigration and Naturalization Service’s profiles of Chinese immigrants looking to get around restrictive immigration laws back during the 1890s. The result was a short story called “Paper Son.”

And I’m getting back to fiction work once I wrap up The Book of Ancient Bastards. I’ve got a final draft of a mystery (this one a historical that takes place in 1840s Washington, D.C.) to finish.

Heather: I have one of those “mistake novels” (in fact, about 3). Your 1840’s DC mystery sounds very interesting. Every writer wants to know how an author got started and how he/she landed a publishing contract. What was your experience? Do you have an agent? Or did you submit directly to a publisher? Also, was Adams Media your first publisher?

BRIAN: In 2004 I got an opportunity to publish my first book. One of those connections I mentioned above was an editor who needed a book written about Abraham Lincoln by someone with a background in History. I have an M.A. in American/European History, so I fit the bill. The editor had read a draft of my “mistake” novel (God love her), and knew that I could write a good sentence. She asked me if I’d be interested in writing this one book on Lincoln as “work-for-hire.” I agreed to do it, thinking this would be a one-off.

Six years later I’ve got eight nonfiction books to my credit. This includes one that I’ve ghost-written for someone else, another that I wrote for the publisher (and for which I was paid), that they wound up “repurposing” into content for another book of theirs (when you write “work-for-hire,” you don’t control the presentation/publication of the work in question).

And that’s how I got my start. Adams Media was in fact my first publisher, I did submit directly to the publisher (although my work was solicited, rather than the result of a cold query). I didn’t have an agent to start with; I negotiated my own contracts for years because I didn’t have much time (I thought) to hunt for an agent. I do have an agent now, and my contracts/benefits/payouts are the better for it. She more than earns her cut.

Heather: You never know when a good relationship with an editor will pay off. And finally, what are the top three pieces of advice you’d give an unpublished writer?

BRIAN:
1. Thornton’s First Law: it costs you nothing to be gracious. If you’re going to ask someone for something (see networking below), be polite. Most authors I know are ridiculously generous with their time and sharing connections (it’s in their best interests to do so), but don’t ask to be referred to the agent of someone you just met, whose work you’re not familiar with, and who is just as busy trying to get ahead with their publishing career as you are.

2. Network, network, network. Join writers’ associations. Sisters in Crime has a great program for mentoring budding authors called “guppies.” International Thriller Writers has something similar (not too familiar with this one though). I got my first book contract as a direct result of a connection I made through Mystery Writers of America. It pays dividends, and it’s a great opportunity to make friends with other like-minded folks whose spouses/significant others’ eyes glaze over when they start trying to explain the plot of their latest novel to them.

3. Lastly, don’t screw around with negotiating your own contracts. If you get offered a boilerplate contract (as I have been repeatedly) by a publisher and you’re un-agented, MAKE THE TIME to beat the bushes for an agent. Anything you can negotiate (especially with little or no publishing track record) your agent will be able to improve upon. Don’t be afraid to ask for agent referrals; most agents only take on new clients that way. Of course, it’s a lot easier to request a referral from an author who knows and likes/respects you than it is to try to get one from one who’s signing you just attended.


Heather: Great advice, Brian. Amen 3x! Thanks for the interview, and I wish you all the best.

You can visit Brian's Blog Here

Or check out all of his books here.

by Annette Lyon

Many of my posts come directly from whatever I'm currently reading or editing, and today is no different. I've been through a lot of historical fiction lately, so without naming names, I'm going to compare two novels and what they did (and didn't) do right.

Plot & Character over Period
Novel #1 has an intricate plot that relies heavily on actual historical events. But even though these events are dramatic and real, the point of the story is actually the characters involved and how they react to the situations they're thrust into.

In other words, in spite of the historical detail (and how involved real events are in the plot), the time period is secondary. I doesn't really matter when the story is set, because the characters are real, universal, and riveting. I had to find out what they would do next and what would happen to them.

Novel #2, on the other hand, has a time period that overrides the plot. Lots and lots of events are thrown onto the page seemingly just because they happened then. Yes, they (usually) impact the main characters at some point, but too often the time period comes first, the plot second.

And the characters? For starters, there's too many to keep straight. For another, few are interesting enough that I'm compelled to keep reading. I don't really care about them. It's a book more about a particular year in history than a story about characters who feel real and face real crises.

A novel should always be about the characters. We shouldn't have to care more about the year than about the hero and heroine in order to slog through the book.

The irony with this comparison is that of the two periods, Novel #1 has (by far) the more intricate story as far as weaving in the history. Tons of dates, places, people, and events from real life are woven into a complicated plot. But again, the characters and story come first. The story is about how the hero and the heroine handle the conflicts. The history is there enhancing the story, not making it.

Accuracy
Novel #1 was obviously heavily researched. So was Novel #2. Some of the details in both books make that very clear.

I caught one tiny thing in Novel #1 that made me pause and wonder if it was accurate. It was so small that I don't remember what it was anymore. Novel #2, however . . . I can list off several things I know (and I'm sure many other readers know) are downright wrong. It's as if the author researched X and Y and then just assumed Z.

But Z didn't show up for another fifty or sixty years. And in another case, Z didn't show up in history until even later than that. You can't assume.

Research vs. Showing off
With Novel #1, the historical details never got in the way of the story. They were there as the backdrop of the stage the story plays out on. If we heard about a car or a hairstyle or a piece of clothing or a meal, it was described in a way that made it clear that this is simply the way things were back then. These details set the scene and make the story come alive.

Novel #2 . . . well, a lot of details feel as if they were thrown in for the sole purpose of waving a flag to get attention and yelling, "Look at me! See? I DID RESEARCH!!!!"


To be honest, I'm still trying to finish Novel #2. While I'm not a fast reader, Novel #1 was longer than this one, and I finished it in half the time #2 has taken me to get 2/3 of the way through. That alone says volumes.

Whether you write historical fiction or not, many of these same principles apply. The Hunt for Red October wouldn't have been interesting if we spent too much time learning all about Tom Clancy's research into submarines.

House wouldn't fun to watch if they spent too much time explaining all the medical terms.

The characters and the plot come first. Research is important, but don't let all the facts you dug up get your story quagmired in boring mud.

Oh, and be sure to look up Z. Just in case what you assumed about it isn't really so. It happens.

By Josi S. Kilpack

"Write what you know" is likely the most touted bit of writing advice any of us have ever heard. I don't think I've ever gone to a writer's conference and not heard at least one presenter talk about this topic. There's a reason it gets so much attention, it is a very good place for a writer to visit and become familiar with, but it's not about writing your life story. Instead, it has a variety of uses that, at different times, will come in handy. Here are a few examples, please feel free to share if you have some more advice along this line. After all, I can only write what I know, so if I don't know it someone better learn it to me:

1) What do YOU know?

Was your father a butcher? Did your grandmother tat lace? Were you forced to pull weeds as a child? Have you ever been arrested? Divorced? Dragged by a truck on icy roads in the winter? What about that vacation you took to those caves you got lost in for three hours? What about the tornado that wiped out the town twenty miles away when you were fourteen?

The point is every single one of us has a lifetime of experiences. Some are going to be similar to other people's--this is good. Shared experience allows us to communicate to other people's memories, it's a powerful tool to apply to your writing, taking full advantage of things you have in common with your readers. However, there are other things you have gone through that the typical person hasn't. My dad is a teacher. Boring. Average, right? But he's an art teacher. Not that much more interesting. He's also a sculptor with a special ability to take a two dimensional picture and transform it into a three dimensional sculpture. I grew up watching him take pounds of oil based clay (that stains your fingers and stings if you get it in your eyes) and slowly transform it bit by bit into the San Diego Chicken or Squatch. It's a phenomenol process and because I grew up around it, I know details of sculpting that most people don't know.

All of us have details like this in our lives that, if not useful in and of itself, lends us to knowing where to look for similar information. Try making a list of all the occupations, locations, talents, family situations, and household tasks you know more about than the average Joe. Keep these things in mind when creating characters, storylines, and details in your books. You might surprise yourself with how much you really know.

2) What do you KNOW?

Do you know where to go to look up the names of stars in any given constellation? Can you tell me the chemical make up of Elmer's glue? How many cups of water equate to a metric ton? How many players on Berkley's basketball team have set records in assists?

Don't know these things off the top of your head? Learn it. We are not limited by the things we already know based on our life experience. Because we are writers, we are likely very good readers, meaning we absorb information well and learn from the printed word better than most people. Take full advantage of this by continuing to learn all the time. Even if you aren't working on a project that demands research, keep your mind open to learning new things. You never know when they might come into play. And, by excersing your mind this way, you have a better chance of finding information when you need it because you have vast resources on research to go to. You might not know the name of that star, but you did read about the zodiac in that one book you found at the library six years ago. I bet you could find it in there. Julie recently blogged about this and it was a great reminder of just how awesome research can truly be.

3) WHAT do you know? (about your genre)

Did you know that in a Romance novel it's okay for the guy to be a playboy, but not the girl? Did you know that fantasy really isn't fantasy if it doesn't have magic in it? Did you know that horror is often considered the purest of all genres in regards to morals and ethics because it is, at it's core, a battle between good and evil? Did you know that even Children's books must have conflict?

Whatever it is you write, be sure to read it, and study it, and immerse yourself in it. There are rules and expectations that have to do with the contract you make with your reader and in order to be successful in that market, you need to offer up those expectations. This isn't to say that you can't provide your own twists and turns, that you can't set yourself apart from the crowd, but you must fit the parameters of your genre FIRST. There are pletny of writing books on this subject as well as very good internet articles you can find via google. Knowing what an editor, agent, or reader expects from you is a great way to start your next story.

4) What DO you know?

What if I don't know the ending? What if I don't know the first chapter? What if I don't know who dunnit? What if I don't know what color I want the carpet to be?

Well, what DO you know? Annette lyon talked about this a couple weeks ago and it pulled me out of a slump I'd been in. I want to write from page one to page 805 without stopping. I want to then start over and revise. It's what I want, but it's not reality. After Annette's advice I just starting writing what I knew. I knew, for instance, that I wanted my character to take over the kitchen. I also knew that I wanted her to find out a medical inconsistancy. And I wanted a really broody character that rubbed her wrong. I don't know who killed the guy behind the curtain and I don't know what they are trying to hide by killing him, but I know I want her to keep her jogging whistle in her pocket for protection, so I wrote that. And then I wrote this other scene, and then I wrote the really funny part. I've managed to break the 30,000 word barrier despite the fact that anyone that tried to read it right now would think I was completly bonkers because it doesn't make sense. Yet. But I have over 100 pages and that alone inspires me to continue. This week I've begun bridging those scenes to one another. I know she needs to get from the bedroom to the kitchen--how? It's coming together, not as easy and seamless as I'd like, but it IS coming together because though I don't know much, I know THIS and I'm writing it down. Don't be afraid to jump around. We live in the age of computers, lucky us!

We are more than we think we are upon first glance, and the journey of discovery often leads us to doors we didn't even know could be opened. Own the knowledge, own the power.

By Julie Wright

One of the coolest things about writing is the stuff I learn while writing. I dropped out of college my sophomore year because the stress was too much. I was taking a full load of credits on classes I didn't care anything about just because some one somewhere said that was what I had to learn in order to be well rounded. I don't regret not having the piece of paper that says, "Look at me! I graduated!" But I do miss the fact that I missed an opportunity to take classes I genuinely cared about. I regret not learning about the things that truly fascinate me. I would have loved archeology, and ancient civilizations. I would have loved photography and film making. Sigh. Oh, wait a minute, I'm not posting about past lamentations.

I'M POSTING ABOUT WHY WRITING ROCKS!

It's all about the research, baby. I love doing research. I love trying new things all in the name of research. I learned how to rock climb just because I wanted a rock climbing scene to be right in a book. You have to get those details right. People who really do go rock climbing will recognize your ignorance if you don't research out the details well enough. If you're having a portion of your book take place in Disneyland, then darn-it-all you just might have to take a little vacation for research. (there is one writer who missed this concept, and made some grievous errors in his novel. Those of us who love Disneyland will forever be irritated by his book. No I won't name names)

My latest book has been a blast to research.

The things I learned while researching for my current book:
1. Thimbleberry bush leaves can be used for toilet paper because the leaves are soft, large, and non irritating.
2. Choke cherries can be eaten in the wild, but usually at the time they are ripe enough to eat, they are full of worms, and they are so bitter and sour as to make people sick to the stomach.
3. The worldwide birthrate is on a major decline--specifically in "civilized" nations, however even tribal nations are feeling the pinch of a aging population and no youth to bear the burden of work and societal needs.
4. Three out of every five teenagers are sexually active.
5. Four out of every five of those sexually active teenagers have a sexually transmitted disease.
6. When Mount Rainier finally blows its top, the possible death tolls stretches over 150,000 people.
7. A lahar is like a swiftly moving wall of wet concrete.
8. The people living in the path of a lahar would have less than a 45 minute warning to seek higher ground.
9. The city of Orting Washington is settled on six meters of deposits from the last Mount Rainer eruption.
10. Combining the declining birth rate and the amount of sexually transmitted diseases that cause sterility in both men and women, it will only take three to five generations before humanity puts itself into a precarious situation.
11. The climate of the entire world is affected by volcanic eruptions. Major eruptions cause worldwide "cold spells" or "winters" where crops die, animals die, and everyone finds themselves a little colder and hungrier than they were the year previous.
12. An electron can "skip" from one allowed orbit or energy level to another.
13. Quantum physics is awesome.

Why am I sharing this with you? Because I love writing. I love the tidbits of fact that I get to manipulate into my stories. There have been days where I've run little scientific experiments to make sure a thing is possible before I make an idiot of myself by including it in a book without checking first. I've learned more on more topics than two years of general education classes taught me in college. And it's been a whole lot cheaper.

I'd be interested in knowing what fun little tidbit(s) all you writing-on-the-wall readers have learned while working on your own writing.

Don't you just love what we do sometimes?

by Annette Lyon

Good writers are big readers. They just are.

To paraphrase a friend of mine, fiction is a language, and to become fluent in it, you must study it a lot and regularly.

Read your genre of interest. Read classics. Read your market. Read outside your genre. Reread old favorites. Read bumper stickers and cereal boxes. Read everything.

Even if a book doesn't seem, at the outset, to be something that would benefit your work, consider cracking it open anyway. Be open for books (and other media) to feed your creative self in ways you wouldn't have come up with on your own.

Many times, non-fiction books I've read on topics that have nothing whatsoever to do with my current work in progress have later become great resources.

For example, A year or two ago I went on a Deborah Tannen kick. Tannen is a socio-linguist who studies conversational styles, and her books are fascinating. After reading several of them, I understood my own language style better, my family's style, and even my husband's.

But there were a couple of additional side benefits:

• I had a better grasp on how to write good, realistic dialogue that could have underlying meanings.
• I got smacked with a great idea for future characters and a storyline (that I'm now in the middle of)

I recently finished a book about body language, which I originally began just because I was curious (writers tend to be a curious lot). But as I read it, I couldn't help noticing gestures and behaviors described in it I could use to create perfect showing moments in my writing.

Maybe I could show this particular facial expression or gesture (ones I hadn't thought of before). New possibilities for showing instead of telling opened up for me.

Books on seemingly unrelated topics are always a great source for material, but I've also gotten all kinds of great ideas from random sources, including:

• A character that evolved from an Ann Landers column.
• Another character born after reading a scholarly paper from a university.
• The ability to accurately describe a fire in one book after my research for another one about police procedures (the police book happened to have a section on arson).
• An entire book concept that came to me while listening to a radio talk show.
• A key element in one book that struck me between the eyes after watching a TV drama.

I could go on, and I'm sure a lot of writers can look into things they've read, watched, or listened to and pinpoint where an idea came from.

Those ideas can't come to you unless you open the door for them.

Read. Watch. Listen. Always. The seemingly random things you're exposing yourself to are likely to be the things that fill up your creative well when you least expect it.

by Annette Lyon

Reader question from Terry:

Can you, or do you need to copyright short stories to put on a blog?

***

A disclaimer: The information here is based on my industry experience, but I’m not a lawyer. For legal advice, be sure to consult an attorney familiar with the publishing industry.


The short answer is no, you don’t need to copyright short stories on your blog.

The somewhat longer answer (which will also diverge into another area):

Once you write a story and it’s in any tangible form (saved onto your computer, scribbled in a notebook, typed out, on your blog, written in crayon on a napkin), it’s already under copyright protection by law. There is no need to register your work to have that protection.

When you get a book published, the publisher takes care of actually registering the copyright, which makes it nice and official so everyone is aware of your copyright. You get the © and a date by the mark so everyone knows how long it’s been under protection (generally the year the book was actually published, not when you wrote it, even though, yeah, it was already protected then).

Since publishers and agents know the generalities of copyright law, they aren’t going to try to steal your work. That would take a lot of effort, frankly, and they’d rather just be ethical, sell your stuff, and get both of you some money.

As I’ve mentioned before, putting that little copyright sign next to your manuscript’s title smacks of amateurism and paranoia. It doesn’t hurt, however, to put a copyright notice on your website or blog as a gentle reminder to readers that your work is under protection, just a small, "Content Copyright 2008." In this electronic age, it’s ridiculously easy for anyone (not editors and agents, but casual readers) to cut and paste and republish without permission or attribution.

If you’re genuinely concerned about someone stealing your work, you can do one of two things to prove your work existed when you say it did.

Register your work with the U.S. copyright office. Not hard to do, but it does require paperwork and a fee.

OR

Mail yourself the manuscript. Then don’t open the package. That way, if Joe Schmoe comes along three years later and steals your work, you have physical proof on your postmark as to when your version existed—and that yours pre-dates Joe’s by a margin.

And here’s where the topic expands:

If Joe writes something that rings a bell—it has a similar concept, maybe—that may or may not be a violation of your copyright. His version would have to have a lot of similarities. You cannot copyright an idea, just the expression of one.

He might be plagiarizing your work. Or not. It would be depend if Joe uses your actual words, regardless of whether the story is the same. An author can be guilty of plagiarism if you’re lifting or just slightly altering someone else’s words. Paraphrasing without attribution is often considered plagiarism too.

While violating copyright and plagiarism are both unethical, they are not necessarily the same thing.

Say, for example, that a writer silently ripped off Jane Austen. She wouldn’t be guilty of violating copyright. No court around would find an author guilty of that, because Austen has been dead for so long that her work is in the public domain. (This is why you can find a dozen different houses publishing her books—they can do it without paying anyone royalties.)

However, if the author were to try passing off the copied Austen sections as her own, that would be plagiarism. Sometimes the two overlap, but sometimes they don’t.

When working on my last book, I was sure to tread carefully. The story is a retelling of a Shakespeare play, and some scenes are—deliberately—similar to the Bard’s.

During the drafting phase, I had a writer tell me that I could use anything from the actual play. Lift whatever I wanted, he said. Shakespeare is very much in the public domain, so he’s centuries past being protected by copyright.

The whole idea of trying to pass Shakespeare’s lines as my own didn’t sit right with me. I couldn’t put my finger on why until later: that plagiarism and copyright don’t always fall under the same umbrella. Sure, I could lift some lines and be free of copyright issues. But I’d still be plagiarizing.

As I wrote the book, I made sure not to directly quote Shakespeare, but because some scenes do mirror the originals, I made sure to make it very clear to everyone that my book was an adaptation of good old Will’s work. That way I’m not trying to take credit for someone else’s words and ideas. The similarities would be seen as what they really are (an homage to Shakespeare) and not as an effort to pass off his ideas as mine.

I made it crystal clear everywhere: My publisher knew. I posted the “adaptation” information on my website and (repeatedly) mentioned it on my blog. I advertised the book that way in press releases (“Shakespeare Meets 1860s Salt Lake City”). It's even mentioned in the acknowledgments so readers would know going in.

Unfortunately, some writers do try to pass of other people’s work as their own, as romance author Cassie Edwards recently learned the hard way. And no, inserting speaker tags and otherwise changing up someone else’s words just a little doesn’t keep it from being plagiarism.

Since I’m a historical novelist, Edward’s situation provided a good reminder for me. Not only should I track my sources to protect myself, but I need to also be sure to use them the right way—as just that: sources of information, not a place to fall back on when explaining something. It needs to be my words, my voice, my expression. Not theirs.

That applies to all writers, regardless of whether you’d technically be violating copyright, because plagiarism is just as serious, and if you want your readers’ or your publisher’s trust, you have to make sure what you’re writing are your words. And if you’re using someone else’s words, say so up front, giving credit where credit is due.

I know my day is Tuesday and technically . . . it still is Tuesday.

Today in my online writer's group, we had a little discussion on where to find information. We use each other a lot for information. One of us is an ex cop. One of us worked in the film industry. One of us did live theater, a few of us raise farm animals A couple of us are nurses, and so on, and so on, and--well . . . you get the picture. With all of us together, we create a fabulous resource for weird information. It's nice to have somewhere to go. I foun d a fun little research site filled with links for various weird things that writer's sometimes need to know.

http://www.writerswrite.com/fiction/links.htm#research

And here's another bonus link for cool medical information:

http://www.dplylemd.com/

by Annette Lyon

Some of the most beloved novels of all time are historical fiction, written well after the period described in them. Think Gone with the Wind, A Tale of Two Cities, and Les Miserables.

These books (and many others) have much in common, including the fact that when you read them, it feels like they were written during the time they were set. The time period is accurate and real.

How did Margaret Mitchell, Charles Dickens, and Victor Hugo do it?

A Dynamic Time Period
They didn't write about any day in any year. They wrote about a time in which there was turmoil and conflict (great building blocks for a story!). Those time periods are also ones in which readers can readily identify. Saying "1860" is far more generic to a reader than "The U.S. Civil War." Immediately we have an image in mind, complete with inherent conflicts, a setting, and much more.

Research
These authors most certainly read up on the time period they were writing about. I don't know if it's true, but rumor has it that Dickens read a couple of hundred books on the French Revolution for A Tale of Two Cities. While I don't think you need to go that far in your research, read and dig around enough to know what you're talking about and be able to present the era in a way that's believable and real.

Story over Research
If there's one key to writing great historical fiction, this is it.

Keep your knowledge of the period in check. Yes, Dickens and the others knew boatloads about the Civil War or war-torn France, but they didn't flout it. They used whatever bits and pieces helped bring the STORY alive.

And that's the key right there. Story must take precedence over research. A chain of facts does not make a plot.

It's tempting to cram into your book as many of the details, facts, and figures you've learned. Or at the very least, cram more than you should. Chances are that less than 10% of what you research will end up in the book. But it's that 90% or so that you can draw on that allows you to create a rich environment for your characters to play out their stories in.

Beware the danger of making your story into a giant history lesson. Remember at all costs that the historical details are NOT the story, that they are there solely to ENHANCE the story. Yes, they may play a big part of the story and provide many of the conflicts. (But now we're back to the history being there for a reason: creating a rip-roaring story, not for setting the scene.)

I like to think of the time period as the hanger on which the story is draped. It's definitely there. It makes a big difference in how the story and characters work. But it's NOT the story in and of itself. In some respects, Gone with the Wind could have been written about several different wars, because it's the characters who create the story, not the war itself per se. (Remember how Goodnight Saigon, based in Vietnam, is a retelling of Madame Butterfly? MB certainly wasn't written during the 60s, but the underlying story is timeless.)

Any time you find yourself throwing in facts for the sake of telling more than your reader needs to know, pull back. Don't over explain elements from the past; it doesn't sound natural. If you use terms that might be unfamiliar to modern readers, find a natural way to work an explanation into the text.

For example, I had a reader for my upcoming historical novel indicate that he/she didn't know what a tick was and that I should explain. It would have been ridiculous for me to stop the scene and go on about how before mattresses, people filled large fabric "pillowcase" type things with straw, and they slept on those, and that's what a tick was. That would have been an intrusion to the narrative.

Having my characters stop and talk about it would have felt equally false. Why on earth would one of my two female characters describe a tick when they both know full well what it is? People don't chat over things they already know about. (It's what I call the, "As you know, Bob" mistake in dialogue.)

Instead, I simply had a character refer to the person who would be sleeping on the guest tick and that they'd need to get it filled with straw before she arrived. Natural conversation, but the information that the reader needs to know gets across.


Historical writing can be rewarding and exciting. Just don't let the history get in the way!

by Annette Lyon

I've heard it a ton of times regarding my historical novels: How can you do so much research?

Well, I have a little secret: I don't do that much.

Sort of. That's not entirely true. I do do research. But what a lot of people don't understand is that you don't have to bury your head in a dusty library for months on end in order to get enough information to write a novel.

Don't get me wrong; as a writer, you do need to get the facts straight. And the more you've researched, the better feel you'll have for an era, the more accurate you'll be. But if you think you need to be a full-fledged historian, think again.

Here are four tips that can help save time so you can get back to what you love most: telling the story.

1) Find What's Been Done.
Assuming you're researching for a historical novel rather than, say, a biography, there's no need for you to do the primary research. Chances are, someone else has done that, and you can then read their findings.

Find the work of the experts and read it, highlight it, make notes. I've had a lot of success digging up graduate theses on topics I need that were written at a university that is located in the area I write about. Likewise, a state historical society provided with me with a gem of a resource, the author of which was the expert I needed for one book.

Search libraries, especially university libraries, for what you need. Ask a professor in the field for ideas on who you should talk to or read.


2) Find official sites.
Granted, a lot online isn't accurate, and you have to tread lightly there, but that doesn't mean the Internet doesn't have a ton of resources at your fingertips.

One of the best things things you can do is find web sites of official organizations on the topic you're looking for, because there's a good chance they're more accurate than some average Joe's ramblings about it. Plus, you can often find additional links and resources there as well.

If you don't have your questions answered at that site, contact the webmaster and pose your question. Pros in various fields have a treasure trove of information, and if they've made a web site about that passion, they're likely eager to share that information with someone who shows interest in what they love.


3) Ask for help doing the dirty work.
Librarians exist to help patrons find what they're looking for. Take advantage of that. Call (or if possible, e-mail) a library and see if someone can look up what you need. These people are trained like dogs to sniff out information that most of us might have trouble locating. Let them spend time in the shelves and have it ready for you (or even better, e-mail it to you, if they can).

Likewise, if you'll be traveling to an area where you'll be doing research, contact the library there ahead of time and see if they can't look things up for you so your time there is better spent.

Don't be shy here; they're hired to help you. Let them!


4) Note bibliographies.
At the back of any resource you find, be sure to read the bibliography. It'll be like a trail of breadcrumbs that can lead you to other resources you can look up, including many you might not be able to find elsewhere, and definitely ones you hadn't heard of before.


Enjoy the research process and don't be afraid of it. While you won't use everything you find in your book, the journey to discovering the nuggets you will use can be extremely rewarding.

by Heather Moore

Whether you’re writing a historical novel, a contemporary novel, or a non-fiction how-to book, you need to do your research. You don’t need to be the expert, but you need to be as careful and as thorough as possible. Let someone else be the expert, and you can use their decades of research in your book.

Keep a list of sources, then cite them in your author notes. Some authors include resources in their acknowledgments. If you are writing historical fiction, you may need to include a bibliography. If you are writing non-fiction, you must include a bibliography. More and more contemporary novels have included resources in the author notes or the acknowledgments.

When I write historical fiction, I use a footnote system. Eventually I delete the footnotes and turn some of them into chapter notes. But I always keep the original version with the footnotes, so if I ever have to backtrack, or an editor questions the validity of a point, I can immediately locate my research. When I’m writing, I’ll highlight a word or a sentence that I need to follow-up with more research. That way, my writing isn’t slowed when I’m in the middle of a scene.

Some authors do all the research before they start to write the first sentence. And some might do just enough to get the story going. Researching can be two-fold. It can bog you down and eat up your writing time. Or it can inspire a plot, sub-plot or formulation of a scene. Find a balance. If you spend an hour on research, plan to spend the same amount of time on writing.