June 2008
Getting Cozy with Karen.
June Musings
"Develop success from failures. Discouragement and failure are two of the surest stepping stones to success."
~ Dale Carnegie ~
I've been writing a long time. I've learned the basic tenets of novel writing ad nauseam. I know the format of manuscript preparation, how to use POV [point of view], the reasons you need to keep the hero and heroine together for a romance novel to be effective, etc. So, I find it fascinating that I've been making a basic newbie mistake on my most recent work and completely missed it.
If you read my May Musings, you know I'd been experiencing what can only be termed a writing hiatus. About the time I hit my gardens last month, I started clearing the mental debris from my mind too. Evidently, that day wasn't the last of my epiphanies.
Going back to square one with a fresh eye on my story, do you know what I found? My hero and heroine are not together through most of the scenes I've been pouring my heart and soul into these past few months. Oh, they're thinking about each other or responding to something the other has done. That doesn't mean they're together together. And these aren't introductory scenes either. These two characters are moving toward a rather dramatic separation, their romantic Rug Pull.
You might wonder how I got to this point without putting two and two together. I'll have to backtrack a bit to explain. As many of you know, I consider myself a pantser. Years ago, I learned how to use the "W" plotting technique which I've been teaching for some time, yet this technique is so simple and basic that I still don't consider myself a plotter. But I digress.
When I realized what I'd done to poor Patrick and Rachel, I was surprised the first thing that I did was blame it on the fact I plotted the story. I've completed a number of projects using this technique without running into this particular problem. Which made me wonder if the issue stemmed from the fact that I now write in a different genre. [I've traveled from Traditional to Short Contemporary to Long Contemporary to single title romantic suspense.] The truth is the "W" technique is imminently effective to keep track of all of those suspense threads and I'm actually more comfortable writing suspense with the technique guiding my way.
So, if it's not my plotting method or genre, how could I have forgotten such a basic precept of novel writing as keep the hero and heroine together?!
I neglected to consider the fact that I've made a major change in the way I write. I no longer write in the linear line I used as a pure pantser. I have my plot structure but, when it gets right down to the writing process itself, I might work on Chapter 18 today and Chapter 4 tomorrow. Quite simply, my muse is more creative when allowed to work on whatever she's inspired to do on any given day. I know that many, okay, most people can't jump around their book this way. With my scenes and chapters outlined, I'm generally confident enough to let my muse play her way.
I've known for some time that I'm tracking two separate threats in my current project. I love misdirection! I'd developed my "Ws" and "Ms" the way I've always done them. Rachel deals with one antagonist on her structure, while Patrick deals with the other on his "W". [Some of you even have these examples from my class.]
It was easy to say on Patrick's "W", for instance, "His office manager confesses she's been blackmailed into releasing company information, revealing why he's losing business." Technically, it's an accurate assessment of what happens at that plot point. However, I wrote that scene with Rachel in another room overhearing the conversation between Patrick, his cop brother, and the office manager she's inclined to protect. Rachel then reacts in the next scene. Neither of these scenes was emotionally satisfying, although the purpose of each was met.
Spotting the problem was two-thirds of the battle, which means the fix was relatively easy. I've already revised the first scene by removing the cop brother and having Rachel in the room at the center of the discussion. The emotional impact increased dramatically because Patrick now feels betrayed by Rachel, too. It also upped the emotional ante in the next scene because Rachel suddenly realizes Patrick's unlikely to understand why she's kept her own secrets from him.
So why did I share my pain? [g] As a reminder to squeeze every last drop of purpose out of each scene you write. To ensure that those of you who do use the "W" plotting technique remember that, even though you're tracking only one character on a "W", you can't allow the characters' actions to simply run parallel to each other. When you actually write the scenes you've plotted look for connectivity between the characters within those scenes. It's the only way to ensure that it doesn't appear like you've got two short stories tacked together without a cohesive plan.
Happy writing!
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What else is happening in my writing world?
My chapter held our May Workshop & Awards Luncheon last month. I loved meeting best-selling author, Angela Knight, and her husband, Michael. Both of their workshops were great fun! A handful of us went out to dinner one night while they visited and had a wonderful time. As one of our Award of Excellence Contest coordinators, I announced the winners of my categories at the luncheon. Now that I've finalized the last of the contest chores, I'm hoping to get more quality writing time over the next few months. Yay!
I was thrilled to receive the Colorado Romance Writers 2007 Outstanding Newsletter Article of the Year Award for my article, Have you Hugged Your "Brain Trust" Today? This article was part of my July 2007 Getting Cozy message if you'd like to check the archives so you can read it in its entirety. I've posted a picture of the trophy, too, because the pen & plaque looks so pretty on my desk and I'm proud of it. [g]
I launched a new "W" plotting class for the great folks at Washington Romance Writers this month. If you have friends who missed it and they can't wait until my next class in August, I do have the entire lecture course available to purchase on the website. Click on NEWS.
Thanks to a friend's invite I've joined Shelfari since my last newsletter, a brand new experience for me as I continue to learn the ins-and-outs of the Internet. [You can teach an old dog new tricks!] I haven't yet filled up my bookshelf with all of my Keeper Shelf favorites-must start somewhere-but hope to get it all up in next couple of weeks. I'm now keeping track of my current favorites as I go along. If you're on Shelfari, look me up. I'd love to be friends and share what we're reading!
As always, if you'd like to comment on this newsletter or anything else, please feel free to sign into my guest book at the bottom of this HOME page. Looking forward to hearing from you! If you have your own listing on MySpace, I'd love to be friends. You can find me at http://www.myspace.com/authorkarendocter. And, by all means, if you enjoy reading my newsletter each month, please tell your friends. They can sign up for their own copy easily at the bottom of this HOME page.
See you in July if you'd like to Get Cozy with Karen again. In the meantime, feel free to check out the rest of my website at your leisure.
I wish you a month overflowing with creativity and confidence. May you realize all of your dreams!
Karen
P.S. Sorry this month's Getting Cozy with Karen is so late! I have lots of good excuses but no point in boring you with them!
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Articles
Plotting.Beauty or Beast?
First Print - savvyauthors.com blog, June, 2010
Born to Write
Colorado Romance Writers Romance in the Rockies newsletter - February, 2006
The Big Kids Clubhouse Secret Handshake.Finally!
Colorado Romance Writers Romance in the Rockies newsletter - August, 2006
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