Answer Me These Questions Three

I'll admit it, I've been known to get so caught up reading articles about writing that I don't get around to actually writing anything. Though this doesn't put words on the page, I've learned some amazing tips and techniques this way.

Recently I read a great article for pantsers by the great Nathan Bransford, How to Plan a Novel Without Actually Outlining. He proposes three simple questions that will get your brain going without being crushed under the weight of outlines and beat sheets.

And, because every writer is different, I started thinking on which three questions I *need* to know before I feel ready to write a story.

Who are my characters?

Best to figure this out first, because you're going to be spending a lot of time in their company. And I'm a character-person anyway - my stories always start with characters, long before a plot or even a story makes an appearance.

Beyond the basics of male or female, young or old, worldly or naive, I need to delve deep into my characters' inner workings - their greatest fears, hopes, vulnerabilities. In short, what are their biggest issues? How can I ensure they face said issues as much as possible? For instance, Dev in LAST NIGHT IN GHOSTTOWN fights a combination of anger, denial, and regret. Naturally he gets mixed up with Rishi, who challenges every single one of these demons, forcing Dev to face what he's spent years ignoring or bottling up.

What kind of world do they live in?

This question undoubtedly carries more weight for SFF writers than most. What makes this world different from the "normal" world? Even urban fantasies and modern-day settings have something that sets them apart from the world we ourselves inhabit.

For more far-flung settings (second world fantasy, distant futures, so on and so forth) what are the key features of this world? Because I dislike writing (and reading) what has been done a million times before, I always look for a different take on things. LAST NIGHT is set in a distant future where Earth is a footnote in the history books. Nothing new there. So I went for an Indian-inspired setting, and tried to build the worldview, history, and technology from there.

And most importantly, how does this world affect the characters? I'm always drawn to stories where the world is so real that it's practically its own character, which allows for more dramatic interaction with the main characters than a flat, passive backdrop of a setting.

What kind of story do I want to tell?

Perhaps even more than the others, this question is the kicker. Because no matter how real your characters or believable your world, a story that you're not interested in telling is a story that won't be written.

I knew from the beginning that LAST NIGHT would be a love story. Other ideas, however, aren't so easy. One of the ideas currently bouncing around in my brain is about an empath. He has a tragic past, and his present isn't too great either. He meets people - people from his past, mysterious people, people with Special Abilities like him - and struggles to learn who he can trust as he makes his way in the world. His world is modern-day, or relatively close, and set in the US southwest.

And I have no idea what kind of story it is.

Does it want to be a mystery, as he discovers his place in the world and figures out who he can trust? A thriller, as he struggles against a shadowy force which would harm People Like Him? A romance, as he learns to control his ability and decide which emotions are he feels are real, and which are just reflected back?

Honestly, this idea could become any one of these things, or perhaps all of them. I'm not sure yet. But until I know, this will keep simmering on the back burner.

Because a story can't come together if it's having an identity crisis.

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What questions do you need to ask yourself before you're ready to write? Do they change from story to story or are there certain answers you need every time?

What Drives You to Write? Blog Tour

This post was inspired by the My Writing Process Blog Tour from Jami Gold: What Drives You to Write? As Jami says, writing can be a difficult creature - so many different hats to wear, balancing our own creativity against an ever-changing market, and so on. Not to mention the effects of continually plumbing the depths of our psyches and laying the results bare for the world to see. So why keep doing it?

Simply put, because we can't stop.

What Are You Working On Now?

Ostensibly, a short story that combines knitting and Chinese vampires into a darkly humorous urban fantasy. At least, I hope it's funny. That's what I'm aiming for! I haven't had much time for it lately, I confess. But now that some other real-life distractions are out of the way, I want to get back to it.

I have several more ideas simmering, including a second-world fantasy retelling of The Little Mermaid, a modern-day story of an empath, and a fairy-tale-esque love story of magic and transformation. They keep jockeying for attention in my mind - we'll see which one wins out.

How Does My Work Differ From Others of its Genre?

That's a good question. I'm not sure of the answer!

I would like to think my characters set me apart more than anything. Characters have always been my primary interest, both as a reader and a writer. I'll keep reading a so-so book with an amazing character. Likewise, 99% of my stories start with a character, and plot always comes later (usually after much hair-pulling).

Why Do I Write What I Write?

Basically, because it's what I want to read. It seems so often that SFF tell the same stories, over and over - finding something outside of this rut can be a real challenge. I have no interest in writing a medieval-esque fantasy with all white characters and strict gender roles, because my library is filled with shelves of those stories already. But a race of characters who can shift genders? A trans-specied mermaid who becomes human? Those are stories I want to read. And since no one has told them so far, maybe I'll give it a go.

How Does My Writing Process Work?

Um… erratically?

OK, in all seriousness, I'm still working that out. I'm a pantser by nature (outlines give me hives) but if I just blunder into my first draft blind, it never ends well. So far it seems I work best by doing extensive character and world building in the pre-drafting stage, then going into the first draft with a general idea of plot points. And the ending. If I don't have an ending in mind, then I don't know what to write toward.

I liken it to watercolors (you knew I'd have to go there eventually). I start a painting with a detailed sketch, and a basic knowledge of which colors will go where, which areas will be dark and which areas will be light. Then I add paint and water, and see what happens. And I'm always surprised at what turns up - and how it's often more interesting than what I'd expected.

In short, it's an organic, ever-changing process.

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Thanks to Jami for the open invite to join the blog tour, and for the opportunity for a little self-reflection (which is always good - in small doses).

Links and Check-In 3.8.14

Are You Living Your Dream? ~ Jami Gold
An excellent post that I think every writer on the planet can relate to. It can sometimes feel insurmountable trying to balance writing between real-world distractions (bills, jobs, day-to-day life) and personal obstacles (finding time with/away from family and friends, writer's block, and that demon self-doubt). Though ultimately it is one of those journeys that only you can discover your truth, Jami's ideas on reclaiming the dream are very helpful and encouraging. (Warning: don't watch the video if you don't want that Lego song stuck in your head for the rest of eternity!)

Is Fear Driving You Forward or Dragging You Under? ~ Kristen Lamb
A sister post to Jami Gold's, and also a very timely examination of the fears that dog us both as writers and as human beings. I've said before that I never expected my first novella, LAST NIGHT IN GHOSTTOWN, to go any farther than my hard drive, yet here I am two months away from its release by Eggplant Productions. And as amazing and exciting as this is, at times I find myself struggling - with the fear that LAST NIGHT is a fluke, and perversely with the fear that my writing will go on to require more from me than I have or want to give it (i.e. at the expense of my artwork). Fear is a funny thing, attacking from all angles if we let it. Lately I've been reminded of the famous quote from Marianne Williamson:

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us… As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.

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As for the check-in, all of my writing time this week was focused on edits for LAST NIGHT IN GHOSTTOWN. Still researching for the mermaid story (though the dystopian fantasy keeps trying to cut ahead of it in my mental "ideas" line). I've been letting the short story simmer in the meantime, though the other night I had a really great idea on something to add into the mix. Now if I could only remember what it was...

Saturday Check-In 2.22.14

Not a very exciting report today, I'm afraid. Edits have come back for LAST NIGHT IN GHOSTTOWN, and I haven't had a chance to work on the short story this week. It's for the best, since I think the short story needs to simmer on its own for a bit. I've never had much success with the "write even if you're not feeling it" school of thought. Sure, some days it's just laziness, and as a writer I have to buckle down and push through it. Other days, though, it's just not there. I discovered this with painting long ago, and learned to listen (after ruining enough sheets of watercolor paper by saying "I'm just going to paint something anyway!"). For me, when the creative well runs dry no amount of butt-in-chair time will change that.

Still researching and cogitating on the mermaid story. At some point I'm going to have to relinquish the library's oceanography book and start really fleshing out the characters. But until then…

Word of the Day: Guyot (or, my mermaid colony has a home!)

Links and Check-In

Procrastination (Or Why You Can't Trust a Version of You from the Future)

I am so very guilty of this. In fact, I've spent all week procrastinating this post, which was in turn my excuse for procrastinating working on my short story. Very interesting take on why so many writers, myself included, put off writing that hard scene ("I may have no clue how to write it today, but surely Tomorrow Me will know just how to do it!")

Premise vs. Plot: Which Do You Have?
This could have been written exclusively for me. Premises come to me as easily and often as oxygen. Lately I've had about seven different premises vying for attention in my brain. Plots, however, have always been a different story. It often seems to come down to the fact that my characters prefer standing around talking to actually, you know, doing anything. I have no idea where they got that trait from *ahem* Anyway, this article breaks down the difference of plot and premise, has some handy tips on fleshing out an idea into a story. I've bookmarked this baby!

What Makes a Story Event a "Turning Point"?
Another article that could've been written just for me. As I said above, plot has always been a challenge for me. Sure, I can come up with things to keep the characters busy, but how to keep all those events from becoming a random mishmash of obstacles? Finally my writing mentor introduced me to what so many other writers already knew of, the "trigger." It's not just that events A, B, and C happen to the characters - it's that A happens because of the initial setup, B happens because of A, C happens because of B, and so on. This article explains it all in detail, and will surely be invaluable to me in the future.

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As for my own writing, I've been battling the Demons of Self-Doubt and haven't gotten too far on the short story. I did go back and rework the opening, which I'm much happier with. Currently a bit stuck, but if I can silence (for a little while at least) The Voice telling me my time would be better spent organizing my sock drawer, then I can push through and get on with the story. Fingers crossed.

Also, Arizona has been the only state in the US not buried under a foot of snow, so I feel obligated to enjoy the sunny weather on behalf of all of my fellow writers. How's that for an excuse?

Saturday Check-In

Not very much to report, I'm afraid. I didn't write anything this week, and didn't get to starting on the next draft of the short story. I did however continue research on various topics for my two WIPs.

The short story, which I've mentioned previously, combines knitting and Chinese vampires into a darkly humorous urban fantasy. (At least, I hope it does. That's what I'm aiming for!)

The other WIP is a retelling of The Little Mermaid, and will likely be a novella or novel. Novels intimidate me, to be honest, but if that's what the story needs to be then I'll do my best to do it justice.

That's all for now. Hopefully I will have lots more to report on these in the future.