Writing Better Part 9

MISCELLANEOUS

A VARIETY OF VOICES

Distinguishing the speech patterns of various characters:

01) In addition to character profiles, develop a speech profile for each major character, considering:

a) Where, and how, s/he was raised;

b) Education level;

c) Interests;

d) Vocation;

e) Hobbies;

f) Marital situation;

g) Family/ethnic background;

h) Sensory preference - like being right- or left-handed, each of us is either visual, auditory, or kinesthetic (feeling). Visually oriented characters might use visually oriented words predominantly ("shaggy dog"), while auditorially oriented characters might prefer sound oriented words ("barking dog") and kinesthetics may use sensual terms ("smelly dog");

02) Cadence - alter inflection and/or sentence length to reflect each character’s background and sensory preference;

a) Phrases - a character who riddles his speech or internal narrative with prepositional or parenthetic phrases will sound completely different to the reader than a character who uses few or none;

b) Adverbs - These create a different cadence from adjectives modifying nouns or pronouns. Examples:

Adjective) Fine wine after an excellent program put Chelsea in a warm and generous mood.

Adverb) After the program, wine flowed lavishly, turning Chelsea’s mood warmly generous.

c) Word choice - Multi-syllabic words create a slightly more lyrical cadence than mono-syllabic words;

d) Articles - dropping articles (the, a, an) or incomplete sentences will also affect rhythm. Incomplete sentences can sound casual and informal, and are best reserved to showing friendship, since casual acquaintances and strangers are more apt to speak in a more expansive, verbose manner.

AVOID COMMON GRAMMAR PITFALLS

22 Tips:

01) Lose the flab:

a) Cut useless modifiers - such as really, truly, very, genuinely - and pointless phrases such as "it goes without saying" et cetera;

b) Cut redundancies - "armed gunman", "personal friend", et cetera;

c) Cut unnecessary extras that tell you things you know from context - "the shirt was blue in color" et cetera;

d) Find each use of the word "of" and ensure it is earning its keep - "he is the kind of man who is never afraid", et cetera;

e) Edit sentences which begin with "It is", "There are", et cetera. "There are three people dancing on the street" could be "Three people are dancing on the street" for example;

f) The terms "which is", "who are", and "who is" are frequently unneeded;

g) Don’t overuse adverbs - "He ran excitedly down the hill" should be "He bounded down the hill, breathless and smiling.";

02) Be precise:

a) Avoid vague modifiers - such as "a lot", "perhaps", "kind of", "somewhat", "kind of", et cetera;

b) Avoid jargon - it’s confusing, and subject to misinterpretation. (PERSONAL NOTE: Of course, if you want to add some confusion and opportunities for misinterpretation, jargon might be perfect.);

c) Use specific verbs rather than general - instead of "went" try "ran, moseyed, hopped, strolled, skipped, drove, tiptoed", et cetera;

d) Watch for doubled-up nouns, such as "action directive", "crisis situation", or "entertainment experience", et cetera;

e) Match up singulars and plurals - "Oasis is an excellent band, but their latest album stinks." Is Oasis an it, or a they? Pick one, and stick with it;

f) Watch out for dangling modifiers - "Coming down the hillside, the little white church was clearly visible", means the church was coming down the hillside; better to say, "As we came down the hillside, the little white church was clearly visible.";

g) Place adverbs as close as possible to the words they modify - "George only likes one flavor of ice cream" means George doesn’t like anything except one flavor of ice cream; better to say, "George likes only one flavor of ice cream", which means he doesn’t like other flavors of ice cream without implying that’s all he eats.

03) Stay active:

a) Where possible, transform passive into active verbs:

Passive) The decision was made by the city council.

Active) The city council made the decision.

b) Where possible, "amplify" verbs - use "scrutinize" for "examine", "transmogrify" for "change", et cetera;

c) Purge vague adjectives - amazing, interesting, compelling, wonderful, appealing…. Replace them with words that paint pictures, and let the reader decide if something you’ve described is "amazing";

d) Expand your vocabulary.

04) Maintain a logical structure and flow:

a) Make sure your sentences are "parallel" - equally balanced, as in, "He was tall and dark and had nice eyes" is better than "He was tall, dark, and had nice eyes.";

b) Have a beginning and end in mind before starting to write;

c) Every story should reach its conclusion in a logical series of steps;

d) Read your story aloud to a (preferably well-read) audience, to make sure all is in order.

Writing Better Part 8

WEAVING DESCRIPTION INTO THE NARRATIVE

Most people don’t take in all the details of a person or location at a glance. They generally see one or two important details first, and only gradually become aware of the rest. In fiction, describing a whole room or individual all at once slows the pace. Better to scatter important details throughout a scene and allow the reader to fill in the rest.

THE FLASHBACK

FLASHBACKS

The flashback lacks immediacy, but offsetting this inherent disadvantage are the several advantages a good flashback can bring to a story:

01) It can make plausible a character’s motives, by showing what events in his past compel him to act the way he is now;

02) It can fill in events that show how the story reached the exciting state it’s in now;

03) And it can present crucial information that happened so long ago - years or even decades - that there is simply no other way to include it.

To do "time travel" right:

01) Your flashback should follow a strong scene. This means a flashback is never the first scene, because readers must care about a character’s present before they can be expected to care about his past;

02) Orient the reader at the start of the flashback in time and space - a reader who is expending energy trying to figure out where and when she is now is not able to engage with your story;

03) Use verb tense conventions to guide readers into and out of flashbacks. (See VERB TENSES IN FLASHBACKS BELOW.)

(A frame story is one long flashback - the story of something which happens in the past "framed" by the narrator’s recollections of events.)

FRAME STORIES

A frame story begins after all the action is over. A half-frame story omits either the beginning frame or the ending one.

Two reasons not to frame:

01) The story loses tension;

02) Frame stories force the story to start twice.

Two reasons to frame:

01) Added depth and texture;

02) Used properly, frame stories can build tension. By choosing carefully which pieces of the ending to reveal in the beginning frame, you can whet your readers’ appetites.

Four crucial guidelines:

01) Frames work best in stories where character is at least as important as plot;

02) Don’t reveal the whole plot in the frame;

03) Never reveal the climax in your beginning frame;

04) Keep any ending frame short.

VERB TENSES IN FLASHBACKS

When it comes to dealing with verb tenses in flashbacks or with a character’s thoughts, smoothness counts;

01) The flashback - most fiction is told in past tense. To transition from story to flashback, use past-perfect ("had" followed by a verb) two or three times to start and end the flashback, but write the bulk of it in simple past tense. For a story written in present tense, write the flashback in simple past;

02) Thoughts - in first person, representing a character’s thoughts is no problem because the whole story is his or her perceptions of the action. (And don’t use "I thought" at all.) For third person, how you present the character’s thoughts will depend on the overall tone and mood of the story, and your own personal writing style preferences.

WEAVING PAST INTO PRESENT

Using the present scene’s mood and circumstances to segue into flashbacks will connect present with past and build a seamless story. Flashbacks not only convey bare facts of your characters’ pasts, they let your readers experience the emotional moments that shape who your characters are

Writing Better Part 7

WRITING ALL THE SENSES

As with all description, the use of senses other than sight should be woven into the story, should evoke a character’s personality, and/or should further the plot.

SHOW VERSUS TELL

Both showing and telling are forms of description. For this reason, there’s an overlap of interpretation between the two. It helps to think of showing vs. telling not as a dichotomy, but as a continuum. Some sentences and paragraphs both show a scene and relate facts, and thus are near the middle of the continuum. Where telling is distinct from showing is at the ends of the continuum. At one end, pure telling - exposition; at the other, dramatization. Here are seven quick tips:

01) Your writing doesn’t have to be strictly either/or. Description is a matter of degrees;

02) Don’t lead with exposition - you’ll have no dramatic hook;

03) Rely on exposition, or the lack of it, to control pace;

04) Exposition (telling) is the best way to convey background information and can set the stage for a vivid "showing" scene. It is also the only practical way to convey abstract or unfamiliar info;

05) Dramatizing the climax will lend it excitement. (PERSONAL NOTE: By the time your story reaches the climax, the stage should be set and the background in place, and all the abstract and unfamiliar information should already have been explained. This will leave you free to dramatize the climax, leaving exposition for the close.);

06) The best stories combine showing and telling;

07) If you story doesn’t achieve the intended affect, break your story down into sections and label where each lies on the show/tell continuum, then adjust accordingly.

TIPS ON NARRATION

Usually, the narrator of a first-person story must be reliable. Yet fascinating effects can be achieved with an unreliable narrator. There are three types of unreliable narrator:

01) Accurate-but-mistaken - accurately relates the facts, but misinterprets them;

02) Inaccurate, yet not a lie - since the narrator is the readers only link to the story, the narrator cannot lie to the reader. However, he can (and does) lie to himself;

03) Insane - reports the facts as the sees them, but his perception of reality is so skewed he gets the facts wrong.

Each narrator should be approached differently:

01) a) Discourage reader identification with your unreliable narrator;

b) Let the character express a strong, consistent attitude toward the story events;

c) Let the narrator relate events which the reader will interpret directly opposite to the narrator’s attitude.

02) a) Have your narrator lying to himself because the truth is too hard to face;

b) Show us exactly what he tells himself;

c) Demonstrate without doubt that the real motivations and events are different from his lies about them.

03) a) Let readers know immediately, by the voice, that your narrator is nuts;

b) Tell a story in which we can follow the basic plot anyway;

c) Have some point to make about madness, identity, reality, or perception.

These techniques can also be used to show readers a side of a character of which the character is unaware.

Writing Better Part 6

INTERIOR MONOLOG

Long stretches of interior monolog can slow the plot if used incorrectly. However, in cases where dialog or exposition does not adequately convey the background meaning of the conversation, getting into your character’s head is the only recourse. It is especially important in situations where the individual character’s reactions to the conversation won’t necessarily be representative of humanity as a whole.

FICTIONAL DIALOG

Pay attention to four areas of speech:

01) Content - substance = style. What a character says is the most important aspect of dialog… dialog written out of necessity, determined by plot or circumstances, is primary content. Secondary content is carried along with the primary content, to convey character, but is not necessary to the story. (Example, mentioning an individual who never appears simply to point up an aspect of a major character’s personality or attitudes.);

02) Diction - word choice matters. A character’s choice of words reveals a lot about him - upbringing, personality, ethnicity, age gender, etc. English words generally derive from Latin or Anglo-Saxon roots; Latin terms generally sound more educated, and distancing - "I detest the odor of manure" - than their Anglo-Saxon counterparts - "I hate the smell of shit";

03) Grammar - grammatically correct dialog indicates a formal education. It can also indicate snootiness - a holier-than-thou attitude (think "Charles Emerson Winchester the Third" of "M.A.S.H.".) Or it can indicate accomplishment - a migrant farmer’s son who takes pride in his speech for having learned it on his own, for instance;

04) Length - length of dialog can show character as much as content. Terse, short speeches can suggest either strength of character (the "strong, silent type") or an antisocial personality, depending on context. Long, rambling speeches can suggest either indecisiveness (the new homeowner who can’t decide where to put her furniture), narcissism (the spoiled rich girl, in love with the sound of her own voice), or lack of focus, among other things. Again, context will explain which.

EXPOSITION/DESCRIPTION

INFORMATION SLEIGHT OF HAND

How to disguise exposition:

01) SHOW, DON’T TELL!;

02) Never have two characters say things to each other that they both already know just so the reader can get the facts, unless you…;

03) Yell! Cry! Laugh! - Cover exposition with emotion. The more bald the exposition, the greater the emotion must be to cover it;

04) Action can also cover exposition, with dull exposition requiring exciting action;

05) Make exposition outrageous and have the other characters laugh it off… they’re laughter covers the expository nature of the speech;

06) Spring a surprise;

07) Defuse a bomb - create a tense situation, which a character can diffuse with exposition disguised as small talk;

08) Invest the information with deeper meaning;

09) Make your characters anxious;

10) Make your characters late - if they are late, for whatever, they can rush… rushing builds energy, which can be used to cover exposition.

Writing Better Part 5

KEEPING IN TOUCH WITH YOUR CHARACTERS:

There’s an easy way to keep in touch with your character’s thoughts without using the phrase, "He thought" - just before writing down the thought, have your character perform some kind of physical movement, preferably something to do with the head.

Examples:

01) He nodded, nonplussed. He had heard it all before anyway.;

02) He blinked. She was even more beautiful than he remembered.

The KIT (Keep In Touch) Method can also be used to segue into flashbacks, physical descriptions of characters, and to get into the minds of non-viewpoint characters without leaving the mind of your main viewpoint character.

DESCRIBING CHARACTERS:

As always, weave the description into the narrative. Here are tips on how to do that:

01) Describe distinctive features - generic descriptions tell readers little and sound cliche;

02) When writing in 1^st person, don’t rely on the character looking in the mirror for a self-description;

03) Tie your descriptions into your plot by using them to foreshadow events (PERSONAL NOTE: This is most easily done by measuring the length of your descriptions against the importance to the plot of the item or character being described.);

04) Entwine your character descriptions with self-image;

05) Use description to evoke a sense of the broader culture and your character’s place in it;

06) Incorporate a character’s background or ancestry into your description;

07) Use physical description of one character to deepen characterization of a second person.

DIALOG

DYNAMIC DIALOG

It accomplishes at least one of these five goals:

01) Advances the plot;

02) Characterizes your character;

03) Creates suspense and intensifies the conflict;

04) Reveals motivation;

05) Controls the pace.

Watch out for these dialog don’ts that can drag down your fiction:

01) Describing dialog: Don’t rely on excessive verbs and adverbs to do the work that should be done by your characters and their words;

02) Dialog without tension: Don’t let your characters be obvious in their dialog. Keeping something hidden - while letting the reader know there’s something being hidden - builds tension;

03) Don’t repeat in dialog information already given in narrative. As a general rule, to inform the reader or set a foundation for future story events use narrative; reserve dialog for showing conflict, tension, character, or something developing in a relationship.

04) Don’t load your dialog with a lot of information that wouldn’t be part of a normal conversation. Let the speaker speak out of his own need, not that of his listener (who is, in all cases, ultimately the reader of the story.);

05) Don’t use too many direct references in dialog - in real life, we rarely use one another’s names in a discussion.

Writing Better Part 4

STORY ELEMENTS

CRAFTING SCENES

The most interesting fictional characters are those that get themselves into real jams by doing things. The most interesting scenes are those that show the character discovering how to fix the mess, and allow the reader to participate in the process of discovery. The scene is the essential structural element of stories and novels, and is defined as, "A dramatic unit of action that features a character or characters speaking/acting/interacting, and that is delineated by a shift in time or place, or the entrance or exit of a character." A good scene will do at least one of three things:

01) Enrich character;

After a strong start from first person point of view, pull back and give descriptive details regarding the setting, as well as some background. Naming specifics is more attention getting than being vague. If a character walks into a room full of knick-knacks, don’t write, "She walked into a room full of knick-knacks." Instead, write, "The profusion of pewter and ceramic figurines set on shelves covering every square inch of wall space overwhelmed her."

As you set your scenes with specifics, don’t neglect the senses beyond sight. Smell is the most often overlooked sensory detail, but it speaks most directly to our emotions and recollections.

And don’t let your scenes be static. In describing smells, write, "The breeze carries…," rather than, "It smells like…." Let verbs do some of the work of scene setting for you, using action rather than exposition to paint scenes.

HOW TO DRAMATIZE A SCENE

01) Use lots of dialog;

02) Create dialog which characterizes people and relationships;

03) Interrupt dialog with gestures and small actions;

04) Set the scene for visualization.

The more important the scene to the plot, the more readers will want to witness it directly, and the more it should be dramatized.

DETAILS

Explanations stand still; stories need to move. Give each scene a single focus, and create a context for each emotion.

CREATING CONFLICT

To have a story, you have to have conflict, and really great conflicts begin with powerful antagonists. If you want to beef up the conflict, beef up the opposing force.

Three guidelines:

01) In act one, get your protagonist up a tree;

02) In act two, throw rocks at him;

03) In act three, get him down.

But if you want it to really work, make it a tall tree, get him out there on skinny, cracking branches, and throw bigger and sharper rocks harder and faster.

COMPELLING STORY ELEMENTS

What makes a story compelling depends on the intended audience. When writing for "Penthouse Letters", sex sells; for "Seventeen", think boy bands and preparing for college. Having some ideas on the audience before starting your story will go a long way toward guiding it in the right direction.

Writing Better Part 3

USING WRITER’S BLOCK

Often, writer’s block is the mind’s way of telling you you’re doing something wrong with the story. Figuring out what is only the first step toward correcting it.

(The article - and my notes - goes on to suggest that a change of scenery (writing at the library rather than at home, for example) or learning a new skill will bring the change in perspective that will allow you to work through your block. I have also heard it suggested that re-writing - from memory - the last scene or chapter you wrote, or writing down everything you know about the character in the scene (ROMANCING YOUR CHARACTERS), will free you of writer’s block. That may or may not work for you. It doesn’t work for me.

I like to think of starting a story as being like putting your characters on a ¼ mile drag strip… there’s only one way out, and that’s to finish the story. In my personal experience, writer’s block is most often caused by the writer trying to get the story to leave the strip before it reaches the finish line. Anyone who has seen a drag race knows what happens to a car that tries to leave the course anywhere but through the end - it hits the wall, and usually explodes. My advice? Stop trying to make your characters go where you want and let them finish the race.)

 

POINT OF VIEW

CHOOSING A POINT OF VIEW

Six quick tips:

01) Use first person when the language is unique;

02) Use first person when the point of view character ruminates at length;

03) Use either 1st or close 3rd person when you want to maximize reader identification with the P.O.V. character;

04) Use either close or distant 3rd person when you describe both a character’s external action and internal thoughts;

05) Use distant 3rd person when the author’s opinions intersperse with the character’s;

06) Use distant 3rd person when you want to minimize reader identification with your P.O.V. character.

OMNISCIENT P.O.V.

Though the story goes into many characters’ minds, it should maintain consistent tone, it should be clear whose story is being told, and the prose must be as bold as the omniscience of the P.O.V..

CONFESSIONS OF A KNOW IT ALL

Omniscient P.O.V.:

01) Omniscient P.O.V. is when the author’s voice gives opinions and comments that do not come from any character;

02) Flexibility and richness are two assets of omniscient P.O.V.:

a) You can dip into anyone’s mind;

b) Contrast opinions and happenings; and

c) Introduce information the characters may not realize themselves.

3) If you use omniscient P.O.V., use it throughout. It should contribute to an overall tone or attitude toward your subject matter;

4) Don’t be too directive - leave the interpretation of the action to the reader.

ALTERNATING POINT OF VIEW

When changing between close and distant first person narration, make the transitions gradual, and use the effect sparingly. After all, in real life people rarely notice a feeling of transcendent joy until it’s past, and such moments occur only rarely. (And this effect is best used to describe such moments.)

Writing Better Part 2

FINDING YOUR EMOTIONAL TRUTH

The distressing, difficult aspects of being human are exactly the parts of the story people want to hear. It’s why crowds gather at disasters, and why people read - to vicariously experience other lives and explore the full spectrum of human emotion without risk of true pain.

To write an emotionally true story, ask yourself these questions, and then use the answers to add depth to your characters:

01) What terrifies me?;

02) What disgusts me?;

03) What news stories make me wince or change the channel?;

04) What is my biggest secret?;

05) What would I never do?

WRITING THE STORY

CHARACTERS

CRAFTING CHARACTERS

The fiction writer builds characters in a similar manner to the way people’s lives take shape: in increments.

Five rules to characterization:

01) Character is the most important element in fiction - the strongest story will seem weak if the characters are weakly portrayed;

02) Character is created through specific details - the fiction writer selects details that reveal the greatest possible amount about the minds and bodies of the characters, and which have the greatest possible connection between the characters’ lives and the readers;

03) Details accumulate meaning through the use of periodic and cumulative structures, and through the willingness of the writer to repeat details;

04) The idiosynchratic arrangement of details and the sentence structure in which they are embedded create voice;

05) Voice is everything - the strongest characters and the cleverest plots will be worthless if the reader does not remember the story’s voice.

Every sentence written about a specific character should reveal details about that character. There are two ways of revealing details in sentences:

01) Cumulative sentences - in which a simple sentence is enhanced to reveal details all at one;

02) Periodic sentences - in which a simple sentence is enhanced to reveal details slowly.

A simple sentence consists of a subject, a verb, and an object. A cumulative sentence adds detail to the end of a simple sentence, while a periodic sentence inserts details into the simple sentence.

Examples:

01) Simple: The woman walks through the woods.

02) Cumulative: The woman walks through the woods, her blond hair draping her face as she stumbles between the pines, gasping and holding the stitch in her side.

03) Periodic: The woman, whose blond hair drapes her face, walks in short steps - in fits and starts, stopping occasionally to gasp and hold the stitch in her side - through the woods, the pine sap sticking to her clothes as she rests briefly against a tree.

Which sentence structure you choose will go a long way toward defining the voice of the characters, and ultimately the voice of the story.

http://www.smashwords.com/books/search/Dwayne%20Bearup/10

Writing Better Part 1

Every good writer like st share his knowledge. We could all write on the same subjects and now produce the same work. At a writer conference in Las Vegas a group of ten attendees asked an author about having their work stolen during the submission process. Instead of giving a long lecture he passed out paper and had each person write the a brief first chapter of Cinderella. Though the story is well known, when read ten people produced ten completely different version.

This is uniquely Dwayne Bearup's work, a member of my Wednesday Writing group. I share them here with his permission. The piece is worth the investment of $2.99  to obtain the complete in depth work.

HOW TO WRITE BETTER
Published by Dwayne Albert Bearup at Smashwords
Copyright 2012 Dwayne Albert Bearup


FINDING THE STORY

BURN AND BUILD

To write fiction from the heart, you’ve got to come up with an explosion of ideas, then sort through the rubble.

Eight methods:

01) Make a list of nouns describing items from your personal past, items which resonate with emotion. Let your mind sort through the mental pictures of your past and quickly write one- or two- word reminders. Then use items from the list to brainstorm possibilities, for characterization or even stories;

02) Find the outrage - list your pet peeves, then pick one and ask yourself what sorts of characters would care about it. Put a character on either side of the issue and let them argue about it;

03) See it - daydream until you sense a sketchy sort of plot, then develop it on paper into a story;

04) Hear it - listen to music that moves you and close your eyes and see what pictures, scenes, or characters develop. Listening to that piece of music will then put you in the writing mood every time you sit down to work on that story;

05) Research - your mind will often synthesize a story out of separate bits of info, connecting plots with sub-plots almost without effort. Read up on things which add data on the topic with which your story is concerned;

06) Write what makes you burn - spend ten minutes immediately after waking following the thoughts that come to you, expanding them, then going on to others;

07) Find your obsession - make a list of what obsesses people, and pick one which fits your story to add depth and meaning to a character. (Ahab’s obsession with the whale, for instance.);

08) Open up - the first line of a story acts as the hook, but it can also suggest a realm of possibilities for expanding the plot or adding sub-plots.

Any one of the above exercises can provide a fount of ideas. Now is the time to let the head take over from the heart. Look at the pieces your creativity has generated, then put them into some sort of pattern.

For each idea, spend time on the following checklist:

01) What sort of lead character does the idea suggest?;

02) What sort of character might oppose the lead? Why?;

03) How can I make these characters fresh, exciting, original?;

04) Is there enough at stake to sustain a novel? Or might this idea work better as a short story?;

05) What plot springs from the characters? (Start with what the lead wants and why s/he can’t have it.);

06) Am I still excited about this story?

The 22 rules of storytelling. (According to Pixar)

Sometimes I can express in my own words, my thought on writing. At other times someone else has said it better than I ever could. This is one of those times.

By Cyriaque Lamar

On Twitter, Pixar storyboard artist Emma Coats has compiled nuggets of narrative wisdom she's received working for the animation studio over the years. It's some sage stuff, although there's nothing here about defending yourself from your childhood toys when they inevitably come to life with murder in their hearts. A truly glaring omission.

#1: You admire a character for trying more than for their successes.

#2: You gotta keep in mind what's interesting to you as an audience, not what's fun to do as a writer. They can be very different.

#3: Trying for theme is important, but you won't see what the story is actually about til you're at the end of it. Now rewrite.

#4: Once upon a time there was ___. Every day, ___. One day ___. Because of that, ___. Because of that, ___. Until finally ___.

#5: Simplify. Focus. Combine characters. Hop over detours. You'll feel like you're losing valuable stuff but it sets you free.

#6: What is your character good at, comfortable with? Throw the polar opposite at them. Challenge them. How do they deal?

#7: Come up with your ending before you figure out your middle. Seriously. Endings are hard, get yours working up front.

#8: Finish your story, let go even if it's not perfect. In an ideal world you have both, but move on. Do better next time.

#9: When you're stuck, make a list of what WOULDN'T happen next. Lots of times the material to get you unstuck will show up.

#10: Pull apart the stories you like. What you like in them is a part of you; you've got to recognize it before you can use it.

#11: Putting it on paper lets you start fixing it. If it stays in your head, a perfect idea, you'll never share it with anyone.

#12: Discount the 1st thing that comes to mind. And the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th – get the obvious out of the way. Surprise yourself.

#13: Give your characters opinions. Passive/malleable might seem likable to you as you write, but it's poison to the audience.

#14: Why must you tell THIS story? What's the belief burning within you that your story feeds off of? That's the heart of it.

#15: If you were your character, in this situation, how would you feel? Honesty lends credibility to unbelievable situations.

#16: What are the stakes? Give us reason to root for the character. What happens if they don't succeed? Stack the odds against.

#17: No work is ever wasted. If it's not working, let go and move on - it'll come back around to be useful later.

#18: You have to know yourself: the difference between doing your best & fussing. Story is testing, not refining.

#19: Coincidences to get characters into trouble are great; coincidences to get them out of it are cheating.

#20: Exercise: take the building blocks of a movie you dislike. How'd you rearrange them into what you DO like?

#21: You gotta identify with your situation/characters, can't just write ‘cool'. What would make YOU act that way?

#22: What's the essence of your story? Most economical telling of it? If you know that, you can build out from there.

 

To give full creit were credit is due.

Note: This article first appeared on io9.com.

The Adam Eradication

Finally finished The Adam Eradication rewrite this evening. Final word count 145,252. Down from well over 150,000.

Second Genesis is coming along though I'm stalled again. Word count 48,893 About 1/3 finishedHave to rework the outline, the plot has taken its own twists.

Eastward Toward Eden word count only 6,536 not even 1/3 complete

The Eve Beguilement stands at 65,012 words about 1/2 complete.

From the Garden, Cast is at 7, 535. The outline for this story need a lot of work.

Now that I've completed the rewrite I can get into the first book Second Genesis and get it finished.

Then first book in my coauthored series 'Tyranny's Outpost is at the publisher for proof reading and editing.

Science Fiction My first love

As young sailor fresh out of boot camp my first (and only ship) was the USS Fulton, AS 11. A nuclear submarine tender docked at the State Pier in New London Connecticut. I was a veracious reader and wound up borrowing book from another sailor who was into Scifi. The first series was I read was E.E "Doc" Smith's Skylark series. I never got around to reading his Lensmen Series, but the Skylar series fascinated me. Richard Seaton had access to computers to do his bidding.

You have to remember this was 1968 and powerful computers were still in the realm of Science Fiction. We all dreamed of getting our hands on a real computer, but at the time that was all out of reach.

Skylark is a science fiction/ space opera, a four (4) book series. Book One, The Skylark of Space (first published in Amazing Stories in 1928) is revolutionary in the genre. A scientist discovers a space-drive, builds a star ship, and flies off with three companions to encounter alien civilizations and fight a larger-than-life villain. Skylark Three and Skylark of Valeron written during the 1930s, and Skylark DuQuesne (DuQuesne is pronounced "Du Kane"), written much later in 1963.
Though the dirst three books are close to 80 years old and hard to read given today's standards, the conflict in the stories is the part I enjoy. A good screen writer could update these stories and I believe they would make a great Scifi movie franchise.

The numerous Scifi books I've read since then entertained me, though many I've forgotten. The stories I will always enjoy the most are the ones were the technology takes a back seat to the conflict of man against the plots of men. Star wars(The original three). Star Trek (Any Series but the original show. Shatner Ugh) Babylon 5, Battle Star Galactica, The Last Star Fighter (Movie and Book). 2001 A Space Odyssey, X-Men. Early films like The Angry Red Planet, The Day the Earth Stood Still, When Worlds Collide. The list goes on.

While I get into and enjoy Fantasy Fiction, I've read "The Hobbit" and "Lord Of the Rings and other series in that genre, Science Fiction stories about man's struggle against the his fellow man will remain my first love, because it always boils down to the hero's inner conflict not to (borrowing a familiar phrase) cross over to the dark side.

Michael Clarke Duncan

The lose of Michael Clarke Duncan at age 54 saddens me.  I saw him on screen  in Stephen King's The Green Mile, the role won him an Academy Award nomination. One has but to watch a little of this great movie to see he drew his character's emotional depth from his heart not from acting classes. He appeared on the now canceled, Hart Hanson's TV series The Finder. He played Leo Knox, legal advisor to Major Walter Sherman, played by Geoff Stults. Walter suffered a brain injury from a roadside bomb and is obsessed with finding things. Duncan's as Leo was forever trying to keep Walter out of trouble by reminding his of the law's he was violating, in that deep baritone voice that was uniquely his.

Michael Bay, director of the film "Armageddon" paid this tribute to Duncan on his website, describing the actor he hired to play Bear. Bay said Duncan wasn't a natural born actor at first: "I remember looking to Ben Affleck and thinking we might need to fire him. But I told him 'Mike, I hired you for you, I want the sweet, Mr Clarke Duncan I met in that room'. I said, 'the audience is going to fall in love with you'. He looked and smiled with [his] deep voice and said 'Ok'. From then on out he became the most improved actor on the set. That was the award he got at the end of the film. Everyone loved him, his infectious spirit and great belly laugh." (Reprinted from Yahoo News)

You will be missed, Thank You Michael for being genuine.

Character Counts

I cannot help but get a little political during this season of Obamacratic (Saw the name online the other day and I like it) insanity. With morally bankrupt leadership, the Obamacrats are meeting in their convention this week. I saw this story online dealing about the character of the Republican nominee Mitt Romney and though it worth putting up here. This is not my work. It was posted on September 1, 2012 by The Godfather

Read more: http://godfatherpolitics.com/6868/the-story-that-could-win-mitt-romney-the-presidency/#ixzz25QxUIzcu

Character Counts and it seems that Mitt Romney has a life time showing his off. Not that the man will tell these stories himself. Stories of his character come from others he has served. Please read.

It’s been said by the Democrats that Mitt Romney is a murderer, felon, and tax cheat. Democrats have also maintained that Bain Capital is all about making money and destroying the little guy. As it is with Liberals, there are no facts to back up the allegations. People are supposed to believe them because the Democrats say they’re true. Here’s a story about Mitt Romney that’s been fact checked.

“In July 1996, the 14-year-old daughter of Robert Gay, a partner at Bain Capital, had disappeared. She had attended a rave party in New York City and gotten high on ecstasy. Three days later, her distraught father had no idea where she was. Romney took immediate action. He closed down the entire firm and asked all 30 partners and employees to fly to New York to help find Gay’s daughter.
Romney set up a command center at the LaGuardia Marriott and hired a private detective firm to assist with the search.

“He established a toll-free number for tips, coordinating the effort with the NYPD, and went through his Rolodex and called everyone Bain did business with in New York, and asked them to help find his friend’s missing daughter. Romney’s accountants at Price Waterhouse Cooper put up posters on street poles, while cashiers at a pharmacy owned by Bain put fliers in the bag of every shopper. Romney and the other Bain employees scoured every part of New York and talked with everyone they could – prostitutes, drug addicts – anyone.

“That day, their hunt made the evening news, which featured photos of the girl and the Bain employees searching for her. As a result, a teenage boy phoned in, asked if there was a reward, and then hung up abruptly. The NYPD traced the call to a home in New Jersey, where they found the girl in the basement, shivering and experiencing withdrawal symptoms from a massive ecstasy dose. Doctors later said the girl might not have survived another day. Romney’s former partner credits Mitt Romney with saving his daughter’s life, saying, It was the most amazing thing, and I’ll never forget this to the day I die.’

“So, here’s my epiphany: Mitt Romney simply can’t help himself. He sees a problem, and his mind immediately sets to work solving it, sometimes consciously, and sometimes not-so-consciously. He doesn’t do it for self-aggrandizement, or for personal gain. He does it because that’s just how he’s wired.


“Many people are unaware of the fact that when Romney was asked by his old employer, Bill Bain, to come back to Bain & Company as CEO to rescue the firm from bankruptcy, Romney left Bain Capital to work at Bain & Company for an annual salary of one dollar. When Romney went to the rescue of the 2002 Salt Lake Olympics, he accepted no salary for three years, and wouldn’t use an expense account. He also accepted no salary as Governor of Massachusetts.

Character counts!! (and yes…that’s worth reading again!)”

This story reminds me of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:29–37) in that he used his own funds to care for the man found on the road:

 ”A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among robbers, and they stripped him and beat him, and went away leaving him half dead. And by chance a priest was going down on that road, and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. Likewise a Levite also, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, who was on a journey, came upon him; and when he saw him, he felt compassion, and came to him and bandaged up his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them; and he put him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn and took care of him. On the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper and said, ‘Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I return I will repay you.’ Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell into the robbers’ hands? And he said, ‘The one who showed mercy toward him.’ Then Jesus said to him, ‘Go and do the same.’”

Read more: http://godfatherpolitics.com/6868/the-story-that-could-win-mitt-romney-the-presidency/#ixzz25Qwm1aOe

As an added note from me. In the day the priest and levite were supposed to be the examples of strict followers of Jewish law. The master used, in his parable, a Samaritan because among the Jews the Samaritans were despised. I'm sure his message stung more than a few listeners. The answer to the question "Am I my brother's keeper?" is yes.

Writing Better Part 6

ROMANCING YOUR CHARACTERS:

17 steps to creating characters your readers can’t help but fall in love with:

01) Establish reader identification with your characters as close to the opening as possible;

02) Don’t have too many characters - combine the roles and functions of two characters into one;

03) For maximum effect and drama, create sharply contrasting characters;

04) Give readers someone to hate as well as love;

05) Give characters visual traits or tags;

06) Show, don’t tell;

07) Keep dialog in balance with narration and body language;

08) Be original in descriptions - avoid overuse of metaphors and similes;

09) Give each character an extensive history;

10) Let your characters grow, while keeping them in character;

11) Keep all characters true to time period and environment;

12) Keep character names as dissimilar as possible, and make sure the names are appropriate for the time period and geographical location;

13) Always give characters a sense of purpose, even if just to survive;

14) Give characters positive and negative personality traits;

15) Give characters a problem to which readers can relate;

16) Make each character unique, with some quirk which sets them apart from other, similar characters;

17) When you have writer’s block, try writing everything you know about your major characters.

ONCE UPON A CHARACTER:

Rather than telling readers about a character’s quirks and personality traits, showing them allows the reader to participate in the characterization process.

Faultless characters are irritating. And villains with no redeeming qualities stop being human. One of the best ways to create memorable characters is to play against archetypes.

Always create a strong first impression.

Idiosyncrasies of speech can place a character in readers’ minds more firmly than anything.

The essence of a memorable character lies in his ability to rise above his human fears and longings.

http://www.smashwords.com/books/search/Dwayne%20Bearup/10

Read 3 Chapters

I spent the day reinstalling the OS on my PC. I was able to get the PDF of the first 3 chapters of Second Genesis up on my website for download.

http://www.mesatyree.com/Links/tabid/62/Default.aspx

Please let me know what you think.

Recovering Second Genesis & TV Shows

I have spent the last week rewriting the first nineteen chapters of Second Genesis. With the accidental overwrite I lost a lot more then I realized. But I'm about 50% recovered. I cannot remember everything, so then chapters are not quite the same. I have been able to add some details I hadn't considered before, so while I am missing some of the original plot and dialogue I am almost done with the rewrite.

I've been trying to catch up on some of my shows.

Warehouse 13
 I do get a kick watching Saul Rubinek square off with Brent Spiner. In case some of you don't recall the two actors crossed paths on Star Trek's TNG in the episode 22 "THE MOST TOYS" Saul, playing Kivas Fajo, who tries to make Data (Brent Spiner) part of his  collection of contraband treasures, by faking his death. I believe it was the first time I can remember I saw Data wanted to take a life. Warehouse 13 is always a must see for me and my DVR is set so I won't miss a broadcast.

Alphas,
I'm still trying to get the hang of Alphas. The last episode Gaslight had me so frustrated. The script was choppy and I found myself hoping for a quick end to the show. Then end was a let down and the whole thing didn't seem to fit the shows theme. I hope the writers start writing in more cooperation between members. After the well son first season I a bit disappointed with season 2 so far.

Leverage
This cast is in tune with their characters, each other and it shows on screen. The First Contact Job, episode 65 aired on 8/5 of this year. Directed by Jonathan Frakes, who did a marvelous job directing Star Trek, First Contact. When I was his name pop up as director on this episode I knew it would a well done. The kicker for me was the name of Christan Kane's character in this episode, Willie Riker. Joanthan Frakes as every Star Trek fan knows played William Riker the Enterprise's first officer.I have to wonder how many other viewers caught the reference?

Leverage's twist and fall back to B&W scenes of the real twist are great. I so appreciate the character development and interaction. The writers have done a great job of adding depth to characters on each show. This is one of the reasons I keep watching.

Falling Skies
I missed the first season of Falling Skies, so I am not caught up on all the characters and their place in the show. The show, as far I can see, is well plotted and the actors are into their characters. The Season Finale left a lot of question to answer. That alone would bring me back for the next season. I need to sit down and watch all the episodes so I can be more detailed, but it is a great show. keep up the good work.

   used

Backups

We made a serious error this week. While working on Second Genesis the file was corrupted and we lost the last 2 weeks worth of changes. No problem my off site back up runs nightly. I figured all I have to do is restore one of the five copies on Richard's backup server. Only one problem The BU server was recently switch and while transitioning to the new server no backup was created the folder holding Second Genesis and other books. We lost about a months work by having to revert to an older copy.
I cannot stress enough how important backups are. Don't be lulled into believing that the system your pounding out your great America novel out on will last forever. Even brand new hard drives crash, corrupt, or just stop working.
There are  a number of very reliable and affordable backup services on the web, though a local back is more convenient. A combination of both is even better. First an external hard drive is a great way to start. Windows has it own built in backup system, though I prefer a third party solution. One I've used with a great deal of success is Second Copy, another is Genie. Once a backup of your flies is on the external Hard Disk Drive you can then backup those files to your off site server.

Don't trust your luck. Backup, bakup, bsckup.

Manuscript Formatting (Part Two)

Paragraphs: A paragraph is a grouping of text by subject or flow of thought. There is no standard for length. A paragraph is ended by inserting a hard return, meaning that the author physically strikes the Enter – Return key to move to the left margin.

Industry Use: New paragraphs are inserted when switching speakers in dialogue, when changing subjects in narrative, or there is a break in pattern. It’s better to have short paragraphs than long ones, for ease of reading. Take care not to split a thought too abruptly. When typing single spaced text, two hard returns are used to separate the paragraphs. When typing double spaced text, a single hard return is used, to avoid large gaps on the page.

Industry Use: There is much debate on where on the page to begin typing text upon starting a new book chapter. The two primary methods are: 1) Quad space (two double spaces) from the top margin, after which the words Chapter xx are center justified (and may be bolded, italicized, typed in ALL CAPITALS, or underscored), then drop down two more double spaces and begin to type; or 2) Double space until approximately 1/3 of the way down the page, center justify the words Chapter xx (and may be bolded, italicized, typed in all capitals, or underscored. Then drop down two more double spaces and begin to type. It is recommended that authors seek guidelines from publishers as to how they prefer chapter start points.

Proofreader's Marks: Handwritten notations made with colored pencil on a manuscript by an editor, using symbols that instruct the typesetter to add or subtract formatting or words.

Industry Use: Most publishers still use this method of editing of manuscripts, and it's a good idea for authors to learn how to read the marks so that editing goes smoothly.

Sentence Spacing: When the end of a sentence is reached, a period is inserted, after which either one or two spaces are inserted using the space bar.

Industry Use: When publishers format a book for press, they reduce spacing between sentences to a single space. Because the full justification of the printed page will add or subtract microspaces to achieve the proper length. However, most people learned to type or keyboard using two spaces, which is the standard for business. For the purpose of submitting a manuscript, an author may insert either one or two spaces, as they choose. If a publisher or agency has preferences as to single space or double space after periods, they will state this. Word processing software allows for global replacement of this, if necessary. WordPerfect allows you to automatically choose under Tools> Quick Correct> Format-As-You-Go. Under End Of Sentence Corrections.

Fonts
A few words before we get into fonts. I use Century Schoolbook font while developing my own manuscript. My writing partner prefers Courier New for chapters in our series. While you might be tempted to use a font pleasing to your eye, submission of you manuscript must follow industry standards. You can work in any font but change the font to Courier New before your submit. Another distinction is Serif vs San Serif (Serifs" are the tags at the edges of the top and bottom of the letters. San Serif means without serifs) Serif fonts are considered easier to read on the printed page.
Times New Roman.

Definition: This font style is normally the default font in most if not all word processing programs. It is a serif font and is considered a "proportional" font. This means each letter is given a different amount of space on the page.

Industry Use: While it is a stylish font, it is quite a bit smaller than Courier New and, therefore, harder to read for long periods. It is discouraged when submitting manuscripts, but probably wouldn’t result in rejection of the work on its own.

Bold Font:  Usually used for headings or to make text stand out from surrounding text, "bold" is an appearance attribute that is available in most word processing programs.

Industry Use:  Bolding text is most commonly used in non-fiction and article writing for headings, hyperlinks and lists within a paragraph. It’s seldom used in fiction writing, because italics take the place of bold to bring attention to text.
Courier 12 – Courier New
Courier 12 is the name of a font style. The number ‘12' does not have any bearing on the font size. Because of confusion in the size issue, the font name was changed to ‘Courier New’ in word processing programs. They are the same font, and the names can be used interchangeably. For clarity I will use the name Courier New.

Industry Use: Courier New is industry standard for book manuscript preparation. I strongly encouraged writer and authors of both fiction and non-fiction are to use Courier New when submitting manuscripts to publishers or agents. Courier New

Courier New:  A fixed size, serif font. This means that each letter takes up the same amount of space, side to side, as any other letter. For instance, the letter ‘i’ takes the same space as the letter ‘m’ or ‘w’ on the page.) "
Courier New   This is Courier New. (A Serif Font)
Ariel     This is Arial (A sans serif font)

Industry Use: Industry standard for book manuscript preparation and submission is Courier New. I strongly encouraged authors of both fiction and non-fiction to use Courier New when submitting manuscripts to publishers or agents.

Cover Sheet: The cover sheet is a blank title page separate from the story or manuscript. On this page is the author's name, full postal address, email address, word count of submission, whether the submission has been published before, and name of publication, date, etc.

Industry Use: While not often requested by American publishers or magazines, it appears to be a common guideline for submissions in the United Kingdom, Commonwealth, Australia and New Zealand. It's strongly suggested that authors seek out guidelines from foreign publishers before submitting manuscripts.

Font Size: Unlike typewriters, word processors fonts are ‘scalable.’  Most fonts are available in sizes ranging from 6 point to 48 point and above.

Industry Use: The industry standard is 12 point type. This is the default setting of most word processors. Again I strongly recommend authors use this point size when submitting manuscripts to publishers or agents.

Underscoring: Usually used for headings or to make text stand out from surrounding text, "underscore" is an appearance attribute that is available in most word processing programs.
Industry Use: Underscoring text is most commonly used in non-fiction and article writing for headings, and hyperlinks. It’s seldom used in fiction writing by itself, because italics take the place of underscoring to bring attention to text. However, underscoring is recommended to identify italicized text in a manuscript you are submitting.

Word Count
Word Processor vs Manual Count

Word Processors: Word processors include a function to tell an author how many words a chapter or entire manuscript. In WordPerfect, you can find this by selecting File > Properties > Information. In Word, it can be found in File > Properties > Statistics.

Industry Use: The word processor word count has become the norm in the publishing industry. However, because the word processor counts every single word, from "a" to "publishing" as one word, it’s difficult for a publisher to use it to determine page count after printing. For this, some publisher still rely on the 250 word per page method. Many publishers and agencies still request that an author provide the word count using the other method.

With the advent of WordPerfect ver X4 and X5 this should disappear quickly WordPerfect added a wonderful function on the bottom of the main screen To the left of the box indicating wether you are using the insert or typeover function there is another box ‘<COUNT>’. Mouse click here and you will see the word count of the document you are working in. Highlight a portion of the document and click, the word count of the highlighted portion appears. You can highlight a paragraph, page, chapter or any portion of a document, click and the word count appear immediately. No more counting words on a page by hand.

Manuscript Formatting (Part One)

Properly formatting one's manuscript is the bane of existence for any beginning author. Questions about how to properly prepare a manuscript for submission to a potential publisher or agent is one the questions most frequently asked by beginners. I’ve taken the time to write up a listof the definitions of many of the common formatting topics and how they are handled by traditional publishers. It is my hope this article will help a lot of you to navigate the hurdles successfully.

Formatting: Formatting is the method of manuscript presentation. Included in this are the margins, line spacing, font style, and size, etc.

Industry Use: Every publishers or agencies have their own specific manuscript preferences for presentation. The best practice for any author is to seek the company’s preference. You can obtain these by writing for guidelines or visiting their website. If their specific preferences are not listed, the following list is considered "standard for the industry."

Chapter Breaks = Hard Page End
Font Style = Courier New
Font Size = 12 point.
Headers showing title of book/name of author = Required - TITLE/AUTHOR/PAGE#
Indentations at Paragraph Beginning = Required, One tab stop/First Line Indent, equaling five spaces
Italics for emphasis = Underscore where italics would appear.
Justification = Left justified (ragged right margin)
Line Spacing = Double
Margins = one inch all around.
Page Numbering = Yes, bottom or top of each page.
Paper Size = 8-1/2" x 11" white, single sided.
Paragraph Breaks = Hard Return

Headers: A "header" is a string of text to be inserted at the top of every (or every other) page that does not appear until printed or in "print view."

Industry Use: For the purpose of submitting manuscripts in print, headers are considered industry standard. Headers should contain some combination of: Title – Author – Page Number and Date. However, some companies discourage using them when sending an electronic file, since the header command might not translate to the agent’s/publisher’s computing platform (PC, Mac, Linux.) Since there is no specific industry standard with regard to submitting in electronic, the author should check the guidelines for the publisher.
Indentations – Tab Stops: Indentations, also known as tab stops, are used to signal a change in thought. They are most often used when changing paragraphs or adding dialogue, and are created by pressing the "Tab" button one time.

Use in industry: Tabbing once at the beginning of a new paragraph is industry standard.


Italics: Usually used to make text stand out from surrounding text, "italics" is an appearance attribute that is available in most word processing programs.

Industry Use: In non-fiction and article writing, italics are used for headings, or lists when the use of bold text is undesirable. In fiction writing, italics are used for:

a) Emphasizing text. "You want to go where?"
b) Internal dialogue (character thoughts that aren’t spoken.) I shouldn’t have had that last burrito.
c) Telepathy in SF/Fantasy novels. When characters can speak mind to mind, italics set this off for
    the convenience of the reader.

Courier New (Normal Font)
Courier New (This is Courier New in italics)

The use of italics in a manuscript can be tricky. Using Courier New font, the italicized words are slightly slanted, making it difficult to see Italics words. Therefore, most publishers request that words which the author intends to italicize should be underlined (or underscored) instead in the manuscript. This means you underscored, not both italicized and underscored.

Justification: Justification is how the text appears from left to right, or where on the page they appear.

There are four styles of justification:
1) Left Justified = all lines of text are even only on the left side. The right side will end where appropriate for the word length.
2) Right Justified = all lines of text are even only on the right side. The left side will begin in a ragged fashion.
3) Center Justified = lines of text appear centered from left to right between the margins.
4) Full Justified = lines of text are straight on both the left and right sides. While common in business and book printing, full justified relies on adding or subtracting microspaces between words or letters to achieve a smooth finish. This will cause uneven spacing between the words and I do not recommend in a manuscript.

Industry Use: Left Justification is industry standard for manuscript submission for both fiction and non-fiction.

Scene or Line Breaks: Used when moving to a different location, forward in time, or to a different person’s perspective (Point Of View) in fiction without ending the chapter, a scene break is called for.

Industry Use: One of the most confusing issues in writing, a "Scene break" is the scene break or POV switch. An author should either use an extra double space (the only time when this is acceptable) or a single or double hash mark ("#", symbol above the number 3 on your keyboard), against the left margin to indicate a scene break. Another way to handle a change in POV is to end a chapter. This give the reader a break in mentally and the shift in perspective is more natural. This is not always possible but for a POV shift it is easier for readers to track.

Chapter Breaks: A chapter break is most commonly achieved through the use of a hard page return (pressing Ctrl + Enter – Return after the final line of a chapter to start a new page, regardless of where on the page a chapter ends.) This keystroke method is the same in both Corel WordPerfect and MS Word.

Industry Use: Both non-fiction and fiction books use hard returns to signal chapter breaks. It is the industry standard.

Chapter Start Point: When beginning a new chapter, the point on the page where the first word of text should begin is often a question.

Line Spacing: Word Processors such as Corel WordPerfect and MS Word have the ability to single or double space lines of text. Confusion often occurs about proper line spacing in manuscripts.
Industry Use: Double spacing of manuscripts is the industry standard when submitting to a publisher or an agencies. However, this DOES NOT apply to spacing between paragraphs. Paragraph breaks are NOT quad spaced. ( in other words two double space hard returns) For Paragraph breaks a single hard return is placed between paragraphs, and the indentation of the new paragraph is the reader's guide to where the break occurs.

Manuscript Length: The length of you manuscript (or word count) to determine what term to call a piece of fiction is often confusing to first time writers.
Industry Use: Industry standard for length of manuscript varies by type and genre. Guidelines vary from publisher to publisher. The following word count is a good place to start.

Very, short: Under 2,000 words
Short story: 2,000--7,500 words
Novelette (General Fiction): 7,500--15,000 words
Novelette (SF & Fantasy): 7,500--17,500 words
Novella (General Fiction): 15,000--30,000 words
Novella (SF & Fantasy): 17,500--40,000 words
Novel (General Fiction): 30,000 words
Novel (SF & Fantasy): Over 40,000 words

Margins: Margins on the page of a manuscript page is the distance of space between the edge of the page, top, bottom or sides, to the closest typed letter and or symbol.
Industry Use: Industry standard for page margins is one inch on top, bottom, left or right though some publishers or agents prefer a wider margin on the left and right sides. This is so they can write notes while reading. As a writer your best practice is to seek from any company you plan to submit your work those particular guidelines. The absence of any other guidelines, rely on one inch margins.

Page Numbering: Modern Word Processing software offers the writer the ability to quickly to add page numbering so as to easier keep track while reading. In Corel WordPerfect, this can be found at Format > Page > Numbering. In MS Word, this can be found at Insert > Page Numbers.
Industry Use: Page numbering is recommended for all manuscript submissions. While often not required by publishers or agencies it is preferred for ease of reading and strongly recommend for a professional look.

Line Numbering: Modern Word Processing software offers the writer the additional ability to number the lines of their manuscript. This feature is useful when reviewing your manuscript with an editor. Line numbering make it easy for an editor (who may or may not be in the same town to refer to a problem such as, page 7 line 14

Industry Use: While I have not found an industry standard for this function I never-the-less use it in all my writing for ease of editing.

The Paper Size: Different countries use standard sizes of paper to print manuscripts. In the United States, tour standard size is known as "Letter Size", 8-1/2" wide by 11" long. In the United Kingdom and other European countries, their standard size is "A4", 8.3" wide by 11.7" long.

Industry Use: American publishers or agencies prefer Letter Size paper. If an author is submitting in any country other than the U.S., it is suggested that they check to see the standard size for that country.

The MacKenna Saga How it started (Part I)

In 1997 while my partner Jo and I continued to evolve the Tyranny Series, I began to consider various ideas for a series of my own I wanted to develop.  On the third day of a science fiction convention I attended, I found my attention riveted on an amusing conversation between a group of five self-proclaimed alien hunters. They were in the midst of a heated discussion about what if anything Area 51 holds, the supposed aliens at Wright-Patterson, the Dulce Papers and the granddaddy of all the alien conspiracies, Roswell, New Mexico.

I listened until someone behind me said, “They all sound a bit off-center, wouldn’t cha say?”

The brogue caught my attention right away. I turned and stared an elderly gentleman. The first thing I noticed about the old gentleman was his stature. Just a bit shorter and I would have thought I was being addressed by a leprechaun. His eyes were a mischievous, luminous green, his smile merry and infectious. His full head of dark red hair made me jealous and yearn for my youth. I shrugged. “Everyone is entitled to their own opinion.”

“What are your thoughts about visitors from outer space?”

“I have a far different idea about life beyond this world.”

He winked, pointed and said, “I overheard you speakin’ ta that man earlier about human life on other worlds.”

I winced. “I thought I’d kept that quiet.”

He laughed, “Not so you’d notice, and me age hasn’t affected me hearin'.”

We fell into a conversation and I have to tell you, an Irish brogue has always fascinated me. Shakespeare may have written English masterfully, but it took the Irish make it musical.

After two hours listening to this man’s stories, he came around to his point. “If you’ll be stoppin’ by the place me grandson and me are rentin’ I’ll be sharin' with ya some records o' people from outside our world. I promise you 'tis worth the trip for a tale worth retellin’.”

I laughed. “What’s the catch? How much will it cost me to see these records.”

The old man gave me a patient smile, no doubt developed by dealing with other belligerent skeptics such as myself. He pulled out a business card and wrote an address on the back. “It’s the chance of a lifetime lad. I’ve approached three other authors and I’ve been laughed at in the same manner. "You’ve until Sunday, then we’re gone.”

He  rose and I watched him walk out of the hall, turn the corner and disappear. Ax murders, con men, aliens in disguise?  Something in the old man’s eyes and his story rang true. I ran to my room, emptied my wallet of everything except a few twenties and my drivers license, just in case. I grabbed my laptop, decided the elevator was too slow and raced downstairs to the parking garage. After I found his palce on a local map, I raced across town and was waiting for them when they arrived home.

A smile spread across the old gentleman’s face when he saw me. He invited me in and without any delay took me to a bedroom set up as an office. Across one wall, a bank of IBM computers squatted on metal baker’s racks. The machines whirled, lights blinked and the display screens were all busy. In the far corner sat a large, upright steamer trunk, hinged down the center. After the grandson checked on the computers, he stepped over to the trunk and pulled the two halves apart. I stared, open-mouthed upon their treasures of old scrolls, journals, and one very unusual book.

The scrolls and journals were old. How old will never be determined as I said, the owners will never allow tests run on them. According to these men these records have passed from father to son, mother to daughter, uncle to nephew, aunt to niece, and cousin to cousin for more than 1500 years. Each generation has added their experiences and memories to the family's collection. The records grew until the volumes and materials have become so numerous they were difficult to manage. Some so fragile they cannot be handled except with extreme care.

With the advent of computers these men began the arduous task of scanning all these records into digital files. The project took years and consumed a huge amounts of storage even with to days hard drive capacity.  Due to their fragile condition most of the original manuscripts and scrolls have been preserved and hidden away.

The earliest scrolls, such as the ones I now gazed upon, were written in an unknown language and remained a tantalizing mystery until 1996. In August of that year, the grandson discovered the key, his Rosetta stone as it were, to decipher the language. With the aid of these  computers, the process of translating the scrolls was well underway. The work of converting the ancient runes and other symbols to English yielded some startling revelations. With the first few scrolls translated,  grandfather and grandson realized that the ancient manuscripts were more than just family history.

While many argue, theorize and postulate about the possibility of life beyond our planet, the presence of these journals proves, at least to us who have seen and handled the original materials or viewed the translations, there is human life on other worlds. There is no doubt some of those people long ago traveled to Earth and left behind records and more. I was asked to put the story of their lives in their universe, their accidental journey to our planet,  their entire story into words.

That I have chosen to start this account with Kalen MacKenna’s story, in a place that is considered the middle was a choice left up to me. Dreams and Deceptions, is by no means the beginning of the MacKenna Saga, it is to me the best place to begin the telling of this great tale.

Suspense in your Story

Using and Building Suspense in your Story

The art of suspense means giving the reader something to worry about. Suspense in Latin means ‘to hang’. Suspense avoids boredom and absorbs the readers in you tale. Heightening suspense as the story progresses compels the reader to turn pages and find out what happens next. Wether you write crime, mysteries, action/adventure, (in any genre) detective or romance stories, this element is a require components to build, add, and – or continue the suspense needed to keep the reader's riveted to your story. Suspense (uncertainly, doubt, anxiety) is a must for all fiction.

It should start from the very beginning of a story or novel, should be built into the premise and structure of any fiction writings.

The first place to build suspense needed in any writing is the first few sentences. Bill Reynolds, The Writer, August 2005, page 7, "A proper opening picks the reader up by his collar and throws him into the story." According to The Writer, text books on composition, and my own notes from many a classes and conference, I have assembled seven essential elements. I believe are needed for suspense:

1. While creating your outline, state the story's plot as a question or questions. Ones that can be answered yes or no. List of all your possible reasons why the answer could be "no." Your "no" answers become the focus of problems and obstacles - the suspense in your story.

Protagonist is your hero. Your good guy or girl.

2. In order to sell a story, creating a likable and competent - but flawed - protagonist is essential. If the reader doesn't for some reason to care about your protagonist, then all the suspense is you build meaningless. The flaw or flaws will help create needed suspense because the outcome of the struggle or conflict will always be in doubt.

3. Your protagonist’s motivation must his or her’s driving force. Male or female, your protagonist must have strong wants, needs, and desires. The basic and powerful human needs and drives are essential: Love, ambition, greed, survival, revenge, are among the many. Readers must believe the protagonist would never abandon the quest, so something vitally important must be at stake, life of a loved one, fate of the world, etc.

Aantagonist, your hero's opponent, competitor, rival.
4. Give your protagonist highly motivated antagonists. In fiction, villains commonly function in the dual role of adversary and foil to the story's heroes. As an adversary, the villain serves as an obstacle your hero must struggle to overcome. As a foil, your villain should possess characteristics diametrically opposed to those of the hero, creating a contrast distinguishing heroic traits from villainous ones. Others point out that many acts of villains have a hint of wish-fulfillment, which makes some people identify with them as characters more strongly than with the heroes. Because of this, a convincing villain must be given a characterization that makes his or her or its motive for doing wrong convincing, (The HAL 9000 in 2001 A Space Odyssey) as well as being a worthy adversary to the hero.

 Film critic Roger Ebert states it this way: "Each film is only as good as its villain. Since the heroes and the gimmicks tend to repeat from film to film, only a great villain can transform a good try into a triumph.

5. Keep raising the stakes and creating disasters. The formula for building suspense is a bad start that gets worse. Suspense is about problems and obstacles, disasters and failures, small triumphs and big reversals. You should never make things easy for your protagonist to succeed.

6. Choose your story's point of view to maximize suspense. The objective POV allows your audience’s attention to shift from character to character. This allows them to interpret and imagine, to wonder and worry from inside two or more characters thoughts. We are drawn into the story by the changing of point of views from one character to another. The single POV limits only to one character's experiences and thoughts. Anything else is speculation, imagination, and worry.

7. Suspense depends on urgency. Wind up the ticking clock, build in a zero hour into your story. Antagonists come in all shapes and sizes human or mother nature. Assassins, terrorists and kidnappers of course create time pressure your hero or heroin must work against. Teachers, parents and editors, employers also, not to mention tides and storms and seasons - create another kind time pressure and constraint. Your story's momentum might build gradually at first, but soon it becomes a race against the clock, it accelerates as it rushes towards its fateful climax.

The result of the use of suspense in any story becomes a riveting story that the reader cannot put down until finished.