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WORKBOOK
Essentials of the Craft Nonfiction Techniques
6 MAKE (MORE) TIME FOR WRITING 32 TEACH THE CHILDREN WELL
Carving out the time and space you need for your he market for childrens noniction is booming. Heres
muse to lourish can be a challengebut these writer- what you need to know to tap into this lucrative niche.
approved tips can help. BY TRACEY BAPTISTE
BY AMY SUE NATHAN
37 8 STEPS TO BLOGGING SUCCESS
10 MUSICAL MUSES Grow your readership, platform and proitability with
Draw inspiration from music to add rhythm and low these simple strategies.
to your narrative voice. BY ROBERT LEE BREWER
BY SCOTT PRESTON
41 GET PERSONAL
12 WORD PICTURES Follow these 9 steps to crat the kind of striking per-
he best descriptions ofer just the right amount of sonal essays that could land you a big byline.
sensory detail while enticing readers to imagine the BY SUSAN SHAPIRO
rest. Use these 5 tips to strike the right balance.
45 JHUMPA LAHIRI, BRIDGING THE GAP
BY BARBARA BAIG
In her irst foray into noniction, the Pulitzer Prize
15 MURDER YOUR DARLINGS winner and Princeton University iction professor
Your goal is to convey meaning precisely and concisely, highlights the importance of languageand the love
without wasted words or superluous phrases. Heres of words that we all share.
how to make every word count. BY BAIHLEY GRANDISON
BY STEPHEN WILBERS
50 WRITING STANDOUT SAMPLE CHAPTERS
18 LIGHT YOUR FIRE In your book proposal, the sample chapters you
Writing takes work, but we cant forget that inspiration include are your opportunity to prove you have the
is the fuel that keeps the ire burning. Here are 6 talent and know-how to follow through on the project.
reasons its important to keep your woodpile stocked Heres how to show of your savvy.
complete with tips for fanning the lames. BY RYAN G. VAN CLEAVE
BY FRED D. WHITE
52 AN AFFAIR TO REMEMBER
22 JOURNALING, UNBOXED Inevitably, when writing memoir, your relationships
A daily writing habit doesnt have to follow the rules play out on the page. Learn how to portray spouses,
and a little open-ended creativity can be just what your exes and friends with a balance of caution and candor.
writing needs. BY KERRY COHEN
BY HEATHER SELLERS
56 HEIGHTEN YOUR SENSES
25 WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS Incorporate descriptions evoking all 5 senses into your
When struggling to picture your story, sometimes the memoir writing, and youll immerse your readers even
inspiration you need is visual. more deeply in your story.
BY DONNA BAIER STEIN BY RICHARD CAMPBELL & CHERYL SVENSSON
27 STORY STARTERS 61 IDEATION INCARNATION

How do you springboard from idea to inished When it comes to freelance writing, ideas are currency.
manuscript? Let these exercises, insights and tips be Follow these 14 strategies to impress magazine editors
your guide. with your well-crated story pitches.
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2 I WRITERS WORKBOOK I 2016
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Essentials
of the Craft
Whether you write thrillers, fantasy, nonfiction or anything in-between,
master these skills and youll take your prose to the next level.
When youre a writer, youre never quite like other

peopleyoure doing a job that other people dont know
youre doing and you cant talk about it, really, and youre
just always finding your way in the secret world and
then youre doing something else in the normal world.
ALICE MUNRO
I 5
ESSEN TIAL S OF T HE C RA FT
Make (More) Time
for Writing
Carving out the time and space you need for your muse to flourish
can be a challengebut these writer-approved tips can help.
BY AMY SUE NATHAN
hese things are good for my psyche, which is good for
W
riting is done in the time we make, not
the time we ind. my writing. Usually.
I know this because Ive tried it both But the overlapping deadlines lustered me. My time
ways. Years ago I searched for writing and space felt compressed and insuicient. I let phone
time and waited for it to reveal itself. I yearned for a calls unanswered. I let the mail and the laundry pile up
magical chasm to appear in my day, my week or my (OK, thats not unusual, but it did peak that week). I went
weekend, complete with thought bubbles, maybe even a of to the restaurant having already clocked an hour or
harp. So, for a long time I didnt write at all. two of editing. I came home, took a break (knowing
Not only was I not writing, I wasnt doing anything when you need one is key) and then went into my oice
creative. I grew idgety and discontent. Some might have and shut the door until it was time to feed the dogs
said cranky. I had to make the time to start writing again or myself. And then I went back to deadline crushing.
even under the weight of raising two kids as a single mom, here were things that didnt get done that week, but all
and through mourning the loss of their dad, managing a the deadlines were met.
household and corralling three dogs. Eventually I began With every new writing challenge, I learn new lessons
freelancing essays and newspaper columns part-time about creating time and commanding space.
while I worked at a preschool. hen, I also started dab- Its not a science. Its not precise. But it is necessary.
bling in iction and reading for literary agents. Within Without knowing how I best manage my writing time,
a few years I was writing novels, editing iction and con- Id likely have spun out of controlI mean, spun more
tinuing to land bylinesall in the time, and with the out of control.
energy, I created within my already overlowing life. So I reached out to fellow writers and asked them this:
his probably doesnt sound unusual or extraordinary. How do you make more time and space for writing in
hats because writers are a determined lot, carving out your home, in your head and in your life?
niches and commandeering cubicles every single day. hey agreed that an important irst step is to
We clear our calendars and plug our ears.
But what if what we already have isnt enough? What Stake your writers claim.
if we want or need more room in our lives for writing?
How do we go about reconiguring more space and When we make something our own, we can then own it.
creating additional time when were already overwhelmed Even if its just for an hour. Even if its just for 15 minutes.
and overbooked? We know its not a matter of being Even if its just once. Maybe its the spot with good
needy, its a matter of meeting our needs. lighting, an outlet, pens and notepads. Maybe its the
I thought I had the time and space I needed until spot behind a locked door.
recently, when life and work rearranged itself without my I always make a space, no matter where I live, for
consent. I was up against three writing deadlines in the my desk, which is the only place I write, says Robert K.
same week (freelance writing, freelance editing, novel) Lewis, author of the Mark Mallen trilogy.
that coincided with family plans and overlapped with my Even if youre not a desk person (personally, I use
part-time job at a friends restaurant. my desk for editing, but dont ind it conducive to
Normally, I like having some balance and variety in writing), having a designated writing space of any sort
my writing life. Ater a few years of writing and editing increases the likelihood that you will actually use
exclusively, I discovered that doing some work outside that area for writing. And once you have a routine of
the house is, for me, a good thing. In addition to settling in there, the very spot can help signal to your
steady income, it provides contact with live people muse that its writing time.
(nothing against my online and texting friends), and Walk into my family room, and to you, it might just
thankfully, writer attire (i.e., pajamas) is discouraged. look like Im sitting on the couch, but to me, that spot
I 7
ESSEN TIAL S OF THE C RA FT
is mine. (he dogs get the other half.) his is where Ive room, which is far sunnier. Ive found that its important
written my new novel, this article, my latest blog post. to be in a bright, cheerful place.
heres an invisible shingle I hang up so that theres no Sometimes its as simple as knowing what you need.
misunderstanding, with myself or anyone else. Like Koslow, I love to write near a window. I also know
Some writers have a writing room on-the-go, where that I am easily distracted, so that window better have
just having the laptop or notebook along is enough blinds or curtains.
signal to the brain that theres work to be done.Im Lisa Barr, author of Fugitive Colors, shares that shes
oten typing away at my childrens taekwondo classes or been writing for 18 years, and considers herself very
basketball games, says Amy E. Reichert, author of he disciplined. I have a beautiful oicelarge picture
Coincidence of Coconut Cake. windows, a desk illed with meaningful photos, a beau-
tiful bookcaseeverything around me is conducive to
writing and inspiring. However, I have to get out of my
house to write in the mornings, usually parking my lap-
The good news is that making top at my local Starbucks. If Im at home there is always
the laundry, the mess, the dogs, life in motion, all the
more room for writing in our to-dos glaring at me.
lives doesnt necessarily mean Of course, its not always up to us when or where
we write. Kate Moretti, he New York Times bestselling
making ourselves even busier. author of hought I Knew You, knows this too well. I
It just means we need to be steal time on my lunch break at work, even booking
myself a conference room.
more mindful of how we spend We need to accept that there will be times when even
the time we have. the best of us cant make do.
So remember to
Give yourself a break.

But sometimes, no matter how hard we try, the walls,
whether real or imagined, start closing in. here are We hold ourselves to high standards with word counts
houseguests, someones sick, or a repairman is in the and deadlines and critiques. But letting ourselves of the
kitchen for hours on the day you have a deadline. Maybe hookjust a bitcan open up room for writing.
soccer season ends, or theres a leak in the roof, or your I was convinced that if I didnt start writing in the
favorite cofee shop closes. morning, I wouldnt write at all that day. hen I started
hats when its time to working at the restaurantyou guessed itduring my
morning writing time. And I love the job! I forgave
myself for forsaking my writing time and forced myself
Think outside your writing box.
to block out an hour at my keyboard in the late ater-
Its cliche, but its true. noons. I found it wasnt a good time for drating or
I recently joked with my 23-year-old son that I rewriting, but it was a good time for outlining, editing
needed a change of scenery in order to continue writing and planning my next full writing day.
my third novel. I told him I was seriously contemplating Yvonne Lieblein, author of he Wheelhouse Caf, also
a big movefrom one side of the family room to the had her head and heart set on writing in the mornings
other. From the sofa to the chair! Id be facing another until she couldnt do it anymore. My creative faucet
direction, changing my view and perhaps my motivation. lows with ierce force before 9 a.m., and for years (OK,
And you know what? It worked! Now I have two writing- decades) I fretted over my inability to designate that
worthy spaces in the same room. as sacred writing time because of family and business
Strictly speaking, I have an oicewhich functions obligations. I would wake up earlier and earlier, which
as a guest room/den, Sally Koslow, author of he Widow seemed to work at irst and then I started walking into
Waltz, says. But Ive abandoned it in favor of my dining walls by late aternoon.
Travis Erwin, author of he Feedstore Chronicles, has gave up writing essays to have more time to pursue her
let go of his word count goals to improve his writing iction career.
mojo. I have set artiicial word count or page goals, but Fobbit author David Abrams has given up blogging
ind they do more harm than good, Erwin says. Either in favor of his iction. I loved [my blog] he Quivering
I dont make these goals and feel defeated, or I just throw Penespecially for the way in which it gave me a plat-
stuf down to make them and do not produce quality form to champion other writersbut it was the kudzu
work. Erwin has found that big numbers dont always of my writing life; it completely took me over, mentally
equal a big writing day. I have felt great ater writing and physically, in terms of time spent at the keyboard. It
only 100 words one day but bummed by 2,000 another. took Abrams a long time to decide to cease the project
Its about story progress and forward movement on an hed started in 2010. It was a hard decision to make, but
idea or book that matters most for me. I eventually had to sacriice the blog to make more room
here are many writers who swear by word count for the work-in-progress, he says.
goals and stick to them no matter what. Some writers In contrast, my Womens Fiction Writers blog is like
dont. he important thing to remember is that if it Dear Diary for my iction-writing career. For me, the
doesnt work for youit doesnt work! two types of writing egg each other on, almost like sib-
And in trying to ind something that does, you might lings. Each writer has to decide which of her pursuits are
have to complementing one another and which are distracting
from her primary goalsor even causing more stress
Give up something. than theyre worth.
Even ater having a noniction book, a novel, a book of
here! I said it! In order to make more room for writing short stories, and another novel to be published, I took a
in our lives we may have to give up something were full-time job again because of extreme money worries that
already doing. Im not suggesting you give up your day were literally causing me health issues, says Jessica Keener,
job or date night or family outings (unless ), but we author of Night Swim and Women in Bed. Now she is
all have something we can tuck away or set aside, at least writing on weekends and some mornings before work. I
sometimes, if not indeinitely. guess its like exercising, she says. he more you do it,
Because I work both in and out of the house, Ive the more it just becomes something you do.
found that the only way for me to be productive on my People today are always doing something, arent they?
days at home is to forgo seeing friends or even running If I dialed myself using an old-fashioned phone, I bet Id
errands during the day. Sure, when the furnace died and get a busy signal. he good news is that making more
it was -8 degrees Fahrenheit, I scheduled the repairman room for writing in our lives doesnt necessarily mean
and lost writing time, but I no longer have girlfriends making ourselves even busier. It just means we need to
over for cofee on writing days. I no longer go out for be more mindful of how we spend the time we have, set
lunch unless its scheduled weeks ahead. I know myself, ourselves up for success, and recognize that when one
and I know that I cant easily get back into writing mode approach isnt working, its time to try something else.
once Ive broken my stride. When Im working at home, hink of revising a manuscriptits not always about
Im working. Its not always easy to say no, but in doing adding new words. In fact, more oten, its about inessing
so, I keep a promise to myself and to my writing. something youve already tried, or inding areas to cut.
Cathy Lamb, author of What I Remember Most, So when you ind yourself getting overwhelmed, take
took the time out of her nights instead. I knew that if I heart. Youre not alone. And you can ind a way to do
wanted to publish a novel, something would have to go. I this. Ater all, we writers are a creative sort. And our
built my career on about six hours of sleep a night, now work is worth it. WW
and then a little more. I worked from 10 at night until 2
in the morning.
Reichert says shes cut back on reading. I used to read Amy Sue Nathan is the author of the novels The Glass Wives
and The Good Neighbor. She is also a workshop instructor and
three books a week; now Im lucky if I read three a month.
freelance writer and editor who hosts the popular Womens
Sometimes the thing we give up might even be writing Fiction Writers blog (womensfictionwriters.com). Follow her on
related. Calling Me Home author Julie Kibler says she Twitter @AmySueNathan.
I 9
Musical
Muses
Draw inspiration from music to add rhythm
and flow to your narrative voice.
BY SCOTT PRESTON
W
e writers are all seeking the same thing, the tight structures of the bop jazz that came before and
really: a spot next to the campire. And created a sound that raked through heads with melodies
we know that to get that spot, we need howling like hed stepped on them.
to develop a knack for recounting stories On irst listen, we might sit with hands in lap, won-
that have been told for thousands of yearsstories of dering if Coleman knows what hes doing. Yet soon we
adventures and triumphs, of tragedies and lost loves, of recognize his complete control of the instruments at his
found rivalries and rediscovered strengthsbut with our disposal, and become transixed by his skill.
own nuance. Establishing a distinctive voice, however, When we think of writers formed in this free-jazz
can be a formidable task. Scarier still is the possibility mold, novelists such as homas Pynchon, James Joyce
that others might not want to hear it. How, then, do we and Martin Amis come to mindelite-educated scribes
bottle our own brand of tone, plotting, word choice and who let full sets of teeth marks on high literary tradition.
character, and distill it onto the page? Impeccable prose, vivid imagery that draws from classic
Every writer has his own approach. In seeking mine, I poetry, and metaphoric language run liberally through
found inspiration in an entirely diferent medium: music.
their writing. hese features work like the steady swing
rhythm of a jazz band, creating a backdrop for structured
Write Like Jazz improvisation. he only real diference between good
In the late 1950s, a budding saxophonist named Ornette improvisation and a shapeless mess is this: players
Coleman took to New York Citys Five Spot Cafe to drawing on honed skills to create something shattering,
showcase his recent album he Shape of Jazz to Come. unpredictable and new.
Even if youre not familiar with Colemans name, Im If we look to Joyces A Portrait of the Artist as a Young
conident youve heard his musicif not note for note, Man, we are thrown into a story that opens with Once
then in his profound inluence on the genre. He cut up upon a time, in which livestock are called moocows.
On the surface, such writing could be deemed juvenile. are, like punk anthems, antiestablishment: hey exist
Yet with Joyce, we know immediately that he is playing without the same reliance on training found in the work
as a child. he novels irst few paragraphs show a power- of jazz writers.
ful mastery of language, and include a footnote straight
out of a literary journal. Its clear through these elements
that Joyce is in control. his jazz-like approach makes for
complex, layered stories owing everything to the authors
If captured accurately, lack
sheer mastery. of so-called sophistication
To infuse jazz into your own writing, begin by shoring
up the sides of your story with comfortable and recog- can come across as brilliantly
nizable elements. A crime novel might begin with the authentic and real.
archetypal brooding detective on the trail of a kidnapper.
With the crime genres signature hard-boiled dialogue
and action, readers will know where they are and what to Take Hemingway. Although its hard to imagine now
expectuntil you hit them with experimental elements. given his place in the literary pantheon, his true artistic
Turn your voice loose and see what it has to say. Perhaps career began like that of any other punk: when his par-
large parts of the story are told in a modern-day epistolary ents cast aside his irst published short story collection
style through social media posts, or there are frequent as ilth. hey were objecting to his obscenity, but others
digressions about seemingly unrelated characters that all reacted with similar shock at his simplicity and honesty.
come together at the end. he key is to make sure that In anothers hands, such lack of detail or showmanship
from the start, your writing is such that the readers trust might have seemed amateurish or lazy, but Hemingways
you to take them along for the ride. hen theyll already minimalism works because he tells us devastating and
be onboard when you take a turn of the usual route. everyday truths that could be lost in an overwrought
literary style.
Punk Out To consider how a punk writer might handle the same
detective story mentioned earlier, lets return to our lone
While free jazz came from talented musicians purpose-
fully playing in a way some traditionalists called out detective. Perhaps hes a drunk. he real mystery of the
of key, early punk rockers were homespun musicians story could be him struggling to remember the details
driven by instinct. Followers thus had little interest in of the case. Hallmark elements of crime iction can be
where the melodies were going, but came to see if the droppedcrisp prose, explosive dramareaders wont
band would still be standing at the end of the show. miss them if they are compelled by the drama and inten-
heir lyrics had the logic of fever dreams on paperthe sity of the protagonists struggle with sobriety. We might
meaning derived from what they made you feel. hough take a cue from Welsh and have the entire story told as
perhaps not instrumental virtuosos, their passion came a rambling confessional. If captured accurately, lack of
in the form of bloodied ingernails on guitar strings. so-called sophistication can come across as brilliantly
Writers such as Ernest Hemingway, Charles Bukowski authentic and real.
and Irvine Welsh, then, might be seen as punks: With Try listening to these diferent musical styles as you
their less-pedigreed backgrounds, each forged his own work to develop your own voice. Let the free-jazz artists
literary path, questioning what it meant to even write remind you how important it is to demonstrate an
stories down. hese novelists brought to their work a awareness of the conventions of the genre before boldly
Spartan simplicity not unlike punks 4/4 time signature. breaking them. And let the punks illustrate that if words
heir themes might be deep, their language might be convey frankness and authenticity, readers will accept
moving, but they otherwise depart from norms of literary them stripped down to the raw emotion at the core. WW
iction. Such work is characterized by breaking with
conventional form, incorporating use of nonstandard Scott Preston (scott-preston.com) is a short story writer, essayist
English, or refusing to do the imaging of a scene for the and copywriter. He has a master's in creative writing from the
reader. Speaking strictly in terms of voice, these stories University of Manchesters Centre for New Writing.
I 11
Word
Pictures
The best descriptions offer just the right amount of sensory
detail while enticing readers to imagine the rest.
Use these 5 tips to strike the right balance.
BY BARBARA BAIG
W
hen we ill our sentences with the is determining the length of these images. Should
vocabulary of the senses, we are forming the image created here, in this place in the piece, be a
verbal images. hat is, we are making short onejust a few wordsor a long onean entire
word pictures that communicate to paragraph, or even two or three? he decisions writers
readers the pictures in our own imaginations. Rather make when implementing verbal images can help them
than talking about what it is we want to show our deine their particular style.
readers, we give them the sensory details and let those Another important consideration is how vivid we
details act on their imaginations. want a particular word picture to appear. How many
Great writers are masters in the crat of making sensory details should be included, and which ones will
verbal images. hey are experts at choosing, from all fashion the right mental photograph were trying to con-
the details their imaginations provide, exactly the right vey? When you read, pay attention to the use of sensory
pieces to convey the speciic sensory pictures they want details. You may notice how writers difer a great deal in
to paint for readers. In constructing verbal images, as the amount of speciic description provided to readers.
with every other aspect of the crat, writers need to As writers, we must decide the degree to which we want
learn how to make informed choices. One such choice to force readers to see mental pictures of a character,
setting or object portrayed in our writing exactly the inside them. To do this efectively, we cant use every
way that we see them, and how much we want to allow single detail our imagination has to oferdescriptions
readers to use their own imaginations. would become long, convoluted and probably pretty
At the least, we must include enough detail to irst boring. Instead, we must make choices. Usually the deci-
activate the readers imagination. hen we can consider sions we make depend on what we want our language
how clearly to focus our images. pictures to do to our readers.
If you provide the same amount of detail for every
picture, your reader will quickly feel bored or over- 4. Choose between static
whelmed. So you have to vary your approachesmake and moving images.
choices about where and when to sharpen the focus of
your images. As you practice imitating verbal images made by skilled
he following techniques can help you create writers, you will probably notice that some of them lack
sharper images. movement, while others involve a great deal of motion.
What you are noticing is the diference between static
imagesthose that dont show any actionand dynamic
1. Dont forget adjectives
imagesthose that do. When we create static images
and adverbs. we are writing description. When we create dynamic
Consider this sentence: images we are writing narration. While its most com-
mon to ind them written separately, the two can also
The girl walked down the street.
be combined.
What picture do those words conjure in your mind? If
they make one at all, it will be vague and blurry, like an
out-of-focus photograph. What about this version?
As writers, we must decide
The small girl walked alone down the long, dark
street, lined with unfamiliar houses.
the degree to which we
he adjectives and adverb make the picture more power-
want to force readers to see
ful, more vivid. mental pictures of a character,
setting or object portrayed in
2. Point to a part of the object
or action. our writing exactly
Examine this image: the way that we see them,
Joe drove slowly. and how much we want to
Now look at this revision, which sharpens the image by allow readers to use their
pointing to a speciic part of it: own imaginations.
Joe drove slowly, hesitating at every corner.
(he language points from the general slowness of Joes Observe the skillful imagery of this description from
driving to the speciic movement of hesitation.) Josephine Teys A Shilling for Candles:
3. Consider the effect of your It was a little after 7 on a summer morning, and
William Potticary was taking his accustomed way
image on readers.
over the short down grass of the cliff-top. Beyond his
he language of the imagination is a writers most power- elbow, 200 feet below, lay the Channel, very still and
ful tool to make things happen inside readers: to make shining, like a milky opal. All around him hung the
them see, hear and taste; to evoke sensations and emotions bright air, empty as yet of larks. In all the sunlit world
I 13
no sound except for the screaming of some seagulls completely, and he slipped back into the friendly ranks
on the distant beach. in terror for his life, like a man who comes on a snake
in a wooded ravine, recoils, and with pale cheeks and
5. Use comparison. trembling limbs goes back the way he came.
Weve experimented with using concrete, speciic words You probably noticed that your mind was occupied by
to make verbal pictures of people and places, objects and two images at the same time. he writer presents one
scenes given to us by the faculty of imagination. (hese thing, and then, in order to portray it vividly, compares
pictures can be based on observation, invention or a it to something else.
combination of both.) Weve considered how detailed to he human brain is constituted to make sense of
make pictures, and what efect we want them to have on experience by perceiving and stating resemblances.
readers. Weve tried sharpening images by adding more hrough comparison is one way we learn: We try to
detail or choosing a speciic detail to focus on. All these understand new things by examining them in contrast
techniques help transfer into words a close representa- to something we already know. We ask not What is this?
tion of the pictures in our mind. but What is this like?
he verbal images we build in this fashion are called We make such comparisons all the time in ordinary
literal images. Literal images are attempts to reproduce conversation. When a friend asks us to describe a new
in words an object, person or experience and make it as acquaintance, we might respond with literal details of
realistic as possible. his height, hair color, eye color and so on, to give her
a picture. More likely, though, wed make a comparison:
Hes like Robert Redford with dark hair. If our friend
The language of the is a moviegoer, she will immediately understand
what youre talking about through this shared point
imagination is a writers most of reference.
powerful tool to make things Our ordinary conversations are dripping with com-
parisons: Hes crazy like a fox. he cat is as dead as a
happen inside readers: to doornail. he team came on like gangbusters. hat girl is
make them see, hear and a peach. When we make comparisons in words, we are
creating igurative images.
taste; to evoke sensations and Figurative images are a bit like pieces of chipped
emotions inside them. rock. As they are used over and over, their rough
edges become smoothed down and they lose their
distinctive features. Ater a while, the power that
But oten, as we form these images, we discover that igurative images had when they were fresh disappears.
literal images are not enough. At times, in order to really We call such worn-out igurative images cliches. Avoid
communicate what something is, we need to write about them at all costs, as through excessive use they have
what its like. We need to compare it to something else, been sapped of their power to afect readers. Instead,
creating a point of reference for the reader. Look at this we need to make fresh comparisons that will help
passage from Homers he Iliad and pay attention to our readers see (hear, taste, touch) whatever we
what happens in your mind as you read: are picturing.
When the veteran Menelaus saw [Paris] striding
By being conscientious with our word choice, we can
towards him in front of the crowd, he was as happy
create dynamic, lasting images in the minds of readers.
as a hungry lion when he finds the great carcass of an
Creating just the right image can make all the difer-
antlered stag or a wild goat and devours it greedily
ence in transforming your words into an unforgettable
in spite of all the efforts of the sturdy huntsmen and
experience. WW
the nimble hounds to drive him off
But when royal Paris saw that it was Menelaus Excerpted from Spellbinding Sentences 2015 by Barbara Baig,
who had taken up his challenge, his heart failed him with permission from Writers Digest Books.
Murder Your
Darlings
Your goal is to convey meaning precisely and concisely, without wasted words
or superfluous phrases. Heres how to make every word count.
BY STEPHEN WILBERS
Writing is easy, Twain declared. All you have to do
W
hen Henry David horeau wrote about
living in a cabin by Walden Pond, he is cross out the wrong words.
titled his irst chapter Economy. He You cant wait for inspiration, London observed.
wanted to explain the economy of reduc- You have to go ater it with a club.
ing life to its essentials, of living simply so that he might Can you hear the diference?
live richly. How many times have you written something that
Reducing your language to its essential elements allows might have been efectiveeven memorablebut whose
you to deliver your message economically, and that econ- stylistic efect was obscured by wordiness? It may be hap-
omy accentuates the working parts of your sentences. If pening more oten than you think.
you make every word countor if you omit needless words, Consider these quotations from Douglas Adams and
as William Strunk Jr. and E.B. White put it in he Elements John Ciardi, respectively:
of Styleyoull write with more energy and emphasis. I just love deadlines. I really love the whooshing-type
Mark Twain declared, Writing is such an easy thing to noise they make as they go right by you.
do. All you have to do is cross out the wrong words that
You dont have to suffer all that much to be a poet.
you dont need.
Adolescence is just about enough suffering for any one
Jack London observed, You cant wait around all of us.
day for inspiration. What you have to do is go ater it with
a club. Except thats not what they said. Minus the wordiness,
Except thats not what they said. their observations are memorable.
As skilled writers, they knew to eliminate wordiness I love deadlines. I love the whooshing noise they make
and to condense their statements for maximum efect. as they go by.
I 15
You dont have to suffer to be a poet. Adolescence is Theres not much to be said about the period, except
enough suffering for anyone. that most writers dont reach it soon enough.
As countless writers have pointed out, making every he wordy phrase the fact that can almost always be ixed
word count is the foundation of a strong style. with a simple but useful word: because. So, too, can the
phrases based on the fact that, in view of the fact that and
owing to the fact that. Similarly, the phrase in spite of the
Reducing your language fact that can be replaced with although or even though.
Consider the following examples, which contain a vari-
to its essential elements ety of wordy expressions, and their condensed versions.
allows you to deliver your ORIGINAL: Based on the fact that I love snow, Im eager
message economically, and for winter to come.
that economy accentuates CONDENSED: Because I love snow, Im eager for winter
to come.
the working parts of
ORIGINAL: Many people choose to live in Minnesota
your sentences. in spite of the fact that they dont like snow or
cold weather.
CONDENSED: Many people choose to live in Minnesota

What if Peter De Vries had said, I just love being
even though they dont like snow or cold weather.
a writer. What I really cant stand, however, is all the
paperwork involved, rather than, I love being a writer. ORIGINAL: In view of the fact that it snows every winter
What I cant stand is the paperwork? What if Rita Mae in Minnesota, and usually in significant quantities, Im
Brown had observed, I view a deadline as a sort of neg- perplexed by their decision to live here.
ative inspiration. Still, when you think about it, its much
CONDENSED: Because it snows every winter in Minnesota,
better than absolutely no inspiration at all, rather than,
and usually in significant quantities, Im perplexed by
A deadline is negative inspiration. Still, its better than
their decision to live here.
no inspiration at all? And what if Red Smith had said,
It is my observation that theres nothing at all to writing. ORIGINAL: I left work early on Friday afternoon for the
All you do is sit yourself down at a typewriter for a reason that we had a foot of fresh snow and I couldnt
while and open a vein, rather than, heres nothing wait to ski my favorite trails.
to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and CONDENSED: I left work early on Friday afternoon
open a vein? because we had a foot of fresh snow and I couldnt
Your turn. How do you think former Supreme Court wait to ski my favorite trails.
Justice Louis Brandeis and acclaimed writer William
Zinsser, respectively, wrote the following sentences? Clutter is the disease of American writing, Zinsser
writes in his classic book On Writing Well. We are
As any fool can tell you, theres absolutely no such thing
a society strangling in unnecessary words, circular
as good writing. There is, in the final analysis, only
assiduously good rewriting. constructions, pompous frills and meaningless jargon
But the secret of good writing is to strip every sentence
Theres not very much at all to be said about the punc-
to its cleanest components. Take a moment to catalog
tuation mark known as the period, except that most
this valuable observation in your memory. Great writers
writers like you and me dont reach it soon enough.
arent remembered for the volume of words they were
Here are their versions, wordiness eliminated. able to dump on a page, but for the quality of stories
There is no such thing as good writingonly those words produced.
good rewriting. So make every word count. WW
EXERCISES:
Practice Eliminating Wordiness

The following exercises are designed to help 4. During the course of my writing workshops, we
you recognize where you can be more concise. do lots of exciting exercises like these.
Practice with these, then apply the lessons to
_________________________________________________
your own work.
_________________________________________________
1. Unnecessary Words _________________________________________________
Can you identify the words that are used needlessly in
this sentence? Im referring to the previous sentence,
Here are the condensed versions. Do yours look
the one you just read. How would you revise it?
similar?
Did you eliminate that are used so that the sen-
tence reads, Can you identify the needless words in 5. To write with emphasis, avoid wordy expressions.
this sentence? 6. To eliminate wordiness, imagine you are paying
$5 per word to send a message.
2. Wordiness in Sentences 7. If you dont own Nordic skis, you can rent them at
Eliminate the wordiness in the following sentences your neighborhood rec center.
(Hint: Pay close attention to the opening phrasing.): 8. During my writing workshops, we do lots of
exciting exercises like these.
1. In order to write with emphasis, avoid
wordy expressions.
3. Wordiness in Paragraphs
_________________________________________________ The following paragraph is replete with wordy expres-
sions. Can you eliminate them?
_________________________________________________
In order to make every word count, it is my belief
_________________________________________________ that you need to be aware of your habits of speech.
During the course of revising your writing, undertake
2. So as to eliminate wordiness, imagine that you a search for stock phrases that can be reduced to
are paying $5 per word to send a message. fewer words. In the final analysis, your effectiveness
will be dependent upon recognizing your own habits
_________________________________________________
of speech.
_________________________________________________ I found six:
_________________________________________________ 1. in order to should be to

2. it is my belief that should be I believe
3. In the event you dont own Nordic skis, you can 3. during the course of should be during
rent them at your neighborhood rec center. 4. undertake a search for should be search
5. in the final analysis should be finally (or delete the
_________________________________________________
phrase entirely)
_________________________________________________ 6. will be dependent upon should be will
depend on.
_________________________________________________
Excerpted from Mastering the Craft of Writing 2014 by Stephen

Wilbers, with permission from Writers Digest Books.
I 17
Light
Your Fire
Writing takes work, but we cant forget that inspiration is the fuel that keeps
the fire burning. Here are 6 reasons its important to keep your woodpile stocked
complete with tips for fanning the flames.
BY FRED D. WHITE
W
e know the common wisdom: Serious Give me a few minutes with a work of creative noniction
writers dont wait to be inspired. by, say, Diane Ackerman, and lo, Im itching to begin an
Serious writers roll up their sleeves and essay of my own. All it takes is one startlingly imaginative
get down to the business of writing, just yet information-rich passage like this, the opening lines
as they would get themselves to work at any 9-to-5 job. of An Alchemy of Mind: he Marvel and Mystery of
Being inspired smacks of amateurish, daydreamy pas- the Brain:
sivity, the notion that some supernatural presence must
Imagine the brain, that shiny mound of being, that
appear before us before the words can low. And were
mouse-gray parliament of cells, that dream factory,
reminded to death of homas Edisons overquoted words that petit tyrant inside a ball of bone, that huddle of
about invention demanding 99 percent perspiration and neurons calling all the plays, that little everywhere, that
1 percent inspiration, perhaps not realizing that without fickle pleasuredrome, that wrinkled wardrobe of selves
that primal 1 percent jolt from the gods, Edison might stuffed into the skull like too many clothes into a gym
not have been driven to sweat out the hard work or to bag. The neocortex has ridges, valleys and folds because
cope with a zillion things going wrong. the brain kept remodeling itself though space was tight.
Call me a heretic, but I champion inspirationand
Mound of being parliament of cells wrinkled
deplore the way its been maligned. I think of inspiration
wardrobe of selves such poetry in prose loods my
as desire infused with spirit and topped with an almost
mind with emotions, associations, experiences that
reckless optimism. Inspiration enables us to transcend
demand to be summoned forthas a poem about the
our limitations and accomplish things we never thought
miracle of consciousness, perhaps, or as a short story
possible. Inspiration voids our excuses for not writing
about a teenager who undergoes a life-changing experi-
and fuels our urge to keep writing. When our tasks loom
ence ater discovering the hidden potential of the human
impossible before us and threaten to keep us grounded,
brain. Inspiration turns reading into creative reading.
inspiration gives us wings.
But theres a catch. We must not wait around pas- What authors inspire you to start writing? Turn to
sively to be impregnated by some Jovian inspirational them during dry spells, and as soon as their words begin
shower of gold. his isnt just a roundabout way of rousing your own word hoard to life, reach for pen and
saying that productive hard work generates its own paper. Sometimes even typing out a passage verbatim
inspirationthough that is certainly true. Im also can get the ball rolling. Inspiration heightens our senses.
saying that most of us need a bolt or two of inspiration It matters a lot that, as writers, our sensory receptors
to get us to the daunting task of transforming thoughts be ine-tuned. Inspiration helps us do that. Consider
into words and words into stories. music: Few earthly sensations stir the soul like a beau-
Inspiration can be found virtually everywherein tiful song or symphony. To paraphrase a famous poem
books, in music, in the natural world, in meditation, in by Emily Dickinson (his World is not Conclusion),
faith, in creative play. his you already know. But its also nothing is more invisible than music, yet nothing more
important to understand why seeking inspiration from positive than sound. If you hit a dry spell, set yourself
these sources is so important to a writer. adrit upon a Bach cantata or a Strauss waltz, or envelop
yourself in the silk scarves or the sensuous vocal textures
of a Tony Bennett or an Ella Fitzgeraldbut keep a irm
1. Inspiration transforms us from
grip on your pen as you sail out to sea.
creative readers to creative writers. Its tough to generalize about the best ways to use music
Youre reading a book by one of your favorite authors, and for inspiration. For me, I need near-arctic silence when
all of a sudden the top of your head and your ingertips writing a irst drat of anything, but when Im revising
start to tingle; you grab a pen and begin scribbling away. (which accounts for two-thirds of my writing time), music
I 19
also are very leeting. Airport terminals, cruise ships,

3 EXERCISES FOR
TRY THIS: shopping malls, beaches, carnivals, restaurants and
TAPPING INSPIRATION lounges, weddings and parties are great places for writers
who are hungry for story ideas. hen, on a day when you
1. Let people be your prompts. The next time you
simply dont feel inspired to write a single word, you can
and a friend or spouse are out dining or waiting
follow the example of Joan Didion, as she describes in
to board a plane, work up an imaginary profile of
her essay On Keeping a Notebook:
two or three of the persons nearby (being careful,
of course, not to stare), based on their clothing, When the world seems drained of wonder when I
mannerisms or bits of conversation you overhear. am only going through the motions of doing what I am
What are their livelihoods, favorite activities, fears, supposed to do, which is write I will simply open my
obsessions? Imagine them engaged in a crisis. notebook and there it will all be, a forgotten account
with accumulated interest dialogue overheard in
2. What inspires you to write? Keep a running list of hotels and elevators and at the hat-check counter in
anything that propels you to put words on paper Pavilion (one middle-aged man shows his hat check to
whether in the form of a letter, a journal entry, the another and says, Thats my old football number).
opening lines of a poem or short story. From time
It all comes back, Didion repeats in that essay. What
to time, choose one of these jottings and build on
could be more inspirational than opening your notebook
it until you have a complete draft.
to a bit of overheard conversation written years ago and
3. Play a favorite piece of music and write down any- seeing a complete story lash before your eyes?
thing that comes to mind. Dont pause to find the
right word or to make your sentences perfect; just 3. Inspiration improves our
let the music work its magic on your imagination. capacity for appreciating nature.
he great outdoors is inspiration in waiting. Trees,
eases me through the verbal acrobatics. he music cant mountains, butterlies, hawks circling high overhead,
call too much attention to itself, though; nor should it be sunrises and sunsets, wind rustling the leaves at night
sappy background music of the elevator variety. German or howling across vast open spacesall have the capac-
Baroque composers had a word for it: Tafelmusikliterally, ity to heighten our awareness and ill us with the desire
music for the table, for dining. Such music has a way of to write. But we must irst allow ourselves to be inspired
adding emotional ballast to our thoughts. A close analogy by nature. Urbanites that most of us are obliged to
would be the musical score of a motion picture. be, we drink in too little of the natural worldwhich
is a shame, because nature replenishes us in so many
2. Inspiration develops our ways. Hiking in Muir Woods, I feel both humbled and
understanding of human nature. enlarged by the majestic redwoodshumbled enough
to allow my ego to be displaced by natures grand design,
To be inspired by people is to be continually rewarded
enlarged enough to try and capture the sublime feelings
with story ideas. People are walking, talking stories.
in words. I think of horeau, who turned to the wild for
Everyone we encounter has the potential for contributing
self-discovery. When I would recreate myself, he writes
to our understanding of human natureif we allow our-
selves to be inspired by human nature in all its diversity. in Walking, one of his most memorable essays, I seek
Why is that old man clutching his briefcase to his chest? the darkest wood, the thickest and most interminable
What mini-dramas are unfolding behind the tattered swamp. I enter a swamp as a sacred place. A swamp as a
curtains of those tenement windows? What events have sacred place? Yes, because, as with mountains and forests,
led to that woman in the lounge dabbing her mascara- swamps represent raw, uncultivated natureas well as a
smeared eyes with a cocktail napkin? he spectrum of place to which we are biologically rooted.
human behavior, the eccentricities and foibles and enig-
mas, continually inspires writers. his is why you always 4. Inspiration helps us
should carry a notebook; those little jolts of inspiration achieve mental discipline.
hink of meditation as a kind of internal pilgrimage. Not towers is to recognize the triumph of human goodness over
just for New Age spiritualists, meditation can be both a human evil. Such acts of courage and altruism reinforce
practical and an emotionally fulilling means of redis- our faith in humanitya powerful incentive for wielding
covering our deepest needs, of replenishing our psychic the pen instead of the sword.
energy, of regaining perspective on short- and long-term And faith can infuse our work with authenticity that
goals. In this age of distractions, it isnt always easy to speaks powerfully to our readers.
get into a meditative state, but a dose of inspiration can
serve as a catalyst. Anticipation is the keyanticipating 6. Inspiration reinforces our
the peacefulness as well as the heightened mental dis- commitment to writing.
cipline a meditative state can provide. How many times
have we given up on a piece of writing because we Writing, like faith, also generates its own inspiration.
lacked the patience to work out the necessary elements? Why is that? Well, a big part of what it means to be
Meditation enables us to draw from our own inner human is to discover things, not just through methodi-
resources in order to be more productive writers. cal inquiry, but through creative playspontaneous
Follow these steps: First, ind a quiet and comfortable free associating or painting, for example; or seren-
place. Second, decide upon a speciic purpose for your dipitous reading, like wandering down a library aisle,
meditationnothing too demanding. For example, if pulling out a book at random, and connecting what-
youre stalled on a short story, you might put yourself in ever you chance upon to your work-in-progress. One
the mind of your protagonist; observe the world through of my favorite prompts in my book he Daily Writer is
her eyes. What do you see and feel? Be patient; breathe to engage in a bit of surrealistic free association: List a
deeply and open your mind to the voices within. Finally, dozen or so objects that lash into your mind, and then
resolve to return to your writing task, concentrating only write a poem or story in which some or all of them are
on tackling that one problem. connected in some meaningful way. Why not give it
a try?
5. Inspiration intensifies our We read to discover new knowledge, to vicariously
experience life as others live it. Writing ofers us similar
spiritual connection to our craft.
experiences: We write to discover that we have more
We partake of the spiritual whenever we engage in any to say about a topic than we irst realized; we write to
sort of creative activity. his is the way of all artists. experience the satisfaction of staging human dramas
Creative inspiration shares much in common with divine that can stir the emotions of our readers. Once weve
inspiration; just think of the many poetsGeorge Herbert, set out upon that yellow brick road of discovery and
John Donne, William Blakewho drew from their faith to vicarious experience, inspiration compounds with
create their art. It was Blake, ater all, who saw a world in every step. Or at least it should. If you are writing
a grain of sand, eternity in an hour. Inspiration and faith without zest, without gusto, without love, without fun,
are two sides of the same motivational coin. Inspiration, Ray Bradbury asserts in Zen in the Art of Writing, you
we might say, is faith shited into high gear. are only half a writer.
I use the word faith to include not just a particular Inspiration matters because it prods us to traverse
religious credo but a transcendent, heightened spiritual the full spectrum of human experience. An important
feeling that can come to us from everyday things: a light of part of what it means to be a writer is to become so
birds across a darkening sky; the glint of sunlight through turned on to the business of being alive, to be so com-
stained glass; a squirrels tracks through freshly fallen snow. pletely inspired by life, that you will harvest ideas for
We feel a surge of faith when we witness the birth of a child, writing everywherefrom books, from people, from
when we read about an act of heroism, when we contribute music and other art forms, from the natural world, and
time or money to a charity. I am writing these words on most of all from your own inner resources. WW
September 11, a day that has been oicially designated
a National Day of Service and Remembrance. To think of
the 343 ireighters and paramedics who gave their lives to Fred D. White is professor of English emeritus at Santa Clara
save hundreds of others from the inferno of the stricken University and is the author of several books on writing.
I 21
JOURNALING,
Unboxed
A daily writing habit doesnt have to follow the rulesand a little
open-ended creativity can be just what your writing needs.
BY HEATHER SELLERS
I
hate the phrase keeping a journal. I like a loose I never worry about inishing or illing a journal. I
journal, not a kept one. A kept journal can be buy em, blank, all the time. No order or plan or program.
a cumbersome appendage. Dragging this half- Keeping sounds restrictive to me, and orderly. I dont
empty book around, many of its pages undoubtedly like anything kept, reallywomen have been kept, pets
scribbled with drivel, looks like homework. It smells are kept, houses are kept, the soul beat right out of them.
of pretense. he word kept doesnt make me want to sit down and
But I dont know a single working writer who doesnt pour words on paper. It makes me want to hide, like I
feel compelled to lug around a notebook, or pop pieces did from my mom when it was time to sweep the patio.
of paper into a pocket or glove box. he fact remains that Journal keeping sounds like something youd have
writers shouldnt ever be more than two feet away from to do if your job was to watch how many sips of water
a piece of paper and a pencil. So Id like to present an tiny mice took in thousands of cages under heat lamps
alternative way of looking at the journalone that will or something.
enable all of us to incorporate the unheralded pleasure of Keeping your journal, are ya?
note-taking into our writing lives. Yupper, its up to date.
Sounds like a lot of fun.
The Unkept Journal My journals are lost, unleashed, splashed upon the
world. hey dont make sense. I dont write in them
My journal is full of spare words, extra bits of this and that. regularly. I dont even know where they are half the time.
Loose change. My journal is promiscuous, easygoing, easy Sometimes I date the entries.
to please, fun to have around. Most of the time they arent entries, though.
I dont keep my journal. I let it go. I dont worry I will go for weeks without writing in a journal.
about writing in it every day. I dont read it over, go back Now, ask yourself: How much more likely would you
through it, stay in the lines or set up any rules at all. be to write in a journal if you didnt have to keep it?
EXERCISES: KICK-START THE JOURNALING HABIT
Start small. Play with titles for new projects.

Buy a large journal and keep it by your bed. You even Write down titlesthe first ones that pop into your
can use a spiral-bound notebook, for which you should mindfor the following books by you:
pay no more than 99 cents. When you cant sleep, A poem about your worst winter
when youre cranky and giving yourself a timeout (it A childrens book about two dogs
isnt just for kids), when youre stuck in your writing life A memoir about your mother
or when you just feel like writing, get the journal out A biography about you in your midlife
and get the words down. Tomorrow when you wake up, A novel set in your hometown
dont get out of bed until youve written one sentence. A book of your collected wisdom
Just one. Thats all. A historical novel based on a little-known relative
A young adult novel about forbidden love
Journal from your heart.
A science-ction tale set in the 1800s
Write down anything you can think of that people
A mystery novel with a surprising child detective at
have told you would make a great book or story: your
its center.
childhood in the Philippines, your relationship with
your autistic sister, your ability to throw fantastic Praise your future book.
childrens birthday parties anything. If you want to write a book, take 15 minutesno more
Now, take the first item on the list and write: than thatto write a description of that book. If youre
Do I really want to write about __________________? stuck, read a few jacket-flap paragraphs on books you
Expand on your answer, right there on the pages of have at home or on the backs of paperbacks in the
your journal. Why dont or do you? Be honest. What library. Dont overthink this; just write down the brilliant
do you want to write? What would you want to write if evocative praise your book will receive. You might start
no one was expecting anything from you? What would with the following:
you want to write if you werent worried about it being
marketable or publishable material? Rich, strange and alive with the miracles of daily life,
Just write, for 10 minutes or so, and ask yourself this novel is a banquet for the soul.
these questions. Be gentle and polite with yourself. OR:
You might think you can do these exercises in your (Title of your novel here) is hilarious and at the
head and get the same results, but trust me, you cant. same time desperately sad, full of wit and poetry
Work them out in writing. and exquisitely observed perceptions of the
Then, choose only the subjects that really call to human condition.
you to explore further on fresh pages of your journal. OR:
Designate this as a place where you will write only A lighthearted romp through
from your heart.
Acknowledge your influences.
Identify your dream projects. As a writer, you arent ever aloneeven though it sure
Take ten minutes in your journal: Interview yourself, might feel like it sometimes. In a 15-minute writing ses-
asking yourself the same questions youd ask a famous sion, write down all the voices that are present in that
writer if you got the chance. Pretend you are very pro- sessionbooks you can conjure up, teachers whose
lific, very adored and very famous, in the high-middle advice lingers in your head, writers in your community
of your very fabulous career. What is your next book (no matter how famous or unknown, accessible or off-
going to be about? What projects must you get to limits), books on your shelves.
before you die? What themes have developed in your Is your secret inner writing space noisy and full
work over the decades? Write your answer to each of writing energy? Is it calm and peaceful? Write it
question. Dont hold back. all down.
I 23
The Wisely Used Journal need to look up, addresses and phone numbers of shops,
people, grocery stores I want to visit more oten. I tape
A journal is meant to be something you have with you in fortune cookie fortunes. Sometimes I draw, list scenes
when you are not at home, when you are bored, or for a novel. I write mad letters I never mail anywhere. I
grumpy, or staring of into space. his is when you write write down how my day is or isnt going.
in your journal. On a trip, you write down what people When Im bored at a church service or poetry reading,
are saying in the airplane seats behind you. You sketch I jot, muse, dash, scribble.
the banana trees outside your hotel. You listen to your Your journal should never be a chore. Your journal
grandmas recipes for cornbread and grits, and you write has to be like wine or friendship or dessert or telephone
them down, plus a description of her skin, her earrings, conversationsfree-form, light, engaged, enriching,
the wonderful way her hair wisps around in a circle. All pleasant, attached.
good uses of a journal.
Your journal can be as complicated or simple, ugly
Notes when you are reading. Writing exercises you
or beautiful, playful or hardworking, as you want. he
want to try. hings you want to look up. Book titles you
important thing is just to have a journal.
want to pursue. Cool quotes. All good for a journal.
When you start journaling regularly, a funny thing
My journal is like a spider web; I catch stuf I can
happens. When youre grocery shopping or coaching
use later in it. Lots of detritus of the day, too, gets stuck
Little League or helping your mom with her plants, ideas
in the web. It contains lists, snippets of conversations,
come to you. You suddenly ind yourself recording
descriptions, funny things kids say, words I like, words I
things you want to feed into the next days writing ses-
sion. When you ignore those lashes long enough, when
QUICK TIP: you dont write them down, they stop coming. But when
OPEN YOUR MIND TO WRITING you get in the habit of writing them down, you ind that
more comeand that youre nurturing your develop-
You want to cultivate a clear blank mind that is open,
ment as a writer.
vulnerable and plainempty, basically, of thought.
This is a writing mind. When you are empty, you are
better able to focus.
The Prompted Journal
The very act of actually noticing when you have If youre still not sold on the idea of writing in a journal
a writing mind during the day will help you cultivate perhaps you arent the type to just scribble ink all over
your writing life. such clean white pagesyou might try another trick,
Youll be able to recognize and expand those one that works well for me. Place a journal, along with
flashes of time conducive to working. Youll notice a few books of writing exercises, on your nightstand.
that you are more loving, more creative, more Whenever you cant sleep or ind yourself reluctant to
thoughtful, whenever you are in this calm blank state. get up on a lazy weekend morning, lip open one of the
You are simply being in the present. books of prompts. hink of these exercises as recipes
A thousand distractions are sure to come your for writing, and use these books like cookbooks: Start
way during any given writing session. But you learn, by paging through casually, stopping to read whatever
by noticing what this quiet state of mind is, to stretch catches your eye. Maybe I could do that one, youll ind
it out, make it last longer. Youll move toward it with yourself thinking. Crook or lag the page, and move on.
practice, because it feels so good. Try the following
Keep reading through the book, planning feasts of words
steps to help develop your writing mind.
in your mind, until you cant not write. hen, do.
1. Do exercises for writers instead of just reading
Journals, no matter how you deine them, keep you
them and thinking, Sure, sure. Ill do those
going. hey fertilize your writing practiceand, with some
later when I have more time.
sunshine and fresh air, your writing will grow. WW
2. Stop talking about your writing, how hard it is,
why youre so busy and what youre dreaming of
writing. Instead, spend that time writing. All of it. Excerpted from Page After Page 2004 by Heather Sellers, with
permission from Writers Digest Books.
Worth a
Thousand
Words
When struggling to picture your story, sometimes the inspiration you need is visual.
BY DONNA BAIER STEIN
stride, the horses ears pointed toward a gray farm-
A
few years ago, I felt the need for a shit in my
writing. I was tired of composing stories that house to the east, and to the left of that, low stalls
had their seeds in incidents from my own and three spreading cherry trees blooming pink. On
life. hough I hadnt penned strictly autobio- the side of the house, a single dark window opened
graphical iction, suice it to say Id exhausted the pipeline like an unseeing eye. Within, someone dreamed.
of personal experience. In desperate need of inspiration, I
Over the next weeks I imagined more about the boys
found it in an unlikely source: my oice wall.
One aternoon, my gaze happened to linger upon a and the woman dreaming in the farmhouse. I researched
signed lithograph mounted above my desk. he print, what it might have been like to live in the Midwest in the
titled Spring Tryout, is by homas Hart Bentonone of 1940s. And in the process, I discovered that the world of
the most admired U.S. painters and muralists at the fore- visual art is full of story ideas ripe for picking.
front of the Regionalist art movement (as well as a teacher
and mentor to Jackson Pollock)and depicts two boys: Art History
one riding a galloping horse across a ield, and another he literary term for describing in words what you see
who has just fallen of. In the distance stands a gray farm- in a picture is ekphrasis. he practice can be traced back
house with a single dark window on its second loor.
to Plato and Aristotle, through the Renaissance and the
I opened my laptop and started describing what I saw:
works of the Romantic poets, all the way into literature
The boy rode a dark horse across a field of yellow-star of the 19th century. Typically, the word ekphrastic is
grass and olive-green shadows. A slip of a stream, applied to poetry. Consider Keats Ode on a Grecian
logs so recently cut their ends were white and circled Urn, Homers vivid descriptions in he Iliad, or W.H.
with clear, brown ringsthe stumps of broken Audens retelling of Homers story in his own poem he
branches protruding from their sides. Its head down in Shield of Achilles.
I 25
But iction writers, too, can derive inspiration from modern-day owners of an imaginary Vermeer painting.
physical works of art. Herman Melville uses ekphrasis in he tales span centuries, reaching further and
Moby-Dick when he purposefully describes a painting further back in time, right up to the moment of the
hanging on the wall of the Spouter-Inn: paintings inception.
In the novella A Catalogue of the Exhibition, Steven
But what most puzzled and confounded you was a
Millhauser chronicles the ictional opus of a made-up,
long, limber, portentous, black mass of something
forgotten American master. He then has the storys pro-
hovering in the centre of the picture over three blue,
tagonist describe the diferent paintings in vivid detail.
dim, perpendicular lines floating in a nameless yeast.
A boggy, soggy, squitchy picture truly, enough to
drive a nervous man distracted. Yet was there a sort
Art Appreciation
of indefinite, half-attained, unimaginable sublimity Whatever medium you choosefrom painting to sculp-
about it that fairly froze you to it, till you involuntarily ture, pottery to pencil illustrationsart can trigger a
took an oath with yourself to find out what that mar- story inside of you. Here are some ideas for inding your
vellous painting meant. own ekphrastic story starter:
Taking the practice a step further, visual images can Wander through a museum
become actual prompts for an entire story or novel. Browse an art collection online
Visit a local gallery
Check out a book of art history from the library
View a collection of poster prints online or in a store.
Whatever medium you
he old aphorism a picture is worth a thousand
choosefrom painting to words is most oten attributed to Arthur Brisbane, a
sculpture, pottery to pencil famous newspaperman. In 1911, Brisbane urged mem-
bers of the Syracuse Advertising Mens Club, Use a
illustrationsart can trigger a picture. Its worth a thousand words. He believed in
story inside of you. catching a readers attention fast and forcefully. Dont
waste your time fumbling for words, he was saying, when
an image can get the job done better. Inadvertently,
perhaps, Brisbane was setting up pictures and words as
opposing forces. Ekphrastic iction reunites the two, as a
Modern Art
picture can actually produce a thousand words.
You may be familiar with the movie Girl With a Pearl In my case, I found Bentons artwork to be illed
Earring or the novel its based uponthe origins of with stories begging to be told. In that irst short story
which are in oil on canvas. Author Tracy Chevalier wrote I described, I conceived lives for the horse-riding boys
about the 17th-century painting of a beautiful girl by Benton had once decided to paint. I gave them a mother
Dutch artist Johannes Vermeer. In her youth, Chevalier who was in an unhappy marriage, a father with anger
had bought a poster of the portrait, which found a issues, and neighbors whod known the boys mother
place on the wall everywhere she lived. Intrigued by the when she was a young, romantic girl.
expression on the subjects face, she imagined a young Next time youre ready to begin a new story, try
woman illed with conlicting emotions directed toward seeking out a piece of art that speaks to you. Imagine
the painter. he resulting novel takes place in Vermeers the lives of the people portrayed. As Henry David
home, and centers on the troubles that ensue when a new horeau once said, his world is but a canvas for our
servant girl is hired, becomes intimate with the painter, imagination. WW
and eventually sits for him as a model.
Novelist Susan Vreeland takes a diferent ekphrastic
Donna Baier Stein is the author of Iowa Fiction Award Finalist
approach in her book Girl in Hyacinth Blue. he Sympathetic People and PEN/New England Discovery Award
collection contains eight short stories starting with the winner The Silver Barons Wife.
Story
Starters
How do you springboard from idea to finished manuscript?
Let these exercises, insights and tips be your guide.
COMPILED BY TYLER MOSS
E
very book youve ever readincluding the mind toward unexpected leaps and unanticipated con-
that one that felt so real, you were surprised nections. And for those of us stealing time to write (which
when you closed it to ind you were sitting is most of us), the implication is heartening: Your progress
on your couch, your stomach rumbling with doesnt begin the moment you sit down in front of the
hungerbegan in the same simple way: with a leeting computer, boring down on the blank screen, trying to
thought or image that caught the writers attention, come up with something. here are story ideas all around
held it for a moment, and led him to begin asking, usideas rich enough to sustain a lifetime of writing
What if ? if were willing to pay close attention to those things we
A storys creation begins not in a moment of work but a glimpse out of the corner of our eye, as John Updike once
moment of play, with an intriguing idea or image nudging put it, and then let our imaginations linger.
I 27
Pinpoint Ideas With Staying Power

Exercise: Try Unlikely Pairings
A
sustainable novel idea is one in which all other
elements of story seem contained within itor
are at least suggested by itand build logically Choose an attribute from Column A and pair it with a
one upon the other. his is how the mental process character type from Column B. What does the combination
works when we encounter these glimpses or early sparks suggest to you about character and conlict? What about
of stories and begin our purposeful daydreaming: he plot, voice, tone, approach, possible scenes and images?
single image leads us to a reaction or thought, which A B
suggests the next idea or thought, which suggests the talentless surgeon
next. Soon were at an idea six or seven steps removed
from the irst but directly related to it in a clear progres- suicidal nun
sion we can trace back. kindhearted circus clown

If this all sounds a bit mysterious, theres a reason neurotic suicide hotline volunteer
for that: It is. he creative leaps the subconscious mind
unfulfilled celebrity impersonator
makes in those moments of daydreaming are worth a
thousand sessions of sitting down to consciously dredge scheming department store Santa
for ideas. Neverthelessand this is the important thing racist sports mascot
these creative leaps arent random or unpredictable;
vain supermodel
the fact that we can trace our steps back to that irst
spark shows that the steps are incremental, that theres a depressed hit man
method and logic. self-conscious relationship counselor
jealous serial killer
Excerpted from Writing Your Novel From Start to Finish 2015 by Joseph Bates, with permission from WD Books.
Make Yourself a Map
O
ne useful brainstorming technique is to map
out ideas. Idea mapping (sometimes referred to
as clustering) is a kind of nonlinear outlining
whereby subordinate ideas radiate in all directions from
ingredients how first made
main ideas, like spokes from the hub of a wagon wheel
as in the illustration at right.
his adds a visual dimension to the abstract process
of brainstorming. An idea spoke demonstrates the
connectionindeed, a physical connectionbetween
history
of modern-day
the main idea and its ofshoot. first
manufacturing
Idea mapping brings idea abstraction into the sensory
known use bubble techniques
limelight. It isnt that abstractions should be avoided, but
gum
that translating them visually makes them easier to work
with, and more fun, too.
Try creating an idea map of your own for your next stories, lore regarding varieties of
writing project. Begin by placing the topic in the center, bubble gum bubble gum
and free-associate to generate subordinate ideas.
Excerpted from The Daily Writer 2008 by Fred White, with permission from WD Books.
Find Your Own Starting Points
Reading
I
ts true that story ideas will come to you if you learn
to pay attention and to recognize those moments At the risk of sounding obvious, good writers are irst and
when your mind has begun to creatively wander. But foremost good readers. I realize that in our rushed lives
there are also other ways, and other places, you might it can sometimes be diicult to slow down, sit down, and
look for inspiration when you need a boost to jump-start enjoy a good book, especially with the prevalence of ilm
the process. and television. he problem is that a novel is neither a ilm
nor a show, and the rewarding relationship that comes
Titles through engagement of prose narrative, wherein a reader
Sometimes inspiration for a book begins with a title that is both led through and co-creates the ictional world,
starts the process of purposeful daydreaming. he likely cant be replicated by ilm. For the novelist, there can be
reason for this is that good titles are oten diicult to come nothing more instructive or inspiring to your work than
up with (for supporting evidence, do a quick Internet reading a book from an author who does it right, and pay-
search for the half-dozen titles F. Scott Fitzgerald consid- ing close attention to how the trick is being pulled of.
ered for he Great Gatsby, which included such stinkers as
Gold-Hatted Gatsby)so when a really good title comes
along, it can suggest possibilities for a full world and story
A storys creation begins
immediately. Keep a page in your notebook just for title not in a moment of work
ideas that show themselves to you. You dont need to know
automatically what story might come from it (though you
but a moment of play, with
might); it needs only to intrigue you enough to want to an intriguing idea or image
explore what story might be present within it.
nudging the mind toward
Headlines unexpected leaps and
A well-written headline contains enough possibility to unanticipated connections.
get our imaginations churning (and by design, as head-
line writers want us to be intrigued enough to read
the story that follows). For the iction writer, Id advise
this: When a headline piques your interest and makes
Other Art
Finding beautiful art that speaks to youno matter what
you want to know what happened, dont read the piece.
kindcan tweak your artists brain and open you up for
Dream up your own.
creative thinking. his isnt about anything more involved
than simply reminding ourselves of that euphoric, elevated
Combining Ideas and Genres state we enter when we come across art thats so good it
Maybe you have a novel idea that can essentially be leaves us mystiied. So if you ever ind yourself beret of
summed up as a coming-of-age story about a girl enter- inspiration, watch a classic ilm youve never seen. Spend
ing puberty who is not handling it well at school or an aternoon at an art show. Put on that old favorite album
home but perhaps the story seems a little cliche, with you havent heard in a while, turn down the lights, and
not much happening that the reader has not seen before. really listen (rather than having it on as background noise
Additionally, you have this other idea about a character while you run errands or try to get chores done). Youll
who can move things with her mind, a horror storybut likely ind a few ilms, albums or artists who particularly
you dont have an actual plot to go with it. What if you strike you and become your go-tos for new inspiration.
combined these? Your two kind-of-interesting ideas can
be fused together to form one excellent idea that you Excerpted from Writing Your Novel From Start to Finish 2015 by
could call Stephen Kings Carrie. Joseph Bates, with permission from WD Books.
I 29
Reveal Humble Origins
M
ost stories can be boiled down to a core ideaa cornerstone upon which the rest of the narrative is con-
structed. hats not to say that such works are basic or lack complexity (they arent and they dont), but simply
that classics and bestsellers alike can be distilled to a fundamental premise. Which makes the act of creating
a tome of your own seem less intimidating. See whether you can match the following works on the let to their one-sentence
summaries on the right. If you can boil your own inspiration down to a simple one-liner, you may be onto something.
1. Lolita A. Angsty teen cant get over brothers death
2. 50 Shades of Grey B. Orphan receives a fortune from a mysterious benefactor
3. The Revenant C. Astronaut stranded alone on a distant planet must find ways to survive
4. Romeo and Juliet D. In the 60s, a white writer interviews African-American maids in the South
5. Great Expectations E. Mad scientist determined to play God cannot control his creature
6. The Leftovers F. Young lovers from feuding families carry on a clandestine relationship
7. Frankenstein G. Professor marries a widow to be close to her attractive daughter
8. The Help H. Fur trapper mauled by a bear seeks revenge on those who left him for dead
9. The Catcher in I. When 2 percent of the worlds population suddenly disappears, those who remain must
the Rye deal with their absence
10. The Martian J. College students life is turned upside down when she meets a handsome, kinky millionaire
ANSWER KEY: 1. G, 2. J, 3. H, 4. F, 5. B, 6. I, 7. E, 8. D, 9. A, 10. C
Listen Carefully
H
ave you ever overheard a snippet of dialogue I never thought Id
that not only sounded as if it belonged to a say this, but thank God Were paying
great character, but sparked the idea for a I was running late. such high pre-
whole story of its own? Eavesdropping can yield great miums in case
story starters. WW someone gets
What do you I was expect- sick, someone
Hes past his prime mean, you dont ing something might as well
now, but in his heyday have your ID? different. be sick.
That was the
he put on a hell of
only time I truly
a show.
feared for my life.
Then we kissed,
I wont ever forgive
and I never saw
myself for the mistake
After that, I real- her again. Ive tried everything
I made that day.
ized rules were meant I can think of to talk
to be broken. her out of it. WW
Nonfiction
Techniques
Nail the art of nonfiction with these tips and exercises for strong
articles, essays, and memoirs as your guide.
We are all apprentices in a craft where no one ever

becomes a master.ERNEST HEMINGWAY
I 31
NON F ICTION TECHNI Q U E S
Teach the
Children Well The market for childrens nonfiction is booming.

Heres what you need to know to tap into this lucrative niche.
BY TRACEY BAPTISTE
T
hanks to expanding educational standards MYTH: Itsnot creative writing.
that tout the importance of well-written, var- TRUTH: All writing is creative. Five people at a cocktail
ied noniction for kids, there has never been a party are going to describe that party ive diferent ways.
better time to be a noniction childrens book he details may be the same, but the voice and perspective
writer. Ever since Common Core was unleashed on the will be unique to each one. When thinking about any
world of education in 2010, publishers have been working story you want to tell, ask yourself: Whats the angle that
to increase their noniction lists and make them more interests me most? How can I put my unique spin on this
marketable to schools. Its true that there arent any story while staying true to the facts?
book-to-movie deals for things like How to Care for Your Now that we have those out of the way, heres an
Goldendoodle, but noniction childrens writers oten overview of what it takes to succeed writing childrens non-
rack up salesand titlesby producing a steady stream ictionand what opportunities might be right for you.
of books.
As both an author and an editor for a successful chil- Understanding the Markets
drens noniction publisher, Id like to start by dispelling
some myths I come across way too oten. If youve been inside a classroom, a library and a book-
store, youve seen all three kinds of books produced
MYTH: All the good topics have already been covered. by the noniction childrens market: textbooks, library
TRUTH: Particularly in the areas of historically signiicant bindings, and trade hardcover and paperback.
women (especially in science and technology), people
of color, and other cultures, youll ind plenty of new The Education Market
ground to cover. And even with evergreen or well- his market, perhaps the least open to writers who
trodden topics, a fresh angle is always welcome. dont have backgrounds working in education, sells
guidelines to write both age-appropriate text and cor-
WRITING YOUR PROPOSAL responding assessment questions.
Educational editors are always looking for book
A trade childrens nonction book or series often
begins with a proposal. These proposals give the
topics that feature a balance between the sexes and show-
acquiring editor a sense of what hell get from the
case diferent ethnicities. Educational publishers oten
complete manuscript. Your proposal should include: provide lists of topics they dont want to acquire and call
upon writers to pitch new ideas.
A title page with the name of the book and your
contact information
The Institutional Market
A one-page summary stating the premise of the
he institutional market, also known as the school and
book and describing its contents
library market, sells mainly to schools and city libraries.
A detailed outline that explains, chapter by
hese publishers, including ABDO Publishing Company,
chapter, what will be included (both text and
proposed charts or images)
Chelsea House, Lucent Books, ReferencePoint Press and
A market analysis that explains why this book Rosen Publishing, produce books that students use to
will sell, what other books on the market are like do research on evergreen topics (the America at War
it, how well those similar books have fared with series [Rosen], for instance). Other books cover cultural
readers, and any other statistics that prove your or popular-interest titles (A Cultural History of Body
book will be a good buy Piercing [ReferencePoint], Selena Gomez [Lucent]).
An author bio that touts your expertise in the Some delve into diicult but necessary guidance topics
subject and explains what kind of platform you (Sexual Abuse [Rosen]).
have for reaching the books potential readers Editors in this market are looking for writers who can
(via a blog, a speaking tour, a membership in a stick to deadlines while demonstrating a high level
group interested in the topic of the book, profes- of writing and research skill and an ability to use age-
sional afliations, etc.) appropriate language. Typically, writers dont come up
Specs: your estimated nal word count, estimated with the book ideas. Editors commission writers for a
date of completion, and any details about speciic title or series, and writers research and write in
formatting that might deviate from a normal accordance with provided guidelines.
manuscript (such as a chart large enough to
require a foldout page) The Trade Market
A table of contents and at least two polished
his market is perhaps the most familiar. Trade publishers
sample chapters (one of which should be the rst
range from the Big Five to smaller yet well-established
chapter) that convey your unique voice.
houses such as Scholastic and Lee & Low. Within each of
NOTE: You should have completed or nearly com- these companies are imprints that focus on speciic types
pleted your research before you write a proposal. of books.
If an agent or editor takes on the book, signicant Trade editors seek fresh topics or incredibly original
changes in your manuscript due to new research takes on evergreen subjects (for example, Imprisoned:
could sour the deal. he Betrayal of Japanese Americans During World War
II by Martin W. Sandler [Bloomsbury Books]) and
can take on more controversial topics (hey Called
textbooks directly to schools and school districts. hemselves the KKK: he Birth of an American Terrorist
Larger companies such as Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Group by Susan Campbell Bartoletti [Houghton Mifflin
McGraw-Hill, Pearson and Scholastic cover a full range Harcourt]). In addition to writing and research skills, an
of grades and subject areas, while smaller outits such engaging and singular voice is important to bring to the
as Bedford/St. Martins and W.H. Freeman & Company table. Many publishers also prefer to work with writers
focus on speciic subjects. Most writers in this market who have subject-matter expertise and, thus, a platform
are current or former teachers who can follow complex from which to help promote their books.
I 33
Breaking In to be added to an educational packagers stable of writers.

he best writing samples come from published work that
Breaking in to each of these markets has its own set of shows your ability to write for kids, but if you dont yet
rulesand rewards. Writers with educational expertise have that kind of experience, simply choose something
may be best suited for the project-based work of the edu- that you think otherwise illustrates your abilities. Even
cation market. hose with excellent research skills who without published clips, educational experience or
prefer more autonomy, a longer lead time on projects, overall writing talent can work in your favor.) hen
and potentially steady work may ind the institutional wait for an assignment. Work can be sporadic at irst,
market lucrative. And while trade is more diicult to but it is possible to build up a clientele and do steady
crack than the other two, the earnings are far better, and work for several packagers if you are reliable and deliver
its more prestigious. consistently good work.
INSTITUTIONAL: he institutional market has a
more direct relationship between author and editor.
The best writing samples Commissioning editors usually have several books that
need to be written each season (there are two publishing
come from published work seasons a year, usually Winter and Summer), for which
that shows your ability to write they will seek out and hire authors. Once writers are
commissioned for a project, they sign a contract and are
for kids, but if you dont yet given guidelines and a delivery schedule for an outline (a
have that kind of experience, chapter-by-chapter description of what they will include
in the book) and the inal manuscript. Authors are usu-
simply choose something that ally then let on their own to write, and are responsible
you think otherwise illustrates for delivering a fact-checked and properly formatted
manuscripton schedule. Editors may return a manu-
your abilities. script for anything from formatting issues to research
queries to complete rewrites if editorial guidelines were
not followed. Authors who are reliable and meticulous
EDUCATIONAL: Freelance writers for the educational
can build a good relationship with an editor and may be
market work on projects that span from a couple rehired season ater season.
of weeks to several months. Most writers are hired Pay depends on book length. Shorter, elementary-
through educational packagers, which manage level books may pay mere hundreds, while longer books
stables of freelance writers and employ editors to for middle- and high-school students can bring in a few
iron out the edges before sending work on to the thousand. he copyright belongs to the publishing com-
commissioning publisher. pany, which means the author gives up her rights to the
In addition to adhering to guidelines, these freelance work. Authors do usually get credit on the covers of the
writers oten are required to use programs that identify books, however, and are welcome to promote them as
the reading level for each piece of work submitted, to their own.
send and receive iles via an FTP site, and to work within Breaking in is similar to the education market. Send
very tight deadlines (though in general, the tighter the a resume and writing samples requesting a spot in a
deadline, the better the pay). Writers may be required to publishers stable of writers. (For this market, writing
revise or rewrite unacceptable work. Pay varies widely samples are a must, and published writing is besteven
from project to project, and is dependent upon the writers if it comes from a magazine or newspaper article for a
skill and expertise. Writers are not credited for their diferent audience.) If they like what they see of your
work. It becomes the property of the publisher when the writing samples, you may get a chance to write a book.
work is accepted and paid for. But beware: Work that does not meet an editors stan-
Becoming one of those writers is much like applying dards could ruin your chances for a second book with
for a job. Send a resume and writing sample requesting anyone in the company. Editors talk.
TRADE: he trade market is a diferent entity. For one WATCH THE NEWS. New technology, discoveries, solutions
thing, some publishers will not accept unagented work, and innovative people are making headlines every day.
though many do take submissions directly from writers.
DO CATEGORY RESEARCH. he books in the childrens non-
Because the writers, not the editors, are generating the
iction section of your local bookstore or library will give
book (and series) ideas here, some acquiring editors
you an idea of whats already out there and may suggest
require a full manuscript in advance, while most want
topics that are missing.
a proposal (see sidebar on opposite page). hings like
comp titles, market demand and author platform weigh TARGET SUBMISSIONS. Check publishers online catalogs
into acquisition decisions. (both new releases and backlists) that show what kinds
Once a book is accepted, publication usually takes of books theyre publishingand what else might be a
longer than in educational or institutional markets, good it.
with books coming out up to two years ater the con- Finding ideas is just one part of the job. Another is
tract is signed. Trade noniction authors and editors iguring out what is age appropriate. Fortunately, state
work together more closely and may go through educational standards identify what kids should be
several rounds of editing, rewriting, researching and learning at every grade level. Your political systems of
copy editing. Authors are also responsible for creating the world idea may be a poor topic for kindergarten,
specs for any images or graphics the book needs. (Specs but a great one for 10th grade. Visit state department
detail how to create any line art or diagrams, or specify of education sites and consult their Social Studies and
a particular image needed to illustrate the text. Authors Science standards.
then review and approve images selected for the book.) Of course, some topics can work well for multiple age
And inally, ater publication, authors will likely be groups depending on your approach. War is a diicult
expected to do book promotionattending signing topic for very young readers, but Eve Bunting took it on
or speaking events, making school appearances, and in her picture book he Blue and the Gray.
otherwise engaging with readers online and in person. Its imperative that childrens noniction writers in
Pay is considerably higher than in the other childrens all markets choose reliable sources. Primary source
markets, though it depends upon the quality of the book, documents and interviews are especially useful, and
the writers expertise and/or platform, and the salability tend to be where youll ind quirky facts that kids love.
of the subject matter. Authors usually get an advance up Keep meticulous records of where you ind information.
front, and then royalties once that advance earns out. It will come in handy during revisions as well as in
Writers in both institutional and trade markets have addressing any queries from the editor, copy editor or
another avenue for potential earnings: Many schools fact-checker.
invite authors to speak, and authors set their own prices Noniction books have steadily gained both attention
for appearances. Depending on experience, authors can and shelf space in childrens sections over the last
earn from a couple hundred to thousands per day. decade. hese books are informative, riveting, and
oten provide life-changing information for kids who
Generating Salable Ideas are still forming their own life goals and dreams. he
basics covered in this article really just scratch the sur-
Everyone is looking for fresh ideas, which means you face of this large market. Publishers all have their own
have to keep your eyes open. Even work on an assigned peculiarities and preferences, so check their websites
topic requires the writer to do research and ind inter- to learn as much as you can before you make contact.
esting facts and approaches that make the subject more he childrens noniction market can be lucrative and
enticing. But how do you ind the underserved topics rewarding for those with the right skills and a clever
and angles? approach to the facts. WW
TALK TO A TEACHER, SCHOOL LIBRARIAN OR PUBLIC
LIBRARIAN. hey know what kids are interested in and Tracey Baptiste is a freelance editor and author of the middle-
what topics are needed. grade novel The Jumbies.
I 35
DEEP EVERYDAY DISCOUNTS
ON HUNDREDS OF BOOKS,
MAGAZINES AND DOWNLOADS
WritersDigestShop.com
8 Steps to
Blogging
Success
Grow your readership, platform and profitability with these simple strategies.
BY ROBERT LEE BREWER
Y
ouve probably heard it said that publishing resulted in engaged communities, increased traic, and
success relies, at least partially, on a strong income generated through selling products and services.
writing platformand that strong writing And so can you.
platforms can be built through blogging. But
in the sea of thousands of blogs hosted by writers, how STEP 1:
can you stand out from the competition, reach readers, Know your focus.
and see your eforts translate into success for your writing
career at large? A focused post is a successful post. Before you start
he simple answer is that you need to learn how to crating your next blog installment, you need to know
blog efectively. here are big-picture things you can its focal pointthe more speciic the better. To deeply
do, sure, but the most important component of savvy engage your readership and to help readers ind you in
blogging is found on the post-by-post level. As such, a search engine or on social media, everything you do
were going to look at how to blog your way to success in each individual post should ilter through a deined
by crating successful posts. focus, or set of keywords (see the SEO Cheat Sheet
As a Writers Market editor, published poet and former sidebar on the next page).
Poet Laureate of the Blogosphere, Ive used the strategy One lightbulb moment that led me to better blogging
were about to discuss to create multiple blogs that have was the realization that a speciic post is better than one
I 37
that tries to touch on everything. Occasional compre- such as celebrity gossip, people read an intriguing head-
hensive posts are inebut they work best when you line and want details immediately. If they dont see what
build up to them with very targeted content relating to theyre looking for right away, theyll leave the page.
the subject. hen, when the time comes to write more Limit paragraphs to four sentences. Dont be afraid to
sweeping posts, youll have plenty of previous entries turn a long sentence into a paragraph of its own. My per-
on related topics to which you can link. (hat practice, sonal rule of thumb is three to ive lines (not sentences)
called internal linking, builds your credibility with per paragraph.
readers as well as your visibility on search engines. While I know we writers love words, our online man-
More on this in Step 4.) tra should be: White space is my friend.
Blogs are built one post at a time. Be patient in
covering topics, and be sure to treat each subject with STEP 3:
care. Over time, youll build an archive of valuable (and Break up text.
focused) material.
While repeating the white space mantra, use headers
STEP 2:
(like the Step headings in this article) to break up text
that runs longer than four paragraphs. Online readers,
Be concise.
while they may never mention it, will reward you for
Most online readers are looking for speciic information, breaking up your text. Just as big blocks of text deter
and they want it as quickly as possible. Even with click-bait readers who like to ind their information fast, several
SEO CHEAT SHEET

SEO is an acronym for search engine optimization, which IMAGES: As a general rule, well-chosen images are a plus
is a fancy way to say making your Web pages rank bet- for design, content, and social sharing. They also can be
ter in search results on search engines such as Google. optimized for SEO by including the keyword or phrase in
The better your SEO, the better your ranking. the description of the image, as well as in the name of the
Although SEO strategy differs on a post-by-post basis, image file used.
this cheat sheet is focused on things you can do within
INTERNAL LINKS: Attempt to use the keyword or phrase
every blog post. First, pick a keyword or phrase to build
to link to this post from other posts on your blog. This is
your post around. In other words, pinpoint the terms you
most effective when you make the keyword or phrase in
think Web browsers might search for to bring them to this
particular blog entry. Specific keywords beat general key- an existing (or future) post an actual clickable link directing
words nearly every timeeven more so if theyre unique readers to the new one.
and/or theres low competition on the subject. Then, TAGS AND CATEGORIES: Most blogs offer tag and/or
incorporate your keywords in the following places: category options to help organize content. Think about
POST TITLE: Dont get cute or poetic with your title. trying to claim more general keywords and phrases
Make sure it includes your posts keyword or phrase, here. If you succeed on a post-by-post level, you may
and incorporates it near the beginning of the title. For eventually improve your category rank.
instance, if your keyword is an author name, its bet-
BACK-END DESCRIPTIONS: Just as most blogs offer
ter to title it (Author Name) Interview than Author
tags and categories, most also have tools and/or
Interview With (Author Name).
plug-ins available that allow bloggers to craft des-
HEADERS: If your post includes headers, they should fol- criptions of each post to display on search engines
low the same rules as the title of your post. Incorporate and social media sites when the post is shared. Use
the keyword or phrase in the headersand the earlier these descriptions for SEO, as well as for promoting
on the better. your post.
paragraphs strung together can also look tiresome.
(Consider that some visitors may be reading your posts OTHER WAYS TO GROW
on mobile devices with small screens.) BLOG TRAFFIC
When headers are used well, they serve multiple func-
In addition to crafting well-written, informative and
tions. First, efective headers provide context for what
entertaining blog posts with impeccable SEO, bloggers
the next few paragraphs will cover. Second, headers
can implement these strategies to help grow traffic:
make a blog look more professional from a design per-
spective. hird, headers can help with SEO (as explained WRITE GUEST POSTS FOR OTHER BLOGS. It might
in the Cheat Sheet on the opposite page). seem counterintuitive to write for others, but its the
Other successful approaches include using lists perfect way to get face time in front of a new (and,
(bulleted or numbered) and images to break up text. Not with hope, relevant) audiencewith a link back to
only do lists provide white space, but people seem to grav- your own blog, of course. Many bloggers rely almost
itate toward them (regardless of whether they agree with solely on this method to build their readerships.
the contents). As with headers, an efective use of images
SHARE POSTS ON SOCIAL MEDIA. First, share your
can serve design, context and SEO all at the same time.
posts from your own social media profiles. Second,
make it easy for others to do so by including social
STEP 4:
sharing buttons on each post.
Link to others.
HOST GUEST POSTS ON YOUR BLOG. Let other
Another strategy that will make a blog more efective on
bloggers provide content for your blog while also
multiple levels is linking to other pagesboth internal
increasing your authority on a topic. Their own
(on your blog) and external (elsewhere online).
readers will often follow them to your siteand
he Cheat Sheet touches on an SEO component to this
might decide to read on or to return.
strategy, but beyond that, the power of online writing is
that readers can dig deeper at a moments notice. Links OFFER CONTENT IN UNIQUE WAYS. Create the
make that digging easierand your main goal is to help lists other bloggers dont make. Design your own
readers get what they want. If you mention a magazine infographics. Include high-quality, original art.
on your blog, you should anticipate that some readers will Incorporate audio and/or video. Invent challenges or
want to check it out. If you mention an author, you should ways to build community.
anticipate that some readers will want to learn more about
CREATE AN EDITORIAL CALENDAR. It works for
her. he best way to meet that desire is to provide a link
editors. So why not bloggers? Plan out your posts
and even if it leads readers of of your page, chances are
in advance, and you may be surprised how one idea
theyll appreciate the resource enough to return.
begets another. Eventually, you may even design a
master plan. Think big!
STEP 5:
Insert personality. ANALYZE YOUR TRAFFIC. OK, heres the boring part,
right? It pays to look at the numbers every so often
Were talking about a calculated, quantiiable strategy to see which posts are getting the most traffic. But
here. But hey, how about inserting a little personality take it a step further and try to figure out why. Finding
into your posts? patterns can be a game changer for bloggers.
Blogging at its best combines information with enter-
tainment and oten builds community in the process. Even
if youve mastered SEO, you can still improve (or maintain) or trying to sound smart? (Ive found that trying to sound
your rankings by being fun and easy to read. Ater all, smart ends up sacriicing claritywhich, in turn, totally
Google and other search engines pay attention to reader kills personality.)
engagement in their mysterious search algorithms. Another helpful exercise is to ask, What image do I
Personality can mean many things to many people. In want to project as a writer? Follow it with, Does that
general, avoid stilted language and ask, Am I being clear, match my identity as a person? As a general rule, most
I 39
people who try to be something theyre not come of as fake interest in the subject. But what can you do that the
or phony. hat principle oten holds true for blogging, too. other bloggers on this subject are not doing?
Maybe its making lists. Maybe its going into more
STEP 6: detail. Maybe its curating niche information. Maybe its
Proofread. including audio or video. Maybe its a new spin on the
same old material. (See the Other Ways to Grow Blog
Youll improve the quality of your blog if you proofread Traic sidebar on the previous page for more ideas.)
before you post. Dont rely on spell check; it wont catch
words like there and their that may be spelled correctly
but used incorrectly.
I advise reading aloud (even under your breath)
Blogging at its best
before publishing a post, because sometimes its easier to combines information with
literally hear the places where readers might stumble. (It
might sound silly, but many poets and dramatists swear entertainment and often
by this technique.) builds community in
hat said, while you want your post to be grammati-
cally clean, dont worry about being 100 percent perfect. the process.
Relentless pursuit of perfection is what unnecessarily
holds up too many projects. Aim for 99 percent, and
Once you ind something that is truly unique and
move on to the next post.
appeals to readers, youll be on your way to carving a
niche you can truly ownand thats when your blog will
STEP 7:
truly cross the threshold into greatness.
Differentiate your approach.
Blogs account for more than 2 million posts on the STEP 8:
Internet daily. It might seem intimidating to jump into Keep learning.

that mass. But consider this: As recently as 2013, Bowker
Technology is constantly changing, and its important for
reported more than 300,000 traditionally published
bloggers to keep track of new technologybut thats not
books that yearwith another 1 million-plus published
what Im interested in covering here. Bloggers will serve
nontraditionally. And plenty of people within that para-
themselves and their readers best by continuing to learn
digm are enjoying worthwhile writing careers (whether
about their audiences.
full time or on the side).
Savvy bloggers and Web writers constantly experiment
he problem isnt the volume itself, then; its inding
with new ideas, treatments and delivery techniques.
a way to stand out. No matter your occupation (chef,
If you ind something that works, exploit it. But know,
lawyer, writer), strategy will only help your blog get so
too, that turning into a one-trick pony can eventually
far. he rest is up to content.
lead to a limited and unengaged audience. Push to be the
Ive noticed that, as with many things in life, there are
blogger who keeps defying expectation.
three levels of bloggers: bad, good and great. Bad bloggers
Taking risks will surely lead to some failed experi-
dont understand the ins and outs of bloggingsort of like
ments, but thats OK. Perhaps youll discover new ways
writers who dont know crat techniques for iction and to exceed expectations in the process. Just remember
noniction. Bad bloggers may miss the target, but improve that building a robust author platform doesnt happen
by reading articles like this one. he crat can be learned. overnight. It will take time, but is deinitely a worthwhile
Good bloggers know the crat and are better than aver- and ultimately, rewardingendeavor. WW
age at blogging. However, theres usually one thing missing
that prevents them from being truly great: a unique voice.
Robert Lee Brewer is the senior content editor of the WD Writing
Chances are, whatever your blog covers is also covered Community and a former Poet Laureate of the Blogosphere. He
by other blogs. hats ine; it shows theres a general posts frequently on the Poetic Asides blog on WritersDigest.com.
Get Personal
Follow these 9 steps to craft the kind of striking personal essays
that could land you a big byline.
BY SUSAN SHAPIRO
W
rite what you know, Mark Twain journal has a diferent voice, style, word count and rai-
supposedly said. Heres what I know: son dtre, and theres nothing eicient about crating
A fantastic irst-person essay is the catch-all prose that wont get published. he editors of
best way for an unknown writer to he New York Times Modern Love column require a
see print fast. six-page unusual romantic saga, while the same papers
As a memoirist by day and creative noniction teacher Sunday magazine Lives column editors look for narra-
by night, I am constantly thrilled and astounded by how tives that are shorter, timely and global. So before
far a heartfelt three pages can take you. Not only can a picking up a pen or turning on your computer, ask
brand-new author receive a prominent byline and a big yourself: Where am I aiming this?
check, but a single piece that strikes a chord can lead to
2. STUDY THAT TARGET AUDIENCE: When I hoped to break
radio and TV appearances, ilm options, and calls from
into he New York Times Magazines Lives column, I
top literary agents and major publishers clamoring for
carefully read 100 installments that had already run. It
the book you havent written yet. Ive helped students of
turned out my ideahow as a bride Id worn all black
all ages, ields and backgrounds get it right. But in a sea
was too frivolous by comparison. So I revised, throwing
of submissionsyoull be writing these columns on spec,
in that my mother was an orphan who had only one
not merely pitching an ideaits also easy to get it wrong.
daughter, as well as (violins in the background) the lin-
Heres how to frame your own story for top newspaper,
gering ghost of my dead grandmother. he editor bought
magazine and Web markets, in nine simple steps.
it on my irst try. Youre so lucky, a colleague told me.
1. FOCUS FROM THE FIRST WORD: Dont write a vague Well, the harder you work, the luckier you get.
essay in hopes that you can pitch it everywhere; attempt When I sold three pieces in a row to Marie Claire, a
a piece thats a perfect it for a speciic market. Every magazine for younger women, I did not write my age or
section of a newspaper, magazine, Webzine and literary say, hirty years ago, when I was in college. I merely
I 41
used past tense. Nobody had to know how long ago my Oxygen. My student Melanie Gardiner recently utilized
crazy carnal coed days were. On the other hand, for a this technique, riding buzz about a hit TV shows series
piece Im about to submit to AARP he Magazine, I am inale to frame her essay about her one attempt at trying
shouting my ageand my fathers! meth: How a Breakup Inspired My Attempt at Breaking
Bad was published on Nerve.com. As an editor
3. GO FOR THE JUGULAR: he irst mistake I oten see
once drummed into my class: Its called newspapers,
new writers make is to pick lightweight topics that have
not oldpapers.
already been everywhere. Sorry, but no editor I know
wants a mild-mannered slice of life from an unknown 5. BE UNUSUAL, PROVOCATIVE OR CONTROVERSIAL:
scribe on how cute your kids or your cats are. hink: Even students who choose extreme topics and traumas
Drama. Conlict. Tension. he worst experience of my life. tend to pick obvious angles that editors still see too
he day I got held at gunpoint. he irst assignment I much of: Tales of alcoholism and horrible dates prolif-
give my students is: Write three pages about your most erate, along with the creep who divorced me and the
humiliating secret. Ask yourself the Passover question: creep I should have divorced sooner. To tackle overdone
Why is this night diferent than all other nights? If its subjects like these, youll need a surprising take or an
not, pick a more compelling true-life tale to tell. unexpected happy ending. Consider Ophira Eisenbergs
Here are some intensely intimate subjects tackled by Screw Everyone: Sleeping My Way to Monogamy or Sophie
authors I know that led to big bylines: Liza Monroy chron- Fontanels chronicle of 12 years of celibacy in he Art of
icled marrying her best gay friend for a green card in Sleeping Alone.
Psychology Today. Abby Sher cured her OCD with prayer heres a moratorium on dead parents and grandpar-
in Self. Cat Marnell confessed her longtime pill addiction ent stories, a top editor recently told my students. So my
in Vice. David Itzkof went to therapy with his cocaine- student Bryan Patrick Miller twisted his theme. Instead
addicted father in New York magazine. Aspen Matis hiked of chronicling his mothers death, he focused on how
2,650 miles to walk of a rape in Modern Love. Maria
Andreu confessed in Newsweek to being an illegal alien.
Julie Metz even paved the way for her debut memoir 7 MAJOR MARKETS
Perfection with an essay in Glamour on how she found FOR PERSONAL ESSAYS
proof of her late husbands inidelity on his computer. Even unknown writers have a shot at these
I personally dont have a dramatic, international life big bylines. Visit the corresponding URLs for
more like dumb relationships and addictions in Michigan submission guidelines.
followed by psychotherapy in Manhattan. Luckily, my
THE NEW YORK TIMES MODERN LOVE: nytimes.com/
weekly writing group, tough editors and even my therapist
2010/12/21/fashion/howtosubmit_modernlove.html
help push me to go darker and examine my motives, pain,
problems and regrets. In more than 100 publications and THE NEW YORK TIMES MAGAZINE LIVES:
nine books, Ive mined my interior dramas and ramped 6thfloor.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/03/08/
up the humor and emotional panic. With practice, you how-to-write-a-lives-essay
can learn to dig deeper, too.
PSYCHOLOGY TODAY TWO-MINUTE MEMOIR:
4. FIND A TIMELY HOOK: A smart way to a quick sell is psychologytoday.com/writers-guidelines
to use newsworthy pegs to frame your foibles. I found
SELF: self.com/contact/contactus
that no editors were interested in my macabre childhood
obsession with my Barbies (where Id change their heads COSMOPOLITAN: cosmopolitan.com/about/faq
instead of their clothes)until, that is, the popular play-
AARP THE MAGAZINE: aarp.org/about-aarp/info-05-
things 35th birthday became my lead. I had so much
2010/writers-guidelines-aarp-magazine.html
success exploiting my old Barbie adventures that I
revised them for her 40th and 50thand wound up SALON.COM LIFESTYLE SECTION: salon.com/
in he New York Times, Daily News, he Daily Beast, about/submissions
Vogue Australia and on TV documentaries on ABC and
EXERCISE:
Put It Into Words

Youve heard, or perhaps spoken, the words, It is almost impossible to put into words how I feel right now.
People say this about certain tragedies and disappointments, about the first throes of love, about hilarious or
spontaneous moments, about the feelings a new father has when first holding his infant daughter.
Theres nothing at all wrong with that common expressionunless you are a writer, in which case you simply
cannot hide behind that excuse. It is your job to take the most difficult-to-explain experience and bring it to life,
in detail, for readers who have not shared that same experience.
What in your own experience do you find almost impossible to explain?
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I 43
he followed her deathbed wish for him to go meet their been doing this for 30 minutes. He took my advice and
family in Ireland. It turned out they werent quite as well had a published clip by the end of the term.
thought of as shed told him. hat flip side of the story led
to the terriic Lives essay Return of Glavin that opened,
My pilgrimage to my mothers ancestral home in Ireland
began with the wrong bus, to the wrong village.
No editor I know wants a mild-
6. TAKE ACTION: Oten I see pieces by beginners about
mannered slice of life from an
a conflict that isnt resolved. hey are stuck in a bad unknown scribe on how cute
relationship or lousy addiction that has no ending or
solution in sight. Its hard to write well about drinking
your kids or your cats are.
or drugging unless youre sober and drug-free, and its
hard to have perspective on your dating woes if youre
still single. Instead of staying stuck, chronicle your plan 8. COVER YOURSELF: Crat a very concise cover letter
to change. Ive written humorous essays and even books (think six lines). If possible, address the acquiring editor
about visiting my worst old boyfriends to get their by name (to ind it, check mastheads, search online or
take on why we broke up, interviewing my mentors call the publication and ask). Start by mentioning some-
for advice, quitting all my addictions, and seeing eight thing similar she wrote or published that you admired.
shrinks in eight days (going speed shrinking instead of Describe your piece in a succinct Hollywood movie pitch.
speed dating). A.J. Jacobs famously spent 12 months Dont overdo your biojust add a line or two. If youve
getting healthy, and another year living Biblically. published before add one link (not 10 with four attach-
Gretchen Rubin searched for happiness. Ryan Nerz trav- ments). Most editors want you to paste your piece in an
eled around the country trying to win eating contests. email, as well as attach it, but seek out and follow submis-
Maria Dahvana Headley said yes to any nice single guy sion guidelines for that speciic market. In the subject line,
who asked her out (and met her husband along the way). put Submission: and the title of your essay. If its timely,
My student Kayli Stollak joined JDate with her divorced help the editor out by saying Submission: Celebrating
Jewish grandmother and wound up with a blog, book Yom Kippur With Bacon Cheeseburgers Oct. 3 (which
and TV pilot called Granny Is My Wingman. Danielle Gelfand sold to he New York Times in 24 hours).
Unless its a very timely piece pitched to a daily or online
7. GET FEEDBACK: Its rare that someone inishes an essay
news magazine, wait a month to follow up. Ater you send
on his own, nails it, presses Send at 3 a.m. and gets an
it, take a breath, then start your next piece.
acceptance. Ater youve reworked your pages several
times, and before you submit, get feedbackand I dont 9. LET EDITORS EDIT: If an editor expresses interest in
mean from your spouse or your mom, wholl tell you your essay but requests a revision, be willing to revisit
how brilliant you are. Instead, try a critical workshop, an your words or structure. Its an editors job to know
in-person or online writing class or seminar, or even a her audience better than you do. More than a few have
hired editor (this is one of my own secret weapons). If changed their minds about publishing a new writer
you have a friend or colleague who has published similar who is giving them a headache with a You cant change
work you admire, ofer to pay him for a serious critique. a comma attitude. If, ater your piece runs, you hate
hen, dont argue or disregard the comments. If they are minor changes you didnt OK, write her a long letter
hard to digest (personal essays are personal, ater all), detailing the stupidity of her every cut or punctuation
take a week of and read them again. I oten ind that change. hen tear it up and send her a note saying,
the diference between my writing students who dont hank you so much for the beautiful clip. Im so hon-
get published and the ones who do comes down to their ored you published me. WW
ability to incorporate criticism. Ater one essay class, an
18-year-old student who didnt like my suggestions asked,
Susan Shapiro (susanshapiro.net) is a writing professor and
Why should I listen to your take on my story? I said, the author of 10 books, including Lighting Up, Five Men Who Broke
Because Ive been doing this for 30 years and youve My Heart, and her latest, What's Never Said.
Jhumpa Lahiri,
Bridging
the Gap
In her first foray into nonfiction, the Pulitzer Prizewinner and Princeton
University fiction professor highlights the importance of language
and the love of words that we all share.
BY BAIHLEY GRANDISON
PHOTO MARCO DELOGU
I 45
feeling that slipping between the two languages would
T
he child of Bengali Indian parents who immi-
grated to the U.S. when she was 3, Jhumpa cause conflict between wanting to protect her limited
Lahiri grew up balancing two worlds: that Italian, and becoming discouraged by how much better
of her traditional Bengali family, and that of her English writing was. (he job went to he New Yorker
the American society in which they lived. Identity and editor Ann Goldstein.) he resulting edition reaches
transition are motifs reflected in all of her writings, from English-speaking readers in a novelty, dual-language
her award-winning short stories and novels, to her latest format: Each spread is comprised of a page in Italian and
book (and irst foray into noniction), In Other Words, a corresponding page in English.
released in the U.S. in February 2016. Lahiri returned to the U.S. last fall with her husband
Lahiri has made a name for herself through writing and two children and embarked on a new challenge:
about struggles: people trying to it in, to identify, to dis- teaching creative writing at Princeton University. She spoke
cover their purpose. But while her characters toil, search with WD by phone from her home in New York about
and conflict, she herself makes the work look easy. At 32, her travels, what her latest book can teach us all about the
she became the youngest author to win a Pulitzer Prize power of language, and what shes working on next.
for Fiction for her debut work Interpreter of Maladies, a
short story collection about several families navigating Youre known for channeling inspiration from your
relationship troubles and the challenges of assimilating own life experiences as an immigrant into powerful
Indian and American cultures. An international best- fiction. Why did you choose the nonfiction form to
seller, the book earned the he New Yorker Debut of the explore your experience in Italy?
Year award and the PEN/Hemingway Award, in addition Actually, the whole book grew out of short stories.
to the Pulitzer. Her subsequent worksincluding he hough its a largely nonictional piece of writing, the
Namesake (her 2003 debut novel, later adapted into a origin of it is actually the short story [included in one
feature ilm), Unaccustomed Earth (the short story col- of the books chapters] called he Exchange, [which]
provoked the whole process of writing the book and
lection that debuted at No. 1 on he New York Times
reflecting on what had led me to write that story. So, in
bestsellers list in 2008) and he Lowland (a multigen-
a way, the book does have a point of origin in iction. It
erational saga of tragedy and war that was shortlisted for
also grew out of writing in my diary.
the Man Booker Prize and the National Book Award for
Fiction in 2013)have garnered no less attention.
You wrote In Other Words entirely in Italian, a
On the page, Lahiri appears to be most comfortable
process youve described as like writing with
outside of her comfort zoneat least, her relentless [your] left hand. Why push yourself to take on such
desire to challenge herself, and her art form, is insatiable. a challenge?
Its what led her to Italy in 2012: Having longed to learn Well, it was something I felt become natural, and I wasnt
the language, she moved abroad to immerse herself really thinking about it rationally. I dont really take a
fullyto the extent that she didnt even so much as read rational approach with anything I write. [Italian] was how
in English for the whole of the three years she spent in I was thinking [at that point], was how I was working. It
Rome. As she assimilated into Italian culture, Lahiri was a kind of fluid process for me, even though it was very
found her writing naturally followed suit: She abandoned strange, very surreal, when I got to another dimension.
English on the page in favor of penning her thoughts in
Italian. he experience led to In Other Words, her irst In In Other Words, you say that the more you feel
book written outside of her native language, in which imperfect, the more you feel alivethat imperfection
she details her struggle to understand her identity in a inspires invention, imagination, creativity. Why do
language that, in spite of her commitment to its form, you feel its so important for writers to get out of
will forever be foreign to her. Lahiri was so dedicated their comfort zones?
to the process that when In Other Words was slated for Its fundamental. I think all art comes from that: It comes
a U.S., English-language release (more than a year ater from struggle and searchand, you know, I dont think
hitting bookshelves in Italy and abroad), she opted to its something that should come easily. It doesnt neces-
have someone else perform the English translation, sarily have to be painful or impossible, but its important
to recognize and to respect what it is to create something Going deeper is all Ive ever wanted to do. If I dont have
out of nothingthe challenge of it, the diiculties of it that approach [in my writing], theres really nothing in it
and work from that position. for me. here are so many other things I could or prob-
he metaphors I present in [the] book are plentiful: ably should be doing with my life. So thats whats driven
crossing a lake, climbing a mountain, writing with your me from the beginning, that sense of going deeper,
let hand, whatever way you want to look at itbut I moving forward, moving from work to work. Following
think even if I hadnt made this unexpected move to the inspiration.
another language, I would have hoped to always have
that perspective on my writing, in any language. For me
its not really about changing language in that senseits
about seeing clearly what making art is about.
"Writing doesnt necessarily
have to be painful or
How did going three years without reading in
English influence the writing of In Other Words? impossible, but its important
he reading gave birth to the writing. Writing grows out
of reading, and has always grown out of reading. So in
to recognize and to respect
a way, reading only in Italian created this foundation for what it is to create something
me to start expressing myself in Italian.
out of nothingthe challenge
Do you think that experience will impact your of it, the difficulties of itand
future writing?
[Reading in Italian] is something that is continuing for the work from that position."
moment, so my writing in Italian continues, as a result of
that discipline. I think of it as a sort of a discipline.
In Other Words was released in Italy in 2015, but hit How has it been for you, returning to the U.S.?
bookstores in the U.S. earlier this year. How does it Its been very, very hard for me. Very disorienting. But its
affect you as an author, to reach different audiences a decision I made, and Im trying out, and well see how
at different times? it goes. It is certainly strange to be thinking and writing
Ive been fortunate enough to be published in various still in a language that isnt mine, and not even having
countries from the beginning, so I was [always] aware that language in my life constantly every dayits a very
[my books] would come out [at diferent times]. he extreme choice to make, Im aware of that.
diference is here, In Other Words has already come out But there have been some positive things in coming
in Korea, in Japan, in Sweden, in Holland, in Italy; its back. Ive met a lot of interesting people in the last
reversed, coming out in the U.S. and English-language couple of months; in New York, my world has opened
countries later. As a result, I feel much more distanced up in a diferent way because now I tend to meet a lot of
from it. Italians and its interesting. [Its like] being in New York
You know, one always feels distance from a book, diferently, in a way.
which I think is normalby the time its published and
people start reading it and talking about it, its all Youve described writing as a process of trial
behind you. his is really something from my life from and error, of groping. Now that youre teaching
two, three years ago thats [now] coming out in [my writing, how do you break down that process for
home country]. your students?
Taking a writing class is a very artiicial experience. I
Has coming back to the U.S. after three years away mean, its important, but its artiicial in that you have
given you a different perspective on your writing, or these artiicial deadlines and, you know, built-in feedback,
a different focus in terms of what youd most like to and youre on this kind of imposed rhythm of turning
write in the future? things in and talking about them and having them
I 47
discussed. So I just explain to [my students] what it is, How do you imagine that teaching writing will come
and that stories take time and have their own schedules to influence your own writing?
and we dont control them, really; a story can come to I dont know. I think teaching writing makes one aware
us in a couple of days, it can come to us in a couple of it underscores the idea that we are all learning, and that
months, it can come to us in a couple of years. It can we remain students and theres no real concrete barrier
come to us and then never really succeed in the end. We between the teacher and the student anyway. Ive been a
have to accept all of these possibilities, and so when they student of writing all my life. And I think that writing in
write their stories, I just say, his is a moment in time to Italian emphasizes that feeling, because Im expressing
evaluate a moment of the journey of this story. myself in a language that I have no control of. So I
need guidance, I need people to point things out to me,
correct me, etc. [In Italian, I need guidance with the
writing] in a way that I dont really need in English
Stories come out of living, and apart from the editing aspectI need people to sur-
looking, and reacting, and round me, to support me in the process. So I think
teaching is just a healthy reminder of thatthat were
observing and thinking. I cant always learning. And that should never change.
explain what the source is.
Does winning a Pulitzer so early in your career put
Thats the experience of being pressure on your future work? Or does it take some
alive and trying to render it of the pressure off, knowing that you have the recog-
nition that some writers long for their entire careers?
coherent somehow. I believe prizes can be very meaningful to writers, can
be very valuable in terms of means of support, means
of recognition. hose are very important in the writers
Whether [a story] is complete, or on the way to being journey. he main thing, for me, is always to stay focused
complete, or a drat that maybe shouldnt be reworked, and have a sense of purpose. It never ceases to surprise
the workshop is an opportunity to get a sense of that me that Im on this path I never thought these things
to evaluate collectively where the piece is, what the piece would happen to me. So certainly, the recognition is very
is doing, how the piece is working or not working. My valuable in the sense that I feel what Im doing has some
approach is very relaxed. he point is not to hand in a relevance, I suppose, and Im grateful for that. On the other
flawless, perfectly functioning, ready-for-publication hand, I think at this point there is perhaps exaggerated
story every week; that would be a ridiculous expectation focus in our culture on recognition, success, famethings
to have for anybody. I want [my students] to understand that can be, I think, very dangerous for the artist.
that, to understand that art is a much more mysterious
process that is not fully in our control. What are you working on now? What can readers
Stories come out of living, and looking, and reacting, look forward to next?
and observing and thinking. I cant explain what the [I've been writing] a weekly column for an Italian publi-
source is. hats the experience of being alive and cationsort of snapshots of my process following my
trying to render it coherent somehow. re-entry from Italy to the United States. Ive also been
publishing some short stories in Italian, in Italian
Are you enjoying teaching so far? journals and things like that. Im also thinking more
I am! he students are very smart, needless to say. But what seriously about a translation project from Italian to
strikes me is how open they are, how open to reading, to English. hat would be a new path for me, to explore
thinking about other authors, and how respectful they are translation, and [that is something] I feel more ready to
of each other. Its been a very positive experience so far. do now than I was earlier. WW
As a Creative Writing professor, Im sure you end up

learning new things about your own work as well. Baihley Grandison is the assistant editor of Writers Digest.
th POPULAR
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Enter the competition that celebrates short
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Writing Standout Sample
Chapters
In your book proposal, the sample chapters you include are your opportunity
to prove you have the talent and know-how to follow through on the project.
Here's how to show off your savvy.
BY RYAN G. VAN CLEAVE
O
nce youve invested a good bit of time thinking double-spaced, typed pages. Why that number?
about your noniction book project, why its Because nearly anyone can produce two to ive well-
needed, who its for, and why youre the slam- written pages, given enough time (and help). But to
dunk choice to write it, its time to consider sustain good writing over the course of an entire book
the writing sample your book proposal needs to pull it showcases real talent.
all together. And thats why I recommend submitting at least
It should go without saying (but Ill say it anyway) that 20 double-spaced, typed pages of sample manuscript
agents and editors dont want to deal with an author whose material. Mahesh Grossman, author ofWrite a Book
writing sample delivers any of the following messages: Without Liting a Fingerand president of he Authors
I dont know how to edit. Team, says, I usually have the authors I work with sub-
I dont know how to revise. mit an introduction and a chapter. he introduction
My summaries have no relation to what Im actually writing. should be at least 10 pages and tell the story of how you
I enjoy microscopic fonts! became an expert on your topic and why you are writing
Your writing sample is your opportunity to prove your book. he sample chapter should be at least 18
beyond all doubt that yes, you can write at a professional pages. he truth is, however, that you need to make the
level and mold the idea from your chapter summaries into chapter long enough to include everything necessary to
a nice-size chunk of prose thats impressive, easy-to-read convey how to do what youre talking about, or to tell
and evocative. Heres how to get down to business. the complete story.
Sample substantially. Do your best, cleanest work.

When I applied to graduate school, nearly every Typos, misspellings and other grammatical snafus all
universitys creative writing program requested 20 announce that youre not a very careful (or competent)
For my illustrated humor book I used graphics and
KEY TAKEAWAYS sidebars. Im willing to do anything with a manuscript
if it helps the piece stand out without coming across as
Dont automatically include Chapter 1 as your
sample. Pick your sample material based on the
gimmicky. What type of special sauce can you add?
most interesting/useful/exciting/shocking things NOTE: While it might be a great idea to suggest that the
you have to offer. chapter youre including has three tear-out origami swans
Ensure your sample is well-written, well-edited or other such bonuses, someone has to pay for that if the
and compelling. Enlist some smart writer friends
book makes it into productionirst the publisher and
or hire a freelance writer (or editor, book doctor
then the consumer. Try very hard not to ind ways to
or writing coach) to offer an opinion.
increase the production cost of the book (such as includ-
Cookbooks, list books and other unusual book
ing color photographs or using extensive die-cut pages).
types might require a very different style (and
No one wants to make or buy $80 books.
size) of sample.
Any graphics or illustrations that you include
need to be professionally done. Don't underestimate the importance.
Its a good rule of thumb to submit 20 pages of
If youve never worked in a publishing house, you prob-
your book for a sample.
ably wont know this: Many editors read the sample
chapter irst. If its a winner, they read the rest of the
writer. You either dont know how to write well or you proposal. If its a clunker, then its next manuscript
cant be bothered to do it. heres no place for shoddy time. All that good work you mightve done with the
work anywhere in a book proposal. But in your sample? marketing campaign, elevator pitch and chapter sum-
he sample should exhibit the absolute best writing maries doesnt even matter. he sample needs to be
that you can produce. Youre not constrained by bullet a showstopper.
points or marketing jargon or anything elsethis is Its also worthwhile to note that professional writers
you communicating as only you can communicate. It dont feel religiously bound by rules. If sending the irst
should be smooth and error-free. It should have a sense chapter doesnt make sense for their particular proposal,
of style and lair. Above all, it should have a sense of then dont. If your book is a tell-all, you might include
story to it, even if its information-driven. Stories pro- the juiciest chapter. If your book reveals the true shooter
duce experiences, create an emotional impact, and
behind the JFK assassination, maybe thats the chapter
transform information into meaning. Plus stories are
to include.
more oten remembered (and less oten resisted).
While you do want to send your best material, dont
Make sure your writing ability and use of grammar
cherry-pick bits and pieces from many chapters. hat
are up to the task of helping you tell powerful stories
gets schizophrenic and confusing. Include full chapters
through your writing. If your proposal is a bit dry
but your writing sample sings, you might get that or at least self-contained sections that start strong and
book contract. end even better. Whether you write your manuscript
sample before, during or ater youve written the rest of
Make it your own. the proposal, you must make sure that it delivers on the
promise the proposal makes. he proposal is a business
Just like McDonalds has its secret sauce to give the Big document. he sample? Its a literary document. Even if
Mac a little oomph, you should consider giving your its a business leadership book, a biography of Winston
manuscript samples something special. What might Churchill or a memoir, readers expect a literary (read this
this be? Charts, graphs, illustrations, questionnaires? as storytelling) quality thats more than just an informa-
Sidebars? Checklists? Timelines? Interviews? Quotes?
tion exchange. WW
Something else entirely?
For my noniction book proposals, I oten include Excerpted from The Weekend Book Proposal 2014 by Ryan G.
magazine-style sidebars as part of the sample material. Van Cleave, with permission from Writers Digest Books.
I 51
An Affair to
Remember
Inevitably, when writing memoir, your relationships play out
on the page. Learn how to portray spouses, exes and friends
with a balance of caution and candor.
BY KERRY COHEN
O
ne of the great ironies of memoir is that Rather, it must always be a vehicle for truth, compassion
when we write about ourselves, we end up and self-examination. Gigi Little, who wrote and pub-
writing about others. We deine ourselves lished an essay about her ex-husband, speaks about her
in relation to others. he arcs of our stories desire not to hurt others.
are interwoven with the people we come to know, whom
I think I tend to be overanxious about any writing I do
we come to love, betray, get betrayed by and lose. In the
about other people, but with [my ex-husband], theres
midst of writing about these people, we risk bringing up
the added worry of: I left him; I hurt him; I dont want
unresolved feelings of anger, outrage and grieftheirs to hurt him again. My most recent essay, Shopping
and oursand that puts all of us on unstable ground. With Clowns, is about the same time period as [my
When writing about your close relationships with novel-in-progress, which] deals with the same shame I
lovers and dear friends, perhaps the irst question to ask carry for having lied to myselfand himfor so long,
is, what story am I trying to tell? Jillian Lauren, author of staying married when I didnt love him. It talks about
Some Girls: My Life in a Harem, explains. those same traits of his that I know would hurt him to
read, how he was selfish and shallow and (in some ways,
I examine my intentions very carefully. I ask myself: Are
worse) boring.
you writing this because its essential to the story? Is this
a story that has resonance that goes beyond just lil old Little recognizes that writing has the potential to
me? Am I being truthful? Am I coming from a perspec- be a sort of weapon, and it is always a memoirists job
tive of love? If the answer to those things is yes, then I
to prevent this from happeningor to cause as little
go ahead and write it.
harm as possible. his is the question that must hover
Before writing any memoir, we must examine what as you write about exes and the like: How do I write
our intentions are. Memoir must never be a vehicle for authentically about this person, and how do I also keep
revenge or a platform to explain your side of a story. him safe?
Writing About People he bottom line is that he was right. I could just as easily
You Might Upset have said he was from Virginia or Montana. I hadnt
been careful with his private life. Sue William Silverman,
When we write memoir, we arent just telling a story author of Love Sick: One Womans Journey hrough
about what happened between us and other people. Sexual Addiction, shares her story about changing
We write our stories in order to solve something, to re- details below.
envision a part of our lives. Little found that the writing
In Love Sick, I mainly write about nonfamily members,
fulilled a need that her relationship never could. Writers
and I wanted to protect the privacy of these people
know this about writing. he worries, the concerns, the
(which is easier to do than with family). For example, I
anxiety about that person out in the world are usually
changed the names of the men with whom I acted out
unfounded. Or, at the very least, they are unpredictable.
my sexual addiction. Unlike family members, these men,
You cant know how that person will really feel. You when all is said and done, were rather interchangeable,
also cant know that the person will even read your so I didnt see any need to reveal their true identities. I
piece. I like to tell students that all the worries in the also changed the names of the women who were with me
world are wasted anxiety until youve written something. during rehab to protect their privacy as well. The names
Otherwise youre worrying about something that doesnt of these people didnt matter. I was able to convey my
exist, that may well never happen. Like Mark Twain once truths regardless. I was, however, a bit concerned about
said, I am an old man and have known a great many my former husband in terms of Love Sick. I called him
troubles, but most of them have never happened. prior to publication, as I felt he should know that he was
OK, so you decide to go ahead and write the mem- included in the book. I reassured him, however, that I
oir. You have to. It wont sleep in your mind. It demands changed his name; I also reassured him by letting him
to be written. Now what? Now, you write. You write, and know that the focus of the book (of course) was on me
and I wasnt revealing any of his secrets. At the time, he
you write, and you write. Dont think about all those con-
seemed fine with this. Nevertheless, I was concerned
cerns during your irst drat. But when it comes time for
because while we were married I hadnt revealed the
revision, consider the following.
extent of my sexual addiction; however, we were now
divorced, so, really, what difference did it make?
Include only whats relevant.
Do you need to include the fact that your ex-wife has a
Show both sides of the coin.
wide scar on her inner thigh? Only if that scar plays an
To quote Cheryl Strayed, If youre going to show any-
important part in your story; for example, if the person
ones ass, it better be your own. Whatever happened in
she was cheating with told you he knew about that
your life, you were actively involved. You were at least
scar. If not, leave that detail out. Writers are oten told
half responsible. Dont get me wrong; some things are
to include as much concrete detail as possible. Memoir
beyond your controlif you were sexually abused, or if
writers are told to give all the facts. But these two pieces
you were born into poverty, for instance. Some things
of advice arent as imperative as the human beings we
do just happen to you. But when you write about your
write about, who are at least as important as the writing
relationship with a person, there is a mutuality that must
itself, usually even more so.
be acknowledged. Nobody wants to hear about what a
victim you are. hey want to know how you got yourself
Change whatever identifying details you can.
into a hairy situation and then how you got yourself out.
For instance, if your friend works at Intel, why cant she
hey want to know how you would not be you, in all
work at Xerox instead? Even better, do you need to note
your beautiful wonder, if it were not for your time with
where she works or what she does for a living? I made
this person.
this mistake in Loose Girl. One of my ex-boyfriends was
Consider what Susan Shapiro wrote in he New York
furious because I noted which state he was from, what
Times about taking responsibility for her role in her
his interests were, and where he lived now. He told me
that people he knew (but who didnt know me or our memoir Five Men Who Broke My Heart.
past together) had read the memoir and knew immedi- I was attempting to chronicle my midlife crisis when, as
ately that those chapters were about him. He felt violated. a married 40-year-old journalist, I re-met my top five
I 53
heartbreaks. I assumed that admitting in public that further explains the attitude a memoirist ought to have
Id been dumped five times in the title made me suffi- toward her characters.
ciently pathetic. But early on, I wasnt weak, vulnerable
or relatable. I came across as flippant and cavalier I try to bring a compassionate attention to all of my
instead of as someone who was hurting; the stakes characters while being aware that when you reduce
werent high enough. In short, I hadnt dug deep living, breathing people to two dimensions, something
enough into my real anxiety. gets lost in translation. I tell people Ive written about:
This character doesnt represent the totality of who you
Little also had to take a close look at her intentions and are; this character represents the role you played in this
feelings when writing about her childhood best friend. particular narrative.
In my essay, Shopping With Clowns, I did something Its also acceptable to write composite characters. In
Id never done in writing and had rarely, if ever, done in Loose Girl, I had so many friends during those years that
real life. I said, I hate her. it didnt make sense to include the ones who didnt mat-
Actually, the line is, I kind of hated her, but the
ter to the story. here was also no reason to show that
kind of was more about voice and less about back-
over the course of a few years, I had three diferent close
pedaling. She was my best friend from fourth through
friends who served the same purpose to the story.
eighth grade, back when it was so important to have
a best friend that it was all right that she pushed you So I put various aspects of their personalities and
around and made you feel like a bug. Id always hated appearances together, and I made up a name. You might
her. But now, 40-plus years old and 30-plus years away wonder, Can one still call that a memoir? Yes, because
from her, I stopped before letting my fingers type the memoir is not a journalistic recounting of facts; its a
words. Part guilt, part paranoia. Hate was such an ugly story of memories.
thing, and whenever I thought it about anybody, half of You will also likely include some acquaintances or
me was half-sure that person could hear into my brain. strangers in your memoir. hese are the people we
OK, I kind of loved it, too. The thought of making interact with briely, who we will likely never see again.
that statement and putting it out into the world. The
But they, too, deserve to be treated with a gentle pen.
thought of getting a bit snarky on the page about this
Little spoke about the complicated process of writing
prissy, patronizing bully of a best friend whod probably
about strangers based on her experience of writing an
never even buy the book and know Id written this any-
way, right? Right? essay titled Sylvester, about her time working as a cir-
I have to say, what a release [it was] when I typed cus lighting director. he essay discusses how she found
those words. It occurred to me as I wrote, I kind of a sense of belonging in the unlikeliest of places and
hated her, that I deserved to be able to say it. And how intimacy can develop between complete strangers.
I deserved to feel it. I dont know why that never
This became the crux of my essay, finding intimacy in such
really occurred to me before. And it occurred to me
a strange placeme on the coliseum floor, these guys
that if she did read my essay and if she contacted
way up in the rafters. At the time these stories were
me and told me what she thought of me because of
taking place, that moment had been special to me
what Id said, I deserved to say to her [that] it was
because of the trust in it. So special that I wanted to write
the truth.
about it. And to write about it was to break the trust.
Little recognizes how important it is to diferentiate in Interestingly it didnt bother me to write about
memoir between who a person is and how you feel about the other folks I profiled in the piece, dropping details
that person. You are entitled to tell your story, even if it about the worn-looking woman with dream-catcher
feels treacherous. earrings and the guy with '70s glasses and broken teeth.
I didnt describe them as lovingly or delicatelyI just
When you write it, though, consider that the other
casually tossed their flaws on the page. But they hadnt
person is a character in your book who deserves as much
given me something.
compassion as you do. Kim Barnes advises, Treat non-
iction characters with the same complexity, compassion, How intimate should the details be? his, too, is a
etc., as [you would while writing] iction. Know what delicate subject and should be treated on a case-by-case
their greatest fears and desires are. Otherwise you basis. When I wrote about the stranger in the grocery
shouldnt be writing. In the following passage, Lauren store who suggested my son, Ezra, was autistic, I did
so with the purpose of clarifying that its never helpful deines memoir is the sacred process of being alone with
to the parents when strangers give advice. I disliked your memories. Your story is yours alone. Yes, you have
this woman immensely. She stepped into a situation to write about your relationships with others, but the core
that was none of her business and efectively ruined of the story in memoir is about youhow you grew, what
my day. Still, I had to ind something human about her, you learned, how you coped. Whatever inspires you to
something that made her a more rounded person than write is private, between you and your computer (or pen).
just the horrible thing she unintentionally did to my Ater you write the story, though, it might make
family that day. So I described her hair in a way that sense to contact the people about whom you write.
made clear she seemed harried, probably not her best Hope Edelman found doing so to be useful before pub-
self. hat small detail was useful in making her less of a lishing her essay he Sweetest Sex I Never Had in an
monster, more human and just slightly worthy of com- anthology. he essay is about one of her irst boyfriends
passion, even as she behaved badly. Part of me wonders
and sexual experiences.
if I could have given her something else: a pretty face,
tasteful clothing or a sot, kind voice. I could have Im typically more concerned about writing about
made clearer that she meant well. But one of the themes people from my past with whom Im no longer in touch
in Seeing Ezra is my anger at how the world treated my and dont know how to find. Even with the expansive
family once it was clear Ezra was developing diferently reach of the Internet, some people from my distant
past remain elusive. And for good reasons, [they]
from other children, and anger is something few moth-
probably dont want to be found. I felt that as
ers are allowed in our culture without being considered
an adult 30 years later, he deserved his privacy and
monsters themselves.
shouldnt be held accountable for anything he said or
So thats how you may choose to deal with strangers.
did when he was 15. Of course, everyone who knew
But what about the friends and exes? How much detail
me well back then knew who I was writing about, but
should you include? he same rules apply. Include what
that would have been only a very, very small percent-
you must in order to serve the story, but dont include
age of readers, and they all knew he was a good egg,
details that are unnecessary. Beginning memoir writers anyway. I did track him down after a lot of effort, to let
dont always understand that a writer can do this in him know the essay was coming out, and we wound
memoir. Its not factual, but the truth of her character, up having a beautiful conversation by phone, remi-
the purpose the character served in the story, stayed the niscing about that year. And I learned that one of my
same, which is whats important. Consider how you, too, core beliefs about him from that time periodand a
can change identifying details. Consider just how far premise upon which the whole story had been based
you can take those changes without harming the char- hadnt been true at all, which could be a whole new
acters purpose in the story. If its important to the story essay unto itself one day.
that your old friend be overweight, by all means make
By contacting the person, she re-established a connec-
her overweight. But then change something that doesnt
tion with him, something that may not have been
matter: Make her blonde instead of brunette. Give her
sharp green eyes. Anything that still feels true to distin- possible otherwise. Additionally, the interaction
guish her from her real-life self. And sometimes those provided her with fodder for future writing.
changed facts feel truer than the reality. Maybe you see In memoir as in iction, a story is about the charac-
your friend as stunningly beautiful, even while much of ters that inhabit it. But when portraying a real person
the world doesnt. might mean controversy, there are smart strategies you
can employ to camoulage their true identity. Simply
Deciding Whether to Reach Out proceed with caution, and recognize that liberties can
be taken in the factuality of your memoirs recollections
Sometimes the person about whom youre writing still as long as the heart of the story endures. WW
lives in town. Your friends know him. You are Facebook
friends, or you know how to get in touch with her. It
wouldnt take much to make contact, but should you? In Excerpted from The Truth of Memoir 2014 by Kerry Cohen, with
general, the answer is: not before you write. Part of what permission from Writers Digest Books.
I 55
Heighten
Your Senses
Incorporate descriptions evoking all 5 senses into your memoir writing,
and youll immerse your readers even more deeply in your story.
BY RICHARD CAMPBELL & CHERYL SVENSSON
S
ight, sound, touch, taste, smell: hese are your reader to immerse herself within. When you write
the secret ingredients to vibrant writing. We your life story, you need to capture the energy perceived
use these senses to connect with the world by your senses and transform it into words that hum and
around us. Each day we surround ourselves vibrate. What greater git to give a reader than to enve-
with an enchanting web of sensual awareness. In our lope her completely in your life?
kitchens we see the morning light iltering through the Here are some ways to do just that.
windows, we hear the water running, we feel the pen-
etrating coolness of the fridge as we open its door, we The Power of Sight
smell the cofee brewing and we taste the hot, buttered
toast. In our shopping malls we see the color collage of he world is our visual utopia. It is a vast, neutral space
stores and kiosks, we hear the upbeat ambient music, in which we live our lives. Visual images bring our
we feel the smooth glossiness of the escalator handrail, thoughts and feelings to life. We wake up to a blue morn-
we smell the antiseptic blandness of climate-controlled ing sky, one that sends joy into our hearts. We look into
air and we taste the sample eggnog latte handed to us as the yard with its color splash of lowerbeds ruffled by the
we pass by the cafe entrance. summer breeze. We pad quietly across the oak-varnished
he ive senses play major parts in our everyday lives. hallway into the kitchen, stepping gingerly over a black
Each adds context to our experiences: A sunny, cloudless cat named Mildred who sleeps anywhere she chooses.
sky can lit a sagging heart, a childs giggle can hold us in We ill the red kettle with water and set it atop the black-
a happy moment just a bit longer and the sweet, driting coiled stove burner. he cabinet holds a mishmash of
smell of fresh-cut grass can transport us back in time, to cofee mugs; we choose the coral blue one with I Love
summers long ago. My Grandma scripted in white letters.
In turn, describing our life stories using all ive senses he power of sight is indisputable. Even when our
brings life to our writing and creates a sense of place for eyes are closed we can imagine color. Our otherworldly
dreams are oten tempered with the animated colors boy in front of you clearing his throat as he waited to ask
of reality. a question, the period bell ringing from the hallway, all
But there is more to sight than just color. Movement overlapped by the continuous low-level din of 25 students
is a visual experience. When we attend a play, action gathered in a closed space.
is a key ingredient in our engagement and emotional Life is a surround-sound experience that may dominate
involvement. Actors emote with their facial features, the other senses at times. he high-pitched wail of a siren
their hands and feet, their posture, their movements. arrests our attention, especially if it is approaching from
Joy, anger, happiness and grief are all captured through behind. An infant screaming on a plane is hard to ignore.
movement. When a character staggers across the stage, hunder reverberating across a night sky causes us to turn
exhausted from battle, we can see his desperation and our heads in the direction of the oncoming storm and, per-
hopelessness. When a character skips spryly back and haps, to shiver.
forth, we perceive her carefree demeanor. he same is But even a sliver of soundthe hooting of an owl at
true in real life. We can oten see whether someone is sundowncan create a feeling of timeless wonderment.
listening just by the strain and tilt of a head. No words hese small noises can imbue a sense of reality into our
are necessary. What we see, we can feel. writing, and they are oten the most overlooked.
Another unique sound, the human voice, possesses a
particular magic. hink of the speakers you have heard.
Perhaps your church pastor or high school principal
Describing our life stories inspired you to reach beyond your comfort zone. How
using all five senses brings life did they accomplish this? Was it only the words? he
answer is likely a combination of message and delivery.
to our writing and creates a Words alone have their own power, but combine them
sense of place for your reader with passion and elegance and you quickly enter the
theater of action. Martin Luther King Jr.s I Have a
to immerse herself within. Dream speech had a rhythmic resonance that imitated
marching music. Oration can be a powerful tool, and its
foundation is its delivery through sound.
Your life story will be primarily based on incidents How do you make sound come alive in your writing?
things that happened to you. Life is perpetually in Little details are potent: the harmonic rhythms of an FM
motion, and everything we do is based on action. More jazz radio station as you sit in your favorite chair reading,
than any other sense, sight dominates. We watch as a girl the cadenced swipe, swipe of wiper blades batting against
eagerly leans across the table to smell a freshly baked loaf the windshield, the roiling winds swooping in of the
of bread. She slices a piece, butters it and takes a bite. Her lake. hese sentences are loaded with sound imagery.
eyes close and her head tilts back slightly as she chews.
Describing a scene with visual details adds movement The Pleasure of Touch
to your narrative and allows others to witness the movie
reel running inside your head. Touch is the cradle of all senses. Without it, human
beings cannot thrive. For example, orphans let without
direct human contact for extended periods of time tend
The Resonance of Sound
to fall behind in their social development skills. here is
he impact of sound is present in nearly every life expe- even scientiic evidence that touch can be healing.
rience you write about. You might recall the time you It is no surprise, then, that our life experiences usu-
spent in your high school English class. he teacher was ally embrace touch in so many ways. We feel the bear
a strict grammarian, and you can still hear the critical hugs we received from Grandpa, the slap on the back
tone in his refrain: Lay or lie? Remember: You lay the for a job well done, and the irm handshakes ater a suc-
pencil on a table, but people lie in a bed. Even in his cessful business interview. What about the irst time
quiet classroom you could perceive ambient sound: the you held hands with the person you would share your
girl in the front row dropping her pen on the loor, the life with? How about the feel of waves curling around
I 57
SENSORY WORKSHEETS:
Your World Come Alive

Sight, sound, taste, touch and smell allow us to interact with the world we live in. They play an important role in
the writing of your life story.
Take a few moments to explore your surroundings. Find one objectwhatever is in front of youto write
about, and jot down a paragraph description of what you observe.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
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_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Try incorporating all five senses into your description in the space below.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
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_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Which of the five senses do you rely on most?
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Which is the hardest for you to describe?
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
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_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
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_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
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_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Now rewrite your description once again. Think about what you could add to enhance your use of that weak
sense.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
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_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
I 59
your feet on a hot summers day at the beach? Imagine When you remember past vacations and trips you
the touch of fear as it surges through your veins like tend to experience more smell variations than usual.
ice water while you walk on stage for your irst-ever Traveling to new locales stimulates all the senses, caus-
concert solo. ing them to become more efectively retained in your
Touch connects us to the world, and our job is to memory. You can endlessly breathe in the cotton candy-
relect this connection in our writing. We can do this scented carnival you visited as a child. You can still smell
by bringing touch into every story we write. Employ a the hot blast of jet fuel that stung your nostrils as you
vocabulary of touch-related words such as brush, tickle, walked across the tarmac to your plane. hat was the trip
tap, slap, pinch, press, squeeze and twist. when you stepped into the musty world of an English
country village ater a rainfall. Or was it the exotic spices
The Savor of Taste of a souk in Tangiers that took you away? hink of your
travelsnear and farand let the essence of their smells
Taste is perhaps the most narrowly deined sense. he
guide your story.
Oxford English Dictionary suggests that taste is the
sensation of lavor perceived in the mouth and throat on
contact with a substance. his deinition brings succulent The Full Spectrum
images to mind: mint chocolate, sparkling wine, barbeque Weve discussed the ive sensessight, sound, touch,
steak, jalapeo peppers, eggnog and curry. Our taste buds taste and smelland how they add vitality to your life
pick up notes of bitterness, saltiness, sweetness and sour- stories. So how do you add these sensory details into
ness in everything we taste, and our personal preferences your writing?
dictate what tastes good and what doesnt. Sometimes it is as easy as setting everything aside for
hink back to your life experiences. What tastes do the moment. Take a long look at your surroundings right
you recall when you think about the time you visited now. Where are you? Do you have your own writing spot
a terribly expensive restaurant or when you sneaked a tucked away in an alcove? Are you perched at your usual
chocolate chip cookie out of the jar? Its important, too, spot in your kitchen? Perhaps you use a picnic table out
to move beyond your experiences of food. Can you still on your deck. What do you see? If you have a home oice,
taste the briny salt water as it spilled out of your mouth maybe you are surrounded by mahogany cabinets and
during that long-ago trip to the seashore? What about green ile folders. What do you hear? Is there a faint
the grit of sand on your lips? Or the taste of blood humming from your computer? Birds chirping at the
metallic and stalethat looded your mouth ater losing windowsill? What about touch? You feel the gentle tap-
your irst tooth? Taste memories will add lavor to your ping rhythm of your ingers lowing across the keyboard.
life story; use them abundantly. You grip the cofee mug beside you, the moist condensation
warming your ingers. You taste and smell a cappuccino
The Essence of Smell with dense foam and cinnamon that tantalizes your mind
Our world is the great incubator of smell. From it emerge and body, its aroma loating closer and closer to your lips.
the thousand scents of Mother Earth: the muskiness of Now, return to your work-in-progress ready to use
a primal forest, crisp mountain air and the acrid aroma every sense available. What do you see in your story?
of a desert gulch. Many of our most vivid memories are What sounds do you remember? Was the touch a memo-
of smell. he lush fragrance of bursting lilies can take us rable one? How so? How would you describe the taste
back to visits in Aunt Annies garden. he sizzling scent of of an expensive wine? What about the smell of a freshly
a summer barbecue can enhance a warm August evening. bathed newborn? Is it the shampoo, the baby powder?
he crisp tinge of burning autumn leaves is a harbinger of he ive senses add depth and sparkle to your words.
winter. Change is in the air, and we can sense it. Use them liberally. Spread them across your story like
When you describe your irst summer job in a restau- frosting. WW
rant, you relive the smells: chicken frying on the stoves,
breads baking in the ovens, fries sizzling in the vats, cof- Excerpted from Writing Your Legacy 2015 by Richard Campbell
fee wating in the still air. and Cheryl Svensson, with permission from Writers Digest Books.
Ideation
Incarnation
When it comes to freelance writing, ideas are currency. Follow these 14 strategies
to impress magazine editors with your well-crafted story pitches.
BY ZACHARY PETIT
O
n the irst day of my irst newspaper job, I Enterprise reporting. Basically it means that you
sat down at my desk and wondered what get of your ass, go out and ind a story. Once in a blue
the hell I should be doing. moon, good stories fall into your lap while youre sitting
I expected assignmentsyou know, the at a computer. he rest of the hunt is on you.
editor strolls over and says, Write this, or, Write that. So I went out. I saw a sign on the side of a quiet coun-
But as I sat there, I realized I wasnt getting any assign- try road on my way to the police station: WELCOME
ments. You can see my dilemma. I had to write something. HOME. It had military insignias. So I found the familys
hats why I was being paid the princely sum of $10 an phone number and I called them up. What I got from
hour. Sure, I had the police beat (at that time, it entailed them was an emotional and intense story that appeared
driving around to every local city and county station to in the paper the next day.
collect crime reports, accident reports and so on, and to And Ive been chasing things that could be interesting
look for anything that might tangibly make for a good puddles of words ever since. Its funny: Once you train your
story). But I didnt know what to write about. I went to mind to be on the hunt for stories, you eventually have
my editor, who gave me a curious sidelong glance. I asked many more than youll ever be able to write. I keep an idea
him what I should write about. He suggested I go over to a folder in my phone into which I jot everything and any-
local auto parts store because they had just expanded. thing, and a few persistent nuggets have been in there for
So I did. years. (Maybe one day Ill have time to write them.)
I wrote 200 words on it. But then I had to write some- Coming up with ideasgood ones, sustainable ones,
thing else. ones readers want and editors salivate overis no easy
I contacted an old professor and lamented my cause. task. But its not the hardest thing in the world, either.
Frankly, Im ashamed, he said. Once youve identiied a potential market to pitch to,
Why? I asked, stunned. the next thing to do is get to know it intimately. (hats
Because youre a reporter. Youre supposed to be out why it oten helps to pitch markets youre already familiar
enterprise reporting. Did you learn nothing in school? with and read regularly.) Read at least one copy of the
I 61
latest issue of your target market. If youre really serious, READ INDUSTRY BLOGS AND WEBSITES PERTAINING TO
read three. SPECIFIC NICHES. Especially in realms like the science
hen ask yourself: What would readers of this publi- world, there are oodles of sites that publish startling
cation want to read? Here are a number of exercises studies that nobody hears about until the right writer at
to get you started on your own ideation vacation and the right general-audience outlet inds them. Do some
generate some solid article ideas. interviews and broaden the language for a wider reader-
ship, and you might have a great piece on your hands.
CHANNEL YOUR EXPERTISE. What knowledge do you
possessor could you ind outthat nobody but you DONT SUPPRESS YOUR VOICE. Have a strong opinion
could? What do you do in your day job that would fas- about something? Write it down. If its persuasive
cinate people? What insight into a topic youre obsessed enough, theres a good chance itll see print.
with would a broader audience eat up? DONT GET CAUGHT IN THE PAST. Especially for newspa-
READ LARGE AND THINK SMALL. One easy trick of the pers and weekly markets, dont pitch recaps of past events
trade reporters use is to observe whats in the big national unless theyre still happening when the piece publishes
media and then localize it. What national concerns a concert review or a festival review, for instance. Editors
are afecting your own town? he inancial crisis was generally dont want them because they look dated and
in the national news at one paper I worked for, and we dont serve a reader well. Instead, consider previews. A
put together a great series on all the abandoned big-box simple formula Ive utilized time and again consists of
stores in town. Is the keeping of wild pets and the dangers looking at a calendar of upcoming events, identifying an
thereof trending in the media? (Did a guy just lose a toe to interesting happening, and then reaching out to the
his pet cheetah?) Find an exotic pet owner or vet in your organizer or media contact to ind someone with an
area and interview her. he key here is to cover your sub- interesting angle or backstory that would make good
ject in an honest and organic way that feels freshnot like fodder for a preview article of the event. (For example,
youre just riding the coattails of CNN. I wanted to write about an Appalachian festival that was
coming to town; the organizer pointed me to a fascinat-
THINK SMALL AND PITCH LARGE. Is a big story happening ing woman who had been photographing coal miners
in your neighborhood that a much wider audience would and whose work was to be featured at the fest.)
be interested in? Pitch it. It could turn into a news story
BUT DONT TOTALLY FORGET THE PAST. Ive always had a
in a major outlet. Or it could be a narrative feature
story in a magazine. heres a lot to be said for the writer thing for ilm and theater, and I get a kick out of covering
who can spot unexplored potential in a simple news those areas. Events that will be running for a while are
story and dig deeper to turn it into a full-ledged narrative. entirely fair game to coverassuming a publication
doesnt already have a regular critic assigned to the story.
Ater reading an amazing feature in Wired magazine
One good strategy is to reach out to the section editor in
about 10 years ago, I emailed the writer to ask how the
charge of those areas and ofer your services.
heck she came across such a crazy scoop. Her answer:
She saw a blurb about it in her local newspaper and CONSIDER HOLIDAYS. A cursory glance at the calendar
knew there had to be more to the story. can open up a wealth of ideas. Publications and websites
large and small are always seeking timely holiday coverage.
KEEP YOUR EAR TO THE GROUND. Sounds obvious, right?
Again, the key here is to ind a unique way into the topic
he diference between a writer and a normal person is that
and to avoid the same old tired story. Rather than writing
a normal person says Wow when they hear an amazing
about how Santa is going to be at the mall, why not inter-
story. We say Wow, too, and then our imaginations get to
view the Santa to ind out who he is as a person and what
work iguring out what else there might be to the story
makes him tick for a personality proile?
and if its something worth digging into and sharing with
a wider audience. his applies to any form of coverage CONSIDER ANNIVERSARIES. Dig into subjects that might
from a new restaurant coming to town to a career-making have an anniversary year coming up. Your local opera
news story about a corrupt politician. Building up contacts house? A favorite ilm? here are innumerable ways to
is key to getting the stories to come to you. cover anniversaries, from retrospectives to the where-are-
QUERYING MAGAZINE ARTICLES: A CHECKLIST
Copy and print (or, heaven forbid, tear out) the following, explains, whether directly or indirectly, how the
and make sure you tick everything off this list before story will benefit readers
hitting Send on that story pitch. includes a few concrete examples
includes a proposed word count
Before the query explains why youre the best person to write the
Read two to three copies of the publication, and piece (which could be any number of factors
know it well. Make sure its the right market for an expertise, a connection, a fantastic and fresh
your work and that you can envision your piece angle, etc.)
in it. includes a short, relevant bio
Browse the publications online archives includes links to clips (if you have them)
and those of its main competitorsto ensure has been edited, tightened and polished until,
they havent recently covered the topic frankly, you cant stand the sight of the thing.
youre proposing.
Find and study the publications submission After the query
guidelines, and follow them to a T. If you havent heard back, wait until the time frame
stated in the submission guidelines has elapsed,
The query itself and then send a quick, simple follow-up note.
Make sure it Regardless of whether you get accepted or
is not exceedingly longer than a page rejected, be polite and thank the editor for her
is written in Associated Press Style (or the publica- response. (After all, freelancing is all about building
tions preferred style), in flawless, sparkling prose relationships and not burning bridges, even with
has a short, punchy intro, like a logline curmudgeonly/surly editors.)
is to the point and focused like a laser on one idea Be sure to inquire about the publications
matches the general tone of the publication editorial calendar.
they-now approach. he history of objects and art pieces newspapers. (I once wrote a how-to about how to
merit books of their own because so much blood, sweat get pulled over, featuring advice from the cops.
and tears went into themand many have not been Unfortunately, I was a staf writer at the time, so it didnt
properly documented. help me pay for the speeding ticket that spurred the idea.)
HAUNT THE ARCHIVES. Many museums and city libraries KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR LOCAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS. Know
maintain exhaustive local archives that you can check out. someone who has published a book, done extraordinary
Some will require you to break out the microilm, and mission work, pulled of an amazing or bizarre feat, or
others (especially newspaper archives) will oten be digi- been named to one of those 20 Under 30 lists? hat
tally accessible through the librarys website. My advice: could be a local or national story.
Open the archives at random, and see what you ind. SEEK PASSION. As a inal point, in my experience, passion
is at the heart of every good story. Every event, every com-
CAPITALIZE ON YOUR STRUGGLES. Brainstorm the hurdles
munity happening, every initiative and every book has a
youve recently overcome. Did you just quit smoking in
wildly passionate person behind it who went to the oten-
an outside-the-box manner? Did you successfully over-
monumental task of putting it together. Find that person.
come installing a new door frame even though you have
If you can get him to open up, you just might have a hell of
practically no Mr. Fix-It skills? Dont let your wisdom
a story on your hands. WW
go to waste. Capitalize on it, and share it with others.
Endless publications publish how-tos, from expert Excerpted from The Essential Guide to Freelance Writing 2015
business-to-business outlets to consumer magazines and by Zachary Petit, with permission from Writers Digest Books.
I 63
Short Short Story
COMPETITION
To make a long story (really) short

You could win $3,000 and a trip to the
Writer s Digest Conference. Enter the
Short Short Story Competition and send
us your best story in 1,500 words or fewer.
Make it bold. Make it brilliant.

And dont forgetmake it brief!
Early-Bird Deadline: November 15, 2016

Short storyshorter deadline
Enter online at
writersdigest.com/competitions/short-short-story-competition
Fiction
Techniques
Give your story a solid foundationand hook readers from the
get-gousing these techniques for gripping dialogue, compelling
characters, powerful themes and more.
Write. Rewrite. When not writing or rewriting,

read. I know of no shortcuts. LARRY L. KING
I 65
F I CTION TECH N IQ U E S
Theme
Weavers
Theme is the thread that runs through your story.
Heres how to use key storytelling elementsimagery, dialogue,
voice and moreto stitch it in one scene at a time.
BY MARTHA ALDERSON & JORDAN ROSENFELD
H
ave you ever noticed that stories with In metaphor, a description is applied to a person or
strong overarching or underlying ideas object to which it is not literally applicable, as in this gem
resonate long ater the last page has been from Katherine Dunns novel Geek Love:
turned? hemes enhance the emotional
This fragile flammable heap is all thats left of my life.
impact on characters and readers alike, as well as
convey a feeling that the plot has greater purpose. Well-placed, carefully crated similes and metaphors
When we think theme, we tend to think in loaded can add profound depth to your work, conveying much
words such as loyalty, forgiveness and redemption. more than straightforward description.
But these are just touchstones that carry within them Perhaps youd like to avoid being overly sentimental
entire galaxies of subthemes and concepts that might about the fact that an abusive mother and her cowed
relate to the characters and events of your story. daughter have made peace. So in the background of a
Within loyalty, for instance, you may ind family, scene, in which they are having their irst cup of cofee
love, truth, honesty and so on. Within redemption together in years, you avoid the maudlin description of
you may ind threads of betrayal and life purpose. the mother clasping the daughters head to her breast and
While some writers know their storys theme long instead plant an image. You might write, for example:
before they set out to write, and others even compose Just beyond my mothers head, the moth that had been
each scene with an overarching thematic goal, many struggling in the spider web broke free and flitted like a
others are driven primarily by love of characters, white flag before perching to rest on the windowsill.
action or imagined worlds. Not until later in the
writing process do they examine what the story is he theme of forgiveness and letting go, as evidenced in
the white lag and the moth breaking free, will spill deli-
really about, and whether that important concept
cately into the readers subconscious.
could be further emphasized to hold the book together
more strongly.
Whether youre embarking on a irst drat or starting
a revision, here are some strategies for fully developing When theme comes in the
theme in your manuscript.
form of dialogue, it should be
Convey Theme Through memorable and potent, but
Powerful Imagery not heavy-handed. You want
Images are the most evocative way to draw the readers
it to feel organic to the story,
attention to the theme of a story in a subtle way. hey
are most useful when you want to point the reader to a and to reflect where your
theme without blatantly waving a banner that shrieks
Forgiveness and Redemption!
protagonist is in her journey.
At their most basic, powerful literary images are
dressed-up igures of speech. In simile, one thing Crating efective imagery is one of the best methods
is likened to another, thus becoming more tangible for delicately demonstrating themes that will resonate
through comparison, as in this example from Vladimir with your readers. When you create an image, you are
Nabokovs Lolita: painting a picturea visualin the readers mind. his
Elderly American ladies leaning on their canes listed is diferent from, say, dialogue, which is spoken into a
toward me like towers of Pisa. readers inner ear. An image could neatly be translated
I 67
to ilm. Images stick in a readers memory because they but then recalls it throughout the story as a kind of tal-
have symbolic potency, and are a wonderful method for isman, constantly reminding the reader that things may
steering clear of excessive exposition that tends to bog not be what they seem.
down a story. Here are some other ways to crat visuals In other stories, a simple itema journal, a ring, a
with words. mothers locketmay act as a symbol that plays power-
fully on the theme. When the object appears, the writer
Employ subtle symbolism. is pointing us toward thematic signiicance.
While images lean away from the literal toward the
poetic realm of analogy, symbols or talismans are actual Demonstrate an aspect of your character.
thingsobjects or, occasionally, peoplethat represent If you struggle with the urge to tell instead of show,
the meaning of your story and can be planted within it. imagery can help you break the habit. Rather than
Take, for example, Marisha Pessls dark thriller Night calling a character stubborn, you could write some-
Film. In it, the antagonist, Stanislas Cordova, is an thing like this:
occult ilmmaker who uses a very speciic shot of an The way he held his ground reminded me of my daddys
eye, in close-up, as his signature image in every ilm. fat black lab; he growled if you tried to take him for
Its described by an interviewer as sovereign, deadly, a walk and bared his yellow teeth if you so much as
perfect and represents the theme of evil the ilmmaker breathed near his food bowl.
seeks to explore in his movies. But it also works as a Yes, the visual is describing a dog, not your character, but
metaphor for the protagonists pursuit of evil, which the it does the trickthe two are now equated, merged in
interviewer believes resides in Cordova. he protago- the readers mind.
nist ruthlessly hunts the truth, while Cordova iercely
hides it behind a veil of symbolic imagery. When the Evoke emotion.
eye appears, were asked to remember that this is a book If your character or narrator is deeply in love, euphoric
about two very diferent versions of what can be seen or, conversely, in great pain or shock, you dont just
and known. Pessl plants it at the beginning of the novel, want your readers to know about the emotionyou
AT A GLANCE: DISCOVER YOUR STORYS THEMES

Go back through your manuscript and look for specic passion
themes that tie the story together. Try to nd story ele- loyalty.
ments and abstract meanings that have popped up in
Also explore the broad ideas your story themes touch
your story and are reected throughout. For example,
upon. This list might include the following:
you may nd one or several of the following themes:
hurt that comes with loss

justice
loss of innocence
honor
honesty the empowerment of women
acceptance living life with a sense of humor
alienation the power of friendship

duty overcoming all odds
responsibility love conquers all
freedom good versus evil
survival triumph over adversity
dignity man versus nature
self-respect man versus himself.
want them to feel it deeply. Simply saying something The tide this time of year washes hundreds of tiny
like It pained him to see his father so weak and sickly starfish up onto the beach. It leaves them stranded in
makes readers passive witnesses to the scene. Instead, salty constellations, a sandy galaxy within reach.
strive for imagery that will draw them in to become he image speaks powerfully to the complex nature of
emotionally invested. Consider, for instance, one relationships, as water is a common stand-in for emotion.
of these:
His fathers limbs looked tough and dry, like cords Build Theme Through Dialogue
of tanned leather his grandpa used to hang on and Narrative Voice
the porch.
Characters oten voice the theme early on in a succinct
In place of the barrel-chested mammoth of a man was a line of dialogue or narrative that resonates for the re-
frail specimen, like a pale, bald runt of the litter whose mainder of the story.
fate was to be drowned.
In Rene Denfelds novel he Enchanted, about people
he efect created by both alternatives gets the reader who live and interact with the death row inmates of a
closer to an emotional experience. prison, a character known simply as he Ladywho
interviews the death row inmates in an efort to save
Foreshadow future plot elements. them from executionstrikes up a friendship with
Imagine youve written a story in which someone is blud- he Priest. Ater discussing the fate of one particularly
geoned to death with a candlestick. You want to drop a tough death row inmate, she says to him:
hint to the reader about the manner of the persons death, There is too much pain in the world, thats
slipping a clue into the text to build suspense. You might the problem.
form an image that compares a candlestick to something Pain and beauty, and beauty in the pain. His
elsesomething benign, even, to delect the readers sus- voice is a whisper that strokes her.
picion. For example:
he novel churns with such thematic declarations as
The candle and its flame reminded him of a field of its characters grapple with what it means to be good
pink tulips, slender stems balancing improbably or evil, whether one can really ind beauty in sufering,
heavy heads. and whether redemption is possible for those who have
committed atrocities. his thematic signiicance is cru-
Focus the readers eye. cial to the fate of all the characters.
Employing a strong image is a powerful way to begin or In fact, the opening line is delivered in the narrative
end a scene. Imagery can stand in for a more dramatic voice of a death row inmate who lives deep in the bow-
epiphany or clihanger. Take this excerpt from the els of the old prison. He narrates:
opening of Janet Fitchs novel White Oleander:
This is an enchanted place. Others dont see it, but
The Santa Anas blew in hot from the desert, shriveling I do.
the last of the spring grass into whiskers of pale straw.
hats a surprising sentiment for a prisoner to feel about
Only the oleanders thrived, their delicate poisonous
blooms, their dagger green leaves.
his place of penance. Yet, from this moment on, Denfeld
leads us to understand the novels most important theme:
he narrators fate is very much linked to these poison- how people survive horror with their humanity intact.
ous blooms, so beginning with imagery of dagger green When theme comes in the form of dialogue, it
leaves and the sensory description of a hot, scorching should be memorable and potent, but not heavy-
wind is not only compelling and beautiful, but thematically handed. You want it to feel organic to the story, and
purposeful. We are made to understand from the get-go to relect where your protagonist is in her journey. So
that something deadly is about to unfold. if your theme is love conquers all, what piece of that
Similarly, you can end a scene on a haunting or statement is true for your character at the beginning?
powerful image, such as this one from Amy Hempels Maybe it shows up in the form of longing. You could
Tumble Home: write the following.
I 69
EXERCISE:
Exploring Thematic Implications

Write a 300-word piece including either a natural or man-made occurrenceor a disaster, if you prefer. Allow at
least one character to respond to it. Make the characters reaction signal a broader conflict, so that the reader can
see shes not only dealing with the literal event, but also with a more universal idea.
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If only I knew love, she told her friend, Id be power- successful you will become at building a story that
ful enough to do anything. echoes meaning long ater the reader has closed
Katherine Dunns darkly comic novel Geek Love, the cover.
about a failing family circus that resorts to extreme
measures to form a circus of freaks, also conveys the- Trace Theme Through Your Story
matic elements through dialogue. Oly, a hunchback
here are many approaches to help you identify your
albino dwarf who is not considered enough of a freak
theme. One easy, visual way to do itespecially if you
to be a big attraction, has grown up in a world where
already have a complete dratis to take a set of colored
being abnormal is preferable to being normal. As such,
she has a vastly diferent philosophy on the norms highlighters and go through your manuscript, highlight-
they encounter between shows. ing thematic elements that appear. hese elements can
manifest in the following ways:
I get glimpses of the horror of normalcy. Each of these
innocents on the street is engulfed by a terror of their SYMBOLS: objects, talismans and even people that
own ordinariness. They would do anything to be unique. represent an element, are metaphoric, and speak to
Heres an exchange between Oly and her grown the subconscious rather than directly
daughter, Miranda, who doesnt know that Oly is her ANALOGIES: comparing something or someone to
biological mother. Miranda starts the conversation with something else

a question. VISUAL IMAGES: descriptive visuals that employ all of
the senses
What Im asking is, am I crazy to have this liking for
my tail? You must have wished a million times to be
DIALOGUE: thematic elements that appear in
normal. characters conversations

No. NARRATIVE VOICE: thematic elements that appear in
No? the characters thoughts or observations (rather than
Ive wished I had two heads. Or that I was invisible. in dialogue).
Ive wished for a fishs tail instead of legs. Ive wished to
be more special. Read through each chapter in which your protago-
Not normal? nist appears, and highlight the items listed above.
Never! Ater you inish, use a separate sheet of paper to list
Dunn uses dialogue to ask, What is truly normal or each image you found. Try to do a few chapters at the
abnormal? leading readers to consider cultural standards. beginning, a few in each part of the middle, and a few
chapters at the end; you should see your subthemes
Identify Subthemes spring up again and again.
Once youve developed a substantial list, input the
hink of your theme as a large umbrella that covers themes into a spreadsheet. Soon you will start to see
many smaller subthemes beneath it. If your overarching
patterns emerge. Group your subthemes and then
theme is the power of love, then you could employ
carefully study your list to determine the umbrella
dozens of related concepts to make your point: the
theme that encapsulates them. Your story is likely
need for self-love before loving another; learning to
to have far more continuity than you were ever
recognize the diference between conditional and
unconditional love; love between parents and children; aware of.
romantic versus sexual love; and so on. In fact, you Before long you will realize that underlying ideas
may ind that youre more likely to identify subthemes tying your tale together have been there all along,
in your story irst, while it may take longer to igure bubbling beneath the surface. WW
out how these add up to a uniied overarching theme.
he more you practice using imagery and careful Excerpted from Writing Deep Scenes 2015 by Martha Alderson
dialogue to plant suggestions of theme, the more and Jordan Rosenfeld, with permission from Writers Digest Books.
I 71
Take Two
Tighten your grasp on these two simple tools, and youll be
equipped to fix any kink in your storys machinery.
BY ELIZABETH SIMS
W
hen I was little, my parents took me My two tools of choice? Arc and pace. hey are, in my
to see a working blacksmiths shop: opinion, a writers hammer and tongs. Neither is an ele-
stone forge, quarter-ton anvil and all. ment of iction, exactlyboth are typically employed to
I remember being practically blown describe aspects of a storybut they can be used as pow-
of my feet by the heat, the clangor, the supernatural erful implements by the skilled cratsperson.
orange glow of the steel, and the incredible forearms of Arc is the path your story follows, suggesting both
the smith himself. Just as memorable was the expres- change and the passage of time. Your plot events and
sion on his face: forceful yet relaxed, calculating yet character changes occur along your arc.
open. He drew a laming rod from the ire with his Lets begin by taking a look at a few examples that
tongs, lipped it around on the anvil and pounded demonstrate arc.
it with a hammer hor would have envied. hen he
winked at me. Story arc:
When we say someone is going at it hammer and War breaks out.
tongs, we mean shes working with great energy and Nation ights nation until one side wins.
determinationand being very productive. To be he people must cope with devastation, changed
sure, smiths use a variety of tools for welding, bending, borders and new alliances.
smoothing and inishingbut theyd be nowhere with- (War and Peace, Doctor Zhivago and countless others.)
out hammers and tongs. Sometimes two basic tools are
all you really need. Character arc:
It stands to reason that writers of iction can similarly A little girl, growing up comfortably in a small town,
beneit from focusing on the most powerful, reliable learns one summer that the world is not as safe as
devices in their writing arsenals. Especially when you shed thought.
need to ix a problem, its settling to know you dont have Grown-ups and children alike demonstrate how
to chase all over creation for solutions. ugly they can be, and how heroic.
By the end, the girl possesses a moral viewpoint that tendencies. A character can change from good to evil,
will serve her well for a lifetime. downtrodden to triumphant, proud to humble, smart
(To Kill a Mockingbird) to foolish. Dont hold back. Because so many stories,
even novel-length ones, are the story of a single character
Less broadly speaking, arcs can also occur on a scene or
or small group, if you focus on giving each character an
micro level (well get into that later).
arc, you cant go wrong; your story will rise as a result.
Pace is simply the rate of speed at which your plot
events unfold. Newer writers sometimes strive for a rat- PACE: his tool can also help with creating compelling
a-tat pace through a whole story, having been told that characters, in one very easy way: If your pace, overall,
slow scenes are a killer. But readers naturally expect a feels too slow, try eliminating your least important char-
storys pace to vary, and they demand to see, hear, feel acter (or maybe even a few of them). his will force you
and smell the details when its important. to cobble together and condense action and other char-
Lets look at four common story problems, and how to acters, and will provide an added beneit: he remaining
use arc and pace to ix them. characters will stand out all the more.
Conversely, if your story feels quicker than it should,
1. Unremarkable Characters your character mix might just be too simple. Remember:
Characters act on characters. Adding another player can
No one sets out to create characters who are stagnant, or
increase the complexity and depth of the rest.
who possess only one traitthe hero who unfailingly
makes the right decisions, the love interest who always
looks like a million bucks, the arrogant politician, the 2. Flabby Middles
wise street personbut weve all had moments where we Agents and editors love it when a manuscript grabs
realize thats exactly what weve done. them on Page 1. At about Page 50, however, they take a
ARC: his tool is your main friend in such situations. No deep breath and cross their ingersbecause too many
major character should be the same at the end of a story manuscripts start out with verve and imagination, then
as he was in the beginning. (Major is the keyword here: stumble and sputter. When the reader leafs through the
While it is possible to successfully write a character who middle to get to the endwell, thats not the kind of
doesnt changethe loyal, dumb friend, for instanceas page-turner youre aiming for.
a steady, amusing foil, especially in series novelsdont
overdo it.) Apart from any physical changes that might
have occurred (growing up, losing a leg in the war, etc.), Readers naturally expect a
the character must experience internal change: mental,
emotional, spiritual. storys pace to vary, and they
Achieve this by putting your characters in better demand to see, hear, feel
touch with their feelings. Let them feel, let them tell us
about it and let their feelings drive their choices. and smell the details when
One reason F. Scott Fitzgeralds Tender Is the Night
has become a classic is because his characters deeply
its important.
register the things that happen to them. Fitzgerald
lets us inside their heads and hearts. Dick Diver, for
If you could hug the middle of your story, you should
instance, seems on top of the world at the outset of the
be able to feel its bones easily. Your beginning and ending
storyhes liked, respected, accomplished. Over the
can be fatter and juicier.
course of the story he moves through emotional storm
ater emotional storm, until hes in the awful and all too PACE: Turn to this tool irst. Some middles are simply
believable state of being his own worst enemy. hat is too long and slow for the story they tell. Be bold with
one hell of an arc. your red pen and cut everything that is not integral to
You, too, can write tremendous character arcs by the story. A lengthy scene that serves mostly to establish
letting your characters play out their worst and best setting? Halve it or remove it altogether, and challenge
I 73
yourself to let us know more about the setting in other eyes to her threatening words, all the more compelling
ways. Exposition that helps clarify the exciting beginning, for being delivered quietly.
or sets us up for the thrilling inale? hrow it out, and
he jack handle licked hungrily back and forth in
igure out a way to let action deliver the information the
Mas hand
reader needs.
hey watched Pa, waiting for him to break into
ARC: Another way to improve your storys middle is to fury
make more things happen, which gives us more drama [Ma:] All we got is the family unbroke.
(read: arc). Write short, sharp, heart-clutching scenes
Apart from that scenes signiicant arc, the pace is per-
that propel your characters through conlict, adventure
fect. It is deliberate. Steinbeck simply could have written,
and resolution. Let your characters guide you.
But to the surprise of all, Ma refused to go, and she was
Give each pivotal scene in the middle section of
so forceful that Pa had to agree. A lesser writer might
your book its own arc. Consider this scene from John
have surmised that the pace of the story would have been
Steinbecks classic he Grapes of Wrath:
faster with that approach, because when a narrator sum-
A Dust Bowl familys car breaks down. marizes action it takes very little time to read and grasp.
he men decide to split up the group so some can Steinbeck, however, recognized the need to give such an
get to jobs in California quicker. important turning point all the detail and emotion nec-
he matriarch, who has never before threatened essary for maximum impact. he scene has its own arc of
her husband, grabs a jack handle and vows mayhem suspense (How will Pa react?), and thus speeds the pace
before shell let the family separate during this rather than slowing it.
uncertain journey. Punctuate your novels numerous quick scenes with
Her husband backs down. In minutes, the groups a few longer, deeper ones, and youll really look like you
power dynamic has shited drastically, and quite know what youre doing.
possibly forever.
First of all, and thankfully, Steinbecks narrator almost
3. Lame Love Scenes
never summarizes. He simply describes what happens in Many a novelist fades to black when it comes to anything
complete real-time scenes, one ater the other, steadily, beyond a kiss. heres nothing inherently wrong with
with no transitions. thatunless its from cowardice. If your sex scenes are
Second, Steinbeck gave that scene two whole pages awkward or missing, you can set yourself apart by writing
(in my tightly spaced paperback edition) of description, a compelling sex scene or two. (I dont think many of
argument, action and resolution. We get Ma in full, from us have missed the sales reports generated by the 50
her grasping of the improvised weapon to the look in her Shades titles.)
PACE: Dispense with the obvious and take your time
DOUBLE UP bringing out a few select speciics. Decelerate your pace
just long enough to give deep, intense detailand then
When youre evaluating a problem in a piece of
get out. Let your characters tell you about it. How do the
fictionwhether in a chapter or a whole noveltry
nerves on the back of her neck respond when he brushes
stepping away from a this-or-that approach. The old
his ingertips there? If you challenge yourself to come up
saying, You cant have it both ways, should not
with unusual similes and metaphors, youll more easily
apply to the creative process.
avoid cliches. Instead of calling him an Adonis, maybe
What if your protagonist could win and lose at the
she observes how he quirks his chin like an inquisitive
same time? What if the illegitimate heir turned out to
lion cub.
be twins? What if that scene doubled the pain your
hero was already in? What if that so-called minor ARC: A simple arc can instantly elevate a sex scene to
character had two arcs of her own? For fixing dead something that pushes your story along. Indeed, a
zones in fiction, try the power of two. declaration of love could be expected in the heat of
passionbut what if you have a character fall out of love
in such an intimate moment? Let a character do some But I didnt know it would be like this. I miss the
thinking while enjoying sexor while not enjoying sex, countryside most of allthe hills, Victor. Look, heres
or while pretending to enjoy sex. Whats going through a cute little farm for sale in Maine. Lets buy it and
his mind when she rests her head on his chest? A charac- live there.
ter can come to a decision about something, or suddenly Is that what you really want? All right.
become uncertain about something. An idea can dawn. You mean it?
A betrayal can be planned. Dont you understand? You know your mother
Always use a sex scene for more than the obvious; put wanted you to have the liberty of the West. And I
the scene to work for you. want to be with you. Dancing is secondary.
You do love me! I was afraid you brought me
4. Stilted Dialogue here just to make you famous. Never mind the coun-
tryside. Lets dance.
Oten dialogue doesnt work because the author
was afraid to move too fast. But iction, almost as
much as stage drama, relies on dialogue for vigor
and movement. Punctuate your novels
ARC AND PACE TOGETHER: Both, when injected into numerous quick scenes with
dialogue, can transform it from weak to strong. In
fact, a small dialogue exchange can have a micro-arc
a few longer, deeper ones, and
all its own: youll really look like you know
No, because I dont think you can keep a secret. what youre doing.
Oh, yes I can! Try me.
Here, the quick, blunt dialogue represents a fast-paced

Every line in this little example works to advance the
moment with deeper plot implications. Witness both
story. heres:
tools at work at once.
Consider this bit of basic dialogue, from a story set BACKGROUND INFORMATION: We learn why this
during the Cold War: couple is in New York.
New York fills me with joy. Freedom! Between my STORY ARC: Victors ofer to give up ballet
choreography and your dancing, were going to for Ludmilla.
knock the world off its axis. Balanchine, watch out. CHARACTER ARC: Ludmillas realization that Victor
Well, Im not all that glad. Life in Kiev wasnt so really loves her, which was, we see, the underlying
awful, compared with this. I mean, the crowds and issue all along.
the roaches, and all you hear about is the Beatles GOOD PACING: Its brisk, while leaving room for
and Liz and Dick either a scene change or a slowdown. hat leaves the
Ludmilla. You agreed to defect. Its not my fault door open for an opportunity to learn more about
you miss your mother. the pairs hopes and dreams.
You never liked my mother. Simply being conscious of pace and arc at every
We learn there is discord. OK. If the scene shited level of your story can lead you to ixes like this one.
and the conversation ended there, or stayed stuck And small ixes can lead to big success. Hear the thud
on that argument, we wouldnt have very much. But and clang of your hammer and tongs, see the sparks ly,
if we attend to arc and pace, we can move the story and be conident that you have what it takes to get the
ahead. In an argument, we get movement when job done. WW
somebody takes responsibility for something. What Elizabeth Sims (elizabethsims.com) is a novelist, writing coach and
if we added: editor. Her instructional title, Youve Got a Book in You: A Stress-
Free Guide to Writing the Book of Your Dreams (WD Books), is in its
That babushka never liked me, either! So what? fourth printing.
I 75
Write Yourself
Out of a
Corner
Fear not: Getting stuck can be the best way
to set your story free.
BY STEVEN JAMES
S
pend enough time around authors, especially And it was worth the wait.
those who espouse outlining, and youll hear Rather than being mapped out and predictable, the
the perennial warning, Be careful you dont story grew organically into something uniied, whole,
write yourself into a corner. and full of surprisesbut none of that would have hap-
On the surface it sounds like helpful advice, but one pened if I hadnt sought out that corner and attended to
day I realized that throughout my 19 years as a profes- the unfolding narrative as I worked on the story.
sional writer, some of my most intriguing ideas, most Corners arent as sinister as theyre made out to
mind-bending twists and most fascinating character be. Being stuck in one for a while can actually set your
traits came only ater Id written myself into a corner storyand your imaginationfree.
that I had no idea how to get out of. So now when I have
a work-in-progress, I look for ways to purposely write Narrow your focus and then widen
myself into corners and then use them to my advantage. your viewfinder.
Heres how you can, too.
When my daughters were in preschool, they loved it
Turn your corners into assets. when we inished a roll of paper towels. As soon as we
did, they would snag the empty cardboard tube and
No matter how experienced you are, it can be daunting run around the house staring through it as if it were a
to face apparent dead ends or seemingly insurmountable telescope, exploring the world they already knew so well.
obstacles in your writing projects. OK, I admit it. I did, too.
But that corner that seems so intimidating might be Of course, the tube didnt magnify anything; it simply
the best thing that can happen to your story. focused our attention on one thing at a time.
Forcing yourself into a place where you cant easily And with that focus, we found wonder in the ordinary,
discern where to take things will allow for twists that fascination with the familiar.
readers never see coming, stretch you as a writer, Many people think that the irst step to creativity is
increase reader engagement, help you avoid cookie- brainstorming. It isnt. hats the second step.
cutter stories, and add mystery and intrigue as readers Although it might sound counterintuitive, the irst step
try to igure out how all the plot threads are going to is limiting yourself. Once youve done that, once youve
come together. drawn lines to hem in your world, two things happen:
Recently, while writing my young adult thriller Fury, I First, you begin to truly notice what has been right in
knew that something traumatic had to have happened to front of you the whole time.
the protagonist when he was in a barn as a child. It needed Second, you free your mind to make connections that
to be something readers could never guess, but also some- you hadnt at irst realized were there.
thing that would be logical when it came to light. It was In one of the great paradoxes of creativity, theres
vital to the story. he entire plot pivoted on it. nothing as paralyzing as complete freedom. Being free to
But I had absolutely no idea what it was. write anything usually leads to an empty page.
Still, I kept working on the story, week ater week. For example, sometimes Ill give my writing students
Every day as I plugged forward on the manuscript an assignment to start writing a story right there and
I studied the plot walls that surrounded me, looking thenbut thats it. No boundaries to hem them in.
for (1) subtle connections between the story lines Well, ive minutes later, guess what?
that remained untapped, (2) underlying currents of Exactly. A good chunk of the students dont have
tension and desire, and (3) hidden relationships in the anything written down. hen Ill say, OK, write a story
characters backstories. about a pickle that doesnt want to be eaten. You have
Eventually, the answer emerged. ive minutes. Go.
I 77
Five minutes later everyone has something to share. Honestly, Im more interested in the fact that it works
So what fueled those stories the second time around? than in the reason why.
Limits, not freedom. And I use this knowledge to my advantage.
Only ater narrowing their focus down to a single You can, too.
character with a clear unmet desire did a story take When you reach a corner and youre not sure where
shape in their minds. to take things, print out your project and read it through
Try bringing the tube up to your eye and zeroing in from the beginning to climb into the all-important con-
on one aspect of your story, speciically dealing with text, jotting down notes and questions as you do.
the timing of plot events, the ripples each choice causes, I know, I knowsome people bristle at the idea of
or the escalation of internal, external or interpersonal printing out their work. It seems so retro, so, well, 20th
struggles. hen examine how that its within the broader century. Of course youll want to be prudent and environ-
context. Alternate eyeing the trees, then the forest, star- mentally conscious, but pulling out the old pen and paper
ing through the tube and then sliding it aside. can actually save time and resources in the long run as
Simply by changing your perspective, you can oten your stories take shape more quickly and succinctly.
pry open the lid to the next great ideaand what you
thought was a corner might actually be a window to an
Find the twist in what
entirely new story line.
youve already written.
Let context reveal its secrets to you. Readers love unexpected twists.
Not gimmicks.
Im amazed at how infrequently many writers print out
Not games.
what theyre working onespecially when they feel
Twists.
stymied or stalled in the project.
So, even as you look for ways to pull the rug out from
If you can compose at the keyboard, fantastic. But, for
whatever reason, most of us tend to notice mistakes and under your readers feet, youll have to play fair.
narrative interrelationships better, or at the very least differ- How? Point their expectations in one direction
ently, on a printed copy than we do on a computer screen. and then reveal that youve really been taking them in
Why? Well, Ive heard diferent theories about how another, entirely diferent direction, butand this is
humans learn and process information, but Im not sure essentialkeep it all believable as you do.
if anyone knows if its mainly tactile, visual or cognitive. Yes, theres an art to it, but theres also logic. A good
twist depends on (1) believability (readers need to buy
it), (2) surprise (they cant predict it), (3) inevitability (in
LETTING CONTEXT GUIDE YOU retrospect, it makes perfect sense) and (4) escalation (it
To explore the context of your story, ask: drives the story forward and provides an opportunity for
WHAT WOULD THIS CHARACTER NATURALLY DO even more tension and intrigue).
IN THIS SITUATION? Often, simply letting your When all four are present, the twist can surface.
character take a logical but unforeseen step in Without writing yourself into a corner, youll oten
pursuit of his unmet desire will help you navi- end up defaulting to a more obvious plotline that astute
gate out of the corner. readers can anticipate. And if they guess your twist,
WHAT PROMISES HAVE I MADE EARLIER THAT theyll end up disappointed in the story.
NEED TO BE FULFILLED? Let what youve written Instead, aim to crat scenes that are believable and
inform what youre writing. Provide payoff for surprising and inevitable and escalatory.
the promises youve made. Ater writing your way into the corner, examine the
HOW DO THE STORY WORLD AND THE ARC OF walls for hidden bookshelves and secret passages. Ask
CONFLICT INFORM WHERE THIS STORY NEEDS (1) How could I move forward in a way no one would
TO GO? Let both the setting and the struggles expect? (2) What changes will I need to make earlier
affect the characters choices and actions. in the manuscript to ascertain that this twist remains
believable and inevitable? and (3) How can I thread
more tension, intrigue and escalation into this scene by But the forensics team had to look for evidence in that
going in a direction readers wont foresee? house. It was natural that they would, believable, inevitable.
he more impossible the corner appears to be to get Unless
out of, the better. Let your characters try to solve things here was no house.
and come up short. Mention every possible solution you Huh.
can think of, then discard them all, until that inal just Yeah. Maybe I could just set it on ire (or, more spe-
right idea locks into place. ciically, let the bad guys do it for me).
And no cheating.
Play fair with your readers expectations and emotions.
Oten the secret to your twist lies in the subtle threads
of what youve already written and the believability of
Simply by changing your
where you can take things from there. So dont try to perspective, you can often pry
back your way out of a cornertry to twist your way
out. Rather than looking at what youve written as set in
open the lid to the next great
stone, think of it as being malleable. ideaand what you thought
Writing a story is a luid process. Its more than
plugging plot elements and character traits into a pre- was a corner might actually be
ordained template. It oten requires going back through a window to an entirely new
what youve written to plant clues, insert red herrings
and add character traits that youve realized will be sig- story line.
niicant later on in the story. Remember: Coincidences
kill believability. he way to remove them is to fore-
shadow them. hat would inject more drama and tension and make
For example, early in the story show that your pro- the evidence-gathering moot.
tagonist is an expert swimmer, keeps a shotgun under Yes, there are times to elegantly write yourself out of
her mattress, has two pet tarantulas named Louie and a corner and times to search for that hidden passageway
Bernice, or knows how to use an abacus. hen later when out of the room, but there are also times to just take a
those skills, tools or abilities (or tarantulas) are needed, sledgehammer to the wall in front of you.
itll be believable when she uses them to get out of the Sometimes the conspicuous solution, the one staring
dilemmas she faces. you right in the face, is the hardest of all to notice until
you step back from your work, take a break and open
your eyes to the obvious.
Know when to bring out
Ask if its really a corner thats hemming you in, or if
the sledgehammer. youve hemmed yourself in by not being a bold and auda-
Recently, I was working on a novel in which an intense cious enough storyteller.
chase scene occurs in the middle of the book. Two
To summarize: Look at things from a fresh perspective.
people whove been abducted are dramatically rescued.
Let the context whisper its secrets to you. Insert twists,
However, in the atermath, the crime scene investi-
brainstorm secret tunnels, remove coincidences, and
gators would need to spend time analyzing the house
look for hints of escape routes by studying where the
where the two victims were found, looking for forensic
story has already been.
evidence, processing the scene, and so on, all of which
Do this, and youll ind thrilling discoveries waiting
would slow down the pace and stall out the story at a
for youboth in those undervalued corners and beyond
place where I needed to drive the tension forward.
them. WW
Call it a corner or a roadblock; I just know it was a
barrier I couldnt igure out how to navigate past.
Steven James is the critically acclaimed author of 14 novels.
So, I went for a run to clear my head, and while I was
He has a masters degree in storytelling, has taught writing and
on the trail I kept thinking of how much easier things creative storytelling on four continents, and is a contributing editor
would be if I didnt need to do any of that. to Writer's Digest.
I 79
Now Youre
Talking
Strong dialogue is a key component of any engaging novel. Heres how to pen
conversations that will have readers hanging on your every word.
BY ELIZABETH SIMS
D
ialogue is a huge component of good writing. memorable event. hose things are like gold nuggets in
Because iction or noniction, no matter what the ine gravel of a miners pan. he words and phrases
you write, youre going to write stuf that that make your ears perk up, make you laugh out loud,
somebody said. he more convincingly you make you cry, or make you seethe with anger are dialogue
do it, the more you will awaken your readers heartbrains goldkeep an ear out for anything that makes you feel.
(their whole, deepest selves) and bind them to yours. he gravel you sit out of your pan is the brainless
More than anything, I want to help you understand dreck that people say and forget. Its our job to pan for
dialogue so that you can begin to think about it as the the gold.
best writers doas a component of writing thats alive
and totally your servant. Listen Up
First of, lets get in the mood.
Real people dont speak words alone. hey use tone and
cadence to get meaning across.
Understand the Paradox he word oh, for instance, is endlessly lexible.
You want to write conversations that come across as real. Consider:
But have you noticed that actual speech falls lat when its Oh, he grunted.
transcribed onto the page? Oh! Cassie couldnt believe her luck. Oh!
Heres an example. All at once he understood. Ohh.
SHE: Did you remember to pick up milk? Because Chris You can see the diference on the page so clearly you can
had his friends over and they almost hear it. Notice that here we combined the word
HE: Yeah. with punctuation and narrative to add context to the
SHE: and like I said on the phone Im going to make
dialogue and achieve diferent efects.
pudding, and I need four cups for the recipe.
In plays, youll see dialogue that might read awk-
HE: Yeah.
wardly but comes to magical life in the mouths of actors
SHE: Yeah you got it?
and actresses.
HE: I put it in the fridge.
SHE: What?
Not long ago when I read a play by the talented
HE: In the fridge.
Martin McDonagh, he Beauty Queen of Leenane, I kept
SHE: Im sorry, I didnt hear you. noticing the word so at the end of characters lines, and I
HE: Its OK. Is anything the matter? thought, I guess thats an Irish-ism. hat may be true, but
SHE: No. Everythings fine. sometime later I also started catching myself doing it
HE: I have to get ready for bowling. as in, I already ate, so he trailing of actually has a
SHE: I think Chris is getting less allergic to sesame seeds. precise unspoken meaning: So I wont go along to lunch
He ate a McDonalds bun in the car with Anders and his with you guys.
mom, and he was fine. When I heard myself say that, a bell was ringing in
HE: Still, I wouldnt feed them to him because my head, and I remembered that play and suddenly
SHE: Im not. I totally agree. understood something McDonagh already knew about
HE: Im gonna eat, then I gotta get out of here
realistic dialogue.
about seven.
Tennessee Williams, too, was a master of dialogue.
Fascinated yet? Me neither. Heres an excerpt from Cat on a Hot Tin Roof:
MAGGIE: One of those no-neck monsters hit me with a
he sad truth is that most of what people say is
hot buttered biscuit so I have tchange!
really boring!
(Water turns off and Brick calls out to her, but is
Why? Because our lives are not like novels or movies.
still unseen )
Most speech is self-referential, repetitive, unnecessary BRICK: Whad you say, Maggie? Water was on sloud I
and mundane. couldnt hearya
Even so, theres gold in it. Real people say unique, MAGGIE: Well, I !just remarked that !one of the no-
remarkable things, especially when theyre talking about neck monsters messed up m lovely lace dress so I got
something they feel strongly about, or perhaps about a t cha-a-ange
I 81
BRICK: Why dya call Goopers kiddies no- a hotel restaurant. You could always count on Leo to
neck monsters? have his violin, and he would always serenade with his
MAGGIE: Because theyve got no necks! Isnt that a good little gypsy songs, just wandering around, just this little
enough reason? infectious smile, who could resist thatjust serenading
BRICK: Dont they have any necks? everybody, kind of a little bit out of tune and then oh,
MAGGIE: None visible. Their fat little heads are set on he would serenade us when we were in the airport when
their fat little bodies without a bit of connection. we were sitting waiting, he would serenade us at the
BRICK: Thats too bad. airport and also hotel lobbies while we were waiting for
MAGGIE: Yes, its too bad because you cant wring the luggage to be packed up. Out of sheer nothing else
their necks if theyve got no necks to wring! Isnt that to do, hed try to cheer our spirits up, keep us preoccu-
right, honey? pied. Anywhere, you could count on it.
Every word you write must serve a purpose, whether A piece of gold from this excerpt is the phrase, Out of
to move the action forward or to develop a person. sheer nothing else to do. Its so real, so informal. I might
Dialogue, unlike every other aspect of our crat, is an someday have a character say, Out of sheer nothing else
opportunity to do both at the same time. Never is this to do, or not. If that cellist had written her memories
more clearly revealed than in reading playsan excellent of Leo Sunny, I guarantee you she wouldnt have written,
practice for any sort of writer. Out of sheer nothing else to do, she would have written
something more formal. Shed probably have let it out
Tune In altogether. Which would be a lossand which is why
oral histories are so rich.
People talk for diferent reasons. hey might talk in Another piece of gold in here is kind of a little bit
order to: out of tune. Informal, kinda funky, totally real.
communicate neutral information If you ever have the chance to do an oral history
give warning project, jump at it. If you ask people questions and
demand let them talk into your microphone and you tran-
complain scribe it, you will learn tons about natural speech.
manipulate Unfortunately, while speech-to-text programs are free-
grieve ing writers from the task of transcribing, the same
process stuf programs are robbing writers of the highly educational
keep from thinking or feeling duty of transcribing.
keep from listening If youre doing a noniction book, consider recording
express hurt some interviews for it. You can even interview yourself!
ill silence Youll get real words you can use.
declare love As you develop your ear and eye for natural speech,
boast youll sort through the gravel and youll immediately
lie. pick out the gold, and youll use itnot necessarily word
for word (though you could), but to grow your sense of
he following is an example of a miners pan that has how people talk.
at least one gold nugget in it. his is an exact excerpt You can also read oral histories: I recommend Studs
from an interview I did while putting together an oral Terkels Working, which is especially good for develop-
history project for a symphony orchestra I was a member ing your ear. he transcripts from 911 calls, accessible
of a few years ago. (Wait, what exactly is an oral history? online, are also instructive reading, if you can handle
Simply, the spoken memories of a person or persons, them emotionally. Youll see the variety in how people
recorded. he recording could stand on its own as an talk under life-and-death stress: In some, the emotion
audio version, or it can be transcribed into written comes through, and others are almost eerily calm.
form.) he speaker is a female musician. A cellist, in fact. As a writer, you should also develop sensitivity
I remember Leo Sunny, when we were in France, on a to ambient speech, which is the speech that goes
symphony tour, and we were sitting in this restaurant, on around you, not necessarily involving you.
How exactly do you develop sensitivity to ambient LOOK FOR CONTEXT. heres always a bigger picture. Let
speech? Eavesdrop! yourself draw commonsense inferences. Yes, that young
Its simple: man looks like hes trying very hard to be conident.
he mother, look at her, shes scared, but she knows the
WATCH FOR OPPORTUNITIES. First, be very aware of your
Army might be the best place for this kid. Why? Maybe
environment, not merely as it relates to you. When
because hes got lousy posture and a potbelly and this
something interesting starts to happen, dont turn away town has a 25 percent unemployment rate. Might be
out of politeness; get closer. Be a good witness. the best thing.
LISTEN: Next, tune in to the speech around you and And that could be a story idea right there.
simply listen, really listen. Cofee shops are the cliche Reality TV is good for learning dialogue (if you
place to eavesdrop, but theres good reason for it. Oten can stand it). I got a good line from a reality-type
two people who havent seen each other in a long time program on bad drivers: When my husband George
meet at a cofee shop and talk their heads of, or two is in the car, he becomes very argumental. Cant
people with something important to discuss will go to you just hear her talking about her kids and the new
Diamonique anniversary band that she guilt-tripped
a cofee shop.
George into buying her last month? Cant you imagine
For about a year, I did a lot of writing at a particular
her throwing together a tuna casserole while talking
Starbucks in my town. Once in a while I would see a
to her sister on the phone about the sisters latest bout
certain type of couple: a young man sitting drinking
with Crohns disease?
cofee with a much older woman. heir conversations
were quiet and exceptionally intense. And I saw this
over and over, with a diferent young guy and older
woman every time. Real people say unique,
And I started to wonder about it. And I started to
unremarkable things,
quietly, stealthily eavesdrop. I started to look at the
bigger picture, and I realized that that cofee shop hap- especially when they're
pened to be a few doors down from an armed forces
talking about something
recruitment center.
And I realized that these young men and their they feel strongly about, or
mothers had just been to the recruitment center. And perhaps a memorable event.
they came out and saw the Starbucks and decided to
come here and talk it over. Those things are like gold
he faces I saw and the conversations I overheard nuggets in the fine gravel of
were too intimate to recount here, but they informed
me as a writer. I havent yet used a conversation like a miner's pan.
that in one of my books, but all of it is inside me some-
where. It adds to my experience as a person and as a
writer. Being a good listener, being a sponge, will help Documentaries are good, too, the ones where ordinary
you tremendously as a writer, too. people are allowed to talk at length. Im a fan of Michael
Practicing being sensitive to the human interactions Apteds social documentary series (7 Up, 14 Up, etc.).
around you is what you need to do. As you listen to conversations, youll realize that dia-
logue consists of two things: content (that is, the words
MAKE NOTES: his is huge. How many times have you theyre using) and delivery.
heard something imperishable, but when it came time Here is a key point for writers: One is as important as
to recount it, all you could do was weakly paraphrase? the other.
Keep paper and pen handy at all times. Its tremen- As you listen, focus on how theyre saying it. Developing
dously helpful to scribble down the pieces of dialogue your ear for actual speech will let you use the vernacular
you hear. for your own purposes.
I 83
Establishing Anger
Have you ever felt betrayed? Or betrayed someone else? Write a scene of dialogue where one person confronts
another about the betrayal, from the betrayers point of view.
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Study Vernacular Huck, does you reckn wes gwyne to run acrost any mo
kings on dis trip?
Vernacular is a fancy word for the everyday speech of a
No, I says, I reckon not.
region or group.
My neighbor told me the other day that he had once Modern readers dont have much patience for dialect,
again picked up he Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by so my baseline advice is minimize it if you need to use
Mark Twain, and he was going to read it if it killed him. it at all. Furthermore, todays audiences are extremely
Why was he having such a hard time with it? he dialect, sensitive to stereotyping (as they should be), so this can
of course. Twain was totally faithful to the regional vernac- be a tricky area for authors.
ular, both white and black, of the old South, and it requires If you do decide to use dialect, sprinkle little bits of
a bit of work to make your way through it. Once you get the it here and there to suggest it and let the reader use her
feel for it, though, you can generally settle in and enjoy it. imagination to ill in the picture.
Now rewrite the scene from the viewpoint of the character who was betrayed. When youre finished, compare
the two scenes side-by-side.
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Ah! Heres our Cockney friend to illustrate: hat example has two words that were changed, to
indicate a Brooklyn or a Boston accent. You could
Glad to elp, govner, its the first house on the right.
probably get away with just one and still be successful.
versus
Glad to elp, govnr, its the first aouse on the royt. Use your best judgment, and remember, less is better
when it comes to accents and dialect.
Cockney is a variation of British English. he second Your chief goal as a writer of dialogue is to absorb the
example is actually more accurate than the irst, but it way people talk and make it your servant. WW
gets to be a litle much ater a woyle.
Heres an example of a common American accent:
Elizabeth, your cah has to be moved. You cant pahk on Excerpted from Youve Got a Book in You 2013 by Elizabeth
the street overnight. Sims, with permission from Writers Digest Books.
I 85
Crafting
Conundrums The secret to page-turning fiction?

Stick your characters between a rock and a hard place.
BY STEVEN JAMES
M
ost iction authors have heard that having So, ind two things that your character is dedicated to
our characters face difficult decisions will and then make him choose between them. Look for ways
improve our stories. to use his two desires to force him into doing something
And its true. he doesnt want to do.
It does. For instance, a Mennonite pastors daughter is killed
Judging from the runaway success of moral dilemma- by a drunk driver. When the man is released on a tech-
driven stories such as Kathryn Stocketts he Help (Is it nicality, does the minister forgive him (and what would
worth putting yourself at great personal risk to contrib- that even look like?) or does he take justice into his own
ute to something that could change the world for the hands? In this case, his (1) paciist beliefs are in conlict
better?) and Chris Cleaves Little Bee (How much would with his (2) desire for justice. What does he do?
youshould yousacriice to save a complete stranger?) Good question.
theres little doubt that characters who are facing hard Good tension.
choices compel readers to turn pages. But how do we do Good drama.
that? What are the secrets to weaving believable moral Another example: Your protagonist believes (1) that
predicaments into our stories? cultures should be allowed to deine their own sub-
Here are ive keys to creating gripping quandaries that jective moralities, but also (2) that women should be
will enthrall your readers. treated with the same dignity and respect as men. She
cant stand the thought of women being oppressed by
Key #1: Give your character the cultures of certain countries, but she also feels its
dueling desires. wrong to impose her values on someone else. When she
is transplanted to one of those countries, then, what
Before our characters can face difficult moral decisions,
does she do?
we need to give them beliefs that matter: he assassin
Construct situations in which your characters equally
has his own moral code not to harm women or children,
strong convictions are in opposition to each other, and
the missionary would rather die than renounce his faith,
you will create occasions for thorny moral choices.
the father would sacriice everything to pay the ransom
to save his daughter.
A character without an attitude, without a spine, with- Key #2: Put your characters
out convictions, is one who will be hard for readers to convictions to the test.
cheer for and easy for them to forget. We dont usually think of it this way, but in a very real
So, to create an intriguing character facing meaning- sense, to bribe someone is to pay him to go against his
ful and difficult choices, give her two equally strong beliefs; to extort someone is to threaten him unless he
convictions that can be placed in opposition to each other. goes against them.
For example: A woman wants (1) peace in her home For example:
and (2) openness between her and her husband. So,
when she begins to suspect that hes cheating on her, How much would you have to pay the vegan animal
shell struggle with trying to decide whether or not to rights activist to eat a steak (bribery)? Or, how
confront him about it. If she only wanted peace she would you need to threaten her in order to coerce
could ignore the problem; if she only wanted openness her into doing it (extortion)?
she would bring it up regardless of the results. But her What would it cost to get the loving, dedicated cou-
dueling desires wont allow her such a simple solution. ple to agree never to see each other again (bribery)?
hat creates tension. Or, how would you need to threaten them to get
And tension drives a story forward. them to do so (extortion)?
I 87
Guess what?
3 WAYS TO FORCE THE ISSUE hats the exact opposite of what needs to happen in
order for our iction to be compelling.
1. Make characters choose between Whats the worst thing you can think of happening to
two bad things: your character, contextually, within this story? Now, chal-
Your hero must decide between letting two lenge yourselftry to think of something else just as bad,
guilty people go free or imprisoning one inno- and force your character to decide between the two.
cent person for life. What does she do? Why? Plumb the depths of your characters convictions by
A woman is giving birth and your protagonist is asking, How far will s/he go to ? and What would it
the only person there to help. He can save only take for ?
one: the mother or the baby. Which does he
(1) How far will Frank go to protect the one he loves?
choose? Why?
(2) What would it take for him to stand by and watch
the one he loves die when he has the power to
2. Make them give up a good thing: save her?
Happiness or freedom? Her choice: She can
(1) How far will Angie go to ind freedom?
live in a virtual world where her every desire
(2) What would it take for her to choose to be
is fullledwhere she will never grow old, buried alive?
never suffer, never dieor she can live in the (1) How far will Detective Rodriguez go to
real world and be free but face suffering and pursue justice?
eventual death. She can have either happiness (2) What would it take for him to commit perjury
(without freedom) or freedom (without happi- and send an innocent person to death row?
ness). What does she choose? Why?
Comfort or truth? His choice: He can either live Ask yourself: What does my character believe in? What
with the illusion that hes loved, or nd out the priorities does she have? What prejudices does she need to
truth, even though it might hurt. What would he
overcome? hen, put her convictions to the ultimate test to
prefer? Why?
make her truest desires and priorities come to the surface.
3. Make them draw the line: Key #3: Force your character
What factors determine if someone is a freedom into a corner.
ghter or a terrorist? A traitor or a whistle- Dont give him an easy out. Dont give him any wiggle
blower? Greedy or simply ambitious? room. Force him to make a choice, to act. He cannot
At what point are we responsible for our abstain. Take him through the process of dilemma,
choices? When should kids or teenagers be choice, action and consequence:
tried by our justice system as adults? What
(1) Something that matters must be at stake.
would it take to make the punishments meted (2) heres no easy solution, no easy way out.
out truly t the crime? (3) Your character must make a choice. He must act.
(4) hat choice deepens the tension and propels the
What would you need to pay the pregnant teenage story forward.
Catholic girl to convince her to have an abortion (5) he character must live with the consequences of
(bribery)? What threat could you use to get her to his decisions and actions.
do it (extortion)?
If theres an easy solution theres no true moral
Look for ways to bribe and extort your characters. dilemma. Dont make one of the choices the lesser of two
Dont be easy on them. As writers we sometimes care evils; ater all, if one is lesser, it makes the decision easier.
about our characters so much that we dont want them to For example, say youve taken the suggestion in the
sufer. As a result we might shy away from putting them irst key above and forced your character to choose
into difficult situations. between honoring equal obligations. He could be caught
between loyalty to two parties, or perhaps be torn should she tell him what happened and shatter him
between his family obligations and his job responsibili- and perhaps lose himor keep the truth hidden?
ties. Now, raise the stakeshis marriage is at risk and so
is his job, but he cant save them both. What does he do?
he more imminent you make the choice and the
higher the stakes that decision carries, the sharper the
Delve into those gray areas.
dramatic tension and the greater your readers emotional Avoid questions that elicit a
engagement. To achieve this, ask What if? and the
questions that naturally follow:
yes or no answer.
What if she knows being with the man she loves will
cause him to lose his career? How much of her lovers Fantasy, myth and science iction are good venues for
happiness is she willing to sacriice to be with him? exploring issues of consciousness, humanity and morality:
What if an attorney inds herself defending someone How self-aware does something need to be (an animal, a
she knows is guilty? What does she do? What if that computer, an unborn baby) before it should be aforded
person is her best friend? the same rights as fully developed humans? At what point
What if your character has to choose between killing does destroying an AI computer become murder? Do we
himself or being forced to watch a friend die? really have free will or are our choices determined by our
genetic makeup and environmental cues?
Again, make your character reevaluate his beliefs,
question his assumptions and justify his choices. Ask
Key #5: Look for the third way.
yourself: How is he going to get out of this? What will he
have to give up (something precious) or take upon him- You want your readers to be thinking, I have no idea how
self (something painful) in the process? this is going to play out. And then, when they see where
Explore those slippery slopes. Delve into those gray things go, you want them to be satisied.
areas. Avoid questions that elicit a yes or no answer, such heres a story in the Bible about a time religious
as: Is killing the innocent ever justiied? Instead, frame leaders caught a woman committing adultery and
the question in a way that forces you to take things brought her to Jesus. In those days, in that culture,
deeper: When is killing the innocent justiied? Rather adultery was an ofense that was punishable by death.
than, Does the end justify the means? ask, When does he men asked Jesus what they should do with this
the end justify the means? woman. Now, if Jesus had told them to simply let her go
free he would have been contravening the law; if, how-
Key #4: Let the dilemmas grow from ever, he told them to put her to death, he would have
undermined his message of forgiveness and mercy.
the genre.
It seemed like a pretty good trap, until he said, Whoever
Examine your genre and allow it to inluence the choices is without sin among you, let him cast the irst stone.
your character must face. For instance, crime stories Nicely done.
naturally lend themselves to exploring issues of justice I call this inding the hird Way. Its a solution thats
and injustice: At what point do revenge and justice con- consistent with the characters attitude, beliefs and pri-
verge? What does that require of this character? When is orities, while also being logical and surprising.
preemptive justice really injustice? We want the solutions that our heroes come up with
Love, romance and relationship stories oten deal to be unexpected and inevitable.
with themes of faithfulness and betrayal: When is it bet- Present yours with a seemingly impossible conundrum.
ter to hide the truth than to share it? How far can you And then help him ind the hird Way out. WW
shade the truth before it becomes a lie? When do you
Steven James is the critically acclaimed author of 14 novels.
tell someone a secret that would hurt him? For example,
He has a masters degree in storytelling, has taught writing and
your protagonist, a young bride-to-be, has a one-night creative storytelling on four continents, and is a contributing editor
stand. She feels terrible because she loves her ianc, but to Writer's Digest.
I 89
GET
DIGITALLY!
Character
Evolution
If your protagonist doesnt move forward, neither will your story.
These key moments of insight will challenge your character to change and grow.
BY DAVID CORBETT
I
n Jim Harrisons novella he Man Who Gave Up His hatchet man to a short-order cook in the Florida Keys,
Name (which appears in his book Legends of the happily dancing alone ater-hours to the jukebox.
Fall), the narrator remarks: he most vexing thing his transformation has two key elements:
in the life of a man who wishes to change is the 1. An insight.
improbability of change. 2. A decision.
Nordstrom, the protagonist, sufers this insight ater Simple, yes? If only. Harrison had his ingers on
his daughter, whom he adores, declares with the ter- something subtle and signiicant: Change is a difficult,
rifying intensity of a 16-year-old that hes a cold ish. mysterious business, not just in life but on the page.
Worse, he realizes shes right. As an edge of panic
comes over him, he asks: What if what Ive been doing The Major Types of Change
all my life is totally wrong?
Legendary science iction writer Robert A. Heinlein
his terrifying recognition keeps him awake until
maintained there were only three basic plot structures,
dawn, creating what some writers refer to as a Dark
because plot arises from character, and there are only
Night of the Soul. As daylight breaks, despite the fact
three ways people change:
there is nothing particularly undesirable or repellent in
his lifeonly a certain lack of volume and intensity 1. BOY MEETS GIRL: he character changes because of
he decides he wants to escape into the world rather than the inluence of another charactera lover, a men-
from it. he changes come gradually, like a slow-acting tor, a child, a friend. he prototype is Beauty and
poison, but by storys end hes evolved from a corporate the Beast, where the Beast is transformed due to
I 91
Beautys loving acceptance. (In a darker vein, con- desire to be healthy and whole. To avoid pain, however,
sider Josef von Sternbergs he Blue Angel.) we must avoid risk, and some risk is required to attain
2. THE LITTLE TAILOR: he character changes because most of the rewarding challenges and adventures of life.
events oblige him to unearth from within hidden In particular, wounds we (and our characters) have
powers, insights or traits he didnt realize he pos- sufered in the pastphysical injury, humiliation, aban-
sessed. he archetype for this type of story is the donment, betrayalmisshape our personalities, forcing
Brothers Grimm fairy tale he Brave Little Tailor, us to avoid relationships (or seek out only safe ones),
where a modest tailor, faced with a series of trials hide our secrets, disguise our vulnerabilities, suppress
(including battles with giants and a devious king) our wants, and otherwise act normal.
has to tap into a deep reservoir of cleverness of
which he had no previous inkling.
3. MAN LEARNS BETTER: Here the characters sense
of himself or the world is changed due to what he
Human beings are inherently
undergoes in the course of the story. he tale of divided by conflicting,
King Midas is the prototype, where the king begins
with an insatiable desire for gold, only to see it
irreconcilable desires: the
destroy the thing he realizes too late he truly loves: desire to avoid pain, and the
his daughter.
desire to be healthy and whole.
hese categories have been criticized for not being
mutually exclusive, and one can waste hours on debates
of that sort. For our purposes, they provide a useful if But beneath all this emotional scar tissue and fakery,
imperfect paradigm. Following up on our earlier obser- the human spirit retains its inclination toward openness,
vation that each transformation necessitates an insight trust, generosity, commitmentlove, courage and truth
and a decision: and an understanding that without these qualities our
BOY MEETS GIRL: he character realizes that the
lives are lacking.
other character holds the key to fulillment (insight), Call it the battle between conscious and unconscious,
and has to choose whether or not to commit fully to innocence and experience, faith and cynicismit assumes
the bond between them (decision). many forms, but at heart its a conlict between a protec-
THE LITTLE TAILOR: he character realizes that, with- tive mask and a deeper, more honest, more loving, more
out manifesting some neglected aspect of his own courageous self.
naturespeciically some power or virtuehe To dramatize a characters change, you must under-
will be destroyed (insight). Either he taps into that stand both the surface level of desire the protective
nature or faces defeat (decision). mask permitslike the lack of volume and intensity
MAN LEARNS BETTER: he character recognizes both Nordstroms life as a cold ish permits in he Man Who
the error in his thinking and its disastrous conse- Gave Up His Nameand the deeper, more vulnerable
quences (insight), and chooses to alter his course or longing the mask disguises.
accept those consequences (decision). When we meet Nordstrom, he believes a stoic faith
in the simple grace of capitalism can assure a gratifying
life. Likewise, Beast believes his isolation will spare him
A State of Lack emotional pain. he Little Tailor believes his humble life
Personal change means movement from one state of will spare him the terrors of fate. Midas believes he can
understanding and behavior to another. What this nor- only be happy with more gold.
mally entails in storytelling is moving the character from Your character, too, unknowingly begins the story in
an initial state of lack to a state of fulillment or devastation. a state of ignorance or deceit, believing the bargain hes
But what do we mean by a state of lack? made with life will see him through. No matter how suc-
Human beings are inherently divided by conlicting, cessful or even happy the characters circumstances may
irreconcilable desires: the desire to avoid pain, and the seem on the surface, the compromises hes made with
Deepening the Protagonist
As your protagonist faces escalating conflicts in the second act, consider how your understanding of the character,
and the characters complexity, has grown by answering the following questions.
1. What aspect of the characters personality is her biggest asset?
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2. What aspect of the characters personality might be his undoing?
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3. What is the character most afraid of?
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4. What are her weaknesses, whether mental, emotional, physical or psychological?
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I 93
5. What are his strengths, whether mental, emotional, physical or psychological?
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6. What will have to change about the character or what will she have to overcome in her own nature, in order
to be successful in her quest?
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7. What in the characters past is reflected in the current motivation and/or conflict?
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his more truthful, more caring, more daring self have
created an untenable state of lack that is ruining his life, CRAFTING THE CRISIS OF INSIGHT
even if that ruin has beautiful women, a casino, a bar and For a Change-or-Die Checklist, visit writersdigest.com/
writers-workbook-16
live music, as Ricks Caf Americain in Casablanca does.
Your story must present a challenge to that status quo
that forces the main character, through increasing conlict Casablanca, or a misunderstood one, as in many mod-
and challenge, on a path that will ultimately lead him to ern love stories, where the loved one is perceived as a
recognize his true longing (insight) and respond (decision). prize, a projection of the characters egotistical wants,
Most important, by recognizing his true longing, he rather than a unique, separate person with her own
will realize the impoverished state of his prior life, to legitimate aspirations.
which he can never contentedly return. his deines the When exploring how your character is hiding from
stakes, and they are ultimate. Hes been wrapped in a lie, her true longing, ask yourself: Who is she hurting? he
dreaming his life, a kind of living death. Once he recog- most compelling answer lies in characters who care
nizes this, there is no turning back that doesnt include deeply about her, and who therefore have the insight,
one form of self-destruction or another. power and desire to help the character change. Its the
fraying, deterioration or destruction of those relation-
Misbehavior & ships that will force the character to recognize the error
Misunderstood Desires in her thinking and its disastrous consequences.
Even in stories where the outer goal is totally justiied
he characters withdrawal from his true longing has a ind the murderer, save the child, cure the diseasethat
behavioral element. Knowingly or unknowingly he is goal is usually pursued on relatively supericial terms.
hurting not just himself but others because of his igno- In these cases, as the conlict intensiies and failure,
rance, cowardice or deceit. disaster or destruction looms, the character has to ask:
In Casablanca, Ricks heartbreak over Ilsa has created Why am I doing this? Why continue? Why not give up?
a cynical withdrawal from the world, where he sticks his he answer to this question reveals the true longing
neck out for nobody. He watches Ugarte get killed with- at the heart of the characters quest. hat longing deines
out intervening. When Ilsa appears he treats her with the stakes and points the way toward fulillment of her
cruel disdain, later insinuating shell betray her husband. state of lackif she has the courage to decide to act on
When Victor Laszlo asks about the letters of transit, Rick this insight.
coldly refuses to help, telling Laszlo to ask Ilsa why
hoping to create suspicion between them. The Change-or-Die Moment
Even Nordstroms plodding stoicism isnt victimless.
He becomes aware that hes alienated not just his daugh- To create the scenes youll need in order to force the
ter but his wife, who has begun seeking solace in outside character to his crucial insight and decision, keep in
afairs. Both women love Nordstrom, but the connection mind the two lines of conlict just outlined. Youll need
they seek seems impossible. to chart out the pursuit of the mistaken or misunder-
Typically the character doesnt recognize her true stood desire, and unfold the scenes of harmful misbe-
longing at the outset; otherwise, shed pursue it and your havior caused by the misguided compromise.
story would be over. here are exceptionsNordstrom Ultimately this sequence of setbacks and frustrations
faces his lack relatively early, and his gradual evolution leads to the scene referred to previously as the Dark
forms the rest of the novellabut by and large the drama Night of the Soul. Its also sometimes known as the Black
at the heart of the story consists of the character strug- Moment, the All-Is-Lost Moment, the Encounter With
gling to maintain the status quo, wearing the protective Death or, perhaps most festively, the Descent Into Hell.
mask shes so carefully designed, only to see it failing her As all this nomenclature suggests, this is oten a bleak
at greater and greater cost. Her insight comes late, usu- moment indeed. he character has exhausted his original
ally near the two-thirds point of the story or later. idea of how to proceed (and perhaps several others); his
And all this time shes either been pursuing a false skills and insights have proved wanting; hes despondent,
desire, like Ricks self-imprisonment in his casino in destitute, out of options and out of luck. his is where
I 95
the character recognizes he must change or dieand Hell means to this character, and then a decision quickly
death can take the form of losing the loved one, failing to embodied in behavior that reveals a change has been
rescue the hostage, defeat at the hands of the enemy, dis- made. his is oten called the Validation Scene. he char-
grace before his peers. acter now acts in accordance with his true longing. Even
For example, in the ilm Michael Clayton, the protago- if the outer desire was justiied, its pursued now with a
nist has built his life and career around helping deeper understanding and sense of purpose.
everyone escape true responsibility for their actions. here need not be just one Crisis of Insight. Michael
In his self-absorption he blows of his son, whom he Clayton faces two. he irst he botches, accepting a
privately cherishes. He betrays his mentally ill best monetary bribe in exchange for his complicity and
friend, who sufers a lightning bolt of moral clarity that silence. his prompts a downward spiral where he
Michael belittles and ignores. He bows to loan sharks returns to a disastrous gambling habit, responds to a
and corrupt associatesall of which culminates in a particularly odious clients call for help, stops to visit
maelstrom of guilt and self-disgust that forces him to a trio of horses like a pilgrim in a cathedraland
ask: Who am I? What have I done? narrowly escapes getting killed by a car bomb. his
And so we reach the point of the story oten called the Encounter With Death prompts a second, irreversible
Crisis of Insight, the point where the character recog- decision, forcing him to step up and demand responsi-
nizes what has gone wrong, and what must be done. bility from himself and others.
BOY MEETS GIRL: he character realizes that, without

the loved one, life will be hopelessly empty.
THE LITTLE TAILOR: he character realizes that, without Your story must present a
tapping into his true nature and power, he will
be destroyed.
challenge to that status quo
MAN LEARNS BETTER: he character recognizes that forces the main character,
both the error in his thinking and its
disastrous consequences. through increasing conflict and
Although this may suggest a scene that is largely inter- challenge ... that will ultimately
nal, you risk losing your reader by rendering this scene lead him to recognize his true
strictly in terms of thought. If youve built to the Crisis
of Insight wisely, youve shown the path to recognition longing and respond.
of his true longing by showing how the pursuit of the
mistaken desire has let him empty-handed, how he
has harmed others. And his response to his failures, as To crat a great Change-or-Die Moment, you have to
well as the response of others to the damage hes created, understand the competing forces vying for the characters
point the way to what he now must do: soulsafety versus wholenessand push the character
down a path of success through failure, where by acting
Ilsa and Laszlo point Rick toward re-engagement in accordance with his original ignorance, cowardice
with the world and the war against fascism. or deceit, and by harming those who care most about
Michael Claytons son and his dead friend reawaken him, no matter how harmless or genteel that lifestyle
Michaels conscience, giving him the resolve to face may seem on the outside, hes on a collision course with
his enemies. a failure so devastating, so shocking, that hes forced to
Nordstroms daughter and wife point him toward a reevaluate the course of his life. hat insight will prompt
more daring, open-hearted existenceto escape a decision. he rest is up to him. WW
into the world rather than from it.
Rather than internal handwringing, what you want is
a scene of shocking recognition, with some imagistic or David Corbett (davidcorbett.com) is the award-winning author
dramatic rendering of what the Dark Night or Death or of The Art of Character (called a writers bible by Elizabeth
Brundage) and five novels, including 2015s The Mercy of the Night.
Fortify Your
Thriller
Give your story a powerful boost with these 5 essential Cs.
BY JAMES SCOTT BELL
I 97
R
emember when Tommy Lee Jones holds up can become enemies or betrayers. Short of that, create
the empty shackles in he Fugitive and says, more arguments.
You know, were always fascinated when we To help you add complexity, make a character grid
ind leg irons with no legs in em? It makes like this:
me think of readers who pick up thrillers and ind no
thrills in them. Or at least not as many as there could be. Mary Steve Cody Brenda Julio
Im not just talking about plot here. Its possible to Mary x
have guns and bombs and hit men and terrorists and Steve x
black helicopters and still not have a novel that grips the
Cody x
reader in the gut.
For a healthy, fully functioning thriller, try some liter- Brenda x
ary vitamin C. Dose your book with these ive Cs and it Julio x
will stand strong, chest out, ready to give your reader a
run for the money. Now, ill in the blank boxes with possible relation-
ships, secrets and areas of conflict. For example:
Complex Characterizations Mary Steve
he irst place to fortify a thriller is its cast of characters. Mary x Hates him because
A critical mistake made here can undermine even the he abused her sister
best story concept. Steve Knows that Mary x
Is your protagonist all good? hats boring. Instead, had a child by Julio
the thriller hero needs to struggle with issues inside as
well as outside. Shes got to be a carrier of flaws as well If possible connections are eluding you, try running
as virtues. hese roiling conflicts make her survival an this exercise for each of your main characters: he police
open question. come to the characters residence with a search warrant.
When we irst meet Detective Carol Starkey in Robert In his closet is something he does not want anyone to
Crais Demolition Angel, shes flicking her cigarette ash ind, ever.
on the floor of a therapists oice, pissed of because its What is it?
been three years and her demons are still alive and well. What does this reveal about the inner life of the char-
Quite an introduction, especially for someone on the acter? Use the secrets and passions you discover to add
LAPD bomb detail. We know she has a short fuse. And another point of conflict within the cast.
we want to watch to see if it goes of. Standout thrillers need complexity and webs of con-
Brainstorm a list of at least 10 inner demons your flict, so that every page hums with tension.
hero has to ight. Ten. Get creative. hen choose the best
one. Work that demon into your heros backstory, and Confrontation
show how it is afecting him in the presentand could
hinder him even further in the future. Give him actions I call the main action of a novel the confrontation. his is
that demonstrate the flaw. where the hero and antagonist battle over the high stakes
Move on to the rest of your cast. Avoid the stock a thriller demands.
character trap, which can be especially perilous in this When it comes to the antagonist, writers can easily
genree.g., the cold, buttoned-down FBI agent; the make the opposite of the all-good protagonist mistake:
police detective with a drinking problem. Heres a good hey make their bad guy all bad. Worse, they make him
habit: Reject the irst image you come up with when cre- all bad because hes crazy.
ating a character. Entertain several possibilities, always More interesting confrontations come from a villain
looking for a fresh take. who is justiied in what he does.
hen, give each character a point of potential conflict You mean, in doing evil things?
with your hero as well as with the other characters Yes, thats exactly what I meanin his own mind, that
especially those who are allies. Look for ways friends is. How much more chilling is the bad guy who has a
strong argument for his actions, or who even engenders Another method is the old Raymond Chandler advice:
a bit of sympathy? he crosscurrents of emotion this will When things slow down, bring in a man with a gun. It
create in your readers will deepen your thriller in ways doesnt have to be an actual man with an actual gun, of
that virtually no other technique can accomplish. he course. It can be anything that bursts into a scene and
trick is not to overdo itif you stack the deck against shakes things up. Heres the key: Get your imagination to
your villain, readers will feel manipulated. give you the surprise without justiication.
Start by giving your antagonist just as rich a backstory
as your hero. What hopes and dreams did he have? How
were they dashed? What life-altering hurt did he sufer?
Who betrayed him? How did all of this afect him over
The thriller hero needs
the course of his life? to struggle with issues inside
Write out a closing argument for him. If he were in
court, arguing to a jury about why he did the things he as well as outside. Shes got
did in the novel, what would he say? Make it as persua- to be a carrier of flaws as
sive as possible:
well as virtues. These roiling
Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, my name is Hannibal
Lecter. Youve heard a lot of lurid tales about me from conflicts make her survival
the prosecutor. Now you will hear my side of the story.
an open question.
You will hear about a world that is better off without
some people being in it. And you will hear about the
conditions I endured inside the horror of a place called
Make a quick list of at least 10 things that just pop
the Baltimore State Hospital for the Criminally Insane
into your mind. For example:
It can feel a bit disturbing to try to understand some- 1. A woman runs in screaming.
one you might hate in real life. Good. You are a writer. 2. The lights go out.
You go where angels fear to tread. 3. A car crashes through the wall.
Now take all of that material and use it to strengthen 4. Heart attack.
the antagonists position in the story. A stronger confron- 5. SWAT team outside.
tation can only result.
6. Marching band outside.
7. TV announcer mentions characters name.
Careening 8. A baby cries (what baby?).
heres nothing like a stunning twist or shock to keep 9. Blood drips down the wall.
readers lipping, clicking or swiping pages. Part of the 10. Justin Bieber comes in with a gun.
fun for readers is thinking a story is going one way, and Some things on your list will seem silly. hats OK.
getting taken completely by surprise. Dont judge. Look back and find the most original item,
Harlan Coben is one of the reigning kings of the art of and only then find a reason for it. In this case, No. 8
surprise. Ive rarely met a twist I didnt like, he has said. creates the most interest for me. I have no idea where
His method, if it can be called that, is to write himself that came from or what it means. But I can make it
into a lot of corners and see how things work out. mean something.
hats one way to go. Forcing your writers mind to And so can you.
deal with conundrums is a great practice.
But there is another way. Pause ater every scene and
Coronary
ask yourself: What would a reader expect to happen
next? Create a list of at least three directions the story he best thrillers stab the heart, throughout. hey do it by
might take. getting readers to experience the emotions of the scenes.
hen discard those three and do something diferent. How can you do that? First, by experiencing them
I call this unanticipation. yourself. Sense memory is a technique used by many
I 99
serious actors. Heres how it works: You concentrate on thing in the same old way and would go on doing
recalling an emotional moment in your life, and recreate it forever.
each of the senses in your memory (sight, smell, touch,
sound, etc.) until you begin to feel the emotion again. Communication
And you will. he actor transfers that to her role; the he original storytellers spun thrillers. When heroes
writer, to the page. went out into the dark world to confront monsters and
When I was getting to the heart of one of my own demons and great beasts, the tribe vicariously lived the
thrillers-in-progress, a story of two brothers, I needed tale. But there was something morethey learned how
to feel what the younger one was experiencing when to fight, act courageously and survive.
the bad guys came. I recalled a time when I was 6 or he first thrillers carried a message and helped bring a
7, and some bullies were holding me hostage on a hill. local community together.
Terrified, I finally made a break for home and sobbed to Readers still seek that kind of story. So you ought to
my big brother about what had happened. He let me at spend some time asking yourself what your thriller is
the house. really about. Does it ofer hope for justice? Does it end
I never saw those bullies in our neighborhood again. with justice denied?
When I wrote the scenes with the younger brother, I In short, what will the reader take away from
focused on feeling those moments again, and transferred your book?
those emotions to the page. Many aspiring thriller writers, perhaps seeing the
Theyre going to kill Chuck and theyre going to do the
genre as action-driven, avoid thinking about theme (or
same thing to me. Thats why they have me tied up and
meaning, or premise). hey prefer to let the characters
they put another thing in my mouth and they wont let
duke it out, and leave it at that. heres nothing wrong
me talk. They hit me. Im in the back of some truck.
with this approach, as long as you realize that you will be
Theyre taking me somewhere. I hope they take me
saying something. Why not be intentional about it?
where Chuck is. If they do anything to Chuck I will bite
Heres an exercise I call he Dickens (named
for Charles and his time-traveling story A Christmas
them. I will do anything I can to hurt them. Maybe Im
Carol): Go forward in time 20 years ater your story
going to die but I will not die until I hurt them because
ends. Your lead character is now 20 years older and has
of what theyre going to do to Chuck.
had time to relect on all that happened in the story
Another way to tap into your characters heartbeat you told. Youre now a reporter, and you track down
is the run-on sentence. Interview the character at the the character and ask, Looking back at everything
height of an emotion. Write down his reaction for at least that happened to you, why do you think you had to go
200 words without using a period. hen explore that text through that? What life lesson did you learn that you
to find gems of emotional description. You might actually can pass on to the rest of us?
use some of it, as Horace McCoy did in his 1938 noir Let the character answer in a free-form way, for as
thriller, I Should Have Stayed Home: long as possible, until you sense that its right.
Now use all your skills to demonstrate that lesson
All Dorothys fault, I thought, cursing her in my mind
at the end of the story itself, without necessarily using
with all the dirty words I could think of, all the filthy
words. Give us Clarice Starling sleeping at last, the lambs
ones I could remember the kids in my old gang used to
of her nightmares silenced. Or Harry Bosch in Lost Light,
yell at white women as they passed through the neigh-
holding for the first time the hands of the daughter he
borhood on their way to work in the whore houses,
never knew he had.
these are what you are, Dorothy, turning off Vine on
hose are the moments that will take your thriller
to the boulevard, feeling awful and alone, even worse
from entertaining to unforgettable.
than that time my dog was killed by the Dixie Flyer, but
Heres to the health of your thrillers. WW
telling myself in a very faint voice that even like this I
was better off than the fellows I grew up with back in
James Scott Bell is the author of the No. 1 bestselling Plot &
Georgia who were married and had kids and regular Structure and The Art of War for Writers (both from WD Books).
jobs and regular salaries and were doing the same old His latest thriller is Romeo's Way.
JoJo Moyes,
From
the Heart
Her smash hit Me Before You topped The New York Times bestseller list,
was made into a feature-length movie, and spurred a sequel. But Moyes
overnight success was years in the makingand yields fascinating lessons
about how and why we can learn as we go.
BY JESSICA STRAWSER
PHOTO STINE HEILMANN
I 101
Moyes has gited those fans with something more: a
I
ts always come down to two things for Jojo Moyes:
writing and motherhood. sequel. Ater You meets Lou a couple of years ater Me
he London native worked as a journalist for 10 Before You leaves of. Here, Moyes talks about navigating
years, including time at South China Morning Post career turns with grace, relearning to write a novel with
in Hong Kong and he Independent in the U.K. But once every story, and nurturing her books and children above
she and her husband started a family, she aimed for a all else.
more manageable work-life balance and decided to try
her hand at a diferent kind of writing. In 2002 her irst In a letter to your readers you explain why you
novel hit U.K. bookshelves, and for almost a decade she wrote this sequel. Why did you feel that an authors
made a rather quiet, sustainable living writing books note was necessary in this case?
marketed largely to romance readers. I dont know if it was necessaryits just that over the
She started drawing more noticeand more main- last few years I feel like Ive developed such a dialogue
stream iction audiences on both sides of the pondwith with the people who read my books that it seemed to
2011s he Last Letter From Your Lover, an intricately make sense to speak to them directly.
plotted tale of parallel romances spanning decades. I wrote eight books before I wrote [Me Before You],
And then, she struck a nerve. and the thing that has really marked this book out for
Me Before You was the surprise smash of 2013. It tells me is the fact that people felt compelled to talk to me
the story of plucky, working-class Louisa Lou Clark, about itand thats been extraordinary. I get emails
hired in spite of her total lack of experience to care for every week, I get tweets, I get Facebook messages, [all]
Will Traynor, a handsome, adventure-seeking executive from people who want to talk about their own lives, or
paralyzed in a freak accident. As an unlikely bond about Lou, or how she reflected something in their life,
develops, Lou discovers that what Will wants most in the and thats never happened to me before. People had such
world is something that will shatter hers. He wants to die. a fundamentally personal reaction to it that [a letter to
And he wants her help. readers] felt like a nice way to do it, I guess.
Transcending the hot-button right-to-die debate, the
book has sold more than 5 million copies worldwide. In There were readers who voiced some really strong
June, it also became a feature ilm, for which Moyes opinions online at just the news of you writing a
wrote the screenplay and worked grueling days on set to sequelranging from jumping-up-and-down excite-
adapt the script scene by scene. Her subsequent novels, ment to Youd better not mess this up!
he Girl You Let Behind (featuring parallel love stories, hats been terrifying. I have to say, once I committed to
set during WWI and in the present, that have a piece of the idea of writing a sequel, I thought it was going to be
stolen artwork in common) and One Plus One (following easy. I thought it was just going to be me revisiting these
an ensemble cast on a road trip) have been immediate characters that I knew and loved. And what turned out to
international bestsellers, and much of her backlist has happen was the absolute opposite of that. Because youre
now been released in the U.S. constantly asking yourself, Is this interesting enough?
But its still Me Before You that draws overwhelming Does this match up to Me Before You enough? But also
volumes of reader mail. And Moyesnow 47 and living youre conscious that readers have really strong opinions
on a farm in Essex with her husband, a writer for he about these characters. he flip side of people feeling very
Guardian, and their three children, ages 11, 15 and 18 invested in your characters is that theyre going to have
still personally answers every letter. Sometimes people very strong opinions about what you do with them.
are sending you a page of very emotional stuf about I had to reach a point where I just reconciled myself to
their lives, and you cant just say, Oh, thanks for reading the fact that, hopefully a lot of people will love what I did
the book! You have to answer them properly, she tells with the book, but theres quite possibly going to be a lot of
Writer's Digest. And I suppose because I was a fairly people who disagree. hat doesnt trouble me. What does
unsuccessful author for so long, I also feel an obligation bug me is people who get upset with the idea of writing it
because, you know, theres always a part of me thinking, and try to persuade other people not to read it. Because
hank you for buying my book! you just think, I dont care if you read it and hate it, thats
absolutely your prerogative, but dont give me one star For anybody who thinks that you can just suddenly
because you dont like the idea of it! hats not on! [Laughs.] work out HOW TO WRITE, in capital letters, and get on
with it: Every time I start a book, I think, I have no idea
At any point in writing After You did you start thinking, how I did this the last time. No idea. All you can do is rely
I dont know if this story is going to come together? on your tricks. I always say to myself, Ill write the irst
Oh, sure. I wrote the irst three chapters again and again chapter, and Ill probably get rid of it at some point, but
over a period of several months. Originally Lou was a at least it will get me writing. Because sometimes you
paramedic. But the tone of the book went missingit dont know your characters until youre a third of the
felt like I was writing a medical drama rather than Lous way into the book, or two-thirds in, and then you have to
story. And I had to reach a point where I gave up on the rejig the existing book. But I have conidence tricks that I
idea of her having that job, and once I did, and once I play on myself just to get me going. And sometimes you
hit on the idea of [her working at] the airport, her life have to do that. his time my editor and my agent got
suddenly made sense to me again. quite irm with me at one point because I was so worried
Frequently I will write chapters that I end up having about it. I think my editors phrase was, Stop thinking
to ditch. And they might be beautifully crated, they and get writing.
might contain things Im really proud of, but you have
to be ruthless. here comes a point when you know in So what is your process? If you diverge from your
your gut something just isnt working, or isnt as good as outline, do you stop and reoutline, or keep going?
it should be. What Ive found over the years is that Ive It varies, but in general I have a vague outline, a rough plot,
never regretted anything Ive ditchedIve only regretted and then I have themes that I want to look at within that
stuf Ive let in. plot, so my subplots and possibly even the main plot will
be informed by what I think the book is actually about.
I think some people assume that once youre multi- Oten Ill tape the phrase What is this really about? over
published the manuscripts just flow out of you. the top of the monitor so that I dont lose sight of that. So
NoI think it gets harder. You know, when I wrote Me I try to keep those two things in my head all the time, and
Before You, I was between contracts. I had a small, loyal the reason I think for quite a long time before I start work
readership, but Id never troubled the bestseller charts. is because they oten wont marry.
I dont think anyone would have really jumped over Ater You, for example, yes its about Lou moving on
themselves to see what I wroteand that actually was with her life, and whether shell ind love with someone
quite liberating. Because I could write the exact story else, and how much responsibility she shows to some-
that I wanted to write. I didnt think about how anybody body linked to Wills past, but it also is about the cost of
would receive it. My husband and I used to joke that individual decisions. In a world where were told to fol-
Me Before You was going to be the book that inished low our dream and do what we want to fulill ourselves,
my career entirely because of the [controversial] subject what is the impact on the people let to cope with that
matter. And I just wrote the book that I wanted to write. decision, whether its the children of divorcing parents,
What happened with Ater You was I kept feeling the or a mother who had done nothing but look ater her
weight of expectation. And that was new for me. family for 40 years and suddenly decides that shed like
to try something else? Although they may seem like dis-
How much of the plot do you know before you begin? parate plot points, I try to make sure there is a current
I do outline. Im always amazed by these people who say running through them.
that they just start and see where the story takes them.
hat makes me actually kind of [shake] with fearI It seems fortunate if a writer can hit on concepts
couldnt do it. So yeah, when I say I ripped up three from which to grow a story rather than one single
chapters, I ripped up three chapters of written work, but plot idea, or even a character, because there are so
then I had to replot the entire book, because I had to many ways you can approach them.
work out who she was if she wasnt a paramedic. I ripped Its interesting to me that my books only really took of
up an entire book. once I started to view them in that way. And maybe
I 103
Im somebody that just had to teach herself as she went to it before sending it of. Because you see the holes in
along. But [he Last Letter From Your Lover was] the irst a way that you just cant see when youre up close to it.
book where I really started to look at that. And since Ive In fact, its one of the reasons why I ind it very hard to
really been thinking it through in that wayand quite read the books that Ive written, because all I can see is
a calculated waybefore I start, either my books have the faultsthey become so clear to me that I just want
really improved or people have just responded better to to howl and say, Why did anybody let that through? Its
them, Im not sure. just awful!
How does your background as a journalist influence So what is your revision process, exactly?
your fiction writing? Well, I dont have an exact oneI just revise all the time.
I think the irst thing is the ability to see stories. You I might write 1,000 words one day and delete 999 the
learn to use your antennae. I can see stories pretty much next. Im not somebody who can crat a perfect sentence.
everywhere. I just think it gives you that way of looking I try to hit on the emotional truth of a scene, and
at the world. he other thing is it teaches you to work then ater that Ill just keep polishing until the language
everywhereyoure not precious about waiting for feels right.
a muse. I work on train station platforms, departure
lounges, you name it. Im happy to just get my laptop Earlier in your career you talked a lot about the
out and hunch over and get to work. But also Im quite challenges of juggling raising kids with your writing
good at meeting deadlines. I have a very high work ethic, time. Has that balance changed at all in recent years?
because I love what Im doing, so it makes it easy. Its a constant struggle, and its one that I never feel I quite
get right. Ive grown to accept maternal guilt as something
How do you think youve grown as a writer? that comes with success, and what I try to do is make
I hope Ive gotten better. I think Ive gotten better at ana- sure that I carve out enough time and special little events
lyzing what is working and what is not working. I have a with the kids so they feel there are some advantages to me
litmus test where, for example, if Im writing a very emo- doing what I do and not just disadvantages.
tional scene, I know that if Im not laughing or crying I have a really supportive husband, I have help at
at my own work, the reader isnt going to. Ive tested this home. I heard a saying awhile agoI cant remember
by asking peopleWhere did you laugh? Where did you who said it, but it was somebody I admired, and she said,
cry?and its always the pages where I did. And, Im If you have children, you can only do one other thing
pretty ruthless about stripping stuf out. Ive only started well. hat stuck with me. So, I try to write well. And I
using humor in my books since Me Before You, but I am unapologetic about contracting stuf out. I hate this
think Ive discovered that I like using humor and that its pretense that women can do it all, because you cant. Or
a useful foil to the more depressing aspects of a book. So, you can, but you end up tearing your hair out, and thats
I dont know really. But its nice to get bigger sales inally! no good for anybody.
[Laughs.] It took a long time. Work out what you want to do most, other than work.
For me it was literally sitting on the sofa giving my kids
Are there any secrets youve discovered to writing a cuddle. I felt like there were two years where all I said
humor in a way that adds warmth to a tough scene? to them was, In a minute, I just have to do this, I
I feel like Im still learning that one. It can be really hard. just have to do something else, and I hated the sound
I think part of its your mood. My biggest tip for writing of my own voice. And I thought, What are they going to
is: If you get stuck, move forward to a scene that youre remember from this? hat Mom was always working?
looking forward to working, and that just tends to give No. So I dont do the other stuf anymore. And thats one
you your joy back. And then oten youll ind that the of the beneits of success. WW
space between them is actually a lot smaller than you
thought it was, and maybe a kind of easier way to work it.
Jessica Strawser (jessicastrawser.com) is the editorial director of
he thing Ive really learned is the importance of leaving Writers Digest. Her debut novel, Almost Missed You, is forthcoming
time between inishing your book and then going back from St. Martins Press in March 2017.
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EN D N OTES
Why Not Give Them a Good Read?

BY MICHELLE HAUSER
My job at the time, as advertised, was Executive
P
eople would say, You should write! and then
theyd turn to me and reiterate, Really! Your Assistant, but in practice it was more like gopher-in-a-suit
sister should be a writer. (so much for law or psychotherapy). I spent much of my
Id smile at my sister, all the while seething time running through the streets of Toronto in stilettos,
with envy. She was the athletic one and now she was going illing exotic food and beverage orders for international
to be a writer, too. Some people have all the luck. celebrities. hat day, Id been helping to troubleshoot a
here was no arguing the point about the talent that situation with a VIP, and was asked to ind out everything
was simmering in her, though. Kim expressed ideas in a possible about the donor and write a brieing on the ly.
way that few others did: She was ierce yet vulnerable, and here hadnt been much time for editing. I wasnt sure if it
beyond-her-years witty. Even during her preadolescent was to be strictly informative, so I snuck in a few enter-
Victorian phase, when she wore high-necked blouses with taining bits, thinking, Why not give him a good read?
mutton sleeves, there was an uncanny cosmopolitan air to I never did ind out if he liked the report. But, good or
hera Nora Ephron-esque spirit just below the surface, bad, my ability to communicate through the written word
waiting to pop out in a black cashmere turtleneck. had caught his attention. As a practitioner of extravagant
Where my sister was innately ironic, I was irrepressibly hope, I iled it away as a glass-is-half-full experience.
hopeful and shamelessly precocious. I used to hold court hen, one day, I brought a can of tuna to my humble
on my mothers pink velvet couch and give her friends office only to discover that the can opener had disap-
relationship advice. heir startled expressions at my clear- peared from the staf kitchenfor which I was also
headedness gave me a higher opinion of myself than I responsible, so low was my position on the food chain.
ought to have had. Instead of sending out yet another gallery-wide email
Even so, no one ever mistook me for a scribe in the excoriation (Return the can opener or die!), I decided
making. You should be a lawyer! or You should be a to go in a diferent direction and wrote a satirical mock
therapist! theyd say, and those were the labels that stuck, review of a contemporary art exhibition of a can of tuna,
as labels tend to do. complete with a make-believe interview with methe art-
I did write one memorable piece of creative noniction istabout the greater social and political statements I was
back then. he story itself wasnt remarkable, but Id been making by exhibiting the can on its own with no opener.
dabbling with what came most naturallya confessional Having announced that the limited-run exhibition
styleand it rankled my mother, who found it uncom- would be installed in the directors office until the can
fortably revealing. opener could be found, I set the canned ish on the edge of
So I surrendered my pen. I was happy enough to be a my desk and waited for visitors.
young barrister/therapist with a bright future whose sister About an hour later, a VIP who shall remain nameless
was a writer. Happy, of course, until about 20 years later stopped by my desk and said: You should write!
when I overheard my boss at the Art Gallery of Ontario Out of force of habit I glanced over my shoulder to
discussing a piece of my writing with a colleague: look for my sister, but she was nowhere to be seen.
Who in the hell wrote this? Yeah, I thought. I should probably give it a try. WW
he moment lives in my minds eye as a three-panel
Michelle Hauser is the author of Laugh Lines, a popular syndi-
cartoon strip, complete with speech bubbles. His reaction cated humour column in Canada. Her work includes contributions
to the page in front of him was terrifyingly ambiguous. to CBC Radio, Chicken Soup for the Soul and more.
Your story is part of our story.
Welcome to the UCLA Extension Writers Program, a challenging and inspiring
environment in which to hone your craft.
WE ARE THE WRITERS.

WE ARE TELLING STORIES.
WE ARE CREATING CHARACTERS.
WE ARE DEVELOPING PLOTS.
UCLA EXTENSION WRITERS PROGRAM,
START THE NEXT CHAPTER OF YOUR STORY.
The Writers Program is the largest open enrollment creative writing and
screenwriting program in the nation, with 400 annual courses, certificate
programs, scholarships, competitions, and one-on-one mentorships and
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Find out more at writers.uclaextension.edu.

Enroll now at uclaextension.edu.
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WRITERS DIGEST

YOUR ULTIMATE CRAFT AND TECHNIQUE GUIDE

Nonfiction That Sells INCL

Featuring New York Times bestselling authors:

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27 STORY STARTERS 61 IDEATION INCARNATION

2 I WRITERS WORKBOOK I 2016

EDITORS Baihley Grandison and Tyler Moss

66 THEME WEAVERS WRITERS DIGEST STAFF

72 TAKE TWO ONLINE EDITOR Brian A. Klems

be equipped to ix any kink in your storys machinery.

86 CRAFTING CONUNDRUMS SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, OPERATIONS

91 CHARACTER EVOLUTION Jill Ruesch (800)726-9966, ext. 13223;

97 FORTIFY YOUR THRILLER Scott T. Hill; scott.hill@procirc.com

Give your story a powerful boost with these 5

Endnotes Cincinnati, OH 45242.

112 WHY NOT GIVE THEM A GOOD READ?

tell you that you should do otherwise. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

EARLYBIRD DEADLINE FOR ENTRIES:

When youre a writer, youre never quite like other

Make (More) Time

BY AMY SUE NATHAN

6 I WRITERS WORKBOOK I 2016

Give yourself a break.

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Writing is easy, Twain declared. All you have to do

CONDENSED: Many people choose to live in Minnesota

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Practice Eliminating Wordiness

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Excerpted from Mastering the Craft of Writing 2014 by Stephen

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also are very leeting. Airport terminals, cruise ships,

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Start small. Play with titles for new projects.

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We are all apprentices in a craft where no one ever

Children Well The market for childrens nonfiction is booming.

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Breaking In to be added to an educational packagers stable of writers.

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