Characters in Combat and Writers of the Working Day

And so I come to the end of my recaps for this year's PNWA Summer Conference. Our final keynote speaker was, none other than Chris Humprheys, of the (in)famous Writing Sex Scenes workshop. (See The Ins and Outs of Writing Sex Scenes post, 09 Sep 09).


(Image from C.C. Humphreys' website)

I finally managed to take some pictures of the conference. Unfortunately, most of them turned out too dark or blurry. Of the two I managed to salvage, here's Chris reading from one of his books:

And this one is of Chris giving us the final motivational speech of the conference:


The main theme of Chris' Sunday morning address was writing battle scenes. We've all heard that conflict is at the heart of every story and that without conflict, there is no story.

Well, to say there's conflict a-plenty amid the mass-slaughter of a battlefield would be a gross understatement. However, unless you're writing a history book, readers want stories focused on great characters.


Therefore, battle scenes in literature serve the following purpose:

--Places characters in grave peril.

--Shows them in action (as in life-or-death action).

--Characters must have objectives beyond surviving the day (a love interest, revenge, etc).


However, when plunging into the heat of battle:

--Be sure not to give a history lesson.

--80 to 90% of the research material shouldn't go into the book unless it is important to the character.

--Instead use research as a springboard for your imagination.

After making these key points, Chris treated us to readings from two of his books.

The first one was from his novel Vlad: The Last Confession. In this scene Vlad Tepes (aka Vlad the Impaler--better known as Dracula) led a force of 4,000 Wallachian warriors in a surprise attack against the sultan's camp. I can still imagine the scene Chris verbally painted, of Vlad and his troops charging through the Transylvanian forest and the dark hills echoing their war cry: "Dr-r-r-r-a-cu-la! Dr-r-r-r-a-cu-la!"

Brrrr! That was more spine-tingling than a solitary vampire, who can be chased off with a mere crucifix and wooden stake.

It took more than props from a horror movie to deal with the real Dracula:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vlad_III_the_Impaler

The second reading was from Vendetta, the second book in Chris' Runestone Saga. Despite being part of a young adult (YA) series, Chris didn't pull any punches in his narrative. The protagonist, Sky, develops the power to teleport back into the body of his ancestors, thanks to his grandfathers journal and set of nordic runestones. In Vendetta he enters the mind of Tza, a feral shepherdess on Corsica in the 16th Century. During a siege, Tza kills her first man with a sling and stone.

Chris then gave a demonstration of his skill with a sling like the one Tza used. He learned this talent for his part as a gladiator in the mini-series AD. Fortunately Chris palmed the stone so--no actual humans were injured in this keynote address.

After the speech my friend Sharon had the presence of mind to ask Chris in trying out the sling. She's writing a novel about ancient Mesopotamia, circa 2350 B.C. and wanted to do some on-the-spot research. (I wish I thought of that!).

Most of us though, have no knowledge or skill at wielding swords, slings, bows and other archaic implements of destruction. This of course, limits an author's ability to "write what you know."

But Chris pointed out there is a way around such lack of experience: Seek out re-enactors.

These folks dress in period attire, ranging from ancient Rome to World War II. They practice with the weaponry of the era for events such as Renaissance Fairs, Rendezvous, battle re-enactments or living history weekends. Re-enactors are a wealth of hands-on information not often found in books or on the internet. And if you're lucky, maybe you can get a chance to practice with the weaponry you envision your character wielding. Doing so will bring more realism to your battle scenes.

Chris' keynote address though, wasn't all battles and bloodshed.

Well, sort of...

He was asked to end his talk on an uplifting note to inspire attendees with desire to continue their work when they return home. So he tied these two themes together by giving us his rendition of the Saint Crispin's Day Speech from Shakespeare's Henry V:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crispin

According to Shakespeare, King "Harry" delivered this stirring oration to his weary troops before the battle of Agincourt:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Agincourt

It is said that Shakespeare is better appreciated performed than read. Since I didn't have a camcorder with me, you'll have to make do with my favorite film version, starring Kenneth Brannagh:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAvmLDkAgAM

PNWA is a great organization for writers and does more than hold annual conferences. For more information about the association's activities throughout the year, log on to their website (also found in the Writing Section of this blog):

http://www.pnwa.org/


And so dear friends, this ends my Summer Conference recaps.

Until next year...

World Building with Team Seattle

I now came to the last batch of workshops for this year's conference. There were classes on: Pitching to agents, writing dialogue for crime fiction, writing Young Adult (YA) fiction, collaborating with other authors, learning to become a writer and world building.

World building? Hmm. Listed under the Fantasy/Sci-Fi Track, this workshop appealed to me the most for a couple reasons. First my interest in science-fiction and fantasy are close seconds to military history and historical fiction.

Second, "world building" occurs in every other genre of fiction. Thrillers, historical novels, romances and everything else do not occur in the real world. The settings in these tales are imaginary backdrops based on the real world of today or yesteryear. Our collective knowledge about the past can often be fragmentary at best, so writers of historical fiction fill-in such gaps with their stories.

With these thoughts in mind, I decided to attend this seminar.

Like the "Habits..." seminar I attended in the last session this class was conducted by a panel of writers who often call themselves "Team Seattle." They're a cabal of fantasy authors and friends who often attend book tours and conventions together. Most of their books fall into sub-genre of Urban Fantasy:


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urban_fantasy
The moderator for this workshop was Kat Richardson, author of Vanished. This is the fourth book in her Greywalker series, where Seattle PI Harper Blaine develops the ability to move in and out of "The Grey," the realm between life and death. Kat did a great job as a moderator, despite having caught a cold and losing her "traffic-stopping bark" at ComicCon several day prior. (See her "Voiceless in Seattle," blogpost 30 July 09).
http://www.katrichardson.com/


The first panelist, Mark Henry is the author of Happy Hour of the Damned and Road Trip of the Living Dead. These stories originated from a question Mark once asked himself: "...what if the Sex and the City girls ended up rising from the dead with a craving for flesh?" (FAQ Section of Mark Henry's Bio).

http://www.markhenry.us/

As I mentioned above, most of Team Seattle writes urban fantasy stories. Cherie Priest is the exception. Her upcoming book Boneshaker, along with her previous works, fit into the Steampunk sub-genre.

And in case you're wondering what "steampunk" is:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steampunk

http://www.cheriepriest.com/

Cherie's Steampunk website (See "Steampunk" under FAQ, for her thoughts on the genre, posted 13 Sept 09):

http://theclockworkcentury.com/

The third panelist, Lisa Mantchev is a fantasy author who keeps her world's magic confined within a theater. Book One of The Theatre Illuminata trilogy appeared earlier this year.

http://lisamantchev.com/main.php

Our fourth panelist was "urban fantasy noir" writer Caitlin Kittredge, author of the Nocturne City series and the upcoming Black London series.
http://www.caitlinkittredge.com/

At the time of this writing, our last panelist Richelle Mead should be returning from her Down Under book tour. Richelle is the author of the YA series Vampire Academy and the adult Succubus series. (Succubi and their male counterparts, Incubi are the seductive demons of the netherworld).

http://www.richellemead.com/

Most of the above panelists are members of The League of Reluctant Adults:

http://reluctantadults.blogspot.com/

Note: Most of the authors' pictures were obtained from their websites. The photo of Cherie Priest in her steampunk regalia I took from her Flickr page.

There are 3 methods of world building:

1. Top Down-build the world then populate it with characters.

2. Bottom Up-create the characters, write the story creating the world as you go.

3. Meet in the middle.

The 3 general categories of worlds are:

1. Our world with a "change." Most Urban Fantasy falls under this category.

2. Alternate Earth--the same but different, such as alternate histories and Steam Punk.

3. Not our Earth. Another world such as Tolkien's Middle Earth, Lucas' Tatooine, etc.

While writing how much of the world do you reveal?

Is the world closed? That is most people don't know about the paranormal/extra-terrestrial elements inhabiting and interacting in the world.

Is the world open? This means everyone knows about the strange beings and events that populate the world which makes this a part of "ordinary" life.

Keep in mind that a supernatural element has a major impact on ALL aspects of life.

The most important thing to remember is: The world must be consistent throughout your story.

Larger issues may need to be addressed, such as:


1. The physical world--it's geography, terrain and possible terraforming.


2. People--What races are there? What's the interaction among races? What's the social structure or stratification? Are there any gender issues?


3. Social aspects--Typical views on politics, economy and religion.


4. Social systems--Organized religion and law.


Worldwide issues may need to be touched on or explained in some detail:

--Trade & commerce

--Business

--The Arts

--War

Remember the adage: "Follow the money!"

What's the economy like?

How do people feed themselves? That is what do they do on a daily basis to survive and thrive?

What's ordinary life like?


The Science Fiction Writers Association has a world building FAQ:

http://www.sfwa.org/?s=world+building


Towards the end of the seminar, the attendees were asked to write up a synopsis of their proposed worlds. During this time Kat said something to this effect: "Even though this workshop was geared for science fiction and fantasy, you can apply the same techniques in writing historical fiction for example."


It would be presumptuous of me to say "great minds think alike." However it was nice to hear Kat confirm my rationale for attending this workshop.

Habits of Successful Professional Writers

On 1 August, 1:29 PM (1329 hours for you military readers), I faced a dilema: The Habits of Successful Professional Writers seminar was scheduled at the same time as The Nitty Gritty: Writing Sex and Romance for Fantasy and Science Fiction workshop. Both classes started at 1:30...

Sigh.

Sometimes when it comes to your writing career you have to make tough decisions.

Since I attended the Writing Sex Scenes workshop I felt I had enough sex (writing, that is) for one day and that the "Habits..." seminar would be more beneficial to me. Despite the less-than sultry subject, it turned out to be a good choice after all.

This was a panel discussion moderated by Robert Dugoni, author of Wrongful Death and other legal thrillers. Rob is heavily involved in PNWA and provides inspiration to aspiring writers with his "I-was-sitting-where-you're-at" perspective.

http://www.robertdugoni.com/


The panelists included the following folks:

Royce Buckingham, author of Demonkeeper and soon-to-be-released Goblins! was our first panelist. From what I remember in past PNWA workshops, Royce is a veteran of numerous writing contests and encouraged attendees to keep entering them in order to get the feedback necessary to hone your writing skills.

http://www.demonkeeper.com/


I've also attended workshops hosted by former railroad inspector and second panelist, Kevin O'Brien. Kevin always struck me as being a very nice and mild-mannered guy--who happens to write about depraved serial killers. He's working on his eleventh novel, appropriately titled--Vicious.

http://www.kevinobrienbooks.com/index.html

The third panelist was Mike Lawson, author of the Joe DeMarco political thrillers. Most of these stories are set in "the other Washington." That is, DC, which brings to mind different sorts of depravity...

http://www.mikelawsonbooks.com/

But not every panelist was a spinner of tales involving courtroom and international intrigue, or paranormal and psychotic mayhem. Like an anchorage in such a tempest, Will North's heart-warming stories deal with love & loss (The Long Walk Home) and middle-age romance (Water, Stone, Heart).

http://www.willnorthonline.com/

Note: All photos were obtained from the authors' respective websites.

Despite their varied background, the panelists were united in stressing the following points:

-Love what you do and be happy doing it.

-Define your own success.

-Everything you do, should be done to move your writing career forward.

-Never quit your day job!

-Finish your book! That is, make sure your manuscript is complete before approaching an agent.

-Don't do anything that will stress you out, writing is suppose to be enjoyable.

-Maintain your sense of humor.

And when writing, make each scene move the story forward and avoid what Will called "Shoe Leather Descriptions." That is, extensive descriptions of characters moving from Point-A to Point-B.

Because publishing is a business, authors should view writing as a career. Like any other job, you should have career goals and a business plan in mind.

To help reinforce these ideas, Royce provided everyone with a copy of his "Successful Habits for Writers" Handout, which is reprinted below:

Year 1--Beginning Writer ("Gosh, this is fun.")

1. Start things...write regularly...finish things.

2. Share your things (family & friends).

Year 2--Intermediate Writer ("Wow, I can't stop writing.")

1.Start things...write regularly...finish things.

2. Share you things (friends, family, critique groups, contests).

3. Research the business etiquette (read books about writing, attend conferences).

4. Meet people in the business.

5. Collect rejections.

6. Use feedback to find your sweetspot (strongest genre, attend conferences).

Year 7-? Writer on the Brink ("Aha, writing is a business.")

1. Identify and outline good ideas BEFORE writing (via: friends, family and critique groups).

2. Start things...write things...finish things.

3. Share your things (friends, family, critique groups, contests, agents, publishers).

4. Research the business entirely (read books about writing, attend conferences, join organizations).

5. Collect more rejections.

6. Become an expert in your genre.

7. Approach people in the business you've met to read and recommend your work.

8. Be professional (Take writing seriously, and it will take you seriously).

Published Author (Writing is a job...and gosh, it's still fun.")

1. All of the above.

2. Start things...write regularly...finish things.

3.Share your things (with the world).

Remember: Always be moving your career forward.

Royce also provided a second handout called the "10 Qualities of Successful Hollywood Writers" by his manager Ken Atchity.

These qualities are:

1. Focused vision of their work and themselves.

2. Persistence, determination--pertinacity.

3. Unbelievable self-discipline when it comes to writing.

4. High concept.

5. Knowing the business of Hollywood inside/out.

6. Supreme confidence and being "no-proof."

7. Willingness to "go for broke." Investing self on every level.

8. Close relationship with the market they reflect or create.

9. Writing for the audience.

10. Finding a Hollywood gatekeeper and sticking with him/her.

While not every author plans to write a screenplay, these qualities still apply. For instance substitute "Hollywood gatekeeper" with "literary agent."

Various definitions of "habit" were listed listed at the bottom of this handout. These ranged from distinctive costume, to drug addiction to tasks done often and easily such as--writing!

By the end of this session, various panelists recommended the following books on writing:

-The Writer's Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers by Christopher Vogler

-The Elements of Style by William Strunk Jr. and E.B. White

-On Writing by Stephen King

-Stein on Writing by Sol Stein

-any book by Kenneth Atchity

-The Writer's Market

So where do I place on Royce's Successful Habits Timeline?

Let's see, I started writing gaming articles 5 years ago and began attending PNWA Conferences 3 or 4 years ago. I guess this makes me an Intermediate Writer. My two major weak areas here are: Item #2 in that I haven't joined a critique group and I haven't quite found my literary "sweetspot" yet (Item #6).

My wargaming interests range from the Bronze Age to the Hyperspace Age and every era in between. However, I consider my main focus is on military history and historical fiction prior to the Industrial Revolution. This narrows my sweetspot down to--what?--3,100 years of recorded history, give or take a hundred years.

Looks like I have my work cut out for me in determining my best genre. Then I can graduate to Writer on the Brink...

The Ins and Outs of Writing the Steamy Scenes

Okay, so what's a guy like me who writes about toy soldiers doing in a Writing Sex Scenes workshop?

Because as Deborah Schneider said in class: "Sex sells!"

Deborah Schneider, one of the workshop presenters is the author of Beneath a Silver Moon and the upcoming novel Promise Me. Her website can also be found under the Author's Section of this blog: http://www.debschneider.com/index.php

The numbers confirm her statement, since by 2000, romance novels outstripped all other literary genres:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romance_novel (Scroll down to "Markets: North America").


It truly is a New Millennium and some of us would like to be published authors before the end of it. But writing is more than just hitting publishing high notes. Love of the craft drives writers to create an enjoyable reading experience for their audience. One key element in accomplishing this is to develop realistic characters, or acurate portrayals of historic figures, that will keep readers engaged in the story. How the protagonist wrestles with love & romance can be just as important as to how well he braves shot & shell.
My own writing comes up short on this score: While I've written articles about the heat of battle, I have yet to transcribe anything about the heat of passion. It's not that I'm inhibited, just unskilled at coupling the necessary pieces for an arousing love scene. Not to mention bringing an entire book-length manuscript to a satisfying climax.

Fortunately authors like Deborah Schneider and Chris Humphreys are an unabashed and encouraging pair for a novice like me.
Chris, or C.C. Humphreys, is the author of the Jack Absolute and Runestone series, along with several other hisorical novels. His webiste is can also be found under the Author's Section of this blog: http://www.cchumphreys.com/Site_2/Welcome.html

Despite this stellar line-up, I wasn't planning on attending this course. A couple of years ago I sat-in on a similar PNWA workshop and I assumed it was like some of the x-rated movies I've...um...heard about. A case of "you've seen one, you've seen 'em all," so to speak.

Well the previous night I struck up a conversation with Chris while purchasing a couple of his Jack Absolute books. During the course of our chat I discovered he use to play wargames too. So while I spent the rest of our talk trying to rekindle his interest in wargaming he convinced me to attend his and Deborah's workshop the following day.

"It will be fun!" He assured me.

And it certainly was.

Here's some of the few notes I managed to take:

The main question you have to ask yourself is: What are you trying to achieve by incorporating one or more sex scenes into your narrative?

The primary goal of any sex scene is to move the story forward. Otherwise you're just writing porn.

One effect a sex scene achieves is that it reveals more about the character than is otherwise known by the rest of the cast in the story.
People often act different behind closed doors and readers become privy to such intimate details.
Relationships are the key element in romance novels. Without a relationship beyond sex, you're not writing a romance novel, you're back to writing porn.

Two points of view are necessary for a successful romance: The hero's and heroine's.

The language used in a romance is also part of the appeal, especially when writing historical romances, which must fit the period and setting of the story.

Even if you're not writing romance, the protagonist should have a romantic interest as I mentioned in my Novel to Script post.

Clothing--especially lingerie--can be used to heighten the effect. You can add different layers and style of clothing too. Such as having your protagonist dress in conservative outer garments, but underneath--see the "behind closed doors" comment above. Or as Deborah said: "Think Victoria's Secret!"

Engage all the senses when writing a sex scene, not just sight. Taste, touch, smell and sound all come into play during intimate moments. Doing so amplifies the sensuality of the scene and builds sexual tension.

However, the hero and heroine often want more than sex. Either or both may have other goals and desires that may put them in conflict with others--or each other. Remember: Conflict fuels the story!

And while "sex sells" you want to write within your comfort level and at the same time keep in mind what genre or sub-genre you're writing in. For instance, there's no sex until the "I dos" are exchanged--and after the wedding guest have left--in Christian or inspirational romance. The same might be said for Young Adult (YA) novels, but Deborah pointed out some YA books series contain very explicit content.

The bottom line is: Writing sex scenes, like sex itself, should be an enjoyable experience. Once it becomes a chore, your work will become flaccid. So don't worry about satisfying your audience with your first draft. Writing the first draft should be a gratifying experience for yourself.
What ever your comfort level is your readers will learn what to expect and what not to expect from you.
Despite the candid banter of this workshop there are some definite prohibitions in writing romance: No rape, pedophilia, bestiality or any other depraved actions are allowed.

So an hour-and-a-half workshop boiled down to 401 words of notes?
Not quite.

Both Deborah and Chris read excerpts from their respective novels to illustrate what makes a good sex scene.

Deborah treated us to the scene in Promise Me where the heroine, Amanda Wainwright tried to seduce Secret Service Agent Samuel Calhoun. By the time Deborah finished reading, Amanda was on Sam's lap and her little black dress was about ready to fall to the floor...

Chris took us back to 18th Century London, where Jack Absolute decided to lay on the charm with actress Fanny Harper in The Blooding of Jack Absolute. This scene involved erotic poetry, candied peaches, a hooped skirt and other sorts of Age of Reason fashion contraptions. Unfortunately for Jack, Fanny was Lord Melbury's kept woman and said lord picked an inopportune time to pay a visit to his main squeeze...


These scenes played pivotal roles in advancing the plot in both stories:

Agent Calhoun is an undercover operative working to expose fraud within a mining consortium. Assuming they have a loyal employee, the consortium wants Sam to seduce and humiliate Amanda in order to put her out of business. However, complications arise when Agent Calhoun finds himself under the covers servicing Ms. Wainwright instead of faking it with the consortium. This is a perilous position for both of them, because if Sam keeps it up with Amanda he could have his cover blown.

Meanwhile, back in the 18th Century Jack wasn't as adept as Sam at laying-low. Jack was discovered in an entangled position by the irate Lord Melbury, forced to flee London and join the army. He eventually found himself a continent away, scaling the cliffs onto the Plains of Abraham before the walls of Quebec. Thanks to some derring-do on Jack's part the English won the battle against the French and Canada was incorporated into the British Empire.

Or as Chris put it: If Jack didn't try to have sex with Fanny, he wouldn't have fled London, he wouldn't have joined General Wolfe's invasion force and Canada would still be French to this day!
Talk about "moving a plot forward."

Fortunately most sexcapades don't have such sweeping geopolitical repercussions. But discussing ramifications of romance wasn't the only amusing moment in this class.

During Deborah's reading one young lady left just as Amanda & Sam were getting tongue tied. The lady in-question stood up, fanned her face with her hand and gasped, "This is too hot for me!"

Maybe it was. But I think she actually had an appointment with an agent and played the moment up for maximum comedic effect.

Then there was the woman who wanted to write about her sexploits after divorcing her dull and unimaginative husband. While this "got the attention of every guy in the room," as my friend Alynn put it, she did bring up a good point: If you're writing a memoir, how much explicit content do you include in your own tell-all tale?

Such a "cumming-of-age stories" as Chris called them, can be stimulating stuff indeed. However once again, you should keep the primary thrust of your experiences in mind. That is, they must move the story forward.

Oddly enough, our self-revealing heroine seemed uncomfortable divulging her conjugal activities to her family. For her touchy situation it was suggested she use a pen name to avoid shocking the tender sensibilities of her relatives.
The next workshop I attended was the Habits of Successful Professional Writers which will be the subject of my next post. As an aspiring writer, I felt I needed all the professional help I could get. Sadly this conflicted with The Nitty Gritty: Writing Sex and Romance for Fantasy and Science Fiction.

Sigh.
I'm a big fan of both sci-fi and fantasy, but I guess there's only so much sex--writing at least--I can take...

2-for-1 Meal Deal with Joseph Finder

(Image from the Joseph Finder Website Press Kit)


Thriller writer Joseph Finder was double-billed this year as the Friday Evening Featured Speaker and the Lunch With (insert name of best selling author here) guest.

I attended both events and didn't feel any sense of redundancy since the lunch chat was more conducive for a question & answer (Q&A) session.
Mr. Finder's latest novel Vanished was released earlier this year. He brings an insider's perspective to the thriller genre. Not insider as in "former writers conference attendee" but insider as in "former CIA."

Ever since taking seminar on Russian history and literature, Mr. Finder wanted to be a spy. In a case of "be careful what you wish for," he was recruited by the CIA after graduating from Yale. Soon he found himself in a cubicle tucked away within the labyrinth of "The Agency" reading Russian message traffic.

This was not quite the exciting life of a Robert Ludlum character as he imagined it would be. So Mr. Finder decided to write about the things he'd rather be doing instead keeping an Agency cubicle warm.
However, Mr. Finder doesn't limit himself to imaginary feats of daring-do. He's the author of several informative articles on intelligence operations and international relations.
Writer's tips are among the many tidbits of "intel" that can be found on his website listed below and under the Authors Section of this blog:

http://www.josephfinder.com/

Efficient Research for Historical Novels

My wargaming hobby straddles the realms of history and historical fiction. The table-top armies gather as their actual historical counterparts however, once the game starts it's anybody's guess as to how it's going to end. Events more often than not, unfold that did not occur during the actual battle. There's even a chance for the vanquished to emerge as the victors in such table-top simulations: Robert E. Lee could win the Battle of Gettysburg and Napoleon could prevail against the English and Prussians at Waterloo. These aren't likely outcomes, but such alternate-endings are possible.

So as a "wargame correspondent" adrift in the PNWA Summer Conference, it seemed appropriate for me to attend the Effective and Efficient Research: The Foundation of Historical Novels workshop. This seminar was presented by Larry Karp, author of The King of Ragtime and The Ragtime Kid. While I haven't written any historical novels (yet), I still conduct extensive research for every gaming article I write or YouTube movie I produce.

But am I doing effective research?

Here are some of the notes I produced during Larry's informative seminar:

History is concerned with the following basic questions: Who? What? When? Where? & Why?

However, historical records are often parsimonious in answering "why?" These are known as the "why-holes."

When writing historical fiction, look for these why-holes and fill them with suggestions.

The advantage in writing historical fiction is you can use real people and locations that are already in-place and structured.

However, the disadvantages are that you must leave history as you find it. You're also constrained by a real person's historical actions. Which means you need to get your facts right or you'll lose you credibility with your readers. So no matter how many rewrites and revisions you do, Robert E. Lee looses the Battle of Gettysburg and Napoleon is defeated once and for all at Waterloo.


The primary research tool for historians and historical fiction writers is, well primary sources. These are materials written at the time of an event but are not necessarily "the truth." Such primitive pieces of spin-doctoring can be embellishments, propaganda and even outright lies. Which means sometimes fiction can be more accurate than "reality." However, some of these realities can be too strange even for fiction and it may be best to leave such tales out of your story.


Unearthing little-known factoids can be an enjoyable exercise. And therein lies the danger--getting bogged down or fascinated by research. Other research abuse are the over-pursuit of reality and overuse of detail within your story.

Other stumbling blocks include: Anacrhonisms and using modern speech, concepts and attitudes and placing them in the past. (This is my biggest pet-peeve with historical fiction).


Effective research helps set the mood of your story.
Sources can include:
-history books
-historical articles (print or on-line)
-movies, and
-historical fiction by other authors

Note: When using on-line sources beware of any website that doesn't end with a "gov" or "edu"!


You're not limited to musty documents as pictured above, or wacky websites either. You can seek out experts in particular fields such as historians (both amateur and professional), specialists (such as re-enactors), law enforcement personnel (for archived "police blotter" material) and older folks who may have experienced an event first hand or heard about it from their parents.

Despite the plethora of on-line material, libraries are still a cornerstone to effective research. Inside these institutions you'll find general histories, biographies and autobiographies, diaries, letters, newspapers, magazines and photographs that may not be available on-line.

Finally, nothing beats on-site research for adding authenticity to your story. This includes but is not limited to:

-interviewing local citizens
-conducting research at local libraries, city directories
-reading locally-written histories, newspapers and even obituaries


I would add that for stories with a military element, you must "walk the field" of any historical battle within your narrative. Touring a battlefield gives you an appreciation of the difficulties soldiers and commanders faced when confronted with rough terrain, adverse weather conditions and a determined enemy. Pouring over maps and even logging on to Google-Earth is no substitute for actually being there.

One lively discussion occurred during this seminar and it's worth noting here. The question was should historical fiction writers have their characters use words and phrases some modern readers may find offensive?

Larry used an example from his book The Ragtime Kid. The protagonist, 15-year-old Brun Campbell who's white, takes piano lessons from the soon-to-be legendary ragtime musician Scott Joplin. During these lessons Mr. Joplin would refer to the black keys on the piano as--(and I'm taking a deep breath here)--the "nigger keys."

Why on earth would Scott Joplin of all people use such a term? Because as Larry explained, EVERYBODY in the turn-of-the-century music biz called them that. To avoid using the term would have glossed-over such an historical fact; while "talking-around" it would be too wordy and modifying it to something like the "n-word keys," just plain silly.

At the risk of sounding my tin horn, I pointed out to the class that readers of historical fiction "get it." They understand that historical fiction writers aren't closet racists (or sexists, or some other such prejudice, for that matter) and are trying to illustrate how our ancestors viewed their world.

Doing any less is and you're pulling your proverbial punches. What you want to do is hit your readers right between the eyes and give them a "we're not in Kansas anymore" experience.

For more about Larry Karp's ragtime murder mysteries, visit his website:

http://www.larrykarp.com/

A Novel Script?

Hooray for...




The last Friday workshop I planned to attend was How to Start Your Novel: The Beginning, presented by Megan Chance. Since I don't have a novel, or any other book project at this time, I thought "The Beginning" would be a good place to start.
Unfortunately the Hilton's "Orcas B" Room was packed to standing-room-only. Since I didn't feel like standing for an hour & a half I ventured off to find another suitable seminar. Flipping through the Faces Of Writing brochure, I came across the workshop From Novel to Script listed under the "Screenwriting Track." Since my YouTube shows could be defined as "movies," albiet in the broadest sense of the word, I thought I'd give this a try.
I'm glad I did.
Alia Yunis, author of her debut novel The Night Counter, presented this workshop which focused on what constitutes a screenplay. Because a screenplay will be turned into a visual-oriented form of entertainment large parts of a novel must be minimized, or left out altogether, in order to keep the audience from leaving before the ending credits.

Here are a few key differences we discussed in the seminar:

A screenplay is very structured and formulaic.

A screenplay should have a minimum number of subplots.

A novel can jump from one point-of-view (POV) to another, whereas a screenplay must be from 1 POV.

Screenplays should avoid 1st-person voice-over narration. There are of course exceptions to this, A Christmas Story being one of them.

Screenplays should contain 5 key elements:

1. Plot
2. Theme
3. Characters
4. Dialogue
5. Pacing

Note: Most first-time scripts fall short on #3, often relying too much on special effects wizardry.
Screenplay length should be no more than 100-110 pages for comedies and 120 for other genres.

The traditional 3-Act Play is the standard format for a screenplay.


1st Act:

The set-up takes place between pages 1-10 (double-spaced).

The Inciting Incident, that is the catalyst that spurs the protagonist to action takes place on page 10.

This act continues until page 30 where the Turning Point is reached--the journey's begun and the hero cannot turn back.


Act 2:

Takes place between pages 30 to 90.
The Midpoint, which is reached on page 60 represents a significant shift in the action.
The pacing of the story is very important here.

Act 3:
The fastest part of the script pacing-wise, should take place here between pages 90 to 120.
There are several other elements to blend into each act:
The protagonist wants 1 thing (to get the girl, etc).
Each scene should be about 5 pages in length and something should happen to the main character in each of these scenes.
The protagonist should also have a love-interest and sidekick to make him more 3-dimensional.
Since the protagonist wasn't "born yesterday" he should have a backstory, but it must be presented visually.
Dialogue is where most first-time screenwriters get into trouble. Avoid OTN, or "on-the-nose" dialogue which is too obvious. Dialogue must be subtle, not too obvious and it must serve a purpose.
The above guidelines were deciphered from the notes I scribbled down during this workshop. Here's Alia's advice taken directly from a post on her blog:
http://nightcounter.wordpress.com/2009/08/03/screenplay-vs-novel-in-seattle/

Steps to "Banking By-Lines"

(Image of Maccho Picchu)

According to last year's PNWA keynote speaker Gayle Lynds, it takes an average of 10 years for a writer to get her first book published.

Not very encouraging is it?
So what can a writer do in the meantime?
One option is to write articles. Lots of articles.
Freelance writer Roy Stevens, the presenter of the workshop Going from Good Idea to Sold Idea: Seven-Step Process for Banking By-Lines, has done just that. In less than 2 years he's cranked out more than 350 articles for over 30 magazines.
Presenters such as Roy offer great advice on how a writer can at least draw a steady income despite not having a book on the New York Times Best Seller List.
During the workshop, Roy discussed implementing a step-by-step plan for getting published in diverse markets--even without having to be an expert in the fields you're writing about.
Step 1: Create an Action Plan

Plan your articles and submissions--use a timetable. Also never decline a story suggestion from an editor.
Don't blindly fire-off query letters to editors in a "scattered" approach, but develop a schedule. For example Roy adhered to the following procedure:

Week 1--Pitch to Running magazines
Week 2--Pitch to other fitness magazines
Week 3--Pitch to travel magazines
Week 4--Pitch to military and travel magazines


Step 2: Diversify to find more story ideas

Write about different topics.
Write about subjects you're passionate about.
Combine interests and travel.
Search for magazines and e-zines that cover the type of stories you're interested in.
Step 3: You Don't have to be an expert!
Consult a subject-matter expert.
Get others to review your work.
Fact check every story--this is critical.
Acknowledge your consultant in the article.


Step 4: Research your article before you pitch it

This increases your chances of getting published.
Shows the editor you're prepared.
Incorporate research information in your query letter.


Step 5: Find magazines and e-zines you want to pitch to. Information on these magazines can be found in/on the following:

Local bookstores
Specialty news agents
Internet
Google.mag.mkt
Writer's Market
The American Writers and Artists Institute (AWAI)


Step 6: Read the writer's guidelines of the publication you're interested in writing for

Check out the publication's website.

Examine the tone, style and average length of the articles, along with the number of articles in each issue and the topics covered in the past 6-12 months.

Read the payment details.

Contact the right person in the right department.

Understand the format requirements for submissions. If no guidelines are listed then "fly blind," but indicate you can be flexible.

Examine the distribution of long vs. short articles.
Determine who writes the articles: Freelancers? Staff?

Step 7: Pitch your story
Send out a blizzard of query letters and e-mails.
The more queries you send out the more articles you'll get published.
Don't be afraid to pitch to any magazine, e-zine or newspaper.
Don't be put-off by rejections!
Some final notes:
How to manage multiple submissions--
-Give it to the first editor who accepts it
-Pitch slightly different topics or variations of the original story.

How to squeeze the most out of your articles--
-Submit to publications whose circulations don't overlap, such as regional and overseas magazines and newspapers.

Lunch with James Rollins

(Promotional photo from James Rollins Official Website and James Rollins Fan Club).

Lunchtime at a PNWA Summer Conference usually involves grabbing a sandwich or salad platter at one of the concession stands and wolfing it down before the next workshop. (Okay, maybe I'm just referring to my own eating habits...). But instead of scouring the Writer's Cafe for a vacant seat I usually attend the "Lunch With (insert name of bestselling author here)" program.

The first lunch break of this year's conference was with Jame Rollins. His first young adult novel, Jake Ransom and the Skull King's Shadow was released in March and his newest "Sigma Force" thriller, The Doomsday Key hit the bookstores in June. A veterinarian by trade, Mr. Rollins learned his craft by attending writers conferences and retreats. So he's brought a personal "I-was-sitting-where-you-are-now" perspective to all his PNWA speaking engagements. This year, he literally flew in and was ushered back to the airport after the post-lunch book signing.

Despite suffering from jet-lag, Mr. Rollins was as entertaining and engaging as in previous appearances. In addition to Mr Rollins amusing tales about his writing career--of which there are many--I did learn about some of the obstacles that hinder publication and one possible technique to overcome them.

Actually, there are three obstacles,--or "Three Nos"--as Mr Rollins calls them. That is, when you are ready to submit your work you're confronted with 3 possibilities of being told "no."

The first "no" can occur when you submit your query letter to a literary agent. The agent in question can send a "thanks-but-no-thanks" reply just after reading your one-page query.

If the agent is intrigued enough by this one-pager he may ask to see the first 50 pages, 3 chapters, or whatever their agency's guidelines calls for. But you're not out of the literary woods yet, because the agent could still say "no" even after reading select portions of your manuscript.

Which brings us to the final "no." Once the agent accepts you as a client then he could face a steady stream of "nos" on your behalf from disinterested editors.

Mr Rollins' solution?

"Take one "no" away from them."

That is, send the first 50 pages along with the query letter despite the agency's "query only" guidelines. Now you face only two "nos." Because according to Mr Rollins, simple curiosity will likely take over and cause an agent to read the submission--whether it was asked for or not.

More information about James Rollins' can be found on his official website (also listed under the Author Section of this blog):

http://www.jamesrollins.com/

The Spies Who Came to the Conference

(Sketch by James Ratcliffe: http://ratcliffecomics.com/ )

 

I just started reading the September issue of Writer's Digest (WD) while on the cardio-torture machines at the gym.

 

The staff at WD decided to conduct a "full disclosure" and provide writers with an "insum" (Intelligence Summary) on what literary agencies are looking for and how to query them.

 

Some of the feature articles include:

 

Secret Agents 2009 by Chuck Sambuchino

Agency Contracts: Declassified by Howard Zaharoff

Stake Out Your Publishing Contract by Paul S. Levine, and

 

The Future Role of Agents by Jane Friedman

 

Several agents featured in this WD insum were spotted by PNWA Surveillance Teams (attendees seeking appointments). These were:

 

Emmanuelle Aspaugh, Michelle Brower, Laure McLean, Paul S. Levine and Ted Weinstein.

 

Once you enter into a partnership with these fine folks or other literary agents, you just might get the--"Mrs. Peel, we're needed"--phone call to meet with the editor...

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvmgrnsaE1U&feature=related

For more information check out the Writer's Digest Website:

 

http://www.writersdigest.com/GeneralMenu/

Agent Dos and Don'ts Forum

(Photo of Patrick McGoohan as John Drake in Secret Agent)

No I'm not referring to swallowing the coded message before you memorized it.

I'm talking about acquiring a literary agent to help you publish your book or screenplay.

This PNWA Summer Conference workshop, along with the Agents Forum was hosted by Robert Dugoni and attended by about a dozen literary agents. This gave a chance for all the attendees to see the agents en-masse and hear what each one was specifically looking for. Individual meetings between authors and agents were then conducted throughout the conference.

Below are some of the highlights of this seminar--

Literary agents are the business partners for authors and it's important to find an agent as enthusiastic as you are.

Initially you only have a few moments to pitch your book during a personal meeting with an agent, so they want to know the following:

1. Who is the protagonist?

2. What does he/she want?

3. What obstacles are in the way?

4. What is the resolution?


It's best to approach an agent with a plan. That is, to have long-term publishing goals--don't just have one book in mind.

Writing is, more often than not, a profession of rejection criticism and critique. So an author must be able to go back and re-evaluate, edit and revise his work.

The panel also advised on building a platform (see the 7 Aug 09 post).

The agents panel cited the following mistakes made when authors submit query letters:

1. Not explaining enough about the story
2. Writing too much about themselves

3. For non-fiction--lack of experience, or access to an expert on the subject they're writing about


If a writer does attract an agent's attention then he or she should avoid these blunders in their work:

1. Vague opening

2. Too much description or scene-setting

3. Too much back story

4. Not enough tension


The workshop ended with an extensive Q&A period. I didn't have any novel-length material to pitch, so I didn't pay any attention to the questions and agent responses. Instead I thought back to last year's conference where I pitched an article idea to Maria Schneider, who was the editor of Writer's Digest, and to Ronald Kovach the Senior Editor of The Writer.

My proposal was to highlight the advantages and disadvantages of writing within a niche market, which in my case was the wargaming hobby. Fate lent a helping hand prior to my scheduled meeting when Maria sat at our table during that evening's dinner event. Once I recognized her, I introduced myself and promptly launched into my spiel. (I'm fairly certain I let her sit down first).

The next morning I had my official meeting with Maria and in addition to repeating my pitch, I brought along some supporting articles I found on the internet. I had an equally pleasant meeting with Ronald that afternoon. At the end of each session I asked both of them for feedback on my actual pitch presentation and received two "thumbs up."

Even with my "stellar performance" neither magazine accepted my article idea. Maria is now her own boss at Editor Unleashed and Ronald sent me a very nice "thanks-but-no-thanks" letter. Despite the outcome, I really enjoyed the experience and I now have the confidence to even do "elevator pitches." That is, being able to describe your story within the confines of an elevator before your prospective agent can escape--or push the fire alarm.

Some writers find pitching to be a nerve-wracking experience. To remedy such anxiety and in keeping with the Secret Agent theme of this post; my suggestion would be to think of the upcoming meeting this way:

Your mission is to smuggle vital secrets--your novel--past State Security and into the hands of an allied agent. You have papers--your appointment slip--that will allow you to slip past the hired guns (conference volunteers) and reach the safe-house (Agent & Editor Appointment Room) for your not-so clandestine meeting. Just be sure to leave the cyanide pill at home...

And of course no spy story would be complete without a theme song:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6iaR3WO71j4


Agents present this year were:

Emmanuelle Alspaugh, Michelle Brower, Minju Chang, Ginger Clark, Verna Dreisbach, April Eberhardt, Sorche Elizabeth Fairbank, Paul Fedorko, Sally Harding, Paul S. Levine, Matthew Mahoney, Jim McCarthy, Laurie McLean, Rebecca Oliver, Rita Rosenkranz, Meg Ruley, J.L. Stermer, Elizabeth Wales, Ted Weintsein and Page Wheeler.


The following editors were also present:

Maria Gaglioano (Penguin), Katie K. Gilligan (Thomas Dunne Books), Rose Hillard (St. Martin's Press), Kate Kennedy (Harmony and Shaye Areheart Books) and Brooke Warner (Seal Press).


For anyone interested, here's a short history of the Secret Agent Series:

http://www.tv.pop-cult.com/secret-agent.html

It's in the Genes

Yeah, if only...



The DNA of Screenwriting: Avoiding Common and Fatal Screenwriting Mistakes workshop was the last class of the Pacific Northwest Writers Association's Summer Conference I attended that first day. This was presented by Ted Russell Neff, a graduate of the UCLA Film School and 30-year veteran of the motion-picture and television industry. (No photo available).

Did you know that you are an experienced film critic? It's true.

Ted pointed out that we're all exposed to stories at an early age; from children's picture books through Saturday morning cartoons to today's Academy-Award contenders. So the screenwriter has to win over the audience--that includes you--in order to bask in Hollywood's sunny glow.

Unfortunately the vast majority of submitted screenplays end up in the "slush pile," a mound of unread manuscripts. The key reason for this fate is that these unwanted stories were submitted before they were ready. Beginning screenwriters envision authoring the next blockbuster. The reality is that in Hollywood, the big-budget--and therefore high risk--film projects are made by seasoned writers. So one has to start of small. (My YouTube movies are probably too small--infinitesimal even--but hey it's a "start!").

Unlike books, films and television shows have a finite time to tell a story. Optimally, this is 2 hours, or 1.5 hours for a romantic comedy. So every scene must move the story forward or it will end up on the cutting-room floor. Once connected, each scene should create an ebb-and-flow effect. That is, if a scene starts off with a negative (-) mood then it should end in a positive (+) mood or visa-verse. Then the moods in the following scene should be reversed.

So the story's flow should look like this: (-) (+), (+) (-), (-) (+), (+) (-), (-) (+) and so on.

While this may seem obvious, but movies are visual media. Most beginning screenwriters forget this and write too much character exposition in their scripts. But the audience--that's you again--won't remember what characters say, but what they do. And speaking of characters, they should have both a conscious desire and an unconscious one--and they should be in conflict.

Remember, without conflict there is no story. And the more layered the conflict--the better the story.

Workshop with Working Girl

(Photo by Anne Lindsay)

Karen Burns is the author of The Amazing Adventures of Working Girl--Real Life Career Advice You Can Actually Use, a self-help book based on the 59 jobs she's held so far. She hopes there won't be Job#61--writer of course, being Job#60.

On the first afternoon of the PNWA (Pacific Northwest Writers Association) Summer Conference, Karen hosted the workshop Building a Platform from Nothing.

"Platform" is a new concept among writers. It means--roughly--an author's visibility and expertise both on-line and in-person. The importance of building a platform is to assure publishers that one is publishable and marketable.

The top 3 components of platforming Karen discussed were:

1. Branding, that is developing a unique identifier so readers can associate a product with your name. (Karen Burns = Working Girl).

2. Utilizing search engine optimization by having a unique URL (Uniform Resource Locator). Karen certainly succeeded in an optimal fashion. Googling "Karen Burns Working Girl" yielded 51,400 results with the first 5 pages directing searchers to her website.

3. Building an on-line presence by developing a website or blog, along with participating in social networking sites such as Facebook, Myspace and Twitter.

The remaining components she touched on were: Publishing articles and newsletters, joining associations, teaching classes, giving lectures, getting quoted as an expert source, conducting podcasts and webinars and making products related to your book. Karen has a whole line of Working Girl-related products: http://www.cafepress.com/aworkinggirl

But how important is all this platform building compared to actual writing?
Judging from number of people who attended Karen's workshop, I'd say a lot of new writers felt platforming was essential to their budding careers. Karen was told to expect about 30 attendees, so she brought 40 handouts in case a few more stragglers wandered into the room.

As it turned out, the stagglers outnumbered the handouts by at least 2 to 1 that warm July afternoon. In fact, more people attended her seminar than the Writing Sex Scenes workshop held the following day. (Which attendees had their priorities straight, I'll leave open for debate...)

Working Girl, disguised as mild-mannered Karen Burns is a soft-spoken, endearing speaker capable of charming an audience with her dry wit. As Working Girl her sense of humor comes to the fore. While her book is targeted for women, those of us testing positive for Y-Chromosomes can benefit from good advice--even if it comes in a frilly book jacket.

I don't think Working Girl has to worry about moving on to Job#61...

The link to Working Girl can be found here under the Writers' Blogs Section.