Internal Conflict
In debating whether to start a new idea or not, I got caught up in trying to create an internal struggle strong enough to sustain a full-length novel. I stumbled across this blog by Kate Kyle about internal conflict. Her line about the characters' goals (external motivation) being AWAY from love makes a lot of sense. What the character wants at the beginning of the book should not be love. It should be something else: revenge, a successful business, custody of a child. . . .whatever.
The character gets dragged into love kicking and screaming, but ultimately better off.
The internal conflict demonstrates growth or change, and that is what will eventually make the character able to give and receive love. The chase for that elusive external goal will force an internal change, and that in turn will allow the character to become the person who can love and be loved. That's a lot to happen in one book! And for a romance, it's going to have to happen for both of them.
So to start thinking about this new book, I have to decide what the primary character (my heroine, Anna) most wants out of life.
What are other ways you start off on the path to a new book or idea?
Stumbled across this blog post by Jonathan C. Gillespie regarding blog content. My writing chapter has been discussing promotional efforts and which ones work and which ones don't, so this caught my attention right away.
All writers know that content is subjective. There are some books I don't read because the subject matter doesn't interest me. A fiction book where the main character is restoring a car, for example, would probably have to have someone I trust recommend it to me, and even then I'd probably read a few pages to see if I'd buy it. Some people ONLY read specific content--Regency romances, for example. I'm a pretty broad reader, but WWII battle descriptions or someone's trek to the North Pole isn't probably going to be high on my reading list. Don't know why, but it's not.
I'm pretty sure the same thing applies to blogs. A blog readership will hopefully be interested in what the blogger has to say, but I'd venture a guess that few bloggers just ramble on about any old thing. That's what Facebook is for. A blog has an audience just like a book has an audience, and if the blogger wants to maintain that audience, he or she will address subjects that the audience wants to read.
Gillespie's post is a good start, but he never defines "meaningful content". I agree with him that status updates don't count--no one cares about all your submissions, because anyone can submit a manuscript and have it rejected. But that one submission that results in a sale--now THAT is one that others will care about.
Which brings me back to that unique perspective. I think it's that new twist on something, or a new way to look at something, or a new interpretation that catches readers' interest.
What types of content do you like in a blog? In a book? What draws you in? What keeps you there?
I'd like to take credit for this ingenious idea, but someone else in the Olympia RWA Chapter came up with it. We tried this at our Manresa Castle retreat last month (January), and it worked like a charm. I have to admit, I had my doubts. But wow, the results are truly amazing!
Here's the gig: You set a specific period during which you will write. Or revise, if you're in revision mode. We started with 20 minutes, but for some reason that didn't work all that well. On our second attempt (we were doing this as a group during the retreat) we set the timer for 30 minutes. As soon as the timer went off, you put your head down and write. You don't worry about whether or not the stuff you're writing is 'good enough', whether the dialog is stilted, or whether you've just introduced a spaceship into your Colonial romance. You just write. No self-editing or talk. No Solitaire. No answering questions. No interruptions.
It was amazing! After 30 minutes we were all in the thick of writing (or editing, as the case may be) and over the course of several Sprints much headway was made. We generally paused for 10 minutes between Sprints to compare notes, talk, get something to drink, check plotting notes, or whatever. Then, set the timer again and off we went.
That's my very first writing tip ever for this blog, but this worked so well for me that I had to share.
Yes, it's more difficult to do this at home, when you don't have the supportive bubble created by a writer's retreat. But take your laptop somewhere away from the hubub of the house--go sit in the back seat of your car if you have to--and just WRITE for 30 minutes. Go buy some crime scene tape if you think that'll help give you the uninterrupted time and space.
Think of a sprint as a small investment that will pay off big time--with the added benefit that you won't be out of breath at the end--unless, of course, you're writing a love scene!
I want to wish everyone a hearty Happy Thanksgiving! My kids are home and I'll be heading to California with the youngest to get her car down to L.A.
In the meantime, I'll have a guest blogger here on Monday. Meg Mims, author of "Double Crossing", has penned a twist on the classic "True Grit" movie, one of my favorites (the original, with John Wayne).
So tell me, what are you thankful you've accomplished during the past year? Have you finished a book? Entered a contest? It doesn't have to be a big thing, but I think sometimes we forget to pause and pat ourselves on the back for what we've done. I know it's human nature to focus on the stuff we DIDN'T get done, but put that aside for a few days and give yourself credit.
Me? I've finally resurrected the bullfighting book and it's getting closer to being sent in again. And I've been studying writing books and learning the craft ever better.
