A Random Reflection on Life in the Space Age

I've been debating for the past month whether or not I should publicly mention that I've entered the Jim Baen Memorial Writing Contest, and finally decided to go ahead and do it today. The deadline is tomorrow, so nothing I do from now on will matter. It's out of my hands. The reason I didn't want to say anything is because the authors are anonymous to the judges, but I figured that doesn't matter now either. As long as I don't say the title of my story or any details, the anonymity remains.

If you're unfamiliar with this contest, click HERE. Baen Books partners up with the National Space Society, which means the story entries are expected to be a very specific type of science fiction, namely, a type that I've never written before.

I write a lot of sci-fi (it's my favorite genre), but it is usually set VERY far in the future, when intelligent alien life has already been discovered, human space travel to other star systems is old news, and human colonization on other planets is well under way. Or, it takes place in a completely made up universe.

Two of the requirements for the contest entries are 1) near-future sci-fi, no more than 50-60 years from now, which creates technology limitations (among other things) to keep it realistic, and 2) the story has to be about space exploration in some way... again, I've never written a story that focused on that; it was always just an accepted part of the story world.

I likes me a challenge, though.

I'd already had a story idea started that had first come to me sometime over the summer of 2009. I set it on the back burner because I had other projects in progress, and didn't think about it much until January, when I happened to find the link to the writing contest while researching markets for my Fantasy novella (weird, I know). I read the rules and realized that my story was already kind of headed in that direction, and since I hadn't started writing it yet, the slate was clean. I still had the power to shape the details to make it fit.

So I whittled at the basic plot and got the story started, slowly, until I felt I'd reached the midpoint. Then it remained only half done until about two weeks ago. For some reason, a deadline crunch seems to bring out the best in me. I whipped out the second half in one afternoon, sent it to my wonderful beta readers, and then spent the past week implementing their suggestions and polishing it beautiful.

And now I shall get to the point of my post. Haha. I'm in a rambling mood, apparently. I'm also not truly awake yet.

I'm submitting the story today, and ironically, the first thing my son picked up this morning (after dragging me out of bed WAY too early) was his little model of a NASA space shuttle. He hasn't touched that thing in months, then, all the sudden, he's playing with it. *Twilight Zone music would be appropriate here*

Since we are a sci-fi-oriented family, he knows what it is, but he calls it a spaceship, and sometimes, a rocket. Those terms are not entirely incorrect, but I still felt the need to tell him, "It's a space shuttle, dear."

"Oh. Space shuttle. Right."

Then I see him flying it around the room like an airplane. Also wrong.

"Do you want to see how a space shuttle takes off into space?"

Big brown eyes light up. "Oooh. Yeah. Lift off!"

So I connect to my handy-dandy YouTube and found a few videos of shuttle launches (both real life and film versions) then I held his model upright and explained, in very general terms (because even I don't know all the geeky details), how it is positioned for a launch, and why there are two (seemingly) small white rockets on either side called boosters, and a giant orange tank so big it makes the shuttle look tiny.

He thought this was all very fascinating. And you know what? So do I. And it got me thinking about my first experiences with the concept of traveling from Earth into outer space.

How many of you remember what happened on January 28, 1986? One word: disaster. I'm going to go against every molecule within me screaming not to do this, but... I was seven years old (only a year older than my son is now) and in second grade.

There was a space shuttle launched on that date. One I'll never forget. It was named Challenger, and one of the people on board was not an astronaut. Christa McAuliffe was the first participant of the Teacher In Space Project. I thought that was the coolest thing ever. I'd been interested in science-related things for as long as I can remember. I was the tomboy of the neighborhood, more interested in collecting bugs out of the garden than playing with my Barbies (although, I did do that, too... I'm a multi-faceted character. haha).

My second grade teacher had each of us in the class write a letter to Ms. McAuliffe, in which we were to express how we felt about a teacher going into space. I don't remember everything I wrote in that letter, but the one thing I do remember was that I mentioned how much I wanted to be like her. Not a teacher, per se. I just thought she was one of the luckiest women in the world to be riding into space without having to be an astronaut.

Another random memory: the first woman in space was Sally Ride. I'll never forget that either. And I realize now that I am part of a very special generation in history. My parents remember when the first landing on the moon was broadcast on television; I was born nearly a decade after that. They also lived in a time when the thought of leaving Earth in any way shape or form was mere conjecture. It was all science fiction. No facts yet.

No one else will be able to say that. Kinda gives you a chill, doesn't it?

Back to my seven year-old self... I was ecstatic about Christa McAuliffe reading my letter. I thought I had an "in", and she would be able to somehow get me on a space shuttle in the future without having to be an astronaut. I was totally psyched (and that term hadn't even been coined yet). Then...

Well, let's just say that a seven year-old girl not only had all her hopes of space travel dashed to bits in an instant, but she also learned, very quickly, the importance of an O-ring. I understood that there was more to "lift off" than the romanticized version you see in television and film (incidentally, this was also why I fell in love with the movie Apollo 13 when I was a teenager--it was based on real events). And thus, the science geek in me blossomed from that point forward. I never wanted to be an astronaut, though. I just wanted to go into space.

When the movie Armageddon came out, I was all over it. "Average guys" got to shuttle to an asteroid. How cool is that?

We've come a long way since the Challenger disaster. Satellites, space stations, Hubble, Pluto is no longer considered a planet... the list goes on, and all of it amazes me. I'm still not sure if we'll colonize Mars or build a Moon base before I die, but if we do, you can guarantee I'll find a way to get there. Even if I'm 90. Seriously. I'm going.

And no matter how many times I see a shuttle launch, it always makes me tear up. Not kidding, (yes, I can still be a girly-girl, and I'm okay with that). My first thought when I'd heard that the Challenger never made it beyond Earth's atmosphere was, "She didn't get to read my letter." I'd just wanted her to know how cool I thought she was. So I think about that, but mainly, I think it's incredibly fascinating that we're able to do this at all, even though I've never lived in a time when we HADN'T been able to do it, if that makes sense.

I won't know how my story will fare in the Jim Baen Memorial Writing Contest until after May 4. In the meantime, I'll be watching the above video, imagining that I'm on that shuttle. I would be the one saying, "Houston, this is a kick-ass ride."

~Lydia

Tuesday Tunes - Music To Write By

The best fiction is founded on characters the reader can connect with, no matter what the genre. Every Tuesday, I'll post a song that touches on some part of the human experience.



What did this song make you think of?

~Lydia

The Power of Micro-Theme

Many writers who see the word theme automatically attribute it to theming your story as a whole. While that is important, there are other ways you can apply theme to your fiction. Today, I'm going to talk about a term that might be unfamiliar: micro-theme.

Micro-theming is done when you need to make an impact in describing something. I use it most often when describing setting (a place or an object within that place) or character (physical attributes, personality, or a specific action). It will give more punch to your words, and add resonance to your similes and metaphors.

Before I go any further, I have to give credit to the person who first introduced me to this concept, my writer-friend Liz Penn. About a year ago, she was helping me revise "The Blade of Tears", my first ever attempt at a zombie short story. I don't usually write stories that can be considered horror because I don't think I'm very scary. She helped me tweak some of my wording to increase the fear factor.

When we revise our stories, many times, we are not really changing the essence of what we're saying, but simply how it is worded.

Here are some of the descriptions that I'd changed, in order to micro-theme. When the MC begins running through a supposedly haunted forest, and a storm rolls in, I imagined her bright red hair flying in the wind. The micro-theme here is fire. First, the thought of a fire is opposite to the wet feeling of a thunderstorm. I liked the contrast. Second, infusing a lot of "r" words gave the feeling of a roaring fire. This is what I ended up with:

Lightning flashed and thunder clapped overhead. Alinor ran as fast as she could. Rigorous winds ripped at her braided hair. The loosened red locks raged about her head like angry flames.

The words rigorous, ripped, raged, and angry all theme the description in a way to purposely get the reader's heart pounding a little faster.

Later, when she is in the middle of this storm, fighting her opponent (not the zombies yet, just in case you were wondering), I used one sentence to remind the reader of the setting, and kept to the "scary" theme by giving the weather wolf-like traits. The micro-theme here is a wild animal.

Wind howled through the branches and rain mauled the ground.

The words howled and mauled are the keys there. Side point: A single-sentence reminder of setting is usually all that is needed when your character is in the midst of an intense action, such as a fight.

From a different work, my sci-fi novel Web: Book One of the Cricket Trilogy (aka the one undergoing major reconstruction at the moment), the character of Commander Aaron Jarus is one of my all-time favorites of any story I've written to date. He is hired as a bodyguard, so there are many times throughout where I will use the micro-theme of a guard dog to describe a trait of his, or something he does.

Early in the story, Jarus has to get fitted for his (fancy-shmancy high-tech) armor by the very woman he was hired to protect, entomologist Olessa Skye. The thing is, he's all but naked in this scene, wearing only his boxer shorts, and they are alone and... well, she's not exactly ugly, and it's been quite some time since the poor Commander had been this close to a woman. And naked.

At the end of the scene, Olessa's twin brother (who is also the Captain of the ship they are on, and Jarus' boss... three strikes. haha) walks in and snaps Jarus out of his sudden woman-induced daze. Keeping with the theme I'd predetermined for his character, this was how it went:

The door opened and Jarus snapped to attention. Markus walked in; Olessa stepped away. Jarus reached for his pants like a dog that just noticed a steak had been tossed at its feet.

The point was that Jarus really wanted his pants back on at that moment. I could have simply stated that he reached for them quickly, or snatched them from the floor, or something to that effect. But I don't think it would have had the same impact.

Which brings up a secondary point that we need to make our comparisons as original as we can. In chapter one of the same novel, when Olessa is first introduced to Jarus at the time of his hire, I wanted to make it clear just how big and strong he is. Again, I like to use opposites. Olessa is petite and fair; Jarus is huge and dark. Olessa has a horrible temper; Jarus' nature is calm and collected.

The first opportunity he has to protect her comes almost immediately after they meet. Olessa is a bit of a stubborn woman, and doesn't particularly like the idea of someone else taking care of her. She's not going to take this "having a personal bodyguard" thing in stride. Jarus is so much bigger and stronger than her, though, that she doesn't have much choice. This is made clear with the following exchange:

"We don't have long," Markus said. "Jarus, get her out of here. Our shuttle is fifty yards ahead and to the right. The one with the giant lizard in the pilot's seat."

Jarus didn't question. He grabbed Olessa by the waist, lifted her to his side, and kept his weapon steady in the other arm. She reached and screamed for her brother as Jarus whisked her further and further away.

"Markus, no. Wait!" She pounded her fists on Jarus and kicked him--hard--but it was like trying to crack concrete with a wet noodle.

The comparison is in that final sentence. I don't know about any of you, but I've never seen that expression used before. Yet it still gets the point across.

(If you're wondering, yes, they really do have a "giant lizard" as a pilot. He's an alien being I made up, called a Tulkarian. But he's not just a pilot, no, that would be boring. He's also a brutal warrior who had been banished from his home planet because of his amiable involvement with humans during a major war. Side point: I love space opera. Just saying.)

Cliche' phrases and descriptions are not necessary. Be as creative as you can, use micro-themes, and give impact to your words. Your readers will love you for it.

~Lydia

Make Something Out of Nothing

Inspiration is all around us.

I saw a quote one time (and I apologize for not having the time this morning to look up who said it, perhaps there will be an addendum later) that basically said: ideas are everywhere... the difference between a writer and a nonwriter is that the writer will notice them and recognize their importance.

Joe and I are two different types of writers, both in the writing process and in writing style--anyone who has read our work will vouch for that--but one thing that we have in common is that we recognize an idea when we see it. We don't reject the elusive "muse". We take hold of inspiration, no matter how small, and make something out of seemingly nothing.

Last week, Joe was watching this video. Not only is Pearl Jam one of our favorite bands since forever ago, but that is a really moving song. He sat there watching it on YouTube with a familiar vacancy to his stare. That meant he was thinking deeply, and sure enough, when the song was over, he looks at me and says, "I want to write a story based on this song."

About an hour later, he'd already written a complete story from start to finish. It's a micro fiction (less than 500 words), which is something I can't do. Side point: Joe has written stories in less than a hundred words. Yes, I'm jealous of that talent. I can do flash fiction (a thousand words), but that's as short as I can go.

The story he wrote, even if you hadn't heard the song before, was just as moving. It made me tear up. He posted it in the critique forum we frequent on Writer's Digest, and many others had the same reaction. It was good.

And it came from listening to a song. That's it. Don't underestimate how powerful the muse can be, even if she looks small and insignificant.

With Joe's permission, I've posted his story below.

I had a similar thing happen to me. This song has always been one of my favorites. The video does it absolutely no justice, but the song itself is powerful in its message, and it got me thinking: what better reason could a person have for fighting through something, perhaps something life-threatening, than the person they love more than anything or anyone else in the world?

The answer: there is no better reason. And that was the little spark that lit the fire of my sci-fi short story that's about to be entered in a national contest.

As fiction writers--storytellers--we are constantly making something out of nothing. Have you ever gotten an idea by watching an ant carry a crumb across the sidewalk? Or hearing a cat fight at two in the morning? Or maybe you see a young couple holding hands and wonder what brought them together... or how long it will last before something, or someone, comes between them.

Inspiration is all around us.

I'd love to hear about your nothing that turned into something.

~Lydia

JUST BREATHE by Joe Sharp

Funny. Even after all these years I'm acutely aware of when our breathing falls into rhythm. A lifetime with someone will do that. Differences, disagreements, sometimes-clashing personalities, and you still line up so well, so perfectly, that even your breathing falls into step.

Sleeping. Cuddling. Leading her in Lamaze when our kids came into the world. Sex. I remember this the most of course, this time when hot breaths, lined up perfectly, passed on their way to each other's faces. Oh, I remember sex. She smiles back at my grin. Poor girl has no idea why it's plastered on my face. Little vixen.

Breathing doesn't just line up of its own will. You have to think it to be that way, but after a certain amount of time, you don't even have to think it. Love makes the lungs think it for themselves.

I cough, breaking rhythm, but quickly find it again. I know how fortunate I am. She is so beautiful, even now. There are other people in the room, but I'm not sure who. Is that selfish, to only want to see her? Maybe. I'm sure, deep down, part of me feels bad about it. I'll let you know when I find it.

I reach up, slowly, and slide my hand against the side of her face.

"I'm sorry," I say, and she smiles.

"Save your strength, love," is all she whispers.

"I'm sorry I'm leaving you."

She only smiles, but I can see--even through my blurred vision--that her eyes are rimmed in red. She's trying not to cry.

I slide my hand down to her chest (hey, blame an old man for copping one last feel along the way? Her breasts really are spectacular. Young girls wish they could be so lucky), and hold it there, feeling it rise and fall. She cups my hand with her own, holding it tighter against herself, so I can feel her breathe.

And that's all I have to do. Just breathe.

Just breathe.

Just…

52 Qualities of the Prosperous Writer: Number Twelve, Balance

photo credit

This post is part of a weekly series in association with Christina Katz's ezine, The Prosperous Writer.
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When I was a kid, my siblings (one older brother, one older sister, and one younger sister) and I used to play a game we called "strong man, weak man." The rules were simple. Two of us were designated as a "weak man" and the other two were designated as a "strong man." Each weak man was paired up with a strong man.

Kudos if you can already see where I'm going with this.

As with most games we made up in our childhood, the older siblings always found a way to make it completely unfair to the younger ones. I was one of the younger ones. I was always a "weak man."

The weak men stood in front of the couch (that's a sofa for those of you who speak the other kind of English) facing the strong man. Like I said, the rules were simple. The entire game consisted of the strong man repeatedly pushing the weak man onto the couch. The weak man would get up and then be pushed right back down again.

The game was completely one-sided. No balance whatsoever. It started out fun (and was a good way for all four of us to burn some pent-up energy), but it would always lead to us "weak men" getting frustrated and quitting, while the "strong men" found the whole thing hilarious.

A little imbalance from time to time can be refreshing, and even fun, but we must return to a state of balance at some point, or we will get frustrated and quit. Period.

~Lydia

New Classics: Treasure Planet

Standard Disclaimer: You do not have to be a child or have children of your own to enjoy a movie that is marketed toward a younger audience. Case in point: every Disney movie ever made.

So March is almost over (what?!) and I realized we hadn't posted a New Classic movie yet. Today's awesomeness is reserved for Treasure Planet. Add another hashmark to the column labeled "old ideas still sell", please. Thank you.

Why does Treasure Planet excite me EVERY time I watch it? A few reasons. Here's the breakdown:

1. It's a sci-fi rendition of a classic story.

Anyone who can turn a story into (good) sci-fi gets two thumbs up from me.

As I'd stated in a prior post, when doing a remake, there are certain things you must keep the same. The main plot. Check. The main characters. Check. And then you must add new details. Check.

Treasure Planet's portrayal of flying sea-faring vessels in outer space, while totally not possible, is still entertaining and unique. John Silver is a cyborg. Haha. And even funnier? His parrot is a shapeshifter. Love it!

2. It's animated.

I am a sucker for animated movies. This one combines CG with "classic" animation, and the result is amazing. If it had been completely CG like, for example, the Pixar movies, it wouldn't have had the same "classic" feel to it. I don't think I would have enjoyed it as much. Kudos to the creators of this film for realizing that small, yet huge, impact.

3. Characters.

No-brainer for this one. The characters, in any form of entertainment, have to be stellar to keep you engaged. Certain traits are exaggerated for emphasis. This clearly defines the characters as individuals. There is also balance in ALL of them, and that is what prevents a character from becoming cliche', flat, cardboard, etc. We see many sides of them. This endears us to them and makes us care, even for the villain.

Well done.

4. The tension remains high from start to finish.

Low points are there, but they don't last any longer than necessary. And even in the seemingly slow scenes, there is tension. A scene does NOT always have to include swash-buckling action to be considered "tense." This film has some very good examples of that fact.

5. It is sprinkled with humor.

Anything that makes me laugh, genuinely, gets an A+. As John Silver said, "I'm nothin' if I ain't a kidder." Agreed.

If you haven't seen Treasure Planet yet, pick it up from the rental store or the library for your next movie night, and see if you don't agree with us that it is worthy of the label, New Classic.

~Lydia

Query Letter Tips From YouTube

MY YOUTUBE ADDICTION HAS FINALLY PAID OFF!

Type "query letter" in the search box on YouTube and see what comes up. A WHOLE LOT OF STUFF, to be exact. Now, granted, not all of it is going to be good advice, but if you're looking for something to emphasize what you've already researched online through websites and agent blogs (see the handy dandy sidebar for helpful links), YouTube could be just what you need. I, personally, learn better from hearing someone speak about a topic. My brain soaks it right up and, more importantly, retains it.

The first one I clicked on was this. Elizabeth Lyon is the author of several "how to" books, including Manuscript Makeover, The Sell Your Novel Tool Kit, and A Writer's Guide to Fiction. I thought her delivery of how to write a query letter was as "to the point" as it can get. Clear, concise, and easy to follow. Here are a few points she made that stood out to me:

• Shorter is better, but shorter is also more difficult to write. Take your time with it and make sure it's as good as you can make it.

• A 30% request rate is VERY GOOD. Think about the the flip side for a moment... If you send out 10 letters, 7 of them can be rejections and you'll still be faring better than most.

• "Start with a hook" doesn't necessarily mean the hook of the story. You can use what she calls a "business hook."

• Summary essentials: the main character, the problem that defines the story, the major turning points, the character change. And yes, it's extremely difficult to summarize a novel in two little paragraphs.
  

• Tips on how to write a professional "author" paragraph even if you don't have any prior publication credits or industry contacts.

Has anyone else discovered helpful writing tips (for queries or otherwise) in a seemingly unusual place, such as YouTube?

~Lydia

This Is Beyond Exciting

Last night, my six year-old son was reading. Actually READING (not just making up his own story to the pictures, like he's been doing for the last three years), sounding out words he didn't recognize, the whole sha-bang. He sat down with me, of his own initiative, and read an entire book!

This is thrilling to me for several reasons, but here are the main two:

1. He's my only child (and may end up being my ONLY child), and this is a huge milestone in any child's life, but especially in the life of a child who has writers for parents.

2. He has a learning disability that inhibits his speech and comprehension skills. At one point, I honestly thought he'd never learn to read on his own.

I know there are a lot of parents out there who follow this blog. I'd love to see your story about how it felt when your child/children first started to read.

~Lydia

52 Qualities of the Prosperous Writer: Number Eleven, Good Health

This post is part of a weekly series in association with Christina Katz's ezine, The Prosperous Writer.
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When your ass is in a chair all day, it tends to get flat after a while. And if you slouch while typing, you probably have chronic back pain. Then, of course, the typing itself can lead to Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. Don't forget about eye strain (which is probably the reason I had to pop a fake Excedrin cocktail yesterday to get rid of my headache. Quick tip: the best thing for a headache is Excedrin, but if you don't want the caffeine, take one Tylenol and one aspirin. It's essentially the same thing).

And that is only the physical. As fiction writers, the inner turmoils of "living" our characters' messed up lives can exacerbate what we may be dealing with in our real life, and our mental well-being may suffer for it. Stress can cause high blood pressure, stomach ulcers, and weight gain, to name a few.

I don't know about you all, but when I have to write a really emotional scene, I gravitate toward the peanut butter jar, wielding a spoon. Not good for the hips or the heart.

We live in the Information Age. It is no secret that if we take care of our minds and bodies, we will live a longer life. And the longer we live, the more opportunity we have to share our writing with the world.

I never claimed to be a health nut (see peanut butter comment above), so I will leave it up to the experts to give advice. Here are some links that I found helpful for writers:

7 Healthy Habits for Office Workers

6 Reasons Not to Scrimp on Sleep

5 Great Tricks for the Healthy Office Worker's Mind

25 Top Hearth Healthy Foods

Easy Exercises to Relieve Stress

Relieve Stress While You Work

If anyone else has a tip, please add it to the comments. Thanks!

As for the problem of a flat behind, I have yet to find anything more effective than Pilates. Joe will vouch for me on that. ;)

~Lydia

Please Help Me Support One of My Favorite Authors!

We interrupt our week of randomness (and my Prosperous Writer post will be bumped to Friday), to make an urgent request.

Therese Walsh, also known as...

Women's fic author of The Last Will of Moira Leahy
Co-founder of Writer Unboxed
President of the RWA-WF (the Women's Fiction chapter of the Romance Writers of America)
Lydia's e-friend and writing mentor, and just an all-around really nice person

...NEEDS YOU TO VOTE FOR HER!

She has been nominated for the DABWAHA. Have no clue what that is? Neither did I, but it's actually pretty awesome. Here is a brief explanation, in their words:

Welcome to the 3rd Annual DA BWAHA, Dear Author Bitchery Writing Award for Hellagood Authors run by the bloggers at Dear Author and Smart Bitches Trashy Books.

For newcomers, this is a tournament of books that mimics the March Madness tournament of basketball. We’ve picked a slate of 64 books in 8 different categories to compete against each other through the next few weeks.

You can help Therese get to the next round! Please click HERE, then click on the dot next to her name and book title, then click on the "vote" box directly below it. While you're there, vote for Juliet Marillier (author of Heart's Blood) as well.

THANK YOU! And good luck, Therese and Juliet!

~Lydia

ADDENDUM:

The polls on that round are now closed. Thank you to every one who voted! Therese, unfortunately, did not make it to the next round.
But Juliet did! CONGRATS!

Joe Hit Ball.

Hey. Joe. Again.

Lydia pulled me out of a pretty decent bipolar wave to post something from my past.

I was published as a preteen, played in a rock band that flirted with a record contract, and was interviewed in front of 10,000 people about how I turned my violent life around.

But what people know me for most is baseball. When I got older, softball. And now that I'm retired for medical reasons (stupid knees), it's hitting coach.

I was always a stocky lefty, so I could always hit. I played a few little league games here and there, but nothing much structured. But I could hit.

I took a big interest in baseball and softball after watching my dad hammer ball after ball into the woods at a congregation picnic. A crowd gathered. He just kept hitting them, and they just kept rocketing into the trees. Sometimes you'd hear them pinballing around in there, ricocheting off branches and giving squirrels heart attacks.

The best thing? He didn't even care. Dad grew up in the projects on the East Side (of Cleveland), and was good at basketball. Softball? Myeh. He could take it or leave it.

Dad was huge, true, but this was beyond just strength. When he died a few years later (Bipolar and incorrect meds took him at 31 years old), I had already gotten my start. I believe I went through over a dozen wooden bats that year, then split an aluminum little league bat.

I played in a rec softball league at the age of 14, and hit my first homerun on the adult field at sixteen.

A couple years later, I got into Vintage Base Ball (originally two words). I would drive the two hours from Cleveland suburb to Columbus every weekend for home games of the team run by the Ohio Historical Society. I'd drive farther for away games.

We have a video of me playing in Jackson, OH, and launching a ball. L-A-U-N-C-H-I-N-G. There is a chorus of, "whoa's" clearly audible on the tape. Later that year, I put a handmade vintage ball over the 370' sign at a college baseball stadium. There was actually a line of little kids asking for my autograph after the game. Very cool.

The next year I started dating Lydia, and though her mom didn't like me, she still cheered when I yacked 3 bombs against the town hall of the little city we were putting on an exhibition against. In a graveyard.

I've played for about a dozen different softball teams through the years, as well. I don't like the drinking and jawing at those games, not to mention those diminishing skills of mine. I retired in '09, and my last at bat was a 3-run backside walk off bomb (homerun that went far to opposite field and ended the game). I packed up my stuff, left the field, and have not set foot on one again, except to teach others how to hit.

Everyone thinks they could have made it. I don't care that I never tried. I have Lydia and Little Joe (our six-year old), and that's all that matters.

Incidentally, I have taken a bucket of rock-hard balls and one of the best bats on the market to that park my dad hit on, and cannot even come within ten feet of those trees he was assaulting with cork balls and a garage sale bat.

And no, I don't bowl.

--JOE

Randomness Week, Day Two: A Night at the Theater

High School is tough. Even tougher if you move from an overcrowded city to a rural community when you're 15, sophomore year. The phrase "culture shock" does not even begin to describe what I felt.

I'm an art-oriented person. My new high school was so small, it didn't even have an orchestra. After reading yesterday's post, you should understand how devastating this was to me. I continued to take private lessons, but it wasn't the same as playing with a group.

It was at this time that I began testing the waters in other avenues of creative craft. I joined the Newspaper Staff as a movie reviewer, I wrote poetry and read a lot of classic literature, studied playwriting and screenwriting, and tried my hand at acting.

Not sure why a school that doesn't have an orchestra offered a class in acting, but it did. And I took it. And I excelled at it.

This was a surprise for me, though. I was painfully shy until after I graduated. In fact, it wasn't until I started spending more time with the man who would end up being my husband that I started to open up more socially. (Yes, you can blame Joe for my current boldness.)

As I said, I studied the craft, and in doing so, I learned that there are many, many actors out there who were and still are very shy. So I figured, if they could do it, so could I. But still, every time I got up on stage, even after months of rehearsals, it scared the snot out of me.

Senior year I landed a lead role in the school play, Crimes of the Heart, as Lenny, the oldest of three sisters. This is a very popular show, and had been made into a movie not long before I played in the stage version. If you're not familiar with it, it starts out with Lenny (that would be me) ALONE on stage for about the first five-ten minutes. Anyone who has a fear of public speaking will understand why that is a big deal.

I opened the show. Every night. By myself. Can you say performance anxiety?

The great thing about a stage, though, is that when you look out into the dark audience, you don't really see faces. You see an amorphous blob of different shades of black. You hear the audience, but you don't quite see them. For me, that was enough to get over my fears and play my part the best that I could.

I found a clip of what looks like a local theater group (not high school) doing Crimes of the Heart. This scene is in the first Act. Chick is the woman with the black hair... she leaves after a minute, then it's just Lenny and Doc.

As I was watching this clip--amazingly!--I remembered all my lines. After *coughs* years. Wow.

And now for a fun fact, before you watch this. There is a part where Lenny walks to the stove to pour herself some coffee. In this clip she doesn't actually pour the coffee (not sure why, because it's in the script that she pours it). I will never forget this.

NUMBER ONE REASON WHY ACTORS MUST LEARN TO IMPROVISE: THINGS GO WRONG, AND YOU'RE ON STAGE (LIVE!). THE SHOW MUST GO ON.

The second night of our show, I went to the prop stove and picked up my prop coffee pot to pour a fake cup of coffee, and the pot handle FELL OFF. One of the screws had come loose (probably from all those damn rehearsals), and the whole thing decided to fall apart DURING THE SHOW.

ARGH!

But the show went on. I improvised... said something like, "Oh, well, maybe I wasn't in the mood for coffee," and continued with the scene.

The guy who played Doc goes backstage before I had to, and as soon as I went backstage, he just looks at me and busts out laughing, and we're both like, "Did that really just happen?" The stagehand (who may or may not have had a major crush on me) found me backstage, too, just to say how awesome it was that I pulled that off, and of course, apologize his little heart out for giving me a faulty prop. Then later, my director says to me, "Way to go!" Apparently, she just about had a heart attack when she saw the handle fall off, and thought I would freak and forget my lines or something.

The number one comment I received from people in the audience that night after the show was about that stupid coffee pot falling apart in Act One. Haha. Good times.

~Lydia

A Week of Randomness

For personal reasons, Joe will not be posting this week, and I have two pieces that MUST be finished by Saturday, so we're taking a break from blogging (about things that require a thought process, that is). Rather than offer boring reruns or worse, complete silence, I decided to give you a week of YouTube links in association with a random fact about myself or Joe or both of us that I'm sure most of you didn't know.

First up: Lydia's musical background.

When I was five I asked my parents for piano lessons, but we had no piano. They were kind enough to lead me on and took me piano shopping, knowing full well they could never afford lessons, let alone a piano. Not even a used one. I guess they thought I would just like going to see a bunch of pianos and then forget about my "musical whim."

Wrong.

In fifth grade the students are offered the chance to join either the orchestra or band and learn to play an instrument of their choice. I was undecided, because I liked two different instruments, and one was in band (the trumpet, for which the instructor said I had perfect lips) and the other in orchestra (the cello -- I've always loved the sound of a cello). I couldn't join both.

I took the paperwork home to my mother, she reviewed it, and made a decision for me. String instruments could be rented from the school for $20/year, which included the summer break. Band instruments had to be rented or purchased from a music store, and the cheaper option won.

Then we had the cello discussion. My mother refused to let me play cello because I had to walk back and forth to school (and it was about a thirty minute walk) no matter what the weather (and we live in NE Ohio... bad winters here). She didn't think I could carry something as big as I was. I disagreed, but she's the mom. She won. And that was the year I started playing violin.

I love violin, but it will never be a cello. I played violin every day from fifth grade through twelfth, entered competitions (in both quartets and a full orchestra, and sometimes as a soloist), played concerts, I even went to a summer music camp in Michigan one year.

At some point, my dad bought us an electronic keyboard (I think I was in 6th or 7th grade) and that's when I decided it was close enough to a piano to learn how to play. I already knew how to read a treble clef, thanks to my violin-playing. So I just had to learn bass clef for my left hand, and which keys on the piano went with which notes on the musical staff.

Yes, I taught myself how to play piano. And it's a good thing I did, because I currently have neither a violin or a cello, but I inherited a (real!) piano from my mother-in-law when she moved from her house to an apartment a few years back. So I can still play music.

And...

My six year old son is finally showing an interest in learning piano, which thrills me. I've been teaching him the basics, and currently, he can play "Twinkle, Twinkle" and the Darth Vader theme. Haha.

I still have hopes of getting a violin of my own at some point in the future (I did own one in high school, but had to sell it after graduation to afford a down payment on my first car), and still want to learn to play cello.

In honor of that dream, here is a YouTube video of one of my favorite cello solos. I first heard this song from my friend who was first chair cellist in the school orchestra. She was part of a quartet created by the orchestra conductor, which consisted of the first chair cellist, the first chair violist, and the first and second chair violinists. (I was second chair violinist, and I loved being part of that quartet. We even had matching outfits.) Since graduation, we've lost touch, but I sometimes wonder if any of them still play.

Enjoy!



~Lydia

EDIT: To clarify, I will still be posting the Prosperous Writer "tip" on Thursday, as usual. And I apologize in advance for my absence this week from writers' forums and blogs.

Upcoming Thrills and Following Trends

What's big for 2010?

Sci-fi and fantasy tales are still leading the pack. But the economy is clearly affecting movie production. Much of the 2010 line-up includes sequels, remakes, or adaptations of already-popular stories. As I always say, there is no such thing as coincidence.

Less financial risk is involved in producing a film out of a story that has already proven its success. Definitely still a risk, but LESS than if it were a fresh start. This doesn't necessarily give us, as the audience, a lesser experience, though.

Decide for yourself. Here's a sneak peek.

Sequels:

Iron Man 2

Toy Story 3

Tron: Legacy

Shrek Forever After

Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang

Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore

And we are still in the middle of not one, not two, but THREE fantasy series phenomena: Twilight (Eclipse), Harry Potter (Deathly Hallows), and Chronicles of Narnia (Voyage of the Dawn Treader) will all be released in 2010. The last two do not have trailers yet, and I refuse to link the first one. Haha.

Remakes:

Clash of the Titans

The Karate Kid

Robin Hood (yep. another one.)

Adaptations:

Prince of Persia: Sands of Time (based on the video game)

Marmaduke (based on the comic strip)

The A-Team (based on the TV series)

Have a great weekend!

~Lydia

52 Qualities of the Prosperous Writer: Number Ten, Accountability

This post is part of a weekly series in association with Christina Katz's ezine, The Prosperous Writer.

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I can't believe we are ten weeks into the year already! This week's topic hit very close to home for me. When you're involved in a career that feels like it's going nowhere in the beginning stages (fiction writing), you're in a long haul... and it's tiring. The exhaustion can lead to discouragement, and this has a negative effect on the very thing you need to keep going: CREATIVITY and MOTIVATION.

This week has been especially tiring. Real Life struggles are overwhelming us. I've been working on my rewrites for Web, and every time I sat down to it this week, nothing happened. I thought maybe I just needed a break from that project (it has been going on for nearly two years now, the longest I've ever worked on a single piece), so I opened up some other files that had been on the back burner.

This was refreshing, but then it made me feel guilty. I have a responsibility to certain stories first. I prioritize them for a reason. Not only is Web at the top, but so is a short story that has to be polished and ready to go by April 1... and I haven't even finished the first draft yet.

Why hadn't I been working on it? (answer: sometimes you lose steam on a project for no real reason) I should have been on a third draft pass by now, not still getting the first words out. I am not under contract to get this story out by a certain date, but I sort of am. I'm under a contract with myself. The story has a deadline. However, I don't have to submit it. At the same time, I've already told myself I have to submit it. If I shrink back and don't reach that goal, what is the result?

Short term: I'm disappointed with myself. Long term: I'm still disappointed with myself. It's a lose-lose situation.

So this is an example of when our commitment is tested. The long haul is tough. You put out a lot and get little in return during those first few miles. Further down the road, you still put out a lot, but get more back. And, more importantly, you're just as accountable. Not only to yourself, though. To others as well.

Understanding the importance of accountability from the very beginning is essential. Think of it as practice now. If you can't hold yourself accountable to your own expectations, how can you do so for others in the future? It all boils down to how you view this venture. If you're in it for the long haul, you will do your best to be professional and move steadily toward specific goals, despite what comes up along the way.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a story to finish.

~Lydia

Some Ideas Never Get Old

I'm not sure exactly when this topic became my favorite, but I could honestly go on forever about the fact that 1) there aren't many new ideas left out there, 2) it doesn't matter because old ideas still sell, and 3) you can make it your own.

The best example of this is an outright retelling of a classic.

I happened to come across this video on YouTube yesterday (still one of my favorite songs of all-time), and it reminded me of just how awesome that movie was. You'd think that after CENTURIES of telling the story of Robin Hood, no one would be interested anymore, and even if they were, there was no way anything new could be infused to make it unique.

Wrong on both counts.

First, a story doesn't become a classic by people NOT being interested over a long period of time. These are stories we can hear/ read/ view over and over and over again, and they never get old. Sometimes we can't really pinpoint the reasons, but that doesn't change the fact that this story will ALWAYS have an audience. So if you're looking for an instant attention-grabber, put a new twist on an old classic. Which brings me to the second point...

You have a 50/50 chance of success when you do something like this because everyone knows the basic story already, so you MUST offer something new.

In Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, the writers did just that. First, I'm going to list a few things about the movie that are true to the classic tale. This is the familiarity the audience needs to see.

1) The major players: Robin Hood, Maid Marian, Sheriff of Nottingham, Little John, Friar Tuck, Will Scarlett, King Richard. If any of those characters are missing, the audience will notice.

2) Location and time period: Medieval England. More specifically, Nottingham and Sherwood Forest, during the time of the Third Crusade. The time and place MUST be the same, and not for the first reason you might think of (period costume, weaponry, transportation, etc). It is actually because of the major element that makes this story believable: King Richard is away on the Crusade, which gives the Sheriff free reign to do as he pleases. Without this element, there is no story for Robin Hood.

3) Basic plot: Robin of Loxley loses his wealth and makes a home in Sherwood Forest, then leads a group of outlaws "stealing from the rich to give to the poor" in a campaign of ethics against the Sheriff of Nottingham, and the B story is his romantic relationship with Maid Marian. There's always the threat of being hung at the end, too.

4) The core motivations of the protagonist and antagonist are primal, something anyone can relate to. For Robin Hood, it is a combination of survival instincts, a basic sense of right and wrong, and love. For the Sheriff, it is money and power, which is really just his messed up version of survival instincts.

The above elements have to be there, or you are not truly telling the correct story. And once you have those basic things in place, you have to add new details to make it different. This is where your creativity gets to play. The fun part of writing.

Here are (quite a few) things that made this version of the Robin Hood tale unique, and ultimately, what made it a success.

Aside: You will not see mentioned below anything about the elaborate costumes, cinematography, or special effects. Those things can enhance an already good story, but they are not what make it good.

1) New characters.
The Sheriff's mother (a witch) and the Bishop. I mention these together because they are what hold up the subplot of Robin's father being accused of devil worship. All of that is new, and kept it interesting.

Little John's family, namely, his wife and one of his sons. This allowed for details that added to character development, and they both had roles in the events of the climax.

Azeem. The most noticeable original piece in this version. Very cool.

Duncan. Probably could have done without him if not for one specific part (he unknowingly led the Celts to Robin's hideout). The writers were smart and made him crucial to the plot, not just a useless sidekick.

Guy of Gisborne, the Sheriff's cousin. Another new baddy, which only makes sense. New characters should be added on both sides of the story, to keep it balanced.

Already, there is a lot of new. But it doesn't stop with the characters.

2) New subplots.
I already mentioned the devil worship subplot. There is also the seemingly unfounded friction between Robin and Will, who later reveals that they are half-brothers. Jealousy. Another primal motivation. Not a coincidence. (I'm drawing a blank here, so if anyone can think of another subplot that I missed, please point it out.)

3) New details. Ah, the fun stuff.
Azeem is not just a cool character in this story, he also brings new details that aid the plot. His culture shock adds humor. He is inventive (remember the makeshift telescope that scares the wits out of Robin the first time he looks through it?), and his knowledge of explosives, which is way ahead of the time period, offers one of the most unique new details of this version. It also made for a kick-ass climax.

We also see Little John's wife suffer a troublesome labor. The fight in the river. There are neat little details of the Sherwood hideout that we never saw before: the bridges between trees, the water mill, the rope elevator that made for that awesome shot of Robin and Marian intertwined and rotating slowly to the ground while her skirt swayed out from them. Beautiful.

And the wretched Celts employed by the Sheriff. This (and a few other things) made the movie much more brutal than any other version of Robin Hood I can think of. I'm certain this attributed to its success.

I'm sure there are more, and I'd love to spend the rest of the day pointing them out, but I'll spare you. I'll also refrain from going into further detail on why I thought this movie sold so well, which mostly has to do with the inclusion of many pairs of opposites (as I've discussed before, this is part of what gets the initial attention). Even the title is intriguing, a prince of thieves. Definitely a New Classic in my book, and quite possibly the best version of Robin Hood ever told.

~Lydia

ADDENDUM:

Apparently, yet another new version of Robin Hood is coming soon. Yes, I am psyched.
Click here. (ugh, I really am addicted to YouTube. Sad.)

Typing Down Memory Lane

My dad was a computer geek ahead of his time, so we had a PC in our home before the general populace (my earliest memory was at the age of about six-ish), while children were still learning to type on manual typewriters in school. Even with the PC keyboard available to me 24/7 (and at one point, we had an electronic typewriter solely for writing school papers, so we, meaning myself and my siblings, wouldn't "hog" my dad's precious computer to do schoolwork), I single-finger typed until I learned the official way of doing it in high school.

Yeah. That's a long time. And I actually got pretty swift using the single-finger technique, and it was difficult to transition.

But I took a typing class my sophomore year in high school because, at the time, I was interested in joining the school Newspaper Staff. (Typing wasn't a required course for some reason. It should be.) By that time, however, the schools had already transformed their typing rooms into computer labs, so I learned on what I'd been typing on all along, a computer keyboard.

Once I got the hang of it, I loved it. I could type almost as fast as the words were appearing in my head WITHOUT LOOKING. It was amazing, and I've been hooked on it ever since.

And because I'm sure you're burning with curiosity... yes, I was on the Newspaper Staff in high school. I wrote movie reviews (big surprise, right? but actually, I did it then because I was studying acting and screenwriting), and helped arrange type and photo layout before it went to "press." Those were my first experiences with publishing. It taught me how to write on a deadline and how to copyedit.

How old were you when you learned to type? What device did you learn on, and where? How did it affect your current writing journey?

~Lydia

Blurb It Beautiful

The biggest complaint I hear/see from fiction writers is about writing a synopsis, or writing a query letter, or writing a blurb, or writing an elevator pitch. Why? Because all of those things require the author to summarize their work in a way that is intriguing to someone who knows nothing about the story.

What is a blurb? Sometimes known as a "back of the book blurb" or a "jacket copy", a blurb consists of (usually) a paragraph or two of enticement to get someone to read the whole story. Unlike a synopsis (aside from the obvious differences in length), a blurb does not contain the entire plot. Unlike a query letter, certain specifics are purposely left out. Yet it contains more detail than an elevator pitch.

(Yes. All of those are different things.)

I learn best by example, so I'm going to randomly select a blurb and point out why I think it works or doesn't work. This is from a book I have NOT read. I am not reviewing the book, just the blurb.

Look Again by Lisa Scottoline

When reporter Ellen Gleeson gets a "Have You Seen This Child?" flyer in the mail, she almost throws it away. But something about it makes her look again, and her heart stops-the child in the photo is identical to her adopted son, Will. Her every instinct tells her to deny the similarity between the boys, because she knows her adoption was lawful. But she's a journalist and won't be able to stop thinking about the photo until she figures out the truth. And she can't shake the question: if Will rightfully belongs to someone else, should she keep him or give him up? She investigates, uncovering clues no one was meant to discover, and when she digs too deep, she risks losing her own life-and that of the son she loves. Lisa Scottoline breaks new ground in Look Again, a thriller that's both heart-stopping and heart-breaking, and sure to have new fans and book clubs buzzing.

The first thing I noticed was that the first sentence starts with the word "when." Personally, I hate that. It almost feels ... lazy. At the very least, it is overdone, but I do understand why it is used so often. Any good story will start with an inciting incident that pushes events into motion. I think it could have been worded stronger, though.

Second, the entire paragraph is sprinkled with cliche' phrases. Her heart stops. Her every instinct. She can't shake the question. Uncovering clues no one was meant to discover. All of those made me feel that this story has nothing really unique to offer, because there is nothing unique in the wording of the summary.

For example, it mentions her life and her son's life are in danger because of her discoveries. Instead of saying, "uncovering clues no one was meant to discover, and when she digs too deep", why not keep with the death theme? Such as, "digging for buried clues that she hopes had not decayed, and when she exhumes them ..." Something like that. Stronger imagery. It may seem over-the-top, but for me, it creates a mood. It lets the potential reader know this is serious business, this book will keep you up at night.

Which leads me to my final beef on this blurb. The ending is laughable. First, it says that the story "breaks new ground." Based on this blurb, no, it really doesn't. The underlying premise is intriguing, but not new at all. Anyone who watches Lifetime, or USA, or TNT, etc., or any series like "Cold Case", "Law & Order", "CSI", "Without a Trace", etc. (need I go on?) has seen this story before. And the unoriginality is only emphasized by the cliche' wording used to describe it. This could be a very good story, and the examples I just stated prove there IS an audience for this type of thing (and, as I've said before, ideas/plots do not have to be original to sell), but the blurb is not showing us why we should bother with it.

Second ... "a thriller that's both heart-stopping and heart-breaking, and sure to have new fans and book clubs buzzing." I don't like being told how I'm going to react to something. This feels gimmicky.

If I picked this one up at a bookstore, it would be a pass. How about you?

When I'm looking for a book to read, the first thing I see is the cover. That MUST get my attention (in the above example, the cover was, not surprisingly, rather dull). Then I read the blurb. If that piques my interest, I'll read the first page. If everything still looks good after that, I'll take it.

The blurb is a vital part of the package needed to sell a book. Practice writing blurbs. This will help you with your query letter, because many of the same techniques are used: creative imagery, effective use of questions, concise wording. (Just keep in mind that query letters require more detail than a blurb. Not necessarily more words, though. For instance, in the example above, instead of using the vague phrase "uncovering clues no one was meant to discover", you could state exactly what some of those clues are. This helps the agent decide if you're offering something that is worth their effort.)

Take an hour (or however much time you have) and go to an online bookstore, just to read the blurbs. Make sure they are of books you have not read yet. Study the blurbs. Analyze them. Take notes on what you feel works and what doesn't. What type of wording got your attention? What made you ultimately decide "yes, I need to buy this" or "no thanks"? What type of questions made you want to read the book to find the answers?

Apply what you learned to your own story, and then blurb it beautiful!

~Lydia

Make Your Short Story Pop

I've really enjoyed discussing short fiction this week! Thank you all for your comments, debates, experiences, etc.

It's already been brought out that the short fiction market is tough. If not more difficult, breaking into short fiction is at least AS difficult as getting a bite on your novel. We see all over writers' forums and writing/publishing industry blogs that a query letter has to be stellar to stand out in the slush pile.

Okay. So does your short story. Here's why.

The majority of short story publication is done through magazines. These have deadlines, which means, not only are you up against a crapload of submissions, but they're all being sent AT THE SAME TIME. Many markets report receiving upwards of 600 stories monthly. Those are full stories, not just one-page query letters. THAT'S A LOT OF READING.

Editors are only human. Yes, they enjoy their job, or they wouldn't be doing it (most of them). But there are only so many BAD stories you can read before all of them start to annoy you, even if they're not truly bad. Maybe they're good, but not good enough.

The ones that end up getting published have to knock the editors out of their chairs. And this is why short fiction writing is not in any way inferior to novel writing. But again, the topic we're discussing here can also be applied to your novel. Good writing is good writing, no matter what the length.

I was very tempted to simply link my PMN article here and call this post "done." But I'll go a bit further.

The point of that article was that you DO NOT need to have high concept, aka a groundbreaking new idea for your plot, in order to sell a good story. We are not entertained solely by concept, which I feel gets far too much credit in storytelling sometimes, especially in the speculative fiction market. Concept attracts the initial attention, but it is not what keeps the reader reading.

What you DO need, in any story, are characters the reader wants to follow, and an engaging presentation of that story with your unique voice and writing style.

Not as easy as it sounds. But not impossible, either. Also, that's not what I'm going to talk about today because it's something I feel is best advised on an individual author-by-author and project-by-project basis. However, everything I stated above is related to what I say next.

The most effective way to make your story pop is to present something unexpected. Opposites. Irony. Make the editor think they know what's coming, and then they suddenly find themselves saying, "WTF THAT WAS AWESOME." And they must have that reaction every time they read the story. Only one person is going to respond to your submission, but it goes through several reads from several people, and multiple reads from the same people. Every one of them has to LOVE it, no matter how many times they read it.

Now let's tie all this together with a specific example.

It was difficult to choose because all of my stories are "out" right now (I don't like things sitting around when they could be working for me). Again, I'll have to refrain from divulging certain things, such as the title.

First, the concept and main plot that do not have to be original. Easy. Zombies. Every zombie story is the same, right? Right. Zombies appear and the characters must fight to survive. There's my plot. And I know what you're thinking, "OMG the zombie market is saturated, why would anyone write a zombie story ever? Ever!" To that I say, "They ARE still selling, as long as you make them original in some way (and I will use this opportunity to recommend the movie, Shaun of the Dead, aka not your average zombie flick, but still the same concept)." Also, if you don't believe me, Richie Kray got his agent just a few months ago by pitching a YA zombie novel.

Next, the details that make it pop. Here is where your creativity and originality come to play. Setting: renaissance France. (Say what? Yeah, I know. Crazy.) And that is made clear before the middle of page one. That in itself is one of the main reasons Joe loves this particular story of mine as much as he does. In fact, he's called it "my best" short story to date, and mainly, because of the setting. Why? That type of setting is not common in zombie stories. Most have either a contemporary or a futuristic setting. This is set in the past. And not in America or England, in France.

But you can't stop at just one. Because of the setting, I had details at my disposal that aren't found in modern-day or futuristic zombie tales. The weaponry, transportation, and the more specific setting, a forest, are all different from what you normally see. I also got to display my mad French language skills (hehe. Not really. I knew nothing about French before writing this story. I had to research every last French word I used, in addition to certain rapier and dagger techniques. Research! You must learn to love it!)

Those are outer details. I continued making the story my own with the inner details as well: the story of the MC's father, the relationship between her and the antagonist (before the zombies appear), the story behind her weapon, etc. These inner things are what connect the reader to the main character, and make them care enough about her to keep reading.

Okay, now that we've got the editor's attention, it's time to throw them for a loop with the unexpected. I can't go into much detail with this part because it will give away the ending of a story that isn't published yet. Suffice to say, there are definite turning points in this story despite its short length (there's that structure thing again). And there is an unexpected twist regarding the motivations of both the MC and the antagonist (not the zombies ... they just want brains from start to finish). And even her horse does something you wouldn't expect, based on prior events in the story. Like I said before, don't stop at just one. But don't overdo it either.

And finally, one of the keys to a memorable and satisfying ending in short fiction is to give it circularity to the beginning. I don't see that as an option, to be honest. Circularity and relevance must be there, otherwise you risk the story feeling more like a snippet of something bigger, not a story by itself.

Even with all of these things, you are still going to get rejected. When an editor says, "It just wasn't what I was looking for right now," that is not code for "It sucked but I don't want to tell you it sucked." In short fiction markets, they only have so much room for so many stories. There are a lot of factors that force them to reject PERFECTLY GOOD STORIES.

So make your short story pop, and don't give up.

~Lydia

52 Qualities of the Prosperous Writer: Number Nine, Saleable

This post is part of a weekly series in association with Christina Katz's ezine, The Prosperous Writer.

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Christina blew me away this week with her concise, to-the-point remarks about author saleability in her ezine. I honestly don't think I can add anything better to what she said, so I will simply comment on why I agree with them (and, coincidentally, much of these points go along very well with our discussions this week about short fiction writing).

First, she brought out what authors DO need for saleability:

1. Your skills need to be practical or at least applicable and therefore easy for others to recognize the value of.

The reason for this should be obvious. Would you pay someone to install carpet if he didn't have the proper tools? Or, even if he did have the tools, what if he started laying the carpet with no padding underneath?

2. Your work needs to be polished and therefore ready for the marketplace.

Again, obvious. Do you know how to determine if your work is truly ready? Hint: Oftentimes, revising a novel takes much more time than writing the first draft.

3. You need to be willing and able to sell yourself and your work so you can get gigs (even if you don't enjoy that aspect of the job).

I really like that she used the word "gigs" here. I have a musical background, and Joe actually used to play in a (real live!) rock band with his two brothers. The only way to get a selling gig is to sell yourself, or as Eric says, "pimp thyself." Your image/ reputation and your skills are so important in this business where word of mouth can make or break you. This isn't something that comes naturally for most people, but it can be effectively learned.

4. Your platform needs to be thoughtful, developed, and well-articulated, so that others understand who you are and what you are all about at a glance. This covers, your skills, your work, your ability to compete, and your ability to promote yourself.

Understand what a platform IS and what it IS NOT. Quick example: Platform IS developing working relationships with others in the business, people thoughtfully chosen for mutual benefits. Platform IS NOT updating twitter every time you finish a page on your WIP and spending the whole day promoting it on facebook. And here's a bonus! Platform IS NOT sucking up in the comments section of an agent's blog.

Here is what authors DO NOT need for saleability (these may surprise you):

1. A fancy education or degree.

This has been argued left and right, and no matter where the discussion takes place, we always come to the same conclusion: it's about the quality of writing. Period.

2. Good looks or a perfect image.

Just because we sell ourselves and make public appearances doesn't mean we are actors or models. A good photograph of yourself is essential for a professional-looking profile, but it doesn't have to be worthy of gracing the cover of GLAMOUR to be considered "good." Focus on having an approachable personality rather than a perfect physical appearance.

3. A killer instinct.

Excellent point. We are in constant competition with other writers. That's not going away; it's the nature of the business. Don't let it consume you to the point of thinking you have to be cutthroat to be successful. It's okay to write about pirates, but don't act like them.

4. 100% availability 24/7.

No. Just ... no. Get away from your writing hole and live a little. It's okay to take a vacation from time to time. And family comes first. Always. If someone you're associated with doesn't understand that, then you need to rethink your relationship with that person.

Finally, what's the most important thing you need to compete in the very competitive marketplace called professional writing? A sense of humor.

That's a no-brainer. If we didn't laugh, we'd cry.

~Lydia

The Short Story Process From Idea to Submission

Hey. Joe again.

Lydia wanted me to comment this week since I have so many short stories written. A few in submission, but the rest sitting on a flash drive until the day I can either find the time to research and submit, or I throw the flash drive away.

So I will post something serious (read: boring). I will try my hardest to refrain from including the proper technique to running jump kick random passersby. The higher the launch, the better the rest of your day will be. But I'll refrain. Serious. Boring.

This is an outline of how I handle a short story, from beginning to submission:

First I have my handy dandy notebook. As an aside, I loves me some Mead Five Star with the plastic cover, but whatever you use is whatever you use.

If I get a new short story idea away from the laptop (or when Lydia's laptop hogging. Again), I put the tentative title and a paragraph description. That way I won't forget the gist of the story if I don't revisit it for some time. I have a plethora of ideas bouncing around my head at any one time--indeed I have too many short story ideas--so it's important for me to get them down on papele.

If I don't write the short story in one or two sittings, I'll jot ideas in Mr. Handy Dandy Mead Five Star. I also do this for novels, only I will use most of the notebook for novels.

After it's written, I send it to my alpha readers unedited to get a consensus on whether it blows or not. If it doesn't blow, I will edit.

I edit a particular way. First, I print the story out. Then I go through and read it at lunch time (or whenever, like when Lydia's laptop hogging), pencil in hand. I scribble edits in between the lines or on the margins. Then I rewrite.

There are two ways to do this. The first, lazy, is actually still effective. The lazy way is to go into the story file, changing only what you scribbled on the paper. The second way, unlazy, is to retype the entire story with the edits included. This may seem like overkill, but you find things this way that you would never find, and you'll be surprised at how much fine tuning you do on the structure of sentences and paragraphs.

After that, I beg and plead with the alpha readers for line edits. I generally don't have a ton, since I've already edited, but every eyeball helps. To enter their edits, I just open two screens, put them side-by-side, and change the edits I like, tossing the rest. I save every file on the way, including rough draft. This is obviously easy to organize with a separate folder for each short.

Then I go to duotrope.com and other such sites and research who may be looking for this story. I look for anthologies first, because most of those are print. I don't care what anyone says, having a book in your hand, that you either wrote or are in, is way cooler than a computer screen.

I know some sites have their own trackers, but I keep track of where and when I submitted on my own. I use the page in my notebook after all the notes for that short story. Publication (including website and other relevant info), date submitted, and then date rejected. You don't have to, but I mark form or personal rejection.

Then I bask in the bajillion dollars of a sale.

That's my technique. Anyone else?

--JOE

Short Fiction Stats

A good point was brought up in the comments of yesterday's post. Most short fiction publishers do not allow simultaneous submissions, and response times can range anywhere from a few hours to a few months.

This is why many feel that short fiction is not worth their time. You have to produce. A lot. And that takes away from your novel-writing. If you're waiting three months for a single response, and it's a rejection ... well, just how many of those will you go through before the story gets published? At that rate, it could be years. Your novel might be published before your short story.

However, you can also get a sale on your first submission. Or your second. Or third. It's up to each writer to determine what they feel is worth it, though. Everyone is different.

I thought a few of my stats might interest you guys. Maybe this isn't a good idea--some may see this as a failure or stupidity on my part--but to that I merely shrug. I am cocky in the sense that I tell myself "These stories WILL be published at some point," and that's what keeps me going. At the same time, I am my own worst critic, so please don't get the impression that I'm an arrogant clod of a writer.

The Keeper of Secrets, a 3000-word fantasy (short story):

• First draft completed in December 2008; revised for a month; began submitting in January 2009.
• Rejected 5 times over the course of 8 months, then accepted for publication.
• Published in September 2009, less than a year after I wrote it.
  

Redacting titles of unpublished works.

A 3000-word fantasy (short story):

• First draft completed in March 2009; revised for a month; began submitting in April 2009.
• Rejected 4 times over the course of 5 months.
• Currently waiting for a definitive response; have already received confirmation that it is on the "short list." Have been waiting for a total of 6 months so far, for ONE publisher. Crazy? No, not really. This is a print publication (which I prefer), and I knew before submitting that it would be a longer than usual wait because of the deadline date.

Aside: If this was my only story out right now, I can see how this would be a problem. Since I have several stories "on the market", it's not quite as frustrating.

A 20,000-word fantasy (novella):

• Wrote the first draft between April 2009 and October 2009, 6 months; revised for a month. This story underwent several changes before I could even type "END." This is a perfect example of a simple truth: the longer a story, the more rewrites are needed.
• Began submitting in November 2009; has received one rejection, and currently awaiting response from publisher number two.

Aside: Yes, there IS still a market for novellas. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

A 2,000-word science fiction (short story):

• First draft completed in April 2009; revised for a month; began submitting in May 2009.
• Rejected 2 times over the course of 4 months, then I pulled it off the market for more revisions.
• Began submitting again in January 2010; received one rejection (3 total so far), and currently awaiting response.

A 1,000-word science fiction (flash fiction):

• First draft completed in February 2010; revised for a week; began submitting in March 2010 (yep, that would be yesterday... so this one has no other stats yet).

Other stories in-progress include two sci-fi short stories (one of which has an April 1 deadline... better get that finished soon, hehe), a fantasy short story (October deadline... on the back burner for now), and a military sci-fi novella. Anything with a deadline has priority (obvs), but everything else falls under "when I feel like it" or "when I have time" because I'm also working on novels (that's plural) during all of this.

The point here? When I say you have to produce and you have to write--a lot!--I'm not kidding. This is WORK. Also, that's a lot of experience gained over the past year-plus on how to do market research, how to submit (including the difference between a query letter and a cover letter), how to handle rejections, how to revise based on editorial feedback, how to build professional relationships, etc.

For me, it's worth it.

~Lydia

The Benefits of Writing Short Fiction

Happy March! Spring is just around the corner. We hope...

Joe and I have lots of fun and goodies planned for this month. We're going to kick it off this week by discussing something we've NEVER discussed here on our blog, though we talk about it quite often on writers' forums. Short fiction.

An aside: We are both published in short fiction, so listen up.

It's no secret that the real money in fiction comes from writing novels (and even then, it's a gamble). So many wonder, why bother with the short stuff?

1. Writing is writing is writing is writing... The more you write, the better you get at it, especially if you try new things (this is also one of the reasons why I recommend that fiction writers try nonfiction as well). A violinist does not improve her skills by playing the same piece over and over again. No. She practices different lengths, different styles, different techniques, and she is not happy until she excels at ALL of them.

Some writers who have only ever written novel-length fiction mistakenly assume that writing short stories is either A) easier, B) only for amateurs and/or people who can't come up with enough of a story to make it last 300+ pages, C) similar to writing a novel (just shorter), or D) all of the above plus any other myths they choose to believe. Which leads me to...

2. The less words in a story, the more your words have to work. What does that mean? When you're limited by a word count, your creativity grows (seems contradictory, but it's true, and this is another way containment aids the writer). You are forced to be more selective in your word choice. You must be efficient. You find ways to say the same thing in less words. Your story must grab the reader's attention IMMEDIATELY, and keep it until the end. Which leads me to...

3. You don't have time to mess around with excessive... anything. Short stories get right to the point. Descriptions are brief and only used when absolutely necessary. The main plot is clear no later than page two, generally speaking. In a flash fiction, within the first two paragraphs. However, this does not mean you can't effectively develop your characters.

And this is where most sci-fi writers have a weak spot, regardless of whether they're writing a story in a thousand words or a hundred-thousand. Bad sci-fi writers seem to fall into two categories: they either don't develop their characters at all (cardboard/cliche'... it works for James Cameron, but that doesn't mean you should do it), or they waste too much time with backstory and/or flashbacks in an attempt to garner the reader's sympathy.

The problem with both of those is the writer doesn't realize that character development is an ongoing thing throughout the story. Whatever your characters encounter will either A) make it clear what type of person they are, they want to be, or they don't want to be, or B) develop their character toward the coming change at the end of the story (and this is partially what I was going to discuss last week regarding character arcs, before the flu decided I should just lie in bed all day).

Character development is necessary in short fiction as well, and again, you have less time to do it, with less words. You will find ways to effectively show character in a single sentence of dialogue, or an action, reaction, etc.

A good way to improve your skills as a novelist is to write short fiction. That can be anything from micro fiction to novellas. You will see a difference in your writing, I guarantee it. And in addition to honing your craft, there are other benefits:

1. You might actually finish a story. As in, DONE, after several drafts. And then submit it somewhere. Don't underestimate how good that feels.

2. It will be rejected. And you'll submit it again (somewhere else, obvs). And it will be rejected again. And you'll maybe revise it. And you'll submit it again. Etc, etc, etc. Why is that important? Because you'll be doing this very thing when it's time to query your novel. This is an excellent way to learn about market research, how to handle rejections, and see whether or not you have the endurance needed to be successful in this business.

An aside: It has been said by some that breaking into the short fiction market is tougher than publishing a debut novel. The sheer quantity of submissions you are up against is staggering. And you don't waste time with queries and "suck up." They either like your story, or they don't. Period. Doesn't matter who you are or what you've had published before. So if anyone out there still thinks that short story writers are in any way lesser beings than novelists, then I'm sorry, we can't be friends.

3. Once you get a story published, YIPPEE!, you have a publishing credit you can put on your query letter. I shouldn't have to explain why that's a good thing. And the more stories you get published, the better. No one becomes a success by selling one thing, one time (there's a name for that, one hit wonder... is that what you want to be remembered as?). Keep producing. If nothing else, you'll be building a name for yourself.

An aside: I really have nothing against submitting to ezines that don't pay you in return, but only as a near-last resort (the last resort would be to publish it on your blog because a non-paying market wouldn't even take it... and you may want to take a step back at that point and get some honest feedback about what might be wrong with your writing and/or storytelling skills). You work hard on your stories, I'm sure. Just because you know for a fact that you'll never make a livable wage from short story sales doesn't mean you shouldn't get SOMETHING for it. There are PLENTY of paying markets out there. Check out Duotrope's Digest.

4. Publishers do not usually hold rights to short stories indefinitely. Your rights will come back to you eventually, and then you have choices again... and here's the best part: you know it's good because someone already paid you for it! What? How can you lose? Submit it somewhere as a reprint, or keep all your luscious previously published tales in your safekeeping until you have enough to make a BOOK of them. Then presto! you have an anthology full of stuff that you already know people will read.

I'm really not seeing a downside to the short fiction market, aside from it not paying very well. If you haven't given it a try yet, you're missing out on some great opportunities, in my opinion.

Write on!

~Lydia