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  1. Developing Character with Story

    May 22, 2013 by Kiersi

    Chet GeckoI had an amazing time at the SCBWI (Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators) Oregon conference this past weekend. I learned craft from Laini Taylor (author of Daughter of Smoke and Bone), middle-grade humor from Bruce Hale (the very prolific middle-grade author of the Chet Gecko series), and attended a special session on story and character arcs by HarperCollins editor Andrew Harwell.

    The main lesson I came home with was in regards to character. Of course, I picked up a lot about writing for a middle-grade audience, which is invaluable to the point that I can’t express myself in words, and writing as a reader experience. But mostly, I started thinking long and hard about character. (more…)

    Category: How-to | Tags: , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

  2. Yes, There IS Still Sexism In Publishing

    May 7, 2013 by Kiersi

    Alter-cover by the fabulous Gillian Berry

    I’m shaking as I write this, because I’m both sad and angry. I guess in some parts of the world they call this “frustrated.” Or “sangry.”

    I’m sad that as a culture, we’re still divided this way: that some books are girly books, and some books are guy books.

    I’m also angry that people still try to pretend like it’s not a problem. That’s it’s not a problem we have to have separate “women-only” book awards, because female authors get so little recognition in mainstream awards (3:10 female to male winners for the Booker). That it’s no biggie when a female author gets slut-shamed while her books get ignored. Or that books by female authors tend to get fluffy, jazzy covers; that female authors have to use pen names to supposedly be marketable to boy audiences (J.K. Rowling?).

    Somehow, all this is not a “gendered” problem.

    Author Maureen Johnson did a pretty neat piece recently of books written by male authors, with the covers re-imagined as if the author was of the opposite sex or gender queer (also see the top image on this post). And boy, is it fascinating to look at. (more…)

    Category: Industry, Publishing | Tags: , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

  3. Your Thing Is Good and You Should Feel Good

    May 7, 2013 by Kiersi

    Back in March, my dear friend and critique partner Eddy Rivas posted a great blog post called, “Your Thing Is Good and You Should Feel Good.” He invited anyone and everyone to post a piece of their WIP to the comments section. He would read each one and reply, “Your thing is good and you should feel good.”

    It was a hit. And I think I know why.

    Sometimes we writers fall out of love with our work. It happens. It’s not because we don’t love the story or the characters anymore. Personally, I grow weary of the revision process pretty quickly. I love writing a new story; it’s thrilling, exciting, like first love. But over time, when I have to deepen my understanding of my story, my characters, and revisit them constantly–I get sick of it.

    I fall out of love.

    So, today, dear Eddy gave me what I call some revision therapy. He asked me:

    “Tell me what you love about this book.”

    I told him. I love my assassins–especially young Scorpion, missing his tongue, but still sexy as all get-out. I love my drunk Han Solo character, who goes by Lionel Harvey. I definitely love the climax of this novel; it’s scary and sad and the end of a great character arc.

    But I’m not on that stuff yet. I’m still mired in the first third of the MS, where it seems like I’ve been for the last few months.

    “Well,” he said, “tell me what you love about the part you’re working on.”

    I had to think about it. I love the gryphon carrying a horse around in the air–it’s such a ridiculous image, and the horse is almost too freaked out to actually, you know, freak out. She’s just stunned. I loved writing that look on her face, giving her life and personality.

    I love getting to know my characters better. They’re pitted against some bandits, and hijinks ensue–and let me tell you, I love me some hijinks.

    Suddenly, after this conversation, the juices started flowing again. I’m tearing up this MS and putting down new, better words like my hair is on fire.

    “Your thing is good,” Eddy told me. “And you should feel good.”

    It’s amazing what just a few words can do. My manuscript is good. I should feel good about it.

    I do.

    So tell me–what are you working on right now? Post it to the comments section, or even better, post it to your own blog–and let’s make this a thing!

    Category: in progress | Tags: , , | 13 Comments

  4. The Anatomy of a Critique Partner

    May 4, 2013 by Kiersi

    A few weeks ago I blogged that it takes a village to write a book. In the post, I only mentioned how helpful it’s been working with editors, who have no problem telling us authors where our problems are and helping us fix them.

    Today I want to shine the limelight on another essential piece of the puzzle: critique partners.

    Often referred to as a “CP” on Twitter (and, of course, the verb “to CP” has developed from there, as grammatically illogical as that is), a critique partner is an essential part of the writer’s toolkit.

    What is a critique partner?

    In my experience, critique partners are best gleaned from a group of peers–fellow writers in your genre or category. (Note the distinction from beta reader, who doesn’t need any writing experience, just the ability to read and write his or her reactions.) (more…)

    Category: How-to | Tags: , , , , , , | 10 Comments

  5. Author Divas Censor Book Reviewers

    May 2, 2013 by Kiersi

    What is going on with authors this past week? It’s like spring came and the divas of the book world woke up from hibernation in full-attack mode. Remember that part where you wrote a book and then put it out there in the world? Where did it become okay to attack readers for writing honest reviews about them?

    Let’s start at the beginning, where a reviewer I follow on Goodreads posted her honest review of a vampire novel. (I’m already getting No Remorse flashbacks here, shudder.) She received a free copy of the book in exchange for her honest review. That should be where this story ends. I mean, I don’t even know why I have to go on here.

    Instead of backing away and leaving it at that, the author of said vampire novel, P. J. Dominicis, wrote an email to her “literary idol” Anne Rice, asking for… I’m not sure what, actually. Emotional support, I guess? That doesn’t really bother me much; authors are people too, and reading a negative review can be a trying experience. (Though, if I were to give any advice here, it’s just… don’t read them, bro, and spare yourself the experience.) (more…)

    Category: Book Reviews, Commentary | Tags: , , , , , , , | 17 Comments

  6. Rule #17: On Walking Away

    April 29, 2013 by Kiersi

    I have yet another guest post on writer/editor Kate Brauning‘s blog this week, this time for Pixar Storytelling Rule #17:

    No work is ever wasted. If it’s not working, let go and move on – it’ll come back around to be useful later.

    This was one of my favorite posts on the subject so far, because it’s personal and near to my heart. I’ve worked on a number of manuscripts that had to be set aside for various reasons, and I’ve spun my wheels more times than I can count trying to figure out what happens next. And the work and the distance always grants me new, helpful perspective.

    In this post, I introduce a character that is feature in most authors’ lives: The Nag-bot.

    When you’ve written something and it just feels wrong, in a way you can’t explain? That’s her. When you leave your computer but can’t stop thinking about your manuscript—everything that you need to fix, everything you could add to it to solve your glitch—that’s her.

    Read the post, “Rule 17: Sometimes Walking Away Is Just What Your Story Needs.”

    Happy Monday!

    Category: How-to | Tags: , | 10 Comments

  7. The 22 Pixar Story Basics

    April 19, 2013 by Kiersi

    Some time ago, Pixar’s Emma Coats tweeted twenty-two storytelling tips, and aggregated them into a single post called “22 Story Basics I’ve Picked Up In My Time At Pixar.” They have done a few circulations of the internet since then, because they are brilliant.

    Writer/editor Kate Brauning started a pretty neat blog challenge recently, and graciously gave me the opportunity to guest post for her while my blog was down. The challenge? Write a post a day about each of the twenty-two rules.

    The first one I wrote was for the very brilliant Rule #5: Simplify. Focus. Combine characters. Hop over detours. You’ll feel like you’re losing valuable stuff but it sets you free.

    Check out my post: “Rule #5: Narrowing Your Focus.” This one was so much fun–I think you’ll like it.

    A lot of the twenty-two rules pertain to drafting, to plotting, to character development. This one, however, is really a rule that will follow you into revising, into your second and third and fourth drafts. Why? Because it’s all about refining. Narrowing the scope of your vision, cutting out the garbage and honing in on the things your readers will love and remember.

    Then, yesterday, I jumped in to fill in for Kate again with Rule #16: What are the stakes? Give us a reason to root for the character. What happens if they don’t succeed? Stack the odds against.

    Read the post, “Rule #16: Stakes and Sweat.” (Great title, Kate!)

    A lot of writing is really just clinical abuse. I’m pretty sure that if our characters were real people, most of us writers would be sitting behind bars.

    More likely than not, I’ll be doing another guest post for her soon–so be sure to bookmark her blog!

    Category: How-to | Tags: , , | 2 Comments

  8. So You Want To Be A Writer?

    April 18, 2013 by Kiersi

    Girl writing in her journal

    Photo by Erin Kohlenberg - Flickr, Creative Commons

    I’ve been writing “full time” since November 2011. I teach online classes and write marketing copy to make ends meet. When I’m not busy making enough money to live, I write. (And rewrite, and revise, and edit, blah blah blah.)

    Over the course of this journey, with my first book coming out in August, I’ve discovered a few things I wish I could have told myself years ago. Not even just when I left my job in 2011 to go freelance–but back in 2010 when I wrote the first draft of my “grown up” novel. Back in high school when I decided I wanted to write for life. Back in middle school when I cranked out stupid amounts of fan fiction (not even kidding–500,000 words in total). People liked my stuff and I thought I was set.

    What I wish I could have told myself back then?

    1. It’s going to be really hard.

    Everything about publishing is hard. Writing a draft is hard. Getting feedback (and learning to really listen to it) is hard. Finding an agent is hard. Wooing a publisher is hard. Going to conferences and meeting people and putting yourself out there is hard. (more…)

    Category: Commentary, Industry | Tags: , , | 12 Comments

  9. Start At The Beginning. Not Before, Not After.

    April 14, 2013 by Kiersi

    Begin at the beginning and go on till you come to the end; then stop.

    - Lewis Carroll

    Think about the opening of the last book you read, or the last movie. I, personally, had a cold last week, and during my incarceration on the couch watched How to Train Your Dragon.

    A good story starts at the beginning–not before, and not after. The first scene of How to Train Your Dragon is actually one of my favorites: the little viking town where Hiccup lives is attacked by dragons. It’s the very same attack where he shoots down Toothless, the “dragon” in the title, and the story starts to unfold.

    Just because a work is a full-length, 90k manuscript doesn’t excuse you from starting at the beginning. The last book I read was a New Adult contemporary romance (if you want to know it was Beautiful Disaster, by Jamie McGuire, about which I have many mixed thoughts–more to come next week).

    The opening sequence of the novel? The first time the hero meets her love interest. Because that is where the story starts. (more…)

    Category: How-to | Tags: , , , , , | 4 Comments

  10. Chapter Titles: Should I, Or Shouldn’t I?

    April 11, 2013 by Kiersi

    For some reason, this question of whether or not to title chapters has come up on Twitter a lot lately. I first debated it last month, when I was revising a book and realizing that my chapter titles really contributed nothing to the book as a whole. They were troublesome to write–they had to be pithy and relevant–and kept changing as my chapter order/content changed.

    I tried to think of the number of books I’ve read this year that did or did not use chapter titles; what I figured out? 95% of them don’t.

    Okay, well, that’s pretty clear. Most authors are choosing to avoid titling their individual chapters. Books with multiple points of view, such as Beth Revis’s Shades of Earth–that one made sense to me because the narrator’s name (Amy or Elder) is listed at the top of each chapter. So, that sort of takes the place of the title. (more…)

    Category: How-to | Tags: , , | 13 Comments

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