Tips for Serious Writers

 

July, 2011

Dear Writers:

Good for you, you’ve undertaken a difficult task – capturing the minds and hearts of readers who are part child and part adult. It’s a hard age to please, and nothing is easier for them than to stop reading. Any bit of engaging life will interrupt reading – wow. What a responsibility on your part, and mine!

I have spent this last year working with junior-highers, teaching them to write, and they’re quick to tell me what they want. I see the library books they carry around, I watch their dislike for risk-taking or being singled out. They’re stuck between childhood and adulthood, trying to figure out where to put their feet down. They urgently need acceptance and trust.

These kids are into romance and cars and hair-do’s that look like a thousand others. They eat burgers and fries and are ridiculed if they don’t wear the right things or take the chicken fried steak, or Jell-O, on their trays at noon. Forty percent of the girls are on birth control pills and wear more eye shadow than I use in a year. The boys wear pants that drag out their tracks or Junior ROTC uniforms. Some still have spiked or purple hair. Their complexions are a mess. They want to be hugged and patted, and they’re looking for someone to trust with their secrets. What a lot!

Take a quick look at the things you should know, in order to be able to write for them, and sell your work:

 

• These kids are 11-14. All children want to read about kids 3 or 4 years older than them. Thus, your protagonist should be an older teen. The problem is that most 11-14 year olds are often reading the same thing you are. For that reason, the Young Adult category is now programming itself for the 10 year old, who wants to read about being a teen.
• Learn to write, and write well, before you tackle writing for kids. It’s like a specialty, and nearly as hard as taking on brain surgery once you’ve learned medicine. Still, it’s incredibly rewarding, once mastered. And the need for kids’ fiction, and information, history, geography and life in general, couched in fiction, is enormous!
• The plot must be fast-moving. Kids want action, action, action. They also want emotions, and those feelings that they have not yet experienced, although most of them, by now, know blame and betrayal and lost love, abandonment and infidelity.
• Their dialogue is also tricky and must be learned. These are not babyish kids. They speak more like adults and want to be spoken to that way. Jargon of the teens and times is out. Also, it dates your book, because those things will change next week.
• Style, of course, is your own thing. Learn to write well by paring all your lovely words and phrases down to the bare bones. Keep writing, and your style will emerge, or re-emerge. It’s something you can’t kill. But get your skills honed first, with strong characters, tremendous action, excitement, emotion, and always let the kid resolve his own problem.
• Know that girls will read stories about boys, but boys will seldom read a story that features a girl as the protagonist. And there is only one protagonist in any story. Anyone else is secondary – along for the ride.

Don’t let this information dishearten you. I intend that it give you focus. And I wish you well. You’ve undertaken a generation that badly needs your words. Write on! CDW

 

June, 2011

Chocolate-Filled Woman

 

 

1. Fingernails bitten to the quick if she’s nervous or short and unpainted if she’s athletic. Otherwise filed blunt or curved, painted transparent pink, Cappuccino, Dark Chocolate, Peachy Keen, Frost White. Also in Neon for younger chicks or holidays (purple, metallic blue and rose) and Luminescents in 12 metallic colors. Painted Pearl (off-white)and Clear ‘n’ Wet which is ultra shiny. Also reds, pink, gold, silver, and white. A good manicurist can put a “diamond” or other whoopdedo in the middle of a nail. Or each one a different color. Lipsticks to match. Or none of this at all.
2. Order her flowers, will you? Ask someone what she’s allergic to. Sometimes the flower shop she uses can tell you. Often it’s the greenery rather than the flowers that make her sneeze or itch. Have them delivered to her at work, show up with them at home. Pick ‘em yourself? They better be spectacular. She’ll take a geranium or bent tulip from her kid and remember it always – but not from you.
3. Maybe she uses Secret or one of the other clear light-scented deodorants, roll on or spray; brush and maybe a pick instead of comb. Another woman will use a heavy makeup and an assortment of heavy scents. A recluse may never wash them off, keep piling them on. A woman may have six or seven assorted brushes, two or three kinds of curling irons. Or stuck back in a closet because she’s now got a wash-and-shake do. Elegant shampoo of pear blossoms, lavender or willow bark, and conditioner of matching scent. Back to earthy scents. She may keep fresh flowers in her bathroom. Pretty towels, pictures on the counter. Don’t leave toothpaste in the sink or toilet seat up, those things irritate her. Dirty towels go in the hamper. Put top on toothpaste. Or her bathtub may be full of kid toys, and she pulls the shower curtain closed over the while thing. Wet towels on the floor, two days’ worth of underwear. No caps on anything. The mirror is sticky with hairspray.
4. She likes movies, maybe chick flicks or profound dramas, symphonies if her date likes them, but she doesn’t usually drag him along if he doesn’t. She maybe loves picnics in the park for which he has packed good food and hasn’t forgotten the wine and the blanket. Flea markets and swap meets if she’s that kind of girl. Church bazaars for the organized. Bookstore sales if she’s thrifty. Bridge clubs mean a bit of money. Painting and cooking classes for the hungry-to-learn and creative. Neal Diamond concert for the romantic. Women have trouble letting go of the past. Snuggle up on the couch with her kids for a movie, eat popcorn.
5. She probably arrives at work on time on time, or late if she despises her job, makes the coffee, runs the office, answers calls from kids’ schools, run errands, has the grant proposal ready on time, entertain board of directors at noon, puts out fires in the office all afternoon, sends flowers to company alum who died, has last minute work, picks up the kids late, nothing in fridge for dinner, goes out for tacos, can’t understand kids’ homework, does 4 loads of laundry and drying just to get one pair of pantyhose for tomorrow. Kids want drinks f water, books read, remember homework not done, need purple shirt for tryouts in morning, antihistamine, she falls into bed 1 a.m. OR – no organizational skills at all (or anything between but be consistent), clutter everywhere, toys, clothes, dirty dishes on coffee table and all available kitchen surfaces. Starts dinner, shuts it off and orders chicken. Don’t go completely one way or the other, that stereotypes. She’s on her feet all day, kicks off shoes when she comes home, puts on bedroom slippers or goes barefoot or in her pantyhose because there’s no time to take them off. Or she lives alone and brings work home with her. In her stockinged feet she spreads it on the coffee table, just grab it all up in the morning.
6. Problems arise. If she’s home, she calls her husband at work and is irritated that he can’t get to the fixing of it until tonight. Probably, she’s working too and hopes she won’t have to go many days without whatever’s broken. Or she fixes it. But it takes ten phone calls and three errands. Nothing is easy. Or she wants to fix it herself. If she can she calls maintenance. Need parts, be tomorrow or Friday. She uses Duct Tape. Super Glue or Gorilla Glue, she knows Elmers doesn’t work. Calls other companies, other women to find out what they did about this. A collector of what seems good advice or no help at all. Disgusted, she rigs up some kind of fix, calls it done. Sies up her hair, borrows the neighbor’s wrench. Or electric saw. Takes a long time to pound in a nail. Or she does nothing at all, leans on the fence, seducing the neighbor, will have him fix the dryer when he comes down from her bedroom. Or she balances her checkbook and throws up her hands, calls her parents, or her ex. Counts the bills in her purse, digs for change in the sofa. Takes money from her husband’s wallet, pants pocket. Swipes money from the cash register at work, from the till.
7. When her children are hurt: Makes sure they’re alive, smacks them for scaring her, cleans off the knees, sees stitches needed, loads them in car, blood everywhere, hauls them to ER, pushes in front of other emergencies; oversees the stitching. Hugs the kid while he’s being sewn up. On the way home she dead tired and chastises him for bawling back there in the ER. Puts him to bed with potato chips and a movie. Sits with him in the night in case he has a bad dream or wakes hurting. Sends him to school in the morning, no argument. OR she slaps a bandaid on it. Or is so high on weed she can’t see the cut, waves him off. Or she never knows until later, in therapy.
8. Is attracted to a man: catches his eye, can’t believe he looked at her. Suddenly shy, or challenged or lovestruck. Or she’s heard about him – stay away, but will she? Thinks about him all the damn time, maybe worms her way into a crowd where he is, asks him to meet over coffee. Lunch is she thinks he feels something too. Dinner if she’s serious because it’s not so easy to get away in a hurry. Drinks, maybe, while she’s sizing him up. Instant attraction IS possible. Or same with old friends – a sudden awakening. Bells go off – can this be happening? OR she comes every day till she sees him again, if she’s brave she comes over to sit his table. Asks him out for a drink after work. She hopes he buys, but she will, if not. The older she is, the less likely she thinks she’s attractive or has any appeal. She looks for similarities, knows his background, where he lives, what he does for a living. Whether or not she goes after him depends on how much drive she has. She might get out her mini skit and high boots, slather on the makeup and try to resurrect something in her that might attract him. Then give up when she can’t decide on a perfume at the makeup counter. Young chicks make lists – pros and cons. Talk on the phone. Check out his butt, his shoulders, his jaw, his hairline, his voice, his money. If she’s looking to get married, on the first date she looks for flaws, could she stand him forever? She weighs the turnoffs against the better things – money and good looks against slurping his soup and blowing his nose on the table napkin. By the end of the night she’ll either tell him goodbye or that she’s got three kids and she’d like him to meet them. She’ll pay attention to what her kids think. They won’t hesitate to tell her. OR they’re so busy having his kids meet her kids that they exchange only looks over menus at Denny’s because, with six kids, it’s the only place they can afford.
9. When she’s alone she wants to sleep. Aloneness is seldom. Then she lays in her bed somewhere between daydreaming and sleepdreaming. Gets dressed, puts on her makeup because later things are going to get busy. Pulls on old clothes and works in the garden, scrubs the toilets, maybe she bakes something yummy for tonight, but this last is on its way out unless she’s having company or they’re going somewhere and she must take a dish. OR she sits crosswise in a chair in a brain-dead space. Lays on the couch with her arm over her eyes. Works in her pj’s till noon. OR has a schedule each day and never deviates – swings her legs off the bed, takes her pills, brushes her teeth. Puts on coffee, makes one piece of toast, showers, dresses, dusts crumbs from the coffee table, reads the paper and so on. OR she gets up in the morning, goes to the computer and reads email first. OR she works at home in every otherwise empty moment. OR has a hovering husband or a demanding one. OR she’s distraught and paces the floor, tries to plan, makes one side of the bed, throws something away that’s been in the fridge, brews coffee but never drinks it.
10. But none of this explains the mystery that is woman, does it?

 

August, 2010

Listen to readers when they tell you what kinds of books they like, what they finish, what they don’t. Their comments are great lessons. Never feel put off because the jewel that’s growing in your head and heart doesn’t seem to match the best-sellers. It’ll come together.

Every writer has a “soul story” that he must write. That she must tell.

Remember this – every tale can be angled to fit a genre – mystery, suspense, romance, science fiction, fantasy, historical, mainstream and so on. Maybe your story is for and about a child.

The difference between mystery and suspense is this:

In the great and glorious, timeless mystery, a terrible deed has already been done. The gadget is gone, the body is found. Now your sleuth, where it’s a police officer, crime lab worker, fry cook or frumpy housewife, must figure out who did it. And why.

Suspense can, of course, incorporate mystery. But a suspenseful novel is just that – the reader knows something terrible is about to happen, and it’s up the sleuth to stop it in time.

More about these genres later. Right now, know this: Every germ of an idea can and must be added-to, arranged and rearranged, timelines worked, additional characters brought on-scene. Think theater, with its lighting and shadows, costumes and background music to heighten the effect.

The funniest or most profound tale can be streamlined to fit today’s market if you work at it. Don’t ever slam a trashcan lid on your own story gem.

 

 

 

 

 

For writers of non-fiction.

• In writing your articles and non-fiction books, look for the stories behind the oft-told stories. I was a freelance writer for 25 years, and I learned that all editors love the well-hidden anecdotes that no one has heard before. In order to find these gems, you’ll have to do some talking and some real excavating!
  
  
• In self-help articles, readers love the sound of human voices. Thus, quotes are golden – and you don’t need only references with PhDs in your subject. Consider interviewing ordinary folks who’ve lived this experience, overcome this obstacle – they have opinions and advice to share. There are organizations on almost any topic now.