Anyone that has had a piece of writing rejected by an editor, publisher or agent is familiar with some form of the following statements: "Our rejection of your story is in no way a reflection on your writing", "We read a lot of great stories we are unable to take", "It might be a perfect fit for someone else".
Any and/or all these statements might be true. Or it could be that your writing sucks. This phrase used to be as pointless to me as, "This isn't right for us". Thanks to an experience I had last year, words like those above now serve as a confirmation and reminder that any rejection of my work does not mean it isn't great.
I entered a short story contest (Cafe Doom) in which all entrants had to read and judge all the contest submissions. We were to pick our top three choices for first, second and third place and provide feedback when and where we could. I have to say this was an incredible experience that all writers should participate in!
There were 60 entries, ranging from 3 to 20 pages and the stories were mainly of the fantasy/sci-fi/horror/paranormal variety. A lot of them I just hated. However, I loved a lot of them, too. Choosing the 10 I liked most was hard, cutting it down to 3 was impossible. Even among the 3 I finally settled on, it was hard to decide which I loved best.
The most difficult thing was figuring out why. Some I loved everything about. Characters, setting, writing style, plot. Some stories I loved one or more things about, but not other aspects of the work. How do you decide what facet of a story should be more important?
What I did learn first-hand from this was how hard an editor's job is. Most importantly, the statement "Our rejection of your work does not mean it isn't great" is no longer ambiguous to me. I know exactly what it means and that it is true.
www.jennifermballard.com
www.daylightsend.weebly.com
www.trustindarkness.weebly.com
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Untraining?
I had riding instructor once tell me that when working with a horse, you are either training or untraining. That makes sense in regard to horses. Horses assume that whatever message you are sending is the one they are supposed to be learning. So if you are riding badly, or communicating the wrong things to your mount, they are learning the wrong things.
That does not apply to writing. Writing badly, while not something you neccessarily want to do, is often what you have to do. The difference is you can fix the writing. You can recognize bad writing and improving it through rewriting and revision is an important part of the writing and learning process. Repairing something that is broken is a great way to learn everything about it.
I often hear the phrase 'unproductive writing'. We have to remind ourselves that there is no such thing. If you look at it the wrong way, working out can be seen as unproductive. Spending several hours a week walking, doing aerobics, weight lifting, or climbing stairs may not help me practice my riding skills, but keeping my muscles in shape makes a huge difference in how well I ride. If you don't write, if you don't practice, you can't improve and may even lose the skills you have. The only way to untrain yourself in writing, is to not do it.
www.jennifermballard.com
www.daylightsend.weebly.com
www.trustindarkness.weebly.com
That does not apply to writing. Writing badly, while not something you neccessarily want to do, is often what you have to do. The difference is you can fix the writing. You can recognize bad writing and improving it through rewriting and revision is an important part of the writing and learning process. Repairing something that is broken is a great way to learn everything about it.
I often hear the phrase 'unproductive writing'. We have to remind ourselves that there is no such thing. If you look at it the wrong way, working out can be seen as unproductive. Spending several hours a week walking, doing aerobics, weight lifting, or climbing stairs may not help me practice my riding skills, but keeping my muscles in shape makes a huge difference in how well I ride. If you don't write, if you don't practice, you can't improve and may even lose the skills you have. The only way to untrain yourself in writing, is to not do it.
www.jennifermballard.com
www.daylightsend.weebly.com
www.trustindarkness.weebly.com
Friday, June 3, 2011
Titles
Titles are great things. Except when they're not. They are always important. A title is the ultimate hook. Which means they should be good.
I have a problem with titles. Mine and other writers'. I don't like long titles, but I prefer them to uninspired short titles. One- or two-word titles can be fun or useless, especially if you don't know what kind of story or book the title is telling about.
My favorite author of all time, Dick Francis, has great short titles: Proof, Slay Ride, Comeback, High Stakes. Stephen King has some great one word titles: Desperation, Insomnia, It. However, SK also has uninspired titles. His first big hit was called Carrie. And he's had a few more titled with the name of the main character.
The problem with titles, as with many things, is that different readers are intrigued by different things. "The Blue Room" doesn't interest me at all. For someone for whom the color blue is significant, that might be a title that draws their attention. "The Scarecrow" should make anyone wonder what the story was about, simply because scarecrows are just creepy. "Sunset" to a horror or dark fiction fan, would mean the coming of scary darkness. To someone of a more inspirational mindset, it might suggest peacefulness, relaxing at the end of the day, the promise of tomorrow.
The title, "Me and Bobby" doesn't interest me. "Me and Bobby Under The Ground" might get my attention. "Taxi". So what? "Invisible Taxi". Hmmm. "The Baby". Boring. "The-Thousand-Year-Old Baby", Not boring. "Our Cab Driver" vs. "Our Cab Driver Is Dead" And so on.
I read somewhere that a good title should come from the story; should tell something about the story. Therefore, an interesting story should inspire a good title, something that would draw potential readers. That sounds a lot easier than it is, but if I - and other writers - can remember that one bit of advice, the chance of choosing a nondescript title will be much smaller.
www.jennifermballard.com
www.daylightsend.weebly.com
www.trustindarkness.weebly.com
I have a problem with titles. Mine and other writers'. I don't like long titles, but I prefer them to uninspired short titles. One- or two-word titles can be fun or useless, especially if you don't know what kind of story or book the title is telling about.
My favorite author of all time, Dick Francis, has great short titles: Proof, Slay Ride, Comeback, High Stakes. Stephen King has some great one word titles: Desperation, Insomnia, It. However, SK also has uninspired titles. His first big hit was called Carrie. And he's had a few more titled with the name of the main character.
The problem with titles, as with many things, is that different readers are intrigued by different things. "The Blue Room" doesn't interest me at all. For someone for whom the color blue is significant, that might be a title that draws their attention. "The Scarecrow" should make anyone wonder what the story was about, simply because scarecrows are just creepy. "Sunset" to a horror or dark fiction fan, would mean the coming of scary darkness. To someone of a more inspirational mindset, it might suggest peacefulness, relaxing at the end of the day, the promise of tomorrow.
The title, "Me and Bobby" doesn't interest me. "Me and Bobby Under The Ground" might get my attention. "Taxi". So what? "Invisible Taxi". Hmmm. "The Baby". Boring. "The-Thousand-Year-Old Baby", Not boring. "Our Cab Driver" vs. "Our Cab Driver Is Dead" And so on.
I read somewhere that a good title should come from the story; should tell something about the story. Therefore, an interesting story should inspire a good title, something that would draw potential readers. That sounds a lot easier than it is, but if I - and other writers - can remember that one bit of advice, the chance of choosing a nondescript title will be much smaller.
www.jennifermballard.com
www.daylightsend.weebly.com
www.trustindarkness.weebly.com
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Identity Crisis?
When people ask me what I write I say, "Mysteries, mostly."
When my mother tells people her daughter is a writer, she says, "She writes about vampires." Members of my writer's group, The Living Writers Collective, have also been known to say that.
According to "the industry", my latest books and stories are not mysteries. Depending on the source you consult, my current writing is "urban fantasy" or "speculative" or "paranormal". I am not opposed to some of my writing being called paranormal mysteries. However, I also write mysteries about horses and other perfectly ordinary animals.
It's possible I call my books and stories mysteries because that makes them more mainstream. Maybe I don't want to be pigeonholed.(If that isn't a word it should be).
Many writers, beginners to bestsellers, write more than one kind of book. In the past, publishers have made writers choose psudonyms under which to publish books other than the ones they are best known for. I think it's good that the industry is moving away from that, but it does get confusing for bookstores and patrons. Do you look for Charlaine Harris books under "Paranormal/Urban Fantasy" or "Mystery"?
The first book in my series, Daylight's End, features a vampire and the fact that he is a vampire is central to the plot. But it also includes a mystery that is completely unrelated to the vampire character.
In my second book, Before Daylight (sequel to the first), there is another vampire, who is central to one part of the plot, but again, there's a mystery that has nothing to do with the supernatural. Beyond Daylight (working title of book 3) will feature yet another vampire and a sorcerer. Book 4, will also feature more vampires and probably another non-human or two.
I have written many stories about the characters from my novels. I must admit, while many of them can be called mysteries, some cannot. And in my Daylight stories, all plots as well as most characters, involve supernatural elements. These stories also feature characters from books 3 and 4, both novels which are yet-to-be-completed works in progress. And I'm certain characters introduced in some of the stories will turn up in later novels.
So, is my writing mystery or paranomal?
Yes.
When my mother tells people her daughter is a writer, she says, "She writes about vampires." Members of my writer's group, The Living Writers Collective, have also been known to say that.
According to "the industry", my latest books and stories are not mysteries. Depending on the source you consult, my current writing is "urban fantasy" or "speculative" or "paranormal". I am not opposed to some of my writing being called paranormal mysteries. However, I also write mysteries about horses and other perfectly ordinary animals.
It's possible I call my books and stories mysteries because that makes them more mainstream. Maybe I don't want to be pigeonholed.(If that isn't a word it should be).
Many writers, beginners to bestsellers, write more than one kind of book. In the past, publishers have made writers choose psudonyms under which to publish books other than the ones they are best known for. I think it's good that the industry is moving away from that, but it does get confusing for bookstores and patrons. Do you look for Charlaine Harris books under "Paranormal/Urban Fantasy" or "Mystery"?
The first book in my series, Daylight's End, features a vampire and the fact that he is a vampire is central to the plot. But it also includes a mystery that is completely unrelated to the vampire character.
In my second book, Before Daylight (sequel to the first), there is another vampire, who is central to one part of the plot, but again, there's a mystery that has nothing to do with the supernatural. Beyond Daylight (working title of book 3) will feature yet another vampire and a sorcerer. Book 4, will also feature more vampires and probably another non-human or two.
I have written many stories about the characters from my novels. I must admit, while many of them can be called mysteries, some cannot. And in my Daylight stories, all plots as well as most characters, involve supernatural elements. These stories also feature characters from books 3 and 4, both novels which are yet-to-be-completed works in progress. And I'm certain characters introduced in some of the stories will turn up in later novels.
So, is my writing mystery or paranomal?
Yes.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
What Character Names Tell Us. Or Don't.
At a recent creative writing meeting, our group did an exercise in choosing character names using a dictionary and thesaurus. We were given a brief description of a setting, as well as personalities and professions of various characters. The idea was to use words that were not proper nouns to fit different characters.
A person's given name doesn't neccessarily tell anything about their personality, but it can offer some hints. If someone named Walter chooses to use his childhood nickname, "Pee Wee", or prefers others to call him "Bear", that indicates something about him. If a man named Robert Covington Smith wants to be called Covington, but is called Bobby by all his friends and family, that says something about his self-image and how he is seen by others. A girl whose family has always called her Princess might have always been treated like one, and that may have affected who she is as an adult. Or not.
Names can indirectly give information, particularly about characters' families and upbringing. Families that favor ethinic or tradtional names may have a different world view and values than a family that favors names from ancient myths or classic literature.
A daughter being given a grandmother's maiden name shows strong roots in the culture of the Old South. A biblical name might mean the person was raised by highly religous people. A child could be named after a famous person that the parents respected, illuminating values and traits the parents consider important. Or not.
A name might be chosen simply because it was great uncle Fester's name, or because parents thought it sounded pretty or dignified. Even this shows something about the character's environment and the influence it might have had.
While a writer can use names to offer background information about characters, it may seem contrived for a saintly character to be named Serenity or Patience, or the town's biggest flirt to have the name Chastity. Or not.
www.jennnifermballard.com
www.daylightsend.weebly.com
www.trustindarkness.weebly.com
A person's given name doesn't neccessarily tell anything about their personality, but it can offer some hints. If someone named Walter chooses to use his childhood nickname, "Pee Wee", or prefers others to call him "Bear", that indicates something about him. If a man named Robert Covington Smith wants to be called Covington, but is called Bobby by all his friends and family, that says something about his self-image and how he is seen by others. A girl whose family has always called her Princess might have always been treated like one, and that may have affected who she is as an adult. Or not.
Names can indirectly give information, particularly about characters' families and upbringing. Families that favor ethinic or tradtional names may have a different world view and values than a family that favors names from ancient myths or classic literature.
A daughter being given a grandmother's maiden name shows strong roots in the culture of the Old South. A biblical name might mean the person was raised by highly religous people. A child could be named after a famous person that the parents respected, illuminating values and traits the parents consider important. Or not.
A name might be chosen simply because it was great uncle Fester's name, or because parents thought it sounded pretty or dignified. Even this shows something about the character's environment and the influence it might have had.
While a writer can use names to offer background information about characters, it may seem contrived for a saintly character to be named Serenity or Patience, or the town's biggest flirt to have the name Chastity. Or not.
www.jennnifermballard.com
www.daylightsend.weebly.com
www.trustindarkness.weebly.com
Friday, March 11, 2011
Now What?
I've been thinking about starting a blog. So I decided to investigate how to set one up. Apparently it's pretty easy, because it seems now I have one. Not sure how that happened. And now I'm supposed to post something. Hmmm...
My debate about blogging mostly concerned the idea that anyone would want to read what I had to say. It should be something worthwhile and worth sharing and center on things that are important to me, like writing and reading. My husband and my family are wonderful and important to me, but I'm not quite so willing about sharing them.
I have, like everyone, read blogs that seem pointless. That seems harsh. I should say I feel they have nothing to offer me or hold my interest. I also read and follow a few blogs that are entertaining and enlightening. (My real inspiration came from The Black Ichor blog, written by one of my writing friends.) I would like mine to be like that - interesting and useful to others who love things like books and writing. That's what I will aim for.
Before I made this leap, inadvertent as it was, I did identify a few topics I wanted to write about. My uncertainty about blogging is one of the first and so this is it. Now I just have to remember what the other things were.
www.jennifermballard.com
www.daylightsend.weebly.com
www.trustindarkness.weebly.com
My debate about blogging mostly concerned the idea that anyone would want to read what I had to say. It should be something worthwhile and worth sharing and center on things that are important to me, like writing and reading. My husband and my family are wonderful and important to me, but I'm not quite so willing about sharing them.
I have, like everyone, read blogs that seem pointless. That seems harsh. I should say I feel they have nothing to offer me or hold my interest. I also read and follow a few blogs that are entertaining and enlightening. (My real inspiration came from The Black Ichor blog, written by one of my writing friends.) I would like mine to be like that - interesting and useful to others who love things like books and writing. That's what I will aim for.
Before I made this leap, inadvertent as it was, I did identify a few topics I wanted to write about. My uncertainty about blogging is one of the first and so this is it. Now I just have to remember what the other things were.
www.jennifermballard.com
www.daylightsend.weebly.com
www.trustindarkness.weebly.com
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