On the Shoulders of Giants

When I taught high school General Sciences and Biology back in the day, I remember showing a video to my Gen Sci classes that particularly covered great physicists in history.  The narrator stated offered a dramatic statement at the beginning and again at the close.  We students of the physical sciences stood on the shoulders of giants.  Thanks to the pioneering efforts of amazing minds such as Galileo, Kepler, Copernicus, and so on, we were able to build upon what they had learned and greatly increase our understanding of the universe.  The rest of the video was forgettable, I suppose, seeing as I have forgotten it.  But the idea of standing on the shoulders of these great scholars stuck with me.

That idea popped into my head again as I read Laurie’s most recent post on books that she loves and what she feels they say about her as a reader and writer.  I have, of course, read a lot of Laurie’s work and I think she sees herself with great clarity.  “Plot-driven” is the perfect term for her focus when she creates a new world and has adventures in them.  Naturally, this led me to wonder about my own focus and preferences. 

Rather than look to the books I read, I decided I’d have a look at which authors I gravitated toward.  Giants, definitely.  Jane Austen, Booth Tarkington, Helen MacInnes, and Mary Stewart occupy large sections of my fiction bookshelves.  More recently, I’ve added the likes of J. K. Rowling, Janet Evanovich, Rick Riordan, and Christopher Moore.  I’ll even admit to the absolute enormous collection of Nancy Drew mysteries (yes, I’ve even collected some first editions over the years).  Eclectic, my bookshelves.  Plenty of variety.  

But what does it say about me as a writer?  Good question.  These authors, so different in era, style, genre – well, in nearly everything, do share a trait in my mind.  These authors create characters.  Strong, vibrant characters with a great deal to say that extends beyond the compass of their stories.  When I look at my own writing, I can see that I aspire to that sort of power in my characters.

Now, as there are risks to focusing on the plot, there are certainly risks involved in a character-driven story.  Has anyone else heard the criticism that Jane Austen really never had a lot of originality in her stories?  I remember feeling outraged when I first read that.  But after a bit of thought, I realized there was some justice in the statement.  Austen’s stories rely on our connection with the women and men who populate her pages.  We have to care deeply about the Lizzies, the Janes, the Emmas, the Fitzwilliams, and the Edwards or none of it really matters.  What saves this is that we DO care about them.  

In the end, this is the story that draws me.  It isn’t that I don’t want tension and action and excitement.  But I really want to connect with the people.  I want to be drawn into their world and feel as if I know them.  I want it their emotions, actions, and well-being to really matter to me.  I want to care what becomes of them.  

Now, if I can just learn to paint a character that strongly…  Oh yeah, and not lose sight of the plot…  

Whew.

~Sandy

Books I Have Loved

Those of us who are trying to write the next great novel are probably partially motivated to it by the books that we’ve personally enjoyed. We all have a list. I have a list, which I admit, changes and expands as time goes on. Here are some of my favorites (in no particular order) and why:

 

The Lord of the Rings (trilogy)by J.R.R. Tolkien because it calls to me in the fall. I want to be out on the open road with Frodo and Sam.

The Harry Potter series(7 books) by J.R. Rowling because of the clever plot and endearing characters, and because it’s gotten so many young people to become avid readers.

A Death in Venice by Thomas Mann because in the narrators description of the boy, lies the heart and soul of art.

Damien by Herman Hesse because it gave me a completely different perspective on religion.

Tom Jones by Henry Fielding because it made me laugh and laugh and laugh some more with its dry wit.

The Stand by Stephen King because the corn field scenes were the most frightening thing I’ve ever read.

A Song of Ice and Fire series (5 books) by George R.R. Martin because it is an amazingly and admirably complex fantasy.

The Name of the Wind / A Wise Man’s Fear (2 books)by Richard Rothfuss because it’s a great tale, where the side journeys of the hero are as important as the main quest. That’s not so easy to do.

The Master and Commander series (20 books)by Patrick O’Brian because it does such a uniquely accurate job of presenting the lives of the sailing men of the 1800’s.

Germinal, by Emile Zola, because it defines repression and the despair that results from it in an eloquent and gut-wrenching way.

Les Fleurs du Mal (The Flowers of Evil) by Charles Baudelaire because he makes poetry a visceral experience.

The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco because it’s an amazing mystery wrapped in an altogether unexpected plot.

I could continue listing books I love for a long time, but these 12 are a fair representation of what I like and read. (well - I guess it's more like 45 books in all - but who's counting) My point is, my list tilts toward fantasy and history and decidedly away from romance. That's not a judgement, it's simply my personal taste. I think it says that I like a strong experience from a book. I want it to affect me, stab my psyche, make me laugh, cry, scream, wince, grit my teeth and generally, be sucked down the rabbit hole. I enjoy clever symbolism, but also a very plot driven read.

 

What does your own list of most loved books say about you? Can you use that understanding to help you write better?  Can you use that information to look for holes in your writing?

If, like me, you love plot, you might inadvertently sacrifice character development. If you love description, you might lose sight of tension or pace. So, knowing your own likes, and understanding why, can help you focus on those areas where you may be weakest. Try it for yourself.  Make a list and dissect it. Look for patterns in the books you chose, and think about what sorts of things you didn't choose. Self-knowledge can only help you to produce that next great novel!

Laurie

Do You Have “Character”?

Creating characters is a tough business. Sometimes I can visualize a character as a complete person with all their attitudes, emotions and motivations. When that happens, it’s great. It makes writing that character easy in many ways. I simply need to put myself in their head (one that I already understand) and let their personality come out. Not all characters are like that, though. In fact, most are not. 

I think we need to remember that even though fictional, our characters have past lives and experiences that make them what they are. Their past lives are significant when they arrive in our story. In order to put flesh on their bones, you, as the author, need to know about that person. You need to know that they like the smell of new carpet, or like to eat at cheap taco stands, and that they hate professional hockey.  

Why? 

Because if you know this stuff, you can use it to enrich your character, and thereby enrich your story.

Two-dimensional characters intrigue no one. Sure – They can talk, walk, and interact, but why do I care? Those small quirky, human, and intimate touches make me love a character, or care about them, or hate them. If you want to draw me in to your story, then you must elicit that sort of emotion from me. Better still – if you have a villain, make me see the small goodness in him or her. Make me see their weakness. The same is true of your hero or heroine. Show me not only their strengths but also their weaknesses. Tell me why a lightning strike to their childhood home causes them to cringe during a thunderstorm, or why they always think of their first love when they smell warm peanut butter cookies. It won’t take that long – seriously. 

Some people claim that such background is so much unnecessary exposition. I say – not only is it necessary, but critical to making your story resonate with an audience. You may know your character, but remember that your audience does not. Make us see them as you do. Don’t assume we understand your hero’s proclivity for growing a beard as meaningless. Tell us he’s trying to emulate his dead father.  

Having said this, we’ve all read novels where the author goes overboard with such details. I favor the approach where these tidbits are peppered in during the early chapters, so I can assimilate the information and build up the image I have of the character until I have the full picture-like getting to know a real person. 

Here is a link to character profile template. http://www.creative-writing-now.com/writing-character-profiles.html   There are plenty of such character quizzes and profile worksheets on the web. It is a good exercise to complete such a profile, or to write a brief history of your characters. Then, as you write, you can refer to it. This will keep your character consistent and true to themselves, in terms of their actions and reactions.

Laurie

That Which Drives Us

“So, where do you get your ideas for your stories?”

“What kind of stories do you write?  You just really like that kind, huh?”

“Are your characters based on real people?”

“Will you put me in your book?”

If you’ve ever had any discussion with people about your writing, I’m guessing you’ve heard these questions and more like them.  They’re natural questions, really.  There is a natual curiousity about what the writing process is and how it’s done.  I admit, I sometimes ask other writers these same sorts of questions, myself.  The answers provide a window of a sort into the often private world of a writer.  It’s fascinating to me to hear how it works (or sometimes doesn’t – let’s be honest) for other people.  Plus, since there is no one way to create, I love the opportunity to get some new ideas.

Ah.  There it is.  Ideas.  Inspiration.

Inspiration is that magical quality that fires so much of our lives, particularly our creative endeavors.  It’s the spark to kindling that starts everything going.  It’s also completely impossible to describe.  What is it, really?  It’s not a thing.  I can’t tell you what it looks like.  I can’t measure how tall it is or how much space it takes on a shelf.  I can’t tell you if it’s colorful or has sharp corners or is icy to the touch.

So, what is it?  

Personally, I think it’s a quality within oneself.  It would be nice if I could just say, “Oh, my inspiration isn’t here today.  It’s on a long weekend in San Diego.  I’ll write when it gets back.”  Granted, sometimes that is exactly what it feels like.  I may talk of my absent muse or make silly bargains with myself to try to get something started.  In the spirit of honestly, I’ll even admit, I’ve been known to blatantly bribe my invisible muse with candy orange slices.  At least, that’s my explanation for those packages in the pantry.  But in the end, I know that the ideas come from my life, my experiences, my imagination, and my own hard work.

The ideas will come and go.  There are days when I am just so “on” I can hardly believe it.  The words pour out of me and my excitement is high.  Other days are empty of any writing at all (not good, I know, and I don’t like those days).  The reasons vary, of course.  Like anyone, I do have other responsibilities.  Other aspects of life will intrude and that’s just the way that is sometimes.  

What is a writer to do, then?  Humph.  As soon as I solve that one, I’ll let you know.  First, I’ve got to broker world peace and find the cure for the common cold.  

In the end, I think it’s a question of what one is willing to do to find the inspiration to create.  For some, it means writing something, anything, every day, no matter what.  For others, it might mean stepping back from the writing when the dry spell hits and turning the energy into some other pursuit for awhile.  Valid approaches, all around.  I believe it takes experimentation to find what method or combination of methods works best.  I wish us all luck in finding that priceless quality within ourselves that gets us going and excites us and brings out what we love about what we do.

~Sandy