Too Many Shoes, Part 1

Some of you out there may argue that one can never have too many shoes, but I beg to differ. When your closet becomes so cluttered that you can't find what you're looking for, perhaps you have too many shoes. Most of us know that the use of adverbs in our writing is frowned upon. Yet we read many books (some of which have made their way to the NYT's Bestsellers list) that use adverbs in abundance. So why can't we use them? Well, it's just another one of those contradictions. In case you want to know, here's my opinion: Adverbs in and of themselves aren't bad. What makes them bad is when they are used to tell rather than show. In other words, if a sentence can be rewritten without using an adverb and still get across the same meaning, by all means, get rid of the adverb. For example, you could say this: I stepped lightly across the living room carpet. Or, you could say this: I tip-toed across the living room carpet. (Okay, I know not great examples, but I'm not quite awake yet.) Anyway, my point is that you can have too many adverbs. One way to avoid that is to try to rewrite sentences without using the adverb. I think you will find that your writing is stronger and is more likely to show and not tell. I'm not saying that every adverb needs to go, but I do think their use should be limited. What do you think of adverbs? Do you have a love/hate relationship with them like I do?

Are These Shoes For Real?

Interesting, aren't they? I have a hard time believing anyone would wear them. But, what do I know? Maybe the woman is wearing them out of respect for her recently departed grandmother who designed them. Or, perhaps the man sitting across from her threatened to kill her if she didn't wear them, and she believed him because he killed her best friend last week over the same thing. It could be that, in the society she lives, these shoes are common. If we have unbelievable scenarios in our writing, it is our job as authors to answer these questions for our readers. Otherwise, they won't ever believe. In The Fire In Fiction, Donald Maass discusses this issue in reference to suspense/thriller, but I think his concepts hold true for any genre. To make a reader believe the unbelievable, we have to do three things: 1. Make our protagonist's motivations clear and give them a reason to feel whatever it is they are feeling, which in turn gives them a reason to act the way they do. Then, in the words of Maass, "Pump it up." 2. Make our antagonist's motivations clear and understandable (they can't just be evil for the sake of being evil), and then put some obstacles in his/her way. 3. Come up with every possible argument against the believability of plot and negate it with proof (even if contrived) that it could happen and is, in fact, happening. I've had to work with this issue. Again, just ask my beta readers. But, I'll tell you this: Any far-fetched story can become believable with a little work. So, do you write safe in the believable? Or do you test the waters? If so, what have you done to make your readers believe?

Transformer Shoes?

Pretty cool, huh? If only we could make our writing amazing as easily as these shoes turn into transformers. Okay, I've got a couple of things to talk about here before I get into the whole transformation thing, but I promise, I'll get back to it. First of all, I'd like to thank you all for making K.M. Weiland feel at home here on Friday. In case you didn't stop back by after leaving a comment, you might want to pop back over here. She responded to each of you individually, so I'd like to give her a big thank you too. And, the lucky winner of the copy of Behold The Dawn is: Tamika. Congratulations, Tamika. Shoot me an email (smills1@att.net) with your address and we'll send it to you. Thanks for participating. Now, I want to talk about NaNo for a minute. I've been all over the blogosphere talking about how I'm going to participate this year. Well, I lied. Okay, maybe I didn't so much lie as change my mind. You can call me a chicken, or you can call me lazy (I wouldn't deny that), but after a great deal of soul searching this weekend, I've decided to skip NaNo. Perhaps I'll have my own version when I'm ready. (I could call it SuRoMiWriMo for Susan Rochelle Mills Writes Month.) You see, I'm just not ready. Which brings me back to the whole transformation thing. Most of you know that I've been hard at work on revising a manuscript. Well, last weekend, I had the opportunity to read Writing the Breakout Novel and The Fire in Fiction, both by literary agent Donald Maass. After reading these two extremely helpful books on the craft, I realized my manuscript needs more than just revisions. It needs a transformation. This is where my heart is. This where my focus is. So this is where my efforts will be. Over the next couple of weeks, I'll be talking about my experiences during this process, along with my take on the information I learned from Mr. Maass. If you haven't read these books, I highly recommend them. And for those of you still participating in NaNo, I'll be cheering you on. So, where is your heart? Where is your focus? And where will your efforts be come November 1?

This Sock Can Talk!

Okay, I know, it's a lame picture, but it is foot-related, and my creative juices have been zapped by a chapter I'm reworking because of some minor plot discrepancies. Besides, it's my birthday, and no one should have to think too hard on their birthday, should they? At any rate, I do have a point to make. I've spent this week talking about what makes a work stand out from the masses. Many of you have commented that voice is the most important thing. I agree, which is why I saved it for last. Most of you know, as I've mentioned before, that my characters tend to run away with my story. This is not to say that voice comes easily. Actually, voice is something I struggle with, especially when the adult in my head starts arguing with the teen characters about everything. Strong voice is imperative, though, and if we want our writing to stand apart from the rest, we all must strive to achieve it. How do you get the inner you to sit down and shut up so that your characters can be heard? And, yes, it's Friday. So, it's time for the next recipient of the The Silver Shoe of Sincerity Award. There is only one rule, and that is: if you choose to pass it on (which I hope you do), please do so to someone who you find to be sincere in their blogging activity. This week's recipient is Janna Qualman, author of Something She Wrote. She positively interacts in all ways, and her posts move me emotionally. Sometimes I cry; sometimes I laugh; sometimes I cry because I'm laughing so hard; and sometimes I just stop and think. If you don't already follow Janna, go check out her blog. Have a great weekend full of setting, plot, conflict, and, of course, voice!

Uh-Oh! There's a Problem!

Obviously, the woman's heel broke, which would pose significant problems, but what about the things behind the scene--the things we can't see in the picture? Maybe she swore under her breath because it would be the third time she had been late for work in a month, and the boss had already threatened to fire her. Maybe she had just fled from the Irish Pub where her boyfriend had dumped her, and heat rose to her cheeks because she knew he was watching. Or, maybe she was on her way to borrow money from her mother, who never thought she'd amount to anything, and showing up with a broken heel would only validate what her mother thought. Aside from an interesting setting and a unique plot, another way to make our work stand out is to develop strong internal conflicts that the reader can relate to. What most would consider the same old, done-to-death story can shine with the addition of inner turmoil. External conflict is what drives a story along, but it is the internal conflicts that make the reader care about the characters and what happens to them. It's what gives a story heart. What about you? What do you think the story behind the broken heel is?

These Shoes are Different!

And they certainly got my attention! And a good plot with many different angles will, too. Yesterday, I talked about how we can make our works stand out by using interesting settings. Another way to achieve this is to use twists of plot. Like I said, most stories have already been told at least a dozen times in one way or another. But, if we can come up with a new spin on it, it's a new story. The perfect example of this is The Red Tent by Anita Diamant. On the surface, this story appears to be about Jacob and his wives, Rachael and Leah, and in part it is. But, really, it is about Dinah, Leah's daughter. In the bible, her story takes up all of three or four sentences. Diamant has managed to turn that into a full length novel, and a quite good one at that, because of her unique twist on plot. If you are lucky enough, or perhaps I should say, talented enough, to come up with a never-been-done-before story, your work will stand out. If not, though, how about coming up with an interesting twist on something that has been done before? Is your plot different than anything else out there? Or have you put a special spin on it to make it different? And along those lines, how important is plot, anyway? I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Flip Flops in the Snow?

That's unusual! (Well, not really these days, but cut me some slack. I'm trying to make a point here.) Take an ordinary pair of shoes and put them in an unusual setting, and you have an interesting picture. Take an everyday story and put it in an unusual setting, and you have an exciting tale. One way we can set our works apart from the rest is with setting. Take Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley, for example. She took the age-old tale of King Arthur, something we've heard a zillion times, and turned it into something else entirely by putting it in a mythical setting. Like it or not, most stories have already been told in one way or another (Romeo and Juliet, for example). Our job is to come up with a new way to tell the same old story. Setting can be a great resource. How have you used setting to make your work stand out from the rest? Or what books have you read that effectively used setting to distinguish themselves from the masses? Now, I have to thank Fiction Groupie, Strange Fiction, J.B. Chicoine, and Weronika for this award. Thanks girls! I'm breaking the rules here, but if you leave a comment to this post, the award is yours. Most of you leave regular comments, and I can not even begin to just pick five to pass it on to. You are all deserving. I love each and every one of your comments and hope they never stop coming!

My Son Is Picky!

But he finally chose these. And I never, ever, ever want to take him shoe shopping again! Last week, I decided my youngest son needed new tennis shoes. I figured it would take an hour, maybe two, right? WRONG! As we were backing out of the driveway, he informed me that he wanted either all black or all white shoes. I cringed at the thought of all white, knowing they would be all brown within a week, but all black was doable, so I agreed. At the first store, he narrowed his choices down to two pairs. I narrowed it down to one after I pointed out that I would not spend more than fifty dollars on a pair of tennis shoes for an eleven-year-old. He narrowed it down to none when his size 6 foot wouldn't fit into a size 5 shoe. At the second store, there were several choices, and we had a very helpful salesman who probably hated us by the time we left an hour and a half later. Every shoe my son tried on had a problem--it makes my foot look too big; it hurts my pinkie toe; it hurts my heel; it looks stupid...etc. I decided to give up for the day and try over the weekend, but as I passed by a small sporting goods store, I thought, Why not give it a try? Well, low and behold, he found the perfect pair of shoes. They aren't all black, and they aren't all white, and they will be all brown in a matter of days, but he was happy, and so was I. It made me think about an agent searching for the perfect manuscript to represent in the mass of many. She starts out with a preconceived notion of what she's looking for, and when she doesn't find IT, she broadens her horizons. Then, some things just don't quite fit, or she doesn't fall in love with it enough to buy it. Then, from the most unlikely of sources, she discovers a gem. My point is this: publishing is a subjective business, and we all have a shot, but we have to do something to make our work stand out from the rest. Agents and editors have so many to choose from; they aren't going to settle for mediocre. We have to make our work shine like a gem so that it gets noticed. Knowing that you are all avid readers, I'd like to hear what you think makes a work stand out. What makes you want to recommend a book to friend?

These Boots Were Made For Walking!

But my characters refused to wear them. They just didn't understand why their story had to come to an end. I didn't want to see them go either. I'd lived with them for so long, I couldn't imagine life without them. But I knew all good things must come to an end. After several arguments and much hesitation on my part, we agreed that the novel must have an ending. They worked laboriously with me to tie up all loose ends and cried with me as I wrote the last sentence. Instead of saying good-bye, though, we hugged and said, "Until next time." You see, I promised them a sequel. Even so, bringing my novel to an end was the hardest part of my writing journey so far. The characters, the scenes, the conflicts, the emotions--they all became a part of me. I didn't want to let it go. Am I alone in this? Or have any of you had a hard time ending your story? On a completely unrelated note, it's time for the next recipient of The Silver Shoe of Sincerity Award. For those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about, this award is intended for those who show absolute sincerity in their blog interaction. For more information, visit It's All About Sincerity. I'd like to remind you all that I would love to give it to every single one of you, and eventually, I probably will. But this week's recipient is Heather SINCERE. Oh, ooops, I mean Heather Sunseri, author of Balance With Purpose. She always has a kind word to say, and her posts are encouraging. Go check out her blog! Remember, there is only one rule for this award: if you choose to pass it on, please do so to someone you find to be a sincere blogger. Also, feel free to link it back here. Have a great weekend my fellow character-loving bloggers!

I Couldn't Find Them!

I searched everywhere--in closets, in drawers, in cabinets, and even under the beds. But my characters were nowhere to be found. I was halfway through my first novel when they deserted me. They won't admit it, but I think they were angry with me because I wasn't writing enough. I had a good reason, though. I was researching. There were some finer details in my story that I needed to gather information about. For example: The town it takes place in had no name. I had temporarily called it Smalltown because, well, it was a small town. But I got sick of being reminded by Word every time I typed it that it wasn't a real word. The town needed a name! Then there was the whole matter of police dogs. Leon, my friendly yellow lab character, was a drug-sniffing canine, and I didn't even know if yellow labs could be police dogs. They can, by the way, and they are actually quite good at it. And of course there was the issue of the Irish Mafia, which I conveniently referenced without knowing a thing about them. Did you know they are most prominent in Philadelphia? Speaking of Irish, I had to research Irish names because some of my characters were getting sick of being called things like Irish Dude. They really needed proper names. Thankfully, my characters showed back up when I was done researching. And I quickly went back to typing like crazy. What about you? At what point during a WIP do you do the research? Before? After? Or sometime in between?

These Shoes Make Me Laugh

Okay, they really only make me giggle, but still, they get a reaction out of me. I can just picture the poor woman walking down the street, tilting backward because she can't stand up straight. Seriously, is that Barbie wearing them? Every novel, even the most serious one, should at least garner that--a giggle or two. So how do we manage to bring in a little bit of humor? Donald Maass gives us some suggestions in The Fire In Fiction. Hyperbole: Take every simile and metaphor; then exaggerate it into the outrageous or unexpected. Irony: Don't be afraid to point it out, build it up, and show your characters reaction to it. Overreaction: Let your characters have over-the-top responses to the little catastrophes. These are just a few ways Maass mentions. The bottom line is, exaggerate at some level. Maass says, "Even a serious novel needs to occasionally exaggerate for effect." Well, you heard him. Go exaggerate!

They Ran!

They did! My characters stole my book and ran! At first, I tried to stop them, but then it became obvious they were far better writers than me and much faster, too. So I let them go with it. Three chapters in, I lost all control over my story. All of my preconceived notions about plot went out the window. My story line became something else entirely--something else entirely better, thanks to my screaming characters. I would be writing a scene, and one of my characters would stand up and shout, "Are you crazy? What do you think you are making me do? I wouldn't do that! I'd rather do this!" Yes, I'm admitting it. My characters wrote my book. Now, if only I could get them to land me an agent... I watched an interview with Jodi Picoult a while back where she talked about how her characters speak to her. I could relate, and it gave me affirmation that I'm not crazy. These make believe people that take over my thoughts are real. If I don't see them as that, and I don't give them a chance to be heard, I can not effectively write about them. I've heard a lot of talk about muses, and I finally realized my characters are my muse. Do your characters ever speak to you? (I don't mean in a creepy, weird kind of way. I mean in a creative, inspirational kind of way.) Or do you have another muse?

I Dove In!

Well, actually, I was pulled in, but same thing, right? The other day, I was at the pool with my kids, and due to the intense heat, I decided I needed to get in and cool off. I've always been a toe-dipper instead of one to just dive in, so I ran my foot through the water, thinking I'd get in slowly. But before I knew it, my son had a tight grip on my ankle, and I was falling sideways into the water. After a short tirade on my part, I realized my son had actually done me a favor. The water felt good. The same thing happened when I started writing my first novel. Only it was my characters pulling me in, not my son. I fully intended on outlining and doing character sketches before I started writing, but those characters had me typing frantically. Before I knew it, I had written three chapters. And they were fantastic! Oh, who am I kidding? They needed more work than my ten-year-old air conditioning unit. But I didn't care. I could edit later, right? This time around, things have been a little different. My characters are arguing with another voice inside my head--the strict editor lady who's cranky more than she is happy. So, do you work from an outline and character sketches? Do you edit while you're writing? Or do you just dive in and start writing like I did the first time around? I'd really like to know.

Just Do It!

Yeah! Easy for the NIKE marketing team to say. On September 1st of last year, I began writing my first novel. Up until then, I had only written a few articles for my high school newspaper, a handful of poems, a couple of short stories, and a zillion journal entries in countless, five-subject notebooks. It was a long-time dream of mine to write a full-length novel, but something kept holding me back. That something was self doubt. After all, I had no formal training in the craft other than the couple of writing courses required for my business degree. I was already short enough on time without adding writing something of that magnitude to my schedule. And, I had all kinds of ideas floating around in my head but no clue how to turn them into a full-length novel. Suddenly, though, these characters appeared in my thoughts, and they wouldn't go away. They kept getting bigger and bigger until they were the only things I could think of. Finally, I couldn't take it anymore, and I gave in. I did exactly what the characters, and NIKE, had been urging me to do for over a decade--JUST DO IT! And, it was the best decision I've ever made. What about you? What pushed you into writing that first novel?

My Favorite Shoes?

Flip flops. Definitely flip flops. I wish I lived somewhere that was warm year-round because I'd never wear anything else. Unfortunately, flip flops and 20 degree temps and snow don't go well together. So, I enjoy my flip flops when I can. I also try to enjoy my favorite moments when I can. You know, the fun times shared with loved ones, moments like this one, when everyone is smiling and getting along: Unfortunately, these moments pass too quickly and turn into moments like this one. Yeah, he's pouting because his sister was being mean to him. But then another joyful moment arrives and everyone is happy again. It's magical. It's heartwarming. And, it never lasts. So I try to savor it while it's happening. Okay, this post is just an excuse to put some pictures of my kids from our vacation up here. I admit it. But I do have a point to make. Bear with me. Yesterday, I talked about loving writing despite the trials and tribulations that come along with it. Today, I want to talk about the joyous times, the times that warm my heart and remind me of why I love to write. Here are some of my favorite moments in my writing journey: 1. Making the decision to start writing. 2. Writing the first sentence, the first paragraph, the first page, the first chapter. 3. Finishing the first novel and having others read it. 4. Writing a successful query letter and getting two requests for partials from it. 5. Starting my blog and meeting all of you wonderful people. 6. Starting a second novel, and a third. That's where I'm at now, and I know there are many more joyous moments ahead of me. That's what keeps me going! What about you? Do you care to share any of your favorite moments? Oh yeah, this is the last day for the Slumpbuster Challenge. Click on the penguin in my sidebar to add a sentence.

It's A Love Affair

When we first arrived at the lake last week, it was raining. Bummer, right? Not for me because it gave us the perfect excuse to visit the Titanic exhibit. I am infatuated with the Titanic and always have been, even before James Cameron's movie came out. But the movie really sent me over the edge. I love the romance between Jack and Rose. Anyway, they gave you a boarding pass with a person's name on it as you entered the exhibit. At the end, you found out if you survived or not. I did. Yay! Now, most of the exhibit had nothing to do with the movie, but there was an entire section dedicated to it, which made me really happy! My husband, however, was bored to tears and, eager to get to the more exciting artifacts, raced ahead of the rest of us. My favorite part of the exhibit was when I rounded a corner to find my husband standing at the top of The Grand Staircase. Yes, THE Grand Staircase. Okay, it was only a replica, but still! There he was--my own personal Jack Dawson, waiting for me, his Rose! How romantic! Well, it was, until instead of turning around and smiling at me, he turned with a sigh and said, "Will you hurry it up already." Hmm...it kind of ruined the moment! Today is our anniversary. My years with him have been great but not without their trials and tribulations. I still love him, though, and I always will. Writing is a lot like marriage in that way. There are good times (which I will share with you tomorrow), but there are also bad times, like writer's block, waiting for weeks for responses on query letters, receiving two rejections before noon on the same day, making countless mistakes, etc. But in the end, we still love writing, and we always will. That's why we keep doing it!

Say What?

I know. There's no picture of shoes. I had the perfect one picked out for this post, but I couldn't bear the thought of looking at it or of forcing you to look at it. It was a picture of rat shoes. Yes, they were shoes that looked like rats! How sick is that? Now, why was it a perfect picture for today's post? Well, it reminded me of of a hotel sign we saw in Branson last week. We can all clearly see that the sign is supposed to read: Welcome Friendly Rates. But what it says is: Welcome Friendly Rats. Do the hotel owners not care enough about what kind of message they are sending to fix the sign? Apparently not! Now did I really think the hotel had rats? No. But was I jumping up and down with glee because we weren't staying there? Yep, I sure was. So what message is my writing sending? Have I taken the time to fix all the glitches that might say something I don't want to say? Or have I been looking at it for so long that I'm failing to even see the glitches? What about you? Do you have any pesky little rodents to get rid of? Is your writing saying what you want it to?

Yikes!

I'm a fearful person. I don't want to be, but I am. As most of you know, I went to the lake with my family last week. Considering we hadn't been on a family vacation in five years, it was a big deal. We all had a great time, but I realized fear takes some of the joy away from me. As our car wound around curve after curve on the tiny, two-lane highway, I gripped tightly to the armrest and held my breath, sure we were going to spin out of control and end up at the bottom of the embankment. I refused to ride any of the roller coasters at the amusement park because I just knew the car would lose momentum and come to a halt, leaving us hanging upside down for hours. (This really happened at Worlds of Fun. I've seen interviews with the girls it happened to. They were traumatized for life.) Instead, I sat and prayed for the rest of my family to disembark safely. Every time they returned, grinning from ear to ear, I regretted not having rode it with them. As my kids swam off the dock, I nervously waited for something bad to happen. After all, the sign did say: SWIM AT YOUR OWN RISK. What's that supposed to mean? Snakes? Yeah, definitely, snakes. This one I was right about. My husband swears it was a fish bite, but it sure looks like fang marks to me, and I seriously doubt there were any vampires swimming around down there. Okay, okay, I'm getting to the point. Fear holds me back in life. It also holds me back in my writing. I did this post about me trying to decide which WIP to work on--the sequel to my first novel or a stand-alone project. I really want to be working on the sequel, but my fear that the first one will never be published is holding me back. Well, I faced that fear yesterday, and I dove into the sequel head first. It felt good, and I realized it doesn't matter if the first one gets published. I'm just writing for the pure joy of writing. What fears hold you back?

Lazy Writer Revealed

I decided to repost bits and pieces of some of my older stuff this week for a couple of reasons. First of all, I don't have as much time as normal because my son is playing in the Little League World Series, and I will be away from home a good part of the week. Second, those old posts have been lonely for quite some time. You see, I posted them before I had any of you lovely followers.

Speaking of being lonely, our friend Mooch could use some attention. Click on the penguin in the sidebar to give him some.

Several weeks ago, I discussed why I chose the name Lazy Writer for blogging. Here's what I had to say:

So I've been asked (not really, but I thought someone might be wondering) why I chose "Lazy Writer" as my handle. Well, the writer part is obvious, and the lazy part is perhaps misleading. I do not mean to imply that I'm lazy when it comes to my writing. In fact, the exact opposite is true. I spend so much time writing that I tend to be lazy when it comes to other areas of my life--cooking, cleaning, running errands, etc. Thus, Lazy Writer was born.

Speaking of calling myself a writer, I recently read a post on Literary Agent, Nathan Bransford's blog. He posed a question about whether or not a person should call themselves a writer if they have never been published. His take on it was that a person who enjoys writing shouldn't define themselves as a writer any more than a person who enjoys collecting stamps should define themselves as a stamp collector.

Here's my opinion: I have never been paid for being a wife and mother, and I never will be (this might account for my laziness in these areas), but I still call myself a wife and mother. Just because I have never been paid for my writing, doesn't mean it isn't a defining part of who I am. And as far as being paid goes, it's not my main objective. Sure, it would be nice if my writing came with a paycheck, but that's not why I do it. I love my husband; I love my kids; and I love writing. Being paid for what I love would just be an added bonus. If I can call myself a wife, and I can call myself a mother, why can't I call myself a writer?

FYI--if you haven't read Nathan's blog, you should. He has great tips for those of us who are still brave enough to call ourselves writers despite the fact that we have never been published.

Click here to check out his blog. It's well worth your time.

Are These For Real?

Have you ever been reading a book and come across a part that is so unbelievable that it jolts you out of the story? Well, my mom did, and unfortunately, it was when she was reading my ms!

There is a scene where my mc's mother reacts in a way that is entirely unexpected. She does something that most mothers would never even consider doing. There is a reason for her actions, but that reason isn't revealed until later in the book.

I had to do something about this. I couldn't have my readers jolted out of the story, now could I? So I reordered the chapters, which also meant a great deal of revision, and revealed the reason for her actions sooner.

In this case, timing really was everything!

Speaking of timing, it's time for something to happen in Mooch's story. Click on the penguin in the sidebar to add the next sentence.

Have a great weekend!