RendezvouswithGretchenRhue

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Great Expectations for Great Characters

Have you ever named fish after your characters? Added them to your ‘contacts’ on your phone (the characters, not the fish, ha ha.) Are they your friends or enemies? What if you met them in a dark alley? Or what one question would you ask your character? Do they have a Facebook page? Do they Tweet?

Believe me, you can go really overboard with this thought process: delving into the mind of your character until they become actual people to you, but usually characters (many of mine) suffer from being too flat. I’m preaching to myself when I say, “Hey, if you’re gonna do this writing thing, don’t waste time on flat characters. Give them life. Make them real.”

What are their quirks or habits? What makes them different from others? ‘Interview’ your character until you find out everything you can about them. At this point, you are ready to start writing their story. Just like how an investigative reporter researches the facts before sending the story to print, it pays to investigate and research your character.

Have you sketched your character or found their photos in magazines or catalogs? You may find you need to describe them more fully. I’ve even heard of writers creating collages that represent their books to inspire them. A picture tells a thousand words, right?

Some friends and I participate in a long-established writers contest every Labor Day (for the last three years anyway.) It’s called The 3-Day Novel Contest— a brutal exercise where you pack as much writing as you can into only three days. It’s incredibly fun, but horribly excruciating as you can imagine. But at the end you have a complete novel. Of course, the average length in three days is only about 20,000 words, so it will need expanding, but the story is there. No, I haven’t won…yet (ha ha), but I highly recommend the experience. It’s especially fun because our friends invite us to stay with them, so we can suffer together and take breaks, whining and asking ourselves “Why do we do this?”

I told you about this grueling opportunity to tell you this: The rules of the contest say you can’t write even a word of the book before 12:00 am on the first day, but you can outline, sketch, research, etc as much as you’d like. If you enter the contest knowing your character inside and out, then you will produce more words because you won’t have to stop and figure things out as you go. It really forces me to create the character before I type a single word.

Whether your characters are saints or villains, have great expectations for them!

Okay Writers, time for number three…that all important CONFLICT!

Without conflict there would be no story, right? That’s a ‘no brainer’, but time and time again, writers in our critique group— myself especially— have been seriously lacking in the conflict department. “Amp it up!” they tell me weekly.

One of my children was afraid of the Sea Witch in The Little Mermaid. I told her, “Without the Sea Witch, there would be no story; nothing for Ariel to do.” She thought about it and then said she’d just cover her eyes.

As much as we love the well-thought-out, descriptive passages we forge as we build our worlds, what keeps the reader engaged is the conflict. In fact, I have a friend that professes to (on a regular basis) skip passages of narrative to get to the action and dialogue…where the conflict usually occurs.

We live in a fast-paced world. The action has to keep up with the average mindset. Gone are the days of Dickens, Hemingway, and Tolstoy. Most novels of today open with a car chase and don’t let you breathe until the end.

Why do we love conflict? Sheesh! Don’t our lives have enough already? Why do people choose to entertain themselves with more problems to solve? The only answer I could find for that was…maybe solving the problems in a book or movie gives them closure, resolution, and hope their problems will also be resolved. It’s like playing seven notes of a scale. Musicians go insane if you don’t play the last note. It resolves everything. It just feels good to finish it.

One way to amp up conflict in your story is to think ‘opposites’. If you drastically contrast everything, the dialogue and plot will nearly write themselves. They will naturally scream opposition to one another.

For example: If your main character is environmentally conscientious to a fault, then you could offset their ‘green’ passion with a character who doesn’t recycle, drives an old gas-hog, and uses paper plates at every meal.

When I have a strong thread of conflict, I try to follow it through to the end. Perhaps I would have the gas-hog owner drive-up in a Prius. Or the ‘green’ character could use their paper towels only once before throwing them away. This could show how the opposing character has smoothed out their hard edges a bit; had an influence on their choices.

The biggest advice I’ve ever read or heard about conflict is… just when you think it can’t get any worse for the character…make it worse. Create situations they could not possibly get out of, amp it up even more, and then watch them find their way out.

If you want to try outlandish scenarios without too much of a commitment of length or word count, try using writing prompts. Give yourself a time limit and slather on the conflict as thick as you can. It’s even more fun when you do this in a group. We’ve had some wild characters struggle through outrageous predicaments.

In the end, don’t shy away from conflict like most do in real life. In your writing, embrace it, welcome it, and amp it up!

Setting the Table for a Great Setting

Paper plates or fine china? Your characters could eat straight out of Chinese to-go boxes with chop sticks. Or how about picnic style? Maybe they dine on brightly colored Mexican pottery and a bold-striped tablecloth to match. A great ‘table setting‘ can say a lot about your characters. If they insist on washing and reusing plastic-ware, it could imply they are thrifty, concerned with the environment, or just plain crazy! LOL Whatever you choose, make it distinct; think outside the box.

And as they taught us in English classes, setting covers so much more than just where your characters will eat their meals. It creates the mood, establishes the culture and class, and tells the reader when and where the characters live.

Mood

Whether your story’s tone is ominously eerie, is a fast-paced thriller or is a lively comedy, the mood is set by all of the areas discussed in the next few paragraphs. These factors affect dialogue, action, and narrative passages. For instance, if your story is set in a graveyard, it would most likely not be humorous. The time would also reflect the mood…it might be midnight or during a funeral.

Is the story set in a place that’s OCD clean or pig-sty dirty? Clutter can reflect a chaotic mood. A sterile environment suggests someone who’s uptight possibly or has a medical condition.

How about the lighting? Natural, filtered sunlight? Pitch blackness? Moonlight? Candlelight? Desert sun? Florescent bulbs? Flashing neon? You can do a lot to set the mood with lighting. A good way to observe how lighting is used in movies is to watch without sound.

And speaking of sound…what music will be ‘heard’ in your story? A Sousa march? A love ballad? Totally different moods.

And here’s the biggie that I usually have to remind myself to include: set the mood through the sense of smell. Aromas are powerful— the good and the bad. They trigger deep and sometimes subliminal memories. Just think of how you feel when I say: dirty diaper, hot cinnamon buns, coffee, cat box, blood, diesel, pine, mint, garlic, urine, baked bread…

Culture

Consider spicing up your story by including different cultures. Mixing and contrasting cultures can add conflict while making it interesting. This is demonstrated in a children’s favorite The City Mouse and The Country Mouse. There’s lots of conflict as each mouse finds the other’s culture is difficult and even life-threatening. How about the clash between the human and vampire cultures in Twilight and the bazillion other ‘vamp’ or paranormal romance books and movies out there? The sky’s the limit with cultures to jazz up your story. Just remember to keep your details consistent without being stereotypical.

Class

Whether your characters are wealthy or penniless, both can be interesting. Again, pit one against the other for added conflict. A fanciful setting can be just as memorable as a poor one if you dig in and really show how they live— good or bad. The hardest class to make interesting is the wide and well-known middle class. But even in this class, you can find quirky details that set your characters apart from Joe-average. Your readers probably live in the Joe-average world, so they know what that’s about already. Give them something new to read in a way they can still connect on an emotional level. Maybe your main character has painted his house neon orange because he’s fighting with the neighbors. Just an average white-collar guy…with an orange house. No matter what class you’re dealing with, make it pop.

Time

This is the fun one. When will you set your story? In prohibition time? During war? A Medieval story? When Christ was born? Future? Past? Pick an interesting time in history, do tons of research, and immerse your story in it. But I say this with a word of caution. You will find many, many more details about the time period than you need to include. Pick a few key ones to highlight the era, and let the reader’s imagination take it from there. If your readers want ‘history’, they’ll pick up a history book. Just flavor your story with the facts you find.

Location

Can’t think of a good location? Check out travel magazines or National Geographics. You can also harvest locations from your personal address book or Facebook friends list. Once you’ve chosen a place on the map, go there physically if possible if you haven’t already. If you’re unable to go there, ‘Google’ the spot to see images of it and take a virtual tour if one is available.

Of course other dimensions, science fiction, fantasy worlds, utopia, heaven, and hell always make for exciting locations, but these require more world-creating…and traveling there may prove difficult.

Whether your characters are dining at The White House or inside a dumpster, make it a memorable ‘table setting‘.

So here we are…finally at #5. I have been enjoying summer vacation instead of blogging. Naughty, naughty! Back to the top ten!

# 5 – Write a Gourmet Story

Have you ever been stuck having to eat a bland diet? Yawn.

Readers crave flavor!

Just like marinading a steak or adding cinnamon to coffee, stories should be rich and scrumptious. Here are a few ways to make your story a delectable feast for your readers:

Catch Phrases

A good example of a catch phrase comes from Star Wars (Episode 4,5 & 6) when Han Solo, Luke Skywalker, and Princess Leia take turns repeating the famous line “I have a bad feeling about this.” It’s used just enough to be funny and endearing. And because different characters say it with the same emphasis on ‘bad’, it becomes almost an inside joke between the actors and the audience.

Catch phrases should be chosen very carefully and used sparingly or they will just be annoying or cheesy. Done correctly though, they can add interest to the story and pull the reader in.

Twists

Make sure you surprise the reader. Maybe even more than once. I can picture them reading like crazy with their eyes bulging out because they never expected a particular turn of events. And don’t save all the twists for the end. Sprinkle little ones throughout the story. If you have trouble thinking of twists, ask “what if.”

For example: “What if a main character’s dad didn’t really die? Was only presumed dead? Maybe they never found the body? Of course when the dad returns, it has to be believable, so provide a way to reassure the reader that you didn’t break rules of physics or ‘pull a rabbit out of a hat’.

Another easy way to create twists is to work backwards from ‘the reveal’ to any hints or clues leading to the twist.

The Power of Music

When at all possible include music in your story. Music evokes memories and feelings.

Perhaps your characters attend a rock concert or an opera. These two very different venues illustrate their tastes in music and helps to define them.

How tech-savvy are your characters? Do they have an iPod, an MP3 player, a transistor radio, a record player? How about an 8-track tape player? LOL! Do they download tunes, listen to Sirius Radio, or do they even illegally pirate songs for free? You can see how these details could help paint who your characters are.

What music is playing in the background? In the movie Twilight, Bella turns-on Edward’s stereo to see what he listens to. She is getting to know him and seems impressed that a vampire would be listening to “Clair de Lune.”

How about having your characters play an instrument, or even just whistle or hum a particular tune. In the movie Lady in White, (spoiler alert) the killer is discovered because of the song he whistles. To this day the song still gives me the chills! The choice of song tells a lot about them as does their instrument—whether it be a cello or just putting their lips together!

Tickle the Senses

Every scene should be a smörgåsbord for the senses. What do the characters see, hear, taste, smell and feel? The more unusual the better! In the movie Parent Trap, the twins (both played by a young—and more innocent—Lindsay Lohan) connect because they discover they both prefer to eat their Oreos with peanut butter. The audience imagines what that would taste like and then ‘connects’ with the characters.

The feelings the senses evoke don’t always have to be good. Readers will connect with ‘the good, the bad, and the ugly.’ In the movie Nanny McPhee, the children trick someone into eating ‘wormy sandwiches’. Every time I watch this with my kids, I squirm more than the worms do because it’s so disgusting.

Overall…

Your story should aim to make the reader react mentally and physically. They should laugh, cry, wish, hope, hurt, cringe, shiver, ache, smile, remember and/or be shocked, etc. Take a hard look at your story. Does it have the ingredients to make it gourmet?

CONFESSIONS OF A LAZY WORD-MISER & THAT-A-HOLIC

Yes, I confess. I used to have a real THAT problem. In my early writing days I used THAT whether I needed it to convey meaning or not. After I had a consultation with a professional editor at a writing conference, I realized I used THAT unnecessarily. I felt sort of foolish. Why hadn’t I seen it before? But then I started listening to how people talk. THAT is sort of a filler used in verbal conversation. So it is only natural to use it in writing as well. Being able to recognize when not to use it is the key. And it’s fairly easy too.

Here’s an example:

Painting the house that his father built gave Arnold the feeling that his father was right beside him.

Can you see the two unnecessary THATs?

Here it is without the THATs:

Painting the house his father built gave Arnold the feeling he was right beside him.

The idea here is if you can leave out the THATs and it doesn’t change the meaning you’re trying to convey, then leave it out. Simple.

Here’s an example of a time you’d want to keep the THAT in the sentence:

The trophy was awarded to the team that ran the fastest.

If you remove the THAT, it would not correctly begin the phrase decribing the team. The sentence even sounds incomplete without the THAT.

But why did I call myself a LAZY WORD-MISER?

I relied heavily on adjectives and adverbs instead of strong verbs and the occasional mind-tickling adjective. Instead of letting the reader explore the feelings of the words, I tried to control and force their way of thinking by supplying everything for them. I had to learn to use the power of strong verbs and craftily selected adjectives to communicate the story.

And although I’m giving this advice, I’m still a work-in-progress. If you were to look at my first drafts, you would still find boatloads of THATs, weak adjectives, adverbs, and epecially the boring word WAS.

WAS is inevitable. You will use it, but try not to. Don’t be lazy with your ability to use better verbs. If alternate choices for WAS don’t come to you easily, then think of action words. What are your characters doing? If they were in a movie, what would the director tell them to do? How would they move?

Here’s an example of how to improve a sentence by the use of verbs:

1. He was looking at her. (Needs improvement.)

2. He looked at her. (Better.)

3. Her beauty mezmerized him. (An option.)

4. He ogled her. (Wow. Just 3 little words mean so much!)

I’m constantly on the hunt for better words, fine tuning each sentence as if it’s the one that will go on the back cover. My well-loved, taped-together dictionary and thesaurus can attest to that. They usually accompany me when writing. Whether you have a hard copy or consult these books online, make sure you don’t fall into the category of being a lazy writer. Your reader’s time is valuable. Don’t waste it on WAS, THAT, and weak writing.

HAPPY WRITING!

Find the Critique Group You Can’t Do Without

This post is somewhat hypocritical as I am writing it on vacation while my critique group is meeting without my husband and me. Don’t get me wrong, I love traveling, but I also enjoy the interaction of the group and I feel I’ve missed a chance to be productive this week. But kudos for me anyway since I’m writing this post on vacation, right?

Years ago, I searched high-and-low for a group to join, coming to the realization I should just start one of my own. Three-and-a-half years later and we’re still going strong, still growing, still learning from each other. So I’m tickled pink the group is filled with quality, dedicated writers that will keep the meetings going even when the leader is away.

Speaking of quality, that’s what you need if you’re looking for a group to join. You want people that will give you the straight (yet kind) feedback. You deserve that. And so do your readers. You also need people who are serious about the craft and are actively learning, writing and reading. English majors and grammar buffs are a plus, but not required.  If you get enough willing eyes on your manuscript, the grammatical and spelling errors will be found.

Writing can be a lonely venture, so a critique group can routinely help you surround yourself with people who are moving forward, setting goals, and encouraging one another. This can only help your writing improve—becoming stronger and more polished—and help keep you in-the-know with social, political, and writing events. In our group we bounce ideas off each other and discuss the world of publishing.

We are loosely based on The Inklings—the critique group to which J.R.R Tolkien and C.S. Lewis belonged. We go late, we aren’t afraid to say it like it is, and we munch on and drink whatever keeps us awake till after midnight. That’s why we decided on Friday night…with the hope of sleeping in the next day. (Yeah right. Like that ever happens!)

We meet every week. The every-other-week thing was just too far apart. I found myself drifting off-course. Meeting every week pushes me to keep writing. I have to squeeze-in the writing time everyday (or at least several days) or I’ll have nothing to present on Friday. We hold each other accountable to our goals. And the feedback I receive is invaluable. Some I use, some I don’t. But at least the story has been in front of others. More eyes than mine have searched for continuity problems, character issues, plot problems, grammatical errors, etc.

If you don’t have a group, GET ONE!!!! (Especially if you are self-publishing without an editor’s help!)

***In an upcoming post I will discuss how to create your own critique group.

Ready for number 8?

WRITE, PLOT, PEOPLE WATCH…WHEREVER YOU ARE!

My husband, Jeff, and I were having dinner out–yes, they do let me out from time-to-time–and I asked him what he thought the couple at the next table’s story was. He gave me a blank look. I asked, “Don’t you think about people’s stories; imagine what they’re like; what they fought about; how long they’ve been together; where they came from, etc?” A simple ‘no’ told me not everyone thinks like a writer. I’m not a stalker or eavesdropper, just creatively borrowing from the lives of real strangers.

If you’ve been called to write, then you won’t be able to stop. Even if you don’t get the words on paper, your mind is still writing; still creating scenarios. I can’t help but create worlds, dialogue, and imaginary private lives of many strangers I see. Little things about them are logged for future characters and plots. So beware…if you cross my path you may end up in one of my books…your name changed, of course!

There’s great material out there. Just open your eyes and keep a notebook handy. Jot these bits of inspiration down because when life gets in the way, you will most likely forget.

Not in the habit of imagining? Pick up a book of writing prompts. Give yourself five minutes and see where you go. Better yet, do prompts in a group and share your stories. You’ll be amazed at the variety. A writing friend introduced me to this and it really helped me to see the sky’s the limit in writing.

The blank page (or screen) doesn’t taunt me because I’ve trained myself to find one of the millions of stories lurking on that ominous white page.  That isn’t to say I don’t have blank moments. I just know if I dive deep enough, wait long enough, I’ll find the story, the buried treasure. Or if that buried treasure ends up more like the old boot at the bottom of the pond, I’ll chase another story! The challenege then is to make it worthy of the reader’s time. Some stories are. Some…not as much. But the next one may be, so keep at it!

Happy writing!

Reading something that’s confusing, ill-ordered, or poorly described ranks high on my list of pet peeves–especially when I find I’ve penned it myself! Writing is like painting. The reader should see a work of art, not something sloppy or distorted.

While writing at our local 24-hour coffee shop, I was reminded of a good point to add to my TOP TEN WRITING ESSENTIALS list. The background music in the restaurant came in particularly loud at this table and I was struggling to block it out. The volume wasn’t the only issue I had with the music. Its  repetitive lyrics were really getting on my nerves until I realized what the musician was singing: “Say what you mean to say.”

It felt like a subliminal reminder from a class I’d taken or a blog I’d read. I needed to clarify things, simplify, and restructure in order to communicate the story. I actually laughed out loud because even the piped-in music was teaching me the writing basics.

My favorite English teacher in high school demonstrated this point to my class by making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich in front of the class. Yes, a P.B.J. As crazy as that sounds, it was actually a good lesson in ‘saying what you mean to say’ because the students had to dictate every step of making the sandwich. If we said, “Spread the peanut butter on the bread,” he would spread it on the outer edge of the crust instead of on the flat side where you would usually put it. He was making the point that your reader–or in this case ‘sandwich maker’– may not understand what you mean unless you really spell it out.

The omission of important words can change meaning in a sentence as well. A dear friend of mine brought over a meal for my family after I had come home from the hospital. The meal’s main course was lasagna. It was so good, I had to ask her what brand it was. “Stouffer’s,” came her reply. I said, “That’s funny. I make that brand all the time, but this tasted better than Stouffer’s.” She said, “That’s because you didn’t make it.” She wasn’t the type of person to make wise-cracks, so I slowly ascertained that she meant, “That’s because you didn’t ‘HAVE TO’ make it.” Two little missing words changed the meaning of the sentence drastically. They give me a chuckle every time I think of them.

So, NUMBER NINE on the TOP TEN WRITING ESSENTIALS list is SAY WHAT YOU MEAN TO SAY.

Happy June!

I’d like to share my TOP TEN WRITING ESSENTIALS list with you. Mainly because, in doing this, maybe I’ll remember to do them myself!

If I were kind, I would give you all ten today, right here in this post, but as I’m feeling like sort of a tease, I will give you only one at a time for the next ten posts.

The upside to this is that I’ll take the time to illustrate memorable stories with messages of utmost importance for each ‘essential’.  (Okay… maybe they will just be interesting and helpful.) You may have heard some or all of these before, but you never know what gem you’ll take away from the list this time, so it’s worth a quick look-see. And pay attention…There may be a quiz!

I try to follow these TOP TEN WRITING ESSENTIALS , but sometimes it feels like I’m juggling tenpins. Some drop, some land on my head, others sail effortlessly into beautiful tosses and catches.

In any case…

Here’s  NUMBER TEN:

REWRITE, REWRITE, REWRITE!

Writing is at least 50% editing. Don’t be afraid to cut sentences, paragraphs, chapters, and even characters! It may have taken you precious time and effort to create, but if it takes away from your story, just shake it off.

When it comes to physical ‘stuff’, I’m sort of a hord-a-saurus. I have a hard time throwing things out. Same thing with my writing. It’s hard to work diligently on something and then delete it. So instead of trashing it, I just file the unwanted section. I don’t throw it out completely. That helps the pack rat in me to relax. It’s not ‘goodbye’, just a reorganization. I can visit these ‘re-filed’ things anytime I want. Truth is, I never do. But it’s comforting to know I could.

The take-away point here is: ONLY THE VERY BEST SHOULD BE IN YOUR WORK. Be brutal. Your readers deserve and demand it. There are millions of other things they could be reading. Yours must be worthy of their attention.

My critique group friends actually cheered when I removed a character, named BobbyJo, from a story I’d been working on. (Nothing against the name BobbyJo. It’s a great name!) She was stealing the focus away from the main character, and, quite frankly, was annoying the readers. It was liberating when I deleted (or rather ‘re-filed’) her scenes. It was a much stronger story because poor BobbyJo wasn’t in it.

Case and point: I deleted well over 200 words from this post. Now aren’t you glad you didn’t have to read that drivel?

Rewriting is good.

Love your story.

Love your readers.

REWRITE, REWRITE, REWRITE!

Next post… NUMBER NINE…in just a few days…stay tuned!

Please tell a friend to check out this new blog you found!

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“So, I guess I need to start a blog,” I said to my critique group friends.

They looked at me with ‘duh’ expressions, nodding like bobble-heads.

I have to confess. The thought of adding anything to my already bulging schedule overwhelmed me at first, but now I’m getting excited about it–realizing it’s not going to be a chore, but an adventure.

Just choosing the name for the blog was a hoot. I wanted something mysterious and exotic. Something edgy and clever. Something catchy and memorable. The French word ‘Rendezvous’ hit the mark. And it has a ‘z’ in it. How cool is that? And it rhymes with ‘Rhue’. Why not? It shows my silly side, my cheesy humor.

I’ve always liked words. The sound, the meaning, the root, the history, the definitions. ‘Rendezvous’ has especially been a favorite of mine– a secret meeting…a meeting of some importance. Now the content of this blog has to live up to the word’s connotation. I’ll strive to measure up.

And let’s not forget the romantic innuendo of the word ‘rendezvous’.  Who doesn’t enjoy a good love story? Some of my favorites are Wuthering Heights, Jane Eyre, Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibilities, Twilight, The Notebook, PS I Love You, and the list goes on. I love to ‘rendezvous’ with a good romantic book or movie. The books I write usually have at least an element of romance.

My love for writing romance started when my age was a single digit. In fact, writing anything has been a passion of mine since I could print letters. I remember composing a ‘letter’ for my Grams at the age of four by roaming through the house copying words I’d see: Magnavox, Whirlpool, Sears, Wishbook, etc. It must’ve been one of the most profound letters she ever received.

In my elementary school days I did crazy things like use ALL of my spelling words in an extra credit assignment…just for fun. No one else did this, and that baffled me. Didn’t everyone love writing as much as I did?

In my pre-teen years I filled notebooks with dramatic short stories that I’d make my best friend read. That’s true friendship. In fact, she’s still my friend–some thirty years later–and she’s still reading my stories! And hopefully enjoying them more than my notebook stories.

Proof of my love for writing from these early years is evidenced today by the enormous callous on my finger where I grasp my pen. Thank goodness for laptops and Alphasmarts. Who knows what my finger would look like without them.

The point being: I love words. So that is what I do. I write words.

Happy birthday to ‘Rendezvous with Gretchen Rhue‘!