A Reading List for Writers

By Gamal Hennessy

Most books dedicated to the craft of writing mention the importance of reading to the writing life. Stephen King boiled it down to “If you don’t have time to read, then you don’t have time to write.” Other less famous authors also stress the need to read, but few of them provide details on exactly what should be read.

I’m editing two novels and writing a third right now. I’ve had a chance to boil down the “what to read” idea into something that works for me. Rather than give you a biased and personal list of things to read, I’d like to suggest a few categories that are applicable no matter what style or genre you write in.

The best books for writers to read are:

• Books in your Genre(s): Writing genre fiction involves manipulating, stretching and often breaking the conventions that define that genre (See Genre Fiction: Clichés, Conventions and Evolution). How do you know what conventions you are playing with if you’re not familiar with those them in the first place? Reading the established classics in your chosen genres, as well as the popular and new writers, will help you both understand where the genre has been and where it is going. This will help you define your own personal niche in the long run where you can redefine expectations. (See Developing Your Own Sub Genre). This type of reading is often easy for writers because we have the natural tendency to write in the genres we enjoy reading. It takes a certain amount of mercenary fortitude to write in genres purely for their financial potential.
• Books on Subjects Your Characters Know: Part of the suggestion of “write what you know” comes from the idea that the more familiar the writer is with the subject matter, the more authentic the story becomes. The suspension of disbelief required for immersion is reduced and readers think of your characters and settings as more real than imaginary. So if your characters know a lot about forensic psychology or mescal or French fashion or field artillery, then you need to know it too. Reading both the unadorned technical books on your characters passions, as well as the fiction that incorporates those elements, will give your work both the facts and the feel that readers are looking for. This type of reading is also not hard for writers since our characters are often aspects of ourselves and they know about (or want to know about) the same things we want to know.
• Books in Genres You Like or Are Interested In:  Writing is a great way to expand your horizons. When the stories you work on require some knowledge or perspective that you’re unfamiliar with, you can take that opportunity to expose yourself to new information. When you are looking for a new wrinkle to add or experiment with to separate your craft from other writers, reading something from a different category can provide fresh inspiration. You may not like every book you read from these foreign genres. Reading things outside your chosen niche might only serve to remind you why you stick with the genre you have, but any kind of inspiration is helpful, even if it is negative.
• Current Events: No matter what stories we write or what time periods we write about, the voice of every writer is shaped by the world they live in. Novels written during Prohibition offer a glimpse into that world even if they didn’t deal with bootlegging and speakeasies. Works released before and after 9/11 see the world in stark contrast to each other. If you gain a better sense of both the banal and extraordinary events that shape our society, your voice will be clearer when you sit down to write. Some of my most enduring plots and themes come not from fiction, but from fact (See How Much Inspiration Do You Need?)
• Books on Writing and Publishing: Publishing in the 21^st Century is a moving target. Whether you see yourself as a traditional writer, a self-published author or and independent publisher (See What is the Difference between Self-Publishing and Independent Publishing?) you have to juggle being a CEO, a salesman, and a social scientist, all while trying to find the time to write. While you could figure out everything for yourself through trial and error, it makes more sense to use the tips and tricks other writers have found to navigate this complex industry. You won’t agree with every suggestion you find on business or craft, but you’ll expand your range of options and perspectives if you take some time to educate yourself about modern publishing.

So what types of books do you read as a writer? Leave a comment below and let me know.

Have fun.

Gamal

If you want more information on the business, craft and lifestyle of modern publishing, sign up for the free Independent Publishing Newsletter.

What If Everyone in the World Wrote a Novel?

By Gamal Hennessy

Independent publishing has created an ironic duality. On one hand, the good news about self-publishing in the 21^st century is that anyone can publish a book. The bad news about modern self-publishing is, of course, that anyone can publish a book.

The backlash against this state of affairs has been aggressive on both sides of the argument. Proponents of traditional publishing point to the tsunami of poorly written books as proof of self-publishing’s inferiority (See Is the Self Published Novel Inherently Inferior?). Supporters of independent publishing have a more nuanced reaction. Some will admit that the new publishing freedom might produce a lot of substandard product (where the definition of “substandard” itself is often a moving target). But they will also say that many quality books are self-published (and we always find a way to put our own work in the category of quality books for some unknown reason).

Advocates on both sides will also point out that even if all self-published work was great, there is too much of it for the market to support. The industry produces too many books for people to find, pay for and read. I get the sense that many of these writers want everyone else to get out of self-publishing so they can remain and sell more books.

I agree and disagree with each side of this debate. I also feel that everyone can benefit from both writing and trying to sell their own book.

The Sales Sabotage Problem

First, let me address the obvious flaw with my premise. It is easy to see that if seven billion people each decided to write one book, the chances of any book being financially successful dwindle down to zero. My book, no matter how good it is, could never compete in a marketplace that big. I get that. That doesn’t change my central premise. It’s not because I’m some altruistic soul who believes in universal equality and fair play, and it’s not because I believe that my book is so much better than everyone else’s that I welcome that kind of competition. I just believe the filtering and selection processes that we have can solve the sales problem.

According to Worldwidewebsize.com, there were about forty billion websites worldwide in March of 2014. That’s about six websites for every living person on the planet. The vast majority of those sites have little or no traffic, but in spite of the glut of sites, we all still know where to find our cute cat videos, personality quizzes, pornography and e-books. I’m not saying that search engines, SEO and website management is perfect. I am saying that if we can find a way to catalog and manage billions of websites, we can do the same things with books. There is no guarantee that my book or yours would become the next Google or Amazon of books, but there are other benefits that still make universal authorship an attractive utopia.

Looking Beyond the Competition

Writing, like any business, is a competitive endeavor. Each seller in the market attempts to sell as many of their goods or services as possible. Because the number of buyers is almost always finite, the attempt of each seller to maximize their sales puts them in direct competition with all other sellers of the same goods. This concept applies to cars, candy bars and cocaine. But does it apply to books?

On a certain level, it does. There are only so many readers out there and each one has a limited capacity in the number of books they can read. Some writers will sell infinitely more books than others. Not every writer can be a James Patterson or J.K. Rowling. But that doesn’t mean that writing is futile.

Not everyone can be a professional athlete, but that doesn’t mean that people can’t benefit from exercise. Not everyone can open a chain of restaurants, that doesn’t mean knowing how to cook is a useless skill. Not everyone can dominate the stock market, but it is still helpful to understand the concepts of economics, investing and money. By the same logic, not everyone can be a New York Times bestseller, but that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t write a book. (See How Your Writing Projects Are Like Your Gym Membership). Many of the things you achieve as a writer will come to you even if never sell anything.

Looking Beyond the Numbers

From the beginning of my experience as a writer, I realized that what I gained from writing went far beyond how many books I sold (See Great Expectations). The benefits are less tangible in many ways, but no less important. Writing gives me a vehicle to:

• Have fun
• Be inspired
• Solve problems
• Meet new people
• Learn more about myself
• Learn more about the world around me
• Get better at what I’m doing
• Find out more about the people I already know
• Become more comfortable with myself

The positive things that I get from writing aren’t unique to me. I’m sure seven billion other people might want each of these things, in one way or another. If each one of us developed our craft in an attempt to become better writers, how could that be a negative thing?

Looking Beyond the Rose Colored Glasses

I understand that writing for some authors is not an idealistic, philosophical endeavor. I know that many of us are using our craft to put food on the table, advance our careers or escape jobs that we hate. To these writers, any discussion about flooding the market with product for the sake of learning or inspiration is misguided and irrelevant. Some of us are writing simply to make money. I understand that, but even this group of writers would benefit if everyone tried their hand at writing a book, if only for the impact it would have on the reading population.

Writers understand that writing isn’t easy. No matter how many barriers are broken down with e-books and self-publishing technology, we still have to lock ourselves away and write. We still have to struggle with putting words together and deal with the dark emotional journey those words can create. (See The Benefits of Rejection, Indifference, and Insecurity). And that is just the writing side of the equation. Independents also have to concern themselves with post production, design, marketing, sales and customer service, in addition to writing and their day jobs. (See The Four Stages of Novel Development). Writers know what goes into releasing a book. If more people attempted to be writers, perhaps they would have more understanding of the process. If more people wrote a novel, maybe they would appreciate and be more willing to pay for the work that other writers do.

Have fun.

Gamal

Sign Up Now for the Independent Publisher Newsletter!

Response to the new Independent Publishing Page (See Welcome to the Independent Publishing Page) has inspired me to expand the concept. Starting next week, I'll be posting a companion newsletter called the Independent Publisher.

 If you'd like to sign up, just add your e-mail address here

What You Can Expect: The Independent Publisher will cover the business, craft and lifestyle of modern writing. It will include my own perspectives on the industry and well as links to news, blogs and podcasts that I feel will help you with your own writing. There will also be announcements about books on sale from my company, but that won't be the bulk of the coverage.

What You Wont Get: I have no intention of using the Independent Publisher for third party ads, book promotion or spam. I want this to be a resource and a forum where independent writers and publishers can share ideas. It might not the the Algonquin Roundtable, but most of us can't meet to discuss writing over a three martini lunch. (Wouldn't that be great, though?)

I hope you sign up for the newsletter. If there are any topics you'd like us to tackle or resources you think we should use, please let me know.

Have fun.
Gamal

Some Thoughts on the Life of the Independent Publisher

This is my last installment of the new independent publishing page (See: Welcome to the Independent Publishing Page). It collects the articles I've written about the mental, emotional and psychological aspects of going into independent publishing. This isn't always a fun or easy road, but for those who have the passion to write, nothing else will do.

Independent Publishing Life Articles
So You Wrote a Novel, Now What?
Do You Need to Quit Your Day Job?
Why Your Writing Routine is Like Your Exercise Routine.
How Do You Define a Successful Writer?
Learning to Love the Bad Review
The Other Benefits of Independent Publishing
The Artist's Struggle with Normal
Great Expectations
The Benefits of Rejection, Indifference, Ridicule, Hate, Envy, Exploitation and Insecurity for Writers

Next week I'll try to go back to original articles and offer something useful for you. Until then

Have fun.
Gamal

So You Wrote a Novel...Now What?

“Don't think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it's good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art.”

Andy Warhol

Writers enjoy analogies and different ones have been used to describe the feeling that we get after our novel has gone out into the world. Depending on who you ask, it's like giving birth, running a marathon or climbing a mountain. However you describe it, there is a sense of accomplishment that is gratifying and frustrating at the same time. Once the book is out the door and your bank account is (hopefully) being flooded with royalties, what should you do next? I have a few ideas on both what to do and what not to do in the afterglow of your literary orgasm. These ideas are not in any order of importance. They’re just something to consider when taking your next step.

Things to Do After Your Novel is Released

• Keep supporting the book with post launch marketing (See Marketing the Independent Novel)
• Get yourself a vacation, a drink, a massage or some other indulgence to celebrate your achievement. Despite what self-publishing pessimists say, not everyone can write a book.
• Thank the people who helped you. Despite the name, self-publishing isn't something that most people can do alone.
• Reconnect with your friends, lovers and anyone else you might have neglected while you were working on your novel
• If you're the type who neglects or abuses themselves during the creative process, this is a good time to see a doctor, therapist, personal trainer or nutritionist
• Find out what happened in the world while you were away, as long as it has nothing to do with Miley Cyrus' dancing
• Go read some books that you didn't write instead of proofreading your work over and over. It doesn't matter if you stick to your genre or not. Reading is different after your book comes out.
• If it’s feasible, look for other avenues to exploit your intellectual property. It doesn't matter what medium and it doesn't matter how many sales you have. Not every book that crosses over has to be a best seller.
• Get inspiration for your next book (See How Much Inspiration Do You Need?)
• Look back at the process of releasing your last book. Figure out what went well and what could have been done better. Absorb what is useful, discard the rest as Bruce Lee used to say.
• Write another book. If you did it once, you can do it again. There is no point in being a one hit wonder from a business or creative perspective.

Things Not to Do After Your Book Comes Out

• Go on social media and ask people to buy your book every day
• Agonize over the sales reports every hour
• Compare yourself to other writer's sales numbers
• Resent your friends for not supporting you enough
• Beat yourself up because you don't have a bestseller
• Ignore what you've learned from writing your book
• Reject the entire industry out of frustration
• Give up on your craft

The process of writing is cyclical. The triumph of releasing each book comes with the insecurity of a new blank page (See The Writer's Road). But the important thing for me is too keep writing. That's the only way I'll get better and the only way I'll increase my chances of success (See Defining the Successful Writer). The last novel is part of your past. To be a writer in the present and in the future, you need to keep writing. So go for it, right after that celebratory drink.

Have fun.
Gamal

Building the Better Novel, Part Three: Plot Construction

I apologize for jumping between my essays on plot development (See Part 1: Foundation and Part 2: Framework) and independent publishing issues (See Finding an Editor and The Cost of Independent Publishing). In a perfect world,  I would write these as two distinct series and not mixed together. In the real world, I'm releasing one novel and plotting another while a third manuscript waits for editing. I write essays based on what I'm working on at the time, hence the bouncing from one subject to another. The world of an independent publisher isn't perfect,  but it is fun.

Before I got sidetracked, I broke down my plot development process into the foundation where the book is conceptualized and the framework where the broad outline of the book is laid out. The next step in my process is to add structure to the frame through the use of beats, chapters, and acts. By linking each one of these parts into the framework of the overall concept a plot can take shape.

The Beat
According to Robert McKee's Story, a beat is an process of action and reaction. For example, a man and a woman are having a pleasant dinner when, he gets down on one knee and proposes marriage. The proposal is the action. Her response is the reaction.

Not all beats need to be that momentous or interpersonal. A woman who decides to hit the snooze button instead of getting out of bed. The alarm is the inanimate action and her snooze is the reaction. If a man washes his car and it starts to rain, it is an extrapersonal action reaction of cruel irony.

The Chapter
Existence is full of random beats, but writers who plot use the beats to move the story forward. A chapter is a series of beats that alters the conditions or situation of the characters. In our dinner chapter above, we have the action of the proposal and her reaction of saying yes or no. This sequence of events changes the situation of the characters and moves the story. She says yes and he experiences marriage. She says no and he faces rejection. She says maybe and he faces doubt. Any way you slice it, his situation changes and propels the story forward.

There one thing I have been taught about chapters is that the condition of the characters has to change on some level. In screenwriting I've heard this referred to as "turning the scene". If everything is the same for the character at the end of the chapter as it is in the beginning,  then the chapter does not move the story and is what's called non event that doesn't need to be in the story. For example, the shower that the man took before the proposal dinner and the ride he took to the restaurant don't move the story, so they are non events that can be skipped over. Putting in a non event kills the momentum and interest in the story in almost all cases.

Ideally, a chapter serves as a mini story with a beginning, a middle and an end. The characters are in one position at the start of the chapter. They move through beats and levels of conflict that are either internal,  interpersonal, extra personal or all three at once. The situation at the end of each chapter becomes the beginning of the next chapter. It is similar to episodic television,  where the overarching plot is broken down into smaller events that move toward the endgame. One of the reasons I started writing short stories before I tackled a novel was to get the feel of building a beginning middle and end in only a few pages (You can read some of my short fiction for here)

The Act
An act is a series of scenes that represent major milestones in a story. In the same way we discussed the beginning middle and end (See Framework), the acts can loosely represent this progression.

Story talks about absolute irreversible change between acts, where the level of conflict and the level of willpower and effort increases with each act, so that the protagonist can't go back to lesser effort or lesser actions in the pursuit of their desire. I don't know if this is true in all cases and genres, but I have adopted it for my use.

Most stories can be defined by the number of acts they have. A short story often has one. The novella has two. The novel has at least three. But some stories break this convention. Shakespeare's work often has five acts, Raiders of the Lost Ark has seven. You can have any number of acts that fit your work, but because of the beginning, middle, end concept, three is the norm for most novels.

How I Build a Plot

• I layout my foundation and my framework in front of me to show where the acts are and where I'm going. 
• Then I map out the chapters to show me how I'm going to get there. 
• Next I build in the beats for each chapter with one sentence descriptions of action and reaction.

Once I've gone through the whole story I work backwards.  

• I look at each beat and make sure it fits within the logical framework of the foundation of the story and its overall direction. 
• I examine the structure of each chapter to figure out what goes where, what happens before or after something else and where the subplots, if any, need to go. 
• Finally, I look at the acts and see if the pace and flow of the story works.

At that point I make myself a drink because I have a plot.

There are certain things that I put in the plot and things I always leave out. The goal of the protagonist in each chapter is explicitly stated in each chapter of the plot. Their emotions as the beats move also gets written down. Any research I need to do, hints or foreshadowing that needs to occur, and implications for other chapters is duly noted. Description, dialogue or other spontaneous details don't go in the plot. I save that for later.

The plot is highly adaptable and fluid at this stage. New subplots and chapters can be added in. Many chapters can be split up, combined or thrown away completely. The beginning,  middle and end can change quickly and easily. Anything can change if it serves the story. Characters sit next to you and offer their opinions. 'I would try to do this', 'I would never say that.' New connections are made and seeds are planted not just for this novel but for other stories down the line. It is like building with Lego. I've got a good idea of what it's supposed to look like, but I'm free to add, subtract and adapt.

Controlling Ideas
As the plot takes shape, the theme or controlling idea comes into focus. The controlling idea is the overall statement describing what they story is about. It is not just a stated value like love, truth or justice. It is a statement that states why a value undergoes change. Once I understand this idea, it will influence everything that I think of as I actually write the manuscript.

Write the Damn Book Already
Once the foundation has been established, the framework has been laid out and the plot has been based on that work, writing the book can actually happen. This three part preparation often takes time, but it makes the actual writing much easier for me. For my last manuscript it took about eight months of working on it off and on to go through all three steps. Writing the actual manuscript took six months or about 3,000 words per week. I still altered the plot while I was writing, but I never had writer's block or wrote myself into a place I couldn't get out of. I plan to start writing the next novel in January. It should be ready for beta reading by May.

I know this process isn't for everyone (See Plotter vs. Pantser). Many writers are struck with a flash of inspiration and rush to the computer. They write for as long as the Muse guides them and the results are based largely on spontaneous creativity (See How Much Inspiration Do You Need?). There is nothing wrong with that. This is the process that works for me. It's not better or worse, it's just different. If you find something here worth stealing, please be my guest. If not, at least you got some idea of how the other half writes.

Have fun.
G

How to Find an Editor Without Going Insane

"The first draft of anything is shit." 

Ernest Hemingway

Every writer, no matter how brilliant, needs an editor. Throwing books out into the world without professional review is not advisable (See Are Self Published Books Always Inferior?). When you have a traditional publishing deal, you work with the editor attached to your publishing house. They may be brilliant or horrible, but you don't bear the burden of choosing that person. 

In the evolving world of independent publishing, it is your job to find the editor. It is your responsibility to find the good instead of the horrible. Like many aspects of this world, there are few established norms on how to do it the right way. This essay describes the process I used to find an editor for my upcoming book Smooth Operator and the results of that process.

Step 1: Request for Proposals
I went through a three step process to find prospective editors:

• First, I posted my request on my blog and placed links on Facebook, Linked In, Good Reads and Craigslist (See Nightlife Publishing is Looking for an Editor). 
• Second, I asked writers that I looked up to which editors they could recommend
• Finally, I sent inquiry letters to larger companies that provided editorial services as part of their business. 

Overall, these three methods produced seven proposals and seven random posts that didn't qualify as proposals.

Step 2: Selection Criteria
I used a process of elimination when it came time to make my choice. I did a Google search on each viable editor proposal and then cut the list down based on the following factors:

• I kicked out any editor who sent an incomplete proposal or didn't provide what I asked for.
• I removed any editor whose price was radically higher or lower than the rest of the field.
• I rejected any editor that had questionable information or reviews in their Google search.

The process of elimination left one candidate standing; CreateSpace editorial services.

Siding with the Borg that is Amazon
You might have a philosophical or political aversion to CreateSpace. The company is owned by Amazon, and some independent authors and sellers feel that Amazon is creating monopolies within the publishing world that are as bad as (or worse than) the system put in place by traditional publishers. 

Your venom towards Amazon/ Createspace/ Audible might have increased since the company announced plans to purchase Good Reads or when the sock puppet scandal broke (See Life, Death and Sock Puppets). You might consider Amazon an evil Borg like entity bent on consuming all of independent publishing. 

All of that might be true. It might also be true that Amazon is in a position to manipulate prices, reviews and other the factors that I used to make my choice. The brand name of Amazon itself and my experiences with other aspects of the company could have influenced my decision as well. I acknowledge all those things. But I'm not running my publishing company to make a philosophical or political point. I'm trying to make the best book I can create. Based on the results, I have no regrets about the process.

Step 3: The Editorial Experience
This is what happens when you sign up with CreateSpace:

• They take your money first; all of it. The full fee is due before the work starts. 
• Once they separate you from your cash, they ask you to fill out a questionnaire describing your book and what you are trying to say. 
• A few days later you upload your manuscript. 
• A few days after that you talk to your content manager who discusses your book, the way the process works and the due date for getting the edited book back to you. You don't have direct contact with the editor, but if you have any questions you can talk to the content manager. 
• Then you wait. Working on another project is the best way to pass this time, but you could just wait if you want.

Step 4: The Results
Three weeks and $1,200 dollars later, I got my manuscript back. It arrived earlier than the date that I was quoted, but the Borg has a long standing policy of managing expectations by delivering things ahead of schedule. You send them one document and they send back two. 

The first is an editorial letter. The letter contains the editor's overall impression of the work and a detailed opinion of your use of character, setting, genre, plot progression and many of the other elements that go into writing a book (See Building a Better Novel Part 1). The second document is the edited manuscript with the edits visible in MS Word format. From there, it is your job to accept or reject each edit and move on to the next part of your publishing process.

Opinion
I found several positives about working with CreateSpace:

• The editor clearly has experience and comfort in my genre. Her edits went beyond just the grammatical. She displayed a good feel for the theme, tone and mood that I was going for.
• The editorial process itself was clear and comfortable. While there were many layers to it and many people to talk to because of the corporate structure, I never felt like my book was just grist for their mill. Of course, Smooth Operator is just another project to them, but they never made me feel that way and I appreciate the customer service.

There are two downsides with using Create Space:

• The lack of contact with the editor. I was very impressed with the woman who reviewed my book. I'd like to use her again for my next few novels, but there is no way to contact her directly (I tried to find her using social media without success). I can see why the Borg doesn't want a swarm of anxious and nervous writers harassing the editorial staff. I just hope I can request the same author again when my next book is ready this winter.
• The cost of each editorial round. I mentioned before that CreateSpace's  $1,200 price for a 75,000 word manuscript was in line with other proposals. It is worth mentioning that I believe that price is the cost per round of edits. I don't recall if the independent editors charged per round, but I don't think they did. I only purchased one round of editing and I don't think Smooth Operator needs more than that. If it did, CreateSpace's prices would be much higher than everyone else.

Conclusion
If you are an independent publisher looking for an editor, CreateSpace is an option worth looking into. If you are anti-Amazon or you need direct conversations with your editor or multiple rounds of editing, they might not be for you. But I'm happy with the way the process turned out. I hope the editorial quality is reflected in the final product.

Have fun.
G

Building a Better Novel, Part 2: The Narrative Framework

On the road to creating my next novel I've discussed inspiration (See How Much Inspiration Do You Need?), building characters (See Creating Complex Characters) and developing the fundamental building blocks of story (See Building a Better Novel: The Foundation). Now I'd like to take a look at the next step I take before I create a plot; creating the frame for the story.

Pieces of a Dream

In the screenwriting method of writing, a story has four parts:

• An Inciting Incident that disrupts the protagonist and propels them toward their Object of Desire (See The Foundation)
• A Spine that follows the Protagonist's unconscious desire into progressive complications through the Levels of Conflict (See The Foundation)
• A Crisis Climax that pits the Protagonist against the greatest Force of Antagonism (See Foundation), reveals their True Nature (See Creating Complex Characters), and either fulfills his Desire or takes whatever he has Risked (Foundation)
• A Resolution that explains the impact of the Climax on the Protagonist and possibly the wider world around them.

In the simplest storytelling terms (when you take the Climax and Resolution as one part) a story has three parts; a beginning, a middle and an end.

Extra Credit

Of course, a story is often more complex than this basic structure. An inciting incident might need to be set up by a subplot or a prologue to achieve the greatest emotional effect. Subplots can also be added to alternate mood, contradict or enhance the central theme or further complicate the main plot. Flashbacks can be used as subplots to dramatize character or juxtapose the main plot. Multiple protagonists can pursue different and often contradictory goals. The variations are endless, but they are all based on the concept of beginning, middle and end.

Bare Bones

The basic narrative framework by itself cannot produce a great story. It is a tool that has to be combined with genre conventions (See The Secret Struggle), a supreme understanding of the characters and the world they live in through research and practice, and the creativity to take these bare bones and adorn them with description, dialogue, pacing, subtext and all the other elements that enrich a good story. But all these other tools support the basic narrative framework. Much like building a house, it makes no sense to worry about decorations like curtains and lampshades when the foundation of the house isn't stable enough to keep the whole thing from falling down.

Have fun.
Gamal

Building a Better Novel, Part 1: The Foundation

One of the most interesting things to come out of the discussions that I've had about writing techniques (See Plot vs. Pants: Which Road Did You Choose?) is the realization that most writers I'm connected to online do not plot their stories. I'm in the middle of plotting my 2014 novel, so I decided to share my own creative process in a series of essays, partially so you can see how the other half writes and partially to reinforce this aspect of the craft in my own head.

Note: I modeled my process on Robert McKee's screenwriting bible Story, tweaking it for my particular disposition.

Building Blocks
In the beginning, there is no plot. There is only a jumbled series of thoughts and inspiration swirling around in my head like a room full of discarded toys. Once I decide it is time to write, I lay out the broad concepts that I plan to work with:

Genre: The broad creative conventions (or combination of conventions) that will shape the story (See the Secret Struggle for the Magic It). Genre in this sense is less about market positioning and more about the elements of story design. Your choice of genre(s) will influence many other story elements. Even if you decide to break convention to take the genre in a new direction, you need to understand what conventions you are breaking.

Premise: This is Stanislavski’s "magic if" that poses the underlying question of a story. For example, the premise of Blade Runner could be described as 'What if a burned out cop was forced to hunt down a group of rouge androids?'

Conceiving the Protagonist(s): deciding who is going to be the central character of the story including characterizations, true nature and empathetic qualities that will connect them to the reader (See Creating Complex Characters)

Conscious Desire of the Protagonist: defining the Protagonist's stated goal

Unconscious Desire of the Protagonist: defining the more powerful unstated, goal that is in direct opposition to the stated goal.

The tension between conscious and unconscious goals is a powerful story driver. For instance, in Aliens the conscious goal of Ripley is to help the colonists escape the aliens and avoid them at all costs, but it is her unconscious goal is to face the aliens and her own fears. It is the unconscious goal that drives her to fight and kill the queen.

Object of Desire: the person, item or situation that will satisfy the Protagonist's conscious (or unconscious) desire. For example in almost all spy stories, obtaining the "magic it" is the main object of desire. (See the Secret Struggle for the Magic It)

Levels of Conflict: Deciding on what level the Protagonist will face resistance in attaining the Object of Desire. Conflict can come from one of three levels; internal (physical, mental or emotional), interpersonal (other people) and extra personal. The more complex the story, the more varied the levels of conflict. For example, if an Israeli boy wanted to marry a Palestinian girl, he might have to overcome his own shyness, her other suitors and the society around them that rejects such a union.

Forces of Antagonism: The quality of forces opposing the Protagonist. The stronger the forces against the Protagonist, the more she has to struggle and the stronger the story becomes. The Protagonist represents the positive value of the story. The forces against her could be contrary, negative, and in the most powerful stories doubly negative. For example, in Star Wars, Luke represents Good and is the positive quality. Han and the other mercenaries are selfish, but not evil. They are contrary to Luke, but could be with him or against him. Vader represents Evil. He is literally the dark side to Luke. But the double negative is not Luke vs. Vader. It is the internal conflict of Luke vs. Luke turning to the Dark Side himself. It is the lure of embracing evil rather than fighting it that elevates Star Wars above almost all other science fiction franchises.

Risk: what the protagonist might lose if they do not attain the object of desire. This could be very personal (loss of identity) to a loss affecting an entire planet (worldwide destruction), anything in between or a combination of several risks. A smaller risk doesn't mean a more trivial or uninteresting risk. It simply changes the focus of magnification of the story being told.

The Arguments Against Plot
There are many writers who reject plotting for philosophical reasons.

• They claim that it is mechanical as opposed to being organic.
• They say that it is antithetical to creativity and sucks the joy out of the creative process.
• They protest that it is a waste of time that could better be spent diving into the story.

All of this may be true for writers who simply plug the same elements into every story, changing only the names and the locations to complete as many books as possible.

But planning and creativity are not mutually exclusive. I don't want to go to a movie where the director just put everyone in front of the camera and said 'do something cool'. I don't want to see a play where no one knows their lines or even what the story is about and I don't want to write a story if I don't know what the story is about, who is driving it, what they want, why they want it and what they are up against. The beauty of plot is that it creates enough order and structure to allow the freedom of artistic creativity to flow without running around without direction.

But these building blocks are not a plot. This is only the beginning. My next post will discuss the framework of the story, using the elements I wrote about here as a creative blueprint.

Please let me know your thoughts and impressions of this concept, especially if you don't plot in your own work.

Have fun.
Gamal

How Much Inspiration Do You Need?

My essay last week on plotting vs. spontaneous writing generated a lot of debate online (See Plot vs. Pants). It also raised a deeper question for me about ideas and inspiration; how much inspiration does a writer need to start creating a novel?

In the Beginning

The start of my own creative process is a mental Frankenstein. It could start with from a book, movie or video game (See Bloody Inspiration Film, Graphic Novels and Books).  Then add in something that I haven’t seen that I’d like to create. Throw in a real world issue that catches my eye and season it with my own philosophical perspective. Bake for several days or weeks and presto…I’ve got my inspiration.  

For example, my next novel Smooth Operator is definitely a cobbled together concept. Books like Rain Fall and 100 Bullets inspired the tone and the characters. My own interest in corporate spy companies and new forms of organized crime channeled my focus. The tactics and world view of Robert Greene and Machiavelli rounded out the message to create the Life and Crimes of Warren Baker.

But I don’t start writing a novel with just an idea. I spend some time developing it into a story. I imagine the beginning, the middle and the end (actually, the process works better when I think up the end, the beginning and the middle). I look at the characters, including their motivations, conflicts and resources. I cut the story into acts, the acts into chapters and the chapters into beats. I get a feel for the genre, setting, time period and the duration of the story. If all the idea can remain viable after it goes through that plotting process, then I start writing my novel. If not, it goes into the idea file to be played with at a later date.

Are Six Words Enough?

Writers who plot might recognize some of their own method in the process I described. But what happens if a writer creates by the seat of their pants? Several writers have told me that they follow an idea and start writing to see where the idea takes them. How much of an idea gets them going? Is it a detailed nightmare or a recurring dream?  Is it a photo in a magazine or an overheard conversation? Is it a character imagined over time or a phrase as simple as a woman walks into a bar? I know ideas can’t be measured like pounds of chocolate or gallons of whiskey, but I am intrigued to find out if spontaneous writers have a threshold of inspiration that guides them to creativity.

Can you share your idea to writing process? If so, please feel free to share.

Have fun.

G