Writing Means Rejection
I worked in advertising sales for over 13 years before moving into the book publishing industry. The best manager I ever worked under had a saying: “Seven nos means a yes.” Meaning, most of the time, our sales reps would hear “No” at least seven times from just one customer before getting them to say “Yes.” They were selling a unique product: the only large daily newspaper in Nashville. But the retailers were also being pitched by all of the local TV stations, the cable and satellite providers, all of the radio stations, other small weekly newspapers, the sports teams/venues (for signage at the pro football stadium, hockey arena, or minor league baseball stadium). The most successful sales reps I worked with believed firmly in the value of our product, and kept going back again and again and again (and again) pitching different products or special sections, taking sales proposals that offered discounts, and trying to help the retailer to see the advantage in choosing to advertise in the newspaper instead of the graveyard slot on the most popular radio station in town. One of the most important things these successful sales reps did was to sit down early with the client and perform a Needs Assessment, finding out everything they could about the business and its needs for reaching customers.
As writers, we are sales people. While our product is different, we must believe in it. Learning craft and revising our manuscripts is like that Needs Assessment the sales reps did—finding out what the publishers are looking for by way of point of view, voice, style, genre, etc.—so that we have the strongest product on the market.
I have received my share of rejections—verbal and written, most in the form of critiques. I went through a secular creative writing graduate school program where my inspirational romance novel was critiqued each of the four semesters by other students, many who know little to nothing about the Inspirational romance genre and rank it lowest of the low (but without being mean spirited with their remarks). Rather than be hurt or offended by these mini-rejections, though, I learned to pay attention to them. If I was told my writing was too much telling and not enough showing, I studied that aspect of craft and worked on it. When I was told I needed to inject humor into my writing, I allowed myself to stop taking my characters and story so seriously and just have fun with them. When I was told my hero wasn’t likeable, I reworked him until he became a swoon-worthy romantic hero. When I was told by an atheist that he thought the spiritual element should be stronger, I REALLY paid attention :-).
Does that mean these rejections don’t sting initially? Of course not! I am by nature a hackles-up/defensive personality. But once I started learning how to separate myself emotionally from the piece being critiqued, I discovered that I actually appreciated all of the remarks—especially those that pointed out the weak spots and helped me see how to become a better writer. I wanted to know what was wrong with it so I could fix it! Now that I’ve graduated, I miss the thrill of wondering what the preacher-turned-agnostic horror writer is going to say about the prayer I include in the spiritual climax scene.
In September 2006, I had the opportunity to speak to two of the top agents in the Christian publishing industry at the ACFW conference in Dallas—each for just a few minutes right before the awards banquet which was all I was there for. Both issued an invitation for me to submit my proposal to them. Within two weeks, I had received a letter of rejection from Agent “A”—my very first ever because it was the first time I’d ever submitted my writing for anything other than contests or school. Initially, I was shocked—stung—by the negative feedback in it (that the humorous tone does not work, it’s too wordy, and I need to “increase the craft” of my writing). The shock came into play because for months leading up to this rejection, I had been sure this was the agent God had been telling me I needed to submit to. The next week, Agent “B”—the one whom I spoke to “on a whim” (hmmm . . .)—requested a full manuscript and wanted to “talk more.” (More info to come on that situation soon!)
I know that to be published means I will face a lot of rejection in the near future—rejections from publishers that may range from “thanks, but not interested” to those like the one I received from Agent A. But I also know that these rejections are only preparing me to be able to read a bad review of one of my books and just shrug my shoulders, knowing not everyone is going to like my stories—but that’s not a reflection of anything negative about ME as a person.
The writer who is not receiving rejections is the writer who is not submitting their writing anywhere. Writing is more than just pouring our hearts out in prose—it’s putting our hopes and dreams on the line by opening ourselves up to criticism and rejection.
Bring it on!
Football, Spiky Hair, and Christian Fiction
Well, I’m still in the final stages of recovering from the infection, but am nearly back to full brain capacity. I haven’t gotten any writing done in the past several days since returning from vacation, but I have spent time working on my chapter-by-chapter storyboards—which helped me realize I had at least one major change to make as I have a character appear a few times after he is supposed to have left for London for several weeks!
Okay, before I get to the meat of today’s post, I just have to interject something totally off subject:
LSU WON THE SUGAR BOWL 41-14 OVER NOTRE DAME! Woo hoo!! Geaux Tigers!
Now, back to our regularly scheduled programming.
I read an editorial yesterday in which the writer complained about how younger recording artists are disrespecting the Southern Gospel genre by performing in “casual” outfits such as men in untucked shirts with sport coats and no ties or women wearing pantsuits instead of dresses. He is horrified by the young men who wear their hair “spiky” instead of combed, and feels that these young artists are insulting their predecessors and audience members by showing up at churches in jeans to set up their equipment and perform soundchecks. He posed the question that if they were invited to sing for the president of the United States, they would wear their best, right? Then, why should they show any less respect for their audiences? He went on to say that he feels this lack of “professional” dress amongst the young singers coming into prominence are being influenced by the casualness of Country music singers.
I’m a bit torn as to how I feel about this editorial. As a member of the so-called “Generation X,” I am rather an oddity in that I am more comfortable in a church where people dress up on Sunday mornings to attend Sunday school and worship service. I attended a “casual” church for a little over a year where the pastor wore Hawaiian shirts and nearly every one of the 1,000+ attendees wore jeans—or even (horrors!) shorts—on Sunday mornings. Even then, I could not bring myself to dress down for church, and ended up leaving as I grew uncomfortable and dissatisfied with the causal attitude toward God this environment engendered. While some people argue against it as “showing off,” I believe that dressing in our best to attend church on Sunday morning is showing respect and reverence. After all, if we were to receive an invitation to a special event at the White House, we would not show up in jeans would we? How much more respect does God deserve?
As a singer myself, I always strive to look my best whenever I sing special music in church—even when I know I’ll be wearing a choir robe over it! When I sang in a southern gospel quartet several years ago, we always dressed alike and dressed nicely when we sang on Sunday mornings. But, when we did a Saturday evening concert for family and friends at our home church, we did dress more comfortably—the guys in khakis and polo shirts, me in a khaki skirt and knit top the same color as theirs. It was in keeping with the way our audience would be dressed and limited any sense of pretentiousness or flashiness that dressing to the nines in suits would have presented.
When I used to listen to country music and watched the awards shows, I became increasingly disgusted by the trend toward casualness—and eventually to ripped jeans and tanktops—of the celebrities not only attending but singing at the event. An awards show used to be a black-tie-and-sequins affair and one of the few times we got to see our favorite singers cleaned up and dressed up. Taking the time and expense to dress in a tuxedo or evening gown bespoke the importance of the award being given. However, when I went to a concert, I wanted to see them in jeans and boots—it was right for the occasion.
I do not have a problem with this younger generation of southern gospel musicians wearing their shirts untucked on stage or having their hair spiked like Ty Pennington’s. For too many years, the southern gospel genre has been seen as music for old people because younger generations could not identify with their matching colored suits, 1950s combed-helmets, or Tammy Faye makeup and hair fanged to there. One of the main reasons the genre is languishing is this nearly maniacal need to hold on to the fashions and styles of 30-40-50 years ago. The young groups coming in are dressing and styling their hair like everyone else of their age. That is their target audience and they are more likely to reach members of Generation X and whatever they’re calling the generation after ours with the gospel message by untucking their shirts and using more hair gel than a gaggle of teens.
The revolution that occurred in Christian publishing ten years ago with the introduction of a certain blockbuster apocalyptic series is very much like the revolution that happened in Christian popular music about ten years before that and is now trying to happen in southern gospel. (You knew I’d get around to it eventually.) Authors and publishers realized that just staying with the tried-and-true prairie romances was not reaching the ever-broadening, hard-to-grab younger market—that elusive 19- to 34-year-old target audience that everyone from TV to radio to major big-box retailers tries to capture. And that audience took notice and started buying more books—so many books in fact that for the past several years, Christian fiction has been the only growing segment of the book publishing industry.
But there is still a vocal minority in the Christian community who feel very much the same way about our fiction as the writer of the editorial feels about the younger musicians with their jeans and spiky hair. They feel that the expansion of Christian fiction into genres such as chick lit, science fiction, fantasy, or suspense/thriller is a sure sign of compromise, of a loss of respect for what it means to represent Christianity in fiction. It’s too gritty, too filled with characters who (heaven forbid!) sin, too influenced by the fiction that’s out in the secular world. And, as Paul wrote in Romans 12:2, we are not to be “conformed” to this world but “transformed” by the renewing of our minds and by this, becoming the salt and light Jesus commanded us to be in Matthew 5. But salt kept in the salt shaker and never shaken over food or added to a recipe is worthless. Yes, it’s adding to the overall strength the entire amount of salt could have, but unless a few grains are sprinkled over food, it’s just so much white sand in a jar. Or, when walking into a lighting shop where everything is turned on, it’s hard to see each individual bulb, and the heat and extreme brightness turn many away. But one single, tiny bulb in a mini-flashlight turned on in a dark room is easy to find and a welcomed presence.
Readers today are looking for stories that relate to their lives where they are—in the gritty and sinful world—just as young people are drawn to singers who look and dress like them. In fiction, as in the music industry, we must meet our audience where they are, not stick to archaic standards because of a vocal few who fear change. By sticking with the tried-and-true, by writing Christian fiction that will be read and accepted only by other Christians, we are just like that salt sealed up in a jar doing nothing for anything outside of our own closed group. The food doesn’t seek out the salt shaker and beg to be seasoned, nor will the world come to us begging to be saved. We must go out into the world, to understand it and be understood by it. We are called to blaze trails in whatever direction God leads us—even if it means having spiky hair and wearing jeans or writing in genres unheard of five or ten years ago.
Another Wacky Poem
I returned around 10:00 p.m. Sunday evening from a 9-day vacation spending the holidays with my family in Baton Rouge. Aside from the wonderful gifts I received, I also brought home an upper-respiratory infection that may take a few days to run its course. So, since my brain isn’t quite working and I’m trying to save what few cells are firing to work on Ransome’s Quest, I delved into the old school archives and found another poem I wrote for a literature class. I just wish I could remember which American modern poet this was supposed to be an imitation of!
I Have a Thesaurus—it resides Next to the Computer—
where I do Most of my Writing—
In it, I Can spend Hours Finding—
Words—
Which I might not have ever seen—before—
Words—
That lead me—
Other Words—
Same Meaning—Different Look
Lexical—Looking for Hybrids—
Anachronisms—Expressions—Derivations—Neologisms—
Idioms—Vernacular—
Bringing my Writing to Life
Artisan—
Assiduously—An Artist with the Brush—
A composer with the Instrument—
I take—Words—They Become my Own
Creative Misuses of Grammar
In the attempt to try to keep actively posting, here’s an essay I wrote in the upper-level grammar class I took five years ago as an undergrad.
As people – adults, students, children – begin to write fiction, one of the most common mistakes that keeps our characters unbelievable is a strict adherence to the rules of grammar in dialogue writing. Throughout our years of school, we have been taught what is “correct” and what is “incorrect” and when we sit down to write our stories, we feel that if we don’t write everything in “correct” grammar, we will be perceived as uneducated and our work not worth reading. The truth that amateur writers must come to understand is that we must write the way people actually speak. Very rarely do people speak in precise, grammatically correct, perfectly punctuated sentences. Human speech is made up of fragments and run-ons and is replete with syntactical structures that defy every written grammar rule. Creative writers need to learn how to effectively misuse verb forms and subject-verb agreement to build believable, identifiable characters.
In The Bedford Handbook (fifth edition), author Diana Hacker puts forth the following rules regarding verbs:
13b: Maintain consistent verb tenses (225-226)
13c: Make verbs consistent in mood and voice (226-227)
21c: Treat most subjects joined with and as plural (312-313)
21d: With subjects joined with or or nor… make the verb agree with the part of the subject nearer the verb (313-314)
21g: Make the verb agree with its subject even when the subject follows the verb (317)
27a: Use the correct forms of irregular verbs (360-364)
27b: Distinguish among the forms of lie and lay (364-366)
These are rules which are vital to keep in mind for narrative writing. The narrator of the story must “speak” with proper grammar, although the level of adherence to the rules changes with point of view. For example, a first person point of view allows for more leeway in syntax than third-person, omniscient.
When it comes to dialogue, though, the writer must learn how to write the way people speak. Penelope J. Stokes gives excellent guidance on structuring believable dialogue in her book The Complete Guide to Writing and Selling the Christian Novel. She writes, “…none of us speaks standard English. Every area of the country, every particular location – we might even say every individual – has distinctive pronunciations and phrasing along with grammatical eccentricities” (139). Knowing intimately our characters’ backgrounds, upbringings, and education levels will help in creating believable dialogue.
Something else to keep in mind when opening our characters’ mouths is their ages. In his article “Horton heared a who!”, psychologist Steven Pinker writes: “Children are…constantly creating sentences and words, never more clearly or charmingly than when they encounter the second flavor of the verb, the quirky irregulars… English has 180 irregulars, a ragtag list that kids simply must memorize.” If we as writers will stop and think about how much trouble we had learning the proper verb forms, we will realize creative misuse of them can help us portray our characters through dialogue rather than exposition.
Irregular verbs get misused not only by children, but regularly by well-educated adults as well. A Harvard graduate might be just as likely to say, “I am going to go lay down,” as a sixth-grade student is to say, “I am going to go lie down.” Herein lies the fact that the author must know his or her character well enough to know whether or not the character knows the difference between the verbs lie and lay so that the reader (who does know the difference) doesn’t think the author is ignorant. If the Harvard graduate makes other simple, but socially acceptable, grammatical mistakes regularly, the reader will accept the misuse of the verb lay as part of the character’s idiosyncrasies.
In addition to the problems speakers have with irregular verbs, a common grammar misuse in spoken language is subject-verb agreement. When people speak, rarely do we have our entire thoughts constructed in our heads in perfect sentences. When we speak, it is impromptu and can change mid-thought. Someone may start out a sentence with a singular verb with the thought of a singular subject in mind, but then, after the verb has been spoken, realize the subject is actually plural. Most speakers also do not keep in mind the grammar rules that state: Treat most indefinite pronouns as singular (Bedford, 314) , Treat collective nouns as singular unless the meaning is clearly plural (315), and Make the verb agree with its subject, not with a subject complement (317). Sentence structure in real-life dialogue is very often complex and twisted as the act of speaking creates something very much alive and constantly evolving.
As writers keep in mind these ideas for characters who are “native speakers” of the English language, we must realize that these misuses cannot always be applied to characters who are not “native speakers.” Because most other languages have a much more structured grammar than English, people who learn English as a second language often have problems with English which many times are principles that seem to be innately known to native speakers. Section 31 of The Bedford Handbook (413-424) expounds on several problem areas English as a Second Language (ESL) students have when learning English. From this, a fiction writer developing an ESL character can structure dialogue to develop an understanding for the reader of the character’s foreignness – even without the benefit of hearing an accent.
The ultimate goal of fiction writing is to entertain. If a reader cannot buy-in to a piece of fiction due to unbelievably stilted dialogue from otherwise well-rounded characters, the piece has failed to accomplish its goal. Instead of writing dialogue the way things should be said, the writer must write dialogue the way things are said. This is the only way to develop dialogue that not only breaks up the narrative of the piece, but serves to develop characterization and build the story.
Works Cited
Hacker, Diana. The Bedford Handbook. 5th ed. Boston: Bedford Books, 1998.
Pinker, Steven. “Horton Heared a Who!” Time 1 November 1999: 86
Stokes, Penelope J. The Complete Guide to Writing & Selling the Christian Novel. Cincinnati, OH: Writer’s Digest Books, 1998.
A Poet I’m Not
I was looking through some old files on my computer and discovered this poem I wrote as an assignment for a literature (believe it or not) class back in 1999.
Many a person has written a verse,
For love, for glory, or to fill a purse.
Some are inspired by Great Things above,
Some pour their hearts out with words of love.
Others may express a great thought or two,
(although not in these lines I have written for you).
Some rhymes slip easily from the tongue,
Some rhymes are meant to be sung.
The words which I write,
On this page tonight,
May soon into the trash be flung.
Writing poetry does ill suit me;
I write these lines because it’s a duty.
Novels, series, and sagas best flow,
So get out of the way and let me go.
I can write my characters in joy or in grief,
But be forewarned, I won’t be brief.
The smallest detail, the grandest scene,
I must explain what all of them mean.
From dialog to action I must my thoughts write,
And can, on occasion, be quite erudite.
My characters come from friends new and old,
So, some things I write can never be sold.
If they were to read the words which I pen,
There are some, I am sure, I’d not hear from again.
Others, however, may never recognize
His face, her voice, his warm chocolate eyes.
Their spirits are with me like hovering birds,
To guide my mind to choose the right words.
It’s closing for me where the problem does lie,
So I ramble and maunder, then heave a big sigh,
And write no more lines for this place and time,
For it’s hard finding so many words that rhyme.
Merry Christmas 2006
I haven’t written a Christmas letter in years, but this year, I have no excuse!
The year 2006 has been a year of major changes in my life. Late last year, dissatisfied with my secretarial job at the newspaper (as well as the company as a whole) and ready to move into an editorial career-path job in book publishing, I started a job search, looking for any kind of job that would start building my professional editorial skills. On my way home from spending a few days in Dallas at Christmas, I received a call from a government contractor with which I’d applied for a job as a proposal writer. Just after New Year’s, I drove the 80 miles to Tullahoma, TN, for the interview. Within a week, I had a job offer, but felt it was the wrong job for me (boring, worse benefits/vacation than where I was, and I didn’t want to relocate for it). But knowing there were other companies out there who wanted my skills and talents gave me the hope and determination to carry on the job search no matter how long it took. (Here’s my entry about this experience. )
The second week of January, I started my final semester of graduate school. So, as I scoured the want-ads online and tried to figure out how to go on interviews without taking time off work, I was also making final edits to my 360+ page thesis novel. As if that weren’t enough, after over a year without a permanent church, I finally felt God was telling me the time was right to find a place to call home. In April, I learned my thesis novel was a finalist in the American Christian Fiction Writers’ Genesis Contest for unpublished authors. Needless to say, Spring 2006 was quite a busy time for me!
After applying and interviewing for every possible editorial job in this city that is home to scores of book, magazine, and church materials publishing houses, I had two companies with which I had wonderful first, second, and third interviews: United Methodist Publishing House in their marketing department as a copy writer/editor of their product catalogs (“marketing specialist”) and Ideals Publications as a copy editor.
A little more than a month before my 10-year anniversary at the newspaper, on Tuesday, May 9, 2006, on my way to work, I was offered and accepted the position of Copy Editor at Ideals. I put in my 2-weeks’ notice that morning and was escorted from the building at 5:30 p.m. I had a wonderful, relaxing, almost-2-weeks off before starting my new job May 22.
When I went back to college at the age of 28, I made the commitment to myself to prayerfully prepare myself to be in a career-path job by the time I turned 35. I celebrated my 35th birthday nine days after starting my new job. God continues to prove how faithful He is to us if we remain faithful to His calling.
On Sunday, June 25, 2006, I received my Master of Arts in Writing Popular Fiction. I was privileged to give the prayer at commencement, which is posted here.
In the summer, I had my very first official publication credits—first two CD reviews and then, in August, a cover story in Singing News magazine, the industry rag for Southern Gospel music.
After a months’-long search, on September 3, I joined Woodmont Baptist Church, where I have started singing in choir again (after almost four years) and joined a Sunday School class where nearly everyone is at least 20 years older than me and married!
September 22, I flew to Dallas to spend the weekend with my parents to attend the awards banquet at the ACFW national conference. My manuscript placed second in the contemporary romance category, and I had the chance to speak to two of the top agents in the Christian publishing industry—and got invitations to submit a proposal to both of them.
Since then, the last quarter of the year has flown by. While one of the two agents rejected my proposal immediately, the other—one that I already know and worked with on a major project with ACFW when I was vice president in 2005—requested the full manuscript and we are discussing the possibility of his representing me and trying to get my work published! So, 2007 is looking like it is going to be an exciting year as well!
On December 22, I will be driving to Baton Rouge to spend Christmas with my extended family. I pray you have a very wonderful Christmas and holiday season, and that in all the hustle and bustle, you will be able to take the time to remember to focus on the Guest of Honor at this party—Jesus Christ.
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
More Holiday Quiz!
1. Marshmallows or nuts on top of the Sweet Potato Casserole?
My grandmother has a wonderful sweet potato casserole that has a brown sugar/pecan topping that is to-die-for!
2. Turkey or Ham?
Ham . . . or goose—my mom and I roasted a goose for Christmas a few years ago and it was fabulous! When I’m in Baton Rouge (every other year), it’s always Cajun fried turkey.
3. Do you get a fake or real, cut-it-yourself Christmas tree?
FAKE—I’m allergic to the real kind.
4. Is there a theme to your Christmas decorations?
Is color coordination considered a theme? All of the decorations on my tree are purple and/or gold.
5. Snowball fights or sledding?
Sitting in the front window, drinking hot cocoa, watching the snowflakes gently drift from the sky . . .
6. Fireplace: only for roasting marshmallows?
I don’t like marshmallows, so no. If I had a fireplace, it would be used for warmth and ambiance.
7. When do you finish your Christmas shopping?
I try to have most of my Christmas shopping done before Thanksgiving, with the exception of some things that I order online by the beginning of December. As of today, with a last order placed on Amazon, my Christmas shopping is finished.
8. Favorite Christmas movie?
A Christmas Story – “You’ll shoot your eye out!” Is there a more quotable Christmas movie than that?
9. Favorite Christmas TV special?
A Charlie Brown Christmas – my favorite part is when Linus quotes the passage about the shepherds and angels from Luke 2.
10. Favorite fictional Christmas character other than Santa?
Tiny Tim from A Christmas Carol
11. When is it too early to start listening to Christmas music?
Any time before the Friday after Thanksgiving. Let’s give Thanksgiving its due.
12. Stockings before or after presents?
Stockings with Santa Claus gifts, before breakfast, and before unwrapping all the rest of the presents
13. Go to someone else’s house or they come to you?
In odd numbered years, I go to my parents’ home near Dallas, TX, and we celebrate with just our immediate family (sister/brother-in-law and kids come from Louisiana). In even numbered years, my parents and I go to Baton Rouge, where my grandmother and sister are—and most of my mom’s brothers and sisters come sometime during the week between Christmas and New Year’s. But because I’m single, live in a small house, and live far from any of my family, I always go elsewhere.
14. Do you read the Christmas Story the night before Christmas?
We usually read “A Visit from St. Nicholas” (’Twas the night before Christmas . . .) on Christmas Eve, and then read the biblical account on Christmas morning.
15. What is Christmas dinner like?
Tons of food—ham or turkey (or goose or roast beef), corn bread dressing, sweet potato casserole, mashed potatoes, rice, green bean casserole, black eyed peas, freshly baked rolls, cranberry sauce. Then there’s dessert: lemon meringue pie, lemonade icebox pie, pecan pie, pralines, fudge . . . Needless to say, we linger over Christmas dinner.
16. What do you do after presents and dinner?
Sink into a gluttonous stupor? No? Uh, help the kids find batteries for their new toys, put together anything that I’ve been given that requires being put together (already done for this year!), catch up with family I haven’t seen in two years (when in Baton Rouge), read a new book, or write. Many in my extended family always go out to a movie that evening.
17. What is your favorite holiday smell?
Cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg—all of the holiday spices.
18. Ice skating or walking around the mall?
Sitting in the front window, drinking hot cocoa, watching the snowflakes gently drift from the sky . . .
19. Favorite Part about winter?
No hot weather! I’m one of those weird people who prefers cold weather to hot weather—it’s a perfect excuse for not getting out of the house and doing anything! It’s also a time to prepare for renewal—for a new year, for spring, for looking forward to celebrating the Resurrection at Easter.
20. Ever been kissed under mistletoe?
Never been kissed, period, mistletoe or not.
Extending Characters’ Lives
We interrupt this Christmas programming for the following message: A couple of weeks ago, in the Subplots discussion I wrote about three areas Don Maass suggests as ways to create depth and subplot in our stories. One of these is RANGE which can be a hard concept to grasp.
Last night, after reading a couple of essays in Flirting with Pride & Prejudice: Fresh Perspectives on the Original Chick-Lit Masterpiece, I came across this quote by E.M. Forster: “All the Jane Austen characters are ready for an extended life which the scheme of her books seldom requires them to lead, and that is why they lead their actual lives so satisfactorily.” (Yes, you caught me, I was reading a book of literary criticism essays for pleasure.)
I will admit, I had to read this several times before I figured out what it meant. But once I did, it was a bit of an epiphany moment—I finally realized why I spend so much time with my characters outside of the events of the story I’m writing. Why I want to know everything that’s happened to them in their lives before the opening pages and why I want to know where they will be five, ten, or fifty years after the story ends. Because I am a character-driven writer, there are times when I simply feel like I’m just letting someone else tell me a story—something that happened to her one day as she went about her normal life, rather like listening to a friend. But for that story to have meaning to me, I have to know the person to be able to put the event into context—to know whether it’s funny or horrifying.
What E.M. Forster was saying about Jane Austen’s characters is that they exist beyond the scope of the story in which they are written. They have range. They have connections outside of the cast of characters who appear in the story. They do things in their lives that the reader may never know about (but the author does). In Jane Austen’s writings, Mansfield Park stands out in that it follows the heroine’s life from before her birth (opening with the marriages of her mother and aunts). But for the heroines of the other five major works—Lizzy, Emma, Elinor, Anne, Catherine—we are given only hints at the life they led before the book opens. We know some more about Emma through her relationship with Mrs. Weston, her former governess, than the others. But as readers, we know that these were women who were leading a “normal” early 19th Century life—because we see them doing so in the opening chapters of their novels. We know that we’ve picked up a story in the middle of someone’s existence.
Characters are not born on the first page of a novel (unless you’re writing an epic which follows a character from birth to death). What was your character doing an hour before your opening scene? A week before? A year before? What was she like as a child? Who were his friends? What games did she like to play? Did he have any pets?
When our characters have traumatic events from their childhood that affect the story we’re writing, we tend to spend more time analyzing their past to see how they’ve coped and why they act the way they do in the “present.” But just because a character hasn’t had childhood trauma, doesn’t mean that they don’t have an interesting past. Figuring out who they were before the story starts helps mold who they are as the events of the story transpire.
For the most part, characters do not die on the last page of a novel—okay, yes, sometimes they do, but I’m not writing this for those authors! What is your character going to do five minutes after what happens in the last line of your novel? An hour later? A week? A year? While this isn’t nearly as important to know as what happened to them before the novel’s beginning, it will help give you, as the author, closure. It can also generate ideas for follow-up or sequel books!
An aspect of Jane’s novels that I love is that she gives a very nice wrap-up summary of the “happily ever after” that her characters gain at the end of each novel. There is no wondering if Elinor and Edward Ferrars have to struggle to make ends meet on a clergyman’s salary—Jane shows us. (I wish this would come back in style . . . but I guess that’s what sequels are for.)
Now, go weave some extensions into your characters (wait, that doesn’t sound right)—anyway, go have fun getting to know your characters better . . . it’s writing related, but you can do it while you’re cooking, cleaning, shopping, or wrapping gifts. Just be sure to write down the highlights when you have a moment and they’re still fresh.
Getting Acquainted, Holiday Style
Cynthia Hickey had this great list of “get to know me” questions on her blog. Since my brain is on holiday-hold mode right now (on hold for everything but the essentials of what has to be done this time of year), I thought I’d post it here.
Interested in sharing? Copy to your blog and then come back and post a comment when you have yours up!
1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate?
Hot Chocolate with real whipped cream
2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree?
The one major “Santa Claus” gift is unwrapped—everything else is wrapped. This year “Santa” sent it early via UPS!
3. Colored or white lights on tree/house?
White lights on the tree (came that way), white icicles and colored tiny lights outside
4. Do you hang mistletoe?
Nope—concerned about a possible Nargle infestation (It’s a Harry Potter reference!)
5. When do you put up your decorations?
The tree went up the day after Thanksgiving, the outside lights went up that weekend.
6. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)?
Cranberry sauce (made from fresh cranberries)
7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child:
Sleeping in my sister’s room, so excited we thought we’d never fall asleep, then waking up early and wondering when we could go in and wake up our parents.
8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa?
Even though I can vaguely remember visiting Santa Claus Village when we lived in Alaska (I was probably around 3 years old), I don’t really remember ever truly believing in Santa or learning he wasn’t real.
9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve?
We used to open the gifts from my great-grandmother on Christmas Eve; she passed away in 1999.
10. How do you decorate your Christmas Tree?
While watching the LSU/Arkansas football game, I decorate my 4½ foot tree with purple and gold glass balls (some plain, some decorated), gold garland, and a white and gold angel at the top.
11. Snow! Love it or Dread it?
Love it as long as I don’t have to get out and drive in it. No one in Nashville knows how to drive in any weather but sunshine—and they’re not really good at that, either!
12. Can you ice skate?
I could as a small child, but I have weak knees and ankles, so I tend to stay away from the ice.
13. Do you remember your favorite gift?
A plane ticket last year to go home for Christmas.
14. What’s the most important thing about the Holidays for you?
Being with family.
15. What is your favorite Holiday Dessert?
Lemon meringue pie, pecan pralines, and my grandmother’s fudge.
16. What is your favorite holiday tradition?
Watching the little kids come into the living room to “open” their Santa Claus gifts (see #2 above) and stockings before a great big breakfast.
17. What tops your tree?
An angel that I made from a small ceramic ornament, some white satin and gold ribbon. She has brown hair (I painted over the blonde) and blue eyes like me!
18. Which do you prefer giving or receiving?
I’m honest enough to admit that I like receiving an awful lot, but some of my favorite Christmas memories are the reactions over the gifts I’ve given others, so I really look forward to that every year.
19. What is your favorite Christmas Song?
”I’ll Be Home for Christmas”
20. Candy Canes?
They’re okay, but I can live without them (too sticky!)
The Bible: A New Perspective
Over the last week, I’ve been engrossed in reading a feature on Slate.com: Blogging the Bible: What’s Really in the Good Book. David Plotz, who is Jewish, not only went through Hebrew school as a child but attended a “rigorous” Christian high school where study of the Bible was mandatory. But when he picked it up as an adult and read the story of Dinah in Genesis 34, he realized he did not know as much about the Bible as he originally thought. So he decided he was going to read the entire Bible and blog about it as he went along.
Like Mr. Plotz, I grew up in church and attended a Christian school (in Jr. High). I also graduated from a Christian college where I was required to take three religion classes. One of the professors loved to challenge what the students knew/believed, so he had us examine some of the more bizarre stories related in the Bible. But even when confronted with stories I don’t understand, I’ve always approached the Bible—whether as a student or as a teacher—with a very strong doctrinal Protestant worldview.
I’m pleased to say I now have a new perspective on the Bible. Mr. Plotz’s series, aside from stripping away all doctrine and posing questions many of us “good church folk” would never consider asking for fear of sounding “un-Christian,” has helped me see the Bible as not just a collection of historical fact, mysterious and incomprehensive analogy and prophecy, and lots of verses that call songs and hymns to mind; I’ve started viewing it as a work of literature.
Now, I’m not by any means trying to get into the debate of how it was written, or what people believe about the process of its inspiration. I know what I believe and I’m not going to open up a can of theological/denominational worms.
What I am saying is—wow! What great stories! In reading these blog entries, I’ve seen the Old Testament through fresh eyes—and been reminded of the sometimes-cinematic quality of the episodes related. Remember the story of Michal helping David escape Saul’s murderous rage by putting a “household idol” in the bed to make it appear David was sleeping there? (Hello? Bueller . . . Bueller?) Or the fantastic suspense of the story of how General Sisera, enemy of the Israelites, escaped Barak and Deborah’s army only to be killed with a tent-peg to the temple by the woman Jael (Judges 4)?
Theology and denominational worldview aside, what has really struck me in seeing this fresh perspective on the Bible is how our identity as a culture—whether Jew or Christian—is founded on a tradition of story. Of plot, character, setting, theme, tone, and style. These are the kinds of stories that Israelites would tell sitting around the campfire—perhaps even the stories that Jesus heard—on the long trek to Jerusalem for Passover. These are the stories that Jesus discussed with the elders in the temple when He was only twelve years old. These are the stories that the disciples told each other on those long walks from town to town when Jesus sent them out two by two.
These are stories. Yes, I believe they truly happened. But I also believe that the Bible is a book that celebrates the creativity that God instills in each of us which some of us have turned to writing. Every genre is present:
Romance—Ruth, Song of Solomon
Chick Lit—Esther
Women’s Fiction—Sarah, Hannah, the woman at the well, Lydia, Mary Magdalene
Erotica—Song of Solomon
Poetry—Psalms, Ecclesiastes
Literary—the prophets
Historical—Ezra, Nehemiah, the Pentateuch
SciFi/Fantasy—Daniel, Revelation, Ezekiel
Action—Joshua, Judges, David & Goliath
Political Intrigue—I & II Samuel, I & II Kings, I & II Chronicles
Horror—Revelation
Children’s—Jonah, Zacchaeus, Jesus, David & Goliath, Baby Moses in the bulrushes
Mystery/Suspense—many of the David/Saul episodes, Judges, Jacob/Esau
I’ve probably missed several and you may quibble with me on if these really fit the categories or not, but I hope my point is clear. The Bible should stir and feed our creativity and imaginations as nothing else in the world can. God is Creator so He gave us the ability to imagine and be creative. It is incumbent upon those of us who want to please Him and who strive to be more like Him to not squander that gift, but to use it. To practice it every day. To hone it. To study it. And to commit it to His purposes.
KayeDacus.com 