Don't Make It Harder Than It Is!

I always tell people that I think I am inherently lazy. Of course when people listen to my schedule they do think differently. Despite that schedule (or maybe because of that schedule) I do try my best to find the easiest way to solve a problem. If there is a shortcut, or, if there is a way I can multi-task something, I will do it. The same goes for when I help authors with their stories. If we can find a way to not re-write the whole bloody story, then let's find that solution.

Of course, I do think that many writers don't take this approach when fixing those problem areas in their stories. Instead, they often find a way to make the problem worse and certainly make more as they work through those revisions. Much of this also, in my opinion, comes from critique partners and critique groups who, in the spur of the moment, create a solution without really thinking through the implications of it.

If we are trying to find a solution for a problem that has shown up in our story, the first thing we need to do is to identify the underlying problem. This idea actually comes from the Future Problem Solving Program that many of our youth participate in. In other words, we need to identify what the real issue is with the story. On the surface, it might look like something with the plot, or with the character. In reality, it might be something as simple as tweaking a single scene or a single element in the character's back story.

For example, one of my authors had a story that had an issue with the character and his motivations for doing something. The editor really didn't like what was going on with the hero and the heroine. The first instinct was to add this whole back story about something that had happened in the war with a friend. This would give him the inner feelings of not wanting to commit to something because in the past, the same thing happened. Of course adding this would now force the author to add in another full layer of this military life, the other soldier and everything that led up to that scene. Instead...

We looked at the issue. The whole problem was that the character didn't want to get involved to start a family. There was a fear of this from something that happened. So, we made him a widower. His first wife died in childbirth even though the doctors said it was going to be risky for her to have kids. Therefore it was his fault (in his head).

By taking this approach, we now have a small back story, and not something that will go on for pages and pages as with the military approach. We also have a moment for the heroine to now relate to this guy who, up until now, was pretty cold and distant. The success of this was a solution that not only fixed the motivation element, but added a nice scene with the heroine and added depth to the story.

The idea behind this is simple. Look at the problem and think first about all of the different approaches you can take. Would simply a slight twist to a character fix the problem? Could you take out a scene that might be creating the problem. Look before you jump!

Let me know how you figure out your tough challenges!

There Are Not "Certain Things" in the Business of Publishing

First of all, let me brag a bit. The blog has just been awarded one of the 101 Best Websites for Writers by Writer's Digest. I have to say, much of this award also goes to you as the readers.Your inspiration and certainly your questions really do keep this blog going. WTG everyone!!

Now, on with the Blog...

I was thinking about this over the weekend when I took a great day trip with the family to Seattle. Walking through Barnes and Noble (ahhh, it felt so good to be in a bookstore and not one of those virtual digital things) I looked around at all the books on the shelves and the tables. Just think. These authors spent a lot of time and energy on their books, researching editing and writing their babies just to get to this point. Some were on the NEW ARRIVALS shelf. Some were on the BEST SELLER list. Some were on the BARGAIN SHELVES. And some were on the the shelves with a ton of other books.

And this was just the tip of the iceberg. There are so many authors out there busting their butts on their books and in the end, the success or failure of their book is probably 100% up to fate. I have said, time and time again here on the blog that your story has to be in the right place, at the right time, with the right person. And yet, even then there is no promise your book will make it.

As agents, and I know editors do the same thing, we read a story and believe in it. We fall for a project or we fall for the voice of an author, but in the end, we cannot ever promise to be able to sell that book to an editor, or that the editor and the entire support team of the publisher can sell that book. It all depends. This is nothing more than a huge gamble on a writer.

This does not mean you give up though. Those authors we hear about that are overnight successes are few and far between. They are the anomalies. They are the exception to the rule. This does not mean you cannot be one of those exceptions so you have to keep trying.

I just want you to remember, if you do hear of someone telling you "this is a sure thing" or if they proclaim "their agent is a certainty for selling your book" or that this approach to marketing your book will lead to a certain success, think twice. Play with the idea and consider it, but do not just think it will ALWAYS happen.

Brenda Novak Auction and Other Things On the Horizon For Greyhaus

There are a lot of exciting things on the horizon for the rest of the year for Greyhaus Literary Agency! Pay attention for:

1 year of critiques to support the Brenda Novak Auction! Starts May 1st

Pacific Northwest Writer's Conference!!!!! July 17-20th - I'll be taking pitches and would be more than happy to meet with people out and about  to discuss the romance and women's fiction genre.

Romance Writers of America National Conference!!!! July 23-26th. I will be arriving on Thursday but can't wait to talk to all of the writers. I am open to visit with your writing chapter on Thursday night! Also, be sure to find me in the hallway. Again, I DARE YOU to give me that elevator pitch you memorized. 

OTHER ITEMS:

• I have two webinars coming up with Writer's Digest. One deals with NEW ADULT WRITING and the other deals with BOOK CLUB WOMEN'S FICTION.
• In October I am once again planning the Kate Duffy Annual Alien Vampire Bunny Contest.
• Working on a concept to run webinar workshops for 4-5 authors at a time to extensively work on synopsis writing, plotting, character development and other exciting topics.
• I have a lot of writing chapters I will be judging contests for. 

If you and your chapter have a conference coming up and want me to visit, make sure to contact me directly. 

Also, if funding a visitor to your chapter meeting can be too costly, don't forget we can do SKYPE sessions. This is very easy so let me know.

Layers of Characterization

There are a lot of times when I read a submission that just feels like it is missing something. It is that same feeling you get when you have a meal and think, "It's OK, but if I had put in X-spice or this ingredient..." Most of time, I find that missing element deals with the characters and what we know about them. I think that many authors fail to really get to the heart of who these characters really are. Most of the time, we only have the basics of the character and that leaves the story really lacking in a lot of depth.

If we really take the time to look at your characters, there are a lot of places we need to go to in order to really get a true three-dimensional image of the characters. Let's work our way through this chart.

On the outer surface, we have that biographical information. This is the basic information that we start with. Obviously we have the physical descriptions of the characters but this would also include information on their career, their back story and so forth. For the most part, most authors have nailed this one.

On the next ring in, we get the information about the character from the other characters in the book. This will come from what they see in the person. In romance novels this is where we get the descriptions coming from the hero about the heroine and visa-versa. This level is interesting because we start to get an idea of what other see in the character. This is also a chance to see a difference in what the character is trying to get across and what the character is really like. It is really this layer and the next two that give us a great insight into the characters. We learn a lot in this layer of what the other characters decide to focus on and what they ignore. Keep this consistent with your individual characters GMC!

When we hit the third level in, we are seeing the character through the filters of the external characters. This is not just the descriptions of what the other characters make, but also their thoughts and interpretations of those descriptions. Your external characters will place a value on the other characters. This may be correct or it may be completely off the mark! Still we want to see those thoughts.

When we hit the fourth level, we are back to the actual character. It is this level that we really see a lot of introspection. This is the information that the character is keeping private and only releases this information when they are ready to. This is also where we learn how the character is feeling about the situations going on around them. It is key that you really work with this information and play it off of the the prior layers. We want to see when your characters is either holding back key pieces of information, or may be even lying about those feelings and emotions to protect something or someone.

The final layer is really the most difficult to pinpoint. This information is material that you know as the author but the character has yet discovered it. You have to think this information through before starting. It cannot come as a surprise to you. As the author, it is your job to move the character into situations that forces this material to the surface. What is interesting about this layer is that the information might just move up one layer into something that is consciously known about the character but unwilling to reveal, or, it might be information that comes out and it is the other character that spots it first and then makes it known to the character.

The key to all of this is to make sure we develop those main characters into three dimensional beings. The more real they become, the better the chance the reader will be able to relate to the character and their situations.