Could you maybe clarify the difference between "too much baggage" and "good internal conflict"? I think I get what your saying, but characters do need a good dose of internal conflict.
This is really a good question and I have to admit that a lot of writers struggle with this issue. You are not alone and honestly, much of the problem with this stems from feedback that you have likely gotten from critique partners. Of course, in turn, a lot of writers pass this on to other people as well.
Let's start with good internal conflict. This is something "emotional" and "personal" that drives a character to do things they do, act they way they do, and say the things they do. In essence, this is material that comes from their personality. The internal conflict is something emotionally and personal that the characters have to work through to move on to the next level in their life.
Now, the problem here stems from asking yourself what led the characters into acting and behaving this way. This is where all of that external baggage comes into play. In all likelihood, someone (or even you did this personally) asked you "Why is your character acting this way? You need to have a reason for the character to do this." That part is true, but you have to understand that people in general act and behave in a lot of ways without an extensive history or a lot of baggage. In other words, you don't need to go overboard.
Think of it this way. Your heroine is the President of a company. She worked hard in school, she knew what she wanted and she clearly demonstrated that she is the right person for the job. Enter the hero. Maybe he is just a neighbor that she meets at a neighborhood block party. So, what is her internal conflict. She sees that it is important to separate business from pleasure. We don't need to create a big drama of a past boyfriend, or a father that mentally abused her for now doing well in school. We don't have to add in sexual relations or abuse that happened in college. She just has to decide if she can be the corporate powerhouse and be a simply woman in love. That's all you need.
The simple truth is that stories with too much baggage become unbelievable. Readers cannot relate to ALL of the problems the characters have. Along the same lines, if this was happening in the real world, the odds are there would be no romance because the characters would have too many other things to worry about.
The answer? Keep it simple. Your plot can be about the growing attraction. We can see the characters trying to deal with these internal conflicts and not bog it down with the extra plot stuff. You don't need to have all of the extra baggage just to make it interesting. Let the romance and the characters do it for you.
Scott
Monday, February 7, 2011
Friday, February 4, 2011
Question from a Writer
This is a follow up from a prior discussion here on the blog. I thought it was certainly worthy to discuss here with a bit more focus.
How can you really tell what an agent will like? It doesn't help to read between the lines of a rejection letter... but it gets really frustrating, and I do
recur to this blog for the opportunity to learn. Thanks
Unfortunately, there are many things that happen in this business that makes it feel like a huge guessing game. What I have to say though, is that this is not random guessing but "educated" guessing.
For myself, when I read a project, I start thinking of the editors it would most likely fit with. There are some that are really into certain elements of a story that others would cringe on. This comes from taking the time to read what they are personally putting out there on the shelves and looking for patterns. The same goes for the agents.
If you take the time to read what the agents are producing, you can start to find their likes and dislikes. Along the same lines, with all of the internet work they do, you can really start to track trends of comments they make. Which authors do they talk about? What do they complain about or rave about? Look for patterns.
Let me give you one that deals with my likes and dislikes. There should be no shock in anyone's mind what I like about women's fiction. I make it very clear. I am always talking about finding stories with characters lacking baggage. I don't want psycho dramas. I want real. This is on the blog, this is on my website, this is what I say in articles, and if asked at conferences, I say the same thing. This is what you should be looking for.
Will this work all of the time? Nope! I don't know how many times I have seen projects get published and it really doesn't fit with what I saw in that author's personal likes or dislikes. But I have to say, these are the flukes. More often than not, the pattern will be pretty clear.
Don't give up. Just keep working and researching and you should be fine.
Have a great weekend.
Scott
How can you really tell what an agent will like? It doesn't help to read between the lines of a rejection letter... but it gets really frustrating, and I do
recur to this blog for the opportunity to learn. Thanks
Unfortunately, there are many things that happen in this business that makes it feel like a huge guessing game. What I have to say though, is that this is not random guessing but "educated" guessing.
For myself, when I read a project, I start thinking of the editors it would most likely fit with. There are some that are really into certain elements of a story that others would cringe on. This comes from taking the time to read what they are personally putting out there on the shelves and looking for patterns. The same goes for the agents.
If you take the time to read what the agents are producing, you can start to find their likes and dislikes. Along the same lines, with all of the internet work they do, you can really start to track trends of comments they make. Which authors do they talk about? What do they complain about or rave about? Look for patterns.
Let me give you one that deals with my likes and dislikes. There should be no shock in anyone's mind what I like about women's fiction. I make it very clear. I am always talking about finding stories with characters lacking baggage. I don't want psycho dramas. I want real. This is on the blog, this is on my website, this is what I say in articles, and if asked at conferences, I say the same thing. This is what you should be looking for.
Will this work all of the time? Nope! I don't know how many times I have seen projects get published and it really doesn't fit with what I saw in that author's personal likes or dislikes. But I have to say, these are the flukes. More often than not, the pattern will be pretty clear.
Don't give up. Just keep working and researching and you should be fine.
Have a great weekend.
Scott
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Unique and Good - It Takes Both To Succeed!
To make salt, it takes both Na (Sodium) AND Cl (Chloride). To make that volcano experiment work that we all did in science class, it takes Baking Soda AND Vinegar. To make fire, it requires heat, Oxygen AND fuel. Successful writing that will pass in today's market also takes two elements. It has to be unique and it has to be good.
Now, before any of you start throwing books at me that are missing one or the other element, let me stress that in some of those cases, the fact that the author is already known often allows them a little more room to wiggle within these parameters. The discussion of whether or not they should can come on another day. This discussion is really focusing on why there are so many writers out there and there are often an equal if not larger number of rejection letters out there.
You have to remember, that agents are out there, like any other business owner, to make money. Agents make their money from selling products to editors and, in turn, working with the editor and the writer to make sure the book sells well. Agents do not make money on projects that will not sell. For this reason, when we read submissions, we are looking for projects that really do stand out amid all of the others that are coming in daily.
Unfortunately, when we read submissions, they often fall into one of two camps. Either these are authors that really can tell a great story, but the plot is just like everything else out there; or, the authors have amazingly unique and powerful story ideas but just are missing the skills to carry it off. Finding those stories that have both are tough.
I want to start with the second idea first. This is often the one I see more often than not. I'll get a query and really start jumping all over the place. This idea sounds amazing. It's unique. It's marketable. It has me hooked. So I request to see more. And then, when I start reading it, the bottom falls out. This is when I start seeing stories that are full of cliche lines, over-used tecnique, styles that don't match the story... you get the idea. As an agent, I have to tell you that stories like this are just as devestating as the rejection letters you receive. We have such high hopes going in.
Yes, I know some of you might say, "But Scott, sign us and we can make it better!" Yes, that might be the case, but the question is, if you didn't see it during all of those re-writes and edits of that 90,000 word manuscript, who is to say that this next round will be any different? It's just too big of a gamble.
On the other side of the equation, we have stories that well written, but the plot is just not there. This is where the editor side of things comes in. Editors already have authors doing specific books, they don't need two or three doing the same thing. For this reason, these are the stories that often get passed on earlier in the process. Reading the query or the synopsis is often (unfortunately) enough to see the story just won't fly.
Your job as a writer is to find that unique story and then pull from within you the skills necessary to carry off the story in such a fashion that it will sell.
Have a great day!
Scott
Now, before any of you start throwing books at me that are missing one or the other element, let me stress that in some of those cases, the fact that the author is already known often allows them a little more room to wiggle within these parameters. The discussion of whether or not they should can come on another day. This discussion is really focusing on why there are so many writers out there and there are often an equal if not larger number of rejection letters out there.
You have to remember, that agents are out there, like any other business owner, to make money. Agents make their money from selling products to editors and, in turn, working with the editor and the writer to make sure the book sells well. Agents do not make money on projects that will not sell. For this reason, when we read submissions, we are looking for projects that really do stand out amid all of the others that are coming in daily.
Unfortunately, when we read submissions, they often fall into one of two camps. Either these are authors that really can tell a great story, but the plot is just like everything else out there; or, the authors have amazingly unique and powerful story ideas but just are missing the skills to carry it off. Finding those stories that have both are tough.
I want to start with the second idea first. This is often the one I see more often than not. I'll get a query and really start jumping all over the place. This idea sounds amazing. It's unique. It's marketable. It has me hooked. So I request to see more. And then, when I start reading it, the bottom falls out. This is when I start seeing stories that are full of cliche lines, over-used tecnique, styles that don't match the story... you get the idea. As an agent, I have to tell you that stories like this are just as devestating as the rejection letters you receive. We have such high hopes going in.
Yes, I know some of you might say, "But Scott, sign us and we can make it better!" Yes, that might be the case, but the question is, if you didn't see it during all of those re-writes and edits of that 90,000 word manuscript, who is to say that this next round will be any different? It's just too big of a gamble.
On the other side of the equation, we have stories that well written, but the plot is just not there. This is where the editor side of things comes in. Editors already have authors doing specific books, they don't need two or three doing the same thing. For this reason, these are the stories that often get passed on earlier in the process. Reading the query or the synopsis is often (unfortunately) enough to see the story just won't fly.
Your job as a writer is to find that unique story and then pull from within you the skills necessary to carry off the story in such a fashion that it will sell.
Have a great day!
Scott
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Questions from a Writer
I follow a few series that go all out with their explicitness, I'm talking kinky. I know I can't be the only writer to have this question. How do you know when it's too much, when you've gone to far, or is there even a point to consider? With the media being what it is, people can pretty much get away with anything. To put it simply, does an agent ever pick up a manuscript and say, "I can't represent this. It makes me blush and giggle like a school girl."? Thanks.
Great question. I know just what you are talking about.
I do think there are writers out there that have missed the point when they hear an editor or agent say they want to see romances that are "hotter." Sure, there are lines out there that focus on the erotica in a story. No problem there. You fully know what to expect when you pick up that book. The issue you are bringing up are the authors that are really crossing the line.
So, do agents and editors pass on projects that have crossed that line? Sure! It isn't so much that the stories "make us blush" but simply the fact that the stories are something we don't acquire. In these situations, I would simply have to say the author has not done his or her research on that agent or editor.
You also brought up a point that the media is allowing people to pretty much get away with anything. While this might seem to be the case, I simply think it is nothing more than "stretching muscles" and seeing how far they can push things. We really saw this with the rise of the erotica genre several years ago. As soon as that hit, many publishers tried to steam up their stories just as much, but, if you will notice, that swing really moved back. Erotica is still there, but the steam level balanced off when the publishers found a comfortable level.
Over-all, I would simply encourage writers to add the amount of "steam" necessary for the story, the characters and the publisher you are planning on targeting. There is an appropriate level if you just pay attention. Simply adding the sex just for the sake of it will do nothing to enhance the story, and, may in fact, become a detriment to the story.
Good question.
Scott
Great question. I know just what you are talking about.
I do think there are writers out there that have missed the point when they hear an editor or agent say they want to see romances that are "hotter." Sure, there are lines out there that focus on the erotica in a story. No problem there. You fully know what to expect when you pick up that book. The issue you are bringing up are the authors that are really crossing the line.
So, do agents and editors pass on projects that have crossed that line? Sure! It isn't so much that the stories "make us blush" but simply the fact that the stories are something we don't acquire. In these situations, I would simply have to say the author has not done his or her research on that agent or editor.
You also brought up a point that the media is allowing people to pretty much get away with anything. While this might seem to be the case, I simply think it is nothing more than "stretching muscles" and seeing how far they can push things. We really saw this with the rise of the erotica genre several years ago. As soon as that hit, many publishers tried to steam up their stories just as much, but, if you will notice, that swing really moved back. Erotica is still there, but the steam level balanced off when the publishers found a comfortable level.
Over-all, I would simply encourage writers to add the amount of "steam" necessary for the story, the characters and the publisher you are planning on targeting. There is an appropriate level if you just pay attention. Simply adding the sex just for the sake of it will do nothing to enhance the story, and, may in fact, become a detriment to the story.
Good question.
Scott
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Don't Bring About Your Own Demise
I'm going out on a limb here with a pretty startling statement...
"Book sales drive this industry."
I know, I know, I might be a bit out there on that one, but it is true. No seriously, sales do drive this business.
As I look around at writers that are struggling, or book stores that are going out of business, I have to return to that single phrase that book sales do run the business. Sure that seems obvious but the demise that I started this blog out with is really coming from many of you as well as a couple of other small issues that I'll bring up later.
1) SHARING BOOKS - This one really infuriates me as an agent who wants to see his authors make sales. Let's say one of your relatives buys one of your books and, like a good relative, loves the book. They believe in you, they say, and they want to see your sales go up. So they "pass the book on" to their other relatives. Now this might seem insignificant, but everytime they pass it to another relative, that is one sale that does not happen. Of all the people out there, they should be buying your books. Not a discount. Not at a "family gets it for free rate." They should be paying and you should be encouraging it!
2) USED BOOK STORES AND BOOK EXCHANGES - Yes, I know times are tough. Yes, I know these stores are independent and small businesses which we do need to invest in. HOWEVER, when you buy a book that is "used" there are no profits ever returning to the author. What is worse, is that those sales are NEVER recorded with the publisher. Remember, your sales determine whether or not the publisher wants to continue with your contract. Look, I am not saying to avoide these stories. In many cases, they have new books that they got from the distributer. Buy those.
3) E-Books vs. Print - Hmmmm, which one makes more money. I am always amazed at how many people wait for the book to come out on e-book because it is cheaper. Sure, but does that help out the author? No! Sure they do get some of the profit, but in the end, it is less than the print copies. And where do we get these from? Not those book stores we want so desperately to stay open. We get them from those external sites, some of which aren't connected with a book store directly.
The point is, if you want to see the book stores stay open, as authors, you need to be the first to get out there and start shopping IN the stores. I don't want to hear the ease of shopping factor. I don't want to hear about the cost. Make an effort!
Bookstores need your business to stay open. Do something about it!
Scott
"Book sales drive this industry."
I know, I know, I might be a bit out there on that one, but it is true. No seriously, sales do drive this business.
As I look around at writers that are struggling, or book stores that are going out of business, I have to return to that single phrase that book sales do run the business. Sure that seems obvious but the demise that I started this blog out with is really coming from many of you as well as a couple of other small issues that I'll bring up later.
1) SHARING BOOKS - This one really infuriates me as an agent who wants to see his authors make sales. Let's say one of your relatives buys one of your books and, like a good relative, loves the book. They believe in you, they say, and they want to see your sales go up. So they "pass the book on" to their other relatives. Now this might seem insignificant, but everytime they pass it to another relative, that is one sale that does not happen. Of all the people out there, they should be buying your books. Not a discount. Not at a "family gets it for free rate." They should be paying and you should be encouraging it!
2) USED BOOK STORES AND BOOK EXCHANGES - Yes, I know times are tough. Yes, I know these stores are independent and small businesses which we do need to invest in. HOWEVER, when you buy a book that is "used" there are no profits ever returning to the author. What is worse, is that those sales are NEVER recorded with the publisher. Remember, your sales determine whether or not the publisher wants to continue with your contract. Look, I am not saying to avoide these stories. In many cases, they have new books that they got from the distributer. Buy those.
3) E-Books vs. Print - Hmmmm, which one makes more money. I am always amazed at how many people wait for the book to come out on e-book because it is cheaper. Sure, but does that help out the author? No! Sure they do get some of the profit, but in the end, it is less than the print copies. And where do we get these from? Not those book stores we want so desperately to stay open. We get them from those external sites, some of which aren't connected with a book store directly.
The point is, if you want to see the book stores stay open, as authors, you need to be the first to get out there and start shopping IN the stores. I don't want to hear the ease of shopping factor. I don't want to hear about the cost. Make an effort!
Bookstores need your business to stay open. Do something about it!
Scott
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