New Year’s countdown of 2018 reader favs: day 4

In selecting highlights of 2018 from this blog, I’ve chosen posts resonate as well in these last days of the year as they did when first written. This one about writing diverse characters in our fiction first appeared March 27, 2018.

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When submitting stories, I often come across pleas from editors for diverse characters. But can authors write about people who are different from themselves? Will diversity simply lead to cringe-worthy narratives that typecast members of minority groups – not to mention women -- as surely as putting a red shirt does to a Star Trek extra? So, I circled the panel at the weekend’s WORDfest whose title was “Writing Outside Your Identity – tips for responsibly and realistically portraying other races, genders, abilities & beliefs” as a must-see. 

Thanks to moderator Ann Fields and panelists Rebecca Balcarcel, David Douglas, Kathryn McClatchy and Bill Ledbetter, I now have some tools to keep my diverse characters from being doomed to anonymous death. Tools to rip those red shirts off their backs and replace them with a rainbow of roles.

“What’s your most effective tip for inhabiting the skin of a character different from you?” moderator Fields asked her panelists, who included a Hispanic woman (Balcarcel), two differently-abled writers (Douglas and McClatchy, who is also a Native American), and yes, Ledbetter, an actual self-identified white guy without any special qualifications in sight. Except of course, that he’s a writer. And one eager to avoid emulating a nameless and clueless colleague who attempted to write a humorous take on sexual harassment. (Ouch!)

The key, often repeated by panelists, was to remember our common humanity – and that of our characters and readers.

l-r, Douglas & McClatchy

“We all have the same likes and desires,” Ledbetter said, “but everyone has their own backstory. I try to focus on ways I might be like the person (in the story) and steer away from the way I’m different. . . but I do think you should be brave and not shy away from writing a variety of characters. Don’t block people out.”

Balcarcel agreed – to some extent but cautioned writers to know their limits. Just as Ledbetter admitted he hasn’t (yet) tried to write a sex scene from a woman’s point of view, Balcarcel noted that although she’s the mother of autistic children, “I don’t know that I would write an autistic kid (character) in first person.”

What happens when the character’s difference lies not in ethnicity or ability but in sexual orientation? Can a straight writer do justice to a gay character? (I’d love to have heard from a gay author about writing straight characters!)

Falling back on the bedrock of common humanity with different backstories, Balcarcel noted, sexual orientation “is not all there is to say about that character. Write against type if there are types.” 

And as Douglas noted, “I so have a perspective about being disabled, being in a wheelchair. The inner part is the same, but you can add outer layers.”

And of course, no “red shirts.” Characters of color should earn their spot, panelists said. Don't write a diverse character just to be diverse.

What if the “different” character is the story?

Balcarcel admitted having qualms as she undertook a story about Sally Hemings, the mixed-race slave woman with whom Thomas Jefferson had a long-term relationship (and who DNA evidence now proves fathered Hemings’ children). 

“I didn’t think I had the right to that story,” Balcarcel said. But after doing extensive research, Balcarcel found herself at a conference sitting next to one of Hemings’ descendants.

“He said, ‘Write that story. You’re a human being, plus you have done the research – so write that story!”

Ledbetter noted the benefit of having a diverse group of writing friends to give him feedback. McClatchy agreed there. “This is one of the most important reasons to be in a writers’ group. . .  (Also) we should be reading the works of people different from us. Part of writing outside our identities is dropping the assumptions we have about people. If we don’t have characters outside our comfort zone, our characters fall flat.”

And don’t be afraid to ask for help. “I would so much rather you ask me what it’s like living with a service dog,” McClatchy said. “When you mention you’re a writer, it opens doors. People want their stories to be told.”

Squeeze character to develop plot & keep juice flowing!

Today it’s the conclusion of the inimitable Tex Thompson’s Juice Box Hero: Squeezing Plot from Character presentation. And since nothing beats hearing Texas in person, I’ll only give the barest skeleton of the writerly techniques which received their world before the recent meeting of the Writers Guild of Texas. Want more? You’ll have to persuade your own writing group to host Tex herself for the full meal deal!

And although you’re welcome to see last week’s post, here’s a brief review of the first five of Tex’s 10 big ideas:

1. Dial up contrast between characters and/or characters and their environment

2. Turn “and then” into “but” or “therefore” to create consequences for character actions

image: pixabay

3. Eliminate “reasonable” choices and/or add mutually exclusive gains for character actions

4. Add multiple kinds of conflict – personal, interpersonal & external

5. Force a character to do whatever he/she is worst at

Now – are you ready for the final five ideas? Ta-da!

6.     Use the four stages of competence 

Uh, what? Right, that’s how I felt. Like, you’re either competent or not, aren’t you? So Tex expanded this concept for us. She also graphed it, which I’m sorry I can’t show you. But as I said – consult Tex herself for the whole show. 

Here are those four stages of competence: unconscious incompetence (the we don’t know what we don’t know stage); conscious incompetence (we’re at least aware of our own inadequacy); conscious competence (we can do it, but we have to think about it); and unconscious competence (the never forgetting how to ride a bike stage). 

Tex also mapped these onto the three-act plot structure, remembering that Act 2 has two parts, with a major change in the middle: Act 1 – the character is unaware that a problem exists until, boing! his incompetence reaches his conscious level. Act 2 – the character starts to figure things out (moving from conscious incompetence to conscious competence), with numerous falls off the bike. Act 3 – ride the heck out of that bike! 

7.     “Jump before you’re pushed” 

Which in Tex-speak means, “that awful thing that happens to your character is something she brought on herself.” (Review the three forms of conflict and “choose whichever one most advances the story.”) 

8.     Include a well-intentioned catastrophe

Think “Gift of the Magi,” Tex urged us, in which each character, with the best of intentions, fails to realize what the other is doing. (Note: Catastrophes that can be averted by five minutes of honest communication don’t count. Our job is to prevent those characters from having those communications!)

9.     Use “so” to turn emotion into action  

Haven’t we all been at some point letting our characters wallow in their emotions? Tex’s solution aims to keep those emotions from descending into navel-gazing, while providing “kindling to make your plot catch file.” Her example of the solution: “. . . he’s upset. How upset? So upset he decides to (fill in the blank)”  

And the final idea is like unto it: 

10.   Use “so” to turn virtues into faults

“She’s generous. How generous? So generous that she takes on too much, gets overburdened and then . . .”

And then, as a special treat for us, her original audience, Tex shared a bonus idea, but I’ll let you in on it as well: Let the worst thing happen.

We’ve probably all heard this one, but how often do we act on it in our writing? Maybe because we thought that worst thing was unbelievable?

“We have to rethink about what happens not only to the story but to the character,” Tex said. “That forces the character to rewrite his own identity.”

Squeezing plot to develop character – or vice versa!

Boy, does Tex Thompson know how to put new twists on creative writing issues – witness such discussions as her analogy of book revision to Dante’s tour of the Inferno which I blogged about earlier this year. She didn’t disappoint with a world premiere of her newest program – Juice Box Hero: Squeezing Plot from Character – at this month’s meeting of the Writers Guild of Texas .

Because nothing can equal the actual experience of being in the same room with Tex, I’ll only provide a brief summary in this post. If you want to hear the full deal, you’ll have to urge your own writing group to book her next performance.

Which comes first in creative writing – character or plot -- she asked her audience. The fact is, both are essential, but putting too much emphasis on either results in a story as dry as a squeezed-out lemon.

Enter Tex’s “10 Big Ideas” for extracting the maximum juice from both elements:

1.   Dial up the contrast

Whether it’s contrast between the main character and another, between characters and their environment, or a character’s “other self” – the person they want (or fear) to be, “this works for any manuscript problem,” Tex assured us. “If the contrast has been sitting at a 3, try dialing it up to 11.”

2.   Turn “and then” into “but” or “so” (or “therefore”)

If the plot has turned into what I once heard an editor call “a bus ride” (“A happens and then B happens”) try changing the format to “A happens, but then B happens.” Or “A happens, therefore B happens,” to create a domino effect of consequences.

3.  Take away the “reasonable” option or add a conflicting gain

image: pixabay

Either forget that old “lesser of two evils” choice by taking the “right” choice completely off the table. Or, set up “mutually exclusive good” choices. And yes, you can do both! 

4.   Add a different kind of conflict

Given the three major kinds of conflict characters can experience -- internal, interpersonal, and external – give them more than one. The effect of internal and interpersonal conflicts is to elicit sympathy from readers. External conflict elicits admiration for the character. Now juice things up by adding a temptation or cost for each decision the character makes during the conflict. Think: “is there something a character would never do but that he/she must do to accomplish a goal?”

5.    “Force the wizard to throw a punch”

That thing your character is absolutely worst at? Make that the thing she must do. Tex noted that when a masculine character is forced to perform a job with feminine associations, the conventional result is comedy, i.e., Kindergarten Cop. On the other hand, when a feminine character must perform an act conventionally considered masculine, the usual result is a drama, i.e., Aliens or Kill Bill. Tex of course, being Tex, urged us to subvert these conventions.

 Whew! How about allowing yourselves (and me) time to consider and practice these possibilities? I promise to return later this week with the final five of Tex Thompson’s 10 juicebox ideas, including her final bonus idea. But first, a few words about coming attractions.

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Fresh in my inbox this week: a chance to win a free writing workshop or novel edit from editorial guru Lorin Oberweger’s Free Expressions group. To promote the group’s Breakout Novel Intensive program (with author/agent Donald Maas) in San Antonio, TX, and its Emotional Craft of Fiction workshops in Philadelphia, PA and Las Vegas, NV, Free Expressions offers to pay with workshops and/or editing for promotional services, with the possibility of commissions in the near future. If you're a writer in/near these cities plugged into your local writing community and willing to do some legwork, or a social media whiz comfortable on multiple platforms, write to Lorin at lorin@free-expressions.com.

Also:  registration is now open for the 2019 LoneStar.ink writing conference in the Dallas area, February 28-March 2, at the DFW Airport Marriott North, 8440 Freeport Parkway, Irving, TX. This little conference that could will be greatly expanded after its debut earlier this year. Discounted admission applies for registration through January 31, 2019. See the site for details. 

And a final promo: my podcaster son-in-law Kevin Phelps was delighted to meet Tex Thompson at last weekend’s FenCon sci-fi/fantasy convention. Check out his upcoming podcasts at Assuming Positions for more Tex!

Writing characters for all the differences in our world

When submitting stories, I often come across pleas from editors for diverse characters. But can authors write about people who are different from themselves. Will diversity simply lead to cringe-worthy narratives that typecast members of minority groups – not to mention women -- as surely as putting a red shirt on a Star Trek extra? So, I circled the panel at the weekend’s WORDfest whose title was “Writing Outside Your Identity – tips for responsibly and realistically portraying other races, genders, abilities & beliefs” as a must-see. 

With moderator Ann Fields and panelists Rebecca Balcarcel, David Douglas, Kathryn McClatchy and Bill Ledbetter, I now have some tools to keep my diverse characters from being doomed to anonymous death. Tools to rip those red shirts off their backs and replace them with a rainbow of roles.

L-r, Douglas & McClatchy

“What’s your most effective tip for inhabiting the skin of a character different from you?” moderator Fields asked her panelists, who included a Hispanic woman (Balcarcel), two differently-abled writers (Douglas and McClatchy, who is also a Native American), and yes, Ledbetter, an actual self-identified white guy without any special qualifications in sight. Except of course, that he’s a writer. And one eager to avoid emulating a nameless and clueless colleague who attempted to write a humorous take on sexual harassment. (Ouch!)

The key, often repeated by panelists, was to remember our common humanity – and that of our characters and readers.

“We all have the same likes and desires,” Ledbetter said, “but everyone has their own backstory. I try to focus on ways I might be like the person (in the story) and steer away from the way I’m different. . . but I do think you should be brave and not shy away from writing a variety of characters. Don’t block people out.”

Balcarcel agreed – to some extent but cautioned writers to know their limits. Just as Ledbetter admitted he hasn’t (yet) tried to write a sex scene from a woman’s point of view, Balcarcel noted that although she’s the mother of autistic children, “I don’t know that I would write an autistic kid (character) in first person.”

What happens when the character’s difference lies not in ethnicity or ability but in sexual orientation? Can a straight writer do justice to a gay character? (I’d love to have heard from a gay author about writing straight characters!)

Falling back on the bedrock of common humanity with different backstories, Balcarcel noted, sexual orientation “is not all there is to say about that character. Write against type if there are types.” 

And as Douglas noted, “I so have a perspective about being disabled, being in a wheelchair. The inner part is the same, but you can add outer layers.”

And of course, no “red shirts.” Characters of color should earn their spot, panelists said. Don't write a diverse character just to be diverse.

What if the “different” character is the story?

Balcarcel admitted having qualms as she undertook a story about Sally Hemings, the mixed-race slave woman with whom Thomas Jefferson had a long-term relationship (and who DNA evidence now proves fathered Hemings’ children). 

“I didn’t think I had the right to that story,” Balcarcel said. But after doing extensive research, Balcarcel found herself at a conference sitting next to one of Hemings’ descendants.

“He said, ‘Write that story. You’re a human being, plus you have done the research – so write that story!”

Ledbetter noted the benefit of having a diverse group of writing friends to give him feedback. McClatchy agreed there. “This is one of the most important reasons to be in a writers’ group. . .  (Also) we should be reading the works of people different from us. Part of writing outside our identities is dropping the assumptions we have about people. If we don’t have characters outside our comfort zone, our characters fall flat.”

And don’t be afraid to ask for help. “I would so much rather you ask me what it’s like living with a service dog,” McClatchy said. “When you mention you’re a writer, it opens doors. People want their stories to be told.”

Social media marketing that won’t take over your life

What single thing did Fred Campos, the motivational speaker at this month’s meeting of Dallas Mystery Writers, utter that convinced me to try social media marketing? “You don’t have to be 100 percent better – you only have to be a little better. The difference between first place and second place at the Kentucky Derby is a fraction of a second. A year later, the difference is $10 million.”

Well, that and that social media sites are now search engines. Once upon a time, we went to specialized search engines – Yahoo, Bing, Google – to look for information. Now we search for it on Facebook. Or Twitter. Or Youtube. 

image: pixabay

If you’re looking for a plumber, do you search Youtube? The answer, surprising though it may be, is often – yes.

“Make a video no matter what you do,” Campos said. “There needs to be a video about every single book you write. . . A smart phone is your recording studio. Add a little humor to it if you can.” (Maybe I could do videos about my short story publications?)

As anybody who has searched Youtube has found, those videos don’t have to be of Oscar-contender quality. But for more inspiration and suggestions for topics, check out the tips I gleaned from teen BookTube book reviewers at the North Texas Teen Book Festival. My favorite: a TV screen tuned to a cartoon channel (because of the bright colors) and paused. Consider changing background as appropriate!

Although I’ve recently completed a book-length thriller manuscript, I feel a little silly thinking about marketing for a book that hasn’t even been agented, much less sold to a publisher. 

Campos had an answer for that, a client who planned to self-publish, but what he described as a “pre-marketing campaign” a year in advance of release, using the time to search for potential readers. In her case, she did that by searching on Twitter for people who followed other media on her topic. (See last Tuesday’s post, title link, about doing this.)

The rest of his suggested pre-marketing campaign (segueing into actual marketing) includes, per quarter, on either Twitter or Facebook:

• 20-30 editorial messages, about characters, books, stories, etc.
• 10-15 pictures (see also my tips on copyright-free images)
• 2-3 press releases
• 1-2 videos

Wait. Press releases? For what press outlets? 

“Everybody can write a press release about anything,” Campos assured his audience. “These are where search engines go to get information. You should have a press release about every book, every book signing.”

For tips on how to write press releases, see my post, "Writers: prepare for our closeups!"

Once a book is available, every release should end with a call to action – buy the book!  

And make social media presence ongoing. The issue, as with the racehorse imagery at the beginning of this post, isn’t to knock ‘em dead once. It’s to run consistently, one race at a time. It can be an hour a day or 10 minutes a day. Consider scheduling your messages and tweets in advance (he uses Hootsuite, which has both free and for-pay versions). Make it about spending some time rather than money. 

All of this barely scratches the surface of what Campos spent more than an hour telling the group at our Dallas Mystery Writers’ meeting, and I could barely take notes and screenshots of his slides fast enough to keep up. For more, I heartily recommend suggesting him as a speaker to your own group or club. 

But oh, you don’t have a group? Then one last public service announcement: writing groups and writers and information will throng WORDfest next Saturday (March 24). It’s free, but the organizers would love to know how many name badges to print, sandwiches to prepare, parking spaces to reserve. Please come, but also please register via Ticketleap by this coming Monday (March 19). See you there!

For thrilling stories, add the ‘5 C's’ to your plot

How hard can it be to lay out the structure of a novel? I mean, you start at the beginning, go to the end, then stop. Except, as any writer – or storyteller knows – the question becomes, what is the beginning? What is the end? And what the what do you do in between the two?

And with at least two of my critique partners in the throes of plotting book-length stories, I was thrilled to hear thriller writer C.L. Stegall’s take on plotting at this month’s meeting of the Writers Guild of Texas.

CL Stegall: file photo

Did I hear you say, but I don’t write thrillers? Never fear, Stegall told the crowd that filled the basement meeting room of the Richardson Library to hear him. “In all honesty, every good fiction should have some elements of a thriller,” which in his words, is simply a story of ordinary people doing extraordinary things, using his “Five C’s” of storytelling: complex characters, confrontation, careening, coronary, and communication.

Right, we’ve all heard that characters should be complex and well-rounded, but how can we achieve that? How can a character who lives on a two-dimensional page be complex? By giving them convoluted backstories. It helps if they have bad habits – “characters you love to hate or hate to love,”, a strong belief system that gives them a direction for travel, (“our protagonists should always be moving forward – until they get knocked back”), and complex relationships to match.

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That “Confrontation” (with a big C) is simply another name for the conflict that drives all stories. “The most interesting conflict emanates from the character who, in his mind, is justified in the course he or she pursues,” a course which will clash with the beliefs of the story’s other characters with their own justifiable pursuits.

“Use these complex perspectives to build conflict, action, and characters’ motives,” Stegall urged the audience.

How about the Careening aspect? “Knock your protagonist and reader off the track. Twists are pure gold. Lull the audience into repose, then catch them off guard! Do this several times to build a roller coaster of a read. Infuse every scene with conflict. Give your character enough rope to hang himself and then tighten it.”

image: wikimedia commons

And that Coronary in the Big C’s? That, Stegall said, is simply a reminder that any good story “is all about the heart. Keep the heart of your tale always in mind. Get readers to experience the emotions of the scene. If you are writing a scene where a young character is lost, we’ve all experienced the confusion and fear of being lost. Place yourself in the character’s place,” with empathy that the reader will experience and remember long after closing the book.

And that final Big C – Communication?

“What is the story really about, the very essence of it? What do you want the reader to think about hours and days after finishing your story?” Stegall said. “Make every effort to portray that idea. If I don’t see the point of a story, I get bored.”

All that said, there are probably as many ways to plot a story as there are stories. “If anyone tells you there’s a formula for writing a book, you can tell them they’re a liar,” Stegall said the first time I heard him speak at a panel on genre fiction a few years ago.

He actually lists eight in his “In The Trenches” reference material at his blog, with still more from other writers in the appendix. Pick a method that suits your style, or try more than one. And remember to stir in plenty of the “5 C’s”.

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I’ve written several times about the programs offered by the Writers Guild of Texas. This year’s lineup includes programs on writing romance (appropriately, held in February), character-driven fiction, writing series novels, editing novels, blogging, marketing, and screenwriting. Check the site for dates and details.

Wordcraft -- Resolution number 1: subscribe

Here I ’m writing about resolutions for the coming year and it’s not even Hanukkah yet. What a grinch! But seriously, it’s waiting until New Year’s Day, when some of us are sleep-deprived, possibly even hung-over, that gives New Year’s resolutions a bad name.

So we wait until the last minute, jotting down vague pledges to lose weight, be kinder, get a new relationship -- maybe a new bank. Or find a job. Any job. Or promises to do stuff we know we’d never do. Because it hurts or it’s too hard (losing weight, etc.).

I found out longer ago than some of you have been alive that resolutions can be fun and easy and still be good for you.

Here’s a suggestion for resolution number 1: subscribe to a journal. Subscribe to a magazine to hone your writing craft or because it contains the kind of stories you enjoy and would like to write. These may not be the kinds of magazines you think are good for you. They’re the ones whose presence in your mailbox or inbox makes you read them cover to cover before you even look at the bills.

(I tell my mail carrier she doesn’t have to deliver the bills, but she says something about it being her job.)

Even if the magazine you subscribe to is a “just stories” one, it will help you improve your craft as you begin to notice how the writers you love to read do their job.

Publishers make all kinds of offers this time of year to get your subscription. Go to a newsstand, shake a few magazines, and see what offers fall out. Or tell those people who otherwise will buy you another pair of socks or, goddess forbid, a fruitcake, what
magazines you’d like to see in your mailbox over the coming year.

If you’re not sure what you like, look at the picture accompanying this post for ideas. (Just not at poor old Realms of Fantasy. I got an email while preparing to write this saying that they’ve gone down for the third, probably last time.) Online resources such as www.duotrope.com/ (or see link at the end of this blog) list sources of fiction and poetry, of whatever type suits your fancy. And you can often link to the magazine’s website to give it a free peek.

Online ’zines are even easier to subscribe to than print ones, and usually free. Subscribing to these is so fun, easy and cheap you may end up with way too many. Don’t let that stop you. Too much of a good thing can be even better.

(Next Wednesday: Resolution number 2 -- find a writing group. Writing doesn’t have to be lonely.)

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Deadline for SheWrites’ first-ever Young Adult Novel Contest is December 15. Top five winners get advice on their book from agents. All proceeds benefit Girls Write Now, mentoring the next generation of women writers. For info, see http://www.shewrites.com/?xg_source=msg_mes_network/ And yes, you can join SheWrites even if you’re a man!