I don’t know from where this originated but this has so struck my funny bone…
Author: Loretta Polaski
Writing Voice
I really like to read. Not only fiction, but all things on writing. Ask anyone, especially fellow writer, Delilah Jones Brown. I have nearly every book on writing! I’m a junkie! Some books are okay, some basic, some are outstanding. I just read one of the latter ones. Writing Voice: The Complete Guide to Creating a Presence on the Page and Engaging Readers (Creative Writing Essentials) by Writer’s Digest. I read another book in the series, Creating Characters: The Complete Guide to Populating Your Fiction (Creative Writing Essentials), and have previously posted on it. I thought that book was a winner as well. The thing I really like about both these books is that the chapters are written by different authors. Everyone learns differently and having all these writers explain writing voice is enjoyable! Some chapters are good, some are amazing! As mentioned several times in this book, understanding voice is elusive. This book really helps you to understand what it is that you are trying to achieve. It’s not as hard as it seems!
So you tell me, did you like this post more than prior ones? Did you feel like you knew me as an author a little bit better for it? I followed one of the repeated rules in the book: write fast so your inner voice comes through, not the sterilized, overwritten draft! This book needs to be on your to-read list!
#amwriting, #delilah-jones-brown, #writers-digest, #writing-voice
A Review of the New Scrivener iOS Software
I have a Mac so I was thrilled when Literature & Latte came out with software for the iPad. Being able to keep my novel in my purse all the time makes it easy to write wherever I am.
I’ve had the software for a couple of months. There is a learning curve, after all, it’s set up for a tablet and it needs to be different in order to be legible and friendly on the smaller screen. You can basically do all the same things on the iOS version but the overall look is different.
The binder is still on the left side and is a pop-up screen. You can color the chapters, add icons, labels, and see your notes. You can still drag and drop to rearrange your chapters. The binder disappears when you start writing so the editor is full screen. You can work in portrait view or landscape view.
This next image gives you a direct comparison between the desktop software and the iPad and iPhone. I have not tried the iPhone software but seems like it would be difficult to write on a phone unless you were voice texting and I need that nano-second between my brain and fingertips to figure out what I want to say.
I have a bluetooth keyboard for my iPad but Scrivener has a convenient toolbar on the pop-up keyboard which includes handy things including strikethrough and comments.
One thing I couldn’t find was the total word count. You can get that by clicking on Inspector and choosing Compile. It will give you a total count that way. There may be other ways of going about it. You still can see the word count at the bottom of the page for individual chapters.
I sync my project with Dropbox and that’s a love/hate relationship. I find it a pain to set up and this is not my first time using Dropbox. The most important thing is to get in the habit of closing your projects after you sync or you’ll end up with conflicts. Unfortunately, you can’t see the two versions side by side to know which one to save. Whether you use Dropbox or another product, you do need your novel saved somewhere besides your computer.
I had the regular version of Scrivener on a Windows tablet once but it was just too difficult to see. It needed to be different for tablet size and L&L did a great job with this software. I give the new iOS software a solid 5 stars.
Scrivener iOS is on sale right now for $11.99! Use this link to get your copy!
If you want to share your thoughts on the iOS software, have tips, tricks, or want to share information on Dropbox or other programs, please leave your comments!
#dropbox, #how-to-use-scrivener, #scrivener, #scrivener-for-ipad, #scrivener-ios, #writing-software, #writing-software-review
Finding Your Novel’s Point of View
The point of view of a story can change the tone entirely. First person is intimate. The reader is reading the story as if it was written to them but it is limited to that character’s POV only. Third person is not as intimate and can offer multiple POVs. But for sake of argument and to keep this article on target, let’s say we are just writing from a single POV.
I’m going to use this big cat to demonstrate the importance of POV. A tale told from his POV would likely be one of cunning, stealth, wisdom, and strength. He is king of his domain. The same story told from the POV of his prey, say a rabbit, would be one perhaps of alertness, fear, and camouflage. The rabbit would always be wary of the big cat, always on the run. The leopard basks in the sun without worry. Where you are on the food chain influences how you see the world.
There’s yet another POV: The bird that sits in the tree day in and day out, observing the dance between the two animals. That POV offers yet a different tone. The bird obviously doesn’t know what the leopard or the rabbit are thinking and can only surmise. That POV takes us further away from the thoughts of the two characters. We become spectators instead of participants in the cat and rabbit game.
There may be challenges the big cat is facing- starvation, injury, exile from his pride. The rabbit could be suffering the same. Each may have something they need to prove to themselves or others. Every character in your book has goals, problems, and challenges. Everything is not as it appears.
Are you telling your story from the right POV? Are you getting the most bang? Are you close enough to the key issues in your story and able to unlock the intimacy of the plot to keep your reader on the edge of the chair? If you’re not sure, try writing it from another character’s POV to see how it changes the tone of your story and your message to your reader. Exercising your authorial right to put certain characters center stage and in the reader’s mind and heart is key to good storytelling. You may find pleasant surprises when you explore all characters for your lead.
For more information on choosing the right POV for your story, check out K.M. Weiland’s blog post How to Choose the Right POV.
Increasing Your Productivity with an Internet Blocking App
The problem with writing on a computer is that it’s become our access to the rest of the world. It’s so easy to get distracted by social media sites. I am guilty of working on my novel and then going to the internet to look up a fact for historical accuracy, only to get side-lined. Before I know it, I’m reading all kinds of interesting historical things from that time period. Then I’ll check up on my Facebook friends, check my email, maybe look on Allrecipes for a fresh idea for that chuck roast in the fridge, and before long, an hour has passed and I’ve lost touch with my novel. I’ve wasted precious time and now I have other things I must do. Writing over.
An internet blocking app keeps you focused. You set it for the period of time you want to write, say an hour or two, and for that period, you CANNOT access the internet. Even if you restart your computer. These programs are designed to be rather resilient for the writer who wants to cheat.
I used to use Freedom. It was a flat fee of $10. It was very popular, but their flat fee is now $119. I talked with someone at Freedom and he said they have made a lot of improvements, hence the new price. The older version will not work on my newer iOS. Personally, I don’t need a lot of bells and whistles. I just want a basic blocker. I found a great free app! SelfControl. Oxymoron, eh? But it’s for Mac users only. For Windows, try Cold Turkey. There’s a free version and a paid version with more features for just $19.
The internet blocking app is very successful for me. I tend to race the clock. If I only set it for an hour, I’m uber-focused for that hour. I mentally disconnect from text messages and other external interference. It’s a brain game, I guess, but it works for me. If you’re not using an internet blocker, you should give it a try.
Writing Antiheroes
Antiheroes are everywhere. If you know me, you already know my two favorite antiheroes are Tom Ripley (Matt Damon, The Talented Mr. Ripley) and Rodion Raskolnikov (Crime and Punishment). Others favorites are Tony Montana, Don Corleone, Hannibal Lecter, Jason Bourne, Lady Macbeth, Tony Soprano, Scarlett O’Hara, and Ray Donovan. You could probably name another dozen or two in a minute.
We like these guys. Why? Because they secretly do what we would like to do. Well, for the most part. I’m not fantasizing about killing people. Eating them is not on my bucket list either. However, the antihero touches a core thread in all of us. They create their own rules and we root for them. Didn’t you feel kind of bad for Ripley when he and Dickie were out on the boat? Dickie said some awful things. And Ripley didn’t really mean to kill him, right? Didn’t we all hate the obnoxious Freddie Miles (Philip Seymour Hoffman) and cheered when Ripley FINALLY bashed the guy in the head? Freddie had it coming, after all.
Reading or watching the antihero can be fun but writing an antihero is tough work! My antihero, Clara Winslow, is a liar and a killer. Staying in that mindset is a constant battle within myself. I WANT my hero to have good qualities, to be honest and trustworthy. She is neither. So not only do I have to make her a bad girl, but I have to make you LIKE her!
So, let’s cover some basics. There are exceptions but these are the general rules:
- Antiheroes don’t have the same values as normal heroes
- Antiheroes don’t follow the typical character arc
- Antiheroes don’t learn from their mistakes
- Antiheroes are self-destructive and unapologetic
- Antiheroes make bad decisions which causes them more grief
- Antiheroes don’t change by the end of the story
Antiheroes have something in their past- an angst, an injustice, that allows us to sympathize and understand why they do what they do. Hannibal Lecter’s sister was killed and eaten when they were just children. Damn! That would mess with your head! Doesn’t make it right but it helps you to understand the character better.
Antiheroes are markedly flawed but they also need a soft spot. The common “pet the dog scene” where your antihero saves the drowning kitten, helps the old lady. This needs to happen early in your story so the reader goes, “Aww! What a great guy!” There needs to be something endearing in your antihero. Tom Ripley cried at the opera. Tony Montana loved his sister. Hannibal loved liver with a nice Chianti….oops. Got off track. Hannibal liked art, music, and Clarice. He had feelings for her. They all had feelings. Those feelings enabled the reader/movie-watcher to relate to the antihero. Relating to the antihero makes them likable. Antiheroes aren’t all bad. Other characters aren’t all good. Human beings are complex. Your characters should be as well. Who are your favorite antiheroes? What allows you to relate to or feel sympathy for those characters?
About those other characters
I’ve been reading a great book, Creating Characters, by Writer’s Digest. There are many things I’m taking away from this but I got a big boost to my novel when I started focusing on the other characters. You know who I’m talking about. Those people who support the main character: the good, the bad, and the ugly. I’m only half way through this book but I’ve got to share some great tips for those other characters.
EVERY character should have good qualities. Even the bad guys. At the same time, every character, including your protagonist, has flaws. This blend of good and bad is human. Doesn’t sound right? You want your reader to hate your antagonist? Think again! Your antagonist doesn’t consider herself the bad guy. Typical bad guys are boring. (yawn) But a well-crafted antagonist, with her own goals, ideas, and qualities, draws your reader in. They become invested in the story. How is this going to pan out? Give your antag a voice, a POV. Ok, the antag can cheat, steal, lie, or maybe she just made a very bad decision. The point is, she needs to be relatable. My protag is an anti-hero so she’s got some pretty bad qualities herself!
EVERY character is the star of their own world, not just co-stars to your MC. Examine your characters. What has shaped them? Who has shaped them? Why are they the way they are? Why is that character an alcoholic? An introvert? Obnoxious? It’s not just one thing, but a chain of things that got the character to this point in their lives. i.e.- He’s an alcoholic because his wife left him, because he was never home, because he was obsessed with his job, because his father was a bum and he’s determined not be his father, etc, etc, etc. Keep digging at the cause of each link. You don’t have to have a huge backstory but if you understand the fundamentals of the things that have shaped your character, the better prepared you will be to write about him in every scene. You will be able to add color, desire, disappointment, passion, goals, SECRETS.
Ok, that’s enough on those other characters for now. Want to read more? Get the book! Creating Characters by Writer’s Digest.
Coming soon… more about the antihero!
#character-building, #character-voice, #creating-characters, #understanding-your-characters, #writers-digest, #writing
New headshots!
Had my headshots done at #MWW16. Gail Werner did them again and she is fantastic! Check her out at www.gailwerner.com. I tell her she makes ugly people look good! 🙂 Thanks, Gail!
New Blog!
Yay! I have found myself with a fresh website and blog! Just spent a few days last week at the Midwest Writers Workshop. My second time and it was just as fabulous as last year. If you live in or near Indiana, you need to think about attending this workshop. This year they offered about 45 courses. There’s something for everyone. I am now a charter member and plan to return every year. Amazing talent there and glad to be associated with it.
The Paramour– well, many have asked how the book is coming along. It’s coming, as they say. (Insert sigh here!) A lot harder to write than you would think, especially a historical one, AND an anti-hero, compounded by my OCD and inner editor nagging at me ALL the time! I did hear a valuable phrase recently and even pasted it on my laptop keyboard: “The first draft is just you telling yourself the story.” (Terry Pratchett) It’s true and I’m trying to get that into my head, that if I can just finish this first draft and quit overthinking and trying to perfect it along the way, it will become a novel! LOL The plot itself is coming along nicely with some unexpected revelations!
I’ve been working for Inquisitr this year and recently quit after writing about 70 articles. News reporting just doesn’t jive with me and my imaginary friends. It took up too much of my precious free time. Summer is just the time to be outside in the garden, not slaving over news articles and the added pressure of deadlines. UGH! However, I have nothing but nice thoughts of the staff at IQ though. Top notch! 🙂
Now, what I’ve been looking at today…
I’ve got some holes in my plot and I found a couple of authors who have good ideas. Lara Willard has nicely mapped out the plot and has a worksheet to boot! Get the plot outline and worksheet from her site!
Another handy tool that I found on Pinterest. I’m not sure who created it. It’s been used on many sites so I apologize for not giving it credit here. 
Both are good and the visuals help to see what should be happening in your story. For me, it’s helping me to find my holes! I’m always working against the grain though, my fondness of antiheroes who dance to a different tune, can make for complicated plot. Ok, off to write some more!
Loretta Polaski 