Category Archives: Writing
Writing Tips from Hollywood
I recently had the privilege of interviewing Michael Hauge – story consultant, author and lecturer who works with screenwriters, novelists, filmmakers and executives. He has coached writers, producers, stars and directors on projects for Tom Cruise, Julia Roberts, Reese Witherspoon and Morgan Freeman, and is currently on retainer with Will Smith’s company, Overbrook Productions, where he was involved in the development of I AM LEGEND, HANCOCK and THE KARATE KID.
I asked him some meaty questions and got some fantastic and thorough answers, with practical tips for all writers to apply to their own writing, such as how to give your book ‘movie-potential’, which Hollywood films are good for writers to watch and analyse, and how his six stage plot structure creates a successful story.
Some gems I got from the interview:
– Give your protagonist a ‘visible’ goal to work towards and then put seemingly insurmountable obstacles in his/her way.
– Read screenplays to learn ways of ‘showing versus telling’.
– A great tool to add credibility to a story is to use a reflection character (see the interview for explanation).
Check out the complete interview here, it is a wealth of great information!
🙂
It was a dark and stormy night… (First Sentences)
It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife. That is how Jane Austen started her book, Pride and Prejudice in 1813, and made it into the top 100 best first lines from novels according to the American Book Review.
A knockout first sentence can immediately draw a reader in, and helps set the tone of the story, so I think it’s important to create the best first line possible. Having said that, a good first line means nothing if the rest of the book is terrible! So of course the second sentence, and the third, and right up till the end all matters too.
When I’m in a bookstore choosing a book, not only do I go by cover design, author name, and the blurb on the book jacket, I always read the first sentence, and often the whole first page to see if it grabs my interest. If a writer can come up with the goods on the first page I know they’re more likely to keep me interested throughout the whole book.
As a reader, how important is the first sentence to you? As a writer, how easy or difficult do you find it to come up with a winner of a first line?
I love writing first sentences. I usually write them first before working out a detailed plot, because I find if I just let the words flow it’s easier to get a feel for the story idea and the protagonist.
Here are a few of my first sentences from completed stories, short stories, and works in progress…
Some first sentences are short:
Birthdays suck. (The Big Four-O, short story)
And some first sentences are long:
For most people, the worst time to get an attack of the hiccups would be at the dentist just as the drill is approaching your mouth, or on a date, just as he leans in for The Kiss, but for me, the unfortunate diaphragmatic spasm came when Channel Four news crossed to my live broadcast at the Sydney Travel Show. (February or Forever, work-in-progress)
And others are somewhere in between:
Damn you Barbie! You and your size four figure, all over tan, and legs to the moon! (The Life Makeover Club)
Dr. Sylvia Greene had never done anything like this before in her life. (The January Wish)
‘Oops’ is not the word you ever want to hear from your hairdresser; scissors in one hand, a large section of hair in the other. (Untitled, work-in-progress)
And here are some great first sentences I’ve found from other authors:
If a road could look welcoming, then Summer Street had both arms out and the kettle boiling. (Past Secrets, Cathy Kelly)
Under normal circumstances, Faith and I should not be home when my mother calls and invites us to come see her brand-new coffin. (Keeping Faith, Jodi Picoult)
What would you do if you thought you were about to die? (Heaven Can Wait, Cally Taylor)
Of all the crap, crap, crappy nights I’ve ever had in the whole of my crap life. (Remember Me, Sophie Kinsella)
Why not comment and share a favourite first sentence or two, or maybe you’d like to share the first sentence of one of your novels, or a work-in-progress? I’d love to hear some more 🙂
My Four Favourite Words…
As a writer, hundreds of thousands of words manifest from your mind to the page, but four of them are the sweetest:
The End, and Chapter One
Not to say that all the wonderful prose you created doesn’t mean anything of course, it’s just that these words have special meaning.
Yesterday, I typed The End on my second women’s fiction manuscript, and there is nothing like the feeling of having completed a full length novel. Although, we all know The End isn’t really the end, as editing and revising awaits, but knowing that the story itself is written down and you have created something out of nothing feels pretty damn good!
Which brings me to my other favourite words, Chapter One. Part of the thrill of typing The End is knowing that whenever you’re ready you can open a blank document and type ‘Chapter One’, and start a whole new story with new characters, new settings, and new experiences. This is an exciting time when your mind can run free with ideas and let them pour onto the page. Then somewhere between Chapter One and The End you have to do the work! That is another reason why The End is so significant, it means you are one of the few who have committed, persisted, perhaps missed out on some sleep, been told ‘that’s a nice hobby’ by well-meaning people, looked at strangely when an idea comes in the middle of the supermarket queue, doubted yourself but picked yourself up again, and stuck with it until you could type those two sweet words which indicate a completed novel!
So whenever you find yourself stuck, disheartened, or wondering why you’ve chosen this challenging path, remember those four words, and remember how good it feels. After all, you are a writer because you love writing, so enjoy the journey, and celebrate all your milestones, no matter how small.
And that’s THE END of my blog post… (even that feels good 😉 )
Manuscript Monogamy – are you an adulterous author?
Many authors advise writing only one manuscript at a time, so you can completely immerse yourself in the world you’ve created and the lives of the characters. This ‘Manuscript Monogamy’ makes sense, however in reality while writing a manuscript you may be editing another, and planning a future story simultaneously.
But what about writing more than one manuscript at a time? Not writing one while planning another, but actually writing scenes in one story, and then writing scenes in another story? In other words, being an Adulterous Author (gasp!).
Are you guilty of this? And if so, is it really a sin, or is it possible that two different stories can be written simultaneously and still have a convincing plot and strong characters? Who knows, but I think it depends on the writer. If you’re the sort of writer who’s able to switch your mind easily from one story to another and stay true to the characters, then I say go for it – go ahead and cheat on manuscript number one with manuscript number two, and even (heaven forbid) manuscript number three! Just don’t tell your characters 😉
But, if the thought of this horrifies you and you think being the monogamous type is the right way to go, then repeat after me; “I (insert name here), promise to love, honour, and obey my current manuscript, till ‘the end’ do us part.” Sure, you can jot down some simple ideas for other stories as they arise, but be warned; one thing may lead to another and you could find yourself in a compromising position at third base when you only intended to go to first. Try explaining that to the revenge-driven gun-wielding action hero you created in manuscript number one.
Anyway, what do you think? What works for you? I personally am filled to the brim with ideas I want to pursue, so it would be detrimental to my family and friends, and possibly anyone within a five kilometre radius of my house, if I didn’t at least do some work on these other ideas while writing my current manuscript. I would quite likely explode if I didn’t. Having said that, I try to work mainly on one manuscript, but allow myself to write scenes in another when the inspiration strikes. Inspiration is such a random and beautiful thing, and like the Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston movie, sometimes it’s good to ‘Just Go With It’.
Chick Lit – love it or hate it?
There’s a great post and discussion going on at Dianne Blacklock’s blog about the term ‘chick lit’, check it out here. What do you think, should we scrap it? Is women’s fiction better or just as bad?, and how can we better classify novels based on the ups and downs of women’s lives?
~ Juliet
My poem made from book titles!
As an avid reader, writer, and creative person in general, (with a slight, okay… a fierce competitive streak), when I saw a contest for making a poem out of book titles I just had to enter!
Thanks to my writer buddy (and collage poet) Diane for sharing the link to the contest, and to Janet Reid for organising it and reading through all the entries.
I had a lot of fun pulling books from my neatly organised shelves and playing around with the titles until I came up with the final result; a romantic comedy complete with a black moment and happy ending 🙂
I didn’t expect to make the top four finalists, so that was a nice surprise!! You can see the results and the winning poem here.
Here is my poem:
So why not give this a go yourself? C’mon, have some fun and show me what you end up with!
From Here To Eternity – RWA 20th Anniversary Conference
I was one of the lucky 350 attendees of the Romance Writers of Australia’s conference, held in Melbourne on 12th-14th August. The organisers did a fantastic job, and everything ran smoothly and professionally, allowing us writers to sit back and enjoy the event.
This was my first writer’s conference, yet I felt like part of a family, and was never without an interesting person to talk to. It was great to meet many of my online writing friends face to face, and I’m sure they were surprised to see that I am in fact a real person and not the cartoon avatar they’ve seen online!
I’m incredibly grateful to have met many wonderful authors, and the support and encouragement they gave me was amazing. There was no ‘us and them’, or ‘published and unpublished’, we were all united as writers, no matter what stage of the journey we’re at.
The venue (Hilton on the park, Melbourne) was lovely, and simply being child-free for four days without having to think about housework or real life in general was absolute bliss! I always love the feeling of arriving home, but I also love being able to think solely about writing and publishing for a few days without the distractions of daily life. Is it too early to book for next year’s conference?? 😉
I took as many notes as possible. Some information was new to me, some reinforced things I’d already learned but needed to be reminded of. Most importantly, I left feeling inspired, empowered, and dedicated to this path I’ve chosen.
The speakers were all fantastic, and I enjoyed listening and learning from Bob Mayer, Susan Wiggs, Lisa Heidke, Nikki Logan, Jane Porter, Christine Stinson, and all the authors, agents, and editors who enlightened, informed, and entertained.
Here are some of the key learnings I got from various speakers at the conference:
- Writing is an entertainment business – emotion & numbers
- Always stay one book ahead of your contract
- Have SOP’s – standard operating procedures, for organising your writing time, social media, emails…etc
- Write about what scares you most – the emotion will show through
- Write what you WANT to know
- Get ideas by thinking, ‘What if?’, ‘What if something is not what it appears to be?’
- Dissect plots in movies by looking at ‘scene selection’ and scene titles on DVD’s
- Show a character’s true nature through crisis
- Find time for writing by tracking how you spend your time over one week – where can you cut back on time wasters and devote that time to writing?
- Use twitter hashtags to attract target market, eg: ‘If you like #nameofsimilarbookormovie, you’ll like #nameofyourbook
- Characterisation: Consciously communicate subconscious behaviour that the reader will subconsciously get
- A book series can be unified by concept, theme, characters, setting
- Sell a few .99c ebooks as ‘hooks’ to introduce readers to your other books
- Women’s fiction for the 40+ age group is a hot market
- Self help books can be useful for researching character issues and how they overcome them
- Children in books – must bring something out in the characters
- Technique for endings – try mirroring the opening of the book, unites beginning to end
- Don’t wait until publication to think about a ‘brand’, do it now
- A brand is a promise, a symbol, and triggers an emotional response and recognition
- Can brand yourself as an author, or your books, or a character
- When stuck with the writing process, do something else within the story – research setting, visual prompts, write a letter from your character to an old friend in first person
- Content is king, promotion is queen
- And much more!
Apart from the conference sessions, the social part was memorable too. The 1920’s themed cocktail party was a lot of fun, as was the awards dinner (congratulations to all the award winners!), and I was happy to do my bit for the fundraising for the Otis Foundation, a charity I hadn’t heard of until now, who plays an extremely valuable role in providing retreats for women and men going through breast cancer.
Thanks to the RWA team, my fellow writers, the speakers, agents, editors, sponsors, and hotel staff for making it a conference to remember.
I’m looking forward to a successful lifelong writing career – from here… to eternity.
~ Juliet
Author Interview – Darlene Fredette
Today I’d like to welcome Darlene Fredette to my blog!
Hi Juliet, it’s great to be here!
1. Congratulations on your upcoming novel, Keeping Secrets. Can you tell us a little about it?
Keeping Secrets is about Samantha Witherspoon, who is grieving the loss of her grandmother. A surprising clause in her grandmother’s will requests that Samantha return to her childhood home to have it renovated and sold. While there, she meets handsome contractor, Matt Sullivan. As their relationship grows, many secrets are revealed, and Samantha is holding a secret of her own.
*You can also read a blurb and excerpt of Keeping Secrets below, at the end of this interview 🙂
2. How did you get the idea for Keeping Secrets?
I wrote this story ten years ago, so I’m not exactly sure on its inspiration, but I am certain that it just came to me one day while cleaning the house. That’s when all my stories seem to pop into my head.
3. How many manuscripts have you completed?
I have two completed manuscripts, three more in the works, and several stories plotted out in my journals.
4. How long have you been writing for, and what do you do when you’re not writing?
I’ve been writing stories since I was a teenager. When I’m not writing, you can find me hanging out with my family. I also like to read, watch movies, walk the dog, BBQ, and sit by the fire-pit on a warm summer evening.
5. Do you follow a specific writing routine, or do you just go with the flow?
I wish I had a specific routine, but life’s daily distractions have a tendency to get in my way. Once I am focused, I quickly get into the story and lose track of time. And when I need a break from my laptop, a pen and journal become my best friends.
6. What is the best writing advice you’ve received?
Keep writing. Never stop what you love to do.
7. Who are your favourite authors, or what are some of your favourite books?
Penny Jordan, Jane Porter, Jennifer Crusie, Beth Kendrick, Sarah Addison Allen, Liz Fielding, and many more. Their books are some of my top favourites.
8. What are you working on now?
I’m currently editing a completed story, Guilty As Charged. It’s about two lawyers who butt heads over a case and their past. Their banter and undeniable attraction is fun and sexy. I also have a ‘sweet’ Christmas story, a dysfunctional family series, a fashion mayhem story, and several others in the works.
9. If you could go anywhere in the world for one day, where would you go?
It’s a tie between two places, though I’d have to go for more than one day. First, I’d love to visit Australia for its beauty and warmth. Second, Arizona for its scenery, warmth, and to take my husband to the auto shows in Scottsdale.
10. What advice would you give to other writers out there?
The same advice I was given, keep writing and never stop what you love to do.
11. When and how can people get a copy of your book? Do you have a website and/or blog you’d like to share?
Keeping Secrets will be available in ebook in August 2011. To stay posted on its release date and my current WIPs, please visit my web site: http://findingthewritewords.blogspot.com
Thanks for visiting, Darlene!
Make sure you check out Darlene’s book in August. I’ve been lucky enough to get a sneak peek at the first few chapters, and I can’t wait to read the rest!
Thank you, Juliet for the fun interview!
About Darlene ~ An avid reader since childhood, Darlene loved to put a pencil to paper and plot out stories of her own. Following a career path in administration, she excelled in the art of editing and design, which led to a successful position as Director of Administration and Marketing. Thanks to the support of her husband and daughter, Darlene has been able to fulfill her dream to write full time. Residing in Nova Scotia, she can be found writing in her home office with the family dog, a yellow lab, never letting her too far out of his sight. To learn more about Darlene visit her web site: http://findingthewritewords.blogspot.com
Keeping Secrets – Blurb
Samantha Witherspoon is a strong, independent, businesswoman, determined to prove her worth as the heir to her late-grandmother’s chain of cafés. When she clashes with Matt Sullivan, the stubborn contractor who refuses her renovation project, Samantha returns to her childhood home to convince him. Sparks fly, tempers flare, and Samantha quickly realizes that befriending the rugged contractor isn’t as easy as she thought.
Despite her reservations, desire ignites between them under the city stars of Montreal. Matt’s mere touch makes her long for the kind of love Samantha thought she’d never have. When a mystery box reveals devastating family secrets, Samantha decides it’s time to come-clean with Matt. But before she can, her own secret arrives on her doorstep. Samantha’s heart is torn. Will a promise made to her late-grandmother prevent her from finding true happiness?
Keeping Secrets – Excerpt
Samantha’s ears twitched at the sound of a crackling coming from the ceiling just above her. She watched as a trickling line split and plaster showered downward like a heavy rainfall.
Suddenly a set of strong arms encircled her and held her tightly, taking the breath from her chest. Her feet were lifted from the concrete floor and she was yanked backward, slamming her and her rescuer into a wall. An image out of a romance novel, where the hero sweeps the woman of his dreams into his arms, declaring his everlasting love, flashed through her mind…until another large piece of plaster fell from the ceiling, crashing loudly on the floor before shattering into thousands of tiny pieces. Samantha no longer saw a vision of two lovers, but one of her, crushed under the debris. She took several deep breaths.
Hammers stopped and were followed by the rush of work boots running across the concrete. “Matt, you okay? Is the lady hurt?” they asked. “That was a mother of a close call!” another said.
Her hero ignored the men and set her back on her feet. His once warm brown eyes were now cold and throwing daggers. “What the hell are you doing here?”
“I…I was…looking for you.” Winded, her breathing was heavy.
From the drooping brows and harsh pressed lips, she could tell Matt was not at all happy to see her, but Samantha couldn’t have been more pleased. Her search was over and the incredibly attractive man she had been seeking had rescued her.
* * *
Don’t Just Write What You Know, Write What You Care About
This is one of my favourite bits of writing advice, and as soon as I read those simple words in Donald Maass’ book, ‘Writing the Breakout Novel’, I grabbed my trusty pink highlighter and slid it across the page. Mostly because I liked the advice, and partly because I love highlighting things! (I love the smooth feel as they glide along the page, and the colours you can get these days are gorgeous! But I’ll save that discussion for some other self-indulgent blog post, perhaps about stationary addiction).
It is SO important to write what you care about, because as Donald says, ‘If you don’t care, why should anyone else?’
Don’t write something just because you think it’s popular, or there’s a gap in the market. You have to like and care about what you’re writing in order to enjoy it and do it for the long haul.
This advice got me thinking about what I care about, and why I have written about certain topics. In my novel, The Life Makeover Club, I’ve written about women getting a chance to create the life they always wanted. I care about people being able to enjoy their lives and do the things they’re passionate about, rather than feeling like they’re stuck in a rut, or trapped in a life that isn’t what they want. Too many people settle for second best, or say ‘this is just my lot in life’, without thinking or taking action towards making their life better. Sure, there are some things that can’t be changed, but a lot can be, and probably one of the most important things you can change is your attitude.
My novel also explores motherhood, and how to be a good mother while still keeping your own identity – something I know many mothers struggle with. I’ve also highlighted (there I go again!) the humourous side to motherhood, as daily parenting can bring with it both challenging and funny moments, and sometimes you just have to laugh!
Another thing I care about creating awareness of is the often silent ‘emotional abuse’ in some relationships. Domestic violence gets a lot of press, and rightly so, but those suffering in an emotionally abusive relationship often suffer in silence because it is not seen, and the affected partner can feel like they are making a big deal out of nothing, or that maybe they are just too sensitive. I wanted to show a character going through this and finding the strength to come through it; to say ‘I don’t have to put up with this.’
Other themes, issues, and topics I care about, and are writing or plan to write about in future are:
– reconnecting with family
– personal empowerment
– trusting your intuition
– the reality of autism and the gifts it can provide
– the importance of being proactive with your health
– remembering and celebrating life’s little pleasures
– the need for a ‘place to call home’
– the valued role of grandparents
– thinking outside the box – ‘What if?’
– entrepreneurship
– accepting people as individuals
– the valuable role of ‘the arts’ in our lives
– second chances, persistence, never giving up
– miracles
What about you?
What do you care about?
What are you inspired to write or read about?
Setting The Scene – bringing the story to life through a sense of place
Setting is usually an important part of a novel, and can often become a character in itself. Although much of what I write is character-driven, the setting I choose helps ground the story in time and place, which adds to the overall ‘realism’ of what’s taking place. I love reading a book where you feel like you are part of the setting; watching or experiencing what’s going on – feeling the sun on your skin, or the cool ocean breeze, or taking in the ambience of a popular cafe. Good writing will draw you into the setting and the story, making it easy to form a mental picture of everything. But although it’s important to set the scene, I try not t
o overdo the description of a place, preferring to get stuck into the dialogue or action of the plot.
In my novel, The Life Makeover Club, the characters and plot drive the story forward, but certain places and settings are important in the book. It is set in Sydney, Australia, and most of the story takes place right in the city itself. The reason I chose this setting is twofold: 1, I only live a couple of hours from Sydney and have been there many times, so it was easier for me to write about a place I knew, and 2, I thought an exclusive ‘club’ involving people wanting to makeover their life would be more likely to take place in a well-populated area, so I chose the city of Sydney.
The club meetings take place in The Ruby Room of City Health and Fitness (a fictional health centre). The gym in the same centre is also an important setting, where fitness fanatic Gina attends regularly, and fitness-phobic Miranda attends once or twice, after some well-meaning coercion!
Miranda works the reception desk at the 5-star Harbourside Towers, a luxurious (fictional) hotel with gold-plated everything! Toward the end of the novel, a charity ball takes place in the hotel’s ballroom, which was a great excuse to showcase the grandness of this particular setting, not to mention a few plot twists as well! The ball scene is one of my favourite scenes in the book! Because this scene is set on New Year’s Eve, I also couldn’t help but bring the fabulous Sydney New Year’s Eve fireworks into the story.
One thing I love about Sydney is the department store window displays at Christmas time. As a child, my family would often spend a night in the city to wander around and look at the displays. I always found them so enchanting, and so I had to make mention of them as well! Click here to see some beautiful window displays!
At one point in the story, one of the characters is lucky enough to spend a week at a beautiful health retreat in a small beachside town, Tarrin’s Bay (again, fictional, but based on a real town). After almost a week of eating a vegan diet however, lover of fine food and wine, Miranda, escapes down to the local markets and indulges in a banana ice cream. This simple change of setting results in a major turning point occurring in her life, but I won’t give away what happens to her! This is also a favourite scene, as it is based on where I live, and I am writing more stories set in this beautiful beachside location and really bringing out the uniqueness of the setting.
Oh, and another setting used in the book is a hospital emergency room, where I put my poor character through a rather unfortunate incident involving a designer dress, morphine, and a pair of scissors! I’ll say no more!
…So how much do you think setting affects a story? Are there any books you’ve read that have really brought about a strong visual picture in your mind of the location the characters are in?
JULIET MADISON 