Spelling Issues

I give my proof reader fits. It’s a result of growing up reading a lot of British and New Zealand authors. I mean a lot, not just a few on occasion. The majority of my favourite authors are British. These authors heavily influenced my formative years as an author. I don’t recall my high school English teacher having a problem with my mixed bag spelling, but my college creative writing professor used to dock me 10 points for using British spelling. I took the deduction rather than change my spelling habits. After all, it was a creative writing class, not an English literature class. (The professor also had a problem with me referring to a widow as “Miss Hattie.” Then I moved to Texas and every woman—married or not—is “Miss.”)

Perhaps if I was totally UK spelling, it wouldn’t be a problem, but I’m not. There are British words that don’t look right (centre and tyre), while others are enchanting, and I look them up to make sure I’ve spelled them correctly (manoeuvre). As a lover of words, “faery” and “faery tale” stick in my head more, even though I’ve recently learned (like while checking the etymology for this blog) I’ve used it incorrectly according to one article to cover all fantasy instead of the darker side. (I don’t think it will make much difference to my writing, as I like the way it’s spelled.)

Still, I’m consistent in the UK version of words I do use: colour, grey, neighbour, saviour, etc. I’ve discovered a lot of the religious terms come from the Scottish background of my faith from UK or Scottish hymn writers, which explained the confusion of various hymns that switched between the two variants. As a kid it confused me, but as an adult, I love the differences.

As a journalist, I constantly had to check my spelling to make sure I used the American version and it was exhausting. At times it’s been an embarrassment as a friend’s last name used the American version and I constantly caught myself using the UK one.

After years of adding UK spellings to my spellchecker in both Word Perfect and Word, I finally was able to download the UK dictionary to Word. Now I just ignore the underlined American versions I use. Fortunately, I was able a few years ago to find a UK proof reader who could make sense of my blended vocabulary and does an excellent job polishing my manuscripts.  I suppose it’s a good thing I self-publish as traditional publishers might insist on using one or the other; however, the blended vocab is deeply ingrained in who I am as a writer. It’s not just a “style” I’ve adopted—it is an integral part of my personality and being. To edit out certain words would be like losing fingers or toes or a hand or foot. I could continue writing, but the story itself would be crippled. It would be like limiting an artist to a single medium or prohibiting them from using certain colours of paints.

As a word smith, the spelling variations add layers of depth and colour to the words themselves. I think I’ve mentioned elsewhere the differences I perceive in “grey” and “gray”. These are two different colours to me, and while I favour the “grey” variety with its darker, weathered component, there are times the softer gray is applicable. My mom used to tell us kids “it’s not what you say, it’s how you say it” especially when we were belligerent or stubborn. I think it applies to the way words are spelled, as well.  I once read a tweet where someone called someone else “pretentious” for using honour instead of honor. Not knowing the author, I can’t tell whether or not the use was intentional, but I suspect the author liked the way the word looked and gave additional flavour, rather than as a deliberate attempt to be highfalutin.

In a day and age where we toss words about carelessly, misspell them to gain advertising advantage or to be thought “unique” (designer names for kids), the ability to incorporate the way words are spelled across cultures is a novel approach. It may not be “literary”, but neither was e. e. cummings when he chose to use all his words lowercase.  It may only be a niche fad or solely for use among science fiction or fantasy writers, but exploring the various ways words can look is a staple for writers wanting to push the boundaries or simply express their innermost being.

We can’t all be best selling authors, but we can all write our stories using our own distinct voice.

By Any Other Name

Not to set myself up as greater than Shakespeare, but a rose by any other name wouldn’t smell as sweet, just as a character by any other name just wouldn’t be the same person. As a writer choosing the proper name for a character is essential. Sam Starkiller just doesn’t have the same panache as Luke Skywalker. Change the name, change the character.

I was three chapters into Redline before the heroine finally said, “Enough. That is NOT my name.” Oh, I had Olivia down pat, from her physical characteristics to her stubborn, tough as nails attitude, but until I changed her name, she didn’t really exist. None of the other names I used worked, but switch to Olivia and she suddenly sprang into being.  In my early sci fi opera series, when circumstances forced a name change on my hero, I had to write all those chapters with his original name to keep the character the same. Changing his name tended to change his persona and I found I couldn’t write him under the new name.

Names are important. I do a lot of research into the meaning of names before I saddle a character with one, and I try to make the name reflect some defining characteristic.  I like the name Calvin, but couldn’t name a hero that as the image of a bald guy would clash too much with a hero with thick dark hair. Just doesn’t work in my mental world. 

Still, there are times I don’t really need to know the meaning of a name to create a character, especially if it’s a secondary or tertiary character. Then I merely need a name that sounds good and compliments the character’s background. For times like these names can be found anywhere.  I once based a major/minor character on a misspelled name from a newspaper article back during my junior reporter days when I was proofreading copy. Other sources I have used are phone books (that was back in the day before everything went digital) and student lists from newspapers. Other great sources for names, especially if you want to get foreign names correct (don’t depend on Google),  are lists of Olympic athletes and college graduation lists.  Another great source for foreign names can be found in the credits of foreign movies or anime. Of course, one still runs the risk of not getting the gender right, but most readers will give writers a bit of leeway on that.  

While naming conventions vary, it’s still a good idea to find out as much as you can about how other countries handle names.  Not every writer is able to travel and spend significant time in other countries, so being creative in learning info without totally depending on Google is important.  I’ve often found the very information I need isn’t available online (or at least I’ve not been able to figure out the algorithm for finding it). With the advent of Twitter and Facebook, it’s easier to make friends in different countries and that’s a great source for asking questions about using surnames first or last, use of nicknames, naming customs, etc.  It’s not the same as being there, but it does fill in a gap for those of us who can’t afford to spend six months living in another culture.

I keep a large number of paperback books of baby name meanings and origins on hand as a reliable source. I still remember the raised eyebrows of the local clerk as a teenage girl purchased a baby name book (that was waay back in the day when teenage pregnancies were uncommon in small towns).  For me, having paper copies to hand is a lot quicker than trying to search through numerous online sites. Often names have different meanings in different cultures, so it’s always good to double check if you are going for meanings not just a cool name. I especially double check English name books because some of them don’t always give the correct meaning of my name, so I try to choose books that have the correct meaning. I always smile reading the part in one of the X-wing books where Wedge learns a different pronunciation of his name gives a whole new meaning—and not a pleasant one!  There was even a time I went by a different name overseas because the local pronunciation of my name was too much like “car oil.”

Don’t let anyone fool you—names are important. Choose your character’s name wisely. You only get one chance to make it memorable.

Underlying Principle

I once explained the reason why my novels aren’t traditionally published was two-fold: trad publishers didn’t like it because it was Christian and Christian publishers didn’t like it because it was science fiction.  That’s a bit of an oversimplification, I admit, but there is still plenty of truth in it. It may also explain why the books themselves aren’t popular. There’s not enough sizzle for the secular audience and not enough “Christianity” for the religious side.

Let me explain: If I merely follow the social media crowd, the “popular” books have a few characteristics you’ll not find in my novels. You won’t find things like sex scenes, profanity, or a glorification of evil. There’s no disrespect of authority figures (whether law or parental) and you won’t find irreverent language or behaviour, nor will you find things that violate traditional family values. All those things seem to be required to “sell” novels in large quantities.  At least, if you believe twitter posts and Amazon book reviews. Of course, the reviewers don’t tell you the books contain any of the aforementioned characteristics; however, if you start reading those books, that seems to be the main selling point. I guess what really turns me off is reading halfway through a good book which suddenly and without warning starts dropping F-bombs and sex scenes. If it wasn’t necessary in the first half of the book, what makes the writer think it’s necessary in the last half of the book? I guess I struggle to wrap my brain around why anyone would need to include it in the first place. One should be able to tell a good story without those elements and adding those elements doesn’t improve the story as I find myself asking “how does this further the plot or develop the characters?”  Most of the time it seems those elements are added just to ramp up sales.

On the other hand, the religious readers seem to think unless there is an explicit  plan of salvation where a main character gets saved, the book isn’t “Christian.” Of course, those same folks manage to include some of the aforementioned issues before the main character gets “saved.” Again, I question the reason so-called Christian books feel the need to include those elements. I once asked a publisher why he thought Christian books even needed a lost MC. I never got a satisfactory answer, but I suspect it’s because most  Christians think a godly MC is boring and if they don’t “spice up” the books, no one will read them. That may be true, but I keep thinking of the popularity of the Narnia Chronicles and the Lord of the Rings trilogy and I can’t see the lack of those elements hurting sales.

While my novels normally don’t include overt Christian telltales, all of them are based in a Christian worldview. My faith is the underlying principle behind the characters themselves, the story’s plot and resolution, and permeates the world building. It doesn’t mean bad things don’t happen or my characters don’t struggle to do what is right, but it does mean the characters proceed from a foundation of integrity, honest, compassion, and a sense of right and wrong.

Eh, that’s not realistic some might say. Maybe in your world you have little experience with real Christianity. However, my life has been spent with godly people living out their faith in quiet and unassuming ways in their daily life. And no, I haven’t spent my entire life in a small rural town, isolated from mainstream America. I’ve lived in large and small towns, lived overseas in different places and I know people who live and act like the people in my stories.  While you might not find a direct reference to Christ in my stories, His principles permeate each page.  When I’m writing, I’m considering how best to represent Christ in everything, how to make sure the story is uplifting and beneficial and include principles that can be applied to anyone’s life. Each one is written from a Christian worldview, which gives me a unique perspective on how the characters could and should act, as well as a limitless scope for complicating their lives. After all, it’s harder to stay pure when life is attacking you from all directions. It does not mean that everyone abandons their principles because life is hard and cruel and that people of integrity and sterling reputations don’t exist in real life. Personally, I think it’s much harder to write an interesting good person than to write an interesting bad person and perhaps that’s why we see so many stories focused on depraved and evil characters. It’s too much work otherwise.

I make no apologies for the wholesomeness of my novels. If I wanted to be a wealthy writer, I could easily do so; however, I have standards based on my faith and I refuse to lower those standards just to make a sale.  You could say, I’m a lot like my characters. Principle matters more than fame and fortune.

So the next time you pick up one of my stories, don’t hastily dismiss the characters and their actions thinking no one in the real world is like that. There are plenty of real people who make the same kind of decisions on a daily basis. They just never make the spotlight. And yes, sometimes in real life, the cavalry does come riding over the hill to rescue the beleaguered heroes.

To Review or Not to Review

Writers love hearing from readers and the best or at least most common way we have to hear from readers is the written review on Amazon. This is where we can connect with readers to tell if they liked our story, where we might need to improve the next time, or just to gain a sense that yes, we are not alone in this world and someone else did hear what we were saying.

Unfortunately, not every reader leaves a review.

Some just aren’t reviewers. They don’t know what to say or how to say it or are just too shy to put their thoughts on public display. That’s okay. They’ll move on to another story (maybe one of ours) and that’s really what keeps writers going. Knowing that readers are picking and choosing and bringing our worlds to life.

Some didn’t like the book but realize others will and don’t want to leave a negative review. Different genres, different readers. Ask me to review a romance and I’m going to give it a pass. Not saying I hate romance, but I don’t generally read them. I have a few (very few!) romance authors I’ll read, but most romance stories are so shallow I get nauseous by the end of the first chapter. It doesn’t mean the story is bad, just that it’s not my cup of tea. A writer should never judge his work based on a review by someone who doesn’t like or understand the genre. Nor should we be discouraged just because someone doesn’t like our work. Pepsi versus Dr. Pepper. I’m a DP fan, not a fan of Pepsi. Doesn’t mean Pepsi isn’t equally as good as Dr. Pepper, but it’s not for me. Really, the only person we need to please with our writing is ourselves. If it measures up to our standards and what we like, that’s sufficient. If it captures the attention of a reader—that’s icing on the cake.

Not everyone knows how to leave a review and even if we do, reviewing standards are widely diverse.  I’ve read a lot of reviews and most never answer some of the questions I need to know before buying the book. I don’t need a rehash of the plot –that should have been covered in the book blurb, although it seems more and more people fill that space with praise quotes rather than tell the reader what the story is about. (I usually skip reading those books). I do want to know if the reader liked the story and why. What was it that appealed? What caught his attention and kept him reading to the end? Sometimes even if the story isn’t written all that well, an intriguing plot or character will keep me reading. Story always trumps form for me. It’s why some of most highly acclaimed stories turn me off—the story just isn’t that appealing even if the writing is top notch. There are some other things I’d like to know in a review which usually don’t get covered, like how much profanity, violence, or sex fills the pages. I don’t want to waste my time (or money) on a book that feels the need to include those, so if you let me know ahead of time I won’t waste my time or yours. Some days I feel books should have a rating like movies, even though those ratings have been so watered down as to be useless.

There are readers who just don’t want to leave a review unless the book is really, really good. I’m one of those readers. A book has to grab me to even want to leave a review. In the past year, I’ve read tons of books I’ve liked, but very few leave me desiring to write a review. If I like the author, I buy the next book.  If the story was okay, but not world changing for me, I’ll move on to another author. I may come back to the first author down the road, but I probably won’t be actively searching for his books. The one exception is a book that has few reviews. If it was a good story, I’ll leave a review.

(Just a side note here: I read both male and female authors. My use of the pronoun “he” is gender inclusive, not exclusive. Most of the world understands that the “he” pronoun includes both sexes, while the “she” only refers to females.)

Reading is a solitary pastime and believe it or not, most readers are a bit shy in expressing their opinions in public (unless they are among a group of readers they feel comfortable with). So expecting a reader to always write a review isn’t realistic. Yes, writers need reviews. It’s how we gauge our effectiveness and popularity. It shouldn’t be how we gauge the quality or value of our work

Plausibility vs Realism in Writing

One of the little things that annoys me most in social media is the either/or questions; you know, coffee or tea, kindle or book, etc. as if the world revolves around only two concepts. Personally, I drink both coffee and tea in equal measures and I have my favorites for both. I also like the convenience and availability of eBooks, while owning a large library of physical books.

It always amazed me that writers (and sometimes readers) get rabid about realism in stories. If it’s not “real”, “authentic” or “factual” they harshly criticize it. This isn’t a new thing. I remember telling a sociology college professor that the book we were being forced to read for the course wasn’t a true depiction of Puerto Ricans in New York City only one author’s POV (The book was full of profanity and sex and as a student at a Baptist College, I objected).  I also hung around with lots of internationals, so I was well aware that some families were like that, but to assume every Puerto Rican living in New York was the same bordered on stereotyping when we were supposed to be reading about a typical family (this was back in the ‘80s long before any culture was ‘woke’).

Storytelling, at its heart, is about plausibility, not realism. It entertains, teaches, comforts, encourages, uplifts, trains, and sometimes makes us think. From Aesop’s fables and American tall tales, fairytales to science fiction and everything in between and out in left field, stories capture our imagination with the possible, not necessarily the real.  It’s the reason I can still enjoy ‘50s sci fi set on Venus, Mars, and elsewhere without thinking “oh, wait, we know better now.”  If it’s a good story and well written, I can set aside reality and get lost in an imaginary world.  Build me a plausible world and it doesn’t make any difference if it would really work or not. I may have mentioned before, I don’t need to understand why or how a blaster works (or even if it’s possible), I just need to know if the hero knows how to use it. 

The need for realism in today’s novels is a double-edged sword. While it can add a level of believability to a story, it also is a pitfall for inexperienced authors who use it to dump a load of research into their novels just so the reader knows the author did the research.  Bad idea. Authors, the research is for you, not your reader. It gives you the background to write what you need to write without getting technical. There are readers who like that kind of thing (my physics son being one) and read every word about how something works or why it was set up. But I remember skimming over large sections of some of the ‘50s sci fi because the science is now outdated. Adding too much info can quickly make a novel obsolete for those scientifically minded readers.

It’s a fine line to walk. How much research should go into a story and how much should be left to the reader’s imagination? Hard to say. I would stress writers should ask themselves “why am I including this” about their research the same way they do about anything else (dialogue, action, character, etc.) in their story.

Another downside to the “realism” inserted into storytelling is the mistaken assumption that dysfunctional, profanity, flagrant sex, dark, obscene, etc. is somehow the new “norm” and everybody does it. All military are potty mouths, all whites are racist, all women are sex fiends, all men are bad, all teens are rebellious, bullies, and foul-mouthed; and the list goes on.  Bad becomes the new good and anything virtuous is touted as “unbelievable” as if no one does it (or only backwoods, hillbilly far right wingers).

We talk about avoiding tropes and stereotypes in writing and then proceed to throw money by the billions at authors who do so.  I saw a tweet the other day by an author proud of the profanity in her books and I had to wonder why? Why does she think adding it makes her books somehow better or more realistic? I know there are folks who enjoy such books, but if that’s all that’s being offered on the market what do the rest of us who don’t like them do? Where do we go for our reading enjoyment, or must we be content to merely reread dead authors?  Even more disturbing in this either/or world are the number of Christian authors who think they need to follow the same guidelines for their books to sell. I remember telling an editor one time, “why do all the Christian books have non-Christian heroes that get ‘saved’? Is it just so they can get in the profanity and sex first?”

People come in all shapes and sizes. We come from different backgrounds and cultures. Even within a cultural there are differences. Maybe you live in a community where bad is rampant, but not all communities are like that. There are good communities, good people, good families, good men and women and good teens. We should be allowed to write those stories, too, without being told “that’s not realistic.”

Writing when not writing

Some days my twitter feed is clogged with writers discussing the number of words they’ve written that particular day, as if the number itself is a magical incantation for success. The more words, the more success, right? One of the benefits of being old is having read a boatload of books and watched the trends in writing as they develop. What was popular 50 years ago, or even 30 years ago is classified as “not publishable” today. And I have to ask “why?”

If the story is good, the characters multidimensional and the plot believable, why does it matter whether the story is 40,000 or 140,000 words? Most of the paperback and hardback novels I grew up on came in around 40-50,000 words or less than 300 pages in a 5 x 8 format. I still like my books in this format, and I will admit unless I really love the author tend to choose shorter books (I just don’t have the time to waste skipping over useless pages in a 500 pg book).

A corollary of the numbers game is the push to write every day. I know some of my favorite authors (now deceased) said a good writer writes daily, but know what? Even those guys didn’t write best sellers every time. Yes, there is something to be said for the discipline of writing daily, but unless you are wealthy and can afford to not work so you can devote large chunks of time daily to writing, it’s not very practical. Add in raising children, nurturing a marriage, and tending to some self-care and the daily writing tends to dwindle or vanish altogether.

Instead of feeling guilt over not meeting some quota on a daily basis, try thinking about not writing from a different perspective. When I’m not writing, my ideas are simmering on a back burner, distilling down the minutiae, the floss, the unimportant items into a delicious blend of scene, character, and plot.  Writers need time to think, to process plot and characters, and try out different scenarios until we discover the perfect recipe.

My husband is really good at modeling this. When we were first married, I was always in a hurry to complete projects, while he took time to think about the project. Case in point was the appliance counter he built. It took six months of thinking before he even started the project, at which point it was completed quickly and easily. Taking time to think through various plot points, character scenes, or even just to let it percolate a bit until all the flavour is in, yields pages that flow from the pen, pencil, typewriter, or laptop.

Sometimes it may take weeks or even months before a story jells in my head, but once it does, the words just flow onto the page. If I try to force out a chapter before it’s ready, I end up having to rewrite it and that just doesn’t work for me.  I don’t mind tweaking a chapter or a paragraph, but major rewrites aren’t my thing. I’d much rather give it time, think about it, and give both the characters and plot a chance to hie off in an unexpected direction, than have to completely rewrite several chapters after the fact. (Trust me; I tried it and had to rewrite several chapters to add in an extra layer/component/subplot). Not fun!)

So during those times you aren’t writing, fill up your writing tank with good stories, good books, good experiences, music and friends. Let your thoughts drift, blend, meld, simmer and recombine in new ways. All those daily activities, the boring routine, the unexpected or frustrating situations may end up fodder for a new idea, but only if you give your brain and creative juices an opportunity to sift through everything and come up with something fresh. Don’t be afraid to let ideas simmer.

Of course, if writing is your bread and butter, do write every day; however if you have the luxury of not writing every day, embrace it and enjoy the journey.

Open Letter to New Writers

Being a writer isn’t the easiest thing in the world. There are other professions, careers, jobs where it is easier to define success. In a way, writing is like being a preacher…when with others of the same profession we tend to limit our success in terms of numbers: numbers of baptisms, numbers of books sold, as if numbers truly define what is at the heart of both professions—changing lives.

I’ve been a writer as long as I can remember, from the very earliest scribbles in elementary school to the more elaborate pieces of awful prose in junior high.  It took me a while to find my niche, to find a series I’m comfortable with, that I enjoy writing, that’s uniquely me and not a knock off of something else. Judging my merit as a writer solely on how many books I’ve sold doesn’t cut it for me. Approaching success as a writer has to go beyond the cookie cutter approach.

In addition to the constant talk of book sales numbers, there is another tendency among writers on social media that distresses me: the persistent insistence on minutiae as an earmark of a good writer. I will be the first to tell you that you need to proofread and proofread and proofread again. Even the best writers miss things that glare like a searchlight for readers (and that was in the days of only printed material where once it was published, you didn’t get a do-over). Attention to grammar and spelling is a must, simply because you don’t want to jar the reader out of the story world with carelessness on your part. However, some of the things that keep cropping up on social media grieves me as it’s just another “gatekeeper” to keep new or young writers from entering the fray.  Tools, meant to be guidelines, are used as absolutes and guidelines are treated as a smorgasbord of tools that can be picked or not as the writer chooses.

Let me give you an example: Omniscient third person and limited third person. Some of the great pieces of literature were written in omniscent third person and while current publishers don’t like it, there really isn’t anything wrong with it if that is what your story needs. The pendulum has swung far with new writers taking the limited third person to mean a different character in every chapter. These multiple POVs are as confusing as the argument that omniscient POV is confusing because the author jumps from character to character on the same page…same argument, just different packaging.  If you can keep up with multiple POVs, you can keep up with omniscient. Still, I can follow omniscient easier than trying to stay interested in multiple POVs that change with each chapter. Personally, I want to be invested in one or two characters, not a dozen. Sometimes omniscient works best with multiple characters. Think Lord of the Rings. Basic rule, pick a POV and stick with what works best for your story.

The newest trend is to write in first person and/or present tense, so I’m going to address both simultaneously: don’t. It takes an experienced writer to attempt first person, and few can do it well. (Robert Heinlein and H. Beam Piper are two good classic examples. Karina Fabian’s Dragon P.I. series is a modern example. See Murder Most Picante). If I see a book written in first person, I usually avoid reading it. It’s just not worth the wincing as “I drag a French fry through the ketchup.”  There is a reason most of the classic authors wrote in past tense and new writers would be well advised to avoid present tense; however, if that’s your thing, please be aware of a couple of rules of thumb that could save you countless hours of heartbreak with readers. You don’t have to detail every little thing the character does. Example: if your character needs to answer the phone, just answer the phone.  Don’t give the excruciating detail of walking across the carpet, picking up the phone, touching the call button and raising the phone to your ear, then answering the call.  Ask yourself why. Why am I using present tense? If you are a storyteller, use present tense to tell your kids bedtime stories.  If you’re a writer, use past tense because the story has already happened.  You are recording it for others to enjoy.  Past tense doesn’t require as much sentence manipulation and there’s less anger when the MC dies at the end of a present tense story. There’s also less chance you’ll switch tenses mid-stream.

Last, but not least is the topic of using said, tags, synonyms, and adverbs. Honestly, I can’t believe how many well-intentioned people want to cut useful tools from the English language. Folks, there’s a reason why English has so many beautiful synonyms for “said”.  For example (and if you can’t hear the difference as a reader, you haven’t read enough books).

“Leave it there,” he said.

“Leave it there,” he growled.

“Leave it there,” he whimpered.

“Leave it there,” he screamed.

If your mind didn’t immediately go to four different scenes, well, I feel sorry for you. English is rich with synonyms that help set stage, mood, emotion, context, and the list goes on. Don’t limit yourself simply because some know-it-all told you not to use them. Doing so is a knee jerk reaction like the present idiocy that requires everyone to say “my friend and I” even if it’s wrong. *(See end of blog for explanation) Do remember synonyms are like salt and should be used sparingly. Tags are good (writing dialogue without using “said” or one of its synonyms), but shouldn’t be the only tool in your toolkit. Mix it up.

Adverbs are another lovely tool that often gets trashed without thinking. Adverbs can be overused and used as a crutch to tell instead of show; however, sometimes a simple adverb can do the work of paragraphs of useless explanation.  As a journalist, I learned long ago that simple is better. Sometimes writers get so caught up in trying to show that they write a convoluted paragraph to explain what could have been said better with a single adverb.  Here’s a simple example:

“Don’t touch that,” he said, angrily, as she reached for the rusted lever.

“Don’t touch that.” His voice rose, nearly to a shout, as she reached for the rusted lever; the decibels of his tone rattled the windowpanes and made her cringe in her seat.

Ok, while the description is good and might even have a place depending on the circumstances, with a bit of context you’ll see the adverb serves a purpose. If this is merely one line of dialogue, then the description works wonderfully.  However, if this is part of a larger dialogue paragraph or a running action scene where the action is more important, the reader doesn’t want to be jarred out of the scene by needless description. Use the adverb and move on. Save the lengthy description for what’s more important.

Be flexible. Be bold. Be adventurous. There’s more than one way to write; you just need to find your voice. Who knows? If you tell a compelling story, you might set a new style for writing.

*Use “I” before a verb and “me” after verbs. My friend and I are going to the theater. Give my friend and me a chance to show what we can do. Too often teachers and parents auto corrected children and students without proper instruction and a whole generation uses “my friend and I” when they should be saying “my friend and me.”

Why Mars?

If you’ve read any of my recent novels, you know I love setting stories on Mars. What you may not know is this has been a lifelong love affair with the Red Planet.  I grew up on Ray Bradbury’s “Dark They Were and Golden-Eyed”, Heinlein’s “Red Planet”, Tom Corbet’s and John Carter’s Mars adventures. For an introverted smart girl in the 70s with a strong interest in science, Mars became a refuge, a place I could belong when I didn’t fit in with the rest of the world.  I could pick out the Red Planet in the night sky and dreamt of one day stepping foot there.

Of course, with all the hoopla and Musk’s push for colonization, it’s no wonder Mars is in the forefront of everyone’s mind and Amazon is rife with Mars stories. Unfortunately, they all have one thing in common: how hard (read, impossible) it is to survive on Mars. I do get it and I understand the challenge does make for tension and a good plot. The stories I grew up on, however, understood the difficulties (no one would mistake Burrough’s Barsoom as anything but harsh), yet somehow managed to infuse a sense of wonder, of accomplishment, of hope into the stories. The difficult terrain was a backdrop, a subplot at times, but not the main focus. The true challenge, the true tension was in man against man or man against himself and were much better stories in my opinion than the natural disaster-everyone dies kind of stories.

So why Mars?

All my life I’ve heard “write what you know.” What I know is ordinary; it just doesn’t seem exciting and I’m a lazy writer. I like doing research, but just enough to lend authenticity to a story not fact checking every single detail only to have a story torpedoed because the store went bankrupt, or the president changed, or science modified their viewpoints. Readers can be cruel about inconsistencies, especially in social media (not to mention their tendency to ‘markup’ digital copies by pointing out what they consider flaws). Setting stories in real places is dangerous. Even if I make up a town based on one I know, it feels forced.  And if anyone from that town reads the book, they instantly compare what the book says about what they know about the town.

Science fiction allows me the freedom to create believable, plausible worlds and writing stories set on Mars satisfies a deep longing. Plus, I can take the rural values I’m familiar with, set them in a strange environment and voila have instant tension. I’ve done lots of traveling during my life and people are the same no matter where they live. Cultures vary but people face the same circumstances, trials, joys, needs regardless of ethnicity. How they react will vary more by individual than culture, though, and that’s what makes a great story. If I set a story in space, I get to mix cultures without someone instantly reacting “they wouldn’t be that way.” Maybe not on Earth in your hometown, but they could on Mars. It adds an entirely new dynamic to the story, while also giving me the freedom to include language, customs, and ideas not found in rural America.

Setting stories on Mars give me the ability to not limit myself to a genre. I can’t write westerns or romances, so I opt for writing a western romance on Mars. A Japanese space western, if you will. Alongside of all the Mars stories, I grew up watching Japanese cartoons (predominantly the Americanized versions of Gatchaman,) Then along came the Internet and I was hooked on anime. I try to reflect the same feelings of challenge and hope found in my favorite series.

I guess you could say writing stories on Mars allows me to break the bonds of culture, social expectations, and genre limitations to be the person I always wanted to be as a teenager, but wasn’t brave enough to become until an adult.

It’s such a niche market, you say. So? I like the worlds I create, the stories I tell and if only one reader finds joy between the pages of a book I wrote, I’m content. Buckle up, take a ride, and enjoy the journey. See you on Mars!

The Power of Story

I’ve touched on this topic off and on in other posts, although not exactly from this direction. I am a confirmed bookaholic–reading is as necessary as breathing for me and I get completely lost in whatever story I’m reading. The world around me dissolves and all that remains is the story. My husband says I “inhale” books. Actually, I don’t inhale or devour them as much as I absorb or assimilate stories. The story becomes part of me, part of who I am and what I believe, which is why I’m extremely picky about the types of stories I read. Story has a power influence on me and I select the stories with great care because I know the effect they have.

Story goes beyond format. I’ve always been a bit bothered by people who despise certain forms of story simply because it doesn’t seem “literate” enough. Stories passed down by mouth are sometimes seen as less “educated,” yet many of our faerie tales started as verbal legends which were later written down to become beloved tales read by millions. Others are tales told to children whose parent later set the same ideas down on paper. The story itself doesn’t change with the transformation from voice to print; it expands. Print allows the story to add details not always included in a verbal rendition, yet the story itself remains intact.

It’s the same with music. There are people who can play shaped notes, but not the regular notes on the same staff. Others can play sharps, but not flats; while others play flats but not sharps. This has always astounded me since both sharps and flats are the same keys on the piano. I cannot see the difference when playing.

In story, the format is really as unimportant as whether the note is A flat or G sharp–it’s the same note. Whether a story is told in comic book form, graphic novel, ebook, print, or even a visual medium such as movie or television, as long as it is well-told, what’s the difference? How can we limit the universe of story by confining it to a specific form? Some tales are best told visually (Hunt for Red October); others fits better in a graphic novel form (Atomic Robo). In spite of the two film versions, The Scarlet Pimpernel remains a story best told in print as the film endings seemed contrived and lacked the emotional punch of the writer’s words as she describes Marguerite’s agony in choosing between her beloved brother or her beloved husband.

The power of story transcends the shackles of form. It lingers long after the physical packaging has faded into obscurity. A wise writer (and a wise reader) will not judge a story by its cover.

Everything I Need to Know about Writing I Learned from Korean Dramas

Well, maybe not everything, since I didn’t discover Korean dramas until my children were grown.  However, Korean dramas have heavily influenced both my writing and style.

* If you want to learn how to write fast-paced, exiting plots: watch Korean dramas.

* If you want to learn about incorporating plot twists, watch Korean dramas.

* If you want to learn how to “grow” or change a “static” character into a “dynamic character, watch Korean dramas.

* If you want to learn how to wring the most emotion out of a scene, watch Korean dramas.

Today’s blog, however, isn’t about how to write; it’s about the gatekeepers that hinder or block writing.  If you watch any K-drama long enough, you come to recognize that gatekeepers are part and parcel of all good plot twists. Just when you think the hero/heroine is going to succeed, up pops another gatekeeper to sabotage everything.  Sometimes the gatekeeper can be a rival, a parent, an old enemy, someone in authority who is crooked or has a lot of power, even tradition.

Writing has the same kinds of gatekeepers. Sometimes a parent or teacher discourages us from following our gifts. “Very few people make a living writing books.”  “The industry is highly competitive.”  Maybe so, but that’s no reason not to write.

Sometimes the gatekeeper is our own lack of knowledge or skill; however, that particular gatekeeper can be easily overcome. A much harder gatekeeper is the “location” where we find ourselves.  Writing science fiction in the middle of rural America isn’t going to be easy, nor is writing rural westerns in a metroplex. Often times we find ourselves surrounded by cultures or people who just “don’t get it,” and thus finding our market or niche becomes something that seems insurmountable.

Time and reality are also gatekeepers. In 30 years I have written 8 novels. That may not seem like much; however, I’ve been a wife, raised four children, been a missionary, newspaper editor, and school teacher. Working full time leaves little room for anything else, especially if one is going to have time for family and self. I “make” time to write, yet the demands of reality often get in the way. Still, eight novels are eight more than most people have written.

The last, most powerful gatekeeper is the publishing industry itself.  In the first 20 years of my writing “career” I ran across the reality that just because a book is good doesn’t mean it’s marketable. (not my idea, I borrowed it from another indie writer). This truism means that publishers don’t always publish good books; they publish what will make them money.  I know that hundreds of excellent books languish in reject bins due to this mentality.

Yet thanks to Createspace and the self-publishing industry, this monster gatekeeper is slowly being overcome. Indie authors still have to battle “published” authors and their attitude that somehow self-publishing makes us “not good enough.” It reminds me of Tomorrow’s Cantabile, a school filled with prestigious musicians who looked down on the “leftovers” as not being as good enough to make the A team. Until one courageous conductor transformed those opinions into a remarkable orchestra where every “voice” blended into perfect harmony to create a unique cantabile.

Writers are unique. Our voice, our message doesn’t have to garner the spotlight to be meaningful—or respected.  A library is filled with a plethora of books, old, new, innovative, traditional, factual, fantastical, opinionated, educating. Some have worn, dull covers hiding exquisite stories. Others are all flash and bling and not much substance, but popular with readers. Some are priceless tomes that cannot be removed from the library, while others spin through the paperback exchange like a revolving door.

Everyone has a story. Some writers may not be as skilled as others in telling their stories, yet they deserve a chance to sing and a even minor chord can touch a heart.