Category Archives: Natalie Bright

TWEENS Have It

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TWEENS Have It

By Natalie Bright

 

Children’s literature once offered the genres of picture book and everything else. Thankfully today that grey area of choices after pictures is more clearly defined with early readers, chapter books, middle grade, upper middle grade, tween, and young adult.

The new group that emerged with efforts to focus on “tweens”, between childhood and young adults, is the topic of this blog post. You’ve probably noticed that many industries are reaching out to this group, from entertainment to fashion to reading material.

Tweens Defined

Tweens, defined as being between 10-14 years of age, seem to live in two worlds. When I talk to classrooms I’m reminded that they are still children and sometimes very immature. In other instances, I’m shocked at the complexity of the questions they can ask.

It’s a complicated age; that time period between childhood and young adult. I’ve witnessed this with our own boys. Reading a book with chapters was a big deal. Our oldest totally skipped most of the tween offerings and went straight to nonfiction on the topics that held interest for him. Our youngest enjoyed the light, simple plots of chapter books. By the time he was in fourth grade he was reading at a Jr. High level and he wanted stories that were more complex. As a parent, I was cautious about the drug and sex themes covered in the young adult genre, and thankfully there were some in-between novels that held his interest.

Holes, by Louis Sachar

HOLES is the perfect example of a book for tweens, in my opinion. It includes folklore, a mystery, and contemporary issues of a work camp for difficult teenagers, along with a mystery that spans across several generations. It appeals to both girls and boys. I enjoyed the book and the movie equally as well.

Children today are much more sophisticated in their reading choices I think. Of course, there’s always the kids who never read and those who read anything and everything. Several books I would have classified with young adult type themes, seem to have resonated with the younger crowd as well.

Good Story is Everything

As my then 6th grader got into the car after school one day, he asked, “What is team Edward and team Jacob?” Twilight was a hot topic among the tween crowd from many years. My son really wasn’t interested in reading the books at all, but agreed to watch the Pay-per-View with me. “I guess I’ll have to, so I can know what the girls talk about all day.”

Bottom line: a unique, well-written story is a good story, no matter the target age.

nataliebright.com

 

Too Busy to Write

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Too Busy to Write

By Natalie Bright

Some days cause us to wonder why we even think that writing is a necessary part of our lives. Sometimes those days turn into weeks, and those weeks turn into months…and well, you understand.

Finally, we get back to the business of writing and the creative process seems so foreign. It’s like we’ll have to start over and relearn the basics.

Here’s a few writing exercises to get you back in the muse groove:

Write the inner thoughts from your main characters. Start with their life growing up, description of their parents, most afraid, most embarrassing–all from first person POV. Dig deep and really get inside your character’s head.

If you’re stuck on your book, write a short story, a magazine article, a nonfiction book, a story about your grandfather, childhood memories. Just write.

Make lists. I love making lists. Since I write westerns, I made a list of word substitutions for the word “horse” . Make a list of spicey words. Instead of the word jump, what other word would make that descriptive phrase better? Make an alphaetical list of your character names with a brief discription, like red hair, green eyes, trimmed mustache.

Prepare a timeline of your novel, scene by scene.

So there you go. Hope you have a productive week!

 

What is the RIGHT Genre?

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What is the RIGHT Genre?

By Natalie Bright

The discussion at a writer’s workshop in Wichita Falls led by Jane Graves, an award winning author of contemporary romance, changed the way I think about writing.

Her advice was to, “hone in on the one thing that speaks to you. Freshness and originality comes from what you can imagine.”

Even though the words in my head are mostly children’s literature, I attended a romance writer’s workshop because that’s what I thought I’d be writing. In the beginning of my writing journey, the whole creative process was a chore; I hated my characters, the dreary plot line, and the editing process seemed like torture. What made me think that I’d ever be able to write a novel?

Janes’ words got me to thinking. What I’ve been obsessed with since a very early age, besided writing a book, is history, stories set in the Old West, and the great tribes of the Plains most especially Comanche.

Believe me I’ve tried to change the ages of my characters so they’d fit a publisher’s specs, follow the advice of my husband who said if I’d write a marketable romance it would surely sell, and consider the ideas of well-meaning colleagues who suggested I needed to add a vampire or alien to revive that western tale.

The RIGHT genre is the character that wakes you up in the middle of the night, the endless, daunting edits that lights a fire in your gutt, and the finished piece that feeds your soul.

WRITING DOWN THE BONES

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By Natalie Bright

Add this one to your writing reference library: WRITING DOWN THE BONES, Freeing the Writer Within by Natalie Goldberg.

Here are few gems from Ms. Goldberg’s book for you:

“Trust in what you love, continue to do it, and it will take you where you need to go.”

“Writing, too, is 90 percent listening. You listen so deeply, to the space around you that it fills you, and when you write, it pours out of you.”

“The deeper you can listen, the better you can write. You can take in the way things are without judgement…”

“Basically, it you want to be a good writer, you need to do three things. Read a lot, listen well and deeply, and writer a lot.”

nataliebright.com

READING AND WRITING

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READING AND WRITING
By Natalie Bright

One of the notable things that many successful writers have in common is that they read. If you find interviews by some of your favorite best-selling authors, they usually reveal their reading lists. And more often than not, they’ll have a few books that they’ve read over and over.

William Faulkner wrote, “Read, read, read. Read everything — trash, classics, good and bad, and see how they do it. Just like a carpenter who works as an apprentice and studies the master. Read! You’ll absorb it.” 

One of the WordsmithSix writers told me she reads Stephen Kings’ THE SHINING every year around Halloween. It’s one of her favorite books because of the psychological intensity, and of course written by one of the masters. My goal this year is to read that book in October. It’s already on my eReader.

Which comes first: the writer or the reader? For me personally, I can’t answer that question, but one bookshelf holds several of my cherished childhood picture books. And I can vividly remember my hometown library, Rhoads Memorial Library in Dimmitt, Texas.

Located on the same block, and just around the corner from the Laundromat, I spent most Saturdays there.  While my mother did our weekly wash, I whiled away the time with characters and discovered places I’ll never forget. Mrs. Howell usually had books ready and waiting for me. With a cheery “Good morning. I think you’ll enjoy this,” she’d hand me a stack of treasures.  The feel, the smell of the pages, the tingle of excitement; I couldn’t wait until I could bury my thoughts into the story.

One of the happiest days for my mom, and probably one of the saddest for me, was when my dad backed his pickup truck next to the front porch and unloaded a new washer and dryer. That was the Saturday I didn’t get to go to the library. And perhaps that was the day I started writing the stories in my head.

Who influenced you to become a reader?

nataliebright.com

The ROCKY Path to Publication

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The ROCKY Path to Publication

By Natalie Bright

If there’s one thing about the writing industry I’ve learned as being true, is how consistently inconsistent it is.

An author of 35 plus novels told me that not one of her books ever did like she’d planned. Some won major awards taking her totally by surprise, some got picked up in foreign countries while others didn’t, and some of her all-time favorite stories to write didn’t resonate with her fans like she’d hoped.

I visited with a newbie writer in Dallas whose Aunt had paid her conference fee because her Aunt believed she had potential as an author. We visited over the weekend, and her story ideas were very unique. At her first conference she learned, pitched, and submitted. That “newbie” took the fast track to success and never looked back. She has since established a solid career which began with a romance eBook novella.

The manuscripts by a former critique partner and talented writer still haunt me. She finally submitted a mystery; it was one of the first and only things she ever submitted. An editor expressed great interest, but this friend would not even consider making any of the edits. She gave up writing soon after.

The point is that the path to publication is very different for each one of us. I think the key is to be willing to bend around any plan you might have and walk through the doors, or very small windows, or opportunity.

Today’s authors are faced with a myriad of options. Some days it’s overwhelming. Should we wait on someone else to decide or should we take matters into our own hands? Authors have the power to give their projects wings, but is it the right thing to do for that particular project?

One thing for sure, the path is consistently rocky and trying, but ultimately very rewarding.

Thanks for following WordsmithSix!

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Author. Speaker. Girl About Town.

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Author. Speaker. Girl About Town.

Natalie Bright

The Amarillo Club is located on the 30th and 31st floors of the tallest building in downtown Amarillo. I was invited to join a study club for lunch and to present a program on the history of energy in the Texas Panhandle. It’s a very interesting group of ladies, mostly retired educators, several local, long-time business owners, ranchers and professional women. This group is fun. They had lots of comments and questions, which makes for lively conversation and an enjoyable experience. This is my second time to present a program for them.

The view is breathtaking from this lofty vantage point. I posted a picture on Instagram and Facebook of the downtown skyline and the flat Texas Panhandle.

When I got back to my car, I checked the mirror to apply lip gloss and noticed a speck of food. In my teeth. For the entire talk? Gross! I held on to the hope that perhaps the people at the back of the room couldn’t have seen it. I half cried as I checked Facebook comments on the picture I had posted. My Uncle commented: “Eating at high altitude produced gas (Boyle’s Law). You can control it by eating slowly.” So much for hanging on to any credibility for my #authortalk.

Embarrassment and horror turned to giggles as I drove back to my office. No matter how sophisticated and worldly I might be in my own mind, I’ll never escape these redneck roots. I’ll always be a small-town Texas girl, even in pearls and high heels while dining at the top of the world.

The same holds true for my writing.

No matter how hard I wish it, the stories in my brain are not mainstream. Honestly, I had big plans of being a romance novelist. I’d love to write the next zombie mega hit. Or even better, why can’t my muse ignite me with an earthshattering future world adventure that breaks all records as a New York Times Bestseller? Yes please, I want to write that.

Reality check. More than likely, it’s not going to be my book with, “Now a Major Motion Picture” printed on the cover.

The stories in my head are set in the past. My characters are thundering across the wide open prairie on a paint pony, or storming through a clump of Redcoats. In my mind’s eye, I see wagons and horses and Comanche braves. I have no idea why.

The why is a mystery.

The where and who are moving picture shows in my head.

The doing is the hardest work I’ve ever done.

Follow your characters, no matter where they may take you….

 

PILES OF RESEARCH

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PILES OF RESEARCH

By Natalie Bright

Tracking and Controlling Research Notes

Research notes and piles of reference books have totally taken over my life. At the recent Western Writers of American conference this past June, I had the opportunity to visit with two historical novelists. My question to them—what system do you use to track and control your research?

Three-Ring Binder

As seat mates on the bus during a field trip, Nancy Plain explained her notebook system. She fills a three-ring binder for every book she writes. The information includes hard copies of information she might need to refer to again such as pictures, online materials, interview notes, or library materials. Sections are identified by subject. Main take-away idea for me was a section in the binder just for quotes. These will be an important component for the final book, whether its fiction or nonfiction. Good quotes relating to time period or history of your story can be used for promotion in the way of tweets or other social media posts. I

ndex Card System by Subject

I’m a huge fan of Lucia St. Claire Robson. I approached her at the WWA Conference between sessions and posed the same question to her. As a former librarian, she uses a fascinating index card system. Believing that, “75% of the work is organization” when writing historical fiction, she has developed a system to keep track of those thousands of details any researcher might need for their novel. She scribbles notes on 4×6 index cards, using a different color for each work in progress. Every source is assigned a letter and a number, starting with #1. Cards are then filed by subject. As she writes, she prints each chapter and might add note cards to the pile, if she comes across anything that’s relevant. After the first draft is done, she goes back and picks up that information needed for each chapter based on any additional research and the notations in that pile. Here’s the thing about her system: any issues that might come up from an editor or fan, can be readily answered and verified. Mr. Robson has established a reputation for being a meticulaous researcher. Her books certainly reflect that. You’ll find detailed imagery that transports you back in time.

For more about Ms. Robson’s system, read her blog here: http://www.luciastclairrobson.com/featured/just-call-me-lucia-minutia/

Time to Get Busy

As I type this, on the floor behind me are separate piles of spiral notebooks along with manuscript drafts and copies of stuff related to my novels. On the shelves are open baskets for each book title, where I’ve tossed related material. How do I find something? You might have guessed already. I have to sift through the entire pile. What a mess. I’m hoping to combine both of these author’s systems and get a handle on my stacks and stacks of research.

To minimize the mess on the floor, I’ll use the binder or notebooks to file away the information I’ve amassed to date. Because I’m a junky of used books and dusty old book stores, I’m starting a card file system right away to identify these reference materials. As time permits, I hope to go back through some of my earlier spirals and make index cards for those factual tidbits as well.

For more information about these novelists and their work, visit their websites listed below.

Nancy Plain is an award winning author of biographies and histories for children and adults. Her most recent work is THIS STRANGER WILDERSNESS, about the life and art of James Audubon. www.nancyplain.com

Lucia St. Clair Robson is most famously known for her book about Cynthia Ann Parker, RIDE THE WIND. As her first book, it won the Spur Award, made the New York Times Best Seller List and was included in the 100 Best Westerns of the 20th century. www.luciastclairrobson.com

Keep researching and keep writing WordsmithSix peeps!

Designing a Compelling Synopsis

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Designing a Compelling Synopsis

The following outline was a handout at a class by author DeWanna Pace, who was an amazing teacher. Not only can this be used to write a synopsis, but I’ve found it helpful to provide a big picture view of your story and plot line. This will keep you on track and help you reach the end with your main characters goals and motivation still in mind. It’s so easy to lose the overall structure of a story sometimes and get lost in words that are going nowhere. The story has to keep moving onward with every scene and every section of dialogue pushing the reader to the end.

The opening hook/logline:

Who is the main character:

Ordinary world for the main character:

Trigger event/inciting incident:

Motivation:

Conflict:

Goal:

Conflict:

Genre consideration:

What she learns:

Goal:

Outcome:

Motivation for her:

Conflict/resolution/ending/results:

DeWanna provided these additional tips for romance writers: beginning/jolt into action; complication/conflict; work place/historical setting; kiss; fight; realization of being in love; love scene; self-knowledge/changes in character; and HAPPY ENDING.
If you are writing romance use basic fiction matrix and overlay the romance/love story plotline.

Creative Genius or Paranoia?

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Creative Genius or Paranoia?

By Natalie Bright

The creative person is both more primitive and more cultivated, more destructive, a lot madder and a lot saner, than the average person. FRANK BARRON, “Think”, Nov-Dec 1962.

People should realize that writers apply their vivid imaginations to every aspect of their lives. It’s an endless list, the things we can worry about, and the writing and submitting process is no exception. I’m not saying I’ve ever had any thoughts on this list (perhaps one—okay, two), but these issues have come up in conversation with creative types:

  • My children, husband, in-laws, co-workers, neighbors, my cat—the entire universe—have conspired to prevent me from finishing this book.
  • Why did I send that stupid and inappropriate email to my agent? I should have never asked that question. She’s never replied because obviously, I’ve been dropped as a client. Can I be any more unprofessional? My career is over.
  • No response. They never got it. It’s been 14 days, 8.5 hours, 22 minutes since my submission. I don’t like the way the new mailman looks at me. He probably never put it in the bin for mailing. The crazy postman sabotaged my writing career.
  • I can’t believe I let this story out into the world. What a piece of crap. No wonder I can’t sell anything. I’m a total joke to every editor in New York City. They probably read my work out loud at happy hour just for a good laugh.
  • My book would have sold by now except for my website. I need a complete redo with a more vivid color scheme, different pictures, new bio. A blog! I need a blog. And a tribe. How much does a tribe cost?
  • I’m done. It’s too hard. I can’t take all of this rejection. Who am I kidding? My dream. Is. Over. *sob* Hey! A great idea for a picture book just came into my head! I’ll sleep later, AFTER I finish the first draft…

…onward my WordsmithSix friends!

 Nataliebright.com