Category Archives: Writing

Top Ten from SCBWI-OK 2014

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Top Ten from SCBWI-OK 2014

Natalie Bright

 

The Oklahoma chapter of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators held a meeting in Oklahoma City. If you aspire to write stories for children, this group is a must. www.scbwi.org

SCBWI hosts a huge con in August in LA and a NYC con in February of every year. If you’re low on funds or time and can’t make the journey, consider attending one of the local workshops close to you. I usually make at least one of the Oklahoma meetings every year, which is just up the interstate from where I live. Time and family are the issues for me, but several nights away is doable. Sure you could go shopping or take a vacation, but how about making an investment in your writing career instead?

You’ll meet creative writers, editors, agents, come away with tons of inspiration, and find new friends who love stories just as much as you do. Now here’s the big secret that only conference goers know: most of the big publishing houses are closed to un-agented submissions but these editors make an exception for attendees when they speak. They’re furnished with a list of names and those people can submit a manuscript and bypass the slush pile. Did you get that? You have to go. It’s only for those who attend the meeting. What a fantastic opportunity!

Here’s my top ten from SCBWI Oklahoma 2014:

  1. Twist the cliché character and turn what we’ve already seen on it’s side. Tricia Lawrence, Erin Murphy Literary Agency.
  2. Have you considered the visual language of comics? They can say one thing and show the opposite. Colleen AF Venable, FirstSecond Books.
  3. Figure out your character’s pain point. Ask them questions, and then torture them. Tricia Lawrence, Erin Murphy Literary Agency.
  4. Use family to create characters. Family dynamics shows a character as who they really are. Andrew Harwell, Harper Collins.
  5. Study the work of craft. Not just reading. Take it apart and look at stories from a writer’s perspective. Melissa Manlove, Chronicle Children’s.
  6. Trend chasing books usually fall flat. Challenge yourself to look outside your day-to-day existence. Which truths would make great fiction? Kristen Miller-Vincent, D4E0 Literary Agency.
  7. Family relationships can bring more emotion to create empathy and sympathy for your character. Andrew Harwell, Harper Collins.
  8. Give your character an objective in each scene. Pit them against an obstacle. Liza Kaplan, Philomel Books.
  9. Use those familiar family conflicts that we’ve all experienced, but amp them by 1000 times for your book. Andrew Harwell, Harper Collins.
  10. Your brain is a machine made for generating ideas and ideas come to writers like lightening bolts. More importantly, it is the lightening bolt that hits somebody who has been habitually cranking the generator. Those are the best ones. Melissa Manlove, Chronicle.

Thanks to SCBWI Oklahoma for a great conference. I can hardly wait until September!

nataliebright.com

The Magic Words

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POST CARDS FROM THE MUSE

 

The Magic Words

By Nandy Ekle

 

I was born a word person. I don’t remember the age I started reading, but I don’t know that I was a prodigy. But no matter what age I started reading, I’ve always loved stories.

The first stories I loved were bible stories, then the early readers from school. My parents were avid fans of the library and I grew up thinking the library was an enchanted place.

I always had lots of words to say, and said them as often as they came into my head, much to my dad’s dismay. I guess the thing I heard him say more than anything else was, “Don’t your jaws ever get tired of talking?” And of course, the words did slow down, except when I am able to let go and write. And in those moments, I really truly do visit the land of enchantment.

But as much as I love to talk and write my own words, I love reading others’ words just as much. I’ve only ever started about four books I simply could not finish. All the other book I’ve read are the most wonderful dessert in the world.

I said there were only about four books I simply could not finish. The opposite of that is there are about four writers who are the most powerful wizards on the earth.

All this introduction to say I am reading a book now by one of these very talented authors. I know I should not have been so surprised because nearly everything this writer does is pure genius. But I read the first paragraph of the prologue and immediately felt the air shimmer and electrify. The world around me disappeared and I felt like I was being sucked through a vortex to another world. All from the first paragraph.

That is talent.

Your assignment: get your favorite book by your favorite author and analyze it. When do you find yourself grabbed and pulled in to the world? How did they do it? Does the story you’re writing do that? Can you fix it?

Congratulations. You have just received a post card from the muse.

Reality vs. Fiction

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Outtakes 125

Reality vs. Fiction

By Cait Collins

Hospital scenes on television and in the movies are nothing like reality. I have yet to see one doctor pat a nurse’s backside. Nor have I noticed doctors and nurses sneak into a supply closet for a quickie. In fact the hospital routine is pretty boring.

My niece recently had day surgery. Before the staff took her to the OR, the nurse anesthetist came in to meet with the patient. She verified my niece’s name matched the information on the bracelet. She confirmed the doctor and the procedure, and explained the process—sedative; anesthesia; intubation, and then she made way for the surgical nurse. Same procedure. The two ladies had different personalities. The anesthesiology nurse was pleasant but straight forward. The surgical nurse was professional but more personable. She assured us everything was under control. Then the doctor came in to mark the surgical field. Again, very nice, but totally professional.

Totally boring.

It’s no wonder writers exaggerate the setting. The trick is maintaining enough reality to keep the reader or television/movie viewer from sitting up and saying, “No way.” The long-running TV series ER is an excellent example of both good and bad writing. I truly loved this series, but I was also aware of the flaws. One can only go so far before the action is unbelievable.

One episode that rang true centered on misdiagnosed toxemia. The mother presented with an infection, but as treatment progressed, it became apparent Mom and baby were in jeopardy. A botched C Section and inability to control bleeding lead to the mother’s death. Dr. Green’s attempts to come to terms with his mistakes were so believable the viewer could feel his pain and self-doubt.

Not so believable was the disappearance of ER doctors from their shifts without having secured coverage for the department. Such action would result in the doctor’s dismissal from the hospital and possible suspension or loss of his license to practice. The quarantine episodes and the helicopter accident that deprived a surgeon of his arm were just too contrived to be good drama.

One story line that was well written and beautifully performed was Dr. Green’s death from brain cancer. I lost my husband to brain cancer. Watching the deterioration of a vibrant character hit too close to home. I watched the episode once. I will never watch it again. It hurts too much.

The ability to suspend disbelief, to make one believe the impossible is an art. It takes research, observation, and practice. But when done correctly and well, the reader or viewer is totally engrossed and satisfied with the work. The writer needs to develop good research techniques and professional sources so that his writing is believable. I challenge all of us to make the audience believe and accept exaggerations of reality.

A Thrilling Suspense

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A Thrilling Suspense

By Rory C. Keel

Whatever happened to action/adventure stories? Today they’re called thrillers or suspense stories.

This genre defines itself with stories that evoke an emotional thrill by placing the reader in the middle of situations such as a conspiracy or an eco-thriller.

Suspense might include an aviation story set in the past, or even a future time, and may include a familiar theme such as legal or medical thrillers. In thrillers that have espionage, exploration or treasure hunters, the protagonist’s life goes beyond the ordinary.

Thrillers are usually full of fast action and the hero always wins and leaves the reader wanting more.

roryckeel.com

Dr. Pepper & Peanuts

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Dr. Pepper & Peanuts

By N. Bright

My grandfather, Pappy, used to take me to the Grain Coop in Lockney, Texas where he’d buy me a “sodi pop” and a handful of peanuts. You had to take a couple of sips before your peanuts would all fit in the thin necked bottle. I always studied the artwork on the bottle and asked him why couldn’t we have one at 10, 2 and 4 everyday?

The memories of our childhood, the sounds, the experiences and the tastes all influence our stories and add flavor to our writing. These are the details that give your stories voice.

If it has to do with history, I always have to know how and why. Which brings me to the point of this blog: how long has Dr. Pepper been around?

The unique flavor of Dr. Pepper was created and sold beginning in 1885 in Waco, Texas. Dr. Pepper is the oldest manufacturer of soft drink concentrates and syrups in the U.S. It originated at Morrison’s Old Corner Drug Store by Charles Alderton, a young pharmacist who worked there.

Alderton liked the syrup flavor smells and in his spare time served carbonated drinks at the soda fountain. Keeping a journal, he began experimenting with numerous mixtures until he found the one he liked. Long story short, the store owner loved it, the fountain customers loved it, and its popularity soon spread. Robert S. Lazenby, a young beverage chemist, also tasted the new drink and along with Morrison, formed a new firm, the Artesian Mfg. & Bottling Company, which later became Dr Pepper Company. They introduced Dr Pepper to almost 20 million people attending the 1904 World’s Fair Exposition in St. Louis. At the same Fair, hamburgers and frankfurters were first served on buns, and the ice cream cone was first served.

So now I’m wondering in my fictitious town of Justice, Texas, 1887, if my main character’s grandfather might have bought her a Dr. Pepper? The challenge comes in digging deep for answers, and taking our experiences and applying them to another time and place. That’s the magic of writing.

Did you Know that a total of 23 fruit flavors give Dr Pepper its unique taste?

Who Said That?

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POST CARDS FROM THE MUSE

 

Who Said That?

By Nandy Ekle

 

https://www.goodreads.com/quotes

  1. Words are, of course, the most powerful drug used by mankind.

— Rudyard Kipling

  1. We live and breathe words.

–Cassandra Clare

  1. Which of us has not felt that the character we are reading in the printed page is       more real than the person standing beside us?

–Cornelia Funke

  1. A classic is a book that has never finished saying what it has to say.

–Italo Calvino

  1. What an astonishing thing a book is. It’s a flat object made from a tree with            flexible parts on which are imprinted lots of funny dark squiggles. But one glance             at it and you’re inside the mind of another person, maybe somebody dead for        thousands of years. Across the millennia, an author is speaking clearly and             silently inside your head, directly to you. Writing is perhaps the greatest of human            inventions, binding people together who never knew each other, citizens of distant        epochs. Books break the shackles of time. A book is proof that humans are            capable of working magic.

–Carl Sagan

  1. I know nothing in the world that has as much power as a word. Sometimes I write             one, and I look at it, until it begins to shine.

–Emily Dickenson

  1. Among my most prized possessions are words that I have never spoken.

–Orson Scott Card

  1.          Literature is my Utopia.

–Helen Keller

  1. There is no scent so pleasant to my nostrils as that faint, subtle reek which comes             from an ancient book.

–Arthur Conan Doyle

10.  We wrapped our dreams in words and patterned the words so that they would live    forever, unforgettable.

–Neil Gaiman

 

 

All Grown Up

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Outtakes 141

All Grown Up
By Cait Collins

This past Sunday, I had the privilege of attending my nephew’s junior violin recital. A.J. is music major at West Texas A&M University and plays in the University’s symphony orchestra. I have attend his concerts, but this is the first time I’ve heard him play solo since he began playing the violin in grade school. His music brought tears to my eyes. Just watching him was a treat. There was magic in the play of his fingers over the strings at the instrument’s neck and in the changing angles of the bow’s movement across the body of violin. For about forty-five minutes, he welcomed us into his world. I was enchanted.

During the post recital reception I asked my brother-in-law if he ever thought Twinkle Little Star sounding like a dying cat would become so beautiful. He shook his head. Maybe we didn’t know, but A.J. did. He worked at his music, learning not only the violin, but also dabbling with the keyboard, cello, guitar, base, and French horn. He sacrificed play time to practice and learn music. He earned the accolades he received from family, friends, future in-laws, and fellow students.

A writer’s journey is similar to the musician’s. Our first stories are rough. Sometimes they make little sense. Yet, if we were lucky, we have a mom and dad who read scribbled messes and praise the efforts. They walk the path with us, encouraging and correcting until we can step out on our own. We have a support group as we hone our craft and submit our first works to agents and editors. They watch our documentaries and act as beta readers for our novels.

While loved ones support us, they cannot give us the passion required to continue the journey. That passion must come from inside us. We succeed because we want it, desire it, and work for it. Talent plays a role in success, but even talented writers must invest the time and discipline required to rise to the top. Sacrifice is required. Work ethic is a must. Our futures as writers are mainly in our hand. We must put the words on paper, write the query letters, and submit the work. Nobody will do the work for us.

I am definitely proud of my nephew. I celebrate his success. But I also applaud my writer friends who are on their way to successful careers. They have earned my respect and congratulations.

Go West Young Man, Go West!

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Go West Young Man, Go West!

By Rory C. Keel

“Not a hard man to track. Leaves dead men where ever he goes.” – Outlaw Josey Wales

The Western genre is defined by a specific time and place. Most are set west of the Missouri River from Mexico to the south and as far as Alaska to the north. The stories flourish with greenhorns, gringos and cattle driving cowboys. Usually set between about 1800 and 1890, the rugged hero or heroine always endures through any adversity.

Some of the most popular authors include Louis L’Amour, Zane Grey, and Elmer Kelton.

 Western Subgenres include:

Black Cowboy (buffalo soldier) and Civil War westerns.  Bounty Hunter stories of men chasing outlaws, and Cattle Drive westerns which are set during a frontier cattle drive, such as Larry McMurtry’s novel Lonesome Dove.

Cowpunk, these tales depict all sorts of bizarre happenings on the remote frontier with slight sci-fi slant. Eurowestern, Gunfighter, Indian wars such as James Fenimore Cooper’s 1826 novel The Last of the Mohicans.

Land Rush stories usually focus on the Oklahoma land rush. Lawmen (Texas Rangers) are about the honest lawmen who brought order and justice to the wild frontier. Mexican wars (Texan independence), Outlaw westerns, and yes, most of them wear black hats.

Railroad stories connect the east with the west and Range wars are stories where ranchers are pitted against the farmer. Romance is an overlapping subgenre, which features romance relationships in a ‘western’ novel. An excellent example of romance western is the anthology Give me a Texas Ranger by Jodi Thomas, Linda Broday, Phyliss Miranda and DeWanna Pace.

Wagon Train westerns tell the historical stories of the pioneers’ struggles on their transcontinental journey on the Oregon Trail.

Just remember “Every gun makes its own tune.” – The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

roryckeel.com

Ten Best from Enid

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Ten Best from Enid

by Natalie Bright

www.nataliebright.com

 

Enid Writers Club sponsored a one day seminar on The Story, a Craft of Writing seminar. Based on my notes, here’s the best quotes from Saturday’s workshop.

1)    Things will be tough in your life, but when you get to the other side you still gotta write that book. Dusty Richards, Spur Award winning author and President of Western Writers of America

2)    Anybody can be published in 40 days. We all know there are a million opportunities for writers these days. To rise above the others, you must have a kick-butt story that connects with readers in a unique way.  Lucie Smoker, Enid Writers Club

3)    There’s a time, there’s a publisher, there’s a place on the shelf for your story. Never take no for an answer. Work on getting better.  Dusty Richards

4)    Begin with a commitment to write a chapter every day. Stop whispering, “I’m a writer.” Don’t be afraid to declare it—I write! Tara Hudson, best-selling YA author

5)    Kick that story off like you kick a football to start the game. Get ‘em by the shirt front and grab that reader into your book. Your job as the writer is to intrigue people. Dusty Richards

6)    A reader doesn’t give a damn about all the things the writer thinks we need to know. We want to have an adventure. It’s up to you as the writer to take us on one. Dusty Richards

7)    Let your mind run. That’s when you write your best. Create the book. Don’t listen to anyone during this part of the process. When it’s time to edit, then listen to others. Dusty Richards

8)    Write at least one paragraph on the next chapter before you quit for the day. Don’t stop at the end of the chapter. Dusty Richards

9)    Setting is a character. You may not have thought of it in that way.  Tara Hudson

10)  Develop rules of your world, which is particularly helpful if you are writing a series. Don’t ever break them. Tara Hudson

Very inspiring conference and we made it home before the snow storm hit. Thanks Enid Writers Club for a great day!

www.nataliebright.com

Deliberate Randomness

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POST CARDS FROM THE MUSE

Deliberate Randomness

By Nandy Ekle

The clouds lazily crawl across the sky. They look like big old cotton balls and you feel comfortable watching them while the white globs of fluff change and begin to take on shapes. The longer you stare, the more recognizable the shapes are. The shapes morph and become other shapes.

Later you’re sitting in the office waiting for your appointment. Looking down at the tile floor, you notice the flecks of color in the squares. They seem to be random, but after a minute or two, they begin to look like objects or people. You think you see a strange story in the floor.

Then you gaze across the room at the bookcase and notice the grain of wood. The swirls and peaks catch your attention and pretty soon you have another vision of something vaguely familiar.

Randomness is a hard concept to follow. There are patterns all over the place, especially where we least expect them.

Keep your eyes open to the most random spots in your world and see if a picture doesn’t arrange itself for you.

Congratulations. You have just received a post card from the muse.

nandyekle.com