Outtakes 255

In the Zone

by Cait Collins

Have you ever had one of those really productive writing sessions? You know that time when the words almost type themselves on to the document or the pen moves itself across the page. I’m having one of those in the zone moments tonight. It started right after I got off the phone with my insurance company and has continued for a little over two hours. I’ve glanced over the pages and think I’m on the right track. It needs some polishing, but it’s insightful.

So please forgive me if this is short and sweet tonight. You see my protagonist is about to reveal a picture he drew while in a fugue state. I wonder how he’s going to explain how he drew a vehicle he doesn’t remember. The details are sharp and accurate right down to the license plate on the rear bumper. There’s a flat tire and …

Happy writing.

Outtakes 254

Starting Over

by Cait Collins

What do you do when you discover the original premise of your story no longer works?

Simple. You start over. That doesn’t mean you scrap everything . Instead you junk what is no longer applicable. For example the nasty brothers no longer have a purpose in the story. Their one scene is trashed.

But what about the PI? He stays, because I know exactly how he fits. And he will play a major part. And the prologue stays. I have to set the basis for the action. There’s the television scene that stays, for now. I’ll also keep the meeting with the mother Sean does not remember. I like that part.

The basic scenes I’ve written are the snippets of the story. Having mentally edited some scenes, I’m in a better position to move forward. You see, this story is a challenge. My previous novels have been about four hundred pages each. I’m attempting to write shorter novels of about three hundred pages. That’s about 25,000 fewer words. My fear is that I will sacrifice plot for fewer pages. But I will keep on because I like my characters and my plot. I just have to get rid of the dead weight.

Outtakes 253

Just Right

by Cait Collins

I believe in doing my research when writing a story. In fact, I drop a bundle in Barnes and Noble with nearly every manuscript. In my current work 3×3, my hero is a gemologist and jewelry designer. So naturally I can’t have him facet a gemstone that is normally cut and set as cabochons. Nor can he purchase a green colored gem that is not found in green. Of course, I enhance my knowledge by studying cutting, settings, wax carvings, gems and their localities. But do we reach a point in research where too much knowledge detracts from the story?

For example, would the reader be more satisfied with the description of the finished product or does he want the step-by step process from the design to the showroom? Let’s face it, if I began describing the time spent either at a drawing board or computer painfully creating the drawing, then the wax carving, cutting, faceting, and polishing the stones, a reader would put the book down and wonder if he could get his money back. In fact, too much knowledge leaves little to the imagination. I would rather visualize the design than plough through its creation.

At times too much knowledge can lead to over-thinking which can lead to characters without emotions or with exaggerated emotions. They are no longer real. And the reader cannot relate to them. Without a relationship between the reader and the characters, there is no story.

Using our knowledge of a subject and applying our research is akin to Goldilocks and the three bears. Papa bear’s soup was too hot and his bed was too hard. Mama bear’s soup was too cold and her bed was too soft. Baby bear’s soup and bed were just right. Yes, knowledge adds to a work, but we must be careful to keep these details “just right”. Not too much or too little, but that fine mix that keeps the story on track and adds flavor to the work.

Outtakes 251

Setting the Scene

by Cait Collins

My publications are in broadcasting. When writing a news or sports report, a commercial, or even a documentary, facts can be more important than description. Footage provides the setting. So, sometimes setting the scene is difficult for me. I often have to research styles, locales, and history in order to describe the scene. These are questions I ask myself when describing the setting.

Home style     Ranch, Contemporary, Victorian, Edwardian, cabin, middle class, mansion

Locale              City, town, village, mountains, plains, beach, west region, eastern seaboard, Deep South

Flora                aspen or birch, oak, walnut, maple, elm, cedar, roses, types of wild flowers, magnolia, lily of the valley, sunflowers, grass

Fauna              predators, domesticated animals, elk, deer, birds, water life

Colors             black or ebony, gray or mist, yellow or daffodil, orange or peach, red or terra cotta, blue or aquamarine, green or meadow, brown or mahogany, purple or lavender

Time period    Victorian, Old west, Civil War, Depression era, WWI, WWII, 50’s

Once I answer these and other questions, I have I have a clear picture of where I am, and I write a “character sketch” of the setting. Information in hand, I can create the scene.

Outtakes 250

Words

by Cait Collins

I’ve been thinking a lot about words these days. Just how do word choices affect those who read my writings? Will I encourage or discourage; reason or incite; honor or desecrate? Will I set a scene or leave the reader confused? With all the words out there, one would think word choice would be simple. In reality, it is not because the writer is not in control of the reader’s mood.

Let’s say you had a rough day at work. You get home, pick up a news magazine and begin reading. The writer is not a fan of your favorite politician, so you begin seeing insults in every sentence. A comment like, “the candidate was not well prepared for questions regarding a new trade agreement” sets you off. Immediately you assume the author considers the politician as stupid or lazy. Instead of reading the next paragraph where the gentleman receives accolades for his knowledge of education issues, you toss the publication aside and send out a tweet stating the writer is incompetent and should refrain from speaking publically about things of which he has no knowledge. Your insults create a chain reaction of responses calling you stupid or a slew of messages supporting your stand. But what if your day had gone well? Would you have been more open minded? Would you have read the article to the end and maybe agreed that trade was a weak topic for the candidate? It’s all in your view of the world on the day you read the article.

While I think it’s important to select words carefully, I realize each person reacts to a work in his own way. Using rose instead of pink to describe a sunrise will create a warm memory for one reader, make another feel as if the author is color blind, send another to a travel agent to arrange a cruise to the tropical island where the sun was rising. In reality, we will all have critics. Some will stone us, others will praise our work, and some can take the book or leave it. It’s best to develop a thick skin and let the negative roll off our backs. Someone will appreciate our writings; even if it is just our moms.

Outtakes 249

Weddings and Family

By Cait Collins

I’ve been to many weddings in my lifetime. I’ve photographed some, but soon learned I don’t have the patience for bridezillas, unorganized affairs, and brides and grooms who demand more than they paid for, and guests who think the photographer should stage the shots and then allow them to take their pictures before the professional gets his. One bride told me “This is all about me. Do what I tell you.” That was my last wedding shoot.

I have decided I’d rather be a guest. This past weekend, I watched a nephew as he played a song he wrote for his bride. This guy loves music. You see it in his stance and in his eyes. The joy and love whispered with each note from his violin. My eyes misted as he became one with the music.

This ritual was witnessed by friends and family with great joy and pride and love for the couple. Think back to all the weddings you have attended. We they true celebrations of vows given and received or was it a spectacle punctuated by shouts, verbal abuse, and threatening words and gestures? How do the characters behave? Is the bride marrying the groom or is she making her vows to his bank balance? Is the groom taking a wife with joy or is his devotion the upcoming payday? Are the moms and dads ready to let their children make their own home or will they build it for the couple?

Weddings have so many possibilities in the creation of a story. Good, bad or indifferent, we’ve been to weddings. times I can party on until midnight, but other times, I want to bask in the love. And sometimes I want to remember, to savor, and relive a precious moment. Our characters have the same feelings.

The good thing is we have hundreds of examples. Not just for romances, but great weddings in history and the events that played out and added to events in history are good information for creative non-fiction and biographies. Ain’t in grand to know that one common event is workable for so many genres?

So here is the challenge. Gentlemen, imagine you’re a bride who has planned the perfect wedding. At the last fitting, a bride’s maid walks out of the fitting room with the zipper pulled out of her flamingo pink dress. The lady has gained 10 pounds since the last fitting and no way is the dress going to be wedding worthy even if they can get the zipper repaired. You (a) burst into tears and storm out the room screeching about your ruined wedding; (b) have the dress repaired and find a pretty scarf to drape over the bride’s maid’s shoulder to hide the repair; or (c) cut the careless witch from the wedding party? Remember, the year is 2156.

Ladies, as a groom, you’re nervous you’ll fumble the vows; you hope your groom’s men arrive on time and sober. Unfortunately, your best man shows up smashed and without the rings. Put yourself in the groom’s place. You (a) send your cousin back to the house to get the rings and you order lots of hot black coffee to sober the guy up; (b) you punch his lights out and hide the best man in the party room; or (c) cut him out of the wedding party. Don’t forget. Your wedding is being celebrated in Edwardian London and your family is royalty.

Enjoy your writing exercise.

Outtakes 247

Bad Start to a Good Day

By Cait Collins

Long weekends don’t always translate to a good start on the first day back to work. I have a bad habit of putting my keys on a dresser, in a coat pocket, or on a table instead of putting them in the Jadeite bowl on the counter by the front door. My carelessness results in a mad search for keys when it’s time to leave the house. This morning the keys were in their proper place, but when I parked my car at the office, I dropped the keys in my purse and got out of the car. The beautiful morning was shattered when I rounded the front of my vehicle and attempted to get my purse and computer from the passenger side.

I had no keys to unlock the door.

My Disney cast member key ring was safely tucked inside my purse and my purse was sitting on the front seat of my KIA. Thank goodness I remembered to grab my badge and display my parking pass before I got stupid.

God bless our security team. They could not unlock my doors, but they did provide me with a few numbers for locksmiths. Their recommendation was a company called Pop-a-lock. I called and was told a locksmith would be at my location in 20 minutes. While I was making arrangements for someone to come help me, the security guards kept an eye on my vehicle.

I was impressed when the locksmith arrived when promised. He opened the door in no time and presented me with a very reasonable bill for his services. One of our security guards patrolled the parking lot until I had paid the bill and was on my way to the building. I felt like I was really special because of all the kindness shown to me. Best of all, no one lectured me on being careless. I guess they realized I felt stupid enough.

This story really has nothing to do with writing except to introduce the possibility of a character. Imagine the heroine having an off day. Her car will not start. It’s getting dark and she’s waiting for a mechanic to try and start her very uncooperative vehicle. She’s alone and a little uneasy even though she’s inside her automobile with the doors locked. The parking garage is almost empty; her level is deserted.

A shadow falls across the rear window. She reaches for the canister of pepper spray on her key ring. The sound of a knuckle tapping on the driver’s window startles her. “Ms. Carson?”

She turns toward the voice and heaves a sigh of relief. “Are you okay? I got a call from Mr. Griffin saying there was a woman alone on this level.”

Our heroine cracks the window. “I’m fine, Mr. Porter. My mechanic should be here any minute.”

“Glad to hear help’s on the way. I’ll wait here until you’re on the road.”

“Not necessary, Mr. Porter. I’ll be fine.”

“I know that. But let’s not take chances.”

What if there’s a stranger lurking in the shadows? What if the heroine is truly alone? What if no one is concerned for her safety? And what if no one is aware she has a stalker?

Sometimes in the process of writing a work we overlook a character that only makes an appearance. But that presence has profound impact the story.