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I. The Best and
Worst Writing Advice I've Ever Received
II. Overcoming Writer's Block
III. Tips on Plot and Plotting
IV. Tips on Writing
Suspense and Increasing Tension
V. Philosophy on Writing Books for
Children
I. The Best and Worst Writing Advice I've Ever Received:
The best advice: There are many rules on what you must do to write a good book. None of them is right.
The worst advice: Any advice that starts with, "You must . . . " For example: "You must write everyday. You must start with a complete outline. You must know your characters intimately before putting pen to paper. If I had to do each of these, I would never have written a word of fiction.
I tend to do everything backwards: I write the outline after I've written the book. I know my characters intimately after I've written the book. And I write everyday, not necessarily by actual writing, but by reading constantly and thinking about my ideas and coming up with new ones, even when I'm not actually writing. However you can get yourself to write is the best way to write.
II. Overcoming Writer's Block:
I rarely get true "writer's block," which I define to mean that the writer reaches a wall past which she can't go, can't break through, either in a particular project or book, or in all of her writings. When I reach an "obstacle" in the path to writing a particular book, I have several techniques that I use to break through and start writing again.
I always start a writing project by creating three to four documents in the subdirectory where I keep a novel (a separate subdirectory per novel). One document is the manuscript,—the novel or picture book itself (I make numbered copies for each major revision)—one document is called my "Journal," one is called my "Workbook," and sometimes a fourth is called "Research." Then I begin writing.
I believe that the best way to rid your self of writer's block to write—anything that comes into your head. If you're alive, there must be some thought in your head that you can write down (I think, therefore, I am). So what if it's not relevant to your story?
If I don't know what to write next in my book, I turn to my journal. The journal is the main anti-writer's block document. That's where I brainstorm the story when I'm starting off. It's also where I put my mini-outlines (I don't write from an outline, but when I'm into the book, I often know what's coming next, and I can outline as much as I know), and most importantly, it's where I rid myself of blocks. I write how I'm feeling about the book, how I'm feeling about myself, or about life, or about anything. As long as I'm writing, I'm stimulating my creative subconscious—and breaking through the block.
The great thing about computers is that I don't have to keep all the junk I blither about when I'm blocked—unless I want to, for future reference. I can delete all of it. I don't have to keep reams of paper that have nothing to do with the story the way the main character did in The Wonder Boys.
If I'm working through a scene that's not turning out quite right, rather than stare at the screen and risk getting blocked, I go ahead and write out the scene in my "manuscript" document. If I hate it or it's not quite right, I lift it out and place it in the "Workbook" document, just in case I change my mind and want to use all or pieces of it (I date it and note the draft number and page). Then I rewrite the scene. Sometimes, I have to do this several times. I use this process a lot when writing picture books, especially rhyming books. I keep all the versions of a stanza, even the awful ones. The continuous process of writing, even if the writing is bad, is what keeps me from getting blocked. People who "sit at the drawing board," afraid to write down even one word because the word might not be perfect, are the ones most at risk of writer's block. Remember, the road to success is paved by failure upon failure (or failed passage upon failed passage until you get one right), not by staring at your screen and waiting for inspiration to strike.
The next best way to overcome writer's block is to read. I usually do a lot of my research while I write the book. I do a little in the beginning, but I like to start writing right away, so I do the majority of the research when I'm resting or when I'm blocked. That way, I'm not wasting precious minutes or hours—I'm always working on my book. I use the "Research" document to store my data and also to go back and read through if I'm blocked.
Another technique I have for overcoming block is to read other novels that deal with the same or similar subject matter as my present book, or at least the same genre. I'll often find one tiny phrase or a sentence or paragraph or an idea enough to inspire me yet again and to help me break through my block.
Finally, another technique I've used is to rent a movie that has to do with the subject matter or genre of the book I'm writing. Sometimes some idea or bit of dialogue or scene will give me a great idea for my book and set me rolling again.
III. Tips on Plot and Plotting:
I can't work from an outline. I get an idea, and if it's a picture book, I start playing with it right away, writing it up. But if it's an idea for a novel, I mull it over while I'm writing something else, way back in the back of my mind. I never jump right into an idea for a novel, I have to let it grow in my subconscious. But I have so many ideas, that I'm always working on something—it' s not like I'm waiting around for my idea to grow. Most of my novels have been growing for years before I start writing with conviction. I have a Word document in which I write my ideas once I get one, then I return to it periodically to add more notes as I get more ideas for the story.
Once I'm committed to start writing the novel, I brainstorm my ideas and a create loose outline—a series of possible scenes—in my "Journal" document (see my comment on writer's block). My journal contains my brainstorming, my mini outlines (which come to me while I'm writing), my notes about things I need to research, ideas for scenes, reasons why something is or isn't working. I write my novel in my main manuscript document and keep my journal open in the background (I always write directly on the computer, never by hand in a notebook). I write without a complete outline, knowing only my main character and maybe a few other characters and expecting to meet other characters along the way. I also know what the story is about, and I usually have an ending (though not always). If I don't have an ending, it usually comes to me by the time I've written half the book. But If I don't have an exact ending, I at least have an idea of the ending, though not the specifics on how it will happen. Often something in the first half of the book will suggest the perfect ending.
When I get an idea for a new scene, I jot it into my journal, and keep writing the scene I'm working on. Sometimes, in the middle of writing, I get an idea for a series of scenes, so I write those in my journal as a mini outline. When I've written one of the scenes in the mini outline, I check it off and keep writing until I've written all the scenes. Sometimes, I delete one of my scene ideas and go with something else. It just depends on what comes to me while I'm writing. I also like to read other novels and do research while I'm resting after my writing for the day. It's amazing how some tiny sentence or a name or an idea that I read while I'm writing can influence the direction that my book takes. If I had been reading something else, I might have a completely different plot.
I always create my plot from a "What-if?" technique—"What if this happens? What if that happens next?" This helps create a tightly plotted story. A tightly plotted story is made up of a series of scenes, each of which is causally connected to the other—if this happens, then that happens, and that happens, etc. If you take out any causally connected scene, it leaves a big, obvious gap in the storyline and the reader wonders how the writer got from here to there. In a loosely plotted story, you can take out a scene and not affect the rest of the plot. A well-plotted story is tightly plotted. It should have a domino effect: the dominoes are all lined up, and when you push the first domino, the rest fall till you get to the last one—there shouldn't be a break in the falling line of dominoes. When this happens, then that happens, then that happens. If you take out one of the scenes (dominoes), the story abruptly stops.
To make my stories more exciting, I try to avoid a linear plot, and instead use a complex plot. "Linear plot" is a term I've made up. Many children's books in the 80s, and still many now, have linear plots. Most adult bestsellers have highly complex plots. To me, "linear plot" means one main plot, with no, or a very thin, subplot, and the subplot does not lead the main plot into different directions—so the main plot keeps going in a straight line. A "complex plot" doesn't move in a straight line, it wiggles all over as it becomes complicated by subplots. To avoid a linear plot, when faced with a choice, "Should I take this path or that path in plotting?" always take the more difficult path—it's harder to write, but makes for a better story.
IV. Tips on Writing Suspense and Increasing Tension:
There are several techniques I know of. The first is called "moment-by-moment." In this technique, you slip into the character's skin and feel every emotion, no matter how subtle, for a short period of time, such as one to two minutes—the period during which the tension or suspense needs to be heightened. In your first draft of the scene, you write every emotion, every thought, every sensation (heart beats, prickling scalp, sweaty palms, hot, cold, etc.), smell, or sound that the character could possibly hear during that span of time. Then you read it over and pick the most powerful emotions and sensations to keep. Delete the rest (or save in a workbook for future reference). This technique can be used whenever tension is needed and is an excellent way of putting the reader in the character's shoes.
Another technique is to slow down time form the main character's point of view—like you're watching a film in slow motion or as if the main character, other characters he or she sees, and everything around him of her is moving underwater. Then describe everything that the main character sees, hears, smells in this slow-motion pace. This should be used at a moment of high tension or suspense, and should be used sparingly—no more than once or twice in the entire book. The length of the passage should be relatively short—a few sentences or a short paragraph.
The difference between "moment-by-moment" and "slow-mo" is subtle. In moment-by-moment, you're inside the character's skin, feeling and describing every sensation from the inside, and feeling and describing the character's reaction to outside forces, sounds, smells. Basically, you're describing what's going in inside the character. In slow-mo, you're describing what is going on outside the character from the character's point of view in a heightened emotional state. Both techniques can be combined to heighten the tension and suspense.
A third technique is kind of a mixture of both of these two techniques. You can achieve tension or suspense by slowing down the pace of a particular scene somewhat (but not as much as slow-mo). To do this, during the progress a suspenseful scene, you weave in commonplace sights, sounds, smells, or recurring scary thoughts in the main character's head. A short line or two in between the scary parts draws out the tension, contrasts the creepy with the normal, giving the scene an almost surreal feeling. It's also a good way to bring tension to a scene that would otherwise be a normal, every-day scene. For example, the main character is having dinner with a friend, the salad is being served, the smells of steak and potatoes fill the air, the normal sounds of cars passing and birds singing can be heard, and all the while she's hearing her ex-boyfriend's words in her head, If you leave me, I'll kill you, but she continues eating her salad, trying to control her trembling hand. A book I've read recently that does this really well is Sleeping With the Enemy, by Nancy Price (adult thriller about an abusive husband stalking his wife).
In writing my book, Something Wicked's in Those Woods, I used a technique in which I infused the story with atmosphere. The setting was the aunt's rustic, redwood house nestled in the woods of Orinda, California, which are dense with ancient oaks and tall pines, very eerie and dark. Whenever possible, I would weave in descriptions of the twisted branches and ghoulish forms of the oaks. The main character, Javi, had just arrived from Puerto Rico, where he had spent all his life in the warmth and sun of the tropical island. Javi's mood during the story would be affected by the imposing ancient oaks, the cold Northern California fog, and the dark, rustic house.
V. Philosophy of writing for children:
Write from the heart—don't write for trends or to impress someone. Truly write what you feel. And:
Write like nobody's reading;
Read like time is forever;
Dance like nobody's watching;
Love like you can't be hurt;
Sing like nobody's listening;
Live like it's Heaven on Earth.
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