Always writing or thinking about writing

by Joan

Last week my husband and I went to see the Rangers beat the Yankees. Most evenings I write, but it was nice to have a planned night out. We met at my office, where during the day I use words like income statement and cash flow instead of character development and plot twist. 

Driving from Addison to Arlington is never pretty, but in rush hour before a big game, it was brutal. The close parking lots were full, so we backtracked to a far lot and rode a shuttle. “One way trip,” said the driver. Which meant I was walking back in the heels I wore to work. Modest height, of course, yet heels nonetheless.

It was a perfect Dallas spring night and my eyes were busy taking it all in, with the occasional glance at the game. I love watching the big screen as the camera pans the crowd, the getups and tattoos I’m thankful never showed up on my son, the mad dash when a guy steals second, and the dreaded onscreen proposal. (She said yes, despite several people yelling, “Turn back!”) 

There’s always at least one moment when I’m staring at nothing and my husband will ask, “What chapter are you working on?” proving his theory that if I’m not writing, I’m thinking about writing.

As is our custom at massively crowded events, we slipped out early to avoid nightmarish traffic. Although it was mild, I dreaded the walk back on already aching feet and was thrilled to find a pedi-cab waiting out front, as though we’d reserved it. A nice kid, probably early twenties, welcomed us aboard and began chatting us up. He works full time at the pedi-cab business in Austin and drives up to Dallas for big events to make extra cash. (For non-Texans, that’s about a three-hour plus ride—each way!)

He turned to me and asked what kind of work I do. (I might have complained about having my work shoes on, it is just possible). I have two answers to this question, depending on who’s asking and where I am. He seemed like a nice guy so I gave him the answer I know to be the truth. “I’m a writer,” I said.

“Really?” he said, ears twitching, and proceeded to tell me he writes short stories and flash fiction.

“Oh, you have the Writers’ League of Texas right there,” I said.

“The what?”

I wondered how he could be a writer in Austin and not know about that wonderful resource, the one that offers courses and programs and conferences and contests.  It occurred to me that there are still writers out there who don’t know where to learn about the publishing business. So I mentioned a few resources and of course told him about our blog (are you reading, Andrew?). 

My husband tipped him large and added, “My wife wouldn’t forgive me if I didn’t support a fellow struggling writer.”

I thought I’d share a few resources here as well, for new readers like Andrew. Feel free to leave a comment and tell us your favorite literary site.

For lists of contests, agents, newsy articles, you name it: Poets & Writers 

For craft advice and nifty essays from those who have navigated the publishing world: Writer Unboxed  

For a literary blog offering thought-provoking discussions: Beyond the Margins 

For tips, insider info, and new agent listings: Writers Digest 

For killer query advice - Janet Reid's Query Shark

The 1-Day MFA

by Joan

“We need a workshop!” Pamela and I agreed. (Goofy opening dialogue explained later!) We both knew that we could benefit from an intense day on craft. On Saturday, we attended the Writers’ League of Texas’ program, “The 1-Day MFA: Lessons in Voice, Character, & Dialogue,” with instructor Sara Kocek. While it’s hard to get too deep in one day, Sara offered plenty of solid advice for us to apply to our current manuscripts.

Dialogue
When Sara asked who felt they wrote strong dialogue, Pamela and I both raised our hands. After trying with success to out-humor each other co-writing CCS, we felt comfortable with our skills in that area. But Sara pointed out that writing snappy, interesting dialogue is only part of the equation. Dialogue must also:

Advance the plot
Reveal character
Create or increase conflict

Another suggestion Sara offered was to have your characters talk past each other. I love this advice. Here’s my quick in-class exercise where we were instructed to write no more than three words of dialogue per line:

“Where’ve you been?” He didn’t look at her.
She dropped her purse on the floor and crossed the floor. “Red or white.”
“Fine, don’t say.”
“I will, later.”
He heard her twisting the corkscrew, grunting.
“Red, it is,” she said.
He finally looked up. She sipped too long on her glass, squeezing the bridge of her nose.
“Hey, it’s okay,” he said.
“No, it isn’t.” Her voice shook.
He lowered his voice. “You’re never late.”
“I got fired.”

Okay, it’s not perfect, but you get the idea.

Character
Next Sara offered tips on writing strong characters. Supplying your protagonist with a driving desire is key—what does she want more than anything and what stands in her way? But that’s just the beginning. To make things more interesting, give your character contradicting traits or beliefs. Better still, give her a secret—if revealed, this secret would change the character’s standing in the world. For example, it would be a bad day for my character Janey if anyone found out that she, a respected art conservator, had a wardrobe of confiscated antiques at home.

Voice
Voice is an area I struggle with. I’ve had a particular challenge in my current manuscript because I’ve got to get right not only the Italian and Irish immigrants in Victorian London, but also two present-day architects who share the same background. Luckily, one embraces his Italian and Jewish heritages by interspersing ethnic phrases in his speech. The other is a lonely widower with a happy-go-lucky Springer Spaniel. Sara’s main advice was to make sure your character’s voice sounds authentic.

Plot
We also learned the elements of plot and structure, how to weave in sub-plot, how to write strong beginnings and endings (and how NOT to!) Don’t start your book with the weather. Don’t place your readers into an otherwise normal day in the life of your character. Better to drop them into a riveting scene where they grab onto the coattails of your character and don’t let go. As for endings, trust your readers' intelligence—resist the urge to draw conclusions. Avoid the soap opera trap (unless you’re Jane Austen). And don’t begin or end your book with a quote (unless you’re Margaret Mitchell).

If you’re in the Austin area, Sara Kocek is offering a second WLT workshop. Sign up here.