Make Every Word Count: Editing your fiction

When I was in college I interned for a city newspaper. One editor in particular seemed to have an aversion to everything I wrote, especially my first front page story.  It was about a walk to raise money and awareness for the homeless. It was my time to show them I could write more than just cute features about 4-H fairs and summer carnivals. I got up early and set out on the walk with hundreds of others. (O.K., not exactly hard news but still…) I interviewed people along the way, laughed and talked it up feeling mighty fine as a semi-professional journalist. Back to the newsroom I went and wrote from my heart, tapping away at the keys like Clark Kent. The following day I grabbed the paper and there it was: full color photo and my byline. And then I read it. I read it again because this wasn’t my story. I mean it was but it had been altered and turned around so much so it was like the ultimate wedgy. I choked back tears and gave that editor a look that I hoped would send daggers to her very soul.  She despised me. It was obvious. I mean I was an excellent writer with a natural gift and she was obviously threatened by this. There. I could be nothing else.

It would take me a minute but I eventually got it. In news writing especially, it is all about word economy. Articles are placed into blocks of space and have to fit perfectly within the space to which they are assigned and because of this news is told in the most efficient way possible.  Say what is needed and then stop writing. If a word doesn’t have purpose, if it is simply hanging around because he is friends with the other words, well– he has to go.

Thankfully this is one of the skills that I successfully transferred to my fiction writing; this system of word economics. Say what needs to be said and move along. This does not mean that fiction should be terse and without emotion; not at all.  But every word written should move the story along; no extra hang around words or characters or even scenes which do not progress the story. Words, whether you are writing fiction or non-fiction should make the reader feel as though they are going somewhere at all times.

Pick it apart after you’ve written your heart

First drafts are easier when you simply concentrate on getting the words down on paper. Let it go the first round because it just feels good–the release of emotion and authenticity of the story. Don’t be embarrassed by what you feel or think; don’t be lulled into going lightly as the wagging finger of your English professor, your Momma, your ex; the preacher or politically correct society hoovers over you. (Deal with them later.) Write from your soul, write with abandon. Now you have something substantial to edit. Edit afterwards and you’ll be surprise at how pure and rich your prose is. To edit while writing is like a wrestling match of the right and left brain; it slows creativity and even the editing is not done well; neither side wins.

Expand your vocabulary

Sometimes our need to ramble on is due to our limited vocabulary. It takes us longer to say what we need to say because we don’t have the words to express ourselves both efficiently and effectively. I realize now that was part of my dilemma during my internship. Vocabulary takes time to build. At that time I didn’t have it. That pesky editor did. She was good at her job. Skimming through a thesaurus and replacing familiar words is one way to get it done, but a more effective way is to read; read some of any and everything.

Now what is it I was trying to say?

Even as you are writing your fiction, keep reliving the story—the point of the whole thing. Play it in your head and talk about it as if you were speaking of real people. Have conversations about the characters with your family and friends as though you were working through real life dilemmas. If they start to look at you as if you’ve lost it for real this time, find someone else with whom you can talk about it. As long as the story is on your mind it becomes less difficult to get side tracked and you can express yourself more effectively.

Well, as I am sitting here writing this, I realize there is an editor at I need to thank. See you in a bit. Oh, and feel free to leave comments I love hearing from you guys.

Book Review: When Memories Fade by Tyora Moody keeps reader turning pages

In When Memories Fade by Tyora Moody, Angel Robert’s life seems to be on the upswing; she has renewed her faith in God and has just celebrated her twenty-fifth birthday with friends. But increasingly with each birthday she is reminded of the missing pieces of her life. Twenty years ago on the night of her fifth birthday party, her mother Elisa Roberts walked out of their home, never to be seen or heard from again. The thought of what happened that night has haunted and tormented both family and friends for years, especially Fredricka, Elisa’s aging mother–Angel’s grandmother. Each passing year she looks into her granddaughter’s face only to be reminded of a daughter who mysteriously vanished; and it seems as if the community is no longer seeking answers. The thought that she may go to her grave never knowing the truth about the disappearance is becoming unbearable.  Angel is also pressed by this realization.

Five years ago Angel began working on a documentary of her mother’s life, but along the way she became sidetracked and it got put to the side. Angel’s interest in finding out what happened on that terrible night is piqued again, especially when her grandmother suffers a stroke.

Angel meets Wes Cade an investigative reporter whose father, an ex-detective worked on her mother’s case many years ago. These days the elder Cade’s memory is steadily diminishing due to Alzheimer’s, and moments of clarity are short and sudden. But this case, according to his son has always haunted him; it eventually changed him in a way that was troubling for Wes to witness.

As Angel and Wes come together to make the most out of what each has to offer, they often push each other to the limits as both have emotionally vested interests, but for different reasons.

When Memories Fade is of the mystery genre, but it is Angel’s faith that keeps her grounded and pushing to find out the truth despite obstacles and setbacks, as her mother’s disappearance is somewhat of a cold case after so many years. And it is the complexity of the relationships that drives the story. Although Angel loves and respects her grandmother, she is often annoyed that she is clinging to hope that, her daughter will suddenly reappear. Wes, on the other hand wants to find out why this case has disturbed his father for so many years. Why this case? What does he know and finds so troubling?

A mystery for certain it is the faith and hope of the characters that uplifts and makes it different from other mysteries. Initially the number of characters seemed to crowd the story, but as it turns out each has a significant role and placement. And Moody is able to intertwine this close-knit community of family and friends in an eerie connectedness that has you searching for the missing pieces and wondering what happened to Elisa Roberts and what does each one really know about the disappearance?

The story also touches on Alzheimer’s disease and the impact it has on family and relationships and the faith and love needed to sustain both the sufferer and the family. Moody’s When Memories Fade reminds you of the importance of hope even when there seems to be no reason to believe.

The Writer’s Journey: Getting Published

Here it is. My official book launch day. In Three Days, the novel is finally available to all of you. And to say that I’m completely stoked is an understatement. I’m taking it all in, inhaling and exhaling and smiling like a kid at a birthday party eyeing a table full of presents and her favorite cake. Now, there were no paparazzi at my front door this morning, clutching cameras and microphones; the phone wasn’t buzzing clear off of the nightstand. But my heart is break dancing, spinning on its back with its legs stretched to the sky, it’s doing the robot and the wave and the Harlem Shake. And I feel like jumping in the air and doing that Toyota ‘Oh what a feeling’ jump. (You old heads remember that one.) But I won’t.  But I am smiling and thinking: I did it. I said that I would and with the help of God I did it. Boom.

Getting published is a milestone and my journey continues, but today I get to sit and relax a minute, refresh and revive myself before I get up again, stretch those muscles, crack my neck and knuckles and continue onward.  But I’d like to recap a few things I’ve learned because it never hurts but often helps.

Learn the craft of writing fiction

Becoming a marketing and social media guru is awesome. But while you’re doing all of that, don’t forget in the end you need to have a d@#$ good story.  You must learn how to write and learn how to write well or you may have 15 minutes and that is all. And even if you have a natural knack or gift or talent there is so much to learn; study, buy books, attend seminars and conferences; read, read and then read some more. Read all kinds of fiction; understand the flow of story, the development of characters, plot development. Serious writers invest in their craft. Writing should not be a tedious and unpleasant thing. And you don’t necessarily have to think about technique as you write. But you will find that as you write that which you have learned will make its way into your story: a type of muscle memory of sorts. You will be amazed at how you are able to discern gaps or flaws in your story as you edit as you study the craft. You will have a better eye/ear to what is missing or what needs to be weeded out. Your writing will improve and grow, but unless you’re writing strictly for yourself, some things must be taught.

Allow your story to flow naturally

Don’t try to be or sound like the next great anything. Simply tell a good story. Write it until you’re interested and in to it. Make it funny or sad or ridiculously exciting, but tell it well. Remove thoughts of trying to remind others of… Just do you. And if you do it well, and without reservation, the rest will come easier.

Take the time to develop your story

Sometimes I watch those cooking shows; the ones where the chefs are given a set of ingredients and a time limit to turn out an amazing dish. One of chefs’ biggest complaints is time. They aren’t given enough time to create an excellent dish. Well, you have time. Take it to develop your story. If something isn’t working don’t ignore it. If a subplot isn’t working, take it out or revamp it. If a character is useless, he has got to go. As with cooking, no one wants a half-baked, thrown together piece of…Trust me, your reader will know when you stopped caring about the story.

Enjoy the journey

There are so many stops and resting points in our journey as writers. Yet it continues on. And as we accomplish goals, there are always more to accomplish. It is the mantra of life. Enjoy what you do. Breathe in and out; smell the fresh air, have fun with your characters. This is not root canal or outpatient surgery. It should be an experience that you relish, even if you don’t like every aspect of it. Every now and again stop to pick some flowers. Now inhale. O.K. exhale. Enjoy the journey.

Starting over: breaking up with your novel

You’ve murdered all of your darlings, removed every word that wasn’t working and every lofty phrase that you thought was absolutely brilliant but unnecessary and yet your novel is as muddled as a bog. Sometimes getting up and going for a walk helps. You did that and shed a few pounds in the process. Sometimes putting it a way for a few days helps. It was put away for two weeks. You came back and it was still hideous. Sigh.

The first part of the novel was magical. It flowed effortlessly. During that time your smile was a little brighter; you actually cooked breakfast in the morning for the kids and even found yourself humming a little 80’s ditty while you were at it. New relationships can do that to you.

Somewhere, midpoint maybe, further perhaps, something began to change. It was nothing that you pinpoint exactly; it was just a feeling. You tried to deny it and kept showing up and plugging away—that’s the way we do it when we want a relationship to work. And now, well into the story, so much time vested and you have a half novel that is going nowhere. To continue on would be pointless. You both know it. But sometimes it is so hard to end it…properly.

In 2005 I was involved with such a novel. It started to become convoluted at about midpoint. I’d vested so much time and energy into writing the novel; I’d interviewed people, did proper research and so on. Now truly I’m the kind of person who has to finish things. I suppose it is my upbringing. (You didn’t leave the dinner table until your plate was clean even if that meant the grease had started to congeal around your pork chop.) To inject some life into it, I added more characters—just a few. It seemed they didn’t have much to do, and as a proper writer would, I added another subplot or two to keep them busy. And Yay, I finished it!

Finally it was time to for a read-through. I was so proud of myself for my stick-to-itiveness. It wasn’t long before I saw I should’ve broken it off a long time ago. There were so many characters going in as many directions. I was like a game show contestant trying to figure out the main plot, subplot and who in the world was the real protagonist? Two-thirds into it I stopped reading, flustered, eyes crossed. I could only imagine what an agent or editor would’ve said. (Had they even gotten as far as I did.)

What do you do when you do when you think it might be over

Do a read-thru  a check for blatant technical issues

Perhaps there are too many subplots; maybe the characters aren’t completely developed. If there are just technical issues these can be fixed. It may be a tedious fix, but doable. But if it has too many variables you may need to erase the board and start over.

Is your subject worth writing a novel about?

Many stories begin with an idea or a subject for which we are passionate and we think: I’m going to write about this! This is great when our emotions are high. But is the subject sustainable as a novel? Perhaps it works better as a short story, or maybe a subplot of a bigger story. Maybe it doesn’t work as a novel at all. Perhaps it’s more suitable for non-fiction. Don’t be afraid to take a look at other options.

Have you stopped caring about your characters?

If you’re trying to make yourself care about your characters imagine the horror you will put your reader through. Stories that are forced often sound forced or staged. Perhaps it just wasn’t a good idea to begin with. Sometimes we have to reexamine our reasons for writing the novel. Was it because everybody’s doing something in this genre and you don’t want to be left behind? Maybe a friend suggested it but you really couldn’t care less out it. Perhaps because of your experiences you haven’t developed an objective take on the subject. If you don’t care about your characters it will be difficult to continue to write about them. Letting go is hard, but holding on can be brutal.

Write your story your way: creating good fiction

David and Goliath a lithograph by Osmar Schindler c 1888

Remember when you first start writing you’d say things like: I want to write just like… As you were determined to make your fiction stand out you wanted to write in the style and voice of someone else. (The life of a writer is filled with irony.) With such a plethora of good writers in every genre it’s difficult not to cling to your favorite writers and try to mimic their style. Some people even mention this in their query letters as if it were a get-in-for-free card: Dear Sir, If you’ve ever read any of John Grisham’s work you are going to love…

And you know it may even work– for a while. I mean, you’ve read so much of Grisham’s work, your fiction rings with the same intensity and suspense. You’ve even captured his vocabulary.

In the Bible story about David and Goliath, David is just a boy when he declares that he will fight the giant Goliath. The Israelites are petrified by this brawny ten-foot-tall nemesis. King Saul said, cool go for it. I’m sure the king figured within minutes they’d been scraping bits of David from the ground with the tip of the sword, but he humored him anyway and dressed him with armor, helmet and a sword. But when David tried to move in it he found it big, awkward and unfamiliar. He may have looked the part, but it wasn’t going to work for him. He opted instead for a slingshot and a few stones. Perhaps they thought he was either too young to know better or too peeved to care. (I Samuel 17) This uncircumcised Philistine has the audacity…

Even Goliath laughed at him. (Of course the snickering tapered off as he watched one of those smooth stones sail toward his skull at the speed of a sand storm.) But the point is it’s amazing what you can do when you’re walking in your own truth.

Writing is a tricky thing. You can convince yourself of your non-existent originality or pride yourself for your uncanny resemblance to that one Daniel Baldacci book that just melted the charts. You’re clinging to the coattails of a New York Times bestseller in hopes you can take a ride with them to the top. But it is not until you get into the story that your eyes upturn toward your beloved mentor so that they may impart inspiration. As it turns out the essence of the story can’t be taught or imparted; that is the part that comes from the heart of every writer. It is what draws us to put pen to paper. It is our interpretation of experiences, fears, hopes and such; it is our quest to define the truth or unearth new questions. If that could be copied we’d all be turning out bestsellers.

When I first started writing I wanted my writings to ring with the fierce honesty of Terry McMillan’s work. I thought, easy enough. I can write like that.  But the more I read about her as a person I realized that her works were interpretations of her truth. How could I possibly mimic her interpretation?

Some place, in our souls as writers are the questions begging to be asked or answered. It is that place from which we write. I remind myself: only you can write your story.  And it must be written your way.    

Why True Stories Don’t Always Make for Good Fiction

If I had a dime for every time I’ve heard someone say, “I could write a book about my life,” I could stop using the cliché, ‘If I had a dime.’  I must confess; whenever I hear someone dishing the intimate details of their life I am always looking for a story in it…because…hey…you just never know.

But the truth is real life stories don’t always make for the best fiction. I think of the infamous James Frey. You remember the guy who wrote A Million Little Pieces, a candid memoir which we later found out was not so much true as it was fiction, hence no longer true by any account. Oprah called him on it because it was one of her book club picks and it went on to become a New York Times best seller because of this. Yet no one could deny that the story was well written. (O.K. as it turns out some thought it read as something contrived.) A few million were moved by the story. The point is, arguably Frey needed to use creative license (make up stuff) to make the story sound, tightly woven and plotted, like well written fiction. As a true story, I’m willing to believe the story would have been lacking…something. And Frey obviously agreed, hence his reason for making up most of it. Here are a few reasons why fiction and true stories can’t always marry.

Fiction is a fabricated truth

It is true that fiction contains elements of truth. We take real life events and then we create a story. We build on that story from bits of our imagination, mingled with what we know and what we want to happen; we completely change the ending, maybe, or the location; we change the protagonist from male to female, from White to Black because, as fiction writer Alyce Miller says, “Fiction…is a method of transforming, not simply transcribing, life.” These liberties are like candy for a fiction writer. We have the privilege to create.  Fiction is truth–fabricated.

The truth doesn’t always pan out into a sound story

The other day my brother was over and telling this joke which had him doubled over and I’m thinking, pull it together man and tell the joke we all want to laugh. Finally, he straightened up and told it between fits of laughter. We are all sitting there waiting for the funny part to sink in. Nothing. It was one of those workplace type jokes that just didn’t transfer to the general public. I’m sure if he would’ve told it to one of his coworkers they both would have been on the floor. Sometimes, with true stories, especially incidents which are personal and intimate the emotional attachment is so intense we somehow feel that those feeling will automatically transfer in our writing. But if the characters aren’t fully developed, or the plot is weak or full of holes, we won’t connect with the story. We don’t continue to read about stuff or people we don’t care about. Just because you care about them in real life doesn’t mean your reader will, unless given a reason.

No, seriously this is a true story

The saying that truth is stranger than fiction is absolutely true. But that doesn’t mean that it is good enough for fiction. I know, how ironic is that? But have you ever heard a story that was so absurd you absolutely didn’t believe it until the storyteller showed you proof? Well, real life events are like that. They aren’t tidy and neat. They don’t necessarily have story arcs or plot points or climaxes where the suspense is driving you crazy. Sometimes events shift suddenly without reason. True stories are all over the place rising and falling in the most unexpected spots. Frey said, “I wanted the stories in the book to ebb and flow, to have dramatic arcs, to have the tension that all great stories require.”  And dude, I get that. That’s what we all what. But we don’t always get that with true stories. Remember, fiction is about the suspension of disbelief. If it rings as absurd you’ll get called on it, no matter how true it is.

Sometimes you will get to tell that story for which the back cover of the book will read: Based on a true story. But if not, just keep making them up.

What do you think? Are true stories usually worthy to be told as fiction? I would love to hear from you.

The Beauty of Rejection: Examine yourself, Examine your fiction

In the perfect world we would write the perfect story, the perfect work of fiction and…boom. Editors would fight over who gets first or second rights. But is that really a perfect world or just our ego rearing its humongous bald head?  

For most of my life teachers, parents, etc. told me that wrote well. Praise like that tends to both build your confidence and inflate your ego. In reality I had some kind of gift but in the context of a classroom full of kids who would rather undergo a tonsillectomy than write anything that is not saying much.

Yes, I had a talent. It was not until I begin submitting my work that I realized it was not rare. Why editors didn’t absolutely fawn over my work was a mystery. It would take a minute for me to get it: they see tens of thousands of manuscripts each year, many from folks whose egos were as inflated as mine, and whose talents were even bigger. This was not third-grade general Ed. There was nothing general about this group.

There were plenty of rejection letters. When I finally got the offer letter for my novel I cried. I had made it. But it was all those rejections that taught me more than anything. Let me share a few of the things I’ve learned.

Giving Up is Not an Option

The rapper and hip-hop mogul Jay-Z said: Excellence is performing at a high level consistently. He goes on to say that anyone can have that hot record or be hot for a little while. But a person of excellence is performing at a high level consistently. When rejections keep coming and you keep tweaking, changing, searching for ways to make it better, your energy and processing are at their highest. You’re pushing yourself despite the urge to quit. To consistently override thoughts of disappointment and fear and hurt and push past it and towards something you know is there but do not see is a form of excellence. When I watch marathon runners I wonder at which point their bodies say enough this is where we stop. But their will urges them on. Their resolve is strengthened. And again I imagine, at some point their bodies began to scream, but their will pushes them further and closer; override, override, until they are operating in sheer will.   A rejection is just a reminder to keep pushing, you haven’t gotten there. But you will not be at rest.

Reexamines and Check the Ego

Reexamine. I began writing my novel in 2007. Spending that much time with yourself either does one of two things: gives you an inflated sense of connectedness with your own work or causes you to detest it. After a while you began to fall in love with it, sometimes in an unhealthy way. Imagine: your two-year old’s farts are brutal and the family thinks this is disgustingly hilarious; such an awful smell to come out of such a tiny, cute body. What could be funnier? You’re doubled over with laughter. And then he does it in church and the old lady sitting next to you erupts in a fit of gagging and has to be escorted out. Hmmm…not so cute anymore.

When our ‘baby’ is taken out in public others may have a different perspective. This helps us to constantly grow, reexamine our work, take out our little darlings and replace them with moving dialogue or exposition. It helps us to not fall in love with any piece of work, because most of it should be expendable if it is not working towards making our story stronger.

Confirms our status as a professional

People who only hope to one day write or who believe writing is kinda cool don’t have to worry about rejection letters—form or otherwise. Their dreams keep them in a perpetual state of hopefulness. They are the ones who always encourage you. And you really want to slap them sometimes but decide against it.  When you have a dog in the fight you get tired and discouraged and sometimes you are sure editors just don’t get it. But this simply means we are working, not sitting or wondering what it feels like to write, but working and getting our hands dirty. We feel defeat and sometimes, have to encourage ourselves hourly. But I’m finding that’s O.K. As long as we are in the running, the chances of us winning are very likely.