Operation: Cut the Internal Monologue

Not too long ago, a friend of mine commented on the differences between men and women (these are generalizations, not rules). Many women--I think all the women I’ve ever known--are constantly thinking of something. Personally, I have a constant internal monologue going on (on a side note, its usually in third person: “She wondered what to have for lunch . . .”). My friend said she used to ask her husband what he was thinking, and he would answer, “Nothing.” She got frustrated, thinking he was just refusing to tell her. After awhile, though, she realized he really was thinking nothing.

The ending of my novel is messy. Very messy. In talking with a co-worker the other night, he reminded me that guys, in general, don’t internally monologue. The next day, I went back to my ending to work on some new scenes, and they came out much less messy. I concentrated on setting and action to indicate feelings and thoughts rather than on internal monologue. This makes the writing more showy (vs. telly), more interesting, and more true to the character. I also have to remember that my readers are smart--I don’t have to spell every emotion out for them.

As I revise my messy ending, I’m going to work on description of setting, action, and physical feelings to indicate my character’s emotions and thoughts. After that, I need to go back through Parts 2-4 focused on the same thing. This could be disheartening, but I find it encouraging. I had been trying to figure out why Part 1 was so much better than the rest, and I think this is why.

Operation: Cut the Internal Monologue commence!

Physical Manifestations of Emotion

I have known for a couple of years now that I have difficulty including sensory detail in my stories. I experience the world through thoughts and thought processes. I don’t necessarily remember how things smell or taste or sound--I remember specific images, dates, and numerical or logical details. I remember what I thought at the time.

For example, a few years ago, I went to an air-show on an especially sunny and hot day, and I got heat exhaustion. I don’t remember how I felt, the heat on my skin, the thirst or anything like that unless I try really hard. What I do remember is thinking, “I feel miserable.” I remember sitting on a concrete floor in a hanger near a table where a dismantled M-16 was on display thinking, “All these people probably think I’m weird.” If I try hard, I can remember that everything echoed, I faintly remember cool air coming from somewhere; I vaguely remember the cold concrete floor.

One of my good friends is studying psychology and counseling. When I asked her to read Part 1 of Book Two, she sweetly agreed and has given me insights based on her training. She reminded me that a young man probably wouldn’t be able to articulate his feelings as well as my MC does. She encouraged me to use physical manifestations of emotion rather than just saying, “he was angry” or “he felt sad.” What does being angry feel like? Did his muscles tense or weaken? Did his back ache or his neck hurt? When I mentioned my trouble with recognizing sensory detail in my own life, she suggested sitting still and quiet and counting backwards from ten while focusing on what my body is experiencing.

For any other intuitive rather than sensory writers, I hope you find this helpful. Happy Writing!

Perfect Heroine

My heroine used to be so solid, a rock the hero could rely on--that everyone could rely on. She was always encouraging, a stickler for rules but fun. She was tenderhearted but strong. She was the manifestation of an ideal.

And then, I started telling the story from her POV. Suddenly, she seemed so insecure. She had bitterness she’d never dealt with from being rejected so often as a child--by her family, by her peers. She was strong because she had to be--no one else would be strong for her--but all she really wanted was for someone else to come take care of everything, for someone else to make  things better. She wanted that strong person to hold her and fight away her bad dreams. She wanted that person but didn’t know how to trust anyone to be that person because everyone she had ever relied on had let her down.

Wow. I guess I need to go back to Book One and rewrite all her scenes with that in mind. She isn’t as perfect as she seemed.

I think I like her better now.

A Little Weekend Fun

Time for a little amusement. Some writers throw out their first draft and completely start over with their second draft. I do not recommend throwing away your writing. Ever. For practical reasons, I often realize a scene I had cut out after the first draft actually does belong or that I've gotten away from a character's personality. If I'd thrown out my first draft, I wouldn't have that information anymore.

For a purely entertaining reason, I love going back and rereading what I wrote. Especially some of the things I wrote in highschool. I make myself laugh so hard.

Yesterday, I decided to look at my highschool draft of Book One to see how I introduced my MC's mentor. Well, his mentor was apparently quite gruff in that early draft. At one point, he sits the MC down and tells him how he has two options. He waxes eloquent on how either option will be extraordinarily difficult and ends with this sentence:

"Eventually you will become so disgusted with yourself and everyone around you that you will sink into a fathomless pit of self pity and loathing, wondering each day why you cannot simply die and be done with it."

Wow! I think I'd get a new mentor. . . . ;-)

Daunted by Book One

I’m really excited about writing Book One of The Epic Novel.

So why can’t I start?

All my characters’ motivations are becoming clearer and clearer, the plot is falling nicely into place. Things that didn’t make sense before suddenly make sense. If writing this story is so exciting, why can’t I put pencil to paper?

I think I still have a bad taste in my mouth from six years and twelve drafts ago. I’ve already written this book. Five times. One time, I actually finished it. I’ve already introduced all the characters, written the battle scenes, and cried at the death scenes. I don’t want to do it again.

But I have learned so much about writing in those six years. Whatever I write now will be miles better than those earlier drafts.

Another problem: where to start. I can’t decide which incident is the inciting one. The decleration of war? The trip to another country? The raid? The revelation that the main character is a valuable weapon? The introduction of a mysterious figure? Or is it the highschool graduation from Drafts 10-12? (that seems doubtful).

I think I’ll start in the middle and write the beginning later. I don’t usually do that, but it seems necessary at this point. (I sigh deeply.) Well, if writing Book Two took only a year, then writing Book One can’t be all bad. I just have to buckle down and do it.

Anne M.

How many times have I said I would be consistent in updating this blog? Well, at least I'm consistently inconsistent. Let's see if I can actually do it, this time. I already had been thinking I need to update my blog frequently when I came across a series of posts by my friend Janet Fox. She has three very informative posts on marketing your book and branding yourself as a writer: "Marketing and Publicity for Authors," Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3.

One reason for my sudden motivation is that I actually see an end in sight. When I first embarked on Epic Novel, I had no idea it would become my favorite project. As I continued to work on it, I wondered if I would wind up taking 14 years, as Tolkien did with Lord of the Rings (not that I'm comparing my story or writing to Tolkien--just the length of time writing the manuscript). After 11 years, 14 years doesn't seem so long. However, I have actually completed the rough draft of Book 2. Yay!

This draft took me about 10-11 months to complete. When I realized that I actually wrote an entire draft of a novel in less than a year, I realized that pursuit of publication may actually be 3-5 years down the road rather than 10-15. Therefore, I should start thinking more seriously about my web presence and my writerly connections.

Now that I have a complete draft, I am mentally organized enough to join a writer's group. Yes, yes, I know, I should have joined one long before now. Just trust me that I know myself, and I would not have functioned well in a writer's group until I had organized my own mind.

Aside from looking for a critique group and other writers with whom to converse, I am currently revising Book 2. The characters are finally growing in the correct order. They kept arguing about things they had already worked out, and they kept being angry for no reason. I'm excited with how the motivations and growth are sorting themselves out. I also have been able to cut numerous extraneous scenes. I love getting to the point in revision when, for the good of the story, I can cut something with which I was once in love.

I am also trying to read more blogs. I enjoyed this recent post on theme by Gail Carson Levine.

And for now, that is all. Today is my one day off this week, and having spent the morning on necessary errands, I shall now devote the afternoon to more revision.

Write on!

Motivation

When I embarked on the journey of Epic Novel, I had never had any instruction in Creative Writing. I had learned what I knew solely from reading fiction and one or two books on craft. I had not even had much instruction in reading literature. I had no knowledge of character motivation or character arc. Even so, I recognized that my story fell flat because I didn't know what my main character wanted. Okay, there's a huge massive war and he wants to protect his family and his people. But what about before the war? What did he want then, and how did that motivate him to join the war? Rereading my draft, I realized that he has motivation--he's had it all along--it just needed bringing out. I didn't recognize it when I first started the story because I didn't know what my own motivation was. I know both now. What a relief!

Rereading my old draft, I realized there are a lot of things buried in there that I didn't realize when I wrote it. The motivation for my main character seems so obvious to me now, it's amazing. I've figured out a few more motivations as well, including the motivation for Arch Nemesis Number 1. Now I just have to master character arc. :-)
Anne M.