A few previous posts discussed some of the things I've learned about writing. Things like "Start the story close to the action" and "The Inciting Incident should be near the beginning".
Well, I recently read a story that broke both those rules and did so brilliantly. It's no secret that I admire Timothy Hallinan's writing, and QUEEN OF PATPONG is, in my humble opinion, the best work I've read in a long time.
The story opens with a man entering a brothel in Bangkok. He is looking for a woman, not just any woman, a certain woman. You don't know who the man is, but the woman he seeks is a very young (age 16) prostitute appropriately named Toy. Alternating with the brothel scenes are the actions of a Thai police officer. The man exits the brothel with Toy in tow, only to be accosted by the police officer.
Interesting, but it doesn't have much of anything to do with the story. But it is so compelling, that I as the reader didn't mind at all. I loved the opening. The Inciting Incident didn't occur until Chapter 2, and a few pages into the second chapter at that.
So why did he break the rules? I don't have any special insight into the author's mind, but I did pick up a thing or two.
Aside from painting a colorful image of Bangkok street life, several important elements emerge from the chapter. In one of the scenes depicting the police officer, a young woman, ostensibly a hooker, empties the pocket of her "john" in full view of the officer. When the "john" complains, the policeman asks for her name. The "john" didn't know her name. The police officer responds, "in Thailand, everyone has a name." That scene humanizes the hooker, and in effect, humanizes all of Patpong's hookers. They are no longer anonymous faces in the crowd, but people with beating hearts and blood running through their veins, not unlike you or I.
As it turns out, the man in the brothel.... well, I don't want to give any more of the story away than I already have. If you've read the story, I'd love to hear your comments. If you haven't, you should treat yourself to the book. It was one of the Edgar nominees, and is a very worthy novel.
Friday, September 2, 2011
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Beta Reading
Do you review others' work? Beta reading can be a challenge, especially if the voice is way different from mine. When making suggestions for revision, I try to make no impact on the voice or the flow of the work.
A tremendous amount of time and energy can go into beta reading, but it is a critical part of getting your novel ready for publication.
Some suggestions:
1) Don't be snarky. It adds no value whatsoever, and will alienate yourself from your reading group.
2) Check for the fundamentals. Paragraph and sentence structure, punctuation, spelling. It is easy for a writer to overlook a lot of these, since the brain will often see what it meant to put on the page, not what is actually there.
3) Does a word or a phrase cause to stumble, or pause to consider the message it conveys? If so, it may be best to revise that passage.
4) Is there a natural flow to the story, or is it hard to follow?
5) Characters are harder to convey, but check to see if the character motivation and actions make sense.
6) Continuity - if a character is wearing a red dress, then falls down and rips her blue slacks, a continuity check is in order.
Good luck, and let me know if these tips are useful. I'd also like to know what you look for when reading others' work.
A tremendous amount of time and energy can go into beta reading, but it is a critical part of getting your novel ready for publication.
Some suggestions:
1) Don't be snarky. It adds no value whatsoever, and will alienate yourself from your reading group.
2) Check for the fundamentals. Paragraph and sentence structure, punctuation, spelling. It is easy for a writer to overlook a lot of these, since the brain will often see what it meant to put on the page, not what is actually there.
3) Does a word or a phrase cause to stumble, or pause to consider the message it conveys? If so, it may be best to revise that passage.
4) Is there a natural flow to the story, or is it hard to follow?
5) Characters are harder to convey, but check to see if the character motivation and actions make sense.
6) Continuity - if a character is wearing a red dress, then falls down and rips her blue slacks, a continuity check is in order.
Good luck, and let me know if these tips are useful. I'd also like to know what you look for when reading others' work.
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Do you have a secret to share?
Whisper
If I shared with you a secret, would you promise not to say
A single word about the things we whisper here today?
Come a little closer and I’ll murmur in your ear
But first you have to promise you will hold this message dear
And never tell another soul, but darling, if you do
Be sure that you extract from them their sacred promise to
Never breathe a word of this to any of their friends -
On second thought I think that I shall whisper to the winds.
If I shared with you a secret, would you promise not to say
A single word about the things we whisper here today?
Come a little closer and I’ll murmur in your ear
But first you have to promise you will hold this message dear
And never tell another soul, but darling, if you do
Be sure that you extract from them their sacred promise to
Never breathe a word of this to any of their friends -
On second thought I think that I shall whisper to the winds.
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Reflections on Turning 100
No, not me. My Dad turned 100 a couple of weeks ago. That's quite a milestone for anyone to make, and we celebrated with a grand party at the home where he now lives.
He's only been in the home since March. For 99 and two-thirds years he's lived an independent life, hale and hearty. He always was a big man, over six feet tall, strong and healthy.
He loomed in my mind as larger than he really was. When I lived in the Netherlands, I bought him a sweater made in Denmark. Knitted of fine wool, the sweater was meant to ward off the North Sea gales and would do well against the rugged winters of Michigan's Upper Peninsula.
"What size should we get?" asked my wife. Holding it up, I replied. "Better get the extra large."
When we called that Christmas, Dad laughed. "How big do you think I am, anyway?"
"Just wash it," I said, "it will shrink."
It was a shock to see him at the nursing home, in a wheel chair, face bruised from a nasty fall taken a week or so earlier. He's nearly blind from macular degeneration, diminished in strength and stature. I gave him a CD player along with several audio books so he could listen to the stories he can no longer read.
But his spirit is undiminished. His mind is clear, and his memories are sharp. We talked about the old days. how he and his cousin hoboed their way out to California in the early days of the Depression.
"I worked in a bakery on LaBrea," he said, "A Frenchman owned it, or maybe a Swede. It was so long ago, I can't remember. But he was fat." Never trust a skinny cook, or baker for that matter.
So I set up the CD player and showed him how it works. One button for the power, and he could see enough of the LED lights to tell if it was on or off. One button to make it play, and one button to open the cover to change the CD.
I wished I could do more. But fighting City Hall would be a piece of birthday cake compared to fighting old age. May God bless our Centenarians.
He's only been in the home since March. For 99 and two-thirds years he's lived an independent life, hale and hearty. He always was a big man, over six feet tall, strong and healthy.
He loomed in my mind as larger than he really was. When I lived in the Netherlands, I bought him a sweater made in Denmark. Knitted of fine wool, the sweater was meant to ward off the North Sea gales and would do well against the rugged winters of Michigan's Upper Peninsula.
"What size should we get?" asked my wife. Holding it up, I replied. "Better get the extra large."
When we called that Christmas, Dad laughed. "How big do you think I am, anyway?"
"Just wash it," I said, "it will shrink."
It was a shock to see him at the nursing home, in a wheel chair, face bruised from a nasty fall taken a week or so earlier. He's nearly blind from macular degeneration, diminished in strength and stature. I gave him a CD player along with several audio books so he could listen to the stories he can no longer read.
But his spirit is undiminished. His mind is clear, and his memories are sharp. We talked about the old days. how he and his cousin hoboed their way out to California in the early days of the Depression.
"I worked in a bakery on LaBrea," he said, "A Frenchman owned it, or maybe a Swede. It was so long ago, I can't remember. But he was fat." Never trust a skinny cook, or baker for that matter.
So I set up the CD player and showed him how it works. One button for the power, and he could see enough of the LED lights to tell if it was on or off. One button to make it play, and one button to open the cover to change the CD.
I wished I could do more. But fighting City Hall would be a piece of birthday cake compared to fighting old age. May God bless our Centenarians.
Friday, July 29, 2011
New York Writers Workshop
If you've completed a novel, New York Writers Workshop has a new class
Have you written a novel? Are you thinking about 'next steps'? Today there are more publishing paths than ever--from traditional deals to becoming your own independent publisher.
This fall, Jenny Milchman will be teaching a class for New York Writers Workshop that explores the whole range of publishing options. You will learn what makes a novel ready for publication, and how to ensure that yours is truly ready. A close knit atmosphere of writerly support is a hallmark of NYWW courses.
After 11 years of trying to break in, Jenny recently received an offer on her debut novel. It will be coming out from Ballantine/Random House in early 2013. The experiences she's had along the way will inform this class, as will special guest author appearances by people who have self-published, been traditionally published, and some who have done both.
Please follow this link to learn more http://www.jccmanhattan.org/cat-content.aspx?catID=2917&progID=24210#/ELWPPR00F2 and feel free to email me with any questions.
This class will assist your novel find its best path to publication!
I've taken a class from the NYWW, and it was instrumental in moving me forward in my writing career. It will be worthwhile, I'm sure.
Have you written a novel? Are you thinking about 'next steps'? Today there are more publishing paths than ever--from traditional deals to becoming your own independent publisher.
This fall, Jenny Milchman will be teaching a class for New York Writers Workshop that explores the whole range of publishing options. You will learn what makes a novel ready for publication, and how to ensure that yours is truly ready. A close knit atmosphere of writerly support is a hallmark of NYWW courses.
After 11 years of trying to break in, Jenny recently received an offer on her debut novel. It will be coming out from Ballantine/Random House in early 2013. The experiences she's had along the way will inform this class, as will special guest author appearances by people who have self-published, been traditionally published, and some who have done both.
Please follow this link to learn more http://www.jccmanhattan.org/cat-content.aspx?catID=2917&progID=24210#/ELWPPR00F2 and feel free to email me with any questions.
This class will assist your novel find its best path to publication!
I've taken a class from the NYWW, and it was instrumental in moving me forward in my writing career. It will be worthwhile, I'm sure.
Friday, June 24, 2011
My Car
The car in the blog header is a 1946 MG TC, and the picture was taken the day I got it. It was a gift from my wife on our wedding anniversary, and she remains a part of our family to this day.
We were celebrating our anniversary with our two daughters. After a special dinner, my wife wanted to drive to a nearby picnic spot on the Gulf to have dessert. So we piled into the family car with our two daughters. About half way there, our oldest daughter claimed she needed a bathroom break. So we pulled into a nearby fast food chain.
As it happened, the local antique car club was holding their weekly car show. We parked, and I got out to admire the cars. All the cars were beautiful, but the one English beauty stood out among her American cousins. As we waited for our daughter, we wandered through the parking lot, admiring the cars.
The club had a DJ playing music from the fifties and sixties. The music stopped and the MC announced, "It's time to announce the car of the month award."
I didn't pay much attention, just kept wandering through the show. By this time, our oldest daughter had joined us. The MC continued, "The car of the month is the 1946 MG TC."
My wife asked, "Which one is the MG?"
"It's the white one over there," I said.
The MC continued, "The owner of the car is Tom Gill."
I was certain I had imagined it. I didn't have a car in the show. There was no way I could win an award without even entering. There must be some other Tom Gill here.
The MC called out once more, "Will Tom Gill please come up and receive his prize."
My wife nudged my side. "It's you," she whispered.
Dazed, I slowly walked up to the MC, wondering where the hidden cameras were placed. It had to be some sort of joke. The MC handed me a ribbon with a medal and my bride, beaming with pride and pleasure, said, "It's your anniversary present."
The gift was a total surprise. My wife bought the car and had arranged to make it road worthy with a local MG specialist. The presentation was arranged with the car club, and everyone there was in on it except me.
Well, we promptly named her Annie, which is short for Anniversary, and gave her a prize location in our garage. Years later, I still have a hard time believing it really happened. We've enjoyed several trips in her, and have met some wonderful people through her. The car turns heads every where we go.
Best of all, every novel I write has, or will have, a vintage MG "T-Type" featured in at least one scene. That's why I chose that photo to be the introduction to my blog.
We were celebrating our anniversary with our two daughters. After a special dinner, my wife wanted to drive to a nearby picnic spot on the Gulf to have dessert. So we piled into the family car with our two daughters. About half way there, our oldest daughter claimed she needed a bathroom break. So we pulled into a nearby fast food chain.
As it happened, the local antique car club was holding their weekly car show. We parked, and I got out to admire the cars. All the cars were beautiful, but the one English beauty stood out among her American cousins. As we waited for our daughter, we wandered through the parking lot, admiring the cars.
The club had a DJ playing music from the fifties and sixties. The music stopped and the MC announced, "It's time to announce the car of the month award."
I didn't pay much attention, just kept wandering through the show. By this time, our oldest daughter had joined us. The MC continued, "The car of the month is the 1946 MG TC."
My wife asked, "Which one is the MG?"
"It's the white one over there," I said.
The MC continued, "The owner of the car is Tom Gill."
I was certain I had imagined it. I didn't have a car in the show. There was no way I could win an award without even entering. There must be some other Tom Gill here.
The MC called out once more, "Will Tom Gill please come up and receive his prize."
My wife nudged my side. "It's you," she whispered.
Dazed, I slowly walked up to the MC, wondering where the hidden cameras were placed. It had to be some sort of joke. The MC handed me a ribbon with a medal and my bride, beaming with pride and pleasure, said, "It's your anniversary present."
The gift was a total surprise. My wife bought the car and had arranged to make it road worthy with a local MG specialist. The presentation was arranged with the car club, and everyone there was in on it except me.
Well, we promptly named her Annie, which is short for Anniversary, and gave her a prize location in our garage. Years later, I still have a hard time believing it really happened. We've enjoyed several trips in her, and have met some wonderful people through her. The car turns heads every where we go.
Best of all, every novel I write has, or will have, a vintage MG "T-Type" featured in at least one scene. That's why I chose that photo to be the introduction to my blog.
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Shaken: Stories for Japan
Timothy Hallinan has edited an ebook anthology of twenty top authors called SHAKEN: STORIES FOR JAPAN. The anthology is now available on Amazon, and all the proceeds go to Japan's earthquake relief efforts.
The anthology is not only a worthwhile literary achievement, it is a remarkable humanitarian effort as well. Timothy and his team of authors worked hard to create this edition, and I applaud their contribution. Let's make their work worthwhile by purchasing the ebook.
The anthology is not only a worthwhile literary achievement, it is a remarkable humanitarian effort as well. Timothy and his team of authors worked hard to create this edition, and I applaud their contribution. Let's make their work worthwhile by purchasing the ebook.
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